That's it for today, thanks for reading
Here are the main stories on Tuesday, 16 July:
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan says federal Labor is already taking steps to suspend the CFMEU’s construction division from the Victorian party, as she defends her handling of a letter outlining allegations about the union;
A plan to send Australian solar power to south-east Asia through the world’s longest undersea energy cable is a step closer to development;
Two swimmers who went missing at a waterfall near Cairns have been found dead, police have confirmed;
A Tenacious D gig in Newcastle is postponed amid a call for the band to be deported over what appeared to be a joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump;
Drivers crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the tunnel underneath should be charged in both directions as part of an overhaul to simplify pricing and cheapen commutes to and from Western Sydney, a review has found; and
Damaging winds and driving rain lashed Victoria on Monday night while snow flurries were reported in northern New South Wales as a low pressure system brought bitter weather across south-eastern Australia.
Thanks for reading, we will see you here again tomorrow.
Toll review urges overhaul to cheapen Sydney commutes
Drivers crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the tunnel underneath should be charged in both directions, a review into the city’s toll roads has urged, as part of an overhaul to simplify pricing and cheapen commutes to and from Western Sydney.
Earlier on Tuesday, the New South Wales Minns government said it would now consider the recommendations from the independent review into tolling it commissioned to tackle so-called “toll mania” in Sydney, but roads minister John Graham indicated introducing northbound tolling on the harbour crossings and southbound tolling for the Eastern Distributor – both currently tolled in only one direction – made sense. “The report makes a strong case … if we’re going to fix the system, everyone’s going to have to help,” Graham said.
In response, acting NSW opposition leader Damien Tudehope said the proposal to toll the roads in both directions – which the government has yet to say if it will adopt as part of its reform plans – constituted a broken promise from Chris Minns’ administration.
“Traffic volume increases are forecast for the M2, M4, M5 East, and M5 South-West, further congesting these busy corridors. The Minns government’s solution to “toll mania” is more tolls, right when families are struggling the most,” Tudehope said.
Meanwhile, the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents some truck drivers as well as other delivery workers who use toll roads for work, welcomed the recommendation from the tolling reviewers to make tolls for heavy vehicles cheaper. “This change would offer much-needed financial relief to owner-operators already struggling with the cost of living,’ TWU NSW/QLD state secretary Richard Olsen said.
You can read more about the proposed tolling overhaul here:
Updated
Tenacious D gig postponed amid call for band to be deported over Trump shooting comment
Further to our post on Tenacious D earlier, Frontier Touring announced a short time ago that the band’s concert tonight in Newcastle had been postponed.
“Frontier Touring regret to advise that Tenacious D’s concert tonight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre has been postponed,” the company posted on Facebook about 3pm.
“Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets until further information is available.”
Updated
Tenacious D should be deported over Trump comment, senator says
Senator Ralph Babet has demanded the federal government deport American rock band Tenacious D, after one of its members appeared to joke at a Sydney concert about Donald Trump’s attempted assassination.
Tenacious D – made up of the actor Jack Black and his colleague Kyle Gass – are touring Australia at the moment. At the band’s Sydney concert on Sunday, Gass was presented with a birthday cake and told to “make a wish” as he blew out the candles.
Video from the concert shows Gass appearing to say “don’t miss Trump next time”, just hours after the shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania that left the former president injured.
The band has been heavily criticised online by Trump supporters. Black has publicly criticised Trump previously, and recently appeared at a celebrity fundraiser for Joe Biden.
Babet, the United Australia party senator, released a statement on Tuesday calling for Tenacious D to be ejected from Australia.
I call on the prime minister Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the immigration minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately.
Updated
Two missing swimmers found dead in north Queensland
Two swimmers who went missing earlier this morning near Cairns at a waterfall have been found dead, police have confirmed.
The men, reportedly aged in their 20s, went missing about 9am at Millaa Millaa Falls.
Queensland ambulance service’s far north director, Chris Draper, said earlier that three men in their 20s had jumped from the falls into the water but two had not surfaced.
A spokesperson for Queensland police said a third male had been taken to hospital.
Updated
Canberrans use dashcam to dob in dangerous drivers
This is quite interesting: ACT policing have fined 25 drivers since May after members of the public used an online portal to upload dashcam footage of them.
Twenty-five drivers have been fined as a result of dashcam footage uploaded to ACT Policing’s online reporting portal since the program began in May. More: https://t.co/tcWzD3qipa pic.twitter.com/Al2d8XjSbs
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) July 16, 2024
Thanks for being with me on today’s blog, I’ll handover to Nino Bucci who’ll be here with you for the remainder of the day. Take care!
