Private health insurers are skipping out on the cost of public hospital beds their members use, costing taxpayers and boosting their bottom line by $140 million a year.

Maitland Hospital has welcomed an influx of new team members including nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health professionals, as part of a major boost to workforce capacity in the region.

In an Australian-first, New South Wales is charging up for a cleaner cruise industry, with a $20 million contract awarded to begin the landmark Shore Power project at White Bay Cruise Terminal.

The NSW Government and firefighters’ union have reached an agreement that will see an interim pay rise of 3 per cent, industrial action cease and the independent industrial umpire resolve the ...