At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. The NSW Government has stepped in to oversee the planning assessment of the City of Sydney’s proposed Town Hall Square, a $94 million project aimed at creating a major public gathering space in the CBD. NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has accepted a recommendation from the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) to classify the proposal as a State Significant Development (SSD). This means t

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will continue accepting credit card payments for tax obligations until June 30, 2027, following discussions with the government and the provision of transitional funding. The extension gives individuals and businesses more time to prepare for alternative payment arrangements. The ATO said it would continue working with relevant stakeholders to identify o

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Brimbank, Monash and Hume councils are calling for stronger action to reduce gambling harm ahead of the November 2026 Victorian state election. The councils, together with the Alliance for Gambling Reform, are urging all political parties and candidates to support two key measures: mandatory carded play with fixed loss limits, and reduced poker machine operating hours, with venues closing b

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. More than 25,000 cat and dog lovers are expected at the Melbourne Showgrounds this month for the 2026 Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival and Dog Lovers Festival. The two-day event will be held on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, bringing together pet owners, animal lovers, breeders, experts, retailers and adoption groups. A major attraction at the Cat Lovers Festival will be interna

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia Post has announced its 2026 Christmas sending deadlines, urging Australians to post gifts and parcels early to avoid delays during the busy festive season. Millions of parcels are expected to move through the postal network during November and December, with international shipments requiring significantly earlier cut-off dates than domestic deliveries. Domestic Christmas Deadlines

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Two Sri Lankan researchers have been selected among the 13 national finalists for FameLab Australia 2026, highlighting the growing contribution of Sri Lankan talent to Australia’s STEM sector. Shanelle Tennekoon, a PhD candidate at Curtin University in Western Australia, and Nirmani Dassanayake, a PhD researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, were chosen from hundreds of applicants

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka, your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans in Australia and beyond. The Australia Women’s cricket team is set to tour Sri Lanka in December 2026 for a three-match ODI series. The matches will be played in Dambulla and will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–2029. The Australian squad is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on 10 December 2026, ahead of the series. The tour will provide both teams with an

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A broad group of Australian industry, business, community, multicultural, regional and migration organisations is calling for a National Migration Summit to develop a long-term plan for Australia’s migration system. The call follows a week of competing proposals on migration, including calls to reduce temporary migration and cut Australia’s humanitarian intake. The groups say the debate sho

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka, your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans in Australia and beyond. Sri Lankan swimmer Akalanka Peiris has produced an outstanding series of performances at the Australian Nationals, setting three new Sri Lankan national records in two days. On Thursday, October 1, Peiris broke the national record in the Men’s 50m Backstroke twice in the same day. He first clocked 24.45 seconds in the heats, improving his own prev

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Millions of people across south-east Australia are facing several days of heavy rain and stormy weather as a low-pressure system moves through the region. The system is expected to develop over south-western New South Wales on Friday before moving towards Victoria on Saturday. Parts of western NSW could experience severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds and large hail possible. Victoria i

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A major rain and storm system is moving across south-east Australia, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms expected to increase the risk of flooding over the next 48 hours. The wet weather follows an exceptionally dry September. Melbourne recorded just 18mm of rain last month, but received about 20mm in only one hour on Thursday. More rain is expected as tropical moisture feeds into a slow-

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka, your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans in Australia and beyond. Sri Lanka and Australia have concluded the sixth round of Senior Officials Talks and the fourth round of the Strategic Maritime Dialogue, with both sides agreeing to strengthen cooperation across several key areas. The talks were held in Colombo on September 21, 2026, according to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry. The discussions were co-chaired by Sa

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia and New Zealand could move closer to passport-free travel, with New Zealand’s National Party proposing a trial if it returns to government. The proposed system would be introduced ahead of the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will jointly host. Under the plan, eligible travellers would submit their passport details and digital travel declaration throug

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s annual inflation rate has risen sharply to 4.0 per cent in August, up from 3.5 per cent in July, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The increase adds fresh pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) as it considers the next move on interest rates. However, underlying inflation remained unchanged. The trimmed mean measure stood at 3.6 per cent, sug

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Sri Lanka Tourism has stepped up efforts to attract more visitors from Australia and New Zealand through a major business networking and roadshow programme held across five cities. Organised by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), the 2026 Sri Lanka Tourism B2B Networking and Roadshow brought together Sri Lankan tourism businesses and travel industry representatives to strengthen

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australian businesses may start offering discounts to customers who pay with cash after new rules banning card payment surcharges take effect on October 1. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s surcharge ban will remove extra fees currently charged for many credit and debit card payments. The change is expected to save Australian consumers about $1.6 billion a year. However, small businesses that

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s major banks are moving ahead of an expected interest rate increase by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), with lenders already raising some home loan rates. All four major banks expect the RBA to lift the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.60 per cent at its September meeting. ANZ is also forecasting another increase in November, which would take the cash rate to 4.85 per

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australian households are facing renewed financial pressure as higher fuel prices, rising interest rates, inflation and electricity costs combine to squeeze household budgets. Inflation has already prompted three interest rate increases this year, with the Reserve Bank of Australia expected to consider another rise at its next meeting. The Middle East conflict has also disrupted global oil

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Diesel prices across Australia are approaching $3 a litre, as disruptions to global oil routes and refineries continue to push fuel costs higher. The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, remains effectively closed amid escalating conflict. Australia’s national median diesel price has reached $2.88 a litre, up 1.67 cents.

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Five major road projects worth a combined $3 billion are moving ahead in Western Sydney, with construction expected to begin later this year. The joint Australian and NSW government projects will upgrade key roads and intersections across the rapidly growing region, with the aim of improving traffic flow, safety and access. The largest projects are the Mamre Road and Elizabeth Drive upgrade