Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce secures final $3.8m bonus
Jonathan Barrett
Alan Joyce has secured a final bonus worth $3.8m, two years after the prominent Qantas chief executive left the airline after a series of corporate decisions sparked a reputational crisis.
While Joyce’s various incentives were reduced due to several scandals occurring under his watch, the final payout was linked to a 2023-25 incentive plan that is now vesting.
The airline’s share price is at record highs, which has lifted the value of the incentive.
Qantas was previously found to have illegally sacked more than 1,800 workers, and agreed to pay a $100m civil penalty after striking a deal with the consumer watchdog for allegedly selling tens of thousands of tickets to flights that had already been cancelled in its system.
The airline lodged its annual report today, which showed that his successor, Vanessa Hudson, received $6.3m last financial year, up more than 40% on the prior year.
Hudson had her short term bonus reduced in response to a major cyber attack on Qantas customers.
Key events
Australians turning away from sugary drinks, new data shows
Fewer Australians are drinking sweetened drinks than a decade ago, new data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found.
James Eynstone-Hinkins, ABS head of health statistics, said today’s data gave a comprehensive snapshot of Australia’s nutrition, including we’re eating, our energy intakes and the types of diets we follow.
The proportion of people who drank sweetened beverages fell from 49.2% in 1995 to 42.2% in 2011–12 and then to 28.9% in 2023. Nearly three in four children drank sweetened beverages in 1995. This fell to one in four children in 2023.
Sweetened beverages are an example of ‘discretionary choices’ in our diets, which are food and drinks that are high in energy, saturated fat, salt or sugar and have low levels of essential nutrients.
One third of daily energy intake came from discretionary food and drinks in 2023, down from 35.4% in 2011–12, the data found.
Eynstone-Hinkins said the leading foods contributing to discretionary energy came from Cereal-based mixed dishes, including foods like takeaway burgers and pizza. This was also the most popular food group – eaten by more than half, or 52%, of people on a typical day.
The data also found almost one in eight households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, including 34% of lone parent family households.
One in four people 15 years and over were following a diet.
NSW police continue to search for alleged vandals of Sydney’s Anzac Memorial
The cost of vandalism to the Sydney Anzac Memorial has been estimated by police at around $10,000.
Addressing the media this afternoon, the chief inspector of the Sydney City Police Area Command, Gary Coffey, said CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly vandalised the memorial would be released to the public in an effort to apprehend them.
He said about 12.20pm on Thursday two unknown men believed to be in their 50s or 60s were captured on CCTV spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.
He said police were contacted a few hours later and attended the scene, with CCTV showing more than 20 pictures that had been marked. Conservation experts have since taken a sample of the substance.
They made their way inside the memorial, walked around the memorial, appeared to have small bottles in their hands and they’ve deposited this oil based substance at various locations.
He said the damage was still visible on Friday, adding it would take time to restore the heritage-listed site.
We are absolutely desperate for someone in the community to identify these two individuals and make sure they’re held accountable for their actions.
The war memorial is a sacred site for our community and to do this is absolutely disgusting.
Body found in search for missing diver off NSW coast
A body has been located during the search for a diver who was last seen off the mid north coast of New South Wales on Wednesday morning.
Just after 10.50am, emergency services were called to Myall Lakes national park at Seal Rocks after reports a spearfisherman hadn’t returned from water.
Police were told the 32-year-old man dived into the water near Skeleton Rock about 10.20am and failed to resurface.
Officers, with assistance from Marine Rescue NSW, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, NSW Ambulance and Surf Life Saving, began a multi-agency search to find the man.
About 11.30am today, police divers found the body of a man nearby. While yet to be formally identified, the body is believed to be that of the missing spearfisherman.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Shots fired in western Sydney, police say
A police operation is underway after shots were fires in Greystanes, a suburb in greater western Sydney, today.
Just after 12pm, officers were called to Victor Street after reports of shots fired from one car towards another.
The two vehicles then left the scene, police say:
Police are at the scene and inquiries are under way.
Members of the public are urged to avoid the area.
Man caught riding motorbike at 218km/hr in a 100km/hr zone in rural Queensland, police say
A man has been fined nearly $2,000 after he was caught riding a motorbike at 218km/h in a 100km/h zone on a highway in rural Queensland, police say.
Queensland police have issued a statement saying they stopped the 51-year-old yesterday afternoon in Warwick, a town about 130km south-west of Brisbane.
Police said they had allegedly observed him speeding on the 2025 BMW S1000RR motorcycle on the New England Highway south of Warwick in The Glen about 12.50pm.
