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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Mostafa Rachwani and (earlier) Matilda Boseley

Queensland floods prompt 1,000 calls for help as heavy rain continues – as it happened

Russia Ukraine Queensland Australia Scott Morrison New South Wales AWU China NT United States
Prime minister Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison in Adelaide on Friday. The prime minister announced a new round of sanctions against Russian oligarchs in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Roy Vandervegt/AAP

The day that was: Friday 25 February

That is where we will leave the blog for today. Thanks for following along.

Here’s some of what you might have missed today:

  • A man has died after his vehicle was lost in floodwaters on the NSW Central Coast overnight as storms continue to batter the east coast, and flood south-east Queensland.
  • Prime minister Scott Morrison announced a new round of sanctions against “Russian oligarchs”.
  • Defence minister Peter Dutton said some Australians in Ukraine might need to shelter in a bunker as shelling continues.
  • The Registered Organisations Commission concluded its probe into AWU’s political donations, finding minor breaches.
  • Ten Network filed its defence against Tegan George’s claim alleging “humiliation and distress”.
  • NSW recorded 7,583 new Covid cases and six deaths; Victoria recorded 6,580 new cases and 11 deaths; Queensland 5,440 new cases and seven deaths; the ACT 773 new cases; WA 1,043 new cases; SA 1,714 new cases and two deaths; the NT 755 new cases and one death; and Tasmania 851 new cases and one death.

Updated

Flood warning issued for Brisbae, Mary, Bremer rivers

The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its warnings for south-east Queensland, adding flood warnings for the Lower Brisbane and Bremer rivers.

BoM says between 70-230mm of rain fell over the the lower Brisbane River and tributaries in the past 23 hours, and is forecasting further heavy rain going into Saturday.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall remains current for the Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast and parts of Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast Districts.

Lockyer and Laidley creeks have also seen rapid rises, with BoM continuing to urge people not to drive through floodwaters.

Many of the flood and heavy rainfall warnings are being maintained overnight, with damaging wind gusts also forecast for the region.

Updated

As always, Amanda Meade hits a home run with her Weekly Beast column:

As Russian troops apparently prepare to encircle the soon-to-be-beseiged Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, investors out this way seemed to be hoping for only limited fallout for them.

The benchmark ASX200 share index ended Friday up 0.1%, a reasonable result after sinking 3% on Thursday.

Japan’s and mainland China’s bourses (with China’s central bank helping boost liquidity) were higher too, as were European stock futures. Wall St, which rose on Thursday by some 3% for the Nasdaq (a bit “huh?”), was poised to give up some of those advances.

The Australian dollar strengthened a tad to trade recently near 72 US cents.

Crude oil rebounded from yesterday’s dip, with the brent variety back above the US$100 a barrel mark. (Sydney’s petrol prices were averaging about 180 cents a litre and Melbourne’s174.6 cents, with any spike related to the war perhaps a few more days off.)

Wheat, as we noted in any earlier post, has seen its prices soar, given the Black Sea region accounts for about one-third of global trade. Bloomberg data suggests wheat is trading at the highest since 2008.

Economists in Australia, meanwhile, have been busy preparing for next week’s data releases and the Reserve Bank’s March meeting on rates.

Don’t expect any change from the RBA at the Tuesday board gathering although no doubt “market turbulence” will feature in the bank’s commentary.

Wednesday will have a bunch of ABS stats including fourth-quarter (and full year) GDP. The CBA, for instance, expects GDP after inflation to have increased 3% in the quarter, reaching 3.6% on an annual rate.

“We expect a massive bounce in household consumption due to the easing of restrictions in NSW and Victoria post the long Delta lockdown,” the CBA said.

“Business investment and inventories are expected to also add to growth while residential construction, public spending and net exports should detract from growth.”

The ANZ has an identical prediction for GDP as the CBA, while Westpac is expecting a little less pep, coming in at 2.8% quarterly and 3.4% annual growth.

Updated

Earlier today, WA premier Mark McGowan announced that close contact rules for police and health staff would be relaxed, in the face of growing case numbers.

The state reported daily case numbers over 1,000 for the first time, and McGowan warned there was “no cause for panic”:

Many may know someone who has caught the virus, many more know someone who is isolating.

But once again I want to stress, this is not a cause for panic, but it is a reminder to take the virus seriously as we manage it in the community.

The premier said “very high caseload settings” would be implemented for frontline workers to “ensure our most essential workers in a pandemic are prepared for what is to come”.

The new settings stipulate that workers that are close contacts but asymptomatic can continue working, but under strict conditions, including daily tests.

In the event symptoms develop, they must stop working, and follow the normal symptomatic close contact rules.

In the event they return a positive RAT test, they are then a positive case and must follow positive case rules.”

Earlier at that press conference, BoM meteorologist David Grant said more heavy rain was forecast for south-east Queensland until at least tomorrow.

He added that an emergency alert has been issued from the Gympie regional council area, as the river continues to rise, with Normanby Bridge and Pengellys Bridge also closed.

Grant said major flooding warnings were in place for Murray River, as well as Laidley and Lockyer creeks.

Since many catchments are saturated, there is a high risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.

We have a major flood warning now current for the Mary River, with Gympie expected to exceed the major flood level and exceed levels that have not been seen since February of 1999.

