Already affected areas could see life-threatening flooding, BoM says
A representative from the Bureau of Meteorology is also providing an update on the weather situation in north Queensland. He said the severe weather warning extends from Ayr through to Tully, and these areas could see “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding”.
That includes already impacted towns such as Townsville, Cardwell and Ingham.
Daily rainfall totals of up to 250mm are forecast across the region, with some areas seeing higher isolated falls.
He said severe thunderstorm activity was also forecast today, stretching along the Flinders Highway communities as far west as Mount Isa.
Given that our catchments are already saturated, additional rainfall over the weekend is very likely to see renewed rises and, particularly for some of those areas where we have already seen significant impacts, we may see major flood warnings again.
Key events
TAFE teachers in Victoria are celebrating, after a new agreement was secured that will deliver a minimum salary increase of 21% over four years, including a 14% increase in the first 14 months of the deal.
The first increase, backdated to November 2024, will bring Victorian TAFE teachers into line with similarly qualified and experienced Victorian public school teachers.
The top rate for a classroom-based TAFE teacher will grow to $134,775 by the end of the agreement. While a current Level 3.3, and a level 1.2 teacher’s salary goes from $83,429 to $100,912.
Australian troops who trained Ukrainian soldiers call for recognition for their service
From AAP:
Australian troops who trained Ukrainians in the UK to help prepare them for their fight against Russia’s invasion have called for recognition of their service.
In submissions to a parliamentary inquiry probing the Defence honours and awards system, soldiers who deployed as part of Operation Kudu described their task as the “most significant” of their military careers.
“In spite of the language barrier, we became mates and learned a lot from each other,” one soldier wrote. “We heard stories of how the war has affected the recruits and their families.”
The anonymous soldier from the 5th battalion of the Royal Australian regiment deployed for three months in late 2023 and spoke about how ADF personnel during that rotation would keep track of the Ukrainians they had trained.
Market report at close of week
From AAP:
The local share market has finished slightly lower, pulling back from its all-time high ahead of another set of US jobs figures that could shift expectations for US rate cuts.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Friday dipped 20.9 points, or 0.24%, to 8,511.4, while the broader All Ordinaries lost 4.8 points, or 0.05%, to 8,780.3.
The ASX200 fell 20.9 points for the week, making up most of Monday’s 152.9-point plunge after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China.
The index set an all-time closing high of 8,532 last Friday.
The Australian dollar was buying 62.84 US cents, from 62.50 US cents at 5pm on Thursday.
Albanese pleads for turn away from political polarisation
Earlier today, the PM pleaded for the heat and polarisation that has taken hold in some democracies overseas to be turned down. He said:
The truth is that we do live in circumstances where the number of threats that have been made towards elected representatives [has increased].
People will say things on social media that they would never say to you face to face, and they engage in a way that seems to ramp up from zero to 11 straight away … [we want] to be able to have civil discourse in this country.
I don’t want to see the sort of polarisation that we see in some of our democracies around the world happen here.
– With AAP
Man who escaped from NSW correctional facility extradited from ACT and charged
NSW police said a man who escaped from a correctional facility on the south coast has been extradited and charged:
Police were alerted after a 44-year-old man went missing from South Nowra last Wednesday morning (29 January 2025).
About 4.30am today (Friday 7 February 2025), officers attached to ACT Policing’s city station attended an apartment block in Dooring Street, Braddon, responding to reports a man was acting suspiciously in the underground car park.
Police arrested a 44-year-old man in the stairwell and he was taken to the ACT watchhouse.
The man appeared before ACT magistrates court today, where an application for extradition was granted.
He was refused bail to appear in Parramatta local court tomorrow (Saturday 8 February 2025).
Federal bail law changes an ‘express training program for a life of crime and suffering’: critics
Critics have slammed the state government’s plan to continue the tough bail trail that has seen children accused of repeated serious burglaries or car thefts are increasingly being locked up before trial.
The chief executive of the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service, Karly Warner, told AAP:
These bail laws have not only failed to reduce crime, but have put another generation of young children into an express training program for a life of crime and suffering.
Increasing the rate of bail refusal was a poor measure of success and said nothing about crime reduction, Greens MP Sue Higginson said:
The changes were not designed to reduce crime, they were only designed to make the government appear tough on crime.
Twelve months later, we are in exactly the situation that the premier was warned about: more young First Nations people in prison and no clear reduction in the rate of offending.
PM says his responsibility is to look after Australia, not comment on USA
The PM has been asked about Peter Dutton saying he supports Donald Trump’s moves to ban trans people from competing in sport.
He says:
Peter Dutton can speak for Peter Dutton. I’ve said I’m not going to have a running commentary on [decisions] made by the president of the United States. My responsibility is to look after Australia. That’s my priority.
Albanese addresses media in northern NSW
We’ll bring you more from the PM’s press conference as soon as we can.
Artist Khaled Sabsabi has been selected to represent Australia at the world’s most prestigious art event – the Venice Biennale.
Sabsabi is the first Lebanese Australian artist selected to represent us. We have more here:
Cait Kelly
Hello everyone! This is Cait. I will be with you for the rest of the afternoon. Let’s get into it!
Emily Wind
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Cait Kelly will take you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. Take care.
More than 100 firefighters tackling industrial blaze in western Sydney
Crews have been working throughout the day to extinguish an industrial fire near Blacktown in Sydney’s west.
Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters were called to a steel manufacturing premises in Rooty Hill before 6am. A 100m-long heavy-duty rubber conveyor belt system was ablaze and had collapsed into a concrete pit.
The fire remains contained within the industrial complex.
