Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Wednesday, January 25. Temperatures have cooled slightly today with tops of 26 degrees expected in the east and up to 28 degrees in the west.
News Buzz
SLOW DOWN: NSW Police are urging motorists to slow down and take care on the roads over the Australia Day period. Double demerits began at 12.01am today and will continue until 11.59pm on Sunday.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: As word of Sydney's median house price hitting $1.1 million bounced around the internet on Tuesday, Gen Y Sydneysiders breathed a collective sigh of despair. | 11 ways to solve housing affordability
COUNCIL MERGERS: Premier Gladys Berejiklian may be hedging her bets on council amalgamations, but one player in local government is doing well out of the mergers.
MAN ATTACKED: A man is in a critical condition in hospital after he allegedly was doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire while walking in a suburb of Wollongong overnight, police say.
HEADED HOME: A sailor who sparked a massive air and sea search off Sydney's northern beaches told authorities he swam to shore after falling off his yacht, and then caught a taxi home, oblivious to the massive operation that had been launched to find him.
PATH TO RECOVERY: A first of its kind mental health unit has helped western Sydney patients fast-track their path to recovery. Just under half of patients treated by the Mental Health Acute Assessment Team (MHAAT) have bypassed hospital emergency wards since October 2015, according to NSW Paramedics.
FALLOUT CONTINUES: The controversial Centrelink crackdown on alleged overpayments has claimed a number of Blue Mountains victims, including one who is battling cancer.
DRUG OVERDOSE: A five-year-old girl has died in hospital several days after she suffered a suspected methadone overdose while in her grandfather's care. The young girl was being cared for at a home in Quakers Hill last week.
Sports Buzz
HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE: Amanda Farrugia has claimed a slice of GWS Giants history by being named the club’s captain two weeks out from the start of the inaugural AFL women’s season.
BATTLE GROUND: For years Campbelltown has only been home to one professional rugby league club – first the Western Suburbs Magpies and now the Wests Tigers.But now another club has decided to set up home in Macarthur – even if it’s only for one night.
COMMUNITY CLUB: Blacktown City Football Club has formed its “community club” City FC, in the hope of opening the door to a wider pool of talent in the area.
