Category Archives: Australia news

Tanya Plibersek defends Aboriginal heritage order blocking ‘irreversible damage’ of goldmine tailings dam

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Financial impact on mining company does not outweigh ‘permanent loss’ to cultural sites, environment minister says

Tanya Plibersek has defended her decision to issue an Aboriginal heritage protection order for the site of a proposed goldmine near Blayney, saying the financial impact on the mining company does not outweigh “irreversible damage and permanent loss” to Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.

The environment minister made a partial declaration under section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act in August, blocking a proposal by mining company Regis Resources to build a tailings dam for its $900m McPhillamys gold project in the headwaters of the Belubula River. The declaration did not cover the rest of the proposed mining area.

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Some Australian states are discovering what happens when they have too much rooftop solar

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Alerts to possible power shortfalls have become a familiar occurrence. But experts say it won’t be long before the opposite is common

When Victoria basks in mostly sunny spring weather this weekend, energy authorities will be monitoring how far electricity demand ebbs. If needed, they’ll turn off rooftop solar systems to ensure stability for the grid.

Such minimum system load events, as they are called, have emerged as a new challenge as households across Australia take advantage of plunging prices for solar panels to shield themselves from rising power bills and cut carbon emissions.

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NT government denies that planned crime reforms are form of ‘racial control’

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Former NT attorney general alleges Country Liberal party is planning law-and-order changes aimed at controlling Indigenous people

The former Northern Territory Labor attorney general Chansey Paech has accused the new Country Liberal party government of planning to introduce a set of tough law-and-order measures as a form of “racial control” aimed at Indigenous people.

Ahead of the first sitting of the reconfigured NT parliament since the election wiped out the Labor government, Paech has launched a broadside at the new government’s legislative agenda in an interview with Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics podcast.

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Half of Australia’s law enforcement agencies have banned officers using encrypted messaging apps

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Exclusive: After NSW ban on the likes of WhatsApp and Signal, federal counterparts permit a ‘limited number’ which they declined to reveal

Half of the Australian law enforcement agencies across Australia have banned their officers from using messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, after New South Wales police last week banned the practice.

Last week, the NSW police force said it had introduced security software that meant “social media and other personal apps will not work or be downloadable” on NSW police force issued devices.

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Sussan Ley says Richard Marles should resign if he failed to provide safe workplace for chief of staff

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Deputy opposition leader expresses concern for Jo Tarnawsky’s welfare after chief of staff claims she was effectively sacked

The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, says Richard Marles should resign if he has failed to provide a safe and respectful workplace as required under the ministerial code of conduct.

Ley said on Friday that allegations from the deputy prime minister’s chief of staff, Jo Tarnawksy, were “extremely serious” and expressed concern for her welfare.

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Australia news live: QLD LNP leader says end of coal before 2030s ‘fanciful’; patients at Sydney GP given less-effective vaccines

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The LNP leader, David Crisafulli, appears to be walking away from a commitment to 75% emissions reduction by 2035. Follow today’s news live

Rowland questioned on gambling ad ban

Michelle Rowland was also asked why it has taken 16 months for the government – as yet – to make no decision on gambling ads. The communications minister said the government has “been working diligently in this space” but action “should have been taken on this some 10 years ago”.

We’re working very closely with the states and territories because the vast majority of recommendations in our late colleague Peta Murphy’s report go to issues that go across commonwealth and state jurisdictions.

We’re also working very closely to ensure that there are no unintended consequences here and it’s actually effective.

We have every anticipation that we will be able to respond comprehensively this year and that’s what we’re working towards as a government.

We will be taking advice on the appropriate form in which that can be done. Legislation is obviously an option because there is an interactive gambling act at the commonwealth level, which enables some of these approaches to be implemented.

There will be penalty for the platforms just as they are now in the Online Safety Act … These penalties will be drafted and, as I said, we’re currently reviewing the Online Safety Act because the penalties as they stand … the maximum penalties are less than $1 million for some offences.

They are being challenged but, at the same time, the industry does understand the need to comply here and, by and large, does comply with the rules under the Online Safety Act.

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Channel Seven asks judge to suppress ‘salacious’ evidence as it fights claims of a hostile work environment

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Network trying to avoid embarrassment with ‘unprecedented’ application in legal battle with ex-Spotlight journalist Amelia Saw, court hears

The federal court has reserved its decision on whether to suppress “salacious” evidence by a former employee of Channel Seven’s Spotlight program who is suing the network.

The “extraordinary and unprecedented” application by Channel Seven to suppress journalist Amelia Saw’s statement of claim and amended statement of claim was heard in the federal court on Friday.

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ABC Radio’s Sydney Drive host Richard Glover to retire after 26 years with station

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Announcement is second major move this week by a presenter at the broadcaster, with Patricia Karvelas to leave Radio National Breakfast

ABC Radio’s Sydney Drive host, Richard Glover, will retire next month after a record 26 years behind the local radio microphone.

The announcement, made on his program on Friday afternoon, is the second major move this week by a presenter at ABC Radio. Patricia Karvelas is leaving Radio National Breakfast after three years.

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Woman’s arm severed in dog attack in north Queensland

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Police euthanise the animal after being called to an incident at a property in Townsville

A woman has been taken to hospital after her arm was severed in a vicious dog attack in north Queensland.

Emergency services were called to reports of a dog mauling at a Lonerganne Street property in Garbutt, a suburb of Townsville, just after 7am on Friday.

