Regional coverage
Local Government
NEWLY-elected Local Government NSW president Darcy Byrne has wasted no time in advocating for councils across New South Wales, this week heading to Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Fresh from his election to the role on Monday, Cr Byrne travelled to the nation’s capital, inviting outgoing president Phyllis Miller and chair of [...]
National Weather
THE Bureau of Meteorology has issued its long-range forecast for the 2025 summer season and it shows summer days and nights are likely to be warmer than average across most of Australia. Nationally, summer rainfall is likely to be below average for parts of the west and inland parts of the east. However, for much [...]
Opal Mining
THE Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association has acknowledged the NSW Government’s regulatory environment ‘refresh’ for small scale opal mining titles in New South Wales. The LRMA said the way in which the government has engaged with key stakeholders during the process has been positive, despite some challenges ahead. In a statement earlier this week, LRMA said [...]
DV Awareness
SUPPORT organisations from across Moree came together on Wednesday to host the domestic violence awareness initiative, the Clothesline Project, in the gardens of Bank Art Museum Moree. The awareness event was the local launch of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign which began on Tuesday – International Day for the Elimination of [...]
Census 2026
THE Australian Bureau of Statistics this week published the 2026 Census Topics and Data Release Plan. The publication outlines the questions that will be included in the 2026 Census, and when and how the data will be released. Census general manager, Jenny Telford, said the publication is a significant milestone in the lead up to [...]
Youth Crime Crisis
THE Minns Labor Government has voted down NSW Nationals’ amendments to strengthen laws for repeat youth offenders, while the NSW Greens want the age of criminal responsibility lifted to 14. NSW Nationals say that while the government’s Bill essentially adopts the position in Victoria, the amendments would have seen New South Wales adopt the Queensland [...]
State Politics
IT’S often been said a week is a long time in politics. Inverell High School captain Josh Cathie got more than he bargained for last week after heading to Macquarie Street for work experience at Parliament House under the watchful eye of Member for Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan. During an historic week in state politics, [...]
Regional Tourism
ARMIDALE is set to witness an unforgettable sight in 2026, as Patricia Piccinini’s iconic Skywhales – two monumental hot-air balloon sculptures – grace the skies during the city’s Autumn Festival. In a major cultural coup, Armidale has been selected as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s Skywhales Across Australia tour, bringing this extraordinary experience [...]
Local Government
DAY one of the Local Government NSW Annual Conference wrapped up on Monday after a busy program of policy discussion and special presentations. The conference continues today with guest speakers and the announcement of the host destination for the 2026 annual conference. Yesterday was opened with an address from NSW Premier Chris Minns, who acknowledged [...]
Regional Roads
THE Federal Government has backflipped on plans to slash speed limits on regional roads, a proposal that never should have seen the light of day, says Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey. More than 11,000 submissions rejected the proposal. Mr Chaffey said the decision to quietly drop the policy is an admission Labor has failed to [...]
