Month: September 2025

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies

Melissa Clarke: Well, while the Prime Minister and several senior Ministers are in New York, Trade Minister Don Farrell has been in Malaysia meeting with economic Ministers from across Southeast Asia. He joins me now.

Minister, thanks very much for being with Afternoon Briefing.

Minister for Trade: No worries, Mel.

Melissa Clarke: Now you’re in KL for the ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting. What’s been the outcomes from the discussions you’ve been taking part in?

Minister for Trade: The discussions are going to be continuing today and tomorrow. ASEAN is a very important economic partner to Australia, but we think we can do more in the region. It’s growing very fast. It’s a very prosperous region of the world. And I think Australia can do more to sell more of our wonderful food and wine into the region, to do more in the digital space and in particular with critical minerals. So, there’s terrific opportunities here for Australian companies, Mel. My job is to make the contact with the various governments in the region, but to then push Australian companies out the door and into Southeast Asia and take advantage of the terrific opportunities here. Too often in the past, Australia has flown over Southeast Asia and delivered goods into China, into Japan and into South Korea. And we’ve missed the opportunities right on our doorstep in Southeast Asia. So, this will be an opportunity to meet with my counterparts and discuss ways in which we can build trade, build free and fair trade in a world that’s increasingly difficult in the trading space.

Melissa Clarke: So, when it comes to dealing with the ASEAN nations, is it a matter of improving the terms of the existing free trade deals that already exist or is it a case of making sure that Australian businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities that are already there?

Minister for Trade: I think it’s the latter, Mel. I think there are so many opportunities here under our existing trade agreements. We don’t need any more new trade agreements with Southeast Asia. We’ve got them in place already. What we have to do is to explain the significance and the importance, and the opportunities in Southeast Asia for all of our wonderful Australian businesses. And that’s what I’ll be doing over the next two days.

Melissa Clarke: You mentioned that it can be a bit of a turbulent time when it comes to tariffs and trade globally at the moment. Do we see China becoming a more stable trading partner for Southeast Asian nations than the US?

Minister for Trade: Look, we’ve got a very good trading relationship with China. China is now our, far and away, our largest trading partner. And over the last three and a bit years, we’ve managed to stabilise our relationship with China, and that’s resulted in Australian companies getting back $20 billion worth of trade that had been lost over the period of the previous government. We can certainly do more with China, I think, but the policy of this government is to try and diversify our trading relationship. So, we now have a new free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Our trade with the United Kingdom has doubled. We have a new trade agreement with India. Our trade again has almost doubled. And on the first of October, our new free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates comes into force, and we get all of our products into the United Arab Emirates tariff free.

Melissa Clarke: So, can I bring you back to the question, though, which is, is the US policy on tariffs pushing our Southeast Asian neighbours to deal more closely with China because China is providing a more reliable relationship than the US is?

Minister for Trade: Look, we have to accept the world as it is, Mel. America has changed its policies in recent times. I’ll be meeting with my counterpart, Jamieson Greer, over the next couple of days. I’ll be talking to him about trying to reverse some of the policies that the United States have adopted in respect to their trading arrangements. We want a free and prosperous Southeast Asia. We want a free and prosperous region. We want to keep the lines of communications open both with the Americans, with the Chinese and our good friends in Southeast Asia. There are the opportunities here.

Melissa Clarke: When you have those discussions with Jamieson Greer, how much emphasis are you putting on winding back the tariffs that the US has imposed upon Australia’s exports? Because some of your colleagues are suggesting that the deal Australia has at the moment, given it’s better than the tariffs the US imposed on most other countries, isn’t too bad. And if it remains as it is, that’s not too much of a problem.

Minister for Trade: Well, that’s not my view, Mel. I think we should continue to prosecute the arguments with the Americans that we have a free trade agreement with America that was freely entered into 20 years ago and that agreement provides that trade between Australia and the United States should be tariff free. So, all we’re asking the Americans to do is to honour the terms of our trade agreement. Now, the Americans may have issues with the way in which that agreement operates, but the message I will be giving to Mr. Greer is, look, we have an agreement. Okay, our tariff rate is the lowest of any country in the world, but we believe it should return to where it ought to be based on our free trade agreement, and that is zero tariff on all products going from Australia into the United States.

Melissa Clarke: We’re seeing the Federal Government bailout smelters like Tomago in New South Wales, Mount Isa in Queensland, others in South Australia and Tasmania. This is government support for struggling industries. But does it risk breaking international trade rules on protectionism?

