Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Graham Readfearn and Amy Remeikis

Two men missing on fire-ravaged New South Wales far south coast found alive – as it happened

A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden on New South Wales’s south coast. The area has been severely damaged by bushfires.
A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden on New South Wales’s south coast. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Wrapping up for Tuesday

We’re closing up the blog for the night. Thanks to my colleague Amy Remeikis who did most of the heavy lifting here today. There’ll be another live blog tomorrow.

A quick summary.

In South Australia, the Kangaroo Island Ravine fire complex that has burnt a third of the island has six areas still burning. The fire has killed two people and destroyed 56 homes across 160,00 hectares.

The Country Fire Service says the fire is not yet under control and forecast high temperatures in the coming days are causing concern.

The fire has also taken a heavy toll on the island’s unique wildlife.

In NSW, as we updated a few minutes ago, there are no longer any missing persons from bushfire-affected areas after two men reported missing were found alive.

A funeral was held for NSW RFS volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, who died when his truck overturned while fighting fires before Christmas.

In Victoria, where the mercury is rising again, 200 people were evacuated from Mallacoota on HMAS Choules, joining more than 1,500 other people from the town. Some 142 people are still waiting for conditions to ease for an airlift.

Premier Daniel Andrews warned there would be more emergency alerts in the coming week, including for already fire-ravaged East Gippsland and northeast Victorian regions.

In celebrity bushfire news, actor Chris Hemsworth gave $1m.

That’s it for now.

As we keep saying, this bushfire crisis is not over yet. Please stay safe, check alerts if you’re in fire prone areas, and keep being kind to each other.

Updated

Two men missing in NSW found alive, police say

Some very good news: two men - one aged in his 70s - who has been missing on NSW’s fire-ravaged far south coast have been found alive, police say.

AAP reports authorities on Tuesday used heavy machinery to clear the road to Kiah, south of Eden, where one of the missing men lived.

The other, a 70-year-old from Lower Towamba, west of Eden, had not been seen for several days.

“There are no current reports of missing people in bushfire-affected areas,” NSW Police subsequently said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

Updated

The Victorian Aboriginal heritage council is calling for consideration of traditional owners’ perspectives and relationship to country “when the smoke clears”.

Rodney Carter, chairperson, said:

As Victoria’s first peoples we will stand together with all Victorians in this time of great trauma – trauma to our country, trauma to our people and trauma to our culture. Before Victoria, this place was our peoples’ country and had been for many thousands of years. It is still our peoples’ country, it is our mother and it can nurture us, but today we grieve for all those who have been harmed whilst sharing her with us.

Our people manage our culture and our heritage, not just for the benefit of our own mob but for all people who call this place home. We want all people, all families, all animals and all country to be safe but, in this state of disaster, it cannot be guaranteed.

Our ancestors, though all the struggles they faced living their life ways, were masters of living and loving our land. Through looking to our ancestors, we will lead our truest life. As best we can be leaders in our own mobs, to the advantage of our people, we should bring calmness and guidance in this time of disaster.

We ask you, the broad, diverse, distressed Victorian community to work with traditional owners. Together we can understand the devastating effects of climate change and implement Country management strategies that will help heal our fire and drought ravaged land.

There’s more about traditional burning practices in this article from two bushfire experts at the University of Tasmania.

There is a new fundraising effort to support south coast Aboriginal families who have lost their homes.

Updated

We know all that bushfire smoke has been turning New Zealand’s skies orange, and turning snow peaks brown. The ash might also accelerate glacial melt.

But the ash cloud didn’t stop there, and has made it all the way to Chile – about 11,000 kilometres away. AAP reports that usually cloudless skies in central Chile have turned hazy.

Meteorologist Edita Amador, of Chile’s Weather Directorate, told AAP: “In the coming days probably it will head toward Argentina.”

Updated

Afternoon all. Graham Readfearn here taking over from Amy Remeikis.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the carbon dioxide emissions from Australia’s bushfires. I’ve got an update – the numbers are a lot bigger now.

Back then, data from Dr Niels Andela, a scientist at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Centre, suggested the enormous pulse of CO2 from the fires was equivalent to almost half Australia’s annual greenhouse gas footprint.

Andela is a collaborator in the Global Fire Emissions Database and he’s just sent me an update.

Now that pulse of CO2 has jumped by 99 million tons to a massive 349 million tonnes. Broken down by state, since 1 August 2019 the data shows emissions of:

  • 260 million tonnes of CO2 emissions for NSW.
  • 9 mt CO2 for Victoria.
  • 4 mt CO2 for South Australia.
  • 76 mt CO2 for Queensland.

As my original story explains, the data does come with some uncertainties. Also, generally, emissions from bushfires are not counted because it’s presumed that as forests and grasslands regrow, all the CO2 is reabsorbed.

But there are concerns that as the climate warms, and forests get stressed with higher temperatures and drops in rainfall especially in the south, those presumptions may not hold.

NASA’s MODIS satellite can also detect fire hotspots, and also shows the huge jump in fires in NSW compared to the previous 17 years.

Updated

I am going to hand the blog over to Graham Readfearn now.

I’ll be back tomorrow – and a reminder that firefighters are still bracing for dangerous fire conditions on Thursday and Friday, so take care of you, and keep following your local authorities updates, if you are in any of the fire zones.

Updated

Canberra’s emergency services agency has released another update:

Heavy smoke from the bushfires in NSW is predicted to re-enter the ACT at around 4pm this afternoon.

The smoke is not by fire activity in the ACT. The Hospital Hill Fire has been controlled and continues to be patrolled and monitored.

Our advice to the community remains that it is best to avoid exposure to the smoke by staying indoors where possible and not using evaporative air conditioners which draw air into the house from outside.

