Lisa Wilkinson seeks $1.8m in costs for successful defence of Bruce Lehrmann defamation action
Amanda Meade
The federal court has heard Lisa Wilkinson is seeking $1.815m in indemnity costs for her legal defence in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case.
Justice Michael Lee is holding a case management hearing today to determine how much the legal costs for each party are.
Earlier this month Lehrmann was ordered to pay most of the media parties’ legal costs from his failed defamation suit on an indemnity basis because the judge found that he brought the case on a “knowingly false premise”.
The costs for all parties have been estimated to be between $8m and $10m for the 24-day civil trial which Lehrmann lost.
The court has adjourned to determine why some of the documents from Wilkinson’s team are not signed.
Key events
Benita Kolovos
Was illegal dumping to blame for contamination of Victorian parks?
Asked whether it is still the EPA’s belief that illegal dumping was to blame for the contamination, Lee Miezis replied:
We did look at 59 mulch producers in Victoria that use recycled timbers when the New South Wales incident was first announced [and] assessed the presence of asbestos in mulch production. We also looked at contamination controls in those sites. 53 of those 59 were found to have good contamination controls in place. Six required improvement and those improvements have since been made, so we were able to quickly rule out that that mulch was the source of contamination.
Then as we undertook our investigations, the two main sources were either legacy contamination – so small amounts that were left in the ground, either from previous buildings or from previous industrial uses of site that were disturbed when landscaping works were being undertaken. Other sites where there were small amounts of illegal dumping … [we] are continuing to work with Hudson’s Bay, where about 15 of those 22 sites were found to continue those investigations, but to date, no charges have been laid for those particular issues.
Benita Kolovos
EPA grilled on soil contamination in Victorian parks
Victoria’s final budget estimate hearings are being held today, with the environment minister, Steve Dimopolous, and his department heads being grilled by the public accounts and estimates committee.
Nationals MP Danny O’Brien is currently asking the chief executive of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Lee Miezis, for an update on the contaminated materials that were discovered at several parks in April.
Miezis says all but two of the parks have reopened after remediation works:
The EPA has inspected over 100 parks and reserves, we’ve confirmed small amounts – so less than a shopping bag – of bonded asbestos at 22 parks and reserves in seven local government areas.
Of those 22, 20 have been remediated – clean and reopened – with the final two expected to be reopened in the coming weeks.
The extended sort of period of time for those [parks] is because the cleanups being undertaken [are] part of broader works by the council.
Prime minister marks beginning of Reconciliation Week
Today marks the beginning of Reconciliation Week, which the prime minister has marked as “an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the profound contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make to our nation”.
In a post to X, Anthony Albanese wrote:
In science and art, law and sport, and in their connection and care for this land, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have excelled in every field and have enriched every facet of Australian life.
The truth of our history is that so often this extraordinary success has demanded courage against overwhelming odds. Be it the legacy of dispossession or the continuing challenge of economic and social disadvantage.
In Reconciliation Week, let us take inspiration from the work every generation has done to break down these barriers. William Cooper, Lowitja O’Donoghue, Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler, Eddie Mabo and so many more whose bravery, resolve and grace have moved our nation forward.
This week, and always, let us honour their legacy by renewing our shared determination to build on it. To continue the journey to Reconciliation, with faith in each other and hope for the future.
Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the profound contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make to our nation. pic.twitter.com/1URpRCu3ci
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 26, 2024
Amanda Meade
Costs hearing continues at federal court
Justice Michael Lee has asked Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson to come to an agreement about the quantum of undisputed costs so that he can make an order for “partial costs recovery” for the Ten presenter.
The court heard that it is a complex process to go through the line items of legal costs as Ten and Wilkinson had separate legal teams but were both respondents. Lee said:
All I’d say to both the respondents, and Mr Lehrmann, is if the debate is going to be relatively academic, at the margins concerning costs, is it consistent with the overarching purpose for more money to be spent in relation to a reference process if there is a certain core amount of costs which are not disputed?
Wilkinson is seeking $1.8m in indemnity costs from Ten. The court has appointed an independent referee to determine the amount to be paid by each party.
“I can assure you life is too short for me to worry about costs disputes but I want to make sure it goes off to the referee in a way where it’s not going to go off the rails,” Lee said, before taking a short adjournment for the parties to discuss the matter.
