What we learned; Thursday 5 October
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines from today:
Residents evacuated as flood waters rise in eastern Victoria
Adam Goodes says he’s a ‘happy and passionate’ backer of yes vote
Rental prices are surging again, study shows
Housing, health, legal, disability, financial aid and social welfare community groups urge Australians to back voice
Victorian government walks back plan for youth bail laws
Strong winds cause chaos at Sydney airport
Face of King Charles III to appear on Australia’s $1 coins
Ministers condemn ‘disgusting’ video sent to Lidia Thorpe from suspected neo-Nazi
‘It physically hurts’: scientist criticises government after penguin chick deaths due to record-low sea ice
Australia to rejoin Green Climate Fund
Get your final votes in for bird of the year
Greens target Labor over moving asylum seekers to Nauru
Thorpe accuses Albanese of wanting to ‘shut me down’ over voice
Thank you so much for spending part of your day with us – we will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated
Flinders Island bushfire still burning
Firefighters are still trying to contain a bushfire burning near Mount Tanner.
The incident controller, John Duggan from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, said that while the advice level was removed from the bushfire today, it is imperative the communities of Pine Scrub and Leeka stay informed and prepared.
Duggan said:
Firefighting activities are ongoing to contain a bushfire which has been burning near Mount Tanner on Flinders Island since Monday.
Rain on the fire ground over the last 48-hours has subdued fire behaviour, and crews will remain in the area containing the fire for the foreseeable days. This may include back burning operations when conditions are favourable to bring the fire to containment lines.
Updated
Save the Children applauds Australia rejoining Green Climate Fund
Save the Children has welcomed the federal government’s announcement that Australia will rejoin the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest dedicated climate fund that finances significant climate adaptation projects in developing nations.
Australia played a key role in establishing the multilateral Green Climate Fund (GCF), contributing $200m between 2015-2020 before withdrawing.
Save the Children Pacific regional director, Kim Koch, said:
Climate change is endangering the lives of children in developing countries around the world, including in the Pacific, every single day.
Rising sea levels, more damaging cyclones, and higher temperatures are just some of the challenges that the climate crisis is bringing to the doorstep of Pacific communities.
As a major global emitter, Australia has a responsibility to contribute to the solutions for children, families and communities who are worst affected by this mounting crisis.
Updated
Commonwealth Ombudsman says disability services bill is ‘silent’ on complaint handling
The commonwealth watchdog has warned the bill to modernise disability services needs to include a more consistent oversight regime to crack down on providers who break the rules.
The bill, which was introduced last month ahead of the royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability’s release on Friday, would update decades-old laws governing funding for people with a disability, who aren’t already on the NDIS.
It will look to streamline funding arrangements and implement certification requirements and codes of conduct for non-NDIS providers.
But the Commonwealth Ombudsman, in its submission to the Senate inquiry looking at the proposed changes, says it is otherwise “silent” on how the social services department will actually monitor complaints and incidents.
In its current drafting, the bill says monitoring of providers will be set out in “departmental guidance, individual funding agreements, or in delegated legislation”.
The ombudsman’s submission continued:
This approach increases the risk of inconsistent and non-transparent oversight mechanisms that, while tailored to each provider, could generate confusion for users of the services who may seek to escalate a complaint, and may impair the ability of the department to understand and analyse compliance issues across a range of providers.
The DSI Bill is otherwise silent on how complaints and incident reporting systems would be overseen.
Instead, the ombudsman suggested there be annual reporting on the volume of complaints and incidents reported, resolution rates, the size of any backlogs, as well as thematic reporting on systemic issues.
The Senate inquiry will hear from witnesses in a public hearing on Monday.
Updated
Liberal senator says $528m vessel being unable to pass under a bridge is ‘embarrassing’
Jonathan Duniam has told the ABC that Australia’s $528m research vessel cannot safely pass underneath a bridge in its home port city.
The RSV Nuyina, which resupplies Australia’s three Antarctic stations and conducts crucial climate research, is berthed at Hobart’s Macquarie Wharf, to the south of the Tasman Bridge. But its refuelling station at Selfs Point is a short distance upstream on the other side of the bridge.
Earlier this year, Tasmania’s port authority denied the ship permission to pass underneath the bridge because it was concerned the ship could collide with the bridge. In 1975, 12 people died when a cargo ship crashed into the same bridge, causing part of it to collapse.
Yesterday, the port authority told a Senate inquiry that the government was told what the appropriate dimensions were in 2018. It said this advice should have been listened to. The width of the ship was expanded on multiple occasions after 2018.
Duniam, who was an assistant minister in the Coalition government when the ship was commissioned, said while the ship could technically fit under the bridge, its “windage” area was too large to safely turn without hitting the beam. The port authority has also raised concern about the ship’s hull and its beam.
Here’s what Duniam told the ABC:
“The fact is, it is an embarrassing turn of events and it should not have happened this way. We should have been able to do everything we could to prevent this from being the case.
Updated
Greens leader backs calls for protection against abuse
Thorpe’s former party leader, Adam Bandt, has echoed calls for a respectful referendum debate.
We have known for some time that First Nations politicians and indeed, some other politicians as well, have been on the receiving end of … threats including from the far right.
I am pleased that the government is starting to take it seriously and my hope is that the government will ensure that there is enough resources so that politicians and other public figures who have been on the receiving end of these kind of hate attacks get the protection they deserve.
Updated
Measles warning issued in NSW
NSW Health is urging people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious on an international flight into Sydney.
An adult passenger acquired their infection while travelling in Africa.
People may have been exposed to the case in these locations and should monitor for symptoms:
Monday 2 October 2023 arriving 7am on QF128 Hong Kong to Sydney
Sydney Airport – Terminal 1 International Arrivals (including baggage claim and customs) on the morning of 2 October 2023
The director of the northern Sydney public health unit, Sean Tobin, said these locations do not pose an ongoing risk but urged people who may be susceptible to measles and were on the flight to be alert for symptoms until Wednesday 20 October.
