Ladies Lounge creator Kirsha Kaechele exiting a hearing in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 19 March. Photograph: Jesse Hunniford Mona/Charlotte Vignau
Ladies Lounge creator Kirsha Kaechele exiting a hearing in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 19 March. Photograph: Jesse Hunniford Mona/Charlotte Vignau
Tanya Plibersek rejects Toondah harbour project over impact on globally significant wetlands
Lisa Cox
The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, has announced she will reject an apartment and retail development on an internationally important wetland at Queensland’s Moreton Bay.
Plibersek has said she would refuse Walker Corporation’s Toondah harbour project – first proposed eight years ago, and opposed by a long-running community campaign backed by scientists and conservationists – because it would have an unacceptable impact on the Ramsar site.
I have made my proposed decision, which is to protect Moreton Bay from unacceptable impacts from a proposed development.
These wetlands are rare, unique and important to prevent the extinction of animals like the eastern curlew and loggerhead turtle.
My proposed decision says that we can’t destroy portions of this internationally important wetland.
Welfare payments not covering basic essentials: Anglicare report
Australians on welfare are struggling to survive one of the toughest cost of living crises in decades as payments fail to cover necessities, a new report shows.
Research by Anglicare Australia shows households with the lowest incomes are bearing the brunt of the nation’s worst inflationary period since the 1980s.
Despite the soaring cost of essentials such as food and housing, most Centrelink payments are only raised through indexation and are not keeping up, the report says.
Households on lower incomes spend a greater proportion of their budgets on essential items and have less capacity to absorb higher prices or reduce their discretionary spending.
The report found in the past two years, housing costs went up by 22% while food and groceries prices rose 17% and electricity costs 17%.
It has become clear over the past 18 months that many Australians are living too precariously to cope with the shocks brought on by rising living costs.
A Centrelink sign in Brisbane. Photograph: Darren England/AAP
The charity urged the federal government to raise the rate of all social security payments above the poverty line.
It also called for the establishment of an Independent Social Security Commission which would have the power to set and adjust income support payments based on the cost of living.
Vice Admiral David Johnston to serve as new ADF chief
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the media about a number of senior command changes within the Australian Defence Force. Subject to the governor-general’s consideration and approval, the changes will take effect in July this year, Albanese said.
The first recommended change is for Vice Admiral David Johnston to serve as the new chief of the defence force. Albanese said:
Vice Admiral Johnston is a proven leader, with the experience, intellect and resolve to lead the ADF in a complex and rapidly changing global strategic environment … In the Indo-Pacific, Iraq and Afghanistan, Vice Admiral Johnson has consistently distinguished himself with his capacity to ensure that different elements of defence work together.
His understanding of integrated defence will be critical to delivering on the priorities and recommendations of the defence strategic review, ensuring our defence force has the right capabilities and the right leadership to meet the challenges ahead.
Record for batteries as home energy systems top 250,000
There has been a 21% rise in the use of household batteries – that is, large-scale batteries that can power the home, usually charged by solar – according to Australia’s annual battery market report.
A record 57,000 battery systems were installed in Australian homes in 2023, while a record 656 megawatt/hours of residential battery capacity came online – along with a record-breaking level of installations in businesses of 402MW/h.
Big batteries totalled a record 1,410MW/h of capacity installed as more states turn to energy storage to better manage the evolving electricity grid.
SunWiz’s managing director, Warwick Johnston, released the report today and said:
The economic value of batteries is also increasing as the gap widens between what power companies charge for electricity and what they pay for Australian home owners’ excess solar energy.
Homes in Queensland with solar panels on roofs. Photograph: ImagePatch/Getty Images
Home batteries, or home energy storage systems, soak up excess solar energy during the day to be used in the evening and overnight, particularly for charging electric cars.
The cumulative number of home energy storage systems installed in Australia has topped 250,000, totalling 2,770MW/h, SunWiz said.
At grid-scale and with homes and businesses combined, almost 6,000MW/h of battery storage has been installed since 2015, the report found.
Search to resume this morning for missing bushwalker
A search will resume this morning for a woman who went missing while bushwalking at Belmore Falls in New South Wales.
Just after 1pm on Sunday, emergency services were called to Belmore Falls near Robertson after reports a woman had slipped and fallen down a cliff. An extensive search was initiated, but the 20-year-old was not located and the search was suspended at dusk.
The multi-agency search resumed at 8am yesterday, with police divers assisting.
A command post has now been established at the Belmore Falls lookout car park and the search was scheduled to resume around 8am today, police said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Calls for Amazon, Costco to fall under supermarket code of conduct
Global retail behemoths Amazon and Costco should be subject to the supermarket code of conduct alongside other large Australian companies, according to grocery giant Woolworths.
