The High Court has heard Whangārei District Council’s application for an injunction.

The man pleaded guilty to an altered charge on the second day of his trial.

GNS-created model turns people into red dots as they walk and run to high ground.

Australian surf legend Shane Herring, once seen as the country's answer to American powerhouse Kelly Slater, has died aged 53.

He fell down some stairs and hit his head at his home on Sunday, Surfing Life Magazine and Swell Net reported. 

Herring was born on Sydney's Northern Beaches in 1971 and first learnt to surf when his family moved to Dee Why.

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His innovative style of surfing spearheaded his brief but bright career and, alongside Slater, created a shift in technique and approach in the early 90s.

Herring triumphed against Slater during the debut Coca-Cola Classic world championship tour at North Narrabeen in 1992.

But, by the following year, his rankings began to slide until he was unrated by 1995. He struggled with addiction.

Herring lived quietly on the North Coast, occasionally going out on the water for a surf with friends and shaping boards ahead of his death.

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Slater paid tribute to his old rival in a social media post, remembering him for blending the old-school power and pure lines with the new-school mentality and speed in the 1990s.

"In the years we spent traveling and surfing together, I always found Shane to be a kindhearted guy and an extremely talented surfer, but he had his demons that limited his time of greatness," he said.

"He loved the purity in surfing and was uncomfortable with the limelight and notoriety and scrutiny it brought him.

"He made a bigger mark than he might be known for these days and it hurts to know we won't get to catch up again.

"I was really looking forward to seeing and maybe even surfing again in the coming months with Shane, whom I haven't seen in probably 20+ years."

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Finishing up this tribute, Slater said: "Ride on, Shane. We're thinking of ya."

Surfing World Magazine has described Herring as "one of Australian surfing's most blinding talents, and one of its happiest tragic figures".

"A surfing talent like few we'd ever seen in Australian surfing, Herro burned brief but bright in the early '90s before flaming out," the publication wrote.

Justin Crawford said his friend Herring was a "true gentleman never said bad by anyone except concaves in surfboards".

"Rest easy my friend. We had a beautiful friendship and I treasure every colour of the rainbow (you) were. There will be only one," he said.

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The man was found on a footpath in Miramar about 2.20am on Monday.

The Balloons over Waikato Festival kicked off today.

Even Australians earning six-figure salaries can't comfortably afford rent in any capital city, new figures show.

According to the 2025 Priced Out report by national housing campaign Everybody's Home, rental stress is now impacting high income earners commanding a salary of $100,000 in Australia.

The report found solo renters now need an annual income of $130,000 to afford the average property without spending more than 30 per cent of their wage, which is the benchmark for rental stress.

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It means even those earning well above $100,000, which is much higher than the median Australian income of $72,592, are struggling to afford rent in multiple cities.

Sydney renters earning $100,000 are spending an average of 48 per cent of their income on rent – the highest in all capital cities, the report found.

The second worst is Perth, where renters are forking out 43 per cent of their weekly income on rent, followed by Brisbane at 40 per cent, Canberra at 39 per cent and Melbourne at 38 per cent.

Adelaide renters are spending 35 per cent on rent while Darwin is close behind at 34 per cent.

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The most affordable capital city, according to the report, is Hobart – however renters earning $100,000 are still paying 32 per cent, which still officially categorises it as rental stress.

"This report exposes the stark reality facing Australian renters everyday," said Everybody's Home spokesperson Maiy Azize.

"Rental stress is no longer confined to those on lower incomes – it's affecting professionals, essential workers, and middle-income families who simply can't keep up with soaring rents.

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"A $100,000 salary used to be considered a secure income, but our research shows people on this wage are struggling in both cities and regional areas because rents are so staggeringly high."

Azize pointed out rental stress is "even more dire" for those on middle or low incomes.

She said those earning $40,000 annually are in "extreme" rental stress, with rents in some cities amounting to 119 per cent of their income.

The campaign is calling on the federal government to prioritise housing, including boosting social housing to help low and middle income earners stay afloat.

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The country could be hit by many more extreme ‘atmospheric rivers’ in the coming decades.

Coalition leader Peter Dutton is considering pushing to hold a referendum over deporting convicted criminals who hold dual citizenships.

The poll, if approved by the public, would amend the constitution to give the federal government the right to strip convicted dual national criminals of their Australian citizenship.

