Flying foxes are damaging banana and berry crops on the NSW Mid North Coast, and growers say the losses are costly. Coffs Harbour banana grower Paul Shoker estimated more than 10,000 bananas were damaged on his farm in October alone. The bats are suspected to be starving, possibly because flowering trees have little nectar. Berry growers on the Coffs Coast report bats entering protective tunnels, and Berries Australia says some animals are dying in the nets. Growers have been advised to add netting, which adds further expense.
A 36-year-old service station worker has died after being dragged under a ute in Coffs Harbour last week. The man was checking underground fuel tank levels when he was hit by the vehicle. The driver, Jessica Mae Breen, has been charged and will return to court. Police say the incident was not targeted and are preparing a report for the coroner.
For Small Business Month, three regional firms are being spotlighted for their personal touch. In Coffs Harbour, King Tide Brewing opened during the difficult period after COVID lockdowns and is run by owners Josh and Lucyna King. Its kitchen serves European-inspired dishes, including pierogi, Bavarian platters and crackling pork knuckle, while weekly trivia and live music keep the venue lively. In Deepwater, HIDE sells cowhide and leather handbags, wallets and accessories, with natural hides making each item distinct. Smooth Sailing Finance Consulting, led by Fiona Erquiaga, helps clients with home, investment, business and SMSF lending.
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A service station employee in his 30s has died days after a ute ran over him at a petrol station in east Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid North Coast. The incident happened on Tuesday evening, around 7pm, on the forecourt of a United Petroleum outlet. Police and paramedics attended, and the man was taken to hospital in critical condition before his death. Police allege a 44-year-old woman, who had just paid for fuel, drove off while he was checking the tanks and became pinned beneath the vehicle.
Emergency crews have rescued Hayden Wilde, 29, who was lost near a property on Mudflat Road at Drake. He was found on Sunday, October 25, after going missing the day before. An RFS helicopter, assisted by police, SES and the Casino VRA Rescue Squad, carried out the search. Helitak 203 located Mr Wilde on its final pass before returning to Coffs Harbour ahead of storms, and winched him to safety. Paramedics checked his medical condition.
Federal and state regulators have inspected berry farms and labour hire businesses across the Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley regions. The two-day operation, known as Operation Brambles, targets suspected wage underpayments, unsafe conditions and unfair business practices. A 2025 report by the Fair Work Ombudsman found 61 per cent of employers assessed in the Coffs Harbour and Grafton region did not meet their obligations under the Fair Work Act. Regulators are investigating possible breaches, including illegal phoenix activity. No findings from the latest inspections have been released.
The NSW Opposition says cafés could be fined $22,000 if they fail to offer a reusable cup under a proposed bill. Under the bill, businesses would have to offer reusable cups through a reuse scheme and could not charge for them. Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh says the plan adds costs and red tape for struggling businesses. The Liberals and Nationals have moved amendments to scrap the mandatory scheme and exempt small businesses, but Labor and the Greens voted against them. The Opposition says the government has not explained how the scheme would work in practice.
Aboriginal names could soon be considered for streets and buildings in Coffs Harbour under the city's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy. Councillors endorsed the strategy at their latest monthly meeting after it was strengthened following public exhibition and community yarn sessions. The strategy outlines 38 actions and was developed with the Yandaarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee. Short-term actions include compiling a database of Gumbaynggirr and local Aboriginal names, adding Acknowledgement to Country to email signatures, and creating a network of Reconciliation Champions. Progress updates will be provided through the City's reporting framework.
Coffs Harbour radio host Michael Moffett will leave the Triple M Coffs Coast breakfast show on Friday, 6 November. He is moving to Canberra to host Forever Classic Workdays on 2CA, starting in mid-November. He replaces Rob Duckworth, who has been filling several on-air roles across the network. Capital Radio Network content director Mike Byrne praised Moffett for his work in local radio. Local political and civic leaders, including Cowper MP Pat Conaghan and Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams, have paid tribute to him. No replacement for the Coffs Harbour breakfast spot has been named.
