What we learned, Friday 29 August
Thanks for staying with us this week. We are wrapping up the live blog here. This is what made the news today:
Blizzards and destructive winds will batter Victoria’s north-east, including the town of Porepunkah, home to alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman.
The manhunt for Freeman has continued, with 450 police deployed to Porepunkah.
Federal government minister Murray Watt said parliament will “obviously” consider censuring Bob Katter for threatening to punch a journalist.
Katter’s son, Robbie Katter, has accused the journalist of failing to read social cues when referencing Katter’s Lebanese heritage, which he said had a “deeply personal dimension”.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, have been heckled over their climate change policies at the News Corp bush summit in Ballarat.
Comedian and radio presenter Dave Hughes has been hospitalised with five broken ribs and a punctured lung after participating in the AFL Legends Game, a charity match raising funds for prostate cancer research.
Guardian Australia reporters will keep you updated on the Porepunkah manhunt and the rest of the country’s breaking news over the weekend before parliament resumes next week.
Updated
Australian shares edge lower to finish wild earning season
The Australian share market has edged modestly lower on the last day of a volatile month of company earnings results.
The benchmark ASX200 index on Friday slipped slightly to 8,973 points, after spending a week below the 9,000-point record it broke last Thursday.
It has risen about 3% in the last month after valuations of major companies swung wildly on the release of financial results for the year to June. Medical manufacturer CSL lost nearly a third of its value on the day its results were released, while building materials company James Hardie lost nearly a fifth of its market capitalisation.
Woolworths dropped 15% when it reported its earnings on Wednesday, which AAP reported was its worst single-day selloff since 1994.
Updated
Daniel Andrews and Bob Carr invited to China’s military parade
The Chinese government has invited former Labor premiers Daniel Andrews and Bob Carr to attend a Tiananmen Square military celebration next week.
Carr and Andrews were the only Australian invitations mentioned by China’s assistant foreign minister, Hong Lei, before next week’s commemoration of the country’s victory against Japan at the end of the second world war.
Xi Jinping is expected to address the military parade, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto and the president of Iran among the 26 world leaders expected to attend.
Serving heads of state and prime ministers from south, south-east and central Asia, eastern Europe, Cuba, the Congo and Zimbabwe are expected to join them, according to Hong’s statement, circulated by China’s foreign affairs ministry.
Carr and Andrews were among a string of former politicians invited, including former prime ministers of New Zealand, Japan, Greece and Italy.
Read more about the parade here:
Updated
Bradman’s baggy green snapped up by museum
A historic baggy green cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman has found a new home at one Australia’s most prominent museums, AAP reports.
The cap, worn during the 1946-47 Ashes series, has been bought by the National Museum of Australia for $438,500, with the federal government contributing half the cost.
Bradman wore the cap when he captained Australia in the series, the first to be played against England after the second world war.
The cap is just one of 11 of Bradman’s baggy greens known to exist. A second is located in the Australian Sports Museum, while the locations of the other nine remain private.
The cap sits alongside other Bradman memorabilia in the museum’s most recently opened Landmarks gallery, which features pieces from defining moments in our nation’s history.
Updated
Blizzards and ‘destruction’ forecast for Victoria’s weekend weather
Blizzards have been forecast for parts of Victoria, and residents have been warned to prepare for power outages and “destruction” as damaging winds are expected to lash the south-eastern states into the weekend.
Destructive winds, with gusts reaching up to 130km/h, are expected to push further into the eastern states on Saturday, bringing showers, hail and isolated thunderstorms.
Snowfall as low as 600-metre elevation is expected in the state on Saturday, along with strong winds. Meanwhile, blizzard conditions have been forecast for the alpine areas above 1,200 metres.
Snow showers and possible small hail was forecast for Friday and early Saturday morning at Mount Hotham. It comes after a week of severe weather in Victoria’s high country that has added complications to the search for suspected gunman Dezi Freeman in Porepunkah.
Winds of up to 113km/h had already been recorded at Mount Hotham on Friday. Read more here:
Updated
Labor defends axing Indigenous affairs hearing with extra estimates days
Just circling back to an earlier post about the axing of a stand-alone Indigenous affairs hearing from the upcoming block of Senate estimates hearings.
A stand-alone hearing earmarked for 13 October has been wiped from the schedule, with scrutiny of Indigenous matters to instead occur over the other days of hearings from 7-10 October.
The opposition claims the change means there will be less clear air to grill the government’s record on Indigenous affairs, including the Closing the Gap targets.
While defending the decision, a government spokesperson pointed out it had agreed to an extra three days of senate estimates hearings later this year to allow for more scrutiny of its entire agenda.
The hearings are scheduled for the first week of December. Here’s the government’s statement in full:
The Government has agreed to add three extra days of Senate estimates at the end of the year, to allow for additional scrutiny.
In this round of supplementary budget estimates, Indigenous issues will be a part of every day of estimates.
Closing the Gap is a whole of government responsibility.
It’s the responsibility of every Secretary and Minister to improve outcomes for First Nations Australians.
Updated
Parliament will ‘obviously’ consider censuring Katter: government minister
Albanese government minister Murray Watt says Bob Katter could still face a formal censure in parliament next week after the independent MP threatened to punch a journalist.
