What we learned, Sunday 30 April
That’s it for our live news coverage today. Thanks for being with us.
Here’s what we learned.
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles said Australia must focus on building domestic defence manufacturing capacity as it faced a blockade risk in any future conflict.
NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker has announced his retirement after a settlement with the Territory government over his future.
Former Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle has been stripped of his Order of Australia honour.
An Australian man has been charged with assault for allegedly spitting in the face of an imam in Indonesia.
Tesla cars are currently unavailable in Australia and several south-east Asian countries on Sunday but the company did not say why.
A crocodile is suspected in the disappearance of a fisher in far-north Queensland.
An 11-year-old boy is in hospital after a shark attack in northern WA.
The Greens will introduce a bill to parliament to freeze interest rates and rents.
NSW SES received more than 100 calls for help on Sunday morning after severe weather lashed parts of the state.
Have a good rest of your weekend. We’ll have another live blog tomorrow.
Small businesses to get $314m in tax cuts for going green
Small and medium-size businesses that invest in energy efficient equipment could be eligible for a tax deduction of up to $20,000.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Sunday announced the Small Business Energy Incentive – to be included in next month’s budget – in a bid to help businesses manage the costs of cutting their energy consumption.
Up to 3.8 million businesses across Australia could benefit from the measure.
Businesses with a turnover of up to $50m will be incentivised to electrify their cooling and heating systems, install batteries and heat pumps, as well as more efficient fridges and induction cooktops.
The maximum bonus tax deduction is $20,000 per business, and will cost $314m over the next four years.
Dr Chalmers said small businesses will be front and centre in the budget.
This incentive is all about helping small business save energy and save on their energy bills, support that comes on top of the direct energy bill relief for small businesses that will be a centrepiece of the budget.
The Albanese government’s policies like the Small Business Energy Incentive are all about giving small businesses the leg-up they need to expand and grow.
Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said the scheme came at the right time.
Ensuring our small business can take part in the energy revolution means cheaper energy costs that can be passed on to customers.
Rewiring Australia co-founder and chief scientist Dr Saul Griffith said the scheme would help permanently lower the cost of business.
Swapping out fossil fuelled devices and energy sources for renewable-backed electrification is the fastest, most cost effective way to decarbonise our domestic economy.
– AAP
Updated
NT police commissioner’s settlement ‘a confidential matter’: Fyles
NT chief minister Natasha Fyles has refused to provide any additional details on the retirement of NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker.
Fyles said she was “bound by confidentiality in disclosing details” and that a settlement had been reached.
The chief minister was not able to provide any detail on the nature of the settlement, the terms, timing or any amount that has been paid but said “I always act in the best interest of the Territorians”.
Recruitment for the position will begin shortly with the acting commissioner continuing in the role for the foreseeable future.
We wish Mr Chalker well.
Updated
Crime scene declared after suspicious death in far-north Queensland
A 65-year-old woman has died in suspicious circumstances at Atherton in Queensland’s far-north.
Police say at 8.30am on Sunday emergency services were called to an address on Gordon Street where a woman was found with a wound to her abdomen.
She was declared deceased at the scene.
A crime scene has been declared as detectives work to determine the circumstances leading to the woman’s death.
– AAP
Updated
Government must spend more on environment at budget
Australian Conservation Foundation director Paul Sinclair says the government could find $4bn to cover the $2bn needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis if the government ended fossil fuel subsidies.
Sinclair said axing the Fuel Tax Credit scheme, which benefits fossil fuel producers, would free up money that could be better spent tackling environmental issues.
Globally the tide is turning on these sort of subsidies ... that send the wrong signal in terms of the sort of behaviour we want to see the public and private sector undertaking.
A diesel fuel rebate is one of those really poor signals we’re sending, when we should be saying get off fuels that warm the planet and help destroy nature.
A recent ACF analysis found just 53 cents of every $100 spent by the federal government goes to the environment despite about half of the nation’s economy directly depending on its health.
