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Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires insurance bill tops $700m – latest updates Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires insurance bill tops $700m – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
Rain falls on some NSW, Victorian and South Australian bushfire-affected areas, but worse fire conditions are forecast to return. Follow all today’s latest news and live updatesRain falls on some NSW, Victorian and South Australian bushfire-affected areas, but worse fire conditions are forecast to return. Follow all today’s latest news and live updates
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has issued a warning to anyone who is pregnant, over the air quality:
The fire on Kangaroo Island, which has burned through about a third of the South Australian icon, is still going.
SA authorities have just released this advice:
The current fire edge extends from the West of Vivonne Bay to the North Coast at Stokes Bay, and West of Parndana. Crews are currently attending to multiple smoke plumes East of the existing fire in the Parndana Conservation Park, at the Cape Borda Lighthouse and in the Snug Cove Road area on the Northern side of the Island.
At the moment these fires pose no threat to the public.
There may be areas of uncontrolled fire within the fire ground.If you are in this area stay alert, monitor local conditions and decide what you will do if the situation changes.
At this time there is no threat to life or property and firefighters are attending this fire.
The department of prime minister and cabinet has rejected freedom of information requests about Scott Morrison’s Hawaiian holiday
We now have to include ‘Whatsapp’ messages in requests, because so many within the government use it for communications. And then that’s used as a reason to reject the requests, because it would be too difficult to go through those messages.
If you have missed the latest Craig Kelly saga, Sarah Martin has written on it here
Laura Tobin, who challenged Craig Kelly over his [wrong] climate comments on UK breakfast television, has responded to Kelly’s “Pommie weather girl” comment.
It is worth noting that even though Piers Morgan also challenged Kelly, cutting him off and then cutting short the interview, he did not get a mention.
No, Kelly only singled out Tobin. Who is now the subject of misogynistic abuse on his official MP facebook page.
The mayor of the Shoalhaven council, Amanda Findlay, says all the fire evacuees have been moved into temporary accommodation:
That is being paid for by the NSW state government.
Given just how much false information is out on social media, this is just a small step.
VicEmergency also has a brief update on the recovery:VicEmergency also has a brief update on the recovery:
NSW RFS has issued a building impact assessment.NSW RFS has issued a building impact assessment.
The number of homes saved, given what they were facing, just shows how lucky we are to have the volunteer force we do.The number of homes saved, given what they were facing, just shows how lucky we are to have the volunteer force we do.
I bet Tourism Australia is really kicking itself spending $15m on the Kylie Minogue ad, when it could have had Craig Kelly publicise Australia in the UK for free.I bet Tourism Australia is really kicking itself spending $15m on the Kylie Minogue ad, when it could have had Craig Kelly publicise Australia in the UK for free.
Both NSW and Victorian authorities are starting to open up fire-ravaged communities - but if you are in a fire zone, check with your local authorities.Both NSW and Victorian authorities are starting to open up fire-ravaged communities - but if you are in a fire zone, check with your local authorities.
HMAS Adelaide is off the NSW south coast.HMAS Adelaide is off the NSW south coast.
It has been helping with supplies and refueling the airfleet being used to waterbomb the fires.It has been helping with supplies and refueling the airfleet being used to waterbomb the fires.
There is so much misinformation surrounding these fires, a lot of it being pushed across social media.There is so much misinformation surrounding these fires, a lot of it being pushed across social media.
That these fires are mostly the fault of arsonists is one of the biggest ones.That these fires are mostly the fault of arsonists is one of the biggest ones.
Hazard reduction is another.Hazard reduction is another.
Former Australian tennis champ, Pat Cash, followed Craig Kelly onto Piers Morgan’s UK breakfast TV show, and had a *slightly different* take to the Morrison government backbencher.
The Business Council of Australia has written to all its members encouraging them to offer at least 20-days paid leave to any volunteer firefighters.
The Business Council has also announced a community rebuilding initiative to “be the first point of contact for companies to coordinate during this crisis and will work as an interface with federal and state authorities”.
It is being set up as a five-year initiative, so far, and will work in conjunction with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency set up by the government and headed by former AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin.
Smoke from the Australian bushfires has again travelled over 10,000km to South America and can now be seen in Chile.
That happened in November as well.
Comedian and Instagram star Celeste Barber’s bushfire fundraiser has now hit $40m.
The last bids on Shane Warne’s baggy green was over $300,000 (in less than a day) before the website crashed.
AAP reports that a barge is on its way to Mallacoota to evacuate the remaining people who want to leave the town, after fire tore through it:
Josh Frydenberg has told the ABC it is too early to even begin putting a figure on the economic cost of the fires to the nation:
The UK has also offered Australia support.
The state response controller, Gavin Freeman, spoke to the ABC about the Victorian fire situation, stressing that small rainfall is not enough:
Asked how long it would take for the fires to return to full strength, when the dangerous conditions return at the end of the week, Freeman says: