Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Qantas Airways, China Eastern and their related entities can continue coordinating their passenger and cargo transport operations following an interim authorisation from the ACCC.

Under an existing authorisation granted in 2021 Qantas and China Eastern can coordinate their operations across their respective networks, covering routes between Australia and mainland China.

The parties applied for re-authorisation to continue their operational coordination for another year after the existing authorisation expires on 31 March 2023.

“The interim authorisation commences immediately and allows Qantas and China Eastern to continue their operational coordination while the ACCC considers the merits of the substantive application for authorisation,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

“This interim authorisation decision should not be taken as an indication that the final authorisation will be granted.”

Further information and a copy of the interim authorisation decision are available on the ACCC’s public register at: Qantas Airways Limited and China Eastern.

Notes to editors

ACCC authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2020 (CCA).

Section 91 of the CCA allows the ACCC to grant interim authorisation when it considers it is appropriate. This allows the parties to engage in the proposed conduct while the ACCC is considering the merits of the substantive application.

Broadly, the ACCC may grant authorisation when it is satisfied that the likely public benefit from the conduct outweighs any likely public detriment.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC’s March 2023 interim gas inquiry report has found there should be sufficient gas supply in the east coast gas market against forecast demand if LNG producers contract another 3 petajoules (PJ) of gas in 2023.

This represents an improvement of 27 PJ since the previous forecast in January.

The interim report compiles supply data from producers and demand data based on LNG sales forecasts and AEMO forecasts of domestic gas demand to give an outlook for the remainder of 2023.

“The available data shows that the outlook for the east coast gas market has improved and the market is not expected to face a material shortfall in 2023,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

“If LNG producers commit an extra 3 PJ of gas to the domestic market, in addition to amounts already contracted, a shortfall will likely be avoided, but we remain concerned about adequacy of gas supply in the winter months.”

The improvement in the outlook since the ACCC’s previous report is due to an increase in forecast gas production, and the LNG producers committing some additional sales to the domestic market.

The ACCC’s first seasonal forecast is more mixed within the year, with an 11 PJ domestic gas shortfall expected over winter, including a 26 PJ shortfall in the southern states (Victoria and South Australia). Additional gas will be required from Queensland producers.

However, in the fourth quarter a surplus of 18 PJ is expected across the east coast gas market.

“East coast LNG producers are expected to have uncontracted gas in each of the quarters of 2023 that could be used to prevent any shortfalls. However, they have firmly committed 45 PJ of their previously uncontracted gas to LNG spot cargoes or additional sales, leaving less uncontracted gas,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“If gas supply is brought forward, for example through gas swaps, or if LNG producers commit further gas to the domestic market, supply should be sufficient to meet demand in the third quarter of 2023.”

“We encourage producers to consider this information and amend their plans to ensure domestic demand will be met each quarter,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Some caution is recommended in relation to these revised forecasts. A risk remains that lower-than-expected gas supply, including from the Northern Territory or the Gippsland Basin, or higher than expected domestic demand, such as for gas powered generation could lead to lower available gas supply.”

It should also be noted that this report relates to the near-term outlook for 2023 only. Our forecasts reported in the January 2023 interim report indicated shortfalls would be likely from 2027 if production was not expanded. The ACCC will continue to examine the long-term outlook in future reports.

The report provides information relevant to the Government in assessing whether there is likely to be a supply shortfall for the purposes of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism.

Chart 1: Forecast east coast supply-demand balance in 2023 (PJ)

Source: ACCC analysis of data obtained from gas producers in January 2023 and the domestic demand forecast (Orchestrated Step Change scenario) from AEMO’s 2023 GSOO.      
Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding

Chart 2: Forecast east coast supply-demand balance in 2023 (PJ)

Source: ACCC analysis of data obtained from gas producers in January 2023 and of the domestic demand forecast (Orchestrated Step Change scenario) from AEMO’s 2023 GSOO.

Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding, including to the totals shown in Chart 1

Notes to editors

The supply data used in this report is based on information obtained directly from producers in response to compulsory information notices issued in January 2023.

The demand data is based on forecasts of LNG sales (obtained from LNG producers) and forecasts of domestic gas demand obtained from AEMO that is included in its March 2023 Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) report.

