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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy and Matilda Boseley

Major NSW flood warnings and evacuation orders in place as heavy rain continues – as it happened

New South Wales Sydney Scott Morrison
A flooded river in NSW
NSW RFS volunteers have been door-knocking homes around Woronora and Bonnet Bay where an evacuation warning is in place after a night of heavy rain. Photograph: NSW RFS

What we learned: Thursday, 7 April

With that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. New South Wales readers, stay safe and dry tonight.

Here were today’s major developments:

  • A number of flood evacuation orders remain in place in New South Wales as heavy rain continues to hit Sydney and surrounds. The Nepean River is sitting at 16.8 metres at Menangle and is expected to reach similar levels to the 1988 flood.
  • A severe weather warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology covering Sydney, the Illawarra and the south coast, as well as parts of Hunter, central tablelands and southern tablelands districts.
  • The foreign minister, Marise Payne, has announced new sanctions on Russia on a Nato trip to Belgium; however, she has resisted pressure to expel Russian diplomats from Australia.
  • An estimated 20 asylum seekers have been released from detention in Australia, including the final eight residents detained in Melbourne’s Park hotel.
  • The environment minister, Sussan Ley, has adopted a long-awaited recovery plan for the koala.
  • The PM has confirmed the federal government will go halves with Queensland on a flood funding package.
  • And the Victorian government will provide free rapid antigen tests for all Victorians with a disability.

Updated

The foreign minister, Marise Payne, has released a statement confirming Australia will partner with the Nato strategic communications centre of excellence to address hybrid threats and counter disinformation.

Updated

You can peruse the full report from the Senate select committee on Covid-19 here. It recommends, among other things, a royal commission into the pandemic response to be established by the next federal government.

Updated

Nepean River reaches 16.8 metres at Menangle

Major flooding is continuing to occur at Menangle along the Nepean River with levels in excess of last month’s flood. The river is currently sitting at 16.8 metres at Menangle Bridge, similar to the April 1988 flood, which peaked at 16.75 metres.

Renewed rises of about 17 metres are possible later this evening, the BoM says.

Major flooding is also expected at Wallacia and possible at Camden along the Nepean from this evening. Camden Weir is likely to reach about 12.8 metres this evening with further rises possible overnight in excess of the March 2022 peak. At the Wallacia Weir, the river may reach about 14.4 metres tomorrow morning, similar to the 1988 peak of 14.33 metres.

Major flooding is also “likely” at North Richmond along the Hawkesbury from tomorrow, with river levels likely to remain below a peak last month.

Here’s the latest from the bureau:

A deepening coastal trough has been producing heavy rainfall over the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley since Wednesday evening, with rainfall expected to continue for the remainder of Thursday and into Friday.

River level rises have been observed across the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley and are expected to rise further with forecast rain. Major flooding is occurring along the Upper Nepean River at levels higher than the March 2022 and similar to the April 1988 floods with further rises possible.

Warragamba dam is spilling. Major flooding is likely along the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond from early Friday as a result of significant flows from the Upper Nepean and widespread rainfall.

Predictions for Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry will be provided after upstream peaks are observed.

A Severe Weather Warning is current for heavy rainfall in the Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast and parts of Hunter, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands Forecast Districts.

A Flood Watch is current for the Upper Coxs and Macdonald Rivers.

Updated

It appears 32 hospitalisations were missed in the Victorian government’s Covid update today.

Stepping back for a minute, here’s the current flooding situation in New South Wales.

Evacuation orders are currently in place for parts of Camden, Chipping Norton, low-lying parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay, and Bungawalbin.

A number of evacuation warnings are also in place covering parts of Wallacia Weir, parts of Camden, Stonequarry Creek at Picton, Stuarts Point and surrounding areas. Access the full NSW SES advice here.

The Bureau of Meteorology has listed severe weather warnings for metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast and parts of the Hunter, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands with heavy rain expected to continue into the evening.

A road weather alert is active for all of Sydney, and a marine wind and hazardous surf warning is in place for the state.

There are 10 active flood warnings in NSW, with major flooding occurring at Menangle and expected to exceed the floods of 20 March and April 1988.

Major flooding is also expected along the Nepean at Wallacia and is possible at Camden this evening. Major flooding is also possible at North Richmond along the Hawkesbury River, however flood levels are likely to remain below the peak reached last month.

Updated

If you’re in Sydney right now – this won’t come as a surprise. It’s bucketing.

Updated

“People know who I am” is definitely a useful first step to getting elected.

Back to 2GB, and Payne was asked about growing calls to expel Russian diplomats based in Australia.

We absolutely do communicate with them ... I know this is a point of some interest and I think it’s important to realise that from my part, having a diplomatic path to discuss these issues can be very important. I’m also conscious there are hundreds and hundreds of Australians in Russia.

Dare he take a cheeky ride on the carousel?

Payne just spoke to 2GB from Brussels prior to heading to Nato meetings.

She said Ukraine would be the “complete focus” of the meeting and Australia was “very pleased to be able to participate as a close partner of Nato”.

Asked whether sanctions have worked, she said they were having a “real effect” due to the “extensive global coordination amongst partners”.

The horror is almost unspeakable and we see it every day, but I do think Australians can be proud of the effort our country is making to support Ukraine and work so closely with our partners.

Updated

As was previously mentioned, the foreign minister, Marise Payne, unveiled further sanctions on Russia while speaking in Belgium today.

Targeted financial sanctions and travel bans have been announced for a further 67 individuals “for their role in Russia’s unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine”.

The latest round of sanctions follows the emerging evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Bucha, which has seen widespread global condemnation including the expulsion of Russian diplomats from EU countries.

Payne’s statement reads:

Australia condemns these atrocities in the strongest possible terms.

Those sanctioned include prominent Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who has been described as the “Butcher of Mariupol”, for attacks including the bombing of the theatre in which innocent civilians were sheltering in Mariupol.

They also include deputy prime minister Dmitry Grigorenko, minister of economic development Maxim Reshetnikov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma, Aleksander Babakov, and other senior Russian government officials.

In addition, we are also listing the Kremlin-installed so-called “mayor” of Melitopol, Ukrainian Galina Danilchenko, and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Oleg Voloshyn, who has been working with Russia to undermine the Ukrainian Government.

With these latest listings, the Australian Government has now sanctioned close to 600 individuals and entities in relation to Russia’s illegal war.

Updated

Another evacuation warning has just been listed as the Nepean River continues to rise, this time for parts of Wallacia covering:

  • All properties along Bents Basin Rd
  • Beres Creek, Scotchys Creek & Baines Creek
  • All properties between Silverdale Rd & Nepean River

Updated

A number of evacuation warnings are in place in parts of Sydney’s Camden, covering:

  • Argyle St
  • Lerida St
  • Elizabeth St
  • Mitchell St
  • Ulmarra St
  • Peter Ave
  • Edward St

At 3pm, the Bureau of Meteorology warned major flooding was expected along the Nepean River at Wallacia and was possible at Camden from this evening:

Major flooding is occurring along the Upper Nepean River at Menangle and moderate flooding is occurring at Camden. Major flooding is possible at Camden and Wallacia. Flooding higher than the March 2022 and April 1988 floods is expected along the Upper Nepean River.

