APPLICATIONS LODGED BETWEEN 01/02/2026 AND 08/02/2026
Information is correct at time of printing. For up-to-date information visit Council’s DA Tracker at datracker.portstephens.nsw.gov.au or contact us on 4988 0255.
ADDRESS DA NO. PROPOSAL
NELSON BAY
2 Beenong Cl 16-2026-63-1 Alterations and additions to existing dwelling
NOTICE OF ADVERTISED DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL HAS RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION (DA):
DA NO: 7-1997-1427-9
DEVELOPMENT SITE: Lot:5 DP:850337 332 Newline Road RAYMOND TERRACE 2324
PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION: S4.55(2) Modification to existing Waste Management Facility – amendment to plans to realign cell boundaries within approved void resulting in additional cell (Cell 6)
APPLICANT: VEOLIA RECYCLING & RECOVERY PTY LTD
CONSENT AUTHORITY: Port Stephens Council
ASSESSING OFFICER: Courtney Sargent contact: 4988 0263 or email courtney.sargent@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
9
14
274C
12 Oimara St 16-2026-58-1 Swimming pool and associated safety barriers MEDOWIE
1 Coachwood Dr 16-2026-31-1 2 storey dwelling and retaining wall
3 Emerald Cl 16-2026-55-1 Dual occupancy (attached), earthworks and 1 into 2 lot Torrens Title subdivision
47 Yale Cres 16-2026-57-1 Swimming pool and associated safety barriers
6 Pirralea Pde 16-2026-47-1 Demolition of single storey dwelling, installation of a boundary retaining wall and removal of 14 trees
104 Government Rd 16-2026-44-1 Demolition of existing structures and construct 2 storey dwelling and retaining wall
ONE MILE
43 Reflections Dr 16-2026-51-1 Attached deck and roof
RAYMOND TERRACE
103 Richardson Rd 16-2020-702-2 S4.55(1) Modification to change of use from place of public worship to respite day care centreremoval of Condition 2.0
SALAMANDER BAY
2B Gilchrist Rd 16-2026-54-1 Carport, alfresco roof, swimming pool with deck
81 Scott Ctc 16-2026-36-1 Alterations and additions to existing dwelling, and enclose carport
SHOAL BAY
63 Ronald Ave 16-2026-53-1 Demolition of existing dwelling WALLALONG
7 Scott St 16-2025-254-2 S4.55(1) Modification to 1 into 2 lot Torrens Title subdivision - amend Condition 24
WOODVILLE 1138 Paterson Rd 16-2026-52-1 Swimming pool and associated barriers
Join a 2026 Clean Up
Register at your nearest site on the day
Sun 1 March
ANNA BAY
9am to 12pm
Robinson Reserve (near BBQs and bins)
9am to 12pm Gan Gan Road (near Hannah Reserve toilets)
9am to 12pm
Gan Gan Road (opposite Anna Bay Primary School)
BALICKERA
8:30am to 2pm Italia Road (opposite Balickera Canal picnic area)
CORLETTE 10am start
Bagnalls Beach, 150 Government Road
FISHERMANS BAY 8am start
Fishermans Bay Park, 2 Park Street
KARUAH 9am to 12pm Longworth Park
LEMON TREE HILL 10am to 2pm Mungara Reserve
MEDOWIE 8am to 12pm 63 Boundary Road
MEDOWIE
8am to 11am 44 Ferodale Road
RAYMOND TERRACE 9am start Elizabeth Reserve Trail, 60 Martens Avenue
SOLDIERS POINT
9am to 12pm 33 Kent Gardens Sat 7th March
WILLIAMTOWN
NPWS Worimi Conservation Lands
9am to 1pm
Cnr Macs Trak and Lavis Lane
NOTIFICATION PERIOD: 14 Days (19 February 2026 to 5 March 2026)
SUBMISSION DUE DATE: 5 March 2026
Where to view information:
Council’s Administration Building 116 Adelaide Street, Raymond Terrace (between 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays) Council’s DA Tracker datracker.portstephens.nsw.gov.au
To make a submission:
Anyone can make a submission to Council during the exhibition period. If the submission is an objection, then the grounds of the objection must be clearly specified. Submissions can be made in any format (including video or audio), which can be sent via email and is less than 10mb in size. Mail PO BOX 42 Raymond Terrace NSW 2324 Email council@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
Please note: All
PUBLIC EXHIBITION –HAVE YOUR SAY PLANNING PROPOSAL:
19 GAN GAN, ANNA BAY
At its 28 October 2025 meeting, Council placed the planning proposal for 19 Gan Gan Road, Anna Bay on pre-gateway public exhibition. The planning proposal seeks to amend the Port Stephens Local Environmental Plan 2013 to rezone from RU2 Rural Landscape to E3 Productivity Support and C2 Environmental Conservation zone to enable light industrial outcomes.
The draft planning proposal will be on exhibition until Monday 23 March 2026 at Council’s Administration Building in Raymond Terrace, libraries and website at portstephens.nsw.gov.au. Please quote 58-2024-1-1-0007 with your submission. Submissions are invited and can be lodged, in writing (including email) to the General Manager up until 5pm Monday 23 March 2026. Submissions can be made in any format (including video or audio), which can be sent via email and is less than 10mb in size.
For further information contact Matthew Borsato, Senior Strategic Planner, on 02 4988 0255.
PUBLIC NOTICE PLANNING PROPOSAL:
269 TAREAN ROAD, KARUAH
A planning proposal has been lodged with Port Stephens Council for 269 Tarean Road, Karuah. This planning proposal aims to rezone part of the land from RU2 Rural Landscape to R2 Low Density Residential.
If approved, this would enable a mix of housing types, including detached houses and dual occupancies, subject to further development applications.
If the planning proposal progresses, the application will be sent to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and will be formally exhibited. This formal exhibition period is when the community can make submissions on the planning proposal for Council’s consideration.
WEEDS TREATMENT NOTICE PERIOD - UP UNTIL 14 DAYS FROM THIS ADVERTISEMENT
Notice is given that Port Stephens Council intends to treat infestations of aquatic weeds on or in water in the Campvale Drain and portions of the following rivers occurring in the Port Stephens Council Local Government Area:
• Hunter River and tributaries from Raymond Terrace to the confluence of the Paterson River.
• Paterson River and tributaries from the confluence of the Hunter River upstream to the Port Stephens Council boundary.
• Williams River and tributaries upstream from Raymond Terrace to the Port Stephens Council boundary.
Herbicides containing active ingredient 600g/ kg Metsulfuron methyl and/or active ingredient 360g/l glyphosate will be used. Residents in the treatment area should not use, drink or swim in the water during the period of treatment. Small scale reapplications may occur within 30 days of the date of the original treatment. Any further enquiries may be directed to Council on 4988 0255 or email: weeds@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
Saturday 21 February 9am to 12:30pm at Birubi Beach
to
Local CEO named a finalist in Women
Of The Year Awards
FROM Page 1
across NSW.
A proud Kamilaroi woman who lives on Worimi land, the 55-year-old leader said the nomination carries deep personal and cultural significance.
“I’m incredibly honoured by the nomination and see this as an opportunity to showcase the amazing work of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector that I’ve been privileged to work alongside,” Professor Turner said.
“This nomination is not something I would have received without the legacy of those who came before me and our Elders who carried our culture and knowledge across generations.
“They fought for Aboriginal leadership to be at the forefront of decision making.
“It reminds me of that legacy and the responsibility to continue this work for
future generations.”
Professor Turner is Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC), the peak body representing more than 50 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) across NSW.
Throughout her career, she has worked closely with Aboriginal medical services, families, universities and governments, to ensure programs are designed and delivered in genuine partnership with the community.
Her leadership has helped shape initiatives including the Many Rivers Diabetes Prevention Program and the Go4Fun healthy lifestyle program, aimed at improving long-term health outcomes through prevention and education.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, she also advocated strongly to ensure Aboriginal
communities received timely, culturally appropriate support.
“Being CEO of the AH&MRC is a privilege and a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” she said.
“Our work is about improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities by advocating for health system reform so it better serves our people.
“Our members do remarkable work across metro, regional, rural and remote communities to ensure our people have real control over their health and wellbeing.
“My role is fundamentally about amplifying Aboriginal voices and leadership, just as my mentors and Elders have done for me. As CEO, it’s important to use the platform I’ve been given to create opportunities for our young people and ensure the next generation of Aboriginal leaders have the space and confidence to lead.”
Professor Turner began her career as an Aboriginal Health Worker and Enrolled Nurse, later becoming a qualified nutritionist.
“Working in both mainstream and communitycontrolled settings, I saw the difference culturally safe and community-led care can make,” she said.
“As a mother and grandmother, I want my children and grandbabies to feel empowered in their choices.
“The work I do is driven by that same desire — to create opportunities and build confidence.”
Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington congratulated Professor Turner on the achievement.
“Nicole Turner’s recognition as a finalist for NSW Woman of the Year is incredibly well deserved,” Ms Washington said.
“Port Stephens is very proud of Nicole and the difference she’s made to
q CEO of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council Adjunct Professor Nicole Turner, is a finalist in the Women Of The Year awards.
countless people’s lives through her decades of dedication to Aboriginal health and wellbeing across the state.”
The NSW Women of the Year Awards will be
announced on Thursday 5 March at the International Convention Centre in Sydney as part of NSW Women’s Week 2026. The ceremony will be livestreamed.
(Shellharbour Game Fish Club).
sportsmanship on and off the water.”
make opportunities like this possible.
Young angler Sean Leeman tags 92.8kg blue marlin at Port Stephens Game Fishing competition
Page 1
Port Stephens Game Fish Club (NPSGFC) were rewarded for their impressive form on the ocean with selection in the Garmin Billfish Shootout Junior Team for the annual three day event in Port Stephens.
They were two of six promising NSW anglers named to fish on board “Tantrum”.
Other top juniors to compete were Jack Cunneen from the Port Macquarie Game Fish Club, Flynn Vernon (Sydney Game Fish Club), Kai Delaney (Canberra Game Fish Club) and Jye McDonough
The popular event shone a spotlight on the next generation of Australian game fishers with the dedicated Junior Team representing the future of the sport.
