Exclusive: Jane* has owned a caravan on the idyllic NSW South Coast for decades, but until recently, she was banned from bringing one member of the family to visit: her dog.

For years, rate-paying holiday van owners like her have been barred from bringing pet dogs to Holiday Haven Currarong, a popular caravan park.

But the same rules didn't apply to tourists.

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Visitors were allowed to bring dogs during non-peak season, provided they were staying at one of the park's dog-friendly cabins or campsites.

It was a hard pill for owners to swallow when many of them were forced to leave their dogs at home.

"I wasn't impressed by it at all," Jane told 9news.com.au.

Similar rules were in place across many of Holiday Haven's 12 holiday parks, all located in the Shoalhaven region.

Ten are currently listed as dog-friendly on the Holiday Haven website, but dogs are only allowed at specifically designated cabins, caravan and motorhome sites.

Dogs are not permitted "in other cabins, holiday vans or powered sites", per the Holiday Haven website.

9news.com.au understands the decision to enforce different dog rules for owners and visitors aimed to limit the number of dogs in a park at any time.

But some owners felt it was a "double standard".

One Currarong van owner, who spoke to 9news.com.au on the condition of anonymity, said the rules left him "fuming".

"I pay my rates, which keep going up, but I'm not allowed to bring my dog even though it will be in my van most of the time not bothering anyone," he said.

"But the family who camp at the site right next to me can bring their dog that barks at everyone who walks past it and that's fine?"

Jane said she has witnessed visitors allowing their dogs off-leash, which is against Holiday Haven rules, and not picking up their dogs' mess.

Some owners have also tried to get around the rules.

"Some were allowed to bring their dogs if they said it was a support dog, which it wasn't," Jane alleged.

Holiday Haven is a business unit of Shoalhaven City Council and a council spokesperson told 9news.com.au that two parks are now running dog-friendly trials that would balance the scales.

"Holiday Haven is currently running dog-friendly trials at two parks, Currarong and Ulladulla, allowing holiday van owners to bring dogs during non-peak seasons," they said.

"Our holiday parks have a high number of on-site annual fee-paying holiday vans.

"In order to limit the number of dogs at these sites at any time, we have implemented a procedure that allows for occasional visitors to request to book with their pet."

9news.com.au has also made multiple attempts to contact Holiday Haven Currarong management.

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Tourist sites are capped for dog-friendly numbers during the trial to ensure the comfort of all guests, including those who are "concerned" about dogs.

"At the conclusion of the trial, we may look to extend to some of our other parks and broaden the rollout," the spokesperson said.

"Our goal is to find a balanced solution that respects the needs of all park patrons."

Jane welcomed the change and said she was thrilled to finally be allowed to bring her pet dog to the van where she's been holidaying for decades.

"I've been going there for 54 years, our van was placed in its spot since 1979," she said.

"I'm happy with the rule as it stands at the moment."

She just hopes tourists and owners who flout the rules by letting dogs off-leash and not cleaning up after them don't "ruin it" for everyone else.

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The other Currarong owner was completely unaware of the trial.

"No one told me. There was no email, nothing," he said.

He's glad something is being done but would like to see owners receive priority over tourists when it comes to Holiday Haven's dog-friendly policies.

Travelling with pets has become more popular than ever in recent years, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost 20 per cent of Aussie dog owners travel with their dogs, according to the CCIA Pets on Holiday Statistics.

*Name changed.

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Drivers across the country are being reminded to stay safe over the upcoming October long weekend, with double demerits about to come into effect in some parts of Australia.

Police across several jurisdictions will be out in force to target speeding, seatbelts, mobile phone use and motorbike riders without helmets this coming weekend as South Australia, NSW, the ACT and Queensland enjoy three days off.

But double demerits will not be in effect in every state or territory.

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Here is where double demerits apply over the weekend.

NSW and ACT

Double demerits will be in effect in NSW and the ACT from 12am on Friday, October 3 to 11.59pm on Monday, October 6 for the Labor Day long weekend.

Police will be targeting multiple offences including speeding, illegal use of mobile phones, not wearing a seat belt and riding without a motorbike helmet.

Mobile phone detection cameras remain in force in NSW and the ACT.

Drivers caught using their phone will receive a $410 fine and lose 10 demerit points.

Queensland

Queensland will have a long weekend for the King's Birthday, but double demerits do not apply in the state during holiday periods.

Throughout the year, drivers who repeatedly commit some offences will receive double demerit points for the second or subsequent offence.

This applies for offences which are committed within 12 months of an earlier offence.

Victoria, SA, NT, Tasmania and WA

South Australia has a long weekend for Labor Day, but double demerits do not apply in the state at any time of year.