The Nepean River at Menangle Bridge may reach around 17 metres Thursday evening, higher than the March 2022 and April 1988 flood peaks. Further rises are possible.

The Nepean River at Camden Weir may reach the major flood level (13.80m) Thursday evening, higher than the March 2022 flood peak.

Updated

George Christensen has resigned from the Liberal National party, writing in a resignation letter it is “no longer my party” and “seems anything but conservative”.

Updated

Marise Payne announces new sanctions on Russia

Foreign minister Marise Payne has announced new sanctions will be imposed on Russia. The government has been under pressure as to why it hasn’t expelled Russian diplomats from Australia following the Bucha killings as have EU nations.

Speaking of which:

Updated

7News is reporting crews are attempting to rescue five people who have become stranded in floodwaters in Camden, south-west of the Sydney CBD.

Zimmerman is asked about the high court challenge to the PM’s right to intervene in the NSW preselections. He says its been “enormously frustrating” as a potential candidate and there are “lessons to be learned” on the other side of the election.

But we have had a decision of the New South Wales court of appeal which upheld the actions that the federal executive of the party took. It’s the right of an applicant in this case to go to the high court. I assume that they will resolve it very quickly. But from my perspective I’m just getting on with the job.

Asked whether he welcomed the intervention by the PM, he says:

I was happy to have a full pre-selection and I like to think I would have prevailed in those circumstances ... I made clear to party officials I would have preferred a full pre-selection. But the PM explained some of the things going through his mind.

Updated

The Liberal MP for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman, is up on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.

Asked when the PM will call the election, he says “I think it’s a matter of days” and we ought to be patient.

We can be patient for a little bit longer and we know it will be mid-May. We have to be a little bit patient for a few more days and a few more hours.

Asked what the hold up is, Zimmerman says its to do with the pre-selection challenge and the campaign is “effectively underway” anyway.

It is going to be one of two weekends in May, the campaign’s effectively underway. I think we can get a little bit hang up about the day on which he goes to Yarralumla, but I don’t think we have long to wait.

Updated

Speaking of New South Wales, the state is still getting inundated with rain, with no reprieve expected this evening.

Updated

The NSW Council for Civil Liberties has just released its assessment of the major parties’ policy positions on a range of human rights and civil liberties issues, including refugee and asylum seeker policy, First Nations justice, and anti-discrimination laws.

CCL gave the Liberals a “comprehensive fail”.

Labor was recorded as “scraping a pass mark” on half of the policy issues.

Parties and candidates were asked for their positions on:

  • Enshrining a human rights act.
  • Ending inhumane treatment of refugees.
  • First Nations justice.
  • Protecting Australians from discrimination.
  • Achieving gender equity.
  • Defending our right to know.
  • Preventing excessive surveillance and privacy intrusions.
  • Pursuing integrity and a working democracy.
  • Fighting the climate crisis.
  • Curbing out-of-control national security laws.
  • Other civil liberties issues.

The Liberal party’s policies were rated strongly negative or negative across all 11 areas. You can see the full results here.

Updated

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s “A status” ranking may be downgraded if steps aren’t taken to ensure an open merit-based selection process for future commonwealth appointments.

The Human Rights Law Centre, the Australian Human Rights Institute and Amnesty International Australia have called on the federal government to ensure the commission upholds independent and effective standards following the revelations.

The global body that accredits national human rights watchdogs issued the warning following the federal government’s hand-picking of Lorraine Finlay to be human rights commissioner last year without an open selection process.

Finlay was appointed for a five-year term and replaced the outgoing commissioner, Ed Santow.

In 2019, Ben Gauntlett was hand-picked to be disability discrimination commissioner, also without an open, merit-based selection process. Gauntlett filled the vacancy created after the outgoing commissioner, Alastair McEwin, was appointed to the disability royal commission.

Last month, the commission also warned that its current funding “does not provide us with the resources required to perform our statutory functions” and said jobs at the agency would need to be cut.

The Human Rights Law Centre’s executive director, Hugh de Kretser, said the Morrison government had “undermined” the independence and effectiveness of the commission by making appointments without a public, merit-based selection process.

The Morrison government’s actions have jeopardised our national human rights watchdog at a critical time for human rights, both at home and globally. Australia can and should lead the world on human rights. Instead of leading, the Morrison government is embarrassing us on the world stage.

The Morrison government must commit to reforms to ensure open merit-based selection processes for future commissioner appointments, and to adequately funding the commission so it can properly do its important work.”

The Australian Human Rights Institute director, Justine Nolan, said a status downgrade could “severely damage” the legitimacy of the commission.

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s current ‘A status’ means it has full participation rights at the UN Human Rights Council, the right to attend and speak up at UN meetings.

Partially compliant human rights commissions are given ‘B status’ and may only participate as observers. They are essentially works in progress. Among the countries in this class are Myanmar, Venezuela, Chad, Libya and Bahrain.

Updated

Toyota could be forced to pay out almost $2bn to Australian customers who were sold cars with faulty engine filters, after the auto giant lost a class action lawsuit, AAP reports.

In a federal court judgment handed down on Thursday, Justice Michael Lee found thousands of people who bought some of the brand’s top-selling cars were eligible for a payout.

The class action alleged Hilux, Fortuner and Prado vehicles sold between October 2015 and April 2020 had defective diesel particulate filter systems, leaving owners out of pocket.

The defect caused the vehicles to spill foul-smelling white smoke and meant owners had to fork out for an excessive number of inspections, services and repairs.

Justice Lee found 264,170 vehicles were sold with the defect in Australia, and each was worth 17.5% less than what the average customer paid.

“The conduct in marketing the vehicles as being of acceptable quality was misleading,” Justice Lee wrote.

If each customer claimed the full amount - $7474.59 - back, the bill for Toyota could reach about $2bn.

Updated

Major flood warning in place for Hawkesbury and Nepean Valley

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its latest update for New South Wales, where heavy rainfall continues.

A major flood warning is in place for the Hawkesbury and Nepean Valley, while minor flooding is possible for the central and south coast rivers from this afternoon:

Heavy rainfall has been recorded over the central and southern NSW coast since Wednesday evening and has resulted in minor to major flooding. This rainfall is expected to continue over metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the South Coast and Southern Tablelands over the next 12 to 24 hours and may cause minor flooding in the Central Coast and Moruya Rivers from Thursday afternoon into Friday.

Flood warnings are current for the Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers, Georges and Woronora, Cooks, Shoalhaven, St Georges Basin, Richmond, Orara, Paroo, Culgoa, Birrie, Bokhara and Narran, Snowy (Victoria), and Macintyre River (Queensland) Rivers. Flooding is no longer expected in the Macquarie River to Bathurst and Queanbeyan Rivers.

Updated

The Senate select committee on Covid-19 has recommend the next federal government establish a royal commission into the pandemic response.

