on Saturday, 2 May. Held at the centre in Tea Gardens, preparations for the event spanned days.
Around 50 members were thanked, many of them directly involved with either the running or manning of the Centre’s shop, which also doubles as Tea Gardens’ tourist information centre, located behind the MidCoast Council customer service office.
CONTINUED Page 2
q The MCACC Committee: Leigh, Chris, Rachael, Clare, Marian, Kerrie and Elsa. Photo: supplied.
Douglas CONNOR 0431 487 679 doug@newsofthearea.com.au
MCACC Treasurer Kerrie Croaker, the event’s main co-ordinator, was very pleased to see such a large turnout, especially given the effort put into it by the Committee.
“Not often do we get all members in one room, as different classes are held
throughout the week, including Thursday evenings now,” Kerrie told NOTA.
“This high tea was years ago conceived to thank the volunteers who man the shop and make items that are sold there, but grew to be a thank-you for all members, especially since the end of COVID.”
Kerrie said the Centre has welcomed many new members this year.
“The Thursday evening session has drawn many in,” she said.
“Mosaics are the most popular in the evenings, and also soft crafts during the day.”
The Centre has a long and storied history, beginning in a shed in Hawks Nest and moving around the twin towns several times before ending up where it is today.
Elsa Jones, a member for 25 continuous years, has seen a lot of changes.
From humble beginnings the Centre now houses a multitude of arts and crafts activities, including ceramics, woodwork, spinning and weaving, quilting and patchwork, picture framing, braided rug making, mosaics, crochet, leatherwork and pottery.
“This is a thank-you from the Committee to all members who contribute to the shop and help around the Centre,” Elsa said.
“They open and close, sort the business side of things, act as welfare and safety officers.”
More than half the room present have offered their items in the shop for sale, while a similar number also volunteer regularly in the shop.
“Thanks to all volunteers in whatever area you help us out,” MCACC President Rachael Lind said to all present.
Prestigious win for apprentice Mat
RISING talent Mathew Thompson has been crowned Apprentice of the Year at the prestigious 2026 World Butcher Wars, following an outstanding performance at Sydney Meatstock over the weekend.
Competing in front of massive, energetic crowds at the Sydney Showgrounds, Mat demonstrated exceptional skill, precision and creativity in the butchery arena while proudly representing Stroud Butchery.
The World Butcher Wars competition is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most respected contests in the industry, bringing together top apprentices and master butchers from across the globe.
Judges praised Mat for his technical excellence, efficiency, and innovative approach to cuts, setting him apart from a highly competitive field.
Held in Sydney as part of Meatstock, the event provided the perfect high-pressure stage for the world’s best emerging and well established butchers, and Mat rose to the occasion with confidence and professionalism beyond his years.
Remarkably, Mat achieved this victory just eight weeks into his second year as an apprentice butcher.
Throughout the competition, he stood side by side with exceptional and master butchers from Australia and throughout the world, many of whom have been competing and refining their craft for years.
“Mat’s performance was nothing short of exceptional,” said Mick, owner of Stroud Butchery.
“His attention to detail, speed, and understanding of the craft truly embody the future of the butchering industry.”
Reflecting on his win, Mat expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete and the support behind him.
“It was an incredible experience to compete in front of such a huge crowd at Meatstock.
“I’m proud to represent Stroud Butchery and my trade and thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way.”
The win cements Mathew Thompson as
a name to watch in the Australian butchery scene, as he continues to refine his craft and build on this remarkable achievement.
q Jacqui and Elsa with the high tea cakes. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe.
q President Rachael Lind addresses volunteers and members. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe.
q Stroud Butchery’s Mathew Thompson celebrates his win. Photo: supplied.
based at Raymond Terrace.
PROJECT FEEDBACK
FROM Page 1
Club carpark.
The 1.4 hectare site on Sanderling Avenue adjacent to the eastern boundary of the Golf Club is currently a vegetated lot, with a small portion used informally for car parking.
are the proponents of the development.
Core Property Developments Pty Ltd and Leric Group Pty Ltd
They are being assisted in their application by Tattersall Lander Pty Ltd, a development consultancy
q The site of the proposed development.
Charges laid following fatal crash
A MAN has been charged following a fatal singlevehicle crash late last year.
About 10.30pm on Sunday 14 December 2025, police were patrolling The Bucketts Way at Limeburners Creek – about 12km east of Clarence Town – when they located a 36-year-old man on the side of the road.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were told the man’s vehicle had crashed nearby.
A short time later, officers located the vehicle that had left the road and crashed into a tree.
The passenger, a woman
aged 35, was located deceased in the vehicle and was unable to be revived.
The driver was taken to John Hunter Hospital for assessment and mandatory testing.
The Crash Investigation Unit commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Following extensive inquiries, police arrested the 36-year-old man at Newcastle Police Station on Wednesday 29 April.
He was charged with six offences:
- Dangerous driving occasioning death-drive under influence;
- Negligent driving (occasioning death);
- Negligent driving (no death or grievous bodily harm);
- Drive vehicle, illicit drug present in blood etc;
- Drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, and;
- Not give particulars to police.
Police will allege in court that the driver was under the influence of methamphetamine, and his license was suspended at the time of the crash.
He was refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 on Wednesday 29 April, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday 24 June 2026.
The project is considered a State Significant Development (SSD) and as such the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces is the consent authority, not MidCoast Council.
Opened on 1 May, the community has a total of just 14 days to make submissions.
To have your say on this project, you must lodge a submission online through the NSW Planning Portal before 14 May.
The application, environmental impact statement (EIS) and accompanying documents can be accessed at www. planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ major-projects/projects/ sanderling-avenueresidential-flat-buildings.
Sanderling Avenue gained national attention in 2021 when ABC program
Four Corners featured the proposal in a story suggesting disgraced former Labor Minister and convicted felon Eddie Obeid
was involved in a string of developments along the Mid North Coast.
The land in question was sold to developers by the Karuah Aboriginal Land Council in 2018. In April 2021, MidCoast Council voted to change the zoning from RE1 Public Recreation to R3 Medium Density Residential, increasing the maximum permissible height of building on the subject land from 8.5m to 12m, amongst other changes.
by Michael McGrath
actions were deliberate and of major harm and severity.
A Sydney real estate agent has been suspended for 12 months and fined $11,000 after buying the home of a vulnerable elderly man with alcohol problems and Alzheimer’s symptoms for $500,000 under market value.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard the agent had been granted power of attorney over the 82 year old man, who had been isolated and relied on the agent to manage his financial affairs. He agreed to sell the home to the agent on the condition he could remain living there for the remainder of his life.
The agent purchased the property for $600,000, one month after the neighbouring property sold for $1.1million.
The agent then failed to take any steps to secure the man’s tenure in the property, leaving him at risk of eviction on 90 days’ notice.
The Tribunal found the agent had taken advantage of the elderly man for her own financial benefit and that her
The Tribunal Member stated that the agent’s belief that purchasing the property in the circumstances was the right thing to do was of serious concern and the agent’s conduct put the real estate industry into disrepute and fell short of the community’s expectations of a licence holder.
It is important to ensure that when appointing an attorney, a trustworthy appropriate person is appointed to this position. It is also important for an attorney to understand their responsibilities when acting as attorney and the potentially severe consequences of breaching these obligations.
Michael McGrath is Practice Group Leader of our Property Team having over 20 years’ experience as a property lawyer.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation
q Concept images of the Sanderling Avenue development.
Source: EJE Architecture.
Red Cross celebrated in Tea Gardens
By Thomas O’KEEFE
WORLD Red Cross Day (8 May) was celebrated at the Tea Gardens Uniting Church on Sunday.
Members of the Tea Gardens Red Cross (TGRC) joined the congregation for a service, followed by morning tea in the hall.
“Today, Red Cross Sunday, we celebrate the birth of the founder of the Red Cross, Swiss businessman and humanitarian Henri Dunant,” said TGRC Secretary Jenny Kelly.
“In 1859 he witnessed the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Solferino, Italy, and saw so many wounded with no medical support.
“By 1863 he founded the International Committee of the Red Cross, advocating for neutral relief organisations, promoting the Geneva Convention, and became the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.”
The Australian Red Cross was founded by Lady Helen Munro after the start of WWI, to support sick and wounded soldiers and prisoners of war.
A bureau for the recording of missing persons was also
founded, which continues to operate today as ‘RegisterFind-Reunite’, and is activated in the wake of disaster events.
The Tea Gardens Red Cross branch celebrates 91 years of continuous service this year.
“[The branch was] was established in 1935 to raise and provide funds for food, shelter, water, medical supplies and to protect life and health in all communities,”
Jenny explained.
“Our branch today continues raising funds for disasters such as floods, fires, drought, cyclones and earthquakes, but also to support local communities, the aged care sector, the Lifeblood service, and emergency services.
“The Red Cross Calling program, held in March each year, raises funds to support people recovering from disasters and social isolation.”
Locally, Red Cross members have supported several community service groups, including the Tea Gardens Lions’ Christmas Fair, the Progress Association’s Seniors Concert, past breakfast programs at Tea Gardens Public School, the
Pindimar-Tea Gardens RFS, Myall River VIEW Club, Wednesday Craft Group and the Free Clinic Bus.
“This year we have raised funds for Destiny Haven, a residential program for women recovering from addiction,” Jenny said.
“They are given opportunities to start a new life, learn new skills and coping mechanisms, and education through TAFE and university."
Last month Red Cross members supported Adam Cook from the Medowie Assembly of God, with donations of clothing and non-perishable food items
to their charity op-shop, ‘Opportunity Knocks’.
The shop funds ‘Foodway’, a program supplying hot meals and facilitating a food hub where basics can be purchased for minimal cost.
Members also recently donated Trauma Teddies to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter base in Newcastle.
“We got a tour of the workshop and morning tea,” Jenny said.
The new Trauma Teddy knitting program meets at the Uniting Church hall from 9:30am on the fourth Tuesday every month.
Quite a few of the Tea Gardens members are
trained in Psychological First Aid, which enables them to be called to assist during disasters in evacuation centres and recovery programs.
Several more members recently attended a training seminar in East Maitland.
Psychological first aid (PFA) is a support activity that helps people impacted by an emergency, disaster or traumatic event, using a humane, supportive response to another person who is suffering and may need support.
PFA teaches the latest, internationally recognised, evidence-based practice
in psychological first aid, fundamental skills to use when responding to a crisis, understanding how to take care after an event, as well as effective self-care techniques in a stressful context.
