New documents obtained by The Australian reveal that private companies committed about $40bn in self-ascribed social licence commitments, as of February, to have their revenue guaranteed on the public purse under a scheme that has seen almost one in 10 projects drop out.

Amid concerns about the slow rollout of the CIS, The Australian previously revealed the four-year-old scheme had only managed to get one project online and failed to progress half of its announced projects into actual agreements.

The details in the documents will escalate pressure on the government to disclose how much taxpayer money is being spent underwriting contentious CIS projects. The Coalition today will launch a parliamentary attack on Labor's marquee scheme, which was established to help achieve Mr Bowen's flailing 82% renewables by 2030 target.

The CIS, which underwrites renewable energy and battery storage but excludes gas and fossil fuels, demands social-licence commitments that the government says will drive meaningful change and positive outcomes for First Nations people and local communities.

A departmental Senate estimates pack, obtained under Freedom of Information laws by opposition climate change and energy spokesman Dan Tehan, reveals that, as of February 2, the 65 announced renewable energy or battery storage projects had promised an estimated $35.5bln in local content, $1.1bln in shared community benefits, $894.8m in benefits for Indigenous communities and $123.5m in local employment.

This includes billions in commitments in Australian and New Zealand products and services such as civil works, electrical and mechanical installation, engineering, accommodation, catering.

Energy company Neoen has promised, as part of its social-licence commitments to the proposed Muchea Battery in Western Australia, to commission Indigenous artwork that celebrates renewable and local culture and to host an opening ceremony for the battery.

The company's proposed Goyder North Wind Farm in South Australia proposes development and delivery of benefit sharing commitments to the First Nations communities and this could include direct cash payment(s), free hold land ownership.

BP's proposed Sandy Creek Solar Farm says it will provide all residences between 500m and 1km of the project with a home energy system valued at $20,000 or one-off cash payment of $15,000 and all within 500m will receive an annual payment of $5000 to the end of the project's life.

Others promise jobs expos, ongoing payments to TAFE colleges or education programs. Most projects have commitments about how many of its workers will be women, Indigenous and young apprentices. But the government has repeatedly refused to say how much money taxpayers are offering or have already paid for this.

Administered (revenue support) costs of the CIS are commercial-in-confidence and not for publication, the FOI department brief reads. This is essential to ensure there is competitive tension in the tenders and that the government can achieve value for money outcomes.

Parliament would need to intervene and force disclosure from the government if Labor refused to be more transparent about funding arrangements, Opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan said.

The lack of transparency is extraordinary when you consider that nearly a billion dollars is going to First Nations people as a result of social licence and yet the Australian taxpayer has no idea what the total expense of this program is, he said. When will the government just stop thinking that taxpayers' money can be flown out the door at such a rate without any type of transparency around it? It really goes to the heart of this government that they're prepared to just throw money at any problem and don't seem to care that ultimately it is the taxpayers' money and not theirs.

The Albanese government has refused to say why it has stopped negotiations for nine of the 65 projects it had announced by February, out of fear of consequences for the renewable energy developers.

Non-execution of (CIS agreements) with some successful proponents was always anticipated and might be due to a range of reasons, including changes in commercial circumstances and projects no longer meeting the eligibility requirements to receive (an agreement), such as securing transmission access rights, the department's document read.

Public statements about individual projects should be approached with caution as they may have a negative impact on the proponents.

By mid-June, only one of the scheme's 93 projects was operational, the Mokoan solar farm in Victoria, while 34 were executed but not yet operational.

Mr Tehan said the lack of transparency in the scheme was a national disgrace.

There has never been a project of this scale with so little or no transparency, he said. “Chris Bowen and the Prime Minister must provide greater transparency around this scheme or the parliament needs to force them to do it.

Chris Bowen has spruiked over a four-year period the local employment benefits, the jobs made in Australia benefits of this scheme. Yet the first look at it shows that the social benefits to First Nations people have clearly outweighed any local jobs. Nearly $1bn has gone to First Nations people, yet only $123.5m has been the benefit in local jobs, shows again why greater transparency is needed of this scheme.

When contacted for comment, Mr Bowen accused Mr Tehan of either deliberately misrepresenting these figures or hasn't read his own FOI documents. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Noah Yim and Geoff Chambers

The buyback ∼ one of the flagship reforms promised by the Prime Minister in the wake of the nation's worst terror attack ∼ has been blighted since its announcement with the Queensland, South Australian, Victorian and Northern Territory governments all rejecting it.

Mr Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns today will announce the state will be the first jurisdiction to participate in the scheme, which will start almost a year after December's mass shooting which targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach and killed 15.

The Prime Minister said preventing another terrorist attack meant implementing meaningful nationwide gun reform.

We must do everything we can to make sure the anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn't happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform, he said.

I thank the NSW Government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets in order to better protect Australians.

Mr Minns said the buyback was the next step after promising the people of NSW we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country.

There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes. We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed, he said.

Bondi gunman Sajid Akram, who was killed in a shootout with police during the attack, legally owned six firearms, including the ones used on the day.

His son Naveed Akram has been charged with 78 offences including 15 counts of murder. He has not yet been required to enter any pleas.

The NSW buyback is set to run for a year from November 2.

The timing of the scheme will collide with the NSW election in March and is likely to be a key issue in electorates in the regions and on the outskirts of metropolitan areas.

Labor MPs in those areas fear the impact it will have on their re-election campaigns, especially with One Nation already vowing to repeal gun controls.

Pauline Hanson's party on Saturday held a conference in Dubbo, which is set to include guest speakers from shooting groups as well as a community consultation session on firearms legislation.

In the days after the Bondi shooting NSW recalled parliament with legislation passed on Christmas Eve which introduced a cap of four guns for the majority of licence holders, the strictest in the country.

Phase one of the buyback in NSW will begin on November 2 with fixed prices on surrendered firearms, with the level of compensation unlikely to stave off criticism from gun owners and shooting groups.

A surrendered revolver or centre-fire rifle will receive the most compensation at just $1000.

A handed-in semiautomatic handgun or double barrel shotgun will be worth $850, while a single barrel shotgun owner will receive $650.

A rim-fire rifle will be worth $600 and a surrendered air rifle will attract $450 in compensation.

The buyback will offer paltry relief to industry, with $25,000 in grants to eligible businesses and dealers.

Gun dealers will also receive a one-off licence fee exemption, worth $500 over two years per dealer.

A second phase of the buyback, starting in early 2027, will offer a route for higher-value firearms, such as collectable historic weapons, to receive a greater level of compensation but that will be capped at $10,000 per firearm.

Gun owners will have to pay for a review of their high-value items.

The Australian understands the buyback will include a flat fee for ammunition, but other accessories ∼ such as scopes ∼ will be left out.

The NSW government estimates up to 274,000 firearms ∼ almost a quarter of the total number of registered firearms in the state ∼ will be swept up in the buyback due to the caps and reclassification of some firearms.. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Lachlan Leeming

Albanese's popularity has hit rock bottom following the Bondi Beach terror attack last December, consecutive interest rate rises and an unpopular budget in May and he is beset by economic pressures that have intensified since Jim Chalmers cashed in from the migration-fuelled post-pandemic boom.

Voters are furious with the direction of the country and the government's propensity to promote slogans, multibillion-dollar packages and subsidies that don't fix or alleviate the cost-of-living crisis, housing shortages, inflation spikes, flatlining productivity, soaring energy bills, fuel costs and high interest rates.

Albanese has entered a political danger zone littered with booby-traps and quicksand that threatens to envelop the 30-year veteran federal MP.

The 63-year-old and his advisers know how quickly the worm can turn, given they executed the ugly evisceration of Scott Morrison ahead of the 2022 election. Morrison, who made plenty of mistakes as prime minister, was subject to one of the most personal and savage campaigns waged against a federal leader.

In the digital age of social media, artificial intelligence and 24-7 communications, a modern leader's position can become terminal in a short time. Albanese had a front-row seat watching the self-combustions of Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Malcolm Turnbull, Morrison and Peter Dutton.

Albanese's return to parliament after enjoying a relaxing week with wife Jodie on the Tasmanian coast during the mid-winter break was dominated by criticism of his bizarre podcast comments last month about melons given to him by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during her visit in May to mark the 50th anniversary of the NARA Treaty. What made the melons scandal worse is that it was entirely self-inflicted.

The melongate affair, rejected by Albanese and senior government figures as a non-story and distraction, amplified existing negative views of voters who have stopped listening to the second-term Prime Minister.

