![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Patrick_Commins.png\")
Patrick Commins<\/p>\nRBA governor says rising incomes should boost household spendingPatrick Commins<\/p>\n
Michele Bullock, the Reserve Bank\u2019s governor, says rising incomes should boost household spending and support the economy over the year ahead, even as she warned that the outlook was \u201cclouded by uncertainty\u201d.<\/p>\n
In the lead-up to the RBA\u2019s monetary policy board meeting in a week\u2019s time \u2013 where board members are expected to back keeping the cash rate at 3.6% \u2013 Bullock painted a fairly upbeat picture for Australia at a parliamentary committee hearing in Canberra this morning.<\/p>\n
In her opening statement, she said inflation had come down from its peak and back within the 2% to 3% target, and that unemployment remained low:<\/p>\n
But forecasts are just that \u2013 forecasts. And the economic outlook continues to be clouded by uncertainty. This is especially so the further into the future we look.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.40 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Coalition says recognition of Palestinian state a \u2018hollow gesture of false hope\u2019<\/p>\n Opposition leader Sussan Ley and shadow foreign affairs minister Michaelia Cash issued a joint statement this morning saying they \u201cstrongly oppose\u201d the Albanese government\u2019s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.<\/p>\n They said:<\/p>\n Today the Albanese Government extends a hollow gesture of false hope to the Palestinian people. For the Israeli people, it extends a chilling act of concession to the Hamas terrorists who continue to seek their annihilation.<\/p>\n The Coalition opposes this decision and calls for it to be reversed. A responsible Australian government must deal with the world as it is, not as it would wish it to be and it should stand with our most important ally, the United States of America.<\/p>\n Sussan Ley. Photograph: James Ross\/AAP<\/p>\n Ley and Cash added they remain \u201ccommitted\u201d to recognition through a \u201cpeaceful two-state process\u201d that upholds Israel\u2019s security and an economically viable, democratic Palestine without Hamas.<\/p>\n We are realistic that today is not the day for extending such recognition while Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages, while it continues to preside over Palestinian territories, and while it continues to launch attacks against Israel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Australia has a productivity problem \u2013 can we blame \u2018non-market\u2019 sectors like health care and education?<\/p>\n Simon Kennedy, the Liberal deputy chair of the House of Representatives economics committee, is keen to make the connection that a rise in government spending is making the economy less productive.<\/p>\n The RBA\u2019s governor, Michele Bullock, says, yes, \u201cmathematically\u201d the growth of these non-market segments drags on measured productivity growth across the economy \u2013 largely because the ABS can\u2019t measure productivity in sectors that don\u2019t have market prices.<\/p>\n But, says Bullock, \u201cdon\u2019t correlate that to say in order to get productivity up we have to dramatically (decrease) the size of the non-market sector; I wouldn\u2019t want anyone to make that connection\u201d.<\/p>\n Sectors like aged care and the NDIS \u201cdo have lowered measured productivity, but they are all essential parts of an advanced economy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n But, says Bullock, the structural growth of non-market sectors \u201cdoes mean we have to look for productivity improvements in other areas if we can get them, so this is the challenge for the economy\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.45 EDT<\/p>\n Fare evasion budget cost hits $80m in NSW<\/p>\n Fare evaders cost New South Wales<\/a> public transport a record $80m in the first half of 2025 by dodging payment.<\/p>\n The cost to the state\u2019s budget has doubled in the last four years, as fare dodging rates doubled and ticket prices surged nearly 20% on average.<\/p>\n From 2017 to 2021, Transport for NSW projections consistently found fare evasion was costing the government about $40m every six months. That surged to $65m in mid 2023 and has now hit $78.8m, new estimates from TfNSW show.<\/p>\n Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/EPA<\/p>\n For perspective, that\u2019s about a fifth of the passenger revenue Sydney Trains earned in the first half of 2024<\/a> or about half the estimated cost of opening the new Woollahra station<\/a>.