Nelson Bay Football Club's under-16 boys team has won the Newcastle inter-district grand final championship and the club's Most Distinguished Team Award. The season was marked by the sudden death of respected coach and parent Andy McKenzie, who had a 12-year connection with the club. The grand final against Cooks Hill finished 1-all after full time, before Nelson Bay scored in extra time. Goalkeeper Logan Parmigiani then made a late save to seal the win. Coach Chris Farrell said the team dedicated the victory to McKenzie.
Blake Mackenzie, a 12-year-old from Newcastle, has won the top youth prize at the Australian Poetry Slam. His winning piece, performed at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday night, explored doomscrolling, loneliness and intellectual atrophy in the context of artificial intelligence. The competition is in its 22nd year and held 65 heats in 60 towns and cities to find 16 finalists. Mackenzie shares a prize package worth $20,000 with Alice Springs poet Bivor, who won the adult category.
Year 6 student Blake Mackenzie, aged 12, has been named Youth Champion of the 2026 Australian Poetry Slam. Bivor, a spoken-word poet from Alice Springs, was named Adult Champion. The pair performed at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, against a dozen adult competitors. Mackenzie's poems criticised One Nation and questioned whether AI is a useful advisor or friend. The competition is run by Word Travels and has been held for 22 years. Mackenzie will perform at festivals across Australia, while Bivor will represent Australia at international festivals in Ubud and Singapore. Each champion shares a $20,000 prize package.
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A 1920s home at 21 Errington Avenue, New Lambton, is listed with a price guide of $1,810,000. The five-bedroom residence keeps its period features, including 12-foot ceilings and Ironbark hardwood floors, and has been expanded over two levels. A modern kitchen, a main suite with an en suite, and a sheltered outdoor terrace are included. A separate outbuilding holds two garages, a workshop and a self-contained granny flat. Recent upgrades include new piers, updated plumbing and electrical work, a new roof and a solar array.
A community barn dance at Soldiers Point will raise funds for Dog Rescue Newcastle, a volunteer group that rescues vulnerable dogs and cats. The Boots for Barks event on 14 November is open to all ages and needs no dancing experience, as a caller guides participants through each dance. Port Stephens Council's Vibrant Spaces program supports the evening. Organiser Brian Heywood said a similar event in Medowie two years ago drew strong local interest. Donations will help cover veterinary treatment, food, rehabilitation, transport and rehoming.
Newcastle Knights centre Bradman Best has criticised former recruitment boss Peter O'Sullivan, who has moved to the Broncos. Best said some Knights players were upset with O'Sullivan over contracts, but that he hopes his own deal can now be settled. The off-contract star is set to test the open market on November 1, despite reportedly being offered a deal worth upwards of $4 million to stay. Best said he needs to put his family first in his decision. His international debut against Fiji is on Sunday night in Brisbane.
A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 17 Eddy Street in Hamilton is listed for sale with a price guide of $2.55 million to $2.75 million. The two-level design includes a ground-floor bedroom suited to guests or elderly relatives. The open-plan living area features a Miele kitchen and a covered outdoor terrace. Upstairs, the primary suite has a tiled en suite. The property sits in a quiet cul-de-sac near local schools and Gregson Park. First National Newcastle agent George Rafty is handling the listing, with an inspection set for Saturday, October 24, from 11.30am to 12noon.
A three-bedroom home at 12 Rose Avenue in Glendale, Lake Macquarie, has been listed for sale with a guide price on application. The renovated property sits on an 834-square-metre block in a quiet cul-de-sac. Its outdoor area includes a built-in fireplace, and a self-contained studio with its own bathroom sits on the site. Listing agent Peter Shiels said the home suits entertaining and extended family. The location offers access to schools, shops and transport links to Newcastle.
Former out-of-home care manager Damian Ellis Spohr has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges relating to five women he previously worked with. The charges include alleged sexual offences and choking between 2020 and 2025 at several New South Wales locations. Spohr denies all charges. Speaking at Newcastle District Court, Crown prosecutor Adele Banks described the case as extensive, citing a large body of text message evidence. The judge adjourned the matter to November 5 to decide whether the trial will be held in Newcastle or moved to Sydney.
Ten students from Northlakes High School will take part in the Deadly Dozen Newcastle fitness race on Sunday, November 1. The local community organisation Spotters Project is also entering the event.
