Burns Pet Food at Riverstone pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty relating to dozens of cattle and an injured sheep only a month before the ABC's 7.30 report into the slaughter of horses.

MORNING BRIEFING: Commuters and HSC students have been advised to avoid the M1 at Berowra after a road worker was hit by a utility early this morning, causing lane closures, and a man dies in a blaze at a Maitland home.

Royal Life Saving Society Australia is warning parents to limit distractions and be vigilant with water safety, as new data shows one-year-olds are at the greatest risk of drowning compared to any other age group.

The Workers Compensation Commission finds in favour of a former House Rules contestant who claimed she was now unemployable because of the negative way she was portrayed on the Channel Seven show.

In the wake of the construction disasters of the Opal Tower and Mascot Towers, the NSW Government is introducing new laws to Parliament which would mean builders have a duty of care to owners and could be fined upwards of $100,000 for any faulty work.

Billionaire property developer Huang Xiangmo publishes a lengthy and scathing attack at the ATO, which is pursuing him over a $141 million tax bill, and ASIO, which revoked his permanent residency.

Owners of apartments affected by the combustible cladding crisis in Victoria tell researchers of the emotional and financial toll it has taken on them and their neighbours.

Chayse Gannon and his mother, forced to leave dad and baby brother behind, have changed accommodation around Sydney more than 12 times since he was diagnosed in February.

A NSW police officer is accused of "sloppy work" in an inquiry after she mistakenly inflated the quantity of drugs found on a reveller at Splendour in the Grass last year by nearly eight times.

A social media campaign quickly gathers followers as it shines a light on drought-affected towns struggling to maintain their businesses, and encourages people to buy remotely in the lead-up to Christmas.

Newcastle's Anglican Dean calls for unity and respect as the diocese prepares to vote on blessing same-sex marriages.

A seagrass nursery set up to propagate seeds to restore lost seagrass meadows could also be a tool to offset carbon emissions.

MORNING BRIEFING: Plans to sell off the remaining bus routes have been slammed by the unions, and the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition adds colour to the eastern coastline.

Meet John. He's 59, and used to be a teacher. He's also been job hunting for a decade and is one of almost 900,000 people in NSW living below the poverty line, according to a new report.

NSW Police has refused to reveal if defence lawyers are being spied on with electronic surveillance as part of criminal investigations.

Ashleigh Gardner has already suffered five concussions in her short cricket career, but the 22-year-old all-rounder hopes to use the experiences to make her a better player.

The current 5.25 per cent interest rate for reverse mortgages under the Government's Pension Loans Scheme has not fallen despite three official cash rate cuts this year.

A 19-year-old woman is charged with torture and causing the death of an animal after allegedly stabbing a cat 20 times and throwing it from a balcony on Sydney's northern beaches.

A leading international transportation strategist says Sydney can never have a world-class public transport system, despite the NSW Government's record investment in major projects.

A Federal Court judge rules Chinese property developer Huang Xiangmo should declare his overseas assets as the ATO which alleges the billionaire has an unpaid $141 million tax debt closes in.

A solicitor who offered pro-bono legal advice at the Splendour in the Grass festival in 2018 tells a public hearing of a "military-style" operation, which saw shopkeepers and bar staff among those strip-searched by police.

There are growing calls for a royal commission into the racing industry after the ABC revealed emails proving Racing NSW was told more than a year ago about the unauthorised sale of thoroughbreds for slaughter at a livestock auction.

The NSW Government will discuss establishing a national park south of Sydney to protect the state's last chlamydia-free koala colony under threat by urban expansion.

MORNING BRIEFING: Total fire bans are in place as temperatures are set to rise beyond the mid-30s on Friday, and a man in a wheelchair has fallen down 100 stairs at Macquarie Park Station.

Of more than 5,000 strip searches conducted by NSW police in the past financial year, less than a third found any illicit drugs, new data shows.

A NSW Police officer accused of tasering a 16-year-old boy and repeatedly bashing him with a baton will continue to serve in the force, despite being charged over the alleged on-duty assault.

Sudden stratospheric warming it's great for the ozone layer at the South Pole, but not so great for heat and rain levels over the next few months.

The high-end Rockpool Dining Group fronted by Neil Perry is hit by union claims it tampered with digital timesheets as it underpaid workers by up to $10 million, as a former worker enters mediation with the group in the Federal Court.

Pilots are still hungry for the thrill of flying a Grumman Tracker more than 30 years after they last launched it off the back of an aircraft carrier.

Phoebe Litchfield is a high school student in country New South Wales, who also happens to be one of the brightest young talents to hit the WBBL.

A family at the centre of a regional medical mix-up is relieved at an outpouring of support.

The first time I saw my baby Billie was in a photo she'd been born 11 weeks early. The next few months brought agony, loneliness and love and sparked lasting friendships with other mums in the intensive care unit.

At the tender age of 75, decorated Wollongong athlete Mary Thomas who could be described as a fitness fanatic is not your average septuagenarian.

The Federal Energy Minister says he will apologise to Sydney's Lord Mayor for "not clarifying" figures he used to criticise her over the council's travel costs.

Extreme winds are churning up dust from Broken Hill to Sydney, with some parts of the central west turning red and forcing residents to eat dinner under bedsheets so as not to spoil their food.

If you think of your favourite British TV shows, one thing that stands out is the great variation in the way the actors sound. So why aren't Australians the same?