NSW anti-slavery commissioner questions handling of Iranian football squad's departure
The New South Wales anti-slavery commissioner has raised concerns about the involvement of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Sydney Airport, and Qantas in the departure of the Iranian women’s football team from Australia, despite widespread worries regarding threats, intimidation, and coercion faced by the players.
Dr James Cockayne issued a statement expressing cautious approval that some players and support staff were allowed a private meeting with a home affairs official and an interpreter. Following this meeting, two additional squad members chose to remain in Australia, although one returned to Iran.
Nevertheless, Cockayne expressed ongoing doubts about whether the players’ decisions were made free from duress.
"This was an extraordinarily tough and traumatising decision to have to make – whether to return home to a war-torn country and face the wrath of a highly repressive, misogynistic regime or stay with a very uncertain future far away from family and supports, possibly placing family back in Iran at greater risk.
So the key questions we must ask now are: were these decisions truly made free from duress? And did these women have all the information they needed and were entitled to?
He emphasized that several questions require answers, including whether the Iranian athletes received independent legal advice, if the AFP conducted interviews to assess coercion, and what measures Sydney Airport and Qantas took to mitigate the known risk of exit trafficking.
"Like many Australians, I look forward to these urgent questions being answered. I certainly do not want to believe that our national police force, or the businesses that run our national flag carrier and our busiest airport, may have turned a blind eye or even unwittingly contributed to exit trafficking."
Victorian plan to see homebuyers given free pest and building reports
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is set to announce a proposal that would relieve homebuyers from the expense of building and pest inspections. If Labor is re-elected in November, the government plans to introduce legislation in 2027 to establish a mandatory inspection scheme.
Under this scheme, vendors would be responsible for arranging and paying for building and pest inspections and providing the resulting reports to all prospective buyers.
The government cited research from the Consumer Policy Research Centre, which found that inspection reports can cost up to $600, with nearly half of buyers paying for multiple inspections during their home search. Additionally, 17% of buyers reportedly purchase properties without any inspection reports due to cost and inconvenience.
Allan stated:
"Some buyers spend thousands on multiple reports. Some roll the dice and go without. When you buy a car, the seller pays for the roadworthy. It should work the same way when you look for a home."
Currently, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the only Australian jurisdiction with a similar scheme. In the ACT, vendors pay for inspection reports, which must be completed within three months before the sale, though new builds are exempt. After the contract is signed, vendors may recover the cost of the reports from buyers.
Allan indicated plans to consult with the ACT government and industry stakeholders to develop Victoria’s scheme.
Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos commented:
"Doing the due diligence for your big purchase should be as simple and affordable as possible. We’ll do the work to make sure our scheme is watertight and protects buyers from conflicts of interest."
Vehicle belonging to missing tourists found
Queensland police reported that a vehicle was found last night during the search for two missing tourists in the Kilkivan area.
The missing individuals are a 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman who were travelling in a silver Subaru Forester from Brisbane to North Burnett but failed to reach their destination.
The search, which began yesterday, involved police, the State Emergency Service (SES), and helicopters covering the Kilkivan to Mundubbera region.
The silver vehicle was located at Kilkivan Tansey Road near McArthur Road, with police maintaining a presence at the scene overnight.
Authorities have urged anyone with information about the missing tourists’ whereabouts to contact police.
The area has experienced heavy rainfall resulting in severe flooding conditions.
Earthquake felt near Boorowa
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred approximately 110 kilometres north of Canberra shortly after 7 pm last night.
Within 45 minutes of the event, over 4,000 people reported feeling the earthquake to Geoscience Australia.
The epicentre was near Boorowa, with the earthquake recorded at 7:09 pm.
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories, followed by Nick Visser with the main updates.
The New South Wales anti-slavery commissioner has questioned the Australian Federal Police, Sydney Airport, and Qantas’ involvement in facilitating the departure of the Iranian women’s football team from Australia despite widespread concerns about threats, intimidation, and coercion. More details to follow.
Additionally, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan will announce a plan later this morning to relieve homebuyers from the cost of building and pest inspections.
