News & Media

Marking one of the biggest infrastructure moments for the Hunter Region and NSW, Newcastle Airport last night officially opened its new international terminal with more than 300 guests and passengers gathering for a milestone moment featuring a spectacular RAAF flyby and a proud celebration of Hunter culture.

Around 300 guests including dignitaries, industry leaders and community representatives proudly gathered to celebrate the expanded terminal which opens the Hunter to the world, enhances international connectivity and stands as a symbol of the region’s growth, ambition and capability.

Restaurants, cafés and caterers from across NSW have celebrated the 2025 Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.

This year’s event at Doltone House, Sydney, drew a record crowd of more than 600 attendees, making it the largest gathering in the program’s history in NSW.

The Awards are the hospitality industry’s premier program, recognising exceptional service, food quality, and venue standards across the state.

Congratulations to The Cottage in Scone, Trinity 8 in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle City Hall – all of whom won an award this year.

NSW has cemented its position as Australia’s number one visitor economy, leading the nation in visitors, nights and expenditure in the financial year ending June 2025, according to Tourism Research Australia (TRA).

The results align with the NSW Government’s ambitious NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which sets targets of $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure, 40,400 new accommodation rooms, 8.5 million new airline seats and 150,000 additional jobs by 2035.

Muswellbrook Shire will enjoy a half-day public holiday on Tuesday, 4 November, to cap an unprecedented series of events to wine, dine and thrill visitors and locals in their thousands.

Muswellbrook Shire Council can confirm NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. Sophie Cotsis MP, has endorsed a local public holiday from midday to 6pm on the first Tuesday in November, capping a mammoth five days for the Shire, beginning with the Blue Heeler Film Festival opening night in Denman.

NSW represented the largest market share of revenue and attendance among all states and territories.

New data from Live Performance Australia (LPA) shows NSW is the nation’s live entertainment capital.

LPA’s 2024 Live Performance Attendance and Revenue Report reveals NSW represented the largest market share of revenue (36.2 per cent) and attendance (32.4 per cent) among all states and territories.

NSW recorded the highest growth in revenue (+16.3 per cent to $1.2 billion) and second-highest growth in attendance (+10.9 per cent to 10.2 million) between 2023 and 2024. These results are the highest ever recorded in NSW.

The Generation Trends report looked at four generational groups: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers.

Brand Watch has analysed millions of social media conversations to understand how each generation is shaping—and reacting to—trends in travel.

The consumer intelligence and marketing software platform’s The Generation Trends report looked at four generational groups: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers.

Brand Watch analysed social media mentions between 1 January 2024 and 31 March 2025.

Western Australians are now able to fly straight into Newcastle to experience everything the Hunter region has to offer.

Newcastle Airport’s direct Perth to Newcastle route has launched, improving access to and from regional NSW.

The three-times weekly service, operated by a 150-seat QantasLink Airbus A319, will contribute to the delivery of extra aviation capacity while making travel easier and faster to the Hunter.

Newcastle Airport CEO Linc Horton said the route would inject $21.7 million into the regional economy each year and create 74 new local jobs.

The NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 was launched last week – a transformative roadmap to drive more jobs, stronger communities and a thriving visitor economy for the people of NSW.

The Strategy will guide collaboration between government and industry over the next decade, ensuring NSW is well placed to capture future opportunities and growth.

Thank you to Minister for Jobs and Tourism the Hon Steve Kamper MP, Destination NSW Chairman Sally Loane AM, CEO Karen Jones, and our industry leaders – Margy Osmond, Natalie Turmine, Dean Long, Stuart Ayres, Daniel Hunter and Paul Nicolaou – for their contributions at the launch.

The NSW Government has today launched a bold new roadmap to turbocharge the state’s visitor economy, with a clear target to generate $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure, 40,000 hotel rooms, 8.5 million new airline seats and an additional 150,000 jobs by 2035.

Following a comprehensive review and consultation with more than 500 NSW stakeholders, the new Strategy will guide cross-government and industry collaboration and capital over the next decade.

Brokenwood Wines has been named the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Winery of the Year, one of the most respected honours in Australian wine.

Selected ahead of 945 wineries from across the country, the award recognises over five decades of hard work, innovation and a focus on producing wines that truly reflect their vineyard origins.

The Minns Labor Government is backing the careers of local musicians and growing job opportunities in the music industry through its biggest ever package of grants. The total $9.3 million of funding will support bands on  national and international tours, studio recording, promotion and industry development.

Delivering this vital support is designed boost an industry facing significant challenges including unpredictable ticket sales, a retraction in music festivals and competition from international artists on streaming services.

Lake Macquarie is set to host a “Commonwealth Games-scale” surf life saving event for the next three years under a landmark agreement with Surf Life Saving NSW.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz joined with leaders from Swansea Belmont, Caves Beach and Catherine Hill Bay Surf Life Saving Clubs on Tuesday night to announce a new sponsorship deal for Blacksmiths Beach to host the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships from 2026-2028.

The group also celebrated the successful signing of a new 21-year lease for Swansea Belmont and Caves Beach SLSCs, providing long-term security for their beachside tenures.

The Minns Labor Government is backing the state’s vibrant regional events calendar with more than $1.3 million in funding awarded to 61 events through the 2025/26 Regional Event Fund.

From community festivals to cultural and sporting events, the successful recipients will share in funding that will help boost local economies, attract visitors from outside the region and promote vibrant communities across the state.

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to repair Stockton Beach by allocating $21.5 million in the 2025-26 NSW Budget to continue crucial renourishment works.
The NSW Government is dedicated to the long-term future of this beach. This action, backed by funding, will protect the beach’s natural beauty, Aboriginal heritage, and its recreational and economic benefits. The Stockton Beach Repair Blueprint outlines the actions required to preserve the beach. The NSW Government has already worked with the City of Newcastle Council to deliver 130,000 cubic metres of sand to nourish Stockton Beach.