LATEST >
‘Woke’: Australian teaching must hold tight to the fair go
Nuclear support melting down; water question unanswered
After a bushfire, people need new housing fast. This might be the answer
Why regional communities need local news to be told
OPINION >
‘Woke’: Australian teaching must hold tight to the fair go
When asked last week what he would do about the “the woke agenda” in education, federal opposition leader Peter Dutton raised the prospect of tying government funding to teaching of the curriculum.
After a bushfire, people need new housing fast. This might be the answer
Australia’s experience with modular housing after the 2019-20 bushfires is helping shape disaster recovery solutions in LA, showcasing how Aussie innovation supports fast, sustainable rebuilding worldwide.
Why regional communities need local news to be told
Provision of local news is critical to healthy and engaged regional communities. It is vital local news coverage is supported as traditional outlets cut back.
Education at Risk
Local educator Denise McHugh says Dutton’s relentless attacks on education are an insult and need to be called out.
Repositioning the perception of public transport and active mobility to counter car dependency
The most significant national health emergency of our recent lifetime and experience officially came to an end on 20 October, 2023, when the Australian government declared that COVID-19 was no longer a communicable disease of national significance.
POLITICS >
Could this election campaign be less inspiring?
RK Crosby asks where have all the good leaders gone?
The new kids shaping the election block
Gen Z and other relatively young Australians who feel they owe little to major parties are an unpredictable voting force heading into the 2025 federal election.
The end of coal and the fake nuclear energy campaign
The end of coal and the case for renewables driving Australia’s energy future is irresistible and backed by facts, unlike campaigns pushing the nuclear furphy.
LOCAL >
Need for Public Transport in northern New England
ENGAGE POLL >
EDITORIAL >
What cost of living crisis?
In our Engage Poll on Cost of Living the majority of local respondents believed there was a crisis… somewhere else happening to other people.
A ‘miracle’ required for Labor to ever win over New England
While Labor’s lack of support in the New England is not exactly breaking news, the comments did reveal some interesting insights, that do align with last week’s finding that many locals feel the Nationals have abandoned us.
Time to call BS on the PBS
One in three New Englanders is taking a medication not covered by the PBS. The reduction in the PBS copay from $30 to $25 will not help them at all.
SOCIAL ISSUES >
Maybe the problem isn’t critical thinking, but how we assess it
There is a growing concern that Australia’s university students lack critical thinking, but maybe the problem is how we teach and assess it
Closing the Gap: A call for Indigenous-led solutions and redefining success
On another Closing the Gap Day we are once again confronted with the same disappointing reality – only four of 19 Closing the Gap (CTG) targets, some originally pledged in 2007, are on track. Despite repeated commitments from governments and institutions, the results remain stagnant.
ENVIRONMENT >
Affordability must drive Australia’s energy debate
Australians for Affordable Energy is urging policymakers to back the most affordable energy options following new research from the Clean Energy Council
SOLUTIONS >
Risky business: Bridging the insurance gap
Australians facing steep insurance premium rises in a world of disasters are sharing a global problem. The solutions are out there, but they are complex.
Can playing games like Wordle help improve work and workplaces?
Don’t feel guilty, that sneaky little game at work may be boosting your productivity.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT >
Selling your old laptop or phone? You might be handing over your data too
You’re about to recycle your laptop or your phone, so you delete all your photos and personal files. Maybe you even reset the device to factory settings.
How digital giants let poll scrutiny fall
A seismic change in the social media landscape has huge ramifications heading towards the Australian federal election — for politicians as well as those who would monitor them.
LETTERS >
Nuclear support melting down; water question unanswered
RE-Alliance has been working with rural and regional communities navigating energy projects for more than a decade. We recently released polling across several proposed nuclear communities, which found support for nuclear reactors in those communities was very low. The polling of 1250 regional residents was conducted by respected research firm 89 Degrees East, which is a member of the Research Society of Australia. The data revealed only 22% of people in Central West NSW support nuclear, 24%…
Keep readingNo cost of living relief from the Coalition
Voters pinning their hopes on cost of living relief from a Coalition government should think again. Peter Dutton’s shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, was asked repeatedly on ABC radio recently to name a single Coalition policy to combat cost of living pressures. Each time he failed to name one, eventually claiming that “good economic management” and “managing taxpayers’ money very, very…
Keep readingParallel elections in Australia and Canada
Since the late March 2025 announcement of election dates, electoral opinion polls in both Australia and Canada have shown dramatic shifts. Prior to these announcements, opposition parties in both countries were consistently leading the polls and were considered near-unbeatable contenders for victory. However, following the official confirmation of election dates—Australia’s for May 3, 2025, and Canada’s for April 28, 2025—the…
Keep readingHas Barnaby gone quiet on Nuclear?
Peter Dutton says his nuclear power policy is “probably the biggest energy economic policy offered by an opposition in our country’s history.” So why have Dutton and Barnaby Joyce, a man not averse to spruiking, gone strangely silent on nuclear? Maybe it’s that recent nuclear projects around the world have been plagued by massive cost blowouts and delays. Or maybe…
Keep readingLATEST COMMENTS >
The problem with Armidale news media over the past 60+years has been the political bias in reporting that has strongly…
Another prescription that is not covered is for the skin cancer cream. At $65 a small tube, it is something…
QUICK WORD >
QW: So not everyone has Sky News?
I only just learned tonight while talking about the debate that people in the cities have to pay for Sky News – it’s only in regional areas you can watch for free. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing? Is this why we seem to be on completely different pages?
QW: trains are a pipe dream
It’s the restoration of rail north of Armidale that’s the pipe dream. Not going to happen. A more realistic and affordable option would be to fund an addition bus service/s.
QW: Promises, promises…
(In response to the Coalition Budget Reply) We were promised a gas led recovery when they were last elected and it never happened.
QW: Barnaby, where art thou?
Is it just me, or is our perfervid local member always somewhere else? This close to an election one would expect him to show his face, or say something, or do something. It was good to see him getting to the new parts of the electorate, visiting Warialda and Gravesend… although whoever is doing his Facebook updates apparently doesn’t know that Gravesend is one word, not two. But today, he’s again not here, campaigning elsewhere on someone else’s issues. I’d just like him to care about us for a change.
QW: Footpaths not flyovers
Appreciated the comments about the pursuit of the tourist dollar over basic amenity in Armidale. I’d give anything for a footpath in my street, much prefer that than a flyover that lasts a few minutes.
QW: Alfred the Fizzer
I know that all the warnings were necessary… but we would have really liked a good six inches of rain. So far just 10ml in the gage and it looks like Alfred’s going to miss us entirely.
QW: Gossip hurts us all
Like others, I am concerned about the reports of crime – but more concerned about how much of it is not true, or is just gossip. Who gains from exaggerated and false claims of crime in our community?