What we learned - Friday 11 October
This is where we’ll wrap up the blog for today, but first, a quick summary:
Labor has announced anti-scam measures.
National home values rose by 1% in the September quarter, CoreLogic has said, the softest three-month rise since March 2023.
The shadow minister for foreign affairs, Simon Birmingham, said Australians fleeing Lebanon should pay their own way because they ignored “warning after warning”.
NSW Health has warned of a “significant rise” in gastroenteritis cases across the state in recent weeks.
A Sydney daycare worker was charged with the alleged sexual abuse of a child.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said the advice of older generations is “not available” to parents regarding the social media use of their children.
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, said the “patient” approach to China has paid off with the lifting of a rock lobster trade ban.
A woman’s arm has been severed in a vicious dog attack.
Executives at Coles and Woolworths have told a Senate committee they’ll need to ask Tim Tam owner Arnott’s why their chocolate biscuits are cheaper in the UK than in Australia.
The Aurora Australis has lit up Australian skies overnight.
AI deepfake ads are set to be aired during the federal election – despite warnings.
Some patients at a Sydney GP clinic have been given less-effective vaccines due to storage issues.
The minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, said a concensus on the right age to be able to access to social media was “unlikely”.
The LNP leader, David Crisafulli, said the end of coal before the 2030s was “fanciful”.
Victoria has apologised to the state’s stolen generation victims in a quiet ceremony.
And finally, the ABC’s Richard Glover has announced his retirement from his radio show.
Enjoy your weekend.
Updated
Anthony Albanese speaks from Laos
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking at the Asean summit in Laos.
He hails the “good news” of the resumption of lobster trade with China, which he says means 3,000 jobs in Australia secure into the future:
I come to these forums in order to advance Australia’s national interests, in order to protect jobs and enhance our economic engagement.
Albanese thanks the business leaders in sectors from IT to green energy who have come to the summit. The business meeting held this morning progressed the south-east Asia economic strategy to 2040 – with 47 recommendations implemented and the establishment of business investment in south-east Asia, he says.
Albanese will fly home from Laos this evening.
Updated
Australian shares ease but finish week in the green
The local share market has finished slightly lower but its weekly performance was enough to make up for last week’s losses and leave it within striking distance of a fresh all-time high, AAP reports.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Friday closed down 8.5 points, or 0.1%, at 8,214.5, while the broader All Ordinaries dipped 7.2 points, or 0.08%, to 8,491.5.
For the week, the ASX200 gained 64.5 points, or 0.79%, after dropping 62.2 points the prior week.
Its finish on Friday was 55.3 points, or 0.7%, off its all-time best close of 8,269.8 set on September 30.
The Australian dollar was buying 67.40 US cents, from 67.30 US cents at Thursday’s ASX close.
Quit stage diving at concerts, insurers tell musicians
If bands would stop stage diving at concerts, insuring Australia’s live music events would be much easier, an inquiry has been told. AAP reports:
Long-time live music fan Jason Holmes sells insurance for entertainment events through his brokerage H2 Insurance Solutions and said watching performers take risks onstage makes him cringe.
It’s only fun until something goes wrong, and regularly something does go wrong, and then obviously that’s where we see claims.
Insurers are saying: ‘Hey, you can’t jump in a crowd, you can’t throw things into the crowd.’ The artists need to be made aware of this.
The hearing in Canberra today is the latest examining a crisis in Australia’s music industry, with festivals such as Splendour in the Grass cancelled and venues closing as costs soar.
One of those costs is insurance. In general, public liability insurance premiums have increased by 40% since 2015, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.
The live music scene is predominantly insured through international companies, according to the council’s Alexandra Hordern – local insurers view the market as unprofitable and too risky.
Updated
Tributes flow after Richard Glover’s retirement announcement
The tributes to Richard Glover are flowing in on social media.
Peter Fitzsimons wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
Glover will be missed. One of the best in the business.
Comments on the ABC article also include tributes from Glover’s listeners, such as one person who says:
I am devastated, he has been apart of many of our lives for a long time. He feels like a friend who delivers good and bad news.
And many “Noooooooooo”s.
Updated
ABC's Richard Glover announces retirement
ABC Radio’s Sydney Drive host, Richard Glover, will retire next month after a record 26 years behind the local radio microphone. He said:
It’s one of the best jobs in Australian journalism, and I feel I’ve hogged it for long enough.
It has a terrific audience – funny, wise, full of intellect but also willing to share some of the deeper stories of being human.
Updated
Murray Watt, the minister for workplace relations, earlier today said the government is open to changes to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (Palm) scheme, acknowledging there has been too many instances of abuse.
The scheme allows Australian employers to hire workers from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste for seasonal roles for up to nine months, or longer-term roles for up to four years. Watt said:
We have seen unfortunately far too many abuses of the Palm scheme and it’s important for Australia and our reputation that when people come to work in Australia, they don’t get exploited and they get treated fairly.
Unfortunately, I’m aware of some examples of that not happening in this very region across Bundaberg and we have seen the Fair Work Ombudsman take action against particular employers and particular labour hire firms who have done the wrong thing and that’s exactly the way it should be.
We actually have made changes to the Palm scheme since coming to office a couple of years ago to try to reduce the exploitation that we have seen. We brought in, for example, minimum amounts of pay that need to be paid to people to make sure they do have money in their pockets. We have made changes around the housing requirements.
But what I can say is that wherever there is exploitation going on of Palm workers or local workers as a Labor government we will continue to take action and we’re open to further changes.
Updated
Thanks Emily and good afternoon everyone! It’s nearly the weekend but still plenty of news coming your way.
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, the lovely Natasha May will be here to guide you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Enjoy your afternoon, and your weekend!
Victoria apologises to stolen generation in quiet ceremony
An historic apology has been offered to Victoria’s stolen generation victims by Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, AAP reports.
Allan made the personal apology on behalf of the state government yesterday in Melbourne’s inner north. The premier posted a picture online of the smoking ceremony after the event and wrote on Facebook:
Members of the stolen generations have never received an apology in person from the Victorian government. Until today.
On behalf of successive Victorian governments and parliaments, I apologised to those children who were forcibly removed from their families. To the babies and children who grew up without knowing who they were. And the mums and dads who were left – sometimes for a lifetime – searching.
Allan told reporters in Shepparton today that she and the attorney general were “joined by people in their 80s, people in their 50s who were part of that stolen generation who are still experiencing the grief and trauma of being torn away from their family at birth.”
The opposition spokesperson, David Davis, criticised the government for not inviting the media to cover the ceremony, declaring the apology should have been delivered in plain sight.
Updated
LNP leader says end of coal before 2030s 'fanciful'
The LNP leader, David Crisafulli, appears to be walking away from a commitment to 75% emissions reduction by 2035.
