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From 1 July 2025, Phase 2 of the Digital Service Standard has been fully in effect. This milestone is the second and final phase of the Service Standard, meaning the entire standard now applies to all Australian digital government services. 

Source: Mental Health Australia

The state’s regional train operator NSW TrainLink is improving access to safety information with updated and inclusive materials designed to inform passengers of all abilities and needs on what to do in an emergency.

The new suite of safety materials gives updated clear, specific guidance on emergency procedures such as locating exits, using help buttons and evacuating safely. 

The materials include an animated video, audio announcements both on board and on platforms, revised onboard safety cards and information at stations including posters, digital screens and signs.

For the first time, onboard safety briefing cards on NSW TrainLink trains are available in Braille for those with vision impairment and Easy Read format which is in simplified language for people with intellectual disabilities.

For more information, read full story here (PDF, 133.34 KB). 

Source: Mental Health Australia

Motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions on the Warringah Freeway.

Major traffic changes include: 

• All southbound lanes of the Warringah Freeway will be closed between the Pacific Highway, Artarmon and Ernest Street, Cammeray from 10.30pm Friday 15 August to 6am Saturday 16 August 2025. There will be no access from the Lane Cove Tunnel to the Gore Hill Freeway.  

  Alternative routes are listed below:

• Southbound motorists from Warringah Freeway should detour via Pacific Highway and Falcon Street southbound on ramp to access the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel
• Southbound motorists from Reserve Road, Willoughby Road and Brook Street should detour via Pacific Highway and Falcon Street southbound on ramp
• Eastbound motorists heading to Cammeray, Cremorne, Balgowlah, Mosman and Manly should use the Pacific Highway and Falcon Street instead.

There will be no southbound access to Sydney Harbour Tunnel north of Cammeray. Southbound motorists must use the Falcon Street southbound on ramp to access Sydney Harbour Tunnel.

During this period, the Warringah Freeway will remain open northbound and the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be open in both directions all weekend.

Other traffic changes include:

• Miller Street southbound on ramp will be closed from 10pm tonight, Friday 15 August to 8am Saturday 16 August, 7pm Saturday 16 August to 9am Sunday 17 August and 8pm Sunday 18 August to 4.30am Monday 18 August.
• Mount Street eastern on ramp to Cahill Expressway will be closed from 10pm tonight, Friday 15 August, to 6pm Sunday 17 August. Motorists travelling from Arthur Street or Mount Street to the Cahill Expressway should use the western on ramp from Mount Street to the Bradfield Highway and detour through the CBD, via the Grosvenor Street exit, Bridge Street and Macquarie Street to the Eastern Distributor.
• The southbound off ramp from Warringah Freeway to Falcon Street/Military Road and the Ernest Street southbound on ramp will be closed from 10pm tonight, Friday 15 August, to 5am on Monday 18 August. Detours will be in place via the Pacific Highway and Miller St respectively.
• Alfred Street North off ramp will be closed from 10pm to 5am on Tuesday 19 August, Wednesday 20 August and Thursday 21 August. Detour via Pacific Highway.

We are also closing the Sydney Harbour Tunnel on the below dates:   

• Northbound from 11pm Friday 15 August to 6am Saturday 16 August
• Northbound from 11pm Saturday 16 August to 6am Sunday 17 August
• Northbound from 10.30pm Thursday 21 August to 5am Friday 22 August
• Southbound from 10pm Thursday 21 August to 5am Friday 22 August.

There may be changes or extensions of closures. For the latest information on road closures, visit the Live Traffic NSW App or livetraffic.com. 
 

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia

Enhanced data reveals labour market strength in parts of regional Australia

Michael Giampietro

Fri, 2025-08-15 10:52

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force are currently responding to a serious incident in Rosebery.

Lancewood Street is currently closed, and police urge motorists to avoid the area.

There is currently no risk to the public and further information will be provided later today.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Seven female youth offenders have been arrested by the Northern Territory Police Force after an aggravated assault occurred in Alice Springs overnight.

