What we learned: Monday, 30 June
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. Thanks for reading along, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow with all the latest.
Until then, here were the major developments of the day:
New South Wales’ State Emergency Service is preparing for a “severe weather event” from Byron Bay to the Illawarra by deploying helicopters and high clearance vehicles to the coastal zones that are most at risk from the developing coastal low which is forecast to hit on Tuesday. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has urged communities to prepare for significant flash flooding and storm damage due to intense rainfall and damaging winds.
Anthony Albanese says tariffs placed on Australia by the US Trump administration “should be zero” as leaders around the world prepare for a second “liberation day” announcement following a 90-day pause on tariffs.
NSW police has declared a critical incident investigation into the arrest of the former Greens candidate, who has claimed she could lose sight in her right eye and has been charged with resisting arrest. NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson has written to the premier, Chris Minns, urging the charges against Hannah Thomas and four other protesters be withdrawn and accusing the police of “brutally assaulting” Thomas.
The jury in Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial has retired to consider its verdicts.
And a senior home affairs department official has been found to have abused public office and misused official information to get her future brother-in-law a job, including failing to disclose their relationship and passing interview questions to her sister.
Back to the federal government’s gas market review, Australian Energy Producers (AEP) has called it an opportunity to strengthen investment and increase supply.
The chief executive of AEP – a peak industry body representing Australia’s oil and gas exploration and production sector – Samantha McCulloch, said industry supported the government’s commitment to consolidating and streamlining regulations and creating a long-term stable regulatory environment.
The review is an opportunity to future-proof the east coast gas market and ensure reliable and affordable gas supply for Australian households and manufacturers.
Natural gas will play a critical role in Australia’s energy mix for decades to come. The east coast gas market needs to be fit-for-purpose to support continued investment in our abundant gas resources and avoid projected shortfalls.
McCulloch said the federal government’s Future Gas Strategy “makes clear” that natural gas will “remain critical to Australia’s energy security through to 2050 and beyond”.
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Australian share market finishes financial year with respectable gains
The Australian share market has finished higher to round out 2025/26 with a respectable double-digit gain for the financial year, while its quarterly performance was the best since the final quarter of 2020.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday finished up 28.1 points, or 0.33%, to 8,542.3, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 29.4 points, or 0.34%, to 8,773.0.
The ASX200 climbed 10.2% over the course of the financial year - or just over 14% on a gross return basis that includes dividends.
The benchmark index also rose 1.3% during the month of June and 8.9% for the June quarter - making the second quarter its best since a 13.3% gain in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The ASX200 is also up 4.7% so far in 2025 - 6.4% including dividends.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.45 US cents, from 65.50 US cents on Friday.
-AAP.
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Albanese government must address possible gas shortfalls, opposition says
The opposition has called on a government review into gas regulation to address “imminent shortfall warnings” after an ACCC report released today found possible gas shortfalls for southern states from the end of the year.
The review will look at “key measures introduced by successive governments which have safeguarded Australia’s energy supplies and prices as we build a cleaner, fairer and more reliable energy system”.
In a joint statement, the shadow minister for energy, Dan Tehan, and the shadow minister for resources, Susan McDonald, called on Labor to immediately release new gas acreages for exploration and fast-track approvals of gas projects.
The latest warning on Australia’s gas supply follows confirmation that Labor’s Hydrogen Strategy is in tatters with nearly every proposed green hydrogen project in Australia being shelved or dumped. Instead of action, the government has today announced a review that is already required by regulation.
A review should not be a substitute or delay actions that the government can do right now to bring down power prices and avert gas shortages. Labor has pushed Australia’s gas market to the brink, driven away new investment, stalled job-creating projects across the country, and severely jeopardised our international credentials as a reliable trading partner.
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Sydneysiders urged to be alert for measles symptoms
NSW Health is urging Sydneysiders to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after a confirmed case was infectious while visiting several locations in recent weeks.
The case recently returned from Vietnam, where there is a large outbreak of measles, NSW Health said.
They visited Sir Reuben in Rozelle on Sunday, 22 June, between 12 and 1pm and the Concord hospital emergency department from 10.35pm on Saturday, 28 June, until 3.10am.
Sydney Local Health District director of public health, Dr Leena Gupta, said anyone who visited the above locations at those times should monitor for symptoms. The locations did not pose an ongoing risk.
Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes. Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it’s important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until 18 July.
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NSW police declare critical incident after former Greens candidate injured during Sydney protest
NSW police has declared a critical incident investigation into the arrest of the former Greens candidate, who has claimed she could lose sight in her right eye and has been charged with resisting arrest.
Hannah Thomas, 35, who ran against the prime minister at the federal election, was arrested at the Belmore protest on Friday, attended by about 60 people. She was subsequently taken to hospital and underwent surgery.
Assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden said on Monday that police declared it a critical incident after police determined “the level of injury warranted a critical incident declaration”.
Critical incident investigations into police conduct are triggered when a death or serious injury has occurred during a person’s interaction with police.
Police said they had requested Thomas’ medical information multiple times before being given the information needed to declare a critical incident.
The investigation will be overseen by the police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
Assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden on Monday morning denied any police wrongdoing. McFadden claimed he had reviewed body-worn-camera footage, and it did not show “any misconduct on behalf of my officers”.
Meanwhile, a law firm acting on behalf of several protesters, including Thomas, is considering whether protesters could sue NSW police over alleged excessive use of force.
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors said it was investigating the viability of launching a legal action against the police.
NSW Greens spokesperson for justice, Sue Higginson, wrote a letter for NSW premier Chris Minns, urging the charges against Thomas and four other protesters be withdrawn.
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Two killed in separate NSW car accidents
Two people have died in two separate car crashes in New South Wales today.
About 7.30am, emergency services were called to Tweed Valley Way at Tumbulgum following a collision between a hatchback and an SUV.
The driver of the hatchback was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene, however he was unable to be revived. While yet to be formally identified, she was believed to be 85 years old.
The driver of the SUV – a 43-year-old woman – sustained minor injuries and was taken to Tweed Valley hospital for mandatory testing. A crime scene was established and inquiries were underway.
Elsewhere, a man died in a single-vehicle crash at Henry Parkes Way, about 58kms west of Parks. About 1.15pm, emergency services found a truck had left the roadway and crashed into bushes. The driver – a man believed to be aged in his 70s – was located deceased at the scene.
It comes as NSW police have charged 89 people during a road traffic operation in Sydney, the Illawarra and south coast.
The operation ran on 6pm on Saturday, 28 June until 4am Sunday, with mobile and stationary drug and alcohol testing at locations of serious injury or fatal crashes.
Of 4,850 breath tests conducted, 25 were positive. Of 524 roadside drug tests, 72 were positive, including cannabis, cocaine and meth. About 310 traffic infringements were issued, and 52 speeding infringements, while 42 unauthorised drivers were found.
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Autism Awareness Australia Welcomes Grattan Institute’s Call for NDIS Rebalance
Autism Awareness Australia has welcomed a new Grattan report which found the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has grown too big too fast, but four key changes could “save” it while ensuring disabled Australians get the help they need
Nicole Rogerson, CEO of Autism Awareness Australia, said this report was a “timely and critical call for rebalancing a system that has become unsustainable”.
It’s not about spending less, it’s about spending smarter and ensuring that all Australians with disability receive the support they genuinely need, not just those fortunate enough to secure individual packages.
Early intervention isn’t simply an ‘NDIS problem’. It’s about providing crucial, timely support that ensures lifelong positive outcomes for autistic individuals. We must commit to foundational supports immediately, rather than proposing them as future solutions.
