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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Henry Belot and Emily Wind (earlier)

Pre-emptive disaster declarations for Cairns and Townsville – as it happened

Steven Miles Shannon Fentiman Queensland Rachel McCrow Michael Kerr Mike Parr Michele Bullock Australia Matthew Arnold Labor
Tropical Cyclone Jasper
Cyclone Jasper map. Photograph: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

What we learned today, Tuesday 12 December

We will wrap up the blog here this Tuesday evening. Here’s what made the news today:

Thanks very much for you company today. See you bright and early tomorrow.

Updated

The West Australian government will give politicians more power to direct the state’s independent environmental protection authority in a bid to “slash green tape”, AAP reports.

The EPA’s board will also be expanded to include more skills-based members in a major overhaul of WA’s environmental protection laws designed to unlock billions of dollars of investment for major job-creating projects.

Premier Roger Cook said the current approvals system is strained and failing amid a significant increase in the number of projects applying for environmental approval:

Our economy is growing, and our success in attracting major projects. Delays and uncertainty are putting a handbrake on investment and jobs.

Save the Children back independent school report

Australia’s branch of Save the Children has backed the findings of an independent report into the school system, which called for a greater prioritisation of student wellbeing and closing funding gaps.

The report will inform the upcoming negotiations between states, territories and the Commonwealth over school funding and reform.

Matt Gardiner, chief executive of the 54 reasons branch of Save the Children, said the report provided a “clear mandate” for governments to prioritise wellbeing in the next National School Reform Agreement (NSRA):

All children have a right to education that is inclusive and meets their individual circumstances … we have consistently called for a robust national measure of student wellbeing and engagement, combined with substantial investment in evidence-based support for students and schools.

It comes as on Tuesday, Australian Education Union (AEU) president Correna Haythorpe delivered 60,000 postcards of support for full public school funding to the prime minister’s electorate office in Marrickville.

Speaking on ABC Radio National this morning, the federal education minister, Jason Clare, said Labor had “committed to working with” states and territories to get public schools to their fair funding level:

That’s what the NSRA that we negotiate and finalise next year is all about. But this is not about blank cheques, we also need to make sure that we tie that funding to the sort of things that we know work, so that we don’t just fix this funding gap, we also fix the education gap.

Updated

Here’s some more information on Tropical Cyclone Jasper, from the Bureau of Meteorology. As mentioned earlier, it’s expected to cross the far north Queensland coast tomorrow brining very heavy and “life threatening” rainfall.

Newspapers seek lump sum in Ben Roberts-Smith case

Lawyers for Ben Roberts-Smith and Kerry Stokes oppose an application for a court to award a lump sum to newspapers who successfully defended the ex-soldier’s defamation claim, saying they do not have enough detail about whether the costs incurred were reasonable.

The federal court heard on Tuesday afternoon that lawyers for the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times had written to the court and lawyers for Roberts-Smith, Stokes and the Seven Network only hours earlier requesting Justice Anthony Besanko make a lump sum costs order.

The orders can be sought to avoid additional costs being generated when lawyers are instead required to prepare a more detailed bill of costs for taxation.

Nicholas Owens SC, representing the newspapers, said the court had made clear in previous cases that such an order was appropriate when it came to large, complex and expensive cases.

The costs of the case have not been revealed, but are believed to be up to $35m.

But Neil Young KC, for Stokes’ private company Australian Capital Equity and Seven, said the newspapers had not provided enough notice of their application nor enough detail, saying there was “no details about costs incurred and no way of assessing if they were necessary or reasonable or disproportionate”.

His submissions were supported by Catherine Gleeson, acting for Roberts-Smith.

Besanko will rule on the application at a later date.

Updated

Migration changes will shut down international student ‘loopholes’, universities say

The peak body for the university sector says the federal government’s migration strategy will shut down loopholes being used to game the system while cautioning against any future caps if desired outcomes aren’t achieved.

Speaking on ABC Melbourne today, the education minister, Jason Clare, fell short of ruling out a cap on international students, adding Labor wanted to see the impact of the migration reforms before considering other measures:

You’ve got to make [the sector] more sustainable. Now, whether that’s a cap or not, that’s something we’ll consider next year … we want to see the impact of these reforms before we consider others.

The chief executive of Universities Australia, Catriona Jackson, told ABC News Breakfast that what was being proposed, including stricter conditions on student visas and expanded work rights for graduates in priority industries, was “much more nuanced” than caps:

We’ve argued strongly against caps because we think that’s a really blunt policy instrument. What’s being proposed here … actually goes to getting rid of those shonks and dodgy operators. It goes to making sure that the integrity of both the visa system but also the integrity of the international student system is really reinforced.

It’s a much better way to go and we genuinely hope that has really fruitful outcomes and that we can do it the right way rather than having to whack a cap on, which is a blunt mechanism which might weed out the wrong people, but also the right people.

Updated

Centrelink and Medicare offices close ahead of imminent cyclone

The government services minister, Bill Shorten, has announced some Centrelink and Medicare offices will close in north Queensland ahead of the expected impacts of Tropical Cyclone Jasper - with local residents encouraged to use phone or online services instead.

The minister said centres in Cairns, Mossman, Yarrabah, Innisfail and Palm Island were shut at 11am today, which he said was “in line with the actions taken from other local businesses”:

Today, we’re taking precautionary measures to ensure staff are not asked to leave their homes to attend work, and can rather spend time preparing their properties and their families for Cyclone Jasper

During natural disasters like fires, floods and cyclones, the safety of staff and customers are absolutely essential, and the last thing we want is to ask Australians to risk their safety during a disaster.

The minister sent his thoughts to Queenslanders who may be affected by the weather event, saying “these are difficult times and are not unfamiliar to those who live in northern Queensland.”

Shorten said the impacted offices would reopen when it’s safe to do so.

As always, Australians can get support with their Centrelink, Medicare and child support business using online services or by calling Services Australia.

Updated

Myefo’s ‘tug of war’ to be on display tomorrow, veteran economist says

The government’s last big economic release for 2023 will land tomorrow with Myefo, the awkward acronym for the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (which should actually be Myeafo).

Anyway, there’s been the usual pre-event drops, such as debt – again expected to be the fastest growing spending item out to 2033-34, rather than the NDIS (as assumed in the May budget).

Chris Richardson, a former treasury economist and now an independent commentator, reckons the debt expense blowout – adding $80bn over the coming 11 years to costs – may turn out to be overly pessimistic.

He notes Treasury adjusted the average cost of new debt to be 4.7% based on rates last month. The yield, though, has since eased to 4.3%, which while more than the 3.4% expected in May, is not quite so bad.

The rates will “jump up and down, but [Treasury] may have accidentally hit a peak” in its timing, Richardson says.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has made it clear Myefo won’t be predicting a surplus for this fiscal year. As we noted here, in our wrap of 2023, higher-than-expected commodity prices and tax revenues mean a second consecutive budget surplus is a good bet.

Richardson says tomorrow’s budget update “will essentially be a tug-of-war between the good news from things like iron ore prices, and bad news from things like the cost of the NDIS”:

The difference is the good news will ultimately be temporary and the bad news will tend to hang around,” affecting future budgets.

The other challenge for Chalmers is not to crow too much about the improved state of the budget at a time when many households are battling rising costs and taxes (as we noted here).

We’ll also get some updated figures on immigration after the population expanded by more than 500,000 in the past year. As Richardson notes, the May budget underestimated how many people would be moving to Australia, and even a paring of the influx will still mean more migrants than earlier forecasts.

“Migration benefits the federal budget but it hurts the states’ budgets,” Richardson says.

