What we learned today, Friday 17 April
We’re going to close the live blog now, thank you for joining us.
Here are today’s top headlines:
Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail under strict conditions while he awaits a potential trial on alleged war crimes.
A former childcare employee accused of abusing children in his care has been hit with another 129 charges after investigators say they identified more victims.
Anthony Albanese says petrol production has fallen 40% at one of Australia’s two remaining oil refineries but the damage caused by a fire at the Geelong facility will not lead to fuel restrictions.
Donald Trump has again accused Australia of not doing enough to help him in the Middle East war, claiming the US “asked them to be there” despite Australia’s defence minister saying there had been no “specific request”.
Prince Harry and Meghan have met survivors of the Bondi beach terror attack as they wind up their Australian tour.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, will host his Japanese counterpart in Australia tomorrow, talking up military cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Japanese defence minister to visit Australia
Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, will host his Japanese counterpart in Australia tomorrow, talking up military cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Shinjiro Koizumi and Marles will sign off on a $10bn deal for Australia to buy three Japanese-built Mogami war ships.
The federal government considers Japan “an indispensable partner to Australia” and has stressed cooperation on energy amid the global fuel crisis. Japan is the largest customer for Australian gas.
Marles said:
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan, and our partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
I look forward to meeting with my good friend Minister Koizumi today to discuss opportunities to deepen Australia and Japan’s defence partnership, including by increasing collaboration between our defence industrial bases through Australia’s general purpose frigate program.
The visit is expected to pave the way for Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to visit Australia in coming weeks.
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Albanese to join summit on reopening strait of Hormuz
Anthony Albanese will join the leaders of France, the UK and more than 30 other countries at a virtual summit on reopening the strait of Hormuz.
Kicking off at 10pm Australian time on Friday night, world leaders will discuss international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
Amid ongoing international criticism of the US and Israeli-led war in Iran, the US president, Donald Trump, is not taking part.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and British prime minister, Keir Starmer, will lead the discussions.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, represented Australia at the previous meeting of the group.
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Australian wins at world photography awards
My colleague Ima Caldwell has a lighter story for your Friday afternoon.
Out of 430,000 submissions across more than 200 countries and territories, an Australian photographer has won the Open Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Sony world photography awards.
Read about the image and how, incredibly, Elle Leontiev shot the winning image “blind” here:
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Harry and Meghan tour Sydney Harbour with Invictus athletes
Prince Harry and Meghan have received hugs and uniquely Australian gifts while meeting Invictus Games athletes on the tail end of their tour down under, AAP reports.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are wrapping up their trip on Friday, making the most of the autumn sun with a boat ride through Sydney Harbour alongside Invictus Australia representatives, before attending a Super Rugby Pacific match in the evening.
The Invictus Games competitor Joel Vanderzwan told AAP of his first meeting with the prince:
He’s a really easy guy to talk to.
[It’s] incredible that someone with that sort of following and that sort of presence can just be one of us.
The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel founded by Harry.
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Hi there, I’ll now be with you until this evening.
That’s all from me this afternoon. The wonderful Jordyn Beazley will take you through the rest of today’s live blog.
Returning to the multi-vehicle crash on the Hume Freeway.
Ambulance Victoria has confirmed they were called to the incident near Violet Town at about 1.25pm. Advanced life support and mobile intensive care ambulance paramedics attended the scene.
A spokesperson for Ambulance Victoria said two adults and two children were being taken to Northeast Health Wangaratta by road. Another adult was transported to Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.
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Syndicate smashed in $2m steroids and peptides bust
Two men and a woman have been charged after authorities uncovered a bounty of steroids and peptides worth more than $2m, AAP reports.
The bust, announced on Friday by the Australian Border Force and Therapeutic Goods Administration, was set in motion in August following the interception 640 vials of performance and image enhancing drugs from air cargo shipments.
A subsequent probe revealed another 76 similar shipments had been made to the same recipient since April 2025.
Officers from the two federal agencies found more than 10,000 vials and 600 tablets in raids on 26 March on a commercial site and residential home in Melbourne’s west.
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Motorists on Hume Freeway redirected after multi-vehicle crash
According to VicTraffic, as of 1.58pm, northbound motorists on the Hume are being asked to detour via the Goulburn Valley Highway, through Seymour to Shepparton, then return via Benalla on the Midland Highway.
