Regional communities are being touted as winners in this year's New South Wales budget, crowned by a Regional Growth Fund of more than $1 billion for projects to promote economic advancement outside of cities.

A 28-year-old man is charged with murder of Jayden Mason, who was found unconscious on a road on the NSW Central Coast last month, while two other men are arrested in connection with his death.

Former Robertson MP Belinda Neal, who once told a fellow parliamentarian her baby would turn into a demon, is expelled from the Labor party over alleged branch stacking.

Dash cam vision shows a man punching a woman in the face in a suspected road rage incident on the New South Wales Central Coast, with the woman posting on social media she "smashed his window" after being hit.

A man is hit and killed by a garbage truck on the NSW Central Coast, with the driver left "significantly traumatised" as the men had become good friends over the years.

A man is charged over a road rage incident, captured on a mobile phone, on the New South Wales Central Coast

Police charge a 21-year-old woman over a road rage incident on the NSW Central Coast, after footage of the assault went viral and a 41-year-old man was also charged.

A man is taken to hospital after crashing an allegedly stolen truck full of donuts and flavoured milk into a family home on the Central Coast.

A private rideshare-style service to move people between their doorstep and the train station will be trialled in Sydney and on the Central Coast, the New South Wales Government announces.

A video posted on social media shows a man getting out of a vehicle, walking towards a woman as she stood next to her ute, and appearing to punch her in the face.

Take a peak inside the pouch of the world's friendliest animal, with a baby quokka born far away from its native West Australian home Rottnest Island.

Defending champions Sydney FC get their title defence off to a perfect start a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory, while the Newcastle Jets demolish Central Coast Mariners 5-1.

The judge describes it as a murder "on a whim" as Rebels motorcycle club member John Richard Weston is sentenced to 34 years in jail for killing a man over a rare motorbike.

Perth Glory get their first win of the season against the Mariners after Newcastle Jets beat Brisbane in a controversial game at Lang Park.

Natural disasters can have devastating effects on communities, with the ensuing financial and psychological pain taking years to ease, but being prepared can reduce the impact.

Sunday proves to be a day of A-League score draws as the Mariners hold Victory to a 1-1 draw after the Jets and Wanderers battle it out for the same scoreline.

The principal of three alternative schools in New South Wales says she will run them illegally if she is forced to close following a scathing report into their compliance.

Adelaide United travels to Gosford to meet Central Coast Mariners as it looks to break a three-match losing streak in the A-League. Follow all the live scores, stats and commentary.

Check your public transport timetable before leaving the house this week in Sydney and NSW as more than 9,000 new weekly train, bus and ferry services launch for the Greater Sydney network.

The NSW Government allocates $3 million to fund nine new palliative care specialists in health districts across regional NSW.

She hits the water at speeds of up to 80km/h and it scares her every single time she does it, but fear hasn't stopped cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland making an impact on the world stage.

The Video Assistant Referee has again been a focal point as the Western Sydney Wanderers recorded a 2-0 win over nine-man Central Coast Mariners.

Angry Mariners coach Paul Okon pledges to appeal against red cards handed to Wout Brama and Jake McGing from Saturday night's controversial loss, as the Video Assistant Referee yet again comes under the spotlight.

Review systems in sport are always controversial but Central Coast Mariners' coach Paul Okon's broadside against the Video Assistant Referee this weekend should not be dismissed out of hand, Richard Hinds writes.

Three men with links to the Rebels bikie gang are refused bail after being charged with the murder of a Central Coast man who was beaten so severely he spent two months in a coma before dying.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.