At 11:35pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a report that two females aged 23 and 28-years-old had been physically assaulted by a group of youths in the Todd Mall.

Members from Strike Force Viper, the Social Order Team, and general duties responded, and all seven offenders were located and arrested.

The victims suffered minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.

The offenders aged 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14, and 15, were all dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act 2005.

Police continue to urge anyone who witnesses crime or antisocial behaviour to contact police on 131 444. In an emergency dial 000. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: FairTrading New South Wales

Following the completion of the Gippsland Line Upgrade, a new timetable will start on the Traralgon Line from Sunday 14 September.

87 new train services will be added each week, giving passengers better frequency and more choice of when to travel.

Trains will run around every 40 minutes between Melbourne and Traralgon from 8am to 9pm, seven days a week.

There will also be some minor changes to the Bairnsdale Line timetable as well as changes to some coach services that connect with trains.

On the Bendigo Line, more weekend trains will run with six carriages and more direct and extended services will run between Southern Cross, Epsom, Eaglehawk and Echuca.

What’s changing?

Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines

• 87 new train services per week on the Gippsland Line between Melbourne and Traralgon.
• 55 new services will be added across weekdays (11 every weekday) and 32 new services across weekends (14 on Saturdays and 18 on Sundays).
• Trains will run around every 40 minutes between Melbourne and Traralgon from 8am to 9pm, seven days a week.
• All Sunday Sale services will now start and end in Bairnsdale.
• There will be journey time changes for some services.
• On Sundays, the 10:23 am train from Southern Cross Station to Sale will now extend to Bairnsdale and leave at 12:23 pm. Passengers who catch the 10:23 am Sunday train beyond Traralgon will need to catch the later train at 12:23 pm. A new train service will run from Southern Cross Station to Traralgon 10:23 am.
• Berwick school trains will continue to run, stopping once in the morning and afternoon on school days. The afternoon train will depart at 4:00 pm instead of 4:17 pm.
• Some coach services will have new timetables to better connect with trains.

Bendigo Line 

• 14 busy weekend services will change from 3-car VLocity trains to 6-car VLocity trains.
• A new service will depart Epsom at 7:32 pm and arrive at Southern Cross Station at 9:51 pm. The service will operate on weekdays, giving passengers in Epsom a new evening service to Melbourne.
• The 11:20 pm weekday shuttle from Epsom to Bendigo will be removed. Passengers can catch the new 7:32 pm Epsom to Southern Cross Station service.
• The 10:06 am weekday service from Southern Cross Station to Bendigo will now travel to Eaglehawk.
• The 11:06 am weekday Southern Cross Station to Eaglehawk service will run direct to Echuca, no longer stopping at Eaglehawk. This will give passengers in Echuca a new one-seat journey that’s faster.
• Passengers who usually catch the 11:06 am weekday Southern Cross Station to Eaglehawk service will need to travel an hour earlier at 10:06 am.

To view the timetables click here.
 

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A woman’s remarkable escape from a terrifying house fire in Craigieburn is a stark reminder about the dangers of unattended candles and the need for working smoke alarms in homes.

The woman woke to her morning phone alarm shortly before 7am on 4 April, only to discover her house was on fire and burning fiercely.

A housemate had left a candle burning in a back bedroom, causing the property to go up in flames.

Luckily, the woman was able to safely evacuate the property.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 7am, within three minutes, bringing the fire under control at 7.15am.

Nobody else was home at the time of the fire and fortunately no injuries were sustained in the blaze. However, the house was deemed uninhabitable, due to the heat, smoke and water damage.

Smoke alarms in the property were not working at the time of the incident – so had it not been for the phone alarm, the consequences could have been fatal.

FRV Incident Controller Commander Alex Faris said the woman was incredibly lucky to escape the incident unharmed.

“It takes just minutes for a fire to take hold, and the smell of smoke will not wake you up,” Alex said.

