Sandringham rail line suspended due to signal fault
There are significant delays for city trains in Melbourne this evening, with a signal fault leading to the suspension of the Sandringham line between Flinders St and Elsternwick.
Platforms at Flinders St and Southern Cross stations were crowded due to the delays as of 5.30pm.
Buses will replace trains on the Sandringham line between Flinders St and Elsternwick.
There are delays of up to 40 minutes and services changes for other lines in and out of the city as a result of this fault.
Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston Line trains are running direct to/from Flinders Street.
Werribee and Williamstown line trains are running direct to/from Southern Cross.
Passengers for these lines are advised to consider tram services to connect with trains.
The transport department said technicians are working to rectify the issue.
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What we learned, Tuesday 3 December
We will wrap up the live blog here for the evening. This is what made the news today:
NSW police officer Kristian White was sacked from the force six days after being found guilty of manslaughter over the fatal shooting of 95-year-old Clare Nowland with a Taser.
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, says the Commonwealth Bank’s plans to charge some of its customers $3 for making withdrawals is a “kick in the guts”.
Australia’s biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths, says it has lost $50m in grocery sales since the start of industrial action that has disrupted the flow of goods into some of its stores.
The company filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission seeking to prevent the United Workers Union from blocking access to its distribution centres in Victoria and New South Wales.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended the state’s business credentials after the Business Council of Australia ranked it the worst place to do business in the country.
Australian gambling giant Sportsbet has paused advertising with the music streaming service, Spotify, after a complaint alleging children were exposed to its content between Disney songs.
After almost three decades behind the mic, Robbie Buck has announced he is leaving ABC Radio Sydney, joining a growing list of names departing the national broadcaster from next year.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
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Three NSW students taken to hospital after science experiment goes awry
Three teenagers from Brisbane Water secondary college in Woy Woy have been taken to hospital after being injured in a Year 10 science experiment on Tuesday morning.
Staff immediately applied first aid and contacted emergency services and parents of injured students, and counselling has been offered for the five other students in the class.
NSW Ambulance was called to the school shortly after 9.30am this morning, and three patients have been transferred to hospital. One to Westmead hospital, one to Gosford hospital and one was lifted by Care Flight to the Royal North Shore hospital. All three are in a stable condition.
The cause of the incident is not yet clear, and science labs have been made out of bounds, but the rest of the school remains open.
A NSW department of education spokesperson said:
We are deeply concerned for the welfare of the students injured during an incident in a science laboratory this morning.
Our thoughts are with the students, their families and friends.
The safety and wellbeing of students and staff are always our highest priorities, and we have offered counselling and support.
We would also like to acknowledge the swift action of staff who immediately contacted emergency services and applied first aid to affected students.
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Union group vows to join strike against Woolworths
The Building Industry Group of Unions (BIG), representing over 80,000 workers in Victoria, resolved to support members of the United Workers Union (UWU) in the strike against Woolworths.
The group said in a media release on Tuesday should Woolworths try to break the picket line, the group “is putting all our members on notice, if the UWU members require support for the picket we will be there in large numbers at a moments notice”.
This is a critical fight, and the BIG unions stand with the UWU members and encourage all unions and workers to join the fight as well.
Touch One, Touch All.
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Meat council welcomes China’s reinstatement of beef trade
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has welcomed the export approvals being reinstated for two Australian processors by China.
The interim CEO, Tim Ryan, said it was the result of four years of cooperative and sustained effort from industry and government:
We have worked tirelessly, to advocate for reinstated and improved access for Australian processors, via engagement with government as well as our industry partners in China.
After four years of hard work on behalf of red meat exporters, this is a fantastic and very welcome result.
We are also thankful to the Australian government including prime minister Albanese, agriculture ministers Collins and Watt, and trade minister Farrell for their work in nurturing a collaborative bilateral relationship and assisting these businesses to regain their access to this incredibly important market.
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PM ‘needs to stare down Gina Rinehart’: Adam Bandt
The Greens federal leader, Adam Bandt, has said the prime minister “needs to stare down Gina Rinehart” after Anthony Albanese killed off a potential deal with the Greens last week to pass a “nature positive” bill after an intervention from the WA premier.
Bandt told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:
I think the takeaway message is that the prime minister needs to stare down Gina Rinehart, but nature can’t wait. We have an environment and an extinction crisis. Koalas in many parts of the country are in crisis because of habitat being cleared. We need strong laws to protect it. Where we ended up, was it as far as the Greens would have liked? No. We would have liked to have seen an end to all native forest logging but it would have been a good step forward but sadly Labor did what the miners and loggers told them.
He said going into the next election the Greens will make it clear they’ve pushed as hard as they can in the current parliament, and got some really good outcomes but “you can see what we’re up against because we are up against not only in some instances the government, but big corporations standing behind them”.
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‘A remarkable legacy’: Sam Groth releases statement on death of tennis great Neale Fraser
Victorian state Liberal MP and former professional tennis player, Sam Groth, has released a statement on the death of tennis great Neale Fraser.
Fraser achieved three grand slam singles titles including Wimbledon in 1960. He died at the age of 91 on Monday.
Groth said:
On behalf of the Liberals and Nationals, I want to personally express my respect to one of Australia’s most iconic tennis players, Neale Fraser. Neale was not only a champion player, but a champion bloke and friend. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy.
Beyond his playing career, Neale was a dedicated coach and mentor, nurturing future generations of tennis talent. He was a strong advocate for mental health awareness and a healthy lifestyle, inspiring many beyond the sport.
As we honour Neale’s life, we celebrate his contributions to tennis and the lasting impact he made on the community. He will be deeply missed.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the Fraser family, including his wife, Thea.
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Coles and Woolworths claim Strepsils and Oreos price promotions ‘not illusory’ in new court documents
Australia’s major supermarkets have defended their price promotions for Strepsil lozenges and Oreos as part of their broader legal rebuttal against accusations they misled shoppers by offering “illusory” discounts on hundreds of common groceries.
The new legal documents, lodged by Coles and Woolworths in the federal court, come just over two months after the ACCC started legal proceedings, alleging the big supermarkets briefly increased prices on hundreds of products before placing them in promotions.
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China’s easing of restrictions on Queensland meat processing plants ‘a win for trade’, PM says
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has welcomed China lifting the suspensions on two Australian meat processing establishments in Queensland, which the government says will pave the way for full resumption of red meat exports to China.
It follows the lifting of suspensions on eight beef processing plants in May.
Albanese said:
This is great news for Australian exporters, producers and farmers.
Since we were elected we’ve worked tirelessly to resume trade and that’s exactly what we are seeing.
It’s a win for trade and a win for Australian jobs – something my government will always back.
The minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, Julie Collins said:
Concerted engagement and advocacy with our largest trading partner have been rewarded with the lifting of suspensions on all Australian meat export facilities in the past 12 months.
