A severe thunderstorm band with 100km/h wind gusts and torrential rain swept across the Riverina on Sunday. The storm front stretched about 1,000 kilometres, from Lightning Ridge to Victoria's southeast coast. It brought fallen trees, flash downpours and power outages. In Wagga, temperatures fell 8.3 degrees in 30 minutes. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that further thunderstorms and heavy rain remain possible on Sunday afternoon. Residents are urged to avoid fallen trees, damaged powerlines and flooded roads.
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.
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.
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A sudden surge of easterly winds swept through Junee and surrounding districts on Thursday morning, with gusts reaching 50km/h. The winds struck between 8.30am and 9am and brought down a large gum tree branch beside the Olympic Highway. The limb fell across a shared pedestrian and cycle path and an adjoining fence beside the railway corridor. The strong winds sent the branch away from the busy roadway. Bureau of Meteorology figures at Wagga Wagga Airport show the air was virtually calm at 7.30am before the gusts picked up.
Junee's inaugural Canola Gateway Festival attracted 1,487 attendances over two days in August, according to a post-event report presented to Junee Shire Council. The festival's net cost to Council was approximately $4,389, after a $20,000 Destination NSW grant was counted. Sunday's Harvest Day markets at Memorial Park drew the largest crowd, with 1,261 attendances. The Golden Gateway Concert sold 152 tickets, below the audiences of more than 370 at previous Athenium Theatre concerts.
Junee Shire Council's spring school holiday program drew 659 attendances across 14 free activities during the September and October break. A council report tabled on Tuesday, October 20, described the turnout as a success. The new giant inflatable obstacle course at the Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre was the most popular activity, with 130 children taking part on October 6. Several other events, including the library arts sessions and the bus trips, also reached capacity. The program was funded by the NSW Office for Youth.
Yass-based disability advocate Sam Longmore has been named a finalist for the 2027 NSW Australian of the Year Local Hero Award. She is one of four finalists, and the winner will be announced at a Sydney ceremony on November 4. Earlier this year, Longmore completed an eight-day wheelchair journey from Corowa to Yass, raising more than $200,000 for rural mental health. Three other finalists were also named, including Broken Hill mental health advocate Brendan Cullen.
A petition calling on the NSW Government to halt the closure of a maximum security wing at Goulburn jail was tabled in parliament after gathering 20,000 signatures. Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said residents feel let down and accused the government of deceiving the town. Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the wings were no longer fit for purpose, citing limited ventilation, natural light and hygiene facilities. He said about 200 staff remain at the centre and that there would be no forced redundancies or transfers.
Junee High School student Will Chisholm has been nominated for ENCORE, an annual showcase of outstanding HSC music students from across NSW. The nomination puts him in contention for a place in the 2027 showcase, which will be held at the Sydney Opera House on Monday, February 22. Junee High School praised Will's achievement and his continued commitment to music. Will must now await the outcome of a final selection process, expected over the coming weeks.
A coroner has found that a man who died at Junee Correctional Centre may have collected discarded cable ties from rubbish before taking his own life. Police believed Alexander Gavranic, 40, may have joined broken ties together, though the findings do not establish how he got them. The inquest also found he waited 305 days for a mental health assessment and died without seeing a professional, despite repeated requests. Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee said the long wait likely worsened his wellbeing, but could not determine whether treatment would have prevented his death.
Sixteen new correctional officers have been formally welcomed into the Corrective Services NSW workforce at Junee Correctional Centre. The attestation ceremony was held earlier this month. The intake follows 14 officers who started duties in late September, with recruitment continuing. The prison's inmate population is expected to reach an operational capacity of 944 this month after transfers from Goulburn and other NSW facilities. The centre returned to public management in 2025.
Junee Shire Council has opened nominations for its 2027 Australia Day Awards, which recognise volunteers, sporting stars and community groups. Residents can nominate people across five categories, including Citizen of the Year, Team of the Year and Sports Award. Nominations close at 4pm on Friday, November 27, 2026. Nominations can be made online, or by completing a form available from the council website, the Junee Library, the Junee Junction Recreation & Aquatic Centre or council chambers. The awards will form part of the shire's 2027 Australia Day celebrations.
Prisoner numbers at Junee Correctional Centre are rising towards 1,000 after the completion of transfers from Goulburn Correctional Centre. About 100 inmates moved to Junee, lifting its population to 820 by the end of September. Its operational capacity is 944, although the prison can hold about 1,280 inmates in total. Corrective Services NSW says increasing numbers and hiring more staff have always been part of its plans. A coronial finding on October 14 warned that mental health services at the prison already fall short of demand.
A NSW coroner has found serious failures in mental health services at Junee Correctional Centre before a prisoner died by suicide in February 2023. Alexander Gavranic, 40, waited at least 305 days for an assessment, far beyond the three-month maximum for his referral. Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee found the delay likely caused distress and deterioration, but could not establish that earlier treatment would have changed the outcome. The inquest heard two mental health nurses were serving a prison population of up to 1,000, and Lee made two recommendations, including better documentation of prisoners' requests.
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The Junee Show will hold its first rodeo in its 136th annual event on Saturday, 24 October, marking the return of the sport to the town after more than 25 years. Organisers have offered almost $7,000 in prize money across steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and junior steer rides. Gates open at 9am, with the rodeo starting at 3pm and a fireworks finale at 9pm. Adult entry is $10, and children under 16 and concession holders pay $5, which includes rodeo access.
Junee's rodeo returns this Saturday, the first held in the town since the turn of the century. It will be part of the 136th Junee Show at the Junee Showgrounds, with almost $7,000 in prize money on offer. Rodeo action starts at 3pm, with competition running until 8pm. The event was once a major local fixture, drawing large crowds until rising insurance and operational costs ended it. Its last run was in 1999, and organisers hope the revival will introduce the tradition to a new generation.
Entries for this year's Junee Show Young Woman competition close on Friday, October 16. Organisers say the competition aims to build confidence, leadership and public speaking skills among young women in the Junee area. The winner receives $500 and a personal development weekend in Dubbo, and may progress to zone judging for the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Entrants must be aged 18 to 25 as of May 1. Judging takes place on show day, Saturday, October 24, with winners announced at the opening ceremony.
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory co-owner Rhiannon Druce has urged Labor politicians to run a business for a month before introducing policies affecting regional employers. She has raised concerns about proposed changes to working holiday visas, which would replace guaranteed second and third year extensions with a ballot. About 10 per cent of the factory's 70 staff are backpackers. Riverina MP Michael McCormack said the Coalition would prioritise regional work in the visa program if elected. The Department of Home Affairs said the changes aim to allocate places fairly while giving government greater control over temporary visa numbers.