Those most likely to be susceptible to measles are infants under 12 months of age who are too young to be vaccinated, anyone who is not fully vaccinated against the disease, which may include some adults; and people with a weakened immune system
Symptoms of measles include fever, sore eyes, and a cough, followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy, non-itchy, rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body.
It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it is really important to stay vigilant if you’ve been exposed, and if you develop symptoms, please call ahead to your GP or emergency department to ensure you do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients.
Updated
Dutton says Albanese calling voice referendum has given rise to ‘radical lunatics’
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has blamed the prime minister for putting the country on a path of divisiveness that has led to Nazis targeting independent senator Lidia Thorpe …
The content that neo-Nazis (inaudable) it is completely unhinged and unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest terms.
I’m really worried at the moment because as we know the prime minister has got us and parked on a path which divides our country.
(It) gives rise in this environment to radical lunatics to make comments like they’ve made in relation to that Lidia Thorpe.
Updated
Tasmanian government to face more challenges
Australia’s only Liberal premier has dodged the immediate risk of a snap election but will face more headaches and likely a no-confidence motion when parliament resumes.
Former attorney general Elise Archer quit Tasmania’s parliament on Wednesday after the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, threatened to call an election if she didn’t leave or agree to provide confidence and supply.
The Labor opposition has provided the government with a pair, meaning one of their members will drop out from voting on motions.
But the Labor leader, Rebecca White, flagged bringing forward a no-confidence motion in the premier.
“I don’t think anyone can have confidence in this premier,” White said on Thursday.
“I think it is incumbent on the parliament to test whether or not this premier does maintain confidence of the broad parliament.”
Updated
Acoss calls for government support to pay energy bills
Australian Council of Social Service is urging the federal government to provide cost-of-living relief to people on low incomes to help them pay energy bills as Australia heads into a forecast extremely hot summer.
It comes as the Australian Energy Regulator’s latest state of the energy market report shows energy affordability is a major issue for people on low incomes who bear a disproportionate cost burden.
The Program Director of Climate and Energy at Acoss, Kellie Caught, said :
As we head into a summer of extreme heat, the federal government needs to deliver a substantial package to urgently address energy affordability for people on low incomes
There was some one-off help delivered in the last federal budget, but this will not be sufficient to help people on the lowest incomes who are facing dramatic increases in housing costs as well as food and energy
Updated
New South Wales SES busy with wind-damaged properties
In the 24 hours to 12 pm NSW SES volunteers responded to 291 incidents, the organisation said in a statement.
Since the the poor weather began on 1 October 2023, there have been 436 incidents.
The assistant commissioner of the NSW SES, Sean Kearns, said most incidents were fallen trees and leaking, wind-damaged roofs:
NSW SES volunteers assisted with providing sandbags for a Tafe at Deniliquin and sandbagging of homes and businesses in Albury.
In Narrabri, Moree and Wee Waa, volunteers conducted assessments and assisted after roofs were ripped off buildings.
One of the hardest hit areas overnight was the state’s northern zone, where 113 incidents were reported.
Updated
Qantas pilots end industrial action
Hundreds of Qantas pilots are back at work after a strike over a long-running pay dispute caused dozens of flights to be cancelled in Western Australia, AAP reports.
Network Aviation and the Australian Federation of Air Pilots are set to resume wage negotiations next week, with more than 200 pilots employed by the Qantas subsidiary demanding a 50% pay hike.
Qantas has offered a 25% pay increase but the pilots say that would only bring them up to the legal minimum under the award.
They want an increase comparable to the salary received by other Qantas pilots flying similar aircraft around the country.
Updated
Anthony Albanese condemns abuse directed at Lidia Thorpe
When prime minister was speaking earlier he was asked about Lidia Thorpe referring to the referendum as a genocide. This is what he said:
I think that people need to be respectful during this debate. It is important that people are respectful with each other. I saw - I’ve seen the video that is referred to that is threatening towards Senator Thorpe and towards the government. And the sort of Nazi rhetoric and statements that are in that video have no place in discourse in Australian political life.
Updated
Thanks for joining me on the blog today! Handing over to Cait Kelly, who will take you through the afternoon’s news.
Thorpe has ‘black army’ for protection
The independent senator told reporters she doesn’t feel safe and has hired her own “black army” for protection. She says hasn’t been able to stay at her own home for four months due to threats against her:
Where is my support? Where is my protection in this country? You want to paint me as an angry black woman. Well, you are about to see an angry black woman because I am not hiding this time. I’ve been in exile for four months. [For] four months I wasn’t allowed to be in my own home. Because people want to kill me out there. They don’t want my voice to be heard over the next nine days. They want to feel good about the referendum.
Updated
Thorpe accuses Albanese of wanting to 'shut me down' over voice
Senator Lidia Thorpe has held a press conference in Melbourne after she was sent a video of a balaclava-clad man making racist remarks, performing the Nazi salute and burning the Aboriginal flag earlier this week.
Standing outside of the Royal Exhibition Building - the home of Australia’s first parliament - Thorpe accused the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, of wanting to “shut me down” over the voice referendum:
This building behind us is where it all began in 1901. The racist constitution came out of this building, this caused nothing but pain and misery for my people in this country.
The referendum is an act of genocide against my people. And the prime minister knows exactly what he’s doing.
Albanese had earlier condemned the video, saying it was “quite horrific”.
Updated
Farm incomes set to fall due to climate and market conditions
Farm incomes are set to tumble this financial year thanks to drier conditions and lower prices, AAP reports.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences is forecasting broadacre farm incomes will fall by 41% in 2023/24, after two record years. That will see the average cash income drop to $197,000 per farm in 2023/24.
ABARES’s executive director, Jared Greenville, said:
Livestock farms will be affected by large decreases in prices for beef cattle and sheep, with sheep farm incomes forecast to be well below average.
We are expecting incomes well below the long-term average in parts of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland and the northern parts of the Western Australian cropping zone, mainly due to drier conditions resulting in lower crop yields.
