Victoria Police confirm death of driver involved in bus crash
Victoria Police have confirmed a man died in the bus crash in Glenburn this afternoon.
The force has just issued a statement saying the driver of one of the cars involved in the collision died at the scene.
Detectives are investigating the crash, but police say they understand bus collided with a white car and a blue Toyota on the Melba Highway near Two Hills Road about 2.40pm.
The driver of the white car died at the scene, police say, while the driver and passenger of the Toyota sustained minor injuries.
Policed say they believe there were 18 people inside the bus, including the driver. Two occupants of the bus were taken to hospital with serious injuries, two were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the others were treated at the scene.
Updated at 03.55 EDT
Key events
Benita Kolovos
Victoria’s Labor and Liberal leaders weigh in on twilight AFL grand final speculation
Victorian opposition leader, Jess Wilson, has described herself as a “grand final traditionalist” while the premier, Ben Carroll, says he’d like to see the match played at twilight.
With just two days until the AFL Grand Final, the perennial question about the match time was a topic of conversation at parliament.
It follows a report in the Herald Sun suggesting that if the Liberal party were elected in November, it would look to use ministerial powers to block staging an AFL night grand final at the MCG.
Wilson would not confirm the report but said:
double quotation markI’m the Grand Final traditionalist. I love the grand final.
I love how big a event it is for Melbourne. It’s when Melbourne comes alive, and I think the Saturday afternoon grand final is a big part of that.
But I’m also really focused on how the grand final can be an event for families, and I believe that the the afternoon grand final is the best way to do that.
Carroll, when asked, said he’d prefer a twilight start:
double quotation markI will leave it to the AFL and our experts at Visit Victoria, and all of our experts that make these decisions …. not the politicians … I think that twilight is something that could be considered by the AFL. I certainly think it is the sweet spot in terms of family-friendly TV ratings and the weather.
ShareVictoria Police confirm death of driver involved in bus crash
Victoria Police have confirmed a man died in the bus crash in Glenburn this afternoon.
The force has just issued a statement saying the driver of one of the cars involved in the collision died at the scene.
Detectives are investigating the crash, but police say they understand bus collided with a white car and a blue Toyota on the Melba Highway near Two Hills Road about 2.40pm.
The driver of the white car died at the scene, police say, while the driver and passenger of the Toyota sustained minor injuries.
Policed say they believe there were 18 people inside the bus, including the driver. Two occupants of the bus were taken to hospital with serious injuries, two were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the others were treated at the scene.
Updated at 03.55 EDT
Administrators order tools down on semi-finished Bathla sites after running out of money
The insolvency advisory Teneo has announced it is standing down workers and stopping construction on the embattled developer Bathla Group’s semi-finished properties.
Bathla – one of Australia’s largest property developers – went into voluntary administration on 25 August, weighed down by almost $3.6bn in debt, leaving thousands of customers in limbo, some with semi-complete homes they’d bought off-the-plan.
Its administrators at Teneo had been in crisis talks with private lenders to try to save Bathla and its many projects, saying their immediate priorities included finishing the estimated 2,000-2,500 homes on which construction had already begun.
Teneo managed to secure short-term funding to temporarily continue construction on the 13 Bathla sites where construction was under way, but it announced this evening that the money had run out and it had not managed to secure further funding.
Teneo said its discussions with lenders for further funding “have now concluded”.
As a result, construction workers across 13 Bathla sites have been stood down and all construction operations have ceased, Teneo said.
Teneo’s Stephen Longley said the administrators were now focused on working with lenders for an “orderly sale” of Bathla Group’s subdivision and land bank sites.
He said:
double quotation markA core team of Bathla employees has been retained to assist with the management and realisation of the assets.
The administrators will provide further updates to customers, employees, creditors, subcontractors and other stakeholders as the administration process progresses.
At Bathla, 125 staff members were let go today, and 67 employees have been retained.
We’ve asked Teneo to clarify if the 13 construction sites it is referring to encompasses all of Bathla’s current projects, as well as how many construction workers have been stood down.
You can read more about Bathla’s downfall here:
Updated at 04.18 EDT
Update on injuries after bus crash in Victoria
Ambulance Victoria has provided some more detail on this afternoon’s bus crash in Glenburn, a town north-east of Melbourne.
The state’s ambulance service says its paramedics responded to reports of a collision involving a bus in Glenburn about 2.40pm today, and assessed 21 people at the scene.
They say:
A teenage male was treated at the scene and flown to the Alfred hospital in a serious condition with upper body injuries.
A man in his 50s was treated and transported by road ambulance to Box Hill hospital in a serious condition.
A teenage female was treated and transported by road ambulance to the Royal Children’s hospital in a stable condition.
A teenage male was treated and transported by road ambulance to Maroondah hospital in a stable condition with upper body injuries.
Sixteen other people assessed by paramedics at the scene did not require emergency treatment or transport.
Ambulance Victoria asked journalists to speak to Victoria police regarding a fifth person who was injured, so we will bring you more information as soon as we can.
