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Nicole Kidman Reflects on Quiet 2025 and Family Focus After Divorce from Keith Urban

by Elena Rossi
written by Elena Rossi

LOS ANGELES – Nicole Kidman, the Oscar-winning actor and producer, has described 2025 as a “quiet” year after the end of her nearly two-decade marriage to country star Keith Urban, saying she is “grateful for family” following their divorce.

The pair filed for divorce in September 2025 after 19 years of marriage. They share two daughters – Sunday, 17, and Faith, 15.

Kidman addressed the period in a cover interview with Variety, describing a deliberate withdrawal from public visibility while dealing with personal matters.

“Last year, I was quiet. I had other things going on. I was in my shell,” Kidman said.

She added: “I’m always going to be moving toward what’s good. What I’m grateful for is my family and keeping them as is and moving forward. That’s that.”

Kidman also indicated she does not intend to discuss specifics publicly, framing the decision as a matter of respect for those involved.

“I’m staying in a place of, ‘We are a family,’ and that’s what we’ll continue to be. My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.”

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman attend the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards (Source: Getty)

A private statement with public-industry consequences

For A-list performers, major personal developments can collide with the business realities of entertainment: promotional travel, on-camera interviews, awards-season visibility, and the expectation of constant availability to market film and television work.

Kidman’s comments, while limited to her own experience, amount to an unusually direct acknowledgment of reduced public activity during 2025 – a year that, for top-tier talent, would typically be packed with press commitments tied to release calendars and platform campaigns.

Her emphasis on boundaries – “I was in my shell” and a preference not to discuss details “out of respect for those involved” – also reflects the increasingly formalized way public-facing artists manage access. The modern publicity cycle rewards candidness, but it is still governed by negotiated formats: controlled interviews, agreed topics, and the practical limits imposed by production schedules and personal privacy.

In the United States, those privacy choices sit against a legal backdrop that gives courts wide discretion to seal or limit access to divorce and custody records in order to protect children, particularly in high-profile cases governed by state family-law statutes and by judicial access rules set out in frameworks such as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure when related civil matters move through federal court.

Kidman and Urban: a long-running cross-industry partnership

Kidman and Urban have spent years operating at the intersection of two global businesses – Hollywood film and television, and Nashville-centered country music – each with its own touring, production, and publicity systems.

The two met in 2005 at the G’Day USA Gala in Los Angeles and married in June 2006. Over time, they became one of the industry’s most visible couples, frequently appearing in support of each other at film premieres, concerts, and awards ceremonies.

Kidman’s account of their family continuing as a unit – “We are a family,” she said – underscores a careful, institutionally familiar approach to public communication in high-profile separations: confirming a changed marital status while maintaining a stable message around parenting.

That approach also reflects the commercial and regulatory environment both operate in: long-term endorsement arrangements, studio and label contracts, and touring obligations often include morality and conduct clauses, as well as disclosure and insurance provisions, that depend on preserving predictability around an artist’s public profile and family circumstances.

Addiction recovery as part of the public record

The couple’s shared history has included Urban’s early recovery period.

Kidman supported Urban through addiction struggles early in their marriage. The country singer entered rehabilitation shortly after their wedding and has previously credited her as being instrumental in his recovery.

In the entertainment business, where tour insurance, recording schedules, and production commitments often depend on reliability and health, recovery narratives can become part of an artist’s public identity – but also a sensitive element of family life. Kidman’s current decision to keep details limited aligns with the narrower scope of her latest comments: a focus on family continuity rather than retrospective accounting.

It also mirrors a broader shift in how addiction and mental health are treated by employers, unions, and regulators, with workplace-safety rules and anti-discrimination protections increasingly requiring studios, networks, and promoters to treat recovery as an ongoing health matter rather than a publicity asset.

A career that spans studio-era prestige and the streaming model

Kidman’s screen career has ranged across major studio films and awards-driven performances, including Moulin Rouge, Eyes Wide Shut, and The Hours – where her performance as Virginia Woolf saw her crowned Best Actress at the 2001 Academy Awards.

In practical industry terms, that kind of long-running career now plays out across multiple commissioning systems: traditional studios, premium cable, and global streaming services that expect talent to move between formats and audience segments.

Those systems are increasingly shaped by collective bargaining and regulatory oversight – from labor agreements reached after the 2023 Hollywood strikes to antitrust scrutiny of major streamers – which in turn influence how often and how intensively marquee talent are asked to promote projects.

Kidman’s remarks about being “quiet” in 2025 add a personal dimension to a broader reality for top talent: the ability to modulate visibility without exiting the business entirely, particularly when an actor’s slate includes long-lead series work that can be produced over extended timelines and released according to platform strategy.

Upcoming work: series commitments remain on the calendar

Professionally, Kidman indicated a full schedule ahead.

The actress is set for another busy year professionally, due to star in Prime Video series Scarpetta and return for a third season of spy-thriller series Lioness, part of a broader wave of franchise-driven drama that relies on established stars to anchor multi-season, globally distributed projects.

For studios, streamers, and investors, Kidman’s calibrated public re‑emergence signals continuity: a marquee name reasserting control over her own narrative while continuing to meet the institutional demands of a multi-billion-dollar entertainment ecosystem.

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Business

Australia Housing Market Crisis: Only Mining Workers Can Afford Median Home Amid Rising Prices and Wage Gaps

by Thomas Weber
written by Thomas Weber

SYDNEY –

Australia’s housing market has reached a structural tipping point for employers, lenders and policymakers: among sizeable labour categories, only mining workers on average pay can independently meet the deposit and borrowing profile required to buy a typical Australian house with a backyard.

The finding is stark. The middle-priced Australian dwelling sits at $993,817 while the average mining worker earns $165,069. Using a 20 per cent deposit and conservative bank lending of five times pre-tax salary at the existing Reserve Bank cash rate of 3.85 per cent, mining is the only broad industry group whose mean pay can bridge that gap on a single earner. Other large sectors fall well short. The national average full-time salary of $106,657 only underwrites a $667,000 purchase under the same lending assumptions; a teacher earning $111,977 would struggle to afford the median regional house of $759,883. In Sydney, the median house price of $1.6 million-cited for 2026-places median housing at roughly 16 times the average full‑time salary.

