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Today’s headlines
By Catherine Naylor
And that wraps up our live coverage for the day. Here’s a summary of the main stories:
Thanks for joining us today.
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More than 100,000 homes still without power after deadly storms in Victoria
About 130,000 Victorian properties remain without power after deadly and destructive storms caused the largest blackout in the state’s history on Tuesday.
Five regional hospitals are running on generator power, down from 15, as authorities rush to prioritise fuel and power restoration to these sites, but they could remain disconnected for at least three days.
Transmission towers in Anakie, on as 500 kilovolt line near Geelong, were knocked down in wild storms on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, authorities believe 25 to 30 homes were destroyed in a bushfire that struck Pomonal in the Grampians National Park on Tuesday.
The storms and power outages caused widespread issues with the triple-zero emergency line, particularly in Gippsland, after 39 Ambulance Victoria branches lost power.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the storms inflicted significant damage statewide, with wind and trees taking down power lines and collapsing transmission towers near Geelong. The damage could take weeks to fully fix.
At its peak about 530,000 properties were left without power due to the damage from storms, strong winds and lightning. Generators could be sent out to communities expected to remain off the grid beyond 48 hours.
AAP
Australia helps Pacific rivals get to Olympics
Australian taxpayers will help fund Pacific nations get to the looming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Sports in 13 Pacific nations will receive $1.47 million funding from the federal government in partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
Fiji wins gold in the rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.Credit: AP
The funding and logistical support will assist some Pacific rivals of Australian athletes at the July 26-August 11 Olympics and August 28-September 8 Paralympics.
Rugby Sevens, boxing, weightlifting, swimming and athletics are among 15 sports to receive support from the government’s PacificAus Sports program.
Federal Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the program builds on a shared “deep and enduring love of sport” in Australia and the Pacific.
The government and the AOC hope the program, described as a sports diplomacy initiative, will further strengthen Australia’s bond with Pacific nations.
AAP
War Memorial calls for help to decipher old love letters
The Australian War Memorial is calling for volunteers to transcribe love letters and diaries from its collection.
Images of hundreds of thousands of handwritten documents have been released on the memorial’s new digital platform Transcribe on Valentine’s Day, among them a love letter by an Australian soldier in the hours before he died in the landing at Gallipoli.
One of the letters between Malcolm Keshan and Dorothy Williams sent in 1944.Credit: Australian War Memorial
The hope is that an army of volunteers will go online to decipher the material and type it out, making it easier to access for historians and the general public.
But some of the material is hard to decipher, such as one letter in cursive script that is written over “I love you” repeated in a swirl across the page.
“I tell you this much, if only I could get the necessary money I’d bowl right up to Woolworths and spirit you off to get married now,” wrote the love-struck serviceman.
The national collection includes years of correspondence between prisoners of war and their lovers back in Australia, such as that of Dorothy Keshan and Malcolm “Mac” William Keshan, who was a prisoner of war in Germany from 1941-45 during World War II.
“The only good thing about all this passing time is that each day brings you a little closer, I feel pretty certain that it won’t be much longer sweetheart,” she wrote to him in one of hundreds of letters between the pair.
“All this time passing only makes me miss you so more and more, and - I’m waiting for you Mac.”
AAP
Tasmanian Premier announces election date
Tasmanians are heading to the polls on March 23, more than a year ahead of schedule.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who has governed in minority since May, pulled the trigger on an early election after failing to resolve a stand-off with two crossbench independents.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
He announced the poll date after being given the green light by the Governor this afternoon.
“Parliament has become unworkable. I’m not going to allow my government to be held to ransom for the next 12 months,” he said.
The Liberals were elected for a record third consecutive term in 2021 with 13 of 25 lower house seats.
Australia’s only Liberal government was plunged into minority when John Tucker and Lara Alexander quit the party to sit as independents.
AAP
Homes lost in Victorian bushfires
An unknown number of homes have been lost to bushfires as emergency crews work to contain blazes in Victoria’s west.
While the threat has eased in the Grampians National Park, two watch and act warnings for separate fires remain in place for residents to the park’s north and east.
