Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches reopen
Waverley council has confirmed all of its beaches have been reopened following a site inspection, after thousands of tar balls washed ashore.
The council said no remaining evidence of the debris could be found at Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches. Mysterious tar balls washing up in Sydney had forced the closure of seven beaches in total.
The mayor, Will Nemesh, said the council would continue to prioritise the safety of the community, and would continue to monitor the situation closely:
The safety of our community is always paramount. Working with government authorities, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep the community updated and safe.
Key events
Luca Ittimani
Dutton says Hamas leader’s death ‘a great day for the world’
Peter Dutton has issued a statement celebrating the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Writing on X, the opposition leader said the world was “a safer place without evil terrorists like Yahya Sinwar”.
He had equal disdain for Israelis, as evidenced by the 7th of October atrocity, as he did for his own people whom he used as human shields and kept impoverished in pursuit of his own twisted worldview.
Release the hostages now and mark his death as a great day for the Middle East and the world.
Victoria weather warning issued amid damaging winds
A severe weather warning is in place for parts of Victoria amid widespread damaging winds.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, locations which may be impacted include Bacchus Marsh, Mt Baw Baw, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Omeo.
Strong winds around 50-60km/h with damaging gusts around 90km/h are expected about the central and northeastern ranges, with the risk extending to the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne from midmorning to midday.
The risk of damaging gusts is set to ease from the west this morning and clear in the afternoon, but the Bureau said some uncertainty remains on the position and strength of the low tracking across Victoria – and future warnings may be issued.
Separate severe thunderstorm warnings are likely this afternoon across Victoria, it said.
A separate warning is in place for stone fruit growers across the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central, North East, South West and Central forecast districts, and parts Gippsland, as humidity may cause “a heavy outbreak of brown rot.”
There are currently no other severe weather warnings active across the country, but we’ll keep you updated throughout the day.
Tornado warning for Victoria
VicEmergency says there is a possibility of tornadoes forming in part of the state, ahead of a day of wild weather and severe thunderstorms.
It wrote on X that destructive winds, giant hail and intense rainfall were possible in the north-east and eastern parts of the Northern Country and North Central districts:
There is also a possibility of tornadoes forming in this area. However, the risk could be almost anywhere in the state. The western and central parts of Victoria, including Melbourne, could also experience damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain.
Three-year-old hit by car in Melbourne yesterday dies in hospital
A three-year-old girl who was left with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a car in Melbourne yesterday has died in hospital.
A 24-year-old man has been charged with one count of dangerous driving causing serious injury following the collision, which occurred at the intersection of James Cook Drive and Heatherton Road around 8.30am yesterday.
It is alleged the child was crossing Heatherton Road at a pedestrian crossing with family when she was struck by a car.
She was critically injured and taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition, but has died in hospital.
The driver of the car stopped at the scene and was arrested by police, and has been bailed to appear before Melbourne magistrates court on 23 October.
Police expect further charges to be considered following the death of the child.
Luca Ittimani
Greens MP shocked Queensland premier favours LNP rule over working with Greens
Queensland Greens MP for South Brisbane, Amy McMahon, says premier Steven Miles’ claim to prefer minority LNP state government than a minority Labor one showed there was “very little [difference] between Labor and the LNP”.
In an interview with Guardian Australia, Miles said he wanted a majority in his own right after the 26 October state election, ruling out any horse-trading with independents and minor parties:
Talking to ABC RN, McMahon said Miles’ comments were “pretty incredible”:
He would prefer an LNP government – that could wind back abortion laws, who will be supercharging the climate crisis, who will be supercharging the housing crisis – as opposed to working with the Greens.
McMahon said it was particularly surprising given Labor had “picked up a number of Greens policies”:
We have been pushing for free public transport for many years. We now have 50 cent fares. The Labor party have announced setting up a public electricity retailer, they’ve talked about offering free school lunches, things that the Greens have been campaigning on for years … we’ve been able to squeeze these concessions out of the government. Imagine what we could do with even more Greens MPs in parliament.
Labor has warded off allegations of plagiarism from the Greens since promising a free lunch for every Queensland state primary school student last week. McMahon introduced a private members’ motion in 2021 calling for the policy, which Labor voted down:
Tamsin Rose
NSW to announce scheme for start-up critical mineral projects
The New South Wales government will announce this morning the creation of a $250m royalty deferral initiative to facilitate the start-up of critical minerals projects.
The government will also examine a new rapid framework for mineral mining projects as part of its efforts to transform the state into a “global leader in critical minerals”.
NSW has significant deposits of several critical minerals and metals, including scandium, cobalt, copper, and silver, which are all needed to make clean energy materials.
The premier, Chris Minns, said the state was “open for business”.
This is about backing regional jobs and manufacturing jobs, and taking advantage of the critical minerals boom. We want to make sure we fully realise the opportunities that critical minerals and high-tech metals have for NSW.
PM says Hamas leader’s death could be ‘turning point’ in Gaza war
Anthony Albanese has issued a statement following news Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, has been killed by Israeli forces.