Avoidable gaffes about melons and shagging pop star Kylie Minogue add to the list of broader concerns Australians share about the Albanese government. Pessimism and unrest in the electorate have never been worse.

With less than 21 months until the next election is scheduled, Labor ministers and MPs are being warned of a bumpy ride on the path to a potential third term. The combination of the May 12 budget, laden with broken election promises and tax hikes, sticky inflation, interest rate rises, the cost of everything going up, a growing zeitgeist against the major parties and a leader who has been in power for more than four years has pushed Labor's Newspoll primary vote into the 20s for the first time since Gillard was rolled in 2013.

Albanese, who this week passed Paul Keating on the list of longest-serving Australian prime ministers and soon will leapfrog Ben Chifley to claim 10th on the list, has led his government back to the bad days of 2024 when Labor fell behind Dutton's Coalition.

His net approval rating of minus-22 and Labor's primary vote of 29% are worse than the back half of 2024, when an ascendant Dutton was getting the better of Albanese.

Within five months a series of fortunate events headlined by major mistakes by Dutton and crucial rate cuts delivered Albanese one of the great political comeback stories and a historic 94 seats.. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Geoff Chambers

Banking giant ANZ's revised forecast this week that capital city home prices would fall 10.6% from peak to trough in the current slump ∼ led lower by Sydney sinking 14.5% and Melbourne falling 12.8% ∼ is the most dire prediction made following the May federal budget.

Some economists are increasingly tipping national price falls near 10% and others believe a downturn of at least 15% would spark a recession because of its negative impact on household wealth, consumer spending and business activity.

Anthony Albanese yesterday deflected criticism in Question Time and insisted the latest Reserve Bank data shows less than 1% of all mortgage holders are in negative equity.

That's less than half of the mortgage holders who were in negative equity under the Liberals in 2017 and 2019, the Prime Minister said.

In April 2019 the RBA reported just over 2% of borrowers were in negative equity. This is while median dwelling prices fell by 4.3% between May 2018 and May 2019 with Sydney dwelling values dropping 10.7% over that year.

The comments come as analysis reveals predicted price falls of more than 10% in Melbourne would erode pandemic-era price growth and take median home values back to levels not seen for almost a decade.

Meanwhile, Sydney's market is recording prices at May 2015 levels and a 15% slip would still keep the median property outlay above $1.1m, similar to July 2021.

Australia's previous two notable house price corrections ∼ in 2019 and 2022 ∼ were 8.6% and 8.1% respectively and did not cause recessions, Betashares chief economist David Bassanese said.

I think 10% is likely this time around, Mr Bassanese said.

We've had rate increases, which we've had in the past and the budget changes are a massive structural shift in the market.

Mr Albanese this week celebrated his government's changes because homebuyers were no longer competing with investors.

Last Saturday, when people were going along to an auction for an existing home, they were not competing against investors seeking to negatively gear the property; they were competing as people who wanted a roof over their head, he said in response to a question from Angus Taylor about whether Labor's tax changes had left homeowners worse off.

Mr Bassanese said if property prices nationally fell 15-20% it could tip the economy into recession because of the hit to wealth and consumer sentiment.

Consumer spending is 60% of the economy, he said.

“If the RBA does end up having to raise rates one or two more times as it's threatened, then it could easily spill into a bigger correction.”

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver forecast a 7% overall fall in house prices and said historically we've been able to get away with falls of 7-8-9% without causing recessions. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Anthony Keane and Mackenzie Scott

More than a quarter of victims in rape and sexual assault trials have had their private counselling notes subpoenaed, a new study from the Australian Institute of Criminology has found.

Fresh data from the organisation revealed 28% of victim-survivors reported that their private counselling notes were subpoenaed at trial.

The research led by Associate Professor Mary Illiadis found that of 145 sexual assault victims who responded to a survey, 28% (41) had their counselling or medical notes sought during proceedings.

Those whose privacy was breached described feeling violated, traumatised, humiliated, degraded, angry, haunted and even suicidal.

I felt violated and will never feel safe again knowing that my experiences could be used against me, one victim-survivor told the researchers. I was housebound for months and find it hard to trust people, especially medical and psychological supports.

A second research participant commented: My psychologist recommended I apply for victim assistance payments to pay for my psychology. I didn't put in the application (but my psychologist) noted the suggestion in her notes. It was then used by his lawyers to say I was doing this for monetary gain.

A third victim-survivor described how notes containing details about a miscarriage eight years prior were used to paint her as reckless in court.

In March, news.com.au launched the Keep Counselling Confidential campaign, after a deep dive investigation revealed that pedophiles and sex offenders were routinely able to access the highly confidential counselling notes of their victims, with some survivors only discovering the privacy breach when they turned up to court to give evidence.

In the past, services such as 1800 RESPECT have dismissed the risk of offenders subpoenaing their victim's counselling files ∼ including audio recordings of calls ∼ and in 2017, a spokesperson for the government funded counselling hotline told a Senate Inquiry they had never received a single subpoena in their seven years of operation.

But a Freedom of Information investigation conducted this year by news.com.au revealed that the service in fact receives an average of one subpoena a week for victim counselling records.

In 2020, rape survivor Madeline Lane had a full transcript of her contact with 1800 RESPECT accessed by her offender and his legal team, following a subpoena to the service.

That's a very private and personal conversation, which you assume is going to stay confidential, said Ms Lane, who was raped in April 2020 by Mosman man, Boyd Kramer.

You're so vulnerable when you're having (that conversation). I was in a state of shock. I was just blaming myself so when the defence got that (1800 RESPECT) counselling transcript they tried to use that against me (to discredit me).

Ms Lane has never felt safe to use the service again.

The trend has become so severe that in some states police are now warning victims of rape and sexual abuse not to access any counselling services until the criminal trial is over, as there is no way for police to guarantee that their private counselling records will be protected. That may mean a wait of two to three years with no counselling at a time it is needed most.

Other survivors have told news.com.au that they stopped accessing counselling all together once their notes were subpoenaed as they no longer felt therapy was safe.

News.com.au has also learnt of at least one team of lawyers advising survivors to access overseas counselling services because they may be more difficult to subpoena.

Since the launch in March, more than 14,000 Australians have signed the petition to safeguard counselling and medical records.

In response the NSW and Victorian Governments have agreed to review the relevant legislation and NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley has commissioned Professor Rita Shackel at the University of Sydney to spearhead an inquiry with results due back in June next year.

At the federal level, the Labor Party has also pledged to work with the states and territories to protect sexual assault counselling notes.

At the recent National Labor Conference in Adelaide a formal motion was passed stating those who experience sexual assault must be guaranteed safety and confidentially in recovery, however defence lawyers routinely subpoena sexual assault counselling communications, including written, audio, and video recordings.

These private communications are used in court to intimidate and then undermine the credibility of complainants, where their words can be used against them. Labor recognises the harm caused by this as systems abuse. Labor also recognises the vicarious trauma this has on counsellors and support workers. Labor will work with states and territories to protect sexual assault communications from subpoenaing, it said.

Dr Karen Williams, a consultant psychiatrist and the founder of the charity Doctors Against Violence Towards Women, said the impacts of subpoenas are devastating for both victim-survivors and professionals alike.

As a doctor, I don't really want to tell a traumatised woman 'by the way, these notes are not really confidential. They may be subpoenaed by your (abuser) in five years time, but please, do go on', Dr Williams said.

She said sexual assault survivors already face multiple barriers to disclosure and the threat of subpoenas renders support-seeking even harder.

I see this reality every week. Women sit in my consulting room and ask me not to take notes. They ask me not to record our sessions. They come without their phones … some ask me not to put the appointment through Medicare (as Medicare records can be subpoenaed), Dr Williams said.

These women are not being paranoid. They are being precise. They have learned, through experience, exactly how far their abuser's reach extends. And right now, our legal system is proving them right by allowing their most private disclosures to be subpoenaed and handed to the very person (who has harmed them or) who they are trying to escape.

This is why counselling confidentiality is not a legal nicety. It is a matter of life and death.

Dr Williams, who heads a network of 750 medical professionals says that another perverse outcome of subpoena-culture is that professionals might limit their note-taking, take notes in pencil, or devise other workarounds to try to keep clients safe, but that these strategies can also compromise healthcare consistency.

Dr Williams has formally endorsed the Keep Counselling Confidential petition and says legislation must be urgently amended to protect these records.

We are proud to support the Don't Subpoena Our Support campaign … when a woman tells her counsellor what happened to her, she deserves to know that conversation is safe, she said. The NSW inquiry will report back in June 2027.