A major flood warning is also current for the Logan River, with Beaudesert expected to exceed the major flood levels sometime during the course of Saturday.

Updated

Deputy commissioner Steve Gollschewski has stepped up to provide an update on police operations, saying there are “hundreds of jobs” they are attending across the whole of south-east Queensland.

Gollschewski took the opportunity to urge residents to avoid going out unless necessary.

This is likely to continue for sometime yet, it won’t be over for a while and we’re coming into the night, and that makes things more difficult, and if people are travelling on our roads, it makes it more difficult to assess what’s happening.

Gollschewski said there were six people on their roofs in the region, with police moving to rescue them.

Updated

QFES have received 997 calls for help

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Greg Leach is providing an update on the flooding in south-east Queensland, and said the service had so far received 997 calls for aid in the last 24 hours.

He said the storm was one of the worst he’d seen in a decade, and that it was becoming potentially life threatening.

We’re continuing to see dangerous and prolonged rainfall in Queensland, stretching from Hervey Bay in the north to the Gold Coast in the south and to Toowoomba in the west.

This is one of the most severe weather systems that we’ve seen in south-east Queensland over the last decade.

This is an incredibly serious and potentially life threatening situation that’s unfolding. And it’s escalating quickly in terms of flash flooding and rapidly rising catchments.

Leach added that residents should keep on top of media and BoM reports on the situation.

Flood waters are seen covering a football field at Carrara on the Gold Coast.
Flood waters are seen covering a football field at Carrara on the Gold Coast. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated

Ten Network files defence against Tegan George's claim alleging 'humiliation and distress'

The Ten Network has filed its defence in the federal court against a claim which, among other things alleges that its political editor Peter van Onselen undermined and humiliated the network’s federal political reporter, Tegan George.

“Network 10 continues to take the matter very seriously and has been actively involved, over many months, in seeking a sensible resolution,” Ten said on Friday.

“We have offered and provided support to all employees involved in this matter. This support will continue. Network 10 has filed its defence and will defend the proceedings, without reservation, in the meantime. No further comments will be made at this time.”

George said in a statement of claim that she has been unable to work since June last year and she has suffered “hurt, humiliation and distress” and the loss of opportunity to advance her career at the network, in part due to her treatment by Van Onselen.

She accused him of backgrounding other journalists against her, according to a statement of claim filed against the network in the federal court earlier this month.

The Ten defence has not been posted online by the federal court at the time of writing.

Network Ten political editor Peter van Onselen.
Network Ten political editor, Peter van Onselen. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

United Australia Party has reportedly disendorsed its candidate for the Victorian federal seat of Macnamara, Jefferson Earl, over tweets where he indicated support for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The Australian reported UAP leader Craig Kelly pushed for the disendorsement after it confirmed the tweets were from Earl.

The tweets, which are still up on Earl’s account, express support for Putin and criticise the response from Western countries to Russia invading Ukraine.

In one tweet to Putin’s official Twitter account he wrote in January:

President Putin. I have supported u for many years. I am the endorsed candidate for the seat of Macnamara in Melbourne Australia for the United Australia Party. Is there any truth to what the media is saying? Is Ukrainian ok? I feel like Russia wants peace correct?

He later tweeted that if Russia were to invade Ukraine it would be to protect itself against a western push.

When his tweets were reported, he said his words were in line with his thinking and not UAP policy, arguing he just didn’t want to see mutually assured destruction.

Updated

NT reports one death, 755 new cases

The Northern Territory has reported 755 new cases overnight and one death.

There are currently 101 people in hospital with the virus, with 19 patients requiring oxygen, and seven people in ICU.

The death toll in the Territory currently stands at 20.

SA reports two Covid deaths, 1,714 new cases

South Australia has reported two Covid-19 deaths overnight, and 1,714 new cases.

There are 112 people in hospital with the virus, with 13 of those in intensive care.

Updated

ROC concludes probe into AWU's political donations, finding minor breaches

The Registered Organisations Commission has concluded its investigation into the Australian Workers Union’s political donations.

The ROC was investigating a $100,000 donation to GetUp and $25,000 to the ALP when Bill Shorten was national secretary of the AWU before his election to parliament in 2007.

The case sparked raids on the AWU headquarters (which the federal court found were not reasonable) and a police investigation of a leak about the raids. It also prompted Michaelia Cash to correct incorrect evidence that her office wasn’t involved, as well as the infamous whiteboard incident of Cash avoiding cameras when entering a hearing to be quizzed on the matter.

But despite all that sound and fury, the case has ended more with a whimper than a bang.

The ROC found:

  • Nine breaches of industrial law for late or incomplete disclosure of donations
  • 20 breaches of the AWU’s own rules over the process of deciding to give the donations; and
  • The AWU failed to disclose $42,000 of donations to its own members.

But the ROC said:

Because of the deficient record keeping practices of the AWU, the effluxion of time, and its inability to produce relevant documents, the investigation was unable to attribute any of the specific failures by the national executive or the AWU to any one or more individuals or office holders.

The investigation concluded that there was insufficient documentary evidence of specific conduct that contravened officer’s duties to recommend any further regulatory action against any individuals ... recommendations were made and accepted that it is not in the public interest ... to take further regulatory action against the AWU or any individual in relation to these matters at this time.