NPSGFC President Troy Radford told News Of The Area that the chosen six had represented the junior anglers with “pride, respect and good
“They put in the work, learned from experienced crews and stepped up with the confidence and curiosity that defines the Shootout spirit,” he said.
“The team was taken out to compete by Karen and Glenn Wright, whose generosity and commitment to supporting young anglers
“All six performed well and achieved results and showed great ability and enthusiasm for fishing.
“They did their clubs proud.
highlights the strength and sustainability of the sport going forward.”
NELSON BAY CANCER PATIENT TRANSPORT GROUP
"The Shootout is renowned for its professionalism, sportsmanship and international profile and the inclusion of a Junior Team
A highlight for Team Tantrum was young Leeman hauling in a 92.80kg marlin blue on the opening day of competition - an incredible feat.
The capture came only days after Tubman tagged an 80kg black marlin on the eve of the event.
Is a volunteer group providing the following services to our local community
Have Your Say
News Of The Area would love to hear your OPINION and VIEWS on issues and topics affecting our area. Keep Letters to the Editor under 250 words for its best chance of publication. Please be aware that there is no guarantee or of publication from your submission to us. Publication will be determined by the editor around available space, relevance and appropriateness. media@newsofthearea.com.au
FRY BROS
Volunteer drivers who transport patients to the Newcastle Metropolitan area for cancer treatment and related Doctors’ appointments.
It is an ancillary service for when cancer patients cannot access any other reliable form of personal transport for treatments and appointments.
NELSON BAY CANCER PATIENT TRANSPORT GROUP
Our services are subject to available resources.
NELSON BAY CANCER PATIENT TRANSPORT GROUP
• Volunteer drivers who transport patients to the Newcastle Metropolitan area for cancer treatment and related Donctor’s appointments.
This service is provided free of charge to patients and continues due to the generosity of our volunteer drivers, financial grants and donations received from the local community.
Is a volunteer group providing the following services to our local community
• It is an ancillary service for when cancer patients cannot access any other reliable form of personal transport for treatments and appointments.
• Our services are subject to available resources. This service is provided free of charge to patients and continues to the generosity of our volunteer drivers, financial grants and donations received from the local community.
Volunteer drivers who transport patients to the Newcastle Metropolitan area for cancer treatment and related Doctors’ appointments.
Phone: 0407 252 566
Phone: 0407 252 566
Email:secretary@nbcptg.com.au www.nbcptg.com.au
It is an ancillary service for when cancer patients cannot access any other reliable form of personal transport for treatments and appointments.
Cosette De LORENZO 0468 575 452 cosette@newsofthearea.com.au
Chris KARAS 0400 819 153 chris@newsofthearea.com.au
PORT Stephens Council has unanimously endorsed support for a bid to host one of Australia’s largest Aboriginal sporting and cultural events.
The annual Koori Knockout combines elite rugby league with four days of culture, connection and celebration, attracting around 10,000 people per day from across NSW.
Port Stephens Mayor Leah Anderson said the event strongly aligns with Council's commitment to inclusive, connected and liveable communities.
“We're proud to support the bid to hopefully bring the Koori Knockout to Raymond Terrace,” Mayor Anderson said.
“This event brings people together,
helping local families experience a significant cultural event right here at home.
“It creates a powerful sense of local pride and celebrates the strength, culture and leadership of Aboriginal communities.
“The Koori Knockout puts Port Stephens, particularly Raymond Terrace, on the national stage.”
East Ward Councillor Nathan Errington said there are real economic benefits for the local community if Raymond Terrace wins the bid to host the event.
“We expect millions of dollars to go to local businesses, accommodation, hospitality and services over the four days,” Councillor Errington said.
“The national exposure will show Port Stephens as a culturally rich destination that encourages visitors to come back outside peak seasons, helping to spread tourism across Port Stephens so towns like Raymond Terrace share in visits, investment and jobs.
“The event will also create employment, volunteering and training opportunities, especially for young people,” Councillor Errington added.
The successful bid will be announced in the coming days by the Newcastle Yowies, who won the 2025 Knockout held at Tamworth.
“We hope to welcome communities from across NSW to celebrate sport, culture and connection in Raymond Terrace as part of the Koori Knockout and look forward to the outcome of our bid,” Mayor Anderson said.
Extra public holiday for NSW
By Cosette DE LORENZO
AN additional public holiday has been announced for NSW this year.
It falls on the Monday following Anzac Day, 25 April, which falls on a weekend.
“Each year, thousands of families rise before dawn on Anzac Day to commemorate and remember those who have served,” Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said.
“The additional holiday on Monday
does not replace Anzac Day on 25 April.
“Instead, it reinforces its importance and significance as well as making it consistent with other major public holidays.”
Substitute public holidays are already used for other key dates such as Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when those dates fall on weekends.
However, not everyone welcomes the move.
Concerns have been raised that
introducing an extra day off risks shifting focus away from the symbolic significance of the day.
“Anzac Day on 25 April is one of the most important and solemn days on our national calendar, and that will not change,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
“If anything, it is a reminder of its importance and another reason for people to get up, attend a local service and ensure the spirit of remembrance continues to be passed on to the next generation.”
ADVERTISING ADVERTISING WITHIN THE NEWS OF THE AREA reaches your local customers. Connect with them from next edition. Print media has never been as affordable for your business. Call (02) 4981 8882 or email ads@newsofthearea.com.au
John’s steps for Beth
By Jacie WHITFIELD
FOR John Fuller, love did not end the day he farewelled his beautiful wife.
It simply found a new way to walk beside him.
The 72-year-old Port Stephens local lost his beloved Beth to secondary breast cancer in September 2024, just six weeks after her diagnosis.
It was her second encounter with the disease, having first faced breast cancer in 2005.
John and Beth had built a life rich in travel, volunteering and deep companionship.
They were partners in every sense, always side by side, always looking ahead to the next adventure.
So, when they learned the cancer had returned, they made a choice that reflected exactly who Beth was.
They decided to go on a caravan trip to Hervey Bay in Queensland that had long been planned.
“We hoped, yet we knew it would be our
last trip together in our beloved caravan,” John said softly.
“Beth loved seeing new places and meeting people.
“She always said if there was a problem, we would overcome it.”
That journey became a quiet celebration of a life shared; coastal stops, conversations, and the comfort of simply being together.
In her final weeks, John became Beth’s full-time carer.
The last days were spent in hospital, where he rarely left her side.
“The last two weeks were very hard, watching the love of my life decline,” he said.
“But Beth never complained. She would apologise for needing help, for lifting her, dressing her, making her tea or ice water.
“I just held her hand, reassured her and told her how much I loved her.
“We could still talk, hold each other and say our goodbyes. I cherish that time.”
In the face of loss and grief, John chose to transform his love into action.
Having been elected President of the Rotary Club of Salamander Bay in July 2024, he asked the board if their 2025 International Women’s Day Dinner could raise funds for breast cancer research and support.
The community responded with open hearts, with 150 attending.
By the end of the evening, $10,000 had been raised for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, along with $4,000 for the Tomaree Breast Cancer Support Group and $1,700 for the McGrath Foundation.
John is quick to share the credit.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the members and friends of Rotary,” he said.
“I’m very proud and very grateful.”
As what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary approaches, John is preparing to take part in this year’s Step Up to Breast Cancer challenge.
John will complete 58kms for the 58 Australians diagnosed with cancer every day.
Every step he takes is for Beth and for the thousands of families still hoping for earlier detection, better treatments and, one day, prevention.
When Beth’s life was celebrated, more than 300 people gathered, a testament to the kindness, warmth and respect she brought into every room.
“She had a heart of gold,” John said. “She brought out the best in people.”
Now, through fundraising and quiet determination, John continues the legacy that Beth left, which is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people.
“To families facing breast cancer, you are not alone,” he said.
“Be there for each other. Sit with them. Hold their hand. Never give up. Live each day as it comes and, if you can, live it to the fullest.”
“In every step forward, love walks on.” For more information about the Step Up For Breast Cancer challenge or to donate visit fundraise.nbcf.org.au/event/ step-up/home
Woman charged after suspected stolen copper located
A WOMAN has been charged after police allegedly located a large amount of suspected stolen copper wire at Tomago.
Police attended a property on School Drive, Tomago at about 4.50pm on Monday 9 February, following reports of suspicious activity.
Port Stephens-Hunter Police District officers then spoke with a woman standing near a parked vehicle.
Following inquiries, police commenced a search of the vehicle where they allegedly
located and seized approximately one tonne of copper wire, bolt cutters, and a credit card in another name.
A 40-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where she was charged with “goods in
personal custody suspected being stolen”.
She was refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 on Tuesday 10 February, where she was granted conditional bail to appear before Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 16 February.
The vehicle was seized to undergo forensic examination, and inquiries are continuing into the source of the copper wire.
q John and Beth with their children Joel and Chantal at the Rotary Club of Salamander Bay, when John became president.
q John and Beth Fuller on an adventure to Uluru.
q Beth Fuller in Maggie Beer’s kitchen in Adelaide.
Wings Over Wetlands takes flight
By Jacie WHITFIELD
ART, conservation and international collaboration have come together with the launch of Wings Over Wetlands, a new initiative designed to raise awareness of migratory birds and the critical role wetlands play in sustaining them.
The project brings together organisations connected to Port Stephens’ wetlands to highlight the extraordinary journeys made each year by migratory shorebirds along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.
These birds rely on a chain of healthy wetlands across the globe, including
Port Stephens and its sister wetland in Kushiro, Japan.
Supporting the broader vision, Port Stephens Sister Cities has received funding from Port Stephens Council to establish an annual Threatened Species Festival, to be held each September to coincide with the arrival of migratory birds.
The festival will focus on threatened species, particularly shorebirds that depend on internationally significant habitats in both regions.
“This funding from Port Stephens Council enables us to celebrate our unique international partnership, raise awareness about
threatened species, and inspire community action to protect these vital habitats,” said Elaine Fereday of the Port Stephens Sister Cities Committee
“The arrival of the birds each September is a natural spectacle that reminds us of our connection to the global environment.”
