Month: March 2025

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: South Australia Police

Take part in the City’s annual Community Waste Drop-Off Weekend on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April 2025 at the Ashby Operations Centre.

Source: South Australia Police

We’re pleased to welcome 12 local primary schools into the 2025 City of Wanneroo School Leadership Program.

Source: Australian Ministers for Education

Former investment manager sentenced for creating false documents for investors following ASIC investigation and CDPP prosecution
Ben.PetersJones
Tue, 2025-02-25 13:35

Source:

We’ve reviewed our advice and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Senegal. Protests in Senegal have turned violent, resulting in several deaths and injuries. Avoid protests and public gatherings, limit unnecessary travel and remain vigilant. Mobile communications may be disrupted without notice. Follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media for updates. The Australian High Commission in Accra currently has very limited capacity to provide consular assistance in Senegal.

Source: FairTrading New South Wales

What is the issue?

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 requires that prescribed conditions and micro-organisms are notified to the Department of Health. This law exists to monitor, prevent and control the occurrence of infectious diseases and other specified conditions to protect the Victorian community from further illness.

From 1 April 2025, avian influenza will become an urgent notifiable condition and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection will become a routine notifiable condition for both medical practitioners and pathology services in Victoria.

Making these conditions notifiable enables public health response actions to be initiated more promptly and facilitates the collection of more comprehensive and accurate surveillance data.

Avian influenza, commonly referred to as ‘bird flu’, is a contagious infection of birds, caused by multiple avian influenza viruses. Wild birds are considered the natural host for these viruses. Sometimes these viruses spill over from wild birds into domestic bird populations causing disease. Several outbreaks have previously occurred in Australia among commercial flocks of birds. In May 2024, Australia reported its first human case of avian influenza H5N1 in a returned overseas traveller.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a bacterium found in marine waters that most commonly causes acute gastroenteritis with watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and headache. Illness is primarily associated with consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters and other shellfish. In Australia, several multi-jurisdictional outbreaks linked to locally grown oysters have occurred over the past ten years, with significant human health, economic and international trade impact. Less commonly Vibrio parahaemolyticus can also cause wound infection when sea water contaminates an open wound.

Who is at risk?

Most people are not at risk of avian influenza, as the viruses do not spread easily from birds to people. People who have close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds or animals or their contaminated environments are at highest risk of infection.

Although limited human-to-human transmission of avian influenza viruses may have occurred in some instances, sustained human-to-human transmission has not been identified to date.

People cannot be infected with avian influenza through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection can infect individuals of any age. Risks factors for developing severe disease include underlying chronic illness, being immunocompromised, consumption of antibiotics and medications that reduce stomach acid levels.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus does not usually spread from person to person, however, person-to-person transmission is possible if there is poor personal hygiene.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of avian influenza is confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for avian influenza viruses, on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs. As sample collection may induce coughing, where avian influenza is suspected swabs should be collected in a negative pressure room if available and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Not everyone with symptoms of influenza needs to be tested for or notified as having suspected avian influenza.

A suspected case of avian influenza requires both clinical evidence and epidemiological evidence. Epidemiological evidence may include:

• close contact with a probable or confirmed human avian influenza case
• exposure to birds, bird carcasses, or to environments contaminated by bird faeces, in an area with suspected or confirmed avian influenza infections in birds or other animals
• consumption of raw or undercooked poultry products from an area with suspected or confirmed avian influenza infections in birds
• close contact with a confirmed avian influenza infected animal other than birds (for example, cat or pig)
• handling samples suspected of containing avian influenza virus in a laboratory or other setting.

For more information refer to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia Surveillance Case Definition – Avian influenza.

Diagnosis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection relies on laboratory detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by nucleic acid testing or isolation of the bacterium from an appropriate clinical specimen. For more information refer to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia Surveillance Case Definition.

Confirmed cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection are designated based only on definitive laboratory evidence and are therefore required to be notified by pathology services.

Recommendations

For medical practitioners

• From 1 April 2025, medical practitioners must notify all patients with suspected or confirmed avian influenza to the Department of Health immediately (as soon as practicable and within 24 hours) upon diagnosis by telephone on 1300 651 160 (24/7). Notifying medical practitioners will be connected to the appropriate Local Public Health Unit.
• Seek laboratory confirmation urgently for all suspected cases of avian influenza. All suspected cases should be discussed with the relevant Local Public Health Unit who can provide advice on testing and coordinate with the laboratory.
• All samples should be sent for urgent testing at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL). Record relevant clinical details, suspected diagnosis and risk factors on the request form.
• Consider the need for contact management of patients with avian influenza. This may include post-exposure prophylaxis in eligible high-risk contacts. For further advice, refer to an infectious disease specialist or contact your Local Public Health Unit (after hours contact via 1300 651 160).
• Further information about the notification process and the Public Health and Wellbeing legislation are available on the Notifiable infectious diseases, conditions and micro-organisms page.