AEMO has advised that this forecast reflects the best near-term continuation of observed trends impacting residential, commercial, and industrial consumption, and is the focus of their analysis in the 2023 GSOO. The ACCC has used the orchestrated step change scenario, which AEMO identified as the ‘most likely scenario’.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Consumers are being warned to be wary of phone calls and texts that appear to be from their bank, following alarming reports of Australians losing their life savings to a highly sophisticated impersonation scam.

Reports to the ACCC’s Scamwatch indicate scammers are using new technology to trick their victims, by making the call appear to come from the bank’s legitimate phone number or by sending a text that appears in the same conversation thread as genuine bank messages.

Scamwatch received 14,603 reports about bank impersonation scams in 2022, resulting in more than $20 million in losses. Total losses to phone and text scams increased significantly last year, with over $169 million lost.

“We are incredibly concerned about bank impersonation scams because they can be so convincing, they are very hard to detect,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“What’s equally worrying about this particular scam, is that it is emptying every last cent out of victims’ savings accounts, with losses averaging $22,000 and more than 90 reports of losses between $40,000 and $800,000. This causes both financial and emotional devastation.”

“We know of a man who lost over $500,000 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be from a major bank’s security department, wanting to know if a payment had been authorised.”

“In another case, a man lost $38,000 after receiving a scam text message about a suspicious transaction. The scam text appeared in the same conversation thread as legitimate messages from his bank. He called the number in the text and was put through to a member of the banks’ fraud team. Unfortunately, it was an elaborate scam and he lost everything,” Ms Lowe said.

Bank impersonation scams impersonate the big four banks as well as other financial institutions.

Communications often have a sense of urgency to them, such as fraudulent activity raising red flags, or a frozen account.

“It is critical to remember that no matter how legitimate the call or message seems, a bank won’t ask you to urgently transfer funds,” Ms Lowe said.

“If you receive an SMS with a telephone number to call, do not use it. Instead, call your bank direct on a number you have sourced yourself. Likewise, hang up if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank requesting you to transfer money to ‘keep it safe’. Ask for a reference number and call your bank back using contact details you have found independently.”

Never provide online banking passwords, one-time security codes, pins or tokens to anyone over the phone. Contact your bank or financial institution immediately if you think you have been scammed.

“Following recent mass data breaches, many Australians were encouraged to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity. Sadly, this has led to consumers acting on these scam calls and text messages out of fear that their accounts have been compromised,” Ms Lowe said.

Top tips for avoiding scams

Stop – take your time before giving money or personal information.

Think – ask yourself if the message or call could be fake?

Protect – act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank and report scams to Scamwatch.

Signs of a bank impersonation scam

• There is a sense of urgency or threat to the message – “your bank account has been accessed”, “your bank account has been locked” “a payment has been made from your account. If this was not you, please call (phone number)”.
• The message looks different to other messages in the SMS thread, such as different wording or phrases used.
• The message may contain a suspicious looking link. Never click on links.
• The SMS has a telephone number to call – always find your bank’s phone number independently.
• The caller will tell you to transfer money to a different account to ‘keep it safe’ or for ‘further investigation’. This is not standard procedures for a bank. It is a scam.

Background

Scamwatch is aware of scammers impersonating banks using ‘spoofed’ phone numbers and sender IDs (also known as alpha tags). Spoofing is where software is used by scammers to copy the phone number or sender ID of a business. These scams are a sophisticated form of phishing and are designed to trick victims into contacting the scammers.

Both outgoing and incoming phone numbers can be spoofed. Scamwatch has seen examples where scammers send an SMS with the sender ID spoofed and tell the person to expect a phone call from their bank’s customer service. The scammer will then call the person on the spoofed bank telephone number.

The ACCC’s Scamwatch continues to work with other government agencies, law enforcement and the private sector to share intelligence, disrupt scams, advocate for consumers and raise awareness in the community.

In the October budget, the ACCC received seed funding from the government to scope and plan for a new National Anti-Scams Centre to support the community in the fight against scams.

If you have experienced cybercrime and lost money online, contact your bank immediately. You can also report to police via ReportCyber.

If you have given personal information to a scammer contact IDCARE.

Australians, regardless of whether they have lost money, are encouraged to report scams to Scamwatch. Reports can be made anonymously.

Learn more about how to get help on the Scamwatch website scamwatch.gov.au. Follow Scamwatch on Twitter or subscribe to radar alerts.

