Illawarra News, sport and weather | Illawarra Mercury

SKY'S THE LIMIT: Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba and the Illawarra's parliamentary secretary, Gareth Ward, are all smiles during the announcement of a $16 million NSW government spend on airport upgrades. Picture: Adam McLean

Illawarra Regional Airport passenger terminal, upgrades get $16m boost

Andrew Pearson

Will Zisis (with arm in sling) and fellow seafarers, from the last Australian vessels operated by BHP and BlueScope, chat with state and federal Illawarra Labor MPs at Port Kembla on Friday. Picture: Adam McLean

‘Industrial bastardry’: Union ramps up fight to save turfed Port Kembla seafarers

Andrew Pearson

Actor/director David Field at his Northern Suburbs home. David has starred in a slew of Aussie film including Chopper, Two Hands, Getting Square - and has directed his second film The Combination Redemption. Picture: Robert Peet

Illawarra actor wants to see more ethnic diversity in film

Desiree Savage

SCENE OF THE INCIDENT: A three-year-old was taken to Wollongong Hospital following an incident at Berkeley Pools. Picture: Robert Peet

Child under water sparks early closure at Berkeley pool

Agron Latifi

Wollongong charity has status revoked after fraud case

Greg Ellis

Innovative mates: Lachlan Hingley, Dean Martelozzo & Jared Smith. Pic: Robert Peet.

Wollongong’s first vodka distillery – with tasting bar – opens

Greg Ellis

NEW LIFE: The former Unanderra Police station on the corner of Farmborough Road and Princes Highway. Picture: Adam McLean

New life for old Unanderra cop station

Agron Latifi

Hope Solo in action for Seattle Reign. The former US goalkeeper will highlight the inaugural Football Writers’ Festival in Jamberoo on March 23-24. Picture: Craig Mitchelldyer / Associated Press

World Cup winner to highlight Jamberoo football festival

Agron Latifi

Albion Park family a ‘Smith Family success story’

Meet ]some of the folk behind Bulli’s annual folk festival

Giant cruise ship to bring thousands of holiday makers to Wollongong

‘Explosions’ heard: suspicious fire at abandoned Berkeley home

SKY'S THE LIMIT: Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba and the Illawarra's parliamentary secretary, Gareth Ward, are all smiles during the announcement of a $16 million NSW government spend on airport upgrades. Picture: Adam McLean

Illawarra Regional Airport passenger terminal, upgrades get $16m boost

Innovative mates: Lachlan Hingley, Dean Martelozzo & Jared Smith. Pic: Robert Peet.

Wollongong’s first vodka distillery – with tasting bar – opens

The new-look Fleetwood Mac.

New-look Fleetwood Mac to tour Australia with Neil Finn

Illawarra’s most expensive homes in 2018 – in photos

FOR LEASE: Trang will serve Pho no more.

Wollongong favourite Trang gone but not Pho-gotten

Amy Angeloska, Emily Noakes, Elise Callaghan and Katie Hayes at Kembla Grange Racecourse.

Time out in the Illawarra: social photos

Finch slump continues, Stars win BBL derby

22:45PM

Illawarra actor wants to see more ethnic diversity in film

11:00AM

Hawks stun Breakers with epic fourth-quarter comeback

21:30PM

Child under water sparks early closure at Berkeley pool

19:55PM

Wollongong’s first vodka distillery – with tasting bar – opens

19:00PM

New life for old Unanderra cop station

18:20PM

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Dragons coach Paul McGregor believes he has all the pieces in place for a legitimate title charge in 2019. Picture: Dragons Media

Window wide open for 2019 Dragons

Mitch Jennings

Marcus Stoinis took centre stage as the Stars won their BBL Melbourne derby with the Renegades.

