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News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘How is that possible?': Highest HECS-HELP debt figure leaves people floored
A list of the highest student loan debts across the country has left Australians absolutely gobsmacked, with many questioning how some of the figures are even possible. Data from the Australian Taxation Office obtained by Sky News late last year revealed the highest individual HECS-HELP debts, with at least 50 people having debts over $250,000. The data showed that, as of October 1, 2024, the person with the biggest HECS-HELP debt owes a whopping $831,675.53 in student loans. This number could now very well be higher, given on June 1, 2025, indexation of 3.2 per cent was applied to all student loan debts. The second highest amount on the list was $556,154, followed by $436,110 and $417,134. A photo showing the top 10 highest debts was recently shared to X by journalist and analyst Tarric Brooker, sparking a huge reaction online. People were left stunned by the top number, with many asking: 'How is that even possible?' 'What? That doesn't even make sense,' one person said. 'How on earth do they have debts this high?' another asked, with one person adding, 'what a joke'. Speaking to Mr Brooker said he found the top number on the list 'astounding'. 'Given that the average HECS-HELP debt for Australians in their 20s was a bit under $31,000 in 2022-23, it's somewhat astounding that there is an individual out there who has managed to rack up over $830,000 in debt or roughly 26 times the average for people who are at the median just starting to pay down their debts,' he said. 'Debts this large illustrate how the HECS-HELP system could have been used to effectively be akin to an eternal university student once upon a time.' But he noted that, given the caps now placed on student debts, it would take a 'highly protracted period of higher inflation and wages growth for current university students to reach a debt load that large'. In January 1, 2020, a combined HELP loan limit was introduced that put a cap on the amount students could borrow, but, initially, there were no limits on how much debt could be accrued. For 2025, the HELP loan limit for most students is $126,839. Those studying medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses leading to initial registration, or eligible aviation courses with census dates in 2025, have a higher limit of $182,172. Many commenters were not happy after finding out just how much student debt some individuals across the country have managed to rack up, with people theorising that the majority of them likely have no intention of ever paying down their loans. 'I know several who are retired, racked up the HECS debt and as it's only repayable on salaried wages, plan to have it written off by the government when they pass on,' one person said. 'You have to admit it's pretty impressive that someone can rort the system so thoroughly. On a more serious note, it's high time universities were held to account for this,' another said. One person branded these figures a sign of a 'broken system', while another joked the person holding the top number was the 'perpetual student final boss'. This week, the Labor government introduced a bill to parliament that, if passed, will see HECS-HELP debts slashed by 20 per cent for some 3 million graduates. The changes would also raise the repayment threshold for student loans from $54,000 to $67,000. Before introducing the bill on Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare said there was 'a lot at stake'. 'This was one of the big promises that we made in the election campaign that we would cut the student debt of 3 million Australians by 20 per cent,' he told the ABC. 'This will take the weight off the shoulders of a lot of young people right across the country in particular – at elections young people don't often see themselves on the ballot paper, but they did at this election. 'And they voted for it, in the millions. 'For the average person with a student debt today, this will cut their debt with about ($5500) and so there is a lot at stake there, and I'm hoping that politicians across the parliament will vote for this.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida gets failing grade in new plastic pollution report, calls for stronger action