For crisis support to help with emotional distress about scams contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or access support via the online chat between 7 pm and midnight. Beyond Blue also provides support for anxiety and depression 1300 22 4636 or chat online at Beyond Blue.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Petrol prices increased slightly and diesel prices remained significantly higher than petrol prices in the December quarter 2022, according to the ACCC’s latest quarterly petrol monitoring report.

Quarterly average retail petrol prices in the five largest cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) were 182.7 cents per litre (cpl), an increase of 5.0 cpl from the September quarter 2022. Average retail diesel prices were 222.9 cpl in the quarter, more than 40.0 cpl higher than average petrol prices.

“Our report shows a range of international factors contributed to higher retail diesel prices in Australia,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

“The small increase in average retail petrol prices in the major cities reflects the increase in taxes following the restoration of the full rate of excise from 29 September 2022, offset by a decline in international petrol prices.”

Diesel prices exceeded petrol prices due to higher international prices

The report shows that retail diesel prices continued to exceed petrol prices in the quarter due to the higher international refined diesel prices since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Reduced supplies of diesel from Russia, and from France due to refinery strikes, combined with increased demand for heating in the northern hemisphere winter kept diesel prices high.

Retail fuel prices in Australia are largely determined by international refined fuel prices, which are influenced by international crude oil prices, and the AUD–USD exchange rate. The following chart shows average international refined diesel prices (Gasoil 10 ppm prices) and international refined petrol prices (Mogas 95), in Australian cents per litre.

Monthly average Gasoil 10 ppm and Mogas 95 prices in nominal terms: January 2020

Source: ACCC calculations based on data from Argus Media and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
Notes: The shaded area in the chart represents the December quarter 2022.
The green dotted line indicates when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began (20 February 2022).

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to international diesel prices moving higher than petrol in early 2022. While international refined fuel prices reduced in the December quarter, the difference between the diesel and petrol benchmarks continued,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The increase in average petrol prices largely reflected full excise restoration

Petrol and diesel excise was halved in March 2022. When the excise cut ceased from 29 September, the rate of excise increased from 23.0 cpl to 46.0 cpl.

Changes in the three broad components of average retail petrol prices in the major cities largely reflect the increase in taxes (that is, both excise and GST) following the excise restoration.

Quarterly average changes in the components of retail petrol prices in the five largest cities: December quarter 2022

Crude oil prices continued to decrease in the December quarter amid concerns about a potential global recession, rising interest rates and lower demand.

“Despite lower international prices, the influence of the fully restored fuel excise and a lower AUD-USD exchange rate meant overall that average retail petrol prices across the largest cities were slightly higher than in the previous quarter,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The following chart shows movements in seven-day rolling average retail petrol prices in the five largest capital cities from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. The chart also indicates when fuel excise was cut from 30 March 2022, and when it was restored from 29 September 2022.

Seven-day rolling average retail petrol prices in the five largest cities in nominal terms: 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022 – cpl

Source: ACCC calculations based on data from FUELtrac.
Notes: The shaded area in the chart represents the December quarter 2022.
The 2 dotted lines indicate the cut in fuel excise from 30 March 2022 and the restoration of full excise from 29 September 2022.

Among the five largest capitals, average retail petrol prices were highest this quarter in Melbourne (185.2 cpl) and lowest in Adelaide (178.9 cpl). In the smaller capital cities, average retail petrol prices decreased in Canberra and Darwin by 7.4 cpl and 7.6 cpl, respectively, and increased in Hobart by 2.8 cpl.

Average petrol prices across the 190 regional locations the ACCC monitors were 187.0 cpl, an increase of 0.1 cpl from the September quarter 2022. Average regional prices were 4.3 cpl higher than average prices in the five largest cities, compared with 9.2 cpl higher in the September quarter.

Greater fuel price transparency welcomed in two jurisdictions

In November 2022, the NSW fuel price transparency scheme (FuelCheck) was expanded to include retail sites in the ACT as part of a six-month pilot. The Northern Territory Government also announced it would start publishing historical fuel price data to help motorists find outlets which have the lowest prices over time.

“The ACCC has long supported fuel price transparency schemes, so it is pleasing to see more motorists having access to real-time and comprehensive price information to help them save money on fuel,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

Victoria is now the only jurisdiction in Australia without a real-time and comprehensive fuel price transparency scheme.

