![\"Penry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786323611_781_Penry_Buckley.png\")
Penry Buckley<\/p>\nNSW premier says government is examining minimum age of 12 for ebikesPenry Buckley<\/p>\n
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says the government is examining introducing a minimum age of 12 to ride ebikes in the state, the strongest indication yet of where the government will land following an independent expert review.<\/p>\n
Minns appeared this morning to cut a gold ribbon on the debut of Kyle Sandilands Live, the new digital radio show hosted by the former Kiis FM host after the cancellation of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in March.<\/p>\n
The premier told Sandilands \u201cI was worried for you\u201d following the show\u2019s cancellation, while the pair joked about running into each other recently at an ice-cream shop in the Blue Mountains. Sandilands said:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI thought you were a meth head because you had had the beanie on, you were you all rugged up.<\/p>\n
But the conversation did turn towards policy, after Sandilands said he had bought his 11-year-old godson an ebike. The premier said the government is \u201cexamining an \u2026 age limit of 12\u201d for ebikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t finalised the details yet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After a surge in injuries and an incident in which 40 or so e-bikes<\/a> swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in February, an expert review was asked to recommend an age limit of between 12 and 16, and was due to report back to the government in June.<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.31 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Australia has a unique love affair with house auctions. Is it starting to come to an end?<\/p>\n It\u2019s almost a national pastime. Every weekend on streets and in cul-de-sacs, there\u2019s an agent enacting a familiar ritual.<\/p>\n \u201cI have $900,000, can I get $910,000? Nine ten, now twenty. Twenty, can I say thirty? Give me thirty, thirty \u2026\u201d the (mostly) men in blue suits cry, traditionally amid a throng of people about to make one of the most important decisions in their lives.<\/p>\n Experts have long warned that Australia\u2019s penchant for auctions \u2013 we are among the few countries that regularly use them \u2013 has helped push prices up.<\/p>\n But now the agents\u2019 imploring cries are getting shorter, and the gathered crowds are shrinking.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Turnbull says Aukus<\/a> has diminished Australian sovereignty<\/p>\n Turnbull went on:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe prospect of the US doubling its rate of Virginia production in the next six years is highly unlikely. So there is a very real risk Australia gets no Virginias at all.<\/p>\n This risk is acknowledged everywhere but in Canberra. There is apparently a view that if anyone were to openly contemplate a Plan B (what to do if no submarines arrive) this might discourage the Americans from selling us any.<\/p>\n Emphasising he remained a supporter of Australia\u2019s security alliance with the US, Turnbull argued Aukus had diminished Australian sovereignty.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe have effectively ceded control of a Western Australian naval base to the US Navy. Whether we get any nuclear powered submarines will depend on political decisions in Washington and industrial developments in the US and the UK.<\/p>\n It is naive to imagine that the submarines, if ever acquired, could be used other than in accordance with American wishes.<\/p>\n Will Aukus enhance our security or will it simply draw Australia into a conflict with China whether we like it or not?<\/p>\n The Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN-783) in Rockingham, Australia in 2025. Photograph: Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.49 EDT<\/p>\n Australian faith in Aukus \u2018stark staring bonkers\u2019: Turnbull Australia\u2019s blind faith in the Aukus<\/a> submarine deal is \u201cstark staring bonkers,\u201d the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a public inquiry, arguing the asymmetric deal with the US and UK will likely result in no submarines at all for Australia:<\/p>\n double quotation markThere is a cargo-cult mentality in Canberra about these Virginia-class submarines where people clearly feel that if they acknowledge that there is a real risk that they won\u2019t arrive, that will prevent them arriving: so you have to keep on believing.<\/p>\n Turnbull \u2013 the prime minister whose deal to buy submarines from the French group Naval was torn up by Scott Morrison in favour of Aukus \u2013 has long argued the Aukus agreement has always been irretrievably lopsided in the US\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n Giving evidence to a public inquiry<\/a> into Aukus in Sydney, Turnbull focused on the three second-hand Virginia Class submarines the US is proposing to sell to Australia from 2031 (the first tranche of Aukus\u2019 Pillar One).