Category Archives: New South Wales

Climate wars are simmering among the NSW Liberals – and they could pose a problem for Mark Speakman

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Energy policy had been an area of mostly bipartisan agreement for the NSW opposition – until now

The never-ending war within the Coalition over energy policy and climate targets appears to have infected the New South Wales Liberals as they struggle to restore the administration of their branch and get traction with voters.

It’s bad news for the NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, whose hold on the leadership is being increasingly questioned.

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Man arrested over Sydney airport scuffle back in custody after alleged assault at Central train station

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Nicholas Teplin, 41, allegedly struck three men on Thursday afternoon, a day after airport arrest during which a police gun accidentally fired

A Victorian man involved in an airport scuffle in which a police gun was accidentally fired is back in custody for allegedly assaulting several people the next day.

Nicholas Teplin, 41, faced a court on Friday on allegations he hit three men in the head at Sydney’s Central railway station and then shoved a police officer while in custody.

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Childcare workers with ‘red flags’ should be on database to prevent them ‘shopping around’ for lax centres, inquiry told

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Head of NSW police child sex abuse squad also advises parents to report concerns directly to police – not their childcare centre

The head of the New South Wales police child sexual abuse squad has called for the creation of a national database of childcare workers who have had “red flags” raised that fall short of criminal prosecution.

Giving evidence before a government inquiry into the early childhood education sector in NSW, Det Supt Linda Howlett said such a database would allow centres to share intelligence about former employees who have faced serious allegations that didn’t result in criminal charges. They are still allowed to work with children.

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Sydney has wettest start to August in decades – and there could be more rain when spring arrives

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More than double the monthly average rain fell in the first 11 days, marking the wettest start to the month since 1998

After Sydney’s soggiest start to August in nearly three decades, even more rain could be on the way, with a wetter than usual spring forecast for eastern New South Wales.

Only 11 days into August, rainfall in the city had reached 194mm – more than double the monthly average – marking the wettest start to the month since 1998, according to Weatherzone.

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Byron writers festival cancelled and warnings for Sydney’s City2Surf due to east coast rain dump

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Major flood warning remains in place along Namoi River as parts of coastline receive almost double August monthly rainfall in eight days

Heavy rainfall across Australia’s eastern states has prompted the cancellation of the Byron writers festival and a warning for participants in Sunday’s City2Surf race in Sydney to take care, after parts of the east coast received nearly double the typical August monthly rainfall in eight days.

The Byron festival organisers said they were “devastated” to announce the cancellation of the annual event due to the condition of the festival site and ongoing rain, and that it was a “deeply regrettable but necessary decision”.

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NSW police officers jailed for assaulting woman suffering mental health episode during welfare check

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Nathan Black, 28, and Timothy John Trautsch, 30, sentenced to at least three years in prison for attack in Sydney in 2023

Two police officers who punched, kicked and pepper-sprayed a naked woman experiencing a mental health episode will spend the next three years behind bars.

Nathan Black, 28, and Timothy John Trautsch, 30, were sentenced in the Penrith district court in Sydney on Friday.

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Six-year-old girl dies of influenza after twice being discharged from Sydney hospital

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Girl was sent home from Sydney Children’s hospital in Randwick twice before being admitted to Northern Beaches hospital a day later, where she died

A six-year-old girl has died of the flu at Northern Beaches hospital after being twice sent home from the Sydney Children’s hospital, and the New South Wales health minister has said her parents “deserve answers”.

The girl presented to the emergency department at the Sydney Children’s hospital in Randwick on Monday and was discharged after a clinical assessment.

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Kathleen Folbigg’s $2m compensation ‘a moral affront’ after two decades in jail for wrongful convictions, lawyer says

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Appeals court formally overturned mother’s convictions over her children’s four deaths in 2023, clearing her name

Kathleen Folbigg has been compensated an “insulting” amount of $2m after spending two decades in prison before an inquiry found she had been wrongfully convicted for killing her four children.

Folbigg, once referred to as among Australia’s worst serial killers, was convicted in 2003 and ordered to serve a minimum 25-year sentence for the suffocation murders of three of her children and manslaughter of a fourth.

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University of Sydney removes Palestinian flag from academic’s window after accusing him of breaching policy

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Dr David Brophy claims new flag policy introduced in June was ‘precisely in response to people like me hanging Palestinian flags’

The University of Sydney has removed a Palestinian flag hanging outside an academic’s office after accusing him of breaching its new flag policy.

The 13-page flag policy, revised in June and formerly referred to as flag guidelines, sets out the university’s requirements for flying and displaying flags and using university flagpoles. Under the policy, “unapproved flags” must not be flown permanently, including flags that represent unlawful activities, are inconsistent with university values, represent a political party or are considered to be “otherwise unsuitable”.

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Sea of people march across Sydney Harbour Bridge calling for an end to killing in Gaza

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NSW police estimate 90,000 walked despite force and premier opposing rally, while Palestine Action Group claims up to 300,000 peacefully protested

At least 100,000 pro-Palestine marchers, including Julian Assange, the former foreign minister Bob Carr and the government MP Ed Husic, have marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge in the rain to protest against Israel’s conduct in Gaza and to speak out about the children starving there.

