Updated at\u00a017.29 EDT<\/p>\n
Key events<\/p>\n
Victoria police warn of heightened family violence risk on AFL grand final day<\/p>\n
Victoria police have issued a warning ahead of the AFL grand final this weekend, saying officials know there is a heightened risk of family violence during major sporting events.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is because we see families come together and offenders may use periods of extended contact to increase their abusive behaviours,\u201d a Victoria police spokesperson said this morning.<\/p>\n
There were 315 family violence incidents on AFL grand final day in 2025 and 301 in 2024.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson added:<\/p>\n
double quotation markWhile we have not seen a significant increase in family violence incidents on Grand Final Day or the extended weekend in recent years, we urge the community to look out for each other and report any incidents to police.<\/p>\n
There is never an excuse for family violence and Victoria Police will ensure each crime is investigated and all offenders are held to account.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.12 EDT<\/p>\n Bragg to float letting homebuyers use superannuation as collateral for mortgages<\/p>\n Andrew Bragg, the shadow minister for housing, will float a new proposal for homebuyers to use their superannuation as collateral for mortgages.<\/p>\n Bragg will detail the idea during a speech today. He told ABC NewsRadio this morning:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe general idea here is we want to have a country where more people are retired homeowners, and one of the most worrying trends we have is the growth in retired renters. Now, there\u2019s nothing wrong with renting of course, but for a lot of people, they would rather live in their own house in retirement.<\/p>\n And so we want to make sure that we\u2019re properly calibrating all the options people might like to have in their working life to use their own savings to promote home ownership.<\/p>\n When asked if it would be risky for people to take out loans larger than they could service, Bragg said the risk right now is the current trajectory for older renters.<\/p>\n double quotation markToday\u2019s address is about setting out the rationale for having a more sophisticated debate. \u2026 We are becoming a country which is going to have a lot more retired renters, but also people potentially with quite high superannuation balances. That doesn\u2019t seem to be the best outcome for all people, which is why we\u2019re having this debate, because we want to be a nation of homeowners.<\/p>\n Andrew Bragg. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.54 EDT<\/p>\n Police interviews able to be used as evidence-in-chief in NSW sexual assault trials under new rules<\/p>\n More on today\u2019s changes to the Criminal Procedure Act in NSW \u2026<\/p>\n Under the changes, recorded police interviews will also be able to used as evidence-in-chief in sexual assault trials, requiring complainants to only provide their evidence once, including in the case of a retrial.<\/p>\n The NSW Women\u2019s Safety Commissioner, Hannah Tonkin, says:<\/p>\n double quotation markAllowing complainants\u2019 pre-recorded evidence in chief to be used during sexual assault trials will enable them to give their account much earlier, in a safe setting, and to start rebuilding their lives sooner.<\/p>\n The government is also amending the law around the handling sexual assault complainants\u2019 counselling communications so that courts can only consider them when it is necessary, rather than automatically or out of an abundance of caution.<\/p>\n University of Sydney-led research, due to report back in mid-2027, is considering alternative models for reform. Recent reporting has revealed how complainants\u2019 counselling records, including audio recordings<\/a>, have been used by alleged perpetrators\u2019 legal teams.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.37 EDT<\/p>\n Minns says shooting of 11-year-old \u2018very tragic reminder\u2019 of danger of guns<\/p>\n The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says the shooting of an 11-year-old boy<\/a> in north-west Sydney is a \u201cvery tragic reminder of how dangerous guns are\u201d.<\/p>\n An 18-year-old man was charged yesterday with concealing a serious indictable offence after the incident, while two other 18-year-old men were released pending further inquiries. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, the premier said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s obviously an incredibly distressing situation. It\u2019s the subject of a major police investigation. I understand the adults in the house are not cooperating with police. We just urge anyone that has any information about this horrible event \u2013 we\u2019ve got [an 11-year-old] in a serious condition in a NSW hospital \u2013 to come forward.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a very tragic reminder of how dangerous guns are, and often the people who are the victims of guns, are innocent people, many times they are children. They\u2019re very dangerous, and we need less of them in our community.