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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Justine Landis-Hanley and Cait Kelly (earlier)

Victoria records 13 deaths and NSW three; Qld changes quarantine rules – as it happened

Healthcare workers administer Covid tests at a drive through test centre in Liverpool, Sydney. NSW Health added two new exposure sites overnight.
Healthcare workers administer Covid tests at a drive through test centre in Liverpool, Sydney. NSW Health added two new exposure sites overnight. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

What we learned today, Saturday 11 December

That’s it for the live blog today. But before we go, let’s recap the biggest stories from Saturday 11 December 2021.

  • New South Wales recorded 560 new cases, and three Covid-related deaths. It is the highest daily case tally recorded in NSW since 9 October, and the second day in a row with more than 500 infections. The state also recorded three more cases of the Omicron variant, bringing the total to 45.
  • Victoria recorded 1,193 new Covid cases and 13 deaths.
  • The ACT recorded 11 new coronavirus infections. There are five people in hospital, two of whom are in intensive care; none are ventilated. The latest figures show that 98.2% of the territory’s population aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated.
  • Queensland recorded one new community case of Covid. The state health minister, Yvette D’Ath, also announced new changes to quarantine rules. From 1 January, Queenslanders who are fully vaccinated and deemed close contacts will only have to quarantine for seven days, rather than 14.
  • South Australia recorded seven new Covid cases.
  • The Northern Territory recorded one new Covid-19 case. As a result, the remote Northern Territory community of Beswick entered a three-day lockout from 2pm this afternoon.
  • A food and beverage staff member who worked at the Sydney Opera House from 8 to 9 December, the same time that the Aacta awards were taking place, has tested positive for Covid-19. NSW Health said those who were at the Opera House at the same time have not been deemed close or casual contacts, but should monitor for symptoms.
  • Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, is attending a G7 meeting this weekend, despite the fact that Australia is not a member state. The meeting is billed as a show of unity against China and Russia amid growing international tensions.
  • Cricket Australia officially confirmed that the fifth Ashes Test will be played in Hobart. At the Gabba today, Australia won the first Ashes Test and Nathan Lyon took his 400th Test wicket, becoming the third Australian bowler to achieve the feat.

Updated

Western Australian police suspect that the bushfire in the Margaret River region, first reported on Wednesday, was deliberately lit.

In a statement, police said that the fire had burnt about 5,500 hectares of land as of Saturday.

Based on an initial assessment of the fire scene by Strike Force Vulcan detectives, it is believed the fire was deliberately lit, and may have been ignited near Mammoth Cave.

The statement went on to say: “Detectives would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave on Wednesday (8 December) or who has dash-cam or mobile phone vision of people or vehicles in the area at the time.”

Updated

NSW Health has sent through a statement in response to questions about a Covid-19 case at the Aacta awards at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night.

A spokesperson for the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District said NSW Health had been notified of one case of Covid-19 in an employee who worked at the Sydney Opera House while infectious.

“NSW Health has identified the venue as low risk and the SESLHD Public Health Unit is currently investigating this matter,” the spokesperson said.

“People who attended the venue during the times that the employee was there are not considered close or casual contacts but must monitor for systems.”

The spokesperson added that the staff member who tested positive is in isolation, and the variant has not been determined to be Omicron.

Updated

Nathan Lyon has finally taken his 400th Test wicket, becoming the third Australian bowler to achieve the feat.

Read the Guardian’s story about Lyon’s journey to pass 400 here:

Updated

From vaccine scepticism to calls to “drain the billabong”, a growing number of Liberal and National figures are playing directly to the political fringes.

Read Guardian reporter Paul Karp’s analysis as to why fringe elements within the government are appealing to the radical right:

Updated

And with that, I am going to hand you over to my colleague Justine Landis-Hanley who will take you through the last bit of today.

As always, it’s been a complete pleasure.

Updated

Seven suspected Omicron cases in Victoria

Health authorities in Victoria are investigating seven suspected Omicron cases.

One is a household contact of a person who has tested positive for the variant.

More to come.

Updated

Queensland police have commented after people wanting to cross from New South Wales into Queensland have been warned to expect delays ahead of the much-anticipated border reopening at 1am on Monday.

In a media conference on Friday acting chief superintendent Rhys Wildman said there were “no plans” for special lanes at border checkpoints.

We’ve looked at this a number of different ways to try and provide the best efficiency.

The issue with providing a special lane for border zone residents is the vast majority of traffic is border zone residents.

So we’d wind up with a lane that stretches for many kilometres and the other checkpoints would be just about empty.

On Saturday, a Queensland police spokesperson said heavy vehicles are “waved through” to an inspection station on the M1 at Coomera.

That’s been active since last Thursday night after we closed the heavy vehicle checkpoint on the Gold Coast Highway at Bilinga.

