What we learned; Thursday 20 February
Thank you for joining us on the blog today. If you missed it, here are your main takeaways:
The government committed to increase Defence’s funding in the 2024-25 federal budget by $11.1bn over the next decade to “ensure the enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet is funded”. (And some back and forth between minister for defence industry Pat Conroy and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie ensued.)
Over 3,000 Victorians were without power as a result of destructive winds that lashed the state last week. Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, said Energy Safe Victoria had already begun an investigation into the six towers that went down at Anakie, while the energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, commissioned another independent review.
Katarina Carroll has stood down as Queensland police commissioner amid the state’s heated youth crime debate. She says said raised intentions with the police minister early due to “heightened speculation and commentary”.
Three bodies were found in two seperate locations in Sydney’s north-west – a man believed to be in his late 30s in Baulkham Hills, and a woman believed to be in her early 40s and a young child in North Parramatta. Police are treating the seperate locations as linked, and homicide squad detectives are investigating.
Virgin Australia announced its CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, will move on after almost four years leading the airline. A global search is commencing shortly for her replacement.
Six more sites in Sydney tested positive for asbestos contaminated mulch, with that mulch potentially at hundreds of locations across Sydney and regional New South Wales.
See you tomorrow!
Updated
AI brings opportunities and challenges for agriculture
Producers must take advantage of artificial intelligence to feed a growing global population.
Addressing a major agrifood tech conference AI expert Nina Schick said the world is at a unique turning point because of the pace at which exponential technologies are being developed.
Schick delivered a keynote speech at the evokeAg event:
Food production and efficiency needs to go up at the same time when the limits of our planet are being reached.
The biggest opportunity is can we leverage AI and other associated technologies to be able to deliver better on that promise for sustainable and productive food.
- Australian Associated Press
‘Do the right thing’: Anthony Albanese warns Coles and Woolies
Pressure is mounting on Australia’s two largest supermarket chains to “do the right thing” by customers, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says.
Households are buckling under the weight of high food prices, prompting an intervention from Labor. The government has directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to review prices and competition in the sector.
It has also appointed former Labor minister Craig Emerson to review the effectiveness of the grocery code of conduct, which governs how the supermarkets treat their suppliers.
Albanese told Hit WA radio that Coles and Woolworths knew “public opinion matters to their business”:
There’ll be pressure on the supermarkets to do the right thing. The pressure has built over a period of time.
Albanese said when farmers were getting less for their products, people should “quite clearly” be paying less at the checkout.
We have stood up for customers, stood up for farmers as well.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Origin expands energy footprint across regional NSW after buying renewable energy developer
Origin Energy has expanded its footprint across regional NSW with the acquisition of a renewable energy developer.
Origin announced the purchase of Walcha Energy and its proposed Ruby Hills wind farm and Salisbury solar farm projects today, which would bring more than 1,300 megawatts of capacity to the electricity grid. Origin’s head of energy supply and operations, Greg Jarvis, said:
The acquisition of Walcha Energy is consistent with Origin’s ambition to lead the energy transition.
The deal at an undisclosed cost follows the 2023 purchase of nearby sheep and beef property Warrane and increases Origin’s interests in the state government’s New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). Jarvis said:
Origin’s portfolio now includes several projects with promising wind and solar resources within the New England REZ, close to recently published transmission line investigation routes.
The proposed Salisbury project is about 10km south of Uralla, while Ruby Hills is 10km west of Walcha, in the southern part of the zone.
A lease arrangement was in place at Warrane to maintain and manage the property as an ongoing farm, which would continue during the development of a new project - the Northern Tablelands wind farm, Origin said. The company said the immediate focus would be on engaging with landowners and the local community and completing technical studies.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Aussie farms polluted with plastic from sewage sludge
Sewage sludge used to fertilise Australia’s farmlands is loaded with microplastics which are getting into the food chain, researchers warn.
Scientists have taken a forensic look at the sludge left over when wastewater is treated at plants across the nation. The nutrient-rich waste product is called biosolids and most of the 349,000 tonnes produced each year is spread on agricultural land.
But 146 samples from 13 treatment plants in NSW, South Australia and Queensland reveal it contains worrying levels of microplastic - fibres and fragments so small they’re usually invisible to the naked eye.
Biosolids were found to contain between 1kg and 17kg of microplastic per tonne.
“We found every kilogram of biosolid contains between 11,000 and 150,000 microplastic particles,” says Griffith University’s Shima Ziajahromi, who led the study. Fibres from synthetic clothing was the dominant type of microplastic found.
Ziajahromi warns that without quick action, including mandatory microplastic filters on washing machines, the nation risks entrenching long-term contamination problems in food production hubs.
Australian regulations control the amount of heavy metals, nutrients, pathogens and some emerging contaminants that are allowed in biosolids ... But there’s currently no guideline for microplastics concentrations.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Pat Conroy calls shadow defence minister's comments on defence spending and navy 'unhinged and misleading'
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, has called the shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie’s comments on defence spending “unhinged and misleading,” responding in a thread on X (formerly Twitter).
Conroy writes:
Hastie Claim 1: The government is not funding new warships. Wrong. There is $1.7b in new money over the next 4 years, announced today, and $11.1b over next decade for new, more capable warships.
Hastie Claim 2: The Albanese government has not increased defence spending since coming to office. Wrong. Labor increased defence funding by $30.5b over the next decade in last years’s budget. Now, we are adding another $11.1b over the next decade.
Hastie Claim 3: The Australian Navy needs more missiles. Correct. Labor’s plan will deliver a more lethal fleet with almost twice as many missiles than under Peter Dutton’s unfunded plan.
In response to Andrew Hastie’s unhinged and misleading comments on defence spending and the future of Australia’s Navy.
— Pat Conroy MP (@PatConroy1) February 20, 2024
Updated
AI images in Bob Katter's latest political media alert
Artificial intelligence is now even invading our email inboxes and press releases, with veteran federal MP Bob Katter blasting out what (we think) may be the first AI-generated assets on a political media alert.
The Kennedy independent sent out a press statement on supermarket prices this afternoon, saying customers and farmers were being “ripped off” and calling for more government action in the wake of the ABC Four Corners report last night on the grocery sector.
As some politicians do, Katter included some visual assets to go along with the written statement. The email, sent by his media advisor, included the line “Photos: Farmers and consumers are being sacrificed for record supermarket profits”.
The photos attached to the email included two strange images that caught our eye - an older male farmer who appeared to have a farm gate running directly through his body, and a woman looking shocked while peering at a document while in a grocery store.
We’ve been on the lookout for AI-generated images in Auspol land, and a few components of these pictures – the offputting depictions of eyes, the hands appearing to be short a finger or two, the wrinkles on their faces, not to mention the farm gate running directly through the man’s body – set off some alarm bells.
We called Katter’s office, with a staffer confirming the images were generated by AI. They have been published before, in Katter’s submission to the Senate’s supermarket prices inquiry. In neither case – the submission or the email – were the images credited, nor was it disclosed they were generated by AI.
Shows you’ve got to check your emails carefully. Seen anything else like this lately? Let us know.
Updated
NSW police treating discovery of three bodies in separate locations as 'linked'
The discovery of three bodies in two separate locations in Sydney’s north-west is being investigated by homicide squad detectives.
At 10.15am today, police were called to Watkins Road in Baulkham Hills following a concern for welfare report, according to a NSW Police media release. On arrival, police located a deceased man, believed to be in his late 30s, with fatal injuries.
Later today, at about 1pm, police located two more bodies – believed to be that of a woman, aged in her early 40s, and a young child – at a sporting centre on Daking Street in North Parramatta.
The two locations are “currently being treated as linked,” the NSW police media release says. Crime scenes were established and examined by forensic police.
Inquiries are continuing to establish whether there are links to a separate stabbing in North Parramatta yesterday.
State crime command’s homicide squad have taken carriage of the investigation from local police, who commenced initial inquiries.
Updated
Extreme heat disrupting classrooms
Schoolchildren are facing increased disruption due to extreme heat which may have a long-term impact on educational outcomes, Australia’s leading climate advocacy group for parents and families has warned.
Some 28 schools in southern Western Australia were closed today due to catastrophic fire conditions, forcing more than 2,000 students to stay home. Parents for Climate said the closure came after six schools in Perth lost power during another heatwave.
Perth teacher and mother-of-two Sonya Elek said kids can’t concentrate on extreme heat days.
School closures are highly disruptive to students and their families’ daily routines. We are seeing the stress and anxiety levels of students, teachers and parents become exacerbated as the heat waves continue.
New research from Parents for Climate and Sweltering Cities found extreme heat is impacting childrens’ health and education - including the ability of students to concentrate.