<\/p>\n Minns was asked about comments made by police deputy commissioner Peter McKenna after a spate of violence over the weekend, including the alleged murders of three women. McKenna said the government needed to be \u201cthrowing every resource\u201d<\/a> at domestic violence prevention. Minns said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWell, Peter\u2019s an incredibly straight talker on these issues, and he\u2019s 100% right. I mean, the number of violent crimes against often innocent people, innocent family members is hugely distressing. It\u2019s an urgent emergency for our state and we need to throw everything we possibly can at it.<\/p>\n Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.19 EDT<\/p>\n NSW to pilot \u2018ground rules\u2019 hearings in sexual assault trials A pilot of \u201cground rules\u201d hearings will reduce distress and trauma for complainants in sexual assault trials alongside other reforms being introduced to NSW parliament today, the state government says.<\/p>\n Ground rules hearings, which are already used in child sexual assault proceedings in NSW, will be piloted in sexual assault trials at Parramatta, Wollongong and Dubbo district courts from March next year until 2030.<\/p>\n They will provide directions about how complainants will be questioned, including the duration and manner, topics put to them and aides to support their evidence. The government says hearings will require pre-trial discussion about jury directions regarding consent and differences in accounts \u201cwithout compromising the accused\u2019s right to test the prosecution case\u201d.<\/p>\n The NSW attorney general, Michael Daley, says:<\/p>\n double quotation markSexual assault complainants and witnesses are especially vulnerable in our justice system. We want to help them give their best evidence by ensuring they do not need to tell their story multiple times and deterring inappropriate and irrelevant questioning in court.<\/p>\n NSW attorney general Michael Daley. Photograph: Bianca De Marchi\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.49 EDT<\/p>\n Greens call for triple zero network to be brought back under independent control<\/p>\n Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young spoke this morning about the idea for a national authority to oversee the triple zero network, which is responsible for emergency call operations.<\/p>\n A Senate committee said yesterday in a report that triple zero should be taken out of private hands.<\/p>\n The plan would move control of Australia\u2019s emergency call system away from commercial entities like Telstra to a dedicated public authority.<\/p>\n Hanson-Young told RN Breakfast this morning:<\/p>\n double quotation markAt the moment, Telstra is contracted to do this work. The taxpayers pay it. That\u2019s your money, my money, every Australian taxpayer\u2019s money to fund the operation of triple zero \u2026 We think it\u2019s time to really consider bringing that back under independent control so that the customer, the public, the safety is put first \u2013 it\u2019s not seen as some kind of chore or add-on for a privately run company \u2026<\/p>\n There needs to be an overhaul of the telecommunications laws. Standards and reliability guarantees must be in the law. Compensation must be available for people. And triple zero must be run for the safety of people, not the profits of corporations.<\/p>\n Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.10 EDT<\/p>\n \u2018Monetised misogyny\u2019 online is contributing to domestic violence, Chalmers says<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers was also asked earlier if the government would support a national royal commission into violence against women and children. He said the government had chosen to increase resourcing for child and family violence and domestic violence, adding to the ABC:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe\u2019re trying to deal with the sources of all of this violence, whether it be more security in the housing system, whether it be the monetised misogyny that we see online \u2013 there are a whole range of factors feeding in here.<\/p>\n We do acknowledge that all of this violence is obviously entirely unacceptable. It\u2019s horrific in every way. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve increased the resources and that\u2019s why we all need to do better to do everything we can to make a difference here.<\/p>\n The Minderoo foundation put out a new report<\/a> yesterday that found tech-based abuse disproportionately affects women, particularly on dating platforms. It found that 99% of women surveyed said they had experienced at least one instance of tech-based abuse on dating platforms in the past three months.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.23 EDT<\/p>\n Chalmers says Australia has \u2018a lot going for us\u2019, despite \u2018pretty serious\u2019 economic pressures<\/p>\n The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is making the media rounds this morning after the release yesterday of the intergenerational report.