Sam O'Connor, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth · Original source
The Queensland Government is delivering 37 new Supported Accommodation projects across the state, expected to provide more than 600 places for people experiencing homelessness, with funded 24/7 onsite specialist support. The rollout comprises 20 projects for individuals, nine for families and eight for young people, with completions forecast from 2028. It forms part of the government's A Place to Call Home plan, moving away from hotel and motel lodging.
Michael Daley, Attorney General; Jodie Harrison, Minister for Women · Original source
NSW Parliament has passed reforms to how adult sexual assault trials are conducted, aimed at reducing trauma for complainants while preserving the accused's right to a fair trial. Ground rules hearings will be piloted at Parramatta, Wollongong and Dubbo District Courts from 2027, and recorded police interviews can now be used as evidence in chief. Courts will also only consider complainants' counselling records when necessary, rather than inspecting them automatically.
Ryan Park, Minister for Health · Original source
The NSW Government will recruit an additional 129 full-time equivalent frontline security staff, delivering full-time security at 27 hospitals across the state. The recruitment is part of a $113 million investment developed with unions and the health workforce. Since 2023 the government has recruited 180 security staff at NSW public hospitals, a 13 per cent increase, and it has set up a NSW Health Safety Taskforce with health unions and local health districts.
Australian Antarctic Division · Original source
An Australian-led international team has submitted Antarctic ice-sheet simulations to ISMIP7, the project that collates ice-sheet projections for the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report. Led by Dr Chen Zhao of the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, the work used the Setonix supercomputer in Perth and Finland's LUMI to test how ocean melting beneath ice shelves shapes Antarctica's contribution to sea-level rise. Full results are due in the coming year.
Australian Bureau of Statistics · Original source
The number of new home loans in Australia fell 15.0 per cent to 111,878 in the September quarter 2026, while their value fell 15.5 per cent to $81,157 million, the largest quarterly fall since the series began in 2002. Investor loans fell hardest, down 30.6 per cent to 35,301, with value down 32.3 per cent to $24,705 million, both record quarterly falls. Owner-occupier loans fell 5.3 per cent and first home buyer loans 8.6 per cent.
