Month: August 2025

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

SARAH ABO, HOST: Well, after a jam‑packed, breathless and robust three days, the Treasurer’s Economic Roundtable has finally come to an end.  But with so many suits, spats and egos in one room, just how productive was it? 

For more we are joined now by Education Minister, Jason Clare, in Sydney. Good morning to you, Jason, I’m obviously being cheeky there. But the point was to improve productivity, yet the Productivity Commissioner has said that hasn’t quite been achieved. So there is still a long way to go. 

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Of course there is, but it starts with listening. I remember my mum telling me you’re born with two ears and one mouth, you should spend twice the amount of time listening as you do talking. 

ABO: Good point. 

CLARE: Politicians often fail at that. I think if you get people in a room, you find where people agree, then that can be the basis for some big, long‑lasting reform. 

ABO: All right. We saw a war of words between Jim Chalmers and the Opposition’s Ted O’Brien, who accused the Treasurer of plunging the nation into further debt. 

So do you agree with Chalmers that raiding super is the answer? 

CLARE: I wouldn’t frame it that way, Sarah. I think the point I’d make is this: we’ve got to focus on delivering the things we promised to the Australian people. We’ve got to focus on continuing to make sure we’ve got interest rates coming down, that unemployment is low, that we’ve got wages growing. All of that’s happening, that’s good news.  

But we’ve also got to deal with the challenges that are coming at us if we want to make sure the economy’s stronger in the future. 

One of the things that I’m responsible for as part of that is making sure that more kids finish school and they get a crack at TAFE or at university. The more skills we have as a workforce, the more productive ultimately we’ll be. 

ABO: We’ll come to that, Jason. 

CLARE: And that’s just one of the reforms discussed there. 

ABO: Well, eventually all those students will end up having jobs and paying super, right; so are you going to raid unrealised gains on super? 

CLARE: I think Jim has made the point that we’re intending to go forward with those reforms. What we want is people to be able to retire with dignity, with enough money to be able to have the retirement they’ve earned and that they deserve. 

ABO: I suppose most of the Government’s predetermined proposals were pushed forward during this roundtable, right; the EV tax, housing approval reform. Did you really need a three‑day talkfest to lock in your own agenda? 

CLARE: I don’t think it’s about that, it’s about hearing from other people as well. For example, I know it’s a slightly different topic, but in about an hour or so I’ll meet with Education Ministers across the country on the sort of reforms that we need to make to keep our kids safe in childcare. 

Now you don’t get the sort of reforms that are needed unless you get people around a table, and that’s true whether it’s reforms to the economy or whether it’s reform for childcare centres. 

ABO: All right. Well, let’s get on to that, because I know that that is obviously your portfolio. 

So we know that the Victorian Government has decided that it will implement those 22 recommendations made when it comes to childcare and ensuring the safety of children is put first. Shouldn’t that be rolled out nationally? 

CLARE: Well, this is an important meeting today. I think Australians were sickened by the revelations out of Victoria, and they expect us to act. 

We’ve already passed laws, Sarah, through the Federal Parliament, that give us the power to cut off funding to child care centres that aren’t meeting safety standards. We’re already using those powers against 37 centres across the country, and there’s more to come. 

What we’ll be talking about today is establishing a National Educator Register so we know who’s working where and when they move from centre to centre, or from state to state. Mandatory education training, or mandatory child safety training for every worker in our centres. 

In a sense, they’re our best asset here. 99.9 per cent of the people who work in our centres are awesome people who love our kids and care and educate for our kids. They need the sort of skills to be able to spot somebody who might be hiding in plain sight up to no good. 

But we’ll also be making a decision today about a national CCTV trial, a national ban of personal mobile phones in our centres, as well as more national inspections of our centres. There’s no one thing, no silver bullet here that’s needed. We need to do all of these things to help make sure that our children are safer. 

ABO: All right. That’s all pretty promising to hear. Just finally, Jason, obviously the NDIS announcement from your Government yesterday has a lot of parents panicked right across the country, right. A lot of children that will be impacted by this are in classrooms right now right across the country. That falls into your portfolio as well. 

How will you ensure that they are not unfairly impacted, and whatever they transition into is seamless? 

CLARE: Yeah. And this is something that Mark Butler is leading. Obviously, there are a lot of young people at the moment with autism, with developmental delay, that are going through the NDIS really because there is no other system, there’s no other life boat in the ocean for them. 

