Possibility Warragamba Dam may spill with current load at 96% capacity
WaterNSW is advising the public that based on current rainfall forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology, there is a possibility Warragamba Dam may fill and spill in coming days.
Warragamba Dam’s storage level is currently at 96% of capacity.
The timing and peak rates of a possible spill will depend on the exact timing and location of the rainfall received. The catchment area upstream of Warragamba Dam is more than 9,000 square kilometres in area and inflows can be received from a number of different rivers.
The bureau is forecasting periods of intense rain overnight in the catchment, which could see the dam fill and begin spilling as early as tomorrow (Friday) morning under the bureau’s less likely (25%) scenario.
Under the more likely forecast (50% chance) scenario, the dam would begin to spill later Friday or into Saturday morning.
It is likely that a number of other smaller Greater Sydney dams may experience minor spills in coming days, including Nepean, Cataract and Woronora.
Key events
Three people have died and one person is still missing amid flooding in the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions, the emergency services minister Kristy McBain says.
She spoke to ABC News Breakfast from Maitland a short while ago:
I’d like to pay my respects and condolences to the three lives that have been lost in this disaster, which has been obviously a big impact on local communities, friends and family. We still have one person missing at this stage so it’s really important to heed the Emergency Warnings.
Rain fall of up to 90mm forecast for Sydney
Heavy falls of up to 90mm is possible for the Sydney area today, as rain brings the possibility of storms, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
One dead after fire in Melbourne suburb of Langwarrin
A fire in Langwarrin, Victoria, has killed one.
Emergency services were called to the blaze at a residence on Lyppards Road about 2.10am, Victoria police said in a statement.
Three people were able to safely evacuate with no injuries. A fourth person, yet to be identified, was found deceased inside a rear bungalow.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and an arson chemist will attend the scene today.
Police urge anyone who witnessed the scene or with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Kempsey flood waters reached 7.1m, mayor says
Kempsey CBD was inundated as waters peaked at 7.1m last night, the Kempsey shire mayor, Kinne Ring, says.
She is speaking on ABC News Breakfast:
Many businesses have had water through and it’s going to be a mass clean-up in terms of the waste and what’s going to come out of those businesses who really didn’t have that much time to prepare.
Up to 50 businesses may have been affected, she says.
Downriver in Smithtown and Gladstone, houses have been inundated. Water coming through the bottom of their houses, it’s really awful to see and the water is going to take a bit of time to reside.
So even now, the water is at 6.8m, which is above the major flood level. It means we can’t get pumps in to pump out the CBD, so it’s going to be a challenging few days ahead.
Darren Chester criticises ‘part-time parliament’
Chester says Australians have already moved on from the election.
With eight sitting weeks left until the end of the year, the Nationals MP says “we’re basically going to have a part-time parliament”.
He is speaking on ABC News Breakfast:
Parliament is not returning for seven or eight weeks. Only eight sitting weeks between now and Christmas. We’re basically going to have a part-time parliament this year. I have never seen anything quite like it. From now until the end of November is going to be eight sitting weeks.
We do have time now to finalise coalition conversations, hopefully reach an agreement, and get the shadow ministers in their new roles and then they can get out there and engage with the Australian people, because what I would say is Australians have moved on from the election already.
Darren Chester says focus on Coalition split ‘frustrating’
Nationals MP Darren Chester says “there are bigger issues” than the makeup of the coalition.
He is speaking to ABC News Breakfast:
It’s been frustrating to be talking about ourselves at a time when, you know, much of the mid coast, the central coast and north coast of New South Wales is facing devastating floods including loss of life. And in close to home in Victoria central and western Victoria and northern Victoria right through South Australia there’s a devastating drought.
We need to resolve our issues as quickly as we can, because there are bigger issues facing rural and regional Australians than the make-up of the coalition. We need to make sure we get back being a strong and incredible opposition as quickly as possible and I’m hoping that these negotiations can consider – can continue now in a positive and constructive way.
Rain and flooding continues to inundate the New South Wales Hunter and mid-north coast regions.
There have been 1,535 incidents, including 177 flood rescues, in the past 24 hours, the NSW SES says.
Malcolm Turnbull says Nationals ‘holding a gun’ to the Liberals
Commenting on the Coalition split, former liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Nationals are “holding a gun to [the] head” of the Liberals with their policy demands.
Turnbull said “policies are of academic interest only until such time as we get close to an election”.
He told the ABC’s Insiders: On Background podcast:
This is a fight about nothing. They’ve just done enormous harm for no purpose at all, the Nationals, by blowing it up in this way.
It’s really, really unwise, stupid politically.
The National party is treating the Liberal party with zero respect and trying to stand over them, and if Sussan Ley goes along with it … everybody will be saying this is just another case of the tail wagging the dog.
Rafqa Touma
Thank you to Martin Farrer for getting the blog rolling this morning. I’ll be updating you from here – let’s go.
A makeup is on the cards – but could a Nationals split have been good for rural voters?
