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Two missing in NSW floods
A search has been launched for two men missing in NSW flood waters, evacuations are again at play in a series of communities in the state’s south and yet more rain is on the way.
The two men are thought to have been riding in the back of a utility swept off the road while being driven across a flooded causeway near the South West Slopes town of Boorowa.
Police say two others in the cab were able to free themselves and get to safety.
Further west, where Muttama Creek divides the Riverina centre of Cootamundra, residents have been directed to emergency accommodation at the local showground with dangerous flash flooding a concern.
Steph Cooke, the local member and NSW emergency services minister, told the ABC this morning the order was for 10 streets and about 100 homes. She said:
The weather event we saw come through from late yesterday afternoon and overnight has really caused some substantial damage and wreaked havoc right across the region.
It’s a long time since we’ve seen flooding hit the town in the way that it did last night and so people were having to work closely with the SES.
– From AAP
Key events
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Adeshola Ore
Victorian opposition promises $1m for energy battery storage for community groups
The Victorian opposition has pledged to give community groups access grants of up to $1m for energy battery storage if the Coalition wins this month’s state election.
The pledge was made on Tuesday morning, as the state election campaign begins in earnest.
The grants – accessible by sporting clubs, scouts halls and charities – would fall under a $100m net-zero renewable energy fund to install solar panels and big batteries. The Andrews government in September unveiled the country’s largest energy storage targets in a bid to drive down household power bills.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy said the grants would give energy security to community groups:
Batteries are a key part of that. That’s why we’ve got to have a plan that is sensible, realistic and reliable that keeps prices down.
New flood evacuation orders in NSW as snow possible around central tablelands
Across NSW, this is the current state of play when it comes to the weather. From AAP:
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Murrumbidgee River at nearby Gundagai was likely to exceed the moderate flood level (7.60 metres) again this morning. It was expected to surpass 8.50m about midday and could reach 9.40m by tonight, bringing the town’s worst floods since 1989.
Evacuations have been ordered and a series of road and bridge closures are also likely.
Downstream at Adelong, the main street is under water and residents in adjoining Selwyn and Tumut streets have been ordered to leave. An evacuation order has also been issued for Tumut Caravan Park on the swollen Tumut River amid rapidly rising waters and the threat of flash flooding.
There are still more than 80 State Emergency Service hazard warnings current for NSW.
They include evacuation orders for residents along the Murray River at Willow Bend, Moama and Mathoura.
After some sunshine to round off October, the state faces another rainy month as temperatures drop, the BoM says. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast across most areas today, with creeks and rivers likely to rise rapidly as rain falls on already saturated or flooded catchments.
Following the wet, cold air is likely to sweep Australia’s southeast, bringing chilly temperatures, showers and alpine snow until midweek – all of which are unseasonal for November.
More rain and possibly hail will hit western and southern NSW, with a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds and heavy falls for Nyngan, Cobar, Bourke, Wilcannia, White Cliffs and Ivanhoe.
For the next fortnight, above median rainfall (more than 60% chance) is forecast for most of eastern Australia, increasing to very likely (more than 80% chance) for the northeast and far southeastern mainland.
Snow is possible around the Central Tablelands and a light dusting might fall around the Northern Tablelands.
Two missing in NSW floods
A search has been launched for two men missing in NSW flood waters, evacuations are again at play in a series of communities in the state’s south and yet more rain is on the way.
The two men are thought to have been riding in the back of a utility swept off the road while being driven across a flooded causeway near the South West Slopes town of Boorowa.
Police say two others in the cab were able to free themselves and get to safety.
Further west, where Muttama Creek divides the Riverina centre of Cootamundra, residents have been directed to emergency accommodation at the local showground with dangerous flash flooding a concern.
Steph Cooke, the local member and NSW emergency services minister, told the ABC this morning the order was for 10 streets and about 100 homes. She said:
The weather event we saw come through from late yesterday afternoon and overnight has really caused some substantial damage and wreaked havoc right across the region.
It’s a long time since we’ve seen flooding hit the town in the way that it did last night and so people were having to work closely with the SES.
– From AAP
No referral of Plagued book’s alleged national security committee leak: police
Paul Karp
Officials from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC) revealed on Friday it had referred the possible leak of national security committee information to the authors of Plagued to the attorney general’s department to consider whether “relevant criminal provisions” had been breached.
Plagued, which was written by Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers and revealed how Scott Morrison appointed himself to multiple ministries in his government, also contains details of deliberations of Australia’s national security committee of cabinet.
