AU Engine

Source: New South Wales – News

The Lamborghini was detected by a mobile speed detection camera travelling at 102 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Main South Road, Old Noarlunga at 9.45am on Sunday 3 August.

A traffic patrol located the vehicle just after 10am and spoke with the driver.

The 45-year-old man from the southern suburbs was issued with an expiation notice totalling $2533 for speeding and not holding an ultra-high-powered vehicle (U-class) licence.

My Licence – My ultra high powered vehicle (U) licence

Source: New South Wales – News

The crash occurred on Flagstaff Hill Road, Middleton, just before 10.30am on Sunday 3 August.  The significant impact pushed the engine well into the cab of the Ford ute.

The driver, a 19-year-old Taperoo man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

His vehicle was towed from the scene.

Investigations into the crash are ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed this collision or has any dashcam footage or information that may assist can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

A thief has threatened a resident with a knife after he was confronted inside a home in Alice Springs yesterday evening.

About 7:00pm yesterday, the 24-year-old resident and his father left their premises on Triodia Court, Sadadeen for about 10 minutes.

When they returned, they found the offender in the loungeroom of the house.

The offender was confronted by the son and a minor struggle followed.

The offender broke free and knocked over the resident’s father before running away.

The 24-year-old initially gave chase however, the offender stopped and threatened him with a knife before leaving the area in the company of a second offender who was waiting in a laneway nearby.

Police are continuing to investigate the matter and urge anyone with information, or who may have seen something in the area near Triodia Court around 7pm yesterday evening to contact on 131 444 and quote reference number P25206046. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Search in Bass Strait for missing light plane

Sunday, 3 August 2025 – 9:35 am.

Tasmania Police is providing support to a search in Bass Strait after a light plane, which took off from George Town on Saturday afternoon with two people on board, failed to arrive at its destination in Central Western NSW.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is co-ordinating the land and sea search for the aircraft, with Tasmania Police helicopter and vessel resources assisting in the response by searching the coastline near George Town and Tasmania’s north.
AMSA’s Melbourne rescue jet is conducting overwater searching of Bass Strait, supported by vessels, including Victoria Police.
The light aircraft left George Town airport about 12.45pm on Saturday with a pilot and one passenger – who are Tasmanian residents – headed for regional Victoria and then on to Central Western NSW.
The plane did not reach its destination as scheduled and authorities were notified by concerned family members that it was overdue. As a result, a search operation involving plane, helicopter and marine resources was activated.
Residents in Tasmania’s north are advised there will be ongoing aerial search activities in the area today.
Further details will be provided when available.
At this time media inquiries are to be directed to AMSA Media at media@amsa.gov.au
No footage is currently available from AMSA.

Source: New South Wales – News

The single vehicle collision occurred on Balmoral Road, near Goldfields Road, Cockatoo Valley just after 8am on Sunday 3 August.

Balmoral Road is closed to all traffic.  Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.

Source: New South Wales – News

Police were notified that a car had collided with the rear of a taxi on Currie Street about 3.45am on Sunday 3 August and kept driving.

The Honda was tracked on traffic cameras heading up to Fitzroy Terrace and north on Churchill Road, where police intercepted the car near the intersection of Regency Road.

The driver, a 25-year-old man from Lightsview, recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.274 – more than five times the legal limit.

He was reported for drink driving and issued with a 12-month instant loss of licence.  His car was impounded for 28 days and he will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.

There were no injuries sustained in the minor collision.

199127

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

A new pedestrian and cyclist bridge honouring the memory of local student Luke Bowen has officially opened in Coffs Harbour today, marking a major milestone in the delivery of the city’s long-awaited bypass.

Spanning eight lanes of traffic, the Luke Bowen Pedestrian Bridge is the first major piece of infrastructure to be completed as part of the Coffs Harbour Bypass.

This state-of-the-art pedestrian bridge replaces the older and shorter bridge of the same name, and now provides a safer, more accessible connection across the highway, including direct access to a new bus interchange being built near Kororo Public School.

The bridge stands as both a vital piece of infrastructure and a deeply meaningful tribute – a place of remembrance for Luke, and a commitment to a safer future for all members of the community.

The Coffs Harbour Bypass is a $2.2 billion project jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments.

Once complete, the bypass will remove thousands of vehicles from the city centre, improve traffic flow and significantly reduce travel times.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said:

“The 14kilometre Coffs Bypass will transform Coffs Harbour for the better, bypassing the town centre and allowing interstate traffic to flow freely. The stunning new pedestrian bridge will ensure people can move safely and easily over the new highway.

“The bridge also honours the memory of Luke Bowen, a young life lost too soon. The Coffs Harbour community has shown such strength and unity in carrying Luke’s name forward and this bridge stands as a testament to that spirit.”

