Latest news with #DamianShaw
Herald Sun
11-07-2025
- General
- Herald Sun
Fire at childcare centre in Turramurra, Sydney to be investigated
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. A blaze that broke out at a childcare centre in Sydney's north is reportedly being treated as suspicious, with a member of staff saying they have 'no idea' why they may have been targeted. Crews were called to the Play to Learn Turramurra at about 4.25am on Friday, following reports of a fire. Emergency crews were called to the scene just before 4.30am on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw Sprinkler systems on the premises extinguished the flames, Fire and Rescue NSW has confirmed. No injuries have been reported and minor damage was caused to the building. The owner of the centre - which has been open for less than a year - reportedly arrived at the scene at about 6am and has been speaking with police about the incident, as per Today. No injuries have been reported and minor damage was caused to the building. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw It has been reported the fire is being treated as suspicious, but this is yet to be officially confirmed by police. The centre's head of operations Jemma Quinlan said she had 'absolutely no idea' why they may have been targeted. 'It's horrific - we're here to serve the community, (and) we're here for our families and our children,' she told Today. 'We've been operating for 19 years on The Central Coast. We have an amazing reputation up there. Head of operations Jemma Quinlan has described the fire as 'horrific', saying she has no idea why the centre might have been targeted. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw 'We have generations of families that have been through Play to Learn - this has never happened (here) before. 'So we are absolutely dumbfounded and shocked.' Ms Quinlan said she found out about the fire when she was woken by a bombardment of phone calls. 'The work phone was ringing off the hook around ... 4.30am, which is obviously extremely strange,' she said. 'I think in my gut, I was just like - this is not right, something's not right.' Ms Quinlan said she soon checked through CCTV footage from the childcare centres and saw the fire at Turramurra. 'Obviously it was a massive shock - I couldn't believe what I was seeing,' she said. '(I) picked up the phone, called back the numbers that were calling me, and it was the police.' Police have established a crime scene and are now investigating the circumstances of the fire. Anyone with information in relation to the incident are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. More to come. Originally published as Fire at childcare centre in Turramurra, Sydney to be investigated
Perth Now
08-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
ASX flat despite RBA's shock move
Australia's sharemarket closed flat on Tuesday despite the Reserve Bank shocking markets by holding the official cash rate at 3.85 per cent and more details emerging from Donald Trump's tariff plans. The benchmark ASX 200 index closed at 8590.7 just 1.4 points higher, or 0.02 per cent, on a seesawing day of trading. The broader All Ordinaries also eked out a tiny gain, up 2.30 points or 0.03 per cent. The Australian dollar jumped on higher interest rates and is now buying 65.33 US cents. On a mixed day of trading, just four sectors were higher, with seven finishing in the red. The gains were led by telecommunications, the major banks and consumer discretionary stocks. RBA trades flat despite the RBA holding interest rates. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: News Corp Australia Three of the big four banks finished higher with CBA gaining 0.83 per cent to close at $179.28, NAB gained 0.64 per cent to $39.29 and ANZ finished in the green up 0.27 per cent to $30.21. Westpac was the outlier, slipping just 0.03 per cent to $33.47 to be the only major bank to end in the red. Wesfarmers gained 0.53 per cent to $83.49, Aristocrat Leisure gained 0.30 per cent to $67.84 and Eagers Automotive jumped 0.64 per cent to $18.73. Going against market expectations, the RBA held the official cash rate at 3.85 per cent, although left the door open for future rate cuts. VanEck head of investments and capital markets Russel Chesler said markets seemed to be throwing caution to the wind with their expectations. 'A rate cut is generally good for markets, as it reduces the cost of capital and thus encourages business growth – particularly for small caps, which are typically more leveraged,' he said. 'The additional rate easing, while mild, also suggests business input costs should improve, which is beneficial for mid and small caps that tend to have lower pricing power. 'However, the tight labour market should not be overlooked, with wages continuing to put downward pressure on profits.' On a flat day of trading four of the 11 sectors finished in the green. Picture NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. Credit: News Corp Australia Australia's market followed a weak lead in from Wall Street overnight after US President Donald Trump began sending letters to key trading partners, including Japan and South Korea who will both face 25 per cent tariff rates. In total 14 letters were sent with Mr Trump sharing screenshots of signed form letters dictating new tariff rates to the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia and Thailand. senior financial market analyst Kyle Rodda called it a 'quick punch in the guts' as the July 9 US trade deal deadline approaches. 'Market participants were anticipating a flurry of trade deals with some trading partners and a handful of letters announcing new tariff rates on others,' he wrote in an economic note. 'So far, only the letters have been published, and their contents made investors' stomachs sink.' In company news, shares in DigitalX soared 34.15 per cent to $0.11 after the digital asset manager announced a $20.7m strategic investment to expand its bitcoin-focused strategy. Pizza maker Domino's also finished in the green up 2.39 per cent to $18.45 after broker Morgans revealed a buy rating for the business stating 'we think the risk reward looks attractive from here.' It comes after shares have fallen by 47 per cent over the last 12 months, including a more than 11 per cent drop last week after chief executive Mark Van Dyck announced plans to leave his role just before Christmas. Anti-drone technology company DroneShield also jumped 4.07 per cent to $2.56 after telling the market it had been awarded an $11.7m follow-on research and development contract by a Five Eyes Department of Defence. This follows the completion of a $9.9m contract with the same defence customer back in July 2023.
