What we learned today, Saturday 4 June
With that we’ll wrap up our live coverage of the day’s news. Here’s a summary of the main developments:
- The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has presided over the renaming of Canberra’s Aspen Island to Queen Elizabeth II Island, in honour of her platinum jubilee.
- More than 28,000 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Australia on Saturday, along with a further 59 deaths to take the weekly toll to 292.
- There has been a fourth, and probably fifth, case of monkeypox detected in two New South Wales residents who recently returned from Europe.
- Australians planning an overseas trip are facing the possibility of cancelled or delayed travel plans as the Australian passport office buckles under post-Covid-restrictions demand.
- A Lismore family has been reunited with their lost cat 13 weeks after their house flooded.
- Biloela is preparing to party as the Murugappan family returns home, with a thousand extra people expected to attend the Queensland festival that will serve as their unofficial homecoming.
Have a great evening and pleasant weekend.
Updated
New monkeypox case in NSW
There has been a fourth, and probably fifth, case of monkeypox detected in two New South Wales residents who recently returned from Europe.
According to NSW Health, the two men in their 30s, who were travelling companions, developed mild illnesses several days after arriving back in Sydney.
Both men presented to a doctor with symptoms clinically compatible with monkeypox.
Urgent testing results for one of the men is consistent with monkeypox, making it the fourth case in NSW. His companion is likely to be confirmed as the fifth case.
Both men are isolating at home.
Updated
Victoria health department to officially take over pandemic management 1 July
As Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths remain high across Australia, Victoria is scaling back its dedicated pandemic response workforce, reports AAP.
The Covid-19 Response unit will officially transfer pandemic management to Victoria’s health department from 1 July, after gradually shifting responsibilities over the past few months.
Led by Jeroen Weimar until he stepped down at the end of April, the central bureaucracy has overseen the state’s test, trace and isolation system since it was set up in 2020.
The state government believes the time is right for the shake-up, with 70% of all Covid-19 vaccinations currently delivered by local GPs and pharmacists and more people opting to use rapid antigen tests.
Under the changes, local public health units will lead the delivery of Covid-19 services under the health department’s stewardship.
“The Covid-19 Response was always a time-limited operation,” a Victorian government spokesman said on Saturday.
Victorian health minister Martin Foley has acknowledged the state is facing a “challenging winter” as bubbling Covid-19 cases and the return of flu place further pressure on the system.
While Australia’s Covid-19 intensive care figures have fallen in the past fortnight, about 2,700 patients remain in hospitals across the country.
More than 28,000 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Australia on Saturday, along with a further 60 deaths to take the weekly toll to 292.
Updated
Northern Territory records 192 new Covid cases
There were 192 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the Northern Territory in the 24 hours to 8pm on 3 June 2022, the NT health department has announced.
To commemorate Queen Elizabeth's love for corgis at her #PlatinumJubilee, around 100 corgi dogs and their owners took part in a parade near Buckingham Palace pic.twitter.com/xiL4Uecszd
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 4, 2022
Ski season starts early at some resorts after polar blast
The polar blast that hit south-eastern Australia this week has helped bring in the ski season early in some resorts.
In New South Wales, 60cm of snow has already fallen at the Perisher ski resort, enough to allow the site to open this week, a week ahead of its traditional Queen’s birthday weekend opening.
Perisher’s general manager, Belinda Trembath, told the Sydney Morning Herald the conditions were “too good to pass up”.
“It feels amazing – just like that people are skiing. It always is a long gap between seasons, it’s great to start early,” Trembath said.
Updated
North Korea reported some 79,100 more people with fever symptoms and one additional death amid its first-confirmed coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reports, citing state media KCNA.
The reclusive country has been waging a battle against an unprecedented Covid-19 wave since declaring a state of emergency and imposing a nationwide lockdown last month, fuelling concerns over a lack of vaccines and medical and food supplies.
The total number of fever patients compiled across the country since late April neared 4 million, and the death toll rose by one to 71, KCNA said, using data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.
KCNA has said the epidemic has shown signs subsiding, after daily tallies of fever cases topped 390,000 two weeks ago.
North Korea has never confirmed how many people have tested positive for Covid-19, apparently lacking testing supplies. But experts have said the publicised numbers could be underreported, and that could make it difficult to assess the actual scale of the situation.