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“For the people of Coffs Harbour, the bypass represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape their city, to reclaim their streets, reduce congestion, and create a more peaceful, accessible place to live.

“The Luke Bowen Bridge is the first step in that journey, and it sets the tone for everything that will follow.

“It is especially moving to see the community come together to honour Luke’s memory in such a lasting way. It’s a reminder that behind every piece of infrastructure are people, families and stories that matter.

“The bridge was installed with only a few hours of highway closure, and the older structure removed just as efficiently. This shows the outstanding coordination and care that’s gone into this project.”

Jeff Bowen and Vicki Banks, parents of the late Luke Bowen said:

“Our family is honoured that the new pedestrian bridge will serve as a lasting legacy to Luke.

“It is a deeply moving tribute that reflects the care and strength of the community he loved so much.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Transport for NSW and Kororo Public School.”

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

The Albanese and Minns Labor governments are working together to deliver better, safer and more resilient road infrastructure in western Sydney, with work now underway on two transformative projects in the Hawkesbury region: the Pitt Town Bypass, and the start of enabling works for the new Richmond Bridge.

These projects, totalling over $600 million in investment, will improve flood resilience, reduce congestion and boost safety for local residents and visitors to the region.

Pitt Town Bypass

Major works are set to begin on the long-awaited Pitt Town Bypass, a $100 million NSW Government project set to improve travel times and safety in the region.

The 950-metre bypass will link Pitt Town Road and Cattai Road with two new roundabouts and a new bridge across Hortons Creek.

It will divert traffic, including heavy vehicles, away from the village centre, easing congestion and improving access for emergency services.

Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure has been awarded the contract and will soon begin geotechnical and survey work ahead of full construction from August 1, 2026.

The bypass is due to open to traffic by the end of 2026.

Road Upgrades ahead of a New Richmond Bridge

Shovels are in the ground as work begins on the first stage of road upgrades in the Hawkesbury that will eventually connect to the New Richmond Bridge.

The $515 million project, funded by the Albanese and Minns governments, will see two new roundabouts be built along The Driftway at Londonderry and Blacktown Roads, improving safety and traffic flow during flood evacuations.

The upgrade at Londonderry Road will include a new roundabout and an additional southbound lane to support emergency evacuations.

A new roundabout and new bridge across Rickabys Creek will also be delivered at Blacktown Road, improving safety and flood resilience.

Government is preparing to release the Stage 2 Determination Report, responding to community feedback.

Stage 2 includes construction of a new four-lane bridge over the Hawkesbury River, around 10 metres higher than the existing bridge, providing significant flood immunity and improved access during extreme weather.

Construction on Stage 2 is expected to begin in 2026.

Thanks to community feedback, extra funding has been committed by the Albanese Government towards a future stage of the New Richmond Bridge project, to support delivery of a bypass to Londonderry and key North Richmond intersection upgrades.

Quotes attributable to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King:

“The Albanese Government is proud to be working with the Minns Government to deliver key road upgrades near Richmond.

“Once complete, stages one and two of this project will improve flood resilience, safety, and connectivity across the Hawkesbury.

“We’ve listened to community feedback and responded with additional investment to deliver additional key upgrades for road connections are delivered alongside the New Richmond Bridge.

“We’re building infrastructure that locals can rely on, day in, day out, rain or shine.”

Quotes attributable to the NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison:

“These two projects show the Minns Labor Government is serious about building a safer and more resilient road network across north western Sydney.

We’re reducing congestion, improving flood evacuation routes, and delivering the infrastructure that communities like Pitt Town and Richmond need and deserve.

“The New Richmond Bridge will transform access across the Hawkesbury, while the Pitt Town Bypass will take pressure off local roads and make it easier for emergency services to do their job.

“These are practical upgrades that will have a lasting legacy.”

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman:

“These two projects will make a real difference for the people of Hawkesbury.

“Whether it’s easing the pressure on Pitt Town or building a safer, flood-resilient connection across the river to North Richmond, this is about delivering infrastructure that keeps our communities connected, even in times of crisis.”

“I’m proud to be part of a government that is working alongside the Minns Government to deliver what locals and I have long called for.”

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

In a major milestone for the METRONET program, the Albanese and Cook Labor governments have today announced the Byford Rail Extension, as well as the remaining outer section of the Armadale Line, will open for passenger services on Monday, 13 October.

The announcement comes as the Byford Rail Extension enters a critical phase, with testing and commissioning, as well as driver training now underway.

The Byford Rail Extension includes a brand-new train station in Byford, offering 400 parking bays and a 46-minute journey to Perth, as well as a new elevated station built in the centre of Armadale, providing about 200 parking bays.