Anyway, look out for the Myefo release on this blog tomorrow morning.

Updated

Auctioneer goes viral for trucker cap challenge

An award-winning livestock auctioneer has gone viral after selling a trucker cap on a Melbourne tram at the weekend.

Harry Cozens, a sheep and cattle auctioneer from Albury, NSW, was passed the cap on a tram, following a Zach Bryan concert in Melbourne.

Challenged to sell the cap to passengers, Cozens, who was recently crowned the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association Victorian young auctioneer of the year, took to the stand on the tram, and went into “autopilot.” Here’s what he said:

I didn’t realise how good it might be for someone to watch, especially for people who aren’t exposed to auctioneering week in and week out – how amusing it might be.

I’m just gobsmacked, it’s something I do for a living.

Elsa Pattullo, who filmed the auction, said while people online applauded Cozens for “staying in character,” for people living in rural and regional towns, it’s not a character – it’s a part of life:

When you go out and you’re in the middle of a city and people are giving you funny looks, it was very funny actually … we were all wearing what we normally wear, and people were taking pictures of us. It was really good.

It made my whole weekend, it was better than the concert.

The cap was sold for $74.50 at auction, but Cozens said in the end, no money was lost:

I always try to draw another bid in whatever way I can, so it was quite fun really. The bloke that owned the hat was enough of a gentleman that he told her not to worry.

Cozen’s tip to any aspiring auctioneers? “Practice as often as you can, and back yourself.”

Updated

Far north Queensland mayor says community in ‘good position’ for cyclone

The mayor of Cook Shire Council in far north Queensland, Peter Scott, has been speaking to ABC News about how his community is preparing for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper:

Look, people are starting to board up their windows. I do know that the pubs and the clubs are closing up this evening at eight o’clock.

Council has told to people to say inside tomorrow. We’re not quite sure when this is going to come in. It could come in tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening, but I think we’re in a good position to meet it.

This is almost standard operating procedure. We stock up with food. We do get ready. We know we have to be self-sufficient. We’re getting wonderful support this time from the state government.

Updated

Community protection board announced to provide recommendations on persons released from indefinite detention

The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and immigration minister, Andrew Giles, have announced they have established a community protection board to provide recommendations about people released from immigration detention as a result of the high court’s decision that indefinite detention is unlawful.

The board consists of representatives from the Australian Border Force and the Department of Home Affairs and former law enforcement officials. It met for the first time in Canberra on Monday. Here’s a statement from the ministers:

The board will advise the ABF commissioner and minister for immigration on the management of individuals in the group released due the decision of the high court.

At a press conference in Melbourne the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, responded:

If the government hasn’t yet put together this law enforcement board, and they don’t yet have cases ready to go to court, they’re not going to get there before Christmas.

So, the government had a chance to put these people back into detention, and we don’t believe that even one case is going to come before the courts in the run-up to Christmas.

I think most Australians would shake their head over discussions at barbecues over the course of this Christmas. I think people will be thinking that this prime minister has dropped the ball and made some bad decisions – particularly when it comes to releasing these criminals into the community.

Updated

‘Life-threatening deluge’ imminent in far north Queensland

Here’s another update from Queensland authorities on Cyclone Jasper, which has now been upgraded to a category two system. This from the press conference a few short minutes ago:

As you have heard from the Bureau of Meteorology, there will be between 250mm and 300mm of rain in a six hour period. That is being described by the bureau as a life-threatening deluge.

That means lives are at risk if precautions and actions are not taken in advance of that rain. When the rain comes, Queenslanders need to be prepared.

To put that in context, when we had severe weather in Brisbane in early 2022, there were 500mm of rain that struck the capital and that caused severe flooding.

Queenslanders in the far north of our state need to be prepared.

Updated

Steven Miles issues warning for Queensland residents in path of cyclone

Steven Miles is now speaking directly to people who live in the Cairns, Innisfail, Yarrabah, Castaway Coast, Tablelands, Charters Towers, Port Douglas regions:

If you live in any of those regions, you need to be ready for a cyclone to cross the coast sometime tomorrow. Destructive wind gusts of up to 140km/h are forecast.

We are also expecting very heavy rainfall, which will cause life-threatening flash flooding As we always say, if it flooded, do not cross it, if it’s flooded, forget it.

All of our authorities are well-prepared. We have been assured by all of them that all the preparations we can do, and all the people we can have, are in place already.

Evacuation centres are ready to go.

Updated

Cairns and Townsville declared ‘preemptive disasters’

Queensland authorities have issued a preemptive disaster declaration for the Cairns and Townsville regions to ensure local authorities have “the support and legislative powers to be able to respond to the community and keep the community say”.

Here’s an update from authorities at an ongoing press conference:

Significant preparation has been under way, particularly around the low-lying areas. All essential services have been engaged including our power and communication providers. They are ready to respond as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Authorities have also told people in the far north region to switch off their rooftop solar systems and not to touch them if they fall into floodwaters.

Now is the best time to switch off your rooftop solar. We urge our residents who have roof top solar to seek appropriate information on how to do that safely.

If your system has already been impacted by heavy rain or flooding, our message is simple – do not touch it.

Updated

Tropical Cyclone Jasper upgraded to category two

The Bureau of Meteorology is providing an update on Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which is now expected to make landfall between Cooktown and Cairns around midday on Wednesday.

The BoM is warning of intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life threatening flash flooding:

Flash flooding can occur when we see large amounts of rainfall occurring in a short period of time. So we are likely to see within a six hour period, rainfall of up to 250mm to 300mm.

We could also see up to 500mm occurring within a 24-hour period.

Queensland police are also urging people to treat the risk seriously. Here’s what a spokesperson said a few moments ago:

I want speak candidly about the dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding that we know is going to occur as a result of the system.

As was mentioned a number of times and will be continue to be mentioned today, if it’s flooded, forget it. Never drive or walk into these flooded areas.

Updated

Police confirm two dead after Lilydale plane crash

NSW police has confirmed two people have died in a plane crash about 25km west of Grafton.

The force said emergency services and officers were called to Lilydale around 8.50am, following reports a light plane had crashed into powerlines.

A police spokesperson has just given a quick update in a press conference:

What’s been reported is that a recreational aircraft clipped a power line. As a consequence of that, it crashed on the river.

Unfortunately, the plane caught fire after the impact and the two occupants on the craft passed away at the scene.

We will bring you more on this later, when more information is available.

Updated

Fitbit ordered to pay $11m in penalties

The consumer watchdog says the federal court has ordered US-based Fitbit LLC to pay penalties of $11m after it “admitted making false, misleading or deceptive representations to 58 consumers about their consumer guarantee rights to a refund or a replacement after they claimed their device was faulty”.

In a statement, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Fitbit admitted that its customer service staff told 40 consumers they did not have a right to a replacement product because Fitbit’s two-year “warranty period” had expired.

The ACCC’s acting chair, Catriona Lowe, said all consumers have guaranteed rights under Australian law:

In this case, consumers may have incurred additional expense and inconvenience paying for repairs or replacement products because they were told false and misleading information about their consumer guarantee rights.

All products sold to consumers come with a guarantee that goods are of acceptable quality, and retailers must provide a remedy for faulty goods if this guarantee has not been met, which includes repair, replacement or refund, depending on the circumstances.

Fitbit has been contacted for comment.

Updated

‘Work to do’: Ibac gives Victoria Police wake-up call

Victoria Police must improve its overall integrity culture despite following through on most suggested reforms, an oversight watchdog says.

As AAP reports, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) has analysed the force’s response to 104 of its recommendations from January 2016 to March 2022.