“We believe that a neighbourhood reflects the care and support within it, and we believe that this strength lives on in our community, as we follow our fundamental Red Cross principles of impartiality, humanity, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, universality,” said Jenny.
Tea Gardens Red Cross meets locally at the Uniting Church Hall on the fourth Monday of the month at 10:30am.
Tasmania
New
Hobart, Mt
Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Mona, Richmond, Ross, Freycinet, Bicheno, St Helens, Bay of Fires, Pyengana, Bridestowe Estate, Launceston COACH
q Tea Gardens Red Cross members with members of the Uniting Church congregation. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe.
Sail Port Stephens wrap
THE weather gods saved their most benevolent favours for the final day of racing of Week 3 of Sail Port Stephens, comprising the Super Series for large racer/cruiser monohulls and an inaugural division of multihulls.
The yacht fleet got cleanly off the line from the Nelson Bay breakwall in a 15 knot north-easterly, which translated into an upwind leg to Boondelbah Island before the first spinnaker leg south to a mark off Box Beach.
With the exception of Wild Oats X that led solo, the Super RC Division devolved into closely fought boat-onboat match races: Triton and Antipodes, Dauget 2 and
Drumfire, and Wine-Dark Sea and 51st Project.
The most intense duel, between Rob Aldis’ Mylius 50 Daguet 2 and Phillip Neil’s Hoek TC78 Drumfire, lasted right to the finish off Nelson Bay with Daguet 2 just getting her bowsprit ahead for a two second winning margin.
The breeze built throughout the 28.5 nautical mile race, with gusts over 25 knots on the second downwind leg sending Wild Oats X surfing the offshore swells at 27 knots.
A second on PHS in the fresh conditions clinched the overall Super Series trophy for Peter Lowndes and his clearly elated crew from the
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on Wine-Dark Sea.
“The crew work this weekend has been fantastic,” Lowndes said of his Lyons 49 regulars.
“I’m sailing with a bunch of my mates who happen to be really good sailors, but we are a Corinthian program.
“We’re not doing anything left-field, we don’t have a huge sail wardrobe.
“It’s been a great regatta, great courses racing around the islands here,” Lowndes continued.
“We’ve had really good battles with 51st Project all weekend.
“It’s always good to have someone there who eggs you on and you know as long as you hold onto them you are going to get a good result.”
Julian Bell's 51st Project had the distinction of sailing all 11 races over the three weeks of Sail Port Stephens 2026.
While Wine-Dark Sea edged-out Wild Oats X on PHS, the Oatley family’s Reichel Pugh 66 did pick-up the Super RC Division IRC title with a hat trick of bullets.
But possibly the happiest skipper and crew of the series was Paul Booth and his mates aboard Chillout who won the inaugural Cat Stephens Division.
“It’s been the best three days of racing for us ever,” a beaming skipper intoned.
“It was about consistency, and in the end the slower, heavier boats got there,” Booth said, referring to the contest between his boat, a Seawind 1160 Lite, second placed Reflection, Paul
Cuppa with the cops
PORT Stephens Hunter Police District has issued the invitation for the Stroud community to join them for a cuppa.
An informal catch up over coffee will allow Stroud and surrounding residents to meet local Lock Up Keeper,
Senior Constable Aaron Wright, Sectors Manager
Acting Inspector Tim James and Sectors Supervisor Sergeant Wes Taylor. Port Stephens Hunter Commander, Superintendent Wayne Humphrey, encourages the community
to meet their local police in a relaxed setting, raise anything of concern, share ideas, or simply say hello.
Coffee with the Cops will be held at Billy Tea Cafe, Cowper Street, Stroud on Friday 15 May from 10.00am-noon.
Lehane’s Seawind 1260, and the faster, more nimble Corsair trimarans.
“We were really chuffed to be invited to come to Sail Port Stephens, hopefully there will be many more of us [multihulls] next year,” he continued.
“Getting around the islands, getting around the lee of the islands, the back eddies, the current, it’s an interesting place to sail and that was one of the highlights for us.”
Bay Series
Over the weekend spectators could catch the action of the keelboat classes’ starts and finishes off the Nelson Bay breakwall then head up to the Bay Sailing Centre where 90 highperformance dinghies were racing across four classes.
Ben Austin on Shoobydoowah was a model of consistency in the RS Aero with five bullets, with Unwarranted (Graham Baxendale) and RATmobile (Gary Ratcliffe) slotting into second and third.
James Bevis, sailing Jimmy Wong, was equally impressive in the Finn class, finishing with four bullets and a second to clinch the class honours, from Rob McMillan's NB Sailsports and Matt Visser’s Anika 100.
Aboard his OK Dinghy Slake, Brett Morris held on to his lead from Mark Skelton (791) who notched a bullet in the final race, while Paul Foster (Toxic) rounded-out the OK podium.
In the Mixed Division the two Spirals of Smooth Operator (Joshua Passafaro) and The Dolphins are in the Jacuzzi (Steve Donovan) scooped the honours with first and second respectively, with the ILCA6 Kick (Peter Heywood) posting his best result, fifth, on the final race to secure third in the 30-strong fleet.
In wrapping-up the final event for Sail Port Stephens
for 2026, founding Regatta Director Paul O’Rourke promised the 2027 20thanniversary edition of one of the most popular regattas on the Australian sailing calendar would be even bigger and better.
That’s good news for many sailors and a catalyst to book accommodation in this slice of sailing paradise.
Results: https://www. sailportstephens.com.au/ results/ Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council and subsidiary sponsors.
q Chillout on day three of the Super Series. Photo: Promocean Media.
q Wine-Dark Sea. Photo: Promocean Media.
q Wild Oats X. Photo: Promocean Media.
q 51st Project. Photo: Promocean Media.
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A great fighting fish
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
DID you know that Black Kingfish, Crabeater and Cobia are all names for the same fish?
There are even a few more names that you can call this amazing fish if ever you hook one.
More commonly called Cobia, this scrapper will leave an indelible impression for its sheer strength and tenacity, stripping metres of your line in seconds.
There are few better fighting fish than a Cobia.
A large, shark-like fish, which is often thought to be a shark, is known for its distinctive dark and pale horizontal stripes, broad head and forked tail.
Generally found further north in warmer pelagic ocean waters, it is also farmed in Australia with a sustainable stock status often associated with structures including reefs and buoys.
Lemon Tree champion Wayne Coles, who could catch a fish on a damp lawn, recently
tangled with a 30kg whopper off Soldiers Point.
An intense hour-long battle followed on 4000 size reel and a Shimano Raider snapper rod.
With both fish and fisherman exhausted, the hook was removed for the fish to swim free.
I recently visited the Sydney Fish Market –what an experience!
I walked away with more questions than answers.
On display was a tray of Flying Fish Roe which poses the question – how and where do you catch a flying fish?
With a butterfly net or a tennis racquet?
Concern about climate change increasing in Hunter: poll
SOME 30 percent of Hunter locals are more concerned about climate change than they were a year ago, a new poll has revealed.
The polling of 302 Hunter residents, completed on 20 March, was part of a broader poll of 1,965 residents across key renewable energy zones.
Renew Australia for All commissioned research firm 89 Degrees East to investigate public support for Australia’s shift to renewable energy across select Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) in New South Wales,
Victoria and Queensland.
The poll measured sentiment towards the shift to renewable energy as well as perception of that support in key REZs.
Highlighting the results is Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) CEO Verity MorganSchmidt, who said they showed growing concern around climate change.
"Thirty percent of those polled in the Hunter have become more concerned about climate change in the past 12 months,” she said.
“Bushfires (77 percent), heatwaves (75 percent) and floods (68 percent) were the top answers when Hunter residents were asked
Budget won't be war between generations: treasurer
By Tess IKONOMOU and Andrew BROWN, AAP
POTENTIAL changes to negative gearing or capital gains tax in the federal budget would not be breaking the trust of voters, the treasurer says.
As Jim Chalmers prepares to hand down his fifth budget, the government faces accusations it is coming after "mum and dad" investors as family trusts join capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing on the list of possible targets for change.
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out negative gearing changes ahead of the 2025 federal election, the treasurer said intergenerational pressures would be a focus of the budget.
"The best way to build trust is to make the right decisions for the right reasons, there are genuine intergenerational concerns and pressures," Dr Chalmers told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
"This budget is not about and never will be about setting some Australians against other Australians, it's about recognising some of these legitimate intergenerational concerns, which, in my experience, these concerns are often shared by older Australians."
Senior Labor figures have done little to dampen expectations the budget will deliver major changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing for investment properties.
Asked on Sunday if the public would support changes Labor had not taken to the 2025 election, Mr Albanese said voters would make their own decisions about his
government's record.
The budget is being finalised later than normal due to volatility in the Middle East affecting economies around the world.
While the treasurer said there would be a range of contingencies for further cost-ofliving relief, a decision on whether to extend the fuel excise tax cut beyond the end of June would not be in the budget.
The excise cut wiped 26 cents off a litre of fuel at the bowser and was unveiled as a three-month measure.
"We've made it really clear that it's a temporary thing," Dr Chalmers said.
"If we get closer towards the end of that three-month period... obviously we've got a range of contingencies."
The treasurer also said the budget would have net savings for the second year in a row.
Dr Chalmers said there would be more dollars in savings than revenue upgrades or tax reforms in the fiscal blueprint.
"Savings and spending restraint is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the very responsible budget," he said.
"So much of the heavy lifting here is being done by savings and re-prioritisations to make room for those pressures."
Some of those savings have already been flagged ahead of the budget, with Labor announcing at least 160,000 people were expected to be removed from the NDIS by 2030 as the government curbs growth in spending on the scheme.
The move will do the heavy lifting in budget repair, providing more than $35 billion in forecast savings, although states have sounded the alarm about the financial burden of people with disabilities being
shifted onto their health and education systems.
A further $3 billion will be saved by removing the age-based loading for the private health insurance rebate, also announced in April.
In a speech to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Melbourne on Monday, shadow treasurer Tim Wilson will paint the expected changes as a "tax agenda assault on family".
"Their capital gains tax applies to everyday Australians, mums and dads, but probably won't to industry super funds nor foreign investors in renewable energy," he will tell the business group.
"Labor is building a class of Australians dependent on them being in office. This government is not about a better Australia; it is about securing power."
The government will suspend the commercial broadcasting tax for a further two years as part of the budget, which it estimated would save the industry $111 million through to June 2028.
what had made them more concerned about climate change.”
According to the polling, 56 percent of Hunter residents blame energy company profiteering as the key reason for high energy bills.
