Eight Christmas markets across the Illawarra region are running from early November to late December. Events include the Wollongong Makers Market at UOW's Innovation Campus on 7 and 8 November, and a Port Kembla market at Red Point Arts Precinct on 14 November. Shoppers can find handmade jewellery, ceramics, gourmet treats and local crafts. Several markets offer live music, face painting and photos with Santa. The Kiama Seaside Markets on 20 December feature more than 150 stalls beside the Kiama Lighthouse.
Kiama council is progressing plans for a two-year trial of a special entertainment precinct, which could start by early next year. The precinct aims to boost live music, hospitality and the night-time economy through more flexible sound limits, longer trading hours and less red tape. Some critics say the proposal lacks ambition and want higher sound limits for longer periods. Councillors voted to progress the draft as originally recommended, with a month-long public exhibition still to come. Wollongong council is also investigating whether a similar precinct would suit its city centre.
A local history writer has long sought the architect of Rondanella, an unusual house at Kanahooka on the shores of Mullet Creek. Land title searches by researchers Wendy and Terry Nunan showed Charles Ormond Smith owned the property by 1914. The property passed to William James Johnson by mortgage in 1916 and was sold to Major Richard Pudsey Dawson in 1936. The writer suspects the Howard Smith family's architect, Verton Howard Bruce Smith, may have been involved, but says the link remains unproven.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has admitted he was wrong about a $6 million federal grant for upgrades to the Marrickville Golf Club in his Sydney electorate of Grayndler. He had told the ABC in September that the grant was partly for fixing a sewerage problem. Finance Department officials later confirmed that sewerage work was not part of the agreement. Albanese told parliament on Tuesday, "I was not correct". Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan's motion to force an apology failed, and an inquiry into federal grants is ongoing.
Yarpa's Meet the Buyer event, held on October 22 at the Western Sydney Convention Centre in Penrith, New South Wales, brought together First Nations suppliers and industry buyers. The day produced about 480 strategically matched meetings, totalling 114 hours. Yarpa director Shannon Mallison said the event aims to create real opportunities through real connections. Yarpa said its membership has grown to over 720 First Nations business members, 470 corporate, government and industry members, and 2,900 people in total since the first event in 2019.
Tenterfield Shire Council has published a series of public notices. White Swamp Road is closed for pipe replacement, with a detour in place. Killarney Road is affected by culvert repairs involving stormwater and headwall replacement. Tenterfield is moving to Level 2 moderate water restrictions from Thursday, 27 August 2026. The council has also announced five new bridge projects across the shire, aimed at improving safety and connectivity.
Jemena has signed new agreements backing plans to turn organic waste into renewable gas in Forbes and Cowra, in central New South Wales. The Forbes deal supports an anaerobic digestion facility expected to produce about 100 terajoules of biomethane a year for the gas network, more than double the town's current gas use. The Cowra project plans to produce more than 275 terajoules of biomethane annually from agricultural residues. The projects could create regional jobs and new income for farmers, and offer manufacturers and industrial businesses a way to cut emissions while using existing equipment.
Tenterfield will move to Level 2 (Moderate) water restrictions from Thursday, 27 August 2026. Tenterfield Shire Council has also announced a closure of White Swamp Road from 10 September 2026 for pipe replacement. Killarney Road is affected by culvert repairs, which include replacing stormwater pipes and headwalls. The council has also announced five new bridge projects across the shire. Separately, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has started an aerial and ground baiting program to control wild dogs.
Lismore City Council has attached 20 Return and Earn baskets to public bins across Lismore and Nimbin, so residents can collect containers to claim refunds. The baskets sit on bins in the Lismore CBD, local parks and sporting fields. The council says a review found about $670,000 in container refunds was being lost to waste. Exchange for Change, which coordinates the scheme, funds the baskets. The baskets are a trial, and the council plans more across the CBD and villages in 2027 if it succeeds. Residents are asked to keep coffee cups and takeaway packaging out of the baskets.
Tamworth's Sports and Entertainment Precinct is set to receive new crossings, street lighting and a shared path by mid-December. The $1.42 million road safety project is nearing completion. Upgrades include wombat and pedestrian crossings, safety fencing and a 3-metre shared path along Longyard Drive. Council staff transplanted 22 Australian native grass trees to spots that do not block sight lines at the Jack Smyth Drive roundabout. The project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Australian Government's Road Safety Program, which aims to reduce severe road injuries and deaths.
Former Sydney police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon reported work-related psychological trauma and claimed schizophrenia symptoms during a call to a police assistance line while on his way to surrender to detectives. He is on trial for the alleged murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, claiming self-defence. Lamarre-Condon accused the force of bullying and lack of support, saying it affected his mental health. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
