DiCaprio speaks up for Western Australia forest
Leonardo DiCaprio has drawn the world’s attention to the government’s decision to allow the mining company South32 to clear native forest in WA’s jarrah forests for bauxite mining.
The actor claimed the operation at Boddington could threaten the critically endangered woylie (or brush-tailed bettong) and that the government was prioritising “mining development over environmental protection”.
He posted on Instagram that:
The mining company @south_32 is set to clear 9,600 acres of this old growth forest, which is home to threatened species like the Critically Endangered Woylie. This operation will destroy critical habitat for over 8,000 species, 80% of which are found nowhere else on Earth. While native forest logging was banned in Western Australia in 2024, clearance of native forests for mining is still allowed due to separate government policies that prioritize mining development over environmental protection.
DiCaprio is the co-founder of the group Earth Alliance, which funds online activism on environmental issues.
Key events
Catie McLeod
Good morning. I’m taking over the blog from Martin Farrer and will be with you until this afternoon.
Family pay tribute to missing surfer
The family of the surfer presumed taken by a shark off the coast of Western Australia have issued a statement paying tribute to a “beloved partner, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend”.
Police believe Steve Payne was attacked by a shark on Monday while surfing at Wharton beach, east of Esperance.
Payne, 37, originally from New Zealand but resident in Australia, “was one of the best”, his family said, and “was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical”.
He loved his partner deeply, the family said, “cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog”.
Payne, his partner and their dog Poppy were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia when the attack happened. Just a week before his death he had surfed “one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin”.
Payne’s remains have not been found but drone footage taken in the area showed a shark and a cloud of blood in the water. The search for Payne has been called off.
The family said:
Steve would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks.
Read more here:
Global competition threat to universities, report warns
Caitlin Cassidy
Australia’s universities are being threatened by global competition from Asia and the Middle East, the QS World University Rankings by Subject has found.
This year, 38 Australian universities earned nearly 1,000 ranked entries across 60 disciplines, an increase of 5% on 2024. It had 13 entries in the world’s top 10 across eight subjects – four fewer than last year, reflecting “intensifying global competition”.
The University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney each ranked among the world’s top 100 in 52 of 55 subject areas, followed by the University of Queensland, with 50 subjects ranked.
But 65% of Australia’s ranked entries declined in employer reputation scores, based on feedback from hiring managers. The decline was most prevalent in arts and humanities subjects.
QS’s chief executive, Jessica Turner, said for years Australia had “outperformed expectations” despite its geographic remoteness and smaller population.
However, the landscape is shifting. Emerging markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, are investing heavily in higher education, rapidly improving their institutions’ global standing.
Ben Sowter, QS senior vice-president, said cuts to arts and humanities in Australia could have “profound long term consequences”.
If Australian institutions continue to deprioritise these subjects, they risk not only diminishing their global standing but also weakening their ability to produce graduates who can navigate complex, interconnected challenges.
Caitlin Cassidy
Victoria to become first jurisdiction to ban machetes
Victoria will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to ban machetes after police seized a record number of knives from the state’s streets in 2024. It follows similar reform in the United Kingdom, which took 18 months to pass. The state government is confident it will pass the ban in six.
Under the legislation, machetes will be listed as a prohibited weapon without an exemption, to take effect from 1 September 2025 with an amnesty period of two months. Offenders will risk two years in prison or a fine of more than $47,000 for being caught in possession of a machete.
Police will also have expanded knife search powers to declare a location a designated area to randomly search for weapons for up to six months.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, will call on major retailers to immediately stop placing stock orders for machetes and write to the federal government about action on imports at the border – and a national ban.
She said there was “zero reason” for people to be carrying machetes without a reason, adding it built on the toughest bail laws in the nation, announced on Wednesday.
We’ll always give police what they need to keep Victorians safe – we’ll build on the extra powers we’ve already given them and help members search for more knives.
DiCaprio speaks up for Western Australia forest
Leonardo DiCaprio has drawn the world’s attention to the government’s decision to allow the mining company South32 to clear native forest in WA’s jarrah forests for bauxite mining.
The actor claimed the operation at Boddington could threaten the critically endangered woylie (or brush-tailed bettong) and that the government was prioritising “mining development over environmental protection”.
He posted on Instagram that:
The mining company @south_32 is set to clear 9,600 acres of this old growth forest, which is home to threatened species like the Critically Endangered Woylie. This operation will destroy critical habitat for over 8,000 species, 80% of which are found nowhere else on Earth. While native forest logging was banned in Western Australia in 2024, clearance of native forests for mining is still allowed due to separate government policies that prioritize mining development over environmental protection.
DiCaprio is the co-founder of the group Earth Alliance, which funds online activism on environmental issues.
Australia doesn’t respond well to bullying, Wong warns Russia
Caitlin Cassidy
Australians will not respond well to “bullying behaviour” from Russia, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has warned.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 on Wednesday evening, Wong was asked about threats from the Russian government of “serious consequences” for Australia if troops were to join a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
She said it was the “sensible thing” to ensure the global rules-based order was maintained.
I don’t think Australians respond very well to that kind of bullying behaviour from anybody, and certainly not from Russia … we would consider any request and that is the sensible thing to do.
We have an interest in the UN charter not being undermined by a permanent member of the security council. These are rules which keep us all safe, and we have to continue to work to defend them. We continue to advocate, alongside so many others in the international community and in Europe for a just and enduring peace, a fair resolve for Ukraine.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Catie McLeod with the main action.
Our own analysis of parliamentary records shows that Peter Dutton billed taxpayers for flights to Sydney on the days of three NRL grand finals, a rugby tournament and a Matildas World Cup game. Last night, the Coalition was again forced to clarify its policy on breaking up the big insurance companies, with Dutton now saying “certainly something has failed” in the market.
Victoria will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to ban machetes after police seized a record number of knives from the state’s streets in 2024. It follows similar reform in the United Kingdom, which took 18 months to pass. The state government is confident it will pass the ban in six. It comes amid public concern about crime with the state government promising Australia’s toughest bail laws. More details coming up.
The family of a surfer fatally mauled by a shark has paid tribute to him as authorities suspended the search for his remains. Steven Payne, 37, was attacked at a remote beach about noon on Monday at Wharton Beach, east of Esperance in Western Australia. A large search failed to find his remains and WA police yesterday said it had been suspended “pending any new information being received”.
Plus: Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken out against mining in WA, and Penny Wong has a message for Russia. More on those stories coming up.