What we learned: Sunday, 12 May
That is all for today folks. Thank you for joining us on the blog. Here is a wrap up:
Five state education ministers have urged the federal government to properly fund public schools ahead of the budget on Tuesday;
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has condemned a vote by the Australian government at the United Nations in support of giving a Palestinian delegation more rights;
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised a “balanced” federal budget that will combat inflation while offering Australians some cost-of-living relief;
Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor says the government should follow financial rules laid down by Peter Costello when putting together its budgets;
Warragamba Dam is spilling after continuous rain across the Sydney metropolitan area and reports of thunderstorms across northern New South Wales and south- east Queensland;
The Greens have called for the government to commit to making childcare free;
A tornado has hit Bunbury, about 175km south of Perth, causing millions of dollars in damage and scattering asbestos through the local community.
We will be back tomorrow morning with all the latest.
Updated
Asbestos emergency after tornado hits Bunbury in WA southwest
Asbestos scattered over residential streets has prompted a “hazmat emergency” response in Western Australia’s southwest, with specialist crews urgently working to contain any possible exposure following a devastating tornado.
More than 100 homes were damaged when the tornado ripped off roofs, collapsed walls and sucked up debris into the sky at Bunbury on Friday afternoon.
The town’s prison, a sporting centre, other community buildings and infrastructure were badly damaged but no one was seriously injured.
Seven homes have so far been declared uninhabitable and seven others were severely affected. That number is expected to rise after crews finish assessing the scale of the damage.
Residents living in three blocks have been told to stay away from their homes due to asbestos contamination fears near the Hay Park sports complex.
WA Premier Roger Cook says there is “a lot of asbestos in the streets”.
We’ve got specialist teams on the ground trying to clean that up but there are exclusion zones which ensures that we can secure the public’s safety.
Authorities are now turning their attention to recovery, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Melissa Pexton says.
Specialist contractors have been hired to sweep affected streets to reduce the size of the exclusion zone.
We are hopeful that in the next two to three days we will have that finalised and we’re very comfortable with the progress that’s being made; we’ll definitely keep the community up to date.
Nine people are booked into emergency accommodation and Bunbury locals will gather at a community meeting on Sunday afternoon to discuss what other services are needed.
- AAP
Updated