A spokesperson for the Australian federal police told Guardian Australia:
As of Monday 31 October 2022, the AFP has not received any complaint or report relating to this.
On Friday the attorney general’s department said it was “aware of allegations” the book revealed details of cabinet deliberations and had provided advice to PMC “on the scope of offences that apply to the unauthorised disclosure of security classified information”.
A spokesperson said:
The department is not an investigative agency and has not referred the matter to any other agency.
So that seems like the end of the matter.
Caitlin Cassidy
Melbourne Cup draws animal rights criticism
It’s Melbourne Cup day in Victoria, but beyond fascinators and fashions on the field the “race that stops the nation” is drawing increased critique among animal rights groups and activists.
A petition launched by the Animal Justice Party in NSW demanding an end to horse racing in the state ahead of the Cup has drawn 30,000 signatures online, trending with the hashtag #NupToTheCup.
Melbourne Cup is one of the worst days of the year for domestic violence, alcohol-related ambulance call-outs and problem gambling. It’s also a pretty bad day for horses. Time for us to be the nation that stops the race. #NupToTheCup
— Jill Stark (@jillastark) October 31, 2022
Yesterday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (and the Coalition for the Protection of Racehourses converged on Flemington to hold a “T-rex” race in opposition to the Cup, stumbling towards a banner reading “Finish the Cruel, Prehistoric Melbourne Cup Now”.
The Vic and Aus Govt spend $3 billion each year propping up horse racing.
A horse is killed every 2 days from catastrophic injuries. Australians recorded the largest amount of wealth stolen via gambling in the world.
Nup to the Cup.
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) October 31, 2022
It comes as the latest Guardian Essential poll suggested almost half of those surveyed (45%) believe the race promotes “unhealthy” gambling behaviour, with a third (34%) saying it normalises animal cruelty.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said the social license of the racing industry was “clearly fading”.
The majority of people actually agree that racing is cruel. You wouldn’t know that, though, from the massive marketing campaigns from the racing and gambling industries that are designed to make events like the Melbourne Cup appear universally loved.
The Melbourne Cup is the most lavish symbol of the gambling-fuelled animal cruelty of horse racing. It has to be challenged. Animal cruelty goes way beyond the Melbourne Cup – there are systemic and unfixable problems with racing.
Not safe to return to Bogong Village
Wiebusch’s final update is that it’s still not safe for residents of Bogong Village to return after a major landslip yesterday.
Finally, we have an emergency warning: not safe to return for the Bogong Village. It was evacuated in the last 24 to 48 hours as a result of a major landslip … and it is impacting on the High Plains Road. The Bogong High Plains Road remains closed between Mount Beauty and Falls Creek at this time.
Flood rescues ongoing in Victoria, with five in past day: SES
Wiebusch says there have been “five flood rescues in the last 24 hours, predominantly with people attempting to drive through floodwaters”.
Major transport route reopened for Kerang
Wiebusch:
In good news, at Kerang we have seen the Murray Valley Highway reopened to the south, which means one of the major transport routes is now accessible back in and out of Kerang. However to the north and west and east, roads remain closed as a result of flooding.
Swan Hill, Boundary Bend and Mildura brace for flooding
Other Murray River communities are still bracing for flooding this coming week. Wiebusch says:
The Murray River at Swan Hill is likely to reach a major flood level later this coming week at 4.6m, and the bureau is continuing to do modelling and monitor the gauges downstream of Echuca, for that flood peak, so at that stage 4.6 is the initial indication of it reaching major at Swan Hill.
We have had SES volunteers, the rapid relief team, all working with local government and other community groups in and around Swan Hill with a major sandbagging effort and also door knocking.
The key messages that the main town centre of Swan Hill is not at risk, it is those areas immediately in and around the Murray River that are at the risk of major flooding later this week.
Murray River at Boundary Bend is likely to reach a 8.8m by this weekend into the early part of next week.
Mildura at the Murray Weir is likely to reach a level of moderate flooding between the 10th and 12 November before it peaks at the end of November.
By the flows on the Murray River, we still have a period of time ahead of us were those communities will be at risk of moderate to major flooding in the coming days.
Echuca won’t drop below major flood levels until early next week: SES
Tim Wiebusch from Victorian SES has spoken about the northern Victorian town of Echuca which has been at major flood level since last week.
