October 2026 – Page 11

The public servants earning over $1 million

A dozen federal public servants are earning over $1 million a year, including one EL2 earning over $1.5 million, according to a government response to Greens Senator Barbara Pocock.

This week the Minister for the Public Service Senator Katy Gallagher provided a response to a Question taken on Notice, after Senator Barbara Pocock queried the government through the Senate Question on Notice process on 31 August.

The Minister said all these highly paid people work at the government’s Future Fund Management Agency.

The Greens say this raises serious questions about the government’s economic management and value for money of taxpayer dollars.

Greens finance and public service spokesperson Senator Barbara Pocock:

“In a cost of living crisis, Australians are hurting. Many would be outraged to learn that a dozen public servants are earning over a million dollars and in some cases double what the Prime Minister earns.

“We’re not talking about Secretaries who run big government departments but employees. How can the government justify this?

“Senior government officials managing large departments with huge budgets and staff would be asking why lower ranking public servants are getting lottery-sized earnings.

“What kind of public service work warrants a salary of $1 million or 1.5 million dollars? Even the Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister don’t earn this much. I think most taxpayers would be questioning whether this represents good value for money.

“The Government says it wants to rebuild the public sector yet it is slashing jobs while paying a handful of public servants millions and outsourcing work to big consultancy firms. That’s not how you rebuild the public service. The government is burning up its APS targets.”

Gov must find solution for first homebuyers conned by Labor’s 5% deposit scheme: Greens

The Greens say that the government needs to find a solution for first homebuyers who have been conned by Labor’s 5% home deposit scheme – encouraged to maximise borrowing at the top of the market, and now pushed into unsustainable debt.

The timing of Labor’s interventions – getting first homebuyers into the market via the 5% deposit scheme, before making tax changes and letting inflation run wild, have cumulatively left first homebuyers at significant risk of negative equity.

Currently, the primary beneficiary of the scheme is the banks – who benefit from selling more and larger mortgages with even higher risk.

The Greens say that with interest rates rising and mortgages soaring, first homebuyers risk being forced out of their homes, left with significant debt and no home to show for it.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator David Shoebridge:

“Thanks to Labor, first homebuyers risk being forced out of their homes, left with significant debt and no home to show for it.

“Labor created this problem and now they’ve got to fix it.

“Anthony Albanese has lured first home buyers into a scheme that’s left them trapped in debt and facing losing their home. The only winner here is the banks.

“House prices coming down will help more first homebuyers get into the market, once corporate profit fuelled interest rates come down – but Labor’s inaction means the banks are winning while everyone else is paying the price.

“Like all of Labor’s housing schemes, this wasn’t about helping people – it was a con to make it look like they’re doing something while pushing up prices for investors selling at the top of the market.”

Greens spokesperson for finance, housing and homelessness and Senator for South Australia, Barbara Pocock:

“Labor’s 5% deposit scheme was reckless. It has encouraged some of our lowest paid workers to take out very large loans at the top of the market. And now they are at risk of negative equity and that’s on Labor!

“First homebuyers under this scheme have been conned into massive debts. As interest rates continue to rise, they’re struggling to hold onto their home and risk owing the bank. Labor has screwed them.

“The government is letting corporate profit-driven inflation run wild, and it’s renters and first homebuyers who are paying the price.

“House prices need to fall if first homebuyers stand any chance of getting into the housing market. First homebuyers are typically in it for the long-haul, not a short-term investment. It’s the government’s responsibility to make sure first homebuyers drawn into Labor’s 5% deposit scheme aren’t the ones paying the price.

“The Greens want Australia’s big banks to be required to offer low-interest mortgages for first homebuyer owner occupiers so that more of their early repayments go to paying off the loan, not to bank profits.

“Our large banks are amongst the most profitable in the world and they have been making money from the financial stress of Australians for too long. It’s time the banks shouldered a fairer share of the costs facing younger generations entering home ownership.”

New price limits set for NDIS supports

As the new statutory decision maker for NDIS price limits, the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Mark Butler MP, has made the first NDIS pricing determination under changes introduced through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendments (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026.

The pricing determination sets the price limits for NDIS supports for 2026-27 after taking advice from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

The pricing arrangements will promote value for money and support participants to manage how they use their NDIS plan budgets, while ensuring controls are in place to prevent financial exploitation. The price limits align with previous pricing guidance published by the NDIA and are effective immediately.

