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Credit: Uniform Photography

Having served the community since 1935, Melton Fire Brigade has gathered with grateful community members to celebrate their 90-year anniversary in a highly anticipated extravaganza.

More than 150 people joined in the festivities at Melton Entertainment Park on Saturday (23 August) to take a trip down memory lane, hearing stories from past and present members and reflecting on the many memorabilia items on show.

As a stalwart of Melton Fire Brigade, Alan Squires, who has been involved for 55 years, was first introduced to the fire services when he sadly lost his house to a fire that took off through the back of Truganina in 1969.

“Not long after I transferred from Truganina in 1974, I took over as secretary for the next 35 years,” Alan said.

“Melton was a little spot on the map back then – a small town that averaged 250 to 300 fire call outs a year. I’ve watched both the town, and the brigade grow exponentially since then.

“The biggest change has been transitioning from a farming and grassland area to an urban area of 100,000 people.”

The old tin shed was replaced in 1974 when the brigade went from rural to urban. In 2008, the brigade grew, and permanent CFA staff were required, before integration with Fire Rescue Victoria in 2020.

“We were probably one of the first successful integrations for a long time in CFA,” Alan said.

“We could see we just couldn’t provide the service that the town needed. Now we have 118 members and a very strong junior program.

“Because the town is so spread out, with a freeway going through the middle of it, we’ve also built a satellite station in Melton South, where we also house a vehicle.”

Alan recalls the fires that tore through Melton South in 1985 as alike the conditions endured throughout Ash Wednesday, when 14 homes and a business were lost.

“We’re very active in campaign fires as a brigade – I’ve been to New South Wales twice, Queensland, Gippsland and the most recent Grampians fires,” Alan said.

“We were involved in the major Pentland Hills school bus crash in 2022 and in Exford in 2023. It was very confronting, but we looked after some of the kids and got them to hospital.”

Fire Prevention Week was a real highlight for the community in the 80s and 90s, from school visits, poster competitions and a parade. It has since evolved into a yearly Djerriwarrah Festival.

Melton is also well renowned for their success at the State Firefighter Championships in both rural and urban competitions and has had a very lively women’s auxiliary over the years.

“We’ve put together a photo board of all the old equipment, radios, and knapsacks that we’ve collected over time. The clippings have covered my lounge room floor for weeks!” Alan said.

The brigade proactively fundraises for new vehicles, particularly road rescue equipment and has strong recruitment, with 20 new members arriving over the last 18 months.

Third generation Melton firefighter, Ben Gilbertson is well entrenched in Melton’s history, having started as a junior at just 14 when he started running in the Championships.

“My mum grew up in the area on a farm and her grandfather was one of the founders of the brigade, and our first president,” Ben said.  

“During our 75-year celebration, my twin brother and I were part of the procession because at the time, we were the youngest of our family in the brigade.

“I was awarded with a brigade life membership last year for 20 years’ service and that has definitely been a highlight.”

With a much-loved group of long serving members around the brigade, Ben said while the generations have changed, they continue to impart their wisdom on newcomers to the station.

“There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t realise, whether that’s operational or in administration. We’re lucky to have so much knowledge around us,” Ben said.

“There are a lot of young enthusiastic people taking the mantle of those who have been there for many years and they’re going straight into other training courses after their General Firefighter to expand their capabilities.

“The different personas are a good opportunity to revitalise the brigade.”

Submitted by	CFA media

Source:

AFAC released its Spring Seasonal Outlook

Victoria is likely to experience an early start to the fire season this spring, with drought-affected areas facing an increased risk, according to the Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring.

In the past 18 months, Victoria has experienced low rainfall across most parts of the state, except for East Gippsland. Record low rainfall was recorded in the state’s west, extending across west central and in south-west Gippsland, including the Mornington Peninsula. Lower rainfall has also been expanding into the north-central and central highlands.  

This has resulted in an increase in fuel, such as dead plant material and vegetation, which has the potential to support significant bushfire potential. The more fuel available, the hotter and more intense a bushfire can become and the faster it can spread.

While winter rainfall across the south-west, central, eastern and north-east ranges could minimise the chance of fires in forests, a lack of rainfall in spring could result in above-normal fire potential in these areas leading into summer.

Green growth in paddocks during spring is also likely, but underlying dryness may result in early curing. The degree of curing influences how easily a fire can ignite and spread.

Eastern and northern Victoria is forecast to have a normal level of risk for spring, with a wetter outlook forecast for northern Victoria.

Victoria’s emergency services remain well prepared for all emergencies – including bushfires, heatwaves, storms and flash flooding.