<\/p>\n NSW has the highest rate of fare evasion in Australia, with about 8% of trips unpaid for, while Victoria\u2019s rate is just 4% and Queensland\u2019s has plummeted after the rollout of 50c fares. Read about why that\u2019s happened here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Man charged with murder of Crystal Beale<\/p>\n A man has been charged with the alleged murder of 49-year-old Crystal Beale this year, Queensland<\/a> police have said.<\/p>\n Beale\u2019s body was found in the Brisbane River by a member of the public on 22 February.<\/p>\n Police allege\u200b at 8.30pm on Friday 21 February, Beale left a family dinner at a Sunnybank restaurant and travelled with a 49-year-old West End man, who was known to her, in a car to West End.<\/p>\n The 49-year-old West End man was the last to see her when she left the car at 9.30pm on Ryan Street, West End, police \u200bs\u200baid.<\/p>\n They allege the 49-year-old West End man murdered Beale and moved her body into the Brisbane River where it was later found. \u200bT\u200bhe man has been charged with one count each of murder (domestic violence offence) and misconduct with a corpse.<\/p>\n He will face Brisbane magistrates court today. Det Insp Wayne Francis said:<\/p>\n It is reprehensible what happened to Crystal. Over the past seven months detectives have been tirelessly investigating every avenue possible to find answers for her family.<\/p>\n We were not going to give up until we could provide these answers and get justice for Crystal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.12 EDT<\/p>\n RBA chief points to \u2018tariff-related inflation\u2019 in US<\/p>\n There are early signs that Donald Trump\u2019s trade war is leading to higher prices for Americans, the RBA\u2019s governor, Michele Bullock, says.<\/p>\n Answering questions at a regular appearance at a parliamentary committee in Canberra, Bullock said overall it was a \u201cmixed bag\u201d for inflation among peer countries, which showed \u201cwe can\u2019t be complacent\u201d about the outlook for inflation overseas:<\/p>\n Some countries are continuing to see inflation coming down, but some are observing continued price pressures \u2013 and I think the United Kingdom probably falls into this category.<\/p>\n And the United States, as well, you\u2019re starting to see some signs that there\u2019s tariff-related inflation there, but even abstracting from that, there is some strength in services inflation there.<\/p>\n So I think everyone is comfortable they\u2019ve got inflation back down closer to their targets but I think there are signs that we can\u2019t be complacent.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.22 EDT<\/p>\n Victorian government fast-tracks approval of the state\u2019s largest battery storage project<\/p>\n The minister for planning, Sonya Kilkenny, on Monday announced Pacific Green\u2019s $1.3bn Portland Energy Park, in the state\u2019s south-west, has been fast-tracked via the government\u2019s development facilitation program.<\/p>\n The program was designed to speed up housing approvals<\/a> but was extended last year to include renewable energy projects. At the time, the government said one in five renewable energy project applications were getting caught up in the Victorian civil and administrative tribunal despite eventually being approved, leading to long delays.<\/p>\n Sonya Kilkenny. Photograph: Con Chronis\/AAP<\/p>\n Since then, 20 projects totalling more than $6bn have been fast-tracked by the government. These projects no longer have to go through the planning panel process, including third-party appeals at Vcat.<\/p>\n The Portland project includes four 250-megawatt battery \u2018parks\u2019 \u2013 enough to power 345,000 homes during peak demand \u2013 making it the state\u2019s biggest battery and an on-site terminal station to connect the facility to the grid via existing transmission lines.<\/p>\n As part of its application, Pacific Green was required to show the development will be \u201ccompliant with conditions regarding biodiversity impacts, bushfire safety, and noise\u201d the government said, while also committing to upgrading nearby roads as part of the works.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.53 EDT<\/p>\n Higher prices have affected \u2018everyone\u2019, Bullock says<\/p>\n \u201cThe global environment is particularly uncertain and unpredictable,\u201d Bullock said, adding that the economy and labour market could prove hotter or cooler than expected \u2013 which would change the prospect of future rate moves.<\/p>\n She noted that while inflation had come back down from its 2022 peak, prices hadn\u2019t come down and Australia remained a substantially more expensive place to live than a few years ago:<\/p>\n The higher price level has affected everyone \u2013 whether you\u2019re paying a mortgage, renting, running a business, or just trying to make ends meet. It\u2019s been especially tough on people with lower incomes and those in more vulnerable situations.