Similarly, they never apply in Victoria, Tasmania or the Northern Territory at any time of the year, but residents in these states and territory do not have a public holiday this weekend anyway.

Western Australia has double demerits in place for public holidays however the state does not have a long weekend.

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Rain or shine, millions of Australians will take the coming Monday, October 6, off as part of a long weekend.

For people in New South Wales, South Australia, and the ACT, Monday is Labour Day.

On the same day, Queensland will commemorate the King's Birthday.

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Victoria, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and Western Australia miss out on the extra day off this time around.

Here's what the weather is forecast as for those who get to sleep in.

New South Wales

For Sydney, Friday is set to be a sunny and breezy day with a top of 24 degrees.

That dips to 22 on Saturday before shooting up to 27 on Sunday.

Monday will see temperatures peak at 31, so if you're headed to the beach or the river, be sure to slip, slop, slap.

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The weekend will be mostly sunny, with some cloud and a small chance of rain on Monday.

Queensland

It's a similar story in Brisbane, though a few degrees warmer with a top of 30 degrees on Friday.

Sunny days are the rule for the weekend, with tops of 27 on Saturday, 28 on Sunday, and 31 degrees on Monday.

Light winds of 20km/hr to 25km/hr are also expected.

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South Australia

Adelaide is looking at a cloudy Friday with a top of 19 degrees and a chance of rain, though the city's forecast wet week should at this point be clearing up for a bit.

A sunny Saturday will reach 27 degrees, rising further to 29 on Sunday, though clouds will return then.

There's a solid chance of rain on Monday, cooling things off to a top of 25 degrees.

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra will wake to cloudy skies on Friday with a top of 17 degrees.

It will warm up somewhat over a mostly sunny weekend, with tops of 23 on Saturday, 25 on Sunday, and 26 on Monday.

But the lows keep their Canberra chill, with it forecast to get as cold as three degrees on Saturday as well.

The rest

It's set to be a gloomy week throughout in Melbourne, with rain and clouds throughout the October 3 to October 6 period.

Temperatures will rise from 18 degrees on Friday to 27 on Sunday, before dipping back to 22 on Monday.

Clouds will build in Perth on Friday before the rain begins to fall over the rest of the weekend, with daily totals of 15mm to 20mm expected on Saturday and Sunday.

Temperatures will remain consistently in the low 20s.

In Hobart, Friday and Monday will be chilly and wet with a forecast top of 17 degrees.

But things will warm up a bit on the weekend proper, reaching the low 20s.

The ever-consistent Darwin will endure another four days of sun, with temperatures solidly in the mid-30s.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited a United Arab Emirates retail chain to come to Australia to break up the Coles and Woolworths duopoly.

He met with LuLu Hypermarket chairman Yusuff Ali in Abu Dhabi on his way home from an 11-day diplomatic trip to meet world leaders in New York and London.

LuLu Hypermarket is one of the largest retail chains in the Middle East, with more than 260 stores across the Gulf.

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Albanese confirmed he had formally asked Ali to bring LuLu to Australia to drive greater competition.

"I want to see more competition. That's one of the things that it can bring," he told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

"This is a significant company. They are the largest throughout the Middle East. They're the second-largest in Saudi Arabia.

"We know that Aldi has come to Australia, and this is a significant player that has an engagement with Australia, and I want to see more competition."

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in March this year estimated that Woolworths dominates 38 per cent of all supermarket sales, while Coles controls 29 per cent and Aldi owns nine per cent.

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It also found Australia's supermarkets are among the most profitable in the world as grocery prices jumped 24 per cent in five years. 

LuLu Hypermarket imports some of its products from Australia, with beef and Tim Tams among some of the items retailing for cheaper in the UAE.

The retail conglomerate laid out the red carpet for the prime minister during a tour of one of its stores, with Australian products and flags on display.

Ali said he was "very happy" to welcome Albanese.

"I am very honoured, and I am thankful to his excellency for visiting and to display and show our Australian products, and very high-quality products which Australia is exporting and we are importing," he said.

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Albanese is celebrating a new free trade agreement with the UAE, which will remove tariffs on 99 per cent of Australian exports and increase investment from the UAE sovereign wealth fund into Australia.

"What that does is open up all of the markets of the Middle East through the United Arab Emirates that are an important trading partner for Australia," he said.

"This is important to deliver for Australian businesses, for Australian consumers and for our economy."

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Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and her Grammy-winning musician husband Keith Urban have reportedly separated after 19 years of marriage.

The news was initially reported by US media outlet People, with an anonymous source saying Kidman had fought to "save" the relationship.

Kidman, 58, and Urban, 57, wed in 2006.

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They have two daughters together, Sunday, 17, and Faith, 14.