Courier-Mail
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
EV saves the day during ‘bomb cyclone'
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. I'm writing this story in the dark at home, with a blackout having just hit in the lower Blue Mountains. I've got no electricity, no hot water, and thankfully just enough battery power on my laptop to tell you that I wish I had a home battery pack… But I kind of do. Because I'm a car reviewer, and I test out lots of new vehicles. And some of those vehicles can run household appliances in emergencies. 'Vehicle-to-load' or 'V2L' is the terminology used for this ability to use a vehicle's high voltage battery pack to power things other than the electric motor of the car itself. You might remember earlier this year, during Cyclone Alfred, when EV owners surprised the internet with how their cars kept their fridge cold during power outages. It is common in fully electric cars, like the Hyundai Inster I have parked in my driveway right now. Cars drive through flooded roads in Moore Park. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw MORE: How 'The Chargers' will keep power on during storms It's a $40K-ish small EV with a little battery, and while it isn't fully charged, I can plug into the exterior charge port using a special adaptor to plug in a household appliance or a powerboard. This particular EV offers up to 3.6kW of power output, even when the car itself is switched off. That means I could run a cable to a fridge, heater, or even emergency medical equipment to keep things powered up. The tech is becoming more commonplace in electric cars, and it has even found its way into some of the most popular cars on the market, like the Ford Ranger. There's a new plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger with a set of powerpoints built into the tub area, which allow you to do much the same thing – power appliances or charge battery-powered items using the vehicle's high-voltage battery. The so-called 'Pro Power Onboard' has a maximum output of 6.9kW – two tub-mounted plugs at 3.45kW each, and another outlet in the cabin (2.3kW). The BYD Shark 6 ute also has V2L – in fact, it has three powerpoints in the tub, with a maximum output of 6.6kW. That's enough to keep a household running. Maybe even get a load of washing done. MORE: The revolutionary feature in plug-in hybrids Some EVs can run power to everyday appliances. Picture: Supplied There have been stories over recent years that couldn't have been told before the age of EV battery tech – like the owners of EVs that came to the rescue in Cyclone Alfred earlier in 2025, or the woman who used her EV to keep her son's dialysis machine going in 2023. Seriously, it could be as simple as running an extension cable to neighbours in need, or making sure your $500 worth of shopping won't spoil because of a flimsy power network. And yes, you can use it for powering tools at the worksite, or even setting up your Christmas decorations, but this underrated and underappreciated technological advancement is literally saving lives every day around the world. So the idea of an electric vehicle, or even a hybrid one, is not just about saving fuel and 'doing your bit for the environment' – it's also potentially a clever investment if you don't want to go for a home battery system. It's like a mobile home battery in some ways. And with the current 'bomb cyclone' smashing NSW and more insane and unpredictable weather events almost certainly heading our way, it's time I brave the deluge and get outside to the Inster to run an extension lead inside to keep my laptop powered up. Might even plug in the kettle for a nice cuppa, too. Originally published as Why some cars are lifesavers in a blackout
Perth Now
19-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
CBA soars, BHP falls in mixed day on ASX
Commonwealth Bank closed at a record high on Thursday, but it was not enough to lift the broader market as weaker than expected job figures and fears of the possibility the US would strike Iran weighed on the local market. The ASX 200 closed marginally lower for the third straight day down 7.50 points or 0.09 per cent to 8,523.70. The broader All Ordinaries also finished down on Thursday, dropping 16.50 points or 0.19 per cent to 8,741.40. Australia's dollar slumped 0.66 per cent against the US dollar and is now buying 64.64 US cents. On a mixed day of trading the ASX fell despite the banking sector soaring NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Seven of the 11 sectors were lower with large falls in materials, information technology and utilities offsetting strong gains out of the financials and consumer discretionary sectors. Shares in Australia's largest lender CBA soared during early trading as high as $183.23 before settling at $182.85. This beat the previous record close of $182. NAB shares also finished heavily in the green up 1.06 per cent to $39.12, Westpac soared 1.73 per cent to $33.59 and ANZ jumped 0.31 per cent to $29.13. Offsetting a bounce in the financials were falls in the materials sector. BHP slumped 1.98 per cent to $36.13, Rio Tinto sank 2.31 per cent to $103.55 and Fortescue decreased 1.73 per cent to $14.77. Gold miners also slipped after a strong run with Northern Star Resources falling 0.97 per cent to $20.38 and Evolution Mining plunged 4.54 per cent to $7.78. The market seesawed throughout Thursday's trading and was up slightly before the announcement of Australia's job figures. The market slipped on unexpected job figures. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: News Corp Australia In a surprise to the market, 2500 fewer Australians were employed in May compared to April. Betashare chief economist David Bassanese said Thursday's employment data was no smoking gun for a rate cut. 'My base case remains that the RBA will hold fire on rates until the release of the June quarter CPI in late July,' he said. 'If the result confirms a continued decline in trimmed mean inflation to 2.6 per cent in line with RBA expectations, the RBA will likely cut policy rate by 0.25 per cent in August – so households may just need to wait another few weeks for further mortgage relief.' The market also traded lower on fears as to whether the US would strike Iran, a move that Tehran warns would lead to retaliation on US interests in the area. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' US President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' In company news fashion retailer KMD Brands which owns Kathmandu and Rip Curl fell 3.77 per cent to $0.26 after telling the market warmer autumn weather had a negative impact on sales. WiseTech Global shares also fell 1.87 per cent to $106.89 on the back of news directors Charles Gibbon and Michael Gregg would leave the board.
Perth Now
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Council overcharges drivers $12m in fines
A Melbourne council has overcharged drivers up to $12m in parking fines due to an administrative error, spanning back more than a decade. The Merri-bek City Council, formerly Moreland, will launch a refund scheme for 11 different types of parking fines in mostly 'green sign zones' issued between July 1, 2013 and June 11, 2025. Merri-Bek City Council has overcharged drivers up to $12m in parking fines. supplied: Facebook Credit: News Corp Australia Without council resolution, they are only permitted to charge 0.2 penalty units. 'Unfortunately, it has recently been discovered that there was no resolution in place setting this value,' a council statement read. 'This was due to an administrative error in 2013, which has not been identified until recently.' It has been reported about 248,000 fines have been affected by the error, and those who received the infringements can expect a refund of between $43 and $59, depending on the year the fine was issued. The council blamed the overcharging on an administrative error. NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe Credit: News Corp Australia The most common fine was issued for overstaying a parking time limit. 'Many other types of parking infringements are unaffected and were charged the correct amount, including for parking in a clearway, in a loading zone, and in a no-stopping zone.' The council has introduced the Parking Fines Refund Scheme, which will go live from July and will be eligible for 12 months. The 11 fines affected include: – Parked for period longer than indicated – Parked fail to pay obey instructions on sign – Stopped contrary to a No Parking sign – Stopped on a bicycle parking area – Stopped on a motorbike parking area – Parked contrary to requirement of parking area – Parked not at an angle of 45 degrees – Parked not at an angle of 90 degrees – Parked not completely within a parking bay – Parked long vehicle exceed minimum number of bays – Parked wide vehicle exceed minimum number of bays The council are expecting to refund up to $12m in overcharged fines. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: News Corp Australia Council chief executive officer Cathy Henderson apologised for the error. 'Today's announcement reflects Merri-Bek City Council's commitment to integrity, transparency and fairness. Now that we have found the mistake, we are fixing it,' she said. 'This is a regrettable historical administrative error, and we apologise for the impact of the overcharge. 'Parking is a limited resource and to ensure fair access for everyone, parking restrictions and controls are necessary. 'All revenue raised from parking fines is reinvested back into our community to provide services and facilities to the Merri-Bek community,' she said. Fines Victoria said in an online statement they would work alongside the council to resolve the issue. 'Fines Victoria has placed all impacted outstanding fines registered with us on hold. While the fines are on hold, no further enforcement action will be taken, and no additional fees will be added,' a statement read. 'We will continue to work with Merri-Bek City Council as they take action to resolve this matter.' People can find out more about the refund scheme on the Merri-Bek City Council website.