The Brief A new report from the Ocean Conservancy is giving the United States a failing grade when it comes to fighting plastic pollution. The report comes as new studies show microplastics are increasingly being found in the human body, raising alarms among health professionals. TAMPA, Fla. - A new report from the Ocean Conservancy is giving the United States a failing grade when it comes to fighting plastic pollution. The environmental non-profit gave the Sunshine State a 1.5 out of 5 stars for its current efforts, saying there's significant room for improvement. The release coincides with Plastic Free July, a global campaign urging individuals and governments to cut down on single-use plastics. READ: EPA's research and development office eliminated; thousands laid off What they're saying "Four out of five Americans want to see plastics addressed," said JP Brooker, the director of the Florida Conservation Program at Ocean Conservancy. "And yet, we're only giving states an average score of 1.5 out of 5 stars." Florida earned some points in the report for steps like banning intentional balloon releases and allowing communities to ban smoking on beaches, which helps reduce litter. But, Brooker said the state still has a major roadblock: It prevents local governments from banning single-use plastic items like bags and utensils. Dig deeper Brooker said plastic pollution isn't just an environmental issue, it's also a threat to Florida's economy. MORE: Governor DeSantis signs deal to speed up Florida Everglades restoration projects He also advocates for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, already passed in seven states, that require manufacturers to help manage the waste they create. Big picture view Florida isn't alone in its low score. The Ocean Conservancy's report found that about 90% of states failed to meet basic standards for plastic waste reduction. "The U.S. is the world's number one generator of plastic waste," Brooker said. "We need to embrace a circular economy, where plastics are reused and recycled, not just thrown away." Currently, the UN is working on global trade to reduce plastic pollution. READ: Temple Terrace residents raise concerns over cancer-causing chemicals in drinking water Why you should care The report comes as new studies show microplastics are increasingly being found in the human body, raising alarms among health professionals. "The problem is even worse now," said Dr. David Berger, a Tampa-based pediatrician. "It's already in our water supply. It's in our food. Even if people start avoiding plastics today, it's still everywhere." The Ocean Conservancy's report compiled the top ten items collected on Florida beaches. The top three items were the following: Cigarettes Butts Plastic bottle caps Food wrappers Plastics straws came in at No. 7. Despite awareness campaigns, cigarette butts have remained the number one item for years, highlighting the ongoing challenge of changing public habits. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis. Solve the daily Crossword
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Black Fern Grace Brooker joins Essendon AFLW after injury comeback
Unsure whether she would be re-contracted with the Black Ferns after her comeback, Brooker began to look for an adventure elsewhere. Even across the ditch. Canterbury centre Grace Brooker makes a break against Waikato. Photo / Photosport 'When I was a kid, whenever an AFL game came on TV my dad would tell me this was the best game of sport in the world,' she says. 'While my goal was always to make the Black Ferns, I also wanted to be the best athlete that I could be. So, to be the best athlete I figured I'd have to play the best sport, and I sent my highlights video to the recruitment officer for all of the AFLW clubs in Australia.' So after a season with Matatū, Brooker has code-hopped to Australian Rules, signing with Melbourne club Essendon. She's been training with the Bombers since May. Settling into a sport she's never played before has been daunting, she admits, but the players and management have welcomed her warmly. 'These girls are so fit – I've never been one of the least fit in a team before but it's the case here,' Brooker laughs. 'They've integrated me really slowly to take care of the person before the player, so everyone's been great. 'A lot of my rugby skills are transferrable but the handballing I'm having to work on – I'm an absolute beginner.' A sports-mad kid, Brooker began playing rugby aged five in North Canterbury – one of the only girls in the junior teams. Heading to boarding school at 13, she joined the Christchurch Girls High School team – playing for school on Wednesdays before heading back to Hurunui to play netball and rugby on weekends. Brooker, playing for Matatū against the Blues at Invercargill in 2024. At 14, she turned out for the High School Old Boys women's team. 'There weren't the same rules back then, so I was playing against Black Ferns as a Year 10 student. I told the club I was a flanker but they were like, 'Nope, get on the wing you skinny little girl'. I haven't been out of the backs since,' Brooker laughs. Former Canterbury and Black Ferns midfielder Grace Brooker has switched codes. Photo / Photosport Still a kid, she played University of Canterbury in a final where her opposite was USA sevens player Naya Tapper. 'We lost 70-0 and I'm pretty sure she was responsible for about 50 of those points, just running around me,' she says. 'I was too slow to keep up and whenever the ball came to my wing, I could hear my Dad from the sideline just telling me to hang in there.' Despite the brutal loss, Brooker's work around the field was noticed early and she made the Canterbury U18 squad at 14. At 18, she made her Farah Palmer Cup debut for Canterbury – the day after they won the competition, she was back in the classroom. 