Year 12 students across NSW have begun their Higher School Certificate written exams this week. Students from the Port Macquarie campus of Hastings Secondary College are sitting their papers at the Salvation Army Hall in Lord Street. Student leaders Lachlan Browne and Cameron Carson said they felt prepared after the first English paper. Both plan to take a gap year before further study, with Browne aiming for occupational therapy and Carson for diagnostic radiography. The campus has 73 Year 12 students this year.
Motorists travelling the Pacific Highway near Port Macquarie are being urged to plan ahead for road closures and detours on Sunday, 18 October, when Ironman Australia is held. The Blackmans Point Interchange will be closed from 4am to 5pm, and delays are expected throughout the day. Southbound drivers heading to Port Macquarie via Hastings River Drive must continue to the Port Macquarie Interchange and exit onto the Oxley Highway. Transport for NSW urges motorists to take care, follow traffic directions and allow extra travel time.
Port Macquarie is preparing for its biggest annual sporting event this Sunday, when 3000 athletes will swim, cycle and run in the 2026 Ironman 70.3. The event has moved from May to October and marks 20 years in the town. Around 9500 visitors are expected to inject more than $11 million into the local economy. Road closures will affect the CBD and the race course. Mayor Adam Roberts said major events are central to regional growth and urged residents to support the athletes.
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A $250,000 NSW Government grant will allow Port Macquarie charity Deadly Science to run STEM workshops in 50 regional and remote schools across New South Wales. The workshops will reach students from Kindergarten to Year 9, with a focus on Years 4 to 9. They start in 16 regional schools during Term 4 this year and expand across the state in 2027. The program aims to raise awareness of science, technology, engineering and maths careers and address the low representation of women and Aboriginal people in these industries.
A team of pain researchers, health professionals and people living with chronic pain will cycle more than 780km from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie in October. The 2026 Pain Revolution Rural Outreach Tour will stop at nine North Coast towns between 15 and 23 October, with free community events sharing evidence-based information on managing persistent pain. The tour is supported by a $50,000 grant from Healthy North Coast. Pain Revolution CEO Professor Lorimer Moseley said chronic pain is often misunderstood and undertreated. Events are free, with full details available at the tour website.
Port Macquarie paddler Yvonne Couper has been named NSW Dragon Boating Senior Athlete of the Year for 2026. The 84-year-old took up dragon boating 21 years ago to support a friend with breast cancer. Couper said she was quickly hooked and has no plans to slow down. Flamin’ Dragons head coach Jenny Higgins said Couper has given 21 years of dedication to the club. Couper represented Australia at the World Championships in Prague in 2009.
The Camden Haven Historical Society will mark the life of aviation pioneer Nancy Bird Walton with an exhibition at the Camden Haven Show at Kendall. The display will include photographs, historical material and an audio-visual presentation, along with paper aeroplane activities for children. A special flyover of Kendall, the showground and Kew is planned for about 10am on Sunday, 25 October, flown by Port Macquarie pilot Michael Murphy in a yellow Tiger Moth. Walton, who was born in Kew in 1915, became the youngest Australian woman to obtain a commercial pilot's licence in 1935.
The new Moorland Public Preschool has opened its doors, giving local children greater access to early childhood education. Port Macquarie MP Robert Dwyer said the facility would help families and support children moving into formal schooling. Dwyer said a preschool connected to a local school can make the move to kindergarten more positive. He said he looked forward to the facility's benefits for Moorland families for years to come.
Rex Airlines will suspend its Sydney to Port Macquarie flights from 25 October, leaving QantasLink as the sole operator of regular passenger flights on the route. Federal Member for Lyne Alison Penfold has warned that residents who rely on air travel for specialist medical appointments and hospital treatment could face higher airfares and greater difficulty accessing care. Rex blamed high aviation fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict and insufficient passenger demand. The airline describes the suspension as temporary.
Regional Express (Rex) will indefinitely halt flights between Sydney and Port Macquarie, and Sydney and Orange, from October 25. The airline blames high fuel prices, linked to the Middle East conflict, and weak demand. Customers will be offered refunds or re-bookings. Independent MP Andrew Gee called the decision a real shock. Port Macquarie's mayor warned of a significant flow-on effect for the region's visitor economy, and Orange's mayor said his council will seek a meeting with other airlines serving the city.
