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Thousands of film and television writers in the United States are heading to picket lines after union negotiators called a strike, sending Hollywood into turmoil and disrupting TV production as the industry wrestles with the shift to streaming.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said its leadership unanimously supported its first work stoppage in 15 years after failing to reach an agreement for higher pay from studios such as Walt Disney Co and Netflix Inc.

"The companies' behaviour has created a gig economy inside a union workforce," said the WGA, which represents about 11,500 writers.

The strike beginning on Tuesday hits Hollywood studios at a difficult time. Conglomerates are under pressure from Wall Street to make their streaming services profitable after pumping billions of dollars into programming to attract subscribers.

The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The threat of a recession in the world's biggest economy also looms.

The last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008 lasted 100 days. The action cost the California economy an estimated $US2.1 billion ($A3.2 billion) as productions shut down and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut back spending.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios, said it had proposed "generous increases in compensation," and was willing to increase its offer.

But it said it objected to WGA demands that "would require a company to staff a show with a certain number of writers for a specified period of time, whether needed or not."

Writers say they have suffered in the streaming TV boom with shorter seasons and smaller residual payments.

"Wow. This is scary," Emmy-winning writer Ashley Nicole Black wrote on Twitter after the strike was called.

"But a future where we accept what the companies are trying to do - low paid, freelancer writing gigs with no job security - is much scarier."

For TV viewers, the strike's first impact will be seen on late-night talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live that count on teams of writers to pen topical jokes for programs recorded on the day they are broadcast.

Those shows are expected to immediately start airing re-runs.

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, in an episode taped just hours before the strike was called, showed pictures of his writing staff on screen in a gesture of support.

"They're so important to our show," said Colbert, who also is a WGA member.

"... The writers' demands are not unreasonable."

Other TV programming may be disrupted depending on how long the strike lasts.

Writers said they were willing to walk off the job because changes from streaming have made it difficult for many to earn a living in expensive cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with a third in the 2013-14 season, according to WGA statistics. Median pay for scribes at the higher writer/producer level has fallen four per cent over the past decade.

Artificial intelligence is another issue at the bargaining table.

The WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers' previous work. Writers also want to ensure they are not asked to rewrite draft scripts created by AI.

With a potential strike looming, production already had ground to a halt in Los Angeles. Film LA, which issues permits for filming in Los Angeles, said it had no shoots for scripted shows scheduled for Tuesday or the rest of the week.

If the work stoppage becomes protracted, the networks will increasingly fill their programming lineups with unscripted reality shows, news magazines and repeats. It also could lead to a delay of the autumn TV season. Writing for autumn shows normally starts in May or June.

Netflix may be insulated from any immediate impact because of its global focus and access to production facilities outside of the United States.

© RAW 2023

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Olympic boxing medallist Harry Garside has been charged with assault after being arrested on his return to Australia from filming reality TV series I'm a Celebrity.

Garside was taken into custody at Sydney International Airport on Tuesday.

Police launched an investigation into reports of an alleged domestic violence-related incident in March 1 at Bellevue Hill in Sydney's east, a NSW Police spokeswoman told AAP.

Garside has been charged with common assault (DV) and told 7 News he would defend the charge, as he left Mascot Police Station.

"Of course, me and my lawyer will release a statement in the coming hours," he told a reporter late on Tuesday.

He is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 24.

Garside won bronze for Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has won seven Australian national boxing championships.

The champion men's lightweight boxer intends to compete for Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Garside recently appeared on the ninth season of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! He was runner-up to former champion netballer Liz Ellis.

The finale aired on Sunday night.

© AAP 2023

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The family of a couple and their unborn child killed by a teenage driver say Queensland authorities have "more blood on their hands" after three people died in a multi-car crash.

Russell Field demanded a tougher youth justice stance after an attempt to increase a 10-year sentence for the teenager who fatally hit his son and the 37-year-old's pregnant partner in a stolen four-wheel-drive was dismissed.

The teen's push to reduce his sentence also failed in Queensland's Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

The teen was drunk and high on cannabis when he struck Matthew Field and six months' pregnant Kate Leadbetter, 31, with the stolen Landcruiser while they were walking their dogs near Brisbane on Australia Day 2021.

