Category: Australian News

With fire in their bellies and pride on their shoulders, the NSW Waradas are ready to make their mark at the 2025 First Nations Netball Tournament, kicking off in Melbourne on Wednesday 20 August.

After a breakout campaign in 2024 that saw the young side finish third overall-missing a win over Queensland by just one goal-the Waradas are heading into this year’s tournament with unfinished business and a clear target: go all the way.

Preparation has been intense, focused, and fast. With a limited window to bring the squad together, the team has wasted no time building cohesion on and off the court.

“It’s been a very short turnaround from when we started on court to tournament, but they’re going really well,” said Mardi Aplin, General Manager of Performance and Pathways at Netball NSW.

Athletes have been training once or twice a week at Netball Central, backed by individual strength, conditioning and fitness programs delivered outside of team sessions.

The Waradas Team Announcement

“It shows the level of commitment and professionalism expected – and delivered – by this group,” Aplin said.

With many players already connected through previous programs and competitions, team culture has come naturally – and it’s already showing on court.

“We’ve had hit-outs against the ACT and the 21U Tongan team preparing for the World Youth Cup,” Aplin shared. “Those games helped us lock in combinations, confirm positions, and get match-ready. The team looked strong and connected.”

These practice games provided more than preparation – they lit a competitive spark.

One of the most powerful moments in the Waradas’ journey came last week, when players were presented with their official team dresses – not by coaches or officials, but by a family member or family friend.

“It makes it a really personal celebration,” said Aplin. “We invited the Netball NSW Aboriginal Advisory Group and Alison Tucker-Munro from the Black Swans to speak with the group. Alison talked about the deep pride in wearing the NSW dress and honouring your culture.”

That moment brought the team together and set the tone for what’s to come – representing not just NSW, but Country, family and future generations.

The Waradas will face a gritty seven-game schedule over four days, with each match running 4 x 10-minute quarters. It’s a high-intensity format that demands both mental resilience and physical grit.

“A week at Nationals is intense for anybody, let alone someone who hasn’t experienced it before,” Aplin said. “You need the physical engine, yes – but the mental toughness is what gets you through.”

Now, with a year’s worth of experience, stronger preparation, and a fierce sense of purpose, the Waradas are determined to go further.

“We have high expectations,” Aplin said. “We’ve done the work. Now it’s about backing ourselves – physically, mentally, and culturally – to step up and perform across the whole tournament.”

NSW Waradas – 2025 First Nations Tournament Draw
Location: Melbourne
Match Format: 4 x 10-minute quarters, 3-min breaks (Q1 & Q3), 5-min halftime
Round 1 – Wed 20 Aug, 11:30am: NSW v NT
Round 2 – Wed 20 Aug, 6:30pm: NSW v SA
Round 3 – Thu 21 Aug, 9:00am: NSW v VIC
Round 4 – Thu 21 Aug, 7:45pm: NSW v TAS
Round 5 – Fri 22 Aug, 12:45pm: WA v NSW
Round 6 – Sat 23 Aug, 10:15am: NSW v QLD
Round 7 – Sat 23 Aug, 5:15pm: NSW v ACT
Finals – Sun 24 Aug

The Albanese Labor Government recognises 50 years since the Gurindji land handback, a turning point in the struggle for Aboriginal land rights.
 
On 16 August 1975, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured soil into Vincent Lingiari’s hands, during an official handover ceremony which formally granted the Gurindji people a lease to a parcel of land at Wave Hill cattle station.
 
It would become an iconic image of land rights and a defining moment in Australian history.
 
Almost a decade earlier, on 23 August 1966, 200 Gurindji, Mudburra and Warlpiri stockmen, domestic workers and their families, led by Vincent Lingiari, had taken a stand.
 
They led a walk-off from Wave Hill station against injustice, not just about their pay and working conditions but about their land.
 
The Wave Hill Walk-Off continued for nine years, during that time the strikers moved back to their traditional Country at Daguragu (Wattie Creek), closer to their sacred sites.
 
The lengthy campaign was a significant milestone in the Aboriginal land rights movement.
 