But at a bare minimum, Sinclair says the budget must detail funding for the cornerstone reforms Ms Plibersek has promised after last year’s shocking State of the Environment report detailed what’s at stake.
It said at least 19 Australian ecosystems have shown signs of collapse or near collapse, with overall environmental health poor and deteriorating due to climate change, land clearing, invasive species, pollution and mining.
Almost 2000 species, many found nowhere else on earth, are sliding towards extinction.
Plibersek has said she will bring key reforms recommended by a scathing review into existing laws that found they don’t protect nature.
Promised cornerstone reforms include a complete rewrite of environmental laws, the development of new national standards that will explicitly state what the laws must achieve, and a new federal watchdog to enforce them.
Sinclair said those reforms wouldn’t work if the government didn’t back them with funds.
It must have allocations to ensure that law reform occurs, and that the Environment Protection Agency is set up ... it certainly needs to be in the forward estimates.
He’s also hoping that in a tight budget, with the treasurer under mounting pressure to deliver for those doing it tough, a decade-long campaign to end “perverse” subsidies for fossil fuel companies might finally succeed.
Scientists have estimated about $2 billion is needed every year just to tackle the biodiversity crisis.
- AAP
Here are a few photos from the weekend’s top stories:
Updated
How Canberra became a progressive paradise – and a housing hell
Part of what makes the ACT so ahead of the legislative curve is also partly why the government is stuck in development paralysis.
Canberra has always been one of Australia’s more divisive cities. With its cold climate and designed to encourage work, it’s a city of binaries – you either love it, or love to hate it.
But Canberra has developed a new reputation as Australia’s most progressive city.
Labor has held power in the ACT, often in coalition with the Greens, since 2001. More than two decades later, the territory is a vanguard of progressiveness for the country, with Canberra heralded as a “laboratory of democracy”.
The chief minister, Andrew Barr, the first openly gay person to lead a government in Australia, says it’s the result of governments working in lockstep with the population:
Both the progressive nature of the city and a long-term progressive government has resulted in us being the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass many pieces of landmark legislation
But with that growth has come one of the downsides of progressive politics – housing paralysis. Canberrans, in the aggregate, are more likely to work as full-time professionals and to be paid higher salaries – which they need as living in Australia’s most progressive city doesn’t come cheap.
For more on the Canberra paradox, read the full report by Guardian Australia political reporter Amy Remeikis:
Updated
Australian charged for allegedly spitting at imam in Indonesia
An Australian man has been arrested in Indonesia for allegedly spitting in the face of an imam.
Brenton Craig Abbas Abdullah McArthur, 47, was staying at a guest house opposite the Al-Muhajir mosque in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday night.
About 6am on Friday morning he was captured on CCTV entering the mosque, reportedly to complain about the amplified sound of the Qur’an readings through the mosque’s loudspeakers.
After a short conversation, the video appears to show McArthur spitting in the imam’s face.
He then left the mosque and a few hours later headed to Jakarta international airport, where he was arrested.
Bandung police chief Kombes Budi Sartono said in a press conference that McArthur was already booked on a Melbourne flight and was leaving the country because his visa had expired.
Indonesian media outlets reported that McArthur may face up to one year and two months in jail if found guilty under laws that regulate insults.
McArthur is the second Australian this week to be arrested in Indonesia, after 23-year-old Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones was arrested in the conservative province of Aceh after he went on a naked drunken rampage on Thursday night on the island of Simeulue, allegedly damaging property and assaulting locals.
Risby-Jones has since apologised. He faces up to five years in jail if convicted.
Updated
Tesla models no longer available in Australia but company silent on change
Tesla’s Model S and Model X were not available for order in some Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, Thailand, Singapore and New Zealand, the automaker’s website showed on Sunday.
Other Tesla Inc models, such as Model 3 and Model Y were available in these countries, according to the website. It was not immediately clear why these models were not available. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker posted record deliveries in the January-March quarter but deliveries of higher-priced Model X and Model S vehicles slumped by 38%.