The government is currently consulting disability stakeholders on the implementation of differentiated pricing, which would adjust the price of supports based on whether they are delivered by a registered or unregistered NDIS provider. The NDIA’s Annual Pricing Review report for 2026-27 recommended differentiated pricing begin on 1 January 2027.

On 11 September 2026, the Fair Work Commission issued their decision on Schedule E of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS) as part of their gender-based undervaluation review. Changes to the award will take effect on 1 December 2026.

The 2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule will be updated later this year to reflect any required changes.

Further information on NDIS pricing can be found on the NDIS website.

ATO betrayal: Gas lighting Albanese double ‘taps’ small business for the bill on surcharges

“The Albanese government’s war on small business has continued with higher costs from surcharge bans, followed by the ATO’s announcement they’ve closed paying tax bills by card because of surcharging. These changes double-tap small business with higher costs”, said Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson.

Mr Wilson’s comments come in the wake of the credit card surcharge “ban” commencing and the ATO revealing it will be sneaking in an announcement today that they’re no longer accepting credit card payments, rather than absorb the costs like every small business will have to do.

“Small business is being double ‘tapped’ by the Albanese government when there’s already near record insolvencies, business closures and collapses in profitability”, Mr Wilson said.

“Today the Albanese government is going to double ‘tap’ the local café, the community pharmacy and the tradie, not the big supermarkets who get preferential terms from the banks”, Mr Wilson said.

“The ATO says it wouldn’t be appropriate to pass merchant fees on to the community, yet that is exactly what the government is forcing every small business in the country to do. There is one rule for Canberra and another rule for the corner store”.

“The ATO sat on this until the very morning the ban started. If the government’s own tax collector can’t absorb the cost, how does the Treasurer expect a family-run cafe to?”

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned the ban “will not save Australians from the cost of transaction; it is just pushing up prices and hurting small business”, with ACCI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar labelling the ATO’s decision “utter hypocrisy”.

Mr Wilson said, “Australia needs a stand-up economy, not a sit-down economy, where small businesses are backed, not billed. That’s why the Coalition is standing with small business and fighting for a Small Business Act that makes Canberra count the cost before it hands down decisions like this”.

FSR confirms: Albanese drowning in inflation of own making; pulling aussies, wages, values down with them

The Reserve Bank’s October 2026 Financial Stability Review confirms the downturn in the housing market is leading to negative equity for first home buyers lured into a falling property market by the government’s 5% Deposit Scheme.

In its latest FSR out today, the RBA warned that recent buyers and high-LVR borrowers “are more likely to be in negative equity. This includes first home buyers participating in the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.”

These, often younger cohorts, who took up 95% mortgages thanks to Labor are now likely to be in trouble given the downturn in house prices across Australia, and in areas like the Sydney and Melbourne suburbs.

The RBA’s modelling further shows a 20% fall in house prices would mean that “around 5% of mortgages would fall into negative equity.” This is not beyond reasonable doubt given major banks are already warning of a large house price falls of some 15%.

The RBA’s warnings are already being borne out in APRA LVR data – with APRA’s latest September 2026 quarter Quarterly property exposures statistics showing that the value of loans with a 95% or greater LVR has blown out to $15.6 billion since Labor recklessly expanded the 5% Deposit Scheme in October 2025. This is a 62.6% increase on the previous 9-month period (see Figure below). It is a record for any 9-month period since APRA’s dataset which starts in March 2019.

Labor has smashed the housing market from both ends, with economic mismanagement driving up interest rates and its toxic new housing taxes threatening investment and supply.

The RBA noted real disposable income per person fell in the first half of 2026, “mostly driven by higher inflation and increases in interest rates”.

the Shadow Treasurer:

“The Albanese economic model is now catching up with them, while Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers are drowning in their own inflation, they’re pulling the wages of Australians and profitability of small businesses with them.”

“To cover for their failing economy, the Albanese government lured aspirational first home buyers at the greatest time of risk, and now they’re paying higher interest on empty debt.”

“The Albanese government’s addiction to spending is stoking inflation, increasing interest rates, collapsing home values and sending families backwards.”

the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness:

“Labor turned a targeted scheme into an uncapped free-for-all, pumping up entry-level prices and saddling young Australians with 95% mortgages.”

“As we discovered under Freedom of Information requests, Labor ignored warnings from the RBA about the 5% Deposit Scheme. So, they are likely to do the same with this RBA report.”

“Instead of building more houses, Labor is saddling often young Australian home buyers with more debt and higher housing taxes. This is an entirely preventable disaster of Labor’s making.”