Updated
Pride parade comes to Bangkok amid new hope for LGBTQ+ rights
The event returns for the first time in many years on Sunday as the city appoints a governor vocal in supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Read our story here:
Updated
I am going to hand you over to Elias Visontay now, who will take you through the news while I eat some lunch!
Albanese confirms he has moved into the Lodge
Anthony Albanese has revealed he has already moved into the Lodge in Canberra and promised to not neglect regional Australia, in an exclusive interview with ACM network:
I’m already at the Lodge,” he said. “I have moved most of my personal effects from my flat in Canberra there across to the Lodge plus some things down from Sydney.
It’s the national capital. And that is important. Family considerations are why I’ll spend time in Sydney as well.
Albanese said he would not leave regional Australia behind:
I think that across the government, I’m a great believer in regional economic development, taking pressure off the big capital cities.
And to do that you need to have proper planning, proper processes and work with local communities.
Updated
South Australia records four deaths and 2,789 new Covid cases
South Australia has recorded four deaths and 2,789 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
There are 230 people in hospital and of that nine are in ICU.
South Australian COVID-19 update 04/06/22.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) June 4, 2022
For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAlWPSN or contact the South Australia COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/VTrQ18DSGe
Updated
Queensland records 11 deaths and 3,423 new Covid cases
Queensland has recorded 11 Covid deaths and 3,423 new cases in the past 24 hours.
There are 268 people in hospital, and of those six are in ICU.
Today we have recorded 3,423 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) June 4, 2022
Sadly, we have reported 11 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Full details➡️https://t.co/MyDwPPzP2F pic.twitter.com/2eHu9X3Taq
Updated
Spirit of Tasmania ferries to leave Melbourne home in October
The Spirit of Tasmania ferries will permanently leave their Melbourne home later this year, the company has announced.
Station Pier has been the home of ferries between Melbourne and Tasmania since the Abel Tasman began sailings in 1985. The move to Geelong is part of a 30-year deal struck after the Tasmanian government criticised increasing lease prices at Station Pier.
The ferry operator has confirmed the ships will dock at a new terminal in Geelong from 23 October.
Updated
Windy weather to hit parts of Australia
Strong winds are expected across parts of NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania this afternoon:
Strong NW'ly winds 40 to 60 km/h with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS in excess of 90 km/h forecast to develop over SW Victoria from late Sat & extending east early Sun. BLIZZARD conditions over alpine areas.@vicemergency @vicsesnews @ParksVictoria
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) June 4, 2022
Details here: https://t.co/eUOtlNpr3w pic.twitter.com/PZhkw6786f
The Severe Weather Warning for Damaging Winds has been updated, now including parts of the #ACT from Sunday morning onwards: https://t.co/6CBT83q2kT pic.twitter.com/o3clkqSjTl
— Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory (@BOM_ACT) June 4, 2022
.@BOM_Tas has issued a Severe Weather Warning - Damaging Winds for King Island, Furneaux Islands, North East and parts of Western, North West Coast and Central North Forecast Districts.
— TasALERT (@tasalert) June 4, 2022
Damaging wind gusts developing in the north overnight.
More info: https://t.co/xztFB2OJpy pic.twitter.com/crTOM8I3Ol
The Severe Weather Warning for Damaging #Winds has been updated, extending north to the c#CentralTablelands from Sunday morning. Parts of the #Illawarra and #SouthCoast are also included: https://t.co/AwTeMUT3yA pic.twitter.com/iKc6WgSnRu
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) June 4, 2022
Updated
How will Dutton and Littleproud reshape the Coalition?
Peter Dutton was elected opposition leader this week, with David Littleproud replacing Barnaby Joyce as deputy. Guardian Australia’s political editor, Katharine Murphy, and rural and regional editor, Gabrielle Chan, discuss the two new leaders, their history and how they may go about attempting to retake government with Full Story’s Laura Murphy-Oates.
Updated
Western Australia records 10 deaths and 6,242 new Covid cases
WA has recorded 10 new deaths and a total of 6,242 new cases. There are currently 44,731 active cases in the state.
There are 278 people with Covid-19 in hospital, and of those 11 are in ICU.
