Australia information stay: renewable rebound provides 7GW to grid; new seek for Samantha Murphy

The excellent news is the Reserve Financial institution is all however achieved lifting rates of interest. Much less excellent news is that the central financial institution can be not about to chop them.

These have been most likely the important thing takeaways from the RBA’s sixth board assembly of 2024 and the seventh because it final slugged debtors with it’s final money fee hike.

The 9 members surfaced from their figurative bunker on Tuesday afternoon to remind everybody inflation remained “too high” and “persistent”.

Importantly, for the primary time since March, the board didn’t “explicitly consider an interest rate rise” on the two-day gathering. That admission, by governor Michele Bullock, promptly despatched the Australian greenback into a brief swoon as buyers erased lingering worries the RBA was critically contemplating one other a fee rise.

Learn extra evaluation on yesterday’s choice from Peter Hannam right here:

Coalition accuses Labor of mendacity over destructive gearing and capital good points tax

The reviews have prompted a powerful response from the opposition, with the opposition finance spokesperson, Jane Hume, accusing the Albanese authorities of “lying to the Australian people”.

She informed ABC Information Breakfast there was “nothing wrong with the government considering anything, but lying to the Australian people about whether they’re considering it is another issue entirely”.

As lately as final week, the prime minister was … saying that … questions on whether or not the federal government was contemplating [changes to negative gearing or capital gains tax concessions] weren’t very intelligent questions. But solely this week, we discover out there’s some secret plan to take a look at destructive gearing.

On Sky Information this morning, chief of the opposition within the Senate, Simon Birmingham, stated the Labor authorities was “saying one thing on tax policy but looking at doing another”.

Earlier than the final election there have been going to be no adjustments to stage-three tax cuts, no adjustments to superannuation adjustments, no tinkering with franking credit, but they’ve achieved all of these issues.

Authorities looking for Treasury modelling on scaling again destructive gearing – report

With cost-of-living on the mind, a senior Labor official has informed the Sydney Morning Herald that the federal authorities has requested Treasury for a request for modelling on choices to cut back destructive gearing and capital good points tax concessions.

The professional recommendation might canvass adjustments to concessions on capital good points tax, indicating Labor could also be ready to take formidable housing coverage to the subsequent election.

The Greens have used Labor’s signature housing coverage, a shared fairness scheme known as Assist to Purchase, to push for cuts to destructive gearing and capital good points tax concessions. However in negotiations, the federal government has not budged.

Subsequent on to the price of residing, the prime minister acknowledges “we need to do more” to alleviate stress on Australians.

We all know individuals are underneath stress and we all know the supermarkets have been taken to courtroom now by the ACCC for … having a lend of Australian prospects, and we’ll take robust motion in opposition to them. We’ve additionally mandated the code of conduct so prospects are taken care of.

Lastly, Albanese is once more requested who he’s getting behind within the Granny. He says he has to go for Sydney.

I’m really a Hawthorn supporter, we’re a cheerful crew at Hawthorn, we have been fairly pleased with the season however the Swannies, I feel they’re an excellent factor, they’ve been one of the best crew all 12 months.

Funding standoff over Tasmania faculties in focus as Jason Clare visits

Albanese says the schooling minister, Jason Clare, can be in Tasmania as we speak to debate getting the state’s faculties to 100% of faculty funding.

He expects negotiations might be “really positive” with the state authorities.

The Tasmanian authorities is but to enroll to the commonwealth’s proposal to extend public faculty funding by 2.5% – holding out for a 5% improve to 25% alongside Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Once I checked in with the state’s schooling minister, Jo Palmer, final week, she stated the federal government was “investing more than ever before in education” and the federal authorities wanted to “do more to support our students”.

We need to proceed negotiations with the commonwealth in good religion and we proceed to hunt funding of the college resourcing normal to 100%.

It’ll be fascinating to see if the standoff adjustments as we speak.

PM says $120m for Tasmania coronary heart centre is a part of strengthening well being sector

Over in northern Tasmania, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is showing on ABC Radio concerning his announcement as we speak of a $120m funding into a neighborhood coronary heart centre.

It shouldn’t be the case that in case you’re in northern Tasmania and also you want this kind of help you must cross the Bass Strait and go to Melbourne.

He says the federal government desires to “strengthen Medicare and strengthen the health sector” by taking stress off emergency departments with specialised pressing care clinics.

In the event you get early remedy, it can save you cash in addition to save lives.

Matt Canavan cites Katy Perry in swipe at Greens

Nationals senator Matt Canavan has had a dig at each pop stars and political events on breakfast TV this morning, declaring “Katy Perry would do a better job running our economy than the Greens”.

