What we learned today, Thursday 20 October
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s what we learned:
Lidia Thorpe resigned as the Greens’ deputy leader in the Senate after it emerged she had been in an undisclosed relationship with an ex-bikie.
Central and southern regions of Queensland are on flood watch as a low pressure system and trough tracks slowly eastwards this week.
The government approved up to 500 Australian defence force personnel to assist with the flood recovery in Victoria and New South Wales.
SES Victoria’s Tim Wiebusch said the flooding at Echuca was expected to reach above 1993 flood levels.
Medibank said those claiming responsibility for a data breach of the health insurer’s systems had shared a sample of information including medical data.
The Victorian government announced a series of flood recovery investments, including $6.5m for health protection services and $14m to alleviate pressure on the health system.
Australia’s jobless rate came in at 3.5% in September, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced a plan to deliver full-fibre NBN access to 1.5m homes and businesses by 2025.
Australia’s Covid-19 response failed the nation’s most vulnerable people and in many cases amounted to overreach, according to a report published today.
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said the stage-three tax cuts had ballooned $11bn since the last estimate.
The former Labor prime minister Paul Keating threw his support behind the NSW Coalition government proposal to reform stamp duty for first home buyers.
The Andrews government pledged to revitalise Victoria’s State Electricity Commission (SEC) under public ownership to build renewable energy projects.
Queensland will double its housing investment fund to $2bn to deliver more social and affordable housing to tackle the housing crisis gripping the state.
The Queensland rugby league player Liam Hampson was found dead on an end-of-season trip to Spain.
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NSW Labor MP Tania Mihailuk quits over preselection row and accusations of ‘horrific influence’
The senior New South Wales Labor MP Tania Mihailuk has sensationally quit less than five months out from the March election, saying the decision to preselect her factional rival, the Canterbury mayor, Khal Asfour, shows the party has “not cleaned up its act” and is “not ready to govern”.
A month after Mihailuk was sacked from Labor’s shadow frontbench after a late-night speech in which she linked Asfour with the corrupt former minister Eddie Obeid and accused party leaders of ignoring the “horrific influence” of property developers, she told parliament she had been left with “no choice” but to resign.
I’m disappointed that Labor has not learned from [former Labor premier] Nathan Rees’ past warning, and I quote, that ‘NSW Labor must never again allow the circumstances to develop in which a small cabal of self-interested individuals could control the fate of a great party’.
Clearly, the NSW Labor Party has not cleaned up its act, it’s not ready to govern and as a consequence I will now be resigning from the Labor Party, I’m left with no other choice.
During her speech last month Mihailuk, the MP for Bankstown, launched a series of accusations against Asfour, who is running on the party’s upper house ticket, about the redevelopment of land in the area, including alleged links to Obeid.
Asfour denied the allegations.
But she was sacked by the Labor leader, Chris Minns, after she refused to accept his request not to raise further allegations without proof in parliament, he said.
On Thursday Mihailuk said she had learned of her sacking after receiving a phone call from a producer from radio station 2GB asking her to comment on it.
“I will not sit idly by and in silence, while the NSW Labor machine at Sussex Street are actively endorsing a candidate for the 2023 state election of the ilk of Khal Asfour,” she said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Minns said he had told Mihailuk she could have stayed in shadow cabinet “provided she took allegations of impropriety to the police or the Icac with any evidence that she had, rather tham further using parliamentary privilege to launch unsubstantiated attacks on Labor colleagues”.
In the end Ms Mihailuk was not prepared to do that.
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⚠️ Initial #Flood Watch issued for parts of North-East, North-West, Central and South-West #Victoria with minor to moderate flooding possible. See https://t.co/vTUFMuDFDY for details and updates; follow advice from @vicemergency #VicFloods @vicsesnews pic.twitter.com/hFnCpLn9g7
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) October 20, 2022
Andrews: Rochester may take months to rebuild
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, was in the flood-damaged town of Rochester earlier today and told ABC Melbourne that rebuilding the town will not take “days and weeks” but “months, and maybe longer”.
It is estimated that 85% of the town has been damaged by flood waters from the Campaspe River, and Andrews said it would be some time before it is completely repaired.
We’ll be there all the way through rebuilding, repairing, supporting those families and indeed businesses. It was great to be on the ground with them today, talking, but more listening, just asking that basic question: ‘what do you need?’
They’ve given me a few things that they need and we’re chasing those up now.
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WA Health shuts down multiple PCR testing sites due to reduced demand
The Western Australia Department of Health has announced it is shutting down PCR testing sites, citing “reduced demand for PCR Covid testing” and the availability of RATs.
In a statement, the department says four public testing clinics in Perth and regional WA will be shut at the end of October, with the Rockingham general hospital public drive-through clinic closing on 21 October.
The walk-in clinic at Royal Perth hospital, as well as regional clinics at Broome health campus and Bunbury health campus will close on 28 October.
The state’s chief health officer, Dr Andrew Robertson, said people would be able to continue testing for Covid using RATs:
The closure of the Rockingham drive-through, Royal Perth walk-in clinic and the Broome and Bunbury clinics is in response to reduced demand for PCR testing and the wide availability of RATs.
RATs are a safe, convenient and fast option to test for Covid-19. Free RATs are available through the WA free RAT program.
PCR testing is available at clinics across metropolitan and regional WA with GP referrals needed for testing at private clinics.
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Coalition on cybersecurity: appropriate to see if companies are holding data for longer than they need to
The shadow cybersecurity minister, James Paterson, was on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, discussing the cyber attacks and the Medibank data breach.
Paterson was asked if he though there are more cyber attacks happening than usual, and if companies should be preparing their cyber-defences.
Here’s what he had to say:
Australians trust these companies with their personal information and when they handed over, they have a reasonable expectation as does the government and the Parliament that companies will take sufficient steps to protect that data and make sure that it is not lost.
And also that the warrant saw the data beyond what they needed for two legitimate business purposes. [It’s] already [a] requirement of our privacy law that companies cease holding any data any longer than they needed for. It will be very important to understand in both the Optus breach and this Medibank attack whether or not each company has been holding data for any longer than it needed to and potentially in contravention of the law.
It would be appropriate as [the] government has flagged to look at potential legislative performance is as necessary to make sure companies are complying with the obligation.
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Temporary monkeypox vaccination clinics opening across NSW after $2m boost to program
NSW Health has announced it is making Monkeypox vaccines easier to access, with 20 “temporary vaccination clinics” opening across the state.
It comes after the state government announced a $2m boost to the vaccination drive, with vaccine eligibility also being expanded to include “all gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men who have multiple or casual sexual partners.”
In a statement, the chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said the measures are intended to make it easier for people to access the vaccine:
Eligible people at risk of monkeypox infection can now make an appointment through a new online booking system at a clinic in their community, giving them more choice over where and when they have the vaccine.
Worldwide, supplies of monkeypox vaccine have been limited, but with additional doses expected to arrive in the coming weeks and more in 2023, these clinics will ensure we vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
The expansion of eligibility and clinics across the state means more members of the community who are at risk from monkeypox are able to receive their vaccinations as soon as possible.
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Minister quizzed on regional residents turning away from NBN to other forms of internet connection
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, was on the ABC earlier, and was quizzed about the government’s NBN investment, announced earlier today.
Rowland rattled off her talking points, but was asked about regional areas that are turning to other forms of internet connection, including Elon Musk’s satellite internet connection.
The minister was asked if a mix of services was the future for a country as big and difficult to service as Australia, with Rowland giving a diplomatic answer:
Well, consumers have choice, but above all else the NBN was designed with one key principle in mind and that is, irrespective of where you live or work in Australia you will have the same opportunity to access the best quality broadband services.
