08:00:45 25/11/2016
The New South Wales Planning Minister is putting housing tax concessions back on the political agenda, questioning why they should help people buy multi-million dollar homes that don't help increase supply. Rob Stokes says the housing policies of all governments should be focused on creating equal opportunities for people to buy a home. The Federal Opposition has seized on his remarks, but the Government says working on increasing supply will help to address housing affordability. More
08:03:50 25/11/2016
Growers are warning that fruit and vegetables will become more expensive if the Federal Government can't find a way through the impasse over the backpacker tax. Next week the Government will again attempt to pass a tax on working holiday-makers through the Senate, after its proposal for a 19 per cent tax was defeated in the Upper House. Labor and One Nation are both signalling willingness to negotiate. More
06:08:05 25/11/2016
South Australian grain farmers are on track to produce a record breaking crop - but those in the state's lower mid-north are balancing optimism with anxiety. Just 12 months ago two lives were lost and livestock, crops and homes destroyed in the region, in one of the fiercest fires the state has seen. And with harvest starting late and right on the cusp of the bushfire season, there are many nervous weeks ahead. More
08:10:30 25/11/2016
Volunteer firefighters in Victoria are setting up an alternative group which they say will better represent them. The group says the existing Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria organisation has failed to do so. The VFBV has tried to block an industrial deal for the CFA's paid firefighters, which some volunteers fear gives too much power to the union. More
08:13:50 25/11/2016
Rebels in besieged east Aleppo have agreed to a plan for aid delivery and medical evacuations and are waiting for Russia and the Syrian governments to agree to the proposal, according to the United Nations. The chief UN humanitarian official for Syria says he has received but cannot confirm reports that rebels are preventing civilians from fleeing the war-torn city. More
08:17:00 25/11/2016
A senior UN official has accused Myanmar of pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim Rohinghya minority. Hundreds of Rohinghya Muslims have fled across the border to Bangladesh to escape violence amid an army crackdown. The Government in Myanmar has dismissed the allegations and has described the UN officials comments as 'very disappointing'. More
06:11:50 25/11/2016
Two reports into the Australian Bureau of Statistics' eCensus failure have highlighted serious issues with the way the crisis was handled. The Government says it's acting on the recommendations from the report and it's reached a commercial-in-confidence settlement with census service provider IBM on the matter. More
08:22:45 25/11/2016
One of Australia's biggest superannuation funds is helping to lead a push to stop members falling into the trap of taking out small, high-interest loans. With the payday lending industry growing, HESTA is pledging to implement a financial inclusion action plan to help struggling clients by better recognising if they're in financial distress, referring them to microfinance lenders and making it easier for them to access their super if they really need to. More
08:25:55 25/11/2016
Organisers of the world's largest all-female expedition to Antarctica are about to leave Australia for a 20-day voyage. Seventy-seven women with scientific backgrounds are using the trip to address climate change and gender equality. It's all part of a 10-year initiative to support women in science and important leadership roles: roles that have the ability to bring about important social and political change for the rights of women and the planet. The initiative is part of a program called Homeward Bound, aimed at increasing the number of women in important scientific roles in Australia. The program, which began in Tasmania, has gained so much momentum that it's evolved into an international movement. More