Category Archives: Australia news

Tanya Plibersek approves habitat clearing in Darwin despite risk to endangered bird

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Environment minister says redesign would ‘avoid most adverse impacts’ on Gouldian finch, while critics point to Australia’s ‘terrible record on extinctions’

The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has approved habitat clearing for a defence housing development in Darwin despite acknowledging there is a significant risk for what has been described as one of Australia’s most beautiful endangered birds.

Plibersek had been asked last year to reconsider the development in savanna woodlands at Lee Point after more than 100 endangered Gouldian finches were spotted in bushland marked for imminent clearing.

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Drowning of Indigenous man during police chase sparks call for water safety review

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Coroner makes recommendation following inquest into death of Brandon Clark, who fled into dangerous waters after vehicle stop

Police did everything they could to save the life of Indigenous man Brandon Clark who fled into dangerous river waters while evading officers and drowned, a coroner has found.

Clark had been pulled over by police during a vehicle stop when officers discovered an alleged breach of bail. He was also affected by illicit substances at the time.

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Hillsong’s Brian Houston never attempted to ‘cover up’ father’s crimes, court told

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Son was upholding wishes of victim not to have matter pursued by ‘secular authorities’ when he failed to report offending to police, lawyer says

Brian Houston never attempted to “cover up” his father’s paedophilia, instead immediately reporting his father’s confession to church leaders and banning him from preaching, Houston’s lawyer has told a Sydney court.

And by not reporting his father’s offending to police, Brian Houston was upholding the express wishes of his father’s victim who was repeatedly raped as a boy by Frank Houston, but did not want the matter pursued by “secular authorities”.

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Victorian Liberals to meet on senator’s future; Stoker says she’s ‘fine’ – as it happened

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Urgent meeting called for this weekend after allegations raised against the senator in parliament. This blog is now closed

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe says “at this stage” she will be voting no on the government’s bill for a referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament.

She’s told ABC Radio her position on the voice is:

At this stage, I’ll be voting no to the bill that is before us to change the constitution, given the government have not come forward with proof on what their interpretation of sovereignty is.

I know that for months now that they continue to say that this does not affect the sovereignty of First Nations people in this country, however, they’ve never provided any evidence.

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Peter Dutton calls for Liberal senator to resign after third inappropriate touching allegation

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Liberal leader says third allegation came after he expelled David Van, who says he ‘will fully cooperate’ with investigation and is ‘stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly savaged’

The leader of the Liberal party, Peter Dutton, says he has been made aware of another allegation of inappropriate touching against Senator David Van since he expelled him from the party room on Thursday and called for Van to resign from the parliament.

Dutton said he raised a further allegation with Van on Friday morning, after learning of it on Thursday night.

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Victorian Greens threaten to block planning changes unless housing demands met

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Leader Samantha Ratnam says half of all dwellings in new projects should be public or affordable housing

The Victorian Greens are threatening to block upcoming changes to the state’s planning laws unless they include a requirement for half of all dwellings in new developments to be either public or affordable housing.

In the coming months, the Andrews government will announce a suite of measures to boost housing supply, which could include changes to planning laws to fast-track approvals and limit the powers of councils to object to major developments.

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Origin Energy surrenders 10 controversial gas tenements in Queensland’s channel country

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Company gives up 10 of its 11 leases in the area amid concern about potential impacts of fracking

Australia’s largest energy company has surrendered 10 controversial gas tenements in Queensland’s channel country, as the state government embarks on long-delayed consultation over environmental protections for the sensitive Lake Eyre-Kati Thanda basin.

Origin Energy and the Queensland resources department confirmed the “total surrender” of 10 of the 11 production leases held by the company in the area, amid concerns about the impact of potential fracking plans on its unique waterways and floodplains.

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‘Chinese agents could be following me’, says Australian artist at centre of censorship row

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Australian consular officials will attend the opening of Badiucao’s show in Poland after Chinese ambassador demanded it be closed down

Australian consular officials in Poland will attend the opening of an exhibition in the country’s capital by Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao on Friday, to send a message to Chinese authorities who have allegedly tried to stop the show going ahead.

On Wednesday, Australia’s ambassador to Poland, Lloyd Brodrick, met Shanghai-born Australian artist Badiucao, as well as executives from the museum where the show is being held, Warsaw’s Ujazdowski Castle, Center for Contemporary Art (CCA Ujazdowski Castle).

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Australia’s population grew at fastest rate since 2008 amid post-Covid migration boom

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The 1.9% increase to a total of 26.3m is down to more overseas students and temporary workers, but experts say the rise will flatten out

Australia’s population grew at its fastest rate in more than 13 years in 2022, in part due to a post-pandemic migration boom.

But while the figures are significant, demographer Dr Elin Charles-Edwards warned that a large portion of the migrants were only in Australia temporarily to address critical labour shortages and the numbers would fall over the coming years.

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David Van says he doesn’t agree with decision to remove him from Liberal party room

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Senator hits back at move which Peter Dutton said was not a ‘judgment on the veracity of allegations or any individual’s guilt or innocence’

Senator David Van has said he doesn’t agree with Peter Dutton’s decision to stand him down from the Liberal party room, following allegations made in the Senate by Independent Lidia Thorpe.