Michaelia Cash repeatedly denied her office was involved in forewarning the media about the AWU raid, but her then-senior media adviser resigned after being identified as the source of the leak.
Michaelia Cash repeatedly denied her office was involved in forewarning the media about the AWU raid, but her then-senior media adviser resigned after being identified as the source of the leak. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The AWU national secretary, Daniel Walton, said the AFP raids in 2017 were “one of the most shocking abuses of power by an Australian government in modern history”.

He said:

The donations made by the AWU at the centre of this investigation were never remotely secret, let alone concealed. Yes, the AWU donated money to ALP campaigning. Yes, the AWU donated money to GetUp. These donations were openly discussed, declared, and even promoted in our magazine.

Yet the Coalition Government’s ROC has spent thousands of hours, millions of taxpayer dollars, and the resources of the Australian Federal Police, trying to get mud to stick the AWU and its former national secretary Bill Shorten – who just happened to be opposition leader at the time.

The assistant minister for industrial relations, Amanda Stoker, said Shorten had “serious questions to answer about these findings”.

Updated

The chief executive of a company that pocketed more than $1m in government payments and grants for a barista course for people with disability without the most basic equipment has apologised to a former employee.

Mzia*, a woman with ADHD who was employed as a BusyBeans barista trainer, told the disability royal commission she was forced to create an entire program from scratch, initially without basic equipment.

She was employed by Rehab Management, a company linked to AimBig, her disability employment services (DES) provider, and said her complaints were not taken seriously. She told the inquiry she was left with a “broken heart” and “broken life”.

Marcella Romero, the founder and chief executive of Arriba Group, the holding company of Rehab Management and AimBig, told the royal commission on Friday:

I would like to apologise on by half of the group ... Rehab Management and AimBig. I would like to apologise for Mzia not having a good experience with us and I would apologise for the way she feels. We did not live our people value in that instance.

Romero insisted the program had placed “people with a disability into stable ongoing employment”. In a statement separate to today’s hearings, she said:

Following the Disability Royal Commission, I acknowledge that BusyBeans program experienced certain challenges in the early stages of the program. We will continue to take the feedback from participants on board and continue to make improvements to the program, which will include appropriately considering how to implement any recommendations that may emerge from the Disability Royal Commission.

The program is currently suspended due to Covid, but Romero said the company would “hope to explore how we may be able to re-establish the program in future”.

*Mzia is a pseudonym provided by the royal commission.

Updated

A relatively large crowd of anti-war and pro-Ukranian protesters have gathered in Martin Place in Sydney today, chanting for further sanctions to be imposed on Russia.

Undeterred by the rain, the protesters held aloft placards and wore the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag.

Protesters in Martin Place today.
Protesters in Martin Place today. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/EPA
Supporters of Ukraine were in full voice.
Supporters of Ukraine were in full voice. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
‘Save Ukraine. Save Europe’
‘Save Ukraine. Save Europe’ Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/EPA
‘No to war’
‘No to war’ Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

WA records 1,043 new cases

Western Australia has jumped above 1,000 cases for the first time today, reporting 1,043 new cases overnight.

Of those, 825 are confirmed local cases and 214 are still under investigation. Four cases are travel related.

Updated

After a complaint from MP Tim Wilson’s campaign, Bayside City Council has now reversed its position on election signs – ruling that signs erected before 3 June need a permit.

The council said:

Bayside City Council has received advice from the Australian Electoral Commission regarding the timing of the forthcoming federal election.

The AEC has advised that there is a possibility of separate elections for the two houses of the Australian Parliament, with the latest possible date for a Senate election being 21 May 2022 and the latest possible date for a House of Representatives election being 3 September 2022.

Clause 52.05-10 of the Victorian Planning Provisions states a sign must not be displayed longer than 14 days after the event is held or 3 months, whichever is sooner.

Based on this above, any sign associated with a House of Representative candidate would be unlawfully erected if:

            • no election has been called; or
            • the sign is erected prior to 3 June 2022.

Council has advised all currently known federal election candidates for the seat of Goldstein of the AEC advice.

Updated

Cast your minds all the way back to last Sunday 20 February, when tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes teamed up (well, 20/80) with Canada’s Brookfield on an unsolicited bid for AGL Energy. (Thankfully, the “Brookes Brothers” hasn’t caught on.)

They pitched $7.50 a share, or less than 5% above AGL’s previous closing price of $7.16, valuing the company at about $8bn (once you toss in $2.85bn for debt).

Anyway, AGL’s share price duly soared more than 10% to close at $7.92 on Monday, as greedy investors poured in, betting the suitors would need to pay more to seal the deal.

Well, that optimism has tended to dim with each passing day, with AGL’s share today dropping below the $7.50 bid price.

It was recently at $7.47, down 17 cents or 1.8% on the day, after dipping as low as $7.42. (Not a great outcome in an overall market that’s up about 0.3% for the day, but not a bad result given events in Europe.)

The latter day slide doesn’t mean there won’t be a higher bid yet, but perhaps we won’t see a bidding war for AGL.

