Parliament resumed this week for the second week of the October sittings.

This week, I delivered Community Recognition Statements on Starlogixs of Deepwater, Inverell’s Marie Tanner, Emmaville Central School, Inverell Community Kitchen’s Zoe Hannam, Armidale’s Neil Horton, The Heart of Glen Innes, Moree locals supporting palliative care patients, NERAM’s Packsaddle Art Exhibition, Glen Innes Op Shop, Moree’s Penny Jones, Walcha artist James Rogers, and the Armidale CWA branch.

I tabled Question’s On Notice on transmission line infrastructure, the NSW Rural Health Workforce Scheme, council road funding, the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020, bail decisions, the transmission line route from Bayswater to the NEREZ, Operation Soteria, the Moree crime package, and the construction of the Glen Innes women’s and children’s refuge.

I put forward a notice of Motion on the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme classifications being downgraded by NSW Health.

My Private Members’ Statement was also on the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme.

The downgrades made by NSW Health to the classifications of our highly-skilled rural and regional health workers makes no sense. Our nurses are worse off. I have urged the Minns Labor Government to intervene.

Nurses face pay hit

NSW Health are ripping away financial incentives from some of the region’s most essential frontline health workers.

Nurses across the Northern Tablelands have been told they will lose their existing Rural Health Workforce Incentive payments after NSW Health reclassified their positions.

The incentive payments were introduced in 2022 to attract and retain nurses, and allied health professionals in rural and remote hospitals. Under the Minns Labor Government, Hunter New England Health has downgraded are removed the incentive from numerous positions which means our dedicated staff will receive a pay cut.

This decision makes no sense.

The scheme was working, and it was keeping staff in some of our remote and rural areas. Our rural health workers deserve better and I will continue to fight for them in NSW Parliament.

The Lions District Convention was held in Armidale last weekend.

Creative Streets Festival

Armidale’s Marsh Street was transformed into a vibrant hub last Friday for the opening night of the inaugural Creative Streets Festival.

A total of $345,000 was secured from the NSW Government to bring the festival to life.

More than 5000 people turned up for the opening night to see the local art, theatre, workshops, music, dance, acrobatics and food on offer.

Lions conference

More than 100 Lions Club members from northern New South Wales visited Armidale at the weekend for the 201N1 Lions District Convention.

Lions is a fantastic organisation, and its members give their time generously to make a real difference to the lives of people within the community.

The convention offered opportunities to learn, share ideas, celebrate what has been achieved and build connections.

It was an honour to be invited to the Lions convention and deliver a welcome speech. Well done to the Armidale Dumaresq Lions Club committee who worked tirelessly to put the event together.

Funding for Glen Innes Mineral and Gem Club Hall

A total of $28,973 has been secured from the Community Partnership Program to make upgrades to the Annie Stephenson Memorial Girl Guides Hall in Glen Innes which is the home of the Mineral and Gem Club.

The hall is a central place for many of the community’s clubs and organisations and it will have air conditioning installed and the floor resurfaced. Congratulations to Armidale Regional Council for putting this together. It is a fantastic event for the town. It continues until 7 November.

CWA Gwydir AGM

The CWA Gwydir group gathered at the Myall Creek Hall on Saturday for their Annual General Meeting.

It brought together CWA representatives from across the region and saw lots of topics concerning regional and rural residents covered. Kate Dight, Mayor of Inverell and I attended the meeting.

Service NSW mobile centres

Service NSW is bringing their mobile service centre to Yetman, Ashford, Deepwater, Guyra and Uralla. 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, November 18, 2025 from 10am until 3pm.

The mobile service centre will be at School Tennis Courts, 39 Albury Street, Ashford on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 from 10am until 3pm.

The mobile service centre will be at Apex Park, 30 Young Street, Deepwater on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 9am until 11.30am.

The mobile service centre will be at Public Car Park, 119 Bradley Street, Guyra on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 from 9am until midday.

The mobile service centre will be at Apex Memorial Park, 55 Bridge Street, Uralla on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 from 1.30pm until 4pm.

What’s On

As always, there is plenty on in the region.

October 23-25: The Revue a Musical Time Machine at Armidale Town Hall. Proceeds Dementia Australia;

October 25: 2025 Sapphire City Festival Finale Evening at Inverell;

October 25: Uralla Thunderbolt’s Festival;

October 25: Bridgerton Charity Ball in Glen Innes;

October 25: Walcha CWA 100 years celebrations;

November 1-2: New England Garden Festival at Armidale Racecourse; and

November 8-9: Bundarra Garden Festival

Please reach out if I can help with any State Government matters.

Commentary by Brendan Moylan, Member for Northern Tablelands