ACT

  • One small bushfire burning in Namadgi National Park.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

  • No bushfires burning.
  • Five homes confirmed destroyed.

Updated

QUEENSLAND

  • 30 bushfires burning in the far north, central, southeast and Central Highlands.
  • 2.5m hectares burned.
  • 48 homes confirmed destroyed.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

  • 32 bushfires burning, in the Goldfield-Esperance region, Wheatbelt, Pilbara, Perth region and southeast.
  • 1.7 m hectares burned.
  • Three home confirmed destroyed.

TASMANIA

  • 14 bushfires burning across the state’s north, east and south.
  • More than 32,000 hectares burned.
  • Two homes confirmed destroyed.

Updated

State by state update:

(Via AAP)

NSW

  • 20 people dead, two missing.
  • 130 bushfires burning on the South Coast, Snowy Mountains, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Mid North Coast.
  • Almost five million hectares burned - equal to the metro areas of the five mainland state capitals.
  • 1,588 homes confirmed destroyed but number expected to rise.

VICTORIA

  • Two people dead.
  • 14 bushfires burning in Gippsland, northeast and alpine regions.
  • More than 1.2 million hectares burned.
  • More than 200 homes confirmed destroyed but number expected to rise.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

  • Three people dead.
  • Five bushfires burning (four on the mainland, one on Kangaroo Island).
  • About 270,000 hectares burnt.
  • 161 homes confirmed destroyed.

Updated

Afternoon update

It’s been an other big day, so I’ll do my best to summarise some of the main parts:

  • There are two people missing in New South Wales.
  • Andrew O’Dwyer, a NSW RFS volunteer killed when the truck he was in rolled while fighting fires, has been laid to rest.
  • 130 fires are still burning across NSW, while 14 are still burning in Victoria, including several watch and act alerts.
  • At least 6.2m hectares have been burnt in NSW and Victoria alone – five million in NSW alone.
  • The Ravine fire is still burning out of control on Kangaroo Island, having burned through at least one-third of the island so far.
  • 161 homes have been confirmed as destroyed on the island.
  • The recovery mission has begun.
  • More than 1,800 insurance claims have been lodged totally $700m – so far.
  • Craig Kelly has created international furore by continuing to deny the climate change, most recently on UK television.
  • Hazard reduction burning is “not a silver bullet” says Daniel Andrews.

Updated

Two people remain missing in NSW, after fire swept through their region, south of Eden.

The official death toll remains at 20.

(From AAP)

OCTOBER

  • Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwenda Hyde, 68 – found in Coongbar home near Casino.

NOVEMBER

  • George Nole, 85 – found in his car in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes.
  • Vivian Chaplain, 69 – found in her Wytaliba home.
  • Julie Fletcher, 63 – found in her Johns River home near Taree.
  • Barry Parsons, 58 – found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey.
  • Chris Savva, 64 – 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads.
  • Man, 59 – sheltered in Yarrowitch water tank, died of injuries on December 29.

DECEMBER

  • Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36 – volunteer firefighters killed in rollover near Buxton.

NEW YEAR’S EVE FIRES

  • Sam McPaul, 28 – volunteer firefighter killed when truck hit by fire tornado at Jingellic.
  • Patrick Salway, 29, and Robert Salway, 63 – young father and grandfather found at the family farm north of Cobargo.
  • Man, 70, named as Laurie Andrew by local media – found outside a Yatte Yattah home.
  • Man, 75 – burnout car near the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah.
  • Man, 62 – found in a vehicle in Sussex Inlet.
  • Body, believed to be a man, 56 – found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo.
  • Man, 72, reportedly off-duty RFS firefighter Colin Burns – found in car near Belowra.
  • Man, 47, dies of a heart attack while helping a friend defend their property near Batlow.
  • Man, 71, found on a burnt-out property in Nerrigundah.

Updated

Graham Readfearn has looked at some of the wildlife potentially lost in the Kangaroo Island fire:

Ecologists have grave concerns for the future of unique and endangered wildlife on Kangaroo Island where bushfires have killed thousands of koalas.

Fires on the island, in South Australia, have so far burned through 155,000 hectares – about one third of the island’s entire area – with blazes concentrated in the biodiversity-rich western areas.

Concerns are greatest for the unique and endangered mouse-like marsupial the Kangaroo Island dunnart, and the glossy black cockatoo, which have both seen extensive areas of critical habitat burned.

Updated

Chris Hemsworth donates $1m to bushfire crisis

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and his family have donated $1m to the bushfire crisis

Updated

The SA CFS chief, Greg Nettleton provided this update:

This is still a large fire which is not controlled. I visited the island this morning and witnessed many fires are still burning there. I also, however, met lots of people who have been badly affected by the fire and the spirit of the people on the island is magnificent. The fire continues, the recovery mission has commenced. There are many military personnel on the island helping out SES and CFS staff, and the island is resilient and is starting to rebuild.

However, the emergency part of this incident is not over.

We wish to emphasise to people to follow warnings on Thursday, to go in the CFS website and continue to seek safety advice in the event the fires do break containment lines.

Updated

Corey Wingard, the South Australian emergency services minister is delivering an update on the damage to Kangaroo Island from a bushfire:

I can also further update to say that 233 properties have been assessed and 56 of those properties and homes have been destroyed.

Which is very sad, of course, for all the people involved and those on Kangaroo Island.

10 buildings have had major damage, 18 had minor damage. 236 outbuildings have been damaged and 257 vehicles damaged as well.

The upside is that more than 150 have been saved.

So 150 were not damaged by fires. More than 150 in fact, the count is 167 homes weren’t damaged by fire. So that is a testament to a great effort of all involved, in particular, the emergency services, and we thank them very much for that work.