STORY: Nina Funnell

Universities will be forced to report all dealings with any institution in China, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Brunei, Vietnam or Laos, under changes to the Foreign Relations Act before parliament.

Every education and research institution in those countries will be deemed to lack institutional autonomy from their government, meaning hostile or authoritarian governments can meddle in sensitive research ranging from cyber security to military and biological warfare.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation will no longer have to notify universities or academics when they are under investigation.

A new national interest test for Australia's Foreign Arrangements Scheme will give Foreign Minister Penny Wong power to veto or impose conditions on any projects she considers will affect the national interest — a broad term that includes national and economic security.

Under the existing scheme, the minister can only intervene if a project may adversely affect Australia's foreign relations.

The legislative crackdown comes after The Australian revealed how researchers had co-operated on drone research with scientists from Iran. The Education Department wrote to universities in March warning them against collaborating with countries subject to sanctions. But it was forced to reiterate the expectation in follow-up letters to 26 universities from March to June this year.

Sydney University, which sent an unidentified staff member to Iran last year in defiance of warnings from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was told on June 3 — days after The Australian revealed the secret trip — that sanctions applied to all forms of academic engagement, including travel, even when the activity is not research-related.

Jasmina Joldic, the department's deputy secretary of higher education, research and international, wrote to vice-chancellor Mark Scott, saying: I am writing to reiterate the government's expectation that Australian universities and their researchers cease all direct collaboration with Iranian, Russian, Belarusian and (North Korean) entities and researchers.

Macquarie University, which continued to host Iranian PhD students this year, was told in June engagement involving Iran, Russia, Belarus and North Korea warranted heightened caution and may expose Australian people, systems and institutions to significant risk.

I understand there still may be contact between Macquarie researchers with Iranian counterparts, Ms Joldic wrote to vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton on June 3 — the day The Australian exposed the collaboration.

I acknowledge that Macquarie has taken steps to phase out existing partnerships with entities in sanctioned countries and its commitment not to enter new arrangements.

The government expects this approach to be applied consistently across all forms of academic engagement, including activity that is not research related.

STORY: Natasha Bita

The latest results from the Australian Institution of Marine Science shows that coral cover on the reef has bounced back from mass bleaching in 2025 and early 2026 and remains at near record levels across its 2300km length from Cape York to Bundaberg.

The AIMS long-term monitoring program confirms the Great Barrier Reef maintains its resilience and ability to recover from disturbance, saying coral cover across all three regions of the reef, the northern, central and southern reef, increased slightly or remained at similar levels to those recorded last year.

AIMS does not report a combined figure for total reef cover but marine physicist Peter Ridd said the results showed that for all of the past five years, the raw cover on the reef had been higher than in any of the previous 35 years.

He said five bleaching events ∼ in 2016, 17, 20, 22 and 24 ∼ had not produced a major drop in coral cover.

Mr Ridd said the AIMS data showed that the major cause of temporary coral loss over the decades had been from cyclones and crown of thorns starfish plagues, both of which were entirely natural. There is no evidence that these are any worse than in the distant past, he said.

The results follow a major global study by Macquarie University that used machine learning to evaluate decades of real-world observations to identify 165,992sq km of potentially climate-resilient reef locations spanning 71 countries and 100 territories and jurisdictions.

About one-third of the Great Barrier Reef was judged to be resilient to the impacts of climate change.

According to the latest survey, an annual snapshot of coral cover on the reef showed that in the northern region from Cape York to Cooktown, it had increased by 16.7% relative to 2025 levels (from 30% to 35.1%).

The central region from Cooktown to Proserpine increased by 10.2% relative to its 2025 levels.

The southern region from Proserpine to Gladstone decreased by 2% from 26.9% to 26.4%, which is within the margin of error. Announcing the results, AIMS said the reef was in a comparatively better condition than many reef systems worldwide, which had been heavily impacted by the fourth global bleaching event and other pressures.

However, the increased frequency and extent of bleaching events in the last decade are unprecedented, AIMS said. Climate change remains the greatest threat to the reef, along with other pressures from more localised sources.

Scientists have been warning about a collapse for decades.

In 2007 they warned that under conditions expected in the 21st century, corals would become increasingly rare on reef systems.

A 2024 paper in Nature, Benjamin et al, said climate model analysis confirmed that human influence on the climate system was responsible for the rapid warming in recent decades.

A 2026 paper in Nature communications, Eakin et al, said the impacts of ocean warming on coral reefs were accelerating, with the near certainty that ongoing warming will cause large-scale, possibly irreversible, degradation of these essential ecosystems.

STORY: Graham Lloyd

It comes as tensions increase in Upper Hunter and New England communities over the path of new transmission lines that will connect renewable energy zones to the grid.

The rollout of three gigawatts of clean energy will be accelerated as part of a $2.5 billion power purchase deal to ensure Tomago Aluminium remains open beyond 2028.

The data centre boom will also fuel further demand for energy in coming years.

Mr Minns said the government was keen to work with communities affected by the new energy infrastructure to minimise its impact where possible.

But ultimately the projects were needed to ensure the state's economic sustainability.

I think there is a lack of understanding (in some parts of the community) or there is an understanding of it but it's just not a trade that people are prepared to make. I understand that, but I don't have that luxury, Mr Minns said.

We have to find energy for jobs, we have to find it for the economy. If it doesn't come from renewables it has to come from somewhere else.

I think sometimes we are portrayed as a government that is thumbing its nose at communities that don't like renewable energy. I can promise you we are not doing that. We just don't have a choice.

Tempers flared again recently after EnergyCo contractors trespassed on a cattle property near Scone.

Three trucks drove past signs advising unauthorised vehicles not to enter.

EnergyCo, which apologised for the incident, said the contractor had mistakenly entered the private property against its policy.

Upper Hunter Nationals MP Dave Layzell described the New England REZ as a white elephant.

The people of the Upper Hunter aren't against renewable energy. What they object to, is the wasteful spending by a Labor government of billions of dollars on transmission line projects for a REZ that is obviously not the best solution, he said.

Ed; Leave me alone. What Mins and Co ignore is the renewable dogma has pushed up electricity prices to the point where we can't afford to make anything any more! [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Matthew Kelly

Reports spread during the afternoon as shoppers said card transactions and digital wallet payments were failing during a global Mastercard outage.

Customers described problems with bank cards as well as mobile wallet purchases, including Apple Pay and Android Pay, when linked to Mastercard.

Businesses in parts of Sydney and Brisbane reported confusion at check-outs as some transactions went through while others were declined.

At one stage, retailers were asking customers to try another card, use cash or return later as queues built and purchases were abandoned.

Cafes and grocers in Sydney's eastern suburbs were among those affected by the outage, with Chargrill Charlie's at Charing Cross explaining the problem had continued for about an hour.

Owner Ron Shaked said the store had had to turn customers away".

They haven't been able to pay, people were having to wait a long time and they've left because they were sick of waiting, he said.

Frenchmans Rd Pharmacy manager Joseph Riakos said staff were struggling to explain the issue to customers because the disruption appeared to hit some cards but not others.

We're having to say either use cash or to come back another time, Mr Riakos said during the outage.

A Brisbane woman said she was left embarrassed when her payment was declined at a Bowen Hills cafe despite having funds in her account.

I checked the accounts and the money was there but every attempt was declined, she told NewsWire.

I never have cash but luckily for once I did or I would've had to leave.

It was embarrassing enough as it was - I know the money was there but you still feel like a bit of a fraud when it fails.

Businesses across Australia posted on social media to warn customers about the Mastercard issue as some payments were being declined.

Earlier in the outage, Commonwealth Bank said some Mastercard card payments were being declined due to a global MasterCard issue and advised customers to insert their card and select savings to make payments via eftpos.

Downdetector, a website that tracks user-reported service outages, logged a surge in Mastercard complaints between 2pm and 4pm, including more than 1700 reports by 3pm on Saturday.

In a statement to NewsWire, a Mastercard spokesperson said a scheduled system update caused Mastercard transactions to be declined for a period of time.

The situation has been resolved and all systems are working as normal, the spokesperson said. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Andrew Hedgman and Hannah Farrow

Airservices Australia chief executive Rob Sharp has faced calls to be sacked after a third near-miss at Sydney Airport followed days of delays because of a failure to hire and train enough air traffic controllers.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal federal Transport Minister Catherine King has ordered her department to meet with Mr Sharp and his team on a regular basis, after he failed to inform her of a third near-miss at Sydney Airport for four days.

