Australia news live: Steven Miles sidesteps question on whether he has numbers to be Queensland premier, says cyclone Jasper his ‘absolute focus’

Steven Miles would not answer whether he had the numbers to become Queensland's next premier, after numerous questions from reporters. He reiterated that today, his focus is on responding to the cyclone:

I am focused, absolutely focused, on delivering better ... for Queenslanders and today that means focusing on preparedness for this cyclone and taking care of the Queenslanders who will be impacted by [this].

I think the best case I can put is by demonstrating just how I would lead, and that is how I would lead, with 100% absolute focus on the safety and wellbeing of Queensland.

Top of the class: Sienna Wang

Sienna Wang is one of 39 students in Victoria[1] who woke up this morning to find she'd achieved the top Atar of 99.95.

The Methodist Ladies College (MLC) dux hopes to use her Atar to pursue a career in Stem, though the 18-year-old is also passionate about music and the arts:

I would like to keep music in my life even if I end up in a completely different career field.

Wang is yet to make up her mind between Monash University's medicine program and the University of Melbourne's biomedical sciences program:

I'm drawn to the field of medicine because it brings together the human aspect of caregiving and the exciting opportunities of Stem. It's that perfect blend of using scientific knowledge to make a tangible difference in people's lives that I find very appealing.

Her advice for future VCE students is "don't be afraid to try new things":

Join as many clubs, activities and competitions as you can because they will help you get a deeper understanding of school subjects and you make great friends along the way.

It's also really fun.

Tropical cyclone warning issued for Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tropical cyclone warning between Cooktown and Townsville (not including Townsville) amid tropical cyclone Jasper.

A watch area also extends north to Cape Melville and inland:

??Tropical cyclone #warning between Cooktown and Townsville (not including Townsville), and a Watch area extending north to Cape Melville and inland. Gales forecast to begin on Tuesday. Details and updates: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/Y6ysghtQr0[2][3][4]

-- Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) December 11, 2023[5]

According to the latest update, damaging winds with gusts over 90km/h are expected to develop from Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, is forecast to develop on Wednesday between Cape Flattery and Cardwell.

Six-hourly totals between 100 to 150 mm are likely, with isolated falls of 250 mm possible along the coast and adjacent ranges.

24-hourly rainfall totals between 150 to 250 mm are likely, with isolated falls up to 350 mm possible.

'You've done us proud,' Victorian premier says to school leavers

Victoria's state government has congratulated students receiving today's end-of-year exam results. Victorians are the first cohort in the nation to gain access to their much-anticipated Atars.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, said she was "thrilled" to congratulate the class of 2023 for their hard work, dedication, and perseverance:

You've done us proud.

This year, 57,601 students graduated with their VCE, a completion rate of 97.4%. Of those, 21,754 graduates received study scores of 40 or higher (8.8%), 656 received the maximum study score of 50 (0.3%), and a further 3,048 were awarded the VCE baccalaureate.

Some 6,387 students received un-scored VCE Vocational Major graduates - the first group to be offered the £277.5m program, which replaced VCAL.

The minister for education, Ben Carroll, said getting through VCE was a "big effort":

Remember that this is only one step in your life journey and there are many different paths you can take from here.

Atar scores land for year 12 students in Victoria

Some 45,239 students have received their Atars in Victoria today, an increase of 1,066 students compared with last year.

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) CEO, Teresa Tjia, congratulated all students who'd completed year 12, encouraging leavers to "be proud" and "take the time to celebrate with those who supported you throughout your school years".

Of students who received a rank, 39 achieved the highest possible Atar of 99.95.

Of those, 30 were male and nine were female.

The average Atar for this year's cohort was 69.41, a slight decrease on 2022, while women had a slightly higher average score compared with men (70.23 compared with 68.43).

There were 22,192 unique combinations of VCE subjects used in Atar calculations this year, with the most popular, used by 283 students, comprising English, Biology, Health and Human Development, General Mathematics and Psychology.

Victorian students have until 4pm on Wednesday to update their tertiary course preferences for December offers after receiving their Atars today. There has already been an upswing in admissions, with total applications for 2024 courses 1.6% higher than at the same time last year.

Tjia said the December round of offers would provide many year 12 students with certainty about their next steps in time for Christmas.

There is more you have achieved through your schooling. Take time to acknowledge the challenges you've overcome, the opportunities taken and capabilities you've developed and will continue to grow in the years to come.

O'Neil on specialist pathway skills

O'Neil is providing more details about the specialist skills pathway - which she said would get skills into Australia "that we cannot get quickly at home, but that we urgently need".

Think about people who are working as a psychologist who will take otherwise 10 to 15 years to train, people like cyber specialists who we desperately need here to help the whole of the Australian community skill up ... that is really the focus of the specialist skills pathway.

O'Neil said a focus is the fee-free Tafe offerings so that "we are growing the skills, not relying on migration to replace labour".

The reason we are trying to do things like the specialist skills pathway is because those people will not replace Australian workers - they will come here, they will build the productivity of those around them, they will share worlds best practice - but we need to use the system only to replace those people, not to say that we're not going to skill up and train people, that is evidently not the government's approach.

O'Neil argues that the migration policy doesn't make it harder "to bring tradespeople to Australia".

Our government feel strongly that for sectors like trades, you should have to prove that there is a skills shortage before you start to recruit overseas.