For pathology services

• From 1 April 2025, pathology services must notify any isolation or detection of avian influenza (subtype of Influenza A) to the Department of Health immediately (as soon as practicable and within 24 hours) upon diagnosis by telephone on 1300 651 160 (24/7). Notifying pathology services will be connected to the appropriate Local Public Health Unit. Pathology services must also follow up with written notifications within 5 working days.
• From 1 April 2025, pathology services must provide written notification of any isolation or detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus within five working days to the Department of Health by electronic laboratory report (ELR) or by faxing the laboratory report to 1300 651 170.

More information

For more information, please contact the Department of Health on 1300 651 160 (24/7).

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

New figures show that headline and underlying inflation fell last month.

This is more positive and promising news that shows we’re making progress together in the fight against inflation.

Monthly inflation fell to 2.4 per cent in the year to February 2025.

Annual trimmed mean inflation fell to 2.7 per cent.

Today’s headline result was below the median market expectation.

Inflation was high and rising when we came to government and now it’s much lower and falling.

Headline inflation has been at or below the midpoint of the Reserve Bank’s target band for six consecutive months.

Underlying inflation has been below three per cent for three consecutive months.

This is even more proof that inflation continues to moderate in our economy.

The Budget we handed down this week continues the fight against inflation and shows that Treasury now expects inflation to return sustainably to the target band six months sooner – in the middle of this year, rather than at the end.

Today’s result is a reminder of our substantial and sustained progress in the fight against inflation.

Under Labor, inflation is down, wages are up, unemployment is low, interest rates have started to come down and we’ve topped up our tax relief to give every taxpayer two new tax cuts from next year.

We know that these monthly numbers are volatile and can bounce around but the direction of travel on inflation is clear.

On the official quarterly measure, inflation under Labor is almost a third of the 6.1 per cent we inherited. Australia’s inflation is now lower than most major advanced economies.

While most other advanced economies have paid for progress on inflation with much higher unemployment, growth going backwards, or a recession, we’ve managed to preserve the progress we’ve made in our labour market while inflation has come down.

Electricity prices fell 13.2 cent in the year to February but would have fallen only 1.2 per cent without the energy rebates for every household we are rolling out with the states.

Rents rose 5.5 per cent in the year but would have increased 6.8 per cent without the recent increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance.

Even with this substantial progress, we know people are still under pressure and that’s why our cost‑of‑living help is so important.

We’re delivering two new tax cuts that will put an average of about $50 a week back in taxpayers’ pockets when combined with our tax cuts from 2024.

Our Budget is all about helping with the cost of living and finishing the fight against inflation, strengthening Medicare and building Australia’s future.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

James Bracey:

Now more on the Albanese government’s fourth federal Budget. Jim Chalmers catching the country off guard with a surprise tax cut for every Australian, a move the Coalition is calling an election bribe.

Sarah Abo:

And the Treasurer joins us live now from Parliament House in Canberra. Good morning to you, Treasurer, or should I call you the re‑election salesman with a Budget like that? $5 a week barely buys a cup of coffee. Can it buy an election?

Jim Chalmers:

It’s more than that, Sarah, that’s the first point. If you combine the 3 tax cuts that Labor is providing, it’s around $50 a week on average. It’s not the only cost‑of‑living help that we’re providing. We know that cost of living is front of mind for most Australians and it’s absolutely front and centre in the Budget. The tax cuts, strengthening Medicare, cheaper medicines, cutting student debt, providing energy bill rebates. This is all about providing the most cost‑of‑living help that we can in the most responsible way that we can.

Bracey:

Treasurer, why across the whole board, for everyone with this tax cut? We spoke to Kirsty earlier, cafe owner, mother of 7, who says the $5 bucks a week just won’t touch the sides.

Chalmers:

That’s only one of the 2 tax cuts that we’re providing, and 3 in total in our time in office, the average –

Abo:

But why is it for everyone Treasurer?

Chalmers:

The average is $50 a week. That’s the first point.

Abo:

Shouldn’t you prioritise the first 2?

Chalmers:

When you cut the bottom rate of tax, it flows right up and down the income scale, so it’s a tax cut for every taxpayer. These are modest tax cuts, they’re responsible tax cuts, but they’re meaningful when you take them in combination with the tax cuts which are flowing already, we’re topping up those tax cuts and we’re also providing cost‑of‑living relief in other ways.