What Mark is saying is we need to design a better system to support them, and that will have to interact with our childcare centres, with our early education and care centres, but also with our schools, and Mark will lead work, working with States and Territories, just like I’m doing today, on child safety to make sure that we get the design of that system right for our kids, to make sure that they get the sort of, you know, the sort of support that they really need. 

ABO: Yeah, a lot of reassurance is needed across the country at the moment. Jason, thanks so much for joining us this morning, appreciate it.

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Source: New South Wales – News

In the past week alone, SAPOL officers have intercepted 11 drink drivers, many with blood alcohol readings well into the high range:

• A 39-year-old man at Allenby Gardens recorded a staggering .356, more than seven times the legal limit.
• A 63-year-old man at Mount George blew .260.
• A 42-year-old man at Prospect recorded .218.
• A 40-year-old man in Whyalla was caught at .147, with a child in the car.
• A 24-year-old woman in Enfield was driving on three wheels after colliding with a traffic light, recording .116.

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a deeper problem, one that demands urgent attention.

Speeding continues to be another deadly contributor. Among the most alarming:

• A 53-year-old man was caught doing 168km/h in a 110 zone at Lake Gillis.
• A 17-year-old boy in Salisbury was clocked at 95km/h in a 50 zone, then returned ten minutes later to do 82km/h in the same spot, resulting in $4,652 in fines and an instant loss of licence.
• A 21-year-old man in Hampstead Gardens was caught doing 106km/h in a 60 zone.

These behaviours are not just illegal, they are lethal.

So far in 2025, 54 lives have been lost on South Australian roads. In August alone, eight lives have been claimed, six in the past ten days. Whilst the investigations into the recent fatals are still under investigation, and the cause of those crashes aren’t yet known, what we do know is the Fatal Five, dangerous road use, distraction, speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and drug or drink driving continue to be the leading causes of death in all fatal crashes:

• Dangerous Road Users: 24%
• Distraction: 22%
• Speeding: 20%
• Seatbelts: 15%
• Drug Driving: 11%
• Drink Driving: 6%

Superintendent Johnson reinforced SAPOL’s commitment:

“We will maintain a strong and visible presence on our roads. Several operations are planned across both metropolitan and regional areas. We will continue to target drink driving, speeding, distraction, and other dangerous behaviours. But we need the community to stand with us.”

This is a call to action. We urge every South Australian to speak up, to intervene, and to drive responsibly. If you see someone about to drive under the influence, stop them. If you’re tempted to speed, think of the lives at stake. If you’ve lost someone to road trauma, share their story.

Drink Drivers

16 August           Mt Gambier                        32-yo male                        .184 ILOL/Imp

16 August           Port Pirie                              57-yo male                        .172 ILOL/Imp

16 August           Port Pirie                              60-yo male                        .203 ILOL/Imp

17 August           Koorong                               50-yo male                        .170 ILOL/Imp

17 August           Port Pirie                              20-yo male                        .114 ILOL/Imp

17 August           Port Pirie                              18-yo man                          .111 ILOL/Imp (unlicensed)

18 August           Prospect                              42-yo male                        .218 ILOL/Imp

18 August           Whyalla                                40-yo male                        .147 ILOL/Imp (with child in car)

20 August           Allenby Gardens               39-yo male                        .356 ILOL/Imp

20 August           Mount George                   63-yo male                        .260 ILOL/Imp

21 August           Enfield                                  24-yo female                    .116 ILOL/Imp (on three wheels)

Excessive Speed

14 August           Truro                                     23-yo male                        163/110 (.030 PCA) $2059 fine 9 demerits, impound)

16 August           Lake Gillis                             53-yo male                         168/110 (ILOL + expiation)

18 August           Salisbury                              17-yo boy                            95/50 then same spot 10 minutes later 82/50 ($4652 fines + ILOL)

18 August           Dry Creek                            19-yo male                        143/80 (reported excessive speed, ILOL and Impound)

18 August           Dry Creek                            45-yo male                        162/90 (ILOL + expiation)

21 August           Hampstead Gardens       21-yo male                        106/60 ($2059 fine and ILOL)

Source: Australian Department of Communications

AUSTRAC has directed Binance Australia to appoint an external auditor after identifying serious concerns with the crypto exchange’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing (AML/CTF) controls. 
Investbybit Pty Ltd, Binance Global’s Australian arm, is an AUSTRAC registered digital currency exchange provider.  
By transaction volume it is the world’s largest centralised crypto exchange. Established in 2017, it holds regulatory approvals or permissions in around 20 jurisdictions.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Rachel Mealey:

Treasurer, good morning.

