Energy bill fears mount amid transmission cost blowout
A blowout in costs to build poles and wires could trigger an increase in household power bills, according to The Australian.
Australia's Energy Market Operator reports overhead transmission line costs have surged by 55 per cent and substations by 35 per cent.
The rises are attributed, in part, to the decision to avoid 'particularly complex areas' as the Labor government attempts to win over rural communities in the transmission rollout.
A final price hike for 2025 to 2026 will be signed off by the energy regulator today.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Australian Tesla owners seeking compensation as phantom braking leaves drivers 'completely terrified'
When Dominic Yin bought his Tesla two years ago he didn't think he'd be taken for "a scary ride". A few months after his purchase, he was driving on the highway between Sydney and Melbourne when the car suddenly braked for no apparent reason. He told 7.30 a truck was behind him at the time. "The truck driver behind me pressed (his) horn and (gave me the finger), and I pointed to the car: 'It's not me, it's the car'". The issue is widely known as phantom braking and Mr Yin says it has happened to him numerous times. Some Tesla drivers have reported phantom braking while their car is in autopilot mode, which according to Tesla, "enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane". It's not entirely autonomous driving, but you can take your foot off the accelerator while the car drives along at a set speed and slows down for other vehicles. Tesla advises drivers that they should keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. The company also maintains autopilot is designed to make driving safer, but in the US, Tesla has been sued over several deadly crashes in which the system was enabled. The Elon Musk run company has reportedly settled some of these cases but not admitted to any wrongdoing, citing driver error. Last month Tesla shared a video on social media showing an apparent test drive of its semi-autonomous system on Melbourne's streets, and said not even hook turns were a problem. Following a US consumer lawsuit over phantom braking, about 10,000 Tesla drivers in Australia have registered their interest in a class action against the company. The case began in the Federal Court last month, claiming that Australian consumers were misled over phantom braking, battery range and self-driving capability. "The issues that have been reported to us are that vehicles can be driving along on the highway at 100 or 110kph and all of a sudden the brakes are applied suddenly and without reason," class action lawyer, Rebecca Jancauskas told 7.30. "Drivers have reported feeling completely terrified when their vehicles have braked suddenly and it has led in some cases to collisions. "We've had many reports of people who registered for this class action, telling us that they've been driving with their hands on the vehicle, fully alert, and these issues have occurred nonetheless." 7.30 invited Tesla Australia to respond to the claims but it did not reply. The federal infrastructure department is responsible for road safety and told 7.30 it had received only six reports from consumers about braking problems with Teslas over two years. Peter Khoury from the NRMA said Tesla drivers should raise their concerns if they are subject to any phantom braking. "If you are experiencing this occurring in your vehicle, go to the manufacturer immediately because this can be a safety risk if it is occurring," he said. "If you're not satisfied with what the manufacturer has told you or done, you're not powerless in Australia. There is the capacity to notify the Australian government." The Australian class action is seeking compensation for Tesla drivers, claiming they have lost resale value given the problems. Mr Yin said there's "no way" he would have bought his Tesla had he been made aware by Tesla about phantom braking. He wants a full refund or for Tesla to fix the problem. "You're always wondering when (it's) going to happen next," he said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Pop star Guy Sebastian's email revealed in Titus Day trial
Guy Sebastian personally negotiated a release from his contract to join manager Titus Day's new company in 2009 before their relationship ultimately soured, a court has been told. Mr Day is standing trial in the NSW District Court accused of embezzling more than $600,000 from the Aussie pop star. It's alleged that Mr Day failed to pay Mr Sebastian performance fees and royalties that were collected by his 6 Degrees talent agency, including $187,000 for performance fees when the Australian Idol winner supported Taylor Swift on her 2013 tour of Australia. Mr Day has denied doing anything dishonest or fraudulent and is fighting the allegations. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant and one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. The court has been told that Mr Sebastian first became involved with Mr Day when he signed with the 22 Management company early in his career. At the time, Mr Day worked for 22 Management, which was owned by Sean Anderson. Then, in early 2009, Mr Day told Mr Anderson that he was looking to form his own company, the court was told on Wednesday. 'He indicated to me that he was looking for something a little bit more than an employee role and whether I was open to a partnership or bringing him in as a partner in the business,' Mr Anderson told the jury on Wednesday. 