Updated

National Covid-19 update

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 28 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 773
  • In hospital: 41 (with 3 people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 7,583
  • In hospital: 1,144 (with 64 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 755
  • In hospital: 101 (with 7 people in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 7
  • Cases: 5,440
  • In hospital: 350 (with 30 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 2
  • Cases: 1,714
  • In hospital: 112 (with 13 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 851
  • In hospital: 11 (with 2 people in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 11
  • Cases: 6,350
  • In hospital: 301 (with 38 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 1,043 (1,039 local)
  • In hospital: 12 (with 0 people in ICU)

Updated

Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, and a quick thanks to the brilliant Matilda Boseley for her work this morning.

With that, I shall hand you over to Mostafa Rachwani who will take you through to the weekend.

Bye!

Protesters have gathered in Martin Place in Sydney in a show of support for Ukraine.

Updated

Queensland has recorded seven Covid deaths and 5,440 new infections

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has called for an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, announcing a travel ban for Russian officials, and adding that she is considering expelling the Russian ambassador.

New Zealand calls on Russia to do what is right and immediately cease military operations in Ukraine, and permanently withdraw to avoid a catastrophic and pointless loss of innocent life.

New Zealand does not have a legal framework for creating autonomous sanctions independent of the United Nations security council, on which Russia sits. But Ardern said New Zealand had taken a number of steps, including a travel ban on Russian government officials associated with invasion, a ban on any exports that could be used by the Russian military for military or non-military purposes, and suspension of military bilateral consultations.

Ardern said New Zealand had not ruled out passing legislation to create an autonomous sanctions regime, but that it would have to be examined through a wider lens than the current conflict. She said she was also considering expelling the Russian ambassador. “It’s one of the things that countries are able to do and will consider, but not a decision you take lightly given the wider ramifications for citizens in-country,” she said.

A reminder that you can follow the Ukraine live blog below for more updates on the unfolding situation there:

Morrison says he would describe Putin as “a thug”.

Morrison:

As I said, the South China Morning Post reports on the uploading of that protocol, at a time when the western world is actually imposing sanctions on Russia, the Chinese government is easing trade restrictions on Russia.

So, you know, that is inexplicable, and I think it is important to call this out. I have never hesitated in calling these things out. I have been criticised for calling it out, but, on this, at times I have been a bit of a solo voice, but I can tell you my voice will not be silenced on this.

This is of great concern to Australia, that these acts are not being called out with the same voice, when it comes to those in our region, and this needs to be understood.

Updated

Reporter:

You said you would match the US sanctions, would you consider sending troops in from Australia?

Morrison:

There is no suggestion of that. The United States are not suggesting that, Nato are not suggesting that, so that is just not ... It is not getting to that point. The US have made that very clear.

Reporter:

So the US is sending in troops today?

Morrison:

Well, this would be done under Nato*. We are going to work closely with Nato as to how we best provide the support, and that has been worked through every single day, so there will be no hesitation. If there are ways that Australia can assist those efforts, whether it is in medical packs or other things like this, then we stand ready to do that.

*The US has repeatedly stated that they will not be sending in troops directly to Ukraine at this time, although they have sent military supports into allies’ Nato countries.

Updated

'The world should be shutting [Russia] out': PM

Morrison is now taking questions and has taken a firm stance that Russia is solely to blame for the current conflict in Ukraine.

There is no doubt that when you are involved in seeking to stop people who are coercing and bullying others, including yourself, as Australia has often found, that you will often have to bear some cost yourselves in doing so, but when issues are as they are, and when you have a bullying, threatening, violent act being undertaken on an innocent state in Ukraine, and these things are necessary to do.

This is very important that they do this. I mean, the suggestion that there is some security pretext by Russia for this invasion, which has been suggested by the Chinese government, is completely unacceptable.

That is not the case. There is no pretext for Russia to violently invade Ukraine. There is not some concession that Ukraine should have been making. There was no threat that Ukraine was making against Russia.

So this suggestion that somehow it takes two to cause this, no, it only took one, and the world should be shutting that one out, in Russia.

Updated

And just quickly, Morrison has moved on to speak about the new $65m funding package to help “fast-track of Australia’s access to space”. And unsurprising (given he is speaking from Adelaide), this speech seems aimed at getting premier Steven Marshall re-elected at the upcoming state elections.

I am very thrilled to be here [with] premier Steven Marshall to make further announcements today ... $65m in funding for the fast tracking of Australia’s access to space measure. Where we are standing, in this amazing precinct, this is the great vision of premier Steven Marshall.

None of this would have happened without premier Marshall. The great turnaround of SA over these last for years have been extraordinary. I remember coming here as a treasurer, I remember South Australians telling me how people were leaving the state and businesses were having to go elsewhere.

Updated

Morrison:

I have also said this, you may have seen [earlier] today about international sporting events scheduled to be held in Russia this year. The F1 should not be held in Russia. Any other, the men’s volleyball international tournament should not be held there.

I commend those Australians that are saying they won’t participate in anything that is occurring in Russia this year. International sporting bodies, and a number of them are already joining, and I welcome it very much. This is the way you impose a cost on Russia that is invading its neighbour.

I am also concerned that there is some suggestion in the comments made by the Chinese government that there is some sort of security pretext for the invasion that is taking place. There is none.

Updated

Morrison:

I want to confirm that we have been working with Nato to ensure that we can provide non-lethal military equipment and medical supplies to support the people of Ukraine.