It found the force accepted 92% of its recommendations during that time, partially accepted four per cent and rejected three per cent.

The commission said it remained concerned about ongoing systemic and organisational risks associated with use-of-force reporting, conflicts of interest, declarable associations, note-taking and statement-making:

There is work for Victoria police to do to improve its overall integrity culture to ensure officers are appropriately reporting and investigating misconduct

Ibacis also seeking legislative change to enable the chief commissioner of police to lay disciplinary charges upon receiving a recommendation to do so from Ibac, rather than requiring them to first conduct another inquiry.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today – it was a busy one! There’s still plenty more to come, so I’ll leave you with Henry Belot to guide you through the latest. Take care.

Heatwave conditions expected over NSW

On Thursday, western Sydney is forecast to reach 40C, the Bureau of Meteorology has flagged. The coast and south-west should be milder on Friday, but it will stay warm in the north-east.

This comes as a total fire ban is in place for the South Western and Northern Riverina areas tomorrow.

Updated

One injured in Tasmanian medical centre car crash

Tasmanian police remain on the scene of a serious crash outside a medical centre, where a car has crashed into the front of the building.

Emergency services responded to the crash at Kingborough Medical Centre earlier this afternoon.

Police said one person has been injured, but the severity of the injuries are not yet known.

Motorists and pedestrians are being asked to avoid the area until the scene is cleared.

Updated

Housing advocates call for increased social housing and say employment no longer a protective factor against homelessness

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) has responded to figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) today, which shed light on the escalating housing crisis. (We broke down some of this data earlier, which showed the worsening homelessness crisis across the country.)

Caitlin McDowell, head of public affairs at CHIA NSW, said the data paints a bleak picture of the options available to families facing the housing crisis:

Right now in NSW alone, 46 families and individuals are turned away every day from specialist homelessness services, at a time when there are almost 58,000 households on the social housing waitlist.

These figures show there’s nowhere for so many people to turn when they’re in housing crisis at a time when the rising cost of living is putting families under enormous pressure.

The data also shows 34,708 Victorians sought help from frontline services because of housing affordability stress in the year to 2022-23, an increase of 2,287. The CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons, Deborah Di Natale, said another 60,000 new public and community homes were needed over the next decade.

We’re seeing thousands more people seeking help for housing stress and evictions. This includes people working full and part time.

Previously, employment was a significant protective factor against homelessness. But soaring rents and the lack of social housing have eroded that buffer for many people.

And if it’s difficult to keep a roof over your head while working full or part time, it’s virtually impossible to do so on a very low or no income.

Updated

No fatalities reported after car crashes into Tasmanian medical centre

Emergency services are on the scene at a medical centre in Tasmania, where a car has crashed into the building. Tasmanian police confirmed that there has been a crash at the Kingborough Medical Centre in Kingston, south of Hobart.

A car has crashed into the front of the centre, and emergency services are on the scene working to provide assistance to those there.

Police do not yet know how many people are injured. No fatalities have been reported.

Updated

NSW firefighter who died fighting house fire ‘probably struck by a beam’

AAP has more detail on the north-west Sydney house fire, where a 51-year-old firefighter collapsed and died this morning:

The firefighter was inside the house when he collapsed, Adam Dewberry, a superintendent with Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent said.

He was probably struck by a beam and suffered injuries as a result.

Colleagues from FRNSW and the NSW Rural Fire Service dragged the man from the house and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. FRNSW had two trucks at the scene from Richmond and Windsor. The organisation is yet to reveal which station the deceased man belonged to.

Supt Dewberry said there was no reliable information to suggest anyone was at the home at the time of the blaze. Firefighters searched the property as part of standard procedure.

He was unaware of major injuries to other firefighters.

Updated

Working group formed to draft plan to address governance and safety in education

Education ministers have tasked a working group to draw up an action plan addressing workplace reforms in the tertiary sector.

In late November, the working group – formed this year after backlash over the tertiary sector’s response to sexual assault, sexual harassment and gendered violence – called for the establishment of a national ombudsman on student safety.

Ministers fell short of adopting the plan, instead announcing a consultation period until 31 January. In a meeting on Monday, the ministers were briefed by the chair of the working group on work underway to address governance and student and staff safety.

Mministers confirmed they had tasked the working group to draw up a draft action plan on workplace compliance and university governance in early 2024.

Updated

Education ministers approve new guidelines for learner teachers

Australia’s education ministers have approved new national guidelines to reform early career teachers and new school leaders.

In their last meeting for the year, held yesterday, ministers consulted on Labor’s National Teacher Workforce Action Plan (NTWAP), including the recent launch of a new national campaign to raise the status of teaching and address workforce shortages.

As part of the meeting, new national guidelines and amendments to accreditation of teachers were approved, which will set out core content higher education providers will have to include in initial teacher education degrees.

Providers will have until the end of 2025 to make the changes, and a new ITE (initial teacher education) quality assurance oversight board will be established to improve the quality of courses.

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, ministers also confirmed they would “work together to consider the recommendations” made as part of the NDIS review final report to improve the experience of children and students with disabilities.

Updated

Queensland Fire pays tribute to NSW firefighter

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service has expressed its condolences after a NSW firefighter lost his life battling a house fire today.

Writing on X/Twitter, QFES said:

We are deeply saddened to hear a firefighter has passed away in the line of duty in NSW this morning.

Our hearts go out to our colleagues across the border, as well as the firefighter’s family and friends.

The 51-year-old man collapsed at the scene of the fire, but was unable to be revived.

Updated

Anthony Albanese congratulates Steven Miles

The prime minister Anthony Albanese has congratulated Steven Miles, who will become Queensland’s next premier.

Writing on X/Twitter, Albanese said:

Steven has always stood up for Queensland, from keeping people safe during the pandemic and floods, to delivering more renewable energy for his state.

I’m looking forward to working with him more closely through National Cabinet.

Updated

ABC cancels The Drum

The ABC has axed its daily live panel program The Drum resulting in five redundancies.

The ABC said the decision was made to focus the ABC News Channel on its “core roles of continuous news, breaking news and news video production”.

The ABC will also expand the role of the Asia Pacific Newsroom as the home of specialist coverage on the region.

Drum presenters Julia Baird, Ellen Fanning and Dan Bourchier will move to other roles with the ABC.

Updated

BoM urges Queenslanders to prepare for incoming cyclone

The Bureau of Meteorology is urging people in far north Queensland to get prepared now for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jaspar.

You can watch the full video in the link below, shared on social media, which shows the BOM has invested in their video capacity!

Updated

BoM update on Tropical Cyclone Jasper

Here is the latest on Tropical Cyclone Jasper from the Bureau of Meteorology:

Jasper is currently a category one system, with wind gusts of up to 120km/h forecast to begin this afternoon. It is sitting 245km east north-east of Cairns and 350km north north-east of Townsville, and is moving west north-west at 12km/h.

The cyclone may intensify overnight as it moves towards the coast [and is] expected to become a category system two system and make landfall tomorrow between Cooktown and Cairns.

Updated

Steven Miles set to be Queensland’s next premier

Queensland’s deputy premier Steven Miles has confirmed he will approach the caucus on Friday to be the state’s new premier, along with treasurer Cameron Dick as his deputy:

Cameron has been a strong Treasurer … I am grateful that he is supporting me. We have been friends for a long time, we share a vision …

Caucus will meet on Friday and the ultimate decision rests with caucus. I will have much more to say about my leadership and the government I lead once caucus has made that decision.

