Month: August 2025

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Police conduct traffic operation across North

Monday, 25 August 2025 – 12:32 pm.

From our highways to the state’s rural roads, Tasmania Police is continuing a campaign of high-visibility patrols to deter dangerous driving and improve road safety.
An extensive weekend operation by Northern Road Policing Services involved patrols on the Bass, Midland, Tasman, East Tamar, West Tamar and Esk highways.
Patrols were also conducted on rural, secondary roads such as Lake Leake and Bridport roads.  Pictures available here.
Police detected 38 speeding offences, including a driver 42km/h over the posted speed limit on Illawarra Road at Longford (122km/h in 80km/h zone) and a separate driver travelling 34km/h over the limit (144km/h in 110km/h zone) on the Midland Highway at Powranna.
Sixty random breath tests were conducted, with a 21-year-old man from Ravenswood nabbed with a reading more than two-times the legal limit (0.103).
Two drivers also tested positive for drug-driving.
One person was detected for disqualified driving.
Northern Road Policing Services Inspector Nick Clark said police were committed to enforcing road safety, with the weekend operation further highlighting that officers can, and do, patrol all corners of the state.
“It was disappointing to see a number of speeding drivers,” Inspector Clark said.
“We know that speed is one of the significant contributing factors in road crashes and that every extra kilometre an hour a person drives above the posted speed limit increases the risks, to all road users.
“And when it comes to driving on Tasmania’s rural roads, our message is that police can be anywhere, at any time.
“If motorists think they can avoid police attention by taking a regional road or a quiet country road, well they should think again. If you are engaging in dangerous or reckless driving behaviour, police could be just around the next corner, and you will be caught.”
Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444 to enable officers to respond in a timely way.
If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call triple zero (000).
Video or dash-cam footage of dangerous driving or hooning behaviour can also be uploaded via the police evidence portal online, found at www.police.tas.gov.au/report/ or anonymously at www.crimestopperstas.com.au

Source: Mental Health Australia

Speeding offences have reduced by nearly half across two trial locations after one month of enforcement mode in the NSW Government’s average speed camera trial for light vehicles.

The average speed camera trial locations on the Pacific and Hume Highways switched to enforcement mode on 1 July 2025, following a two-month warning period where light vehicles that were detected speeding were issued with a warning letter as opposed to a fine.

The trial is part of the NSW Government’s efforts to reduce crashes and ensure more motorists get home alive.

In the first month of the trial in May, one in every 143 light vehicles checked across both trial locations were found to be speeding and issued a warning letter, while in July that figure dropped to one in every 276 light vehicles issued a fine, which is a 48 per cent improvement rate.

Since the trial began, the cameras have checked the speeds of over 1.8 million light vehicles.

In July when enforcement mode commenced for light vehicles, there were 2310 infringements issued to light vehicles across both trial locations, with 1398 on the Pacific Highway and 912 on the Hume Highway.

At the Pacific Highway trial location, a 15km stretch between Kew and Lake Innes (Port Macquarie), the rate of non-compliance has more than halved since the beginning of the trial. These locations have monitored heavy vehicle speeds for years prior to the light vehicle trial.

In May one in every 146 light vehicles checked were found to be speeding, compared to July when the figure dropped to one in every 317 light vehicles.

At the Hume Highway trial location, which is a 16km stretch between Coolac and Gundagai, the rate of non-compliance dropped by more than a third.

In May one in every 138 light vehicles checked were found to be speeding, compared to July when the figure dropped to one in every 214 light vehicles.

The average speed camera trial for light vehicles is set to run until 30 June 2026. All other average speed cameras around the state continue to only enforce heavy vehicle speeding.

All fine revenue from camera-detected speeding, red-light, mobile phone use and seatbelt offences goes into the Community Road Safety Fund, which is used to fund priority road safety programs and initiatives.