The shortfall has immediate business consequences: recruitment and retention pressures for city‑based employers; greater wage bargaining leverage in high‑pay regional sectors; and a growing mismatch between where households work and where they can realistically buy a home. For governments, it raises questions about whether the “Australian dream” of a single‑income, detached-home mortgage can still anchor social and economic policy.

Wages, lending rules and institutional guardrails

Banks’ current conservative underwriting-loosely expressed in the reporting as lending up to five times a borrower’s pre‑tax salary-intersects with prudential guidance on household leverage. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority is the independent regulator charged with maintaining the safety and soundness of deposit‑taking institutions and the broader financial system. Its remit includes setting expectations and prudential guidance that influence banks’ appetite for high household indebtedness.

Regulatory tolerance for debt‑to‑income ratios matters because the reporting cites six times salary as a commonly accepted upper threshold; beyond that APRA regards borrower risk as elevated. That ceiling, combined with multi‑year savings requirements for a 20 per cent deposit, effectively makes home ownership a two‑income prospect in Australia’s largest urban markets for most professions. It also limits how far banks can stretch to accommodate political or public pressure for more generous mortgage terms without running into prudential constraints.

  • Median Australian house price (middle-priced home): $993,817.
  • Average mining worker salary: $165,069.
  • Average full‑time salary: $106,657.
  • Teacher average cited: $111,977; regional median house: $759,883.
  • Sydney median house price (2026): $1,600,000.
  • Assumed conservative bank lending multiple: five times pre‑tax salary at an RBA cash rate of 3.85%.
Affording a typical 20 per cent mortgage is now out of reach for most Australians. Credit: fatido/Getty Images

Sectoral distortion: mining’s outsized labour premium

The concentration of buying power in the mining sector has implications beyond worker incomes. Mining’s wage premium-driven in part by remote‑site fly‑in fly‑out rosters and commodity‑era labour shortages-shifts housing demand toward regions and property types linked to resources activity, with spillovers for local construction markets and services. Mining also dominates Australia’s export profile and fiscal receipts, meaning labour or regulatory disruption in mining would have wider macroeconomic effects.

Those dynamics help explain why sectors with larger employee counts-education, healthcare, public administration-cannot translate current pay scales into single‑earner home ownership in major capitals. The reporting also cites investors bidding in more affordable corridors-near Maitland west of Newcastle, for example-pushing price growth to 13 per cent year‑on‑year in some suburbs, almost four times the pace of wages. For state treasuries and planning departments, that pattern raises the stakes around land release, infrastructure timing and whether regional growth is being driven by end‑user demand or speculative capital.

Policy levers and tax incentives

Federal tax settings and migration patterns are cited as long‑running drivers of housing returns. The 50 per cent capital gains tax discount, introduced in 1999 and now under review at the direction of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, is singled out in the reporting as a factor that coincided with an acceleration in house price appreciation. The mechanics of the CGT discount allow eligible individuals and trusts to reduce a capital gain by 50% when assets are held for at least 12 months.

Immigration and commodity cycles are also referenced in the reporting: immigration levels rose during the 2000s iron ore boom while high Pilbara salaries contributed to national labour tightness. Those two forces-tax treatment of capital gains and population inflows during a commodities supercycle-are presented as structural contributors to sustained price appreciation. Together with prudential lending settings, they form the policy backdrop against which any future affordability interventions will be judged.

“To do nothing, take a laissez-faire approach, I think is a dereliction of duty to every government.”

Doug Driscoll, the chief executive of Starr Partners, is quoted in the reporting saying: “It is getting further and further out of reach for first‑home buyers. I do not buy this ‘they shouldn’t be eating avocado on toast for breakfast’,” and “It is getting progressively worse and if you continue on this vein, then what’s it going to look like in five years’ time, 10 years’ time?” His comments capture a growing sentiment among market participants that individual spending choices are being used to mask structural barriers to entry.

Market implications for corporations and employers

For corporate boards and human resources leaders, the current arithmetic alters workforce planning. Where single‑earner ownership is infeasible, employers face either wage‑cost pressure to retain staff in high‑cost cities or the operational costs of decentralising roles to lower‑cost regions. The reporting notes that only an upper‑tier minority-surgeons, ministers, executives-earn salaries large enough to alter home‑buying statistics materially; broad industrial groups do not benefit from these outliers.

For banks and mortgage portfolio managers, the convergence of elevated prices and stretched borrower capacity elevates underwriting and provisioning considerations. The article’s reference to lending multiples and APRA’s prudential stance implies continued regulatory scrutiny on household leverage and lender behaviour. For investors in listed banks, it underscores that housing policy debates in Canberra can have direct implications for credit growth, risk weights and ultimately capital allocation.

Data points that drive the economics

  • Reported national middle‑priced home: $993,817.
  • Reported average mining salary: $165,069.
  • Reported average full‑time salary: $106,657.
  • Reported teacher salary used in the analysis: $111,977; regional median house cited: $759,883.
  • Reported IT/media/telecoms professional salary example: $139,625.
  • Reported Sydney median house price for 2026: $1,600,000.
  • Reported year‑on‑year house price increase across Australia to January: 10.2%; wage price index cited at 3.4%.

The discrepancy between house price growth and wage growth-reported as a threefold gap nationally in the year to January-creates persistent affordability stress that is unlikely to be resolved without changes to either lending practice, tax treatment, supply responses or sustained real wage growth.

The mining sector’s wage advantage and Australia’s export dependence on minerals mean housing affordability is both a social and an economic policy issue for the corporate sector and government. It now sits at the intersection of housing, tax, migration and financial‑stability policy rather than being a question for homebuyers alone.

The 50 per cent capital gains tax discount remains under formal review at the direction of Treasurer Jim Chalmers; the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority continues to characterise debt‑to‑income multiples beyond six as elevated risk; and the Reserve Bank cash rate cited in the reporting is 3.85 per cent.

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World

Asia-Pacific Markets React to US Tariff Changes and AI Impact on Tech Stocks

by Claire Donovan
written by Claire Donovan

HONG KONG —

Asia-Pacific stocks were mixed on Tuesday as investors weighed renewed tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and mounting concerns that artificial intelligence could upend the software and cybersecurity business models that have powered a multi‑year tech rally. In China, benchmark lending rates were left steady, offering few surprises as mainland markets reopened after the Lunar New Year break.

Tariff shock after Supreme Court ruling

Global risk appetite has been jolted since Friday, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize a president to impose broad peacetime tariffs, curtailing a key legal foundation for Trump’s earlier duties. The case, Learning Resources v. Trump, limits the use of emergency economic powers for revenue‑raising measures and underscores that Congress, not the White House, holds primary constitutional authority over tariff policy.

