And with that, we will leave you for today. Our thoughts are with everyone who is being affected by this unfolding tragedy.
Thank you for following along today, we hope it was useful and informative. Wishing you all a happy and safe Christmas.
Summary
Let’s go over what happened today.
- The NSW RFS confirmed 873 homes and 2048 outbuildings were destroyed and 353 were damaged since Thursday.
- Another 100 homes are believed to be lost, but the RFS is yet to finalise assessments.
- The Morrison government announced that public servants taking leave to fight fires would be given four weeks’ paid leave.
- A total of 86 fires were still burning through NSW as conditions improved, but crews are preparing for dangerous weather later this week.
- And it was confirmed that the total area burned in bushfires across Australia since spring is 5m hectares.
Updated
Scott Morrison has certainly been out and about since he arrived back from his much-maligned holiday in Hawaii. He has since apologised for the trip and, as promised, hit the ground running.
A count of the media alerts blasted out from the PM’s office suggests he’s done at least 13 official visits – across NSW and SA – since his first at 8am on Sunday to the NSW RFS headquarters.
In NSW, the PM has also visited the evacuation centre at Mudgee and Picton and local RFS teams at Cudgegon and Ilford. In South Australia, Morrison met fire crews at Mt Barker and Woodside, where he also visited fire-damaged properties.
Still, one firefighter interviewed by Channel Seven was not satisfied by the PM’s visit.
Exhausted firefighters have accused @ScottMorrisonMP of a publicity stunt as he toured one of NSW's worst firefields yesterday. "We need some action" - Karl Weatherley - Ilford @NSWRFS volunteer. https://t.co/h0h9VhJYAI @MyleeHogan #auspol #NSWFires #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/0XAjsTzXj9
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 24, 2019
A final thought: while the PM was away, his deputy, Michael McCormack, was asked by the media why he had mostly remained in Wagga Wagga.
He replied: “You don’t want to get in the way of these professional people doing their job. I’m doing what I can from where I am ... I’ve already been there this week.”
Clearly his boss now disagrees.
Updated
Let’s take a look at the top temperatures from each state and territory today.
I’ve taken these figures from the Bureau of Meteorology. Remember that WA is three hours behind the east coast.
New South Wales: 42.9C at Smithville
Victoria: 37.3C at Yarrawonga
Queensland: 49.3 at Birdsville
Western Australia: 47.2C at Telfer
South Australia: 48C at Oodnadatta
Tasmania: 25.7C at Scotts Peak
Northern Territory: 47.1C at Jervois and Yulara.
ACT: 29.2C at Tuggeranong
Updated
Early count suggests 2,700 animals killed in SA fires
The scale of the destruction left by the Cudlee Creek fires in the Adelaide Hills has come into greater focus as the tally for the number of livestock killed in the blaze was released this afternoon.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (Pirsa) is currently taking stock of the damage in the wake of the fire, which consumed 25,000ha in a rich agricultural region that contains a third of the region’s wine industry.
While no firm figures are available on the loss to the wine industry, early surveys of the 537 properties within the area registered as having livestock present put the number of animals killed in the blaze at 2,700 as of this afternoon. This includes 2635 sheep, 139 cattle, 15 chicken and a horse.
In a statement, the state controller for agricultural and animal services (Savem), Mehdi Doroudi, said that number was expected to rise as the initial assessments were finalised.
Livestock owners who need an urgent assessment of lost livestock can contact the department through its hotline on 1800 255 556. Bushfire-related advice for caring for stock can be found on Pirsa’s website.
For help with injured or stray wildlife or companion animals, people are urged to get in touch with Savem on 8297 2299.
Updated
This season’s devastating bushfires have not stopped volunteer firefighters in Avoca Beach continuing their Christmas Eve tradition of bringing Santa to the streets of the suburb on the NSW central coast, throwing lollies to kids as they go.
The crews have just returned from fighting the fire in Mount Victoria, in the Blue Mountains, and before that the Three Mile blaze, which became part of the megafire north of Sydney. They have also been collecting donations for the families of the two firefighters – Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer – who died in Buxton last week.
In between fighting huge fires in the Blue Mountains, Avoca’s fireys find time - and energy - to spread a little cheer 👍🎄 pic.twitter.com/kOLUlGfg4j
— Graham Russell (@G_J_Russell) December 24, 2019
Updated
The fire danger ratings for tomorrow, Christmas Day, will see widespread areas of low-moderate and high fire danger. North Western will be very high. Firefighters will continue working to strengthen containment lines ahead of heat building again from this weekend. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/yYsBDUbr5E
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 24, 2019
The Bom says there will be extreme heatwave conditions for much of the country, starting from Saturday.