I have requested they meet regularly with my department and stakeholders to constructively discuss these matters and work on solutions, Ms King said. I have made my expectations very clear.

A senior source in the government described the new arrangement as babysitting.

Mr Sharp had already been hauled into her office to explain how a Jetstar flight narrowly avoided crashing into a Qatar Airways plane while it was being towed.

Mr Sharp did not tell her that just hours later Virgin Australia flight VA555 was forced into an aborted takeoff after pilots noticed Qantas flight QF728 was beginning to cross the runway at the same time.

It took four days until the incident was finally reported to investigators, a delay which the Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said he was still trying to understand.

In an attempt to explain the four-day delay at a press conference yesterday, Mr Sharp said we don't think the threshold for mandatory reporting had been reached.

He said the experienced controller immediately rescinded the clearance while the second aircraft remained stationary 1.3km away.

The decision to put Mr Sharp under the direct and close supervision of the minister's staff shows how far her trust in him has broken down.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie told The Telegraph the Australian travelling public has had enough and that Ms King should tell the Airservices Australia board to sack its $1.2m-a-year chief executive. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Madeleine Bower and Matthew Benns

Speaking in Canberra, the prime minister said he and his US counterpart discussed number of global and regional issues, including the conflict in the Middle East and recent developments in the Pacific.

The pair also spoke about the AUKS submarine deal, which he Mr Albanese said remains full steam ahead.

We agreed it was a project that is and will continue to deliver benefits for the United States, for Australia and for the United Kingdom, the added.

He said he asked the president to consider Australia for full tariff exemption or at the very least no increase of those in effect.

I always put forward Australia's national interest during these discussions, he said.

The conversation is the first time between the duo since Iranian football players sought asylum in Australia.

The call follows comments made on August 13 by Mr Trump's Pentagon policy chief, Elbridge Colby, who expressed satisfaction with the advancement of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program.

Mr Albanese is set to meet Mr Trump in September when he travels to New York for the UN General Assembly.

The two leaders are also scheduled to convene when Mr Trump hosts G20 leaders at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Mr Albanese has spoken to Mr Trump at least five times since becoming prime minister and they've met in person.[click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Vanessa Marsh and Maria Bervanakis

Parminder Singh, who was number three on One Nation WA's Legislative Council ticket at the 2025 state election, made the comments in a video aired by the ABC.

In the video, the former candidate appeared to claim gay pride parades advertise homosexuality to young people and suggested parents were partly to blame for their children being gay.

In the clip, he was asked whether he believed people were born gay. Mr Singh replied: No, no, it's a mental illness.

Last night, One Nation MP Mr Joyce categorically rejected Mr Singh's views, pointing out that the former candidate had been removed from One Nation's website once the comments became known.

I don't concur with his views … simple as that, Mr Joyce said.

I think we live in a modern Australia and this is part of why I talk about the Australian culture and not multiculturalism.

If a culture believes that is an appropriate comment, then that is outside the guardrails of mainstream Australia … in Australia we don't concur with views like that.

Mr Joyce said Australia welcomed people from many different cultural backgrounds but argued that multiculturalism inevitably brought different beliefs and attitudes.

Accepting multiculturalism does not mean every belief imported from another culture automatically becomes acceptable in Australian public life, he said.

You can be of any creed or colour … but you have to work within the Australian guardrails.

Mr Joyce pointed out that One Nation was a welcoming party.

We have quite a large proportion of gay people working with us. It's not an issue for anyone. I think we are one of the gayest parties in Australia if you did the numbers, he said. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Jason Morrison

The government has been caught spinning its wheels on a pledge to stop young hoons terrorising the streets on illegal e-bikes.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that not a single e-bike has been crushed under new police powers announced by Transport Minister John Graham with great fanfare six months ago.

And despite Mr Graham trumpeting in February that the NSW government was investing in a portable kits allowing NSW Police to test e-bike power outputs at the roadside, only one of these dyno units has made it into the country.

NSW parliament passed legislation allowing NSW Police to seize and destroy illegal e-bikes in May.

But the laws, which will give NSW Police powers to seize and crush bikes if an officer reasonably suspects an e-bike is illegal, are still not in force.

Police have some powers to fine e-bike riders for breaking the law but the new powers were sold as a solution to the widespread scourge of illegal overpowered bikes.

Mr Graham could not say yesterday when the laws would be proclaimed, leaving people in the dark over when illegal e-bikes will be crushed.

Even when the laws come into force, NSW Police will only have one dyno unit available to test whether e-bikes are road-legal.

The dyno units will be able to test whether e-bikes can reach speeds faster than 25km/h without pedalling.

Two testing kits are expected to arrive later this year.

It comes after the Telegraph revealed overwhelming support for tougher e-bike rules. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: James O'Doherty

When the residents of Australia sit down tonight for their five-yearly national census, those born in one of the world's most populous regions will find themselves staring at a blank space where their homeland should be.

Despite being home to some 732,000 residents born in China ∼ Australia's third-largest immigrant group after England and India ∼ the People's Republic of China has been entirely omitted from the census form's preselected country-of-birth tick boxes in question 17.

While expatriate communities from England, India, New Zealand, The Philippines, Vietnam and South Africa can tick a pre-printed box, Chinese-Australians have the option of selecting other and manually writing in their place of birth.

The bureau's statisticians say this was deliberate, to encourage people from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to write in their specific territories to ensure residents from these regions are not grouped into the same category.

On the petition platform Change.org, campaigners have urged the bureau to update the form to Make Census Ancestry Options Fair, arguing the fifth-largest cultural background in the country has been left out.

What makes this user interface design particularly unreasonable is that significantly smaller demographic groups ∼ such as Filipino ancestry (1.6 per cent) and Vietnamese ancestry (1.3 per cent) ∼ are explicitly provided as primary quick-select options, petition starter James He writes.

“Placing one of Australia's largest non-European communities into a catch-all 'other' category while providing checkboxes for much smaller populations creates a strong sense of marginalisation and institutional exclusion.

It diminishes the visibility and respect due to the Chinese-Australian community and fails to reflect modern multicultural Australia.

The federal government's official statistical snapshot, which must be completed by everyone in Australia today, has also been accused of drifting into the realm of the surreal by denouncing walking as a statistical impossibility.

According to a scathing critique by Harold Scruby, CEO of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, the census journey-to-work question is rigged to pretend that walking does not happen, with the form instructing respondents to “mark all methods used” for their commute ∼ allowing any combination of trains, buses, and cars ∼ except for those on foot.

Walking is restricted solely to a walked only tick box but if an online respondent ticks Walked only, every other transit option is greyed out. And if they tick bus or train, the walking box is disabled.

The commuter who walks to the bus stop, rides the bus, then walks to the office ∼ four walking trips a day ∼ is recorded as never having walked at all, Mr Scruby warns. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Danielle Gusmaroli

The 2026 Logie Awards wound up in Sydney last night, with Aussie export Robert Irwin serving as the ceremony's youngest host. Irwin was also up for the night's top award, the Gold Logie, alongside his I'm A Celeb co-host, Julia Morris. It's perhaps a slightly awkward honour for the pair, given Ten recently axed the show and it's now been poached by Seven with plans to launch a rebooted version in 2027.

Before the ceremony, stars arrived on the red carpet outside The Star casino in Sydney

Incredible restraint that he waited two hours for this, really. Robert Irwin stripped down to his Australia Khakis to produce an increasingly scary parade of reptiles and drape them over unsuspecting celebs.

Pity pour Luke McGregor, draped in a giant olive python and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

It is, of course, a nod to Irwin's late father Steve, who played fast and loose with a snake at the 2003 Logies — and let it fumble out of his grasp, where it bit sports presenter Tim Webster, seated in the front row. Thankfully, everyone escaped nibble-free tonight.

Moments later, having untangled the python from a visibly stressed Andy Lee, Irwin's on stage dancing like a maniac with musical guests Peking Duk. That man was working for his Gold Logie last night.

After that Kath & Kim win, Robert Irwin introduced the newest member of the Australia Zoo team — Sharon Strezlecki, aka Kath and Kim star Magda Szubanski (above). The Aussie comedy icon ∼ who has been living with cancer and was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year ∼ earns a standing ovation from the crowd. When we saw her at last year's awards, she was at home and not well enough to attend, so it's amazing to see her back on stage, in character, hilarious as ever as she spars with host Robert Irwin.

Brooke Satchwell wins the Best Actress award for Stan's Dear Life, and moments later, the Best Actor award goes to … Sam Neill, for The Twelve.

