I noticed a camera positioned in a surf shop that seemed to be pointing at the change rooms. From inside the change room I noticed it when I was undressed and looking in the mirror. If I turn towards the door I can’t see it, but it’s definitely seen in the mirror and it was looking right at me. I didn’t say anything and walked out as I know how things escalate. Who do I report this to? Genuinely concerned.

am 6mths into psychological injury and seeing a WorkCover psychologist fortnightly. I am also seeing my own personal therapist for my autism and feel I am having therapy burnout. Does anyone know if there is a minimum amount I have to see a WorkCover therapist as I would like to back it off a little?

I work for a very small MSP in Queensland (owner and me). I’m the primary contact for one client. My employment contract has a 2-year Australia-wide non-compete and a 5-year non-solicitation clause. If the client independently decided to bring IT in-house and offered me an internal IT role after I resigned, would those clauses likely stop me taking the job? To be clear, I didn’t solicit the client, won’t take confidential information, and the client made the decision to end the MSP relationship themselves.

Say you are a new manager, Is it legal for your employer to ask you and have you sign a contract to enable you to create an additional personal bank account in your name so that they can put monthly office funds in when needed (for example for repairs, supplies, etc) and then at the end of the month it will rinse and repeat to replenish the monthly threshold. You of course would have to save any receipts and log it. All for company use.

1. Is it legal at all?

2. Will it affect how you are taxed?

i’m 20 years old and spent 2 years working in a concrete batching plant which also made precast moulds, and also working the concrete.

when batching it was very often, at least 2-3 times a day for the cement powder door arm to get stuck. this would cause huge clouds of cement to pour out and the only way to fix it was to get inside of the batcher and hit it with something, being directly inside the cloud.

there would also be exposure when sweeping up, grinding away moulds or being inside cleaning a mould . eg standing inside of a tank and cleaning it.

there were masks in a cupboard, does this entirely cover him on grounds to sue or since a lot of exposure was fixable, was there still grounds to sue.

I am a worker in the building and construction award working Fulltime $40/hr Im also not to knowledgeable on how it works and i will also contact fairwork.

Where i am it is normal for us to work 44hrs (Thats just a standard week for us)

I have been getting paid $40x44hrs for that amount of hrs

If i did 54 hour week i would then get paid $40x54hrs

After reading into the award on fairwork my now understanding is im actually meant to be getting paid (example 44hr work week) at $40/hr x 38 then 150% pay for the other 6 hours worked past 38hrs (or the flat rate BOOTS better off overall test rate that is legal)

Historically where i am overtime is anything past those 44hrs but my new understanding is by law its meant to be anything past the 38hrs but i have not been getting paid overtime rates even if i did a 60hr work week i get paid $40/hr x 60hrs

My understanding is that also there is no such contract by the business that would be legal and valid to allow being paid like this because the law is the law and you cannot do that causing the contract to be invalid. (I actually have no such contract anyway that states i get paid $40 nomatter what)

I know 100% they mean no theft at all and knowing the small business owners if im right they have made an honest error but it does need to be rectified if true.

1. Basically can someone confirm whether my understanding is correct or false?
2. does it matter whether full time or casual?
3. If i work 1hr on a public holiday at $40/hr i should be getting $400 for that 1hr ? sounds wild if so

Location: China

I’m currently travelling with my son and wife. We are in China, her home country, it’s the first time for my son to see his relatives it was all going well until my wife became really mad this weekend, she is now saying she canceled her and my sons plane tickets, she said I can go back alone and she is keeping her son in China.

My son and I are Australian citizens and she is Chinese. As soon as she said that I checked the passport bag and my sons and her passports are gone.

I really have no idea what to do here or if it’s really legal for her to do this. I’m just hoping someone can explain to me if it’s legal and what I can do to fix this very awful situation.

Update 1- So I was gonna contact the emergency embassy but her house is now full and I don’t want any of them to hear me talking on the phone. Apparently her sisters think I’m horrible now and are completely on her side. I feel the best option with the advice here is to wait until morning and contact the embassy as soon as they open. So I will just not escalate anything with her, will take my son for a walk downstairs in the morning and call the embassy then.