Severe to Extreme #heatwave conditions are set to develop over a large part of #NSW from the weekend into early next week. Plan ahead now - monitor the weather forecast: https://t.co/UdBoGyM9Kc and know how to look after yourself and others in the heat: https://t.co/oHq1GI87zW pic.twitter.com/YrRbv6m5gK
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 24, 2019
Updated
This is a touching piece by Jessica Friedmann about how Braidwood, a town along the Kings Highway, has been impacted by the fires. Once nicknamed “Deadwood”, the town has been rejuvenated in recent years. Now, the closure of the highway has starved businesses of the passing trade they rely on.
Updated
Anthony Albanese has issued this statement in response to the government’s announcement that volunteer firefighters who work in the public service will get paid leave.
Labor welcomes Scott Morrison’s decision to provide additional support for volunteer firefighters on the frontline – something he has repeatedly claimed is unnecessary.
It’s good that federal public servants will receive the same conditions currently enjoyed by army reservists, but many volunteer firefighters will not be assisted by this decision.
Many private-sector workers, self-employed workers, contractors and family business owners have been fighting fires, not just for days or weeks but for months.
These firefighters have to pay bills and put food on the table for their families. No firefighter should have to choose between continuing to serve their community with courage and distinction and being able to provide the essentials of life.
There is a precedent for providing support for volunteer firefighters. The Keating Government did it in 1994.
Firefighters deserve our respect. They also deserve our support.
This issue was urgent when Labor called on the prime minister to act in mid-November. With fires raging across the country, it is now more urgent than ever.
Mr Morrison has consistently underestimated the scale of this year’s bushfire crisis and has repeatedly asserted that resources are adequate.
He has refused to bring forward a meeting of state and territory leaders. He has also refused to review his government’s inadequate climate policies.
Clearly there is more to be done and we urge the prime minister to investigate all options as this national crisis deepens with more dangerous weeks ahead.
Updated
Let’s hope this continues and extends out to where it’s most needed, although authorities have said they aren’t expecting the level of rainfall needed.
Rain is falling in Sydney. A Christmas miracle
— Sam Wilkinson (@WilkoSam) December 24, 2019
#Sydney #rain! pic.twitter.com/XqCPFe6pCu
— Susan Wyndham (@WyndhamSusan) December 24, 2019
Updated
Here’s an interesting story from Yahoo Finance, which reports a surge in interest from Australians wanting to become volunteer firefighters.
A NSW RFS spokesperson told Yahoo Finance: “We have seen a significant increase in the number of people enquiring about how to join the NSW RFS on our website.
“We have received around 10,000 website enquiries since 1 July 2019. For the whole of FY18/19 we received 3,140.”
Google searches asking “how to become a volunteer firefighter” are at their highest level since 2004 – higher than during the 2009 Black Saturday figures, Yahoo reports.
Updated
Hi everyone, this is Luke Henriques-Gomes, taking over from Helen Davidson. Thanks for all your work, Helen. I’ll be with you through to the evening. If you want to bring anything to my attention, you can email me at luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com or contact me on Twitter (@lukehgomes).
As Australia’s bushfire crisis continues, millions of hectares have been lost, with a tragic impact on wildlife and flora.
Among the destruction, the efforts of volunteer firefighters, residents and animal rescuers have stood out, with small acts of heroism that have saved many animal lives. A few have become emblematic images of this year’s terrible fire season.
Naaman Zhou tells us about a few of them. There are pictures.
A dire water situation compounded by bushfires and drought has prompted Auckland-based NRL team the Warriors to help rebuild the northern NSW town of Tenterfield.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George, who grew up around two hours from the town, says he is heartbroken to hear stories from friends needing to boil water three times before they can drink it.
The boil-water alert from the Tenterfield Shire Council was removed on Monday after residents spent since October 4 taking the precaution as ash deposits made their way into the dam, which is at an alarming low level.
“It’s going from bad to worse,” George told AAP.
“The challenges they are facing are heartbreaking, especially at a time of year when everyone should be able to relax a little bit.”
George has put in place a unique plan with the help of Tenterfield mayor Peter Petty, adopting the town for the year with the hopes of having a long-lasting impact on the community as it recovers.
Next year the Warriors will work with the town’s business chamber to help get local businesses back on their feet with expert mentoring through their sponsorship database.
Players and club legends will visit schools, community events, host charity nights, as well as attending junior and senior games of the town’s rugby league club, the Tenterfield Tigers.
George is also hoping to coordinate a donation to the town.
Mayor Petty will visit Auckland on January 20 to finalise the plans and speak to players about the impact they can have on local residents.