In its final report issued today its chair, senator Katy Gallagher, says the commonwealth was “unprepared” when the pandemic hit, “responded too slowly, ignored expert advice and failed to take responsibility when things went wrong”.

Updated

Residents in parts of Camden have been ordered to evacuate as rainfall continues to lash large parts of New South Wales.

The order covers:

  • Exeter Street west of John Street
  • Milford Road, Camden West
  • Peter Avenue between Onslow Avenue and Belgenny Avenue

Updated

Firefighters are still battling to contain a blaze in Melbourne’s Brunswick East.

Melbourne’s Park Hotel has been emptied following the release of around 20 refugees from onshore detention today.

They join 230 people released since December 2020, with 10 remaining in detention.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said of the 20 people released, eight were estimated to be from Park Hotel in Melbourne, six were from Brisbane Immigration Transit Accomodation (ITA), three were from Melbourne ITA and the remaining refugees were from other detention centres around Australia.

The ASRC said the estimates were made “in lieu of any transparent communication” with the federal government nor explanation for why the further 10 refugees remained detained.

Thanush Selvarasa, human rights activist and refugee released from detention last year, said it was “wonderful news”.

We have been waiting day by day for the last nine years to join the community, you cannot imagine how happy this makes me. Nobody knows how valuable this news is for me and my friends. This is a victory not just for us but for all those who fought for our freedom.

But this is the beginning, we need permanent protection visas, we cannot rebuild our life on a temporary visa. But anything is better than detention.

ASRC’s director of advocacy and campaigns, Jana Favero, said the centre had been waiting for this moment for nine years.

Nine years too long, refugees are granted the freedom they deserve. This highlights the sheer cruelty and viciousness of our policies – that so many can suddenly be released and a handful remain. All remaining must be released immediately.

Dr Graham Thom, Amnesty International Australia refugee advisor said the delay in releasing the men from the Park Hotel was “inexcusable”:

Three months since the world’s media watched Novak Djokovic come and go from the Park hotel, the refugees who were detained alongside him are finally free. Sadly these men were unnecessarily detained for more than two years in hotels in Australia, following the years of trauma they suffered offshore. The delay in releasing them is inexcusable as is the ongoing detention of other Medevac refugees in other centres around Australia.

Updated

National Covid-19 update

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 33 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 1,094
  • In hospital: 49 (with 3 people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 16
  • Cases: 22,255
  • In hospital: 1,437 (with 48 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 513
  • In hospital: 24 (with 1 person in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 7
  • Cases: 10,984
  • In hospital: 444 (with 17 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 3
  • Cases: 6,091
  • In hospital: 210 (with 12 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 2,365
  • In hospital: 43 (with 1 person in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 4
  • Cases: 12,314
  • In hospital: 315 (with 12 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 3
  • Cases: 7,998
  • In hospital: 256 (with 8 people in ICU)

Updated

Clive Palmer has suggested his United Australia Party could direct supporters to preference sitting MPs last at the coming election, potentially causing headaches for the Coalition in tight races across the country.

The mining billionaire also admitted his party may spend less on advertising at the coming election than the 2019 campaign, and distanced himself from incendiary conspiracy comments made at anti-vaccine protests which were partially funded by the UAP.

Palmer, the one-time federal MP, is seeking a return and running for the Senate. Addressing the National Press Club on Thursday, he said the UAP would not list the Coalition, Labor or the Greens on their how-to-vote cards in the Senate at all, and instead would suggest their supporters back other parties in the upper house.

In the House of Representatives, where voters have to number every candidate in order of preference, Palmer said the UAP would put the three major parties “at the bottom of that ticket:

We can’t determine at this stage who will be out of the last three but they’ll all be last three.

When pressed, he said there was no “clear-cut” decision on which party would be at the very bottom of the preference list, but suggested there could be exceptions for MPs who had supported UAP MP Craig Kelly’s pet issues – such as opposing Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns:

Those people will be favourable when it comes to us. But there’s a situation where the Liberal Party locked down Sydney. A lot of our party members are very upset about that still.

From my personal perspective, I think I put the Greens ahead of Liberal and Labor. That’s my personal perspective. Because they haven’t been in government and haven’t been responsible for this debt.

Updated

South Australia records three deaths, 6,091 new Covid cases

South Australia has released today’s Covid update.

There are 6,091 new Covid cases in the state, bringing active cases to 35,984.

Sadly, there have been three further deaths.

There are 210 people being treated in hospital with the virus including 12 people requiring intensive care.

Updated

Plan released for koala's future

The environment minister, Sussan Ley, has adopted a long-awaited recovery plan for the koala.

The plan was identified a decade ago as a requirement for the koala populations of New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory and should have been in place after a national koala strategy expired in 2014.

But the recovery plan was never developed and for years the koala was among about 170 threatened species and habitats with plans that were overdue.

After the Black Summer bushfires, Ley accelerated work on the plan and confirmed it would be adopted when the koala was listed in February as endangered – up from vulnerable.

She has released the plan today with the NSW and ACT governments.

The overall goal of the plan is to stop the decline of the threatened koala populations in NSW, Queensland and the ACT but it also considers management of healthier populations in Victoria and South Australia.

Ley says it will coordinate action across all levels of government and will produce significant improvements for endangered populations in Queensland, NSW and the ACT.

Actions under the plan include the identification of nationally important populations, national monitoring, restoration of habitat, and community education in urban and peri-urban areas.

The plan has three main objectives. They include stabilising and then increasing the area of occupancy and size of populations that are currently believed to be decreasing, and maintaining and then increasing those populations whose numbers are currently stable.

It calls for several actions over a five year period, including more monitoring and research.

Increasing the overall area of protected koala habitat is identified as “essential”, including through private land purchases and the dedication of more crown land to the protected estate.

The plan also calls for the investigation of whether koala habitat could be added to the national critical habitat register. Were this to occur, it would be the first time since 2005 any new habitat for any species has been added to the register.

Updated

It’s an Easter nightmare!

Ferrero Australia is recalling a string of Kinder products from stores for potential salmonella contamination. The products have been available for sale nationally at Coles, Woolworths, Target, Kmart, Big W, independent food retailers including IGA and petrol stations, and online.

Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Updated

The search continues for missing woman Beryl Collins in Alice Springs, who was last seen on 14 March.

A land search with officers on motorbikes was deployed today to search an 11km stretch of roadside outbound from Larapinta Drive, after further investigations revealed she was last seen walking in the area.

Snr Sgt Michael Potts said investigations revealed Beryl was last seen walking near the Albrecht and Larapinta Drive intersection early that morning:

At the time, Beryl was wearing a grey coloured skirt, a dark coloured top and wearing a black backpack, we believed to be filled with groceries.

Police and family hold concerns for her welfare as she has underlying medical conditions:

The possibilities are endless in that Beryl could be have been picked up by family or friends and is currently staying somewhere and unaware that she’s missing, or that she is lost.

Updated

The high court will hear Matthew Camenzuli’s urgent application for special leave to challenge NSW Liberal preselections at 4pm on Friday.