You can read more from Gabrielle Chan here:
Updated
Greens target Labor over moving asylum seekers to Nauru
The Greens have taken aim at Labor after Guardian Australia revealed that a group of asylum seekers attempting to come to Australia by boat have been moved to the detention centre in Nauru.
Greens immigration spokesperson, Nick McKim, said:
Secret transfers of people seeking asylum to Nauru is a disgraceful continuation of the last government’s war on refugees. They need to explain why they are exiling people to Nauru instead of ending the barbaric practice of offshore detention immediately.
Labor’s approach to asylum seekers is so flawed it may as well have been designed by Scott Morrison or Peter Dutton. This government was elected on a platform of change, not just to offer the same rubbish in a different bin.
Labor has announced a $160m package to deal with the backlog of asylum claims, and related appeals. But it’s true that on offshore detention and boat turnbacks, Labor and the Coalition are in agreement.
Updated
Get your final votes in for bird of the year
An urgent reminder!
The final day of voting is upon us! Guardian Australia/BirdLife Australia’s bird of the year poll closes at midnight, tonight!
Our ten finalists are:
Swift parrot.
Spotted pardalote.
Peregrine falcon.
Carnaby’s black-cockatoo.
Tawny frogmouth.
Laughing kookaburra.
Australian magpie.
Gouldian finch.
Willie wagtail, and
Gang-gang cockatoo.
The winning bird will be the one that receives the most votes in today’s poll. Tomorrow we announce the winner … so get your vote in while you can.
May the best bird win:
Updated
UniSuper and two overseas pension groups buy Tasmania’s biggest forestry company
AAP reports that one of Australia’s biggest superannuation funds and two overseas pension entities have acquired Tasmania’s largest private forestry company.
UniSuper, the UK’s Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and APG, a pension provider in the Netherlands, will each own a 33% stake in Forico, it was announced on Thursday.
Forico operates a 170,000 hectare plantation estate in Tasmania which supplies sustainable hardwood domestically and internationally for uses including packaging and tissues.
The plantation was formerly owned by collapsed forestry company Gunns and in 2013 acquired by New Forests, which will continue managing on the ground.
Some 90,000 hectares are sustainable plantation for wood fibre production, with the remainder natural forest managed for conservation, biodiversity and cultural values.
“We’re delighted to be investing in an asset of this scale and quality,” UniSuper head of private markets Sandra Lee said.
Not only is forestry a portfolio diversifier, but it also supports the global transition towards decarbonisation through carbon storage as well as substitution to sustainable timber material.
We look forward to working closely with New Forests and our co-investors as we further develop this asset.
Financial details of the deal have been kept confidential.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Greenpeace says Australia is ‘showing up at a fire with an extinguisher in one hand and a flamethrower in the other’
Greenpeace has welcomed Australia’s decision to rejoin the Green Climate Fund but says it should be backed by a ban on new fossil fuel developments. Otherwise, the organisation says, Australia is “showing up at a fire with an extinguisher in one hand and a flamethrower in the other”.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Pacific adviser and engagement manager, Shiva Gounden, said in a statement:
We cautiously welcome the announcement that the Australian government is listening to the vocal calls of Pacific nations and rejoining the Green Climate Fund — the primary fund globally for climate finance and a vital tool in supporting climate-impacted nations like the Pacific.
It is the right decision. Pacific communities are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis as they experience more severe storms, sea level rise and loss of agricultural land. This has a profound impact on the culture, livelihoods and unique way of life of Pasifika people who hold a deep connection to the land and oceans.
While the commitment to a ‘modest contribution’ is positive, the key demand we are consistently hearing from Pacific leaders is for no new fossil fuels. Contributing to the fund without stopping all new coal and gas projects is like showing up at a fire with an extinguisher in one hand and a flamethrower in the other.
We urge the Australian government to go a step further and heed Pacific demands to end all new fossil fuels.
Updated
Albanese thanks faith communities for support for Indigenous voice
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has thanked faith communities for backing the Indigenous voice referendum, claiming the ethos of the voice connects with themes of religion.
“I know that one of the things that all of the faiths have in common is that when someone is wronged, you say sorry. That act of contrition, the idea that human beings are not perfect and that we need to learn from each other is something that is really important,” he said this morning.
It is something that Rabbi David Saperstein said had a home in the Uluru Statement as much as a Jewish thinking but also in Christian theology and Muslim poetry. There is so much in common across here, and that’s what unites us today.
Albanese spoke at a faith leaders’ roundtable in Sydney today, thanking religious groups for backing the voice - especially singling out the Islamic community, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jewish, Hindus and Sikhs.
I am greatly encouraged by the very broad spectrum of faith groups that have supported the voice. I’m not aware of any who have any disagreement with advocating a yes vote, and that says a lot about the nature of the request, but also the nature of what brings together this group with its common purpose of caring for the disadvantaged, and for bringing our great multicultural nation together as one.
Albanese invoked the Covid pandemic as a factor giving him confidence that the voice - a non-binding advisory committee - would work.
When Covid hit this country, I was in briefings with catastrophic potential consequences for Indigenous communities. It was only when the bureaucrats went and listened to people on the ground in those Indigenous communities in places like western New South Wales that we turned around those outcomes, so that was very important.
Updated
Climate Council on rejoining Green Climate Fund: next step should be ending support for new fossil fuel projects
The Climate Council has welcomed the announcement Australia will rejoin the global Green Climate Fund, mentioned earlier in the blog.
The council’s senior researcher, Dr Wesley Morgan, said it was “great” and should have happened sooner.
Now we’ll need to seriously step up our contributions to international climate finance if we’re to do our fair share to help vulnerable nations deal with the growing impacts of the climate crisis.
This is of course very welcome but the most important thing Australia should do is end support for new fossil fuel projects. The federal government needs to demonstrate it is listening to vulnerable nations – like our Pacific Island neighbours – by committing to move away from coal and gas, and by ending all subsidies for fossil fuels.