Minister for Trade: No, I don’t believe any of the things that either the State or the Federal Governments are doing, often in concert, Mel, breach any of our international obligations. As a country, we need, for instance, to be able to produce steel. That’s a matter of national security and national interest. And I don’t see any difficulty with Australian Governments, state and federal, making sure that we continue to be able to produce that steel. And I don’t believe that there’s any conflict with any of our agreements when we do that.

Melissa Clarke: I have to ask, as a proud South Australian, would you like to see car manufacturing return in South Australia? Because Liberal MP Andrew Hastie seems to think it’d be a good idea to be making and manufacturing more goods like that again in Australia. Would you like to see the assembly lines in Elizabeth fire back up?

Minister for Trade: Look, I was in the Parliament when an earlier version of the Liberal Government made an absolutely crazy decision to allow Holden to close in South Australia and the loss of a couple of thousand jobs and then followed by the closure of Toyota. This government has a plan, a Future Made in Australia. We believe we can rebuild manufacturing in this country. But look, let’s face it, it was the Liberals under Prime Minister Abbott that let that industry close. I think what we need to do now as a country is to look at what areas we can best get an advantage for our manufacturers, and Future Made in Australia is very much a part of that.

Melissa Clarke: All right, Don Farrell, I appreciate you making time for us while you’re in Malaysia. Thanks very much.

Minister for Trade: Thanks, Mel.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Jim Chalmers:

Overnight we got a report from the OECD. And what the OECD has concluded is that there’s a lot of uncertainty and volatility weighing on the global economy, but Australia is in an enviable position. The OECD expects Australia to grow as fast as the fastest major advanced economy this year and next year they expect Australia to grow much faster than any major advanced economy.

Our economy is characterised by stability and opportunity in a global economy which is defined by uncertainty, unpredictability and volatility. Those are the conclusions of the OECD. Under Labor, inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment is low, we’ve got the debt down and we’ve seen interest rates come down 3 times this year as well. So there’s a lot coming at us from around the world, we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got a lot going for us as well. And the OECD report makes that clear.

We also welcome today the news that underlying inflation in August fell once again. It is a very good thing to see underlying inflation down to 2.6 per cent, around the middle of the Reserve Bank’s target range. Today’s figures show the very substantial and sustained progress that we have made together when it comes to underlying inflation. Despite that increased volatility in the global economy, underlying inflation is within the target range, and that’s a promising result in uncertain times.

Headline inflation fell slightly in the month, but the annual rate increased slightly to 3.0 per cent. That’s because of the way that it’s calculated, the base effects in that number and also because of the timing of the ending of state energy rebates. This outcome was within the range that the market expected. Headline inflation has now been at or below 3 per cent for more than a year, remembering it was 6.1 per cent when we came to office. And underlying inflation has now been within the Reserve Bank’s target range for 9 consecutive months, and that’s a very good thing.

We know that monthly inflation figures can be more volatile and less reliable than the quarterly figures because they don’t compare the exact same basket of goods and services from month to month. I refer you to the Reserve Bank Governor’s comments earlier this week in that regard. The quarterly figures are more reliable than the monthly figures for the time being. And what those official quarterly numbers show is that both underlying and headline inflation are at their lowest rates in almost 4 years, if you use the quarterly measure rather than today’s monthly measure.

Now, this progress that we’ve made together on inflation has given the Reserve Bank the confidence that it has needed to cut interest rates 3 times in the space of 6 months this year. We also need to remember that these results today and recent inflation data has come at a time when inflation has ticked up in other parts of the world, including the US, Canada and New Zealand, and it’s still stubbornly high in places like the United Kingdom as well.

So we’re making really good progress on underlying inflation. Those numbers today make it clear. But we’ve been able to focus on getting inflation down at the same time as we maintain a focus as well on some of the bigger, longer term structural issues in our economy, like productivity.

And today I’m announcing that I’ve asked the Board of Tax to look at responsible and affordable ways to cut compliance costs in the tax system by cutting red tape. This is all about finding material and measurable ways to get compliance costs down, to cut red tape in the tax system.

It’s an important part of the work that we are doing already with the Australian Tax Office and also separately with the major regulators to make sure that regulation is fit for purpose, to make sure that we have better regulation, to see where we can eliminate unnecessary duplication, whether it’s in regulation of the financial system but also in the context of today’s announcement when it comes to the tax system. So, the Board of Tax is a really important institution. I’ve tasked them today to look for meaningful, measurable, responsible, affordable ways to cut red tape in the tax system, and I’m looking forward to their conclusions.

