News edition for 23 September 2026. Added to Nungya on 22 October 2026 as part of our retrospective news archive. Reporting reflects information available by the edition date.

Water treatment, sampling and testing are becoming career possibilities for participants in a new Aboriginal training course in Port Macquarie. The two-week Fresh Start into Water Operations program is underway and runs until 25 September.

The NSW water department’s 23 September report says the course introduces a range of water-industry roles through practical training in a culturally supportive environment. Workplace health and safety is also included.

After the course, Kempsey Shire Council, Port Macquarie Hastings Council and MidCoast Council will open their traineeship intakes. That sequence gives participants a possible next step, although completing the course does not itself announce or guarantee a traineeship.

The program builds on a pilot delivered earlier this year in the Shoalhaven. It is a partnership involving the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Aboriginal Affairs NSW and the NSW Water Directorate, delivered through the department’s Workforce Futures Team.

The report says interest exceeded expectations. For regional communities, the connection between introductory training and local utility employers is the detail to follow. It can help turn curiosity about an essential service into a clearer understanding of the skills, responsibilities and pathways involved in working there.