Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual Wollongong Steam Trains weekend, set for 7 and 8 November. For the first time, the Victorian steam locomotive R766 will carry passengers between Wollongong and Scarborough. Single first-class seats cost $55, while groups can book an entire eight-person heritage carriage for $195. Each return trip takes about an hour. Organisers say the trips give passengers a chance to travel as trains once did, slower and with a scenic view of the northern suburbs.
The New Zealand Warriors have reportedly locked in 2026 Dally M Hooker of the Year Wayde Egan on a 12-month extension. Egan was set to come off contract at the end of 2027, so the deal keeps him at the club for at least the next two NRL seasons and off the player market on November 1. The Warriors have also granted fellow hooker Sam Healey early permission to speak with rival clubs for 2028. Egan, who joined from Penrith in 2020, will enter his ninth season with the club in 2028.
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has recommended that the state government reject plans to burn Sydney's waste in regional communities, including proposed incinerators at Tarago and Parkes. The select committee made 22 recommendations after seven hearings across 2025 and 2026. Committee chair Nichole Overall, a Nationals MLC, cited a lack of community acceptance, including from local councils and Aboriginal land councils. Greater Sydney's landfill capacity is expected to run out by 2030. Veolia and the Parkes Energy Recovery project have both put forward proposals, which are before the NSW Planning Department.
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Lithgow City Council is inviting event organisers to hold their next regional event in the Seven Valleys. Applications for the Seven Valleys Major Event Sponsorship Program are open until November 1, 2026. The 2026-27 program offers up to $40,000 in sponsorship from a total pool of $40,000. Mayor Cassandra Coleman said the region's towns, natural landscapes and heritage places could suit many kinds of events. Lithgow Halloween runs on Main Street on October 31, and the Wild Food Festival returns in February 2027.
The NSW Government has launched a permanent Armed Response Command (ARC) unit, equipped with carbine rifles and state-of-the-art vehicles. The 250-officer unit will operate 24/7 across Sydney, with officers trained in urban combat. Premier Chris Minns said the unit is part of post-Bondi reforms to better equip police for serious threats. Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley noted the unit is based on global best practices.
