Armidale lands first Christmas Carol reading outside Canada
It started with a mum reading Dickens by the fire in snowy Ontario. It spread to more than 100 Canadian towns. Now it’s coming to Armidale, and tickets won’t last.
Historic Palmerston for sale as Peterson family hands reins to next generation
One of Armidale’s most storied rural properties is on the market, and some of the buyers circling want to turn it back into a grand private home.
Sheep graze as Boggabri solar farm opens
A new solar farm is open near Boggabri, with more than 12,000 panels tracking the sun and Merino sheep already on the job. Expect 10 GWh of clean power a year.
Southern New England Landcare marks 25 years with a full board for the first time
For the first time in 25 years, Southern New England Landcare has a full board, a new chair, and a farewell for a Guyra stalwart who served a quarter of a century.
Local News
Two men charged over alleged Elsmore armed robbery
A 68-year-old man was allegedly threatened by two masked men with a machete and a spear outside his Elsmore home. Two men have been charged and refused bail.
The roads that reveal the biggest disconnect between the REZ and reality
WEEKEND LONG READ: More than 1,000 heavy vehicles a day, roads built for local traffic only, and a traffic plan based on a drive-through. New Englanders know how bad our roads are. Our reality is…
Free vet checks and a barbecue as Gunnedah opens its new animal impound to the public
Free vaccinations, microchipping, and health checks for your pet, plus a free barbecue. Gunnedah’s new $1.9 million animal impound is opening its doors, and here’s what’s inside.
Late professor’s gift of 100 pin oaks takes root on Armidale cycleway
He never told his family. Years after his death, a former Armidale professor’s secret bequest is turning a much-loved cycleway into the leafy canopy he always pictured.
What's On
LONG READ >
The roads that reveal the biggest disconnect between the REZ and reality
WEEKEND LONG READ: More than 1,000 heavy vehicles a day, roads built for local traffic only, and a traffic plan based on a drive-through. New Englanders know how bad our roads are. Our reality is not reflected in the EIS documents.
Events
Sapphire City MarketsEnds: November 15, 2026
Tenterfield Job ExpoEnds: November 20, 2026
Sounds of the SessonEnds: November 28, 2026
Stained Glass WorkshopEnds: November 29, 2026
PUBLIC MEETING ON BENDEMEER SOLAR FARMEnds: December 5, 2026- Sapphire City MarketsEnds: December 6, 2026
Politics
Sexual assault trial reforms pass
Recorded police interviews as evidence, and ground rules on how complainants are questioned. New NSW laws are changing how adult sexual assault trials work, with a pilot starting in 2027.
Preschool backflip: two-year funding guarantee for community preschools
The state has backflipped on its preschool funding model. Every community preschool is now promised at least its 2026 funding for two years, but what happens after that?
Tamworth council moves to close its last after-school care service, but is the decision final?
In April, Tamworth parents were told the South Tamworth centre was still there for them. Now council has begun moves to close it, and the union says the decision is already made.
Farms flooded without consent: Canavan
Water released onto private farms with no permission and no compensation, and the department admits it never sought legal advice. Senator Matthew Canavan says Estimates has exposed a property rights fight.
NSW grain growers gain a national voice
A harvest-time win on phosphine rules was just the start. NSW Farmers and GrainGrowers have made their alliance official, and their leaders say governments will have to listen.
Coalition taskforce to hunt for new dams
One in six apples, four in 10 blocks of butter, and nearly half our pork could be imported by 2040, the Coalition warns. Its answer is more dams.
North West cotton growers to get new help fighting soilborne disease
Verticillium wilt is a serious threat in long-term irrigated cotton. A new partnership aims to put better soil science in the hands of local growers.
Farmers call for simpler environment laws
Follow every NSW rule and you could still fall foul of federal law. Farmers say the system is broken, and they have built their own tool to help.
Energy and Environment
Bendemeer to have its say on contested solar farm
More than 100 objections have pushed a 200-megawatt solar farm near Bendemeer to the Independent Planning Commission. Now locals can tell the decision-makers what they think, face to face.
Going electric saves $4,300 a year
The average household going electric is now $4,300 a year better off. But millions of renters are locked out of the savings. Here’s what the new numbers show.
Tamworth hits 50 million containers as New England joins the cycle for National Recycling Week
Tamworth residents have returned 50 million drink containers through the town’s Return and Earn depot, and the milestone will be marked with a community celebration during National Recycling Week.
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT >
Primary Health Network continues to support and invest in the Glen Innes community
Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) has reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to Glen Innes through continued investment in local healthcare services, community programs and innovative models of…
Have your say on the future name of Killean
New owners of McLean Care want your help in naming the main home, and have put up $5000 to make it worth your while to have your say. Vote now!
BUSINESS
Microsoft says sorry for 24 hours-long global outage
A global outage of Microsoft Outlook and Teams is easing after about 24 hours of chaos that crippled online communications
INDIGENOUS
Gunnedah’s Rainbow Serpent restoration wins state award
Crafted by Kamilaroi women, eroded by the western sun, and pieced back together tile by tile. Gunnedah’s Rainbow Serpent has just won a state award, and the judges couldn’t stop praising it.
SPORT
Skateboarding rolls into Tamworth’s Regional Academy Games under new three-year deal
Skateboarding is coming to Tamworth’s Regional Academy Games. A new three-year deal could open the door from the local skatepark to the national stage for regional NSW’s most talented young skaters.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Begin Rant: the big bill of paying people to behave
RK says the government pays you to buy an EV, install a battery, and take out private health cover. What it never tells you is what it costs to run, police, and fix those programs. The post Begin Rant: the big bill of paying people to behave appeared first on New England Times Engage.
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Good News
Gunnedah’s Lacie Johnstone named 2026 Trainee of the Year
She arrived at Gunnedah Shire Council a year ago looking for a new challenge. Now Lacie Johnstone is the 2026 Trainee of the Year, and her boss says she hasn’t looked back.
Mick’s frontline farewell after 45 years serving patients in Armidale
After 45 years caring for the people of Armidale, Intensive Care Paramedic Michael Partridge is looking forward to years of uninterrupted sleep, having worked his final shift with his paramedic daughter riding alongside him.