George expects players will be moved by the realisation of how lucky they are to live in New Zealand and will be quick to help.
“People don’t appreciate the water situation, we don’t experience that stuff in New Zealand, we’re so lucky,” he said.
“When players are able to have a shower after training and a couple of bottles of water, in Tenterfield they would have had to boil that water three times because it’s so contaminated, and they wouldn’t be able to drink as much.”
Updated
He now suggests that concerns over longer fire seasons, fatigued fire fighters, and calls for systemic change, are coming from Twitter and that government policy will not be set by social media.
“There are always lots of experts when any of these things happen, but I can tell you as the prime minister and as the premier was telling you, the experts are the ones who have command responsibilities,” Morrison says.
“You just don’t run out of a press conference and make something up because you think that it is going to give you a headline. What you do is you do the careful work to actually deliver the response and deliver the support that is absolutely necessary.”
Just to be clear, when Morrison says he is listening to the experts, it’s not these ones:
Updated
Morrison is asked about volunteer firefighters who have taken out loans to stay financially afloat.
He says it’s a matter for the state governments, that he doesn’t want to do kneejerk responses, and it hasn’t been raised with him.
“If there are any urgent issues in relation to [that issue], then that, I am confident, if it were considered to be a priority of those agencies in relation to the firefighting effort, it would be elevated. And it would be recommended. That is not what is taking place.
So I’m going to continue to follow the lead of the priorities that are being set by those who are tasked and have the responsibility of fighting the fires. That’s who I’m listening to.”
“And as much as I empathise with those who are going through economic hardship as they fight these fires, at the same time, I’m going to listen to the experts that we’ve entrusted with responsibility of fighting and commanding those forces.”
He’s asked about reports of looting and scammers: “I think they’re scum. It makes me sick,” says Morrison.
“And you know, in these fires, we have seen the best of Australia. The overwhelming story of these fires is the best of Australians in their response. But in some cases, we’ve seen some ugly stuff, and they should be ashamed of themselves.”
Morrison says the cost of the public service leave will be absorbed by the agencies, and there will be no additional net cost.
Morrison: “The other thing which we’ve done in the last 24 hours after consulting commissioners and state premiers, where I’ve had that direct interaction, is to ensure that our ADF is taking a more forward-leaning and proactive approach with response centres like we have here, like in Mount Barker and anywhere else in the country.”
“They have been there already, from up in Caloundra where I was, all the way through since September.
“Just this week, we saw amazing support provided by the ADF rescuing people there down there in the south coast of New South Wales in Nerriga.
“In the chopper that I was in yesterday as I flew across the scorched earth of the BlueMountains, they were showing me where they were airlifting and dropping people into those places to fight those fires over the last week or so. So the ADF is very much involved and they’re leaning in.”
Updated
PM announces standardised four-week leave for volunteer firefighters from the public service
Scott Morrison has announced that public servants taking leave to fight fires will have additional paid leave. He is setting a “minimum standard of four weeks”, beginning from today.
He says he’s directed all commonwealth public service leaders to permanently offer at least 20 working days of paid leave, with more as needed, for people volunteering to fight fires.
Some public sector workers who are fighting the fires already have paid leave, but this will bring it all into line with defence force reservists.
“We’re helping get more boots on the ground and giving people who’ve been out there for weeks some relief,” Morrison said in a press release.
“With bushfire seasons starting earlier, one of the things I’ve heard on the ground is that some people are dipping into their other leave entitlements to stay out there battling blazes.”
Which is what people have been saying for weeks now.
He’s talking about this announcement at the press conference in South Australia.
“This will enable them to be able to commit more time in their brigades, and relieve, particularly those in small and regional towns, that draw the volunteers from their own self-employed arrangements or small businesses for whom the continued support to have their volunteers out fighting fires and not working in their businesses is becoming very strained. And I would be calling on, as we’ve been in contact today with some of the large companies, for them to also work with us on this.”
Updated
Morrison is giving thanks to the 1,500 South Australian firefighters who have come to NSW to help with the bushfire crisis there.
“Particularly even now, when you’re facing your own challenges here.”
He says the NSW fires have been “obviously terrible, but it’s not the only place that has had fires”.
“There are fires here in South Australia. There are fires in Victoria. There are fires in Queensland. And I want to also commend the premiers of all of those states, as well as in New South Wales, for the tremendous job that they’re doing in leading the operational response.”
“Out in the Lobethal village tonight, there will be the usual Christmas lights spectacular despite all of this, as a sign of both defiance to the disaster that they’ve lived through, but also, I think, as a way of bringing the community together in a very special way. It is Christmas Eve after all, and kids - Santa will find you, whether there’s been a bushfire or not.”