“Others named global energy price spikes and coal power station breakdowns; just 15 percent said clean energy was responsible,” Ms Morgan-Schmidt said.
"Some 69 percent of Hunter residents name solar as the ‘significant’ energy source for the future, while 43 percent nominate onshore wind, 42 percent say offshore wind, 40 percent pumped hydro, with gas and coal equal at 30 percent, and nuclear last at 22 percent."
Ms Morgan-Schmid said the data shows a striking gap between real and perceived support for clean energy.
“Support for clean energy in the Hunter remains strong at 60 percent, with 17 percent opposed, and 23 percent neither supporting nor opposing,” she said.
“Yet, only 40 percent of those polled said they thought there was majority support for clean energy in the region.”
Support for renewable energy projects is often seen as mixed in agricultural communities, but one Gloucester farmer says that energy sustainability is “just good farm management”.
“As a farmer in the region, our focus is simply on running a more efficient and resilient business,” said Macka’s Pastoral Director Robert Mackenzie.
“We’re improving soil health, animal performance and energy use, with a clear focus on reducing our footprint, delivering benefits for both the business and the environment.”
The move follows announced restrictions on gambling advertising, which are expected to hit many media companies' bottom lines.
q Wayne Coles with a 30kg Cobia released after a long battle.
q Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher are facing questions about the budget. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS.
Bootlegger boom: big excise fuels black market booze
By Jacob SHTEYMAN and Nick WILSON, AAP
A SPATE of fire bombings could be just the beginning as concerns mount the tax system is driving a burgeoning alcohol black market putting lives and the budget bottom line at risk.
Police have not confirmed whether illicit alcohol was behind 15 incidents at hospitality venues across inner Melbourne since 14 April, but the industry is warning Australia's high excise settings is fuelling organised crime.
Two more Melbourne hospitality venues were attacked in the early hours of Saturday, as police investigate whether they are linked to the broader spree.
A Molotov cocktail was thrown towards a licensed venue on Cecil Street at South Melbourne about 2.20am.
About an hour later, the glass doors of a Docklands restaurant were smashed
before accelerant was used to set it alight, police said.
Three males - aged 16, 19 and 22 - were arrested in relation to the Docklands attack while no alleged offenders have been identified for the earlier incident.
Detectives from Operation Eclipse will investigate whether the incidents are linked to the broader spate of attacks on licensed venues.
If the alcohol excise is left unchecked, the nation could face a second black market scourge, after the explosion in illicit tobacco that has decimated the federal budget's excise take and spurred gang violence.
The experience of the tobacco market was a "cautionary tale", industry body Spirits and Cocktails Australia chief executive Steven Fanner told AAP.
High excise rates equate to more than $30 on a standard 700ml bottle of spirits.
Mr Fanner warns the excise is interacting with
the alcohol manufacturers remission scheme - a tax break intended to support craft distillers by allowing small manufacturers to produce their first 8500 litres or so excise-free - to do more harm than good.
The system is being gamed by dodgy operators and opportunistic middlemen, who are exploiting the scheme to buy up tax-free alcohol and undercut genuine manufacturers.
Spirits and Cocktails Australia and the Australian Distiller's Association have written to the treasurer outlining their concerns over the scheme and calling for stronger integrity measures to ensure it isn't exploited by bad actors.
They estimate tightening the scheme could save the federal budget about $224 million over four years.
Last November, the Australian Taxation Office estimated illicit alcohol sales were worth at least $767
million, which was more than 10 percent of all spirits consumed legally in Australia, said the National Drug Research Institute.
A spokesperson for Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the alcohol remission scheme was about supporting Australian distillers.
"We take integrity very seriously. The ATO is responsible for compliance and we expect them to crack down on anyone who is doing the wrong thing," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Police were aware alcohol could also be coming into the nation without being taxed, said Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly, although it wasn't clear whether the attacks were the beginning of an illegal alcohol trade war.
"That's the million-dollar question," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"Everything is on the table."
But Det Supt Kelly suggested unknown crime figures were employing the same techniques used in the state's long-running tobacco turf war.
Nationals MP Pat Conaghan wants a review of the alcohol excise, which he says is unsustainable for operators and drives consumers to the black market.
Push-ups for better mental health
By Sis HIGGINS
LIFELINE Mid Coast is urging locals to register now for The Push-Up Challenge,
Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event.
The tenth annual challenge runs from 3 to 26 June.
Community members are encouraged to sign up as individuals or teams, with funds raised directly supporting Lifeline Mid
Coast’s vital local services. Lifeline Mid Coast CEO Catherine Vaara said registering for the challenge is a powerful way to make a difference.
“The Push-Up Challenge isn’t really about pushups, it’s about starting conversations, breaking stigma, and reminding people that mental health affects every family, every workplace, and every one of us.
“From our Lifeline Mid Coast Centre, our team answered around 26,000 calls last year.
“Behind every number is a real person reaching out for crisis support, and that care extends beyond the phones through the support programs, community education, and training we deliver here for local people.
“This challenge helps ensure we can continue to
Leadership change for Land Council
By Sis HIGGINS
BIRIPI and Dunghutti man Malcolm (Cal) Davis has been appointed the new councillor for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) Mid North Coast Region.
The appointment follows the recent retirement of his predecessor Peter Smith, who served in the role for 15 years.
Cr Davis brings decades of experience in the Aboriginal Land Rights sector, having been involved since the introduction of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act in 1983.
NSWALC Chairperson Dr Raymond Kelly welcomed the appointment, highlighting the depth of experience Cr Davis brings to the position.
“We look forward to
welcoming Cr Davis as the next Mid North Coast Region Councillor.
“We are confident that his experience in Land Rights will position him well to continue Councillor Smith’s momentum in delivering lasting benefits for Aboriginal people across the region.
“We want to thank Mr Peter Smith for all he has done across his 15 years
of service as Councillor for his region and wish him well as he enters into his retirement.”
Cr Davis said he is pleased to be returning to NSWALC and is committed to representing the interests of Mid North Coast communities.
“Over the course of my career, I have devoted my time to working with Land Councils along the
provide local support when it’s needed most.”
Participants of all ages and abilities can take part while raising funds, with daily targets linked to important mental health facts.
Individuals aim to complete 3,307 push-ups across 24 days to honour the 3,307 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2024.
Those who find pushups too challenging can set a personalised goal, substituting exercises such as sit-ups or squats.
“I haven’t done many push-ups in my life, but I’ll be stepping up and taking part, and I invite others to join me,” said Catherine.
“Together, we can show that mental health is something we stand up for as a community.”
Founder Nick Hudson said the event has already made a significant national
coast, supporting growth and stability within their organisations.
“My appointment as Councillor for the Mid North Coast region will allow me to continue this work and advocate for strong, selfdetermined communities.
“I am committed to continuing to support LALCs to become sustainable and can thrive for the benefit of our communities, our children, and the future of Land Rights.”
As a former undercover drug operative, he believes enforcement agencies are severely under-resourced and penalties are far too low to act as a deterrent.
Mr Conaghan says there is still time to "break the back" of the illicit alcohol networks before they become entrenched.
"If we don't get on top of it now, it will turn into the same kind of monster that tobacco is," he said.
impact.
“What started as a simple fitness challenge has grown into a fun way for every Australian to connect with their community, get fit, learn about mental health and honour the lives tragically lost to suicide.”
As the challenge enters its tenth year, it has already encouraged more than one million Australians to take a proactive approach to their fitness and mental wellbeing.
It has raised more than $60 million for mental health services nationwide, with organisers expecting those numbers to continue to grow.
By registering through Lifeline Mid Coast, participants ensure funds raised stay within the region, helping to deliver crisis support, education and community programs.
To register visit the Lifeline Mid Coast website: lifelinemidcoast.org.au/ push-up-challenge.
Cr Davis has previously served as CEO of Forster Local Aboriginal Land Council and held senior leadership roles within NSWALC, including Regional Councillor, Deputy CEO and Acting CEO. His appointment comes at a critical time, as consultation continues on the Crown Land Management Amendment Bill 2026, which has raised concerns due to potential impacts on Indigenous land rights processes.
q Nationals MP Pat Conaghan wants a review of the alcohol excise. Photo: Pat Conaghan MP.
q The team at Lifeline Mid Coast takes the lead with the Push-Up Challenge. Photo: supplied.
Historic Tamboi Queen returns to Port Stephens
THE Original Tea Gardens Ferry has announced the addition of a new vessel to its fleet, with the purchase of the historic Tamboi Queen - a vessel deeply connected to the maritime and tourism history of Port Stephens.
Built in Nelson Bay in 1970 by local boat builder Bob Asquith, the vessel has been part of the fabric of the region for decades.
The much-loved vessel was brought home to Nelson Bay on Friday 1 May, marking a special moment for both
the business and the local community.
The Tamboi Queen then travelled to Tea Gardens for a well-earned “spit and polish” before beginning her next chapter on the bay.
Owner and operator Kerrie Jeffreys said the acquisition was both exciting and deeply meaningful.
“She’s a beautiful vessel with such a strong connection to this area,” Kerrie said.
“To be able to bring her back home to Port Stephens
and give her a new life on the water is something we’re incredibly proud of.”
The addition reflects the continued growth of The Original Tea Gardens Ferry, which has evolved from a traditional ferry service into a provider of unique onwater experiences.
The ferry continues to play an important role in connecting Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens, supporting local businesses and encouraging visitors to explore both sides of the bay.
Talking tactics for the winter ahead
RECORD-BREAKING
saleyard numbers at Scone, Tamworth, and Dubbo signals that cattle producers are selling down, with Hunter Local Land Services
(LLS) urging landholders to keep making these proactive decisions as conditions tighten moving into winter. Three key indicators point to increasing pressure
on producers.
Scone’s largest yarding on record, with more than 4,000 head, reflects current on-ground decisions, while the LLS Farming Forecaster shows soil moisture levels in the red zone, and the NSW DPI Seasonal Conditions team expects much of the Hunter to be droughtaffected by June.
In response, Hunter LLS is partnering with livestock marketing and nutrition advisors to deliver a six-workshop Livestock Roadshow this May and June, bringing together Livestock Officers and District Veterinarians to provide practical advice on
feeding, animal health and sale decisions.
Hunter LLS’ Sustainable Agriculture team leader, Sarah Giblin said the volume of cattle leaving the Hunter, to both northern and southern interstate buyers, tells an important story about the drought planning strategies already coming into play at the farm gate this autumn.
“For Hunter producers, managing dry conditions is not new and many have made early destocking decisions to conserve available feed and reduce risk,” she said.
