Victoria records most springtime drownings since 2001
Life Saving Victoria is urging Victorians to stay safe in the water after recording 12 drownings in spring alone, the highest number for the season since 2001.
Many of those drowning incidents were linked to “unintentional entry” into the water, including slips, trips and falls.
Cath Greaves, the CEO of Life Saving Victoria, said:
Water safety is everyone’s responsibility, and I ask you all to do what you can to stay safe when visiting a beach, pool, river, lake or dam. …
Please also take particular care to avoid unintentional entry incidents. Be aware of slippery or unstable surfaces, be careful around areas like coastal rock platforms and riverbanks, read safety signs and keep a safe distance.
Last summer lifesavers performed 1,011 rescues in Victoria, the highest number in 20 years.
Key events
Anne Davies
Sydney mayor urges premier to step up rental protections
The City of Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, is calling on the NSW premier, Chris Minns, to urgently step up rental protections, after key stakeholders identified failings in state legislation.
Moore warned that addressing housing supply, without changes to secure the rights of renters, would not solve Sydney’s affordability crisis.
Renters account for more than half of all households in the City of Sydney. More than 20,000 households are paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs, placing them in housing stress.
Moore will present a plan to the council on Monday night, calling for better protections for renters and people living in boarding houses, aimed at providing greater security of tenure. She said:
Landlords can increase rents, or redevelop properties, causing renters to have to find new homes. This is a particular risk in the inner city, where land values are so high.
Many of those living in rental accommodation are in dire straits and action is urgently needed to fix this ongoing problem – housing supply alone will not make housing affordable.
Moore said previous reforms on no-fault evictions were inadequate.
Jack Snape
Paige Greco, Australian Paralympic gold medallist, dies at 28
Australian Paralympic gold medallist Paige Greco has been remembered for her humility, generosity, and the joy she brought to her teammates after her shock death on Sunday at the age of 28.
The cyclist passed away in her Adelaide home after experiencing a sudden medical episode, according to South Australian authorities, and her family has asked for privacy.
Paige’s mother, Natalie Greco, said her daughter “meant everything” to her family:
Her kindness, her determination and her warmth touched our family every single day. She brought so much joy and pride into our lives, and the pain of her passing is something we will carry forever.
While we are devastated by her loss, we are incredibly proud of the person she was and the way she represented Australia.
Greco won Australia’s first gold at the Tokyo Paralympics in the women’s C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit, and was a consistent podium finisher at international level.
Read more here:
Ben Smee
Meet the whistleblowers who exposed Queensland’s domestic violence failures
A former senior Queensland detective has accused police of covering up their own failures in cases where vulnerable women died after seeking police protection, and alleges she was ordered to “protect the organisation’s reputation at all costs”.
And a whistleblower from within the Queensland coronial system who reported alleged systemic failures in domestic and family violence-linked deaths claims she was warned she would be “pulverised” if she ever spoke out.
Both women decided to speak to Guardian Australia because they believe the family members of some domestic violence victims have not been told the whole truth about what happened to their loved ones.
Their courage in breaking ranks laid the foundation for our two-year investigation into the police and coronial handling of domestic violence deaths.
Read more here:
Victoria police have confiscated more than 15,000 knives so far this year
Victoria police have confiscated more than 15,000 knives, machetes and “zombie knives” (blades with serrated edges) in Victoria in 2025, an average of 47 per day, AAP reports.
Most were seized in searches related to known offenders, while officers also targeted youth gang members, Victoria police said.
An additional 6,000 knives were surrendered through a machete amnesty.
The Victoria police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, said 21,000 weapons taken off the streets highlighted the scale of the state’s knife crime “problem”, adding:
I am acutely aware of how much concern knife crime generates in the Victorian community, with multiple recent incidents striking at the heart of how safe people are and how safe people feel.
A standalone knife crime offence that could land criminals in jail for up to three extra years has been put forward by the Victorian government.
Victoria records most springtime drownings since 2001
Life Saving Victoria is urging Victorians to stay safe in the water after recording 12 drownings in spring alone, the highest number for the season since 2001.