South Australian premier, Steve Marshall, and Morrison are holding a press conference now.
Marshall says there has been “overwhelming generosity” from the community to the Cudlee Creek bushfire appeal.
They’ve been visiting communities affected and “at every single opportunity [Morrison] has been able to ask questions about exactly what is going on here”, says Marshall.
He says the support from the federal government has come “in record time”.
“This is a team effort, a community effort to support people in these tough times.”
Disappointing news from the ABC, which reports there are some alleged instances of scammers and looters taking advantage of the bushfire crisis.
According to South Australia Police, fire victims have reported receiving phone calls claiming to be from banks looking to pass on disaster relief funds.
The fraudulent callers have asked for the victims’ bank details, and have also targeted members of the public outside the bushfire regions.
It follows anecdotal reports of looting in bushfire zones, and police have urged anyone contacted by scammers to notify them.
Updated
It’s going to be a long conversation once the fire season is over, but there is already a lot of talk about resourcing. For what it’s worth, in reporting from different firegrounds, I’ve found opinions differ from place to place, and brigade to brigade. But there’s no question that donations and fundraising form a large part of the supply.
The RFS supplies the necessary equipment. But this social media post from a Northern Beaches brigade sent to Bilpin on Saturday, shows what crews can do with the extra – in this case an iPad and topographical maps funded through donations.
“Video is from last night after the southerly change impacted the Bilpin area, navigating into an isolated property off Bells Line of Road which was under threat with persons in place. The use of the iPad and Topo maps proving very helpful in locating isolated properties (purchased via brigade fundraising).”
Updated
The Law Society and the Legal Services Commission of South Australia is reminding people in the state that there is free legal advice available for those affected by the bushfire disaster.
The Law Society maintains a register of lawyers who have volunteered to be on hand to provide free legal assistance to victims of disasters. For more information please contact disaster.planning@lawsocietysa.asn.au.
For urgent legal advice and information please contact the Legal Services Commission which operates a free telephone advisory service on weekdays between 9am – 4.30pm (excluding Public Holidays) on 1300 366 424.
Updated
Morrison appeared on South Australia’s 5AA radio this morning where he was asked by host Tony Pilkington about firefighting resources and compensation.
The short version is Morrison was asked whether the government should be funding the stuff that people are telling them needs to be funded, and the answer was that if people tell the government something needs to be funded, they will look at funding it.
Which seems to be answering a question about an actual occurrence as though it was a question about a hypothetical, but maybe I’m getting a bit cynical in my search for some concrete plans laid out in a well-structured sentence.
Anyway, they’ll talk about it at the Coag meeting in March apparently.
Here’s the long version, courtesy of the prime minister’s office:
Pilkington: Prime minister, I’m not going to bore you to death and our listening audience with questions that you’ve been asked a million times since you’ve got back. A question I wanted to put to you: would you consider, would the government consider the purchase of some more of these Canadian heavy water-bombing planes?
I’m imagining if we could get, I don’t know, three or four, I know they’re expensive, and put them in a place like Edinburgh. They could service us and NSW and Victoria. Is that sort of something you would consider?
Prime minister: Well, we take our advice from the fire chiefs about how we put together the aerial firefighting fleet. There are 144 aircraft that are part of that, that are being deployed all around the country. And they make decisions and make recommendations about whether things should be leased and purchased and all of that.
So we’re always open to all the advice and recommendations they make. In fact, we just put an extra $11m into that fleet just recently and that comes to the top of the $15m that we put in together with the other states and territories. So we’re very open to all the recommendations and have moved very quickly, I think, to act on those when they’re made. So that’s really the answer.
I mean, if they think that’s the way to handle it then I’m sure that they will recommend that. But they look at these things very carefully and, you know, the costs and how they can best apply the resources to get the most out there and up in the air and used in their firefighting efforts.
Pilkington: We’re talking to prime minister Scott Morrison here in Adelaide on the way up to Lobethal, to the Adelaide Hills. Prime minister, what about the suggestion that premier Marshall made, that perhaps there could be a discount available for volunteer firefighters not having to pay a service levy? And would the federal government look at some sort of recompense to the volunteer firefighters?
Prime minister: Well, the Country Firefighting Association and others have been pretty clear about these sort of things. I mean, oftentimes when you talk to those directly involved here, they typically want and ask, you know, things like additional facilities in their state and things like this. So it really is about how you set the priorities of where you put things.
