Hunter Valley bus crash driver sentenced to 32 years in jail

Brett Andrew Button was behind the wheel of a bus returning from a wedding when it flipped on a roundabout, killing 10 passengers and injuring 25 others.

With the NSW Hunter Region in the midst of an "earthquake swarm", and mining found to have caused tremors overseas, could it be the cause here too?

Unfazed by the rain-soaked course and a delayed start to the race, Lauren Parker completes a famous victory in the women's H1-4 road race, as she wins her second gold across two sports in Paris.

Jordan Thompson died with a toxic amount of an antidepressant in his system, which the Crown alleges his mother's then-partner put in his drink. The accused denies the allegation.

Dozens of kangaroos have set up home in a residential suburb, attracting a wave of tourists and prompting warnings about potential attacks.

Residents of a small NSW town found their own solution to a funding shortfall that could have cost them a $1 million cycleway.

Australian Community Media will cut 35 editorial positions from newspapers across Australia in the latest budget cuts following the withdrawal of funding from Meta.

The University of Queensland invention can extract PFAS compounds, which are notoriously difficult to remove from the environment or human bodies.

Only two people, both in their 20s, have completed a double crossing swim of the treacherous channel between New Zealand's North Island and South Island. Craig Clarke is training to do it at 60.

When people move from all over the world to start a new life in Newcastle, they bring knowledge of plants in their homelands with them. Some of that knowledge has taken root at Waratah in a garden at the Hunter Multicultural Communities centre.

Local government elections loom: Local primary schools and community halls across the Hunter will be a hive of activity this Saturday, with local government elections taking place and democracy sausages sizzling on barbecues. Our ABC Newcastle Drive team has been hosting live mayoral debates in the last week to help you make an informed vote at the ballot box this weekend. You can hear them here.

Caption: Newcastle Drive's Paul Culliver hosts a live-to-air debate with candidates vying to be Cessnock's mayor. Image: ABC Newcastle/Cecilia Connell

Remains identified: Police say human remains found on a Newcastle beach last month have been identified. On August 26 a man found a bone on Stockton Beach. Forensic tests reveal it belongs to a 20-year-old man reported missing from Stockton Beach on November 26 last year. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Stockton nippers get green light: Nippers will go ahead this summer at Stockton Beach despite big swells causing significant erosion issues in recent weeks. Almost 12 months ago 100,000 cubic metres of sand was moved back onto the beach as part of a dredging project. Sand spraying has also been continuing throughout winter to try to mitigate the erosion, but the impact of big swells has caused sand displacement. Stockton Surf Life Saving Club president Paul Bernard says they've adopted a flexible nippers program to cope with the changing conditions.

Wind farm approved: The Hills of Gold Wind Farm near Nundle, on the fringes of the Upper Hunter, has been approved. The Independent Planning Commission approved the project this week with a maximum of 62 turbines, compared to the proposed 64. It will also have a 100 megawatt battery energy storage system and 330 kilovolt transmission line. The wind farm site is within the Upper Hunter, Tamworth Regional and Liverpool Plains local government areas.

Legal service funding: New government funding for people escaping family violence won't be enough to restore regional legal services, Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Karly Warner says. The legal service froze criminal law services at 13 local courts across regional New South Wales last year because of a lack of funding, including at Muswellbrook, Scone and Singleton. On Friday national cabinet announced a $4.7 billion plan to improve frontline support providers, with $800 million set aside to fund legal aid services.

Lauren Parker takes centre stage: Newcastle's Lauren Parker was one of the stars of the show for the Paralympics closing ceremony, serving as flag-bearer alongside fellow athlete James Turner. Parker's 2024 campaign resulted in her becoming the first Australian in 44 years to win gold medals in two separate para sports at the same Paralympics. She won gold in the women's PTWC individual triathlon and the women's H1-4 road race, while claiming silver in the H1-3 road time trial.

Knights NRL finals clash: Newcastle Knights men's captain Kalyn Ponga says he's excited and ready for the challenge as the team prepares to head to Townsville for finals week one. The Knights beat the Dolphins 14 to 6 on Sunday to seal their spot in the top eight. They'll take on the Cowboys on Saturday who have a strong track record of defeating the Knights in their home territory. But Ponga says he isn't looking at past stats and is ready to give them all he's got.

Knights' NRLW defeat: Newcastle Knights women's coach Ben Jeffries says Newcastle's defeat on Sunday against Brisbane was not good enough. After leading for much of the game the Knights lost to the Broncos 32 points to 24 in a home game at Hunter Stadium. Newcastle is now fourth on the ladder, with the side due to face the Titans this weekend in Queensland.

Netball winning run continues: It's six consecutive Newcastle Netball Association first grade titles for Wests. The side faced Norths at the weekend in the association's grand final gala day. It was a tough game for both sides, the final score 40 points to 38.

Scone's undefeated season: A rematch of the 2023 grand final has resulted in Scone coming out on top again in the Group 21 rugby league premiership. Scone claimed the win over Greta-Branxton 18-10 on Sunday's grand final day. The Thoroughbreds finished their season unbeaten.

This easy lemon orzo packed with lots of spring vegetables, from asparagus to sugar snap peas.