Optimal learning environments have a consistent temperature between 22C and 24C, the research suggested, while learning outcomes decrease by about 1.5% with each 2C increase in temperature above 24C.
Updated
New classification system for reef coral bleaching
Coral bleaching will be categorised by a system similar to the one used for tropical cyclones under a new framework for the Great Barrier Reef.
“This now really helps us to clearly articulate the level of bleaching event that’s occurring on the Great Barrier Reef at any given time or over a particular season,” Fred Nucifora, of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said.
Coral bleaching is a stress response due to changes to the environment such as increased water temperatures or freshwater flooding.
Coral has single-celled algae called zooxanthellae living inside it which gives it colour and food. But when the coral gets stressed it expels the algae and turns white.
A bleaching event does not necessarily mean the coral is dead.
The new categorisation system, much like tropical cyclones, is ranked category one through to five, with the latter indicating widespread bleaching devastation on the reef.
Bleaching is measured by sea temperature and a four-tier assessment framework, which looks at the exposure and duration of heat stress on the reef. It also assesses the response of coral colonies to the heat stress including how many are bleached, the prevalence across habitats and depths and how much of the reef is affected.
In a worst-case scenario, if the reef records above the long-term average weekly temperature by 16C, it would be deemed a category five – with the impact likely to be full bleaching and death to all species across the ecosystem.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, spoke on ABC Afternoon Briefing a short while ago on the day’s naval ship announcements. Conroy confirmed three frigates will be built overseas to get ships “in the water as soon as possible”:
The government intention is that three will be built overseas to bring forward the delivery. This is critical to getting ships in the water as soon as possible, and that is how we can deliver … new warships by 2034, when the last government would have only delivered one. So this is a critical part of the plan.
We have also announced today that ships onwards will be built in the maritime precinct in WA as we consolidate the shipyard as it focuses in the short term on building landing craft, medium and gigantic landing craft … for the Australian Army.
The government has been very clear that we will be building ships 4-11 in Australia.
Updated
Oral bacteria transplants may revolutionise dentistry
Transplanting bacteria from the mouths of donors with healthy teeth through toothpaste or gel could be the next leap forward in treating tooth decay.
The oral microbiome – the collection of bacteria that naturally occupies the human mouth – contains over 700 bacteria and a healthy microbiome reduces the risk of oral health problems, including tooth decay.
Transplanting the bacteria from the mouths of healthy donors could therefore boost microbiome health in patients at risk from tooth decay, University of Adelaide researcher Peter Zilm says. At-risk patients can face problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even birth complications if left untreated.
“An oral microbiome transplant through a specially designed toothpaste or gel could improve dental health,” Zilm said. About 25% of Australians are estimated to suffer from untreated tooth decay.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Teacher vacancies fall after ‘generational’ pay rise
Teacher vacancies have fallen after a pay rise, with the NSW government set to target temporary workforces and administrative workloads.
The state’s education minister, Prue Car, announced a 20% drop in the number of teacher vacancies before facing a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday.
These figures affirm our decision to deliver a once-in-a-generation wage rise to NSW public school teachers, along with our focus on easing teacher workload and improving student behaviour.
Teacher vacancies had fallen by 460 positions in term one of 2024 compared to 2023, but there were still 1782 vacancies in the first week. At traditionally harder-to-staff schools in regional, rural and remote NSW, vacancies fell by 25%, but 938 positions remained unfilled.
In some areas, retired or resigned teachers have been lured back.
Car told the committee hearing:
Vacancies are trending down for the first time in many, many years but we have so much more to do in terms of arresting the shortage in NSW. We just simply need more teachers in order to provide relief.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Tech and innovation key to sustainability: agriculture minister
Embracing agriculture technology and innovation is key to dealing with sustainability in the sector, a major conference has been told. The federal agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said on the opening day of the evokeAg conference in Perth:
Australia’s always been a world leader when it comes to agricultural technology. It’s one of the reasons why our sector’s become so much more productive and profitable.
More than a thousand delegates from 19 countries have descended on Perth for the two-day conference.
Delivering one of the keynote speeches, Watt also announced the opening of a $45m partnerships and innovation grant opportunity, designed to help innovators build their knowledge in responding to the effects of climate change. Watt said:
We’re delivering on immediate needs and we’re planning ahead to take the sector forward, with technology and innovation at the core.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
University of Melbourne supports scholar Ghassan Hage after accusations of antisemitism following criticism of Israel
The University of Melbourne is standing by Lebanese-Australian scholar professor Ghassan Hage after he was terminated from his role in Germany following accusations in local media of “hatred of Israel”.
Earlier this month, the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Munich ended Hage’s role in its social anthropology department due to him expressing views on social media that the institute said were “incompatible” with its core values, adding “racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, discrimination, hatred and agitation have no place in the Max Planck Society”.
In a statement, Hage said what he believed was “fair, intellectual critique of Israel” was, for the institution, “antisemitism according to the law in Germany”.
A spokesperson for the university told Guardian Australia it was not considering Hage’s position in its anthropology faculty despite his termination overseas.
Academic freedom is core to the values and policies of the University. Professor Hage is a distinguished and respected scholar, whose academic work is rooted in decades of rigorous thinking and internationally recognised research.
It comes as almost 200 Australian academics have signed an open letter in support of Hage.
Updated
Asbestos in mulch: the view from the ground
Some garden beds across Surry Hills have been cordoned off with red and white tape, as hazardous asbestos continues to be found in mulch at parks and schools around Sydney.
Signs put up at the garden beds read: “Possible asbestos.”
Mulch in this garden bed may contain asbestos. Please stay away from marked areas while we inspect them.
For further information contact the City of Sydney
such a scenic, stunning walk through surry hills xx pic.twitter.com/juh2r5Bzj3
— Emily Wind (@emilywindwrites) February 20, 2024
Updated
Indigenous children in child protection on the rise
The number of Indigenous children in the child protection system is growing, AAP reports.
Updated figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing showed there were 72 Indigenous children per 1,000 who were on care and protection orders as of June 2022, up from 62 per 1,000 four years earlier.
Nationally, 24,600 Indigenous children were on care and protection orders, with nearly one-third between the ages of 10 and 14.
More than 19,000 were in out-of-home care, while just fewer than 14,000 had been in long-term care (where they have been in out-of-home care for two years or more).
The institute’s findings showed of the number in out-of-home care, there had been a rise in those staying with relatives or kin. Children being placed with relatives for out-of-home care rose from 50% in 2017 to 54% in 2022.
For Indigenous children with at least one sibling in out-of-home care, 70% were placed with at least one of their brothers or sisters.
The updated findings follow the latest closing the gap report, which showed a worsening of outcomes for Indigenous children in child protection.
A target of reducing the rate of Indigenous children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031 has been set as part of closing the gap, but the latest report showed it was not on track to reach the measure.
Updated
Thanks to Emily Wind for rolling the blog through the day.
I’ll be with you into the evening – if you see something you don’t want us to miss, shoot it my way @At_Raf_ on X (formerly Twitter).
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, the lovely Rafqa Touma will bring you the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care!
WA Labor senator Louise Pratt to resign in 2025
West Australian Labor senator Louise Pratt has announced she will resign from parliament when her term expires in 2025. She made the announcement this morning alongside the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in Perth.
I informed the prime minister of my intention a couple of weeks ago … My Senate term, of course, doesn’t end until the middle of 2025. And this gives the Labor party plenty of time to go through the appropriate processes to find a candidate or candidates.
Pratt said she is finding the travel to-and-from Canberra difficult with psoriatic arthritis.
I do find zone changes, flights to and from Canberra harder than I used to, and it is getting harder and harder to get on that plane. I have psoriatic arthritis. And it is much better managed when I’m not flying, not chairing [Senate] estimates and not whipping in the chamber.
Albanese described Pratt as an “agitator” who “wanted to make a difference each and everyday”. He noted her contributions to maternity services, family law, climate change policy, HIV, as well as issues facing the LGBTIQ+ community.
She can be very proud of the role that she played in advocating for marriage equality, and equality regardless of people’s sexuality… In 2012, Louise and three other Labor senators co-sponsored a bill to amend the Marriage Act and enable same-sex marriages to be recognised. Now, that wasn’t successful at the time, but it is one of the events that led to that change occurring. Change that I think, now, I don’t see any pushback at all to that reform.
Updated
Virgin Australia's CEO to move on
Virgin Australia has announced its CEO Jayne Hrdlicka will move on after almost four years leading the airline.
The airline has announced that Hrdlicka, with the support of the Virgin Australia board, had decided “now is the time” to finish in her role, with a global search to commence shortly for her replacement.
Hrdlicka guided the airline through a challenging period, taking on the role in 2020 after the airline was acquired out of administration during the pandemic.
