Broken Hill local news briefing, September 16, 2026 - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Here's what's making news in the Broken Hill region today.

A mining company has accused a grazier south-west of Broken Hill, of forcing it to court over continued access to his land.

The Land and Environment Court continued hearing a dispute between David Lord of Thackaringa Station and Cobalt Blue Holdings over its Broken Hill cobalt project.

A previous court decision set a four-year expiration date for a land access agreement, along with a lump-sum payment of $20,000 per exploration licence paid to Mr Lord for rehabilitation.

The agreement expired in August, with Cobalt Blue seeking to extend the agreement for another four years to complete work it did not finish.

Counsel for Mr Lord said compensation under the agreement was no longer adequate and a new agreement was required.

Justice Sarah Pritchard reserved her decision for a later date.

Essential Energy and the NSW government are looking to set up micro grids in White Cliffs, Milparinka and Packsaddle, and upgrade one in Tibooburra.

A micro grid is a small localised electricity network using solar or batteries to generate and store power if a community is cut off from the grid.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Liam Ryan said $3 million was being invested to help Essential Energy work out which technologies best suited those communities.

Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal gyrocopter crash on the weekend.

Emergency services were called to Devonborough Downs Station, near Olary, roughly 100 kilometres west of Broken Hill on Saturday afternoon.

A 51-year-old local man, who was the pilot and sole occupant, was killed after the gyrocopter he was flying at the property crashed.

The Major Crash Unit with South Australian police attended the scene and was investigating the circumstances.

SafeWork SA told the ABC at this stage it did not appear to be a workplace incident.

Six Broken Hill organisations have been successful in their applications for federal government volunteer grants.

The Central Broken Hill Football Club and South Broken Hill Football Club will each receive $1,000.

The Broken Hill Kart Club and the Sulphide Street Railway Museum were approved for $1,200 each, while Y Women Broken Hill will receive $2,000.

The Broken Hill Pistol Club will also receive $1,500.

Police have arrested a man over an alleged assault on an elderly man in Broken Hill.

Thirty-eight-year-old Ahmed Warsame was arrested in Dubbo following an alleged assault and robbery at a home on Argent Street on Sunday.

It is alleged Mr Warsame went to the home of a man in his 80s, who he was familiar with, and demanded money, threatened him with a knife, then assaulted him and stole money.

Paramedics treated the man for head injuries and fractured ribs before taking him to Broken Hill Hospital for further treatment.

Police later arrested Mr Warsame at a motel in Dubbo and charged him with several offences.

He made no application for bail at a court appearance.

The matter will next appear before the Broken Hill Local Court on November 17.

Share prices of Boss Energy have fallen to around $1.50, down from $6 two years ago.

Boss Energy owns and operates the Honeymoon uranium mine in South Australia, 80 kilometres from Broken Hill.

The company said the recoveries from its in-situ recovery operation had fallen and some of the lower-grade mineralisation had proved to be more difficult to treat.

Independent mining analyst Peter Strachan said Boss Energy had re-engineered its business model to lower operating costs, and it had an impact on shareholder interest.