If you are looking to have more time for yourself and your family or just want to escape the hustle bustle of the city, there’s never been a better time to make the move to regional NSW.

Telstra will be upgrading one of its mobile base stations in Bomen Park by adding additional infrastructure to bring 5G services to the area, but the works will require a series of temporary outages or reduction in mobile coverage. The Bomen Park site provides mobile coverage to the industrial park and north along the Olympic Highway.

Telstra will be upgrading its mobile base station on Barellan Road by adding additional infrastructure to bring better 4G services to the area. The work will also prepare the network for 5G coverage to be provided once the 3G network closes as planned in June 2024, but the works will require a series of temporary outages or reduction in mobile coverage.

The Australian Government has welcomed transport ministers’ in-principle agreement to an improved, nationally-consistent approach to the training and licence progression of heavy vehicle drivers. Endorsed by Australian transport ministers through the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM), the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework Decision Regulation Impact Statement (Decision RIS) proposes a series of reforms to improve road safety and productivity.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal’s (FRRR) Strengthening Rural Communities program provides grants of up to $10,000 to support local organisations to uplift their communities following significant disruption from COVID-19.

Grants could be for initiatives such as workshops, education programs or improving facilities and community equipment.

Communities on the fringes of major urban centres in bushfire prone areas are set to share in $20 million in Commonwealth investment to upgrade mobile coverage, with Round 2 of the Peri-Urban Mobile Program (PUMP) now open for applications.

Two additional renewable energy generation projects and 3 long-duration storage projects have been successful in the latest tender round of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, cementing the state’s position at the leading edge of investment in the national energy transition. The projects will be built in Twelve Mile, Culcairn, Broken Hill, Merriwa and Myrtle Creek.

Regional communities have grown and changed a lot over the past decade, and we need to update how the government invests in regional NSW. We want to be sure we are supporting regional development in a fair and equitable way, and guarantee we are doing everything we can to be transparent and accountable to the people of NSW in how we spend public funds.

The Australian Skills Classification helps define the skills that underpin jobs in Australia. The 2023 update of the Australian Skills Classification (the Classification) is now available.

Australia now has a strategy for its migration system.​

The Government’s Migration Strategy was released on 11 December 2023 and outlines a new vision for Australia’s migration system, with a policy roadmap containing 8 key actions and over 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform. This Migration Strategy is informed by extensive consultation with business, unions and other stakeholders, and more than 450 submissions received as part of the Review of the Migration System.​​

Telstra has recently expanded 4G mobile coverage in the village of Yerong Creek with a new mobile small cell being switched on. Regional General manager Chris Taylor said the new site would improve Telstra’s existing coverage in the area and improve connectivity for residents and visitors.

Every Australian wants to get to where they are going safely, but it takes all road users to make that a reality, whether it’s by vehicle, bicycle or foot. Road users can help do their part by ensuring they are not distracted, take regular breaks when driving long distances, travel at the speed limit and drive to road conditions.

The NSW Government is one step closer to engaging an independent NSW Agriculture Commissioner with tenders now open for a skilled and experienced professional to provide expert advice on strategic agricultural land use that will create a more sustainable and productive agricultural industry in NSW.

A new State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) introducing housing reforms to make it faster and easier to build more affordable housing has come into effect today, following a policy announcement made by the NSW State Government in June of this year.

Businesses, households and NSW Government agencies are being encouraged to temporarily reduce non-essential use of electricity late this afternoon and early this evening, when hot temperatures will increase demand for power.