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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Tory Shepherd and Mostafa Rachwani (earlier)

More than 30 people died due to triple-zero delays in Victoria; Qantas boss warns against IR reforms – as it happened

Qantas Australia Alan Joyce Barnaby Joyce Flood
Victorian ambulances outside a hospital
Thirty-three people have died because of delays and other issues with Victoria’s triple-zero call service, an independent review has found. Photograph: Diego Fedele/Getty Images

What we learned today, Saturday 3 September

That’s it for today, people. Stay safe in all that rain, NSW, I hope the sun comes out tomorrow. Here are today’s headlines:

  • Thirty-three people died after the pandemic swamped Victoria’s triple-zero system.

  • Australia’s thunder birds were no longer “go” once the climate changed and they couldn’t keep up.

  • There’s been a staggering increase in deaths from fentanyl overdoses, Melissa Davey has reported.

  • The death of a seven year old in the understaffed Perth Children’s hospital was preventable, the coroner has found.

  • Prime minister Anthony Albanese is under increasing pressure not to deliver tax cuts that overwhelmingly favour the rich.

  • And tennis champion Serena Williams played a stonking game, and one that may have been the last of her career. She may have lost, but she will go down in history as one of the greats.

We’ll be back here shortly after sparrowfart tomorrow, tracking all the day’s happenings.

Updated

In case you missed it earlier, this is a clear-eyed look at those tax cuts from Malcolm Farr:

The stage three tax formula is a Morrison legacy, but if it goes ahead and is hugely unpopular it will belong to the Anthony Albanese prime ministership.

Updated

There is also a mannequin in a full space suit called Captain Moonikin Campos…

Ed Husic rejects idea that collective enterprise bargaining will lead to strikes

The science and industry minister, Ed Husic, will not have a bar of the idea that collective enterprise bargaining will see strikes shut the nation down. At a press conference earlier today, as ripples from the federal government’s jobs and skills summit continued to spread, he said:

If you look at the way that workplaces have operated, industrial action has not been a big part of the landscape; one.

Two, if you look at the summit this week, there are a lot of businesses that were expressing a view that they’re happy to consider and work with this type of proposition to make it a reality.

Three, I think our businesses recognise we do need to have some sort of change. The enterprise bargaining system isn’t working the way it once was and also I think there’s an understanding that for low-paid Australians the system is not working and delivering. So we do need to do things differently and to make that a better system for many, not just a few.

Updated

Birdsville races celebrate 140th anniversary

AAP has a nice little history of the 140 years of the Birdsville races:

More than a century ago, Queenslanders got their racing tips in a newspaper column called ‘Sporting Gossip by Hermit’.

On 18 November, 1882, The Brisbane Courier section briefly described a new race in the outback town of Birdsville.

‘We shall probably hear of many more successful gatherings there,’ it said.

Hermit was right. The race, which began as a small event for 150 stockmen and horse owners, is celebrating its 140th anniversary this weekend.

Trainers have brought horses from as far as Darwin to compete in the meet with a prize purse of $260,000.

Updated

Fashions on the field in Birdsville are a little more vibrant than at other races.

Here’s a look at some of the fans at this year’s 140th anniversary of the races:

Fans at the 140th anniversary of the Birdsville races in Queensland
Fans at the 140th anniversary of the Birdsville races in Queensland
Fans at the 140th anniversary of the Birdsville races in Queensland

Updated

Here are some more details on that terribly sad report today about the deaths in Victoria after the pandemic swamped the emergency call network:

Who knew 3 September was Australia’s national flag day?

I’ve clearly spent too much time thinking about space, because when a colleague mentioned this story earlier I assumed she was talking about the Thunderbirds.

This piece about Australia’s extinct dromornithids is far more interesting than the British sci-fi series:

Updated

Nasa to make second attempt at launching rocket around moon

I don’t know about “wonderful”, but this is pretty cool (if it happens).

Nasa is now hoping to launch its Artemis moon mission in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Australian time. And Australians will be keeping their beady eyes on it for the duration of the 42-day trip from CSIRO’s Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. Technical issues saw the rocket miss the first launch window (last week), but now it’s all systems go.

Unless, of course, they don’t. Anyway, you can read all about it here:

Updated

Champion, thanks Mostafa Rachwani. Afternoon all. I cannot promise much on the “wonderful” front but I’ll see what I can drum up!

Updated

And with that, I will hand the blog over to the wonderful Tory Shepherd for the rest of the day. Thanks for reading.

Updated

Federal government brings together unions and agriculture groups to address farming challenges

Earlier today, the agriculture minister, Murray Watt, announced the creation of a tripartite working group that brings together unions, peak agricultural groups and government to work through some of the challenges facing farmers.

In a statement, Watt says the group will meet once a month to deal with the key issues in the industry, including skills shortages, pay standards and working conditions. Watt added that it was “rare” to get these groups together, after years of disagreements.

He took to Twitter to celebrate the announcement, saying it was “historic”.

Updated

Tasmania records 179 new Covid cases and one death

Tasmania has reported one Covid-related death overnight, as well as 179 new cases. There are 29 people in hospital with the virus, and one person in ICU.