So we have also announced as part of our policy and we are delivering on substantial grades to the fixed wireless service in rural and regional Australia but also enhancing the satellite services that are provided under NBN Sky Master, including in terms of some of those limitations that currently apply in removing those and making those more accessible as well.
We are very focused on moving forward, we know we had a decade under the Liberals with failed multitechnology mix but we are very much focused on the future and delivering to the people of Australia in their technology needs.
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#Rochester has had a surprise visit from Premier @DanielAndrewsMP and Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp. They’re speaking with volunteers and CFA members but no media interviews. #vicfloods pic.twitter.com/usG3fV5JwA
— Sarah Lawrence (@sarahtlawrence) October 20, 2022
Medibank hacker threat to release health data a ‘dog act’, O’Neil says
The minister for home affairs and cybersecurity, Clare O’Neil, has just stepped up for a press conference, beginning by saying that Medibank has confirmed the data stolen included personal details and health information.
O’Neil goes on to call the threat to release the data a “dog act”:
What we know is that Medibank have confirmed today that the data being shown as a sample is their data. It tells us something about what a broader theft of data may look like in Medibank and it includes a very broad scope of information.
It includes names, addresses, phone numbers, some other identifying data, but the thing I’m most concerned about is it includes numbers that indicate procedures and diagnoses about the health of Australian citizens.
Financial crime is a terrible thing. But ultimately, a credit card can be replaced. The threat that is being made here to make the private, personal health information of Australians made available to the public is a dog act.
That is why the smartest people in the Australian government are working directly with Medibank to try to ensure that this horrendous criminal act does not turn into what could be irreparable harm to some Australian citizens.
I spoke to the Medibank CEO again, for the second time this morning, and we made an agreement that officers from the Australian federal police and the Australian Signals Directorate will locate themselves within Medibank to make sure that we have every possible support to Medibank in trying to ensure that this crime does not result in harm.
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Covid response review did not have a medical professional on panel but did speak to them, Shergold says
Earlier today the author of the independent review of Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Peter Shergold, held a press conference, where he was asked why the panel behind the review did not include any registered medical professionals.
Here is what he had to say:
At first we were thinking of [including medical professionals], but the difficulty is there are very different views. Ask any epidemiologist or any of our institutes and you will get different views. And this was not a report ... on epidemiology. This was a report on how we responded to the pandemic.
Of course, many, many of those we spoke to on a confidential basis were very senior levels in public health.
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⚠️⛈️ Severe thunderstorm warning update: heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hail likely with severe thunderstorms across a broader area of inland NSW. Latest warning details: https://t.co/PFaUrpYM46 pic.twitter.com/XafHwd9JC9
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) October 20, 2022
Property developers decry ‘demonisation’ at Queensland housing summit
Developers and investors are “demonised” as “greedy price-gougers” when in fact they are crucial to resolving the housing crisis, property industry representatives have told an affordable housing summit in Queensland.
The Property Council of Australia’s Queensland executive director, Jen Williams, told the summit that developing had “become a dirty word”.
“And it absolutely shouldn’t be,” she said. “Developers are the ones who are building schools, hospitals, houses, our infrastructure, and yet they get demonised and get called, like, price gougers and you’re only in it for the money.”
Williams said there was “a demonisation of investors in society” too, but that “we don’t have housing without investors in housing”.
“It’s not about, you know, you’re an investor, so you’re a bad bit of housing. You’re a developer, you’re a bad bit. You’re a community housing provider, so you are a good bit,” she said. “It is a spectrum. Everyone’s important in it.”
Williams’ remarks were prompted by a question from the Wolter Consulting Group executive director and co-founder of Yes In My Back Yard Queensland about “changing the conversation”.
“We all have to stop calling developers the price gougers, you know, the greedy developer,” she said. “We’ve essentially outsourced the building of most of our housing to developers.”
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Good afternoon, and a quick thanks to Natasha May for her stellar job this morning. This is Mostafa Rachwani, here to take you through the rest of the day’s news.
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That’s it from me today, I hand you over to the inimitable Mostafa Rachwani who will see you through the rest of the day.
More responses to independent review into Australia’s Covid response
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, who was opposition leader when the pandemic began, was more understanding, saying government departments should examine the review’s recommendations.
To the extent that this review could help to inform governments about future responses, that is useful.
Every government around the country, Liberal and Labor, were trying to deal with very difficult circumstances.
The independent member for Fowler, Dai Le, who was the deputy mayor of Fairfield at the time of the strongly enforced lockdowns in western Sydney, said communities like hers saw their mental health suffer due to being locked away from family and friends:
The community is still paying the price of it today.
Asked about the need for a royal commission, Le said:
I don’t know if the royal commission will reveal anything more than we already know. We know from the review what I have already said during the lockdown – the impact. I think what we need to now do is for government to look at how they can put in place legislation and programs to ensure that they do not do the same thing in the future.
– with AAP
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Australian virus response was ‘overreach’, independent review finds
Australia’s Covid-19 response failed the nation’s most vulnerable people and in many cases amounted to overreach, according to a new report, AAP reports.
The report – Fault lines: An independent review into Australia’s response to Covid-19 – led by the former public servant Peter Shergold, also found some lockdowns and border closures were not necessary and schools should have remained open.
It warns governments against the perils of overreach when dealing with future health crises. The private sector-funded report released today said:
For many of us, the story of Covid-19 will be one of inconvenience. For others, Covid-19 will be a story of trauma, isolation and terrifying uncertainty.
Politically driven health orders and excessive lockdowns failed to protect the old, ignored the young and abandoned disadvantaged communities, the report said.
As we brought you on the blog earlier, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, who oversaw one of the longest lockdowns globally – with Melbourne clocking 262 days under stay-home orders – pushed back against the report’s findings, which he admitted he had not read yet.
Meanwhile the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, also defended her policies of effectively isolating the state for months. She said:
We made the decisions in the best interests of Queenslanders and it kept Queenslanders safe.
I stand by our world-leading result when it comes to the number of lives that were lost compared to other jurisdictions and what happened around the world.
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PM acknowledges WA premier’s popularity in federal success at election
Albanese is asked about WA’s implementation of nurse to patient ratios in the state health system and the prime minister goes on to praise the Labor premier of the state.
Mark McGowan at the last state election was rewarded for standing up for WA. Whether it be delivering services in education and health, whether it being delivering on job creation and the success of the economy, or whether it be standing up against Clive Palmer.
I have always chosen to support Mark McGowan. I think one of the reasons we were successful here in WA at the last election is I was supporting Mark McGowan when Scott Morrison was supporting Clive Palmer.
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Albanese calls for further explanation from Bandt on Thorpe's undisclosed relationship
Anthony Albanese is asked by reporters about the revelation that Lidia Thorpe had an undisclosed relationship with an ex-bikie boss while on a parliamentary law enforcement committee.
My understanding is that Senator Thorpe has been dismissed as the deputy leader of the Greens political party in the Senate.
I think that these are concerning revelations to believe that the oversight processes over the legal system will be maintained in a way that ensures integrity and ensures that any information which is given there is kept in a confidential basis.
I note that Senator Thorpe has said that this is an error of judgment – that is the least description that I would put to it.
And Adam Bandt has to explain what his office knew and why he wasn’t informed about these issues given his office was informed, why that is the case.
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'Bringing Australia into the 21st century': Albanese announces NBN commitment
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has stepped up to speak in Albany, Western Australia about the government’s promise to deliver full-fibre NBN access to 1.5m homes and businesses by 2025.
He says:
It’s about bringing Australia into the 21st century. You need full-fibre broadband in order to deliver the high speeds that are required in order for people to work from home, in order for businesses to flourish and be connected up with their customers and clients around Australia and around the world.
Albanese emphasises the importance on delivering better standards for regional Australians.
