Australia news live: Hundreds of surfers paddle out in memory of 12-year-old Sydney boy killed by shark; Canavan rules out bid for Nationals leadership | Australia news

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NSW Greens to move bill to let councils better regulate berry industry as it continues rapid expansion

Cate Faehrmann, a Greens member of the New South Wales legislative council, will move a private member’s bill next week to give councils more power to regulate blueberry and other berry farms, which are expanding throughout the mid-north coast, leading to serious frictions with other landholders.

Separately, the state Labor government is considering an inquiry into alleged worker abuse in the region. Most states regulate labour hire companies, which serve as intermediaries between farmers and seasonal workers, but NSW does not.

A blueberry farm near Warrell Creek and Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) national park on the NSW mid north coast. Photograph: Zahn Pithers

Guardian Australia has reported on allegations of underpayment, poor living conditions and exploitation, particularly of workers who arrived on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (Palm) scheme but left their employers, often allegedly as a result of worker exploitation.

Faehrmann’s bill aims to address the environmental impact of intensive berry farming.

For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Ann Davies:

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Updated at 20.28 EST

Heat eases in southeast but WA still red hot

The heatwave that brought sweltering temperatures to most of Australia’s southern states has eased, but WA has been warned to brace for more hot weather.

Adelaide is marching towards its driest summer since records began.

With absolutely no rain in January, the city has marked its first dry January since 2019 and just the eighth dating back to 1839.

It has also been an exceptionally hot month in the South Australian capital, with minimum temperatures running 1C above the long-term average and maximums 3.6C above average.

People cooling off at Lake Parramatta in Western Sydney last month. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

Adelaide’s driest summer was 1905/06 with just 4mm in total, according to Weatherzone.

Only 2.8mm fell in December, so after a rainless January, that stands as the city’s tally for the 2025/26 summer.

That trend is set to continue, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting another week of dry, warm conditions.

Sunday should give a much-needed reprieve for those affected by the searing heat of last week, before the mercury hovers around 30C for the next seven days.

Parts of NSW and Victoria are also on alert for fires, with authorities issuing a total fire ban in Upper Central West Plains and Eastern Riverina regions and the north-east region, respectively.

Perth residents will probably endure 37C and 39C on Sunday and Monday as their prolonged heatwave tails off.

In its long-range forecast, the bureau predicts warmer days and nights over the coming months, with increased extreme heat risk and no clear wet or dry trend for February to April.

Overall, the next week provides some cooler, calmer conditions for most of Australia’s southeast after a sweltering, record-smashing week where the mercury surged towards 50C.

– AAP

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Updated at 20.15 EST

Bushfire smoke blankets Sydney and Central Coast

Fires burning north of Newcastle have caused a blanket of smoke to drift down NSW and across the Central Coast and Greater Sydney.

The Rural fire service said bushfires burning at Oyster Cove and Nerong were responsible for the smoke, with authorities expecting it to linger throughout the morning before a wind change breaks it up.

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Updated at 20.29 EST

NDIS workers are being stalked, harassed and assaulted while ‘urgent’ safety reforms take three years to enact

In the years he has worked for the National Disability Insurance Agency, Lawrence (not his real name) has narrowly escaped violence on multiple occasions.

He managed to avoid being beaten up at a hospital, was present when an angry NDIS participant threw a table through a glass window at a service centre, and witnessed another participant try to smash glass and run over staff in their power wheelchair.

He has been filmed and livestreamed while doing his job, received death threats, regularly taken calls from distressed participants who have threatened suicide, and had service centres he has worked at locked down or evacuated.

His experiences reflect those heard during a 2023 government-commissioned review into the safety of NDIA staff, conducted by Graham Ashton. It was initiated after a Services Australia staff member was stabbed at a service centre that houses both a Services Australia and an NDIS office.

The review made 36 urgent recommendations to improve the safety and security of frontline NDIA staff.

Guardian Australia can reveal that despite this review being presented to NDIA management in May 2024, it took the government 15 months before it shared it with staff and the union.

For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Kate Lyons:

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Updated at 19.37 EST

Mark Butler questions Angus Taylor’s frontbench position after secret Liberal leadership meeting

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has added his two cents to the internal turmoil within the former Coalition, saying he doesn’t understand how Angus Taylor remains in the shadow cabinet after a secret meeting to discuss a future Liberal leadership challenge.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Butler spruiked the government’s increase to hospital funding after two decades of negotiations with the states and defended its work on the NDIS.

