Month: October 2025

Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

More unsafe products have been removed from this year’s Melbourne Royal Show, as Consumer Affairs Victoria spotted yo-yo balls that are permanently banned in Australia.

Inspectors seized 100 of the toys, which have long cords that pose a strangulation risk to children. The products also failed mandatory information standards because they contain button batteries that are not labelled.

The product safety team has been monitoring stalls throughout the 11-day event. In the lead-up to the show last month, they checked 320 showbags and found 15 unsafe and non-compliant items. These were removed or modified where appropriate.

Breaches of the product safety laws may lead to court action and penalties of up to $2.5 million for individuals and $50 million for companies.

Consumer Affairs Victoria is investigating the matter.

If you’re concerned about the safety of a product you’ve purchased or seen for sale, put it securely out of reach of children and report it or call us on 1300 55 81 81.

Source: Mental Health Australia

As holidaymakers make the most of a spring break across the state, motorists heading into regional NSW for the Labour Day long weekend are reminded to factor in extra travel times to ensure they reach their destinations safely.

Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

We’ve been at sea for a week now and we’re starting to see lots of pancake ice and snow petrels. The first few days of the voyage were rough – seas to around 8 metres and 40 knot winds – and it was a short sharp lesson in the importance of securing chairs and other objects in cabins and keeping a hand free, at all times, to grab a railing!

Many of the scientists on board are busy with underway monitoring. The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) was put overboard last Friday night, where it trawled for 450 nautical miles, collecting plankton on its silk filters. It was then hauled back in for a cartridge change and redeployed for another 450 nautical miles.
Other scientists are monitoring photosynthetic pigments and phytoplankton along the route using a fluorometer, an instrument that measures the intensity of fluorescence in seawater. The seawater is brought into the ship through a pipe called the uncontaminated seawater source.
It’s the first voyage for the pCO2 sensor – an instrument that estimates how much carbon dioxide is in the water – recently commissioned by the AAD in collaboration with CSIRO, IMOS (Integrated Marine Observing System) and AAPP (the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership) during sea trials.
“This will help us track how much carbon dioxide is being captured in the Southern Ocean through time,” V1 science coordinator, Dr Patricia Miloslavich said.
“Basically, the uncontaminated seawater source provides the instrument with an adequate seawater supply and that generates data that’s transmitted daily back to the Australian Antarctic Data Centre and to CSIRO for quality assessment and control.
“PCO2 is one of the essential ocean variables we supply to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), which provides data for policy development and for climate change modelling and predictions.”
Scientists and crew have also deployed Argo floats, which form part of a global oceanographic monitoring system.
Time really is a fluid notion out here.  We’ve set our clocks back twice now – an hour on Monday and another hour on Wednesday so we’re operating at UTC (Universal Time Coordinated, once known as Greenwich Mean Time) +8. After Casey, we’ll move back another hour every second day until we’re at UTC +6 for the Heard Island component of the voyage.
The Casey fly off is scheduled for Saturday when we’re about 80 nautical miles from the station. The Master will get the ship as close in as he can, depending on the sea ice, and then 400 kilos of cargo and 14 people will be flown by helicopter to the station – nine from the Traverse team, three working on ice runway preparation at Wilkins aerodrome, and the summer doctor and chef.
The social side of things is giving everyone plenty of options after-hours. There was a good turnout for the AFL Grand Final viewing in the theatrette last Saturday, and a showing of the obligatory 1982 Antarctic-themed horror/sci fi movie The Thing a few days later.
Next up – The Haunting of Hill House – in the run up to Halloween.
This content was last updated 12 hours ago on 3 October 2025.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Telstra has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay a penalty of $18 million for breaching the Australian Consumer Law after it moved almost 9,000 Belong customers to a lower speed plan without telling them.

In October and November 2020, Telstra migrated 8,897 customers on its Belong brand NBN plans from their current plan which provided a maximum upload speed of 40 Mbps to a service that provided a maximum upload speed of only 20 Mbps. The download speed was unchanged at 100Mbps.

Telstra did not tell customers of the change in maximum upload speed in their service at the time of the change.

“The $18 million penalty sends a strong message to all businesses that they cannot mislead consumers by making changes to key aspects of a service without informing customers of those changes” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

In addition to the penalty, all affected customers have, or will be, remediated by Telstra with a credit or payment of $15 for each month the customer had been on the lower upload speed plan.

The total remediation that Telstra will pay to affected customers exceeds $2.3 million.

“Telstra’s failure to inform customers that their broadband service had been changed denied them the opportunity to decide whether the changed service was suitable for their needs,” Ms Brakey said.

“Misleading pricing and claims in relation to essential services, with a particular focus on telecommunications, is one of ACCC’s current enforcement priorities.”