Body of man located after woman allegedly shot in hand in NSW Riverina
The body of a man has been located in southern New South Wales after a woman was allegedly shot in the hand.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at Walbundrie in the NSW Riverina region – about 50km north of Albury – this morning, and were told a 68-year-old man allegedly shot a 51-year-old woman in the right hand at the front gate of a property, before driving off.
The woman was treated at the scene and taken to Albury base hospital in a stable condition.
A short time later, the body of a man was located near Kings Bridge Road at Culcairn. He is yet to be formally identified, but police believe it is the 68-year-old man.
Two separate crime scenes have been established and an investigation is under way. A report will be prepared for the coroner, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Updated
Queensland freezes talks with union as Victorian allegations unfold
Queensland premier Steven Miles says he will not meet with the construction union until allegations put forward in Victoria are formally ruled out in Queensland.
As AAP reports, Miles has instructed the state’s police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, to liaise with his Victorian counterpart on their investigation and how it may filter north.
There are no current active complaints against the CFMEU in Queensland, the premier said, telling reporters:
He will report back to me the outcomes of that conversation and if there are any matters that should be investigated here in Queensland, then they will be.
I have also spoken to the state secretary of the Labor party and confirmed that while the CFMEU has not donated to the Labor Party for some time, we will not be accepting donations from the CFMEU while … these allegations are being investigated.
The Queensland government would also support a review of the enterprise bargaining agreements if federal workplace relations minister Tony Burke determines that it is appropriate, Miles said.
As we flagged earlier, CFMEU construction workers held protests at Cross River Rail sites across Brisbane after enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations broke down with the project’s lead contractor.
Updated
Earlier, we brought you a press conference from Victorian premier Jacinta Allan regarding the state government’s response to allegations against the CFMEU.
You can now read all the details on this from Adeshola Ore below:
National hunt for identity of woman in beach bones find
Authorities nationwide are being asked to check their missing-person records to help solve the mystery case of an unidentified woman whose remains were found on a NSW beach, AAP reports.
As flagged earlier, locals uncovered the buried bones of a woman – believed to be aged in her 50s – in dunes at Jetty Beach in the north-coast town of Coffs Harbour on 18 June, but she remains unidentified.
Superintendent Joanne Schultz has told reporters:
We have obtained a DNA profile, so we’re hoping that might assist us in identifying the person … We’re now reaching out beyond NSW, to look at other missing-persons units across Australia and for them to check their records.
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
Updated
New climate czar Kean calls on clean energy industry to push back against anti-renewables ‘propaganda’
Former NSW energy minister Matt Kean has used his first major speech since being named the new chair of the Climate Change Authority to issue a “call to arms” for the renewables sector to fight the “loud and determined” opponents of the energy transition.
Here’s the article:
Updated
Road closures across Victoria due to flooding
There are a number of road closures and traffic disruptions amid flooding in Victoria, including:
Mount Dandenong Tourist Road: one lane is closed near Mason Grove due to a landslip. Traffic management crews will direct traffic as inspections and repairs are conducted.
Lysterfield Road: closed in both directions between Napoleon and Wellington roads due to flooding. Detours via Kelletts Road.
Mountain Highway at Sassafras: road closed between The Basin and Sassafras due to multiple fallen trees on powerlines. Detour via Montrose or Upper Ferntree Gully.
Lysterfield Road, Lysterfield closed in both directions between Napoleon and Wellington roads, due to flooding. Please obey directions of traffic management and detour via Kelletts Road. Never drive through flood waters. #victraffic pic.twitter.com/tNm58tabKi
— VicTraffic (@VicTraffic) July 16, 2024
Updated
Victorian SES warns flooding expected across parts of Yarra and Watts rivers
The Victorian State Emergency Service says moderate flooding along the Yarra River is expected to cause “substantial inundation” in rural areas, and disruption to traffic.
Water levels across the Yarra River and Watts Rivers at various locations are rising after heavy rain in the state.
Moderate flooding is expected to occur on the Yarra River at Yarra Glen from tomorrow, with a watch and act warning issued for communities between Coldstream to Warrandyte.
The Melba Highway at Yarra Glen is expected to become flooded, the SES said. The Yarra River at Yarra Glen is at 3.72m and rising, expected to reach 4.6m tomorrow.
This Watch and Act - Prepare Now - is issued for Yarra River from Coldstream to Warrandyte.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) July 16, 2024
Prepare for flooding now. Take actions to protect your life and property against potential hazards caused by flooding.
