Projects, news and current events  | 23 March 2026

Skywhales across Armidale for Autumn Festival 2026

What an incredible morning, and great start to Armidale Autumn Festival 2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us bright and early on Saturday 21 March for the National Gallery of Australia’s touring exhibition Skywhales Across Australia. Seeing Patricia Piccinini’s beloved Skywhale (2013) and Skywhalepapa (2019–2020) float over Armidale at dawn was a magical, once‑in‑a‑lifetime moment for our city!

Thank you to New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) for partnering with Council to bring the Skywhales here, and an extra big thank you to the National Gallery of Australia team and dedicated balloon operators who worked behind the scenes to make it all happen.

Stay tuned for more images and video from Armidale Autumn Festival 2026!

Council’s in-kind support opportunities for community now made simpler

Community groups and organisations needing goods, services or expertise to help get their project or event off the ground, can more easily access in-kind support from Armidale Regional Council thanks to a simple, more formalised application system.

In‑kind support involves the donation of goods, services, time or expertise instead of cash. This may include access to council equipment like marquees or chairs, venue hire assistance, technical and other advice, waste services, or other resources that help reduce project costs.

Like Council's Community and Village grants, in‑kind support will now be offered and assessed at regular intervals also.

Guyra seniors gather for festival

The community gathered at Guyra Bowling Club to celebrate NSW Seniors Festival 2026 with food, music and good company.

A great bunch of people came together for the Golden Years Gathering hosted by Guyra Home Support Services.

Guests appreciated a free two-course hot meal prepared by the Guyra Bowling Club, entertainment by talented local musician Ian Russell, and great conversations.

This event was supported by a grant from NSW Seniors Festival Grant Program 2026.

Free microchipping day at shelter

Armidale Companion Animal Shelter is providing a free microchipping for your pets:

• 11am - 2pm, Saturday 18 April
• Armidale Companion Animal Shelter

Bring your pets and connect with local organisations offering support and resources for pet owners - and join us for a BBQ lunch!

• Free microchipping for cats and dogs
• Priority given to residents of Armidale Regional Council LGA
• Option to register your pet on the day (standard registration fees apply)
• Free BBQ and goodies (while stocks last), thanks to Animal Rescue Cooperative
• Animal Welfare League Armidale will also be attending to chat with pet owners about desexing options and voucher programs

Thank you: AWL Armidale, New England Vets, Animal Rescue Cooperative, and Zoetis

Free Get Grubby Program

Council is pleased to offer the Get Grubby sustainability education program free of charge to the Armidale region.

Delivered by Dirtgirlworld, Get Grubby is a curriculum‑aligned program that supports early learning services, schools and homeschoolers to build environmental awareness through practical, hands‑on learning.

Ryanda Street project to improve road safety in Guyra

The Ryanda Street upgrade is a $1.9 million Council-funded project designed to improve road safety, drainage, parking, and pedestrian connectivity for the Guyra community. Works on Ryanda Street have continued to progress well over March, and we thank residents and road users for their patience during construction.

Temporary Library closure

Armidale War Memorial Library will be closed from Monday 16 March to Saturday 28 March while the first stage of the lift replacement takes place. Some services are still accessible during this time!

Do you know you can track all our road works here?

With one of the largest rural road networks in the New England, we are committed to maintaining the safety of all drivers on all roads across our region. Details of pothole and road repair, road resealing, and rural road grading are updated regularly on council's website.

Council Meetings

The next scheduled meeting is Wednesday 25 March 2026

All meetings will be held at 4pm in the Armidale Council Chambers unless stated otherwise. The public are welcome to watch the live streaming over YouTube, via the link included below, or attend in person.

The meetings are conducted under the Armidale Regional Council Code of Meeting Practice which can be found on the Council’s Policy page.

You are receiving this e-newsletter from Armidale Regional Council as you have interacted with council using this email address. The purpose of this fortnightly e-newsletter is to keep you informed of council news and events which we hope you will find informative.