Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: South Australia County Fire Service

Homes that have been built to withstand a bushfire, and are prepared to the highest level, may provide safety.

You may lose power, water, phone and data connections.

Fire crews are responding but you should not expect a firefighter at your door.

What you should do

• Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan.
• Protect yourself from the fire’s heat – put on protective clothing.
• Tell family or friends of your plans.

If you are leaving

• Leave now, don’t delay.
• Roads may become blocked or access may change. Smoke will reduce visibility.
• Secure your pets for travel.
• If you become stuck in your car, park away from bushes, cover yourself, get onto the floor as the windows may break from the intense heat.

If you are not leaving – prepare to defend

• Identify a safe place inside, with more than one exit, before the fire arrives. Keep moving away from the heat of the fire.
• Bring pets inside and restrain them.
• Move flammable materials such as doormats, wheelie bins and outdoor furniture away from your house.
• Close doors and windows to keep smoke out.
• If you have sprinklers, turn them on to wet the areas.
• If the building catches fire, go to an area already burnt. Check around you for anything burning.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

The Mid‑Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook strengthens the budget, reduces debt and continues the Government’s responsible approach to economic and fiscal management.

The figures show a stronger budget position compared to the election and a much stronger budget compared to what we inherited from our predecessors.

This is the only mid‑year update on record that has delivered a better bottom line every year of the forward estimates, less debt in every year of the forward estimates and net policy decisions that improve the bottom line.

On this combination of measures, it is the most responsible mid‑year update on record.

It’s a sensible and responsible update that is all about delivery, responsibility and restraint.

We’re delivering on our promises, making room for unavoidable pressures, and strengthening the budget at the same time.

This stronger budget position has been achieved by identifying an additional $20 billion in savings and reprioritisations, ensuring net policy decisions are positive and returning every dollar of tax receipt upgrades to the budget.

In our first term, we delivered the largest nominal budget improvement on record, delivered back‑to‑back surpluses in our first two years and a much smaller deficit in our third year.

This MYEFO builds on that progress:

• The deficit in 2025–26 is $36.8 billion, around $5.4 billion lower than the 2025 Pre‑Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO) and more than $6 billion lower than what we inherited.
• The budget bottom line is cumulatively $8.4 billion better than the 2025 PEFO across the forward estimates, better in each year of the forward estimates; and $233.5 billion better over the 7 years to 2028–29 than what we inherited.
• Gross debt is forecast to be $993 billion by the end of this financial year, $29 billion lower than expected at the 2025 PEFO and $176 billion lower than what we inherited.
• Gross debt is forecast to peak at 37.0 per cent of GDP, the same as the 2025 PEFO and much lower than the 44.9 per cent our predecessors left us.
• The progress we have made on the budget since we were elected means we avoid more than $60 billion of interest costs over the 11 years to 2032–33.

We’ve managed to make this progress in the face of growing, unavoidable spending pressures.

We’ve had to accommodate $35 billion in payments variations, including an extra $6.3 billion in natural disaster relief, $3 billion for the Age Pension and $2 billion in veterans’ entitlements.

Despite these pressures, we’ve delivered a stronger budget position through our responsible approach:

• For the first time in eight years, net policy decisions are positive. This means our decisions directly improve the budget position.
• We have been able to do this because we have identified a further $20 billion in savings and reprioritisations taking the total since coming to Government to $114.1 billion.
• The positive impact of our decisions means we have returned every single dollar of the revenue upgrade to the budget bottom line. This is the first time a government has done this in more than fifteen years.
• We’ve kept average real spending growth to 1.7 per cent over the seven years to 2028–29, compared to our predecessors who averaged 4.1 per cent.
• Payments as a share of GDP fall over the forward estimates from 26.9 per cent in 2025–26 to 26.5 per cent in 2028–29.

New measures we’re providing through this mid‑year budget update include:

• $10 billion to deliver up to 100,000 homes for sale only to first home buyers.
• $1.1 billion for more free mental health services and additional training places.
• $435 million to help low‑income workers through our boost to the Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset.
• An extra $233 million in funding for the CSIRO.
• $98 million to fast track the qualification of 6,000 tradies and establish a new National Training Centre in New Energy Skills.
• $1.1 billion for the Cleaner Fuels Program, among other measures supporting the Government’s Net Zero Plan.