In 2023-24, Australia exported over 70% of its agricultural, fisheries and forestry production to 169 markets globally – the most diversified trade has ever been. This is thanks to our government.
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Todd Greenberg appointed new CEO of Cricket Australia
Veteran sports administrator Todd Greenberg has been appointed the new CEO of Cricket Australia, and will replace Nick Hockley when the Englishman steps down from the role in March.
Greenberg, once a first-grade cricketer for Randwick, has previously been in charge of the NRL – a post he left less than five years ago – and most recently was CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, the players union. He was also CEO at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and general manager of Stadium Australia.
I am grateful to be given the opportunity to take on this enormously important role in Australian sport and to further my involvement with a game I’ve loved since childhood,” Greenberg said. “This is an extremely exciting time for cricket with the rapid growth of the game across the globe creating fantastic opportunities, while also presenting some challenges to ensure Australian cricket retains its position at the very peak of the game.
Thanks to the work of the current administration the game has strong fundamentals in place. I want to ensure we build on this momentum so Australian cricket continues to thrive – from local parks to the nation’s biggest stadiums.
Former NSW premier and CA chair Mike Baird will present Greenberg to the media on Thursday at Adelaide Oval, where the second men’s Test of the summer against India begins on Friday.
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‘A pause is good but a ban is better’: Greens welcome Sportsbet’s decision to pull gambling ads on Spotify
The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed Sportsbet’s decision to pause advertising with the music streaming service Spotify, after a father complained about wagering content allegedly playing between Disney songs:
A pause is good, but a ban is better. We need a total ban on gambling advertising, just as we have done with tobacco and cigarettes.
After the complaint was reported by Guardian Australia, a Sportsbet spokesperson said:
Sportsbet’s advertising on Spotify and all social media channels uses age gating measures, and excludes kids and family content as an additional control. We are disappointed this has happened and have paused advertising on Spotify while the issue is rectified.
Hanson-Young said Sportsbet’s decision to pause ads on Spotify demonstrated the need for federal government action.
It shouldn’t be left to Sportsbet to think they can call the shots on where they can advertise. The parliament must set the parameters. The parliament must accept the expert advice to ban those ads to protect families.
Spotify has been contacted for comment.
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Hear more about the high-profile trial of Kristian White in today’s Full Story podcast.
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NSW police officer Kristian White sacked after being found guilty of Clare Nowland’s manslaughter
A New South Wales police officer convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting a 95-year-old woman in a nursing home with a Taser has been sacked from the police force.
Snr Const Kristian White was found guilty by a jury over the May 2023 death of great-grandmother Clare Nowland last month, and was last week suspended without pay.
The NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, on Tuesday announced she had removed White from the police force. She said:
Today [Tuesday 3 December 2024] I have determined that I do not have confidence in the officer’s suitability to continue as a police officer, in line with the procedure mandated under the Police Act 1990 section 181D.
Accordingly, I have removed him from the NSW police force and he has been advised via his legal counsel.
I have spoken with the family of the 95-year-old victim involved in this matter and advised them of my decision.
White is currently on bail pending sentencing in February.
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NSW opposition accuses government of ‘dragging the chain on gambling reform’
The NSW gaming minister, David Harris, says the state government will take its time to digest the recommendations of an independent panel on gambling policy.
The panel’s three-person executive committee has recommended a mandatory cashless gaming system to be introduced in 2025 and for poker machine operating hours to remain unchanged.
Here’s Harris:
The 30 recommendations contained in the 530-page report flag significant complexities and the NSW government will be taking its time to work through them.
The government is now considering the report and its recommendations and we will respond in due course.
But the shadow minister for gaming, Kevin Anderson, has accused the government of delaying action on gambling reform:
The release of the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform’s report proves the Minns Labor government is dragging the chain on gaming reform.
After 20 months of rhetoric, delays, inaction and distraction, we are now left with a lengthy report that does little more than suggest the government needs to do more work.
Man shot dead by police in Launceston
A man has died after being shot by police in Tasmania, with one police officer also shot in the incident.
Assistant commissioner Adrian Bodnar said that police responded to an emergency call from a member of the public about 10am after a report of an armed man threatening members of the public in the Launceston CBD. The man was holding a large knife, he said.
“Upon police arrival, officers attempted to negotiate with the man, who was armed with a knife and making threats,” he said.
Initial investigations indicate the man ignored repeated warnings by police to disarm.
OC spray was deployed, however the man continued to advance towards police. A number of shots were fired by two attending police officers – with two shots hitting the armed man in the chest.
The man was immediately provided with first aid at the scene and was taken to the Launceston general hospital in a critical condition. He was pronounced deceased a short time later.
Bodnar said that another police officer also at the scene received non-life threatening injuries after receiving a bullet injury during the incident, and was also receiving medical treatment at the LGH.
Police are investigating the incident and are in the process of notifying the man’s next of kin. A report is being prepared for the coroner.
“This is a traumatic incident and a tragic outcome that no one wanted. Our thoughts are with everyone involved,” Bodnar said.
“Policing can be a challenging and dangerous profession, and we are ensuring the officers are being provided with wellbeing support.”
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
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CBA decision to charge $3 for cash withdrawals ‘a kick in the guts’, assistant treasurer says
Stephen Jones says Commonwealth Bank’s plans to charge some of its customers $3 for making withdrawals is a “kick in the guts”.
Speaking today, the assistant treasurer said:
I want to say something about an announcement today from the Commonwealth Bank that they intend to charge $3 for Australians to access cash from their bank account at a bank branch or Australia Post.
This is a kick in the guts for ordinary Australians and the worst Christmas present imaginable. Commonwealth Bank has to rethink this terrible decision.
This seems to me to be a tax on Australians who demand the right to use their cash, and the government won’t stand for it.
We’re working for Australians to ensure they can continue to use cash if they so choose. But if they don’t use cash and they want to use a debit card for their everyday transactions, they should be slogged with a surcharge for doing it, and if they want to go in and see their bank branch, we think Australians should have access to banking services wherever they live.
So we say to Commonwealth Bank, this is the worst Christmas present ever. It’s a kick in the guts to your customers.
In a statement, the CBA said that it continues to offer customers free cash withdrawals from its national ATM network:
CBA customers currently holding our Complete Access account, which is no longer offered, will move to a Smart Access account from January 2025. The monthly account fee for the Smart Access account is currently $2 less than the Complete Access account and both accounts offer similar features. Waivers apply to these monthly account fees, including where a customer has deposits of at least $2,000 per month.
Our Smart Access account has a $3 assisted withdrawal fee. This is our main transaction account and the assisted withdrawal fees on that account have not changed. We continue to offer waivers on assisted withdrawal fees for customers who meet certain criteria including certain types of pension recipients and those under 18 years of age.
