Latest news with #NadirKinani
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Australia's first wind farm to be shut down
Australia's first commercial wind farm is set to be decommissioned, as the company who owns it reveals it is no longer 'financially viable'. Renewable energy company Pacific Blue announced the Codrington wind farm, located near Port Fairy in southwest Victoria, is set to be decommissioned, as it is 'approaching the end of its technical life'. 'At this stage, Pacific Blue is not pursuing a repowering option for Codrington,' a statement from the company said. The Codrington Farm is 'approaching the end of its technical life'. NewsWire/Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia 'The site's grid connection would require significant upgrades and today's turbine siting requirements would preclude the installation of latest generation turbines which can have an output of over five times that of Codrington's current turbines. 'The company's analysis considered the limitations of space on the site and necessary upgrades to modernise the grid equipment, ultimately resolving that a new project at Codrington is not financially viable for this location.' The wind farm has been in operation for 25 years, and was officially opened by former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks in July 2001. The Codrington site was described by Pacific Blue as 'close to perfect', as it was placed to receive the full force of winds blowing off the Southern Ocean. Each year, the wind farm generated enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 10,000 Victorian homes and prevented 49,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of taking more than 17,000 cars off the roads, according to Pacific Blue. Codrington wind farm is located near Port Fairy in southwest Victoria. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia More than $9m was injected into the regional economy during construction and development and about 30 jobs were created with local companies contracted to install roads, foundations, towers, transformers and cabling to make the farm operational. Pacific Blue said they were 'deeply committed' to engaging with the communities surrounding Codrington and in southwest Victoria throughout the decommissioning process. 'The company also needs to account for the needs and preferences of the site's landholders, whom it has successfully partnered with for over 25 years,' a statement said. 'Pacific Blue is grateful for their continued support on this project.' Pacific Blue also said it is exploring how the 14 wind turbines, which have a hub height of 50m and blade tip height of 81m, could be recycled. 'The company is focused on delivering a thorough, respectful, and industry-leading decommissioning of Codrington Wind Farm, which includes exploring recycling options for as much of the site's infrastructure as possible while upholding safety and environmental expectations,' a statement said. The company confirmed the turbines will be dismantled by crane. The wind farm turbines will be dismantled by crane. Supplied. Credit: News Limited Pacific Blue is engaging with industry leaders to explore how best to recycle the blades. NewsWire/Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia The company is engaging with industry leaders to explore how best to recycle the blades, with options successfully executed overseas in the past including transforming them into surf boards and 'glamping pods'. Last year, Queensland MP Mick de Brenni was spotted wearing sneakers made from recycled wind turbine blades. In a statement, Pacific Blue revealed broader community and stakeholder engagement was planned for the second half of 2025. Permit conditions require the decommissioning to be completed within 12 months of the wind farm ceasing to generate electricity. Pacific Blue operates wind farms, hydro plants and solar farms across Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and NSW. Codrington's decommission prompted calls to the Federal government from the Smart Energy Council to mandate a national product stewardship scheme so 'smart energy solutions don't become tomorrow's waste crisis'.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Woman arrested after alleged stabbing spree
A woman has been charged after she allegedly went on a stabbing spree in a regional Victorian town, attacking four men who were all left hospitalised. The 24-year-old Ravenhall woman's rampage allegedly began at a supermarket on Nicholson St in Bairnsdale at about 9:50pm on Thursday. Four men were hospitalised following an alleged 'stabbing spree' in regional Victorian. NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia Investigators received reports that a woman in her 20s was behaving erratically and approaching people in the shop. It is alleged she advanced towards a male staff member and stabbed him in the stomach before fleeing the store. The 45-year old man was rushed to hospital and remains in a serious condition. The woman then made her way to a nearby fast-food store, where she approached a 21-year-old man sitting in his car and demanded that he give her a lift. An altercation ensued in the car park, and the man was also allegedly slashed, receiving a minor laceration to his stomach. Police believe the woman then walked to a