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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Daisy Dumas and Emily Wind (earlier)

Australia ‘appalled by the unacceptable deaths of innocent civilians’ in Gaza, Wong’s office says – as it happened

Tasmania Michael Ferguson Labor Jeremy Rockliff Steven Miles
Penny Wong
A spokesperson for foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has reiterated that Australia is calling for civilians to be protected in the Middle East. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

What we learned; Tuesday 15 October

As we approach the end of another jam-packed Tuesday, here’s a look at what’s been keeping us busy:

Thank you for joining us. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow.

Updated

Placing onus of online safety and privacy on individuals a cover for corporate inaction and bad behaviour: Lizzie O’Shea

Staying with the SXSW forum in Sydney, where panellists have been discussing the balance between the right to privacy and the right to remain safe while online:

The panel of four, which included the privacy commissioner Carly Kind and digital rights advocate Lizzie O’Shea, agreed that online platforms should not be allowed to hide behind the mantra of personal responsibility.

As technology develops, including generative AI, safety mechanisms should be inbuilt into the design, the eSafety commissioner said.

O’Shea said slating responsibility for both online safety and online privacy to the individual was merely a cover for continued inaction in the regulatory space and bad corporate behaviour.

“When you go to the supermarket and buy a tub of yoghurt, you’re not expected to go home and test that it doesn’t have poison in it,” she said.

You’re not expected to take responsibility for a large range of relatively important decisions you make about what you put in your body or what you’re exposed to. This is just another example. We have all sorts of ways in which we ask the government to intervene into these dynamics, to shape how the market works, to shape how individuals experience certain products, to hold companies to account when things go wrong.

Updated

Regulatory balance needed between online safety and privacy, eSafety commissioner tells SXSW

A greater level of consistency and regulatory coherence on a global scale is needed to achieve an acceptable balance between the right to privacy and the right to remain safe while online, Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has told a SXSW forum in Sydney.

This balance is no more crucial than in the realm of child sexual abuse, she said.

“Part of the challenge that we have here is a partially jurisdictional arbitrage by some of the more recalcitrant players … where we’re creating permissive hosting environments for this terrible content to thrive,” she said.

When a company uses a privacy mantra as an excuse not to do something that they are technically capable of doing and achieving, that makes me lose my patience, because we see examples across the industry of technological interventions that can work and can balance the two. But we’re seeing recalcitrance in terms of companies simply seeing a business opportunity, or not wanting to take responsibility.

Fellow panellist Michael Slater, professor of criminology at UNSW and the director of Childlight in Australia, said the technology sector had been given free rein for more than two decades.

“We’ve had 25 years in which the technology sector has been empowered, primarily by governments, to do what it wants,” he said.

There’s a very legitimate discussion here around privacy, but unfortunately, privacy is also the way – the language – that industry uses to defend itself against regulation.

Salter said a representative survey of 2,000 men the UNSW undertook last year asked about sexual interest in children, and 4.6% of respondents admitted they would have sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 if they knew they would not be caught.

“That’s a really significant market segment that in other more regulated industries, TV and movies, radio, print … there is a really restrained capacity for them to profit,” he said.

But that’s not true for the technology sector, because emerging out of the libertarianism of the 90s … a sort of ethos around the internet, emerging from Silicon Valley and the technology sector’s self image, this notion of the internet’s independence from the state means independence from state law, independence from terrestrial law. And by and large, the United States government and governments around the world agreed with that posture, that we will essentially suspend the normal regulatory obligations that we impose on other sectors. So we’re dealing with a multitrillion-dollar business sector that has enjoyed a lack of child protection and other obligations that are evident elsewhere.

Updated

BoM leaves Australia on ‘La Niña watch’ but says climate drivers may no longer deliver expected conditions

The Bureau of Meteorology has left Australia on a “La Niña watch” but fewer climate models are now forecasting the phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific will kick into gear this summer.

La Niñas have historically been associated with cooler and wetter than average conditions from across north-western Australia to the south-east.

In an update the bureau said only five of the seven international climate models they surveyed, including its own, were predicting a La Niña would develop in the coming months.

The bureau has warned that Australians should pay a little less attention to climate drivers like La Niña and El Niño because the pattern of global heating of the oceans means they might not deliver the kind of conditions they used to. Instead, the bureau’s long-range outlooks gave the best indicators of likely conditions. The bureau’s update said:

Global [sea surface temperatures] remain at near-record levels, with temperatures since July being just short of the record temperatures observed during 2023, yet well above all other years since observations began in 1854. The sustained nature of this significant global ocean heat suggests that climate indicators such as [El Nino and La Nina] and [Indian Ocean Dipole] may not necessarily behave or evolve as they have in the past.

Updated

Ray Martin has just spoken with the ABC about the death of his 60 Minutes peer, George Negus.

The veteran broadcaster has died at the age of 82.

Martin said Negus was an “extraordinary character and extraordinary journo”.

What you saw of Negus on television was what he was like.

There was no one quite like George … I think he became as famous … because he was worthy of it. He was a very good journo, he was very ethical and a very good storyteller, but an even better bloke.

He loved the fact he worked for the ABC, and had a high regard for the ABC and Kerry O’Brien, one of his best mates, as well. But he also was anxious to take that across to commercial television. And because he was such a good communicator, he was bringing issues that were really important but also fairly complex to people who hadn’t seen the before … He was able to get some of those stories across and the ideas and the issues across in a way that very few journalists can do, and that’s a great credit to who he was.

I guess he was unique. He personalised television, or personalised news and current affairs, but not in an opinionated way. I mean, personally, he was highly opinionated, and you’d have to try and tone him down. But on television, he would listen to other people, despite the fact he’d savage prime ministers and politicians whom he thought had done the wrong thing, not because he didn’t agree with them, but because he thought that they’d made mistakes.

When it came to journalism, despite all the criticism [from] people who didn’t understand him and disagreed with him, I think George was balanced. I think George did tell both sides of the story. He listened to people who had different opinions to his. He’d berate them and take them on. But nevertheless … he wasn’t out there as a propagandist, I don’t think ever. I think he was a very good journalist. He certainly treasured the profession, and treasured the fact that you had to be objective and you had to be ethical.

Updated

George Negus remembered by Nine Entertainment colleagues

Nine Entertainment says many of George Negus’s friends and former colleagues at the network are remembering him as “a powerhouse of Australian broadcast journalism”.

Negus, who had Alzheimer’s disease, has died at the age of 82.

In a statement, Nine said:

Negus joined Channel 9 in the late 1970s, legendary producer Gerald Stone recognised his distinctive style and hired George to be one of the founding reporters for the then brand-new current affairs program, 60 Minutes.

Along with Ray Martin and Ian Leslie, George instantly became a household name in Australia. He was the reporter with the gruff voice, the big moustache and the bucketload of opinions.

George’s trademark way of telling stories ensured he was never accused of being dull. He famously got under the skin of British PM Margaret Thatcher; he flirted with actor Meryl Streep; and he showed his great compassion in an extraordinary interview with Mother Teresa.

Nine’s director of television, Michael Healy, said:

“Today, Australia lost one of its greatest storytellers. When you watched a George Negus interview it was thoughtful, intelligent, composed. He was always in control.”

