Three teenage girls charged over serious assault – East Maitland

Three teenage girls have been charged with seriously assaulting another girl in the states Hunter Region.

About 4pm on Wednesday 19 August 2026, it will be alleged a 14-year-old girl travelling on a bus in East Maitland was assaulted by three other girls known to her.

When the bus stopped at a bus stop along Victoria Street, it will be alleged the 14-year-old girl was dragged off the bus where the assault continued.

A bystander intervened and went to the aid of the 14-year-old girl where the three girls ran from the scene.

NSW Ambulance paramedics later treated the girl where she was taken to Maitland Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Officers from the Police Transport Command were notified and commenced an investigation.

About 10.45pm last Friday (4 September 2026) officers arrested a 13-year-old girl at a home in East Maitland where she was taken to Maitland Police Station and is due to appear at a children’s court on Thursday 1 October 2026.

A 17-year-old girl was arrested at a home in Tenambit about 2.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2026) and also taken to Maitland Police Station. She is due to appear in a Children’s Court on Thursday 17 September 2026.

Officers arrested a 15-year-old girl at a business in Little Pelican. The girl was taken to Belmont Police Station and is due to appear in a children’s court on Monday 21 September 2026.

All three were charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm or other(s) and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and were granted conditional bail.

Investigations are ongoing.

Appeal to located teen missing from Metford

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teen missing from the Hunter region.

Xavier Powrie, aged 14, was last seen on Marshall Avenue, Metford, about on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

When he could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Port Stephens Hunter Police District were notified yesterday (Monday 7 September 2026) and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Xavier’s welfare due to his young age.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, of thin build, short curly hair with a rat’s tail and a diamond earring in his right ear lobe.

It is not known what he was last seen wearing but he is known to wear black hoodies and track pants.

Xavier is known to frequent the Metford and East Maitland areas.

Anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to contact Maitland Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Labor slammed an “international human rights disgrace” as UN condemns public housing demolition

The Victorian Greens say Labor has brought international shame on Victoria after the United Nations warned its plan to demolish and privatise all 44 of Melbourne’s public housing towers could violate the human right to housing.

The Greens say the extraordinary UN intervention exposes Labor’s housing agenda for what it is – evicting public housing residents, ripping communities apart, bulldozing public homes and carving up valuable public land for private development in the middle of a housing crisis.

After years of Labor dismissing residents, ignoring advocates and refusing to justify why every tower must be demolished, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing has now condemned the lack of meaningful consultation and warned the demolitions could make Victoria’s housing crisis even worse.

The Greens say that Labor’s plan is an international human rights disgrace and that Premier Ben Carroll needs to finally admit it and scrap this plan that’s been a total disaster from day one. 

Victorian Greens housing spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“Labor should be utterly ashamed. Their attack on public housing has now become an international human rights disgrace.

“Labor has become the party of bulldozers, evictions and privatisation.They have treated public housing residents as disposable and public land as something to be carved up for developers.

“In the middle of the worst housing crisis in generations, when people are sleeping in cars, rents are crushing families and tens of thousands of Victorians are waiting desperately for a public home, Labor’s answer is to destroy public housing.

“The Greens will stop Labor’s demolition agenda, keep public housing land in public hands and build the tens of thousands of public homes Victoria desperately needs.” 

Increased state surveillance, more kids in prison not solution to organised crime

Concerns are being raised that Labor Premier Chris Minns’ response to recent murders from organised crime will do more to erode civil liberties than stop organised criminals, following an announcement today of tougher criminal penalties for children and young people and a $15 million investment in phone-cracking technology.  

Greens MP, solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said, “This is the Chris Minns law and order spin formula that we have seen since he came to power. The only thing this Premier seems capable of doing in response to horrific criminal behaviour is erode civil liberties, increase police powers and lock up more children and young people. 

“Under the Minns Labor Government police have been given increased powers, the number of kids and young people in prison has increased at record rates, and more people are being arrested and incarcerated than ever before. This approach has failed to stop recent criminal murders or address the causes of organised crime, and the exact same law-and-order approach will simply keep failing,  

“If we are investing $15 million to hack more phones and give police further access to messages, images, location markers and other sensitive information, we must also increase the independent oversight to safeguard against improper use of this invasive technology. This announcement comes amidst increasing community concern about Cellebrite, the Israeli spyware firm run by ex-IDF soldiers who provide phone-hacking technology to police, 

“The Premier’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ rhetoric helps no one, and appears to be a shameless attempt to beat One Nation in a race to the bottom based on zero evidence, 

“We need targeted and evidence-based solutions to combat organised crime developed in consultation with experts, not an escalation from Chris Minns’ media unit. We need to take serious action on social media algorithms, drug law reform, systemic disadvantage and inequality and diversion and rehabilitation for children engaged in criminal behaviour. Instead, we are locking up kids and expanding state surveillance,” Ms Higginson said.  