Jim Chalmers:

Thanks very much, Rachel, good morning.

Mealey:

People are listening to AM right now on the way to work. Many dropped their kids off to school on the way. You’re speaking to those cars this morning, carrying 2 generations. What can you tell them about how you’re going to make the tax system fairer?

Chalmers:

First of all, I’d say we’ve made a lot of progress in our economy the last few years. And the best way to sustain that progress, to lift living standards, to make people better off over time is to make our economy more productive, more resilient and make our budget more sustainable. And those were the 3 major issues that we grappled with over the course of the last 3 days.

Now, when it comes to tax, the government’s tax policies haven’t changed. Our major focus is on cutting taxes, 2 more times for every taxpaying worker in those cars dropping the kids off at school this morning. And really from the Economic Reform Roundtable’s point of view, they wanted to make sure that any future tax reforms – which are a matter for the Cabinet – are consistent with 3 principles. The first one, that it deliver a fair go for working people and young people. Secondly, that it attract more business investment, that’s a challenge in our economy. And thirdly, that changes make the system simpler, more sustainable so that we can fund the kind of services that all of those families rely on.

Mealey:

Can you point to any measures that will address that intergenerational unfairness?

Chalmers:

Certainly the tax cuts are part of that. When we changed the tax cuts and then delivered 2 more rounds it was about making sure that every taxpaying worker got a tax cut, including young people. Making sure that people on low and middle incomes got a fair go in middle Australia. That’s a big priority. But also a lot of our effort on housing, building more homes, is about meeting our generational responsibilities to people who are finding it harder and harder to get a toehold into the market or to find somewhere decent to rent. Certainly a lot of our policies on skills and training, free TAFE, a lot of what we’re delivering there is about intergenerational fairness.

But, really, one of the defining outcomes of this Economic Reform Roundtable was building consensus and momentum around ensuring that intergenerational fairness is one of the defining principles of our country but also of our government. And that’s certainly something that we will pick up and run with.

Mealey:

Is the treatment of family trusts in your sights, or perhaps a reduction of capital gains discounts? Can you change the system without any of those measures on the agenda that genuinely address the unfairness in the tax system?

Chalmers:

We haven’t changed our policies on those examples that you raise. And we’ve tried to make it clear that a lot of what we’re doing already, whether it’s making superannuation tax concessions still concessional but more sustainable, whether it’s the tax cuts that I’ve referred to a couple of times already, the changes that we are already delivering in the tax system are an important part of this. We haven’t changed our specific policies on those areas that you identify, but what we have agreed with the Economic Reform Roundtable is that any further steps that we take down the tax reform path, which would be a matter for Cabinet, would be consistent with those 3 principles that I mentioned.

Mealey:

You’ve said that there was agreement in the room on the need for a road user charge. In what time frame could an owner of an EV expect to start paying a road user charge, and how much do you think they’ll pay every year?

Chalmers:

It depends on the model that we settle on and the timing of that model. I’ve got an important meeting with the state and territory treasurers in a couple of weeks’ time. And they will provide us an options paper to work through. There was a surprising degree of consensus around the need for road user charging when it comes to EVs. But there’s not yet a perfect consensus on the best model or on the best timing of that, and so I committed to work with the states and territories on that. Obviously at the end of the day a matter for our Cabinet. I work closely with colleagues like Catherine King and Chris Bowen and the Prime Minister and others on that, and so we haven’t come to a concluded view on the model or the timing of that model. But the direction of travel is pretty clear. It’s something we’ve been working on for a little while, and the next mover will be the states and territories at the meeting that I convene on the 5th of September.

Mealey:

While you’re talking about Cabinet, before the last election you told us you’d take that road user charge and make some other tweaks to the tax system in this term. Will any other changes be made to the tax system before the next election?

Chalmers:

I think, again, that’s a matter for the Cabinet. But as you rightly point out, we said before the election that road user charging was something that we wanted to work through. We also took to the election those income tax cuts which are our highest priority when it comes to tax reform – cutting taxes next year and the year after as well as having cut taxes last year. So that’s our highest priority. Work to do on road user charging. There are other suggestions put to us from time to time. I want to be respectful to the views raised in the room at the Economic Reform Roundtable, but at the end of the day, as I said before, the timing of any other tax changes will be a matter for me to determine with my Cabinet colleagues.