Our Streamline Basic account has no monthly account fees or assisted withdrawal fees and is available to customers who hold an eligible concession card.
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Three solid gold Melbourne Cups left in a Sydney cab were three of almost 10,000 items left in 13cabs taxis this year.
Australian jockey Glen Boss, best known for his victories with Makybe Diva in three consecutive Melbourne Cups from 2003-2005, was rushing to an appointment after speaking at the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Calcutta in Sydney when he realised his precious trophies were missing, 13cabs said today.
“As you would understand, the Cups mean the world to me, and I was super grateful to get them back,” Glen said.
The trophies were among a list of 9,086 items left in cabs across Australia, 13Cabs said. The majority were phones, backpacks, umbrellas, sunglasses and wallets, with passenger Shaun Jones reunited with his wallet containing $880 after it was handed in by Sydney driver Ali Akbar Gholami.
Victoria was the most lost property-prone state, the taxi company said, followed by Queensland and New South Wales.
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Fourth person charged over alleged ketamine importation plot
A fourth person has been charged for their alleged involvement in a plot to import 87kg of ketamine in a shipment of vans.
The Australian federal police and Australian Border Force said a man, 38, from the northern Melbourne suburb of Hadfield, was expected to appear before Sydney’s Downing Centre local court today.
He was extradited to NSW last week after his arrest in Melbourne on Thursday.
Police will allege the man was responsible for overseeing the venture and gave instructions to the other alleged offenders.
In a statement, the AFP and ABF detailed a complex trail leading to the suspect. They said Operation Meribel began in May 2023, when investigations identified a bulk cargo carrier transporting two new vans suspected to conceal the drugs, which arrived in Melbourne on 15 May 2023. Police allegedly found and replaced the drugs with an inert substance, before putting the vans back on the cargo vessel.
After the vessel arrived in NSW, the vehicles were transported to a Sydney car dealership, where one was later collected. Police allege two men stole one of the vehicles and removed the substances and placed them into a second vehicle.
On 1 July 2023, AFP officers followed the second vehicle to Smithfield, where they arrested the two men, now aged 29 and 30. After further investigation, a third man, 23, was arrested on 14 September 2023.
The Hadfield man was charged with one count of joint commission of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drug and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to a judicial power.
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‘Shocking’: Harm reduction groups criticise recommendation for poker machine hours to remain unchanged
The NSW Council of Social Services says it is “shocking” that a panel it participated in did not recommend restricting operating hours for poker machines across the state.
The state government asked an independent panel to outline an overhaul of its gambling policy.
The report, published today, recommended operating hours for more than 85,000 poker machines remain unchanged.
This is despite the New South Wales government publishing independent research that confirms people who use poker machines after 2am are “experiencing significant negative consequences”.
The council outlined its concern about the recommendations in the report:
Considering significant evidence that shutdowns during the early hours of the morning, starting from midnight, contribute to the reduction of gambling harm, it is shocking that there is no recommendation that the minimum shut down period be extended. NCOSS recommends that the mandatory shutdown be extended from 2am to 10am as a minimum for all non-casino venues who operate electronic gaming machines.
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Greens won’t commit to passing Nature Positive legislation unamended next year
The Greens are refusing to commit to passing the government’s Nature Positive legislation unamended if it is brought back to the Senate in February, insisting it is not good enough to warrant support.
Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today that the legislation which would create a new national environment protection authority was “unfinished business” after Anthony Albanese vetoed a deal last week that the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, had negotiated with the Greens and independent David Pocock.
The bill and the package must be before the parliament in February. I work bloody hard to get an outcome that is good for nature, that is good for our forests, that protects our koalas, that stops more unnecessary pollution.
Hanson-Young said the Greens wanted what an independent review of the existing Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act by former competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel had recommended and she would continue to negotiate “if the government is up for it”. Samuel’s recommendations included new environmental standards and increasing the level of environmental protection under regional forest agreements.
The Labor government promised to do that, and they should be held to that promise in February. If they fail that test, well, they’ll hear about it and they’ll feel it at the ballot box.
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Australian Hotels Association criticises cashless gaming trial findings as ‘embarrassing and not credible’
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has dismissed the findings of a trial into cashless gaming in New South Wales as “embarrassing and not credible”.
The AHA, which represents hotels with poker machines across the state, was a member of the independent panel on gaming reform that reviewed the cashless gaming trial.
Despite this, the AHA has rejected the panel’s recommendation for “an accounts based gaming system” to be introduced in 2025:
The research findings of the cashless gaming trial are embarrassing and not credible …
The independent panel’s final report, released today, said the technology underpinning the trial “generally worked well and is technically feasible to implement”. The trial has already been criticised for involving just 32 participants, despite $8bn being funnelled into the state’s 85,000 poker machines each year.
The AHA said the findings of a report assessing the trial should be rejected:
The ‘Research Report’ the Executive of the Panel has relied on consists of a survey of only two players and an interview of one player.
Further, the two players surveyed did not use the mandatory account-based technology that has been recommended. The researcher has produced a 214-page Report by including the personal opinions of 70 industry, venue staff and gambling harm advisors, and 15 patrons who did not want to use the technology. This is not evidenced based.
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Industry ramps up government pressure after NSW gambling report released
ClubsNSW has urged the state government to reject calls for a mandatory cashless gaming system for poker machines, despite being a member of a panel that recommended it.
As mentioned earlier, an independent panel advising the state government on gambling reform has released a three-volume report outlining an overhaul of policy.
The panel’s three-person executive committee has recommended the state government introduce “a mandatory statewide account-based gaming system”.
This was based on a review of the cashless gaming trial that recently ran across the state.
But ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotels Association, which both represent venues with poker machines, believe the review of that trial lacks credibility.
ClubsNSW outlined its criticism in the report:
With only 14 genuine and active users participating in the trial, such a low adoption should necessitate a cautious, measured, voluntary approach to implementation of account-based gaming, rather than a short timeframe for a statewide, mandatory rollout.
To expect a small regional club to implement this technology in the same timeframe is simply not feasible. For example, Crown slashed over 1,000 jobs after introducing mandatory account-based play in Melbourne. The economic and societal impact if similar job losses were to be experienced across the industry is likely to far outweigh the marginal reduction in gambling harm and money laundering that account based play for gaming machines might bring about.
The Executive Committee’s recommendations could result in tens of thousands of job losses and venue closures right across NSW.
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Labor’s country-by-country tax reporting changes are targeting multinationals, says assistant minister for treasury
The assistant minister for treasury, Andrew Leigh, has been doing the rounds spruiking Labor’s country-by-country tax reporting changes, one of the measures passed in a flurry of bills through parliament last week.
The essence of the law is that multinational companies must report on their revenues and profits in 41 countries, a transparency measure to make it harder to shift profits around to minimise tax.
