Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The NT Police Force Search and Rescue Section safely located a 61-year-old woman who had become lost in bushland near the Nauiyu Community yesterday afternoon.

Around 12:40pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a call from the woman, who reported she had left a licensed premises the previous evening and began walking towards Nauiyu. She later became disoriented in bushland and ran out of drinking water.

Nauiyu police members deployed and commenced the initial search. A short time later, the Search and Rescue Section coordinated an emergency response, with a helicopter dispatched to assist.

One of the Nauiyu members remained in the search area and used the vehicle siren to alert the woman of his location. 

Around 5:00pm, she was located in bushland approximately 240 metres north of the Nauiyu access road.

The woman was conveyed to the local clinic for assessment and treated for dehydration but was otherwise in good health.

Sergeant Chris Grotherr said, “This is a great result and thankfully the woman was located safe and well.

“As the weather heats up across the Territory, it’s a timely reminder for everyone to take extra care when travelling or walking in remote areas.

“Always carry enough drinking water, plan ahead and let someone know your movements.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Families and individuals experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) in Alice Springs and Palmerston will now receive earlier, stronger and more coordinated support through the launch of the new Co-Responder Model.

The model brings together police, a child protection practitioner, victim-survivor specialist support service and specialist support service for people who use violence. By working side-by-side, the team can share information and respond together to families experiencing DFV, helping them access the right support sooner.

NT Police commenced full operations of the new program on Monday 29 September, with the Co-Responder team reviewing police data from DFV callouts to target early intervention strategies where they are needed most. Remaining support teams will be on board by 6 October.

The focus is on supporting people in the early stages of a relationship where violence may emerge, connecting them with support services such as housing, mental health, and alcohol and other drugs, and stepping in before the situation escalates.

Acting Commander Megan Blackwell of the Domestic Violence and Youth Command said trials in Alice Springs earlier this year have already shown the benefits of Police and specialist services working together.

“With the full launch of the Co-Responder Program, we expect to see a stronger, coordinated response to DFV and real improvements in community safety. It is anticipated the Co-Responder Model will expand to other regions across the Northern Territory in the future,” Commander Blackwell said.

These teams will work side by side with government and non-government partners to address the root causes of domestic violence and provide early support to individuals and families. The model will also engage people who use violence earlier through behaviour change programs, helping to break the cycle of violence.

Department of Children and Families’ Chief Executive Officer Brent Warren said domestic and family violence is recognised as a key risk factor for child abuse and neglect and often results in child protection notifications.

By co-locating a child protection practitioner in the team, the Co-Responder Model strengthens the safety of victim-survivors and their children, while ensuring more families can stay together safely and out of the statutory child protection system.

“This program means families and individuals don’t fall through the cracks. Meeting daily and acting early, we can better protect children, provide real support for victim-survivors, and work with people who use violence to change their behaviour. Keeping families safe and strong is at the heart of what we do, and this approach gives us the tools to stop violence before it escalates,” Mr Warren said.

In Alice Springs, the Co-Responder team is working in partnership with Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia (WoSSCA) and Tangentyere Council.

In the Northern region, services such as the Salvation Army and Catholic Care are collaborating with NT Police and program partners to support families in need.

The program is funded through the Northern Territory Government’s $36 million in additional, ongoing annual investment in DFSV.

If violence is already present, matters will continue to be investigated by Police and, where appropriate, referred to the Family Safety Framework for immediate action.

If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to the death of a 52-year-old woman in Casuarina on Friday 26 September 2025.

A crime scene was declared at the time of the incident and while there were no visible signs of trauma, a post-mortem examination has identified internal injuries that have yet to be explained. These injuries have lead to the classification of the case as a suspicious death, with Major Crime Detectives continuing their investigation.

Detectives are urging anyone who was in the area of Casuarina Coastal Reserve between 5pm and 11pm on Friday with information to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25258037.

Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source:

CFA’s Statewide Vegetation Management Team has been collaborating with Community-Based Bushfire Management facilitators to help keen gardeners have valuable conversations about how to enhance bushfire resilience around their homes, while also providing enjoyable landscapes and habitat for wildlife.

A number of workshops across the state educated homeowners by using CFA’s Landscaping for Bushfire document, online plant selection tool and associated example gardens. The workshops focused on plant selection, garden design, zoning of the property, defendable space, as well as property and garden maintenance.

Two examples are described below and example gardens are being developed by local governments and Landcare groups. 

The Landscaping for Bushfire tool was used in the workshops to test a range of plant specimens from local gardens for fire-wise attributes. This means touching, scrunching and smelling foliage, and sharing different opinions about the values these plants provide people. Participants also learned that while some plants may be ranked as more flammable, they can be managed through pruning or placed in safer locations further than 10 metres from the house. 