Updated

The remote Northern Territory community of Beswick will enter a three-day lockout at 2pm today after the territory recorded one new case.

The new case is a man in his 20s who tested positive to the virus after a testing blitz in Katherine.

The health minister, Natasha Fyles, said authorities were “concerned” by Covid-positive wastewater detected in Beswick and Barunga.

Updated

Northern Territory records one new Covid case

Updated

South Australia records seven new Covid cases

Seven new Covid cases have been recorded in SA.

Updated

A spokesperson for the Opera House said that “a thorough cleaning of affected areas has been carried out and we are taking all necessary steps as required by NSW Health”.

The Opera House currently has a number of measures in place in line with our Covid safety plan and our commitment to the health and safety of everyone on our site.

Opera House patrons who attended the site on those dates are not required to take any action unless advised by NSW Health via the Service NSW check-in notifications.

Updated

Covid exposure at Aacta awards

A Sydney Opera House spokesperson has confirmed that a food and beverage staff member who worked during the Aacta awards has tested positive for Covid-19.

The person worked at the Opera House from 8 to 9 December.

Updated

From AAP:

The federal government has been accused of sitting on its hands while Australian “hero” and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces extradition to the US on espionage charges.

Assange, 50, is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

In January a UK court ruled Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide, but after a two-day appeal hearing, the high court on Friday sided with the US.

The senior judges concluded the risk of suicide was mitigated by assurances from American authorities that Assange would not being held in highly restrictive prison conditions if extradited.

Assange’s lawyers have said they intend to challenge the ruling with another appeal, this time in the UK’s supreme court.

The federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie is calling on the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, to “end this lunacy” and demand the US and UK allow Assange to be released.

Mr Assange should be looking forward to spending Christmas with his two young boys and his fiancee, but instead he’s facing a 175-year jail sentence and the very real possibility of living out his final days behind bars.

He is a hero, not a villain, and journalism is not a crime.

Again the United Kingdom proves it’s a lackey of the United States and that Australia is delighted to go along for the ride.

Updated

People wanting to cross from New South Wales into Queensland have been warned to expect delays ahead of the much anticipated border reopening at 1am on Monday.

But those who have been navigating the checkpoints for months say poor traffic management is to blame for the current wait times.

Queensland truck driver Michael told Guardian Australia he does three return trips to Sydney every week.

So every second day I’m coming back across that border. I’ve watched it all.

Police directing motorists at the Coolangatta border check point on 13 September 2021 in Gold Coast.
Police directing motorists at the Coolangatta border check point on 13 September 2021 in Gold Coast. Photograph: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Michael said the checkpoint on the M1 pulls together cars and trucks into a single lane, creating a “huge bottleneck”.

This was a problem when border checkpoints first began, he said, but was solved in recent months with a system where cars were sent to the left lane to be checked and trucks to the right lane where they were permitted to roll through and provide their papers at a later point.

In recent weeks the checkpoint moved and it’s back to the single lane, Michael said.

They’ve created the big bottleneck again and all the headaches. It’s not that there’s too many people passing through, it’s just ineffective traffic management.

Queensland police did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday.

Large number of travellers have begun arriving at the border ahead of the scheduled reopening on Monday morning.

Stranded Queenslanders unable to enter their home state since July have been forced to live in caravans and at showgrounds in the NSW northern rivers region while waiting for the border to reopen.

But authorities have warned of hours-long delays and asked people to consider travelling at a later date and to “pack their patience”.

The online system where people can apply for new border passes to enter Queensland will go live at midnight on Sunday, just one hour before the border opens on Monday at 1am.

Updated

The Aactas red carpet at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday has reportedly been listed as a Covid exposure site – we are working on confirmation and will have more details for you soon.

The event was attended by some of Australia’s biggest celebrities – Rebel Wilson, Taika Waititi, Sarah Snook, Rachel Griffiths, Deborah Mailman and Baz Luhrmann to name a few.

Updated

The Western Australian government has created an awareness program to help deal with sexual assault and harassment in the mining industry. From AAP:

A new $1.9m awareness program will address the “completely unacceptable” level of under-reporting of sexual assault and harassment in WA’s mining and resources sector.

The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety program is the WA government’s latest move to address the crisis, exposed in a recent parliamentary inquiry.

The initiative aims to address mental health, workplace culture, drug and alcohol use, and mine safety issues.

The culture of WA’s mining and resources workplaces have been under the spotlight this year after several women came forward to police detailing claims of assaults on major mining sites.

A parliamentary inquiry prompted by the revelations heard evidence of widespread sexual misconduct within the industry.

“The level of under-reporting of sexual assault and harassment in the mining and resources sector is completely unacceptable,” said WA women’s interests minister, Simone McGurk, in a statement on Saturday.

