Local Government NSW is calling for a $5 billion interest-free loan scheme to help councils build roads, drainage and other infrastructure needed for housing. Councils would repay the loans through developer contributions as development progresses. The peak body says thousands of homes are being delayed by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in outer metropolitan Sydney and regional areas. LGNSW president Darcy Byrne urged all political parties to back the proposal ahead of the state election. The plan also includes $3 billion in upfront state and regional infrastructure funding and allows developer contributions to fund community facilities.
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.
A 26-year-old man has been extradited from Poland to Australia to face murder charges. The man was arrested in Poland in 2026 and charged with the 2023 murder of a 22-year-old man found in a metal cabinet at Macksville. The victim's body was discovered during a drug-related investigation in the Caringbah area. Two other men, aged 22 and 33, have already been charged and their cases finalised in court.
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NSW Premier Chris Minns has agreed to restore gendered terms such as mother and women to the state Parliament's breastfeeding policy. The change followed criticism from Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, who objected to the removal of those words from the policy. The seven-page policy sets out support for breastfeeding employees, including lactation breaks and workplace facilities. Sloane said only women breastfeed babies and welcomed the reversal on social media. Critics argue many people who do not identify as women also breastfeed, and say gendered wording is inaccurate.
Advocates for women in politics say a brutal attack on federal MP Helen Haines on Monday, which has left her fighting for her life, has frightened them but did not surprise them. Women for Election chief executive Licia Heath linked the attack to misogyny and said nine elected women she had spoken to were scared. A study released in August found 89 per cent of Australian women in office had experienced online abuse or intimidation linked to their political roles. Independent Victorian upper house candidate Aleta Moriarty said she has received thousands of threats, including rape and death threats.
Australians are moving from capital cities to regional areas at rates matching the record levels of 2021, according to the Commonwealth Bank and Regional Australia Institute's Regional Movers Index. Greater Geraldton in Western Australia recorded the fastest year-on-year growth, with net inflows from capitals rising 225 per cent to June 2026. The Sunshine Coast remained the most popular regional destination overall. RAI chief Liz Ritchie said regional growth had outpaced government projections by 114,000 people over the past decade, calling for population planning that keeps pace with housing and services.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has told gun owners who do not want to surrender their firearms to hold on to them. She vowed to scrap key elements of the state's gun buyback scheme if the Liberals win government in the March election. The Shooters Union has urged gun owners to boycott the scheme. Phase one, due to start in two weeks, offers between $450 and $1000 to licence holders who are above the new legal limit. Sloane said the focus should be on illegal firearms held by organised criminals and terrorists instead.
NSW's joint state and Commonwealth gun buyback opens on 2 November. Owners who hold more firearms than the new 4- or 10-gun limits allow are eligible for payments of $1000 for revolvers and $850 for semi-automatic handguns and double-barrel shotguns. Dealers can access grants of up to $25,000. A second phase, with compensation for eligible firearms valued above $3000, is planned for early 2027. The Opposition Leader, Kellie Sloane, has pledged to freeze the buyback and scrap ownership limits for farmers if elected in March, pending a commission of inquiry.
The New South Wales government has promised that businesses using the Excluded Election Trust arrangement will not face state taxes linked to Jim Chalmers' proposed 30 per cent minimum trust tax. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said he worked with the federal treasurer to give businesses certainty early. Business NSW welcomed the move but said business owners should not have to worry about stamp duty bills. Mr Mookhey also pledged to cut state spending to counter inflation and reduce state debt by more than $10 billion ahead of the March state election.
A Federal Court decision has set aside a federal Aboriginal heritage protection order that had stalled a $1 billion gold mine near Blayney in central western NSW. The order, issued in 2024, rejected a proposed tailings dam site at Regis Resources' McPhillamys Gold Project. The matter will now return to the federal government for reconsideration. Regis Resources said it was eager to move forward, while NSW Premier Chris Minns backed the mine. Blayney's mayor said the town lost up to $8 million in rates revenue during the delay.
The NSW Nationals have chosen regional publisher Lucie Wightman as their candidate for the Barwon electorate at the March 2027 state election. The seat is currently held by independent MP Roy Butler. Ms Wightman, who lives in Gilgandra, bought the Gilgandra Weekly in 2016. She has named regional health and medical services, road and infrastructure spending, and the protection of regional communities as her main priorities. NSW Nationals Leader Gurmesh Singh welcomed her to the team.
A Federal Court decision has set aside a federal Aboriginal heritage protection order that had stalled a $1 billion gold mine near Blayney in central western NSW. The order, issued in 2024, rejected a proposed tailings dam site at Regis Resources' McPhillamys Gold Project. The matter will now return to the federal government for reconsideration. Regis Resources said it was eager to move forward, while NSW Premier Chris Minns backed the mine. Blayney's mayor said the town lost up to $8 million in rates revenue during the delay.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has pledged to get the economy moving in her first election video, as Labor and the Coalition face a challenge from One Nation. Voters go to the polls across NSW in March 2027. In the video, Ms Sloane accused Labor of slowing the economy and pledged to lower taxes, create jobs and deliver affordable housing. Premier Chris Minns, who has held office since 2023, is seeking to focus on housing reform and cost-of-living relief. One Nation leader Mark Newman has pledged to abolish the independent Planning Commission if his party is successful.
Byron Shire councillor Janet Swain has launched her campaign as Labor's candidate for the state seat of Ballina at the March 2027 NSW election. NSW Labor announced her candidacy on Friday, October 9, after she won party preselection last month. Swain said housing, services and opportunities for local families would be her priorities. She has lived in Byron Shire for more than a decade and has taught music in local primary schools for 12 years. Ballina is currently held by Greens MP Tamara Smith, who will not contest the next election.
A search is underway for Craig Trethewey, 59, after his abandoned car was found in a floodway near Stonehenge, Queensland. The purple Honda Jazz, bearing Queensland registration 832AT5, was discovered on 4 October with flood damage. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded major flooding in the area in March-April 2025, with the Thomson River reaching 7.40 metres. Police and Trethewey's family are concerned for his welfare and are appealing for information.
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A new mobile veterinary service has launched in Cabonne, New South Wales, led by veterinarian Elise Kinsey. The service aims to make veterinary care more accessible by bringing treatments directly to local animals. Kinsey, who relocated to Orange in late March, offers coordinated single-day visits for multiple animal owners in the same area to assist with travel expenses. She has experience with a diverse array of species, including companion pets, farm animals, and exotic pets like reptiles and birds.
