Person

Chris Minns

1. NSW Premier Chris Minns scraps Sydney train timetable changes on T4, T8 and South Coast lines after public backlash

   New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced on Saturday, Oct 24, that timetable changes on the T4, T8 and South Coast lines, due to take effect on Nov 15, had been scrapped; they would have affected about a quarter of Sydney train passengers. Some commutes would have become longer, for example by up to 14 minutes on the T4 line between Waterfall and the city.

   Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon
2. Sydney Metro Southwest extension to open Oct 30, ending more than two years of replacement buses

   The Guardian reported that NSW Premier Chris Minns announced on Instagram on the morning of Oct 22 that the Sydney Metro southwest extension will open on Friday, Oct 30, with the first train at 4:31 am. The former T3 heavy-rail line through 10 stations from Marrickville to Bankstown closed in September 2024 for conversion to a driverless rapid-transit system, and residents have used replacement buses for more than two years. Once open, a continuous 66 km metro line will run from Tallawong in the northwest through the CBD to Bankstown in the southwest.

   Oct 22, 2026 Morning
3. NSW government legislates Hunter Valley Mount Pleasant coal expansion after High Court voided approval

   Australia's High Court had voided the expansion approval for the Mount Pleasant coal mine in New South Wales' Hunter Valley because the assessment ignored emissions from burning Australian coal overseas. Premier Chris Minns announced on Oct 19 that the state would legislate approval for MACH Energy to raise the mine's annual output cap from 12.5 million to 16.5 million tonnes through 2032. Minns said MACH Energy had told the government that without an expanded approval it would cut about half its workforce — around 400 jobs — before Christmas.

   Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon