New South Wales (NSW) Transport Minister Jo Haylen has apologised for misusing her ministerial driver to attend a private lunch with friends over the Australia Day weekend, costing taxpayers $750.
&ldquo;I made the wrong decision,&rdquo; Haylen acknowledged she made a mistake and confirmed she would repay the money for the 13-hour, 446km trip to the Hunter Valley.
Asked why she didn&rsquo;t just book an Uber, the minister told reporters: &ldquo;In retrospect, I should have.&rdquo;
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<h2 dir="ltr">Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson also attended the trip</h2>
According to the logbook, the trip started on Jan 25 at 8 am and ended at 8.50 pm and was coded as a &ldquo;business trip during working day&rdquo;.
For the trip, which was also attended by Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson, the driver took a 13-hour trip from Sydney to the minister&rsquo;s holiday house, before driving them to a separate jaunt at the Brokenwood winery for a three-hour lunch.
While Jackson was on the trip, she was not involved in organising the ministerial driver. Haylen said she alone took full responsibility.
After picking up the ministers at the holiday house in Caves Beach, south of Newcastle, the driver then took them to the Brokenwood Estate, where the set menu is $105 per person before wines are paired.
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<h2 dir="ltr">Opposition demands resignation</h2>
According to the NSW rules, government ministers and the opposition leader are granted the use of a ministerial vehicle and driver. The vehicles can be used for both public and private purposes, and government sources were insisting on Sunday that no policies had been breached by the trip.&nbsp;
While the government insists no rules were broken on the trip, opposition leader Mark Speakman demanded their resignation for what he called a clear misuse of public money. &ldquo;This shows a contempt for the taxpayer,&rdquo; he said.
While Haylen said she would not resign over the issue, Minns described her use of the ministerial vehicle as &ldquo;clearly unacceptable&rdquo; and said he had ordered the NSW Cabinet Office to review the guidelines for drivers &ldquo;so this can&rsquo;t happen again&rdquo;. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not on for drivers to be used in this way,&rdquo; he said.
However, in a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Premier and Cabinet said the driver&rsquo;s shift had not exceeded 12 hours because of the inclusion of &ldquo;mandatory breaks&rdquo;.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen issues an apology for using her official driver for a personal outing, leading to a $taxpayer expense during the Australia Day weekend.

New South Wales (NSW) Transport Minister Jo Haylen has apologised for misusing her ministerial driver to attend a private lunch with friends over the Australia Day weekend, costing taxpayers $750. “I made the wrong decision,” Haylen acknowledged she made a mistake and confirmed she would repay the money for the 13-hour, 446km trip to the Hunter Valley. Asked why she didn’t just book an Uber, the minister told reporters: “In retrospect, I should have.” Also read | Mexico fires back at US over cartel alliance accusation Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson also attended the trip According to the logbook, the trip started on Jan 25 at 8 am and ended at 8.50 pm and was coded as a “business trip during working day”. For the trip, which was also attended by Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson, the driver took a 13-hour trip from Sydney to the minister’s holiday house, before driving them to a separate jaunt at the Brokenwood winery for a three-hour lunch. While Jackson was on the trip, she was not involved in organising the ministerial driver. Haylen said she alone took full responsibility. After picking up the ministers at the holiday house in Caves Beach, south of Newcastle, the driver then took them to the Brokenwood Estate, where the set menu is $105 per person before wines are paired. Also read | Flight data of Washington mid-air collision raises more questions as discrepancies arise Opposition demands resignation According to the NSW rules, government ministers and the opposition leader are granted the use of a ministerial vehicle and driver. The vehicles can be used for both public and private purposes, and government sources were insisting on Sunday that no policies had been breached by the trip. While the government insists no rules were broken on the trip, opposition leader Mark Speakman demanded their resignation for what he called a clear misuse of public money. “This shows a contempt for the taxpayer,” he said. While Haylen said she would not resign over the issue, Minns described her use of the ministerial vehicle as “clearly unacceptable” and said he had ordered the NSW Cabinet Office to review the guidelines for drivers “so this can’t happen again”. “It’s not on for drivers to be used in this way,” he said. However, in a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Premier and Cabinet said the driver’s shift had not exceeded 12 hours because of the inclusion of “mandatory breaks”. (With inputs from agencies)

Australian Minister Haylen asked chauffeur to drive 446km for weekend lunch; apologises later

At least 10 people died and 25 were injured after a chartered bus carrying wedding guests rolled off a ramp at a roundabout in the Hunter region in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state, police said on Monday.