Kidman was previously married to actor Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001.

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Australia's weather will be a tale of two halves this week, with cool, wet conditions coming for the south and warmer days for the east and north.

Weatherzone says the weather in much of the country will be affected by a developing negative southern annular mode (SAM).

"A negative SAM is associated with a northward shift in the belt of westerly winds that flows between Australia and Antarctica," Weatherzone said.

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"During spring, a negative SAM pattern typically causes cold fronts and low pressure to deliver more rain in southern Australia, while high pressure systems centred further north cause drier and warmer weather across much of northern and eastern Australia."

The differences can be seen in the forecasts for Australia's capitals.

Sydney and Brisbane are set to see mostly warm and sunny weather for the coming week, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, though Sydney will cool from the high 20s to mid 20s later in the week.

Brisbane is forecast to crack the 30-degree mark on most days, peaking at 35 on Thursday.

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By contrast, Melbourne and Adelaide are facing frequent rainy days with top temperatures unlikely to pass 20 degrees before the weekend.

"Northern Australia will see heat building up under this week's weather pattern, with temperatures likely to reach the low forties in parts of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Top End," Weatherzone said.

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"This won't be the first time temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees in Australia this spring, but it has a good chance of being the country's hottest weather so far this season."

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A statue standing at 3 metres tall of rock queen Tina Turner has been unveiled in the rural Tennessee community where she grew up — before becoming a Grammy-winning singer, an electrifying stage performer and one the world's most recognisable and popular entertainers.

The statue was revealed during a ceremony at a park in Brownsville, located about an hour drive east of Memphis.

The city of about 9000 people is near Nutbush, the community where Turner went to school as a child. As a teen, she attended high school just steps from where the statue now stands.

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The statue shows Turner with her signature wild hairdo and holding a microphone, as if she was singing on stage.

It was designed by sculptor Fred Ajanogha, who said he tried to capture her flexibility of movement on stage, how she held the microphone with her index finger extended, and her hairstyle, which he compared to the “mane of a lion".

Turner died on May 24, 2023, at age 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich.

Her Grammy-winning singing career included the hit songs Nutbush City Limits, Proud Mary, Private Dancer, and We Don’t Need Another Hero, from the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Her movie credits also include Tommy and Last Action Hero.

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Turner teamed with husband Ike Turner for hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s.

She survived her troubled marriage to succeed in middle age with the chart-topping What’s Love Got To Do With It, released in 1984.

Her admirers ranged from Mick Jagger to Beyoncé to Mariah Carey, and she was known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll".

The unveiling was part of the annual Tina Turner Heritage Days, a celebration of her life growing up in rural Tennessee, before she moved away as a teenager.

The statue was sculpted in clay by Ajanogha in Atlanta and cast in bronze by a West Tennessee foundry, and it took about a year to complete. It is 7 feet and 9 inches tall with a base of 2 feet, making it stand about 3 metres.

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Karen Cook said she traveled from Georgia to attend the event with her friend, a cousin of Turner's, to honour the legendary performer.

“She's a great artist, I love her music,” said Cook, 59.

“My mom listened to her a lot. It's a big deal and a great thing for the community to have Tina Turner in her small town.”

About 50 donors gave money for the statue, including Ford Motor Company, which donated $US150,000 ($228,000). Ford is building an electric truck factory in nearby Stanton.

The statue stands near a museum honouring Turner at the the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville.

The museum opened in 2014 inside the renovated Flagg Grove School, a one-room building where Turner attended classes in Nutbush. The school closed in the 1960s and was used as a barn before the dilapidated building was moved by tractor-trailer from Nutbush to Brownsville.

An expanded five per cent first home deposit scheme will come into effect on Wednesday, fulfilling a core government election pledge, but some observers are warning of the effect it will have on a frenzied housing market.

All first home buyers will be able to enter the property market with a five per cent deposit, with the rest of the deposit backed by the government under the Labor scheme.

It's set to kick off on Wednesday, October 1.

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Under the changes, all first home buyers will have access, with no caps on places or income limits, according to government statements.

Property price caps will also be set higher in line with average house prices, providing access to a greater variety of homes.

The government expects first home buyers using the scheme in just its first year are expected to avoid around $1.5 billion in potential mortgage insurance costs.

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But the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia has warned of potential adverse effects on the market.

REBAA president Melinda Jennison said prices had jumped significantly in many locations in the past month as home buyers started to panic about the impact of the scheme on the wider market.

"Properties that were selling for $750,000 last month are now selling for close to $800,000," Jennison said.

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"Many buyers are reportedly panicking with some purchasing sight unseen or overpaying to secure a property before 1 October."

