What we learned today, Thursday 22 May
That’s where we’ll wrap up this evening. Here’s a snippet of what happened today:
More than 488,000 people were isolated and 600 rescues have been performed amid disastrous flooding as intense rainfall continued in New South Wales. Emergency services expected flooding to continue into the weekend.
The Liberals and Nationals have agreed to delay announcing their frontbench lineups after Sussan Ley and David Littleproud held crisis talks to reunite the Coalition just two days after the dramatic split.
Senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has accused the Liberals of breaching trust inside the Coalition, in a spectacular swipe after a letter to Michaelia Cash was leaked to media.
The Erin Patterson trial has heard evidence from a digital forensics expert about data recovered from electronic devices provided to police by Patterson.
Children as young as 10 will face adult jail time for a range of new offences after Queensland passed its second tranche of controversial youth crime laws.
Organising bosses of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics have welcomed the Queensland government’s plan to override more than a dozen planning laws to build Games venues.
Mobile telco Circles.Life has paid a $413,160 fine for breaching identity verification rules.
Australia is seeing a surge in respiratory illnesses, with record-breaking interseasonal flu cases since the start of the year.
We’ll be back with you bright and early tomorrow with more news, so look after yourselves until then.
Updated
Murray Watt knocks back objections to North West Shelf extension
The environment minister, Murray Watt, has knocked back two last-minute objections to Woodside’s North West Shelf extension, clearing the way for a final decision on the controversial development.
Greenpeace and the Conservation Council of Western Australia were among groups opposing the expansion who were denied reconsideration related to the project, communicated to them via Watt’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water on Thursday.
Officials said the request did not meet the requirements for reconsideration and did not include “any substantial new information about the impacts” of the project.
Watt is set to meet with members of the Labor Environment Action Network, an influential grassroots organisation within the Labor party, on Thursday night, following his visit to Western Australia this week.
The deadline on a decision on Woodside’s plan to extend its gas processing plant in WA’s remote north-west out to 2070 is due by the end of the month, one of the first major political challenges for Watt in his new portfolio. His decision follows a six-year assessment process involving state and federal authorities.
Read the full story here:
Updated
