Citizenship Ceremony in Armidale

It was wonderful to attend a Citizenship Ceremony in Armidale this week and warmly welcome our new Australian citizens. Our new citizens were beaming with joy and pride in becoming Aussies and that reinforced to me how lucky we are to live in this great country!

Armidale Urban Rivercare Group inspection of Dumaresq Creek

I was chuffed to spend some time with an amazing group of environmental stewards who are slowly, but surely, turning an Armidale waterway from weed choked to flourishing native habitats.

The Armidale Urban Rivercare Group led by the tireless Bruce Whan, has over the past 23 years under the guidance of Southern New England Landcare Ltd, worked with an army of volunteers to clear woody weeds, control unwanted vegetation and re-establish native plants. This work is still underway, and I inspected the most recent area of rehabilitation on Dumaresq Creek which secured a state government grant of $290,000 in 2021 to regenerate a 450-metre section.

The area is looking fantastic and while we were there enjoying the spring sunshine, dog walkers, cyclists and walkers were making the most of this oasis. I commend the commitment of these groups and the many volunteers who have committed a couple of decades of work to make our urban environment more liveable and accessible for all.

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards

I had the pleasure of presenting certificates at the New England Northern Inland Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards Ceremony yesterday held at the Armidale Bowling Club.

The NSW Volunteer Awards are held each year to recognise and thank the millions of volunteers striving each day to build stronger, more diverse communities across the State. I was honoured to be able to thank these wonderful volunteers for their ongoing commitment, dedication and who generously give up their time to help others.

A special congratulations to Matt Lynch from BackTrack Youth Works for winning the New England Northern Inland Volunteer of the Year.

The New England Northern Inland Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards Ceremony was held last week.

NSW Women of the Year Awards 2025 nominations now open

The NSW Women of the Year Awards 2025 are now open, and I’m encouraging you to make a nomination. The awards are an opportunity to recognise outstanding women in our local communities.

If you know a woman who is inspiring and remarkable, who has achieved great things for our region, I encourage you to make a nomination.

For NSW Women of the Year, the 5 award categories include:

• Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence
• NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year
• NSW Community Hero
• NSW Regional Woman of the Year
• NSW Young Woman of the Year

Nominations have also opened for the Ones to Watch category which recognises exemplary girls between the ages of 7 and 15. It is a terrific opportunity to recognise and celebrate women and girls who inspire us with their actions.

The NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 6 March 2025 as part of the NSW Women’s Week 2025. Nominations are open until 11:59pm on 15th September.

For more information visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/awards-and-events/nsw-women-of-year-awards

$25,549 in funding for Inverell Girl Guides

Inverell Girl Guides have a fresh spark in the form of a $25,549 Community Building Partnership grant for an electrical upgrade.

I visited the Girl Guide Hall earlier this week to announce the funding which will be used for new lighting and air conditioning.

The Inverell Girl Guides are celebrating their centenary year, and I was thrilled to drop in to deliver the good news about their Campbell Street Hall.

Committee members are flat out preparing for their Centenary Fete this Saturday so the news couldn’t have come at a better time.

New lighting and air conditioning will be installed which is warmly welcomed. The current heaters are unsafe, and the lighting around the Hall dull.

A new switchboard will be installed as well as rewiring, new lighting, safety switches, emergency exit lights and two air conditioners.

With these upgrades, the Hall will become more user friendly and energy efficient. Well done Inverell Girl Guides!

This weekend

Finally, best of luck to all teams playing in Grand Finals this weekend, especially the Moree Boars!

I’ll be at Bellevue tomorrow for the New England Rugby grand-final.

Commentary by Member for Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan