The University of Adelaide is under investigation after admitting to underpaying more than 830 former casual academic staff $1.25 million over eight years.

The institution confirmed it uncovered underpayments to staff between March 2017 to May 2025 after ramping up its auditing and payment monitoring due to the prevalence of underpayments within the industry.

The audit found that hundreds of current and former casual academic staff with a PhD or in a course coordinator role were not paid the higher rates they were entitled to.

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This led to 838 staff being underpaid about $1.25 million. 

"While this represents less than 0.05 per cent of salary payments over that period, it is still unfortunate and very regrettable," a University of Adelaide spokesperson said.

"The university deeply regrets that the underpayments occurred and is remediating staff as quickly as possible.

"Impacted current and former staff have been contacted and repayments have started."

The university has notified the Fair Work Ombudsman.

"We will continue to implement, enhance, and strengthen our processes and controls," the spokesperson said.

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"The university's auditing and monitoring activities are continuing, and if any other instances of underpayments are identified, affected staff will be contacted by the university and remediated as quickly as possible."

The Fair Work Ombudsman said it is investigating the underpayments.

"We expect any employers that identify non-compliance to fully cooperate with our investigations," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"It is not appropriate to comment further."

Any staff from the university who may have concerns should contact the ombudsman.

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Fair Work began targeting systemic non-compliance in the university sector in 2022, which the National Tertiary Education Union has labelled as a "wage theft epidemic".

The ombudsman has entered into enforceable undertakings with the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, University of Newcastle, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne, Charles Sturt University and Griffith University.

It has won court penalties against the University of Melbourne and has ongoing legal action against the University of NSW. 

The University of Wollongong has recently repaid $6.6 million to more than 5000 underpaid staff.

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Hugo Donaldson, 11, has relapsed after months in remission from a rare cancer.

But it remains in place for the Kaikōura District, Clutha and Southland.

He was doing burnouts in front of a crowd when he hit the eight-months-pregnant teen.

Nationwide, an estimated 100,000 people walked off their jobs.

Winds tore through Culverden, Rotherham and Waiau, wrecking homes and farms.

An Australian music festival has been cancelled less than a month out, with organisers confirming there will be no future events.

Changing Tides, a self-described boutique music festival, was expected to attract hundreds to the clifftops of Kiama, south of Sydney, on November 22.

But in an email to attendees today, organisers said this year's event was cancelled and that it "will not be returning".

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"This decision has not been made lightly and follows careful consideration," they said in a statement to 9news.com.au.

"We're truly devastated, but also deeply grateful for the love, excitement, and support so many of you have shown along the way.

"While this chapter is coming to a close, we're incredibly thankful to everyone who believed in the vision of Changing Tides, helped bring it to life and made beautiful memories with us in Kiama."

All ticketholders will automatically receive a complete refund within the coming week. 

Changing Tides did not say what contributed to its decision-making. 

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The annual music festival, held by Harlow Events, has sold out in the past two years since it started in 2023. 

This year's event was seen as a major win for the region due to the major names included in the Australian and international line-up, headlined by UK singer Sam Fender.

Noah Cyrus, The Rubens, Skegss, MAY-A and Boy Soda were also booked to perform.

Organisers chose to host the music festival in Kiama to make it a "sought-after destination for acclaimed artists, music lovers and foodies which will also generate a nursery for home grown talent and business".

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Today's cancellation is yet another addition to the growing list of canned Australian music festivals, with the industry seemingly unable to recover from economic strains and the cost of living.

So far this year, Groovin' in the Moo, Souled Out, Good Life, Esoteric and Panama music festivals have been scrapped.

Most attributed the sudden cancellations to financial pressures. 

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Devastated family and friends of a young model killed by a drunk driver are angry and frustrated at a system that allowed him to be freed on bail while they suffered.

"The social fabric of this state is in tatters in relation to the helping and assisting of victims of crime," Michael Hodder, the father of the victim, said outside court on Friday.

"It's a lack of leadership, sincerity and I would say overall a framework here in protecting community members."

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Elise Hodder, 24, was hit and dragged under a Holden Commodore driven by unlicensed drunk driver Connor Mathiasson as he left a late-night rave in Melbourne on October 13, 2024.

She was stuck for hours under the vehicle until she fell unconscious and died.

The model, who was on the brink of a successful career, had been celebrating her friend Emma Swords' birthday when the women and another friend were reversed into inside a Kooyong car park.

Mathiasson, 24, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing Ms Hodder's death and negligently causing serious injury to Swords, as he faced their loved ones at a pre-sentence hearing on Friday.

He had an "incredibly high degree of intoxication" at four times the legal blood alcohol limit, and was found with cocaine and cannabis in his system, prosecutor Neill Hutton SC told Victoria's County Court.

Two officers said they saw Mathiasson's vehicle accelerate "straight into a group of pedestrians" inside the crowded car park.

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Swords told police she remembered getting hit "really hard" by the Commodore.

Mathiasson's barrister Rishi Nathwani KC said his client told police: "I shouldn't have driven, that was f—ing stupid. I don't care what happens to me, all I care about is what happens to that girl."

Officers blocked Mathiasson's Commodore and spoke to Ms Hodder before she died, as she lay conscious but "fighting for her life" trapped underneath the vehicle.

Swords said she had been "failed by the system" as she struggled to recover from losing her best friend, suffering two broken ankles and PTSD, while Mathiasson was released on bail a day after the crash.

"One of the greatest friends I've ever had the honour of having was just taken in an instant right beside me," she told the court.

"Elise lost her life because of him, I was living in agony because of him, I don't understand why he gets this sense of normality.

"I saw my best friend die and I survived in a way that still haunts me … justice has to be served."

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Earlier, Mr Hodder and his wife Pauline described their heartbreak at losing their youngest child.

Mrs Hodder said she dropped her daughter at a friend's house on the evening she was killed.

"She looked me in the eye and said 'you're a special woman mum, I love you'," Mrs Hodder said.

"I had no idea this was the last time I would ever see my daughter alive."

Hearing her daughter had been stuck under the Commodore "for hours" had made her grief "unbearable".

"What a violent, cruel ending for my gentle, loving girl," she said, between tears.

The devastated parents had to identify Ms Hodder's body, while Mathiasson had already been freed on bail.

"To then see her at the coroners court, to hug and kiss her while knowing her offender was free, was unbearably cruel," Mr Hodder said.

Nathwani said his client, who cried throughout Friday's hearing, accepted he would have to serve a "significant prison sentence" and recognised his actions caused a "horrendous tragedy".

The barrister said Mathiasson had found solace in alcohol to deal with trauma from his mother's suicide.

Mathiasson was remanded in custody to await his sentence on November 10. He faces up to 20 years behind bars.

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Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636.

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The federal government is warning opponents of its new environmental protection laws to support the legislation or jeopardise the newly signed critical minerals deal with the US.

The reforms will be introduced to parliament in the next fortnight – parliament's second-last sitting term of the year – but are set to face stiff opposition from both the Coalition and Greens.

Labor needs the support of one of the parties to get the laws through the Senate.

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Speaking this morning, Environment Minister Murray Watt said called on the opposition and minor party to get behind the laws, saying a failure to do so would put a series of important projects – including the extraction of critical minerals – at risk.

"One of the risks we have that if these reforms are not passed is that we won't be able to capitalise on the enormous opportunity Australia has to become a major supplier of critical minerals to the world," he told Sky News.

"That's not the only one; if we don't pass these laws, it will continue to slow down the delivery of housing that we desperately need. 

"It will slow down the delivery of the energy projects that we need."

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The comments come just days after Australia and the United States inked an $13 billion critical minerals deal aimed at helping break China's stranglehold on the industry.

Before Watt's comments, senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie criticised the laws, claiming they could impede that deal.

"I can't see this type of legislation making that easier to get the environmental approvals," she told Sky.

Modernising Australia's outdated environmental laws has been a source of contention for many years now.