Her departure comes as the airline pushes ahead with a much anticipated IPO – a planned relisting on the stock exchange – this year.
Hrdlicka said:
I have decided the time is right for me to signal CEO transition for this great airline and ultimately to pass the baton on. This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but the last four years have been heavy lifting across the organisation during the toughest of times.
Updated
For more on ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln, the Bureau of Meteorology published this severe weather update just earlier.
Severe Weather Update on Ex-Tropical #CycloneLincoln, including rain and #flooding in #WA & the #NT and the risk of re-intensification, likely by Friday. Video current at 9:30am AWST 20 February 2024.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 20, 2024
Latest: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/LfgbpVAJdA
WA emergency services warn people in Kimberly district to take action now as ex-Cyclone Lincoln approaches
The WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services is warning people in the Kimberly district to take action now, with “severe” weather associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln on the way.
Locations which may be affected include Halls Creek, Kununurra, Wyndham, Mount Barnett, Troughton Island and Warmun, it said.
The ex-cyclone is currently near Halls Creek, moving slowly and progressing to the west-northwest.
Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast over parts of the eastern Kimberley district, and will continue into Wednesday. Six-hourly rainfall totals between 50 to 80mm and 24-hourly rainfall totals between 80 to 120mm are likely.
Isolated 24-hour falls reaching up to 200mm are possible.
Heavy rainfall in coastal areas may develop late this afternoon and evening and become more persistent as the system approaches the coast tonight and tomorrow.
Updated
Deputy Nationals leader says emergency throat operation has impacted her speech
The deputy leader of the Nationals, Perin Davey, has said an emergency throat operation around five years ago has left her with ongoing challenges. This comes as she admitted she had two drinks before a Senate committee hearing in which she appeared to slur and stumble over words:
Speaking on 2BS Bathurst today, Davey said she went on holidays to Germany in 2019 and while overseas, had an abscess burst behind her tonsils that had “completely erupted and gone through my facial muscles and tissue in my throat muscles”.
I had to have two lots of emergency surgery. I had full blown sepsis, and I was in the hospital for 11 days and kind of lost count of the amount of antibiotic transfusions I had.
… They asked me what my job was and I was in campaign mode at the time, I said I wanted to be a politician. And they warned me that it will impact my speech. But, I’ve been very conscious of it ever since and, I’ve always thought I’ve managed it very well.
Davey said when she’s tired, stressed or has had a glass of wine, her throat catches and she can sometimes slur words. She admitted to having “a couple of drinks” before going into the estimates hearing, but said:
… to just have someone selectively clip the video to make it focus on words that I’m stumbling over and imply that I was incoherent through the whole thing, I’m just distraught about …
I do gesticulate when I’m passionate about things, and my throat catches, and I stumble over words, and earlier in the morning, I’m clearer than I am late at night. That’s got nothing to do with alcohol consumption. It’s got everything to do with being tired or being stressed or being nervous.
I know that my job needs to be taken very seriously, and I do take it very seriously and that’s why I ask to be judged on the content of what I do, and not on how I enunciate.
Updated
Severe thunderstorm warning issued over Sydney area
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall for parts of metropolitan Sydney and the Illawarra.
Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Campbelltown, Bulli, Port Kembla, Albion Park and Kiama.
⚠️ #NSW Severe #Thunderstorm Warning for HEAVY RAINFALL for parts of #Sydney Metropolitan and Illawarra Forecast Districts. Details at https://t.co/9Cuypcslsj pic.twitter.com/GCrXE6DItn
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) February 20, 2024
Updated
Three bodies discovered in NSW
NSW Police homicide detectives are investigating reports of three bodies found in two separate locations.
Two bodies believed to be a woman and child were found in North Parramatta. A male body was also found deceased in Baulkham Hills.
Officers are investigating whether the two incidents are linked, and multiple crime scenes have been established and are being examined by forensic officers.
Updated
Asbestos found in Glebe and Rosebury
One positive sample of friable asbestos and several samples of bonded asbestos have been confirmed in mulch at Bicentennial Park 1, between Glebe Point Road and Johnstons Creek, a city of Sydney spokesperson says.
All of that part of the foreshore area has been fenced off and we are assessing the logistical impacts for those in the Glebe area, including providing wayfinding signage for pedestrians and cyclists.
Testing at North Rosebery park has also returned a positive result for bonded asbestos. The affected areas of the park are fenced off.
The spokesperson warns: “The scope of the issue impacting numerous sites across the state may mean there are delays in obtaining testing and remediation services.”
Updated
SA premier welcomes navy overhaul
South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, was speaking in Osbourne on the federal government’s navy overhaul a short while ago. Here is what he had to say:
This day has been a long time coming.
The country, frankly, has been looking for certainty around what vessels will provide us the security that we need in the decades to come. And today, the commonwealth has unambiguously delivered us a commitment that can be banked on, that will see this workforce not just employed into the future, but dramatically grown into the future, building major tier one surface ship combatants for our Royal Australian Navy.
It is a program that uplifts our economy as a whole. And now for the first time, we’ve got serious dollars in the budget that provide the certainty that we’re looking for.
Malinauskas said the program will be underway “in a couple of years’ time,” with the first ship expected in the water “in the next few years,” and “a ship rolling off every two to three years after that with a drum beat that never stops”.
The overhaul of the navy’s surface combatant fleet involves more than doubling the number of warships – including acquiring six large optionally crewed surface vessels that can be operated remotely during war. Read more on the plan from Kate Lyons here:
Updated
Carroll denies declining invitation to attend domestic violence inquiry
I just asked the Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, if she regretted initially declining an invitation to attend a commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence.
The inquiry asked both Carroll and the Queensland police union president, Ian Leavers, to appear in 2022 after reporting by Guardian Australia questioned why neither had attended the groundbreaking hearings.
Caroll responded it “was never the case” that she declined an invitation to appear despite agreeing at a hearing in August 2022 that was what had occurred.
Caroll said on Tuesday she wanted time to implement domestic violence reforms after the Covid-19 pandemic before the inquiry could occur. However she acknowledged the inquiry allowed police to have “great recommendations” and “extra resources”.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, the reforms have to be completed …
The inquiry heard disturbing accounts of racism, sexism and misogyny in the police service.
Carroll claimed the inquiry “tarred everyone with the same brush”.
I’m highly confident that whoever … becomes the commissioner is as passionate as I am about keeping Queenslanders safe and domestic and family violence is one aspect.
Updated
Shadow defence minister says 'fire power' should be defence priority
Andrew Hastie said that “fire power” should be priority for Australia’s defence capabilities, and even argued that the “Iranian-backed Houthis probably have a better strike capability than the Australian Defence Force”.
He said:
I think fire power is something that we need. We need to be able to deter and hold that risk - a strategic adversary. And I think if you look at what’s happening in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, what’s happening in the Red Sea, I think there’s plenty of lessons for us to learn and I think that low cost munitions like we’re seeing in the Red Sea where shipping lanes are disrupted by loitering munitions, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles - it’s somewhat ironic, I think, that the Iranian-backed Houthis probably have a better strike capability than the Australian Defence Force.
Updated
Opposition says ‘speed is of the essence’ with defence strategy
Circling back to Andrew Hastie’s press conference, where he’s responding to the government’s defence announcement:
The government announced the first three ships would be built overseas. Should that be the case, he was asked?
Hastie:
That’s a decision for government.
My view is that speed is of the essence. The government can’t keep getting up and saying Australia is facing the most dangerous strategic circumstances since the end of the second world war, and do nothing about it. In fact, wait until 2031 to get the next frigate.
The minister should be working out what he can fix by 2026. That’s the challenge.
Updated
Opposition queries navy hiring strategy for new warships
The shadow minister for defence, Andrew Hastie, is speaking to the media following the federal government’s earlier defence announcement.
You can read all the details about this below:
Hastie says:
Under this plan, we’ll see HMAS Anzac permanently retired from the water with no replacement until the end of decade. The tender for the general purpose frigate won’t be complete until 2026, and cutting of steel at Henderson won’t be confirmed for some time. Labor also has a major recruitment and a retention crisis on its hands. Morale is at an all time low. They’ve committed to nuclear submarines and now the surface fleet. What is their strategy to find and hold talented young Australians to crew both our future submarines and our future fleet?
Hastie speculated that the defence minister, Richard Marles, wasn’t able to secure more money over the forward estimates, “which is why all of the money is over the next decade”.
Richard Marles today should be asking himself – what can I fix by 2026? What can I fix by 2026? Maybe the prime minister should have that on his arm, too, along with his GST pledge.
