Man dies in police custody in Victoria
A man has died after being taken into police custody overnight in Gippsland in Victoria’s east.
Police attended a home in Traralgon, a regional city in Latrobe Valley, about 12.50am on Sunday after reports of a man behaving erratically, Victoria police said in a statement.
Police attended and arrested a man out the front of his residence.
Shortly after being taken into custody, he became non-responsive.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services to revive the man, he died at the scene.
The exact circumstances surrounding the man’s death are yet to be determined.
The homicide squad will investigate the death with oversight from the professional standards command, police said.
Key events
Luca Ittimani
Banks cutting interest rates for deposits faster than the RBA’s official cash rate
Leading banks are racing to cut interest rates offered to savers, despite the Reserve Bank leaving the official cash rate on hold this month, as households flood banks with deposits.
Major lenders have cut the rates offered to savers faster than the RBA has cut its own key interest rate since the start of 2024 – narrowing returns paid to customers and boosting bank profits.
Rates have fallen further for standard or online accounts, which have no conditions, though conditional bonus account rates are also sliding as banks cut their losses. Only four banks are now offering widely accessible accounts with interest rates of 5% or more, Canstar’s database shows.
The slide is a sign banks are taking advantage of Australians’ high demand for savings accounts instead of competing for deposits, a Canstar analyst says.
Read the full story here:
Queensland police detail rescue of ducklings from Brisbane storm drain
Queensland police rescued eight ducklings from a storm water drain while conducting routine patrols near an inner-city busway on Tuesday, AAP reports.
The duckling rescue occurred after two constables spotted a baby duck on the road at Spring Hill before chirping led them to a drain which contained eight other baby ducks.
The ducklings were retrieved and placed into a Woolworths cold bag, before being taken to the RSPCA to recover.
The duckling rescue, and Queensland police’s press release about it, comes just days after the acting commissioner, Shane Chelepy, said “social issues” including domestic violence case management and mental health response were not the “core business” of policing.
You can read more about Chelepy’s comments here:
Man dies in police custody in Victoria
A man has died after being taken into police custody overnight in Gippsland in Victoria’s east.
Police attended a home in Traralgon, a regional city in Latrobe Valley, about 12.50am on Sunday after reports of a man behaving erratically, Victoria police said in a statement.
Police attended and arrested a man out the front of his residence.
Shortly after being taken into custody, he became non-responsive.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services to revive the man, he died at the scene.
The exact circumstances surrounding the man’s death are yet to be determined.
The homicide squad will investigate the death with oversight from the professional standards command, police said.
Mark Latham says he has ‘broken no law’ after former partner alleges DV
Controversial MP Mark Latham says he has “broken no law” as he publicly responds to a former partner’s allegations of domestic violence.
The former federal Labor leader and NSW One Nation leader has described recent reports involving former partner Nathalie Matthews as “false, reckless and irresponsible”.
Latham has been the subject of Matthews’ reported allegations of a “sustained pattern” of abuse and manipulation as she seeks an apprehended domestic violence order against him.
He told reporters on Saturday:
I have broken no law. The police did not involve themselves in the AVO matter.
I have breached no standing orders of the Legislative Council. The NSW parliament has stringent processes about inappropriate behaviour, and in my six years there, I’ve never been notified of a complaint against me.
Matthews’ private application will be heard before a court on 30 July, but no documents have been released to detail her untested assertions. Police have not laid any charges against Latham.
However, messages reportedly sent by the politician to Matthews from the floor of parliament have been published. The messages feature photos and derogatory comments about female MPs.
Latham said on Saturday he had apologised to Liberal member Susan Carter and Greens MP Abigail Boyd.
Some of Latham’s parliamentary colleagues claimed the MP would be sacked if he worked anywhere else, while others acknowledged they would still collaborate politically with him.
– AAP
Hope raised in search for missing fisher as seas remain calm off NSW south coast
Sea conditions off the south coast of NSW are favourable this morning, giving rescuers hope they may be able to find a missing fisher.
