More information on the incident at a Townsville facility involving ADF personnel: the Queensland ambulance service said three people were injured after a single-vehicle crash.
Paramedics assessed one patient with life-threatening injuries.
A second patient, a man in his 30s, was airlifted to hospital in a stable condition with chest and abdominal injuries. A third person, a man in his 20s, suffered back injuries and was transported to hospital by road.
Updated at 17.33 EDT
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Melissa Davey
Large uptick in applications to use super to fund medical treatments, ATO data shows
ATO data published on Thursday shows a significant growth in applications for compassionate release of super to fund medical treatments. For dental services, the number of requests has more than doubled in two years.
It has prompted the ATO and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to jointly call out “…inappropriate practices that seek to use superannuation to pay for overly expensive or unnecessary medical treatments”.
Photograph: Best of Melbourne Life/Getty Images
To be approved, the medical services need to be certified by two practitioners as necessary to alleviate acute or chronic pain, to treat a life-threatening illness or injury or alleviate acute or chronic mental illness.
Guardian Australia previously reported that some businesses are offering patients “simple” access to their superannuation to pay for unnecessary medical treatments, with the ads described by the peak consumer health body as a “worrying trend” amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Ahpra and the Dental and Medical Boards of Australia today released new guidance for doctors and dentists in response to ongoing concerns of inappropriate conduct.
“I’m stunned to hear that some businesses and practitioners are taking advantage of this process to push overly expensive or unnecessary treatments,” Ahpra Chief Executive Officer, Justin Untersteiner, said.
ShareNSW increases sentences for intimate partner homicide
Anne Davies
Domestic violence murderers will face longer non-parole sentences after the NSW government announced it would increase the standard non-parole period which applies to murder to 25 years from 20 years.
The new measures follow the sentencing of Tyrone Thompson, 25, in May 2025 to 22 years and six months jail for murdering Mackenzie Anderson in 2022, with a non-parole period of 15 years and six months.
Thompson stabbed Anderson 78 times while he was released on parole for a previous domestic violence assault against her. Her child witnessed the attack.
The court of criminal appeal upheld the sentence, saying it was not “manifestly inadequate.”
The premier, Chris Minns, said the government had decided to act to send a clear message to domestic abusers that domestic violence would be dealt with harshly.
“This is one of the toughest sentences in the country,” he said in a statement.
The state attorney general, Michael Daley, said the standard parole period was not a mandatory sentence, but judges were obliged to explain why they were straying from it if they gave lighter sentences.
McKenzies’ mother, Tabitha Acret, said she welcomed the new laws, but urged the government to take further steps to curb intimate partner violence, including focusing on men’s behaviour and engagement with the community. She singled out the rise of rightwing groups as a particular problem.
Updated at 20.18 EDT
Nick Visser
Natasha May is going to pick up the blog from here.
Andrew Messenger
CCC report into Troy Thompson can’t be expedited
The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) said yesterday that prior to making any decision as to whether or not to publish a report, it must comply with relevant legal requirements. It is taking steps to do so.
Bruce Barbour, chairperson of the commission, said there are no levers available to the government to expedite release of the CCC report into Thompson in order to make it public before the Townsville mayoral byelection on 15 November.
“The very earliest date that we could envisage a report being tabled is early November, [on the] 7th of November,” he said.
Thompson is also entitled to ask for a 60-day extension to respond to the report, he said.
Updated at 20.02 EDT
Andrew Messenger
Corruption commission interviewed 29 witnesses and reviewed millions of documents in Townsville mayor investigation
Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has revealed it interviewed 29 witnesses and reviewed millions of documents in its investigation of former Townsville mayor Troy Thompson.
Thompson stood down last month after being issued a show cause notice by the minister for local government, Ann Leahy. The CCC started an investigation into allegations he misled the public about his military record at last year’s local council elections, among other claims.
Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
The CCC yesterday said it had finished its investigation into the former mayor. The CCC’s chairperson, Bruce Barbour, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday he was not aware of any restriction on him standing at the upcoming election.
“The investigation was thorough and included the collection and review of 29 relevant witness statements, 21 digital devices and nine cloud data downloads, over 6,800 electronic documents, over 8,700 WhatsApp messages, over 2,480 pages of medical records, and over 300 media and social media videos,” Barbour said.
Barbour said the CCC had reviewed over 6,800,000 electronic documents.
Updated at 19.50 EDT
What will be Australia’s bird of the year? We’re about to find out
The wait is over. The votes – all 313,000 of them – are in. Will it be the tawny frogmouth? The willie wagtail? The little penguin?
Illustration: Victoria Hart
Bird lovers can tune into a live stream to hear the winner of the biennial poll on Thursday afternoon between 12.30pm and 1.30pm AEDT. The ceremony crowning the winner will be available on Guardian Australia’s website, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Guardian Australia’s bird of the year live blog will also kick off coverage at 11.30am. Tune in!
Police facing difficult conditions, including waist-deep snow, in search for missing bushwalker in Tasmania
Tasmania police are still searching for a bushwalker, Daryl Fong, who was reported missing in the Mt Field national park area on Monday.
Officials said search teams are focused on the Tarn Shelf area of the park, but have been confronted with gale-force winds, rain and waist-deep snow in some areas.
Inspector Luke Horne said in a statement:
We are committed to finding Daryl but given it has been several days since his last contact, and the conditions in the area, we hold serious concerns for his welfare.
Police ask anyone who has been in the Mt Field national park area since Saturday to contact police if they have seen any sign of Daryl.
Updated at 19.28 EDT
Henry Belot
Spirit of Tasmania IV hit with another snag
The Spirit of Tasmania IV has suffered another setback, with the 212-metre ship unable to safely dock at a berth in Geelong.
The ferry, which has faced numerous costly delays and caused political headaches for the Tasmania government, will soon be moved from Hobart to Geelong to make way for visiting cruise liners over summer.
The ABC has reported the ship was meant to be temporarily stationed at Point Henry at the port of Geelong, but a safety assessment has ruled that option out. It will instead be based at the Spirit’s existing terminal, another berth, and at anchor.
The Tasmanian government had expected a new port in Devonport to be completed in August 2024, shortly before Spirit IV was delivered by Rauma Marine Constuctions in Finland. But the port faced major budget blowouts and is not expected to be finished until late 2026 or early 2027.
Spirit IV was moved from Finland to Scotland at the start of the northern hemisphere’s winter, due to concerns it could be damaged by pack ice in the Baltic Sea. It was based at Edinburgh’s port of Leith for more than six months, initially costing Tasmanian taxpayers about $47,000 a week.
The ship has been based at Hobart’s Macquarie Point in recent months as it prepares to enter service in late 2026.
The Spirit of Tasmania IV at the port of Leith dock in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photograph: Elaine DickShare
Updated at 19.17 EDT
NSW anti-protest law ruled unconstitutional after Palestine Action Group court challenge
Jordyn Beazley
The NSW supreme court struck down a law that had given police expanded powers to prevent protests near places of worship.
Josh Lees, on behalf of Palestine Action Group, had challenged the law on the basis that it was unconstitutional.
Justice Anna Mitchelmore ruled on Thursday that the police powers impermissibly burdened the freedom of political communication implied in Australia’s constitution.
The challenge came after the NSW government passed in February a suite of reforms aimed at curbing antisemitism. This included a law which gave police the power to move on protesters who are “in or near” a place of worship.
Read more here:
Updated at 18.46 EDT
More from Ariarne Titmus’ decision to step away from the pool
The swimming superstar said she had taken some time away over the last year and realised “some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me now than swimming”.
She went on:
I always intended to return. I never thought that Paris would be my last Olympic Games, and knowing now what I know, I wish I had of maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more …
Beyond swimming, I’ve always had goals in my personal life. Swimming has always been most important up until this point, and I’ve just realised that those goals and what I want in my future is now more important to me.
Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus in Paris. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Titmus said her rivalry with US swimmer Katie Ledecky was one of the most satisfying touchstones of her career.
I can say without a doubt, racing Katie, I wouldn’t have been the athlete that I am. She set this incredible standard and I was just so willing to chase it.
And I just feel so grateful that I’ve been a part of such an incredible rivalry. I feel like we both have so much respect for each other, and that will really sit with me for the rest of my life.
Updated at 18.36 EDT
Ariarne Titmus retires from competitive swimming
Ariarne Titmus is retiring from competitive swimming after 18 years in the pool.
The 25-year-old, who currently holds world records in the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay, has four Olympic gold medals, three silver and 1 bronze. She said in a video announcing the decision:
I am here to announce that I’ve made the decision to retire from competitive swimming. A tough one, a really tough one, but one that I’m really happy with.
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Jordyn Beazley
Judgment on expanded police powers to come today from NSW supreme court
Today the NSW supreme court will hand down its finding on whether police powers that were expanded this year as part of a controversial law designed to curb antisemitism are unconstitutional.
Joshua Lees on behalf of the Palestine Action Group launched a constitutional challenge against the state of NSW over police powers in March.
The challenge came after the NSW government passed – among a suite of reforms in February aimed at curbing antisemitism – the places of worship bill, which gave police the power to move on protesters who are “in or near” a place of worship.
During the hearing in June, lawyers for the Palestine Action Group had argued the “vagueness” of the legislation’s wording created the “chilling effect” of having neither protesters nor police officers able to determine the reach of the police’s move-on powers.
The state of NSW had argued that the powers had an “obvious and legitimate purpose” of protecting religious communities trying to access a place of worship from physical obstruction, physical or verbal harassment, intimidation or incitement to fear.
Justice Anna Mitchelmore is expected to hand down her decision at 9.30am.
New South Wales police. Photograph: AAPShare
Updated at 18.12 EDT
Adeshola Ore
Victorian parliament debates renaming of lake in honour of Sikh faith founder
The Victorian Liberals have voted against a motion by one of their own backbenchers about a petition against the renaming of a lake in the state’s south-east to honour the founder of the Sikh faith.
On Wednesday evening, Victorian parliament’s upper house debated a motion by Ann-Marie Hermans to take note of a petition signed by 1,600 people calling for the renaming of Berwick Springs Lake to Guru Nanak Lake to be revoked. The petition argued the renaming did not involve proper consultation and created division within the multi-faith community.
Hermans said the petition was not about “religion” or “race” but the lack of community consultation.
The multicultural affairs minister, Ingrid Stitt, told parliament the renaming of the lake – a 2018 election commitment under former premier Daniel Andrews – reflected values that “unite us”:
It’s important that our place names reflect the multiculturalism and diversity of our state.
Updated at 17.53 EDT
Adeshola Ore
Bluey-themed Christmas coins on sale today
Bluey-themed Christmas $1 coins from the Royal Australian Mint are on sale from 8.30am this morning.
The ballot for the two “dollar bucks”, featuring the Australian cartoon character Bluey and her little sister, Bingo, opened on Monday. The coins are also available from Royal Australian Mint shops and selected distributors. Both are presented in Christmas ornaments and baubles.
Last year, Australia Post’s website temporarily crashed as collectors scrambled to snatch a Bluey coin.
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Royal Australian Mint acting’s chief executive, Emily Martin, says she was delighted to release more Bluey coins:
Bluey is loved by fans across the world. We know that last year’s Bluey coins brought joy to many families.
The Royal Australian Mint has a long and proud history of celebrating iconic children’s television shows like Play School, The Wiggles and Bananas in Pyjamas. Continuing the tradition of honouring learning through entertainment is something we hold very
close to our hearts.
Updated at 17.32 EDT