Abo:

It’s barely going to help those top part of the brackets, as you know but it will, if it was doubled, be more of an impact for those underneath. I mean, there is still a big household onus now to find savings. The cost‑of‑living pressures are unlikely to change in the short term.

Chalmers:

That’s why we’re helping people with the cost of living. We’ve made a lot of progress together as Australians on inflation and in our economy more broadly. The Australian economy is turning a corner and that’s a very good thing. But we know that there’s more work to do. That’s why we’re providing more cost‑of‑living help and that’s why it beggars belief that the Coalition is opposing this cost‑of‑living relief.

What it means for the election is that it’s a simple choice between Labor cutting taxes to help with the cost of living versus Peter Dutton’s secret cuts which will make people worse off. Peter Dutton wants to cut everything except income taxes and that will be part of the choice that we’ll be asking people to make at the election.

Bracey:

There really is no Treasurer budget for an election and you set aside a further billion dollars for that election. What is up your sleeve?

Chalmers:

I don’t agree with that characterisation. It’s a budget about building Australia’s future and strengthening Medicare and helping with the cost of living. When it comes to that line in the Budget about decisions taken but not announced, that’s actually very small by historical standards. There are good reasons to have a small amount of money provisioned for in that way. If you compare that with earlier budgets, that line item is actually incredibly small.

Abo:

The surpluses are firmly in the review mirror, aren’t they, Treasurer? I mean, what a legacy; 10 years of deficit. Now you’re staring down extraordinary debt as far as the eye can see and without a real concrete plan to pay for it.

Chalmers:

I think it’s unusual, Sarah, that your question doesn’t acknowledge that when we came to office there were only deficits, and we turned 2 of them into surpluses and we shrunk the deficit for this year. We’ve made a lot of progress in the Budget. We’ve helped engineer the biggest ever nominal improvement in the Budget position in a single parliamentary term. More than $200 billion improvement, much less debt than what we inherited from our predecessors and that’s making a structural improvement to the budget as well. We have got the budget in better nick. We’re providing responsible cost‑of‑living help, we’re strengthening Medicare and we’re investing in the future of this country. And we’re doing that in the most responsible way that we can.

Bracey:

There’s a legitimate crisis in amongst all this though, Treasurer. The tobacco taxes collapsed to a 14‑year low. It’s blown a $17.6 billion hole in the tax base. Meanwhile, we see fire bombings almost daily, fuelling the black‑market wars that are going on as we speak. So, what will the government be doing about it all?

Chalmers:

There are 2 reasons why tobacco excise goes down. One of them is a good reason, one of them is a bad reason. The good reason is more and more people giving up the darts, which is what we want to see. But the bad reason is the case that people are finding more ways around tobacco excise. That’s why we’ve invested a substantial amount of money in new resources for compliance and enforcement. We do know there’s an issue. We acknowledge that. That’s why we’re trying to resource some more compliance and some more enforcement, because there has been some leakage in the Budget in that regard.

Abo:

Long night for you, Treasurer, and an early start. Thank you for joining us this morning and speaking to our audience. Appreciate it.

Chalmers:

Nice to talk to you both. Thank you.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Raf Epstein:

Jim Chalmers has delivered his fourth Budget. He’s the federal Treasurer. Good morning.

Jim Chalmers:

Good morning, Raf. How are you?

Epstein:

I’m good. Look, people on $45 grand might really need it, but people earning $200 grand don’t need an extra $500 a year in a tax cut. High earners are getting tax cuts. Why?

Chalmers:

Well, every Australian taxpayer’s getting another 2 tax cuts in addition to the one that started rolling out in July. And that’s what we’re doing in the Budget. We’re topping up the tax cuts.

And when you cut the bottom rate from 19 cents all the way down to 14 cents, that flows to every taxpayer. That’s just how the tax system works. But the benefits will be disproportionately felt for people on lower incomes, younger people, people entering the workforce, and that’s deliberate.

Epstein:

Why are high income earners getting it? I just want to understand the rationale. You and I don’t need that money. It could be better spent by the government, it could be targeted at people who need it. Why are we getting it?

Chalmers:

Because the way the tax system works is it’s a marginal tax system and when you cut the bottom rate, it means that every taxpayer benefits and the –

Epstein:

– that’s an explanation. That’s not a reason.

Chalmers:

The only easy way to limit the tax cuts is to provide it in people’s tax returns. We’ve done that in the past, but we wanted to make this a weekly, enduring, ongoing benefit to people. The benefit, when you combine our 3 tax cuts together is an average tax cut of about $50 a week.