As we reported earlier, the man, 56, did not return last night after heading off for a day’s fishing from Batemans Bay marina at 8am.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey said the search, which began last night, continued until nearly 1am this morning before being temporarily halted, AAP reported.
Massey said:
The Marine Rescue Batemans Bay and Bermagui crews said sea conditions were favourable last night, but it was quite dark with little assistance from the moon, and they had to navigate around numerous whales.
The search resumed on Sunday with dozens of volunteers, six boats, aircraft and Surf Life Saving NSW deployed to help find the man.
Massey said sea conditions were favourable again on Sunday morning with good visibility for the volunteers.
They are searching an area offshore from just north of Narooma to south of Bermagui under the direction of Marine Area Command and will continue to do so until otherwise instructed.
Josh Taylor
How using the internet in Australia is about to fundamentally change
As the old adage goes, “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”. But in Australia, it might soon be the case that everything from search engines and social media sites to app stores and AI chatbots will have to know your age.
The Albanese government trumpeted the passage of its legislation banning under-16s from social media, which will come into effect in December. But new industry codes developed by the tech sector and the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, under the Online Safety Act will probably have much larger ramifications for how Australians access the internet.
Measures to be deployed by online services could include looking at your account history or using facial age assurance and bank card checks. Identity checks using IDs such as drivers licences to keep children under 16 off social media will also apply to logged-in accounts for search engines from December, under an industry code that came into force at the end of June.
Read the full story here:
Anti-salmon campaigner’s election a win for Tasmanians who believe major parties are ‘out of touch’, Climate 200 says
The election of former journalist and anti-salmon campaigner Peter George to the Tasmanian parliament has been hailed as a reminder that independents are “a force to be reckoned with” by key backer Climate 200.
A longtime ABC reporter and producer, George went to the election as an independent advocating for fiscal responsibility, anti-corruption, and environmental repair – particularly around salmon farming, after more than a million salmon died in a bacterium outbreak at south-east Tasmanian fish farms earlier this year.
His campaign was the first backed by the fundraising body Climate 200 to target Franklin, a seat held by a federal Labor minister. He was considered only an outside chance to win.
Byron Fay, the executive director of Climate 200, said in a statement on Sunday:
Peter George’s victory is another reminder that community independents are a force to be reckoned with.
His victory is a win for the many voters who believe the major parties are out of touch and demonstrate that Tasmanians want genuine representation and stronger action on climate change, integrity and gender equality.
Climate 200 thanks the many members of our community who dipped into their pockets so soon after the federal election to support Peter George’s campaign.
Investigation launched after motorcyclist dies in crash during police pursuit
NSW police have declared a critical incident and launched an investigation after a man died in a crash during a police pursuit in the state’s Lake Macquarie region on Saturday night.
In a statement early Sunday morning, police said they attempted to stop a motorbike on King Street in Hamilton about 7.30pm on Saturday, as it did not appear to have number plates.
When the vehicle did not stop as directed, a pursuit commenced, police said.
The statement said:
The pursuit travelled south on the Pacific Highway at Charlestown, where the male rider came off the bike a short time later.
The rider – a man believed to be aged in his 20s – was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
The investigation will be subject to an independent review by the Professional Standards Command and oversight by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, police said. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Jonathan Barrett
Why young Australian families are turning away from foster care
Robyn and Nick Lloyd have been foster carers for a decade, welcoming more than 30 kids into their home. There’s a financial and emotional toll to being a carer, but also joy attached to providing a safe environment for some of society’s most vulnerable members.
Some of the foster children stay with them a few days, others for months. They cared for one little boy for two years.
The Sydney couple, who have three biological daughters, have drawn on support networks during their time as foster carers, including their local Anglican church members and an older fostering couple down the street who were fill-in grandparents for some of the younger foster kids.
Robyn also regularly meets a group of about 20 carers living in her area. But she has noticed that the group is rarely replenished with younger members, raising concerns that the next cohort of carers has gone missing.
Australia’s living and housing costs are so extreme that younger families – mainly millennials – who would typically represent the next generation of carers have neither the time nor spare bedroom to foster. And there are extreme shortages of carers for large sibling groups, teens and children with complex needs.
