Community members gathered in Burren Junction on Tuesday, 19 May, to meet with the Council’s Strategic Plan representatives.

Residents were asked to place dots on the issues they considered most important to the future of Burren Junction. The overwhelming majority of responses focused on water supply, drainage, the bore baths, roads, and sportsgrounds.

One of the strongest concerns raised was the ongoing water crisis affecting the town’s sports ground precinct.

Businesses across the New England North West are being encouraged to nominate for the 2026 New England North West Business Awards, with the official launch of the program taking place in Tamworth on Tuesday.

Hosted by Business NSW in partnership with Joblink Plus, the awards celebrate outstanding business achievement, innovation and leadership across the region.

The awards are open to businesses located throughout the New England North West, including Armidale, Boggabri, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Guyra, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree, Narrabri, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Walcha, Warialda and Wee Waa.

The official launch will be held at Connections Café in Tamworth, where media and invited guests will hear details of the 2026 awards program, including award categories, nomination processes and opportunities for regional businesses to showcase their success.

Stephanie Cameron, Regional Director – New England North West for Business NSW, will formally launch the awards and outline the importance of recognising excellence within regional business communities.

Police are reappealing for public assistance to locate a teenage boy reported missing from Sydney’s south west.

Malakye Gray, aged 16, was last seen in Camden South about 11pm on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

When he was unable to be located or contacted, officers attached to Camden Police Area Command were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Following inquiries, police believe Malakye may have been in the Wee Waa area on Tuesday 5 May 2026 and the Glebe area on Thursday 7 May 2026.

Police and family hold concerns for Malakye’s welfare as he lives with a medical condition.

💦 💦 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠!💦

Great news for locals and travellers alike — the Burren Junction Bore Baths will officially reopen on Monday 30th March 🙌

Come and soak in the warm artesian waters and enjoy one of the Walgett Shire’s most relaxing stops 🌿

Please note:
🔹 There will be no caretaker onsite
🔹 Camping is available for just $5 per night via an honesty box system
🔹 A tap & pay honesty system will be installed in the near future

Pack the van, bring your swimmers, and make Burren Junction part of your outback adventure 🚐✨

#VisitWalgettRegion #BurrenJunction #BoreBaths #OutbackNSW #RoadTripReady #artesianwater

A wave of mild hysteria swept across the region this week as towns up and down the highway reported dwindling fuel supplies. Drivers were spotted forming queues longer than a Centrelink phone wait, clutching jerry cans like they were rare artefacts from a bygone civilisation. Rumours spread faster than a harvest fire: “No fuel by lunchtime!”, “Servo’s dry!”, “Someone filled a Hilux AND a boat—selfish bugger!”

Local councils issued calm, measured statements encouraging residents to “avoid panic buying,” which of course triggered even more panic buying. One town reportedly saw a man attempt to siphon petrol from his own lawnmower “just in case.”

But in the midst of the chaos, one community remained perfectly, serenely unfazed.

Burren Junction.

While the rest of the region scrambled, Burren locals simply shrugged, sipped their coffees, and carried on with their day. When asked how they were staying so calm during the crisis, one resident replied:

“Mate… Burren Junction ran out of petrol 15 years ago.”
 

Author - Stephen Gardiner

My name is Rob Bell, and I was born in East Bankstown (later Greenacre) in 1945, into a solid working-class family. By 1964, 5 years after leaving Punchbowl Boys High, I was requested by the local gendarmes to leave town. This was also issued to many of my friends who, like myself, travelled down the wrong roadway.

A friend who had been off the scene for a while was back in town and was going on about working on the railway as a fettler in a place called Burren Junction. Where the hell is B.J., we all cried, North West NSW, have you heard of Walgett? Well, it's this side of Walgett, and they are looking for workers.

So come Monday, we all troop down to Central Station (about 6 of us) for a medical and get the guts on this Fettler business. Being good, strong Aussie boys with an average age of around 20, we were in. Some of us were sent to Cryon and others to BJ.