Updated

Victoria’s triple-zero service ‘broken under Daniel Andrews’, opposition says

The Victorian opposition emergency services spokesman, Brad Battin, has responded to the report that showed the state’s triple-zero call service had been struggling of late.

Battin says the system is “simply broken under Daniel Andrews”, adding that Andrews has been in charge of the health system as minister or premier for 12 of the past 16 years:

This report reveals that at least 33 deaths are now linked to Triple Zero or ambulance delays as only 39 per cent of emergency calls were answered within the target 5 second timeframe in January 2022.

During this period, one emergency call to Triple Zero took 70 minutes to be answered.

IGEM Tony Pearce has identified December 2020 as a period of increasing demand for Triple Zero, yet at the same time Daniel Andrews was cutting the number of ambulance, police and fire call-takers.

This means that across the beginning of the Covid pandemic, fewer Triple Zero staff were available to take an increasing number of calls – contributing to longer delays and tragic outcomes.

Daniel Andrews has run Victoria’s health system as premier or minster for 12 of the past 16 years, the person who broke the system is not the one to fix it.

Updated

South Australia records six Covid deaths and 532 new cases

South Australia is reporting 532 new Covid cases today, as well as six deaths:

Updated

ACT records 180 new Covid cases

The Australian Capital Territory has recorded 180 new cases overnight, with 91 people in hospital and one person in ICU.

Updated

Western Australia reports four Covid deaths and 1,076 new cases

Western Australia has recorded four deaths and 1,076 new Covid cases overnight, with 209 people in hospital and five in ICU.

Updated

Thirty-three people have died due to triple-zero delays in Victoria, review finds

More than 30 people died after delays and other issues with Victoria’s triple-zero call service, a review has found.

Victoria’s inspector general for emergency management, Tony Pearce, identified 40 potential adverse events as the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) service was swamped during the pandemic.

Pearce said:

Victorians expect that when they call triple zero (000), their call will be answered promptly.

The current benchmark for ESTA’s speed of call answer for emergency ambulance is that within a calendar month, ESTA answers 90% of such calls within five seconds.

Despite its careful planning and best endeavours ESTA’s call answer speed performance for emergency ambulance via 000 has fallen below community and government expectations and performance benchmarks during the pandemic.

In some cases, calls were queued for 15 minutes and longer, he wrote.

Ambulances at St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne
The Victorian government says it will continue to reform the emergency system with more resources, better training and stronger governance. Photograph: Diego Fedele/Getty Images

Of the 40 adverse events, 33 people died. Pearce said he did not make any findings about whether faster intervention would have stopped those deaths – that will be a matter for the coroner:

I therefore apologise to the families and friends of those 33 people, if their expectations of this report are not met concerning the circumstances of their loved ones’ emergencies.

The Victorian government has accepted the findings and supports all the recommendations.

The emergency services minister, Jaclyn Symes, said the government would continue to reform the system with more resources, better training and stronger governance. She said:

I offer my deepest sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones during the pandemic.

Our dedicated call-takers, dispatchers and other staff at ESTA have worked tirelessly to support Victorians in the face of sustained, unprecedented pandemic-related call volumes – we cannot thank them enough.

Building on significant investments and major structural reforms already under way, we are using the lessons from these reviews to prepare our system to be strong and resilient into the future.

Updated

Serena Williams loses final match before retirement to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović

Incredibly, Serena Williams has lost her last ever match to Australian Ajla Tomljanović, ending her luminous career in dramatic fashion, after surviving five match points in an epic tussle.

Reactions and more at our live blog:

Updated

Serena Williams on verge of losing to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović

And tennis great, arguably the greatest player of all time, Serena Williams is on the verge of losing her US Open match, and ending her career in a loss to Australian Ajla Tomljanović.

Follow the action on our live blog:

Updated

Man rescued off Western Australian coast after catamaran capsizes

An Australian sailor has been rescued off the coast of Western Australia overnight, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

In a statement released this morning, AMSA says the sailor was travelling solo from Indonesia to Fremantle when his 11-metre catamaran capsized.

The man was found by Marshall Islands-registered bulk carrier MV Seapearl after authorities mounted a search for him:

AMSA’s Response Centre tasked the Perth-based Challenger rescue aircraft, a Pearce based RAAF rescue helicopter and diverted Marshall Islands registered bulk carrier MV SEAPEARL to conduct a search.

The man was found and rescued from the tender to his catamaran by MV SEAPEARL in very challenging weather conditions.

We thank MV SEAPEARL for their cooperation.

Updated

Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović plays Serena Williams at US Open

Elsewhere, greatest tennis player of all time, Serena Williams, is currently losing to Australian Ajla Tomljanović (who won the first set 7-5). With the second set heading into a tiebreaker, it’s worth keeping up with our live blog:

Updated

Magnitude 6 earthquake in Papua New Guinea’s New Britain region

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck the New Britain region in Papua New Guinea earlier this morning.

While news is still coming in about the quake, we know it struck around 159km from Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 134km.

