Australia news live: Chalmers says migration needed for falling birth rate; city of Sydney bans smart glasses

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the Albanese government is committed to doing “everything we can” to address to domestic violence, following a horrific weekend of violence in New South Wales.

Chalmers made the comments to ABC’s 7.30 program last night, after a mother allegedly fatally stabbed a child and wounded two others in the Blue Mountains and, separately, three other women were allegedly murdered inside their homes across the state.

Chalmers noted expert views that a lack of accessible housing played a role in domestic violence, along with the “magnitude” of misognystic content online. He also said front line staffing was crucial.

I work closely with the prime minister and [women’s minister] Katy Gallagher and the relevant ministers to make sure that police and others get the resourcing they need, working with state governments.

Jim Chalmers says migration is necessary to support Australia’s ageing population, and can help the nation as birth rates tumble.

The three-yearly intergenerational report found that the declining birth rate meant more Australians will be dying than being born in 40 years’ time – the first time the report had made such a prediction.

Chalmers told 7.30 Australia’s birth rates were falling faster than anticipated just few years ago, because people are taking the decision to have smaller families later in life.

He said, in this context, “any objective observer would conclude that we need responsible levels of migration” to support the ageing population:

Migration is a force for good in our economy and in our society.

We will continue to make the case for getting that net overseas migration down in the most responsible way, that balances all of the key considerations in our economy and in local communities.

His comments come after the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, last week unveiled long-awaited changes to immigration rules, promising to bring down net overseas migration (Nom) to 245,000 this financial year, and 225,000 in 2027-28.

The City of Sydney has banned smart glasses in all its pools, libraries, gyms, childcare centres and town halls.

The council agreed to update signage and guidance to prevent people wearing the glasses in community facilities, due to growing privacy and harassment concerns.

In a statement, Greens councillor Matthew Thompson said his motion included exemptions for those who use the glasses as accessibility devices, including those with vision and hearing loss.

He urged the federal government to do more to regulate the glasses and prevent their misuse, saying that:

Overseas we’re seeing women being targeted and harassed in public and recorded without their consent. We don’t want what’s happening in the US to happen here.

That’s why we’re banning smart glasses and other wearable recording devices from all of our pools, gyms, childcare [centres], libraries and other council spaces.

Cheap wearable devices like smart glasses are already flooding the market. But instead of stopping this problem, the federal Labor government has dumped it on to councils to sort out.

We need an import ban on these cheap, intrusive devices until we have stronger privacy protections and clear standards implemented nationally.

Last week, Sydney’s Canterbury-Bankstown council introduced its own restrictions on the technology. Its mayor, Bilal El-Hayek, decried what he called “pervert glasses” as the council barred the wearable tech from public pools.

In August, Brisbane city council became the first to ban the glasses from pools. Melbourne’s Yarra city council has banned them from playgrounds, childcare centres and gyms.

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the Albanese government is committed to doing “everything we can” to address to domestic violence after a weekend of violence in New South Wales. More coming up.