Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

The Fire Danger Period will commence at 1am Monday, 03 November 2025 for the following municipalities.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC will not oppose Cuscal Limited’s (ASX:CCL) proposed acquisition of payment facilitation supplier Indue Limited after finding that the transaction is unlikely to substantially lessen competition.

The ACCC’s review focused on how closely Cuscal and Indue compete in the supply of payment facilitation services, particularly to small and mutual bank customers and financial technology companies, known as fintechs.

Payment facilitation services allow organisations, such as small banks and fintechs, to offer payment solutions to other businesses or consumers, such as eftpos and debit card processing.

“Consolidation among smaller banks has reduced the number of customers Cuscal and Indue compete for,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams said.

“Payment facilitation services require significant investment. Achieving greater scale can assist suppliers in making the necessary investments to keep up with advancements in technology, and customer and regulatory requirements.”

The ACCC found that Cuscal and Indue each offer a broader range of payment facilitation services than most of their competitors. However, most customers can source their payment facilitation requirements from multiple suppliers.

“While Cuscal and Indue are two of the larger payment facilitation service providers, there remains a range of other suppliers available to customers across the various payment schemes,” Dr Williams said.

The ACCC requested feedback about the likely impacts of the proposed acquisition from a range of market participants, including 30 small and mutual banks.

“Many of the customers most likely to be impacted by the proposed acquisition were in favour of the transaction progressing,” Dr Williams said.

“As Cuscal and Indue support critical business functions for their customers, many of them considered that the proposed acquisition will deliver efficiencies and support continued investment in products and innovation.”

Also important in the ACCC’s decision was the impact of broader industry trends on competition, including the increasing digitisation of payments that may lower the cost of switching between payment facilitation providers and reduce barriers to entry.

More information on this review can be found here: Cuscal Limited – Indue Limited

Background

Payment facilitation services enable organisations to offer payment solutions to other businesses or end consumers. Payment facilitation may include connection to one or more of the payment schemes (such as Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and BPAY), BIN sponsorship, card and ATM switching, and credit, debit and prepaid card processing, as well as data and fraud mitigation services and back-office support.

Customers of Cuscal and Indue include other financial institutions such as small or medium sized banks, credit unions, corporates, government agencies that issue payment cards and fintech companies which provide specialised financial products.

The legal test which the ACCC applies is in section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act, which prohibits acquisitions that are likely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

The Fire Danger period will commence at 1am on Monday, 10 November 2025 for the following municipalities.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

The Fire Danger period will commence at 1am Monday, 10 November 2025 for the following municipalities in the state’s west and northwest.

Buloke Shire Council

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

23 October 2025

Smarter Pratique Issuance Enabled by Satellite-Enhanced Vessel Tracking

The Department is pleased to announce a significant enhancement to the Maritime Arrival Reporting System (MARS) that will benefit external maritime stakeholders.

Expanded Coverage with Satellite Support

To improve maritime situational awareness and operational efficiency, the Department has integrated a new vessel monitoring feed into MARS. This feed leverages…

Source: Australian Mines and Metals Association – AMMA

Read Steve Knott’s address to the Tattersalls Club Workplace Relations group IR reform stocktake – and where to from here?

View Steve’s slides here.

Australia’s resources and energy employer group has urged the Albanese Government to take urgent action to restore balance and credibility to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), warning the tribunal is overloaded and losing public confidence.

In an address to the Tattersalls Club Workplace Relations Group in Brisbane (22 October 2025) AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott AM unveiled two key reform proposals to strengthen governance and improve performance at the national workplace relations tribunal.

“AREEA is calling for a new, tripartite appointments process involving the Minister, the ACTU and business representatives to ensure Fair Work Commission members are chosen on merit, skill and real-world experience,” Mr Knott said.

“This would return balance, transparency and public confidence to the appointments process, which has become far too politicised.”

Mr Knott also called for the statutory retirement age of FWC members to be lifted from 65 to 70, in line with the Federal Court.

“Having 65 as the FWC member age of senility is simply outdated and absurd,” he said.

“We need continuity and expertise, not an arbitrary age limit that forces out capable members. Even the current FWC President, who is a Federal Court judge, will be statutorily barred from continuing at the Commission beyond 65.

“It makes no sense to lose experienced, competent tribunal members at 65 when the scope and workload of the Commission have expanded dramatically.”

FWC ‘drowning’ in employee claims

Mr Knott also warned the Commission is “drowning in employee claims”, pointing to data showing unfair dismissal and general protections cases have surged between 20 and 50 per cent in the past year.

He said inconsistent and lenient decision-making has encouraged a wave of unmeritorious claims and undermined employer confidence.

“Too many members of the Commission are finding otherwise lawful and procedurally sound terminations to be ‘harsh, unjust or unreasonable’,” he said.

“Employers are now afraid to manage conduct or performance without being hauled before the Commission. That’s not fairness, that’s dysfunction.”

Mr Knott said urgent reform is needed to both the unfair dismissal and general protections systems.

AREEA’s proposed fixes include:

• Refocusing unfair dismissal law on fair process, not subjective views of “harshness”;
• Tightening the general protections regime by removing the reverse onus of proof, introducing a reasonable statute of limitations, and capping compensation; and
• Raising the application fee for all employee claims from $89.70 to at least $500 to discourage frivolous filings.

“Right now, the incentive to lodge nuisance claims or extract settlements is enormous,” Mr Knott said.

“Employers are often forced to settle not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because the cost of defending themselves in court is astronomical. That’s not justice – it’s extortion dressed up as industrial law.”

A system at a crossroads

Mr Knott said AREEA will continue pushing for reforms that simplify Australia’s workplace relations framework and restore productivity and confidence in the system.

“Australia’s IR system is at a crossroads,” he said.

“We can keep adding layers of regulation, social activism and bureaucracy, or we can rebuild a framework that values fairness, productivity and cooperation in equal measure.”

Read Steve Knott’s address IR reform stocktake – and where to from here?

Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force are investigating an aggravated assault that occurred in the  Darwin CBD yesterday evening.

Around 6:20pm, police received reports of an altercation occurring between men on Smith Street, near the intersection of Peel Street.

It is alleged that one man has struck another man in the head with a blunt object before assaulting another male with edged weapon, severely injuring his hand.

Both victims, aged in their 40’s and 50’s, were provided initial first aid by witnesses before being conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital.

The victim who suffered the severe hand injury remains in hospital receiving treatment.

The offender fled the scene on foot and discarded the edged weapon nearby. Police have since seized the weapon.

A crime scene was declared and investigations are underway to locate the offender.

Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444, particularly if you have dash-cam footage in the area between 6:20pm and 6:35pm. Please quote reference number P25283849. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on the Arnhem Highway earlier today.

Around 10:20am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a vehicle carrying 5 occupants aged, 3, 17, 23, 25 and 56, had rolled on the Arnhem Highway, 66km East of the Bark Hut Inn.

Emergency services attended, and the 56-year-old male passenger was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The remaining occupants all suffered minor injuries and were conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital.

The driver of the vehicle returned a negative roadside result.

The Arnhem Highway is closed in both directions.  Alternate routes around this crash site are available but some require high clearance 4WD.  Please check NT Road Report for details.

Detectives from the Major Crash Unit are currently travelling to the scene.  

Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25284502.

The lives lost on Territory roads now stands at 32.

Source: Government of Western Australia

Opening at Wanneroo Regional Gallery this month, Present in the Current features the work of three local artists, Warrick Palmateer, Matthew Bettinaglio and Lee Jessamin.