More details at https://t.co/VMo75OQLHF pic.twitter.com/LyMiLy5BUe
Updated
Australia’s AI laws ‘decades out of date’, inquiry hears
Australia urgently needs to restrict the use of AI technology to protect workers, an inquiry has heard, amid warnings it is already being used to cut creative jobs.
As AAP reports, the inquiry’s third public hearing saw representatives from the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance call for legal restrictions on AI technology to ensure people employed in creative roles were compensated for their work.
Voice actor Cooper Mortlock told the inquiry his work on an animated series was cut short in 2022 when producers allegedly used an AI tool to clone his voice without his knowledge or compensation.
Digital Rights Watch founder Lizzie O’Shea said the example showed Australians needed greater protection for their personal information, including voice, likeness and biometric data and also needed more restrictions around individual consent.
It is clear that our laws are decades out of date. There has to be structural interventions that limit the use of personal information and seek to put limits on data-extracted business models.
But Anton van den Hengel from the University of Adelaide said local restrictions on the use of AI may have a limited effect as AI technology was created and governed by overseas firms, most of them from the US.
The Senate inquiry is expected to issue findings on the opportunities and impacts of AI in September.
Updated
Victoria breaks 17-year winter record for maximum electricity demand
Victoria has broken a 17-year winter record for maximum electricity demand, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Aemo said that usage was at 8,612MW at 6pm last night in Victoria due to the cold snap. This was up from the previous record of 8,351MW on 17 July, 2007.
AEMO will work with industry to keep the electricity on during another expected peak-demand tonight.
A cold snap has seen Victoria break a 17-year winter record for maximum electricity demand – 8,612 MW at 6:00 PM last night. The previous record of 8,351 MW was on 17 July 2007.
— AEMO (@AEMO_Energy) July 16, 2024
AEMO will work with industry to keep the electricity on during another expected peak-demand tonight. pic.twitter.com/Tf7K8C0ZLf
Updated
Green tick for big SunCable solar farm and subsea line
A plan to send Australian solar power to south-east Asia through the world’s longest undersea energy cable is a step closer to development, AAP reports.
SunCable’s Australia-Asia Power Link project has been granted approval by the Northern Territory’s Environmental Protection Authority.
SunCable plans to collect NT sunshine using a solar farm as big as a cattle station and supply renewable energy to land-deprived Singapore.
The project is the world’s largest renewable energy and transmission project in development and is likely to be one of the largest economic industrial developments in the nation’s history, the company says.
Electricity supply is expected to start in the early 2030s. The environmental approval covers the development of a solar generation and utility-scale storage site and about 800km of high-voltage transmission lines in the NT.
Also granted approval is a subsea cable running from a converter station to be built in Darwin to the outer limits of Australia’s territorial waters and the Indonesian border.
Updated
It seems Our Kevin is in the building as a bandaged Trump is whooped by Republicans at the party’s convention in Milwaukee.
At the @GOPconvention today catching up with @robertcobrien, President Trump’s former National Security Advisor. Also @michaelgwaltz, Congressman from Florida’s 6th District and Chair of the Armed Services Sub-Committee. And Mike’s wife, Dr Julia Nesheiwat, former Homeland… pic.twitter.com/5yCql8l8Ht
— Kevin Rudd AC (@AmboRudd) July 16, 2024
Updated
Greens’ Ratnam says PM unfair to link Trump shooting with pro-Palestine protests in Australia
The Greens candidate for Wills, Samantha Ratnam, says it is “unfair” to make any link between the attempted assassination of Donald Trump with pro-Palestine protests in Australia.
Speaking with ABC RN earlier this morning, Ratnam said:
It’s very distressing to see what’s happened [in the US] in the past few days. But I think it’s unfair of the prime minister to use that and to stretch that to denounce this movement for peace.
I’ve been to so many of these protests. They are big, they are powerful, they are moving. To discredit a movement that is critiquing Labor for their inaction is unfair of the prime minister.
We all support peaceful protest, but what we’ve seen Labor do is try and discredit and undermine this movement for peace because they are critiquing Labor, because they are putting them under pressure, as they should be. I’ve spoken to hundreds in our community asking ‘why isn’t Labor doing more’.
Anthony Albanese on Sunday said there was “no place for violence in the democratic process”, and drew a link to protests outside politician’s electorate offices in Australia, stating: “These things can escalate, which is why they need to be called out unequivocally and opposed.”
Updated
'We know we need to do more' on alleged criminal behaviour in CFMEU, Allan says
Asked why an independent review wasn’t called earlier, Jacinta Allan responds:
Every time an allegation has been made, I have ensured that action was taken.
