Here's what you need to know this morning.
Wild weather forecast
The NSW State Emergency Service says it anticipates a rise in calls for help as widespread heavy rainfall is expected across the state today.
The SES received 566 calls yesterday, with the majority in relation to flooding, flood preparation and storm damage.
Thirty-seven jobs attended were in the metro Sydney area.
Coordinator of duty operations Ben Forsyth said people should avoid floodwaters, particularly those in western NSW where a severe weather warning had been issued.
"There are thunderstorms also predicted," he said.
"Given that there's already saturated conditions in the catchments of the dams, there may be some marine flooding and some flash flooding. So that's probably what our main concern is at the moment."
Karen Webb
The new Commissioner-elect of NSW Police Karen Webb says she will be an "empathetic" top cop and has proposed a special victims squad.
Yesterday, the Premier announced that she would take over from Mick Fuller as Commissioner next January.
This morning, she told ABC Radio Sydney she always had a desire to join the police so she could make a difference.
She has worked closely with victims of child abuse and sexual abuse and wants to set up a special team that would specialise in helping victims through the court system.
"What I am concerned about is there's a lot of under-reporting so we are not seeing the full picture," she said.
"So to tackle it properly we really need to encourage victims to come forward."
Commissioner-elect Webb was asked about strip-searching at music festivals and said people with small quantities of drugs must still face the consequences of breaking the law.
"In terms of festivals, one of the things that concerns me is that young people are being used as (drug) mules and bringing in large quantities of drugs."
Wild horses to be culled
The wild horse population in Kosciuszko National Park is set culled by more than three-quarters by 2027.
The state government has finalised its contentious wild horse management plan for the Kosciuszko National Park, after releasing a draft last month.
It is now committed to reducing wild horse numbers from more than 14,000 to 3,000 by 2027.
They will only be allowed to roam in designated areas covering around a third of the park.
Aerial shooting will not be involved in controlling the horse population. Instead there will be passive trapping, mustering to move them or ground shooting.
The former deputy premier and local member John Barilaro signed off on the plan after opposing a previous plan in 2016 which wanted to cull more horses.
Green light for unvaccinated formal
Unvaccinated year 12 students will now be allowed to attend their end-of-year formals, dinners or graduations.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has granted an exemption to allow all final-year students to attend functions regardless of their vaccination status.
All HSC students will be able to attend their end-of-year school celebration.
William Tyrrell search continues
Police divers are expected to be brought in today to help with the search for the remains of missing boy William Tyrrell.
The search at Kendal on the NSW mid north coast will today focus on a number of creek beds about 1 kilometre from the house that was once owned by William's foster-grandmother.
It is close to the area where pieces of blue and black cloth and several red threads were bagged and taken away for forensic examination.
Yesterday, police searched rainwater and septic tanks at the house but failed to find any new evidence.
Fresh claim of pork barrelling
NSW Labor and some crossbench MPs have raised concerns about pork barrelling in another government grants scheme.
Documents obtained by Labor showed the majority of grants from the $100 million Stronger Country Communities Fund went to Coalition-held seats in 2019.
Government MPs were also appointed to access and announce grants in regional seats held by non-government MPs.
"We've got an exceptional situation whereby the NSW government is bypassing the democratically elected local member of parliament in favour of what is often the case a random backbencher or parliamentary secretary," Opposition Leader Chris Minns said.
Greens MP David Shoebridge said it was time for the Coalition "to stop treating public money like its own personal ATM to literally buy the next election".
The government denied pork barrelling.
"Grant recipients are assessed by a panel of senior NSW government departmental officials and an independent member," Deputy Premier Paul Toole said.
Row over COVID rules at polling booths
The state opposition has accused the government of compromising the democratic rights of voters at the upcoming council elections with unnecessary COVID-19 restrictions.
The government has introduced a number of provisions which it says are to ensure the safety of voters, candidates, staff and volunteers from the threat of COVID-19 while visiting polling places.
The opposition says candidates and volunteers are banned from handing out how-to-vote flyers within 100 metres of polling places.
Shadow Minister for Local Government Greg Warren said it was an attack on democratic rights and if people could go to a nightclub, they should be able to stand outside a polling place.
Aria music awards winners
Independent artist Genesis Owusu has won four ARIA awards, including Album of the Year and Best Hip Hop Release for Smiling with No Teeth.
The annual music industry awards were held in Sydney last night.
Sydney performer The Kid Laroi won Best Artist and Best Pop Release for his hit single Stay, which was written with and featured Canadian singer Justin Bieber.
Singer-songwriter Budjerah won the Breakthrough Artist award for his debut EP Budjerah.
