Australia news live: Tim Wilson ‘very relaxed’ about Goldstein election result despite shrinking margin over Zoe Daniel | Australia news

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A sharp rise in shark sightings could be linked to an algal bloom that has killed about 100 species of fish and sharks amid a nine-month long marine heatwave across southern Australia, AAP reports.

A shark attack at a popular Adelaide beach on Thursday, in which a swimmer aged in his 60s had his leg mauled, has focused attention on the growing number of sightings and strandings since the bloom formed in March.

South Australia’s shark sightings log shows 195 reports so far in 2025, compared to 313 in 2024, 148 (2023), 153 (2022), 264 (2021) and 84 (2020).

Since the microalgae bloom, karenia mikimotoi, was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March, there have been hundreds of reports of marine deaths, ranging from sharks and penguins, to popular fishing species such as flathead, squid, crabs, and rock lobsters.

Environment minister Susan Close said the bloom had grown to an unprecedented scale, close to the size of Kangaroo Island, which is 4405sqkm, and as deep as 20m.

Earlier in May, authorities removed a dead white shark washed up on Henley Beach in Adelaide and two other sharks were reported dead at Port Willunga in Adelaide’s south and at Port Moorowie, on the south coast of Yorke Peninsula.

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Wet and wintry weekend ahead for south-east Australia

Get your umbrellas and thick socks outs, winter is coming for south-eastern Australia this weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasting rain, hail and even snow for some parts of the country. In New South Wales, wet and windy conditions could see a “really rough end to the weekend”, Miriam Bradbury, a senior meteorologist at the bureau, said.

Read the story from Petra Stock here:

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Updated at 01.27 EDT

Pfas contamination in Blue Mountains may be due to 1992 crash, WaterNSW says

A rural fire station and a petrol tanker crash in 1992 may be possible causes of elevated levels of Pfas chemicals in untreated water in the NSW Blue Mountains, WaterNSW says.

It completed an initial investigation into the source of Pfas in the Adams Creek and Medlow catchments after disconnecting two dams from the water network last year due to the detection of elevated levels of so-called “forever chemicals”.

The state water agency said on Friday it was commencing a more detailed investigation, with support from the Environment Protection Authority, to try to confirm the source and identify possible management measures.

The Medlow and Greaves Creek dams are part of the raw water supply network that feeds into the Cascade filtration plant for treatment.

The agency said in a statement the two dams “will only be returned to the raw water supply network once WaterNSW is confident appropriate permanent mitigation measures are in place”:

With these disconnections in place and according to the most recent monitoring results, NSW Health and Sydney Water have advised drinking water in the Blue Mountains meets the existing Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe to drink.

WaterNSW said its investigation included taking more than 250 samples from 37 different locations.

The initial report finds the Medlow Bath fire station on the Great Western Highway in the upper portion of the Adams Creek catchment and two vehicle crashes on the highway – one in 1992 and one in 2002 – were potential sources of the Pfas contamination.

The report said fire-fighting foam containing Pfas had reportedly been used at both vehicle accidents.

The report recommended further investigation to confirm if any of the three options were the source of the contamination.

It found Pfas concentrations were higher in the upper Adams Creek catchment than downstream in Lake Medlow or Lake Greaves.

WaterNSW said this suggested that “any contamination may be moving downstream into the Medlow/Greaves catchment via rainfall and surface water runoff, and previous water transfers between dams”.

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Updated at 01.15 EDT

Thank you for joining me on the blog today. Handing over now to Caitlin Cassidy who will keep you posted with the afternoon’s news.

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Government invests in new ADF munitions

The Albanese government is investing in developing precision loitering munitions for the Australian Defence Force.

Mission Talon Strike has been launched as an advanced strategic capabilities accelerator mission to “support the development of medium-range precision loitering munition systems that carry a kinetic payload and have the precision strike capabilities of a guided missile”, according to a statement.