Kirsty Thomson, 60 Minutes executive producer, said:

Everyone at 60 Minutes sends love to George’s family.

We are so proud to work at a program that’s always been inspired by George’s trailblazing journalism and globetrotting genius.

Updated

NSW Young Greens seemingly back vandalism of Labor MP’s office

The NSW Young Greens have seemingly backed vandalism to Labor MP Peter Khalil’s office, which occurred early yesterday morning.

Victoria police alleged that paint was sprayed and a door was damaged at the MP’s Melbourne electorate office, with an unknown liquid allegedly poured through the door.

Khalil said the vandalism included an inverted red triangle, a symbol associated with Hamas and that has been used to indicate Israeli military targets, and that the stench from the unknown substance was “so unbearable that staff immediately closed the door, and five hours later still feel overwhelmed and sick from the intensity”.

The NSW Young Greens wrote on Instagram that it considers property damage “as a legitimate form of non-violent direct action”.

The NSWYG acknowledges the long standing history of The Greens supporting non-violent direct action.

Yesterday, the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, denounced the vandalism in a post to X and said “protests must always be peaceful and non-violent”.

Everyone should feel safe at work, and we wish Peter Khalil and his team well after this vandalism overnight.

The NSW Greens were contacted for comment.

Updated

Google says proposed misinformation laws would affect ‘exercise of lawful speech’

Google, one of the world’s biggest multinational tech companies, has said the Albanese government’s proposed law to counter misinformation would “ultimately impact the exercise of lawful speech in Australia”.

The law, introduced in September, would give the communications and media regulator more powers to categorise material publicly shared as “reasonably verifiable as false, misleading or deceptive and reasonably likely to cause or contribute to serious harm”.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the bill, Google said it was supportive of efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation, but didn’t agree with the government’s approach.

The search engine turned tech conglomerate said there weren’t “clear guardrails” for the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s oversight and enforcement powers.

Under the bill, ACMA would be given new information-gathering and record-keeping powers to force tech companies to hand over details on how they self-regulate.

Elsewhere in its submission, Google also suggested the bill focus on disinformation – where false information is intentionally and deceptively shared – rather than misinformation.

Its submission said:

Unlike misinformation, disinformation involves an intent to deceive and as a result is more objectively assessable. It has been narrowly defined in other instruments around the world, including the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation. It is also the class of content that carries the greater risk of harm to Australia.

Updated

‘Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price for defeating Hamas’, Wong's office says

The Australian government has said it is “appalled by the unacceptable deaths of innocent civilians as a result of Israel’s operations in Gaza”.

A spokesperson for the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, made the comment this afternoon and reiterated that Australia was calling for civilians to be protected. Wong’s spokesperson added:

We also remain gravely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and UN reports that northern Gaza is increasingly being cut off from essential supplies due to access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities. This cannot continue.

The spokesperson said Israel “must comply” with the international court of justice’s binding orders, including to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza:

Australia has repeatedly conveyed its concerns about the situation in Gaza directly to Israel.

Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price for defeating Hamas.

We repeat our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance.

Parties must agree to the plan put forward by the United States and endorsed by the United Nations security council. Delays are costing lives.

Updated

Man charged with assault on NSW north coast

A man has been charged after an alleged assault on New South Wales’ north coast.

Emergency services were called to a caravan park on Lawson Street in Byron Bay at about 3:30am, after reports of an assault, NSW police said.

A 39-year-old man was found with a serious head injury. He was treated at the scene before being airlifted to Gold Coast university hospital in a critical condition.

Another 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Byron Bay police Station.

He was charged with affray and granted conditional bail to appear before Byron Bay local court in November.

Updated

PM remembers journalist George Negus as a ‘wonderful human being’

Another look at some of the tributes that are landing on social media following the announcement of the death of veteran broadcaster George Negus.

Anthony Albanese called Negus, who died at the age of 82, “a wonderful human being”.

“George sought and served the truth with steely determination and a twinkle in his eye, and along the way, he made even the smallest TV screen feel that much bigger”, he wrote on X.

Updated

Digital payments ‘much cheaper than cash’, Labor MP tells ABC amid proposal to scrap debit card transaction fees

Over to Afternoon Briefing, where host Greg Jennett is exploring the Labor government’s proposal to scrap debit card surcharges.

Jerome Laxale from the Labor-held Sydney seat of Bennelong told the ABC that the argument that digital payment systems had embedded costs held no water.

All these arguments fall apart when you compare digital payments to cash. There have been embedded costs for cash for millennia that have been carried in certain ways, particularly by banks – and even recently banks said they are paying up to $350 million each to circulate cash around. As they should.

We know digital payments are effectively much cheaper than cash. We had evidence of that nature at the bank hearing.

He said surcharges were a “byproduct of laws that are now approaching 20 years old. They need updating.”

Updated

Sydney rail commuters told to allow extra travel time after person seen near tracks at Redfern

Sydney Trains has advised commuters to allow extra travel time after a person was seen near the train tracks in Redfern on Tuesday afternoon.

Several train lines are experiencing delays due to the incident, including T1, T3, and T8, the Daily Telegraph reports. T2 and T5 were affected but have returned to normal service, according to Sydney Trains.

In a social media post, Sydney Trains said: “Allow extra travel time due to a person near the tracks at Redfern earlier. Stops may change at short notice.”

Updated

Tributes flow for George Negus

Tributes are pouring in for the veteran journalist and broadcaster George Negus, who has died at the age of 82.

Journalists and public figures including Kate McClymont, Peter FitzSimons, Phillip Adams and Sandra Sully have all taken to X to share the news.

Echoing the comments of many, award-winning investigative journalist McClymont wrote: “Vale George Negus, one of the greats.”

Author and commentator FitzSimons said: “Vale George Negus. Lovely bloke. Larrikin. Tv pioneer. Strong and fearless journalist.”

Updated

Severe thunderstorm warning for western NSW

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of New South Wales.

Residents in the state’s west have been told to expect damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall:

The bureau earlier warned of possible thunderstorms across much of the country’s south east:

Updated

George Negus dies at 82

Veteran broadcaster George Negus has died at the age of 82.

In a statement, Negus’ family said he had Alzheimer’s disease and “passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones”, the ABC reports.

“Despite the challenges diseases like Alzheimer’s inflict on families, we still shared beautiful times, laughter and happiness together in recent times.

“We also learnt a lot.”

The family thanked healthcare workers for their support.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on today’s blog, Daisy Dumas will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.

Australian shares hit another record high

The Australian share market has climbed to another record high, AAP reports, with contributions from the big banks and the major miners.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 58 points, or 0.7%, to 8,310.8 at noon – its first time ever above 8,300. The broader All Ordinaries was up 55.4 points, or 0.65%, to 8,584.1.

Eight of the ASX’s 11 sectors were higher at midday, with energy and utilities lower and consumer staples basically flat.

The heavyweight financial sector was the biggest gainer, rising 1.3% as Westpac and CBA both climbed 1.7%, NAB added 1.5% and ANZ gained 0.9%. In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP was up 1.1%, Fortescue had added 2.3% and Rio Tinto had advanced 1.6%.

