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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nino Bucci and Emily Wind (earlier)

Former ABC host Tim Bowden dies aged 87 – as it happened

Jim Chalmers Australia Victoria ABC News Breakfast Daniel Pockett Jenny McAllister Jeremy Rockliff Mark Dreyfus RBA Tasmania
Journalist and writer Tim Bowden in 2007.
Journalist and writer Tim Bowden in 2007. Photograph: Tim Bowden

That’s it for today, Tuesday 3 September

Here are the main stories of the day:

We will see you back here tomorrow.

Updated

Reynolds’ lawyer quotes Motown song in closing argument

There were “no tears” behind Brittany Higgins’ smile during her time campaigning for the Liberal party in Perth, Linda Reynolds’ lawyer has told the court.

Martin Bennett is running through his closing arguments on Tuesday afternoon and turned to the young staffer’s time in Western Australia in April and May 2019.

Bennett said Higgins’ claims she was often left alone and isolated from her support network while campaigning for the 2019 federal election was a “complete falsification”.

Bennett said the “preposterous” claims were undermined by text messages she sent to her ex-boyfriend, photos of her smiling during campaign events and oral evidence from Reynolds’ witnesses during the trial.

Quoting a 60s Motown song, The Tracks of My Tears, Bennett said there weren’t tears behind Higgins’ smile.

He added Reynolds wasn’t an AFP investigator nor a counsellor, but she was watching Higgins for signs of distress and could not see any.

NSW Liberals leader welcomes federal intervention in state branch

Mark Speakman, the leader of the Liberal party in NSW and state opposition leader, has welcomed the federal intervention in the party’s state branch.

He says:

I welcome the proposed appointment of Chris Stone as the State Director of the NSW Liberal Party. This is the outcome I have been working to achieve, including through extensive conversations with Chris, since the recent termination of the previous State Director.

Chris brings a wealth of experience as a seasoned administrator of the NSW Liberal Party, with an in-depth understanding of the complexities of political operations. His expertise is exactly what the Party needs to navigate the challenges ahead.

I look forward to discussions over the coming days about the precise composition of any committee. The proposed appointees have significant experience, but I would welcome the inclusion of an experienced female in this crucial role.

Views may differ on the scope and purpose of the committee, but what is more important is that all Liberals unite to defeat the Albanese Labor Government and the Minns Labor Government.

Updated

Federal takeover of NSW Liberals following nominations debacle

The federal Liberal party will intervene to forcibly take over the New South Wales division for 10 months following the state party’s council nominations debacle.

Guardian Australia understands that Brian Loughnane’s review of the NSW Liberal party is scathing of the division’s failure to nominate candidates for some council elections, and the preparedness to fight the federal election.

In a statement the federal executive says it has “requested that the New South Wales division appoint three eminent Australians as a committee of management to replace its state executive”: Alan Stockdale, Rob Stokes and Richard Alston.

This committee would be appointed for 10 months. The NSW division has until next Thursday to comply.

The federal executive said:

We owe it to our thousands of members in the state to address the challenges within the organisational wing of the NSW Division. More importantly, we owe it to the millions of Australians who are relying on the Liberal Party to return Australia to good government after the next election to get our house in order.

Updated

Former CFMEU officials’ legal team for high court challenge

For context, Bret Walker SC is considered in the top handful of silks in the country, and Craig Lenehan SC recently worked on significant immigration matters, including the NZYQ case.

Updated

Peta Credlin’s involvement in Higgins’ media statement raised in defamation case

Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, is responding to the defence’s use of a statement Brittany Higgins provided to the media in 2021.

Higgins’ lawyer, Rachael Young SC, finished off her closing arguments by saying the trial had heard a lot about the word “agency”.

Young read out Higgins’ statement on Tuesday morning:

The prime minister has repeatedly told the parliament that I should be given ‘agency’ going forward. I don’t believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now. I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use [it] to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again.

Bennett said the words in the statement weren’t crafted by Higgins alone – they were drafted with the help of the Sky News columnist Peta Credlin.

The court was shown an email thread between Higgins, her partner David Sharaz and Credlin.

On 19 February 2021, Sharaz and Higgins wrote to Credlin asking for assistance: “Hi Peta, Thank-you again for your help. Please see below the initial draft – feel free to completely rework wherever you see fit.”

Credlin responded with some suggestions and another exhibit showed a final version of the statement was texted to Higgins by Sharaz. Bennett said the correspondence demonstrated the level of media planning Higgins engaged in following the publication of her rape allegations.

Young responded it was usual for media statements to go through a series of drafts and that it didn’t “detract” from Higgins’ words.

The emails and text messages will be admitted into evidence.

Updated

Former ABC broadcaster Tim Bowden dies

Tim Bowden, the former ABC radio and television broadcaster and author, has died aged 87.

David Anderson, the ABC managing director, said Bowden “was for several decades one of our pre-eminent journalists and broadcasters, a storyteller whose curiosity for the world around him was valued by so many of our audiences”.

Bowden was a correspondent based in Asia and North America during the 1960s and Anderson said he helped Australians understand global events. Anderson said:

Tim was part of the generation of ABC journalists who brought those events and their meaning into Australian homes every night.

Tim was perhaps best known as the host of much-loved ABC TV program Backchat from 1986 – 994 and for his amazing documentaries on Australian research in the Antarctic that produced footage still seen today. He received an Order of Australia for services to public broadcasting in June 1994.

Tim was part of the fabric of the ABC for decades and made a huge contribution to the national public broadcaster and to the nation. He was generous to his colleagues and was known as much for his sense of humour as his passion for journalism and the ABC.

Updated

Melburnians asked to help swan research

This is a bit cute: a University of Melbourne researcher is asking for those wandering along the Yarra River to keep an eye out for swan “nesting behaviour” on floating wetlands.

The wetlands were installed last year, and, Dr Kylie Soanes said, were hugely successful. She is keen to see if they’re as heavily used in year two!

Updated

Asio chief says person who likes tweet supporting 7 October attacks could fail visa security test

A person who likes a tweet supporting the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel will not pass a security assessment for an Australian visa, the head of the Asio spy agency has said.

Mike Burgess used an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program on Tuesday to hit back at people who had “distorted” what he had previously said about the security vetting process for Palestinians seeking to come to Australia.

Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday the Coalition should “stop undermining” Asio, but the opposition has insisted it was never questioning Burgess’s integrity.

You can read more on that story here:

Reynolds’ lawyer continues closing arguments in defamation case

Martin Bennett, Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, is now turning to the two months after Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape, which she spent campaigning in Perth for the federal election.

Bennett said there were three elements he would focus on; was Higgins forced to go to Perth to keep her job? What was her involvement in activities in Perth? And what happened after the Morrison government was re-elected?

Bennett said Higgins’ claims about the above points in the televised interview on The Project in February 2021 were all “false” because it “wasn’t part of the narrative she wanted to falsely portray”.

The court is shown text messages between Higgins and her former boyfriend, Ben Dillaway, where Higgins describes her time in Perth as a “workcation”.

On Monday, the court was shown other messages between Higgins and Dillaway during that period, where the former staffer outlined her distress.

Higgins wrote she was “beyond shitty” with how her boss, Reynolds, was dealing with the alleged sexual assault, adding: “I was literally assaulted in [Reynolds’] office and I collectively maybe took 4 days off/was offered jack shit in terms of help.”

The court has adjourned for lunch and will return at 2.15pm Perth time.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Nino Bucci will guide you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.

Parts of Gippsland asked to conserve water amid power outages

Some communities in Gippsland, Victoria are being urged to conserve water after the recent wild weather and ongoing power outages.

Gippsland Water says customers in Noojee should “conserve water until further notice” because the power outages have meant water cannot be pumped to the town at the usual rate “and we’re drawing down on the treated water storage”.

