# Australia daily digest — 12 Oct 2026

Australia's day spanned diplomacy, housing and public health. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a visit by King Abdullah II of Jordan on 13 and 14 October, while the NSW Government outlined lobbying integrity reforms drawn from ICAC findings. Queensland reported 1,500 community homes delivered on church and charity land, Victoria announced more than $31 million for volunteer emergency services equipment, and NSW Health urged people not to handle bats after a sharp rise in bite and scratch assessments.

Source-local date: Monday 12 October 2026 (Australia/Sydney). 5 release(s). Canonical: https://mediarelease.co/digests/au/2026-10-12/

## Releases

### [Avoid touching bats to protect yourself against lyssavirus](https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01887-avoid-touching-bats-to-protect-yourself-against-lyssavirus-12102026.html)

Issued by: NSW Health · Original source: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20261012_01.aspx

NSW Health is urging people not to touch or handle bats after 43 people were assessed for bat bites or scratches between 28 September and 10 October, compared with 10 in the same period of 2025. Cases were concentrated in coastal Hunter New England, the Mid North Coast, Northern NSW and the Central Coast. Officials linked the rise to a flying-fox food shortage and warned Australian bat lyssavirus has no effective treatment once symptoms start.

### [1,500 community homes deliver a place to call home for more Queenslanders](https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01886-1-500-community-homes-deliver-a-place-to-call-home-for-more-12102026.html)

Issued by: Sam O'Connor, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth · Original source: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/106217

Queensland has delivered 1,500 community homes on church and charity-owned land in under two years, three times the Crisafulli Government's election commitment of 500, Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said. Almost 5,000 more are under way toward a target of 10,000 homes on such land. The government says more than 7,000 social and affordable homes are under construction or contracted, with about 70 per cent delivered with registered community housing providers.

### [Labor Delivers Massive Emergency Services Boost](https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01885-labor-delivers-massive-emergency-services-boost-12102026.html)

Issued by: Paul Edbrooke, Minister for Emergency Services · Original source: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/labor-delivers-massive-emergency-services-boost

Victoria's Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program will share more than $31 million across 350 projects for CFA, VICSES, Life Saving Victoria and Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue, Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke announced at the Whitehorse SES Unit. The government is also spending a further $53 million on summer readiness, including a 60-aircraft firefighting fleet, more than 600 ultralight forest firefighting vehicles and 130 additional forest firefighters.

### [NSW Government lobbying reforms to boost transparency](https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01884-nsw-government-lobbying-reforms-to-boost-transparency-12102026.html)

Issued by: John Graham, Special Minister of State · Original source: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/nsw-government-lobbying-reforms-to-boost-transparency

The NSW Government will introduce lobbying integrity reforms implementing recommendations from ICAC's Operation Eclipse and Operation Dasha reports, Special Minister of State John Graham announced. The package formally makes the NSW Electoral Commission the lobbying regulator with stronger audit powers, extends lobbying rules to dealings with local government officials, allows post-separation employment restrictions of up to six months for some public service roles, and makes ministerial diary disclosures consolidated and searchable.

### [Visit to Australia by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan](https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01883-visit-to-australia-by-the-hashemite-kingdom-of-jordan-12102026.html)

Issued by: Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister · Original source: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/visit-australia-hashemite-kingdom-jordan

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan in Australia on 13 and 14 October 2026, the King's first official visit since 2016. The program includes meetings in Canberra plus defence and cultural engagements. The Prime Minister's office said the two countries cooperate on defence and security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian efforts, trade, resources, energy and the environment, and marked 50 years of diplomatic relations last year.

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