The energy sector was lower after Brent crude slumped to a 12-day low of $US75 a barrel after bearish economic data out of China. Woodside was 1.6% lower, Santos had dropped 1.3% and Whitehaven Coal had dropped 2%.

The Australian dollar was buying US67.32c, from US67.41c at Monday’s ASX close.

Updated

Watch: emergency services respond to chemical flash at Sydney uni

As we reported earlier, three people have been taken to hospital after a minor chemical flash at the University of Sydney’s Sports Aquatic Centre in Darlington this morning.

One employee and two bystanders were affected by the acid-based chemicals, with one person sustaining burns to his hands. The area has since been secured and analysed, before being decontaminated and rendered safe.

Here’s some footage from the scene, thanks to our video team and Fire and Rescue NSW:

Updated

Opera House to be lit up for King after coronation snub

The sails of the Sydney Opera House will be lit up for the upcoming royal visit, AAP reports, despite the New South Wales premier previously axing plans to similarly mark the King’s coronation due to cost.

The state government plans to illuminate the landmark at 8pm on Friday with pictures of previous royal visits to Sydney. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will tour the NSW capital and Canberra after landing on Australian soil on 18 October.

The green light to illuminate the sails comes almost 18 months after the premier, Chris Minns, dumped plans set by the former Coalition state government to light up the venue for the King’s coronation. The cost of $80,000-$100,000 per night was too much for taxpayers to bear, he said at the time.

But Minns today said it was important the King was warmly welcomed during his visit to Sydney, and the “primary objective” in lighting up the Opera House would be to focus on events taking place in the state capital.

The Opera House sails were illuminated for 23 days in 2012 but that ballooned to more than 70 days in 2022, costing taxpayers up to $7m annually. Requests to the government were still increasing and included “trivial matters”, the premier said previously.

Friday’s display will include a four-minute looping montage of images from previous royal visits.

Updated

Australia's peak humanitarian body decries 'lack of consistency' on sanctions

Australia’s peak body for humanitarian agencies has accused the Australian government of a lack of consistency in ensuring accountability for human rights violations, citing a failure to impose any sanctions on Israeli government or military officials.

The federal government announced today that it was imposing targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on five Iranian individuals linked to Iran’s missile program.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said Iran’s missile program posed “a material threat to regional and international security” and that its ballistic missile attack on Israel on 1 October “was a dangerous escalation that increased the risk of a wider regional war”.

The Australian Council for International Development (Acfid) said in a statement that it was “horrified at the rising bombardment and civilian death toll in Northern Gaza over the last several days”.

The peak body said it “urges the Australian government to assert accountability and apply autonomous sanctions on Israeli officials engaged in killing civilians, consistent with the approach it has taken towards other combatants committing war crimes”.

Naomi Brooks, the humanitarian lead for Acfid, said:

The Australian government has implemented sanctions on 200 Iran-linked individuals and entities. Despite over 40,000 deaths in Gaza, the Australian government has not yet sanctioned any Israeli government or military officials. This now looks like a lack of consistency and proportionality in how we hold governments committing gross human rights violations to account.

After over a year of conflict, we have continued to see atrocities throughout Gaza, including horrific scenes at Al-Aqsa hospital where civilians were burned alive. The human toll has been beyond catastrophic. We urgently need a ceasefire.

Comment is being sought from the Australian government.

Updated

Teenager accused of woman’s murder seeks police evidence

A teenage boy accused of murdering a grandmother during a carjacking has been granted a court order for prosecutors to disclose all evidence in the case, AAP reports.

Vyleen Joan White, 70, died after being stabbed in the chest outside a shopping centre at Redbank Plains, west of Brisbane, on 3 February. Police alleged White was killed during the theft of her 2009 model Hyundai Getz hatchback.

A 16-year-old boy from the nearby suburb of Bellbird Park was arrested two days later and charged with one count each of murder and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and three counts of stealing.

The youth’s charges were mentioned in Ipswich children’s court today, but he was not required to appear in person or via video link from custody. Prosecutor Andy Iordache told acting magistrate Paul Byrne she could have a complete brief of evidence ready within three weeks.

The youth’s solicitor, Farshad Sarabi, asked Byrne for an order for prosecutors to produce the last items of evidence. Byrne ordered the prosecution to disclose the last items of evidence by 5 November and adjourned the matter until 26 November.

Sarabi said outside court that the case was “sad for everyone” and “there are no winners in this situation”.

When asked about the time it had taken for evidence to be disclosed, Sarabi said: “I think everyone is frustrated by the delays.”

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has released a severe weather update, with possible severe thunderstorms forecast for much of the southeast:

Oasis announces fifth and final Australian concert after shows sell out

Rock band Oasis has announced a fifth and final Australian concert as part of their 2025 reunion tour, after huge demand.

All four stadium shows in Melbourne and Sydney sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale. A fifth and final concert has now been announced for Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Monday 4 November.

This means Oasis will perform three nights in Melbourne, and two at Accor Stadium in Sydney, on the following dates:

  • Friday 31 October – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)

  • Saturday 1 November – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)

  • Monday 4 November – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (EXTRA SHOW ADDED)

  • Friday 8 November – Accor Stadium, Sydney (SOLD OUT)

  • Saturday 9 November – Accor Stadium, Sydney (SOLD OUT)

A statement said there would be a presale for existing registered fans who missed out during the initial presale ballot. Tickets will go on sale for the general public from midday this Friday, 18 October.

Updated

Bureau of Meteorology releases 2025 weather calendar

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its weather calendar for 2025, featuring space weather, a total solar eclipse and an elusive optical effect caused by light bending through fog.

The photos traverse throughout Australia’s many climate zones – from Tasmania’s central highlands in the south to the Arafura Sea off the Northern Territory – taken by professional and amateur photographers.

National community information manager Andrea Peace said the images were selected from more than 500 entries, with each month featuring a different weather phenomenon “alongside a meteorological description written by the Bureau’s meteorologists.”

The weather calendar is now in its 41st year and can be bought online here. Here are some of the photos featured in this year’s calendar:

Updated

Dutton says Labor's ban on debit card surcharges merely 'a plan for a plan'

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, claims the government’s announcement about banning debit card surcharges was only “a plan for a plan”, criticising Labor for not yet following through on promised reforms to gambling ads and social media age limits.

Returning to his earlier press conference in Sydney, Dutton said the Coalition was “very happy to look at anything the government is going to propose, but it’s not an announcement. It’s just that they’re looking at it and it could come in in 2026.”

Australian families need help now from this government. At the moment, it’s a plan for a plan.

Dutton went on to note:

The government promised to introduce reforms to online gambling – nothing’s happened. They promised to introduce age verification – nothing has happened. The government makes all of these announcements, but never delivers anything, and I think this is just the latest example.

It’s a line reminiscent of Anthony Albanese’s criticism of Scott Morrison before the last election, accusing the then PM of being “all photo op, no follow-up”.

Dutton’s opposition seem keen to point out the government’s delay on various promises; in parliament’s question time last week, Coalition MPs asked Labor several questions on the long-delayed gambling ad reforms.

Now, 16 months after Peta Murphy’s report recommending a full ad ban, it is unclear when the government will announce its response. The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, last week promised a response before the election.

