NDIS Minister Mark Butler has defended the government's latest cost-cutting changes to the scheme in an interview with the ABC, amid an avalanche of participant concern.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers approved the $100M+ sale of Tasmania's Rushy Lagoon farm to UK's Gresham House. The deal, involving a large pine plantation, was deemed in the national interest after FIRB review, despite concerns over transparency and market distortion.
Telstra's nationwide outage on Wednesday was caused by malfunctioning "nodes" managing time synchronization in data centers, affecting millions of Australians. The root cause remains unknown, but the telco is working to restore services, with nearly 90% of calls and data now flowing.
Principals in regional Western Australia are concerned that cuts to transport support for students will hurt enrolments, with one school principal warning of potential closure. The Public Transport Authority (PTA) has deemed some students ineligible for assistance, impacting new enrolments.
The Australian share market opened sharply lower, with the ASX 200 down 1.4%, influenced by Middle East hostilities and a Wall Street tech sell-off. A nationwide Telstra outage also impacted services and the company's share price.
Former NSW Liberal minister John Sidoti will fight a charge of misconduct in public office. The ICAC found he used his position to influence councillors for family property interests. He stated he wants to clear his name.
Two investigations into former National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton will be discontinued by Nacc inspector Gail Furness, who cited Brereton's resignation and satisfactory resolution of systemic issues as reasons for ending the probes, saving significant public funds.