That is the most effective way for us to do that. We are a long way from Ukraine and the most effective way is to be doing that to our Nato partners to ensure that we can support that commitment. We are providing financial support as well as equipment through that Nato channel and I know that you will hear people in Australia, some 40,000 Australians of Ukrainian descent, will welcome that action.

Updated

PM says he is 'particularly concerned' by China's approach to Russia

Morrison urged all countries to join in on imposing sanctions against Russia, singling out China for easing trade restrictions with the country during this time.

I particularly have been concerned at the lack of a strong response from China. Overnight, it was uploaded, the report is in the South China Morning Post today, at a time when the world was seeking to put additional sanctions on Russia, they have eased restrictions on trade.

At a time when Australia, together with the United Kingdom, together with the United States and Europe and Japan, are acting to cut off Russia, the Chinese government are following through on easing trade restrictions with Russia. That is simply unacceptable. China seeks to play a positive role in world affairs. They say they seek peace and I welcome those sentiments and I welcome their comments which talk about trying to get to a position where these violent acts can cease.

But that said, you don’t go and give a lifeline to Russia in the middle of a period when they are invading another country. That is simply unacceptable from the reports we have seen and I would urge all nations to decide this is not a time to be easing trade restrictions with Russia.

We should all be doing the exact opposite. I would call on everyone here in Australia, as well as overseas, to note this and urge all nations to join the sanctions against Russia.

Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide.
Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide. Photograph: Roy Vandervegt/AAP

Updated

Morrison:

We have already announced two rounds of sanctions targeting fresh individuals, banks and companies and we have also seen overnight the latest measures announced by our key partners, including the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as strong statements from Japan and South Korea. I also welcome the statements from Indonesia. As I have made clear all along, we will work along with our partners for a rolling wave of sanctions and continuing to ratchet up that pressure on Russia. We understand the concern that the threat of sanctions did not lead to them not going ahead with this. That was not our expectation. Russia has been planning these acts of violence for some considerable period of time. But there must be a cost. There must be a price. And it must be imposed by the global community.

Updated

PM announces new round of sanctions against 'Russian oligarchs'

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is speaking now and has announced further sanctions will be placed on Russian oligarchs.

Before I get to the important announcements we have to make today, I would like to make some statements regarding the situation in Ukraine. We continue to be extremely concerned with the terrible violence we have seen inflicted on the people of Ukraine by Russia, unwarranted, unprovoked.

Today, Australia will be imposing further sanctions on oligarchs whose economic weight is of strategic significance to mask out and everything to members of the Russian parliament that voted to authorise the use of Russian troops in Ukraine to illegally invade Ukraine.

We are also working with the United States to align with their further sanctions overnight on key television commercials complicit with the aggressions. We are extending both sanctions to those. These actions are being prepared and close coordination with our allies and partners.

Updated

Tasmania records one Covid death and 851 new cases

Tasmania has reported an additional Covid-19 death and 851 new infections.

The island state has now recorded 12 virus deaths since borders reopened in mid-December and 25 since the beginning of the pandemic, reports AAP.

Friday’s case figure is the fourth day in a row daily numbers have been in the 800s, after a jump from 569 on Monday.

Health authorities say the increase is related to the start of the school year earlier this month.

The premier, Peter Gutwein, on Thursday said 156 of 195 state government schools had reported at least one case among their student cohort.

Tasmania has 4,525 active cases, the 10th day in a row the figure has risen.

Eleven people with the virus are in hospital, with four of those being treated specifically for Covid-19. Two patients are in intensive care.

Tasmania will drop proof of coronavirus vaccination requirements for incoming travellers at 12.01am on Saturday, opening the door for unvaccinated people to arrive without needing to quarantine.

Updated

Australian shares have opened about 0.5% higher, reversing a bit of Thursday’s “sea of red”, when they lost 3%.

New Zealand shares are also 2% up, and presumably more markets will be positive as they open across the region – at least until more bad emerges from Ukraine.

Rabobank, meanwhile, has published some interesting info about the history of wheat shipments from Russia and Ukraine, suggesting that the 5% or so spike in wheat prices might have a long way to go yet.

Firstly, the Black Sea region accounts for 34% of global wheat exports, and a loss of all shipments through that area hasn’t happened since the first world war. (Think, Gallipoli.)

Anyway, a full-scale conflict could halt shipments of wheat not just from the blockages to shipment but insurers pulling support for vessels that venture there. Plus, sanctions.

“Global wheat prices have already risen 21% since February 1 this year and – in
the very short term – prices could rise another 5 to 10%,” Rabobank predicts. Should conflict continue until July, when the next harvest would start, global prices could rise another 61% from current levels.

Of course, a lot else might be messed up by then, but, either way, higher wheat prices would flow into many other products, whether grain-fed beef, or even ethanol that motorists in some states (eg NSW) fill up their cars with.

(Manildra, an E10 supplier, boasts of using Australian-grown, GMO-free wheat as feedstock, you might be glad to know.)

Typically eastern Australian wheat is mostly consumed locally and Western Australia is the main source of exports, but perhaps high prices will see a lot more grown in both places – provided the weather plays nice.

Whether higher oil, wheat and other prices nudge up inflation in a sustained way is hard to tell at this point.