The acting legend died on July 13 aged 78, prompting a worldwide outpouring of grief.

Close friend and colleague Heather Mitchell accepted the award on Sam's behalf, and opened the speech on a touching note: Hello everyone… I'm so sorry I'm not Sam. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Nick Bond

Young Aussies looking for a secure career could be overlooking some of the jobs we need most, with starting salaries of up to $90,000 failing to fix shortages in essential services.

A graduate NSW teacher starts on $90,177, a probationary police constable earns about $88,169 and a first-year registered nurse earns about $81,468 in base pay.

Yet schools, hospitals and police commands have all long struggled to attract and retain enough workers, exposing a problem that higher salaries alone have not been able to solve.

Jobs and Skills Australia's latest Occupation Shortage List found 29 per cent of occupations were in shortage in 2025.

That was an improvement from 33 per cent in 2024 and 36 per cent in 2023, but shortages remain concentrated in key areas including health and education.

The figures complicate the debate over which careers young Australians should be pursuing, as some of the jobs offering strong salaries and clear employment prospects are also the ones governments are having the most trouble staffing.

A NSW public school teacher currently starts on $90,177 straight out of university, rising to $129,536 for an experienced classroom teacher.

And there are signs higher pay has worked.

The NSW Teachers Federation said unfilled vacancies had fallen 71 per cent since the major salary reset in October 2023, while teaching degree enrolments increased 23 per cent in NSW in the following year.William Elliott

Nursing presents a tougher picture.

A first-year registered nurse or midwife in the NSW public health system now earns $1566.70 a week, equivalent to about $81,468 a year in base pay.

An eighth-year registered nurse earns about $114,379 before shift penalties, overtime and allowances.

But NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association president O'Bray Smith said there were still widespread vacancies across the state.

Ms Smith said NSW Health did not maintain statewide vacancy data, making the full scale of the shortage difficult to quantify.

NSW Police has also turned to higher salaries and paid training to rebuild its workforce.

A probationary constable earns about $88,169, including loading, while the published salary reaches $99,811 at Constable Level 5.

Student police officers are also paid $1360 a week during the 16-week residential component of their academy training.

Police Association of NSW president Kevin Morton said staffing challenges across the state were well documented, but frontline numbers were improving. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: William Elliott

After Baywatch star Brooks Nader let it all hang out in front of her mum and dad on holiday in Sardinia, Censori was not to be outdone as she too wore something more suitable for bed when posing for a family photo with her folks and sister, Angelina.

The Censori bunch are in Florence, Italy, this week with Bianca's rapper husband Kanye West also along for the trip.

Putting on a sexy display in barely-there sparkly black hot pants and a matching strapless bandeau bra, Bianca squeezed into her family photo with zero care that she was the only one showing some serious skin.

Even if she hadn't positioned herself front and centre, the 31-year-old would've been hard to miss next to her sister and mum, who were respectfully covered up in their black and white outfits as they took a family photo before their dinner reservation.

It was a different story over on Instagram for Angelina. The social media personality took a leaf from her sister's racy playbook when she took selfies in barely there G-string bikinis.

The younger Censori has long admitted big sister Bianca — who was an architect in Melbourne before moving to the US to work for Kanye's Yeezy label - is her inspiration.

In an interview with the Herald-Sun in 2024, Angelina ∼ who also studied architecture at Melbourne University just like her big sister ∼ often gets style advice from Bianca.

She has the best wardrobe, Angelina said. Obviously with my sister being an architect I'm very inspired by her and what she does and that kind of got me into it. I'm seeing where it takes me.

I love fashion and I always like to do my own thing. I don't follow what influencers are doing but have my own take and do my own thing.

As for Bianca, she says her edgy wardrobe choices all boils down to one thing: art.

Some people call it ugly or eclectic, it's not for everyone but I think it's cool and I like it, she told the masthead. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Christine Salazar

Nearly a year after her split from husband Keith Urban, 58, Kidman, 59, let slip to British Vogue that she's had an apartment near Notting Hill for quite some time.

I've had it for 20 years … 21 actually, she said.

It marks the first time that the Moulin Rouge! actress has confirmed she owns property in London — having already amassed homes in Beverly Hills, CA; New York City; Nashville, TN; and Australia. While all of those properties have appeared in numerous headlines, her U.K. abode has remained surprisingly under the radar.

I'm stealth, Kidman shared of her ability to keep the property so tightly under wraps.

Her stealthy skills came in very handy once again during her Euro summer, during which she has spent time bouncing between London, Ibiza, Paris, and Portofino, leveraging glasses and a little dark wig to conceal her identity when the night whisks her away to the club for some raving.

I'm good at slipping in and slipping out of everywhere, she joked.

In the first summer since the separation, Kidman is embracing the unknown, describing the current transitional vibe of her life as free falling or jumping off.

Like, where am I going? she mused. And what's next?

A return to London could certainly be on the list of upcoming adventures for Kidman, who hinted that she is eager to return to the city in order to throw herself into the theatre scene.

She remarked that she'd love to return to the stage in the British capital, with the outlet noting that she does already own the rights to a handful of plays she'd like to add to her extensive repertoire.

Though she did not elaborate any further on those plans, her eagerness to throw herself into the theatrical mix in London was enough for the Vogue writer to note: But let it be known, London: she's coming.

The actress certainly seems settled in the city — taking full advantage of London's thriving theatre industry, alongside her lookalike daughters, Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith Margaret, 15. She explained that the trio has recently crossed a handful of must-see productions off their bucket list in the city's theatre scene.

Recent favourites include 1536, The Guilty, and The Oresteia. [click the intro to return to front page]

How long until Balmoral is listed on Airbnb?

That's not a joke, a little ha-ha-ha, let's-have-a-right-chuckle start to this story. I genuinely wonder how long until the unwashed masses are able to plonk down a credit card to sleep in one of the looking-over-the-bins bedrooms or in a nice converted stable block at the royal family's Scottish estate.

Balmoral is, of course, the 52-bedroom, 50,000-acre ersatz Bavarian castle built amongst towering pines by a homesick Prince Albert who had nothing to do all day until his old ball and chain Vicky was done being Queen and ruling over one quarter of the world's population.

For more than 15 years, it has been one of the royal family's most adored homes, a place of great respite, stillness, and breathing room away from the schools of Buckingham Palace courtiers and paps and the Windsors' daily tree-planting-plaque-unveiling grind.

Only it's all falling apart and the Balmoral tradition is dying.

Yes, in the coming weeks, King Charles' extended relatives will begin their annual monarchical migration to Aberdeen airport to rotate in and out of Balmoral for some Grade A bonding time.

On the schedule there will be 'fun' that could not be cleaner and more deserving of air quotes but the showing will be a pale, sad comparison to the way things used to be.

Take how things looked in August 1996: Present at Balmoral were a happier-than-Larry Queen Elizabeth whose favourite place in the world was downwind of a horse or Balmoral, and Prince Philip, their four children, six grandchildren (at the time), sister Princess Margaret and her two children, the Queen Mother, the Queen's 31 first cousins, and their 55 children.

And when they went, they stayed. And stayed. And spent weeks at a time breathing deep lungfuls of good, clean Highland air and proudly wearing tartan knickers.

And today? Balmoral has about 48 more bedrooms than it needs.

Hell, Charles and Queen Camilla don't even actually stay there aside from when the Prime Minister du jour pops up, preferring their roughly month-long Scottish holiday at the nearby Birkhall, which has only eight bedrooms. However do they manage?

Prince William and Kate, The Prince and Princess of Wales and their kids only go to Balmoral for a slim wedge of their summer holidays, rather than decamping at length as he did during childhood. Nowadays, the Waleses prefer to head to places like Greece or the Caribbean for luxury breaks of the Bezosian quality.

So, how long until some of the lesser, not-ever-slept-in-by-an-HRH Balmoral bedrooms, empty for 51 weeks of the year, start being made available for paying overnight stays?

Sure, censorious old prune Queen Victoria would be horrified but the royal bean counters, they'd have to be thrilled. And William and Kate? Look for them on a yacht off the coast of Paros.

When William and Kate head to Balmoral, you have to wonder if there is a strong whiff of sufferance and obligation getting them there rather than a bone-deep yearning for a long Highland escape.