Leigh said that Australia will have the “most forward reaching” country-by-country tax reporting regime in the world. The European Union also has one coming, but Australia’s will include more countries.
Leigh told Guardian Australia:
This shouldn’t be a concern to any company that has already good tax affairs and is reporting to their shareholders … [But for the others] being big isn’t a licence to dodge tax. Small Australian businesses aren’t sitting down with their accountant, trying to work out whether to open a subsidiary in the Cayman Islands. That’s what we want from multinational companies too: less time spent dodging tax, more time spent producing great products and services.
Aussie small businesses aren't hiding their profits in tax havens, and they shouldn't be competing against multinationals that do. We're cracking down on multinational tax dodging, enacting a global minimum tax and a world-leading country-by-country reporting regime. #auspol pic.twitter.com/LAUX7XeSus
— Andrew Leigh (@ALeighMP) December 2, 2024
In October we reported a push by the Coalition to allow companies to declare their information was commercially confidential, delaying publication by five years. Leigh noted the government “didn’t yield to that”. Instead companies can apply to the tax office if they want an exemption to publishing sensitive information “but they can’t mark their own homework”, he said.
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Demand for suicide prevention services increasing as holiday season approaches
Suicide Prevention Australia has released new data showing that 85% of Australians with children under 18 at home are feeling elevated levels of distress ahead of the holiday season, significantly higher than the general population (75%) and Australians without children under 18 at home (69%). Households with children under 18 are more likely to call a frontline suicide prevention service for help (31%) than the national average (20%).
According to its community tracker, cost-of-living and personal debt is the number one cause of distress for people with children under 18 at home (50%), followed by family and relationship breakdown (32%) and housing access and affordability (28%).
Suicide Prevention Australia executive director, Christopher Stone, said:
As the holiday season approaches, a time meant for joy and connection, many families are instead facing overwhelming distress. We’re seeing a concerning increase in demand for suicide prevention services, which underscores the urgent need to provide hope and support to those struggling.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14 and the Kids Helpline is 1800 55 1800. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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(Continued from last post)
The readiness of the grid will probably come down to how hot – or wet – the summer turns out to be.
“The advice is, temperatures will be similar to last summer for most of Australia, with potential for above average rainfall and flooding in some states,” said Aemo’s executive general manager of operations, Michael Gatt.
As of the end of October (ie slightly dated data), the outlook was for an elevated chance of above-average hot days, Aemo said, using a Bureau of Meteorology chart as shown here:
Now temperatures are particularly high in eastern Australia today, but even then power supplies in NSW might get a bit tight again this evening.
Aemo had issued a second-level lack of reserve warning for the state. While that’s been cancelled after the market responded, a LOR1 exists for a couple of hours from 2.30pm Aedt.
That means there’s not a lot of spare capacity should some (usually a coal-fired) plant trips out without warning.
Summer might turn out to be a long one for energy authorities.
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Energy industry readied for summer - although more tests likely soon
As you may have noticed, last week was a tough one for the power grid in NSW, prompting one well-regarded analyst to assess major outages this season were a “toss-up”.
The Australian Energy Market Operator delayed the release of its summer readiness report (a slightly bad sign) until this week, releasing it today.
Now it doesn’t actually say “everything’s just fine”, only that the industry has been briefed and that there are back-up plans in case things go awry.
The slightly good news is that since September last year, 3.175 gigawatts of new generation and storage (ie batteries) have come online, with another 750 megawatts due to reach full capacity in December. (See the following chart on how the capacity stacks up by state.)
Generally there’s a similar amount of fossil fuel capacity in the grid as there was a year ago. But 12 months on, reliability of the ageing fleet is probably not going to be higher.
Continued in next post.
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First new intercity trains arrive in Sydney’s Central station, five years past due
The first of a new fleet of intercity trains in Sydney arrived at Central station this morning from Newcastle, about five years after they were due to be in service, AAP reports.
The train left Newcastle at 8.21am on Tuesday - about five years after the first sets were originally due to enter service in NSW.
The Korean-built trains were too wide to fit through some tunnels, too long for some platforms and faced opposition from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union due to plans for drivers to monitor platforms using CCTV, reducing staffing requirements.
An agreement was eventually reached with the union after a long dispute with the former Coalition government and modifications were made locally beginning in August 2023.
The transport minister, Jo Haylen, said it should not have taken so long for the trains to enter service, but they were finally taking passengers along the Newcastle and Central Coast lines.
Passengers along the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and South Coast lines will have to wait a while longer, but Haylen said it would be worth it.
“These state-of-the-art trains will make travel between Sydney and our regional cities safer and more comfortable,” she said.
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Meanwhile, over in Japan, replica Harry Potter weapons have been deemed too realistic for souvenir purposes.
Full-size replica swords sold as souvenirs at a popular Harry Potter exhibition in Tokyo have fallen foul of Japan’s strict weapons control law and been recalled.
The 86cm stainless steel blade, which comes mounted on a wooden plaque, is described on the Warner Bros website that promotes the event as an “authentic recreation of Godric Gryffindor’s sword”:
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Ram raid and alleged ATM robbery being investigated in Mickleham, Victoria
Police in Victoria are investigating a ram raid and alleged ATM robbery in Mickleham.
A stolen Toyota utility vehicle rammed the front glass doors of a shopping centre on Donnybrook Road just after 4am, Victoria police said.
Once inside, the vehicle reversed into two ATMs. The offenders allegedly stole one ATM and the other was damaged.
Police said it was understood the offenders dumped the damaged vehicle at the shopping centre and, with the ATM in tow, fled the scene in a dark coloured sedan.
Police were called to reports of a dumped ATM on fire near Almurta Avenue in Coolaroo a short time later.
Neither the offenders nor the sedan have been found.
Police are appealing for any witnesses or holders of dashcam and CCTV footage of the incident to come forward.
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ABS stats point to likelihood of another quarter of per-capita GDP contraction
Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has released the (nearly) final pieces of its GDP puzzle for the September quarter.
Total public demand is expected by the ABS to contribute a sizable 0.7 percentage points to the quarterly growth. Governments’ net operating balance swung from a surplus of more than $14bn to a deficit of $18.3bn in the quarter, helping to keep the economy from contracting.
Net trade also improved by $800m (in seasonally adjusted terms) and will add 0.1ppt to the quarter GDP figure as well.
Economists will be doing their final recalculation ahead of the ABS’s release of the September quarter numbers. The growth rate will probably pick up a bit from the June quarter’s 0.2% quarter-on-quarter expansion pace and 1% annual rate, but let’s see.
We’ll probably get another quarter of per-capita GDP contraction (which would make it a record seven in a row) but at least the overall economy looks to have avoided a contraction and may be past its worst point. (Not that we want to jinx anything.)