To begin planning for the first festival in 2027, an art competition organised by Port Stephens Community Arts Centre and sponsored by Ingenia Communities is being held.
Arts Centre Chairperson Meryl Miller, said the idea “is to find a design for street banners that will be flown in
the streets of the Tomaree Peninsula each September to highlight the arrival of the birds in Australia.”
Prizes totalling $6,650 will be awarded, with a representative from the Kushiro Wetlands Organisation joining the judging panel.
Community engagement started early, with a mini carnival held at Apex Park last Sunday.
It offered opportunities to learn about the flyway, take part in pavement chalk art and create shorebird puppets.
The Curious Legends giant cockatoo and seagull puppets roamed the surrounds enthralling intrigued bystanders.
Walks hosted by the Mambo Wanda Wetlands
Conservation Group were also held to mark World Wetlands Day.
Council representative on the committee, East Ward Councillor Roz Armstrong, said that while activities for the first Threatened Species Festival would be centred on the Tomaree Peninsula, she believed that other communities in the Local Government Area could replicate the festival, with a focus on a different threatened bird, plant or animal species.
“Imagine banners flying all over Port Stephens depicting our amazing, but threatened, flora and fauna,” she said, “Koalas in the Tilly and Iron Barks in the Wallalong Valley.”
“It would not be beyond
the realms of possibility that international visitors, seeking environmental adventures on our shores and arriving at our new international airport, would contribute to this annual celebration.”
Art competition winners will be announced during Threatened Species Day celebrations in September 2026, with banners set to fly for the first time in September 2027.
Organisers hope the initiative will inspire lasting awareness and action to protect wetlands and threatened species, locally and internationally. For more information, go to pscac.org.au/east-asianaustralasian-flyway-artcompetition.
q Chalk art and bird mask making at the fair in Apex Park. Photo: Jacie Whitfield.
q A ‘Curious Legends’ giant seagull at Sunday’s Wings Over Wetlands launch. Photo: Jacie Whitfield.
Elderly targeted in carpark fraud
CHARGES have been laid as detectives investigate fraud and stealing offences allegedly committed in car parks in dozens of locations across NSW, including in Port Stephens and the Mid Coast.
Officers attached to North West Metropolitan Region established Strike Force Pitstop to investigate incidents reported across the state, from Newcastle to Wagga Wagga and including several suburbs across Sydney.
Investigators were told
two men worked together to steal from multiple elderly female victims inside shopping centre carparks, between Saturday 3 and Wednesday 7 January 2026.
“One of the men would allegedly approach the victims, claiming there is an issue with their vehicle before asking them to raise the bonnet and inspect,” NSW Police said in a statement.
“While the bonnet is up, another man allegedly steals items such as wallets, purses, cash and cards from inside
the vehicle.”
Following extensive inquiries, about 12.20pm on Wednesday 7 January, officers attended a service station on Manning River Drive, Glenthorne, where they arrested two men, aged 37 and 57.
They were both taken to Taree Police Station, where they were charged with 72 offences each, relating to alleged fraud, theft, and “enter vehicle without consent".
Both men were refused bail to appear before Bail
Division Court 1 on Thursday 8 January 2026, where they were formally refused bail and remain before the courts.
Investigations under Strike Force Pitstop have continued, with further alleged offences identified in Medowie, Tuncurry, Waratah, Wyong, Gundagai, Mount Warrigal and Sydney.
Police believe the men arrived in Australia on Sunday 28 December 2025, when they allegedly made false representations on passenger cards and Visa applications.
The men, who appeared before Parramatta Local Court this week, are now charged with a total of 89 offences each.
As inquiries continue, police continue to appeal for information about two other men they wish to speak with; however, police believe the men may now be offshore.
The first man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, in his 40s, of solid build, depicted wearing a white with black checkered long sleeve shirt, black shorts,
Students recognised through Mayoral Academic Scholarships
PORT Stephens Council has proudly announced the recipients of its Mayoral Academic Scholarship Program, celebrating outstanding local students as they prepare to commence tertiary study this year.
The Mayoral Academic Scholarship Program, now in its 16th year, has supported over 180 students from across Port Stephens.
Mayor Leah Anderson said the standard of applicants this year was exceptionally high.
“The quality, ambition and community-mindedness of students who applied this year was truly impressive,” Mayor Anderson said.
“These scholarships are about supporting young people as they take their next step, easing the financial pressure of study while helping them build connections that can support their future careers.”
The program provides $2,000 scholarships sponsored by local businesses.
As well as financial assistance, students are afforded the opportunity to connect with industry leaders across Port Stephens.
Mayor Anderson said the strength of this year’s interview process led to a new milestone for the program.
“This year we’ve selected three additional students,
who inspired the selection panel and as a result will also be formally recognised with a $1000 contribution towards their studies,” she said.
Recipients of the Mayoral Academic Scholarships will pursue a wide range of study areas, including marine and Antarctic science, medicine, engineering, biomedical, radiation and medical science, midwifery, physiotherapy, paramedicine, criminology, education, law, media and communications and business.
Mayor Anderson thanked the local businesses that continue to invest in the future of Port Stephens.
“This program simply wouldn’t exist without the generosity of our local business sponsors,” she said.
“Their support plays an important role in helping young people succeed and in building a strong future workforce for Port Stephens.”
The Mayoral Academic Scholarship recipients were formally recognised at a presentation event held at Nelson Bay Golf Club on Thursday 12 February 2026.
• Destiny Atutahi: Soldiers Point Lions Club, Bachelor of Midwifery, University of Newcastle
• Zoë Beks: Soldiers Point Bowling Club, Bachelor of Medical Science / Doctor of Medicine, University of
Newcastle
• Anique de Vries: Hunter Readymixed Concrete, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Monash University
• Lily Genders: Destination Port Stephens, Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Science, University of Tasmania
• Kate Gibson: Raymond Terrace Bowling Club, Bachelor of Paramedicine, Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie
• Charlie Hartmann: Business Port Stephens, Bachelor of Business, University of Newcastle
• Ashley Horne: Weathertex, Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours –Nuclear Medicine), University of
Newcastle
• Alexander Hopwood: McCloy Group, Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Biomedicine, University of Newcastle
• Lacey Jones: Hunter Land, Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws (Honours), University of Newcastle
• Breanna Kempf: McDonald Jones, Bachelor of Media and Communications, University of Newcastle
• Elisha Lai: MOJO Homes, Bachelor of Science, UNSW Sydney
• Bronte Micheli: Club Lemon Tree, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie
Back nine results :
Winner:
sunglasses, and a black hat with a white graphic on front.
The second man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, in his 40s, of medium build, depicted wearing a white sleeve shirt, black shorts, black shoes with white bottoms, a blue face mask, a black hat with a white graphic on front.
Anyone who may recognise these men or has information that may assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
• Mikaylee Parsons: The Wests Group, Bachelor of Visual Communications Design, University of Newcastle
• Stephanie Prouse: Salamander Bay Recycling, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, University of Newcastle
• Jackson Skaines: The Wests Group, Bachelor of Education (Secondary), University of Newcastle
• Taylor Smith: Club Lemon Tree, Bachelor of Education (Primary), University of Newcastle
• Samantha Sutton: Kongsberg Defence Australia, Bachelor of Criminology and Bachelor of Law (Honours), University of Newcastle
• Asher Telfer: Newcastle Airport, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours – Chemical Product Engineering), UNSW Sydney
Mayoral Contribution Recipients ($1,000 each):
• Suzy Cole: Bachelor of Education (Primary), University of Newcastle
• Jorja Lamb: Bachelor of Nursing, University of Newcastle
• Ethan van Lonkhuyzen: Bachelor of Aerospace Systems Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Honours), University of Newcastle
Tanilba Bay Veteran Golfers SPORTS Port Stephens Veteran Golfers Association
RESULTS OF PLAY FOR 10th February 2026. The weather was perfect for golf, partly cloudy and mild for most of the morning. We played an Individual Stableford game over 9 holes, with a shotgun start, all off the back nine. A roll up of 24 players today, thank you all for turning out today, we always look forward to Tuesday's.
Peter Koli nett 21 pts
Runner up :
Rob McKinney nett 20 pts
Ball Winners :
Barry Disch nett 19 pts
Mark Moore nett 18 c/b
Peter Martyn nett 18 pts
Vince Schubert
nett 17 pts c/b
NTP, 11th hole.
A grade Ian Williams
B grade Bob Skinner
C grade Jim Carberry
D & C, 18th hole,
A grade Kim Miller
B grade Greg Garvin
C grade Charlie Skinner
Longest Drive Winners :
A grade Barry Disch
B grade Grahame Glover
C grade Steve Enderby & Bob Foster
Next week, the 17th February, will be an 4BBB Stableford Event, Normal Start, from the white tees.
Rego from 7am tee off by 8am. All members and vistors are welcome to join us
By Gary WATT
RESULTS from a Single
Stableford competition played at Maitland GC on Monday 9th February 2026 with 36 players.
Nett Winner : Noel Sewell, 40pts.
Nett Runner Up : Tony Care, 39pts.
Bonus Point Winner : John Clayton, 39pts.
Bonus Point Runner Up : Jim Asvestas, 38pts.
Nearest the Pin, 5th Hole :
Div 1 : Kevin Stewart.
Div 2 : No Winner.
Nearest the Pin, 17th Hole :
Div 1 : Noel Sewell.
Div 2 : Wayne Smith.
Drive & Chip, 3rd Hole :
Div 1 : John Jefferson.
Div 2 : Jim Gill.
Drive & Chip, 11th Hole, Div 1 : Gary Chapman.
Div 2 : No Winner.
Ball Winners : Bruce Arndell 37pts, Fred Rimoni 37pts, Gary Watt 37pts, Jim Gill 36pts, Denis Barnett 36pts, Ross Dobson 35pts, Neil Devine 35pts, Greg Sessions 34pts, Jim Prater 33pts, Gary Licktenberger (V) 33pts, Ann Redman 33pts, Warren Deuis 32pts, and Shayne Mullarvey 32pts.
q The Mayoral Academic Scholarship recipients were formally recognised at a presentation event held at Nelson Bay Golf Club on Thursday 12 February.