10 dead, 25 injured as bus carrying wedding guests rolls over in Australian wine region

Global climate change is mostly caused by carbon dioxide emissions. It is widely acknowledged that if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, emissions must be reduced rapidly.

For example, New South Wales (NSW) became the first Australian state to begin classifying carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants, forcing polluters to come up with plans to reduce emissions.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-says-heatwaves-and-wildfires-will-occur-more-frequently-worsening-air-pollution-513643">Also read |&nbsp;Global warming to fuel heatwaves, wildfires, triggering more air pollution: UN</a>

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of NSW began its eight-week draught climate change policy and related action plan. This is regarded as the first step towards requiring polluters to net zero emissions by the year 2050. The agency would start an in-depth discussion with each economic sector about how they would reduce emissions and show that they are ready for a potential climate impact.

EPA's new chief, Tony Chappel, said, "The big issue here is that an Australian government is moving to comprehensively cover [carbon dioxide] and equivalent emissions as a pollutant." He further added, "[The plan would] give regulatory teeth to its net zero commitment to ensure that the whole economy moves on that path efficiently and effectively," the Guardian reported.&nbsp;

The EPA's strategy might serve as a model for the other states. According to Chappel, the state's objective of reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 is a crucial step towards becoming neutral by the middle of the century.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-dutch-city-becomes-the-first-city-in-the-world-to-ban-meat-advertising-513698">Also read |&nbsp;Climate crisis: Dutch city becomes the first in the world to ban meat adverts at public spaces</a>

Chappel, pointing to NSW, said, "have a new wave of prosperity and another sort of … mining boom in that we’re mining the sun and the wind, and producing hydrogen, ammonia and green steel, and regenerating the landscape to produce agriculture sustainably."

He stated that the industry and community are already paying a high price for the intensity of emissions caused by climate change effects such as bushfires, floods, and other extreme weather.

The chief said that nearby landfills are also majorly damaged, and in order for this initiative to minimise it, and is an urgent need to minimise it.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Global climate change is mostly caused by carbon dioxide emissions. It is widely acknowledged that if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, emissions must be reduced rapidly.

Global climate change is mostly caused by carbon dioxide emissions. It is widely acknowledged that if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, emissions must be reduced rapidly. For example, New South Wales (NSW) became the first Australian state to begin classifying carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants, forcing polluters to come up with plans to reduce emissions. Also read | Global warming to fuel heatwaves, wildfires, triggering more air pollution: UN The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of NSW began its eight-week draught climate change policy and related action plan. This is regarded as the first step towards requiring polluters to net zero emissions by the year 2050. The agency would start an in-depth discussion with each economic sector about how they would reduce emissions and show that they are ready for a potential climate impact. EPA's new chief, Tony Chappel, said, "The big issue here is that an Australian government is moving to comprehensively cover [carbon dioxide] and equivalent emissions as a pollutant." He further added, "[The plan would] give regulatory teeth to its net zero commitment to ensure that the whole economy moves on that path efficiently and effectively," the Guardian reported. The EPA's strategy might serve as a model for the other states. According to Chappel, the state's objective of reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 is a crucial step towards becoming neutral by the middle of the century. Also read | Climate crisis: Dutch city becomes the first in the world to ban meat adverts at public spaces Chappel, pointing to NSW, said, "have a new wave of prosperity and another sort of … mining boom in that we’re mining the sun and the wind, and producing hydrogen, ammonia and green steel, and regenerating the landscape to produce agriculture sustainably." He stated that the industry and community are already paying a high price for the intensity of emissions caused by climate change effects such as bushfires, floods, and other extreme weather. The chief said that nearby landfills are also majorly damaged, and in order for this initiative to minimise it, and is an urgent need to minimise it. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

New South Wales becomes the first state to classify carbon emissions & other greenhouse gases as pollutants 

The New South Wales (NSW) government has unofficially suggested that children as young as 10 could be put on "extended payment plans" or into unpaid work programmes so that they could pay off heavy fines for breaking Covid restrictions. The news has left the state's community legal centres infuriated.&nbsp;The groups cautioned that children lacked the capacity to pay or comprehend the enforcement mechanism. As per a The Guardian report, children between the age of 10-17 in NSW have been issued close to 3,000 fines for not properly complying with the public health act and these penalties are usually for a mind-boggling amount of $1000.

Watch |&nbsp;Omicron variant driving fresh COVID-19 outbreaks worldwide

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Speaking to Guardian Revenue NSW confirmed that Work and Development orders (WDOs) were utilised for persons under the age of 18 for Covid rule violations. However, it is not known how many kids were put on WDOs as a result of Covid violations or how old they were.

WDOs apparently allow participants to lower fines by participating in unpaid work, counselling, courses, or treatment programmes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/elon-musks-76-year-old-father-claims-sperm-banks-are-hounding-him-for-his-genetic-material-499405" hreflang="en">Elon Musk's 76 year old father claims sperm banks are hounding him for his 'genetic material'</a>

Earlier this year some legal organisations, including Community Legal Centres NSW, had written to the premier asking for Covid fines to be abolished for minors aged 10 to 17.&nbsp;

The organisations demanded that warnings be given to the kids instead of penalties and cautioned that poor neighbourhoods were being disproportionately affected by the fines.&nbsp;

This prompted the state government to informally announce its plan to utilise WDOs earlier this year.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-australian-government-encourages-people-for-work-form-home-499011" hreflang="en">COVID-19: Australian government encourages people to 'work from home'</a>

Katrina Ironside, executive director of Community Legal Centres NSW, questioned what young person, particularly one from a low-income neighbourhood, would have the resources to pay off such a fee or the mental capacity to comprehend the enforcement process.

“Is the chief commissioner suggesting a 10-year-old get a job?” questioned Ironside, adding “A child already living in poverty burdened with a debt they cannot pay further entrenches that poverty before they are even old enough to earn their own money.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The New South Wales (NSW) government has unofficially suggested that children as young as 10 could be put on "extended payment plans" or into unpaid work programmes so that they could pay off heavy fines for breaking Covid restrictions.

The New South Wales (NSW) government has unofficially suggested that children as young as 10 could be put on "extended payment plans" or into unpaid work programmes so that they could pay off heavy fines for breaking Covid restrictions. The news has left the state's community legal centres infuriated. The groups cautioned that children lacked the capacity to pay or comprehend the enforcement mechanism. As per a The Guardian report, children between the age of 10-17 in NSW have been issued close to 3,000 fines for not properly complying with the public health act and these penalties are usually for a mind-boggling amount of $1000. Watch | Omicron variant driving fresh COVID-19 outbreaks worldwide Speaking to Guardian Revenue NSW confirmed that Work and Development orders (WDOs) were utilised for persons under the age of 18 for Covid rule violations. However, it is not known how many kids were put on WDOs as a result of Covid violations or how old they were. WDOs apparently allow participants to lower fines by participating in unpaid work, counselling, courses, or treatment programmes. Also read | Elon Musk's 76 year old father claims sperm banks are hounding him for his 'genetic material' Earlier this year some legal organisations, including Community Legal Centres NSW, had written to the premier asking for Covid fines to be abolished for minors aged 10 to 17. The organisations demanded that warnings be given to the kids instead of penalties and cautioned that poor neighbourhoods were being disproportionately affected by the fines. This prompted the state government to informally announce its plan to utilise WDOs earlier this year. Also read | COVID-19: Australian government encourages people to 'work from home' Katrina Ironside, executive director of Community Legal Centres NSW, questioned what young person, particularly one from a low-income neighbourhood, would have the resources to pay off such a fee or the mental capacity to comprehend the enforcement process. “Is the chief commissioner suggesting a 10-year-old get a job?” questioned Ironside, adding “A child already living in poverty burdened with a debt they cannot pay further entrenches that poverty before they are even old enough to earn their own money.” (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Child labour? This Australian government wants 10-year-old do unpaid work. Here's why 

For the first time in a decade, thousands of nurses in an Australian province took to the streets after talks with the government on pay rise and shortage of staff fell through.

Defying a last minute order by the state’s industrial relations commission to call off the strike, nurses and midwives across New South Wales (NSW) gathered in front of the state parliament building in Sydney, holding placards saying “Fatigued, exhausted, worn out and burnt out,” “Need more nurses now” and “Stop telling us to cope.”

According to Australian media, nurses were seeking a pay rise of more than 2.5 per cent and plug staff shortages to treat the patients better.

The strike will be staggered through the day and will include staff from more than 150 hospitals around the state.

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Midwifery Nurses March in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sydney?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sydney</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a> 
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NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it was “unfortunate” and “disappointing” that nurses persisted with the strike.

Hazzard told radio station 2GB that the government was working on a solution but said some suggested changes to nurse-patient ratios could cost “a billion dollars.”

But the union officials said the strike would proceed as planned, as discussions had not resulted in a resolution that would “go any way to satisfying the association the real concerns of nurses are being addressed”, said a report by the Guardian.

A spokesperson for the NSW Ministry of Health acknowledged that staff have “worked tirelessly during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic”, according to Australian broadcaster ABC News.

Australia has been witnessing a massive dip in Covid cases recently.

On Tuesday, over 23,000 new cases were reported, while hospital cases declined to about 3,000 from a peak of 5,400 three weeks ago.

Officials registered 46 new deaths, with the pandemic total standing at 4,664.

(With inputs from agencies)

For the first time in a decade, thousands of nurses in an Australian province took to the streets after talks with the government on pay rise and shortage of staff fell through.

For the first time in a decade, thousands of nurses in an Australian province took to the streets after talks with the government on pay rise and shortage of staff fell through. Defying a last minute order by the state’s industrial relations commission to call off the strike, nurses and midwives across New South Wales (NSW) gathered in front of the state parliament building in Sydney, holding placards saying “Fatigued, exhausted, worn out and burnt out,” “Need more nurses now” and “Stop telling us to cope.” According to Australian media, nurses were seeking a pay rise of more than 2.5 per cent and plug staff shortages to treat the patients better. The strike will be staggered through the day and will include staff from more than 150 hospitals around the state. Midwifery Nurses March in #Sydney, #Australia They protested in front of the Sydney Parliament, calling for better working conditions and an increase in the number of nurses. pic.twitter.com/lsHcxnp8e1 — Protest News (@ProtestNews_EN) February 15, 2022 × NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it was “unfortunate” and “disappointing” that nurses persisted with the strike. Hazzard told radio station 2GB that the government was working on a solution but said some suggested changes to nurse-patient ratios could cost “a billion dollars.” But the union officials said the strike would proceed as planned, as discussions had not resulted in a resolution that would “go any way to satisfying the association the real concerns of nurses are being addressed”, said a report by the Guardian. A spokesperson for the NSW Ministry of Health acknowledged that staff have “worked tirelessly during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic”, according to Australian broadcaster ABC News. Australia has been witnessing a massive dip in Covid cases recently. On Tuesday, over 23,000 new cases were reported, while hospital cases declined to about 3,000 from a peak of 5,400 three weeks ago. Officials registered 46 new deaths, with the pandemic total standing at 4,664. (With inputs from agencies)

Thousands of Australian nurses protest against staff shortages and better pay

A few hours after reporting the highest number of daily infections, Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has now recorded its first Omicron-related death.