nearby hotel on Macleod St, where she allegedly assaulted a 52-year-old, striking him on the arm. The woman's alleged fourth and final victim was stabbed in the shoulder, as their paths crossed while she headed towards Bairnsdale Train Station. All four alleged victims were rushed to hospital. NewsWire/Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia All men were rushed to hospital, and with the exception of the first victim who remains in a serious condition, were treated for minor injuries and have since been released. The woman was swiftly arrested by police and charged with intentionally cause injury and recklessly cause injury. She will appear before Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court on Friday. Anyone who witnessed the event or with footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
Perth Now
29-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Just stop': Surprise act hurting homebuyers
Potential first-home buyers are falling further behind due to the very schemes designed to get them into a home. Independent economist Saul Eslake said the best thing the government could do to help first-home buyers would be to remove concessions that allow them to buy a home. 'The question isn't what they should be doing, it's what they should not be doing,' he told NewsWire. 'What they have to stop doing is things that needlessly inflate demand for housing. 'Stop giving out what I call second-home vendor grants as I call them because that is where the money ends up.' Australia's housing market has almost instantly reacted to interest rate cuts. NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia 'Stop giving stamp duty concessions, all they do is allow people to pay the vendor what they would have paid to the state government and back away from the mortgage deposit guarantee schemes and shared equity schemes,' he said. Mr Eslake said these policies, which are designed to help first-home buyers, simply end up inflating house prices. 'While a shared equity scheme sounds like a good idea, in practice, if you're willing to buy a $400,000 house and the government says 'hey, we will give you 20 per cent', then buyers say 'oh good, I can now afford a $500,000 house'. 'So a $400,000 house becomes a $500,000 house, so it's more a matter of just stop needlessly inflating demand.' One of the key election policies the Albanese government ran on was its expansion of the First Home Guarantee scheme, which is sometimes called the 5 per cent deposit scheme. This program allows first-home buyers to purchase property with a deposit as little as 5 per cent, with the government effectively guaranteeing the other 15 per cent, allowing first-home buyers to avoid paying lenders' mortgage insurance. But in an updated version of the scheme to come into effect at the start of 2026, caps of $125,000 for singles and $200,000 for couples will be removed. The PropTrack April Home Price Index showed national house prices hit a new record high over the month of April, increasing by 0.2 per cent monthly or 3.7 per cent compared with the same time last year. Australia's Cash Rate 2022 Helia chief executive and managing director Pauline Blight-Johnston said the main risk to the latest policy was the removal of the income caps to get government help. 'Our belief is that we will achieve the most as an economy if the government help is directed towards those that need it the most, and those that are able to help themselves through private enterprise do so without the taxpayers' dollar,' she told NewsWire. 'At the end of the day, our view is that taxpayers' dollars should go to those that really need the help to get into the market, such as essential workers or others that are really struggling.' Ms Blight-Johnston said expanding the HGS didn't address the fundamental underlying issue for those struggling to buy their first home – a shortage of affordable supply. She fears that the government's housing schemes just worsen housing affordability by fuelling demand and driving up prices. As Australian house prices hit record highs for a fifth consecutive month, it is harder for first-home buyers to get into the market. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Instead, she pointed to first-home buyers using lenders' mortgage insurance as a 'really powerful tool' that is often misunderstood. 'People think of it as a fee …. But if you think of it differently as a wealth creation tool and it allows you to get into a home earlier, on average people that use LMI get in around nine years earlier and around $100,000 better off after five years because they got into the market earlier,' she said. Ms Blight Johnston said mortgage holders would typically pay 1 to 2 per cent as a premium above their usual repayments if they took on LMI. 'If you think property goes up on average 4 or maybe 5 per cent a year, if it is going to take you more than six months to save the deposit, the extra 15 per cent — as LMI takes the deposit down from 20 to 5 per cent – you're going to be ahead by getting into the market earlier and paying the premium.' Mr Eslake said LMI could increase demand for property if it acted like a reduction in interest rates. 'We know whenever interest rates go down, people borrow more and pay more for the house they buy which results in higher prices,' he said.
