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A baby tawny frogmouth has been safely reunited with its family thanks to the teamwork of CFA volunteers, Fire Rescue Victoria firefighters and Zoos Victoria.

On Wednesday 15 October, Hoppers Crossing Fire Brigade received a call from a veterinarian at Werribee Zoo who had been caring for a young tawny frogmouth bird that was brought in the previous day after being found near the fire station. Hoping to give it the best chance of survival, Zoo staff reached out to CFA for help locating its parents.

Hoppers Crossing CFA volunteers searched the area, with one of the brigade’s newest recruits Forad spotting the nest high in a nearby tree.

Jodi from Zoos Victoria brought the young bird back to the site and worked closely with CFA to plan the safest way to reunite it with its family.

Due to the height of the tree, the team determined that a ladder platform would be required to safely reunite the bird. CFA reached out to Fire Rescue and Ladder Platform 47 was dispatched from Footscray to support.

With the assistance of Leading Firefighters Ryan and Dwayne, the ladder platform was set up in the rear of Hoppers Crossing Fire Station, and Jodi was safely lifted to the nest where the baby tawny frogmouth was successfully reunited with its mother and two siblings.

This is another great example of the teamwork between fire agencies, and we’re proud to have been part of giving this little one the best possible chance to thrive in its natural environment.

Reuniting young birds with their parents gives them the best opportunity to develop natural behaviours such as hunting and social interaction. If you ever find a baby bird on its own, remember to look around as its parents are usually nearby.

Fittingly, the tawny frogmouth was recently named Australia’s Bird of the Year for 2025, making this rescue story an even more special moment for everyone involved.

Submitted by	Mitch BevanI

Source: Australian Department of Communications

Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Tony Burke, will seek to introduce a new power enabling the AUSTRAC CEO to restrict or prohibit certain high-risk products, services or delivery channels.
The amendment would give the AUSTRAC CEO additional options to reduce money laundering risks associated with high-risk products.
AUSTRAC CEO, Brendan Thomas, welcomes these changes and said if Parliament passes the law, AUSTRAC will be ready to use them.
“We’re still seeing an unacceptable risk of money laundering across some channels,” Mr Thomas said.

Source: New South Wales – News

The search resumed in zones outside of the original search area at sunrise, but was concluded at midday because of extreme heat and windy conditions.

It will resume on Friday 17 October when it is anticipated the searching of the remaining identified zones will be completed.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to an aggravated burglary that occurred in Lajamanu yesterday.

Around 6:20pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a residence had been unlawfully entered, with several items stolen, including a Zastava Arms 22 Bolt Action Rifle ammunition and other personal items.

Police attended the scene and are working with community members to locate the firearm and ensure it is safely accounted for.

Investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to make contact on 131 444, quoting reference number NTP2500102979. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: Australian National Party

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This National Carers Week (12-18 October), CFA is encouraging carers to think about fire preparedness ahead of what’s expected to be a high-risk fire season in parts of Victoria.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Mental Health Australia

Sydney Trains is introducing minor changes to the timetable from Sunday 19 October to provide passengers with more express services at Granville, enhancing connectivity for Western Sydney residents.

Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said the adjustments will give passengers faster access to the Sydney CBD across most of the day on the T1 Western Line.

“Granville passengers will get express services to and from the Sydney CBD every 30 minutes across most of the day on the T1 Western Line.

“With the new T1 Western Line express services, Granville passengers will save 6 to 12 minutes on their journey to and from the Sydney CBD,” Mr. Longland said.

There are also minor timetable changes on the T1 North Shore & Western, T8 Airport & South, Blue Mountains, Central Coast & Newcastle and Hunter lines. The Bathurst Bullet will now have consistent timings on weekdays with a change in the service times on Wednesdays.

The HSC written exams begin today and these rail timetable changes could affect how HSC students travel to their exams next week.

“All passengers, especially HSC students, parents and carers, should check the Trip Planner at transportnsw.info and trip planning apps. Please give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination,” Mr. Longland said.

Transport for NSW regularly reviews the timetable and adjusts it based on passenger feedback to improve the customer experience and the reliability of services.

For further information on the rail timetable changes, please see Timetable changes from Sunday 19 October | transportnsw.info

Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

Consumer Affairs Victoria is warning shoppers about non-compliant products being sold at Miniso, a popular retail chain known for its Japanese-style toys and goods.

During inspections of Miniso Winky Australia Pty Ltd (ACN: 673 760 417, trading as Miniso) stores across Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria found more than 400 items failing mandatory information standards relating to button batteries – a serious and well-known safety risk to children.

The non-compliant products include toys, nightlights and light-up key chains.

Button batteries pose a serious health risk, especially to children. If swallowed, they can burn through the oesophagus, potentially leading to serious injury or death.

Information standards refer to warnings, labels, instructions or details on a product. For toys containing button batteries, the correct labelling ensures that you are aware the product contains button batteries and what the potential risks are.

Despite Miniso providing assurances that non-compliant items would be removed from sale, follow-up inspections found they were still available.

Inspectors also identified more products on store shelves which also failed to meet the mandatory information standards.

Director Nicole Rich said Consumer Affairs Victoria would continue to take swift action where there are potential risks to public safety.

‘The information standards are mandatory for a reason. Parents and carers have the right to be warned about the serious dangers posed by button batteries before they buy a product that could harm their kids.’

‘We’ve issued this urgent warning because we’re worried people who have bought these products might not be aware of the risks. We urge people to keep button batteries secure and out of the reach of children.’

