At 39, Superintendent Will Loughrin now leads the district.

Millions of Australians will be paying more for their private health insurance from April 1, but new data has revealed a single factor could mean you're paying $828 more per year than your fellow Aussies.

Australians who have stayed with the same health insurance provider for 10 years or more are paying an average of $306.88 per month on premiums, while those who purchased new cover a year ago averaged $237.84 per month, according to Compare the Market's latest survey.

Over one year, that adds up to a $828.48 cost difference.

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That means loyal long-term customers are paying 29 per cent more for their health insurance than those who have switched providers more recently.

The new findings come just weeks ahead of what is expected to be the largest increase to health insurance premiums in half a decade.

Private health insurance premiums are expected to increase by between 3.9 and 4.4 per cent, as the gap between premiums and health inflation closes post-pandemic.

That kind of premium rise would see singles on a combined hospital and extras policy pay an extra $127 to $144 a year, while families would face another $191 to $216 annually.

"Australians who stick with the same insurer may think they're being rewarded, but when premiums increase year-on-year, that's often not the case," Compare the Market's Economic Director David Koch said.

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"Your insurer isn't going to tell you if you're shelling out more than you need to. It's up to you to take control and look for better value."

"The number of people I speak to who have cover for pregnancy when they're well into their 50s and 60s is outrageous – I was one of them until my wife pointed it out."

Australians spend an average of $255.67 per month on their health insurance, which adds up to $3068 each year.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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A man has been arrested after a woman was found dead in Melbourne's east this morning.

Officers found the woman's body at a property on Mountain Highway near Dorset Road in Bayswater just after 11am.

A 39-year-old man from Bayswater was arrested nearby about 11.40am.

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He is expected to be interviewed this afternoon.

Police said it is believed the parties are known to each other.

A crime scene has been established, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

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Supermarket giant Coles has been accused of artificially increasing prices before reducing them and claiming it as a discount.

Australia's consumer watchdog is pursuing the chain through the Federal Court for allegedly misleading consumers with its "down down, prices are down" campaign.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's case against Coles began today, with its lawyers accusing the company of using "utterly misleading" prices.

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With a "jingle that sticks in one's ear longer than is healthy", the ACCC's barrister alleged Coles' well-known "down down" marketing campaign had deliberately misled its customers.

"Why on earth are you telling your customers that your prices are going down, when they're not?" the commission's barrister Garry Rich SC told the court.

"The particular promotion they chose was a promotion that hinges on convincing customers that the price of this product has gone down.

"An utterly inappropriate promotional mechanic to use in circumstances where everyone within Coles knows the price is going up."

He opened the hearing using the example of a 1.2kg can of Nature's Gift adult wet dog food, which he said was sold for $4 from April 2022 to February 2023.

Rich claimed Coles had increased the price of the product to $6 for a week, before it was sold as reduced to $4.50.

"Coles's statement was utterly misleading," he said.

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"Coles had increased its price to $6 just seven days before the promotion and for 296 days before that the price was $4."

Justice Michael O'Bryan queried whether the reason the price rose was due to the supplier increasing its cost.

Rich said consumers would not know this information and it was misleading to claim the later price was discounted.

Using a giant red thumb, the "down down" campaign began in 2010 and claimed prices on everyday household products had been reduced and were staying low.

Coles said it was helping Australians keep their grocery costs down as part of its commitment to lower the cost of living, Rich said.

However, in reality Coles allegedly misled customers on prices for 245 similar products, including toothpaste, soft drink, cheese, shampoo, band-aids and laundry powder.

"You're not lowering the cost of living, you're not driving prices down, in circumstances of the kind we have here," he said.

Coles is fighting all allegations brought by the ACCC as the hearing continues.

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Millions are facing a soaking this week, with heavy rain set to drench half of Australia.

"A broad area of low pressure over Australia, featuring numerous low pressure troughs and low pressure systems, will interact with moisture-laden air to fuel the week-long soaking in the tropics," Weatherzone has reported.

"While it's difficult to know exactly where the heaviest rain will occur, current forecasts suggest Western Australia's western Kimberley district and Queensland's North Tropical Coast could be the focus for some of the heaviest falls."

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Weatherzone said more than 200mm could fall in those areas in the coming week, while broader falls of 100mm or more were probable between them.

People are urged to keep a watch on alerts and warnings, with flooding and road closures and cut-offs a probability in WA, Queensland, and the NT.

Meanwhile, the southern states are set for a scorcher despite the possibility of rain and cloudy days.

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Sydney will top out at 35 degrees on Wednesday and crack the 30-degree mark again on the weekend, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Even the "cooler" days will linger in the high 20s.

Melbourne is set for 34 degrees today and 36 degrees tomorrow, before dropping sharply, only to heat up again toward the end of the week.