Note to editors

‘Petrol’ means regular unleaded petrol (RULP) unless otherwise specified.

Singapore Mogas 95 Unleaded (Mogas 95) is the relevant international benchmark for the wholesale price of petrol in Australia. Singapore Gasoil with 10 parts per million sulphur content (Gasoil 10 ppm) is the international benchmark for the wholesale price of diesel.

The ACCC uses a seven-day rolling average basis to analyse movements in daily retail petrol prices. A seven-day rolling average price is the average of the current day’s price and prices on the six previous days.

Background

The ACCC has been monitoring retail prices in all capital cities and over 190 regional locations across Australia since 2007.

On 14 December 2022, the Treasurer issued a new direction to the ACCC to monitor the prices, costs and profits relating to the supply of petroleum products in the petroleum industry in Australia and produce a report every quarter for a further three years. This is the ACCC’s first quarterly petrol monitoring under the new direction.

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Supporting more reliable internet services and ensuring investment in the NBN is prudent and efficient are key aspects of the ACCC’s draft determination on the regulatory settings for NBN Co to apply from 1 July 2026, released today.

“The NBN is essential infrastructure for households and businesses across Australia. Our draft determination is designed to protect consumers by enhancing service standards and ensuring NBN Co’s costs are efficient, while still allowing the company to invest and operate sustainably.” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

The draft determination outlines the ACCC’s preliminary views on NBN Co’s expenditure, revenue requirements, benchmark service standards and entry‑level broadband offers.

The draft determination follows extensive consultation with NBN Co and other stakeholders and closer regulatory scrutiny introduced under the variation to the Special Access Undertaking in late-2023.

The Special Access Undertaking (SAU) is a key piece of the framework regulating access to the NBN. It outlines certain rules and processes, including on the price and non-price terms on which NBN Co supplies services to internet providers.

The SAU   breaks up different regulatory periods applying to NBN Co into regulatory cycles of between 3 and 5 years, and there is a replacement module process for updating the regulatory settings that apply in each cycle.

This process allows for these regulatory settings to be updated so they can deliver on their intended purpose of promoting the long-term interests of end users. The current regulatory cycle will end on 30 June 2026.

“Our preliminary views reflect that we have seen improvements in some of NBN Co’s processes since the revised SAU commenced in 2023. However, more work is still required to ensure services meet consumer needs at an efficient cost.” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

Enhanced service standards to improve consumer experience

The ACCC’s draft determination proposes enhancements to NBN Co’s current benchmark service standards, following extensive consultation including a stakeholder forum in late 2025.

In February 2026, NBN Co made a detailed submission that substantially expanded on its original benchmark service standards proposal. The ACCC’s preliminary view is to adopt many of NBN Co’s proposals, while also proposing to introduce further enhancements beyond those put forward by NBN Co.

These include measures to reduce wait times for connections and fault resolutions, ensure NBN Co’s networks are delivering adequate speeds, and provide more notice to consumers when technician appointments are rescheduled.

The changes are particularly important for consumers on copper, fixed wireless and HFC services where existing standards have not adequately addressed service issues.

“Our proposed benchmark service standards are designed to facilitate a better experience for everyday NBN users, including reducing connection timeframes for consumers outside the cities,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“We recognise that reliable broadband is essential, especially in regional, rural and remote communities, where consumers rely on their NBN connection to access services and participate fully in their community.”

The ACCC also proposes new benchmark service standards to help manage network capability to support retail speeds and address areas of the network prone to congestion.

Faster entry‑level broadband speeds

Retail plans on the 25/10 Mbps speed tier are proposed to become the entry‑level NBN product for most consumers from mid-2027. NBN Co has also committed to pricing these speed tiers in line with 25/5 Mbps speed tiers from 1 July 2026, effectively making them equal to the entry level offer. 

These offers would apply to NBN networks other than satellite and reflect growing consumer demand for higher upload speeds to support modern usage, including uploading large files.

“By proposing 25/10 Mbps as the entry-level NBN plan, we’re recognising the growing need for faster upload speeds to be accessible to all Australians,” said Ms Cass-Gottlieb.

“Higher upload capacity should not be a premium feature, but a baseline expectation for NBN users to support current work and home internet use.”