I also wanted to alert you to the release later today of the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission inquiry into the GST distribution. These terms of reference are broad enough to look into some of the issues and concerns which have been raised by the states. The GST distribution will always be a contentious issue. We’re working through that issue in a methodical way.

We’ve asked the Productivity Commission or, indeed, our predecessors asked the Productivity Commission to look into the GST distribution to make sure that we are looking at all of the issues, including issues raised by the states. I’ll be releasing those terms of reference later today, and that will give people the opportunity to express a view, and it will make sure that the PC’s work can begin in earnest.

Now, with that, I’m happy to take a couple of questions.

Journalist:

Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki has accused you of planning a watered‑down review of the GST‑funding deal. What do you make of those comments he’s made today?

Chalmers:

They are ridiculous, but they’re not surprising. Unfortunately, David has made a habit of trying to blame the Commonwealth for his own problems in his own budget. Now, we are investing billions and billions of extra dollars in Queensland. We do that enthusiastically. Whether it’s the Bruce Highway or the schools deal or the skills deal, we have shown a willingness to invest billions of extra dollars in Queensland.

It’s not a new thing that state treasurers would like more money from the Commonwealth. It’s not an especially new thing that treasurers like David Janetzki point the finger at the Commonwealth in the hope that it will distract people from his own challenges that he is dealing with. I see that through that perspective.

Unfortunately, I think whenever David tries to blame the Commonwealth for the problems in his own budget, I think it shows that he’s a bit out of his depth. He would be better off engaging, like we do, in good faith with other levels of government. We all recognise that everyone’s budget is under pressure of one kind or another, including the Commonwealth’s budget. We’ve shown a willingness to do the best we can for the states, to work with them in a collaborative, considered, methodical way, and that’s what this PC review is all about.

Journalist:

Treasurer, Donald Trump has called climate change the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. And he also said that renewables are an expensive joke. What’s your reaction to that?

Chalmers:

We don’t see it that way in Australia. Donald Trump’s comments, President Trump’s comments, are a matter for him. His views are a matter for him. Our job is to work through the Australian opportunity in an Australian way. Other countries make their own decisions about that. Australia is working through this opportunity in a considered and methodical way, informed by experts and informed by economic modelling.

And because of that work that we have done and the work that we are doing, we see cleaner and cheaper energy as a massive economic opportunity for Australia. And as big investors around the world are looking for the best place to invest in cleaner and cheaper energy, Australia is becoming a more and more appealing place. A more and more appealing destination for that investment capital.

Now, one of the reasons we released our targets last week – the Prime Minister, the Energy Minister and I released those targets last week – it’s all about giving investors the clarity and the certainty that they need to invest with confidence. And so I say to investors around the world who are looking at developments in other countries that we are providing the clarity and the certainty that they need to invest in Australian cleaner and cheaper energy with confidence.

When it comes to global developments also, don’t forget that more than 80 per cent of global GDP is covered by net‑zero commitments. And I think when it comes to Australia’s major trading partners, the number goes up to more than 90 per cent of GDP. This is a huge opportunity for Australia, we intend to grasp it. And we will do that by working through these issues in a considered and methodical way, informed by experts and by economic modelling of the sort that we released last week.

Journalist:

Treasurer, the latest jump in the headline inflation figure is driven by higher electricity bills. Once all the energy rebates come off, what plan do you have to lower power prices?

Chalmers:

Well, a couple of things about that. First of all, in the monthly figure in August electricity prices fell by 6.3 per cent. You’re obviously referring to the through‑the‑year figure, which was a bit higher because of some of the issues around the timing of state energy rebates, especially WA, Queensland and Tasmania, from memory.

So this monthly number, whether it’s for electricity prices or more broadly, it’s more volatile. And what we’re seeing in these numbers today for electricity is the timing of some of those state rebates coming off. But in monthly terms, for the month of August electricity prices went down 6.3 per cent according to the ABS.

One of the best ways to smooth out some of that volatility in the monthly figures is to rely a bit more heavily on the quarterly data. And if you look at the quarterly data, electricity fell 6.2 per cent through the year to the June quarter, and that’s an important bit of perspective as well.

When it comes to our rebates, we are helping people with their electricity bills by extending those rebates to the end of the year. Our political opponents would rather those electricity bills were higher. They don’t want us providing that assistance to people to help with the cost of living. That’s clear. That’s a big difference between the political parties. But we see it as an important way to take some of the sting out of these electricity prices that we’re seeing.