Updated

More information on chemical flash at University of Sydney

Fire and Rescue NSW has just released some more information on the chemical reaction at the University of Sydney, as we flagged a moment ago.

The chemical reaction occurred outside the University of Sydney Sports Aquatic Centre in Darlington, about 10am.

One employee and two bystanders were affected by the acid-based chemicals, FRNSW said, which were being moved for disposal.

One person received burns to his hands and was taken to hospital, and a further two people were also transported as a precaution.

The area has since been secured and analysed, before being decontaminated and rendered safe. SafeWork and the NSW EPA have been notified of the incident.

Updated

More than 1,000 Palestinians applying for onshore protection in Australia

The number of Palestinians applying onshore for protection in Australia has surpassed 1,000 since October 2023 as the federal government unveils a new temporary humanitarian pathway option for those fleeing the conflict in Gaza.

Home affairs department figures for September, tabled in the Senate yesterday, show 118 from the Palestinian Authority applied for onshore protection visas in September 2024, bringing the total of applications to 1,033 since October 2023.

Protection visa applications for Palestinians peaked in July with 176 for the month after steadily rising from January. So far, the figures show none of the protection visas have been granted.

Last Thursday, the department published new details about its temporary humanitarian stay visas, allowing newly arrived Palestinians the possibility of a three-year visa. The option is similar to the pathway offered to Ukrainians fleeing the country following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The temporary visa is only available by invitation from the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, or any delegates, but those affected by the conflict can fill out an expression of interest form to be considered. The two-step process would see an individual being granted a subclass 449 Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa initially – a visa that does not grant Medicare access. Individuals would then be offered a subclass 786 Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) visa, which is valid for three years.

The department warned “individuals who are offered a temporary humanitarian stay cannot meet the criteria for and be granted a protection visa, regardless of whether they have already lodged an application”.

Guardian Australia asked Burke for the number of individuals offered a 449 or 786 visa through the pathway on Friday. The minister’s office declined to comment.

Updated

Three taken to hospital after minor chemical flash at Sydney uni

Three people have been taken to hospital after a minor chemical flash at the University of Sydney.

Fire and Rescue NSW said it was called to the workplace incident just before 10am today, along with paramedics, after reports one person had suffered burns from a chemical reaction.

He has been taken to Royal Prince Alfred hospital with minor burns, after “exposure to the vapour cloud that came off the reaction” inside a plastic bucket. Two other people were transported to RPA as a precaution.

FRNSW crews are working to decontaminate areas where people washed-off after the chemical flash – described as a “rapid release of heat”.

We’ve actually just recovered the remaining product of the chemicals that have been mixed together and put them into proper storage recovery bins … Now we’re just working through to continue to decontaminate so we can open this site back up.

NSW Ambulance confirmed it had transported the three patients, but did not have an update on their condition.

Updated

Max Chandler-Mather hits out at ‘property investor’ PM

The Greens MP and housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, has weighed in on Anthony Albanese’s purchase of a home on New South Wales’ Central Coast with his fiancee, Jodie Haydon.

In a post to X labelling the prime minister a “property investor”, Chandler-Mather said:

Labor [and] the Liberals have created a housing system where a property investor can buy a $4.3m beachfront home, while millions can’t even find an affordable rental, let alone buy a house of their own.

Yet Labor still want to give property investors $176bn in tax handouts.

Updated

Coalition silent on peacekeeper safety in Lebanon

The Coalition has refused to give its view on whether UN peacekeepers in Lebanon should be protected from Israeli attacks.

As reported here on the blog yesterday, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave a statement to Guardian Australia saying that Australia had “made clear to Israel that any targeting or intimidation of UN personnel and facilities in Lebanon is unacceptable and must cease”.

There have been further developments overnight, including the UN security council issuing a statement urging “all parties to respect the safety and security of Unifil personnel and premises” and saying “UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack”.

The foreign affairs ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK also issued a joint statement expressing “our deep concern in the wake of recent attacks by [the Israel Defense Forces] on Unifil bases, which have left several peacekeepers injured” and that “these attacks must stop immediately”.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, denied accusations that Israel “deliberately attacked Unifil personnel” but said “the best way to assure the safety of Unifil personnel is for Unifil to heed Israel’s request and to temporarily get out of harm’s way”.

Today Guardian Australia asked the opposition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, for comment about the protection of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, including whether the Australian government was right to make the call it did and whether Unifil was right to reject unilateral calls to move.

Birmingham’s office said that they would not be providing comment.

Updated

Overseas arrivals and departures figures released

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released its latest overseas arrivals and departures figures.

Permanent arrivals in August were down from the same month last year but are up about a third from 2019.

Short-term visitors were up 9.2% on last year, with most tourists coming from New Zealand, China and Japan. In New South Wales and Victoria, China was the No 1 source country for tourists. In Tasmania and Western Australia, the tourist market was dominated by Singaporeans.

More residents are holidaying overseas, with short-term resident returns up to 916,890 – an increase of 6.8% on one year earlier. For these people, at least, the cost-of-living crisis may not be hitting home.

But more people chose to leave and not return to Australia. Total departures were well up, increasing to 1,694,440 – an increase of 11.7% on one year earlier.

Updated

Albanese denies $4.3m home purchase is part of retirement plan

The PM has been asked about his purchase of a home on New South Wales’ Central Coast with his fiancee, Jodie Haydon.

Well, Jodie and I are getting married, as is known, and I’m pleased about that. And Jodie’s a Coastie. She’s a proud Coastie … There are three generations of Haydons on the coast there. And when your relationship changes, your life changes, and you make decisions.

He said he was yet to buy the Copacabana home and, when asked if he planned to retire there, he said he was “planning to be in [his] current role for a very long time”.

Updated

Clare O’Neil says Labor ‘came from a standing start’ on housing crisis

The prime minister is in Queensland, where he has been lending his weight to the Miles government’s re-election campaign.

Speaking alongside the housing minister, Clare O’Neil, in Logan, he has just announced a planned 1,100 new homes for the area as part of the government’s target to build 1.2m homes around the country over the next five years. O’Neil said:

We are, without question, one of the boldest and most ambitious commonwealth governments on housing that we have seen for a generation in this country. We came from a standing start. The prime minister here mentioned that for most of the time the Coalition were in power, they didn’t even have a housing minister. Didn’t even have a housing minister: that’s how tapped out they were on this critical problem.

When asked about Labor’s plan to drop debit card fees, Anthony Albanese said:

We think it’ll make a difference. And when people go and they see a price up on the board and the business where they’re making a purchase, that should be the purchase price. There shouldn’t be hidden charges and surcharges there when people are using their own money … The debit card is taking money directly from people’s accounts. That is their money, and there shouldn’t be surcharges on it.

Updated

More information on latest jobseeker data

Currently, 60% of households relying on jobseeker live below the poverty line.

Acoss is urging the federal government to increase Jobseeker from $56 a day to at least $82 a day to bring it in line with the pension.

Jobseeker and related income support payments should be indexed to the higher of wage growth or inflation, instead of just inflation, Goldie said:

As prices continue to rise and wages increase, it is vital that unemployment and related payments are adjusted to reflect the reality of living costs. We cannot allow people out of paid work to fall further behind, pushing more people into poverty.

