AU Engine

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Three major retailers have paid penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales. Each retailer paid a penalty of $19,800 after the ACCC issued them with one infringement notice each.

This follows an ACCC sweep of dozens of sales advertisements for last year’s Black Friday and post-Christmas sales events which identified concerns that the ads misrepresented the size and scope of discounts being offered to consumers.

The ACCC issued one infringement notice each to Michael Hill Jeweller (Australia) Pty Ltd (Michael Hill), Global Retail Brands Australia Pty Ltd (GRBA) in relation to its homewares business MyHouse, and Hairhouse Warehouse Online Pty Ltd (Hairhouse Online) which operates the Hairhouse hair and beauty website, because the ACCC alleged that the businesses were misrepresenting the nature of their sales, including by falsely describing discounts as applying ‘sitewide’.

“We allege these claims misled consumers that all goods in the physical or online store were discounted, or that the discounts were greater than was actually the case,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“Advertisements that talk about ‘sitewide’ or ‘storewide’ sales or promise discounts ‘off everything’ should deliver what customers expect, and not be used by retailers to hook consumers under false pretences.”

“Businesses are legally obliged to accurately describe their sale offers and should not use small point disclaimers to terms and conditions to disguise the real extent of their offers,” Ms Lowe said.

“During the EOFY sales, retailers should be aware that we will continue to keep an eye on sales promotions to ensure consumers are not being misled, and retailers may face enforcement action if they make sales representations that contravene the Australian Consumer Law.”

Michael Hill pays penalty for “25% off Sitewide” sale ad

Jewellery business Michael Hill, a subsidiary of Michael Hill International Limited (ASX: MHJ), has paid one infringement notice issued by the ACCC, totalling $19,800 in relation to an alleged misleading representation about its Black Friday sale.

Its online advertisement promoted the sale with the words ‘Member Event 25% off Sitewide’.

“Michael Hill’s statement may have misled consumers, and contravened the Australian Consumer Law, because some of the products in its online store were not part of the sale and were not discounted,” Ms Lowe said.

MyHouse pays penalty amid ACCC concern its ad was misleading

Homewares retailer GRBA paid its $19,800 penalty after the ACCC issued it with one infringement notice in relation to its MyHouse store’s online Black Friday sale ad which the ACCC alleges was misleading.

The ad displayed on the MyHouse website during the sale included:

• a ribbon banner stating ‘Black Friday Up to 60% Off Sitewide + EXTRA 20% off’; and
• a large headline graphic stating ‘Up to 60% OFF RRP EVERYTHING ON SALE’ followed by the text ‘+EXTRA 20% OFF’

“We say this was misleading because the extra 20 per cent discount was not available on all of its products,” Ms Lowe said.

“Retailers need to ensure that their advertising makes it clear to consumers which products are discounted, and by how much.”

Hairhouse Online allegedly misleads consumers with ‘Save 20% to 50% sitewide’ ads

Hairhouse Online paid one infringement notice of $19,800, in relation to its online ad for its Black Friday sale with the statement: ‘SAVE 20% to 50% SITEWIDE’.

The ACCC considered the statement misled consumers that all items on its website would be discounted by between 20 and 50 per cent for the duration of the Black Friday sale, when in fact more than a quarter of the products on its website were not included in the sale offer.

“Businesses that make false discount claims not only risk misleading consumers, they also compete unfairly against other businesses which correctly state the nature of their sales,” Ms Lowe said.

Notes to editors

The ACCC can issue an infringement notice when it has reasonable grounds to believe a person or business has contravened certain consumer protection provisions in the Australian Consumer Law.

The payment of a penalty specified in an infringement notice is not an admission of a contravention of the Australian Consumer Law. The Australian Consumer Law sets the penalty amount.

Background

Michael Hill Jeweller (Australia) Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Michael Hill International Limited which has its headquarters in Brisbane. The Michael Hill retail group is a specialty retailer of jewellery which operates about 170 bricks-and-mortar stores in Australia and also operates in New Zealand and Canada.

Homewares business MyHouse is operated by homewares and kitchen goods retailer GRBA as an online business and in 28 physical stores in Australia. GRBA also operates a range of similar businesses such as House, Robins Kitchen, House Bed & Bath and Baccarat.

