The New England Weeds Authority (NEWA) will be officially terminated this month in response to serious concerns about the Authority’s governance and financial position.
NEWA is the registered trading name of the New England County Council. It has a governing body made up of elected representatives from its four constituent councils: Armidale Regional Council, Walcha Council, Uralla Shire Council and Glen Innes Severn Shire Council.
The board of NEWA has been suspended since 17 May 2024 when an interim administrator was appointed in response to the serious financial concerns.
This week’s proclamation from the NSW Governor will come into effect on 16 June 2025.
“Consultation was undertaken with the Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty, who supported the proposal for the member councils to assume the weed control responsibilities of NEWA.” said a for the Minister for Local Government.
“Decisions about how to redistribute NEWA’s assets and staff, and the future provision of the services will be a matter for the four member councils.”
NEWA’s interim administrator John Rayner has been liaising closely with the councils, staff representatives and the Local Lands Services Division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, to ensure the transfer of jobs, assets and services is managed appropriately.
The Proclamation for the dissolution of NEWA can be found on the Legislation website at: https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2025-257.
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