“The McGowan government is acting to ensure workers – especially those working on mine sites – are safe and protected at work.”

Updated

And I’ve got a better breakdown of Victoria’s Covid numbers.

Yesterday, 4,056 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services. The total number of doses administered through state-run services is 4,887,560.

Some 94.2% of Victorians aged 12 and over have now had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 92.0% have had two doses. This excludes the most recent commonwealth data.

There are 323 Covid-19 cases in hospital in Victoria – 68 active cases in ICU, with 29 of those on a ventilator. There are an additional 44 cleared cases in ICU. Of those in hospital, 61.8% were not fully vaccinated, and of those in ICU, 81.8% were not fully vaccinated.

Victoria was notified of 1,193 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday. All cases were locally acquired except for two that were acquired overseas. The 11 local government areas with the highest number of new cases are Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Whittlesea, Moreland, Greater Dandenong, Melton, Kingston, Monash, Glen Eira and Port Phillip.

All locations containing new cases will be published today at Victorian Covid-19 data.

There are 11,457 active cases in Victoria. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 134,911.

There are no new confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Victoria.

Updated

To mark a century since the birth of the late Adelaide-born artist Jeffrey Smart, the National Gallery of Australia is showing 125 of his works.

One reason his paintings have gone up in price is because that’s what happens when there’s a big show, such as the one at the National Gallery of Australia celebrating 100 years since his birth. Another reason is love. Specifically, how the love for Smart’s paintings stays unrequited because it’s never wholly fulfilled.

Read the full story here:

Updated

The Queensland government has unveiled plans to set up an independent Environmental Protection Agency in the state. From AAP:

Queensland has started the process of setting up an independent environmental regulator.

The state is the only jurisdiction remaining in Australia that doesn’t have an Environmental Protection Agency dedicated to protecting the environment.

In other states, EPAs work with businesses, government, community and environmental groups to reduce pollution, waste and any adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

The state environment minister, Meaghan Scanlon, has launched a public consultation to set up an EPA.

“We made an election commitment to investigate and consult on the establishment of an independent Environmental Protection Agency to protect our environment, provide greater investment certainty, and support economic recovery,” she said in a statement on Saturday.

“Queensland is the only state in Australia without an external independent Environmental Protection Agency.”

The government has called for members of the public to fill in an eight-question online survey, which will be used to plan the new agency.

Updated

And lastly, Leigh is asked if states should reimpose restrictions if Omicron pops off. This is what he has to say:

States will make their own decisions based on the health advice that comes in.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around the Omicron variant. There’s uncertainty over whether it is more contagious. Whether it is deadlier. And how it responds to the various vaccines that are on offer.

As that information emerges, we’ll be in a better place to understand how to respond to the Omicron variant. So I don’t think that any responsible politician would be answering hypotheticals as to how we should react to Omicron.

We need to do it based on all of the evidence and guided by the health experts.

Updated

In response to Josh Frydenberg’s announcement this morning in The Australian that the government will increase permanent migration to around 160,000 a year, Leigh says this:

We don’t have the detail that would allow Australians to judge what the migration settings will look like. That’s going to go to the migration mix. It’s got to talk about how our balance between temporary and permanent, between family and the unskilled and skilled migration.

There’s a lot of good work that’s been done on this by the Grattan Institute, the Migration Council. It’s not like there’s a shortage of good ideas out there.

But instead, now, I feel like we’re getting a rewind of the duplicity that we saw in 2019 when the Morrison government, within months, was trying to claim credit for both the decrease and an increase in the migration intake.

Updated

Leigh says the government should listen to the states rather than pick fights with them:

“I know that the Morrison government is desperate to try to deflect attention away from their economic failures, their failures on vaccines and quarantine, and the way in which that has damaged Australia.

But I think that rather than trying to pick fights with premiers and chief ministers, they’d be better to work with the states and territories and to focus on sorting out the issues that are clearly the remit of the federal government.

Providing a sense of certainty to Australians as to what the migration settings will look like. The federal government does have clear responsibility for our external border, but instead it wants to change the conversation and talk about the internal ones.

Updated

Leigh says the government has no real policy on migration:

We’ve also had some announcements today around migration. Well, more headlines than announcements to be honest.

Australians are wise to this mob when it comes to migration. Australian people will remember in 2019 Scott Morrison going out there and claiming a congestion-busting cut to migration.

And then, just months later, Josh Frydenberg bringing down a budget that had baked into it a significant increase in Australia’s migration. They want to have it both ways. We have in Australia now record numbers of migrants who don’t have a pathway to permanency.

Updated

Leigh says the Australian economy will rebound, but it will be because of the Australian people – not the government.

