The road to reopening has been a long and treacherous one for Jenolan Caves but the end is finally in sight. The iconic natural wonder will reopen to the public in 2027 for the first time in years. Fires, floods, and global pandemics have seen Jenolan Caves closed more days than open since 2020. Transport…
Federal Nationals Member for Lyne Alison Penfold is calling on local small business owners to “get it off their liver” by taking part in a new survey designed to put the real experiences of regional businesses back at the centre of policy making. Launching The Bottom Line: Small Business Reality Survey, Ms Penfold said governments…
The 2026 COSBOA Small Business Perspectives Report confirms a worrying a trend for our regional small business sector, with owners operating on tighter margins, with fewer services, and at growing personal cost. Nationals Leader and Shadow Minister for Small Business, Gurmesh Singh, said the report confirms what business owners across regional NSW have been telling…
Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said Labor had failed Australian exporters after the Trump Administration confirmed a 12.5 per cent tariff on certain Australian exports. Senator Canavan said while the tariffs are unjustified and inconsistent with the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, Labor had failed to do the work to secure a lower tariff rate for…
NSW is leading the country in business insolvencies, with more than 5,300 businesses going under last year as Labor’s high-tax, high-cost economy continues to put pressure on employers. The latest data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) underscores the need for The Nationals’ plan to cut payroll tax and make it easier to…
Photo – Gurmesh Singh, Mareeta Grundy, Nichole Overall MLC, Hon Rick Colless Mareeta Grundy has been preselected as the NSW Nationals’ candidate for Monaro at the March 2027 state election. Party members made the decision at a Monaro State Electorate Council meeting in Queanbeyan today. Ms Grundy, from Bywong, has lived in the Monaro for…
The Minns Labor Government’s own Small Business Commissioner has delivered a damning verdict on the state of small business in NSW, with the June Momentum Survey showing confidence spiralling, momentum falling, and profitability expectations collapsing. Headline NSW small business figures show: Just six per cent of businesses expect profitability to increase, compared with 63 per…
Federal Nationals Member for Page Kevin Hogan is making sure that 46 young Northern Rivers Sporting Champions are given every opportunity to follow their dreams. Mr Hogan presented the local teenagers with certificates in recognition of their achievements and confirmed their grants from the Local Sporting Champions program. “Those who received the Awards have excelled…
Junee has secured a $20,000 boost through the 2026/27 Regional Event Fund to support the launch of the inaugural Canola Gateway Festival, marking a major milestone for the region’s tourism offering. The funding recognises Junee as a destination of choice for new and emerging events, backing the community’s vision to create a vibrant celebration of…
Primary school students across the Clarence Valley will soon have the opportunity to participate in a new Rugby 7s competition thanks to a $15,000 grant awarded to the Yamba Buccaneers Rugby Club through the NSW Rugby World Cup Legacy Grant Program 2025/26. State Nationals MP for Clarence Richie Williamson says the funding will support the…
Lithgow’s new purpose-built fire station is well underway with the building now taking shape as structural frames were erected on site this week. Nationals Member for Bathurst Paul Toole has welcomed significant progress on the construction of the new Lithgow Fire Station and said it was exciting to see the long-awaited project move from planning…
The NSW Nationals have called for an urgent independent investigation into an incident at Manning Base Hospital that left a woman in intensive care with serious facial burns after a simple non-invasive operation. Shadow Minister for Health and Regional Health Sarah Mitchell said it was unacceptable for the Minister to not answer questions about this…
A state-of-the-art horticultural facility at Wells Crossing, just south of Grafton, is set to expand even further, with Provenance Propagation securing more than $2 million through the NSW Government’s Agriculture Industries Innovation and Growth Program to boost production, create skilled local jobs, and strengthen Australia’s fresh produce supply chain. Welcoming the significant public-private investment, NSW…
An exodus of businesses from NSW has again highlighted the need for important reforms to payroll tax proposed by The Nationals. Analysis of Bureau of Statistics data by Business NSW has found NSW lost more than 3,000 businesses in the last three years, attributed to high operational costs and tax settings. Queensland welcomed more than…
Shadow Minister for Water and Nationals Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said SunRice’s announcement that it’s scaling back production is deeply concerning for workers, families, and communities across the Riverina, particularly in Deniliquin, Leeton, and across AGS operations. “My first thoughts are with the employees facing an uncertain consultation period, and with the families and…