Jennison said it was admirable for the government to help more first home buyers enter the market, but without more housing supple, extra demand would only drive up the market.

"What was $800,000 will soon be $900,000, which will make it even more difficult for first timers to secure finance for a home – even with the scheme's five per cent deposit on offer," she said.

"Markets are already in frenzy, let alone what the next few months will bring once the scheme has started.

"Property buyers need to calm down, stick to their budgets, and seek out expert advice from professional buyers' agents to ensure they don't overpay because of their fear of missing out."

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Police have stormed a unit and arrested a man after an hour of negotiations following a stabbing in western Sydney.

Neighbours called police to a unit block on Graham Street in Berala about 9.55am today after hearing screams and finding a 45-year-old man with stab wounds on the driveway.

"My neighbour heard the screaming. When he came out and saw he was on the floor, he called me and called the police, and I called the ambulance," a witness told 9News.

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Another witness said the man had six stab wounds to his head and body.

Police said the man was seriously injured and taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Officers tried to speak with an armed man at the scene, but he barricaded himself inside a unit.

A perimeter was established and the community were urged to avoid the area as police negotiators, riot police and the dog unit were called in to help.

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After an hour-long siege, police stormed the home about 11.10am and arrested a 25-year-old man.

He was treated at the scene for minor injuries before being taken to hospital for further treatment under police guard.

Police told 9News the pair are known to each other, but it is unclear what sparked the attack. 

Both men remain in hospital as investigations are ongoing.

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Four teenagers have been arrested in Melbourne CBD and a woman has been taken to hospital after a police pursuit across multiple suburbs.

The incident began when police spotted a car being driven "erratically" on the Eastern Freeway in Doncaster in the city's east about 12.30pm.

Officers then followed the car into the CBD, where a pedestrian was hit on Exhibition Street, police said.

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The woman, aged in her 40s, was treated at the scene for injuries and taken to hospital.

She remains at Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition.

Driver Nathan told 3AW the woman was crossing the road when she was struck by the allegedly stolen car.

"It pulled in front of me, it then hit a pedestrian that was crossing on a green man," he said.

"It flew her off… she hit the side. I've slowed down but there would have been 10 or 15 other pedestrians crossing that helped her up."

A BMW, which police allege was stolen yesterday from Boroondara, east Melbourne, was then dumped a short time later at Bourke Street Mall, which does not permit cars.

Four occupants of the car then fled the scene on foot.

They were arrested a short time later outside Emporium Melbourne shopping centre on Lonsdale Street.

Two 17-year-old boys, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy are being interviewed by police.

One witness told 9News that shoppers and business owners feared for their lives as the BMW was allegedly seen speeding down tram tracks about 1pm.

"It was just mayhem… people coming around from everywhere," he said.

"People were a bit disorientated as to what [was] going on. Shops started to shut their doors because they were in fear that maybe they would come in."

Another witness described the incident as "shocking".

"You know, you think these things will never happen here in Melbourne, but it is now," he said.

A fellow pedestrian told 9News it was lucky nobody died as people were forced to jump out of the way of the moving car.

"They could have killed someone in the intersection," witness Vince said.

"Next minute this car has come straight down and I thought, thank God we weren't walking in the middle of Bourke Street Mall."

Another said the incident had haunting similarities to the deadly 2017 Bourke Street attack, which saw driver James Gargasoulas kill six and injure 27 after ploughing into pedestrians.

"Bourke Street all over again. Literally," he told 9News.

A witness told 3AW she earlier saw what appeared to be a white BMW with smashed windows travelling down Punt Road in South Yarra.

Another caller named Craig said multiple police cars were seen heading down Elizabeth Street as the incident unfolded.

"There's police cars absolutely everywhere. They're coming rolling down Elizabeth Street, up the wrong side of the road," he said.

"Cops everywhere, all running into Melbourne Central [Shopping Centre].

"I've never seen so many police cars in my life."

Two tram routes were delayed due to the incident.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described it as "disgraceful, dangerous behaviour".

"Victorians won't tolerate it and neither will we," Allan said.

Car allegedly stolen from Balwyn family

Andy Tran told 9News his BMW was stolen from his home early this morning.

He said the alleged offenders broke into his Balwyn, in Melbourne's east, while six people slept – including a 12-year-old.

"We were quite lucky but we've got young kids, we've got [an] elderly mum, so a bit traumatised," he said.

Tran said his mother-in-law heard a commotion but didn't get up to confront the intruders.

"She heard the noise around 1.30ish and then thought it was just us," he added.

He alleges the offenders also stole a wallet, keys and a mobile phone.

9News understands police are investigating whether the same group is responsible for targeting four other homes in the Boorondara area.

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