Well-placed vegetation with low flammability may help protect homes by:

• reducing the amount of radiant heat received by a house
• reducing the chance of direct flame contacting the house
• reducing wind speed around a house
• deflecting and filtering embers
• reducing flammable landscaping materials in the defendable space.

Although the workshops focused on garden design, they also included discussion about ecology and biodiversity conservation that acknowledged there can be competing interests around management for fire risk as well as conservation.

Newham Landcare group hosted a two-part Living with Fire and Biodiversity workshop. Part one explained the evidence related to house loss and fire ecology. Discussions and exchange of practical advice continued the next day at a private property at the foot of Mount Macedon. The owners shared how they consciously considered the impacts of fire while providing habitat for wildlife.

A group of people walked through the different zoning of this fire-wise property to learn how subtle modifications can make living with bushfire less scary and aesthetically beautiful. 

“Participants said they left feeling less scared of bushfires and confident they could design a garden that looks after wildlife,” event organiser Jess Szigethy-Gyula said.

“Others were keen to share this field day information with neighbours, which indicates how transformative the field day was for many.”

In Balnarring, Red Hill Garden Society hosted an interactive talk where Owen Gooding, a keen gardener and retired CFA vegetation management specialist, brought the Landscaping for Bushfire interactive tool to life. Using his extensive experience of understanding house loss following the 2009 fires, Owen provided examples of houses impacted in past bushfires by poorly-placed plants and flammable garden structures. He compared these with clever and practical solutions to create beautiful gardens in high fire risk areas.

“The Landscaping for Bushfire plant selection key is designed for users to learn more about suitable plants for landscaping, how and where to place things you love in your garden and what to avoid, without having a garden that is barren and devoid of character,” Owen said.

“More than 70 people found the presentation and discussion of plant types keenly interesting, and it showed how we can enhance our gardens,” Virginia Ross from the Red Hill South Landcare Group said.

Lessons learned from these workshops are being collated so that CFA can create an information sheet and supportive material that brigades, local government or Landcare Groups can use to facilitate sessions with their local community.

Brigades that would like to run sessions using the Landscaping for Bushfire resources can get support from the Vegetation Management team, Community-Based Bushfire Management and community engagement teams.

The Plant Selection Key is available on the CFA website.

Source: Airservices Australia

The Reserve Bank of Australia has today released a summary of findings from the latest triennial survey of turnover in foreign exchange (FX) and over-the-counter (OTC) interest rate derivatives markets that was conducted in the Australian market in April 2025. This was part of a global survey that involved central banks and authorities from 52 jurisdictions and was coordinated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to obtain comprehensive and consistent information on the size and structure of FX and OTC derivatives markets. Similar surveys have been conducted every three years since 1986 for activity in FX markets and since 1995 for OTC interest rate derivatives markets.

Globally, the Australian dollar is the seventh most traded currency, down from sixth in the previous survey, and its share of turnover remained stable around 6 per cent. The AUD/USD remains the sixth most traded currency pair globally, accounting for around 5 per cent of all transactions.

Activity in Australia’s FX market in April 2025 reached its highest level on record. The survey was conducted during a period of heightened FX volatility and a surge of trading activity following several trade policy announcements by major economies. Average daily turnover in Australia’s FX market increased by 34 per cent to US$201 billion per day in April 2025, from US$150 billion in April 2022.^[1] Australia’s FX market remains the the 11th largest in the world.

In the Australian FX market the majority of turnover remained in FX swaps, accounting for around 53 per cent of total turnover. Spot transactions accounted for 25 per cent of Australian turnover, up from 23 per cent in 2022, and outright forwards accounted for 18 per cent of Australian turnover, little changed from the previous survey.

Activity in the Australian OTC interest rate derivatives markets increased sharply since the previous survey. Average daily turnover in Australian OTC interest rate derivatives markets increased by 123 per cent to US$252 billion during April 2022, reflecting an increase in turnover of interest rate swaps.

The preliminary results of the global turnover survey are available from the BIS website. The final data and related analysis will be released by the BIS in December 2025. Links to other participating jurisdictions’ results are available from the BIS website. More detailed results for the Australian market are available on the 2025 BIS Triennial Survey Results – Australia page. The BIS will also publish global data on amounts outstanding in OTC derivatives markets in November 2025.

Source:

Today, 1 October, is International Day of Older Persons.

Older people bring with them a lifetime of experience, skills and practical knowledge, and these attributes can make them resilient to fire emergencies and disasters. However, older people are disproportionately affected by disasters and often experience higher fatality rates compared with younger populations.

