Building on its success from 2022, the Coonabarabran Times has scooped two major awards at this year’s Country Press NSW Awards of Excellence.

Coona Times director, Lynne Estens attended the event, held on Friday, 13 October at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Sydney, where she proudly accepted major gongs for Best Special Publication for wattle. magazine and Best Print Advertisement for the promotion of the 2022 Bungle Rumble concert.

The publication was also recognised with Highly Commended certificates for Best Front Page, Best Sports Photo and Best House Advertisement.

“We are thrilled to be honoured with these awards, as it is just recognition of the hard work the Coona Times team puts in each and every week to bring local news to our local communities,” Mrs Estens said.

“And, we were so excited to have wattle. take out a major prize category, as we are justly proud of this magazine.

“Special mention must be made of our editor, Kait Britton, for her expertise in leading our team and her exceptional design skills.

“Wattle. is Kait’s ‘baby’, and she has overseen it from conception to reality.”

This year’s awards were adjudicated by a panel of industry experts drawn from Queensland, NSW and South Australia, and chaired by Country Press NSW Life Member, Barry Wilson.

In announcing wattle. the winner of Best Special Publication, the judges’ comments were read:

‘An outstanding set of two very high quality 100-page publications is a clear winner, featuring excellent, well researched and engaging articles providing an intimate insight into the daily lifestyle of the community and local Coonabarabran identities.

‘I was most impressed by the depth of all the articles. The publications’ presentation, great photographs and layout, rivals any high quality “coffee table” publication and the team must be justly proud of their achievement’.

The Coonabarabran Times will now proceed to judging in the Country Press Australia National Awards.