Asked if he still backed the interim target, which he voted to legislate earlier this year, Crisafulli said his focus was elsewhere:
Our primary target, the biggest focus, is net zero by 2050. We will continue to make sure we’re on the journey, that we have a credible path to get there. 2050 is the number one target.
He didn’t answer a question as to whether he would amend the emissions reduction target.
Crisafulli has previously said he would repeal Queensland’s 80% by 2035 renewable energy target. The party voted against legislating it. Last week he said he would extend the life of the Callide unit B coal-fired power station past its scheduled end of life in 2028.
Yesterday he said he would extend the life of coal plants “indefinitely”.
The notion that by the early 2030s you can turn off Queensland’s baseload power without impacting reliability or people’s hip pocket is fanciful, and even the government’s own energy department has said so.
Queensland has eight coal-fired power stations, including the last plant built in the country, Kogan Creek, commissioned in 2007. Many are due to close in the 2030s.
Updated
Consensus on right age to ban social media ‘unlikely’, Rowland says
The federal minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, has said the age assurance trial – to prevent children from accessing pornography – is evaluating technology that “could be effective to age limit access to social media platforms”.
Addressing the social media summit in South Australia, Rowland said:
Let me also take this opportunity to acknowledge the extensive work of former high court chief justice Robert French. Our age assurance trial is evaluating technologies that could be effective to age limit access to social media platforms from 13 up to 16 years and preventing people under 18 from accessing online pornography. The trial includes targeted stakeholder consultation and consumer-focused research looking into attitudes towards different technologies and important issues of privacy, security and accessibility.
Rowland said she anticipated the independent review of Australia’s Online Safety Act final report “in coming weeks”, and that it would be unlikely there would be a consensus on the right age to ban users from social media:
Let me be clear that no solution will be perfect, and the consensus on the right age is unlikely. Young people, of course, are digitally savvy and will find ways to circumvent controls, but we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Updated
ANZ joins rivals in cutting fixed mortgage rates
ANZ has joined its big bank rivals in cutting its fixed mortgage rates ahead of expectations the Reserve Bank will lower the official cash rate.
Many two- and three-year fixed loans are now priced at a full percentage point below standard variable rates, which equates to four quarter-point rate cuts.
Canstar said ANZ had cut owner-occupier fixed rates by up to 0.6 percentage points and investor fixed rates by up to 0.7 percentage points, representing the bank’s first fixed rate cuts of 2024.
Canstar’s data insights director, Sally Tindall, says:
For months, ANZ held out on changing fixed rates when the other majors were busy making cuts, but the bank has now gone and made the chop.
Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac have already announced fixed rate cuts.
Funding costs have reduced for lenders amid expectations the RBA will soon enter a rate-cutting cycle, even though the central bank has warned that it does not expect “near term” cuts due to persistent inflation.
Mortgage brokers have said the fixed rate cuts allow under-pressure mortgage holders to consider locking in some immediate savings.
Updated
Penalties on platforms, not users, in approach to social media age ban legislation
Penalties will be faced by platforms, not users, in the federal government’s legislative design for a national minimum age for social media access, the minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, says.
She is addressing the social media summit in South Australia, and said:
A key design principle of the commonwealth’s legislative approach is to place the onus on the platforms, not on parents or young people. Penalties for users will not feature in our legislative design.
Instead, it will be incumbent on the platforms to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to ensure fundamental protections are in place at the source. Our approach will ensure the eSafety regulator provides oversight and enforcement.
Rowland said the federal government is considering an exemption framework, “to accommodate access for social media services that demonstrate a low risk of harm to children”. She said the aim is to “create positive incentives” for platforms to develop “age-appropriate versions of their apps and embed safe and healthy experiences”.
By design, we are conscious of the harmful features in the design of platforms that drive addictive behaviours, and this is why we will set parameters to guide platforms in designing social media that allows connections but not harms to flourish.
The federal government will set a 12-month implementation timeframe, for the industry and regulator to implement necessary systems and processes, Rowland said.
Updated
Queensland premier forgets second candidates’ name in repeat gaffe
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has again forgotten the name of a local Labor candidate.
The premier was campaigning in Kawana, on the Sunshine Coast, today, one of the LNP’s safest seats. But there was no sign of Jim Dawson, who is trying to take the electorate off the LNP’s deputy leader, Jarrod Bleijie.
When asked where his candidate was, Miles said:
I’ll be campaigning on Sunshine Coast seats from now all day. So stay tuned.
He was then asked a follow-up question: who were they?
“That’s a good question,” Miles said before a lengthy pause.
We’ll get that for you and I’ll be with them later.
It was an embarrassing repeat of a similar blunder in central Queensland last week, when the premier forgot the name of Mirani candidate Susan Teder.
Updated
Some patients at Sydney GP clinic given less-effective vaccines due to storage issues
The Sydney local health district says it is assisting the Holy Family medical centre in Dulwich Hill, in Sydney’s inner west, after patients were given less-effective vaccines due to storage issues.
Vaccines were incorrectly stored at the practice and patients who received a vaccine between 4 December 2019 and 30 July 2024, may have received a vaccination that was less effective.
The Sydney LDH will assist the medical centre to coordinate and run a revaccination clinic “in the coming weeks”, prioritising children under five and adults over 65.
In a statement, the LHD said patients who received the private travel vaccine and influenza vaccines are not at risk.
Holy Family medical centre is notifying all patients affected, including a number of children who were aged between 0 and 5 years at the time of their first vaccination.
Repeating a vaccination will not cause any harm, even if the first vaccine was effective.
Updated
Michelle Rowland addressing social media summit
The federal minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, is addressing the social media summit in South Australia.
She will be laying out the commonwealth’s approach to legislating a national minimum age for social media access. She labelled it a “significant reform” and said the government would work with “state and territory governments, regulators, experts, industry and the community”:
Today I’ll cover three things: the pragmatic approach we are taking to social media, age limits, the design principles that will underpin our reforms, and finally, how this aligns to our whole of government approach to improving online safety.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology has shared a weather update, as severe thunderstorms are forecast for parts of eastern NSW.
Severe Weather Update Friday 11 October 2024: Severe thunderstorms for parts of eastern NSW
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) October 11, 2024
Video current: 12:00pm AEDT Friday 10 October 2024
For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/wctvfL79nb
Federal court reserves decision on whether to suppress details on Channel Seven lawsuit
The federal court has reserved its decision on whether an “extraordinary and unprecedented” application by Channel Seven to suppress details of a dispute with a former employee should be granted.
A former Spotlight journalist, Amelia Saw, has taken legal action against the network and alleges in her statement of claim that the program created a hostile working environment for women. Seven is seeking to suppress the details of her claim ahead of mediation.