I am not and I will not take a decision for granted … A government I lead will be absolutely focused on the task of helping Queenslanders every single day in every way we possibly can.

Updated

Chris Minns praises ‘true bravery’ of firefighter killed in house fire

NSW premier Chris Minns has expressed his condolences to the family of a firefighter who died in north-west Sydney this morning, while battling a house fire.

He has published this statement to X/Twitter:

I’ve just been advised of the death of a firefighter at Grose Vale, this morning.

To take on a job like this takes true bravery, and it’s a debt that we can’t even begin to repay.

No family ever should ever have to hear this news and my thoughts are with them.

The 51-year-old man collapsed at the scene of the fire, 10km west of Richmond, but was unable to be revived.

Updated

Peter Dutton lambasts government’s new migration plan

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has given a press conference from Melbourne, criticising the government for its newly announced migration plan.

In case you missed it, you can catch the details below:

Dutton argued that migration numbers will actually go up under the plan:

In the May budget, the government predicted that there would be more than 130,000 [migrants] than they projected in May under the migration program, and we know that they’re now predicting that there’ll be 1.625 million people … as opposed to 1.495 million people in the May budget.

So how does [treasurer] Jim Chalmers look the Australian public in the eye and tell them a story about migration which is not true.

Dutton said this in the context of housing, and said the “pressure” migrants will put on the housing market will make it “harder for families”. He also argued changes under the migration plan will make it harder for tradies to get into Australia.

However, as data journalist Josh Nicholas has reported, Australia’s immigration spike is not necessarily driving up housing prices. You can read his full report below:

Updated

Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan resigns after pay dispute

Kelly Ryan speaks during the 2023 Australian Netball Awards.
Kelly Ryan speaks during the 2023 Australian Netball Awards. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Netball Australia chief executive, Kelly Ryan, has resigned days after an in-principle agreement on a new pay deal for players was secured, in the wake of criticism of the sport’s leadership from parts of the netball community.

Ryan said “the timing felt right to hand over the reins to a new leader”.

Continue reading:

Updated

Beached sperm whale dies in Perth

A sperm whale that beached itself on a sandbar at Perth’s Rockingham foreshore has died.

The West Australian department of biodiversity, conservation and attractions (DBCA) said the whale had moved 300m away from the sandbar towards Garden Island about 4.30am local time.

After completing an on-water assessment of the whale, we can confirm that sadly, the whale died at approximately 6:30am.

We would just like to say thank you to everyone involved in this incident, including the community.

Crews are maintaining a safety perimeter around the whale. Additional crews will join the operation this afternoon to assist with moving the carcass to a more secure location in the water, away from the beach, the DBCA statement said.

The next stage of the operation will involve removing the carcass out of the water.

Updated

Two feared dead in Grafton light plane crash

Two people are believed to have died in a plane crash 25km west of Grafton in NSW.

NSW police said emergency services were called to Lilydale around 8.50am, following reports a light plane had crashed into powerlines. Police officers, NSW ambulance, Fire and Rescue NSW and the SES are on the scene where it is believed two people on the aircraft have died.

We will bring you the latest as more information is released.

Updated

AFP employee charged with criminal offences

An Australian Federal Police employee has been charged with criminal offences.

A statement from the AFP says the employee was arrested and charged by AFP Professional Standards:

On 12 December 2023, the AFP employee was the subject of a search warrant after an investigation into their involvement in dishonesty offences contrary to Section 137.1A of the Criminal Code Act 1995, and making a false declaration contrary to Section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.

The employee will appear before the ACT magistrates court today, and has been suspended from duties. The AFP said in its statement it is “committed to transparency”.

Updated

Severe thunderstorms forecast in Queensland as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approaches

Severe thunderstorms are forecast between Bowen and Mackay in Queensland today, as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approaches the coast. Thunderstorms are also possible elsewhere in western and northern parts of the state, the Bureau of Meteorology said:

Updated

Business confidence and conditions still on the slide

Back in the consumer confidence numbers – the other side of the sentiment equation is business, which has generally been more buoyant than consument. That “confidence gap”, though, seems to be narrowing, with NAB’s monthly business survey finding both confidence and actual conditions easing in the latest survey.

Business confidence fell for a second month in a row and is now at its lowest level since 2012 (excluding the Covid dive). Retail and other “consumer-facing” sectors sank further into negative territory, touching lows last seen in the global financial crisis.

Business conditions also remain above average but have now slipped to their lowest level since early in 2022, NAB said. That said, capacity remains tight, and both price and cost growth accelerated in the past month. Labour costs rose 2.2% in quarterly equivalent terms, and overall price growth rose to 1.2%.

We’ll get an update of the labour market conditions on Thursday, with the ABS releasing jobless and other key data for November. Watch out for those numbers right here.

Updated

Fire and Rescue NSW release statement after death of firefighter

Fire and Rescue NSW has also released a statement after one of its on-call firefighters died at a house fire in north-west Sydney this morning.

The 51-year-old man collapsed at the scene of the fire, 10km west of Richmond, but was unable to be revived.

FRNSW said it was working with other authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, “and also provide support to the man’s family, his crew, and the others impacted by this tragedy”:

Our condolences are with the firefighter’s family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time.

Updated

Mark Dreyfus pays tribute to victims of Wiembilla shooting, one year on

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus has released a statement remembering police constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and their brave neighbour Alan Dare, one year on from the tragic Wiembilla shooting.

Dreyfus wrote on X/Twitter:

In the wake of this atrocity, the prime minister, premiers and chief ministers committed to doing more to keep them safe. Last week, full agreement on the national firearms register was reached.

This will save lives.

Today we honour the bravery, and sacrifice of all the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect their communities, and commit to doing all we can to prevent more touchstones being added to the 826 on the national police memorial.

Updated

Steven Miles doorstopped for first time since becoming premier-in-waiting

Queensland’s premier-in-waiting, Steven Miles, has done his first press conference since securing the top job.

He was doorstopped by media while marching into the state’s Queensland emergency operations centre at Kedron Park, alongside the state’s treasurer, Cameron Dick, housing minister, Meghan Scanlon, and education minister, Grace Grace.

Miles will chair a meeting of the state’s disaster management committee this morning. The former deputy premier took few questions, repeating that his priority was Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which is expected to hit north Queensland this week.

The former deputy premier is expected to do a more substantial press conference at 11am Queensland time/12pm AEDT.

Updated

NSW firefighter dies while responding to Richmond house fire

A firefighter has died while responding to a house fire in Sydney’s north-west today. Emergency services responded to a house fire 10km west of Richmond around 8am this morning.

NSW police were told a 51-year-old man – an on-call firefighter with Fire and Rescue NSW – collapsed at the scene. Emergency personnel performed CPR, but the man was unable to be revived and died at the scene.

Officers have established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.

Updated

Consumer angst eased after RBA but most still tip another rate rise in 2024

We know consumers have been grumpy, with spending stalling in the September quarter and regularly grim tidings whenever they’ve asked about their confidence levels.

Well, a couple of surveys are out today, and both have ticked higher albeit from levels more typically associated with recessions.

The Westpac-Melbourne Institute’s index of consumer sentiment rose 2.7% to 82.1 in December from 79.9 in November. Westpac attributed the uptick in the mood in part to those weak GDP figures, as they implied cost of living pressures may start to recede.

Slightly counter to the positive view is that 60% of those surveyed say they expect mortgage interest rates to rise in 2024. Perhaps they are going to be in for a pleasant surprise because for now at least, the RBA looks to be done.

Still, “while ending on a slightly improved note, 2023 still marks the second worst calendar year for sentiment on records going back to 1974,” Westpac said.