Local artists lead the charge into New Annual’s opening weekend

Seven new works never seen before will make their national debut in Newcastle as the New Annual festival launches into 10 days of unforgettable art, music and ideas.

Newcastle artist Izabela Pluta and local dance company Catapult are among those taking centre stage with their latest works, which were unveiled at the Canoe Pool today after being commissioned for City of Newcastle’s flagship arts festival.

Festival Director Tory Loudon said New Annual continues to champion the people, places and creative spirit that make Newcastle unique.

“At a time when festivals across the country are being forced to curtail their investment in the industry, New Annual has been cementing itself as a platform for emerging and established artists to perform in front of new audiences,” Ms Loudon said.

“This year’s festival alone features 402 artists across 40 events and includes seven new works commissioned by New Annual.

“This festival is uniquely shaped by Newcastle, inspired by its coastline, communities, histories and unmistakable character.

“We’re delivering experiences that couldn’t happen anywhere else – and that you won’t see anywhere else – ensuring this year’s New Annual will be an experience to remember.”

The sixth edition of the festival kicks off tomorrow and runs from 25 September to 4 October, with an abundance of free and low-cost ticketed performances for audiences of all ages.

Pluta’s immersive work in the Canoe Pool encourages viewers on land – and in the water – to experience the familiar location in a new way.

Cavitation: Breathing Ocean uses sea floats collected from coastlines in Far North Queensland to create a beautiful, buoyant installation that shifts with the tides.

Accompanied by an exhibition at The Lock-Up, Cavitation explores how water carries people, objects and histories across places, reflecting the Polish-born artist’s own experience of migration and her connection to water as a swimmer and diver.

Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub will also make the Canoe Pool their stage in At Sea, a new 30-minute performance at the water’s edge that will see dancers move with the tide, wind and sand to an original score by Zackari Watt.

Shaped by place and performed each morning at 8am, the newly commissioned work will be followed by a public dance workshop that encourages audiences to become part of the experience.

The people and places of Newcastle are also inextricably linked to the third new work making its debut on the festival’s opening weekend, Petite Suite.

The highly anticipated experience, which has been created by Sydney arts organisation Brand X and is already sold out, will transform Cooks Hill’s much-loved Oriental Hotel into an immersive performance space.

“Hotel Manager” Drew Fairley will invite participants to step into unexpected worlds within seven of the hotel’s rooms and become part of the surprising performances by local and national artists and collectives.

The remaining new commissions will make their debuts throughout the rest of the festival, however there’s plenty more to see on the opening weekend, with a packed program of art, music, theatre and hands-on creativity.

Laman Street will be closed to traffic on Friday 25 September for the free First Night Art Party featuring powerhouse female performers Aleksiah, Djanaba, and Ngaiire, while Newcastle-based Samoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia launches her new exhibition Muse inside Newcastle Art Gallery.

The Civic precinct will come alive throughout the weekend, with exhibitions and performances at Civic Park (Loca Vida at the Spiegeltent), The Playhouse (Truck Driver), Newcastle Museum (Framed in Sound: selected works of Tony Mott) and Museum Park (Curtain Call: Strut Your Stuff).

Watt Space Gallery will host the Night Flowers exhibition showcasing more than 100 images from University of Newcastle alumni Damien Frost, which were captured over a decade in London and extended for New Annual with new portraits of Newcastle’s queer and alternative communities. Frost’s work has also inspired a one-night-only after-dark art party taking over Bartholomews on 26 September.

The opening weekend includes the highly anticipated return of the free SOAK sunset music sessions at the Newcastle Ocean Baths, with ARIA award-winning electronic music pioneers Hermitude pairing up with Newcastle-based DJ Claire O’Brien on 26 September, followed by a night celebrating Newcastle’s thriving jazz culture on 27 September.

Newcastle’s coastline will also set the scene for Sea Stories, inviting audiences to grab a headset and enjoy a communal listening experience as the sun rises over Dixon Park Beach.

Created by Melbourne theatre maker Roslyn Oades, the audio journey was inspired by interviews with extraordinary water-loving Novocastrians who explain how the ocean has been a transformative force in the face of life’s challenges.

Visitors to Dixon Park Beach can also check out the work of Newcastle’s award-winning ocean and coast-life photographer Penelope Green, whose series of captivating photographs will be displayed along the promenade fence, celebrating the city’s ocean swimming community.