Senior Coalition sources confirmed to Nine newspaper The Age Dutton is considering the referendum as a serious prospect if he wins the upcoming federal election.

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A decision has reportedly not been made whether Dutton will officially announce the plans during the May campaign.

Dutton previously called for tougher citizenship-stripping laws following a video filmed by two Sydney nurses where they allegedly claimed they wouldn't treat Israeli patients in February.

"I think it's a conversation for our country at some point, maybe sooner than later, about how we can say to these people, 'If you don't share our values, if you're here and you're enjoying the welfare system and you're enjoying free health and free education, then at the same time you hate our country, well, I don't think you've got a place here'," Dutton told 2GB at the time.

Under current laws, the Commonwealth can apply to the court to strip a dual national person of their Australian citizenship if they have committed a serious offence and have been sentenced to more than three years behind bars. 

In order for this to happen the person needs to demonstrate they have "repudiated their allegiance to Australia," The Department of Home Affairs states.

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A High Court ruling in 2022 also found it unconstitutional for ministers to strip dual nationals of their Australian citizenship. 

The proposed referendum follows a similar proposal by former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott in 2015 to strip Australian terrorists of their citizenship, even those who aren't dual nationals.

Shortly following reports of Dutton's plans for a referendum, senior shadow minister Michaelia Cash said there were "no plans" for such a vote but was keeping "all options on the table".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rubbished Dutton's proposal as a "thought bubble" and pointed out the Opposition Leader has been a vocal critic of holding referendums following the Voice.

"Well, this is another thought bubble from Peter Dutton that hasn't made it to lunchtime," the PM said at a doorstep interview in Queensland today.

"Thought bubbles aimed at taking some things that might have occurred in other countries, aimed at dividing people," he added.

"It's the second referendum that he's called for. At the same time as he criticises referendums that he voted for."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers also criticised the referendum proposal as "bizarre".

"He quite bizarrely wants another referendum," Chalmers said.

"I don't think this idea will last long, just like a lot of the other things that he said, in an effort to try and avoid talking about the economy, and his cuts."

9news.com.au has contacted Dutton's office for comment.

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A multi-agency investigation is under way after masses of yellow foam and dead sea creatures washed up on South Australian beaches, leaving more than 100 surfers reportedly infected. 

Metres of foam and dozens of dead fish and seahorses stretch across Waitpinga and Parsons beaches within the Newland Head Conservation Park in Victor Habor.

Surfers and beachgoers over the weekend suffered cold and allergy-like symptoms, including itchy eyes, blurred vision, coughing and breathing difficulties.

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Anthony Rowland said he and more than 100 other surfers were infected while out in the water or the carpark on Saturday.

"We all experienced a sore throat, dry cough and irritated eyes. Some even reported blurred vision. It lasted 24 hours or so," he said in a social media post.

"In the following hours/days there was visible evidence that something weird is in the water.

"A lot of yellow foam and dark green tidelines on the beach and then on Sunday, while collecting water samples, I noticed a lot of different species of fish dead on the beach including a handful of leafy sea dragons."

The Department for Environment and Water has temporarily closed Waitpinga and Parsons beaches as the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and SA Health all investigate.

The EPA has confirmed receiving the reports, including of red staining on the sand, and said crews will attend the site to collect water samples.

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The event is believed to be due to a microalgal bloom — a harmful and toxic algal bloom caused by changes in temperature, light or rainfall.

"It is believed the event could be due to a microalgal bloom that has been driven by hot temperatures and still water and an ongoing marine heatwave, with temperatures currently 2.5 degrees warmer than usual, with little wind and small swell contributing to conditions," an EPA spokesperson said. 

SA Health principal water quality adviser David Cunliffe said exposure to algae can cause general allergic-type responses including respiratory and eye irritation or skin rashes in some people and, if ingested, can cause stomach upsets or flu-like symptoms.

"These symptoms disappear when the exposure stops or following washing in clean water," he said.

"People should avoid contact with discoloured fresh or marine water. If they do enter this water they should take care to wash in clean water afterwards."

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PIRSA will probe the cause of the dead fish and seahorses to rule out infectious and notifiable animal diseases and coordinate a response.

"Fish kill events can be brought on by a variety of causes including environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall (or lack of) and water quality including salinity or oxygen levels, or by disease or pollutants," a PIRSA spokesperson said.

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