AU Brief — Tuesday 29 September 2026
Tuesday 29 September 2026
Good morning — today's stories span migrant anxieties amid Australia's migration debate, RBA rate hike warnings for homeowners, Goodman scrapping its Lane Cove datacentre plans, and SpaceX's milestone orbital Starship flight.
Politics
Migrants Voice Unease Over Australia's Migration Debate
Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers say they feel increasingly anxious and unwelcome as major political parties compete over plans to cut net overseas migration. The federal government intends to bring migration numbers down to roughly 245,000 this year and 225,000 by 2027-28, while One Nation has called for a much stricter annual cap of 130,000. Academics and advocates warn that focusing on migration totals risks overlooking migrants' social and economic contributions and fuelling anti-migrant sentiment.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Politics
One Nation loses 28 of 51 MPs since forming
Guardian Australia analysis found that more than half of the 51 people elected as One Nation MPs at state or federal level have quit or been expelled before finishing their terms. The party won 6% of the vote at the last federal election but some surveys now put its support above 30%, which could see it become the official opposition or form a minority government. The party's history includes mass departures from its 1998 Queensland bloc, high-profile exits such as Mark Latham and Tania Mihailuk, and a string of controversies among federal senators after 2016.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Economy
Economists Warn More RBA Hikes Could Hit Housing
Economists say two or three further Reserve Bank rate rises would hurt the property market while doing little to improve affordability, as higher borrowing costs offset any fall in prices. The RBA is expected to lift the cash rate to 4.6% on Tuesday, with further rises possibly pushing it to 4.85% or 5.1% by 2027. Analysts including AMP's Shane Oliver and HIA's Tom Devitt warned of a bigger price correction and no improvement in affordability, while NAB's Taylor Nugent noted rental shortages are also worsening.
Sources: Guardian Australia
World
North Korean mines suspected in DMZ blast injuring troops
South Korea's military says newly laid North Korean landmines are the likely cause of an explosion last week that injured three South Korean soldiers clearing a patrol route in the western DMZ. A preliminary joint investigation by Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the UN Command found signs of recently disturbed terrain near the blast site, consistent with mine-laying by North Korean forces. Seoul says it will pursue appropriate measures if the North is confirmed responsible.
Sources: ABC News
Science & Tech
SpaceX Starship Achieves First Full Orbital Flight
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket from Texas on its 14th test flight, successfully reaching Earth orbit for the first time despite an engine issue during ascent. The rocket climbed to roughly 275km altitude, deployed next-generation Starlink satellites, and was brought back early for a Pacific Ocean landing about three hours after launch. Experts described the flight as a key step toward using Starship for future moon and Mars missions.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Science & Tech
SpaceX Starship completes first full orbital flight
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time on Monday, aiming to circle Earth six times despite one engine shutting down early. The rocket carried 26 Starlink satellites and was set for a Pacific splashdown near Chile after nearly 10 hours, marking the 14th full-scale test from Texas. SpaceX plans to attempt catching a future Starship with mechanical arms as part of efforts to make the rocket reusable ahead of NASA's Artemis moon missions.
Sources: ABC News
Culture
Sense and Sensibility remake shrinks age gap for Gen Z
A new film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility casts Herbert Nordrum, only 13 years older than co-star Esmé Creed-Miles, as Colonel Brandon, narrowing the 19-year age gap present in Jane Austen's original text. Columnist Zoe Williams contrasts this with the 1995 version, where Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet had a much larger age difference. She notes that younger audiences today often view such age gaps in classic films as uncomfortable or exploitative.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Culture
Critic Pans Royal Academy's French Riviera Art Exhibition
A review criticises the Royal Academy's Painting the French Riviera exhibition for prioritising geographic accuracy over artistic merit, giving neo-impressionists like Signac a prominent display while relegating Matisse and the Fauves to a smaller space. The critic argues the show underrepresents Matisse and Picasso's exploration of sensuality and eroticism, favouring Monet over Cézanne and omitting artists such as van Gogh. The reviewer concludes the exhibition fails to capture the Riviera's mythic and erotic allure in modern art.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Weather & Climate
Kelvin wave threatens California with rising seas
Scientists warn a large-scale Kelvin wave, driven by a historically strong El Niño, could push sea levels along the California coast up by roughly a foot for several months. The wave, formed as weakened trade winds allow warm Pacific water to surge toward the Americas, is expected to reach California within days and linger through winter. Officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, have begun emergency preparations amid warnings of increased storm surge and flooding risk.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Health
US report finds atrazine widespread in rivers
A review by the Center For Biological Diversity found the herbicide atrazine contaminating close to a quarter of continental US river miles, affecting over 20% of surface drinking water intakes and more than 675,000 wells. The chemical is linked to hormone disruption, cancer risk and reproductive harm, and is banned in about 60 countries, though it remains heavily used in US agriculture. Hot spots identified include the Chesapeake Bay area, the midwest corn belt, Florida's Lake Okeechobee, the lower Mississippi and the Texas Gulf coast.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Culture
Netflix's A Different World reboot draws praise as rare success
A Guardian TV critic reviews Netflix's reboot of A Different World, the 1980s-90s Cosby Show spinoff set at the fictional Hillman College, calling it a rare example of a sitcom revival that works. The new version, helmed by showrunner Felicia Pride and filmed at Atlanta's historically Black colleges, brings back original cast members while introducing new characters and storylines touching on issues like underfunding and campus controversies.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Economy
Goodman withdraws $1.2bn Lane Cove datacentre plan
Goodman Group has withdrawn its Project Mars datacentre proposal for Lane Cove, Sydney, citing evolving state and federal regulatory policy for large-scale datacentres. The plans were pulled from the NSW planning portal on Monday, following months of local opposition over proximity to schools and green space, and concerns about clustering of datacentres in the area. A local campaigner welcomed the decision, while the industry's peak body has warned against turning away datacentre investment.
Sources: Guardian Australia
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