Woodside boss calls younger folks ‘ideologues’ for opposition to fossil fuels
Graham Readfearn
The boss of Australian gasoline large Woodside, Meg O’Neill, has attacked younger folks as being ideologically in opposition to fossil fuels whereas ordering low-cost on-line client items “with none kind of recognition of the power and carbon affect of their actions”.
O’Neill was talking on Tuesday on a panel throughout the gasoline trade’s annual convention in Brisbane, when she was requested by moderator and Sky information contributor Chris Uhlmann if folks had been conscious of the place their electrical energy got here from. O’Neill stated:
Most individuals hit a change and count on the lights to return on, and it’s been an enchanting journey to look at the dialogue, significantly amongst younger individuals who have this very ideological, nearly zealous view of, , ‘fossil gas dangerous, renewables good’, which are fortunately plugging of their gadgets, ordering issues from [online fashion store] Shein and Temu, having, , one little factor shipped to their home with none kind of recognition of the power and carbon affect of their actions.
In order that human affect and the buyer’s function in driving power demand and emissions completely is a lacking area within the dialog.
According to company documents, the sale and burning of Woodside’s gasoline emitted 74m tonnes of CO2 final yr.
Woodside is ready for brand spanking new atmosphere minister, Murray Watt, to decide later this week on the corporate’s growth of its North West Shelf mission that wishes to increase its gasoline manufacturing for one more 40 years to 2070.
The three-day annual convention of trade group Australian Power Producers, beginning as we speak, has already heard from sources minister, Madeleine King, who stated the federal government was working to hurry up approvals for tasks and enhance exploration efforts.
Key occasions
Western Australia will present a help scheme for Aboriginal folks faraway from their households as youngsters underneath Stolen Generations insurance policies, leaving Queensland the one Australian jurisdiction but to supply monetary redress.
Premier Roger Cook dinner as we speak opened the monetary help scheme, which might make funds of as much as $85,000 to be delivered to eligible candidates late this yr.
Those that had been taken from their households earlier than July 1972 or, if they’ve handed, members of the family making use of on their behalf, could be eligible.
Saying the funds, Cook dinner informed reporters:
At present, we take small steps in direction of righting an historic incorrect. …
These funds acknowledge an injustice. It doesn’t appropriate what has occurred … It’s little question that it’s overdue. We need to be sure that we take deliberate steps in righting the wrongs of the trail and offering a pathway of therapeutic into the longer term.
Nick Visser
Invasive species group not proud of requires bounties for feral pests
The Invasive Species Council, an impartial environmental advocacy group, will not be blissful after the NSW premier, Chris Minns, advised the state would look into imposing bounties for the looking of feral pigs, goats and cats earlier as we speak.
The group claimed Minns’ feedback have “nothing to do with good feral animal administration”, as an alternative pointing to the necessity for “severe, coordinated applications led by professionals”.
The group’s CEO, Jack Gough, stated in an announcement:
Bounty hunters is perhaps heroes on the large display, however in the actual world of feral animal management, they’re only a waste of taxpayers’ cash.
The CSIRO’s present recommendation on pest administration says bounties hardly ever work to assist carry numbers down.
Learn extra right here:
Bounties again in vogue to cull feral goats, cats and pigs
The New South Wales premier has thrown his weight behind paying bounty hunters to assist scale back feral cats, goats and pigs roaming his state, AAP studies.
Bounty hunters could also be unleashed on feral cats and goats for the primary time in years as a state authorities seems to “novel” methods to take care of pests.
Chris Minns stated the state has to do higher to regulate feral pest populations. He informed Triple M Coffs Coast radio:
It’s about time we begin excited about novel methods of lowering the feral goat, the feral pig, the feral cat inhabitants, which has actually taken over loads of parks …
We needs to be open to bounties and different issues, as a result of we’ve received loads of leisure shooters on the market which are really eliminating loads of the pests roaming throughout our native vegetation. We might be doing much better on it.
The Victorian authorities provided fox hunters $10 to $14 per scalp in 2022, which noticed greater than 80,000 of the species worn out that yr.
Practically $1bn can also be being spent on prevention and safety in opposition to biosecurity threats in NSW.