Read more about the report here:
Body found in Queensland town of Proston
A man’s body has been found during a search and rescue operation at a dam in the South Burnett region of Queensland.
On 26 June, the operation began after a 74-year-old Glenwood man was reported missing when an inflatable dinghy was located with its motor still running close to the Boondooma Dam’s shoreline in the regional town of Proston.
Water police, SES, aerial assets, dam management and members of the public assisted in the search.
About 12pm this afternoon, the body, believed to be that of the missing man, was located in the water within the search area.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Government announces gas market review
The federal government will undertake a review into gas market regulations in a bid to strengthen domestic supply and the nation’s exports.
The review will look at “key measures introduced by successive governments which have safeguarded Australia’s energy supplies and prices as we build a cleaner, fairer and more reliable energy system”, the energy minister, Chris Bowen and minister for resources, Madeleine King said in a joint statement.
It will also take note of the government’s Future Gas Strategy, released in 2024, which spells out the role gas will play alongside renewables, batteries and pumped hydro.
Today, the ACCC released their latest Gas Inquiry report, confirming that short term gas supply was sufficient, with the need for further investment in the longer term.
As part of the review, the government will also consider the role of various market bodies, and “how best to encourage sustainable investment that improves the supply outlook and puts downwards pressure on prices”.
Bowen said gas had an “important role to play in our energy system as we transition towards 82% renewables”.
Unlike coal, gas power generators can be turned on and off in a couple of minutes – providing the ultimate backstop in our energy grid.
It’s critical that we use this review get the settings right in our gas market, ensuring we are securing affordable Australian gas for Australian use, while remaining a reliable energy exporter and delivering lasting energy security in our region.
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Finally, Albanese was asked about potential broader tax reform in this term of government, as has been floated by the treasurer.
As to whether there was an appetite for Labor to go further, Albanese said during the last term the government had implemented “significant reform”.
We changed some of the taxation arrangements on resource companies, for example, that delivered an additional $2bn of revenue. We changed the stage-three tax cuts that had been legislated to make them fair and make sure everyone got a tax cut.
So we will wait, we do not want to get into – as the treasurer said – the rule-in rule-out game, what we want is a mature conversation. If people have ideas, then they are entitled to put them forward and to have them considered and that of course must by definition include how they will be received by the Australian public.
Pressed on if Labor would “take any big tax changes to the next election or try to legislate them before”, Albanese replied:
Patricia, we’ve just been through one election campaign, give us a break. We haven’t had parliament sit yet.
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Last week, the shadow minister Andrew Hastie called for “greater transparency” about America’s growing military presence in Australia. Asked if he agreed with those comments, Albanese said “I’m not sure what he meant by that”.
The shadow minister for water belongs to a political party that during the election campaign, when president Trump announced tariffs on what he called liberation day, they … said we should be bargaining with our defence relationship. That was something that I rejected.
Our key is to avoid conflict. That is what we want to see. We want to see a reduction in conflict around the world.
Asked if that made Australia “more vulnerable” if we were expanding the military presence of the US in Australia, Albanese replied:
We have an alliance with the United States and that is an important part of our defence and international relationship and it is one I support.
It is of benefit to Australia that that alliance be in place. We have been partners with the United States since John Curtin, another Labor prime minister, turned to the United States during the Second World War.
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Turning to defence spending. The federal government has made it clear it won’t offer a percentage of GDP increase in defence spending despite pressure from the Trump administration.
When we are negotiating with the US, who wants allies to be spending more … would you accept the cost of the upgrade of the submarine base to make the point we are investing more? Is that something you will be pointing out?
Albanese said the Australian government would point out that “we have increased our investment by some $57bn over 10 years, over the medium term and more than $10bn in addition to that”.
The United States … includes some funding for roads and bridges as part of their defence expenditure. We have not done that in Australia and I note that even under the agreement struck by both countries last week and Nato, they were speaking about 1.5% of the 5% being on related issues of infrastructure and others.
Now, that is not something that Australia does. What we will do is what I have said very clearly. We will invest in whatever capability Australia needs to defend ourselves and that is the way that you make sure that you maximise the defence of this country … If you look at what we inherited, which was a former government that thought it could defend Australia with a media release rather than with actual assets, we have turned that around.
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PM argues when and where of first Trump meeting ‘less important’ than outcomes
Asked if his preference was to have a face-to-face Oval Office meeting with the president rather than waiting for the Quad, Albanese said “where the meeting takes place is less important than what comes out of the meeting, frankly”.
Oval Office meetings have not been a particularly pleasant experience for the leaders of Ukraine or South Africa.
Albanese:
I know there is a laser-like focus on this. What I am concerned about is supporting Australia’s national interests, whether that be here domestically or internationally.
On tariffs, the prime minister was asked if he could “get a better deal” than the UK prime minister, who secured a trade deal reduced down to 10% for cars.
Albanese earlier today pushed for Australia to have total exemptions.
I was asked about reciprocal tariffs and the point is, if we have reciprocal tariffs with the United States, that figure is zero, it is not 10% ...
We have to give facts and the fact is we have zero tariffs and reciprocal tariffs means that. That is just a definition. So, in supporting Australia’s national interest, I will continue to advocate for the best outcome possible. Has Australia got the lowest amount that any country has got? Yes, that is a figure of 10%. That is what is in place at the moment.
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Albanese ‘looks forward’ to meeting Trump when ‘suitable’
The prime minister is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing ahead of Donald Trump’s second ‘liberation day’ announcement.
Anthony Albanese’s planned meeting with the US president was cancelled after he abruptly left the G7 meeting early.
Asked if he was waiting for the UN General Assembly meeting in September to see Trump face-to-face, or was prepared to visit the US earlier in the year, Albanese said he would be prepared “of course”, to meet with President Trump “when a suitable time could be organised”.
We also have the Quad meeting coming up, which we are finalising as well, which will bring together the leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, in India and that will take place in coming months so these things are being organised and I look forward to having a meeting and continuing the constructive dialogue that I have had with President Trump up to now and also the constructive face-to-face meetings that I have had with members of his administration, including the treasury secretary.
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ADF to support UK strike group in the Indo-Pacific
The Australian defence force (ADF) is supporting a United Kingdom-led carrier strike group during a deployment to the Indo-Pacific under Operation Highmast.
The group includes ships, aircraft and personnel from 12 nations over an eight-month deployment from Europe, including the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
In June, a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft provided maritime surveillance for the carrier strike group during its transit through the North Indian Ocean. Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney has now joined the strike group ahead of its participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 next month.
The ADF support will include port and basing facilities for ships and aircraft in Australia, integration of ships and aircraft in the Indo-Pacific and participation in Exercise Bersama Lima alongside Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.
V Adm Justin Jones, chief of joint operations, said the strike group was a “significant logistical undertaking that we are proud to support”.
We value the carrier strike group’s involvement in Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, marking the first time a non-US aircraft carrier has participated in this exercise.
Operation Highmast enriches our training and defence engagement with regional partners, specifically Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. It is a shared value of our two nations to maintain security and stability and adherence to international law to ensure peace and prosperity in our region.
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SES urges NSW coastal residents to 'start preparing now' for wild weather
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has urged communities to prepare for significant flash flooding and storm damage due to intense rainfall and damaging winds from tonight.
Communities along the NSW coast, including the south coast, Illawarra, Sydney, Newcastle, Hunter and mid-north coast are expected to be affected, with wind gusts of up to 125 km/h and widespread rainfall totals of up to 200mm in 48 hours in some areas.