We’re carting water in to top up supplies, so please take care if you notice water trucks around the town. For now, please limit your tap water use to drinking purposes only. Rest assured, the water coming from your tap is still safe to drink.

Meanwhile, customers in Tyers, Glengarry, Toongabbie, Cowwarr, Neerim South and Rawson are being asked to put off any non-essential water use.

Gippsland Water says the power outages at the Tyers, Neerim South and Rawson water treatment plant mean it is drawing down on treated water storages.

You can help by taking a shorter shower (aim for 4 minutes), and avoiding using baths, washing cars, watering gardens and using high pressure hoses …

Updated

Former CFMEU national president launches legal fund for high court challenge

The sacked former CFMEU national president, Jade Ingham, has launched a legal fund campaign for their high court challenge at a defiant press conference in Brisbane this afternoon.

Ingham said the Electrical Trades Union, the firefighters’ union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, the Rail Tram and Bus Union, the plumbers union and “others” have pledged their financial support.

There is significant money that’s pouring in, and not just money, but support as well. They understand that this is not just about the CFMEU unit. This is a very dangerous precedent to set, and what the Labor party have done is given a blueprint to the conservatives of this country to attack trade unions.

The union is seeking to have the laws declared unconstitutional and the administrator sacked. Ingham said:

It’s our belief that these laws are unconstitutional. They’re undemocratic, and they’re definitely un-Australian. These laws should concern any Australian who is concerned about our democracy and who cares about our country.

Asked if the union would be seeking to have the administration set aside while the case is under way, Ingham said “we will assess all possibilities along the way”.

Updated

Fines for feeding crocodiles bite harder

People who feed and interact with crocodiles face harsher penalties as Queensland authorities crack down on risk-taking behaviour, AAP reports.

Knowingly staying near a crocodile which is on or partly on land can now cost $806 on the spot while interfering with crocodile traps attracts a $2,580 fine on the spot, or up to $26,615 in court.

Discarding food including fish frames, scraps and bait in public places like a boat ramp, jetty or campground can result in an on-the-spot fine of $483 under penalties introduced by the state government. The maximum court-imposed fine is $6,452.

Existing fines have also increased, including for deliberately disturbing or feeding a crocodile, costing $2,580 on the spot or up to $26,615 as a court penalty. Conservation officers have the power to move people away from crocodiles under the changes.

Updated

Reynolds’ lawyer describes claims made by Higgins on The Project as ‘litany of lies’

Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, has described a number of the claims made by Brittany Higgins about the then defence minister in her televised interview on The Project as a “litany of lies”.

The defamation trial in Perth is in its final days and lawyers on each side are offering their closing arguments.

Bennett is going through the transcript of Higgins’ appearance on The Project in February 2021, disputing a number of the former Liberal staffer’s claims.

In particular, Bennett is focused on the claims Reynolds and her then chief of staff, Fiona Brown, mishandled her rape allegations in March and April 2019.

Higgins told the program she was made to feel like a “problem” and that the meeting with Reynolds and Brown felt like a “HR ticking a box moment”.

Bennett disputed many of Higgins’ characterisations of the two as lies or mistruths.

The trial continues.

Updated

Bruce Highway explosion leaves five-metre crater

A five-metre crater remains where a truck full of chemicals exploded after a fatal crash on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland, AAP reports.

Some nearby homes “look like someone has kicked the door in” and other residents claim it felt like their roof lifted off during the blast.

A section of the Bruce Highway closed for days after the fiery collision and is expected to partially reopen at midnight, but road repair work may last for weeks. The Gladstone mayor, Matt Burnett, said the site itself “looks like a missile has hit the side of the road”.

The male driver of a ute died in a head-on collision with a B-double semi-trailer carrying more than 40 tonnes of ammonium nitrate near Bororen early Friday. Hours later the truck – carrying the chemicals commonly used in fertilisers – exploded with a blast radius of 500 metres, but shock waves were felt for kilometres.

The full extent of damage to nearby properties was unclear, with assessments under way. Burnett said some people were “reporting significant damage to their houses”.

Then there was the impact of the highway’s closure, with some businesses that rely on the highway’s heavy traffic reporting losses of up to $10,000 a day. Burnett said:

We know these communities rely on Bruce Highway traffic and for five days no one has been through … I have never seen a crash close the highway this long … and I have been on the council 24 years.

Burnett said they would be seeking state and federal support.

Updated

Clinicians telling women their pain is ‘psychological’, pain inquiry hears

Women are being told by health professionals that their pain is a psychological or personality issue, according to Victoria’s health minister, who detailed early findings from a women’s pain inquiry that heard from 13,000 women, girls, clinicians and carers.

As AAP reports, participants shared instances of sexism and misogyny in healthcare and described the toll of chronic pain on their lives and experiences of being ignored, the state government said. About 4,500 people described living with endometriosis, 3,000 with migraines and 2,500 with period pain.

The state’s health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, said it was clear women’s pain was not taken seriously enough, with women describing difficulties navigating both public and private health systems.

Overwhelmingly, they told us that they’re not being listened to, and instead their pain is being attributed to either psychological or personality factors.

This is simply not good enough, when women are not being listened to it means that their diagnosis is not happening where and when it should.

The report is yet to be finalised but the minister expected recommendations to include educating clinicians about women’s health. The final report is due to be handed down at the end of 2024.

Updated

Hundreds evacuated from 68-level building in Sydney after garbage fire

About 500 people have been evacuated from a 68-level building in Sydney, after garbage bags in the basement caught on fire.

A spokesperson with Fire and Rescue NSW said after initial responders confirmed the fire, it sent 18 fire trucks and 72 firefighters to the scene to begin battling the blaze.

There’s a fair bit of smoke throughout the building … the fire was contained, and it’s been now extinguished, and it’s been contained to that garbage room area.

The spokesperson said there were no reports of injuries, but some people with mobility issues needed assistance during the evacuation process.

Once the building was completely clear of smoke and air monitoring was complete, the occupants would be able to return.

The building is a mixed residential and commercial building on Bathurst Street.

Updated

Transport Workers Union disbands Victorian and Tasmanian branch

The Transport Workers Union has disbanded its Victorian and Tasmanian branch after an investigation found the branch had “significant operational and cultural problems”.

The inquiry – led by retired judge Frank Marks – was sparked by allegations of misconduct against the union secretary, Mem Suleyman. But it cleared him of wrongdoing. In a statement, the union’s national committee of management says it is “deeply concerned” that the inquiry revealed unfounded allegations against Suleyman.

The TWU says its national council agreed to disband the branch, effective immediately. The union’s national president, Tim Dawson, says the decision was not taken lightly:

However, we believe it is necessary to urgently address the systemic issues identified in Mr Marks’ report and to refocus our efforts on what truly matters – fighting for the rights and interests of our members.

Mr Marks’ investigation uncovered serious operational and cultural problems within the branch. Given these issues, National Council has formed the view that the National Committee of Management should move to immediately oversee governance while a long-term solution is prepared.

The union says its Victorian and Tasmanian members will continue to be represented under the national committee of management.

Updated

Reynolds’ lawyer claims in court Higgins exaggerated wait time for counselling to ‘suit’ narrative

Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, has said Brittany Higgins had exaggerated her wait time for counselling support after her rape allegations to “suit” her narrative.

Bennett is pointing to contemporaneous notes kept by the senator’s then chief of staff, Fiona Brown, of events in March and April 2019, as well as text records and Brown’s affidavit in the failed defamation trial by Bruce Lehrmann last year.

Bennett said Higgins was offered employment assistance services in the week after the allegations were first revealed to the senator and Brown.

