Australia news live: police warn poor decisions causing spate of road accidents; consumer sentiment in post-Christmas ‘financial hangover’

16/01/2024

The Australian government says it was not taken by surprise by Nauru’s decision to scrap diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China [1] – but says it respects the Pacific island country’s right to make its own choices.

The Australian minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the government was notified in advance of Nauru’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a move that led to the severing of such ties with Taiwan. Speaking at a media conference in Canberra today, Conroy played down the impact:

This was a decision by the sovereign government of Nauru and we respect their decision. I would make the point that three Pacific Islands Forum members recognise Taiwan [whereas] 13 members recognise the People’s Republic of China, including Australia, and we’ve got excellent relations with every single Pacific island nation, including those ones who recognise the PRC.

So we respect Nauru’s decision. What you’ve seen under the Albanese Labor government is a very significant improvement in our relationship with the Pacific. We’re turning up, we’re listening, we’re acting on their priorities.

Asked whether the Australian government was taken by surprise by Nauru’s announcement yesterday, Conroy said:

No …

I can be very clear that we were aware in advance of the announcement that was being made.

But he declined to go into details of exactly when Australia was notified of the diplomatic switch.

Asked whether Nauru had asked Australia for any financial support to avoid its decision, Conroy said:

They had no conversations with us about that particular matter – switching diplomatic recognition – other than giving a heads-up that the decision had been made.

The Bureau of Meteorology said more wet weather is on the way for the NT, WA and Queensland as the northern monsoon continues:

Rain and storms for NT, WA, and Qld as the monsoon continues. Warnings for rain, winds, and flooding are current, with more wet weather on the way. Details: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh pic.twitter.com/6w7Vn4Gu6U [2][3]

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) January 16, 2024 [4]

Dallas Hayden, the wife of the former governor-general and architect of universal healthcare, has died three months after Bill Hayden.

The Haydens had been married for more than six decades, and endured the entirety of the Labor leader’s political career as he grew from MP to Medibank creator to opposition leader to governor-general.

The two eventually retired to a farm on the edge of Ipswich in Queensland, largely retreating from public life before Mr Hayden died aged 90 in October.

But today, prime minister Anthony Albanese revealed Ms Hayden had followed her husband to the grave.

Like all in the Labor family, I am saddened to hear of the passing of Dallas Hayden.

Dallas was a person of wonderful warmth and great depth, kind and gracious to strangers and friends alike.

She spent many years playing supporting roles in public life and her optimism, her quiet courage and her strength of character were a powerful source of inspiration for her adoring husband, Bill.

Very sad news that the much loved and respected Dallas Hayden has passed away, so soon after her beloved husband and former Governor General and Labor Leader, Bill. My sincere condolences to the Hayden family and the many friends of Dallas Hayden.

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 16, 2024 [5]

The prime minister offered his condolences to Ms Hayden’s family and friends on behalf of the Labor Party and the government. Ms Hayden is survived by her children Georgina, Ingrid and Kirk.

– AAP

Small earthquake north of Adelaide

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck South Australia last night, just north of Adelaide.

According to Geoscience Australia, about 130 people have reported feeling tremors after the small earthquake hit near Jamestown around 10.30pm last night.

PM says government may give ACCC more powers

Albanese is asked by reporters whether he thinks the ACCC needs more powers around price gouging, considering Australians are battling the increasing cost of living?

He said the government is “up for giving [more powers] to them” but they have existing powers in this space:

I note the comment of the head of the ACCC today saying that she would be prepared to exercise those powers in addition to that.

We had the review by Dr Emerson looking at whether the existing voluntary code of conduct is good enough and whether there is a need for some mandating there.

Albanese said his government is “concerned” about the price of what consumers are paying at Coles and Woolworths, and other supermarkets.

Albanese defends Penny Wong’s Israel visit

Prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking to the media in Sydney.

Albanese is asked why the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, isn’t visiting southern Israel during her visit to the Middle East.

He said that a range of foreign affairs ministers didn’t visit the kibbutz when they visited Israel:

Penny Wong is visiting Israel, speaking to family and friends of the hostages – both those people who have been released but also the families who quite rightly want people released.

Australia reiterates our call for every single hostage to be released unconditionally and immediately. That is our position. It’s a clear and unequivocal position that we have had from day one.

Earlier, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said it is a “serious error of judgment” for Wong to not visit the site of the 7 October attack (you can

As of Monday evening we are predicting a 40% chance of it developing into a cyclone system.

It is certainly looking like it will head out offshore and potentially in its return track the conditions will become more conducive to becoming a cyclone.

Cyclone Jasper hit the coast as a category 2 system, doing modest damage with its wind. But it moved very slowly and dumped hundreds of millimetres of rain at river catchments. It is estimated to have caused £1bn [11] worth of damage by the Insurance Council of Australia.

Woolies shares sink after calls for boycott but not as much as Coles’

There has been a fuss over the past week about Woolworths apparently not continuing to stock Australia Day “merch”, as you might have noticed.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton weighed in to encourage a boycott of Woolworths. As reported yesterday, the vandalism of a Brisbane outlet has prompted calls for Dutton to apologise for stoking a culture war. In the five days since, Woolworths shares have slid, dropping about 4.3%.