Watt did not commit the government to pursuing a censure motion against Katter but said he personally condemned the veteran Queensland politician’s outburst. He told the ABC:
I’m not going to pre-empt the parliamentary processes, [censure] will obviously be considered, but Bob Katter has prided himself on being a colourful character, you can be a colourful character without threatening people …
It is completely unacceptable for any human being, let alone a politician, who should be setting a higher standard.
Allegra Spender, the independent Sydney MP, said her focus was more on public statements of condemnation, and she hadn’t considered censuring Katter, speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
Katter’s son, Robbie Katter, appeared on the ABC earlier, where he defended his father and said a censure motion would be celebrated by north Queenslanders. He said:
Most people in regional and North Queensland would see that as an endorsement. A lot of things that come out of Canberra and Brisbane we are not a big fan of, so personally I would see it as an endorsement.
Updated
Watt rejects criticism of Tasmania windfarm approval
The environment minister has dismissed Bob Brown’s warnings of major protests over the approval of a large windfarm project on Robbins Island in north-west Tasmania.
Environmental advocates have warned the project could threaten local native wildlife, including the orange-bellied parrot, the Tasmanian devil and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. You can read about the decision here:
The environment minister, Murray Watt, said the conditions attached to the development would safeguard against those “unacceptable impacts”.
He told the ABC:
The surest way to ensure we end up with a more critically endangered species in this country is if we fail to deliver the renewable energy and emissions reductions needed …
If we take a really hardline view about this we will not have renewable projects anywhere in the country.
Among the project’s critics is former Greens leader Bob Brown, who has warned of major protests against the development. Watt dismissed suggestions of public uprising:
We often see predictions from the Greens and their supporters like Bob Brown that don’t turn out to be truthful … and Brown has a history of opposing major economic development across the country.
Updated
Bob Katter’s son defends ‘deeply personal’ outburst
The Queensland state politician Robbie Katter has defended his father for threatening to punch a journalist, saying the reporter “did not get the signals”.
Bob Katter has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum for his behaviour, but his son Robbie said there were personal reasons for his father getting upset. He told the ABC:
I know for a fact there are some deeply personal, deep personal dimension to that line of questioning that goes back to his family. I’ve known that since a kid. … There is a deeply personal dimension that I won’t share on national TV.
The younger Katter said it had been clear his father was growing agitated and suggested the reporter, Nine’s Josh Bavas, was being “provocative”:
There are personal touch points that [we] usually agree on that we don’t go there. Perhaps the journalist in question did not get the signals. … We should be able to stand up for ourselves and say at some point that is not acceptable.
At what point is that person responsible for their actions? They have to take some cues as well.
Pushing back at suggestions Bob Katter was too old for parliament, Robbie said some serving politicians were “too young” and had a “deficit of life experience”.
Updated
Severe thunderstorm warning for Porepunkah as 450 police officers hunt alleged cop killer
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an emergency warning for severe thunderstorms in Victoria’s northeast, including the town of Porepunkah, where the manhunt for Dezi Freeman continues.
Damaging and destructive winds are expected to batter the north-east and east Gippsland, with the worst of the storms expected to hit Falls Creek and Mount Hotham, just south of the locked-down town.
Winds and storms will last for the next several hours across the state’s north-east, the bureau said, after previously warning snow showers could hit the region. The search for Freeman now involves 450 police officers, as temperatures begin to fall and the sun sets.
Updated
Lending rises at the fastest rate in three years
Private credit growth surged by nearly $20bn in July, or 0.7% in the previous month, the fastest pace of increase since 2022.
New Reserve Bank data shows lending has accelerated since the RBA cut interest rates a second time, with the annual pace of increase climbing to 7.2%, well above the last decade’s average.
UBS analysis indicated business lending saw the biggest increase, while personal credit picked up, and housing credit maintained its faster growth of recent months.
Private deposits have also increased 7.2% annually, including a 9.4% increase in household savings, while spending has picked up at the same time, which UBS analysts said was a sign of “solid” household income growth.
They warned that rising borrowing for house prices and personal spending could put upward pressure on inflation as construction resources become stretched and homeowners cash in on their rising wealth, writing in a note:
We see an increasing likelihood that the strength in asset prices, especially housing, and borrowing (also personal credit is picking up to fund consumption), will probably result in inflation facing upward pressure.
Updated
And that’s it from me, the wonderful Luca Ittimani is here to take you through the rest of the afternoon’s news!
Pill testing clinic to reopen in Queensland
Queensland’s pill testing clinic is to reopen next month, thanks to private funding.
In April 2024, the former Labor government opened the first of two clinics at Bowen Hills. A second was later opened on the Gold Coast. A year later, the new LNP government closed both, against the advice of health bodies, including the Australian Medical Association. It has subsequently refused to release a report on the trial service.
Former operator The Loop Australia announced on Friday morning that it will reopen its doors from Friday, 5 September, and continue to operate every Friday from 2-6pm.
The Greens MP Michael Berkman said the return of pill testing was “a massive win for common sense and for our health professionals”.
You can’t stop people taking drugs just by saying no, by locking up kids or slapping them with huge fines.
In their first year, these clinics identified 120 lethal substances and kickstarted hundreds of conversations and referrals with health professionals.