Many of those drowning incidents were linked to “unintentional entry” into the water, including slips, trips and falls.
Cath Greaves, the CEO of Life Saving Victoria, said:
Water safety is everyone’s responsibility, and I ask you all to do what you can to stay safe when visiting a beach, pool, river, lake or dam. …
Please also take particular care to avoid unintentional entry incidents. Be aware of slippery or unstable surfaces, be careful around areas like coastal rock platforms and riverbanks, read safety signs and keep a safe distance.
Last summer lifesavers performed 1,011 rescues in Victoria, the highest number in 20 years.
Climate group calls on National Press club to cancel talk by coal lobbyist
Comms Declare, a climate advocacy group representing the marketing industries, has called on the National Press Club to cancel a speech tomorrow by the chief executive of a coal lobbying group.
Michelle Manook is set to speak at the NPC in Canberra on Tuesday on behalf of FutureCoal where she will discuss “the myths and future of coal and what she believes will be the path forward”. FutureCoal was formerly called the World Coal Association and is an industry body for the “entire coal value chain”.
Belinda Noble, the founder of Comms Declare, said in a statement:
The Walkley Awards and National Press Gallery Mid-Winter Ball have cut ties with fossil fuel sponsors. But the NPC lags behind public sentiment and science by giving their stage to coal lobbyists and keeping sponsors like Woodside.
Fossil fuel lobbying is one of the reasons we don’t have the strong climate action that most Australians want and need, and giving the coal lobby the NPC stage legitimises that obstruction.
The group said the NPC has responded to the request saying the journalists in the room would “pose difficult questions for the speaker and that it should not be presumed that the NPC board is supportive of Future Coal’s positions”.
Penry Buckley
NSW premier confirms expanded hate speech laws will be introduced this week
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says expanded hate speech laws he claims are needed “to deal with fascists on the streets of Sydney” following a rally by neo-Nazis outside parliament will be introduced this week.
Minns told reporters today the laws, which include expanding a ban on Nazi symbols to include slogans and chants, have yet to go through cabinet. He said they were “not an easy piece of legislation”, but the government’s intention remains that they will be introduced this week.
I think everyone would appreciate we’d be in a worse position today if we moved a bill that was eventually defeated, and I want to make sure that there’s a clear message from civic society, the NSW police and political leaders that Nazis aren’t welcome.
Advocates and cross bench MPs have warned against a kneejerk reaction to the rally, saying further legislation risks further eroding the right to protest in the state and that police already had the powers to move on the protest under hate speech laws which came into effect in August. Some have called for a holistic approach to dealing with neo-Nazis in Australia.
This week is the final sitting week of the NSW parliament before the summer break, although the government has the option to use a reserve week next week. Minns said he wants to see the changes debated before the end of the year. “From there, we’ll see, I’m not sure,” he said.
NSW Nationals leader steps down, citing family reasons
Anne Davies
The NSW Nationals leader, Dugald Saunders, has stepped down as leader ahead of Tuesday’s party room meeting, citing family reasons.
It comes as the NSW Coalition faces similar turmoil to the federal Coalition over climate policy. The NSW Nationals voted last week to abandon a net zero target by 2050.
The Liberals are expected to consider the issue on Tuesday. There have also been ongoing tensions within the Coalition on a range of issues, including controls on wild horse populations in national parks and the great koala national park.
Paul Toole, MP for Bathurst and the leader prior to the last election, is expected to run but others may also emerge.
Saunders said:
For the past two and a half years, I have had the privilege of leading the NSW Nationals. Today I am stepping down from that position.
It’s been an honour to lead the parliamentary team during a challenging time in NSW opposition, and I’ve always done my best to represent regional NSW.
It’s a difficult decision but it is the right time for me to take a step back and focus more on my family and myself. It’s also the right time to allow a new leader to take up the fight ahead of the next election.
I thank my family, my staff, my team and the party, for all of their support. I will continue to serve the people of the Dubbo electorate as their local member.
