Flood evacuation warning for Townsville ‘black zones’
David Crisafulli has urged residents in six Townsville “black zones” at risk from major flooding to leave by midday as monsoonal rains have dropped significant amounts of water in parts of the state.
Evacuation orders affecting thousands of people were issued overnight as rains in excess of 500mm fell in some places, with 600mm of rain expected in some parts on Sunday.
State Emergency Services have also carried out rescues at Ingham.
The Queensland premier said the Hebert River had reached 14.8m, just shy of the 15.2m level reached in 1967 and still rising.
The Premier said that he “cannot stress enough” that those living in a “black zone” must leave by midday.
I am asking people to heed this. Yesterday we spoke about the black zones, and we had around 170 crews go and/or knock and say to people please prepare, get ready to leave. Well, today I am asking people in those areas to leave by midday.
The areas affected include: Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea
Key events
Asked about the federal by federal Health Minister Mark Butler to hold an inquiry into gender affirming care, Dutton says there are “some caveats” to his support.
Dutton says each state and territory has its own approach to the issue, and suggests an inquiry could be held simultaneously with each state and territory. He also suggests the decision is a political manoeuvre by the Labor government.
The government is trying to cauterise an issue before the election which is what I suspect that would try to do. I think this is a more serious issue than that which needs to be even proper consideration.
Asked about the decision by the Queensland state government to end hormone treatments for people below the age of 18, Dutton says “that is a decision for state governments”.
And that’s a wrap.
Dutton says no deal has yet been reached with Labor over proposed changes to electoral laws.
We’ve been in discussions with the government on that bill, no agreement arrived at. We will conduct the discussions in good faith make an announcement in due course.
Dutton, asked about how those arrested for their alleged involvement with anti-Jewish vandalism have all been Australian citizens, suggests people have been radicalised by social media.
A young person sitting in front of the computer screen can be indoctrinated over a week or two because the constant videos or bombardment of propaganda so there is the influence of social media, the influence of people were radicalised here in our own society.
Dutton suggested that protests against Israel’s activities in Gaza are linked to the ongoing attacks.
We went first from protests and doxxing online to fire bombings in a planned terrorist attack and if we think it stops there we are kidding ourselves.
Asked about the responsibility of Elon Musk for some of this radicalisation, Dutton says he has “had a battle for over a decade against people like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and others who were making money out of our kids” saying they “need to do it in a responsible way.”
We spend a lot of time online and our kids are on the devices constantly. The same rules should apply online as they do in the real world, if there is child abuse material which I tried to get Facebook to take down, if there is that sort of explicit material it should be taken down. If there is terrorist related advocacy and spreading of that hate message, they have the algorithms and the technology and the AI to be able to clear it, but of course they don’t because they are driven by profit. Of course it should be taken down.
Dutton says Senator James Patterson “and our people” have received briefings in relations to this incident but Dutton will not “go into the private details of text messages I’ve had with Mike Burgess”
Dutton also suggests that the NSW Police withheld information from the New South Wales Premier and the Prime Minister as they were worried their offices may leak the information themselves.
I can’t believe the Prime Minister has not been informed, I suspect what has happened here if I’m being honest is the NSW Police have been worried about the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister ‘s office leaking the information which is the only explanation, otherwise it’s inexplicable that the Premier of New South Wales would have known about this plan.
Dutton also linked the attacks to pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
They should have been, from day one, a clear message that we don’t tolerate racism and anti-Semitic conduct, whether it’s by neo-Nazi nut jobs or the left-wing of organisations on campuses. For months and months people were protesting against Jewish students and Jewish academics. To this very day the university is not even a proper account of how the is allowed to continue on.
The protests Dutton referred to were not held against Jewish students and Jewish academics, but in response to the action by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The International Court of Justice is currently considering a case brought by South Africa against Israel alleging the country has engaged in acts of genocide and war crimes.
