Latest news with #NorthernTablelands
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Snowstorm leaves 160yo orchard near Armidale with $500k damage bill
The Yeomans family's orchard has stood the test of time for 160 years, growing cool-climate fruits such as cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines on the New South Wales Northern Tablelands. But the region's last commercial orchard was hit hard by last weekend's cold snap, when a spectacular snowstorm caused "unprecedented" damage. Hail nets at Greenhills Orchards were ripped apart by snow, and trees were severely damaged or pulled out of the ground altogether. Sixth-generation grower Warren Yeomans said close to 70 per cent of their best and most productive trees were under the netting. He described the damage as "unbelievable". "I think I need to find a few new adjectives, but I haven't found any yet," Mr Yeomans said. "This is not something that happens every few years; this is a once-in-a-lifetime or maybe once-in-a-century type activity … it's unique." Replacing the nets will be an expensive exercise, and the family estimates the total damage bill will be $500,000. "Basically, you are looking at upwards of $60,000 a hectare, so that's a big cost," Mr Yeomans said. Standing amid the damage, Mr Yeomans's son Tom struggled with how to begin the recovery. "We're a few days in and only just starting because it was really hard to know even where to start," he said. "Thankfully, a lot of the trees, even though they've lost more than half of their branches, will actually survive. "[But] they've lost significant production potential, and they'll probably never grow quite as well as they would've." In the coming weeks, the Yeomans will consult with engineering experts on how to reinstall their 6-metre-tall hail net structure. The Yeomans family has called on the NSW government to make a disaster declaration, which would unlock concessional loans, grants and subsidies for businesses affected by the recent snowfall and floods. NSW Farmers Association president Xavier Martin said the state government had been told about the situation across the Northern Tablelands, and the impact of flooding across the North West. "There is a very good awareness … of what happened and what it means for the landscape, and for all of us making a living out of stewardship of that landscape," he said. "Day-to-day, I'm in meetings where in recent days we've been discussing the response." Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has also appealed to the NSW government for urgent financial support.
News.com.au
04-08-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
Thousands without power, cut off as ‘massive' snowfall blankets northern NSW
Vehicles have been bogged, phone service cut, and thousands of residents are expected to be without power for at least another 24 hours after heavy snow blanketed parts of NSW. Parts of the state's Northern Tablelands recorded heavy snowfalls of up to 40cm at the weekend, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. BOM meteorologist Helen Reid said the snow was generated by 'a pool of cold air' that moved in over the towns of Guyra, Armidale, Uralla and Walcha. 'Many locations saw as much as 20 to 40cm of snow, with snow tending to be quite heavy at times during Saturday afternoon,' she said. 'In Queensland, snow flurries were observed across parts of the Darling Downs … these amounted to very little on the ground.' Uralla's Bolt Inn, a popular local pub, became a shelter for those seeking refuge from the icy conditions on Sunday. 'Due to the snowstorm in Uralla, the Bolt Inn will be closed until further notice as we currently have no power,' a post on the pub's Instagram account read. 'We're sheltering people on floors and chairs throughout the pub, and with many road closures we are staying safe inside.' Others were more keen to get out and make the most of the snow, with footage posted by a Guyra local showing a person skiing on the 'slopes' of the town's golf course. 'A huge thank you to our amazing staff who are here helping to keep everyone safe and warm,' the caption read. NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said emergency services in the New England area were responding to treacherous traffic conditions caused by 'black ice', a term used to describe the formation of slippery, transparent ice over roads. 'We have road crash crews propositioned and ready to respond to any rescues, but we ask the community to please avoid unnecessary travel,' she said. 'If you do need to be on the roads in areas with snow, drive with caution, always use your brakes gently and drive slowly.' The NSW SES reported more than 100 vehicles got stuck on the New England Highway as heavy snow made driving on almost impossible. More than 6000 homes across Walcha, Guyra, Uralla and Armidale remain cut off from the power grid according to Essential Energy. This is down from the peak of 11,000 reported on Sunday morning. An Essential Energy spokesperson said crews were hoping to continue repairs on Monday morning, weather permitting. 'There is a large amount of reconstruction work required in some areas to rebuild areas of the network that have been damaged during the storms over the weekend,' they said. 'That includes the replacement of power poles. 'Helicopters and additional crews are ready to come in to support as soon as it's safe to do so.' The company also urged residents to stay away from downed power lines. Mobile phone outages have also been widely reported across the area, some of which are expected to last until late on Tuesday. In a message on their live outage tracker, Telstra said the severe weather' had caused widespread outages across the state's north. 'We're working to get everything back online ASAP. Thanks for your patience,' it read.
ABC News
03-08-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Heavy snowfall in NSW's Northern Tablelands
Snow blankets farms, roads and parks in Guyra, between Armidale and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands.
