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Sydney news: NSW taxpayers must be told cost of keeping NRL grand final, Opposition says

This year's NRL grand final will return to Sydney. (AAP: Darren England)

Here's what you need to know this morning.

Cost of keeping NRL grand final must be made public

The NSW government needs to reveal how much was paid to keep the rugby league grand final in Sydney, the Opposition says.

Yesterday, the NRL came to an agreement with the government after threatening to again hold the event in Brisbane.

Labor's John Graham said while the news of the grand final being in Sydney was welcome for sports fans, transparency was needed.

"Taxpayers deserve to know what they've had to pay for it and the government needs to come clean with the details of this deal," Mr Graham said.

"It would be a real outrage to have this kept behind closed doors, we should know what has actually been agreed, and what this means for stadiums, for football fans and for taxpayers."

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens will not disclose the investment amount, but said it was a relief the grand final was staying put. 

More rail talks today in bid to stop upcoming strikes

Two days of rail strikes are still on the agenda for next week. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)

The rail union says more talks will be held today as part of a long-running dispute with the NSW government. 

Transport Minister David Elliott yesterday presented the Rail Tram and Bus Union with a new deed promising safety upgrades to the new intercity train fleet.

The union's Alex Claassens says the document has been reviewed overnight, with several proposed changes being put forward.

"We'll see whether they're fair dinkum about making those changes or not but it's all contingent on them actually listening to what we are saying," he said.

However, he also said two days of industrial action next week were still on the agenda.

A spokeswoman for Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway said today's talks would be held remotely, as the Minister is in isolation due to COVID-19. 

Police investigate diver's death at North Bondi 

The remainder of the group were winched to safety and treated for shock. (ABC News)

A report is being prepared for the coroner after a man in his 20s drowned off North Bondi in Sydney's east yesterday.

The man was free diving and spearfishing with a group of five people off rocks at North Bondi when he failed to surface.

Police said the group gave the man CPR after pulling him from the water. He was also later treated by emergency services.

The man, believed to be aged 29, was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition where he died a short time later. 

The other members of the group were winched to safety and treated for shock.

Police are investigating the man's death.

Cultural fishing inquiry reconvenes

The upper house inquiry is looking at why cultural fishing is still being criminalised.

A state parliamentary inquiry into why cultural fishing is still being criminalised in NSW will hear from key stakeholders in Sydney today.

The upper house committee is examining why legislation that passed 13 years ago to decriminalise Indigenous cultural fishing, has not been implemented.

Native title holders, the abalone industry, state government and legal representatives will front the inquiry's second hearing at Parliament House.

Legal representatives will argue that under Commonwealth Native Title, Indigenous people have the right to take natural resources without limits, according to traditional law and custom.

A number of lengthy court battles have wrapped up in NSW in recent weeks, with several Indigenous abalone divers being found guilty of fishing offences.

Calls for NSW to act on new poultry guidelines

The guidelines include a phasing out of conventional layer hen cages. (ABC Rural: Brett Worthington)

The Animal Justice Party has called on the NSW Minister for Agriculture to implement new animal welfare guidelines in the poultry industry.

The new national framework announced yesterday states battery eggs will be phased out by 2036.

The long-awaited commitment was almost de-railed last year when former NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall opposed the plan.

MP Emma Hurst from the Animal Justice Party urged the new Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders to get on board.

"The former NSW Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshall, made a rogue declaration that he wouldn't support a phase-out of battery cages in NSW, regardless of the outcome of the national process," she said.

"Surely the current Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders won’t make the same mistake."

NSW is the largest producer of caged eggs in the country.

The ABC has sought comment from Mr Saunders.

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