Will Lee has served 56 years with the NSW Rural Fire Service, which he began after helping fight a major fire in the northern Illawarra in 1968. He joined the Austinmer Bushfire Brigade in 1970 and went on to hold several leadership roles, including Group Captain. He was recognised with a National Medal with a fourth clasp at a recent ceremony, where his daughter Belinda Lee also received a 40-year Long Service Medal. Will now focuses on training young firefighters. He says the job of an old firefighter is to teach young firefighters to become old firefighters.
A business network in Yallah with 14 members says it has generated $282,000 in revenue and 161 direct referrals this year. Members pay an annual fee of $1200. Foundation member Joel Warren, a web design and marketing specialist, says the group gives a return of roughly 18 times the membership cost. Each business category has one seat, and members meet every Wednesday at 8 am at Yallah Woolshed Kitchen. Several categories, including physiotherapists, builders, painters and bookkeepers, are currently open to new members.
The Arcadians, a theatre group in the Illawarra, is staging the musical Crazy For You from November 6 to 21 at the Miner's Lamp Theatre. The story follows a young banker trying to rescue a theatre, which mirrors the group's own situation as it raises funds for vital renovations. Producer Matthew Verhelst said the cast includes strong leads William Christie and Ella. Guest choreographer Brendan Cascarino was brought in from Sydney to create a solo for Bobby. Every performance of the show is set to feature tap dancing from the full cast.
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Eight Christmas markets across the Illawarra region are running from early November to late December. Events include the Wollongong Makers Market at UOW's Innovation Campus on 7 and 8 November, and a Port Kembla market at Red Point Arts Precinct on 14 November. Shoppers can find handmade jewellery, ceramics, gourmet treats and local crafts. Several markets offer live music, face painting and photos with Santa. The Kiama Seaside Markets on 20 December feature more than 150 stalls beside the Kiama Lighthouse.
The NSW government has scrapped major train timetable changes on the T4, T8 and South Coast lines less than a month before they were due to start. Premier Chris Minns said the government had listened to commuters and local MPs. The changes were due to take effect on November 15 and had promised more frequent services, though some trips would take longer. Passengers had objected to losing direct trips to Sydney Airport from Wollongong and to other changes. Transport Minister John Graham said the focus would now be on improving reliability on the existing network.
A list of events across the Illawarra this week includes art exhibitions at Clifton and Port Kembla, a grandparents magic show at Kiama Library, and an Indigenous business expo in Wollongong. Families can attend ParkFest in Albion Park Rail, which features a silent disco and free barbecue. The Jamberoo Car Show and Family Day is on Sunday, though it has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Cyclists will begin the Great Southeastern Loop from Bellambi on Sunday, and the Reclaim the Night rally takes place in Wollongong on Thursday evening.
Coal workers, families and communities in the Illawarra will have a greater say in planning the future of the industry. The NSW Government has set up the Future Jobs and Investment Authority, which will include local divisions in four coal-producing regions. Each division will include workers, local councils and community members. The authority will attract investment, support skills and jobs, and help former mining land be used productively. The Future Jobs and Investment Bill 2025 has passed, backed by nearly $30 million in ongoing funding.
Spring weather in Wollongong has been unstable, swinging between winter and summer conditions. Temperatures have ranged from the mid-30s to around 10 degrees, with fog, storms and heavy night rain. A photographer says the shifting conditions create many chances to shoot the same locations in different light. Westerly winds, north-easterly humidity and southerly changes drive the variation, with warm ocean water adding moisture. Sites such as Sublime Point and Mount Keira are suggested for fog, and waterfalls for after rain.
Hundreds of locals have attended the community-led Illawarra Nature Festival at Port Kembla's Servo, celebrating the region's natural environment through expert talks, workshops, music and art. The launch included a multi-sensory exhibition on Illawarra lowland grassy woodlands, combining visual art, log rubbings, projected video and soundscapes. Artists say the work aims to show how the woodland has been fragmented and to encourage people to help reconnect the remaining pockets. Program coordinator Alison Mellor said the turnout had been really special.