It’s particularly important for our regions and that’s why 660,000 premises will be benefiting in regional Australia from this upgrade.
We committed to it in the election campaign, and we’re delivering it in next week’s budget.
Broadband is so important for businesses to flourish, for services to be provided such as health and education services, they are important for students to be able study, important for decentralisation in overcoming the tyranny of distance in our vast island continent in which we live.
This is an exciting project and the budget next week will confirm that we are a government that are delivering on the commitments that we made during the election campaign.
If you want to read more about the announcement, Amy Remeikis has the full story:
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‘I accept that I have made mistakes’: Thorpe
Bandt’s press conference is over now.
Lidia Thorpe has released a statement of her own:
Greens leader Adam Bandt has requested my resignation as Deputy Leader in the Senate and I have given him my resignation.
I accept that I have made mistakes and have not exercised good judgement. I will now reflect on this and focus on my important portfolio work, especially advocating for First Nations people.
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Bandt affirms confidence in Thorpe to continue as a senator
Reporter:
Do you have confidence in Lidia Thorpe continuing as a member of the parliament?
Bandt replies:
I have confidence in Senator Thorpe as a senator, representing our party on First Nations issues, but the significant error of judgment that she showed has led me to ask her to step down from the leadership team.
Now, that is a significant step. I expect her to now reflect on this error of judgment, and now that she is not in the leadership team to reflect on what it would mean to show better judgment in the future.
Senator Thorpe is a fighter for her people, and has strong and passionate views about advancing justice for First Nations people. She has the potential to be a very good senator, fighting for her people and fighting for justice, but she will need to show better judgment to do that.
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Greens staff knew about relationship and did not tell Bandt
The Greens leader is asked about reports that staff in his office were told about the relationship and decided not to pass it on to him.
Bandt says:
I was not aware until the media contacted me very recently about these issues and I have made inquiries. I have a good and competent chief of staff who makes many good decisions. This was not one of them.
I expect that I should have been told about this, and I have made that clear to my chief of staff, and I have counselled him. For context, having made inquiries, reading the report today and understanding what I now know, my staff thought the issue had been resolved and if I read the report correctly Senator Thorpe’s staff had been told that the relationship had ended, or they thought that the relationship had ended. My staff thought that the issue had been resolved.
And the second thing I would say is that, ultimately, the obligation to disclose to me was Senator Thorpe’s. Ultimately, it was her issue that she needed to tell me about. Having said all of that, this was not a good decision from my staff to not tell me about this, and I have counselled them.
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Bandt seeks meeting with AFP
Bandt says:
I am sure if anyone [in my party] had any information in that regard they would provide it to me or provide it to someone. I hope they would.
I have separately reached out to the AFP to seek a meeting with them to see if they have any concerns with respect to disclosure of information but, to be clear, at the moment, the facts that I have, no one is suggesting that that happened.
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Lidia Thorpe resigns as Greens deputy leader in Senate after revelation of bikie relationship
Reports emerged earlier today that the Greens senator Lidia Thorpe had not disclosed a relationship with an ex-bikie boss while sitting on a parliamentary law enforcement committee.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is speaking about the matter in Melbourne:
Media raised with me matters pertaining to Senator Thorpe which I was not aware until the media raised them.
I have since looked into those matters. I have asked Senator Thorpe for her resignation as deputy leader in the Senate and I have received a resignation.
As a leader I expect my senators and MPs, especially those in leadership positions, to exercise good judgment. At a minimum, Senator Thorpe needed to disclose to meet her connection to Mr Martin and her failure to do so showed a significant lack of judgment. Senator Thorpe says she understands this, so I now expect her to demonstrate better judgment going forward and in exercising her continuing portfolio responsibilities.
I note also that Senator Thorpe has not held the justice portfolio since the election. Senator Thorpe has important work to do on First Nations justice including on progressing truth, treaty and voice and I want her to be able to do that work. I will take questions.
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Victorian government wants to improve multicultural emergency services messaging, minister says
My colleague Caitlin Cassidy earlier this week wrote about how the absence of translators in Shepparton’s flood response put the lives of the multicultural community at risk.
The emergency services minister, Jacyln Symes, is asked a question at the media conference. She says:
The Ethnic Council in Shepparton has been well connected in relation to the incident control centre, in preparation, in anticipation of emergencies.
They are a stretched resource and so getting to all communities at the right time is something we want to make sure we can support them to do.
She says the government has committed half a million dollars to support multicultural groups and work towards improving communication.
Does the government recognise there were problems this time round that need to be handled better next time?
As we approach any emergency, we always look at our response, we always want to get it better … on a journey of continual improvement.
I’ve heard the concerns from some people in Shepparton. It’s a very diverse community. We want to make sure that everybody is supported.
She says there is also a large Aboriginal community in Shepparton which has been the focus of dedicated support services by Aboriginal-led organisations.
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Emergency Recovery Victoria receives 233 calls for assistance
The CEO of Emergency Recovery Victoria, Mariela Diaz, follows Wiebusch at the media conference. She says that despite the change in name (many communities knew the organisation as Bushfire Recovery Victoria), she emphasises the organisation’s experience.
We are primarily a problem-solving agency.
We are dedicated and committed to locally led recovery.
She says the organisation has already started helping communities recover from the floods and wants to make sure all Victorians can access the clean-up program regardless of their physical ability or the location of their property.
Our first priority is clean-up, and we are already on the ground cleaning properties and picking up the debris from the side of the street.
She says the flood recovery hotline, which is on 1800 560 760, has so far received 233 calls for assistance.
The general theme of these calls relates to a broad range of support assistance, particularly accommodation, emotional support and financial assistance.
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River at Shepparton falls below major flood level
Wiebusch says that this morning the Goulburn River fell below the major flood level of 11 metres at Shepparton this morning,
The river expected to remain at a moderate level of around 10.8 metres for most of today and into tomorrow, with a watch and act warning for Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla still in place.
As part of that messaging, he says the SES are asking for only local community members to be around these recently flooded areas.
This is not the time for sightseeing.
He says the causeway between Mooroopna and Shepparton was opened at 10am this morning, with shops and supermarkets were also reopening for supplies in Mooroopna.
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Emergency evacuation warning remains from Barmah to Echuca
Wiebusch moves onto the Murray River.
An emergency warning to evacuate remains in place from Barmah to Echuca.
We can’t emphasise enough that we don’t issue these warnings lightly.
We are going to see water levels that will be equivalent to October 1993 floods in that area.
He says the peak will be 95 metres above sea level tomorrow.
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Kerang isolated for seven days
Back to the flooding in Victoria, State Emergency Service chief, Tim Wiebusch, has provided an update of the state’s river systems in flood.
In the west of the state, on the Loddon River, the “plug” was put into the levy wall last night at Kerang. The Goulburn Valley highway closure means the town will be isolated for at least seven days.
He says the town has “good supplies” and the levee should protect the community, but 40-50 homes outside the levee could be impacted by river levels.
The river height is expected to peak at 78 metres, which is a metre below the height of the power station levee walls, meaning the power station should be protected.
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Medibank says those claiming responsibility for data breach have shared information
Dipping out of that presser, we have an update on the Medibank data breach.
Medibank says that criminals claiming responsibility for a data breach of the company’s systems have shared a sample of information including names, addresses, birthdays, Medicare numbers, phone numbers and details of medical procedures, and claim to have credit card data.
Home affairs and cybersecurity minister Clare O’Neil is to hold a press conference on the latest major data breach at 3.45pm in Melbourne, but Medibank has just released a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange with more information.
The company says the people claiming to be behind the breach allege to have 200 gigabytes of data. Medibank said those responsible had provided a sample of 100 records to the company, which they believe come from the AHM and international student systems.