Notably, rival Coles – which is stocking a small offering in its stores – has fallen even more, or about 4.7%. (The overall market is down about 1.4%, so it’s more about retail stocks being on the nose.)

Anyway, as noted on X/Twitter, Woolies is continuing to stock whatever A-Day goods you might hunger for at its online My Deal [12] site:

Then in the same statement, Woolworths noted that merchandise was available online through one of their online brands ‘My deal’. This part of their response has not been reported again, which is curious given it destroys the idea that Woolworths is politically motivated. /9 pic.twitter.com/QBvJXAMZtm [13]

— Aaron Smith (@Aaronsmith333) January 15, 2024 [14]

Among some 288 items listed for sale with an Aussie flag is an adult “happy Australian costume” (a mere £35.95) and a “Mickey Mouse loves Australia” figurine, a bargain at just £174.90.

With such glories on offer online, it’s little wonder perhaps that Coles is devoting very limited space to Australia-theme goods.

Here’s what is available in Bellingen in northern NSW, as sent in by a keen observer:

From a Guardian reader of Australia Day items for sale in Coles Bellingen in northern NSW.

Let us know if we’re missing out on something special.

Mobility scooter battery may have caused Adelaide retirement village fire

Earlier [15], we brought you news that an elderly man had died and a woman is in hospital after a fire tore through a retirement village in Adelaide.

Tony Randello, the chief executive of Crestview operator Aveo, says early reports from first responders indicated the fire was caused by a mobility scooter battery that was charging overnight.

The fire tore through a unit at Crestview Retirement Village about 10pm last night. An 81-year-old woman escaped the inferno but an 83-year-old man died at the scene. The woman was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with minor injuries.

Randello:

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all emergency services personnel for their swift response.

Aveo’s community team are providing counselling and support to residents, and the families of those impacted by this incident.

– AAP

Two women airlifted to hospital after alleged arson attack

A 20-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital on Monday with serious injuries.

Police allege she may have been set alight by another person.

Police are investigating the alleged incident which took place in Shepparton on Middlesex Crescent at about 6.30pm last night.

A 33-year-old woman was located nearby the incident after allegedly fleeing the scene, and was airlifted to hospital where she remains under police guard.

Police have said they believe the women were known to each other.

The Australian government says it was not taken by surprise by Nauru’s decision to scrap diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China [16] – but says it respects the Pacific island country’s right to make its own choices.

Asked whether the Australian government was taken by surprise by Nauru’s announcement yesterday, Conroy said:

No …

I can be very clear that we were aware in advance of the announcement that was being made.

But he declined to go into details of exactly when Australia was notified of the diplomatic switch.

Asked whether Nauru had asked Australia for any financial support to avoid its decision, Conroy said:

They had no conversations with us about that particular matter – switching diplomatic recognition – other than giving a heads-up that the decision had been made.

Gippsland town to be backdrop for Liam Neeson film

Hollywood action star Liam Neeson is returning to Victoria to film his latest project, Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky.

The state’s acting minister for creative industries, Natalie Hutchins, has announced the Gippsland town of Walhalla is set to be the backdrop for some of the movie’s action scenes, while production will also shoot across Melbourne, NantStudios and Docklands Studios.

Hutchins says about 600 local jobs will be created through the production for screen industry workers and extras, and the project will inject more than £30m into the state economy.

Neeson was last in Melbourne in 2020 to film thriller Blacklight. Hutchins says that project generated more than £23m in economic value for the state.

She said:

Victoria is a sought-after destination for international productions because of our phenomenal locations, state-of-the-art screen infrastructure and renowned local talent and crew. Ice Road 2 is part of a strong pipeline of local and international productions that will power our screen industry this year, creating jobs, boosting local businesses and showcasing Victoria to the world.

Banana farmers seek retail support after flooding and rain

A month of devastating weather is set to impact banana quality and supply from far north Queensland, a veteran farmer has warned, AAP reports.

But Diane Sciacca, who has grown bananas for almost 40 years, hopes consumers will understand and support the industry in their time of need.

Record rainfall and flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper last month is still impacting supply chains in Australia’s largest banana growing region.

Bananas are farmed commercially in NSW, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

But the far north’s Tully, Innisfail, Lakeland and Atherton Tablelands account for 94% of banana growing areas.

Sciacca says trucks are taking twice as long to navigate rural roads that have been severely damaged or closed in the recent storms which may increase the cost of supply.

She said the quality of bananas may also be impacted by constant rainfall and strong winds:

We will see some light quality issues with the fruit in the coming weeks so hopefully we’ll get some support from the retailer to help us with variations on quality that doesn’t affect eating quality, especially with back to school.

Our biggest call-out at the moment is to understand the value of bananas for children going back to school.