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Adelaide too is set for a sweltering week, with all days forecast to be above 30 degrees except for Wednesday, which will tap out at a relatively cool 24 degrees.

The South Australian capital is set to reach 37 degrees today.

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A mystery blast has rocked a Perth harbour, destroying boats and forcing a popular restaurant to be evacuated. 

Firefighters spent hours battling the blaze overnight at Hillarys Boat Harbour but four vessels were destroyed.

Toxic smoke billowed over the harbour, in the city's north-east, about 10.30pm.

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Skippers stopped in their tracks desperately trying to help. 

Andrew Beale was among many who called Triple Zero.

"It was amazing how quick it happened, that was the scariest factor," he said.

"But fortunately for everyone there was no one on board, everyone was safe."

Flames were spotted from streets away as The Breakwater was evacuated and a HAZMAT alert issued.

"Unfortunately for us the cause is undetermined due to the fact that by the time fire investigation arrived, all four boats were underwater," Department of Fire and Emergency Services district officer Scott Bulloch said.

Piers melted and the berths were left empty.

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It's the second boat fire at Hillarys in five months.

"Smoke damage – nothing is melted, which is good but we dodged a bullet, that's for sure," boat owner Wayne Adams said.

It's understood one of the owners sold his boat after 14 years just days earlier.

They were forced to break the news to the new owner when they came to complete the handover this morning.

Now there's a major recovery mission to resurface the vessels.

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People are strongly urged to take this seriously and prepare now.

A mother and daughter are recovering after they were allegedly run down by a stolen car while on a pedestrian crossing on the Gold Coast.

Police quickly caught up with the driver and are now investigating if he was under the influence when behind the wheel.

The pair stepped out on to a pedestrian crossing at Mermaid Beach at 9am today  unaware of the danger ahead.

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A silver Mazda charged through a red light without warning and ploughed in to the 23-year-old and 57-year-old.

The footage is too confronting to show but the two women were knocked into the middle of the intersection.

Chatter from the cafe across the road was quickly silenced by tyre screeching and an bang.

Strangers ran to help, as the driver allegedly fled.

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The car was allegedly stolen yesterday from Woolloongabba in Brisbane.

The 57-year-old had arm and back injuries and the 23-year-old injured her pelvis.

Both were rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Police quickly caught up to the driver, tracking the 32-year-old man to the carpark at Pacific Fair.

He was arrested and taken to hospital for drug and alcohol testing.

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A grandmother who dedicated her life to her local church and volunteering at a primary school was one of two women killed in a horror crash involving an allegedly stolen car.

Maureen Crosland, 84, was travelling with a soon-to-be relative yesterday to pick up a wedding dress for her granddaughter.

The Alfa Romeo they were in was hit by a car that was allegedly speeding on the Old Hume Highway in Camden in south-west Sydney.

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The car was allegedly stolen from a service station in Sydney's south and police had tracked it for about 40 minutes before the fatal collision.

Crosland and the other woman in the car, 60-year-old Lee Casuscelli, died at the scene.

Crosland, whose granddaughter is set to marry Casuscelli's son, is being remembered for her service and dedication to St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Campbelltown, with her death devastating the community.

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"When I announced it during Mass this morning, people were visibly moved and shaken," Assistant Priest at St John the Evangelist Richard Healey said.

"People were in tears at the tragedy of the whole situation.

"They were on their way with the mother of the groom to pick up wedding dresses, just devastating."

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Luke Francis, 31, has been charged with multiple offences, including dangerous driving occasioning death.

He did not apply for bail in court today and will remain behind bars.

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Police admit they fear for the wellbeing of an 85-year-old Sydney man, as new footage shows the moment he was taken from his home.

Newly released vision shows a dark Toyota pulling into Northcott Street in North Ryde before Chris Baghsarian was kidnapped just before dawn on Friday morning.

A man in high-vis clothing is seen walking out of the car followed by an accomplice.

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Moments later, they are seen pushing the elderly man across the landing as the car moves into position.

Witnesses recall Baghsarian screaming as he was put into the car, and glass smashing.

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Investigators are trying to unravel why the grandfather was taken and still believe it was a case of mistaken identity.

Robbery and serious crime squad detectives are looking into whether the intended target was a known criminal who lives nearby and has potential links to the Alameddine crime network.

"Those who have him do not have the right person," a police officer said in a press conference.

Baghsarian's neighbours say he is a widower who has lived alone for about four years.

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Police said they have seen a video made by the kidnappers that shows Baghsarian's face covered and his hands tied with duct tape.

"We fear for the safety of the hostage and we think he may have been harmed," Detective acting Superintendent Andrew Marks said.

The Toyota used in the kidnapping was later found burned out in the nearby suburb of North Turramurra.

Police urge anyone who has information or witnessed anything out of the ordinary to contact police immediately.

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