‘Inconceivable’ Minns and Albanese weren’t told about caravan explosion plot, says Dutton
Dutton says he has spoken to Asio head, Mike Burgess, and has been briefed by both the intelligence agency and the Australian Federal Police on Australia’s anti-Jewish attacks.
He has also continued a blame game over who knew what and when, over claims a police investigation into the attacks was exposed through media reports involving a caravan full of explosives.
Dutton says it is “inconceivable” that NSW premier Chris Minns was not told about the operation or that the information was not passed on to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.
I don’t think there has been a true and honest account of what has happened. If the prime minister of our country is not across what was essentially the biggest terrorist attack on our country’s history, essentially till the public found out about it, I think that is an absolute abrogation of his responsibility, and I do think we deserve to hear the answers.
Dutton defends power price figures despite past criticism of accuracy
Dutton is pressed on the 44% figure, specifically about whether he was told that by Frontier Access Economics.
All other variables be equal – if you have a 44% reduction in the overall cost to deliver that model that is going to translate into that price reduction for households and businesses edge that is what we must do.
A reminder that the Frontier Access Economics modelling has been severely criticised for its assumptions.
Turning to questions about national security and the spate of anti-Jewish attacks across Sydney, Dutton says there has been a “predictable escalation” in discrimination against the Jewish community over the last two weeks.
I worry that people are going to lose their lives and, I think, the premiers need to start taking this seriously.
Dutton promises Coalition would cut powers prices by almost half
Dutton is asked how much cheaper power prices will be under a future Coalition government, and the opposition leader appears to cite the Frontier Access Economics report to suggest a 44% reduction to flow through the energy system under his party’s plan.
You would expect a 44% reduction all of that order being passed through in energy bill relief.
However, Dutton said that he did not think that would happen immediately.
He said the Coalition’s first investment in nuclear power plants would be rolled out between 2035 and 2037.
And in the interim we have to do a lot more with gas, with coal in the system.
Power prices will decrease if Coalition given power, Dutton says
Dutton says that power prices will be lower under a future Coalition government, citing modelling work by Frontier Access Economics on Labor electricity policies and the Coalition’s future nuclear policy.
The Frontier Access Economics modelling did not include Western Australia and has been roundly criticised for making assumptions.
Dutton accused the government of “overbuilding” the country’s electricity system, adding, “We have a lot to do in the short term, I think, particularly in relation to gas and peaking to provide support.”
Gas peaking plants kick in during extreme periods of high demand to help provide additional support and rarely operate.
Dutton also pointed to Tennessee and Ontario as examples of jurisdictions where nuclear power “firms” renewables, claiming there had “been a threefold increase in the number of manufacturing business closures over the last 4.5 years”.
Dutton pledges to ‘protect frontline services’ while reducing public servants
When asked – for the third time – whether a future Coalition government would lower public spending, also known as an “austerity budget”, Dutton says it would cut what it sees as “wasteful spending”.
Asked whether he would find budget savings by cutting public services from services, such as the NDIS, Veterans Affairs and Services Australia, Dutton said his government wanted to “protect frontline services” but does not want the number of “public servants” to balloon.
Dutton said: “There is a correlation between a bloated public service and a lack of productivity.”
The opposition leader, however, said his government would not have a similar audit to what Tony Abbott introduced when he was elected as “many of us have sat around the expenditure review committee”.
We know what we’re doing and [are] able to hit the ground running. We have worked with the departments, many of the departmental heads that are there now, and I have no doubt that we will be able to find where Labor has put that into the system that has not done anything but drive inflation, and I want to bring inflation down.
Coalition would cut ‘wasteful’ spending if elected, Dutton tells Insiders
Opposition leader Peter Dutton says a future Coalition government would cut “wasteful” spending, saying hiring 36,000 public servants in Canberra was a mistake and a “recipe to try and please the unions”.
Speaking to ABC Insiders host David Speirs, Dutton said the decision to hire more public servants was also responsible for undermining the economies of states with Labor governments, including Queensland and Victoria.