Within hours of the ruling, the White House pivoted to Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, a rarely used balance‑of‑payments tool that allows the president to impose temporary, across‑the‑board import surcharges. The provision caps such measures at 15% for up to 150 days unless Congress extends them. Over the weekend, the administration raised a newly announced global surcharge from 10% to 15%, set to take effect on February 24, in an effort to preserve negotiating leverage while staying within the stricter legal boundaries set by the Court.

Trump amplified the warning in a post on Truth Social on Monday, February 23, writing that any country that wants to “play games” with the Supreme Court decision “will be met with a much higher tariff.” The public threat signaled to trading partners that Washington intends to keep tariffs central to its economic statecraft even as its legal toolkit narrows.

Any Country that wants to “play games” with the ridiculous supreme court decision … will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse.

Trade lawyers note that Section 122’s design is narrow: it requires a balance‑of‑payments justification, imposes a hard 150‑day limit, and caps the surcharge at 15%, with any extension requiring an act of Congress. Those constraints, plus questions over country and product exemptions, set the stage for fresh litigation, intense lobbying and months of compliance work for importers and customs brokers. The provision, set out in Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, was drafted for temporary crisis management rather than open‑ended industrial policy, a distinction now front and center for lawmakers and trading partners.

China holds rates steady as markets reopen

China’s Loan Prime Rate was left unchanged on Tuesday at 3.0% for the one‑year tenor and 3.5% for the over‑five‑year benchmark, which anchors most new mortgages. The steady print extended an eight‑month hold and underscored Beijing’s reliance on targeted fiscal and credit tools while it tries to stabilise a weak property sector, support consumption and avoid further downward pressure on the renminbi.

Mainland equities rose as onshore traders returned from the holidays, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped, dragged by health‑care names. Shares of Pop Mart, the Labubu toymaker, were among the session’s laggards after unveiling a new series, reflecting the market’s sensitivity to consumer‑trend names with stretched valuations at a time when household confidence remains fragile. For global investors, the juxtaposition of steady policy rates and selective equity weakness reinforced the sense that China’s recovery will be uneven and policy‑dependent.

  • Shanghai and Shenzhen benchmarks advanced as reopening flows met relatively subdued policy signals.
  • Hang Seng fell as profit‑taking hit health‑care; Pop Mart (9992.HK) dropped after a product launch highlighted execution risk in crowded consumer themes.

Chips lift Seoul; Tokyo edges higher; Australia slips

South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.37%, notching another record as enthusiasm for high‑bandwidth memory and AI server supply chains kept buyers rotating into the country’s chip complex. The gains extended a run that has turned a handful of hardware and component names into regional bellwethers for global AI investment, leaving local regulators and pension funds closely tracking concentration risks.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.6% even as the broader Topix was marginally lower, a split that again highlighted how a narrow group of export‑oriented and tech‑adjacent names is carrying headline indices higher. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gave back early gains to close 0.41% down, as resource and financial stocks lagged despite a still‑supportive domestic rate backdrop. Investors in North Asia continued to track earnings momentum at bellwether semiconductor names and the durability of AI‑related capital spending plans, mindful that any escalation in U.S. trade frictions could disrupt complex regional supply chains.

U.S. sell‑off and AI jitters ripple across software

Overnight, U.S. stocks fell sharply: the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.66%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.04%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.13%. Tariff uncertainty compounded a two‑day rout in software and security shares as investors reassessed where AI‑native tools might compress margins, cannibalise existing products or re‑bundle services under larger platforms.

Cybersecurity names were hit hard after Anthropic introduced Claude Code Security, a research‑preview tool embedded in its Claude platform that scans codebases for vulnerabilities and proposes fixes. CrowdStrike, Zscaler, Datadog, Fortinet and Okta slumped amid worries that automated code‑scanning and remediation could erode parts of traditional workflows—even as several analysts argued the reaction was overdone given enterprises’ multi‑layered defense needs and regulatory obligations to maintain robust cyber controls. For boards and CISOs, the episode underlined how rapidly AI innovation can redraw perceived competitive moats across the software stack.

Anthropic is due to brief enterprises on new products on Tuesday in New York, highlighting how fast‑moving AI rollouts can shift sentiment across adjacent software categories and sharpen strategic questions for regulators over model risk, data governance and critical‑infrastructure resilience.

What Section 122 legally allows

  • Statutory ceiling: A temporary surcharge “not to exceed 15 percent ad valorem” for “a period not exceeding 150 days,” unless extended by Congress. The measure applies on top of existing duties and is designed as an emergency stop‑gap rather than a standing tariff regime.
  • Trigger: “Fundamental international payments problems,” including large and serious U.S. balance‑of‑payments deficits or an imminent, significant dollar depreciation. The administration will need to articulate this balance‑of‑payments case to withstand likely court and World Trade Organization scrutiny.
  • Scope and form: Broad and uniform across products, with room for limited, economy‑wide exceptions (for example, critical inputs such as medical supplies or key industrial components) and the option to combine with quotas where permitted by international rules.

Policy analysts caution that Section 122 differs from other trade tools the administration has leaned on—such as Section 232 (national security) or Section 301 (unfair practices)—because it has a firm rate cap and sunset baked into statute. That narrow design could constrain the policy’s reach and duration absent congressional action, shifting part of the tariff debate back to Capitol Hill and forcing trading partners to game out both the legal risks and the political appetite for an extension.

As of Tuesday, February 24, 2026, China’s one‑year and over‑five‑year LPRs remain at 3.0% and 3.5%, and the administration’s Section 122 surcharge is scheduled to take effect for 150 days pending any congressional extension, setting up a compressed window in which markets, lawmakers and trading partners will test how much leverage a time‑limited, legally circumscribed tariff tool can actually deliver.

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World

Australian Authorities Seize 28kg Cocaine Hidden Behind TV in Luxury Bus at Port of Adelaide

by Claire Donovan
written by Claire Donovan

ADELAIDE —

Australian authorities have seized more than 28 kilograms of cocaine hidden behind a television inside a luxury bus that arrived in South Australia on a roll‑on/roll‑off cargo vessel at Outer Harbor, part of the Port of Adelaide. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) took possession of the drugs after an Australian Border Force (ABF) inspection found multiple one‑kilogram packages, with an estimated street value of about AU$9 million.