Invasive species are the very best affect contributors of extinctions, instantly endangering 70% of threatened wildlife and ecosystems within the state.
The premier highlighted the success of brumby culls within the Kosciuszko nationwide park, bringing the inhabitants down as much as 80%, however his suggestion has attracted criticism – extra on that in a minute.
Fines prime $30 million after faculty misled college students
A web-based diploma faculty has been slapped with $30 million in fines after utilizing dodgy practices to enrol deprived college students in programs they by no means logged into, AAP studies.
The penalties comply with a Federal Court docket ruling that Captain Cook dinner Faculty tried to maximise its income by making false representations to potential college students from September 2015.
The school was acquired by father or mother firm, Web site Group Worldwide Restricted, in 2014 earlier than it was closed on the finish of 2016.
Web site Group and chief operations officer Blake Wills had been additionally discovered to pay attention to, and concerned in, the conduct, the court docket discovered.
Justice Angus Stewart on Tuesday ordered the trio to pay greater than $30 million for its actions.
Wills was ordered to contribute $400,000 for his involvement and was banned from managing companies for 3 years.
Authorized motion was first introduced in opposition to the faculty in November 2018 by the Australian Competitors and Shopper Fee.
The watchdog alleged there was clear proof the faculty enrolled susceptible college students in programs they had been unlikely to finish.
Greater than 90 per cent of the scholars didn’t full their on-line course, and about 85 per cent of them by no means logged into their course, the watchdog stated.
Programs included enterprise, mission administration and human useful resource administration.
Greater than 6000 affected college students accrued greater than $50 million in VET FEE-HELP loans, a authorities program helping college students to pay their tuition charges.
In July 2021, the Federal Court docket discovered that the faculty and Web site engaged in a system of unconscionable conduct.
Captain Cook dinner Faculty, Web site Group and Mr Wills appealed to the Excessive Court docket following the ruling, however the findings had been upheld in August 2024.
The trio had been ordered to pay the watchdog’s authorized prices for the court docket proceedings.
Captain Cook dinner Faculty was established in 1998 as a supplier of on-line VET FEE-HELP diploma programs.
ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle hailed as ‘superhero’ after hanging plea deal
Whistleblower Richard Boyle has been hailed a “superhero” after hanging a plea deal underneath which he could keep away from jail, AAP studies.
The 49-year-old has admitted to 4 felony fees linked to his publicity of unethical debt restoration practices on the Australian Taxation Workplace.
Boyle appeared within the Adelaide district court docket on Tuesday, the place he pleaded responsible to disclosing protected data to a different entity, making a file of protected data, utilizing a listening gadget to file a non-public dialog and recording different folks’s tax file numbers.
The commonwealth director of public prosecutions withdrew an additional 15 fees, whereas one other 5 fees had been dropped in March.
Exterior court docket, Whistleblowers Justice Fund founder Rex Patrick stated Boyle had “pleaded responsible to serving to all Australians by disclosing poor conduct by the tax workplace, who had been stripping funds from companies who had been in misery”. He stated:
He needs to be carrying an enormous S on his chest, as a superhero, as an alternative of a conviction …
The message being despatched by the federal government is: if you happen to blow the whistle, we’ll pursue you to the top.
Boyle, a former ATO debt assortment officer, raised issues internally about debt restoration practices in October 2017, when he grew nervous about operations within the tax workplace.
Believing his complaints had been ignored, he went public on the ABC’s 4 Corners in regards to the ways used in opposition to taxpayers who owed the ATO cash.
Exterior court docket, Boyle hugged supporters, together with his spouse, Louise Beaston.
Final yr, the SA court docket of enchantment dominated Boyle was not protected by federal whistleblowing legal guidelines – as a result of the costs associated to not his whistleblowing, however steps Boyle had taken in preparation to blow the whistle internally, together with taking pictures of paperwork and recording conversations.
Boyle returns to court docket for sentencing submissions on 1 August.
NSW police commissioner Karen Webb cleared of misconduct allegation
The New South Wales police commissioner, Karen Webb, has been cleared of a misconduct allegation by the state watchdog.
The Legislation Enforcement Conduct Fee stated it acquired a criticism over an allegation Webb had breached police power coverage by sharing the confidential particulars of a deceased individual with broadcaster Ray Hadley of 2GB Radio in April 2024 earlier than their subsequent of kin was notified.