Read the full story here:
Australian GPs back government’s ‘staunch defence’ of PBS as US tariff threat looms
The peak body for Australian doctors has vocalised its support for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the federal government’s defence of it in the face of possible US tariffs.
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) said in a statement on Sunday that the PBS was one of Australia’s most important programs for health access and equity.
Its president, Dr Michael Wright, said:
The PBS, along with affordable access to high-quality specialist general practice care, is a crucial part of the Australian health system and critical in ensuring everyone has affordable access to the care they need.
As GPs, we know our patients can’t and shouldn’t pay the price of US-style healthcare. The PBS means when we prescribe the treatments our patients need, we know they will be able to access them at an affordable price.
The RACGP said it supported the federal government’s “staunch defence” of the program. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, launched the defence after US drug companies attacked it in a US government submission during trade talks earlier this year. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, echoed his concerns at the G20 summit this week.
Wright said:
The power of the PBS to deliver affordable medicines cannot be up for negotiation. The PM and Treasurer are right to back it in the face of pressure from overseas interests.
Healthcare is a fundamental right, and we should all be steadfast in our support for the PBS.
Australia is a small piece of the global market for medicines, but the PBS means we speak with a powerful voice. Medicare and the PBS both must be strong to deliver affordable healthcare.
Race to form minority government in Tasmania as Labor scores worst-ever result in state
To the Tasmanian election now, which has delivered another hung parliament, and both the Labor and Liberal parties facing a negotiation period to form government.
A roughly 3% swing to the Liberals secured them 14 seats to Labor’s nine – the worst-ever result in Tasmania for the Labor party, at just 26% of the primary vote.
The Labor leader, Dean Winter, said:
The result of this election is that the Liberals will have the most seats, but it is uncertain as to how they will achieve a majority. Another election is not an option, which means we need to figure this out.
The Greens have retained at least five seats, while three independents have won seats. Counting is expected to extend for up to weeks to determine the outcome of four undecided seats. Rockliff would need to work with left-leaning independents on the cross-bench to govern.
Independents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, who both voted for the June no-confidence motion against Rockliff that triggered the election, have been returned.
Johnston urged the next premier to be more collaborative and said she wouldn’t enter into a formal deal for confidence and supply with either major party. She told AAP:
They need to negotiate and respect the views of parliament.
Anti-salmon activist and independent Peter George has been elected after a strong campaign in the federal election.
The Greens leader, Rosalie Woodruff, has called on Winter to “have a conversation” about forming an alliance with her party. However, Winter has repeatedly ruled out doing a deal with the Greens and on Saturday night also said he wouldn’t “be trading away any of Labor’s policies or our values”.
– AAP
Man missing after fishing on NSW south coast
A sweeping search is under way for a fisher missing on the New South Wales south coast.
Emergency services were called to Batemans Bay Marina about 8pm on Saturday after a man, 56, failed to return from a day’s fishing trip, NSW police said in a statement on Sunday morning.
The man had left the marina about 6am in an 8m Arvor cruiser and was last heard from about 10am, police said. Emergency services were alerted about 7.20pm when he failed to return.
The Marine Area Command launched a search operation, which continued throughout the night, involving vessels from the command, Marine Rescue NSW and a fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter. Neither the man nor the boat have been found.
The search continues with additional assistance from Surf Life Saving NSW.
Good morning
Good morning, folks. My name is Stephanie Convery, and I’ll be bringing you all the live news and updates you could need on this Sunday, 20 July.
We’re going to start in Tasmania, where yesterday’s state election has resulted in another hung parliament. The Liberal leader and incumbent premier, Jeremy Rockliff, declared victory on Saturday night after his party secured 14 seats to Labor’s nine, but both are short of the 18 required for a majority.
Rockliff said he would ask the governor to recommission his government. However, the Labor leader, Dean Winter, didn’t concede defeat and appeared to leave the door open to governing if the Liberals couldn’t make it work.
More on that story shortly.
It’s been a frosty and cold start to the day in many parts of Australia, but hopefully some news – and a nice big mug of coffee – will start to warm you up. Let’s get stuck in.