Downstream councils vow to fight Keepit Dam pipeline to Tamworth
Tamworth wants a pipeline from Keepit Dam. Seven councils downstream, from Gunnedah to Walgett, say it would leave their towns exposed in the next drought, and they’re vowing to fight it.
Inverell Shire Council adopts road plan to 2037
118 locals had their say on Inverell Shire’s roads. Now council has locked in a plan to 2037 that puts unsealed roads, freight demand, and safety on the agenda. Here’s what it means.
Uralla residents asked to have their say on draft inclusion plan
Is Uralla Shire easy to get around, get information, and take part in, for everyone? The council wants to hear from you, but the clock is ticking on feedback.
Uralla Community Care launches with new name and electric fleet
A new name, a local focus, and two electric cars on the road. Uralla’s community transport and in-home support services have relaunched as Uralla Community Care.
Local News
Hanging Rock trout farm reels in grant to go off the grid
One of the region’s hidden jewels is going off the grid. The Hanging Rock trout farm behind The Drunken Trout Café has landed a grant to ditch diesel and power up with renewables.
Camps in the paddock: the REZ housing legacy that isn’t
WEEKEND LONG READ: New England was promised worker housing that would stay behind as homes. The REZ EIS delivers 2,060 beds in five temporary camps on paddocks a long way from anywhere.
$5.3 million upgrade for Kamilaroi Highway south of Gunnedah
Roadworks are coming to the Kamilaroi Highway south of Gunnedah, with 40 km/h limits and lane closures from Monday. Here’s what the $5.3 million upgrade means for your trips until April.
Tamworth gun buyback pushed back until after country music festival
Tamworth’s gun buyback has been pushed back so police can focus on the country music festival, but farmers say they are still in limbo with days to go before it starts statewide.
What's On
LONG READ >
Camps in the paddock: the REZ housing legacy that isn’t
WEEKEND LONG READ: New England was promised worker housing that would stay behind as homes. The REZ EIS delivers 2,060 beds in five temporary camps on paddocks a long way from anywhere.
Events
Sapphire City MarketsEnds: November 1, 2026
Twilight Tales at Calala Cottage Museum – Garden Picnic and Museum ToursEnds: November 7, 2026
Twilight Tales at Calala Cottage Museum – Garden Picnic and Museum ToursEnds: November 7, 2026- Sapphire City MarketsEnds: November 15, 2026
Tenterfield Job ExpoEnds: November 20, 2026
Sounds of the SessonEnds: November 28, 2026
Politics
Nationals blast buyback starting before the rules
The firearms buyback starts 2 November, and Grafton Police Station is one of the first collection points. The Nationals say the rules aren’t even written yet, and Tamworth’s music festival is in the way.
Chaffey urges kindness after Haines attack
Parkes MP Jamie Chaffey says words can hurt and words can heal, as parliament pays tribute to Dr Helen Haines. His message to Australians after the attack: “Let’s continue with kindness.”
Gun buyback starts before rules are set
The NSW gun buyback starts next week, but the rules on who can keep extra firearms aren’t final. In Armidale, Tamworth, Moree and Inverell, you can’t hand anything in until January.
Minister threatens to suspend Moree council, dodges safety questions
The Minister for Local Government is asking Moree Plains Shire Council why he shouldn’t put them into administration, but has not answered questions about why he failed to act to keep councillors and staff safe.
Fears for regional prostate cancer care
Regional men with prostate cancer could lose specialist nursing support when federal funding ends in June 2027. Jamie Chaffey wants a guarantee no community is left worse off.
Crop margins stay tight, but yields help
Rabobank says crop margins stay squeezed into 2027. Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia are cushioned by strong yields, but dry Queensland and northern NSW growers are more exposed.
Rural Aid hay and water heading to Inverell and Glen Innes as dry bites New England farms
Rain has fallen, but the dry hasn’t let go. One cattle farmer near the border says it costs him $3 a head a day just to keep them alive. Help is heading to Inverell and Glen Innes.
Vegetable supplier admits price fixing
Australia’s second-largest fresh vegetable supplier has admitted fixing prices on broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce sold to ALDI. A $12 million penalty is proposed, but a judge has the final say.
Energy and Environment
$8.28m for drought resilience, and more on offer
Women cutting their own hair because there wasn’t enough water. That’s the kind of drought hardship $8.28 million in new grants aims to tackle, and there’s more money still on offer.
Copeton Dam turns 50: the water behind Inverell’s economy
Copeton Dam marked 50 years since its official opening yesterday, Friday, 23 October, and Inverell Mayor Kate Dight says many people do not realise how much the community relies on it.
Why can’t we get this done? Oven Mountain latest renewable project to falter
The latest announcement of a renewable project to fail is the one that no one expected. Questions are being asked about whether the NSW Government is to blame, or if there is a bigger problem about how we do large infrastructure in this country.
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
Coffee cup backflip: Labor to scrap mandate, but not until after the election
Labor will scrap its coffee cup mandate, but only after the election. Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh says cafés can’t wait that long, and he’s bringing a repeal bill next month.
INDIGENOUS
Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship opens fifth year
Five years, one $10,000 prize, and a platform for First Nations creatives. Applications for the 2027 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship are open until 7 March.
SPORT
Gunnedah brothers claim bull riding glory in Tamworth
Two Gunnedah brothers, a Barraba rider, and a Walcha cowboy all got their moment in Tamworth. Then the Open final came down to just 0.10 of a point.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Begin Rant: Hoenig is going to lose Minns the election
RK Crosby writes that the threat to put Moree Plains Shire Council into administration provides a how-to-guide for the destruction of local government, and if Minns doesn't deal with Hoenig, it may cost him the election. The post Begin Rant: Hoenig is going to lose Minns the election appeared first on New England Times Engage.
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Good News
Moree Plains Shire Council names new general manager
Moree Plains Shire Council has found its new general manager. Meet the man who says the shire has “enormous potential”.
SBM26: Made on the land, personal style and smarter sales
Today for Small Business Month, we’re celebrating three businesses bringing purpose and personal service to their work: an Emmaville family enterprise combining handcrafted tallow and beeswax products with goat farming, a South West Rocks boutique helping women find fashion they feel good in, and a Mid North Coast business consultant bringing big-company sales expertise to…
