Meanwhile, our girl Sal has got WILL SWANTON’s ATTENTION IN THE writing, Sally Fitzgibbons is feeling the good stuff. The good, good stuff.

Like, paddling out in the dark, reliving all my grom days, they clear the line-up for us and there’s a perfect sunrise. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, she says ahead of today, Easter Sunday’s blockbuster heat against world champion Molly Picklum at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

I love trying. The feelings are constantly rising. It’s the real deal here. I love working on my surfing and when I'm in these line-ups, being around the best surfers in the world, I'm learning so much. There’s such a good energy around at Bells, with the people, and the community, and it feels like they're rallying around me.

Fitzgibbons herself is good, good stuff. Forever friendly. Engaging. Joyful. Diligent. Optimistic. Trying her heart and soul and blood and guts out for a world title. Yet again she’s requalified for the World Surf League. Yet again she’s just about the first surfer in the water every morning. Yet again the 35-year-old is frothing like a teenager. An eternal grom. A good, good grom.

Trump, who has sent mixed messages since the conflict began with a joint U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran on February 28, told Tehran that his latest deadline for a deal to end the war was fast approaching.

Remember when I gave Iran 10 days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to GOD! he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump’s messaging about the war has veered between hinting at diplomatic progress and making threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Ages.

In an apparent move to heap further pressure on Tehran following Trump’s latest ultimatum, a senior Israeli defence official said Israel was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities and was awaiting the green light from the U.S.

The timeframe for such attacks would be within the next week, the official said. Trump has previously threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were not met.

Washington faced heightened stakes as the conflict entered its sixth week, with the prospect of a U.S. service member alive and on the run in Iran, slim chances for peace talks and polls showing low public support for the war.

With Iran’s leadership defiant since the start of the conflict, its foreign minister left the door open in principle for peace talks with the U.S. via mediation from Pakistan but gave no sign of Tehran’s willingness to bow to Trump’s demands.

We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X.

The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the world economy. Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iran has rained drones and missiles down on Israel and also taken aim at Gulf countries allied to the U.S., which have so far held back from joining the war directly for fear of further escalation.

Iranian state TV said its military had launched drones at U.S. radar installations and a U.S.-linked aluminium plant in the United Arab Emirates and U.S. military headquarters in Kuwait in retaliation for deadly attacks on Iranian industrial centres.

Iran earlier attacked an Israel-affiliated vessel with a drone in the strait, setting the ship on fire, state media said, citing the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' navy.

A protracted conflict in Iran would not only derail the government’s plans to build 1.2 million new homes but could lead to a cocktail of trouble for the country’s residential building sector, Housing Industry Association managing director Jocelyn Martin said.

Once you extend build times, once you extend cost of materials ∼ and the industry has nowhere to go because the contracts are fixed price ∼ you've got a cocktail of trouble, Ms Martin said.

Civil Contractors Federation CEO Nicholas Proud agrees. He warned some businesses would likely encounter trouble in the weeks to come if the conflict continued unabated.

If contracts are operating at below cost and there’s no recovery, some businesses will have some troubles, he said.

Mr Proud said the soaring cost of fuel was hitting his members had. He said the industry — which consumes 3.4 billion litres of diesel each year, equating to 10% of the total diesel usage in Australia, was suffering at the bowser.

We use significant volumes (of diesel) so the costs are hitting us through the bowser, through the tankers that we receive, he said.

Mr Proud said that for about a billion dollars worth of activity, an extra $70m would likely be added to the cost of a project if the price of fuel was sustained for the next two years.

Accessing materials such as piping and plastics was also proving challenging, he said. But through positive conversations, he added alternative supply routes were opening up in China, India and the US.

And while sourcing materials from the likes of India and China came with added costs, it meant the industry was able to get on with building. If we can get the materials and we get the petrol, we're in the chance of building what we've got to build, we've got the contracts now, Mr Proud said.

The Iran war was having an impact on fuel and diesel supplies, particularly in regional areas, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia CEO Michael Kilgariff said. He called on the government to recognise construction as a critical and essential industry.

The cement concrete and aggregates industry is about a $20m contribution (to the Australian economy each year); the construction sector is about $175bln, Mr Kilgariff said. We need to ensure that this industry is regarded as essential, and that customers have confidence that all of those contracts can be supplied.

The industry at this stage was concerned but not alarmed, Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said. She said there were several key issues the industry was very mindful of, including the supply of diesel and PVC piping due to the war in Iran.

Of particular concern, Ms Wawn said, was the fact that many builders on fixed-price contracts would be forced to weather those additional costs.

She also warned that project delays due to supply interruptions may tip a viable contract into a loss-making contract, which could have a devastating impact on the industry.