Now it remains a fact here in Victoria that the commonwealth wields the industrial relations powers in this state. And we have provided advice, assistance, information to any organisation that has raised concerns with us about pursuing those matters with the federal government, in terms of the allegation of criminal behaviour.
I asked for an immediate further examination of those claims, and then wrote to the chief commissioner of police, as the Victoria police is the agency best placed to investigate further that alleged criminal behaviour.
This is the action that I have taken but we know we need to do more. It is absolutely clear that we need to do more. We need to go further.
Updated
Taking questions from reporters, Jacinta Allan is asked about the correspondence she received and says:
I do know that the correspondence in question was sent to … federal government representatives as well. But we do need to be better. People don’t deserve to be bounced around between different levels of government, and that is why – in concert with the federal government in terms of what actions they may be taking in this area – we know that we can do better and will do better, and I am determined that we address this.
Updated
Jacinta Allan says that last year she was advised by the major transport infrastructure authority “who were anecdotally aware of possible criminal incidences on worksites here in Victoria”.
The NTIA referred those matters to Victoria police and simultaneously, as I was aware of those alleged incidences, I wrote to the chief commissioner of police to directly raise those matters with him.
Today, I will be releasing that correspondence … I have zero tolerance for any sort of [alleged] illegal behaviour … [The] processes in place did not support – it’s clear they did not support – particular correspondence being acted on, or resolved quickly.
Updated
The premier provides an update on the independent review she announced yesterday to strengthen the power of Victorian government agencies which are engaged with construction companies and construction unions on Victorian worksites.
An eminent expert will be leading this review, and the recruitment is under way. We’re already seeking the appointment of an eminent person to to head this work.
The terms of reference are being worked on and will be released later this week, she says.
Jacinta Allan says there is a “need to establish new and clear processes for whistleblowers and complaints about construction companies and construction unions”.
Updated
Jacinta Allan says anti-bikie legislation will be introduced to the parliament next month, as she flagged yesterday:
[The bill] will give Victoria police the powers they’ve asked for and the powers that they need. It will be a tool to help authorities to crack down on outlaw bikies on worksites.
Updated
Moves under way to suspend CFMEU’s construction division, premier says
Moving to the CFMEU, the premier says moves have already been taken to suspend the CFMEU’s construction division, following her request yesterday.
The Victorian Labor party is also no longer receiving donations from the CFMEU construction division, Jacinta Allan says, with any future donations to be rejected or rescinded.
Updated
Jacinta Allan provides update on weather warnings across Victoria
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking to the media, first commenting on the damaging weather across the state overnight. She says there were flood rescues, and a tree down that trapped people in a house and SES crews worked through the night.
A number of flood warnings remain in place, she says, also urging motorists to not drive through flood waters.
It’s extremely dangerous. It’s dangerous to yourself, and any volunteers who may need to be called out to a rescue.
Updated
CFMEU workers protest across Brisbane Cross River Rail sites
Hundreds of CFMEU workers have been protesting at the access to Cross River Rail sites across Brisbane this morning.
Some photos have been coming through from AAP of the protest at the Roma Street Cross River Rail building site:
Updated
Tradie shortage threat to booming house-building plans
The NSW construction sector is poised to hit historic highs, but only if it can find many more workers to complete the job, AAP reports.
A report commissioned by a national industry body found the sector would produce construction worth $79.2bn by the end of 2024, up from the record $75.5bn in 2019.
But research agency the Insight Centre found an extra 150,000 construction workers will be needed in the next 15 years to meet the demands of an industry that has a huge role to play in delivering the homes needed to curb a housing crisis.
The report findings came as the state government today revealed plans for a potential 30,000 additional homes in rezoned areas around train stations.
The latest sites to be targeted under the flagship transport-oriented development scheme are Homebush in Sydney’s west, Bankstown in the city’s southwest and Crows Nest in the north. The state’s planning minister, Paul Scully, said:
These additional three precincts will help to deliver more well-located homes, close to transport and amenities, that are also close to new job opportunities ... placing good homes and jobs at their core.
Updated
Search and rescue under way for missing swimmers near Cairns
A search and rescue operation is under way after two swimmers failed to surface from the water at the popular Millaa Millaa Falls, south of Cairns.
A Queensland police spokesperson said police were called just before 9am after reports that two men had failed to surface. A third man has been transported to hospital.
Crews remain on scene.
Updated
Online shopping booming, but people are buying less: Australia Post
Online retail therapy is still booming despite the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on Australian wallets, AAP reports.
Even with inflation leading to more expensive groceries, interest rates remaining high and wages staying relatively stagnant, Australians are choosing to pop items into their online shopping baskets.
