Category: National
Drinking water ‘safe’ as rotting fish removed from river after mass killing
An operation to remove about one million rotting dead fish from a New South Wales river is underway while locals are being reassured the drinking water is safe. The fish were killed due to ”extreme conditions” caused by floods and then the recent heatwave creating low oxygen levels in Menindee Main Weir near Broken Hill last week. Authorities are working to remove at-risk Murray cod,…
Navy helicopter crashes off coast south of Sydney, injuring nine
A Navy helicopter has crashed off Jervis Bay, about 150 kilometres south of Sydney. ACT Police and rescue helicopters were helping the Defence Force respond to the incident about 9.10pm on Wednesday. Paramedics said nine people escaped the aircraft with very minor injuries. https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1638503917519622149 “It’s just crashed,” one bystander can be heard saying in video taken at the scene, which is near the HMAS Creswell…
Defence Minister says submarines will keep Australia’s sea lanes open
A new advertising campaign has been rolled out across Australia aiming to recruit navy personnel as the country enters the age of nuclear-powered submarines. The campaign showcases the large number of job opportunities in the Royal Australian Navy in coming decades as the service gears up for acquiring its new submarine fleet under the $368 billion AUKUS agreement. It comes as the Deputy Prime Minister…
Relief in sight as ‘unseasonable’ heatwave grips East Coast
Australia’s east coast has suffered through a weekend of scorching temperatures, and New South Wales is expected to feel the brunt of it today. Temperatures are set to climb above 40C in western Sydney, but relief is in sight for the“unseasonable” heatwave. Milder temperatures are forecast for the days ahead. READ MORE: Trump says he expects to be arrested, calls for supporters to protest It…
Report reveals major decline in bulk billing GPs
A report has revealed a national decline in the amount of bulk billing doctors and a rise in out-of-pocket costs amid the cost of living crisis. Online healthcare directory Cleanbill analysed 416 general practitioner clinics across Australia between 2018 and 2022. It found there was a decline in national bulk billing rates with 63 clinics opting out by the end of last year. READ MORE:…
Rental vacancies at lowest level in five years nationwide
Rental vacancies have reached the lowest levels in five years, as the housing crisis deepens across Australia. New data from PropTrack revealed rental vacancy rates fell further in February, down by 0.1 per cent to just 1.47 per cent. The report warned this would continue to impact rental prices, which are at record-levels. READ MORE: Indonesia’s Merapi volcano spews hot clouds in new eruption…
PM heads to US to seal submarine deal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on his way to the United States ahead of a special meeting regarding Australia’s pending deal to buy nuclear submarines from the US and UK. Albanese is expected to land in San Diego this morning in what is his first official visit to the US as prime minister. He is set to meet with President Joe Biden and British Prime…
‘Extraordinary’ discovery that could be the key to curing cancer
Natural immunity to COVID-19 could be the key to curing cancer, according to a team of Australian researchers. Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and University of Melbourne have found a way to use T cells, found in white blood cells, to their advantage. T cells are a naturally occurring type of white blood cell, which help build immunity to viruses inside the body….
PM flags defence spending increase ahead of subs announcement
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to unveil details of Australia’s pending deal to buy nuclear submarines from the US and UK early next week after flagging an increase to defence spending. It comes following reports in Nine newspapers saying some of the extra spending for the project will be confirmed in the weeks leading up to May’s federal budget Albanese is on his way…
South-East Queensland in for a drenching as cities in for mild March day
South-East Queensland residents are being warned to prepare for a drenching this weekend as a council issues a flash flooding alert. A tropical low is moving across the state’s north-west, which is expected to bring heavy rain and storms for the state’s south on both Saturday and Sunday. Up to 70mm of rain is expected to fall in Gold Coast and Brisbane, with slightly less…
‘Shock and disbelief’: WA dad wins $40 million Powerball
A father from Western Australia has won $40 million after forgetting to check his ticket, which was sitting in his pocket for a week. The man from Swan Valley bought the ‘Slikpik 18’ ticket from Springs News in Bennett Springs an hour before the draw closed. The father only remembered to check his entry today, discovering he’d won the $40 million Powerball just in…
No evidence of crime after 15 kids fall sick, police say
Queensland Police say they have uncovered no evidence that the 15 children hospitalised yesterday were exposed to a toxic substance. “There is no indication a criminal offence has occurred. All students have been discharged from hospital,” police said in a statement this afternoon. Police had been investigating whether apparent lollies eaten by the children whilst they were on the bus to Bluewater State School, about…
Trucking giant’s collapse risks $500 million of frozen food going to waste
More than $500 million worth of frozen food risks being binned after a giant Australian trucking company collapsed. Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics entered voluntary administration last Monday, leaving 1500 employees in the lurch. It is a massive freight business for supermarkets, moving on average 8000 pallets daily to major grocery retailers, independent supermarkets, food manufacturers and exporters. READ MORE: Perth mum left homeless after developer moves…
‘I’m terrified’: Unable to find a rental, Perth mum becomes homeless today
Perth mother-of-two Justine McGovern doesn’t know where she will sleep tonight. After six frantic and fruitless months of searching for a place to rent, the 55-year-old will join Australia’s growing number of homeless today. “I would never have believed that this would happen to me at my age,” McGovern told 9news.com.au. READ MORE: How much you need to earn to avoid housing stress in Sydney…
Australia’s housing prices slump as rental values skyrocket
Australian property values have seen their largest decline on record while rental values continue to climb amid low vacancies, according to new data. CoreLogic has revealed home values dropped by 7.9 per cent in the past year and as interest rates continue to rise, the slump may not be over yet. ”The combined value of residential real estate in Australia rose to $9.3 trillion at…
No victims of crime or financial fraud due to Optus cyber attack
The Optus boss claims none of the customers who had their data breached has fallen victim to misuse of their exposed details. Kelly Bayer Rosmarin told the Australian Financial Review’s Business Summit the premeditated and “highly motivated” attack shouldn’t have breached the company’s defences. “But given how inevitable these types of attacks are, I’m relieved we were able to act fast to ensure that ultimately…
‘Nightmare’ exchange with Qantas over refund after husband’s death
Exclusive: A Brisbane widow has described a “nightmare” experience trying to get thousands of dollars refunded from Qantas after her husband’s death. After booking flights, Pam Thomas then had a change of heart and decided she wasn’t up to travelling to Rome for her son’s wedding because she was still grieving the tragic death of her husband. On December 9 she cancelled her return flights…
Angela has been in her job for 38 years and has never met a female colleague
Angela Falcon has never met another female welder in 38 years working around Melbourne. And after nearly four decades people are still surprised every time she’s told them what she does for work. Women make up less than one per cent of welders in Australia, with welding being one of the professions with the lowest gender equality in the country, according to Australian Government data….