Philip Boncardo, acting for Saw, described Seven’s application as “extraordinary and unprecedented” and told the court Seven was essentially trying to avoid embarrassment.
In her submission for Seven, Kate Eastman SC said Saw’s statement of claim and amended statement of claim contained “salacious communications” about conversations and text messages and should not be made available to the media.
Three media organisations, including Nine Entertainment, opposed the suppression order. Justice Nye Perram reserved his decision.
Updated
Aussie shares ease, but set to finish week in the green
The local share market was slightly lower in morning trade, AAP reports. At noon, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 15.6 points, or 0.19%, to 8,208.6, while the broader All Ordinaries had gained 10.9 points, or 0.13%, to 8,487.8.
For the week the ASX200 was up 60.2 points, or 0.74%, on track to basically recoup the previous week’s 62.2 points of losses.
At midday seven of the ASX’s 11 sectors were lower, with energy, industrials, healthcare and technology higher. Property was the biggest mover, falling 0.7% as Goodman Group dropped 0.8% and Charter Hall lost 1%.
The heavyweight mining sector was down 0.3%, with losses for the big iron ore miners outweighing gains for goldminers. BHP was down 0.8%, Rio Tinto had dropped 0.5% and Fortescue had fallen 1.2%.
The big four banks were having a more subdued day, with ANZ up 0.3%, CBA down 0.5%, and Westpac and NAB basically flat.
The Australian dollar was buying 67.39 US cents, from 67.30 US cents at Thursday’s ASX close.
Updated
Koala captured walking close to Sydney train station now in care of Wires
Wildlife rescue agency Wires has provided an update on the koala who was captured wandering perilously close to a Sydney train line before being corralled to safety into nearby bushland.
As the ABC reports, Wires were again called when the koala – dubbed Klaus – turned up in the backyard of a nearby home. Volunteer Inga Schwaiger told ABC Radio Sydney the koala was in good health, aside from being slightly dehydrated:
He’s in care with Wires now, he’s very lucky. He didn’t have far to go to the Hume Highway between Liverpool and Casula and that would’ve been an absolute disaster.
Rescuers knew it was the same koala because there is no habitat around Casula station, Schwaiger said.
Updated
More information on truck rollover along Hume Highway
A NSW RFS spokesperson has just provided us with some more details on that truck rollover at a service station along the Hume Highway (see previous post).
The spokesperson was not able to say how the B-double actually managed to roll over on to its side, but said crews were called to the scene at about 9.15am this morning.
The truck landed about 3m from the bowsers and ruptured its own fuel tank, with around 200L spilled that crews are working to clean up. Crews are also working to decant the rest of the truck and unload its contents – pet food – so it can be moved.
The driver was trapped for a short period of time and taken to hospital with head injuries, which are believed to be non-life threatening.
There is no specific timeframe on when the service station will reopen, but it is expected emergency services will be responding for another few hours at least.
Updated
Truck rollover at service station along Hume Highway
Firefighters in NSW have responded to a truck rollover at a service station along the Hume Highway, at Sutton Forest in the Southern Highlands.
The service station will remain closed “for some time”, the RFS said, while crews remove the contents and fuel from the truck.
We’re reached out to the RFS for more details on how this occurred, and will update when we can.
Firefighters from the #RFS and FRNSW are on scene of a truck roll-over within the south-bound service station on the Hume Highway at Sutton Forest. The service station will remain closed for some time, while crews remove the contents and fuel from the truck. pic.twitter.com/Kl5XukZaDK
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 11, 2024
AI deepfake ads set to screen during federal election
Deepfake political advertisements with videos pretending to be the prime minister or opposition leader will be allowed at the next federal election, AAP reports, under contentious recommendations from an AI inquiry.
Voluntary rules about labelling AI content could be fast-tracked in time for the 2025 election and mandatory restrictions applied to political ads when they are ready.
The Adopting Artificial Intelligence inquiry issued the recommendations in its interim report today, but failed to secure the endorsement of a majority of its members, with four out of six senators clashing over its content.
In a dissenting report, the inquiry’s deputy chair, Greens senator David Shoebridge, said the recommendations would allow deepfake political ads to “mislead voters or damage candidates’ reputations”. Two Coalition senators argued a rushed process would unfairly restrict freedom of speech.
A temporary, targeted ban on political deepfakes should be introduced to help voters participating in the next federal election, Shoebridge said.
Under current laws, it would be legal to have a deepfake video pretending to be the prime minister or the opposition leader saying something they never, in fact, said as long as this is properly authorised under the Electoral Act. That falls well below community expectations of our electoral regulation.
Updated
Internet safety classes will be part of South Australian school curriculum
At the press conference, South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, said there would be a school-based program applied to all school across the state within the curriculum to give children “the knowledge and the tools about how to confront the challenges they’ll experience online”:
No one is suggesting for a moment that we should keep kids off the internet.
Yes, we want to put an age limit in place in terms of their access to social media, but if we’re serious about their safety, we [have] got to make sure they have got the skills and the capability to be able to deal with cyberbullying, to be able to understand what healthy messages are around body images, to understand what is illicit content and really isn’t safe for them. To give them the preparedness, to know what to do and who to speak to if an online predator comes after them.
Malinauskas said this would roll out in schools from next year.
Updated
Michelle Rowland reiterates social media age requirement changes will focus on platforms
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, is speaking at the social media summit in Adelaide about the legislative design principles that will underpin the proposed laws about minimum age requirements to access social media:
For example, we see the onus as being on the platforms, not on users or their parents when it comes to safety online. It’s important to incentivise the platforms to create less at-risk platforms, less at-risk apps, less at-risk services.
To that end, we look forward to working with industry to help achieve this goal. We know through recent developments that the platforms can and they should be doing more in this space.
We will also be working with eSafety who will be overseeing this legislative change. And importantly, we will continue to pursue efforts to make sure that the platforms are held to account and do more. To that end, there won’t be penalties that will be imposed, as I said, on those children or their parents as users. But we will ensure through our review of the Online Safety Act that the penalties’ regime is fit-for-purpose.
Updated
Aurora Australis lights up the night
There’s been a massive solar storm overnight and it’s not only the northern hemisphere which has had a cracker aurora night as a result– some parts of Australia have also seen light shows in the sky.
Solar storms occur when there is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the sun, according to Nasa. A geomagnetic storm then occurs due to the interaction of the Sun’s outburst disturbing the Earth’s magnetic field, resulting in the auroras.
