Posted by Key events
Two men drown in Gold Coast pool
Two men have drowned in a pool at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
Emergency services were called to an apartment complex on Orchid Avenue at about 7pm on Sunday night.
The men, aged in their 60s and 30s, were treated by paramedics before being declared dead at the scene.
Their deaths are not being treated as suspicious.
– Australian Associated Press
(This is the same drowning we reported earlier in the blog.)
‘We’re sceptical’ on supermarket break-up push: Labor
Labor is “sceptical” about breaking up supermarket giants amid warnings proposed powers could push up food prices and harm job security for workers.
As households struggle to pay for groceries, Woolworths and Coles have been accused of price-gouging customers and stifling competitors while undermining suppliers.
The Albanese government has directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to review prices and competition in the sector.
It also appointed former Labor minister Craig Emerson to review the effectiveness of the grocery code of conduct, which governs how the supermarkets treat their suppliers.
The assistant competition minister, Andrew Leigh, said the government would wait for the ACCC to hand down its report but previous competition inquiries failed to recommend divestiture. He told ABC RN this morning:
The National Farmers’ Federation have argued against divestiture and the ACTU have made the point that it could potentially hurt workers, so we’re sceptical.
Leigh said the government would not make a decision until it had the ACCC’s report.
– Australian Associated Press
Queensland’s Ergon Energy Retail has become the second Australian energy company to wrongly receive money from the welfare payments of former customers, prompting fears the issue could be widespread.
(Last week, Guardian Australia revealed that $700,000 had been diverted via the government-run Centrepay debit system from the pockets of more than 500 welfare recipients to the energy giant AGL.)
Read the full story from Christopher Knaus and Lorena Allam here:
Hunt for alleged arsonists who targeted play centre three times
The hunt is on for a gang of alleged arsonists who repeatedly targeted a play centre in Melbourne’s west over the Easter break.
The first attempt happened at about 10pm on Good Friday when a man smashed a window at the Braybrook business, Victoria police said.
Four offenders then allegedly forced their way into the Ashley Street centre and lit a fire at about 2.30am on Saturday.
They took off in a car and were seen driving along on Ballarat Road.
The third alleged attack happened at 3am on Monday, when a group smashed a window and caused significant damage by setting fire to the kitchen.
– Australian Associated Press
Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial
Network Ten will ask the federal court to reopen its defence on Tuesday at an emergency hearing scheduled less than two days before the judgment in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case is due to be handed down.
Justice Michael Lee was scheduled to deliver his judgment in the federal court in Sydney on Thursday 4 April in the defamation case Lehrmann brought against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.
Now Lee will hear Ten’s argument for reopening its case in light of “fresh evidence”, according to the interlocutory application filed on Sunday afternoon.
Read Amanda Meade’s full story here:
More on the Australian UN observer hurt in blast on Israel and Lebanon border
A Defence spokesperson confirmed an Australian Defence Force member was wounded while deployed on Operation Paladin in Lebanon – “part of Australia’s contribution to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation”.
The member was undertaking a routine United Nations patrol to monitor activity near the Israeli-Lebanon border, accompanied by three United Nations military observers and an interpreter, the spokesperson said.
The blast injuries sustained were non-life threatening. They were transported to a health centre at a nearby military base for treatment and have now been released to recover.
Defence is taking the appropriate steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the member.
Labor touts EVs to households as charging sites rise
Fast-charging sites for electric vehicles have risen by about 100 this year, leading to a near doubling of the Australia-wide network since 2022.
According to Electric Vehicle Council data, some 900 fast-charging sites support about 2,100 fast and ultra-fast charging plugs.
Australia also has about 3,000 regular charging stations with 7,000 plugs and sockets.
Outer capital city suburbs are leading the charge on EV purchases, with Rouse Hill and Kellyville topping Sydney sales in 2023. The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said:
More and more families in the outer suburbs are now reaping the benefits of cheaper-to-run cars, taking pressure off the family budget by avoiding thousands of dollars in fuel bills.
The average family spends $5,000 a year on petrol and could save thousands of dollars because EVs are typically $2,000 a year cheaper to run, he added.
As well, EV tax discounts could save buyers up to $11,000 a year on a $50,000 purchase. When eligible, the discount can make base EV models such as the Tesla 3 cheaper to lease per month than petrol-run cars like the Mazda 3 Astina.
– Australian Associated Press
Good morning
And welcome to a new week on the blog.
An Australian was among three UN observers and one translator injured in an explosion near Lebanon’s border with Israel. UN interim force in Lebanon spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told AFP that two observers were from Australia and Chile, adding that all four wounded were in stable condition. Australia’s defence department said the Australian’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Queensland police are preparing a report for the coroner after two men died in Surfers Paradise last night. The men drowned after jumping into a hotel pool to save a child, who was successfully pulled from the water, according to an ABC report. Emergency services were called to Orchid Avenue about 7pm. The men were declared dead at the scene. Both deaths are being treated as non-suspicious.
And in positive news, a pilot scheme to replace cardboard produce boxes with reusable plastic crates has been launched in Victoria, with the aim to cut “invisible” cardboard waste. The Victoria Unboxed project, led by food charity Sustain with Sustainable Victoria, has supplied 1,000 reusable plastic crates to transport produce from farms to venues, wholesalers and homes across Melbourne.
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