Assistant commissioner Nicole Hogan ESM said residents along the coast should “start preparing now” by securing loose items around the home and learning about their flood risk before the worst effects occurred.
While we are expecting minor riverine flooding, we know significant flash flooding is a risk and can occur quickly and without much warning, so we want communities to know their risk, and understand the dangers of driving through floodwaters.
Minor flooding could occur on coastal catchments from Forster in the mid-north coast to Moruya on the south coast, the SES said, including the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley, from Tuesday through to the end of the week.
The NSW SES has pre-deployed teams and assets to high-risk locations, including at Kiama, Auburn, Hawkesbury, Maitland, Dungog, Cessnock and Taree.
The state minister for emergency services, Jihad Dib, said there were already NSW SES volunteers and emergency services active across the east coast preparing, “but we need the community to do their bit too”.
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Nurses banned from NDIS work after viral video
The two New South Wales nurses who were charged over a viral video in which they allegedly threatened Israeli patients have been banned from assisting NDIS participants.
The NDIS commission confirmed both Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh had been banned from working for the scheme after being stood down from their jobs at NSW Health in February.
Australia’s health practitioner watchdog has barred both nurses from working in the profession nationwide “in any context”. The pair have also had their registrations suspended by the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Council.
In a banning order uploaded to the commission’s website, the pair were prevented from providing care or supporting any NDIS participant for a period of two years, effective from 5pm 9 May in all states and territories.
The pair are before the courts, with Nadir to plead not guilty on “legal and technical grounds”.
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Queensland nurses threaten strike action if pay demands aren’t met
Queensland’s government is set to take the nurses union to the state’s Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation over a pay dispute.
On Monday morning, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) threatened strike action unless the state met a Wednesday ultimatum for an agreement.
The union secretary, Sarah Beaman, said its members were “furious”, claiming the government had continued to shift its position in negotiations. The union also announced its demands of a 13% pay rise over three years.
The state government has offered an 8% pay rise over three years.
In response to the ultimatum, the health minister, Tim Nicholls, said the state “is seeking conciliation through the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission”.
We remain at the table to finalise an agreement, and following 36 meetings since December, the QNMU put forward its first formal written position on Friday afternoon. The Queensland government’s offer is the State Wage Offer plus an uplift at the end of the agreement to maintain nation-leading wages, and an Australian-first double-time-for-overtime care package.
Nicholls said the state had also budgeted to make “a record investment in Queensland’s health system, including a fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan and a 10.2% increase in the health Budget, which will deliver more than 4,500 additional health workers in the next year”.
Beaman said strike action could begin next week. If nurses did walk off the job, it would be the first time they had done so in 22 years.
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Law firm considering suing NSW police over alleged excessive use of force in Thomas arrest
Lawyers are considering if protesters could sue NSW police over alleged excessive use of force after a former Greens candidate sustained an injury that she says could cause her to lose sight in her right eye.
Hannah Thomas, who ran against the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in the Sydney seat of Grayndler at the federal election, was arrested at the protest attended by about 60 people in Belmore on Friday morning before she was taken to hospital.
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors, who are acting for Thomas, said on Monday it was acting for several people involved in the protest and that it was investigating the viability of launching a legal action against the police.
Principal solicitor for the firm, Peter O’Brien, said in a statement:
Given that recent changes in the law in relation to protests have attempted to expand police powers to give directions, now subject to constitutional challenge, police may well have felt emboldened to act without proper and lawful acknowledgment of the right to protest. The government was warned that these changes to expand police powers to disperse protesters could lead to serious and ugly confrontations.
Those warnings have now rung true. Hannah Thomas has sustained a serious and potentially life-altering injury as a result of her interaction with police at the protest. She now finds herself not only recovering in hospital but also facing charges for allegedly resisting police.
This is precisely the type of harm we cautioned to the court and the public. In a democratic society, no individual should suffer injury at the hands of law enforcement merely for exercising their lawful right to protest. What has happened to Ms Thomas is deeply concerning and should never have occurred.
Assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden this morning denied any police wrongdoing, saying that he had reviewed body-cam footage, which did not show “any misconduct on behalf of my officers”.
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Keating welcomes changes to superannuation contributions
Former prime minister Paul Keating has welcomed tomorrow’s change to superannuation rules, when the minimum required contribution to employees retirement accounts by employers will rise from 11.5% to 12%.
It is the last in a series of incremental increases from 9%, delivered over more than a decade.
The superannuation savings pool is worth $4.08tn and will nearly double by 2035.
Keating – considered the father of the country’s superannuation system – says the change comes 34 years after he nominated 12% as the appropriate contribution level in a speech at the University of New South Wales.
“This level of contributions and compound earnings will guarantee personal super accumulations in excess of $3m at retirement, reducing the call by the age pension on the Australian budget to 2% of GDP in the 2050s,” Keating said.
Currently, France spends 14% of its GDP on public pensions while Germany sits at 10%. The United States [is] at 7%. Australia’s pension call on the budget is currently just 2.3% of GDP – a sunken level thanks entirely to universal superannuation.
Keating said superannuation is like Medicare, “an Australian community standard, binding the whole population as a national economic family, with each person having a place”.
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Good afternoon, it’s Caitlin Cassidy here on the blog to take you through the rest of this afternoon’s news.
Australia has ‘very strong support for COP31 in Adelaide,’ says Bowen
The minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen, says Australia has overwhelming support to host the 2026 international climate summit COP31, despite a growing standoff with Turkey.
Speaking at Parliament House on Monday, Bowen said he was engaging with the Turkish government diplomatically and behind the scenes to try and reach a resolution – admitting he wished the decision had already been settled.
Australia wants to host COP31 in Adelaide, in partnership with Pacific island countries, and has the backing of countries including the UK, Iceland, New Zealand and members of Western Europe and Other States bloc, which will decide the host city.
But under the United Nations consensus decision-making process, the issue cannot be resolved while Turkey remains in the race.
At the latest, a decision will have to be made by the COP30 conference, set to take place in Belém, a Brazilian city on the Amazon River, this November.
Bowen said the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, were involved in the diplomatic negotiations.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for Australia – the world’s largest trade fair,” he said.
This is an opportunity to talk to the world about Australia’s capacity to help them decarbonise. It’s a remarkable opportunity for the Pacific to put their issues on the table.
Of course I would prefer it was resolved by now, but I’m also a realist and a pragmatist in international negotiations.
It’s not like we need more support from the rest of the world. You know, we have very, very strong support for COP31 in Adelaide, but the process works on consensus.
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Hiker last seen on Wednesday found on NSW's south coast
A missing hiker has been found after a multi-agency search on New South Wales’ south coast.
Police said the 38-year-old was found in thick shrub off Twelve Mile Road, Jerrawangala at around 11.50am and was walked out by emergency services to safety.
The man was assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics and was not injured. He was taken to Shoalhaven base hospital for monitoring, police said.
Christopher Moore was last seen on Twelve Mile Road about 32km south of Nowra, about 10.30am on Wednesday, when he was dropped off for a camping trip, NSW police said in a statement.
He was due to be picked up at the same location on Friday, and when he did not arrive, officers attached to the South Coast police district were notified.
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A little more detail from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Steven Bernasconi about the forces shaping the deepening coastal low that’s predicted to hit a large part of New South Wales’ coast tomorrow.
“This coastal trough is deepening off the north coast. It’s expected to evolve into multiple low-pressure systems off the coast tonight. Now, one of these low-pressure systems will start to dominate, and that will actually become … a vigorous coastal low near the coast, around the central parts of the whole state’s coastline,” he told reporters just now.