Southbound motorists have been asked to exit at Violet Town and detour via Murchison-Violet Town Road and the Goulburn Valley Highway, rejoining the Hume in Seymour.
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Hume Freeway closed in both directions after multi-vehicle crash
The Hume Freeway is closed in both directions after a multi-vehicle crash near Violet Town in Victoria’s north-east.
Victoria police said the crash involved a B-double truck and numerous vehicles.
Police and emergency services are now on scene at the collision.
More details soon.
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Ben Roberts-Smith bail hearing concludes
The bail hearing for Ben Roberts-Smith has now concluded, after an additional session this afternoon to discuss an interim suppression order on details of his case. Another hearing will be held next Thursday to discuss the order.
Roberts-Smith, who has yet to be released, appeared via video link throughout from custody.
At the end of the hearing, the judge, Greg Grogin, addressed Roberts-Smith, stressing the need to comply with his bail conditions.
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And with that, I’m signing off. I’ll leave you in Ima Caldwell’s capable hands for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Two men charged after allegedly stealing 1,000 litres of diesel worth $3,500
New South Wales police say they have charged two men with a range of offences after the duo allegedly stole diesel from a building site in the state’s south.
Police said the alleged break-in at a building site in Tralee, about 10km south-east of Queanbeyan, was reported to Queanbeyan police station on the evening of 11 April.
Police said they were told that a water tank containing 1,000 litres of diesel – worth approximately $3,500 – had been stolen from the building site earlier that day.
The force said that, after reviewing CCTV, Monaro police district officers arrested the two alleged offenders at separate properties in the region, which they searched with warrants.
Police said they arrested the first man about 8am yesterday at a home in Longden Way, Queanbeyan, where they also allegedly found a “small amount” of methylamphetamine.
The 27-year-old was taken to Queanbeyan police station, where he was charged with six offences; larceny, entering enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse, destroying or damaging property, taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug greater than small and less than or equal to an indictable quantity, driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period, and possessing a prohibited drug and breach of bail.
Police said they arrested the second man about 4pm yesterday at a home on Mount Fairy Road, Mount Fairy.
The police allege they found the 37-year-old hiding inside the home and said they also took him to Queanbeyan police station after his arrest.
He was charged with entering enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse and larceny.
Police said officers seized a ute and the allegedly stolen water tank filled with 1,000 litres of diesel from the Mount Fairy property.
The men were refused bail to appear in NSW’s bail division court 3 today.
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Australian share market loses ground ahead of weekend
The Australian share market is on track to break a three-week winning streak as investors rotate out of banks and upward momentum from easing Middle East tensions fade, AAP reports.
The S&P/ASX200 lost 29.5 points by midday on Friday, down 0.33% to 8,925.5, as the broader All Ordinaries fell 27.3 points, or 0.29%, to 9,147.2.
Equities have come under pressure from resurgent oil prices, as the best hopes around peace deals in the Middle East give way to ongoing crude supply concerns, the Westpac economist Luka Belobrajdic said.
ASX-listed miners have also been running out of steam since Wednesday, but the segment is still headed for a fourth straight week of gains.
The energy sector was trading broadly flat, as Santos crept up a bit and Woodside slipped, with the West Texas crude benchmark ticking up to US$93.40 a barrel and Brent crude oil at a similar level.
Oil refinery owner-operator Viva Energy remains in a trading halt after a fire broke out at its Geelong refinery on Wednesday night.
The blaze has reduced about 40% of the facility’s total petrol production capacity, and a fifth of its diesel and aviation fuel capacity.
Retailers were the weakest-performing sector as Bunnings owner Wesfarmers continued to languish, down almost 2% on Friday and shedding 4.6% for the week so far.
Guardian Australia’s economics editor, Patrick Commins, has more analysis on what’s going on with the stock market here:
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One Nation increases margin in SA seat after extra votes counted
We brought you the news earlier that 81 unopened ballot papers for the seat of Narungga had been found, weeks after the South Australian election.
Narungga was one of the four lower house seats Pauline Hanson’s One Nation picked up at the 21 March poll, with Chantelle Thomas winning by a wafer-thin margin of 58.