You can find out more about the trial here: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/topics-tips/speeding/enforcement-cameras/average-speed-cameras

You can read the full media release here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/nothing-average-about-speed-reduction-camera-trial-as-speeding-rates-nearly-halved 

Source: Premier of Victoria

Source: New South Wales – News

In 2024, expert scammers stole more than $192.9 million across 7412 reported scams affecting Australian victims. In South Australia alone, more than $7.8 million was lost to 413 reported investment scams.

Already this year more than $2.3 million has been forked over due to 165 investment scams reported in South Australia, compared to $74.2 million across 3165 scams reported in Australia overall, with men over 65 suffering the highest individual losses.

“Australians lose more money to investment scams than any other type of scam,” Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby revealed.

“Investment scams involve promises of big payouts, quick money or guaranteed returns, often using fake data and high-pressure tactics to appear credible.

“Along with traditional bank transfer methods, cryptocurrency is becoming more popular because of the perceived anonymity it offers.

“These scams often aim to gain private information such as security codes or trick an unsuspecting person into sending cryptocurrency to a compromised digital wallet.”

Scammers use tactics like allowing small withdrawals to build trust, only to block larger withdrawals later, trapping investors’ funds.

“Significantly, in the past financial year the number of male victims over 70 has spiked, becoming the largest single demographic,” Detective Chief Inspector Featherby added.

“Younger people are not as easily affected due to them having less access to cash for investment ‘opportunities’.”

Red flags:

• Advertisements on social media for investment opportunities.
• Celebrity endorsements for strange or unknown brands/companies.
• Low-risk, high-reward investments that seem ‘too good to be true’.
• ‘Crypto experts’ offering free financial advice.
• Complex investment strategies that are confusing or unclear.
• Asking you to lie to banks or family about your investment.

Tips to help keep you safe:

• Visit a trusted financial advisor for investment advice and opportunities.
• Celebrity-endorsed videos are often created by artificial intelligence called DeepFake. These can often look convincing but blurred images and strange movements can give them away, so scrutinise any videos.
• Do not send copies of identification such as your driver’s licence, passport or Medicare card to people or businesses that you are unfamiliar with.
• Watch out for poor grammar and spelling. A legitimate company will take great care in having a professional look throughout their site.
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do your research!

Real-life example

South Australian ‘Phil’ was looking through social media when he came across an investment opportunity backed by a famous entrepreneur. He visited the website, Quantum AI, and watched an interview where the celebrity explained the stock trading platform, stating it was ‘the next big thing’ and it was an opportunity to get rich. Phil followed the link at the end of the video, which led to a call from a receptionist at Quantum AI, with Phil investing $25,000. Two weeks later after being shown the profits he had earned, Phil transferred a further $10,000. It wasn’t until Phil tried to withdraw his money that the receptionist asked him to pay transaction fees that slowly increased in value, and Phil realised he had been fleeced of his $35,000.

Report

– If you have suffered harm or loss because of a scam, make a report at www.cyber.gov.au/report or attend your local police station.

Support

– Talk to friends and family

– eSafety Commissioner – www.esafety.gov.au

– Victims of Crime SA – www.voc.sa.gov.au

– Lifeline – 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au

– Rebuild Victim Counselling – www.rasa.org.au

Cybercrime Constable Max Allison and Sergeant David Mitchell are sharing prevention advice as part of Scams Awareness Week.

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

The City is calling for expressions of interest from residents interested in being part of the City’s Farming and Agribusiness Reference Group.

City of Greater Bendigo Environment and Climate Change Manager Michelle Wyatt said Greater Bendigo has a diverse range of farming and agribusiness enterprises.

“Our region includes broadacre cropping, intensive and extensive livestock production, orchards and wineries, small scale agricultural production, as well as suppliers, logistics and business consultants,” Ms Wyatt said.

“The aim of the City’s Farming Advisory Reference Group is to provide strategic input to the City on matters concerning farming, agribusiness and local rural communities.  The group will also act as a collaborative meeting place for agricultural stakeholders in Greater Bendigo.