Barrister Geoffrey Watson has condemned the New South Wales government's plan to introduce special laws allowing more coal production at the Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook. The High Court earlier ruled the mine's approval was invalid. Premier Chris Minns said the bill would let MACH Energy raise output by 32 per cent and save 400 jobs. Watson and former judge Anthony Whealy said the move overrides a court decision. The NSW Greens questioned the job claims, and the government said any compliance investigation is a matter for the regulator.
ORRCA's Port Stephens and Newcastle pod is asking the community to help fund a drone. The pod hopes to raise about $4,000. Volunteers say the drone would help them keep entangled whales in sight until rescue teams arrive, and check injured dolphins, seals and whales. The appeal has received $1,000 so far, including $500 each from Soldiers Point Bowling Club and Tilligerry Peninsula Lions Club. Anyone who sees a stranded, injured or entangled marine mammal is urged to call ORRCA's 24-hour hotline rather than attempt a rescue.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced laws to let the Mount Pleasant coalmine in the Hunter Valley keep operating at expanded rates, despite a recent High Court ruling against its approval. Retired Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy said the move obliterated the legal process and called for an independent review. The government says the laws will protect 400 jobs while court proceedings continue. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann accused the government of state capture. The planning department is also investigating the mine over alleged breaches of its coal production limits.
Former Newcastle Knights player Alex McKinnon and his fiancee Lily Malone have bought a new home at Merewether, announced on a joint Instagram post showing a sold sticker. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom dual-level home had been marketed at about $2.95m and had been on and off the market for four years. The couple's Lambton home was recently sold by McKinnon. McKinnon now works as a recruitment analyst for the Knights, and the couple plan to marry at Byron Bay in May.
Auckland FC, Wellington Phoenix and Macarthur FC all won their opening A-League matches. Riley Bidois scored a late winner as Wellington beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 in their 20th-anniversary season opener. Auckland beat Melbourne City 3-1, with Lachlan Bayliss scoring twice on debut. Central Coast and Newcastle drew 2-2, and Sydney FC and Western Sydney were held to a goalless draw. Sydney FC coach Patrick Kisnorbo and Wanderers coach Ufuk Talay both said the derby was a scrappy contest.
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Police charged 15 people with a combined 23 offences during a two-day operation across Newcastle, the Hunter and the Central Coast. The operation, called Operation Disrupt, ran from 2am on Friday 16 October to 2am on Saturday 17 October. Officers targeted transport hubs and nearby shopping areas in Newcastle, Tuggerah Lakes, Wyong and Gosford. Knife scanning screened 110 people and detected two knives. Police said the operation will continue. Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism Yasmin Catley praised the results and officers involved.
The NSW government will introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy to raise annual coal output at its Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook by 4 million tonnes, to 16.5 million tonnes, until 2032. Premier Chris Minns said the bill was needed to protect 400 jobs before Christmas. The move follows a high court ruling that the approval of an expansion at the mine was invalid. Environmental groups and a lawyer who acted in the case criticised the plan, saying it bypasses the planning process and the court's decision.
The NSW Government will introduce legislation to protect around 400 jobs at MACH Energy's Mount Pleasant coal mine near Muswellbrook. The move follows a High Court decision that created legal uncertainty for the mine's operations. MACH Energy has agreed to a job guarantee, committing to keep its current permanent workforce until 2032. The proposed law would allow annual production of up to 16.5 million tonnes until 2032 and require existing staffing levels to be maintained. Premier Chris Minns said the intervention protects regional workers and their families before Christmas.
Two men who flew from Western Australia to collect a newly bought aircraft have died after it crashed near Scone Aerodrome in the Upper Hunter. Emergency services were called to a paddock on Bunnan Road on Friday 16 October. Police found two men dead inside the cockpit. Western Australian media have identified them as Revel Downing, 58, and William Simons, 63. Flight tracking data suggests the plane lost signal seconds after leaving Scone. Investigators are examining weather, mechanical issues and pilot error, and the wreckage has been taken to Newcastle.
Newcastle Knights coach Justin Holbrook and his wife Natalie have bought a four-bedroom hillside home in Merewether for $3.35m. The house has a modern extension and sits near the popular beach. Holbrook recently steered the club to the NRL grand final, where it lost by a point to the Sydney Roosters. He signed a three-year deal to coach the Knights. The couple's new home is a subdivided 362 square metre holding with city skyline and beach views. Holbrook also keeps a Burleigh Waters home and a Burleigh Heads apartment.