Updated
More on storm inquiry
Here’s some more information about the scope of the inquiry, via the minister’s media release:
The independent review will focus on the operational arrangements and preparedness of energy distribution companies to respond to these extreme weather events.
This will include the distribution businesses management of the incident as well as the timely and effective restoration of supply. It will also compare the operating models of energy network companies.
It will also investigate if there were any material opportunities that could have enabled a more rapid reconnection of customers, such as the availability of field crews and technical expertise through the use of mutual aid agreements and resource sharing within Victoria, or from interstate resources.
The panel will investigate communications with customers, the effectiveness of information platforms and services, such as outage trackers, and preparedness to administer relief to impacted communities
Updated
Inquiry to look into Victoria’s ‘catastrophic weather event’
Lily D’Ambrosio says the mass outage was the result of a “catastrophic weather event”.
Not only do we see bushfires across big parts of the state but we saw massive power outages that have impacted many people across the state. The climate is changing [and] as a result we have seen destructive storm events, damaged homes, damaged communities, and damage to our electricity infrastructure.
D’Ambrosio says she saw first-hand the devastation in Mirboo North. She says:
The community quite rightly have many questions that they want answered.
She says to answer those questions, she’s announcing an inquiry into the storm event, to be led by an expert panel.
D’Ambrosio said the scope of the inquiry and the experts who will lead it will be made public in coming days.
Updated
Over 3,000 Victorian premises without power to be restored by Friday
The Victorian energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, says thousands without power after wild weather last week should be back on the grid by Friday.
She’s providing an update outside parliament, and said of the 3,172 premises without power, about 2,620 are households and 500 are businesses.
We understand certainly that it is remains a very, very difficult situation for those people that remain off supply and crews continue to work around the clock to get as many people get as many people back on supply as quickly as possible.
D’Ambrosio said she had been told by energy providers that they expect to have “everyone restored” by Friday.
Updated
Queensland turf to be tested for fire ants
Turf from fire ant-infested south-eastern Queensland will need to be specially treated when it is laid in New South Wales as part of a crackdown on the spread of the extremely invasive pest.
Under amendments to NSW’s biosecurity (fire ants) emergency order, fines of up to $2.2m can be meted out to those who fail to chemically treat turf that originated in the red imported fire ant (Rifa)-affected zone in Queensland.
Installers in NSW must either treat turf immediately after it is laid, or store it in “preventative conditions” until installation.
The insects can kill people and livestock as well as damage infrastructure and ecosystems and have infested about 700,000 hectares in the Brisbane area.
Continue reading:
Updated
You can read all the details of outgoing Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll’s resignation, with the full story from Eden Gillespie:
Thunderstorms are forecast across southern Queensland and the Gulf Country today, although they are not expected to be severe, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
⛈️ QLD Storm Forecast: Tues 20/2: thunderstorms are possible across southern Qld and about the Gulf Country/Peninsula. Although thunderstorms are not expected to become severe today, monitor the radar at https://t.co/CocrScN4dU pic.twitter.com/nM9YI58A23
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 20, 2024
World-leading artificial heart researchers receive $50m in funding
Australian researchers developing “the world’s most advanced artificial heart” will receive $50m from the government, the health minister has announced.
The Total Artificial Heart will use new magnetic levitation technology which would allow a variable rate of blood flow, meaning recipients could maintain an active lifestyle because blood could be pumped faster when they exercise – unlike current devices which can only be set at a fixed rate of blood flow.
Nearly 500,000 Australians live with heart failure. About 100 patients each year undergo a heart transplant for advanced heart disease, but many don’t get the chance to receive a donor heart.
If successful, researchers say the artificial heart will be durable for more than 10 years, small enough to implant in a child, and also powerful enough for an adult.
The Monash University-led Artificial Heart Frontiers Program hopes to make the device commercially available within the next 15 years, but will give Australians patients early access to clinical trials.
The $50m is the third-largest grant in the nearly 10-year history of the Medical Research Future Fund.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said:
This will give hope to the half a million Australians who suffer from heart failure. The Australian technology has the potential to halve deaths from heart failure, create thousands of jobs, and contribute $1.8bn to Australia and Australian society.
Updated
Shipbuilding union urges more detail on warships
Circling back to the government’s earlier naval fleet announcement for a moment:
The Australian Shipbuilding Federation of Unions (ASFU) welcomed the investment, but has stressed the need for further detail on what the surface fleet review means for the industry’s future.
The ASFU national convener, Glenn Thompson, said:
For many decades, the union movement has stressed the importance of developing a continuous build program for Australia’s shipbuilding industry, and this announcement makes considerable steps toward making that a reality.
Thompson said the union will request the government reconsiders building the first three frigates overseas.
… We hold grave concerns on what this means for the knowledge and skills transfer into Australian industry and supply chains for the frigates 4 to 11, which are due to be built in Australia.
The ASFU will seek further discussion with the government on these matters.
Updated
‘I’ve been proud to work alongside her’: Steven Miles on Carroll
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, is now addressing the media. He thanked Katarina Carroll for her service to the state.
She has led both our fire service and our police service with distinction. She has delivered important reforms to both organisations. I’ve been proud to work alongside her … I want to thank her for her service. It’s important and valued.
Updated
Carroll describes ‘heart-wrenching moments’ of career
Katarina Carroll spoke about the two darkest days she experienced during her stint as commissioner.
26 June 2021, when we lost Senior Constable Dave Masters while on duty, and 12 December 2022, the events at Wieambilla where Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were killed. They were heart-wrenching moments which rocked our blue family and I know this organisation will never forget the contributions of those fine officers.
She thanked her family for their support during her career, and the government for putting their trust in her.
Updated
‘I promised to be a visible leader and I hope that I have demonstrated that’: Carroll
Queensland’s outgoing police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is reflecting on her career, after announcing her resignation:
It truly has been an honour and a privilege to not only serve as a police officer, but to lead an organisation of more than 17,000 amazing staff. I’m exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to be the 20th commissioner of police. I believe it is time to allow new leadership to guide the organisation forward.
Seeing the passion and dedication of our workforce as I travel across the state constantly inspires me. Our officers do an outstanding job day in, day out. They put on their blue uniform and do the best job they can to keep this state safe. I promised to be a visible leader and I hope that I have demonstrated that.
In the past few years, I made a point of spending a lot of time with the frontline, listening to their concerns and taking forward some of their ideas. I spent a night shift in the valley, conducted RBTs, spent a patrol shift in the watch house and a shift in Caboolture. I want to acknowledge all staff and thank them for their hard work and support.
Updated
‘The most incredible and rewarding journey’: Carroll on her role as Qld police commissioner
Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is speaking to the media and announcing her resignation.
She said working with the Queensland police service has been “the most incredible and rewarding journey I could have ever asked for”.
After almost 10 years at the top of two amazing organisations, this morning, I have advised the minister that I will not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.
Since the start of the year, I’ve had candid conversations with my husband, with my children, who have been unbelievably supportive, every step of the way.
I made this decision, and was going to have the discussion about not renewing my contract with the minister, in about two weeks’ time, but because of the heightened speculation and commentary, I brought these discussions forward.
She will finish her role next Friday on 1 March.
Updated
‘Something’s gone awry’: education department on asbestos mulch
More from the NSW budget estimates hearing this morning, where Sydney’s asbestos crisis was raised:
Speaking at the same hearing, the education department secretary, Murat Dizdar, reiterated that the department had written to its building contractors reminding them they were contractually obliged not to use recycled mulch at schools.
He said:
It is factual that we require the mulch not to be recycled. Something’s gone awry here. We’re just as concerned as the public has been at Liverpool West.
I can’t add more detail to that because we’re in discussions now, having also formally written to that contractor [that delivered] this particular site and what has gone wrong there.
Updated
NSW unsure when school will reopen after asbestos mulch found
The New South Wales education minister, Prue Car, can’t say when Liverpool West public school will reopen to students after asbestos was found in mulch on the ground.
More than 700 students and teachers have been relocated to the nearby Gulyangarri public school while Liverpool west undergoes an extensive remediation to remove the mulch over the coming weeks.
The primary school was meant to be shut for just two days after a piece of bonded asbestos was found there in recycled mulch supplied by Greenlife Resource Recovery last week as part of a broader investigation into contamination across NSW.
Speaking at a budget estimates hearing this morning, Car said she was disappointed that an “extreme” amount of mulch had been “spread throughout the school” including in garden beds where the contractor had used the product instead of soil.
She said:
Recycled mulch is not to be used [in schools]. We have a particularly serious case of where mulch was used instead of soil. There’s a lot of mulch.
Updated
Richard Marles, Pat Conroy and navy personnel have just finished speaking about today’s defence announcement.