A review in 2020 – when current Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was the environment minister – found the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act "requires fundamental reform", is "a barrier to holistic environmental management which… is essential for success" and isn't trusted by the public.

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While previous environment minister Tanya Plibersek was on the verge of landing reforms – known as the "nature positive" laws – last year, that was vetoed at the last minute by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the package was shelved before the federal election.

Watt's bid to reform the EPBC Act comes with the government under pressure to cut back on red and green tape in a bid to boost economic productivity and quicken and simplify the approval process for important infrastructure, such as housing.

At the same time, with Australia suffering from deforestation, species loss and other environmental issues, the Greens have criticised the proposed reforms as too weak.

"It is an embarrassment that the environment minister would put forward this proposal when it does so little to protect nature, and in fact weakens an already weak piece of legislation," Greens leader Larissa Waters said. 

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But Ley said the laws were "completely unreasonable" because they make projects too difficult for businesses.

"Labor's approach to environmental laws is actually a handbrake on projects," she said. 

"It's a red light to jobs and it's a gift to our overseas competitors who are attracting this investment elsewhere."

Watt said he was open to any amendments the opposition or Greens wished to propose, but added the contrasting criticism proved the government had got the balance right after months of consultation.

"Over the last couple of days we've seen the Coalition say that this legislation is too good for the environment, we've seen the Greens say that it's too good for business," he said.

"It sounds to me like we've got the balance pretty right."

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Women who allege widespread and systemic sexual abuse, harassment, discrimination and victimisation during their employment within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) are taking part in a class action in an unprecedented legal step against the Commonwealth.

There are four applicants in the class action, whose names are withheld for legal reasons, but any woman subjected to sexual violence, sexual harassment or discrimination while working in the ADF between November 12, 2003 and May 25, 2025, is eligible to participate.

The first applicant from the air force was the only woman with eight to 12 men on her training course and one of two women in a building of about 200 people.

She alleges comments from her sergeant during her training included "women shouldn't be paid as much as men because they are not as strong" and "women aren't pulling their weight in the air force".

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She also alleges several sexist and hostile comments, along with several inappropriate conversations, as well as being shown unsolicited photos of porn.

The second applicant enlisted in the Navy and alleges she experienced daily lewd comments while undergoing training, as well as male colleagues casually touching her uniform in a way that made her uncomfortable.

While on duty abroad later in her career, she alleged she was grabbed and kissed by a colleague who forcibly resisted her attempts to separate herself.

Gemma, another member of the air force who is not one of the four lead applicants, alleges she regularly experienced harassment, misogyny and sexism.

She was forced to work alongside a colleague whom she had made a complaint against while a military investigation was carried out, but was ultimately told there was not enough evidence to go forward with a prosecution.

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Her mental health deteriorated, and the experience also impacted her career.

"(The ADF) are protecting their reputation and not their people," Gemma said.

"Change needs to happen to make it safer for victims to speak up. There needs to be more informed support for the victims … this isn't a once-off, it is still happening."

The class action has been filed by Australian law firm JGA Saddler, backed by global litigation funder Omni Bridgeway.

The legal case is a demand for action, accountability and real change as sexual violence and discrimination continue to plague female ADF members, JGA Saddler lawyer Josh Aylward said.

"The threat of war often isn't the biggest safety fear for female ADF personnel, it is the threat of sexual violence in their workplace," he said.

"They have signed up to defend their country, not to fight off fellow ADF personnel on a daily basis, all while simply trying to do their job."

Aylward noted these were not historical cases, and some incidents had occurred within the last 12 months.

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"The ADF has done very little to protect those who protect us," he said.

In a statement, a Defence spokesperson said the ADF was developing a comprehensive sexual misconduct prevention strategy.

"Defence acknowledges there is work to be done and that is why the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which relate to sexual violence, are being implemented as a priority," the spokesperson said.

"All Defence personnel have a right to be respected and deserve to have a positive workplace experience in the ADF.

"There is no place for sexual violence or misconduct in Defence."

Defence Minister Richard Marles was contacted for comment.

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

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