Scorching temperatures to hit most of the nation
AAP has more details on the extreme heat warnings in place, as a sweltering heatwave brings one of the hottest December days in years.
Temperatures in the high 40s are expected in parts of Victoria and NSW, while the Northern Territory faces severe to extreme heatwave conditions for much of the next three days.
While Adelaide sweated through a 40C day yesterday, Victoria and NSW endured a night of minimum temperatures between 12 and 16 degrees above average.
Extreme fire danger has been declared in Victoria’s central and western districts while Melbourne, with an expected forecast of 41C, will face its hottest day since January 2023 and its hottest December day since 2019.
The mercury is expected to hit 46C in Mildura in the state’s north-west, 45C in Swan Hill and 44C in Horsham. Total fire bans have been declared across most of Victoria with incident management teams and firefighting aircraft on standby in critical regional areas.
While Sydney can expect a mild start to the week with a 28C maximum forecast for Monday, parts of inland NSW could face even more extreme heat than Victoria. A maximum temperature of 47C is expected in Wilcannia, in central north-western NSW, and 46.5C in Ivanhoe, about 180km further south.
Key events
Hillcrest families launch class action against state
Families of the children killed and injured in Tasmania’s 2021 jumping castle tragedy have launched a class action against the state and equipment operator, AAP reports.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn announced the move this morning on behalf of lead plaintiffs Georgina Burt and Andrew Dodt, whose sons Zane and Peter died in the incident at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport.
It comes exactly three years after a jumping castle and zorb balls were lifted into the air by a wind gust during end-of-year celebrations at the school, killing six children and injuring three others.
In a writ lodged with the Supreme Court, the case alleges the state, as operators of the school, and the company that set up the equipment involved in the tragedy, Taz-Zorb, owed a duty of care for the students.
The case also alleges the defendants failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of the children taking part in the activities.
Principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn Dimi Ioannou said the aim of the class action was “some accountability for what happened on that day”.
The families affected by the tragedy of what happened at Hillcrest feel the pain and the trauma of their loss every day. Nothing will erase the suffering or bring back their lost children. This class action is the first step in the path to securing a measure of justice for the families affected by the Hillcrest tragedy.
Those eligible to join the class action include children who suffered a physical or psychological injury, witnesses and close family members of those killed or injured.
A decision in that case is expected in February.
Clare says it will ‘take some time’ for Bali Nine members to reintegrate back into society
Jason Clare also weighed in on the release of the remaining Bali Nine members back to Australia, and told the program the deal was locked in over the last few weeks.
These men committed a very serious crime, drug trafficking, and they have done serious time, 19 years in an Indonesian prison. They lost a big chunk of their lives for the crimes committed … I think most Australians agree it [was] time for these men to come home.
He said the rehabilitation process was underway in Darwin, as well as reintegration back into society.
When you have been in prison for the best part of two decades it’s going to take some time for these men to rehabilitate and reintegrate into Australian society.
Question from the presenter: At least one of the men is married with a child – what happens to their partners now, since the men can’t go back to Indonesia?
Clare said if their partners wish to come to Australia “that would be the subject of the normal visa processing requirements.”
Clare said it was ‘terrifying news’ four Australians in hospital in Fiji
Earlier, the education minister, Jason Clare, said it was “terrifying news” that four Australians were in hospital in Fiji, with what local authorities suspect is alcohol poisoning.
He told ABC News Breakfast that consular officials were on the ground helping families, and Fijian officers were conducting an investigation.
I guess my message for Australians travelling overseas is just be really, really careful with whatever you consume. Whatever you’re drinking when you’re overseas … There’s a real terrifying sense of de ja vu, it’s only a month ago two young Australian women died in Laos from methanol poisoning. And then when we wake up to hear this horrific news in Fiji, I’m sure all Australians … are hoping for the best.
Released Bali Nine members and family issue statement
The five members of the Bali Nine and their families have released a statement, after they were released back in to Australia yesterday.
Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens and Michael Czugaj were first arrested on 17 April, 2005. The men said in a statement they were “immensely grateful to President Prabowo and the Indonesian government for allowing them to return to Australia, and sincerely thank them.”
Over the years of their imprisonment, successive Australian Foreign Ministers and governments have advocated for the men. The men and their families sincerely thank them.
