The day that was: Wednesday 8 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of the main events today:
The Reserve Bank is “closer” to pausing its record series of interest rate rises with Australia’s modest increases in wages so far leaving the nation “in a better position than some other countries”, governor Philip Lowe said.
The entire Sydney train network was halted and commuters were told to avoid train travel after a communications fault.
British high commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, rebuked opposition leader Peter Dutton for his Aukus submarine comments.
Peter Dutton accused the government of ‘beating the drums of class war’ over superannuation changes.
In response, treasurer Jim Chalmers derided Dutton’s ‘hyperventilating hyperbole’ over super changes.
Australia has led a group of 38 countries in demanding a “swift, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation” into the Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people and injured a further 7,000 people.
After complaints from Liberal politicians about the state of the Australian flag flying atop Parliament House, the president of the Senate and speaker of the house say it will be replaced as soon as possible.
Tabcorp has committed to reducing advertisements on television even if the federal government doesn’t act.
Updated
AAP is reporting that northern Australia is awash with intense rainfall, threatening Queensland’s gulf country communities with more flash flooding.
Doomagee, Burketown, Normanton and other towns in the region have endured near-constant rain since mid-December.
Meteorologists are warning locally intense rainfall up to to 150mm in six hours could hit the northwest, which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, from Thursday.
People living in Winton, Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Camooweal, Dajarra, Duchess, Mckinlay and Lawn Hill could be affected.
The Bureau of Meteorology says 24-hour rain totals of 250mm are possible “once again” after record falls on Wednesday.
“Already saturated catchments are likely to respond quickly to any heavy rainfall and exacerbate the flash flooding risk, while leading to further isolation of communities and disruption to local road networks,” the BoM said in an alert.
Burketown recorded its highest daily rainfall total in eight years when 173mm fell on Wednesday and a record 314mm drenched Century Mine near Lawn Hill.
Trucks of essential supplies have come from as far as Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns to service communities still reachable via road.
Carpentaria mayor Jack Bawden has asked for disaster relief payments for residents from the state and federal governments.
The Salvation Army has brought forward plans to activate a shop-front service to support members of the community in Normanton.
Updated
