Watch and Act - Duckenfield, Millers Forrest and Woodberry Swamp flooding - Do not enter floodwater
Parts of Woodberry Road
Parts of Redbill Drive
Oakfield Road
Nilands Lane
Turners Road
Parts of Raymond Ter Road
Nalleys Creek Road
Alnwick Road
Eales Road
Parts of Duckenfield Road
McFarlanes Road
Scotch Creek Road
Martins Wharf Road
Edithville Road
Reeds Road
Manerys Road
Prices Road
Dockyard Road
Monkleys Road
Low lying areas adjacent to the Hunter River
You should monitor the situation as it is constantly changing. Avoid floodwater for your safety.
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Most Australians believe marriage isn't necessarily a lifelong thing, reflecting widespread acceptance of divorce. But marriage remains an important aspect of our lives. Fewer brides and grooms Marriage remains a major part of Australian society, with most Australians marrying at some point in their lives. Marriage equality, enshrined in law in 2017, reflects the enduring relevance of formal marriage. But there have been some changes. Religion no longer dominates marriage, with most weddings officiated by celebrants. This trend has continued since the late 1990s. In 2023, more than 83 per cent of marriages were conducted by civil celebrants, not a religious minister. Overall, the rate of marriage has more than halved since 1971, dropping from 13 marriages per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over to 5.5 in 2024. Marriage rates are now well down from the peak set during Australia's post-war baby boom, where increased and younger coupling drove record birth rates in the 1960s. While most children are born to married parents, the proportion has changed substantially over the years. In 1971, 91 per cent of births were to married parents, declining to 60 per cent in 2023. The paradox of choice Choice is generally increasing when it comes to relationships, but also becoming more constrained on the family front. Many Australians now won't achieve their desired family size because the barriers to having a much-wanted child, or subsequent child, are insurmountable. Financial and social costs of raising a child while juggling housing affordability, economic insecurity, gender inequality and climate change are just too high. The proportion of women without children over their lifetime nearly doubled from 8.5 per cent in 1981 to 16.4 per cent in 2021. On average, Australians are having fewer children than ever, with the total fertility rate at a record low of 1.5 births per woman. Changing expectations and norms concerning coupling and childbearing have enabled greater empowerment for Australians to choose whether they marry at all. Women especially benefit from more progressive attitudes towards remaining single and childfree. The costs of divorce Costs associated with a divorce can be high, with a "cheap" marriage dissolution starting upwards of $10,000. Couples have become creative in navigating marriage breakups during a cost-of-living crisis. Where children are present — 47 per cent of divorced couple families — parents are looking to new ways to minimise adverse social and economic consequences. "Birdnesting", where kids remain in the family home as parents rotate in and out according to care arrangements, is one such solution. Novel child-centred approaches to family separation are most successful where relationship breakups are amicable. Around 70 per cent of separations and divorces involving children are negotiated among parents themselves. 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Cost-of-living pressures are increasingly denying couples much-wanted families and making it more difficult for families to thrive, divorced or not. Liz Allen is a demographer at POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research.