Here is the full story from Kate Lyons, which has all the key information you need to know:
Updated
Richard Marles said Australia’s capability must be “dramatically different” to what it currently is by the mid-2030s amid an “uncertain world”.
What is critically important to understand is that as we look forward, with an uncertain world in terms of great power contest, that we have a dramatically different capability in the mid-2030s to what we have now, and that is what we are planning for and that is what we are building.
Question on uncrewed drone ships
Q: You’re making a major announcement today in a very new area of warfare in the ADF, drone ships. What can you tell us about drone ships? Not yet designed, again not yet in the water, and you’ve pegged a lot of our defence future on having six of them. What can you tell us about them?
Richard Marles:
To be clear about the LSOVs, this is a program being developed by the United States. We are talking about those coming into operation from the mid-2030s to the mid-2040s. That is the time frame.
It is true that these are being developed in a manner where they can be uncrewed, but it is our intention to crew them and I want to be very clear about that.
Updated
V-Adm Mark Hammond, Chief of the navy, is speaking about the navy workforce:
For starters, our separation rate is 8.2% and falling. That is substantially lower than the long-term average of 9.5%.
We’ve set an ambitious target to grow from our current strength of 15,000 to 20,000 and we’re doing it against a backdrop of one of the most competitive marketplaces we’ve seen.
There’s been a more than 90% correlation between unemployment in Australia and the ADF recruiting potential, so we are investing in new initiatives to increase the size of the Australian navy and integrated Australian defence force for that matter.
Updated
Q: In the face of a major conflict, a strategic context, what role would a ship as large as this have?
Richard Marles:
We have made clear coming out of the Defence Strategic Review is that what needs to be at the heart of our Defence Force is the capability to project. That means having a long-range submarine and … strike missiles, but it means having an Army that can move, and that’s what this ship is all about.
Asked about staffing for the ship, Marles said it is “a significant challenge to make sure that we get the human equation right”.
… that we have the people that we need to engage in naval shipbuilding, that we have the people that we need within our navy to crew these ships.
We are investing heavily in trade training around building the workforce required to build our future submarines, to build our future training fleet. The training academy which we announced will be established at Osborne is fundamental to that.
Updated
HMAS Anzac to be decommissioned in ‘near future’
The HMAS Anzac will never sail again, Marles has announced.
The circumstances of HMAS Anzac and the ageing of our fleet, but specifically the Anzac class, is a decision that … any government governing at this moment in time would have had to face, and we are facing it.
The important point is this – we inherited a declining fleet from the former government and we did not inherit a plan to replace it and that’s the plan that we are now announcing today.
This will see the first new service combatant come into operation this decade and on a time frame when we were expecting the first service combatant under the plan of the former government, under this plan, we will have four. And so this is an acceleration of the development of our new navy and it’s an acceleration of that navy being put into service.
Updated
‘That money is there’: Marles on defence spend
Defence minister Richard Marles is now taking questions from reporters.
He said the funding announced “is enough” to fully fund the surface fleet “over the course of the next decade and beyond”.
Asked about the specifics of this funding, Marles said:
Today we’re announcing the money that will ensure the full funding of this and this money will be in the budget we deliver in May.
… This is an enduring capability, going forward. Whether you take a date in the mid-2040s, mid-2050s or mid-2060s, you’ll get a different number. Over the course of the decade, which is the period over which we budget, it will cost $54bn and that money is there.
Updated
Navy says defence spend a ‘consequential investment’ against a ‘backdrop of increasing geostrategic uncertainty’
Chief of the navy, V-Adm Mark Hammond, is now speaking to the media.
He labelled the announcement has “the most consequential investment in the surface combatant force of the Royal Australian Navy in generations”.
It is a serious investment and a serious challenge for our navy to step up and deliver.
For a free, ocean-trading nation like Australia, that derives our economic wellbeing and national security from the sea, and, incidentally, the custodian of the third-largest exclusive economic zone on the planet, a strong navy underpins a strong Australia and against the backdrop of increasing geostrategic uncertainty, as described in the Defence Strategic Review, this is a consequential investment in national security.
… This will be the largest surface combatant force we’ve operated in generations. It will also be, in time, the most lethal.
Updated
Warship fleet to cost $54b, Marles says
Richard Marles said today’s announcement is about making an “enduring commitment to the establishment of the service fleet over the course of decades” – but a critical component is funding.
The cost of the service fleet he has outlined will be $54bn over the course of the next decade, he said.
In the defence budget today, there is $43bn allocated to our service fleet over the course of the next decade, and so a component of today’s announcement is that we are increasing defence spending by an additional $11.1bn over the decade, which includes $1.7bn over the forward estimates, so that this plan is fully funded.
… There’s no make believe in this. This is real money which has been worked through the Expenditure Review Committee, which will be allocated in the budget. And when you combine this with the $30bn of additional defence spending over the course of the decade that was provided for in last year’s budget, it takes our nation’s defence spending in the early 2030s to 2.4% of GDP.
Updated
Defence minister says procurement of general-purpose frigates will be accelerated
Richard Marles said the first of six Hunter-class frigates will be delivered in 2034 but the procurement of the general-purpose frigates will be accelerated.
He said the first would be in service in the navy “by the end of this decade” and, through to 2034, Australia will have four.
The first three of these will be built offshore, he said.
The surface fleet review has commenced the process by which we will choose the design for that ship. Indeed, it’s down [to] four potential designs, emanating from Spain, Germany, South Korea and Japan, and it is anticipated the decision of the specific design will be made next year.
But what this means in underpinning continuous naval shipbuilding in both Adelaide and Perth is that a person beginning their working life now in this exciting industrial endeavour has the prospect of being able to work in that field for the entirety of their working life. And this will be a critical national asset for the country. It builds sovereign capability but it builds industrial capability within our broader economy.
Updated
Marles says increase in warships will create ‘largest fleet since the end of the second world war’
Defence minister Richard Marles is now speaking to the media about the government’s revised plans for its naval shipbuilding program.
He said the government was announcing an increase in the number of warships in the navy to being “being the largest fleet since the end of the second world war”.
Currently the navy has 11 warships but the government is committing to take that number to 26, he said.
Six Hunter-class frigates will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, the first of those to be delivered in 2034.
The government will procure 11 new general-purpose frigates and six large optionally-crewed surface vessels.
Marles:
They have the capacity to operate in an un-crewed fashion but it is the intention of the Royal Australian Navy to crew these vessels.
They will operate in combination with the Hobart-class antiwar fare destroyers, air warfare destroyers and they will also operate in conjunction with the Hunter-class frigates.
These ships, in combination with the three existing air warfare destroyers, will take our service fleet of warships to 26. And it is the largest fleet that we will have since the end of the second world war.
Updated
PM says government-run supermarket with set prices for grocery staples a good idea
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has just spoken to Mix 94.5 Radio in Perth. Most of the interview was the usual wedding logistics, after he proposed to partner Jodie Haydon on Valentine’s Day.
But things got interesting at the end when he was asked to play a game of whether he thinks certain measures are a great idea.
At first, Albanese seemed to be taking it completely seriously. Asked about a “freeze on international and interstate investors purchasing investment homes”, Albanese said it was “a bit rough” to ban interstate investors. No, he didn’t support it.
Asked if the government should run a supermarket with “fair, fixed prices on grocery staples”, Albanese replied “yes” that’s a good idea. The hosts joked it would be called Albo’s instead of Aldi.
Asked about a “giant shade sail between Australia and the sun”, Albanese said this was a “great idea” and suggested putting solar on it.
We’ll check whether Albanese actually supports these policies. The giant shade may be the stuff of techno futurism but a government-run supermarket is actually feasible.
(We have since confirmed that the answer was a joke, and Albanese does not support government run supermarkets).
Updated
Richard Marles and Pat Conroy announce changes to navy surface fleet
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is set to speak to the media soon, as the government announces major changes to Australia’s navy surface fleet.
In a statement from Marles and the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, just before, it said the government has committed to increase Defence’s funding in the 2024-25 federal budget by $11.1bn over the next decade to “ensure the enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet is funded”.
Australian shipbuilders and industry will be at the centre of delivering this future fleet.
Over the next 10 years, this investment will support more than 3,700 direct jobs and deliver the critical infrastructure required at the Osborne shipyard in South Australia and Henderson shipbuilding complex in Western Australia, delivering on the government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding.
Updated
Trio accused of tram track attack on little penguin
The wildlife watchdog is hunting three people accused of attacking a little penguin in the middle of tram tracks in Melbourne, AAP reports.
The Conservation Regulator today pleaded for help to find the males, who were allegedly seen kicking a little penguin in the middle of tracks at Alfred Square and The Esplanade in St Kilda about 11.30pm on December 8.