The men made special mention of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, saying:
In both Australia and Indonesia, at both a senior level and in prison visits and personal assistance, over many years, Dfat have offered professional and enduring support. The men and their families will always be grateful.
They also thanked their Indonesian lawyers, friends in Indonesia, academics and others in Australia, and numerous friends in Australia:
This support has been essential and invaluable. The five men are relieved and happy to be back in Australia. They look forward, in time, to reintegrating back into and contributing to society. The welfare of the men is a priority, they will need time and support, and we hope and trust our media and community will make allowance for this.
Chalmers comments on ‘disgraceful’ Islamophobic graffiti in Sydney’s west
Wrapping up the interview, Jim Chalmers was asked about Islamophobic graffiti in Sydney’s west at the weekend, with the National Imams Council saying there has been a surge in these kinds of incidents and a failure to address them effectively.
Is the government doing enough on this issue? The treasurer said the responsibility of leaders is to “try and calm these divisions where they exist, and not try and inflame them or make them worse”:
We’ve shown a willingness, whether it’s antisemitism or Islamophobia, to provide the necessary resources to try and keep people safe.
But what we saw with this graffiti in Western Sydney was completely disgraceful, completely unacceptable. It was cowardly, and there’s no place for it. We don’t want to see the problems of the world tearing our communities apart. There’s too much of this, and we all need to come together at this time, because people are genuinely worried about their own communities and their own safety.
Chalmers says opposition’s nuclear policy announcement raised more questions than answers
Moving to energy, Jim Chalmers was asked about the Coalition’s nuclear policy and whether the government was open to having nuclear in its energy mix.
The treasurer lashed the opposition’s “modelling meltdown” which raised more questions than answers:
It’s just a shambolic attempt to paper over the fact that the Coalition’s [policy] is a recipe for less growth, less energy and higher prices. And you know, some of the most basic questions, what does it mean for bills? How big will the off-budget funds be? Why don’t they think they need any transmission?
All of these questions have been unanswered, and that’s why the energy experts and the economists have been so scathing about this shambolic economic insanity that is Peter Dutton’s nuclear fantasy.
Mid-year budget update ‘not opportunity for big new policies’
Jim Chalmers also took some questions on the mid-year budget update, due to be released on Wednesday, and said it would show the “really quite remarkable progress we’ve made in the budget since we came to office”:
That’s a big part of what we’ll be doing on Wednesday, accommodating the pressures on the budget, accounting for them. And one of the big ones is the weakness in the Chinese economy – and that does have implications for us, for our economy and for our budget …
We’ll be downgrading mining exports by about $100bn, we’ll be downgrading company taxes by about $8.5bn dollars over the next four years, and what that shows is that the global economy is uncertain, and that’s weighing pretty heavily on our budget and on our economy more broadly.
Will the government still roll out cost of living relief? Chalmers said the government’s priority was “rolling out the relief that we’ve already announced and already budgeted for.”
Obviously there’ll be new measures in the budget [next year], but the nature of those we haven’t taken decisions on that.
He said the government had already indicated people shouldn’t expect surpluses in the mid year budget update:
We’ve been upfront about some of the reasons why, in some of the years, there’s a little bit of slippage in the budget – but not every year – and that’s the inevitable consequence of some of these pressures.
Chalmers ‘grateful’ to see five Bali Nine members released back to Australia
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, spoke with ABC RN just earlier and also welcomed the arrival of five Bali Nine members back into Australia.
Asked if there were conditions placed on their release, Chalmers said not as he understands it:
I think this was an act of cooperation and commitment and compassion from President Prabowo, and we’re very grateful to him for that. These guys committed some serious offences, but they’ve been in Indonesian jails for the best part of two decades. Now it was time for them to come home, and I’m pleased that they’re home.
And asked to describe the Australia-Indonesia relationship, Chalmers said this shows “the capacity to work closely together and on a range of fronts”:
Not just this one, certainly on the economic front. I work very closely with the finance minister, Sri Mulyani, and my colleagues work closely with their counterparts. And I think this is an indication, really, that President Prabowo has done a good thing, the right thing, and we’re very grateful to him for that.
Second person dies following fatal crash between car and cyclists
A second person has died following a fatal crash in Armidale at the weekend.
A car and several cyclists collided about 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon, before the car continued and hit a tree, NSW police said. One of the cyclists, a man in his 60s, died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified.
Three other cyclists – aged 57, 39 and a teenage boy – were treated by paramedics before being taken to John Hunter hospital and Armidale hospital in a stable condition.
The driver of the vehicle, a 30-year-old woman, was trapped and released shortly after emergency services arrived. She was treated by paramedics and airlifted to John Hunter in a critical condition and died in hospital yesterday.
Officers established a crime scene, which was examined by the crash investigation unit, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
EV sales represent one in 10 new light vehicle sales in 2024
Electric Vehicles represent nearly one in ten new light vehicle sales, a 150% increase on 2022, according to the Electric Vehicles Council.
Its state of EVs report, released today. forecasts new EV sales will reach at least 15% to 19% in 2026, based on current policies in Australia.
NSW claims the top spot based on EV policies, followed by the federal government and ACT, WA, QLD and Victoria, SA and Tasmania and the NT. The report also highlights that in Australia this year:
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About 110,000 new EVs are expected to be sold this year, a major milestone for the Australian market;
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There are now 122 EV models, and more than 220 variants – a 50% increase in variants compared to 2023.
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The number of fast and ultra-fast charging locations across Australia has nearly doubled within a year, surpassing 1,059 sites nationwide. At these locations there are more than 1,849 high power public chargers.
The council’s chief scientist, Dr Jake Whitehead, said:
It’s clear that a growing number of Australians are seeking cleaner, more efficient cars. This year’s gradual growth in EV sales and market share builds on the momentum of a blockbuster 2023, further driving the upward trend in BEV and PHEV adoption.
By any measure, there are more EVs on our roads today than ever before and that is set to grow. The pace of this growth, however, will depend on the level of support from governments and industry.
NSW premier glad five Bali Nine members back in Australia
Chris Minns also weighed in on five of the Bali Nine members being returned to Australia over the weekend. He told the program he was glad they are back in Australia:
I’d say that the drug trade is horrible and insidious and it does take lives, but these people have been in jail in a third-world country for 20 years. That’s a big price to pay.
I have to say, I’m glad they’re back in Australia. I also think it serves as a warning, particularly to young people, of how strict and applied the prison sentences are in south-east Asian countries for drug importation and indeed for many of them, if not all of them. The sentence is death.
So as morbid as that is, I hope it’s a reminder to particularly young people to never get involved in this horrific trade, because it could take your own life in the process.
Chris Minns marks 10 years since Lindt Cafe siege
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, will today lay a wreath in Martin Place to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Lindt cafe siege.
He spoke with the Today Show earlier and said the siege occurred before he was in politics and he remembers watching it on television live everyone else and “being gripped by what was [happening and] staying up through the night.”
It was a horrifying evil act, and it’s terrible that it took two people’s lives. But I think if there’s a glimmer of hope, if you squint and you see a glimmer of hope, it’s that there was an absolute outpouring of love and community solidarity in the days afterwards. And I think we remember that as much as the evil acts on those two days.
Bureau of Meteorology says highest temperatures since black summer fires forecast across certain areas
Dean Narramore, a Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist, spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier to provide an update on the heatwave conditions across the country.
He explained that for some areas, this is the hottest summer conditions since the black summer fires, five years ago:
It’s the first big burst of heat of summer and for some, it’s probably the hottest temperatures we have seen since the terrible black summer of 2020. Five years in some areas.
As we flagged earlier, large parts of South Australia and Victoria today, including Melbourne, are facing dire temperatures:
So hot, dry windy conditions, and some dry thunderstorms this afternoon with some gusty winds definitely [are] a fire concern.
Ben Shepherd, an inspector with the NSW Rural Fire Service, said NSW would fare a bit better when it comes to fire danger because grass cutting rates are higher:
The grass is still greener than we would typically see, but it’s not going to take much until we start to see dangerous fire conditions … It now looks like we’re banking up heatwaves or high fire danger for a number of days.
That’s going to prove problematic, especially as we approach Christmas as well, and we start to see people travelling around the state and potentially entering high risk areas.
Karen Middleton
New funding to fast-track pre-election social housing projects
The Albanese government says it is unlocking up to $3b more from the Housing Australia Future Fund (Haff) and has partnered with state and territory counterparts to fast-track social housing projects and build up to 5,000 new homes for low-income Australians.
