Water regulators are visiting 120 properties across Lismore, Casino and nearby areas during October. The visits aim to help large water users understand metering rules before a December 1 compliance deadline. The Natural Resources Access Regulator says enforcement will follow once the deadline passes. Licence holders can meet the rules by installing an approved meter, applying for an eligible exemption, or classifying works into a category that needs no meter. Regulator director Keeley Reynolds urged users to act now rather than wait.
The federal government has resumed some paused parts of its Targeted Compliance Framework, which tracks jobseekers' mutual obligations. The components were halted in July 2024 after the federal ombudsman found almost 1,000 payments had been unlawfully cancelled. A Senate estimates hearing later revealed the number affected was in the vicinity of 30,000. Employment secretary Simon Duggan said compensation for eligible people has begun. Remaining measures allowing payment reductions or cancellations are expected to resume in early 2027, once safeguards are in place.
About half of privately owned e-mobility devices in Queensland are non-compliant, according to a government-funded survey. The study estimates close to one million private devices across the state, including 587,000 e-bikes. A third of e-bike riders are aged over 60. The most common issue reported was a maximum speed above 25km/h. Since new laws took effect in July, police have seized 600 e-bikes that do not meet the European Standard EN15194. The state government says it has since introduced stronger laws and enforcement.
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Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans has proposed reforms to reduce repetitive compliance paperwork for small and medium-sized enterprises. In a new paper, he sets out three proposals to make modern slavery checks more proportionate and efficient for smaller businesses. Smaller suppliers are often asked to complete questionnaires and give assurances to multiple customers in different formats. The proposals include matching requests to actual risk, letting suppliers share information once with several customers, and giving smaller businesses a say in developing approaches. Evans said the aim is smarter due diligence, not less of it.
Fisheries Queensland has investigated coral overharvesting on the Great Barrier Reef, but declined to share the outcome. The 2025-2026 harvest of antler coral exceeded its quota by 30 per cent. Coral harvesting is permitted up to 190 tonnes annually, with much destined for the global aquarium trade. Ecologists and conservationists have expressed concerns about sustainability and compliance within the industry.
Amazon Australia has removed a $48 LED ceiling light from sale after an industry body warned it about the product months earlier. Lighting Council Australia tested the light after buying it and found it kept burning after a glow-wire test and had exposed live wires. The council found seven in 10 of more than 130 lights tested failed safety standards, with nine in 10 Amazon products failing at least one check. Consumer group CHOICE says the sale of unsafe products is systemic, and the competition regulator says current laws generally do not cover online marketplaces.
An inquest has heard that a three-year-old boy likely climbed on a stool to reach a latch on a backyard pool gate before he drowned. Dion Robbins died at his family's rented home in the Darwin suburb of Moulden in June 2025. Counsel assisting Fiona Kepert said the boy's father fell asleep after lying down with him to watch a movie. Four months earlier, an inspection had found rust damage and a gate that was not self-closing. Kepert urged the coroner to examine whether the Northern Territory's pool fence compliance system needs more regular checks.
OpenAI will automatically watermark text generated by ChatGPT in the European Union to comply with the EU AI Act. The feature will be optional in other regions. The company's proprietary watermarking method, textGrain, embeds patterns in word choices detectable by a specialized tool. OpenAI will share the detector with select researchers and organisations, with a process for others to request access.
