Editors Picks
06 June 2026
WORKERS URGED TO CHECK SUPER
THE Super Members Council is urging workers to check their super after finding one in four Australians were underpaid a total of $24.4B between 2018 and 2023. NSW recorded the highest losses at $8.1B. New payday super laws, starting 1 July 2026, will require employers to pay super alongside wages rather than quarterly. The reforms aim to reduce underpayments, improve transparency and better protect workers’ retirement savings, particularly women, younger employees and low-income earners.
06 June 2026
EXPERTS WARN OVER PASSWORD USE
PEOPLE across NSW are being urged to update their passwords regularly with experts warning weak passwords can be cracked in seconds. ID Support NSW recommends changing passwords every three to four months, using long, random passphrases and avoiding personal information. The agency is hosting free cybersecurity events and promoting tools such as its Password Strength Tester to help protect against identity theft, which affects one in four Australians during their lifetime.
06 June 2026
ILLEGAL TO LEAVE YOUR DOG UNATTENDED
NEW NSW animal welfare laws will make it illegal to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle for more than 10 minutes when temperatures exceed 28°C, with fines of up to $44,000. The reforms also ban prong collars, mandate pain relief for sheep mulesing, strengthen animal fighting penalties and improve emergency animal welfare responses. The legislation modernises 45-year-old laws and reflects strong community support for tougher animal protection standards.
06 June 2026
INVESTING $290M IN NSW COACH NETWORK
THE NSW Government is investing $290M over nine years to expand and improve the NSW TrainLink coach network, increasing services by 36 per cent from 1 July. The upgraded network will operate 638 weekly services across 49 routes, servicing more than 360 destinations. New routes, faster travel times, better connections and modern accessible coaches will improve journeys for regional communities, with features including wheelchair access, charging points, seatbelts, onboard defibrillators and toilets.
06 June 2026
VINNIES WARN AGAINST RISING LIVING COSTS
MORE than half of Australians (55%) are cutting spending on essentials such as food, medication and bills to afford housing, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by the St Vincent de Paul Society. The research found 29% lack sufficient savings to cover an emergency expense, with 3.7 million Australians strongly disagreeing they have a financial buffer. Launching its Winter Appeal 2026, Vinnies warned rising living costs are pushing more households into financial hardship and homelessness, urging Australians to donate as demand for assistance with food, bills and essentials continues to grow.
06 June 2026
FRAUDULENT TRANSFER OF MOBILE NUMBERS
THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has fined telecom provider SpinTel $59,400 after scammers exploited weaknesses in its systems to fraudulently transfer 10 mobile numbers, causing consumer losses exceeding $45,000. SpinTel must now undergo an independent security review and implement improvements. Another provider, Yomojo, received a formal warning for failing to publish required fraud-reporting information. The ACMA has issued six enforcement actions in the past year as part of a broader crackdown on mobile number porting fraud, urging telcos to strengthen security and protect consumers from scams and identity theft.
06 June 2026
AI CHATBOT THAT REDUCES STIGMA
THE Alcohol and Drug Foundation is celebrating the success of its AI-powered chatbot, dib, which has been shortlisted in the Community Impact category of the Australian Financial Review AI Awards. Since launching a year ago, dib has conducted around 45,000 anonymous conversations, providing evidence-based information on alcohol and other drugs. Most users are aged 18–24, with alcohol the most common topic. Designed to reduce stigma and improve access to reliable support, dib uses trusted ADF content and safety safeguards. Winners of the awards will be announced in June.” Powered by AI, dib is a technological first in the Australian public health sector. Using dib is an anonymous, non-stigmatising way to find alcohol and other drug information in a familiar, chat-based format,” said the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s CEO, Dr Erin Lalor AM.