Around the country from Canberra to Perth and Cape Schanck, many stayed up to see nature’s spectacle:
Our Matt Woods loves the Aurora so much, he pulled an all-nighter just to catch last night’s stunning Aurora Australis display. No sleep, just pure dedication... and probably a lot of coffee!#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #astronomy… pic.twitter.com/DF3Kysxivj
— Perth Observatory (@perthobs) October 10, 2024
Aurora Australis viewed from just outside Canberra (Yass) this morning. This is a short time-lapse taken by my son-in-law on his phone, but it was visible from the naked eye. #weareallstardust #space #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/52whuzEvUT
— Nikki Coleman (she, her, hers) (@Coleman_Ethics) October 10, 2024
Horsham, Victoria, in around 4-ish this morning, when the storm was G4/Kp8. Horsham is awfully north to see an #aurora, easily to nake eye this time (colors via google nightsight) #AuroraAustralis pic.twitter.com/Iv90fjSBts
— Balneus (@Balneus) October 11, 2024
Aurora Australis 4am, Cape Schanck pic.twitter.com/Jme5puq0ER
— jc lysdexic (@lysdexic_) October 10, 2024
Aurora visible at left of frame (south) captured by my all-sky camera at about 4am local time from my observatory near Sydney Australia (33 deg south). Aurora at this latitude are rare. #aurora #AuroraAustralis #southernlights pic.twitter.com/dfuTBuiht8
— The Wonky Astronomer (@WonkyAstronomer) October 10, 2024
Updated
What’s the cost of a Tim Tam slam in the UK in comparison with Australia?
Just following on from our last post where executives at Coles and Woolworths told a Senate committee they need to ask biscuit maker Arnott’s why their chocolate biscuits are cheaper in the UK than in Australia.
As we mentioned, a comparison of seven Australian products stocked in UK supermarkets, including Tim Tam biscuits and Vegemite, found they are often cheaper to buy in Britain than at Australia’s two big chains.
Vegemite retails for $1.93 per 100g at Morrisons but costs customers $2.27 at Coles and $2.21 at Woolworths, according to price checks conducted by Guardian Australia.
You can read the full story from Cait Kelly below:
Updated
Supermarkets sidestep Tim Tam dunk
Executives at Coles and Woolworths have told a Senate committee they’ll need to ask Tim Tam-owner Arnott’s why their chocolate biscuits are cheaper in the UK than in Australia.
“It’s probably a great question for Arnott’s,” Paul Harker, chief commercial officer at Woolworths, told the parliamentary committee on cost of living today.
Adam Fitzgibbons, head of public affairs at Coles, said:
I think the question almost presupposes that Arnott’s sells their product to us at the same price that they would sell those products to other retailers internationally. That’s not something that I or Coles would have visibility of at all, but I think that’s certainly a question that would be very best directed towards Arnott’s.
A comparison of seven Australian products stocked in UK supermarkets, including Tim Tam biscuits and Vegemite, found they are often cheaper to buy in Britain than at Australia’s two big chains.
The products are manufactured in Australia, raising questions over markups applied by supermarkets. Food manufacturers have consistently said that supermarkets have the final say over pricing decisions.
The committee chair, Liberal senator Jane Hume, said:
It does sound passing strange, doesn’t it, that a product that is manufactured in western Sydney would cost more at a supermarket in Sydney than it would at a supermarket in London after it’s travelled 17,000km.
Updated
NSW deputy premier thanks activists for educating government on coercive control
We also asked the NSW deputy premier, Prue Car, what can be done so police take claims of victims of coercive control more seriously. She said police were trained upon coercive control being made a crime in the state:
The work that has been done by people in the community, firstly on educating us all about coercive control being the precursor to domestic violence, that has led to coercive control now being a crime for New South Wales.
Credit where credit’s due, it wasn’t just this government today ... The previous government also did some work on this. We were proud to have made that a crime in NSW so that women like that can actually be confident that the crime of coercive control will be policed.
Part of the framework of doing that was training police in the new criminal framework of coercive control as a crime, so we can actually prosecute these men, mainly, that coercively control their partners, people that they purport to love.
Updated
Woman’s arm severed in vicious dog attack
A woman has been rushed to hospital after her arm was severed in a vicious dog attack in north Queensland, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to reports of a dog mauling at a Lonerganne Street property in Garbutt, a suburb of Townsville, just after 7am.
A woman in her 30s sustained significant injuries to her arm which has been severed during the attack. She was rushed to Townsville university hospital.
Police attempted to subdue the dog but were unsuccessful and it was “euthanised” at the scene. Officers said investigations into the attack are ongoing.
It follows another attack in a Melbourne back yard yesterday where a woman was critically injured and the three dogs responsible fatally shot by police.
Updated
BoM forecasts thunderstorms across parts of NSW
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting thunderstorms across central and south-east New South Wales this afternoon and evening, including for Sydney:
⛈️Thunderstorm FORECAST for TODAY: Thunderstorms are possible across central and south eastern parts of NSW this afternoon and evening.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) October 11, 2024
Severe thunderstorms are possible around the #BlueMountains and #Illawarra. Warnings as needed https://t.co/HaQrNPzBsh pic.twitter.com/2TmjzZ8fOC
Updated
NSW deputy premier on electronic monitoring of alleged serious DV offenders
The deputy premier, Prue Car, addressed press a short while ago to announce the NSW government’s electronic monitoring of alleged serious domestic violence offenders.
We brought to Car’s attention Alicia*, a woman who told Guardian Australia she fears she will be killed by her controlling ex, but that police won’t listen until “there’s a dead body”.
Asked how the NSW government can say it is committed to ending violence against women when someone begging for help from police was repeatedly dismissed, Car said it is “those kinds of women and stories that spurred the government on to do something about this once and for all”.
She said this is “not a simple problem to fix” and needs to be “attacked from all angles”:
We are attempting to do that from every angle, making it harder for those charged with these heinous, heinous offences to be given bail while they await their trial. From today, they are going to have to wear an ankle bracelet.
In no way would we ever stand here and say that this is simple, or that we have solved this. There are too many women in NSW that fall victim to domestic violence, to coercive control. It took a significant amount of years to get to the point where coercive control, about where a woman goes, who she sees, what money she spends, leads to physical, mental, sexual violence. It’s women like that that we are attempting to do this for.
You can read Alicia’s story, reported by Kate Lyons, here:
*Names have been changed
Updated
Dementia set to become Australia’s leading cause of death: ABS data
Dementia Australia says that new data from the ABS shows dementia is set to become the nation’s leading cause of death.
In 2023, dementia accounted for 9.1% of all deaths, closely following ischaemic heart disease at 9.2%. Dementia is the leading cause of death for Australian women, representing 12.2% of all female deaths and 6.4% of male deaths.
Dementia Australia’s CEO, Prof Tanya Buchanan, said the ABS data reinforces the urgent need for a public health approach to reducing, or preventing, the risk of developing dementia. She said this was especially important given there is no cure for dementia and poor community understanding of the terminal nature of the disease.