`Businesses are responsible for ensuring the products they sell meet mandatory safety and labelling standards. Our inspectors will continue to target retailers who don’t meet their responsibilities.’

Supplying products that do not meet mandatory safety or information standards is a serious offence under Australian Consumer Law, carrying maximum penalties of $50 million for a company or $2.5 million for an individual.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has referred the matter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

If you:

• are unsure about the safety of a product you have bought or seen for sale, call us on 1300 55 81 81.
• suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for urgent advice. If the child is struggling to breathe, call 000 immediately.

Read our full public warning, including the list of affected products:

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Dr Rebecca Ryan, a Natural Hazards Research Australia postgraduate scholar, uncovered 3,000 years of fire history to help shape future fire management strategies.

The devastating 2019-20 bushfires inspired Rebecca to dig deep into Australia’s past to better understand how bushfires have changed over thousands of years.

“We need a longer-term view of past fire patterns to improve how we predict and manage future events,” Rebecca said.

Bushfires have shaped the Australian landscape and biodiversity for millennia, but as climate change continues to alter the fire regime, understanding how fire may change in the future is critical for mitigation and prevention. Existing high-resolution records of past fire events are limited to the recent past or cannot accurately distinguish fire characteristics, such as severity and intensity.

Rebecca’s PhD research at the University of Wollongong could have a lasting impact on bushfire science by providing a new way to measure past fire severity and intensity, two characteristics that are hard to track in the long-term record. This data can strengthen fire predictive models and support better planning and preparation in bushfire-prone areas.
To uncover the past, Rebecca developed two new techniques:

• Using boron isotopes to detect the severity of a fire (for example, whether it reached the forest canopy or remained confined to the understory).
• Using FTIR Spectroscopy to determine changes in chemical bonds to reveal how intense (determined by temperature and heating duration) the fire was.

She applied these methods to sediment samples from the Blue Mountains and Namadgi National Park. What Rebecca found was striking. Bushfires in south-eastern Australia have become more intense and more frequent over the past 200 years compared with the previous 3,000 years. This shift appears to be driven by changes in climate, vegetation (particularly fire-prone eucalypts) and human activity.

As part of her PhD, Rebecca shared her findings with experts and emergency services through the Natural Hazards Research Forum and Hazardous Webinars.

“Having access to feedback from both researchers and people working on the ground has helped shape my research and its real-world relevance,” she said.

This research provides valuable insights into global fire science and could inform management strategies not only in Australia but also in other fire-affected regions around the world. 

To read more about this research go to the Natural Hazards Research Australia website.

Submitted by	Lina Wood, Natural Hazards Research Australia

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

The City of Greater Bendigo has decided to pause plans for an extended 12-month e-scooter trial as the sector prepares for significant legislative and industry changes affecting share hire schemes across Victoria.

Earlier this year, Council approved a 12-month trial extension to expand e-scooter operations in urban Bendigo. Beam Mobility (Beam) participated in the initial 12-month trial launched in May 2024, which aimed to improve connections between urban precincts and encourage more sustainable transport choices for short trips. Beam’s contract was extended temporarily this year after the trial ended to provide a service while the City undertook a procurement process for the second 12-month trial. Beam has chosen not to apply for the next contract process beyond the temporary extension.

The micro-mobility share hire industry is currently undergoing considerable change, with new Victorian Government safety technologies and regulatory requirements expected in late 2025. These include a pre-approval scheme for operators, with requirements such as helmet compliance, cognitive testing, Bluetooth Beacon technology for designated parking, and footpath detection technology. While a few of these requirements may not be mandatory for regional areas, the City’s preference is to better understand the changing requirements in the first instance. 

Manager Strategic Planning Anthony Petherbridge said it was the right decision to pause the trial with so much uncertainty in the industry.

“During the Request for Quote process, it became clear that the industry is navigating a period of transition, with operators preparing for new Victorian Government pre-approval requirements expected later this year,” Mr Petherbridge said.

“To ensure any future trial is successful and aligns with best practice, the City has decided to pause the process while these changes take effect. Over the next six months, we will undertake a market analysis and consider renewed procurement options once the new regulatory framework is established at state level. We remain open to new and innovative opportunities for share hire schemes in the future.

“If a future trial proceeds, we will place greater emphasis on the inclusion of e-bikes and only consider the Department of Transport and Planning’s pre-approved operators to ensure factors around community safety and compliance.

“The purpose of the trial has always been to provide residents and visitors with a sustainable, affordable, and convenient alternative mode of transport. We are grateful for the lessons learned from the initial trial, which informed recommendations for expanding the scheme to areas such as Golden Square, Long Gully, and White Hills, in line with our shared walking and cycling networks.

“The City would like to take this opportunity to thank Beam for its partnership in delivering the region’s first e-scooter share hire scheme and for its strong collaboration with City officers and community stakeholders. The trial in a small area of urban Bendigo demonstrated the potential for e-scooters to offer an alternative transport option for the community.”

Chief of Staff Beam Mobility Ross Vinten said since the launch in May 2024, riders have travelled close to 90,000 kilometres, close to 55,000 trips.

“While the program has been well-received, ridership has been lower than expected and continuing the service is unfortunately not financially viable for us. We sincerely thank the City of Greater Bendigo, our loyal riders, and local businesses for their support, and our dedicated local Beam team for keeping the service running safely and reliably,” Mr Vinten said.

Beam’s temporary operations in urban Bendigo will end on Thursday October 23. Beam has  notified its e-scooter riders via the Beam app.