We’re also:

• Delivering two more rounds of tax cuts for every taxpayer next year and the year after.
• Supporting more bulk billing since 1 November.
• Cutting student debt by 20 per cent for 3 million Australians across November and December.
• Making medicines even cheaper from 1 January next year.

We recognise that Australians are still under pressure and the global economic environment is complex and uncertain, but the Australian economy confronts these challenges from a position of strength.

The private sector recovery we have been planning and preparing for is gathering pace, and we see that reflected in in today’s numbers.

A key driver of this is a better outlook for non‑mining business investment, which is expected to reach its highest level on record in the years ahead.

While inflation is higher than we would like, this is partly driven by temporary factors and it has come down substantially since the Government came to office. Treasury expect both headline and inflation excluding fuel and energy rebates to be in the target band next financial year.

Under Labor, growth and the private sector recovery are picking up, business investment is strengthening, unemployment is low, participation is near record highs, real wages are growing, debt is down and the budget is stronger.

Whether it’s the big turnaround we’ve engineered in the budget, $114 billion in savings, spending restraint or the private sector recovery, we’ve made a lot of progress and that’s clear in the mid‑year update.

Labor’s economic plan is all about helping with the cost of living at the same time as we build a more productive and resilient economy and a more sustainable budget, and the mid‑year update advances this plan.

Source: Tasmania Police

Christmas-New Year patrols focus on public safety

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 – 12:21 pm.

Tasmania Police will be stepping up high-visibility patrols in shopping areas, entertainment precincts and public transport hubs from this week to deter anti-social behaviour and unlawful activity over the Christmas-New Year period.
As part of the increased presence across the busy festive season, the use of new metal detecting wands by frontline officers will be widespread.
The rollout of more than 300 metal detecting wands across the Western, Northern and Southern districts has recently been completed, giving police another valuable tool with which to disrupt knife-related crime and deliver public safety.
Since 16 June 2025, Tasmania Police has conducted more than 820 searches using metal detecting wands.
There have been 29 weapons seized including knuckle dusters, blades, scissors, boxcutters and knives of various descriptions.
Police initiated proceedings against 20 people for carrying weapons. In some instances, searches revealed people were carrying multiple knives.
Hobart Division Senior Sergeant Danny Jackson said the Christmas-New Year period was a time of celebration with family and friends, and police would be working to ensure lawful and respectful behaviour particularly around licensed venues and transport hubs.
“Public safety is a priority for Tasmania Police. Tasmania is a safe place to live and to visit, and we know that most people will do the right thing. Unfortunately, there is a small number of people who do not,” he said.
“Extra patrols across the state will ensure our public spaces such as retail areas, entertainment precincts and night spots, and public transport hubs, remain safe for everyone.
“Officers will be targeting anti-social and reckless behaviour, and any illegal activities.”
Launceston Inspector Aleena Crack said officers could conduct searches if there was suspicion a person was carrying a weapon, such as a knife.
“Knives are the most common weapon used in crimes in Tasmania. Using wand technology allows police to conduct searches more efficiently and with greater safety for both our officers and the public,” she said.
“The wands will predominantly be used by our frontline officers in city areas, because that’s where the largest congregation of people will be. But specialist resources and our officers working in country stations will also have them.
“If you’re carrying a knife and have no lawful reason to be doing so, then you can expect to be caught.”
The statewide rollout of metal detecting wands follows a successful trial period in Tasmania from December 2024 to April 2025.
The Police Offences Amendment (Knives and Other Weapons) Bill 2025, passed both Houses of the Tasmanian Parliament in late May, 2025.
The Act came into effect on 16 June, 2025 and provides police greater search powers to detect knives and introduce stronger penalties for those who illegally carry dangerous weapons in Tasmanian public spaces.
To report knife crime, call triple zero (000) in an emergency or report to police on 131 444.

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Captain Justin Cozens (central) with members of the Halls Gap Brigade

One year on from the devastating Grampians bushfire, Halls Gap is riding a wave of community resilience, spurred on by a rise in new recruits.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Households that use high-speed NBN plans with a fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection are now receiving faster internet speeds following the rollout of NBN Co’s recent upgrade program, the ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report has found.

In September 2025, NBN Co increased the wholesale plan speeds for certain NBN plans that use a FTTP or HFC connection at no extra charge for retailers. The upgrade was not available to any other connection types.

Further, the speed increase was limited to 100/20 Mbps (NBN Home Fast), 250/25 Mbps (NBN Home Superfast) and 1000/50 Mbps (NBN Home Ultrafast) plans, which have now increased to 500/50 Mbps, 750/50 Mbps and 1000/100 Mbps respectively.