Labor extends racist and failed compulsory income management indefinitely

Labor has covertly extended the life of its racist and failed compulsory income management regime today, joining with the Coalition to kill off a Greens attempt to put an end to this cruel program.

In April 2022, federal Labor made an election commitment to scrap compulsory income management. Two elections in, and Labor has instead extended compulsory income management indefinitely. The Government also refuses to release the documents from the apparent consultation they’ve been conducting since 2023.

The Greens’ disallowance, moved by Senator Allman-Payne, sought to oppose the Social Security (Administration) Legislation Amendment (Income Management and Enhanced Income Management) Instrument 2026 (the Instrument). Labor’s Social Services Minister, Minister Tanya Plibersek, registered the Instrument on 24 June 2026 which removed the self-repealing clauses for four income management determinations that Labor made in 2023, effectively extending compulsory income management indefinitely.

Senator Allman-Payne is chairing the current Community Affairs References Committee’s review into the Instrument. As of 7 September, the majority of the submissions to the committee oppose the deeply unfair and targeted compulsory income management scheme and call for a transition to a voluntary system. 

Greens spokesperson on Social Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Labor has today extended a failed, racist and coercive policy indefinitely, despite pledging to abolish it.

“Labor won’t release their own consultation because it’ll tell them what they already know: that compulsory income management doesn’t work, that it harms people, and that it must be abolished and replaced with a truly voluntary system.

“Compulsion, fear and racism should never be part of a genuine safety net. Social security must instead champion equality, human rights and the right to choose what income management works for you.” 

Minns defies Albanese on tobacco tax as PM refuses to act

Labor is now openly divided over Australia’s failed tobacco excise regime, with NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns calling for the tobacco tax to be cut while Anthony Albanese continues to stick his head in the sand.

Speaking on Sky News this morning, Premier Minns said the current tax settings were not working and were helping fuel the illegal tobacco market.

Asked whether he still supported cutting tobacco excise, Mr Minns said:

Chris Minns: “Yes, I think it’s perversely driving a situation where you’re seeing more people not less people smoking because they’ve got access to readily available cheap cigarettes. It’s in the black market, it’s being organised by criminals, it’s not working. It’s the opposite of the intended policy.”

Mr Minns went further, saying the current tax settings were making it harder for police to permanently shut down organised crime gangs.

Chris Minns: “If the demand is there as a result of the tax settings it’s very difficult to do it permanently.”

The comments expose a deepening split within Labor after the Prime Minister repeatedly refused in Parliament yesterday to answer questions about organised crime and refused to rule out cutting tobacco excise.

Now the Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino has joined them.

In a trainwreck interview on Sky News this morning, Mr Mulino admitted he did not know about a reported tobacco-related firebombing in his own electorate.

Pete Stefanovic: “Wasn’t there another firebombing in your own electorate on the weekend?”

Daniel Mulino: “Look, I don’t know about that.”

When asked directly whether the Government could guarantee it would not cut tobacco excise, Mr Mulino also refused.

Pete Stefanovic: “But can you guarantee that you will not cut the excise down?”

Daniel Mulino: “No, so we’re not getting into rule-in, rule-out games on this.”

The contrast could not be clearer.

Chris Minns can see the current system is failing. Police can see it. Communities dealing with firebombings and organised crime can see it.

Anthony Albanese refuses to see it.

Australia’s illicit tobacco market has become a serious organised crime problem, with gangs making an estimated $4.1 billion to $6.9 billion and using the proceeds to fund drugs, scams, money laundering, extortion and violence.

At the same time, tobacco excise revenue has fallen from around $16 billion in 2019-20 to around $8 billion, while organised crime collects billions instead.

Coalition analysis shows that if the average of the six excise write-downs since Labor’s first Budget update is repeated at the December MYEFO, tobacco excise revenue would fall to zero by 2029-30.

Anthony Albanese needs to stop pretending the current policy is working and start listening to his own Labor Premier.

The Coalition has a plan to smash the business model of organised crime by cutting tobacco excise by 80 per cent, backing it with stronger law enforcement and driving consumers away from the illegal market.

You do not smash organised crime by protecting its business model. You destroy the business model.

City of Newcastle safety upgrades honour cultural heritage

A project to rejuvenate the popular Carrington mangrove boardwalk will deliver safer, more inclusive access while helping highlight the cultural and ecological significance of the unique site. 

