Now he’s been fined after netting $326,000 in a deal he hid from the vendor and his boss.

When a horse slipped in Race 1 in Hastings on Saturday, it was the beginning of the end,

Vapes are now available without a prescription from pharmacies, but will be behind the counter and only sold to adults, as part of the next stage of the government's crackdown on the devices.

Moves to try and stamp out the habit began on July 1, amid what leaders called "the biggest loophole in Australian healthcare history".

The federal government tweaked its plan, which was announced last year, after reaching an agreement with the Greens to pass an amended version of its legislation, that changes how Australians can buy the products.

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After initially requiring prescriptions, vapes will now be treated as behind-the-counter therapeutic goods.

That means customers will need to provide photo ID and have a discussion with a pharmacist before being allowed to buy them.

But they won't need to see a doctor to get a prescription.

They are only available to people who want to use them to stop smoking.

READ MORE: What is going on with Australia's vaping laws?

​Children aged under 18 will still require a prescription.

From March 1, 2024, it has been illegal to import disposable vapes, irrespective of the amount of nicotine they contain.

That includes people buying vapes overseas and having them shipped to Australia for their own use.

The colourful vapes which attract young people and have been sold at vape shops are not supposed to contain nicotine.

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However, experts say the crackdown isn't working.

Avinash Singh Principal Lawyer at Astor Legal said in the 18 months from July 2022, there were only 12 successful prosecutions in New South Wales.

"The new laws seem to reflect an acknowledgement by the government of the practical difficulties in enforcing overly restrictive vaping laws," Singh said.

​"Perhaps more concerning is that the current penalties for vaping offences are clearly not a deterrent.

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"Seven of the shops that were prosecuted, continued to stock illicit vapes after they received a warning, had their products seized or were convicted in court.

"This is unsurprising when the fines they received were minuscule compared to the profits made from selling vapes."

Meanwhile, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is introducing strengthened product standards for therapeutic vapes including vaping substances, vaping substance accessories, vaping devices and vaping device accessories.

He was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and with resisting police.

A gender reveal party in Melbourne's south-east received some unexpected guests over the weekend, when police responded to reports of hooning.

Police intercepted a driver in an industrial estate on Frankston Garden Road in Carrum Downs just after 2pm on 28 September, where blue smoke was allegedly coming from the tyres of a Holden Commodore.

Enquiries revealed burnouts were allegedly being performed by a father-to-be as part of a baby gender reveal party.

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Police said around 25 to 30 people, including young children, were present at the party, when they arrived after several calls to triple zero.

It's understood some attendees were filming the event, while others appeared surprised at the presence of police.

The Commodore, belonging to a 29-year-old Frankston North man who is understood to be the unborn child's father, was impounded.

He was fined more than $1100 and is expected to be charged on summons with traffic offences.

Somerville Highway Patrol senior sergeant Phillip Hulley said police were investigating the possibility of other hooning drivers at the party and said partygoers could be hit with a $500 fine for attending a hoon event. 

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"We are still collating CCTV and if we identify further criminal behaviour we will certainly be speaking to those individuals once we identify them," Hulley said.

He said police were "totally gobsmacked" by the event. 

"We don't tolerate that behaviour, it's very very dangerous behaviour," Hulley said.

"You've got no control of your car when you're spinning around in circles, they think they do but they don't.

"There's lots of incidents where people have lost control and people have been seriously injured and killed."

"I'd advise if anyone [wants] to have a gender reveal, have a cake instead, rather than take it to the streets and put everyone else in danger."

Police are appealing for dashcam and CCTV footage from motorists and businesses in the area at the time.

At least four Australian capital cities have recorded a dip in house prices through the September quarter as more homeowners look to sell.

There will be "no long-term occupation" of Lebanon, Israeli officials said, but they declined to provide a timeline for the operation.

Australia's airline industry is a notoriously tough one to crack for newcomers.

The likes of Bonza and Rex have already fallen victim to the David vs Goliath battle that is competing against the Qantas and Virgin duopoly.

Koala Airlines is slated to be the next domestic air carrier rising up to the daunting task.

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But what are its chances of success?

They're slim, according to aviation expert and airline site Ratings.com founder Geoffrey Thomas.