That data includes first names and surnames, addresses, dates of birth, Medicare numbers, policy numbers, phone numbers and some claims data.
This claims data includes the location of where a customer received medical services, and codes relating to their diagnosis and procedures. The criminal claims to have stolen other information including data related to credit card security, which has not yet been verified by our investigations.
Federal police and cyber agencies are investigating. Medibank CEO David Koczkar said he wanted to “unreservedly apologise for this crime which has been perpetrated against our customers, our people, and the broader community”.
I know that many will be disappointed with Medibank and I acknowledge that disappointment.
Medibank shares remain in a trading halt. The company has bolstered call centre staff to respond to customer concerns.
To reduce wait times for our customers, we have redeployed our people to support new cyber response hotlines in our call centres. Medibank and AHM customers can contact us by phone (for AHM customers 13 42 46 and for Medibank customers 13 23 31) or visit the information page on the website for any updates.
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Hundreds of flood rescues in Victoria
Next up, Victorian State Emergency Service chief, Tim Wiebusch, says this flood emergency is “far from over”.
Although many communities were moving onto flood clean-up and recovery, many communities were still under emergency warnings, including evacuation orders, he said.
Wiebusch said there had been more than 8,000 requests for assistance across the state, including 730 flood rescues.
He said that 18 Queensland SES members are also helping out in Victoria today.
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The state of play in flood-hit Victoria
OK so the Victorian emergency services minister, Jaclyn Symes, has just rattled off a whole heap of numbers, and this is where things are at in Victoria:
There are 68 properties without power.
Twelve support aircrafts are in the air, as well as two military helicopters.
There are 11 relief centres open.
There are about 50 sandbag collection points.
At the moment there are 444 roads closed, but this number changes hourly.
More than 35,500 potholes have been fixed.
56 schools and 61 early learning centres remain closed.
There have been 18,000 applications for emergency payments, with 6,000 applications processed so far.
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Victorian government to provide funding to help community programs
Symes has also announced a $5.2m community support flood assistance program, which will support local sports clubs to get back on their feet.
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Investment to relieve pressure on health system in flood region
Symes announces a $14m investment to alleviate pressure on the health system in the region:
Pharmacies in flooded areas and pharmacies in country areas quite often the only available pharmacy to service a broad area, they are all too familiar with the needs of the community but obviously are stretched, having to operate 24/7 to make sure that people get the medication that they need, obviously very important to maintain the health of the community and I know they’re working really hard and support them.
There will a further $14m to send in hospital staff to flood affected areas for duration of three months. We want to make sure that we are working across the Department of Health to facilitate and identify people willing to help and match in services and the like will be provided in support for those health workers to enter areas where a lot of people are wanting to help will be facilitated.
We will also be making important amendments to support Aboriginal health organisations to do the important thing they do particularly in those committees, Shepparton, Swan Hill and Echuca that have been friendly impacted, will want to make sure that the dedicated services, GPs, nurses and workers are on the ground supporting the community.
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Victoria announces $6.5m for health-related flood recovery
The Victorian minister for emergency services, Jaclyn Symes, is providing an update on the flooding in Victoria, beginning by warning that more rain is coming, and announcing an “initial public health measure response”.
Symes announced $6.5m to deliver “important health protection initiatives” in light of the health risks associated with contaminated flood water and the increased risk of mosquito breeding:
An investment of $6.5m will deliver important health protection initiatives such as a dedicated monitoring control system to prevent and control disease carrying mosquitoes that we know are drawn to flood areas.
These are communities that particularly along the Murray are very familiar with the risks of mosquitoes but that risk will be increased, particularly in relation to risk of Japanese encephalitis, the vaccination for Japanese encephalitis will be re-directed to flood-affected communities and I would encourage people to seek more information about that, many of our agricultural areas are very familiar with the risk of Japanese encephalitis and will know what steps to take.
We will deploy to flooded regions to support communities on issues such as appropriate septic tank repairs and the safest way to make sure businesses and homes can be cleaned up stop we will be boosting resourcing to the public health units all in order to give those communities are safe and healthy.
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We are expecting an update from Victorian authorities on the flood situation shortly.
Peter Dutton says it’s ‘cheap’ to criticise Coalition’s Covid management
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said it is “pretty cheap” to criticise the way the federal government handled the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it is easier to judge it in the “clear light of day”.
Dutton was on 2GB, and defended the Coalition government’s measures during the pandemic, while simultaneously calling for a review into lockdowns in Victoria and Western Australia (wonder why those two):
I think it’s always pretty cheap for some people to say, well you know, we’ll judge it by the standards and all the facts that we’re not to say that we didn’t know back then.
I think I think it is prudent that there is a review of both of the federal government, state governments and territory government actions because if there is another pandemic, and we should learn from the past and so I think it makes sense to review the decisions understand, you know, the heat of the moment.
Updated
‘Nothing academic about Covid-19’: Andrews responds to Covid report
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has described an independent pandemic report which found that the mass closure of schools during Covid was avoidable and harmful as an “academic” review.
The pandemic review – led by Western Sydney University chancellor and former top public servant, Peter Shergold – found that the closures of schools were justified in the early stages of the pandemic but that the restrictions should have ended earlier.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Andrews said he had not read the national review:
It’s written by a bunch of academics and that’s fine, that’s their job. There was nothing academic about Covid-19.
I’m much more focused on the future rather than reading the academic views on things that happened some time ago.
Andrews said there were “many decisions” the state government had wished it did not have to take during the pandemic.
These decisions were not made lightly, and they were subject to discussion and very, very careful consideration.
Updated
Fewer hours worked in September partly due to Covid
The Australian Bureau of Statistics job numbers can be sliced and diced various ways, including according to the number of hours worked.
In seasonally adjusted terms, workers did 600,000 fewer hours last month even as took on full-time positions.
The head of labour statistics at the ABS, Bjorn Jarvis, said one factor was that more people than usual took annual leave last month. That may be some catch-up from previous Septembers when lockdowns ruled.
The number of people working fewer hours because they were sick was also higher than we usually see in September, but only around 14% higher.
It is no longer around two to three times higher, as it was earlier in 2022.
The other side of the coin is wages of course. We won’t see September quarter wage price index data until 16 November. That will be one to watch.
The head of Macroeconomic Forecasting for BIS Oxford Economics, Sean Langcake, said:
Given how tight the labour market is, we expect to see faster wage growth coming through in the official data in Q3.
Updated
Queensland commits $2bn for more social and affordable housing
Queensland will double its housing investment fund to $2bn to deliver more social and affordable housing to tackle the housing crisis gripping the state.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, made the announcement as she opened the state’s affordable housing summit this morning at which she said: “The very nature of homelessness has changed.”
Palaszczuk said:
Queenslanders who would never have anticipated struggling to keep a roof over their heads are now facing that awful possibility.
Nothing horrifies me more than the stories we’ve all heard recently of people and families unable to put a roof over their heads, living in tents or cars, sleeping rough, relying on friends or family for a bed, couch surfing, desperately seeking a bed and safety and security for their families.
The premier said the increased investment in the housing fund announced as part of last year’s budget means Queensland will now “target” the construction of 5,600 new social and affordable homes by 2027.
Palaszczuk said the additional funding reflected rising construction costs but that tackling housing affordability was “not just about more money”.
It’s also about innovative solutions.
Updated
Palaszczuk ‘appalled’ by Brisbane real estate agency encouraging rent increases
The Queensland premier has criticised a Brisbane real estate agency after it encouraged landlords to implement a 20% rent increase amid a housing crisis.
Guardian Australia reported earlier this week that Ray White West End had sent an email asking landlords if their properties were being “under-rented” before advising them to increase rents by more than double the rate of inflation.