There are currently an estimated 421,000 Australians living with dementia and without a significant intervention, this number is expected to increase to more than 812,500 by 2054.
As dementia edges closer to becoming the leading cause of death of Australians, it is crucial that we act now to focus on the brain health of the nation as well as provide more targeted, effective support to those impacted by dementia.
Updated
Dutton ‘out of step with international community’, Wong says
Penny Wong was asked if the government went “too far” with its wording on the 7 October motion in parliament – and if it should have ensured it included words the Coalition would support?
Peter Dutton refused to support a parliamentary motion proposed by Anthony Albanese marking the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks because it also mentioned the need for regional de-escalation and a ceasefire.
Wong said that it was Dutton who had “gone too far”, saying that he was “out of step with the majority of the international community”.
The United States and every member of the UN Security Council have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, but Mr Dutton does not want to vote for one.
Wong said a similar debate had occurred in the Senate yesterday, where the Coalition was “prepared to support a broader motion including some of the issues that Mr Dutton refused to support in the house”:
Mr Dutton is doing what he always does, which is to seek to divide, to seek to inflame. Whenever there is a moment where we need Australians to come together, you can always count on Peter Dutton to look to divide Australians.
Updated
No further evacuation flights from Lebanon after Sunday
Penny Wong is asked to respond to comments from Simon Birmingham (see earlier) suggesting Australians fleeing Lebanon should be paying their own way instead of being “rewarded with a free ride”.
Wong says the government is taking the same approach with these evacuation flights it did for people feeling after 7 October:
We have a flight scheduled for Sunday, that’s October 13. There are no further flights scheduled beyond that … Flights are not going to be scheduled indefinitely, and are subject to operational and security constraints. You should leave now if you wish to leave.
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Questions for Wong
The foreign minister Penny Wong is now taking questions.
Asked when the first lobsters will hit China, she says “by the end of the year” but is hoping for a “little earlier than that”.
She is also asked if the government trusts China as a trading partner, and what lessons have been learned. Wong responds:
We learned a few lessons as a country, didn’t we? The first is that Peter Dutton talking tough isn’t the same as being tough and that Mr Dutton and his colleagues really took an approach to the relationship with China which ultimately didn’t end up with a relationship that was stable, where we are could agree, disagree, cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest.
She accuses the opposition of seeking to continue politicising the China-Australia relationship:
I’ve been very clear, China has a set of interests – some of those are very different to Australia’s. There are gonna be areas where we disagree and Australia has been very clear about standing up for those issues which are important to Australians. But we also know that it’s important to engage and we will continue to do that in a mature, calibrated and deliberate way.
Earlier, the shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham said Australia should be “principled and predictable” with China (see earlier post for more).
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Trade agreements hailed
The trade minister, Don Farrell, also spoke about the lifting of trade restrictions on lobster.
He said more than $700m worth of trade was lost due to the restrictions:
As you will have seen in the last week or two, we have negotiated new free trade agreements with the United Arab Emirates and we are encouraging companies like Ferguson’s to expand and look at other markets so that we diversify our trading relationship. That is the best way we can increase our prosperity and increase the number of jobs in this country.
Penny Wong and Farrell have been speaking from the Ferguson Australia lobster business in Adelaide.
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Wong says ‘patient’ approach to China has paid off with lifting of rock lobster trade ban
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is speaking to the media about the lifting of trade restrictions by China on Australian lobsters.
She told reporters that this occurred “in the context of the stabilisation of our relationship with China”:
I said before the election, and what we have delivered on, is that we would look to stabilise the relationship with China without compromising on things which are important to Australians.
When we came to government we inherited some $20bn worth of trade impediments … Now less than $500m of those impediments remain. We will continue, as we have over the last two and a bit years, to press for those trade impediments to be removed.
Wong said the government had taken a “patient”, “calibrated” approach to China.
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‘Profound grief’ expressed in lead-up to voice no vote
Yuwaalaraay woman Kirstie Parker, a non-executive director of Reconciliation Australia and a signatory to the Uluru statement from the heart, has penned a reflection one year on from the voice referendum.
Parker wrote that she is “not alone in feeling unsettled” in the lead-up to the first anniversary of the unsuccessful referendum, on 14 October:
Like a lot of other First Nations people and our allies, since 14 October 2023 I have tried not to overthink the overwhelming no vote, instead focusing on ways to deal with the still fresh and profound grief ossifying within me.
It was important for the whole nation to sit for a while with what happened and for mob especially not to drift automatically to “we’re fine; nothing can hurt us”. It did hurt – a lot – and it continues to hurt as some no proponents try to cancel all things First Nations.
You can read the full piece below:
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Early voting opens tomorrow for NSW byelections
Early voting begins for the Epping, Hornsby and Pittwater byelections tomorrow.
The early voting centres will be open on Saturday (except for the Sydney early voting centre) and then Monday to Friday next week.
Early voting centres are located at:
North Rocks senior citizens centre, 358z North Rocks Road, Carlingford
Boronia Grove community centre, 40 Victoria Street, Epping
Cherrybrook Scout Hall, 6-8 Appletree Drive, Cherrybrook
Hornsby election manager’s office, Berowra Marketplace, 16/19-27 Turner Road, Berowra Heights
Hornsby council admin centre – Function Halls, 296 Peats Ferry Road, Hornsby
Avalon recreation centre, 59A Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon
Mona Vale memorial hall, Pittwater Road, Mona Vale
Bilarong community hall, 55 Wakehurst Parkway, North Narrabeen
Sydney early voting centre, Level 23, 175 Liverpool Street, Sydney
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Sticking with the weather for a moment, here is a look at the national forecasts across Australia’s capital cities, from the Bureau of Meteorology:
Here's today's forecast around Australia.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) October 10, 2024
For the latest forecasts and warnings, visit our website https://t.co/jlOoTZL1iF or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/2f2T0OWIIb
‘Numerous’ lightning strikes across northern NSW recorded
The NSW Rural Fire Service says “numerous” lightning strikes have been detected in the north of the state in the last 48 hours – urging people to remain alert for undetected fires.
Over the last 48 hours, numerous lightning strikes have been detected in the north of the state. We are asking landholders to keep an eye out and report any unattended fires to Triple Zero (000). For more information, visit the #RFS website: https://t.co/SwFG8PzKTA pic.twitter.com/QdL0Jjc3qH
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 10, 2024
This comes as thunderstorms have made their way across northern NSW and southern Queensland, bringing intense rainfall and hail:
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Minns says advice of older generations ‘not available’ to parents regarding social media use
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says the advice of older generations is “not available” to parents when it comes to raising children with social media.
