SafeWork puts Moree Plains on notice over psychosocial risk
Moree Plains Shire Council has moved quickly to comply with a SafeWork improvement notice, as the State Government moves to give courts new powers to protect workers from abuse.
Traffic changes for George Fielder Bridge works in Tamworth
Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are being advised of changed traffic conditions at the George Fielder Bridge in Tamworth as essential maintenance gets underway.
UNE joins global push for affordable weight-loss pill
Armidale researchers are chasing a cheaper, room-temperature alternative to costly weight-loss jabs, in a project that could also help protect eyesight damaged by obesity.
Guyra water treatment upgrades bolster blue-green algae preparations
Guyra’s drinking water supply is better prepared for blue-green algae season following major upgrades to the town’s water treatment plant.
Local News
Driver dies following single-vehicle crash at Pilliga
A 57-year-old man has died following a single-vehicle crash at Pilliga in the state’s west.
Armidale student reaches new heights on Kilimanjaro
A Year 11 student from The Armidale School has returned from a life-changing adventure after climbing Africa’s highest mountain.
GLENRAC’s Fit Farmer returns
Succession planning, pest control, mental health and a new pasture forecasting tool: GLENRAC’s Fit Farmer day packs it all in at Glen Innes Showgrounds this month.
World Tennis Series returning to Tamworth
Tamworth will welcome international tennis players back to the city next month, with the Capital of Country International returning for a second year.
What's On
LONG READ >
The real climate policy threat to Australia’s agricultural land
WEEKEND LONG READ: Australia’s system of carbon credits is swallowing up millions of hectares of prime farming land and locking it up for a century, while polluters like Woodside and Chevron look clean on paper. Farmers, investors and economists all want it fixed.
Events
Tenterfield Community TalkEnds: September 7, 2026
Tamworth Labor Branch Monthly MeetingEnds: September 7, 2026
The Organist Entertains – David BaileyEnds: September 12, 2026
Bachianas: EphenStephen and Sarah LawrenceEnds: September 12, 2026
The Organist Entertains – David BaileyEnds: September 12, 2026
The Tamworth Antique & Collectables FairEnds: September 13, 2026
Politics
Three strikes and still not out: the weak council rules unable to deal with populist politicians
They run the same playbook as Pauline Hanson and Donald Trump: turn every sanction into persecution. Inside the NSW rules that still can’t make badly behaved councillors stop.
Moree Plains council releases confidential pool report, but reveals nothing new
Moree Plains Shire Council released the confidential report behind its pool decision – but it didn’t reveal anything the community didn’t already know.
Barraba pushes for health worker housing amid regional drive
Barraba says it’s missing out on health worker housing while Armidale gets a $200 million upgrade. The local MP wants that to change.
Barnaby Joyce fails to clear up One Nation migration confusion
Barnaby Joyce said his colleague was wrong on One Nation’s migration numbers, then confirmed that PALM workers don’t count. But he refused to say what skilled workers the New England would have to go without.
New Englanders to get some answers from ‘King Rat’ Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Joyce will address his dramatic defection from the Nationals and his new political partnership with Pauline Hanson in an Australian Story episode airing on Monday night.
NSW floodplain harvesting audit begins
Only 58 per cent of floodplain harvesting storages in NSW were compliant as of June, and now a watchdog audit wants to know if the water take data can be trusted at all.
Armidale regulator’s slow approvals slammed
A new global study says slow, costly approvals are cutting Australian farmers off from new technology, reigniting scrutiny of the Armidale-based APVMA’s slumping performance.
Energy and Environment
Weemelah Hall to go solar with grant win
A solar upgrade for the Weemelah Hall is among 20 NSW projects sharing $290,986 in grants, with Glen Innes and Wee Waa also benefiting.
Free event links locals to clean energy jobs
There’s lots of jobs in the energy transition – and a a free Armidale event next month aims to link young locals to renewable energy careers.
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
Tamworth Skywalk officially opens with community celebration
Tamworth’s new $18 million Skywalk is officially open, connecting Victoria Park to Oxley Scenic Lookout with a 1.5-kilometre elevated walk built for every ability.
INDIGENOUS
Thomas Mayo to give 40th Frank Archibald lecture at UNE
Thomas Mayo will deliver UNE’s 40th Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture in October, asking whether Australians are as divided as some would have us believe.
SPORT
Combat sports referred to parliamentary inquiry
Bareknuckle boxing, power slap and backyard fight clubs are under the microscope, as the state government refers combat sports laws to a parliamentary inquiry.
On engage now
Engage is our hub for opinion, letters, comments and ideas.
- Opinion: The collapse of trust in facts
Ned Watt and Michelle Riedlinger say the modern fact-checking movement launched 25 years ago but is now in retreat — just as it’s needed more than ever. The post Opinion: The collapse of trust in facts appeared first on New England Times Engage.
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Good News
Tamworth students shine in 2026 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards
Tamworth students have claimed several top honours in the 2026 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards, including the Senior Secondary and Primary School awards.
Armidale hairdresser named NSW’s top apprentice
Armidale hairdresser Nikita Wells was crowned New England’s Apprentice of the Year earlier this year has now gone one better, taking out the title across the whole of NSW and earning a shot at the national stage in November.
