Tuesday, September 22, 2026
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Australia news live: RBA governor says migration boosting economy and warns AI investment boom could be a bubble adding to inflation

From 17m ago Mother charged after alleged Blue Mountains stabbing A New South Wales mother has been charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in the Blue Mountains.

Australia news live: RBA governor says migration boosting economy and warns AI investment boom could be a bubble adding to inflation

From 17m ago Mother charged after alleged Blue Mountains stabbing A New South Wales mother has been charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in the Blue Mountains. Emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing at a property on Waratah Road, Valley Heights, at about 12.45pm on Sunday. A five-year-old child died at the scene, despite witnesses providing first aid while waiting for emergency services.

Two other children, aged one and three, were taken to hospital and are in a critical but stable condition. The woman, who is in her 40s, was also found at the property with critical injuries. She has been charged with murder and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

She was refused bail and will remain in custody until her next court appearance next month. Key events 52s ago What we learned, Tuesday 22 September 17m ago Mother charged after alleged Blue Mountains stabbing 51m ago Victoria confirms state’s first cases of bird flu in fur seals 2h ago RBA: AI could be a bubble and is boosting inflation but not efficiency 3h ago RBA governor says migration responsible for economic growth, not inflation 4h ago NSW police investigating possible organised crime links after 11-year-old boy shot in Sydney apartment 4h ago Taylor says idea to use super to help with housing purchases ‘not our policy’ 6h ago Police investigating after alleged Nazi salute in Sydney’s inner west 6h ago Crocodile footage pulled by BBC after featuring wrong Fitzroy River 7h ago Ingredient used in cold and flu supplements to be removed over allergy link 8h ago Bragg to float letting homebuyers use super as collateral for mortgages 9h ago NSW to pilot ‘ground rules’ hearings in sexual assault trials 9h ago Greens call for triple zero network to be brought back under independent control 10h ago ‘Monetised misogyny’ online is contributing to domestic violence, Chalmers says 11h ago Albanese signs declaration with world leaders urging human control over AI 11h ago Albanese meets with EU leaders ahead of UN general assembly 11h ago We're doing everything we can to curb domestic violence, Chalmers says 11h ago Chalmers says migration needed for falling birth rate 11h ago City of Sydney council bans smartglasses in community facilities 11h ago Welcome What we learned, Tuesday 22 September That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for today. Before we go, let’s recap the day’s top headlines: The City of Sydney has banned smartglasses in all its pools, libraries, gyms, childcare centres and town halls.

Anthony Albanese has joined the leaders of more than 20 countries in signing a statement calling to bring the rapid growth of artificial intelligence under control. The Greens have called for a national authority to oversee the triple zero network, which is responsible for emergency call operations. A pilot of “ground rules” hearings will reduce distress and trauma for complainants in sexual assault trials alongside other reforms being introduced to NSW parliament today, the state government says.

A medicinal herb found in cold and flu supplements will be phased off Australian shelves over links to severe allergic reactions. Police in Sydney are appealing for information after a man allegedly performed a Nazi salute in the inner city suburb of Newtown on Saturday. NSW police are investigating possible organised crime links after 11-year-old boy was shot in a Sydney apartment.

The Reserve Bank governor has said migration is holding up Australia’s economic growth , not adding to inflation, as the government defends its plan to tighten the immigration intake. Victoria has confirmed two new cases of deadly H5 bird flu in fur seals on the state’s coastline. A mother has been charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in the Blue Mountains.

Thanks for sticking around, see you tomorrow morning! Mother charged after alleged Blue Mountains stabbing A New South Wales mother has been charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in the Blue Mountains. Emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing at a property on Waratah Road, Valley Heights, at about 12.45pm on Sunday.

A five-year-old child died at the scene, despite witnesses providing first aid while waiting for emergency services. Two other children, aged one and three, were taken to hospital and are in a critical but stable condition. The woman, who is in her 40s, was also found at the property with critical injuries.