Other major benefits delivered through the project include the removal of seven level crossings, two new road over rail bridges at Thomas Road and Eleventh Road, eight hectares of new public open space through the rail line elevation, and eight kilometres of new shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

Jointly funded by the Australian and WA governments, the project has been a major construction feat, employing more than 4,200 people. Works included the delivery of eight kilometres of new dual-rail track, including 22,000 sleepers and 40,000 tonnes of crushed rock.

During the Armadale Line closure, the Public Transport Authority has also delivered the Rail Revitalisation Program, undertaking major maintenance between Kenwick and Sherwood stations.

The work has included the replacement of 15 kilometres of track and pedestrian and vehicle level crossings, as well as other major upgrades such as new drainage systems, and enhanced overhead lines, communications and signalling.

When the Armadale Line reopens, passengers will continue to benefit from the two-zone cap currently in place.

This will become even more affordable when the one-zone fare cap rolls out from 1 January 2026, with passengers paying no more than $2.80 when using an autoload SmartRider.

A community event to celebrate the opening of the full Armadale Line will be held on Sunday, October 12. Further details will be provided closer to the date.

The community event will also celebrate the recently opened inner section of the Armadale Line and the soon to be completed Long Park.

Stretching seven kilometres, Long Park includes 14 community spaces featuring playgrounds, skate parks, dog and fitness parks and youth plazas with sports courts.

New shared paths have also been built throughout the parkland area.

The Australind Train, which utilises the Armadale Line, will resume services in early 2026, with the WA Government to announce a date soon.

The new Australind Trains are currently undergoing diagnostic testing at the Bellevue railcar facility.

Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

“Thanks to the Albanese and Cook Labor governments, the Armadale Line has gone through its largest transformation in its 132 years’ history.

“Extensive work has been done to upgrade the line to remove level crossings and improve signalling to future-proof the line and allow trains to run faster and more reliably.

“This is a crucial transport link for Perth’s fast-growing south and will provide easy connections to buses and trains on the city’s broader public transport network.

“I can’t wait to see every Western Australian – and visitor – enjoy the benefits of this Federal and State METRONET investment.”

Quotes attributable to WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

“We sincerely thank the community for their patience as we deliver the METRONET Byford Rail Extension.

“This transformative infrastructure project will benefit future generations, unlock new opportunities for development and make more of Perth accessible by public transport.

“We’re delivering a major boost to the capacity and resilience of our network by extending the Armadale Line to Byford – providing faster and more reliable public transport to Perth’s growing south-east.

“METRONET is transforming Perth’s public transport and making our city more connected than ever. The reopening of the Armadale Line marks one of the most significant milestones in this transformation.”

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Burt Matt Keogh:

“It is exciting to see that the METRONET Byford Rail Extension is almost all aboard for passengers travelling south of Perth, with significant upgrades and the removal of seven level crossings.

“The completion of this project will also provide the community with two new much-needed train stations and the extension of the Armadale Line to Byford.

“Train passengers throughout my community, from Kenwick through to Byford, will be looking forward to be able to start catching trains again from October.”

Quotes attributable to Darling Range MLA Hugh Jones:

“It’s been incredible to see the progress being made on the new METRONET Byford Station, and now the community has a date for when it will open.

“This is an exciting moment for our community, and the countdown is now well and truly on until we unveil the new Byford Station.

“It will also be fantastic to have the brand-new internal roads open which will enhance connectivity to shops and services for the Byford community.”

Quotes attributable to Armadale MLA Dr Tony Buti:

“The new METRONET Armadale Station is completely transforming our suburb, and I know today’s announcement will be met with excitement from the community.

“While this will be an incredible asset for our community, I know the past 18 months have been challenging due to the dis

Source: NGARKAT HIGHWAY, NGARKAT (Grass Fire)

JAMES GLENDAY: But first, we’re going to take you to Canberra, where it is set to be another busy day. The Federal Communications Minister, Anika Wells, is with us now from Parliament House. Minister, good morning.

ANIKA WELLS: Good morning to you, James.

JAMES GLENDAY: So let’s start off with this decision to include YouTube in the social media ban for under-16s. Why are you doing this?

ANIKA WELLS: Fresh evidence from the eSafety Commissioner that 37 per cent of kids had their most recent or most impactful online harm at the hands of YouTube. So that is evidence that I can’t ignore, and they are joining the ban.

JAMES GLENDAY: This had been called for by the eSafety Commissioner. A question close to my own heart – I’ve got a six-year-old who is very keen to know, is the app YouTube Kids also going to be restricted?

ANIKA WELLS: No, YouTube Kids doesn’t qualify for the laws because it doesn’t have the ability to upload videos and it doesn’t have the ability to make comments on videos. And I think we can all agree, like you say, social media has its place. You know, we use YouTube Kids when you need to occupy your child while you’re working or whatever, but persuasive and predatory algorithms do not have a place, and that’s what we’re cracking down on.