ABC News
02-08-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
The snow that surprised the NSW Northern Tablelands
The prospect of snow on the Northern Tablelands may have felt like wishful thinking for some. A promising weather forecast earlier in the week had seemed to have fizzled to drizzle by Friday, although weather-chasing social media identities disagreed. When Saturday morning arrived, news quickly spread of dustings in Guyra, Ben Lomond and surrounds. Those who travelled from other parts of the Northern Tablelands to see Guyra's winter wonderland may have been surprised to return home to find much of the region had become similarly dusted. In Guyra, with an elevation of 1,330 metres, a dusting of snow from early in the morning grew throughout the day. Locals and visitors alike were making the most of what was the town's best falls in years. In Black Mountain, between Guyra and Armidale, falls were significant enough for the construction of heavy-set snowmen. Some travellers were stuck in Glencoe for some time, waiting for the New England Highway to reopen. Further south, the runway was closed at Armidale Regional Airport due to the conditions, with the local council confirming it would remain closed until at least 9am on Sunday. Aircraft parked there were blanketed in snow. In further transport challenges, there have been reports of an incoming NSW Trainlink train waiting at Walcha Road Station because of snow on the tracks. Transport for NSW has been contacted for comment. While Armidale has copped an impressive snowfall, it's also experiencing some flooding in low-lying areas along Dumaresq Creek. Parklands and low-lying roads are affected, including the popular Curtis Park. Across the Northern Tablelands, it's also been a cold day for livestock. And for farmers too, with some producers pushing ahead with plans. And while many sports were called off across the region due to snow, flooding or both, rugby players at The Armidale School braved the freezing temperatures. It's unclear how long the snow will stick around, but it's been a novelty while it lasts.
The Australian
02-08-2025
- Climate
- The Australian
Weather: Snow falls in Queensland, NSW causing highway chaos
The SES said snow fell at depths never seen before in parts of northern NSW. Snow blanketed parts of New South Wales not usually known for icy conditions and flurries fell in southeast Queensland on Saturday as heavy rain battered other parts of the country. The State Emergency Service said the snow that fell in the Northern Tablelands region was at depths never seen before – up to 50mm in some areas – forcing it to respond to reports of up to 100 cars stuck, including on the New England Highway. Heavy snow was also recorded in Walcha, Uralla, Ebor, Armidale, Guyra, Glen Innes and Moonbi Ranges, the SES said. Brenden Gough told 7News from the New England Highway that he and his family had left Brisbane at 3am Saturday to catch a glimpse of snow. 'I have never seen snow before in my entire life and it really is a surreal experience,' he said. Videos and photos circulating on social media showed snowball fights, snowmen making and kangaroos hopping through white-cloaked bushland on the outskirts of Armidale. Queensland's Granite Belt, on the border with NSW, also recorded short-lived flurries of snow on Saturday afternoon. Rain was hammering other parts of NSW, including the Hunter Region and Mid North Coast, on Saturday with a low pressure system forcing the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a string of warnings about potentially dangerous weather. 'It has been a cold and wet week across New South Wales, with showers and rain pushing onto the east coast in particular,' BOM meteorologist Helen Reid said. 'The rain and the wind is expected to peak (on Saturday) with the Mid North Coast, the Upper Hunter and parts of the Northern Tablelands likely to get the heaviest falls.' A severe weather warning was in place for parts of the Upper Hunter, Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands and the North West slopes and plains for heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and damaging wind gusts in excess of 90km/hour. The bureau has also issued a flood watch from Coffs Harbour to Newcastle, stretching inland, warning of possible minor to moderate flooding. Many catchments in those areas are still wet due to heavy rain in the last few months. — NSW SES (@NSWSES) August 2, 2025 There is also a flood warning in place for the Peel River at Tamworth. 'Moderate to heavy rainfall has been observed in the catchment of the Peel River during Saturday,' the bureau's warning said. 'River level rises are occurring along the upper reaches of the Peel River and its tributaries, with levels at Tamworth currently near the minor flood level (3.0 metres). 'The Peel River at Tamworth is expected to exceed the moderate flood level late Saturday evening, with further rises likely overnight due to forecast rainfall.' The heavy rainfall also caused public transport chaos in the Hunter. On Saturday, trains were not running on the Hunter Line between Scone, Dungog and Newcastle due to flooding at Sandgate. Meanwhile, parts of Queensland will also be hit with strong winds extending to all coasts between the border and the Illawarra on Sunday. A separate cold front is also forecast in Western Australia bringing rain, thunderstorms and hail. A severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall is in place for areas around Perth, Bunbury and Albany. Darwin is set to be warm and sunny reaching 31C, while Brisbane is expecting showers and sunny spells, reaching 19C. Canberra will be cool with a top of 13C with patchy drizzle. Melbourne and Hobart are expecting to stay overcast with some sun and highs of 15C and 14C respectively. Adelaide should see some sun, reaching a high of 14C. Nation An overwhelming majority of Labor members in Victoria demand the Albanese government immediately recognise a Palestinian state, increase sanctions on Israel and suspend AUKUS. Indigenous In a blistering speech, the Yothu Yindi Foundation boss called for 'crunching systemic change' to address a crisis that 'is getting worse not better'.