The 10 deaths were a woman over 100, four women in their 90s, two men and a woman in their 80s, and two women in their 70s.
Updated
A union says production company Fremantle is refusing to pay out long-serving staff of cancelled Australian TV soap Neighbours.
Read our story here:
Updated
It’s been a busy couple of weeks, so it’s possible you missed Peter Dutton’s attempt to neutralise at least one of the issues that helped consign the Coalition to opposition on 21 May, writes Katharine Murphy.
Fifo workers may raise risk of Covid outbreak in Pilbara, study suggests
Western Australia’s Pilbara region is the most prone to a Covid-19 outbreak from Perth, new modelling shows, with fly-in fly-out (Fifo) workers most likely to blame.
Research from the University of Western Australia used location data from mobile phones from the past two years to model regional transmission of the virus across the state, taking into account vaccination levels, border controls and restrictions.
The analysis, carried out by applied mathematics honours student Yuval Berman, built on preliminary UWA studies of Covid transmission which formed the basis of advice to the state’s health department.
“We found that towns in the Pilbara are more prone to a Covid outbreak originating in Perth than towns in most other parts of the state, including the busy south-west,” Berman said.
“We believe this is most likely driven by Fifo activity, with the results suggesting the need for prudent health monitoring of fly-in and fly-out workers.”
Updated
Albanese says Australia is honouring the Queen today by renaming the island.
Today we celebrate her long life and 70 years of service to Australia and the Commonwealth including no less than 16 visits to our shores.
On Thursday I had the honour of lighting the Commonwealth beacon. For seven remarkable decades, Her Majesty has been an embodiment of grace, fidelity and dignity and she is the only reigning monarch most of us have known and the only one to have visited our great nation of Australia.
Above all, she has stood with Australia as a true and steadfast friend, through the good times and also the hard times. Indeed, she has been a rare constant in our ever-changing world. A singular figure who has reigned through some of the most profound moments of the post-war era, through some of the greatest turning points in modern history.
Updated
Anthony Albanese honours Queen in Canberra amid jubilee celebrations
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Canberra at a ceremony to rename the island in Lake Burley Griffin, Aspen Island, to Queen Elizabeth Island.
He begins by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land.
Today we are indeed on ancient land. Loved and stewarded for tens of thousands of years by First Nations people.
This lake and indeed this island are very recent creations. Walter Burley Griffin dreamt up this lake in the early 1900s but it would be more than another half-century before it was fulfilled.
When the Queen visited in 1963, Canberra’s 50th anniversary, the lake was empty because of a drought, Albanese says. Seven years later, on a cold and windy April day, Her Majesty opened the National Carillon, which was a gift from the British government to the people of Australia.
Her Majesty said at the time, the bells’ harmony will be a reminder of the enduring ties of kinship between Britain and Australia.
Today’s ceremony will include a 21-gun salute and a Royal Australian Air Force flypast.
Updated
A massive Covid-driven investment saw the state’s homeless population get the support needed to escape the cycle – but then the program was threatened, writes Luke Henriques-Gomes.
Anthony Albanese attends renaming ceremony for island in Canberra
In Canberra, a ceremony is about to get underway to rename an island in Lake Burley Griffin, Aspen Island to Queen Elizabeth Island. Prime minister Anthony Albanese is there with the high commissioner from the UK. Albanese will make some comments and I’ll bring you those when he does.
Updated
MDMA should be used to treat veterans with PTSD and depression, former ADF boss says
The former chief of the Australian defence force, Chris Barrie, is campaigning to remove barriers stymying doctors from using MDMA to treat veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, saying he hopes “common sense is going to prevail”.
Updated
Ben Roberts-Smith and Australia’s defamation ‘trial of the century’
Extraordinary evidence has been heard over 99 days of hearings, at a cost of A$25m, as the Victoria Cross recipient sues three newspapers over allegations he says falsely portray him as a war criminal for actions in Afghanistan, writes Ben Doherty.
Updated
Parts of WA have experienced the coldest day this year ...
