North Coast MP leads push to rewrite sex discrimination laws after trans rights ruling
Lyne MP Alison Penfold will introduce a private member’s bill seeking to redefine sex as biological and binary after the Federal Court upheld discrimination findings in the landmark Giggle v Tickle case.
Armidale musician selected for historic world brass championship debut
Armidale musician and educator Bruce Myers is preparing to take Australian brass music onto the world stage after being selected to perform with Australia Brass at the prestigious World Music Contest in The Netherlands later this year.
Work begins on 46km Dorrigo Great Escarpment Walk
Work has officially started on the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk, with the project tipped to create 270 jobs and attract thousands more visitors to the region.
70 year old man dies in motorcycle crash at Uralla
A second person has lost their life in a crash on Thunderbolt’s Way in less than two months.
Local News
Small jobs and practical expertise
Small and special businesses are scattered across the New England, plying their specialised skills with great attention and care, and these two are no exception.
NSW introduces new protections for novice motorcycle riders
NSW novice motorcycle riders will face mandatory glove and high-visibility clothing rules from July under sweeping new road safety reforms.
Moree hydrogen project aims to reshape farming’s future
Could Moree hold the answer to farming’s fuel and fertiliser crisis? Construction is now underway on NSW’s first large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia plant.
New England communities celebrate the power of volunteering
As communities across the New England region prepare to celebrate National Volunteer Week, organisations are highlighting the evolving ways Australians are giving back amid rising cost-of-living pressures and increasingly busy lives.
What's On
Nominate now! We are looking for local trades and services businesses – from micro-businesses to major companies – to feature in our “Trades you can Trust” series. Really.
Events
TRRRA Monthly Meeting – MayEnds: May 20, 2026
TRRRA Monthly Meeting – MayEnds: May 20, 2026
Circle of Security Parenting ProgramEnds: May 22, 2026
Nemingha Community Garden “Growing Up” WorkshopEnds: May 23, 2026
Greyhound Adoption Event | Petstock Tamworth 🐕Ends: May 23, 2026
Politics
Taylor mimics One Nation in Budget Reply speech that snubs regions
Critics say Angus Taylor’s budget reply speech exposed a Coalition mimicking One Nation rhetoric on “mass migration” while offering little detail, little vision, and little for regional Australia.
Budget leaves regional councils facing impossible choices
Regional councils say the federal budget still leaves country communities behind, warning shrinking grants and rising costs are forcing councils to “operate on the smell of an oily rag”.
Local leaders testify to “human cost” of Inland Rail axing
Regional mayors, farming leaders and senior Nationals MPs have taken the fight over Inland Rail directly to Parliament House, accusing the Federal Government of abandoning communities that invested years preparing for Inland Rail.
‘Class war’ budget targets aspiration
Barnaby Joyce has accused Labor of punishing aspiration through its budget tax reforms, warning changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts will drive investment offshore and push renters “onto the street”.
Chaffey blasts Budget as “broken promises” for Parkes electorate
Parkes MP Jamie Chaffey has slammed the Federal Budget, accusing Labor of abandoning regional Australia through Inland Rail cuts and “net zero obsession”.
Farmers exempted from new Trust Tax
Primary producers have been exempted from the federal government’s new discretionary trust tax reforms, after farm groups warned family farm succession could be put at risk.
The fuel crunch is affecting daily life across our region, so we’re doing the one thing we can do, and helping people get the information they need so we can all make it through this together. Read more
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Call to cut red tape amid fuel cost pressures
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson is calling for cuts to red tape to help small businesses and farmers facing rising fuel costs.
READ MORE FUEL CRUNCH STORIES >
Blackville grower named finalist in national cotton awards
Blackville grower Bruce Mennie has been named a finalist in the 2026 Australian cotton industry awards.
Farmer confidence plummets amid cost crisis
Farmer confidence has collapsed as soaring fuel and fertiliser costs force producers to cut production and rethink future operations.
Energy and Environment
Local farmer earns more than 5,000 carbon credits through soil project
A farmer near Uralla has earned more than 5,000 carbon credits after major improvements in soil health and grazing management.
State government expands support for communities affected by GKNP timber moratorium
Expanded NSW support aims to help North Coast businesses, workers and communities transition through Koala National Park changes
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT >
Taking control of power bills with smarter solar and battery solutions
Whether you’re considering an EV or just want to get the power bills down, the best solar solution for you is a tailored system built around how you use energy, installed by…
Fuel driven changes mean your website is more important than ever
The fuel crisis is changing how people spend, how they travel, and how they choose where to shop. Across the New England, that shift is already being felt by local businesses.
BUSINESS
Watchdog seeks big penalty after Coles goes ‘Down Down’
The consumer watchdog will be seeking a “significant penalty” to act as a deterrent to Coles and others, after a court found the supermarket misled shoppers.
INDIGENOUS
Free flu clinic to support Tamworth community this season
TAMS-AC Tamworth is hosting a free flu vaccination clinic to help keep the community healthy this flu season.
SPORT
Historic rivalry renewed as Farrer and TAS battle for annual shields
Farrer and The Armidale School will renew one of the region’s longest-running school sporting rivalries this Friday as students battle for the Dick Hodgson Shield and Jim Levy Shield.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Letter: Ray Walsh House debacle undermines TRC leadership
Stephen writes ratepayers have every right to ask questions about the handling of Ray Walsh House, a costly and an embarrassing failure of leadership, governance, transparency and financial management. The post Letter: Ray Walsh House debacle undermines TRC leadership appeared first on New England Times Engage.
> Submit your own opinion, letter or comment to New England Times Engage
Good News
Armidale local turns childhood challenge into fundraising mission
An Armidale woman who once spent eight months in hospital as a child is now giving back to the organisation that helped brighten some of her toughest days.
CT facility opens in Glen Innes after council land sale
A new CT scanning service has opened in Glen Innes, with council backing credited for bringing the region’s first local diagnostic imaging facility to life.