Hairhouse Online is a related entity of The Hairhouse Warehouse Pty Ltd, a private company based in Melbourne with 125 stores across Australia, offering haircuts, hair extensions spray tans, manicures, waxing, make-up and other hair and beauty services.

In December 2024, following a sweep of advertisements, the ACCC raised concerns about a range of concerning practices in Black Friday sales promotions, from ‘sitewide’ discounts that were not in fact sitewide, potentially misleading ‘was/now’ pricing, as well as dubious claims about the value of discounts on offer.

One of the ACCC’s Compliance and Enforcement Priorities for 2025-26 is ‘consumer and fair trading concerns in the supermarket and retail sectors, with a focus on misleading pricing practices’.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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11 June 2025

Whether it’s a personal challenge, for charity, or on your bucket list, marathons are one of the most sought-after goals for amateur and recreational runners worldwide.

Now, a world-first study from the University of South Australia and the University of North Dakota suggests that a person’s marathon potential may be identified through a simple check of their hands.

In a meta-analysis of 22 studies (representing 5293 participants and 12 countries) researchers found that a lower digit ratio – when a person’s ring finger is longer than their index finger – is a biomarker of cardiorespiratory fitness, specifically exercise tolerance and endurance performance.                                      

The findings indicate that someone with longer ring fingers than index fingers may perform better in endurance sports like marathons or long-distance cycling.

While previous studies have explored digit ratio and sports performance, this is the most comprehensive synthesis of evidence for digit ratio and cardiorespiratory fitness, and the first meta-analysis to link it specifically to exercise tolerance and endurance performance.

Exercise tolerance is the level of physical activity an individual can endure before experiencing excessive fatigue. Endurance performance is the ability to sustain physical activity for long periods, often at a moderate to high intensity.

UniSA researcher and PhD candidate Bethany Gower says that digit ratios could present a useful, low-cost screening tool for spotting potential in high-performance endurance athletes.

“Measuring and comparing finger lengths might seem like a novelty, but research shows that this is a proven and biologically sound method for identifying muscle strength – and now, endurance performance,” Gower says.

“Our research found that digit ratio is significantly linked to exercise tolerance, which reflects the highest intensity of exercise you can tolerate for a long time before it becomes too challenging to continue.

“What this means is that people with lower digit ratios – a ring finger longer than their index finger – are more likely to tolerate increasing exercise intensity and perform better in longer-duration activities, such as marathons or distance cycling.

“It’s a significant finding that could help coaches and sports scientists identify talent, or help recreational athletes better understand their endurance potential.”

With elite athletes soon to compete in the Tour de France (5 July – 20 July) or the TCS Sydney Marathon (31 August), it’s a curiosity that could be put to the test.

Prof Grant Tomkinson says that digit ratios are determined during early foetal development.

“Greater exposure to testosterone in the womb has been linked with the development of lower digit ratios, which could influence a person’s ability to exercise intensely,” Prof Tomkinson says.  

“It also has short-term benefits in later life by helping ‘charge’ the endocrine system to respond to challenging situations, like intense exercise, by suddenly spiking testosterone levels.

“This could manifest as people having stronger body systems or organs that physically improve their ability to tolerate intense aerobic exercise, or as a stronger psychosocial, competitive response to being challenged when exercising.”

For everyday athletes curious about their fitness potential, Gower says there’s a simple way to get a clue – just look at your fingers.

“Digit ratio is easy to measure – just compare the length of your index and ring fingers of your hand. If your ring finger is longer, you’ve got a lower ratio.

“You never know – your fingers might just reveal you’re built for endurance.”

The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

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

Contacts for interview:

Bethany Gower E: bethany.gower@unisa.edu.au

Prof Grant Tomkinson E: grant.tomkinson@unisa.edu.au

UniSA media contacts:

Josh Owen-Thomas M: +61 428 715 401 E: josh.owen-thomas@unisa.edu.au

Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

Source: Premier of Victoria

• 84-year-old customer saved from scam
• Banker confronts “spineless coward” scammer after he threatened elderly customer
• Customers warned of callers pressuring them to move money

When Stella* walked into her local NAB branch and asked to increase her internet banking limit, the East Maitland team immediately knew something didn’t add up.