Tesla has been aggressively cutting prices for some of its models this year across markets to juice demand as competition among electric vehicle makers heats up around the world.
Investors have been watching Musk’s gamble that cutting prices would stimulate sales, although they worry about eroding margins.
– Reuters
Updated
NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker steps down after settlement
The Northern Territory’s top cop has stepped down after reaching a private settlement with the government, following weeks of speculation about his future.
The announcement came after police commissioner Jamie Chalker and the NT government resolved proceedings in the supreme court.
In a joint statement with the government today, Chalker said it had been a privilege to work in the role, which he held for nearly four years, after previously serving as a police officer for 25 years:
It has been a tremendous privilege to have worked amongst the brave, hard-working women and men of the NT Police Force, Fire and Rescue Service, and Emergency Services, and an honour to have led them as they have tirelessly devoted their lives to making the Territory a better place.
I want to wish all of my colleagues the very best in the future and thank them for their ongoing dedication to all Territorians. Personally, I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and the opportunities that await.
Details of the settlement have not been made public.
It follows a motion filed by Chalker against the NT government, chief minister Natasha Fyles and police minister Kate Worden to prevent his dismissal.
Updated
Weather update
⛈️Thunderstorm forecast: Severe thunderstorms are now very unlikely (<10% chance) for the Central Coast. Non-severe thunderstorms are possible in parts of central and northern #QLD today as a weakening trough and cloud band crosses the area. Radar: https://t.co/CocrScN4dU pic.twitter.com/5qLEdhL1Yx
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) April 29, 2023
Locally heavy falls and strong winds remain a risk for the South Coast today, with conditions easing overnight as the low moves away from the east coast and settled weather returns to NSW for the start of the new week.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) April 30, 2023
Know your weather. Know your risk. https://t.co/XUURpFgMpO pic.twitter.com/Wdam31ihfJ
It was a chilly start this morning, particularly about inland areas. The coldest observed temperatures were -3.2 °C at Fingal, -1.3 °C at Ouse, and -0.9 °C at Liawenee. Launceston got down to 1.5 °C, and Wynyard was close behind with 1.6 °C. pic.twitter.com/6X6VPg8iUb
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) April 30, 2023
Updated
Nanotechnology puts new generation of microscopes on the horizon
Scientists at the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide have engineered nanoparticles that could usher in a new generation of microscopes.
The nanotechnology uses high frequencies of light so researchers can see objects that are thousands of times smaller than a human hair, such as the structure of cells or inside viruses.
Anastasiia Zalogina, lead author on the research published in Science Advances, said the new technology, which requires only a single nanoparticle to work, could “see” at 10 times the resolution of conventional microscopes:
Scientists who want to generate a highly magnified image of an extremely small, nanoscale object can’t use a conventional optical microscope.
Instead, they must rely on either super-resolution techniques or use an electron microscope to study these tiny objects.
But such techniques are slow and the technology is very expensive, often costing more than $1m.
The more affordable ANU technology uses nanoparticles to increase the frequency of light that cameras and other technologies can see.
The researchers say there is no limit to how high the frequency of light can be increased – the higher the frequency, the smaller the object that can be seen.
Another benefit is that light-based microscopes are less likely to damage delicate samples than electron microscopy.
It is estimated that a 1% increase in yields of computer chip manufacturing translates into $2bn in savings.
– AAP
Updated
The first Australians to fight fascism overseas
The grainy, sepia photograph shows two men, an Australian and a New Zealander. Sydney dock worker Jack Franklyn is partly obscured by bush, leaning forward, his rifle poised and ready. New Zealander Bert Bryan, bare-chested and wearing a beret, crouches at the edge of a trench while shooting at the enemy. They’re in Spain, the battle of Ebro in 1938, and the fact they are fighting together in one of the Spanish civil war’s most seminal and bloody battles lends a gritty new dimension to the revered legend of Anzac.