<\/p>\n Turnbull said the US\u2019s capacity for building submarines has remained stubbornly laggard and that its navy would not have enough boats to sell to Australia.<\/p>\n The US is prevented by its own legislation from selling any submarines to Australia if that would \u201cdegrade\u201d its own fleet. It currently needs to nearly double its submarine production rate, from 1.2 to 2.3 a year.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.27 EDT<\/p>\n Police investigating suitcase \u2018remains\u2019 do not believe a crime has been committed \u2018at this stage\u2019<\/p>\n Bradbury wouldn\u2019t provide details about what was inside the suitcase, aside from describing them as \u201cthe remains or the object\u201d, saying she only received the information that they were not human about 15 minutes before the press conference.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe\u2019ll still continue our inquiries to see how this came about, of course, and see what we can find out from the remains or the object there. And we\u2019ll continue and probably update then.<\/p>\n She said she had \u201cno regrets\u201d in police officers\u2019 actions, saying they undertook the necessary processes to maintain the integrity of a reported crime scene.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe don\u2019t necessarily like to disturb any crime scenes because that\u2019s our link to make sure that offenders are brought before the court.<\/p>\n So we followed our processes to that T to a high level, and I think that it is no regrets at all. I couldn\u2019t be actually more proud of them, of my team, than I am.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.02 EDT<\/p>\n Remains found in suitcase not human, police say<\/p>\n Police say the remains found in a suitcase near Goulburn are not human.<\/p>\n Supt Linda Bradbury with NSW police said:<\/p>\n double quotation markSome good news here that we don\u2019t have a suspicious death of a human on our hands. \u2026 We are still undertaking more forensic work to identify what they are. But we can identify that they\u2019re not human.<\/p>\n She said the idea is to not disturb crime scenes when they are discovered, which is why it took some time to determine the remains were not human. Bradbury did describe them as \u201cvery realistic in the terms of looking like human remains\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markBut we\u2019ve confirmed by other means that they are not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.04 EDT<\/p>\n Mortgage applications fall 20% at Westpac since budget<\/p>\n Westpac has delivered a $1.8bn quarterly net profit even after mortgage applications fell due to a combination of higher interest rates and Labor\u2019s property tax changes.<\/p>\n The bank said in an update this morning that mortgage applications were down 20% between mid-May and the end of July, representing the immediate period after Labor announced changes to negative gearing and the treatment of capital gains.<\/p>\n The tax changes have largely dented demand from investors, to the benefit of owner-occupiers.<\/p>\n Mortgage applications were already falling ahead of the May budget due to the Reserve Bank\u2019s string of interest rate hikes, designed to subdue inflation.<\/p>\n Anthony Miller, Westpac\u2019s chief executive, said ongoing housing undersupply would support prices.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe undersupply of housing combined with population growth is expected to partially offset the impact of higher interest rates and recent federal government policy changes on the housing market.<\/p>\n Overall, the bank recorded a 2% lift in lending during the June quarter, helping it increase its net profit result.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.47 EDT<\/p>\n NSW premier says government is examining minimum age of 12 for ebikes The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says the government is examining introducing a minimum age of 12 to ride ebikes in the state, the strongest indication yet of where the government will land following an independent expert review.<\/p>\n Minns appeared this morning to cut a gold ribbon on the debut of Kyle Sandilands Live, the new digital radio show hosted by the former Kiis FM host after the cancellation of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in March.<\/p>\n The premier told Sandilands \u201cI was worried for you\u201d following the show\u2019s cancellation, while the pair joked about running into each other recently at an ice-cream shop in the Blue Mountains. Sandilands said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI thought you were a meth head because you had had the beanie on, you were you all rugged up.