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Victorian home losses reach 46 as bushfires contained

Another home in Victoria’s west has been confirmed lost from catastrophic bushfires, as residents across the state are warned to remain vigilant amid the clean-up.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, has been advised by the Emergency Management Victoria commissioner, Rick Nugent, that a house was destroyed around Pomonal at the edge of the Grampians National Park.

“Our thoughts are with those communities,” Allan told reporters in Notting Hill on Sunday.

The premier said 45 homes in Pomonal and one in Dadswells Bridge have been lost. At least three businesses and 23 outbuildings were also razed in Pomonal.

Locals returning to inspect the losses were met with dangerous residual electricity still running through wires despite power lines going down.

Carcasses of dead animals were strewn everywhere and water systems polluted from fire retardant used in the aerial efforts to quell the flames.

While the fire threat has eased, Allan flagged more hot weather was on the way from mid-week and urged Victorians not to let their guard down.

Even though we’ve got milder weather here in the city, the fire danger rating is high [in the] Wimmera, Mallee and northern districts today.

We need to continue to monitor the weather, take the advice from the agencies, heed those warnings.

– AAP

Drones replace helicopters for checking bush powerlines

Endeavour Energy will replace noisy helicopters with stealthy drones for its annual safety checks of over 13,000 kilometres of power lines in bushfire-prone areas.

Steve Lette, head of digital at Endeavour, said the upcoming bushfire season is “especially concerning because the current summer’s rains and high temperatures have supercharged forest undergrowth”.

Previously, helicopters were the go-to choice for the NSW power distribution network that operates in Sydney’s western outskirts, the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Illawarra and South Coast.

But Lette said helicopters caused problems because of their noise level, particularly for customers with livestock.

The introduction of drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and advanced sensors aims to mitigate these issues.

More than 2.4 million people rely on the poles and wires, and don’t want a repeat of devastating 2019-20 bushfires that choked the region and cut essential services.

Two of the worst affected coastal towns were the first to be equipped with a “community microgrid” to make them more independent during power outages.

Endeavour said around 100 homes in Bawley Point and Kioloa were fitted with subsidised solar panels or batteries in 2023 to help create the first microgrid of its kind in NSW.

To keep residents informed of drone flights, customers will receive SMS notifications in advance of an inspection near their property.

– AAP

Three NSW women charged after social media brawl

NSW police have charged three women for their alleged involvement in a prearranged brawl for social media in Swansea.

People were called to a fast-food outlet on the Old Pacific Highway, Swansea at 10.30pm on Friday following reports that a brawl was under way.

As officers arrived, those involved allegedly fled the scene but witnesses told the officers three women had met at the location for a pre-arranged flight, which was streamed on a social media platform.

Copies of the video were provided to police and an investigation began.

Following an extensive investigation police have charged three women, aged 31, 29 and 18 years old, with affray.

They were all issued future court attendance notices to appear before Belmont Local Court, with the 31-year-old woman appearing on 6 March, the 18-year-old woman on 13 March and the 29-year-old woman on 3 April.

Native species are losing ground in Victoria’s Alpine national park as brumby population booms

The journey from Cooma in southern New South Wales to Native Cat Flat in Victoria’s Alpine national park is a challenging trek along rugged four-wheel-drive tracks. For Richard Swain, a Wiradjuri man born in the Snowy Mountains, it’s worth the trip. We are headed to an area of remnant vegetation, fenced off from the more than 2,700 feral horses that live in the national park and Bogong High Plains.

There are four exclusion plots, each bordered by a modest wire fence. Behind the fences, lush sphagnum, dense vegetation, grass tussocks, shrubs and herbs thrive, showcasing an alpine landscape unaffected by the presence of horses.

Outside the fence, the ground is pockmarked with deep hoofprints and the native grasses are overgrazed. It looks like a paddock, not a sensitive alpine ecosystem.

“This is the habitat that is required for our critically endangered species, and in this entire wetland you’ve got only these four plots, not even as big as a tennis court … the rest of it is mowed off like a golf course,” Swain says.

If you ever want to know what horses do to the high mountain country, this is it.