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Consumer confidence rises to highest levels since Albanese government took office
There are a few more stats out today, including the regular weekly survey of consumer sentiment by ANZ and Roy Morgan.
For the week, it was up 2.7 points to 88.4 – or the highest since May 2022, coincidentally when the last federal elections were held.
The four-week rolling consumer confidence average also nudged higher, as did most of the sub-indices, such as “time to buy a major household item”.
The weekly inflation expectations gauge also eased back 0.2 percentage points to 4.8% (but the four-week rolling average edged up 0.1ppt to 4.9%.)
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Are Australia’s landmark social media bans protective or restricting? Australians are about to find out whether stopping under-16s accessing sites will protect against harmful content or stifle creativity and block opportunity. Read more, by Guardian Australia’s Rafqa Touma:
Two-thirds of Australian households agree renewable transition will be good for the country
Almost two-thirds of Australians believe the transition to renewables will be good for Australia overall but few understand what the transition means for them personally.
A new Energy Consumers Australia survey of more than 4,000 householders found just one in five agreed that “how the energy transition will affect households like theirs” had been clearly explained to them.
The consumer energy report card, released today, also found that while most householders believe the energy transition will be good for the environment, their local community and Australia as a whole, just one in four are confident the country has a well-planned approach to managing the transition.
The research found consumers were split over whether the transition to renewables would lower bills in the short term, but 45% were confident bills would come down on the long term.
Energy Consumers Australia’s CEO, Dr Brendan French, said:
Australians feel positive about the transition to renewable energy and believe it will be a good thing for the country – and more than half say they understand why Australia is making the change. They are much less certain about what it means for them and their families, with most believing this is yet to be clearly explained.
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Woolworths says warehouse strikes have cost $50m
Australia’s biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths, says it has lost $50m in grocery sales since the start of industrial action that has disrupted the flow of goods into some of its stores.
More than 1,500 Woolworths warehouse workers have been on strike since 21 November, seeking better pay and safety on the job. Industrial action has affected up to five distribution centres, impacting supplies in some stores in Victoria, NSW and the ACT.
Woolworths told shareholders today that its revenue was being affected.
“Since the start of the industrial action, Australian food sales have been negatively impacted by approximately $50m to date (up to 2 December),” Woolworths said.
Until the industrial action is resolved, a further impact to sales is expected.
It will be dependent on the duration and extent of the ongoing industrial action across the affected sites, and the time taken to rebuild inventory ahead of the Christmas trading period.
The United Workers Union national secretary, Tim Kennedy, said warehouse workers had engaged in good-faith negotiations for almost seven months and have raised concerns about a “punitive” productivity framework imposed on workers.
“They are also fighting for a fair pay rise,” Kennedy said.
Shares in Woolworths were trading slightly higher in morning trade in a broadly positive market.
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Energy retailers asked to clear customer debts and accused of price hikes amid cost-of-living crisis
Energy retailers are being called on to clear all customer debts and allow customers in “debt traps” to search for cheaper plans.
Stop the Bill Shock was started by organisations whose members are experiencing energy poverty heading into summer, as new data from the Australian Energy Regulator showed a 37.8% increase in the number of households struggling to pay their energy bills.
The campaign group said it had delivered a $173m bill – the estimated cost for the company to wipe debt for its customers - to Australia’s largest retailer, Origin Energy.
Jay Coonan, a spokesperson for Stop the Bill Shock and the Antipoverty Centre, said:
Energy debt is going up every year and it’s because of energy retailer greed. Ordinary people just trying to meet their basic needs are being punished with price hikes in service of massive profits for huge companies like Origin and AGL.
Energy debt must be wiped, but this is only a first step. We need strong regulation to prevent price gouging and guarantee that customers can always switch to the cheapest plan available.
Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities said it was “unacceptable that older people, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, families with young kids and others are making the choice between paying for cooling or groceries”:
The people most at risk of heat related illness can’t afford to keep cool and it is making summer more dangerous. High prices lead to hardship, and hardship leads to debt … It’s time for us to put health over retailer profits.
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Jacinta Allan defends Victoria after Business Council last-place ranking
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended the state’s business credentials after the Business Council of Australia ranked it the worst place to do business in the country.
The Regulation Rumble 2024 report ranked Victoria last for overall business settings and found “with a low ranking for its property taxes and charges, payroll taxes, and business licencing requirements, the state has much room for improvement if it is to attract and generate business-driven growth”.
But speaking in Melbourne this morning Allan says there’s key data missing from the report. She says:
The ABS data tells us that more and more businesses are choosing Victoria as a place to invest in record numbers. … when you look at our energy prices, we have amongst the lowest energy prices of anywhere in the nation and we have a great and strong skilled workforce.
Allan says the report also fails to take into account a string of announcements she made in October to streamline planning and build more homes.
These are the priorities that I’m focused on – a future where we need to keep building homes, renewable energies, building productive transport infrastructure, most certainly focused on building more jobs.
She says she will be releasing an “economic growth statement” “very soon”.
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Responses to review into Modern Slavery Act agree more reforms are needed
Staying with the government’s response to the independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act: the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Michele O’Neil, said five years into the operation of the Act, it was clear the law was not strong enough to deliver real improvements for workers in situations of modern slavery in the operations and supply chains of Australian companies.
We welcome the commitment to implement penalties for companies failing to uphold their reporting obligations. However the commitment must go further and should include a requirement for companies to take concrete action to prevent modern slavery – this means introducing a requirement for companies to undertake due diligence, and penalties for companies failing to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
Keren Adams, the legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the modern slavery act was failing workers. The introduction of penalties for companies that fail to report, or falsely report, was welcomed, she said.
But simply enforcing better reporting will not drive the transformational changes to corporate practices we know are needed to help end forced labour. The act should also impose a legal requirement on companies to take action. We urge the Albanese government to move swiftly to implement a due diligence obligation on companies, as recommended by the independent review.
Carolyn Kitto, co-director of Be Slavery Free, said the government’s response had been too slow.
The government has had the Modern Slavery Act review report for 557 days – during which an estimated 15 million more people have fallen into slavery. While these commitments are welcome, urgent action to implement all recommendations is critical. We cannot afford another delay like this.
The federal government’s new anti-slavery commissioner, former Labor senator Chris Evans, started his five-year term on Monday.
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Advocates say government should make companies take active role in fighting modern slavery
Anti-slavery advocates, human rights groups and unions have welcomed proposed changes to strengthen Australia’s modern slavery law, including through the introduction of penalties for companies that fail to undertake modern slavery reporting requirements.
But they have argued the government should go further and also introduce a legal requirement for companies to take action to prevent modern slavery.
An independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, enacted in 2018, was given to the government in May 2023. More than 18 months later, the government has now responded.
The review of the act found “no hard evidence that the act, in its early years, has yet caused meaningful change for people living in conditions of modern slavery”.