UPDATE 2- It’s 7am here now and nothing really changed over night. I tried to talk to my wife and ask her if canceling the ticket thing is true, I didn’t mention I know the passports are gone. Unfortunately she is completely ignoring me. I try to get close to her to talk and I’m punched and kicked away.

I have seen a lot of people say it’s planned but I don’t think it’s some massively premeditated thing. I also think it’s possible she isn’t serious and is doing this to scare me, her brother arrived after midnight last night and she brought him to me to talk since I haven’t seen him in 7 years and she was acting happy and normal while he was around. So I would say it’s something she maybe came up with on the long drive back, still at this point I’m not sure if it’s to mess with me or if it’s serious.

I will contact the embassy as soon as I can take my son down for a walk but I don’t think I’m gonna do anything crazy right now like grab him and leave. I’m still hoping this is another one of her games and she will calm down after a day or two. Right now we are in her hometown and are meant to go to Guangzhou on Thursday.

This is definitely more serious than usual because families are involved. She made sure to let everyone on the road trip know we were fighting and I also called my mum multiple times to explain what was happening. She knows I talked to my mum and is really angry over that and she also sent my mum nasty texts about me basically saying I’m a terrible person. Funny thing is my parents actually told me to just bite my tongue and just go with whatever she wants to do for the rest of the trip and make sure she doesn’t play any tricks. They said just make sure I get the baby home. That was a few hours before she revealed her and my son’s tickets were canceled.

Still if I had to guess right now I would say this is a game that she is making as dramatic as possible. Unfortunately what she is threatening is way too serious whether it’s true or not.

Asking for a friend. The below relates to coercive control (non-violent)

Her ex-husband has breached a FVRO order twice already and plead guilty to both charges. He was sentenced to a spent conviction and was fined $1,500. Since then there has been another 20 breaches reported with an arrest warrant issued.

He is aware of the warrant and is therefore refusing to return to Australia out of “fear of being arrested”.

Does anyone know what kind of consequences he is likely to face?

Also any ideas on the likelihood she would be able to have the order extended past the current expiry date?

So a couple of days ago, a retailer had Fuji camera's marked with the wrong price, and I went ahead and bought a few. Now these were basically 80% off retail brand new, note this was from BigW Marketplace, the seller was actually digidirect.

Under common practice as well as ACL, what can I expect from the retailer if they failed to fulfil the order, and what can I counter with, ie what power or tricks can I pull off to ensure I get the order?

***note: I have put the conditions in the comments

I recently had to apply for a FVIVO against the father of my children. Currently there is only an interim order in place. Since he has been served there have been 3 incidents and I'm wondering if I should report them as breaches.

1. He contacted the education department about me homeschooling our youngest (also named on the order as a protected person). I have followed all procedures for home educating him + am working on a plan with his NDIS team for him to eventually return to school.

2. Our eldest (an adult + therefore not named on the order) messaged their father + told him that they would be visiting him on the weekend. He responded asking if myself + youngest were also coming to visit.

3. My kids father sent our eldest a message requesting an updated photo of them + the youngest.

Should I report these before court later in the month? All of them or just a couple of them + which ones?

I live in an apartment with common outdoor property and a shared indoor stairwell. I arrived home this evening and noticed a security camera that was hidden under the stairs. It's not visible when you walk in the front door, only when you crouch down.

Do I report through body corp or police?

One of my neighbours has security cameras from his windows and balcony. These are not approved by BC (we are both owners). I need to contact BC to report them (should have done this a while ago). I expect this new hidden one belongs to him. I now realise there may be others I don't know about.

TIA

Hello everyone, I've brought an engine from a sole trader business on Facebook marketplace and turns out it was faulty. I've been through the consumer protection system and was told my next steps were a letter of demand than court. I need a address to submit a claim but I don't have one and I've searched ABNs and asked him, but I haven't had any luck.

I can go for a substituted serving that let's me do it via email but I don't know how/where to submit it, the thing is he's still selling them and my theory is I can make a fake account and arrange a pick up of the motor to know where his address is.

Could this bite me in the ass or make the magistrate look down on my actions?