Acoss is also advocating for a strategy to halve poverty by 2030, including setting national targets and definitions of poverty, increasing investment in social housing and First Nations organisations and creating more employment opportunities for those facing barriers to paid work.

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Jobseeker now 20% of the average wage: Acoss data

Jobseeker is now just 20% of the average wage, data released by Australian Council of Social Service (Acoss) for anti-poverty week has revealed.

While the average wage in Australia is $1,923 a week, jobseeker is just $393, the Acoss briefing on solutions to poverty shows. The payment is only 43% of the $916-per-week minimum wage, and has dropped to just 69% of the $572-per-week pension.

Youth Allowance at $319.50 a week is even lower, making up just 17% of the average wage, 35% of the minimum wage and 56% of the pension.

It is also far below the Henderson poverty line, which is $1,224.94 a fortnight for a single person. The Acoss chief executive, Cassandra Goldie, said it was time to raise the rate:

Australia’s totally inadequate income support payments are a primary cause of poverty in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. Our unemployment payment is among the lowest in the OECD. It is a political choice and driving persistent poverty.

People receiving youth allowance or jobseeker are falling further behind both people in paid work and pensioners. Every day, people doing it tough are forced to go hungry, forgo essential medicine, and worry about finding or keeping a roof over their head. One of the quickest and most effective ways to lift people out of poverty is to raise the rate.

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Race discrimination commissioner condemns white supremacist rally at the weekend

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, has condemned the white supremacist rally held in Corowa, in regional NSW, at the weekend.

On Sunday, a group of balaclava-wearing men were spotted huddled under a sign that read “white man fight back”. A video posted online showed the group’s leader suggesting white people were being “pushed out” of their towns.

Sivaraman said the Corowa rally was “a shock to many, particularly residents”, but for those who have been “following the rise of the far right in the last few years, it sadly wasn’t that surprising”.

This is what happens when we refuse to properly name and confront the extent of racism that is ingrained across our society. These rallies are a horrific manifestation of what happens when racism is normalised – to the extent that neo-Nazis are emboldened to be on the streets as a threatening force …

White supremacy is a threat that must be taken seriously. We should never forget that the worst mass murder in recent history committed by an Australian was a white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019. Politicians need to be careful their language does not denigrate one community over another or embolden neo-Nazis to openly march on our streets. Australian media also needs to be careful about which ideologies it platforms.

He called for a national anti-racism action that “addresses the roots of white supremacy and all forms of racism in Australia”.

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Dandenong MP shaving head to raise money for Cancer Council Victoria

Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams is about to shave her head to raise money for Cancer Council Victoria, after her friend and Mulgrave MP Eden Foster’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Dutton weighs in on PM’s $4.3m coastal home purchase

Peter Dutton says Anthony Albanese’s purchase of a $4.3m luxury coastal home north of Sydney is “a matter for the prime minister”, but said he had concerns about ordinary Australians struggling with their mortgage.

In a press conference in Sydney, Dutton was asked about Albanese’s latest property purchase at Copacabana. Dutton responded: “It’s a matter for the prime minister, but I wish he and Jodie [Haydon, his fiance] well, and they’re obviously planning for the next stage of life, post-politics. And I wish them well.”

Dutton said “the prime minister can answer questions in relation to it” but went on to say:

But the homeowners in Australia that I’m worried about at the moment are people who can’t afford their mortgages. People have had 12 interest rate increases, and interest rates should come back, as they’re doing in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, but because of Mr Albanese’s bad economic management, we’re seeing inflation remain higher here and therefore, interest rates remain higher as well.

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Pesutto rubbishes claims from Allan he is untrustworthy

Circling back to Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto, who has rubbished suggestions made by the premier, Jacinta Allan, that he was untrustworthy.

As she arrived at parliament this morning, Allan had said:

For weeks the Liberal party have been slugging it out in court with each other, contesting the question of John Pesutto’s character, and it is being exposed as being entirely untrustworthy … His own colleagues think that and it demonstrates that Victorians can neither trust him or the Victorian Liberal party.

But Pesutto disputed this characterisation and said he would not stoop to “personal attacks”.

My focus is on what the Victorian people need, and I’d like some answers from the premier on a range of issues.

Laneway says presale ‘issue’ now resolved

Circling back to the Laneway presale for a moment: in a post to its update channel on Instagram, Laneway says it is “aware of an issue with the pre-sale journey”.

We have been made aware of an issue with the pre-sale journey, which should now be resolved and everyone should be able to purchase.

Laneway is encouraging those who are struggling to clear their cache, try incognito mode or use a different browser.

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Pesutto says he will continue to ‘work hard’ for Liberal leadership

John Pesutto says he was “brought up to be very resilient” and would continue to “work hard for everything”, including the Liberal leadership.

Updated

Asked whether today’s meeting put leadership speculation to bed, or if he believes this uncertainty will continue until the trial is over and the findings released, John Pesutto said:

I’m just going to focus on my job and working with tenacity to give the Victorian people a real choice, both now and in November 2026 and that requires a lot of work from my colleagues and I.

I think what I’d say about my colleagues today is that we’ve come out of our meeting today with a real sense of the purpose we have in the mission we have, which is to replace this government, but to do it for the reasons that we need better leadership of our state.

Pesutto bats off question about Liberal spill after trial wraps up

Asked whether Liberal MPs have indicated a spill will go ahead after the trial wraps up, John Pesutto batted off the question.

He said opposition is “a long journey and we are focused on the work ahead”.

That’s all we can really do ... Coming out of today’s meeting, there’s a real sense of purpose and mission that we are having an impact on the debate in the state, and we need change in the state, and we need better leadership in the state.

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‘I’m not going to go into party room matters,’ Pesutto says

John Pesutto said he won’t discuss party matters, but admitted he raised the defamation trial with Liberal MPs as part of his “recap of the last month”.

I’m not going to go into party room matters, as you can appreciate. But look, I’m happy to say there was just a general recap on where we’ve been going, with particular focus on the fact that we’re resonating with the Victorian people. It is clear that the Allan Labor government is losing support at a rapid rate – and that’s right across the state, and there’s good reason for that.

Updated

Pesutto confirms spill motion against him failed to eventuate

Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, has just emerged from the Liberal party room after a spill against him failed to eventuate.

Several MPs had spent last week planning a spill, citing Pesutto’s ongoing defamation trial brought Moira Deeming as a reason, but it failed to go ahead as they were unable to agree upon a replacement candidate.

Emerging from the party room, Pesutto confirmed there was no spill:

I don’t know what all that was about but everybody’s focused on the job ahead. We’ve got a government that is not leading our state well. We’ve got roads in a state of disrepair that are dangerous for people to use. The health system hasn’t been fixed. The budget is a mess. Debt is continuing to rise in this state, putting enormous pressure on Victorian households and businesses. So there is a lot to prosecute here in the parliament.

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Update on Oasis and Laneway tickets queue

If you’re wondering whether you have the time to queue up online for Oasis tickets, our spy says don’t worry: the two Melbourne concerts just went on general sale, there are still seats available all over the stadium, and there’s no online queue.

On the other hand, another spy is #24,698 in the queue for Laneway in Sydney, and another is #36,485 for the Melbourne stop, so yet again gen X have an unfair advantage over the millennials in getting what they want.