“There has been solid demand in the yards for restocker and feeder cattle, and cattle breeders have
met an easier market to sell lighter cows and weaners rather than opting to feed.
“It’s time for land managers to focus on practical strategies for managing a tough winter.
“With dry conditions expected to intensify, our Livestock Roadshow events provide a valuable opportunity to develop a clear, workable plan for your stock, regardless of the size of your operation.”
The livestock roadshow will provide an opportunity for producers to connect with local experts, ask questions and share ideaswhether assessing paddock feed, designing feed rations
End of the line for much-loved history book
FINGAL Bay author and NOTA columnist John ‘Stinker’ Clarke has made the difficult decision to discontinue printing of his much-loved history book, “Broughton Islanders”.
Well-read across the region, the book has a unique and emotional backstory.
Some years back senior students at Tomaree High School were asked to submit an essay on any local subject. John’s son, Ben, wrote about his experiences on Broughton Island fishing, snorkelling and exploring.
Ben wrote about the characters he met and the stories he was told.
Unfortunately, due to Ben’s declining health, the assignment was never completed and
remained under the bed. Years later, John took it upon himself to complete the assignment.
“Once I started to write, the old photos began to arrive and the Broughton Island fishing community, including Gerry Sertori, Dave Chapman, Bob Dyer and Tom Wade, took an increasing interest and freely gave documents and anecdotal evidence of past events,” explained John.
By 2013, what had been gathered had grown into a book, available through outlets in Newcastle, Maitland, Tea Gardens and throughout Port Stephens.
“Broughton Islanders” was
launched in the Salamander Hotel in front of a gathering of island regulars and Ben’s family and friends.
A rush on sales soon demanded a hurried reprint of the book, followed by another reprint in the following years.
To date close to 10,000 copies have been sold, with current stocks down to a bare minimum.
The decision has been made not to reprint the book again, meaning that the current stock will soon disappear from the shelves.
“Although I have written other history books, ‘Broughton Islanders’ will always remain a favorite of mine,” John said.
or navigating the rising costs of fuel, cartage and stock feeding.
The events will focus on building confidence through practical, on-farm tools such as stock feed calculators, feed testing and pasture forecasts.
Taking a planned approach to stock management can help reduce stress, protect groundcover and support long-term productivity, while keeping paddocks ‘rain-ready’.
Livestock Roadshow events will be held across the Hunter region at Krambach on 8 May, Merriwa on 12 May, Millfield on 13 May, Gresford on 14 May, Scone on 20 May, and Denman on 25 May.
To register visit the NSW Government Local Land Services events page.
q Owner and operator Kerrie Jeffreys all-smiles onboard the Tamboi Queen.
q The Tamboi Queen returns to Port Stephens.
q Hunter LLS says it’s time for land managers to focus on practical strategies for managing a tough winter.
q The cover of Broughton Islanders.
Nationals bound
by Kayleigh, her family, her school, and supporters.
represent the NSW PSSA at the School Sport Australia national titles at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre later this year.
“I am extremely happy for my new PBs and my performance in the 50m backstroke,” Kayleigh said.
“It was enormously exciting to come second at State, and I am excited to represent NSW at the Nationals during November.”
Going all the way to Nationals in any event is an incredible achievement, and one that honours the time and energy put in
TGCC Bowling Club Reports
By Kay BERCZELLY
WEEKENDING 19th April
2026
Sponsor this Week
Myall Lakes Butchery
Ladies Bowls Tuesday 14.04.26
We only had 8 ladies today for social bowls, so we played a ‘friendly’ 2 bowl 4s. Although ‘friendly’ the ladies still take their bowls seriously, with winners today with a small margin 10-7 & a very personable Dale Winter as Skip, Dawn May, Precy Swadling & Irene Roberts - thanks to Irene for being a ‘swinger’ after one of our players experienced ill health!
Ladies Pennants
Tuesday 14.10.26
Our two Grade 2 Pennants ladies took on Stockton today at Tea Gardens. After two hard fought games, our ladies went down to Stockton with the masterboard reading 51 to 26.
Mens Gala Day
Wednesday 15.04.26
Today saw 40 bowlers using both grass & synthetic greens.
Overall winners with a total of 32 were Mark Vollmer, Graham Uff & Dave Ransome.
Morning winners decided by the lowest winning score of 13 were Tony Butler, Dennis Ashbridge & Geoffrey Muggleton.
Afternoon winners decided by the lowest winning margin of 1 were John Vaughan,
Losing her cap in her first race, the individual medley, only galvanised Kayleigh’s resolve, so much so that in her next heat, the 50m freestyle, she came within less than a second of first-place.
It was also the fastest heat.
“Kayleigh’s backstroke heat was a very convincing win, but her time of 37.13 was pipped by the last heat winner’s 36.63 then the second girl to touch the wall touched in 37.23,” Kayleigh’s mum, Lauren told NOTA.
“Sitting in the stands I realised she had done it.
Col Mowbray & Denis Wilberforce.
Congratulations Mark Hair for winning the Garden Eatery Voucher.
The gents’ 80 Club winner this week: Peter Gurney.
Happy Birthday to Peter Gurney, Denis Wilberforce & Merv Mills - enjoy your free drink vouchers!
Ladies Pennants
Thursday 16.04.26
The ladies played Lemon Tree Passage today at Lemon Tree. Traditionally a very strong club, our girls raised the bar today with a convincing win with the masterboard final score 41-32 well done ladies! The girls are now holding 3rd position on the ladder!
Open Gender Pennants
Saturday 18.04.26
What a blustery day, with gusts of wind coming from the south, to make bowling very challenging! This Saturday being the last round of the Open Gender Season.
Grade 5: This grade's gents & lady, hit their strides today, as they have done all season! with all 3 rinks winning against Soldiers Point. Congratulations Grade 5 you're in the Final Seriestoday’s masterboard was an impressive 71 - 39
Grade 6: Tough day on the grass green for our Grade 6 teams. Unfortunately today saw Hamilton North handle the difficult conditions better with a win to them 65 - 45
Grade 7: Also on the grass green today, looking very positive at the start of their 21 ends. However,
“Kayleigh came up from the pool deck and I was able to tell her she had come second, she was so proud of herself.
“Kayleigh finished off the meet with butterfly, swimming beautifully and coming in 19th.
“To say Kayleigh is excited is an understatement – she has worked so hard to get here and did tell me when she was six [that] she would go to Nationals in swimming, through school, and she really has made that dream come true.”
Kayleigh ended the meet with two finalist pins, and a new silver medal.
In his role as Vice President of NSW PSSA, TGPS Principal Mark Clemson had the distinct
Raymond Terrace took control and won 61 - 52.
The gents & ladies actually all played well in difficult conditions - really a bit unlucky to lose today!
As mentioned today marked the end of the Open Gender Pennants season & it was decided by our current Committee to finish the season with some drinks & nibbles. It was a wonderful atmosphere & our whole bowling fraternity wish our Grade 5 teams all the best in the final series. I believe we all have a good optimistic feeling about these teams ! Go Dolphins!
Mixed Sunday Bowls 19.04.26
Once again we saw 28 people attend. Very impressive numbers for this mixed social bowls day in chilly windy conditions. Today saw four rinks & winners of the Lucky Rink Draw, with a count back as the final score was 11 - 11, were Gareth Cuss, Bev Dunn & Kay Berczelly - now that free drink went down very well!
WE 26.04.26 & 03.05.26
Sponsor for WE 26.04.26 Tea Gardens Auto
Ladies Pennants
Division 2
Tuesday 21.04.26
Our Ladies today played Charlestown at Charlestown. In an extremely tight game, our ladies who were holding second position on the ladder, went down to Charlestown 37-36, disappointing to the TG Ladies, but what a great effort !
Thursday 23.04.26
The ladies played
privilege of presenting the medals for the 50m backstroke, including giving the silver medal to Kayleigh.
“As a very proud
Soldiers Point at home today. Unfortunately Soldiers Point proved too strong on the day with the final Masterboard reading 44-27 to Soldiers Point.
Wednesday Mens Gala Day 22.04.26
The men had 42 bowlers with both synthetic & grass surfaces used today.
Overall winners with a total of 36 were Mark Vollmer, Darren Drayton & Dave Ransome Morning winners decided by the lowest winning margin of 2 were Les Smith, Ian Baker & Hylton Newman.
Afternoon winners decided by the lowest winning score of 9 were Phil Bowen, John Bates & Mark Nightingale.
Congratulations to Dave Ransome who won the Garden Eatery Voucher.
80 Club won by Craig (Ribs) McDonald
Big Happy Birthday to Les Smith - enjoy your free drink
Sponsor for WE 03.05.26 Rod Morrison Gyprock
Ladies Pennants Division 2
Tuesday 28.04.26
The ladies travelled to the pretty Newcastle suburb of Valentine today to play this division's leaders. In what can only be described as a gargantuan effort the TG Ladies pulled off the win of the round defeating the highly favoured Valentine in a convincing Masterboard score of 4233 Congratulations ladies on showing what you are truly capable of!
Thursday 30.04.26
In their last round of this season’s Ladies Pennants, the ladies once again travelled to Stockton. Unfortunately, they were unable to continue on their winning high from Tuesday & went down to a very determined Stockton 43-30.
While the ladies have
principal, I look forward to rallying our school and community to support Kayleigh through fundraising efforts so her family can attend the School
Sport Australia National Carnival,” he told NOTA.
“It’s a tremendous achievement, and we’re all excited to cheer her on at the national level.”
SPORT RESULTS
just missed out on the final series, coming in 3rd on the ladder. They can certainly hold their heads very high, playing in Division 2 is a difficult task & most of the ladies have never played in this high division. The Tea Gardens bowling community congratulates & are very proud of the ladies efforts in 2026.
Wednesday Mens Gala day 29.04.26
Today saw 36 bowlers take to both the grass green only, in both the morning & afternoon sessions.
Overall Winners with a total of 39 were Geoffrey Muggleton, Dennis Ashbridge & Tony Butler.
Morning winners decided by the highest winning margin of 12 were Col Amon, Craig McDonald & Mark Hair.
Afternoon winners decided by the lowest winning score of 12 were Ron Berczelly, Gareth Cuss & Garry MacDonald Garden Eatery Voucher today was won by Glenn Reinhard.
Congratulations to John Bates on winning the 80 Club today!
Happy Birthday Dennis Ashbridge - enjoy your free drink.