Lower regulated costs and revenue requirements

NBN Co uses a building block model to calculate its regulated costs, which costs are referred to as the annual building block revenue requirement (ABBRR). This model looks at NBN Co’s expected costs, income, return on investment and the value of its network assets.

The ACCC’s preliminary view is to determine a lower ABBRR than NBN Co has proposed on the basis that some of NBN Co’s recent and forecast expenditure was not prudent or efficient, and that the weighted average cost of capital should be set lower.

The weighted average cost of capital measures the average cost a company incurs to finance its operations using debt and equity and is part of the calculation of the ABBRR.

The draft determination proposes:

• total forecast capital expenditure of $6.9 billion (real FY2024) for the 2027-29 regulatory cycle, about 18 per cent lower than NBN Co’s proposal
• total forecast operating expenditure of $7.89 billion (real FY2024) for the 2027-29 regulatory cycle, which is $5.1 million more than proposed
• inclusion of $10.4 billion (real FY2024) of capital expenditure in the regulated asset base for FY24-26, about 3 per cent lower than proposed
• preliminary weighted average cost of capital estimates of 6.49% for 2026-27, 6.52% for 2027-28 and 6.56% for 2028-29

Feedback on the draft determination

The ACCC invites submissions on this draft determination by 5pm on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.

Submissions can be sent via email to nbn@accc.gov.au.

Submissions will inform the ACCC’s final replacement module determination, expected to be delivered in June 2026.

Background

NBN Co’s services must be declared under Part XIC of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA). They are therefore subject to an access regime that has the objective of promoting the long-term interests of end users.

NBN Co’s current Special Access Undertaking (SAU) provides a long-term regulatory framework for regulating access to the NBN and the supply of NBN Co’s services. It has been in place since 2013 and is scheduled to operate until 2040.

The SAU specifies rules to determine maximum prices and benchmark service standards for those services, amongst other things. It also establishes processes for NBN Co to follow when developing or withdrawing products, and processes to provide transparency and certainty over future pricing intentions, and its cost accounting arrangements and financial performance more generally.

Due to its very long duration, the SAU contains a replacement module process to update certain settings in SAU modules. NBN Co lodged its replacement module application on 2 July 2025.

The ACCC’s draft replacement module determination follows extensive consultation with NBN Co and other stakeholders.

The ACCC is required to make its replacement module determination at least 20 business days before the last day of the current regulatory cycle (30 June 2026), unless extended.

Source: Government of Western Australia

Wanneroo Aquamotion is now home to an impressive new cafe boasting award-worthy food and coffee – however it’s the story behind the local owners which truly makes Oasis Community Cafe special.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force responded to a vehicle fire in Alice Springs in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Around 2:30am, police patrols located a Holden Commodore car alight in the carpark of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) lawns.

Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Services attended the scene and extinguished the fire.

Two females aged 53 and 47 were located at the scene and were apprehended into police custody. They are assisting police with enquiries.

The Commodore was confirmed by CCTV to have been there for days as an abandoned vehicle.

No injuries were reported.

Investigations are underway to identify the owner of the vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference number P26093762.

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Source: South Australia County Fire Service

BOOLEROO CENTRE

Issued on
31 Mar 2026 12:53

Booleroo Centre Haystack Fire

The CFS is responding to a Haystack Fire south of Booleroo Centre and Melrose in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

CFS firefighters on 4 trucks, supported by local landowners and council, are on scene working to break apart and extinguish the approximately 230 hay bales that are burning near Schmidt and McCallum roads, Booleroo Centre.

CFS firefighters have prevented the fire from spreading to a near by hay shed and tree plantation.

The smoke from this fire is expected be highly visible in the surrounding areas for some time, whilst crews break apart and extinguish the fire. Emergency services and heavy machinery may be working on and around roads in the area, and motorists are advised to stay away. If you need to travel on roads in the area, please take care and drive to the local conditions.

The cause of the fire is suspected to be internal combustion of the hay bales, after recent rains in the area. This is a timely reminder that the baling and storing of hay requires careful management to prevent spontaneous ignition caused by moisture within bailed hay. Simple measures to prevent this spontaneous ignition include ensuring that hay is fully cured (dried) before bailing, protecting hay from rain or runoff, maintaining airflow to the haystack to allow heat and moisture to escape, as well as using a calibrated moisture meter to periodically test the ‘dryness’ of the hay bales.

Message ID 0009376

Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

30/03/26