Canavan was on to debate the Reserve Financial institution’s choice to maintain rates of interest regular yesterday, with the Greens urging the Treasurer to overrule the choice and produce charges down.

I feel Katy Perry would do a greater job working our economic system than the Greens. I imply, that is simply insane. Like, I imply, there’s elementary issues right here and other people perceive that … individuals know that instances are fairly robust and all of us have needed to tighten our personal belts and sacrifice issues due to that … it’s not simple to inform individuals, however in robust instances, there aren’t any simple options.

Requested what Canavan was most excited to listen to at Perry’s AFL Grand Closing efficiency this weekend, he replied: “Roar is the only Katy Perry song I know, so I wouldn’t say I love it”.

I most likely received’t be screaming at high of my lungs if she sings it, however … convey over Oasis. That’s who I need to see.

In the meantime, in Queensland, the state’s deputy premier and treasurer Cameron Dick will entrance the media as we speak to announce the Labor authorities’s help for a brand new 1,000 mattress pupil lodging growth on the College of Queensland.

When saying their controversial worldwide pupil cap, the federal authorities indicated constructing further pupil residences could be a measure that will enable suppliers to enrol college students in extra of their cap.

We’ll convey you extra on that announcement quickly.

Plibersek approves three coalmine expansions

We now have extra on surroundings minister Tanya Plibersek’s approval of three coalmine expansions on Tuesday from Graham Readfearn right here.

In a step described by conservationists as reckless and “the opposite of climate action”, not less than two of the mines, Narrabri and Mount Nice, will goal thermal coal for export and burning in energy stations.

The Australian Conservation Basis (ACF) stated the three tasks, all in New South Wales, would generate greater than 1.3bn tonnes of greenhouse gasoline emissions of their lifetime.

Learn extra:

Pharmacy guild urges individuals to hunt their providers amid physician ready instances

One in 10 individuals are ready greater than three weeks for a docs appointment, new information reveals, with the Australian Pharmacy Guild urging Australians to show to their providers for on a regular basis well being wants.

The president of the guild, Trent Twomey, appeared on ABC Information Breakfast this morning. He stated pharmacists have been now offering brief programs of antibiotics for uncomplicated UTIs, vaccinations and prescriptions for hormonal contraception.

There’s a variety of on a regular basis widespread well being circumstances which might be unnecessarily blocking up our emergency departments and contributing to these wait instances to see our valuable normal practitioners.

We might like to see extra GPs. Who doesn’t love their native household physician? My spouse and I and our kids definitely do. However everyone knows how troublesome it’s to not solely discover one, discover one which bulk-bills, however discover one which hasn’t closed their books and may take an appointment. That’s not simply within the bush, that’s in our main capital cities as effectively, whether or not it’s after 6pm or on a weekend, when your native pharmacy is open.

Good morning and plenty of due to Martin Farrer for kicking issues off for us. I’m Caitlin Cassidy and I’ll be with you on the weblog as we speak. As at all times, you may attain out at caitlin.cassidy@theguardian.com or by way of socials.

In March, a 22-year-old man was charged with homicide in relation to the disappearance of Samantha Murphy, who vanished on 4 February.

Police stated they undertook a “targeted search” within the Ballarat space on Tuesday as a part of the investigation, with the search to renew this morning.

Murphy’s household have additionally been suggested of the search.

Detectives from the lacking individuals squad in addition to a variety of specialist assets from throughout Victoria police, New South Wales police and the Australian federal police have been concerned within the search.

Since February, police have repeatedly undertaken a variety of enquiries and small-scale searches as half of the present investigation. We’re not able to produce additional particular particulars of as we speak’s operational exercise at the moment. Police ask that members of the general public don’t attend the search at the moment.

Google plans to broaden AI use in search

The subsequent query you ask Google might return with an in depth reply penned by synthetic intelligence. The tech big revealed plans to broaden its Google Search AI Overviews product to Australia on Tuesday, testing whether or not the summaries it creates will encourage customers to click on on extra hyperlinks.

Google’s AI Overviews, which have been examined within the US since Could, use the corporate’s generative AI software Gemini to summarise search outcomes for customers.

The AI software is usually used to reply to open-ended or advanced search queries, Google product search senior director Hema Budaraju informed AAP, the place it may summarise steps, analysis, or solutions on different web sites.

This might embody recommendations on clear a sofa, for instance, or steps to resolve a maths drawback.

A really small proportion of customers will see the AI overviews by default of their search outcomes on a subset of queries the place we imagine these overviews make the outcomes much more useful.