<o:p>Australia, on Monday morning, reported more than 10,000 Covid cases for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. Out of these,&nbsp;6,324 cases were from New South Wales, with 55 in intensive care among 520 people in hospital.</o:p>

The first Omicron death was of a local man in his 80s and was fully vaccinated. He, reportedly,&nbsp;had underlying health conditions. "This was the first known death in New South Wales (state) linked to the Omicron variant of concern," said NSW Health epidemiologist Christine Selvey in a video released by the government.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-update-australias-most-populous-state-reports-record-cases-440124">Omicron update: Australia’s most populous state reports record cases</a>

Australia has been following strict Covid regulations for the past two years, since the coronavirus pandemic took over the world. After almost two years, the country was now inching towards relaxing some restrictions. However, authorities had to soon reimpose all Covid curbs as the new variant started spreading in the country.<o:p></o:p>

Omicron variant, which has been dubbed as the most transmissible variant of coronavirus, has been rapidly spreading through the island country. It is also believed that the increase in cases happened as domestic travel restrictions were lifted and more people were able to return to the state. This, many believe, led to an increase in the number of Covid cases in New South Wales.<o:p></o:p>

The man who became the first victim to be consumed by the Omicron variant was among the six Covid deaths reported in the country on the previous day. Out of these six, this man was the only one who was suffering from Omicron variant of the deadly coronavirus.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/poll-reveals-62-of-unvaccinated-americans-intend-to-not-receive-covid-19-vaccine-440252">WATCH |</a></o:p>

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However, authorities are not reimposing stricter Covid regulations yet as experts have observed that even with an increase in number of cases, hospitalisation rate has not seen a huge increase. "Although we are seeing increased case numbers... we are not seeing the impacts on our hospital system," said Annastacia Palaszczuk, premier of Queensland which reported 784 new cases with four people in hospital.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, wearing face mask when stepping outdoors has been made compulsory in New South Wales. In addition to this, from Monday, people can get entry into any public venue only after showing the QR code.

(With inputs from agencies)

A few hours after reporting the highest number of daily infections, Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has now recorded its first Omicron-related death.

A few hours after reporting the highest number of daily infections, Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has now recorded its first Omicron-related death. Australia, on Monday morning, reported more than 10,000 Covid cases for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. Out of these, 6,324 cases were from New South Wales, with 55 in intensive care among 520 people in hospital. The first Omicron death was of a local man in his 80s and was fully vaccinated. He, reportedly, had underlying health conditions. "This was the first known death in New South Wales (state) linked to the Omicron variant of concern," said NSW Health epidemiologist Christine Selvey in a video released by the government. Also read | Omicron update: Australia’s most populous state reports record cases Australia has been following strict Covid regulations for the past two years, since the coronavirus pandemic took over the world. After almost two years, the country was now inching towards relaxing some restrictions. However, authorities had to soon reimpose all Covid curbs as the new variant started spreading in the country. Omicron variant, which has been dubbed as the most transmissible variant of coronavirus, has been rapidly spreading through the island country. It is also believed that the increase in cases happened as domestic travel restrictions were lifted and more people were able to return to the state. This, many believe, led to an increase in the number of Covid cases in New South Wales. The man who became the first victim to be consumed by the Omicron variant was among the six Covid deaths reported in the country on the previous day. Out of these six, this man was the only one who was suffering from Omicron variant of the deadly coronavirus. WATCH | However, authorities are not reimposing stricter Covid regulations yet as experts have observed that even with an increase in number of cases, hospitalisation rate has not seen a huge increase. "Although we are seeing increased case numbers... we are not seeing the impacts on our hospital system," said Annastacia Palaszczuk, premier of Queensland which reported 784 new cases with four people in hospital. Meanwhile, wearing face mask when stepping outdoors has been made compulsory in New South Wales. In addition to this, from Monday, people can get entry into any public venue only after showing the QR code. (With inputs from agencies)

NSW reports first Omicron death as Australia sees 10,000 Covid cases for first time

New South Wales recorded its worst-ever daily increase in COVID-19 infections as 319 new cases were reported. Also, the state recorded five deaths. Three out of which were linked to an outbreak at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s west.