Opposition leader Mark Speakman is expected to comment shortly. More to come …
Ley says a Coalition government would cut emissions by ‘encouraging’ emitters to reduce their carbon footprint
And it is back-to-back pressers. We are now jumping to New South Wales, where Sussan Ley is also talking about net zero. She is asked how emissions will drop under Liberal policies:
Our plan is to reduce emissions year-on-year in line with comparable countries and as far and as fast as technology will allow.
We will have a voluntary mechanism, the accountability and baseline credit scheme, that will not punish people if they emit carbon but will encourage them to reduce their carbon footprint and, hence, reduce emissions.
Ley’s supporters reject rumours moderates may back Hastie challenge
Tom McIlroy
Supporters of opposition leader Sussan Ley have rejected suggestions Liberal moderates could be preparing to withdraw support for her struggling leadership, amid growing chatter the party’s net zero backdown could spark a challenge.
Key moderates Anne Ruston and Maria Kovacic issued a statement on Monday, rejecting reports moderates could be preparing to back West Australian conservative Andrew Hastie in a challenge against Ley.
Pressure on Ley comes after the Liberal party last week ditched support for net zero emissions reductions by 2050, a vote in which the conservative Liberal bloc easily defeated moderates. The new energy policy is in line with the junior Coalition partner, the Nationals.
“Media reports this morning about the moderates are incorrect,” Ruston and Kovacic said in a joint statement on Monday.
“We, along with an overwhelming majority of our moderate colleagues, continue to strongly support Sussan’s leadership.
“This matter was resolved in the party room six months ago and Sussan will lead us strongly to the next election.”
Albanese on Liberal emissions policy: ‘They say they want to stay in Paris, but Paris is about the road to net zero’
The PM was also asked about the Liberal party dumping the net zero target:
This is a rolling … A word comes to mind, but …
The PM said the Liberals had 23 policy announcements on energy and did not implement a single one.
And now we’ve had multiple different announcements over the last week. They say that they want to stay in Paris, but Paris is about the road to net zero. It is a nonsensical policy.
Jacinta Allan defends crime reforms that could affect children
Speaking before the PM, Allan was defending the new reforms:
My perspective as premier of Victoria is from listening to victims of crime and understanding that they have said very clearly there is not enough consequences for, yes, children engaging in this brazen, violent offending.
There has been a bit of commentary that a 14-year-old in Victoria soon will not be able to watch YouTube but will be able to go to prison. Allan said crime is a key reason why the federal government’s social media ban is so important:
It’s about getting kids to be connected again to their families and their communities, to be focused on their schoolwork, to have the opportunity to come and enjoy in any number of great sporting activities.
PM on Victoria’s ‘adult time for violent crime’ laws : ‘People have a right to be safe’
The PM has been speaking in Melbourne with Victoria premier Jacinta Allan about her government’s new “adult time for violent crime” law reforms, which could see children as young as 14 jailed for life.
Asked if it was appropriate that children who were 14 could be locked up for life, the PM said:
The premier is taking action, I support the premier taking action to keep Victorians safe and to make sure that message is sent when it comes to violence in the community.
People have a right to be safe. State governments are responsible for law and order issues. There are different issues in six jurisdictions, and I will allow them to do their job, and we will do our job.
Jessica O’Bryan
‘Loud, smelly and poo a lot’: Queensland council considers housing buyback due to bat colony
A Queensland council is considering a property buyback scheme for residents plagued by growing numbers of “loud and smelly” flying foxes.
Gympie council, in south-east Queensland, about 170km north of Brisbane, has endorsed a long-term plan to better manage the bats, with a large colony encroaching on a residential area. The plan offers solutions from vegetation management and dispersal to a potential scheme to buyback properties adversely affected by the bats.
The plan recommended that council advocate to state and federal government for the buyback scheme and request funding to cover expenses associated with vegetation management and dispersal.
Commissioners gully in Gympie is home to a nationally significant roost of flying foxes, which are protected under state and federal law.
