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Australian news: federal and state politics, the economy, courts, weather and the stories that matter across the country.
2069 articles · page 30 of 44
The Tasmanian public sector union has accused the state government of mishandling a restructure that will cut about 250 jobs, saying staff were given as little as 20 minutes' notice before being told their roles were being axed. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) described Tuesday as a 'brutal day' and said workers were left in tears.
A police officer has told an inquest that the scene at Hillcrest Primary School after a freak wind gust tossed a jumping castle during end-of-year celebrations was 'like nothing I'd seen' in almost three decades on the force. First Class Constable Dean Wotherspoon gave evidence on Wednesday before Coroner Olivia McTaggart, describing the response as 'organised chaos' as emergency personnel and school staff fought to save the children.
A lawyer for fugitive property developer Jean Nassif offered a Liberal operative $1,000 to get media to write about an unsubstantiated affair and an alleged breach of Covid-19 restrictions by former New South Wales minister David Elliott, the state's anti-corruption watchdog has heard.
· 2 sourcesThe federal opposition has pledged to abolish most of Australia's offshore wind zones, repeal the nation's net zero emissions target and dismantle key climate regulations if it wins government, in what it calls an eight-point plan to prioritise energy affordability over the pace of the renewables transition.
· 2 sourcesA Queensland man has been charged with bribing foreign police in Bangladesh to scrub his name from the investigation into the death of his estranged wife, dual national Rehana Parvin, whose body was found by Bangladeshi authorities in 2024.
· 6 sourcesAustralian news publishers have been urged to review their advertising practices after advertisements for faux-bloodstained shirts reading 'problem solved' appeared alongside articles about domestic violence, coinciding with a recent surge in family violence incidents that left three women allegedly murdered and three children allegedly stabbed by their mother.
· 2 sourcesThe United States has formally criticised Australia's proposed social media algorithm opt-out laws, with a rare embassy submission arguing the draft legislation could amount to censorship. Coalition frontbencher Andrew Bragg has echoed the Trump administration's concerns, warning of the risk of 'bestowing too much power onto unelected bureaucrats'.
· 3 sourcesThe cost of raising two or more children in Australia has risen to at least $36,500 per year, a 134% increase over two decades, according to new analysis from advocacy group The Parenthood. Household income has grown only 102% in the same period, leaving families with a growing financial squeeze.
· 2 sourcesNorthern Territory mango farmer Saramat "Tou" Ruchkaew says fruit could be left to rot on her 85,000-tree farm outside Darwin following cuts to Australia's working holiday visa program. The changes, announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke last week, mean backpackers will have to enter a ballot to remain in Australia for more than 12 months, with second-year visas capped at 45,000 and third-year visas limited to just 5,000 — about 38,000 fewer backpackers than in 2026.
The City of Greater Bendigo council has voted 4-1 to retain Bendigo Cup Day as the local public holiday for another five years, backing a slim majority of survey respondents despite opposition from local businesses who favoured aligning with Melbourne Cup Day.
· 2 sourcesThe Reserve Bank governor has warned that interest rate cuts remain a long way off, with another hike expected when the board meets next week — a signal that higher borrowing costs could become the new normal for Australian households.
· 3 sourcesRightwing Liberal senator Alex Antic has been elected state president of the South Australian Liberals, a move that comes as the party's vote has collapsed in the state. Antic, once described as a 'vote-losing machine', said he would give 'back some voice' to party members, many of whom are part of 'Alex's Army' — evangelical and Pentecostal Christians he recruited into the operational wing of the party.
· 2 sourcesThe Trump administration has warned the Australian government that its proposed digital duty of care laws risk becoming a mechanism for 'viewpoint-based censorship', and has called for American platforms to be exempt from the measures.
The royal commission into corruption on Victoria’s $150 billion Big Build infrastructure program opened its first public hearing on Wednesday, revealing that former premier Jacinta Allan was aware of allegations that the construction union allowed criminals and bikies onto state projects as early as 2023. The inquiry, which has already held closed hearings since its launch in August, plans to continue public hearings during the November state election campaign.
