Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

The Australian Government and every State and Territory have now signed up to the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, which we finalised this year. 

The $16.5 billion is the biggest new investment in public schools by the Australian Government ever and is tied to real practical reforms. 

Yesterday Education Ministers agreed to the next steps in school education reform. 

They include work to: 

• create a new Australian Teaching and Learning Commission,
• improve the maths curriculum in the first three years of school, and
• update the national professional standards for teachers. 

Australian Teaching and Learning Commission 

Ministers agreed in principle to establish a new Australian Teaching and Learning Commission. 

The Commission would bring under one roof: 

• the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA);
• the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL);
• the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO); and
• Education Services Australia (ESA). 

The Commission would allow for greater co-ordination between curriculum, teaching, assessment, research, and reporting, with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. 

A Working Group will provide advice to Ministers in February on the potential detailed design of the Commission. 

Ministers made clear that this will involve consultation with teachers, school leaders and school staff, First Nations people and unions. 

Maths Curriculum 

Education Ministers agreed to start work on curriculum reform beginning with maths. 

On the advice of ACARA, Education Ministers have initiated a targeted review of the maths curriculum in the first three years of school (F-2). These first three years of maths are critical. 

This maths curriculum review has been prioritised because: 

• Maths learning is highly cumulative so we have to get the early foundations right.
• Teachers have flagged challenges with the implementation of the current early maths curriculum. 

This is the first targeted review of the curriculum Education Ministers have agreed to as part of a ten-year curriculum review cycle. 

This is keyhole surgery to improve the parts of the curriculum that need it most. 

These curriculum reforms are about making sure we can prioritise key parts of the curriculum while responding to the feedback teachers have given about workload. 

National Teacher Standards Reform 

Ministers asked the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to scope a review of Teacher Standards. This was a recommendation of the recent Teacher Workforce Roundtable. 

The Teacher Standards have not been updated since they were adopted 15 years ago. 

AITSL will present a proposal to Education Ministers in February. 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

“This is the next big step in school reform. 

“A basic grasp of maths is critical. 

“The evidence is really clear. If you get maths, it helps to set you up for success. It’s critical for life and work. 

“Maths helps us make better decisions and boosts productivity. 

“And it’s really important that you get the basics early. 

“If you don’t get the basics right at the start, you can’t build on it. 

“The first three years of school are crucial for reading and maths. Every moment counts. 

“How maths is taught is really important. It is cumulative. You learn it step by step. 

“A number of principals and teachers have told us the current maths curriculum is too complex. 

“Others have told us teachers need more support to implement the curriculum, with clear advice on what to teach in what order. 

“That’s why we’re bringing forward work on the current maths curriculum for the start of school and creating better materials to help teachers. 

“This is just one of the things we need to do. 

“Explicit teaching is important and States are starting to roll that out. 

“We have also got to identify really early the children who are falling behind and need more help. 

“That’s what the Year 1 Numeracy Check is all about, and it starts to roll out next year. 

“We have also got to provide children who fall behind with more help. That’s why we are funding catch up tutoring. 

“It’s time we took a look at the Teacher Standards too. 

“We need standards that reflect what’s going on in the classroom today, that back in teachers and support great teaching.” 

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

The Australian Government will implement a new set of University Governance Principles to strengthen accountability, transparency and public trust in Australian universities. 

The Principles respond to serious concerns about the standards of university governance. They will be written into Commonwealth regulation through the Threshold Standards. 

Universities will be required to report annually on compliance with the Principles on an ‘if not, why not’ basis to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). 

The Principles were drafted by the Expert Council on University Governance, which included Chair Melinda Cilento, Sharan Burrow AC and Bruce Cowley. 

The Australian Government, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal, states and territories, and stakeholders including the Universities Chancellors Council, will establish a remuneration framework for Vice-Chancellor remuneration. 

University governing bodies will also be required to publish: 

• outcomes of meetings and decisions taken,
• consultancy spending, its purpose, value and justification,
• Vice-Chancellors’ external roles,
• annual remuneration reports in line with requirements for public companies, and
• composition of governing bodies. 

Skills matrices of universities will be reviewed to ensure they include members with higher education sector expertise and student and staff voices. 

Australian universities receive over $22 billion in public funding each year and play a central role in Australia’s civic, economic and social life through education and research. 

With this public investment and their public role, universities should exhibit high standards of governance but too many are falling short. 

These Principles establish a clear governance framework for universities, similar to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles for listed companies. 

The Principles set strong expectations across eight key themes: 

• Accountability: Governance structures and accountabilities are well-defined, effective and transparent.
• Diversity of perspectives: Composition of the governing body enables purpose and performance.
• Independence: Academic standards and freedom are respected and protected.
• Transparency: Purpose, strategy and performance are clear and openly communicated.
• Trustworthy: The university operates lawfully, ethically, responsibly, and consistent with its public purpose.
• Inclusive and responsive: Expectations of the university’s community and stakeholders are understood, respected and responded to.
• Sustainable: Risks are understood and managed effectively.
• Responsible: Workforce and remuneration are structured fairly and responsibly. 