Mark Butler. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Asked about how things will shake out on Monday, Butler said he expected “it’s going to be a shambles on the other side of the parliament.”

I don’t understand how Angus Taylor is still on the frontbench. I mean he is so obviously putting together a leadership challenge.

At the risk of sounding overenthusiastic about Labor’s good fortune, Butler said he couldn’t predict how events would play out.

There’s a small opposition now of barely 28 members, and that is split right down the middle between Sussan Ley supporters Angus Taylor supporters, so frankly how they’re going to be able to pull all of that mess together to provide, really, the job that they have to do for the Australian people, which is to present an alternative in the parliament to the government, is frankly beyond me.

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Updated at 19.28 EST

Hundreds paddle out in memory of 12-year-old Sydney shark attack victim

Hundreds of people have participated in a paddle-out in memory of a 12-year-old boy killed after being bitten by a shark last weekend.

Nico Antic sustained critical injuries after he was bitten near a popular swimming spot at Vaucluse in Sydney’s east, and died.

In memory of the 12-year-old, his school, Rose Bay Secondary College, organised a community paddle out at North Bondi.

Here are a few scenes from the shore on Sunday morning:

Sydney bathers and surfers paddle out to honour the life of 12-year-old shark victim Nico Antic. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAPSurfers formed a ring in the water off North Bondi beach. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAPPeople gathered on the beach to watch the event. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAPAntic was remembered as a ‘happy, vibrant and social young person’. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAPThe event was organised by Nico’s school, Rose Bay Secondary. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAPShare

Updated at 19.10 EST

Living in the shadow of One Nation: are Australia’s conservatives finally facing a genuine electoral opponent?

A week or so out from last year’s federal election, a narrative emerged offering a glimmer of hope for the Coalition’s flailing campaign.

With the popularity of One Nation rising, preferences flowing from Pauline Hanson’s supporters could help the Liberals topple Labor in working-class seats in the outer suburbs and regions.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has become more palatable to voters, many of whom are disillusioned with the major parties, political experts say. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

“Aunty Pauline is now acceptable,” a Liberal insider was quoted as saying in the Australian Financial Review, implying Hanson had become palatable to more voters and her rightwing party an electoral weapon for the Coalition.

The narrative never materialised as the opposition leader Peter Dutton’s suburban strategy spectacularly tanked on polling day.

Nine months on, a One Nation narrative still surrounds the Liberals and Nationals.

But now it tells of a genuine electoral opponent.

After years on the extreme fringes of Australian politics, pollsters and political insiders say financial stress and disillusionment with the major parties – particularly the Coalition – is pushing Hanson’s hardline brand of rightwing populism into the mainstream.

But how far can One Nation go in reshaping the political landscape?

For the answer to that question read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Dan Jervis-Bardy:

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Updated at 19.24 EST

Canavan says toppling Ley won’t reunify Coalition

The Liberal and National split would not be resolved by replacing Sussan Ley as Liberal leader, Matt Canavan says.

I don’t think that’s the issue. I’ve worked with Susan very strongly in the past. I think she’s done a good job over the past year.

The Nationals senator said the issue lay elsewhere.

There’s just one problem here, Andrew. And that is, that of course is that if we’re going to be in a coalition with the Liberal party, we have to have put forward who we’d like to serve in the shadow ministry. And as a result of the vote last week and the fallout from that, Sussan Ley said no.

Clarifying later, Canavan said:

I don’t think she should have sacked those people.

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Updated at 18.30 EST

Canavan confident Littleproud can survive leadership challenge

Canavan said he understood some people’s concern over the split and their desire to see a reunified Coalition, but added that the break allowed the Nationals to take an informed position on the government’s antisemitism legislation “in less than a week”.

The Senator said he was “still scratching my head about why we had to split” over a “difference of opinion on this particular issue”.

We will continue to work together I’m sure with other people in the parliament. I think it would be best to do so in a coalition.

He said he expected the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, to survive an expected leadership challenge on Monday.

I’m pretty sure he’ll have the confidence of the room tomorrow.

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Updated at 18.20 EST

Matt Canavan rules out bid for Nationals leadership

Nationals senator Matt Canavan says he is not harbouring any plans to run against the party leader, David Littleproud, with a leadership spill expected to take place on Monday, saying “I don’t care about all this stuff”.

