‘Not about being dishonest': D'Ambrosio says grid bill still unknown
D'Ambrosio was grilled at length about estimates that the transition plan would cost $20 billion, or more than four times the $4.3 billion set out by the government last month. She said the $20 billion figure – first reported by The Australian Financial Review – was wrong but could not say what the cost was or what the impact on energy bills would be.
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Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
'When will insanity end': farmer fury over power play
Tractors have rolled down city streets as fired-up farmers slam proposed laws to enforce the roll out of hundreds of kilometres of power lines. Several hundred people packed the front steps of Victorian parliament on Wednesday as the lower house prepares to debate a controversial bill this week. Under the legislation, state government agency VicGrid would be granted powers to access private farmland to build transmission towers. It states authorised officers can use "reasonable force" with an entry order and people are banned from obstructing, hindering or delaying access. Fines of up to $12,000 for individuals and up to $48,000 for body corporates can be handed out if there is resistance. Protesters held signs reading "no government stooge on my land" and "hands off our land" as the state pushes on with network expansion to facilitate the transition to clean energy. VNI West, a second 240km transmission line between Victoria and NSW, has had its delivery date delayed two years to late 2030. A construction timeline for the 190km Western Renewables Link from Bulgana in Victoria's west to Sydenham in Melbourne's northwest has also been pushed back. The plans continue to face opposition despite the Victorian government committing to pay landowners $8000 a year for every kilometre of transmission infrastructure for 25 years. Gerald Feeny, a fourth-generation farmer from near St Arnaud in western Victoria's Wimmera region, said producers couldn't be bought off or bullied into submission. "(Premier) Jacinta Allan says she's a country girl," he said. "What country girl would bully and try to intimidate rural people, farmers on their own land?" Kanya farmer Marcia McIntyre said farms were for food not energy production and pondered "when will this insanity end". "After some horrendous lying, coercion and bullying from AEMO, (the government) have a revolt along the unnecessary VNI West transmission and WRL transmission lines," she said. "Instead of fixing the problem that they and their own agencies caused, they are just going to roll out some legislation to enforce their will on the people." The premier insisted laws already allowed private companies to enter farms and the proposed changes would "centralise" arrangements through VicGrid. "What we've seen by some of the private companies with the way they've engaged with landowners in some parts of our state hasn't been up to scratch," Ms Allan told reporters. "That's why we understand it needs to be better co-ordinated - we need to work with landowners and that's exactly what we'll do." Opposition Leader Brad Battin accused the Labor government of railroading farmers, who also fought tooth and nail to win a 12-month reprieve from an expanded emergency services levy. "We're not anti-renewable energy but you can't do it by bulldozing through people's properties," he said. Nationals Leader Danny O'Brien told the crowd the coalition would repeal the bill if passed and it wins the next state election in November 2026.
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Terrace jackpot! This home quadrupled in price in over a decade
A grand Victorian terrace in Potts Point has changed hands and more than quadrupled its price since it last sold for just $2.45 million in 2012. The landmark five-storey property at 157 Victoria Street, was once a dilapidated boarding house, but has since been transformed into one of the most impressive private homes in inner Sydney. Sold this month through Bresic Whitney, the sale highlights the extraordinary capital growth seen in tightly held areas of the eastern suburbs over the past decade. With over 360 square metres of internal space, a 6-metre-plus frontage, and rare uninterrupted views of Sydney's city skyline, Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the property represents a rare convergence of scale, location and prestige. records show it last sold for $2,450,000 in 2012, before the current boom in demand for high-end, inner-city living hit its stride. Located at the top of Victoria Street, an enclave locals refer to as the "Parisian end" for its leafy streetscape and village-like charm, the home sits among some of Sydney's most desirable addresses. A canopy of London Plane trees, historic architecture, and proximity to celebrated dining spots like Ms G's and The Butler create a European-style ambience in the heart of the city. property expert and CEO of Cohen Handler Buyer's Advocates, Simon Cohen, said: "It's an absolute beauty! "My favourite part of the house is the wine cellar stocked with some great reds, and the kitchen which is modern and sleek and offsets the style of this Victorian terrace and brings it into the modern world." The residence has been completely reimagined with a focus on luxury and light. Multiple outdoor entertaining areas with views over Cowper Bay to the CBD, elegant interiors, and thoughtful restoration details blend 19th-century