The United States has revealed the USS Colorado as the first nuclear submarine to deploy to Australia under the AUKUS pact. The submarine will be based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia from late 2027, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a joint statement. It is the first of up to four US submarines, plus one from Britain, expected to rotate through the base. The plan has drawn criticism after the US said it would supply second-hand vessels rather than the new submarines first promised.
Nine electorate offices have been marked for security upgrades following last week's attack on independent MP Helen Haines, a Department of Finance official told a Senate estimates hearing. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said MP safety was a matter of daily review. Communications Minister Anika Wells temporarily shut her electorate office after a woman allegedly made threatening gestures towards staff. Several MPs have also shared threats against themselves, their families and staff. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the threats now often arrive online rather than by letter.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has taken up a part-time professor of practice role at the University of Sydney. She will guest-lecture, run masterclasses and mentor students and researchers in the school of public health. Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern, who led New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, said she has been focused on leadership since leaving office. University vice-chancellor Mark Scott said her leadership showed that empathy and resolve can strengthen each other.
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The Youth Advocacy Centre says its funding has been cut after it criticised the Queensland government's youth justice measures. Chief executive Katherine Hayes said the organisation applied for several tenders but was awarded none, with its contract ending early. She said the cut affects $3 million and 19 frontline workers. Hayes believes the cut was retaliation for her criticism. Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber says the program was not renewed because it did not meet government performance targets on reoffending while on bail.
West Australians who have not yet claimed their $100 fuel relief voucher and plan to submit a paper form are unlikely to receive the money before Christmas. Paper forms have been taking about 10 weeks to arrive, and a spokesperson advised applicants to allow nine to 10 weeks, with postage possibly longer in some regional areas. About $110 million has been paid to more than a million of the 2.3 million eligible licence holders since July 1.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
The Triple Zero Custodian is testing whether people could text Triple Zero when a voice call is not possible or practical. Accenture Australia is running the trial in a simulated environment, so the public cannot access the service and the live system is unaffected. The testing runs alongside an interim review of Triple Zero regulations, which sets out eight key themes for possible reform. Minister for Communications Anika Wells said about 85 per cent of Triple Zero calls are now made from mobile devices. The final review report is due next year.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Victoria will add 11 AI-powered cameras to its bushfire detection network across the state's east and west. The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by the Victorian Government, Hancock Victorian Plantations and the Green Triangle Fire Alliance. The cameras use artificial intelligence to scan for smoke and fire around the clock, and the expanded network is expected to monitor more than 1.4 million hectares. The new cameras are scheduled to be in place by November 2027. Minister for Emergency Services Paul Edbrooke said early information would help emergency services respond more quickly.
Ken Bodinnar, a 73-year-old former State Emergency Service worker from Paynesville, is fighting to have his workers' compensation claim recognised. His doctors believe his small-cell lung cancer resulted from years of service, including the Black Saturday fires. The insurer rejected the claim, and a medical report later found his exposure to firefighting smoke and diesel fumes was a significant contributing factor. The dispute will go to trial in November. Mr Bodinnar is in intensive care in Geelong and hopes the claim will support his family.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been hired as a professor of practice at the University of Sydney. The 46-year-old joins the faculty of medicine and health, where the role will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern will explore ways to address global health challenges, inclusion and wellbeing, and will lead guest lectures and masterclasses. The university says the position is not a full-time teaching role. Ardern and her family moved to Australia in February, reportedly buying a $5.3 million home on Sydney's northern beaches.
The United States has named USS Colorado as the first nuclear submarine to deploy to Australia under the AUKUS agreement. The 10-year-old Virginia-class vessel will be based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia from late 2027, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a joint statement. It is the first of up to four American submarines and one British submarine due to rotate through the base. The announcement follows criticism that the US would supply second-hand vessels rather than the brand-new submarine first promised. The statement says the arrangement will comply with relevant non-proliferation treaties.
A 1976 Express report said pupils at Albert Street, Moe, held a party for Winnie the Pooh's 50th birthday, with some bringing teddy bears. In 1996, community groups urged Latrobe Valley residents to attend the Latrobe Regional Hospital annual general meeting, where state Health Minister Rob Knowles was guest speaker. The groups opposed proposed privatisation. In 2016, Traralgon pilot Ben Lappin landed a restored 1941 Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber at Latrobe Regional Airport after an air show at Port Lincoln.
Complaints about the Australian Taxation Office have risen sharply as the agency ramps up debt collection. The Tax Ombudsman received 2376 complaints in the six months to September, up 74 per cent on the same period last year. The office said it received 1358 complaints over that period, because the ombudsman's figures also included matters not involving the tax office. The ombudsman found the tax office acted reasonably in 63 per cent of debt collection complaints it investigated. Outstanding tax debt stood at $54.2 billion in 2024/25, with $35.9 billion owed by small businesses.
The ACT Government is considering a new suicide prevention plan and will hold a roundtable early next year, following a parliamentary inquiry into men's suicide rates. Mental Health Minister Marisa Paterson said she welcomed a multi-partisan approach. Independent MLA Thomas Emerson criticised the government's response, arguing that several recommendations were labelled existing policy despite evidence of service gaps. He called for meaningful action on the inquiry's recommendations. No date for the roundtable has been set.
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Leinster prop Tadhg Furlong has been cited for an alleged act of foul play against Munster's Gavin Coombes during a United Rugby Championship match. Coombes alleged that his testicles were grabbed in the 37th minute of the match at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. A television review ordered by referee Andrew Brace was inconclusive. The United Rugby Championship said a disciplinary process is under way. Furlong faces a possible lengthy ban if found guilty.
A Western Australian country town is giving 16 per cent of its annual rates income to keep a local doctor. The Shire of Narembeen pays the local medical practice $370,000 a year and also provides a building, a car and a house. Shire President Holly Cusack says the arrangement is financially unsustainable but that losing the GP would mean a 120-kilometre round trip to the nearest doctor. In Kalbarri, a community group crowdfunded more than $70,000 to set up a not-for-profit, bulk-billing clinic after the town's only GP closed in June.
