Rural Road Safety Month launches after 123 regional deaths
123 lives lost on regional NSW roads in just six months. Now the state government wants every driver, rider and passenger to “join the journey” toward safer roads.
UNE research finds depression affects all five senses
Armidale researchers have found depression dulls all five senses, not just mood, a discovery they hope will reshape how the condition is diagnosed and treated.
Moree Plains council awards $14,000 to community groups
Five Moree Plains groups are sharing in $14,000 from council’s latest donations round, and applications for the next round are open now.
Cedar Nursery & Design blossoms to Best Nursery title
Whether customers are searching for the perfect fruit tree, a statement pot or simply some expert advice, Cedar Nursery & Design has become the go-to destination for gardeners across the New England. The Armidale business has been crowned Best Nursery in the 2026 Best in the New England awards, with…
Local News
Moree projects lowest borrowings in 14 years
Moree Plains Shire Council has adopted a long-term financial plan projecting its lowest borrowings in 14 years, with no new loans forecast.
Telstra to undertake mobile network maintenance in Tamworth
Telstra will carry out scheduled maintenance on its Tamworth mobile network from Monday, 3 August, with brief disruptions to mobile coverage expected.
Reardon brings a lifetime of agriculture to NSW Farmers presidency
Rebecca Reardon has been elected NSW Farmers president, bringing a lifetime in agriculture and a commitment to strengthening the industry’s future for generations.
Clean energy body admits trust problem, proposes royalty scheme
The Clean Energy Council admits regional Australia doesn’t trust renewables, but it’s solution is not likely to fix the problem.
Events
Opera Australia: “Don Giovanni”Ends: August 6, 2026
International Film FestivalEnds: August 7, 2026
Lonely Love @ Lodge TheatreEnds: August 7, 2026- International Film FestivalEnds: August 8, 2026
Armidale Farmers’ MarketEnds: August 9, 2026
New England Sporting Car Club KhanacrossEnds: August 9, 2026
Politics
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.
Confirmed racist: Hanson loses appeal over ‘seriously offensive’ tweet
Four years on from her “piss off back to Pakistan” tweet, Pauline Hanson has lost her appeal and will have to live with the courts saying she is racist.
Armidale scientists turn satellites into nitrogen advice for cotton growers
Armidale researchers are turning satellite images into real-time fertiliser advice for cotton growers; in a project the University of New England hopes will change how the industry manages one of its biggest costs.
Landowners urged to act now as rain creates ideal conditions for priority weeds
Recent rainfall has created ideal conditions for priority weeds, with Liverpool Plains landowners urged to act now to protect livestock and properties.
Energy and Environment
Aerial applicator fined for overspray at Bendemeer
A helicopter spraying company has been fined more than $70,000 after herbicide drifted onto trees at Bendemeer. The pilot admitted to spraying “by eye”.
Uralla adopts renewable energy action plan after community consultation
Uralla Shire Council has adopted a Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan to guide its advocacy, planning and preparedness as renewable energy development accelerates across the region.
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
Electric vehicle sales soar during fuel price crunch
Australian motorists are voting with their feet and wallets as electric cars drive a path through the market.
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
Ron Harborne Oval upgrades strengthen community sport
Moree families, players and volunteers will benefit from upgraded facilities at Ron Harborne Oval, supporting community sport, participation and future growth.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Letter: Tossing the good and keeping the crap
Re: Begin Rant: Stopping misinformation at the source The editor might not have been game to hark back “to when my dad was VC of NSW Farmers but I will back to when I was President. I established a “conference agenda committee” whose role was to weed out any repetitive motions and any factually incorrect The post Letter: Tossing the good and keeping the crap appeared first on New England Times Engage.
> Submit your own opinion, letter or comment to New England Times Engage
Good News
New England researchers chase cotton breakthroughs with five funded projects
Mite-filled capsules dropped by drone, satellite dashboards, beans as fertiliser: five New England projects have landed almost half of the country’s cotton innovation grants.
80 student volunteers to descend on Uralla, Deepwater for The Big Lift
Eighty student volunteers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will arrive in Uralla on Tuesday, 7 July, as part of The Big Lift’s 2026 Winter Trip across regional New South Wales and Queensland.