<\/p>\n This is why \u2026 it\u2019s so important that inflation remains low and stable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.43 EDT<\/p>\n RBA governor says rising incomes should boost household spending Michele Bullock, the Reserve Bank\u2019s governor, says rising incomes should boost household spending and support the economy over the year ahead, even as she warned that the outlook was \u201cclouded by uncertainty\u201d.<\/p>\n In the lead-up to the RBA\u2019s monetary policy board meeting in a week\u2019s time \u2013 where board members are expected to back keeping the cash rate at 3.6% \u2013 Bullock painted a fairly upbeat picture for Australia at a parliamentary committee hearing in Canberra this morning.<\/p>\n In her opening statement, she said inflation had come down from its peak and back within the 2% to 3% target, and that unemployment remained low:<\/p>\n But forecasts are just that \u2013 forecasts. And the economic outlook continues to be clouded by uncertainty. This is especially so the further into the future we look.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.40 EDT<\/p>\n Michele Bullock, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, is speaking<\/a> before the House of Representatives\u2019 standing committee on economics.<\/p>\n She called the hearings an \u201cimportant part of the accountability process for the Reserve Bank\u201d.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll bring you more from her remarks shortly.<\/p>\n Michele Bullock. Photograph: David Gray\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>Measles alert issued in Mackay region as cases grow<\/p>\n The Mackay Hospital and Health Service has issued a measles alert<\/a> for the region after the detection of a case, the latest in an outbreak of the virus, with the state recording at least 12 infections<\/a> in the past six weeks in Cairns<\/a>, the Gold Coast<\/a> and Townsville<\/a>.<\/p>\n The latest alert in the Mackay region includes people in the small town of Middlemount who visited:<\/p>\n The Middlemount Gym on 12 to 14 September or 17 to 18 September between 6.30pm and 8pm.<\/p>\n The Middlemount Shopping Centre, including the Middlemount IGA and pharmacy, from 17 September between 9.30 -10.30am.<\/p>\n The service said on social media:<\/p>\n Although the most well-known symptom of measles is a blotchy red rash, this is not usually the first symptom. Measles symptoms may appear 7-18 days after exposure, typically around day 10.<\/p>\n If you were at the above locations at the listed dates and times, please look out for symptoms.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.13 EDT<\/p>\n How a Melbourne sewage farm became a haven for 300 species of birds<\/p>\n Brolgas are common in northern Australia but are endangered in Victoria<\/a>. One of the most reliable places to see them, though, is in the wide grassy plains, ponds and marshlands of Melbourne\u2019s largest sewage farm, the Western treatment plant.<\/p>\n It may seem an unlikely bird haven but the abundance of birdlife famously rivals Kakadu. South of Werribee, at the edge of Port Phillip Bay, nearly 200 human-made lagoons and natural wetlands sit side-by-side across the 105 sq km site. More than 300 species of birds have been recorded here, including many threatened species.<\/p>\n A brolga at the Western treatment plant \u2013 one of the most reliable places to see these northern Australian birds in Victoria. Photograph: Ellen Smith\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Due to the constant supply of wastewater, the area is protected from drought, and in dry years has become a refuge for half of Victoria\u2019s waterfowl. It was formally listed under the Ramsar convention in 1983 as an internationally significant wetland.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.11 EDT<\/p>\n Half of Australians anxious about retirement savings, reports find<\/p>\n Half of all Australians don\u2019t feel particularly confident about their retirement finances and almost as many don\u2019t have a post-work financial plan, three new reports show.<\/p>\n AAP reports just 50% of 2,000 Australians surveyed in July said they felt confident about their financial security in retirement, with more than one in three of those older than 65 still feeling financially insecure.<\/p>\n The financial services giant AMP commissioned the survey by the independent research company Dynata as part of its new emphasis on retirement services and released the findings today.<\/p>\n Just 50% of 2,000 Australians surveyed said they felt confident about their financial security in retirement. Photograph: Best of Melbourne Life\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the investment manager Natixis said its Global Retirement Index found 53% of Australians said it would take a \u201cmiracle\u201d for them to be able to retire securely \u2013 up 5% from 2023.