An onlooker interrupted the group and moved the penguin to the beach near St Kilda Pier before reporting the incident.
The Conservation Regulator, which is investigating, released CCTV showing the attack on the penguin.
Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith described the incident as appalling, and told AAP it was important those responsible are found and punished.
It’s disturbing behaviour. The community is always outraged when they see people hurting innocent animals.
It’s important that they’re found because we wouldn’t want this to happen again and they need to understand that their behaviour is absolutely unacceptable.
People who injure wildlife in Victoria can be fined more than $48,000 or jailed for 12 months. Several little penguins have been violently attacked at St Kilda over the years.
Anyone with footage of or information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Queensland police commissioner to resign
Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is set to stand down in a press conference called for 10.45am AEST.
Carroll revealed last night she was weighing up not seeking to continue in the role when her five-year contract ends in July.
Guardian Australia understands she has decided not to seek a new contract.
Carroll was due to meet with the police minister, Mark Ryan, today amid heated media coverage of youth crime.
In a statement yesterday, Carroll said she was yet to have formal discussions about her contract with the government but had been considering her options, “with one of those being that I may not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.”
Guardian Australia heard from former police officers last week who spoke of growing discontent within the service.
Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appointed Carroll as the state’s police commissioner in 2019. In 2014, Carroll served as the fire and emergency services commissioner.
Carroll started her career in general duties before being promoted to the rank of detective and taking on leadership positions in the drug squad and the ethical standards unit.
– Eden Gillespie and Ben Smee
Updated
Coalition and Labor seeing red
Accusations of “no, you’re angry” seem to be flying between the government and the opposition as the border debate continues.
Before Peter Dutton accused Clare O’Neil of being an “angry person” (see previous post), the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was saying the same thing about Dutton.
Speaking to the media in Perth yesterday, Albanese said:
What Australians can trust me to do as prime minister is not to just do the easy stuff, not to be like my opponent, where he just complains and gets aggressive and he’s so angry about so many things, Peter Dutton, in life, so angry.
Everything is overblown. There is no issue too big for him to not show how small he is and the lack of vision which is there. He’s always aggressive, always negative and nothing positive to say.
Updated
Dutton criticises Clare O’Neil on 3AW
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has labelled home affairs minister Clare O’Neil an “angry person” after she accused him of telling “outright lies” about the government’s border policies.
Earlier this morning, O’Neil told ABC RN “we do not need politicians running around the country, as Peter Dutton has done, telling outright lies” when discussing the arrival of asylum seekers by boat in Western Australia last week.
(We had more on her interview in the blog earlier).
Responding to her comments on 3AW Melbourne, Dutton said:
That’s probably the kindest thing that Clare O’Neil has said about me in a long time. She’s an angry person and that’s OK.
O’Neil also told RN earlier that Operation Sovereign Borders is currently funded better than it has ever been. Dutton argued there is a “cumulative impact of $600m” being taken out of Border Force.
Paul Karp has fact checked this argument – essentially, the Coalition claim is based on extrapolating out an unusually expensive year for a further four years.
You can read all the context below:
Updated
South Australian laws expanding definition of ‘high-risk offender’ to be put to parliament
Laws to curtail the freedom of offenders such as Snowtown accomplice Mark Ray Haydon will be put to South Australian parliament today.
Haydon, who was not convicted of any of the infamous murders but of assisting the murderers, is due for release in May.
The state government now hopes to expand the definition of a “high-risk offender” to include someone convicted of assisting an offender.
That would mean the attorney general could apply to the supreme court for an extended supervision order, meaning they could be strictly monitored and subject to ankle bracelets and curfews.
The premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the government “places the highest priority on keeping the community safe and securing justice for crime victims”.
The attorney general, Kyam Maher, said:
The Criminal Law (High Risk Offenders) Act is an important tool to allow the courts to impose strict monitoring provisions on violent offenders.
The change we are pursuing to the law today will allow the courts to extend these provisions to monitor those who help these offenders cover up their vile crimes.
Updated
Jaclyn Symes warns more extreme weather possible
Jaclyn Symes has warned there is also possibly more wild weather on the way for Victoria. She has told reporters:
We are looking at significant weather events later in the week as well. We’re looking at extreme temperatures in the Mallee and the northern country but we are also worried about heavy rain, which could impact those communities that just got whacked last week as well. As that information comes to date we’ll be able to give you more and more details.
She said this wet weather was forecast to hit the state on Thursday.
Updated
Victorian minister gives storm update
Victoria’s emergency services minister, Jaclyn Symes, is providing an update on the thousands of people that still remain without power a week after wild weather hit the state.
Speaking outside parliament, she says Mirboo North was the “epicentre” of storms with several homes rendered uninhabitable:
We are making those assessments in that community now but, as I understand it, there are a variety of pockets around the state, particularly those that are kind of at the end of the line of power supply, that are still off.
Symes said a lot of effort was going into restoring power for the remaining 3,900 customers without but it could take some time:
The advice is that about 2,500 will be the long tail. We are working closely with AusNet … they are throwing everything at this. It is down to house by house connections that can take some time, which is why it’s important that we have got those community services – there’s some showers and places to do your washing and plug in your mobile and things like that.
Updated
Queensland police commissioner to discuss future with state government
Queensland’s top cop is considering not seeking an extension to her five-year contract and will meet with the government to discuss her future, AAP reports.
Commissioner Katarina Carroll is yet to begin formal discussions with the state government but they are expected soon after she issued a statement yesterday evening.
Ahead of those discussions, I’ve been considering my options with one of those being that I may not seek an extension to my contract as commissioner.
Until those discussions happen, I remain firmly focused on tackling crime from every angle to keep our community safe.
Carroll said an additional 10,000 people were processed through Queensland watch houses in 2023 compared with 2022 and many of those were linked to proactive high visibility police operations targeting youth crime.
Carroll has been commissioner since July 2019, with her contract set to expire on 8 July.
The police minister, Mark Ryan, said he would support Carroll seeking an extension to her contract. She is Queensland’s 20th police commissioner.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology says severe thunderstorms are possible along the New South Wales coast and ranges today, with localised heavy falls and flash flooding also possible.
⚡⚡ #NSW #Thunderstorm Forecast for TODAY: Thunderstorms are possible in the state's east. Some areas along the coast and ranges may experience severe storms, with a risk of localised heavy falls and flash flooding. Check your nearest radar https://t.co/h2oCdU0dYK pic.twitter.com/uGmSP7oW9f
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) February 19, 2024
Weather bureau says there were almost 1m lightning strikes across NSW and southern Queensland over past 24 hours
Senior meteorologist Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology spoke to Sunrise earlier this morning about the severe storms across the east coast yesterday.
He said there were tens of thousands of lightning strikes around the Sydney area and more broadly, close to a million lightning strikes across New South Wales, southern Queensland and adjacent coastal areas in the 24 hours to this morning.
It’s not the most we’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly more than just a standard stormy day.
Hines said there would be showers and thunderstorms most afternoons this week, primarily focused around NSW.
That means those places in south-east Queensland, like Brisbane, may be getting a few brighter and drier days but further south across NSW continuing to see those showers and storms.
He flagged Tuesday and Friday as having the most potential for storms, with “a couple of calmer days in between”.
Updated
More than 4,000 AusNet customers without power in Victoria
The Victorian State Control Centre has just updated us on the power outages across the state, after the disastrous storm one week ago.
As of 9.26am, there were 4,144 AusNet customers without power, “most” of which can be attributed to storm damage.
AusNet covers outer east and outer northern Melbourne, and eastern and north-eastern Victoria.
Updated
The New South Wales SES has posted more photos from the storm damage along the east coast yesterday:
🌧️⚡ Heavy rainfall hit parts of the #Hunter & #Sydney, leading to flood rescues and storm damage incidents. Overnight, our crews responded to over 388 incidents, including 7 flood rescues across Syd metro. Thankfully, all persons extricated safely! pic.twitter.com/TUedMKq48a
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) February 19, 2024
Thousands of Victorians still without power after wild storms
Circling back to Victorian premier Jacinta Allan’s press conference in Melbourne:
Allan says thousands of Victorians are still without power after wild storms last week.
According to the latest advice, she said 3,935 customers are without power as a result of the destructive winds that lashed the state last week.
I do really want to acknowledge for those households and businesses that they’re continuing to face those difficult circumstances and the support that has commenced with the prolonged power outage payment is there and available to support to support them.
Allan said Energy Safe Victoria had already begun an investigation into the six towers that went down at Anakie, while the energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, has commissioned another independent review. Allan said:
The government, through the energy minister, will be initiating a review of that destructive weather event, and that will be a review that will be led by experts in this area.