The South Australian electoral commission has now counted those votes and found the outcome has not changed.
In fact, Thomas’s margin has increased from 58 to 74 votes, dashing the hopes of the Liberal candidate, Tania Stock.
Hanson’s rightwing populist party declared victory in the Yorke Peninsula seat on 2 April, after a recount.
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NSW mine operator says operations returning to normal after earthquake
Newmont, the company which owns the Cadia goldmine in regional New South Wales, says processing operations are returning to normal after a 4.5-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday evening.
More than 150 workers at the mine were evacuated after the quake hit at 8.19pm on Tuesday at a depth of 5km about 30km south-west of Orange in central west NSW.
Newmont has released a statement today providing an update.
The company said there had been no injuries and that:
Inspections indicate that while damage is present to certain underground areas, it is not significant.
Processing operations have been steadily ramped up and are returning to normal throughput.
All surface infrastructure, including tailings facilities and dams, were inspected immediately after the earthquake and no damage has been identified at this time.
The company said, based on current assessments, near-term production was not expected to be affected and it was continuing to assess the site underground to determine the “full recovery timeline and if there will be a longer-term impact to production”.
Newmont said the safety and wellbeing of its workforce “remain our priority” and all safety protocols were activated immediately at the time of the event, including moving underground workers to designated safe areas.
The quake’s epicentre was just 3km from the Newmont Cadia goldmine tailings dam, which partially collapsed in 2018. Effects of the quake were felt hundreds of kilometres away.
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New appointments to CSIRO and Australia’s nuclear science organisation boards
Turning to something different now, the Albanese government has made two new appointments to the board of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) – Dr Susan Close and Kerryn Coker.
Women will make up 63% of the CSIRO’s board, the government says.
The government has also appointed Emeritus Prof Helen Garnett to the board of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto).
In a statement announcing the appointments, the government said it was continuing its focus on “improving capability on public sector boards and bringing greater alignment with national economic and strategic priorities across the research and development (R&D) sector”.
The industry, innovation, and science minister, Tim Ayres, said he was delighted by the appointments:
Scientific and industrial research are crucial for making Australia stronger and leadership and governance is fundamental to ensuring our independent public science agencies stay strong, fit for purpose and focussed on Australia’s national science priorities.
The federal government has been repeatedly urged by different organisations to increase funding for R&D.
The appointments come a month after an expert panel convened to review the country’s R&D capabilities handed down its final report, Ambitious Australia, which found the innovation sector needed “bold reform”.
The panel found that as a wealthy nation with “substantial opportunities”, Australia was “not fully harnessing its success to invest in a better future”.
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Ben Roberts-Smith’s parents seen outside court
The parents of Ben Roberts-Smith, Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, briefly the left court after a judge ruled that their son could be released on bail after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder.
The former soldier’s parents, who were sitting in the front row of the courtroom today, were smiling and happy, although they did not give any lengthy statement to the scrum of journalists and TV cameras waiting outside Sydney’s Downing Centre, which followed them down Castlereagh Street.
Sue Roberts-Smith could be heard to say she was relieved by the ruling.
Roberts-Smith’s legal team, who will return to court this afternoon to discuss an interim suppression order on elements of his case, left Downing Centre during the lunch break without making any statement.
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Byelection called for Brisbane seat
The Stafford byelection has been called for 16 May.
Jimmy Sullivan, the MP since 2020, died last week. He held the Queensland seat at the 2024 state election with 55% of the two-party preferred vote.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, announced the writs had been issued for a byelection on Friday morning. He said the party does not yet have a candidate.
We live in incredibly uncertain times. It is vital that this community has representation, it really is. I also think, ahead of our budget in June, it’s important that a community has someone who can be there to advocate on their behalf, regardless of what side of the aisle they sit.
Crisafulli said the byelection was an opportunity for the people of Stafford to back the government’s announcement that it would expedite state planning approvals for a new petrol refinery in Gladstone, as well as new gas and oil mining exploration in western Queensland at the Taroom trough.
It is an opportunity for the people of Stafford to send a message that they do back our plan … for us to control our own destiny, for us to ensure that we have our own fuel supply.
