From Tuesday, October 16, visitors to www.westernadvocate.com.au will be able to subscribe for full website access to the latest news from the Bathurst region for only $3.75 a week.

As announced last month, the new subscription offer will include around-the-clock digital access to all of the local news, sport and opinion published by the Western Advocate, as well as essential community information and the latest national news and sport, plus lifestyle, health and travel advice.

Subscribers will also get access to digital replicas of each day’s print edition of the Western Advocate, so they can read every page of the newspaper on their tablet or desktop. There’s also the option to receive regular news updates, including breaking-news alerts, by email.

From October 16, www.westernadvocate.com.au readers who want to subscribe can opt to pay monthly and get the first 30 days of access for free. Or they can pay for an annual subscription, receive 20 per cent off plus the first month of access for free.

In a message to Bathurst region audiences and advertisers, editor Murray Nicholls said the introduction of a local news subscription would allow audiences to choose the way they wanted to support the Western Advocate to continue providing its valued journalism and community information.

“As our audience increasingly reads our local journalism online via their smartphones and tablets, we need to make sure we can continue to deliver the coverage our community expects and deserves,” Mr Nicholls said.

“By subscribing for full online access, you will be supporting the Western Advocate to continue its mission to deliver the local journalism that keeps our community informed, entertained and connected.”

Some content at www.westernadvocate.com.au will remain open to all website visitors after October 16, including classified advertisements such as birth and funeral notices, and recommended articles featuring local businesses.

Visitors can also sign up to have a free newsletter emailed regularly to their inbox, making it easier to browse the latest headlines and see what’s making news across the Bathurst region.

The website changes will not affect the printed version of the Western Advocate, which will continue to be published Monday to Saturday.