New Annual is delivered by City of Newcastle and proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, Multicultural NSW, Transport for NSW and Create NSW. The University of Newcastle returns as a presenting partner for the 2026 event.

Visit the New Annual website for all the details.

New commissions premiering at New Annual

Cavitation (25 Sept – 4 Oct) at the Canoe Pool: Izabela Pluta’s monumental art installation, with an accompanying exhibition at The Lock-Up Gallery
Petite Suite (25-27 Sept) at the Oriental Hotel: Brand X transforms seven hotel rooms into seven intimate theatrical encounters inspired by one of Newcastle’s most beloved pubs
At Sea (26-29 Sept, 1-4 Oct) at the Canoe Pool: free daily 8am performance performed at the water’s edge by Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub to an original score by Zackari Watt.
Triceratop (30 Sept – 4 Oct) at University House: a wildly inventive one-person gay dinosaur love story with climate change in its sights.
Lenny’s Country (30 Sept) at the Carrington Foreshore: a joyful community celebration of local Indigenous culture led by Curious Legends at Nan’s Place
Bizarre Newcastle (1 Oct) at King Street: newly commissioned film by Stories of Our Town uncovering 10 extraordinary local tales, followed by live cabaret and music from Steve Abbott (Sandman), Christa Hughes, DJ Maynard, Pucko and host Chit Chat
Press Play (1-3 Oct) at the Playhouse: celebrating 50 years of Tantrum Youth Arts with an interactive theatrical adventure for young imaginations

Australian-first exhibitions showcase Newcastle Art Gallery’s expanded vision

The expanded Newcastle Art Gallery is flexing its curatorial muscle, unveiling two Australian premieres today including its first international exhibition since reopening in February.

The new exhibitions feature the work of globally recognised Newcastle-based artist Angela Tiatia, and Tokyo and London based art duo A.A.Murakami.

Angela Tiatia and Lauretta Morton Artist Angela Tiatia and Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM celebrate the launch of Angela Tiatia: Muse.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said City of Newcastle’s expansion of the gallery was about more than just gaining additional exhibition space.

“The expansion gave us physical scale, but the real transformation came from expanding our thinking about what our state-of-the-art institution should offer,” Ms Morton said.

“We celebrate local and national artists and champion artists of global impact, creating world-class exhibitions that engage people with the transformational power of art.

“Angela Tiatia is one of the most vital voices in contemporary Australian art, and we’re incredibly proud to present the first major survey of her career here in Newcastle, the city she currently calls home.

“Combine this with A.A.Murakami’s beautiful, immersive sculptural installation, which is on display for the first time in Australia, and you’ve got a truly unforgettable experience at Newcastle Art Gallery.”

Featuring video, photography and installation, Angela Tiatia: Muse will bring together the artist’s most significant works across two decades.

The ticketed exhibition traces the arc of the Sāmoan/Australian artist’s multi-disciplinary career, from her earliest practice in which she turned the camera on herself as subject, through to grander-scale works incorporating larger, ensemble casts.

Alongside Muse, Newcastle Art Gallery will also present the first gallery showing of The Matildas, 2025 outside the National Portrait Gallery, which commissioned the work.

Filmed across three continents, five cities and seven shoots, the 23-minute video portrait captures the presence, emotion and mental focus of all 23 players from the CommBank Matildas FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Squad, including Newcastle’s own Emily van Egmond and Clare Wheeler.

Suzie Galwey and Lauretta Morton Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation Chair Suzie Galwey and Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM take a first look at A.A.Murakami: New Spring.

The Gallery’s premieres continue with the presentation of A.A.Murakami’s New Spring, on display for the first time in Australia thanks to the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation as the major global exhibition supporter.

The multisensory work was created by Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves as part of their ephemeral technology series, in which the artists make their own machines to recreate natural phenomena.

The installation will see luminous mist-filled bubbles bloom and fall like flowers from three tree-like sculptures during the course of the exhibition.

Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation Chair Suzie Galwey said the Foundation was thrilled to help bring such an important international exhibition to Newcastle.

“As the Gallery’s major philanthropic supporter, the Foundation is delighted to support the activation of our wonderful new Gallery and bring ambitious international exhibitions to our community,” Ms Galwey said.

“We are incredibly proud to play a part in making this possible, and I would like to sincerely thank our donors for their unwavering generosity and support. Their commitment enables the Gallery to deliver extraordinary experiences for the Newcastle community and beyond.”

Capping off the new works of art on display at the Gallery is the installation of the second window commission in the Learning Studio, which faces onto Darby Street.