And also to send a message to those like Labor and the Greens who are finding every reason to stand in the way, that that’s not acceptable.
The Guardian Australia environment and climate correspondent Graham Readfearn recently looked at the Taroom trough, if you want to know more:
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AFL club to appeal player’s ban for homophobic slur
St Kilda are appealing the nine-match ban given to Lance Collard for allegedly uttering a homophobic comment, AAP has reported, saying the young forward maintains his innocence.
Collard was handed a nine-game ban for uttering an offensive slur in a VFL game, rejecting evidence from the 21-year-old who denied making the offensive remark.
It was the second time in three seasons Collard has been found guilty of using homophobic language in a VFL match. He was banned for six games in 2024 when he admitted to using the same slur on-field.
Collard’s appeal hearing is due to take place next week.
“As a club, we will continue to stand by Lance, who maintains his position of innocence,” the Saints statement read.
This process has had a considerable impact on Lance, and we are committed to ensuring he is not only supported but that his integrity is defended through the appropriate process.
We also recognise and empathise with the impact the ongoing and public nature of this matter has had, particularly on members of the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities.
Sports columnist Jonathan Horn weighed in on the situation earlier this week – you can read his take here:
Prince Harry and Meghan meet Bondi terror attack survivors
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have met survivors of the Bondi beach terror attack as they wind up their Australian tour.
Read more here:
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Iran footballers granted asylum vow to continue chasing sporting dream
The two members of the Iran football team who remained in Australia after the Women’s Asian Cup are beginning their new lives away from the spotlight.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh issued a statement today saying they “respectfully ask” for “privacy and space” as they focus on putting down new roots.
We are elite athletes, and it remains our dream to continue our sporting careers here in Australia. However, we are not yet ready to speak publicly about our experiences.
You can read Jack Snape’s full story here:
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Ben Roberts-Smith to be released on bail
Sydney local court judge Greg Grogin has made the ruling that there are “exceptional circumstances” for his release, namely the length of time it will take for his case to go to trial, and the insufficient access provided to potentially sensitive evidence to Roberts-Smith and his legal team if he remains in custody.
Grogin has said the “unacceptable risks” argued by the prosecution have been sufficiently mitigated by the proposed conditions of bail.
You can read Ben Doherty’s full report here:
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Ben Roberts-Smith will be released on bail after being charged with alleged war crimes.
Measles alert for Sydney
New South Wales Health is advising people in Sydney to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a new confirmed case.
The health department issued an alert this morning, saying that a returned traveller – who is suspected to have acquired their infection overseas in south-east Asia, where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles – was diagnosed with the disease.
NSW Health officials said this person visited several locations in Sydney and northern Sydney while unknowingly infectious, including healthcare facilities.
A full list of exposure locations and the times they were visited is available on this map on the NSW Health website.
While health officials say these locations do not pose an ongoing risk, people who attended them should watch for symptoms of measles.
If it has been less than six days since the exposure at these locations and you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system or have an infant who was exposed, you are advised to contact your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.
There is currently an increased risk of measles in NSW, with 43 cases confirmed since 1 January 2026.
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Chris Bowen to begin Cop31 climate summit president’s role remotely
Chris Bowen’s role as president for negotiations at the Cop31 climate summit in Turkey later this year will kick off remotely.
With the fuel crisis raging and Bowen giving daily press conferences on the government’s response, the climate change and energy minister said he would not fly to Berlin next week for the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, an annual meeting of representatives from about 40 countries.
A spokesperson for the minister said he “considers his travel carefully” and would not fly for the meeting hosted by the German climate action ministry on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“In this instance he will take advantage of the virtual attendance and continues to engage closely with all his international counterparts.
Australia will also not be represented at ministerial level at the first global conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels in Colombia starting next Friday.
Bowen was named president for negotiations for the Cop31 summit after Australia failed to win the hosting rights. Instead, Turkey and Australia agreed to a unique arrangement in which the former will run and host the two-week event in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya in November and Australia will take responsibility - in increasingly difficult geopolitical times - for negotiations between representatives from nearly 200 countries.
Hope for Liberals after more ballot papers found in SA seat won by One Nation
There has been some drama in the world of South Australian politics after 81 unopened ballot papers for the seat of Narungga were found, weeks after the election.