The fire is still out of control.

Updated

CFA fire chief Steve Warrington also comments on the hazard reduction burn commentary:

So there’s a fair amount of emotion in the landscape at the moment about fuel reduction burning.

“As the premier said, this is not a silver bullet. There’s [areas where we have had] burns go right through it and it hasn’t slowed it up at all.

The emotive argument is that fuel reduction burning will fix all our problems.

...Yes, burning is important. Some of the hysteria that this is the solution to all our problems is an emotional load of rubbish, to be honest.

It’s needs to be part of an integrated plan about protecting life and property.

That’s what you’re seeing the real terms in Gippsland and the north-east of this state, where we’ve done well in many ways to make sure we’re protecting life and property as part of an overall integrated township protection plan strategy.

He is a *current* fire chief too, for anyone who wants to push the “greens funding former fire chief” agenda. But they are all saying the same thing.

Updated

Hazard reduction burning is "not a silver bullet" says Daniel Andrews

Daniel Andrews is again discussing the issues with hazard reduction burns, and why the idea that fuel reduction burns would have stopped this crisis, is not logical:

The number of days in each day that we can safely put fire in the landscape and still call it a controlled burn, that is to say, avoid what happened in Lancefield a couple of years ago where it started off as a controlled burn and next thing we had to apologise to people having burnt their houses down, the number of days we can safely backburn is getting less and less each year.

Even if you can do lot more backburning, it’s not a silver bullet.

It’s part of an integrated strategy about protecting life and property.

I think there’s some good examples of where land that had been backburned quite hard, quite heavy few reduction burning only three or four years ago, burnt pretty hot last weekend.

To add to my answer, because I think I have answered this question a number of times, logic tells me it’s not a silver bullet.

The number of days we can safely back burn is getting less and less every year.

Surely no one is advocating we put fire into the landscape in an unsafe way. That would be dangerous.

Updated

Andrew Crisp:

Speaking with the incident controller here at Bairnsdale a short time ago, some of our concern is the fires up in the alpine area, around Omeo, and the potential for them to travel south with the northerly and join the fires down in this part of the world.

We saw, only a few days ago, where there were more than 300 people on the oval at Omeo where some helicopters were there to take people out.

We’re focused on Omeo, Swift Creek, down into Tambo Crossing.

We need to remain vigilant across the whole state.

We talk a lot about East Gippsland but there are potential for other parts of our state. The rest of our state is really dry as well. We cannot afford to be complacent but we must remain vigilant no matter where we are.

The Victorian emergency commissioner, Andrew Crisp, has an update:

There are three communities we haven’t been able to drive in. When I say ‘drive’ even with those other communities it is basically bushtracks and emergency vehicles to get in, it is where there is no real road access.

We’ve been able to get helicopters and sat phones in to make sure people have supplies.

In terms of getting people in and getting people out, at Mallacoota at the moment we have HMAS Choules off the coast there.

We have 342 people that are registered that want to get out of Mallacoota. At the community meeting at about midday today, where the option of the Choules was put to the community, 200 people have taken up that option to get on the Choules and to take that sea trip back to Melbourne.

Updated

At least 56 homes destroyed on Kangaroo Island

On Kangaroo Island, at least 56 homes have been destroyed by a bushfire. It has burnt through at least one third of the island. Two men were killed as they fled the blaze.

Updated

More on hazard reduction from a former Victorian environment minister, who says he does not recall having been lobbied by green groups to stop fuel reduction burns.

The Australian actor Yael Stone has announced she is giving up her American green card because she no longer believes it is ethical to have a life on two continents, given the carbon emissions from her air travel.

Stone has found success in the US as part of the Orange is the New Black cast.

Updated

Funeral held for RFS volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer who died fighting fires

Andrew O’Dwyer, the NSW RFS volunteer who was killed when his truck overturned while fighting fires before Christmas, has been laid to rest.

RFS crew members from Horsley Park carry the casket of volunteer firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer during his funeral service at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney
RFS crew members from Horsley Park carry the casket of volunteer firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer during his funeral service at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Charlotte O’Dwyer at her father’s funeral
Charlotte O’Dwyer at her father’s funeral. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

Anyone who has insurance questions can contact 1800 734 621, for information on claims and recovery.

Volunteer and professional firefighting organisations are coming together tomorrow, calling for a royal commission into the bushfires.

The announcement will be made on Wednesday, and involves:

  • Leighton Drury - state secretary, Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (NSW)
  • John Oliver - state secretary, United Firefighters’ Union of Queensland
  • Lea Anderson - state secretary, United Firefighters’ Union of Western Australia
  • Max Adlam - state secretary, United Firefighters’ Union of South Australia
  • Stewart Little - general secretary, Public Service Association of NSW
  • Mick Holton - president, NSW Volunteer Fire Fighters Association

Updated

This is in relation to the BBC interview Catherine King and Craig Kelly did on Saturday, where this exchange occurred between Kelly and the host – which is why Piers Morgan wanted to talk to Kelly on Good Morning Britain in the first place.

Host: So just to be clear, Mr Kelly. I want to be clear in what you’re saying, you are saying there is no link between these fires in your view and global climate change?

Kelly: Well firstly there is no link, the facts that cause the fires are the drought and the drying of the environment and on this our climate scientists down here have been very clear and they have said that there is no link between drought and climate change.

Updated

We’re showcasing stories from the bushfires in our Full Story podcast, have you been affected? Or have you been helping those affected by the bushfires? We’d love to hear from you, give us a call on (02) 8076 8550 and leave us a voicemail.

If you missed them we’ve already done two episodes on the fires, one with Murph on why Scott Morrison can’t talk about climate change and another with Lisa Cox discussing how the fire seasons have changed.