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Images of storm damage in Sydney and surrounds

The NSW State Emergency Service has shared these images of the storm damage in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and surrounds yesterday afternoon:

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Expansion of NSW entertainment precincts to protect venues from noise complaints

People who buy homes near pubs and music venues in some areas will be discouraged from making noise complaints, AAP reports, as special entertainment precincts will be expanded in the NSW government’s second tranche of “vibrancy reforms” – to be introduced to parliament today.

Buyers will be required to formally acknowledge they are purchasing property in an entertainment zone when snapping up real estate within the precincts.

Just one precinct has been established to date, on Enmore Road in Sydney’s inner west, but the arts minister, John Graham, wants more in a bid to revive the state’s ailing nightlife industry.

It is about cutting the red tape that has strangled nightlife over time and made local live music and performance at venues in many cases the exception rather than the rule.

It is also hoped the laws will put an end to conflict between established venues and new neighbours. Graham said:

People moving into an established entertainment zone will now do so with their eyes wide open through property search documents and we expect this will reduce conflict between neighbours and venues over time.

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Allan says ‘existing engagements’ means she can’t attend King Charles’ reception in Canberra

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has been asked why she and the other state premiers have declined their invitations for a reception in Canberra next Monday to mark King Charles’s first visit to Australia since taking the throne.

She said she has a number of “exisiting engagements”:

The Victorian community will be very well represented by the governor, by the King’s representative in the state. The government will further be represented by the parliamentary secretary to the premier.

Despite this she said she welcomed the King’s trip and “we would have warmly welcomed him to Melbourne and Victoria should his itinerary have made some time and space for that visit”.

… particularly given the King went to school here in Geelong and we’re really proud of that personal connection with the King and his family.

His schedule was such that his visit is confined to Canberra and Sydney, and my schedule is such that I’m just not able to make the reception next Monday, but the government [and] the Victorian community, will be very, very well represented by the governor of Victoria, who is indeed the King’s representative.

But Allan was quick to note she has “long been on the record as supporting Australia becoming a republic”, though it was not a focus “right now”.

Updated

Culprit flees ram raid with arm on fire

An offender has fled the scene of a botched ram raid at a cycling store with their arm on fire after the business erupted into flames, AAP reports.

Mystery culprits allegedly used a stolen car to ram the garage door of a business on Lygon Street, Brunswick, in Melbourne’s inner north about 2.55am this morning, police said.

It is believed the offenders used the black BMW X5 to ram the door two or three times, before jumping out of the vehicle and entering the store. The ramming then led to a fire inside the business.

It was reported to police that one of the offenders was spotted fleeing the scene with one of their arms on fire.

The stolen vehicle was left behind and the offenders were last seen running towards Nicholson Street.

The fire caused significant damage to the building and it remains unclear if anything was stolen from the store.

Updated

Oasis general sale to begin shortly, plus Laneway presale

The general public sale for the 2025 reunion tour of 90s rock band Oasis go on sale in just over 10 minutes.

According to Ticketmaster, tickets have been priced in advance by the tour from $183.28 to $407.57. A handling fee from $9.90 per order also applies, and tickets are subject to availability.

Ticketmaster says if anyone gets a message they were unable to reserve their chosen seats, it means someone has already secured them – and they should clear their selection and try different seats.

Meanwhile, presale for the 2025 Laneway festival also opens from 10am AEDT, with the festival to be headlined by Charli xcx.

Updated

Man charged with 87 counts of theft allegedly part of syndicate

Victoria police have charged a man who was allegedly part of a retail theft syndicate.

Detectives travelled to NSW on 11 October to investigate reports of a large shop steal syndicate, allegedly responsible for thefts of grocery products last year and this year.

It’s alleged the group were conducting large-scale thefts of high-value products from supermarkets, Victoria police said, worth more than $3m.

Detectives will allege the 27-year-old Indian national was part of the syndicate of more than 100 people. He was extradited from NSW and charged with 87 counts of theft.

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Australia must ‘exercise all political and diplomatic influence’ to ensure humanitarian aid to Gaza, says Save the Children

Save the Children Australia is urging the Albanese government to “exercise all political and diplomatic influence it has” to stop Israel from cutting humanitarian aid to children and families trapped in northern Gaza.

On Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) renewed its evacuation orders for Palestinians still living in the decimated northern half of Gaza. The UN says an estimated 400,000 people are trapped by the latest ground fighting and artillery fire centred in Jabalia, which has now entered a second week.

Save the Children Australia CEO Mat Tinkler said:

The Australian Government must state loud and clear that using starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime and that perpetrators have to be held accountable.

As is so often the case in conflict, the people least able to evacuate will be children (particularly those who have been orphaned) the elderly, the sick and injured and people with disabilities. If aid is cut off, the denial of food, water and medicine to these people will effectively be signing their death warrants.

Save the Children says that according to the UN World Food Program, no food aid has entered northern Gaza since 1 October.

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Greens senator ‘concerned’ by allegations raised on Four Corners over live music ticketing

Circling back to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s interview on ABC RN earlier where she was asked about the ticketing situation for live music – and said she was worried by some of the allegations aired on Four Corners last night.

Hanson-Young said she was concerned by the notion “audience members are [allegedly] being ripped off because of price surging on tickets or hidden fees on ticket prices.”

If there is issues there, the ACCC should investigate them and make clear that any anti-competitive or unfair charges are not happening and being passed on to audience members.

The Senator said the live music industry is “copping it from all sides right now”, still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

I do think the ACCC should have a look at this and work out if there’s unfair practices. But I also think governments need to do more to support Australian musicians and artists.

We are on the verge of losing an entire generation of artists in this country because of these issues and, you know, it’s such an important part of what makes us the great country that we are. Art helps us understand what we’re going through, where we’ve come from, where we’re going. It helps us to communicate, to connect. There’s a lot of pressures right now and music and art really helps us as a community to come together when times are tough and we need it more than ever right now.

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‘Not one’ MP raised concerns about Pesutto’s leadership in party room meeting

The Liberal party room has just wrapped up with no spill motion, as we had earlier reported.

MPs have told Guardian Australia the 45-minute meeting was “friendly”, “agreeable”, “boring” and “nothing special”.

Leader in the upper house, Georgie Crozier, said only Pesutto mentioned the defamation trial “in passing”.

We’re putting it behind us.

She said “not one” MP raised concerns about Pesutto’s leadership.

Updated

Woman charged with domestic violence murder after man allegedly found unconscious

Queensland police have charged a 32-year-old woman with murder after the sudden death of a man at Browns Plains yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the Basie Court address after the 72-year-old man was allegedly found unconscious and not breathing.

Police said the 32-year-old Browns Plains woman was taken into custody at the scene, and has since been charged with murder (domestic violence).

She is due to appear in Beenleigh magistrates court today. Investigations are ongoing, police said.

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Residential vacancy rates fell slightly in September: SQM research

Residential dwelling vacancy rates fell slightly across the country to 1.2% in September, according to SQM Research.

There are currently 37,932 rental vacancies, a decrease from 39,665 in August. Perth, Canberra and Hobart – plus regional Australia – were the main drivers to the decline, according to the data.