And, look, after these fires, like there is after every fire, there is a full review and in March, when the premiers meet, we’ll be looking at a whole range of recommendations that even now are being prepared and have been prepared since the ministers were meeting some weeks ago. There is a very big nationally coordinated effort that goes into all of this. It happens 365 days a year, not just when fires are burning. And Emergency Management Australia, headed up by Rob Cameron and the home affairs department, they do this all the time, working very closely with the state and territories who are responsible for the operations and the fire services and the SESs and all of these which deploy in these circumstances. So we’re always open to ways that things can be done better.
But I can assure everyone in South Australia, as I can all around the country, that this is the best-resourced, best-coordinated fire response of anywhere in the world.
Updated
What will the weather bring you #ChristmasDay and #BoxingDay ? Here's a national summary of the maximum forecast temperatures. For the latest weather forecasts and warnings, keep connected here: https://t.co/k4ywoEmBrF.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 24, 2019
Have a safe festive season Australia! 🎄🎅🤶🔔 pic.twitter.com/JMK3iYgdcx
Five million hectares burned across Australia
Western Australia has offered a slight revision to the total number of hectares burned in WA since the start of November.
Yesterday the rough figure, not including all fires managed by the local government bush fire brigades, was 374,000ha.
Today those local government figures have been counted, and the total is 1.2m.That brings the total area burned in bushfires across Australia since spring to about five million hectares.
That’s about the same size as Costa Rica.
The reason for the different figures is this: in Western Australia, management of bushfires is split between Parks, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), and the local government run volunteer bushfire brigades.
The latter do not always immediately report in the size of their fires to DFES, and in the Kimberley, fires can get quite big. Someone at DFES did the math for us overnight.
The Kerry Ridge fire, on the north-west edge of the Mount Gospers and joined to the Oaky Creek and Paddock Run fires, has been upgraded to watch and act with activity increasing in Nullo Mountain.
“The fire continues to burn on multiple fronts in the Wollemi national park, Putty state forest, Coricudgy state forest and Nullo Mountain state forest,” says the RFS.
“Firefighters supported by heavy plant and water-bombing aircraft continue working to establish containment lines.”
People in Nullo Mountain, Olinda and Bogee to the west, Howes Valley, Appletree Flat, and Doyles Creek to the east, and Widden, Baerami, Baerami Creek, and Martindale to the north, are warned to monitor conditions and know what they’ll do if the fire threatens.
Watch & Act - Kerry Ridge (Muswellbrook, Singleton & Mid-Western LGA)
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 24, 2019
Fire activity increasing in Nullo Mountain. If you are in areas west of the fire including Nullo Mountain, Olinda & Bogee, monitor changing conditions. Be ready to act if situation changes. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/MM87cUIv8s
Updated
There is “overwhelming support” from the community, says Balmoral RFS volunteer Andrew Johnston, in this emotional interview with Nine News.
“We just tried so hard to save people’s homes. You can see in the shed we’ve got everything in the shed for everyone ... for people who lost their homes. It’s just awesome, the community spirit, the Aussie spirit all around.”
If you are wondering how you can help, here is a short guide. A lot of individual RFS brigades also have more specific information on their Facebook pages.
This interview brought many of us in the 9 Newsroom to tears. It’s one firefighter’s response to the thousands of gifts being donated to his community. The gifts will go to families who have lost everything, and to RFS volunteers. @NSWRFS #NSWRFS #9News #Bushfires pic.twitter.com/j3520y2vUI
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 24, 2019
Updated
Hello, this is Helen Davidson taking over the blog from Calla Wahlquist.
Prime minister Scott Morrison will be addressing media from South Australia soon.
In the meantime, here is a round up of what fire authorities expect to happen next, state by state.
More than four million hectares of Australia have burned and nine people have died since September in the “unprecedented” start to the summer fire season.
Updated
Updated watch-and-act for East Gippsland fire
Emergency Victoria has issued an updated watch-and-act alert for the Marthavale-Barmouth Spur fire at Tambo Crossing.
The Great Alpine Road – the only way in and out without going around the mountain – remains closed between Ensay and Bruthen and there is heavy smoke throughout Tambo Valley. The fire is being monitored through aerial patrols and ground crews are in the area, though as reported earlier they are not attacking the fire directly because it is too dangerous to send crews into that terrain.
This WATCH & ACT for BUSHFIRE is issued for Tambo Crossing.
— ForestFireManagement (@FFMVic) December 24, 2019
** UPDATE - This is an updated Watch and Act that replaces the warning issued at 7:20 am **
Please remain vigilant as conditions can change quickly.
More details at https://t.co/8xbJ5pvkaW pic.twitter.com/BmBmxDsFf4
Residents are warned that their water supply “may become contaminated with debris, ash, soot, fire retardant or dead animals”, which is unpleasant.