“Australian Border Force officers performed an intelligence-led forensic search using videoscope technology and detector dogs,” the Australian Federal Police said on social media. “They identified several 1kg packages of a white powdered substance – which tested positive to cocaine – hidden behind the television.” Police images showed the bricks packaged in bags labelled with the luxury carmaker Bentley.

“What’s behind your TV – usually dust, right? But not more than 28kg of it.”

The AFP’s post underscored how the concealment relied on an everyday fixture to shield a large shipment within an ostensibly legitimate vehicle, highlighting the level of planning and resourcing behind the import.

How the search unfolded

ABF officers examined the roll‑on/roll‑off vessel on Monday, 16 February 2026, at Outer Harbor in Adelaide’s northwest, as part of a targeted inspection program focusing on high‑risk vehicle and machinery imports. Guided by intelligence profiling, they used videoscopes and detector dogs to locate several one‑kilogram bricks of a white powder behind a built‑in TV inside the bus. Presumptive testing returned a positive result for cocaine. The matter was referred to the AFP, which seized the illicit cargo and opened an investigation into the international supply chain behind the shipment.

Authorities said the load, had it reached the community, could have yielded about 140,000 street‑level deals. “Criminals are driven by their own greed and profit and will attempt any method to import harmful illicit substance into our country,” AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Simon Lalic said. “No matter how creative these criminals attempt to be, our message is clear – we are on to you.” The AFP is now working with overseas partners and shipping and logistics companies to reconstruct the bus’s movements before arrival in Adelaide, including any stops at third‑country ports.

A pattern of maritime concealments

The discovery fits a broader pattern of sophisticated maritime concealments targeting Australia’s seaports and testing the country’s border‑security settings. In 2024, a joint AFP‑ABF investigation foiled a 139‑kilogram cocaine import concealed in a shipment of luxury buses linked to Adelaide; two Victorian men were later charged after allegedly forcing entry into the vehicles to retrieve the consignment.[2]

More recently, border agencies have warned of cocaine hidden within refrigerated (“reefer”) shipping containers, disrupting attempts to smuggle large quantities of the drug into major ports and prompting closer scrutiny of temperature‑controlled cargo. In a separate case connected to Adelaide in July 2025, authorities alleged 62 kilograms of cocaine were concealed inside mechanical equipment, reinforcing concerns that traffickers are increasingly willing to compromise industrial supply chains to reach the Australian market.[3]

Outer Harbor, where Monday’s interception occurred, serves as Adelaide’s principal deep‑water precinct and handles specialised cargoes including vehicles on roll‑on/roll‑off trades—making it a routine gateway for high‑value rolling stock like coaches and buses. For port operators and logistics companies, the case is a reminder that seemingly routine vehicle imports can be repurposed as cover loads for transnational crime.

Why Australia is a prime target

Despite vast distances from cocaine‑producing regions, Australia remains one of the world’s most lucrative markets for traffickers, with high retail prices and sustained demand. UN drug‑monitoring findings reported in 2025 showed per‑capita cocaine use highest in Oceania, encompassing Australia and New Zealand, while global supply hit record levels.

Domestic consumption indicators point the same way: wastewater monitoring coordinated by Australian authorities found national cocaine consumption rose sharply between 2022–23 and 2023–24, highlighting the profit incentives that continue to draw international syndicates to the Australian market. Law‑enforcement officials argue that these market dynamics make persistent high‑risk targeting at the border a matter of public‑health and public‑safety policy, not just criminal justice.

Legal and enforcement framework

The AFP and ABF operate a joint, intelligence‑led model at Australia’s borders, deploying tools such as detector dogs, videoscopes and cargo‑profiling to identify high‑risk shipments while maintaining port throughput. Senior ABF officials note that every large seizure not only denies profits to organised crime but also disrupts downstream violence, money laundering and corruption risks linked to drug markets, particularly in metropolitan nightlife economies.

Under Australia’s federal Criminal Code Act 1995, importing or possessing commercial quantities of border‑controlled drugs such as cocaine carries maximum penalties of up to life imprisonment. Investigators commonly pursue charges under sections 307.1 and 307.5 depending on the conduct and quantity, and prosecutions of seaport importations have become a key test of how effectively federal law can reach offshore organisers as well as onshore facilitators.

  • Location: Outer Harbor, Port of Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Date of inspection: Monday, 16 February 2026.
  • Method of concealment: more than 28 kilograms of cocaine hidden behind a built‑in TV inside a luxury bus aboard a roll‑on/roll‑off vessel.
  • Quantity and packaging: one‑kilogram packages, some in branded bags observed in police imagery.
  • Estimated impact: about AU$9 million in street value and a potential 140,000 street‑level deals, according to AFP estimates.

As of 23 February 2026, the AFP says inquiries are ongoing and no arrests have been announced, leaving open key questions for investigators and policymakers about who ultimately controlled the consignment and whether further linked shipments may already be in transit.

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Sports

Police Link Sydney Shootings and Arson to Family of Ex-Kiwis Winger Matt Utai as Taskforce Launches

by Andrew McCall
written by Andrew McCall

Police link Sydney shootings and arson to family of ex-Kiwis winger Matt Utai as taskforce launched

Former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Kiwis winger Matt Utai is recovering in hospital after being ambushed and shot outside his Greenacre home at about 6am on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. New South Wales detectives say a series of shootings and arson attacks across western Sydney within 24 hours are connected and targeted at one family due to alleged associations involving Utai’s son.

“Targeting one particular family,” police say

NSW Police organised crime squad boss Brad Abdy told reporters on Wednesday, February 18: “We believe all the offences are targeting one particular family. That’s the linkage between those offences.” He added that it was “upsetting and concerning (that) innocent, hard-working people were suddenly caught up in this particular spate of violence for no reason,” describing the incidents as “ridiculously disgusting offences.”

Police have stressed there is no broader threat to the general public at this stage, but say the pattern of alleged retaliatory attacks has triggered an elevated operational and community-safety response across western Sydney.