The highway patrol officers who stopped the man fined him $1,919 and issued him with eight demerit points, police said.
The Warwick patrol group inspector, Kelly Hanlen, said:
There’s no excuse for travelling at excessive speed anywhere, any time but even more so on roads where there are several additional road hazards to deal with.
This includes road conditions like loose gravel and narrow lanes as well as wildlife encounters, reduced visibility from dust or fog, reduced lighting and increased risk of driver fatigue.
Hanlen said the incident coincided with rural road safety month, a national awareness campaign run in September by the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
Andrew Messenger
Brisbane park heritage listed ahead of 2032 Olympics
The entire inner-city Brisbane park set to host the 2032 Olympics has been heritage-listed by the Queensland Heritage Council.
Victoria Park will be home to two stadia, including the city’s biggest, built for the games. It was gazetted as a park in 1875, but most of the park spent the last century as a golf course. Part of the park had been listed already. The amendment expands its listing to cover the whole park.
The council judged that it should be listed under five different criteria including the aesthetics of its 1920s-era electric substation and its importance to Queensland’s history. The listing won’t prevent the stadium from being built.
The heritage council said it was satisfied that “while change is likely to occur at the place through the planned construction of the stadium … there is a reasonable probability the cultural heritage significance of the place can be conserved”.
Heritage law also no longer applies after the state government passed legislation in May to exempt Olympics venues from any heritage, planning or Indigenous heritage laws on the basis of urgency while also increasing planning regulation on windfarm development.
Vice-chancellor of University of Melbourne urged to sacrifice 10% of salary to save Meanjin
More than 700 people have signed an open letter requesting that the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne (UoM), Prof Emma Johnston, sacrifice 10% of her current salary to save the literary journal Meanjin.
After 85 years, Meanjin, run by the university’s subsidiary Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), will publish its final edition in December. Although the journal’s editor, Esther Anatolitis, worked her last day at Meanjin on Thursday, the spring and summer quarterly editions of the journal are already at the printers.
The letter, penned by novelist and poet Alan Fyfe, says writers and literary workers are “saddened and distressed by the closure of one of Australia’s longest standing literary journals, Meanjin”.
We understand the financial pressures of modern academies, and that thrift must be found somewhere. With this in mind, we approach you with a simple proposal: a small voluntary pay cut of 10% of your current salary would save the university $150,000, an ample amount to keep a literature journal running and publishing.
This would still leave you with the handsome payrate of $1,350,000 per annum; and with all accommodation and other expense perks intact. We understand that the job of Vice Chancellor of a leading university entails some hard work that deserves fair compensation. A 10% salary cut, however, would leave you still over $341,000 (converted to AUD) better off annually than the Vice Chancellor of The University of Cambridge.
Johnston was approached for comment.
Sydney’s Anzac Memorial allegedly damaged by two men
NSW police are appealing for information after alleged “malicious damage” to Sydney’s Anzac Memorial.
In a statement, police said about 12.20pm yesterday two unknown men were seen spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.
One man was seen to spray the substance on to the eastern walls and northern steps of the memorial, while the other man was seen to spray a substance on to the southern steps.
Shortly after, both men were seen to leave the Anzac Memorial and walk together in a northern direction through Hyde Park.
Officers from Sydney City Police Area Command have begun an investigation into the incident and have released images and CCTV vision of two men who might be able to assist with inquiries.
Both men are described as being Caucasian appearance, about 50-60 years old, one with a large build and black and grey hair and one with a solid build and shaved head.
Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce secures final $3.8m bonus
Jonathan Barrett
Alan Joyce has secured a final bonus worth $3.8m, two years after the prominent Qantas chief executive left the airline after a series of corporate decisions sparked a reputational crisis.
While Joyce’s various incentives were reduced due to several scandals occurring under his watch, the final payout was linked to a 2023-25 incentive plan that is now vesting.
The airline’s share price is at record highs, which has lifted the value of the incentive.
Qantas was previously found to have illegally sacked more than 1,800 workers, and agreed to pay a $100m civil penalty after striking a deal with the consumer watchdog for allegedly selling tens of thousands of tickets to flights that had already been cancelled in its system.
The airline lodged its annual report today, which showed that his successor, Vanessa Hudson, received $6.3m last financial year, up more than 40% on the prior year.
Hudson had her short term bonus reduced in response to a major cyber attack on Qantas customers.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell refused bail
Adeshola Ore
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell – who allegedly led an attack on a sacred Indigenous burial site in Melbourne over the weekend – has been refused bail.