Sydney’s rental vacancy rate remains stable at 1.6% with 11,360 vacant rentals. Melbourne’s has increased to 1.7% with 8,796 vacant dwellings.

Canberra had the highest rental vacancy rate among the states and territories at 2%. Vacancy rates in the CBDs were largely steady, with Sydney at a 5% vacancy rate and Melbourne at 5.1%.

In the month leading to 12 October, rental prices in capital cities rose by 0.5%. Sydney experienced a 0.9% increase in combined rents, where Melbourne saw a 1.1% decline.

Louis Christopher, the managing director of SQM Research, said the national rental market “remains in severe shortage and barring some exceptions, is not expected to materially soften out of the rental crisis for some years”.

First Victorian Liberal party room meeting since Pesutto-Deeming defamation trial

Victorian Liberal MPs are filing into their party room for their first meeting since the beginning of the defamation trial brought against opposition leader, John Pesutto, by exiled MP Moira Deeming.

The trial, which has aired the party’s dirty laundry, prompted calls last week from some MPs to spill the leadership.

However, several MPs have told Guardian Australia the motion is unlikely to go ahead because the party room is unable to agree upon a candidate to replace Pesutto.

Pesutto walked into his party room with members of his leadership team, Georgie Crozier, Evan Mulholland and David Southwick, and South West Coast MP, Roma Britnell.

He told reporters: “Back to work.”

The Berwick MP, Brad Battin, who has long been touted as a possible leader, was the first to arrive and said he had no plans to move a motion. Another contender, Nepean MP Sam Groth, said: “You’re all wasting your time.”

Updated

Guy Barnett elected Tasmanian deputy premier

Guy Barnett has been elected as Tasmania’s new deputy premier.

The Tasmanian government whip, Simon Wood, said in a statement the Liberal party met this morning to elect a new deputy leader, and Barnett was elected unopposed.

This comes as the former deputy premier, Michael Ferguson, was set to face a no-confidence motion in parliament today but resigned from the cabinet over the bungled Bass Strait ferry rollout.

Barnett spent nearly a decade in the federal Senate before being elected to Tasmanian state parliament in 2014 as the member for Lyons.

Updated

Albanese buys house on NSW Central Coast for $4.3m

News.com.au is reporting that Anthony Albanese has purchased a new home for himself and fiance, Jodie Haydon, at Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast for $4.3m.

2GB’s Ben Fordham reportedly revealed the sale and says the prime minister exchanged contracts in September, with settlement expected before the end of October. Albanese had told Fordham:

I’m about to get marred to Jodie and start a new chapter of our lives. Jodie’s a ‘coastie’ and spending time with her up there is awesome. It will be nice to be closer to her parents and her family one day.

News.com.au reports that the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was sold for $1.7m in 2017 and $4.65m in 2021 – on the market for almost a full year before Albanese bought it for more than $300,000 cheaper than what the current owners paid.

In May, Albanese defended his decision to evict the tenant from a house he owns in Sydney, saying he has been “more than fair” as a landlord but his impending marriage means he wants to sell:

Updated

Smart energy trial for parts of Illawarra

The Albanese government has announced a smart energy trial in the NSW Illawarra to help boost household electrification.

Backed by $5.4m in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena), residents in the 2515 postcode will be able to apply for subsidies for a range of devices.

A statement from energy minister, Chris Bowen, says energy-efficient electric appliances will be installed in participating homes in Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra, along with a smart energy management device to optimise energy use.

Arena funding will help households buy heat pump hot water and space heating systems, plus batteries and other resources.

The project aims to generate insights into consumer behaviour, attitudes and energy bill savings to inform how home electrification could be scaled across Australia.

The MP for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, said:

I look forward to seeing this project provide valuable insights and data in how this model could be rolled out across communities, particularly our more vulnerable households in lower socioeconomic areas who would benefit greatly from reduced energy bills.

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Four flood rescues amid rapid onset storm in Sydney yesterday

The NSW SES assistant commissioner, Colin Malone, says four flood rescues occurred yesterday, after people drove into floodwaters in Sydney.

He spoke with ABC News Breakfast about the storms that lashed Sydney and eastern parts of the country yesterday, and said there were 118 incidents – with 330 volunteers working into the evening.

This is normal as we head into the summer thunderstorm period. We’ve heard this morning on the news already that Sydney will have heavy rain this morning that will upset peak-hour traffic …

Our message is no one’s life is worth the risk of driving through floodwater … Turn around, rethink it and prioritise your family and your own life before entering flood water.

Updated

Labor proposing to cap residential rental increases at once per year in NSW

Residential rental increases will be capped at once per year, under changes being introduced through the New South Wales parliament today.

The rule would cover renters under periodic and fixed-term leases, fixing a loophole in the law.

The proposal is being put forward as part of the Labor government’s rental reform package, which also includes change to make it easier to keep pets in rentals and ending no grounds evictions.

The better regulation minister, Anoulack Chanthivong, said:

Ensuring renters can only be hit with one rent increase a year will provide greater certainty and protection for renters regardless of whether their lease type changes.

Police search bushland amid investigation into Wollongong woman who went missing three decades ago

NSW police have searched bushland in the Illawarra as they investigate the suspicious disappearance of a Wollongong woman 30 years ago.

Strike Force Athena was established in 2022 to re-established the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Pauline Sowry, also known by her married name of Pauline Lawrence.

She was 49 years old when last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in December 1993. Her whereabouts remain unknown. A 2008 coronial inquest found she had died, most likely after an unconfirmed sighting in 1994.

Police said that following new information, a bushland search recommenced in the Illawarra escarpment at Figtree, south of Wollongong, last week.

Pauline’s son Jason Lawrence said it’s been incredibly difficult for the family not knowing what happened to their mother and sister.

We’ve been robbed of not knowing my mother, I’ve been robbed of not seeing what I’ve become over the years, how strong I’ve been, my career, my children. I’ve been robbed of a mother and robbed of a grandmother to my children. I’ve been robbed of a normal life, I don’t wish it on anybody. It would be really good to get some closure and know that she didn’t leave us and something had happened.

Updated

Will take ‘months, if not years’ for families to bounce back

Continuing from our last post, the Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said families were making “unimaginable choices”.

This is an alarming statistic that demonstrates just how desperate the situation has become for those who were once a lifeline suddenly finding themselves living pay to pay, watching every dollar and sadly, no longer in a position to extend help to loved ones and friends.

We know it’s going to take months, if not years, for many families to bounce back. We will continue to wrap our arms around our communities for as long as it takes, doing our bit to help nutritious, culturally appropriate food get to as many struggling households as possible.

More than half (53%) of food insecure households reported they are receiving food relief more often than a year ago. Food insecure households receiving help from friends and family has dropped significantly from 32% in 2023 to 25% in 2024.

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Highest rates of food insecurity for low-income earners since onset of cost-of-living crisis, Foodbank says

Low-income households are enduring the highest rates of food insecurity since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2024, released today.

Now in its 11th year, the report from food relief organisation Foodbank surveyed 4,260 people and highlights the growing divide between those who are able to absorb or adapt to rising costs and those being left behind.

More than 870,000 (48%) of Australia’s low-income households – earning less than $30,000 – are experiencing food insecurity. This is the highest rate since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis, up 5% on 2022.

