No Long-Term Rentals but 200 Short-Stay Listings in WA Towns
Shelter WA’s six‑month snapshot reveals short‑stay rentals dwarf long‑term rentals in regional Western Australia, with ratios as high as 90‑to‑0 in Nannup and 40‑to‑1 in Busselton. The nonprofit identified 45 “pain zones” where Airbnb‑type listings outnumber traditional rentals, prompting a call for bans on new short‑stay homes in areas with vacancy rates below 3%. While the short‑term sector argues it is not the root cause of the housing crunch, local residents and officials report rising rents and a hollowed‑out rental market. State incentives have returned about 800 homes to long‑term use, but 900 new holiday homes have appeared since 2023, offsetting gains.
AI to Power Medicines Approvals but Humans Will Still Call the Shots
Australia’s 2024‑25 budget earmarks roughly $6.7 billion USD to cut red tape with artificial intelligence, targeting $225 million USD annual savings in medicine approvals and a $70 million USD investment in an AI‑assisted housing‑environmental approval tool. The Therapeutic Goods Administration will use AI...
'An Absolute Victory': Good Character Evidence Scrapped in NSW
New South Wales legislation now bars judges from considering good‑character references as a mitigating factor when sentencing sexual offenders. The change follows the #YourReferenceAintRelevant campaign, founded by survivors Harrison James and Jarad Grice, which pressured the Labor government to act....
US-Iran Ceasefire 'on Life Support' With Energy Woes to Continue in 2027
The United States and Iran have hit a stalemate in cease‑fire talks, leaving the Strait of Hormuz closed to commercial shipping. President Donald Trump insists on a "complete victory" while Tehran demands an end to the U.S. naval blockade and...
No Link Between PCOS and Higher Rate of Abnormal Cysts: Study
A new JAMA Internal Medicine study of 1,235 Finnish women found that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) does not increase the prevalence of abnormal, non‑cancerous ovarian cysts compared with women without the condition. While PCOS patients were 12‑times more likely to...
ICC Arrest Warrant for Philippine Senator Roland Dela Rosa over War on Drugs
The International Criminal Court confirmed an arrest warrant for Philippine Senator Roland "Bato" Dela Rosa, accusing him of crimes against humanity linked to the country’s deadly war on drugs. Dela Rosa fled to the Senate building and was placed under...
Fuel Injection as SA Announces $40m Diesel Stockpile
South Australia is committing roughly $26 million USD to buy 10‑20 million litres of diesel, creating a strategic reserve at IOR’s Port Bonython facility. The stockpile adds about four days of fuel on top of the existing 30‑day inventory, aimed at shielding...
Breaking: Julie Bishop Resigns as ANU Chancellor
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop resigned as chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) effective immediately, ending a term that was set to run through year‑end. Her departure follows months of staff and student pressure after the university scrapped a...
Australian Government 'Deciding Factor' In Departure of ISIS-Linked Families From Syria
The Syrian government told ABC that the Australian government was the "deciding factor" in a two‑week delay before a group of four women and nine children linked to ISIS left Damascus for Australia. The group, all Australian citizens, departed Al Roj...
Murder Trial Hears Couple 'Looked Madly in Love' Before Violent Death
A Northern Territory Supreme Court trial is examining the murder of 22‑year‑old Ms Ashley, whose partner Braden Jentian has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege Jentian subjected Ashley to a prolonged, violent assault that ended in her death, citing nine documented...
Exercise Physiologists Demand an End to 'Discriminatory' Health Tax
Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) has launched an "axe the tax" campaign to eliminate the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) applied to exercise physiology services, a levy that other allied health professions do not face. The peak body...
Cries of Censorship as Sydney Council Bars Local Paper From Meetings
Hawkesbury City Council in New South Wales issued a notice on April 28 barring the Hawkesbury Gazette and Hawkesbury Radio from attending council meetings and premises, invoking the Work Health and Safety Act over alleged harassment of staff. The council argues...
Philip Morris Secret Hearing Angers Health Advocates over Double Standard
A secret, private appearance by Philip Morris at a Senate inquiry into Australia’s illegal tobacco trade sparked outrage among health officials and advocacy groups. The company’s representatives were not listed on the public agenda, and their identities were redacted for alleged...
RBA Risks a Recession but Feels There's Nothing Else It Can Do
The Reserve Bank of Australia lifted the cash rate to 4.35%, marking its third increase this year as it battles persistent inflation and downgraded growth outlooks. In its latest Statement on Monetary Policy, the RBA projects GDP will stall at...
WA Government Admits Emissions May Rise as It Abandons Reduction Targets
Western Australia’s government has abandoned its planned interim emissions‑reduction targets, replacing them with the Green Energy Powerhouse Bill that emphasizes renewable generation, carbon capture and storage, and green exports. Premier Roger Cook acknowledged that state emissions could rise as the...