Government ministers have come out against Craig Kelly’s comments this morning.

From AAP:

Emergency management minister David Littleproud described his comments as a “sideshow”.

“He doesn’t represent the views of the government”, Mr Littleproud told reporters on Tuesday.

“I couldn’t give a rats what he said, it’s irrelevant, let’s just focus on those people that are out there that need our help.”

Mr Kelly said the suggestion the government could have reduced the bushfires by bringing down carbon emissions was nonsense.

Instead, he made disputed claims that fuel loads were largely to blame for the spread of the fires.

Scientists have disputed claims a lack of hazard reduction burns have led to the size of the bushfires, with former fire chiefs blaming the effects of climate change.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also put Mr Kelly at arms length from the government.

“Our view of climate change is that it’s real. We accept the science”, Mr Frydenberg said.

While Mr Frydenberg said fuel loads had been a factor in the bushfires, he said climate change was causing hotter, drier summers.

Updated

Two more people reported missing in NSW fire zone

NSW police have confirmed two people are unaccounted for south of Eden.

Getting to some areas has been almost impossible because of the damage and potential danger from falling trees.

Updated

On reports NSW police have taken action against 183 people for arson this bushfire period, is some context from deputy NSW police commissioner, Gary Worboys:

I know that all of those people aren’t arsonists in a sense, I know a lot of them were doing things like using fireworks or lighting fires to camp or cook food or young children, in fact, that got the benefits of the Young Offenders Act and quite rightly so.

I know all of those people are not people out there trying to kill people or destroy houses and so we need to get that in some perspective.

Still, what it does, what it does show me and the community is that police are well aware that we need to take action against people, whatever that might be, in this time and it is particularly a heightened risk of fire activity and we’ve seen the devastation it causes.

We make no apologies for being so vigilant about that.

On Monday, NSW police confirmed 24 people had been charged with deliberately lighting fires.

NSW Emergency Services minister David Elliot on anyone ignoring the total fire ban in the state:

...You had to have come from Mars in a bubble not to realise that the state is at a tinder-box situation at the moment.

That’s why the Government decided to increase the penalties for people putting cigarette butts out of the car window and in my mind, anybody that lights a fire either necessarily or unnecessarily against the total fire ban is putting the community at risk and that needs to be pulled up, called out and in many cases, lit be put before the court.

This of course, after he went to Europe in the middle of the crisis.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) wants people to contact their doctor if they start to feel unwell because of the air pollution – not an ambulance (unless it is life threatening).

From its statement:

RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon said people should turn to their GP in the first instance for non-life threatening health concerns.

If it’s not life threatening, call your local GP – they are best placed to assess your health concerns, review any current treatment and optimise care in the current conditions.

We know paramedics have seen a spike in calls from people suffering from respiratory conditions related to bushfire smoke.

Emergency lines should be used when there are genuine emergencies, it’s important that they are not tied up.

Ambulance Victoria reportedly said there was a 51% increase in people calling for help for breathing problems on Monday, when the air quality in Melbourne deteriorated to “very poor”.

Updated

NSW police are also getting very serious about looters:

What we’ve shown today over the last couple of days is that the police will take action. We have police both in plain clothes and uniform, specialist police, right up and down the south coast, night and day, looking around these areas, not just where homes are but where people have been evacuated, looking at suspicious behaviour, looking for the community to make reports of that behaviour, so we can go to those locations and here are three really good examples of the last 48 hours, of those people who want to take advantage of what is a dreadful time for so many people.

It’s disgusting behaviour, behaviour that we won’t tolerate, simply because the community will not tolerate it either.

World leaders contact Australia

The PMO tells us that Donald Trump called Scott Morrison a little earlier “to offer his support to Australia and all the bushfire-affected communities”.

“The prime minister thanked him and also thanked him for the support the US has already provided, specifically the US firefighters that have come out here.

“The prime minister also thanked the president for the support of the American people who have been sending their well-wishes to Australians at this time.”

The prime minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, has also called Morrison today to offer Fiji’s support and condolences.

The leaders of the UK, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were in touch yesterday, and there have also been offers of support from Singapore and New Zealand.

Updated

In Victoria:

Almost 450 buildings have been gutted in bushfires raging across eastern Victoria with cooler weather offering some reprieve and authorities refusing to rest on their laurels.

Fourteen active fires are burning across the state on Tuesday after several joined up with more than 1.2m hectares in Victoria razed.

All warnings are at a watch-and-act level or lower, with most of the active fires in East Gippsland and the state’s northeast.

(Via AAP)

Updated

Rod Sims says the ACCC is dealing with “numerous” reports of fundraising scams in relation to bushfire appeals.

“Some low life characters will take advantage of the fact that many people want to donate”, he told the ABC.

“They want to donate quickly, and many are doing it for the first time. We have come across a range of different scams.”

Sims says the most common way of scamming people is the old cold call and text seeking donations, with social media campaigns also being roped in.

“Thirdly, and perhaps the most egregious, people impersonating relatives of people who have died, perhaps on a Facebook page, saying join me and fund me, when it is fake.”

Sims says the GoFund Me fundraisers “have a range of tools” to try and ensure fundraisers hosted on its site are legit. He suggest lodging any questionable donation requests to the SCAMwatch website.

But prosecutions can be tricky – under Australian law, you have to have misled people to be taken to the federal court. Sims says:

The penalties can be up to $1.1m per breach, or a quarter of a million for individuals. It is not large.”

The best thing we can do is warn people.

Updated

EVENTS CANCELLED DUE TO VICTORIA’S DEADLY BUSHFIRES:

* A DAY ON THE GREEN: The concert, featuring Cold Chisel, Birds of Tokyo and Magic Dirt, was set to take place at Rutherglen on Tuesday but has been cancelled due to smoke from the bushfires.

