Latest news with #fine
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Young Aussie torn to shreds after revealing why she was fined $100
A young Aussie woman has sparked fierce backlash after she complained about being fined $100 for failing to vote in a local election. The woman explained she hadn't voted in the 2024 Victoria Local Council election in a TikTok video with over 300,000 views on Wednesday. 'So I have just been fined for not voting in an election I was apparently meant to have voted in,' she says while holding the fine aloft. 'This is the Melbourne City Council 2024 election? 'I'm sorry, since when did it become compulsory to vote in local council elections? I'm very aware that voting is a privilege. That's not the issue here.' The woman explains that she has consistently voted in both federal and state elections since becoming eligible, but insists she was unaware of her obligation to vote in local council elections. 'I've never voted in a local council election. I never heard anything about it,' she says. According to the woman, the first she heard about the matter was when she received an infringement notice in the mail. 'This infringement notice turns up in my mailbox for "No response for apparent failure to vote notice". I never received that notice,' she said. 'I never got the notice to vote in the first place and I'm fuming, because now I have to pay a $99 fine.' The video divided Aussies online, with many taking the opportunity to ruthlessly mock the woman for not knowing that voting is compulsory. 'Girl, read the comments, take accountability and delete this. This was not the take you thought it was,' one said. 'Pay the fine and don't waste your vote next time is the best advice we can give you,' another commented. Popular Aussie content creator Matt Hey, known online as Alright Hey, also weighed in, writing: '……… girl please delete this xx.' Others pointed out that voting has always been compulsory in Australia. 'It's always been compulsory, no matter what election in Australia,' one said. But others came to the woman's defence, arguing the issue went far beyond simply forgetting to vote. 'Lots of people in the comments bagging her, listen to the whole video,' one said. 'She never received the voting papers in the first place, and never received a failure to vote notice. It's fair to complain about the way this process has gone.' In Victoria, local council elections are conducted entirely by postal vote according to the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). Enrolled voters are sent ballot packs that are then sent back to the VEC. The woman claims she never received this ballot pack, nor any follow-up notice. While voting in all levels of government elections is compulsory in Australia, turnout at the 2024 City of Melbourne council election was just 67.73 per cent. Out of 136,502 enrolled voters, 44,047 failed to cast their vote. That figure stands in stark contrast to the 2025 Federal Election for the seat of Melbourne which saw 88.07 per cent of enrolled voters participate. The VEC and Melbourne City Council have been contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Thames Water hit with largest ever fine for water company over sewage spills and breaking rules
THAMES WATER has been hit with a £122.7million fine — the largest ever for a water company. It will pay £104.5million for sewage spills, plus £18.2million for breaking the rules over dividend payments. Watchdog Ofwat slammed the struggling company for 'letting down its customers and failing to protect the environment'. It said Thames had 'routinely and not in exceptional circumstances' released untreated sewage. And, issuing its first fine over shareholder payments, it highlighted one of £37.5million in October 2023 to the firm's holding company — plus another £131.3million dividend from March 2024. Ofwat boss David Black, said: 'Our investigation has uncovered a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure.' Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said Thames' actions were a 'serious betrayal of customers and the environment'. The fine must be paid by Thames and its investors, and not be passed on to its 16 million customers. Thames hiked its bills by an average of 31 per cent in April. It owes £19billion and is trying to restructure its finances through a sale to US investment firm KKR. Thames insisted it takes its environmental responsibilities 'very seriously' and said it was making progress addressing the issues. Doubling Compensation for Water Issues: Government's Big Move 4 BRANCH GROWTH NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY says customers have been flocking to its branches over the past year as rival banks pull out of high streets. Nearly 200,000 more have used its branches. Nationwide has the second-largest branch network in the UK behind Lloyds. But Lloyds has been axing hundreds in recent years — with 136 more set to shut over the next year. Nationwide, meanwhile, has pledged to keep all of its nearly 700 branches open until at least the start of 2028. A PAW YEAR FOR PROFIT 4 RISING costs and lower animal sales have both dealt a blow to Pets At Home. The chain reported a 16.6 per cent fall in profits in the year to the end of March, to £72.9million. The firm benefited from the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic but demand has fallen since. Profits at its vet arm climbed almost a quarter to £75.9million. But it is facing a probe over prices on items such as pet medications. CLOSING five depots and simplifying its structure has helped Magners and Tennent's maker C&C Group return to profit, as it made £38.5million last year, compared to a £70.9million loss in 2023. It sent shares climbing by 3 per cent. B&Q'S HOT SPELL THE recent warm weather has helped sales at B&Q owner Kingfisher to bounce back up by 5.9 per cent in the past three months. Seasonal products such as garden furniture has flown off the shelves, with sales up by almost a third across B&Q. And they were a fifth higher at Screwfix. But Kingfisher's boss Thierry Garnier remained cautious, warning that 'consumer sentiment remains mixed'. Traders agreed with his negative view, sending shares down almost four per cent. METER SCANDAL'S £140 PAYOUTS 4 EIGHT energy companies will pay an average £140 compensation to 40,000 customers forced to have pay-as-you-go meters installed. They will pay £5.6million in compensation using guidelines set out by Ofgem. They have also agreed to write off £13million of energy debts from customers who had a prepayment energy meter force-fitted between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023. The firms involved are Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. Octopus inherited force-fitting cases when they acquired customers. The firms have agreed to the compensation, ordered by Ofgem after a review. The watchdog's Tim Jarvis said: 'Our priority has been to put things right. "We've made our expectations clear to suppliers on how customers who were treated poorly should be compensated.' Some firms tried to ensure struggling customers paid their bills by forcing their way into their homes to install a meter, often when they were out. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said of yesterday's ruling: 'Justice is finally being delivered to many of the families, lots of them vulnerable, who were affected by the scandal.' Dhara Vyas, chief of Energy UK, said: 'Suppliers have worked hard to co- operate with this review.' Customers will be contacted by their suppliers and do not need to take action. GROCERY INFLATION 2YR HIGH 4 GROCERY price inflation has surged to 4.1 per cent — the highest since February 2023, according to analysts. The figure takes the UK into 'new territory', warned market research company Kantar. Prices rose the fastest for chocolate treats, suncare products, butter and spreads. May's hot weather sent sun cream sales climbing 36 per cent. Other rises included potato salad (up 32 per cent) chilled burgers (27), prepared salads and coleslaw (both 19). Meanwhile, prices fell the fastest for dog and cat food, and household paper products. Fraser McKevitt, from Kantar, said: 'Households have been adapting their buying habits to manage budgets for some time. 'But we typically see changes once inflation tips beyond the three per cent to four per cent point as people notice the impact on their wallets.' He said own-label lines were currently the fastest growing part of the market.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Top UK water supplier hit with record fine over pollution
Britain's biggest water supplier, Thames Water, was hit Wednesday with a record fine of £122.7 million ($165 million) over pollution and improper dividend payments, a regulator said. UK water watchdog Ofwat said an investigation into "how the company was managing its treatment works and wider wastewater network uncovered failings that have amounted to a significant breach of the company's legal obligations". The penalty is the latest blow to Thames Water, laden with billions of pounds of debt, as it searches for the necessary funding to stave off a costly public bailout. Ofwat said the investigation into Thames Water's network revealed frequent spills of sewage, the true scale of which was likely "much higher than reported". "This is a clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment," said Ofwat chief executive David Black. "Thames Water will now need to correct the issues our investigation has identified," he added. Ofwat stipulated that the fines must be paid by the company and its investors, not by customers. A Thames Water spokesperson said that "we take our responsibility towards the environment very seriously and note that Ofwat acknowledges we have already made progress to address issues raised in the investigation." The water giant will pay £104.5 million for failings over wastewater management and an extra £18.2 million for breaking rules over dividend payments. The company must also now obtain Ofwat approval before paying dividends to shareholders. "Today Ofwat announce the largest fine ever handed to a water company in history," said UK environment minister Steve Reed. "The era of profiting from failure is over. The government is cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas for good," he added. Last year, Ofwat approved a massive 35 percent hike the average household's Thames water bills over five years. The indebted supplier then won a £3 billion emergency loan from creditors in February, giving it a short-term lifeline as it looks to attract takeover bids. Thames and other British water companies, privatised since 1989, have repeatedly come under fire for allowing the discharge of large quantities of sewage into rivers and the sea. This has been blamed on under-investment in a sewage system that dates back largely to the Victorian era.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thames Water hit with largest-ever fine issued by regulator Ofwat
Thames Water, the UK's biggest water provider, has been hit by a record fine by regulator Ofwat. The company has been fined £122.7m following Ofwat's "biggest and most complex" investigation. It follows two investigations related to its wastewater operations and dividend payouts. Of the total fine, £104.5m - 9% of Thames Water's turnover - has been levied for breaches of wastewater rules. It's just below the maximum 10% of turnover Ofwat could have applied. Another £18.2m penalty will be paid for breaches of dividend payment rules. The fine will be paid by the company and its shareholders, Ofwat said, rather than customers. Bad news for Thames Water finances It's bad news for Thames Water, which serves 16 million customers across London and the South East, and has just about fended off effective nationalisation, having secured an emergency £3bn loan. Its debts now top £19bn. These fines were not factored into Thames Water's financial planning for the next five years. The company's chief executive, Chris Weston, told a recent sitting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee that Thames Water's future was dependent on Ofwat being lenient with fines. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thames Water hit with record £123m fine for sewage failings
Struggling utility giant Thames Water has been hit with a record £122.7m fine by regulator Ofwat. The penalty has been handed down after the watchdog discovered widespread sewage failures at Thames Water, which was subject to the sector's 'biggest and most complex investigation'. The company has also been punished for breaking dividend rules, as Ofwat found that Thames handed its investors more than £130m in 'undeserved' payments in 2023 and 2024. Of the total fine, £104.5m is related to wastewater failings, while £18.2m is tied to the dividend breach. David Black, Ofwat's chief executive, said: 'This is a clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment. 'Our investigation has uncovered a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure to meet its obligations. 'This decision provides certainty for the company for both its past failures and what we expect from the company to comply with its obligations in future.' The fine will pile more pressure on Thames as it battles for survival. Chris Weston, Thames Water's chief, last month urged Ofwat not to fine the business, as he told MPs that any form of financial penalty would hinder its turnaround efforts. However, Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, on Wednesday hailed Ofwat's decision. He said: 'The Government has launched the toughest crackdown on water companies in history. 'The era of profiting from failure is over. The Government is cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.' A Thames Water spokesman said: 'We take our responsibility towards the environment very seriously and note that Ofwat acknowledges we have already made progress to address issues raised in the investigation relating to storm overflows. 'The dividends were declared following a consideration of the Company's legal and regulatory obligations. Our lenders continue to support our liquidity position and our equity raise process continues.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
