It takes eight wranglers to force a 200 kilogram alligator in its most aggressive state away from a well-guarded nest of eggs, but they need to be taken to ensure their survival.

Neither side really looked like scoring in a dour New Year's Eve contest leaving the Wellington Phoenix last and the Central Coast Mariners in eighth.

Two men are injured and thousands forced to evacuate after a barge catches fire during a New Year's Eve fireworks display at Terrigal Beach, on the New South Wales central coast.

Melbourne Victory miss out on the maximum points after a 1-1 draw with Central Coast Mariners in their A-League encounter in Geelong.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance admits it will be impossible to find alternatives to move more than 1 million passengers on Sydney's train strike day.

In what's being described as an "extraordinary" move, train workers in New South Wales plan to strike for 24 hours later in the month, potentially plunging the struggling Sydney rail network into further chaos.

A highly contentious underground coal mine on the New South Wales Central Coast has been given the go-ahead, despite an election "guarantee" against coal mining in the region.

No agreement is reached to avert the planned train strike at the end of this month, despite four hours of negotiations between Sydney Trains and unions.

The tone of talks may have improved, but a pay deal is yet to be thrashed out ahead of a planned rail strike that will cause commuter chaos later this month.

Tamworth's population doubles as country music lovers move in at festival time.

Visually impaired children at a surfing event in the NSW Hunter region are encouraged to get into sports and not let their disability hold them back.

Central Coast Mariners midfielder Wout Brama faces a nervous wait for the A-League match review panel to ponder his horrible tackle which left Brisbane Roar forward Corey Gameiro in tears.

Central Coast Mariners midfielder Wout Brama is let off with a two-match ban for his tackle that left Brisbane Roar forward Corey Gameiro in tears.

For Edward Daly, who was at a rehab centre on the NSW Central Coast to get over his ice, alcohol and gambling addictions, having his partner involved in his recovery made all the difference.

Sydney has lost nearly 20 per cent of its essential workers in the past decade because of the city's housing affordability crisis, a report finds.

Footage of the man punching a 21-year-old woman in the face was viewed thousands of times on social media and led to the motorist being handed a good behaviour bond and a $900 fine.

Commuters can expect long delays heading north from Sydney on the M1, with two lanes closed and traffic stretching back 21 kilometres after a man died in a crash between a ute and semi-trailer at Mt White, north of Sydney.

A woman who was punched in a road rage incident on the NSW Central Coast, which was viewed thousands of times on social media, enters a guilty plea for throwing nails and a chisel at another car.

An incident in which a gas ignition sent a wall of fire over underground miners could have been deadly, the NSW Resources Regulator says in its initial investigation report.

More than 500 workers in Sydney have their jobs terminated after the collapse of the Red Lea chicken company, leaving staff without pay and "eating two-minute noodles for dinner", one former manager says.

Seven people who have eaten frozen pomegranate purchased at Coles have been diagnosed with a unique strain of hepatitis A, prompting a recall of what the company behind the product describes as "a relatively small batch".

The sizzle of a steak on a barbecue may soon sound a little different as Australia's $16.8 billion beef industry prepares to adapt to demands from 'locavores' and technological change.

Do you know how long to rest a steak? Who predicted lab meat in 1931? And do you really know what a heifer is? Dig in to our beef quiz.

Drawing on her own experience growing up in rural Queensland's Ilfracombe, Dame Quentin Bryce says the role of women in agriculture has come a long way.

The growing demand for transparency and ethically, socially and environmentally sustainable food is one of the hot topics at Beef Australia 2018.

A look under the brims at Australia's biggest beef industry event, Beef Australia 2018, reveals there are many things to consider when choosing a hat.

Brendan Russell's body modification work includes tongue splitting and scarification, but court documents allege he used a branding iron to burn a woman's genitals, who later complained to police.

Legendary Australian boxer Troy Waters, a former junior middleweight world title boxing contender, dies at the age of 53 following a long battle with leukaemia.

Penrith brings down competition leaders St George Illawarra to the tune of 28-2, while the Sydney Roosters and Rabbitohs both record convincing wins.

A fast train network connecting greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle as a "mega region" could create more than 10,000 new jobs, according to a new report.

Young men detained for assault, theft and drug offences are training guide dogs in a program they say is changing their lives.

Whale watchers spot hundreds of humpbacks, with the population looking healthy, on annual migration census day.

A District Court judge warns jurors deliberating in the trial of a Newcastle doctor not to bully each other as they deliberate on dozens of sexual abuse allegations.

The former superstar sprinter is set to undertake a trial with the Mariners ahead of a possible shock A-League move.

Football loves a sugar hit and the tabloid frenzy created by images of Usain Bolt in a Mariners shirt had the capacity to give the entire A-League Type 2 diabetes. But the FFA was right not to fund his Central Coast trial, Richard Hinds writes.

Tricia Fortier remembers two things about the time her granddaughter Marlei was in hospital: worrying and smiling. Now she's made it her mission to bring more laughs to her local hospital.

A farmer near Gunnedah is feeding his cattle orange peel, donated by a juice factory, in a bid to keep them alive as the drought wears on.

Colin Crane, a life member of the Rebels bikie club, appears in court charged with the murder of Clint Starkey at a Peats Ridge service station last year.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating allegations of unconscionable conduct towards growers by one of the country's major vegetable processors.