The Morrison government is a little bit like a guy who digs a really deep hole and then wants people to pat him on the back because he starts to make his way out of it.

The fact is the Australian economy is struggling. Right now, we’ve got real wages going backwards. We’ve got housing affordability at historic lows.

And we have many Australians feeling that their pay packet just isn’t keeping up with the cost of living.

Updated

The shadow assistant minister for treasury, Andrew Leigh, is speaking in Canberra, in response to Josh Frydenberg’s presser earlier which made the argument for strong economic bounce back.

Leigh says:

While good governments take the blame on their own shoulders and pass the credit on to others, Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg are just the opposite.

The moment the Australian economy is struggling, they’re nowhere to be seen, but they’re racing for a headline the moment there’s any chance for an uptick.

At the start of this year, Australia had the slowest vaccine rollout in the advanced world. And in the September quarter, partly as a result of that, we recorded the worst quarterly growth performance in the advanced world.

Updated

Look out Queensland – new contact tracing locations have just been added to the list:

Updated

A Perth man who practised as a psychiatrist is facing nine child abuse charges.

From AAP:

WA police say their investigation into the 47-year-old began after they received information relating to his activities while he was practising as a psychiatrist, between 2012 and 2016.

The probe found another nine victims, the police say.

Police raided addresses associated with the man and seized various items.

The man was then charged with seven counts of indecent dealings with a child under 13 and two charges of indecent dealings with a child under 16.

The man, from Success, will face Perth magistrates court on Saturday.

Police are calling for anyone with relevant information to come forward.

Updated

Earlier we had some lines from Lane Sainty on the Western Australian bushfires.

But you can read the full story here:

Updated

The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has talked up the trans-Tasman friendship in an interview with AAP:

Jacinda Ardern insists the trans-Tasman friendship with Australia is in fine health, and she won’t join the international pile-on critiquing Scott Morrison’s foreign engagement.

But nor is the New Zealand prime minister willing to support her Australian counterpart for recent dealings that have left France fuming, the US cold and have further provoked China.

In a rare sit-down interview with Australian media, Ardern said she hadn’t drawn any conclusions about Morrison’s trustworthiness from the Aukus episode, which upset a trio of world powers.

“I don’t have to base the relationship on what I observe of others because I’ve got my own experience to base the relationship on,” she said from her Wellington office.

Jacinda Ardern is interviewed at Parliament House in Wellington
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern is interviewed at Parliament House in Wellington. Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/AAP

The two leaders’ most recent dealing came last week, when New Zealand joined Australian forces in the Solomon Islands to diffuse tensions there.

“We do stay in regular contact ... and we don’t schedule it, we just pick up the phone,” Ardern said.

The trans-Tasman relationship is pivotal to New Zealand, which has one-fifth of Australia’s population and a GDP seven times smaller.

Australia’s centrality was demonstrated this week by new opposition leader Christopher Luxon, who was quizzed by TVNZ’s QandA program after taking the top job.

“Our most important relationship is that of Australia ... our economy is very tied to the success of Australia,” he said.

New Zealand’s new opposition leader Christopher Luxon is interviewed at Parliament House in Wellington
New Zealand’s new opposition leader Christopher Luxon is interviewed at Parliament House in Wellington. Photograph: Juan Zarama Perini/The Guardian

Ardern is an avid follower of Australian goings-on, referencing the vaccine rollout in Queensland and Covid-19 restrictions in the ACT during the interview.

She is acutely aware of the upcoming federal election, which could unite the Australian Labor and NZ Labour parties in office – which has happened for just one year of the past three decades.

She has an association with the Australian opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, having invited him to Wellington previously, and the pair maintain irregular contact but she insists she will “not jump into the politics” of Australia.

“Our relationship with Australia is so important to us that I will place a priority on making sure that there is a solid one with the prime minister of Australia, and we do have a solid relationship,” Ardern said.

Updated

Australia to attend G7 meeting billed as show of unity against China and Russia

Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, is attending a G7 meeting this weekend, despite the fact that Australia is not a member state.

The G7 meeting, held against the backdrop of a potential invasion of Ukraine, tensions in the South China Sea and the potential collapse of the Iran nuclear deal, is being billed by the UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, as a “chance to show a united front against malign behaviour – including Russian posturing towards Ukraine”.

It will also be interesting to see what happens when Payne comes face to face with her French counterpart, JLe Drian, for the first time since Australia announced the Aukus pact, effectively ending its contract to buy French submarines.

Read more here:

Updated

New Zealand has reported 63 new Covid cases, its lowest daily total in 52 days, which it attributes to soaring vaccination rates. AAP reports:

New Zealand’s grip on its Delta outbreak continues to tighten, ahead of a major shake-up of domestic settings.

On Saturday, health officials announced 63 new community Covid-19 cases, the lowest daily total in 52 days.

