Category Archives: Australia news

Corruption commissioner Paul Brereton removed himself from robodebt referrals due to ‘relationship’, documents show

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FoI documents show head of Nacc delegated decision not to pursue investigations into six individuals to a deputy commissioner

The National Anti-Corruption commissioner, Paul Brereton, removed himself from the process that decided whether the watchdog should pursue individuals referred by the robodebt royal commission due to a “relationship” and “close association” with a person he anticipated would be referred.

Documents released under freedom of information provide the first clues as to the nature of the conflict, which was disclosed but not explained when the Nacc opted not to pursue any of the people referred by the royal commission for potential investigation.

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Australian kestrels may hold the key to helping drones hover

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The wind hovering behaviour of the bird of prey is the ‘closest representation in the avian world to fixed wing aircraft’, says researcher

When researchers were hunting for a way to make drones fly more smoothly as they delivered food and packages, they turned to an unusual source for inspiration: the common kestrel.

RMIT and the University of Bristol researchers began tracking the flight motions of two Australian kestrels. They attached reflective markers to the birds and analysed their motion using a motion tracking system – the same technology used to create CGI effects.

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‘Too high for comfort’: transport costs rising at almost three times rate of inflation, data reveals

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Households ‘hurting’ as people forced to spend more of their income on driving, petrol, tolls and public transport fares

Australians are being forced to spend more of their income on transport, with spending on driving, petrol, tolls and public transport fares growing at almost three times the rate of inflation, new data reveals.

In the 12 months to 30 June, transport costs rose by 10.5% across the board, well above the CPI increase of 3.8% over the same period, the latest Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) transport affordability index showed.

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Employee at NT school for Indigenous children charged after allegedly assaulting six students

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The 46-year-old man allegedly assaulted the students at a school on multiple separate occasions in 2023

A senior employee at a renowned independent Northern Territory school for Indigenous children has been charged over alleged historical assaults on multiple students.

NT police arrested the 46-year-old man on Thursday over aggravated assaults at the school in Alice Springs. He has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault.

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Australia news live: Linda Reynolds deleted some text messages with Bruce Lehmann’s barrister during routine ‘cyber hygiene’, defamation trial hears

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The prime minister was asked about criticism that increased public spending is fuelling inflation.

Anthony Albanese pointed to two budget surpluses and said this, plus cost-of-living measures, are applying downward pressure:

Fee-free Tafe, cheaper childcare, energy price relief – all of these measures are aimed at making sure we look after people but do so in a way that’s designed to see inflation continuing to moderate, which is what we want to make sure happens.

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Victorian government rejects expert advice to forcibly merge hospital services

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Premier Jacinta Allan says reduction of 76 services to 11 ‘not in the best interests of patient care’ despite lure of reduced costs

The Victorian government will ignore a central recommendation of an expert panel to forcibly merge hospital services – which was expected to improve patient care and reduce costs – but has vowed to find savings in other ways.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, and health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, on Thursday released a long-awaited report on the Victoria’s public health system.

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Facebook and Google shouldn’t ‘ride free’ on the backs of media companies, Albanese says

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PM’s comments raise expectation of levy on Meta and social media firms amid stoush over paying for news content

Social media companies shouldn’t “essentially ride free” on the backs of traditional media, Anthony Albanese has said, when asked about the possibility of a levy after Meta’s decision to not renew media funding deals.

The prime minister’s comments raise expectations Labor will intervene to secure the revenue base of cash-strapped traditional media companies, which have lobbied for help due to losing funding from social media and the government’s intention to ban gambling ads online and apply caps to them on television.

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Wieambilla killers ‘rocked’ police vehicle with bullets in response to surrender pleas, inquest hears

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The Trains used high-calibre guns to engage in firefight as police tried to negotiate, responder tells coroner

A family of killers were “robotic” in response to efforts to get them to surrender, continuing to fire at police vehicles, an inquest into the Wieambilla massacre has heard.

Sert operative 114, a team leader of the police Special Emergency Response Team (Sert), described how an armoured BearCat vehicle was “rocked” as a volley of accurate gunfire hit the windscreen, which was bullet resistant but not bulletproof.

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‘She looked lifeless’: teen tells court father used axe to kill Nelomie Perera in Melbourne home

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Son of Dinush Kurera, who has pleaded not guilty to wife’s murder, gives evidence in supreme court trial

A teen has told a Melbourne court that his father allegedly repeatedly slashed his mother with an axe “in a rage” and then turned the weapon on him when he tried to run for help.

Dinush Kurera’s 19-year-old son gave evidence to the Victorian supreme court on Thursday about the evening his father allegedly murdered his mother in their family home.

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RBA ‘will not hesitate’ to raise interest rates again to combat inflation, Michele Bullock warns

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Reserve Bank governor says there is ‘considerable uncertainty’ over Australia’s economic future and the board ‘remains vigilant’

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock said the central bank won’t hesitate to lift interest rates again to reduce “persistently high inflation” while acknowledging “I know this is not what people want to hear”.