It is a complex system and it is dynamic. It’s complex in that it is multiple low-pressure systems combining and interacting with each other and dynamic in that the pressure may drop quite quickly and turn into a more significant coastal low system.
The system will move southward during Tuesday, before beginning to move out into the Tasman Sea on Wednesday, with conditions easing on Thursday.
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BoM warns ‘damaging winds, heavy rain’ to hit NSW coast from Tuesday
New South Wales’ State Emergency Service is preparing for a “severe weather event” from Byron Bay to the Illawarra by deploying helicopters and high clearance vehicles to the coastal zones that are most at risk from the developing coastal low which is forecast to hit on Tuesday.
SES deputy commissioner Debbie Platz urged residents along much of the state’s coastal fringe to secure outdoors furniture, move vehicles away from large trees and to communicate with friends and family as the coastal low approached.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Steven Bernasconi said the bureau was issuing a severe weather warning for a deepening coastal low pressure system that will affect a large portion of the New South Wales coastline.
⚠️Coastal Hazard Warning for Tues 1 July.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) June 30, 2025
Gale force winds will produce large and powerful surf conditions from Seal Rocks to Batemans Bay, from Tues evening. Beach conditions will be dangerous, with possible erosion and damage. Other warnings current. https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/etAY101HQq
“We have a rapidly developing coastal low that’s forecast to develop offshore of the north coast tonight, and it’s looking like it’ll bring damaging winds, heavy rain and hazardous coastal conditions from Tuesday through to Wednesday, with conditions easing through to Thursday,” he said.
He said damaging wind gusts – greater than 90km/h, and the possibility of destructive gusts – more than 125km/h, were forecast, as well as water spouts and floods.
Up to 200mm of rain is predicted in some areas. Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday were forecast to be the most severe.
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‘Authoritarianism does not just appear in one day’: NSW civil liberties council urges repeal of anti-protest laws
The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties says new places of worship laws must be repealed, warning that “authoritarianism does not just appear in one day”.
Reacting to the injuries sustained by Greens candidate Hannah Thomas during a pro-Palestinian protest on Friday, the NSWCCL said the new laws were “draconian” and “lowered the threshold for NSW police to issue move-on orders”.
Timothy Roberts, president of the civil rights group, said in a statement:
We must always be critical when people are injured at the hands of the police. In this case, we should be alarmed at the excessive use of force. NSWCCL joins calls for an independent investigation into the police’s conduct.
We have all just witnessed a situation where someone has been severely injured for expressing a political opinion.
The new laws undermine democratic rights to assemble and communicate democratic ideas, the group said.
It was always a risk that these laws could be used by the police to suppress public assembly. That has proven true. Not only have they broken up a peaceful protest, in the first apparent use of these powers at this protest, someone was reportedly seriously injured at their hands.
The anti-protest laws must be repealed and the Minn’s government should be condemned for any part they have played in this by ramping up their hateful rhetoric toward protesters.
Roberts said these “are terrifying times. Authoritarianism does not just appear in one day. It arrives through a series of repressive legislative changes limiting the scope of acceptable dissent … and continued empowering of the police”.
Assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden this morning denied any police wrongdoing, saying that he had reviewed body-cam footage, which did not show “any misconduct on behalf of my officers”.
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Sex work legal service in Victoria saved
A Victorian legal service dedicated to helping sex workers that was at risk of closure has been given enough funding by the state government to keep its doors open.
Southside Justice has released a statement to Guardian Australia confirming it has secured enough funding for its sex worker legal program to continue for another three years.
The program is one of only two specialist legal services for sex workers in Australia and its managing lawyer, Emily Smith, is the only lawyer in Victoria who solely represents clients in the industry. She has represented clients in a range of matters including non-payment, discrimination, police accountability and employment issues.
Smith thanked the attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, and the Department of Justice and Community Safety for their support. She said while the funding allowed the service to continue in its current form, it was not enough for it to expand, despite an increase in demand.
Smith said:
We thank the Victorian Government, and in particular Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny, for supporting the continuation of the Sex Worker Legal Program over the next 3 years. This is a vital investment in the rights, safety and wellbeing of people in Victoria who too often face significant barriers to accessing justice. Sex work is work, and everyone deserves to be safe at work and in the community.
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Higginson accuses Minns of ‘obscuring’ police reference to place of worship in arrest of Hannah Thomas
More on the letter Sue Higginson wrote to premier Chris Minns, urging the charges against Hannah Thomas and four other protesters be withdrawn.
Higginson has also accused Minns of “obscuring the fact” that police referenced a place of worship in the facts sheet of a protester that was also charged on Friday.
Earlier this year, the NSW government passed laws aimed at curbing antisemitism which expanded police move on powers for protests that take place near places of worship, regardless of whether the protest is directed at the institution.
Prior to the laws passing, NSW police could only issue a move-on direction if protests disrupted traffic or posed a “serious risk” to a person’s safety. But the changes to the laws means police can now issue the move on order if the protest takes place in or near a place of worship.
The facts sheet, seen by Guardian Australia, said that the protester walked “across the road to the opposite side of SEC Plating which is a place of worship. Police approached the accused once again and informed her to comply with the move on direction otherwise she would be committing an offence. The Accused indicated that she was not going to move on from the demonstration and therefore, was failing to comply with the direction”.
Minns told reporters today that Higginson’s comments that police had used the new powers wasn’t true. He said police had used existing powers under the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act (Lepra).
Higginson responded to this in her letter, saying:
Your public comments directed at me, have mischaracterized the advocacy that I am undertaking on behalf of the community, and obscure the fact that the NSW Police have expressly included references to a place of worship in their fact sheets that describe the alleged offences that led to the arrests and assault at Belmore. That’s all I have ever stated, and you must know that as a lawyer, with a particular interest in the laws of our state, who has acted for many protesters in NSW, I am acutely aware of what is going on right now.
Higginson wrote in her letter to Minns that anti-protest laws should be repealed, saying the reforms were “introduced as a mechanism to chill legitimate and peaceful political expression in NSW”.
Updated
Greens MLC urges premier to withdraw charges against Hannah Thomas
NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson has written to the premier, Chris Minns, urging the charges against Hannah Thomas and four other protesters be withdrawn and accusing the police of “brutally assaulting” Thomas.
Thomas, who ran against the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was injured at a pro-Palestine protest last week, was charged with resisting police. She remains in hospital and says she may lose sight in her right eye.
Higginson wrote to the premier:
What occurred in Belmore was not policing - it was punishment. A member of our community was brutally assaulted by uniformed officers while engaging in peaceful political expression.
This has happened in a state where you and your government have continuously expressed intolerance for protest and emboldened police to suppress protest through arbitrary, dangerous laws and sweeping police powers.
NSW police said Thomas, 35, had been issued a future court attendance notice for hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty and refusing/failing to comply with direction to disperse.
The police arrested and charged four other people, including a 29-year-old woman who police said did not respond to the first move on order issued by police. A 29- and 24-year-old man were charged after they allegedly did not respond to a second move on order. A 41-year-old man was also charged with offensive language.
Assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden this morning denied any police wrongdoing, saying that he had reviewed body cam footage, which did not show “any misconduct on behalf of my officers.”
Updated
Jury retires to consider verdicts in Erin Patterson triple murder trial
The jury in Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial has retired to consider its verdicts.
Justice Christopher Beale concluded his instructions to the jury earlier this afternoon, as the trial entered its 10th week.
