Latest news with #Sydneysiders
Time Out
an hour ago
- Business
- Time Out
All metro and train services across Sydney and NSW will be free for two days this week
Sydney's train network has had a rough run over the past year, with a series of strung-out disputes between the unions and the NSW Government leading to industrial action, and a whole lot of unhappy commuters. But there's light at the end of the tunnel, with rail workers agreeing this weekend to a new Enterprise Agreement that should bring the disruptions to an end. As an apology to the people of Sydney for the months of chaos, Transport for NSW is offering two full days of fare-free rail (and metro) travel across the state – with the free travel period starting this Thursday (July 31). According to Transport for NSW, more than 2.2 million passengers are expected to take advantage of free journeys across the two days, with the NSW Government encouraging Sydneysiders to make the most of the network and support both Sydney's hospitality scene and regional businesses – without the travel costs. (NB: For NSW TrainLink journeys, you'll still need to book a ticket to secure your seat, and you'll be refunded on the day.) Free travel for two days is a bonus, but the real win here is the renewed stability expected across the NSW train network. After months of negotiations, 92 per cent of rail workers voted in support of the Enterprise Agreement, which will now be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for formal approval. Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said the outcome is 'a win for our staff but an even bigger win for the travelling public.' 'With this certainty, Sydney Trains can resume its focus on delivering a safe, reliable, and disruption-free service. Passengers can have renewed confidence that the trains they rely on will be there when they need them,' said Longland. Fare-free travel on all Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink, Airport Link, and Sydney Metro services will apply from 12.01am on Thursday, July 31, until 6am on Saturday, August 2, 2025. Fee travel will not extend to buses, ferries, or light rail services, and passengers using NSW TrainLink services will still need to present a valid ticket to score a refund.
Time Out
a day ago
- Business
- Time Out
Uber Eats launches world-first dining-out deals for top Sydney restaurants
I don't know about you, but Uber Eats to me means Sundays on the couch with Netflix after a few too many the night before. Not anymore. In a world-first, Uber Eats has launched a brand-new feature on the app called Dine Out, giving Sydneysiders access to hundreds of in-person dining deals at their favourite restaurants and bars. And in even cooler news, Sydney is the very first place in the world to get access to this new feature – thanks to our world-class dining scene. Why has Uber Eats launched this, when for years the delivery giant has played in the at-home food delivery space, you may ask? Ed Kitchen, the managing director of Uber Eats Australia and New Zealand (yep, his name really is Kitchen), says it's all been designed to give people more affordable dining options, while helping restaurants fill seats during the traditionally slower winter season. 'Aussies know us for bringing local food to their door, but they also love dining out. That's why we're launching Dine Out with Uber Eats in Sydney – a global first – offering exclusive in-restaurant deals with rides built in. It's about making eating out more affordable and giving restaurants a boost during the quieter winter months.' So, how does it work? It's pretty easy. Open your Uber Eats app, and then select 'Dine Out'. You'll then see hundreds of deals spanning sunny cafés to waterfront fine diners. And then you can, quite literally, go to town. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in Sydney offering Dine Out deals, including Nel, Gildas, Ace Hotel 's Lobby Bar, Centro 86, Mary's and more. During a quick scroll I saw 25 per cent off Fabbrica Darlinghurst, 20 per cent off Catalina, and 30 per cent off Employees Only. How good! To celebrate the launch, Uber Eats is hosting a one-night-only pop-up with a delicious feast curated by former Fred's chef and cookbook author Danielle Alvarez on Friday, August 8. Going down at House of Eats in Darlinghurst, expect dishes from Catalina and Mary's, and tipples from P&V. Tickets are free (yes, really!), and there are two sittings – but I expect them to get snapped up quickly. You can pop your name down here. Dine Out with Uber Eats is now live in the Uber Eats app – and if it means supporting hospitality in challenging months, and encouraging you to get off the couch and go eat delicious food, then I'm all for it.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Time Out
The top 6 NSW suburbs for pet ownership have been revealed
No, it's not your imagination; there's a proliferation of pugs, poodles, and pointers in certain Sydney neighbourhoods – not to mention doggy daycares and pet-walkers. Research shows that Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world; two-thirds (69 per cent) of Aussie households are now home to one or more pets. Pet insurance provider Petsy has compiled a list of Aussie suburbs that are the cat's pyjamas when it comes to pet ownership – read on to find out if your area made the list. While Sydney might be known for its matchbox-sized apartments, it hasn't deterred city dwellers from getting a pet. The inner-city suburb of Rosebery tied with beachy Maroubra for first place, while the bustling 'burbs of Alexandria (second), North Sydney (fourth), and Marrickville (fifth) rounded out NSW's top five. Looks like high-rise apartment living hasn't put a 'paws' on pet ownership. These are the top NSW suburbs for pet ownership: Rosebery & Maroubra (equal first) Alexandria Macquarie Park North Sydney Marrickville We think two factors can be pointed to for the boost in our pet population. Firstly, in August 2021, the NSW Government put an end to blanket bans on animals in strata buildings, allowing more owners and tenants to get a pet. Secondly, there's the not-so-small matter of the pandemic that saw many Sydneysiders adding a furry friend to their families. In Victoria, it's a similar story, with the busy suburbs of the Melbourne CBD, Preston, South Yarra, and St Kilda all boasting an ample number of pet parents. Over in Queensland, the Goldy is where pets reign supreme – the suburbs of Pimpama, Southport, and Coomera have claimed their spots on the pet ownership leaderboard. However, in South Australia and Western Australia, where space isn't tight, the trend flips – it's all about suburbs with big backyards and beach access when it comes to having doggies and moggies. These are Sydney's best dog-friendly beaches.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Big change for Sydney's NYE fireworks