* KARKAROOK PARKRUN: The annual run at Heatherton scheduled for January 4 has been cancelled due to poor air quality.

* COUTA BOAT CLASSIC RACE: Accounting firm KPMG cancelled the annual Sorrento race, which was to be held on January 3, out of respect for those facing bushfires across the country.

* FIREWORKS: RACV’s Healesville Country Club cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks display out of respect for communities battling fires. Fireworks displays were also cancelled at other events.

* FALLS FESTIVAL: The music festival, on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road in Lorne, was cut short due to extreme weather.

* RAINBOW SERPENT: The three-day festival is set to go ahead with some changes in late January after its Lexton site was affected by bushfires in December.

(Via AAP)

Updated

Murals are still popping up around Melbourne.

A mural depicting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison among bushfire flames is seen in Tottenham, Melbourne.
A mural depicting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison among bushfire flames is seen in Tottenham, Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Craig Kelly has deleted his “weather girl” facebook post.

He is now sharing a 2013 story, which News Corp columnist Miranda Devine has also been putting on social media, where a retired Monash University researcher disputed the link between climate change and worsening bushfires, with the comment “listen to the experts”.

The experts have said it is linked.

Updated

On the impacts to the water supply in fire-ravaged areas, Andrew Colvin says fixing it is a priority:

We’ve got engineers on the ground making those assessments, helping state agencies.

Where we’re directed to – the states still lead this and we’re being directed by them but their expertise that the ADF can provide and they’re providing that.

Those critical elements of life are being looked at as priority and the states are prioritising the tasks of the ADF and we’ve already got 14 defence liaison officers in New South Wales and more to go out as we’re asked and there’s also a number of key agencies that are going enshrined with the ADF and in fact the ADF are looking to put small teams into some of the small towns that haven’t seen anybody.

Get four or five in a car with a tent, pitch it up there and hopefully even be able to take some Department of Human Services people out there so that people know that they’re being listened to and Australia cares.

Updated

Five generators have been sent to Victoria to help stabilise power supply there.

In the NSW fire zone, there are still thousands of people without power – David Littleproud says part of the difficulty there, is that authorities still can’t get in.

Updated

The BBC have put together a brief history of the Coalition’s government position on climate change.

Andrew Colvin on where the agency needs to start, given the magnitude of the disaster:

I’m working at the moment simply to get my head around the magnitude and breadth of areas affected.

As I said before, not every area is affected in the same way.

We have tourism-related industries that are terribly affected and small, farming and agriculture areas affected. In other parts of the country they’re through that and now looking for recovery.

Prioritising where I go is a big part of what I’ll be doing in the next couple of days and, of course, as I said, I need to get into places like Queensland and northern New South Wales who are probably more ready to receive recovery assistance.

I don’t want to get in the way of response. I don’t want to get in the way of those people doing their jobs to save homes, lives and properties. But I need to hear from them.

David Littleproud says the recovery mission has begun. He is with Andrew Colvin, the former AFP commissioner, who will head up the disaster recovery agency.

Littleproud:

I don’t want it to be a Canberra-led recovery. I want it to be a local recovery. And that’s why enter rebuilding lives, it can’t be done from Canberra. It has to be done at a local level and Andrew will be tasked with getting out there on the road, sitting around halls, town halls, kitchen tables, talking to people, understanding.

There’ll be whole-of-government responses and programs, but we also want to empower the local community and normally through local governments.

They are the ones that are connected more gradually to these communities. It’s important that we empower them to help in that recovery and making sure that the money that the Australian taxpayers are putting out, are investing in this process, the process of recovery and rebuilding of these lives is done appropriately.

Queensland SES volunteers will also receive the government’s volunteer payments ($300 a day, up to $6,000) for their work during the fire crisis.

Updated

As we have reported, there have been about 8,500 insurance claims put in so far, totalling about $700m (with more to come)

Josh Frydenberg says of those, about 20% have been assessed and half of that 20% have been settled.

Frydenberg:

The insurance industry’s taken a number of steps already to get support to those who need it.

They have been providing emergency accommodation to their customers, who have been affected. They have been providing some cash support, because when you lose everything, what you do need is some cash to go out and buy just the basics that we take for granted.

They have increased their staffing levels, including bringing in assessors from overseas.

They will continue to take steps to ensure that they have the adequate number of people who are there to process these claims and to assess the damage. These insurance companies are providing a 24/7 service for those who have been affected. Importantly, the insurance companies have already lined up builders to start the rebuild process, and what is very pleasing – and I underline this point to the insurance companies today – to prioritise the use of local tradespeople.

Updated

The meeting with the insurance heads has broken.

Josh Frydenberg will hold a short press conference on that in the next 20 minutes.

Australian defence force deployed for agricultural recovery

The defence force is now being deployed to help remove livestock carcasses from the fire zones – much as they did following the north Queensland floods early last year.

Farmers who need assistance with assessing or disposing of livestock disposal should contact their relevant state agency.

· Victoria: Emergency Victoria on 1800 226 226

· NSW: Department of Primary Industries Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647 or their local Land Services office.

· South Australia: PIRSA hotline on 1800 255 556

The areas impacted represent about 9% of Australia’s cattle stock and about 12% of our sheep stock.

There is no number on how many animals have been killed as yet.

Updated

You may remember that in the lead-up to the election, Craig Kelly, who had been about to be dumped by his branch as the preselected candidate, but was saved by Scott Morrison’s intervention, was banned from appearing on Q&A.