ANZ and Roy Morgan’s weekly survey, too, clocked a modest improvement in consumer sentiment, with its gauge returning to the highest level since February 2023. Adelaide Timbrell, an ANZ economist, said:

Economic confidence about the coming year hit its second-highest level since February and confidence about the economy over the five-year horizon hit its best result since March.

Retailers, no doubt, will be hoping the slightly cheerier mood translates into extra spending in the run-up to Christmas.

Updated

China drops trade sanctions on Australian beef

PM Anthony Albanese met with China’s president Xi Jinping in November.
PM Anthony Albanese met with China’s president Xi Jinping in November. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

China has lifted suspensions off three Australian abattoirs in a further easing of punitive trade sanctions imposed on the nation’s exports, AAP reports.

China’s customs agency announced products from these abattoirs will now be allowed to be imported, pending final administrative processes by authorities. But a number of Australian meat establishments remain suspended.

Beijing slapped sanctions worth $20bn on Australian products during the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020. The trade minister, Don Farrell, said this was another “positive step” towards the stabilisation of the relationship with China.

The Albanese government will keep pressing for the remaining trade impediments to be removed as soon as possible.

Sanctions remain on exports including rock lobster and beef.

Beijing is reviewing bans on Australian wine worth $1.2bn through a five-month process after Canberra agreed to suspend a dispute lodged with the World Trade Organisation. It follows a number of meetings between Senator Farrell and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, over the past months.

Updated

Victoria signs $3.6bn rail loop contract

Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference in Melbourne’s south-east to announce the awarding of a $3.6bn contract to begin tunnelling on the Suburban Rail Loop project.

She says the contract – to consortium CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acconia Construction – is for the first 16km of tunnelling between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley and will begin in 2026. We’ll bring you more on that soon.

During the press conference, she was also asked to provide advice to the next Queensland premier, having also recently been elevated into the role. Allan, ever the politician, used it as an opportunity to spruik the suburban rail loop.

She said:

I think it’s important to let the Queensland caucus go through their appropriate processes, but whoever follows in Anastasia’s footsteps as the new premier of Queensland will have the opportunity to make their own way in that position.

It is a tremendous privilege to serve your state to serve as a leader and to have the opportunity to work with the community on delivering vital services like that we’ve just been talking about – housing, investing in critical infrastructure – that are about supporting jobs and more train services into the future. We’ll let it be confirmed before I offer too much advice to the incoming Queensland premier.

Updated

Cairns bunkers down as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approaches

AAP has more details on the preparation being undertaken in far north Queensland as tropical cyclone Jasper approaches the coast:

Preparations are well underway in the far north where there are fears up to 500mm of rain will fall in some areas. Sandbags have been provided in Cairns where about 15,000 properties are at risk of storm surge flooding with a king tide predicted.

The Cairns hospital is also vulnerable, prompting contingency plans including sandbagging and the cancellation of elective surgery tomorrow to free up capacity. A nearby aged care facility may also be evacuated.

Cairns airport remains operational but a number of airlines have indicated there will be schedule changes or flight cancellations. Cairns’ mayor, Terry James, said “it’s been over 60 years since we’ve had a direct hit”:

The roads will be cut off, potentially the power will be cut off. We tend to lose our power with a lot of rain and the onslaught of a cyclone.

About 450 Energy Queensland staff have been deployed to Rockhampton and Townsville in preparation to respond to potential power outages. All national parks and campsites north of the Daintree River have been closed.

Updated

Data on unmet requests from homelessness services

A telling set of data points in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare release about specialist homelessness services today is a list of the average number of unassisted requests by state and territory – essentially, people who were turned away from homelessness services because they could not be helped or all their needs could not be met.

Nationally, an average of 294.6 people request help from specialist homelessness services but go unassisted every day. But this national average belies a significant discrepancy across the states and territories.

In Victoria, which has the highest average of unmet requests for help, 86 people are turned away daily. In the ACT, however, the daily average is less than one. Western Australia has the second-highest daily average number of unassisted people, at 75.1 a day, followed by New South Wales at 46.5.

In Tasmania, the average is 36.7 people a day. In the NT, it’s 26.4 people a day, while in South Australia it’s as low as 2.3 people a day.

Again, it’s important to remember that this data only reflects unmet need for those people who actually approached specialist homelessness services for help. As we mentioned earlier, that was 273,600 people nationally in 2022-23.

But there’s a lot that we’re not seeing here. Some studies have suggested around 67% of people experiencing homelessness don’t seek help, and on the night of the 2021 census, approximately 122,494 people were experiencing homelessness.

Updated

Looking at the data from homelessness services

As we mentioned earlier this morning, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its annual report into specialist homelessness services today. Specialist homelessness services assist both people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness, and operate across all states and territories.

In 2022–23, these agencies provided support to more than 273,600 people nationally, a small rise from last year.

The most common reasons for seeking help for homelessness were financial difficulties (39.6%), the housing crisis (38.1%) and family and domestic violence (35.9%). The rates of people seeking assistance were slightly lower than last year in most places, with the notable exception of Queensland and South Australia, which saw an uptick.

The number of people with a current mental health issue seeking help for homelessness increased by 6% from 85,300 (31% of all people seeking assistance) in 2022–23 compared with 81,000 (28%) in 2017–18; an annual average increase of 6% a year since 2011–12.

A make shift bed on the pavement on in Kings Cross, Sydney.
A make shift bed on the pavement on in Kings Cross, Sydney. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

The number of people experienced family and domestic violence seeking help for homelessness has decreased, down from 121,100 people five years ago to 104,200. The AIHW notes this may be partly due to a change in the number of agencies and their data recording practices, particularly in Victoria.

The number of older people seeking assistance increased: up from 24,100 in 2017-18 to more than 27,300 (10% of all people helped by agencies) in 2022–23. The number of older clients has increased at an average rate of 6.1% per year since 2011.

And people need help with homelessness for longer: the median number of days a person was supported increased from 39 days five years ago to 56 days in the last financial year.

One of the limitations of this data is that it only covers those people who actually interact with homelessness services. We know from other studies that this doesn’t capture the full extent of actual need, which also includes what’s called “hidden homelessness” – people who may live in temporary, insecure, or unsafe housing situations, in severe overcrowding situations, or are couch surfing, and who don’t interact with homelessness services.

Updated

We are heading into the home straight of the defamation case which Bruce Lehrmann has brought against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins on Ten’s The Project.

To follow along live, Amanda Meade has you covered in this separate live blog:

RBA governor flags need to maintain broad ATM coverage as cash usage drops

Circling back to the RBA’s governor, Michele Bullock, who is delivering a speech this morning in Sydney:

As per the previous post, the RBA is obviously keeping an eye on the side-effects of falling use of cash in the economy, and more changes might be in the works.

“We are keen to see the industry maintaining a broad coverage of ATMs at reasonable prices, particularly in regional and remote areas,” Bullock said, noting that the distance people travel to access the “reddies” (or other coloured notes) has yet to change in recent years - so far.

We will continue to engage with industry participants to determine whether any changes are required to the RBA’s regulation of the ATM industry to facilitate this.

As the AFR has recently reported, there’s also basically only one firm distributing the cash in Australia – Armaguard – and it’s been losing money and has asked for help. So more to come in this space (including perhaps more fees to access the cash during the decreasing number of times we do).

RBA governor Michele Bullock speaks during the the AusPayNet Summit at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.
RBA governor Michele Bullock speaks during the the AusPayNet Summit. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Anyway, Bullock did get one question about monetary policy, when she was asked how far behind the world Australia was in bringing down inflation:

I don’t think we’re falling behind at all. We are trying to make sure we slow the economy enough to bring inflation down to our target band.

