Beauty therapist Brodie Taylor has opened Cabonne Beauty Co at a new Bank Street location in Molong. She previously worked from a room at the rear of Glosse hair salon after moving her services to Molong three months ago. Ms Taylor, who has seven years of industry experience, says she wants clients to leave feeling better than when they arrived. The salon offers brow, lash, waxing, tinting and nail treatments, with spray tanning to be introduced shortly and pedicures planned later. Ms Taylor said the Molong community has been strongly supportive of local small businesses.
Several authors say they paid Patrick White Publishing hundreds of dollars and were left unhappy with the service. Kerry Stewart says her editing was poor and she was refused a refund. Tulin Salis says she was pressed to pay for extra services beyond the quoted price. The company's storefront images and some book illustrations have been identified as AI-generated. Patrick White's estate has condemned the use of the late novelist's name. Patrick White Publishing did not respond to requests for comment.
Western NSW grazier Peter Barton has signed one-fifth of his 480-hectare property at Wellington into permanent conservation. The land is being bought by the NSW government to offset environmental damage from the Central West Orana renewable energy zone. Under the agreement, the land must stay in its natural condition, and Mr Barton receives annual payments for weed and pest control. The government says it has reached agreements for around 6,000 hectares, with another 8,000 hectares under advanced negotiations. Environmental groups have welcomed the new region-specific approach, which replaces an earlier system that drew criticism.
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West Pennant Hills Bowls Club held semi-finals in which Michael Williams beat his son Lachlan 125 to 112, and Kevin Tuckerman reached the final after winning an extra end against Geoff McIntosh. In the final, Tuckerman pulled ahead late to defeat Williams 125 to 114. The club is also preparing its yearly bus trip for 33 bowlers, partners and friends, travelling to Wagga Wagga in October. They will stay for ten days, play against three local clubs, and visit attractions such as the RAAF museum and a liquorice and chocolate factory in Junee.
About 350 motorcyclists gathered at the Cumnock Bowling Club on Sunday for the Ride Blue Mental Health Awareness Ride. Six groups set out from locations across the region and arrived at the same time. Proceeds will fund hardship scholarships for Lifeline crisis support workers. Pharmacists from Life Pharmacy offered health checks, and Lifeline volunteers served barbecue meals. Three groups stopped in Cudal to visit local cafes, and rider Rory McTaggart praised the smooth organisation of the day.
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.
De Bortoli's 2022 DEEN Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon, made at its Bilbul winery near Griffith, has won Best NSW Wine at the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show. The win is the first Best NSW Wine trophy for the family winery, which has taken the sweet white trophy at least 15 times in 30 years. Bilbul head winemaker John Coughlan credits the Riverina's weather, irrigation and a fungus that concentrates grape sugars. Early botrytis in 2022 meant the fruit was picked in March.
Residents and experts have told the NSW Independent Planning Commission that a proposed silver, lead and zinc mine near Lue could pose health risks. A University of Queensland professor recommended moving Lue Public School, two kilometres from the site, citing potential lead dust exposure. The mine's proponent, Silver Mines Limited, says predicted health risks are very low and that the project has been independently reviewed. Concerns about water supply and drainage were also raised. The commission is due to make its determination by December 9.
Farmers and residents near Lue in New South Wales fear the proposed Bowdens Silver mine could poison their land, water and health. The NSW government has recommended approval of the project, which the Independent Planning Commission is considering at a public hearing this week. Lead and zinc make up most of the ore, with silver less than 1 per cent by weight. Critics point to a suppressed government report on childhood lead exposure in Broken Hill and argue that lead has no safe level of exposure.
Plans for a $1 billion silver and lead mine in Central West New South Wales are being reassessed, as opponents protested in Mudgee with tractors. The NSW Court of Appeal voided the original approval in August 2024, ruling the planning commission should have examined the environmental impacts of the project's transmission line. The Independent Planning Commission has begun three days of hearings. Silver Mines Limited says the project's merits are now stronger. Protesters, including sheep and cattle farmer Tom Combes, oppose the mine, and 97 speakers are scheduled to give evidence. A determination is expected by December 9.
Local sculptor Damien Lucus will exhibit his work at the Sculptures in the Garden event in Mudgee from 10 to 25 October. His piece, Evolution, is a spin-off from a private commission featuring more curved edges. Lucus, who previously worked in Lismore, now operates a studio at the Byron Arts and Industry Estate, where he creates sculptures primarily in clay and plaster.
