Plans to build Australia’s longest road tunnel between Blackheath and Little Hartley are powering ahead, with a major contract awarded for the environmental assessment. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said AECOM Australia had been selected in a competitive tender process to work on the proposed 11-kilometre tunnel, a central component of…
The NSW Nationals in the state government have announced an additional $287.5 million in COVID-19 financial support to assist workers and vulnerable communities in rural, regional, and metropolitan NSW. The additional funding will see the COVID-19 emergency hardship payments, test and isolate support payments, and community empowerment grants expanded across all of NSW. Deputy Premier…
Restrictions will be reintroduced for the Yass Valley Council area from 12:01am Tuesday, September 14 for two weeks. One COVID case has been confirmed in the area following a recent positive sewage detection. Urgent investigations and contact tracing are underway. Following updated health advice from NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing…
Local businesses, suppliers, and contractors are invited to tender for work to build new overtaking lanes along the Newell Highway between Coonabarabran and Narrabri. The NSW Nationals in the state and federal governments are jointly funding the rollout of additional overtaking lanes along this busy freight corridor, with 19 new lanes already delivered, eight under…
Two new freight-friendly COVID-19 testing sites are opening along key routes in Western NSW to further support the industry and keep drivers COVID-safe. Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the new pop-up sites at Dubbo and Raglan brings the number of freight testing sites across the state to 11. “More than…
Small business operators across the Upper Hunter electorate impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown are being invited to take part in a virtual support forum. Upper Hunter Nationals MP Dave Layzell will host the online event, to be attended by Finance and Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope and NSW Small Business Commissioner Chris Lamont. “I have…
Young people across NSW will have access to expanded digital mental health support thanks to a $1.5m investment from the NSW Nationals in the state government. The Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) platform, designed by youth mental health organisation Orygen, will be embedded in eight eligible youth mental health services across NSW between now and…
Six locals will be recruited to carry out major electrical works at the Mindyarra Maintenance Centre in Dubbo under a $20 million contract awarded to ARA Indigenous Services. Nationals Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the awarding of this contract to a registered Aboriginal business is great news. “I encourage everyone to apply for the…
Nationals Member for Tweed Geoff Provest has welcomed the re-establishment of the special border zone between Queensland and 12 NSW local government areas including the Tweed, saying it is a big win for local families, patients, children, and businesses. “Thank you to everyone in the Tweed for putting up with so much over the past…
All HSC students will get the opportunity to complete their studies in 2021, with the full complement of HSC exams to go ahead from November 9. Nationals Education minister Sarah Mitchell has announced students will be able to sit their HSC exams and receive their results in time for university offers to be made. The…
The Queensland government has announced the NSW-Queensland border bubble will be reinstated. The bubble, originally introduced during last year’s COVID outbreak, will allow students and essential workers to travel from the 12 New South Wales Local Government Areas, where restrictions are being eased, into Queensland. The bubble will come into effect from 1:00am on Monday,…
Tamworth’s Sports Dome will be transformed into a Super Sunday mass-vaccination hub this Sunday, September 12. Nationals Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the hub would be a walk-in, with no appointment necessary. “I want to remove any barriers to access a vaccination, and this is a great opportunity for the 20,000 plus residents of…
Stay-at-home orders for adults who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be lifted from the Monday after NSW passes the 70 per cent double vaccination target, under the roadmap to freedom released today. The roadmap is subject to further fine-tuning and health advice if circumstances change drastically or if cases within a…
Parts of regional NSW currently deemed low-risk, and which have seen zero COVID cases for at least 14 days, will emerge from lockdown at 12:01am on Saturday, September 11, but will continue to operate under restrictions to ensure the safety of regional communities. Local Government Areas (LGAs) still seeing COVID case numbers will remain under…
The NSW Nationals in the state government are appealing for drivers in regional NSW to take extra care this Rural Road Safety Month, as a confronting new video is released, showing the tragic impacts of a fatal crash near Dubbo. Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said he hoped the video would…