“The City are seeking up to ten community members to serve on the reference group which will meet four times each year.  

“We are looking for people who have demonstrated experience in farming or agribusinesses in the City, can consider issues strategically and impartially and have the capacity to represent the views of the wider community.”  

Expressions of interest will open on Monday August 25 and close on Friday September 19, 2025.

Any questions can be emailed to [email protected]

To complete an Expression of Interest and to read the Groups Terms of Reference, please visit:

Source:

25 August 2025

The Australian legal system is grappling with a disruptive new movement that is not only tying up the courts, councils and police, but also posing an unprecedented threat to democracy.

In a new paper published in the Alternative Law Journal, UniSA Associate Professor of Law Joe McIntyre documents the rapid rise of pseudolaw – false legal theories that mimic the language and rituals of the law but without any real substance.

Examples include ‘Bunnings Karen’ citing Magna Carta to avoid a mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic; motorists using pseudo arguments to contest the legality of speeding tickets; and litigants accusing judges of treason and witchcraft.

Common claims include insisting that courts lack authority because the wrong coat of arms is displayed, or that an individual is a “natural person” and immune from legal obligations.

Characterised by so-called Sovereign Citizens who question authority, embrace conspiracy theories and co-opt legal language to create an ‘alternative’ legal universe, pseudolaw cases have proliferated since COVID, now numbering hundreds of cases in NSW alone in the past six months.

Assoc Prof McIntyre says the rise of the pseudolaw movement – often likened to a cult – overlaps with the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), threatening the justice system.

“At its heart, pseudolaw mistakes the form of legal argument for its substance. It uses archaic language, ceremonial rituals and legal-sounding jargon to create the illusion of meaning – an illusion that can be both compelling and deeply disruptive,” according to Assoc Prof McIntyre.

“It is also beginning to intersect with another emerging phenomenon – the widespread use of GenAI and particularly large language models in a manner that is particularly alarming.”

Litigants are increasingly using these language models to generate written legal responses as well as oral submissions to the bench in real time.

“In both cases the public is engaging with inherently complex and inaccessible forms of technology that produce outputs which can look plausible but are far from it.”

Assoc Prof McIntyre warns that the convergence of pseudolaw and AI could “turbocharge” misinformation in courts, overwhelming judges and administrators.

Once on the fringes, pseudolaw cases are now a daily occurrence in Australian law courts, wasting judicial resources and holding up genuine litigation.

“One South Australian judge recently described its impact as having changed the whole face of the civil justice system, noting the strain it places on registries and courtrooms,” Assoc Prof McIntyre says.

The UniSA law lecturer says that pseudolaw thrives because many people feel alienated from the legal system and lack the ability to distinguish genuine law from its imitation.

“To the untrained eye, pseudolegal documents and arguments look authentic. In a system already burdened by archaic language and rituals, it’s easy for people to mistake confidence and theatrical performance for competence.”

Although pseudolaw can seem absurd – even comical at times – Assoc Prof McIntyre says it has serious consequences for our democracy.

“It is undermining trust in our institutions, threatening judicial officers and harming vulnerable litigants who are misled by websites peddling promises of legal loopholes.”

Ironically, it is also a symptom of the existing legal system, which alienates the public due to its use of convoluted language, providing “fertile fields” for misinformation.

“Pseudolaw is forcing us to reflect upon our own legal institutions and how we are contributing to this phenomenon,” Assoc Prof McIntyre says.

“The law matters, but so does meaningful public engagement. Pseudolaw is the consequence of 50 years of diminishing access to justice and a chronic underinvestment in civics and legal literacy education. It is time we addressed that.”

‘Pseudolaw and the illusion of legal meaning’ is published in the Alternative Law Journal.
DOI: 10.1177/1037969X251362538

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Researcher contact: Associate Professor Joe McIntyre M: +61 423 662 642
E: joe.mcintyre@unisa.edu.au

Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

Source: New South Wales – News

Police will allege that in mid-August, the woman demanded money from a man and threatened that if she did not receive payment, she would report false allegations against him to police.