Now, in the medium term and in the longer term, as our economic modelling makes clear that we released last week, the cheapest form of new energy is renewable energy. We want to add more and more cleaner and cheaper energy to the grid. If you listen to the experts, they will tell you that one of the reasons why we’ve had upward pressure on electricity prices is not because of the new renewable stuff being added to the grid but by the increasingly less reliable old legacy stuff in the grid. And so over the medium term and over the longer term the best way to put downward pressure on prices is to introduce cleaner and cheaper energy, and that’s an important part of our plan.

Journalist:

Mr Janetzki has indicated that coal will power Queensland for decades to come. Does that undermine your own government’s emission targets and net zero?

Chalmers:

Well, what our modelling makes clear is that traditional sources of energy will have a role to play in the transition. Particularly, I think when it comes to gas. I think the point that Premier Malinauskas from South Australia was making today in the media is that some of these traditional energy sources have a role to play, gas in particular.

And I think when it comes to the coal industry, the big determinant when it comes to the coal industry and our modelling is actually global demand. But what we are proposing is to add more cleaner and cheaper renewable energy to the grid over time. That’s good for our economy, it’s good for our environment, and over time good for electricity prices, too.

Journalist:

Have you had conversations with the Treasurer and the Queensland Government about their own coal plans and how that could affect your 2035 emissions targets?

Chalmers:

We have discussions all the time with the states and territories about our energy policies and our policies more broadly. David, typically communicates with me via The Courier Mail or The Australian. But we do have the time at these treasurers’ meetings to engage on these important issues, whether it’s GST distribution, whether it’s regulation in the energy market. These are important issues that we work together on constructively.

But one of the reasons that we put out so much detail last Thursday when we released our economic modelling, the CCA advice, our climate targets and all of that associated detail is because we wanted to be upfront and transparent with states and territories and local government, investors and the community more broadly about our plans to get more cleaner and cheaper energy into the system, what that means for the economy, the tremendous economic opportunity that represents for Australia and for Queensland.

Journalist:

The US is pushing ahead with a deal that would see TikTok’s algorithm in the states controlled by American companies. Will Australia follow suit with that to have the app’s algorithm in Australia controlled by Australian companies?

Chalmers:

That’s not something I’m in a position to go into today. Obviously, we monitor closely the developments around the world when it comes to the regulation of tech companies, social media companies and others. My colleague Anika Wells is in New York with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister talking about some other issues related to social media and particularly where it comes to protecting Australian youngsters on social media. But we monitor these developments. We obviously take these developments very seriously, but I don’t have much to add beyond what we’ve said publicly about this before.

I might just take one or 2 more and then we’re done.

Journalist:

A quick question from the 7 newsroom?

Chalmers:

Okay, I’ll come back to you, mate.

Journalist:

You picked up the phone to the ANZ boss over mass job cuts this month. Now 200 teller roles at Westpac are being replaced. What do you think – what do you say to Australians who feel like banks support profit before people?

Chalmers:

Obviously very concerning these developments that we’re seeing in the banking system, and we are focused on the people who are losing their jobs or who are at risk of losing their jobs. Overall, the story of jobs in our country has been a very encouraging one. But in the banking system we have seen recent announcements, and these are difficult days for the people who are affected.

The point that I would make to Westpac is the same point that I made to the ANZ. Which is when you are making and taking these difficult decisions the onus is on the banks to explain them to the people involved, the people at risk, to ideally involve the relevant union, to make sure that people are treated as well as they can be. But obviously very difficult times for people impacted by these job losses in the banking sector. And we want to make sure that the leadership of these banks works through these issues in a consultative way with the affected workers.

Last one.

Journalist:

What’s your response to reports Singtel cut more than 200 million from Optus mobile networks last year just by being under pressure to improve mobile reliability after its ’23 outage?

Chalmers:

We’re going to look at all of those issues. What we’ve seen with Optus and with the failures with 000 is a disgrace, and my colleagues have made that clear. These are devastating, disgraceful developments and whether it’s ACMA or other processes which are underway, we will get to the bottom of what’s happened here. This can never happen again. And so there are a number of processes underway to get to the bottom of it. And the issue that you raised no doubt will be part of that. Thanks very much.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Call for information on light aircraft near Upper Esk

Wednesday, 24 September 2025 – 4:41 pm.