Updated
Opposition says Indigenous hearings could have examined why four Closing the Gap targets going backwards
Continuing on from that last post: in the Senate on Thursday, the opposition attempted to reinstate the separate hearings only for Labor and the Greens to vote it down.
The manager of opposition business in the senate, Jonno Duniam, accused Labor and the Greens of breaking a 17-year-old convention in order to avoid scrutiny.
Senate estimates hearings are a critical forum for senators to question the spending of taxpayer funds and hold the government to account. Yet, rather than opening themselves to that accountability, Labor and the Greens have conspired to shut them down.
The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, Kerrynne Liddle, said the opposition would have used the hearings to examine why four of the Closing the Gap targets were going backwards.
In a statement, a government spokesperson said under the new format, Indigenous affairs would be examined on each day of hearings, rather than just one.
They said:
Closing the Gap is a whole of government responsibility. It’s the responsibility of every Secretary and Minister to improve outcomes for First Nations Australians.
The next round of estimates will be on 7-10 October.
Updated
Labor accused of avoiding scrutiny on Indigenous affairs after stand-alone hearing axed
The opposition has accused the Albanese government of avoiding scrutiny of its Indigenous affairs agenda after axing a traditional stand-alone estimates hearing on the topic.
Hearings on Indigenous matters have typically been held in a stand-alone spot in each Senate estimates block, providing a window of clear air for opposition and crossbenchers to grill government ministers and senior public servants on issues such as Closing the Gap targets.
On the other days of an estimates week, the eight committees run hearings at the same time, generating a flood of evidence that can be difficult for even the most diligent politician, staffer (or journalist) to keep across.
But in a surprise move, Labor this week won support for a condensed schedule for October’s rounds of estimates, which involves folding Indigenous affairs into the other packed days of hearings.
A stand-alone hearing on the Murray Darling-Basin plan – which is also typically allocated its own window – has also been absorbed into the new schedule.
Updated
That’s all from me, thanks for sticking with us. Natasha May will be your guide for the rest of today’s news. Take care, and have a good weekend.
Updated
Penny Wong condemns Russian strikes on Kyiv
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, condemned Russian strikes on Kyiv yesterday after the Ukrainian city came under heavy attack. At least 21 people were killed, and the strikes damaged the city’s British Council and EU offices. Four children were among the dead.
Wong said in a statement:
Russia’s strikes on homes, civilian infrastructure and diplomatic premises are reprehensible. The people of Ukraine have the right to live in peace, free from fear and aggression.
Australia again calls on Russia to end its illegal and immoral war.
Updated
The Sydney marathon is this weekend: what time does it start, which roads will be closed, and what is the route?
A record 35,000 runners and upwards of 300,000 spectators are to converge on a new 42.195km marathon course that shows off Sydney on Sunday.
It’s the first time the city will be part of the exclusive club of “major” world marathons, alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York – and runners are in for a treat.
Here’s a list of need-to-know info and best practices for Sunday, whether you’re running yourself or cheering someone on:
Updated
Manhunt remains ‘number one priority’ as Victoria police plan to deploy ‘large resource’ at weekend’s anti-immigration protest, Bush says
Bush says the police’s “number one priority” is the hunt for Freeman, but that this weekend’s planned anti-immigration “March for Australia” protests will also add to the demand on the force.
Bush said:
I would like to say, here and now, that the number one priority for the Victoria police is the hunt for this [alleged] murderer. And we’re pouring in over 450 resources to that. And every other resource we have.
We’re also conscious that the Victoria police have many other demands. And that includes the protest activity this weekend. Our mission there will be to deploy a large resource … to ensure that those people that are out protesting peacefully are kept safe. So that, too, is a priority. And we will resource it. And we will resource the other demands. But I want to go back to my original point: the number one priority for the Victoria police is to find the person who [allegedly] murdered our officers.
Updated
Freeman’s partner was arrested overnight, Bush confirms
Mike Bush confirms Dezi Freeman’s partner was arrested overnight.
She was interviewed and released pending further inquiries. Bush said today:
People were interviewed totally and specifically in relation to the homicide investigation. Those searches have been completed. The interviews have been conducted. Those people have been released. There may or may not be charges that follow.
Updated
Police chief says locals in Porepunkah have been ‘fantastic’ during search for Freeman
Mike Bush said police had received “helpful” lines of inquiry as they continue the manhunt for Freeman. He said:
The locals have been fantastic. There are certain lines of inquiry that are coming in from the public that are being assessed. They’re all helpful.
So we encourage members of the public to tell us everything they think they need to tell us …
Updated
Police chief again appeals to suspect to turn himself in
Mike Bush took a moment to address Freeman directly should he be listening to the press conference this afternoon:
In fact, if that person is listening, it really is time to lay down your firearms and give yourself up. So that we can all bring this to a safe conclusion.
Updated
More than 450 police officers involved in hunt for Dezi Freeman
The chief commissioner of Victoria police, Mike Bush, said more than 450 police officers are involved in search for Dezi Freeman. Bush said the ongoing manhunt was part of a “very professional and coordinated operation”.
Bush said during a press conference:
We have over 450 police officers dedicated to this task. Some are involved in search, some are involved in investigations, some are involved in supporting and many are involved in community reassurance.