Mealey:

Will this folder of ideas that you’ve left the room with have an impact on Australia’s productivity?

Chalmers:

Absolutely. And we’ve spent bit of time this morning, Rachel, talking about tax, but that was just one part of the progress that was made over the course of the last few days. Making our federation work more efficiently, moving towards a single economic market, dealing with some of the unnecessary duplication across state borders and also when it comes to international standards, simplifying trade, reforming tariffs, winding back unnecessary regulations, speeding up approvals, building more homes more quickly, making artificial intelligence a national priority and getting that right, attracting more investment, modernising government services, these were the directions where there was broad, I think, and quite deep consensus emerging out of the Economic Reform Roundtable. If we do all of those things right, it will shift the needle. It will take time. Productivity is not one of those areas –

Mealey:

How much time? Do you have a time frame and a target?

Chalmers:

I think we’re just being upfront with people and saying this is a problem in our economy the last couple of decades. It hasn’t been productive enough to lift living standards in an enduring way. It will take time to turn around. But the progress, the momentum and the consensus that was built over the course of the last few days will help. It will take time. We have to move on all of these fronts simultaneously, and we intend to.

Mealey:

Jim Chalmers, thanks very much for joining AM.

Chalmers:

Appreciate it, Rachel. Thank you.

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

We continue to see a significant number of individuals retiring, or otherwise exiting from their partnerships and neglecting their own tax obligations. Whether employed or retired, our expectation of all taxpayers is that they’ll remain up to date by lodging accurately and on time.

If you’re an individual professional practitioner (IPP), you must record, as assessable income in your individual tax return, any assessable distributions derived during an income year that are related to the net income of your partnership.

As a former partner in a professional services firm, your tax obligations don’t end when your role in the partnership finishes. There are a range of common reporting issues among retired or exited partners that can lead to compliance risks if not addressed early.

Omissions of final partnership income or distributions

Many partnership agreements continue to pay the IPP for a set period after they leave the firm. These payments are considered assessable income in the income year from which they’re derived. We’re concerned that former partners incorrectly report these distributions as capital revenue and not income or, in some cases, omit the amounts completely.

You can still receive assessable partnership distributions after retiring or exiting the partnership, depending on the governing documents and agreements for your firm.

Incorrect treatment of retirement payments or deferred entitlements

Concerningly, we’re seeing that some retired partners don’t understand their partnership agreement, or their final partnership statements, and are incorrectly categorising these distributions as ‘pension’ type payments. Based on the arrangements identified to date, these distributions are the allocation of profits or income from professional firms and must be reported as assessable income by the IPP.

Misreporting of capital account adjustments

The capital account measures the partner’s equity investment in the partnership and may hold shares or other investments. Changes to a capital account may result in losses. However, not all losses will be deductible or give rise to a capital loss.

Accurate record keeping and reporting is essential to determine whether losses can only be applied against current or future year capital gains and whether any gains may be eligible for the capital gains tax discount.

While service arrangements may vary widely in the precise steps used, in essence they involve a taxpayer incurring a deduction for fees and charges in the conduct of its business for the acquisition of staff, clerical and administrative services, premises, plant or equipment from an associated entity. These arrangements are sometimes called Phillips arrangements. Our concerns are detailed in TR 2006/2 Income tax: deductibility of service fees paid to associated service entities: Phillips arrangements.

If you’re planning to leave, or have recently left, a professional firm

Our reviews found that the key drivers of this behaviour included IPPs not understanding the terms of either their agreements or any retirement deeds. There was also often uncertainty around final year entitlements or a delay or incomplete information from their firm. Finally, changing financial advisers or record-keeping practices, or the misunderstanding of how retirement payments are taxed, also contributed to the number of errors we observed.

If you’re planning to leave, or have recently left, a professional firm, we recommend that you:

• review your agreement and final statements 
• seek advice early from a tax professional who’s familiar with professional firm structures
• use updated guidance from us, or your firm’s finance team
• keep records of all communications and payments post-exit
• accurately report all income and distributions received – this includes all income derived, including amounts that may not be physically received but are applied or dealt with on your behalf
• include any capital gains or adjustments related to your exit
• ensure retirement payments are correctly classified.

If you’re still uncertain about to how to treat payments, you may seek a private ruling from us in relation to your circumstances.

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Source: South Australia Police

Explore the abundant natural beauty in our backyard on a free guided walk hosted by the City of Wanneroo’s Conservation team this spring.