Griffith Police Station will begin accepting eligible firearms from 2 November under the NSW Government's gun buyback scheme. The scheme follows the Bondi Beach terror attack in December 2025, which killed 15 people. Owners must book an appointment online through Gun Safe, and compensation ranges from $450 for an air rifle to $1000 for a centrefire rifle or revolver. Local firearms dealers, including Anthony Mancini of Riverina Firearms Centre, say the reforms have hurt their businesses and that the payments are too low. Further police stations will join the scheme from 1 December and 18 January 2027.
A 28-year-old man has been charged after an alleged fight on Banna Avenue in Griffith. Police allege he threw punches at another man in the middle of the street at about 2 am on Sunday, October 25, after being refused entry to pubs. Officers had earlier told him to leave, and police say he later swore at them and kept approaching despite being directed to leave. He was arrested, charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, and granted bail. He is due to appear before Griffith Local Court on November 18.
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.
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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.
Six NSW police stations, including Penrith, will accept surrendered firearms from November 2 under a new national gun buyback scheme. Eligible licence holders will receive compensation at a fixed price schedule. More stations will join in December, and the scheme will run for 12 months. Participants must book through the Gun Safe portal, as walk-in surrenders will not be accepted. Police and Counter-terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley said fewer guns in the community would make it safer.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has said he will absolutely not take part in the national gun buyback, arguing good people should keep their weapons. NSW police stations in six locations will accept surrendered guns from November 2, with 34 more sites opening from December 1. NSW is the only state so far to sign up, and the scheme will compensate people for firearms they can no longer legally own. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said fewer guns in the community means a safer community.
Independent MP Helen Dalton has confirmed she will stand for re-election in the Murray seat at the 2027 NSW state election. Dalton is currently the only candidate registered with the NSW Electoral Commission for Murray. Media reports say the NSW Nationals plan to run a rival candidate, expected to be chosen by December. Dalton said her independence lets her focus on voters rather than party politics. The election is scheduled for 13 March 2027.
Richard Wiseman, a Griffith High deputy principal, has been recognised with life membership of the NSW Teachers Federation after 38 years of advocacy. His efforts secured teacher housing, classroom air-conditioning, and a historic pay rise. Wiseman also successfully campaigned for improved incentives to attract teachers to Griffith, addressing chronic vacancies. He remains committed to strengthening public education in regional communities, despite increasing challenges. Wiseman's dedication has benefited both Griffith High and the broader education system.
Eligible NSW firearms licence holders can surrender surplus and reclassified guns for compensation under a national buyback scheme. Bookings must be made through the Gun Safe portal, as walk-in surrenders at police stations will not be accepted. Holders with recreational hunting or vermin control reasons are limited to four guns each, while other eligible reasons allow up to 10. Metro stations, Grafton, Griffith and Dubbo accept surrenders first, with more stations joining from December 1 and January onwards. Bookings for later stages open on November 24.
Emergency services in the ACT responded to 60 calls on Sunday after heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 72 km/h hit the territory. A tree fell on a house in Giralang, and another fell on a car in Griffith. Several suburbs lost power for up to three hours. No injuries were reported. Clean-up work is continuing, and the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a cool, sunny week with no rain until Saturday, 31 October.
Backpackers say recent changes to working holiday visas have removed the incentive to take regional jobs that many Australians avoid. Under the new system, second-year visas will require a ballot, and the number on offer is falling sharply. Irish backpacker Meghan Morris and Chilean backpacker Catalina Quiroga say the lottery makes regional work less worthwhile. Cherry grower Tom Eastlake in Young and winemaker Darren De Bortoli in Griffith say backpackers are essential to their harvests. The Department of Home Affairs says the reforms are designed to manage demand and support a fairer allocation of visas.
Griffith mothers say they are paying hundreds of dollars for pregnancy ultrasounds, waiting weeks for appointments or travelling to Wagga for scans. Early childhood educator Brianna Dean said she needed seven to eight scans in each pregnancy, mostly from private providers costing $300 each, with only $80 refunded through Medicare. She said calls to Griffith Base Hospital often went unanswered. The Murrumbidgee Local Health District said recruiting sonographers remains a challenge in regional areas and that private providers also offer imaging. Its chief executive, Emma Field, did not answer questions about waiting times.
The New South Wales Government says saleyards are driving strong uptake of electronic identification tags for sheep and goats. Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the tags help trace livestock movements during disease threats. Farming groups NSW Farmers and WoolProducers are calling for a delay to the 1 January deadline. NSW Farmers wool committee chair Craig Mitchell said animals already identified should not need a second tag. WoolProducers Australia chief executive Jo Hall said the national database is not yet fully operational.
Griffith Mayor Doug Curran says the city's Firefly monument will be refurbished, not removed, after social media rumours said it was facing removal. Council staff presented three options, and Curran says none of the 14 people present backed removal. The work could cost up to $250,000. Curran said the aircraft is deteriorating and delays could put it beyond saving. He criticised the Griffith Free Local News page, saying its author is a fake. The Fairey Firefly, a British-built naval aircraft, was unveiled as a war memorial in Griffith in 1969.
Spring festivals, town shows, markets and food and wine events fill the Riverina this week. The Victorian State Ballet performs its retelling of Aladdin in Albury on 23 and 24 October. Griffith Spring Fest runs from 23 to 25 October and includes a citrus sculpture garden, while the Junee Show marks 125 years on 24 October. Womn-Kind holds a day of conversation for young women in Wagga Wagga, and the North East Food and Wine Festival runs in Wodonga from 23 to 25 October.
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A motorcyclist, believed to be in his 40s, has died in hospital after a crash with a car on Mirrool Street in Bilbul, near Griffith. The crash happened just before 7am on Thursday 22 October 2026. The 35-year-old driver of the car was not injured. He was taken to Griffith Base Hospital for mandatory assessment. Police are asking anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to contact Murrumbidgee Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A motorcyclist has died after a collision with a car at Bilbul, north-east of Griffith. Emergency services were called to Mirrool Street shortly before 7 am on Thursday, 22 October. The rider, believed to be in his 40s, was thrown from the motorcycle. Paramedics performed CPR before taking him to Griffith Base Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died. The man has yet to be formally identified. The 35-year-old driver of the car was uninjured. Police have launched an investigation into the cause, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
A motorcyclist has died in hospital after a collision with a car on Mirrool Street at Bilbul, about six kilometres north-east of Griffith. The crash happened on Thursday morning, October 22, shortly before 7am. NSW Ambulance paramedics performed CPR on the rider, believed to be in his 40s, before taking him to Griffith Base Hospital in a critical condition. He died a short time later and has yet to be formally identified. The 35-year-old car driver was not injured but was taken to hospital for assessment. Police are investigating and will prepare a report for the coroner.
The Land and Environment Court has approved doubling the battery storage units at a Bilbul solar farm, from four to eight. Griffith councillors had voted against the expansion in April. The approval followed an agreement between the developer and council during court-supervised negotiations, not a full hearing. Neighbours raised concerns about noise, fire risk and falling property values. The developer, MPower, says conditions address those concerns, including noise monitoring and a fire protection zone around the batteries.