He told FIVEAA radio earlier this morning:
The best thing you can do as a parent, and what’s been done for generations when you’re looking for advice or expertise about how to raise your own kids, is to ask your parents or your grandparents about what they did when you’re a pain in the bum. But that’s not available to us, because this is the first generation that’s gone through widespread, ubiquitous use of social media, and the what they’re being exposed to online.
Minns also said social media companies “know that it’s doing harm”:
They’re the richest, most powerful firms in the world, and they effectively refuse to do anything about it.
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Sydney daycare worker charged with alleged sexual abuse of child
A western Sydney daycare worker has been charged with allegedly sexually touching a child.
In September, detectives with the child abuse squad received a report alleging that a young child had been sexually abused at a Sydney daycare.
A 34-year-old man was arrested by detectives at a warehouse in Kemps Creek about 12.45pm yesterday.
He was taken to Penrith police station and charged with intentionally sexually touching a child under 10, and common assault. The man was refused bail to appear before Penrith local court today.
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Young consumers more willing to pay premium for clean energy, according to survey
Young consumers are more willing to pay a premium for clean energy, a study released by Accenture has found.
As AAP reports, the study found 43% of Australian households had struggled to pay energy bills over the past year – more than the world average (37%) and significantly more than nearby Asia-Pacific countries (29%).
Most Australian energy consumers (81%) also thought energy providers had a significant role to play in the transition to renewable energy, while 74% thought individuals should play a part.
But convincing those energy consumers to pay a premium to access renewable energy could be difficult, while prices of electricity and gas continued to rise, Accenture Australia utilities lead Mayur Bhaskar said.
Although consumers do believe in the energy transition, less than half are actually willing or able to assume the cost of it. Younger age demographics were happy to pay more and that was fascinating.
The survey found 53% of Australians would not pay a premium to support cleaner energy options, with members of the silent generation, baby boomers and generation X most likely to reject the idea.
However, 20% of energy consumers were willing to pay up to 15% more for more sustainable power and 27% were willing to pay a higher premium, with the response most common from millennials and gen Z respondents.
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‘Truckload of challenges’ to implementing age limit on social media, SA premier says
Continuing from our last post: the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, was asked about the logistics of enforcing an age limit on young people who already have social media accounts.
He told FIVEAA radio there is merit to a “grandfathering proposition” that does not require already active users be removed if they will soon reach the age threshold.
A 14- or 15-year-old already on it, to boot someone off for them to get it again in six months’ time, probably doesn’t make much sense. But what we can do is we can institute a law that makes it very clear that, for children under a certain age, this is it, game’s up. You’re not getting access to social media within the space of two to three years.
In any event, the ban would be effectual for the age group that you’re seeking to apply that limit from, so there are ways to do this. There is no doubt, absolutely no doubt, that there are a truckload of challenges and complexities to this effort and, you know, actually implementing this reform. Yes, there are going to be challenges, but the cause is worthy.
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Malinauskas presumes federal government will decide specifics of social media age ban by end of year
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, and the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, spoke with FIVEAA radio this morning before the second day of the states’ joint social media summit.
A legislated ban on young people in a restricted age range from social media was a key topic of discussion at yesterday’s event in Sydney, which both premiers attended.
Asked on FIVEAA whether there has been a consensus on “specifics of the age ban”, Malinauskas says he is not aware of a final position on what age will be restricted but presumes the decision will be made by federal parliament before the end of the year:
From the South Australian government’s perspective, we’ve made clear that we are entirely relaxed, whether that ban is 14, 15, or 16.
Some of the evidence that Chris and I heard yesterday from experts that presented is, you know, really strong arguments to actually go with the age of 16 full stop.
That’ll be a decision for the federal parliament to make before the end of the year, presumably, as they see that legislation come in.
Updated
Victoria police investigating alleged criminal damage after two railway stations evacuated
Victoria Police says it is investigating alleged criminal damage which led to the evacuation of two CBD railway stations last night.
Police believe two unknown offenders gained access to a stairwell connecting platforms at Melbourne Central station and damaged a fire sprinkler around 10.40pm, before fleeing the scene.
The damage caused extensive flooding to several platforms, causing an automated evacuation at both Melbourne Central and Flagstaff Railway stations, police said.
The flooding and evacuation caused significant delays, particularly as large crowds were trying to get home from the Olivia Rodrigo concert at Rod Laver Arena.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Victim of Dandenong dog attack remains in critical condition
The victim of a dog attack in Dandenong, in Melbourne’s outer south-east, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Police were called to Ross Street about 10am yesterday, where a woman was being attacked by three dogs in a back yard. After trying to use pepper spray on the animals, officers drew their guns and shot the dogs dead.
You can read more on this below:
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AI boom just getting started, fund manager says
Artificial intelligence is just at the start of generating an entire ecosystem of innovative platforms and investors need to be ready to jump on the bandwagon, one fund manager says.
As AAP reports, Nick Griffin – the founding partner and chief investment officer of Melbourne-based investment manager Munro Partners – said the AI thematic had generated strong returns for Munro’s funds in the past 12 months and he expected that to continue.
We’re effectively having an iPhone moment – that’s what AI is, and that’s the best way to think about this.
Griffin said Apple created an app ecosystem that led to just about every company in the world creating an app for something. Some became huge companies – such as Uber, Spotify, Google and Facebook – and nearly everyone used apps to make their life easier, performing tasks such as online banking and checking in to airline flights.
Generative AI is exactly the same thing – what’s going to happen is that you’re going to see thousands of applications built on these large language models that are effectively going to make your life easier, and they’re going to be across every industry on the planet.
Griffin said Munro firmly believed that AI chip maker Nvidia would become the most valuable company in the world. It’s No 2, behind Apple and ahead of Microsoft, with a market capitalisation of $A7tn.
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Public health warning as gastro on the rise in NSW
NSW Health has warned of a “significant rise” in gastroenteritis cases across the state in recent weeks. It said the increase is being driven by two pathogens “which commonly cause vomiting and diarrhoea, rotavirus and norovirus”.
Rotavirus can be particularly severe in young children. Norovirus is common cause of outbreaks are common in residential aged care facilities, schools and childcare centres.
The latest data shows rotavirus notifications are at “some of their highest levels in recent years”. The director of NSW Health’s One Health branch, Keira Glasgow, said it was important to reduce the spread of gastro before schools return next week:
Last week, there were more than 2,700 presentations to NSW emergency departments with symptoms of gastroenteritis. Presentations were particularly high in children who are under five years of age.
The message to the community is clear – simple measures can help stop the spread of gastro. Maintaining good hand hygiene and keeping children at home when they are unwell will give us a good chance to slow the spread.