One (admittedly flaky) guide to what investors think the RBA will do next is the rate futures bet, and their response yesterday was to nudge back their view of when the central bank will lift its official cash rate to July.

The next RBA board meeting is on Tuesday 1 March (already), when members will no doubt comment on market volatility and uncertainties.

Updated

Australians are now more hesitant to receive their third Covid vaccine shot compared to the beginning of the booster rollout, a new survey has found.

In a survey of more than 3,400 adults, conducted in January, 65.4% of respondents said they would definitely receive a third Covid vaccine dose.

That figure has dropped from 71.9% last October.

Prof Nicholas Biddle, of the Australian National University’s Centre for Social Research and Methods, said:

Leaving aside those who are not eligible, for some others this may reflect a belief that they are sufficiently protected from their initial two doses.

The experience of the first two doses, particularly side effects, may also have made some reluctant to seek out a third dose.

Australians aged 18 to 24, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, those who had not completed year 12, and people who lived in disadvantaged areas were also less likely to have received a third dose, the survey found.

Biddle said:

The findings suggest that booster uptake is not due to active resistance to government policy or recommendations, but rather because people either do not have that much information about the need for a third dose or because they have made a judgement that it is not necessary for them.

Updated

The Greens have proposed a $19bn plan to diversify fossil fuel-reliant towns and subsidise the wages of coal workers who transition into new jobs, saying employees can stay in mining but should seek employment in critical minerals or green metals.

Workers would get a decade or more support under the plan, with the Greens’ idea seeing the government pay half the wage of their new job in “non-polluting industries” outside the coal, oil and gas sectors. The focus on transitioning mining towns into new industries comes as the Greens stress their belief that “coal workers haven’t caused the climate crisis”, three years after former party leader Bob Brown’s anti-Adani convoy through Queensland was partly blamed by some for a cratering of the progressive vote in that state.

“Australia is sleepwalking into the closure of the coal industry, but every single worker is being told by the Liberal and Labor parties that they have nothing to worry about,” the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said.

You can read the full report below:

Heads up, we are also expecting to hear from the prime minister in the next half hour or so. He is announcing some space program funding, but I think it’s save to say that the key topic of this press conference will ultimately be the Ukraine situation.

Looks like we will be getting an update on both the Covid and flood situation in Queensland in about two hours.

Man dies in NSW floodwaters after deluge

A man has died after his vehicle was lost in floodwaters on the NSW Central Coast overnight, reports AAP.

The body of the 54-year-old Matcham man was found in a Toyota LandCruiser near the Maddens Creek crossing at Matcham, east of Gosford, about 1.30am on Friday.

Emergency services were called after reports a vehicle had gone missing in floodwaters at about midnight.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

The man’s death comes after several areas on the mid-north coast and Central Coast were smashed with more than 100mm of rain in 24 hours.

Updated

Federal Labor intervention into Victorian branch upheld

The Victorian court of appeal has issued a judgment in the challenge against the federal Labor intervention into the Victorian branch.

The court dismissed the appeal, which was brought by Diana Asmar on behalf of the Health Services Union and other members of Labor-affiliated unions who say the intervention deprived them of voting rights in preselections.

The court found the trial judge was correct to conclude the Victorian branch was bound by the national constitution, and Labor’s national executive acted within power in the intervention, which was triggered by allegations of branch stacking.

This is a win for Labor leader Anthony Albanese and national secretary Paul Erickson, although it might not be the final word – that will depend on whether Asmar seeks leave to appeal in the high court.

Interestingly, the court found the preselection disputes are subject to the court’s jurisdiction. There is a long-running argument in Australian electoral law about whether party disputes are purely internal matters or can be judged by courts.

By coming down in favour of yes courts can hear the disputes, this case may pave the way for more litigation like the appeal to the NSW supreme court about the NSW Liberal branch’s federal preselection woes.

Since Asmar won on that point, there’ll be submissions about how to carve up costs. But, it was a win for the federal intervention today.

Updated

The prime minister has praised Australian aerial skier Danielle Scott for withdrawing from the World Cup finals, which was due to be held in Russia, to their actions in Ukraine.

Morrison then called for all international sporting events in Russia to be cancelled.

Updated

The Northern Territory government has been condemned for a “breach of trust” after NT police confirmed that spithoods and restraint chairs remain in use, despite promises to phase out the “inhumane” devices.

NT police data reported by the NT News shows spithoods have been used 27 times since 2018 and 21 of those applications having occurred since 2020.

Restraint chairs were used six times on young people in police watch houses between 2020 and 2021, and in one instance was used on a 15-year-old boy in Katherine.

While they were used throughout the Territory, the most frequent location they were used was in the Palmerston watch house, where they were used 15 times on children.

You can read the full report below:

This is the front page of our UK paper today.

Victoria records 11 Covid deaths and 6,580 new infections

Scott Morrison has played down the prospect of fighting “temporary” fuel price hikes with a cut in excise tax, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reignites concerns about Australia’s energy security.

With petrol prices at the bowser already north of $1.80 and headed to $2.00, the expected invasion has added to global oil price pressures and led to concern for gas supplies to Europe – although experts say there is little Australia can do about either.