The software famously suffered errors in early testing when AI-generated summaries informed customers so as to add glue to cheese to make it stick on pizza and to eat one small rock a day. The harmful recommendation was based mostly on an previous Reddit remark and a satirical information article, respectively.

College of the Sunshine Coast pc science lecturer Dr Erica Mealy stated the errors highlighted the problem of utilizing a big language mannequin to elucidate points reasonably than to appropriate or counsel phrases.

– AAP

‘The opposite of climate action’?

Yesterday the surroundings minister, Tanya Plibersek, authorized three coalmine expansions in a step described by conservationists as reckless and “the opposite of climate action”.

When Anthony Albanese’s authorities got here to energy in 2022 it declared that, after a long time of catastrophe and neglect, the surroundings was going to be a high precedence.

However greater than two years later, and with a federal election looming, has something modified?

Guardian Australia’s local weather and surroundings editor, Adam Morton, speaks with Matilda Boseley in as we speak’s Full Story podcast about whether or not Labor has walked their discuss on the surroundings.

Adam Morton

Vitality future underneath debate

The Australian Vitality Market Operator has declared the nationwide grid would stay dependable because it shifted from working on largely coal to largely renewables, however it could require deliberate investments in new technology to be delivered “on time and in full”.

Bowen stated the Coalition’s proposal to restrict funding in large-scale renewables and finally construct nuclear crops would guarantee this didn’t occur.

“[Opposition leader] Peter Dutton wants to stop renewable investment, tear up contracts for new renewable and transmission projects, and deliver expensive nuclear reactors in two decades time,” he stated.

Dutton gave a speech on nuclear vitality on Monday, however didn’t launch new info about what the Coalition deliberate. He promised these particulars – together with the anticipated price for households and companies and the way the Coalition deliberate to forestall blackouts as ageing coal crops reached the tip of their scheduled lives – earlier than the subsequent election.

Adam Morton

Knowledge reveals renewables ‘on track’ – Bowen

The local weather change and vitality minister, Chris Bowen, stated the information confirmed the nationwide grid supplying the 5 jap states was anticipated to run on 42% renewable vitality this 12 months. He stated it confirmed its plan was “on track and building momentum”.

Dylan McConnell, an vitality techniques researcher on the College of New South Wales, stated the information confirmed the transition to a cleaner energy grid was progressing.

“There is this narrative that has developed that the transition has stalled and that’s demonstrably not true,” he stated. “It is happening, it just needs to speed up.”

Australia anticipated so as to add 7GW of renewable capability this 12 months

Adam Morton

Renewable vitality funding and development throughout Australia has rebounded past what had been forecast this 12 months after slumping in 2023, however might want to speed up additional to achieve the tempo wanted to fulfill the Albanese authorities’s purpose for 2030.

Australia is predicted so as to add greater than 7 gigawatts of renewable vitality capability to the nation’s grid this 12 months, up from 5.3 GW final 12 months, in response to information launched by the Clear Vitality Regulator. The brand new capability is cut up roughly equally between large-scale photo voltaic and wind farms and small rooftop photo voltaic techniques, totally on properties.

The regulator stated last funding selections have been made on 1.8GW of recent large-scale developments within the first half of the 12 months.

This surpassed the 1.6GW in complete commitments in 2023, when funding selections crashed to the bottom stage in years, partially attributable to a long-standing legislated federal renewable vitality goal reaching its capability and uncertainty over when coal-fired energy crops would shut.

The Albanese authorities selected to not broaden the legislated goal, however has promised to underwrite 25GW of recent large-scale photo voltaic and wind as they goal to have 82% of Australia’s electrical energy from renewable sources by 2030.

Welcome

Martin Farrer

Good morning and welcome to the rolling information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer with among the headlines from in a single day earlier than my colleague Caitlin takes over.

A lift in renewable expertise funding has been spruiked by the local weather change and vitality minister, Chris Bowen, as proof that wind and solar energy in Australia trumps a plan for nuclear vitality. The Clear Vitality Regulator stated yesterday that it was anticipating a mean of greater than 40% of the vitality grid to return from renewable vitality in 2024.

Victoria police are launching one other search this morning as a part of their investigation into the alleged homicide of Samantha Murphy, who went lacking in Ballarat in February.

Over the previous three a long time, Australia’s immigration system has provide you with not less than 25 completely different visa sorts to assist individuals pressured from their properties by humanitarian emergency, in response to refugee advocates. This big variation lays naked the complexities of the problem but additionally the iniquities. Learn Rafqa Touma and Ben Doherty’s interview with Hassan Elhassan, a Sudanese-Australian working two jobs to help his household, who’re denied a lot assist regardless of fleeing a civil warfare:

Extra arising.