What investigators have confirmed

  • About 6am Tuesday (Feb 17): Matt Utai was shot outside his Greenacre home. He underwent surgery for serious leg wounds and remains in hospital in a stable condition, according to police and hospital sources.
  • About 12:45am Wednesday (Feb 18): Shots were fired at a residence in St Clair, in outer western Sydney. A woman in her 50s inside the home was not injured. Another car was later found on fire in a nearby suburb, which detectives believe is linked.
  • Hours later Wednesday: A house and vehicle were set alight in Guildford West, near Parramatta; firefighters extinguished the blaze and no injuries were reported. Police are treating the fires as suspicious and part of the same series.
  • A dedicated strike force of more than 100 investigators has been formed under the NSW Police State Crime Command to address the escalation, drawing on forensic officers, criminal intelligence analysts and local commands.

Under the Crimes (Criminal Organisations Control) Act 2012 (NSW), police have a range of disruption tools available when violence is believed to be linked to organised criminal groups, including control orders and enhanced information-sharing with federal agencies. Detectives have not announced the use of any such powers in this case but say they are “keeping all options on the table.”

Unverified online material under assessment

Unverified video purporting to show alleged offenders taunting Iziah (Ziggy) Utai before gunfire, as well as claims of a feud between criminal groups shared by an underworld-focused outlet, have circulated on social media. Detectives said Iziah Utai was the intended target because of his association with “criminal entities.” He is believed to be overseas; his location is unknown.

Investigators have cautioned that these materials have not been authenticated publicly and urged the public and media to avoid sharing content that could compromise inquiries or misidentify individuals. Any assessment of potential gang links, they say, will be based on verified evidence rather than online speculation.

Rugby league context and club reaction

Utai is a 2004 NRL premiership winner who scored two tries in the Bulldogs’ grand final victory over the Sydney Roosters. He later joined Wests Tigers in 2011 and spent three seasons with the club. Across his career, the New Zealand and Samoa international played 167 NRL games. His former club has expressed shock and sadness at the shooting and has been in contact with his family.

Although Utai is retired, the incident resonates across rugby league at a time when player and staff safety around training venues, community activations and match-day logistics remains a live consideration. The National Rugby League has established integrity and welfare frameworks that set expectations for conduct and outline coordination with authorities when off-field risks intersect with the professional environment. Clubs commonly review internal security procedures and player support settings when police advise of heightened risk profiles, particularly where family members of past or present athletes may be targeted away from football settings.

Senior club officials say incidents that occur in residential streets rather than at official club facilities can still shape risk planning, with greater emphasis on travel protocols, discretion around player movements and guidance to families about engaging with law enforcement if concerns arise.

Potential implications for the game

  • Operational safeguards: Enhanced liaison between clubs, venues and law enforcement can lead to temporary adjustments in access control around training bases and public events if risk assessments warrant. This can include additional police presence, credential checks and modified arrival times for players.
  • Player welfare: Incidents affecting high-profile past players can prompt renewed emphasis on mental health and pastoral care resources available to current squads and alumni, with player associations and club welfare teams checking in on those who may be distressed by highly publicised violence.
  • Community impact: With rugby league drawing strong support across western Sydney and New Zealand, visible police activity near suburban grounds and community hubs may affect how clubs structure outreach in the short term, including the timing and location of school visits, fan days and junior clinics.

Police focus continues

Detectives have urged caution around unverified online content as they pursue leads into the coordinated attacks. Information released so far has centred on the targeting of one family and the deployment of a substantial investigative team, rather than any formal declaration of a wider gang war.

NSW Police have appealed for dashcam and CCTV footage from the affected suburbs and have reminded witnesses that information can be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Further operational updates will come from NSW Police as inquiries progress, with investigators signalling that additional search warrants, arrests or firearm seizures are possible in the days ahead.

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Sports

Australian Open Faces 45C Heat Challenge with Safety Measures and Schedule Adjustments

by Andrew McCall
written by Andrew McCall

Australian Open braces for 45C heat as quarter-finals confront safety and scheduling test

Organisers activate protections as temperatures threaten historic mark

Australian Open officials are enacting wide-ranging safeguards with Melbourne forecast to reach 45C (113F) on Tuesday, January 27 (local time), a spike that could challenge the city’s record 46.4C (115.5F) set in 2009. With player and spectator welfare paramount, tournament planners have already introduced schedule adjustments and on-site measures designed to keep the grand slam moving without compromising safety, under the broader health and safety obligations set by Victoria’s occupational health laws and emergency management framework.

How the heat policy will be applied

Play will begin on Rod Laver Arena at 11.30am with women’s world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka facing Iva Jovic, and the roof is likely to be open at the start. Crucially, that approach allows play to commence on outdoor courts under the current policy before conditions intensify. Officials expect suspensions later in the day as the Heat Stress Scale (HSS) rises, with decisions on outside-court play and roof closures on the main arenas made in line with the Australian Open’s Extreme Heat Policy and the tournament’s formal Extreme Heat Protocols.

Introduced in 2019, the HSS combines four climate inputs-air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed-measured across Melbourne Park. The five-level scale runs from routine heat management to the most severe conditions, where play on outside courts is suspended and roofs must be closed on arenas once the index reaches its upper threshold.[1] As readings escalate, protocols trigger incremental responses, from additional cooling breaks and extended changeovers to halting play outdoors and closing roofs on the show courts.

Competitive landscape: who plays when-and why it matters

Scheduling is central to competitive balance in extreme heat and has become a recurring governance question for the sport each Australian summer. Early starters can face drastically different conditions from those on court after sunset, influencing ball speed, court pace and physical toll. Roof closures create more consistent, indoor-like environments that can alter tactics and neutralise some advantages of heat-hardened players, while outdoor suspensions compress the order of play and recovery windows between matches.

  • From 11.30am (Rod Laver Arena): Aryna Sabalenka vs Iva Jovic.
  • Followed by: Alexander Zverev vs Learner Tien in a last-eight matchup.
  • Night session from 7pm: Women’s seeds Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina open the evening program.
  • Later: Australia’s Alex de Minaur meets world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.

For players navigating title bids, these time slots matter. Extended delays or roof changes can reshape match rhythm, recovery ahead of the semi-finals and even training plans, especially with differing formats-best-of-three for women’s singles and best-of-five for men’s singles-asking distinct physical questions in heavy conditions. Tournament officials, broadcasters and player entourages will be closely tracking the HSS readings as they intersect with these marquee time slots.

Players adopt pragmatic approach

Alex de Minaur, seeded sixth, is unconcerned by the forecast. “I mean, I’m Aussie. I don’t mind the heat,” the 26-year-old said. “I have said it since day one. That’s just what I have grown up with, and I’m ready for these types of conditions.

