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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The former fastest-man-in-the-world makes his professional football debut for the Central Coast, but in 19 minutes he wasn't able to make much of an impact.

Clown doctors in Outback Australia medicate paediatric patients with a regular dose of humour.

Usain Bolt has turned down a two-year deal to play in Europe, but that won't make Mike Mulvey and the Central Coast Mariners rush into offering the eight-time Olympic champion a deal.

The A-League confirms Usain Bolt has been offered a contract with the Central Coast Mariners, but it'sfor "much, much less" than what the Olympic great's camp has requested.

Usain Bolt leaves the Central Coast Mariners after a trial, with the A-League club and Olympic sprint legend unable to come to a deal that would have extended the sporting experiment.

A man who stabbed and tried to set alight a woman he met on a dating app led police on a wild chase before lunging at them with a knife, a NSW coroner has heard.

A NSW woman has started an anti-discrimination campaign demanding changes to the way people in wheelchairs can buy tickets to major events and access good seating.

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.

A 22-year-old Queensland man dies after attending the Lost Paradise music festival on the NSW Central Coast as police reveal the sophisticated and bizarre ways revellers attempt to smuggle drugs in including inside a barbecue chicken.

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.

A patent application has been granted which Meat and Livestock Australia fears will have a chilling effect on genomic research in Australia's cattle industries.

Dissatisfaction with the major parties and the Murray-Darling fish kill could tip the scales in favour of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party at the state election.

Central coast residents have launched a scathing attack on the NSW Government after recent works let tonnes of silt, clay and rocks wash into Bangalow Creek, renowned for its wildlife.

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

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?

A woman receives 28 demerit points enough to have a driver's licence suspended twice over during a single police stop north of Sydney at the weekend, after officers issue her with four separate infringement notices.

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.

After two serious assaults in the past two days, one in which an officer was punched eight times by an offender, staff from most NSW juvenile justice centres stop work to demand action for their safety.

The Raiders outclass the Dragons in Wollongong, as the Eels beat the Tigers to spoil Benji Marshall's 300th NRL match, and the Cowboys enjoy a narrow triumph over the Roosters.

MORNING BRIEFING: A pair of boys are "met by their parents and spoken to by police" after climbing a 111-metre communications tower, and 21 people are charged after a violent riot and police siege at a youth detention centre.

Felicity Urquhart was meant to be celebrating her first solo album Frozen Rabbit with her husband Glen Hannah, but a month after its release, he took his own life.

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.

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.