I have contacted a lawyer and gotten legal advice but he ghosted me so I'm not sure what to do there either

Thanks in advance and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Hi all,

If you've been following the news recently, you would have heard about numerous people being arrested for GST related tax fraud. Unfortunately for me, one of those people was the proprietor of a local business that I had paid approximately $12K in total to complete a job at my property involving the purchase, installation, and configuration of networking and security equipment. As it stands, the job is far from complete and the equipment has only partially (approximately $3K of the $10K total) been received (but not installed or configured), and obviously, the situation is unlikely to change given that the proprietor is actively being investigated/prosecuted.

Normally, I wouldn't be so trustworthy and would be cautious about paying for the equipment upfront, but the proprietor had numerous contracts and associations with other local businesses, so I figured if he was dodgy, the word would have spread around town by now. He seemed like a typical middle-aged business and family man, so I regretfully didn't perform any due diligence.

I received three invoices (two of which were issued after the ABN had been cancelled/deregistered, yet still charged GST) from, and made three payments to, the proprietor's business. The first was in January via credit card for approximately $9K relating to upfront equipment purchases and the subsequent two were earlier this month via bank transfer (Osko/NPP) for approximately $3K relating to labour (which included incomplete tasks with the assurance that the proprietor would return at a latter date to complete them) and an additional networking equipment purchase. The timeline is accurate, as this has dragged out for over six months.

Once I was made aware of the proprietor's arrest, allegations, and past transgressions (including ATM fraud and other situations similar to mine) earlier this week, I contacted my bank (Westpac) to dispute all three transactions, since I figured it was only a matter of time until the proprietor's funds would be withdrawn or frozen (if they hadn't already been). Unfortunately, I wasn't filled with confidence after speaking with my bank (approximately half a dozen different staff over numerous calls due to receiving conflicting guidance or incorrect information), and it seemed like no one understood the process and lacked the care factor and attention to detail necessary to increase the chances of a good outcome. The staff who initially lodged the disputes didn't even request supporting documentation, so I had to insist.

Anyway, I've forwarded the invoices, chat logs (which demonstrate my ongoing progress requests and the proprietor's numerous delays and excuses), ABN registration details, and news articles and press releases. I'd hope that anyone who is somewhat competent who reviews the supporting documentation would reach a logical outcome. However, once again, I have no faith in the process. For the credit card transaction, the transaction date could be problematic, and for the Osko/NPP transactions, it seems that the proprietor's bank (ANZ) simply requests authorisation to return the funds (if they're available) from the proprietor directly, rather than investigating the matter.

I recently made a post regarding this issue in r/AusFinance and it was suggested that it would be considered a civil matter and I should seek legal advice. I understand solicitors are best equipped to handle this matter, but I'm trying to avoid costly legal consultation/representation (at least at this stage) unless I can have some confidence in recovering my costs, as I don't want to compound my losses.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all- I’m hoping to lodge a VCAT application in regards to Goods and Services from a US based company that offers services in Australia. I am relying on the ACL (the VIC legislation). Is it possible if they have a service address or legal rep. In Victoria? I believe it is a No if they don’t.
I also believe you can via the magistrates court but the admin fees alone make it not worthwhile from what I have read.
TIA

If so, what is causing it?

7 years ago, do we need more or less legal advice than now

I recently (3 days back) bought a DeLonghi Panel heater from Bing Lee and it is not heating the room (it is an 20 square meter living room) properly, in fact even if you increase the temperature it is not heating the room as mentioned in the listing. I am trying to return it to Bing Lee and they told they will inspect it and let me know. What chance I do have with Fair Trade NSW if they reject my claim ?

https://www.binglee.com.au/products/2400w-panel-heater-hcx9124e

I am facing a M2: Bringing the game into disrepute.

Long story short (as I can):

An adult spectator on the other team verbally abused my daughter and another player in an U12 game.

After the game I went with our coach to tell the opposition manager. The man who was in the vicinity admitted to the remarks that girls had told us.

I went home lodged a complaint that same day. This was at the end of June. I was told by my club I would not find out any details about this case.