Narungga was one of the four lower house seats Pauline Hanson‘s One Nation picked up at the 21 March poll, with Chantelle Thomas winning by a wafer-thin margin of 58.
The South Australian electoral commission will count those votes today and try to work out whether they would have made a difference to the result, offering a (very slender) ray of hope to the Liberal candidate, Tania Stock.
They’ll count them at 11am Adelaide time (we’re a pesky half hour behind AEST), and you wouldn’t think it should take too long. But the commissioner then has to work out whether it’s too close to call.
If so, the result will be off to the court of disputed returns to investigate.
The papers were in a box in an office in the neighbouring electorate of Stuart and while we don’t know exactly what happened yet (it’ll be part of a broader election review and inquiry) no one is suggesting anything untoward.
Petrol prices sliding despite refinery shock
Fuel prices have continued to ease around Australia, with diesel prices back to $3 a litre or less in most capital cities.
The fire at Viva’s Geelong refinery temporarily reduced petrol and diesel production, which prompted predictions of less supply to terminals in Victoria and soaring petrol prices.
But the Melbourne terminal price, charged to wholesalers, continued to fall this morning, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. Wholesale unleaded is below 191 cents a litre in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Diesel wholesale prices fell nearly 10 cents across the country today to sit at less than 265 cents a litre in all cities except Darwin - their lowest point in a month.
Those falls mean lower prices at the pump. Unleaded petrol today is averaging less than 210 cents a litre in every capital except Brisbane and Darwin. Diesel is averaging less than 300 cents a litre in every capital except Hobart, where it’s bang on 300 and in Brisbane, at 303.2.
In Geelong, where some service stations are supplied directly from the refinery, retail unleaded petrol prices are down to 210.8 cents a litre on average and diesel is 299 cents, according to MotorMouth.
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While we wait for an outcome in Ben Roberts-Smith’s bail hearing in Sydney, let’s get back to some other news of the day.
We’ve now got a sketch from the court this morning of Ben Roberts-Smith, dressed in prison greens and appearing via video link.
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Ben Roberts-Smith bail outcome expected after midday
The judge, Greg Gogan, has adjourned the court to consider Ben Roberts-Smith’s bail after prosecution and defence arguments closed.
He will return after 12pm to make a ruling.
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Roberts-Smith bail hearing adjourned until midday
The lawyer for the prosecution, Simon Buchen SC, has responded.
He has argued that there are three circumstances which go against Roberts-Smith’s release on bail, that charges have been laid, so the allegations against Roberts-Smith are no longer theoretical – and suggest that the scope of the case will be significant, that he is a flight risk and there were indications prior to his arrest that he planned to move overseas, and that there was a risk Roberts-Smith might seek to “interfere” with witnesses or evidence.
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Towards the end of his speech, Howell began to read out Roberts-Smith’s history of service in the Australian defence force.
The judge, Greg Grogin, interrupted him, saying “You don’t need to repeat the history of Mr Roberts-Smith” but Howell continued, saying his background should be taken into account. “It’s in your submissions,” said Grogin.
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Arguments conclude in Ben Roberts-Smith bail hearing
The opening arguments have concluded in Ben Roberts-Smith’s bail hearing. The courtroom is full, with people standing at the back of the room, including several NSW sheriffs.
The defence, led by barrister Slade Howell, has argued that Roberts-Smith’s case meets the threshold of “exceptional circumstances” allowing for his release on bail.
Howell has argued that there is no safe correctional facility for Roberts-Smith to reside in, that he is not a flight risk and has been cooperating with authorities in the lead-up to his arrest, and there is no suggestion that he has ever attempted to contact witnesses involved in the case. He has also said the charges involve “highly contested matters of fact … which took place overseas in a war zone between 14 and 17 years ago”.
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We’ve got some pictures in from AAP, which has had a photographer at Sydney’s Downing Centre local court, where Ben Roberts-Smith’s legal team arrived earlier this morning for his bail hearing.
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The bail hearing for Ben Roberts-Smith has now begun. Roberts-Smith is appearing via videolink from remand, wearing a prison-issue green sweatshirt. He spoke briefly when the judge, Greg Grogin, asked if he could hear the courtroom audio. “Yes, thank you, your honour,” he said.