Asked why he wouldn’t run for leader during an appearance on Sky on Sunday morning, Canavan said:

Maybe I’m a different kind of species, Andrew?”

Later, he added:

I go to Canberra to take action. I’ve got five beautiful kids; I’ve got a beautiful wife. I’d prefer to be staying home this week, but I’m going down to try and improve things for the Australian people. And I really don’t care what position in the zoo I am.

Matt Canavan. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Canavan said his primary means of helping the Australian people was to get the government to abandon its net zero emissions by 2050 goals and to advance legislation that would “make sure that we use all types of energy” and end the “obsession with one type of energy”.

On the broader party split, Canavan said the Nationals were doing fine on their own in their latest break from the Coalition, and he was proud that his party stood up for “our principles and our values” by dumping the Coalition a second time.

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Updated at 18.23 EST

O’Brien says ‘strong economy’ Liberals’ focus

Returning to the future of the Coalition and Liberal party, O’Brien is asked what direction the party should go in.

I believe that the Liberal party is … we are united, we are values led, we are future focused, and we are economically driven. And there’s nothing more important than economy. Not because the economy is the end game; it is the means by which we can serve the Australian people better …

A strong economy is how you can help those mums and dads who are struggling to pay the mortgage. You can help those mums and dads who are struggling to pay the school fees.

That is where the Liberal party has had its traditional strength … [We] need to continue to be that values-led – the belief in the individual, the family, the entrepreneur, these are the things that … we need to focus on.

And future focused – we need to focus in particular on millennials, on gen Z, on alphas. They’re the demographic struggling the most.

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Updated at 18.24 EST

O’Brien accuses PM of playing politics with Coalition split

Asked more about the future of the Coalition and the relationship between Ley and Littleproud, O’Brien makes a valiant effort to redirect the conversation to inflation and cost of living – an attack line Liberal figures have been relying on Sunday morning and clearly the subject they would prefer to be talking about.

There is an ongoing issue about how the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will divide staff allocations between the two parties in the event of a permanent split, with the possibility that the Liberal party be given the bulk, or all, of the staffing resources.

Well, it doesn’t surprise me … It’s all about politics for him. Let’s not forget that this prime minister cut the resources, cut the staffing of the opposition at the beginning of this term. This is the sort of internal game playing of Anthony Albanese.

Asked whether he was saying it would be playing politics for the prime minister to allocate all staff to the Liberal party and not to the Nationals, O’Brien says the prime minister will act in “whatever he thinks is in his best political interest”.

What I’m saying is there’s one thing we can be sure of – Anthony Albanese will politics like he always does.

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Updated at 17.55 EST

O’Brien rules out running for Liberal leadership

Ted O’Brien rules himself out from leading the Liberal party in the event of a challenge to Sussan Ley’s leadership.

No. I’m the shadow treasurer, and that’s my focus. We have Australians right now feeling poorer by the day, an economy getting weaker. That’s my absolute focus.

O’Brien won’t be drawn on a reunification of the Coalition, saying he does not want to “pre-empt anything”.

I was disappointed when David Littleproud took the decision to split from the coalition. I do believe it’s in the national interest we work together. That’s always been the case. You can’t just come back together willy-nilly and hope for the best.

There’s some serious conversations to be had. Sussan reached out to David. David wanted to postpone conversations for this coming week; that’s fair enough … We’ll wait until the National party meeting is over tomorrow and then of course discussions can begin.

Ted O’Brien. Photograph: Darren England/AAPShare

Updated at 18.26 EST

‘I don’t know, period’: O’Brien denies knowledge of discussions in rumoured Liberal leadership meeting

O’Brien says he does not know what was discussed in a private meeting held by members of the Liberal Party, including Angus Taylor, outside normal party processes.

The Deputy Liberal leader says the usual party process is for anyone who does not support the current leader to step aside from the shadow cabinet. Taylor has not done so.

On the meeting itself, O’Brien says he did not attend and insists he does not know what was discussed.

David, I don’t want to add to speculation by engaging in hypotheticals about what colleagues may or may not have spoken about in a meeting. I myself did not attend. There’s been a lot said, I was listening to Phil’s comments and others, I will others make the ever make a colleagues or the may have. That’s a matter for them to answer if you ask them individually.

As Speers points out, the subject of this meeting is a poorly kept secret: the continued leadership of Sussan Ley and who might challenge her.

Pushed to comment on the meeting, O’Brien insists he does not know what was discussed.

I do not know the ins and outs of that conversation.