For more on this story, read the full feature by Otis Filley:

Two more Sydney schools test positive for asbestos

Tamsin Rose

Taylor Swift concert will go ahead after EPA finds no danger at Olympic Park

Tamsin Rose

Concerts, horse races and ballet: Australian politicians declare their freebies after a busy summer

Federal politicians have enjoyed a busy summer thanks to the generosity of large companies, sporting organisations and alcohol brands, receiving dozens of free tickets to cricket and tennis matches, horse races and concerts.

Recent disclosures on the parliament’s register of interests reveal Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, Richard Marles, Jim Chalmers, Sussan Ley and Bridget McKenzie were among dozens of MPs to have accepted gifts of free passes through the holidays.

Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia were the major benefactors of tickets, with the likes of Sportsbet, Westpac, Telstra, and beverage stables Diageo, Lion, Asahi and Treasury Wines also entertaining MPs, according to political disclosure forms.

Analysis of the registers of members’ and senators’ interests by Guardian Australia found at least 23 instances of federal politicians disclosing tickets to cricket matches this summer, and 24 of tennis tickets. Included in the tickets were the Big Bash cricket, the United Cup, the Brisbane International, the Australian Open and Test cricket matches.

There were seven examples of politicians accepting passes to horse racing events, five for soccer matches and three for basketball games.

For more on what disclosure records reveal, read the full story from Guardian Australia’s Josh Butler:

With weekly pro-Palestine rallies continuing across Australian capitals, here are the details of the protests planned for this weekend:

• Melbourne: 12 noon today at State Library Victoria

• Brisbane: 4pm today at King George Square

• Sydney: A rally was held yesterday at Hyde Park

• Perth: A rally was held on Friday in Fremantle

• Hobart: A car rally was held on Saturday.

Rockliff goes after Airbnb ahead of Tas election

Tourists and locals who stay in a Tasmanian Airbnb will be slugged a surcharge if the nation’s only Liberal government survives the upcoming state election.

The premier, Jeremy Rockliff, has revealed plans for a 5% levy on short-stay rentals such as those advertised on Airbnb and Stayz if the Liberals are re-elected on 23 March.

The proposed levy of would be paid by consumers and is expected to generate $11m a year, which the Liberals say will be entirely redirected to give first-home buyers a leg up.

Rockliff said on Sunday that the policy will help “ease the supply side pressures” and to help more young Tasmanians to buy their first home:

When Tasmanians have a key to their own home, they also unlock countless opportunities.

There is no doubt increasing number of homes on the short-stay market has reduced availability and contributed to higher rents, the housing minister, Nic Street, said.

Hotels, pubs and other traditional accommodation operators will not be captured by the levy.

The Tasmanian Liberals have also promised to ban arbitrary caps on short-stay listings and geographic distortions of the market.

– AAP

Politicians ‘accountable for their actions’ if they drink in parliament: Albanese

The PM is asked about reports by Sky News that the Nationals deputy leader, Perin Davey, has admitted to drinking alcohol before appearing at a parliamentary committee.

Look, I behave responsibly, as should all members of parliament. And, you know, I think when you’re at work, your job is to work. And like any other Australian workplace, people will look at that footage or other footage that’s been around recently, and make up their own mind. I think that politicians have a responsibility to think about the great honour that we have of representing our electorates.

But the PM stops short of calling for a ban on drinking in parliament.

I think people are accountable for their actions. They’re up for election every three years. And I think that the constituents, whether they be in the House of Representatives or the Senate, will make up their own mind based upon a range of factors, including personal behaviour. But I think that, when you are a member of parliament, you’re by definition an adult. You’re someone who has a great deal of responsibility. And it’s important that we show respect for the people who’ve sent us to parliament.

Dutton asylum comments ‘overblown’ and ‘overreach’: Albanese

Goodenough a ‘loyal servant of the Liberal Party’, won’t quit: Hastie

A senior West Australian Liberal has expressed confidence backbench MP Ian Goodenough will remain with the party following his preselection loss.

Goodenough lost preselection for the upcoming federal election in the Perth seat of Moore on Saturday to former federal MP Vince Connelly.

Despite Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressing support for Goodenough ahead of the vote, Connelly won 137 to 39.