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Alleged domestic violence perpetrators to wear ankle bracelets under NSW bail reforms

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Corrective services will electronically monitor whereabouts of people released from custody while charged with serious offences

Alleged perpetrators charged with serious domestic violence offences in New South Wales will wear ankle bracelets and have their movements tracked around the clock if they are granted bail.

The NSW government announced the changes would take effect on Friday, and would involve corrective services electronically monitoring alleged perpetrators against geographic bail conditions using GPS technology.

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Glitter has lost its shine – but scientists may have found a safer substitute

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Shimmery cellulose-based alternative looks safer for soil than conventional microplastics, Australian-led research finds

Even before Taylor Swift donned “glitter freckles”, the sparkly stuff was prolific – sold in tiny vials at craft shops, and sprinkled on to a variety of products from clothing to Christmas decorations, cards and makeup.

Glitter ends up everywhere: in the environment as well as the carpet.

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NSW police union pushes back at premier’s suggestion pro-Palestine protests divert resources from crime

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Police association boss says vast majority of officers at weekend rally were ‘doing user-pay or cancelled rest day’ shifts

The head of the New South Wales police union has denied any suggestion that patrolling weekly pro-Palestine protests is making it difficult to respond to or investigate crime across the state.

Kevin Morton’s comments came as the premier, Chris Minns, was forced to deny he had lost control of the Labor caucus after several of his MPs expressed alarm at his statement that police should be able to reject a protest permit based on the cost of patrolling it.

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Fixed and variable home loans fall ahead of expected cash rate cut by RBA

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Australia’s interest rate is forecast to fall from 4.35% to 3.6% by this time next year, prompting seven lenders to cut their rates this week

Lenders have started lowering their mortgage rates en masse influenced by expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank – moves that could tempt borrowers to restructure their home loans.

The downward drift in rates is especially prevalent in fixed loans, with seven lenders cutting their rates by an average of 0.3 percentage points over the past week, according to Canstar. Four lenders cut variable rates by smaller margins.

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Social media platforms with ‘low risk of harm to children’ could escape Albanese government age ban

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Communications minister Michelle Rowland says ‘likely’ changes to Online Safety Act ‘will place onus on platforms, not parents or young people’

Social media companies could escape the Albanese government’s proposed age ban if they can demonstrate a “low risk of harm to children”, the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has said.

Rowland will announce on Friday that the “likely” amendments to the Online Safety Act banning children from social media will “place the onus on platforms, not parents or young people” to enforce the ban.

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British musician and broadcaster Yung Filly charged with rape and assault

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Former BBC host, with millions of social media followers, was arrested in Australia following alleged attack on woman in Perth hotel room

The British rapper, YouTuber and television personality Yung Filly has been arrested in Australia and charged with rape and assault.

The 29-year-old, born Andrés Felipe Valencia Barrientos, who was on tour in the country, was arrested in Brisbane and taken to Perth where the alleged incidents occurred.

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Australia politics live: Richard Marles tells question time ‘I feel very sad that events have got to where they have’ after chief of staff’s bullying allegations

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Follow today’s news live

The opposition communications spokesperson, David Coleman, is speaking to ABC radio RN, criticising the government’s legislation designed to keep the NBN in public hands.

He is having trouble saying whether the opposition will support the bill, or whether a future Coalition government would want to sell the NBN.

We’re not going to just sort of immediately jump at some silly theatrical statement from the government. The adults in the room will review this in a normal way.

We’ve got no intention of changing the ownership structure of the NBN. Nobody does. And frankly, because the NBN is going so badly, there’s not exactly a lineup of people [wanting to buy it].

Parents are crying out for a degree of certainty, they’re crying out for government guidance, a lot more rule that people can follow. That doesn’t mean there won’t be challenging but at least provides a starting point for parents. It gives them a tool about how to address this and parents who have gone through all this and all the pain that social media can place upon their children, they’re the ones I think are the most powerful advocates for this reform.

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Three dogs shot dead by police after mauling woman in Melbourne back yard

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Woman taken to hospital in a critical condition after being attacked by the dogs

Three dogs have been shot dead by police who were trying to save a woman being mauled in a Melbourne back yard.

Police were called to Ross Street at Dandenong in the city’s outer south-east about 10am on Thursday, where the woman was being attacked by the dogs in a back yard.

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Record $8m compensation for victim of paedophile teacher at infamous Victorian public school

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Former Beaumaris primary school student will receive biggest known payout by a state government to a sexual abuse survivor in Australia

A sexual abuse survivor from an infamous Victorian public school will receive a record $8m settlement from the education department, and the state government could be on the hook for more compensation.

The former student was sexually abused at Beaumaris primary school by Darrell Ray, one of four paedophiles who taught at the school in Melbourne’s south-east in the 60s and 70s.

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Man who lit Melbourne bushfires and embraced ‘depraved ideology’ of Islamic State jailed for eight years

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Judge says offending by Aran Sherani, who pledged allegiance to terrorist organisation, ‘must be denounced’

A convicted terrorist has been jailed for eight years after he filmed himself pledging allegiance to Islamic State.

A supreme court jury in 2023 found Aran Sherani, 22, guilty of preparing for a terrorist act over the 2021 video.

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Pilot who died when helicopter crashed into Cairns hotel was ‘affected by alcohol’, ATSB finds

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Blake Wilson was killed when aircraft on ‘unauthorised flight’ struck roof of DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in August

A pilot who died when the helicopter he was flying crashed into a Cairns hotel was “affected by a significant amount of alcohol” at the time, the country’s air safety investigator has found.

Investigators on Thursday said Blake Wilson, 23, took the helicopter from a far north Queensland airport hangar for an “unnecessary and unauthorised” flight after a night of drinking in August.

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