<\/p>\n But the conversation did turn towards policy, after Sandilands said he had bought his 11-year-old godson an ebike. The premier said the government is \u201cexamining an \u2026 age limit of 12\u201d for ebikes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t finalised the details yet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n After a surge in injuries and an incident in which 40 or so e-bikes<\/a> swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in February, an expert review was asked to recommend an age limit of between 12 and 16, and was due to report back to the government in June.<\/p>\n A dumped e-bike in Sydney\u2019s CBD. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.31 EDT<\/p>\n Safety bureau chief says near-miss at Sydney airport \u2018unacceptable\u2019<\/p>\n Angus Mitchell, the chief commissioner at the Australian Transport<\/a> Safety Bureau (ATSB), told ABC Radio Sydney this morning the near-miss at Sydney airport was \u201ca serious incident\u201d that warranted investigation.<\/p>\n Mitchell said while the two aircraft were moving at very low speeds, \u201cseparation of aircraft, whether it be in the air or on the ground is of vital importance, and there are systems in place to ensure that they are always separated\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what happened yesterday morning \u2026 it is unacceptable,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n double quotation markSo planes should not be getting that close and we should never have to rely on, as has happened in both these instances, pilots at the last minute, making an emergency decision to prevent them coming together.<\/p>\n ATSB, Mitchell said, is gathering information about what happened surrounding the incident. He added that could include looking at the complexity of a new airport opening in western Sydney and new airspace design in that area.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe have a lot of controllers that have come in very recently that are gaining their qualifications. So, look, I certainly don\u2019t want to say that that\u2019s what sits behind these two incidents because we don\u2019t have all the facts.<\/p>\n But we do know that that is a system that has had some significant challenges, as have airlines as well.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.37 EDT<\/p>\n NSW begins roll out of smart rental bonds, allowing transfer of bond from one rental to the next<\/p>\n The NSW government is rolling out a new scheme of smart rental bonds, which will allow some renters to transfer their bonds from one rental to the next when they move house.<\/p>\n The scheme will end the need to save up thousands of dollars for a new bond before the old one is returned, and will begin with a phased rollout for renters in Parramatta, the Central Coast or Penrith local government areas.<\/p>\n The scheme will ultimately be rolled out across the state by the end of the year.<\/p>\n Renters will be notified when a new landlord or agent lodges a bond request online. They can then choose to pay their new bond upfront or use a smart rental bond to move it to the new rental for a $25 fee.<\/p>\n Any difference in bond is either paid by the renter, or refunded if it is cheaper and there is no agreed claim on the bond. If the landlord at an original property makes a claim, the NSW government will pay the landlord directly and the renter will then pay the government.<\/p>\n The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement:<\/p>\n double quotation markOver two million people in New South Wales are renters \u2013 one of the highest proportions of the population ever living in rental accommodation.<\/p>\n For a lot of renters, moving home can mean finding another $3,000 or $4,000 before you\u2019ve even had your old bond returned. That\u2019s a huge financial hurdle for families already doing it tough.<\/p>\n Smart Rental Bonds removes that barrier by letting renters transfer their bond instead of paying for two at once.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.39 EDT<\/p>\n Butler confident about \u2018constructive discussions\u2019 on gambling during upcoming session of parliament<\/p>\n Mark Butler said evidence given before a parliamentary inquiry on gambling was shocking and the government remains set on getting legislation through parliament when it returns this week.<\/p>\n Butler spoke to RN Breakfast, saying the legislation proposed by the government is ambitious, but he understands concerns from the Greens and Coalition, which have both warned it does not go far enough. Labor said this weekend it was open to \u201csensible amendments\u201d.<\/p>\n Butler added this morning:<\/p>\n double quotation markI\u2019m confident again over the course of this sitting fortnight there will be constructive discussions between the government and the opposition about that. Obviously, they need to tell us what it is that they want us to consider, but once they do that, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll give that good consideration.