This comes after last week’s “Mission Syracuse” announcement, which supports the ADF’s drone countering capabilities. The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, said:

The launch of Mission Talon Strike by ASCA is about developing a priority capability at an accelerated pace.

This mission is aligned with the Albanese government’s work over the last three years, in conjunction with the ADF, to develop a domestically manufactured precision loitering munition capability that addresses threats quickly and accurately.

Through Talon Strike, we are continuing to back Australian industry and ingenuity while demonstrating support for a critical pathway to meet the needs of the ADF.

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Updated at 00.59 EDT

Bradfield candidates to wait until Monday before vote counting continues

Candidates in the Sydney seat of Bradfield face a nervous weekend with the Australian Electoral Commission confirming there will be no more vote counting until Monday.

Scrutineers had expected to receive an additional dispatch of votes this afternoon, but have just been told that will no longer happen.

All outstanding ballot papers will be opened and added to the count on Monday, before the full distribution of preference. This count may take up most of next week.

At the moment, Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian, leads the independent candidate, Nicolette Boele, by just 43 votes.

There are slightly more than 300 votes left to count at this stage, but that number may increase if more postal votes are received before tonight’s midnight deadline. As mentioned earlier, some of these votes will be coming from Nairobi.

If the margin in Bradfield remains under 100 once all remaining votes are processed then there will be an automatic recount. Liberal sources concede that is the likely outcome.

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Updated at 00.44 EDT

‘Eye-watering’: CBA shares break all-time highs

Australia’s biggest company and the world’s most expensive bank stock has broken its price record three times in a month.

Commonwealth Bank shares spiked almost 2% to $172.92 on Friday morning, thanks to broader cyclical flows into the Australian share market and narrowing bets on an interest rate cut next week.

However, as the price snapped back by the afternoon, analysts say the stock is overvalued and its profit growth cannot justify its lofty valuation.

“It’s eye-wateringly overvalued still,” Capital.com’s senior market analyst, Kyle Rodda, told AAP.

“It’s priced like a high-value, growth tech stock in the United States, when it’s a bank that doesn’t really have strong growth.”

CBA’s price-to-earnings ratio, a key-measure of a stock’s value, is around 28.7, while NAB, Westpac and ANZ – still considered expensive – range from the low-to-mid teens.

Its earnings ratio is on par with Facebook owner Meta, at 25.7, but lower than the world’s two largest companies Apple, at roughly 33, or chipmaker Nvidia’s 45.3, and is currently more than double investment giant JP Morgan’s 13.

– Australian Associated Press

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Updated at 00.33 EDT

Blue Mountains drinking water contaminated by Pfas since early 90s

Residents in a tourist hotspot have been exposed to cancer-causing “forever chemicals” in their water supply for decades, a major investigation has revealed.

Pfas, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas), are a group of 15,000 highly toxic, synthetic chemicals resistant to heat, stains and grease, dubbed “forever chemicals” because of their inability to break down.

High-level contamination was detected in the drinking water catchment serving 30,000 people in the Blue Mountains in NSW in mid-2024.

A WaterNSW investigation released on Friday zeroed in on three potential sources of contamination, dating as far back as 33 years ago.

Two separate motor vehicle accident sites on the Great Western Highway in 1992 and 2002 near the Medlow Bath township and the Medlow Bath Rural Fire Brigade station were all identified as possible source of contamination in the Adams Creek and Medlow catchments.

Test samples at all three sites revealed the chemical compound signature consistent with the historical use of firefighting foam which contained Pfas, which were banned nationwide in 2007.

– Australian Associated Press.

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Updated at 00.52 EDT

NSW man arrested after information over alleged possession of child abuse material

A 33-year-old man has been charged over the alleged possession of child abuse and bestiality material after a search warrant was issued at a home at Lavington in southern New South Wales this morning.

Officers initiated inquiries on Monday into the allegations, acting on information provided by State Crime Command’s Child Internet Exploitation Unit (CIEU).

At about 6.20am today, police attended the home where an electronic device was seized and taken for further examination. The man was arrested at the home and taken to Albury police station where he was charged with possess child abuse material, person possesses bestiality material and use carriage etc to access child abuse material.

The man has been refused bail to appear in Albury local court today.

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Updated at 00.01 EDT

Death cap mushrooms detected in samples from dehydrator, expert tells Erin Patterson’s murder trial

Back to Erin Patterson’s murder trial.

A scientific expert has told the trial that tests detected death cap mushrooms in two out of seven test tubes containing samples from a dehydrator dumped by Patterson in the days after the mushroom lunch.

He says the positive test tube results had a 99% similarity to the DNA of death cap mushrooms.

Dr David Lovelock worked as a virologist at Agriculture Victoria in August 2023 when the Department of Health requested he analyse leftovers of the beef wellington, the court hears.

Victoria police later provided him with a fruit platter, a jug of gravy and seven test tubes containing debris from dehydrator dumped by Patterson in the days after the lunch.

Under questioning by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC, Lovelock says only DNA from button mushrooms were found in ziplock bags containing the beef wellington leftovers.

The court previously heard that two days after the lunch a police officer had fished leftovers of the beef wellington meal from a bin at Patterson’s property in Leongatha, with her permission.

The court has adjourned for the day. The trial will resume from 10.30am on Monday.

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Updated at 00.00 EDT

Murder-accused mum’s matter in court after house fire

A mother of five charged with murder has had her matter heard in court, more than a week after a horror house fire that killed three of her children.

The 36-year-old remains in hospital after the Toowoomba blaze west of Brisbane that devastated her family.

She did not appear in Brisbane magistrates court when her matter was heard on Friday.

The mother had been airlifted to a Brisbane hospital in a critical condition and placed under police guard after the family home went up in flames on 7 May.

Neighbours helped six people escape the Toowoomba house fire in the early hours, with some reportedly smashing windows to assist the family’s rescue.

A body, believed to be the woman’s nine-year-old son, was found in the charred remains. Two of the woman’s daughters, aged four and seven, later died from their injuries after being airlifted to Brisbane hospitals along with their mother.

A 34-year-old man – the father of some of the children – and the woman’s two other sons, aged 18 and 11, also escaped the house. The man underwent surgery on his arm while the 18 and 11-year-olds were treated for minor injuries.

Counsel representing the woman on Friday said they were seeking a brief of evidence, which magistrate Peter Saggers listed for 21 July.

The 36-year-old’s case will next be mentioned in Toowoomba on 19 August. She was remanded in custody.

The mother has been charged with three counts of murder and attempted murder along with one count of arson.

– Australian Associated Press

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Updated at 23.49 EDT

Tim Wilson ‘very relaxed’ about Goldstein election result

As the vote count in Goldstein tightens further, Liberal Tim Wilson says he is “very relaxed about the result”.

Wilson was declared the projected winner of Goldstein last week, a seat he lost at the 2022 election, but the gap in votes narrowed considerably in recent days, with the former assistant minister now leading by just 254 votes.

Wilson, who yesterday urged scruinteers to help knock out invalid votes for the teal independent Zoe Daniel, is keeping a close eye on the count:

I’m extremely grateful to my wonderful scrutineers that are ensuring this vote count has integrity and will deliver the will of the people. And I’m very relaxed about the result because it is the will of the people of Goldstein.

So far, there are 474 remaining votes ready to be counted. But this number may increase by 50-100 votes. Postal votes received before midnight will be counted on Monday. Some of those votes are coming from as far away as Nairobi.

Tim Wilson arrives at a Liberals party room meeting for a leadership ballot at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare

Updated at 23.45 EDT

John Pesutto issues statement after being ordered to pay $2.3m in legal costs

Former Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, has issued a statement after the federal court ordered him to pay more than $2.3m in costs after losing a defamation case brought by Liberal MP Moira Deeming.