Updated
Strong winds overnight in parts of NSW including Thredbo and upper Hunter
The SES has just provided an update on the severe weather in parts of NSW overnight.
A spokesperson said they had 280 jobs in the past 24 hours, with 100 of them in the Hunter/Central Coast area.
The SES spokesperson (whose name I missed, sorry) said:
We had winds of over 126km/h in Thredbo and close to 100km throughout the upper Hunter in places like Murrurundi Gap and Scone. Most of the jobs have been with leaking roofs and trees down affecting roads, access to properties and damage to properties with falling on those roofs, cars, things like that.
He congratulated the public for listening to the warnings and staying safe.
The zero rescues required for flood rescue is a significant step forward for the public and we thank the public for following those warnings.
Updated
Early polling for voice referendum
Electoral expert Anthony Green says by Wednesday 4 October, 5.2% of Australians had cast a pre-poll vote in the referendum. It follows a similar trend to pre-poll in the federal election:
After three days of pre-poll voting, the Referendum figures are tracking those at last year's Federal election, though Monday's public holiday in several states may have lowered the 2023 figures. #auspol #referendum2023 https://t.co/4QehMcEJyB pic.twitter.com/u1hLUlHpXd
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) October 5, 2023
Updated
Australia to rejoin Green Climate Fund
The Albanese government says Australia will rejoin the Green Climate Fund, a global body that aims to help developing countries cut emissions and adapt to climate change, reversing a decision to withdraw made under Scott Morrison.
A spokesperson for the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia would announce a “modest contribution” to the fund before the end of the year.
Morrison announced Australia would quit the fund during an interview with broadcaster Alan Jones in October 2018, saying he would not be “throwing money into some global climate fund”. The Coalition had committed $200m to the body under Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.
Wong’s spokesperson said the government had “taken onboard feedback from our partners in the Pacific on the best ways to direct our climate finance efforts and ensure all elements deliver for Pacific priorities”.
We recognise that the GCF is the most prominent global climate finance fund, and we will work with partners to improve the GCF’s effectiveness.
At the same time, Australia is supporting the Pacific’s transition to renewable energy and is helping countries build climate resilience. We will continue to boost financing to the Pacific directly, building on our increased development assistance for the region.
We are also helping countries access more climate financing from the major multilateral funds by embedding climate finance experts in eight Pacific Island countries in partnership with the Climate Finance Access Network.
Updated
Mark Scott on teacher shortage: ‘fewer and fewer are coming in the door’
Mark Scott says the appetite for reform in the education sector is ripe, with both ministers and department heads acknowledging Australia is facing an “endemic challenge” of teaching shortages.
He said two things were happening simultaneously - an awareness Australia “cannot be wasteful” around graduating teacher numbers and lagging results in standardised tests including Naplan and Pisa.
There’s a real softness in demand for those who are starting teacher education programs. Every vice-chancellor I speak to around the country will identify the education faculty and the education degrees as the one where there is the softest uptake at the moment ... at the time we need more and more, fewer and fewer are coming in the door.
The combination of more and more evidence coming to bear as to where the focus should be ... and a stronger commitment to make sure that we are creating ready and resilient teachers ... has galvanised an attention and focus around this.”
Updated
University of Sydney vice-chancellor backs financially supported teaching placements
Vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Mark Scott, has backed financial support for teaching placements in an address to the Mornington Peninsula Foundation overnight.
Scott is chair of the federal government’s teacher education expert panel, tasked with addressing workforce shortages in the sector.
He told the audience “more and more” students were working to support themselves through their degrees, particularly mid-career entrants juggling other commitments.
There’s far more potential at a mid-career level to be able to bring people into teaching ... but universities need to be far more flexible in how they offer those mid-career programs to bring people into the profession.
He raised concentrating blocks of time spent at universities, spending more time in school environments and paying mid-career entrants while working in a school as possible reforms.
The prospect of them spending two years at university full-time, unpaid, at the age of 40, when they have a mortgage and possibly a young family, arguably the most expensive time of their life, that can be a real disincentive.
The upcoming universities accord has flagged unpaid placements as a possible area of reform, mandatory in courses including nursing, teaching, physiotherapy and social work.
Updated
Minor flood warning for Latrobe river
VicEmergency has issued a new minor flood warning for Latrobe river upstream of Yallourn, after locals in Newry, Tinamba and Tinamba West were urged to evacuate due to flood waters.
The emergency advice notice warns of the riverine flood but says no significant rainfall is expected:
Minor flooding is occurring along the Latrobe river upstream of Yallourn at Willowgrove.
In the 24 hours to 9:00 am Thursday, up to 65 mm of rainfall has been recorded across the Latrobe catchment. No significant rainfall is forecast for today.
Updated
Melbourne uni strikes enter day four
Sector-wide strikes at the University of Melbourne have entered their fourth day, as picketers gather to call for better working conditions and reduced casualisation.
Nice day for a picket #unimelbstrikes pic.twitter.com/7dcgJ9fNLk
— Jeff Sparrow (@Jeff_Sparrow) October 4, 2023
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) believes the week-long strikes are the largest industrial action in the history of higher education, and the largest at the university since stonemasons walked off the job to secure the eight-hour working day in 1856.
the sun is out and so is the #UnimelbStrikes picket! pic.twitter.com/Cp9FFxFoSG
— Jordy S (@jordana_s_) October 4, 2023
Hundreds of tutorials have been cancelled across campus in the union’s second five-day strike in recent months, after staff across several faculties walked off the job in late August.
Back on the picket line today — come join us at the monash road gate! #unimelbstrikes pic.twitter.com/xtfF8RlFe1
— Hannah McCann (@binarythis) October 4, 2023
At midday, strikers will march in support of RMIT’s concurrent strikes, running for a half day today and a full day tomorrow.
Updated
Single runway operations at Sydney airport due to strong winds
Sydney Airport has now been reduced to single runway operations due to strong winds, causing more than 100 flight cancellations.