Two of the 14 jurors were balloted off. The remaining 12 will now begin deliberating their verdicts, which must be unanimous.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, on 29 July 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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Erin Patterson trial: judge reminds jury verdicts must be unanimous
The judge in Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial has reminded jurors they must reach unanimous verdicts for each charge.
Justice Christopher Beale says jurors do not need to reach their verdicts in the same way but must “all agree.”
Beale says jurors can ask a question or deliver their verdicts within usual court hours – 10.30am to 1pm and 2.15pm to 4.15pm. The jurors will deliberate between Monday and Saturday, the court hears.
The jurors will be sequestered during their deliberations. This means jurors will be taken to supervised accommodation after each day of deliberations to ensure they don’t have contact with the outside world.
Beale reminds jurors to “only discuss the case with each other”:
You should only do that when you are all together in the privacy of the jury room, here in court.
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Albanese appoints new media team
Anthony Albanese is reshuffling his communications team after the 3 May federal election, and following the departure of senior press secretary, Katharine Murphy.
Murphy, the former political editor of Guardian Australia, joined the prime minister’s team 18 months ago and coordinated the travelling media pack during the election campaign.
She worked closely with Albanese’s communications boss, Fiona Sugden.
Two new deputies will report to Sugden as part of the changes: former union organiser and experienced press secretary Josh Lloyd, as well as former journalist Adam Gartrell.
A former Sydney Morning Herald reporter, Gartrell has most recently worked as the deputy chief of staff to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.
Gartrell was also recently communications director for Labor’s 2025 federal election campaign.
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Victorian premier labels Queensland treasurer’s GST comments ‘misinformed nonsense’
Asked about Queensland treasurer David Janetzki’s claim Victoria gets more money from the Commonwealth Grants Commission for its ferry service than Brisbane’s despite its smaller size, Jacinta Allan says it is “misinformed nonsense”:
“I think that’s just getting into a level of nonsense that does not do justice to what Victorians should rightly expect. Victorians are federal taxpayers too, and they deserve the revenue that’s raised here from Victoria to be returned to Victoria.
Allan says under the previous federal Coalition government, Victoria was “constantly and consistently dudded” when it came to infrastructure funding:
If we’d received our population share of infrastructure funding over that time, we would have had an additional at least $6bn or more invested into Victorian projects.
She also says it’s wrong to compare Victoria and Queensland’s public transport networks:
If you want to compare public transport services, our world class public transport service here in Melbourne, our huge network of buses, trains and trams is nothing compared to the public transport services you’ll find in Brisbane. So I think this just shows what nonsense that claim is and we shouldn’t be distracted by this nonsense. I’m not distracted by this nonsense that’s coming from the Queensland treasurer, because I’m focused on making the investments in the infrastructure that matter.
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Allan responds to Queensland treasurer’s swipe at GST carve-up
Allan was asked at the press conference about a speech to be delivered today by Queensland treasurer, David Janetzki, in which he is set to have a crack at the GST carve-up, claiming his state’s revenue is “going to Victoria to keep their hospital lights on” and paying for “policy failures” during the pandemic.
Asked for her response to the claims, the premier responded:
Well, perhaps let me put it in language and in a way that the Queensland treasurer can understand – it’s just bullshit, right? Because when you look at the history of the GST, Victoria has been a net contributor to the tune of $31bn. The Queensland budget’s black hole – their $8bn plus black hole – has got nothing to do with the circumstances here in Victoria.
Now look, I don’t want to quibble with another state. I don’t want to quibble with the Queensland treasurer. What I’m focused on is not the nonsense like this but on making sure Victorians get their fair share, whether it’s their fair share of infrastructure funding, their fair share of revenue that, let’s remember, that’s raised out of here in Victoria that should be returned back to Victorians.
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Jacinta Allan announces start of work on Clayton station, part of Suburban Rail Loop
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, held a press conference this morning to announce major works have begun on the new Clayton station, which will form part of the Suburban Rail Loop.
Tunnel boring on the first stage of the project – SRL East running from Cheltenham to Box Hill – will begin later this year, with completion slated for 2035. It will cost about $34.5bn.
Allan described the project as an “absolute necessity for our city and state”, citing a report the government released yesterday showing it will “slash travel times” for commuters across the state.
She said:
It will deliver a train line to our major universities at Monash in Clayton and at Deakin University in Burwood. The Suburban Rail Loop delivers jobs, it delivers homes, it delivers great public transport services, and here at Clayton, you can see it all really starting to take shape.
Updated
NSW police deny wrongdoing after Greens candidate injured during ‘scuffle’
New South Wales Police deny any wrongdoing after Greens candidate Hannah Thomas was hospitalised for injuries sustained during a “scuffle” with police on Friday.
ABC’s Radio National reported assistant police commissioner Brett McFadden had on Monday morning told local radio the injury happened “during the course of her arrest”.
“She was given a move-on direction. She failed to comply with that. Attempts were made to arrest her. She resisted, and other people became involved. A scuffle ensued, and she sustained the injury we believe during the course of that arrest,” McFadden said.
I’ve had a preliminary review of the body worn video. There’s no information at this stage that’s before me that indicates any misconduct on behalf of my officers.
According to the ABC, McFadden said other members of the police force and operational staff had also seen the footage.
Thomas will be appearing at Bankstown local court on 12 August and was charged with hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty and refuse/fail to comply with direction to disperse.
Updated
Nacc finds corrupt conduct by senior home affairs official
A senior home affairs department official has been found to have abused public office and misused official information to get her future brother-in-law a job, including failing to disclose their relationship and passing interview questions to her sister.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission announced on Monday that the senior executive service level employee had been found to have engaged in corrupt conduct as a result of Operation Kingscliff.
The report named a woman, who at the time was the acting assistant secretary overseeing the Global Initiatives Branch. She recruited her sister’s long-term domestic partner into the branch.
The woman praised her sister’s partner to colleagues, creating the job requisition, approving it herself and forging a witness signature on paperwork to fast-track the process.
In a statement, the Nacc said this all happened while she was “deliberately concealing the family relationship from others.”
It said at no point did the woman disclose the relationship.
In a separate employment process, she provided interview questions to her sister in advance.
The woman has resigned from the public service. If she was still employed, the commission would have recommended she be fired. It did not recommend any further action against her.
The Nacc said her conduct was serious because of her seniority, significant benefits from the deception and “because nepotism, cronyism and undeclared conflicts of interest in APS recruitment are an area of widespread concern.”
The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, said nepotism and cronyism are among the most frequently observed corrupt behaviours reported to the commission.
“Operation Kingscliff is a paradigm case that illustrates systemic risks in APS recruitment,” he said.
It reinforces the need for strong corruption prevention measures – including mandatory conflict of interest disclosures in all recruitment processes, and prevention of improper disclosures of official information.
The report said submissions made on the woman’s behalf said she had not received any workplace training on recruitment, had completed an online training course in relation to conflict of interest but had not been invited to attend any ongoing training and did not give proper and due consideration to her decision not to disclose the familial relationship.
The submission on behalf of the official said she accepted the proposed findings and was very remorseful, and that she did not obtain any direct personal advantage from the outcome.
Updated
Erin Patterson trial: judge addresses jurors on absence of alleged motive
Back to Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial.
The judge in the trial says the absence of an alleged motive is a “significant consideration” for the jury to consider.
The prosecution has not alleged a motive in Patterson’s trial, the court hears. The defence argued their client had good reasons not to kill her lunch guests.
