Severe thunderstorms are moving across eastern Australia, bringing warnings of damaging winds and heavy rain. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, with flash flooding possible. Wind gusts of up to 113km/h were recorded at Cabramurra in the Snowy Mountains. Queensland is forecast to be hardest hit, after 100mm to 200mm of rain fell in parts of the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Flood warnings are current in several parts of Queensland, including a major warning for the Mary River at Tiaro.
Moruya cafe owner Sam Steiner entered the coffee industry in 2011 and has since built direct relationships with growers in Central and South America and the Philippines. His team raised funds and partnered with another business to build a new drying shelter for Colombian farmer Diofanor Ruiz, allowing him to process more beans naturally. Steiner says better coffee brings better prices, higher wages and wider community benefits. Alfresco Coffee now employs up to 34 people across its two cafes and roastery on the South Coast.
West Pennant Hills Bowls Club held semi-finals in which Michael Williams beat his son Lachlan 125 to 112, and Kevin Tuckerman reached the final after winning an extra end against Geoff McIntosh. In the final, Tuckerman pulled ahead late to defeat Williams 125 to 114. The club is also preparing its yearly bus trip for 33 bowlers, partners and friends, travelling to Wagga Wagga in October. They will stay for ten days, play against three local clubs, and visit attractions such as the RAAF museum and a liquorice and chocolate factory in Junee.
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Council is facing a $62 million bill to upgrade the Tomakin Sewerage Treatment Plant, a report to council has revealed. A further $12 million is needed to divert wastewater from Batemans Bay to Tomakin, and $5 million to optimise the Batemans Bay plant. The Batemans Bay plant is at capacity, so Tomakin has been taking the excess waste. Council says its long-term strategy relies on upgrading Tomakin to increase regional capacity, with the work to proceed alongside the diversion and the Batemans Bay upgrade.
Sea Otter Australia, the Southern Hemisphere's biggest bike show, returns to Batemans Bay and the Mogo Trails from 22 to 25 October. Organisers expect attendance in the five figures, up from 9000 at the inaugural event in 2025. The festival will feature 2500 athletes across 10 racing disciplines and more than 120 exhibiting businesses. Shuttled rides will take riders to Narooma MTB Park and the 30 km Burnaaga (Goanna) trail at Mogo. The 2026 program also includes a summit and the Land Manager Awards on 22 October.
A man who traded three fake gold bars for an electric mountain bike in Batemans Bay has been given a two-year community correction order. David Robert Meade pleaded guilty in August to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. His lawyer said he was addicted to drugs and owed money to drug dealers at the time. He must repay the $7,500 cost of the bike and pay a $1,500 fine. Judge Doug Dick said the man before him was not the desperate man he had seen at an earlier sentencing.
A 25-year-old woman died after a wave swept her into the ocean while she was rock fishing at North Durras Beach, north of Batemans Bay on the New South Wales far south coast. Emergency services were called about 6pm on Saturday. Police believe she was fishing with a 39-year-old man at Point Upright when the incident happened. The man entered the water trying to reach her, was thrown onto nearby rocks and received minor cuts to his arms and legs. A passing recreational fishing vessel found the woman and brought her ashore, where CPR failed to revive her.
A woman has died after being struck by a wave while rock fishing at North Durras Beach, about 25 kilometres north of Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast. Emergency services were called about 6pm on Saturday 17 October 2026 after reports of two people in the water. A 39-year-old man who tried to reach her was unable to do so and was washed back to shore. A passing vessel found the 25-year-old woman, and CPR was performed on the beach, but she could not be revived. Neither fisher was wearing safety equipment.
Protesters in Canberra, Sydney, Batemans Bay, Hobart and Coffs Harbour rallied on 8 October against native forest clear-felling. The gatherings coincided with a three-day Forestry Australia symposium in Canberra on improving public trust in forestry. Forest Ecology Alliance says 70 per cent of people in NSW want logging stopped. Ashley Love said logging in Pine Creek state forest threatens koala habitat and corridors. Forest activist Chris Degan cited about $3 million in court fines and investigative costs since 2020.
Seven people are suing Eurobodalla Shire Council in the Supreme Court over alleged child sexual abuse at a daycare service in the 1990s. Laura-Jane Phoenix-Singh says she was groomed and sexually assaulted from the age of seven by David Neil Tuck, who was licensed by the council between 1994 and 1999. The claim alleges the council received multiple complaints about Mr Tuck and failed to act. The council has acknowledged the distressing situation and says it now operates under rigorous standards. The matters were adjourned until February 2027.
In 1907, a lioness escaped from the Eroni circus tent in Batemans Bay after a lion tamer's cage was unlatched. Residents and circus staff hunted her through the town overnight, with shots missing their target. At 9 am she was found at Little Flat and attacked a local man, Albert Vietch, before Tim Maloney shot her dead. The author now argues the story is chiefly an animal welfare failure. Australia's last performing circus lions retired in 2021, largely because insurance could not be found for them.
Several restaurants and cafes along the South Coast of New South Wales offer gluten-free dining options. Stingray’s Ocean & Grill in Batemans Bay provides gluten-free fish and chips in dedicated fryers. The Oyster Farmer’s Daughter in Narooma serves gluten-free seafood, including oysters and fish and chips. The Rivermouth in Tomakin offers gluten-free brunch items and fish and chips. Cafe Beyond in Bega is a fully gluten-free establishment with house-made bread and sausage rolls. Cafe Pambula by Toast in Pambula features gluten-free fritters and pancakes, with similar offerings at The Eddy in Merimbula and Eden Ground.