Australia Post’s latest report revealed online spending grew by 2% in the last year as posties rush to deliver the high number of parcels bought on the internet. In the last quarter, there was a 4.4% jump in online purchases compared to the same period last year.
The recent splurge is attributed to events like the end-of-financial-year sales luring consumers with bargains. Fashion, apparel, health, beauty and recreational goods were the main things people bought.
But despite Australians shopping online frequently, they are buying less. The data revealed the number of items in the online basket have decreased by 2.6% year on year.
Australia Post’s post and parcel general manager, Gary Starr, says shoppers are likely opting for more frequent but less expensive purchases. The online shopping spree also showed Australians are trying to stay on budget by hunting out the best deals on the internet, Starr added.
Updated
Clean energy head blasts ‘bad-faith actors’ for stoking opposition to renewables
Kane Thornton, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, has used his speech opening an energy summit in Sydney to criticise “vested interests” for trying to stall the transition off fossil fuels. He said:
Bad-faith actors are using a weakened media, preying on communities increasingly anxious about the uncertainty and tensions in the world around us to tear things down.
Those with an interest in existing fossil fuels were “stepping up to tell their story and peppering it with myths, truths, and outright disinformation”, undermining the shift.
“The battering ram, of course, is nuclear power,” Kane said, referring to the federal opposition’s pledge to introduce seven nuclear plants after the mid-2030s if they win office.
Nuclear power is not a commercially viable option for Australia and never will be realised.
Thornton underscored the loss of bipartisan support – at least federally – for the transition. The risk of “radical U-turns from one election to another” will deter investors even as ageing coal plants shut over the coming decade, he said to an audience that includes many such developers.
Updated
Moderate flood warning for Dandenong Creek in Victoria
A moderate flood warning has been issued for Dandenong Creek in Victoria, with residents urged to move to higher ground.
Moderate flooding is expected to occur along the creek at the flood retarding basin on Police Road, and potentially Heatherton Road, from this morning.
The Dandenong Creek catchment recorded 42mm of rain since 9am yesterday, with totals of 20mm to 30mm forecast for today.
At Rowville (Police Road RB) the river is at 4.95m and rising, expected to exceed the moderate flood level of 5m this morning.
The State Emergency Service said:
Act now – take actions immediately to protect your life and property, and move to higher ground.
This Watch and Act - Prepare Now - is issued for Dandenong Creek.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) July 15, 2024
Act now - take action immediately to protect your life and property, and move to higher ground
More details at https://t.co/N7gZXOAmiu pic.twitter.com/rNJCZE620l
Updated
Fels report handed down on Sydney’s toll roads
Sydneysiders driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and tunnel could soon be charged fees in both directions, as a key way to fund an overall reduction in tolls across the rest of Sydney, a government-ordered independent review into making the city’s patchwork toll road network fairer has recommended.
The former competition watchdog chair Allan Fels has delivered the final independent report into tolling, which has reaffirmed findings from the interim report about unifying the city’s paid roads under a more consistent “declining distance-based rate” that eases pricing for motorists in Western Sydney while charging more for non privatised assets in the east of the city.
Fels said that private toll giant Transurban and other concessionaires have indicated a willingness to negotiate on their lucrative contracts and that it was possible to reduce the total amount motorists are estimated to pay to toll road operators – $123bn over the next 37 years – without concessionaires losing out significantly.
These savings could be achieved by the government taking on risks of underutilisation and debt which would be cheaper, offering contract extensions for interim reductions, and efficiency savings elsewhere.
However, the reviewers have recommended the government immediately introduce legislation that would give them the power to establish its own management body – NSW Motorways – and rejig toll settings and prices in the event Transurban and other players can’t agree to a deal. By moving ahead with legislation, it would address the power imbalance in light of their long term contracts.
The reviewers said they believed an agreement with private operators could be reached by the end of this year, with the city’s new, more equitable tolling system in place by mid-2026.
The NSW government is yet to indicate which recommendations it will accept.
Updated
Three stranded bushwalkers rescued from Tasmanian national park
Three stranded bushwalkers have been rescued from the Walls of Jerusalem National Park in Tasmania.
A statement from Tasmanian police said the Westpac rescue helicopter reached the bushwalkers and they left the area “a short time ago”. The helicopter will soon return to the national park to retrieve search and rescue personnel.
Two adults and a child activated a personal locator beacon (PLB) on Sunday afternoon, and a search operation had been ongoing.
Inspector Michael Johnston previously said the trio had become lost in snow near Cathedral Mountain, and the child was believed to be suffering from hypothermia.
We understand the group was planning a day walk, but were overpowered by the conditions they faced.