Tasmania Police received a report earlier today (September 24) of a light aircraft potentially in trouble near Upper Esk, in the state’s North-East.
Inquiries have not identified any aircraft in the area, and land and air searches have not located anything to suggest an aircraft was in trouble.
Searching has now been suspended.
However, police would still like to hear from anyone who may have been flying in the area, or from anyone who knows of anyone who was flying in the area about midday on Wednesday. Please call police on 131 444.
Police would like to acknowledge the support from Tasmania Fire Service and Ambulance Tasmania who were a significant part of the response.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Optus Mobile Pty Ltd (Optus) has today been ordered by the Federal Court to pay a penalty of $100 million for engaging in unconscionable conduct when selling mobile phones and contracts to hundreds of Australians, and subsequent debt collection in a case brought by the ACCC.

The Court has imposed this penalty after Optus admitted it acted unconscionably, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law, and agreed to make joint submissions with the ACCC to the Court that a total penalty of $100 million was appropriate.

In many instances the affected consumers did not want or need, could not use or could not afford the phones and contracts they were sold and, in some cases, consumers were pursued for debts resulting from these sales.

Many of the affected consumers were vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage, such as living with a mental disability, diminished cognitive capacity or learning difficulties, being financially dependent or unemployed, having limited financial literacy or English not being a first language. Many of the consumers were First Nations Australians from regional, remote and very remote parts of Australia.

“Optus’s conduct in this case was truly appalling, and we welcome the substantial penalty imposed by the Court and the deterrence message that it will send,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“During the course of our investigation we heard from many people who had not only experienced significant financial harm, but also emotional distress and fear after being pursued by debt collectors for long periods.”

“A company of Optus’s size should have had better systems and controls in place to identify and stop this sort of behaviour,” Ms Lowe said.

In his decision, Justice O’Sullivan said the consequences of Optus’s conduct were “profound”.

“Numerous individuals experienced severe financial harm, emotional distress, and social shame,” he said.

“Particularly damaging was the heightened risk of losing access to essential telecommunications services when faced with inflated service costs.”

In addition to the financial penalty, Optus has also provided the ACCC with a five-year court-enforceable undertaking that it will compensate impacted consumers and improve its internal systems.

Optus’s conduct impacted over 400 consumers and occurred at 16 Optus stores between August 2019 and July 2023. Any consumer who considers they may have been impacted by similar conduct should contact Optus.

Examples of the misconduct included:

• putting undue pressure on consumers to purchase a large number of products, including expensive phones and accessories, that they did not want or need, could not use or could not afford;
• failing to explain relevant terms and conditions to vulnerable consumers in a manner they could understand, resulting in them not understanding their ongoing payment obligations;
• not having regard to whether consumers had Optus coverage where they lived;
• selling products and services which Optus knew, or ought reasonably to have known, the consumers could not afford; and
• misleading these consumers to believe that goods were free or included as part of a bundle at no additional cost.

Many impacted consumers were supported by local advocates, financial counsellors and carers in trying to seek a resolution with Optus.  

“We commend the dedicated and hardworking people who assisted many of the affected consumers, and we also thank the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman for drawing the broader conduct to our attention,” Ms Lowe said. 

In the case of Optus’s Mount Isa store, which has now closed, the telco pursued debts in circumstances where its then senior management knew that those debts related to contracts for goods and services that appeared to have been entered into at the Optus Mount Isa Store fraudulently and without consumer knowledge.

Optus’s then senior management became increasingly aware that Optus staff were engaging in the inappropriate sales practices and that Optus’s systems and controls could not stop the conduct. Optus acknowledged it failed to promptly take steps to fix deficiencies in its systems, which allowed the conduct to continue.

Commission-based sales arrangements for Optus’s sales staff had the clear potential to incentivise the inappropriate sales conduct, despite the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code requiring Optus, from 17 June 2022, to have regard to the ACCC’s best practice recommendations which recommend businesses avoid commission-based selling because of its potential to exacerbate the vulnerability of consumers.

This case follows similar ACCC action against Telstra, which was ordered in May 2021 to pay a $50 million penalty for engaging in unconscionable conduct when it sold mobile contracts to 108 First Nations Australians consumers between at least 1 January 2016 and about 27 August 2018.

Examples of the alleged conduct

A First Nations consumer visited an Optus store in a metro area. They were sold multiple Optus mobile plans and services, including two mobile phones, as well as accessories. The Optus sales representative manipulated the credit check, which enabled them to sell the consumer Optus services and products that they could not afford. Despite the details of the sale coming to the attention of Optus’s fraud team, the consumer’s debt in excess of $3,000 was referred to an external debt collection agency. The debt continued to be pursued by Optus for over a year.