You ask me about cost‑of‑living relief more broadly. It’s not the only thing we’re doing. You know, strengthening Medicare is about out of pocket health costs, cheaper medicines, energy bill rebates, cutting student debt. These are all of the ways that we are responsibly helping people with the cost of living.

Epstein:

Without an election, would there have been tax cuts?

Chalmers:

Yes, we’re very keen to top up the tax cuts which started flowing in July. And that’s because we recognise that even though we’re making a heap of very encouraging progress in the fight against inflation, we’ve got inflation down lower and earlier in the budget than was expected, even at the end of last year.

But we know that people are still under pressure and so we’re providing cost‑of‑living relief, really one of the main focuses in the Budget. And, and we’re doing that in a whole bunch of ways and giving people 2 more tax cuts to top up the tax cuts, which are already flowing, is a very effective way of doing that.

Epstein:

Jim Chalmers, as Treasurer, your shared equity scheme, it is extra help for some people to buy a house, but there’s not much for most people trying to buy a house. Why do you keep kicking that can down the road?

Chalmers:

I don’t think we are. You know, the Help to Buy scheme, the expansion means about 40 – helping about 40,000 Australians into the housing market. That’s a significant amount of people. But it’s not the only thing we’re doing in housing.

There’s about $33 billion being invested in housing in all kinds of responsible ways, from social and affordable housing to the Help to Buy scheme, to working with the states to open up new estates and make sure that it’s got the infrastructure that it needs.

We’re investing in housing in a whole bunch of ways. We know that there’s a shortage. It’s one of the big challenges in our economy, as you and I have spoken about, I think, on a number of occasions, Raf and that’s why we’re doing something about it.

Epstein:

But aren’t those changes on the edges? The big changes are how we incentivise people to build wealth. Negative gearing, capital gains, like that’s the big lever that you haven’t pulled?

Chalmers:

We haven’t. That’s correct. But whether it’s cost of living or housing, it’s best not to look at any one measure in isolation. You look across what we’re doing in housing, we’ve got the most ambitious housing programme of any government in my lifetime.

Epstein:

Are you scared of negative gearing changes?

Chalmers:

We’re not going down that route because we’re not convinced that it would build more homes to change that. We’ve made that clear. And our emphasis is on housing supply. We want to build more homes, 1.2 million homes in the next 5 years. That’s going to be difficult. It’s ambitious, but it’s achievable if everybody does their bit.

We’ve shown a willingness and enthusiasm to invest in housing because we know it’s the source of a lot of this cost‑of‑living pressure, which is still hanging around. We know we don’t have enough homes. That’s why we’re acting decisively with $33 billion of investment.

Epstein:

Jim Chalmers is the Treasurer on 774. We’ll have a word to the Shadow Treasurer, Angus Taylor, soon as well.

Treasurer, if you had 60 seconds in a lift with Donald Trump, what would you say to him?

Chalmers:

I think I’d tell President Trump, exactly what I told his Treasury Secretary in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. Ours is an economic relationship of mutual benefit. They run a big trade surplus with us, they enjoy tariff‑free access to our markets. We believe that should be taken into consideration and we will always speak up for and stand up for our interests.

Epstein:

Do you think he cares about Australia?

Chalmers:

I don’t think that’s a question really for me. You’d have to ask him. But I do believe whoever is in the White House and whoever is in the Lodge, this is such an important economic relationship and security relationship, it benefits both countries. And we will continue to make our case to stand up and speak for our interests.

We don’t want to trade away the things that we’re proud of in Australia, things like the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that I invested in in the Budget. We want to make sure that we’re strengthening that because Australians need us to, not weakening it because American multinationals want us to. So that’s been in the mix. That’s been some of the things that have been discussed. I would make the same points to President Trump that I made to his Treasury Secretary.

Epstein:

You did pull a bit of a rabbit out of your hat with the tax cuts last night. One thing you did not mention is Melbourne’s suburban rail loop. Why not?

Chalmers:

Because we’d already funded that. As you know, I think the funding got released a few weeks ago. But that’s been in our, that $2 billion or so has been in our budget for a while. Usually in the Budget speech, you mentioned the new things.

Epstein:

You don’t think it’s a sketchy project, you’ve got faith in it?

Chalmers:

Well, it’s cleared the hurdles. And So we’re providing that $2 billion. We believe in it. We think it’s a project worthy of Commonwealth investment. That’s why Catherine King, my colleague, has been working closely with the Victorians to provide and release that funding for Suburban Rail Loop. But in the Budget speech last night, we focused on Sunshine Station because that’s part of a big new investment we’re making in the Airport Rail line.