“I assume the roof will be closed. I don’t know for certain, but if the heat rule is into effect, it’s going to make it a little bit of an indoor match.

“Hey, it is what it is. I mean, once I rock up on Tuesday and I walk on court, you just deal with whatever’s in front of you.”

Carlos Alcaraz is taking a similar view. “Whatever it is, I just will be ready,” he said. “I will be focused. I will try not to think about it. I will try not to affect my game at all, and I think that’s it.”

Elina Svitolina, into the quarter-finals for a second straight year, is counting on the evening slot to moderate conditions. “It’s of course better to play in the evening. It’s much nicer,” she said. “Of course, still the ball is flying quite a bit because of the heat, but yeah, it’s going to be fine either way.”

Publicly, players are framing the heat as an uncontrollable variable, but privately their teams are adjusting hydration strategies, pre-match warm-ups and between-point routines to reflect the likelihood of on-and-off play and potentially long waits in cooled locker rooms.

Measures for fans, officials and ballkids

Organisers have confirmed practical steps across the precinct, mindful that duty-of-care obligations extend beyond the locker room. Ground pass ticket holders will be granted access to Margaret Court Arena for additional shaded seating and climate control. Ballkids will operate on reduced rotations with longer recovery and extra relief squads to limit exposure. Umpires and line officials are being cycled more frequently, with additional shaded rest areas set aside between matches.

The AO wheelchair championships have been postponed to begin on Wednesday, a decision that underlines the event’s responsibility to protect higher-risk athletes in line with its own medical criteria. Extreme heat protocols were already enacted on Saturday, when outdoor play was suspended and roofs closed on the major venues, offering a live test of the systems and communication channels that will be relied upon again if Tuesday peaks as forecast.

Operational and commercial stakes

Tuesday’s peak heat threatens to stress the tournament schedule and broadcast windows. Any sustained suspension of outside courts increases reliance on roofed arenas to keep the program on track, potentially condensing later rounds and compounding recovery challenges. Night sessions could creep later into the evening if earlier delays stack up, reviving long-running debates about player welfare and the tournament’s late-finish culture.

For ticket-holders, expanded indoor access is designed to manage crowd flow and provide heat relief without emptying the grounds. For broadcasters and sponsors, the aim is to protect prime-time slots and global audiences while demonstrating that the event can operate safely under what amounts to climate stress-testing of one of tennis’s four biggest properties.

Context for Melbourne’s temperature spike

Should temperatures climb as forecast, Tuesday could approach the highest reading on record for Melbourne since 2009, when the city reached 46.4C, the benchmark for the Victorian capital. That historical backdrop underscores why the tournament has hardened its heat protocols and refined real-time monitoring at Melbourne Park, in consultation with meteorological advice and public health guidance.

For international viewers, understanding the city’s temperature profile helps explain both the day’s competitive calculus and the robust contingency planning now embedded in the event’s operations. The Australian Open’s evolving heat rules sit within a broader, climate-conscious shift in how major events in Australia plan for extreme weather, and will likely inform similar frameworks at other summer tournaments as the sport confronts more frequent days at the edge of safe play.

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Strikers Dominate as Renegades Bowled Out for 99 in Adelaide Big Bash Clash

by Andrew McCall
written by Andrew McCall

Strikers take command as Renegades skittled for 99 in Adelaide

Bowling clinic sets tone

Adelaide Strikers seized control at Adelaide Oval after routing the Melbourne Renegades for 99 in 16.5 overs, then advancing to 1-67 after eight in reply. The chase for a target of 100 began with intent, leaving the hosts well placed to close out their final fixture of the regular season and lock in selection and list-management decisions with a convincing home statement.

South African left‑arm wrist‑spinner Tabraiz Shamsi led the demolition with four wickets, while Jerrssis Wadia delivered a stunning new‑ball burst, removing Tim Seifert with his first delivery and Jake Fraser‑McGurk with his second. Strikers captain Matt Short had won the bat flip and elected to bowl in a match without direct finals implications but with clear consequences for how both clubs assess their top‑order combinations and bowling depth ahead of the next campaign.

Carey’s tempo, early breakthrough

Alex Carey set the pace in the reply, striking four boundaries in a brisk 22 from 15 balls before Fraser‑McGurk held the catch to give seamer Sam Elliott the first wicket of the innings. Carey’s intent ensured the required run rate was quickly neutralised, allowing the Strikers’ middle order to approach the chase with minimal scoreboard pressure. With eight overs completed, Adelaide’s platform remained firm at 1-67, with Matt Short and Chris Lynn able to nudge and power the ball into gaps rather than chase the game.

Renegades’ innings: early collapse, brief surge

Wadia’s opening double strike set the tone as Seifert edged behind to Carey and Fraser‑McGurk offered a return catch to the bowler. A chance to deepen the collapse went begging when Muhammad Rizwan miscued to mid‑off and was put down, but the Renegades struggled to rebuild around him, repeatedly losing wickets in clumps.

Hassan Ali atoned for the earlier drop by removing season top‑scorer Josh Brown in the sixth over and later sprinting in from deep mid‑on to catch Brendan Doggett. The Renegades’ most productive passage came in the two‑over Power Surge: captain Will Sutherland, reprieved on 19 after a drop off Jamie Overton, launched two sixes and a four in the next over for 25 runs. His resistance ended in the 16th when he holed out to Wadia off Shamsi, who closed the innings with tight spin control and variations that the Renegades’ middle and lower order failed to pick.

As the slide continued to 6-58, former Australia batter Mark Waugh described the batting as “terrible,” adding it resembled “park cricket” – a stinging public assessment that will sharpen scrutiny on the Renegades’ batting plans and coaching review once the season formally concludes.

Season context and significance

Both clubs entered the contest with three wins from nine and outside the finals picture, yet the evening still carries weight for their respective boards, high‑performance units and recruitment teams. For Adelaide, a professional chase would cap a home performance built on sharp new‑ball execution and incisive spin – traits that underpin the modern short‑format blueprint and strengthen the case for continuity in their bowling structure.

For Melbourne, the collapse underscores a recurring issue at the top of the order; even a lively Power Surge could not offset early wickets, highlighting the importance of strike rotation and risk management when rebuilding. Those failings will inform off‑season contract calls, development priorities for domestic batters and how the club weighs overseas signings against local options.