Our desire is to manage the economy successfully, as my predecessors in John Howard, for example, did.
Dutton also offered a series of figures suggesting power and grocery bills have increased.
If the government is pretending somehow they have performed this miracle, the economy has turned around and family should be grateful.
Labor shelves plans for federal EPA indefinitely
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Plans for a federal environment protection agency have been shelved indefinitely after the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, intervened once again to quell a backlash in Western Australia.
Guardian Australia has confirmed contentious laws to create the EPA have been pulled from this week’s draft Senate program and won’t be debated before the election, due on or before 17 May.
The move, first reported in The West Australian, came after a backlash from miners and WA Premier Roger Cook to attempts from the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to revive her signature bill.
It is the second time Albanese has stepped in to push the EPA off the agenda in a matter of months after he intervened late last year to scuttle a draft deal Plibersek reached with the Greens and independent David Pocock to establish the nature watchdog.
The Greens are now unwilling to support an EPA without a blanket ban on native logging, while the Coalition remains firmly opposed, leaving Labor without a path to get it through the Senate.
In a statement, a government spokesperson cited the political deadlock as the reason the legislation was pulled.
With the Greens Party making increasingly extreme demands, it’s clear there is no path to deliver a sensible EPA in this term of Parliament.
Even though the Samuel Review was initiated by the former Liberal Government because business and environment groups all say the current Act is outdated and needs reform the Coalition have continued to be obstructionist.
Dutton in the hot seat on the year’s first Insiders
Opposition leader Peter Dutton will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speirs on Sunday morning in the year’s first episode.
NDIS minister Amanda Rishworth spoke to Sky News this morning.
We will bring you the latest as it happens.
Boy, 5, dies after being pulled from Sydney waterhole
A five-year-old boy has died after being pulled unconscious from a waterhole in Sydney’s west on Saturday.
Paramedics were called to Bents Basin just after 5pm following reports the boy had been pulled from the water unconscious.
Members of the public performed CPR on the boy before paramedics took over, rushing the boy to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition. He later died.
New South Wales Police have begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
‘Incredible’ levels of rainfall in north Queensland: premier
David Crisafulli has advised those in Townsville subject to evacuation orders to stay with friends and family, or if that is not an option, to seek shelter at an evacuation shelter at Heartleigh.
Your safety is more important than anything else.
The Queensland premier said that some rainfall totals received overnight were “incredible”.
Some of the falls that we saw overnight in different parts were, quite frankly, at incredible levels. One suburb got 620mm in the 20 hours to 6am. That is over 0.5m of water in less than a day. That should give you a perspective of how big it is.
Flood evacuation warning for Townsville ‘black zones’
David Crisafulli has urged residents in six Townsville “black zones” at risk from major flooding to leave by midday as monsoonal rains have dropped significant amounts of water in parts of the state.
Evacuation orders affecting thousands of people were issued overnight as rains in excess of 500mm fell in some places, with 600mm of rain expected in some parts on Sunday.
State Emergency Services have also carried out rescues at Ingham.
The Queensland premier said the Hebert River had reached 14.8m, just shy of the 15.2m level reached in 1967 and still rising.
The Premier said that he “cannot stress enough” that those living in a “black zone” must leave by midday.
I am asking people to heed this. Yesterday we spoke about the black zones, and we had around 170 crews go and/or knock and say to people please prepare, get ready to leave. Well, today I am asking people in those areas to leave by midday.
The areas affected include: Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea
Good Morning
And welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog.
The Queensland premier David Crisafulli has urged residents of six Townsville “black zones” to leave by midday as driving rain threatens major flooding in north Queensland. The Premier warned residents not to take risks in a developing emergency situation after more than 500mm of rain has fallen in some places.
In Sydney’s west, a boy has died after being pulled unconscious from a waterhole on Saturday. Paramedics worked to save the five-year-old who was rushed to hospital from Bents Basin in critical condition, where he later died.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …