Queensland deluge forecast to proceed for days
A persistent deluge is hitting rain-soaked northern Australia with floodwaters nonetheless rising, leaving some individuals remoted, with out energy and determined for swollen rivers to subside, AAP stories.
The heaviest rain has fallen between Lucinda to Townsville in northern Queensland because the Bureau of Meteorology warns the large moist will proceed for days.
Practically one metre of rain was recorded at Paluma Dam in Townsville within the final 48 hours, whereas Ingham has copped greater than 400mm previously day.
The BoM has issued a extreme climate warning from Tully to Ayr that’s prone to carry remoted falls of 300mm on Monday.
The continued deluge has led to swollen waterways with main flood warnings in place for the Herbert River, the Ross and Bohle River, the Horton River and the Higher Burdekin River.
Meteorologist Dean Narramore mentioned persistent widespread rain would subside within the afternoon however enhance once more from Tuesday.
The State Emergency Service was below stress on Sunday evening with 11 swift water rescues and practically 400 requires assist for leaking ceilings, roof harm, flooding, evacuations and felled timber.
Two individuals had been saved from the roof of their automotive that was submerged in flood waters in Woodstock round 7pm, whereas one other individual was rescued from a truck caught in floodwaters in Basalt.
Key occasions
Benita Kolovos
Allan can also be requested to answer feedback federal opposition chief Peter Dutton made on 3AW radio this morning, during which he mentioned the state authorities’s Suburban Rail Loop undertaking was a “cruel hoax”.
Dutton mentioned Allan “doesn’t have a dollar to her name” to place in the direction of it.
She replied:
Nicely, it’s fairly clear that the federal opposition chief doesn’t spend a lot time in Victoria, as a result of if he did, he wouldn’t make these grossly uninformed feedback that he’s simply made … we’ve acquired funding from the state authorities, funding from the federal authorities dedicated to this undertaking, and it’s clear to me that Peter Dutton is signalling he’s going to return to the longer term.
He’s going to repeat to Victorians what we noticed when he final sat on the cupboard desk, dudding Victorians of their justifiable share of funding.
Benita Kolovos
In respect to the storms, the premier says the Barwon South West area was worst affected. Allan says:
Geelong was actually, actually laborious hit. There have been additionally elements of the south east and Phillip Island as nicely. Look, the clear up is clearly in full swing.
This morning, the SES had 820 requests for help, largely for timber down but in addition for flash flooding and constructing harm. And there may be prone to be extra stories coming in over the course of the morning as individuals assess the harm of their native areas.
It was a wild storm, and that massive lightning occasion has precipitated plenty of these fires that we’ve been speaking about …with a predicted climate change tomorrow afternoon can also be inflicting a fear that there’ll be extra storm and wind and dry lightning harm that’s going to come back with that climate change tomorrow afternoon.
Benita Kolovos
Allan additionally urged anybody who lives close to the fires that may see smoke to report it to authorities, as it could be the results of the “huge lightning storm” in a single day:
The commissioner has requested me to ask Victorians in these areas too, that in case you see smoke on the horizon, in case you see smoke in your native space, please report it. That massive lightning storm occasion that swept by way of the state yesterday has precipitated these fires, notably across the Colac Otway space, and there’s a priority that they might have precipitated extra that as the warmth of the day rises, these fires will develop into energetic.
So please be alert to your situation. Please help the work of our emergency companies, our volunteers. The state management heart can be offering a extra detailed replace in a while at the moment, however once more, I do ask all Victorians to remain alert to your situations, take care of each other. We’ve nonetheless acquired a few actually sizzling days to come back in simply this week, and we’ve nonetheless acquired plenty of weeks of summer season forward of us.
Benita Kolovos
Premier confirms two properties thought misplaced to fires in Victoria’s north-west
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, held a press convention in Werribee earlier this morning, forward of the byelection this weekend. She additionally supplied an replace on the acute warmth the state is experiencing.
Allan says:
For the subsequent day or two forward, the prediction is for ongoing excessive warmth and once I was talking with the emergency administration commissioner earlier this morning, he requested me to remind Victorians that the cumulative affect of day after day of utmost warmth is de facto impacting on susceptible Victorians. So in case you can, please examine in in your family members, please examine in in your neighbour and in addition take care of your self as we undergo this era of utmost warmth.
She says two fires proceed to burn within the Grampians nationwide park. A fireplace in Little Desert can also be now below management after it broke containment strains on account of excessive winds on Sunday, as is a blaze in Hattah. Nevertheless, fires within the Colac-Otway areas proceed to develop.
Allan says:
Our ideas are with the neighborhood round Hattah within the north-west of the state, the place there was a fireplace that they shortly acquired again below management, however very sadly, there have been two properties which can be believed to have been misplaced, they usually’re doing additional assessments in that neighborhood. After which we flip our consideration to the fires across the Colac Otways space, the place there are fires across the north and the west of Apollo Bay – and that is notably regarding. There are large sources, floor sources are being deployed proper now to get on prime of this hearth.
Residents of elements of Townsville and close by cities, together with Ingham and Cardwell, have evacuated to shelters as rising flood waters inundate their houses.