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Accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith to find out if he will get bail
Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, will find out if he will be released on bail today after being charged with war crimes.
The former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross-recipient has been on remand in Sydney’s Silverwater corrections centre since last Tuesday, after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder in relation to alleged offences in Afghanistan between April 2009 and October 2012.
At a virtual hearing last week at which he did not appear, Roberts-Smith’s legal team did not make an application for bail. Today his bail will be reviewed in person at Downing Centre local court.
In June 2023, Roberts-Smith lost a defamation case he brought against the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times over reports from 2018 that alleged he was involved in the murder of unarmed civilians while serving in Afghanistan.
He denied all wrongdoing relating to the allegations which were the subject of the civil case. While it seems likely he will defend the criminal case, he may not be required to enter a plea in relation to the criminal charges for months.
TV cameras, photographers and journalists have been waiting outside the building since early this morning. Present today are Roberts-Smith’s parents, Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, who have been chatting with his solicitor, Karen Espiner, the wife of former attorney general Christian Porter.
The court sits from 9.30am, after which Roberts-Smith’s case could be heard at any time. We’ll bring you updates as soon as that happens.
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Shadow defence minister says Australia should sort out ‘contradiction’ with US
For a bit more on the Australian reaction to the US president’s comments overnight, let’s circle back to an interview with the federal opposition’s defence spokesperson, James Paterson, on ABC Radio National earlier this morning.
Asked what he made of Donald Trump‘s repeated criticisms of Australia, Paterson said:
By my count, this is the fourth or fifth time that the president has publicly called out Australia and it is not a good state of affairs for our most important security relationship and alliance.
Now, I understand why many Australians do not approve of President Trump, but the reality is he is the president of our most important ally, and he will be for the next three years.
So this is an important relationship that needs to be managed, and it is very unfortunate that we have this contradiction between what the Australian government is saying and what the US government is saying.
The Australian government asserts that there have been no requests to Australia, and I take them at their word, but President Trump has now repeatedly said there have been requests.
And so my question is, what has the prime minister [Anthony Albanese] done to clarify this with President Trump?
Paterson said he maintained his position on the war – that he was very cautious about Australia potentially joining any offensive operations against Iran ... which would be “effectively joining the war on the Islamic Republic regime”.
He said he was “much more open” to Australia participating in a multinational force after the cessation of hostilities to help manage the strait of Hormuz with its allies.
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Albanese says there have been ‘no new requests’ from the US, batting away further Trump questions
Albanese was also asked about Donald Trump’s fresh criticism overnight, after the US president again said Australia hadn’t done enough to help help him in the Middle East war.
Trump told reporters early this morning (AEST) that he was “not happy” with Australia because of what he sees as its reluctance to assist US efforts in the Middle East.
Asked at the press conference at the Corio refinery what Trump had meant, Albanese said it was a question for the US president.
Albanese said:
There’s been no new requests at all.
Albanese batted away further questions about Trump, including whether the US had made any “informal” requests of Australia.
You can read more about the president’s comments, and the Australian reaction, here:
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Corio refinery fire will not lead to tougher fuel restrictions, PM says
The PM has also assured Australians that the Corio refinery fire will not push the country into “stage 3” of the national fuel plan.
Announced late last month, the plan has four levels: 1) plan and prepare; 2) keeping Australia moving; 3) taking targeted action; and 4) protecting critical services for all Australians.
Australia is at level 2, with fuel supply continuing notwithstanding periods of localised supply disruptions.
Under this setting, motorists are encouraged to “only buy the fuel you need”. The plan says making voluntary choices will use less fuel and help consumers avoid the impact of higher fuel prices.
Levels 3 and 4 include tougher conditions designed to prioritise fuel supply to the regions and critical industries.
Albanese said:
The government’s put in place the four stages in order to plan, and in order to prepare for circumstances which are predominantly impacted by global events, not by events here.
The event here will not lead to any change – we will give an update tomorrow about fuel supplies that are on hand.
The fact that 60% of petrol production is continuing is actually very positive, given the circumstances people have seen … we all saw the visuals of what was a serious fire.
