Hornsby Shire Councillor Jane Seaglove has urged residents to prepare for bushfire season by clearing gutters, managing vegetation and keeping hoses accessible. Council's Love Your Home video series offers energy-saving tips, including solar panels, insulation and rainwater collection. The Glenorie Village Investigation report is considering housing, services and village facilities, while Glenorie spans both Hornsby and The Hills Shires. Councillor Seaglove is also seeking community views on a possible shared footpath along Galston Road in Dural.
A Remembrance Day service will be held at the Anzac Jawan Cenotaph in Cherrybrook, Sydney, on Sunday 15 November, from 4 pm to 5 pm. The Australia India Cenotaph Committee is organising the ceremony, which will honour those who lost their lives in military service. Veterans and participating groups are asked to gather from 3.45 pm. Community representatives may lay wreaths if they send names and titles beforehand. The event is supported by several local and community bodies, and the public is welcome to attend.
Hornsby artist Roslyn Kean will show her woodblock prints at Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre in Hornsby. The exhibition runs from 20 November to 6 December 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and entry is free. Kean, who won the 2025 Hornsby Art Prize Local Artist Award, draws on the Japanese idea of ma, a pause in space or time. The show also includes Rock at the Roadside, a collaborative mokuhanga project pairing woodblock techniques with tanka poems. Hornsby Shire Mayor Warren Waddell encouraged residents to attend.
Giovanni Pilu, a finalist for Chef of the Year in the 2027 Good Food Guide Awards, has spoken about his life and career. He grew up in Sotza, a small village in Sardinia, where his family's food and community shaped him. He worked in kitchens in Sardinia before moving to Sydney to marry Marilyn. He now runs his namesake restaurant at Freshwater, which is 22 years old. The awards decision is due later this week.
Hornsby Shire councillor Jane Seaglove urges residents to prepare properties for bushfire season by clearing gutters, managing vegetation and planning survival steps. She also promotes energy-saving home changes through a Council video series. Planning for the Glenorie village is progressing, and the Glenorie Village Investigation report considers housing, services and connections. Seaglove is also seeking community views on a possible shared footpath along Galston Road in Dural.
Sydney’s Southwest Metro will open on 30 October, extending the line from Sydenham to Bankstown. The 66-kilometre route will include stops such as Marrickville, Canterbury, and Lakemba, replacing the old T3 heavy-rail line. Transport for NSW says the new Metro will carry 50 per cent more passengers and provide faster trips, with trains running every four minutes during peak times. Premier Chris Minns and Transport Minister John Graham have thanked commuters for their patience during the delays. Further extensions to the line are in early planning stages.
Brendon and Emma Reynolds have put the historic Junee Hotel on the market so they can move closer to family. The couple took over the lease in 2023 and later bought the property, restoring its rooms, bathrooms and bar. They have added community events, including a singles night that Emma says led to five relationships. Emma criticised government taxes on regional pubs and staffing rules that limit backpacker workers. The couple plan to live in the hotel while a sale progresses, which they say can take six to 12 months.
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.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has taken up a part-time professor of practice role at the University of Sydney. She will guest-lecture, run masterclasses and mentor students and researchers in the school of public health. Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern, who led New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, said she has been focused on leadership since leaving office. University vice-chancellor Mark Scott said her leadership showed that empathy and resolve can strengthen each other.