In a separate example, Optus entered into four contracts with a consumer who lived with deafness and communicated by Australian Sign Language. Optus staff failed to explain the terms of the consumer’s contract in a manner which they could understand. The consumer was on a disability pension, and the cost of the contracts was more than they could afford. In addition, the consumer did not need and could not use the Optus products and services. It was only with significant time and assistance of the consumer’s support worker that the consumer was able to cancel the contracts.

In 2019, an internal Optus investigation into customer accounts at the Optus store in Mount Isa resulted in a report that stated that the store manager had falsified identification documents and consumer information to create contracts for services, and had used the identities of First Nations consumers who were not aware that their identities had been used. Another report identified 82 contracts that appeared to have been fraudulently completed without consumer knowledge.

After Optus was notified of the conduct that was the subject of the reports, including its senior management at the time, it still referred and sold outstanding debts associated with some of those contracts to third party debt collection and factoring agencies. Some consumers whose identities were associated with the relevant customer accounts were subject to threats of legal proceedings being commenced against them and of reporting defaults to credit reporting bodies. Some customers continued to be pursued by third party collections agencies until as late as July 2024 and Optus had not taken steps to stop that occurring.

The ACCC acknowledges Optus’s cooperation in resolving the Court proceedings at an early stage and providing a court-enforceable undertaking. The undertaking includes:

• a 3-year consumer remediation program
• changes to remuneration and incentives for Optus sales staff designed to prevent further conduct from occurring
• a requirement for Optus to ensure that certain Optus Licensee stores in the Northern Territory, regional Queensland and South Australia are directly operated by Optus
• process and system changes, for example improvements to Optus’s complaints handling process for consumers experiencing vulnerability and/or disadvantage, and
• a $1 million donation to an organisation facilitating digital literacy of First Nations Australians.  

The Court also ordered Optus to pay a contribution to the ACCC’s costs, by consent.

Optus customer support

Consumers who think they may have been impacted by conduct similar to that outlined in Optus’s undertaking to the ACCC can call Optus’s specialist customer care team on 1300 082 820 for further information or support.

They can also visit the Sales Misconduct Response page on Optus’s website.

Background

Questions regarding the recent Optus outage affecting triple-0 call services are unrelated to this judgment and should be directed to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ACCC does not have a role in regulating or enforcing compliance with emergency call service regulations and other related rules.

Optus is Australia’s second largest telecommunications provider. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singtel Optus Pty Ltd, a foreign owned private company.

In Australia, Optus’s retail stores are either:

• owned and operated directly by Optus RetailCo Pty Ltd; or
• owned and operated through third party licensees, through Retail License Agreements. For example, prior to Optus buying back certain stores, all Optus stores in the Adelaide region were owned and operated by Mavaya Pty Ltd, and all Optus stores in the Northern Territory, as well as several in regional Queensland, were owned and operated by Suntel Communications Pty Ltd.

On 31 October 2024, the ACCC commenced court action against Optus. The investigation was prompted by a referral from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

On 18 June 2025, the ACCC announced that Optus had admitted to engaging in unconscionable conduct and agreed to a total penalty of $100 million, subject to Court approval.

Source: Mental Health Australia

RAAF Base Richmond celebrates its 100^th anniversary with the RAAF Richmond Airshow this weekend, 27-28 September.

Aviation enthusiasts will be able to witness the amazing Air Force flying shows and explore ground exhibits. Tickets to the air show are sold out and no tickets will be available on site. 

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins is urging ticketholders to leave the car at home and take public transport to avoid long traffic delays, with up to 40,000 attendees expected each day of the weekend.

“Travel on all modes of public transport is included in event tickets, just show your event ticket to Transport staff when boarding services. 

“There will be extra trains, metro, and shuttle bus services to get people to and from Clarendon. 

“If you must drive, there is very limited parking available nearby, and you must have a pre-purchased parking ticket. Parking sites must be accessed via Blacktown Road only due to road closures. Traffic is expected to be heavy around and on approach to the Airbase so allow plenty of extra travel time. 

The closest station to RAAF Richmond Airbase is Clarendon on the T1 Western Line and T5 Cumberland Line. From the station, it’s a short walk to the airbase via temporary gates along Hawkesbury Valley Way. Staff and signs will be in place to help guide attendees.

Additional trains have been arranged for both days of the airshow to run between Clarendon Station and Central or Macarthur. Buses will replace some trains between Richmond and Clarendon or Blacktown during bump-in and bump-out. 

