They mightn’t have won top spot, but the Lake Mac Lifeguards are feeling accomplished after raising more than $6000 to help kids suffering with Leukemia at a surf comp this week.

Today the Hon Jodie Harrison MP, Member for Charlestown, has named Vivienne (Viv) Allanson OAM as the Charlestown Local Woman of the Year for 2026 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the aged care sector and the wider Hunter community.

A University of Newcastle academic has been honoured with Lake Macquarie’s top annual civic award for her tireless work as a global leader in community violence prevention.

Aspiring health professionals across the Hunter will benefit from expanded study options, with TAFE NSW Maitland and Glendale offering the Certificate III in Health Services Assistance for the first time.

Merewether won’t be the only place to enjoy the sights and sounds of Surfest this month as foundation sponsor City of Newcastle celebrates the iconic event’s 40th anniversary.

Tiny hands and great wisdom are coming together as part of new program created by City of Newcastle to encourage shared moments of connection between different generations.

This year, the Newcastle Fringe Festival is turning up the glitter with a cabaret line-up that proudly celebrates queer artistry, unapologetic storytelling and the deliciously daring spirit the genre was built on.

For perennially popular Float Your Boat competitor Megan Evans, the annual tradition of igniting the light and letting it shine has fast become a family affair.

As Newcastle Fringe Festival rolls into its second decade, something has quietly shifted. This is no longer a homegrown, determined start-up proving its worth. Nor is it a novelty on the cultural calendar. Newcastle Fringe has grown up, and in doing so, it has become something rarer and more powerful: a festival the city can genuinely claim as its own.

Entering its fourth year, the Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival has evolved into a vibrant celebration of fresh storytelling, with playwrights contributing new work from across Lake Macquarie and the wider Hunter region, as well as America, New Zealand and beyond - all competing for a share of the $1,900 prize pool.

Maitland’s road network is set for some serious safety improvements, with Maitland City Council securing close to $1 million to upgrade two major intersections.

Every public-school student in NSW can now access opportunities to pursue their talents and potential at their local school, with the ground-breaking Inspire program rolling out as part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to put high potential and gifted education (HPGE) offerings in every public school.

The next generation of Newcastle’s music scene is ready to turn up the volume.

Tickets for the Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest 2026 go on sale Monday 2 March, with two of New South Wales’ most celebrated steam locomotives confirmed to headline this year’s ARTC Rail Program.

A new Newcastle Art Gallery will open its doors this weekend after more than 16 years of fundraising and perseverance, ushering in a new era of cultural tourism in the city.