Updated
Two men charged after $870k cash, $2m worth of vapes seized from vehicle
Two men will appear in court today after police seized $870,000 in cash, $2m worth of vapes and more than $350,000 worth of illegal tobacco in Homebush West overnight.
Detectives stopped a van travelling through Homebush West yesterday afternoon and located a satchel bag containing $40,000 cash. Police then searched the vehicle and located a shopping bag with $80,000 cash and a suitcase containing $750,000 cash.
The 37-year-old driver and the 34-year-old passenger, both men, were arrested and taken to Auburn police station. Police then executed a search warrant on a unit in Arthur Street last night, seizing 50,000 vapes and 350,000 cigarettes – with a combined street value of more than $2.3m.
Both men were charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of a crime and were refused bail, to appear before Burwood local court today. Investigations are ongoing, police said.
Updated
Police working to identify remains of woman found on NSW beach last month
NSW police are still working to identify the remains of a woman located at a Coffs Harbour beach last month and have renewed their appeal for information.
On 18 June police located human remains at Jetty Beach, wearing a “Bras N Things” singlet top and blue denim jeans.
Police said the remains appear to be those of a 50- to 60-year-old woman, believed to have died somewhere between 2020 and 2023. Forensic testing is continuing, but at this stage she remains unidentified.
A statement from police said there are no matches between the human remains and missing person reports in the area. Police conducted a search of the nearby area and found a number of items of interest, including:
Silver earrings
Hair clips
A Target-branded blue and white striped button up shirt
A “Harvey World Travel” backpack
A Laura Jones’ brand wallet
Reading glasses
A paperback book titled The Butterfly Summer
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Updated
Victorian SES responds to more than 300 calls for assistance overnight
The Victorian State Emergency Service responded to more than 300 requests for assistance overnight, amid heavy rain across the state.
Fallen trees accounted for 129 of the calls, plus 78 for building damage and 77 for impacts of flooding. The busiest SES units were Emerald and Lilydale.
The SES wrote on X:
A number of flood warnings are currently in place … Please never drive on flooded roads. Turn around and take an alternate route. Thank you to our volunteers [for] keeping your communities safe.
A busy night for our SES volunteers responding to over 300 requests for emergency assistance.
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) July 15, 2024
Requests relate to a range of impacts including: fallen trees (129), building damage (78) and impacts of flooding (77).
Busiest volunteer units include SES Emerald and Lilydale. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/fvFLCbHEhw
Updated
Fifteen new Bushmasters to be built in regional Victoria
The federal government has announced a $45m contract to build 15 Bushmasters – a four-wheel-drive armoured vehicle – in Bendigo in regional Victoria.
As AAP reports, the multi-million dollar contract was signed with defence manufacturer Thales and the extra Bushmasters will support the mobile artillery regiment of the ADF.
The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said:
Protected vehicles such as the Bushmaster are part of the sovereign defence industrial priorities in the Albanese government’s defence industry development strategy. This announcement shows we are supporting the Australian defence industry to deliver our priorities.
It comes after a strategic review of Australia’s defence force showed there should be a greater emphasis on long-range missiles.
More than $200m has been spent since Labor came to office in 2022 to build 93 Bushmaster vehicles in Australia. The vehicles have been used in nine countries around the world, including in Ukraine, where they are used as part of medical evacuations and defence roles against Russian forces.
Updated
Landslip reported on Mount Dandenong in Victoria
Emergency services are responding to a landslip on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in Victoria following heavy rain.
The landslip is near Churchill Drive. Motorists are urged to stay alert for changes on the roadway and consider detouring via Monbulk.
Updated
New poll shows cost-of-living issues hurting government
Federal Labor is falling behind in the polls, AAP reports, with a new survey showing cost of living pressures are denting its standing with voters.
The government’s primary vote remains at 28% against a rise for the Coalition to 38% (from 36%), the latest Resolve poll of 1,600 voters published in Nine newspapers today shows.
Top of mind for households is the cost of living, with 53% saying this was their highest priority ahead of housing and rental affordability (12%) and crime (7%).
Voters were split on how they felt about personal finances, with 30% saying they were earning less than they were spending, 38% earning the same as they were spending and 27% saying they were earning more than they were spending.
Asked about the federal leaders, 35% of respondents nominated opposition leader Peter Dutton as their preferred prime minister while 34% stumped for Anthony Albanese.
Updated
Government fast tracks development of ‘guarantee of origin’ scheme
The government says it is fast tracking the development of the “Guarantee of Origin scheme”, intended to track and verify the carbon emissions of hydrogen made in Australia and support renewable energy certification.