For many towns through the southwest we've shivered through our coldest morning of the year so far. Light winds and no cloud cover overnight have contributed to these low temperatures. It dropped to 3.1°C in #Perth, 0°C in #SouthernCross and a very chilly -1.4°C in #Cunderdin! pic.twitter.com/EJO4I94S0A
— Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) June 3, 2022
Soaring energy costs likely to filter down to consumers
One of Australia’s largest regional food processors says energy costs are “out of control”, with already elevated gas prices tripling since the company signed new contracts in early 2022.
Updated
Brisbane’s new Greens MPs set their sights on the suburbs
Brisbane’s new Greens MPs talk about the moments they “flipped” voters – the driveway conversions of climate unbelievers or hostile folks who had only ever supported the major parties.
Updated
Richard Marles eyes meeting with US defence secretary in Singapore
Australia’s new defence minister, Richard Marles, is preparing to travel to Singapore next week for a high-level security conference and a potential first meeting with his US counterpart.
Updated
Victoria records 16 Covid deaths and 8,445 new cases
Victoria has recorded 16 deaths and 8,445 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours. It takes the total number of cases in the state to 54,445.
There are 509 cases in hospital, and of those 29 are in ICU and 10 are ventilated.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 3, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/KE9XKURjPP
Updated
NSW records 18 deaths and 6,594 new Covid cases
NSW has recorded 18 deaths to Covid-19 and 6,594 new cases in the past 24 hours.
There are 1,127 people in hospital and of those 28 are in ICU.
COVID-19 update – Saturday 4 June 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 3, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.4% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 95% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/MTfxq1nOJW
Updated
Woman turns herself in to police after fatal hit-and-run in Melbourne
AAP reports a 73-year-old woman who handed herself in to police after a fatal hit-run crash in Melbourne’s west has been released.
The woman was arrested on Friday morning and interviewed by detectives before being released pending further inquiries, police said in a statement on Friday night.
Earlier grieving family members of the three-year-old boy killed gathered at the scene to lay tributes.
The boy ran onto McIntyre Rd in Sunshine North after breaking away from his mother about 6.30pm on Thursday, police believe.
He was hit by a red sedan and dragged up to 30 metres, according to police. The driver failed to stop.
Updated
‘Unprecedented’ delays at Australian passport office
Australians planning an overseas trip are facing the possibility of cancelled or delayed travel plans as the Australian passport office buckles under post-Covid restrictions demand.
Updated
Lismore family reunited with lost cat 13 weeks after house flooded
Locals spotted the lost pet wandering around a car yard in town and alerted the family via social media.
Updated
Teenage boy fatally stabbed in western Sydney
AAP reports a 16-year-old boy has been fatally stabbed in a western Sydney home.
Emergency services were called to the Ropes Crossing house early on Saturday morning to find the boy suffering a stab wound.
Police performed CPR before paramedics arrived but the boy died at the scene.
Detectives from Mt Druitt police area command are now investigating, assisted by the state’s homicide investigations squad.
NSW police will give an update later on Saturday morning.
Updated
Murugappan family returns to Biloela
A thousand extra people are expected to attend the Queensland festival that will serve as the Murugappan family’s unofficial homecoming, writes Ben Smee.
Updated
Good morning
Morning everyone! This is Cait Kelly. Here are the big headlines this morning:
The Albanese government has backed a 5.1% pay rise for workers on minimum wages, but industry groups and unions continue to be at odds on how much the minimum wage should increase.
The new Labor government urged the commission to ensure the wages of low-income workers do not go backwards in its submission to the body.
The government said wages of low-paid workers should increase amid rising inflation levels.
In considering its decision on wages for this year, the government recommends the Fair Work Commission ensures that the real wages of Australia’s low-paid workers do not go backwards.
High and rising inflation and weak wages growth are reducing real wages across the economy and creating cost of living pressures for low-paid workers.
A Victorian man has become the fifth monkeypox case detected in Australia after returning from the UK.
The returned overseas traveller, aged in his 30s, developed mild symptoms after arriving back in Melbourne and seeking medical attention.
And an Australian-based importer has been fined more than $10,000 after buying 13,500 Covid-19 rapid antigen tests from overseas.
Therapeutic Goods Administration alleges the tests weren’t on the Australia Register of Therapeutic Goods when imported. They were seized at the international border and won’t be released into the Australian market.
And with that, let’s get into it!