The fee performed a preliminary investigation and “undertook a variety of investigative methods” and concluded its effort in March 2025, happy that there was no misconduct by Webb.
Webb earlier this month introduced she would resign after three years within the five-year function and 38 years within the police power. You’ll be able to learn extra right here:
Buybacks for flood-hit residents a matter for states, PM says
The federal authorities is not going to supply buybacks to residents affected by the New South Wales floods, the prime minister has stated, saying that call is a state problem.
With the variety of properties assessed as uninhabitable already at almost 800 and on the rise, Anthony Albanese stated insurance coverage corporations ought to present swift help however didn’t decide to reforming or underwriting insurance coverage for the realm. He informed reporters:
We count on insurance coverage corporations to do proper by their prospects, and swiftly course of claims. They’ve arrange an workplace right here in order that they are often handled swiftly …
There are longer-term points that have to be checked out however what we have to do at this time limit is be sure that folks’s rapid wants are taken care of.
Albanese stated the federal government would supply loans and subsidies to farms and different companies affected by the floods however declined to ensure funding for each affected major producer:
I can assure that the federal government might be doing our greatest to be sure that persons are taken care of.
PM dismisses strategies ADF flood help arrived too late
Albanese has pushed again at strategies the Australian Defence Drive was despatched in to assist the flood response too late, pointing to the a whole bunch of responders on the bottom.
Requested about residents’ issues the ADF was deployed to0 late, the prime minister pointed to air restoration efforts carried out final week. He additionally praised the work of the veteran-led Catastrophe Aid Australia and the state emergency service:
The ADF I noticed in the principle road of Taree there, engaged on the bottom, 70 of them [and] 100 DRA [volunteers]. The ADF personnel have come from Coffs Harbour, Queensland, completely different elements of New South Wales and nationally as properly. They’ve been deployed upon request.
… There’s been 165 personnel deployed from outdoors NSW SES already and one other 74 are because of arrive in coming days. This has been an enormous effort from the authorities in addition to from the group.
Albanese stated the federal government was but to obtain additional requests for ADF help however the navy personnel would stay within the space for so long as was needed.
We’ll present what help is important … We stay vigilant and we stay engaged.
That second organisation he talked about, Catastrophe Aid Australia, is pushing for a brand new funding deal to safe its future and develop its power, because it positions itself as a substitute for the Australian defence power within the aftermath of main floods, fires and cyclones.
You’ll be able to learn extra on that right here:
Catastrophe restoration fee to be prolonged to extra areas alongside NSW mid-north coast
Authorities help funds might be supplied to extra residents alongside the flood-affected mid-north coast of New South Wales, Anthony Albanese has stated.
He confirmed the catastrophe restoration fee could be provided to the native authorities areas of Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Mid-Coast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie, Hastings and Port Stephens.
That might be accessed from 2pm tomorrow, offering a one-off fee of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible youngsters.
The continuing catastrophe restoration allowance, offering for as much as 13 weeks of earnings help for individuals who can’t earn their regular earnings, could be prolonged to all 19 affected native govenrment areas, he stated.
Albanese stated:
There are nonetheless large challenges and we have to perceive and definitely the federal government understands that this isn’t one thing that can go away in a matter of days or perhaps weeks and even months. It will take a while, the restoration, however Australians are resilient.
PM says flooding in NSW will have an affect on complete nation
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has warned the devastation to farms and livelihoods from flooding on the mid-north coast of New South Wales will price not solely locals however the complete nation.
Albanese is talking in Taree, a city hit arduous by final week’s flooding, on the native state emergency service operations centre. He says:
Each Australian is affected as properly, by the truth that we’ve had a lack of dairy industries that can have an effect proper all through Australia, and proper all through the financial affect right here as properly.
However the human affect, we should bear in mind firstly. The lack of 5 lives via these devastating floods [and] the extraordinary hardship that folks have gone via.
Woodside boss calls younger folks ‘ideologues’ for opposition to fossil fuels
Graham Readfearn
The boss of Australian gasoline large Woodside, Meg O’Neill, has attacked younger folks as being ideologically in opposition to fossil fuels whereas ordering low-cost on-line client items “with none kind of recognition of the power and carbon affect of their actions”.