Telstra made payments to some affected customers prior to the ACCC commencing proceedings. The remaining payments to customers are being made in accordance with a court-enforceable undertaking Telstra has given to the ACCC. Those customers will be contacted by Belong via email.  

The Court also ordered Telstra to pay a contribution to the ACCC’s costs. The Court will publish its reasons for judgment at a later date.

Telstra co-operated with the ACCC by making joint submissions to the Court about orders, including in relation to penalties.

Background

• Belong was launched by Telstra in 2013 as a low-cost mobile and internet service provider, operating semi-independently in a number of areas, including products, marketing, service, billing and parts of IT.
• Upload speed refers to the speed an individual’s internet connection can allow data to be sent from their devices to the internet e.g. sending emails, streaming video calls and conferences.
• In May 2020, NBN Co launched a series of new wholesale consumer speed tiers, including a new 100/20Mbps wholesale speed tier, which provided a maximum download speed of 100mbps and a maximum upload speed of 20mbps. This speed tier costs retail service providers $7 less per month than the 100/40Mbps plan on a wholesale level.
• The ACCC commenced its court action against Telstra on 6 December 2022, and the Federal Court made findings against Telstra on 21 February 2025.

Source: Mental Health Australia

The State Government is delivering on its commitment to restore a reliable crossing over the Kangaroo River, with Transport for NSW confirming a temporary bridge beside Hampden Bridge has been identified as the preferred option

Source: Mental Health Australia

Motorists will soon experience safer journeys between Albion Park and Calderwood, with reduced speed limits to come into place this month on Calderwood Road.

Source:

The First Responders Team

The First Responders team, made up of members from Geelong West Fire Brigade, a paramedic, and an emergency doctor, recently took part in the 2025 Treadmill Challenge in Richmond.

The event is part of the national Walk for Epilepsy campaign, raising funds and awareness for a condition that touches so many families.

Seventeen teams lined up for the Challenge, including football clubs, media personalities, corporate groups and fitness fanatics. The rules were simple but tough: keep a treadmill moving for two and a half hours, with the furthest distance covered earning the win. On the start list were big names such as Mark Philippoussis, Andy Maher, Brett Ratten and Neil Balme.

The First Responders decided to make their mark by running in full operational kit, complete with turnout gear and breathing apparatus.

Despite finishing somewhere in the middle of the results table, the team took out one of the most meaningful honours of the day — the Team Spirit Award.

For those involved, the cause could not have been more personal. Every member of the First Responders team has seen the impact of epilepsy up close. Paramedic Rob and Geelong West Lieutenant Stephen Robertson both have daughters living with epilepsy.

Speaking during the event, Stephen shared that the Epilepsy Foundation has been a lifeline for his family since his daughter Charlotte was diagnosed at just five months of age.

“The Foundation has been a sounding board for us since Charlotte’s diagnosis. In the past 18 months she has been in ICU twice as a result of seizures. Knowing there’s an organisation standing beside families like ours makes a world of difference,” Stephen said.

Epilepsy affects one in 25 Australians, with around 270,000 people currently living with the condition, including about one in 200 children.

The First Responders’ effort was about more than distance. It was about heart, teamwork, and showing that when we come together for a cause, we can make a real difference.

Submitted by	Stephen Robertson

Source: New South Wales – News

Currently, 64 people have lost their lives on South Australian roads this year. Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, Superintendent Shane Johnson said like most long weekends throughout the year we can expect increased traffic on the roads and South Australia Police will conduct a state-wide road safety operation to keep road users safe.

Operation Safe Long Weekend will be in effect from Friday 3 October to Monday 6 October 2025 and will target the Fatal Five factors that contribute to road trauma on South Australian roads, being drink and drug driving, speeding, distraction, seatbelts and dangerous driving.

“Last October long weekend one person lost their life and eight were involved in crashes resulting in life changing injuries,” Superintendent Johnson said.

“Speeding was also an issue last year, with 774 people caught driving above the speed limit.

“We know speed is a major factor in why people crash, take your time to get to your destination, it’s more important to arrive a couple of minutes later than not arrive at all.”

With the long weekend being in the middle of school holidays, drivers are reminded not to be distracted and take regular breaks.

“Make sure everyone in the car wears a seatbelt and stop regularly to avoid fatigue. Regular stops every two hours also help passengers get through a long journey and potentially stop them causing distractions along the way.

“Be patient with other road users and be aware of the traffic around you.

“Remember the journey can be just as fun as the destination so take your time and explore along the way. Just make sure you get there, or home, safely.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 56-year-old male in relation to the death of a woman in Casuarina on Friday 26 September 2025.

The alleged offender, who is the victim’s partner, was arrested yesterday and has now been charged with one count of Murder.

He has been remanded to due to appear in Darwin Local Court 3 October 2025.

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News