TEQSA will be able to take compliance action against universities that repeatedly fail to meet the Principles. 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

“If you don’t think there are challenges in university governance, you’ve been living under a rock.

“These are important reforms that help make sure our universities meet the standards their students, staff and whole communities expect.” 

Quotes attributable to Expert Council on University Governance Chair Melinda Cilento: 

“I strongly support the Principles and the ‘if not, why not’ approach to their implementation as the best way to sustainably uplift governance given the diversity of the sector and the rapidly evolving environment in which universities operate. 

“I hope that universities and their leadership genuinely, proactively and transparently adopt the Principles, communicate their priorities and outline how they are proposing to respond to the issues raised through our work. 

“Greater transparency and reporting, coupled with open and positive stakeholder engagement should accelerate support for and confidence in the Principles and contribute positively to university governance. 

“I think this is important not just for the effectiveness of the Principles but more broadly in terms of improving trust in the sector and its leadership. 

“I would encourage all stakeholders to use the Principles as the basis to address and advance governance issues important to them.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Jim Sciutto:

I sat down with Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers earlier and asked him how the trade war was affecting his country’s economy.

Jim Chalmers:

Australia’s interests are best served by more trade, not more trade barriers. We’ve made that clear. We see tariffs as ultimately self‑defeating. Australians are by nature and by history, by inclination, very pro‑trade. We’ve got a lot to gain from free and open and fair markets for our goods and services.

We’ve done a lot of economic modelling following Liberation Day here in the US on the effect on Australia. We’ve actually got the lowest tariff rate of any country in the world, 10 per cent in the general sphere. And our exposure to the American market is not the biggest part of our trade offering. We’re faring relatively well. But our concerns are about the broader system and as a middle‑sized, trade‑exposed country, we want to see those markets free and open and fair as much as they can be.

Sciutto:

You’ve said before just how the whole system effectively has been transformed in such a short period of time. What does that do to Australia’s relationship with the US? You’re close allies, both in terms of trade, but also national security.

Chalmers:

This is really the fourth big economic shock in the last decade and a half. You know, we’ve sort of become accustomed to going from economic shock to economic shock in that period. Australia has fared relatively well in the context of those economic shocks.

Now, when it comes to the relationship with the United States, this is a relationship of mutual economic benefit, but in security terms as well. We’re very close with the Americans and we work through the issues as they arise. Our Prime Minister will be here meeting with President Trump next week in Washington, D.C. and we deal with all of the uncertainty in the world by working very closely with our partners. And that’ll be the case for the US as well.

Sciutto:

Given that rare earths and specifically China’s restrictions on rare earths exports have become a central front in the US–China trade war. Is there a path forward for Australia to fill some of that gap, perhaps?

Chalmers:

Critical minerals are an enormous opportunity for Australia. We’ve got so much to offer the world when it comes to critical minerals and rare earths. And that relies on there being markets which are reliable and robust for our critical minerals. And so, we will work with our partners around the world, including here in the United States, to make sure that we maximise that opportunity for Australia, that we become a reliable supplier of critical minerals into robust markets.

Now, I think anyone here would understand that the markets for critical minerals have from time to time been distorted, which is the point that the Americans have made. We will work closely with the Americans and with anyone who has an interest in our critical minerals, and in most of all those markets for our critical minerals being the right kind of markets.

Sciutto:

Australia’s relationship with China has been through some tough periods, followed by brief periods of détente almost, and then followed by more rough periods. Where does it stand today? And do you see a path forward, or is the new normal a less friendly trading relationship between the 2?

Chalmers:

Australia’s economic relationship with China is full of opportunity, but not short of complexity. It’s a complex relationship and we’re very proud to be able to say that over the course of the last 3 years or so in office, we have been able to stabilise the relationship with China. We’ve seen the removal of tens of billions of dollars worth of trade restrictions, for example, and that’s good for our workers and our businesses and our investors back home. But we understand that that’s a relationship that requires ongoing attention. There is a lot of complexity in that relationship, but it’s a very important one for Australia. It warrants and receives a lot of our time and attention for that reason.

Sciutto:

Is it going to get better over time? I mean, this is a fundamental question for my own country as well, right. I mean, can they reach some sort of truce or is confrontation the new normal?

Chalmers:

Clearly the relationship between the US and China, the tensions have escalated this week because of developments in the trade sphere. And so, the whole world is watching that very carefully. And obviously, Australia is very exposed to the Chinese market, very close to the Americans. For us, that’s something we monitor very closely. But our own relationship with China is better now than it was 3 years ago. There are still issues at play there, there are still areas that we disagree. But overwhelmingly, the economic relationship is a positive one for us, and we’ll continue to tend to it in that light.

Sciutto:

On an issue that is to some degree both a trade and a national security issue, and that is the AUKUS agreement. As you know, the Trump Administration is reviewing that agreement. Do you believe it will survive?