The renewal will include structural upgrades and new educational signs referencing the importance of the mangroves and their connection to the Traditional Custodians of Onebygamba/Carrington. 

City of Newcastle Executive Director City Infrastructure David Witherdin said the project is an opportunity to improve safety while honouring cultural heritage.

“The project follows initial investigations that revealed the northern section of the boardwalk required full renewal, rather than minor repairs,” Mr Witherdin said.

“These repairs will ensure the Carrington mangrove boardwalk continues to be a much-loved destination for locals and visitors, which all ages and abilities can enjoy it safely for future years to come.

“City of Newcastle is working closely with the Traditional Custodians of this site, embedding their culture within the design elements of the renewal project.

“We are also making every effort to preserve the sensitive mangrove environment during construction, with works to be carried out above the tidal line from the existing boardwalk rather than within the mangrove sediment.”

The signage will be created with guidance from Spiritual Waterways Indigenous Corporation, an Aboriginal organisation dedicated to closing the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people through storytelling and sharing knowledge. 

Aunty Theresa Dargin of Spiritual Waterways said these elements will reflect a deep cultural connection to Country.

“Our bloodline runs strong through the waterways and land of this area. These waters have been an important area for crabbing and fishing for the Traditional Custodians for many generations,” Aunty Theresa said. 

“We hope that passing on and preserving our knowledge of cultural practices will encourage healing of the waterway.”

The signage will be produced in collaboration with Transport for NSW, who own the tidal waterway underneath the boardwalk, as well as Hunter Water and Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Construction is scheduled to start this month and finish in early 2027, weather permitting. During this time, the southern section of the boardwalk, which was upgraded in 2018, will remain open from Hargrave Street to the second large viewing platform.  

For more information visit the project page on the City of Newcastle website.

NSW households to benefit from community-led energy support

Households across NSW will get more help to cut their energy bills, access rebates and make energy-saving upgrades, with the Minns Labor Government investing $4.7 million in 12 community and not-for-profit energy organisations.

This funding will support trusted local organisations to provide practical advice and help households understand the options available to reduce their energy costs.

Through this investment, households and communities across NSW will benefit from a range of practical support including:

  • Advice to help households cut energy bills and manage cost‑of‑living pressures
  • Workshops and one‑on‑one support to improve energy literacy and confidence
  • Guidance on home upgrades including energy‑efficient appliances, insulation, draught-proofing, rooftop solar and home batteries
  • Help to access rebates, concessions and government energy saving programs
  • Tailored support for renters, apartment residents and low-income households
  • Training and resources to help local community organisations expand the support they provide.

The following organisations have been awarded funding through the Community Energy Activation Program:

  • Asian Australians for Climate Solutions Ltd – Western Sydney
  • Community Power Agency Co-Operative Limited – Statewide
  • Cowra Information and Neighbourhood Centre Incorporated – Central West
  • Electrify Bouddi Incorporated – Central Coast
  • Energyze North Shore Inc – Northern Sydney
  • Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand – Statewide
  • Illawarra Multicultural Services Inc – Illawarra
  • Owners Corporation Network of Australia Ltd – Inner West and Western Sydney, regional centres including Newcastle, Wollongong and Shellharbour
  • Pingala Community Energy Incorporated – Hunter, Central Coast and Inner Sydney
  • Repower Shoalhaven Incorporated – South Coast
  • Rewiring Australia Research and Advocacy Limited – Statewide (based in Thirroul)
  • Southern New England Landcare Ltd – New England

This funding will help these organisations reach more households, expand successful local programs and provide more people with trusted, practical support to make informed energy choices. It builds on the Minns Labor Government’s $2 million Inclusive Energy Outreach Grant, which is funding ten community-based organisations to deliver culturally appropriate energy education that improves energy literacy for vulnerable people and groups.

These programs are key actions under the NSW Consumer Energy Strategy, helping ensure all households can benefit from lower bills and cleaner, more efficient energy technologies.

For more information, visit: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/community-energy-activation-program.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:

“Households are looking for practical ways to bring down their energy bills, and this funding will help put trusted advice and support within easier reach.

“There are more options than ever to save energy and reduce costs, but people don’t always know where to start. These organisations can help them understand what is available, access rebates and support, and make changes that work for them.”

Rewiring Australia Director of Strategic Programs Kristen McDonald said:

“At Rewiring Australia, we hear from households every week who want to cut their energy bills and go electric but don’t know where to start.

“Support through this grant enables us to strengthen the capacity of 15 community groups across NSW to give people that missing piece: trusted, local advice that reaches and empowers more households.