The Act currently requires companies with a revenue of more than $100m to complete a ‘modern slavery statement’ every year. The statement must describe the risks of modern slavery in the company’s operations and supply chains.
The review made 30 recommendations, including that companies that fail to submit their mandated modern slavery reports or that knowingly publish false information face penalties – currently there is no penalty. The government has agreed to that recommendation.
But the review also recommended the act be strengthened with the introduction of the “due diligence” obligation, such as exists in the EU and other jurisdictions. A due diligence obligation would require companies to actively identify modern slavery risks and take action to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains – action beyond simply submitting modern slavery risk reports.
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Home affairs minister to meet Indonesian minister for law as Bali Nine speculation swirls
As developments around the fate of the remaining Bali Nine members continues to dominate Tony Burke’s pre-planned visit to Indonesia, the Indonesian government has confirmed its coordinating minister for law, human rights, immigration and corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, will meet with the home affairs minister today.
The pair will meet in Jakarta at 1pm local time.
The meeting is potential further progress in the ongoing and delicate negotiations around the futures of the five Australians who remain in captivity in Indonesia.
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Media Watch host Paul Barry thanks ABC managing directors for supporting right to criticise broadcaster
The outgoing ABC Media Watch host, Paul Barry, has thanked managing directors David Anderson and Mark Scott for always supporting the program’s right to critique the public broadcaster.
“It is remarkable that any broadcaster tolerates a program that rips into it as we have done,” Barry said in his final show on Monday. “And two people in particular deserve the credit.”
Mark Scott who was managing director from 2006 to 2016 and David Anderson who has been managing director since 2019.
They have always had my back, and defended Media Watch’s right to criticise, even if they didn’t agree with its criticisms.
Barry said a relentless campaign to hold back action on climate change is the media’s worst crime during his 11 years in the role. Barry was also critical of the News Corp tabloids for “doing their best to keep Labor out of power”.
“But female politicians have been hit even harder and more often than the blokes,” he said. “And none more than Julia Gillard – by Alan Jones in particular”.
Barry said Gillian Triggs at the Human Rights Commission and writer Yassmin Abdel Magied were also targeted by News Corp.
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Sportsbet pauses Spotify advertising after children allegedly exposed to gambling content
Australian gambling giant Sportsbet has paused advertising with the music streaming service, Spotify, after a complaint alleging children were exposed to its content between Disney songs.
Earlier today, Guardian Australia reported on a father’s formal complaint to the streaming service. The father, who declined to be named, said the content was “potentially damaging” to his children and urged Spotify to introduce an opt-out function for wagering content:
I love Spotify and completely understand your need to generate income. However, playing Sportsbet’s ads before and after Disney songs is inappropriate and potentially damaging to my children.
The father was listening to music on his own, free account. Spotify does not have an opt-out of advertising option for free or premium users. Paying Spotify users are exposed to fewer ads, but they are still embedded into some podcasts.
Sportsbet has told Guardian Australia it takes measures to ensure children are not exposed to its advertising:
Sportsbet’s advertising on Spotify and all social media channels uses age gating measures, and excludes kids and family content as an additional control.
We are disappointed this has happened and have paused advertising on Spotify while the issue is rectified.
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Woolworths files application with Fair Work to prevent union blockade
The Woolworths Group says it has filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission seeking orders preventing the United Workers Union (UWU) from blocking access to its Melbourne south regional distribution centre and three other sites in Victoria and New South Wales.
The UWU commenced indefinite strike action at the four sites on 21 November, with the strike action now extending to 12 days, Woolworths said.
In a statement this morning, the supermarket said the application to Fair Work alleges a breach of the good faith bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act and that the matter had not yet been listed for hearing.
The application comes after the UWU refused to give any assurance of safe passage for team members seeking to return to work at our Melbourne south regional distribution centre yesterday and this morning.
A majority of the team at the site had indicated they wished to return to work to begin being paid, which will help increase supply of essential food and grocery products such as nappies, toilet paper and drinks to Woolworths’ Victorian stores.
The UWU chose to block the site entry points to MSRDC with cars and protesters, which created an unsafe environment for team members who had shown up to work. The majority of our team members at this site are not members of the UWU.
We will again be attempting to operate the MSRDC today, and we will follow the advice of the Victorian police to ensure the safety of our team.
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No arrests made in dramatic police operation in Mosman
A dramatic police operation on Sydney’s lower north shore has ended with no arrests made.
Police said that at about 7am, officers executed a firearms prohibition order at a home on Prince Albert Street, Mosman.
While police said the operation had since concluded, local news outlet Mosman Collective shared a photo of a specialist officer in a riot squad vehicle taking aim with a high powered rifle.
Alarmed residents told the outlet that “tactical operations officers with high powered rifles entered the home, located close to The Buena, and removed a man ‘very quickly’.”
The outlet reported the police used a loud hailer to “warn the man” of the operation.
An 18-year-old and another man, age unknown, were spoken to by police.
No arrests were made and inquiries were ongoing.
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A third of trainee doctors surveyed report harassment in their workplace
An alarmingly high number of trainee doctors continue to experience racism and sexual harassment in their workplaces, according to the latest Medical Training Survey.
The 2024 survey, completed by nearly 25,000 medical trainees, showed a third of trainees had experienced or witnessed bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or racism.
The figure leapt to 54% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees. The Australian Medical Association’s president, Dr Danielle McMullen, said:
This survey should be a major wakeup call to tackle the systemic issues that impact the training experience and wellbeing of doctors in training.
We are disappointed doctors in training are still experiencing racism and sexual harassment, and we are particularly alarmed that 19% of all doctors in training are considering a career outside of medicine.
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New Mariyung train departs Newcastle for Sydney
The first new Newcastle to Sydney train is on its way south after departing Newcastle on time this morning.
The Mariyung intercity train departed at 08:21 and is scheduled to arrive in Sydney at 10:55, according to New South Wales Transport. The new $4bn Korean-built Mariyung fleet was mired in delays, setting plans back by at least four years.
In a statement on Monday, the Minns government said:
So far, fifteen Mariyung train sets have been completely modified by local workers at Kangy Angy. Two of those sets will begin service on December 3, while the rest go through the rigorous safety testing regime before being progressively rolled out along the Central Coast and Newcastle line.
Mariyung trains will then be progressively rolled out on the Blue Mountains line and the South Coast line.
The new intercity fleet will set a new standard of travel for commuters who make approximately 26 million journeys a year on the electrified intercity network.
The improvements include wider, more spacious two-by-two seating with arm rests, tray tables, and high seat backs, charging ports for mobile devices, dedicated spaces for luggage, prams and bicycles and modern heating and air conditioning.
They will also open up greater options for travel for people with disabilities and mobility issues with dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and accessible toilets.