An important event:
Our Grade 5 Open Gender teams have made the final series to be held on 16th & 17th May at Rathmines Memorial Bowling Club. The format is a round robin style & will start at 9am on both days. We encourage all bowlers, supporters & family to come along and support our gents & ladies of the Grade 5 - they more than have the capability of winning this ! Sunday Mixed Bowls 03.05.26
On a most beautiful sunny Tea Gardens Sunday morning, 28 of our ladies & gents played 3 x rinks of 3 bowl triples & 1 x rink of 2 bowl 4s. We welcomed visitors Sharon & Brad Roberts who are currently living in East Maitland, but visiting our area & are looking for a potential new location to move to. Lets hope the TG hospitality convinced them to join us in this little bit of paradise on the east coast of NSW. Our lucky rink winners today on rink 9 were Rosa Pagan, Jane Uff & Bill Jones. We enjoyed a complimentary sausage sizzle today & a big shout out Les Smith & Craig McDonald - always keen to fulfil their social committee duties with a big smile & particularly good cooking !
q Most of our Open Gender Competitors for 2026.
q Some of our Grade 2 Ladies competing in the 2026 Ladies Pennants Season.
q Medals and pins
reflect Kayleigh’s prowess in the pool.
Photo: Lauren Churm.
q Kayleigh was congratulated on the dais by TGPS Principal Mark Clemson. Photo: TGPS.
Tea Gardens Soccer Club
By Shayne REYNOLDS
OUR Tea Gardens Soccer Club 2026 and 36th season kicked off with a huge roll up of keen players, parents, grandparents, carers and onlookers last Saturday at 9am on Memorial Oval Tea Gardens.
The Myall Coast Realty BBQ with all meat supplied by Myall Lakes Butchery got slammed all morning with sausage, bacon & egg and steak sandwiches in high demand.
Thanks to Chris representing our BBQ sponsor for your help, we couldn’t have managed without you.
We also had a great attendance from, and a warm welcome to, the Bulahdelah Bullets who have joined and strengthened our local competition as well as our Walking Football group!
On to the results from Saturday’s games.
In the Minis grade (57yrs):
Port Jackson Sharks popped 2 goals to the Shovel Nose Sharks 4.
Players of the match were Will Hood for the Port Jacksons and Rocky Phillipson for the Shovel Noses. Well done kids.
Game 2 saw a draw with the Reef Sharks netting 3 as did the Wobbegong Sharks. Player of the match
awarded to Reef - Lucca Wallace from the Reef Sharks and Bodhi McGrath for the Wobbegongs.
Great work Reef and Bodhi.
The Midis grade (810yrs):
Game 1, the Hammerhead Sharks couldn’t manage to hit the back of the net while the Bulahdelah Bullets shot in 7.
Player of the match went to Jack Modistach
Then game 2 saw the Mako Sharks shoot 2 against the Bull Sharks’ 4 in a thrilling battle.
Player of this match for the Makos’ was Tommy Howard and the Bulls was Luka Richardson.
Enjoy your vouchers kids.
Junior grade (1013yrs):
In Game 1 The Tiger Sharks defeated the Bronze Whaler Sharks 10 goals to 4 in a game that, by the sounds of all the clapping and cheering was a ripper. Game 2 pitted the Bulahdelah Bullets against the Thresher Sharks. The Bulahdelah Bullets ended up in front by 5 goals to 2. This game also had a great crowd of supportive onlookers that got right behind all players and both teams. Well done everybody, great to witness.
Reef Gibson was the worthy winner of the Lions Club players award this
SPORT RESULTS
week showing fantastic support of his team mates during a hard played match against the Bulahdelah Bullets.
A hard earned and welldeserved voucher from the Lions Club.
Next on the draw was the first game of the 50yrs +Walking Football midyear season.
This game marked our very first anniversary of local games with both a mid-year and a Twilight season offering practically
non-stop weekly games for all who attended.
This week two 7-a-side teams were chosen and took the large field for the very first time, being a bit of a trial to see how we all went, and it worked pretty well with all players enjoying the extra space but also needing a good rest break between the three 15-minute play sessions.
Welcome to Todd from Bulahdelah Soccer Club who took to the field and
showed good skills and sportsmanship. We also welcomed Col and Deb who dropped in for a “look see”.
Deb soon succumbed to temptation, donning a players’ vest and taking to the field for the second and third 15-minute sessions and even bagged a goal.
See you both next weekend!
Once again, the goal tally wasn’t confirmed, after all there are far more important things to report on.
Great game, great fun and great supportive gallery.
Tea Gardens Soccer Club are now into their 2026 season, playing every Saturday morning, weather permitting, from 9am with Walking Football gathering for a 11a(ish) kick off. BBQ and tunes cranking, come along, grab some breakfast, support our local kids, over 50s’ walkers and your local soccer club in its’ 36th year.
Hidden payments issue costing businesses money
By Steven WHYBROW, FinTech and payments innovation consultant
WALK down any main street in regional Australia and you’ll find small businesses doing what they do best: serving their communities with pride, hard work, and a personal touch.
Businesses in our regional towns thrive on trust, the kind that comes from knowing the people behind the counter.
But there’s a growing issue quietly affecting many small businesses, here and across the
country.
It’s not rising costs, staffing shortages, or competition from online giants.
It’s something far less visible yet surprisingly damaging.
Sometimes, customers don’t recognise the business name that appears on their bank statement.
It sounds trivial. It isn’t.
Unclear or unfamiliar billing descriptors (the short line of text that identifies a business on a cardholder’s statement) are one of the biggest drivers of unnecessary disputes.
For small businesses, those disputes translate
into lost revenue, wasted time, and strained customer relationships.
Industry data shows that 35 percent of all card transaction disputes occur simply because the customer doesn’t recognise the merchant’s name.
Worse still, 85 percent of customers go straight to their bank to complain when they don’t recognise a charge.
What begins as confusion quickly becomes a formal dispute, complete with fees and administrative headaches.
These aren’t fraud cases.
They’re misunderstandings and they’re
Development could be
DEAR News Of The Area,
MANY of us delight in the village tone that is Hawks Nest.
The lack of overpowering developments has helped retain our village feel with our “treedness”.
I have a concern that this State Significant Development on Sanderling Avenue, Hawks Nest could be overpowering visually considering the image that is being offered.
Of course some development would be
helpful to our all-weather, terrific golf course and that has to be considered.
However a more sympathetic development might easily be more accepted by residents.
We have a very short time in which the community
entirely preventable.
When a customer disputes a charge, the business is hit with more than inconvenience.
Chargebacks come with fees, and even when the business successfully defends the transaction, the time spent gathering evidence and responding to the bank is time taken away from serving customers.
Repeated disputes can also affect a business’s risk rating with its bank or payments provider, leading to higher fees or stricter monitoring.
But perhaps the most damaging consequence is the erosion of trust all because the name on their
Often the descriptor defaults to a legal entity name, an abbreviation, or a generic label from the payment provider. In a world where customers skim their statements quickly, clarity matters.
The good news is that it’s easy to fix.
A clear descriptor should use the trading name and correct location that customers recognise.
Avoid abbreviations and match what appears on receipts, signage, websites, and booking
14 May.
I remember we were promised a second “community consultation” but that appears to have been passed over.
I do have an issue with the possibility of this large structure being
confirmations.
Since moving to the Mid North Coast, I’ve noticed a handful of local businesses whose billing descriptors don’t match the names customers see on their shopfronts or websites.
It’s a common oversight, but fixing it can reduce disputes, protect revenue, and strengthen customer trust.
If you’re a business owner, take a moment to check how your business name appears on a customer’s bank statement.
It’s a five-minute task that could save you hours of dispute management and fees.
promoted as a state housing development which suggests a contribution to the solution of our housing problem.
Please consider our community contribution.
Regards, Leigh ALLEN, Hawks Nest.
q Pre-kick off fun in the Midi grade, thanks to Tom.
Hawks Nest Ladies Golf
By Dianne BOWES
ANZAC Day fell on Saturday this year. Lest We Forget.
Our regular Saturday competition was replaced by an all-in Stableford, with 143 men and women playing for top honours. And our ladies did us proud, with 5 top 20 finishers. Best by far was Robyn Keegan, who finished 2nd over the field with a fantastic 41 points, just pipped at the post by Joe Farrugia on a count back. Ladies in the placings included Denise Sainty, Marcia Smith, Angela Clipperton, Tanya Sinclair, Carolyn Affleck and Evelyn Potts –well played, ladies!
The annual Presidents vs Captains Grudge Match, a game where friendly rivalry pitted the Blues against the Reds for bragging rights, was played on Tuesday. Players were randomly allocated to one side or the other when they signed in, the overall result determined by the team scoring the most Stableford points. This year the winners were the Reds, led by Captain Jo Scott on 633 points, with Denise’s Blues back on 614.
Individual highlights from the match included a magic round from Maxine Mitchell, who finished with 41 points. Her great game included the Play of the Day, a chip in for birdie on the 2nd hole, from 30 metres out. Angela Clipperton birdied the par 3 16th after her tee shot landed just a metre from the hole – outstanding, ladies! Other chip ins came from Ann-Marie French on the 8th, Dale McClure off the mound on the 15th, Ann Morris on the 7th, and Denise Sainty on the 15th.
Results: Tuesday 28/4/2026
Ladies 18 Hole Stableford
A Grade Winners: 1st Maxine Mitchell on 41 (best score of the day); 2nd Deb Matheson 38; 3rd Jo Buttrey 36
B Grade Winners: 1st Sue Campton 39; 2nd Dale McClure 36; 3rd Jo Scott 35 C/B
C Grade Winners: 1st Di Smith 37; 2nd Jan Olsen 35 C/B; 3rd Chris Simmonds 35 Place Getters (35-33C/B): Di Bowes, Debbie Andrews, Karen Serhan, Elsa Jones, Tracey Browne, Ann Morris
NTP Hole 5: A Grade Carolyn Affleck; B Grade Karen Serhan; C Grade Donna Gorton
NTP Hole 10; A Grade Deb Matheson
The Lady Vets 9 Hole group enjoyed a friendly game, with 5 players joining in.
Tuesday also saw the dedication of Vera’s Garden and Walter’s Way at the 13th tee, in memory of Vera and Walter During, who were long term visitors and
SPORT RESULTS
members at Hawks Nest. Thanks to their generous support over many years, the golf club has undertaken works to create a network of cart paths flanked by beautiful gardens, now named in their honour. Members of the family were on hand to officially cut the ribbon in a fitting tribute.
A short, sharp downpour saw our numbers drop dramatically on Thursday, with only 20 Lady Vets playing off the grey tees this week. Patience paid off for them, as the skies cleared to a beautiful sunny morning, albeit a little wet underfoot.