'I turned up in my Canterbury kit, went to the Dean and asked if I could go join in the Mad-Monday celebrations. He looked at me, rolled his eyes, and said, oh go on then. I was lucky to have such supportive teachers – I loved school, and they always knew I'd try my best,' she says. In her first year at university, Brooker received her first Black Ferns contract and was selected for the national sevens development team. 'I was in rugby camps all though O Week so when I turned up at uni a couple of weeks later, everyone had already found their friends. I hated being at the halls and spent a lot of time at home when I wasn't training. I'd wake up at 4.30am to train, go to classes, train again and then go home – it was a pretty low time but I did eventually make a few friends,' she says. After missing all of the 2018 tours, Brooker's luck turned to make her debut in August 2019, in the last game of the season against Australia at Eden Park – becoming Black Fern #214. 'My coach John Haggart told me, 'If you get the ball, just run!' I did, and they were the greatest 15 minutes of my life. It's true you just float over the field when you wear that black jersey, you just feel superhuman,' Brooker says. After a tumultuous 2020 with Covid disrupting any possibility of an international tour, Brooker hit the 2021 pre-season with a renewed drive. 'The coaches told me that they wanted me to become the new threshold for game fitness. So, I thrashed myself,' she says. 'I didn't have enough knowledge to train smart, so I just went out and ran myself into the ground as I thought that's what they wanted. 'I was the fittest I'd ever been but along the way, I also developed this weird mental ability to ignore pain and biological signs to stop exercising.' In a fitness test to run a lap of the field, Brooker pushed herself too hard. 'I completely blacked out – I finished it and started throwing up and couldn't breathe,' she says. 'I had pushed so hard for so long that I developed post-traumatic vocal cord dysplasia. When my heart rate would get too high, my vocal cords would shut off my airways – in short, my body would force me to stop because I had got my mind to a point where mentally I could push through everything.' The issue was solved with speech therapy, but Brooker was scared – 'I felt like I couldn't trust my brain to stop me from pushing too hard. It was weighing on my mind when I went into the next Black Ferns tour of England and France.' Brooker made her starting debut against England in the second test. Twenty minutes in, she chased down an England winger, bent to make the tackle and felt her kneecap shoot up her leg as her patella tendon ruptured. 'I couldn't slow down so just rolled off the field. There was horrific pain, and I remember looking down at the hole where my knee was supposed to be,' she says. She was taken straight to hospital and underwent surgery. It was traumatic experience – under Covid protocols, she had no one there to support her. 'The hospital was overrun and I wasn't allowed to eat or shower until after the surgery, so was still in my rugby kit with no food over 36 hours later,' she says. With no early spot available in the MIQ facilities back in New Zealand, Brooker flew to France to rejoin the tour. Back at home, Brooker began the slow, painful rehabilitation with her physio, Jen Croker. 'When I was eventually able to start lifting weight, the pain was incredible, I would cry or vomit at every training,' Brooker says. 'I was glad I had built that mental strength, but it was touch and go if I was ever going to play again. Grace Brooker: 'There are always going to be injuries.' Photo / SmartFrame 'I was just pushing so much I think Jen didn't have the heart to tell me that it was unlikely.' It wasn't just Brooker's knee that she needed to heal, but her mind. 'After my injury I became very socially anxious. My whole identity was tied to becoming a Black Fern … but when that was suddenly taken away, and I couldn't walk for two months, I didn't know who I was. 'I would have panic attacks and couldn't get out of my car to go to work. If it wasn't for support from Whitney Hansen [Matatū Head Coach], Jessie Hansen [Matatū Mental Skills Coach], Jen, and sessions with a psychologist [where] I was able to access through InStep, I don't think I would have got through that really dark space – they literally saved me by helping me to live the way that I wanted to.' After 15 months of excruciating rehab, Brooker was selected for the 2023 Matatū squad. Desperate to get back to the field, ongoing pain in her knee continued to dog her every move. 'I never had doubt that I would get back to playing but the pain was intense; after big sessions on the Thursday afternoon I would end up in tears. When I ran on for the first pre-season match against the Hurricanes Poua, I was cracking a lot of painkillers,' she admits. 