A bushfire has destroyed several homes at Pomonal, near the Grampians National Park.Credit: Nine News
Homes have been lost in Pomonal to the east of the national park, but it is unclear how many, Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“We are still in the emergency response phase, this event is still ongoing,” she told reporters at the State Control Centre on Wednesday.
Almost all fires sparked in Victoria on Tuesday are believed to have been started by lightning strikes as storms lashed the state, with winds between 120km/h and 157km/h downing trees and electrical infrastructure, Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said.
AAP
Farmer killed in Victorian storms
A dairy farmer has been killed and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses remain without power after Victoria’s destructive storms.
The 50-year-old man was struck by debris while working on a roof at a property in Darlimurla in South Gippsland on Tuesday, police say. He died at the scene.
Storm damage in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.Credit: Wayne Taylor
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said the nearby township of Mirboo North became isolated in the storms through road closures, with the Country Fire Authority stepping in to supply water. It has since been reconnected.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the storms inflicted significant damage statewide, with wind and trees taking down power lines and collapsing transmission towers between Melbourne and Geelong.
The disaster is one of the largest power outages in Victorian history and could take weeks to fully fix. At its peak about 530,000 properties were left without power due to the damage from storms, strong winds and lightning.
Authorities are considering bringing in generators for communities expected to remain off the grid beyond 48 hours.
AAP
Dutton accuses government of failing to keep Australians safe
By Olivia Ireland
After a few dixer questions to the government, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sought leave to move a motion that the Albanese government had failed to keep Australians safe after the release of 149 detainees.
Leader of the House of Representatives Tony Burke did not grant leave to Dutton, who then moved that the standing orders be suspended for him to make his statement.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton during question time.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Dutton moved that the government had “failed in the duty” to manage the released 149 detainees following the High Court ruling that indefinite immigration detention was illegal.
“[We call] upon the prime minister to dismiss this incompetent minister [for immigration Andrew Giles] who is proven entirely inadequate to the task of keeping Australians safe. Mr Speaker, this minister has to go; this week the prime minister needs to show leadership,” Dutton shouted to the house, before Burke moved that the motion be dealt with after question time.
Steggall takes a stand over immigration questions
By Olivia Ireland
Another three questions were asked of Immigration Minister Andrew Giles about the 149 released detainees – which sparked a point of order from Independent member for Warringah Zali Steggall about imputations being in questions.
Liberal backbencher Aaron Violi asked: “The Albanese government has released 149 criminals from immigration detention. Last night at Senate estimates, the AFP was unable to confirm if any of those murderers or rapists the minister has released are among those who have committed new crimes. Minister, have any of the seven murderers, 37 sex offenders or 72 other violent criminals released committed a new offence?”
Member for Warringah Zali Steggall.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Before Giles could answer, Steggall made a point of order, referring to a section of the House of Representatives standing orders that states questions must not contain inferences or imputations.
“The release of these detainees was made as a result of the High Court decision, that is not reflected in the question,” Steggall argued.
Speaker of the House Milton Dick said it was not his role to give judgment on whether statements were accurate or not, to which Steggall questioned what the purpose of the standing orders was if the Speaker could not rule.
“I appreciate the member’s interest and I appreciate her raising the point of order. The difficulty for me as chair is I would start ruling out nearly every question,” he said.
Giles cops more questions on freed immigration detainees
By Olivia Ireland
Two questions have already been asked of Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on the 149 people released from immigration detention after the High Court ruling that indefinite detention was illegal.
Coalition spokesman for immigration Dan Tehan asks Giles how the government is continuously monitoring the released detainees if 18 have been arrested by state and territory police.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“How could the minister claim they have been continuously monitored if in fact they’ve been left to their own devices to commit crimes?” Tehan asks.
Giles responds: “The location of every individual in this cohort is known, every individual’s location is known and unlike those opposite, I want to reassure Australians and remind them of what the AFP acting deputy commissioner [Grant Nicholls] said last night to Senate estimates … ‘I don’t think there’s any difficulty in knowing where they are, they’re monitored through the mechanism of those clauses which are placed upon them which are quite restrictive.’
“On this side of the house we trust our law enforcement and thank them for their work in keeping Australians safe.”
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2024-02-14 05:39:34Z
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