In her televised interview with The Project, Higgins said she was handed a brochure for those services but there was a “two-month wait”. The court was shown text messages showing she had been offered an appointment with the counselling service on 18 April 2019 – nearly a month after the alleged rape. Bennett said:

It’s not the trauma of a rape victim getting it wrong, it’s on her phone … it wouldn’t suit her purpose to correct that fact.

In his closing arguments, Bennett is attempting to show Reynolds and Brown had not mishandled the rape allegation. Earlier, Bennett said she was “no ordinary employer”, given she had just been given a cabinet position in the federal government and was preparing for budget submissions.

The defamation trial continues.

Updated

More warm weather and elevated fire risk later this week, BoM says

Hot conditions are continuing across northern and western parts of the country today, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Warm weather would push into the eastern states from Thursday, it said, increasing fire danger through much of western and northern Australia as temperatures rise and winds increase.

Sydney is forecast to reach a top of 29C on Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, Alice Springs could reach a top of 34C on Friday.

Updated

Man arrested after fatal vehicle and pedestrian incident at Kingaroy

Queensland police have arrested a man after a fatal vehicle and pedestrian incident at Kingaroy this morning.

A black Mercedes allegedly struck a 36-year-old Kingaroy man this morning, before the vehicle left the scene. It will be alleged the man was walking with a 27-year-old man when he was hit by the vehicle, police said.

The 36-year-old was declared deceased at the scene, and the 27-year-old man was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Police located a Mercedes at an address on Boonenne Ellesmere Road in Taabinga, and a 30-year-old man was taken into custody.

Investigations were ongoing, and anyone with information has been urged to contact police.

Updated

Mick Lowe, SES Tasmania’s executive director, said impact assessments were being conducted on homes affected by flooding:

We’ve got some drones that are flying to confirm exactly how many properties have been inundated, but we believe we’ve managed to notify most of those properties prior so we’re hoping most people are out of the danger areas …

The total number of houses, either isolated or in danger, was around 70 in the Meadowbank, Bushy Park and Macquarie Plains area. That’s the total and we’ll have further figures once we’ve done the rapid impact assessment.

Updated

Minor flooding could persist in Tasmania for ‘several days’, emergency personnel say

Circling back to the flooding situation in Tasmania, and emergency service personnel were giving an update from Hobart just earlier.

They said the Derwent River peaked at 8.17 metres, marking the record highest peak at that site since it was installed in 1974.

They said minor flood warnings could persist for “several days”, particularly the bigger catchments.

It will take a little bit of time for the water to work its way down. And with the potential for snow melt with warm days during the middle of this week, that could feed extra water flow into some of those catchments.

A second front is expected on Thursday and Friday, where isolated wind gusts up to 100km/h could hit.

It’s, of course, an evolving situation. It’s a few days away and we’ll continue to monitor that closely and [we’re] not expecting anything like the widespread destructive gusts that we saw last weekend.

Updated

Perth college principal charged with child exploitation material offences

Western Australian detectives have charged a 56-year-old man after an investigation into alleged child exploitation material offences.

The offences are alleged to have occurred while he was a principal at a Perth college. Police said in a statement that at this time, there was no evidence that any student of the college was depicted in the child exploitation material.

Child exploitation operations squad detectives executed a search warrant at the man’s Ellenbrook home on 27 August, and seized electronic devices allegedly belonging to the man. It would be alleged that child exploitation material was identified on them.

The 56-year-old man has been charged with one count of possessing child exploitation material, one count of failing to obey, and unlawfully possessing a controlled or prescription drug.

He is due to appear before the Midland magistrates court on 17 September.

Updated

Baby found dead at Brisbane daycare

Queensland police are investigating the sudden death of a baby at daycare in Brisbane’s south yesterday.

Police said emergency services were called to a Wakerley address yesterday afternoon where a one-year-old boy was located deceased.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

Updated

Trade numbers underscore likely weak June GDP figures (and hint at more woes)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release June quarter GDP figures tomorrow and today’s data on trade for that period suggest the economic story will be a gloomy one.

Economists had expected a current account deficit of $5bn but it came in at double that, $10.7bn. (The March quarter deficit was also revised to be more than $1bn worse at $6.3bn.)

According to the way the ABS factors trade into GDP, the net export result will contribute 0.2 percentage points to the June quarter GDP growth number. That might sound good, but economists had tipped it would be more like 0.6pp.

Perhaps, then, we might get a negative GDP figure, the first since the Covid disruptions. And given the March quarter GDP figure was just 0.1%, that might be revised lower too.

Perhaps this time tomorrow, the headlines will be “Australia in recession” if it transpires there were two negative quarters in a row (according to a simplistic “recession” definition).

Anyway, Australia’s current account deficit was the largest in six years, reflecting lower commodity prices and more income heading offshore, the ABS says. Goods export prices were 5.4% lower than a year ago. And that’s where some of the portents aren’t great.

Commodity prices have been sinking lately, particularly as hints of China’s economic funk intensify. More of the same won’t be good for the federal budget either (and the ability for public demand to keep shoring up economic activity in Australia).

Updated

Former CFMEU official launches high court challenge

The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union’s former national president Jade Ingham has announced the launch of a high court challenge against laws allowing the Albanese government to appoint administrators to the construction division of the union.

As we reported last week, the challenge is expected to argue the law breached the separation of powers and did not afford the CFMEU due process, because the Fair Work Commission general manager had already applied to appoint an administrator in the federal court.

Ingham will speak about the challenge and a campaign called Your Union, Your Choice in Brisbane at 2pm. In a statement, Ingham said:

The most important people in this are the members of the CFMEU whose voices have been excluded. Members are furious about their union being taken away from them. Their union has been stolen from them.

This is active treachery and class warfare against the working class in this country from the state and federal governments. Union bashing never worked for the Tories, so why did Labor think it would work for them? CFMEU members will have their voices heard.

Updated

Reynolds closing arguments begin as Reynolds enters courtroom

Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, is now up. He begins with what he claims is the “trivialisation” of Reynolds’ hurt and distress by Brittany Higgins – “arrogantly” from the “sanctity of France”.

Reynolds enters the courtroom shortly after Bennett begins.

Bennett dismisses the defence’s claims that Reynolds’ hurt and distress was caused by the “public scrutiny” of their actions, instead saying it is due to the “deliberate defamatory conduct” by Higgins.

Bennett points to a text message Higgins sent to her partner, David Sharaz, on 17 May 2021, where she wrote:

Fuck it. If they want to play hardball I’ll cry on The Project again because of this sort of mistreatment. I do not care.

Bennett said the message showed this was “a woman who was prepared to cry again” and was evidence of her “visceral hatred” of Reynolds.

The trial continues.

Deeming’s lawyers accuse Pesutto’s legal team of failing to produce documents

Lawyers for the ousted Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming have accused John Pesutto’s legal team of failing to produce documents ahead of a defamation battle.

The ousted Liberal MP is suing the state opposition leader over a series of media releases, press conferences and radio interviews he gave last year after a Let Women Speak rally during his push to expel her from the parliamentary party. The rally was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis and Deeming claims Pesutto characterised her as a Nazi sympathiser or supporter.

In a case management hearing this morning, Deeming’s lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou SC, said the parliament email accounts of Pesutto’s former staff members Nick Johnston and Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez have been deactivated since March when they quit their roles. She said this is despite the pair receiving notices last year to preserve all relevant documents:

Deactivation to us is not deletion. That word tends to suggest reactivation can occur. And we’ve asked these things and we’ve received no response.

Pesutto’s lawyer, Matt Collins KC, said there had been a delay in the prosecution’s legal team producing communication between Deeming and the British activist Kellie-Jay Keen, who also spoke at the rally.

The federal court justice David O’Callaghan says he will hear further submissions on the matter during the trial.

