Month: April 2025

Source: Tasmania Police

Issued: 1 Apr 2025

A Cardwell man was taken to Tully Hospital on Friday 28 March 2025 after reportedly being kicked in the leg by an adult cassowary, which resulted in a 2-3 inch deep wound to his upper thigh.

The man was treated for a minor injury following the interaction with the cassowary and reported the incident to the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

According to the report, the man was in his backyard with his back to the bird when the cassowary approached him and kicked him in the back of the leg.

On 31 March 2025, wildlife rangers will conduct a site visit and assess the behaviour of the cassowary if it remains in the area.

The behaviour of the cassowary is consistent of a cassowary that has become accustomed to being fed. It’s a good reminder to the public not to be complacent when they are in close proximity to these animals.

People who live in the wet tropics are reminded that cassowaries are large animals and can act in an unpredictable way, which can include dangerous behaviour.

Cassowaries should never be fed or given access to food. This can cause them to become habituated and begin to approach people expecting food. Cassowaries have been known to become aggressive when approaching people for food but not receiving any.

People can help preserve wild populations of cassowaries by being Cass-O-Wary:

• Never approach cassowaries.
• Never approach chicks – male cassowaries will defend them.
• Never feed cassowaries – it is illegal and can be dangerous for the birds and for humans.
• Always discard food scraps in closed bins and ensure compost bins have secure lids.
• Always slow down when driving in cassowary territory.
• Never stop your vehicle to look at cassowaries on the road.
• Keep dogs behind fences or on a leash.

Cassowary sightings in north Queensland should be reported to QPWS by calling 1300 130 372.

Source: Tasmania Police

Issued: 31 Mar 2025

A large estuarine crocodile has been captured in a baited trap near the Dungeness Creek boat ramp at Lucinda in north Queensland.

Wildlife Rangers from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) captured the animal on Friday evening.

The 3.8 m crocodile was targeted for removal after displaying concerning behaviour around the boat ramp and interfering with crab pots. It is believed the crocodile was attracted to the boat ramp by discarded fish frames and bait.

The removal is a reminder for people living in crocodile habitat to make sensible choices around the water and to prioritise their safety.

People living in crocodile habitat should never discard fish frames or unused bait at boat ramps or fishing spots as crocodiles can begin to associate those locations with food.

All crocodile sightings should be reported to DETSI in a timely manner.

Crocodiles can be reported by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DETSI website, or by calling 1300 130 372. The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.

• Expect crocodiles in ALL northern and far northern Queensland waterways even if there is no warning sign
• Obey all warning signs – they are there to keep you safe
• Be aware crocs also swim in the ocean and be extra cautious around water at night
• Stay well away from croc traps – that includes when fishing and boating
• The smaller the vessel the greater the risk, so avoid using canoes and kayaks
• Stand back from the water’s edge when fishing and don’t wade in to retrieve a lure
• Camp well back from the water’s edge
• Never leave food, fish scraps or disused bait near the water, at camp sites or at boat ramps
• Never provoke, harass or feed crocs
• Always supervise children near the water and keep pets on a lead.

Further information is available at: https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/crocodiles/croc-wise

Source: New South Wales – News

Police and paramedics were called to Billing Street about 1pm on Tuesday 1 April by reports of a violent altercation.

A suspect was seen leaving the scene in a Ford SUV which collided with a tree.

When police arrived, they located a 36-year-old man from Elizabeth Grove with serious stab wounds. The man was treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital. His injuries are considered life threatening.

A 35-year-old man from Elizabeth Park was arrested at the scene and is currently being interviewed by police.

Billing Street and parts of Alexander Street has been closed to all traffic while emergency services are at the scene.

Northern District Police advise that the incident is not random and both men are known to each other.

Anyone who witnessed this incident, has dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the investigation, or has any other information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Source:

With calm autumn conditions across much of the state, communities can expect to see smoke in the air as a mix of planned burns, private burns under CFA’s permit system and agricultural burns take place over the coming weeks.

While current conditions are ideal for burning, weather patterns may cause smoke to linger over parts of the state overnight and through to early morning on some days.

FFMVic Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said it is crucial fire agencies take advantage of favourable conditions when they present.  

“Planned burning on public land is one of the tools FFMVic uses to keep Victoria safer from bushfires,” Mr Hardman said.

“Our climate is changing and that means finding the right days for safe and effective planned burning is becoming more challenging. Autumn typically provides our crews more opportunities to conduct planned burns, as the weather is more stable, and fire behaviour tends to be manageable and predictable

“With the current favourable weather and forest conditions, we are delivering as much planned burning as we can.

“Reducing dry vegetation such as grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and small fallen branches means fires are less intense and slower to spread, making it more likely that firefighters can keep bushfires small and contained before they pose a risk to communities.

“We work closely with Country Fire Authority (CFA), Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Bureau of Meteorology to keep the smoke impact from planned burns as low as possible. We make every effort to make sure favourable weather conditions reduce smoke drift into communities.

“Victorians can register to receive notifications of upcoming planned burns at the Planned Burns Victoria website.”