The 84-year-old nervously asked for her daily limit to be lifted from $5,000 to $50,000 so she could transfer money to her son’s account.

Behind the counter of the branch in NSW’s Hunter Valley, customer advisor Tiffany Bailey noticed Stella was on the phone to someone.

“The phone line went dead as soon as the caller heard my voice. Alarm bells started ringing for me straight away. I knew from my training and experience that something is not right here,” Ms Bailey said.

Tiffany then Googled the phone number, which revealed it was linked to a known scam.

“That’s when we were able to sit down with Stella and ask what was really going on,” Ms Bailey said.

“Stella burst into tears, telling us she was being threatened by a man claiming to be from a major tech company. He’d been pressuring her for days into making a $50,000 transfer to settle an outstanding debt. Stella’s adult son was waiting out the front of the branch. He had no idea she was being scammed.”

The criminal also gained remote access to Stella’s computer, generated images to convince her of the debt and coached her what to say to bank staff.

It was then he started calling again.

Branch manager Vanessa Kruger offered to answer the call and Stella agreed. “I told him that we were from NAB and we were on to him,” Ms Kruger said.

“I told him to stop calling Stella and leave her alone. We’d also be reporting him to police. He hung up straight away like a spineless coward.”

The branch team put a temporary block on Stella’s accounts and reassured her no money had been taken. They also sought advice from NAB’s Fraud Operations team, based in Melbourne, who advised Stella her computer should be cleaned.

“She was instantly relieved. It could have so easily been my grandmother in that situation,” Ms Bailey said.

The following week Stella came back into the branch to thank the team.

“She came up to me and gave me a big hug to say thank you. She was still rattled but feeling a lot better. Stella told us she would have been wiped out financially,” Ms Bailey said.

NAB Executive, Group Investigations Chris Sheehan said NAB remained focused on its fight against criminals as part of a bank-wide scam strategy to help protect customers.

“Remote access scams often start with a phone call or computer pop up from someone claiming there’s a problem they can help ‘fix’,” Mr Sheehan, a former Australian Federal Police executive, said.

“Recognising scam red flags is crucial. These include a sense of urgency, unexpected contact, being asked to grant someone access to your device and ‘needing’ to move money to keep it ‘safe’.

“If you’re unsure, call the organisation the person claims to be from using details you’ve found yourself. For example, look up the organisation’s website or log in to its app.

“Stopping scams is like playing whack-a-mole. That’s why Australia’s all of ecosystem approach to tackling scams is world-leading.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

A real estate agent with a history of mishandling clients’ money has lost his licence to practise for 12 months.

Thomas Henry Albert Aloysius, 52, of Hallam, was a director of former estate agent, Hills and Fort Real Estate Pty Ltd, when he failed to meet key legal requirements under the Estate Agents Act.

Aloysius breached 2 licence conditions:

• He failed to notify the Business Licensing Authority within 24 hours of having criminal charges brought against him, instead waiting more than eight months.
• He remained a signatory to the company’s trust account while being prohibited.

Aloysius also allowed Hills and Fort Real Estate to trade unlicensed for more than eight months and to keep trust money for sales transactions in a trust account that was not in the company’s name.

Hills and Fort Real Estate previously traded under the business names Freedom Realtors, Smart Negotiators and freedomproperty.com.au – Smart Negotiators.

The VCAT action against Aloysius followed his previous failure to correctly handle client funds, while working for another agency. As an agent’s representative, he accepted a $20,000 deposit from a purchaser into his personal account, rather than the agency trust account. He was convicted and fined in 2021.

Consumer Affairs Victoria continues to target the way estate agents manage trust account money. It is currently prosecuting estate agent Daniela Vella and Mark Alexander Reuben for allegedly mismanaging more than $230,000 and $400,000 of clients’ trust money, respectively. Both held senior roles in the agencies they were working for at the time of their alleged offences.

If you are considering selling your property, check an agent’s licence status on the estate agent public register before you engage them.

Read more about the professional conduct obligations of estate agents.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Search for Victorian man at Cradle Mountain

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 – 4:23 pm.