JAMES GLENDAY: So how will kids actually be prevented from logging on? Because a lot of people don’t actually log on to YouTube, and parents can’t watch their kids all the time.

ANIKA WELLS: Yeah, and I want parents to know, we have your backs. The onus here is on the platforms to uphold their social responsibility as a social media platform, and come 10 December, social media accounts held by under-16s must be deactivated. Platforms must deactivate them. They must take reasonable steps to make sure that they don’t get reactivated or new accounts or workarounds, because kids will find workarounds, God bless them, we know that they will. Platforms must take reasonable steps to try and stop that from happening.

JAMES GLENDAY: Okay, so reasonable steps. How do you then stop a kid just going onto YouTube without a login watching inappropriate content?

ANIKA WELLS: Well, if you are in a logged-out state, YouTube says that you don’t see age-restricted content. So if it is unsafe in a logged-out state, that is a social responsibility upon YouTube to fix that, just in the general sense, I would argue. But this is about the chilling effect. I mean, there’s another survey that asks kids who are north of 16, do they wish that they’d gotten on social media later or had a delayed start? And they all say, yes, we do. But when everybody’s on it and you’re not, that’s really isolating. So what this is, is a chilling effect. You’re not on it, it’s the law, and we’d prefer you to be outside playing sport, but your kids, your friends aren’t on it, so you’re not missing out.

JAMES GLENDAY: A lot of parents have been in touch this morning, some saying that they’re quite supportive of this ban. Just a few raising questions about what will happen to good educational content, for example, that a lot of educators are posting, particularly trying to improve skills that NAPLAN tests, which are also out today, test for. I mean, what will happen to this educational content?

ANIKA WELLS: So that’s exactly the kind of content that you can see on YouTube Kids. It’s also the kind of content that teachers could send a YouTube link home. I know my kids have learnt number blocks on YouTube. We understand that. Social media has a place. And this isn’t something- these laws aren’t infallible. That’s the nature of humanity. It’s like smoking – there’s kids who are under 18 who are going to find a way to smoke. There’s kids who are under 16 who are going to find a way around this. But it’s about making a positive impact and it’s about the chilling effect that it’s the law, you’re not meant to be on there and there’s plenty of other things for you to do. We’d rather kids work out who they are before social media platforms assume who they are.

JAMES GLENDAY: And just the last one on this topic, for everyone who is over the age of 16, wants to get on YouTube, watch whatever they feel like, what’s going to be the process for verifying someone’s age?

ANIKA WELLS: Well again, that’s for the social media platforms to work with the eSafety Commissioner about what that looks like for their individual platform. But there’s plenty of ways that platforms already know. They know a lot about us. They target us with deadly accuracy for the purposes of advertising. If you have had a Facebook account since 2005, we know that you’re over 16.

JAMES GLENDAY: Okay. I just want to take you to the issue regarding Gaza and recognition of a Palestinian state. The UK Government says it’s going to recognise a Palestinian state as early as September unless Israel agrees to certain conditions like a ceasefire and a two-state solution. Is this a good move?

ANIKA WELLS: Yeah, I think like what the Prime Minister was saying in the House just yesterday, what is happening in Gaza has gone now beyond the world’s worst fears. And Labor, we have long advocated for a two-state solution. It is now a question of when, not if, that happens. We are working with like-minded parties to see that that happens as soon as possible.

JAMES GLENDAY: Rank-and-file members of the Labor Party have been pushing for recognition of a Palestinian state, goodness, for many, many years now. Do you see that that could happen relatively soon?

ANIKA WELLS: Well, I think it’s a question of when, not if. There’s a number of things to work through, none of which will be news to you and your listeners, James, who have been following this closely. We need Hamas to release the hostages. We need to secure aid as quickly as possible. Everybody is working on that. But, like you say, Labor has long advocated for a two-state solution.

JAMES GLENDAY: Now, before I let you go, I’m slightly surprised you’re not wearing your papaya today. If we go to your sports portfolio, you’re a big F1 fan. Do you still have faith that Oscar Piastri is going to get it done this year and become the first Australian to win the Drivers’ Championship in 45 years?

ANIKA WELLS: From your lips to God’s ears, James, it is a glorious time to be an Oscar Piastri fan. And I think he’s so Australian about the way he goes about his business, you know? Like, you just know that he walks into a barber and he says, hi, I need a haircut, please. And they’d say, like, what kind of haircut? And he’d say, a haircut. But nonetheless, he is a cold-blooded assassin on the track, and I just think that’s a wonderfully Australian way of going about it, and we’ve all got our fingers crossed.

JAMES GLENDAY: We certainly do. We had to wait until State of Origin’s season was over before getting you on. Thank you so much for coming on to speak about this YouTube ban. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of questions about it today.

ANIKA WELLS: Looking forward to it. Have a good day.