Western Australia's health minister has intervened to clear a four-figure ambulance bill issued to a man who needs 24-hour care due to a catastrophic brain injury he suffered in a one-punch attack that almost killed him.

Danny Hodgson was on the way home from his Perth football team's end-of-season celebration in September 2021 when he was approached by a stranger and punched to the ground.

A teenager was sentenced in March last year to three-and-a-half years in jail for the attack.

READ MORE: Premier Daniel Andrews 'very clear' there will not be a state memorial service for George Pell in Victoria

Prosecutors said what happened to Hodgson was "as bad as it gets without dying".

His mum Nicola said a bystander called the ambulance but her son has been left with the bill.

The soccer player received a letter for $1006 this week on the same day the payment was due.

The bill sparked anger after Nicola spoke out.

READ MORE: 'I never knew I was bitten': Aussie retiree's battle with Japanese encephalitis

She told Perth radio station 6PR her son "shouldn't be getting bills like this" as a victim of crime.

"It was an unprovoked attack," she said.

"Danny doesn't get any support from the state, he doesn't get any money, he needs 24-hour care and his father has had to stay in Perth which has broken the family up.

"You get this bill and you think, 'What else can happen?'"

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Hodgson shared the notice online, which said he must pay the fine in full by the due date to avoid potential "further action".

"(I'm) unable to work and unable to receive any disability or money while I try my best to recover," he said.

"Where do they think I'm pulling the money from?"

Housing Minister John Carey said the government would work to clear up the "shocking" bill.

"This is a shocker, we are working with the health minister's office to resolve this issue," he said.

By mid-afternoon, Health Minister Amber Jade-Sanderson intervened to call St John Ambulance to clear Hodgson's debt.

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A new injection into the wall of a damaged heart could reduce long-term scarring and potentially lower the number of deaths in one of Australia's leading killers.

Researchers from Sydney's Westmead Institute of Medical Research said they've had promising results in a trial of the protein tropoelastin, which when injected into a damaged animal heart improved scarring.

An Australian suffers a heart attack every 10 minutes, according to Heart Research Australia, with the body's repair system replacing damaged heart muscle with scar tissue after.

READ MORE: NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet apologises for wearing Nazi costume

"That heart muscle dies and it's replaced by a stiff collagen scar," researcher Dr Robert Hume told 9News.

"We wanted to see if we could actually change the scar and make it more flexible."

By improving the movement of the scar tissue, which can cause longer-term damage, the injection was found to improve the heart's function and ability to pump blood.

READ MORE: 'I never knew I was bitten': Retiree's battle with Japanese encephalitis

The protein has not yet been tested on people.

But researchers are hopeful the study will move on to human trials once technology is improved and higher doses are tested on animals. 

Last year, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said coronary heart disease was the leading cause of death for men and second largest cause for women.

The Victorian premier has made it "very clear" there will not be a state memorial service for George Pell, saying he couldn't think of "anything more distressing" for abuse survivors.

While making an announcement about level crossing removals in Melbourne's west, Daniel Andrews gave his condolences to Pell's family, friends and colleagues and also to all victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

"This will be a challenging time for friends and family … but also this will be a very challenging time for victim-survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, so our thoughts are with them," he said.

READ MORE: 'Difficult day': Leaders react to the death of George Pell

While a memorial will be held at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, where the late cardinal will be buried, the NSW government is also believed to have decided against a state memorial.

Andrews said his government would not be holding a state memorial service and had not received any requests to do so since Pell's death in Rome on Tuesday.

"There won't be a state memorial service," he said.

"I couldn't think of anything that would be more distressing for victim-survivors than that."

Andrews said he was being "very clear about that", with a message for victims and survivors.

"We see you, we believe you, we support you and you're at the centre of not only our thoughts, not only our words, but our actions," he said.

"We will never ever forget victim-survivors of institutional child sex abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church.

"We should never forget, never ever forget that predator brothers and priests were systematically moved around, knowingly, as part of a strategy, from one working class parish to the next."

READ MORE: Pell's journey from the top of the Vatican to prison and out again

Andrews refused to make comment about the cardinal's legacy when asked.

"Legacy is a matter for others to judge," he said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet confirmed today there would not be a state funeral held in NSW either.

