Category Archives: New South Wales

Labor governments push for national road-user charging after Victorian EV decision

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Treasurer Tim Pallas says refunds being considered after high court ruled charge was unconstitutional

Labor governments in three states are pressing the commonwealth to consider national road-user charging, after the high court struck down Victoria’s electric vehicle tax.

On Thursday the Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, said the government will consider refunding a tax paid by electric vehicle owners after the high court deemed it invalid, but suggests registration costs could rise or a national levy could be implemented in its place.

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Sydney pro-Palestine rally to go ahead on Saturday despite premier’s concern over ‘bad faith actors’

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Chris Minns says he believes protesters do not want ‘hate speech within their march’ but final decision on event is up to NSW police

Saturday’s planned pro-Palestine march through the streets of Sydney will go ahead unless police launch an 11th-hour legal challenge amid rising concern about unrest.

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, said a final decision on the event would be up to the police while warning the government had been briefed by senior officers who had expressed concern about the event due to “changed circumstances”.

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Sydney venue moves $26m in pokies profits to NRL club as ‘community development and support’

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Canterbury leagues club has given millions to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs since 2014-15

One of Australia’s biggest poker machine venues has shifted more than $26m in gambling profits over eight years to its parent company – an NRL club – while claiming the payments as a community benefit for a tax cut.

In New South Wales, clubs that donate a percentage of gambling profits to community causes receive a tax concession under a scheme called ClubsGrants, which is under review by the state government after years of sustained criticism.

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NSW police strip-searches of Indigenous people rose 35% in past 12 months and included 11 children, data reveals

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Freedom of information figures also show 25 girls were strip-searched in the past financial year compared to just seven in 2021-22

The number of Indigenous people strip-searched by New South Wales police jumped 35% over the past 12 months with 11 of those searched aged under 18, including a 12-year-old.

NSW police data released under the state’s Gipa laws revealed 340 First Nations Australians were strip-searched in the 2022-23 financial year, up from 253 the year before.

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Police issue $1 million reward to solve two linked cold-case murders, then raid NSW property on same day

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Officers believe Iain Hogg was killed in northern NSW in 2002 before his stolen car was linked to another death in Queensland three days later

A man is being questioned by police after a million dollar reward was announced to help solve two linked cold-case homicides.

NSW police raided a property in Murwillumbah in the state’s north on Tuesday as part of their investigation into the 2002 deaths of Iain Stewart Hogg and Frederick Rosson.

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Man dies and homes feared lost in bushfire near Kempsey as almost 80 fires burn across NSW

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RFS commissioner says death due to Willi Willi fire a ‘tragic reminder of how deadly some of these fires are’

A man has died and multiple homes are feared lost in a bushfire near Kempsey in New South Wales as firefighters work to contain the Willi Willi fire that has burned through more than 11,000 hectares.

NSW police confirmed on Tuesday morning that a man had died on a rural property 30km west of Kempsey.

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NSW police release footage of man throwing flare outside Sydney Opera House as part of rally investigation

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Police wish to speak to man shown throwing flare as they consider application for upcoming march in support of Palestine

Footage of a man shouting and throwing a flare on the steps of the Sydney Opera House last week has been released by the New South Wales police as they consider allowing another pro-Palestinian march for later in the week.

Protest organisers have applied for a permit to hold a march on Saturday 21 October after holding a “largely peaceful” static event with about 6,000 people in Hyde Park on Sunday.

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NSW government axes dozens of environmental roles in ‘backward step’

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Exclusive: Coalition accuses Labor of hypocrisy and says delay in rewarding farmers to protect nature is a ‘disgrace’

The New South Wales government has quietly cut dozens of environmental roles, including Indigenous officers, and delayed a plan to reward farmers to protect nature – moves described by critics as “hypocritical” and a “significant backward step”.

The cuts were revealed in a “change management plan”, obtained by Guardian Australia, and affect about 28 existing staff and 38 roles in total. They follow last month’s budget, the first by the Minns Labor government since its election in March.

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Police arrest three men outside Sydney Jewish Museum over alleged Nazi salute

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Police were called to the museum in the inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst shortly before midday after alleged antisemitic display

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has expressed “extreme concern” after three men were arrested after allegations they performed a Nazi salute outside Sydney’s Jewish Museum on Friday morning.

Police were called to the Darlinghurst museum shortly before noon, where they proceeded to arrest the men.

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Experts slam ‘disproportionate’ NSW approach to pro-Palestine rallies as government threatens ‘full force’ of law

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Human Rights Law Centre’s Alice Drury says response from police and government to rallies sets ‘very dangerous precedent’

Human rights and legal experts have condemned the New South Wales government’s “escalating”, “unnuanced” and “disproportionate” rhetoric and response to pro-Palestinian protesters following a rally at the Opera House.

NSW authorities have vowed to stop marches from proceeding while protesters have promised to “march next week and every week” after a “static demonstration” in Hyde Park this Sunday.

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NSW set to enshrine net zero emissions by 2050 in law and create monitoring panel

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Exclusive: Labor government to introduce centrepiece climate legislation on Thursday, saying it shows it is ‘serious’ about driving down emissions

New South Wales is poised to have its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050 enshrined in law and an independent advisory panel created to monitor the state’s progress.