This fixture is part of the KFC Big Bash League, Australia’s domestic T20 competition run under Cricket Australia’s formal competition and integrity framework, which governs player contracting rules, salary caps and match regulations. The bat flip to determine innings order and the two‑over Power Surge are established features designed to influence tactics and momentum, and are periodically reviewed by league administrators when they assess the balance between bat and ball and the overall spectator product.

While this match will not alter the finals race, performances in late‑season fixtures often feed directly into end‑of‑season reviews, list management, and recommendations elevated from club level to national selectors about players’ white‑ball credentials. In that sense, individual outings such as Wadia’s new‑ball spell or Shamsi’s control through the middle overs can carry weight well beyond a single night in Adelaide.

Match facts so far

  • Melbourne Renegades: 99 all out (16.5 overs)
  • Adelaide Strikers: 1-67 (8 overs), chasing 100
  • Key bowling: Tabraiz Shamsi 4 wickets; Jerrssis Wadia struck twice with his first two balls
  • Notable moments: Wadia’s double strike with the new ball; 25‑run Power Surge led by Will Sutherland; Sutherland later out to Shamsi, caught by Wadia
  • Catch/drop ledger: Carey caught Seifert; Wadia’s return catch removed Fraser‑McGurk; Hassan Ali dropped Rizwan, then dismissed Brown and caught Doggett

XIs

Adelaide Strikers: Matt Short (c), Alex Carey (wk), Chris Lynn, Liam Scott, Jason Sangha, Jamie Overton, Jerrssis Wadia, Hassan Ali, Henry Thornton, Lloyd Pope, Tabraiz Shamsi

Melbourne Renegades: Josh Brown, Tim Seifert, Jake Fraser‑McGurk, Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Caleb Jewell, Hassan Khan, Will Sutherland (c), Sam Elliott, Brendan Doggett, Michael Archer, Callum Stow

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Canberra Police Investigate 11 Pipe Bombs Found Near Lake Ginninderra, Urge Public Caution

by Claire Donovan
written by Claire Donovan

CANBERRA – Nearly a dozen pipe bombs – some already detonated – have been discovered on footpaths and in parks around Lake Ginninderra in Australia’s capital, prompting an urgent police investigation and public warnings not to touch the devices.

Detective Acting Inspector Anna Wronski of ACT Policing said officers were treating the matter “extremely seriously” after 11 silver, tube‑shaped devices were found over the past two days in Canberra‘s north‑west. Police said there were no reported injuries linked to the detonations.

Public warning and where the devices were found

Police said the devices were located along roughly a one‑kilometre stretch near Lake Ginninderra, between Joynton Smith Drive and Ginninderra Drive in the Belconnen district – a corridor of suburban paths and parkland used daily by commuters, schoolchildren and dog‑walkers. Images released by ACT Policing show capped metal pipes, some appearing intact and others partially destroyed.

“We do not want members of the public to pick them up. We do not want members of the public to bring them to police stations. We want them to call triple zero immediately,”

Wronski told reporters on Thursday. She added: “A number of the devices have been located intact, and a number have been located partially destroyed,” and stressed, “Any explosive is dangerous. That’s why we’re taking it so seriously. An explosive in a public place does raise a lot of concern for police.”

ACT Policing urged anyone who encounters a suspicious item to stay nearby at a safe distance and dial Triple Zero (000), Australia’s national emergency number; non‑urgent reports can be made on 131 444. Officers have increased patrols and are conducting methodical searches of paths and park edges around the lake to reassure residents and identify any additional devices.

International significance: urban security and public risk

Improvised explosive devices placed in open, high‑footfall areas pose outsized risks to passers‑by and first responders – a challenge faced by cities worldwide as they harden “everyday” spaces such as jogging routes, lakeside paths and neighbourhood parks. Canberra benefits from specialist capabilities embedded within the Australian Federal Police (AFP), of which ACT Policing is the community policing arm. The AFP deploys bomb response technicians, robots and forensic specialists to assess, render safe and investigate devices while minimising danger to the public, and works with territory authorities on critical‑infrastructure and public‑space protection planning.

What authorities know – and what they don’t

Wronski said police did not yet know who was responsible or how long the devices had been in place. At this stage, the incident is not being treated as terrorism, and officers do not believe anyone was injured when the explosives detonated. The first discovery was made by a member of the public, and investigators are now reviewing CCTV, canvassing residents and tracing the sourcing of materials used in the devices. Police have not publicly disclosed any suspected motive.

Safety and the law in the ACT

Explosives and security‑sensitive substances are tightly regulated in the Australian Capital Territory. Handling, transporting or bringing explosive material into the territory requires appropriate licensing or a handling authority under the Dangerous Substances Act 2004 and associated explosives regulations. Unauthorised manufacture or possession is an offence and can attract significant penalties, reflecting a policy focus on keeping precursor materials out of unlicensed hands.

For members of the public, the instruction is uncomplicated: do not touch suspected devices and call Triple Zero (000). The national Emergency Call Service recognises 000 as Australia’s primary emergency number; calls are free from any phone, including mobiles without credit. Authorities emphasise that even items that appear to have already detonated should be treated as live until examined by specialists.

How the response typically unfolds

When a suspected device is reported, police cordon the area and deploy specialist bomb response teams to assess and neutralise hazards, often using remote‑controlled robots and other stand‑off tools. These capabilities allow technicians to approach, x‑ray and safely disrupt devices while protecting officers and bystanders. Forensic teams then collect fragments and residue for laboratory analysis, which can inform both the criminal investigation and broader policy work on monitoring explosive precursors and improving public‑space design.

What we know so far

  • As of the morning of Thursday, 15 January 2026, police had found 11 pipe bombs along a one‑kilometre area near Lake Ginninderra in Belconnen, Canberra’s north‑west.
  • Some devices were intact; others were partially destroyed, with no injuries reported.
  • Police released images showing capped, silver pipes and asked residents to avoid touching suspicious items and to call 000.
  • The incident is not being treated as terrorism; the investigation is ongoing, with searches and community reassurance patrols continuing around the lake precinct.

As of 15 January 2026, ACT Policing said 11 devices had been located around Lake Ginninderra, the search of the area continued, and the incident was not being treated as terrorism.

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AFP National Surveillance Team Disbanded Before 2025 Bondi Attack Due to Funding Shortfalls

by Mark Ellison
written by Mark Ellison

CANBERRA – An Australian Federal Police “national surveillance team” set up under the Commonwealth High Risk Terrorist Offender regime was quietly disbanded because of funding shortfalls weeks before the December 14, 2025 Bondi attack, according to internal staff correspondence and briefings.

