Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has not apologised after publicly criticising a school for allegedly removing Christmas references from its end-of-year celebrations. The school's calendar still lists Christmas events, including Santa and carols. The school's acting principal is on stress leave, and the Australian Education Union has launched a petition calling for an apology. Labor leader Josh Willie accused Mr Rockliff of getting the facts wrong and leaning into culture wars.
Tasmanian government ministers have continued to post on social media about a northern Tasmanian primary school's alleged move to drop Christmas references from its end-of-year event. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had asked the Education Department to step in, and said he stood by his expectation that schools celebrate Christmas. The Australian Education Union said members were upset and accused ministers of joining a pile-on. Minister Nick Duigan said he was not a fan of culture wars but supported celebrating Christmas.
The Federal Parliament will sit for one day at Old Parliament House in April next year. The sitting marks 100 years since the national parliament first met in Canberra. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Question Time and legislation will return to the chambers for the first time in decades. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the day would be cramped but a special occasion for MPs. The centenary celebrations will cost taxpayers $3 million.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Independent MP Helen Haines remains in critical condition in Melbourne after she was struck twice by a four-wheel drive outside her Wangaratta electorate office. She lost a leg in surgery. Police have taken Brendan Nugent, 43, into custody and he is alleged to be the driver. Parliamentarians say the attack has heightened fears for their safety. The government and the Coalition are reportedly in talks on security measures for all elected officials.
Greens leader David Shoebridge and Senator Jordon Steele-John disagree over whether Steele-John agreed to take leave while allegations against him are investigated. Shoebridge said the WA Greens were conducting an investigation and that Steele-John had taken leave from the party room. Steele-John denies being on leave and says the leader cannot place an MP on leave from Parliament or the party. Shoebridge says he believes leave is appropriate, and that his position does not prejudge the inquiry. The allegations concern claims of inappropriate behaviour towards women, which Steele-John disputes in part.
Up to 12 open wheel racing cars are set to appear at this year's Noosa Summer Hill climb, with the pits open to visitors on 14 and 15 November. Phil Charles, who has taken his 1977 GRD Nota to the hill more than 25 times, will be among the entrants. The car has a 1600cc turbocharged twin cam engine and weighs just over 400 kilograms. Charles recently raced in the rain, when many others stayed dry, and won his class at the Grafton Historic meeting this year.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is being urged to apologise after a Facebook post about a Launceston school's end-of-year event drew wide attention. Rockliff wrote that schoolchildren should be encouraged to sing Christmas carols, and asked the education department to step in. The school, Trevallyn Primary School, had planned to rename its Christmas on the Hill event as the End of Year Extravaganza. Rockliff said he would not apologise, and the education department said no decision had been made on changes to school celebrations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry that a partial retreat on the tax office's credit card ban was his doing. Treasurer Jim Chalmers denied being overruled and said the two had agreed on the change. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor seized on the remark, calling it a humiliation for the treasurer. The column says the remark was probably careless rather than a deliberate snub. It also notes Health Minister Mark Butler has emerged as a leading contender to succeed Albanese.
NYE On The Hill, the South Gippsland music festival, has announced that its 2026 event will be its last. The festival began in 2009 as an invite-only gathering for Melbourne bands and their friends. Over 17 years it has hosted more than 600 bands and 2,500 musicians and performers, and many played their first festival sets there. The final celebration runs from December 30, 2026, to January 1, 2027, with a lineup including Ball Park Music, The Pacific and Meg Jäger.
Don Strachan, now 97, is one of few living Wallabies to have beaten the All Blacks at Eden Park. He started in Australia's 8-3 win in Auckland in 1955, though New Zealand kept the Bledisloe Cup. Strachan is the oldest living Australian rugby union player and is Wallaby number 413. A motorbike crash nearly cost him his leg, but he returned to play. He later captained the Combined NSW Country side and helped found the Orange Emus Rugby Club.
The Liberal Party has pledged $800,000 to move the Moorabool Street bus interchange to Geelong railway station if it wins November's state election. The pledge also includes funding for a business case on redeveloping Market Square and a free council-run city shuttle. Shadow planning minister David Southwick said the shopping centre urgently needed revitalisation. Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said resolving Market Square's future was key to moving 14 approved central Geelong projects forward. The business case could pave the way for state acquisition of the privately owned site.
INXS co-founder Andrew Farriss has acquired a luxurious beachfront property in Kingscliff, NSW, for $9 million. The 2018-built residence, situated on a 1012 square metre beachfront reserve, features five bedrooms, an open-plan living area, a home cinema, and an outdoor alfresco space with a pool. The sale, handled by local agent Nick Witheriff, set a new street record and was finalised within a week. Farriss and his wife, Marlina, operate a cattle farm near Tamworth, having purchased the historic Piedmont Station in 1992. The couple previously resided on Sydney’s northern beaches during the band’s early years.
A 1920s home at 21 Errington Avenue, New Lambton, is listed with a price guide of $1,810,000. The five-bedroom residence keeps its period features, including 12-foot ceilings and Ironbark hardwood floors, and has been expanded over two levels. A modern kitchen, a main suite with an en suite, and a sheltered outdoor terrace are included. A separate outbuilding holds two garages, a workshop and a self-contained granny flat. Recent upgrades include new piers, updated plumbing and electrical work, a new roof and a solar array.
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.
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.