So far inflation expectations were not getting out of control, and the RBA thinks inflation will sink back to the 2-3% band “within the next couple of years”, she said. “And we can do that while preserving the employment gains that we won through the pandemic” and since. The data, though, will continue to be watched, of course.

For what it’s worth, there’s about a 10% chance of another RBA interest rate rise when the board next meets on 5-6 February, with markets expecting the next move is likely to be a rate cut – but not until towards the end of next year.

Updated

Optus outage, war and referendum lead Google searches

The Optus outage, “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, Sam Kerr and a quiche recipe are among the nation’s top Google searches, AAP reports.

The 12-hour telco outage dominated Australian search queries in 2023 while the results of the voice referendum came in third. The world’s most searched news topic, the war in Israel and Gaza, ranked second in Australia.

The top-trending question was how to watch the Women’s World Cup, while Matildas strikers Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler were the two most-searched Australians.

The top-ranking sport search was the Cricket World Cup and the most common recipe query was for coronation quiche, released to coincide with the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Blockbuster films Oppenheimer and Barbie came in first and second in the entertainment category, while the death of Friends star Matthew Perry was the most searched loss.

Updated

Fatal e-scooter crash in Norlane, Victoria

Victorian emergency services responded to a fatal e-scooter crash in Norlane last night.

It is believed the scooter was travelling along Forster Street around 6.40pm when the rider fell from the scooter. The rider, yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. Police are appealing to anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.

An e-scooter trial began in February last year for the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra and the City of Port Phillip, plus the regional city of Ballarat. Outside of the trial – which has strict conditions for drivers – e-scooters are illegal in most public areas.

In response to the trials, Victorian police launched a campaign to ensure riders are using the electric vehicles safety. However, there is no specific tally for e-scooter fatalities. They are recorded under the broader motorcyclist fatality tally.

Updated

Victoria signs $3.6b contract for suburban rail loop

A multibillion-dollar construction deal has been brokered to begin tunnelling on Melbourne’s mammoth suburban rail loop, AAP reports.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, and transport infrastructure minister, Danny Pearson, will announce the first major works contract for the $34.5bn eastern section of the rail line this morning.

It is worth $3.6bn and involves tunnelling 16km of the 26km section between Cheltenham and Box Hill, the Herald Sun reports.

The contract has been awarded to consortium CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction, with digging expected to start by 2026. The entire 90km orbital rail line is slated to run from Cheltenham to Werribee via Melbourne airport.

Updated

Michele Bullock talks cash in payment systems speech

The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, is delivering a speech this morning in Sydney about modernising Australia’s payments system. She may yet comment on other subjects (eg immigration cuts, inflation) in the Q&A session, but her chat in Sydney is about the bank’s other responsibilities.

There are a few details about reviews under way with changes in digital payments and other technologies requiring updated regulations. One gauge of the pace of change is that consumers now only use cash for 13% of our payments, down from 70% in 2007.

Bullock:

Despite this decline, cash remains an important means of payment for some people and is widely held for precautionary or store-of-wealth purposes.

Cash is also an important backup method of payment during system outages or natural disasters, when electronic payments might be unavailable.

Timely comments, perhaps, with Tropical Cyclone Jasper bearing down towards the Queensland coast with Port Douglas among the towns in the latest path. And, of course, the Optus meltdown reminded many people about the need to keep some cash handy.

Falling numbers of ATMs and bank branches are making it harder for people to access that cash, RBA data shows.

The RBA plans to conduct a “comprehensive review of retail payments regulation” under its expanded regulatory remit, Bullock says, so there’s more to come in this space.

Updated

BoM update on Tropical Cyclone Jasper

The Bureau of Meteorology has published a new update on Tropical Cyclone Jasper:

The cyclone is currently a category one system, with sustained winds of 85km/h at its centre and wind gusts of up to 120km/h. It is around 265km east north-east of Cairns currently, and 350km north north-east of Townsville.

It is moving north- west at 14km/h. It is expected to reintensify today as it moves toward the coast and cross into a category two system tomorrow, most likely between Cooktown and Innisfail.

Updated

The artist Mike Parr has spoken to ABC RN after he was dropped by Melbourne gallery owner Anna Schwartz after a 36-year relationship.

This followed a performance piece from him titled Sunset Claws, commenting on Israel’s military action in Gaza. Schwartz spoke to the same program yesterday, which you can read about below:

Yesterday Schwartz denied she was censoring art, and noted the piece, including a four and a half hour video of Parr’s performance, remained on display in the gallery, but “when it got to the point of the word Nazi and the word Israel being on the wall together, whatever the intention … the co-appearance of the word Nazi with the word Israel made me sick”.

Speaking to RN Breakfast today, Parr argued that he “never brought together the word Israel and Nazi”. He said he was not trying to provoke Schwartz with the piece, but provoke empathy more broadly to the plight of Palestinians.

Parr also said he felt censored:

Anna’s response was disproportionate … No one else’s experience of this work has been … invited. No one else has been asked what they thought of my performance.

Asked about Schwartz’s response in the context of intergenerational trauma – as she and her husband, the publisher Morry Schwartz, lost relatives in the Holocaust – Parr acknowledged this, but added: “What about the trauma being inflicted on the Palestinian people?”

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Disaster support higher priority than Queensland leadership contest, mayor says

Asked about news that Queensland health minister Shannon Fentiman has dropped out of the race to become premier, paving the way for Steven Miles to take the state’s top job, Douglas Shire’s mayor, Michael Kerr. said disaster support is the priority.

Doesn’t matter who is at the top of the hill as long as we as locals are getting that support and that’s what is most important.

Q: Has it been a frustrating or concerning at all for you that there is a change in leadership at this time?

It hasn’t really affected us in this short period of time, no.

Updated

Douglas Shire mayor details cyclone preparations

The Douglas Shire mayor, Michael Kerr, just spoke to ABC News Breakfast about community sentiment as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approaches the Queensland coast.

The latest from the Bureau of Meteorology suggests the cyclone could make landfall at Port Douglas tomorrow around lunchtime. Kerr said the last couple of days has involved preparing properties and issuing sandbags, with more than 5,000 issued.

He said reef boats have been “packed away in the groves” to ensure they remain safe. Businesses are expecting to get their boats back out on Thursday and operating by Friday, Kerr said.

The closure of a couple of days doesn’t have that much impact [on businesses] but certainly if it goes any longer than that, it does start affecting the region.

Kerr suggested the area is protected by a mountain range nearby:

Once it’s passed across [and] goes inland, then they’ll be able to get the boats back out and hopefully by Friday have operations back to normal.

Updated

Steven Miles to be Queensland's next premier

Queensland’s next premier will be Steven Miles after his opponent for the leadership, Shannon Fentiman, conceded she doesn’t have the numbers.

Fentiman posted the following on Facebook on Tuesday morning:

It is clear that a majority of Labor members of parliament will support Steven Miles to be the next leader of the Labor party, and therefore the next premier of Queensland.

As a result, I will not be standing as a candidate for the Labor leadership when caucus meets on Friday.

I want to congratulate Steven and offer my support in the work ahead.
Steven is a longstanding friend, and he will have my full support as premier of Queensland.

Now is the time for unity, and Labor’s focus must turn to delivering for Queenslanders and retaining government at next year’s election.

There is so much at stake for our great state, and Queenslanders cannot afford an LNP government of cuts and chaos.

I will continue working tirelessly to ensure the return of a Labor government for Queensland.