She criticised the idea of a parliamentary review, which the opposition is attempting to pass in the upper house tomorrow:
I say this in terms of what the Liberal party proposing – we will take our advice on these matters from experts, not the same Liberal party who privatised the transmission lines, power stations … who privatised those critical electricity functions to private for profit companies.
Updated
More storms expected after SES responds to 388 incidents
The NSW State Emergency Service received more than 600 calls and responded to 388 incidents across the Sydney and Hunter regions yesterday as severe storms lashed the east coast.
A spokesperson said heavy rainfall led to widespread flash-flooding yesterday and similar conditions are expected today. Storms could hit anywhere between the Northern Rivers right to the Illawarra, and including some south-east inland areas and the Riverina.
Yesterday, multiple homes were struck by lightning across Sydney. Seven flood rescues were conducted in the Sydney area. All of these involved people in vehicles, who were each returned to safety.
The SES spokesperson reiterated that “if it’s flooded, forget it” and to not drive in floodwaters. She said the fact that there were no flood rescues in the Hunter region was promising, and that the community is heeding this message.
With thousands of lightning strikes & heavy rain falling across much of the east coast, RFS crews have been busy assisting the @NSWSES with flood & storm damage. Our crews also attended several Motor Vehicle Accidents & were called to a tree fire caused by a lightning strike. pic.twitter.com/oClRqJxt3z
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 19, 2024
Updated
Body found in Central Coast clothing bin
New South Wales police have established a crime scene after a man’s body was found wedged in a charity clothing bin on the Central Coast this morning.
Emergency services were called to the charity bin near Westfield Tuggerah about 4.25am, after a passerby saw legs hanging out of the chute.
Officers attended and found the body of a man wedged inside the chute. The man had died at the scene.
Police said in a statement that a crime scene has been established and investigations are now underway.
Updated
Circling back to home affairs minister Clare O’Neil’s interview on ABC RN earlier this morning:
O’Neil was also asked about a case involving an autistic 13-year-old boy, where counter-terrorism police encouraged him in his fixation on Islamic State in an undercover operation, after his parents sought help from the authorities.
Last week, the Australian federal police officer who authorised the operation that resulted in the boy being charged with terror offences has told a Senate estimates hearing that he would do so again under the same circumstances.
The story was first broken by Nino Bucci:
Asked about the AFP’s handling of this case, O’Neil told ABC RN:
I am 100% supportive of the AFP, [they are] incredible people that work … every day to protect our community. What I would say is that this case does reflect what is a broader and really concerning issue, which is the increasing prevalence of young people in our caseload … in regard to violent extremism.
We are seeing people who are you know, 12, 13, 14, 15 years old [who are] largely radicalising themselves online, getting into networks that [are] leading them into violence, and we are taking a really close look at the moment as a government about how we can prevent these instances ending up in the hands of police because once it gets to that point, we have reached a really problematic stage.
Victoria expands community pharmacy trial
People with psoriasis and shingles will be able to get the care they need without having to see a GP under an expansion of the Victorian government’s community pharmacy trial.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced more than 700 pharmacies will be able to treat people with the skin conditions from early March.
Since October, people have been able to get contraceptive pills and antibiotics to treat unitary tract infections from pharmacies as part of the pilot.
Allan says 3,700 people have taken part in the trial so far, including 1,300 women who have not had to see a GP for a script refill for the pill. She said 27% of participants were in regional Victoria.
Speaking from a pharmacy in Melbourne’s CBD today, she said:
It just make sense to make this sort of access to healthcare easy and simple for Victorians to access and particularly for women to be able to access treatment for their healthcare needs in a way that saves them time and money.
Updated
Nationals leader says supermarkets should be sold to 'increase competition'
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has suggested some big supermarkets should be stripped of their chains or “sold off to competitors to increase competition”.
Speaking to Sunrise earlier this morning, Littleproud was responding to last night’s episode of Four Corners on the big supermarkets. He was scathing in his comments regarding the supermarket CEOs and argued the program only “validated when we have already known”.
We’ve got the evidence. We have seen that with meat prices and fresh produce and we’ve been saying let’s bring forward all those reviews 12 months earlier and give the ACCC the powers they need.
I think this now demonstrates we need to come together as legislatures, put aside politics and bring in … powers which would strip some of these big supermarkets of their chains and we may even see some of their stores have to be sold off to competitors to increase competition.
The time for reviews is over. Let’s just get on with it. Not only are farmers hurting but consumers too. We just want fair prices from the farm gate to the plate.
Asked what revelations he found most damning from the program, Littleproud pointed to farmers being told their produce didn’t meet specifications:
Showing when you have too much market dominance and power you can treat people in a way that actually destroys and tears away our food security. If we lose 34% of our farmers, we lose our food security and we can’t afford that … This is a commodity that underpins all life. This is where governments should get involved when it’s a market place that has too much distortion, too much power. We need competition and we need fairness.
Updated
More on the six new asbestos sites:
Mary Mackillop Catholic Parish is in close proximity to St Justin’s Catholic parish primary school and St Benedict’s Catholic College in Oran Park, where precautionary testing will be done.
Precautionary testing will also be undertaken at four hospitals, including Westmead hospital, Sydney children’s hospital, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai hospital and Nepean hospital, as well as two ambulance stations, in Tumut and Woy Woy.
The EPA said in a statement this morning:
The EPA would like to reassure households that only a small number of residential properties have tested positive to bonded asbestos in mulch. We are providing a licensed asbestos assessor and, if necessary, a contractor to remove the mulch.
Updated
Six more sites positive for asbestos contaminated mulch
Six more sites in Sydney have tested positive for asbestos contaminated mulch.
The City of Sydney council is reporting one sample of friable asbestos and several samples for bonded asbestos have been found in the mulch at Bicentennial Park 1, Glebe, which is part of the Glebe foreshore area.
The Environment Protection Authority said it is “awaiting the detail of those rest results” but the area is fenced off.
Another five sites returned positive results for bonded asbestos, including:
North Rosebery Park, Rosebery (site is secured)
A private aged care facility, St Ives (site is being secured)
An industrial area, Rouse Hill (site is being secured)
A private property (not publicly accessible)
Mary Mackillop Catholic Parish, Oran Park (site is secured)
There are now a total of 47 positive sites. As of 6pm yesterday, 796 tests have returned negative results since 10 January.
Updated
Sydney Harbour Bridge hit by delays
There is a police operation underway on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which has caused significant delays for commuters.
According to Live Traffic, the delays began shortly after 6am. One of the five southbound lanes are closed and emergency services and Transport for NSW are attending.
Motorists travelling southbound on the Cahill Expressway are using the bus lane on approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Motorists can consider using the Sydney Harbour Tunnel as an alternative route.
NSW Police said as of 8am the operation was ongoing.
Updated
Clare O’Neil is continuing to speak about Australia’s border policies. While we’re on the topic, here is a fantastic factcheck from Paul Karp around this issue:
O’Neil defends offshore processing
Q: Human Right Watch has previously labelled Australia’s offshore processing inhumane. How long will these men be held on Nauru?
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil:
This is something that Nauruan government will be now in charge of. And I would just say to those who are disputing the ethics of this approach – it was not a very good humanitarian outcome when we had boatloads of people coming to Australia and many people very tragically dying because they failed and drowned in their journey.
That is not in my view, under any definition, a humanitarian approach. We have a better system of managing this now. What we do is run a very generous, proper processed refugee program onshore that every Australian is entitled to [be proud of].
Pressed on the question again, O’Neil would not say how long the men are expected to be held on Nauru and said it was a matter for the Nauruan government.
Updated
Clare O’Neil says Operation Sovereign Borders funded better ‘than it has ever been’
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, is speaking to ABC RN about the more than 40 people who arrived in Western Australia last week by boat and have since been transferred to Nauru.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has been arguing that Labor has stripped funding from Operation Sovereign Borders, and this is why the boats weren’t detected.
O’Neil rejected this notion and argued funding had increased by $470m under the Labor government.
We have invested an additional almost half a billion dollars in this operation compared to what the previous government was looking to spend … this particular operation is better funded today than it has ever been in the past. That is a matter of fact and should not be the subject of any further conjecture by politicians or journalists around this country.
She wouldn’t go into specifics of the border operations, saying “I’m not going to telegraph to people smugglers the specifics of how we police our borders”.
But, she said Operation Sovereign Borders was “very well-funded”, run by one of the most senior naval officers in the country and was an operation Australians “should be proud of”.
It is very effective at policing our borders. We will continue to adjust our approach, of course, because the people smugglers continue to adjust their approach. But we do not need politicians running around the country, as Peter Dutton has done, telling outright lies.
Updated
Ex-cyclone Lincoln could gather strength and redevelop
A massive storm that lashed the Top End with heavy rain could gather strength and redevelop into a tropical cyclone, AAP reports.
