A Sydney family endured a harrowing ordeal when masked assailants set fire to their car and fired multiple shots at their Moorebank residence. The incident, occurring just before 2:30am, involved a group of men who threatened the occupants before opening fire. A neighbour attempted to intervene as the attackers doused the vehicle in accelerant. Fortunately, the 32-year-old woman and seven children inside the home escaped unharmed. Police are investigating potential links to a separate arson incident in Bankstown and the woman's association with a luxury car rental business.
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.
Nambucca Valley resident Kevin Blanch, 93, has finally received medals recognising his service in the Royal Australian Air Force. The delay of more than 70 years appears to have been caused by an administrative mix-up, with his identity possibly confused with that of a brother. His family, particularly his granddaughter in Adelaide, pushed for the matter to be resolved. Mr Blanch was among servicemen involved in Britain's first atomic bomb test, Operation Hurricane, in October 1952 at the Montebello Islands. A British medal linked to nuclear testing is also reportedly pending.
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Women working in New South Wales local government have been honoured at a ceremony at Parliament House. Ministers Ron Hoenig and Jodie Harrison hosted the Ministers' Awards for Women in Local Government. The awards drew a record 188 nominations, two-thirds from rural and regional councils. Winners include frontline staff, senior executives, councillors and mayors from councils across the state. The ministers said they hope the awards will encourage more people to pursue careers in local government.
The NSW Government has announced that the Sydney Metro South-West extension will open on Friday 30 October. The 66-kilometre route runs from Bankstown to Sydenham and connects with the existing line to Tallawong. Trains will run every four minutes at peak times and every ten minutes in the evenings and on weekends. The government says the trip times will be shorter for many passengers. Six of the 360 train doors will temporarily stay closed because the gap to the platform is too wide, and pink South-West Link buses will keep running over the first weekend.
Sydney's $23 billion Southwest Metro will open on Friday, October 30, after more than a year of delays. The first train leaves Bankstown station at 4.31am and runs to Tallawong in the northwest. Residents along the corridor have had no train services since September 2024. Transport Minister John Graham has ruled out a fare-free day, and rail replacement buses will stay on standby for the first three days. Premier Chris Minns apologised for the delays and costs, saying the project will serve the city for over a century.
Ten new Metro stations will open in Sydney’s western suburbs on 30 October, cutting travel times to the CBD. The stations will serve Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Lakemba, Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill and Marrickville. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the project would provide faster, reliable transport for southwest Sydney. The Metro West project’s cost has risen from $12 billion to $25 billion.
Sydney's south-west metro extension will open on Friday 30 October, ending more than two years of replacement buses. The first service is set to start at 4.31am. The former T3 heavy rail line closed in September 2024 for conversion to a driverless system. Once open, the line will run 66km from Tallawong to Bankstown, and a Bankstown to Central trip is expected to take 28 minutes. Premier Chris Minns thanked commuters for their patience, calling it a huge moment for south-west Sydney.
The Sydney Southwest Metro will open with its first service departing at 4:31am on Friday, October 30, NSW Premier Chris Minns has said. The new line replaces the 130-year-old Bankstown train line and links south-western suburbs with the Sydney CBD, North Sydney and north-western suburbs. Trains will run every four minutes during weekday peak hours, with services every five minutes during the day and every 10 minutes in evenings and on weekends.
The opening date for Sydney's Southwest Metro rail line could be announced as early as Thursday, according to 7NEWS. A press conference with NSW Premier Chris Minns is reportedly being prepared. The line will run driverless trains between Sydenham and Bankstown and is expected to open within weeks. The rail safety regulator has not yet signed off on the project, though approval is reportedly close. Engineers are working on automated platform sliders where gaps between platforms and carriage doors are still too wide.
Prosecutors have withdrawn the entire case against a 50-year-old woman accused of assaulting an off-duty police sergeant. Maysoon Ibrahim Jubran had been charged over four children, aged between seven and 11, left in an unlocked car at a Bass Hill shopping centre in southwest Sydney on December 9. Police alleged the officer removed the distressed children from the car before Ms Jubran approached her, became aggressive and assaulted her. The charges were withdrawn when the matter was mentioned in Bankstown Local Court. Ms Jubran had previously attended court with supporters and indicated she was willing to resolve the matter.
Property firm Hotspotting says working-class areas are set to outperform wealthier suburbs over the next seven to 15 years. Glenorchy in Tasmania and Canterbury-Bankstown in New South Wales are among its top picks. Its founder, Terry Ryder, says a poor reputation does not stop areas from growing in value. Hotspotting also expects smaller unit complexes built around the 1950s and 1960s to perform well. Real Estate Institute of Australia president Jacob Caine says homebuyers are looking at areas they previously overlooked.
New South Wales has launched 14 additional public preschools, providing early learning opportunities for over 1,000 children. The initiative, part of the Minns Labor Government's plan to establish 100 fee-free preschools by 2027, aims to double the state's public preschool capacity. These new facilities, including one in Yagoona, are co-located with primary schools to facilitate family transitions. Premier Chris Minns emphasised the program's role in enhancing accessibility and easing household financial pressures. The government highlights the benefits of high-quality early education in preparing children for kindergarten, contrasting its efforts with the previous administration's lack of new preschool developments.
The third edition of the Spring T20 Challenge begins in Sydney on Monday, October 12. Nine teams, including the eight Big Bash clubs and the ACT Meteors, will play 18 round-robin matches across four venues. The top four teams progress to semi-finals on October 20, with the final on October 21. Every game will be streamed live and is free for fans to attend. The tournament coincides with Australia's white-ball series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, so many contracted players are unavailable. Hobart Hurricanes are the defending champions and are seeking a third straight title.
The trial of two Sydney nurses accused of antisemitism has been delayed again. Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 28, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, pleaded not guilty to making threats against Israeli patients and refusing to treat them. The trial was set to begin on Monday but was postponed due to a constitutional issue. The matter will be mentioned in Parramatta on November 19. The pair allegedly made the threats during an online video chat in February 2025 while working at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.
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The trial of two nurses accused of making anti-Semitic comments to an Israeli influencer has been delayed. Ahmad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, who deny the charges, were due to face court on Monday. The matter was relisted for a mention in Parramatta on November 19 after a constitutional issue was raised. The pair allegedly made threats on an online video chat platform in 2025 while working at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.