“Our latest report has found that the recent changes to certain high-speed NBN plans have now been passed on to retail customers, meaning that most households that use the upgraded plans on a FTTP or HFC connection are now accessing faster internet speeds,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

The upgraded NBN Home Fast plan, which now offers customers 500/50 Mbps speeds, was the most popular high-speed NBN fixed-line plan among the services monitored in this report. The average download speed on the upgraded NBN Home Fast plan during the busy hours of 7 to 11pm on weekdays was 503.9 Mbps, with 80.5 per cent of services on this plan achieving an average busy hour speed exceeding 500 Mbps.

Figure 1. NBN Accelerate Great – Average speeds per plan

While many FTTP and HFC connections that use the upgraded plans consistently achieved download speeds in line with the new plan speeds, there was a small proportion of underperforming services that rarely, if ever, recorded download speeds close to their new plan speeds.

These underperforming services may be experiencing speed constraints due to their in-home equipment. For example, older home routers may not be able to support access to 100 Mbps download speeds or higher.

“Consumers that are using older Wi-Fi routers may be missing out on the faster download speeds that are available on their upgraded plan,” Ms Brakey said.

“We encourage consumers to contact their retailer if they are not able to access the higher download speeds despite their plan being upgraded. We expect retailers to help customers understand if either their router or the network is preventing them from accessing the full speeds of their selected plan.”

“While NBN Co’s upgraded higher speed plans benefit large households with high broadband usage, many households may receive better value from a less expensive 25 Mbps or 50 Mbps speed plan depending on their household’s broadband usage,” Ms Brakey said.

Households that have a fibre to the node (FTTN) or fibre to the curb (FTTC) NBN connection saw no change to their broadband speeds. For these connection types, the fastest plan download speed available is still 100 Mbps.

“Consumers with FTTN or FTTC connections that would like faster internet speeds should contact their internet provider to check if their NBN connection is eligible for an upgrade to FTTP,” Ms Brakey said.

The report also observed performance improvements on Starlink’s Satellite network. The average busy hour upload speed on Starlink’s network increased from 30.6 Mbps in the previous quarter’s report to 46.2 Mbps in the latest report. The average busy hour download speed also increased from 189.3 Mbps to 197.2 Mbps

Background

Data for the Measuring Broadband Australia program is provided by UK-based firm SamKnows using methodology based on speed testing programs delivered in the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.

NBN services may exceed their maximum plan download speed due to overprovisioning. This is where NBN Co provides a slightly higher data rate than the wholesale plan download speed to accommodate for the portion of a connection’s data rate lost in retrieving information that enables a download to occur. NBN Co does not currently overprovision the uplink for NBN fixed-line connections.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a man in relation to a suspicious death in Katherine in 2022.

Police will allege that in the early hours of 5 August 2022 the man, aged 47, approached a 47-year-old female and assaulted her, leaving her in an unresponsive state.

The victim later died at Katherine Hospital on 6 August 2022.

An investigation was commenced and the 47-year-old man was identified as a person of interest. Both the man and woman are known to each other.

He has now been charged with murder and will appear before the Darwin Local Court on 18 December 2025.

As a result of the charge being laid an upcoming inquest into the death of the victim has been vacated.

No further information can be provided at this stage.

Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

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Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Equifax Australasia Workforce Solutions Pty Ltd in which Equifax has agreed not to enter into any new agreements preventing Equifax’s competitors from being able to access electronic payroll and superannuation data.

Equifax is part of a corporate group which operates a large and well-established credit bureau in Australia. It has operated a verification exchange service in Australia since 2020.

Payroll and superannuation data is used to provide automated income verification services across Australia, as many lenders are transitioning their income verification practices towards automated solutions.

The undertaking offered by Equifax follows a detailed investigation by the ACCC into whether Equifax’s contracts amounted to unlawful exclusive dealing that had the purpose or likely effect of substantially lessening competition.

The ACCC was particularly concerned about terms in the agreement Equifax entered into in 2021 with SuperChoice Services, one of the largest holders of payroll and superannuation  data willing to supply data to third parties for income verification purposes.

“Equifax’s contract prevented SuperChoice from supplying data to other Australian suppliers of income verification services and included a clause requiring SuperChoice to phase out sharing data with one of Equifax’s competitors,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Whether it’s for home loans, car loans or a new credit card, consumers across Australia apply for financing every day. Their lenders, mortgage brokers and aggregators use income verification services to check their income to facilitate their financing needs.”