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Reason behind rise in fashion company
Chinese fashion phenomenon Shein continues to rise in popularity across Australian online marketplaces and Gen Z shoppers are fuelling the boom. Some 26 per cent of online shoppers bought products from the brand in the past 12 months, a new report from ecommerce service provider Pattern shows, and the figure is expected to lift to 28 per cent in 2025. 'The platform attracts two million Australian shoppers aged 14 and over, with 76 per cent being repeat customers and 42 per cent making purchases four or more times a year,' the report, which drills into consumer behaviour across major online marketplaces, states. 'The majority of Shein's customers are female (78 per cent) and under 35, aligning with its core focus on women's clothing.' The report suggests the fast-fashion company's aggressive pricing strategy to attract cost-conscious shoppers was paying off. 'Despite concerns over trust, Shein continues to attract shoppers seeking low prices and a wide assortment with 70 per cent of Australians regularly using Chinese marketplaces due to value,' the report notes. Chinese company Shein continues to rise in popularity, Pattern's 2025 Marketplace Consumer Report suggests. NewsWire / Nadir Kinani Credit: NewsWire But Temu could be slipping, the report suggests. NewsWire / Nadir Kinani Credit: NewsWire 'With plans to file for a London initial public offering at a $$100bn valuation, Shein's aggressive growth and diversification strategies position it as a significant player in the Australian retail landscape for the future.' Roy Morgan estimates Shein attracted $1.1bn in annual sales for the year ending June 2024. The company is also moving to lift its 'brand engagement' by increasing physical activations such as showroom experiences. But while Shein is flying, Chinese online retail platform Temu could be slipping, the report said. Some 46 per cent of online shoppers bought products from Temu in the past 12 months, but the figure is expect to fall to 43 per cent in 2025. 'Shopper intentions for 2025 indicate that the rapid growth of Chinese marketplaces in Australia may be on the decline,' the report states. 'Temu is expected to see a reduction in shoppers, with 43 per cent of people planning to shop on the platform compared to 46 per cent in 2024. An Amazon fulfilment centre at Kemps Creek on Tuesday. The US retail giant continues to be the most popular online platform for Aussie shoppers. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 'This trend could be attributed to a wave of shoppers who trialled the Chinese marketplaces in 2024 but experienced unsatisfactory shopping experiences.' US giant Amazon continues to dominate online marketplaces in Australia, though it is moving to fend off its Chinese challengers. Some 58 per cent of shoppers purchased products from the platform in the past 12 months and that number is expected to hit 63 per cent in 2025. 'To counter emerging competitors like Temu and Shein, Amazon has launched 'Haul', a low-cost storefront with price caps, aiming to match the appeal of discount platforms,' the report states. 'Despite perceptions of higher prices compared to Chinese marketplaces, Amazon maintains a strong reputation for fast delivery and quality, with 63 per cent of shoppers trusting the platform.' The value of Australia's ecommerce market is expected to reach $59bn in 2025 and then grow to $93bn by 2029. The data for the report comes from a poll of 1000 Australians, aged 14 and above.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Perth Now
Two men charged for vile kangaroo act
Two men have been charged in connection after allegedly running down a kangaroo in an outer Melbourne suburb. Credit: Supplied Two men have been charged for allegedly running down a kangaroo in an outer Melbourne suburb. Police allege the two men deliberately drove along Hallam North Road in Lysterfield South and into a group of kangaroos about 10.20pm on April 23. One of the kangaroos died at the scene. Two men have been charged for allegedly mowing down a kangaroo. NewsWire / Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia Footage of the moment the men allegedly hit the kangaroos was captured on CCTV cameras, before getting out of the car and handling the lifeless animal. Police conducted warrants at two properties in Melbourne. Conservation Regulator Vic Credit: Supplied A Nissan Patrol was also seized during the arrest. Conservation Regulator Vic Credit: Supplied Officers were filmed seizing several items from the properties, including a Nissan Patrol, which was towed from the property. Both men have been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and destroying protected wildlife. They will appear at Dandenong Magistrates' Court on August 19.
