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Drought tightens grip on Gloucester

The area around the Upper Hunter town of Gloucester, famed for its lush green hills, normally benefits from reliable coastal rain. 

But right now the land is brown, its rivers are dry, and the town has run out of water.

Dairy farmer Tom Middlebrook says without rain in the next seven weeks "we'll be in a really, really dire situation", with a herd of 1,000 cattle relying on a shrinking water supply.

Critical water supply burnt but not destroyed

Edwards Swamp in the Barrington Tops, a vital water source for the Gloucester area, was burnt but not destroyed this week, according to the Rural Fire Service.

The swamp, which is the source of the Barrington River, is in the vicinity of the Stewarts Brook fire in the Barrington Tops, which has so far burnt more than 5,000 hectares.

Newcastle hydrologist Professor Garry Wilgoose said a fire in the peat moss could have had significant consequences for the Barrington River, and Gloucester "may have dodged a bullet".

Water restrictions tightened in Lower Hunter

Water usage in the Lower Hunter has dropped by 18 per cent since the introduction of level 1 water restrictions in September.

But with storage at its lowest levels in 43 years at 53.3 per cent, authorities will be bringing in level 2 water restrictions on Monday.

Around the home this means restrictions on watering gardens, washing cars and showering.

Mount Pleasant owner falls into administration

Owner of the Hunter Valley's Mount Pleasant estate, McWilliam's, has gone into administration and is seeking buyers or investors to finance the company's continued existence.

The company traces its history back through more than 141 years and six generations of family ownership in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales.

Creditors and other key stakeholders will meet for the first time to discuss the company's future on Monday.

Weather bureau predicting soaking rain

Widespread rainfall is expected for the east coast of the country, including the firegrounds, starting today and lasting into the weekend, and it's already started across New South Wales.

The Bureau of Meteorology says that over the four-day period between today and Sunday, it is possible for accumulated rainfall totals of 30-80mm across the east of Australia.

A low-pressure trough is forecast to be slow moving, bringing plenty of opportunities for showers and storms as it slowly makes its way across to the east coast.

It's a big week for...

• Locals at Moonan Brook in the Upper Hunter, who were on hand to witness a rare 'gully raker' caused by an isolated but concentrated downpour in the Barrington Tops.
• Surfers at One Mile Beach, who were dropped in on by a water-bombing helicopter at the weekend during a fire between One Mile Beach and Gan Gan Road that was briefly escalated to Watch and Act.
• Mayfield residents, who were surprised to see walls shoot up on the site of a supermarket development after more than a decade of inactivity.

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