Perfection Fresh Australia has admitted to cartel conduct by fixing the prices of broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce sold to Aldi stores in New South Wales. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says the company admitted the conduct on 11 occasions between 2019 and 2020. The company has agreed to pay a $12 million penalty, subject to Federal Court approval at a later date. Court action against three other suppliers and three individuals is continuing. A company spokesperson said it took full responsibility and has strengthened its compliance systems.
Protesters who lost a Federal Court bid to stop the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment have been asked to pay $150,000 towards state government legal costs. Edwin Kemp Attrill and Janette Milera argued that the felling of nearly 600 trees breached federal conservation laws, but the court rejected their case earlier this month. Premier Peter Malinauskas said total government legal bills are estimated at between $450,000 and $550,000. Attrill and Milera's lawyer, Ted Hui, said they would review the offer, warning it would have a huge financial impact on his clients.
The Federal Court has overturned an Aboriginal protection order placed over part of the McPhillamys goldmine site near Blayney in New South Wales. Justice James Stellios found the decision-making process was fundamentally flawed. The order, made by former environment minister Tanya Plibersek in 2024, protected headwaters and springs of the Belubula River, where a tailings dam was planned. Justice Stellios said a new application should have been treated as a fresh process, including public consultation. The matter now returns to the federal government for redetermination. The Albanese government says it remains committed to reforming the legislation.
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A Federal Court class action against the Queensland government over alleged failures to reunite First Nations families has been discontinued. The case was launched in 2023 against the state's child safety department. It was dropped after the litigation funder, Therium Litigation Finance Atlas, withdrew support in September 2025 and no new funding was found. Judge Craig Dowling said group members can still bring fresh legal action in the future and will not be liable for legal costs.
Bruce Lehrmann wants the Federal Court to order the return of a diary seized during a raid on his Hobart home by the National Anti-Corruption Commission. His lawyer told the court the diary holds his personal thoughts, not Cabinet information. The Commonwealth argues parts of it contain sensitive Cabinet material that should not be returned. The corruption watchdog has dropped its investigation into allegations he took documents from former defence minister Linda Reynolds' office. Justice Brigitte Markovic reserved her decision and the matter returns to court on December 2.
A Federal Court decision has set aside a federal Aboriginal heritage protection order that had stalled a $1 billion gold mine near Blayney in central western NSW. The order, issued in 2024, rejected a proposed tailings dam site at Regis Resources' McPhillamys Gold Project. The matter will now return to the federal government for reconsideration. Regis Resources said it was eager to move forward, while NSW Premier Chris Minns backed the mine. Blayney's mayor said the town lost up to $8 million in rates revenue during the delay.
A Federal Court decision has set aside a federal Aboriginal heritage protection order that had stalled a $1 billion gold mine near Blayney in central western NSW. The order, issued in 2024, rejected a proposed tailings dam site at Regis Resources' McPhillamys Gold Project. The matter will now return to the federal government for reconsideration. Regis Resources said it was eager to move forward, while NSW Premier Chris Minns backed the mine. Blayney's mayor said the town lost up to $8 million in rates revenue during the delay.
The Federal Court has overturned a federal heritage order that had halted a billion-dollar goldmine near Blayney in New South Wales. Justice James Stellios found the order was made without authority because a new application had not been referred for review and public consultation. The decision sends the proposal back to the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, for redetermination. Regis Resources, which brought the case, welcomed the ruling and said it remained committed to the project. The mine's critics, including the Belubula Headwaters Protection Group, said they were disappointed.
The consumer watchdog has launched Federal Court action against Sunny Queen and 11 other egg producers and suppliers. The competition regulator alleges the companies shared information about future production and agreed on a common pricing method since at least October 2020. It also alleges coordinated culls during periods of oversupply and falling wholesale prices. Sunny Queen denies the allegations and says it will defend the case. The watchdog is seeking penalties, injunctions and other orders.
Australia's competition regulator has taken legal action against 12 egg producers and suppliers, alleging cartel conduct. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges the companies coordinated production, distribution and expansion decisions since at least October 2020. It claims the group bought a Queensland property to stop a rival acquiring it. The regulator also alleges Sunny Queen, the largest wholesale egg supplier, restricted rival Kinross from selling to major supermarkets. Sunny Queen denies all allegations and says it will defend the proceedings.
One Nation MP David Farley has criticised a large native title claim covering areas around Wagga, Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera, calling it an expensive handbrake on progress. The Southern West Yiradyuri/Wiradyuri/Wiradjuri People lodged the Federal Court claim on behalf of descendants of 29 named ancestors. Local politicians raised concerns about development costs and the claim's scale. Griffith City Council plans to join the proceedings, with other councils coordinating a response through the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation. The applicants declined to answer questions about the claim's aims.
Sportswear brand Adidas is suing online fast-fashion retailer White Fox in the Federal Court, claiming its four-stripe clothing designs are deceptively similar to Adidas's three-stripe trademark. Adidas argues White Fox is trying to trade off its reputation, including through an influencer promotion. White Fox's barrister argues the stripes are decorative and points to similar designs from other brands. Adidas seeks orders stopping the designs and the handover of profits. Justice Ian Jackman has set the dispute down for a hearing in early 2027.
ICE agents shot a man in Manhattan's Marble Hill neighbourhood on Thursday, city authorities said. The man was identified as Oscar Belgal and was hospitalised after reportedly being shot in the neck. A 5-year-old child in the car was unharmed. Footage shows an ICE supervisor, Brenden Cuni, holding a rifle at the scene. Court records and social media posts link Cuni to several arrests that federal judges have since found unlawful, and to lawsuits alleging violent conduct. The Department of Homeland Security says agents were trying to apprehend an undocumented immigrant with a prior conviction.