The government has come under pressure including from independent senator, Rex Patrick, to cut fuel excise, which is 44.2 cents a litre. Labor so far has attacked the government on fuel security but has not weighed in on tax.

On Thursday Morrison acknowledged that Australia’s petrol prices are “very high” but explained there was a “a global issue with fuel prices”.

You can read the full report from Paul Karp and Daniel Hurst below:

It really is bucketing down over in south-east Queensland!

Updated

NSW records six Covid deaths and 7,583 new cases

Russian president Vladimir Putin is determined to rebuild the Russian Federation into something akin to the old Soviet Union, according to Australia’s former foreign affairs minister.

Julie Bishop says the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be profound as the Russian president “rips up the rulebook”, reports AAP.

Bishop told the Seven Network:

He is formidable. He is a risk taker. He has been threatening for many years that he won’t tolerate an expansion of Nato membership on Russia’s borders.

Now this is a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Clearly, he is not bluffing [and] I cannot see a scenario where he will pull back.

The comments came as Ukraine’s top diplomat in Australia called for more financial, military and humanitarian assistance for his country as Russia’s invasion continued overnight.

An emotional charge d’affaires Volodomyr Shalkivskyi said Ukrainians remained shocked as residents desperately fight for their country or try to flee to the country’s west.

He told the Nine Network on Friday:

It’s really painful to see the places where you spent your time usually with your family that’s right now the place for the fighting.

It’s our country and we need to defend it ourselves. But what we need is mounting pressure on Kremlin.

Updated

The most disadvantaged areas of Melbourne have been hit hardest by Covid-19 deaths during Victoria’s Omicron wave, further underscoring the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on communities with lower employment and income levels, and poorer access to services.

Data obtained exclusively by Guardian Australia shows that in Melbourne’s most disadvantaged local government areas (LGAs), Covid deaths occurred at a rate of 26 deaths per 100,000 residents. This substantially outweighs deaths in areas of greater socio-economic advantage.

The local government areas of Brimbank, Greater Dandenong and Kingston accounted for 134 of the 943 Covid deaths in the state between 8 December 2021 and 21 February 2022.

You can read the full report from Stephanie Convery and Josh Nicholas below:

Torrential rain is expected to continue on the north coast of New South Wales as Sydney rounds out what is likely to be its wettest summer in three decades, reports AAP.

The mid north coast and central coast copped the brunt of the rain on Thursday with more than 100mm of rain falling in several areas in the space of 24 hours.

On the central coast, Bateau Bay recorded 116mm, Erina Heights 136mm, Mount Elliott 115mm, and Wamberal Reservoir 140mm since 9am on Thursday.

Further north, Bellingen recorded 173mm, Bowraville 112mm, Dorrigo 103mm, Glennifer 135mm, and Gosford 136mm.

An offshore surface trough near the Qld-NSW border is expected to bring further downpours to south-east Queensland and northern NSW on Friday.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Dean Narramore says isolated rainfall totals in some areas stretching from Byron Bay in NSW up to K’Gari Island in Queensland could exceed 300mm in the coming days.

This is a dangerous set up as very heavy rainfall falls over already saturated soils.

He warned people living near rivers or creeks their homes could be inundated and there was a risk of dangerous flash flooding.

The SES has issued an evacuation warning for low-lying areas along the Nambucca River and door-knocked homes around there overnight. Some 630 callouts were received by the SES in the 24 hours up to 6am Thursday, with 27 flood rescues, predominantly from vehicles. Many of the calls for help were for sandbagging to protect against flooding and for damaged roofs.

The Northern Rivers, mid north coast and Central Coast are the areas of concern for the SES on Friday.

SES assistant commissioner Dean Storey told the ABC on Thursday there is a “very concerning weather system ... sitting just off the coast and due to make landfall”.

Updated

European share markets have largely borne the initial brunt of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with steep falls in stocks, while Wall Street has so far avoided following suit.

Russia’s main share index plunged by a third, erasing some $US200bn in value, in a record rout for that country’s bourse, Bloomberg reported.

The pan‑European STOXX 600 index sank 3.3% to nine‑month lows, a decline echoed in major financial centres from London to Paris and Frankfurt, with those markets all losing about 4%.

Wall Street, though, rebounded with the Nasdaq index recently up 3.3%, the S&P 500 1.4% ahead and the Dow Jones Industrial average gaining about 0.3%.

That sets up Australian stocks for a rise at the open, with futures up about 1.3%, a gain that would start to claw back some of Thursday’s 3% retreat that wiped out more than $70bn in market value.

On currency markets, the euro lost as much as 1.8% against the US dollar, touching its weakest level of $US1.11 since June 2020, according to Bloomberg data. Russia’s ruble hit fresh record lows against the US dollar of about 84 rubles per greenback.

Crude oil, meanwhile, pared its earlier advances, with Brent dropping back below the $US100 a barrel level that it reached earlier on Thursday. Still, oil remains near its highest levels since 2014.

The invasion of Ukraine, a major wheat exporter, also pushed up food commodity prices, with wheat rising 5% to hit decade highs. Rabobank, an agribusiness specialist, estimates that some 5 million tonnes of Ukraine’s wheat crop had still to be shipped before the invasion, creating a shortfall that would likely be made up by US and European suppliers.