Their courage helped pave the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) 1976 Act, Commonwealth legislation enabling First Nations people in the NT to claim land rights for Country where traditional ownership could be proven.
 
Next week, the annual Freedom Day Festival will bring people together on Gurindji Country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the handback and the anniversary of the Wave Hill Walk-Off.
 
The 2025 Freedom Day Festival, a celebration of land rights, self-determination and community, will be held at Kalkarindji August 22 – 24.
 
Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:
 
“Today we remember a mighty victory and we honour those who fought and won their long battle for justice.
 
“Even now, when we hear the word Gurindji we picture the endless blue of the outback sky and the vivid red earth trickling from Gough’s hand into Vincent’s. 
 
“That iconic image stands as an enduring tribute to the courage, determination and solidarity of a proud people.
 
“Yet as Gough said to Vincent on this historic day: “Your fight was not for yourselves alone”.
 
“There is more to do to ensure traditional owners can unlock the economic potential of their land and build the long term prosperity that will see their communities thrive.
 
“Let the milestone we look back on today, inspire us for the journey ahead.”
 
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy:
 
“The Wave Hill Walk-Off laid the foundation for Aboriginal land rights across the Northern Territory and the country.
 
“This year’s Freedom Day Festival will reflect on 50 years since the Commonwealth, through Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, recognised the Gurindji people, through Vincent Lingiari.
 
“The formal handover of land to the Gurindji people – and the soil passing from one hand to another – is a defining moment in the Aboriginal land rights movement and Australian history.”

The Albanese Government is delivering on its promise to boost Adelaide’s housing supply with the completion of another 40 new DHA homes in Angle Park.

The 40 three-bedroom townhouses in the Northwest Quarter estate, built by local builder Burbank Homes, will bring additional Defence families into the Angle Park community in coming weeks.

The new completions come on top of 14 homes built in the Stage One precinct in 2023, with another 31 new build-to-rent properties expected to be complete in coming months. These total 85 properties will support Defence personnel living in the region. 

In addition, 102 lots have been sold to private owners, supporting a mix of Defence and non-Defence tenants living alongside each other.

The area was selected as it is conveniently located less than half an hour from both RAAF Base Edinburgh and the Osborne Naval Shipyard, and offers Defence families easy access to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Adelaide’s CBD.

Defence members and families have already settled into the estate’s Stage One properties, and the DHA housing and private properties will ensure posted families can build connections with the local community. 

Around 150 local workers were employed in the construction of the new properties.

Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Matt Keogh MP: 

“This is a win for Defence families and a win for Adelaide’s housing supply.

“Whether it’s directly building new houses or crowding in private construction investment, it all helps to take the pressure off Defence families looking for a home.

“The Northwest Quarter is booming, with ADF families and non-ADF families working and living side-by-side to build up a thriving local community.

“We remain dedicated to increasing Defence capability across the country; providing our personnel with quality, secure housing in convenient locations plays a vital role in attracting and maintaining our workforce to support this capability.”

Defence Housing Australia Managing Director, Andrew Jaggers: 

“DHA is proud to deliver another housing development that fosters engagement between ADF members and the wider community.

“It’s rewarding to stand here today in acknowledgement of 40 new Angle Park Northwest Quarter properties entering DHA’s portfolio to support growth plans for the ADF and the required capability in the Adelaide region.

“DHA remains dedicated to meeting the needs of our ADF members, and we now turn our attention to completing the next 31 properties at Northwest Quarter through our leasing business model to create long-term and rewarding opportunities for investors.” 

The Greens will move to establish a Senate Inquiry into the safety and quality of early childhood education and care as soon as Parliament resumes, after what they and the sector have described as a failure to act with urgency on a system in crisis.

Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, says years of neglecting the system has left children at risk and families without confidence.

In the last sitting week, the Greens supported a Bill allowing government subsidies to be cut from centres that repeatedly fail to meet quality standards. But Senator Hodgins-May told the Senate these were “band-aid fixes” that would do little to lift quality:

“Tinkering with the subsidy system will not keep our children safe. We need more than reactive tools to act after harm occurs — we need leadership to prevent that harm in the first place.”