The photograph was discovered among personal mementoes in the western Sydney home of 80-year-old Vanessa McNeill. Her father, Wollongong steel worker Jim McNeill fought the fascists alongside Bryan and Franklyn at Ebro, which began 85 years ago this July. McNeill was shot by a machine gun at Ebro, his second wounding in Spain.
McNeill entrusted the photograph, along with a dusty suitcase of her father’s papers, photographs, postcards, publications and castanets with ribbons in the colours of the fallen Spanish Republic to historian Michael Samaras. Samaras placed most of the material with the local Illawarra Museum and now he is offering the photo to the Australian War Memorial.
Despite Australia’s obsessive celebration of overseas military conflicts since colonial days, the experiences of its people who fought and died in the Spanish civil war rate barely a mention in official military history or commemoration.
For more on this lost history, read the full story by Paul Daley:
Updated
Croc suspected in disappearance of north Queensland fisher
A fisher is missing in far north Queensland after a suspected crocodile attack, sparking a major search and rescue operation.
The 65-year-old Laura man was fishing along the Kennedy River at Rinyirru national park in Lakefield yesterday afternoon when he disappeared after a commotion reported by nearby campers.
Bystanders described the fisher in distress after a splash in the waters near the Kennedy Bend campsite, the Queensland ambulance service said.
An aerial search was launched with a paramedic and doctor onboard before being suspended overnight. Search efforts resumed at first light on today, with wildlife officers assisting.
– AAP
Updated
Reserve Bank to meet to discuss rate rises this week
Mortgage holders will be crossing their fingers this week for another month of interest rate relief.
The Reserve Bank board is due to meet on Tuesday for what’s shaping up to be another close call between another 25 basis point hike or a second month of staying on the sidelines.
In April the RBA kept the cash rate on hold after hiking it 10 times in a row in its attempt to chase down high inflation.
The central bank decided to pause to allow its increases to ripple through the economy, recognising that interest rate movements don’t take effect immediately but said it was prepared to tighten further if incoming data called for it.
The board has since observed still-hot but cooling inflation data, a robust March jobs report, ongoing resilience in the business sector and a turnaround for home prices.
There’s little consensus among economists in the wake of the quarterly consumer prices index that resulted in inflation sinking to 7% annual growth from 7.8% in the quarter prior.
Some are convinced the central bank has done enough but others are expecting a little more tightening next week or in the months ahead.
After the decision on Tuesday afternoon, RBA governor Philip Lowe will probably provide more context for the decision during a speech in Perth later that evening.
Assistant governor Luci Ellis will also deliver a speech in Western Australia’s capital on Wednesday.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will hand down his second budget on 9 May, so expect to see key measures dribbled out over the course of the week.
– AAP
Updated
New charge for biosecurity services floated
The government is considering a new surcharge on imports and exports to help fund biosecurity services.
The ABC reports the charge could be announced in the federal budget and would fund X-ray screening in mail centres and sniffer dogs at airports.
It would apply to all products ranging from electronic goods and motor vehicles to food and drinks.
Global cooperation needed on malaria vaccine
Global collaboration is urgently needed to deliver a successful malaria vaccine given a lack of research funds, says the head of an Australian lab seeking a breakthrough.
Prof Jake Baum of the University of NSW’s Medicine & Health says Covid-19 changed the immunisation landscape profoundly, notably through the fast development of vaccines in a year, rather than 25 to 30 years.
The first malaria vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline’s Mosquirix, was licensed in October 2021 but is only 30% to 40% effective at preventing malaria, with rapidly waning immunity.
Other shots for the mosquito-borne disease are in development, including the highly anticipated R21/Matrix-M, but Baum says the lack of a lasting immune response is still an issue:
We need a much better vaccine if we’re really going to entertain the idea of getting rid of malaria, which is the driving ambition of many, including myself.
The tropical disease is a major threat to more than half the world’s population and kills more than 600,000 people every year, most of them children under five.
