Schools reading program a $55m flop

Alexandra Smith   The key $55 million education program used for 25 years to teach struggling NSW students to read does not work.

Spots that are 'like a tuckshop' for sharks

Kirsty Needham   Sydney scientists are working to develop the shark attack equivalent of the bushfire warning system, seeking to rate ocean conditions from low to high risk.

Talk every parent must have with their teen

Greg Healy   Nothing is as difficult as switching off your child's life support. One thing made it easier for the Healy family.

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The real star performers of the HSC

Inga Ting   Three years ago, Jasmine Kumar's academic results were among the lowest in the state for reading, writing and numeracy. This week 17-year-old was awarded finished her HSC with an ATAR of 91.

Petrol prices monitored in real time

Kirsty Needham   Initiative is part of a push by the Baird government to boost ethanol fuel use.

How specialists convince families to donate 

Harriet Alexander   There is a wide variety between hospitals when it comes to organ donation and much of it comes down to the commitment of ICU specialists.

DV complainant charged with contempt

Patrick Begley   "I'm finished talking, thank you." The silence that landed a domestic violence complainant in contempt of court.

Money lenders face 25 stolen goods charges

Eamonn Duff   Sydney's "most trusted" money lenders have been hit with 25 stolen goods charges.

'Ridiculous': Expert slams council mergers

Melanie Kembrey   Merger proposals criticised for not being a step forward, but a "crab-like step sideways", by instigator of reforms.

'Historic day': Merging Sydney councils named

Anne Davies, Leesha McKenny   Premier Mike Baird says reducing Sydney's councils from 43 to 25 is "about delivering better services, more infrastructure".

New 'glass box' proposed for The Rocks

Leesha McKenny   Is it a "jewel box" foreshore attraction or an "ice cube on stilts" that has no place in the 19th-century surrounds?

Tornado changes Christmas in Kurnell 

Ava Benny-Morrison   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   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   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   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   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   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?