Updated

Higgins’ defence concludes with her own words from 2021

Brittany Higgins’ defence has finished with its concluding remarks in Perth, ending with Higgins’ own words in 2021. The former Liberal staffer’s lawyer, Rachael Young SC, said the trial had heard a lot about the word “agency”.

Linda Reynolds herself said she wasn’t a “counsellor” for Higgins and had tried give her “agency” when asked why she didn’t do a welfare check on her after they held a meeting about her rape allegations.

Young closed her arguments by saying Higgins had “no agency” when she was allegedly raped. She had “little agency” when, as a 24-year-old, she met with Reynolds, then the defence minister, in the room where it allegedly happened just a week later.

Higgins had “no agency” when she was sent to Perth to work on the federal election campaign, away from her support networks, Young said.

Young said Higgins did, however, have agency when she decided to come forward to the media and publicly speak about her experience to achieve reform. Young read out a statement Higgins provided the media in 2021 after the story was published:

The prime minister has repeatedly told the parliament that I should be given ‘agency’ going forward. I don’t believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now. I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use [it] to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again.

The court briefly adjourns before Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, begins his closing arguments.

Updated

Less than 40% of Australians use sunscreen when recommended

Only two in five (38%) Australians are using sunscreen most days during late spring and summer when daily sunscreen use is recommended, a new survey has found.

In an Australian first, the Sun protection behaviours survey was funded by the Cancer Councils of Australia and conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as a telephone interview of 8,595 people across Australia aged 15 years and over between November 2023 and February 2024.

Based on the survey, it found that almost 1.5 million Australians had been sunburned in the week before being surveyed and 2 million Australians attempted to get a suntan in the last year.

Men were less likely to use sunscreen regularly (27%), around half the number of women (50.7%). Men were also more likely to be outside during peak UV times (64.8%) than women (56.6%).

The most at-risk group were 15- to 24-year-olds as they were less likely to use adequate sun protection when outdoors during peak UV times (39%) compared to 62% of those aged 45-54.

The survey also found that one in five (20.6%) young Australians tried to get a suntan in the last year, with more young women (26%) doing so than young men (15.3%).

Based on the results, the Cancer Council says it is concerned that Australians are not using adequate sun protection.

The Cancer Council recommends using all five forms of sun protection when the UV is three or above: Slip on protective clothing, Slop on broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 50 or SPF 50+ sunscreen, Slap on a broad-brimmed hat, Seek shade and Slide on sunglasses.

However, the survey found only half (54%) of Australians are using three or more forms of sun protection when exposed to the sun during peak UV times.

Updated

Flood warning downgraded in Tasmania

Tasmania’s SES has downgraded the emergency warning for the Derwent River, but says widespread moderate and minor flooding remains across the state.

Mick Lowe, the Tasmania SES executive director, said the Derwent River warning was downgraded to watch and act this morning, but people must continue to avoid flooded areas and monitor conditions.

Several flood warnings remain in place across Tasmania, and we need people to remain alert and up to date.

We have flood impact assessments taking place today across the state, to help us plan our recovery activities going forward.

Tasmania SES has received more than 800 requests for assistance since Tuesday, 77 in the past 24 hours and fortunately only 10 since midnight. There are about 24 requests for assistance outstanding.

Updated

Abandoned yacht may travel to New Zealand

At a press conference earlier, chief inspector Anthony Brazzill said that the Spirit of Mateship yacht – which was abandoned during the rescue efforts – may travel over to New Zealand.

Depending on conditions it may come in on the coast further down, it may go to New Zealand …

Our priority is to rescue people, save lives, not save boats.

Updated

Tasmanian police ‘frustrated’ after ill-prepared walkers rescued

A senior Tasmania police officer says it is “frustrating” that a group of 13 bushwalkers attempted to climb kunanyi/Mt Wellington yesterday afternoon during extreme weather and with inadequate preparation.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the temperature dropped to a low of -3C on the mountain last night, with a feels-like temperature of -21.6C.

Tasmania police said in a statement that emergency services were called by members of the group about 4.15pm on Monday.

The group had embarked on their day bushwalk with mobile phones but minimal food and water, and no equipment to spend the night in case of emergency, when the weather closed in. The force said in a statement that police arranged for City of Hobart personnel to assist the walkers back to safety.

They said that while the walkers were being escorted down, five more walkers were located walking back down the mountain. They were similarly unprepared for such a journey.

Insp Darren Latham said in the statement that it was incredibly frustrating that police were forced to repeat these warnings to prepare for bushwalks during a severe weather event.

Bushwalkers should always prepare for the worst. Our emergency service personnel often put their own lives at risk during rescues, so it is frustrating when the situation could have been avoided.

Updated

Yacht rescue: ‘The hairs on the back of our necks started standing up’

New South Wales police are providing an update after the rescue of two people from a yacht off the state’s south coast this morning.

Chief inspector Anthony Brazzill, from the state’s marine area command, said once the first distress call was received “the hairs on the back of our necks started standing up” and a rescue crew was put together.

At the time, we understood the yacht was about 90 nautical miles south-east of Sydney. A period of time later, the aircraft was able to get contact with the crew onboard [and] identified there were two people onboard.

Terrible sea conditions. They had mechanical failure. They lost their rudder, started taking on water. They were fine at the time, but the conditions were terrible – probably five metre to six metres seas, up to 60-knot winds.

Brazzill said police vessel Nemesis and the HMAS Canberra got to the pair about 1am – they couldn’t get to them yesterday due to dangerous conditions.

About 7.30 this morning … [we] were able to safely extract those two people, a 60-year-old male and a 48-year-old female, off that yacht, and brought them back safely, uninjured, to the Nemesis.

Updated

Woman injured in alleged assault at Brisbane park as police search for man

Queensland police are searching for a man after an alleged daytime assault on a woman at a Brisbane park.

Emergency services were called to parklands near Meadowlands Road at Tingalpa about 10.15am, after reports a woman had sustained lacerations.

Police located a woman who is being treated for minor injuries.

Officers are attempting to locate an alleged male offender within the nearby area.

Updated

NSW Liberals are competent enough to fight election, Peter Dutton says

Yesterday, Brian Loughnane handed in a report on the NSW Liberals’ failure to nominate for some council elections and the division’s preparedness to fight the next federal election. There was speculation that this would be used as a curtain-raiser for a possible federal intervention or takeover of the branch, which will be considered by the federal executive later today.

But at a doorstop in Melbourne the federal Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, has cast doubt on that as a likely outcome.

Dutton was asked if the NSW division of the Liberal party “is competent enough to support your election campaign there and are you still considering federal intervention?” He replied:

The short answer is yes. And we must win seats in New South Wales, and we’re polling well in New South Wales at the moment.

Guardian Australia understands that that “yes” referred to endorsing the competence of the NSW division, not the second half of the question relating to possible federal intervention. Of course, the comment doesn’t rule it out, and we’re still working to find out what Loughnane found and recommended.

Updated

Higgins felt ‘moral responsibility’ to come forward with allegations, her lawyer tells court

Brittany Higgins’ lawyer, Rachael Young SC, has told the Western Australian supreme court that the former Liberal staffer “felt a moral responsibility” to others working in Parliament House when she came forward to publicly reveal allegations she was raped.

The defence is continuing its closing arguments this morning in Perth before moving on to Senator Linda Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, for his closing arguments. Reynolds is suing Higgins for defamation.

Young dismissed the allegation that Higgins was motivated by a desire to “hurt” Reynolds, her former boss, and “bring down the Morrison government”.

Instead, Young said Higgins’ motivation was to “call out” her alleged perpetrator and the way she was treated, and to “achieve reform” in the parliamentary workplace.

Young pointed to evidence given by political reporter Samantha Maiden, earlier in the trial, who said “at no point” did Higgins raise any desire to take down the then Coalition government.