· 8 sourcesA power outage affecting nearly 3,000 residents and businesses in Mildura is expected to last until midday Friday, after a ute crashed into a critical power pole on Monday. The prolonged blackout has sparked distress among elderly residents, people with disabilities, and domestic violence survivors reliant on home security systems.
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock has cautioned that artificial intelligence could be a bubble and that there is no evidence it is making the economy more productive, contradicting government claims that the technology will solve Australia’s economic malaise. Speaking ahead of an expected interest rate rise, she also noted that the current house price slump is deeper than others in recent Australian history.
· 2 sourcesThe family of Terry Denton, the beloved Australian illustrator and author of the Treehouse series, has described him as someone who ‘gave joy to millions of children around the world’ as news of his death at age 76 was confirmed Tuesday. Denton died on Monday surrounded by his family, his literary agency Curtis Brown and publisher Pan Macmillan announced.
· 8 sourcesA 42-year-old mother has been charged with the murder of her five-year-old son and the attempted murder of his two younger siblings after all three were found with stab wounds in a vehicle in Valley Heights in the Blue Mountains on Sunday.
· 11 sourcesA private investigator has told the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) that he was instructed to surveil former Liberal minister David Elliott and provided secret recording devices to fugitive property developer Jean Nassif.
· 2 sourcesA male executive has told a Sydney court he felt 'disgusting and powerless' after alleging former broadcaster Alan Jones slid his hand down his back and touched his bottom at a function several years ago, as the sexual assault trial continues.
· 6 sourcesThe registered nurse who triaged toddler Joe Massa told an inquest the hospital’s system gave no warning about his abnormal heartbeat, and that an alert would have led her to escalate his care. The case has exposed a litany of problems, including outdated guidelines and a long shift, reported in the lead-up to his death.
· 3 sourcesThe future of the proposed Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula is in doubt after the Native Vegetation Council rejected a proposal to amend a heritage agreement, citing the need to protect native vegetation and endangered bird species at the conservation area.
· 2 sourcesA Senate inquiry into the September 2025 Optus national outage has recommended sweeping changes to Australia's telecommunications industry, including mandatory domestic mobile roaming and stripping Telstra of its role as operator of the Triple Zero emergency call service.
The criminal trial of broadcaster Alan Jones has heard from a fourth male complainant, who told the court he felt 'disgusting and powerless' after the former radio host allegedly touched his bottom at an event more than five years ago.
· 4 sourcesWestern Australia will become the first state to completely ban the possession of smart glasses on public school premises, Education Minister Sabine Winton announced on Tuesday, in what she called the nation's 'most comprehensive' restriction on the increasingly popular recording devices.
· 2 sourcesAuthorities have issued an Emergency Warning for a dangerous bushfire in Queensland's South Burnett region, while another fire in the Southern Downs prompted evacuations after a permitted burn jumped containment lines, officials said.
The Coalition has reopened debate on using superannuation to help Australians buy homes, with Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg set to float several options in a speech today — including using retirement savings as collateral for a loan or withdrawing a lump sum for a deposit — while stressing the opposition has not yet settled on a formal policy.
· 2 sourcesTreasurer Jim Chalmers has described 'monetised misogyny' online as one factor fuelling domestic violence, while defending the Albanese government's decision to increase resourcing for family violence services rather than support a national royal commission into the issue.
The Victorian government will ban datacentres from residential areas and near schools and childcare centres, and require them to source their own renewable energy, under a sustainable datacentre action plan to be released by Premier Ben Carroll on Tuesday.
· 2 sourcesA Townsville widow received a taxpayer-funded lift chair just two weeks after her husband's death, part of a broader pattern of delayed federal home aged-care funding that has left families mourning loved ones who never received promised support.
Attorney-General Michael Daley will introduce legislation on Tuesday allowing sexual assault complainants in NSW to give pre-recorded evidence-in-chief, mirroring arrangements already in place for children and people with cognitive impairments. The reforms also include a three-year trial of 'ground rules hearings' at three District Courts and stricter limits on accessing complainants' counselling records.
· 4 sourcesDarwin's City Council has confirmed it will consider permanently moving its annual hard rubbish collection from the traditional pre-cyclone August–September slot to May, following last year's postponement due to Cyclone Fina recovery efforts — a change drawing criticism from NT politicians and contrasting with neighbouring Palmerston's decision to continue its clean-up as scheduled.