Several native yellow-flowering daisies known as buttons are now in bloom in the Illawarra region, according to gardening columnist Emma Rooksby. Billy Buttons are flowering in planter boxes outside the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in central Wollongong. Showy Copper-wire Daisies are flowering at Croom Reserve in Albion Park. Rooksby also describes Everlasting Buttons, a woodland plant with profuse yellow flowers, and Yellow Buttons, a plant common in local gardens and on verges.
Police seized 22 illegal e-bikes during a blitz across Wollongong, Shellharbour and Cronulla on Friday. The operation, run with Transport for NSW, targeted bikes that exceeded legal speed and power limits. Earlier, an officer was injured at Shell Cove when police allege an e-bike rider struck him while trying to stop the bike and then fled. An 18-year-old man has been charged with multiple offences and will appear before Port Kembla Local Court on October 28. Police warned riders to check NSW requirements before buying an e-bike, saying non-compliant bikes may be seized and destroyed.
A revised train timetable for the South Coast Line will add hundreds of services each week, aimed at shortening waits for commuters. From 15 November, peak trains between Wollongong and Sydney CBD rise to four per hour, meaning a service every 15 minutes. Off-peak and weekend frequency will also double, with trains roughly every 30 minutes. Nineteen additional Mariyung trains will join the line, offering charging ports and space for luggage, prams and bicycles.
Bill Dowson, who built small businesses in hardware, self-storage and document management, now chairs The Cram Foundation. He advocates for people with disability across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions. Dowson joined the board in 2017, arguing that running a not-for-profit requires many of the same skills as running a business. He says the organisation has shifted from a clinical approach to a human rights approach, with people with disability entitled to the same freedoms and choices as anyone else. Dowson has been named a finalist for a 2026 social justice award.
An Illawarra film, LudoVic, has won best film and best production design at the Sweeping Plains Film Festival. The short was made by Screen Illawarra's Nick Bolton and production company Ten Alphas. It has also earned Official Selection at the Verona International Short Film Festival. Screen Illawarra is holding further events, including a screening of the Unbroken Whispers films in Wollongong on October 29 and a November 14 showcase of new films as a fundraiser. Tickets for the October 29 screening are free.
A new South Coast rail timetable starts on Sunday, November 15, bringing more frequent peak, off-peak and weekend services between Wollongong and Sydney. Transport for NSW says the changes will untangle the South Coast and T4 lines between Arncliffe and Central. However, many commuters heading beyond Central, including those travelling to the airports, will need to change trains, adding around six minutes to each journey. Transport for NSW data for March 2026 shows about two-thirds of morning peak passengers from South Coast stations travel no further than Central, and will be affected. Local commuters have criticised the changes.
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Six Halloween events are planned across the Illawarra, from Gerringong to Woonona, on 30 and 31 October. Shellharbour hosts a free family Halloween Spooktacular on 30 October at the Civic Centre. Port Kembla Fearfest, held on 31 October on Wentworth Street, features live performances, armoured combat demonstrations and a horror maze. Science Space runs its Spookfest on 30 October, while the Illawarra Light Railway Museum and Woonona Bulli RSL Club host events on 31 October. The Co-Op Gerringong also hosts a one-night Halloween party that evening with live music.
Construction has begun on a new 3 km mountain bike loop at the Kembla Mountain Bike Trails network in the Illawarra. The blue trail is designed for intermediate riders and will link with the existing 20 km network by this summer. It will also give riders a safer route to the Mount Kembla Bowling Club. Stage one has drawn more than 30,000 visits since opening last year. Wollongong Mountain Bike Club vice-president Corey Dowling has called for continued investment in the region's trails. Minister Ryan Park said the trails cater for a range of ages and skills.
The owner of an Illawarra homewares store has been denied bail after police allegedly found 2,500 child abuse material files on his devices. Calvin Gabriel Gorsuch, 27, faced court after his Woonona home was raided. He is charged with using a carriage service to make available child abuse material and one count of possession. Gorsuch will remain behind bars, with the matter returning to court in December.
Twelve new transitional homes will be built in the Illawarra for young people aged 22 to 24 at risk of homelessness. Wollongong Homeless Hub and Housing Services (WHHHS) received $9 million from the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) to increase local housing supply. The funding aims to provide stability and independence for at-risk youth, with the announcement coming shortly after a $16.2 million grant to another local organisation for domestic violence support.