Updated
While we wait for Scott Morrison to address the media in South Australia, where he is visiting properties including a winery impacted by the Cudlee Creek fire, and a church that is holding a donation drive for affected families, here is an aerial view of the damage.
Apocalyptic scenes from Lobethal to Woodside. Astonishing how close #bushfire got to towns. Miracle not more were destroyed by #Adelaidefires. Thanks @CFSAlerts for hard work #Adelaide #safires @NJellicoe pic.twitter.com/gF7DKQHbXC
— Andrew Hough (@andrew_hough) December 23, 2019
DISPATCH: Full scale of #Adelaidefires laid bare amid a sea of black, scorched earth. My @theTiser aerial report from #SAFires ground zero. Utter carnage https://t.co/MXsn0cAHNE #Adelaide @NJellicoe #CuddleCreek pic.twitter.com/InwlKbvgyW
— Andrew Hough (@andrew_hough) December 24, 2019
Here’s an extended clip of the ‘not my prime minister’ exchange
And it does seem that Jacqui was simply correcting Scott Morrison as to her citizenship.
Pretty misleading editing last night on Ten, spurring the #JacquiForPM hashtag - here's what happened between the British citizen and PM after their selective 3 sec clip pic.twitter.com/irruUKOWCa
— Thomas O'Brien (@TJ__OBrien) December 23, 2019
If you’re going camping between Christmas and New Year, Forest Fire Management Victoria, which handles all bushfires on public land, has provided a guide to safe camp fire management.
Remember: if there is a total fire ban you cannot light a campfire.
Going camping this summer? 🏕 Don’t let your campfire become a bushfire 🔥 Escaped campfires cause over 12% of bushfires every year, so know what you can and can’t do: https://t.co/ZJY3Mtfeoy #CampfireSafety #vicfires pic.twitter.com/NGqGQn2CUP
— ForestFireManagement (@FFMVic) December 23, 2019
Dr Geoff Goldrick, a scientist, educator and volunteer firefighter, has written a critique of Scott Morrison’s “marketing strategy of a boldfaced lie” on Australia’s emissions reduction efforts.
He writes:
We know that Morrison’s patronising response to this catastrophe only confirms that he doesn’t understand the question Australia is asking.
Australians aren’t asking for miracles – we’re begging for leadership.
We are begging for leadership on the national stage. This must start with an honest acknowledgement of the problem. An unqualified admission that we are facing a climate crisis and that we must act.
Updated
Building Impact Assessment Teams continue working assess damage to properties. So far this season 873 homes destroyed, over 15,400 buildings saved. Approx 100 homes are believed lost since last Thu. These are still being assessed due to limited access. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/Yi8ppJ9Ly8
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 23, 2019
Angus Taylor attends reopening of coalmine next to bushfires
Federal energy minister Angus Taylor will attend the reopening of the Tahmoor coalmine with Sanjeev Gupta today, the Illawara Mercury reports.
Simec Coal Tahmoor, bought by Gupta’s GFC Alliance in 2018, was evacuated on Thursday as the Green Wattle Creek fire approached Bargo. Like much of the area affected by the Green Wattle Creek fire, it’s in Taylor’s electorate of Hume.
The Mercury reported that Gupta would donate $250,000 to the local community at the reopening today.
But environmental groups have criticised Taylor for attending the reopening of a coalmine while his electorate was battling unprecedented bushfires.
Here’s Andrew Bray, national director of the Australian Wind Alliance:
It is deeply ironic that while renewable energy is the only part of the economy delivering sustained emissions reductions, the minister for emissions reduction has chosen to double down on coal, the primary driver of emissions increases. At a time when homes and lives have been lost to the devastating climate-fuelled bushfires in his own backyard, this stunt comes across as some kind of sick joke.
Bray said Taylor had not attended the opening of any of the three windfarms that began operation in his electorate since he became an MP. There are six windfarms in Hume employing 62 people, Bray said, and windfarm construction will create 420 jobs over the next two years. Simec Coal Tahmoor employs 400 people.
Jamie Hanson, the head of campaigns for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said Taylor was “misreading” the public mood.
The Morrison government’s misreading of the mood remains astonishing. We are living through national trauma – and their response was first a jaunt to Hawaii, and now the weird sight of Angus Taylor reopening a coalmine in the literal midst of this climate emergency.
He continued:
Good firefighting and luck ensured that the community dodged a bullet with Tahmoor – if it had burned, the Picton and Campbelltown areas may have been polluted with the toxic pollution for weeks from burning coal, including carbon monoxide, toxic fine particles and mercury.