The court was shown a message exchange between Maiden and Higgins, where the journalist asked whether Higgins thought Reynolds should resign after the story was published.

“Fully off the record, I don’t think so. I think she was just following instructions to be honest,” Higgins responded in a message on WhatsApp.

The trial continues.

Updated

Fast-flowing water stretches banks of Ouse river in central Tasmania

Circling back to the flooding in Tasmania, and here’s a look at the major flooding that occurred down the Ouse river yesterday. The Derwent Catchment Project, who captured this footage, said:

We are pleased to notice that our work in the Lachlan River and other surrounding watercourses seems to have helped reduce the impacts of the flooding by removing the log jams and willow blocks, keep an eye out for us when the floodwaters reside – we’ll be out and about checking up on everything!

Updated

Rural community in Scenic Rim urged to prepare to leave amid bushfire

The Queensland Fire Department is urging people along Kerry Road, near the intersection of Duck Creek Road, in Kerry to prepare to leave due to a fast-moving fire.

Kerry is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim region, south of Brisbane.

The fire department said some properties are at risk and the fire is likely to impact the community in the coming hours.

A fast-moving fire is burning between Duck Creek Road and Kerry Road. It is travelling towards Kerry Road. Conditions could get worse quickly. Firefighters are working to control the fire. You should not expect a firefighter at your door.

Firefighters said people in the warning area should prepare now, so they can leave quickly if the bushfire gets close.

Court begins in Reynolds v Higgins defamation trial

Day two of the final week in the defamation trial against Brittany Higgins by her former boss Linda Reynolds has begun.

We’ll bring you updates shortly.

Updated

NSW yacht rescue – in pictures

NSW police have released these images from the yacht rescue off the state’s south coast this morning:

Updated

21,000 more early childhood educators needed to meet demand, new report says

A new report has found the early childhood education and care (Ecec) workforce will need 21,000 more educators to meet current demand.

The Jobs and Skills early childhood census, released today, highlights a significant workforce shortage, suggesting growth of 1.5% per year until 2034 is needed to meet current demand.

The current Ecec workforce would need to grow by an extra 8% to satisfy current estimated unmet demand for early childhood services, and another 8% to meet unmet demand for qualified educators.

To meet the various early childhood education and care policies already committed to by Commonwealth, state and territory governments, the Ecec workforce would need to increase by an annual average growth rate of 1.9% per year overall and by 3.2% per year for early childhood teachers.

The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said that “long-term reform is needed to address these challenges and change the way the profession is viewed and valued.”

Low pay, excessive overtime, lack of professional development, placement poverty while studying and burnout are some of the factors identified as disincentivising the career long-term.

Queensland teenager charged with allegedly planning terrorist act

A Queensland teenager has been charged with a federal terrorism offence, the Australian federal police have confirmed.

The AFP says it has charged a young person “as part of an ongoing investigation”. The charge is a single count of allegedly preparing for, or planning, terrorist acts under the commonwealth criminal code.

An AFP spokesperson said:

As this is an ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate to provide further comment.

Updated

‘I dread to think about the conditions’: HMAS Canberra captain on pair rescued from yacht

AAP has more details on the rescue of two people from the Spirit of Mateship yacht off NSW’s south coast this morning:

HMAS Canberra’s captain Brendan O’Hara said the duo’s near-24-hour ordeal would have been torturous, given his far-more-sizeable ship had also battled the powerful swells.

Winds of between 50 and 70km/h along with seas of up to six metres had made the rescue effort challenging for crews, conditions Capt O’Hara labelled “quite extreme”. He told Seven’s Sunrise program:

[The pair] were just holding on as best they could … I hate to think what it was like for them, because even on board Canberra, which is quite a large ship, we were rocking and rolling a fair bit.

Not much of the crew here have had much sleep, so the two personnel in Spirit of Mateship definitely had no sleep at all, I dread to think about the conditions in there.

AMSA duty manager Ben Flight told 2BG the rescued pair were believed to be in good shape considering the ordeal:

We’ve safely recovered the two people on board the police vessel Nemesis … we understand, all things considered, they’re in good conditions. The police vessel Nemesis and the HMAS Canberra are both heading back towards the coast and we understand they’re going to go back to Sydney tonight to take the two people off.

Updated

Queensland firefighters battling bushfires in Scenic Rim

The Queensland Fire Department says crews are continuing to battle bushfires in the Scenic Rim region, south of Brisbane, with “hot and dry weather creating prime conditions for fires.”

Thirty fire crews are on the ground today working to bring the fires under control, with aircraft also on standby.

Updated

Bus driver charged for allegedly preying on children

Child abuse squad detectives in New South Wales have charged a bus driver for allegedly sexually touching schoolchildren with disabilities in Sydney’s west.

Detectives received a report in August that a bus driver was allegedly sexually touching multiple children, who live with disabilities, while driving them to a western Sydney school.

After investigations, detectives arrested a 51-year-old Greystanes man at Blacktown police station on Monday. He was charged with six counts of intentionally sexually touching a child between 10 and 16 years old.

The man was refused bail to appear before Blacktown local court the same day. Police said investigations are continuing.

Updated

NSW SES attending to remaining incidents following yesterday’s damaging winds

The New South Wales SES says crews are still attending to more than 150 incidents following the damaging winds that lashed the state yesterday.

This follows almost 1000 incidents that were reported across the state yesterday.

The SES said severe weather brought down trees, powerlines and damaged buildings, with the worst hit area being Campbelltown, followed by Camden.

Over the last week, around 1200 volunteers responded to just under 3000 incidents across Sydney, the Illawarra and the state’s south coast.

NSW SES members travel to Melbourne to help with weather damage

Last night, 29 members of the New South Wales SES travelled to Melbourne to support the ongoing recovery efforts after the recent wild weather.

The chief officer of the Victorian SES, Tim Wiebusch, said five crews would support Gippsland and four crews would support the southern metro region from later this morning.

Updated

'Batteries on wheels': should EVs be able to feed into Australia’s energy grid?

A rush of electric vehicle sales from next year could put pressure on Australia’s electricity grid, a study has warned, unless the government makes policy changes to allow their use as batteries.

As AAP reports, the environment group Solar Citizens released the warning today in a report investigating vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) – which works by connecting an EV to a bi-directional charger so its battery can feed power back into the network during times of high demand.

The Batteries on Wheels report, prepared by Ajaya Haikerwal, found introducing the technology could help to manage energy peaks, stabilise the grid without more infrastructure, and use more renewable energy.

It could also reward motorists who feed electricity from their cars into the grid, with “the financial benefit for an EV owner participating in V2G services … estimated conservatively at $1,000 per year”.

But the report also found that failing to take advantage of the opportunity could put the national grid at risk as the introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard in January was likely to trigger more electric car sales.

The shift could add “stress on the grid at peak times,” it noted, unless those vehicles could also be used as batteries.

Solar Citizens chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said Australia should seize the opportunity to let electric cars support the electricity grid before a vehicle sales influx.

Updated

Third man charged after alleged brawl at junior rugby league game in Bankstown

A third man has been charged after an alleged brawl in Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west last month.

Midday on 24 August, police were called to a park in Bankstown after reports of a brawl at a junior rugby league game. Officers attended and were told several people were involved in an altercation but left the scene before police arrived.

Police commenced an investigation into the incident and last week, two men – aged 39 and 38 – were arrested and charged with affray. They remain before the courts.

After inquiries, a 36-year-old man was arrested at Bankstown police station yesterday and charged with affray. He was granted conditional bail to appear before Bankstown local court on 26 September.

Updated

Albanese government and WA sign deal to fully fund state's public schools

The federal government says an agreement has been signed to fully fund Western Australian public schools, after a statement of intent in January.

A bilateral agreement between the Albanese and Cook governments will increase funding for all WA schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2026, a statement said.