At the hearing on Thursday Guy Reynolds, representing Scott Morrison, Dominic Perrottet and others, argued that an attempt to join several NSW Liberal officials to the proceedings in order to restrain them from submitting the endorsed candidates’ names to the electoral commission was an “abuse of process”.

That was because that aspect of the case had not been pleaded and argued in the NSW supreme court and court of appeal, Reynolds said.
Reynolds said:

The plaintiff, as a result of his expulsion, will have no argument as to his standing.

As Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday, Camenzuli was ejected from the Liberal party using special campaign powers based on an allegation he has imperilled the party’s election chances by challenging the preselection of 12 candidates.

Justice Stephen Gageler agreed to expedite leave to appeal. He ordered the respondents to file documents by 1pm, with Camenzuli to reply by 3pm. The court will hear the special leave application at 4pm on Friday. No order was made about joining the NSW Liberal officials.

Updated

If you’re in need of cheering up (who isn’t? It’s 2022!) cast your eyes to this moment in history from a simpler, purer time.

Ten years ago today, field commentator and former AFL player Brett Kirk delivered this stunning speech from the Essendon rooms.

3AW Melbourne is reporting more than 60 firefighters are battling the large factory fire on John Street, Brunswick East.

Labor MP Andrew Leigh has just announced the party will double philanthropy efforts by 2030 if it is elected.

He is light on the details as to how this would be achieved but if successful it would bring Australia’s charitable donations are a share of GDP in line with countries like New Zealand.

If elected, Labor would direct Treasury to collaborate with the philanthropic, for-purpose and business sectors to set a strategic direction for philanthropy in Australia. Working closely with those on the frontline, the Treasury-led process would chart key issues, opportunities and obstacles, in order to identify a suite of initiatives to double philanthropic giving by the end of the decade.

China is “enabling Russia’s conduct” in Ukraine despite professing neutrality on the conflict, a senior official from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said.

The comments from Justin Hayhurst, the deputy secretary of Dfat, give an insight into the assessments officials are giving the Australian government regarding the increasing alignment between China and Russia.

Australia has been pressing China to use its influence to urge Russia to pull back from Ukraine.

Appearing at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra, Hayhurst was asked about the so-called “no limits” partnership announced by China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in early February, at the beginning of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Russia invaded Ukraine three weeks later.

Hayhurst said:

Our view of this partnership remains that it is a strategic alignment of concern. It’s an overt challenge, in our way of thinking, to the international order. And although China professes neutrality in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is in fact enabling Russia’s conduct. Moreover, we’re watching with growing concerns as China media and propaganda outlets amplify Russian disinformation about the conflict.

The other thing that I would say is an aspect of the joint statement released when the two leaders met in Beijing centred very much around a common view about Nato and alliances, and again our assessment is that China’s fundamental position is that the United States and Nato is somehow to blame for these events. It’s a view, of course, we do not share.

Asked whether China’s actions and public statements in relation to the invasion of Ukraine clash with its professed foreign policy orthodoxies of the respect for sovereignty and non-interference, Hayhurst said:

Well, at the risk of disappearing down rabbit holes, China’s view is that it’s not inconsistent, but I think by any reasonable understanding of support for territorial integrity and sovereignty, no country should be able to support, tacitly or otherwise, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Asked whether China believed it was suffering any costs, internationally, from Russia’s actions so soon after the countries announced their no-limits partnership, Hayhurst said it would “take a long time for the [Chinese] system possibly to formally adjust and for real evidence to emerge”.

But our assessment is there are costs, because it calls into question what China says are fundamental tenets of its foreign policy such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.

An evacuation order has been listed for parts of Chipping Norton covering:

  • Newbridge Road between Riverside Road and east to Georges River
  • Davy Robinson Drive
  • Rickard Road
  • Arthur Street

Updated

In Melbourne, firefighters are battling a large blaze in Brunswick East.

Greens immigration spokesperson Nick McKim has released a statement in response to the release of asylum seekers from hotel and immigration detention, calling it a “welcome and overdue” development.

This is belated but welcome news, and their relief will be massive, but this is not the end of their story. That they are being released on the eve of an election is a deeply cynical move and it proves once again that their detention and torture was always a political decision.

None of the people freed today, and none of the people in Australia who were exiled to Manus Island or Nauru nearly a decade ago, have permanent freedom or safety. This release leaves a small number of people who were transferred to Australia for medical reasons still in detention. There are no security concerns over any of these people and they should be freed immediately.

McKim notes there are more than 100 people still in Papua New Guinea who aren’t covered by the Australia and New Zealand resettlement agreement.

We should offer permanent protection in Australia to anyone who was detained offshore. This has been a dark and bloody chapter in Australia’s national story, and its conclusion has not yet been written.

Estimated asylum seeker releases grows to 20

Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul says another two people from a Perth detention centre and one person from an Adelaide detention centre are expecting to be released today.

That brings the total estimate of releases from immigration detention to 20 people.

Earlier, refugees and advocates confirmed to Guardian Australia that up to 17 people were expecting to be freed from detention centres in Melbourne and Brisbane. That estimate included all eight asylum seekers detained at Carlton’s Park Hotel.

The Department of Home Affairs told the Senate on Monday they were considering the release of around 25 asylum seekers who are currently detained onshore, which would leave around six asylum seekers in detention.

Austin is asked how his crews are responding to these seemingly endless weather events.

“You must be exhausted”.

He agrees:

The SES volunteers supported by all our partner agencies have done an amazing job. Not only over the last six to seven weeks, but really it’s been ... two to three years almost of continuous operations across the state. They continue to turn up. As I keep saying, it is very much a team effort and we thank their employers, particularly, for letting them go. We also thank their families for letting them go ... morale is high. People are out there helping the community in their communities.

Updated

As has been reported, Sydney has received a record 1226.8mm of rain this year - nearly 200mm higher than the previous record in 1956.

High rainfall in NSW to continue throughout April

The spokesperson from the Bureau – I didn’t catch their name – is asked if there will be a reprieve from the rainfall and flash flooding that has been saturating the state for the greater part of the year. They say the La Niña event is expected to continue for the remainder of the month.

So unfortunately we continue to be in a La Niña event which we know for New South Wales means that we can expect to see higher-than-average rainfall conditions, which is exactly what we have seen over the past couple of months, and we are expecting La Niña to continue throughout the remainder of April.

Updated

Austin says “exceptionally sharp, short bursts of rain” have seen more than six flash flooding rescues in the past 24 hours for people caught out in the wild weather.

Once again we ask people to limit any non-essential travel through the area to make sure that they don’t put themselves nor their rescuers at risk. At this point in time, the New South Wales SES has in excess of 500 volunteers supported by our partner agencies ... they’re currently active out in the field and have been overnight and will continue to be through the day ...

This is a highly dynamic situation. These events are moving exceptionally quickly as was witnessed in the Illawarra this morning where we saw, in the space of about three-quarters of an hour, significant downpours, significant flash flooding as I mentioned, and a number of properties impacted by those flash events.

