Australia news live: Cairns police make emergency declaration as firearm discharged after cars collide | Australia news

Lisa Cox

Greens accuse government of burying new approval of Santos project

The Greens have sent out a media release accusing the government of “taking out the trash” on Easter eve after the publication of a new approval for a component of Santos’s controversial Barossa offshore gas project.

The government has granted approval under national environmental laws for construction of a duplicate pipeline into Darwin harbour as part of the development.

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, claims the government “hid this dirty approval until parliament adjourned for over a month” and while the parliament was being asked to consider potential changes to petroleum regulations:

Labor are climate con-artists, approving more coal and gas projects and hiding from parliamentary scrutiny.

Guardian Australia contacted the environment department yesterday to ask about the pipeline project after noticing its status had been updated to say approved but that the usual approval documentation that is published when such a decision is made was missing. The department published that documentation last night with a spokesperson saying it had not been uploaded due to “internal administrative website issues which have now been fixed”.

The document says a delegate for the environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, approved the pipeline project about two weeks ago on 15 March.

Police are warning residents of Cairns to say inside as an emergency declaration after an unfolding police incident involving a firearm being discharged.

Queensland police said they were called to Edge Hill shortly after 1pm after reports of a shot being fired.

Upon arrival, it appeared two vehicles had collided and one person discharged a firearm at another before leaving on foot.

An emergency situation was declared just before 2pm, with boundaries encompassing Pease Street, Woodward Street, Polentz Street and Russell Street.

Members of the public are advised to avoid the areas while police respond or stay inside with their doors and windows locked.

Multiple roads may be affected by police stops within the local area.

Daniel Hurst

Using informal channels to report ADF complaints ‘a sociocultural norm’: Gen Angus Campbell

Let’s take stock of the chief of the Australian defence force’s evidence today at the final day of hearings of the royal commission into defence and veterans’ suicide.

As we reported earlier, Gen Angus Campbell started the day offering an apology for “deficiencies” in the wellbeing, support and care that ADF members needed, both during and after their service.

Throughout the course of the day, Campbell was questioned at length about processes for handling complaints about alleged misconduct. He said there were formal channels but some people used other means, such as emails to “report concerns to myself or to one of the other chiefs or to their service headquarters or to one of the four ministers of the Defence portfolio or to, indeed, the prime minister and on occasions the governor general and to the media”.

The chair of the royal commission, Nick Kaldas, returned to this issue later in the day, asking whether people resorting to writing to ministers and prime ministers might “indicate that the normal reporting channels are failing miserably”. Campbell replied:

No, commissioner, I don’t think that’s the case. I think it is much more that it is a sociocultural norm [to send an email] that you do this.

Kaldas didn’t sound convinced, telling the hearing:

I appreciate in the military space it may be different, but in the civilian world it would be viewed as the normal channels having failed. It’s probably more of a comment than a question.

Adeshola Ore

Descendant of colonial family calls for removal of monuments to ancestors

A descendant of the Henty family – regarded as Victoria’s earliest European settlers – has called for monuments memorialising her ancestors in Victoria’s south-west region to be removed.

Suzannah Henty, an art historian whose work focuses on anti-colonial and decolonial contemporary works, appeared at Victoria’s Indigenous truth-telling inquiry today.

The Yoorrook Justice Commission is holding public hearings investigating land, water and sky injustices.

Read more:

Caitlin Cassidy

Schools body chair resigns after child sex offender identified on his board

The chair of a major independent schools body has resigned following reports a convicted child sex offender was on his board during an investigation of a teacher’s sexually explicit emails at Cranbrook School.

John Ralston, former chair of the Association of Independent Schools NSW (AISNSW), became ineligible to remain in his position after resigning from the board of a member school last night – a requirement for elected directors.

It followed an ABC investigation which found fellow board director Peter Cullen Macarthur disclosed in 1995 he had been convicted of two sexual assaults, one on a child, and was allowed to remain in his position for another two decades.

In an email from chief executive Margery Evans to independent principals, seen by Guardian Australia, she confirmed Ralston’s resignation would take effect immediately, and commended him for more than three decades in the position.

On behalf of the board and executive … I wish to thank [Ralston] for his service and wisdom and wish him the very best for the future.

Ralston was initially fated to depart his tenure in May, but has brought his resignation forward.

Josh Butler

Federal parliament to examine music festivals after Splendour cancellation

Federal parliament will examine a troubling trend of music festivals in trouble, after yesterday’s cancellation of the Splendour in the Grass festival.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts has announced an inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry. In a statement, the committee said:

In the wake of numerous venues closing and cancellations of some of Australia’s most established and successful music festivals in recent years, it is timely the Committee considers the industry-wide issues facing the sector.

Brian Mitchell, the Labor MP and committee chair, said:

Australia’s live music industry is currently facing considerable operational challenges. In the last couple of years, after the reopening of live music venues and festivals post COVID lockdowns, we have seen the sector face new and unprecedented issues.

He said the committee believed there were common struggles including shifting consumer behaviours, loss of skilled industry workers, and cost of living ramifications.

The Committee would like to hear about barriers to industry growth, including to export, the impact of current grant and support programs, and capacity building in the sector. The impacts of emerging audience behaviours and mechanisms for audience development will also be explored, along with the suitability and location of venues and artist development and career pathways.

The committee is keen for submissions by April 30.

Natasha May

Thanks Emily and good afternoon everyone!

Emily Wind

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, the lovely Natasha May will bring you the rest of our rolling coverage, with plenty yet to come. Take care, and enjoy your long weekend.

Eden Gillespie

Former senator supports motion to block gender-affirming surgery for minors

Exclusive: The former federal senator Amanda Stoker has issued a statement of support for an LNP motion to suspend gender-affirming surgery, puberty blockers and hormone treatment for those under 18 until a review takes place.

The successful motion, seen by Guardian Australia, called upon the federal and state governments to implement an urgent review of all current treatments of “paediatric gender dysphoria”.

Stoker, who is running for the state seat of Oodgeroo in the October election, supported the motion which passed on Sunday among Liberal National party members at the Metro South Region Policy Forum.

The motion will now go to the state LNP convention policy committee who will decide where it sits on the conference agenda. LNP resolutions which are passed at the state conference aren’t binding on the party.

In her supporting statement, Stoker said her submission to the committee will note the “urgency of this issue.”

This motion was originally passed last year at a Griffith [LNP] Women meeting. It was listed for debate at the LNP Convention 2023 and LNP Council 2023, however, as it was placed low in the agenda it was not debated.

We call again for an urgent review … considering the current medical evidence across the world.

Another successful motion at the forum called on the next “federal Coalition government and LNP state government” to change the school curriculum to teach students that there is “a natural cycle of climate change … and to reassure them that the world is not going to come to an end if the temperature goes up by a few degrees”.