Given Prince Harry has juuuust earned back his afternoon tea invitation privileges, an invite for a nice long Scottish stay seems overly optimistic considering Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex has never been to Balmoral. Instead, the Sussexes opted to spend their two royal summers at Uncle Elton's South of France mega mansion.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is only getting to Balmoral if he slips his restraints, loses the Airtags Princess Anne attached and makes a 726km secret dash from his sow-scented personal Siberia in a bleak bit of Norfolk to get there. And even then Camilla and her shooting stick is sending him straight back.

So, how long until some of the lesser, not-ever-slept-in-by-an-HRH Balmoral bedrooms, empty for 51 weeks of the year, start being made available for paying overnight stays?

Sure, censorious old prune Queen Victoria would be horrified but the royal bean counters, they’d have to be thrilled. And William and Kate? Look for them on a yacht off the coast of Paros.

STORY: Daniela Elser

Can any of you tell me why we have the Chinese flag flying? Anne Webster asked a group of reporters outside parliament on Monday.

It's Vietnamese, a journalist answered.

Oh, Vietnam, Ms Webster said.

Vietnamese President To Lam and his delegation of more than a dozen ministers landed in Sydney on Sunday night to a red-carpet welcome.

Fuel, trade and China were among the top ticket items Prime Minister Anthony Albanese broached with the communist leader.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Labor government said the two countries had agreed to bolster defence and security co-operation.

The countries' defence ministers agreed to an updated Joint Vision Statement on Defence Cooperation to support closer exchanges, including across maritime security and disaster relief.

Australian and Vietnamese defence forces will work more closely together, including by sharing expertise on search and rescue operations and participating in joint training. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Frank Chung and NewsWire

The biggest concerns? One-pedal driving, instant acceleration and learning a whole new set of technology.

The first three months of ownership appeared to be the highest-risk period, with some clear crash patterns already emerging, Allianz Australia's Emerging Risks Manager Chris Wood said.

We're seeing collisions around charging infrastructure. The other big one is that instant acceleration catching people out and potentially losing control, he said.

Unlike a petrol car, an EV responds almost instantly when the accelerator is pressed, making it feel much quicker off the mark than many first-time drivers expect.

Sydney EV owner Krishna Thiers has seen firsthand how that can catch people out.

That is something I've seen a lot of people try to get used to. I have seen a crash or two occur from people kind of not knowing about it, he said.

The former mechanic, who now works in the EV charging industry, said he also needed time to adjust — particularly to one-pedal driving where lifting your foot off the accelerator slows the car down significantly, sometimes to a complete stop.

It felt strange at first to not press a brake pedal, I don't have to press it at all with my car, he said.

Almost seven in 10 EV owners believed they knew what to expect before buying their first EV but many later admitted they were caught off guard by unfamiliar technology.

More than half said touchscreen controls affected their driving during the transition, while almost one in five experienced charging-related issues.

Mr Wood said it's competence rather than confidence catching people out. He likened it to jumping into a different car and automatically reaching for the indicator on the wrong side of the steering wheel.

We're creatures of habit. Those driving behaviours are built up over years, so it takes time for that muscle memory to adjust, he said.

Over the past two years, Allianz has recorded more than $90 million in collision claims involving EVs, with rear-end crashes accounting for almost one in five collision claims.

Mr Wood said that didn't mean EVs were inherently less safe than petrol cars. Instead, drivers simply needed time to adapt.

It's not about teaching experienced drivers how to drive again. It's about allowing yourself time to adjust to a vehicle that behaves differently, he said.

For Thiers, the learning curve was well worth it.

Once you get used to it, it's quieter, smoother and a much more relaxing drive. One-pedal driving feels strange at first, but now it's second nature, he said.

Mr Wood's advice — don't wait until you're under pressure to learn.

Spend some time in a quiet area, practise using regenerative braking and get comfortable with how the vehicle responds before you're navigating busy traffic, he said. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Tineka Everaardt

Goannas, red-bellied black snakes and pythons lived among the scrub on the clifftop which could only be accessed via a single-lane road.

Almost 70 years since the Lumby family became the first to build on the bluff (pictured), the property is set to hit the market.

The house, at 19 Kerle Street, occupies 697 square metres on the edge of the cliff front.

Ben Casey of Sold Real Estate has the listing, which he described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It's the rarest in Redhead and the first home ever built on the bluff, so you're claiming a piece of history, Mr Casey said.

It is a generational position because there are only a select few that are on the cliff face with no other homes in front.

The ability to not only get the position but then the views as well, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it's a property that once you secure, its going to stay in the family for generations to come.

It is priced with offers expected north of $3.5 million.

Because the home sits next to a reserve, its views can never be built out.

From the kitchen, dining room and wraparound verandah, the house takes in far-stretching views of the coastline to Caves Beach and Catherine Hill Bay, all the way to Norah Head Lighthouse, as well as the lake and across to Belmont 16ft Sailing Club.

A view of the ocean through the windows in the kitchen and dining room captures whales passing by.

The area was strictly protected and to build on the clifftop was unheard of.

After a long run of letters and meetings with council and the mining corporation, permission was granted, with conditions attached.

The restrictions were: you could only build a single-storey weatherboard house, you would have to look after the culture and have to look after the wildlife, be part of it all, Mr Lumby said.

The land cost £200 — that required a loan from Patricia's uncle Bob — and the house itself cost £300. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Jamieson Murphy

Also known as Rail Bridge Row, the site is about 255 metres long, and generally between 10 to 24 metres wide. The site's elongated form is due to history as a heavy rail line, which ran through the block to Newcastle Station from the second half of the 18th century (1858) until its curtailment in 2014.

It will have 20 single-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units, along with a total of three commercial units — two of which will be on the ground floor — with a combined retail space of almost 400 square metres.

The result is a proposal that will significantly contribute to the affordable housing stock in a high amenity inner-city location serviced by public transport and with access to schools, employment, recreation opportunities and services, the report stated.

The building will be almost 22 metres tall and will be forced to seek an exemption for exceeding the zoned maximum building height of 14 metres.

The development's 37 car parks will fall four short of state housing planning laws, however the proponent said the shortfall was justified due to the site's location close to light rail, bike lanes and walking paths, along with high level of walkability.

The apartments will be serviced by a new road, Rail Bridge Lane, which will be constructed by Newcastle council to the west of the site, connecting with Argyle Street.

The site lies within the area of influence of abandoned underground coal mines, ranging from a depth of 20 to 75 metres. However, Newcastle council has already approved a development application for pre-engineering works, including grouting work to eliminate mine subsidence.

The works are expected to be carried out in late 2026 and will save substantial time both in the planning process and the construction timeframe as it will allow preparation works to commence on the site while the development assessment process is being undertaken, the report stated.

STORY: Jamieson Murphy

Police had become involved. A man was arrested for allegedly making menacing posts online. Graffiti appeared near her house threatening to kill politicians.

Now there were cameras watching the house and an app on her phone she could use to call for help.

Not because she works in a dangerous profession. Not because she spends her days in conflict zones or investigates organised crime.

She is a politician.

For Gosford MP Liesl Tesch, and many other women in public life, this is the price.

It's just frightening. It's just not how I would like to live my life, Ms Tesch said.

The danger isn't simply that women in politics are being abused online. It is that other women are seeing it and deciding they want no part in it.

New research shows almost nine in 10 Australian women in public office or standing for election have experienced online abuse linked to their role.

The Women for Election survey of 110 women found 89 per cent had experienced online abuse.

Ms Tesch has a thick skin and has seen some pretty horrible things in her life.

Still, she worries less about herself than the women who come after her.

It is harmful and it grinds you down, Ms Tesch said.

I think we as women in parliament know how important it is to encourage other women to follow in our footsteps, so we need to hold on to women's hands to give them the strength to continue to be there.

She has a 'hate mail' folder, has learned to block people and reduced her time on Facebook.

For Newcastle deputy lord mayor Charlotte McCabe, the abuse has become so routine she has developed systems to live with it.

It's not just the insults that wear her down, but the time spent cleaning up after them, policing her own pages and trying to preserve a space where people can still ask questions.

The online culture has become much more toxic, and behaviours there have been allowed to flourish.

ArtificiaI intelligence (AI) is accelerating the threat.

Manipulated content and deepfakes are cheaper to create, easier to distribute and capable of reaching far larger audiences than ever before.

Of the women surveyed, 65% had personally experienced or seen AI-generated abuse, deepfakes or manipulated content targeting women in public life, while nearly all were concerned AI would make the problem worse over the next five years.

STORY: Madeline Link

A taskforce to manage a targeted asset remediation program at the Mater will be announced today by the NSW Health Minister Ryan Park.

The announcement coincides with the release of a scathing NSW Health-funded audit of the Mater, known as the Jacobs report.