Updated

NSW SES responds to more than 680 requests for assistance

The New South Wales State Emergency Service acting commissioner, Daniel Austin, says there have been more than 680 requests for assistance responded to in the past 24 hours.

There have been 25 flood rescues.

Over the last 24 hours, the New South Wales SES together with its partner agencies has responded to in excess of over 680 requests for assistance as a result of the weather system that we’re seeing move through the Sydney metropolitan area, the Illawarra, the South Coast and surrounding areas.

Included in that, there have been 25 flood rescues undertaken. The majority of which result from flash flooding and people being caught out by significant downpours of rain, particularly in the Sydney basin and also through the Illawarra.

Updated

There is also a major flood warning in place for Camden, which should reach a major flood level later this evening surpassing the March 2022 event. Major flooding is also possible in North Richmond but expected to be lower than it was last month.

There the potential for major flooding along the Georges River at Liverpool and Milperra from Thursday afternoon:

What I’d really urge the residents in these areas to do today and into tomorrow and the weekend is to keep up-to-date with the latest warnings and forecasts as we are already experiencing, and have forecasts for, major flooding in these areas.

There is also the significant risk of continued flash flooding in the greater Sydney, Upper Hunter, Illawarra and south coast areas from today and into the weekend. So I’m really urging residents to stay up-to-date with the local weather and warning information and stay safe.

Updated

Authorities say flooding may surpass the 1988 level at Menangle later this evening.

We do have a flood watch in place which is a heads up for potential flooding in the greater Sydney area, Upper Hunter, Illawarra and south coast, in most of these locations for minor flooding.

The exception is the areas that we are already experiencing flooding, where we have current flood warnings, for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Rivers, the Georges River and the Cooks River. We are already experiencing major flooding for the community at Menangle, and we have forecast for the major flood peak to occur later this evening and that will be near the April 1988 flood level. This is higher than the March 21 and 22 flood levels.

Updated

Authorities in Wollongong are giving an update on the unfolding weather situation in New South Wales.

Unfortunately, very heavy rainfall lashing the state isn’t expected to ease until this evening.

As many residents in the greater Sydney area, Illawarra and South Coast would have experienced overnight and earlier today, very heavy rainfall has been occurring and is forecast to continue to occur for the remainder of today in the Hunter, parts of the Central Coast, greater Sydney, Illawarra and south coast areas.

We’re not expecting to see the easing of this very heavy rainfall until this evening where we will see the continuation of rainfall in these areas throughout Friday and over the weekend. We may also see moderate rainfall in parts of the Upper Macquarie, Bogan and Lachlan Rivers from Friday into Saturday.

Updated

Meanwhile, United Australia’s Clive Palmer has been speaking at the National Press Club.

17 asylum seekers expected to be released from detention

Further to the previous tweets, all of the eight asylum seekers detained in Park Hotel are expected to be released from detention today and granted bridging visas, refuges and advocates have told Guardian Australia.

Three asylum seekers from Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation and six asylum seekers from Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation are also expected to be freed today.

It’s often hard to confirm exact numbers of releases from immigration detention. However, Guardian Australia has contacted the Australian Border Force for confirmation.

Here’s the latest from the Bureau of Meteorology on the evolving situation in New South Wales.

Major flood warnings are currently in place for the Hawkesbury and Nepean Valley and the Georges and Worona Rivers. Minor flooding is possible for the Central and South Coast rivers from later this afternoon.

Heavy rainfall has been recorded over the central and southern NSW coast since Wednesday evening and has resulted in minor to major flooding.

This rainfall is expected to continue over Metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra and parts of the South Coast and Southern Tablelands over the next 12 to 24 hours and may cause minor flooding in the Central Coast, Shoalhaven, Clyde and Moruya Rivers from Thursday afternoon into Friday.

A severe weather warning is current for heavy rainfall for the Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast and parts of Hunter, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands Forecast Districts.

Updated

Mehdi Ali was resettled in the US last month after years languishing in Melbourne’s Park Hotel.

More detainees are expected to be released from detention across Brisbane and Melbourne. There will no longer be any men detained at the Park Hotel.

Updated

RATs to be made free for Victorians with a disability

The Victorian government will provide free rapid antigen tests for all Victorians with a disability, Australian of the year recipient Dylan Alcott has announced on premier Daniel Andrews’ social media:

RATs will be available from Saturday at current testing sites and through disability liaisons officers. People will need evidence of eligibility, such as an NDIS statement, to collect up to 20 at a time.

Earlier this year, Alcott called for RATs and N95 masks to be free for all Australians living with a disability.

I’m so stoked this has happened, I hope the rest of the country follows suit ... so people with a disability can get out there and start living their lives in a safer way.

Updated

Flood evacuation orders in NSW

We will be hearing from the NSW SES at 1pm today.

There are currently five active evacuation orders covering low-lying parts of Woronora, Bonnet Bay and Bungawalbin as rain again lashes the state.

There are also three evacuation warnings in place for parts of Camden, Stonequarry Creek, Stuarts Point and surrounds.

Updated

Our Queensland state reporter Eden Gillespie is reporting there are 11 expected releases from Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (Mita) and the Park Hotel including Mustafa, 23, and his father.

Updated

Many thanks to the magnificent Matilda Boseley for guiding us through this busy morning. I’ll be with you for the rest of the day.

With that, I shall hand you over to the amazing Caitlin Cassidy who will take you through this afternoon’s news.

Scott Morrison has been berated at length by a man angry about pensions and his government’s failure to legislate a federal integrity commission during a visit to a pub yesterday in regional New South Wales.

The prime minister on Thursday shrugged off the exchange from the night before, saying he was “keen to understand” the man’s issues and that he enjoyed hearing from people in the community.

Morrison’s fiery encounter came just hours after Anthony Albanese had an unexpected interruption of his own, as a Perth man strolled into the Labor leader’s press conference wanting to ask a “tough question”.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

Here is a little nightmare fuel to make your day worse:

The South Australian chief health officer has been booed and jeered by anti-vaccine protesters as she exits the supreme court in Adelaide.

Flood evacuation order issued for areas in Camden

The NSE SES has ordered the evacuation of the following areas in and around the outer Sydney suburb of Camden, due to rising floodwaters. If you can’t see the tweet, those areas are:

  • Sheathers Lane and Kirkham Lane
  • Poplar Caravan Park
  • Menangle Road near Racecourse Road may be isolated

Updated

Some more shots from our photographer-at-large, Mike Bowers, down in southern Sydney.

Overflowing Loftus Creek in southern Sydney.
Residents beside Loftus Creek, which flows into the Woronora River, brace for high tide and more rain forecast later in the day. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Some images of a the landslide that has closed one lane of Lawrence Hargrave Drive near the Seacliff Bridge at Coalcliff, south of Sydney.

A landslide closes one lane of Lawrence Hargrave Drive at the Seacliff Bridge at Coalcliff, south of Sydney, Thursday, April 7, 2022. A flood watch has been issued for multiple saturated river catchments throughout NSW, with heavy rains and thunderstorms forecast over the coming days.

Queensland records seven Covid deaths and 10,984 new cases

Just some casual end of the world thing.