The proposed inquiry would examine the regulatory system, workforce, and whether the current subsidy model supports high-quality care. It would aim to deliver recommendations to keep children safe and also inform long-term reforms towards universal early learning — a goal the Government has outsourced to Deloitte at a cost of millions and a delay of years.

The push comes as a rapid review into Victoria’s early learning system is completed and a NSW parliamentary inquiry is underway. The Greens say a Senate inquiry would bring this work together nationally to keep kids safer in every state and territory.

Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“We’ve tried repeatedly to work with this government on what should be a once-in-a-generation reform of early learning, but with no sign of urgency to fix this broken system, we’re taking matters into our own hands.

“This morning, the Prime Minister couldn’t offer a real plan for fixing the childcare crisis — just another round of patchwork meetings while children remain at risk and families keep paying the price. It’s not good enough.

“A Senate Inquiry will shine a proper light on a system in crisis, expose the conditions enabling abuse and neglect, and make strong recommendations for real reform.

“The sector and families are calling for change now. The Prime Minister says he wants childcare to be the legacy he’s remembered for –  we urge him to work with the Greens to make this vision a reality.” 

The Greens are urging Labor to avoid a second Robodebt-scale scandal by stopping all welfare payment suspensions immediately, following the release of a second damning report into the welfare system in two weeks.

The Deloitte report, released late yesterday, shows widespread legal and technical failures in the system responsible for the accurate administration of income support payments.

This is the second report in two weeks to smash the welfare compliance system, after a damning Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report that found over 1,000 welfare recipients had their welfare payments unlawfully cancelled by the automated system over two years.

While Labor has paused all cancellations and reductions of payments under the compliance scheme, tens of thousands of welfare recipients are still subject to harmful payment suspensions each month. Nearly 350,000 payment suspensions were issued in the first quarter of 2025, from roughly 800,000 welfare recipients who had compliance requirements during that period.1

The government excluded payment suspensions from the scope of the Deloitte review, but they will be considered by the Commonwealth Ombudsman in a further volume later this year.

The Greens have called on Labor to stop these welfare payment suspensions immediately, a call which has been echoed by a broad coalition of community groups including the Anti-Poverty Center, Economic Justice Australia and the Australian Council of Social Services.

Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Social Services:

“Labor doesn’t seem to care if people on income support get the payments they need to make ends meet or not.”

“Hundreds of thousands of people are losing access to vital payments that they need to put food on the table – all because of a system flooded with inaccuracies that treats ordinary income support recipients like criminals.”

“Can the Employment Minister hold her hand on her heart and say that over 100,000 payment suspension penalties issued against welfare recipients each month are accurate? Are they lawful? Are they fair?”

“Robodebt showed us that automated systems can’t be trusted with peoples lives, and nor can so-called employment service providers who profit out of peoples poverty.”

“Clearly this system has not been fixed since Robodebt. And while Minister Rishworth hides behind Department officials, income support recipients are unfairly losing payments they need to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.”

“Labor can’t wait for another report – they need to end payment suspensions right now.”

Key findings from the Deloitte report:

The Deloitte review confirmed legal issues in the system, stating that “legal and evidentiary basis for compliance actions […] cannot be consistently documented, verified, or reconciled with legislative provisions or policy intent.” (p8)

It describes a system where “errors and noncompliance may go undetected, and where systemic issues are not reliably escalated or addressed” (p10).

Despite the passing of new laws requiring the use of discretion when pursuing welfare debts, the report found “no records were available to demonstrate compliance with this requirement.” (p9)

The Deloitte review demonstrates that the Government has for years shown disinterest in meeting their legal obligations and avoiding undue harm to welfare recipients in keeping with the recommendations of the Robodebt Royal Commission. 

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to build a fairer NSW by rolling out nation-leading emergency safety materials for passengers with vision impairments or intellectual disabilities on regional rail services.

Led by NSW TrainLink, the initiative introduces new accessibility measures including Braille for passengers with vision impairments and Easy Read format for people with intellectual disabilities.

This means if a TrainLink passenger is blind, has low vision, or has an intellectual disability, they’ll have the same access to life-saving emergency information as every other passenger.