Sewell, 32, appeared in the Melbourne magistrates court on Friday morning, where he was told he would have to remain in custody over multiple alleged violent offences.
Police charged Sewell on Tuesday with the offences, including violent disorder and affray, over the alleged incident at Camp Sovereignty on the weekend.
Magistrate Donna Bakos said she found Sewell’s alleged offences to be “serious”.
To lead and participate in, if not incite, an unprovoked attack on a sacred site … can only be viewed as serious conduct.
Bakos said Sewell was not charged over his political view and ideology “whether racially motivated or otherwise”.
She said the charges related to allegations of “unlawful and violent conduct”.
As Sewell was lead out of the court room, he said “we fight for white Australia.”
A group of Sewell’s supporters in the court room said “hail white Australia”.
Historic portrait of Vadim de Waart-Hottart shared in Victoria Police tribute
Victoria Police have also shared a photo of Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart receiving a portrait painted of him amid his funeral in Melbourne.
In a statement uploaded to social media, Victoria Police said some years ago, de Waart-Hottart attended a mental health incident with a colleague where they supported someone in crisis.
As a thank you, that person painted portraits of both officers. In this photo, Vadim can be seen proudly holding the artwork. We think you’ll agree it’s a pretty great painting.
Police said the moment was shared by de Waart-Hottart’s former colleagues at St Kilda as a “small but powerful reminder of the quiet, positive impact our members have in the community every day – often without recognition or expectation”
It’s through gestures like these that we remember Vadim as someone who devoted his career to helping others.
Today we farewell Vadim and honour the lasting impact of his service and dedication.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart farewelled in Melbourne
A sea of navy blue has surrounded the coffin of a young officer gunned down in his prime as the hunt continues for his alleged killer.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 34, is being farewelled by loved ones, friends, colleagues and political leaders with full police honours at a private funeral at the Victoria Police Academy on Friday.
Before the service, the area around the academy in Melbourne’s east was eerily quiet as hundreds of members, alongside police dogs, gathered both inside and outside the on-site chapel.
The chapel’s capacity was doubled from 500 people to more than 1,000 people but it still wasn’t enough, with officers spilling into hallways and overflow rooms.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the premier, Jacinta Allan and the Victorian police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, are among those in attendance at the private ceremony.
A table was set up in the chapel with medals, which he will be awarded, along with a statue of Batman, a childhood favourite.
Once the ceremony is over, the police air wing will perform a flyover as his colleagues line the surrounding streets in a guard of honour for the exiting coffin.
– AAP
Andrew Messenger
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union members accept pay deal
Members of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union have voted to accept a state government pay deal.
The health minister, Tim Nicholls, announced the deal last week, which guarantees an 11% pay increase and double time for overtime, a national first for nurses and midwives.
The QNMU secretary, Sarah Beaman, told media on Friday that about three-quarters of members had recently voted that the deal was good enough to go to a formal ballot.
This offer has been won on the hard work of nurses and midwives taking protected industrial action (for the first time in 20 years).
Their strength, their determination, their professionalism, has seen this offer be a significant improvement on first two offers, and they should be proud of themselves. This is an offer that will recruit, retain and respect nurses and midwives now and into the future.
The enterprise bargaining agreement still has to go through additional consultation and voting before taking effect, which Beaman said could take several weeks.
Josh Taylor
Meta questioned definition of ‘celeb-bait’ in scams court case but used the term this week
Meta argued in the federal court it did not understand the Australian consumer watchdog using the term “celeb-bait” to describe alleged scam ads on its platforms, however the Facebook and Instagram parent company used the term in press material this week.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Meta over the scam ads featuring deepfakes of public figures such as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, with the 2022 case yet to go to a hearing.
A judgment in the federal court on Friday revealed Meta had sought to strike out the ACCC’s further amended statement of claim in part because “Meta contended … that they do not understand the term celeb-bait” in the context of the company being expected to take reasonable steps to prevent such ads ending up on its platform.
The court ruled against Meta. Justice Wendy Abraham said she did not consider “that there is any lack of understanding” by Meta “as to what is meant by clickbait advertisements”.
“Their attributes are identified in the pleadings … There is an artificiality to this complaint.”
Meta’s global head of counter-fraud and security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, who is US-based, used the term in a press release to reporters this week, in explaining the action the company was taking on scams:
In Australia, between April and May 2024, 102 reports were provided by the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange Intel Loop, enabling Meta to remove more than 9,000 spam pages and over 8,000 AI-generated celeb-bait scams across Facebook and Instagram.