In a speech on Thursday in the northern New South Wales town of Armidale, Bullock also talked up the need for more investment in renewable energy zones, noting these would account for half of electricity generation in coming decades.

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NSW waste industry faces crackdown on recycled soil after asbestos found in more than half facilities tested

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Exclusive: Watchdog says it ordered disposal of more than 600 tonnes of soil fill, fined three facilities and is considering ‘significant changes’ to rules following Guardian investigation

The New South Wales environment watchdog has vowed to crack down on the waste industry after new tests found asbestos at seven of 13 facilities producing or handling cheap landscaping products.

A 15-month Guardian Australia investigation revealed earlier this year that the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) had failed to act after compliance campaigns in 2013 and 2019 found potentially contaminated products had been distributed across the state – including at childcare centres, schools, residential areas and parks – thanks to widespread breaches by the industry.

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Labor pushing for new powers to ‘clean up’ alleged criminal activity in CFMEU

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In further toughening of stance, government considers calls for joint federal and state police taskforce to investigate unions

The Albanese government will next week push for new powers to appoint an administrator of the construction union, due to a delay in the Fair Work case brought after accusations of criminal misconduct and bikie links.

In a further toughening of Labor’s stance, the workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, signalled the government was considering calls for a joint federal and state police taskforce to investigate alleged criminal conduct in unions.

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Failure to learn from ‘African gangs’ furore puts community at risk, Victoria’s children’s commissioner says

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Amid claims of a growing crime wave, Liana Buchanan says the government must work harder to identify the causes of offending

The Victorian commissioner for children and young people says African-Australian youth are again the subject of “intense” media and police focus as the state responds to perceptions of a crime wave without working harder to identify the causes of offending.

Liana Buchanan, the principal commissioner of Victoria’s Commission for Children and Young People, said she was concerned that it did not appear any lessons had been learned from the “African gangs” furore, and implored the state government, police and the youth justice system not to respond in ways that would make the community less safe.

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Early childhood education workers to receive 15% pay rise – if centres limit fee increases

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Labor hopes forcing childcare centres to limit fee hikes to secure funding for wage rises will save parents from further price shocks

Early childhood education workers will receive a 15% pay increase funded by the government – but only if centres agree to limit fee increases.

The wage boost, first reported by Guardian Australia in April, fulfils a commitment from the Albanese government to better address the wage inequity for workers in the crucial sector.

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Investors push Glencore to scrap spin-off of heavily polluting coal division

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More than 95% of investors urged commodities firm to keep highly profitable fossil fuel arm to help maximise shareholder cash

Glencore has scrapped plans to spin off its coal business after shareholders urged the commodities company to hold on to the highly profitable but heavily polluting division.

The FTSE 100 company said that an overwhelming majority of its shareholders favoured retaining the coal business over its plan to list the division as a separate company on the New York stock exchange.

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Australia news live: Linda Reynolds tells defamation trial she felt like a ‘punching clown on the fairground’ after social media posts by Higgins and Sharaz

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Wong endorses call from Blinken for de-escalation in Middle East

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said she endorsed Antony Blinken’s call for de-escalation in the Middle East.

We continue to add our voice to the support for the ceasefire outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the security council.

Thank you for an incredibly productive day.

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Alleged bandit charged after stealing $600,000 worth of Bluey limited edition ‘dollarbucks’ in Sydney

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NSW police allege 63,000 coins featuring popular tv show character were stolen from a Sydney warehouse

An alleged Bluey coin bandit has been charged by New South Wales police for allegedly stealing over $600,000 worth of limited edition currency.

The Royal Australian Mint’s “dollarbucks” coin collection featured Bluey, alongside other characters on the popular tv show, as part of a special limited release.

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Wieambilla shootout ‘most dangerous operation’ Queensland specialist police have ever undertaken, inquest hears

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Train family had ‘intense motivation to kill police’ and were highly prepared for shooting ambush, state coroner told

The final shootout between police and three radicalised murderers at a remote property near Wieambilla was the most dangerous operation ever undertaken by Queensland’s specialist tactical police, an inquest into the deadly ambush has heard.

Supt Tim Partridge, who now runs the Special Emergency Response Team (Sert), said the task would have been less risky if police had access to superior tactics such as the use of a sniper from a helicopter, and more reliable communications.

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Melbourne learner driver fined $600 after unintentionally driving off as sister clung to door in fatal accident

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Asyai Luk fined without conviction after judge found she was unaware her sibling was at car door before she accelerated forward

A woman has walked free from court with a $600 fine after unintentionally driving off while her sister held on to a car door following an argument in a Melbourne street.

Her sister later died in hospital.

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Linda Reynolds says she never agreed to keep letters she leaked to columnist from The Australian newspaper secret

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Senator tells defamation trial she considered a letter from Commonwealth lawyers relating to Brittany Higgins’ settlement an attempt to ‘lock her down’

Linda Reynolds says she never agreed to keeping confidential documents relating to Brittany Higgins’ personal injury settlement private and had “no particular concern” about leaking the letters to a columnist at the Australian.

The Western Australian Liberal senator is suing Higgins over a series of social media posts, published in July 2023, which she claims have damaged her reputation.

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