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.
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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.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been hired as a professor of practice at the University of Sydney. The 46-year-old joins the faculty of medicine and health, where the role will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern will explore ways to address global health challenges, inclusion and wellbeing, and will lead guest lectures and masterclasses. The university says the position is not a full-time teaching role. Ardern and her family moved to Australia in February, reportedly buying a $5.3 million home on Sydney's northern beaches.
Mini has unveiled the Lucky 13 Edition, an Australian-exclusive limited-run model based on the John Cooper Works three-door hatch. It honours the 1966 Bathurst 500 victory by Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden in a factory-backed Morris Mini Cooper S. The special edition's name comes from Mr Holden drawing number 13 from a hat and adopting it as his lucky number. Design cues include white bonnet stripes, a white roof and circular 13 decals. Just 26 cars will be built for Australia, with arrival expected in the first quarter of 2027. Pricing starts at $71,990 before on-road costs.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Ramp has been officially named Patyegarang, after a Cammeraygal woman who helped bridge colonial and Indigenous communities. The name was chosen through a collaborative process with local Aboriginal community members. Transport for NSW has also unveiled new bronze signage and a cyclist counter board, which shows live usage statistics. The ramp's opening in January has led to a 30% increase in cycleway usage, averaging 1,600 daily riders over the past six months.
Belfast watchmaker Nomadic has unveiled the Dána 141, its first dress watch, inspired by the city's historic ship-design drawing offices. The rectangular steel watch is 39.6 by 28 millimetres and is available from 30 October in Emerald Green, Black Velvet and Moonlight White. It has a Swiss hand-wound movement and an open caseback showing its industrial character. The watch costs AUD $2,425 and can be bought from Nomadic's website, which ships worldwide. Founder Peter McAuley says he wanted a more formal option from the brand, which is known for tool watches.
