Police allege the man ignored repeated warnings to stop selling the substance.

Australian dairy farmers are calling for stricter labelling laws so that their plant-based competitors cannot use the word "milk".

The UK Supreme Court last month ruled that Swedish company Oatly could no longer trademark or use the phrase "post milk generation" on its products following a lengthy legal battle by Dairy UK.

Australian Dairy Farmers president Ben Bennett wants the federal government to follow suit with mandatory rules, saying milk should come from an animal and not a marketing department.

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"You hardly really milk an almond tree," he said.

"I think we just need to be a bit more honest about the language we use."

Bennett has been a dairy farmer in south-west Victoria for the past 20 years and knows first-hand just how much effort goes into producing milk.

He said plant-based alternatives are "effectively a juice" with different nutritional value and calcium levels from the real thing.

"We're all competing for the consumer's dollar, and rightly so," he said. 

"The consumer should have the opportunity to have a transparent, informed perspective for the product that they're consuming, and they are distinctly different."

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Australia has voluntary labelling guidelines outlined in an industry code of practice.

The federal government put $1.5 million in the 2024-25 budget towards a review of plant-based and alternative protein labelling and commissioned Food Standards Australia New Zealand to conduct a rapid review, market survey, and a consumer survey.

That research found that Australians can accurately identify plant-based products.

They did not believe plant-based products are nutritionally equivalent to animal counterparts and are not confused about ingredient content. 

The government will, therefore, work with the Alternative Proteins Council to strengthen the code of practice. 

​This will provide clearer guidance by discouraging animal imagery, limiting meat-specific terminology, improving the prominence of plant-based qualifiers, and establishing a complaints mechanism.

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"Australian consumers should be able to clearly identify both traditional and alternative protein sources," Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said in late January.

But Bennett's message to plant-based manufacturers is simple.

"I think it's time that they rode their own boat and stopped endeavouring to emulate us. If they're so confident in the product, try having your own name," he said.

9news.com.au has contacted Oatly and the Alternative Proteins Council for comment.

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South Australia's top cop has claimed two members of the family of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont are "not cooperating" with authorities investigating his disappearance.

SA Police has confirmed to nine.com.au that two of Gus' family members are "only communicating via their legal representatives" after Commissioner Grant Stevens mentioned the changed circumstances on radio today.

"We are still working with Gus' mum and dad and there are other members of the family who are no longer cooperating," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

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It is not known which family members have allegedly withdrawn cooperation with investigators.

Stevens added that investigating the little boy's disappearance remained a "top priority" for police – confirming officers would be returning to the family station at a later date.

Gus has been missing since September, where he was last seen at his family's station in the state's outback.

SA Police declared Gus' disappearance as a major crime a month ago and said a person with close ties to the household, who is not one of Gus' parents, had been speaking to detectives but allegedly "withdrew cooperation."

Police said that person was considered a suspect, though their idenity hasn't been revealed.

Stevens also said police had "all but ruled out" the possibility that Gus had simply wandered off.

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"There has not been one single piece of evidence that we have located during that searching exercise, the most extensive search I think arguably in the history of South Australia, that has given us any indication that he did wander off," he said.

"We will be going back to the property, I can't say when, I can't say what the reasons will be, that's entirely up to the task force, but the work is ongoing."

He insisted that finding Gus was the main concern of the state's police force, saying he wished to bring closure to Gus' parents, Josh and Jess.

Late last month the pair released a publc statement via SA Police, where they urged anyone with information to come forward. They also released new photos and video of their son.

"Our lives have been shattered, and every moment without him is unbearable," they said.

"We are united in our search for answers about what happened to our little boy, Gus, who means everything to us… we know someone out there may have information.

"If someone knows what happened, we are pleading with that person—or anyone who may have seen or heard anything—to please come forward.

"Even the smallest detail could give us the answers we so desperately need."

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The intelligence agency stood up a team to monitor anti-Semitic terror.

A NSW council has announced plans to introduce paid parking for visitors at some of Sydney's most popular beaches.

Randwick City Council today released a proposal that would make out-of-towners pay to park at Randwick's seven beaches.

They are Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar, Little Bay, La Perouse and Yarra Bay.

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The council said it spends more than $23 million on beach maintenance annually, from rubbish collection to lifeguard services.

Until now, ratepayers have provided all of the funding for those services.

This new paid parking proposal would change that, shifting some of the cost onto beachgoers from outside the Randwick LGA.

Randwick residents would be exempt from the paid parking through a permit system.

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Mayor of Randwick Dylan Parker said it was "only fair" for visitors to contribute to the cost of keeping the area's beaches clean and well-maintained.

"Right now, local ratepayers carry most of that cost, even though the bulk of beach users in summer are visitors," he said in a statement.

"That's not fair or sustainable in the long term."

About nine million visits are made to Randwick's beaches each year, but nearly 84 per cent of visitors come from outside the local LGA.

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If the new proposal goes ahead, revenue raised from making visitors pay for parking would go towards providing beach services, funding new coastal infrastructure, and supporting sustainable transport.

"Providing beaches that are clean, safe and inviting is a significant cost for locals alone to bear," Parker said.

"This proposal is about ensuring we can fairly continue serving the needs of all beachgoers."