<\/p>\n He said the government remains optimistic, despite some \u201cpretty serious budget pressures and economic risks\u201d. He told RN Breakfast:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe\u2019ve got a lot going for us as well. And one of the things we\u2019ve got going for us, even in the context of these very substantial budget pressures that come from things like ageing and other pressures in our economy, is we\u2019ve actually got a budget which is substantially stronger than other countries.<\/p>\n Chalmers stressed that the difficulty of entering home ownership remained the \u201cdefining intergenerational challenge\u201d facing too many Australians.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe could have left everything exactly as it was. We could have acknowledged the intergenerational unfairness that exists in the housing market and done nothing about it. We chose to make some difficult changes.<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Hilary Wardaugh\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.54 EDT<\/p>\n Tanya Plibersek says we need to use \u2018all of our big systems\u2019 to better tackle domestic violence<\/p>\n Tanya Plibersek, the minister for social services, said she was struck that a spate of alleged domestic violence incidents this weekend weren\u2019t previously identified by police.<\/p>\n Plibersek spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying that fact showed how the country needed to use \u201call of our big systems\u201d, including health, mental health, the school system, Tafe and the university sector to help identify and tackle risk. She said:<\/p>\n double quotation markAll of these big points of contact as potential systems where we can identify that there is a risk that there\u2019s family, domestic or sexual violence happening and be able to intervene earlier.<\/p>\n She went on to say increased funding was part of the solution and \u201cbigger changes\u201d were needed:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s not just about funding. There\u2019s also, I think, a much broader role for our community \u2026<\/p>\n Support for victims and survivors, making sure that we\u2019re intervening earlier, enhancing supports for children and young people, focusing particularly on sexual violence, which is the area where we\u2019ve seen really extraordinary growth in incidents, focusing on reducing online harms and holding perpetrators to account. All of these things will be part of our second action plan as well.<\/p>\n Tanya Plibersek. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.50 EDT<\/p>\n Albanese signs declaration with world leaders urging human control over AI<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese has joined the leaders of more than 20 countries in signing a statement calling to bring the rapid growth of artificial intelligence under control.<\/p>\n \u201cAI must remain under human direction, oversight and control. It must be developed and used in line with international law,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n double quotation markLeading scientists and executives are warning that the pace of development could outpace our ability to manage emerging risks.<\/p>\n The Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Spain\u2019s PM, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, and European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, also signed the statement.<\/p>\n \u201cArtificial intelligence has the potential to improve lives, to strengthen our economy and productivity, and to massively advance science and medical breakthroughs,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n double quotation markBut humans need to be in control of it. If it\u2019s going to be successful, then we need to make sure that humans are at the centre of everything that occurs.<\/p>\n Albanese told reporters Australia had played a \u201ccentral role\u201d in the statement.<\/p>\n double quotation markI was in direct discussions with [Finnish] president [Alexander] Stubb, and we continue to engage with our neighbours.<\/p>\n The statement also sounded the alarm on AI systems being able to circumvent safeguards and gain unauthorised access to several systems.<\/p>\n The signatories called for AI companies to develop transparent safety protocols and for governments to develop common standards for the technology.<\/p>\n It also urged the UN to explore options to create an international institution that could set out AI standards.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.29 EDT<\/p>\n Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over for Martin. It\u2019s a gloomy morning here in Sydney. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Albanese meets with EU leaders ahead of UN general assembly<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese has met with Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly, to talk free trade, China, critical mineral and AI.<\/p>\n The prime minister and president of the European Commission were joined by the president of the European Council, Ant\u00f3nio Costa.<\/p>\n The trio discussed geopolitical issues, including ongoing support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Iran, as well as relations with China and the Pacific.<\/p>\n They also agreed to continue deepening cooperation on economic security \u2013 including on critical and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n Cooperation between the EU and Australia when it comes to critical raw minerals was also on the agenda, ahead of the Team Europe business mission to Australia next month.