Public health experts attribute the drop in daily cases – down from highs more than 200 in mid-November – to soaring vaccination rates.

Vaccination rates are slightly above Australia’s, with 94% of Kiwis aged 12 and above partially vaccinated, and 89% fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer.

Of Saturday’s 63 cases, 53 are in Auckland, with the rest spread across Northland, the Waikato, Taranaki and Canterbury, and a historical case in Southland.

One of the Auckland cases is a border worker.

An investigation will probe whether they were infected in the community or through a quarantine leak.

From Wednesday, and for the first time since mid-August, the government will allow travel in and out of Auckland for all Kiwis.

While travellers must show proof of vaccination or a negative test, health officials warn the spread to different corners of the country is inevitable and have urged vaccine hold-outs to inoculate themselves.

New Zealand’s death toll stands at 46, after two deaths on Friday.

There are 60 Kiwis in hospital, with three in intensive care.

Updated

Queensland to cut quarantine period from January

Earlier the Queensland health minister, Yvette D’Ath, also announced new changes to quarantine rules.

From 1 January, Queenslanders who are fully vaccinated and deemed close contacts will only have to quarantine for seven days.

On day five they will have to return a negative test to be released on day seven.

After they leave quarantine they will need to continue to wear a mask outdoors and avoid high-risk settings from day eight to 14.

“We don’t want you going into hospitals, aged care facilities, correctional facilities, youth detention centres and the like,” D’Ath said.

“We know there is still a risk from day eight to 14, but we know that risk is reduced when you are fully vaccinated.”

Updated

What better way to symbolise your favourable turn in fortune than with adorable bunnies, the sign of good luck? Comedian Hannah Gadsby has marked her return to the Sydney Opera House with four rabbits across the stage, though you will probably first notice the one in the Joan Sutherland theatre that functions as a lantern, a beacon of hope.

Read our five-star review here:

Updated

Firefighters are hopeful milder weather conditions on Saturday will help contain an out-of-control bushfire at Margaret River.

The fire in Leeuwin-Naturaliste national park has burned through 5,200 hectares since it started on Wednesday morning in Boranup, Western Australia.

The blaze was “reasonably steady overnight” but remains uncontained and uncontrolled, a Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said on Saturday morning.

It is burning in an easterly direction, with more than 150 firefighters on the scene.

A bushfire burning at Calgardup, south of Perth
A bushfire burning at Calgardup, south of Perth. Photograph: Sean Blocksidge/AAP

An emergency warning remains in place for people in the national park bounded by Mammoth Cave Road to the north, Caves Road and the park boundary to the east, Grace Road and Bridle Trail to the south and the coast to the west.

People in the area are urged to leave now. If they cannot, they should shelter at home in a room with two exits and water, such as a kitchen or laundry.

An evacuation centre has been set up at the Margaret River Recreation Centre.

Watch and act and advice warnings are in place for other parts of the Augusta-Margaret River shire.

Bussell Highway has been closed between Forest Grove Road and the Brockman Highway due to heavy smoke in the area.

Updated

Queensland records one new case of Covid

Queensland has recorded one new community case of Covid, the state’s health minister, Yvette D’Ath, has announced.

The case was flagged as a potential positive on the Gold Coast yesterday and was confirmed today.

The person had been potentially contagious in the community for five days on the Gold Coast between 6 and 10 December.

Updated

And lastly, Frydenberg again makes his case for a strong economic comeback from the pandemic:

Our strong economic support through programs like jobkeeper have put us in the position we are in today.

There are some $370bn that has been accumulated on household and business balance sheets that was not there at the start of the pandemic.

That is money that people have saved because they have not been able to go out and spend because of the health restrictions in place.

But also the economic support that we as a government have been providing.

Updated

Frydenberg is asked how the government plans to help alleviate the skills shortage.

He says:

Skilled workers are in high demand. We are seeing that in a range of sectors across the economy – construction, mining, agriculture, hospitality and professional services as well.

We have announced that we were bringing in 200,000 people, whether they were skilled workers, whether they were people who were coming through the humanitarian intake.

Obviously we made a decision to put a two-week pause on that reopening, based on medical advice at the time with respect to Omicron. We will make a decision in the coming days about the next steps with respect to that pause, but the early signs are indeed positive, as I say.

We are certainly focused on opening those borders as soon as possible so that international students and skilled workers can come in and play their role across our economy.

We are also investing heavily in new programs like the jobtrainer program, providing 450,000 places, of which 250,000 already have enrolments in. At the same time, we have supported apprentices.

Updated

Frydenberg is talking about what advice the government has received on Omicron:

The medical advice is still coming in, in terms of the Omicron variant, but we have heard from the medical professionals and the chief medical officer that it looks encouraging and that some of the early signs are more positive than initially thought.