Airservices Australia – the government-run provider of air traffic control – had warned the airport on Wednesday night it was likely to enact single runway operations on Thursday morning due to strong westerly crosswinds.
Airservices confirmed it had enacted single runway operations at about 10:30am. “This decision is purely weather and safety-related to safeguard the travelling public,” Airservices said, citing international aviation safety regulations for runway usage in crosswinds.
According to Sydney airport’s website, more than 120 domestic flights arriving into and departing from Sydney have been cancelled. However, not all of these cancellations are weather related. Mostly domestic services have been affected.
A Sydney airport spokesperson said:
As a result, a number of airlines have decided to consolidate services. Passengers who are travelling today are advised to get in touch with their airline to check the status of their flights.
Updated
'It physically hurts': scientist criticises government after penguin chick deaths due to record-low sea ice
An Australian climate scientist has told a Senate inquiry she felt physical pain when she read that thousands of emperor penguin chicks were believed to have died due to record-low sea ice levels in Antarctica.
The British Antarctic Survey confirmed a “catastrophic breeding failure” in late 2022. Analysis of satellite images showed the break-up of usually stable sea ice and the disappearance of four colonies at a time when chicks had not yet grown their waterproof feathers.
Prof Dana Bergstrom, who recently left the Australian Antarctic Division after 22 years, has criticised the Australian government for not monitoring penguin populations on the east coast of Antarctica in person, as planned. The inquiry has been told that satellite images were used instead.
Here’s what Bergstrom told the inquiry:
The death of 10,000 penguin chicks hurts. It physically hurts. It’s eco-grief.
For an organisation not to be able to organise the logistics of an approved [science] project to fly the east coast of the Australian Antarctic territory, to confirm the location of emperor penguin colonies ... I think it needs to look at itself.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson asked Bergstrom what she thought about the Australian Antarctic Division expressing concern about the event on social media, given an approved project to monitor more than 20 penguin populations still hasn’t occurred.
Of course I felt [it was] cynical.
When you have approved projects and you don’t get support ... This is the frustration of all Australian Antarctic Division scientists. You go through the process of getting a project approved ... but every year you have to ask logistics for funding. You can’t guarantee that.
Updated
Ministers condemn 'disgusting' video sent to Lidia Thorpe from suspected neo-Nazi
AAP reports that federal government ministers have condemned a “disgusting” video, sent to Senator Lidia Thorpe from a suspected neo-Nazi, of a man threatening her and burning the Indigenous flag.
In the video, a man makes racist statements about First Nations people before burning the Indigenous flag and performing a Nazi salute.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, is supporting the Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung senator from Victoria, telling Nine:
That video is menacing, disgusting, and it is obviously deliberately targeting her to stop her from expressing her views
We will do everything we can to support Senator Thorpe.
Bill Shorten told Nine’s Today program that the video is “cowardly and disgusting”.
The Australian federal police were made aware of the video on Tuesday when it was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
It has since been taken down and the account that posted it has been deactivated, but the AFP is continuing to investigate the matter.
Updated
Dan Tehan on data-sharing road safety campaign: ‘Transparency will lead to accountability’
Tehan, the shadow immigration minister and member for Wannon, used freedom of information laws to access data for his electorate, and supports the Automobile Association of Australia’s campaign to use federal road funding to force states and territories to provide road safety data to the commonwealth.
He said:
The data should be made public, and Australians should not have to use FOI laws to obtain it. Since I was elected, I have been campaigning for more funding to improve our local roads. This data confirms that Wannon has been ignored by the state Labor government and that’s putting lives at risk ...
The Labor government should publish this data for the whole of Victoria so that taxpayers and voters can see the quality of the roads in this state. Transparency will lead to accountability. The people of Wannon are rightly angry about the state of their roads.
Death, trauma and traffic congestion would all be significantly reduced if the Australian government chose to make data-driven road funding decisions, instead of ad-hoc and potentially politically motivated decisions.
If data is not made available to the Australian government, commonwealth road infrastructure funding decisions will continue to be made in the backrooms of government and subject to the whims of politicians and the political cycle.
Updated
Data Saves Lives road safety campaign launches
On Monday we reported details of the Automobile Association of Australia’s campaign to use federal road funding to force states and territories to provide road safety data to the commonwealth.
The Data Saves Lives campaign has now gone live, urging voters to send messages to their local MPs to either thank them for support or urge them to agree to the demands of the campaign.
The commonwealth government has promised a new data-sharing agreement by the end of the year, which will agree a methodology and timeframe for collecting data and national reporting, leading to a consolidated and harmonised national data set regarding road safety demographics data. But it won’t include details of police enforcement or the quality of roads themselves.
AAA managing director, Michael Bradley, said:
The new national partnership agreement presents a real opportunity for the commonwealth to lead Australia’s transition to data-driven safety policy. By making federal road funding contingent upon state provision of safety-related data, the commonwealth can deliver what would be Australia’s most meaningful safety-related reform in decades. Data transparency will save lives, curb billions of dollars in wasted expenditure, and deliver the funding integrity voters want and expect.
Updated
Face of King Charles III to appear on Australia's coins
King Charles III’s face is set to appear on our coins within months, AAP report.
The Royal Australian Mint released an effigy of the King today, which will start circulating before Christmas.
The dollar coin will be the first to bear the effigy – others will be rolled out progressively next year based on demand from banks.
The image of King Charles III is the official Commonwealth effigy and was designed by the Royal Mint in London and given royal approval. In line with tradition, King Charles will appear on coins facing left. (The late Queen Elizabeth II faced right.)
Assistant treasury minister Andrew Leigh said for most Australians it would be the first time they’ve seen a different face on the currency.
For seven decades, Australians have seen a Queen on their coins. Every decimal currency coin has featured Queen Elizabeth II.
Now, for the first time since 1953, the King’s effigy will appear on an Australian coin.
For most Australians, this will be the first time they have held in their hands a coin with a king.
Amy Remeikis says only 10 million will be produced this year, “so if you want a Charles with the 2023 date, luck is going to have to be on your side”.
