New South Wales

Following a shooting spree at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, New South Wales will begin a gun buyback scheme on November 2nd, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This initiative is part of sweeping national reforms aimed at strengthening gun control after the attack. The program offers fixed compensation for returning eligible firearms and affects millions of registered weapons across Australia.

After an impactful trip with her parents, the author moved her family from Country Victoria to live on the Gold Coast. Months into this new chapter, her father was diagnosed with Parkinson's. She interprets the diagnosis as confirming that moving closer to her family was the right decision.

Sick patients in New South Wales are being urged to avoid emergency rooms unless their life is at risk due to a record 10,000 presentations to Sydney hospitals on a single winter day. The New South Wales health minister, Ryan Park, described the surge as the 'biggest ever recorded winter day in history', exceeding the average by 1,000 people.

Alan Jones, a retired Sydney radio broadcaster and former Australian national rugby coach, is on trial for 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. The trial involves six complainants and allegations spanning 2003 to 2020. Jones denies the charges, with his defense claiming the allegations are based on rivalry and media disputes.

Alan Jones, a retired Sydney radio broadcaster and former Australian national rugby coach, is on trial for 22 counts of sexual offenses against six men and boys over two decades. He pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and two of sexual touching without consent, with the trial starting at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney in 2026.

New South Wales will deploy specialist nurses instead of police to some mental health emergencies following multiple deaths linked to police. Mental health experts will triage triple 0 calls 24/7 to improve support, though not all changes will be statewide or continuous.

New South Wales experienced a 16% increase in land-clearing in 2024, totaling 81,293 hectares, driven by a 70% rise in non-woody vegetation clearing. Conservation groups criticized the Minns government for failing to address habitat loss, as nearly 90 rugby league fields’ worth of woody habitat were bulldozed daily.

A 25-year-old Queensland man died after a cross-border police pursuit that began on the Gold Coast and ended in New South Wales' northern rivers area. He was found unconscious in a vehicle that had driven off an embankment near Murwillumbah, following reports of an armed individual evading police.

NSW Labor conference passed a motion to remove 50% of poker machines from operation within 10 years. Premier Chris Minns will adopt a tougher stance on poker machines, influenced by the party's left wing, amid rising operator profits and calls for reform.

A woman has been charged with murder after police discovered the body of a four-year-old boy at a home on the New South Wales Central Coast. The boy was found with significant arm injuries, and a 32-year-old woman presented herself at a local police station following the discovery.

New South Wales has its first suspected case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a giant petrel found near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle. Testing by CSIRO is underway to confirm if it is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, which would mark the first detection of the disease on Australia’s east coast.

A CSIRO report commissioned by the Morrison government found that building 10 new dams in NSW's northern rivers could have reduced 2022 flood levels by up to two metres, though not enough to prevent a key levee overflow. Governments have not committed to implementing the modelled measures, despite the floods being described as a one-in-100-years event that killed 13 people.

New South Wales will implement a $34 million anti-shark program using drone patrols at 70 beaches from dawn to dusk. Premier Chris Minns announced the initiative to restore confidence following recent shark sightings and attacks, including a great white shark attack on Sydney mother Leah Stewart at Coogee beach.

An AI-powered drone with thermal imaging located two hikers in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, within five hours after they strayed off a walking track. This marked the first use of the FRNSW drone’s AI detection system for rescuing missing persons.

A vital highway in the Blue Mountains, connecting Sydney to New South Wales' central west, will remain closed for at least another year due to structural issues at Mitchells Causeway. Transport for NSW plans to build a new structure above the 194-year-old bridge, causing extended travel delays and detours for residents.

New South Wales' state budget projects poker machine tax revenue to increase from $1.6bn to $2.2bn annually over four years, with anti-gambling advocates criticizing the government for prioritizing revenue over reducing gambling harm. The overall gambling tax revenue is expected to rise from $3.8bn to $4.7bn by 2029-30.

Ebike thefts are increasing in New South Wales while Victoria's overall crime rate decreased by 1.9% for the first time in four years. Both states experienced a rise in theft, with ebike theft being a significant driver in NSW.

A mother who did not understand mental health consulted a naturopathic herbalist about her 14-year-old daughter's concerns. The daughter, who confessed to thinking about killing people 'all the time,' later killed 10-year-old Biddy Porter in rural New South Wales.

More than 100,000 live, exotic cockroaches with a commercial value of $200,000 were seized from a commercial breeder in Bathurst, New South Wales. The cockroaches were likely intended for the pet trade, including as reptile food.

Australian alpine resorts are optimistic about the arrival of snow for the ski season, but experts warn that climate change and El Niño could cause the snow to melt quickly. Perisher, the southern hemisphere's largest ski resort, expressed excitement over early snowfall despite concerns about its longevity.