Memorial to Major Mitchell defaced: ‘We don’t commemorate other mass murderers’
A memorial to Major Mitchell in Castlemaine, central Victoria, has been defaced, with a sign stating “we don’t commemorate other mass murderers in Victoria”.
According to an image on social media, the memorial has been covered in red paint, with the appearance of blood, and a sign has been placed on it, which reads:
On this day on May 27th 1836, a group led by Major Mitchell murdered 7 people in the Mt. Dispersion Massacre … We don’t commemorate other mass murderers in Victoria.
Except Major Mitchell.
We call for all monuments to Major Mitchell to be removed or alternatively a plaque that states the full history of what this man was responsible for including the murder of at least seven Aboriginal people on the Dhungala (Murray) River on May 27th, 1836.
Memorial near Castlemaine commemorating Major Mitchell covered with ‘blood’ this morning.
Sign says ‘we don’t commemorate other mass murderers in Victoria’. pic.twitter.com/FzvP3m7SSq
— Miki Perkins (@perkinsmiki) May 26, 2024
Lisa Wilkinson seeks $1.8m in costs for successful defence of Bruce Lehrmann defamation action
Amanda Meade
The federal court has heard Lisa Wilkinson is seeking $1.815m in indemnity costs for her legal defence in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case.
Justice Michael Lee is holding a case management hearing today to determine how much the legal costs for each party are.
Earlier this month Lehrmann was ordered to pay most of the media parties’ legal costs from his failed defamation suit on an indemnity basis because the judge found that he brought the case on a “knowingly false premise”.
The costs for all parties have been estimated to be between $8m and $10m for the 24-day civil trial which Lehrmann lost.
The court has adjourned to determine why some of the documents from Wilkinson’s team are not signed.
Caitlin Cassidy
Curtin University students vow to continue pro-Palestine camp until management makes ‘serious concessions’
Student protestors at Curtin University have vowed they will not disband their encampment until management makes serious concessions after the student guild inked a deal to end their support for the camp.
Last week, Curtin released a statement confirming university leadership reached an agreement with the guild, which includes disclosing investments and ties with weapons manufacturers, foreign governments and the defence industry.
Key elements include reconfirming Curtin’s commitment to being inclusive of students of all faiths and ethnicities, tangible actions to increase transparency around how we uphold international humanitarian law and new training initiatives to improve disclosure to research students of funding sources.
We have been consistently clear that Curtin has no direct or indirect investments in manufacturers of weapons of war.
The Greens said the move was thanks to students who had camped out for 23 days and nights, while adding it was “disappointing” the university would not immediately cut ties with all weapons companies.
Protestors said they rejected the agreement with the guild, vowing they would remain on site until management upheld their demands – including labelling the ongoing attack on Gaza a genocide.
Optus loses appeal to keep report into 2022 cyber-attack secret
Josh Taylor
Optus has lost an appeal to keep secret a Deloitte report into the 2022 cyber-attack.
As part of a class action case brought against Optus by some of the 10 million customers who had their personal information stolen in the hack, the litigants are seeking access to the report commissioned by the mobile company after the attack.
Optus has argued that the report was commissioned for the dominant purpose of legal advice, but that was initially rejected by the federal court last year in part because it was referenced in a media release about Optus’s response to the attack.
Optus appealed, and the full federal court rejected the appeal today.
The telco can still appeal the matter to the high court. Optus has been approached for comment.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority also announced last week it had launched a federal court case against Optus over the 2022 attack, alleging Optus had failed to protect the confidentiality of its customers.
Health insurance company Medibank is also fighting against having to divulge a similar Deloitte report as part of class action over the ransomware attack it suffered in 2022, and has similarly argued it was commissioned for legal advice.
Man taken to hospital following smoke inhalation from ebike fire
A man suffering from smoke inhalation has been admitted to hospital following an ebike fire overnight.
Fire and Rescue NSW says the blaze broke out in a garage beneath a two-level block of apartments at Revesby, in Sydney’s south-west, around 1.15am.
Crews arrived on scene and found a man, believed to be in his 70s, suffering from smoke inhalation after trying to extinguish the fire himself. Firefighters contained the fire and doused the flames.
This comes amid growing concern over the rise in battery-related blazes, with lithium-ion batteries sparking four fires in a single day across NSW earlier this year:
ANU students ordered to disband pro-Palestine encampment or risk police involvement
Caitlin Cassidy
Security at the Australian National University (ANU) have ordered pro-Palestine protestors to immediately disband their encampment or risk police involvement as students enter their fourth week occupying the site.