<\/p>\n CoreData Research surveyed 7,050 individual investors in 21 countries in February and March for the Natixis report, now in its 13th year.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.10 EDT<\/p>\n Man dies after being hit by forklift at Sydney workplace<\/p>\n A man died in a workplace in Sydney\u2019s eastern beaches area earlier this morning, police have said.<\/p>\n Emergency services were called to a warehouse in the suburb of Matraville about 5.30am after reports the worker was seriously injured. On arrival, officers with NSW police were told the man had been struck by a forklift.<\/p>\n The man, 57, was treated by paramedics, but he died at the scene.<\/p>\n Police have established a crime scene and opened an investigation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.08 EDT<\/p>\n Sydney has the highest fare evasion rates in Australia. What can it learn from Melbourne and Brisbane?<\/p>\n NSW has the highest rate of fare evasion in Australia. There is about half as much fare dodging in Melbourne as Sydney, while evasion rates have plummeted in Queensland after the rollout of 50c fares<\/a>, new data shows.<\/p>\n In 2019 NSW\u2019s transport department all but declared victory on fare dodging. But a subsequent surge in fare evasion has punched a hole in the state\u2019s budget, with lost revenue climbing from less than<\/a> $80m to almost $130m annually<\/a>.<\/p>\n A commuter uses an Opal card in Sydney. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams\/Getty Images<\/p>\n By 2022 fare dodgers accounted for nearly one in 10 trips across NSW. That figure has remained high as commuters struggle with surging living costs.<\/p>\n Experts say NSW can learn from the experiences of Australia\u2019s other two big public transport networks.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.07 EDT<\/p>\n Acma not told of Optus triple-zero network issues for more than 10 hours<\/p>\n Nerida O\u2019Loughlin, the Australian Communications Media Authority chair, said Acma usually gets multiple emails a day from telcos when something goes wrong with their networks. But in the case of the Optus<\/a> outage, Acma wasn\u2019t \u201cnotified at all until the outage was resolved\u201d.<\/p>\n O\u2019Loughlin explained more about the typical timeframes as to how the authority was notified earlier:<\/p>\n I would have to say it is variable, but particularly with the local significant outages, we receive multiple emails per day, usually as soon as the telco is aware that something has gone wrong.<\/p>\n In this case we did not know that something had gone wrong until the matter had been resolved more than 10 hours later.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.05 EDT<\/p>\n Major Jewish human rights group criticises Australia for recognition of Palestinian state<\/p>\n The Simon Wiesenthal Center has hit out at Australia\u2019s recognition of Palestinian statehood, along with the UK, Canada, Portugal and France.<\/p>\n Named for the Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter, the organisation is a global Jewish human rights organisation working to confront antisemitism and hate, and to defend the safety of Israel<\/a> and Jews worldwide.<\/p>\n The group says recognition of Palestine rewards the 7 October terrorists, responsible for the bloodiest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the center\u2019s director of global social action, said:<\/p>\n If these governments truly cared about humanitarian crises, they would demand the immediate release of every last hostage before Hamas kills them all.<\/p>\n Instead, they have abandoned the innocent men, women and children in Hamas\u2019 brutal hands.<\/p>\n He said diplomatic recognition under the current circumstances was appeasement and wouldn\u2019t bring peace any closer.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.05 EDT<\/p>\n Wells expresses \u2018unbelievable disappointment\u2019 to Optus<\/a> CEO<\/p>\n Wells said she had spoken to the Optus CEO, Stephen Rue, to express her deep disappointment after the outage:<\/p>\n You would be unsurprised to hear that I expressed my unbelievable disappointment that we were here again so quickly. Or here again at all.<\/p>\nPatrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Luca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Luca_Ittimani.png\")
Luca Ittimani<\/p>\nPatrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\nPatrick Commins<\/p>\nPatrick Commins<\/p>\n![\"Stephanie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Steph_Convery.png\")
Stephanie Convery<\/p>\nLuca Ittimani<\/p>\n![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758510371_199_Tom_McIlroy.png\")
Tom McIlroy<\/p>\n