Preparedness is a shared responsibility, and it’s important for communities to prepare now and understand their local risks.

Stay informed by downloading the VicEmergency app or checking the VicEmergency website. Make sure you understand the three levels of warnings and what they mean.

Having a fire plan and reducing vegetation around your home by mowing lawns and clearing gutters are steps you can take now to prepare for a bushfire.

The Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring is developed by AFAC, the National Council for fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology, along with state and territory fire and land managers. The Outlook gives a national picture of the likelihood of fires over the spring months.

Quotes attributable to Country Fire Authority Chief Officer, Jason Heffernan

“Our brigade members have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming fire season, but as always, fire safety must be a shared responsibility with community members. 

“We’re urging Victorians to take small steps to prepare and plan with their families before it is too late. Clear you winter piles, tidy up around your homes, and have your plan in place, so you know what to do if a fire breaks out near you. 

“The response from the community over coming weeks will make all the difference.”

Submitted by	CFA media

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC has issued a draft determination proposing to grant an exemption for the next five years to allow the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), to continue to operate its scheme to facilitate appropriate disposal of end-of-life batteries.

BSC’s members and industry participants would be able to meet their participation requirements under the BSC’s B-cycle Battery Stewardship Scheme without breaching competition law under the ACCC’s proposed determination.

The Scheme is designed and operated by BSC and aims to significantly increase appropriate end-of-life battery disposal and recycling in Australia.

“Our role in this process is to determine whether the collaboration and price agreement between the BSC’s members, results in benefits to the public that are greater than the potential detriments and therefore can be granted an exemption. In this case our preliminary view is that an exemption can and should be granted,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.

“We consider the conduct proposed by BSC is likely to result in significant environmental, health and safety benefits by diverting batteries from landfill and raising public awareness around responsible battery disposal and re-use, reducing fire risks in waste streams, and increasing innovation.”

“We acknowledge the Scheme’s low collection rate to date, particularly due to its voluntary nature, and recognise the opportunity for better collection outcomes with states moving towards mandatory stewardship frameworks and as consumer awareness and behaviour continues to change,” Mr Keogh said.

The ACCC considers that minimising the safety risks associated with storing button batteries must continue to be a priority and therefore proposes to specify a condition in its authorisation that the BSC continues implementing its Button Battery Safety Strategy.

To ensure sufficient transparency and effectiveness of the Scheme, the ACCC also proposes to require an annual report on key Scheme outcomes be published by the BSC, as well as an independent review of the Scheme in three years’ time.

Some interested parties proposed a shorter authorisation period of 2–3 years due to uncertainty around the anticipated introduction of mandatory product stewardship legislation, and the current low collection rates of the Scheme.

“We don’t consider that the BSC’s proposed conduct will delay or deter other regulatory approaches to battery stewardship in the short to medium term, although the ACCC seeks further submissions on the proposed duration of authorisation,” Mr Keogh said.

More information, including the ACCC’s draft determination, is available online on the ACCC’s public register at Battery Stewardship Council.

Note to editors

The ACCC is not an environmental regulator. The ACCC’s role as Australia’s competition regulator includes assessing applications for authorisation. ACCC authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for certain conduct by competitors that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (the Act).

In this instance, authorisation is proposed in respect of Division 1 of Part IV (cartel conduct), section 45 and section 47 of the Act (contracts, arrangements or understandings that restrict dealings or affect competition, and exclusive dealing)..The ACCC must not make a determination granting authorisation unless it is satisfied, in all the circumstances, that the conduct would likely result, in a benefit to the public and that benefit would likely outweigh the detriment to the public, from the conduct.

Details about how the Battery Stewardship Scheme will operate, are matters for the Battery Stewardship Council. The ACCC is not involved in the operational aspects of the scheme.

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

Background

Product stewardship is an environmental management strategy that means whoever designs, produces, sells or uses a product takes responsibility for minimising that product’s environmental impact through all of the stages of its life cycle.

The BSC is a not-for-profit entity established to operate and oversee the Scheme, which promotes the safe collection, recycling, and disposal of end-of-life batteries. The Scheme does not cover automotive lead-acid batteries or batteries already included in other recycling programs.

The BSC first sought authorisation in 2020 for a static, weight-based levy which was charged on imported batteries at a rate of four cents per equivalent battery unit. The weight-based charge on imported batteries (or equivalent fee to be paid by members of the scheme) is passed on to consumers as a levy and used to fund the scheme and a rebate system to subsidise service providers responsible for battery collection, sorting and processing.