“If you’re going to burn a candle in a home, please ensure you have a working smoke alarm in every bedroom, living and hallway area to provide you with the early detection should a fire break out.

“While it is easy to do, please never leave a burning candle unattended.”

An alarming 67 per cent of fatal house fires in Victoria last year occurred in the living room or bedroom, both popular locations to burn candles in the home.

FRV Deputy Commissioner Community Safety, Joshua Fischer, said safety precautions must be in place if you are going to burn candles.

“Candles should only be lit on stable, uncluttered surfaces that won’t burn, and placed well away from curtains and other flammable materials,” Joshua said.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said before lighting any candles, people should check their smoke alarms were in working order.

“It only takes a few minutes to clean and test your smoke alarm, by pushing the test button and waiting for the three beeps. It’s a small step, but one that can save lives,” Jason said.

“The best way to protect yourself and others from a fire is by installing interconnected smoke alarms, so that when any alarm activates, all will sound you to safety.”

FRV and CFA recommend candles, incense and oil burners should:

• Only be lit in rooms with smoke alarms
• Be supervised and extinguished before you leave home or go to sleep
• Only be used on stable, uncluttered surfaces that won’t burn
• Be used at least one metre away from curtains and other items that can burn
• Be kept out of reach of children and pets – when lit or unlit
• Not be used if oxygen is used in the home
• Be lit carefully – keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame
• Consider an alternative to an open flame like a battery-operated candle or torch.

Source:

Last month Tyabb Fire Brigade saw their busiest July in the history of the brigade, beating last year’s July by one call out.

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

The Department of Education has initiated compliance actions against 30 early childhood education and care services under new powers. 

This is the first time these powers have been used since the Albanese Government passed legislation to strengthen regulation of the early childhood education and care sector last month.

This action relates to failing to meet National Quality Standards (NQS), not criminal allegations, which are handled separately by state regulators and law enforcement authorities. Examples of reasons for services not meeting these quality and safety standards include failures to provide for play area safety, hygiene, staff training or supervision. 

The 30 early childhood education and care services were identified by the Department of Education in close cooperation with states and territories as failing to meet the NQS relating to child health and safety over seven or more years. 

As a result of the reforms that passed the Parliament two weeks ago, the Commonwealth Government now has the power to cut off funding to child care centres that don’t meet the NQS when it comes to safety and quality, where there’s a breach of the law, or where centres are acting in a way that puts the safety of children at risk.

Services that fail to meet NQS standards may have further conditions placed on their Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approval, or risk having their CCS approval suspended or cancelled. 

These new powers are being used in close collaboration with states and territories, who are responsible for regulating quality and safety in early education services and approving and shutting down services.

The relevant services have 48 hours to notify parents of these compliance actions and have up to six months to improve their performance against the NQS standards. 

The Department of Education is currently working with affected early childhood education and care services and will release further information after services have notified parents. 

This is the first phase of compliance activity with additional actions to come which will be published on the Department of Education webpage. 

Education Ministers will meet next Friday to discuss further measures to strengthen safety in child care, including accelerating work on a national register of workers, the role of CCTV and mandatory child safety training.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“We have taken action swiftly under the new legislation to begin rebuilding confidence in a system that parents need to have confidence in.

“This is not about closing centres down, it’s about lifting standards up.

“Over the next six months, these centres will need to lift their game or they will face further consequences including the cutting off of funding. 

“This action puts those centres on notice that they need to put the safety of our children first.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh:

“All early childhood education and care providers must be committed to safety and quality.

“The vast majority of providers and educators are decent, dedicated professionals who care deeply about safety and the quality of early childhood education and care they provide. 

“We want to see regulators working with these centres to get them up to standard so they can continue to provide important services for their communities.

“There is nothing more precious than our children and we make no apologies for putting their safety and wellbeing first and foremost.

“Today’s action should signal to all early childhood education and care providers that the National Quality Standards are not optional, and that all services must be up to scratch.”