Free music set to rock Robinson Reserve
By Jacie WHITFIELD
SINCE launching ten years ago, Riot FM has become a hub for alternative, heavy and unconventional music across Port Stephens and the Hunter.
Built “from the garage up”, the independent narrowcast station has carved out a space for emerging artists and passionate listeners who don’t always see themselves reflected in mainstream radio.
“Ten years is a long time to do anything, especially in the music industry,” said Riot FM founder and Events and Promotions Coordinator Rohan Brown.
“We’ve been really lucky over the years to have such supportive fans, guests and people we’ve annoyed along the way.”
Riot FM will celebrate a decade of independent
broadcasting with a free, allages live music celebration at Robinson Reserve in Anna Bay on Saturday 28 February.
Running from 1pm to 6pm, the event will bring together local musicians, families and music lovers for an afternoon of high-energy performances in a relaxed outdoor setting, true to the station’s grassroots spirit.
The lineup has been hand-picked from the local scene and surrounding regions, reflecting Riot FM’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and grassroots talent.
Bay-based acts FIST, Talkhouse, Sesh Pests and Foetal Position will share the stage with headliners Deadshowws and Loons, alongside emerging artists Loose Surface from Wollongong and Newcastle’s Bardvarkk, Feign and Caster.
“It’s really important for us to include the whole spectrum of music we feature on the station,” Mr Brown said.
“‘Between rock and a hard place’ has been the tagline from day dot, so we’ve got punk, metal, indie and everything from the fringes.”
The anniversary show also taps into the DIY culture that shaped Riot FM’s early years, when pop-up gigs were held in Shoal Bay restaurants, Anna Bay Scout Hall and local watering holes.
“This is an old-school pop-up show like we used to have all the time in the Bay,” Mr Brown said.
“Bring a chair and slip, slop, slap.”
Entry to the Robinson Reserve event is free, with optional donations supporting the participating artists.
Extra shade for Riverside Park
By Chris KARAS
THE Lions Club of Raymond Terrace has successfully completed its Shade Sail Project at Riverside Park.
Installed by Australian Playground and Shade Solutions, the sails will provide much-needed comfort and protection for families and visitors enjoying the popular community space.
The project was made possible through a combined effort that included funds raised by the club, and grants
from Port Stephens Council and the Federal Stronger Communities Program.
To celebrate the completion of the sunshade, an official opening event will be held at Riverside Park from 10am on Saturday 28 February, with free sausage sandwiches and refreshments for the public.
Riverside Park is an important landmark for Raymond Terrace and already provides a large barbecue area, sheltered picnic tables, toilets, paved walking trail and playground space.
Raymond Terrace Lions Club Membership Chair Annette Clark told News Of
Grants available for water projects
HUNTER Water has announced the return of its Love Water Grants Program for 2026, offering $125,000 to support community-led projects that improve water efficiency, sustainability and wellbeing across the Lower Hunter.
Now in its ninth year, the program continues to support innovative local initiatives that deliver practical watersaving outcomes while strengthening community connections.
The NSW Minister for Water, Rose Jackson, said programs like the Love Water Grants empower communities to turn good ideas into meaningful action.
“The Love Water Grants Program supports local solutions that save water, strengthen communities and help protect our environment for future generations,” Minister Jackson said.
Hunter Water Acting
CEO, Jennifer Hayes, said the program reflects Hunter Water’s commitment to working alongside the community to build a more sustainable future.
“These grants are about backing people, businesses and community groups across the Lower Hunter who care about their communities and the vital role water plays in their environment.
“Each year we see inspiring ideas brought to life, from smarter water use to projects that deliver real social and environmental outcomes.
“We’re proud to help turn those ideas into reality,” Ms Hayes said.
Last year, The Groundswell Collective was one of 18 Love Water Grant recipients.
Based in Lake Macquarie, the not-for-profit organisation brings people together to create a more sustainable future through
community driven projects.
Their grant went towards a rainwater tank at their Shelley Street Community Garden in Toronto. The volunteer-run site supports inclusion and wellbeing, with the community connecting through a love of gardening.
For Katie Ryan, the Collective’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement, the grant is helping to create climate resilience by reducing the garden’s reliance on drinking water, ensuring it can continue to supply fresh, locally grown produce to those in need.
“We applied for the Hunter Water grant to make Shelley Street Community Garden more sustainable.
“We needed a way to capture and store rainwater, and the grant made it possible to purchase a tank, pump and guttering so we can now collect rain from our garden
Tilligerry Social Golf Club
sheds.
“It has allowed our garden to be more independent with our water supply and reduce our use of mains water.
“We’ve also installed an off-grid solar system to
power the pump, meaning we can now run power tools, recharge the electric mower and even boil the kettle for morning tea,” Ms Ryan said.
Hunter Water is offering grants of up to $10,000 to
The Area that providing shade sails over the playground will enable it to be used yearround.
“Our secretary Robyn Jeffs worked extremely hard with the grant applications and liaising with the Council and the shade sale provider,” Ms Clark said.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Port Stephens Council and the office of Federal Member Meryl Swanson for their generous support and assistance.
“Their partnership has been invaluable in helping deliver this community improvement.”
eligible community groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations with projects that align with a shared love of water.
Applications for the 2026 Love Water Grants Program are open until 11:59pm, Sunday 15 March.
q Riot FM’s founder Rohan Brown (left) plays music other stations are ‘too afraid to play’. He is also a member of Port Stephens band FIST with fellow musicians Luke De Oglou and Josh Morgan.
q The Lions Club of Raymond Terrace will have an official opening for the new Riverside Park shade sails on 28 February.
q A previous grant went towards a rainwater tank at the Shelley Street Community Garden in Toronto.
Celebrations will continue with an official afterparty from 7pm at Anna Bay Tavern’s beer garden.
As Riot FM heads into its second decade, the station is also looking ahead, partnering with new collaborators and
working with Hot & Heavy to further support emerging musicians through coaching, connections and resources.
Marsden.
McKay. 38. C/b
Bryan Porter.
Couvaras.
GOOD SAMARITAN
A dedication to donkeys
THE Good Samaritan Donkey Sanctuary Inc was launched by founder Jo-Anne Kokas OAM in 1972 and became a charitable organisation in 1990.
The Sanctuary cares for over 100 donkeys and relies on the animal-loving public for
q The charity provides shelter, food, refuge, and care for abandoned, lonely, and ill donkeys. Photo: Julie Caird Photography.
donations.
Specifically, it offers shelter, food, refuge, and care for abandoned, lonely, and ill donkeys.
It also supports owners who are no longer able to care for their donkeys due to poor health or needing to move residence.
Most donkeys come to the attention of the GSDS via
the public, RSPCA, police or rangers.
Typically, donkeys are delivered to the Sanctuary, but often it must organise collection from hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.
The GSDS site covers some 300 acres, with paddocks providing hilly and flat grazing land.
It also features an Intensive Care Unit with stalls and equipment to cater for very sick donkeys in need of constant care.
The total herd fluctuates between 70 and 150 donkeys homed at the sanctuary.
Currently 101 residents are in care at the Sanctuary, which includes the Hospital and ICU unit.
have breast cancer.
$15 million investment in renewable energy workforce
THE NSW and Federal governments are investing $15 million over four years to train the skilled workforce needed for the state’s renewable energy rollout, set to create thousands of jobs in regional NSW.
The investment underpins the state’s Renewable Energy Skills Strategy, launched last week by Minister for Energy,
Penny Sharpe and Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan.
The Strategy supports the government’s Energy Roadmap, which is expected to generate around 7,000 jobs during peak construction and about 4,500 ongoing roles.
Jointly funded by the Federal and State governments, the Strategy builds the pipeline of
skilled workers needed to design, build and maintain renewable energy generation, storage and transmission projects across the state.
The Strategy includes school-based trade taster programs through to apprenticeships engagement through to apprenticeships, traineeships and secure long-term employment.
It also includes targeted initiatives to increase participation by women and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
As part of the investment, the Strategy will expand the Regional Industry Education Partnerships program, strengthening links between schools and renewable energy employers and giving students hands-on exposure to local career opportunities.
The Strategy will also create Skills Coordinator roles to work closely with renewable energy
employers, training providers and local communities to support local students and workers into renewable energy jobs.
Transgrid will play a major role in delivering the Roadmap, including construction of the NSW component of EnergyConnect, Australia’s largest energy transmission project, and delivery of the Hunter Transmission Project, which will carry renewable energy from regional NSW to homes and
businesses.
Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Penny Sharpe said, “The Energy Roadmap is delivering thousands of regional jobs across NSW to make sure families have energy they can trust and afford.
“Building renewable energy at scale means building the workforce to match, and this strategy connects students, apprentices and local workers with job opportunities.”
DONKEY SANCTUARY
Varroa mite showing resistance to chemical treatments
THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has confirmed the first case of Varroa mite pyrethroid resistance in the state. Laboratory testing at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute identified a known genetic mutation, L925I, which causes pyrethroid resistance in Varroa mites.
DPIRD Honey Bee Technical Specialist, Elizabeth Frost, said L925I significantly reduces the efficacy of pyrethroid miticides in managing affected mite populations, with just two approved pyrethroid miticide active ingredients available in Australia - flumethrin and taufluvalinate (sold as Bayvarol and Apistan).
“The resistant mites were collected from Northern NSW flumethrin-treated bee colonies where the midtreatment inspection revealed poor treatment efficacy in the hives and dead colonies,” Ms Frost said.
DPIRD Senior Bee Biosecurity Officer, Rod Bourke, said best practice mite management is now more important than ever for beekeepers managing hives with Varroa.
“Beekeepers can use the Varroa management tool, rotate chemical modes of action (MOA) and follow the label and permit conditions,” Mr Bourke said.
“Check mite loads two to three weeks after treatments have been added and when
removed so you can monitor treatment efficacy and the risk of pyrethroid resistant mites in your apiaries or region.