Updated
New Zealand’s house prices are finally falling. Could this happen elsewhere?
Three years ago, New Zealanders would have it found it almost impossible to imagine the country’s sky-high house prices falling.
The market was deemed one of the least affordable in the world, with house prices nearly nine times the average income and supply dismally low. Desperate first home buyers were being squeezed out of the market by cashed-up investors.
Some of those in low paid or no work were thrust into homelessness and waitlists for social housing ballooned. In mid-2021 the crisis reached fever pitch, with the national average house price exceeding NZ$1m.
But now, those prices are trending downwards.
Read more:
Nine demands Bob Katter apologise for ‘aggressive behaviour’ towards reporter and ‘unacceptable’ threats
Nine Entertainment is considering legal action against Bob Katter after the independent MP called Nine’s Queensland reporter Josh Bavas a racist and threatened to punch him at a press conference.
The Brisbane outburst came after Katter expressed support for anti-immigration “March for Australia” protests planned for the weekend. Bavas asked: “You’ve got Lebanese heritage yourself … ”, before Katter cut him off.
The member for Kennedy walked up to the Channel Nine reporter and shook his fist at him.
“Don’t say that, because you’re a racist. You’re a racist. You cannot say what you just said without being identified as a racist … this man is a racist,” Katter said. The exchange was filmed.
Nine executives were discussing taking defamation action against Katter, sources said. The company has demanded an apology from Katter.
Read more here:
Updated
Roadblock back up near Dezi Freeman’s old home in Porepunkah
As Porepunkah braces for wild weather, the roadblock near the property where alleged gunman Dezi Freeman was living has been set up again.
This is the third afternoon in a row that police have blocked off this part of the area.
There is low cloud cover, and the helicopter, which usually flies overhead, is not around. It is unclear if they are currently searching in the area.
Updated
Battin condemns planned anti-immigration ‘March for Australia’ rallies
The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, has put out a statement with his spokesperson for multicultural affairs, Evan Mulholland, condemning the anti-immigration “March for Australia” rallies planned for this weekend.
The duo said they were particularly concerned about the “anti-Indian sentiment in some of the promotional material for the events published by the anonymous organisers”.
Battin said:
We condemn these rallies and the abhorrent messaging associated with them. Victoria is a proudly multicultural and multifaith state, and the Liberals and Nationals will always stand with all Victorians, no matter their background. Our state has been built on the contributions of generations of migrants who have made Victoria their home, and we are stronger for it. Any attempt to incite hatred or division against any community is completely unacceptable.
Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne yesterday he had told his MPs they shouldn’t attend the rally.
Updated
Windfarm project likely to face criticism from green groups and scientists
Despite the conditions, the Robbins Island windfarm approval decision is likely to face criticism from environmentalists and scientists who have said the area should be a no-go zone site due to its environmental importance.
Watt said the windfarm had the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4m tonnes a year, equivalent to taking more than 1m cars off the road each year. He said:
There will obviously be some people who support [the decision and] some people who criticise it … The reality is we need more renewable energy being built in Australia to tackle the climate change challenge that we have.
The key to that is that, in the approvals process, we put in place strong environmental protections to avoid and reduce environmental damage. That’s what I believe we’ve done with this decision.
Watt said construction of the farm was not expected to commence until 2031. He said the project would support up to 350 direct jobs in construction and up to 50 ongoing operational jobs.
You can read more about the windfarm proposal from a recent story here:
Updated
Watt gives green light to Tasmanian windfarm project
The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, has given the green light to the Robbins Island windfarm, a contentious and long-proposed development in north-west Tasmania that could lead to 100 turbines being built in an area environmentalists say is a haven for migratory shorebirds and threatened species.
Watt said he had approved the construction of the windfarm proposed by the renewable energy company Acen Australia, a bridge between the nearly 10,000 hectare island and the Tasmanian mainland wharf and four quarries.
A decision on the windfarm had been repeatedly delayed. Watt said his approval came with strict conditions to protect the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot, endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, protected migratory shorebirds and the Tasmanian devil.
The conditions include a requirement the company:
Conduct comprehensive parrot surveys for three years before construction.
Provide funding for a Tasmanian government parrot conservation program.
Develop and implement a bird and bat management plan to “evaluate, mitigate and manage the risk of turbine collision for threatened birds”. Watt said the plan may need to include “curtailment or shutdown of all or some turbines” at certain times.
Install barriers to avoid Tasmanian devils from the mainland crossing to the island and potentially affecting the local disease-free population.
Not build turbines within 1km of a wedge-tailed eagle nest.
Updated
Heckling forces Jacinta Allan to stop midway through speech at bush summit
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has been forced to stop midway through her speech a the News Corp bush summit in Ballarat this morning due to loud booing and heckling from the crowd, including one man telling her to “fuck off”.
She told the crowd:
I could just request, I know there’s differences of views. One of the things that makes me proud of living in regional Victoria is I turn up and we turn up and listen and respect one another, and I simply ask, [that] I can conclude my remarks.
But her pleas to “show the best of country Victoria” to those tuning in online were largely ignored. The loudest boos came as the premier spoke about her government’s support for renewable energy projects.
