New Covid-19 wave to hit NSW within weeks, chief health officer says

Exclusive: Kerry Chant expected to reiterate importance of vaccine boosters as Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and XBB tipped to become dominant

A new wave of Covid-19 infections is looming in New South Wales, the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, will warn on Thursday, with transmission of the virus predicted to increase in coming weeks.

It follows Victoria’s chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, making a similar announcement last week, with Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and XBB tipped to overtake BA.5 as the dominant variants throughout Australia.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Landlord demands 60% increase in rent from Brisbane tenant amid Queensland housing crisis

Tenants Queensland says the hike is far more than the average increase of 35% that renters seek advice over

A Brisbane tenant has been asked to pay a 60% rent increase, as Queensland renters advocates say some landlords are hiking prices well above normal market rates.

Nicolas* moved into a two-bedroom apartment in South Brisbane earlier this year which he currently rents for $470 a week.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Rental price growth slows from unprecedented highs as tenants hit ‘affordability ceiling’

Experts say Australia is ‘definitely still in a rental crisis’ but there is only so much people can pay

Twelve months ago, during the height of rental market demand, Carley Eder was issuing lease renewals with price increases of up to $80 a week. Now, her clients will be lucky to have tenants approve $25.

“The market has definitely shifted,” the Central Coast rentals principal said.

Continue reading...

Indonesian ambassador warns Australia Aukus pact must not fuel a hypersonic arms race

Siswo Pramono says the two countries remain in close talks on ensuring the safety of Australia’s plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines

Indonesia’s ambassador to Australia has raised new concerns about the sharing of advanced weapons technology under the Aukus security agreement, warning that it must not fuel a hypersonic arms race in the region.

In an interview with Guardian Australia, Siswo Pramono said the two countries were “not in quarrel” and remained in close talks about how to ensure the safety of Australia’s plans to acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia ordered to negotiate with 122 Indonesians wrongly held in adult jails when they were children

The Indonesians launched a class action over being imprisoned as adult people smugglers on the basis of flawed medical evidence

The Australian government has been ordered to attempt to negotiate a settlement with more than 100 Indonesians who say they were wrongly imprisoned as adult people smugglers when they were children, on the basis of flawed medical evidence.

The 122 Indonesians launched a landmark class action against the federal government two years ago claiming wrongful detention between 2008 and 2011.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

‘Don’t run from police’: Zachary Rolfe boasted to mother about injuring suspect, inquest told

NT inquiry into death of Kumanjayi Walker in 2019 hears Rolfe separately bragged to paramedic he ‘mashed some dude’s face against a wall’

A Northern Territory police officer who shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker bragged to his mother about injuring another man wrongly suspected of escaping custody, an inquest has heard.

Kumanjayi Walker, 19, died after Const Zachary Rolfe shot him three times during a botched arrest in Yuendumu, north-west of Alice Springs, in November 2019.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Two men missing in NSW flood waters as Gundagai braces for worst flooding in 33 years

Search continued for two people swept off ute near Boorowa as prime minister said he hoped for positive news

Anthony Albanese says he is concerned about two men missing in flood waters after their ute was washed off the road in central New South Wales.

As the Riverina town of Gundagai braced for its worst flooding in 33 years, the State Emergency Service undertook 39 flood rescues in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia delivers police vehicles and rifles to Solomon Islands in ‘game-changer’ donation

Handover ceremony comes after turbulent year when Pacific country signed controversial security agreement with China

Australia has announced the donation of police vehicles and 60 MK18 rifles to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in a move described as a “game changer” for Australia’s relationship with Solomon Islands police.

The announcement comes after a turbulent year in the relationship between Australia and Solomon Islands, particularly on the question of security, after the Pacific country signed a controversial and secretive security agreement with China.

Continue reading...

Crowds gather for national Cassius Turvey vigils – as it happened

Budget forecast doesn’t predict wage price spiral: finance minister

The Reserve Bank says it wants to avoid a wage price spiral. Does Gallagher think the government’s policies are risking that?

The bank obviously will keep looking at that … we’re not seeing that, the budget in its forecast doesn’t predict that.

Looking at the regulatory arrangements is our first inclination. That work is under way, I can’t give you a timeframe on the completion of that.

Continue reading...

Robodebt went ahead, despite legal doubts, after earning Scott Morrison’s backing, inquiry hears

The then social services minister wanted Centrelink debt recovery proposal worked up for 2015 budget process, royal commission told

The social services department received “catastrophic” draft legal advice warning the robodebt scheme was unlawful from a top private law firm in 2018, a royal commission has heard.

The inquiry is investigating the failed debt recovery scheme, which ran from July 2015 until November 2019 and culminated in a $1.8bn settlement covering hundreds of thousands of people issued unlawful Centrelink debts.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

‘Our worst nightmare’: Sydney’s Taronga zoo locked down after five lions escape enclosure

Father of two staying overnight on ‘roar and snore’ experience says family told to flee tents and ‘it was pretty shocking – imagine facing a lion’

Five lions broke out of their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga zoo, forcing staff and visitors to hide in “safe zones” and triggering a review of zoo safety.