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Albanese to spend Christmas in Darwin at cyclone memorial
Anthony Albanese will spend Christmas morning in Darwin, attending a dawn commemoration service marking 50 years since Cyclone Tracy devastated Australia’s northernmost capital city.
Albanese told Nova FM Sydney on Tuesday that he would attend the commemorations, which would also include an event on Christmas Eve.
I’ll be heading up to Darwin because it is the 50th anniversary of that terrible event, Cyclone Tracy, when Santa never made it into Darwin. I well recall as a little kid hearing that song over and over again but seeing the devastation that was there.
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Over to the Northern Territory, where lawyers for Aboriginal residents say it is “shocking and disappointing” that the NT government is trying to overturn a landmark court ruling which found it was legally required to provide them safe drinking water.
The challenge is the latest development in a five-year legal stoush between the NT government and residents of Laramba, an Aboriginal community 205km north-west of Alice Springs, reports Guardian Australia’s Ella Archibald-Binge:
Greens senator calls for barriers preventing disabled people from entering politics to be ‘brought down’
Tangible barriers preventing disabled people from entering leadership positions in politics need to be “brought down”, says Jordan Steele-John.
Speaking on RN Breakfast, the Greens senator said he hopes a new election access fund, modeled on a New Zealand initiative, will help disabled people enter the “federal space or in other kind of processes before you put your hand up or are endorsed officially as a candidate”.
The fund will help disabled people with the costs of an interpreter or a ramp at a public speaking event, for example, he said:
That’s really important because one of the great strengths of disabled people and our disability community is our ability to problem solve and to innovate and just see that often the way a system works, the way a policy is made, isn’t how it needs to be – and we know that reality, because every day in our lives we come up against issues and barriers where somebody says, often a person in a position of power, ‘Sorry, that’s not possible to change that. It’s just the way it’s done.’
And we respond together with, ‘Well, actually, it’s got to change, because I deserve and need to be included too.’
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Climate 200 has reported a surge in first-time donors in November off the back of a donation-matching campaign comparing the Coalition and Peter Dutton to the politics of Donald Trump, reports Guardian Australia’s Paul Karp.
Read more below:
Why is Victoria the Business Council’s worst state to do business in?
As we covered earlier, South Australia has been named the best state in which to do business.
But the worst state for businesses, says the Business Council of Australia, is Victoria. Speaking on ABC RN Breakfast, the council’s Bran Black said that while the state has some pluses, including development opportunities, it is falling short in some key areas:
Firstly, it’s got a high payroll tax rate at 6.85%. It’s got a low [payroll tax] threshold of just $900,000. It’s got the third-highest land tax rate and the highest stamp duty rate in the country. And it’s also got pretty significant business licensing requirements.
He wasn’t to be pushed on naming a best state for building new homes – those are needed across the country, he said.
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Pocock: government has ‘bowed to vested interests’ on gambling ad ban
Staying with David Pocock’s comments on RN Breakfast just now, the independent senator has been speaking about gambling advertising after ads were reportedly played between child-targeted Frozen and Bluey songs which were streaming on Spotify.
The crossbench has been hammering the government on this for the last 18 months. Frankly, it’s hard to believe how the PM is taking advice from Peter V’Landys ahead of Peta Murphy and a parliamentary inquiry that gave unanimously backed recommendations to the parliament.
One of those was a three years phased-in ban of all gambling advertising, and yet we’ve seen the government basically kick this down the road, put it in the too-hard basket, bow to vested interests … It’s not about banning gambling. It’s about banning gambling advertising, so we’re not hearing it between Frozen and Bluey on Spotify. That is simply unacceptable.
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Pocock: ‘We’re world leaders in extinction’
David Pocock says Australia spends a “pittance” on nature conservation and that Australians want to see stronger conservation laws.
Speaking about the failed “nature positive” laws on ABC Radio National, the independent senator for the ACT said “we’re world leaders in extinction, and we just have such an incredible, incredible continent here that we’re not looking after”:
It seems like time and time again, it takes the crossbench to actually hold the Labor party to their own commitments. It shouldn’t be controversial to want to protect nature. And I don’t buy the WA argument that the prime minister keeps putting forward.
I had some polling done in WA, and there is such strong support for better nature protection ... 78% of West Australians want to see stronger national environmental laws.
What I’m hearing from people that I represent here in the ACT is that they want the environment prioritised. People we all know deep down that we are part of nature, and if nature goes down, we’re going down with her. And for such a wealthy country, we spend an absolute pittance on nature conservation.
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Weather check shows mixed conditions forecast across Australian cities
It’s a mixed, if warm, bag in capital cities today, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting storms in Melbourne, sunny skies in Brisbane and Adelaide and showers across all other major cities.
A maximum temperature of 30C is expected in Sydney and Brisbane, with 28C forecast for Melbourne and 26C in Canberra.
The bureau has also issued a severe weather warning for parts of Victoria. Gippsland and central districts are expected to be affected this morning, easing towards the afternoon.
⚠️Severe Weather Warning for DAMAGING WINDS
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 2, 2024
In parts of East Gippsland, North East, West and South Gippsland, Central and North Central Forecast Districts.
Damaging winds about higher peaks in the east, easing later in the morning.
Details: https://t.co/JrHe5r6hFC pic.twitter.com/9b5yrVdokI
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Attorney general’s office says anti-hate speech laws do not cover ‘psychological harm’
Officials from the attorney general’s department have dismissed concerns by Christian lobby groups that proposed hate speech laws would turn Australia into a “police state” by creating “thought crimes”.
At a parliamentary hearing on Monday, department officials were asked whether the legislation would extend to “psychological” harm caused by religious groups expressing their faith.
The bill, if passed, would extend existing offences of urging force or violence against specified targeted groups to protect people distinguished by sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status or disability.
The changes would lower the threshold for the offences, to punish a person who is “reckless” as to whether the violence urged will occur, rather than requiring that they intend it.
Jonathon Savery, the director of the department’s counter-terrorism legislation section, said the changes related to “physical force or violence against a person”.
“They aren’t intended to encompass psychological or other sorts of mental harm. That’s consistent with the ordinary meaning of these terms, which the terms are intended to take, so, as evidenced by various sort of dictionary definitions that refer to physical coercion, exertion of strength, use of rough force.”
Savery noted the proposed laws explicitly say violence, and not harm. The latter can include mental harm.
Various religious groups raised the issue throughout the day’s hearing, expressing concerns that the laws could limit free speech and freedom to practice religion.
Rachel Carling, the public policy director of Christian Schools Australia, described the proposal as an “unacceptable limitation on the fundamental human freedoms of speech, thought and religion”.
“The bill, as it stands in our interpretation, risks encompassing legitimate debate and disagreement and risks covering the biblical teachings around, for example, sexuality and gender.”