Baum said malaria was a disease of the developing world but the global research and development budget for it was only about $650m. That compared with hundreds of billions of dollars for research into cancers and other diseases:
Unless there’s a massive change in the amount of money that comes to malaria research, to get there quickly we are going to have to get there together – we’re not going to get there by working in silos.
– AAP
Updated
New rounds of funding to address mobile blackspots
Communications minister Michelle Rowland has shrugged off a suggestion by the auditor general that it may investigate grants delivered under a program by the government to address mobile phone blackspots.
The government has faced criticism from the opposition that the scheme is an example of pork barrelling that has primarily benefited Labor-held seats.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Rowland said the government had consulted with communities through the federal election campaign to address issues in their area and that the program was funded through its October budget:
The auditor general will do their job. We will do our job as a government on delivering our election commitments.
There are a number of areas that had been significantly underserved, including, for example, hard-hit areas in the south coast and the Blue Mountains, which had been completely ignored under the previous government.
But we have opened up new rounds of funding as well, under our regional connectivity program and our mobile blackspots program.
I encourage, as I have been doing all along, members and also local communities, to get involved.
Updated
Former Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle stripped of Order of Australia honour
The governor general has stripped former Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle of his companion of the Order of Australia.
The notice signed by Paul Singer was signed 31 March but published on Friday.
For more on this story, read Guardian Australia’s’s previous reporting by Melissa Davey:
Updated
Greens propose putting interest rates and rents into deep freeze
The Greens will introduce a bill in parliament this week to freeze interest rate rises and rent increases.
Under the proposal additional housing funding would be allocated to states and territories who adopt rent controls.
Those that agree to implement an emergency freeze on rent increases for two years, followed by a cap on increases to 2% every two years, would be eligible for their housing funding from the federal government.
This additional funding could be used to boost public housing supply right away by buying up existing properties or investing new public housing construction.
The Greens bill would also strengthen existing powers of the treasurer to overrule the RBA and freeze interest rates.
Treasury spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said the bill would assist renters and mortgage holders “who are getting smashed by soaring interest rates and rents”:
With its record run of interest rate increases, the RBA has failed in its duty to direct monetary policy to the greatest advantage of the people of Australia.
McKim said the high inflation was the result of problems on the “supply side” for which “monetary policy is ill-suited to address this sort of inflation, including inflation caused by corporate profiteering”.
Max Chandler-Mather, the Greens’ spokesperson for housing and homelessness, said renters were facing a futher $10bn in rent increases in 2023 and “hundreds of thousands of mortgage holders are one rate increase away from default or serious financial stress”:
It’s appalling that around Australia less than 1% of rentals are affordable for full-time workers like cleaners, hospitality staff and care workers earning the minimum wage.
While full-time essential workers can’t afford to rent a home, the prime minister is sitting back collecting $115,000 a year from his multiple investment properties and leaving desperate renters to fend for themselves.
Updated
Boy, 11, in hospital after shark attack in WA
An 11-year-old boy is in a serious but stable condition after being bitten by a shark in Western Australia’s north.
The boy was taken to hospital after being mauled while snorkelling in waters off Kurrajong campsite in the Cape Range national park about 3pm on Saturday, Perth Now reported.
He was treated at the scene by paramedics after sustaining deep cuts to parts of his body but his injuries are said to be non-life threatening.
A spokesperson at Perth Children’s hospital said the boy was still being treated on Sunday morning but was stable.
It follows a separate shark attack involving a professional surfer at Lucy’s Beach near Geraldton last week.
Max Marsden was bitten on the arm by a 1.5-metre bronze whaler but managed to escape after repeatedly punching it.
– AAP
Updated
More Australians eligible for housing affordability schemes
Friends and family members looking to buy their first home together will be among many more Australians set to benefit from an expansion of three government housing schemes.
The first home guarantee and its regional and family home equivalents will have their criteria expanded from 1 July, to help more Australians achieve home ownership.
