Category Archives: New South Wales

Four arrested after climate protesters occupy Dominic Perrottet’s office – as it happened

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Six teenagers and a dozen adults occupied NSW premier’s office, protesting approval of new coal and gas projects. This blog is now closed

We’ve got some more information on the news the Albanese government is set to spend $1.3bn buying 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said Australia would be working closely with the US to get more missile capability.

Making sure we have longer-range strike missiles is a really important capability for the country. It enables us to be able to reach out beyond our shores further and that’s ultimately how we are able to keep Australia safe.

The cruise missiles are a critical part of that, as are the submarines that launch them.

Our banking system is really well capitalised. It’s well regulated. We’re well placed in Australia to withstand some of the vulnerability in banking systems.

Whether it’s Silicon Valley banks, and the steps taken by the Americans, or credit Swiss, and the loans provided by the central bank, we’re monitoring it closely.

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Covid cases on the rise in NSW with a ‘patchwork quilt’ of variants

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Experts say data points to early signs of a new wave but, given level of immunity, is not expected to be as severe as in the past

New South Wales is experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases, with one expert warning the data indicates early signs of a new wave with a “patchwork quilt” of variants.

NSW Health recorded 8,032 Covid cases in the week to Saturday, an increase of 9.2% from the previous week.

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Myer to close flagship Brisbane store – as it happened

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Turnbull concerned about UK economic situation

Malcolm Turnbull rounded out his concerns there with one shared with Paul Keating – although the language he used was a little more moderated than the former Labor PM is famous for.

The bottom line is their economy is sick. It’s got fundamental, sort of existential problems. And you’ve got to ask yourself, whether Britain is going to be able to sustain investment in its navy and its military in the years ahead, given this huge demand that they’ve got elsewhere, not least the National Health Service.

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Matt Kean exploring a move to federal politics if Coalition loses NSW election, sources say

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Figures close to Kean said the Liberal treasurer, a high-profile moderate, has floated the idea

The New South Wales treasurer, Liberal Matt Kean, is said to be considering a move to Canberra if the Perrottet government suffers a defeat on Saturday week in the state election.

Figures close to Kean told the Guardian he has floated the idea and is exploring possible avenues into federal parliament, but his decision would depend on whether the Coalition lost in NSW on 25 March and by what margin, as this would determine how long they would be out of office in NSW.

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Mark Latham to push for nuclear plants and ‘parental rights’ if made NSW kingmaker

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Exclusive: Labor and Greens concerned One Nation could gain at least one additional seat in 25 March election

Mark Latham will seek to overturn a longstanding ban on nuclear power technologies, strengthen “parental rights” and protect Christians from vilification if One Nation picks up enough seats to make him a kingmaker after the New South Wales election.

The former federal Labor leader is attempting to grow his party’s upper house presence from two to four at the 25 March poll, capitalising on voter disillusionment and a loophole that has allowed him to resign and re-run at the top of the ticket.

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ABC staff to walk off job next week – as it happened

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Acting prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles has spoken to ABC News Breakfast this morning after the $368bn announcement of the Aukus deal yesterday.

In response to the reaction from China accusing Australia, the US and Britain of embarking on a “path of error and danger”, Marles defends making a decision that is in Australia’s national interest:

We are seeking to acquire this capability to make our contribution to the collective security of the region and the maintenance of the global rules-based order.

And one of the issues within our region we are witnessing the largest conventional military build-up that the world has seen since the end of the second world war. And it’s not Australia who is doing that, but that shapes the world in which we live.

We’re completely confident these are in complete compliance with non proliferation.

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Climate activist Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco’s 15-month jail sentence quashed on appeal

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Coco and three other activists blocked a lane of the Sydney Harbour Bridge one morning in April 2022 as part of an environmental protest

A 15-month jail sentence imposed on a climate protester who blocked one lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a truck has been quashed.

Deanna “Violet” Coco, 32, was issued with a 12-month conditional release order on Wednesday after district court judge Mark Williams heard she had been initially imprisoned on false information provided by the NSW police.

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Most Australian states face sharp power bill rises, despite government’s intervention

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Energy regulators issue draft default market offer, which set cap for this year’s increases

Power bills for households in three states will rise as much as 23.7% from 1 July if the Australian Energy Regulator’s draft determination, announced on Wednesday, is confirmed. Prices in Victoria may rise by almost a third.

The AER chair, Clare Savage, said the increases were “significant” but they could have been as much as 40% to 50% without the federal government’s intervention in December to cap domestic gas and black coal prices.

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Lizzo to headline 2023 Splendour in the Grass a year after festival chaos

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News of the Grammy award-winner’s performance comes weeks after organisers apologised again for how wild weather and traffic were handled last year

The Grammy award-winning singer, rapper and flautist Lizzo will headline the 2023 Splendour in the Grass festival, a year after the New South Wales event was hit by a series of disasters.

Festival organisers announced Lizzo’s performance ahead of the full line-up, which they said would be “coming very soon”, as well as revealing a new “flexible pricing model” for tickets, under which prices will increase as the event approaches.

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Late summer heat for New South Wales with parts of Sydney on track for 40C

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Heatwave comes as Bureau of Meteorology confirms La Niña event that has brought much of the rain to the east coast is over

New South Wales will swelter through an unusual burst of summer in March, with a heatwave expected to grip the state this week with temperatures in parts of Sydney reaching close to 40C.