The report said 26% of the 1172 assets examined had defects and required intervention.

Of these 305 defects, almost half were a high priority and a quarter a medium priority.

This building condition assessment, which began in March, pinpointed long-term structural issues which will help guide the remediation program.

This investigation included an audit of the hospital's dysfunctional heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems — a key cause of the Mater's mould contamination.

The report found the hospital had flawed systems, a lack of maintenance records, safety and compliance issues and numerous defects across mechanical, electrical and fire systems.

These include matters such as moisture ingress, corrosion, or incomplete maintenance works. Defects provide direct, observable evidence of how assets are being maintained and operated the report said.

Internal [building] fabric condition is characterised by widespread mould, water ingress and general deterioration consistent with recurring moisture-related conditions.

The government said the HVAC systems and other critical building services will be among the priority rectification works.

The focus will be on reducing moisture and mould risks, addressing priority maintenance issues and renewing ageing infrastructure.

The asset remediation works will be funded through the NSW government's $400 million health asset and equipment renewal program announced as part of the 2026-27 state budget.

The funding follows a Newcastle Herald series, including more than 90 stories over a year on the Mater mould and maintenance scandal.

The Herald's reporting led to a parliamentary inquiry, which recommended that the hospital's disastrous public-private partnership be terminated.

The failed partnership is between Novacare and NSW Health's Health Administration Corporation and closely involves Hunter New England Health.

The NSW Health taskforce will consult with the all parties, along with Calvary Health Care, hospital staff and unions.

STORY: Damon Cronshaw

The deal between the plant's owner, Rio Tinto and the state and federal governments will guarantee the jobs of 1000 smelter workers and thousands of indirect jobs in the broader Hunter economy.

The bailout, to be jointly funded between the state and federal governments, is the largest rescue package for an Australian smelter to date.

In addition to securing the future of one of the state's most important industrial assets, the joint investment will accelerate decarbonisation of more than 10% of NSW's electricity grid.

In December last year I stood in the rain at Tomago and told the workers 'we have your back', Mr Albanese said.

This site isn't just important for Newcastle and the Hunter, it's a critical asset for the country and our manufacturing future.

Tomago is Australia's largest single electricity user.

The joint investment will underpin nearly three gigawatts of new renewable generation and firming capacity, strengthening the state's electricity system and supporting long-term energy affordability and reliability for NSW.

I want to thank the Prime Minister and the Commonwealth Government. We've worked closely together to get to this point and deliver an agreement to find a way through and secure the future of Tomago, Mr Minns said.

The Hunter has powered NSW and helped build this country for generations. This agreement is about making sure it remains an industrial and manufacturing powerhouse for generations to come.

The joint investment will underpin nearly three gigawatts of new renewable generation and firming capacity, strengthening the state's electricity system and supporting long-term energy affordability and reliability for NSW.

Tomago has agreed to invest at least $1.1 billion in the facility as part of the deal.

This includes $100 million to drive further decarbonisation activities at the smelter and undertake an innovative demand-response program to support the NSW grid.

This demand-response program aims to position the Tomago smelter as the international leader in electricity demand response and flexibility services.

STORY: Matthew Kelly

The hub operates through Box Divvy, a modern take on a community co-op where neighbours order groceries online each week and collect them locally.

Ms Elliott, who has lived in Thornton for the past decade, launched the hub in 2022 after previously travelling 15 minutes to the nearest option in Maitland.

There was nothing like it on our side of the highway, and people were travelling just to access it, Ms Elliott said.

Within weeks of launching, it fielded inquiries from households across Thornton, Beresfield, Tarro and Ashtonfield.

Today, about 45 households collect their groceries each Thursday, with the hub now almost at capacity.

Members can choose exactly what they need, from fresh produce and meat to a growing range of pantry staples, with most products sourced from Australian suppliers.

By pooling orders, the model helps keep costs down while improving freshness and reducing packaging.

Ms Elliott acknowledged that the hub's appeal was both practical and personal.

It made sense from a cost-of-living perspective, but also knowing you're supporting local farmers and getting real food, not just what's on supermarket shelves, she said.

Many members now rely on the hub as part of their weekly routine, with some setting up regular orders so they don't have to think about groceries each week.

There's comfort in knowing you'll always have something fresh at home, as the produce lasts longer than supermarket produce, Ms Elliott said.

While convenience and affordability are key, Ms Elliott said the biggest impact has been the sense of community that has grown around the hub, including a weekly kindness box supporting locals doing it tough.

Each week members receive extras so they can contribute items to the kindness box plus additional items or household essentials, which are passed on to families in need.

If someone in the Hub needs support, it stays local. Otherwise, it goes to the wider community, Ms Elliott said. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Matthew Kelly

Medicare data, released yesterday, showed an 81% bulk-billing rate in the Hunter district in the June quarter this year, compared to 76% in the same quarter last year.

The last time this rate exceeded 80% in the Hunter was June 2021-22.

The data shows the average out-of-pocket cost of seeing a GP in Hunter New England and Central Coast was $59, rising from $52 in June last year.

An Albanese government statement said the national bulk-billing rate for the June quarter rose 5% to 84.1%. The statement said this rate was 75.6% before ALP policies were introduced to improve bulk-billing.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said our government is delivering more bulk-billing to more Australians.

It's good for patients' hip pockets and their health, Mr Butler said.

However, for many people in Newcastle and other parts of the Hunter, bulk-billing appointments remain rare.

General practice in the Hunter was under real pressure, Australian Medical Association NSW president Fred Betros said.

One quarter of good numbers does not undo a decade of neglect. The Medicare rebate was frozen for years and has never recovered, Dr Betros said.

“It has not kept pace with the cost of running a practice, or with what it actually costs to deliver good care.

Rent, wages, insurance, indemnity and staffing have all risen well ahead of the rebate. GPs have absorbed that gap for years and in many practices there is nothing left to absorb.

Medicare rebates for a standard GP consultation are now $45.05. The latest fees show standard GP consultations in Newcastle have reached as high as $117.

this is not a story about doctors charging more, Dr Betros said.

Successive federal governments funded general practice as though it were optional. General practice is what stands between patients and our hospitals, he said.

“The most recent Bureau of Health Information data had the median time in the John Hunter emergency department at five hours and 24 minutes, a record high.

A decade ago, it was two hours and 48 minutes. Every patient who cannot see a GP arrives at an emergency department later and sicker.

The data shows the Hunter New England and Central Coast has the lowest bulk-billing rate among NSW's 10 primary health networks.

It has the sixth lowest bulk-billing rate across the country's 31 primary health networks.

The bulk-billing data applies to GP services to patients, not visits. GPs say this artificially inflates the numbers.

Nonetheless, Mr Butler announced in the May federal budget that the government would spend $25.3m over three years to establish six fully bulk-billing GP clinics across the Hunter and Central Coast.

The move follows his concerns about the Newcastle/Hunter area being a bulk-billing desert.

The six planned clinics, which will be put to tender, are expected to receive about $1.4m a year. This would fund about one doctor, nurse, receptionist and running costs.

Dr Betros said extra capacity in the Hunter was not something we would argue against but our question is where the doctors will come from.

“There is no reserve pool of GPs waiting to be hired and those clinics are not due to open until the middle of next year.

If the Commonwealth wants bulk-billing to hold, it needs to fund general practice properly and permanently, not through incentive payments a future government can withdraw. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Damon Cronshaw

The warning area covered the Hunter Valley, including Newcastle. Residents were urged to prepare and monitor conditions.

A wind gust of 50kmh was recorded at the Nobbys weather station about 7am.

BOM meteorologist Helen Reid said the broad severe weather warning was in place along the ranges from Queensland to Victoria.

Damaging north westerly winds are possible across those areas today, peaking in the afternoon, she said.

A cold front swept over southern Australia on the weekend, bringing large waves, snow, rain and wind. It was moving over the NSW ranges on Monday.

This cold front is winter in all its glory, she said.

The front is forecast to move off the NSW coast later today.

Another cold front, which is not as strong, was expected to hit the eastern states on Wednesday.

The NSW State Emergency Service said people should move indoors, park cars in a safe or secure area, put away outdoor items and monitor warnings.

STORY: Anna Falkenmire

Scheme will give NSW gun licence holders a fixed compensation fee based on type of firearm.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie says the first and only deal so far negotiated between the commonwealth and NSW to buy back guns in the wake of the Bondi terror attack might not work with the constitution.

The scheme will give licence holders a fixed compensation fee based on their type of firearm when they surrender it to NSW police.