'It was becoming clear I'd likely have this pain for the rest of my life. I've thrown everything at it – got opinions from specialists and even saw a holistic healer who waved some charcoal over it.' She's now on a specialised pain management programme, with a focus on strengthening her deteriorated quad muscle, 'and getting my body moving in the way that it's meant to. I was still on painkillers for the last game of the season, but we won the Aupiki competition that year – that was the best pain relief.' Despite her chronic pain, Brooker's impact was noticed and rewarded with another Black Ferns contract. Travelling to Canada for the Pacific Four competition, she got the most time in the black jersey of her career. In the meantime, former Matatū coach Blair Baxter asked her to join the New Zealand sevens development team in France, before she headed to join her sister Millie in Ireland and Scotland for a working holiday. While living in Ireland, Brooker figured she should try Gaelic football and absolutely loved it – 'although I got pulled up for too much contact at times,' Brooker laughs. Returning to New Zealand after a six-month rugby stint with the Yokohama TKM club in Japan, Brooker settled back to another Aupiki season this year – still managing her knee pain and hoping for one more shot at the Black Ferns. But by the end of the season, she knew it wasn't to be. 'I had a pretty cool back-up plan and so a few days after the Aupiki final against the Blues I headed over to Melbourne,' she says, joining Essendon. 'I was so depressed after losing that final – a lot of us had horrible post-campaign blues so it was a good distraction.' With such brutal injuries behind her, Brooker's incredible optimism, resilience and dedication to her sport continues to stand out. 'I can't do my knee again, there's a wire in there now,' she says. 'As for the vocal cords, I've got the toolkit to get myself back on track if I need to. 'There are always going to be injuries and any athlete is a bit delusional if they think it won't happen to them. I'm lucky to have amazing support around me in Australia and back home so there's no point in being scared, it's only going to hold me back. 'You always need at least one or two people in your corner – you can't get through these injuries by yourself. I think it's important people know it's possible to get through potential career-ending injuries and achieve your goals. I hope my experience can help someone feel less alone.' One of Brooker's biggest lessons has been knowing she's more than her sport. 'I'm at my best when I'm around my sport and I'm still finding my balance, but it doesn't define me. Plus, I may as well dig in while I can,' she says. With no sign of slowing, Brooker will be one to watch in the Essendon Bombers when the AFLW season kicks off on August 14. This story was originally published at and is republished with permission.
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Black Mirror' creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones leave Netflix-backed Broke & Bones
Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, the creators of Black Mirror, have stepped down as directors of their Netflix-backed production company Broke & Bones. The pair left the company five years after establishing it in 2020, when Netflix invested in Broke & Bones in a structured $100 million deal. The initial agreement between Netflix and Broke & Bones, which allowed the former to secure exclusive content from Brooker and Jones, has now reached the end of its five-year term. Netflix has not provided a comment on the exit of Brooker and Jones. Despite their departure from Broke & Bones, the future of Black Mirror remains stable, with the streaming platform reportedly committed to the series beyond its seventh season. Black Mirror Season 7 premiered in April 2025 and is expected to be in contention for Emmy nominations in September, with performances from Paul Giamatti and Rashida Jones among those anticipated for recognition. Brooker has previously shared with the BBC that he intends to continue writing Black Mirror, describing it as a 'fun job' and highlighting how the rapid development of technology continues to inspire new storylines. Broke & Bones, beyond its work on Black Mirror, has produced series including Toxic Town, which focuses on a community's fight for justice after toxic waste exposure, and Cunk On…, the BBC co-produced comedy starring Diane Morgan. The company has also produced Death To…, a satirical mockumentary series reflecting on major events of the year.
Evening Standard
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Jilted businessman pursued ex-girlfriend to Barbados beach in harassment campaign
Farrer-Fisher was eventually arrested in January 2023 after he turned up at Ms Brooker's west London apartment at 3am. He had also left tickets to the Lion King in the West End outside her home, together with a 'bizarre' note pretending to be written by Ms Brooker, declaring her love for him.