NSW premier’s brother reappears after parliamentary inquiry finishes
The younger brother of New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has emerged in the Sydney suburb of Mosman after sparking an international hunt for his whereabouts. Twenty-six-year-old Jean-Claude Perrottet had successfully evaded private process servers in a bid to avoid fronting a parliamentary inquiry. Before today, the financier hadn’t been seen in several weeks. “As I put in my statement I was overseas,” Jean-Claude Perrottet…
RBA delivers 10th consecutive interest rate hike
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has increased interest rates for the 10th consecutive meeting in a row as it desperately battles to bring down spiralling inflation. Australia’s official cash rate target was increased by 25 basis points at the board’s March meeting, taking the nation’s rate to 3.6 per cent. It is the highest interest rate since May 2012 and represents the fastest tightening…
Helicopter pilot did not hear radio call before deadly Sea World crash, report finds
The pilot of a helicopter coming into land did not see a second helicopter or hear a radio call before the tragic mid-air collision on the Gold Coast, a preliminary report has found. The horror crash unfolded on January 2 when two helicopters collided near the Sea World theme park, killing pilot Ash Jenkinson, British newlyweds Diane and Ron Hughes, and Sydney woman Vanessa…
Calls for Reserve Bank to slow rate rises amid mental health spike
As Australians nervously wait for today’s interest rate decision, experts are concerned the impact on the community’s mental health will increase in the next year as the cost of living pressures bear down. Suicide Prevention Australia’s latest quarterly data has shown 46 per cent of Australians have reported an elevated distress level from cost of living pressures. This is a 5 per cent rise on…
Former PM Malcolm Turnbull tells inquiry he did not consider the legality of robodebt
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has told the robodebt royal commission it never occurred to him the controversial scheme was unlawful. The robodebt scheme ran for four-and-a-half years, from July 2015 to November 2019, during which time $1.73 billion in unlawful debts was raised against more than 400,000 people. Appearing via video link from Sydney today, Turnbull was questioned over the legality of the scheme,…
Possible food delays after truck giant collapses
Shoppers may feel the pinch in the refrigerated section of supermarkets after a major trucking company freight giant collapsed causing possible food supply delays. Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics entered voluntary administration last Monday, leaving 1500 employees in the lurch. Scott’s is a massive freight business for Australian supermarkets moving on average 8000 pallets daily to major grocery retailers, independent supermarkets, food manufacturers and exporters. READ MORE:…
Millions of Australians to receive welfare payment boost this month
Nearly 5 million Australians will receive a major increase to their pension and allowance payments when they are indexed to inflation later this month. Recipients of the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment can expect an increase of $37.50 a fortnight for singles and $56.40 a fortnight for couples combined. The maximum fortnightly rate of the pension will increase to $1064 for singles…
Police ‘ambushed with knives’ before man shot dead in Sydney
A 29-year-old man has died after being shot by police during a “frightening” confrontation in Sydney’s south-west, officers say. Police said they were called to what they say was a domestic violence report at home in William Street, Yagoona, about 8.50am. Officers were confronted by Hilal Barbour, who was armed with two knives,. READ MORE: Almost three vehicle-to-tram collisions a day in Melbourne sparks concern…
Homeowners brace for another interest rate rise
Australians are bracing for more rate pain when the Reserve Bank meets on Tuesday. Another predicted increase has many nervous, but there is some relief on the horizon for young families. Federal Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said small businesses and manufacturing were really struggling with the cost of living in particular. READ MORE: Family ‘shattered’ at death of ‘larrikin’ motocross rider “It is going…
Extreme weather changes to hit Australia with fire warnings then snow
A week of extreme weather is ahead for Australia, as the start of the week will bring a heat wave and fire warnings, while the end of the week will leave some states bracing for snow. Australia’s south east can expect hot weather, starting Sunday, March 5, until Tuesday, March 7, prompting extreme fire danger warnings for Central Ranges of New South Wales, most of…
‘Celebration of unity’: Thousands create history during WorldPride march
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and celebrities Magda Szubanski and Sam Neill are among the 50,000 people participating in the history-making WorldPride march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Albanese labelled the march a “celebration of unity” which marks the 45th anniversary of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and 50th anniversary of the first Australian Gay Pride Week. The city has become a hive of activity…
$1 billion of cocaine seized in Australia’s largest-ever bust
Police in Western Australia have stopped 2.4 tonnes of cocaine from entering Australia and arrested 12 people in the largest bust in Australian history. The enormous volume represents half of Australia’s annual consumption of the drug, and has an estimated street value of $1 billion. “We discovered there was approximately 2.4 tonnes of cocaine destined for Western Australia,” Detective Senior Sergeant David Palmer said. READ…