Annie Benton played a great game, with 43 off the stick, while Rosarie Mullins excelled with her chip in for birdie on the 1st hole. Everyone else was just happy to play golf and enjoy morning tea together with their Lady Vets friends.
q Lady Vets Sue, Karen, Di and Robyn enjoyed Thursday's game under sunny skies.
q Our April Monthly Medal Winners: Carolyn Affleck, Jo Scott (Saturdays), Donna Gorton, Fran Henderson and Liz Ross (Tuesdays).
& LETTERS
Dorin's Drawings
By Paul DORIN
The Write Direction
By John BLACKBOURN
Serious thought required
A MAJOR economic change is likely taking place, so we need to think seriously about it and take action to protect our future.
Obviously, governments can’t speculate about what may be taking shape because they won’t know for sure about what is happening, until it does.
However, if we keep our ears to the wind and eyes on financial markets, there is a good chance we have an opportunity to make changes that could protect our financial positions from what is probably taking place now.
We need to give serious consideration to a talk given by the Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor to a meeting of money marketers in New York recently, where he delivered opinion on what was happening to the Australian economy, pointing to the possibility of a recession.
Near-term expectations for the economy and family finances are seen to be deteriorating sharply.
Our major banks are predicting another three interest rate rises for this calendar year and this will affect housing market demand and value, being the largest asset in the Australian economy.
On the Couch
By JASMINDA
DEAR Jasminda,
Last night I made a birthday dinner for my mum.
I decided to make the veggie burgers that I used to love as a teenager because I thought it would be nostalgic.
The dinner was panned by every family member as being 'bland', 'missing something' and 'disappointing'. I feel as though my energy and enthusiasm was completely wasted.
I doubt I'll bother again.
Innes P.
Dear Innes,
In a strange way, this reminds me of a fateful trip to Europe to try to relive my younger days.
Before this, my memories of Europe were of languid afternoons sitting at bars on the top of snowcapped mountains, vigorous clubbing, copious quantities of chocolate, fondue, and, importantly, the joie de vivre one experiences in the giddy throes of youth with a
The wider inflation consequences of the global energy shock still have a long way to play out and even our government is advising that our fuel prices will have a long tail of very high cost for a considerable length of time.
childhood friend. The return trip had a few key differences.
One: I was decades older.
Two: I was travelling with a family including sulky teens instead of my lifelong friend.
Three: It was a different season, so the snow-capped mountains were replaced with fields of green (still beautiful, but inconsistent with my memories).
Four: There was an inability to bounce back from an overconsumption of food (and Schnapps -- but that's another story).
Sitting now, on my back deck, my mind is travelling back to experiences only accessible by drawing on my memories.
And that is the point I am trying to make (if I can pull myself out of the depths of sentimentality).
You can't recreate the past, Innes. I suspect your decision around the veggie burgers was doomed from the start, because it was never about the veggie burgers.
It was about a time of life when dreams and ambitions were within your grasp.
It was about the salt in your hair after a day at the beach.
The smell of coconut oil that you'd plastered all over your body. It was about a time as vivid and evocative as a Don Henley song.
And now it has been replaced
One of the realities that no one likes to mention is that these eye-watering prices for almost everything we need to buy will never retreat to levels that we were used to before the Iran war erupted.
This is inflation continuing to work its way into how we now need to live with job losses said to be heading to a five-year high as the cost-of-living squeeze continues.
We need to think seriously and possibly act now in order to protect our personal economic position.
Is it time to sell some assets which may be at the top of their cycle?
Who will social media tax benefit?
By Claire STUCHBERY, Executive Director of the Local and Independent News Association
YOU may have heard that the government is proposing a new levy on tech giants like Google and Facebook to help fund Australian journalism.
Before you look away, thinking ‘what has this got to do with me?’ – a quick question.
What do you like about the website or newspaper you’re currently reading?
Maybe it publishes stories and issues that other news outlets would never cover.
Maybe it represents your culture and platforms voices that too often go unheard.
Or perhaps it tells you what’s on in the community and contributes to making the place you live feel like home.
All those things matter – a lot.
Which is why we are fighting for the funds raised from the new levy on tech giants to make their way to local and independent newsrooms.
Because the concerning
thing is, under the government’s current plan, they probably won’t.
To back up a little, what the government is essentially trying to do is ensure Australians still have access to quality news and information.
As advertisers have increasingly moved towards digital platforms, newsrooms – whose work is often read or watched on those same digital platforms – have lost revenue despite still providing a valuable service to the public.
To use a sweet little metaphor, you could say newsrooms are making chocolate, but because the ads are printed on the wrapper, only the wrapper manufacturers are making money.
As a result, many Australian newsrooms have closed, laid off journalists or simply have not had the resources to dive deeply into the stories that matter.
So the government’s on the right track, broadly-speaking, because protecting news from our own backyard is crucial. But it’s a question of which backyard.
Quality journalism is key to a well-functioning democracy, and democracy doesn’t just happen in Canberra. Or Sydney or Melbourne or any other capital for that matter.
Democracy happens all around us, every day. In the decisions of councils, the actions of local MPs, and the experiences of everyday people. But in news deserts, democracy fights for air.
Australia already has one of the most concentrated media markets in the democratic world. Our democracy has strong foundations in many other ways – think compulsory and preferential voting – but the lack of diversity in media ownership and voices takes us down a rung on the democratic health ladder.
The government’s proposed legislation risks further entrenching this if it doesn’t create a clear path for local, independent and emerging newsrooms to benefit from the levy on tech companies.
A percentage of funds raised through the levy should go to growing diversity in the news
with the cold slap of being an adult, (and solar keratoses from too much youthful sun exposure) coupled with an ungrateful family, and, to top if off, an unpalatable veggie patty washed down with alfalfa, a whole grain bun and wilted lettuce.
Heck, Innes, now I'm feeling despondent.
From experience, sharing meals based on memories can be a success or an unmitigated disaster.
Either way, no one can hold you solely responsible.
We can't relive the past, and we certainly can't expect others to understand the deeply personal elements of our particular blend of nostalgia.
Instead, they may view something important to you as 'bland', 'missing something' or 'disappointing'. There's nothing you can really do about that.
Well... nothing except perhaps swap out the veggie burger for a baked dinner with succulent roast lamb, potatoes twice-baked in duck fat to give them that satisfying crunch, honeyed carrots topped with sesame seeds, homemade gravy, and a selection of sauces including mint sauce and cranberry (gently warmed).
I suspect that may help your other family members lean into their sense of yearning.
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
Cash is always king when the rubber hits the road.
With interest rates set to climb, short term loans like credit card balances could be reduced greatly as another form of protection. Interest rates on loans are increasing but interestingly the rates on at call deposits are yet to rise noticeably whilst fixed term rates are increasing, but who wants to be holding long term deposits when all interest rates are increasing?
education or roads. News and information is no different.
media industry, bringing new voices into the public dialogue and addressing news deserts.
The good news is we already have a policy framework in place outlining where government intervention is appropriate and needed through the News Media Assistance Program Policy Framework. Government merely needs to apply its own policy objectives to the estimated $250 million per year the proposed levy would raise for Australian journalism.
Basing eligibility around revenue thresholds, as the current proposal does, will only entrench the status quo, further harm small publishers and volunteer-based community media, and benefit the big players (who have an important role to play, but not the only role). It creates further barriers to entry in a field that is already difficult but is so needed to help us know what’s going on around us.
In Australia we have long known there are some extremely valuable public services that cannot be funded by the user alone – think healthcare,
The government's proposed levy on tech giants is a rare chance to move the needle on media diversity and public interest journalism without dipping into its own pocket.
The trick now is to make sure the benefits flow to strengthen publications like this one right here.
About the author: Claire Stuchbery is Executive Director of the Local and Independent News Association, a not-forprofit representing more than 170 digital, local and independent newsrooms around Australia.
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SATURDAY
OOOPS! I BOUGHT A PUB
SEVEN, 8pm
An actor and a teetotal filmmaker walk into a pub… No, it’s not the set-up for a corny joke, but the premise of this charming country adventure that sees Kenny star Shane Jacobson and his mate Dean Murphy (above left, with Jacobson) buy a tired old pub sight unseen and restore it to its former glory as the heart of the community. Their project is located in the tiny Victorian town of Dederang, about halfway between Melbourne and Canberra, where they assemble a colourful team of locals, tradies and experts to pull off the massive renovation.
FRIDAY, May 8
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Gardening Australia.
8.30 Patience. (PGad) A monk is found dead in a chapel.
9.20 Gruen. (PG, R) Presented by Wil Anderson.
9.55 Urzila. (Mals, R) Comedic chaos from Urzila Carlson.
10.20 ABC Late News.
10.40 Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee. (PG, R)
11.25 Murdoch Mysteries. (Ma, R)
12.15 Love Me. (MA15+, R)
1.05 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv)
5.00 Rage. (PG)
7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.25 BTN Newsbreak. 8.30 My Adventures With Superman. 8.55 BattleBots. 9.40
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. (PG)
MONDAY 9-1-1
SEVEN, 8.40pm
It’s grim, but rather standard practice these days for an episode of a crime procedural to kick off with a dead body. However, this unusual instalment of 9-1-1 arrive at the police precinct on a bike and ask for Athena (Angela Bassett), intent on reporting his own murder. The confusing situation begins to make sense when he starts coughing and falls to the ground, apparently poisoned. While Athena teams up with Major Crimes on the confounding case, Buck (Oliver Stark, pictured) hits rock bottom and comes clean to Chimney (Kenneth Choi) about his recent reliance on prescription painkillers. In touching scenes, the entire 118 team rallies around as Buck recovers.
WEDNESDAY ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG
He’s on Australian screens every day as the host of hit game Pointless, but British broadcaster
Alexander Armstrong (pictured) can’t be confined to the TV studio for too long. In this new three-part documentary, the well-travelled presenter visits India to explore some of the country’s most famous destinations, gaining a stronger understanding of its rich history, sacred traditions and culture along the way. Wednesday’s first leg sees Armstrong dive headfirst into the glorious chaos and splendour of Mumbai. He gets a well-rounded view of the bustling city, checking out colonial sites, sampling street food and even touring local homes with a real estate agent.