Meta said in a briefing that users were encountering scam ads 60% less often on its services than a year ago. In July 2024, the number of scam ads reported globally was at 4.5 per million total ad views, compared to 1.8 scam ad reports per million views as of July this year.
Police to address media after Singleton dog attack
Still in New South Wales, police will address the media after a teenage girl was seriously injured during a dog attack at Singleton yesterday.
Emergency services were called to a home at about 11.30am and found a 16-year-old girl suffering critical injuries to her head, neck and body.
She was treated by paramedics before being flown to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital, police said. The 10-year-old dog – described as a large dog of mixed breed – was destroyed with the consent of the owner.
The Hunter Valley police district dommander, acting superintendent Justin Cornes, will speak outside Cessnock police station at 12.30pm.
We’ll bring you the latest updates.
Man accused of using cryptocurrency to buy child abuse material
In New South Wales, cybercrime squad detectives have charged a 21-year-old man after he allegedly used cryptocurrency to buy child abuse material online as part of an ongoing state investigation into alleged offenders.
A search warrant was issued about 6am yesterday at an address in South Grafton.
During the search, police located and seized two laptops and a mobile phone, MDMA, ketamine and LSD.
A forensic triage of the electronics was conducted with child abuse material, images and videos allegedly located saved in the devices.
The man was arrested at the address and was taken to Grafton police station.
He has been charged with seven offences including two counts of possessing child abuse material, possessing a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug more than indictable and less than a commercial quantity, supplying a prohibited drug more than or equal to a commercial quantity, possessing instructions for manufacture of a prohibited drug, and hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty.
He was refused bail to appear before court today.
Robodebt victim says record-breaking settlement a major win: ‘what they did was unjust’
Nathan Knox was a young man paying off a crippling robodebt when a split-second decision stopped him from stepping in front of a train. He is one of the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the unlawful robodebt scheme, which hunted down welfare recipients for money they didn’t owe.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s government has agreed to pay an additional $475m to its victims, marking a record-breaking class-action settlement.
Knox was in his early 20s and working when he received a robodebt worth about $15,000 after a period of jobseeker payments. The debt notice turned his world upside down.
A royal commission into robodebt found there were at least three known suicides as a result of the scheme, but was confident of further tragedies.
The scheme forced many people into dire financial circumstances as they took out loans and sold their cars or ran down savings to pay off the supposed debt. Knox, now in his mid-30s and raising a young family, said the size of the settlement was a major win:
No amount of money is going to return those individuals and it’s really sad. It says the government was wrong and what they did was unjust.
-AAP
First Nations call for national day of action in response to anti-immigration rallies
In Sydney, the Blak Caucus, working with Gadigal people and other Sovereign owners of the region, will hold a major rally on 13 September with the slogans:
Sovereignty Never Ceded, Racism and Fascism Not Welcomed, No to Nazis, No to White Supremacy, Stand With Camp Sovereignty, Corroboree Not Colony
It is part of a national day of action being led by First Nations groups across Australia in response to the attack on Camp Sovereignty and the March for Australia demonstrations.
Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovenor, a Gadigal elder, urged supporters to attend:
We were shocked to … hear about the violence put on our people at Camp Sovereignty on Wurundjeri country in Melbourne.
This brought back memories of how our camps of our people were attacked back during the invasion that took our lands, or how the police attack out people, like in 1972 when they tried to tear down the Tent Embassy. We must take a stand to say: no more.
All people who are true and strong and love everything that is beautiful about these lands, you are welcome here.
NT parliament to be lit in honour of fallen Victorian police officers
In the Northern Territory, Parliament House will be lit up in blue tonight and on Monday night to honour the lives of Victorian police officers Vadim De Waart and Neal Thompson who were killed in the line of duty last month in Porepunkah.
The chief minister and police minister, Lia Finocchiaro, said the Territory stood united with Victoria in grief.
The loss of Officers De Waart and Thompson is felt across the entire nation. Every day, police officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and their service and sacrifice must never be forgotten. On behalf of all Territorians, I extend my deepest condolences to their families and colleagues.
The speaker of the legislative assembly, Robyn Lambley, said that as a mark of respect Parliament House will be illuminated in blue on 5 and 8 September 2025.
The acting commissioner of the NT police, Matt Hollamby, attending today’s funeral service in Melbourne, said the tragedy has deeply affected policing families across Australia. Flags at police stations in Victoria will be flown at half mast.