“If a product does not appear to work, you may need to try the next suitable miticide with a different MOA otherwise mites will harm the colony further.
“Pyrethroid-based miticides remain an important part of integrated pest management for Varroa mite and avoiding back-to-back treatments with pyrethroids is critical in preserving their effectiveness.”
If beekeepers suspect treatments are failing, they can call the Biosecurity Helpline on 1800 680 244.
NSW DPIRD staff will work with beekeepers to assess the situation and assist in screening mites for resistance, if needed. Screening has also shown the
L925I significantly reduces the efficacy of pyrethroid miticides in managing affected mite populations.
From the MAYOR'S DESK
By Mayor Leah ANDERSON
OUR community vision for Port Stephens is a great lifestyle in a treasured environment.
We’re fortunate to live in such a beautiful place, and as a Council we’re committed to making sure it continues to meet the evolving needs of our community.
We’ve been listening to your feedback, and my fellow Councillors and I are using it to shape our priorities for the year ahead.
Housing delivery is a major focus.
Rising house prices are forcing many people to look outside of Port Stephens for a place to live.
To respond, we’re progressing plans to deliver new homes on Council-owned land to support a variety of housing options and prioritising housing in town centres close to shops, services and transport.
We’re also simplifying planning processes and lowering costs to make it easier for investors to build more affordable homes here.
As we focus on bringing investment into Port Stephens, we’ll continue delivering critical infrastructure. Roads, drainage and pathways remain priorities for 2026.
We’re continuing our $29 million commitment through the Roads Acceleration Program to enhance safety. We are also finalising our Roads Futures Strategy to promote efficient and transparent road management, along with advocating for the reclassification of major regional routes to secure long-term state and federal funding.
Our new Pathways Plan will soon be open for community feedback to guide how we plan, prioritise and fund new footpaths and shared pathways across our region.
Protecting our coastline and waterways is also central.
The 2025 weather events damaged coastal areas, making clear the need for a strong Coastal Management Program to care for beaches, foreshore and waterways, protect liveability, and safeguard the places we love.
Delivering these priorities depends on financial sustainability, clear communication, and genuine community engagement. We must ensure we can fund projects now and into the future, respond to rising costs and disasters, and let community views shape decisions.
We’ll continue to work with residents, state partners and industry to deliver practical, lasting outcomes that meet the needs of our evolving community, ensuring Port Stephens remains a great place to work, live and invest.
‘Intense and aggressive’ campaign
DEAR News Of The Area,
I AGREE wholeheartedly with Kathy Brown's letter (5 February).
I felt frustrated and a little intimidated by the very noisy and aggressive campaign to dismiss the idea of an offshore windfarm, before the survey even got off the ground. What happened to all the people who voted overwhelmingly for Labor to address climate change?
We handed over to the government the job to actually
do something which would help. Possibly, like me, they were stunned by the mostly emotive negative campaign which followed. It drowned out and dismissed anyone supporting the idea of the windfarm even before any preliminary assessments were begun.
It was an extremely well-funded, intense and aggressive opposition to the proposal, with little merit.
Why, I wonder?
How do people expect climate change to be addressed?
We are seriously running out of time.
Regards,
Robina BADGER, Nelson Bay.
Golden treble for Ashlyn
By Chris KARAS
RAYMOND Terrace golden girl
Ashlyn Wall has stamped herself the queen of the track.
The 18-year-old middle distance runner again showed her class and race smarts with a gold medal haul at the Region 2 Athletics Championships at Maitland Regional Athletics Centre last weekend.
Ashlyn underlined her potential by clinching the Women's Under 20s 400m, 800m and 1500m titles in dominant style.
In all three finals, Wall proved too strong for Macquarie-Hunter rival and three-time silver medalist Monika Urane.
Ashlyn clocked a time of 1.00.11 sec to snare gold in the Women's Under 20s 400m final from Urane (1:11.92 sec) and followed it up with a cracking run to claim gold in the 800m final with a time of 2:13.05 seconds.
She also blitzed the field to win the Women's
Under 20s 1500m gold medal in a sizzling time of 4:52.70 seconds - a testimony of her endurance skills.
Wall’s triple treat on the track in Maitland followed her success at the NSW Country Athletics Championships earlier this year when she brought home two gold medals in the Women's Under 20s 400m and 800m events and a silver in the 1500m decider.
She was one of three Raymond
DEAR Jasminda,
My wife recently picked every green mango off our tree because she was worried about possums and bats.
Now we have green mangoes all over the house and they don't seem to be ripening.
Has she made a fatal mistake?
George F.
Dear George,
Since I'm not a mango expert, I was tempted to type your query into AI, but then, on pondering that decision, I felt confident that AI would drip feed me an overlyenthusiastic answer that, at best, would give me no real clarity, and, at worst, would be erroneous, incorrect through omission, and/ or provide ghost citations (for example: The Grower's Guide to Magnificent Mangoes: Science Indirect).
The response would also use the same amount of water it would take to water an actual mango tree and similarly drip feed it in that aggravating people-pleasing manner that AI has adopted to make mere mortals feel special.
I imagine it would go something like, 'So, George, you're growing your own fruit. Good for you. Mangoes are a great source of Vitamin A.
You are right to be concerned that your wife has prematurely picked your mangoes, but there
Terrace Athletics Centre juniors to secure gold at the three day event - along with nine-year-old Scarlet Lodge and 10-year-old Winter Robson - qualifying for the upcoming NSW Junior Athletics titles. Lodge blitzed the 9yrs Girls 100m final - grabbing gold with a time of 15.86 seconds from silver medalist Georgia Lester of Warnervale (16.67 sec) and Eastlakes’ Thea Harrison, who
may be no cause for alarm. Are the mangoes hard?
If you give me some more information, I may be able to offer some solutions.'
This conversation could go on ad finitum because AI starts off helpful, and ends up clingy.
Soon, what was a simple question has more segues than a Seinfeld episode.
Not only are you getting tips for growing mangoes, but you're being offered a threeweek mango cleanse diet, a daily itinerary for a round-the-word mango expedition, 32 things to do with mango skins, and potentially relationship counselling (and you have now used enough water for a mango orchard).
Instead, George, let me offer you some casual mango tips (learned the old-fashioned way i.e. trial, error, and a local hobby farmer).
1. It is actually okay to pick mangoes when they are greena good tip is to look at the colour of the stalk. If it's yellow, then go for it.
2. Mangoes will ripen at room temperature in their own good time, but you can hurry the process along by putting them in a brown paper bag (the bag traps an odorless gas called ethylene which speeds up the ripening process).
3. Once one mango starts to ripen, they will all join in, like some weird, sweet-smelling flash mob.
4. Now you have a new problem i.e. what to do with 75 ripe mangoes. Let me come back to you on that one.
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
finished third.
Rising field athlete Robson collected gold in the 10yrs Girls Long Jump final with a winning leap of 3.92m from Terrigal-Wamberal’s Evie Collie (3.32m).
Talented Port Stephens long jumpers Joy Schneider (3.57m) and Malia Foster (3.35m) finished fourth and eighth respectively in a quality final.
q Ashlyn Wall clinched gold medals in three events at the Region 2 Athletics Championships in Maitland.
q Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre juniors at the Region 2 Athletics Championships in Maitland.
If
Anna Bay Tavern
Anna Bay Bakery
BYO Cellars Anna Bay
Ingenia Holiday Park
Middle Rock Retirement Village
Anna Bay Village
Seawinds Village
Nelson Bay Bowling Club
Nelson Bay Golf Club
Woolworths Nelson Bay
Nelson Bay Newsagent
Nelson Bay Real Estate
Seabreeze Hotel
Port Stephens Visitor Info Centre
Tackleword Port Stephens
Essence Cafe
Dolphin Watch Cafe
West Diggers
Harbourside Haven
Bernie Thompson Village
Shoal Bay Pharmacy
IGA Shoal Bay
John Patterson
Bill King Aged Care
Friendly Grocer Fingal Bay
Fingal Bay Cafe
Regis Aged Care
Corlette Store
Uniting Care
Homestead Village
Sandy Shores
Big4 Soldiers Point
Soldiers Point Bowling Club
Foodworks Salamander Bay
Wanda Beach Pharmacy
Mobil Salamander Bay
Caltex Salamander Bay
Coles Salamander Bay
Natural Tucker
Woolworths Salamander Bay
Horizons Golf Club
Sunrise Lifestyle Resort
Seaham General Store
Opal Aged Care
Red Eye Café Raymond Terrace
Angeez Takeaway Raymond Terrace
Pet Parlour Raymond Terrace
Terrace Central Plaza Post Office
Newsagent Terrace Central Plaza
Woolworths Terrace Central Plaza
MarketPlace Woolworths
Raymond Terrace Shell
Raymond Terrace Library
Lakeside Newsagent
R&R Property
Foodworks Lakeside
Lakeside Leisure Centre
Muree Golf Club
Saxby's Bakery Salt Ash
Tanilba Bay Nursing Home
Tanilba Bay Retirement Units
Coles Tanilba Bay
Endevour Servo Tanilba Bay
Tanilba Newsagent
Post Office Tanilba Bay
Blue Marine Services
Chemist Lemon Tree
Club Lemon Tree
Tilligerry RSL
Tilligerry Real Estate
Coles Medowie
7-Eleven Medowie
Medowie Newsagent
Medowie Pharmacy
Woolworths Medowie
Medowie Social
Medowie Football Club
BP Servo Medowie
Stinker’s History: Memories of home (part one)
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
IDA Lena Collard OAM was born on 8 September 1920 to Henry and Selina Upton.
Below are her memories of growing up as the fifth of seven children on a dairy farm in Bobs Farm, and life during the Second World War.
My grandfather, Phillip Upton, had previously owned the property of 151 acres and he lost his life there in 1918 when he was gored by a bull while drawing water from a well for the cattle.
The present house was built by Snowy Cook about the year 1927.
It was a dairy farm and milking was done by hand twice a day.
Our area was not supplied with electricity and our mode of lighting was by candles and kerosene lamps.
In 1932 we experienced a depression.
