BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 15 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement: Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation The Honourable Andrew Powell * Queensland's protected area network will expand further following the purchase of three properties in Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria. * The acquisitions include 137,000 hectares of Kendall River Station, 90,000 hectares of part ofWestmoreland Station,...
SYDNEY, Oct. 15 -- Australian Prudential Regulation Authority issued the following media release: The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) welcomes the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's (BCBS) finding that the regulations implementing the leverage ratio framework in Australia are compliant with BCBS standards. This is the highest possible grade. The finding follows an assessment by the BCBS's Regulatory Consistency Assessment Programme (RCAP), which was published on Tuesda...
SYDNEY, Oct. 15 -- Australian Prudential Regulation Authority issued the following media release: The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua (RBNZ) have completed the 2026 Trans-Tasman Stress Test, their first joint stress testing exercise since 2017. In conducting the stress test jointly, APRA and RBNZ sought to enhance cross-border regulatory collaboration in support of financial stability while also reducing regulatory bur...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 15 -- Australian Border Force issued the following news release: ​​ The Australian Border Force (ABF) led Illicit tobacco National Disruption Group (NDG) has sourced valuable intelligence and coordinated disruption activity in Western Australia as part of a national Task Force Morpheus day of action targeting organised crime involvement in the illicit tobacco trade. Task Force Morpheus is a joint, cross-jurisdictional law enforcement partnership designed to dis...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 15 -- Australian Border Force issued the following news release: ​Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) detectives have charged three people - including a licensed post office manager - following combined investigations into trusted insiders, allegedly importing illicit tobacco and vapes into Australia. The MAST is made up of 41 officers from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF), NSW Crime Commission (NSWCC), Australian Crimin...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 15 -- Australian Border Force issued the following news release: ​ Fourteen (14) Indonesian nationals have pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Australian waters at Darwin Local Court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. The charges followed apprehension of two foreign fishing vessels by Australian authorities attached to Maritime Border Command (MBC) during September 2026. The first fishing vessel was detected and intercepted north of Cape Wessel, Northern Territory, on...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 15 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement: JOINT STATEMENT Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity The Honourable Deb Frecklington Minister for Transport and Main Roads The Honourable Brent Mickelberg * The Crisafulli Government is delivering stronger laws to stamp out scrap metal theft and electrical equipment damage. * Harsher penalties will reflect the level of danger or fina...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 15 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement: Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity The Honourable Deb Frecklington * The Crisafulli Government is putting victims and their families first, after they were ignored by Labor, by reducing delays in the coronial system so families receive answers sooner and matters can be finalised more efficiently. * New reforms will streamlinecoronial ...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 15 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement: Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity The Honourable Deb Frecklington * Crisafulli Government passes Bill to establish new Queensland Protection Commission (Commission) as Queensland's first centralised child and vulnerable person safeguarding entity. * Delivers on key recommendations of the landmark In Plain Sight report, and consolidat...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 15 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: A WA man has been summonsed to appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court next month after he allegedly sent offensive emails to a Commonwealth official. It is alleged the man, 49, sent two offensive emails to the office of the public official last year. The emails allegedly included abusive, degrading and threatening language directed at the office holder. The emails were referred to the AFP, and an investigati...