Kate Day and Nina Stocker are sisters-in-law who started Seeing Double Wine Co about ten years ago. Neither came from a winemaking family, and they had no winery, vineyard or bank loan when they began. They made wine by renting space at other wineries and sourcing fruit from growers they knew. Their partnership with wine club Naked Wines provided funding and a ready market. The pair says they work well together despite very different working styles, and that they settle disagreements by talking things through or asking their backer to decide.
Preliminary police data shows property offences in Darwin have risen since October last year, returning to 2024 levels in July and August 2026. Across the Northern Territory, property offences fell 15 per cent and offences against the person fell 6 per cent in the government's second year. Alice Springs has seen significant reductions in both crime types, while Katherine's crime levels are similar to or worse than two years ago. Rural areas have not shown the drops the government's measures targeted. The government did not respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of New Zealand's November 7 election, voters say the promise of a better life is getting harder to keep. About 350,000 people are estimated to have left over three years, almost half moving to Australia. In Wellington, hundreds protested in August against soaring water bills. One family of three lives in a campervan while the mother undergoes cancer treatment, and housing assistance was reportedly refused. Māori and Pacific communities, hit hardest by unemployment and homelessness, are asking whether politicians will give them a reason to stay.
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Calls are growing for improved safety and domestic, family and sexual violence services in remote Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. A 26-year-old man has faced court over the alleged murder of a 16-year-old girl in a domestic violence attack in Alpurrurulum. Special Envoy Marion Scrymgour has asked governments to reopen the police station there, which closed in 2018. She says violence is also affecting women and children in Wadeye and Katherine. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory has called for urgent investment in specialist support, safe accommodation and permanent police presence.
South Australia will support a proposed mission to send Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station, despite most other states and territories declining to fund the venture. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said his government would make a contribution to the national endeavour. The federal government has asked states and territories to help fund Ms Bennell-Pegg joining a European Space Agency mission before the end of the decade, which includes specialised training in Germany and the United States.
Former Labor Attorney-General Robert McClelland has been recommended as the next National Anti-Corruption Commissioner. He will replace Paul Brereton, who resigned in May amid conflicts-of-interest concerns. Christopher Savundra has been recommended as deputy commissioner. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said both were chosen through a merit-based selection process. The parliamentary committee unanimously approved the appointments. The five-year terms are proposed to begin on 11 January 2027.
Progress on ethical and sustainable practice in Australia's fashion industry has stalled, according to Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report, which assessed 500 brands across 48 measures. Brands averaged 31.5 out of 100, a marginal rise from 2024. Katherine Halliday said companies were writing sound policies but failing to put them into practice for garment workers, particularly on living wages and access to grievance mechanisms. Luxury and fast fashion brands scored similarly, while outdoor brand Patagonia ranked highly.
Most Australian fashion brands cannot show that workers in their overseas supply chains are paid a living wage, a new report has found. Baptist World Aid Australia analysed more than 500 local fashion houses, and 87 per cent could not provide evidence of living wage payments. In final-stage factories, a living wage was paid in only 3 per cent of cases. Report author Katherine Halliday said brands are talking about sustainability but not delivering real change for workers. She said cheap clothing demand is adding to the problem, and that paying workers fairly would raise consumer prices only slightly.
Former Labor attorney-general Robert McClelland has been chosen as the new head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He replaces inaugural chief Paul Brereton, who resigned earlier this year, two years before his five-year term ended. McClelland, 68, currently serves as Deputy Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court and takes up the role on January 11. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland announced the appointment, which was approved by the parliamentary committee overseeing the commission. Rowland also named Christopher Savundra as deputy commissioner.
A tribunal has overturned a Clarence Valley Council rule that would have banned anyone under 55 from living in permanent vans at the Brooms Head Holiday Park on the NSW North Coast. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the rule was not fair and reasonable and could hurt the saleability of permanent sites. The tribunal said it could not identify a clear purpose for the rule. The rule was introduced as eviction notices were issued across caravan parks last year. Around 80 cases remain before the tribunal, and seven have been resolved so far.
Former Labor attorney general and federal court judge Robert McClelland has been named the new boss of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Attorney General Michelle Rowland said he was chosen through an open, merit-based selection process. Christopher Savundra has been appointed deputy commissioner. Both will begin five-year terms on 11 January next year, subject to approval by the governor general. The appointments follow the resignation of Paul Brereton, who quit in May amid criticism of his performance. Independent MP Helen Haines said the appointments offer a chance to rebuild public confidence.