She has been charged with murder and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. She was refused bail and will remain in custody until her next court appearance next month. Ima Caldwell Jetstar staff to waive extra baggage and seat fees as industrial action escalates Jetstar staff will escalate industrial action this week, with union members expected to waive extra charges for passengers during a busy travel period.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) confirmed that protected industrial action will commence at 12.01 am on Wednesday and run until midnight on Thursday. The timing coincides with the Victorian and Queensland school holidays and precedes the AFL Grand Final. While workers will assist passengers as normal, they won’t collect extra fees on the airline’s behalf, waiving or recording excess baggage , seat selection and late fees as $0.

ASU national assistant secretary, Scott Cowen , said the dispute is about fair pay, highlighting Jetstar’s recent annual results showing domestic earnings up 15% and international revenue up 14%. double quotation mark Our members are still turning up to look after passengers, but they won’t be collecting extra fees on Jetstar’s behalf until Jetstar shows that it is serious about its workforce. The ball is now in Jetstar’s court. Members voted in favour of protected action following a ballot in late August, seeking wages aligned with other Qantas Group employees, higher penalties, improved leave, weather protections and job security.

A Jetstar spokesperson said operations will not be impacted by the action and that it is “committed to working constructively towards an outcome”. double quotation mark We’ve put a comprehensive and fair offer on the table that includes pay increases, improved penalty payments and allowances, as well as more flexibility in rostering. This is a great package for our people which also allows us to keep investing in our fleet and grow our network while keeping fares low, despite escalating fuel costs impacting the industry. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters Victoria confirms state’s first cases of bird flu in fur seals Petra Stock Victoria has confirmed two new cases of deadly H5 bird flu in fur seals on the state’s coastline.

A long-nosed fur seal was found dead at Gabo Island in East Gippsland, while an Australian fur seal was reported at Rye back beach on the Mornington Peninsula. Both animals were identified about a week ago through community reports, with tests now confirming the presence of the virus. The state’s chief biodiversity officer, James Todd , said: double quotation mark Timely reports from the public are helping our teams respond quickly, investigate cases and build a clearer understanding of where the virus is present.

The cases followed news on Monday of four Australian sea lions, including one pup, testing positive for bird flu, at the Pages islands near Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Victoria’s environment department reminded members of the public to stay at least 30 metres away from marine mammals that appear unwell, and to keep children and pets well clear. People can report sick or dead wildlife to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

A long-nosed fur seal. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/Reuters Peter Greste says Trump media protest should serve as warning for press freedom in Australia Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom executive director, Peter Greste , has warned that attacks on press freedom in the United States should serve as a warning to Australia. His comments came after major US television news outlets agreed to suspend their video coverage of Donald Trump after the administration barred journalists from several outlets from entering the White House grounds.

Speaking to the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Greste said: double quotation mark We need to be very careful about not normalising these kinds of behaviours. This is the latest in a fairly long history, a long period of attacks on press freedom and freedom of speech and all sorts of ways by the Trump administration so I think what it shows us is unless we stand up and take note and speak out, whenever these things happen, we do run the risk of these kinds of assaults being normalised and treated as part of a new normal. It is very dangerous for democracy and we have to stop it.

Greste said the developments should serve as a warning to Australia, pointing to domestic examples such as One Nation recently barring Guardian Australia and ABC journalists from its press conferences. double quotation mark The example of the United States shows that we can see press freedom being chipped away at the edges. The fact that we are at this particular point I think tells us here in Australia that we cannot take press freedom for granted, and the US has always been held up as that bastion of freedom of speech and freedom of the press because it has the first amendment protected it in its constitution. We don’t have anything like that here in Australia so I’m concerned that if we do not heed the warning from the United States, if we do not recognise the press freedom in Australia is in fact extraordinarily vulnerable, we risk finding ourselves in a very difficult place.

Peter Greste. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian Rohan Dennis’s lawyer warn of ‘personal affront’ risk for presiding judge A judge who warned former Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis he could expect to be jailed if he drove while banned might feel personally affronted that Dennis had breached the ban, his lawyer has told a court. Dennis, 36, received a suspended 17-month jail term and a five-year driving ban in 2025.