The prime minister wrote on X that Sinwar was “a terrorist and the architect of the atrocities committed on October 7”, and that his death could be a “vital turning point” in the conflict:
He was an enemy of the Israeli people and an enemy of peace-loving people everywhere. His death is a significant moment and can be a vital turning point in this devastating conflict.
Australia joins with the international community in renewing our call for the return of the hostages, urgent humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza and a ceasefire that will break the cycle of violence and put the region on the path to an enduring two state solution.
Minns ‘has to go’: union takes hard line on right to protest
Labor premier Chris Minns doesn’t deserve a second term, says a trade union leader who threatens to “go” any leader standing by anti-protest laws.
As AAP reports, civil libertarians, jailed protesters and backbench NSW Labor MPs took aim at increased policing of rallies yesterday while highlighting creeping authoritarianism towards political protest.
The concerns come after pressure from federal opposition leader Peter Dutton to ban pro-Palestine rallies in recent weeks and a review ordered by Minns into the cost of policing weekly events.
The maritime union went further than all others, attacking Minns’ credibility and warning that he’d face union opposition if he failed to repeal anti-protest laws.
The maritime union’s Sydney branch president, Paul Keating, said:
Chris Minns is probably one of the most conservative premiers in this state. He doesn’t deserve that position as premier and it’s time that he goes.
Keating and other activists called for the immediate repeal of laws that imposed harsher penalties including jail time for blockading major roads or public facilities.
The state legislation, criticised for being anti-democratic, was rushed through parliament with Coalition and Labor support in 2022 following repeated disruptive protests in central Sydney.
Further to this, Minns is also under the pump from other unions, as Sarah Basford Canales reports:
Deputy premier says LNP candidate’s abortion comment should ‘send chill down spine’ of Queenslanders
Luca Ittimani
Queensland’s deputy premier and treasurer, Cameron Dick, says a Liberal National party candidate’s reported comments on abortion “should send a chill down the spine of every person in Queensland”.
Dick was up on ABC RN this morning, where he was asked why Labor continued to warn that opposition leader David Crisafulli would repeal abortion protections, despite Crisafulli’s insistence he would make no change.
Dick said media reports showed the Liberal candidate had “come out and [told] the truth today about abortion”.
She said: ‘I can’t say anything yet, because we have to get elected before we do.’ And this should send a chill down the spine of every person in Queensland, that this party that is full of anti-abortion activists, that these people want to make it a crime to have a termination of pregnancy.
The Australian has reported LNP candidate Freya Ostapovitch, contesting the Labor-held Brisbane seat of Stretton, has been caught telling Queenslanders at an early voting booth that she wants legislation overhauled:
You vote for me, you trust me. I can’t say anything yet because we have got to get elected before we do anything … I am on the record, I am pro-life. This babies born alive stuff, it just breaks my heart.
Dick claimed a bill on abortion was on the way, pointing to crossbench MP Robbie Katter’s promise to trigger a conscience vote to restrict – and possibly even criminalise – abortion:
People [will] have to have to vote on their conscience, and we know [Crisafulli] voted to maintain the criminality of having a termination of pregnancy in 2018. Yesterday was six years to the day since our Labor government decriminalised terminations of pregnancy Patricia, and he voted against it.
You can read more on the abortion fight ahead of Queensland’s state election on 26 October below:
SES warns against non-essential travel to western NSW areas hit by blackouts
Supt Joshua Clarke from the New South Wales SES spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier about the storms forecast for large parts of the state today.
He said transmission lines had come down at Broken Hill – which we flagged earlier – causing major power outages for several communities.
With that, we’re requesting that people – if they don’t need to travel to that part of the state – is to avoid … travel to the far west of the state.
These communities are without power, there is telecommunication outages in some locations as well, and the restoration of these services … could take a few weeks to achieve.
He said some communities were surviving on diesel back-up generation at the moment, and there was a “whole-of-government response to support these communities”.
In terms of the forecast for today, the focus would be on the NSW Riverina in the morning, before the storm moves through central parts of the state and into the east by the afternoon.
It’s really hard to pinpoint any specific location that is of concern.
DV a key concern in property disputes, peak legal body says
Making domestic violence a key consideration in property disputes would help create a family law system that supports victim-survivors, a parliamentary inquiry will be told.
As AAP reports, Women’s Legal Services Australia will today tell a public hearing into proposed changes to family law about the impact family violence can have on women’s economic wellbeing – which is exacerbated by the “unfair” distribution of property post-separation.
The legislation will seek to make the family law system safer and simpler for separating couples, and ensure the financial breakdown is fair for both parties.
Meaghan Bradshaw, from the peak body for community legal centres specialising in women’s legal issues, said perpetrators often used systems to continue inflicting further violence – such as withholding financial support and failing to disclose financial records. She will say:
Women who access our services often report being scared of seeking a property settlement due to fear of escalating violence. We also know women often do not leave violent relationships because they are effectively forced to choose between violence or poverty.
The inquiry must report back by the end of October.