· 2 sourcesA leading children's cancer and women's health research institute has proposed shutting down and merging with Monash University after years of multimillion-dollar deficits, with about 75 staff expected to lose their jobs, the institute confirmed.
· 3 sourcesThe government's seventh Intergenerational Report has been sharply criticised by experts for underplaying the economic and social damage expected from the worsening climate crisis, even as the Treasury's 40-year outlook casts artificial intelligence as "a defining influence" on Australia's economy.
· 6 sourcesNew data from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment shows that salmon companies have used more than 150,000 underwater explosives to deter seals from fish farms since 2016, with almost 1,800 deployed in the first half of this year alone.
· 2 sourcesThe family of Keren Rowland, a pregnant nurse who died more than five decades ago, believe she may have been murdered by serial killer Ivan Milat, bringing fresh hope to the cold case.
· 3 sourcesLawyer Sharangan Maheswaran has denied lying to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over a $148,500 cheque linked to a Liberal Party fundraiser, while revealing he gave fugitive developer Jean Nassif a secret phone for exclusive use between the pair.
· 3 sourcesHollywood star Rebel Wilson appeared in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Monday as producers of her directorial debut, the musical comedy The Deb, pursue legal action alleging she blocked the film's release.
· 2 sourcesCollingwood superstar Nick Daicos has claimed his first Brownlow Medal, storming home in crushing fashion with a record-breaking 47 votes to beat a star-studded field including Marcus Bontempelli, Zak Butters and Bailey Smith.
· 8 sourcesPolice are investigating whether an 11-year-old boy shot in the face and neck at a Sydney apartment block has links to organised crime, with an 18-year-old man charged with concealing a serious indictable offence as detectives search for the firearm.
· 12 sourcesQueensland fisheries authorities are intensifying their crackdown on illegal fishing, as a 43-year-old poacher caught selling mud crabs in south-east Queensland becomes the latest target in a global black market estimated to cost legal fisheries $23 billion annually. Graeme Bolton, director-general of Queensland's Department of Primary Industries, said the high value and easy transport of species like mud crabs—retailing up to $64 a kilo—makes them a prime target for the illicit trade.
· 2 sourcesAt least 80 roles are set to be eliminated across several Tasmanian government agencies, including Building Tasmania, as part of a broader public service restructure, according to the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and multiple sources. Despite the premier's weekend commitment that no worker would be forced out, an all-staff meeting on Monday revealed that specific positions had been identified for abolition, leaving employees confused and anxious about their futures.
The Australian Taxation Office clawed back $190 million in cash last financial year as part of a crackdown on illegal phoenixing, with the cross-agency Phoenix Taskforce warning legitimate businesspeople not to fall victim to the practice.
Just a year after hundreds of Chinese CCTV cameras were removed from federal government buildings over surveillance fears, cameras from the same company – Dahua Technology – have resurfaced in Australia inside a new brand of electric vehicle, the Leapmotor C10. The development has prompted warnings from former cybersecurity officials that such vehicles could be used as real-time surveillance devices near sensitive sites.
Australia will for the first time see deaths outpace births from the 2060s, according to the 2026 Intergenerational Report, which warns of an aging population that will strain federal finances and reduce the workforce unless migration is maintained. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the decline in birth rates was one of the biggest changes from three years ago.
· 5 sourcesThe New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) heard on Monday that Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran expressed immediate alarm after an incendiary speech by a NSW MP triggered a referral to the watchdog, writing “Oh shit, did he touch on me?” and requesting adjustments to an invoice relating to a Liberal fundraiser attended by then-Premier Dominic Perrottet.
· 2 sourcesProsecutors have dropped another indecent assault charge against broadcaster Alan Jones midway through his criminal trial in the NSW Local Court, reducing the number of complainants from six to five. The decision, announced on Monday, means Mr Jones now faces 21 charges relating to five men, with allegations spanning 2003 to 2020.
· 4 sourcesA Senate inquiry has called for Telstra to be stripped of its control of Triple Zero (000) and for the emergency call service to be nationalised, recommending a new authority take over the role following last year's Optus outage that was linked to two deaths.
· 8 sources