The weather system, which was formerly Tropical Cyclone Lincoln, crossed into Western Australia near Halls Creek late yesterday and was tracking toward the coast.
It is expected to move west north-west through the Kimberley, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
The weather system is likely to cross the coast by midweek and could gather strength and redevelop into a tropical cyclone as it tracks south.
The bureau said it was possible the weather system could cross the coast near Exmouth at the weekend as a severe tropical cyclone.
The system has bucketed heavy rain in the Northern Territory in recent days, with 24-hour totals of more than 100mm recorded in some areas.
A severe weather warning was in place from Lajamanu to Halls Creek, with six-hourly rainfall totals up to 100mm and flash flooding possible.
Updated
Steggall says random alcohol testing would change Parliament House behaviour
Independent MP Zali Steggall is advocating for random testing for alcohol in Parliament House.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, she pointed to the Kate Jenkins report delivered in November 2021, identifying alcohol as a contributor to a heightened risk of sexual harassment in the workplace.
We’ve seen all the leaders of major parties say they take on board and accept in the recommendations … but it appears very little has changed on the ground. We still have unlimited and unmonitored alcohol consumption in Parliament House and in the workplace.
That’s why I put to the prime minister random testing could be introduced. Because we know from – even from driving, it’s a deterrent. As soon as you have a risk of getting caught, it changes behaviour.
Feedback from the public has shown “overwhelming” support for random testing, she said.
People have had enough of politicians thinking there’s different standards that apply to them in Parliament House than what applies in other workplaces.
Updated
Zali Steggall calls for answers as asbestos crisis spreads
Zali Steggall, Independent MP for Warringah, spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning about Sydney’s growing asbestos crisis.
A school in her electorate, in Allambie, was found to have asbestos in the mulch. Steggall said the situation is “really concerning”.
It’s really concerning to find that schools, especially where kids are playing down there in the dirt and the ground, [are] finding of asbestos in the mulch.
There hasn’t been a lot of information yet in relation to what is being done, or the source of it. We know the school was temporarily closed, it’s back open, those areas are cordoned off.
A lot of parents are really asking a lot of questions of how many more schools and how broad is the problem.
Steggall said the crisis appeared to be localised to start but has spread to “so many more sites” and she doesn’t believe there has been a “very good explanation officially yet” as to how asbestos found its way into the mulch in the first place:
I think we need to see from the authorities, though, really proactive and actively engaging in identifying all the possible locations where this mulch has been delivered and laid out. Asbestos is not something you can be trivial about, especially around young kids.
Updated
The hot weather looks to be continuing across Western Australia today.
According to Weatherzone, its forecast to reach a max of 38C today in Perth.
Twenty-eight schools across the state have been closed today due to an increased risk of bushfire and seven parks across the state have been closed due to an “extreme weather and bushfire risk”.
You can view the full list of closures via EmergencyWA.
Much of the south-west is under a total fire ban today. Eastern Perth suburbs have an extreme fire danger rating, as does much of the south-west of the state.
Updated
Sydney’s mulch scandal spreads to Canberra
Sydney’s asbestos-mulch scandal has spread to Canberra with the potentially contaminated product sold over nine months in the capital, AAP reports.
An ACT landscaping business will continue contacting customers this week after the product sold as “cottage mulch” was confirmed to have originated at Sydney’s Greenlife Resource Recovery.
More than 40 sites in NSW that used Greenlife’s product, including schools and supermarkets, have had bonded asbestos uncovered in their mulch.
Some 24 companies and 27 addresses in and around Canberra bought the product from ACT landscaping supply company Stonehenge Beltana between March and November 2023.
The ACT Environment Protection Authority said it had acted to prevent further sale:
Others will be contacted in the coming days as they are identified. The ACT EPA ... will also seek to contact known customers.
No positive results have been reported in the ACT. Agency chief Tony Chappel has cautioned against prematurely attributing blame.
Greenlife is challenging a prevention order in court and said its mulch is independently tested by approved laboratories and the company was confident it left its facility free of contamination.
Updated
Good morning, and happy Tuesday! Many thanks to Martin for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll bring you our live coverage today.
As always, if you see something that needs attention on the blog you can get in touch via X/Twitter @emilywindwrites or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
Australians concerned about availability of vapes – survey
Australians are concerned about the widespread availability of illegal vapes and many support a ban, according to interviews with more than 130 people aged 14-39 split into 16 focus groups.
Most of those questioned – predominantly those who had never vaped – supported a ban on all all e-cigarettes, while all of the groups suggested plain packaging, health warnings, flavour restrictions and increased vape-free areas as a way to restrict use.
The researchers found less than half of all groups were aware of the prescription model for obtaining nicotine vaping products.
From 1 January 2024, the importation of all disposable vapes was banned, with very limited exceptions. Further importation reforms will be implemented from March. GPs and nurse practitioners are the only legal vape prescribers and pharmacists will become the only authorised importers and providers of vape products.
A senior author on the study, Assoc Prof Michelle Jongenelis from the University of Melbourne, said:
But I think until the stores actually get shut down, people will still think that there is no regulation because they can still get vapes from anywhere.
Read our full story here:
Updated
Swift boost to the economy
If there was any doubt about the economic impact of the Taylor Swift Eras tour in Australia then figures from NAB this morning put them to bed, Australian Associated Press reports.
“We know many Australians have pulled back on discretionary spending but this is the perfect example of Aussies saving their hard-earned cash for the things that matter to them,” NAB executive Julie Rynski said.
Some estimates of Swift’s impact on the local economy have ranged north of $1bn, while others have reckoned less than a 10th of that number.
But NAB’s merchant data shows the Eras tour has left behind a tangible economic boost, Rynski said.
For businesses near the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Swift performed, accommodation spending more than tripled, up 238%, while restaurants doubled their take.
Bars and pubs could also brag about raking in dollars, with their take up 146%.
Overall, an estimated $86m was spent on accommodation, hospitality and tourism, according to NAB.
The Eras tour is moving to Sydney, where Swift will play four shows at Accor Stadium starting on Friday.
And you can also read today how our writer Bridget Robertson tried desperately to get tickets for the show but failed – and yet has no regrets.
Updated
Labor blames Coalition for naval shipbuilding shortfall
The Albanese government is blaming the former government for a $20bn black hole in Australia’s naval shipbuilding program, as a review finds Coalition announcements to fund new frigates were unfunded.
Labor, pointing to the findings of an independent analysis of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, claims the former Coalition government’s $45bn commitment to build nine new Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy will actually cost $65bn.
It notes the $20bn funding gap is on top of $42bn in announcements without funding allocated that were identified in the defence strategic review released last year.
Today, the government will release the review into the surface combatant fleet, as well as its response to the findings, which will include a commitment to increase the overall size of the fleet and hasten the delivery timeframes.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, in a foreword outlining the government’s response to the review, noted the new review found “the current and planned surface combatant fleet is not appropriate for the levels of risk we now face and that cost pressures already existed in the program”.
Of the government’s commitment to expand the overall size of the fleet, Marles said:
This will see navy equipped with a major surface combatant fleet twice as large as planned when we came to government – and with more of these new surface combatants in the water and operational sooner.
Guardian Australia hasn’t seen the review in full – this post is based off a taste of the findings the government prepared for the media in advance. We’ll bring you more on this throughout the day as the story develops.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news blog. My name is Martin Farrer and I’ll be sharing our top stories with you before my colleague Emily Wind takes over.
The Australian Tax Office has been widely panned for pursuing historic debts in a scheme nicknamed “robotax”. But in an exclusive report this morning, we reveal how, far from provoking a rethink, officials are expanding the scope of the plan. The scheme resurrects decades-old debts worth more than $15bn, despite rising numbers of complaints, transparency concerns and at least one systems error resulting in miscalculations.
The Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of warships will be boosted to more than 20 under a major defence shake-up to be unveiled today. The defence minister, Richard Marles, will announce the government’s plan to expand the current fleet of 11 combat ships to project its firepower deeper into the Pacific. But the exact number of vessels has not been confirmed and he is expected to blame the Coalition for a $20bn black hole in the program. More coming up.
Workers can expect their wages to rise faster than inflation this year as demand for labour is expected to remain strong, according to a survey of human resources professionals. Workers could see wages excluding bonuses increase 3.7% in the 12 months to January 2025, the Australian Human Resources Institute’s March outlook report finds today.
Last week we heard from a business expert that if Taylor Swift were an economy “she’d be bigger than 50 countries”. Some justification for that claim comes this morning with a report from NAB claiming that the superstar’s concerts in Melbourne accounted for a $174m boost in spending in the city. More follows.