In a statement from the assistant minister for climate change and energy, senator Jenny McAllister, the scheme is described as the “emissions accounting backbone” of the Future Made in Australia program.
The scheme will issue digital certificates that allow producers, exporters and users to prove where a product was made, and the emissions associated with its production and transport, the statement said.
The scheme would initially commence with hydrogen but later expand to include “low-carbon liquid fuels like sustainable aviation fuel, green metals like steel and aluminium and biomethane and biogas.”
The government says it almost doubled funding for the development of the scheme in the 2024/25 budget, bringing the total committed funding to over $70.4m.
McAllister said that “as the world decarbonises, it will be increasingly important for businesses to be able to account for the carbon emissions associated with their products”.
Updated
Weather update for Victoria and New South Wales: rain, floods, gusts and snow
Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist from the Bureau of Meteorology, spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier to provide an update on the rainfall across Victoria.
He said the rain has been focused around the central and eastern parts of the state, with up to 100mm around Mount Baw Baw and 80mm to 90mm in some far-eastern parts of Melbourne.
That has given us minor to moderate flood warnings including in parts of the Yarra River this morning, as all of the rain from last night and yesterday evening drains out through the river network and out towards the ocean.
He said it’s been “very gusty” as well, particularly for NSW – with many places gusting over 80-90km/h and a severe weather warning in place for the South Coast, Illawarra and Southern Tablelands.
Alpine areas of NSW also saw a dumping of fresh snow overnight, with some of the higher peak picking up at least 30cm, Hines said.
Updated
Flood warning for communities along Latrobe River
A watch and act alert has also been issued for areas along the Latrobe River amid flooding.
Moderate flooding of 5m is possible at Thoms Bridge from late this morning, the State Emergency Service said, as rainfall totals up to 46mm were recorded across the Latrobe catchment in the 24 hours to 10pm last night. Further rainfall is forecast for the remainder of today.
Moderate flooding may also occur along the Latrobe River from Yallourn to Traralgon Creek. The SES is warning communities to prepare for flooding now.
Take actions to protect your life and property against potential hazards caused by flooding.
WATCH & ACT - RIVERINE FLOOD - Prepare Now - Latrobe River Yallourn to Traralgon Creek.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) July 15, 2024
Prepare for flooding now. Take actions to protect your life and property against potential hazards caused by flooding.
More details at https://t.co/gAhr6tx3rr pic.twitter.com/cojTYKLVsr
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'Move to higher ground' along Watts River, SES says
Communities at Healesville along the Watts River in Victoria are being urged to move to higher ground amid flood warnings.
The State Emergency Service has issued a watch and act alert, with moderate flooding likely to occur at Healesville early this morning.
The Yarra River catchment recorded rainfall averaging 48mm in the upper part of the catchment, and about 25mm in the lower part of the catchment since 9am yesterday. Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are forecast for the catchment today.
The Watts River catchment recorded rainfall averaging about 60mm since 9am yesterday, with totals of 20-30mm forecast today. At Healesville, the river is at 3.11m and rising and is expected to peak at the moderate flood level early this morning.
Nearby residents are urged to move to higher ground to “protect your life and property.”
WATCH & ACT - RIVERINE FLOOD - Move to Higher Ground - Watts River.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) July 15, 2024
Act now - take actions immediately to protect your life and property, and move to higher ground.
More details at https://t.co/te3hKNuqRM pic.twitter.com/mFXrDliBbn
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CFMEU secretary: independent administrator over alleged criminal links ‘unnecessary’
Q: Why shouldn’t the federal government deregister you?
Zach Smith responded:
Because deregistration would be a disaster for workers.
What deregistration means is that workers lose their representation overnight on issues like safety and wages and conditions. This is a dangerous, precarious industry, and the last thing you want is workers to be left vulnerable and without representation, without protection in an industry like ours.
Smith was also asked whether an independent administrator should be appointed, rather than himself. He argued:
Because it’s unnecessary … You’re predetermining [that] somehow an internal investigation is not going to be adequate … The union and union movement is more than capable of dealing with allegations in their own right and responding appropriately.
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CFMEU secretary on response from Victorian government
National CFMEU secretary Zach Smith is speaking with ABC RN, after the union’s Victorian branch was placed into administration yesterday. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is seeking the suspension of the union’s construction division from the state Labor party over allegations of criminal links.
Smith said an investigative process to look at any allegations is being finalised today:
And obviously, if there’s any wrongdoing found people will be removed from our ranks. That being said, obviously, we need to afford people with a presumption of innocence and procedural fairness.