Event shuttle buses will run between Tallawong metro station and Schofields train station.  Shuttle buses will run every 6 to 10 minutes between 8am and 6pm each day. At Schofields, customers can change for a train to Clarendon.

Shuttle buses will also run between Penrith and Clarendon every half an hour between 7.30am and 5.30pm each day.

Planned trackwork on several rail lines could affect how passengers travel to and from the event. 

To plan your trip on public transport visit RAAF Richmond Airshow 2025 | transportnsw.info or use the Opal Travel app or other trip planning apps.

For real-time updates on traffic conditions, including road closures and special event clearways, visit Live Traffic NSW

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Today we’ve released the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the 2018 changes to the Goods and Services Tax distribution required under legislation.

This work will ensure we have the best possible system to pay for the schools, hospitals and essential services Australians need and deserve.

It’s about making sure these arrangements are delivering the best value for states and territories, as well as hardworking Australian taxpayers.

In 2018, the Parliament legislated changes to the independent, arms‑length GST revenue distribution process. This was the first significant change made to the GST since it was introduced in 2000.

The 2018 legislation requires that the operation of the changes be reviewed by the Productivity Commission by the end of 2026.

The Productivity Commission Inquiry will look at ways in which the federal financial relations system can best promote fiscal sustainability across the states and territories and the Commonwealth.

The PC will investigate whether the current arrangements are working efficiently, effectively and as intended, while being cognisant of the Commonwealth’s policy commitments in relation to GST distribution, and with Terms of Reference that are deliberately broad enough to enable it to look into issues raised by states and territories.

I have asked the Productivity Commission to invite the public to make submissions on any matter raised by the Terms of Reference.

The Productivity Commission will provide an interim report to Government by 28 August 2026 and a final report before 31 December 2026.

All government budgets are under pressure and that’s why the Commonwealth is kicking in billions more dollars to boost state and territory budgets in the national interest.

Over the next four years, this includes investing $137.3 billion in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, $53 billion in the Land Transport Infrastructure Projects Agreement, $9.8 billion in the National Skills Agreement, and $7.5 billion for the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness.

Responsible economic management is a hallmark of the Albanese Government.

At the same time as we’re rolling out tax cuts for every taxpayer, we’ve managed to get the budget in much better nick, delivering the biggest turnaround in a parliamentary term in history by banking revenue and trimming Liberal rorts and waste, but the Commonwealth budget is still under pressure.

We’ll continue to do what we reasonably and responsibly can to ease the burden on states and territories, acknowledging the difficult budgetary position we inherited after a wasted decade under our predecessors.

Source:

Glynn, Liam and Rhys Owen

Recently Liam Owen turned 11 years old and joined Beaconsfield Fire Brigade as a junior member. This was not surprising given that dad Glynn and pop Rhys are both firefighters in the brigade.

Rhys has been a CFA member for 38 years. He first joined Hampton Park Fire Brigade and has been a member of Beaconsfield Fire Brigade for the past 27 years. Rhys is an operational member of the brigade as well as a junior leader in the brigade.

Glynn has been a member of CFA for 24 years at Beaconsfield Fire Brigade having initially joined as a junior member. Glynn is also an operational member and also the junior program coordinator.

“Liam had been counting down the days until he could become a junior member,” Glyn said. 

“Rhys and Glynn have made and continue to make a significant contribution to the brigade,” Beaconsfield Captain Phil Walton said. “If Liam follows in their footsteps, the Owens will play a big part in the brigade for many years to come.

Submitted by	Philip Walton

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Drug and Organised Crime Division (DOCD) has charged four people after a successful operation targeting drug supply in the Darwin region.

On Friday 11 July 2025, DOCD detectives received intelligence that two firearms, being a 7.62mm SKS semi-automatic rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun, were being couriered from Queensland to the NT with a 22-year-old male the intended recipient. 

Over the course of Operation Werra, DOCD detectives gathered evidence implicating the 22-year-old male in the commercial supply of cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis. Through the operation, evidence was obtained that a 64-year-old female, related to the male, was working in partnership with him in the supply of the cannabis.

On Thursday 18 September, a lawful search was executed at an address in Britomart Gardens, Alawa which was allegedly known as the offenders’ ‘safe house’.

 During the search the following was located:

• 560g of methamphetamine
• 1.8kg of cannabis
• $45 000 in cash

A 65-year-old female who resides at this address and is known to the pair was arrested and conveyed to the Palmerston watch house.

