121st Maclean Highland Gathering
The Scottish town in Australia will come alive this weekend when the Lower Clarence Scottish Association presents the 121st Maclean Highland Gathering. On April 3 and 4, the sights and sounds of pipe bands and solo piping featuring some of Australia’s and the world’s best, will be complimented by the beauty and grace of highland dancing and the spectacular athleticism of the highland games.
Families furious with 10 per cent rise in childcare fees
Families who use childcare and early education centres run by Central Coast Council are furious with the plan to raise fees by 10% and worried about what it means for their working future. One called it a cash grab, another said it was a rip off ... "disgusting cash grab from Council"...
Father loses court battle to reclaim $4.8 million Riverina family farms from son
Oliver Jacques. A 77-year-old farmer has lost his last-ditch legal fight to win back two family farms worth around $4.8 million near Narrandera from his own son, ending a seven-year courtroom battle that he said has left him fearing homelessness. Colin Protheroe launched legal action against his son Brian, seeking to overturn a 2023 judgment which found that Brian was entitled to the farms under a court-imposed arrangement.
Unanimous vote shows what matters
When a loved one goes missing, often suddenly and without explanation, the emotional and traumatic impact their disappearance has on their friends and family can be profound ... In Australia, police receive more than 50000 reports of missing persons each year ... The Green Seat Project has gained the support of tens of thousands of people across the country ...
Fuel, food and your family: What the Middle East war could mean for rural NSW right now
... in the practical, everyday ways that matter most to country families, what is happening right now in the Middle East is worth understanding clearly and calmly.
Idyllic day shattered by freak accident
A picturesque barbie boat ride almost turned to tragedy for mother of 3, Leitchville dairy farmer Stephanie Dehne ... Their plan was to boat upstream from Murrabit and enjoy lunch at the Royal Hotel Barham before a lazy afternoon return journey, but things quickly escalated into a life-or-death race against the clock.
Where’s the childcare centre?
Big promises, no build as Naracoorte waits on old TAFE site project. A grand on-site announcement, artist impressions, and firm timelines promised a solution to Naracoorte’s long-running childcare shortage — but almost two years on, the proposed early learning and childcare centre at the former TAFE site has yet to take physical shape.
Moulamein sisters earn Barastoc call-ups
Gus van Hart. Two Moulamein sisters are set to pull on New South Wales colours at Barastoc 2026 after both landed surprise representative call-ups in different squads. Barastoc is an annual three-day interstate polocrosse carnival featuring representative state teams from across the country.
Life behind bars for DV murderers: Boothby
New legislation to be introduced this week will amend the Sentencing Act 1995 to impose a life sentence with a mandatory minimum non-parole period of 25 years’ imprisonment for the murder of a current or former partner. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said the reform reflects the scale of harm caused by domestic and family violence in the Territory – particularly for Aboriginal women who comprise 89 per cent of all DV victims and who are 7 times more likely to die.
Australians trading the city for the regions
Caitlin Menadue. A growing number of Australians are leaving capital cities for regional towns, with Yorke Peninsula among the areas seeing the shift ... Coastal towns such as Wallaroo continue to attract retirees and young families ... "It's spacious, you can have chickens and it's great exposure for kids," said Simone Walters.
Commission of Inquiry’s first public hearing of the new year to be in Toowoomba
The Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety has announced it will hold its first public hearing of 2026 in Southern Queensland with a key focus on the intersection between the child safety and youth justice systems. The public hearing will be held in Toowoomba, commencing on Monday the 16th of February ... Commissioner, the Honourable Paul Anastassiou KC said the community's input will help inform the Commission's work in its review of the effectiveness of the child safety system to keep children and Queenslanders safe.
Schools urged to play a frontline role in protecting children against forced marriage: AFP
The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has called on school communities to help identify and protect vulnerable children amid a growth in reports of forced marriage. According to the latest figures, reports of forced marriage into the ACCCE jumped almost 30 per cent last financial year...
Three-day childcare guarantee now in effect for all families
Every child is now guaranteed three days of subsidised childcare, but there's a catch for rural families. The three-day childcare guarantee now in effect for all families. A new federal subsidy removes work test, but access to centres remains challenge in Barwon electorate, according to the local MP.
A letter through time: Anthony Bradford’s journey from Hay to building an empire in mental health
When the Anglican Church time capsule was cracked open, there was excitement in the air, and then dust, and then the first letter was drawn. It was addressed to the future children of Anthony Bradford ... Inside the year 2000-time capsule opened in Hay was a letter his grandfather, Jim Bradford Senior, had written to him back in 1972, a letter he’d completely forgotten about.
Community unites to honour Lauren
A powerful show of community resilience and strength unfolded at Nobby ... as family, friends and supporters gathered to honour the life and legacy of 21 y/o Lauren Smith, whose life was cut short by epilepsy ... the Smith family, alongside local haulage company OBrienco Transport, officially unveiled a specially branded B-Triple truck dedicated to Lauren’s memory...
How the housing boom broke the Lucky Country
Like every parent watching their adult kids edge toward the real estate market, I look at the numbers with growing alarm. In 25 years, Perth house prices have jumped from roughly $200,000 to close to $900,000 — a three-to-fivefold increase — while wages have barely doubled from $50,000 to $100,000. That’s not a generational squeeze; it’s a structural impossibility.
The line between being a good coach and an ugly parent
Kids’ sport should be a classroom for life — but when parents and coaches cross the line from supportive to suffocating, the game stops being fun and starts causing real harm ... Junior country sport relies on the army of volunteer parents who coach, manage, supervise, and oversee children’s sport. Coaches are a powerful influence on a child’s confidence...
Zonta’s yarn bomb sends a powerful message
If you've noticed trees wrapped in bright, colourful yarn around Kibble Park, Gosford, or down by The Village Green at Toukley, you've spotted Zonta Central Coast's latest yarn bomb – a community art project with a powerful message. The installations are part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence…
Welcome Baby to Country
Members of the local Aboriginal community gathered on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at Koori Beach Narrandera for a Welcome Baby to Country celebration on Wiradjuri land. Around 20 babies from Narrandera and Leeton aged 0–12 months and their families attended the ceremony.
Another small step towards closing the gap on childcare
Negotiations initiated by Hay Shire Council are continuing with Homes NSW and NSW Police in a bid to improve childcare availability in the community. Hay has one early childcare provider, Hay Children's Services (HCS), with space for 24 children/day. There is a current wait list of over 90 spaces...
Amazing feat by two local Dads
Two Allora families have returned from a successful 11 day cycling adventure through France and the UK. Mark Mason and James Turner completed the 1200km ride from Lourdes France to Lords Cricket Ground in London to raise funds and awareness for type 1 diabetes research.
Australian War Widows feted by Riverland Vietnam Veterans on their National Day of Recognition
"Surviving Vietnam War Veterans deeply admire the war widows in our communities for their courage and resilience, for the ways they supported and cared for their veteran husbands during the living years, and how they dealt with the unimaginable grief and loss of their loved veteran partner": David Langdon.