New South Wales is arguing in an appeal court that police can use force to move body parts during strip-searches, seeking to overturn a 2025 class action ruling that deemed such searches unlawful. The case involves a 2018-2022 music festival search of Raya Meredith that was previously ruled unjustified.

Anti-abortion activists in New South Wales are pushing a bill to penalize health practitioners for sex-selective abortions. The legislation, introduced by Libertarian party MLC John Ruddick, could lead to imprisonment or fines. Medical professionals argue the bill is based on misinformation and aims to restrict abortion access.

One Nation's Barnaby Joyce has joined pro-life campaigners to pressure National MPs to criminalize abortions ahead of a tight New South Wales vote. Anti-abortion activists are threatening to support One Nation against major parties to impose new limits on pregnancy terminations.

A major storm with cyclone-strength winds is impacting Western Australia, warning residents of wind gusts exceeding 125km/h. The storm will bring icy weather to New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia early next week.

Severe weather warnings have been issued for Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania as heavy rains and flash flooding threaten multiple regions. A low-pressure trough drawing tropical moisture is driving the wet weather, according to meteorologist Ilana Cherny of the Bureau of Meteorology.

Australia's power bills for households and small businesses will decrease by up to 10% from July in eastern states due to increased renewable energy and battery storage. Renewables supplied nearly half the nation’s power in 2025, and Australia ranks third globally in battery capacity.

Aunty Lorraine Peeters, an 88-year-old Stolen Generations survivor, recalls being forcibly removed from her home at age four and placed in an Aboriginal Girls Home in New South Wales, where she was separated from her siblings and subjected to cultural erasure. She is now advocating for Australian governments to support a national plan addressing the needs of aging Stolen Generations survivors.

A NSW inquiry found systemic weaknesses in the childcare sector have allowed predators to work and abuse children, citing lax rules and a rise in for-profit services. The inquiry was chaired by Greens MLC Abigail Boyd. The report highlights failures in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.

New South Wales police and the health department are expected to sign a new agreement on how to deal with mental health incidents. The police union demands officers no longer be the default response for every crisis. Families of victims have called for health workers to be first responders.

A millennium-old dingo burial site was discovered in western New South Wales, revealing evidence of a 'feeding' ritual between First Nations people and canines. The site is located near the Menindee Lakes in Kinchega national park. This finding sheds new light on the relationship between the two.

A 47-year-old man has been charged with murder after a woman and two children were found dead in a Sydney home. The bodies were discovered in Campbelltown, in the city's south-west, on Monday night. NSW police attended the scene following a call to triple zero.

An inquest is being held into the death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland after she was fatally Tasered by NSW police in 2023. The coroner will examine her death and look at dementia training for aged care staff, police, and ambulance officers. The goal is to improve training for first responders dealing with aggressive dementia patients.

The Australian media reacted to Jim Chalmers' budget with the Murdoch papers criticizing it as a radical redistribution of wealth, while the Daily Telegraph described it as a turn to communism. The budget was met with strong opinions from various news outlets. The reactions were largely negative towards the budget.

Australia's budget will support debt and impact consumer stocks, according to analysts. The country is battling to contain the spread of the delta variant, with Sydney experiencing a record number of Covid-19 infections. This has significant implications for the nation's economy.

Police in New South Wales found a body believed to be that of a fugitive Australian shooter wanted over a triple murder. The discovery is expected to bring closure to the case. Further investigation is underway to confirm the identity.

A body found next to an abandoned ute is believed to be Julian Ingram, a suspected triple murderer accused of killing Sophie Quinn, her new boyfriend, and her aunt. Ingram was on bail for alleged domestic violence related offenses against Quinn at the time of the incident. A large-scale manhunt had been underway since January.

The NSW Independent Commission against Corruption is investigating allegations of recruitment and promotion process subversion at Parramatta council, involving former chief executive Gail Connolly and other staff. The group, dubbed the 'Pink Ops', allegedly promoted friends and targeted others for reprisals. The inquiry is looking into the actions of Connolly, Roxanne Thornton, Angela Jones-Blayney, and other council employees.

The Australian by-election in Farrer, New South Wales, is a crucial test for the right-wing One Nation Party. A victory would result in One Nation's first MP being elected to Australia's national parliament. This election has significant implications for the party's future.

Water flows to parched NSW wetlands may resume within weeks after legislation passed the state parliament's upper house. Water Minister Rose Jackson described the halt to environmental flows in the Gwydir region as 'devastating'. The move aims to save dying wildlife in the internationally significant region.

Thieves allegedly stole $150,000 worth of beehives from a rural NSW property, with 80 beehive boxes containing active colonies taken. The theft is believed to have occurred between March 31 and May 6. Local beekeeper Mitch McLennan says hive thefts have become commonplace due to the rise of parasitic varroa mites.