During a Q and A segment, the Herald Sun’s Tom Minear was forced to repeatedly ask the crowd to quieten down. Asked whether there needed to be better consultation with landowners, Allan replied:
One of the challenges we have in this discussion is there’s a lot of loud voices, but there’s also a lot of people who want the information. Out of respect to people who are seeking the information, they deserve to hear that, not just from politicians but from experts and advisers.
One of the things that we need to do differently is better engage with landowners, and it’s why, whether it’s through the support that landowners can receive in hosting transmission lines on their property, whether it’s the compensation arrangements that are being made available. This is one of the challenges that we can have to work through these issues together.
Allan appeared at the event immediately after prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who was also jeered by the crowd.
Updated
Comedian Dave Hughes taken to hospital after AFL Legends Game
Comedian and radio presenter Dave Hughes has been hospitalised with five broken ribs and a punctured lung after participating in the AFL Legends Game, a charity match raising funds for prostate cancer research.
Hughes called in to Melbourne radio stations on Friday morning from his hospital bed, confirming he was severely injured and on strong painkillers but making light of his situation. He told Fox FM:
I knew that when I slowed down, this was going to happen, but I didn’t realise to this extent. I was groaning in the morning. My wife said, we’ve got to go to the hospital. I said, I can’t get out of bed, can they come here?
Reportedly the oldest person on the field, Hughes was playing for the Victorian team against the All Stars. He believed on-field collisions from Andrew Embley and Mitch Robinson were responsible for his injuries.
He told Triple M:
At half-time, I was coming off the ground and I was like, ‘I feel like I have a punctured lung’, and I was joking, but no, I do.
Asked “who got you?”, Hughes said:
Andrew Embley. Hodgey [Luke Hodge] kicked it to me, I dropped a chest mark – it was the lights, there’s too many lights at that ground – and Embley came in from the side. It was the first collision, and from that moment I was struggling. [Daniel] Gorringe slammed me in the ruck.
Updated
Butler says any report of foiled potential hijacking plan ‘sends shivers down the spine’
Health minister Mark Butler said any report of a potential hijacking plan “sends shivers down the spine of every Australian” after the Australian reported yesterday on an allegedly foiled plot to take control of a commercial jet.
Butler said he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the case, which is before the courts, but said there is no threat to the public. He spoke to Channel 7’s Sunrise this morning, saying:
Obviously, any report of a potential hijacking sends shivers down the spine of every Australian, particularly Australians who fly. But I want to be very cautious about this. As you’ve reported … this alleged hijacker is in custody, so there’s no threat to the Australian community. But there’s a suppression order on this for very good reason.
Investigations are still under way by our intelligence and security agencies, so we don’t want to speculate about other aspects of this issue. We want to let our agencies do their work and that will all come out in due course and be prosecuted in the normal way.
Updated
Albanese and Allan heckled at News Corp bush summit
Prime minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian premier Jacinta Allan have been heckled at the News Corp bush summit in Ballarat this morning, with participants strongly criticising and interrupting both leaders over their environmental and climate change policies.
Albanese, responding to the heckling, said “I won’t bullshit people” as he backed in his government’s climate change and clean energy policies.
The PM said:
I understand some people have a different view, but what I won’t do is come and, out of convenience, say what is convenient and people want to hear.
Albanese noted it was the former Morrison Coalition government that had adopted a net zero target.
The crowd in Ballarat booed, laughed and jeered as Albanese talked about coal-fired power stations not stacking up economically.
To loud opposition from the crowd, Albanese said:
There hasn’t been a new coal fired power station started this century. That’s the truth. There’s been no regulation stopping that… It hasn’t happened because the market has determined it doesn’t stack up.
The News Corp moderator at several points tried to calm the crowd, saying “please, audience” and “we’ll have to stop if you keep going”.
Albanese had been criticised by the Greens for attending a separate bush summit event earlier in the week, calling it “climate disinformation spreader News Corp’s bush summit” and claiming the events “give a platform to some of the country’s most extreme and disturbing anti-net zero, anti-climate action rhetoric”.
Updated
Star Entertainment Group posts $471m full-year loss
Star Entertainment Group says it lost $471m last financial year and its soft trading conditions continued in July, AAP reports.
The embattled casino group also disclosed on Friday it had $189m in available cash as of Monday, $45m less than it had as of 30 June, although that’s partly because it paid $16m in back taxes during that time.
Star said it brought in $92.1m in revenue and incurred a $7.4m operating loss in July, slightly ahead of its June quarter average.
“There remains material uncertainly regarding the group’s ability to continue as a going concern,” the company said, citing six items that are critical to its financial outlook.
Among them is a looming money-laundering penalty from Austrac, Australia’s financial watchdog, which has proposed a fine of $400m; Star’s ability to restore its casino licenses; and completing a $300m investment from Bally’s and pub baron Bruce Mathieson.
Updated
Victoria police set up designated area due to planned far-right protest
Victoria police will set up a designated area across Melbourne’s CBD as they prepare for “violence” at a rightwing protest on Sunday.
Supt Troy Papworth, from the north-west metro specialist operations unit at Victoria police, told ABC Radio Melbourne the entire CBD up to the Shrine of Remembrance will be declared a designated area under the Control of Weapons Act.