The proposed conduct also adds an annual review process to set the levy and rebates using eco-modulated formulas based on battery type to cover the increased costs and risks of battery collection and recycling. The BSC’s proposal seeks to raise sufficient revenue that it can continue to implement public awareness campaigns to increase participation in battery recycling.

In March 2025, the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025 (PLR Act) commenced in NSW, which creates a mandatory stewardship framework for certain products. The NSW Government has committed to urgently use the powers of the PLR Act to make regulations targeting batteries. This follows an agreement between Australia’s Environment Ministers on the need for urgent reforms to increase participation in product stewardship arrangements for end-of-life batteries.

On 4 June 2025, the ACCC granted interim authorisation with a condition for the BSC to continue operating the Scheme with the ability to increase levies to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index since the Scheme’s commencement. The BSC is also able to progress the development of new levy arrangements involving an eco-modulated levy to reflect the different costs of collecting and recycling different battery types, while the ACCC assesses the substantive application for authorisation.

Source: New South Wales – News

SAPOL is continuing to see an increase of remote access scams, particularly through unsolicited phone calls from scammers pretending to be from well-known businesses or government departments.

Assistance scams refer to a wide variety of scams where assistance is offered and help to an unknowing victim. These may include:

– Pop-up scams

– Tech support

– NBN impersonation

– Unsolicited payments

– Scam recovery companies.

“In each example, the victim will receive a call, text message, email or pop-up stating that something is wrong and that they can assist the victim in repairing what has occurred,” Cybercrime Sergeant David Mitchell said.

“Examples of this include such things as removing a virus from a computer or fixing internet speed.

“The scammer may push you into buying unnecessary software or a service to ‘fix’ the computer or ask you for your personal details, including your bank or credit card.

“The scammer may initially sound professional and knowledgeable, however, they will be persistent and may become abusive if you don’t do what they ask.”

Looking at remote access data alone, in 2024 South Australians lost more than $629,000 across 525 scams, and in Australia overall more than $7.5 million was lost to 6755 scams.

So far this year South Australians have lost more than $558,000 across 154 scams, with men 65 and over the main victims. In Australia overall more than $2.4 million has already been lost across 1623 scams, however 54 per cent of victims are female.

“Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer or share personal details,” Sergeant Mitchell added.

“If you receive a random call about your computer and remote access is requested – hang up – even if they mention a well-known company.”

Red flags:

• Unsolicited texts, emails, or calls advising of an issue that you were unaware of.
• Requests for you to download a program on your phone or PC to help you.
• Scammers ask you to transfer funds to keep your money safe.
• Pressure to act quickly to ensure you do not lose money.
• Claims untrustworthy employees are working at your banking institution.
• Scammers ask you not to tell your friends or family.
• They utilise emotions such as fear to switch off your rational mind, leading to impulsive decisions and missing red flags.
• Using complicated technical language which is confusing.

Tips to help keep you safe:

• Hang up and contact the organisation on a known, reputable number. Do NOT trust contact details given to you by the caller.
• Never download programs or applications at the request of someone over the phone.
• Remember that you can still receive scam calls from a private number. If in doubt, hang up and ring the organisation back on a known number.
• Do not be intimidated by technical language or pushy behaviour.
• Make sure your computer is protected and regularly updated with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Conduct your own research first and only purchase software from a source that you know and trust.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts where possible to ensure an extra layer of security.
• Never provide one-time passcodes (OTPs) to unknown callers.
• If you have been scammed, do not trust companies claiming to recover your funds. These are often the same people conducting the original scam.

Real-life example

After having technicians attend his street to fix low-hanging phone wires, Allen received a call from NBN asking if he was having slow internet speeds. Assuming the call was related to the attendance, Allen agreed to having his internet speed checked. He followed the caller’s instructions and downloaded a program called AnyDesk. The caller advised he would fix his speeds, and Allen could go about his day. A week later, Allen checked his bank accounts and noticed fraudulent transactions totalling almost $70,000. He contacted his bank and attended his local police station, but unfortunately the money was unable to be recovered.

Report:

– If you have suffered harm or loss because of a scam, make a report at www.cyber.gov.au/report or attend your local police station.

Support:

– Talk to friends and family.

– eSafety Commissioner – www.esafety.gov.au

– Victims of Crime SA – www.voc.sa.gov.au

– Lifeline – 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au

– Rebuild Victim Counselling – www.rasa.org.au

Have you been a victim of an assistance scam? Make a report to Report Cyber or attend your local police station to speak with an understanding police officer like Cybercrime Sergeant David Mitchell.

Source: Mental Health Australia

Sydney’s electric bus fleet continues to build up with the purchase of 151 more battery electric buses.