'I indicated I wasn't quite ready to do that and so he said he was looking to start his own business. And I encouraged him to do it.' And when Mr Day formed 6 Degrees and went out on his own, Mr Anderson said Mr Sebastian followed Mr Day because of their close relationship. 'Guy indicated he had formed a great relationship with Titus and he wanted to follow Titus, which I expected would happen,' Mr Anderson said. 'I didn't have anyone in the business that had the music skills that Titus had, so I then negotiated a release from my contract with Guy and he left shortly after.' The court was told that 22 Management had a written contract with Mr Sebastian, but Mr Anderson had since not been able to find a copy. The court was told that Mr Sebastian's contract with 22 Management was due to expire in April 2010; however, he negotiated a release to join Mr Day when he went out on his own to found 6 Degrees. The jury on Wednesday heard details of a mid-2009 email exchange between Mr Anderson and Mr Sebastian as they negotiated the terms of the singer's exit from his managerial contract. Initially, Mr Anderson proposed that 22 Management be given a percentage of Mr Sebastian's gross income for the next two years – 10 per cent on the first year and 5 per cent on the following year. However, Mr Day replied saying that 22 Management was only entitled to 20 per cent of all gross income up until April 2010 and after that a 'trailing commission' on any work done that was negotiated by Mr Anderson's business. The court was told that 'trailing commissions' were negotiated by managers to cover them for their investment in young and up-and-coming performers in the event they become successful and later leave to join new management. It prompted Mr Anderson to propose new terms, including a 15 per cent split to 22 Management and a 5 per cent split to 6 Degrees as well as trailing commissions. 'Titus should be doing somersaults with this outcome, if I was able to go out on my own and take the marquee client with me and earn commissions from day one, I'd be buying lottery tickets,' Mr Anderson wrote to Mr Sebastian in an email, the court was told. Mr Anderson also asked Mr Sebastian to perform at his 40th birthday free of charge, which he agreed to do as part of their amicable split, the court was told. The terms of Mr Sebastian's contract with 22 Management have been a key part of the trial. During his evidence, Mr Sebastian was grilled by Mr Day's defence about his deal with Mr Day in the early days of his contract. Mr Day's barrister Thomas Woods suggested to Mr Sebastian that he had agreed to 'look after' Mr Day down the track 'by compensating him for the lost commission during this early period' in 2009 when he was only earning 5 per cent. Mr Sebastian, during his evidence to the court last week, denied the assertion. '(Mr Day) wanted more than 5 per cent for that period but couldn't get it because of your arrangement with (22 Management) – you would look after him down the track when you were in a stronger financial position, and that was then what you did. That's what I'm suggesting to you,' Mr Woods said. 'Firstly, that's completely false … their agreement was a 15-5 agreement, and that was between them,' Mr Sebastian replied at the time. 'The concept that in 2014, that where I was already paying a lot of commission to Titus … that seems really ridiculous to me.'
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Qantas announces major shake-up after closing Jetstar Asia
Qantas has announced it will close Jetstar Asia, its Singapore-based budget airline after two decades in the air, as it looks to focus on the domestic market. In an announcement to the ASX Qantas said the closure of Jetstar Asia will enable the airline to recycle up to $500m in capital and support its fleet renewal program. The airline said it would redirect 13 Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 aircraft to be progressively redeployed to Australia and New Zealand, adding 100 local jobs in the process. The decision will have zero impact to all of Jetstar and Jetstar Japan's flying into Asia. None of the highly popular routes they operate into Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore are affected. The restructure could see up to 500 jobs axed from its Singapore operation. A statement to the ASX said employees of Jetstar Asia would be provided with redundancy benefits and employment support services, and Qantas was working to find job opportunities elsewhere in the group or with other airlines in the region. The airline said the closure would have a cost of approximately $175m due to one-off redundancy and restructuring costs with the first third coming this financial year, with the rest coming in 2026. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said Jetstar Asia has been a pioneering force in the Asian aviation market for more than 20 years, making air travel accessible to millions of customers across Southeast Asia. 'We are incredibly proud of the Jetstar Asia team and the work they have done to deliver low fares, strong operational performance and exceptional customer service. This is a very tough day for them. Despite their best efforts, we have seen some of Jetstar Asia's supplier costs increase by up to 200 per cent, which has materially changed its cost base.' 'I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge our incredible Jetstar Asia team who should be very proud of the impact they have had on aviation in the region over the past two decades.' Qantas said the closure came after a deterioration in Jetstar Asia's earnings, with the airline facing strong competition from AirAsia and Singapore's own national carrier.