The Canberra‑based team was dissolved late in 2025 after managers warned that budget pressures and uncertainty over future funding meant vacancies could not be filled, with its positions returned to the AFP’s Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command.

“Current budget pressures and the lack of certainty in relation to ongoing funding has limited our ability to fill vacancies.”

Surveillance unit dissolved amid staffing and budget constraints

In staff messages, the commander of Covert and Technical Operations, Intelligence and Covert Services said: “Whilst funding for eight positions was confirmed in February 2025 for the 2025-26 financial year, this did not meet the requirements for 10 members under AFP best practice.”

The commander added in September 2025: “Further to this, funding was only confirmed for the ’25-26 financial year and not out years. As such, a decision on the future of the team against competing resourcing and operational priorities is required.”

The national surveillance team’s work sat within the AFP’s broader covert and technical operations capability, which supports both federal counter‑terrorism investigations and joint operations with state police. The AFP’s mandate includes enforcing Commonwealth criminal law and protecting national security across Australia and overseas, with specialist units based in Canberra providing rapid‑deployment support to other jurisdictions.

According to AFP insiders, additional surveillance teams were created around a decade ago as Islamic State emerged, designed to be “highly mobile.” A former senior officer said, “I think the AFP’s CTSI Command decided the budget for that surveillance team had more benefit being poured into the investigative part, so they’ve decided to disband it and send the people back to ACT Policing,” and asked: “This question does arise: in light of the accused terrorists not being monitored, could that capability not have been directed to Sydney based counter terrorism surveillance?”

Suspected Bondi gunman Naveed Akram. Credit: CitiZenClips/X formerly Twitter

Asked for details about the recent disbanding of the Canberra‑based national surveillance team, an AFP spokesperson responded: “the AFP does not comment on surveillance capabilities”.

Claims of adequate funding meet warnings of shortfalls

Following the December 14, 2025 Bondi massacre, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia’s national security agencies, including the AFP, have “never had more funding than they have today”.

When asked in December 2025 whether the AFP and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation should have received more resourcing to deal with radicalisation and extremism, Mr Albanese said “every single request from a security agency has been granted by my government.”

The government has pointed to substantial increases in national security and counter‑terrorism spending since 2022, and to new funding agreements with the states and territories to support high‑risk offender management. But the internal AFP correspondence highlights the gap between aggregate budget settings and the resourcing of individual frontline capabilities, with managers forced to choose between maintaining a specialised surveillance team and shoring up core investigative roles.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett acknowledged that “increasingly complex environments” required “constant re-prioritisation” and said “where I do need more resources, I do and will have those conversations with government”.

In November 2025, the association representing federal police wrote that “Australia’s threat environment is not shrinking; it is expanding rapidly. The men and women of the AFP stand on the front line every day, and they deserve the resources required to keep doing so effectively.” The association cited “chronic and worsening shortages” across specialist areas, warning that capability gaps were emerging even as ministers publicly emphasised record national security spending.

How the High Risk Terrorist Offender regime fits into the system

Australia’s High Risk Terrorist Offender framework is designed to manage individuals convicted of terrorism offences who are assessed as posing an ongoing risk after serving their sentences. The regime sits under Division 105A of the federal Criminal Code, which allows courts to impose post‑sentence measures such as Continuing Detention Orders and Extended Supervision Orders where a terrorist offender is judged likely to commit a serious terrorism offence again.

Under the associated Commonwealth High Risk Terrorist Offender funding agreements, states and territories receive federal money to monitor and manage these high‑risk individuals in the community, supported by federal agencies including the AFP.

Courts can impose measures such as extended supervision or detention orders, and police and intelligence agencies support those orders through monitoring and compliance activities. The disbanded national surveillance team was established to support this regime, according to internal correspondence, with staffing levels described as needing 10 members under AFP best practice.

The AFP’s covert surveillance capability is one of several tools used to enforce these court orders, alongside state and territory police units, electronic monitoring, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s intelligence‑gathering powers. The closure of a dedicated national team raises questions inside the system about whether responsibility for physical surveillance of high‑risk subjects is being pushed back onto already‑stretched state commands.

Closed-door review and calls for further scrutiny

Former Defence and ASIO leader Dennis Richardson is conducting a closed‑door investigation into the actions of security agencies and federal police before the Bondi shootings, according to government statements. His review is examining what authorities knew about the alleged gunmen, how information was shared between agencies and jurisdictions, and whether existing powers and resources were used effectively.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said: “Every day that the Parliament has not come back has been a day that it should have come back, so, in fact, whenever it comes back, it won’t be coming back early – it will be coming back late.” She has demanded the Prime Minister announce a Royal Commission into the anti‑Semitic shootings at Bondi, arguing only a full public inquiry with coercive powers can restore community confidence.

A joint letter to Anthony Albanese dated December 22, 2025 from independent MPs Monique Ryan, Kate Chaney, Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall said it “remained concerned” the response “will not adequately address anti-Semitism in the community”. The MPs urged broader scrutiny of how online radicalisation, extremist preaching and weapons access are being policed, and whether federal‑state coordination is keeping pace with the threat.

The Bondi massacre, Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since Port Arthur, has already prompted renewed debate over the balance between national security spending, civil liberties and parliamentary oversight. Community leaders are warning that any perceived failure to act on warnings – whether about offender management or rising anti‑Semitism – risks further eroding trust in institutions.

Key dates and decisions

– February 2025: Eight positions funded for the surveillance team for the 2025-26 financial year; best practice cited as 10 members.
– September 2025: Staff told funding was confirmed only for 2025-26 and that a decision on the team’s future was required.
– Late 2025: Decision made to wind up the Canberra‑based team and return funding to Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command.
– November 2025: Police association warns of “chronic and worsening shortages” and an expanding threat environment.
– December 14, 2025: Bondi massacre.
– December 22, 2025: Four independent MPs send an open letter urging broader action on anti‑Semitism.

Government sources say Federal Parliament is expected to be recalled early in 2026, most likely in the week before Australia Day, to pass legislation targeting hate preachers and extremist organisations. The package is expected to strengthen offences for incitement and give agencies clearer powers to move against individuals and groups deemed to be promoting violence, in a bid to close gaps exposed by the Bondi attack and its aftermath.

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