Man charged after alleged knife-point break-ins and police pursuits
A man allegedly kicked in a door, held a resident’s neighbour off with a knife, then led police on two pursuits that ended in bushland near Yetman. Farmers helped track him down. Now he faces 10 charges.
Telstra to carry out planned mobile network maintenance in Hillvue
Telstra will carry out essential maintenance on the mobile site serving Hillvue on Wednesday, 12 August, to help maintain the reliability of its network.
Lonely Love brings original Australian work to the Armidale stage
High Country Theatre’s production of Lonely Love, a new play by local playwright Margaret Sims, explores the boundaries between what is real, what is imagined and what we choose to believe. Presented under the Armidale Live umbrella, this first staging of the work was beautifully executed by director Penny Dalgleish. Sims…
Telstra upgrade to improve mobile coverage for Inverell community
Inverell residents, businesses and visitors are set to benefit from improved mobile connectivity, with Telstra upgrading the mobile base station serving the community this Tuesday.
Local News
Saffin wins national Human Rights award
Tenterfield’s state member has won Labor’s top human rights honour. Nearly 72 and still “skiing down the hill on one ski,” Janelle Saffin’s fight has spanned four decades, Timor-Leste and Myanmar.
Uralla council calls for stronger local voice in REZ rollout
Uralla Shire Council says it backs the New England renewable zone, but wants a real seat at the table before more substations and transmission lines are locked into law.
New England cotton figures front and centre at industry conference
A Goondiwindi grower joins the Cotton Australia board, and four Narrabri professionals graduate from the industry’s top leadership program.
The Alternate Root cleans up at Business Uralla Awards
The Alternate Root was the big winner at the Business Uralla Awards on Friday night, with the host venue and its team collecting a string of major honours.
What's On
LONG READ >
Duped by the ABC: Food fraud investigation may be rotten
The ABC’s food fraud special ‘Duped’ made Australians afraid of what’s in their fridge. A closer look at the evidence, the lab behind it, and the sources it relied on tells a very different story.
Events
International Film FestivalEnds: August 10, 2026- International Film FestivalEnds: August 11, 2026
- International Film FestivalEnds: August 12, 2026
Craft Your Own Vintage Keepsake JournalEnds: August 15, 2026
Sapphire City MarketsEnds: August 16, 2026
The Ladies Lounge – Celebrating Women of Rock & PopEnds: August 22, 2026
Politics
Joblink Plus Artist Bursary returns to support emerging artists
Applications are now open for the 2027 Joblink Plus Artist Bursary Program, which will support artists performing at the Toyota 55th Tamworth Country Music Festival.
New England REZ rollout caused ‘avoidable harm’
A NSW parliamentary inquiry has found the New England REZ rollout caused “avoidable harm” due to a lack of a coherent, enforceable, whole-of-government planning framework.
NSW Farmers moves to strip MLA of NLIS database project
NSW Farmers moved to ask the government to strip MLA of the NLIS database uplift project at last week’s conference, after years of what one delegate called “lip service” from the agency running it.
Regional councils claim historic win in national funding shake-up
A new national deal has just delivered a big funding win for councils. Here’s what mayors and MPs say it means for your rates, roads and jobs.
Tenterfield council defends secrecy around audit committee minutes
Tenterfield residents want to know why audit committee minutes were kept secret. Council says the answer comes down to guidelines, and the growing threat of cyber attacks.
Regional Tech Hub shuts its doors after six years
It helped 80,000 households navigate patchy internet, the 3G shutdown and Triple Zero outages. Now the Regional Tech Hub has closed, after funding for the free service ran out.
Moree farmer to join national leaders in Canberra as uncertainty clouds bright season
Moree farmer Oscar Pearse says conditions on his family’s cropping country are looking “pretty good” this season, but he’s heading to the NFF Leadership Summit to talk about the uncertainties facing farmers.
Energy and Environment
Expanded solar rebate welcomed, batteries are the next step
In a flurry of announcements and changes in the renewable space announced this week are a number of big wins for mid-scale solar projects, including an expanded solar rebate scheme and $100m in concessional funding.
Green light for Sundown Solar Farm
A 360-megawatt solar farm between Inverell and Glen Innes has been given the green light, right on schedule, with sheep set to keep grazing beneath the panels and 144,000 homes to be powered.
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT >
From open homes to open hearts: Professionals Armidale’s community BBQ making a difference
A real estate agency might not be the first place you’d expect to find a community fundraising program, but Professionals Armidale is quietly becoming as well known for its local giving as…
Is your IT structured? Or just functioning?
Many regional businesses only review their IT support when problems escalate. But more businesses are reassessing how their technology systems are managed, and the story of what happened to Acacia Medical tells…
BUSINESS
nbn removes high-speed plan requirement for FTTC fibre upgrades
More than 1,200 Tenterfield homes and businesses can now upgrade to nbn full fibre without taking out a high-speed broadband plan.
INDIGENOUS
New initiative puts Aboriginal communities in the driver’s seat of licensing support
Transport for NSW is launching an Australian-first program training Aboriginal driving instructors to expand culturally safe licensing support statewide.
SPORT
$1.42m safety upgrade underway at Tamworth precinct
Work has begun on a $1.42 million project to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility at Tamworth’s Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Opinion: Freeing the standards rule book backs the people who build, wire, plumb, manufacture and repair
Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Productivity, writes this reform is a no brainer. The post Opinion: Freeing the standards rule book backs the people who build, wire, plumb, manufacture and repair appeared first on New England Times Engage.
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Good News
Nominations open for women in local government awards
Rising stars, mayors and general managers alike, nominations are open for the state’s top awards recognising women in local government.
ASC recognised for refugee pathways
As Armidale became a regional refugee home, a team from Armidale Secondary College rebuilt the pathways from school to work and study. Now their “Pathways to Belonging” program has earned a NSW Humanitarian Award.