Shortly after this arrest, DOCD detectives apprehended the 22-year-old male after he was located driving his Toyota Hilux on Tasman Circuit in Wagaman. Two members attempted to open the driver’s side door when the male reversed his vehicle and then drove forward causing one member to take evasive action to avoid being struck.

The police vehicle was driven forward to avoid endangering police further. The 22-year-old male allegedly struck the police vehicle with his vehicle before he was safely extracted and secured on the ground.

Police executed a lawful search of his vehicle, and the following was located:

• 4g of methamphetamine
• $950 cash

The male was also drug tested and returned a positive result. He was conveyed to the Palmerston watch house where he later tested positive for methamphetamine, cocaine and opioids.

A lawful search was conducted at his residence in Curlew Circuit, Wulagi where the following was located and seized:

• A trafficable quantity of cannabis
• 1 x .22 calibre semi-automatic pistol with suppressor

Whilst DOCD detectives were conducting the search at this address the 64-year-old female family member attended and was arrested for the supply of a commercial quantity of schedule 2 drugs.

On Friday 19 September, police executed a lawful search at an address in Earl Place, Millner where 250 grams of cannabis was located.

The 22-year-old male was charged with:

• Supply schedule 1 drug – Commercial quantity x 2 (56g cocaine and 560g methamphetamine)
• Supply schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity (13.6 kg of cannabis)
• Possess schedule 1 drug – Commercial quantity
• Possess schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
• Recklessly endanger life
• 3 x Possess / use prohibited firearm
• Possess / use silencer
• Fail to meet storage requirements
• Driver drug in blood

He is expected to also be charged with possessing 1.25 kilograms of cocaine seized in July 2025. 

He was remanded to appear at Darwin Local Court on 29 September 2025.

The 65-year-old female has since been charged with:

• Possess Schedule 1 Drug – Commercial quantity
• Supply Schedule 1 Drug – Commercial quantity
• Possess Schedule 2 Drug – Commercial quantity
• Supply Schedule 2 Drug – Commercial quantity
• Receive property in commission of the offence

She was bailed to appear at Darwin Local Court on 19 November 2025.

The 64-year-old female was charged with:

• Supply Schedule 2 Drug – Commercial quantity (11.3 kg)
• Possess Schedule 2 Drug – Commercial Quantity
• Receive property commission of the offence

She was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court on 26 September 2025.

Detective Senior Constable Mark Bond said, “The Northern Territory Drug and Organised Crime Division will stop at nothing to prevent these offences occurring in the Territory and we will continue to disrupt the supply and distribution of harmful substances and prohibited firearms into our community.

Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

Poor management of trust accounts in the real estate industry is under the spotlight, with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) taking action to protect consumers’ money.

CAV investigates how estate agents, conveyancers and businesses manage their trust accounts, which hold client funds including rental payments and home deposits.

Estate agencies and conveyancers are legally required to audit their trust accounts every financial year. Failing to lodge an audit report can be a sign of potential deeper problems within the business.

CAV’s recent disciplinary proceedings have resulted in one estate agent having their licence suspended, another being fined, and a third facing a hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Licence suspended over serious audit failures

Earlier this month, Point Cook agent James Anthony Ferris had his licence suspended for 3 months after failing to arrange trust account audits for his company, James Ferris Property Pty Ltd, for 5 years.

VCAT found that Ferris:

• was not a fit and proper person to hold an estate agent’s licence
• engaged in unprofessional conduct damaging to the industry’s reputation
• failed in his duties as the company’s Officer In Effective Control (OIEC) to arrange audits; and
• did not exercise due care, skill and diligence.

Ferris was also reprimanded and ordered to complete additional professional training.

Once he gets his licence back, Ferris will have to appoint a third party to manage his business’ trust account records for 2 years.

VCAT acknowledged that since disciplinary proceedings were brought against him, Ferris and his company had put systems in place to manage its trust accounting requirements and had completed all outstanding audits.

However, the tribunal also noted Ferris’ initial failure to engage with CAV and emphasised the need to protect the public as part of its decision.

Further legal actions

In a separate case, Cranbourne real estate agent Carmelo Sottile was fined $500 after failing to lodge trust account audits for his business, Builders Property Direct, for 4 years.

Sottile, 51, was also ordered to appoint a third party to maintain his trust accounting records for 3 years. The outcome followed an agreement with CAV.

CAV is also taking action against estate agent Stephen Horler, 69, of Cheltenham. He is alleged to have failed to have his trust account audited between 2015 and 2022. Horler is scheduled to appear at VCAT tomorrow.

If you’re an estate agent and have questions about your obligations, go to Trust accounts.