A survey of more than 10,000 Australians has found overwhelming support for a suite of integrity reforms, including the establishment of a strong and well-resourced federal anti-corruption commission. The #OurDemocracy campaign, organised by a network of leading not-for-profits, surveyed 10,375 Australians across every federal electorate to gauge support for reforms to donation laws, political advertising, and the lobbyist regime.

A staggering 96.7% agreed or strongly agreed that a federal corruption watchdog should be established, something which the Coalition promised but failed to legislate.

More than 98% agreed or strongly agreed that Australia should adopt truth in political advertising laws at a federal level. The same proportion of respondents wanted transparency on political donations. About 96% agreed or strongly agreed they wanted greater transparency over the interaction between lobbyists and politicians.

The Australian Democracy Network, the group behind the survey, said the survey was conducted via letterboxing, face-to-face interactions at town centres, engaging neighbours, and asking the membership and followers of its not-for-profit partners. Australia Democracy Network executive director Saffron Zomer said:

Whoever forms government after the election will have a strong mandate to make a robust, federal integrity commission a legislative priority.

Australian Conservation Foundation democracy campaigner Jolene Elberth said:

Gathering the results of this survey has been a huge community engagement exercise in itself, with hundreds of community members letterboxing, talking to fellow residents in town centres, and engaging their neighbours in what they want to see to improve Australian democracy.

You can see the full survey results here.

Updated

Anthony Albanese:

I’m campaigning for a majority Labor government and I am the only person running for prime minister in this election who is saying that I will seek to form government in my own right. That is what I am asking for, I am asking for people to vote Labor.

We have seen Scott Morrison with part of a Coalition now with the National party, whereby Barnaby Joyce gets to decide the climate change policy is for this government. No wonder there are issues and electorates like Curtin and others who want serious action on climate change or who want a national anti-corruption commission or who want people to be safe and to be treated properly. This government, the selection, Scott Morrison can’t say that he wants to form government in his own right. Because that is not going to happen. That is not the case.

Updated

On the topic of Russian diplomats, Daniel Hurst has some more details:

The Labor senator Penny Wong has been exploring the option of expelling Russian diplomats from Australia at the Senate estimates hearing. Overnight, Wong and the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, have called on the Australian government to respond to alleged war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine by expelling diplomats.

Wong said the “documented massacre and human rights abuses in Bucha” created “a new level of gravity of behaviour”.

Officials confirmed that Russia had indicated it would take retaliatory actions against European countries that expelled Russian diplomats this week, but had not yet done so.

Dfat’s secretary, Kathryn Campbell, said Australia had not ruled out expelling diplomats:

I think the government has been clear that that remains an option.

Campbell said Australia was working closely with its partners. She noted that the foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, was in Brussels at the moment and able to “explore likely actions from likeminded countries”. Campbell also noted there were about 2,500 Australians living in Russia (a hint of one of the concerns officials may have about the impact of escalating diplomatic actions).

Wong said she understood the need for caution before moving to expulsions, and she understood the argument for lines of communication:

But there must be a line where a country so demonstrates its inability to adhere to international norms that those considerations are outweighed by the need to demonstrate even more strongly there are diplomatic costs.

Jonathon Duniam, the senator representing Payne at the estimates hearing, said the government was taking measured and appropriate actions:

Nothing is off the table and remain under active consideration.

Updated

Anthony Albanese says he is not suggesting that Australia expel the Russian ambassador over the invasion of Ukraine, only a number of other diplomats.

Reporter:

You previously have been in lockstep of the government when it comes to Ukraine but now you are calling for Russia republic diplomats to be kicked out. How come? Are you suggesting the government is soft on Russia?

Albanese:

No, I am not suggesting that at all. What I suggesting is that the government should consider what countries like France and Italy and others in Europe have done, which is to expel in response to the outrageous atrocities that are being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. We have war crimes being committed. We have civilians being murdered. We have rape being used as a weapon of war. We need to send a strong message to Russia along with our allies in Europe that have made this decision …

We haven’t suggested the expulsion of the Russian ambassador to Australia. What we have suggested is we join with other likeminded countries in sending a very strong message to Russia. We make that suggestion to the government. We have been very supportive of the measures the government had made up to this point in time.

But with the information and escalation that has occurred from Russia, it is very clear that Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem to be getting the message from the rest of the world. The rest of the world are all saying, Australians are united in their opposition to the intervention in Ukraine. It is important we continue to send the strongest possible message and one way we could do that is expulsion of some diplomats.

Updated

WA records 7,998 new Covid infections and three deaths over past few weeks

WA premier Mark McGowan has started his speech at this press conference by announcing the state’s daily Covid numbers:

Till 8pm last night we were reporting 7,998 new cases, just under 8,000 new cases. Of these, 3,255 were confirmed through PCR and 4743 were confirmed through Rat tests. I think that shows the value of our free Rat program in WA. There were 256 cases in hospital, which is a slight reduction.

We had over 15,000 PCR tests yesterday. There were no deaths recorded yesterday but there will be three deaths reported – they are people who passed away the last few weeks with Covid. That will be reported today.

Updated

OK, why don’t we jump over to Anthony Albanese now, who is speaking from Perth today and, by gosh! He is finally joined by the man of the hour, WA premier Mark McGowan!

Seems that all it took was the promise of a level crossing removal if elected.

Anthony Albanese:

Today’s announcement is a good one. It is about busting congestion, it is about improving road safety. This level crossing here closes 266 times each and every day. What that does is hold up traffic and, also, it is a safety issue as cars that are heading in the direction all of a sudden have to stop here each and every day. What we want to look for is to partner with Western Australia in projects that will improve productivity, improve road safety, and make a difference to people’s lives.

This project here which will be jointly funded by a federal Labor government that I lead to get up with Mark McGowan’s Labor government in WA will make an enormous difference to the growing community. I thank Matt for his advocacy in this project. These bells ringing that we are hearing now, 266 times every single day, can be stopped, they can be stopped by this investment and is an advertisement that federal Labor and the state Labor government will join to deliver making a difference, creating jobs as well.

Updated

Scott Morrison has launched an offensive against the Queensland state government over flood relief funding, claiming that the state has not been delivering flood funding into the pockets of affected communities:

These requests are still out of scope of the normal project that are done under this program. It was, I think, a very reasonable position for us to expect the state government to fund things that they should be funding. But what was very clear from the state government’s response is they were not prepared to do that. And I am not going to have people left in the lurch as a result of the Queensland state government playing politics on the eve of an election, trying to weaponise, politically, the flood experiences of Queenslanders.

So we will make it happen. I don’t think people want to see fights between state and federal government – state government has sought to make an issue out of this so I want to make sure the support flows. I put some conditions on it. The Queensland government still hasn’t spent $52m from the support we have given them for past natural disasters.

They haven’t been spending the money that we have said to them to help people … They sat on the money in their bank account. They haven’t even spent the money we have said them for past disasters, you can understand the federal government would be cautious about the request that are now being made.