McKenzie tells the ABC's AM program that the deal doesn't take into account the cost of firearm accessories and falls foul of a provision in the constitution that requires fair compensation:

Does a buyback need to be on just terms? Yes, it does. Does it need to ensure that market value is paid to Australians for their own assets? Of course it does. And under the federal constitution, that's a requirement.

If that sounds a little familiar to you, it's the same argument Darryl Kerrigan (or rather his more erudite lawyer) made in the film The Castle: that the commonwealth may acquire property on just terms", as set out in section 51(xxxi). [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Krishani Dhanji

From tomorrow, a Uber or Doordash delivery driver in Australia will earn at least $31.30 an hour — a milestone for gig economy workers who have struggled with low pay and lack of protections for over a decade.

The union hailed its deal with DoorDash and Uber Eats ∼ the two organistions that control most of Australia's food delivery market ∼ as a world first".

Considering Australia's industrial umpire, the Fair Work Commission, pretty much stuck to the proposed conditions it was handed, are gig economy workers really going to get a better deal? And is the price of your takeaway food about to go up?

The new minimum standards applies to any gig worker that performs on-demand delivery of food, drinks, or groceries.

The standards include new dispute processes, new feedback mechanisms, representation rights and personal injury insurance for injured workers.

The headline item is arguably the safety net minimum pay rates for gig workers, who will initially receive hourly rates ranging from $31.30 ∼ if you're on a bike ∼ to $32 if you're driving a car.

The minimum rates will increase by 50¢ from January 1, 2027.

But the safety net is different to a minimum wage in the way you may typically think of one.

Companies like UberEats won't have to start paying drivers an hourly rate; gig workers will continue to be paid according to each trip, based on factors including time, distance and other promotional bonuses the delivery companies use as incentives.

Instead, the companies will be required to ensure workers' average pay doesn't fall below the minimum rate. To do this, delivery platforms will need to calculate a worker's total earnings over a 21-day period.

If they have paid someone on average less than the earnings floor of $31.30 and $32 for their engaged the platform will have to top up their earnings to meet it.

The TWU says in the past workers have been paid as little as $14 an hour and, importantly, the new rules do not cap how much people can earn.

Longtime delivery driver and rider Alexi Edwards says her pay will definitely go up as a result of the order.

Since it came out that $32 an active hour was on the table, I've been tracking the numbers and I'll be $100 to $200 better off a week, she says.

Edwards, who has worked for UberEats, DoorDash and the now defunct Menulog, says workers will be entitled to the minimum rate from the time they accept a job to the time they drop it off, which includes time waiting at the restaurant or retailer. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Catie McLeod

High schoolers join university walkouts in major cities and several smaller locations amid urge to fight against racism

They came yelling chants that racists weren't welcome here, with signs deriding Pauline Hanson's former fish and chip shop and the One Nation leader herself.

Yesterday, thousands of students across the country put down the textbooks to walk through streets in protest against the rise of Pauline Hanson, joining the protests organised by the National Union of Students.

When Kaylee, who is in Year 8 and uses they/them pronouns, asked for the day off school, their mum requested they lay out their reasoning. They presented her with a four-page essay.

They aren't a political family; their mum doesn't regularly read the news but Kaylee said I persuaded her to come along.

People of a different race shouldn't lose their rights, Kaylee said. And queer people have already had a lot of issues with fighting for their rights, and if that gets taken away too, that's not OK.

Asked why they thought Hanson should not be in charge, Kaylee simply said: I just don't think she should be able to make those kinds of choices.

The themes from the speakers were clear *#8212; racism is not welcome here, and Hanson does not represent Australia's youth.

Former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam told the crowd she was impressed by the turnout, saying, It gives me hope that we can stop the rise of One Nation. Everything is on the line right now.

At one point, right-wing self-proclaimed journalist Avi Yemini turned up, surrounded by large men wearing all black and another man in a One Nation T-shirt. He tried to make his way into the crowd before being turned around by marshals.

As Yemini started filming on the sidelines, a group of students ran into the background to chant fuck Pauline Hanson.

A few metres away, a parent, Chris, said he can remember walking out of school to strike against Hanson almost 30 years ago and now he stood with his 13-year-old daughter, Charlie.

I think that everyone should have the same rights and everyone should be able to be treated the same way, Charlie said.

Chris said he hadn't mentioned to his daughter the protests he attended but as soon as she asked if she could go to this one, he said yes.

It's beautiful, he said. “It really is. I'm sure there's a huge range of different political views represented here, but … the common thing amongst all these amazing young people is they believe in kindness.

“They believe in decency, they believe in everyone getting a fair go regardless of who they are, and they want people to live in peace no matter who they are.

Anyone who wants to attack that, I think, is maybe a little bit monstrous. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Cait Kelly with Australian Associated Press

The shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg will be up at the national press club and says the opposition will strip the 2000 page national construction code, which he says makes it illegal to build a cheap safe house, down to an 80-page basic Australian standard.

The permanent migration level is set to 185,000 while the net overseas migration figure has been trending downwards from post-covid peaks and is anticipated to be 245,000 for 2026-27.

Net overseas migration is the total number of people coming into the country against those going out — which means it can be tricky to have total control over.

Bragg will tell the press club that the government has sat over a shortfall of 130,000 dwellings which can be closed if the NOM drops under 180,000 over four years.

A NOM reduction on this scale is manageable and in line with reductions we have managed in recent history — for example in 2009-2010 when the NOM declined from 300,000 to 175,000 in around 18 months.

This will be achieved through a higher share of skilled migrant workers linked to jobs that meet Australian industry needs. This includes more reductions in other streams like family, international students and other temporary migrants. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: >Krishani Dhanji

The entire Lismore CBD is inundated after days of unrelenting torrential rain, as the town braces for its worst-ever flood crisis that will surpass the devastation caused in 1974 and 1954, reports Australian Associated Press.

Sydney's main Warragamba dam is expected to spill later this week as expected rains add to inflows already pushing the reservoir close to full capacity.

According to WaterNSW, Warragamba is at 98.7%full as of Monday, with about 25 gigalitres of remaining capacity.

Residents of Lismore have been left reeling after unprecedented floods inundated the New South Wales regional city with rescue efforts expected to continue throughout the night.

State Emergency Services have also advised everyone along the entire New South Wales coast to prepare to evacuate with spokesperson Adam Jones saying the conditions were primed for flash flooding.

We have storm warnings that could become current up and down the coast, Jones said. And with the earth as saturated as it is and our river systems and dams full, we need everyone on the coast of NSW preparing for flash flooding.

A small flotilla of volunteers in boats, kayaks and canoes joined State Emergency Service first responders in rescuing people who had become trapped on rooftops or in their homes to safety.

Perrottet said those living in one of the 12 areas subject to an evacuation order should leave immediately while those in areas subject to an evacuation warning should leave if it is safe to do so.

We are seeing unprecedented flooding, particularly in northern New South Wales, and we expect that flooding to get worse, Perrottet said.

“If you are in one of those areas where there is an evacuation warning in place, please begin planning and preparing for evacuation.

And if you can leave, and it is safe to do so, please, please leave. We know that these areas where there is an evacuation warning in place can become an evacuation order.

The premier also said emergency services were doing everything we can to provide help and support as quickly and as safely as possible, with the state drawing on support from flood rescue experts in South Australia and Victoria.

Though it is too early to know the full extent of the damage, stories of survival, loss and near misses have begun to emerge, with some people describing having lost everything. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Royce Kurmelovs and Christine Tondorf

The scheme will end the need to save up thousands of dollars for a new bond before the old one is returned, and will begin with a phased rollout for renters in Parramatta, the Central Coast or Penrith local government areas.

The scheme will ultimately be rolled out across the state by the end of the year.

Renters will be notified when a new landlord or agent lodges a bond request online. They can then choose to pay their new bond upfront or use a smart rental bond to move it to the new rental for a $25 fee.

Any difference in bond is either paid by the renter, or refunded if it is cheaper and there is no agreed claim on the bond.

If the landlord at an original property makes a claim, the NSW government will pay the landlord directly and the renter will then pay the government.

Over two million people in New South Wales are renters — one of the highest proportions of the population ever living in rental accommodation, The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement.

For a lot of renters, moving home can mean finding another $3000 or $4000 before you've even had your old bond returned. That's a huge financial hurdle for families already doing it tough.

Smart Rental Bonds removes that barrier by letting renters transfer their bond instead of paying for two at once. [click the intro to return to front page]

STORY: Anomoys