Speaking ahead of the state’s housing summit on Thursday, the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said she was “appalled” by the behaviour.
It’s just not on. [It’s] not the kind of behaviour we should see or accept.
The comments echo those of Queensland’s housing minister, Leeanne Enoch.
She told Guardian Australia on Monday that was “appalling to see a handful of real estate agencies issuing substantial rent increases amid unprecedented pressures on the entire housing system”.
I would strongly urge compassion on the part of real estate agents and property owners as we come together at the Queensland housing summit to discuss actions to alleviate pressures on the market.
Updated
Full-time workforce increases in September
Australia’s jobless rate may have been steady last month at 3.5% but the economy kept creating full-time jobs.
There were 13,300 positions added – not a lot in the grand scheme, but still an increase.
How Australia's jobless rate is holding up - despite the rate rises. (Source: ABS) pic.twitter.com/77JnZblUlP
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) October 20, 2022
Remember that by September, the economy had absorbed 225 basis points of higher interest rates since May, with another 25 basis points topped up on 4 October.
The small change is still notable as the RBA is watching the tightness of the labour market like a wedge-tailed eagle.
The modest numbers for September nudged the Australian dollar lower against the US counterpart, a sign that on the margin, the RBA is slightly less inclined to push its cash rate higher in coming months.
In its minutes from the October board meeting, the Reserve Bank noted the jobless rate might fall further from 3.5% before it started rising.
Remember that at the worst of the Covid pandemic, the then Morrison government (and the RBA) were eyeing a jobless rate at 15% in a worst case scenario.
The labour market has been something of a puzzle in many countries, and it’s possible this part of the economy has more surprises to come.
Updated
Still not too late to scrap stage-three tax cuts after cost blowout, Greens say
On the other end of the political spectrum, the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said the ballooning bill should entice the government to change the plan. He tweeted:
That’s now more than a quarter of a trillion dollars. A quarter of the national debt – to give the super wealthy a tax cut.
This budget should put JobSeeker above the poverty line. It should introduce cost of living relief for families, make renting cheaper, and build affordable housing.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) October 19, 2022
It shouldn’t be a handout to the rich.
The Greens treasury spokesperson, Nick McKim, called it:
A staggering amount of money that would be far better spent putting mental and dental health into Medicare, wiping student debt and making childcare free.
It is still not too late to scrap the stage-three tax cuts and invest in genuine, immediate cost of living relief. Keeping them in place will be a slap in the face to all the Australians who are struggling to make ends meet.
Updated
Angus Taylor calls on government to rule out changes to stage-three tax cuts
Further to the $11bn blowout in the price tag for the stage-three tax cuts, the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, has criticised the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and called on the government to rule out any changes to the Coalition-legislated plan.
Chalmers told Radio National that the next tax changes, due in 2024, would cost $254bn over 10 years – a big jump from the last forecast of $243bn.
Taylor suggested this was a good thing and that it showed the need for the tax cuts.
He told Guardian Australia:
The comments from the treasurer today are frankly bizarre. If the budget impact of the personal income tax plan has gone up it is because people are paying more tax.
It proves the impacts of bracket creep are very real and are hitting Australian households to the tune of billions of dollars. With inflation this tax relief is needed more now than it has ever been. The easiest way to tackle bracket creep is to eliminate a bracket.
Taylor said the tax cut plan “isn’t a cost to the budget, it is legislated tax relief that this Labor government wants to take away from hard-working Australians”.
Jim Chalmers needs to explain why he keeps using the resources of the Treasury to find excuses to break an ironclad election promise.
Updated
Keating supports NSW stamp duty reform for first home buyers
Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has thrown his support behind the New South Wales Coalition government’s proposal to reform stamp duty for first home buyers.
While the NSW Labor opposition is against the plan, Keating said it would enable “fluidity”.
Speaking at Barangaroo beside the premier, Dominic Perrottet, on Thursday morning, Keating said:
Moving away from the existing structure. .. would make for much more fluidity and ease of movement for people, which I don’t think is possible with these very large sums that are now payable, $50,000 to $100,000 on every transaction.
The premier’s proposal ... would underwrite that kind of flexibility.
Updated
Tasmania scraps waste levy for flood clean-up
Tasmanians impacted by floods will no longer have to pay a fee when throwing away damaged property at tips or other waste disposal facilities, AAP reports.
The waste levy has been waived in 17 council areas to ensure debris is cleared as soon as possible.
All residents need to do is tell tip operators when they throw away material damaged in the floods, who can then apply for a fee waiver any time until the end of the year.
The premier, Jeremy Rockliff, and the primary industries and water minister, Jo Palmer, today toured flood-hit farms in the state’s north.
About 100 properties, plus road and bridges, were damaged following record-breaking rainfall late last week. Several roads in northern Tasmania remain closed as crews carry out repair work and assess safety concerns.
Updated
Flood support payments expanded to Melbourne and other LGAs
An additional six local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria will be eligible for the one-off, non-means-tested Australian government disaster recovery payments.
The payment of $1,000 for an adult and $400 for a child will be available from 2pm today for those who live in Buloke, Corangamite, Hepburn, Macedon Ranges, Melbourne and Pyrenees.
The assistance is already available to those who live in Benalla, Boroondara, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Greater Bendigo, Greater Shepparton, Loddon, Maribyrnong, Mitchell, Moonee Valley, Mount Alexander, Murrindindi, Strathbogie and Yarra Ranges.
The government says that equivalent financial assistance will also be available to eligible New Zealand citizens affected by the floods.
The disaster recovery allowance, which assists employees and sole traders who have lost income for up to 13 weeks has also been expanded, bringing the total number of eligible LGAs to 46.
The following 23 Victorian LGAs have been added:
Banyule, Boroondara, Brimbank, Ballarat, Greater Geelong, Colac Otway, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Hume, Indigo, Manningham, Melbourne, Moorabool, Mount Alexander, Moyne, Swan Hill, Warrnambool, Whittlesea, Wodonga, Wyndham, Yarra Ranges and Yarriambiack.
Claims can be made online through myGov, 24 hours a day.
The minister for emergency management, Murray Watt, said:
As the extent of the damage is discovered, the Albanese government is continuing to extend support to impacted areas. This is a very serious situation across multiple states and we know that there may be more communities impacted by these flooding events over the coming days. As the full extent of the damage continues to become more apparent, we will keep working to provide assistance as it’s needed.
Updated
Jobless rate steady at 3.5% in September
Australia’s jobless rate last month came in at 3.5% in September, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has just stated.
The economy added just 900 jobs last month, and the participation rate remained unchanged at 66.6%. So pretty much steady – at first glance at least.
By contrast, New Zealand’s jobless rate was mostly recently at 3.3%, while the UK and the US both posted 3.5% unemployment in September.
More to follow.
Updated
Latest gender pay gap stats released
Western Australia’s gender pay gap is the highest in the nation at 26.8% – and goes up to 32.1% once total remuneration is included.
Tasmania’s is the lowest, at 11.3%, and lower still for total remuneration, when it drops to 10.4%.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has released the latest report in its gender equity insights series today.
The research, done with the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, calculated how much the gap could be driven down by with shifts in gender balance in all industries.
For example, if the gender balance in all industries was shifted to 40:40:20 (40% men, 40% women, 20% any gender, in WA the gap would halve.
Report author and BCEC director, Prof Alan Duncan, said:
To achieve a 40:40:20 gender concentration for industries in Australia, gender balance needs to be addressed in both directions. This means increasing the share of women working in male-dominated occupations and industries and growing the share of men in female-dominated professions.
We need to see an increase in the share of women in leadership positions from CEO through to executive manager, in roles in the professional, scientific, technical and trades sectors, and a rise in the share of men working in health, community and social services.