The new electric buses will go to the Leichardt and Kingsgrove bus depots that are being converted for the future, sustainable fleet.

Over the long-term, the Zero Emission Buses program will transition NSW’s 8,000-plus diesel and gas buses to zero emissions vehicles.

Read the full media release here (PDF, 101.06 KB). 

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Source:

28 August 2025

With South Australia’s harmful algal bloom devastating coastal communities, a University of South Australia tourism expert is urging its local communities to show solidarity and find creative ways to support affected regions.

Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles is asking South Australians to rally behind coastal communities hit hard by the bloom which has killed thousands of marine animals and triggered widespread anxiety and economic pain.

For months the state’s coastline has been plagued by a large-scale bloom of Karenia mikimotoi, a harmful algae killing marine life and degrading once-thriving underwater ecosystems. The disaster has also dealt a heavy blow to local tourism and community livelihoods, and has the potential to extend into the peak holiday season.

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says intrastate travellers should use the crisis as an opportunity to support affected communities by holidaying in coastal hotspots during the upcoming spring and summer holidays and by thinking creatively about how to spend time there.

“In addition to its economic value, tourism has potential social and ecological value, so we should be focusing on how it can connect our communities and support recovery,” she says. “We might rethink tourism to centre local communities and get their input into recovery policies and planning. As we head into summer, we’ll need to get creative with events that bring people together and help build resilience.

“Most tourism businesses along the SA coast remain open for business, and although the conditions of the water may differ from time to time, visiting the beach can still be enjoyed and other activities such as beach games and walks can be explored. Interstate visitors could also help by staying longer and ensuring their spending goes into local businesses, such as markets, shops, bakeries, pubs and wineries.”

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says it could also be an ideal time for a niche group of tourists – citizen scientists – to visit affected areas, helping local communities to collect data and boost scientific understanding of the bloom.

“We could call upon certain types of visitors – volunteer tourists – who are keen to give back and help. For example, under water divers could visit our coastal areas and help with some of the scientific or restoration work,” she says.

“One of the most interesting insights into this crisis has been the number of people who are providing data on the scale of marine deaths. Citizen scientists have recorded 32,000 entries on 480 species of perished marine life, often through the iNaturalist website. These people are helping address the difficulty of the situation by contributing their time and energy.”

A recent survey by the Tourism Industry Council SA involving restaurants, hotels and marine tourism operators on the Yorke, Eyre and Fleurieu peninsulas, Kangaroo Island and metropolitan Adelaide found that 40% of SA businesses impacted by the algal bloom have experienced a downturn in trade.

The average year on year loss for a business in July 2025 was $52,000, while 14% of respondents reported losses of more than $100,000.

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says the biggest threat is to South Australia’s clean and green identity and its reputation for pristine coastal ecosystems and ecotourism.

“The tourism industry is going to be very hurt by the branding impact, particularly Kangaroo Island which is our key drawcard for tourism. The crisis has received attention in international media and so there’s a real concern for the long-term impact to our brand,” she says.

“It (the algal bloom) is not going to go away soon. What we will face in the upcoming summer is unknown, but we need to build that confidence among intrastate travellers that coastal areas are still enjoyable. Our beaches are still open for recreation, swimming and enjoyment.”

The State and Commonwealth governments’ $28.5 million support package allows eligible tourism businesses to apply for $10,000 small business grants. More recently, 20,000 travel vouchers for accommodation and experiences were announced in a bid to lure visitors to SA coastal regions ahead of the September school holidays.

South Australians can apply to win one of the Coast is Calling vouchers, which are similar in concept to travel vouchers launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to boost tourism.

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says experience shows the vouchers do make a difference in sparking demand for local ‘staycations’ however changing mindsets and boosting confidence in coastal and marine environments is critical to easing people’s trepidations.

“We really must rethink the value of intrastate trips and remember that domestic holidays are about more than just our recreation – we can support each other,” she says. “Considering the increasing numbers of climate related crises in Australia – floods, bushfires and droughts – we will find the intrastate tourism market increasingly important.”

“Travelling within our own state is a source of real reliability and comfort for distressed communities.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview: Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management M: +61 406 019 222
E: Freya.HigginsDesbiolles@unisa.edu.au

Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: melissa.keogh@unisa.edu.au

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

As I walked into the Education Ministers Meeting on child safety on Friday, the stories of two strong women came with me.

First, the mother of a child abused in early learning who continues to carry the trauma she felt when first notified of the abuse. A mother who channels that trauma into the courage to advocate for children to be safe in early learning everywhere.

