Trackside is a new youth hub and community centre which opened in Armidale on Tuesday.
The old cadet building near the Armidale railway station was renovated with a grant from Transport for NSW and the facility will be operated by Armidale Women’s Shelter.
It offers safe rooms where young people doing it tough can sleep, as well as common areas, kitchen, laundry and bathroom facilities.
I hope the community gets behind the new facility.
Congratulations to everyone involved in getting this running, particularly to Armidale Women’s Shelter chief executive officer Penny Lamaro.
Roads
The NSW Budget will be handed down in Parliament next week and I have appealed to the Minns Government to allocate more money to our regions, particularly our roads.
The New England Highway is still a pothole-ridden mess, one month on from the NSW east coast floods. There has been some crews and funding allocated to repair damage but, so far, that has made little difference. Motorists are still navigating torn up parts of the New England Highway with many people reporting blown tyres and damage to vehicles.
It is time Premier Chris Minns showed some leadership and started investing money back into our region.
Our community deserves better.
New England North West housing report
I met with community leaders from across the region at modular home manufacturer, Uniplan, in Armidale on Tuesday with Business NSW handing down their Housing in New England North West report.
The report has been 18 months in the making and highlights key issues and recommendations to address the current housing crisis in our region.
Recommendations included reforms to council planning processes, zoning, simplifying bank loans for modular homes and investing in those modular homes.
I will be raising these recommendations when I head back to NSW Parliament next week.
Community leaders came together for a briefing as Business NSW handed down their Housing in New England North West report.
Funding for Wellingrove Memorial Hall
I visited the community of Wellingrove on Thursday to announce funding for their Memorial Hall.
The hall’s memorial fence will be stripped and repainted to conserve it for future generations thanks to a grant from the Community War Memorials Fund.
The hall is nearly 100 years old and holds the Wellingrove Honor Roll which lists the names of locals who served in the first and second World Wars.
The hall is an important part of the Wellingrove community. Not only is it their war memorial, it is a spot where members of the community gather.
Submissions open for inquiry into illegal tobacco trade
Submissions are now open for the NSW Legislative Council’s inquiry into the illegal tobacco trade in NSW.
The inquiry will examine a wide range of issues surrounding the black-market tobacco trade and its impact on local communities and small businesses.
The inquiry provides an opportunity for various stakeholders, including industry experts, small businesses, health professionals and law enforcement agencies to have their say on the impact of the illegal tobacco trade.
Submissions close one August 1, 2025 and can be made at Submissions Open for Inquiry into Illegal Tobacco Trade.
Community Recognition Statements
As your local member, I have the opportunity to recognise, congratulate and thank individuals or groups within our community in a one-minute statement every Parliamentary sitting day.
These are known as Community Recognition Statements.
If you know of a person or group you believe worthy of recognition, please contact my office via email at northerntablelands@parliament.nsw.gov.au, phone our offices on 02 6752 5002 (Moree), 02 6772 5552 (Armidale) or 02 6728 8320 (Inverell).
Not every suggestion can receive a CRS but I will endeavour to ensure they are recognised.
Please note, Community Recognition Statements cannot contain matters of policy, requests for actions or criticisms and negative reflections on any person.
Australia Post community grants
Applications are now open for Australia Post’s 2025 Community Grants program.
Grants of up to $10,000 are available for locally led and delivered projects that improve mental wellbeing outcomes and help people meaningfully connect in their community.
This year, Australia Post is expanding its grants program with an additional $250,000 available to support projects that enhance mental wellbeing, connection and resilience in disaster-impacted communities.
Applications close July 7 with information on how to apply available at Australia Post Community Grants.
Service NSW mobile centres
Service NSW is bringing their mobile service centre to Yetman and Deepwater.
The mobile service centre can help with driver knowledge tests, drivers licence applications and renewals, working with children check, birth, death and marriage certificates, and more.
The mobile service centre will be at Yetman Store car park 1 River Street on Tuesday, July 15 from 10am to 3pm.
The mobile service centre will be at Apex Park, 30 Young Street, Deepwater Thursday, July 17 from 9am to 11.30am.
Commentary by Brendan Moylan, Member for Northern Tablelands
