Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Kris Swales

Afternoon Update: clean-up order to tackle Sydney fatberg; Mexico violence after cartel boss killed; and a bear at the Baftas

Debris balls first closed Sydney beaches in October 2024.
Debris balls first closed Sydney beaches in October 2024. Composite: Victoria Hart/Anne Davies/Guardian Design

Good afternoon.

Sydney Water has been ordered to remove fats from its Malabar wastewater treatment plant, a month after Guardian Australia revealed a huge fatberg was responsible for the poo balls that closed several New South Wales beaches last summer.

The state’s Environment Protection Authority said on Monday it had issued a pollution reduction program to Sydney Water “requiring a range of significant works to reduce the likelihood of further debris balls washing up on the state’s beaches”.

The fatberg, which could be the size of four Sydney buses, is thought to be beyond the bulkhead door at the treatment plant.

Top news

In pictures

Paddington Bear takes the lift after presenting an award at the Baftas. Catherine Shoard rounded up the best quotes from the ceremony after I Swear’s Robert Aramayo took best actor, One Battle After Another swept the board and the red carpet provided plenty of glamour.

What they said …

***

“I need the parliament of this country unequivocally to stand up and say they are on the side of young people … because young people do not believe that you’re on their side.”

The union great Bill Kelty told a parliamentary committee the tax system needs reforming to reduce the growing burden on young people, saying scaling back tax breaks for investors to pay for some extra spending was not good enough.

Full Story

Coles in court: the high-stakes battle over the price of your groceries

The consumer watchdog has taken Coles to the federal court testing allegations the supermarket breached the law by offering “illusory” discounts on many everyday products. Coles denies any wrongdoing.

A week in, Guardian Australia business editor, Jonathan Barrett, tells Reged Ahmad whether the outcome could bring prices down.

Listen to the episode here.

Before bed read

“A rightwing populist party, led by a familiar anti-establishment figure, gathering momentum. A Labour government enjoying a comfortable parliamentary majority but struggling.” The former race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane is describing British politics – specifically the rise of Reform. But it’s a description, he notes, that could also fit Australia as support for One Nation roars back.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: OAR. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

Sign up

If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.