The mayor of Gympie Regional Council, Glen Hartwig, told Guardian Australia the buyback plan would involve “20 or more” affected properties, and is reliant on state and federal government funding. He said council’s attempts to manage the bats were “limited by legislation”.
Read more here:
Total fire ban in parts of NSW and fire danger period for parts of Victoria
A total fire ban is now in force in the greater Hunter and north-western areas of NSW amid dry, windy conditions.
The NSW Rural Fire Service says the threat of fire is now “high” or “extreme” in the regions, as well as other parts of the state. A total fire ban means no fires are allowed out in the open, nor is any activity in the open that causes or is likely to cause a fire.
General purpose hot works like welding, grinding or gas cutting are also banned in the open.
In Victoria, a fire danger period is also in effect for a large list of municipalities. Rules limit certain activities like barbecuing, building a campfire and driving vehicles in certain areas.
The Fire Danger Period will begin 1:00am tomorrow Monday 17 November 2025 for the pictured municipalities
Make sure you know what you can and can’t do during the Fire Danger Period.
For more info and a full list of municipalities, visit https://t.co/BThxxV4Cz5. pic.twitter.com/Q72Yb3r5NU— cfa_updates (@CFA_Updates) November 16, 2025
Ley says she’s been ‘underestimated a lot’ in her life, deflecting from leadership questions
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has batted away concerns that she could face a leadership challenge from the likes of Andrew Hastie.
Ley spoke to 2GB earlier today, where host Ben Fordham confronted her with a list of callers who said they’d prefer the Coalition be led by Hastie instead of her. The opposition leader said she wasn’t guided by her “ego”, but rather a need to represent hardworking Australians. She added:
I’ve been underestimated a lot of my life.
I remember when a lot of blokes told me I couldn’t fly an airplane, and did a lot to keep me out of the front seat, and I flew an airplane. I flew a mustering plane in very small circles, very close to the ground, and that was pretty tough at the time.
And I did many things, and I have done many things. But once again, it’s actually not about me, it’s about the Australian people, and they’re what motivates me every day.
Ley went on to say that “everyone” in the Coalition had a role to play in opposition.
We’re all in opposition. We all agree on this energy policy because we all signed it off just yesterday and we’re all out there fighting the fight that actually matters. The fight for Australians, for their values and for our values which are about down so that Australians can actually deal with the cost of living.
Patrick Commins
Are Australians really paying more for electricity than other countries?
“Everybody knows Australians are paying way more for electricity than they were a few years ago. We used to have the cheapest energy in the world but we have squandered this advantage. And the push to renewable energy is to blame.”
Many of us believe these things are all true. But are they? The answer, as they say, may surprise you.
Strap yourself in, this is about to get technical.
Littleproud says Coalition focused on business and families after dumping net zero targets
David Littleproud, the leader of the Nationals, has said the Coalition is focused on businesses and families, when it comes to its abandonment of the net zero targets.
Littleproud and Sussan Ley have both been speaking this morning about their plan to craft a “cheaper, better, fairer” way to address energy, with general swipes at the Labor party and Albanese’s leadership. Littleproud said the opposition would be “technology agnostic” if in power, but brushed off claims that industry may be spooked by the backtrack from net zero targets.
He told RN Breakfast earlier this morning:
This government is putting us on a trajectory that we can’t afford and we can’t handle. And industry is the living experience of that, but so too are households. When you look at there’s people tonight that won’t be able to afford to put dinner on the table.
That’s an indictment on our country, as rich as what we are.
Penry Buckley
No schools in NSW closed after play sand recall
The NSW Department of Education has confirmed that there are currently no school closures in the state following the recall of children’s sand products amid fears they contain asbestos.
A spokesperson said the department issued a safety alert in Friday as a precaution to all NSW public schools “to immediately and safely remove these sand products if they have them”.
The health, safety and wellbeing of students, staff and the school community is the department’s highest priority.
As we reported earlier, the ACT has closed 71 public schools today, amid concerns about the children’s coloured play sand sold at Kmart and Target.
You can see up-to-date closure statuses for NSW public and independent schools here.