Finch slump continues, Stars win BBL derby

Michael Ramsey

STAR MAN: Todd Blanchfield had 27 points in Illawarra's stunning comeback win over new Zealand on Friday night. Picture: Robert Peet

Hawks stun Breakers with epic fourth-quarter comeback

Mitch Jennings

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Dragons coach Paul McGregor believes he has all the pieces in place for a legitimate title charge in 2019. Picture: Dragons Media

Window wide open for 2019 Dragons

Hope Solo in action for Seattle Reign. The former US goalkeeper will highlight the inaugural Football Writers’ Festival in Jamberoo on March 23-24. Picture: Craig Mitchelldyer / Associated Press

World Cup winner to highlight Jamberoo football festival

Agron Latifi

Chasing maximum points: Wests opener Grant Newman will hope to lead his side to victory on Saturday. Picture: Robert Peet.

Determined Devils to push for outright win

Cameron Mee

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Actor/director David Field at his Northern Suburbs home. David has starred in a slew of Aussie film including Chopper, Two Hands, Getting Square - and has directed his second film The Combination Redemption. Picture: Robert Peet

Illawarra actor wants to see more ethnic diversity in film

Desiree Savage

A patron sits and plays his accordion at the Illawarra Folk Festival in Bulli on Friday. Picture: Nick Hartgerink

Meet ]some of the folk behind Bulli’s annual folk festival

Desiree Savage

The new-look Fleetwood Mac.

New-look Fleetwood Mac to tour Australia with Neil Finn

One of Australia’s top eye surgeons brings his talents to Wollongong

The start of a new year is a great time to review how much your mobile plan is costing you. In 2019 celebrate the peace-of-mind of a Pennytel mobile plan knowing your data usage is covered month to month.

A New Year’s resolution that will be easy to keep

Emma Brown

Don't let cash flow issues tie your business down in 2019. Keep growing with an easy to apply for equipment finance loan from LendingPro.

New year, bigger business

Advertiser content

One of Australia’s top eye surgeons brings his talents to Wollongong

Learning to drive or know someone who is?

Advertiser content

Questacon is an exciting and intriguing concentration of science brought to life in vivid techni-colour.

The ultimate family fun holiday itinerary in Canberra

Emma Elsworthy

Illawarra’s most expensive homes in 2018 – in photos

Brendan Crabb

Pictures: Supplied

‘Nirvana’ near Berry has $3.5m to $4m asking price

Brendan Crabb

PROPERTY: Do you have an interesting real estate story that could be featured in an upcoming edition? Please email brendan.crabb@fairfaxmedia.com.au with details.

Illawarra investor ‘resolutions’ for new year success

Brendan Crabb

CARER: Illawarra resident Nikki Bushell, whose daughter made an attempt on her own life nearly two years ago. Picture: Robert Peet

‘I thought I had to hide every knife’: A mother’s story

Brendan Crabb

QPR ADVOCATES: The Illawarra Hawks playing group undertaking suicide prevention training as part of the #care2qpr campaign. Picture: Sylvia Liber.

Illawarra Hawks join QPR campaign for suicide prevention

Thanks to rehab and psychotherapy Bruce McMillan has sufficiently recovered from his own mental health problems and is now helping others with theirs. Picture: Robert Peet

How talking helped this Wollongong man after years of keeping suicidal thoughts to himself

Lisa Wachsmuth

CARER: Illawarra resident Nikki Bushell, whose daughter made an attempt on her own life nearly two years ago. Picture: Robert Peet

‘I thought I had to hide every knife’: A mother’s story

Those gathered at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative's event in Kiama on Thursday heard from panel members about the success of the LifeSpan project. Pictures: Robert Peet

Celebrating region’s world-class approach to suicide prevention

Lisa Wachsmuth

Judie and Ron Clark with their son Aaron who died by suicide 22 months ago. Picture: Supplied

South Coast mother’s mission after son’s death by suicide

Lisa Wachsmuth

Hope Solo in action for Seattle Reign. The former US goalkeeper will highlight the inaugural Football Writers’ Festival in Jamberoo on March 23-24. Picture: Craig Mitchelldyer / Associated Press

World Cup winner to highlight Jamberoo football festival

Agron Latifi

FLY IN VISIT: The former French Marine Neptune 566 at HARS Aviation Museum. A French Navy jet crew will visit HARS on Saturday.

