5 h. ago This Sydney council wanted to rebuild a surf club. Its own planners had other ideas

A council plan to splash millions rebuilding one of Sydney’s most well-known surf clubs is in trouble after an internal assessment called for the project to be stopped.

Politics

5 h. ago The Good Food Guide to a summer road trip through Geelong and the Surf Coast

From wine bars to bakeries, pub meals to cocktails, here are our top picks for spending a delicious few days in this rapidly changing coastal region.

Politics

5 h. ago Another local council moves to formally oppose Burswood racetrack

Both the Town of Victoria Park and City of Perth have formally rejected the state government’s plans for a racetrack in Burswood. Now, South Perth will debate a motion to follow suit at next week’s council meeting.

Politics

14 h. ago Perth man fined for Nazi salute outside pub after March for Australia rally

Daniel Stocks was overheard by patrons at Fenians Irish Pub making racial slurs and performing Nazi salutes with a group of people from the National Socialist Network.

Politics

14 h. ago ‘My identity was dismissed’: Teen scrubbed from Bayside newsletter over Palestine necklace

A Hampton teenager, who won an award for her volunteering work, was removed from the council magazine following complaints from the public.

Events

18 h. ago This dystopian fable is a critique of our current fractured world

Journalist George Packer, best known for his work in The New Yorker and The Atlantic, has turned his hand to fiction

Politics

28 h. ago Cameron Crowe’s memoir is filled with delicious anecdotes from rock’s golden age

A quarter of a century after Almost Famous presented a fictionalised account of Crowe’s early career, The Uncool reveals true stories from his time on the road with some of the biggest bands of the time.

Politics

29 h. ago ‘Prepare for intense emotions’: Teens plot workarounds as social media ban begins

The world’s biggest social media platforms are expected to kick more than half a million Australians off their apps while thousands plot ways to get around the ban.

Politics

35 h. ago Perth council grounds Rinehart’s helipad plans for $270m Hancock headquarters

Despite two councillors backing the proposal, and Perth’s lord mayor describing Gina Rinehart as an “amazing Australian”, the council refused the application during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Politics

38 h. ago Council pushes for ‘old school’ pub stays to boost Olympic accommodation

Changes to Brisbane’s planning rules will make it easier for pubs to build new hotel rooms to boost the city’s short-stay accommodation.

Politics

42 h. ago ‘Gobsmacking’ final win over council eviction for Williamstown residents

After a two-and-a-half year war against Hobsons Bay council and its secret eviction plans, Williamstown residents have received a final ruling on their homes’ fate.

Politics

46 h. ago A mayor on a mission nominates city safety as the biggest achievement of his first year

Just over a year into his term as lord mayor of Melbourne, Nick Reece says his greatest success has been in an area not usually within the council’s remit.

Events

46 h. ago A mayor on a mission nominates crime crackdown as biggest achievement of his first year

Just over a year into his term as lord mayor of Melbourne, Nick Reece says his greatest success has been in an area not usually within the council’s remit.

Events

46 h. ago Zelensky digs in against Trump pressure as peace talks at risk of collapse

The Ukraine president is holding firm in a deepening dispute over whether to cede land to Russia to end the war, issuing a forceful statement of his nation’s sovereignty.

Politics

53 h. ago Council activist apologises – twice – after accusing councillor of sexual harassment

Following court action, the force behind Council Watch has had to make quite the climb down from allegations he made.

Events

62 h. ago Sydney council cracks down on notorious Christmas Day beach bash

Backpackers have been “strongly discouraged” from attending the bacchanalia this year. Those who attend can expect heightened police and security patrols.

Politics

64 h. ago Nurse found guilty of Toyah Cordingley’s beach murder after second trial

Police believed Rajwinder Singh flew to India soon after Cordingley’s body was found, leaving his wife and children behind in the north Queensland town of Innisfail.

Events

66 h. ago The country golf course aiming to lure McIlroy and be Australia’s Augusta

The exclusive club north-east of Melbourne already attracts some of the biggest names in Australian golf to its annual invitational. Now, it’s chasing an even bigger profile.

Politics

3 d. ago Developer fighting to avoid restoring native grassland he helped destroy

A council’s legal bid to compel a developer to revegetate endangered grassland on an $11 million Melbourne property has been likened to the fight to rebuild the Corkman pub.

Politics

3 d. ago This Sydney council wants to build a new swimming spot. Rowers are up in arms

Rowers are fighting a rearguard battle to stop construction of a tidal pool close to the last Olympic-length rowing course near the harbour.

Politics