Heavy rainfall is anticipated to proceed to soak north Queensland, pouring extra water into dams and rivers which have already overflowed, forcing additional evacuations and threatening hundreds of houses.
Authorities are warning the near-record deluge may develop into extra extreme than ‘once in a lifetime’ storms 5 years in the past.
Amanda Meade
Lattouf to say she was sacked from ABC ‘because of her political opinions’, court docket advised
Antoinette Lattouf will argue she was sacked “because of her political opinions, including her opinions critical of the conduct of the state of Israel in Gaza, and her opinions regarding press coverage of the Gaza conflict”, the federal court docket has heard in opening statements.
It’s standing-room solely in courtroom 16A and Justice Darryl Rangiah has adjourned briefly to attempt to accommodate extra members of the general public and media who’ve turned as much as watch.
The court docket heard Lattouf will argue she was sacked following a marketing campaign not by tabloid media however by a gaggle of individuals which the ABC recognized as a pro-Israeli foyer, “a group which quite openly and frankly targeted her because of her opinions in relation to the matters which I have just identified”, Lattouf’s barrister, Oshie Fagir, mentioned.
The ABC admits that it eliminated Ms Lattouf from air due to her Instagram submit. Its proof seems to be to the impact that the submit embodied some expression of an opinion which was controversial, besides, it denies Ms Lattouf was eliminated due to her political opinion.
Now the logic of the place isn’t simply understood, but it surely seems to boil all the way down to this: an ABC government, Christopher Oliver-Taylor, believed that in re-sharing the submit Ms Lattouf breached a course which he had precipitated to be given to her.
Contemporary stories of destroyed properties in Victorian bushfires
Returning to the bushfires in Victoria, the place firefighters are working to comprise plenty of blazes amid a three-day heatwave.
Properties are feared destroyed in bushfires raging throughout regional Victoria because the state battles a slew of erratic climate, AAP stories.
Residents at Mirranatwa within the Grampians Nationwide Park have been urged to depart instantly. 5 Watch and Act warnings are presently in place, with residents urged to watch altering situations and put together to depart.
They cowl Apollo Bay, Cape Horn, Hordern Vale and Cape Otway, and huge elements of the Little Desert Nationwide Park and the Grampians Nationwide Park.
The blaze within the Little Desert Nationwide Park, about 375km west of Melbourne, was declared contained however broke away on Sunday afternoon.
Victorian authorities confirmed they obtained stories of property losses from a fireplace close to Ouyen, north of the area’s nationwide park, on Sunday evening.
It’s believed two properties have been misplaced, Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed, because the inferno heads west in the direction of Kaniva-Edenhope Highway.
“Our thoughts are with the community around Hattah in the northwest of the state,” she advised reporters in Melbourne’s west on Monday.
The Little Desert hearth covers 84,000 hectares, whereas twin fires burning within the Grampians whole 46,000 hectares.
Josh Butler
The federal government got here below hearth late final 12 months after it was briefed out to journalists that proposals to curb playing adverts wouldn’t be launched to parliament in 2024 – shortly after communications minister Michelle Rowland had mentioned “we are aiming to have it done this year.”
Authorities ministers gave various responses as to the delay. Sports activities minister Anika Wells claimed “this wasn’t reform that was ready to go”; whereas assistant treasury minister Andrew Leigh advised the federal government’s proposal was finalised, and that the federal government may “put it to the parliament immediately”.
Albanese, on The Each day Aus, denied there had been laws.
“There was legislation that was shelved in November, right?” host Billi Fitzsimons requested.
Albanese replied: “No.”
Fitzsimons pressed: “So you’ve never considered banning gambling ads?”
Albanese replied: “No, we’re considering a range of measures, but there has never been legislation.”
What we’re doing is consulting on a spread of measures – what extra can we do to deal with drawback playing? As I mentioned, we’ve completed greater than any authorities in historical past, since Federation. We settle for that there’s extra to do, and we’ll do extra.
Josh Butler
PM vows to ‘do more’ on playing adverts
Anthony Albanese has once more defended his authorities’s inaction on curbing playing promoting, claiming “there has never been legislation” produced by Labor to deal with the problem however promising “we will do more” on the problem.
The prime minister has appeared on a podcast with The Each day Aus, within the newest instalment of each he and Peter Dutton searching for to attach with listeners of in style native podcasters. Requested about playing adverts, the PM repeated his traditional speaking factors that Labor had “taken more action on problem gambling than any government since Federation”, itemizing motion on the self-exclusion register Betstop, and banning using bank cards.
“There’s more to do,” he mentioned, earlier than countering that “there are no ads for poker machine gambling, which is overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly where losses are”.
We settle for that there’s extra to do, and we’ll do extra.
Requested additional about why the federal government hadn’t taken up the suggestions of late Labor MP Peta Murphy to ban adverts for sports activities betting, Albanese replied: “Well, which gambling ads?”
Ministers get amongst it with the voters of tomorrow
In the meantime, the minister for early childhood training, Anne Aly, and the training minister, Jason Clare, are having a “great time” at a childcare centre in Canberra this morning following the federal authorities’s announcement to introduce laws for subsidised care three days per week.