Unlike the Hazelwood coalmine which caught alight in bushfires in Victoria in 2014, Tahmoor is an underground mine. That doesn’t mean it was not at risk of catching fire, but the risk is not the same.
Updated
I hope Dean and his small furry friend are doing well.
My cousin Dean has been a firefighter for over 17 years. Over the weekend he was out on a run in Balmoral and found this ringtail possum in the middle of the road. As he got closer the little guy ran up his leg seeking shelter from the smoke and flames pic.twitter.com/cYeJZlLW4A
— Emily Swanson (@Em___) December 23, 2019
The top five Australian Twitter trends are critical of Scott Morrison.
What was that tweet about not wanting to be the main character on twitter? Bad day for Scott Morrison pic.twitter.com/oUaZxxGTZj
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) December 23, 2019
Even Morrison’s former colleagues are joining in.
SHOTS FIRED pic.twitter.com/XmnsIbYvvJ
— Matt Steadman (@matt_steadman) December 23, 2019
Updated
Morrison responds to ‘Not my prime minister’
Scott Morrison has responded to Jacqui, the woman from the RFS operations centre in Mudgee yesterday, who responded to being introduced to the PM yesterday by saying, “He’s not my prime minister.”
Jacqui - another non quiet Australian @theprojecttv pic.twitter.com/DH1oZuD1pt
— cameron adams (@cameron_adams) December 23, 2019
Apparently, this is simply an issue of citizenship – Jacqui is British, the prime minister said on Twitter today. Move along folks, nothing to see here.
Indeed, as Jacqui joked with me yesterday, I’m not her PM, because she’s British, Boris Johnson is. But with local MP Andrew Gee, we made a decent pitch for her to become an Aussie yesterday. She & the other RFS volunteers have been doing an incredible job battling these blazes. pic.twitter.com/28z3c4bTMG
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) December 23, 2019
Not sure Morrison’s clarification will help. Jacqui and #NotMyPrimeMinister are the top two trending topics on Twitter in Australia this morning.
Updated
Our photo editor Jessica Hromas was near Bilpin in areas affected by the Gospers Mountain megafire on Saturday.
Updated
We have updated our map showing the scale of the bushfire crisis in NSW and Queensland. The total area burned in the two states is now 3.65m hectares.
Updated
Compensating volunteer firefighters is ‘common sense’: Albanese
Anthony Albanese is speaking to reporters in the Blue Mountains now. He says compensating volunteer firefighters is a “commonsense” issue.
He said:
I’ve spoken to the volunteer firefighters and there is not one of them that I have spoken to who hasn’t said that some form of compensation is required. Not one.
The Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzimmons, has reportedly ruled out compensation for volunteer firefighters. Albanese said he had “no criticism of the extraordinary job” that Fitzimmons does, but that compensating volunteer firefighters was “common sense”.
If someone has not had an income for a period of months because they have been fighting fires – and we met someone in Bilpin who had been fighting fires since September, every day – people who don’t have an income for a period of three months, it is unsustainable. Common sense tells you that.
Albanese said he wasn’t proposing a particular model for that compensation. It could be federal compensation like that provided to army reservists, or one-off payments, or compensation for those who have to close small businesses. “I’m trying to give the government some flexibility,” he said.
But he said the bushfire crisis was not “business as usual” and may require an extraordinary response.
The people I’ve spoken to who have decades of experience are saying that they’ve never seen anything like this. There are record numbers of homes have been lost. There have been lives that have been lost. This is a crisis. It requires an appropriate response.
Updated
While Scott Morrison is in South Australia today, Anthony Albanese is still in the Blue Mountains. He is expected to talk to media shortly.
Updated
At 8.45am this morning there are 92 fires burning across New South Wales with more than 40 still to be contained.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 23, 2019
Over 2,000 firefighters are out in the field today making the most of more favourable conditions.#NSWRFS #NSWfires pic.twitter.com/qY7T3Uvzqi
The minister in charge of the bushfire crisis in NSW, the emergency services minister, David Elliot, has reportedly told the Australian that a proposal by Labor that volunteer firefighters should be paid for their time would undermine volunteer ethos and potentially undermine firefighting efforts — because the Rural Fire Service could never afford to pay all of its 70,000 volunteer members.
Said Elliot:
Anyone who is arguing we have to pay them doesn’t understand the ethos of the volunteer in this country.
Elliot said there was “no evidence that volunteers join up for the money”, which is correct but as there is not, and has never been, any money on offer I am not sure how far that takes us.
This next point probably takes us further:
If we pay one volunteer emergency services organisation we are going to have to pay them all. That would be a very difficult thing to do.