The new partnership, which will be announced formally by the housing minister, Clare O’Neil, today, involves state and territory governments releasing land and joining with community housing providers to devise and oversee projects that will boost social housing stock.
The approval process is being fast-tracked, with applications closing at the end of January and decisions to be made soon after. This timing would enable the Albanese government to announce the locations of the housing development projects before the federal election, due by mid May.
Yesterday, O’Neil said:
The way out of this housing crisis is to build, build, build. This partnership is about building thousands of homes quickly and it’s one part of Labor’s ambitious plan to build more houses right across Australia, making housing more abundant and affordable.
The first round of Haff funding, announced in September, aims to build up to 13,700 social and affordable homes.
Karen Middleton
More from the funding for local news and community broadcasting
Continuing from our last post: The funding for AAP over three years is designed to recognise its key role in supporting media diversity and local news. The subscriber news service provides news from around Australia and is a mainstay for local news organisations in particular.
It was saved from closure in 2020 by a consortium of philanthropic investors.
Another $3.8m is being directed towards a national media literacy strategy to help Australians apply a critical eye to the news and information they consume.
The federal government has also vowed to devote at least $3m a year of its overall advertising budget to advertising in regional newspapers for the next two years.
It is establishing an expert advisory panel to advise on how the media sector can best be supported, including through philanthropy. It also has a review under way into the sustainability of the community broadcasting sector.
The funding announcement comes after the government confirmed last week that it would impose a levy on major tech platforms which did not strike ongoing financial deals with media organisations for the use of their news content.
New funding for AAP and local media to support ‘the health of our democracy’
Karen Middleton
The federal government is committing $180.5m to support local news outlets and community broadcasting through a newly established news media assistance program which includes $33m for the national news wire service, Australian Associated Press.
The funding package includes $116.7m over four years to support media organisations’ capacity to deliver public interest journalism and local news, though details were not available ahead of the formal announcement due on Monday.
A further $15m will be spent on community broadcasting, $3m of that on community television, and another $12m will support First Nations media through the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program.
In a joint statement, the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, and Indigenous Australians minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, said local media and community broadcasting are “critical to the health of our democracy, social cohesion and informing communities”:
Local news and community broadcasting is at the heart of local communities, and makes a vital contribution to national identity and media diversity in Australia.
Scorching temperatures to hit most of the nation
AAP has more details on the extreme heat warnings in place, as a sweltering heatwave brings one of the hottest December days in years.
Temperatures in the high 40s are expected in parts of Victoria and NSW, while the Northern Territory faces severe to extreme heatwave conditions for much of the next three days.
While Adelaide sweated through a 40C day yesterday, Victoria and NSW endured a night of minimum temperatures between 12 and 16 degrees above average.
Extreme fire danger has been declared in Victoria’s central and western districts while Melbourne, with an expected forecast of 41C, will face its hottest day since January 2023 and its hottest December day since 2019.
The mercury is expected to hit 46C in Mildura in the state’s north-west, 45C in Swan Hill and 44C in Horsham. Total fire bans have been declared across most of Victoria with incident management teams and firefighting aircraft on standby in critical regional areas.
While Sydney can expect a mild start to the week with a 28C maximum forecast for Monday, parts of inland NSW could face even more extreme heat than Victoria. A maximum temperature of 47C is expected in Wilcannia, in central north-western NSW, and 46.5C in Ivanhoe, about 180km further south.
Good morning
Emily Wind
Happy Monday, and welcome back to the Australia news live blog. My name is Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage throughout most of today.
The federal government is committing $180.5m to support local news outlets and community broadcasting through a newly established news media assistance program. This will includes $33m for the national news wire service, Australian Associated Press.
The funding comes after the government confirmed last week it would impose a levy on major tech platforms which did not strike ongoing financial deals with media organisations for the use of their news content. Karen Middleton will have all the details shortly.
Meanwhile, much of Australia will bake under intense heatwave conditions over the coming days, with multiple regions set to record temperatures above 40C. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued heatwave warnings for large parts of northern, eastern and central Australia, covering every state and territory except Western Australia and Tasmania.
As always, you can reach out with any tips, feedback or questions via email: [email protected].
Let’s get started.
