Australia

575 articles · page 2 of 12

Australia

Australia faces $850 billion sea level rise damage bill, first nationwide assessment finds

Australia’s cherished coastal lifestyle comes with a multibillion-dollar price tag as rising sea levels threaten to inflict more than $850 billion in damage this century, according to the first nationwide economic assessment of sea level rise impacts. The research, led by the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University and Global Environmental and Economic Modelling, warns that more than 267,000 coastal properties and 2 million hectares of land face flood damage by 2100 under a warming scenario of about 2.7°C.

10 Sept 2026
Australia

Commonwealth argues White Australia party is 'modern manifestation' of Nazism as High Court challenge begins

The Commonwealth has told the High Court that the White Australia party, formerly the National Socialist Network, is a 'modern manifestation' of Adolf Hitler's Nazi movement and would incite hate crimes. The group was banned in May after ASIO recommended its designation as an illegal hate group, a decision the party is now challenging on the basis that the law breaches the implied freedom of political communication.

9 Sept 2026· 2 sources
Australia

NDIS participant data may have been shared with Palantir in fraud probe, Guardian reveals

Personal information of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants may have been fed into Palantir's controversial analytics platform as part of a multi-agency fraud investigation, Guardian Australia has reported. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), which has access to NDIA data, used Palantir's software in a taskforce aimed at curbing fraud, raising serious privacy concerns for some of Australia's most vulnerable citizens.

9 Sept 2026· 2 sources
Australia

Communities in Victoria's west push for return of passenger rail services ahead of state election

Regional Victorian residents and public transport advocates are calling for the reinstatement of passenger rail services on two key routes — Geelong-Ballarat and Mildura — as the state heads towards the November election. The Geelong-Ballarat line has not carried passengers for nearly five decades, while Mildura has been without a passenger train since 1993 when the Kennett government discontinued the service.

9 Sept 2026· 2 sources
Australia

Labor backbenchers criticise Australia's refusal to join West Bank settlement trade ban as UK accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'

Labor party members have criticised the federal government for declining to join the UK, Canada and France in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, urging Foreign Minister Penny Wong to mount a stronger response to violence against Palestinians. The criticism comes as Australia prepares another round of targeted sanctions against Israeli settlers but stops short of a blanket trade ban.

9 Sept 2026· 5 sources
Australia

State officials logged hundreds of 'concerning' aged-care assessments days after federal funding tool launched

State health officials were so alarmed by a controversial federal government aged-care funding tool that they kept a log of hundreds of cases where vulnerable older Australians were severely under-assessed, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. A senior state health official wrote to the federal government warning of 'catastrophic' outcomes and said staff were fielding calls from distraught clients and assessors.

9 Sept 2026
Australia

Australia's Credit Card Surcharge Ban Takes Effect October 1, But Loyalty Points May Suffer

From October 1, 2026, the Reserve Bank of Australia will ban surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard, and Visa payments, eliminating the irritating extra line on receipts for most card transactions. However, the same reforms are slashing interchange fees — the money banks earn from card payments — which could reduce the funding that supports credit card rewards, perks, and interest-free days.

8 Sept 2026
Australia

Labor shelves national plastic packaging standards, citing cost of living concerns

The federal government has quietly shelved a 2023 promise to implement national packaging standards aimed at curbing plastic waste, citing concern for increasing cost of living pressures. In an email to stakeholders last week, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said the mandatory standards would not go ahead in this term of government, instead focusing on working with states and territories on ‘opportunities to improve’ packaging regulations.

8 Sept 2026· 2 sources