It was the Second World War that brought lasting changes to the area.
A sealed road was built through the sandhills to improve access to Port Stephens which was seen by the military as a potential invasion site.
The Americans helped financially with this construction as they had troops in the area.
Prior to this the Marsh Road was the only access road to Bobs Farm.
World War II… seemed so far away and we only had news from a radio, which was battery operated.
Electricity was put through to Nelson Bay during this war because of all the troops in the area.
After Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in December 1938 the USA troops began to arrive in Australia.
In 1942 Japan captured Singapore, taking thousands of British and Australian troops prisoners as well as civilians. When Japan bombed Darwin it was kept very quiet.
Suddenly thousands of troops arrived in Nelson Bay and all through the peninsula and back to Gan Gan Camp, that was the reason for getting the electricity through.
The road through the sandhills was constructed and sealed in quick time and this carried thousands of troops as Port Stephens was one of the safest and deepest ports on the coast and the authorities
prepared for the worst.
A coast guard was formed to keep watch along the coast for anything suspicious.
Some women and children moved away from the coast to safer country areas.
The region from Soldiers Point Rd at Anna Bay became a restricted area and everyone had to have identity cards to get through in 1939.
Besides dairying there were market gardens and oyster farming.
Many young men left the family farms to enlist in the services, leaving a skeleton workforce.
Few servicemen went back to the farms.
Lots of vegetables were grown for market, the area being very productive.
Vegetables were brought to the packing shed and were sorted.
Tomatoes were packed into wooden boxes and nailed down and placed on a slide drawn by a horse and taken to the road and placed on a stand ready to be picked up in the early morning hours by a carrier and taken to Newcastle fruit and vegetable markets.
Anna Bay tomatoes sold very well as they had a good name.
Beans were sent to market in big hessian bags. I gathered mushrooms too.
We had lots of fruit trees on the farm.
The oranges were always sweeter after the winter frosts.
To help keep the oranges longer we would bury them in the sand but we had to mark where they were.
Other fruit trees were bananas, mulberry, lemon, mandarin, quinces, figs, persimmons,
peach, plum and grapes.
Of course, mum made lots of homemade jams.
Dad slaughtered a lot of our meat; a beast, a pig, chickens and sometimes a rabbit shot from the property.
We would put a melon in the well by the dairy to cool them off to eat – no refrigerator to put them in.
Working out on the farm you would just pick a melon off the vine, split it open and dive into it with your hand, sometimes only the heart being eaten.
[My sisters] Joan and Heather recall that when they took the cows to a paddock they would finish up at the melon patch, choose a melon and drop it to break it open and just eat out the heart.
What a waste when you think of what we pay per kilogram today at the shop. They were great days.
Stinker’s Fishin’: Fishing fun in February
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
FEBRUARY.
You beauty!
Peace, warm water, lonely beaches, deserted boat ramps and heaps of fish!
This month must rate as my most favoured time of the year on the water.
I’ve been in hibernation since mid-December when I am quite comfortable handing the local fishing grounds over to our holiday visitors and weekend warriors.
2025 was very kind to me as I had a great year’s fishing with snapper, my target species, in excellent numbers and keen to tango.
Living at Fingal Bay gives me the perfect opportunity to launch my 11-foot tinny off the beach before heading out to the close reefs and
q Whiting arrive for the party.
washes chasing ‘big red’.
I have, at some stage over the past 50 years, concentrated my efforts on a variety of species from flathead to groper to drummer and then to the temptation of catching a thumping great mulloway.
Finally, to come to the conclusion that there is only one fish that ticks all the squares – snapper.
A champion scrapper at the end of a line
and great in the kitchen.
A fresh snapper fillet crumbed or battered served with lemon and a sprinkle of salt is magnificent.
It is the warm water and steady, gentle north easterly winds that kicks off my season for snapper over the reefs and flathead and whiting off the beach.
If you see my boat “Stinkpot” on the beach, drop by and say “Gudday".
q Ida Collard's parents Henry and Selina Upton.
New assistant coach for Gropers
By Chris KARAS
NELSON Bay Gropers have acquired the services of international rugby coach Pete Sullivan for the 2026 Hunter Suburban Men's Rugby campaign.
After an extensive coaching stint in the US in the high school rugby system, the well-credentialed mentor has relocated to Anna Bay and is keen to assist Head Coach Michael Squires with the top grade squad.
The addition of Sullivan to the Gropers’ revamped coaching panel is a huge boost for the club in its
quest for the President’s Cup championship trophy.
A passionate rugby man with an impressive coaching resume, Sullvan walked into pre-season training three weeks ago offering to volunteer his services as a coaching assistant.
He went to work straight away, and has attended every training session since, offering valuable input to coach Squires and the players. He will take up one of the club’s assistant coaching roles.
Sullivan began his rugby playing career as a crafty half back at St Pius school before
transitioning to fly half with West Pymble Rugby Club.
Injury cut short his career at the age of 23 but he stayed involved in the code by assisting West Pymble's third grade coach before heading up to Armidale the following year to study for his coaching accreditation.
Returning to Sydney, Sullivan coached his home club
Killara West Pymble in the Barraclough Cup Sydney Sub Districts competition for four seasons.
Following an opportunity to go to the US, he achieved coaching success with various high school teams and men's
Electric Elara claims double gold
By Chris KARAS
to watch after her recordbreaking feats at the Region 2 Athletics Championships last weekend
victory in the 100m final alongside runner up Peyton Smith.
Regional Athletics Centre.
The emerging golden girl capped a memorable meet by claiming the 14yrs Girls 100m and 200m sprint double in brilliant style, earning herself instant qualification to the upcoming NSW Junior Athletics titles.
Electric Elara proved unstoppable in the 100m final - setting a new region record of 12.54 sec to flash home in first place ahead of runnerup Peyton Smith of Wallsend RSL Athletics Club (12.83 sec) and bronze medalist Imogen Hyslop of Warnervale (13.40 sec).
The St Philip’s Christian School Salamander Bay student backed up the following day to secure the
squads.
He coached the Valley Kangaroos club in Seattle Washington for 10 seasons in the men's Pacific Northwest championship before guiding the Budd Bay Barbarians High School boys team in Olympia, Washington, for 13 years and High School Girls in 2013-14. Sullivan coached the Tacoma Tsunamis High School boys squad for three seasons from 2017-19 and the PNRFU Loggers Washington representative high school boys and girls teams for over a decade.
For the past 14 years, he has been Director of the Eagle
200m title in a sizzling time of 25.93 seconds - staving off challenges from silver medalist Smith (26.77 sec) and Maitland’s Sienna Drage (27.37 sec).
Elara’s latest gold medal triumphs as a track sprinter are a just reward for her intensive training efforts under the guidance of Newcastle’s High Performance athletics coach Vanessa Price.
Barnes was one of four Port Stephens Athletics Club juniors to bring home gold in track and field at the Region 2 carnival.
Promising long distance runner Denver Trojkovic also snared double gold with superb wins in the 11yrs Boys 800m and 1500m finals.
Dashing Denver clocked 5:07.52 sec to capture gold
Neptunes primed for Junior State Cup
By Chris KARAS
FRESH from their encouraging results on home turf, the Nelson Bay Neptunes Under 14 Boys junior representative touch football team is ready to shine at this weekend’s Junior State Cup tournament in Dubbo.
The talented youngsters are brimming with confidence and primed for skilful showings when the strong Neptunes contingent arrive at the Lady Cutler Sporting Precinct in the central west for three packed days of elite level touch football.
The NSW Touch Junior
State Cup is the largest participation sport ever held in the city of Dubbo with up to 10,000 people tipped to attend the prestigious event.
Steeped in tradition, the championships attract the finest touch footballers from across NSW aged under 10 years to under 18 years in both the girls and boys categories.
Nelson Bay’s powerful Under 14 Boys line up is laced with speed and skill and boasts exciting young prospects in NSW Primary Schools reps Jayden Hotene, Jed Hay and Calvin McKay and Hunter schoolboy middles
Oscar Green and Yadin Stone.
Spring heeled Jayden is a rising link while sharp winger Calvin and emerging middle Jed continue to produce the goods at junior elite level.
All five played key roles at the recent Peter Wilson Memorial Cup tournament where the Neptunes finished runners-up after an 11-2 Grand Final loss to the Newcastle City Knights.
It was the Nelson Bay side’s only loss after two wins and two draws in the pool rounds and victories over Berkeley Vale Panthers (5–4) in a quarter-final and Wallsend Wolves (4–3) in a
semi-final.
Inspired by their recent purple form patch, the boys enter the Junior State Cup
q
Rugby Impact Academy (ERIA) in Washington - a national academy for high school boys and girls. Now settled in Port Stephens,
in the 1500m final ahead of Mingara’s Duke Smith (5:16.98) and Gosford’s Django Mak (5:33.80sec) before edging out Smith to snare the 800m title in a time of 2:31.43 sec.
Naomi Reungkitchaya snared the 16yrs Girls Discus (1.0kg) gold medal with a throw of 32.70m, finishing ahead of Cardiff silver medalist Tahlia Smith (28.31m) and picked up a bronze medal in shot put.
Talented all rounder Anna Taylor-Anderson produced a stout-hearted finish to win the 15yrs Girls 90m hurdles in a time of 14.20 sec - just in front of Westlakes sprinter Charlotte Campbell (14.23 sec) - and capped a productive meet by also claiming bronze medals in the javelin, triple jump and long jump field
event with renewed hope.
Other Neptunes Under 14 squad members include Anthony West, Beau Gardiner, Danny Doherty, Hunter Travers, Jaxon Daniels, Jaylan Ridley, Marley Sergeant, Max
events plus 100m. Anna’s younger sibling Jaimee Taylor-Anderson picked up a bronze in the 13yrs Girls javelin while talented long distance sprinter Isla Trayling grabbed bronze in the 12yrs Girls 1500m with a time of 5:31.64 sec behind Gosford gold medalist Flora Norris (5:02.76 sec) and runner up Zahra Bruce from Eastlakes (5:03.45 sec).