French Navy crew to jet into Illawarra Regional Airport for HARS’ visit

Agron Latifi

MAKING A SPLASH: Wests Illawarra Aquatic Swim Club member Regan Smith is looking forward to the Ocean Pool Challenge on January 21. Picture: Adam McLean

Wollongong teens make a splash with Ocean Pool Challenge

Agron Latifi

Hope Solo in action for Seattle Reign. The former US goalkeeper will highlight the inaugural Football Writers’ Festival in Jamberoo on March 23-24. Picture: Craig Mitchelldyer / Associated Press

World Cup winner to highlight Jamberoo football festival

Take it slowly: It's easy to quickly pack on extra kilos over Christmas New Year but the trick to losing them is to take it gradually, according to fitness expert Lukas Chodat.

How to lose those Christmas kilos

Lukas Chodat

BACK TO SCHOOL APPEAL: Former The Smith Family sponsorship students Melissa Woods and Maha Wilson with Year 12 graduate Natalia Hogan.

The Smith Family launch Back to School Appeal to support ‘hidden poor’

Agron Latifi

Picture: Robert Peet

Fuel tanker fire clean up under way at West Wollongong

A still from footage of the fire by Top Notch Video.

Watch dramatic footage of massive Corrimal High inferno

8 of the most haunted places in the Illawarra and South Coast

Picture: Robert Peet

M1 closed until at least tonight after Wollongong tanker blaze

Flick through the gallery to see the top stories of 2018. Click on the photo to read the online story.

The Illawarra’s 21 most-clicked stories of 2018

Farah Cody, Kais Simmonite and Jye Bridal.

out and about

Construction work proceeds on the Port stack. Flick through the gallery for more photos.

Stunning historical photos of the Port Kembla stack

Lisa Wachsmuth

Six charged, $2.8m worth of drugs seized in mass Wollongong police raids

Police are urging people to be wary giving out personal or financial details over the phone. Photo: Shutterstock.

Scammers impersonating police, using arrest threats

GET IT RIGHT: Ensuring your seat belt fits properly could prove critical in a crash.

Seat belts: Are you using yours properly?

Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani.

Cutting off melanoma escape routes

ED SPACE: The value of living life with a kind heart

Julian O'Brien

Helping others is good for your own health

Toby Dawson

Editorial, January 18: Naar a step ahead of the competition

New research blames governments for mass fish deaths in the Darling River system.

Mismanagement blamed for mass fish deaths

Respite from the heatwave which has blanketed NSW will be short-lived forecasters say.

Parts of NSW cool down after heatwave

Hundreds of protesters have turned out in Sydney urging government to introduce pill testing.

Pill testing supporters rally in Sydney

Supporters of a Tamil family facing deportation have protested outside Peter Dutton's office.

Rallies for Tamil family demand fair go

Codey Herrmann, 20, has been charged with the rape and murder of Aiia Maasarwe.

Melbourne man charged with Aiia's murder

Christine McGinn and Kaitlyn Offer

The father of murdered student Aiia Maasarwe has visited several vigils held in her honour.

Melbourne continues to grieve for Aiia

Christine McGinn and Kaitlyn Offer

Kelly O'Dwyer says it's time to devote herself to her family.

Minister Kelly O'Dwyer quits fed politics

Kaitlyn Offer

Labor has accepted the NSW government's challenge to debate the Murray-Darling Basin crisis.

Blair challenges NSW Labor to water debate

Jodie Stephens

Adventure Bay Retreat: Something special on Bruny Island. Photo: Brad Harris

Your weekly travel inspiration

John Rozentals

Wilpena Pound: a natural amphitheatre.

Find yourself in the Flinders Ranges

John Rozental

A flashback to slower travel: Cruise Express’s six-day ‘Great Southern Loop’.

Your weekly travel inspiration

John Rozentals

Lots of benefits: Worms not only munch through a lot of your food waste, but will also produce fertiliser that your plants will love.

Worms help reduce waste

For more recipes see australianlamb.com.au

Try this: Honey, pineapple and chilli lamb leg

Possible tax hikes: If Labor succeeds in making both these changes, a top-rate taxpayer will suddenly find themselves paying CGT of 36.75% – an increase of almost 58%.

Our CGT may be one of the highest in the world

Noel Whittaker