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Birmingham asked if there are any limits to Coalition support of Israel’s military response
The shadow minister, Simon Birmingham, was asked if there are any limits to his support for Israel’s military response.
He responded that “Israel’s choices it makes in terms of its military response are their choices”, but was again asked – are there any red lines for the Coalition?
Birmingham said “we continue to support strongly Israel’s right to self-defence”.
We have said clearly all along that Israel should act with regard to international law. We’ve stood in a consistent position with the United States administration of President [Joe] Biden in terms of the stances that we have taken … in encouraging practical support for Israel, and encouraging principled support for Israel to remove the terrorist threats on its doorstep and to have the right to respond to aggression from Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran. Now, how Israel does those should be done considerate of those international laws.
Host Patricia Karvelas asked: “It’s been accused of breaking international laws. Do you condemn them?” Birmingham responded that “there are processes under way that will continue to assess those accusations.”
We would have to see what judgments and findings are made through different provisions. We’re clear and consistent in our support for Israel, also always emphasising the need to target their actions, the need to have regard for international law as we would expect, and as we have said from the passing of a parliamentary resolution last year.
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Birmingham says Australians fleeing Lebanon should pay own way because they ignored 'warning after warning'
Moving to the Middle East, Simon Birmingham was asked about comments he made suggesting Australians fleeing Lebanon should be paying their own way instead of being “rewarded with a free ride”.
Birmingham doubled down on the comment and said:
We need to make sure that Australians understand when the Australian government – whether it’s a Labor one or a Coalition one – issues travel warnings and says ‘Get out of somewhere’, that they should heed those warnings [and] not wait for a possible free ticket home.
He argued about 15,000 Australians in Lebanon have “for months and months and months ignored the advice” to leave, or not travel to Lebanon.
Host Patricia Karvelas shared one story she had heard of a woman whose mother is dying in hospital, who is “completely tortured about the experience of leaving her mother there [and never seeing] her again”. She asked, do you accept that people haven’t just been trying to have a free ride, but have these really complex family situations?
Birmingham said he respects that people have “deep family ties to Lebanon” but:
It doesn’t change the fact that, for many others, they did ignore warning after warning, it was only when the military action began that suddenly they picked the phone up to [Dfat] and said, ‘Can you help me get out now?’
Birmingham said there should be “compassion” in situations where people “genuinely cannot afford” a ticket but, as a “general standing policy”, people should be expected to pay for their tickets “because that is one of the ways that we can incentivise people to, in future, have great adherence to those travel advisory warnings”.
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Simon Birmingham says Australia must be ‘principled and predictable’ with China
Asked if the Coalition would approach China in a similar fashion to that of the Albanese government, Simon Birmingham said:
An approach that I would take as foreign minister, that the Dutton government would take, and is one of being principled and predictable in our engagement with China, we should stand up for Australia’s values interests and address those issues of concern.
Has the Albanese government been principled and predictable? Birmingham responded:
I think the concern there … is that I think China wonders whether Australia will stand as strongly in relation to identifying, speaking about those security concerns and risks in the region as I believe, and we believe that Australia should.
It is a case of being absolutely consistent, clear and upfront about addressing the problems when we see them, and trying to make sure that we work with our partners right across the region to emphasise to China that we all want to see a peaceful and stable region where others are respected.
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Birmingham on Australia’s relationship with China
The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham, spoke with ABC RN earlier about the lifting of trade restrictions by China on Australian lobster.
As we covered in yesterday’s blog here, here and here, China will resume importation of Australian live rock lobsters by the end of this year.
Speaking about Australia’s relationship with China more broadly, Birmingham said the government should be “seizing those opportunities” to make clear “to the highest levels of Beijing’s leadership” when there are concerns over Chinese actions.
What we need to see from China … is what sort of expectations we should have of China now as a global power. They are a global power, and they will be for as far as the eye can see and conduct in terms of military exercises that are risky, confrontational and present a chance of conflict emerging is not the way that a responsible global power should engage.
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Sussan Ley says allegations by Marles’ chief of staff ‘extremely serious’
The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, was also on Sunrise, and described the allegations raised by Richard Marles’ chief of staff as “extremely serious”.
Obviously, these allegations will be tested in the fullness of time but the consequences for any minister breaching the ministerial code of conduct must be resignation.
But today I just feel for Jo [Tarnawsky] and I really know that yesterday must have been such a tough day for her.
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Jason Clare says culture in parliament ‘a hell of a lot better than it was’
The education minister, Jason Clare, was on Sunrise earlier this morning, asked about accusations from Richard Marles’ chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky, who alleged Marles had effectively sacked her without warning when she raised a concern about colleagues’ behaviour.
Asked whether there a problem with the culture in government, Clare responded:
The culture in parliament has changed in my time there. I have been in parliament now for 17 years – I’ve got to tell you it is a hell of a lot better than it was when I got there all that time ago, but there’s still more work to do.
Two years ago, there wasn’t a service in Parliament House for people to go to, for staff to go to to make a complaint when something terrible happens in an office. There is now … and I can tell you that that is providing a very important service in the building.
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Rowland questioned on gambling ad ban
Michelle Rowland was also asked why it has taken 16 months for the government – as yet – to make no decision on gambling ads. The communications minister said the government has “been working diligently in this space” but action “should have been taken on this some 10 years ago”.
We’re working very closely with the states and territories because the vast majority of recommendations in our late colleague Peta Murphy’s report go to issues that go across commonwealth and state jurisdictions.
We’re also working very closely to ensure that there are no unintended consequences here and it’s actually effective.
Rowland argued that the last time this was looked at by the previous government, “it resulted in an increase in advertising”.
We have every anticipation that we will be able to respond comprehensively this year and that’s what we’re working towards as a government.
Will that response include legislation? Rowland responded:
We will be taking advice on the appropriate form in which that can be done. Legislation is obviously an option because there is an interactive gambling act at the commonwealth level, which enables some of these approaches to be implemented.
Can you actually reduce gambling ads without legislation? Rowland said she would “take advice on that”, pointing to codes of practice as another option.
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Rowland says legislation to ‘age-gate’ social media being introduced before end of year
Michelle Rowland was asked which incentives platforms will actually have to do better, given there is no penalties in the legislation?
She said there were no penalties on the actual users of the platforms but as a review into the Online Safety Act continues, “the issue of penalties is something that we are looking at very closely”. So will there be penalties for the platforms?
There will be penalty for the platforms just as they are now in the Online Safety Act … These penalties will be drafted and, as I said, we’re currently reviewing the Online Safety Act because the penalties as they stand … the maximum penalties are less than $1 million for some offences.
Rowland said the findings of the review will be delivered “in the next few weeks”.
