netimes.com.au

Federal Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey says Australia’s illegal tobacco trade has become a national organised crime crisis affecting towns across the New England North West, backing a Coalition plan to cut the tobacco excise by 80 per cent. Mr Chaffey said the plan would take away the profits driving organised crime’s grip on the illegal cigarette and vape trade. “You don’t bring organised crime to its knees by protecting its business model,” Mr Chaffey said.

Glen Innes Severn Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to decide how it responds to a proposed Performance Improvement Order from the NSW Government, covering financial management issues stretching back to 2022.

Liverpool Plains Shire Council is calling on local community groups and organisations to apply for grants of up to $2,000 to help bring community projects to life. Applications are now open for Council’s 2026-27 Community Grants Program, which supports not-for-profit organisations and community groups delivering projects that benefit communities across the shire. Liverpool Plains Shire Mayor Ken Cudmore said the program continued to support grassroots initiatives that strengthened the community.

Young people across Gunnedah can apply for financial help with university, TAFE or other accredited training through the 2027 Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund. The community-funded program is open to eligible local students aged under 25 and is designed to help with the costs of continuing their education or training. Scholarship Fund Working Group chair Linda Newell said rising living costs were adding to the financial pressures facing students.

Almost 70 NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers have been recognised for more than 1,700 years of combined service during ceremonies across the Northern Tablelands. Ceremonies were held in Tenterfield, Delungra and Glen Innes over the weekend, with members receiving National and Long Service Medals, NSW Premier’s Flood Emergency Citations and Life Memberships.

Moree Plains Shire Council was issued with an improvement notice by SafeWork NSW after a complaint raised concerns about psychosocial risk, as the State Government prepares new court powers to protect workers from exactly this kind of risk. SafeWork NSW confirmed the notice followed a request for service made in December last year, with a spokesperson saying managing psychosocial risk was a key focus for the regulator.

Community pharmacists across regional New South Wales are taking on a much larger role in frontline healthcare, with new responsibilities once handled only by doctors and GPs, as Charles Sturt University launches a course to help them meet the challenge. The shift is driven by statewide reforms allowing trained pharmacists to assess symptoms, make clinical decisions and supply certain prescription-only medicines for common conditions.

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are being advised of changed traffic conditions at the George Fielder Bridge in Tamworth as essential maintenance gets underway. Work on the Scott Road bridge over the Peel River will begin on Monday, September 7 and is expected to take about four months, weather permitting. The project will include vegetation clearing and scour protection. Work will be carried out from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

Armidale researchers are working on an affordable, oral alternative to costly weight-loss injections, as the University of New England (UNE) joins a global collaboration to tackle one of the biggest barriers facing people who need the drugs most. As weight-loss drugs soar in popularity across the globe, cost, access and side effects remain significant barriers for many.

Armidale Regional Council says major upgrades to the Guyra Water Treatment Plant will help reduce taste and odour problems linked to blue-green algae as warmer weather approaches. The works have strengthened the plant’s treatment capability ahead of the blue-green algae (BGA) season, when warmer conditions can increase the risk of algal growth in waterways and water storages. Deputy Mayor Todd Redwood said the council had taken steps to improve the region’s preparedness for future BGA events.