WA is the second state or territory to sign on to the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, after the Northern Territory. The other jurisdictions will make up their minds next month.

Under the agreement, the federal government will invest an estimated additional $785.4m from 2025 to 2029 in WA public schools. The WA government will invest at least an equivalent amount over this period, bringing total additional investment in public schools to approximately $1.6bn.

This means the commonwealth will increase its share of funding from 20% to 22.5% of the SRS by 2026, and the state government will increase its funding share to at least 77.5% of the SRS by 2026.

The Turnbull government’s Gonski 2.0 education reforms required states to fund public schools at 75% of the SRS on top of the federal contribution of 20%.

Updated

New Zealand to slug international tourists NZ$100 a visit – but Australians exempt

Tourists to New Zealand will be slugged a NZ$100 fee to visit, AAP reports, in a move industry groups say cements the nation “as one of the most expensive countries in the world for a holiday”.

The international visitor levy (IVL) will be hiked from NZ$35 (A$32) to NZ$100 (A$92) from October under changes announced today. Australians and travellers from most Pacific nations are exempt from the IVL.

More than 3.2 million tourists visited New Zealand last year, including 1.3 million Australians. Australia’s passenger movement charge, which has no nationality-based exemptions, was raised in July from A$60 to A$70.

Updated

Bureau releases northern rainfall onset outlook

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its latest northern rainfall onset outlook.

The northern rainfall onset date occurs when the rainfall total reaches 50mm since 1 September. As the Bureau describes, this is considered to be approximately the amount of rainfall needed for plant growth.

The Bureau says northern rainfall onset for the 2024-25 season is likely to be earlier than usual across the east, and later than usual for most of the west of northern Australia.

Across Queensland and parts of the Northern Territory, the northern rainfall onset is likely (60–75% chance) to be earlier than average. Much of Western Australia has a 60–70% chance of a later than usual northern rainfall onset.

Elsewhere, the northern rainfall onset is likely to be closer to the normal onset date.

Meadowbank dam spills over amid Tasmania flood warnings

The Meadowbank dam in Tasmania is spilling over, amid the flooding and heavy rain this week:

According to Hydro Tasmania, 26 lakes across the state are currently spilling.

Updated

Spirit of Mateship yacht abandoned after rescue off NSW coast, Amsa says

Earlier, Ben Flight from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority spoke with ABC News Breakfast about the rescue of two people from a yacht on the NSW south coast.

He confirmed that the vessel – the Spirit of Mateship – had to be abandoned after the rescue.

Unfortunately, the vessel had to be abandoned. We understand there was mechanical issues and they were taking on water. We do have their last known position and will monitor that but, unfortunately, it had to be abandoned.

The yacht had competed in numerous Sydney to Hobart races since 2013, the ABC reported.

Updated

Hazard reduction burns to be conducted across NSW in coming days

The New South Wales RFS has flagged a number of hazard reduction burns over the coming days, with favourable weather conditions forecast.

This includes in Ku-ring-gai, the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Canterbury-Bankstown and more. You can view the full list on its website here.

Young Queenslanders anxious, exhausted, stressed: research

More than half of young Queenslanders are feeling stressed and anxious with health experts warning the sharp mental health decline is a result of social media, AAP reports.

Research by Health and Wellbeing Queensland revealed that nine in 10 people aged between 14 and 25 have experienced a negative change in their wellbeing in the past year. Young people report feeling more stressed and anxious, having lower energy than usual, putting on weight and feeling less resilient.

Over half of the 1424 young Queenslanders who were surveyed felt tired for no reason and that everything was an effort over a four week period. It also found one in 10 felt depressed all the time.

The research suggested increased stress and poorer diets may be negatively impacting the mental health of the younger generation. Women and girls aged 14 to 25 are also more likely to experience poorer wellbeing impacts.

The state’s chief health officer, John Gerrard, told ABC Radio that the mental health trend is a public health crisis.

This looks exactly like an epidemic where a virus was introduced into young people in 2010 around 2010 and it has been spreading ever since. It looks exactly like an epidemic.

Gerrard blamed social media as the instigator in the decline of mental health among young people and said action needs to start now.

Dental in Medicare would save Adelaide families thousands: Greens

The Greens say that according to new data, making dental part of Medicare would save South Australian families thousands of dollars a year as soon as 2025.

In a statement this morning, the Greens outlined these savings:

  • Putting dental in Medicare would save the average South Australian up to $978 in the first year, and up to $10,817 over a decade;

  • An SA family with 2 kids would save up to $2,656 in the first year & $29,423 over the decade

  • Across the state, patients would save up to $1.6b a year, $17b over the decade

  • Experts say the benefits of free dental have significant flow-on health benefits.

The data is based off analysis of a national survey of adult oral health, the child dental benefit scheme, and veterans dental scheme data, the Greens said.

South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who is running for re-election in the state, said that putting dental into Medicare would be a key priority “in the likely event of a minority Parliament next year.”

Our state is struggling with the cost of living and people shouldn’t have to put off getting their teeth fixed because it’s too expensive. You shouldn’t need a credit card to get your teeth fixed - it should be covered by Medicare. This is smart, fair and good for Australia’s health.

Just circling back to the power outages in Victoria:

Powercor says its network now has just 370 customers offline, and that it has restored power to more than 100,000 customers.

All of those 370 are expected to be back on today, it said.

Asio boss says his comments on Gaza vetting process have been misrepresented

Asio boss Mike Burgess says that his comments on the vetting process for people fleeing Gaza have been misrepresented.

On Insiders last month, Burgess had said if Palestinians fleeing Gaza expressed “just rhetorical support [for Hamas], and they don’t have an ideology or support for a violent extremism ideology, then that’s not a problem”. He said support for Hamas ideology “will be a problem”.

In an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program, Burgess has now said:

I’ve watched with interest over the last couple of weeks how people have chosen to distort what I said.

I said that if you support a Palestinian homeland that may not discount you [from entering Australia] because that by itself is not a problem.

But I also said if you have a violent extremist ideology, or you provide material or financial support to a terrorist organisation, that will be a problem.

You can read more on this issue from Paul Karp, below:

Two people rescued from yacht being transported to Sydney for medical assessment: AMSA

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has also released a statement after two people were safely rescued from a yacht on the state’s south coast (we had more on this just earlier in the blog, here).

An AMSA spokesperson confirmed the vessel was the Spirit of Mateship, and that the two people on board were being transported to Sydney for medical assessment.

AMSA said seas have been four to five metres high, with up to 60km/h winds.

Updated

Minister fields questions on 2026 census debacle

Jenny McAllister was also asked if there had been much conversation about the census among her colleagues – who are all currently in WA for national cabinet this week – relating to the proposed sexual identity questions, and how this has been managed?

She responded that the census is “in 2026, so we’ve got a little bit of time to work through it.”

I think the prime minister’s been really clear that whilst we don’t want to see wholesale change to the way we approach the census, it is appropriate to modernise it, and there should be an opportunity to include questions around people’s sexual preferences. We’re looking for the ABS to work through those questions between now and 2026 with the community.

Has the government been “spooked” by comments from opposition Peter Dutton that this is part of a “woke agenda”, she was asked? McAllister responded:

[I saw] Mr Dutton’s comments in relation to that, and I saw also that he started to walk them back a few days later. I think that would be preferable. We don’t need Mr Dutton to play a divisive game with this. What we need is a sensible approach to delivering a good census and a measured way of working through this as we approach 2026.

The census debacle was the focus of today’s Full Story episode, which you can listen to below:

Updated

We need to be thinking about ‘a range of perils’ leading into fire season, minister says

Just circling back to the interview with emergency management minister Jenny McAllister on ABC RN.