Coffs Harbour voters will go to the polls on Saturday 12 December to fill a single councillor role. The NSW Electoral Commission will run the by-election after Paul Amos resigned from the council. Voting is compulsory, and residents are urged to check their enrolment details online, especially if they have recently moved. Mayor Nikki Williams said the community will choose a candidate to represent them on council. Early voting opens on 5 December, and results are due on 31 December.
A Coffs Harbour couple held the first wedding ever staged at the Big Banana sculpture, which has stood for 62 years. Historian Angie Derrett and partner Corey Murtagh married there on Saturday 17 October 2026. The bride and bridesmaids arrived in garbage trucks, and guests wore costumes for an Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka theme. Around 100 family and friends attended the reception, where the decorations and croquet sticks were made by family and friends at Marian Grove. Derrett said the couple wanted a celebration of their love and of Coffs Harbour.
The City of Coffs Harbour will hold an information session for prospective by-election candidates on Wednesday 28 October. The one-hour session, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm in the River Oak Room at Yarrila Place, will explain the work and responsibilities of a local councillor. Candidates do not need expert knowledge of local government, as councillors come from diverse backgrounds. General Manager Murray Wood said the role involves major decisions affecting the community's future, and urged people considering a run to attend and ask questions.
A free family event at the Coffs Harbour Jetty foreshore on Friday, 23 October, will feature emergency service displays, food trucks, live music, a firefighters' torchlight parade and a fireworks display over the harbour. The Community Engagement Evening runs from 5pm to 9pm and precedes the 2026 NSW Firefighter State Championships. Around 200 competitors from NSW and Victoria will compete at Maclean Street Sporting Fields on Saturday and Sunday, with entry free for spectators. Organisers say the championships are the first held in Coffs Harbour since 2003.
Business Professional Women Coffs Coast says gender equality remains an issue, despite progress in some areas. The group points to an ABC Four Corners investigation published on 18 October, in which more than 100 women described job losses, reduced hours and unfair treatment linked to pregnancy or having a child. The group will host a panel discussion titled "The Equality Conversation: Women, Feminism and What Comes Next" under the theme "Equality in 2026: Where Are We Now?" The group has also asked any woman who has faced such discrimination to get in touch.
Three Mid North Coast players were part of the Oztag Tagaroos team that won the International Tag Federation World Cup in Coffs Harbour last weekend. The Tagaroos beat Great Britain in the final after the match finished one all and went to extra time. Di Mascord and Claire Thurlow made their debuts for Australia, while Natalie West was playing for her nation for the second time. The team won despite muddy grounds and only two group practice sessions beforehand.
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Prospective candidates for a Coffs Harbour City Council by-election can attend an information session on Wednesday, 28 October, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at the River Oak Room, Yarrila Place. The session will cover the responsibilities of councillors and the decisions they make. General Manager Murray Wood urged anyone considering running to attend and ask questions. The by-election fills the seat left vacant by Paul Amos's resignation, with polling day on Saturday, 12 December. The new councillor will serve until the September 2028 general election. Candidates do not need prior local government experience.
A 36-year-old service station worker remains in critical condition after a ute ran over him at a Coffs Harbour forecourt on Tuesday evening. Reports of him being trapped drew emergency crews to the United station on Harbour Drive around 7pm, and bystanders gave first aid before police, fire, ambulance and SES personnel freed him. He was taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital and later airlifted to John Hunter Hospital. Police were told he had been checking fuel tank levels when the collision happened.
A 36-year-old service station attendant was critically injured on Tuesday evening at a Coffs Harbour fuel station on the NSW Mid North Coast. Police allege he was pinned under a ute while checking a fuel tank's levels on the forecourt around 7pm. SES and Fire and Rescue NSW crews freed him before paramedics took him to Coffs Harbour Hospital, and he was later flown to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. A 44-year-old woman allegedly driving the vehicle has been charged with negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm and breaching bail.
A man was critically injured after being trapped under a ute on a Coffs Harbour service station forecourt. Emergency services were called to Harbour Drive about 7pm on Tuesday, 20 October. Members of the public gave first aid before paramedics and crews freed him. He was taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital and then airlifted to John Hunter Hospital. Police allege the 44-year-old woman driver was the ute's driver. She has been charged with negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and breach of bail. She was refused bail to appear in court on Wednesday, 21 October.