These new materials help all passengers understand what to do in an emergency – like finding the nearest exit, pressing help buttons, or safely getting off the train.

Coinciding with National Rail Safety Week, the comprehensive suite of new safety materials is part of a blitz to make regional rail travel in NSW safer and more accessible. Other material includes:

• Animated safety videos both on board and on platforms
• Audio announcements on board trains and platforms
• Revised onboard safety cards in Braille and Easy Read formats
• Accessible station information including posters, digital screens and signage

The rollout of these groundbreaking materials is part of the Minns Labor Government’s broader commitment to ensuring essential services work for everyone in our community.

Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said:

“We are making safety information more accessible at every stage of the journey.

“The Minns Labor Government believes in fairness and that means ensuring every passenger, regardless of their abilities, has equal access to the safety information they need to travel confidently on our regional rail network.

“Rail Safety Week from 11 to 17 August is a great opportunity to remind passengers of how important it is to be prepared in case of an emergency.”

Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:

“The introduction of Braille and Easy Read safety materials represents a significant step forward in making public transport truly accessible.

“More than 450,000 Australians have an intellectual disability, and many more have vision impairments. This important initiative ensures those passengers have the same access to critical safety information as everyone else, which could save someone’s life.”

Council for Intellectual Disability advocate Shannon Lalor said:

“It’s vital that appropriate emergency messages reach everyone travelling on trains so they know what to do in an emergency. Easy Read helps people with intellectual disability understand information about staying safe on trains.

“These cards help people stay safe, especially when travelling long distance. We need to know this important information just like everyone else.”

Leading mental health experts and groups have teamed up with the insurance industry to draw attention to a major drag on Australia’s productivity; mental ill-health.

In an open letter to the Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the signatories have called for bold reform which will target the root causes of mental ill-health in Australia to avoid needless misery and financial hardship.

The signatories include:

• Former Australian of the Year Professor Pat McGorry
• Co-Director of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre Ian Hickie
• Former chair of the National Mental Health Commission Allan Fels
• Mental Health Australia
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
• Australians for Mental Health
• the Council of Australian Life Insurers and more

“The Productivity Commission has previously found mental ill-health is costing the economy up to $220 billion a year. That’s an economic drag the federal government cannot ignore. Our economy can only ever be as good as our people,” Executive Director of Australians for Mental Health Chris Gambian said.

Almost 1 in 2 Australians will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and mental ill-health was one of the leading causes of temporary and permanent disability for workers under the age of 30, with young people being disproportionately affected by mental health conditions.

“We must do more to support Australians’ wellbeing from the get-go, not when they reach a crisis point and can no longer contribute to their communities and workplaces because they are too unwell to work,” Chris Gambian said.

The coalition of signatories is urging the federal government to consider how mental ill-health is holding the nation’s productivity back, and to consider the following recommendations:

1. Coordinate a whole-of-government response to the mental health crisis, including national mental health targets, to make every department accountable
2. Guarantee timely and affordable access to mental health care by boosting funding and training for community-based services
3. Bolster education and training within the mental health workforce to combat workforce shortages.

“Taking steps to stop people from becoming so mentally unwell to the point they can no longer work will be a major boost for the economy, communities, families and most importantly the person who got the support they need before a crisis takes hold.

“We know working and contributing to society is good for our mental health, but not when working hours and demands are unsustainable, contributing to burn out and psychological injury.

“We can’t treat our way out of rising rates of mental ill-health. We need bold reform to embed wellbeing in our policies. It will be better for Australians, and our economy too.”

Two major export deals worth a combined $80 million have been secured by Kongsberg Defence Australia, seeing missile launchers and command and control consoles made in South Australia soon to be exported to Europe.

Last year, the Albanese Government added Kongsberg Defence Australia to its Global Supply Chain Program, which has since opened the door to Australian defence industries. These export deals are made possible through Australia’s Naval Strike Missile procurement contract, which included an agreement for components to be manufactured in Australia.

As a result, South Australian companies are now contributing to exporting sophisticated defence hardware to Poland, Spain and Denmark. 

Through its parent company, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace in Norway, the company will deliver Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence System Command and Control Consoles to Poland. 