We will bring you more as it comes in.

Updated

Heavy rain and flash flooding risk forecast for NSW

NSW is bracing for more heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding around the northern and mid-north coasts. The SES has had 45 requests for help so far, and has extra resources in the area.

The rain is expected to keep coming over the weekend and the SES has advised those in affected areas to review their flood plans – residents in low lying areas of the Orara River need to watch and act.

The Bureau of Meteorology has just updated its warnings.

Updated

Eighteen-year-old charged with murder in Perth

An 18-year-old has been charged with murder in Perth, as police say a 17-year-old died on Friday after being hospitalised with an injury consistent with a stab wound earlier this week.

WA police said the 18-year-old had his charge changed, from grievous bodily harm to murder, and will appear before the Perth magistrates court later today.

The change in the charge comes after police launched an investigation into the incident, that occurred in North Perth last Saturday.

The 17-year-old was found injured on Bourke Street North Perth, where he was subsequently taken to Sir Charles Gardiner hospital.

Updated

And if you want a more expansive read on where the dispute between the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and the NSW government is at, Michael McGowan’s great analysis is a must-read:

Updated

NSW industrial relations minister calls out Labor’s ‘brazen intervention’ in rail dispute

The dispute between the NSW government and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) escalated considerably this week, after the government threatened to tear up the enterprise agreement covering rail workers.

But, in a twist to the tale, federal employment minister Tony Burke wrote to the Fair Work Commission president on Friday, noting his plans to restrict employers from using the very powers the NSW Coalition wants to use against the union.

This morning, NSW industrial relations minister Damien Tudehope criticised Burke for his “brazen intervention” in the Australian newspaper, saying the Labor brings “arrogance and entitlement” to government.

Tudehope said the letter sent a “clear message” to the RTBU to “keep up the strikes” as “Labor has your back”:

The brazen intervention of Labor into the Fair Work Commission to support the rail unions and their political campaign of rolling strikes is a disgrace.

For Tony Burke to be asking the Fair Work Commission to ­implement his agenda while the summit is still sitting, let alone any consultation occurring on his planed legislation, shows the depth of arrogance and entitlement that the union movement and Labor bring to government.

Updated

Victoria records 10 Covid deaths and 2,013 new cases

Victoria has recorded 10 Covid deaths and 2,013 new cases:

Updated

NSW records 18 Covid deaths and 3,602 new cases

NSW is reporting 18 Covid related deaths overnight, and 3,602 new cases:

Updated

Qantas boss warns against multi-­employer bargaining

I wanted to just return to Qantas boss Alan Joyce’s comments this morning on industrial relations, which are an interesting reflection on the jobs and skills summit.

Joyce was quoted by the Australian newspaper questioning one of the central outcomes of the summit, multi-­employer bargaining agreements, with Joyce warning against the idea:

The idea of industry wide bargaining is something Australia left behind a long time ago … and there were good reasons why.

In trying to solve one set of problems we need to be careful to avoid creating new ones.

What you don’t want is the pendulum swinging too far in ­either direction on industrial relations because the economy relies on getting the balance right.

Updated

Key takeaways from Labor’s jobs and skills summit

You could be excused for feeling a little lost at all the major and minor agreements and details that emerged from the jobs and skills summit, and you would not be alone.

Thankfully, Josh Butler has pulled together five key takeaways from the summit, which include changes to migration numbers, pension rules and bargaining, as well as what has been described as a renewed spirit of collaboration and cooperation with business and unions.

Updated

Barnaby Joyce on new Tamworth aged care facility being built next to a pub

Barnaby Joyce has joked that people can “pick up a bottle on the way home” from visiting a planned new aged care facility in his electorate, which is being built next to a pub and shops.

The shadow minister for veterans’ affairs and member for New England made the comments at the announced new 144-bed Signature Care facility in Tamworth on Friday.

He said:

You can come in there and see mum or dad, and pick up a bottle on the way home.

Seven News reported the facility was originally planned for a residential area, however the company has said while there will be some music from the pub, the facility will be sound-proofed.

Updated

Good morning

Good morning and happy Saturday to all, Mostafa Rachwani with you today, to take you through the day’s news.

We begin with fallout from the government’s jobs and skills summit, held over the last few days, with prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, emerging with “36 concrete areas of action that will happen this year”.

That hasn’t stopped criticism early this morning, with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce telling the Australian industry wide bargaining, one of the central outcomes from the summit, was something “Australia left behind a long time ago … and there were good reasons why”.

In trying to solve one set of problems we need to be careful to avoid creating new ones.

It comes as northern NSW was issued flood warnings, with over 100mm of rain forecast for the mid-north coast over the coming hours. The entire northern half of NSW is on notice for heavy rain, gusty winds, flash flooding and large waves.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued minor to moderate flood warnings for the Darling, Murray, Edwards, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, and Bogan Rivers, while minor flood warnings were issued for the Naomi and Macquarie Rivers, and an initial flood warning for the Orara, Bellinger and Hastings Rivers.

We will bring you all the latest on that as it happens, and everything else happening around the country.

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