A filmmaking program between Indonesian and regional Queensland universities is using horror to bring creators together. University of Southern Queensland lecturer Katherine Putnam says a shared language of fear has helped break down language barriers. The team filmed short horror movies in Indonesia before finishing in Toowoomba. The $60,000 program is funded by the university and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Regional filmmaker Amy Parry says concern is growing about state government cuts to Screen Queensland funding.
A team led by a police museum curator and an archaeologist dug in the yard of the Mount Larcom police station, in central Queensland, to look for documents a constable allegedly buried rather than destroy. The constable, Edward Robb, had reportedly been ordered to destroy papers older than 10 years. The search relied on an old story and a missing tin roof marker, and the team found no documents. Its members said the papers may still be there and that a further search would need ground-penetrating radar or machine excavation.
Police have arrested a 31-year-old man over a domestic violence incident that occurred in Alice Springs on Saturday. Officers from Strike Force Viper detained him at a property in the Sadadeen area on Monday afternoon, around 1:30pm. He has been remanded in custody while police prepare charges against him. He is expected to face the Alice Springs Local Court the following day.
City of Palmerston has released the Palmy Youth Info Map, a pocket-sized guide for young people aged 12 to 25. The map lists 17 services across Palmerston and surrounding areas, covering activities, health and wellbeing, education, employment and emergency contacts. Parents, carers, friends and support workers can also use it to help young people find support. The map is available on the council website, with printed copies at Civic Plaza, Palmerston Recreation Centre and the City of Palmerston library.
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Two people face drug charges after police executed a search warrant at a home on Gap Road in The Gap, Alice Springs. Officers from the Southern Drug Investigation Unit seized a quantity of methamphetamine below trafficable levels, drug implements and various weapons. A 41-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arrested at the address.
Northern Territory Police are appealing for information about an aggravated robbery at a home in Eldorado Crescent, Tennant Creek. Between 1:00am and 2:30am, the occupant woke to the sound of people entering the house unlawfully. The occupant confronted three unknown males, and one allegedly threw a hammer at them before all three fled on foot with stolen property. The occupant was not physically injured. Anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area or has relevant information is asked to call police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, quoting reference NTP2600103924.
A Northern Territory review into child protection found that domestic violence by the girl's father was the biggest risk to five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. The Department of Children and Families recorded 14 notifications linked to family violence since 2020, five of them in the weeks before her death. The review made 45 recommendations, which the government has accepted. Sector representatives said the recommendations were similar to earlier ones. Experts warned that treating family violence as a child protection issue could lead to victims losing their children.
A mud crab venture in Wadeye, a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, has grown into a full commercial operation. The Thamarrurr Sea Farmers now have up to 60 crab pots in the water and a team of nine workers. They send 35 to 50 kilograms of mud crabs to Darwin each week. Backers hope the industry could eventually employ about 100 people, though leaders say the growth will take time. The sea farmers say they are focused on sustainable harvesting.
Three female youths aged 16, 15 and 11 have been arrested after a vehicle was stolen in Karama on Thursday night. Police say two offenders snatched the keys from a man's hand on Mahogany Crescent around 9:40pm. The victim locked himself in the car, and one youth allegedly threw a rock at him as the group drove away. Strike Force Trident recovered the vehicle around 12:50am, and the three were caught after a short foot chase. Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Prosecutors have dropped a breach of bail charge against Labor MP Luke Gosling at a short hearing in the Darwin Local Court. Gosling still faces two charges of assaulting Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly, which he denies. Those charges were not raised in court on Monday. Gosling's lawyer, Marty Aust SC, described the withdrawal as a first step in the successful defence of all charges. Gosling's bail conditions bar him from coming within 50 metres of NT Government House.
Royal Darwin Hospital has apologised after confidential medical information about about a dozen pregnant patients was allegedly shared on Instagram. The posts, from an account linked to an overseas trained doctor who was a medical observer, reportedly included patient names and diagnoses, and reached 28,000 followers. The doctor said she cannot confirm how the images were posted and did not intend to disclose patient information. Her attachment to NT Health has since been terminated. Health Minister Steve Edgington said stricter background checks and induction processes will be introduced for medical observers.
Entry-level mechanical watches are getting cheaper and better, and major brands are part of that trend. WIRED asked its watch experts to choose their favourite mechanical watch under $400. The list includes models from Caravelle, Orient, Timex, Sea-Gull, Baltic, Bulova, Citizen, Vostok and Seiko. Each pick is described by its price, size, movement and water resistance, along with the reasons the experts gave for choosing it.