Bulahdelah Golf Club Report
By Thora-Lou SMITH
THE ladies played their 27 hole Foursomes Championship on Wednesday 29th April. It was a close battle but in the end, Bernie Newton and Lou Smith were the
8.30 Mystery Of The First Temple. 10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 The King. (Madlsv)
11.55 Babylon Berlin. (Mav, R)
1.45 Brian Cox: How The Other Half Live. (Ml, R)
3.30 Finding Your Roots. (PG, R)
4.30 Bamay. (R)
4.55 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
victors with 134gross, just 3 strokes ahead of Barbie Gordon and Terry Stellema, who won the nett with 103.25 – only ½ a stroke ahead of Meg South and Meredyth Rae. The vets played a stableford on Thursday 30th April and the winner was Ron MacDaniel with 38pts on a c/b from Rick
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. 8.00 Sydney Weekender Special. Discovers the best Sydney has to offer. 9.00 MOVIE: Tower Heist. (2011, Mls, R)
A building manager and his staff join forces with a thief to take revenge on a Wall Street swindler. With only days to go before he gets away with his crimes, they must work out how to relieve him of his fortune. Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck. 11.10 My Reno Rules. (PGl, R) 12.55 Quacks. (MA15+d)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 5.00 NBC Today.
Winter. Al Jobson was 3rd with 36pts. NTPs were Rod Norberry (x2), Mick Welsh and Wayne Pollard. Monthly Mug is next week and starting time is 9 –9:30 for the next 4 cooler months.
Saturday 2nd May was a stroke event and the A grade winner was Toby Carroll with 70nett from
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Rugby League. NRL. North Queensland Cowboys v Parramatta Eels.
9.55 NRL Friday Night Footy Post-Match. Post-match coverage of the NRL game.
10.45 MOVIE: Snitch. (2013, Mdv, R) A father makes a deal with the US attorney. Dwayne Johnson.
1.00 Explore TV Viking. (R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Postcards. (PG, R)
Geoff Harvey with 74nett. Paul Reid won the B grade with 69nett from Joel Slack with 70nett. Alison Benson was the ladies' winner with 70nett from Steph Plackson with 72nett. NTPs were Toby Carroll, Luke Barry, Bernie Newton and Meredyth Rae. Long drivers were Toby Carroll, Ryan McSweeny, Glenn Grainger and Bernie Newton. Brad Gleeson won the $36 jackpot with a great shot onto the 17th (only 1.3 from the pin) but sadly missed the birdie putt. That's golf!
q Nett winners Terry and Barb, Champions Lou and Bernie.
SATURDAY, May 9
6.00 Morning Programs. 10.30 Rage Vault Guest Programmer. (PG) 12.00 News. 12.30 Death In Paradise. (M, R) 1.30 Patience. (PGad, R) 2.20 David Attenborough’s Galapagos. (R) 3.10 David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef. (R) 4.10 Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia. (Final, R) 5.00 Aust Story. (R) 5.35 Landline. (R)
6.05 Kath & Kim. (PGals, R)
6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) Presented by Tom Gleeson.
7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.
7.30 Death In Paradise. (M) A game show contestant is stabbed during filming of the series’ grand finale.
8.30 Silent Witness. (MA15+v) Benjamin is visited by the police who promise to look into Gloria’s disappearance. Nikki performs post-mortems on a couple found in the woods.
10.15 Bergerac. (Mdl, R)
11.00 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) Continuous music programming.
6.00 Morning Programs. 10.00 Offsiders. 10.30 World This Week. (R) 11.00 Compass. (PG, R) 11.30 Praise. 12.00 News. 12.30 Landline. 1.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 2.30 The Assembly. (R) 3.20 Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia. (Final, R) 4.10 Grand Designs. (PG, R) 5.00 Back Roads. (Final, PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.
6.30 Compass. (PG)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 The Assembly: Jimmy Barnes. (PGa)
8.15 Bad Company. (M) Julia learns about Margie’s famous sister.
8.45 Bergerac. (Mlv) Bergerac and Barney’s relationship reaches breaking point.
9.30 Death In Paradise. (Ma, R) A game show contestant is stabbed during filming.
10.30 Silent Witness. (MA15+av, R)
12.15 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
3.00 Gardening Australia. (R)
4.00 Dream Gardens. (PG, R)
4.30 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R)
5.00 Insiders. (R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
6am Children’s Programs. 5.40pm Super Monsters. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 Knee High Spies. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Emerald. 6.40 Hey Duggee’s Squirrel Club. 6.45 Supertato. 6.55 Piripenguins. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 The Inbestigators. 7.45 Caper Crew. 8.05 Secrets At Red Rocks. 8.30 Animal Park. 9.55 Secrets Of The Zoo. 10.40 Merlin. 11.25 Late Programs.
6.00 Morning Programs. 11.00 Wild Prague. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Gymnastics. FIG Rhythmic World Cup. Part Two. H’lights. 3.00 Stories From The Cities. 3.30 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Liege-BastogneLiege. Men’s race. H’lights. 4.30 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Giro d’Italia. Stage 1. H’lights. 5.30 Plat Du Tour. (R) 5.35 Cold War Spies. (PG)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Jewels Of The Mediterranean. (PGa)
8.25 Magical Train Journeys In Switzerland. (R)
9.25 Jersey And Guernsey. (R)
10.20 The Wonders Of Europe. (PGa, R)
11.20 Snowpiercer. (MA15+v, R)
2.00 Matched. (PG, R)
2.50 Finding Your Roots. (PG, R)
3.50 Colors Of The Islands: The Caribbean. (PGaw, R)
4.25 Bamay. (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31)
Hawks Nest Bridge Club
By Diane RUSSELL
RESULTS week ending 1st May
6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. The Coast Race Day, Caulfield Race Day, Hollindale Stakes Day and Goodwood Day. 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG, R)
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. Hosted by Johanna Griggs. 8.00 Ooops! I Bought A Pub. (Mal) Hosted by Shane Jacobson. 8.30 MOVIE: Apollo 13. (1995, PGal, R) Three NASA astronauts find their lives in danger after a potentially catastrophic explosion. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon.
11.20 SAS: AUS v ENG. (Malv, R) 12.20 Devils. (MA15+av)
1.20 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 It’s Academic. (R)
5.00 House Of Wellness. (PG, R)
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6.00 Morning Programs. 10.00 Today Extra: Saturday. (PG) 12.00 Open For Inspection. 12.30 Great Australian Detour Snow. (R) 1.00 Explore TV Viking. (R) 1.30
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 MOVIE: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. (1980, PGv, R)
10.00 MOVIE: Conan The Destroyer. (1984, Mv, R)
11.55 Law & Order: Organized Crime. (MA15+av, R)
12.45 Tasman Trails. (R)
1.35 Open For Inspection. (R)
2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PGa)
2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop. (R) 5.30 Helping Hands. (PG, R)
6.30 The Dog House. (PGa, R) A couple are looking for an outgoing pup.
7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. Newlyweds must decide if their townhouse is suitable.
8.30 Building The Dream. Architectural designer Charlie Luxton helps first-time builders design budget-friendly homes that suit their lifestyles.
9.30 Ambulance Australia. (Ma, R) Follows paramedics as they respond to a seven-year-old boy who is gasping for air.
10.30 Matlock. (PGa, R) An airport ramp operator is accused of negligence.
12.30 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.
6am Anton
Chekhov 1890. (2015, PG, French) 7.25 Discovering Film. 8.20 Meek’s Cutoff. (2010, PG) 10.20 The Invisible Fight. (2023, M, Estonian) 12.25pm Moulin Rouge! (2001, M) 3.00 The Straight Story. (1999, PG) 5.05 The Assassin. (2015, PG, Mandarin) 7.05 The Little Shop Of Horrors. (1960, PG) 8.30 Treasure. (2024, M) 10.35 The Piano Teacher. (2001, MA15+, French) 1.05am Late Programs.
9.20 Tulum: The Last City Of The Mayan Empire. (Ma, R)
10.20 The Kim Dynasty: A Family Affair. (PGa, R) 11.15 MOVIE: Duran Duran: A Hollywood High. (2022, G, R) 12.35 MOVIE: Sheryl. (2022, Ml, R) 2.20 Matched. (PG, R) 3.10 Finding Your Roots. (PG, R) 4.10 Colors Of The Islands: The Caribbean. (PGa, R) 4.45 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 PBS News Horizons.
VICELAND (31)
7MATE (64)
6am Morning Programs. 11.00 The 4WD Adventure Show. 11.30 Life Off Road. Noon The Car Club. 12.30 Timbersports. 1.00 Motor Racing. Night Thunder. Late Model Nationals. 2.00 Rides Down
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6am Morning Programs. 9.45 MOVIE: Forever Christmas. (2018, PG) 11.35 Motor Racing. Formula E C’ship. Berlin ePrix. 12.40pm Soccer. English Premier League. Manchester United v Liverpool. 2.40 Snackmasters. 3.50 MOVIE: Speechless. (1994, PG) 5.50 MOVIE: Space Jam. (1996) 7.30 MOVIE: Night At The Museum. (2006, PG) 9.45 MOVIE: The Spy Who Dumped Me. (2018, MA15+) Midnight Late Programs.
6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Sunday Footy Feast. 2.30 House Of Wellness. (PG, R) 3.30 Jabba’s Movies. (PGv, R) 4.00 Better Homes And Gardens. (R) 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Sydney Weekender.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 The 1% Club. (PGls) 8.00 7NEWS Spotlight. 9.00 Betrayal. (Malnsv) John tracks down an elusive Iranian general. 11.00 24 Hours In Police Custody: Family Secrets. (MA15+a, R) Follows a police investigation.
12.00 A Friend Of The Family. (MA15+a, R)
1.00 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
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Points. 5.25 Myths: The Greatest Mysteries Of Humanity. 6.30 Abandoned Engineering. 7.25 Travel Man. 7.55 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Giro d’Italia. Stage 3. 12.35am Conversations With Friends. 1.45 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera. 6am Home Shopping. 8.30 Better Homes And Gardens. 10.30 Australia’s Deadliest. 11.30 GetOn Extra. Noon Auction Squad. 1.00 Australia’s Big Backyards. 2.00 Harry’s
7MATE
6am The Movie Show. 6.40 The Assassin. (2015, PG, Mandarin) 8.35 The Little Shop Of Horrors. (1960, PG) 10.00 The Way Back. (2010, M) 12.25pm Anton Chekhov 1890. (2015, PG, French) 2.05 Forever Enthralled. (2008, PG, Mandarin) 4.45 Roxane. (2019, PG, French) 6.25 Joan Baez: I Am A Noise. (2023) 8.30 Janet Planet. (2024) 10.40 Little Loves. (2024, Spanish) 12.30am Late Programs.