The changes include altering the definition of a “couple” from meaning married or de facto relationships to “any two eligible individuals”.
For more on this story, read the full report:
Updated
Marles on Australians caught in Sudan conflict
Asked about Australians caught in Sudan and the conflict there, Richard Marles says “there are still options out of Port Sudan which is on the Red Sea, which is, I think it’s about 800km out of Khartoum” to leave “what is obviously a deteriorating situation”:
There are ferries there and there may be other options coming out of that. I mean, the important thing is this – Australians in Sudan, and there do remain a number of Australians in Sudan, really need to make sure that they register.
We will continue to work with friends and allies and do everything that we can within our power to provide options for Australians who want to leave. Because we understand how difficult this situation is now.
Updated
Labor in talks with defence companies about domestic strike missile manufacture
Richard Marles says the government is “making a decision right now” to expand domestic defence manufacturing, the details of which will be revealed in the 9 May budget:
Ultimately, our ambition is to establish a production line with companies in this country which would provide for the manufacture of those long-range strike missiles and doing as much of that as possible in the next couple of years. We hope that we can begin with the assembly of the strike missiles that go in the Himars system. But we want to build on that so that we’re actually manufacturing the full suite of these weapons in Australia.
Marles says the government is talking to defence companies about establishing dedicated manufacturing operations but is not going to be drawn on whether these operations will be partly owned by the government:
We’ll work through that in terms of what the answer to that looks like. But we will obviously be investing in it, because we need to get to a point where we can get this manufacturing capability in Australia.
Updated
Australia prioritising acquiring Himars rocket systems
Marles says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is that there is a shortage of long-range missiles “amongst our friends and allies”:
It’s actually quite difficult to go out there and procure long-range strike missiles and we need more of them.
On the question of whether Australia will buy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, Marles says the government will “consider and pursue” the question but that it is not the focus, as any decision will require defence equipment to be manufactured in Australia.
More importantly, Marles says the government is prioritising acquiring Himars systems which have been shown to be extremely effective during combat in Ukraine:
Tomahawk is something we will consider over the journey.
For more on this, read Daniel Hurst’s previous reporting on the proposal:
Updated
Australia needs ‘nimble’ defence force to operate beyond our shores, minister says
Richad Marles says the government has flagged that it will axe programs to acquire infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers to build a “more nimble defence force which can operate beyond our shores”:
We don’t have the transport craft which would enable the 450 planned infantry fighting vehicles to leave our shores. So unless you’re talking about Australia, the vast bulk number of those would have been stranded here. And that’s an exact example of why we need to be thinking about – what is the threat? What do we need to have a defence force for?
Marles says the government is taking a “first principles” approach to the reforms.
Updated
‘Great power contest’ playing out in our region, deputy PM says
Richard Marles said the government was thinking about Australia’s security over the long term as a new “great power contest is playing out, and particularly in our region”.
This required a reconfiguration of Australia’s defence force to be able to engage in force projection:
We are much more vulnerable to coercion than we’ve ever been before, and we need to be thinking about the way in which we posture our defence force to deal with that. And what that means is – we need a defence force which has a much greater power or ability to engage in projection. Because so much of what we need to do is beyond our shores.
Marles said the government would repurpose $7.8bn of existing defence spending as part of the $19bn planned to be spent over the next four years to implement the recommendations from the defence strategic review:
That’s not tweaking or fiddling on the edges. That’s a significant amount of money.
Updated
Australia at risk of 'economic coercion', Marles says
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles says Australia’s dependence on imports, particularly imported fuel, is placing it at risk.
Speaking to ABC’s Insiders, Marles said Australia was being confronted by multiple threats as it looked to reconfigure its defence forces.
He said the “global rules based order” was “under threat, or stress” and that there had been a “biggest conventional military buildup that the world has seen since the end of the second world war”.