We also need to reflect on whether the salaries paid to health care, social assistance and community sector workers adequately reflect the true value of their contribution to society.
Updated
More jobs likely added in September, as ABS data looms
We will shortly get the September labour market figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Last time we looked, the jobless rate was 3.5% for August. Economists generally expect more jobs were added last month but the unemployment rate will hinge a lot on how many people were “participating”, that is looking for work.
The ANZ, for instance, expects the jobless rate will drop to 3.3%, a fresh near-50 year low. But the CBA predicts it will linger at 3.5%.
Stay tuned as it will land shortly.
In the meanwhile, here’s what investors are thinking about interest rates:
Ahead of the jobs data from September, investors were tipping a more than 90% chance the RBA would lift its cash rate 25bp to 2.85% on Nov 1st. They were also eyeing a 4% rate by next August. pic.twitter.com/YHGSEhKrbu
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) October 20, 2022
Updated
Newborn stars visible in James Webb telescope image of the Pillars of Creation
Three spires of cosmic dust and gas stretching roughly four to five light years in the Eagle Nebula are known as the Pillars of Creation.
They were previously captured by the Hubble telescope, but a new image has emerged from Nasa’s James Webb telescope, which has taken over as the largest optical telescope in space.
The Pillars of Creation are part of an active star-forming region and the new image has revealed many never before seen .
Updated
Highway to Kerang in Victoria closed as water rises
The northern Victorian town of Kerang has been cut off, with a major highway closed due to risk of flooding, AAP reports.
Patchell Bridge on the Murray Valley Highway, about 280km north of Melbourne, closed on Wednesday night with Kerang residents warned it was too late to leave.
Evacuation warnings are also in place for Echuca and the smaller towns of Barmah, Lower Moira and Bunbartha, with swollen rivers threatening to burst their banks.
Updated
Residents from Loddon Weir to Kerang told to move to higher ground
This EMERGENCY WARNING - RIVERINE FLOOD - Move to Higher Ground is for Loddon River Loddon Weir to Kerang
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) October 19, 2022
More details at https://t.co/RP7QseKkhB...
Leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous. pic.twitter.com/s9KPha7ip1
Updated
‘Great decision’: Perrottet backs Queensland limiting UN access to detention facilities
My colleague Tamsin Rose this morning reported that New South Wales has blocked UN officials from entering a detention facility as part of their visit under Australia’s commitment to the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (Opcat).
Queensland Health will also prevent the officials from visiting mental health wards where people ordered to undergo treatment or charged with crimes are held, the state health service confirmed to Guardian Australia.
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, had this to say on Queensland restricting the UN’s access:
Premier Perrottet says it’s a “great decision” from Queensland government to limit UN access.
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) October 19, 2022
Updated
Victoria’s new emissions reduction targets are world-leading, energy minister says
Victoria’s energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio says the state’s new emissions reduction targets are world-leading. She said:
We are the second jurisdiction in the world to set the 75-80% reductions target by 2035.
Updated
Andrews pledges to supercharge renewables as Victoria upgrades emissions reduction target
The Andrews government has pledged to revitalise Victoria’s State Electricity Commission (SEC) under public ownership to build renewable energy projects.
Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, described the commitment as the “most significant” energy announcement in the state over the past 30 years.
The government, if re-elected next month, will make a $1bn investment towards delivering 4.5 gigawatts of renewable power – the equivalent capacity of the state’s largest power station Loy Yang A, which will close by 2035.
The premier announced a new target to reduce emissions by 75% to 80% by 2035.
Andrews said Victoria needed a “plan to keep the lights on”, pointing to the closure of privatised coal-fired power plants.
Andrews said the increased power supply would create downward pressure on household energy bills. He said:
This is good news when it comes to emissions and our total energy mix.
The government has estimated its energy plan will create 60,000 jobs by 2035.
Updated
Inundation at Moama on NSW-Victoria border
Seven News reporter Blake Johnson has shared some vision of the flooding occurring in the southern Riverina border town of Moama.
The Murray River is at 94.42 metres and could peak at 95 metres on Friday or Saturday, when more rain is expected.
Already around 300 people in and near Moama have been told to evacuate, with flood heights predicted to surpass the area’s second-worst on record in 1993.
Moama ‘beach’ on the right is under metres of water pic.twitter.com/9av0J79mll
— Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) October 19, 2022
Updated
Dominic Perrottet speaking alongside Paul Keating in Sydney
The NSW premier Dominic Perrottet is speaking alongside the former prime minister Paul Keating at the waterside CBD precinct of Barangaroo.
Guardian Australia’s NSW state reporter Tamsin Rose is there.
Keating is taking us on a long history of Barangaroo. He thanks James Packer and the NSW government, does not thank Lord Mayor Clover Moore or the Institute of Architects. pic.twitter.com/sUjq0bNnbz
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) October 19, 2022
Updated
Young women lead Victorian vaping jump
The number of Victorians who vape has almost doubled since 2018 and young women are leading the take-up, AAP reports.
A Cancer Council Victoria survey estimated more than 308,000 Victorians vaped in 2022, compared to just under 155,000 in 2018-2019.
Almost one in six women aged 18-24 has taken up the habit, up from just under 3%.
It also found 54% of users were aged 18-30 and almost one in four adult vapers have never smoked traditional cigarettes.
It is illegal to sell e-cigarette products containing nicotine but almost three quarters of users said they purchased the products from bricks and mortar stores.
Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper called on all parties to commit to a retail licensing scheme which would help identify and deter businesses who break the law ahead of the November state election.
Updated
Helicopters delivering supplies to flooded communities in NSW
The #NSWRFS has several helicopters currently deployed throughout the state assisting the @NSWSES with reconnaissance and transporting sandbags and supplies. Yesterday, crews used one of the helicopters to rapidly deploy sandbags after a breach was detected in one of the levees. pic.twitter.com/9m6XvKfrrL
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 19, 2022
Updated
Victoria to boost renewable energy targets
The Victorian government will shortly announce a plan for 95% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2035.
Guardian Australia understands the premier, Daniel Andrews, and environment minister, Lily D’Amboriso, will outline the new target as well as boosting its 2030 target from 50% renewable energy to 65% at a press conference at 10am.
It will also announce its emissions reduction target of 75-80% by 2035 and for 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity to be publicly owned.
It follows targets set to reduce emissions by 28-33% by 2025 and 45-50% by 2030. The opposition has pledged it will legislate the targets if elected in November.
Our state reporter, Adeshola Ore, will be heading to the press conference and will provide some more information as we get it.
Updated
500 ADF personnel to assist flood recovery in Victoria and NSW
The government has approved up to 500 Australian defence force personnel to assist with the flood recovery in Victoria and New South Wales.
The decision comes after a request from Emergency Management Victoria to provide up to 400 personnel to assist emergency authorities with tasks including:
Filling and distributing sandbags
Transport support to isolated families and emergency services
Diversion of water from a small dam and construction of three levees
Door knocking to support flood-affected residents
ADF personnel have been already been assisting communities in flood-affected areas in regional Victoria, including supporting evacuation and resupply efforts with two CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
About 100 ADF members are assisting communities in NSW, where there is also a helicopter available for night search and rescue, primarily in the west of the state.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said:
We’ve already seen our ADF members hard at work filling sandbags in Shepparton, building levee banks in Echuca and helping out in Wagga Wagga. Now they will also be supporting more people as we move to the clean-up phase of this disaster.
The emergency management minister, Murray Watt, said:
Having the ADF step up and help is be greatly appreciated in flood-affected areas. This is a short and sharp operation to complement the great work of the state emergency agencies and will assist our hardest hit communities.
