Wallabadah and Premer are the latest towns facing water restrictions. Level 1 restrictions will come into effect tomorrow, meaning sprinklers will only be allowed for two hours a day. Washing hard surfaces can only be done with a high pressure hose. Meanwhile, Level 3 restrictions are just weeks away for Tamworth, if water consumption isn’t reduced. Chaffey Dam currently sits at just above 30-percent capacity. (NOTE: NO AUDIO)

With summer sorghum crops failing across the North West, the industry is taking a hit. Harvest contractors are struggling to find work, with one forced to go all the way to Roma just to cover costs.

A Tamworth dairy farmer says Woolworths’ decision to up the price of milk will directly benefit local producers. He hopes the price hike can someday spread to other dairy items.

For inmates with anxiety and anger issues, life on the inside at Tamworth Correctional Centre can be extremely tough. A psychologist has employed a special assistant to help with inmate rehabilitation – her name is Gracie and she’s a therapist on four legs.

Technology is taking over in Armidale, with the first driverless vehicle trial officially launching in the city today. Over the next 12 months, the bus will travel around the university and the city bus routes.

After a busy week on the fireground at Tingha, RFS crews should see some reprieve over the coming days. The blaze is being controlled, and most roads are open. The RFS will continue backburning and assessing the extent of properties affected by the fire. So far more than 23,000 hectares has been burnt and several properties have been destroyed. Currently, no further properties are under threat. (NO AUDIO)

As young people leave the bush to undergo tertiary training in the big smoke, Gunnedah has felt the brunt of a skills shortage. It’s hoped a $3-million revamp of the town’s TAFE campus will address this.

An 18-year-old man accused of committing an armed robbery has been refused bail in Tamworth Local Court. Police say about 3:30pm on Tuesday, he threatened a 35-year-old man with a knife at a Robert Street ATM. It’s alleged he stole cash from the victim, before fleeing the scene. On Friday, he was arrested from a home on Central Avenue. He’ll face court again tomorrow. (NO AUDIO)

For the region’s sorghum farmers lucky enough to plant a crop, their hard work will soon pay off. It’s harvest time across the North West, and prices for the in-demand grain are through the roof.

The Autumn Festival is one of the biggest events on Armidale’s calendar, but this year the whole region is included. Newly named the New England Festival, it will see festivities move from the Creeklands to the mall, with a new parade route. Almost 30 years since it started, organisers say a rejuvenation was in need. “We also had a lot of people who didn’t like the fact that Autumn was not here as yet, so we’re calling it the New England Festival to incorporate a whole lot of other events.” The festival begins on the 16th of March.