Justice Christopher Beale says the prosecution is not required to prove a motive. He says prosecutors must prove the four elements of murder and attempted murder “and nothing else”.
But he says jurors need to consider a lack of motive when they determine whether the prosecution has proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt:
If you find the accused has good reasons not to kill or intend to kill her lunch guests ... In short she had a motive to not kill her lunch guests, that is a significant consideration you must have regard to.
Updated
Queensland police charge man in connection with Gold Coast death
Police in Queensland have charged a man in connection with a death on the Gold Coast.
Police will allege a 44-year-old Gold Coast man suffered injuries to his head after he was assaulted by a 28-year-old Stafford Heights man in a Southport property on Saturday evening.
Emergency services were called at about 9:50pm after a man was found unresponsive in a vehicle on Beale Street, police said.
The 44-year-old man was taken to the Gold Coast University hospital, where he later died.
On Sunday, police set up a crime scene at Beale Street and began investigations into the death.
The 28-year-old was taken into custody and charged with murder on Sunday. He was due to appear in Southport magistrates court today.
Updated
Chinese ambassador to Australia says raising defence spending would pose ‘heavy fiscal burden’
The Chinese ambassador to Australia says that an increase in defence spending – as encouraged by Donald Trump - would pose a “heavy fiscal burden” on Australia.
Writing in the Australian, Xiao Qian said that the “so-called China threat narrative” had resulted in calls for rises in military spending at the likes of the Shangri-La Dialogue, G7 summit and Nato summit.
“Such rhetoric and actions are steeped in cold war mentality, blatantly creating division, fuelling a global arms race as well as threatening world peace and stability, which warrants our high vigilance,” he wrote.
He wrote that behind the threat was “certain countries’ desire to maintain their hegemony” as they “seek to stifle the development and advancement of countries such as China”.
He wrote:
Dramatically increasing military spending places a heavy fiscal burden on the countries involved, undermining their efforts to boost economies and improve livelihoods, and further straining a global economy already struggling with weak recovery.
He said some countries had imposed “economic suppression” and “technological blockades” on China, resulting in “stagnation” in those countries.
Underlining Australia and China’s economic and trade partnership, he wrote:
We rely on the same trade routes, and no country – especially a major trading nation such as China – has a greater stake in safeguarding maritime security. Differences can be addressed through dialogue, but they should never undermine our friendship.
China and Australia are friends, not foes. This should never have been in question. China has been always developing bilateral friendship and co-operation with the utmost sincerity and patience, and we hope Australia will work with us in the same direction.
Updated
Inquest resumes into death of Indigenous teenager Cleveland Dodd
A long-running inquest into the death of an Indigenous teenager, who fatally self-harmed in the troubled youth wing of an adult prison, is set to resume.
Cleveland Dodd was found unresponsive inside a cell in Unit 18, a youth wing of the high-security adult facility Casuarina prison in Perth, in the early hours of 12 October 2023, reports AAP.
The 16-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died a week later, causing outrage and grief in the community.
It also led to an expedited inquest that started in April 2024 and is scheduled to return to the Western Australian coroner’s court on Monday for more submissions.
The inquest previously heard Cleveland had been locked in his cell, which had no running water, for most of the day. He made multiple calls asking for medical treatment and water as the night wore on. He was found in his cell shortly before 2am, when attempts were made to revive him. He died on 19 October 2023.
Cleveland’s heartbroken mother, Nadene Dodd, previously told the inquest Unit 18 was a “hellhole”.
Coroner Philip Urquhart previously said Unit 18 should be closed “as a matter of urgency” when he delivered his provisional recommendations in December.
Updated
Regulator sues Bupa over hospital claims
The consumer regulator has taken Bupa to court over allegations the health insurer incorrectly advised members they were not entitled to claim various benefits for hospital visits over a five-year period.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a federal court claim that Bupa had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct. The regulator and Bupa have agreed to ask the court to impose a $35m penalty.
The ACCC said:
Most of the claims impacted by the admitted conduct were claims for hospital treatment, in which two or more procedures were performed at the same time.
In cases where part of the treatment was covered by a member’s policy and part of the treatment was not covered, Bupa incorrectly rejected the entire claim.
The conduct allegedly affected “thousands of consumers over a period of more than five years”, the regulator said, referring to the period between May 2018 and August 2023.
Bupa has apologised to affected customers and said it had compensated members and providers, which included paying interest and customer goodwill payments.
Bupa’s Asia-Pacific chief executive, Nick Stone, said:
We are deeply sorry for failing to get things right for our customers and are saddened by the impact this has had on them and their families.
This should never have happened.
Updated
Julie Bishop goes to Moscow
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has travelled to Moscow as part of her role as UN special envoy on Myanmar, in a rare example of public diplomatic engagement by an Australian with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Bishop, the former Liberal politician, posted several Instagram photos from Russia last week, including inside a government building and in Moscow’s Red Square.
The trip was first reported by the Nine newspapers, who reported Bishop had said the trip was part of her role in engaging with UN security council members regarding Myanmar.
One Instagram photo, posted as a disappearing story but archived by Bishop on her profile, was captioned “Moscow UNSC P5 visit” – P5 referring to the five permanent members of the security council.
Another, inside an ornate building with the location tag “Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia main building”, was captioned “shuttle diplomacy” with an emoji of the UN flag; a third, of Bishop in Red Square, included the hashtag “UNSG Special Envoy Myanmar”.
Updated
Erin Patterson trial: jury expected to begin deliberations
The jury in Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial is expected to begin deliberating its verdicts today.
Justice Christopher Beale will finish instructing jurors this afternoon before their deliberations begin, as the trial enters its 10th week.
Two of the 14 jurors will be balloted off, leaving the remaining 12 to deliberate the verdicts.
Jurors have been told they will be sequestered during their deliberations, meaning they will return to supervised accommodation each night to ensure they have no contact with the outside world.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, on 29 July 2023.
She is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and her estranged husband’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The attempted murder charge relates to Heather’s husband, Ian.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Updated
Albanese says online graphic material is ‘a scourge’
Anthony Albanese has described the “scourge” of graphic material online as promoting misogynistic attitudes to young men and boys against women.
At a press conference in Canberra this morning, the prime minister was asked whether YouTube should be included in a social media ban for under-16s.
While Albanese didn’t address the question directly, he lamented the impact social media can have on young people, including the rise of misogynistic content among young males.
We’ve got to also consider what is going on with young men and boys being exposed to graphic material, which does not promote healthy relationships. It can often promote a violent perception and misogynistic attitude towards women and it is a scourge ... we have to tackle this as government. We have to tackle this as media. We have to tackle this as - the whole of society needs to recognise this is an issue we have to confront.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, urged the government last week to rethink its decision to carve out the video sharing platform from the minimum social media age which will apply to apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
YouTube criticised the “inconsistent and contradictory advice” advice from Grant, noting the commissioner previously flagged “concerns the ban ‘may limit young people’s access to critical support’”.
The ban is to come into force in mid-December but details on how companies will be able to check age and prevent under-16s from joining are still unclear.
Updated
Aukus will make ‘our region and the world’ more secure, Albanese says
The US Pentagon announced a 30-day review of the Aukus defence pact earlier this month, which is being undertaken by US defence undersecretary Elbridge Colby.
Colby has been critical of the deal and has urged Australia to lift its defence spending to 3% of GDP. Australia is currently on track to lift defence spending from about $53bn a year, or about 2% of GDP – to an estimated $100bn, or 2.4% of GDP, by 2033-34.