Van spoke to journalists after arriving at Melbourne airport late Thursday. He was asked by a reporter “do you think Peter Dutton’s decision is fair?”, Van responded “no, I don’t.”

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LNP vows to cut Queensland’s use of consultants if it wins power at 2024 state election

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David Crisafulli promises real-time health data and housing fund changes in budget reply

A Liberal National party government would take an axe to the Queensland government’s “obsession” with consultants in a wider public service overhaul if the party wins next year’s state election.

The state’s opposition leader, David Crisafulli, also used his budget reply to promise to make real-time health data available, establish a social enterprise investment fund, changes to housing funding and appoint a victims of crime commissioner.

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Senator removed from party room – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

Liberal senator David Van is speaking to Sydney radio 2GB about independent senator Lidia Thorpe’s allegations in the Senate yesterday.

Thorpe withdrew the remarks to comply with the Senate’s standing orders but said she would be making a statement on the issue today.

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Don’t panic? How the Indigenous voice to parliament is faring four months out

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With some signs of poll fatigue, the yes campaign will have to work hard and hope an appeal to the heart is enough to get it over the line

Polls showing a decline in support for an Indigenous voice to parliament have prompted a lot of public soul searching this week among observers. There have variously been calls for the vote to be postponed, for the question to be amended, for the yes campaign to step it up.

Amazing what anxiety a handful of numbers can invoke.

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Hillsong’s Brian Houston bought his father’s victim’s silence and did not report abuse to police, court hears

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Founding pastor, who has pleaded not guilty, is on trial for not reporting his father’s confession to sexually abusing a young boy

Brian Houston did not report his paedophile father to police in order to protect the church, and bought his father’s victim’s silence to stop him going to the “secular authorities”, a Sydney court has heard.

Houston, the founding pastor of the Hillsong megachurch, is on trial for one count of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, for not reporting to police his father’s confession to repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping a young boy who was a member of his church.

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Police and crime researchers fear social media’s affect on crime in NSW and Victoria

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Data released in both states suggest online posts may have contributed to a rise in certain types of crime

Social media platforms allowing teenagers to brag about crimes might be contributing to an increase in youth offending in Australia’s most populous states, Victorian police and New South Wales’ crime statistics agency say.

In Victoria, data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) released on Thursday reported that home burglaries committed by 10-to-14-year-olds increased by almost 87% in the 12 months to 31 March, compared with the prior year. This is despite youth offending being down by almost half, compared with a decade ago.

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Lisa Wilkinson lodges official complaint with Seven Network over Bruce Lehrmann interview

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Complaint also relates to mention of letter allegedly sent by Brittany Higgins to Wilkinson, who claims she has no record of it

Lisa Wilkinson has lodged an official complaint with the Seven Network about a program that featured an interview with Bruce Lehrmann and about a separate segment on morning television.

Wilkinson lodged the complaint on Tuesday alleging the broadcasts breached commercial television standards, and can escalate the complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) if it is not resolved, her lawyers confirmed.

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NSW to allow taller, denser property developments while curtailing power of councils

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Projects worth at least $75m and have 15% of units set aside as affordable housing could be fast-tracked under changes

The New South Wales government will allow developers to build taller and denser buildings – and have approvals fast-tracked – under sweeping changes to planning rules that will also curtail the power of councils to decide on major housing projects.

The proposed will see housing developments, valued over $75m and of which at least 15% is to be used for affordable housing, given access to a “state significant development” pathway that would fast-track approvals.

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NSW government temporarily bans all PwC work on tax projects

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Inquiry into state local health districts’ use of consultants to begin after firm revealed to have misuse of confidential information

The New South Wales government will suspend the embattled consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers from working on tax projects as it emerged that the state’s health districts spent at least $124m on consultants since 2011.

The temporary ban will be announced on Thursday, when a state parliamentary inquiry into the public sector’s use of consultants will begin, and follows revelations that PwC misused confidential federal government information for commercial gain.

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Almost every Victorian Indigenous prisoner has enrolled to vote for body negotiating treaty

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First Peoples’ Assembly will begin negotiations with Andrews government later this year

Almost every Victorian Indigenous prisoner has enrolled to vote for the body that will negotiate the state’s nation-first treaty negotiations.

The second iteration of the First Peoples’ Assembly will begin negotiating a landmark statewide treaty with the Andrews government later this year, once its election results are announced in the coming days.

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National gun register the ‘next step’ for reform that John Howard started, Anthony Albanese says

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Albanese praises ‘courage’ of former prime minister and those affected by Port Arthur massacre

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has praised John Howard’s “courage and determination” to legislate gun control in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre and says a national firearms register would be the “next step” for the reforms that began in 1996.

Albanese will make the remarks at the National Museum on Thursday at a ceremony with Howard and Walter Mikac, who lost his wife and two daughters at Port Arthur. The ceremony will mark correspondence between Mikac and Howard entering the museum’s collection.

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