The world-famous landmark was closed to traffic at 11.30am on Sunday, with protesters gathering in Lang Park in the city centre before enduring heavy rain as they walked across the bridge.

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Australia news live: huge crowds of pro-Palestine protesters, including Julian Assange, Bob Carr and Ed Husic, begin crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Follow today’s news live

As thousands of people make their way to Lang Park in Sydney for the start of a march in support of Palestinians in Gaza, the organisers the Palestine Action Group have asked people to arrive early for the 1pm start.

“Rain, hail, or shine, we will free Palestine!” the group said in a post on Facebook this morning. The weather forecast for the city is for rain.

Be patient and look out for each other.

We urge everyone to plan for a long day. Bring wet-weather gear, plenty of water and snacks.

The Palestine movement is an anti-racist movement. We will not tolerate any form of racism or bigotry, including antisemitism or Islamophobia.

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Woman swept away in flood waters in Hunter region as emergency services respond to more than 1,450 calls

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Twenty-six-year-old Chinese engineer was trying to flee a vehicle in a swollen creek in Rothbury, near Cessnock

A search was under way after a woman was swept into a flooded creek in the Hunter region overnight, as heavy downpours continued to batter large parts of northern New South Wales.

Police said a Mini was being driven by a 27-year-old woman in Rothbury, near Cessnock, when it became stuck in a swollen creek on Old North Road just before 8pm on Saturday.

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Bad men problem: Gareth Ward and Mark Latham leave NSW parliament in unchartered territory

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The two MPs’ cases are vastly different but the issue is the same: parliament’s rules to enforce standards of behaviour are hopelessly outdated and ineffectual

The New South Wales parliament has a problem with men behaving badly. But more to the point, it seems to have an inability to deal with it.

On Tuesday, the parliament will try to deal with two very different cases that share a common consequence: damage to its reputation as an institution.

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Snow falls in Queensland as NSW SES report 100 vehicles stuck in heavily blanketed northern tablelands

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Footage shows snow falling at Dalveen, between Stanthorpe and Warwick in south east Queensland, about 4pm on Saturday

Snow has fallen in southern Queensland as the New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) responds to reports of up to 100 vehicles stuck in heavy snow blanketing the northern tablelands.

Footage sent to Guardian Australia showed snow tumbling down at Dalveen, between Stanthorpe and Warwick in south east Queensland, about 4pm on Saturday.

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Snow falls in Queensland as NSW SES report 100 vehicles stuck in heavily blanketed northern tablelands

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Footage shows snow falling at Dalveen, between Stanthorpe and Warwick in south east Queensland, about 4pm on Saturday

Snow has fallen in southern Queensland as the New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) responds to reports of up to 100 vehicles stuck in heavy snow blanketing the northern tablelands.

Footage sent to Guardian Australia showed snow tumbling down at Dalveen, between Stanthorpe and Warwick in south east Queensland, about 4pm on Saturday.

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NSW supreme court rules in favour of pro-Palestine march across Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Palestine Action Group claims up to 50,000 people will take part in the march which is scheduled to take place on Sunday

Pro-Palestine protesters will be legally protected while marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday after a New South Wales supreme court decision.

In her judgment, Justice Belinda Rigg said “the march at this location is motivated by the belief that the horror and urgency of the situation in Gaza demands an urgent and extraordinary response from the people of the world”.

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NSW supreme court rules in favour of pro-Palestine march across Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Palestine Action Group claims up to 50,000 people will take part in the march which is scheduled to take place on Sunday

Pro-Palestine protesters will be legally protected while marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday after a New South Wales supreme court decision.

In her judgment, Justice Belinda Rigg said “the march at this location is motivated by the belief that the horror and urgency of the situation in Gaza demands an urgent and extraordinary response from the people of the world”.

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Decision delayed for pro-Palestine protest on Sydney Harbour Bridge as police warn of possible crowd crush

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Group’s lawyers say demonstration ‘cannot be stopped’ as Christian-led group protesting antisemitism plans rally for same day

Pro-Palestine protesters will have to wait until Saturday to find out if they can legally march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge this weekend, but organisers are vowing to go ahead regardless of the court decision.

However, the court heard the protest organisers are willing to postpone the march if police agree to work with them.

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Pro-Palestine protest group says ‘we will see them in court’ after police block Sydney Harbour Bridge march

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Sydney-based group say weekend demonstration ‘must go ahead’ despite police knocking back application

Organisers of a pro-Palestine protest have vowed to fight the New South Wales police in court after police decided to not facilitate a march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge this weekend.

On Tuesday afternoon, the deputy police commissioner, Peter McKenna, said police had rejected an application from the organisers proposing a route across the bridge to the US consulate, citing safety risks as the reason. But he said police were open to negotiating alternative routes.

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Union says insurers ‘bleeding the system dry’ in backlash to NSW bid to limit workers compensation claims

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One insurer spent $85,000 of public money to fight $5,000 knee surgery claim, says Unions NSW

The Minns Labor government is facing strong pushback against workers compensation changes designed to curb claims for psychological injury, with educators and the peak union group criticising the bill’s failure to address underlying issues.

The government wants to limit the ability of New South Wales’s 4.5 million workers to claim compensation by raising the psychological injury threshold required for compensation and making it harder to receive lifetime payments.

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