Origin Energy has been fined 17.6 million dollars for failing to meet Victoria’s energy regulations, affecting nearly 670,000 customers, including some on life support.

The breaches occurred between December 2021 and May 2023 and included inadequate customer notifications, insufficient support for those in financial hardship, and improper billing practices.

The Victorian Essential Services Commission took legal action, resulting in the largest financial penalty in the state’s energy sector history.

The Supreme Court also ordered Origin to improve compliance measures, provide additional staff training, and publish public notices about its breaches.

Justice Michael Osborne emphasised that significant penalties were necessary to deter future non-compliance.

The commission stated that energy retailers must uphold consumer protections, rather than treat penalties as business costs.

Origin has since implemented a new customer service system and has committed to improving regulatory compliance.

Victoria leads Australia in cardiac arrest survival, with a 41 per cent hospital discharge rate, the third-best globally.

The 2023 to 2024 Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry attributed this to early intervention, with bystander CPR in 79 per cent of witnessed cases and a record 141 public automated external defibrillator (AED) shocks.

Over 7,500 public defibrillators and the GoodSAM app, which connects people to those in cardiac arrest nearby, have further boosted survival rates.

Ambulance Victoria’s research director, Ziad Nehme, attributed the improvement to rapid response efforts, emphasising that immediate CPR and defibrillation save lives.

The Australian government has finalised a nationwide agreement to fully fund public education, with Queensland being the last state to sign on.

The deal will provide an additional 2.8 billion dollars in federal funding over 10 years, raising the Commonwealth’s contribution to Queensland’s public schools from 20 per cent to 25 per cent by 2034.

Public schools, which serve many socially disadvantaged and Indigenous students, will benefit significantly.

The funding is tied to education reforms, including individual student support.

The agreement aligns Queensland with other states, such as NSW and Victoria, which secured similar deals earlier in 2025.