“Harm to competition in a crucial part of the lending process, such as income verification, can have flow on effects to consumers in terms of choice, quality and price,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The agreement also incentivised SuperChoice’s exclusive supply of data to Equifax through a revenue sharing arrangement.

“We considered Equifax’s contract with one of its key suppliers to be a case of anti-competitive exclusive dealing by Equifax that needed to be stopped to protect the competitive process. In evolving markets, exclusive agreements, particularly by large established firms, can deter entry and innovation,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Competition in the digital economy is a key priority for the ACCC and we will continue to take enforcement action against businesses that engage in unlawful anti-competitive conduct.”

As a result of the ACCC’s investigation, Equifax stopped relying on the exclusivity and revenue sharing provisions in its agreement with SuperChoice in May 2025. It amended the agreement to remove these clauses in September 2025.

Equifax has also informed other data holders that they are not prevented from supplying data to Equifax’s competitors or any other party.

Companies who access data for income verification purposes must comply with Australia’s privacy laws.

More information and details of the undertaking can be found at Equifax Australasia Workforce Solutions Pty Ltd.

Background

Equifax

Equifax is part of a corporate group which operates a large and well-established credit bureau in Australia (formerly known as Veda Advantage). Equifax has verification exchange services in other jurisdictions including the US, the UK and Canada, and launched the Australian service in May 2020.

SuperChoice

SuperChoice is a superannuation clearing house, as well as a Sending Service Provider, which is a business accredited to submit payroll information to the Australian Taxation Office in a mandated electronic form.

Income verification

Banks and other lenders, mortgage brokers and aggregators use income verification services to check income when consumers apply for finance including loans or credit cards. This is to comply with their responsible lending obligations and to assess the likelihood of the borrower being able to repay the loan. Most Australians will need to have their income verified at some point, with some lenders passing on costs of conducting income verification.

The industry has been moving towards automated verification methods because it is a quicker and smoother option for customers. Providing more automated forms of verification, rather than asking a customer to provide payslips or other documents, can reduce customer dropouts and increase efficiencies.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Products and services incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have continued to rapidly develop in 2025, with competition and consumer implications for Australian consumers and businesses, an ACCC industry snapshot on AI has found.

“AI-enabled products and services are growing more and more important to consumers and businesses across Australia,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

“New developments have the potential to transform how Australians work, communicate, and engage with digital services. However, they also come with risks of potential harms to consumers and competition.”

“The continued rapid pace of developments in AI, and growing variety of AI applications, underscores the need for continued monitoring by regulators and governments,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The snapshot, which updates on recent trends and significant developments in generative AI since the March 2025 Final Report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry, has reiterated the ACCC’s support for a monitoring function for emerging digital technologies under the Government’s proposed digital competition regime.

AI technologies and markets are developing rapidly, raising potential competition implications

The ACCC’s AI snapshot examined recent trends and developments in AI technology, noting several advances in foundation models and AI applications, including advancements in AI agents, since the ACCC’s March 2025 report.

“Our snapshot has outlined increasing interconnections between AI offerings and existing digital platform services, often supplied by tech giants, as AI technology matures,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“While these integrations can improve user experience, they may also have negative implications by raising barriers to entry or expansion, and consumers’ ability and willingness to switch service providers.”

The ACCC’s snapshot also reviews the developments in agentic AI, including AI agents.

“Use of agentic AI has the potential to impact how users deal with businesses online, or use digital platform services such as searching the internet,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Their use may also give rise to new risks, such as the possibility of AI agents colluding, even where this is not expressly intended or programmed by human creators.”

The ACCC’s snapshot also explores the significant activity in terms of investments, acquisitions and partnerships in the AI sector globally and in Australia.

“Major digital platforms and AI firms are making substantial investments at all levels of the AI supply chain to support the development of more advanced AI models and to meet future demand,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“These include direct investment in AI infrastructure, partnerships between key firms, and competition to attract a limited pool of technical expertise including through ‘acquihires’. The ACCC will continue to closely monitor deals and conduct in Australia.”

Increasing consumer and business uptake of AI may amplify risks of consumer harms

The AI snapshot identified several emerging risks to consumers related to increasing use of AI services.

Potential consumer issues include the widespread use and collection of consumers’ data, use of AI to facilitate false representations or generate large volumes of fake reviews and facilitate and enhance online scams.