Updated
Victoria’s mental health units need urgent upgrades: peak psychiatry body
Victoria’s peak psychiatry body has called on the Andrews government to urgently upgrade the state’s mental health units, warning poorly designed facilities could risk patient safety.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’s Victorian branch said Victoria’s mental health infrastructure needed to be fit-for-purpose to ensure patient safety.
The branch’s president Astha Tomar said Victoria’s mental health units needed to be reviewed and refurbished, with input from psychiatrists in the design process.
Tomar said:
In Victoria we’re seeing poorly designed facilities coupled with a stretched workforce. It’s a combination that simply can’t deliver the best quality support Victorians deserve.
We need to ensure our facilities are designed to deliver the best possible outcomes for everyone, but at the moment that’s not always the case.
The body said Victoria’s mental health units had not been built with a focus on physical and psychological safety of patients and staff.
Updated
Historic deal struck to begin Victorian treaty negotiations
Victoria will become the first Australian jurisdiction to begin negotiating treaties with First Nations groups next year, after a historic deal was brokered to allow traditional owners to enter into interim agreements during negotiations.
The deal struck between the Andrews government and the First Peoples’ Assembly – the body elected to negotiate an overarching framework for treaty – includes an initial investment of $65m over three years into a fund to help traditional owners commence treaty negotiations.
Farms around Echuca inundated – in pictures
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews yesterday described the areas hit by flooding as “the food bowl of our nation.”
Here are some of the images from farms around Echuca taken by Guardian photographer at large Mike Bowers yesterday.
Updated
Woman rescued from flooding in central Queensland
A woman is in hospital after being rescued from her car in floodwaters in central Queensland, where a town of 500 people has been warned to get ready to evacuate, AAP reports.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services say the woman in her 20s was rescued after her car became submerged near the flooding Mackenzie River about 7.11pm on Wednesday.
She was taken to Emerald Hospital in a stable condition.
In the nearby town of Rubyvale, about 500 residents have been told to prepare to evacuate with catchments already soaked and six-hour rainfall totals of 100mm possible on Thursday.
QFES said in an emergency alert on Wednesday night.:
These storms may produce heavy rainfall and flooding in Policeman Creek.
Rainfall rates in excess of 55mm per hour, 75mm over three hours or 100mm over six hours will lead to flooding of concern.
The community is advised to be alert and prepared to take early action to relocate to higher ground.
Central and sourthern Queensland on alert for flooding
Central and southern Queensland are on flood watch as a low pressure system and trough will track slowly eastwards this week, AAP reports.
Catchments are already soaked and the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast increasing showers and thunderstorms, some likely to be severe, in the coming days.
The bureau said:
River and creek level rises, and at least minor flooding, are likely in many rivers and creeks across the Flood Watch area.
This is likely to impact on road transport and access later this week and into next week.
In the southern town of Goondiwindi, the Macintyre River is at 2.72m and may exceed a minor flood level of 4m on Thursday.
The bureau said the river could possibly rise to a moderate flood level above six metres with more rainfall forecast on Friday and the weekend.
In western Queensland, the Bulloo River is just below a minor flood level but rising at Quilpie. The waters are above moderate levels downstream at Thargomindah and are expected to remain at that level for the next few days.
The Paroo River peaked at Hungerford on the NSW border on Wednesday night, but likely to remain around a moderate level in coming days with further rises are possible with more rain.
Updated
Labor promises full-fibre NBN access to 1.5m homes and businesses by 2025
Labor is announcing movement on its promise to improve the national broadband network, with money in Tuesday’s budget to expand full-fibre access to 1.5m homes and businesses, mainly in outer city and regional areas.
Labor had been highly critical of the Coalition government’s decision to change the NBN from the planned fibre-to-the-premises model to a multi-technology mix model that used the existing and ageing copper network.
Australians know high speed NBN is essential for work, home and school. We’re delivering.https://t.co/bM6PCxFKON
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 19, 2022
More evacuation warnings for Echuca
Echuca was late last night issued with evacuation orders, and the SES has just renewed those warnings for the Victorian community.
This EMERGENCY WARNING - RIVERINE FLOOD - Evacuate Immediately is for Echuca and Echuca Village
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) October 19, 2022
More details at https://t.co/HYnI3szxW1...
Residents in Echuca Village can expect to be impacted over the coming days. pic.twitter.com/MWOjYrEsyc
There are also a number of towns, including Rochester and Bunbartha, have been issued warnings that it is still not safe to return.
This EMERGENCY WARNING - RIVERINE FLOOD - Not Safe to Return has been issued for Rochester Township
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) October 19, 2022
It is still not safe to return. Dangerous flood water and damaged infrastructure remain, continue to avoid flood-affected areas.
More details at https://t.co/mLLFvBnHRC pic.twitter.com/vYZXnp0fRT
Next 24 hours in Echuca ‘critical’, SES says
The community in Echuca are finding supermarket shelves bare because supply chains have been disrupted by road closures.
Wiebusch said the SES can’t say for sure when they will reopen roads until the peak arrives.
Indications are … there is still the ability to get limited vehicles. So it’s not open to the public at this stage, but we are traversing some of those local roads with both supply and emergency services at this point in time.
But the next 24 hours is going to be critical.
It’s really overnight tonight and through Friday where we’re expecting to see that peak occur in and around Echuca.
Updated
Isolated storms may hit flood-affected areas in Victoria
More rainfall is likely in flood-affected areas in Victoria today. It won’t be as heavy as last week’s downpour but Wiebusch says any rainfall will be a big complicating factor:
The bureau is indicating rather than a rain band we saw last week, we’re more likely to see isolated storm activity. But that could bring localised heavy rainfall over some of the northern catchments, and particularly in the north-east of the state.
And obviously, where we’ve got sandbagging and other things in place, it will also keep water in. So as you are no doubt seeing up around Echuca, [there are] large pumps and other things around the levee walls and the like to be able to take that rainfall back over the banks as it may be needed.
Updated
SES unable to access areas around Shepparton and Killa to assess damage
Circling back to SES Victoria’s Tim Wiebusch, who said more than 1,000 properties have been assessed for damage, but the SES isn’t able to access many communities.
So far, we’ve been able to have impact assessment of over 1,000 properties that have seen some level of damage through these floods. But we’ve still got a number of communities and areas that we’re unable to access.
We’re hoping from today and through Friday into Saturday that areas around Shepparton and Kialla for example we’ll start to see those waters recede to a point where not only can we let the community back in but also get the impact assessment teams back in.
Updated
Queensland rugby league player Liam Hampson found dead in Spain
Redcliffe Queensland Cup player Liam Hampson has been found dead on an end-of-season trip to Spain, AAP reports.
The dummy-half had been on holiday with a group of NRL players including Gold Coast star AJ Brimson and Brisbane Broncos players Jordan Riki and Jesse Arthars.
Concerns were first raised for the 24-year-old when Arthars and others posted to social media that he had not been seen for 24 hours after last being spotted at the Sala Apollo nightclub.
Barcelona police confirmed to 7News on Thursday morning that a body believed to be that of Hampson was found on a nightclub floor, believed to have been after a fall from a substantial height.
His father Brett confirmed Hampson’s death on social media. He wrote on Facebook:
Waking up to the news no one wants to hear, we are devastated to find out that Liam had an accident and sadly has not survived.
We are heartbroken to say the least. Liam had a heart of gold and was a much loved son, brother, grandson, uncle and friend. Words can not express our grief.
We can not thank his mates enough for being there with Liam having the time of his life and assisting in the search for our boy. Our thought are with them.
Earlier, Arthar had posted to social media that Hampson had not been seen since 4.30am on 18 October wearing a black T-shirt and beige shorts. He said:
Hasnt been able to be contacted and no one has seen him for 24 hours ... was travelling with a group and very out of character.