The council has today started a six-week community consultation period to get resident feedback on whether the proposal should go ahead.

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The escalating conflict in the Middle East has thrown travel plans into chaos, with thousands stranded at major airports in the region as airspaces are shut and flights grounded.

With Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar being key stopovers for Australians travelling to Europe, many who have upcoming trips planned are questioning their flight plans.

Given the uncertainty surrounding travel through the Middle East region, here are some stopover points to use to get to Europe, and what people with flights coming soon should do.

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Should I cancel my Europe holiday?

Despite the current uncertainty, experts say Australians should not cancel their European holidays or their flights through the Middle East if they are booked.

Australian Travel Industry Association CEO Dean Long told nine.com.au that people who cancel their flights jeopardise the chance of getting a refund or a cheaper or free rebooking.

"Do not cancel your trip, you will lose the consumer rights that you have available to you, such as a full refund," he said.

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He said travellers should wait for the airline to make a call – essentially, let them cancel the flight, meaning it is then their responsibility to offer adequate compensation in the form of a refund or travel credit.

"You'll have to check individually with those airlines where you can get a full refund or a change to the end of March for no fee, but people should go to the relevant airline app or the travel agency app to look at those options before doing anything," Long said.

"You will be out of pocket if you do it the wrong way."

How can I fly to Europe without flying over the Middle East?

While the Middle East is a key hub between Australia and Europe, there are a number of alternative options available.

In terms of price and practicality, several airports in Asia remain the best options for Australians who are still looking to travel to Europe amid the uncertain situation at major hubs like Dubai and Doha.

Singapore is one of the biggest international hubs in the world, and offers flights to London from Sydney and Melbourne.

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Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur airports all serve destinations in Europe as well as major cities in Australia, whilst multiple Chinese airlines offer flights to Europe at a lower price than other carriers.

Long did warn fares were increasing as demand for these regions grew.

"We have seen substantial fare increases at the moment, anywhere between 20 and 80 per cent on average across all of the Asian hubs for the next two weeks," he said.

Is it safe to fly through the Middle East right now?

Some flights have started to fly through the Middle East region in the last 24 hours, especially as countries look to repatriate stranded citizens.

An Emirates flight from Dubai to Sydney took off this morning, carrying around 200 passengers, and is due to land at around 10.30pm.

Flights have resumed to other parts of the world, though mass cancellations are continuing, with a large backlog expected for some time.

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Long said airlines would never jeopardise the safety of their passengers, but travellers needed to prepare for disruptions if they are unable to alter their trip.

"You need to have an understanding that there will be an increased risk of disruption," he said.

Qatar Airways and Etihad Airlines flights remain suspended, though the latter could resume flying tomorrow.

What are the latest travel warnings?

The Australian Government is urging Australians not to travel to most countries in the Middle east, with all but three countries in the region having the highest travel warning of 'do not travel' in place.

This includes the UAE and Qatar, as well as Iran and Lebanon, which have borne the brunt of the damage so far.

Israel's travel rating was also upgraded after it was on the end of retaliatory strikes.

Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan all sit at 'reconsider your need to travel', with these countries all having their warning level upgraded in recent days.

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Whoever placed the vacuum-packed cash in the ceiling remains a mystery.

Poseidyn Reigns Hemopo-Pickering, of Manurewa, died in September 2020.

Officers seized an M4-style rifle and a 3D-printed semi-automatic pistol.

A murderer's history of domestic violence should have raised greater alarm sooner, a coroner has found, sparking calls for police risk assessment policies to be reviewed.

Maryam Hamka, 36, was killed by her partner Toby Loughnane in April 2021 at his Brighton apartment, in Melbourne's southeast.

Weeks earlier, on March 6, police responded to reports of a separate incident in which Loughnane chased Hamka while armed with a knife to her mother's home.

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Victoria Police's Family Violence Investigation Unit triaged the incident as medium risk in line with its guidelines.

In findings released today, State Coroner Liberty Sanger said Loughnane's long history of family violence should have raised greater concern and warranted specialist oversight.

"This incident should have been classified as high risk," she said.

When police arrived, Hamka had already left the scene and denied the incident took place when they contacted her.

Her sister, however, told police the incident did take place, telling officers Loughnane had also "bashed her really bad previously".

A police report noted the parties had no previous family violence reports despite Loughnane's history of family violence.

On April 11, Loughnane killed Hamka and later buried her body in a shallow grave at Cape Schanck, on the Mornington Peninsula.

A jury found him guilty of murder and, in February 2025, he was sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment with 20 years non-parole.

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Judge Sanger did not suggest a different rating would have prevented Hamka's death or that it was wrong under the relevant policy, but said it may have overlooked the gravity of Loughnane's violence.

"Even if the risk assessment tool did not assess this as high risk, in my view, this does not obviate the need for members to use professional judgment," the coroner wrote.

Loughnane had been recorded by Victoria Police as a family violence perpetrator on 21 occasions.

He had been jailed for violent offending, breached court orders and been managed under high-risk police monitoring in relation to other women.

Judge Sanger recommended the state government fund an independent evaluation of Victoria Police's risk models and Family Violence Investigation Units.

She also called on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to provide ongoing funding for long-term perpetrator interventions.

Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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