Updated
AB Original release new song in support of the Indigenous voice
Indigenous hip-hip duo AB Original have released a blistering new track to galvanise support for the yes vote in the voice to parliament referendum.
Yes, featuring DJ Total Eclipse and Marlon, calls out rampant disinformation and obfuscation, with lyrics that pull no punches:
They wanna know what the voice does?
It makes it hard for the parliament to avoid us
All I wanna do is give advice on my life,
And if they terrified then you need to ask em why
Rapper and Yorta Yorta man Briggs, who makes up one half of the duo, said he was inspired to release the track by singer-songwriter Paul Kelly, who last month released his own song in support of the voice, If Not Now.
“Hip-hop is all about voice, and all about community rallying together. This is what hip-hop is for,” Briggs said in a statement on Thursday.
“We won’t see the big effects of a YES vote the next day, but we’re going to see it in 5 years down the track. The alternative to voting Yes just reinforces racism, and puts us in a worse position than where we are now. It feels like the alternate to YES is extremely detrimental.”
The release of Yes comes a day ahead of the Now & Forever concert being hosted by Briggs in his home town of Shepparton, in regional Victoria. The lineup includes AB Original, Baker Boy, Barkaa, Emma Donovan, Hilltop Hoods, Jimmy Barnes, Mo’Ju and Paul Kelly. Its tagline is: “Don’t know? Come to the show.” (The event kicks off at Shepparton Showgrounds at 2.30pm on Friday and tickets are $21.50.)
Yesterday Briggs also appeared in a comedy skit with Freudian Nip’s Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst which skewers some of the conversations being had around the 14 October referendum.
Updated
Victoria flood waters update
Jaclyn Symes, also Victoria’s emergency services minister, has provided an update on the flood situation in Gippsland South:
We have had significant rain but it is passed now. But as you know with floods, that doesn’t mean just because it’s not falling from the sky doesn’t mean that water is not causing threats around the state. We have had no injuries and no rescues overnight. In Sale, there were nine people that accessed that relief centre. We have had 15 people evacuated from the Jamison car park.
She said the flood peak in Gippsland was expected at midday:
There will be assessment teams on the ground to give us advice in relation to the damage. I do expect agricultural impacts. I have not received any advice of inundations of homes.
The local MP, Danny O’Brien from the Nationals, said the Gippsland community was resilient, having days ago battled fires:
It is just extraordinary. Fires literally one day, floods the next. We’re a bloody resilient bunch in Gippsland but sometimes it feels like a bit too much to take. Thankfully, it hasn’t been significant impacts. And let’s hope that these floods do get away pretty quickly.
He urged Victorians to come visit the area “to spend some money and support our communities”.
Updated
Floods linked to more deaths from heart and lung disease, study shows
People are more likely to die from heart and lung disease about three to six weeks after a flood disaster, a new Australian-led study shows.
Researchers are urging governments to protect people for weeks after a flood event, citing reduced access to health services and increased exposure to pathogens.
Read the full exclusive from Melissa Davey here:
Updated
Victorian attorney general on youth bail law decision: ‘not a backflip, just a pause’
Attorney general Jaclyn Symes has denied she’s done a backflip in delaying youth bail laws.
Speaking outside parliament, she says youth bail laws should be dealt with separately from the wider bail reform that will pass the upper house today:
How you apply a holistic system to youth offending is going to be a better conversation in a couple of months time … early next year, as opposed to the bail reforms right now, which the … driver for this reform [is] keeping the low level offenders out of our custodial settings and ensuring that we get the balance right in a sensible way. It is unconnected in a sense from the advocacy in relation to the coroner’s findings from the tragic passing of Veronica Nelson that did not look at child bail. So there are separate issues both in my remit and I’m dealing with them separately as I think it makes more sense to the public. Particularly in light of recent incidences involving young offenders that have been quite serious.
Symes was then asked if the decision was political, to which she replied:
We also have a responsibility to ensure that the perception of safety is maintained. As I’ve outlined, child bail reform is still on the agenda. This is not a blackflip, this is just a pause. The practical effects of this are minimal, but I do not want a discussion about a youth crime crisis that doesn’t exist.
Updated
Victoria flooding: residents urged to move to higher ground
Twenty locals affected by flood waters in Newry, Tinamba and Tinamba West were moved overnight to local accommodation from a flood relief centre at Gippsland Regional Sports Complex, according to a spokesperson from the complex.
Victorian SES urged locals to evacuate to higher ground. There is currently one person at the relief centre.
Updated
Liberals welcome Victorian child bail law decision
Victoria’s shadow attorney general, Michael O’Brien, has welcomed the government’s decision to delay child bail law changes.
He has questioned what’s changed – given he’s been calling on the government to delay it for months.
O’Brien told reporters outside parliament:
The fact is that the government has done a 180-degree flip. When it comes to youth bail, what’s changed? The premier’s changed but also the headlines have changed. It shows you this is a government that simply responds to headlines, not to good policy ideas. We were putting our policy ideas out weeks and weeks ago before any of these recent high profile youth offending incidents occurred. Because we knew the government got the balance wrong. Now, belatedly, the government’s coming to the party.
Updated
Greens call Victoria’s bail backflip ‘incredibly weak’
The Greens have described a decision by the government to shelve youth bail laws as an “incredibly weak and retrograde decision” that may lead to lifelong damage to children.
Attorney general Jaclyn Symes has confirmed she will move amendments to have the presumption of bail for children become part of a standalone youth justice bill in early 2024 instead of in the bail amendment bill, which is expected to pass parliament later today.
Victorian Greens justice spokesperson, Katherine Copsey, said the government was only walking back from the commitment due to “politics” following a spate of youth crime.
She said the data says youth offending is currently incredibly rare, but some will persist “until the government has the courage to implement justice policies based on its own expert advice, not politics”.
