Tropical Cyclone Fina dumps heavy rainfall over Darwin and surrounds
The area around Darwin airport was hit with 168.6mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am today as Tropical Cyclone Fina swept by the Top End.
The category three system has moved further over the Timor Sea, and is now sitting about 80km away from Darwin.
Charles Point, around a 90-minute drive from Darwin, saw 265.4mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am, while Middle Point was hit with 430mm.
An emergency warning in Darwin, Wurrumiyanga, Wagait Beach and Dundee Beach remains in place, with residents told to remain inside.
While the cyclone left a trail of destruction, there have been no injuries or deaths reported.
Giant trees have been ripped from their roots in Darwin CBD as Cyclone Fina tracked just north of the NT capital. Photograph: (A)manda ParkinsonShare
Updated at 19.53 EST
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Firefighting operations continue in Tasmania’s north-east
A large fire continues to burn in Lefroy in Tasmania’s north-east since it was reported yesterday afternoon.
Tasmania Fire Service incident controller Paul Beechy said that crews from Tasmania Fire Services, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, and Sustainable Timbers Tasmania were responding to a large vegetation bushfire.
The fire has burnt approximately 660 hectares, and there are several firefighting appliances currently being used including fire trucks, five aircraft and machinery.
Firefighting crews have worked through the night and are continuing to work to contain the fire today. To date, no structures have been lost but as usual, resources will be positioned to protect assets in the area.
Beechy said that conditions were expected to be changeable today, and urged residents in the vicinity of the fire to stay informed and be ready for any changes in the fire threat.
A watch and act warning is in place for people in Lefroy to monitor conditions as they are changing, as well as a bushfire smoke alert for George Town and surrounds to avoid smoke.
Some Telstra services in Darwin and surrounds may not be restored until Tuesday
Telstra’s website is showing several locations in the Top End are experiencing outages and the estimated restoration won’t be until Tuesday evening in some locations.
Telstra’s map states:
A severe weather event is affecting some mobile, nbn, landline services in NT. We’re on the case and working to get you back online ASAP.
For some locations in Darwin and surrounds such as Humpty Doo, Weddell, Fly Creek, Daly, Berry Springs and Mcminns Lagoon, Telstra states the estimated restoration won’t be until 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
Updated at 21.06 EST
Josh Butler
Coalition not signing up to EPBC changes yet
James Paterson also said the Coalition would not support the government’s environmental laws in their current form, setting up a major standoff in the last week of parliament.
As we brought you earlier, the Greens are still hesitating in backing the laws, saying they don’t do enough to protect the environment and would pave the way for new fossil fuel projects. Paterson, the shadow finance minister, says the opposition is still not signing up either. He told Sky:
Where it stands today, we certainly couldn’t support the proposed legislation. It is deficient in a number of areas, and the business community has been very vocal about that.
Paterson said the Coalition was still sticking to its previous position of seeking seven changes to the legislation, in line with what the business community has requested.
So the ball is in the government’s court. If they’re willing to compromise, if they’re willing to deal with the concerns of the business community, then we are up for acting in a bipartisan way in the national interest. But if they’re pursuing ideology over Australia’s national interest, then they are welcome to go and do a deal with the Greens and they will wear the consequences of that.
Updated at 20.44 EST
Josh Butler
Coalition accuses Bowen of “hobnobbing” in COP president role
The Coalition is already critical of Chris Bowen’s new job as COP president of negotiations, with senior shadow frontbencher James Paterson claiming the energy minister was focused on “hobnobbing” at global conferences.
As detailed earlier, the UN climate conference will be hosted in Turkey, but after negotiations with Australia, Bowen will be the negotiations president and the Pacific will host a meeting in the lead-up. Bowen’s role is likely to include lots of international travel, meetings with world leaders, and negotiations with overseas governments to make more ambitious climate agreements.
On Sky News, Paterson, the opposition finance spokesperson, was less than welcoming of the news. He claimed:
Chris Bowen should do two things when he heads overseas, particularly when he goes over to Turkey. He should thank President Erdogan for saving Australian taxpayers $2bn by not having to host Cop. And secondly, I think he should probably stay there, because that’s where his priorities are.