The prime minister has said Australia raises its points at “every opportunity” and flagged an upcoming meeting with the US as part of the two countries’ annual strategic dialogue, Ausmin, as another opportunity to highlight to the US Aukus’s advantages.
Anthony Albanese told reporters earlier:
Aukus benefits three countries - Australia, the UK and the US. But it does something more than that as well. It benefits the world because it makes our region and the world more secure because it is such an important agreement going forward.
Updated
Albanese reaffirms US tariffs on Australia ‘should be zero’
Anthony Albanese says tariffs placed on Australia by the US Trump administration “should be zero” as leaders around the world prepare for a second “liberation day” announcement following a 90-day pause on tariffs.
In a frosty, sub-zero morning in Canberra’s Bruce, the prime minister said Australia would continue to put its case forward with the close ally.
Albanese said:
We’ll continue to put our case forward that it shouldn’t be 10. It should be zero. That is what a reciprocal tariff will be. We have a US free trade agreement, of course, and we’ve put forward very clearly our arguments.
Flanked by finance minister Katy Gallagher and skills minister Andrew Giles, Albanese was there to talk up a new $10,000 incentive payment for students in construction but the questions centred heavily on defence spending and tariffs.
Asked whether his government could increase defence spending next April as part of the national defence strategy, Albanese bluntly replied “No”.
No, because you’re seeing it now with $57bn that we have in the budget - $57 bn isn’t nothing ... What we want to do is to use defence procurement, not just to assist in the defence of Australia, but also to be a facilitator of that advanced manufacturing.
Updated
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson calls for ‘agenda of intolerance and anti-protest measures’ to end
New South Wales Greens MP Sue Higginson says in relation to allegations by Greens candidate Hannah Thomas that she was assaulted by police during a protest:
The level of impunity the police displayed doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s written there in black and white – a direct reference to the anti-protest laws rushed through the NSW parliament.
The Greens spokesperson for justice said in a statement that she called for the “agenda of intolerance and anti-protest measures” to be reversed.
Updated
Sporadic communications for regional Queensland residents ‘rather traumatic’, local mayor says
Councillor Andrew Smith, the mayor of Western Downs regional council, which includes the town of Dalby, has said locals without connectivity from 16 June to today are “frustrated”.
The ABC said 13,000 people in regional Queensland had had sporadic mobile communications for two weeks while upgrades were made to the local 5G network.
Speaking with the ABC’s Radio National, Smith said the past two weeks had been “rather traumatic”.
“We live and die almost by our communications these days, and unfortunately, the Dalby community has had sporadic communications via upgrades that Telstra are delivering,” he said.
He said Telstra’s messaging was “unclear about the planned outages and the potential consequences” and had impacted emergency services, businesses, farmers and schools.
Clinicians were told to stay within wi-fi range, while “diabetes alert devices were rendered inoperable” with “no back-up support”, he said.
He said:
It’s really not acceptable in 2025, from what’s considered to be our national carrier, that the planning isn’t clearer, but also the contingency planning was basically nil.
We’ve got a regional community that is very active. People are on the road, they’re out in paddocks, and those people lost communications altogether. That’s not only an emergency services issue, but it makes business very, very difficult.
So, you know, we’ve got schools that are trying to get in touch with parents with sick children. Parents are unattainable via the communications, it becomes a real concern, and we had those concerns during the week.
He said “people were left with no communication whatsoever” and that people “weren’t aware of the impacts and consequences” before the work took place.
“It goes back to the contingency planning, something needs to be in place to continue with communications through these upgrades. We really appreciate the upgrades,” he said.
In a statement, Telstra said:
Our technicians made good progress and services were restored on Monday. Landline, NBN and other broadband services were not affected at any stage.
We sent customers texts to give them a heads up about the upcoming works and we thank everyone for their patience.
Having a second type of connection like NBN, satellite internet or a landline is the best way for customers to make sure they can stay connected even when any mobile outage occurs.
Updated
Remains found during Melbourne search for 23-year-old
Loved ones and community members have been left heartbroken after human remains were discovered during the ongoing search for 23-year-old Joshua Bishop.
Officers executed a search warrant at a home in the quiet suburb of Westmeadows, north-west of Melbourne, on Saturday, where they made the grim discovery and arrested a man, later charging him with murder, reports AAP.
While the remains are yet to be formally identified, in the hours following the discovery, a close friend, who had organised a fundraiser on behalf of the family, provided an update.
The family had been fiercely searching for Bishop, who was last seen by his housemate on Lalor Crescent in Sunbury, in the city’s north-west, on 27 May.
“With the heaviest hearts, we share that our beloved Joshua Bishop has been found - but sadly, not in the way we had hoped. We are devastated and struggling to find the words,” Daniel De Vivero wrote.
“Your incredible support, generosity, and compassion throughout this heartbreaking time have meant more than we can express. The Bishop family has felt truly surrounded by love through every moment of this journey.”
“Rest in peace, Josh. You are deeply loved, and you will never be forgotten.”
Bishop was reported missing on 29 May by his mother, after he failed to access his phone or bank accounts. The home on Erinbank Crescent, where the remains were found, is just kilometres from Broadmeadows Valley Park, where Bishop’s phone had last been traced.
Detectives arrested a 27-year-old Westmeadows man, who was charged with murder on Sunday night. He will appear in Melbourne magistrates court on Monday.
Updated
Pheobe Bishop to be farewelled in Queensland funeral
A teenage girl allegedly murdered by her housemates will be laid to rest in a funeral service as loved ones remember the “free-spirited” girl.
Family and friends donned in bright colours will farewell Pheobe Bishop in southern Queensland on Monday afternoon, six weeks after the 17-year-old disappeared, reports AAP.
Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Queensland police allege her housemates, Tanika Bromley and James Wood, drove Pheobe close to the airport in a grey Hyundai, but no one left the car.
Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub national park, an hour’s drive from the airport.
Phone data had led officers to focus their search on the park before her remains were found on June 6.
Updated
Search continues for missing hiker on NSW south coast
A multi-agency search continues today after hiker went missing from the New South Wales south coast.
Christopher Moore, 38, was last seen on Twelve Mile Road, Jerrawangala, about 32km south of Nowra, about 10.30am on Wednesday, when he was dropped off for a camping trip, NSW police said in a statement.
The man was due to be picked up at the same location on Friday, and when he did not arrive, officers attached to the South Coast Police District were notified and a search commenced to locate him, police said.
Search efforts in bushland around the Jerrawangala or Wandandian areas have been coordinated by NSW Police Rescue Squad, with assistance from local police, Polair, SES, and NSW Rural Fire Service, police said.
Police and family hold concerns for Christopher’s welfare. He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, of thin build with short light brown hair, a beard and a moustache.
He was last seen wearing khaki and black pants and a khaki-coloured hooded jumper.
Updated
East coast braced for heavy rain and damaging winds
Australia’s eastern states are in for another lashing of rain as a powerful low pressure system develops off the coast with flood-weary regions a possible target.
“Tuesday and Wednesday are the two biggest days in regards to rainfall and weather impacts,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said.
Hines said it would an anxious wait for residents on the NSW mid-north coast who are still recovering from record floods in May that claimed the lives of three people and damaged hundreds of properties, reports AAP.
“The current event is shaping to bring most of the rainfall south ... but it would take a subtle shift ... and bring in some of that heavier rain into the mid north coast which is extremely sensitive to rain,” he said.
The NSW central coast will cop up to 200 mm along, with damaging winds, taking in areas from Sydney, the Hunter Valley and Illawarra regions as well as southern Queensland.
The system could potentially spread to eastern Victoria including areas around Gippsland.