In a letter seen by Guardian Australia, ANU’s director of facilities and services division, Jeremy Matthew, advises students of an “immediate and non negotiable” directive to pack up and remove all tents and materials related to the camp.
Matthew advises there is a “serious safety concern” due to the camp being established in a primary fire evacuation zone for the Kambri campus.
The encampment’s continued presence in this critical area poses an unacceptable risk to the safety and security of our staff and students … this order includes the power to issue eviction notices and, if necessary, to call in the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to enforce compliance.
Earlier this month, a small group of students were advised to disband in meetings with management or risk disciplinary action:
Ukraine awaiting response on request for coal shipment
Australia is in discussions with Ukraine on how it can provide practical support, AAP reports, as the war-torn country awaits a response on its bid for an urgently needed coal shipment.
Circling back to Richard Marles’ earlier interview on ABC RN, the deputy prime minister was asked about reports that Ukrainian officials had appealed to the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, for coal to help meet its energy needs, as Russia targets its power plants with missile and drone attacks.
Marles said the government had given a response:
In all that we are doing, we are looking at how our support can be sustainable and ongoing, because we mean to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its terms.
It also needs to be practical, and we are talking with Ukraine about how best we can do that.
From time to time, one item or another will end up in the media and it will gain attention, but what we’re doing is focusing on our conversation with Ukraine about how the support that we can provide can be done the most practical way.
Queensland 50c public transport trial about ‘forcing people to change their habits,’ premier says
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, spoke with the Today show earlier this morning about the state’s 50c public transport trial. You can read all the details about this below:
He defended the decision for it to be a six-month trial rather than an immediate, permanent change:
The idea of doing it for six months is really to force people to change their habits. The advice was that if it was a permanent change, people might put off changing the way they get to work, but if they know they need to use it while it’s there, that will have an extra incentive for people to change their habits. If enough people do, if it proves successful, then I hope we can look at continuing something like this.
Miles argued that an “unanticipated population surge driven by international migration” over the last few years had led to more cars on roads:
We need some time to catch up. And that’s why this initiative, we hope, will take enough cars off the road to ease that pressure.
Man charged over alleged taxi driver stabbing in Sydney’s south-west
A man is due in court today over the alleged stabbing of a taxi driver at Mt Pritchard last week.
A 41-year-old man suffered wounds to his left arm and thigh after picking up a fare from a motel at Cabramatta about 4.15pm last Friday.
The driver was taken to Liverpool hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, while officers commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, officers arrested a 22-year-old man about 10pm yesterday at Moorebank after responding to reports of a robbery.
The man was taken to Liverpool police station and charged with reckless wounding. He has also been charged with the attempted robbery of a 34-year-old man in George Lane.
The man, from Casula, has been refused bail to appear at Liverpool local court today.
Coercive control ads target NSW’s multicultural communities
A NSW government ad campaign raising awareness of coercive control is being rolled out for multicultural communities ahead of laws that will criminalise domestic abuse in the state, AAP reports.
The government said the campaign for Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin speakers was part of improving public understanding of coercive control among culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
In July, NSW will become the first Australian jurisdiction to outlaw coercive control, which is when someone repeatedly hurts, scares or isolates another person to control them, according to the government.
The abuse will become a standalone offence punishable by up to seven years in jail under the new legislation, which was passed by parliament last year.
In announcing the new campaign, minister for women Jodie Harrison said coercive control was an “insidious abuse” that could be hard to recognise:
We also know that people from multicultural backgrounds are less likely to seek help due to cultural and language barriers, which is why we need to make sure our message is reaching them.
The advertising campaign, to start today, uses the image of a spider’s web to symbolise the interconnected pattern of behaviours which traps victims of coercive control, the government said.
Skilled migrants needed to ‘backfill’ jobs left open as workforces pivot to shipbuilding, SA premier says
Amid the migration debate spearheaded by opposition leader Peter Dutton, the South Australian premier said skilled migration “has to be part of the mix” when it comes to Aukus.
Peter Malinauksus told ABC RN that skilled migrants wouldn’t necessarily participate “in the submarine build itself” but would “back-fill” job shortages that open up when workforces pivot to shipbuilding:
… As we seek to ramp up the participation in nuclear submarine building, we don’t want that to hoover up skills from other manufacturers we’ve got in South Australia at their expense…
I think that’s something we need to think through very carefully as we start to see a policy discussion, if not debate, around migration in this country.