The condition of this funding going forward is the state government in Queensland – and other states, for that matter – we’ll need to be transparent about how much money is getting paid through. I am not talking about over a number of years.

The Queensland government today should be very clear about how much of the $550m program that we already committed to in the first wave, how much of that specifically how they got to small businesses? How much have they got to primary producers and community organisations? How many cheques have they actually written? …

We will be providing those funds once it has been dispersed and settling up with the Queensland government. It is important they are transparent with Queenslanders, just as New South Wales seeks to do here, with how much money from that flood response is actually getting to people now.

Updated

Queensland acting premier slams PM's flood response

Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick has accused Scott Morrison of being “too slow to act” on flood relief:

It is regrettable that it took so long for the prime minister to act. It took him three weeks to consider our proposal. In 36 hours after the prime minister said no, he’s now said yes ...

This should not be the matter of whether there’s an election or not, this should be a matter of government business.

Morrison backflipped on the $741m disaster relief package this morning, announcing the federal government would split the costs. Dick said he welcomed the funding but it was “nonsense” that the prime minister had called for greater transparency on the delivery of the disaster funding:

That’s just nonsense by the prime minister. The Queensland’s Reconstruction Authority is responsible … for all resilience payments ... Currently, he’s got two advisers on the board … he knows exactly what we do with the money. The prime minister is too late to the ball again.

Local MP Milton Dick said the funding would help build homes in a more resilient fashion:

That might be raising the home or designing them to be more flood-resilient … for some people, they may wish to relocate.

Updated

Conditions seem to be worsening in the Picton CBD, with a number of residents ordered to evacuate.

The prime minister has been asked about his (somewhat disastrous) visit to a local pub last night, where he was confronted by a pensioner demanding answers about previous election promises.

Reporter:

A frosty reception at the Edgeworth Tavern last night, are you frustrated to see that?

Scott Morrison:

It was actually a very welcome reception. There was one gentleman, Ray, who was very upset about a complicated case, it was involving Medicare and immigration issues. It was also involving income definitions under the pension regime. He has had a lot of complications with those cases. And my staff met with him also, after I carefully listened to what he had to say and respectfully listened to what he had to say.

He was not asked to [leave or] anything like that. I can understand that he was very upset about some very significant issues that had happened his life. And so I was keen to understand what he was saying to me and I believe we have.

It is a complicated case but we will see how we might be able to assist and progress that. As you move around, I like hearing from people. I hear from people all the time. While some may have some very complex issues that need to be addressed, others, I must say you were there last night, it was great to see them.

Updated

Reporter:

People are still waiting for the Central Coast promises from the last election. What certainty can you give that Central Coast residents will have an upgrade delivered on time?

Scott Morrison:

We have already acquired the land here and you will be aware of the challenges we have had in Gosford because of the issues that have occurred with the Gosford city council.

It disrupted our ability to move forward on that project. I think people would understand that. These projects were talking about here, you heard very clearly, the state government is fully onboard with both these projects and I am very confident they will understand the great value in the faster rail project, as Sam just outlined.

Money is in the budget, it’s all they are to be done, a partnership with the state government to make that happen. There were some challenges with a couple of those projects but they are important projects. We want to get them done.

Updated

Scott Morrison:

Here are, what we are seeing is a town becoming a hub in the Central Coast. Where people are not driving through, they are staying, they are residing, they are running businesses, they have a future here …

That needs the infrastructure to support it and that is why I am pleased to announce, it is in the budget, $1.1bn to go to three very important projects.

The first of those is the upgrade of the Central Coast Highway. That is $52m, $51.2m that we are putting into the $65m project. Together with the state government – we are funding 80%, they are funding 20%. That work will get under way this year and it is an important part of clearing along the Central Coast as more people are living here.

Updated

Scott Morrison is in the Central Coast today, talking about all the development and infrastructure work which is going to build up regional communities. (While elsewhere in NSW, regional infrastructure is being destroyed by devastating floods and extreme weather connected to the climate crisis.)

Morrison:

This is an important day. Australia is not just the eight capital cities of this country. That is something my government firmly believes, the Liberal/ National government is about ensuring our regions and rural areas and remote communities are understood and are supported.

So much of the opportunities in Australia are actually outside our major capital cities. That has always been true in the Central Coast and it’s important that in the Central Coast, where more and more people every year are choosing to live … they need this infrastructure that supports quality of life and also support their economic opportunities.

We have further increased the size of our infrastructure pipeline to make sure that we can be supporting regional communities all around the country with the infrastructure and services and, most importantly, the jobs that make those communities work.

Updated

Scott Morrison is speaking now. Let’s have a listen in.

Severe weather warnings issued for NSW

Sydney and surrounding areas have been battered by severe storms this morning, with up to 140mm of rain forecast over six hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning just before 5am, predicting rainfall of between 60mm and 100mm would fall over a wide stretch of the already sodden state, including Sydney, the Illawarra, the south coast, the central and southern tablelands, and parts of the Hunter.

On the coast, rainfall could reach up to 140mm, the BoM said.

A flash-flooding warning was issued for coastal parts of the south coast, the Illawarra, metropolitan Sydney and the southern Hunter region, extending into the southern and central tablelands in the afternoon.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

Man reported swept away found safe and well

In some excellent news, the man reported to be swept away in flood waters in the Epping area has been found safe and well, the ABC reports.

Updated

A spokesperson for the NSW SES has confirmed that a rescue operation is under way after the service received reports about 9.14am that a man had been spent away in floodwaters in the Epping area of Sydney.

She says the SES is working with NSW police.

Updated

The ABC is reporting that a man has been swept away in flood waters in Epping, north-west Sydney.

I’ll bring you more updates as soon as I can.

Updated

Scientists have developed a blood test that can predict whether someone is at high risk of a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or dying from one of these conditions within the next four years.

The test, which relies of measurements of proteins in the blood, has roughly twice the accuracy of existing risk scores. It could enable doctors to determine whether patients’ existing medications are working or whether they need additional drugs to reduce their risk.

Dr Stephen Williams at SomaLogic in Boulder, Colorado, led the research. He said:

I think this is the new frontier of personalised medicine, to be able to answer the question, does this person need enhanced treatment? And when you’ve treated someone, did it actually work?

You can read the full report below:

Updated

The Australian government has confirmed that two Australian intelligence chiefs have flown to Solomon Islands for talks with the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, amid concerns in Canberra about the country’s proposed security agreement with China.

The ABC – which first reported the travel – noted that Sogavare’s office had posted a picture of the prime minister with Andrew Shearer, the head of the Office of National Intelligence, and Paul Symon, who leads the Australian Secret Intelligence Service.

At a Senate estimates hearing this morning, the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kathryn Campbell, confirmed both directors general had been at the meeting in Honiara:

DG ONI and DG ASIS did meet with the prime minister of the Solomon Islands.

Campbell said Australia’s high commissioner to Solomon Islands, Lachlan Strahan, was also in attendance. Campbell did not dispute reports that the meeting included discussion of Australia’s security concerns about the security agreement.

I think the media has outlined what was the substance of that meeting. This is not uncommon for these office holders to engage in the region.