She said the eSafety regulator has been doing this “for a number of years now” and “the fact that we do have certain platforms taking the regulator to court on a regular basis actually indicates that there is an understanding those laws are there”.
They are being challenged but, at the same time, the industry does understand the need to comply here and, by and large, does comply with the rules under the Online Safety Act.
Rowland said the government would be introducing legislation to age-gate access to social media in parliament this year.
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Second day of social media summit under way in Adelaide
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has been speaking with ABC News Breakfast on the second day of the social media summit in Adelaide.
Rowland has today announced the “likely” amendments to the Online Safety Act banning children from social media will “place the onus on platforms, not parents or young people” to enforce the ban.
Rowland said the age assurance trial, under way right now, shows that platforms “have the capability to undertake this kind of enforcement themselves”,
We have seen that in recent weeks with Meta releasing its own version of Instagram for young people, limiting access under certain settings. So the platforms have the capacity to do more and they should be doing more [and] that’s why the government is taking this approach.
I think the ultimate issue here is about [incentivising] the platforms to do better. We are on to the second generation of digital natives now. It is the case that social media is not going to be excluded from everyone’s lives completely and also the fact is that we can’t keep every person – every child – safe at every moment of every day when they are online. But we can do better and that is why we are taking this approach.
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Research finds 4,000 jobs could be created with local wind tower manufacturing
Australia could create thousands of jobs and transition workers out of the fossil fuel industry if wind towers were produced at home, a research group says.
As AAP reports, wind energy is one of Australia’s main renewables and generates enough electricity to meet 7% of the nation’s demand. But all of Australia’s wind towers are imported from overseas.
The Centre for Future Work’s research found that 4,000 jobs could be created with local wind tower manufacturing and thousands more in supply industries like steel. Once the workforce was established, it could produce 800 towers every year with a cumulative value of $15bn over the next 17 years.
Report author Phil Toner said about 2.6m tonnes of CO2 emissions would also be avoided due to reduced shipping:
Anyone concerned about the climate should be up in arms at the fact we’re importing huge heavy steel towers from China when we could be producing them here, which would provide fantastic opportunities for our burgeoning green steel sector.
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Good morning
And happy Friday – thanks to Martin for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you for most of today on the live blog.
As always, you can get in touch with any tips or questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
Full Story podcast: Have Labor’s ‘nature positive’ plans turned negative?
This week the Albanese government hosted what has been billed as a “global nature-positive summit” in Sydney.
When announced nearly two years ago by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, it was hoped the event would highlight Labor’s leadership in developing new nature laws.
But the criticisms have been rolling in, with environment advocates saying the summit is all talk and no action.
Guardian Australia’s climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, tells Reged Ahmad about the protests, policies and promises made at the government’s environment summit this week.
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Cautionary tale for building nuclear power stations in Australia
There’s a cautionary tale out of the UK this morning for those who advocate building nuclear power stations in Australia.
EDF, the French energy company and nuclear specialist, is reportedly in talks with investors to raise up to £4bn – that’s almost $8bn – just to finish the delayed Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, Britain’s first new nuclear reactors in a generation.
The cost of the project has ballooned to almost £50bn – nearly $100bn – due in part to supply chain issues and struggles securing skilled engineers, according to Bloomberg. And now EDF wants investors to cough up more.
Read the full story here:
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House prices rise more slowly, report shows
National home values rose by 1% in the September quarter, CoreLogic has said, the softest three-month rise since March 2023.
The slowdown in price growth was attributed to an increase in listings and more cautious buyer behaviour. The rate has brought down the annual growth rate from 9.7% earlier this year to 6.7%.
Rental prices barely budged, shifting up 0.1% over three months, the slowest rate since major pandemic lockdowns in 2020.
The data shows Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide values are at record highs, with Perth having the highest annual growth rate at 24.1%. Brisbane’s rate is 14.5%, Sydney’s is 4.5% and Adelaide’s is 14.8%.
Melbourne and Hobart recorded quarterly and annual dwelling declines at -5.1% and -12.5%, respectively below record highs in March 2022
Regional housing markets experienced a quarterly increase of 1%, down from 2.3% in the three months to April.
CoreLogic Australia economist Kaytlin Ezzy said:
While the market remains resilient in many areas, the pace of growth more broadly has clearly decelerated. Buyers and investors are becoming more cautious, and the current lending environment is leading to more measured purchasing decisions.
The higher rate of sales indicates there’s still solid buyer demand despite changing market conditions. As we move through spring, we’re likely to see further moderation in value growth as new listings continue to rise, providing some relief for buyers who have faced intense competition over the past year.
CoreLogic states national rental growth is slowing, with rents rising 0.1% over the quarter - the lowest rate in four years.
CoreLogic estimates the combined value of residential real estate rose to $11T at the end of September.
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Labor to announce anti-scam measures
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, will announce tough new rules for banks, telcos and social media companies requiring them to ramp up efforts against scammers.
At an address in Melbourne this morning, Jones will provide details about a new scams prevention framework, which could fine major companies up to $50m, and force them to compensate victims, if they fail to comply with new rules.
Jones will say the “legally binding measures” must be implemented by businesses to “prevent, detect, report, disrupt, and respond to scams”.
Banks, telcos and digital platform services, including social media, are first on the list and will need to meet the new obligations. For example, a bank will need to tighten rules around transfers by having mandatory confirmation of payees in place.
Telcos, for example, will be required to block known scam numbers. Jones will say:
This is good for businesses that want to legitimately communicate with customers. And it’s good for Australians – taking our protections even further. Cutting off the threat of scams early is paramount.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Emily Wind picking up the strain.
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, will announce today that social media companies could escape the Albanese government’s proposed age ban if they can demonstrate a “low risk of harm to children”. In a speech to be delivered to the New South Wales and South Australian government social media conference, she will say that the “likely” amendments to the Online Safety Act banning children from social media will “place the onus on platforms, not parents or young people” to enforce the ban.
Social media companies are also included in a new scams prevention framework to be announced today – more on that coming up.
Banks have started lowering their mortgage rates amid expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank – moves that could tempt borrowers to restructure their home loans. It comes as new data from CoreLogic says national home values rose by 1% in the September quarter, representing a slowdown in price growth attributed to an increase in listings and more cautious buyer behaviour.
After suffering sexual, physical, psychological and financial abuse at the hands of her ex-husband for nearly two decades, Alicia has learned to be a record-keeper. She has complied an 83-page dossier on her abuse and has submitted it to police more than once. The problem is, she tells Kate Lyons, they won’t take the problem of coercive control seriously until “there’s a dead body”. Kate’s special report comes as a new law in New South Wales means people charged with serious domestic violence offences will wear ankle bracelets and have their movements tracked around the clock if they are granted bail.
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