NSW Police Marine Area Command is asking fishers from Gloucester and nearby areas to check their vessels before going out on the water. Owners and operators should make sure required safety gear, including life jackets and flares, is on board, in date and working. Battery and electrical systems should be inspected, and fuel should be clean and sufficient for the trip. Before leaving, people should check the weather, test communication equipment, and tell someone where they are going and when they expect to return.
A duck race and two state woodchopping titles drew visitors to Saturday's Karuah Oyster and Timber Festival. The free event, held on 17 October, celebrated the oyster and timber industries tied to the town's history. Local oyster farmer Ryan Freeman said community support mattered after repeated floods and oyster losses. Volunteer committee member Eleanor Boerst said organisers hoped between 2,500 and 3,000 people would attend. Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, who sponsors the festival, praised the volunteers who made it happen.
MidCoast councillors have voted to trial an extended outdoor swimming season, running to Saturday, 24 April 2027. All of the council's outdoor pools will stay open during the April school holidays. Supervised pools at Tea Gardens, Gloucester and Taree will operate shorter hours, from 11am to 3pm. Unsupervised pools at Nabiac, Krambach, Stroud and Bulahdelah will keep their normal summer hours. The trial is estimated to cost $57,203, and council will monitor visitor numbers and costs before deciding whether to continue it in future years.
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A Gloucester Environment Group bushwalk on Sunday, 30 September, took walkers through Myall Lakes National Park to Johnson's Beach. The walk crossed coastal heathlands and passed a lookout on Johnson's Hill, where a sign describes the Johnson family's cattle farming around 1900. The group ended with lunch and a swim in clear, slightly salty water at the beach. The group plans further activities including river care, koala ways, bird watching and bushwalking.
Kyle Ford left a career in the Air Force to start Finders, a craft distillery, after a two-year trip overseas with his wife Georgia. The couple opened the business in a modest warehouse at Herbert Street, St Leonards, in March 2020, just before Australia's first COVID-19 lockdown. Finders now makes several gins, a vodka, limoncello and an agave spirit. Its flagship Australian Dry Gin won a gold medal at the 2026 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show, and its vodka earned gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Lions Australia's Green Canopy Environment Project, launched in 2024, aims to plant one million trees nationwide by mid-2027. The Gloucester Lions Club recently added eight Brush Box trees to Captain Cook Park's southern end, an area previously lacking shade. Collaborating with the Gloucester Environment Group and MidCoast Council, the club addressed the park's need for additional greenery. The council supplied resources, while the Environment Group assisted with planting and maintenance. This initiative aligns with the council's Greening Strategy, with hopes for future community tree-planting efforts.
Aqua aerobics classes have resumed at Gloucester Olympic Pool, continuing a 40-year tradition. The sessions, which began as an initiative by Maureen and Aldo Tiogas, offer physical and social benefits, including reduced joint strain and improved cardiovascular fitness. Current instructor Julie Reay says the classes remain free for pool patrons and include monthly social lunches. The sessions run Monday to Thursday mornings, welcoming new participants.