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan is urging Victorians to understand permit requirements before conducting private burn-offs while the Fire Danger Period (FDP) remains in place across most of Victoria.

“We are now starting to issue schedule 13 permits to farmers to burn crop stubble to kill off weeds and reduce pests, however we remind Victorians, that no burning off is to occur unless people have received permission,” Mr Heffernan said.

“While the FDP has ended in East Gippsland, it remains in place across the rest of Victoria. It is vital that landowners check local conditions are safe and appropriate before burning off – both on the day and the days following.

“You may see a large amount of smoke in areas where these activities take place, so we ask farmers to let their neighbours know who may be sensitive to smoke so they can take necessary precaution.

“Any burning off activity should have enough water and resources on hand to monitor and extinguish and Triple Zero Victoria must be notified as awareness for emergency services and community members.”

Victoria’s Chief Environmental Scientist Professor Mark Patrick Taylor said EPA understands smoke from any source, including planned burns and private burn-offs can cause health concerns.

“Be prepared by watching for FFMVic planned burn notifications and by checking the air quality in your area through EPA’s AirWatch,” Professor Taylor said.

“Your nose is also an excellent smoke detector. If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health.”

The Planned Burns Victoria website has details of all planned burns currently on the three-year Joint Fuel Management Program, visit  https://plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/.

To find out what can and can’t be done during fire danger period, visit https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/fire-bans-ratings-and-restrictions/can-i-or-cant-i

Check fire restrictions and register private burns at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au or call 1800 668 511.

Detailed information about current air quality throughout Victoria can be found on EPA’s website.

Visit the EPA website for tips about looking after health when there is smoke.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: South Australia County Fire Service

Homes that have been built to withstand a bushfire, and are prepared to the highest level, may provide safety.

You may lose power, water, phone and data connections.

Fire crews are responding but you should not expect a firefighter at your door.

What you should do

• Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan.
• Protect yourself from the fire’s heat – put on protective clothing.
• Tell family or friends of your plans.

If you are leaving

• Leave now, don’t delay.
• Roads may become blocked or access may change. Smoke will reduce visibility.
• Secure your pets for travel.
• If you become stuck in your car, park away from bushes, cover yourself, get onto the floor as the windows may break from the intense heat.

If you are not leaving – prepare to defend

• Identify a safe place inside, with more than one exit, before the fire arrives. Keep moving away from the heat of the fire.
• Bring pets inside and restrain them.
• Move flammable materials such as doormats, wheelie bins and outdoor furniture away from your house.
• Close doors and windows to keep smoke out.
• If you have sprinklers, turn them on to wet the areas.
• If the building catches fire, go to an area already burnt. Check around you for anything burning.

Source:

What is a governing document?

Governing documents are the formal documents that set out your organisation’s:

• purpose
• NFP character
• requirements for how long it is governed, operates and makes decisions.

Governing documents can also be called:

• rules or articles of association
• constitutions
• rule books
• deeds of trust.

NFP organisations seeking access to tax concessions, either by ATO endorsement or self-assessment, must have appropriate clauses in governing documents to reflect their NFP character.

It’s important that your NFP’s administrators, both current and incoming, know where your NFP keeps its governing documents so they can access them when needed.

Governing document requirements

To demonstrate to us that it operates on an NFP basis, an NFP is required to have clauses in its governing documents that prohibit distribution of income or assets for the benefit of specific people – both while it operates and when it winds up.

The organisation needs to have sufficient controls in place to ensure members and other private persons do not receive the income, property or assets of the organisation (other than as reimbursement for services they have provided or for expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation).

Example: acceptable clauses for governing documents

Not-for-profit clause

‘The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.’

Dissolution clause

‘In the event of the organisation being dissolved, the amount that remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar purposes which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual members.’

End of example

When should you review your governing documents?

To confirm your organisation is operating for purpose, you should review its governing documents:

• annually, and
• whenever there is a major change to structure or activities.

Most income tax exempt entities:

• are required to meet the governing rules condition
• should review their governing documents to confirm they are compliant with all substantive requirements.

You may need to update your NFP’s governing documents if:

• its purposes have changed since being established
• they don’t have appropriate clauses that prohibit the distribution of income or assets to members.

An annual general meeting (AGM) can be the ideal time to review your NFP’s governing documents, so any amendments can be noted in the AGM minutes.

How to update your governing documents

Your state or territory government may have specific requirements when updating your governing documents. For further information, refer to How to make changes to your rules or constitutionExternal Link.

An NFP self-assessing its eligibility for income tax exemption must not distribute income or assets to members.

This must be demonstrated by including clauses in the NFP’s governing documents that prohibit the distribution of income or assets to members both:

• while it operates, and
• when it winds up.

NFP self-review return requirement

Non-charitable NFPs with an active Australian business number (ABN) need to lodge an annual NFP self-review return to notify us of their eligibility to self-assess as income tax exempt.

When completing the NFP self-review return, NFPs are required to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question: ‘Does the organisation have and follow clauses in its governing documents that prohibit the distribution of income or assets to members while it is operating and winding up?’

This is an important requirement that must be met to self-assess as income tax exempt.