Later the backbencher, who appeared so regularly on Sky News, was dubbed the MP for Sky, while colleagues joked about looking for his office when the organisation opened its new Parliament House studio, was also noticeably absent from their screens as well.

Looks like he decided he was needed again, even without the PMO’s approval.

Updated

Sigh.

Humans are going to human. That means we see the best of us, but also this.

Updated

Josh Frydenberg will have an update on the outcome of his meeting with Australia’s insurance industry very soon.

David Littleproud has called a press conference for midday.

Updated

Andrew O’Dwyer’s funeral is today. He is the second NSW RFS firefighter to be laid to rest. The 36-year-old was father to 19-month-old Charlotte.

Updated

Former prime minister John Howard has been turning up almost everywhere – including the ABC Grandstand cricket commentary box – talking about Scott Morrison and the bushfires.

Morrison said he spoke to Howard earlier this week.

Howard has defended Morrison’s actions, most recently on Sky News this morning.

I think a lot of the criticism is completely misplaced,” said the man who once helped launch an “anti-warmist” book aimed at children.

He has done all the right things. He dealt with the issue of his holiday, and since he has been back, he has hardly drawn breath.

... I think the last thing you could ever say about Scott Morrison is, that he lacks compassion and empathy. I have always found him as someone who looks to people as individuals and cares about the human impact on individuals and their families.

On climate change, Howard says there are “a range of opinions”.

I am not in politics now, and I will leave it to those who are in politics.

But provided arguments are put with honest and intellectual rigour, then it is within the capacity of our political system to reach the right decisions. And in the end of course, all of those decisions are remitted to the Australian people.”

There may be a range of opinions about climate change, but the only thing that really matters is the facts. And the facts are, it is happening. It is having an impact on the severity of things like droughts and bushfires, just as it was predicted to do.

Updated

Anthony Albanese was asked about one of Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly’s proposals for a war-like mobilisation in response to the climate crisis, while on Studio Ten a little earlier today:

He was asked if there should be a national service set up:

One of the things we could do is set up, even if it was on a voluntary basis, there are people out there who would want to contribute, and we can see that. I met a bloke on Saturday at Cudlee Creek in the Adelaide Hills. I said to him, ‘How long have you been fighting fires for here, because it has been going for a few weeks there?’ But he had already spent over a month in NSW. One of the things that has happened and my concern and the reason for a national response is the volunteer firefighters, who I have met on the north coast of NSW, you would say, ‘Where are you from?’ And they would say ‘Bendigo’ or ‘Adelaide; or ‘Perth’ or ‘Auckland’ for that matter. We need to get better at it. We need to use the reconstruction period as well. How do we increase the skills base? How do we bring people in who might be in these regional communities? They are looking for a trade or to do things. We will be reconstructing roads, houses, bridges, whole communities, schools, hospitals. They have all gone. How do we get something positive out of what is a devastating crisis?

There is talk about delaying the Australian Open because of the air quality concerns in Melbourne.

Novak Djokovic was asked about it after a win in the ATP Cup in Brisbane overnight.

That’s probably the very, very last option. If it comes down to … the conditions affecting the health of players, you have to consider it.

The Australian Open is due to start on 20 January.

Updated

Just a reminder that the more favourable weather conditions does not mean this is over.

The end of the week will see a return to dangerous fire conditions and we have multiple blazes still going.

And this is still happening on the sidelines.

Updated

Some pointed out yesterday that fire-ravaged Snowy Valley had not been included on a list of local government areas eligible for the Australian government disaster recovery payment.

These are payments of $1,000 to people who have been seriously impacted by the fires – they may have been injured or returned to find their homes destroyed.

Guardian Australia put this to the Home Affairs department yesterday and last night a spokeswoman confirmed Snowy Valley had been added to the list.

“Impact assessments have begun in NSW and once direct bushfire damage to homes is confirmed in a local government area, the payment is being authorised as quickly as possible,” the spokeswoman said.

“Australian government disaster recovery payment is available in the Snowy Valley local government area.”

Updated

AAP have a summary of the Victorian situation:

Almost 450 buildings have been destroyed in bushfires raging across eastern Victoria with a drizzle of rain and cooler conditions offering some respite.

Fourteen active fires are burning across the state on Tuesday with more than 1.2 million hectares in Victoria scorched.

All warnings are at a watch-and-act level or lower, with most of the active fires in East Gippsland and the state’s northeast.

There were 204 residential properties and 243 outbuildings razed in the blazes, the State Control Centre told AAP on Tuesday.

Two people have died and millions of wild animals have been killed or injured.

Pregnant women warned to avoid prolonged exposure to smoke

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued a warning to anyone who is pregnant:

Exposure to air pollution in pregnancy has been linked to increased rates of preterm birth, decreased birth weight, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and gestational diabetes,” president Dr Vijay Roach said:

We would reiterate that these risks are increased when there has been exposure over a long time period.

As our cities and communities are enveloped in smoke as a result of the current bushfires, we would encourage pregnant women to heed advice from authorities, take precautions, limit outdoor activities and try to spend more time indoors. For those unable to avoid prolonged exposure to inhaled air pollution, masks may have a role.

Updated

The fire on Kangaroo Island, which has burned through about a third of the South Australian icon, is still going. SA authorities have just released this advice:

The current fire edge extends from the West of Vivonne Bay to the North Coast at Stokes Bay, and West of Parndana. Crews are currently attending to multiple smoke plumes East of the existing fire in the Parndana Conservation Park, at the Cape Borda Lighthouse and in the Snug Cove Road area on the Northern side of the Island.

At the moment these fires pose no threat to the public.

There may be areas of uncontrolled fire within the fire ground.If you are in this area stay alert, monitor local conditions and decide what you will do if the situation changes.

At this time there is no threat to life or property and firefighters are attending this fire.