Severe storms are also possible across far north and north Queensland today, and in south-east Queensland near the NSW border, including the Gold Coast:

?QLD Storm Forecast for Tue 16/1. Severe storms with heavy rain possible across Far North and North Qld, & in SEQld near the NSW border, including the southern Gold Coast. QLD Warnings: https://t.co/NBlMPnEeCd pic.twitter.com/HjmvWoAqak [17][18]

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 16, 2024 [19]

Large parts of western New South Wales are likely to experience severe storms today, continuing into tomorrow morning.

Severe storms are also possible across north-east NSW, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Thunderstorm forecast for TODAY (Tuesday): Severe storms are likely across the West today, and continue into Wednesday morning. Severe storms also possible across Northeast today, risk easing overnight. Primary hazard will be heavy rainfall with possible flash flooding. pic.twitter.com/pk76HQcCPZ [20]

— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) January 16, 2024 [21]

The monthly survey of consumer sentiment by Westpac and Melbourne Institute was also relatively static in January (see earlier post [22]) but carries a gloomier analysis.

Their index eased 1.3% to 81, with the cost of living and high interest rates blamed for the “deeply pessimistic” level of confidence to kick off 2024.

It was the weakest reading for a January (a month when we are supposedly a bit more upbeat) outside the early 1990s recession, Westpac said.

@Westpac/Melbourne Institute’s monthly consumer sentiment reading fell 1.3ppts in January to be the lowest for that month since the early 1990s recession. pic.twitter.com/7NqxIAK1U0 [23]

— @[email protected] (@p_hannam) January 15, 2024 [24]

Matthew Hassan, a senior Westpac economist, said:

Many consumers may be facing a bigger than usual post-Christmas financial ‘hangover’ as the full impact of the higher cost of living on festive-season spending becomes apparent.

Another reason for the sagging sentiment, it seems, is that 52% of those surveyed still think the RBA has another interest rate rise up its sleeve.

While down from 60%, that proportion is at odds with financial markets, which don’t expect another rate rise and are fully pricing a 25 basis point cut by August as the central bank’s next move, according to the ASX [25].

Perhaps when consumers become less shellshocked, sentiment will rebound a bit (as might the standing of the federal government in the polls).

Police outline deadly road crashes

Jason Hogan, manager of the crash investigation unit, is detailing the four serious collisions that occurred on NSW roads over the past 24 hours. Here is what he outlined:

On Monday afternoon in Cowra, a Nissan Pathfinder crossed to the incorrect side of the road and collided with a Holden Commodore. The 77-year-old driver of the Commodore died at the scene, and the 56-year-old driver of the Pathfinder was airlifted to Westmead hospital.

Also on Monday afternoon, a male driving a Holden Commodore on the Sturt Highway at Hay in the Riverina has reportedly conducted a U-turn in front of a semitrailer carrying a fully laden trailer.

The vehicles collided after the truck driver tried to evade but couldn’t. The driver of the Commodore and his front-seat passenger died, while two passengers in the rear are in hospital with injuries.

On Monday night, a double fatality took place in Baulkham Hills. Police believe speed may have been a factor when a Nissan lost control and crashed into the rear of a Ford Falcon.

The Nissan lost control and hit a telegraph pole. Both 17-year-old passengers were killed, and the 17-year-old driver was taken to hospital. The three occupants of the Falcon were not injured.

This morning at Berkshire Park, a stolen tip truck was involved in a crash with another truck.

Police said this scene was still live with the investigation ongoing, but both drivers were seriously injured.

Senior police officers are speaking to the media from western Sydney about the death of five people on NSW roads in the past 24 hours.

Supt Anthony Boyd said there had been four major collisions, resulting in the death of five people and serious injuries to six others.

He is urging people to take responsibility for their driving behaviour over the busy holiday period:

The accidents in the last 24 hours are all related to driver behaviour, not related to any factor other than people making poor decisions on the roads and causing serious-injury collisions.

…

Your behaviour whilst you are driving a motor vehicle is your responsibility.

You will be held accountable when you drive in a manner which is dangerous, outside of the road rules.

References

^ Nauru’s decision to scrap diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China (www.theguardian.com)
^ https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh (t.co)
^ pic.twitter.com/6w7Vn4Gu6U (t.co)
^ January 16, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ January 16, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ here (www.theguardian.com)
^ #nswpol (twitter.com)
^ #auspol (twitter.com)
^ pic.twitter.com/8tqdLPJFtb (t.co)
^ January 16, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ estimated to have caused £1bn (www.cairnspost.com.au)
^ My Deal (www.mydeal.com.au)
^ pic.twitter.com/QBvJXAMZtm (t.co)
^ January 15, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ Earlier (www.theguardian.com)
^ Nauru’s decision to scrap diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China (www.theguardian.com)
^ https://t.co/NBlMPnEeCd (t.co)
^ pic.twitter.com/HjmvWoAqak (t.co)
^ January 16, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ pic.twitter.com/pk76HQcCPZ (t.co)
^ January 16, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ earlier post (www.theguardian.com)
^ pic.twitter.com/7NqxIAK1U0 (t.co)
^ January 15, 2024 (twitter.com)
^ according to the ASX (www.asx.com.au)