"What they're taking on is almost mission impossible," Thomas told 9news.com.au.

"Unless you've got a massive backing… an investor who's got a bottomless pit of money, and is prepared to stick for 10 years at it, the track record is not good."

Thomas has long held hopes for a carrier like Koala, which could be – if successful – a competitive domestic option for Australian airline customers.

He warns Koala will have "significant challenges" taking on the loyal customer bases of Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin.

Qantas and Virgin have a combined 95 per cent share of the domestic market in Australia. 

"People just don't want to go to any other airline because they say, yes, Qantas might be a bit more expensive or Virgin might be a bit more expensive," he said.

"But I want the points. I want the status credits… frequent flyer programs are incredibly powerful."

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Thomas said Koala chief executive Bill Astling has a big fight ahead of him, but acknowledged that in a David vs Goliath battle, "David sometimes wins".

Astling, who founded Koala in 2018, is well aware of the punishing road ahead.

He described his endeavour to take on the big airlines as "insane" during an interview with the ABC's Four Corners.

But Astling said he hoped customers who are paying too much would embrace a carrier like Koala and welcome a competitive entry into the market.

"It can't all be done by two airlines," he said of Australia's "big two" companies.

Thomas acknowledged that a lot of Aussies are "ticked off" with Qantas and Virgin and there's a lot of noise about alleged price gouging.

He said, while it's bad news for the big two, this might not be enough for Koala to cut through and turn a profit.

"Look at all the airlines that have collapsed over the years," he said.

"It's a very, very tough business. And in Australia, it's incredibly tough against two incredibly powerful brands."

Koala, while yet to launch, is promising a guaranteed cash refund policy for cancelled flights.

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It could be a boon for the carrier though Thomas said it's unlikely to pry loyal customers away from still booking with Qantas and Virgin.

"It would attract occasional travellers. But it won't be the business passengers, premium passengers," he said.

"That's the bread and butter that makes airlines profitable."

Koala has not confirmed when it will launch, what routes it will fly or what investment will keep the carrier afloat.

There's an air of mystery surrounding Koala's entry into the market and Astling's confidence.

Koala's website states it is finalising negotiations to acquire a fleet.

"Koala's strategy will fundamentally differ from previous entrants in a domestic market which has been long dominated by two major airlines since the Australian government first introduced the Two Airline Policy in 1952," the website notes.

"While many new low-cost carriers have entered the market since 1990 and focused solely on offering cheaper fares, almost entirely leading to unsustainable competition, Koala is taking a more innovative route."

A multimillion-dollar coercive control campaign has been launched by the Western Australian government in a bid to raise awareness about domestic violence.

The two-year ad campaign aims to educate victim-survivors, their family members and even perpetrators on the signs of abuse.

DV survivor Sheree Schonian is backing the $5 million advertising blitz.

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At just 16 years old, Schonian became trapped in a domestic violence relationship. 

"He threatened to throw acid on my face at one time if I ever wanted to leave him, threatened to hurt my family," she said.

After more than a decade she finally managed to escape but said the signs of coercive control weren't always obvious.

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"I experienced all forms of family and domestic violence. I experienced physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse," she said.

The ads – to be aired on radio, television and social media – feature the tagline: "It doesn't have to be physical. Coercive control is family and domestic violence."

The campaign aims to highlight how actions such as tracking, isolating, intimidation and gaslighting can create a sense of fear.

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Although the state is yet to criminalise coercive control like NSW and Queensland, Premier Roger Cook said the government remained committed to tightening legislation.

"Coercive control is tracking your partner, it's isolating them from friends and family it's taking control of their finances and gaslighting," Cook said.

Ferry services to one of Perth's most popular tourist spots have been suspended due to wild weather, throwing school holidays into chaos. 

Parents and holiday makers hoping to head to Rottnest Island have been told all ferry trips have been cancelled for Wednesday.

Ferry operators defended the move as six-metre swells and wind gusts of up to 65 km/h are forecast, making the journey too risky.

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Extra services have been scheduled for tomorrow to get people back from the island ahead of the wild weather. 

Refunds are being offered on both trips and accommodation for Rottnest Island.

Customers are encouraged to contact their service providers, who apologise for the inconvenience.