The Royal Flying Doctor Service is set for a second year of $15 million in NSW Government funding, as a Barwon MP pushes for a longer-term deal to keep it flying.
Roy Butler
Posted inFederal Politics, Health, NSW Politics, Wee Waa
Wee Waa Health Service extends opening hours after years of lobbying
Wee Waa Health Service is extending its hours to 7am to 10pm from October, more than three years after a staffing crunch forced them back. But the fight for a full emergency department isn’t over yet.
Posted inNarrabri, What's on, Women
Narrabri to host 2026 NSW Rural Women’s Gathering
Narrabri has been named host of this year’s Rural Women’s Gathering, bringing about 300 women from across regional, rural and remote New South Wales to the North Western NSW town.
Posted inGlen Innes, Local politics, Moree, New England Surrounds, Social issues and services, Social Media
Enough is enough: Leaders plead for civility as abuse boils over
Online abuse and offline threats are pushing local leaders to breaking point, with three local politicians this week pushing back.
Posted inBarwon Electorate, Emergency management, Grants and funding, Politics, Tenterfield
$2.7 million disaster threshold plan an “insult” to small councils
Damage to your whole town, still miss out on funding: that’s the risk if Canberra’s disaster threshold triples to $2.7 million. Barwon MP Roy Butler says it’s “an insult” to small councils.
Posted inNarrabri, Technology
NBN Fixed Wireless launched near Narrabri
The new nbn Fixed Wireless tower is improving broadband connectivity for more than 700 homes and businesses near Narrabri.
Posted inArmidale, Barwon Electorate, Investigation, Long Read, Politics, Science and Research
Do the work: Local MP leads call for evidence in Government decisions
Part two of our Bad Numbers investigation: one local MP’s push to require evidence and consultation before any bill passes NSW Parliament, to fix a problem they’ve known about for decades.
Posted inArmidale, Investigation, Long Read, Politics, Roads and Infrastructure, Transport and Freight
Transport planning assumptions unravel across all levels of government
In this New England Times investigation by RK Crosby, we look at how bad numbers, assumptions and guesses, and misrepresentations of old documents, have led to plans at all levels of government being not worth the paper they are printed on.
Posted inEnergy, Tourism
Fuel crisis raises tourism concerns ahead of easter
Rising concern about the impact of the ongoing fuel crisis on regional tourism has prompted some to urge city residents not to cancel their country Easter holiday plans.
Posted inLocal News, Money, NSW Politics
Push to cut rego costs for rural drivers introduced to Parliament
A proposal to cut vehicle registration costs for country drivers has been introduced to NSW Parliament, with Barwon MP Roy Butler arguing the current system unfairly penalises people living in rural areas.