Asked about the government’s priorities leading into the into the new fire season, the minister said “we actually need to be thinking about a range of perils”.

Fire is one of them. But we are, of course, thinking about the cyclone season, and we’re thinking about the risk of severe storms, like some of the rain and flooding that we’ve seen in recent days.

We’re going to get updates in the next couple of weeks on a range of different perils from the authorities, and we’ll also be working with our state and territory partners, NGOs and business, actually, to start preparing ourselves together for the circumstances we expect to face.

McAllister said ensuring better coordination between agencies has been a “significant focus for the government,” when asked about lessons learned from the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

Continuing on from our last post, here is the full list of affected routes, as per Transport for NSW:

  • Berowra to City via Gordon

  • City to Berowra via Gordon

  • City to Emu Plains or Richmond

  • Emu Plains or Richmond to City

  • City to Parramatta or Leppington

  • Parramatta or Leppington to City

  • City to Liverpool or Lidcombe via Bankstown

  • Liverpool or Lidcombe to City via Bankstown

  • City to Macarthur via Airport or Sydenham

  • Macarthur to City via Airport or Sydenham

  • Hornsby to North Shore via City

  • North Shore to Hornsby via City

Delays to Sydney train services due to person near tracks

Transport for NSW says there are interruptions to a number of Sydney train lines “until further notice” due to a person near the tracks at Redfern.

The affected lines include the Airport and South line, Bankstown, Inner West and Leppington, North Shore, Northern and Western lines. Transport for NSW said:

Allow extra travel time due to a person near the tracks at Redfern. Stops may change at short notice and services may be delayed. Please listen for announcements and check information screens before getting on trains.

My colleague said their express train has completely halted at a station, and the driver said “it may be some time” before they move again.

Two people safely rescued from yacht at Nowra

Two people have been safely rescued from a yacht on the state’s south coast, New South Wales police have confirmed.

As we flagged earlier, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it received a distress beacon alert about midday yesterday from a vessel 185km east of Nowra. The 19-metre vessel is believed to have sustained a mechanical issue and is taking on water.

A rescue operation was launched, with officers making contact with a 60-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman on board. They were approximately 170 nautical miles south-east of Sydney Heads, at about 1am today.

The rescue operation was suspended overnight due to extreme weather conditions, and resumed at first light. About 7:25am, the man and woman were safely rescued from the vessel uninjured, police said.

They are now on board the NSW police boat Nemesis, travelling to Sydney. It is anticipated the Nemesis will arrive at NSW Police Marine Area Command late tonight.

Updated

No requests yet for federal recovery assistance after wild weather, minister says

The minister for emergency management, Jenny McAllister, is speaking with ABC RN about the extreme weather events across Australia’s south-east over the past week.

Asked if she has received any formal requests for federal assistance with the recovery yet, McAllister said not yet – but “that’s not unusual.”

We’ve been in regular contact at an agency level with the authorities in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania. I’ve personally been in contact with my ministerial counterparts. Their focus, understandably, has been on response, on managing these conditions as they’ve unfolded for some of these communities.

Thoughts will turn today and in the coming days [to] recovery, and we’d expect to start hearing from our counterparts about any measures or assistance they might require from us at that time.

Updated

Attorney general working with state counterparts on youth justice issues: Chalmers

Jim Chalmers was also asked about the second death of a teenager in youth detention in less than a year. The Aboriginal teenager died at Banksia Hill in Western Australia after calling out from a cell prior to his death.

The Children’s Commissioner has asked the government to form a taskforce with other Australian governments around the country to look at what’s going on in justice systems (you can read more in yesterday’s blog here). Will this be considered?

Chalmers responded:

Obviously, these are the sorts of things that are in the domain of the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus. Obviously, incredibly concerning what we saw in detention over on this side of Australia. And I think in an ongoing way, the attorney general works with state attorney generals and others to do that. But I don’t want to front run that. Obviously that will be something that Mark is working through with his state colleagues.

Updated

‘Important we speak plainly about economic challenges’, treasurer says

The treasurer said that higher rate rises are not the only driver of people’s economic pain, also pointing to volatility around the world.

But Jim Chalmers told ABC News Breakfast it is “important that we speak plainly about our economic challenges”.

And one of the challenges that people have, particularly people with a mortgage, is that interest rates have gone up. That’s put extra pressure on people and slowed our economy. I don’t think that it is a controversial point to make.

Updated

Chalmers responds to opposition criticism on RBA comments

Q: The opposition says you’re dodging responsibility by not taking joint responsibility for the government’s economic decisions alongside the RBA’s independent decisions. Is that fair?

Jim Chalmers responded, “of course not.”

The [opposition wants] higher interest rate, because they think that the more people are hurting, the more it will suit their political objectives. And we should see their commentary in that light.

We’re in the third year of a three-year parliamentary term and they still don’t have any costed economic policies and they don’t have any economic credibility. They say all kinds of things. They’re not my focus. My focus is on the cost of living pressure that people are under right now…

Peter Dutton’s focus is on dividing people, and I think that that is what this commentary of the last couple of days has shown again.

Updated

Treasurer flags ‘soft and subdued’ economy in tomorrow’s GDP figures

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was also up on ABC News Breakfast this morning. He was asked for his predictions ahead of the latest GDP figures being released tomorrow.

He said most economists are expecting the figures to show an economy “which is soft and subdued.”

We’re not expecting lots of growth in the June quarter … But really, what we’ve got here is a combination of global economic uncertainty combining with higher interest rates and persistent price pressures here in Australia. Those things are combining to slow our economy quite substantially, we expect. And we’ll learn more about that tomorrow.

Chalmers was again asked about comments he made on Sunday – that the RBA was “smashing the economy” with its rate rises – and he defended this as being “entirely consistent with things that I’ve been saying for some months.”

I think that it would be a bit strange, frankly, if the treasurer of Australia couldn’t point to the sorts of things that are slowing our economy.

Tasmania ‘not out of the woods yet’, premier says

The Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff, just spoke with ABC News Breakfast about the weather situation still impacting the island state.

He said it’s been a “very worrying time for people in Tasmania”, with winds up to 187km/h at its peak, as well as flooding around the Derwent River:

It appears that flood levels are easing, which is good … But I have to say that we’re at field capacity. The ground is saturated. So any drop of rain, of course, can add to that.

Rockliff said about 20,000 connections were still without power – about 600 jobs TasNetworks would need to respond to.

So not out of the woods yet. Still a lot of work to do [with] roads damaged, trees over powerlines. It’s been quite a destructive few days. But, of course, Tasmanians always dig deep, as indeed all Australians do in these times of adversity, and today is no different.

The premier said he has heard from PM Anthony Albanese, who offered his support.

Updated

At least 40,000 in Victoria still without power

Crews are continuing to restore power to Victorians after strong winds damaged powerlines and left thousands without power.

According to AusNet, there are still 37,500 without power, and according to Citipower and Powercor, there are 17,484 customers still affected.

As of yesterday, United was working to restore power to 3,739 customers. It said on social media:

We have restored power to over 43,063 customers as crews continue repairing the power network that was extensively damaged during last night’s wild weather.

Crews are responding to more than 380 individual faults, replacing power poles, reconnecting fallen powerlines and repairing other electrical infrastructure damaged by trees, branches and other debris.

Jemena said 80 customers were still affected, and that most homes and businesses in the Footscray area had their power restored.

Updated

Most Australians support drug injecting rooms, research shows

Most Australians support medically supervised drug injecting rooms despite only two life-saving facilities existing nationwide and the recent scrapping of plans for a third, AAP reports.

Research published today found opposition to supervised injecting rooms has declined markedly over the past 20 years, down from 38% to 27%. It is half that of supporters (54%) while an increasing number are considered ambivalent (18%).