He wants to be on the international circuit, he wants to be hobnobbing and negotiating at climate conferences. He has no interest in lowering energy prices for Australians.
I think actually the energy minister’s job is to get energy prices affordable so we’re not driving jobs and industry offshore.
The Coalition, which has long criticised Bowen over the government’s energy transition and concerns over power bills, are likely to continue criticising the energy minister over claims of misplaced priorities.
James Paterson. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 20.43 EST
One dead after house fire north of Brisbane
One person has died in a house fire in Brisbane’s northern suburbs early this morning.
Queensland police said that emergency services were called at about 5.30am to the property on Darcy Way in Lawnton.
Four other residents were treated at the scene and taken to hospital.
“A crime scene has been declared,” police said in a statement. “Investigations into the cause of the fire remain ongoing.”
Updated at 20.06 EST
Tropical Cyclone Fina dumps heavy rainfall over Darwin and surrounds
The area around Darwin airport was hit with 168.6mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am today as Tropical Cyclone Fina swept by the Top End.
The category three system has moved further over the Timor Sea, and is now sitting about 80km away from Darwin.
Charles Point, around a 90-minute drive from Darwin, saw 265.4mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am, while Middle Point was hit with 430mm.
An emergency warning in Darwin, Wurrumiyanga, Wagait Beach and Dundee Beach remains in place, with residents told to remain inside.
While the cyclone left a trail of destruction, there have been no injuries or deaths reported.
Giant trees have been ripped from their roots in Darwin CBD as Cyclone Fina tracked just north of the NT capital. Photograph: (A)manda ParkinsonShare
Updated at 19.53 EST
Belém declaration Australia’s ‘strongest ever statement on phasing out fossil fuels’, former climate diplomat says
Thom Woodroofe, a senior international fellow at the Smart Energy Council in Australia and a former climate diplomat said signing the Belém Declaration was the “strongest statement Australia has ever made on phasing out fossil fuels.”
This is a sliding doors moment and the strongest statement Australia has ever made on phasing out fossil fuels, which requires rapidly scaling up renewable energy.
On Australia’s responsibilities with the Cop31 hosting arrangements he said “Australia’s hands are well and truly on the helm of the international climate negotiations.”
The important thing now is what Australia actually does with the role it has. An ambitious COP31 still means Australia doing things like championing a new global rooftop solar pledge, setting a roadmap for the Pacific to become the first region in the world to achieve 100% renewables, and ratcheting up global climate ambition, including through new frameworks to ramp up electrification. We have no time to waste.
Read more from Woodroofe and former diplomat Dean Bialek in their comment piece for Guardian Australia
Updated at 19.36 EST
Australia should follow Korea’s lead and phase out coal power, expert says
Dr Wesley Morgan, research associate at the Institute of Climate Risk and Response at UNSW, says Australia should follow South Korea’s example making a commitment to phase out coal-fired power:
Australia’s surprise decision to sign the ‘Belém Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels’ is a positive sign. It suggests Australia may finally be ready to start grappling with its responsibilities as one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas.
… Australia signed the declaration just days after one of its largest markets for thermal coal, South Korea, made an international commitment to phase out coal-fired power. Australia will be better placed – economically and strategically – if it plays a leadership role in our own region for a climate-safe future. Australia has much to gain by capitalising on green export opportunities. It should modernise its energy ties with key trading partners, including Japan and South Korea, to move collectively away from risky fossil fuels as fast as possible. Australia would go some way to restoring faith with the Pacific if it stops approving new coal and gas projects.
Updated at 18.51 EST
Experts welcome Australia signing Cop30 fossil fuel phase-out declaration but say ‘real action’ must follow
Experts have welcomed Australia’s “surprise” decision at the Cop30 climate conference to sign the Belém Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, but called on the government to back it with real action.