Campbell said Ewen McDonald, the head of the office of the Pacific at Dfat, had also travelled to Honiara last Sunday:

Mr McDonald is in the Solomon Islands and raising these matters. He will return to Australia Friday. He is continuing to work with the Solomon Islands government on these matters.

The Senate estimates hearing was told Australia was continuing to call for transparency about the prospective deal with China. There is no clarity on when it might be signed, and any updated form of words since the draft leaked two weeks ago.

Updated

Marise Payne meeting Nato members to discuss Ukraine

Australia’s foreign affairs minister Marise Payne is in Brussels today, meeting with Nato members to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

But, from the sounds of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s statement, there are other topics *cough* the looming security pack between China and the Solomon Islands *cough* too.

Here’s what his spokesperson said:

The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reiterated their commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and noted the April 4 release of the AUKUS Leaders’ Statement, summarizing the progress AUKUS partners have made over the past six months.

They also shared concerns about recent regional developments and ways to support countries in making open and transparent decisions about their own security and economic interests.

Updated

NSW records 16 Covid deaths and 22,255 new infections

Victoria records four Covid deaths and 12,314 new infections

A little win for Victoria this morning:

Two days after the commonwealth rejected the bulk of Queensland’s proposed multimillion-dollar flood recovery package, Scott Morrison has had a change of heart.

The $741m plan now appears likely to proceed but the prime minister warns there are caveats to the federal government agreeing to split the cost, AAP reports. He told Brisbane radio 4BC this morning:

They want to play politics with this, I don’t want to play politics with this, I just want to make sure people are getting the support that they need. So we’ll make that the 50-50 cost but there’ll be a couple of conditions.

The Queensland government was sitting on $52m provided for previous disaster recovery, Morrison said:

I want them to be transparent with the payments that are being made. I want them to report to the public.

He maintained that the bulk of the $741m package, which includes funding for flood-proofing homes and a property buyback program, is typically a state responsibility.

The latest commitment meant two-thirds of direct financial support for Queensland flood victims was coming from the commonwealth, he said.

His comments came just a day after acting premier Cameron Dick took aim at him, also claiming that politics was the reason the state’s request was initially refused.

Dick rejected claims that most of the package included initiatives that were a state responsibility, saying it was an exceptional circumstances application under disaster recovery arrangements:

If the prime minister doesn’t see that something’s happening in the world, and we need to make our communities more disaster-resilient ... then he’s not paying attention.

Updated

PM confirms federal government will go halves with Queensland on flood funding package

Updated

The man seeking a high court challenge against federal intervention in NSW Liberal preselections has been expelled from the party.

In an escalation of the factional stoush, Matthew Camenzuli has asked the high court to prevent Scott Morrison’s hand-picked candidates from receiving Liberal endorsement on ballot papers pending the urgent case.

Camenzuli yesterday sought leave to appeal against the NSW court of appeal’s decision to uphold the federal party’s intervention, which allowed a three-person panel, including Morrison, to select 13 candidates for the May election.

You can read the full report from Paul Karp and Anne Davies below:

Updated

Anthony Albanese has called on the government to expel Russian diplomats, declaring that the “sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces” in Ukraine must trigger immediate consequences.

In a pre-election attempt to get on the front foot on national security, the Labor leader said Scott Morrison must act in lockstep with European partners by ordering a number of Russian diplomats and staff to leave.

Under the model suggested by Albanese, the Russian ambassador, Alexey Pavlovsky, would probably be able to remain in place, but some of his subordinates would be declared “persona non grata”, forcing them to depart the country.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

A rain update for Sydney so far this year:

The acting Queensland premier, Cameron Dick, has told ABC radio that it is “blatantly untrue” that the federal government isn’t responsible for flood recovery in affected areas:

If the prime minister doesn’t think it’s his responsibility, he should go to Grantham. We built a new community, the federal government, together we relocated 200 families out of a flood site ...

There’s been precedent multiple precedents for over more than a decade now ... There are agreed funding arrangements between state and federal governments that have existed for more than a decade now ...

And just to give you an idea of what we want to do, as you’ve said, you know, it’s raising houses, it’s making houses stronger and more resilient. Julia Gillard could do her job. Malcolm Turnbull could do his job. Even Tony Abbott could do his job when it comes to this.

The prime minister has got to do his job and stop shifting responsibility on to other people.

Updated

The deluge has already begun in some areas of NSW this morning. Here is some harrowing footage from Dee Why.

Just a reminder that you should never ever attempt to drive through flood waters.

Oh, and it didn’t get much better for the prime minister after that.

Updated

Scott Morrison confronted by angry pensioner at pub

Scott Morrison certainly isn’t the only one to wake up and wish they never stepped foot in the pub last night, but instead of nursing a headache the prime minister has been left red in the face.

Last night he stopped in for a pre-election visit to the Edgeworth Tavern in Newcastle. But the photo opp took a turn for the worse when an irate man came up to him, pointing his finger and demanding answers about what is being done to fulfil previous election promises for pensioners:

I’ve been fighting for 12 years, mate – you treat a disability pensioner that worked all his life … he paid his taxes, now he’s getting taxed ahead ...

This is what you said when you got elected last time, “We’re going to help all those people that worked all their lives, paid their taxes and those that have a go, get a go.”

Well, I’ve had a go, mate, I’ve worked all my life and paid my taxes.

Have a watch below:

Updated

Good morning

Good morning, all, it’s Matilda Boseley here with you on the blog this morning.

First on the agenda, many in NSW are bracing for another day of wild weather, with flood warnings issued for multiple river catchments across the state.

A severe weather warning is in place for southern and central NSW, metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra, the south coast, the central and southern tablelands and parts of the Hunter.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned there’s also an increased risk of landslides.

Roads in the Sydney suburb of Kurnell have been urgently closed this morning after a failed pump at a fuel refinery has caused oil and diesel to mix with flood waters and spread across roadways.

A flood watch has also been issued for central NSW, with minor to moderate flooding forecast for the southern coastal rivers including the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Macquarie and Queanbeyan today and tomorrow.

This morning the NSW SES warned there could be major flooding in Liverpool and Milperra in Sydney’s west along the Georges River with the water expected to rise above four metres in the late afternoon on the high tide.

Minor flood warnings have been issued for the Hawkesbury River at Windsor and North Richmond and the Cooks River at Tempe Bridge and the Woronora River at Woronora Bridge.

Moderate flooding could also occur on the Colo River at Putty Road.

The SES said it had conducted seven flood rescues and responded to 580 requests for help in the past 24 hours.

OK, with that, why don’t we jump right into the day.

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The Conversation
The Conversation
‘Kids were second to their drinking and partying’: Stephen Bogart, son of Bogie and Bacall, on his screen icon parents
What’s it like to grow up the son of Hollywood legends? Stephen Bogart, whose parents left him for six months even after his nanny dropped dead, reveals how he finally shook off the past
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
I want to ignore beauty culture. But I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t look a certain way
Beauty improves only some qualities of life and demands high investment of time, money and energy, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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