This means officers can randomly stop and search anyone or their vehicle without a warrant or reasonable grounds.
The designated area has been declared due to concern around some rightwing figures attending the protest near Flinders Street to “cause violence and mayhem”, Papworth said:
In a week where we’ve lost two police officers … we are having to respond to protest intended to cause violence in the city.
He says another planned pro-Palestine rally is also organised for the State Library. Organisers have been communicating with police and say they will avoid Flinders Street, but Papworth says he remains concerned there could be confrontation between the two groups.
Updated
Man charged with murder after woman allegedly kidnapped and killed in Sydney
NSW police charged a man on Thursday over the alleged kidnapping and murder of a Sydney woman in April.
Police said they responded to a home in the suburb of Bankstown in western Sydney on 17 April, where they were told a group of people had forced their way into a home before allegedly kidnapping the woman, 45, and assaulting an eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat.
The group, armed with a firearm, then allegedly forced the woman into an SUV. Later that day, emergency services responded to reports of a car fire, where they discovered the body of the woman inside.
Police claim the woman and children were targeted over her partner’s alleged involvement with an organised crime group in Victoria.
A man, 29, was arrested yesterday and charged with murder and wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was refused bail and will appear before court later today.
Police will alleged the 29-year-old facilitated the alleged kidnapping and murder of the woman.
Updated
PM downplays speculation over purpose of Marles’s US trip
Anthony Albanese downplayed reports that Richard Marles’s much-debated trip to America was about locking in a meeting with Donald Trump. Albanese told Channel Nine:
That wasn’t his job and it wasn’t his issue and I don’t think it was – I don’t know whether that was raised or not, but that’s not the reason why he goes.
We have office-to-office communication and Ambassador Rudd is responsible for those issues.
The prime minister wouldn’t say whether a meeting had finally been confirmed, only saying “when you see it on your screens, you’ll know it’s confirmed”.
I’ll be certainly with President Trump a number of times between now and the end of the year. It’s summit season, which sounds glamorous but isn’t. You spend more time on a plane than you do on the land.
And so we have a range of meetings, whether it’s the UN general assembly, Asean, Apec. So we’ll be running into each other regularly. And we’re just trying to finalise the Quad meeting as well.
Updated
Bob Katter needs to ‘have a look at himself’, prime minister says
Albanese also criticised Bob Katter’s explosive press conference yesterday where he threatened to punch a journalist who asked about his Lebanese heritage. He told Channel Nine:
Bob Katter I like, but Bob Katter needs to have a look at that footage. Have a look at himself, frankly, and recognise that that’s just not what we expect of any Australian, let alone someone who’s in public office.
You’re speaking to someone called Albanese. We’ve got a Senate leader called Wong. Migration enriches.
Except for the First Australians, we’re all either migrants or descendants of them.
Updated
Prime minister says government has offered ‘every support’ required in hunt for Dezi Freeman
Anthony Albanese says federal authorities will give Victoria “every support that is required” to assist in the manhunt for Dezi Freeman in the Victorian high country. On Channel Nine’s Today show earlier, he confirmed the AFP’s elite tactical unit had joined the operation:
What’s occurred here is that we have offered the premier, Jacinta Allan, every support that is required.
This guy clearly is dangerous. He’s on the run and we want him caught and we want people who are traumatised in that northeast community of Victoria to feel safe again.
The prime minister again paid tribute to the police officers killed, saying “it’s devastated as well the entire police family”.
The police have a bond and it’s a reminder of all of us that the men and women who put on blue to defend us and to look after safety in our local communities take a risk each and every day. So, they are heroes, Detective Thompson and Senior Constable De Waart are heroes. And we also give our thoughts to those who have been injured during this incident.
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Police arrest and then release two people in Porepunkah
Police have taken two people into custody last night as part of their investigation into the fatal shooting of two police officers and serious injury to a third during the execution of a search warrant in Porepunkah this week.
In a statement they said:
Fugitive squad detectives, along with Special Operations Group members, attended a Porepunkah address about 8.40pm.
A 42-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy were safely arrested at the address and taken into custody.
The Porepunkah pair were interviewed and released pending further enquiries.
The arrests form part of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who were killed in the line of duty.
A third officer, a 56-year-old male detective leading senior constable, remains in hospital after being shot in the lower body.
The officers were part of a group of 10 members who were attacked while executing a search warrant at a Rayner Track property shortly after 10.30am on Tuesday, 26 August.
Extensive searches remain ongoing for the offender Desmond Filby, also known as Desmond Freeman, whose location remains unknown.
We urge the public in and around the township of Porepunkah to remain vigilant and report any sightings or suspicious behaviour by calling Triple Zero (000).
Detectives from Crime Command, including the homicide squad and fugitive squad, are investigating the incident.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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N0-fly zone extended in Porepunkah
Victoria police have just extended the no-fly zone around Porepunkah until 11.30pm Sunday.
This includes aircraft and drones, and has been put in place both for safety reasons as it’s believed Dezi Freeman is heavily armed, as well as “potential implications associated with the suspect tracking police movements based off media coverage”.