It followed a guilty plea over the events leading up to the death of his Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins . Despite the suspended sentence over his head, Dennis was allegedly caught driving with two children as passengers on 11 June. AAP reports that in the South Australian district court on Tuesday, Dennis’s lawyer, David Edwardson told Judge Ian Press that it would be inappropriate for him to deal with the matter from every perspective. double quotation mark The perception that Your Honour ... might be personally affronted at the fact that – having given an opportunity to a man by way of a suspended sentence and having given the caution or warning of the potential consequences – that that of itself carries with it almost the inevitable outcome.

The prosecutor opposed the claim, stating there was nothing inappropriate about a defendant receiving a standard warning about the consequences of not abiding by a good behaviour bond. Rohan Dennis (centre) enters the district court of South Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday. Photograph: Abe Maddison/AAP Donna Lu Suspension extended for Royal Australasian College of Physicians director A director of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has had her suspension extended by the charities regulator until early December.

In May, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) suspended Dr Sharmila Chandran , the president-elect of one of Australia’s oldest medical colleges, until 20 September for allegedly contravening a direction from the NSW work health and safety watchdog. It followed months of conflict within the RACP’s board, which culminated in an extraordinary general meeting in April to which police were called . Prior to her suspension as a responsible person of the RACP, which is a registered charity, Chandran had been due to become president and board chair at an annual general meeting on 29 May.

On Friday, the ACNC decided to extend Chandran’s suspension until 4 December, noting that “although the RACP has made progress in addressing the governance and workplace safety issues identified by SafeWork NSW, it has sought an extension of time to comply” with an improvement notice. Chandran said: double quotation mark I have been suspended as a director by the ACNC for simply writing emails to the senior leadership team, emails which in my opinion were always respectful and professional ... In my view the regulatory process to date reflects, among other things, retaliatory targeting and victim-blaming of a whistleblower, racial discrimination, bullying and harassment, and institutional bias.

Asked for comment, an ACNC spokesperson said: double quotation mark By law the ACNC cannot speak publicly about the circumstances of any charity, apart from referring to information published on the Charity Register, or unless an exception applies in limited circumstances. RBA: AI could be a bubble and is boosting inflation but not efficiency Luca Ittimani Michele Bullock has said the AI investment boom could be a bubble, with no sign that it is improving efficiency and every sign it’s adding to inflation. AI stock prices are soaring again after Facebook owner Meta debuted a new AI agent and saw its shares rise 11% on Monday.

The Reserve Bank governor said it’s not yet clear whether share markets’ strength will be sustainable. Speaking in Sydney, she said: double quotation mark All central banks are a little bit worried about that. It might not be a bubble but it might be and if it unwinds in a disorderly manner then that could have implications for the financial system and also for real economies ...

Some people think it’s a bubble, some people don’t. I don’t have a particular view one way or the other, but it’s a risk that I think we’re watching. She said the RBA and top central banks all agreed AI was “the great white hope” to make economies more productive but there was little sign it was yet to happen, with rapid adoption and investment in datacentres just adding to inflation instead.

She said: double quotation mark We’ve got this awkward sequencing event at the moment where, in Australia at least, we are in a situation of excess demand and the AI boom is adding to that demand, ahead of any potential supply impacts that it might have going forwards. RBA governor Michele Bullock speaks in Sydney on Tuesday. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP RBA governor says migration responsible for economic growth, not inflation Luca Ittimani The Reserve Bank governor has said migration is holding up Australia’s economic growth, not adding to inflation, as the government defends its plan to tighten the immigration intake.

Michele Bullock said Australia’s weak economy and lack of efficiency gains mean immigration and bigger populations are responsible for higher activity, at a CEDA lunch in Sydney. She said: double quotation mark It’s fair to say that, the extent [activity] has been growing over the last few quarters, it’s been growing due to population growth. Bullock rejected the idea that immigration just meant more people entering the country and pushing up prices.