<\/p>\n \u201cThey agreed to remain in close contact with a view to explore the potential for further strengthening and deepening of EU-Australia relations,\u201d a statement read.<\/p>\n It comes after the EU invited Canada to become an associate member \u2013 though the council has no such category<\/a> \u2013 with some speculating Australia could follow suit.<\/p>\n The European council president, Ant\u00f3nio Costa, Anthony Albanese, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, meet ahead of the UN general assembly in New York. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.25 EDT<\/p>\n We’re doing everything we can to curb domestic violence, Chalmers says The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the Albanese government is committed to doing \u201ceverything we can\u201d to address to domestic violence after a horrific weekend of violence in New South Wales.<\/p>\n Chalmers made the comments to ABC\u2019s 7.30 program last night after a mother allegedly fatally stabbed a child and wounded two others in the Blue Mountains and, separately, three other women were allegedly murdered inside their homes across the state.<\/p>\n Chalmers noted expert views that a lack of accessible housing played a role in domestic violence, along with the \u201cmagnitude\u201d of misognystic content online. He also said frontline staffing was crucial.<\/p>\n double quotation markI work closely with the prime minister and [women\u2019s minister] Katy Gallagher and the relevant ministers to make sure that police and others get the resourcing they need, working with state governments.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.11 EDT<\/p>\n Chalmers says migration needed for falling birth rate Jim Chalmers says migration is necessary to support Australia\u2019s ageing population, and can help the nation as birthrates tumble.<\/p>\n The three-yearly intergenerational report found that the declining birthrate meant more Australians will be dying than being born in 40 years\u2019 time \u2013 the first time the report had made such a prediction.<\/p>\n Chalmers told 7.30 Australia\u2019s birthrates were falling faster than anticipated just a few years ago, because people are taking the decision to have smaller families later in life.<\/p>\n He said, in this context, \u201cany objective observer would conclude that we need responsible levels of migration\u201d to support the ageing population:<\/p>\n double quotation markMigration is a force for good in our economy and in our society.<\/p>\n We will continue to make the case for getting that net overseas migration down in the most responsible way, that balances all of the key considerations in our economy and in local communities.<\/p>\n His comments come after the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, last week unveiled long-awaited changes to immigration rules, promising to bring down net overseas migration (Nom) to 245,000 this financial year, and 225,000 in 2027-28.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.11 EDT<\/p>\n City of Sydney council bans smartglasses in community facilities The City of Sydney has banned smartglasses in all its pools, libraries, gyms, childcare centres and town halls.<\/p>\n The council agreed to update signage and guidance to prevent people wearing the glasses in community facilities, due to growing privacy and harassment concerns.<\/p>\n In a statement, Greens councillor Matthew Thompson said his motion included exemptions for those who use the glasses as accessibility devices, including those with vision and hearing loss.<\/p>\n He urged the federal government to do more to regulate the glasses and prevent their misuse, saying that:<\/p>\n double quotation markOverseas we\u2019re seeing women being targeted and harassed in public and recorded without their consent. We don\u2019t want what\u2019s happening in the US to happen here.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we\u2019re banning smart glasses and other wearable recording devices from all of our pools, gyms, childcare [centres], libraries and other council spaces.<\/p>\n Cheap wearable devices like smart glasses are already flooding the market. But instead of stopping this problem, the federal Labor government has dumped it on to councils to sort out.<\/p>\n We need an import ban on these cheap, intrusive devices until we have stronger privacy protections and clear standards implemented nationally.<\/p>\n Last week, Sydney\u2019s Canterbury-Bankstown council introduced its own restrictions on the technology. Its mayor, Bilal El-Hayek, decried what he called \u201cpervert glasses\u201d as the council barred the wearable tech from public pools.<\/p>\n In August, Brisbane city council became the first to ban the glasses from pools. Melbourne\u2019s Yarra council has banned them from playgrounds, childcare centres and gyms.<\/p>\n![\"Penry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Penry_Buckley.png\")
Penry Buckley<\/p>\nPenry Buckley<\/p>\nPenry Buckley<\/p>\n![\"Catie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Caite_McLeod.png\")
Catie McLeod<\/p>\nCatie McLeod<\/p>\nCatie McLeod<\/p>\n