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Littleproud says net zero not the only way to address climate change
David Littleproud, the Nationals leader, addressed some in his party’s opposition to net zero on RN Breakfast earlier this morning, saying while he believes in climate change Australia would be better served by other methods to address it.
He told RN Breakfast:
I don’t think that net zero is the only way to address climate change. I believe in climate change. I believe that man has made a contribution to that.
But it’s a pure old debate to say that if you don’t believe in net zero, you don’t believe in climate change. What you can do is be sensible about reducing emissions, how you do it in a uniquely Australian way, and making sure that you do that in an affordable way for Australians. And we’re not going to run away from that.
Littleproud would not say what he believes the emissions target for 2035 should be, adding that any conversation round climate change should take into account the impact on everyday Australians:
What I’m saying is, we need to think logically about the opportunities that Australia has to reduce emissions, but not at any cost.
Read more here:
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Byron shire council votes to boycott companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements
Byron shire council will boycott companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza and Palestinian territories after the council voted in favour of the motion on Thursday.
The original motion was co-sponsored by Greens councillor Elia Hauge and included the list of companies that were included in a report earlier this year by the UN’s special rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, which was titled From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide, as well as a UN list from 2023.
A second motion, put by Labor councillor Asren Pugh and carried, referred to the 2023 list only.
Among the companies to be boycotted are Airbnb, Expedia, Tripadvisor and Booking.com, Hauge confirmed.
In a statement, she said:
Ethical procurement is core council business. People here don’t want their rates funding companies that demolish homes, displace families, or profit from killing civilians. This is good governance – and good conscience.
Subhi Awad from Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine said:
Our community, and communities across this country, do not want our money going to bombing hospitals and killing kids. This isn’t about division or anything else, it’s about basic human decency.
Byron council has previously divested from fossil fuels, nuclear power, weapons, tobacco, and gambling, according to the statement.
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More from Porepunkah this morning
While police continued to raid properties overnight, the helicopter is out this morning flying low over the town of porepunkah.
The roadblock near Dezi Freeman’s old property that police have set up the last two afternoons has been removed.
There is now just a large sign telling people Mount Buffalo national park is closed.
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Nine journalist’s question was not ‘personally derogatory to Bob Katter’, Littleproud says
Littleproud went on to say he didn’t believe the journalist had asked any question that was offensive, telling RN Breakfast:
I mean, this is all about show now rather than substance. And I don’t think from what I saw of the transcript, the journalist asked any question that was personally derogatory to Bob Katter, but that’s a matter for him.
I think the journalist did everything he did professionally, and I just think that we don’t need to get to that sort of level of puerile behaviour of a federal member of parliament.
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Littleproud says Bob Katter’s threat towards journalist yesterday not ‘becoming’
Nationals leader David Littleproud said he would like independent MP Bob Katter to apologise after threatening to punch a journalist yesterday, but he “doubts” he will, adding such comments were not “becoming” of lawmakers in parliament.
Littleproud spoke to RN Breakfast after the incident, which came after a journalist commented on Katter’s heritage while asking about his support for an anti-immigration marches planned this weekend. Littleproud said this morning:
Look, I don’t think that’s becoming. It doesn’t matter who you are or how iconic you think you are. We’ve been given a privileged place in parliament to go and to actually debate ideas with intellect.
And we’ve got to be better than that. And, you know, yeah, Bob wears the big hat and it all seems all great and bravado. But I mean, I get questions that I don’t like to answer. But when you put yourself into the public sphere and you have that privilege of sitting in that great building of parliament facing the most sacred building, you’ve got to live up to your responsibility.
And I don’t think that sort of behaviour is appropriate for a federal member of parliament.
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Expelled ambassador says allegations against Iran ‘baseless’ during Sydney airport exit
Iran’s former ambassador to Australia – now persona non grata – denied allegations his government was behind two antisemitic arson attacks in Australia, describing the accusations as “baseless” as he left the country.
Ahmad Sadeghi faced media questioning at Sydney airport before boarding a flight out of Australia yesterday.
On Tuesday, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was ultimately behind two antisemitic arson attacks last year: one on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Bondi and another on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne. There were no injuries in either attack.
The federal government has expelled Sadeghi – the first such expulsion since the second world war – and will move to prescribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. There was no accusation current Iranian diplomats or embassy staff were involved.
Read more here:
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Neighbours of raided property say they saw flashing lights
Two neighbours on the street said they did not hear anything while the raid was conducted but one said he saw flashing lights.
They said they did not know the neighbours.
It’s at least the third raid on a property within the area in 24 hours.
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Police raid Porepunkah property overnight
Guardian Australia confirmed a raid took place on a property in Chandler Court last night in Porepunkah.
The house was quiet this morning, but some residents appeared to be at home – with a note on the door saying private.
Victoria police have not commented on the matter yet.
Gina Rinehart can be served a subpoena to produce documents, court finds
A court has ordered Gina Rinehart can be served a subpoena after Ben Roberts-Smith lost his appeal against Fairfax Media.
The federal court on Thursday ordered that Rinehart can be served a subpoena by a solicitor for Nine newspapers – formerly Fairfax Media – to oblige her to produce documents.
It is not known what the documents contain.
The order said that the original service of the subpoena in July should be dispensed with.