The Burnet Institute study noted the waning opposition came amid consistently negative media reporting about Melbourne’s first injecting room that suggested otherwise. Plans for a second facility in the CBD were scrapped in April:

Senior researcher Dr Amanda Roxburgh said the data “suggests there is greater support than some media stories would suggest.”

Many of the community locals in both North Richmond and in Kings Cross (around the existing services) are supportive, as they know it means fewer public overdoses and discarded injecting equipment on the streets in their suburbs.

Uniting NSW/ACT, which operates Sydney’s injecting room, says its staff have reversed 11,500 overdoses.

Updated

Damaging winds forecast for elevated parts of central Tasmania

A severe weather warning for damaging winds remains current in Tasmania.

Similar warnings for New South Wales and Victoria – which were lashed by strong winds yesterday and at the weekend – have been cancelled.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, a vigorous south-westerly airstream will redevelop over central parts of Tasmania early this morning, bringing the risk of damaging wind gusts to elevated terrain.

Strong winds around 50-60km/h with damaging gusts stronger than 100km/h are possible over elevated parts of the Central Plateau, North West Coast, Central North and Midlands districts this morning. But the winds are expected to ease below warning thresholds by late morning.

There are also a number of moderate flood warnings that remain in place, including for the Macquarie River, Mersey River, North Esk River, the River Derwent and South Esk River.

In NSW, a severe weather warning for damaging surf is current for Lord Howe Island, but has been cancelled for other parts of the state.

Updated

NSW to phase out placement of children in unaccredited emergency accomodation

The placement of children in unaccredited emergency accommodation, including hotels and motels, as part of the New South Wales foster system will be phased out within six months.

The NSW government will announce the changes today after a scathing report from the Advocate for Children and Young People found the use of such options was not a “suitable nor appropriate environment for children and young people”.

Alternative care arrangements (ACAs) can cost more than $2m per child per year and have cost the state $500m, according to Families and Communities minister, Kate Washington.

Since I became minister, I’ve made it very clear that vulnerable children do not belong in hotels, motels or caravan parks with shift workers instead of foster carers... The Minns Labor government’s ban on ACAs is a critical step towards making the child protection system sustainable, and will put vulnerable kids on safer paths to brighter futures. Under our government, unaccredited emergency accommodation will become a thing of the past, which is long overdue.

According to the government, there are 39 children currently in these forms of accomodation and suitable alternatives have been found for each child.

More on the NSW foster care system from NSW state reporter, Catie McLeod:

NSW government to announce changes to procurement policies

The New South Wales government will announce today changes to policies governing procurement to support more jobs and businesses in the state.

Domestic manufacturing and government procurement minister Courtney Houssos said the reforms would “support our local industries and give them new opportunities to secure a larger slice of the NSW government’s $42bn procurement spend”.

The government will announce its intention to legislate the creation of the Jobs First Commission to oversee and enforce local content measures, including forcing the NSW procurement board to make agencies engage with local suppliers before going to tender for projects worth more than $7.5m and agencies made to explain what happened if a local provider was not selected.

The moves are being welcomed by business and unions alike, with Business NSW chief executive Dan Hunter saying the decision would “supercharge” manufacturing and drive innovation.

Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey welcomed targets for apprentices and trainees on major projects to “build the skilled workforce of tomorrow”.

Rescuers searching for two people on yacht in rough seas off NSW

Rescuers are attempting to reach a yacht with two people on board in rough seas off the NSW south coast, AAP reports.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it received a distress beacon alert about midday yesterday from a vessel 185km east of Nowra. Media reports named the stricken 19-metre-long yacht as the Spirit of Mateship, which the ABC reports has been in several Sydney to Hobart races.

AMSA said it was dealing with up to five-metre seas and 70-90km/h winds.

Emergency authorities said a rescue was likely to be attempted at first light today if weather conditions allowed. A water police vessel was making its way to the scene.

Two Royal Australian Navy ships and an RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft were also involved in the rescue operation.

Police had earlier said the yacht “is believed to have sustained a mechanical issue and is taking on water”.

Updated

Good morning

Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off! I’ll be with you for most of today, bringing you our rolling coverage.

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

Let’s get started.

Second day of closing arguments in Reynolds-Higgins case

The second day of closing arguments in the defamation trial against Brittany Higgins brought by the ex-defence minister, and her former boss, Linda Reynolds, will begin shortly.

Yesterday Higgins’ lawyer, Rachael Young SC, said the Liberal senator’s “dogged focus” on events in 2021 and 2022 during the trial demonstrated her focus was not on the three social media posts in 2023 about which she is suing.

Young said the “harm and hurt” Reynolds experienced for the 2023 social media posts was small or nonexistent because, by that point, her reputation had already been “baked in”.

The defence also said Reynolds’ failure to do a welfare check on Higgins was an example of how she mishandled the incident. Young said:

It’s those basic human responses we say are missing from this narrative.

Young also said it was Reynolds that engaged in “persistent” harassment against Higgins. This was demonstrated by three key moments, Young said:

  • Reynolds called Higgins a “lying cow” after the allegations became public;

  • The senator “repeatedly” backgrounded a columnist at The Australian with confidential documents about Higgins’ commonwealth settlement;

  • Her correspondence with Lehrmann’s then barrister, Steven Whybrow, during the 2022 criminal trial in the ACT gave an impression of partisanship.

The hearing is expected to begin slightly earlier today at 9.30am Perth time, starting with the remainder of the defence’s closing arguments.

Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, will then begin his closing arguments.

Updated

Clean up begins after wild weather leaves one person dead

Extreme weather across three states is expected to ease as the clean-up gets under way after strong winds left a woman dead, homes destroyed and towns on flood watch, AAP reports.

The wind and rain, which started on Sunday night, resulted in the death of a 63-year-old woman after a tree struck a cabin at a holiday park in Moama, on the NSW-Victoria border.

At one point more than 120,000 Victorians were without power, and 660 homes were damaged on Monday after a night of pulsing winds and abnormally high tides.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said that while the worst of the weather had taken place, some damage was still to come.

We’re expecting the winds to gradually ease from the west … and for all of the wind warnings to be cancelled by late (Monday). However, winds of this strength do have the potential to bring down trees, branches that may cause property damage, that may cause power outages and hazardous driving conditions.

Some low-lying properties in Tasmania may become isolated by flood waters and property, and livestock could be at risk from flood waters, according to the bureau.

Evacuation warnings have been issued for residents in the Derwent River, Meadowbank to Macquarie Plains and Styx River at Bushy Park to Macquarie Plains and surrounds.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories before Emily Wind comes along to take you through the day.

There could be more trouble ahead for the Albanese government after the latest statistics showed the number of Palestinians applying onshore for protection visas has continued to grow, rising from 119 in May to 157 in June and 176 in July. The official statistics will increase pressure on the federal government over its decision to require them to come to Australia on visitor visas first.

Top Australian executives can earn hundreds of times what the average worker brings home. But how much does a teacher, salesperson or an electrician earn? And how does that compare to a federal politician or the boss of an ASX300 company, one of the 300 largest public companies in Australia? We’ve created an interactive quiz to test your best guesses.

Rescuers were attempting to reach a yacht with two people on board in rough seas off the NSW south coast. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it had received a distress beacon alert about midday on Monday from a vessel 185km east of Nowra. Media reports named the stricken 19-metre yacht as the Spirit of Mateship. More details soon.

Liverpool city council in western Sydney could be placed into administration after it failed in a court bid to stop the NSW government appointing administrators and holding a public inquiry amid claims of widespread dysfunction. A damning interim report found problems with council’s recruitment processes, procurement irregularities and allegations of a toxic work environment.

And severe weather is expected to ease today after Monday’s wild weather caused power cuts, floods and wind damage across the nation’s south-east. More on the latest soon.

Updated

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