Updated at 03.10 EDT
Australian chefs join global pledge to take farmed salmon ‘off the table’
Petra Stock
Australian chefs have joined their global colleagues in refusing to serve ocean-farmed Atlantic salmon.
The Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans, Analiese Gregory and Josh Niland have signed an open letter, together with more than 120 leading chefs from 26 countries, and food-system campaigners such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
The list includes chefs from some of the world’s best restaurants, holding more than 90 Michelin stars between them.
The chefs have pledged to stop serving ocean-farmed salmon until it can be produced without harming wild fish, marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbor. Photograph: Mark A Johnson/Alamy
Tasmania produces virtually all of Australia’s farmed salmon. Evans, the host of Gourmet Farmer and What’s the Catch?, said he would never serve Tasmanian-farmed salmon at his Fat Pig Farm.
Evans said:
double quotation markIt’s clear that the way we produce salmon in open pens is done in a way that continues to harm Tasmania’s natural environment.
It’s a dirty industry that refuses to clean up its act.
Updated at 03.12 EDT
More than a dozen people injured in bus crash in Victoria
Multiple people have been injured after a bus crash in Victoria.
Ambulance Victoria paramedics are on the scene in Glenburn after reports of a crash involving a bus at about 2.40pm today. Paramedic crews are assessing multiple patients, with initial reports from on-scene crews suggesting 18 people may have been injured.
“Our paramedics’ priority is with their patients. Further updates will be provided as information becomes available,” Ambulance Victoria said in a statement.
Updated at 03.09 EDT
Systemic racism to blame for Indigenous people’s wage disparity: landmark study
Systemic racism is to blame for a glaring Indigenous pay gap that is costing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples billions of dollars a year, a landmark study has found, AAP reports.
The Australian-first Towards Indigenous Pay Parity report released on Thursday revealed Indigenous employees earn 16 cents less for every dollar compared with the average Australian worker, culminating in an average $15,000 discrepancy each year.
That figure climbs to 21 cents for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who earn an average $41 per hour, compared with $52 for men overall.
The UTS Centre for Indigenous People and Work report analysed Australian Tax Office and Australian Bureau of Statistics data from almost 230 occupations, identifying wage gaps in three quarters of sectors.
The centre’s director, Prof Nareen Young, warned the pay gap cost Indigenous Australians a combined $3bn in 2022-23, with a total cumulative loss of $170bn possible by 2050.
Exploring factors including education, age, job type and hours worked, the study found those elements accounted for less than one third of the average hourly pay gap.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast earlier today, Prof Young said:
double quotation markHaving examined all of the usual things that explain a pay parity gap we can only put it down to systemic racism.
When it’s up to the discretion of the employer or manager or a REM (remuneration) process or an HR process, the gap is wider, which is of real concern.
ShareMan dies in water at beach south of Sydney, police say
New South Wales police say a 50-year-old man has died after he was spotted struggling in the water off a beach south of Sydney.
Emergency services were called to Marley beach in the Royal national park about 12.50pm today, to reports two swimmers were struggling, police said.
They said local police, officers from the Marine area command, surf lifesavers and three helicopter services assisted in the search and rescue operation.
Police said a 20-year-old man was pulled from the water after being washed back to shore by waves.
He was treated at the scene, winched out of the remote beach by helicopter and taken to St George hospital in a stable condition, police said.
A short time later, police said officers attached to the Marine area command found the 50-year-old man’s body in the water.
Police have said they will prepare a report for the coroner.
Updated at 03.08 EDT
RBA still tipped to lift interest rates to 14-year high despite jump in unemployment
Luca Ittimani
Money markets are still predicting a 90% chance of the Reserve Bank raising interest rates next Tuesday.
The surprise rise in unemployment to 4.6% in August data today would normally reduce the prospect of a rate hike but today’s data also showed hiring actually increased, just by less than new jobseekers.
As a result, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and NAB have all reaffirmed their predictions for a hike in the cash rate on Tuesday from 4.35% to 4.6%, as have analysts at AMP and UBS. That would take rates to their highest level in 14 years. (Westpac has not explicitly said whether it still agrees with that view.)
For someone with an average-sized new mortgage of $731,000, paying a typical rate of 6.2%, a rate increase would add about $119 to their $4,477 monthly repayments.
Updated at 01.57 EDT
Peter V’landys appointed NRL executive chairman
Jack Snape
Rugby league tsar Peter V’landys has increased his grip on the game after being named executive chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
The V’landys appointment adds the responsibilities of the NRL chief executive – a position held until July by new Tennis Australia boss, Andrew Abdo – to his existing duties as ARLC chair.
The move is controversial, given the ARLC was established in 2012 with clear separation between management and operations within a sport plagued by political infighting.
V’landys has the unanimous backing of NRL clubs and state associations, however, and resigned as Racing NSW chief executive earlier on Thursday to allow him to focus his energies on rugby league.
Peter V’landys has been named executive chairman of the ARLC. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 02.15 EDT