The Australian dollar, meanwhile, is hovering around US71.75c, where we last saw it on Thursday evening, local time.

Updated

Let’s return briefly to Peter Dutton’s comments a short time ago about China. (The defence minister urged China to use its “special relationship” with Russia to urge it to pull back from war in Ukraine.)

It’s true that the Chinese government has not clearly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That’s despite China’s long-standing and repeated position that “all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected” (a position it raises to essentially urge other countries not to speak up about Taiwan, which is a self-governed democracy of 24 million people but which Beijing regards as its breakaway territory).

At a daily press conference in Beijing overnight, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, declined to use the word “invasion” in relation to Russia’s actions. She said the situation in Ukraine had “a complicated historical background and context” and added:

The current state of affairs is not what we would hope to see.

Hua called on “all sides to exercise restraint and prevent the situation from getting out of control”. Hua said it was “quite offensive” to ask whether China’s Xi Jinping had given Russia’s Vladimir Putin his blessing to attack Ukraine, insisting that Russia “makes its foreign policy decisions independently” and China was not a direct party to the conflict.

Updated

The collapse of construction giant Probuild could be just the start of financial trouble across the Covid-ravaged industry as it struggles with soaring costs and project delays, the construction sector’s peak body warns.

Probuild, which directly employed about 750 people and had annual revenues of more than $1.4bn, was placed into voluntary liquidation by its South African owners Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) late on Wednesday.

Contractors and other workers turned up at sites on Thursday in several Australian cities to collect equipment, including at CSL’s $750m proposed new headquarters in Melbourne.

You can read the full report below:

Some Australians in Ukraine may need to shelter in a bunker as shelling continues: defence minister says

Dutton has told ABC radio that it may be necessary for some Australians in Ukraine to “stay in a bunker” until it’s safer to move to the border and leave the country.

We’ve been very clear for a period of time that people, Australian citizens or those close family members, should leave immediately and we had been encouraging that...

There are Australian citizens dual citizens who have arrangements in Ukraine, deeply embedded family, there are numerous reasons as to why they haven’t wanted to move but if people can make their way to the border our advice would be for them to do that.

Depending on where they are, it might be safe for them to stay in a bunker, or stay where they are in situ, because it’s obviously a very volatile environment.

Updated

Dutton says it is now “very clear to us” that Russia’s accusation of Ukrainian aggression in the separatist Donbas regions was “all a ruse”.

It’s very clear to us already that, you know, the false flag activities, the claimed provocations, protecting regions etc, was all a ruse.

The defence minister was asked if the Russian troops’ capture of the Chernobyl power plant raised a “whole new element of danger” in the conflict.

There’s no question it does and there will be other key facilities that are significant for various reasons that would also come into question.

It’s deeply disturbing ... the most important consideration of course is for those people who are innocent, for women and children in particular, who will be victims of this dreadful move.

Updated

Dutton has called out China as one of the only major world powers who haven’t taken a clear stand against Russia.

The world has been united in its view against Putin, except for China ... they’re not prepared to do that it seems, which is deeply concerning ... they’re probably watching the world reaction, so they can make their calculations down the track in relation to Taiwan.

Updated

'We shouldn’t take peace for granted,' defence minister says

The Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, says Russia’s actions should “raise alarm bells” around the world.

It’s clear the president has had this invasion in mind for some time. And it should be an alarm bell. It should be a wake-up call to all of Europe but to the rest of the world, including Australia, that we shouldn’t take the peace that we’ve had since the cold war for granted.

Updated

Morning everyone. It’s Matilda Boseley here, coming to you today from the wonderful city of Sydney. That’s right, I’m in the Sydney office! But here’s the thing, I don’t know how to make the coffee machine here work, so if the blog seems a little slower this morning, you know why.

OK, there is a lot to get through so why don’t we jump right in.

The mask mandate in NSW has been dramatically scaled back this morning, with Victoria to follow at midnight tonight, only required in limited indoor situations, such as on public transport, taxis, and in airports and hospitals and, in NSW, at indoor music festivals with more than 1,000 people.

In Victoria, some groups of workers will also have to keep wearing masks, including hospitality and retail workers, people who work in primary schools and early childhood centres, and justice and correctional facility staff.

Queensland is set to join its eastern state colleagues in relaxing mask mandates next Friday 4 March.

Speaking of Queensland, there has also been some tragic news, two people now killed in floods caused by a weather system that has been drenching the state and is set to keep pouring down today.

A 54-year-old man was killed when trying to ride a motorbike through rising water at Gympie and a 63-year-old woman’s body was found in a submerged car on the Sunshine Coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology say more heavy rainfall and potentially “life-threatening flash flooding” are set to peak today in the state’s southeast and possibly extend into northern NSW.

BOM’s Brooke Pagel told AAP that up to 300mm of rain may inundate the region where the trough crosses the east coast.

Judging by satellite images the system is likely to impact the coast by Friday morning.

We don’t know the exact location, whether it is Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast or down towards the NSW border.

But because it is so slow moving, intense rainfalls are likely to be wherever it makes landfall so there is the risk of flooding as well.

Now, I will also be bringing you all the Australian reactions to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, but you can also follow along more closely on the Guardian’s live blog dedicated to covering the crisis. You can find that below:

With that, why don’t we jump right into the day?

Updated

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