From Wednesday, parts of NSW will experience multiple days in the low to mid-30s while other areas will reach the high 30s.

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NSW government considers banning TikTok on all public sector devices

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Exclusive: State government does not have an overarching policy on the app’s use, but it is understood that is now being reviewed

The New South Wales government is considering banning public sector employees from using TikTok on work devices, engaging federal cybersecurity agencies for advice amid concerns over the social video app’s links to China.

As the federal government considers the security of the app, the NSW electoral commission has confirmed software – including TikTok – is not permitted to be downloaded on to work mobile phones without prior approval.

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Fresh train delays in Sydney as expert warns outdated systems are likely to keep failing

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Professor predicts further outages as Labor attacks NSW government over $670m maintenance backlog

Sydneysiders have been hit with fresh train delays, and repeated outages due to outdated communications technology and poor backup system planning are likely to continue, a transport expert has warned, as the Perrottet government is accused of neglecting upgrades.

The warning came on Tuesday morning as commuters were told to “allow plenty of extra travel time” due to urgent signalling work at Broadmeadow and train repairs on the north shore line at Waitara that caused delays across the network.

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‘It’s over’: five-year hunt for Rambo the feral fox paves way for greater bilby to roam free

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Conservationists are confident invasive predator is dead allowing native creatures to flourish again in NSW’s Pilliga Scrub once more

He was the fantastic fox that derailed a multi-million dollar plan to reintroduce endangered native species into one of Australia’s largest forests. But after a five-year hunt that involved 10,400 traps, 3,500 baits, 73 stakeouts, 55 days of scent-tracking dogs and 97 infrared cameras filming 40-hours a week, the red fox nicknamed “Rambo” is officially “no longer”.

It means, for the first time in a century, greater bilbies are running wild in north-west New South Wales.

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Australian Ethical offloads Lendlease shares over development threat to koala population

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The fund believes itself to be ‘one of the first’ in Australia to divest from a company over a concern for an endangered species

One of Australia’s leading ethical investment managers says it has sold its shares in Lendlease over concerns a planned housing development in south-west Sydney threatens the survival of Sydney’s largest healthy koala population.

Australian Ethical has divested $11m in shareholdings in the property developer’s listed assets, saying Lendlease had failed to provide “critical information” about the width of planned koala corridors at stage two of its Gilead housing development.

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Perrottet’s future fund for children risks increasing poverty divide, social advocates say

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Benefit will depend on how much parents can afford to contribute, with wealthier families getting ‘an extra leg up’, critics say

The New South Wales government’s cornerstone election policy, which aims to help the next generation pay for housing and education, has been criticised by social advocates who claim the scheme will further entrench inequality.

The Kids Future Fund would see all children 10 and under handed an account with $400 in it, with the government to match parents’ future contributions of up to $400 every year until the age of 18.

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Dominic Perrottet announces ‘future fund’ for NSW children at Liberal election campaign launch

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Premier pledges up to $400 annually for children to be used on education or housing once turning 18

Every child under 10 in New South Wales will be set up with an account containing $400 as part of an election promise the premier, Dominic Perrottet, said was the “most significant financial security investment” in the state’s history.

Perrottet announced the government’s $850m “signature election policy” at the Liberal campaign launch in Sydney’s west on Sunday, flanked by dozens of children on stage.

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Naked ambition: Sydney swimmers bare all but fail to reach world record

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More than a thousand nude swimmers stripped off and plunged into Sydney Harbour for the annual event held for the first time since 2019

More than 1,000 Aussies have bared all in the annual nude swim, which has returned after a three-year hiatus.

The hundreds of nude swimmers plunged into the water off Cobblers Beach for the Sydney Skinny in the city’s north on Sunday.

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Australian Catholic order accused of waiting for paedophile to die and using death to shield it from abuse claims

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Marist Brothers approach in seeking to halt a survivor’s case over a clergy member’s death would be ‘absolutely perverse’, court hears

A Catholic order allegedly sat on its hands for almost two years waiting for a notorious paedophile clergy member to die and is now using his death to claim it could no longer receive a fair trial against one of his victims, an approach described in court as “absolutely perverse”.

The Marist Brothers order is currently seeking to permanently halt a survivor’s case alleging abuse by the late Brother Francis “Romuald” Cable, arguing his death renders it unable to fairly defend itself because it can no longer call him as a witness.

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What will it take to win the 2023 NSW election – and what happens if neither side wins a majority?

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Labor needs to pick up nine seats, but if neither major party can get to 47 seats the crossbench will determine the next premier

After three terms in power, the Liberal-National coalition government in New South Wales appears to be on shaky ground, falling behind in the polls and currently operating without a parliamentary majority.

With two weeks to go until the election, there’s still a chance of the Coalition or Labor forming majority or minority government – although a Coalition majority appears least likely.

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‘We are so far behind’: Lynda Edwards says Indigenous voice could spur action on NSW treaty

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Comments from NSW premier’s woman of the year come as government minister rules out progress on treaty if re-elected

The New South Wales premier’s woman of the year says the state is “so far behind everyone else” on a treaty with First Nations people, suggesting a federal voice could lead to action despite a declaration by a Coalition minister that it is not on the agenda.

Lynda Edwards received the title on Thursday, when she was also named the NSW Aboriginal woman of the year by Dominic Perrottet for her work advocating for the financial rights of First Nations people and working to reform the financial sector to better serve them.

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