O’Neill was talking on Tuesday on a panel throughout the gasoline trade’s annual convention in Brisbane, when she was requested by moderator and Sky information contributor Chris Uhlmann if folks had been conscious of the place their electrical energy got here from. O’Neill stated:
Most individuals hit a change and count on the lights to return on, and it’s been an enchanting journey to look at the dialogue, significantly amongst younger individuals who have this very ideological, nearly zealous view of, , ‘fossil gas dangerous, renewables good’, which are fortunately plugging of their gadgets, ordering issues from [online fashion store] Shein and Temu, having, , one little factor shipped to their home with none kind of recognition of the power and carbon affect of their actions.
In order that human affect and the buyer’s function in driving power demand and emissions completely is a lacking area within the dialog.
According to company documents, the sale and burning of Woodside’s gasoline emitted 74m tonnes of CO2 final yr.
Woodside is ready for brand spanking new atmosphere minister, Murray Watt, to decide later this week on the corporate’s growth of its North West Shelf mission that wishes to increase its gasoline manufacturing for one more 40 years to 2070.
The three-day annual convention of trade group Australian Power Producers, beginning as we speak, has already heard from sources minister, Madeleine King, who stated the federal government was working to hurry up approvals for tasks and enhance exploration efforts.
Analysis exhibits heat-related work harms to rise by 1 / 4 by 2050
Excessive temperatures are anticipated to place extra Australian staff in danger and raise enterprise prices, with new analysis predicting heat-related work harms will rise greater than 1 / 4 by 2050.
World heating will end in rising numbers of occupational accidents and diseases with a possible price of $94m a yr, Australian researchers estimated.
Lecturers at Charles Darwin College, the College of Adelaide and Monash College analysed greater than 2.3m office damage claims throughout Australia’s capital cities, excluding Canberra, from 2005 to 2018.
Warmth and chilly had been accountable for almost 40,000 or about one in each 60 avoidable occupational accidents and diseases, they discovered, utilizing a measure of sunlight-related warmth stress. In 25 years’ time, they count on that proportion will rise above one in 50.
Unsuitable clothes, a scarcity of air-con and sizzling or chilly circumstances round bodily demanding work had been key causes.
Excessive temperatures had been one of the vital threatening well being impacts of local weather change and the rise in accidents must be mitigated, in line with Dr Matthew Borg, lead creator and postdoctoral researcher on the College of Adelaide. He stated:
Employers can shield staff through the use of warmth security measures corresponding to setting work-to-rest ratios primarily based on temperature and job calls for, offering loads of water and entry to shade or air-conditioning, monitoring hydration, making certain correct clothes, creating warmth acclimatisation plans for brand spanking new staff, and lowering warmth generated within the office.
Benita Kolovos
Revived Victorian State Electrical energy Fee to start supplying renewable energy from 1 July
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, was up this morning to announce a serious milestone for the revived State Electrical energy Fee, which can begin supplying renewable power to authorities infrastructure from 1 July.
From the beginning of the brand new monetary yr, all Victorian authorities operations – together with 1,468 public faculties, kindergartens and TAFEs, hospitals, police and fireplace stations, in addition to the prepare and tram community – might be run on 100% renewable electrical energy run by the SEC.
Main public websites are additionally included, such because the Melbourne and Olympic Parks precinct, the Melbourne Zoo, the Nationwide Gallery of Victoria, parliament, Flinders Avenue station and even the penguin parade on Phillip Island.
It’s the first time in three many years that the SEC will ship energy to Victorians after it was privatised by the Liberal authorities within the Nineteen Nineties.
Allan says the signing of provide contracts means the SEC will now account for five% of Victoria’s whole electrical energy consumption, making it the fifth-largest business and industrial electrical energy retailer within the state.
The ability will come from a mixture of the SEC’s personal renewable power tasks and provide secured via the Victorian Renewable Power Public sale contracts, that means it attracts on wind and photo voltaic from websites at Berrybank, Bulgana, Cohuna, Dundonnell and Winton.
Later this yr, the SEC plans to supply renewable electrical energy contracts to business and industrial companies.