Revellers taking in Sydney's legendary New Year's Eve fireworks show could soon have to shell out $50 to access a prime viewing spot in a major shake-up to how tourists and locals experience the beloved event. North Sydney councillors will decide next week whether to implement 'ticketed access' to Blues Point, a popular vantage point that fronts Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge. The council area boasts three renowned vantage points for the show, namely Bradfield Park, Lavender Bay and Blues Point, with thousands of punters descending on the spots on December 31 to take in the party. But a new report, which will be debated at the council's Monday night meeting, recommends councillors establish an introductory $50 ticket price for Blues Point to recoup costs associated with New Year's Eve. 'The current budget for NYE is $1,086,000,' the report states. 'To introduce ticketing at Blues Point only, additional costs of approximately $95,000 would be incurred including contract staff, equipment, and additional communications support. This would result in a total cost of $1,181,000. Sydney's NYE fireworks shows draws in huge crowd numbers across the CBD and North Sydney. NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone Credit: News Corp Australia 'If 8000 tickets were sold to access Blues Point at $50 per ticket, this would generate $400,000 in revenue, reducing council's net expenditure to manage NYE crowds to circa $781,000.' At the moment, access to all three sites is free. Council costs for the event include providing toilets and bins and crowd and traffic management. Bradfield Park sits just below the northern end of the Harbour Bridge, close to Kirribilli House, while Lavender Bay sits between the park and Blues Point. The report acknowledges introducing tickets could cause some consternation in the community. 'Ticketing for an event which has been free of charge could see large numbers of non-ticket holders arriving at the sites, potentially manifesting in unsettled behaviour near entry gates, dissatisfaction voiced to staff on the ground or complaints to council's customer service centre,' the report states. North Sydney Council takes in the densely populated parts of Sydney immediately north of the Harbour. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia 'This can be managed by regular, targeted communications in the lead-up to the event, along with well-planned operations and thorough briefing of staff prior to the event.' The countdown and fireworks is a hugely popular draw for both Sydneysiders and tourists from across the world. British tourist Ben Scammell, speaking after the 2023-24 show, told NewsWire that he was overawed and did not have words for the spectacle he witnessed. 'That was just … I don't have words for it,' he told said. 'It made the whole coming to Australia so much worth it … it was the pinnacle. 'That moment will last my whole lifetime.' The first batch of fireworks to mark the start of a new year explodes over Sydney Harbour at 9pm, with a second batch at midnight. Earlybird fireworks devotees grab the best spots early in the day. NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Hundreds of thousands of people cram into the CBD and North Sydney to witness the show. The report to North Sydney Council outlines three options for the 2025-26 event. Option 1 involves ticketing across all three spots to achieve 'full cost recovery'. Option 2 involves 'partial cost recovery', with ticketing limited to Blues Point, and Option 3 involves continuing with 'free managed access'. The report recommends the councillors trial option 2. 'Subject to community consultation and feedback following NYE 2025-26, council could then decide whether to change the ticket price for future NYE managed access, expand or maintain the number of ticketed locations or return to free-access options for all managed sites,' the report states. NewsWire reached out to North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker for comment, but she didn't respond by the time this article was published.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News AU
Rain and 'some snow' forecast for WA on Thursday while drought relief expected for South Australian farmers on Friday
Rain is set to continue for Western Australia before it converges eastwards over drought-stricken farms in South Australia. Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe said the cold change has only just started to move into Perth with showers forecast to continue on Thursday. 'That wet weather is building for the west coast before the rain will drift right across the east of WA and pepper Esperance with an abundance of showers and even some rain for a period of time in the morning,' he said. 'We are expecting colder weather as well, its noticeably chillier particular for the southwest, where there's even a chance for some snow on the Stirling Ranges.' Meanwhile, heavy rain is expected to converge over parched farms in South Australia. Sharpe said Friday is the day farmers can breathe a sigh of relief with a significant rain band passing over throughout the day before a second rain band arrives at night. 'On Friday, that's the day when South Australian will get its soaking rain and then it will push out across Victoria, especially on the north of the ranges and then onto the western ranges of New South Wales,' he said. 'And there's follow up wet weather for the low-pressure system behind the initial rain band. 'So, you can see those showers and windy weather moving in across SA, Victoria and Tasmania following that initial period of soaking wet weather.' Seven-day rain totals look 'pretty significant' with 30-70mm expected for most of Tasmania, central and western Victoria, and into South Australia. Across the nation on Thursday, Sharpe expects warm conditions in the north-west stretching from Broome, Darwin and Alice Springs, while a chilly start is forecast to kick start a sunny day for cities on the east coast. Brisbane is forecast to be clear and sunny, reaching a top of 21C. Sydneysiders are in for similar conditions with a cool 17C on the cards. Canberra is set for a freezing start at two degrees before warming up for a top of 13C. Adelaide can expected cloudy conditions with a top of 17C. Melbourne is in for similar cloud cover with a high of 16C. Hobart can expect a cool 14C. Cool conditions and showers are expected for Perth with a top of 15C. Darwin will continue to see sunny conditions with a top of 31C on the cards.