Rex Airlines has suspended its flights from Port Macquarie and Orange to Sydney from October 25, with no set date for resumption. The airline blamed high aviation fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict and low passenger demand, saying the routes were not commercially viable. Both destinations continue to be served by another carrier. Nationals MP Alison Penfold said she was disappointed and worried about less competition leading to higher fares, and she has written to QantasLink seeking assurance on pricing.
Buyers looking for a new detached house have 28 new projects to consider across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Options include shovel-ready homesites, house-and-land packages and newly completed turnkey homes. Sovereign Hills in New South Wales and Riverlea in South Australia are among the new releases this month. Listed on realestate.com.au over the past month, release status and availability may change, so buyers should confirm details with each project team.
Hundreds of police athletes from Australia and New Zealand have gathered in Port Macquarie for the 46th Australasian Police Basketball Association Championships. The five-day tournament began on Monday, 12 October, with 385 competitors at Port Macquarie Basketball Stadium. Hosted by the NSW Police Basketball Club, it runs until Friday, 16 October, with men's and women's competitions. A Girls in Basketball clinic on Wednesday, 14 October, will offer local young players coaching from participating athletes, including former Olympians. Organisers say the event supports police wellbeing and teamwork.
Applications have opened for Parish Pathways, a new scholarship program from St Agnes' Catholic Parish that helps local students pursue nursing and early childhood education careers. Eligible students can receive up to $12,000 over their degree to help cover tuition fees and other study costs. The program is open to students starting, or planning to start, a Bachelor of Nursing or Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five Years) at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie in 2027.
Gun owners on the North Coast will have to wait months to surrender firearms under the NSW National Gun Buyback. Grafton is the only North Coast station opening from November 2. Lismore, Ballina and Tweed Heads stations start on February 8, 2027. The limit of 10 guns per licence holder is still a draft proposal, with exemptions under consideration. Walk-ins are not accepted, and surrenders require a booking through the Gun Safe portal.
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Researchers at Royal North Shore Hospital and the University of Sydney are developing a world-first screening method to detect coronary artery disease before symptoms appear. The approach combines blood tests for biomarkers with CT imaging. More than 5000 people have taken part so far. Sydney mother Jennifer Tucker found she had a severe blockage in a coronary artery after collapsing while pushing a pram. Researchers want to expand the program into rural and remote areas, where heart attack rates are higher and preventative care is harder to access.
Blacktown pilot Aglaya Papadokokolakis flew the first commercial aircraft out of Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday. She said the milestone was a career highlight, launching operations in her home region. Her father is also a pilot, and she encouraged young women to pursue aviation despite its male-dominated reputation. The airport opened after about eight years of construction and is set to run around the clock. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened it at a Sunday morning ceremony, and its first international flight arrived on Monday.
As part of Small Business Month in October, three New England and North Coast businesses are being highlighted. Steve Shaw runs GH Innovations in Thrumster, helping local firms attract customers through online search and sales improvement. Di Wade runs Rawspice Boutique in South West Rocks, offering independent fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor run Beardy Downs in Emmaville, making small-batch tallow and beeswax products through BD Collection.
Sydney will host the 2027 Super Netball Grand Final for the first time since the competition began. The event is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors and inject more than $4 million into the NSW visitor economy. The match will be played on Saturday 31 July at Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and is proposed rather than confirmed. Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis said the event would celebrate the sport's passion across New South Wales. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state would invest more in netball, one of its biggest participation sports.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Kiama Community Radio is hosting Blues in the Night, a fundraising event on Saturday 7 November at Kiama Leagues Club. The station, run by volunteers, is seeking support to fund its equipment, technology and facilities. Headliner Frank Sultana will perform alongside Shane Flew and Matt Ross, and Jr and the Jewel-Tones, which includes Kiama musician Dave Shaw. Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets cost $50, or $40 for station members, plus a booking fee. Every ticket sold supports the station, which has operated since 2020.
