Sydney news

Monday's hot weather drew record crowds to Illawarra beaches, and resulted in dozens of rescues, mainly of people swimming outside the flags.

Parking trials to gather data about users' habits in Adelaide are being flagged as step towards developing technology that will be able to direct motorists to vacant spaces.

For the first time in its more than 120 year history, full-time female students will begin their HSC at The Armidale School today.

More than a dozen bushfires are burning between the Clarence and Gloucester Valleys

Northern Region Police have renewed calls for motorists to slow down.

The Hunter's fishing community says a lot of work will be needed to restore faith in local produce when a ban impacting part of the region is eventually lifted.

Police say they are generally pleased with motorists' behaviour in the Hunter over the long weekend, with no deaths recorded in the region.

A bushfire is threatening the BlueScope steel plant at Tyabb, south-east of Melbourne.

A man in his early 20s is shot in the bottom at Kallangur, north of Brisbane. Police are investigating.

Jack Bird could sign a new contract with Cronulla as soon as this month, as Cronulla look to hold off interest from rival clubs.

Dozens of koalas have been put down in the past fortnight as part of a plan to deal with a population spike on the Great Ocean Road but the overall heath of the animals is improving, authorities say.

A man has had his leg broken after he was attacked by a group of men in Hamilton over the long weekend.

There is good news for beachgoers in the Hunter, with the region's swimming spots once again performing well in a statewide snapshot.

Firefighters are bracing themselves today for a dangerous day of high temperatures as authorities say Victoria is sweltering through a "mini-summer".

A detour trialled in an attempt to reduce holiday traffic congestion on the Copper Coast Highway just north of Port Wakefield is declared a success.

Hunter-based charity Samaritans says its support service for ex-prisoners is driving down re-offending rates.

A victim of a notorious South Australian paedophile says the child abuse royal commission's hearings into the Salvation Army over the next fortnight will be an important step in many victims' journeys.

Hunter cattle prices are expected to get higher, despite a predicted rise in numbers on the market in the coming weeks.

Preparations are underway on a project to provide an emergency water supply to Orange.

New Jets skipper Nigel Boogaard says he has big hopes for the team just days out from its first game of the A-League season.

South Australian police divers will return to the River Murray near Renmark this morning to search for a man feared downed.

Belmont residents are confident they will have 10,000 signatures on a petition against the closure of their local motor registry.

Police say they hope a bolstered security system in Wellington's central business district will deter anti-social behaviour.

Only 18 per cent of Australians regularly seek support when stressed or feeling down, according to a new survey.

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a man near Hamilton train station over the weekend.

A Northern Territory catering business has started adding a Kakadu plum extract to its pre-prepared meals, to improve their shelf-life and nutritious value.

The biggest change to the Sydney CBD's bus network in 30 years will face its first test today.

An industrial dispute between child protection workers in northern Tasmania and the Government escalates, after union members reject an Industrial Commission recommendation.

Criminal trials in Western Australia's South West are being cut short by a lack of magistrates, a court is told.

A 64-year-old man is killed and a woman and two children injured in a crash on the Brand Highway, about 300 kilometres north of Perth.

A drink driver who caused a head-on collision while driving on the wrong side of the Kwinana Freeway is sentenced to 14 months' jail.

The 15-year-old gunman behind the Parramatta shooting that left a police employee dead had come to the attention of authorities previously and police believe a small group of men connected to a Sydney mosque were involved in radicalising him.

SHANE JACOBSON, PRESENTER: Hi. I'm Shane Jacobson and tonight's Australian Story is about a childhood hero of mine: Mister Garry McDonald, whom I had the pleasure of working alongside in the theatre musical 'Guys and Dolls'. I, like so many of us, grew up watching and laughing at Garry's outrageous character, Norman Gunston. Well, in this special program for Mental Health Week, Garry chooses to speak out about an issue that many keep to themselves.

Johnathan Thurston is a growing legend within rugby league and he reveals how it feels to be a role model and what he said to the player who dropped the ball to give him his chance at a grand final winning field goal.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson is set to be rewarded with a contract extension after guiding the Eagles through to this year's AFL grand final.

The 15-year-old gunman behind the Parramatta shooting that left a police employee had come to the attention of authorities previously and police believe a small group of men connected to a small Sydney mosque were involved in radicalising him.

North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston reveals what he said to console Broncos half Ben Hunt after leading his North Queensland side to their maiden NRL premiership.

Communities can learn from the past to better prepare for drought, a farmer from south-east South Australia says.

A house is destroyed in a bushfire at Wensleydale, near Anglesea on Victoria's surf coast, the Country Fire Authority says.

One of Perth's few remaining DVD rental stores is set to close at the end of the week, with the owner conceding he simply could not compete with internet streaming.

Northern Territory Labor leader Michael Gunner says he has not spoken to the party's former leader, Delia Lawrie, about her being dumped as candidate in the seat of Karama.

Today is the earliest October day to surpass 30 degrees Celsius in Canberra since records began in 1939.

A baby boy is flown to a Brisbane hospital in a serious condition after been hit by a vehicle on the Sunshine Coast.

Australia's Test stars Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc quickly found some state form to lift New South Wales to a competition record 279-run win over the Cricket Australia XI in its one-day cup debut at Bankstown Oval.

A man facing trial for allegedly preparing to travel to Syria and fight against the government tells a Melbourne court he planned to join his cousin and carry out aid work in the war-torn country.

Two children and an elderly woman are rescued after a car and truck collide on the Brand Highway about 300km north of Perth.

West Coast want to play at least four games at the MCG next AFL season to gain valuable experience on the bigger field after they were steamrolled by Hawthorn in Saturday's grand final.

A Perth man faces up to 10 years in jail if he is found guilty of throwing a steel bin off the balcony of a 25th-floor Darwin apartment on AFL grand final day.

More than 1,000 North Queensland Cowboys fans turn out at Townsville Airport to give this year's NRL premiers a rapturous welcome home after a thrilling NRL grand final in Sydney.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi engaged in serious misconduct by failing to disclose gifts and hospitality packages, the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) finds.