A Goulburn business owner has been refused bail by the ACT Magistrates Court over alleged assaults on his partner during a visit to Canberra. The man has pleaded not guilty to four counts of assault. The prosecutor said the woman was hospitalised with injuries across her body. The man is alleged to have told police he went into a rage. Special Magistrate Michael Cowen remanded him in custody and adjourned the matter to 13 November.
A witness has told a Sydney Supreme Court jury about a drive with Beau Lamarre-Condon, who is on trial over the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February 2024. The witness, known as Elizabeth Kennedy, said he asked her to pay for an angle grinder and to cover number plates, and that he told her, I don't want to involve you. The accused has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers will argue self-defence. The Crown alleges he tried to sink the bodies in a dam at Bungonia, where they were later found.
A petition calling on the NSW Government to halt the closure of a maximum security wing at Goulburn jail was tabled in parliament after gathering 20,000 signatures. Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said residents feel let down and accused the government of deceiving the town. Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the wings were no longer fit for purpose, citing limited ventilation, natural light and hygiene facilities. He said about 200 staff remain at the centre and that there would be no forced redundancies or transfers.
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Jurors have been shown CCTV footage of accused police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon. The footage allegedly shows him enlisting the help of several friends after he murdered his ex-partner.
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has recommended that the state government reject plans to burn Sydney's waste in regional communities, including proposed incinerators at Tarago and Parkes. The select committee made 22 recommendations after seven hearings across 2025 and 2026. Committee chair Nichole Overall, a Nationals MLC, cited a lack of community acceptance, including from local councils and Aboriginal land councils. Greater Sydney's landfill capacity is expected to run out by 2030. Veolia and the Parkes Energy Recovery project have both put forward proposals, which are before the NSW Planning Department.
Two Canberra charities say an estimated one in seven residents is now living in poverty, the highest proportion since 2001. ACTCOSS and St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn are calling on governments to introduce an official poverty measure, raise welfare payments and invest more in public housing. The charities report that some working families are seeking emergency help and that some parents are skipping meals so their children can eat. Their report was released during Anti-Poverty Week.
Police are appealing for public help to find Heather Gardner, 39, who was last seen in Goulburn on Sunday October 18. She was seen on Williams Street at about 7pm and has not been located or contacted since. Police and her family hold serious concerns for her welfare. Police believe she may be travelling in a green 2004 Toyota Prado with NSW registration ASN06K. Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Police have located Heather Gardner, 39, who had been missing from Goulburn. She was last seen on Williams Street at about 7pm on Sunday, October 18. When she could not be located or contacted, Hume police began inquiries into where she was. Police and family had serious concerns for her welfare. Police have advised that Ms Gardner has been found.
Police are searching the Murray River near Tocumwal for Patrick Evans, 39, who has been missing since Friday afternoon. A witness heard cries for help and found a small boat circling on the water with no one aboard. Evans was last seen at Pebbly Beach campground on the Victorian side of the river before he went fishing. Volunteer and emergency crews, air support, drone teams and police divers are assisting. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The Man Walk, a charity offering free weekly walks for men, will hold its NSW Man Walker Camp in Crookwell on Saturday 14 November. Founder Mark Burns says the group has grown from one walk in Kiama to 106 locations across Australia and overseas. The camp begins with a 5 km walk at 8:30 am and includes activities, music and a spit roast dinner. Attendance costs $50, which Mr Burns says goes towards meals, activities and ongoing walks in regional areas. Partners, children and friends are welcome.
Prisoner numbers at Junee Correctional Centre are rising towards 1,000 after the completion of transfers from Goulburn Correctional Centre. About 100 inmates moved to Junee, lifting its population to 820 by the end of September. Its operational capacity is 944, although the prison can hold about 1,280 inmates in total. Corrective Services NSW says increasing numbers and hiring more staff have always been part of its plans. A coronial finding on October 14 warned that mental health services at the prison already fall short of demand.
A drug-affected driver who killed a mother of four in northern Victoria has been sentenced to eight years and two months in prison. Lance O'Brien, 31, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and contravening bail conditions. His car veered into the lane of Vilia Sutherland on the Barmah-Shepparton Road at Kaarimba in October 2025, killing her at the scene. O'Brien will be eligible for parole in December 2031. He was also fined $1,200 and disqualified from driving for five years.
Stadium design firm Populous has been appointed to carry out concept design and feasibility work for a proposed all-events, covered stadium in Canberra. Canberra Airport Group leads the consortium behind the proposal and will fund the planning and feasibility studies for government consideration. The consortium is in talks with the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn about acquiring the Archbishop's House site next to Commonwealth Park. Funding would need to come from both the Federal and ACT Governments. Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the assessment would be independent and evidence-led.
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.
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.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Kiama Community Radio is hosting Blues in the Night, a fundraising event on Saturday 7 November at Kiama Leagues Club. The station, run by volunteers, is seeking support to fund its equipment, technology and facilities. Headliner Frank Sultana will perform alongside Shane Flew and Matt Ross, and Jr and the Jewel-Tones, which includes Kiama musician Dave Shaw. Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets cost $50, or $40 for station members, plus a booking fee. Every ticket sold supports the station, which has operated since 2020.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
NSW gun owners can book to surrender firearms under the National Gun Buyback from Monday, 2 November, before rules on keeping extra guns are finalised. Under a draft proposal, licence holders with genuine reasons such as sport shooting, pest control or business could apply to keep more than 10 guns, while recreational hunters are capped at four. Only six stations, none in the New England, will take surrenders at first. Eligible licence holders will receive letters and must book through the Gun Safe portal.
Gun owners on the North Coast will have to wait months to surrender firearms under the NSW National Gun Buyback. Grafton is the only North Coast station opening from November 2. Lismore, Ballina and Tweed Heads stations start on February 8, 2027. The limit of 10 guns per licence holder is still a draft proposal, with exemptions under consideration. Walk-ins are not accepted, and surrenders require a booking through the Gun Safe portal.