“It’s exactly the kind of practical support that makes the switch to cheaper, cleaner energy faster and fairer for every NSW household.”

Pingala Community Energy Operations Manager Nigel Hancock said:

“Apartment residents are often locked out of clean energy benefits, as strata environments face far greater complexity and wider information gaps than other households.

“Armed with practical advice and expert guidance, we look forward to supporting more strata communities in unlocking opportunities for solar, batteries, and EV charging, giving residents better and more equitable access to the financial and environmental benefits that renewables provide.”

Electrify Bouddi Steering Committee Chair Mark Ellis said:

“This funding gives us the opportunity to scale up local, community-led action across the Central Coast, giving households access to trusted advice, practical resources and local expertise to make informed energy choices.

“The energy transition is exciting but many in the community are struggling to navigate their way through the many choices presented to them, which is where local energy groups like ours can play an important part.”

Repower Shoalhaven Chairman John Clark said:

“Receiving this grant will allow us to build on our work across the South Coast, helping more households to make informed decisions and take practical steps to reduce energy costs, switch to efficient electric technologies and play an active role in the region’s energy transition.”

First look: Woollahra long-term housing transformation

Thousands more people could have the opportunity to call Woollahra and Edgecliff home under the Minns Labor Government’s new vision to deliver up to 9,400 new homes around Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade.

The detailed draft rezoning proposal being revealed today will help tackle the state’s housing challenge by opening up more housing close to the CBD, jobs and a new station, while rebalancing growth across Sydney after years in which too much of the burden was pushed onto Western Sydney.

On public exhibition from today the draft proposal sets a vision for how the 168-hectares of prime land in Sydney’s east will evolve over the next 20 year to support more homes, jobs and open space, and make the most of nearby transport, infrastructure and services.

The NSW Productivity Commission found that Woollahra is the most feasible Local Government Area in New South Wales to build new housing and despite this, housing approvals in Woollahra consistently lag well behind other LGAs.  

The proposal will concentrate new development around the existing Edgecliff station and the new station at Woollahra, with up to 40 percent of new dwellings to be located within 200 metres of a train station.  

Once operational in 2029, the new Woollahra station will connect people on the T4 Eastern Suburbs Line to the Sydney CBD in just eight minutes.

Key features of the proposal include:  

  • Varied buildings heights of up to 34 storeys around Edgecliff Station and 32 storeys around Woollahra Station.
  • Plans for 7 new parks and up to 9 kilometres of new walking and cycling connections.
  • A requirement for diversity of new homes – including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments.  
  • 3 percent affordable housing contribution, with up to 15 percent applied to certain sites in perpetuity.
  • An expanded mixed-use Edgecliff Centre and a new Woollahra local centre, delivering around 1,000 new local jobs, services and amenities

The proposal strikes the right balance of greater density without sacrificing liveability, with approximately 3.5 hectares of new and upgraded open space planned across 13 parks, a new Edgecliff plaza, and a commitment to make sure there is no net loss of overall tree canopy within the precinct.  

Ninety-five per cent of the new homes will be within 400 metres of open space of 3000 square metres or larger.

Importantly new development will be supported by upgrades to local infrastructure, including roads, water and electricity networks, while local public schools will provide capacity for additional students.

The proposal also recognises the importance of protecting the area’s heritage, with heritage items retained and carefully integrated into the design of the surrounding area.

As part of the proposal, value capture will be used to ensure windfall gains from the rezoning help pay for the cost of delivering the new station. Development within 800 metres of Woollahra Station will be subject to a Transport Project Component contribution of $15,000 per dwelling or $200 per square metres of new commercial gross floor area.

This is another example of the Minns Labor Government unlocking new housing opportunities in the communities young people, families and key workers want to live.  

It is the latest of 67 state-led rezonings across NSW that will deliver approximately 240,000 new homes and 170,000 jobs.

Of these, 24 rezonings have already been completed, unlocking more than 79,000 homes and 56,000 jobs, with a further 43 rezonings currently progressing.

The proposal is on public exhibition from 8 September to 5pm 7 October 2026. Members of the community can submit their feedback via the NSW Planning Portal.

Drop-in sessions will also be held at The Lawns of Double Bay between 17 September 2026 and 29 September 2026. For more information and to register, visit NSW Planning.  

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“For the last decade, we’ve asked a small number of communities to carry the lion’s share of Sydney’s housing growth while other parts of the city have barely changed.

“We can’t keep pushing all of Sydney’s growth to the west and the urban fringe while established suburbs close to jobs, transport and services are locked away from new housing.