Updated

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has rejected freedom of information requests about Scott Morrison’s Hawaiian holiday.

We now have to include WhatsApp messages in requests, because so many within the government use it for communications. And then that’s used as a reason to reject the requests, because it would be too difficult to go through those messages.

Updated

If you have missed the latest Craig Kelly saga, Sarah Martin has written on it here.

Updated

Laura Tobin, who challenged Craig Kelly over his [wrong] climate comments on UK breakfast television, has responded to Kelly’s “Pommie weather girl” comment.

It is worth noting that even though Piers Morgan also challenged Kelly, cutting him off and then cutting short the interview, he did not get a mention.

No, Kelly only singled out Tobin. Who is now the subject of misogynistic abuse on his official MP facebook page.

The mayor of the Shoalhaven council, Amanda Findlay, says all the fire evacuees have been moved into temporary accommodation:

No one is sleeping in an evacuation centre down south here. They’ve all been relocated into local accommodation, those who registered with us. Some people are staying with friends and relatives at this moment, you know, it’s really important for them to be surrounded by the love and kindness of people that they trust and feel comfortable with.

I know that some of our people are saying in that kind of accommodation and we’ll be doing our best to make sure that everyone gets the accommodation that they need and that is suitable for them as we, you know, continue to go through the recovery process now of this terrible disaster.

That is being paid for by the NSW state government.

Updated

Given just how much false information is out on social media, this is just a small step.

Updated

VicEmergency also has a brief update on the recovery:

Fires continue to burn in East Gippsland with more than 900,000 hectares impacted.

There have been unconfirmed reports of property losses in areas, including Reedy Flat, Buchan, Bruthen, Sarsfield, Gelantipy and areas between Nicholson and Swan Reach.

Residents will be let back into the area once it is determined to be safe. We understand residents are anxious about their properties and communities, however, the full impact of these fires won’t be known until thorough assessments have been carried out. Rapid Impact Assessment teams have arrived in East Gippsland, while aircraft is also being used to gather information.

Information about losses will be provided to residents as soon as possible and once available. This may take place in a series of public meetings as well as one-on-one sessions.

NSW RFS has issued a building impact assessment.

The number of homes saved, given what they were facing, just shows how lucky we are to have the volunteer force we do.

I bet Tourism Australia is really kicking itself spending $15m on the Kylie Minogue ad when it could have had Craig Kelly publicise Australia in the UK for free.

Updated

Both NSW and Victorian authorities are starting to open up fire-ravaged communities – but if you are in a fire zone, check with your local authorities.

Updated

HMAS Adelaide is off the NSW south coast.

It has been helping with supplies and refueling the airfleet being used to waterbomb the fires.

No fires in Victoria confirmed to have been deliberately lit, premier says

There is so much misinformation surrounding these fires, a lot of it being pushed across social media.

That these fires are mostly the fault of arsonists is one of the biggest ones.

Hazard reduction is another.

Updated

The former Australian tennis champ Pat Cash followed Craig Kelly on to Piers Morgan’s UK breakfast TV show, and had a *slightly different* take to the Morrison government backbencher.

Updated

The Business Council of Australia has written to all its members encouraging them to offer at least 20 days of paid leave to any volunteer firefighters. It says:

It has also established the Australian Volunteer Support Trust to provide financial support to the families of volunteer firefighters who lose their lives while on duty. It aims to raise $25m as an initial sum.

“The trust will be a permanent and ongoing fund to support the children of volunteers who have died fighting these fires and in future disasters,” president Tim Reed said.

The primary focus of the trust will be on supporting children to adulthood with a particular emphasis on their education.

It will be effective from 1 July 2019 to include the current bushfires and be administered by independent trustees to respond to the current situation and future emergencies.

The Business Council has also announced a community rebuilding initiative to “be the first point of contact for companies to coordinate during this crisis and will work as an interface with federal and state authorities”.

It is being set up as a five-year initiative, so far, and will work in conjunction with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency set up by the government and headed by the former AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin.

Updated

Smoke from the Australian bushfires has again travelled over 10,000km to South America and can now be seen in Chile.

That happened in November as well.

Updated

Comedian and Instagram star Celeste Barber’s bushfire fundraiser has now hit $40m.

The last bids on Shane Warne’s baggy green was over $300,000 (in less than a day) before the website crashed.

AAP reports that a barge is on its way to Mallacoota to evacuate the remaining people who want to leave the town, after fire tore through it:

A barge is on its way to an isolated Victorian holiday town to rescue the remaining few hundred people cut off after fires destroyed access.

About 300 people who want to leave Mallacoota near the NSW border remain in the fire-ravaged town.

“We know it’s frustrating for them, we made several attempts yesterday to get Blackhawks into them but visibility was too poor and it was too dangerous,” state response controller Gavin Freeman told Nine on Tuesday.

“We have got a barge on its way in there now so we will be able to get some people out. That should arrive early this morning and we will be able to get people on a boat and get them out.”

On Sunday more than 400 people were rescued from the town by military helicopter.

Supplies such as food, water and diesel for power generators have also been delivered.

On Saturday the MV Sycamore and HMAS Choules helped about 1,100 people escape the town.

Firefighters and the defence force are working to open up the roads and clear access to the community.

About 4,000 people became stranded on the Mallacoota beach last week when fire suddenly cut off the town.

Communities across East Gippsland had been told to get out before fire hit, but Mallacoota was not one of them.

Updated

Josh Frydenberg has told the ABC it is too early to even begin putting a figure on the economic cost of the fires to the nation:

Because clearly all those businesses in those communities who have been impacted, been hit at exactly the wrong time of the year, when they’re the busiest time.