The Minns government will on Thursday introduce its centrepiece climate change legislation to NSW parliament to entrench the targets and set up the Net Zero Commission and fulfil two election commitments.

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Australia news live: Sydney pro-Palestine rally to go ahead without NSW police approval; Cheng Lei freed from China

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Heavy traffic near Sydney airport after truck crash and fluid spill

Traffic remains heavy near Sydney airport after a two-truck crash caused a fluid spill.

This is one of the most important priorities for us coming out of what’s occurred in the previous days.

Minister Wong is [working] really hard on that. The Australian government will do whatever is necessary to protect [its] citizens.

We’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure we can secure the safety of Australians … We’re working very hard to make sure we protect Australians not just overseas, but here at home.

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‘If they don’t comply, they die’: family of fatal NSW police shootings call for independent inquiry

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Exclusive: Premier says an inquiry into use of force against vulnerable people isn’t necessary, despite four fatalities in as many months

The families of vulnerable people fatally shot by New South Wales police have united to call for an independent inquiry into the way officers use force when responding to mental health emergencies.

Their call has been backed by a former coroner and leading lawyers after four fatal police interactions in as many months.

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Australia news live: Parliament House in Canberra to be lit up in blue and white in support of Israel

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Follow the day’s news live

AAP has the latest polling results ahead of the Indigenous voice referendum day this Saturday:

Two surveys show the no campaign is still ahead a week out from referendum day despite one poll indicating a slight late gain in support for the yes vote in the past month.

Not at all. It’s only done when people cast their ballots.

We’ll wait and see when they cast their vote. I’m not getting ahead of the Australian people.

I know there’s some arrogance has crept into the no side campaign, but it’s a campaign based upon fear and it’s similar to the sort of arguments that were put prior to the apology to stolen generations. And if people think about that … there weren’t any negative consequences for anyone.

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NSW drug law overhaul would allow users to work off their fine by seeking help

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The scheme could see thousands of recreational ice, cocaine and MDMA users avoid criminal penalties

People who are caught with small quantities of illicit drugs for personal use could be issued with fines that they can work off by seeking help as part of a drug law overhaul being introduced into the New South Wales parliament this week.

The two-strike scheme could see thousands of recreational ice, cocaine and MDMA users avoid criminal penalties.

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Boy, 16, dies and five teenagers injured after ute hits tree on Sydney’s northern beaches

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Emergency services were called to the scene on Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview in the early hours of Saturday morning

A 16-year-old boy has died and five others are injured after a P-plate crash on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Emergency services arrived at the scene on Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview shortly after 12.20am on Saturday.

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Car-free days: new push to open up Sydney’s high streets and let festival culture prosper

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Exclusive: The Committee for Sydney wants the city to follow the lead of New York, Jakarta, Mexico City and Bogotá

High streets in Sydney should declare recurring car-free days when pedestrians and cyclists can roam freely and local shops and restaurants can sprawl out to allow a street festival culture to flourish, an influential thinktank says.

The Committee for Sydney and the Sydney festival executive director, Chris Tooher, are appealing to the New South Wales government and councils to mimic cities such as New York, Jakarta, Mexico City and Bogotá in making so-called open street days established events, such as every Sunday.

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Bondi businessman accused of selling secrets to China can only be accused of plagiarism, lawyers argue

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Lawyers for Alexander Csergo say a search using AI tools used to check plagiarism at universities verified his claim he provided open source material

Lawyers for a Bondi businessman accused of selling Australian secrets to China say simple artificial intelligence tools used to check for plagiarism at universities verified his claim he only provided publicly available information.

Alexander Csergo watched on via video link from Sydney’s Parklea prison on Wednesday as prosecutors told Downing Centre local court they would ask the federal attorney general’s department if it wanted to continue his case.

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Australia news live: Elise Archer resigns from Tasmanian parliament after ultimatum from premier; fire tears through Kings Cross hostel

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Jeremy Rockliff writes to Elise Archer asking that she advise whether she will remain in parliament

No property loss in hunter region bushfires, NSW RFS deputy commissioner says

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, NSW RFS deputy commissioner Peter McAfee also provided an update on the bushfires in the Hunter region.

So some really great saves by firefighters in really challenging conditions.

We still have some high fire danger days right across northern NSW with with extreme up in the north-west, so it’s not over this period of fire activity, but some good news to see that change moving through the southern part of the state.

It really was a serious incident there right into the evening, with crews protecting properties throughout.

We’ll have our teams in there at daylight this morning. They’re already getting in there, just looking at exactly what’s occurred. It’s [was] too dangerous to do all that work overnight.

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Sydney man accused of murdering his mother while out on bail for allegedly assaulting her

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Troy Safranko was arrested and then released on Saturday on the condition he not return to his mother’s house


A man has been accused of returning to his mother’s home and killing her, and her cat, a day after he was granted bail for allegedly assaulting her.

Troy Safranko, 31, was accused of assaulting and choking his mother, Katherine Safranko, at her Bankstown home on Friday morning.

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