“We’re not asking Woollahra to solve the housing crisis on its own. We’re asking Woollahra to make a fair contribution, just as we’re asking communities right across Sydney to do.”

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“We’re building homes close to transport right across Sydney, with this rezoning and the construction of the train station, Woollahra is now becoming part of the transport orientated housing solution.  

“The future residents of these homes will be eight minutes from the CBD on train line that was built decades ago.  

“As we get to work on the rezoning, we’re also working on the design of the new Woollahra train station which we expect to start building next year. “

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“While Sydney’s population has grown Woollahra’s has shrunk, this rezoning will help to rectify that by unlocking thousands of new homes in the heart of Sydney close to transport, jobs, open space and services.  

“This proposal will make the most of existing infrastructure capacity, a new Woollahra train station and an area ripe with housing opportunity, that’s been locked away for far too long.  

“The proposal is consistent with the aims of the recently released Sydney Plan and Sydney’s long-term growth which supports increasing housing supply in the east, close to jobs, transport, services and green space, while accelerating jobs growth in the west.

“This is another example of the Minns Labor Government matching a transport infrastructure investment with housing growth in a community young people, families and key workers want to live in.”

Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:

“This proposal will open up Woollahra for thousands of new residents, with a new station on the way, more open space, and close links to the CBD.

“We’re doing this for our young people and for our essential workers, who have felt the dream of living and working in the greatest city in the world slipping through their fingers.

“Importantly, this includes affordable housing so that people on lower incomes don’t get locked out.”  

Minns Labor Government delivering more local training opportunities to help strengthen regional workforces

People living in regional and remote NSW will have greater access to training, support and employment opportunities closer to home, as the Minns Labor Government continues to rebuild TAFE NSW and restore pathways into skilled careers across regional communities.

From Semester 1 2027, TAFE NSW will expand course offerings and support services across 10 campuses in some of the state’s most remote communities, like Broken Hill and the Far West, helping more people gain practical skills, industry licences and qualifications without having to leave their community.

For many people living in regional and remote NSW, accessing training can mean travelling long distances or relocating altogether to continue their studies. By bringing more opportunities closer to home, the Minns Labor Government is helping remove barriers to education while ensuring regional communities share in the state’s economic opportunities.

Under the Regional and Remote Campus Delivery Model, training will be shaped by local communities and employers, with courses tailored to community priorities and workforce demand.

This includes foundation skills, digital capability courses, accredited training pathways, industry-relevant licences and tickets, as well as nationally accredited and community-based short courses in priority areas such as construction, hospitality, business basics and community services.

Over the next five years, TAFE NSW will establish onsite support teams at participating campuses and continue working with communities and businesses so students can access training, build skills and connect with employment opportunities close to home.

The participating campuses are Boggabilla, Bourke, Brewarrina, Condobolin, Coomealla, Lake Cargelligo, Coonabarabran, Menindee, Walgett and Wilcannia.

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“Regional communities deserve access to the same opportunities as people living in our cities, and that starts with making sure people can access training and build their careers close to home.

“This investment will help regional people gain the skills they need for local jobs, while giving businesses a stronger pool of skilled workers to draw on.

“By listening to local communities and employers, we can make sure TAFE NSW is delivering the training regional communities need, where and when they need it.

“Strong local workforces are essential to the future of regional NSW, and this is about giving people the opportunity to build those workforces from within their own communities.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“After years of underinvestment in TAFE NSW under the former Liberal-National Government, too many regional communities like Broken Hill and the Far West were left without the opportunities they needed into skilled careers.

“The Minns Labor Government is rebuilding these pathways and making it easier for people in regional and remote communities to gain skills that work, build their confidence and take the next step into further study or employment.

“This is a guarantee of a core service from TAFE NSW in remote communities – a 100% contrast to the closures and cuts the Liberals and Nationals delivered.

“By working with local communities and businesses, we’re delivering training options that meet local workforce needs and support the next generation of tradies, skilled workers and professionals.

“Our regional and remote campuses at the heart of their communities. Strong regional communities need a strong local workforce, and that’s exactly what this initiative is helping to build.”

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler MP said:

“I often hear people from Barwon say they would like more opportunities to learn new skills and get qualifications without having to leave town. For instance, many apprentices have to travel hundreds of kilometres just complete the study component of their trade certificate.

“This initiative will help make a significant difference in communities across Barwon by bringing more training closer to home and helping people get the skills they need for local jobs.

“Whether it’s someone looking to pick up a new qualification, or to get a licence for work, or to take the first step towards a trade, having these opportunities available locally is incredibly important for our communities. Saving time, money and a lot of the headaches associated with having to travel long distances to get things done.”