So there’s going to be a very significant economic impact, but it is too early to tell what that full impact will be but, like I said, our priority, with the unprecedented call-out of the defence force, with the movement of Chinook helicopters and Black Hawks ferrying the firefighters to the most difficult terrain, the use of amphibious vessels to evacuate people from places like Mallacoota, the delivery of 18,000 litres of fuel, which the ADF did the other day to people in need, this is what we’re focusing on, getting the Australian Tax Office to give a two-month reprieve to people to put in payments, the work that we’re doing with Centrelink.

We want to get money out into these communities as fast as possible, because we want to help them rebuild, to recover and to be more resilient for the future.

Updated

The UK has also offered Australia support.

Updated

The state response controller, Gavin Freeman, spoke to the ABC about the Victorian fire situation, stressing that small rainfall is not enough:

Look, we don’t want to sound ungrateful. Any rain is very welcome.

But we need significantly more rain to make any impact on these fires. What it has done over the last 24 hours is calmed and slowed fire behaviour and stopped the forward progress of the fire. So, that’s a good thing.

But the flipside of that is, unfortunately, as I mentioned, it makes it difficult to get our air assets up because of the cloud cover and the smoke, and it can make fire trails just a little bit slippery for trucks when they get back in there. So, in some ways it’s been a good thing, but it’s not enough to put these fires out.

Asked how long it would take for the fires to return to full strength, when the dangerous conditions return at the end of the week, Freeman says:

Look, it won’t take much at all. The underlying dryness, because of the drought, is pretty severe. So, this little bit of rain will quickly evaporate once we get those warmer conditions on Thursday and Friday, and that little bit of wind, of course, and those fires will take off again. They are in that alpine country, in heavy fuel. It’s not like it’s light fuel that can easily be put out.

Updated

Yup.

Also “weather girl”. Laura Tobin has a degree in physics and meteorology from the University of Reading.

Insurance bill tops $700m

Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg will meet with the Insurance Council of Australia today, as well as bank CEOs, to discuss the response to the bushfire crisis.

The Insurance Council estimates the disaster has surpassed $700m in claims.

So far, 8,985 claims have been submitted.

At least 1,830 homes have been destroyed.

Updated

Asked if Scott Morrison’s initial response to the crisis was embarrassing for the nation, Craig Kelly says:

Absolutely not. In fact, what has been disappointing is that we are a very stoic nation. We have had disasters in the past. Everyone has got behind the leader, we have got in there, done our best to clean it up.

But unfortunately, during an international tragedy, we have seen people actually trying to exploit it for political advantage.

Updated

“There is no denialist cult,” Craig Kelly says, about views about climate change within the Morrison government.

He says the debate should be about hazard reduction. Which has already been explained about a million times.

Updated

“The weather girl had no idea what she was talking about,” Craig Kelly says.

“She says the Australia continent is drying out and that is just not true.”

On what Craig Kelly says his colleagues will think:

I think they will think that I have been out there, defending our nation.

Updated

Craig Kelly doubles down on climate comments

Craig Kelly is on ABC radio now, making the same points he made on the BBC and British television.

He denies he embarrassed the prime minister and says he will continue to defend Scott Morrison.

Updated

Cold Chisel, Birds of Tokyo and Magic Dirt have cancelled their Day on the Green concert at Rutherglen in Victoria because of the hazardous air quality.

From the promoter Michael Newton’s statement:

We are extremely disappointed to cancel today’s event at All Saints Estate but the unsafe conditions give us no other option. Our first priority is the safety of patrons, staff and artists and with air quality on the site and in surrounding areas now at a hazardous level, we have no other option but to cancel today’s show.

All tickets will be refunded but that could take up to a week.

Friday’s and Saturday’s shows are still planned to go ahead, at this stage.

Updated

Craig Kelly undermines PM in Piers Morgan interview

The Coalition backbencher Craig Kelly has been trending on Twitter most of the night after agreeing to this interview with Piers Morgan on UK breakfast television.

Morgan has been critical of Scott Morrison’s response to the bushfire crisis, so it only makes sense that Kelly decided to go on his show and speak to him, and reinforce all of his anger.

Kelly was saved during a pre-selection battle by Morrison’s intervention. He’s repaid him by consistently going on UK media and undermining the prime minister’s attempts to pretend that his government has always believed in the link between climate change and worsening natural disasters, like the drought and bushfires.

Updated

Good morning.

Firefighters in NSW and Victoria are seizing another day of cooler temperatures and lower winds to try to get ahead of the fires which have blazed across at least 4.9m hectares.

There are no emergency alert fires as we begin today, but Victoria still has watch and act alerts.

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
This Tiny Cat Living With A Rare Genetic Condition Was Rescued And Found His Loving Family
Grub’s life doesn’t look like most cats’, but he’s loved in ways that make all the difference.
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Did Miley Cyrus And Emily Osment Not Get Along In Hannah Montana? Absence During The Show's Anniversary Raises Questions
Emily Osment's absence from the Hannah Montana anniversary special raises questions about her relationship with Miley Cyrus. Here's what we know.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
'Vaping Squirrels' in London and Philadelphia Go Viral: Here's Why They Are Drawn to E-Cigs
Discover the viral phenomenon of 'vaping squirrels' and the environmental dangers posed by discarded e-cigarettes.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Stephen Colbert to write new Lord of the Rings film after end of the Late Show
Comedian and avid Tolkien fan to write the Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, a new Peter Jackson-produced film based on unadapted chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
A Woman Driving Next To Matt LeBlanc Recognized Him, Then Immediately Got Into A Car Accident
I wonder how many "fame accidents" there have been, overall?
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
I’m Shook Over The Historic Milestone Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Trailer Just Hit
This is astounding!
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play