Epstein:

Tobacco excise. I think it’s about $1.40 of tax per cigarette at the moment. That is failing in your Budget. You’re taking in even less money than you thought you would. It’s failing on the streets. Why are you sticking with that while shops are burning?

Chalmers:

There are 2 reasons why tobacco excise is down. There’s a good reason and there’s a bad reason. Good reason is more people giving it away. But I do acknowledge the essence of your question, which is we’ve got a challenge here and too many people are avoiding the excise, and that’s why we’ve actually invested a substantial amount of money and resources in the Budget last night to try and crack down on people avoiding the excise. There’s a lot of money in the Budget for compliance and enforcement because we do have a problem there. I acknowledge that. We’re doing something about it.

Epstein:

Will we ever get a surplus?

Chalmers:

We’ve delivered 2 surpluses, Raf.

Epstein:

I’m talking looking forward.

Chalmers:

I know, but this is too easily lost. When we came to office, there were deficits in every year, we turned 2 of them into surpluses. And we’ve shrunk the deficit this year and that’s helping us get debt down this year by $177 billion. I think that is too easily lost.

We do acknowledge there are structural issues in the budget in the medium term and in the longer term. That’s what’s motivated us in terms of making spending on the NDIS and in aged care more sustainable. We have made a structural difference, a structural improvement to the budget over time with those measures. But the work of budget repair is ongoing.

In every single one of our 4 Budgets, we’ve had savings. We’ve tried to. When we’re investing money in helping with the cost of living or strengthening Medicare, we’ve done it in the most responsible way that we can, which recognises these pressures on the budget.

Epstein:

Thanks so much for your time this morning.

Chalmers:

Appreciate it, Raf. All the best.

Epstein:

Jim Chalmers there, the federal Treasurer.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

TPG Telecom Limited has paid $75,120 in penalties after the ACCC issued it with four infringement notices for alleged contraventions of the Telecommunications Act by failing to comply with its joint functional separation undertaking.

TPG’s undertaking includes obligations designed to ensure separation of wholesale and retail functions as required by the carrier separation rules in the Telecommunications Act.

The ACCC alleges that, from 31 August 2023 to 22 May 2024, TPG failed to have measures in place to prevent staff of its wholesale and retail businesses from accessing the other’s premises unless accompanied to the extent practicable while on the premises, as required in the undertaking.

It is alleged that on four occasions a senior TPG wholesale staff member worked unaccompanied in offices where TPG retail staff were located without any physical or other security barriers separating the respective staff.

The staff separation obligations are intended to prevent staff from the two businesses sharing sensitive information that could favour TPG’s own retail operations over third-party retailers on its Vision Network.

Although there was no evidence that sensitive information was shared, the alleged conduct had the potential to affect competition in relation to the supply of retail broadband services to a significant number of consumers.

“This is our first enforcement action for an alleged contravention of the carrier separation rules as we continue to focus on promoting competition in essential services, such as telecommunications,” ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver said.

“Carriers must comply with the carrier separation rules which are designed to promote retail competition and choice for consumers on alternative fixed-line broadband networks.” 

“The new telecommunications infringement notice powers allow us to respond quickly to instances of non-compliance. However, where warranted, we will not hesitate to pursue matters in the Federal Court and seek significant penalties, of up to $10 million per contravention,” Ms Carver said.

Background

On 7 April 2022, the ACCC accepted a joint functional separation undertaking given by TPG on behalf of the TPG Retailers and TPG Wholesalers under Part 8 of the Telecommunications Act.

The undertaking was given under the carrier separation rules in the Telecommunications Act, which require superfast network operators to operate on a wholesale-only basis, unless they seek an exemption from the ACCC. This means that a company that controls a superfast broadband network cannot supply retail services over it unless there is a class exemption or a functional separation undertaking in place.

On 4 September 2024, the ACCC issued the ACCC Telecommunications (Infringement Notices) Guidelines 2024 informing telecommunications operators of the ACCC’s approach to exercising its infringement notice powers for failure to comply with the carrier separation rules under Part 8 of the Telecommunications Act.

The ACCC has also published industry guidance on the carrier separation rules that provides an overview of the obligations which apply to network operators and intermediaries supplying retail services, including apartment building owners, property managers and retirement village operators.

Details of the infringement notices given to TPG are available on the Telecommunications infringement notices register.

Note to editors

The payment of a penalty specified in an infringement notice is not an admission of a contravention of the Telecommunications Act 1997.

The ACCC Chair, as an authorised infringement notice officer, can give an infringement notice when they have reasonable grounds to believe a person or business has contravened certain civil provisions of the Telecommunications Act 1997.