Monday: N/S 1. C. Rands & L Falla, 2. C Richards & S Matheson, 3. P Baily & J Glover. E/W
1. J Armstrong & D Dale, 2. D Hipkins & B Eyre, 3. K Mc Murray & L Butler. Tuesday: 1. L Butler & G Muggleton, 2. J Urquhart & J Fowler, 3. B & P
SPORT RESULTS
Ness. Wednesday:
1. J Armstrong & M Rowden, 2. B Treharne & S Matheson, 3. P Baily & J Gray. Friday: N/S
1. B Treharne &
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 The Floor. (PGl)
8.15 60 Minutes. Current affairs program.
9.15 Australian Crime Stories: The Investigators: The Golden Hour. (Mavv) Detectives race to find the killer of So Ra Moon.
10.15 9News Late.
10.45 The First 48. (Mav, R)
11.40 American Ripper. (Mav)
12.35 Oz Off Road TV. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 The Garden Gurus. (R)
5.00 Today Early News.
5.30 Today.
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6am Morning Programs. 9.50 MOVIE: Sincerely Truly Christmas. (2023, PG) 11.40 Seinfeld. 12.10pm Motor Racing. Formula E C’ship. Berlin ePrix. 1.15 Soccer. English Premier League. Everton v Manchester City. 3.15 The Summit. 4.45 The Toys That Built The World. 5.45 MOVIE: Scooby-Doo. (2002, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: Godzilla Vs. Kong. (2021, M) 9.45 MOVIE: The Iron Claw. (2024, MA15+) 12.25am Late Programs.
S Matheson, 2. C Rands & L Falla, 3. J Whalan & C Richards. E/W 1. B Taylor & J Fowler, 2. K Mc Murray & S Aldrich, 3. L Wood & G Smith.
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6.30 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.
7.00 MasterChef Australia. (PG) The top 20 compete for immunity. 8.15 Race Across The World. (Ml) The teams start from the third checkpoint in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and must travel 1400kms through Thailand. 9.30 Taskmaster Australia. (Ms, R) Contestants give memorials for eggs, get new middle names and travel to a new location.
10.30 NCIS: Origins. (Mv, R) Vera receives a call from a man in prison. 11.30
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MONDAY, May 11
6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Silent Witness. (Malv, R) 11.40 You Can’t Ask That. (PGl, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Landline. (R) 2.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 2.25 Back Roads. (Final, PG, R) 2.55 Grand Designs Australia. (R) 3.55 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGa) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Superbuns. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.20 BTN Newsbreak. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Gladiators UK. 9.40 Kids BBQ Championship. 10.25 Kids Baking C’ship. 11.05 Late Programs.
TUESDAY, May 12
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes. (PG)
8.40 Ancient Greece By Train. (R)
9.35 Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (M)
10.25 SBS World News Late.
10.55 Sambre: Anatomy Of A Crime. (Mav)
12.05 Gomorrah. (Malv, R) 2.45 MOVIE: Fiona Clark: Unafraid. (2021, Malns, R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 4.45 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (PGa, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
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6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Aust Story. (R) 10.30 Planet America. (R) 11.00 Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia. (Final, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Death In Paradise. (Ma, R) 2.00 Parliament. 2.55 Grand Designs Australia. (R) 3.55 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG, R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 6.00 Morning Programs. 11.10 Wonderland: Lewis Carol To JRR Tolkien. (Ma, R) 12.10
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 Glenn And Mick’s Celebrity Intervention. (Mal)
8.40 9-1-1. (Madv)
9.40 The Agenda Setters: Rugby League. (R)
10.40 The Agenda Setters.
11.40 Happy’s Place. (PGa)
12.10 New Amsterdam. (MA15+a, R)
1.05 The Outdoor Room With Jamie Durie. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning
Programs. 7.55 Joan Baez: I Am A Noise. (2023) 10.00 Manon Des Sources. (1986, M, French) 12.05pm Man Who Didn’t Want To See The Titanic. (2021, M, Finnish) 1.40 The Assassin. (2015, PG, Mandarin) 3.40 The Little Shop Of Horrors. (1960, PG) 5.05 The Eagle Has Landed. (1976, PG) 7.30 The Three Musketeers: Milady. (2023,
Budget 2026: A 7.30 Special. (R)
FAMILY (22)
6am Children’s Programs. 6.20pm Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Superbuns. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.20 BTN Newsbreak. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 The Slow Mo Guys’ Big Adventures. 9.10 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 9.35 BattleBots. 10.20 Merlin. 11.05 Late Programs.
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? (Return)
8.30 Insight. Kumi Taguchi looks at the work-life balance in 2026.
9.30 Dateline.
10.00 SBS World News Late.
10.30 Living Black. (R)
11.05 Exit. (MA15+av)
12.00 Breaking Point. (Mlv, R)
2.35 Primitive Medium. (R)
2.45 Great Coastal Railway Journeys. (PGa, R)
4.30 Bamay. (R)
5.00 Eurovision Song Contest.
The Verdict. 3.55 News. 4.00 WorldWatch. 5.55 Curse Of Oak Island. 6.45 Jeopardy! 7.40 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.35 Rock Legends: ABBA. 9.30 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Giro d’Italia. Stage 4. 1.35am Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next? 2.35 Late Programs.
Spanish) 1pm The Idol. (2015, M, Arabic) 2.55 Discovering Film. 3.50 Joan Baez: I Am A Noise. (2023) 5.55 Dancing At Lughnasa. (1998, PG) 7.35 Hating Alison Ashley. (2005, PG) 9.30 Love And Mercy. (2014, M) 11.45 Sing Street. (2016, M) 1.45am Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) Preparations begin for Archie’s birthday.
7.30 My Reno Rules. (PGl) Hosted by Dr Chris Brown.
9.05 Doc. (Ma) While navigating the fallout from Katie’s secret, Amy treats a critically-ill patient with a dark one of her own.
10.05 House Of Wellness. (PG) Insights and experiences that highlight living well.
11.05 The Agenda Setters.
12.05 New Amsterdam. (MA15+a, R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair.
Outback Opal Hunters. (PGl)
Footy Classified. (Ml)
SPORT RESULTS
Tony SMITH
DRAMA
9GEM
ABC FAMILY (22)
9GO! (83)
WEDNESDAY, May 13
ABC FAMILY (22)
6am Children’s Programs. 6.40pm Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Superbuns. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.20 BTN Newsbreak. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Steven Universe. 9.05 Adventure Time. 9.30 Teen Titans Go! 9.55 Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl. 10.15 My Adventures With Superman. 10.35 Late Programs.
SBS World News.
7.35 Alexander Armstrong In India. (Premiere)
8.30 The Trial Of Michael Jackson. (M) 9.25 The Audacity. (M) 10.30 SBS World News Late. 11.00 Rise Of The Raven. (MA15+asv)
12.00 Blue Lights. (Malv, R)
2.05 Classified. (Malv, R)
3.45 Great Coastal Railway Journeys. (PG, R)
4.20 Bamay. (R)
4.55 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(31)
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Discovering
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 SAS: AUS v ENG. (Madlv) Recruits must maintain their composure.
8.30 The Front Bar. (Ml) Hosts Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and Andy Maher take a lighter look at all things AFL.
9.30 Unfiltered. (M)
10.00 The Agenda Setters.
11.00 Why Bridges Collapse. (PGa, R)
12.15 Kochie’s Business Builders. (R)
12.45 New Amsterdam. (MA15+a, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Events That Changed Australia. (Madlv)
8.30 Outback Murder Highway. (Mdv)
9.30 NRLW Wrap: Women’s State Of Origin Special. (PG)
10.30 9News Late.
11.00 Freddy And The Eighth. (Ml) 11.50 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 12.40 Pointless. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home
(64)
THURSDAY,
May 14
ABC FAMILY (22)
6am Children’s Programs. 5.55pm Octonauts. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Superbuns. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.20 BTN Newsbreak. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Ultimate Vets. 9.05 Animal Park. 10.35 Late Programs.
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Rick Stein’s Australia.
8.40 American Prince: JFK Jr: Ladies And Gentlemen, Meet George. (Ml, R) John F Kennedy Jr launches George magazine.
9.30 A Gentleman In Moscow. (Premiere)
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 Under The Bridge. (Madl) 11.50 DNA. (MA15+a, R)
2.25 Great Coastal Railway Journeys. (PGa, R)
4.10 Bamay. (R)
5.00 Eurovision Song Contest.
(31)
SBS MOVIES (32)
Film. 6.55 The Boy And The Heron. (2023, PG) 9.10 Hating Alison Ashley. (2005, PG) 11.00 Dancing At Lughnasa. (1998, PG) 12.40pm Post Coitum, Animal Triste. (1997, M, French) 2.30 The Eagle Has Landed. (1976, PG) 4.55 Discovering Film. 5.45 Moonlighting. (1982, PG) 7.35 Xanadu. (1980) 9.30 Walk The Line. (2005, M) Midnight Body Melt. (1993, MA15+) 1.30 Late Programs. 6am Discovering Film. 6.25 Xanadu. (1980) 8.15 Grandpas. (2019, PG, Spanish) 10.05 Corsage. (2022, M) 12.05pm Ali. (2001, M) 2.55 Discovering Film. 3.45 Monsieur Verdoux. (1947, PG) 6.00 Golden Years. (2016, PG) 7.50 Monty Python’s Life Of Brian. (1979, M) 9.30 The Commitments. (1991, M) 11.40 Long Story Short. (2021, M) 1.20am Unfaithful. (2002, MA15+) 3.30 Late Programs.
SPORT RESULTS
Social Darts
By Michelle COLE
THURSDAY 30th April
Winners were Gene McKenzie and Graeme Bramley with runner ups were Geoff Smith and Matt Peirson. Ladies highest point score was Christine McKenzie with the Men’s highest point score was Mick Russom with an impressive 180!
q Gene McKenzie, Graeme Bramley, Geoff Smith and Matt Peirson.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGl)
7.30 Highway Patrol. (PGl, R)
8.00 Motorway Patrol. (PG) A laptop left on a rooftop causes grief for a sole trader.
8.30 Britain’s Got Talent. Hosted by Ant and Dec.
10.30 Unbelievable Moments Caught On Camera. (PGa, R)
11.30 SAS: AUS v ENG. (Madlv, R) 12.30 New Amsterdam. (MA15+a, R) 1.30 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
LOCAL swimming prodigy and Tea Gardens Public School student Kayleigh Thompson has excelled at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Swimming Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
On Tuesday 28 April, Kayleigh achieved three Personal Bests, including two top-10 finishes.
She came second overall in the junior girls’ backstroke 50m, in an impressive time of 37.13s and fifth in the 50m freestyle.