We are still likely to see major flooding at Echuca well through to this coming weekend. It is currently at 94.81m, and indications are we won’t see a drop below major until late on Sunday or into the early parts of next week does Echuca.
Recent rainfall causing major to moderate flooding in Victoria
Tim Wiebusch from Victorian SES has provided an update on how specific Victorian communities are faring:
In the last 24 hours we have seen the Tallangatta Creek reach major flood level and has now receded to the moderate flood level, just as an example of very little rainfall – some 40-50 millimetres of rain – taking the creek up to flood level.
Communities along the Murray River need to continue to remain alert to their conditions …
On the Upper Murray we are likely to see moderate flooding at Jingellic overnight tonight, and that will flow through to Albury, Wodonga and down to Yarrawonga and Tocumwal where we could see the upper end of moderate flooding as a result of further releases coming out of the Hume and Khancoban Dams, and that is all a result of rainfall in the last 24-48 hours.
Chamber of commerce endorses plan to split IR bill
Paul Karp
On Monday the workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, said he would be “deeply reluctant” to delay elements of Labor’s secure jobs, better pay bill in response to a suggestion from David Pocock that the bill could be split to deal with non-controversial elements this year.
The chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andrew McKellar, has endorsed the idea. He told ABC News Breakfast:
Well, look, I think that’s a possibility. I mean, obviously, we want to have those discussions with the government. I’m meeting with the minister later today, so there’ll be a chance to put those ideas to him directly. Let’s see what the government says. But what we’ve got to do is I think is take the time on those other elements of the bill. We don’t want to end up with unintended consequences that really could be very harmful to many smaller and medium-sized businesses.
McKellar was also asked about the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association’s threat of a mining tax-style campaign against the IR bill.
He said:
Well, certainly, there are very deep concerns across many sectors in our economy. And the resources sector, mining, and energy, those are very important sectors in our economy with very big projects. So of course, yes, they are deeply concerned about what they’re seeing. My concern is more for small and medium-sized businesses, family businesses and the like, where they can’t afford to get wrapped up in this sort of regulation and additional red tape that’s going to add to complexity and make it much harder for them to manage their businesses. That’s where my main concern is.
Resource employers campaign against Labor’s IR bill; Littleproud labels bill ‘pay back’ for union support
Paul Karp
Dipping out of that Victorian presser for the latest in national politics …
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has warned the Senate crossbench the government is trying to rush its industrial relations legislation because it wants to “pay back” unions for their support.
On Tuesday the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association chief executive, Steve Knott, told the Australian there was “white-hot anger” among mining, oil, and gas companies about the bill and these employers had “significant capacity to fund a substantial campaign”.
Knott reportedly said:
From my discussions, I have no doubt that unless the government slows down their plans to rush their initial bill through parliament before year’s end and makes substantive changes, the broader employer community will be energised to run an anti-IR bill campaign that will dwarf the ACTU’s Your Rights at Work campaign …
They would absolutely dwarf the WorkChoices campaign and they have the financial capacity to do it. It would be like the mining tax campaign but on steroids. That campaign cost about $20m.
The industry has got a history of, when they’ve been poked, they will respond and there are enough corporate guerrillas in the mining, oil and gas sector who have come to me and said this is not on.
Knott called for the resources and energy sector to be carved out from proposed changes expanding multi-employer bargaining.
Asked about the possible campaign on Sky News, Littleproud defended adverse reactions to a bill he argued amounted to “payback to unions for helping Labor get into government”. He noted comments from CFMMEU secretary Christy Cain at the jobs and skills summit who “basically said ‘this is our time’”, and argued the union had been repaid with the proposed abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Littleproud warned Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock – who will likely have the casting votes on the bill but have asked for more time to examine it – that the government is trying to sell them “a pup”. He said structural change “takes time, takes care” to avoid “perverse outcomes”.
‘This flood emergency is far from over’: Victorian SES
Wiebusch emphasises the flood emergency ‘is far from over’:
The flood risk still remains in many parts of our state, with flood watches for most parts of Victoria at this time.
We still have water storages that are at capacity, catchments that are now saturated, and we still have the climate drivers of La Niña and the negative Indian Ocean dipole which means we are likely to see above average rainfall for at least another 6-8 weeks.
In the last few days we have seen as a result of the rainfall renewed minor to moderate flooding in various parts of our state.
It will only take another large rainfall event for us to see our rivers in Victoria go back to major flood levels, and again, that’s why we are asking all Victorians to be flood ready now.
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