A woman from Ballina in NSW's Northern Rivers has won the entire $100 million Powerball prize, making her the country's third-largest lottery winner. She said she was with her family when she received the call and was in shock. She said she bought a ticket because many relatives had entered the draw. She plans to pay off her mortgage and help family members. The winning numbers from draw 1587 included 16 as the Powerball. Twelve other players won $172,306.45 each from division two.
A Ballina woman has won $100 million in Powerball draw 1587 on Thursday, 15 October. She held the only division one winning entry nationally and took the entire prize. She was with her family when she learned the news, and they celebrated loudly. The winner said she bought her ticket shortly before the draw closed and believes signs from a recently deceased family member led her to it. She plans to pay off her mortgage and help family members.
A woman from Ballina in NSW Northern Rivers has won a $100 million Powerball jackpot, crediting her good fortune to a sign from a recently deceased family member. The winner, who bought her ticket online, said she would pay off her mortgage and help family members. She plans to celebrate with breakfast in bed, including scrambled eggs and bacon. Her win makes her Australia's third-biggest lottery winner.
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A team of pain researchers, health professionals and people living with chronic pain will cycle more than 780km from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie in October. The 2026 Pain Revolution Rural Outreach Tour will stop at nine North Coast towns between 15 and 23 October, with free community events sharing evidence-based information on managing persistent pain. The tour is supported by a $50,000 grant from Healthy North Coast. Pain Revolution CEO Professor Lorimer Moseley said chronic pain is often misunderstood and undertreated. Events are free, with full details available at the tour website.
A new $6.3 million headquarters for Ballina's State Emergency Service volunteers has opened on Hogan Road. The purpose-built facility includes an Emergency Operations Centre, improved training spaces, expanded vehicle bays and modern amenities. The NSW Government contributed $2.1 million and Ballina Shire Council contributed $4.2 million. Over the past three years, the Ballina unit responded to about 1,140 jobs, mostly storms and floods. The new base replaces an old building that was no longer fit for purpose.
Older people in Ballina and the Northern Rivers are invited to a free seniors forum on Thursday, 22 October, hosted by National Seniors Australia at the Riverside Function Centre. The morning forum runs from 9am to 11:30am and covers advocacy, savings tips and government services. A regional consultation follows from 11:30am to 1pm, limited to 20 people, focusing on later-life housing in regional communities. Karen Furnivall says cost-of-living pressures and housing insecurity are weighing on older residents. Everyone who registers receives a free goodie bag.
Ballina Shire Mayor Sharon Cadwallader has launched an independent bid for the Ballina seat at the 2027 NSW election, saying she is there to win. The seat is held by retiring Greens MP Tamara Smith, and the Greens have selected Mandy Nolan to defend it. Cadwallader says the electorate is missing out on infrastructure and funding, and that an independent MP could negotiate with whichever party forms government. She said she would remain Mayor during the campaign, as NSW law permits.
Small businesses across the Northern Rivers will benefit from a $20 million NSW Government training investment. The funding expands access to subsidised training for existing workers, aiming to address skills shortages and boost productivity. Apprenticeship and traineeship numbers in the region are nearing pre-flood levels, with more than 10,500 people starting training since the 2022 floods. NSW Minister for Skills Steve Whan and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said local employers played a key role in the recovery.
NSW Labor has named Byron Shire councillor Janet Swain as its candidate for Ballina at the state election in March 2027. The seat is currently held by the Greens, and Labor is seen as their main challenger. Swain, a music teacher and founder of the Festival of the Voice, was elected to council in 2024. She says she will focus on roads, housing and essential services. Labor points to recent investments in the Northern Rivers, including new preschools, emergency service stations and extra teachers, police and paramedics.
Four exhibitions exploring landscapes, memory, environmental change and natural disasters will open at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery in Ballina. The shows bring together local and interstate artists. Rachel Dun's Fragile Mappings presents prints and artist books inspired by forests, coastlines and bushland. Kirsty Marshall's Emblems of Memory features paintings of everyday moments. The World Came Flooding In, by Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine, uses virtual reality to share experiences of floods. All four exhibitions run from October 15 to December 17, with a launch from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on October 15.
Motorists heading north on the Pacific Motorway at West Ballina should expect changed traffic conditions next week. Essential pavement maintenance starts on Monday, 12 October, and runs for two nights from 7pm to 3am, weather permitting. The northbound slip lane to the BP Ballina Travel Centre will be closed during the work. A detour via the Bruxner Highway will be in place for northbound drivers needing the service centre. Transport for NSW advises allowing an extra five minutes of travel time and following traffic signs and controllers.
Residents in the Ballina region are being asked to help shape future health services as planning begins for a growing and ageing population. The Northern NSW Local Health District has opened consultation on the Ballina Region Health Services Plan. An online survey is open until Sunday, October 25. A steering committee will oversee the plan, which will look beyond Ballina District Hospital to cover the wider region. A draft report will be released for public comment, and the plan is expected to be completed by early 2027.