She said: double quotation mark The point is it also adds to supply because a lot of those people come in and they work. And therefore, when we think about it, we typically think that it probably is much of a muchness. She said the housing market was the exception, as new immigrants did not immediately generate new housing supply. double quotation mark Where it bites is the housing market, because the housing market can’t respond ....

That’s where you tend to see pressures arise. RBA governor Michele Bullock speaks during a CEDA lunch. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP Nick Visser That’s all from me.

Achol Arok will take things from here. Take care! Luca Ittimani House price slide is in ‘lower range of downturns’, RBA governor says The Reserve Bank governor said house prices are falling lower than other recent downturns in the market but from a “pretty unaffordable” level.

Michele Bullock has said the drop in prices “doesn’t look entirely out of line” with past experience, at a CEDA lunch in Sydney. She said: double quotation mark It’s a slight dip down after a very long run up. And I think there was a feeling, certainly for this most recent correction, that housing was in effect becoming pretty unaffordable. ...

You can see that the downturn is sort of in the lower range of downturns in the past, but it’s certainly not out of the ballpark, of the sorts of downturns we’ve seen in the past. Bullock said the downturn was due to interest rate rises, with only 5% of mortgages on fixed rates. The government’s tax reforms had “very directly” impacted the market as well, she said. double quotation mark Housing approvals for investors have just dropped.

They’ve dropped for everyone but they’ve really dropped a long way for investors, so it has changed the dynamic for investors, whether it’s worth investing in housing or not. She said economic activity would be hit as slower home sales meant fewer people buying new furniture and fittings, while lower house prices would leave some people feeling poorer and less likely to spend. Auction sign outside a property for sale in Sydney.

Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Caitlin Cassidy Political fight over gun buyback after boy, 11, shot in the face and neck in Sydney apartment The shooting of an 11-year-old boy in Sydney’s north-west was a “tragic reminder” of the danger of guns, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns , has said while the opposition defends “backflipping” on a gun buyback. NSW premier Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP The Liberal opposition voted with Labor in support of a buyback last year, but on Saturday pledged it would scrap Labor’s firearm ownership caps for primary producers.

The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane , instead proposed a commission of inquiry into gun laws and a freeze of any buyback. Caps for farmers and professional shooters would also be scrapped. The police minister, Yasmin Catley , called the Coalition’s plan a “stunning backflip” and said it would leave more guns in circulation.

Read more here: NSW police investigating possible organised crime links after 11-year-old boy shot in Sydney apartment NSW police are holding a press conference after an 11-year-old boy was shot in the face in Sydney yesterday. Supt Naomi Moore said officers found the boy with the injury on arrival. He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Moore said there were a number of people in the unit at the time, and officers have spoken to some of them and are looking to speak to others. Some of those present at the time of the shooting “are not currently cooperating with investigators”, she said. Three men, all 18, were arrested last night.

Two have been released pending further investigations, and one was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence and had bail refused. Moore said several of those in the unit were known to police, adding: double quotation mark I want to reassure the community this shooting at this stage does not appear to be linked directly to current conflicts. However, a number of individuals that were inside the unit at the time are well known to NSW police, and their association with organised crime is being considered by investigators.

Taylor says idea to use super to help with housing purchases ‘not our policy’ Angus Taylor said shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg’s idea to use superannuation as collateral for housing purchases is “not our policy”. Taylor was asked about Bragg’s idea earlier today. The opposition leader had this to say: double quotation mark Superannuation is Australians’ money.

It’s Australians’ money. They should have choice in it, that’s why we strongly support self-managed super funds. But the proposal you’re talking about there is not our policy.

As we reported earlier, Bragg said the “general idea” behind the proposal “is we want to have a country where more people are retired homeowners, and one of the most worrying trends we have is the growth in retired renters”. Bragg added: double quotation mark That doesn’t seem to be the best outcome for all people, which is why we’re having this debate, because we want to be a nation of homeowners. Opposition leader Angus Taylor.

Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Australian shares edge higher after shaky start Australian shares have already handed back most of an early lead after optimism about the AI boom didn’t translate into significant upside for the local exchange, AAP reports. The S&P/ASX200 rose 0.24% as the broader All Ordinaries gained 0.3%. The top-200 spiked almost 49 points at the open after a tech-led rally on Wall Street overnight, but an unconvincing bounce from under-pressure mining stocks and a lack of follow-through for bank stocks left it on track for yet another flat session.

Local energy stocks weighed heavily on Tuesday, as hopes of US-Iran talks sent Brent crude down to $US101.10 a barrel, while diesel prices in the US and Europe have hit record highs. The Australian dollar is buying 71.05 US cents, down from 71.28 US cents on Monday at 5pm. ASX headquarters in Sydney.

Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Man linked to suspicious death charged with bribing public officials in Bangladesh A man has been charged with bribing public officials in Bangladesh to stop police linking him to a suspicious death, in a first in Australia’s courts, AAP reports. An Australian-Bangladeshi woman’s death was deemed suspicious by local authorities when her body was found in Bangladesh in September 2024. The Australian federal police began investigating the death due to the woman’s dual citizenship status, seizing international transaction records from banks in Sydney and Brisbane.

Police allege a 51-year-old man known to the woman conspired with people in Bangladesh in the two years after her death, transferring about $90,000 to bribe public officials to remove his name from police records. Raids were carried out on Monday at homes in Goodna and Redbank Plains, in Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, where authorities seized an electronic device and arrested the 51-year-old. He was charged with bribing a foreign public official, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.

Any attempt to corrupt investigative processes, whether in Australia or overseas, was a serious criminal matter, AFP Cmdr Stephen Jay said. “We will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners regarding this investigation,” he said. The Redbank Plains man is scheduled to appear before Brisbane magistrates court later on Tuesday.

It is the first time the AFP has put an allegation of foreign bribery of a public official for personal advantage before the court. Bangladeshi police are conducting their own investigation into the woman’s death. Brisbane magistrates court.

Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP Petra Stock Solar and wind generation meet record 80% of power demand on Australia’s national grid Sunshine and wind met 80.4% of demand on Australia’s main power grid on Saturday, setting a new high bar for renewable electricity. Solar panels on rooftops provided more than half of the power used in the national electricity market, the grid that supplies the eastern states, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, for 30 minutes around lunchtime. This was complemented by solar and windfarms, and a small amount of hydro (1%).

Fossil fuels, coal and gas, contributed 20%. The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the milestone meant there was “more clean, cheap, sovereign energy powering our homes and businesses than ever before”. Read more here: Achol Arok Coogee shark attack survivor Stewart says skin graft has failed Leah Stewart , who was bitten by a shark at a Sydney beach, says a skin graft has failed as she continues her recovery.

The 34-year-old mother and school teacher was attacked while swimming at Coogee beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on 13 June. As part of her treatment, doctors took skin from her right thigh and grafted it on to her injured left thigh. In a social media post, Stewart said she was “devastated” after doctors confirmed the operation has failed. double quotation mark Unfortunately, this is not the post I was wanting to do, but I had my graft checked yesterday and it was confirmed that it failed.

Feeling pretty devastated, had quite a few tears. And now, I’m not really sure where to go from here. Stewart said despite the failure, the operation had offered her some reprieve from using a vacuum-assisted closure machine. double quotation mark It’s been three and a half months and my leg is still open.

I guess the only good thing is we’re trying something different, having a little break from the vac machine, which means I can move a little bit more freely. Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram.

We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' . Police investigating after alleged Nazi salute in Sydney’s inner west Police in Sydney are appealing for information after a man allegedly performed a Nazi salute in the inner city suburb of Newtown on Saturday.

NSW police released images of a group of men, who were seen walking along Australia Street at about 5.40pm. The men were allegedly yelling offensive comments before one of them stopped and performed a Nazi salute. The group then continued on their way before they were approached by a woman.

They allegedly made offensive comments towards her. Detectives are continuing an investigation into the incident and have asked for anyone with information to come forward. In a post to social media, authorities released photos of people who police believe can assist in their investigation.

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Source: The Guardian

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