Speculation has since swirled that Goodenough will serve out the rest of his parliamentary term as an independent.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, opposition defence spokesman and fellow West Australian Liberal Andrew Hastie says he expects Goodenough will stick with the party.

I’m confident Ian will do the right thing but we’ve got to allow space for the guy to be disappointed.

He’s served in the parliament for 10 years now and it’s not easy when you lose an election and he lost his election yesterday.

Goodenough was first elected to federal parliament in 2013 as part of the coalition landslide victory.

Hastie said the preselection loss would be a lot to process for Goodenough after a long stint in parliament.

Ian’s a sensible, loyal servant of the Liberal Party, he’s obviously going to be very disappointed today with the results from yesterday but this is grassroots democracy in action.

This is the way we preselect our candidates, it went to a fair vote and the other candidate won.

– AAP

New Zealand PM lays out austerity agenda in first speech

The New Zealand prime minister, Chris Luxon, has pledged a major crackdown on long-term welfare recipients, telling them “the free ride is over”.

Luxon delivered his first “state of the nation” address as prime minister in Auckland on Sunday, describing New Zealand as “fragile” and laying the blame for a loss of “mojo” at the former government’s feet.

A central theme was welfare reform, given a growing number of Kiwis on unemployment benefits receiving long-term welfare.

“There are 70,000 more people on a Jobseeker unemployment benefit today than there were in 2017,” he said, referring to a six-year spell when New Zealand’s population also grew by 500,000 people.

Even more catastrophic is that if you do go onto a benefit, you’ll stay there for longer.

For the 2,000 young people receiving a youth payment or young parent payment, they are now expected to spend an average of 24 years of their working life on a benefit.

Luxon said his government unapologetically cut spending on the unemployed, saying he was prepared for “tough choices”.

We’ll do everything we can to help people into work, but if they don’t play ball the free ride is over.

I won’t apologise for making tough choices to support young people off welfare and into work, because 24 years languishing on welfare means no hope. It means no opportunity. It means no dignity from work.

I will not apologise for tough love.

All Kiwis, of course, have a right to support when times are tough but with that right also comes responsibility.

The responsibility to look for a job, or to train for new opportunities.

And if you don’t – make no mistake – there will be consequences … there will be sanctions if you don’t take that support seriously.

Luxon’s National party won last October’s election pledging to reduce government spending, and has already made ground on that promise, making NZ$7bn (A$6.6bn) in cuts at a mini-budget last December.

The finance minister, Nicola Willis, has ordered further cuts from government departments, writing to public sector chiefs asking for suggestions ahead of the 30 May budget.

In this speech, Luxon laid out a laundry list of promises his government has come good on, including axing Labour’s clean car rebate, light rail plans, fuel taxes and industrial relations reform.

– AAP

‘Lack of ABF funding’ contributed to WA boat arrival, Hastie says

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie says a lack of funding contributed to the unexpected arrival of refugees in two regional communities in northern Australia.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Hastie accused the government of slashing funding to the border force.

The government has ripped $600m out of the Australian Border Force and so the question is, can we even surveil the north-west coast of Australia?

– AAP

Littleproud hits at Labor over asylum seekers found in WA

Nationals leader David Littleproud has joined opposition leader Peter Dutton’s attack on the government after the arrival of refugees in north-western Australia.

During an appearance on Nine’s Today program, Littleproud claimed Australia’s borders were “porous”.

The damage is already done, you don’t get on a boat unless you’ve got something to sell to these people, and they’ve been telling them that Australia’s borders are porous.

We need to make sure the resources are there for Border Force to intercept these people, because this is dangerous. This is people’s lives at risk as well, beyond our borders.

– AAP

Communications minister Michelle Rowland says opposition leader Peter Dutton is compromising Australia’s border security by trying to score political points after a group of asylum seekers managed to land in Australia.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Rowland said Dutton’s claims that the government had “lost control” of the border were “actually harmful”.

I would be very cautionary in terms of Mr Dutton and his comments, as leading people in the Australian Border Force have said any suggestion of alternative narratives is actually harmful.

Operation Sovereign Borders has been operating in exactly the same way since it was introduced under the previous government, consistent with successive governments.

Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter said alternative narratives had the potential to be exploited by people smugglers.

– AAP