And I have to say, that may be controversial with some groups in the community, it wouldn't be in my electorate.

Government to reduce concentration of migrants in capitals

Clare O'Neil said an element of the migration policy will see measures to reduce the "concentration of migrants" in capital cities:

I am from Melbourne, we are so lucky we have a generation after generation of migrant communities come and settle in our cities, but when we're talking about housing, infrastructure constraints that are very clearly affecting the lives of our community, it is being felt most acutely in those capital cities.

She said this comes at the same time regional areas are "crying out for extra people".

We have done everything we can under the current system to make sure we are sending migrants where they are really needed, but there is more work that needs to be done there and that is a big focus for us in 2024.

'There are other things we can do': Clare O'Neil on limiting migration

Back to Clare O'Neil's press conference around the government's new migration policy. She is now taking questions from reporters.

If the new measures to limit Australia's migrant intake don't succeed there are "other things we can do", O'Neil said, but she is confident they will:

I am confident that the measures we have put together here are being done quickly and that we have caught this problem in time.

I would say that if we did not do anything about this problem for several years, we would be in a situation where we were having to look at things that would be very economically damaging for the nation.

AFL concussion rules need to shift after Tuck's death, coroner rules

The AFL should limit the number of contact training sessions and hire independent doctors to assess players who receive head knocks to reduce the risk of concussion, AAP reports.

That's what Victorian state coroner, John Cain, recommended as he handed down his findings into the death of former AFL player Shane Tuck on Monday.

Tuck had been hearing voices, had suicidal thoughts and was forced to stay in a psychiatric ward in the years before he took his own life in July 2020, the inquest was told.

Cain said it was accepted Tuck received repeated head knocks in his 173 games for AFL club Richmond and while competing as a professional boxer.

Cain did not make findings into the nature of Tuck's death, instead looking at preventative measures in sport to reduce concussion.

Clare O'Neil officially launches government's new migration policy

The home affairs minister, Clare O'Neil, is officially launching the federal government's migration policy in Canberra. Amy Remeikis has the details on that for you[6].

Here's how O'Neil opened an ongoing press conference:

We are going to make sure that we bring numbers back under control.

That we build a better planned system around essential things like housing, and perhaps most importantly of all, that we build a program that delivers for the national interest.

O'Neil is flanked by the ACTU and the Business Council of Australia. Two groups that don't always agree, but have a mutual interest in making changes to the migration system. Here's how O'Neil put it:

[Immigration Minister] Andrew Giles and I have worked over a long period of time to build a package that has consensus.

The reason it has consensus is because we can solve the biggest problems that are challenging Australian workers, that are challenging Australian businesses, at the same time.

Melbourne hotel fined after letting teenager gamble on six occasions

A Melbourne hotel has been fined £25,300 after a court found it allowed a 16-year-old to access gambling on six occasions last year.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission fined the Preston venue in May after a tip-off from the community.

The regulator's chief executive, Annette Kimmitt, has welcomed the court's decision:

It is inexcusable to accept a bet from a minor. This sends a clear message to the entire industry.

Failing to prevent minors from accessing gambling products won't be tolerated.

In a statement, the regulator said it was pursuing action against another eight venues for allowing underage gambling.

Steven Miles would not answer whether he had the numbers to become Queensland's next premier, after numerous questions from reporters. He reiterated that today, his focus is on responding to the cyclone:

I am focused, absolutely focused, on delivering better ... for Queenslanders and today that means focusing on preparedness for this cyclone and taking care of the Queenslanders who will be impacted by [this].

I think the best case I can put is by demonstrating just how I would lead, and that is how I would lead, with 100% absolute focus on the safety and wellbeing of Queensland.

The Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles is speaking to the media following premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's resignation yesterday.

The press conference has centred around Queensland's emergency response to tropical cyclone Jasper.

Asked whether he has the numbers to become Queensland's next premier, Miles responded:

I understand you're interested in that. My focus today is absolutely 100% on the safety of Queenslanders in making sure we are adequately prepared for the cyclone.

I hope you understand I'm not gonna let this press conference be sidetracked. You all know my position, I issued a statement yesterday.

Fire near Tenterfield burning at advice level as crews continue battling blaze

The NSW Rural Fire Service is continuing to battle a bushfire near Tenterfield, supported by waterbombing aircraft and heavy machinery.

#RFS firefighters, supported by waterbombing aircraft and heavy machinery continue working at the Trap Mountain Dumaresq Valley Fire.

It will take some time to control the fire, burning in remote country, 55km SW of Tenterfield.

Residents in the area should monitor conditions. pic.twitter.com/T0iLrXQ6Jx[7][8]

-- NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 11, 2023[9]

The bushfire is burning east of the Beardy River and south of Bruxner Highway, about 55km south-west of Tenterfield.

It is burning at advice level, meaning there is no immediate danger and people should stay up to date in case the situation changes.

A man has been charged over the Daylesford Hotel beer garden crash that killed five people.

He is due to appear in the Melbourne magistrates court today.

Detectives this morning charged the 66-year-old man with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life.

Pratibha Sharma, 44, her daughter Anvi, 9, and partner Jatin Kumar, 30, and their friend Vivek Bhatia, 38, and his son Vihaan, 11, all died during the incident in the Daylesford Hotel beer garden in November.

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