Her strength is both inspiring and devastating, because no mother should have to experience what she has, and every parent deserves to know their child is safe every day in early learning.

And I thought of a young educator I met in my first week as Minister three months ago, a passionate, dedicated educator committed to the children in her care.

She sees a future in early education, because she is supported and encouraged in her role, and because the Government’s 15 per cent pay rise is letting her see a future in the sector that she loves.

I am determined to deliver safe, quality early learning for our children. 

Early learning parents have confidence in.

Early learning that attracts and retains our workforce of dedicated educators. They are our nation’s greatest asset in keeping children safe.

Our task is to continue to back those educators who are there for the right reasons, doing incredible work, while closing the door on those who seek to do harm.

And our task is to support those providers who are there for the right reasons, and hold those operators who aren’t up to scratch to account.

That is what our $189 million package of reforms will do.

We are investing in strong oversight of who works in early education, where they are working, and how they work with children and families.

The first-ever nationwide register of early educators will allow regulators to see, for the first time, who is working in early education across the country.

It will allow regulators to identify patterns of behaviour, raise red flags, and share information about educator conduct across borders.

Child safety training will be mandatory, and managers will be required to take it alongside educators.

Child-safe culture comes from the top, and managers have a responsibility to ensure their educators are supported to actively raise and report issues of concern.

Personal mobile devices are banned in services from 1 September, with the States and Territories responsible for implementation. When educators are working with children, they cannot have their devices with them. Only service-issued devices can be used for taking approved images of children.

A rapid assessment of staff supervision arrangements by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) will report back to ministers by the end of the year. The National Quality Framework sets the existing ratios that providers must follow at all times. We’ve heard too many reports about failure to follow staff-to-child ratios, and failure to provide active supervision of children. That needs to change.

CCTV is being used across many services now, and it’s time to assess its merits for keeping children safe, and the guardrails required for effective use. Our nationwide CCTV assessment program will do just that.

Providing parents with better information about standards in their services is critical too. It’s why we’ll fund ACECQA to improve the Starting Blocks website, so parents can see information such as the date a centre last had a regulatory visit, any conditions of approval, and compliance breaches. This will empower parents to make informed decisions about their child’s early learning.

Regulator visits to services will increase with greater investment from both the Commonwealth and the States and Territories. We will provide a $93 million investment in more spot checks and joint compliance work. The states have also committed more than $130 million to increase resources for their regulators – for more officers and more compliance checks.

In making these changes, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the States and Territories and with the sector. Everyone is stepping up.

All of this work will help keep children safe in early learning.

And our agreement to make the rights and best interests of children the paramount consideration across the sector will reinforce that.

Together, these reforms mean that parents can have confidence in their child’s early learning centre and the people who care for them.

And children can get the lifelong benefits of safe, quality early learning.

Originally published in The Sector, Thursday, 28 August 2025

Source: Tasmania Police

Issued: 27 Aug 2025

A man with an extensive history of environmental offences has pleaded guilty to the illegal storage and processing of approximately 1,000 tonnes of used tyres in Wacol.

Following a thorough investigation, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) commenced a prosecution against Wayne Simmons in April 2025.

The investigation revealed Mr Simmons failed to remove end-of-life tyres he was storing illegally, after being ordered to, later starting to shred them without an environmental authority (EA).

On Tuesday, 26 August 2025, Mr Simmons was sentenced in Richlands Magistrates Court and fined $50,000 after pleading guilty to two offences against the Environmental Protection Act 1994:

• one offence of carrying out an environmentally relevant activity without holding, or acting under, an EA for the activity,
• one offence of contravening an environmental protection order.

A critical factor in sentencing Mr Simmons was his extensive history of non-compliance with environmental and related laws, both personally and through various companies.

In January 2025, Mr Simmons was issued an environmental enforcement order to remove the tyres, which he has been complying with.

Jackie Mckeay, Executive Director, Waste and Enforcement Services, DETSI said she is pleased with the Court’s decision.

“We take this type of unlawful conduct seriously and hope this sentence serves as a clear warning to people who think they can ignore their environmental obligations.

“Tyres that are not properly managed and stored can pollute our soil and waterways, threaten native animals, damage fragile ecosystems, and can pose a significant fire risk.

“Unlicensed waste activities not only present significant environmental risks, but also unfairly undercut lawful operators who meet their environmental obligations to protect the environment.”

Everyone can play a part in mitigating unlicensed waste activities by reporting any suspicious behaviour to our 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372 and in mitigating illegal dumping by reporting suspicious activity: Litter and Illegal Dumping Online Reporting System.