Updated

Volunteers and disaster responders head north in anticipation of Tropical Cyclone Jasper

70 SES volunteers and 25 disaster assistance response teams have departed Brisbane airport this morning, travelling 1,400km north to help far north Queensland residents as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approaches the coast:

Updated

Police radios to fall silent one year on from killings

At 4.36pm today, police radios across Queensland will fall silent for a minute. The time marks exactly one year since constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, jumped a fence at a property at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, before Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train gunned them down in cold blood.

A year on from their heinous killings, emotions are still raw as the Arnold and McCrow families approach a second Christmas without their loved ones. The Arnold family has released a statement via the Queensland police, writing that 12 December 2022 is a day their family will never forget:

A day when incomprehensible evil murdered our beautiful son and brother, for simply doing his job.

Matt had no chance of survival on that day, and this makes his death so unfathomable. It is so cruel and unfair that we never got to say goodbye. We miss Matt’s laugh, kindness, empathy and willingness to help.

These traits were what made him such an excellent police officer and made him love his job.

Queensland police officers pay their respects at a memorial service last December.
Queensland police officers pay their respects at a memorial service last December. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

The statement also paid tribute to the McCrow family:

On this day, and every day, we think of Rachel McCrow and her family. Every day we are in awe of Rachel’s bravery and courage.

We will forever stand with the McCrow family in the pain they feel with losing Rachel. We thank both of Matt and Rachel’s friends and colleagues who have shared stories about their friendship, work shenanigans and fierce board game battles.

- with AAP

Updated

Welfare groups urge more social housing as homelessness data shows extent of crisis

New data has been released today showing the extent of the homelessness crisis across NSW and Victoria.

New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that 68,400 people used homelessness services in NSW in the most recent financial year.

In a statement from Homeless NSW, it noted that demand was so high less than half (49%) of people who needed emergency accomodation were able to receive it. And only 21% of people needing longterm accomodation were helped. CEO Dom Rowe said:

[The government] must also urgently build more social housing which is at historically low levels. This will provide stable homes to people in need, take heat out of the private rental market and ease pressure on our schools, hospitals and community services over the long term.

Meanwhile, Victorian data shows one in 67 people received help for homelessness assistance, compared to the national average of one in 95. 34,708 Victorians sought help from frontline services because of housing affordability stress in the year to 2022-23, an increase of 2,287.

CEO Deborah Di Natale said another 60,000 new public and community homes were needed over the next decade to turn the housing and homelessness crisis around.

Updated

Heavy fog affects Melbourne airport

As we flagged earlier, heavy fog across Melbourne has been impacting traffic – and Melbourne airport has been impacted as well. 28 cancellations have occurred so far today, and there were 105 domestic cancellations yesterday – roughly 15% of the airport’s schedule.

It is understood flights are operating normally but if the fog persists, arrivals could be delayed, which could then lead to departure delays. A Melbourne airport spokesperson said:

Fog and low cloud may reduce the number of aircraft able to land at Melbourne airport this morning, which could result in delays.

We would advise passengers travelling today to check with their airline for any changes to flight departure times.

Updated

New Services Australia CEO appointed

Senior public servant David Hazlehurst has been appointed as Services Australia’s new CEO.

Announced today by the Albanese government, Hazlehurst joins the agency following the retirement of inaugural CEO Rebecca Skinner PSM earlier this year.

Hazlehurst has held senior roles in the public service sector for more than 30 years, including in the department of the prime minister and cabinet. The government services minister, Bill Shorten, said:

Services Australia has responded to significant challenges and undergone a raft of changes since Labor came to government, including the conclusion of the robodebt era of administration.

Mr Hazlehurst will be a steady hand to lead the agency through the next phase and I have full trust in his professionalism and ability to put our must vulnerable Australians first.

I thank acting CEO Chris Birrer for his steadfast and passionate leadership in this important transitionary period, following Ms Skinner’s retirement.

Shorten said the selection panel for Hazlehurst’s appointment included a welfare advocate, for the first time in the social services portfolio. His tenure will begin in early January.

Updated

Husic calls out ‘McCarthyism’ in relation to people expressing concern on what is happening in Gaza

Q: You’ve also said that some of those expressing concern for Palestinians are facing our generation of McCarthyism. What do you mean?

Ed Husic:

I mean, we have journalists sign up to a letter that said we need to make sure that the way that we’re reporting the conflict is accurate, and they’ve been taken off writing stories in relation to the conflict by their editorial boards. Doctors who joined in a petition that in particular focused on the humanitarian impact in Gaza, I’ve got records now, are being professionally investigated for their participation in that … and you saw what happened with the Sydney Theatre Company too where three of the actors involved in the performance of The Seagull had basically triggered a furore, as it was being described, by wearing Palestinian scarves.

And the question being, then, if people express a view, and have the decency to show heart in relation to what’s happening in Gaza and calling out the need to recognise humanity, then [are] effectively professionally blacklisted, I don’t think that’s right.

I think people should be able to express their concern and stand with humanity and say that they are very concerned about what they’re seeing in Gaza, and they shouldn’t have to face professional retribution as a response.

Updated

Ed Husic calls for second ceasefire

Ed Husic clearly said that a ceasefire needs to occur:

I think the thing that we do need to focus on is to ensure that a ceasefire can occur where it occurs after the release of those hostages.

Hamas can play a role in accelerating towards the ceasefire by releasing hostages and Israel needs to cease the action that it’s undertaking that has seen a phenomenal loss of life in that part of the world.

Updated

Husic: ‘These kids are not Hamas’

Q: Is Israel respecting international humanitarian law?

Ed Husic:

Ultimately, I would not be surprised if courts will be called to make a response to the very question that you have put.

He pointed to the deaths of children amid the war and the heartbreaking position that parents and families are being put in:

I think one of the hardest things to learn about was parents writing the names of their children on the soles of their feet because they they figured that the next morning, that they may or may not be there, and they need to be identified.

If you put yourself in a place of a parent having to make that choice and recognising effectively that they have surrendered their ability to protect their child, that’s pretty tough. And I think a lot of parents can relate to that. And they don’t have to be Palestinian to do so.

I think we’ve got to do better – those kids are not Hamas and they should not have had to bore the brunt of that military action.

Updated

Ed Husic says innocent Palestinians have paid ‘too heavy a price’ for Hamas atrocities

Labor MP Ed Husic just spoke to ABC RN about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

He said that Palestinians have paid “too heavy a price” for the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October, and he is concerned by the amount of people losing their lives “that are innocent and have nothing to do with the barbarity of Hamas”.

There are people across the world who are deeply concerned by what they’ve seen on their screens, what they’ve learned has happened and I don’t think that’s in Israel’s long term interests.

Husic said we cannot have a situation where people are told to leave the north of Gaza and go south, and then we see “the bombing affect the southern areas where people were told to move to”.

There is that requirement, I think, to observe international humanitarian law in particular, that involves not targeting hospitals, that involves not targeting civilians, and I think we should never hesitate – and I don’t think we have in our foreign minister – the emphasis repeatedly on respecting international humanitarian law.

Updated

Jason Clare on next year’s education funding agreement

The education minister Jason Clare said next year, ministers will need to look at the recommendations and work out what is put in the next national school reform agreement – with funding tied to reforms that will make a difference for children.

Those negotiations will take probably the best part of next year.

The report recommends a 10-year plan is made, and Clare said any agreement needs to be linked with the funding put in by the states and commonwealth to make sure public schools are fully funded, as well as any reforms.