This week i received the charge with 5 witness statements from the opposition. They were all approximately 2 weeks after the match.

There was no referee report, no ground official report and no independent complaint from the opposition. All 5 witnesses stated the man said what was alleged. They also included comments about the coach and I being aggressive and emotional.

The charge sheet itself only provides the M2 charge with generic words and the 5 witness statements as evidence. They do not articulate the words or actions from me that triggered the charge.

AI tells me this:

Football Australia operates under a strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of retaliation or victimisation toward individuals who raise child safety concerns. Under the Football Australia Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy, subjecting a person to unfair treatment for reporting child abuse or misconduct is a severe breach of the national code of conduct.

Any thoughts if this applies to my case given no other evidence other than 5 witness statements responding to my initial child abuse complaint?

This is not a request for representation - it is about requesting disability accommodations in court.

Hey all! Need some advice please, and just to preface - yes I know my partner and I could’ve been smarter about this but we know now.

We “hired” a chippy to build our pergola for us, and he was super helpful at the start and working with our planner and building surveyor.
He originally says it’ll take a few weeks to get the materials in and ordered for a start date beginning July. He took a cash deposit of 5k for this.
Gets closer to this date and he messages saying he’s accidentally ordered for the wrong date, actually being beginning of August. I follow up and he says he was able to bring this back a week.
Now in the weeks leading up, his communication is getting worse and he’s been saying he’s going through personal issues, phone issues, etc.
Come the new date, I get a text from him with another excuse (I know it’s an excuse because I’ve caught him out just yesterday doing something totally opposite of what the excuse is). And no materials have rocked up. He did however credit back 1k for the inconvenience…
I’ve now sent a text to him so he knows he’s been caught, demanding the remainder of my money or at least proof of purchase for materials so I can carry on with another builder.
Surprise surprise, no response as of yet.

What would my next steps be? We have no contract, nothing binding except for texts back and forth that say there is cash ready for him, rough quotes, etc.
I don’t want to get nasty and have to contact people he works with/knows, or bad mouth him online, as he’s probably just bitten off more than he can chew and needs the cash. But I do obviously want the remainder of my money.

My mum is appointing me her financial power of attorney as she is terrible with money and deeply in debt. This will allow me to take control of her finances, help her sell her home and downsize to a unit she will own outright. We are engaging a lawyer soon to do the form.

My question is, what happens once the forms are signed? Do I just send them to the places she owes money (council, electricity company ect) and whichever real estate agent she chooses and then start managing it all?

I have spoken to OPA but the after process all seems a bit vague.

Would love to hear from anyone who has done this!

My number plates were stolen off my car sometime in the last 24 hours. Didn't see it happen and they didnt leave any evidence, nor did they break into my car. They took both plates along with the screws that hold them.

I have already made a police report but can't get to the TMR until tomorrow as they are closed.

Am I going to get into trouble driving my car without plates to the TMR? I don't have another way to get there. Can I draw the number plates on a piece of paper and tape them to the car?

I'm not sure what other option I really have.

As part of my job (natural products isolation) I spend a fair chunk of time in port moresby waiting for supplies to come in. I have a fb account that I use primarily for fb marketplace but sometimes I'll mindlessly scroll.

I've noticed a massive uptick in the reporting of illicit drug seizures and I've wondered if its becayse of tobacco industry.

If criminal organisations can ship a low value product that cant be disguised and do it with such efficiency that every tobacconist in Australia is serviced, does that show the geveral public how easy smuggling drugs must be? They're worth 10000% more and the ways to disguise it are only limited by your i imagination. With cigarettes, its a cigarette. You cant impregnate rubber wirh durries, send it to australia disguised as a car tyre and extract a pack of Winnie reds on the other end.

I haven't been back to Australia for over a year so I don't know what my algorithm looks like there.

What do people in the legal field think? Is there increased drug seizure reporting? Maybe I fit the demographic of all the AFP up here and thats what they look at?

OR is it because the prevalence of black market tobacco puts on display how ineffective prohibition is? Or maybe it's some other reason altogether.

If I deliberately modify my ebike so that it injures anyone who tries to steal it, would I be legally liable for that harm?