'Historic day': Merging Sydney councils named
Anne Davies, Leesha McKenny
6:21 PM
Premier Mike Baird says reducing Sydney's councils from 43 to 25 is "about delivering better services, more infrastructure".
Latest NSW news
Tornado changes Christmas in Kurnell
Ava Benny-Morrison 9:00 AM As Peter Rox waited anxiously under dark skies for the road to his tornado-ravaged house to reopen, his 13-year-old daughter turned to him with a question.
Amalgamations: Baird under fire
Mike Baird has staked his political authority on a radical overhaul of the state's councils, but the Premier is already facing headwinds from opponents within parliament and across councils.
10c for a bottle? NSW, have your say
Lucy Cormack 10:30 PM NSW is one step closer to implementing a container deposit scheme, a targeted approach to the 160 million beverage containers littered in communities across the state every year.
Rates to stay on 'current trajectory'
Anne Davies 12:15 AM The state government has pledged to keep rates on "their current trajectory" in each local government area for the next four years.
Hong Kong high rise in a suburb near you?
Melanie Kembrey 12:00 AM The operator of Hong Kong's envied metro system wants to strengthen its grip on Australia's rail network, eyeing opportunities to build and run new lines in Sydney and Melbourne.
Claims evidence was 'unlawfully' seized
Michaela Whitbourn 4:00 PM Two of Eddie Obeid's sons are seeking to defend a cartel conduct case by arguing evidence being used against them may have been obtained "unlawfully" by the ICAC.
Plan could create 'poverty-stricken suburbs'
Melanie Kembrey 6:32 AM A prominent advocate has warned against the creation of a "council of poverty" in one area.
Tornado rips roof off desalination plant
Emma Partridge Winds of up to 213km/h have plucked the roof off the largest building at Sydney's dormant desalination plant.
Doubled up: sisters get identical ATAR
Eryk Bagshaw "First I stole your rank, then I stole your ATAR, finally I stole your university."
Budget dilemma: Where to stash the cash?
Jessica Irvine Scott Morrision would kill to have Gladys Berejiklian's dilemma: where to stash the cash?
$1 levy to help pay for taxi compo
Matt O'Sullivan Owners of taxi licence plates in NSW will receive compensation after the government decided to legalise ride-shaing services such as UberX.
NSW declared debt free ... if you squint a bit
Jessica Irvine NSW Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian will today declare state debt is "effectively zero" thanks to the $10 billion sale of the first electricity poles and wires network.
Waterloo towers to be demolished
A new train station for the Sydney metro line will be built at Waterloo in the city's south, dashing the ambitions of Sydney University and requiring thousands of public housing tenants to temporarily shift.
'We have to stop - it is just too dangerous'
Harriet Alexander Exhausted helicopter paramedics are working long shifts or refusing to fly, fully aware of what that means for patients.
Metgasco accepts $25m to end CSG project
Anne Davies Angry shareholders fear the deal with the state government has thrown away billions in gas revenue.
Liberal's 'Judas' sledge caught on video
James Robertson Angry his ambitions were thwarted, the councillor branded his former ally a "disgrace". Now he is being told to apologise.
Waterloo tenants eager to stay
Leesha McKenny The sweeping view from John Noriega's 28th-storey apartment gives him a clear vantage of the waves of development rolling across Sydney's skyline.
Top 20 HSC schools revealed
Inga Ting and Eryk Bagshaw Selective schools and high-fee-paying, all-girls schools have dominated the 2015 HSC results.
Outbreak prompts rush on vaccines
Harriet Alexander A shortage of stock means only two types of patients will be given access to vaccines.
Public schools, independents share honours
Eryk Bagshaw Public and independent school students have shared the honours at the HSC First in Course awards.
Disappointment over air pollution standards
Lucy Cormack NSW will adopt air pollution standards that do not meet the levels recommended by the WHO.
Highlights
Brave in parts, politically expedient in others
Premier Mike Baird's council amalgamation plan is a mixture of crazy brave and political opportunism that will test his ability as a salesman for the next 12 months.
Baird's progress on councils welcome
It is better for the Boundaries Commission to make recommendations on priority mergers and the final shape of amalgamations.
Nothing beats a run and a swim along the coast
The 2016 Sun Run is simply another year closer to Shelley Casey and Shaun Burn's ambitious goal.
A captured audience
Hong Kong's 'value capture' model is attracting plenty of attention as governments grapple with how to fund expensive rail projects.
'A gag gift for nerdy friends'
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook post featuring "Quantum Physics for Babies" delighted the book's Sydney author.
The horrible history of pirates
Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown knows the worst about the terrible Tudors, rotten Romans, vicious Vikings and pirates, funny pharaohs and the smelly Saxons.
VIDEO
Christmas Day showers likely in Sydney
Weatherzone meteorologist Tristan Meyers gives his forecast for the Christmas and New Year period.
Racist rant: 'We speak English in this country'
Phone vision shows a woman hurling racial abuse at fellow passenger Natalie Soto for speaking a language other than English on a Sydney train on Thursday.
NSW government promises no job losses in merger
NSW Premier Mike Baird and the State Member for Bathurst Paul Toole promise no rate hikes or job losses in the merging of smaller councils. (Vision courtesy ABC New 24)