<\/p>\n We are convinced we need to get this legislation through. I mean, it involves a very serious set of major reforms put in place by this government or proposed by this government, the likes of which the federal parliament has never seen before. We\u2019re determined to get these reforms through.<\/p>\n Mark Butler in May. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.57 EDT<\/p>\n Health minister says bulk billing rate has increased to 84% The federal government is trumpeting \u201cbig benefits\u201d from its Medicare investments, announcing bulk billing rates across the country are up nearly five percentage points since last year.<\/p>\n The health minister, Mark Butler, said the national bulk billing rate for the June quarter had increased to 84.1%, announcing increases in every state and territory.<\/p>\n Bulk billing was up 5.7% in Victoria (to 85.7%), up 6% in South Australia (82.5%), up 4.1% in NSW (87.5%) and up 13% in the Northern Territory to 90.8%.<\/p>\n Other states saw smaller increases, with the ACT coming in last, with bulk billing still lagging at 59.3% \u2013 by far the lowest rate nationally.<\/p>\n Butler said the Labor government\u2019s Medicare investments had helped raise that rate.<\/p>\n \u201cAcross the country more and more GP practices are becoming fully bulk billing clinics meaning all patients need is their Medicare card, not their credit card,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.06 EDT<\/p>\n Federal transport minister \u2018not happy\u2019 after near-miss between two planes at Sydney airport<\/p>\n Catherine King, the federal transport minister, has asked Air Services Australia to speak with her today about a \u201cpathway forward\u201d after two aircraft were involved in a near-miss at Sydney airport on Sunday.<\/p>\n The two planes, owned by Jetstar and Qatar Airways, almost collided at Sydney airport, the nation\u2019s busiest, on Sunday morning. A Jetstar spokesperson said its plane was following instructions from air traffic control when the pilots were forced to break \u201cfirmly\u201d when another aircraft came within \u201cclose proximity\u201d.<\/p>\n Inquiries suggest a tug vehicle pulling the Qatar jet may not have followed instructions.<\/p>\n Catherine King in 2023. Photograph: Mike Bowers\/The Guardian<\/p>\n The incident came after delays to more than 150 flights passing through Sydney<\/a> on Saturday as the airport struggled with staffing shortages.<\/p>\n Airservices Australia, which oversees air traffic control, was managing reduced air traffic movements and had been unable to roster enough staff for three consecutive days, the Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chief executive, Stephen Beckett, told the ABC this weekend.<\/p>\n King told 7 News yesterday:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe\u2019re not happy. No one wants to see passengers disrupted in the way they have been.<\/p>\n That meeting is expected to happen in Canberra today, the ABC reports.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.58 EDT<\/p>\n NSW deputy premier asks for moratorium on take-home assessments for students amid AI review<\/p>\n Prue Car, the NSW deputy premier, has asked the NSW Education Standards Authority (Nesa) to impose a ban on unsupervised take-home assessments during a broad review of AI\u2019s impact on student learning.<\/p>\n Car said she has asked Nesa to \u201curgently\u201d examine artificial intelligence and move to protect student learning amid growing evidence the technology is affecting student\u2019s cognitive development. Half of students\u2019 HSC result is based on school-based assessments, some of which is finished outside the classroom.<\/p>\n She said in a statement:<\/p>\n double quotation markArtificial intelligence has enormous potential to support teaching and learning, but it should never replace the thinking, creativity, and hard work that education is designed to develop.<\/p>\n The purpose of schooling extends beyond producing an assessment task. It is to build knowledge, judgment, resilience, and critical thinking over time. If students rely on AI to bypass that learning process, we risk undermining both their education and the integrity of the HSC.<\/p>\n Subject to Nesa\u2019s advice, any interim changes would be applied from the beginning of term 4.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5124.jpg\")
A dumped e-bike in Sydney\u2019s CBD. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Cait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786323612_419_Cait_Kelly.png\")
Cait Kelly<\/p>\n![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786323612_216_Ben_Doherty_720x600_final.png\")
Ben Doherty<\/p>\nBen Doherty<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786323613_826_Jonathan_Barrett.png\")
Jonathan Barrett<\/p>\nPenry Buckley<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786323614_503_Josh_Butler.png\")
Josh Butler<\/p>\n