The $30 million contract is Kongsberg Defence Australia’s first export as part of the Commonwealth’s Global Supply Chain Program. The company also secured another $50 million order for Australian-made Naval Strike Missile Launcher Systems to be exported to Spain and Denmark.

The export deals mark a significant milestone for Australia’s sovereign guided weapons manufacturing program. 

Both the launcher systems and command and control consoles will be assembled by Kongsberg Defence Australia, and tested in their production and maintenance facility in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. The consoles and launchers will be manufactured using 100 per cent Australian made components and subsystems from companies based in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. 

The two projects are set to create 60 highly-skilled jobs at Kongsberg Defence Australia and across its local supply chain. 

The Naval Strike Missile is a modern anti-ship cruise missile designed to defeat highly capable enemy warships as well as land-based targets. The Naval Strike Missile is being installed on Navy’s Hobart class destroyers and Anzac class frigates with a successful first of class firing in July 2024 and Initial Operational Capability declaration in 2024.

These exports are part of the Australian Government’s investment in the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise, underpinned by a commitment in Defence’s Integrated Investment Program of $16 to $21 billion over the next decade.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“The Albanese Government’s efforts to support Australia’s sovereign defence manufacturing industry have reaped further benefits with these significant export deals. This is an exciting milestone for Australia’s sovereign defence manufacturing industry and a proud moment for Australian businesses to enter the global supply chain for missile manufacturing. 

“It will be the first time Naval Strike Missile launchers are manufactured outside of Europe and the United States, positioning Australia as a trusted source of supply to the Naval Strike Missile capability. 

“These deals underscore the Government’s commitment to working alongside our industry partners to strengthen Australia’s role in the global defence industry.”

South Australian Minister for Defence & Space Industries, the Hon Stephen Mullighan MP: 

“This is a fantastic result for South Australia’s defence sector, demonstrating our capabilities in delivering state-of-the-art technology to a global market.

“These significant contracts will not only boost the workforce at Kongsberg’s Mawson Lakes facility, but along the supply chain. 

“It’s successes like this that help cement South Australia’s reputation as the Defence State.”

Managing Director of Kongsberg Defence Australia, John Fry:

“These major export contracts are a huge milestone for Kongsberg Defence Australia. 

“Together with our Australian suppliers, we have demonstrated our determination and competitiveness to be able deliver to our parent company, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for international customers, highlighting the capability, quality and reliability of our Australian team and supply chain.

“The export contracts under the Commonwealth’s Global Supply Chain Program are creating opportunities in the international market for our local suppliers, which is a fantastic outcome for Australian Defence industry.”

Ahead of the Government’s productivity roundtables, the Productivity Commission’s interim report on Delivering quality care more efficiently re-affirms that the Government must urgently deliver bold reform for the care sector, with the Greens arguing early childhood education and care should be firmly on the agenda. 

The interim report proposes that the Government pursue greater alignment in quality and safety regulation across all care sectors. 

Today, Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, has written to the Treasurer urging that universal, affordable and high-quality early learning be a central item on the roundtable agenda to help achieve its stated goals of improving living standards, boosting productivity and strengthening economic resilience.

Expanding access to high-quality early learning would enable more women to participate in the workforce, support children’s development and deliver substantial long-term economic returns. Yet the current privatised childcare system remains a major barrier, leaving too many children locked out of the quality education they need in their early years.

Australian Greens spokesperson for early education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

“Early education is a vital part of the care sector and essential to lifting national productivity.

“A shift to a universal, low-cost, high-quality early learning system would be a game-changer for families, children and the economy. Research shows such a system could grow the economy by $168 billion and generate an additional $48 billion in government revenue.

“The childcare subsidy model and market-driven approach make early learning inaccessible and unaffordable for many families, and clearly fails to guarantee safety or quality.”

“This broken system is locking young parents, especially women, out of the workforce and stopping them from contributing their full skills to our economy.

“If the Government is serious about boosting productivity, it must examine every part of the system. 

“Early learning is low-hanging fruit for real reform. Let’s create a bold legacy of universal, high-quality early education that gives kids the best start in life and gives parents real choices to get back into work and study.”