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BP signs on to government underwriting scheme to get extra fuel
The prime minister also announced BP would join the government’s underwriting scheme to get extra fuel into the country.
Late last month, the government announced it would take on the financial risk of additional imports of essential products affected by the war in the Middle East, to get extra supplies of petrol, diesel and fertiliser into the country.
The new measures aim to give private importers the confidence to secure extra supply by mitigating the financial risk.
Speaking alongside the prime minister at the Corio refinery, the energy minister, Chris Bowen, said BP was “raring to go”.
Bowen said BP will join Viva Energy - the owner of the Corio refinery and operator of the multinational Shell petroleum brand in Australia - Ampol, IOR and Park, who have already agreed to join the program.
Mobil, BP, Ampol and Viva Energy supply about 85% of Australia’s liquid fuels.
Bowen also said he wanted to reassure Australians about the Corio fire and that:
While this is an event that everyone would wish hadn’t happened and was really bad timing, [it] really is being managed as best as it possibly can.
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Australia secures extra fertilizer and 100m extra litres of fuel, PM says
Albanese has also provided an update on Australia’s talks with its allies in Asia to shore up imports of fuel and other goods affected by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The PM, who returned early from his trip to Malaysia to inspect the damage at the Corio refinery, said Australia was able to secure 100m litres of fuel combined in two lots from Brunei and South Korea in the past 24 hours.
In addition to that, he said Indonesia had agreed to supply enough urea – a nitrogen based fertilizer – to meet 20% of Australia’s needs in addition to what was already available.
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Viva oil refinery fire results in 40% cut in petrol production at plant, PM says
Albanese says he has spoken to the workers at the oil refinery near Geelong after a large fire at the facility, which supplies half of Victoria’s fuel and 10% of Australia’s.
He said the fire has temporarily affected the plant’s production capability and did not give a timeline on when it would be back to normal.
The blaze at the Viva Energy facility in Corio – one of two refineries left in the country – broke out just after 11pm Wednesday, with Fire Rescue Victoria alerted to the blaze by multiple calls to triple zero reporting explosions and flames.
Speaking at the refinery, Albanese thanked the staff and firefighters for their work to contain the fire.
He said the blaze was “regrettable”, especially given the timing, but:
The advice that we have received today is that 80% of diesel production is continuing, 80% of aviation fuel is continuing, ongoing.
It has been slowed down just slightly because of the circumstances which are there, but 60% of petrol production [is] proceeding today as well.
We hope that … that ramps up over the coming period as well.
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The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Corio, Victoria. He returned early from his overseas trip after a fire at an oil refinery in the town near Geelong.
I’ll bring you more details from the press conference in a moment.
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Marles says Trump has not made a ‘specific request’ relating to the strait of Hormuz
Marles, who is doing the media rounds this morning, has just been interviewed on ABC Radio National, where he said Trump has not made a “specific request” of Australia regarding the strait of Hormuz.
Marles said:
We’ve not received a specific request in relation to the strait of Hormuz, but we’ll work with all partners, our allies, and that very much includes the US in terms of whatever needs to be done in relation to the strait of Hormuz.
Marles said Australia needed the crucial shipping channel to reopen and suggested it would “contribute” to an operation to make that happen when the time was right:
We’ve been working with the US.
We’ve been working with countries like the UK, with France.
I mean, the planning that is being done in respect of any particular operation there is obviously one which is dependent on when circumstances allow such an operation to happen and that’s not the circumstances we’ve got right now.
And so, you know, we need to wait for that, but we will be seeking to contribute in whatever is the best way that we can. And we’ve made that clear.
He also said – again – that he would not “get into a running commentary on what the US president says”, when asked if Australia was getting tired of Trump’s repeated criticisms.
Updated
Marles says relationship with US ‘deeply matters’, dodging questions about Trump
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, says Australia’s relationship with the US “deeply matters”, while avoiding weighing in on Donald Trump’s latest comments.
Marles has just been interviewed on ABC News - after Trump overnight renewed his accusations Australia has not helping the US enough in the Middle East – where he was asked of the president:
When he criticises Australia, when he posts AI generated images of himself looking like Jesus. When he picks fights with the Pope. Do you believe that that undermines the trust that Australians have in the relationship?