It showcases Hunter-based artist Indeah Clark, whose large-scale graphic depicts a network of faces, reflecting the people and places that shape our sense of self and belonging.

Tickets for Angela Tiatia: Muse are on sale via the Newcastle Art Gallery website. Entry to The Matildas, 2025 is free to the public, with both exhibitions running from 26 September 2026 to 7 February 2027.

New Spring will be on display from 26 September 2026 to 31 January 2027 with free entry to the public, while Clarke’s window commission will remain in place until 26 September 2027.

The new exhibitions are opening alongside City of Newcastle’s flagship multi-arts festival, New Annual, which features 10 days of art, music, theatre and performance from 25 September to 4 October 2026.

The full program for New Annual is available at www.newannual.com.

Last chance to check out New Annual program

Gravity-defying acrobatics, a raucous rock opera, group dance dynamics and the city’s most scenic stage are set to cap off another hugely successful New Annual festival.

Starting off its 10-day program with a series of sold-out shows, record-breaking crowds and events extended by popular demand, City of Newcastle’s flagship arts festival will power into its closing weekend with a diverse line-up of music, art and ideas.

Circa Contemporary Circus acrobats Acrobats from Circa Contemporary Circus preparing from their production of Wolf, which is on at the Civic Theatre on Friday night and Saturday afternoon as part of the New Annual festival.

New Annual Festival Director Tory Loudon said audiences had embraced the opportunity to experience the unexpected and unforgettable.

“New Annual is all about bringing art to the audiences across our beaches, ocean baths, parks and plazas, alongside the more traditional cultural venues, and the response to the festival this year has been outstanding,” Ms Loudon said.

“It’s been wonderful to see audiences engaging with the program from dawn to dusk and late into the night, creating a real buzz across the city from Sea Stories at Dixon Park Beach to First Night Art Party in Laman Street and the costumed delight of the Twisted Night Flowers Party at Bartholomews.

“The return of SOAK to the Newcastle Ocean Baths smashed all our expectations, with more than 5,000 people getting into the vibe with Hermitude and Claire O’Brien on its opening night.

“We’ve also had eight events totally sell out and have extended the run of Damien Frost’s Night Flowers exhibition at Watt Space Gallery to meet demand.

“There’s plenty more to come with the closing weekend offering your first chance to see a number of shows on the program, so I hope everyone jumps online to see what’s in store for the rest of New Annual.”

The civic precinct will be the vibrant heart of the weekend’s activities, with events and performances across the Civic Theatre, The Playhouse, Civic Park, Newcastle Museum, Newcastle Art Gallery, Wheeler Place, City Hall, Watt Space Gallery and University House.

This includes the Newcastle debut of the gravity-defying acrobatic production Wolf by internationally renowned contemporary circus company Circa, presented as a collaboration between Newcastle Civic Theatre and New Annual.

Having wowed the crowds at Edinburgh Fringe and toured 12 countries around the world, Wolf will take to the Civic Theatre stage on Friday night and Saturday afternoon with a thrilling mix of acrobatics, artistry and primal instincts as 10 performers push their bodies to the limit.

From raw energy to spirited conversations, Civic Theatre will also host renowned journalists Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales as they bring their live, unscripted and gloriously opinionated podcast Chat 10, Looks 3 to Newcastle on Saturday night.

The Playhouse will offer plenty of action across the weekend, from the rock opera gig-theatre work AUTO-TUNE from re:group performance collective, which channels Silverchair obsession, millennial culture and questionable decisions, to the chaotic celebration of 50 years of Tantrum Youth Arts with an interactive theatrical adventure Press Play.

University House hosts the debut of the locally produced show Triceratop across the weekend, blending cabaret, sci‑fi, storytelling and unapologetic camp humour, while City Hall offers All In on Friday night, an immersive celebration of dance by Dance Makers Collective in collaboration with three local dance groups, followed by an “all-in” opportunity for the audiences to show off their own dance moves.

New Annual has plenty more on offer beyond the civic precinct, including the final two free sunset music sessions of SOAK featuring Gomeroi hip hop artist Kobie Dee alongside the soulful Pasifika sounds of 92WRLD on Friday followed by Karen Lee Andrews on Saturday night, blending soul, blues, gospel and rock with her Polynesian heritage.

Visit the New Annual website for all the details.