More than 100 firefighters and 26 fire trucks are actively working to extinguish the fire, FRNSW said, as well as monitoring the smoke plume and managing potential hazards associated with on-site chemicals.
The site’s infrastructure is effectively capturing all firefighting water runoff, preventing any environmental contamination and FRNSW is collaborating with the NSW EPA to ensure ongoing environmental safety.
Given the fire’s deep-seated nature and the complexities of the industrial environment, extinguishment efforts are expected to be prolonged.
Firefighters are rotating shifts and paramedics are on-site monitoring their health and safety, FRNSW said. There are no reported injuries and the broader community remains unaffected.
Best state at addressing housing crisis revealed as South Australia
The Housing Industry Association has scored all the states and territories for the effectiveness of their housing policy announcements over the past two years, and determined that South Australia is leading the way to helping the country achieve its supply targets.
As AAP reports, the Malinauskas government has implemented “an advantageous blend of planning innovation, skills investment and housing affordability policies”, positioning the state as best-placed to meet its share of the national 1.2m new homes target over five years.
South Australia has made strides to accelerate land releases and development approvals, revamped its planning system including using artificial intelligence to automate simple approvals, removed stamp duty for first home buyers and increased investment in training for construction trades.
The state was handed a nine out of 10 on the HIA’s scoreboard, followed closely by Western Australia on eight. Although Matt King, a HIA senior economist. said:
Despite these steps forward, neither South Australia nor Western Australia are on track to build the number of homes required to meet their contribution to deliver on the government’s 1.2m homes target.
At the other end of the scale, the ACT was the most disappointing jurisdiction, scoring a four out of 10.
Severe storms forecast for north-east Victoria
In more weather news, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe storms in north-east of Victoria, with the potential for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hail:
⛈️TODAY’s Thunderstorm FORECAST (Fri 7 Feb ):
🔴 Severe storms likely: NE #Vic
Hazards: damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hail🟡Severe storms possible: central and eastern #Vic
🟢Non-severe storms possible: extending to the Mallee
Warnings: https://t.co/Ildo3KSAXK pic.twitter.com/P9Mus8sAqc
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) February 7, 2025
Whitsunday airport cancels all fights amid wild weather
The Whitsunday coast airport has cancelled all fights today, amid the heavy rain and wild weather. It shared an update on social media:
Due to the high potential for road closures to the Whitsunday coast airport and further heavy rain forecast, all flights today … have been cancelled. If you were scheduled to travel, please contact your airline directly.
Peak body welcomes funding for Northern Territory
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative body, the Coalition of Peaks, has welcomed the government’s $843m investment in the Northern Territory as a “significant milestone” in Closing the Gap efforts.
You can read more details on this earlier in the blog, here. The prime minister also acknowledged earlier today that Closing the Gap numbers “simply aren’t up to scratch.”
Pat Turner, lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, said the investment “recognises the expertise and leadership of Aboriginal organisations and communities in driving lasting change for their communities.”
This is the first time an agreement of this nature has been negotiated directly with Aboriginal people, in alignment with the Closing the Gap priority reforms. It is a critical acknowledgment that solutions must be led by our communities if we are to see real and lasting improvements.
Ben Doherty
Crown prosecutor says Kristian White failed to express genuine contrition and remorse
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC has told Kristian White’s sentencing hearing that the since-dismissed police officer had failed to express genuine contrition and remorse for his crime, most obviously demonstrated by White’s appeal against his dismissal from the police force.
He obviously does not accept that he is guilty of manslaughter in a proper sense. His position seems to be that he was justified in doing what he did, that he shouldn’t be punished for what he did.
Man charged for allegedly targeting politicians with death threats and antisemitic comments
A Victorian man has been charged with allegedly making death threats and antisemitic comments to members of the commonwealth and Victorian parliaments.
The Reservoir man, 33, was yesterday charged with four counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, and one count of using a carriage service to threaten to kill.
Both charges carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a joint statement from the Australian federal police and Victorian police said. The man was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear before Melbourne magistrates court on 8 April.
The AFP will allege he used social media and email to contact a NSW-based commonwealth MP between 16 and 18 January, making death threats and antisemitic comments. Victoria police will allege the man also used social media to contact a Victorian-based state MP last month.
Special Operation Avalite and Victoria police executed a search warrant at the man’s home yesterday and seized several electronic devices. AFP counter-terrorism and special investigations command assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt said:
Anyone engaging in this type of deplorable behaviour will be investigated, located and brought before the court. Parliamentarians and members of our community should not have to endure vile threats based on their race, religion, or ethnicity.
Nutt said the community could expect “further charges” through Special Operation Avalite – established to investigate threats, violence and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community and parliamentarians.
Ben Doherty
Crown prosecutor rejects assertion Nowland’s manslaughter was ‘at lower end’ of those offences
In his sentencing submissions, crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC rejected assertions from Kristian White’s lawyers that Clare Nowland’s manslaughter was “at the lower end” of those offences.
This was a serious criminal offence. It’s a conviction for manslaughter and the death of a person is, on any level, a serious offence.
The offender’s case that there was an imminent threat … was plainly rejected by the jury. None of the responders there were in any danger.
Justice Ian Harrison has been an active interlocutor in the early stages of sentencing submissions from the crown. The judge posited the situation with Nowland in the early hours of 17 May 2023 could have been resolved very differently.
If everyone had sat down and waited for Mrs Nowland to come out, or, on another view, offered her a cup of tea and a bun, things might have been significantly different … apply a bit of common sense and patience, and we’d have all been happily on our way.