NFPs must review their governing documents before completing the self-review return, to ensure they are answering this question accurately.

If an NFP’s governing documents do not have this clause, the governing documents must be updated to include the clause.

If your NFP doesn’t have and follow these clauses in its governing documents, it can still self-assess as income tax exempt for the 2023–24 income year provided it has not distributed any assets or income to members.

As a transitional arrangement, we’ve provided NFPs up to 30 June 2025 to update their governing documents. Failure to do so will mean they cannot self-assess as income tax exempt from 1 July 2024, for the 2024–25 income year. They will be taxable organisations and required to lodge an income tax return or non-lodgment advice.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Devonport woman charged with Arson

Tuesday, 1 April 2025 – 2:49 pm.

Police have charged a 39-year-old Devonport woman with multiple offences including arson in relation to a deliberately lit fire at Devonport last month. 
Emergency services were called to the fire on the corner of William and Madden Streets about 12.30pm on 6 March. 
Tasmania Fire Service Fire Investigators determined the fire, which destroyed a unit, was deliberately lit.
The woman will appear in the Burnie Magistrates Court in June 2025.

Source: Airservices Australia

At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.10 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances at 4 per cent.

Underlying inflation is moderating.

Inflation has fallen substantially since the peak in 2022, as higher interest rates have been working to bring aggregate demand and supply closer towards balance. Recent information suggests that underlying inflation continues to ease in line with the most recent forecasts published in the February Statement on Monetary Policy. Nevertheless, the Board needs to be confident that this progress will continue so that inflation returns to the midpoint of the target band on a sustainable basis. It is therefore cautious about the outlook.

The Board noted that monetary policy is well placed to respond to international developments if they were to have material implications for Australian activity and inflation.

The outlook remains uncertain.

Private domestic demand appears to be recovering, real household incomes have picked up and there has been an easing in some measures of financial stress. However, businesses in some sectors continue to report that weakness in demand makes it difficult to pass on cost increases to final prices.

At the same time, a range of indicators suggest that labour market conditions remain tight. Despite a decline in employment in February, measures of labour underutilisation are at relatively low rates and business surveys and liaison suggest that availability of labour is still a constraint for a range of employers. Wage pressures have eased a little more than expected but productivity growth has not picked up and growth in unit labour costs remains high.

There are notable uncertainties about the outlook for domestic economic activity and inflation. The central projection is for growth in household consumption to continue to increase as income growth rises. But there is a risk that any pick-up in consumption is slower than expected, resulting in continued subdued output growth and a sharper deterioration in the labour market than currently expected. Alternatively, labour market outcomes may prove stronger than expected, given the signal from a range of leading indicators.

More broadly, there are uncertainties regarding the lags in the effect of monetary policy and how firms’ pricing decisions and wages will respond to the demand environment and weak productivity outcomes while conditions in the labour market remain tight.

Uncertainty about the outlook abroad also remains significant. On the macroeconomic policy front, recent announcements from the United States on tariffs are having an impact on confidence globally and this would likely be amplified if the scope of tariffs widens, or other countries take retaliatory measures. Geopolitical uncertainties are also pronounced. These developments are expected to have an adverse effect on global activity, particularly if households and firms delay expenditures pending greater clarity on the outlook. Inflation, however, could move in either direction. Many central banks have eased monetary policy since the start of the year, but they have become increasingly attentive to the evolving risks from recent global policy developments.

Sustainably returning inflation to target is the priority.

Sustainably returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe is the Board’s highest priority. This is consistent with the RBA’s mandate for price stability and full employment. To date, longer term inflation expectations have been consistent with the inflation target and it is important that this remain the case.

The Board’s assessment is that monetary policy remains restrictive. The continued decline in underlying inflation is welcome, but there are nevertheless risks on both sides and the Board is cautious about the outlook.

The Board will rely upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks to guide its decisions. In doing so, it will pay close attention to developments in the global economy and financial markets, trends in domestic demand, and the outlook for inflation and the labour market. The Board is resolute in its determination to sustainably return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that outcome.

Source: New South Wales – News

Police and paramedics were called to Billing Street, Elizabeth Park about 1pm on Tuesday 1 April by reports of a violent altercation.

One person has sustained serious, potentially life-threatening injuries, and has been rushed to hospital.

Another person has been taken into police custody.

Billing Street has been closed to all traffic while emergency services are at the scene.

There is no threat to the public.

Anyone who witnessed this incident, has dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the investigation, or has any other information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Source:

We’ve reviewed our advice and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa. South Africa is hosting the G20 in 2025. During the year there will be multiple meetings across the country, which may result in increased traffic and police presence.

Protests and large gatherings can occur anywhere. Avoid areas affected by protests, demonstrations or large public gatherings. Monitor media for updates and follow advice from local authorities. Use major roads where it’s safe to do so and verify that alternate routes recommended by your GPS are safe prior to travel. Express kidnappings happen in South Africa. Always be alert to your personal security and surroundings (see ‘Safety’).

You may not be allowed to enter or exit South Africa on an Australian passport if you’re an Australian-South African dual national (see ‘Full advice/Dual citizenship’).