Yesterday, Allan also urged the federal government “to review – and if necessary, terminate” – CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreements on Victorian construction sites to prevent criminal activity. Smith argued that would need to be “approached very carefully”.
We don’t want to see a situation where workers who are relying on enterprise agreements [have] those agreements removed without any notice and … lose the protection around wages and conditions in their workplace.
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More from AAP on fish fears from the NZ ‘super trawler’
Continuing from our last post: Adrian Meder said catch volumes that weren’t realised last year when the super trawler didn’t fish in that area have also been carried over, potentially doubling what it can take this year.
In September, a research and scientific committee that feeds advice up the chain to the management authority met. Minutes from that meeting suggest fishery managers were comforted – not concerned –by the fact recent catches at Cascade Plateau were as low as 2% to 4% of what was approved.
Despite the low catch in recent years, industry members noted the need to maintain the TAC at a level that will incentivise fishing in the region and support ongoing data collection.
There was specific mention that further cuts “might make the stock commercially unviable”. Meder says the commercial considerations are worrying, saying:
They said you’ve got to incentivise fishing, well I don’t think you do. You want to be really, really careful that the fishing you are doing isn’t causing further problems of the sort that we well understand.
The management authority says the trawler will only fish the eastern zone this time, intending to catch 60% of the current 1,320 tonne total allowable catch using a quota owned by Australian companies.
It says catch limits are based on a 2021 CSIRO assessment that will allow stocks in the east to rebuild, and the latest assessment from Cascade Plateau, now 15 years old, suggests it’s sustainable.
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Fears for threatened fish as NZ 'super trawler' cleared to return
A New Zealand super trawler has returned to Australia to target a threatened fish amid fears previous trips may be linked to a population crash, AAP reports.
Conservationists are disturbed by Australia’s decision to authorise the return of the Amaltal Explorer, a factory ship that will net orange roughy – a species that can live for more than 140 years and don’t start breeding until they’re about 30, which leaves them vulnerable to overfishing.
That’s what happened in the 1980s and 90s when stocks fell off a cliff and Australia was forced to institute a fishing ban in 2006. The one exception at the time was the Cascade Plateau fishing zone south-east of Hobart.
But the Australian Marine Conservation Society fears that site could now be in big trouble. Adrian Meder, a sustainable seafood campaigner, says after the trawler fished Cascade Plateau in 2021 and 2022, the Australia industry began complaining consistent catches at the site had vanished.
He cites two trips by one of Australia’s largest deepwater trawlers last year that only managed seven tonnes from a total allowable catch of 437 tonnes.
Meder is deeply troubled by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s failure to follow a scientific recommendation from the CSIRO to halve catch limits in the eastern zone. More on this in a moment.
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Call to refer homeless deaths to coroner
The head of the Salvation Army’s Victorian division has called for all homeless deaths in the state to be referred to the coroner.
A Guardian Australia investigation this year revealed that Australians experiencing homelessness were dying at an average age of 44 – a shocking life expectancy gap driven by violence, treatable illness and systemic failures across the housing, health and justice sectors.
In a letter to the state’s attorney general this month, Colonel Kelvin Merrett – the divisional commander in Victoria – said the government should mandate that all homeless deaths are reported to the coroner.
The hope would be that the measure would assist the Victorian government and community organisations in identifying measures that could be implemented to prevent unnecessary deaths of people who are homeless.
Guardian Australia’s investigation sparked a nationwide push for mandatory reporting of homelessness deaths to the coroner to prevent them being invisible. The Victorian government previously said it would consider the reform following calls from advocates.
Welcome
Good morning, and happy Tuesday – welcome back to a new day on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll take you through our rolling coverage today. Here’s what was making news overnight:
The head of the Salvation Army’s Victorian division has called for all homeless deaths in the state to be referred to the coroner. A Guardian Australia investigation sparked a nationwide push for mandatory reporting of homelessness deaths to the coroner to prevent them being invisible. We’ll have more on this from Adeshola Ore shortly.
Meanwhile, AAP is reporting that a New Zealand super trawler has returned to Australia to target a threatened fish, amid fears previous trips may be linked to a population crash. Conservationists are disturbed by Australia’s decision to authorise the return of the Amaltal Explorer, a factory ship that will net orange roughy.
The extraordinary fish can live for more than 140 years and the species is listed as conservation dependent under national laws for imperilled wildlife. They don’t start to breed until they’re about 30, leaving them highly vulnerable to overfishing. That’s exactly what happened in the 1980s and 90s when stocks fell off a cliff and in 2006 Australia was forced to institute a fishing ban. We’ll have more on this shortly.
As always, if you see something that needs attention on the blog you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
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