The lions – four cubs and one adult – were seen outside their enclosure about 6.30am on Wednesday. A “code one” alert soon after sent the zoo into lockdown. Police were called at 7.10am and the lions returned to their enclosure just before 9am.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Cassius Turvey’s mother urges calm at vigils saying she is angry but ‘violence breeds violence’

Mechelle Turvey says ‘outpouring of tributes across the nation has been so appreciated’ after her son was allegedly murdered

The mother of schoolboy Cassius Turvey, allegedly murdered in Perth, has called for calm ahead of nationwide vigils to honour her son who she says was the “heart and soul” of the local community.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with the Indigenous teenager’s murder after the alleged attack on 13 October when Cassius and several of his friends were walking home from school in Middle Swan.

Continue reading...

Interest rates to keep rising as RBA warns it will do ‘what is necessary’ to curb inflation

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says half percentage point increases to cash rate possible if economic conditions do not improve

Interest rates will be rising for the foreseeable future and the Reserve Bank of Australia will not hesitate in making higher increases than predicted if inflation does not begin to settle, the RBA governor, Philip Lowe, has warned.

Tuesday’s seventh interest rate hike saw the cash rate increase by the standard quarter of a percentage point, taking rates to a nine-year high of 2.85%, and Lowe said the RBA board would not hesitate to move to half percentage point increases if economic conditions didn’t improve.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Reserve Bank ‘consulting’ with government on whether King Charles should be on $5 note

RBA governor Philip Lowe says ‘monarch has been on at least one banknote since 1923’ but decision won’t be made until talks with Labor are complete

He’s on the throne but should he be on the fiver?

The Reserve Bank of Australia has begun consultations with the federal government to answer one of the burning questions following the death of Queen Elizabeth II – should King Charles III take her place on the $5 note?

Continue reading...

Environmental activist’s home visited by Queensland police ahead of planned protests in Sydney

Activist among 30 people in three states and ACT to report visits from officers at request of NSW police ahead of mining forum

Counter-terror police in Queensland have visited the home of an environmental activist following a request from New South Wales ahead of planned protests at a mining conference in Sydney.

The activist is one of about 30 people across four jurisdictions to report visits from police in the past week ahead of the International Mining and Resources Conference, which starts on Wednesday.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Zachary Rolfe ‘humiliated’ Indigenous teen in violent arrest before Walker shooting, inquest told

Video from Rolfe’s body-worn camera shows him approach wheelie bin with 14-year-old hiding inside before slamming lid and pulling bin to ground

The Northern Territory police officer who shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker was involved in an earlier arrest of another Indigenous youth that was allegedly violent and humiliating, an inquest has been told.

The inquiry into the death of 19-year-old Walker – who was shot during a bungled arrest in Yuendumu in 2019 – was played a video on Tuesday of Const Zachary Rolfe detaining a 14-year-old boy in 2018.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australian borrowers hit again as RBA raises interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.85%

Reserve Bank raises rates for seventh time in attempt to bring inflation under control

Borrowers have been slugged with a record seventh rate rise from the Reserve Bank of Australia in as many months, as the central bank tries to quell the nation’s strongest burst of inflation in 32 years.

The RBA on Tuesday lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.85%, the highest since early May 2013. The increase was in line with most economists’ expectations.

Continue reading...

Treasurer says inflation ‘number one challenge’ – as it happened

We’ve been bringing you some of the news about rain causing more flooding in NSW. Here are some visuals from Wagga Wagga in southern NSW and the Newell highway in the state’s central west.

Jacinta Allan avoids question of whether families returned from Syria would be welcome in Victoria

The first group of families the wives and children of Islamic State fighters arrived in Sydney over the weekend from Syria and are now living in the community in Sydney. Will Victoria accept returnees?

I was with the premier [Daniel Andrews] on Sunday at a at a media event… where the premier was asked this direct question and I’ll give to you the answer he gave on Sunday which is these are very sensitive security matters. They are primarily the province of the federal government, it would not be appropriate -

As a matter of principle, will you accept them [in] Victoria? Or have you asked for them not to come during the election campaign?

We’ve not, Patricia. There is a … As I think we’ve seen from the media reporting around this issue, this is a very careful matter. There is a very -

Sure, but as a matter of principle, do you think returning citizens – they’re Australian citizens – should be allowed to live in Victoria?

I would really direct you to the federal government and the federal … I think you would appreciate that this is not a simple yes or no proposition because there needs to be robust and careful assessments that are not undertaken by the Victorian government. They’re undertaken by the federal government and the federal Department of Home Affairs.

And if they do all the checks and balances, should they be welcome in Victoria?

Firstly it’d be entirely inappropriate to cut across that and secondly, I am in no position to run a commentary.

Continue reading...

Lawyer for Australian families repatriated from Syria says focus should be on their recovery

Moustafa Kheir says women and children have returned to NSW ‘from hell on earth’ and are cooperating with authorities

The lawyer for four Australian families repatriated from Syria says the focus should be on their recovery, not on the prospect of them being charged with terror offences.

Moustafa Kheir, who represents the four women and their 13 children who arrived in Sydney on Saturday, said he had been involved in interviews the women have had with authorities.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Victoria endured its wettest month on record in October, SES says

Comes as Victorian and federal governments announce $877m package for flood recovery

Victoria has endured its wettest month on record, the State Emergency Service says, as it warned the flood risk may continue across the state for up to two months.

On Tuesday the SES’s chief of operations, Tim Wiebusch, said October was both Victoria’s wettest month on record and the busiest for his volunteers.

Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...