In Australia, people aged 65 years and older are 12.8 times more likely to die from weather-related events (including heatwave) than the general population. Older people are also at disproportionate risk of being affected by fire. 

It’s not age alone that makes older people more vulnerable – it’s the factors associated with advancing age such as impaired physical mobility, diminished sensory awareness, pre-existing health conditions, as well as social and economic constraints.

We have an ageing population in Australia and it is growing. The number of people aged 65 and over increased by 32 per cent between 2013 and 2023. Also, the number of older people receiving care at home increased more than fourfold – from 57,000 to 258,000 people over this 10-year period. This trend is continuing to rise each year in Victoria.

In terms of home fire fatalities, 36 per cent of nationwide fatalities between 2003 and 2017 were aged 65 and older. This pattern continues.

The My Aged Care providers, who deliver in-home support, are in a unique and trusted position because they work inside the homes of people at higher risk from fire. 

CFA has recognised this important link and we recognise that people who can’t prepare and respond quickly and effectively are at higher risk from fire. Since 2019 we have invested more in programs to upskill and engage the care workforce.

The CFA Community Engagement team works to improve how we engage and connect with older people and their informal and formal supports through:

• Partnerships at a state level with National Disability Services, Ageing Australia, VCOSS and COTA (Council on the Ageing) Australia
• Advocacy to My Aged Care at a national level in partnership with FRV  
• Online training for support workers and carers
• In-person engagement at expos, conferences and events such as Ageing Well Expo with the FRV At-Risk Groups team
• Direct engagement with older people, carers and formal providers and people who contact CFA for support.

CFA volunteers also deliver a smoke alarm installation service for people at higher risk, installing 2,680 smoke alarms in 1,047 households across Victoria last financial year. CFA targets the service to older people through follow-up visits from fire safety sessions with community groups, referrals from support services, and brigade members’ local community knowledge.

A recent survey of community members who had received the smoke alarm installation service showed that 92 per cent of recipients were aged 65 or older.

CFA members can play a role locally to help older people by:

• promoting the online learning modules and resources to their local care providers and carers
• engaging local care and health providers so they know who to contact locally at CFA
• attending a local disability and/or seniors expo or event to engage people about fire safety.

Deputy Chief Officer Brett Boatman

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

International ratings agency S&P has today reaffirmed Australia’s AAA credit rating.

This is a resounding endorsement of the Albanese Labor Government’s responsible economic management.

It shows that under Labor, Australia has one of the best budgets in the G20.

“Australia’s fiscal performance is sound… Australia’s economic outlook is sound.” the report reads.

“Sound fiscal metrics support our ‘AAA’ long‑term sovereign credit rating on Australia.

“Excellent political and institutional settings are conducive to stable policymaking.”

Responsible economic management is the hallmark of the Albanese Labor Government and S&P’s report reinforces that.

S&P says Australia’s debt is lower than that of most advanced economies and forecasts growth to pick up in the period ahead.

We’ve turned two big Liberal deficits into two substantial Labor surpluses in our first two years, significantly reduced the deficit in our third year, and continued to pay down debt.

The Budget is $209 billion better over the three years to 2024–25 than the one we inherited.

Added together, our three Final Budget Outcomes have delivered a cumulative underlying cash balance of +$28 billion, compared with the more than −$181 billion we inherited.

The better fiscal position means gross debt in 2024–25 was $188 billion lower than the one left to us, avoiding over $60 billion in interest costs over the 11 years to 2032–33.

The budget is in much better nick because we’ve paid down almost $200 billion of Liberal debt, demonstrated spending restraint, overseen the creation of more than 1.1 million jobs and got real wages growing again.

While we’ve delivered a substantial budget improvement, we recognise that structural pressures are intensifying rather than easing and that’s why we’re taking decisive action to address some of the biggest spending pressures on the budget.

We’re delivering substantial reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care system, and we’re paying down Liberal debt which is saving us tens of billions of dollars in interest payments.

Australia is one of only nine countries to be rated AAA by all three major credit rating agencies and this was achieved for the first time under the last Labor government.

We are realistic about the challenges facing our economy including growing global uncertainty, but our AAA rating is further proof Australia is coming at these challenges from a position of genuine economic strength.

We’ll continue to do what we can to clean up the budget mess we inherited from the Coalition and to make our economy more productive and resilient.

Source: New South Wales – News

About 2pm on Tuesday 30 September, police were called to a business on O’Sullivan Beach Road after a man was found unresponsive in a warehouse.

Southern District CIB attended the scene with Forensic Response Investigators.

It is early in the investigation and further details will be released when known.

Source:

The Get Fire Ready initiative is underway

CFA has today launched its Get Fire Ready initiative across Victoria in anticipation of a potentially challenging fire season.