As this week’s Newsroom edition of the Full Story podcast was recorded, the Liberal and National parties were still locked in discussions over the Coalition agreement after the parties dramatically parted ways earlier in the week.
But although a Coalition reunion is now on the cards, Bridie Jabour speaks to Mike Ticher and former rural and regional editor Gabrielle Chan about why the breakup could be good for regional voters.
Listen here:
Watchdog sends warning to Musk’s Starlink
Elon Musk’s Starlink has been put on notice by the Australian communications watchdog, Australian Associated Press reports.
The controversial billionaire’s satellite internet service has received a warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) over complaints about recordkeeping.
Telecommunications companies with more than 30,000 active services are required to file complaints reports with the authority no later than 30 days after each quarter. But Starlink failed to do so on four occasions between October 2023 and July 2024.
“Starlink’s failure to submit the required complaints reports in a timely way hampered the ACMA in its role of monitoring whether Starlink is meeting its obligations towards consumers,” Samantha Yorke, a member of the Acma, said.
The company has since provided the outstanding complaints reports and cooperated throughout the investigation.
The Starlink satellite service has increased in popularity in parts of regional Australia, where internet is provided through the slower copper network instead of fibre-optic cables. Some say it could compete with Australia’s National Broadband Network as thousands across the country are now believed to use the service in their homes.
However, there are lingering concerns about the risks it could pose.
In December, a regional telecommunications review found the foreign ownership of systems such as Starlink raises questions about data security and sovereign risks.
Possibility Warragamba Dam may spill with current load at 96% capacity
WaterNSW is advising the public that based on current rainfall forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology, there is a possibility Warragamba Dam may fill and spill in coming days.
Warragamba Dam’s storage level is currently at 96% of capacity.
The timing and peak rates of a possible spill will depend on the exact timing and location of the rainfall received. The catchment area upstream of Warragamba Dam is more than 9,000 square kilometres in area and inflows can be received from a number of different rivers.
The bureau is forecasting periods of intense rain overnight in the catchment, which could see the dam fill and begin spilling as early as tomorrow (Friday) morning under the bureau’s less likely (25%) scenario.
Under the more likely forecast (50% chance) scenario, the dam would begin to spill later Friday or into Saturday morning.
It is likely that a number of other smaller Greater Sydney dams may experience minor spills in coming days, including Nepean, Cataract and Woronora.
NSW flooding update
Large parts of New South Wales continued to be inundated with heavy rain, flash flooding and winds overnight as the coastal trough that has caused fatal flooding in the mid-north coast moved south.
Three people have died in the flooding and police and emergency services are continuing to search for a missing man.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain over the Illawarra, parts of the Hunter, Sydney, south coast, central tablelands, southern tablelands and Snowy Mountains.
There was also a warning for strong winds today on Sydney waters, the Hunter coast, Sydney coast, Illawarra coast, Batemans coast and Eden coast.
The BoM said the weather system had already caused havoc along the mid-north coast – including leaving 48,000 stranded in their homes – was now threatening areas further south with heavy rain and severe winds.
It predicted widespread rain with embedded heavy showers, particularly over the Hunter and into the Great Dividing Range, the BoM said at 11pm last night. Heavy rainfall was expected to extend further south to the southern tablelands and inland south coast later on Friday.
Ongoing moderate rainfall could develop into heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding over parts of the Hunter and Central Coast, as well as the Great Dividing Range to the north of Goulburn. This risk includes the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands.
Six-hourly rainfall totals of 60mm to 100 mm are possible, with 24-hourly totals between 100mm and 160 mm.
Rainfall is expected to ease gradually from the north, through the Hunter during Friday morning, central parts of the state during late Friday afternoon or evening, before finally easing over the south-east during Saturday morning.
Read our full story here:
Stephanie Convery
Two 12-year-old girls charged over alleged group assault in Sydney
Two girls have been charged over the assault of a man and woman in Sydney’s eastern suburbs yesterday, NSW police have said.
In a statement this afternoon, police said they responded to reports of an assault inside the courtyard of a unit complex in Eastgardens at about 5.15pm.
A 42-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man were allegedly assaulted by a group of about seven teenagers. The pair were treated by paramedics for facial injuries and were taken to Prince of Wales hospital, Randwick. They have since been discharged.
Two 12-year-old girls were arrested today in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and each charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of others and affray. They will appear at a children’s court on 19 June.
Investigations are ongoing.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before Rafqa Touma picks up the slack.
Large parts of New South Wales continued to be inundated with heavy rain, flash flooding and winds overnight as the coastal trough that has claimed three lives in the mid-north coast moved south. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning of heavy rain last night for the Illawarra, parts of the Hunter, Sydney and other regions last night. A lot of water is falling in the catchment area for the Warragamba dam, which may spill later today. More details coming up.
Starlink, the satellite communications service set up by Elon Musk, has been put on notice by the Australian communications watchdog. The company received a warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority about its failure to keep proper records of complaints made by customers. More coming up.
