Australia news live: cool change for south-east states; Labor prepares to defend budget choices
Key events
Heat is now shifting eastwards and northwards following a cool change in Victoria overnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Miriam Bradley told ABC News Breakfast this morning while heat was easing in Victoria, which saw widespread temperatures in the mid-40s on Monday, focus would now turn to the eastern coast and northern parts of New South Wales.
We do have extreme fire dangers current for the Wimmera, with some fires still ongoing there. Even though the cool change has come through, it is still dangerously dry conditions.
The heat [is] moving through New South Wales, particularly the east coast and northern parts of the state. Sydney is set to reach 33 degrees today but, if you head just a small way inland to the western suburbs – Penrith and Richmond are expecting to get to 42 degrees, with a strong southerly buster expected later this afternoon and this evening as that cooler change moves through.
Queensland was also lashed with rain across the south-east overnight, Bradbury, said, with widespread totals of up to 100mm and isolated totals of up to 160mm.
Unfortunately, it is going to be another wet day ahead for much of eastern and south-eastern Queensland.
In New South Wales, a $500,000 reward will be announced today by the state government and police for information into a historic murder in the inner west.
The 1988 murder of William Anthony Rogers has been subject to extensive inquiries and a review in 2021 but no one has ever been charged.
Just after 1.15am on Tuesday, 4 October, police were called to a street in Ashfield after a taxi driver was found dead in his car.
Police were told the 36-year-old was on shift as a taxi driver on the previous day between 3pm and 3am. William’s safety button on the taxi’s radio was activated about 1.15am.
Upon arrival, police found the pay meter inside the car was showing an amount of $10.70 and the automatic gear stick was in first gear with the parking brake off.
Witnesses described seeing an unknown man shake and kick the driver who quickly fled the scene. A postmortem examination confirmed William had died as a result of a gunshot wound to his torso.
New data shows a rise in family violence offending in Victoria, prompting Victoria Police to place a community callout urging to report perpetrators.
Crime Statistics Agency figures show during December last year there were 8,668 family violence incidents recorded across the state – at an average of 279 incidents per day.
On Christmas Day alone, the average increased by 33%, with 372 family violence incidents recorded.
The most common form of family violence recorded on Christmas Day related to perpetrators breaching orders – with 91 offences recorded, as well as assault – with 79 offences recorded.
Family Violence Command assistant commissioner Lauren Callaway said frontline police were continuing to respond to increasing reports of family violence each year – with a spike occurring on Christmas day.
Whether it’s perpetrators breaching orders by either attending the victim’s home or using technology to make contact or committing assault – the behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
If you are concerned that your behaviour is putting the safety of family members at risk there are services to call who can help you to change. Maybe making that call is the best gift you can give your family this Christmas.
Caitlin Cassidy
Good morning
Good morning everyone, it’s Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through this AM’s news.
Cool change sweeps southern states as Queensland prepares for flash flooding
Relief is slowly arriving for some sunbaked Australians after several states sweated through one of the hottest December days in years, the Australian Associated Press report.
Parts of Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia topped 45C yesterday, but a cool change swept into South Australia and Victoria last night.
Melbourne and Adelaide were forecast to see highs in the low to mid-20s today.
Queensland, meanwhile, faces the risk of flash flooding with wet weather forecast from Yeppoon on the central coast south to Brisbane.
The bureau warned residents in the state’s south-east to prepare for heavy falls in the coming days.
“Over the next three or four days, there could be widespread falls of 50mm to 100mm and isolated falls up to an exceeding 250mm,” said Dean Narramore of the Bureau of Meteorology.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Caitlin Cassidy with the main action.
The latest Essential poll contains some good and bad news for Anthony Albanese as many respondents confirmed 2024 was worse than they expected and they are worse off than three years ago. The poll of 1,151 voters found that Albanese’s net approval rating is now -11, with 50% disapproving of the job he is doing as prime minister (up three points since November) and 39% approving (down three). But there is some hope – more people expect their situation to get better than do not. More coming up.
The poll findings underline the difficulties facing Labor as they heads into an election year weighed down by a sluggish economy. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will be hoping that he can oversee some kind of recovery by May and to that end Chalmers will present the midyear economic update, earmarking $14.6bn of additional savings for the federal budget along with $8.8bn of “unavoidable spending”. We’ll have more on this as the day unfolds.
A cool change has swept parts of Victoria overnight after the state recorded its hottest day in five years yesterday. However, high fire danger warnings remain in place in much of the south-east of the country. Queensland will remain hot, forecasters said, with the south-east likely to see more of the heavy rainfall that has disrupted the third Test in Brisbane. More coming up.
