Best known for his provocative signs, Father Rod Bower from the NSW Central Coast announces plans to run for the Senate as an independent candidate.

The Social Services Minister has indicated a short-term lifeline may be thrown to a charity that provides 67 million meals for hungry Australians each year after Government moves to split food charity funding between three agencies.

The Prime Minister says the Government will maintain Foodbank's funding following community anger over plans to slash its budget in half.

Eve van Grafhorst was almost three when she was diagnosed with HIV in 1985. Then she was banned from childcare, and eventually her family was hounded to New Zealand where they started a new life.

BackTrack, an organisation dedicated to helping disengaged youth, wants to provide education for 60 students in NSW's far west who were left in limbo when their alternative school shut down.

Perth Glory ends 2018 three points clear at the A-League summit after beating the Mariners 4-1 following a 40-minute mid-match delay over snapped goalposts.

Almost two years after the death of a five-year-old schoolgirl, who was hit and killed by a passing truck on the NSW Central Coast, an investigator fights to make sure it never happens again.

Betty, the piglet born with just two hind hooves, is saved from slaughter just in time for the Lunar Year of the Pig.

Residents on the NSW Central Coast say common sense has prevailed after police withdrew hundreds of $263 fines on residents parking outside their own homes.

Thousands of homes are still without power this morning as a series of severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across parts of Sydney, the central coast and Wollongong last night.

Music festival organisers and the NSW Police lock horns over the reason for the sudden cancellation of a Central Coast event, with organisers denying it was plagued by "mismanagement".

A disease that could potentially wipe out Australia's multi-billion-dollar livestock industry has been detected at Australian airports.

Police are describing a deceased baby boy's injuries as 'horrific' and 'horrendous' following his death on Sunday. A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder and reckless grievous bodily harm.

A father says the day he watched his infant daughter suffer a violent two-and-a-half-hour seizure was when he decided breaking the law was a small price to pay for her life.

Two regional Australian doctors are at the forefront of an international effort to eliminate a horrendous childbirth injury, and say they could succeed within a decade.

The Central Coast Mariners have won one game from 21 starts and sacked their coach. The days of Usain Bolt's ill-fated trial with the team seem a lifetime ago, but are we still seeing the effects?

In the wake of the Christchurch tragedy and days out from the NSW election, what is the firearm policy of the party that could hold the bargaining power in forming government?

ABC Rural asks a group of industry leaders at this year's NT Cattlemen's Association conference to share their views on challenges and opportunities in 2019.

A man in his 40s is in a critical condition, and four people are on the run, after a "horrific" stabbing in a convenience store on the NSW Central Coast.

Bill Shorten draws a rockstar welcome in enemy territory, Scott Morrison argues with Labor over its support for a Coalition policy and Clive Palmer is personally, yet noticeably, absent from the campaign trail.

The daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran avoids jail after pleading guilty to carrying ice in early April, two years after she was released for her role in the murder of a Sydney drug dealer.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police charge a man in Parramatta after finding tools to make a homemade bomb in his backpack, while Sydney residents can soon expect formal water restrictions as dry conditions continue.

The former operators of three sushi outlets in regional New South Wales are fined more than $380,000 for ripping off workers including junior employees and vulnerable visa holders.

MORNING BRIEFING: A woman is charged after allegedly driving while almost nine times over the legal blood alcohol limit, and the NSW Government introduces fines of up to $440,000 for animal rights activists trespassing on farms.

Children as young as 10 years old are being routinely strip searched in juvenile detention in NSW with minimal or no contraband found, according to new data, and former inmates claim the searches trigger mental illness issues.

MORNING BRIEFING: The serial sex offender who raped and killed Sydney woman Janine Balding will not be released for another two years, while the North Ryde RSL club cancels a conservative event on abortion over security fears.

A Gosford judge describes Troy Johnson, a father of three who stalked and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl as she walked to school, as "hideous" and "depraved" before jailing him for almost 30 years.

As a place to glimpse the next generation of stars and one of the biggest events on the Indigenous calendar, the Koori Knockout features some of the fastest, most exciting rugby league in the country.

George Blackwood of Adelaide (right) celebrates scoring a second half goal with Ryan Strain during the FFA Cup Semi Final match between Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

MORNING BRIEFING: Dozens of firefighters from South Australia head to New South Wales as back-up for weary RFS workers, and two people are fined after a banner is hung from the Harbour Bridge.

The Melbourne derby ends in a scoreless draw as the Victory host City at Docklands in the opening round of the A-League, while the Wanderers celebrate a 2-1 triumph over the Mariners at their new home ground.

A-League newcomers Western United draws its first home game, 1-1 against Perth, as the The F3 Derby between the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets ends in the same scoreline.

The sudden closure of two aged care facilities on the New South Wales Central Coast has renewed concerns about the financial viability of Australias private aged care sector.

A major overhaul of all New South Wales juvenile correction facilities is underway, with an independent review into a riot at Central Coast facility exposing systemic failures and consistent violence.

Taxis and the rideshare industry warn of the dangers of underground "lifts for cash" advertised on social media.

For most drivers, hitting a kangaroo can be a terrifying experience. But if the animal is still alive, the next steps you take can be the most important.