The religious groups suggested adding “physical” before violence to provide them with “crystal clarity”. Savery later said adding the word is “unlikely to have a significant effect” because violence is outlined in other legislation.
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More than 60 imports of deadly synthetic opiod nitazenes detected at border: AFP
The Australian federal police say more than 60 imports of deadly synthetic opioids were detected at the nation’s border in the 20 months to September.
The synthetic opioids, called nitazenes, are often mixed with other substances such as MDMA and heroin without the user’s knowledge.
The AFP says between January 2023 and September 2024, the Australian Border Force detected 64 imports of nitazenes at the Australian border. The imports originated from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Canada and were primarily imported via the international mail stream, the AFP said.
AFP Cmdr Paula Hudson says it considers nitazenes to pose a greater threat to the Australian community than fentanyl:
Nitazenes are considered 10 times more potent than fentanyl and to put that in perspective, around two milligrams of fentanyl – or the equivalent of the size of two grains of salt – is considered lethal.
The AFP said there is no evidence that nitazenes are being manufactured in Australia.
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Perry Kouromblis, main suspect in 1977 murders, boards plane flanked by detectives
Morning all, Daisy Dumas here with the rest of the morning’s news. The first pictures of the main suspect in 1977’s Easey Street murders, Perry Kouromblis, have been made public.
In the 7News footage, Kouromblis is seen flanked by detectives on board a plane. The extradition process is under way after Kouroumblis was arrested at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport in September, decades after the murders of Suzanne Armstrong, 28, and Susan Bartlett, 27, in January 1977.
Charges have not been laid and he maintains his innocence.
JUST IN: These are the first pictures of the main suspect in the 1977 Easey St murders, Perry Kouroumblis.
— Cassie Zervos (@cassiezervos) December 2, 2024
He’s flanked my homicide detectives as the extradition process is now underway. @7NewsMelbourne @7NewsAustralia pic.twitter.com/kFsd0Yj7tZ
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Robbie Buck to leave ABC Radio
After almost three decades behind the mic, Robbie Buck has announced he is leaving ABC Radio Sydney, joining a growing list of names departing the national broadcaster from next year.
Buck told audiences on his show, Songs & Stories, that he would be going:
It’s a sad moment, I’ve got to say.
I’m stepping back from the ABC somewhat, which is a big move for me. I have been here over 28 years as a constant employee, and it’s been such a privilege to have been a part of this organisation.
I am hoping to still have a toe in the water here on the airwaves, and so I’m hoping to pop up from time to time, but it just seems like it’s the right time for me to step back.
Buck joins a list of high-profile ABC presenters – Richard Glover, Sarah Macdonald and Simon Marnie – who are departing the broadcaster from 2025.
He hosted the Songs & Stories radio show for the last 18 months, having previously hosted the ABC Radio Sydney breakfast show for eight years, four of those years co-hosting with Wendy Harmer.
News corp puts gas advertorials on the front page
“Dark ages” said the front page headline in the Daily Telegraph, while the Courier Mail said “Step on the gas”.
Underneath was a story exhorting the government to ensure more gas-fired power stations are built to avoid the prospect of balckouts. However, what it didn’t say until the reader turned to the inside was that the “stories” were advertorials paid for by the fossil fuel lobby.
Our environment editor Adam Morton deconstructs the claims.
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Vulnerable countries tell ICJ handful of countries should be legally responsible for climate change
A handful of countries should be held legally responsible for the ongoing impacts of climate change, representatives of vulnerable nations have told judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
During a landmark hearing at the Peace Palace in the Hague, which began on Monday, Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and environment, said responsibility for the climate crisis lay squarely with “a handful of readily identifiable states” that had produced the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions but stood to lose the least from the impacts.
Read our full story;
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SA secures business-friendly crown as Victoria languishes in last place
South Australia has secured the title of best state to do business, narrowly beating Tasmania, which landed in second place.
Victoria came in last place in the business lobby’s rankings of state and territory regulatory frameworks and tax settings.
The top-performing state in the Business Council of Australia’s leaderboard sports the lowest payroll tax rate for large employers.
South Australia similarly ranked highly for stamp duty and land tax rates with businesses having fewer licensing and permit hoops to jump through than elsewhere. Its urban planning system, which takes into account the pace development applications are assessed, also outperformed other states.
But on retail trading hours, South Australia had among the most restrictive rules dictating when businesses can and cannot open.
BCA’s chief executive, Bran Black, said the report “highlights good practice regulations and planning systems across Australia that other states and territories should look to adopt”.
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Woolworths picket continues
Picketers will continue their around-the-clock presence at Woolworths warehouses and say they will be there until a pay agreement is reached, Australian Associated Press reports.
United Workers Union members are blocking all entrances to a distribution centre in suburban Melbourne after Woolworths announced plans to reopen.
Plans to bring in staff yesterday fell through, and picketers at the Dandenong South site turned away logistics trucks trying to enter.
The strike action has seen supermarket shelves across Victoria stripped, with scenes akin to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Customers can expect to see ongoing empty shelves after the union failed to agree to allow workers to return to work as a result of the ongoing strikes, Woolworths said.
“The majority of our team at the Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre want to return to work and be paid again, our customers are facing increasingly empty shelves, another union has endorsed our deal, and we are still at the negotiating table with the UWU,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
“As long as they continue to block access to our site, our customers will continue to face shortages on shelves in Victoria.”
One store, on Collingwood’s Smith Street, had most of its toilet paper aisle emptied along with large portions of its bread and fridge sections.
The company and union returned to the negotiating table on Monday.
“We are hopeful of a breakthrough because our workers deserve to be safe at work,” United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy said.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories to get things started before Daisy Dumas takes the reins.
It may have passed a stack of new laws last week but the Albanese government is in election peril if our latest Guardian Essential poll is anything to go by, with voters deeply underwhelmed by Labor’s performance in the two critically important policy areas of housing affordability and improving wages.
The government has been rated “poor” by 53% of voters on its efforts to contain housing costs, according to today’s poll, while ministers also received surprisingly little credit for increasing wages, with 35% saying they had done a “poor” job on that score as well. More coming up.
Vanuatu has outlined its case in a landmark climate action brought before the UN’s top court, arguing that international law and the warming of the atmosphere demands broader action.
Beginning overnight, the Pacific state is leading two weeks of hearings at the international court of justice in The Hague, seeking an formal advisory opinion on whether high-emitting countries should do more to stave off climate catastrophe. More coming.
More than 1,500 Woolworths warehouse workers will strike for the 13th day running today in their fight for better pay and safety on the job. The industrial action has affected up to five distribution centres run by Primary Connect, the supermarket giant’s supply chain arm, and has led to some bare shelves in stores. More coming up.
And the Business Council of Australia has ranked all the states and territories on how easy it is to “do business” in them – in other words, which has the least tax and regulation. Victoria came last.
