NSW Country Hour

Telstra and Vodaphone tussle over the Universal Service Obligation and access to the network, Tim D'Mestre talks about the cause of the Curandooley fire and calls for an inquiry, and the Heywire trailblazer initiative.

Should the Government abandon the Universal Service Obligation, reaction to Santos' environmental impact statement for the Narrabri Gas Project, and concerns about the contamination of seafood in the Cobaki with chemicals previously used in fire fighting foam at the Gold Coast airport.

The grape harvest on the Northern Tablelands, Indigenous perspective on tapping into groundwater, and Deputy Premier John Barilaro on why he won't be 'unscrambling any eggs' as far as forced local government amalgamations are concerned.

We hear from Adrian Piccoli, Melinda Pavey, the NRMA and the NSW Minerals Council on the cabinet reshuffle, the latest on the backpacker tax and why one farmer is planting avocadoes closer together.

The biggest illegal abalone bust in 20 years, how to tackle the rising numbers of inland drownings, and 97 year old Frank Presnell talks about the history of the Guyra Lamb and Potato festival.

We talk to people from regional areas recognised in the Australia Day awards and the administrator from the Cootamundra Gundagai region who responds to criticism about council amalgamations.

No review of the Basin Plan in the south for another 10 years, thousands protest against a piggery development in Harden, and global coal miner Rio Tinto to sell its Australian coal arm to Chinese owned Yancoal.

On the Country Hour anti amalgamation campaigners are calling on the Nationals to split with the Liberal Party and stand alone if the government doesn't agree to halt or reverse council amalgamations, reaction to the US decision to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and a Northern Rivers based pony stud to pay more than six-thousand-dollars in costs after being found guilty of animal neglect.

Did regional issues affect NSW premier Mike Baird's decision to retire to announce his retirement, record price for Holstein heifer calf, Bega Cheese spends almost half a billion on Vegemite.

Hendra court cases against QLD vets finish up, Trade Deals outside the TPP could be underwhelming in outcomes and Wellington community comes together after fire.