After the news of Pell's death yesterday, Perrottet said it would have left "many … shocked and saddened".

"This will be a difficult day for people across our state and country, for those of Catholic faith and for many others," he said.

"My thoughts and condolences for all those people mourning Cardinal Pell's passing today."

READ MORE: NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet apologises for wearing Nazi costume on 21st birthday

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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has apologised after revealing he wore a Nazi costume on his 21st birthday.

Speaking on radio this afternoon, hours after a shock press conference, the premier admitted he should have revealed his "grave mistake" earlier.

He earlier said he was offering the apology after a colleague called him about the costume two days ago but declined to reveal what was said or who made the call.

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"I am deeply ashamed of what I did," he said. 

"And I'm truly sorry for the hurt and pain that this will cause people right across the state and particularly members of the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and their families.

"I am truly sorry for the terrible mistake."

Perrottet said the decision had caused him "much anxiety" throughout his life and when he received the call he decided he should be the one to reveal what he did.

He said he was "naive" and "didn't understand the significance of that decision".

But he denied someone was threatening him to reveal a photo from the party in 2003.

"I don't know of that," he said.

"I don't know if one exists. I've not seen one. I don't know."

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Speaking to Chris O'Keefe on Nine radio station 2GB, Perrottet said it didn't matter whether or not there was a photo, insisting the decision to wear the outfit was what was important.

"It's something it's something that obviously, I should have, I should have spoken about earlier in my life," he said.

"There is, there is no doubt about that. And I didn't, and I should have.

"But it's important as well, that I say to the people of New South Wales that this was a terrible and grave mistake that I made and that I'm truly sorry for the hurt that this will cause people across New South Wales."

READ MORE: Premier Daniel Andrews 'very clear' there will not be a state memorial service for George Pell in Victoria

Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, which fights against antisemitism and other prejudices, said he was "shattered and saddened".

"Wearing the Nazi uniform, at any age, is a shameful act of enormous insensitivity and an affront to the victims and survivors," he said.

"This incident demonstrates the importance of mandatory Holocaust education for young people and how vital it is to teach them about the indescribable crimes of the Nazis as well as inculcate the lessons of history's darkest period into their understanding and consciousness. 

"I accept the premier's apology, which is sincere as it is heartfelt, and applaud his full-throated denunciation of his past behaviour. I also appreciate his efforts to immediately reach out to the Jewish community."

In a joint statement, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip and CEO Darren Bark said they appreciated the premier personally reaching out to the Jewish community and described his regret as "deep and sincere".

"Nazi symbolism is not to be taken lightly and dressing as a Nazi is not a joke. It disrespects the millions of innocent civilians who were murdered during WWII, including six million Jews and thousands of Australian Diggers who died fighting against the Nazis," they said.

"The premier has acknowledged this, recognising that wearing the costume was offensive and will distress many in our community.

"We hope that this unfortunate incident will serve as a lesson to all."

Perrottet last year said he was horrified by fans allegedly raising their arms in Nazi salutes at the Australia Cup final and supported calls for them to face lifetime bans.

Asked about those comments in the context of today's revelation, he said he'd "become a very passionate supporter of the Jewish people" and come to understand their experiences through conversations and reading books.

Perrottet said his parents spoke to him the day after the party, telling him what he did was "wrong and insensitive".

The premier said he didn't know how many people knew about him wearing the costume or for how long. 

He couldn't remember whether he apologised to the Jewish friends he had when he was 21. 

The premier said his 21st was a "uniform party" with family and friends.

He told 2GB that while he was wearing a black Nazi outfit, he was not dressed as Adolf Hitler.

Other costumes included sailors and no one else wore a Nazi costume or anything offensive that Perrottet could recall.

Perrottet, 40, said he spoke to Jewish leaders before the press conference and apologised for the "terrible hurt" he knew it would cause the Jewish community.

Perrottet, who informed Treasurer Matt Kean and Deputy Premier Paul Toole, plans to speak to the RSL and other organisations this afternoon.

The premier said he hadn't thought about how damaging the revelation could be for his re-election campaign. 

It came to an end when the girl’s mum learned of the relationship and confronted the man.

Sewage treatment plant releases wastewater – minus solids – due to heavy rainfall.

It comes as communities across the country face a clean-up after Cyclone Hale.