The Australian House of Representatives is debating and voting on the reservation of domestic gas today, while other significant issues remain in focus – from security in Queensland to financial oversight in the energy sector.
During the debate, member for Cook, Simon Kennedy, asked the Prime Minister about a grant for the Marrickville golf club. Kennedy claimed that the Prime Minister had stated that sewerage works were originally part of a six-million-dollar grant for the Marrickville golf club, which was invitation-only and funded by taxpayer money. He requested an explanation as to why the sewerage works were not mentioned in the Prime Minister’s own announcement from March 2025. The Prime Minister responded that an election commitment was made on 27 April 2025 for the construction and securing of the Marrickville golf club area, which related to a range of activities. He said that this commitment would ensure that this institution in the west of the city would be enjoyed for decades.
Queensland Police reported that on Saturday at approximately 20:18, "several shots" were fired from the front window of a car containing two men wearing balaclavas and gloves. The shots hit four people gathered in a passenger drop-off zone in front of a pub. A 19-year-old woman from Jimboomba was hit in the neck and head and underwent surgery, but died from her injuries in hospital this morning. Detective Ian Galpin had earlier described the woman as an "innocent bystander". On Thursday, he told reporters that police were seeking the perpetrators in an investigation that is now a homicide. "We will not stop until these people are identified and brought to justice," Galpin said. He added: "A 19-year-old woman in her prime, who simply went out on a night with friends, lost her life in the most cowardly way." Galpin said that there are people who know who was involved and why it happened, and urged them to be brave and report to police. It remains unclear whether the incident is linked to gangs, and the motive cannot be determined until the suspects are found. One of the other victims is still in hospital following surgery, while two have been released.
Meanwhile, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) spent $31,960 in the three months to March on maintaining plants and flowers in its offices, it was heard at a Senate hearing. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Swainson said: "I note that we have 149 offices across the country." He added that some are standalone NDIA offices, while others are co-located with Services Australia. "We are seeking efficiency across our entire property and program portfolio," Swainson said. "As I have mentioned previously, we are deeply committed to managing the agency within the budget framework allocated to us."
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will audit the accounts of Woodside, Santos and six other oil and gas companies to check how they report decommissioning costs for offshore infrastructure. In response to questions from Greens Senator Vanessa Bleyer on Thursday, ASIC Commissioner Kate O'Rourke confirmed that the regulator is reviewing how eight companies disclose decommissioning obligations in their financial reports. The companies under review are Woodside, Santos, Beach Energy, Amplitude Energy, Horizon Oil, Strike Energy, Cue Energy and Canarvon Energy. Bleyer said: "We have tried to create a sample of those we believe are representative of key issues... We hope that it is a valuable and sufficiently broad sample for drawing conclusions." Following a complaint from the Wilderness Society, ASIC listed decommissioning audits as a focus area for 2026-2027 in May. Amanda Holly, corporate advocacy manager at the Wilderness Society, said: "This intervention did not come out of nowhere." She added that it follows years of research by the organisation, two complaints to ASIC and the discovery of serious deficiencies in oil and gas sector reporting on decommissioning obligations. "There is more than $60 billion worth of oil and gas infrastructure along the Australian coast that needs to be cleaned up," Holly said. "Currently, too many companies are understating that bill in their books, and if they cannot pay when the time comes, the burden could fall on taxpayers."
At the Senate hearing, it was also revealed that two senior NDIA officials, who were investigated by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) for attempting to conceal nearly $260 million in pandemic grants paid to ineligible companies while working in the Victorian public service, now hold senior positions at the NDIA. NDIA Chief Executive Officer Graeme Head spoke about the situation.