In May, former SAS soldier Roberts-Smith lost his appeal against a defamation case ruling, with three justices of the federal court agreeing he was not defamed by Nine newspapers and journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters when they published reports in 2018 which claimed he had committed war crimes.
Rinehart criticised what she called the “relentless attack” on Roberts-Smith, arguing it weakened the nation and a defence force “already struggling with inadequate numbers to defend us”.
Australia’s richest person, who has donated to a fund designed to support the legal costs of former SAS soldiers, has declined to say whether she personally funded Roberts-Smith’s legal costs.----
Queensland nurses union reaches ‘bargaining consensus’ with state government
Queensland’s nurses union says it has reached a “bargaining consensus” with the state government after months of industrial action over a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary, Sarah Beaman, said the government had presented a new offer which the union has agreed to take to members.
“We’ve secured an offer that better respects the work nurses and midwives do every day across Queensland Health,” Beaman said.
The offer adds double-time overtime for all shift workers, in line with male-dominated frontline professions, Beaman said. The state government describes this as a nation-first.
It is based on a longstanding government pay offer of an 11% increase over three years.
It also includes a new pay point for RNs and midwives, raising the earning potential for more than 23% of nurses and midwives, Beaman said. Existing rights and entitlements are also protected, among other changes, she said.
The health minister, Tim Nicholls, said Queensland health and the unions had reached “a consensus focused on attracting, retaining, valuing and respecting nurses and midwives”.
“The Crisafulli government’s proposal will ensure nurses and midwives on the health frontline in public hospitals get ahead and stay ahead on wages, conditions, penalty rates and cost-of-living,” Nicholls said.
The offer will be put to members of the union in coming months.
Negotiations have been under way since January and industrial action has been under way since July, the union’s first since 2002. The parties have conducted more than 150 hours of bargaining and 13 “intensive conciliation sessions”.
Read more here:
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Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over for Martin Farrer. Let’s get rolling.
Australia's Roo-ver to the moon
Australia will send its first ever rover to the moon in a partnership with Nasa, which the federal government says will be the furthest any Australian space project has travelled.
The rover, called Roo-ver, will be sent to the moon by 2030 with a Nasa payload capable of analysing its surface and collecting data to assist with future space exploration trips.
Its mission will help global efforts to determine whether a human presence in space could be sustainable, the government said.
The moon rover was created by a consortium of around 20 Australian organisations in partnership with the Australian Space Agency. The federal government will invest $42m in the project to send Roo-ver to the moon.
The science minister, Tim Ayres, said:
This is one of the most specialised robotics and advanced manufacturing projects in the country. It’s accelerating the development of Australia’s advanced technical capabilities and deepening local manufacturing expertise.
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Severe weather due in Porepunkah as manhunt continues
The search for gunman Dezi Freeman will enter its fourth day today, with the weather again expected to create a major hurdle for the manhunt.
Yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology released a severe weather warning that included parts of the alpine region. It also warned of snow for lower areas.
It could also bring the risk of blizzards about elevated alpine areas on Friday and early Saturday … As the strong winds combine with snow.
The bureau said there would be snow showers in areas above 1000m, before moving lower to 600m. Porepunkah is at 280m but the slopes of Mt Buffalo rise sharply from the town with the summit at 1723m so show does seem likely to affect the manhunt.
Yesterday, the search was affected by low cloud cover and near-constant rain. The bushland Freeman has disappeared into is thick and dangerous – filled with sheer cliffs, granite tors and, locals say, plenty of old mine shafts.
🌦️Showers increasing to rain later across #Victoria on Friday
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) August 28, 2025
⛈️Possible small hail and thunderstorms
❄️Snow showers initially above 1000 metres down to 600-700 later
🌡️Cold day with temperatures below average.
🌬️Fresh to strong and gusty winds https://t.co/UYVuRwgKlp pic.twitter.com/bjL3QoCLCz
The police presence in the area is large, with detectives raiding homes, a helicopter often searching around the hills, and police creating roadblocks.
We will bring you updates from the scene and situation as they come. Stay with us.
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Police raid house in Porepunkah
Police reportedly raided a house in Porepunkah last night.
The Herald Sun reported that local residents saw police arrive at a property in Francis Street and remove “five or six” people. There were no reports of any arrests.
Police issued an emergency alert to people in the town warning them to avoid the area.
Earlier, Freeman’s estranged extended family issued a statement to Seven News in which they said that he had “detached himself” from the family “decades ago”.
They also said that they were “devastated” about the death of the two police officers allegedly shot dead by Freeman.
Seven News said a family member who wanted to remain anonymous said:
The family are actively assisting police with their investigation and are providing details of our knowledge of the area and property,” the family member said.
We are devastated, heartbroken and sickened by the loss of two police officers.
Decades ago, Dezi detached himself from us in both name and ideology.
We stand with the brave members of the Victoria Police and the families of the murdered officers.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories and then Nick Visser will guide you through the day.
Poor weather is expected to hamper the search for suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman as the manhunt enters its fourth day today. There was also a reported police raid on a property in Porepunkah last night. More coming.
Australia will send its first ever rover to the moon in a partnership with Nasa, which the federal government says will be the furthest any Australian space project has travelled. More to follow.