Australian fashion label Shona Joy will close after 26 years in business, founder Shona Thatcher has announced. Ms Thatcher told staff of the decision on Monday, saying she wants to spend more time with her family at their Byron Bay home. She started the label in 2000, selling designs at Bondi Beach and Paddington markets. She said the business was not closing due to financial stress. The label will continue operating until January, and staff will receive their entitlements.
Australian fashion label Shona Joy has announced its closure after 26 years. Founder Shona Thatcher told staff on Monday that she wants to focus more time on her family. She said the commute between her Sydney offices and her home in Byron Bay had become too burdensome. Ms Thatcher said the decision was not due to financial stress and that she had considered it for four years. The business's 33 employees will receive pay and entitlements, and customers can keep buying online until the new year.
The Rotary Club of Mullumbimby is enhancing beach accessibility in the Northern Rivers region. At Torakina Beach, Brunswick Heads, the club offers free beach wheelchairs and related gear. This initiative aims to remove obstacles for individuals with mobility challenges, enabling them to experience coastal environments. The project reflects a community-driven effort to promote inclusivity. The Wire reports on this local endeavour to improve beach access for all Australians.
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Rick and Tayla won the week on The Block, taking $50,000 off their reserve price. Their handmade concrete water feature with a giant bonsai tree impressed the judges, with Shaynna Blaze saying it was amazing. Adam and Jolene's yard drew praise for its water feature, but criticism for steel rings and sand. Courtney and Sev finished with a 22 score, losing the room-win record. Wyatt, who complained throughout the season, reacted with anger, telling his landscapers he hated the project.
An Aboriginal community health service in Lismore has opened a new flood-resilient building. Rekindling the Spirit was severely affected by the 2022 floods. The $4.4 million facility was funded by the Australian and NSW governments and will restore health, mental health, counselling and social support services. A separate $2.4 million grant is rebuilding the service's existing site, with works due for completion later this year. Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said the facility marks a major recovery milestone.
Rekindling the Spirit, an Aboriginal health service hit hard by the 2022 floods, has opened a new flood-resilient building in Lismore. The $4.4 million facility will offer health, mental health, counselling and social support services that were disrupted by the floods. Funding came from the Australian and NSW governments through the Aboriginal Owned Assets Program. A separate $2.4 million grant is rebuilding the service's existing site on Uralba Street, which is due to finish later this year. Chief executive Chris Binge said the project represents more than 35 years of advocacy by the Widjabul Wia-bal community.
The Bangalow Show will mark its 125th year on Friday, 13 November and Saturday, 14 November at the Bangalow Showgrounds. The event began in March 1897, when about 300 people attended the first day. Show Secretary Anne McClelland says volunteers keep the event running, with Monster Trucks as this year's main attraction. Traditional competitions, including the Stockman Ironman and Bush Poet contests, remain on the program. Council is taking over management of the Showgrounds.
Blacktown pilot Aglaya Papadokokolakis flew the first commercial aircraft out of Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday. She said the milestone was a career highlight, launching operations in her home region. Her father is also a pilot, and she encouraged young women to pursue aviation despite its male-dominated reputation. The airport opened after about eight years of construction and is set to run around the clock. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened it at a Sunday morning ceremony, and its first international flight arrived on Monday.
As part of Small Business Month in October, three New England and North Coast businesses are being highlighted. Steve Shaw runs GH Innovations in Thrumster, helping local firms attract customers through online search and sales improvement. Di Wade runs Rawspice Boutique in South West Rocks, offering independent fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor run Beardy Downs in Emmaville, making small-batch tallow and beeswax products through BD Collection.
Drivers travelling between Armidale and the coast on Waterfall Way should allow extra time from Monday, 26 October, to Sunday, 8 November. Transport for NSW says a string of maintenance jobs and projects may cause cumulative delays, with some sections of up to 10 minutes. Vehicles wider than 3 metres face restrictions on parts of the route, and a permit is needed. Motorists can follow signs and directions from traffic controllers, or use alternative routes including the Oxley Highway, Gwydir Highway or New England Highway.
A 28-year-old man has been charged after an alleged fight on Banna Avenue in Griffith. Police allege he threw punches at another man in the middle of the street at about 2 am on Sunday, October 25, after being refused entry to pubs. Officers had earlier told him to leave, and police say he later swore at them and kept approaching despite being directed to leave. He was arrested, charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, and granted bail. He is due to appear before Griffith Local Court on November 18.
Sydney will host the 2027 Super Netball Grand Final for the first time since the competition began. The event is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors and inject more than $4 million into the NSW visitor economy. The match will be played on Saturday 31 July at Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and is proposed rather than confirmed. Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis said the event would celebrate the sport's passion across New South Wales. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state would invest more in netball, one of its biggest participation sports.