And again:

I will allow you to explain what they were speaking about. I wasn’t there. I’m not going to pretend I know. And I’m to come on your show and try to make things up for you. I wasn’t in the meeting. I don’t know, period.

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Updated at 17.42 EST

O’Brien says he has ‘faith’ in Ley’s leadership

Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien says he “hopes” the coalition will return and that he has “faith” in its party leader, Sussan Ley, ahead of what is expected to be another chaotic week in parliament.

I haven’t found anybody in the Liberal party who has disagreed with the judgments, decisions taken by Sussan Ley, and [I] have faith in her navigating through this next [period] to see if there’s a way we can return.

Ted O’Brien. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

The show of support comes ahead of a Nationals party room meeting on media where David Littleproud is expected to be challenged for the leadership of the junior party.

On the division within the Liberal party, and speculation that Angus Taylor is preparing to challenge Ley for leadership, O’Brien says he has spoken to “all my colleagues, but I never disclose individual conversations”.

What I can say is Angus has continued to make positive contributions, especially in the leadership team, over recent days and weeks.

As for whether or not the will be a challenge, I don’t believe we’re walking into a period where there will be.

But, I don’t know the future either. Of course, the convention is if one does not support the leader, they step aside. Angus hasn’t done that. So my running assumption is he continues to support Sussan Ley.

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Updated at 17.59 EST

Liberal party can win elections without Nationals, Ruston says

The Liberal party is capable of winning a federal election without its junior coalition partner, senator Anne Ruston says.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday morning, Ruston described herself as a “coalitionist” but said that “history” showed it was possible for the Liberal party to go it alone if it had to.

Anne Ruston. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

I think you’ve only got to look at history.

Asked whether she thought it was possible to “win just as the Liberal party”, Ruston said:

It’s happened before … and I think the one thing that we’ve learned in politics is that you never say never – things change very, very quickly.

Ruston said that “the most important thing” for the Liberals is to provide certainty to the Australian public by presenting a “credible opposition”.

The South Australian senator backed in Sussan Ley’s leadership, saying she has been doing “an amazing job” and that “being the leader in opposition is always going to be a really tough gig”.

I think Sussan has been doing an amazing job of being leader in the toughest time I can remember in parliament. I don’t think it’s particularly unusual that there are always great challenges at this time.

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Updated at 17.27 EST

Ted O’Brien on Insiders this morning

Deputy Liberal leader MP Ted O’Brien will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speers on Sunday morning ahead of what is expected to be another chaotic week in parliament.

This follows early-morning appearances by Liberal senator Anne Ruston and Nationals senator Matt Canavan on Sky News, as well as the Labor health minister, Mark Butler.

We will bring you all the latest as it happens.

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Updated at 17.30 EST

Good morning

And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian Australia live blog.

Australia has declined to join a statement co-signed by the foreign ministers of 11 nations condemning Israel for demolishing the Unrwa headquarters in East Jerusalem in January. Signatories to the statement included the UK, Canada and France, but Australia reportedly refused to join without explanation.

Liberal senator Anne Ruston has suggested the party can still win elections without a coalition agreement with the Nationals before a meeting to determine the fate of David Littleproud’s leadership on Monday. Ahead of what is expected to be a tumultuous week in parliament, Ruston said it was important the federal opposition resolve its internal issues to give the Australian public “certainty”.

I’m Royce Kurmelovs, and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.

With that, let’s get started …

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Updated at 17.39 EST

Australia declines to join statement criticising Israel for Unrwa demolition

The Albanese government has declined to sign up to an international statement expressing concern about Israel demolishing an aid agency’s headquarters.

The foreign ministers of 11 nations, including the UK, Canada and France, strongly condemned Israel for demolishing the East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) in a joint statement issued on 28 January.

It called on Israel “to fully abide by its obligations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in accordance with international law”, saying current aid levels were inadequate.

Canberra was invited to join the most recent declaration, but declined the offer without an explanation, one diplomatic source told AAP.

Australia has consistently joined other like-minded nations, especially the UK, Canada and France, in issuing public rebukes to Israeli actions during its war in Gaza.

The Israeli government began demolition work on the Unrwa Headquarters on 20 January.

Israel has consistently called for the disbanding of Unrwa before it passed laws preventing it from operating on its territory after it accused workers of participating in the Hamas terrorist attack against it on 7 October 2023.

– AAP

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Updated at 17.39 EST