AUS NEWS LANKA exclusive news article reporting on the Sri Lankan-born population in Australia in 2025.

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s construction sector is under pressure as soaring fuel costs force companies to cut staff and delay projects. Builders say rising diesel prices and higher costs for materials are squeezing margins, pushing some businesses close to shutting down. Without government support, the impact could flow through to home buyers and household bills. New data from the Civil Contractors Federa

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia is seeing a sharp rise in illicit drug use, with new data placing the country among the world’s highest consumers of methamphetamine. A latest report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission shows Australia ranks second out of 34 countries for meth use per person, behind the United States. Wastewater analysis reveals meth consumption has nearly doubled over the past de

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia is facing a growing shortage of GPs, especially in regional and remote areas, where demand for healthcare continues to rise. Groups like the Australian Medical Students' Association say one major barrier starts early the cost of getting into medical school. The GAMSAT, required for postgraduate entry, costs $568 per attempt. Many students sit the exam multiple times, with average

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Fresh data suggests an El Niño is forming in the Pacific, increasing the chance of a warmer and drier winter across much of Australia. According to Weatherzone, ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific have risen in recent weeks. Seas warmed by 0.5°C over the past two weeks, including a 0.3°C jump in just seven days. El Niño occurs when ocean waters become unusually warm, disrupting typic

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. The Albanese Government is set to consider major tax changes in the upcoming May 12 budget, with reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax still under discussion. The focus is on steering property investors toward building new homes, rather than buying existing ones. Keeping both measures on the table signals a broader push for tax reform in the government’s second term. Source : Ne

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Rail workers in Queensland are set to take industrial action over the next two weeks after pay talks broke down. The Rail Tram and Bus Union confirmed rolling stoppages will go ahead after failing to reach a wage deal with Queensland Rail during talks at the Fair Work Commission. The union says the latest offer was too similar to a previous proposal that workers had already rejected. Limite

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. In 2024, the transition was moving fast. The state backed seven solar and wind projects and seven storage developments, adding 3,202 megawatts equal to about four mid-sized coal plants. It was a record year for clean energy investment. But things changed after the 2024 election, when the Liberal National Party led by David Crisafulli came to power. The new government scrapped renewable ener

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. At dawn this morning, a quiet gathering was held at the Liveramentu Commonwealth War Cemetery to mark ANZAC Day. Attendees paused to honour the men and women who served and lost their lives in the pursuit of peace and freedom. Their sacrifice remains deeply remembered. The ANZAC values of courage, mateship, and selflessness continue to inspire communities, including those in Sri Lanka. Stay

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka, your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans in Australia and beyond. Rising Sri Lankan squash talent Sithumli Mendis has delivered a stellar performance on the international stage, securing two prestigious podium finishes during her April 2026 tour in Melbourne, Australia. Representing Sri Lanka, the young athlete captured third-place finishes in the Girls' Under-17 category at both the Australian Junior Open and t

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. The ANZAC Day long weekend brings commemorations and strict trading rules that vary by state. Essential services like pharmacies, petrol stations and cafes mostly stay open. But many large retailers face limits, especially on April 25. Here’s a simple breakdown: Saturday, April 25 – ANZAC Day NSW Most big retailers must stay closed all day. Small shops and essentials (cafes, chemists, petro

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Sri Lankan community informed with timely updates. ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු රජයට ගෙවිය යුතු ගෙවීම් සම්බන්ධයෙන් සිදුවන අක්‍රමිකතා පිළිබඳව තමන් දන්නා බව කොළඹ ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු මහ කොමසාරිස් කාර්යාලය X හි පළ කරන ලද නිවේදනයක දැක්වේ. ශ්‍රී ලංකා බලධාරීන් මේ වන විට මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් විමර්ශනය කරමින් සිටින බවත්, විමර්ශනයට සහාය වන ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු නිලධාරීන් සමඟ සම්බන්ධීකරණයෙන් කටයුතු කරන බවත් මහ කොමසාරිස් කාර්යාලය පැවසීය. පරීක්ෂණ දිගටම කරගෙන යන විට ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාව ශ්‍රී

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A developing El Niño in the Pacific Ocean could bring warmer and drier conditions to much of Australia in the months ahead. Forecasters say this event has the potential to become a “super” El Niño, driven by a large pool of unusually warm water sitting deep below the central Pacific. Some areas are already recording temperatures more than 6°C above normal beneath the surface. If this warm w

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Westpac has lifted its fixed home loan rates, adding pressure on borrowers amid rising global uncertainty. The bank increased fixed rates by 0.15 percentage points for both owner-occupiers and investors. The change applies to all new fixed loans and customers switching from variable to fixed rates from today. Westpac said the move reflects higher funding costs and keeps its rates in line wi

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia has taken another step to strengthen its artificial intelligence sector through a new partnership under the National AI Plan. This marks the second agreement aimed at boosting the country’s AI capability while promoting safe and responsible innovation. The plan outlines the government’s goal to unlock AI opportunities, share the benefits across the economy, and protect the public.

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Rising fuel prices are pushing up the cost of lawn care across Australia, with households now spending around $960 a year to keep their yards in shape. New research from Money.com.au shows the average cost sits at about $80 per month, covering mowing, fuel, and lawn care products. Younger Australians are feeling the biggest impact. Millennials spend the most at roughly $120 a month, follow

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A burst of unusual pre-winter warmth is set to sweep across southern Australia this week. Cities including Adelaide, Melbourne, and Hobart will see several days of temperatures above 20°C leading into the weekend. Adelaide is expected to peak between 27–28°C through to Sunday before cooling. Melbourne will remain slightly milder, with temperatures in the mid-20s, while Hobart will also enj

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Supermarket giant Woolworths is set to defend its pricing practices in court, rejecting claims it misled shoppers with fake discounts. The case, brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, alleges both Woolworths and Coles briefly raised prices on everyday items before promoting them as discounted. Regulators say some “discounted” prices were equal to or even higher than

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia is ramping up efforts to counter the rising threat of drone warfare, with millions set to be invested in homegrown defence technology. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced about $31 million in initial funding for two Australian companies to develop advanced counter-drone systems. The move is part of a broader plan to spend up to $7 billion over the next decade on anti-dr

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia could soon be home to its largest AI data centre, with plans unveiled for a massive project in remote Western Australia. Known as Project Meridien, the facility is proposed for the Kimberley region, south of Broome. It’s designed to support advanced AI systems such as ChatGPT and other large-scale computing platforms. The project will be built in stages and is expected to begin o