Elliot says volunteer firefighters are motivated by protecting their community above all else — which is true. The debate about compensation is, I think, whether it is reasonable to continue to ask volunteers to sacrifice so much — weeks of their time, weeks of their income, potentially their lives — while bushfire conditions worsen each year under global heating.
At the moment the public discussion about how best to support volunteer firefighters is being conducted largely in the absence of the firefighters themselves, who are busy actively fighting fires. The question of what volunteer firefighters want and need is probably best answered by the volunteer brigade members themselves, don’t you think?
Updated
Scott Morrison is in South Australia today and will be visiting communities affected by the catastrophic bushfires there, which burned through 47,000 hectares and destroyed 87 houses.
Updated
Our photographer-at-large Mike Bowers was in Balmoral yesterday and captured some of the devastation in the town that was among the worst hit by the Green Wattle Creek fire in the southern highlands.
Reporters Michael McGowan and Helen Davidson have been in Balmoral over the past few days. They spoke to survivors including Steve Harrison, a 67-year-old potter who described climbing into a “coffin-sized” makeshift kiln when the fire approached.
It was eerie. The light was this metallic, luminous glow. Burning leaves were falling around me. The smoke was so thick I could hardly breathe. I just watched it as it came over me. I was shit scared. I thought, ‘This is how I die.’
Updated
I spoke too soon. The CFS has just issued a watch and act alert for the Cudlee Creek fire in South Australia.
#Bushfire Watch and Act for #HOLLANDS_CREEK_ROAD,_CUDLEE_CREEK #fire. Take action now as this bushfire may threaten your safety. If you are not prepared, leave now and if the path is clear, go to a safer place. #WAM ID=0003903 #SAFires https://t.co/YLs2SJUOAo pic.twitter.com/BEb2I3rJI7
— Country Fire Service (@CFSAlerts) December 23, 2019
Only one fire at watch and act
There is only one fire at watch and act level in south-eastern Australia this morning.
That’s the 54,000-hectare Marthavale – Barmouth Spur bushfire in east Gippsland, about 200km east of Melbourne. A watch and act alert remains in place for Tambo Crossing and there is a community meeting scheduled for 10am in the Omeo memorial hall.
The Great Alpine Road — the main road in and out of the region — remains closed between Ensay and Bruthen, a 54km stretch across Tambo Crossing and Mount Elizabeth. Most of the alternative routes are unsealed roads or 4WD tracks and they have also been closed.
Power outages cut NBN-connected phones and internet services, but as of 7am this morning that power should be restored.
I spoke to Luke Hegarty from the Victorian State Control Centre about this fire yesterday. He said the conditions were too dangerous for firefighters to tackle the blaze head on. It’s in very dry, very mountainous, very heavily forested country, and it is spreading even on days like today, where fire conditions are low to moderate.
He said:
Fuels are incredibly dry. The spread of some of these fires over the past couple of days with really light winds and winds from the south is creating a challenge for us. It’s just really unusual that the fuels are that dry that the normal behaviour that we would expect to see in terms of the spread of these fires is not happening.
Five other fires are at advice level in Victoria, four are at advice level in South Australia, and three are at advice level in Queensland.
New South Wales still has more than 50 fires at advice level. The fires of most concern over the past few days – Gospers Mountain in the Blue Mountains and Green Wattle Creek fire in the southern highlands – will be subject to backburning today.
Updated
More than 4 million hectares of Australia has burned since the start of spring, according to figures collated by Guardian Australia.
That figure is likely to increase — not just because we have three months to go in the southern fire season, but because the split between state-run and local government-run firefighting forces in WA means the figure from that state is incomplete.
Debate about whether volunteer firefighters should be compensated, and what form any compensation should take, is continuing today. Labor is pushing the debate and it has the support of the volunteer firefighters’ association, but Scott Morrison yesterday ruled out making a “knee-jerk” response. Some employees, like public servants, get paid leave for their volunteer bushfire duties but not everyone is in that position.
Volunteer firefighters often pay out of pocket for better respiratory protection, fuel to drive to and from the fire ground, and other expenses, the NSW Volunteer Fire Fighters Association president, Mick Holton, told Radio National on Tuesday.
They are out there chewing smoke. It’s all very well for the prime minister to say they have got what they need — I am sure the air was pretty good in Hawaii.
And as we begin our live coverage of the bushfire crisis, my colleague Josh Taylor reports that the Department of Home Affairs warned minister Peter Dutton in May that Australia faced more frequent and severe heatwaves and bushfires, and that “without effective action more Australians’ livelihoods will be impacted by disasters into the future and the cost of those disasters will continue to grow”.
Updated