Parks and Wildlife Service rangers, with the support of a Tasmania Police drone, are continuing to search at Cradle Mountain for a 52-year-old Victorian man.
There are concerns for the welfare of Christopher Michael Inwood, whose white Toyota HiAce van (VIC Rego 1TZ8PQ) was located in the car park of a ranger station on Cradle Mountain Road about 7.30am on Tuesday.
A backpack, believed to belong to Mr Inwood, was located about 500m along the Cradle Mountain Road leading from the car park, in the direction of Dove Lake.
Initial inquiries established Mr Inwood’s last confirmed location as Kelso, in the state’s north, on Sunday night.
However, further investigation has identified a possible sighting of Mr Inwood and his vehicle in the Kindred area, about 8:30pm on Monday. It is believed he may have travelled to Cradle Mountain later that night.
Police have released a CCTV image of Mr Inwood, captured over the weekend, to assist in identifying him.
The search operation is being coordinated by Tasmania Police Search and Rescue however, specialist search officers have not yet been deployed.
As of 3pm today, weather conditions in the area remain relatively clear, with a temperature of about 3°C.
Anyone who has seen Mr Inwood, knows of his movements, or has any information that may assist the search, is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Members of the Northern Territory Police Force were generally pleased with the behaviour of attendees at the Finke Desert Race over the long weekend. Police were deployed across the weekend to support event officials and other emergency services in maintaining spectator and competitor safety.

The Territory Road Policing Division, comprised of members from both Darwin and Southern Traffic Operations, achieved the following results:

• 2629 negative alcohol breath tests
• 13 positive alcohol breath tests
• 42 negative drug tests
• 10 positive drug tests
• 7 arrests
• 8 notices to appear issued
• 254 traffic infringement notices issued

Police would like to thank road users for their cooperation and understanding.

Around 12:50pm on Monday 9 June, police arrested a 60-year-old man who had allegedly been previously instructed by event officials to move at least 30-metres away from the racetrack. He was later sighted by police within 30-metres of the track within a clearly marked area. He subsequently was issued a Notice to Appear in the Alice Springs Local Court and directed not to return to the event area.

Superintendent Michael Budge said, “Overall, we were happy with the conduct of attendees and hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.

“Police would like to remind the public of drone regulations at events that involve helicopters or other aircraft.

“Throughout the event, police and officials responded to multiple reports of drones being operated within the airspace surrounding the course. Due to the nature of the event, helicopters are required to fly at low altitudes and in close proximity to the track to conduct safety sweeps and facilitate medical evacuations.

“The presence of drones in this environment poses a serious collision risk to aircraft and their occupants, and we’re thankful that no such incident occurred.”

For more information on drone regulations, visit: https://www.casa.gov.au/knowyourdrone/drone-rules.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement today that Jenny Wilkinson will serve as the next Secretary to the Treasury and I thank him for the way he has involved and included Katy Gallagher and me in his decision.

I am really excited by this opportunity to work even more closely with Jenny, whose contribution as the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been instrumental to our first four budgets and so much of the broader work of our government.

I’m so grateful to Steven Kennedy for our very close and effective partnership over the past three years, for his friendship over a much longer period, for his service to my predecessor as well, and for the chance to work with him now in his new role.

It was such a valued opportunity to work with him at Treasury.

Steven and Jenny are the best of the best. Outstanding public servants and even better people. I’m really happy for them both and they should be very proud.

Australia was incredibly fortunate to have someone of Steven’s calibre leading the Treasury, and is just as fortunate having him now lead the Australian Public Service.

I pay tribute again to outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Glyn Davis, another friend, and thank him for his friendship and service.

Jenny will make history as the first woman to lead the Treasury. Under our government women now lead the Treasury, Reserve Bank and Productivity Commission all for the first time.

Jenny is one of Australia’s most distinguished and experienced economists and public servants and has served with distinction under governments of both political persuasions.

I am really pleased that someone with her skills and experience will guide and lead the department, as we continue to develop and implement our economic agenda.

Jenny holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University, a Bachelors Degree in Economics (with Honours) from the Australian National University, and was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2021.

Thank you Steven and Jenny for agreeing to serve and to the Prime Minister for appointing them to these key roles at such an important time.