The virus is certainly highly transmissible but perhaps not as severe as other variants.

We have not seen the mass hospitalisations in South Africa, for example, the vaccination rates are lower than a country like Australia, and there is no evidence, as yet, that the vaccine is not a defence against Omicron.

Updated

Frydenberg is asked if all Australians could be together at Christmas – which leads, of course to discussing Western Australia:

Obviously WA is taking its own decision and it needs to explain to its own public. But as the vaccination rates have lifted we have seen states be more confident that they can reopen in a Covid-safe way.

I am looking forward to this Christmas. I am not getting ahead of ourselves.

We have a lot of work still to do to maintain this momentum in the economic recovery, to ensure that Australians are kept safe from Covid, and next year there is an election to be won as well.

Updated

Frydenberg says the pandemic is not over:

The Omicron variant is a reminder of the challenges that we face. But states need to keep calm and carry on. And not overreact to the Omicron variant.

Our economic recovery depends upon it. We have the vaccination rates now at record highs and that has proven to be a vital defence against Covid.

So Australians can go into Christmas confident about the future, looking forward to being reunited with friends and with family, enjoying a well-deserved break after what has been a pretty trying two years.

Updated

Frydenberg says with lockdowns lifting, the economy has grown strongly:

Business investment is up 16% over this year and next, and that is the strongest business investment since the mining boom more than one decade ago. Non-mining investment will reach its highest level on record at $200bn.

Non-mining investment, I say that again, non-mining investment will reach its record level at more than $200bn.

This is a sign of growing confidence in our economy by businesses big and small and by households who are going out and spending.

Updated

Frydenberg is speaking about the Australian economy, arguing government policies saved jobs and helped the economy rebound:

Jobkeeper, which saved more than 700,000 jobs, the cashflow boost, $750 pensioners’ payments and others on income support. It was a team Australia moment.

And what we saw was that Australia, ahead of any major advanced economy in the world, had employment levels and growth levels coming back to where they were pre-pandemic. This was a strong sign of the recovery in the Australian economy.

And then we were hit by Delta. And 13 million of our fellow Australians went into an extended lockdown period. And that hurt the economy.

And we saw that reflected in the September quarter of the national accounts.

Updated

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is speaking now in Melbourne.

Updated

Three new Omicron cases in NSW

There were three new cases confirmed with the Omicron variant of concern overnight, and more are expected as the results of genomic testing is confirmed.

It brings the total number of Omicron cases to 45 in NSW. To date, no Omicron cases have been admitted to hospital in NSW for treatment of Covid-19.

NSW recorded 560 new cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting three deaths.

A man in his 80s from south-western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital. He was a resident of the Gillawarna Village Aged Care facility, where he acquired his infection. He had received three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions. This is the second death linked to this facility.

A man in his 80s from eastern Sydney died at St Vincents Hospital. He had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.

A woman in her 70s from the Riverina region died at Albury Base Hospital. She had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health condition.

There are currently 150 Covid-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 25 people in intensive care, eight of whom require ventilation.

There were 82,517 Covid-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 90,223.

Updated

ACT records 11 Covid cases

And we’ve got a breakdown of Covid numbers from the ACT:

In the last 24 hours to 8pm, the territory recorded 11 new cases, meaning there are 76 now active.

There are five people in hospital, two are in intensive care but none are ventilated.

A whopping 98.2% of the population aged 12 and over are now fully vaccinated. That’s actually incredible.

Updated

Details of the shock decision to close Circus Oz are emerging as circus company members meet to try to save the revolutionary 44-year-old troupe, which started as an artist collective and put Australia’s larrikin spirit on the world stage.

On Friday, the board of Circus Oz released a statement saying the members of the company had voted to reject reforms proposed by its funding partners – choosing instead to wind up its operations.

Updated

Good news for parts of Vicotria as that weather moves offshore.

Fifth Ashes Test to be played in Hobart

Cricket Australia has officially confirmed that the fifth Ashes Test will be played in Hobart.

AAP reports:

CA has confirmed the series finale, beginning on 14 January, will be a day-night Test staged at Bellerive.

The ground hasn’t hosted a Test since 2016, while it has never featured in any Ashes series.

The match was slated to be held in Perth, but CA hit a brick wall in its talks with Western Australia officials while trying to negotiate border exemptions.

Cricket Tasmania and the Tasmanian government put together a bid that trumped the case to schedule a second Test at either the MCG or SCG.

“I would like to thank all the states and territories who took part in this process,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said.

“The submissions we received were outstanding and we had no doubt that each of the venues that took part would have hosted a wonderful event.

“There were a range of considerations, including commercial, logistical and operational factors.”

