Inside a ‘broken’ system failing vulnerable Australian children, grim milestone in Gaza, arrests over Matthew Perry’s death

Good morning. Children at risk of serious harm are reported to New South Wales authorities every day, but the child protection system is so stretched that many of these children do not get seen by a caseworker. The public would be “mortified” if they knew the stories of children left unseen, says one speaking to Catie McLeod in our long read.

Meanwhile, independent MP Zali Steggall is doubling down on calling Peter Dutton’s Palestinian visa ban stance “racist”. She withdrew the comment in parliament this week – but now tells us that she stands by it.

Matthew Perry’s personal assistant is among five people facing charges over the death of the Friends actor. And Raygun is speaking out over the “devastating” online hate she has faced after her Olympics breaking.

Of the tens of thousands of children reported to the NSW child protection hotline as being at risk of serious harm in NSW, only a fraction are actually seen by a case worker. Even the minister has called the system “broken”. In this long read, Catie McLeod travelled to the hotspot of the NSW northern rivers and spoke to case workers and people who have been through the system about its fundamental failings, and the impact on children’s long-term health and the cycle of violence.

How do you start afresh after a runaway success? Adventures Unlimited is Andy Griffiths’ answer, his new children’s book series after the beloved 13-book Treehouse series with illustrator and collaborator Terry Denton. In the first instalment in Adventures Unlimited, The Land of Lost Things, characters named You and Me embark on an adventure in their homemade adventure suits – cardboard box hats, toilet rolls, uggs and utility belts for comfort and function.

Strict requirements governing the export of American weapons to Australia will be lifted from next month as Aukus partners look to share military technology, reports the ABC. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Coalition is escalating its split with Asio chief Mike Burgess and calling for a “high-powered probe” into terrorism definitions. Researchers have been left stumped by a shark slumber party off Flinders Island that remains girls-only – no boys allowed, reports the Mercury.

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