Regional coverage
NAIDOC Week
PROUD Gomeroi and Euahlayi man, Harry Phillip Hall from Walgett, has been named Male Elder of the Year at the 2025 National NAIDOC Awards ceremony, held in Perth at the weekend ahead of NAIDOC Week celebrations across the country. Mr Hall, born in a segregated blacks-only labour ward at Walgett District Hospital in 1946, was [...]
Regional Tourism
ON a normal day, the population of Bingara sits around the 1500 mark. But at the weekend, that figure more than doubled when the idyllic little town – nestled in the Gwydir River catchment 40km south of Warialda – hosted the annual Orange Picking Festival. The festival, covered at the weekend by the Weekend Sunrise [...]
Regional Tourism
THE Big Chill Festival has once again proven regional events are more than just a good time – they’re a powerful force for economic growth and long-term resilience in communities like the Armidale region. This year’s sold-out festival delivered a staggering $3.6 million in total economic benefit, including $2.3 million in direct visitor expenditure. With [...]
Scam Watch
The ACCC is warning consumers about the operators of four websites allegedly misrepresenting themselves as Australian businesses, also known as ‘ghost stores’. It is alleged these four ghost store operators are harming consumers by making false representations that they are local Australian businesses, imminently closing down, and selling high-quality clothing and footwear products, when they [...]
Regional News
WITH the federal government’s new Cheaper Home Batteries Program launched this week, a free community event in Armidale will help locals unpack what battery storage means for households, electric vehicles and the community more broadly. Renewable Energy Storage for the Home: Home, Community and Electric Vehicle Batteries will be held on Thursday, July from 10 [...]
Parental Leave
CHANGES to Paid Parental Leave began July 1, giving around 180,000 families a year more flexibility and support at one of the most important times in their lives. From Tuesday, the amount of Paid Parental Leave available to families increased to 24 weeks, giving parents an extra two weeks to spend with their newest family [...]
Border News
THE Pub Choir will be in Goondiwindi in October to kick-off off their National Tour. Scheduled for Saturday, October 4 at the Goondiwindi Waggamba Community Cultural Centre, the event is sure to hit a high note, as Pub Choir is famously known for transforming any group into a singing sensation. Goondiwindi councillor, Phil O’Shea, who [...]
Regional News
LOCAL not-for-profits, community groups and organisations are encouraged to apply for the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Grants program – Clubgrants Category 3. Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the Clubgrants program had been delivering significant funds for important community projects across the electorate. “Clubgrants invests in the projects that matter to our community and I’m encouraging [...]
Operation Soteria
NSW Police have charged three more teenagers over the alleged break-and-enter of a doctor’s residence attached to a medical facility in Walgett last week. Officers from Central North Police District responded to reports about 11.15pm on June 19, of a SUV allegedly being driven erratically through the township of Walgett. It will be alleged that [...]
Education
THE eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has issued an urgent call for schools to report deepfake incidents to appropriate authorities as the rapid proliferation of ‘nudify’ apps online takes a growing toll on communities around Australia. The Commissioner has written to education ministers urging them to ensure schools adhere to state and territory child protection [...]