“The integration of AI into various digital products and services is already delivering benefits to Australian consumers, including by enabling new app functionalities and simplifying some tasks,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“However, AI also has the potential to amplify existing consumer risks relating to how businesses communicate with consumers, whether consumers are well-informed about businesses’ use of their data, and risks posed by scammers.”

For example, research commissioned by the ACCC for its March 2025 Final Report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry indicates 83 per cent of surveyed Australian consumers  believe companies should get consent before using personal data to train AI models.

However, the ACCC’s snapshot reveals that vast amounts of consumer data is currently already collected and used to train AI models, often without consumers’ knowledge or informed consent. This is in part because of the length, complexity and ambiguity of online terms of service and privacy policies.

“We are already seeing instances where generative AI is being used to facilitate false representations about the performance or characteristics of a product or service, ” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Ghost websites, which misrepresent themselves as local businesses, often use generative AI images to build a sense of credibility.”

“Online product listings may use generative AI to make products appear more sophisticated, or of a higher quality, than they actually are,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“AI may also be used to generate and disseminate large volumes of fake reviews. These reviews may be seen as more credible and persuasive by consumers, and be increasingly more difficult to detect.”

“Similarly, AI is increasingly being used by scammers to facilitate and enhance online scam activity, often making online scams appear more credible, and harder for victims to identify,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

Emerging AI technologies need continued scrutiny from governments and regulators

“The pace of continued changes since the ACCC provided the Australian Government with the Final Report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry in March this year underscores the importance of regulators and governments continuing to monitor changing digital technologies,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The ACCC continues to strongly support the Government’s commitment to implement a new digital competition regime in response to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Services Inquiry recommendations.

Background:

The ACCC’s Digital Markets Branch conducted a five-year inquiry into markets for the supply of digital platform services in Australia and their impacts on competition and consumers, following a direction from the Treasurer in 2020.

In the fifth DPSI interim report on regulatory reform, the ACCC made a range of recommendations to bolster competition in the digital economy, level the playing field between big tech companies and Australian businesses, and reduce prices for consumers. The recommendations include new service-specific mandatory codes of conduct for particular ‘designated digital platforms,’ based on principles set out in legislation.

In December 2023, the Government accepted the ACCC’s findings that existing competition provisions by themselves are not sufficient to address current or potential future competition harms and supported-in-principle the development of a new digital competition regime. In December 2024, the Government began consultation on the implementation of a new digital competition regime in Australia.

The March 2025 Final Report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry reiterated the ACCC’s support for a new digital competition regime, and also made two new recommendations to Government, that:

• the ACCC should continue to have a monitoring function for emerging digital technologies under the proposed digital competition regime, and
• that the Australian Government should prioritise a whole-of-government approach to digital platform regulation and endorse the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG) as a permanent forum with adequate resources to undertake information-sharing and collaboration between Australian digital platform regulators.

Notes to editors

‘Acquihires’ refer to acquisitions, partnerships or other arrangements between firms where the primary goal is acquiring access to employees’ talent and expertise.

‘AI agents’ are software systems that can autonomously perform tasks with minimal input from human users.

‘Artificial intelligence (AI)’ refer to the ability of computer software to perform tasks that are complex enough to simulate a level of capability or understanding usually associated with human intelligence.

‘Foundation models’ are general purpose AI models which are trained on large datasets, and allow developers to build AI applications.

‘Generative AI’ refer to a specific type of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms trained to learn the patterns and structure of their training data, and generate new content in response to prompts.

Source: South Australia County Fire Service

COOMANDOOK

Issued on
16 Dec 2025 21:36

Coomandook Haystack Fire

The CFS is actively monitoring the Coomandook haystack fire at Werrimbrook Road 30km south of Tailem Bend in the Coorong Region, South Australia.

CFS volunteers, supported by Farm Fire Units and heavy machinery are on scene pulling apart the haystack to allow it to burn until it self-extinguishes. This operation will continue through the night and potentially into the comings days.

The landowner has assisted firefighters by constructing a mineral earth break around the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjoining crop stubble.

The CFS can confirm the hay storage shed and farm machinery stored inside the shed have been impacted by fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Smoke is impacting roads in the area, and visibility may be reduced. To ensure your safety and that of firefighters and other emergency personnel who are working in the area, please do not enter the area unless necessary.

Message ID 0008817