Other Port Stephens bronze medalists included Emily Watson in the 14yrs Girls long jump (4.73m) and whiz kid Dre Elias in the 8yrs Boys 200m (34.30sec).
Rising field athlete Eva Hanrahan was another Port Stephens junior to shinesecuring a silver medal in the 15yrs Girls shot put (3.0 kg) with a throw of 9.51m.
Spencer, Ryan Poole and Ashton Mabb.
You can expect spirited efforts from all Neptunes representative teams as they strive to impress on junior touch football’s biggest stage.
New look Nelson Bay netball committee building pathways to success
FROM Page 24
hit the ground running in anticipation of an actionpacked 2026 season.
Under the guidance of president-elect Ashleigh Martin and secretary Sarah Johnson and a band of tireless officials, the association’s new look executives are ready to lead, inspire and keep the Nelson Bay netball family thriving.
An excited Martin told News Of The Area that the revamped committee have
been working hard behind the scenes in preparation for a hectic campaign of domestic competition, grassroots development and representative netball.
“We are a bunch of local volunteers just wanting to give something back to a sport we all love,” said Ashleigh, who takes the reins from Nelson Bay Netball Association (NBNA) stalwart Rebecca Keating.
“As we enter a new chapter of NBNA the committee are eager to reach out to families
and trumpet the positives of community sport,” she revealed.
In a huge fillip, the association’s Come and Play Day last weekend in conjunction with Netball NSW attracted close to 40 junior hopefuls keen to participate in the Net Set Go program.
Helping officials on the day at the Tomaree Sports Complex courts at Salamander Bay were Netball NSW Development Officer Isla Smith plus a host of talented youngsters from the association’s burgeoning
nursery.
NBNA have commenced their Wednesday night Senior Ladies competition and are gearing up for an intensive 10week schedule for their junior representative squads.
The association’s 12yrs, 13yrs, 15yrs, 17yrs and Senior Opens rep teams have started training in preparation for this year’s Junior and Senior State Netball Championships in Sydney later this year.
In the lead up to the State titles, Nelson Bay will participate in a range of Junior Representative carnivals at Charlestown on Sunday 1 March; Cessnock on 22
March; Maitland on 19 April; Singleton on 24 May and Kurri Kurri on 14 June.
Stepping into Nelson Bay’s Representative Convenor role in 2026 is accomplished official, player and coach Michelle Weber.
As well as co-ordinating the association’s representative program, a dedicated Michelle will juggle her convenor commitments by managing the Bay’s 15yrs representative squad.
‘She brings great energy, fresh ideas and a passion for supporting our community,” quipped Martin, who has donned the Nelson Bay colours at Opens level with aplomb.
“We’re looking forward to
the positive impact Michelle will make and the connections she’ll help strengthen across NBNA” Ashleigh added.
Nelson Bay’s representative coaching panel for 2026 includes Linda Jones and manager Nicole Brady (Opens); Amanda Wilks and Taylar Wilks and manager Michelle Chadwick (17yrs and 13yrs); Fiona McGrath and manager Michelle Weber (15yrs) plus Taylah Whitty and Kerry Whitty and manager Tahlia Brien (12 yrs).
Other officials on NBNA’s new look executive include vice president Kate Barnett, treasurer Megan Scott and Competitions Convenor Rachel Hunt.
the experienced campaigner is keen to help make the Gropers a force to be reckoned with in the Hunter Suburban Men’s Rugby ranks.
Long-time US high schools rugby coach Pete Sullivan has joined the Nelson Bay Gropers men's for 2026.
PORT Stephens sprint queen
Elara Barnes is the athlete
at Maitland
q Port Stephens sprint sensation Elara Barnes (left) celebrates
q Nelson Bay Neptunes’ Under 14 Boys, ready to impress at this weekend’s touch football Junior State Cup in Dubbo.
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BEST ON THE BOX
MONDAY
AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION
TEN, 7.30pm
Blindsides don’t come much more epic than when producers of this enduring reality series unexpectedly replaced long-time host Jonathan LaPaglia with former winner David Genat (above). It was a power move that no one saw coming, and sets the scene for another unpredictable season of strategic gameplay in the Samoan jungle. Fellow fan favourites Brooke Jowett, Harry Hills, Simon Mee and Mark Warnock also return to compete against a fresh batch of 20 ambitious newcomers.
FRIDAY, February 20
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Gardening Australia.
8.30 Professor T. (M) Professor T investigates when a bride is found dead on her wedding night floating in the hotel swimming pool.
9.15 Hard Quiz. (PGa, R) Hosted by Tom Gleeson.
9.45 The Weekly With Charlie Pickering. (PG, R)
10.20 Dog Park. (Ml, R)
10.50 ABC Late News.
11.05 Smother. (Mv, R)
1.45 Rage New Music. (MA15+dhlnsv)
5.00 Rage. (PGadhlnsv)
TUESDAY
AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST CONMAN?
SBS, 8.35pm
This two-part documentary has all the hallmarks of an espionage blockbuster: helicopters, parachutes, politicians and even the CIA. However, the man of mystery at its centre is no Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt – rather, John Friedrich was an everyday engineer. After building the Victorian branch of the National Safety Council into an advanced civilian search and rescue operation, the ambitious and charming Friedrich rose to the upper echelons of Australian society – before a spectacular fall from grace. Over two nights, intrepid investigator Marc Fennell (right) sets out to discover the truth behind the fraudster and the enormous anomalies left in his wake. You couldn’t make this up.
THURSDAY
GRAND DESIGNS TRANSFORMATIONS
ABC TV, 8pm
3.30 Plat Du Tour. (R) 3.40 The Cook Up. (R) 4.10 Building The Impossible. (PG, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. (Return) 8.30 Super Ships: A Revolution At Sea. (R)
9.35 Harrods: The Rise And Fall Of A British Institution. (Ma, R)
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 Sisi. (Mav, R)
11.55 Babylon Berlin. (MA15+s, R)
1.40 The Lesson. (Mals, R)
4.05 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
4.35 Bamay. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(31) 6am Children’s Programs. 6.20pm Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.40 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.05 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? 8.30 BTN Newsbreak. 8.35 My Adventures With Superman. 8.55 BattleBots. 10.00 TKO: Total Knock Out. (Final) 10.40 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. Charlie Albone fixes a shady corner in the garden.
8.30 The Marlow Murder Club. (Mav) When a man with no connection to Marlow is found dead, Judith, Becks and Suzie investigate.
10.30 Australian Idol. (PGal, R) Hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie.
12.15 GetOn Extra.
12.45 Dare Me. (MA15+asv)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
5.00 Dr Harry’s Animal Encounters. (PG, R)
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There’s very few among us who hear the words “flatpack furniture” and don’t groan. Albeit cost-effective, the so-called solution is synonymous with frustration, arguments and losing an entire weekend to a “one-hour” task. That makes Tasmanian couple Richard and Alice’s (pictured) passion project all the more impressive. The pair have come into possession of a 140-year-old glasshouse that was shipped to Australia from the UK as a DIY kit in the late 1800s. They’re hoping to rebuild its delicate timber framework piece by piece – without the original instructions. Host and architecture professor Anthony Burke keeps an eye on the process, which involves hand-cutting 500 panes of glass to complete the puzzle.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 14 – Night. Coverage includes men’s biathlon and women’s curling, ski cross qualifiers and final. Hosted by Allison Langdon and James Bracey.
12.00 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 14 – Post Midnight. Coverage includes women’s curling and 1500m speed skating final and men’s 15km biathlon and ice hockey.
3.00 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 14 – Overnight. Coverage includes men’s ice hockey and curling and two-woman bobsledding heats.
6.00 10 News+. 6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Hosted
By Lee RANKIN
6.00
SATURDAY, February 21
6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.
7.30 Call The Midwife. (Final, PGa) Nancy’s wedding plans take a surprising turn.
8.30 Midsomer Murders. (Final, Mv) When an online PTA meeting at Causton Grammar ends in murder, Barnaby and Winter head back to school to learn the deadly antics in the lives of pupils, teachers and parents alike.
10.05 This England. (M, R) Looks at Britain during COVID-19. 10.55 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) Continuous music programming.
6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm Knee High Spies. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Supertato. 6.55 Piripenguins. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! (Premiere) 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Hard Quiz Kids. 8.00 Chopped Junior. 8.40 Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia. 9.05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series. 9.30 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.10 Abbott Elementary. 10.30 Merlin. 11.15 Late Programs.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Neil And Martin’s Bon Voyage. (Premiere)
8.25 Travels With Agatha Christie And Sir David Suchet. (PGa, R)
9.20 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey. (PG, R)
10.20 Highclere: The Real Downton Abbey. (R)
11.15 Outlander. (Msv, R)
1.40 Beyond Signs. (MA15+a, R)
3.35 Barkley Manor. (PGa, R)
4.35 Bamay. (R)
5.15 Euronews.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(31)
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am The Third Man. (1949) 8.00 The Ideal Palace. (2018, PG, French) 10.00 Once Upon A Time In China. (1991, Cantonese) 12.30pm Once Upon A Time In China II. (1992, Cantonese) 2.35 The Silver Brumby. (1993, PG) 4.20 Discovering Film. 5.05 The Red Turtle. (2016, PG, No dialogue) 6.35 Storm Boy. (2019, PG) 8.30 Apocalypse Now Redux. (1979, MA15+) 12.20am Late Programs.
SUNDAY, February 22
6.00 Grand Designs Transformations. (R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Muster Dogs. (PG) The novice handlers face two stock-handling tasks.
8.30 Dog Park. (Ml) Spike goes missing.
9.00 This England. (Mal) Looks at Britain during COVID-19. Cabinet discusses setting up a temporary hospital in East London.