The report offers an insight into the state of hunger across the country and reveals more than half (59%) of all food insecure households are experiencing the most severe level of hardship, regularly skipping meals or going entire days without food.

Single-parent households are the hardest hit with over two-thirds (69%) facing food insecurity and 41% of these also experiencing the severest form.

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Government announces sanctions on five Iranian individuals

The federal government has announced targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on five Iranian individuals it says is “contributing to Iran’s missile program.”

A statement from the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said Iran’s missile program “poses a material threat to regional and international security”, with the 1 October attack on Israel a “dangerous escalation that increased the risk of a wider regional war.”

The sanctions target two directors and a senior official in Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization, the director of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group and the commercial director of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.

The Albanese government has now sanctioned 200-Iran linked individuals and entities, the statement said.

Australia will continue to hold Iran to account for its reckless and destabilising actions.

Updated

Tasmanian opposition weighs in after Ferguson resigns from cabinet

Tasmania’s opposition leader, Dean Winter, has also been speaking with ABC News Breakfast this morning – after news the deputy premier has quit cabinet over the bungled Bass Strait ferry rollout.

Winter was set to move the motion of no-confidence in Michael Ferguson when parliament sits today. Asked about comments from the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, that he is undermining the functioning of the state’s parliament, Winter responded:

We’re holding ministers accountable when the premier of Tasmania refused to. This project – for people who don’t know – is $500m over budget, five years delayed.

It’s a completely debacle. Someone needed to take responsibility. The premier [was] saying he wouldn’t do that, the parliament decided it would act and, at the last moment, the deputy premier resigned.

Asked if Ferguson had paid too high a price, Winter said, “the price is being paid by Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality industry”, and that “he’s still on the backbench”.

Updated

Greens senator on government plan to ban debit card fees

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is speaking with ABC News Breakfast about the federal government plan to ban debit card fees and instruct the consumer watchdog to investigate excessive card costs.

Hanson-Young said she doesn’t think the move “goes far enough”, and she worries the government is “squibbing it on credit cards.”

This is only for debit cards. A lot of people are paying for their groceries and everyday items with their credit card and being slugged fees as well. I think we need to make sure it’s the bank that covers the cost of this, not the consumer and not the small businesses.

She said the Greens would look at what the government is proposing in detail.

Olivia Rodrigo falls through stage platform

Gen Z popstar Olivia Rodrigo is halfway through the Australian leg of her tour, and made headlines overnight after falling at her Melbourne show.

In a video posted to social media, Rodrigo can be seen falling through an open platform on the stage. She did not appear injured, getting right back up and saying:

Oh my God, that was fun! I’m OK. Woah. Sometime’s there’s just a hole in the stage. That’s alright. OK. Where was I?

Rodrigo performed four shows at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena – with last night being her fourth. She will perform at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on 17, 18, 21, and 22 October.

Updated

Penny Wong announces $9m aid for Myanmar

Australia has responded to calls to help the people of Myanmar suffering under its military junta and announced $9m in aid for food, water and shelter on top of education and health services.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced the package alongside Sean Turnell, who was a political prisoner of the junta for 650 days, as she launched his book about the situation in Myanmar in Canberra yesterday.

At least 5,350 civilians had been killed and half the nation was living under the poverty line, primarily due to military violence since the 2021 coup, Senator Wong said.

We are all appalled by the reports of widespread human rights abuses and atrocities.

Good morning

And happy Tuesday – many thanks to Martin for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you for most of today’s blog.

You can reach out with any tips or questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s go.

Slavery reparations not on the agenda for Chogm summit in Samoa

The issue of reparations for slavery is not on the agenda for next week’s Commonwealth heads of government summit, and the UK is not considering paying up, Downing Street has said.

We report today that the stance could put the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who will attend the gathering in Samoa along with Anthony Albanese and other heads of government of the 54-nation bloc, on a collision course with other countries.

All three candidates to succeed Patricia Scotland as Chogm secretary general at the event have said they support reparations for countries affected by slavery and colonisation.

Here’s the full report:

Updated

HSC written exams start today

A record number of students will be waking up with nerves in New South Wales this morning, with the formal written exam period to begin.

More than 76,000 students will be sitting an HSC exam, to run over the next 19 days. In total, 124 exams will be sat, starting with English at 9.50am. Atars will then be delivered on Wednesday 18 December – with half of the mark derived from the exam period.

The deputy premier and minister for education, Prue Car, advised students to “trust the hard work you’ve done”.

All the best to the HSC class of 2024 – the largest high school cohort in the country and in NSW history – as you head into written exams. Thank you to all of the teachers who have been part of this cohort’s 13-year education. I know every teacher and parent is looking on with pride today as these young people take this big step in their educational journey.

The NSW Education Standards Authority chief, Paul Martin, said the exam period would be a “huge logistical operation” for schools and staff.

My message to students: there are many ways to reach your goals. Be passionate, be curious and feel confident in all that you have learned over the last 13 years.

Updated

Tasmanian treasurer quits over ferry fiasco

Tasmania’s minority Liberal government is again in crisis after the deputy premier quit cabinet over the bungled Bass Strait ferry rollout, AAP reports.

Michael Ferguson was set to face a no-confidence motion in parliament today over delays and cost blowouts to the delivery of new $900m Spirit of Tasmania ships. That was set to carry, with crossbench MPs queuing up to back the Labor opposition.

He instead bowed to the pressure last night by resigning as treasurer along with giving up his small business and consumer affairs portfolios.

It is the latest headache for Jeremy Rockliff’s Liberals who were plunged into minority in May 2023 and called an early March election only to be returned in minority with a more diverse cross bench.

New berths for the two Spirit vessels won’t be ready for their arrival in what the state Labor opposition has dubbed the biggest infrastructure stuff-up in Tasmania’s history. Ferguson said in a statement:

I want to thank my Liberal party colleagues for their continued support for me over the past 20 years – and during my time as a minister in cabinet. I want to thank the premier [Jeremy Rockliff] for his support and backing over the past few months – both personally and as a colleague – this friendship is one that I have returned to him during my time as his deputy premier.

The Labor leader, Dean Winter, was set to move the no-confidence motion when parliament sits today.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then my colleague Emily Wind will take you through the main action.

Our top story this morning is that Labor is launching another initiative to ease the cost-of-living pressures on Australians by proposing to outlaw the charges we rack up when paying for things with debit cards. They will also instruct the consumer watchdog to investigate excessive card costs, as the transaction charges get set for an overhaul.

The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, says in an exclusive interview with us today that he would rather see a minority Liberal National party government in power after the 26 October state election than horse-trade with independents and minor parties to share government. Miles faces a stiff task to overcome a big deficit in the polls to stay in power against the challenge from David Crisafulli’s LNP.

Calls are mounting for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to investigate business practices in the live music industry after an ABC Four Corners report scrutinising the Australian arm of the live entertainment behemoth Live Nation.

Tasmania’s minority Liberal government will need to find a new deputy premier and treasurer after the state’s second-in-charge resigned amid a Bass Strait ferry fiasco. Michael Ferguson quit cabinet last night after being confronted with the prospect of losing a no-confidence vote in parliament today. More coming up.

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