Bill Hare, CEO and senior scientist at Climate Analytics, says:
Australia’s decision to sign the declaration is welcome, but is out of step with its continued approvals of coal and gas projects, most recently the North West Shelf licence extension to 2070.
It is beyond belief that the government’s proposed reforms to environmental assessment laws contain no explicit requirement to take into account the impact of greenhouse gas emissions when deciding on whether to approve them. The government often points to the safeguard mechanism but this has significant flaws, allowing companies to comply using offsets and avoid or minimise real emission reductions.
I would urge the Australian government to back up its words with clear action towards phasing out fossil fuels, starting with actually stopping new fossil developments and legislating assessment of climate impacts during environmental assessments.
Chris Bowen, minister for climate change and energy of Australia, speaks during a plenary session at the Cop30 UN climate summit in Brazil. Photograph: André Penner/APShare
Updated at 18.49 EST
Hanson-Young says under-16 social media ban risks creating ‘false sense of protection’
Asked about the impending under-16s social media ban, Hanson-Young says she is worried about the government putting in place a “false sense of protection”.
I’m worried about the kids who fall through the cracks – either are still on there when they shouldn’t be based on the age, or find themselves in even darker places on the internet.
More effective legislation would have been to target social media companies’ business models through banning advertising, Hanson-Young says:
I think one of the things that Australia should do is ban digital advertising for anyone under 18. These companies shouldn’t be able to scrape young people’s data and then target them with advertising. If that was in place, these social media companies wouldn’t care about having to have young people. It hits them at their business model.
Updated at 18.42 EST
Hanson-Young criticises ‘pretty half hearted’ Cop31 bid
Returning to Hanson-Young’s interview, she said it was “really disappointing” Australia was not able to secure the bid to host the next Cop and that she does not believe the government tried everything.
I don’t think the diplomatic effort was put in. I think the government at a federal level was pretty half hearted about this. It seems to be an open secret amongst those close to this, that there were people within Dfat and senior members of the government who didn’t want this because of the pressure that it would bear on Australia in relation to our fossil fuel exports.
Updated at 18.18 EST
Australia will have ‘unprecedented influence’ in global climate talks after Cop31 Turkey deal, PM saysJosh Butler
Australia will have “unprecedented influence” over the upcoming UN climate discussions at the COP conference, Anthony Albanese says, welcoming an agreement which would see energy minister Chris Bowen become the “president of negotiations” while Turkey hosts the main conference.
As flagged earlier in the week, Australia came up short in its bid to co-host the COP conference with the Pacific, but last-minute agreements saw Australia extract some major concessions. In a statement this morning, Albanese said Bowen would act as the president of negotiations, which will see Australia have “exclusive authority in relation to the negotiations”, related to shaping global decision-making and global investment in clean energy industries.
Albanese said in the statement with Bowen and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong:
The Pacific will host a special Pre-Cop for leaders and others, bringing attention to the existential threat climate change poses to the region.
This will give Australia and the Pacific unprecedented influence over multilateral deliberations and actions of the global community in 2026.
Australia will also get to choose “ministerial and other co-facilitators for negotiations” as well as identifying “additional champions” for the agenda.
The Cop31 agenda will also include a session on the climate finance needs of small island developing nations, another concession aimed at supporting the Pacific.
Turkey and Australia’s Cop31 partnership is announced during at the Cop30 UN climate conference in Brazil. Photograph: Pablo Porciúncula/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 18.16 EST
Hanson-Young criticises contradictory offers to Greens and Coalition on nature laws: ‘What does Labor want?’
Hanson-Young pointed out Labor’s contradictory offers to the Coalition and the Greens reveal a confusion in what their own objectives with the bill really are:
On one hand, [Labor are] saying they’re willing to work get a deal done with the Coalition that fast-tracks coal and gas, that makes life easier for coal and gas, that doesn’t stop rampant land clearing, that doesn’t stop the destruction of our native forests, right?
They’re happy to do that, but then, on the other hand, they’re saying, “well, we’ll work with the Greens to fix all these things.”
What does Labor actually want? What is the objective? What is the objectives of this law?
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 18.22 EST