Flash flooding and riverine flooding, where banks could burst, are also a possibility with wild and hazardous surf conditions expected.
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Former Asio head says ‘sense of urgency’ lacking in defence spending debate
Duncan Lewis, the former head of Asio and chair of defence manufacturer Thales Australia, has questioned whether Australia’s defence spending is both “enough” and “fast enough”.
“If we are going to run a fleet of nuclear powered submarines together with an effective defence force that’s capable of doing the kind of things that we expect might be required in the future, there will have to be an increase in due course,” he told ABC’s Radio National.
“But look, I’m cognisant of the fact that there are competing challenges for the public purse … But I think there is a sense of urgency in this matter which is not universally being exhibited,” he said.
When asked whether he had confidence in the Aukus alliance, Lewis said:
I do. I think this review that’s going on in the United States at present is fairly unremarkable. I mean … the other governments, the British and Australian governments … when they changed, had a review – so it’s not unreasonable the Americans do that.
I think, at the end of the day, a decision to have a nuclear powered submarine is a good one.
Updated
Minister rejects criticism of government inaction over online gambling
Amanda Rishworth says the government has not been “sitting on its hands” two years after the inquiry into online gambling made 31 recommendations that have yet to be fully implemented.
The minister for employment and workplace relations told Radio National the Albanese government had brought in “probably the largest number of measures” of any Australian government, including banning the use of credit cards, the introduction of activity statements and pre-verification.
“We will continue to recognise and look at how we can best support people when it comes to minimising the harm of online gambling, but there’s no silver bullet,” she said.
Critics say the government’s inaction is “costing lives”.
Updated
Teenager taken to hospital after shark attack on NSW north coast
New South Wales Ambulance has confirmed a teenage boy was airlifted to hospital in the Gold Coast after being mauled by a shark on New South Wales’ north coast.
Emergency services were called to Cabarita beach at about 3.45pm on Sunday after a teenage boy was bitten by a shark.
The boy sustained injuries to his hand and arm and was taken to Gold Coast University hospital by helicopter.
We’ll update you when we learn more.
Updated
Hannah Thomas charged after she was injured during arrest
Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas has been charged with resisting police.
Thomas sustained facial injuries during arrest at a pro-Palestinian protest in Belmore on Friday morning and was taken to hospital.
She shared a video on social media on Sunday evening, thanking her community for their support and explaining that there was a possibility she could lose her sight in one eye.
“I’ve been very lucky to have been looked after so well,” she said in an Instagram post recorded at Bankstown hospital.
“I don’t want to get into too much detail about the traumatic events on Friday but I’m five-foot-one, I weigh about 45kg, I was engaged in peaceful protest … My interactions with NSW police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye permanently.”
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson has called for an investigation into the incident.
In a statement on Sunday evening, NSW police said a 35-year-old woman had been issued a future court attendance notice for hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty and refusing/failing to comply with direction to disperse.
She will appear at Bankstown local court on 12 August.
Updated
Grattan Institute blueprint would reduce NDIS payments by $12bn over 10 years
The Grattan report urges the Albanese government to make four big policy changes to save the NDIS.
The NDIS needs firmer boundaries so it is clear who the scheme is for and what needs it is intended to meet.
The way the NDIS manages claims needs to change so funding is allocated fairly and consistently. People should have more choice and flexibility in how they use their NDIS funding.
The federal, state, and territory governments should finally establish a strong tier of “foundational supports” to ensure disabled people get appropriate supports when and where they need them. Under Grattan Institute’s plan, the existing NDIS budget would be used to fund foundational supports from within the same funding envelope.
Australia needs a new National Disability Agreement, to clarify the relationship between all aspects of the disability policy landscape and to facilitate cooperation and greater accountability between governments.
The Grattan Institute blueprint to rebalance disability services would reduce NDIS payments by about $12bn over the next 10 years, and create further savings of $34 bn over the same period by not requiring new money to fund foundational supports.
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NDIS has grown too big too fast and costs must be reined in, report says
The National Disability Insurance Scheme has grown too big too fast, and its future is now at stake, a new Grattan Institute report finds.
The report, Saving the NDIS: How to rebalance disability services to get better results, says costs must be reined in – but this can be done in a way that ensures disabled Australians can get the help they need.
The scheme cost nearly $42 billion in 2023-24 and is expected to cost more than $58 billion by 2028.
Grattan Institute Disability Program Director, Dr Sam Bennett:
The problem is the NDIS has become the only game in town: you either get an NDIS package, or you get minimal mainstream services.
That means disabled Australians have an incentive to try to get into the NDIS – and once people get in, they tend not to leave.
To address this issue, the federal, state, and territory governments agreed in 2023 to fund new ‘foundational supports’ – disability-specific supports outside of individual NDIS packages – which were supposed to be operational by 1 July 2025 - tomorrow.
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Penny Wong heads to US to meet Quad counterparts
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is off to the United States this week for a meeting of Quad countries in Washington, DC.
Hosted by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the meeting is the second time this year the foreign ministers of the US, Australia, Japan and India have gathered.
Wong said in a statement the trip will reflect “the importance of our partnership and the strategic circumstances confronting our region and the world”.
“I look forward to engaging with my Quad counterparts as we strengthen cooperation to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” she said.
Wong will use the visit to hold bilateral meetings with each of the participants.
It comes as Donald Trump presses Australia and other US allies to hike defence spending to at least 3.5% of GDP, and as the federal government works to get Prime Minister Anthony Albanese into the same room as the US president.
“The United States is our closest ally and principal strategic partner. Our alliance contributes to the peace, prosperity and stability of our countries and the region we share,” Wong said.
“We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests.”
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Queensland nurses issue strike ultimatum
The Queensland nurses union has issued the state government an ultimatum for a pay deal, threatening to authorise strike action as soon as this week.
The state government and Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union have been locked in negotiations since January.
The state government has offered an 8% pay rise over three years. The union has announced its demands of 13%, also over three years.
The QNMU secretary, Sarah Beaman, said Queensland’s health minister, Timothy Nicholls, had until Tuesday to agree to the union’s terms or they would escalate to stage two protected industrial action, effectively strike action, the following week.
“We thought we had made progress in defending the most serious attacks on members’ existing rights and conditions, but last Thursday it all fell apart,” she said.
“On the final day of talks, the government pulled the rug out from under us. They told us everything we thought was agreed was suddenly off the table.”
Beaman said union members are “furious”, claiming the government had continue to shift its position.
“That’s why Queenland Health’s 55,000 frontline nurses and midwives have formally put health minister Tim Nicholls on notice. The gaslighting stops here. A letter outlining our demands and a deadline of Wednesday July 2 has been delivered,” she said.
Strike action would begin in the week of 7 July, she said.
Nurses have not walked off the job since 2002. They voted to take protected industrial action earlier in June.
“This is a government who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. The government needs to do better by putting forward a better EB12 offer,” Beaman said.
“It is also clear the state budget does not allocate adequate funding to deliver the nation-leading wages and conditions Queensland deserves – and was promised”.
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Good morning
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, will meet with her US counterpart for crucial talks as America ramps up pressure on Australia to increase defence spending.
She will fly out to Washington on Monday ahead of a meeting of Quad foreign ministers, which includes the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, along with ministers from India and Japan.
Australia’s eastern states are in for another lashing of rain as a powerful low pressure system develops off the coast, with flood-weary regions a possible target.
And the search continues for a hiker missing on the New South Wales south coast.
We’ll be bringing you updates on all these stories and the latest news today, stay tuned.
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