While Woolworths is already a signatory to the voluntary code and supports making it compulsory, the company believes more retailers should be subject to its terms. A spokesperson said:
The code should apply to all major retailers operating in Australia, including global retail giants such as Amazon and Costco, who have global revenues many times the size of Australian supermarkets.
Amazon’s Melbourne fulfilment centre. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian
Hardware retailer Bunnings and pharmacy Chemist Warehouse, who compete in grocery categories like household cleaning goods and personal care, should also fall under the code, Woolworths argued.
The interim review into the food and grocery code of conduct recommended the guidelines be made mandatory for supermarkets with yearly revenues exceeding $5bn, and for any breaches to be met with up to $10m in fines.
Coles, Woolworths and IGA owners Metcash all said they would consider the detail of the interim report. An Amazon spokesperson said the company was “pleased to play a role in driving competition in the general retail sector to the benefit of all Australians”.
A man has died following a single-vehicle crash in Sydney’s lower north shore.
Just after 4am, emergency services responded to reports a vehicle had crashed on Epping Road at Willoughby.
A statement from NSW police confirmed the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene.
The incident caused heavy traffic along the Hills Motorway, and according to Live Traffic significant delays can still be expected hours later with heavy traffic conditions still ongoing.
Live Traffic says Mowbray Road is closed between Epping Road and Whitfield Avenue, with two of the three eastbound lanes closed along Epping Road.
Emergency services, Transport for NSW, a motorway crew and the crash investigation unit are all attending the incident.
Police officers have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and a report will be prepared for the coroner, a statement said.
Melbourne park asbestos test results to be revealed
Melburnians living near several parks are slated to find out whether the areas have been contaminated with asbestos, AAP reports.
The Environment Protection Authority is investigating after the cancer-causing substance was found at parks in the Hobsons Bay and Merri-bek council areas.
Inspectors have confirmed asbestos was found at the under-construction park at Hosken Reserve at North Coburg, the PJ Lynch Reserve at Altona North and the Donald McLean Reserve at Spotswood.
Lab results due this afternoon are expected to confirm contamination results for three others: PA Burns Reserve at Altona, GJ Hosken Reserve at Altona North and Crofts Reserve at Altona North.
EPA Victoria’s Duncan Pendrigh speaking to the media yesterday. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP
It is unclear whether inspectors have already confirmed asbestos contamination at Shore Reserve at Pascoe Vale South.
Early investigations raised concerns the asbestos was being introduced to the parks through mulch deliveries, like the contaminated mulch crisis in NSW. But the regulator has said there was no evidence of that. The authority’s Duncan Pendrigh said:
Mulch producers are unlikely the source for this contamination. There may be something being introduced in the supply chain.
The pieces of confirmed asbestos found at the Melbourne parks so far have been bonded asbestos, rather than the more dangerous friable asbestos.
Australia and its Aukus partners, the US and the UK, have announced they are considering working with Japan on pillar 2 of the defence deal.
The countries released a joint statement this morning, which said:
Since the inception of Aukus, our nations have been clear in our intent to engage others in pillar II projects as our work progresses … Recognising Japan’s strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries we are considering cooperation with Japan on Aukus pillar II advanced capability projects.
The lengthy statement details Aukus’ progress so far and upcoming plans, across both pillar 1 (nuclear-powered submarines) and pillar 2 (advanced capability development).
The Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, UK secretary of state for defence, Grant Shapps, and the US secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, said that from the inception of Aukus, they intended to engage with other nations on pillar 2 projects:
Aukus partners have developed principles and models for additional partner engagement in individual Pillar II projects and will undertake consultations in 2024 with prospective partners regarding areas where they can contribute to, and benefit from, this historic work.
The statement makes it clear this is an intent to work with Japan, not a confirmation.
The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Good morning and happy Tuesday. Welcome back to another day on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll take you through our rolling coverage.
Early this morning Australia and its Aukus partners – the US and the UK – confirmed that they are considering working with Japan on Aukus pillar 2. Yesterday our reporter Daniel Hurst flagged that the countries were considering expanding the pact. A joint statement said:
Since the inception of Aukus, our nations have been clear in our intent to engage others in pillar II projects as our work progresses … Recognising Japan’s strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries we are considering cooperation with Japan on Aukus pillar II advanced capability projects.
More on this shortly.
AAP is reporting that Melburnians living near several parks are slated to find out whether the areas have been contaminated with asbestos. Inspectors have confirmed asbestos was found at an under-construction park at Hosken Reserve at North Coburg, the PJ Lynch Reserve at Altona North and the Donald McLean Reserve at Spotswood.
Lab results due this afternoon are expected to confirm contamination results for three others: PA Burns Reserve at Altona, GJ Hosken Reserve at Altona North and Crofts Reserve at Altona North.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
