Moree Giants launch junior rugby league season on a winning note
HUNDREDS of kids – boys and girls – pulled on their jerseys and laced up the footy boots at Boughton Oval on Saturday to launch the Moree Giants’ 2026 junior rugby league season. The Giants hosted Inverell Hawks across three fields, with under-6s through to under-17s girls running on. Moree Giants club president Steve Cory
Meet Australia’s biosecurity top dogs
WHEN it comes to stopping biosecurity threats at the border, some of Australia’s most effective frontline defenders walk on four legs. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has named detector dog Ghost as its Top Dog for 2025, recognising an exceptional year of service protecting Australia from exotic pests and diseases. The Top Dog
Public consultation to commence on New England rail trail framework
ARMIDALE Regional Council has started public consultation as part of the preliminary works being undertaken on the New England Rail Trail Framework following the project’s endorsement at the October 2025 council meeting. The New England Rail Trail proposal aims to revitalise the disused Great Northern Rail corridor between Armidale and Glen Innes, transforming it into
Moree’s Karen Tighe fulfils role as NSW Indigenous women’s cricket team assistant coach
KAREN Tighe is back home in Moree after completing her role as assistant coach of the New South Wales Indigenous women’s cricket team, runners-up to Victoria in the women’s grand-final at the National Indigenous Cricket Championships in Mackay recently. Tighe, selected alongside fellow assistant coach Zoya Thakur and head coach Kerry Marshall, is one of
Moree Christian School information session May 6 for prospective 2027 kindergarten students
MOREE Christian School will on Wednesday, May 6, welcome prospective 2027 Kindergarten children and their parents and carers to the school for an information afternoon. The one-hour session, scheduled for 3.30pm, will brief parents and carers about their children’s first year at Moree Christian School. Acting principal Emily Cobb said kindergarten is an important step
Brendan Moylan’s Weekly Report
A total of $298,600 was secured to extend BackTrack’s successful Night Crew program. The program sees youth workers on Armidale streets three nights per week to engage with vulnerable young people. It was first trialled for 12 weeks in 2025 with fantastic results, including a significant reduction in break-ins and reported stolen vehicles. Armidale Regional
Armidale’s BackTrack’s night crew program here to stay with funding boost
MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan welcomed further funding to extend the operation of BackTrack’s successful Night Crew program in Armidale. The Night Crew program sees youth workers active on Armidale streets between 8pm and 7am three nights per week to engage young people at risk. It was initially trialled in early 2025 after BackTrack
General manager Natalia Cowley resigns from Moree Plains Shire Council
MOREE Plains Shire Council general manager Natalia Cowley has resigned. Ms Cowley was employed as interim general manager in January last year, and was appointed to a permanent position 12 months ago. “It has been an absolute privilege to serve the Moree Plains community and to work alongside the mayor, councillors, staff, community groups and
Grain-growers anxiously peer skyward as winter cropping draws closer
LAND-HOLDERS across much of north-western New South Wales and southern Queensland are anxiously peering skyward in the hope of rain – and plenty of it – as they prepare for planting season in the coming weeks. There is rain predicted over the next fortnight, with good falls expected in the second week of this month.
Full house welcomes new season of exhibitions at BAMM
A vibrant and celebratory atmosphere filled Bank Art Museum Moree last Thursday evening, as a full house gathered to mark the opening of four major new exhibitions to signal another dynamic chapter in the gallery’s 2026 program. Running until May 30, the exhibitions bring together a compelling mix of contemporary practice, each offering distinct perspectives










































