In the statement posted on X, the Hawthorn MP said he would take time to review the court’s decision with his family and advisers:

I reiterate that I am determined to continue serving the people of my electorate of Hawthorn and the people of Victoria for as long as they will have me.

I am grateful for the support I am receiving from the community and am hopeful with this support that I will be able to fulfil these obligations and continue serving the people of Victoria.”

Liberal sources have said the ruling could force Pesutto to declare bankruptcy, which would disqualify him from being a member of parliament and trigger a byelection in his seat of Hawthorn, held by a slim margin of 1.74%.

They say Liberal figures have been exploring the possibility of the party or donors covering Pesutto’s costs in an effort to prevent voters from going back to the polls.

Hawthorn MP John Pesutto. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPShare

Updated at 23.31 EDT

Brutal boulevard for Opera Australia as it posts a $10m loss

Opera Australia has plunged to an operating deficit of $10.6m for 2024, thanks in part to its production of Sunset Boulevard.

The musical starring Sarah Brightman did indeed prove to be a brutal boulevard for the company – it saw poor reviews and Brightman herself unable to perform after an injury.

The annual financial reports released Friday reveal the sheer extent of the financial pressures the company was under as the co-production wrapped in Melbourne in the second half of 2024.

One of the company’s directors offered Opera Australia a $6m interest-free loan last September, of which the company drew down $2m that was repaid by the end of December.

Sunset Boulevard did manage to return to the black following a more successful run in Sydney, but as widely expected it missed box office forecasts.

But the 2024 operating figures for Australia’s national opera company are even worse than in 2023, when it returned a loss of $7.8m.

Total box office was $50.7m, making up just under half the company’s $106m revenue.

The company also relies on taxpayer funding, with $23.9m from Creative Australia, $3.8m from Create NSW and another $1m from Creative Victoria.

Opera Australia also raided its savings in 2024 to boost its bottom line by $4m, making for an overall deficit of $6.1m.

– Australia Associated Press

Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard. Photograph: Daniel BoudShare

Updated at 23.16 EDT

Gambling company pays $500k fine for spam breaches

Online gambling company PointsBet has paid a $500,000 fine and been subjected to an enforceable undertaking by the media regulator, which has accused it of breaching spam and self-exclusion laws.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) has accused Pointsbet of sending 508 marketing messages to people who had self-excluded themselves from gambling.

Acma has also accused the company of sending 705 emails containing a direct link to betting products without including an unsubscribe function. An investigation found a further seven emails were sent “without receipt consent” along with 90 “commercial texts that did not have sender contact information”.

While the self-excluded people were not able to gamble, the authority’s chair, Nerida O’Loughlin, said there was no excuse for gambling companies that breach the law and contact people experiencing gambling harms.

It is deeply concerning that these failures have impacted PointsBet’s customers, some of whom had taken proactive steps to exclude themselves from online wagering.

Wagering providers must also appropriately identify where messages promote or advertise their services and ensure that those messages comply with the rules, including the obligation to promote the national self-exclusion register.

The $500,800 fine relates only to the breaches of spam laws.

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Updated at 22.58 EDT

Aussie shares hit three-month highs as rate cut looms

The Australian share market has surged to its highest level in three months after economic data paved the way for interest rate cuts in Australia and the United States.

The S&P/ASX200 rallied by 60.1 points, or 0.72%, to 8,357.6, as the broader All Ordinaries jumped 61.4 points, or 0.72 per cent, to 8,591.3.

The rally followed a mixed Wall Street session, but the S&P500 is up 22.8% in 27 trading days, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq has surged roughly 30% since early April’s Liberation Day sell-off.

Despite hotter than expected jobs figures on Thursday, money markets are still tipping a 97% chance the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates by 25 basis points next week, which will give equities room to push higher.

Overnight, US producer inflation slipped by the largest amount in five years, raising the likelihood of a cut in the United States.

– Australian Associated Press

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Updated at 22.42 EDT