The deputy PM said here was a “physical dimension” to that:
Most of the liquid fuels now come from overseas. Back in the 90s, we used to do it all onshore. Most comes now from just one country, and that’s Singapore. So the threat is not that we’re about to be invaded. But our exposure to economic coercion and to coercion from an adversary is greater, and the potential for that coercion going forward is much more significant. And that’s where the threat lies.
Updated
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles will be appearing on ABC Insiders this morning to talk about the May budget. We’ll bring you the latest when it comes.
Updated
Sugary drinks tax a ‘win-win-win’, Australian Medical Association says
The Australian Medical Association is calling for the government to tax sugary drinks at the upcoming budget as a mens to “curb the nation’s growing obesity and chronic disease”.
AMA president Prof Stephen Robson said a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggested nearly two in three Australians were likely to be overweight or obese by 2030, with obesity resulting in 13,400 preventable deaths.
He said it was the second biggest health risk to Australia after smoking.
Robson said evidence from overseas showed “a sugar tax is an effective way to reduce sugar consumption and improve health outcomes”:
A tax of 40 cents on every 100g of sugar added to soft drinks would raise the cost of a 375ml can of soft drink by just 16 cents, which is a small price signal that shows us that these drinks are bad for us, and that we should instead be choosing water – the free and healthy alternative.
Our analysis projects this tax would reduce consumption by 31 per cent by 2025-26, and is estimated to result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4,400 fewer cases of heart disease, and 1,100 fewer cases of stroke.
Robson said the tax would also result in government revenue of $2.8bn across four years, which could be reinvested back into preventative health:
It is a win-win-win policy, as it saves money in the health budget, raises revenue for preventative health, and saves lives. And we know it works, because more than 85 jurisdictions have already implemented taxes on sugary drinks.
Updated
More than 100 calls for help as NSW blasted by severe winds
Heavy rainfall and strong winds have battered coastal areas in southern NSW and Sydney, with a severe weather warning remaining in place.
The SES received 133 calls for help across parts of the state by this morning including reports of downed trees and branches as well as requests to assist with leaking roofs and water damage.
Some roads in Sydney were affected by flash flooding last night as significant rainfall fell in parts of the city.
Severe weather warning for HEAVY RAIN/DAMAGING WINDS is current between #JervisBay and #BatemansBay. Any thunderstorms in the area on SUNDAY have a potential for enhanced rain rate and an increased risk of FLASH FLOODING. Monitor warning https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/fS4Gn0MSER
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) April 29, 2023
Approximately 100mm of rain was recorded at Point Perpendicular, near Nowra, in 24 hours.
A severe weather warning remains in place today as a low-pressure system affects the coast between Nowra and Narooma.
SES assistant commissioner Nicole Hogan said further rainfall and damaging winds were possible in the next 24 hours in parts of the Illawarra and the south coast.
The threat from this weather system has not yet passed. We are still seeing rain fall and, while it will ease during the day, gale winds have been forecast for the Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coastal areas.
The SES said minor flooding was likely at Canowindra early this morning.
River rises have been detected on the Belubula River and Mandagery Creek.
– AAP
Updated
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
The Australian Medical Association is calling for the government to introduce a sugar tax in the budget to “curb the nation’s growing obesity and chronic disease”. AMA president Prof Stephen Robson pointed to new data showing nearly two in three Australians would be considered “overweight or obese by 2030” and said the experience from overseas suggests that taxing sugary drinks is “an effective way to reduce sugar consumption”.
Severe weather warnings remain in place across New South Wales after the state has been battered by heavy rainfall and strong winds. The SES had received 133 calls for help across parts of the state by this morning. Flash flooding blocked roads into Sydney last night and approximately 100mm of rain was recorded at Point Perpendicular, near Nowra, in 24 hours.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day. With so much going on out there it’s easy to miss stuff, so if you spot something happening in Australia and think it should be on the blog, you can find me on Twitter at @RoyceRk2 – where my DMs are open.
With that, let’s get started ...
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