Copsey said:
The government knew what needed to be done yesterday to protect children and increase community safety, but today politics has trumped doing what is right. Premier Allan’s last-minute backflip poses worrying questions about her commitment to evidence-based policy, First Nations justice and the upcoming treaty process. Without urgent and meaningful reform, the Victorian Labor government’s enduring legacy may well be that their justice policies were directly responsible for the imprisonment of more disadvantaged people than at any time in recorded history.
Updated
Strong winds cause chaos at Sydney airport
Strong winds are causing chaos at Sydney airport, where authorities are considering shutting one runway, and more than 50 flights have been cancelled.
Yesterday evening Airservices Australia – the government-run provider of air traffic control – advised airlines of the possibility of single runway operations today due to potential strong westerly crosswinds at the airport.
A Sydney airport spokesperson said:
As a result, a number of airlines have decided to consolidate services. Passengers who are travelling today are advised to get in touch with their airline to check the status of their flights.
According to Sydney airport’s website, more than 50 domestic flights arriving and departing into Sydney have been cancelled.
An Airservices Australia spokesperson said the move to single runway operations will likely be enacted later this morning.
“This decision is purely weather and safety-related to safeguard the travelling public,” Airservices said, citing international aviation safety regulations for runway usage in crosswinds.
Updated
Victorian government walks back plan for youth bail laws
The Victorian government has walked back a plan to make it easier for young people accused of crimes to receive bail, despite having the support for it to pass parliament.
Attorney general Jaclyn Symes has confirmed she will move amendments to have the presumption of bail for children become part of a standalone youth justice bill in early 2024 instead of in the bail amendment bill, which is expected to pass parliament later today.
The government had initially planned to implement a presumption of bail for children accused of any crime except terrorism and homicide offences, and had enough support on the crossbench for it to pass.
Other elements of the bill, which bans offenders charged with specific low-level offences from being remanded, as well as repeals a range of bail-related offences introduced in 2013, will go ahead.
Symes will also move an amendment to implement a review of the laws after two years of operation to ensure they are working as intended.
She said in a statement:
These reforms are sensible, proportionate and necessary. They get the balance right, and address the most urgent changes needed to our bail system so that we have a more balanced approach for those accused of minor, non-violent offending. We also have a responsibility to make sure Victorians know that their safety is at the forefront of deciding who gets bail. This is why our reforms maintain a tough approach on those who pose a serious risk to people’s safety. We are still dedicated to amending the system for young people applying for bail - but this work makes more sense as part of a broader youth justice bill.
Updated
Meanwhile, it’s snowing in Perisher … after days were numbered for our skiers when alpine resorts dried up in snow season just over a month ago.
Australian weather, you are making my head hurt.
Rain expected to ease over flooded regions in Victoria
The good news is no more rain is expected over flooded regions in Victoria, VicSES deputy chief officer David Baker told ABC News:
The big tap in the sky has been turned off. That’s great news for us. So what we’re dealing with now is what’s currently in the river systems that will need to flush itself through the systems. And we can assess that and we can manage that and put efforts in place to make sure that communities are out of harm’s way. So the good news is no more serious rain expected, and a pretty stable system, I understand, until at least … next week.
Updated
130 rural Vic homes at risk of flood waters
About 130 rural homes may be impacted by flooding in Newry, Tinamba and Tinamba West, Victorian SES deputy chief officer David Baker told ABC News.
Flood waters downstream of Lake Glenmaggie in the region are impacting communities in those regions within the hour, Baker said.
We estimate up to 130 properties may be impacted by the event, hence we issued an Emergency warning late yesterday afternoon which was renewed during the early hours of the morning.
It’s mainly homes in that area. Rural homes that may see what we call above floor inundation.
SES crews have worked overnight to evacuate locals to higher ground, Baker said.
A relief centre has been set up at Gippsland Regional Sports Complex. At this stage, VicSES have not had to undergo any rescues.
Updated
Community sector leaders urge Australians to back voice
In a final campaign push for the voice to parliament, a joint statement coming more than 80 community groups across housing, health, legal, disability, financial aid and social welfare will be released today.
It will urge Australians “to vote Yes to ensure First Nations voices are heard,” according to an Australian Council of Social Service media release.
Brotherhood of St Laurence, Oxfam, Save the Children, Sacred Heart Mission, Mission Australia, Life without Barriers, Community Housing Industry Association, and Economic Justice Australia are among the group.
Hang Vo, Sacred Heart Mission CEO and ACOSS chair, said the voice aims to address the underlying causes of persistent disadvantage and social exclusion “by offering a path to justice, equity and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said:
As the community sector has seen time and time again, the success or failure of policies affecting historically marginalised communities depends on whether the people they affect are at the centre of the advice. The status quo has not worked to close the gap between the health and wellbeing of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Next week’s referendum represents a once-in-a-generation chance to finally recognise First Nations peoples in the Constitution, and through the Voice, turn this around and chart a new path forward.
We understand that some people are still not sure and encourage people to be in touch with trusted community representatives to help make an informed decision.
Updated
More on rental price surge
Rental prices have surged again, with national prices up 3.8% over the September 2023 quarter, and strong demand for inner city rentals seeing units surge 4%, the PropTrack Market Insight Report has revealed.
Median advertised rents nationally rose 3.8% over the September quarter to $550 per week.
This brought them up 14.6% over the year, compared to annual growth of 14% the previous quarter and 10.3% in September 2022.
Unit rents are growing at a faster pace than houses. Unit rents were 4% higher over the quarter and 15.6% higher over the year. House rents were unchanged over the quarter and 10% higher over the past year.
Growth in the capitals is outpacing growth in the regions. Over the past year, capital city rents rose 12.2% while regional rents were just 6.7% higher.
Regional WA, Melbourne and Sydney saw the strongest rental growth over the past quarter, while Hobart, Canberra and regional Tasmania saw the largest falls.
PropTrack Director Economic Research Cameron Kusher:
Rents are climbing at a rapid pace. The median advertised house rent is now $550 per week and the median advertised unit rent is now $520 per week.
House rents have been unchanged for six months, while unit rents have continued to rise.