All income, Allan says, might be reinvested into new SEC renewable tasks.
Mud storms in south-east persevering with to clear this afternoon, BoM says
The mud storms and haze affecting Australia’s south-east ought to proceed to clear this afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology has stated.
Meteorologist Dean Narramore stated south-westerly winds would filter out the mud haze affecting Sydney and surrounds within the subsequent few hours:
It’s simply lingering on the east coast within the subsequent couple of hours, after which it’s going to be all passed by this afternoon.
The air high quality within the metropolis’s west has already began to enhance however stays very poor, the state authorities is warning. You’ll find extra particulars on the air high quality and well being warnings for New South Wales here.
Mud additionally swept via Melbourne, Canberra and surrounding areas early this morning after sturdy winds kicked up a haze out of drought-affected areas in South Australia and Victoria’s west, Narramore stated.
He informed Guardian Australia these circumstances have since eased however heavy and probably damaging winds are nonetheless set to affect elements of south-west NSW.
Kamala Harris and husband rejoice go to to Australia on social media
Kamala Harris, the previous United States vice-president, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, have celebrated their “nice go to” to Australia, after visiting the nation this week.
Emhoff posted pictures of the pair at Sydney Harbour with the Opera Home and Harbour Bridge and strolling via the harbourside Botanic Gardens. He wrote on Instagram:
Such an amazing go to to Australia. Because of all for the nice and cozy welcome and friendship.
Harris was visiting Australia for the primary time. She was the visitor of honour on the 2025 Australian Actual Property Convention on the Gold Coast in Queensland, the place she took a swipe at Elon Musk and warned the world to “bear in mind the Thirties”. You’ll be able to examine that handle right here:
Jordyn Beazley
Australian police working to extradite alleged faux terror plot mastermind from Turkey
The NSW and federal police are persevering with to work to extradite from Turkey the alleged mastermind behind the “faux terrorism” caravan plot.
NSW deputy police commissioner, David Hudson, informed reporters somewhat earlier:
We’re working with the Australian federal police in relation to inquiries in that regard … It’s a present investigation, I can’t actually remark any additional.
In January, police found a caravan packed with explosives within the outer Sydney suburb of Dural, triggering an enormous multi company investigation.
Police alleged in March that the caravan was part of a “fake terrorism plot” orchestrated for private acquire. Police alleged the “con job” was fabricated for private profit and that the undisclosed figures had been primarily based in Australia and offshore.
Former fitness center proprietor and alleged drug seller Sayit Akca was smuggled out of Australia in 2023 after he was charged the yr earlier than with conspiring to import a business amount of illicit medicine and recklessly partaking with the proceeds of crime.
Akca has denied accountability for the caravan plot – however admits he was concerned in having the caravan moved. He told Four Corners earlier this month he was in a position to divert the caravan – which he says was being moved between a bootleg purchaser and vendor – and knowledgeable the AFP in regards to the explosives in an try to realize extra lenient therapy within the courts.
Jacqui Lambie amongst island state’s returning senators as Hanson’s daughter misses out
Josh Butler
Jacqui Lambie may have one other time period within the parliament, with Tasmania additionally electing two Labor, two Liberal and one Inexperienced to the Senate on the election.
The Australian Electoral Fee “pushed the button” to finalise Senate ends in Tasmania this morning. Two Labor senators (Carol Brown and Richard Dowling), two Liberals (Claire Chandler and Richard Colbeck) and one Inexperienced (Nick McKim) have additionally been elected in Tasmania, in addition to Lambie.
It means Lee Hanson, daughter of One Nation founder Pauline, has missed out. Lambie, the favored impartial senator, was elected in fifth place behind Brown, Chandler, McKim and Dowling, with Colbeck – the previous aged care minister – in sixth.
The Australian Electoral Officer for Tasmania, Hannah Brown, stated: “As with all features of the rely, scrutineers appointed by the candidates had been in a position to witness the automated distribution of preferences undertaken as we speak.”
It comes minutes after the Northern Territory was confirmed and a day after South Australia. Extra Senate outcomes are anticipated to return later this week in Victoria and the ACT (Wednesday), then Western Australia (Thursday); NSW and Queensland will comply with after.