This is very scary for all of us.
Hampson had played four years in the Queensland Cup, moving from Tweed Head Seagulls to Redcliffe at the end of 2021.
He came off the bench in last month’s Queensland Cup grand final loss to Norths Devils, and was in a position to impress Wayne Bennett and the NRL’s 17th franchise at the Dolphins.
Updated
Echuca flooding expected to be above 1993 flood levels
SES Victoria’s Tim Wiebusch is speaking with ABC News about the Victorian floods.
In Echuca, where the Murray River is sitting at 94.4 metres above sea level, Wiebusch says:
It’s a very slow, creeping rise that’s occurring there on the Murray downstream of Barnham, through Echuca. And at this stage, the Bureau is still wait indicating that we could see a peak of around 95 metres, which means a that it will be above the October 1993 flood level. So it will really come down to a matter of centimetres as we’ve seen in a number of other locations. Significant volumes of water coming into the Murray, both from the Victorian northern rivers but also the southern rivers in New South Wales.
Wiebusch says levees are being “pushed up” and a significant sandbagging effort is under way.
Nearly 200,000 sandbag have now been used in and around Echuca to try to protect properties or get it ready for protection. And then to the downstream communities from there, over the coming days and weeks.
Updated
Budget position to improve over coming years: treasurer
Chalmers:
What people can expect to see on Tuesday night is an improved budget position over the next couple of years. But after that, when the budget assumes commodity prices go back to more normal levels, and when some of these structural pressures, these spending pressures, make a big impact over the latter years of the forward estimates and into the medium term, and that is not covered by this temporary near-term increase in commodity prices.
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Government audit uncovers extra $6bn in spending
Chalmers confirms reports in the Nine newspapers that preliminary work by the government’s audit of programs has uncovered $6.4bn in extra spending that will have to be put the budget.
That’s the consequence of Katy Gallagher getting to the bottom of a lot of these programs our predecessors deliberately designed in a way that didn’t fund them in an ongoing way.
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Stage-three tax cuts have ballooned $11bn since last estimate, treasurer says
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says the government now expects the cost of the stage-three tax cuts, starting in 2024, to be $254bn over 10 years – a rise of $11bn since the last estimate.
The Parliamentary Budget Office’s last estimate was that the Coalition-legislated tax cuts, which overwhelmingly benefit high-income earners, would cost the budget $243bn.
Chalmers, speaking on Radio National this morning, said his latest forecast was that it would be even higher.
The government had publicly floated the idea of tinkering with those tax cuts in next week’s budget, but after internal and external criticism that discussion was wound back. Labor had gone to the election promising not to change the tax plan, legislated under Scott Morrison.
Speaking on RN after Chalmers, Senator David Pocock, who has long called for changes to the tax plan, said he wanted to see the tax cut money put to better use in addressing issues such as poverty.
He said:
I’ve been calling for a while for the stage-three tax cuts to be rethought, redesigned. There’s a better way to use that money.
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Budget to address economic risks of climate crisis for first time, treasurer says
Turning now to the economy. The federal budget is just days away and the treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking to ABC Radio.
Host Patricia Karvelas asks Chalmers about the pressure from the flood crisis, clearly linked to climate change.
She asks: “Will this budget outline climate change risks? To the project?”
Chalmers:
This will be the first time, Patricia, as I as I understand it, that a budget will have a proper discussion of the risks to the economy and to the budget posed by climate change.
And I’m proud that we’ve included that.
Climate change is a risk to our economy. It’s a risk to our budgets also a massive opportunity for us in economic terms.
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Cyber crime added to attorney-general’s responsibilities
Asked about cyber crime being added to Attorney-general Mark Dreyfus’s list of responsibilities and whether it was a ‘demotion’, Clare O’Neil let out a small laugh.
No, it’s not. It’s not. The Attorney-general and I share a lot of responsibilities. He is responsible for the Australian Federal Police. I’m responsible for cybersecurity. So it’s very common across government for responsibilities to be shared, and this is one of them.
Sensitive nature of information in Medibank cyber attack concerns minister
Still speaking to ABC radio AM, the cyber security minister Clare O’Neil told Sabra Lane that it was taking time to establish just how many Medibank customers were exposed in the data breach:
If you imagine a big organisation such as the ABC there will be literally thousands of interactions with your data every day that that are legitimate, and it does take some time for organisations to understand where illegitimate data changes have occurred.
But the reason that I am so concerned about this at the moment is because, of course, the sensitive nature of information involved.
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Australian federal police investigating Medibank hack
On the Medibank hack, Clare O’Neil wouldn’t go into any detail about what was being demanded, but she did confirm it was a ransomware attack and an AFP investigation had begun:
Last night, this matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police and an Australian Federal Police investigation has now been stood up. So Medibank are now working closely with the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police to try to manage this situation.
On the Optus hack, O’Neil wouldn’t go into whether the culprit(s) had been caught, but did say it didn’t look like any financial crime had been involved:
I’ll let the Australian Federal Police share information publicly about that one, but I can say that there’s no clear evidence of financial crime that’s resulted from the Optus hack so far, which is good news.
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O’Neil warns of a new world of ‘relentless cyber-attack’ after Medibank hack
The cybersecurity minister Clare O’Neil has spoken to ABC radio AM this morning about the latest cyber-attack on Australia’s data – this time, Medibank.
O’Neil said there was not a lot she could say about the ongoing investigation but she understood people were understandably worried about potentially having their health information in the hands of people who were threatening to release it.
But she also doesn’t think it will be the last ransomware attack of this nature.
O’Neil said this was the “new world we live in” and that we were “going to be under relentless cyber-attack, essentially from here on in” and the organisations which held that data were going to have to do better to protect it.
The very best people in the country are working with Medibank to try to prevent any harm from occurring from what has gone on here.
There is an element here that cybercrime is growing really quickly around the world. There was an Interpol conference that yesterday the kind of police heads of forces from around the world got together and their message to the community was that cybercrime is now their main crime concern internationally.
And this is the new world that we live in. We are going to be under relentless cyber-attack, essentially from here on in.
O’Neil also flagged new laws in this space:
So I think combined with Optus, this is a huge wake-up call for the country. And certainly gives the government a really clear mandate to do some things that frankly, probably should have been done five years ago, but I think are still very crucially important.
’T
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Good morning!
Communities in New South Wales and Victoria are bracing for more severe weather and flooding, with the towns of Echuca and Moama anxious as the Murray River is expected to peak late on Friday, coinciding with more rain.
Widespread rain and possible thunderstorms are expected today in NSW, where floods continue with major flood warnings still in place along multiple rivers.
More rain is also predicted in Victoria over the coming days, although today looks to be relatively clear. My colleagues Caitlin Cassidy and Mike Bowers have been visiting flood-affected communities in Victoria. Those in Rochester say community spirit is heartening but “only goes so far”.
Meanwhile, the health insurer Medibank has entered a trading halt after a purported cyber-attack. In a statement to the Australian stock exchange on Wednesday, the company said it had received messages from a group that wished to negotiate regarding the alleged removal of customer data.
The minister for home affairs and cyber security, Clare O’Neil, told ABC’s AM that the “facts are still being established” but the situation is of “great concern” to the government.
What has changed in the last 24 hours is that malicious actors have contacted the organisation claiming to have customer data. And that is why the situation has become of great concern and there are various arms of the Australian government which are working very hard to support Medibank to try to prevent any customer data from being released.
This hack of course comes only weeks after Optus’s major data breach. O’Neil flagged that she believed cyber-attacks would continue:
This is the new world that we live in. We are going to be under relentless cyber-attack essentially from here on in.
She also said these attacks “certainly gives the government a really clear mandate” for further action.
Let’s kick off!
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