Chalmers:

We haven’t had any indications to the contrary, but we respect the process that the Americans are going through. It’s not unusual for new or newish administrations to review those kinds of arrangements. We saw it in the UK as well, and we’re seeing it in the US now. We’re respectful about that process. We’re not pre‑empting the outcomes of it, but what we are really confident about is we are really confident that the AUKUS agreement is in the national interest of all 3 participants in the AUKUS arrangements.

For Australia, it’s a very big industrial opportunity, as well as it is for the other 2 countries. We’ll wait and see what the review says. But confident it’s in everybody’s interests. And from an Australian point of view, we’re looking forward to moving ahead.

Sciutto:

It might be trade that wins the day, given that’s central to so much of Donald Trump’s decision making.

Finally, before we go, Australia just announced a new tax agreement with Ukraine. Part of the path, I imagine, going forward to help Ukraine to be able to recover economically – to rebuild whenever this war, you know, hopefully comes to an end. What role does Australia hope to play?

Chalmers:

I had another good conversation with my counterpart, Sergii Marchenko – Minister Marchenko from Ukraine. I was able to convey to him Australia’s support for the extraordinary bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of this Russian aggression. But also, the tax treaty, our efforts with the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. We are ready and willing and able to play a helpful role in the reconstruction of Ukraine whenever that is necessary.

But for the time being, the war continues and the Ukrainian people are under extraordinary pressure. And so, we are big supporters, militarily and with this tax treaty that that we signed today. We are also big supporters economically of what needs to happen in Ukraine to rebuild, to do justice to the sacrifices that the Ukrainian people have made.

Sciutto:

No question, continue to make. Jim Chalmers, thanks so much for joining us.

Chalmers:

Thanks so much.

Sciutto:

Appreciate it.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested 16 youths as part of an operation addressing property-related crime in Katherine.

Between Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 October 2025, Katherine Police and partner agencies conducted an operation targeting reports of property offending in the CBD area.

Katherine Police Social Order teams, along with Circuit Breaker and Kalano Community Association, maintained a high-profile presence across the three days, engaging with more than 38 youths, many of whom were reconnected with family or responsible adults, while conducting patrols.

Strike Force Cerberus, investigated several recent burglaries, stolen motor vehicles, breach of bail and associated offences, resulting in 16 youths being arrested and charged with a total of 40 offences, including:

• Driving, using or riding a motor vehicle without consent
• Aggravated burglary
• Aggravated robbery
• Theft
• Armed with an offensive weapon
• Damage to property
• Breach of bail
• Enter with intent to commit offence
• Publishing material about offending conduct

Acting Sergeant Rebekah Styles said, “This operation forms part of ongoing efforts to reduce property crime and enhance community safety in the region.

“Police continue to work closely with the community to identify and apprehend those responsible for offending behaviour.

“When people commit property offences, they undermine the sense of safety for Katherine residents, create unnecessary financial strain for local businesses, and negatively impact the community.

“If you choose to engage in this behaviour, Strike Force Cerberus will be knocking on your door.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three female youths in relation to an incident in Darwin City overnight.

Around 8:55pm, police received reports that a 26-year-old female was allegedly assaulted by three female youths along the Esplanade.

It is alleged the group of youths were attempting to steal the victim’s bag; however, they were disturbed by a taxi driver who stopped his vehicle where the assault was taking place.

The alleged offenders subsequently fled the scene and later boarded a Metro Bus from Darwin CBD.

Police attended, and with assistance from CCTV operators, located the bus and conducted a traffic apprehension on Daly Street.

During the arrest of the three youths, the offenders allegedly assaulted two police officers. One of the offenders spat on an officer and then assaulted the second officer by scratching their arm and kicking them to the chest.

All three offenders were taken into custody with charges expected to follow.

Investigators from Strike Force Trident urge anyone with information in relation to this assault to make contact on 131 444 quoting P25278100. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: Mental Health Australia

Road users are advised of changed traffic conditions for drainage repairs on The Northern Road and Parker Street, between Bradley Street at Glenmore Park and Jamison Road, South Penrith. 

The changes are necessary to improve safety for road users by improving quality of the stormwater drainage system. 

We will work for up to eight-night shifts from Monday 20 October to Thursday 13 November 2025, weather permitting.

Work hours are 8pm to 5am, Sunday to Thursday. We will not work on Friday or Saturday nights.

There will be temporary traffic changes while we complete this work. This includes lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h. 

Please drive and ride to the conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic controllers. 

Thank you for your patience during this time.

For the latest traffic updates across the network download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Police investigating deliberately lit fire which damaged building on Barrack Street, Hobart

Friday, 17 October 2025 – 3:20 pm.

Police are investigating a fire – believed to have been deliberately lit – which damaged a building in the Hobart CBD area this morning. 
About 6am, emergency services responded to reports of the fire on Barrack Street.  
Police would like to speak to anyone with information in relation to the fire, suspicious activity in the area around the time, or CCTV or dash cam. 
Information can be provided direct to South East CIB on 131 444 and quote OR787715. 
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania at crimestopprstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000.