New South Wales recorded its worst-ever daily increase in COVID-19 infections as 319 new cases were reported. Also, the state recorded five deaths. Three out of which were linked to an outbreak at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s west. NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said none of the people that died was vaccinated, with deaths linked to the latest outbreak now standing at 27. He was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "None of these five deaths, people who died, were vaccinated, and we extend our sincere sympathies to their loved ones". Also read | US State Department announces five additions to global terrorist list Meanwhile, Authorities in Australia's Melbourne announced another lockdown as Sydney continued to witness a surge in coronavirus cases. Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews said there was "no alternatives to lockdown". "This thing moves so fast. There is no debate or discussion about this - the Delta variant moves at lightning speed and by the time you get the people they have already infected, all the people they live with," Victoria premier Dan Andrews said. Officials said people in New South Wales will receive additional 180,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses next week as the government considers relaxing restrictions on August 29 for the vaccination campaign.

NSW records worst ever day of COVID-19 pandemic

Everyone hopes their wedding day becomes the most special day of their lives, and probably for everyone else attending the wedding too.

Kate Fotheringham, a resident of New South Wales (NSW) had the same dreams about her big day. However, little did she know that her wedding will become the talk of the town.

On Saturday morning, when Kate woke up excited for her wedding day, she realised she was trapped in her parents' house as the water surrounded the property, leaving no way to step outdoors.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/worst-floods-in-100-years-force-thousands-to-flee-in-australia-372217">Worst floods in 100 years force thousands to flee in Australia</a>

Upon more inspection, Kate and her family — who were trapped in the town of Wingham — quickly realised that the only bridge to the town where she was to marry Wayne, her fiance, was submerged in water.

"I had accepted the fact it was going to be raining and I was wearing gumboots, but I didn’t know how I was going to deal with a one-in-a-hundred-year flood and a natural disaster," Kate said.

However, the marvellous bride decided to not give up, and instead of postponing the wedding, the couple decided to float through the obstacle.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-australia-submerged-under-record-flood-372513">Watch |</a>

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"It took three months to plan the wedding, 12 hours for it go to hell and six hours for it come together again," Kate said.

&nbsp;"I did have a bit of a meltdown – a bit of a cry – and said this just wasn’t funny anymore. This just sucks. Then I think I also said: we’re just going to have deal with this," she added.

With the spirit of "today's the day", the couple started looking for options as to how can the two meet and tie the knot in the one-in-a-hundred-years flood.

The two families first thought of getting Kate and her family to the venue through a boat, but safety reasons ruled out this option. After that, the two thought of getting the team bride on a high rail car and swish through the rail line that ran past her parents' house.

In the end, the couple agreed on an emergency airlift. Kate decided to blast social media with requests for help and soon an Affinity helicopter confirmed its availability in 50 minutes.

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Help me!!! It’s my wedding day and we’re flooded in! We need help to get to Wingham over the flooded creek. Anyone know someone willing to help? <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sunriseon7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TODAYshow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCRural?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABCRural</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/helpme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#helpme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flooded?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flooded</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSWFloods?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSWFloods</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fotherbellwedding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fotherbellwedding</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7NEWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7NEWS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wingham?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wingham</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weddingday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weddingday</a>
— Kate Fotheringham (@KatelFog) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatelFog/status/1373027237469978631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Wayne rang and said you have to be ready in 50 minutes," Late recalled. "We were waiting out the front for the helicopter. We took off and flew less than 5km and Justin, the pilot, dropped us off in the circle of Wingham Showground."