The victim paid the money to the accused but was then threatened a second time.

On Friday 15 August, Eastern District CIB arrested a 43-year-old woman from Holden Hill and charged her with two counts of blackmail. The victim’s money was recovered.

She was refused police bail and attended at Adelaide Magistrates Court where she was granted bail to reappear on 26 November.

Detectives continue to investigate the incidents and are urging any other potential victim of similar threats to come forward and contact police.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

207961

CO22500033932

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Australians reported more than 108,000 scams and financial losses of about $175 million to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch service in the first half of 2025, with fake websites, online advertisements, and contact through social media criminals’ preferred methods of reaching people.

This Scams Awareness Week (25-29 August), the National Anti-Scam Centre is joining together with government, business, community groups, consumer protection groups, educational organisations and individuals to reinforce the three simple actions that can help protect Australians: ‘Stop. Check. Protect’ before clicking, sharing, or paying.

It comes as Scamwatch received 108,305 reports about scams in the first six months of 2025, which is a 24 per cent decrease in reports compared to the same period last year. While total number of reports are down, reports involving losses have increased significantly.

The $174.8 million reported lost is a 26 per cent increase compared to the first half of 2024. There has been a 40.5 percent increase in reports involving losses and this is higher for some demographic groups: about 44 per cent among individuals who speak English as a second language, and 55.3 percent for First Nations Australians compared to the same period in 2024.

The 2025 losses still represent but a 39 per cent decrease compared to the equivalent period in 2023. Financial losses to scams peaked in 2022 and early 2023. The average reported loss was $12,212 – a decrease of about 10 per cent.

Losses to phishing scams were $19.5 million in 2025, driven in part by a rise in cryptocurrency impersonation scams. 14,235 reports involved losses to crypto scams. These scams closely mirror bank impersonation tactics and have resulted in significant financial harm to victims.

“Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before and we see scams becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“This Scams Awareness Week, we’re encouraging everyone to talk about scams, watch for the signs and remember three simple words that can help make all the difference: Stop. Check. Protect. As scams become more sophisticated, we are urging more businesses to join the NASC and share data to improve disruption capability across the ecosystem.”

“Scams don’t discriminate and can affect anyone, which is why open conversations with loved ones and greater awareness are so important. Government, business and individuals all have a role to play in building a scam-aware community and reaching every group, including those who may face extra barriers to understanding or reporting scams,” Ms Lowe said.

The National Anti-Scam Centre encourages consumers to be particularly vigilant when shopping online – carefully scrutinise deals that seem too good to be true, and check websites before making a purchase.

Scamwatch received more than 6,300 reports of financial loss to shopping scams in the first half of 2025: the highest of any scam type. Scamwatch data shows that scammers achieved this by creating convincing online shopping platforms, advertising fraudulent products and luring consumers with deals that appear too good to pass up.

An individual who reported to Scamwatch lost more than $11,000 to an online shopping scam involving a fake travel agent. The scammer operated a convincing website and offered a ‘free digital travel assistant’ service. After the victim made an airline booking through the website, the scammer cancelled the booking but kept the money. Attempts to contact the agent failed once the scam was revealed.

Source: New South Wales – News

Just before 9am Sunday 24 August, police and emergency services were called to Kempe Road, about 21km’s southwest of Oodnadatta, after reports of a single vehicle rollover.

Tragically the driver of the Toyota 4WD, an 18-year-old man from New South Wales, died at the scene.

His passenger, a 20-year-old man from Coober Pedy, was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Major Crash officers flew to the scene from Adelaide to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A minor detour was in place on Kempe Road between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta for most of the day but normal traffic conditions resumed just before 7pm.

The man’s death is the 55th life lost on SA roads this year.