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Key events
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking to ABC Insiders this morning.
We will bring you the latest as it happens.
Dutton shakes up shadow frontbench
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has announced new shadow ministerial appointments after Alan Tudge announced he was quitting politics triggering an upcoming byelection in Melbourne.
In a statement on Sunday, Dutton said Victorian senator Sarah Henderson would move from the communications portfolio to become the Coalition’s education spokeswoman.
Former minister David Coleman will return to the frontbench as communications spokesman.
These new appointments will strengthen the Coalition’s representation in critical portfolio areas.
I look forward to continuing to work with senator Henderson and Mr Coleman as they carry out their new roles.
Dutton thanked Tudge for his service to the Coalition since his election in 2010.
Wild weather eases on Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island has avoided the strongest winds but still faced a wild night and widespread damage as Cyclone Gabrielle passed directly over the Australian territory.
The centre of the category two storm passed near the South Pacific island about 9pm local time on Saturday, with the ABC reporting residents downed trees, blocked roads and widespread power outages early in the night.
Gabrielle hit with sustained winds near the centre of 110km/h, with gusts to 155km/h, falling short of warnings of possible sustained winds up to 140km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Narramore warned on Saturday that gale-force winds were likely to resume for a period early on Sunday after Gabrielle passes the island, it said.
We expect the centre of the circulation to move across Norfolk Island overnight and then start moving away from Norfolk Island [in the] early hours of Sunday morning.
But on the backside, we expect another burst of strong to destructive winds as well as some bursts of heavy rainfall and a continuing damaging surf and swell.
The storm is expected to continue to track southeast out of the tropics and is predicted to pass New Zealand on Monday night, according to Weatherwatch.co.nz.
Gale periods are expected over Norfolk Island into Sunday afternoon, with the bureau warning very heavy surf could also persist through most of Sunday.
A hazardous surf warning was in place for the Fraser Island coast, and waters off Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast until midnight on Monday.
Norfolk Island Regional Council controller George Plant told the ABC it wasn’t possible to evacuate the island’s 2,000 residents and an estimated 950 visitors remaining with an emergency evacuation centre had been made on Saturday morning,
There is no way to evacuate the island with weather like this [when] you can’t get aircraft in so we just have to ride it out.
Teams of military and emergency personnel were on standby to respond as needed.
– AAP
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Norfolk Island residents have spent Saturday night hunkered down as Cyclone Gabrielle has passed directly overhead, reaching wind speeds of 110km/h with gusts 155km/h. Though the island avoided the worst of the storm, residents have been warned to show caution with gale-force winds expected to resume on Sunday morning as Gabrielle passes the island.
New South Wales opposition leader Chris Minns has pledged to cap tolls at $60 a week in his latest pitch ahead of the upcoming state election. The cap, which will be administrated by Service NSW, comes into effect from January 2024 and allow 50,000 drivers to get a refund on charges above the limit.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day. With so much going on out there, it’s easy to miss stuff, so if you spot something happening in Australia and think it should be on the blog, you can find me on Twitter at @RoyceRk2 where my DMs are open.
With that, let’s get started …
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