9.50 Call The Midwife. (Final, PGa, R)
10.50 Midsomer Murders. (Mv, R)
12.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
3.00 Gardening Australia. (R)
4.00 Dream Gardens. (R)
4.30 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R)
5.00 Insiders. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 5.45pm Super Monsters. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 Knee High Spies. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Supertato. 6.55 Piripenguins. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia. 8.15 MOVIE: A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. (2019) 9.40 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.20 Merlin.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 The Colosseum With Dan Snow. (Premiere)
9.20 Ancient Empires. (MA15+v, R) Looks at the empire built by Alexander the Great. 11.15 Reframed: Marilyn Monroe. (Mans, R)
2.35 24 Hours In Emergency. (Mal, R)
3.30 24 Hours In A&E. (Ma, R)
4.25 Bamay. (R)
4.55 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.15 Euronews.
5.30 PBS News Horizons.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am The Ideal Palace. (2018, PG, French) 6.35 The Red Turtle. (2016, PG, No dialogue) 8.05 Storm Boy. (2019, PG) 10.00 Proof Of Life. (2000, M) 12.30pm Wonderfully Beautiful. (2022, M, German) 3.00 The Third Man. (1949, PG) 5.00 Princess Caraboo. (1994, PG) 6.50 And God Created Woman. (1956, French) 8.30 Pulp Fiction. (1994, MA15+) 11.20 Triangle Of Sadness. (2022, M) 2am Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 1. Sydney 500. Day 1. Pre-race and race.
9.30 MOVIE: F9: The Fast Saga. (2021, Mv, R) The true meaning of family gets tested like never before when Dom and the crew search for a cyberterrorist. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena. 12.20 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 1. Sydney 500. Day 1. Highlights.
1.20 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 It’s Academic. (R)
5.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 15 – Night. Coverage includes men’s four-man bobsleigh, ski cross qualifiers and finals and mixed team aerials and ski mountaineering relay.
12.00 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 15 – Post Midnight. Coverage includes mixed ski mountaineering relay, men’s and women’s mass start speed skating and women’s biathlon.
3.00 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 15 – Overnight.
6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated by Mark Coles Smith. 7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. Jules loves his inner city beach bungalow, whereas Erin wants space and is keen to search for it.
8.40 The Graham Norton Show. (Ms, R) Graham Norton is joined by Chris Pratt, Cynthia Erivo, Dawn French, Rob Beckett and Jack Savoretti. 9.50 MOVIE: Scream VI. (2023, MA15+l, R) Ghostface resurfaces in New York City. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega. 12.10 Gogglebox Australia. (R) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.
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6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Australian Idol. (PG)
8.40 Murder On A Cruise. (Mav) Looks at Micki Kanesaki, who vanished during a Mediterranean cruise with her ex-husband in 2006.
10.40 The Hunters. (Mav, R)
12.10 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 1. Sydney 500. Day 2. Highlights.
1.10 Temple. (MA15+al)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 4.00 Better Homes And Gardens. (R) 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 Married At First Sight. (PGls) Love is in the air at the commitment ceremony.
8.45 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians.
9.45 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 16 – Night.
12.00 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Day 16 – Post Midnight.
10.35 Other People’s Money. (Mals) 11.30 Vigil. (MA15+v, R)
2.45 My Name Is Reeva: I Was Murdered By Oscar Pistorius. (Malv, R)
3.40 Bamay. (R) 4.40 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (PGa, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(31)
6am Princess
Caraboo. (1994, PG) 7.55 Discovering Film. 8.55 And God Created Woman. (1956, French) 10.35 Too Cool To Kill. (2022, M, Mandarin) 12.40pm Motherhood. (2022, M, Japanese) 2.50 The Movie Show. (Final) 3.25 The Red Turtle. (2016, PG, No dialogue) 4.55 A King In New York. (1957, PG) 6.50 The 39 Steps. (1935) 8.30 Casablanca. (1942, PG) 10.25 Amadeus. (1984, M) 1.20am Late Programs.
TUESDAY, February 24
6.00
R) 5.00 A Bite To Eat. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 5.40pm Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom. 7.00 Superbuns. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? (Ml, R)
8.35 Australia’s Greatest Conman? (Premiere, Ml)
9.35 Air India Crash: What Went Wrong? (Ma, R)
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 Exit. (MA15+ads, R)
12.00 Syndrome E. (Malv, R) 2.05 Safe Home. (Mal, R) 3.00 My Name Is Reeva. (Mav, R) 3.55 Barkley Manor. (PG, R) 4.25 Bamay. (R) 4.55
Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 Australian Idol. (PGal) Hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie. 9.00 9-1-1. (Madv) Athena revisits a painful part of her past while responding to a call. Buck coaches Harry as he prepares for the firefighter CPAT test.
10.00 Ivan Milat: Buried Secrets. (MA15+av, R) Takes a look at the crimes of Ivan Milat.
12.00 Conviction. (MA15+a, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Better Homes And Gardens. (R)
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Married At First Sight. (Mls) 9.15 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 Closing Ceremony. The Closing Ceremony
6am The Movie Show. 6.35 A King In New York. (1957, PG) 8.35 The 39 Steps. (1935) 10.15 The Te$t. (2022, M, Spanish) 12.15pm Triangle Of Sadness. (2022, M) 3.00 Discovering Film. 3.55 Casablanca. (1942, PG) 5.50 Thirteen Days. (2000, PG) 8.30 The Big Short. (2015, M) 10.55 The Peacock. (2023, M) 12.55am Traffic. (2000, MA15+) 3.35 Motherhood. (2022, M, Japanese) 5.45 The Movie Show.
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 Australian Idol. Hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie. 9.10 Doc. (Mav) Amy and Gina, with an assist from Jake, team up to help a victim of domestic abuse.
10.10 Ambulance: Code Red. (Ma) A man is seriously injured after his car left the road.
11.10 St. Denis Medical. (PGals) 12.10 Childhood’s End. (Mav)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
WEDNESDAY, February 25
6.00 Morning Programs. 10.45 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 11.15 The Assembly. (PG, R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Press Club. 1.35 Media Watch. (PG, R) 2.00 Grand Designs Transformations. (R) 3.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 3.30 Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 3.55 Love Your Garden. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.00 Morning Programs. 9.20 My Unique B&B. (R) 10.10 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGal, R) 11.00 Secrets Of The Killer Mega Shark. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Legends Of The Pharaohs. (PGsv, R) 3.00 Going Places. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.10 Robson Green’s British Adventure. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
Australia’s Greatest Conman? (PGal)
Trespasses. (MA15+l)
SBS World News Late.
Face To Face. (Ma, R) 11.50 Darkness: Those Who Kill. (MA15+a, R)
1.40 Divided We Stand. (Mal, R)
3.25 My Name Is Reeva. (Ma, R) 4.20 Bamay. (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31)
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. 8.00 Deadly 60. 8.30 BTN Newsbreak. 8.35 Steven Universe. 8.55 Adventure Time. 9.20 Teen Titans Go! 9.45 We Bare Bears. 9.55 Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia. 10.20 My Adventures With Superman. 10.40 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 The 1% Club UK. (PG)
8.30 Highway Patrol. (PGl) A driver is caught racing through a stop sign.
9.00 Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text. (MA15+a) The investigation reveals a first drug exportation. 10.00 Air Crash Investigations: A Perfect Storm. (PGa)
11.00 To Be Advised.
12.40 The Act. (MA15+ans, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
7TWO (62)
6.15 Curse Of Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. 9.20 MOVIE: Goodfellas. (1990, MA15+) Midnight Late Programs.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am The Movie
Show. 6.20 Thirteen Days. (2000, PG) 9.00 Discovering Film. 10.00 Two Many Chefs. (2022, M, Spanish) 11.45 Amadeus. (1984, M) 2.40pm A King In New York. (1957, PG) 4.35 The 39 Steps. (1935) 6.15 Philadelphia. (1993, PG) 8.30 Adaptation. (2002, MA15+) 10.40 One Cut Of The Dead. (2017, MA15+, Japanese) 12.25am The Big Short. (2015, M) 2.50 Late Programs. 5.50 Boychoir. (2014, PG)
QI. (M, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Bergerac. (Ml, R) 2.00 Grand Designs Transformations. (PG, R) 3.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 3.30 Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 3.55 Love Your Garden. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
7MATE (64)
6am
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Married At First Sight. (Mls) 9.00 MOVIE: I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not. (2025, MA15+aadl)
11.00 9News Late.
11.30 A Remarkable Place To Die. (Mlv, R)
12.20 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.10 Great Australian Detour. (R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6.00 Morning Programs. 9.20 My Unique B&B. (R) 10.15 Paddington Station 24/7. (PGal, R) 11.05 Wonderland: Lewis Carol To JRR Tolkien. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Legends Of The Pharaohs. (Ma, R) 3.00 Going Places. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.10 Robson Green’s British Adventure. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Toronto Airport Uncovered.
8.25 Robson Green: World’s Most Amazing Walks. (PG)
9.20 A Spy Among Friends.
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 In Memoriam. (Malsv)
11.50 The Hollow. (Malv, R)
1.50 Silent Road. (Mav, R)
4.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
4.30 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31)
6am WorldWatch. 11.00
Oak Island. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 10.10 Brassic. 12.15am Couples Therapy. 2.00 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Boychoir. (2014, PG) 7.45 Philadelphia. (1993, PG) 10.00 The Peacock. (2023, M) 11.55 The Big Short. (2015, M) 2.15pm Thirteen Days. (2000, PG) 4.50 Love And Friendship. (2016, PG) 6.30 Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. (1967, PG) 8.30 Michael Clayton. (2007, MA15+) 10.40 The Bridges Of Madison County. (1995, M) 1.10am Adaptation. (2002, MA15+) 3.15 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. Leah comforts Lacey.
8.30 MOVIE: Notting Hill. (1999, Mls, R) The simple life of an English bookshop owner changes after a celebrity enters his shop. Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts.
11.05 To Be Advised.
12.35 Dare Me. (MA15+asv) Addy, Beth and Colette get involved in a faceoff.
1.35 Harry’s Practice. (R) Information about pet care.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
7TWO (62)
6.00
7MATE (64)
M*A*S*H. 8.30 To Be Advised. 11.40 Late Programs.
6.30 Nanny. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Shazam! (2019, M) 11.10 Seinfeld. 12.10am The 100. 1.00 Love Island UK. 2.00 Legacies. 2.55 Late Programs. 6am Children’s Programs. 8.30
