The Mercury hit 4million page views last month, up 24per cent on May traffic.

Editorial director Stuart Howie said the network was on the precipice of hitting 50million page views and he was targeting 100million under the regional division’s signature editorial project ‘‘NewsNow’’.

‘‘This represents one of the best growth stories in media in this country,’’ Mr Howie said.

‘‘Our editorial staff across Australia are committed to driving content across platforms.  And our communities are loving it – they have an insatiable appetite for local news and information from our trusted brands.

‘‘Our audiences have never been bigger or stronger.’’

Mercury advertising manager Lisa Rodgers said the continued growth in the paper’s digital media was generating real confidence among advertisers.

‘‘Advertisers are developing an appreciation of digital as a highly dynamic way to reach this growing audience,’’ she said.

‘‘They’re also beginning to see how digital and print can work very well in combination – that it doesn’t have to be one or the other.’’

Fairfax Regional comprises 15daily newspapers and more than 150 non-daily titles.

Most of these have associated websites, mobile sites, Facebook pages and a presence across other social media platforms.

Mobile and social media represent the biggest growth in the way readers access information. Visits to the regional network from mobile Facebook has tripled over the past 12 months to almost 20per cent of its audience.