Updated

From AAP:

The cost of the floods and storms that hit Victoria earlier this year is set to rise, with the Victorian government pledging a further $73m to fund the recovery.

The June storms brought down trees, caused major flooding and destroyed powerlines across the east of the state.

The event affected 2 million hectares of public land, including in the Dandenong Ranges and Gippsland, state environment minister Lily D’Ambrosio says.

Under the funding package announced on Saturday, $27.6m will go towards repairing roads and access tracks needed for firefighting.

A further $10.7m will fund safety works in forests and parks, with work on hazardous trees costing another $7.5 million.

The Gippsland riverbank also needs work, to the tune of $5.2m.

Floodwater at a property in Traralgon, Victoria, in June.
Floodwater at a property in Traralgon, Victoria, in June. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated

The number of Australians challenging National Disability Insurance Agency decisions has exploded since July, with new data revealing a 300% increase in legal appeals.

As the Morrison government confronts Labor claims about “stealth cuts” to funding packages, figures obtained by Guardian Australia confirm a huge rise in applications to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal over NDIS decisions.

From AAP:

It is the highest daily tally recorded in NSW since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted, and the second day in a row with more than 500 cases.

Health authorities are concerned festive season celebrations are driving the spike in cases, and are urging caution.

“The transmission in these types of settings is contributing to the increase in cases in NSW,” Dr Jeremy McAnulty said on Friday.

“We urge people not to attend any of these social functions or venues if you have any symptoms at all, even if mild.”

NSW Health is already battling to contain several large transmission events.

A trivia night at a Sydney pub sparked a new cluster of cases, with at least 46 patrons testing positive to the virus after attending the Oxford Tavern in Petersham on November 30.

Authorities are also concerned about 140 passengers who embarked on a Sydney Harbour cruise on Friday night which has so far resulted in five cases of the Omicron variant.

The number of people diagnosed with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in NSW has reached 42.

Updated

The high court on Friday refused the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum special leave to appeal a federal court ruling that federal environment laws don’t apply to logging in Victoria’s Central Highlands.

The Victorian Forest Products Association and Australian Forest Products Association said the high court decision vindicated Victoria’s sustainable and essential native hardwood forest industry and the regional forest agreement framework.

“Finally some common sense has prevailed with today’s High Court decision the final nail in the coffin in this long running legal saga, VFPA ceo Deb Kerr said in a statement.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie also welcomed the decision, saying the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum’s “green warfare” against VicForests’ native forest operations has jeopardised the livelihoods of thousands of workers throughout the timber supply chain.

“Supporting forestry is not anti-environment,” the Victorian senator said in a statement.

The Leadbeater’s possum.
The Leadbeater’s possum. Photograph: Zoos Victoria

Updated

NSW records three Covid deaths and 560 new cases

Updated

Barns says he sees no difference between what journalists do and what Julian Assange did:

“What he did was to obtain information that was clearly in the public interest. It was clearly in the public interest for them to see the collateral murder video, where you see the gunning down of innocent people in Iraq by US troops.

“That’s clearly in the public interest. There is no difference. And I think that there has been in the past, as you know, a debate about ‘is Assange a journalist or not?’ It doesn’t matter.

“The issue is that the material that he was able to publish, and was published by other organisations such as the New York Times, is clearly in the public interest.”

Updated

Barns is asked about Assange’s health:

“Look, he’s remarkably stoic given the blows that he’s endured. But you know, he’s in Belmarsh Prison, which is a hellish place, usually reserved for those who have been found convicted of terrorism offences.

“And environment for him and the continual blows that he’s getting through this process mean that his health continues to deteriorate. And, in fact, that was one of the points that was raised and successfully argued in front of the judge in January this year.”

Updated

Greg Barns, who is an adviser and barrister with the Julian Assange campaign is talking on the ABC now about the high court of the UK ruling Assange can be extradited to the US.

“It’s a very disappointing ruling. It’s a disappointing ruling for all Australians and particularly the Australian media.

“What it means is that any Australian journalist who finds themselves in the ire of the United States for publishing material that deems that it doesn’t want to be published could find themselves on the end of an extradition request.

“Because, of course, Assange had no contact with the United States.”

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

Updated

Farmland prices are soaring at quadruple the rates of median growth in Australia’s capital cities – as 30-year price highs across agricultural commodities combine with low interest rates and generally good seasonal conditions.

Experts are beginning to warn that the “exorbitant” price of farmland is prohibitive for those starting out, echoing city housing concerns.

Victoria records 13 deaths and 1,193 Covid cases

Updated

Two of the government’s biggest departments were found to have broken freedom of information law within a month of each other, prompting the watchdog to demand urgent explanations and reforms from both, documents show.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) last month found the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade breached the law by dragging out and eventually refusing a request by lawyer and FoI specialist Peter Timmins, documents seen by Guardian Australia show.