There’s a direct link between a drop in the number of people finishing high school and more people falling behind at primary school. So that’s why I say this can’t just be about money, it can’t be a blank cheque, we need to make sure we tie funding to the sort of reforms that will help children to catch up and to keep up and finish school.

Updated

Education review due

Education minister Jason Clare spoke to ABC News Breakfast just earlier about the much-anticipated review into Australia’s education system, released today.

One of the key findings from the expert panel was that 98% of public schools remain under-resourced. You can read more about the findings from our education reporter, Caitlin Cassidy, below:

Clare was asked about the “entrenchment” of underfunding across Australian public schools. He said underfunding and the “education gap” both need to be addressed.

You talk about entrenched disadvantage in our schools, this report tells us we’ve got one of the most segregated school systems in the OECD, not by the colour of your skin but the size of your parents’ pay packet. Children are more likely to fall behind at school if they’re from a poor family and from the bush, but if they’re at a school where a lot of people are experiencing disadvantage it’s even harder to catch up. There’s a number of things we need to do to turn that around.

He said addressing this came down to what money is spent on – with funding going to the most disadvantaged schools first, and financial incentives for “our most effective teachers” to work in those disadvantaged schools.

Updated

Landfall timing crucial

Miriam Bradbury said meteorologists are also concerned about the storm tide but the exact impact of this remains changeable and depends on exactly when Tropical Cyclone Jasper moves through and whether it coincides with the low or high tide:

If it coincides with the high tide, we could see some really, really challenging conditions along those coastal areas with abnormally high tides for a period as that cyclone moves through. But if it’s closer to lower tide, the impacts aren’t likely to be as widespread, but still of concern to those in those lower-lying coastal areas.

And what will happen from lunchtime tomorrow onwards, when the cyclone is expected to make landfall around Port Douglas?

Bradbury said the system was expected to weaken as it makes landfall:

This is what usually happens with tropical cyclones, because they lose that warmth and moisture from the ocean.

But over tomorrow and Thursday it could intensify as it tracked towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, she said.

Updated

Still on Jasper

Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury from the BoM spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier to provide an update.

She said the cyclone is a category 1 system, sitting about 300km east of Cairns. The warning area now sits from Cape Flattery down to Townsville, with damaging winds possible in these areas by late this afternoon.

Meanwhile, destructive winds between Wujal Wujal and Innisfail are expected tomorrow morning as the cyclone nears the coast:

Widespread destruction is what those 140km/h winds can do. Easily felling trees, tree limbs and power lines, causing damage to fences, to roofs, possibly even to other areas of your property.

Now is the time, if you haven’t already, to secure everything in your yard and make sure your house is cyclone-safe.

The latest thinking for landfall is around lunchtime tomorrow, close to Port Douglas, Bradbury said.

As always this story may change within 24 hours … [but] around that time, that’s when we’re going to see those strongest winds really building as this cyclone does have the potential to reinvigorate into a category 2 system before it crosses the coast.

Updated

Cyclone latest

Here is the latest from the Bureau of Meteorology on Tropical Cyclone Jasper, from one hour ago:

Jasper is forecast to intensify to category 2 today as it tracks west northwest towards the Far North Queensland coast, with a coastal crossing forecast on Wednesday.

There is a moderate chance that Jasper could redevelop in the Gulf of Carpentaria during Friday or over the weekend.

We’ll continue to bring you the latest throughout the day, with the BoM making regular updates.

Updated

Good morning

Happy Tuesday – I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be with you on the live blog today.

See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X/Twitter @emilywindwrites or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

With that, let’s get started.

Updated

Government finds $10bn in budget savings to balance rising costs

Nearly $10bn in savings have been clawed back as part of the mid-year federal budget review, AAP reports.

The savings will cover new spending, such as the federal government’s response to the robodebt royal commission and $1.5bn budget hit from wrapping up the pandemic event visa.

In the lead-up to the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, finance minister Katy Gallagher said the work of identifying money that could be returned to the budget or redirected was ongoing and would fund $5.2bn in unavoidable spending.

Due for release on Wednesday, the mid-year update is expected to reveal a substantially improved budget bottom line than was predicted in May.

The federal treasurer has played down the prospect of a second year in the black for the 2023-24 financial year, though a smaller deficit than the $13.9bn predicted back in May can be expected.

Updated

The optics of cyclone season

With a cyclone barrelling down towards Queensland’s north-east coast, for the first time in many years it won’t be Annastacia Palaszczuk fronting the TV cameras to reassure everyone that they’ll be OK.

She understoood the media optics of cyclone season better than anyone else but, after years of profiting from her opponents’ tendency to underestimate her, she has finally stood down and the battle to succeed her has begun.

Amy Remeikis has written about the departing premier today here:

Two men in critical condition after multiple collisions on foggy freeway

Two men are in a critical condition after several crashes involving about 30 vehicles caused traffic chaos north-west of Melbourne, AAP reports.

A multi-vehicle collision on the Western Freeway at Myrniong near Bacchus Marsh happened just before 4pm yesterday.

Victorian police said 14 vehicles had been involved in one crash in an area blanketed by heavy fog, while five other separate collisions took place nearby.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics had responded to “several multi-vehicle incidents” at Myrniong, with a total of 20 patients taken to hospital.

Police said two men involved in separate collisions were in a critical condition.

Other people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Evacuation centres set up in north Queensland

Preparations are under way for Tropical Cyclone Jasper to hit the Queensland coast, bringing potentially disastrous consequences, Australian Associated Press reports.

Gales are expected to hit several communities from today, including Cairns, Innisfail, Palm Island and Wujal Wujal.

The system weakened to a category 1 as it moved west towards the coast across the weekend but could reintensify before making landfall near Port Douglas, north of Cairns, as a category 2 by tomorrow afternoon.

If the slow-moving cyclone is delayed further, it could develop into an even more intense system, prompting authorities to take considerable precautions. The Bureau of Meteorology said:

If the system is slower and crosses overnight Wednesday or Thursday, a slim chance remains of a severe category 3 crossing.

Evacuation centres have been set up across the region, with deputy premier Steven Miles warning of a significant risk of flash flooding when Jasper makes landfall.

Welcome

Good morning, all, and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you some of our top stories this morning before my colleague Emily Wind takes over.

Anthony Albanese probably didn’t need reminding that cost-of-living pressures are the No 1 concern for Australians right now – but that’s what our Guardian Essential poll stresses today, showing that 57% of households are either financially struggling or facing serious difficulty. The final poll of the year points to a gloomy economic outlook for 2024, with only 24%% thinking next year will be better.

Increasing immigration is widely expected to push up house prices in years to come as we struggle to build enough homes for newcomers. But our data reporter Josh Nicholas has been digging into the figures and finds that the link between the two issues is not completely clear.

Infrastructure Australia warns today that the $230bn infrastructure pipeline, the energy transition and plans to build 1.2m new homes are under threat from a shortfall of 229,000 workers. And, in an effort to put the government on the front foot on housing affordability, Jim Chalmers is going to triple the fees foreigners have to pay when buying established homes and double the penalties for leaving a property vacant. Will it make any difference? Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock gives a speech today which may shed some light on these key economic issues.

Shannon Fentiman last night pitched herself as the antidote to the old regime in her bid to be next Queensland premier as she runs against Annastacia Palaszczuk’s anointed successor Steven Miles. We’ll have more on the Queensland drama as it happens.

Plus: we will keep track of news of how Cyclone Jasper is tracking as it heads towards the north coast of the state. And at the other end of the continent, about 30 cars have been involved in traffic accidents in Melbourne in heavy fog, with two men in critical condition in hospital.

Updated

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