character with contemporary design. Perhaps the property's most impressive feature is its exclusive outlook. It backs directly onto Embarkation Park, one of the city's hidden green spaces perched above Woolloomooloo Wharf. With panoramic views extending across to harbour icons, the terrace offers a front-row seat to New Year's Eve fireworks and access to a peaceful park sanctuary year-round. Cohen agrees: "The best part of the house is this epic terrace with the quintessential Sydney view." Access to the city is just as spectacular. The Butler and McElhone heritage staircases are cut into the cliff, providing locals with a sneaky shortcut to the Domain, galleries, and harbourside paths and an excellent workout with a view. In a suburb dominated by compact apartments and smaller terraces, homes of this scale are almost never available. Agent Chris Breedon of Bresic Whitney East, who handled the sale, said of the property: "It's rare to find a property of this size and quality in Potts Point." Breedon also revealed that the sale was the result of a longstanding relationship with the buyers, which ultimately made the deal possible. "The buyers were previous clients of mine," he said. "Back in January they mentioned they were looking to upsize locally, and asked me to keep them in mind if the right place came up. If it did, they wanted to be among the first to know." That opportunity came in March when the home was due to launch to market. Breedon immediately notified a shortlist of interested parties, including the eventual buyers, though they were overseas at the time. "I wanted to show them straight away, but the timing didn't work," he said. "The home went to market but didn't find the perfect buyer. The owners were happy to be patient until it felt that way, so we paused the campaign." The property remained on Bresic Whitney's private sales portal, which showcases exclusive listings not available elsewhere, keeping it visible to qualified buyers throughout the agency's network. When the buyers returned from Europe over winter, the conversation picked up where it left off. "They specifically asked if they could see the home and over about a fortnight they visited it several times," Breedon said. "They weren't active buyers in the traditional sense, but they'd remembered the home. And now, the timing was right." With very few properties offering this combination of heritage, luxury, and views, it's little wonder one buyer was willing to pay a premium, and the vendor walked away with a multimillion-dollar windfall.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Second state moves to outlaw private bail monitoring
Private firms will be banned from providing electronic monitoring of bailed accused offenders after authorities in two states were left red faced. Victoria has followed NSW with legislation to outlaw decision-makers from setting private electronic monitoring as a condition of bail. Magistrates and judges can currently require offenders wear GPS trackers and pay providers for the service. It led to a crisis when BailSafe Australia shut down in January without telling police and justice authorities in both states, leaving dozens of offenders in Victoria and NSW unmonitored. "They didn't tell anyone across the justice system, the courts or Victoria Police - and that's just absolutely unacceptable," Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told reporters on Wednesday. "When that happened I was determined that we would ... stamp the use of private companies." Ankle monitoring is typically reserved for offenders accused of serious crimes, with more cashed-up individuals offering to hire private firms to increase their prospects of being granted bail. Some Supreme Court judges have criticised the practice for indirectly discriminating against poorer accused offenders. The legislation brings Victoria into line with NSW after its parliament passed a ban in May that included a three-month transition period. Several different private firms were involved in the monitoring of under 120 people on bail in NSW before its ban came into effect. A Victorian review after the BailSafe debacle found private services were monitoring 14 offenders in the southern state. Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said only one private bail monitoring company continued operating in the state. The ban is part of the state government's second package of bail reforms and won't impact a state trial of electronic monitoring for repeat alleged youth offenders. It will take effect once the legislation passes parliament and receives royal assent. The latest round of bail reforms feature a new test for people accused of repeat, serious offending and a "second strike" rule for those charged with further offending. Mr Battin said Victoria's bail system was broken and scoffed at the government's claim the changes would make Victoria's bail laws the "toughest" in the nation. "Crime in Victoria is out of control," he said. Victoria tightened bail laws in 2018 after James Gargasoulas drove into Melbourne's busy Bourke Street Mall in 2017 while on bail, killing six people and injuring dozens more. An inquest into the death of Indigenous woman Veronica Nelson in 2020 found the changes were a "complete and unmitigated disaster", sparking a relaxation of laws in 2024. Statistics from the year to the end of March showed offences jumped by more than 15 per cent when adjusted for population, with youth crime hitting its highest point on record.