From AAP:

Dozens of shoplifters have been arrested after a three-day blitz across Sydney stores, with stolen goods worth more than $11,000 recovered.

Operation Lightfingers this week targeted thieves in a number of major retail outlets across the Sydney CBD, Ultimo and Bondi areas.

Some 84 people were arrested and either charged, issued a Criminal Infringement Notice or a warning.

Among those sprung by police were a pair of woman, aged 31 and 26, who were allegedly trying to steal a trolley full of cosmetics and clothing worth more than $3400 from a store in Bondi Junction.

For AAP:

Some have been known to use the back of a kitchen knife, others the edge of a bench top and some (although don’t try this at home kids) their teeth.

But popping the top off a cold one is about to get classy, with beer brewer James Squire poised to unveil Australia’s most valuable bottle opener worth a cool $30,000.

The one-off collector’s item was handcrafted from sterling silver, burl walnut, grade 5 titanium and rare Damascus steel of the type used to make ancient swords, and took three years to source.

The opener is destined to go under the hammer, with all proceeds of the auction to be donated to Rural Aid to support farmers in need.

James Squire
James Squire Photograph: James Squire

It’s not just the gossip-hungry who have been devouring every bit of news about marriage bust-ups among Sydney’s fund manager set – or, at least, it shouldn’t be.

For while many may be reading the details of the dissolution of the marital bonds between fund manager Charlie Aitken and his wife, Ellie, with an eye to the details (Charlie has hooked up with his business partner’s wife, Hollie Nasser, who was Ellie’s best friend) investors who have put their money with Aitken Investment Management have a financial interest, not just a prurient one, in the unfolding drama.

From AAP:

One in five Australians in the outer suburbs have been living in “financial survival mode” during the pandemic and are more likely to feel stressed, frustrated and anxious than the national average.

City reaches are home to many of the essential workers who kept the Australian economy ticking over during rolling lockdowns yet their needs are being overlooked, the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA) says.

Analysis of over 80,000 interviews commissioned by the group reveals 21 per cent of outer metropolitan residents are in survival mode.

More than half of them are struggling to pay at last one major bill, whether it be to meet their energy needs, groceries, rent or personal loans. For those aged 40 and under, the figure jumps to 64 per cent.

NGAA CEO Bronwen Clark says government is failing a segment of the population representing 5.2 million people in total and growing at twice the national average.

“Our outer suburbs are home to the most essential workers and faced the strictest lockdowns,” she said.

“These are the communities that saw us through the pandemic and to date governments have failed to understand their needs.

“Now, governments must join the dots between high COVID rates, high outbreak risk factors and the lag in social infrastructure in fast-growing outer suburbs.”

Assistant Commissioner Nicola Hogan from the New South Wales SES is currently on ABC.

She said they received 450 requests for assistance over the last 24 hours, 31 of those being flood rescues.

“Predominantly in the south-east of the state, although we do still have significant flooding in the north-west and west of New South Wales.

“There were some storms experienced in the Sydney metropolitan area also yesterday, so it was quite a day of wild weather that we were experiencing over the last 24 hours.”

Updated

For those ready and raring for some searing political analysis this morning, I’ve got this piece from Katherine Murphy for you ...

Updated

An emergency warning remains in place for a fire burning near Margaret River in Western Australia’s south-west.

Despite conditions easing yesterday, the blaze at the Leeuwin-Naturaliste national park is still out of control.

It has burned through about 6,000 hectares, but so far no buildings have been destroyed.

Updated

Good morning, this is Cait Kelly – we will be going through the day’s news together.

The number of cases of the Omicron Covid variant from a Sydney Harbour cruise is expected to grow.

Last night, NSW Health added two new Covid exposure sites visited by confirmed cases linked to the cruise that could be the Omicron strain – the Albion Hotel in Parramatta and the Cult nightclub in Potts Point.

There are two suspected Omicron cases in South Australia while Victoria has had three instances of the variant, two of which were in hotel quarantine yesterday. New South Wales has 42 Omicron cases of the strain but none have yet been admitted to hospital.

Overall infections are on the rise in NSW. The state reported 516 new cases on Friday, its highest daily caseload in two months. Victoria recorded 1,206 daily infections and two more deaths.

The ACT detected six additional cases and the Northern Territory four, while there were six locally acquired cases in Queensland.

National cabinet was focusing on Omicron yesterday, with the country’s chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly, saying health experts were in the early stages of understanding the variant.

We’re going to be bringing you updates from Margaret River, where a huge bushfire has been raging the past few days.

The clean-up is continuing in the NSW south coast town of Mogo, where there was flooding yesterday, including up to 200mm in some parts.

And with that, let’s get cracking on the news.

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