More than two years later, a teenager has been charged with three counts of dangerous driving causing death after allegedly crashing a stolen Mercedes in the regional Queensland town of Maryborough on Sunday night.

"It is tragic that this has happened again," Russell Field told media outside court on Tuesday.

"The premier and the lawmakers of the state have more blood on their hands now because nothing was done earlier."

Mr Field supported mandatory minimum sentences for juvenile offenders.

"I stand here today and I guarantee you another accident like this will happen again, again and again," he said.

"What's got to happen for them to change something and get these kids understanding what they can and can't do?

"How many more people have to die?"

Matthew Field's mother Ann said she understood judges were bound by the legislation when they ruled the 10-year sentence was appropriate.

But she added: "If the premier thinks these laws are adequate I think the people need to stand up and do something about it."

The teen who killed Matthew Field and Ms Leadbetter received the 10-year term after pleading guilty to a string of charges including two counts of manslaughter.

But the teen - who cannot be named because he was 17 at the time of the offences - will be eligible for release after serving six years.

The families of the victims described the sentence as "grossly inadequate" and Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman launched an appeal in June 2022.

The appeal was pushing for a sentence of up to 14 years but it was dismissed on Tuesday.

"What's got to happen for anybody to be serving the maximum sentence?" Mr Field said.

The teen's lawyers argued the sentence was excessive but their application for leave to appeal was refused.

"The sentencing judge was fully cognisant of the seriousness of the respondent's offending and sentenced the respondent for the manslaughter offences by reference to the maximum of detention for life," the Court of Appeal judges wrote on Tuesday.

"The Attorney (-General) has failed to show that this is an exceptional case which justifies a departure on appeal from the submissions made by the prosecutor before the sentencing judge... or that the sentence imposed on the respondent was 'unreasonable and plainly unjust'."

© AAP 2023

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Mortgage holders have been struck with another interest rate hike after just a month of relief.

The 0.25 percentage point increase from the Reserve Bank of Australia brings the cash rate to 3.85 per cent, its highest level since April 2012, and further tightening has not been ruled out.

For mortgage holders, the 11 rate rises since May 2022 have driven repayments through the roof.

RateCity analysis shows the hiking cycle has added $1048 to total repayments on a $500,000 debt.

In April, the RBA board opted to leave the cash rate unchanged to allow more time to see how higher rates were playing out.

While the quarterly inflation data revealed a slowdown in inflation, it remained "too high" for the board's comfort.

"Inflation in Australia has passed its peak but at seven per cent is still too high and it will be some time yet before it is back in the target range," RBA governor Philip Lowe said in his statement.

"Given the importance of returning inflation to target within a reasonable time frame, the board judged that a further increase in interest rates was warranted today."

While headline inflation is likely on its way down from 7.8 per cent annual growth in the December quarter, strong services inflation appears to have fed into the case for another hike.

"Services price inflation is still very high and broadly based and the experience overseas points to upside risks," Dr Lowe said.

KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne said services price inflation was largely being driven by higher wages and Australia was now sitting at the "lower end" of a wage-price spiral.

"The continuation of wages growth around four per cent per annum without a corresponding increase in productivity means these input costs are directly adding to inflationary pressures in a circular fashion," Dr Rynne said.

"It would seem the RBA has recognised this as well and acknowledged that it will struggle to have inflation returning to the target band for at least another two years, even with some further increases in the cash rate."

KPMG economists expect one more hike will be needed to bring inflation down quickly enough, with the large cohort of mortgage holders rolling off low-interest fixed loans anticipated to help by cooling demand organically.

But other economists believe the RBA has lifted rates for the last time.

While the governor said "further tightening of monetary policy may be required", Commonwealth Bank economist Gareth Aird said the RBA's lean towards more hikes had been watered down.

"We have left our central scenario unchanged and see 3.85 per cent as the peak in the cash rate this cycle," he said.

"We continue to look for rate cuts in late 2023 as we believe inflation will fall more quickly than the RBA currently anticipates."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who is a week away from handing down his second budget, said the decision served as a pertinent reminder that inflation was the primary challenge facing the economy.

"The priorities in the budget will be responsible cost of living relief that doesn't add to inflation, laying the long-term foundations for future growth and opportunities in our economy and also making our budget and our economy and our people and our country much more resilient to the sorts of global economic uncertainty we've seen in recent times," he said.

© AAP 2023