netimes.com.au

A team from Armidale Secondary College has been recognised at the 2026 NSW Humanitarian Awards for work that is helping refugee-background students in the New England find their way into further study, training, and employment. The college’s “Pathways to Belonging” team received a Highly Commended Award for the ASC Pathways Program, an initiative built to support newly arrived and refugee-background students as Armidale became a regional refugee location.

A second wild migratory seabird has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in NSW, prompting authorities to continue enhanced surveillance while stressing there is no evidence the virus has spread to native birds or commercial poultry.

Moree residents are being invited to have their say on a proposed new policy that aims to support responsible animal ownership while addressing concerns about roaming and nuisance animals. Moree Plains Shire Council endorsed the Draft Keeping of Animals Policy for public exhibition at its Ordinary Council Meeting on 16 July 2026. The draft policy will be on public exhibition for 28 days before it is considered for adoption.

Inverell-based D&J Assisted Technology has been crowned the New England’s Best IT Service in Best in the New England 2026, with customers praising the business for making technology accessible, affordable and stress-free. The win is the first for Inverell in this year’s BITNE, and continues a remarkable journey for the relatively new business, which has built a loyal following by taking a different approach to IT support.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has raised eyebrows after being spotted attending a fashion show in Italy following talks with a controversial right-wing podcaster. Senator Hanson was snapped at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion event in Sicily this week wearing a floor-length embroidered black gown. Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart also attended the event and was later sighted with Senator Hanson at a luxury Italian resort.

Graziers from across the New England North West are set to converge on Tamworth next week for the Pastures & Grazing NSW conference, with two days of research, property tours and producer stories on offer – including a Bingara family who spent two decades turning cropping country into productive grazing pasture. The conference, themed “The Science of Pastures & Grazing,” runs from Tuesday, 28 July, at Wests Diggers in Tamworth.

Gunnedah Shire Council is continuing its advocacy for the reinstatement of the helicopter landing site (HLS) at Gunnedah Hospital and is calling on Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) to meet directly with the council to discuss the future of the service. The council says it remains committed to having the hospital helipad reinstated as the primary landing site for aeromedical retrievals and has consistently sought a collaborative approach to resolving the issue.

School of Arts Tenterfield Incorporated (SOATI) has launched its annual Historian in Residence program, with inaugural resident Associate Professor Nancy Cushing to deliver a free public lecture at the School of Arts Banquet Room on Wednesday, 29 July. The annual program has been established to promote the study of Australian history through a week-long residency in Tenterfield for a historian with expertise in the field.

For the first time in Best in the New England history, the Best Book Store category has finished in a dead heat, with Armidale favourites Boobooks and Reader’s Companion unable to be separated by voters. The result means Reader’s Companion successfully retains a share of the title it won outright last year, while Boobooks joins the winners’ list after earning enough community support to force a tie.

Arts North West will launch When Main Streets Dream – A Night of Light, Projection and Creative Placemaking this August, transforming the centres of Tamworth and Armidale into immersive public spaces celebrating creativity, community and place. Presented through the Arts North West Sustainable Communities Program, the initiative uses projection, light, temporary installations and interactive experiences to activate regional CBDs after dark.