We expect the difference in price between houses and units to narrow over the coming months.
Good morning folk! Thanks for joining us on the blog this morning. I’m Rafqa Touma and I’ll be rolling your live news updates today. (Thank you Martin Farrer for kicking us off.)
If there is anything you don’t want us to miss, shoot it my way on Twitter @At_Raf_
Let’s go!
Rental prices surge again, study shows
Rents are still going up but are starting to find a ceiling as tenant budgets can be stretched no further, Australian Associated Press reports.
National rents as tracked by the property data firm CoreLogic lifted 1.6% in the three months to September, down from a 2.2% jump in the June quarter.
The pace of growth has wound back a little even as national vacancy rates, the percentage of properties available, found a new record low of 1.1% in September.
A persistent shortage of listings, combined with more people moving to Australia and fewer leaving, were largely to blame for the extremely low rental availability.
CoreLogic economist Kaytlin Ezzy said the affordability ceiling in part explained the unusual combination of slower rent price growth and a falling vacancy rate.
Rental values have lifted a material 30.4% since July 2020, with the average renter now forking out nearly $140 extra a week. Ezzy said:
With the rising cost of living adding additional pressure on renter’s balance sheets, it is likely tenants have hit an affordability ceiling, seeking to grow their households to share the growing rental burden.
Rents grew in every major city aside from Canberra and Hobart, with the latter bumping aside Adelaide as the capital with the lowest median rent.
Adam Goodes 'happy and passionate' backer of yes vote
AFL legend Adam Goodes is the latest sporting hero to lend support to the yes campaign, appearing in a referendum ad to encourage voters to back the vote.
Goodes, the former Sydney Swans star, said he was “happy and passionate about the opportunity we have as a nation to rectify our constitution”. The new ad, from the Yes23 campaign, was posted to social media last night. Goodes has been a longtime supporter of the voice. He said:
"I'm Adam Goodes, and I'm voting Yes."#yes23 pic.twitter.com/p3NBtVSJpX
— Yes23 (@yes23au) October 4, 2023
Not only to include our Indigenous Australians but more importantly to enshrine a voice as well. When we have Indigenous voices not only part of the conversation but actually making the decisions for other Indigenous Australians, we see success.
Goodes is the latest footballer to speak up for the referendum, following support from Nathan Cleary, Cameron Munster, Eddie Betts and Johnathan Thurston. Fellow Australian sporting legends Cathy Freeman and Evonne Goolagong Cawley have also thrown their weight behind a yes vote.
Updated
Flood warnings continue across NSW and Victoria
More on the floods from AAP:
Minor to major flood warnings are current for the Macalister, Goulburn, Bunyip, Latrobe, Yarra, Kiewa, Ovens and King Rivers, and the Seven and Castle Creeks.
The State Emergency Service received more than 300 calls in the 24 hours to 2pm on Wednesday as rivers continued to rise and damaging winds lashed outer Melbourne and Gippsland.
Most calls for assistance were connected to flooding and building damage, according to state duty officer Shane McBride.
The SES is keeping a close eye on the entire Gippsland region and has warned further evacuation orders may be issued.
In Gippsland, warnings for fires at Briagolong and Loch Sport have been downgraded to advice level, with the focus firmly on flood risk zones after about 100 millimetres of rain fell in the area.
About 700 firefighters spent three days battling two blazes, with one home lost in Briagolong but no reports of serious injury.
The cause of that blaze, which burnt about 17,500 hectares, is under investigation.
Updated
Residents evacuate after increased flood waters in eastern Victoria
Residents in eastern Victoria were told to evacuate overnight following a sudden increase in flood waters, two days after the region faced bushfire threats, AAP reports.
People in Tinamba, Tinamba West, Newry, Mewburn Park, Bellbird Corner, Riverslea and Maffra were told to leave immediately with flooding expected from 10pm on Wednesday.
Significant inflows into Lake Glenmaggie were still happening early on Thursday, prompting an increase in the release of water from 1am to more than 58,000 megalitres a day, Vic Emergency said.
Residents were told to gather their pets, mobile phones and medications and head to a relief centre set up at Gippsland Regional Sports Group in Sale to bunker down with friends and family outside the flood zone.
A major flood warning was issued to residents along the Macalister River downstream of Lake Glenmaggie, with locals told to move to higher ground.
At 4am on Thursday, the Macalister River downstream of Lake Glenmaggie measured 6.87 metres and steady, above the major flood level.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall was current for eastern Victoria into Thursday.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be running through some of our top stories this morning before Rafqa Touma gets fired up for the day.
Big news this morning are flood warnings in Gippsland – an area that barely 48 hours ago was fighting dangerous bushfires. There are three emergency warnings: the towns of Newry and Tinamba are being told to evacuate immediately due to flood water coming out of Lake Glenmaggie; there is a major flood warning for the Macalister River, with people in the area being advised to move to higher ground; and there is also a major flood warning on the Wonnangatta River at Waterford, where there is ‘“move to higher ground” advice. In addition, more areas have “watch and act” warnings .
In other news, a report by the Australia Institute says the Coalition’s controversial stage-three tax cuts could be remodelled in four different ways to save the budget up to $130bn while still delivering bigger tax cuts to most earners.
The voice to parliament is still dominating the political landscape, and our reporter Mostafa Rachwani has been out and about in western Sydney to speak to voters. He’s found an alarming message for campaigners, with many people saying they still don’t understand what the referendum is and others who don’t even know it is taking place. It comes as Sydney Swans legend Adam Goodes became the latest high-profile figure to appear in an ad supporting the yes vote. More coming up on that.
Academic experts and the consumer watchdog have issued calls for more regulation of e-bike batteries after a suspected faulty device sparked a fire at a backpackers’ hostel in Sydney. Associate Prof Robert Kerr, from Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials, told Guardian Australia that one of the major issues was a lack of regulation surrounding how the technology is developed and how people charge the batteries. And the ACCC said there should more safety measures to protect consumers.
Let’s get going!