That can then be exacerbated by strict completion dates and the potential impact of liquidated damages, whereby a builder is forced to pay a fee every day the project is completed past the agreed date, she said.

Ms Wawn said the industry was watching the impact of liquidated damages closely but at this stage, there was no direct evidence that it was impacting outcomes.

We have forewarned governments and private clients that is something that will need to be addressed if this conflict extends any further, she added.

She did, however, stress that shortages of critical building materials such as PVC piping would ∼ if the war in the Middle East continued ∼ likely lead to a further downturn in building approvals.

Last week, Master Builders revealed that Labor’s ambitious plan to build 1.2 million new homes by the end of the decade was drifting further away, with a 204,000-home shortfall now predicted.

Mega Creatures has returned to the Hunter Valley Gardens from March 28 to April 26, bringing an adventure for families, explorers and fantasy lovers of all ages.

Back for another epic year, visitors will journey through a captivating landscape where prehistoric giants meet legendary beasts, creating a magical fusion of ancient history and storytelling.

Mega Creatures continues to grow each year, and 2026 is our most exciting event yet. We're thrilled to introduce new immersive experiences like the Unicorn Garden and expanded Land of the Legends, creating even more magical moments for families to explore, discover and enjoy together, says Julie Pettit from Hunter Valley Gardens.

This year, the Hunter Valley Gardens introduces 45 new installations to the event. Exciting new highlights include an enchanting Unicorn Garden, where whimsical toadstools, vibrant rainbows, graceful Pegasus figures and a herd of unicorns create the perfect setting to pause, play and capture memorable moments.

In the expanded Land of the Legends, guests will encounter a spectacular new centrepiece, with a giant dragon perched atop a crumbling castle, alongside six other new mythical creatures.

Towering dinosaurs will once again roam the grounds, transforming the Gardens into a living storybook world designed to spark curiosity and imagination. As the sun sets, visitors can return for the immersive Night Safari, where the creatures come alive in a whole new light.

Beyond the installations, Mega Creatures offers a full day of adventure, as families can enjoy roaming entertainment, hands-on excavation dig pits for budding palaeontologists, and a fun-filled Easter Egg Hunt.

Thrill-seekers can add even more excitement to their visit with daily amusement rides operating throughout the event. Ride tickets are available on site, offering flexible options for guests wanting to enhance their experience.

As our federal government’s gross debt creeps towards the $1 trillion mark, these two faces capture the staggering change in Australia’s shifting budget fortunes.

On one hand is Rachel Depadua, now 19, who was born in 2006 — the last year Australia was officially debt-free.

On the other is three-month-old Charles, blissfully unaware he was born into a situation where every Australian taxpayer effectively carries some of the burden of that trillion-dollar liability.

On April 20, 2006, then treasurer Peter Costello announced Debt-Free Day to celebrate the federal government’s clearing of $96 billion in debt, but now ∼ after the global financial crisis and Covid ∼ it is predicted we will hit $1 trillion in debt by May.

Economist Saul Eslake told The Sunday Telegraph the federal government will have incurred budget deficits totalling $1.01 trillion between July 1, 2008 and June 30 this year.

He questioned why young people were out protesting about the Israel-Hamas conflict when debt was a more pressing issue at home.

If we as a nation really want more spending on health, age care, disability care and child care along European lines, then we have to think about having European-style taxes or we're going to keep adding to the amount of debt we have, Mr Eslake said.

It genuinely surprises me that younger Australians aren't more agitated about this … they march on the streets about Palestine and sometimes they march on the streets about climate change.

I understand why they do that but there’s nothing the Australian government can do about either of those things, really.

Next to the NDIS, health and aged care, interest on debt is one of the fastest growing areas of spending for the federal government, with gross interest set to rise to $50.5 billion by 2028-29.

Ms Depadua, of Northmead, said she was surprised how much debt has ballooned in her short lifespan.

It’s kind of crazy the government has racked up that amount of money within this span of time, she said.

Ms Depadua, who is living with her parents while she studies at Macquarie University to become a primary school teacher, said it was thought for her generation to go through Covid then have to deal with the cost of living.

I feel like I'm not moving out of my parents house for a long time, she said.

Charles’s mother, Georgina Smith, 34, said she worried about what kind of world her baby was being born into.

Like any mother I worry about my child’s future, I haven't been able to buy my own home yet, if I can't buy a home in the current economy, it makes me worried what he could afford when he’s my age, she said.

Gross debt was on track to exceed $1 trillion by 2023-24 under the Coalition, a spokesman for Treasurer Jim Chalmers said

Our responsible approach, including finding $114 billion in savings and re-prioritisations since coming back to office has delayed that by at least two years, the spokesman said. [click the intro to return to front page]