Aly mentioned the invoice would imply 100,000 extra households throughout Australia would have entry to the assured care.
We’re … having a good time with a number of the littlest Aussies right here in Garran and speaking to the workers right here. Whenever you have a look at the youngsters right here and also you watch them play and also you see their interactions, you get a little bit of an understanding of simply how essential early childhood training and care will be in kids’s lives.
Altering the exercise check to make sure that there’s a three day assure signifies that each household, it doesn’t matter what their circumstances, and each baby, it doesn’t matter what their background, it doesn’t matter what their postcode, irrespective of the place they reside, and it doesn’t matter what their dad and mom’ circumstances are, has entry to good high quality early childhood training and care.
Clare pointed to feedback made by Peter Dutton on Insiders yesterday that he would lower “wasteful spending”, with out saying the size till after the election.
He gained’t inform you the place the cuts can be. Nicely, you don’t need to be Einstein to work it out. It’ll be cuts to childcare, cuts to aged care, cuts to Medicare. It’s the identical previous story from the Liberals on repeat … My message to the Australian individuals is, in case you don’t know, vote no. And in case you do know what he’s going to chop, you’ll by no means, ever vote for this bloke.
Minister factors to emergency funds for Queensland flood victims
The emergency administration minister, Jenny McAllister, spoke to ABC Information Breakfast earlier on these emergency funds which have been activated for these impacted by flooding in north Queensland.
McAllister additionally says 4 ADF helicopters have been made out there to help state emergency companies, and defence personnel are working with native authorities on the bottom in Townsville.
There are funds to help individuals who want to exchange bedding or family items which have been broken by water. There are funds to permit individuals to make secure a house if they’re uninsured and their house requires pressing repairs. There are funds for individuals who’ve been evacuated.
Actually one of the best factor to do is to get on-line and see what the Queensland authorities has stood up and begin to take a look at whether or not or not you could be eligible for these.
PM briefed on Queensland floods
Anthony Albanese says he’s obtained a briefing from Canberra on the flooding in north Queensland.
The federal and Queensland governments have activated catastrophe funding for elements of Townsville, Gordonvale, Hinchinbrook and Palm Island Council areas.
That features emergency funds of $180 for people, and as much as $900 for households of 5 or extra.
Within the worst of occasions we see one of the best of Australians.
And in latest days, I’ve seen Australians serving to each other of their time of want.
This morning on the Nationwide State of affairs Room in Canberra, I obtained a briefing on the work underway to assist these affected by the floods… pic.twitter.com/TOsb9386i5
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 2, 2025
Australian youth justice ‘persistently’ breaches human rights, inquiry advised
A Senate inquiry is Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system this morning, with advocacy teams pushing for nationwide requirements.
Save the Kids Australia’s CEO, Mat Tinkler, says requirements must be developed and enforced to make sure the human rights of kids are protected.
The truth that state and territory governments persistently and systematically breach human rights in youth justice exhibits it’s nicely previous time for the federal authorities to step up.
Save the Kids Australia is looking on the federal government to create a nationwide taskforce and develop a 10-year technique for nationwide youth justice reform.
We acknowledge the very actual issues round neighborhood security – everybody has a proper to really feel secure of their houses and of their communities – nevertheless all of the out there proof suggests the present method to the youth justice system isn’t working.
The committee is because of report again to parliament by 1 July.
Petra Inventory
Vitality reserves can meet south-eastern demand amid heatwave – Aemo
The Australian power market operator (Aemo) says there are ample power reserves to satisfy anticipated demand on Monday, with extraordinarily sizzling temperatures forecasted in Adelaide (41C) and Melbourne (39C).
It comes as one professional warns kids are notably susceptible to excessive warmth, as they return to the classroom for the beginning of the varsity 12 months.
You possibly can learn extra about that right here:
Tory Shepherd
Greens marketing campaign to ‘get billionaires out of politics’
The Greens are gearing as much as tackle Australian billionaires together with Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart in Queensland.
Rightwing teams Advance Australia and Australians for Prosperity are additionally of their sights. The occasion says billionaires are spending large to affect the election outcomes.
Members will doorknock, fundraise and letterbox, and have rented billboards that say “get billionaires out of politics”, that includes Palmer, Rinehart and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Greens democracy spokesperson Larissa Waters accused Australia’s richest individuals of making an attempt to “stop the surge of Greens and independents that have changed the face of our parliament, and elect Peter Dutton”.
The Greens MP for Griffith, Max Chandler-Mather, mentioned individuals needed “big money out of politics”.
Billionaires and massive companies assume they’ll export US-style divisive politics into Australia however standing of their means is a people-powered, neighborhood motion.
The Greens themselves seem like getting ready to run their most costly native campaigns ever in Brisbane. The Queensland occasion has obtained greater than $400,000 in donations because the begin of November, together with a $200,000 injection from the federal department.
A spokesperson for Advance Australia mentioned it “will not be listening to lectures about division” from the Greens.
The Greens are solely crying about Advance as a result of we’re taking their agenda critically and holding them accountable to the Australian individuals.