Marles replied:
Look, I’m not going to give a running commentary on the president’s social media posts.
Our relationship with the US deeply matters.
The government has mostly been very careful in sticking to a strategy of not buying into Trump’s comments and social media posts – which is why you’ll have heard so many Labor ministers say they won’t “offer a running commentary” whenever they’re asked about the president.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, responded more directly last week after Trump threatened the widespread bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran if the regime did not surrender, which you can read more about here:
Updated
‘Not happy’: Trump renews accusations Australia hasn’t done enough in Middle East war
To start things off for your Friday, we have some news from the US overnight, where the president, Donald Trump, has renewed his accusations that Australia has not done enough to help him in the Middle East war.
Trump made the comments while taking questions from reporters, including Australian correspondents, as he left the White House on Thursday (early this morning AEST).
In footage the president said:
Well, I’m not happy with Australia because they were not there when we asked them to be there.
Pressed by a journalist on what he had asked Australia for, Trump did not answer directly but said:
They were not there having to do with Hormuz. So I’m not happy, I’m not happy with them.
Despite the reporters on the ground clamouring for more answers, Trump did not respond to their further shouted questions about what he had wanted from Australia and whether he still had a good relationship with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.
The exchange began when a journalist asked Trump if he was satisfied with Australia’s increased defence expenditure.
As the government announced yesterday, Labor will spend an extra $53bn on defence over the next decade, using the nation’s latest military blueprint to create new special investment programs to fund increases in capability using private capital.
Existing budget settings have Australia’s spending on track to be about 2.03% of GDP, rising to about 2.3 to 2.4% by 2033 under the new plans.
Trump had demanded American allies spend as much as 3.5% of GDP on their own defence, to reduce reliance on the US.
You can read more about Australia’s new defence plan here:
Updated
Good morning, I’m taking over from Martin Farrer and will be with you on the blog bringing you all the live news until this afternoon.
Government secures 250,000 tonnes of urea for fertiliser
An extra 250,000 tonnes of agricultural-grade urea for fertiliser will come to Australia from Indonesia, under a new deal supported by the federal government.
That’s around 20% of the fertiliser needed for the current planting season for Australian farmers, according to the Albanese government.
The arrangement was agreed by Incitec Pivot Fertilisers and PT Pupuk Indonesia, and supported by the Australian and Indonesian governments. The Albanese government has been seeking to support extra fuel and fertiliser supplies to replace those disrupted or cancelled by the Middle East conflict, with the news coming a day after the prime minister announced 100 million extra litres of diesel contracted from South Korea and Brunei.
That amount is little over a day’s worth of the diesel Australia consumes, but Anthony Albanese has foreshadowed more deals coming soon.
“This is a significant outcome for our farmers. We understand how critical fertiliser is for Australian farmers, for our food production system and the food security of our region,” Albanese said of the fertiliser news.
This deal also shows why it’s critically important that we have strong relationships with our regional partners.
Agriculture minister Julie Collins said the government had been “working day and night” to secure more fertiliser supply.
While this is a commercial deal, the Australian and Indonesian Governments have been working to support this positive outcome … This will mean Australia can continue to play an important role supporting food security in Indonesia and our region at a time of global uncertainty.
Albanese flies home early after refinery fire
Anthony Albanese cut short his fuel security visit to Malaysia last night after a massive fire at one of Australia’s two remaining fuel refineries.
The prime minister had been scheduled to arrive back in Sydney late tonight, but instead flew through the night to visit Geelong early this morning.
He will visit the Viva Energy site with the energy minister, Chris Bowen, and the defence minister and local MP, Richard Marles.
While the fire only damaged part of the facility, there are fears it could add to fuel shortages from the war in Iran, particularly in parts of Victoria.
An assessment of the fire’s impact on fuel supply is expected in coming days.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Catie McLeod with the main action.
Anthony Albanese cut short his fuel security visit to Malaysia last night after a massive fire at one of Australia’s two remaining fuel refineries. He will visit the Geelong refinery this morning. We’ll bring you updates about that through the morning.
An extra 250,000 tonnes of agricultural-grade urea for fertiliser will come to Australia from Indonesia under a new deal supported by the federal government. More details coming up.