With the caterers and hair-and-makeup- people stuck in different parts of NSW, Kate decided to do her own make- up and used the help of her grandparents and friends who were already present in the town.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Update, I made it to the church and married the love of my life! Affinity Helicopters in Port Macquarie came to the rescue and made sure we all got there. This is the bridge that blocked us from making the 5minute drive into town! What a day! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fotherbellwedding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fotherbellwedding</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/floodwingham?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#floodwingham</a> <a href="https://t.co/u7OlsFsTjQ">pic.twitter.com/u7OlsFsTjQ</a>
— Kate Fotheringham (@KatelFog) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatelFog/status/1373859864372387841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"It’s like, how is this possible? You can’t make it up. I can’t believe that we pulled it off," Kate exclaimed. "My family is incredible. We’re not ones to back down from something difficult, we can deal with a challenge or 10 – or a massive flood."

Everyone hopes their wedding day becomes the most special day of their lives, and probably for everyone else attending the wedding too. Kate Fotheringham, a resident of New South Wales (NSW) had the same dreams about her big day.

Everyone hopes their wedding day becomes the most special day of their lives, and probably for everyone else attending the wedding too. Kate Fotheringham, a resident of New South Wales (NSW) had the same dreams about her big day. However, little did she know that her wedding will become the talk of the town. On Saturday morning, when Kate woke up excited for her wedding day, she realised she was trapped in her parents' house as the water surrounded the property, leaving no way to step outdoors. Have a look | Worst floods in 100 years force thousands to flee in Australia Upon more inspection, Kate and her family — who were trapped in the town of Wingham — quickly realised that the only bridge to the town where she was to marry Wayne, her fiance, was submerged in water. "I had accepted the fact it was going to be raining and I was wearing gumboots, but I didn’t know how I was going to deal with a one-in-a-hundred-year flood and a natural disaster," Kate said. However, the marvellous bride decided to not give up, and instead of postponing the wedding, the couple decided to float through the obstacle. Watch | "It took three months to plan the wedding, 12 hours for it go to hell and six hours for it come together again," Kate said. "I did have a bit of a meltdown – a bit of a cry – and said this just wasn’t funny anymore. This just sucks. Then I think I also said: we’re just going to have deal with this," she added. With the spirit of "today's the day", the couple started looking for options as to how can the two meet and tie the knot in the one-in-a-hundred-years flood. The two families first thought of getting Kate and her family to the venue through a boat, but safety reasons ruled out this option. After that, the two thought of getting the team bride on a high rail car and swish through the rail line that ran past her parents' house. In the end, the couple agreed on an emergency airlift. Kate decided to blast social media with requests for help and soon an Affinity helicopter confirmed its availability in 50 minutes. Help me!!! It’s my wedding day and we’re flooded in! We need help to get to Wingham over the flooded creek. Anyone know someone willing to help? @sunriseon7 @TODAYshow @abcnews @ABCRural #helpme #flooded #NSWFloods #fotherbellwedding #9News #7NEWS #wingham #weddingday — Kate Fotheringham (@KatelFog) March 19, 2021 × "Wayne rang and said you have to be ready in 50 minutes," Late recalled. "We were waiting out the front for the helicopter. We took off and flew less than 5km and Justin, the pilot, dropped us off in the circle of Wingham Showground." With the caterers and hair-and-makeup- people stuck in different parts of NSW, Kate decided to do her own make- up and used the help of her grandparents and friends who were already present in the town. Update, I made it to the church and married the love of my life! Affinity Helicopters in Port Macquarie came to the rescue and made sure we all got there. This is the bridge that blocked us from making the 5minute drive into town! What a day! #fotherbellwedding #floodwingham pic.twitter.com/u7OlsFsTjQ — Kate Fotheringham (@KatelFog) March 22, 2021 × "It’s like, how is this possible? You can’t make it up. I can’t believe that we pulled it off," Kate exclaimed. "My family is incredible. We’re not ones to back down from something difficult, we can deal with a challenge or 10 – or a massive flood."

Twelve hours of hell: Couple gets married amid NSW floods

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