New Annual’s closing weekend highlights

All In at City Hall: Dance Makers Collective bring together professional dancers and three local dance schools for a joyful large-scale performance
AUTO-TUNE at the Playhouse: a riotous gig-theatre work from re:group performance collective that channels Silverchair obsession, millennial culture and questionable decisions, all told through original music – stay after the show each night for a free gig from local bands
Chat 10, Looks 3 Live at Civic Theatre: Renowned journalists Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales bringing their celebrated podcast to the stage
Curtain Call: Strut Your Stuff at Museum Park: Melbourne collective Fast Fashun invite festivalgoers to create wearable art from recycled clothing before taking to the runway
Global Table at Wheeler Place: world-class food, live performance, and cultural storytelling hosted by writer Benjamin Law and writer and comedian Jennifer Wong
Muse at Newcastle Art Gallery: a 20-year survey of work created by internationally acclaimed Newcastle artist Angela Tiatia
Praxis at Newcastle Art Gallery: pairing local visual artists and choreographers to create new collaborative works
Press Play at the Playhouse: celebrating 50 years of Tantrum Youth Arts with an interactive theatrical adventure for young imaginations
SOAK: Live at the Baths at the Newcastle Ocean Baths: free sunset sessions curated by Urthboy (Tim Levison), with live music from 92Wrld & Kobie Dee, and Karen Lee Andrews
The Spiegeltent with Loca Vida at Civic Park: cabaret, comedy and late-night spectacle
Through the Lens of Tony Mott at Newcastle Museum: four decades of iconic Australian and international rock photography
Triceratop at University House: a wildly inventive one-person gay dinosaur love story with climate change in its sights
Wolf at Civic Theatre: a thrilling mix of acrobatics, artistry and primal instincts from internationally renowned contemporary circus company, Circa

Media statement – Wallsend incident

Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris

What began as a morning of pride and celebration for Novocastrians to support our Newcastle Knights has now been marked by a very serious incident, and as a community, we’re heartbroken.

My thoughts are with the people who were hurt, their families and loved ones, as well as those who were there and saw it, many of whom were children and families there to cheer on the team.

This terrible incident is hard, and it’s okay to feel it.

In the days and weeks ahead, we as the Newcastle and Hunter community need to come together with heart, soul and empathy.

We are a strong community and we will support each other.

Our prayers are with those involved.

$6.95 million boost for New England and Northern Tablelands Active Regional Communities

The Minns Labor Government is investing $6.95 million into 17 community-led projects across New England and the Northern Tablelands region helping make towns more liveable, connected and vibrant places to live.

The grants are part of the Minns Government’s $50 million Active Regional Communities Package, designed to support local and practical projects that make towns more liveable, connected and attractive places to work and call home.

A connected community retains its workers and families, plus attracts essential workers such as teachers, police, nurses and vets that are critical to maintaining the vitality of regional towns.

The successful New England and Northern Tablelands projects include:

$1,502,087 for Angry Bull Trails Limited to deliver a covered stage and event pavilion in Tenterfield, supporting live music, festivals, markets, youth and cycling events, increasing use of the Angry Bull Trails precinct and strengthening local liveability and economic activity.
$999,968 for Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council to expand the Fresh Footprints operations hub, supporting earlier intervention, mentoring, practical skills training and transport for at-risk young people while delivering community infrastructure and amenity improvements across Tamworth.
$364,810 for North Star Sporting Club in Gwydir for making safe amenities for all participants in sports at the venue.
$100,000 for Nowendoc Recreation Reserve Land Manager in Walcha to upgrade the kitchen and water infrastructure.
$71,745 for Armidale Rams Junior RLFC to upgrade and make repairs of the Clubhouse.

Projects are receiving funding for events, sporting and community infrastructure, local activities, cultural programs, youth and employment support, and neighbourhood initiatives.

The package is part of more than $223 million that has been invested by the Minns Government’s Regional Development Trust Fund, into providing strategic and sustainable projects that grow regional and rural industries, businesses, communities and local facilities.

For more information, go to: nsw.gov.au/regionaldevelopmenttrust

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“This tranche of 17 New England and Northern Tablelands projects is part of the Minns Government’s plan to invest in local projects that make a practical, positive difference in towns right across the region.

“The people of New England and Northern Tablelands know what will make the biggest difference locally, and these projects show the depth of ideas, leadership and ambition in towns across the region.

“From events and sporting facilities to cultural programs, shared spaces and practical local services, this package will help more people participate locally and give communities assets and activities they can build on.

“Strong communities are the foundation of strong regional economies, and this investment will help deliver a more cohesive, active and connected region.”