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Australia live news update: WA to ease hard border from 5 February; $1bn defence deal signed with South Korea Australia live news update: WA to ease hard border from 5 February; $1bn defence deal signed with South Korea
(31 minutes later)
Follow all the day’s developmentsFollow all the day’s developments
The Auditor-General has just published the annual report on major defence acquisitions.
It’s basically a yearly stocktake on where major projects are tracking, based on information supplied by the Department of Defence. This is the report for the 2020-21 financial year, so it is looking backwards.
Grant Hehir, the auditor-general, found nothing that caused him to believe any problems with the accuracy of the information supplied by Defence as part of the process.
But the voluminous report notes: “Defence’s assessment indicates that some elements of capability to be delivered by projects may be ‘under threat’, but the risk is assessed as ‘manageable’.”
The report said the four project offices “experiencing challenges with expected capability delivery” are the Joint Strike Fighter, MRH90 Helicopters, Overlander Medium/Heavy Vehicles, and Battlespace Communications Systems (Land) 2B.
The second project listed there - MRH90 Helicopters - is also known as the Taipan. The defence minister, Peter Dutton, announced last Friday a plan to acquire up to 40 Black Hawk helicopters in order to retire the MRH90 early.
Rest assured, readers, we will be going through this report in greater detail in the coming days.
Paul Mercurio, the actor and dancer known for his role in Strictly Ballroom, has been preselected as the Labor candidate for the Victorian state seat of Hastings.
Premier Mark McGowan has said Western Australia will not reopen its borders earlier than 5 February even if it achieves 90% double-dose vaccination coverage before that date.
He said this is because businesses need to prepare for a specific date and have certainty things won’t change.
Western Australia’s quarantine cap for unvaccinated international arrivals could be limited to fewer than 100 people per week.Western Australia’s quarantine cap for unvaccinated international arrivals could be limited to fewer than 100 people per week.
Premier Mark McGowan said an exact number had not yet been determined, but that “it may be down at 100 or perhaps less per week”. Mark McGowan said an exact number had not yet been determined, but that “it may be down at 100 or perhaps less per week”.
By contrast, New South Wales’ unvaccinated arrival cap is 210 per week, while Victoria’s is 250.By contrast, New South Wales’ unvaccinated arrival cap is 210 per week, while Victoria’s is 250.
As McGowan explained earlier, WA will only be allowing a small number of unvaccinated travellers arriving from overseas, and they will have to go through 14 days of hotel quarantine.As McGowan explained earlier, WA will only be allowing a small number of unvaccinated travellers arriving from overseas, and they will have to go through 14 days of hotel quarantine.
Domestic arrivals will need to be double-dose vaccinated.Domestic arrivals will need to be double-dose vaccinated.
Asked if he was considering extending the option of hotel quarantine for unvaccinated domestic travellers, McGowan said:
“Not at this point in time, no.”
McGowan explains that his strict stance on maintaining rules for unvaccinated people and poorly vaccinated regions after 5 February is because of vulnerable people in the state.
Specifically, he mentions older and Indigenous residents.
“We’re just trying to save their lives. It will find the unvaccinated. You might live in the desert but it can still find you.”
Premier Mark McGowan was asked if further spread of the Omicron variant in other states could delay Western Australia’s border reopening date of 5 February.Premier Mark McGowan was asked if further spread of the Omicron variant in other states could delay Western Australia’s border reopening date of 5 February.
McGowan didn’t go as far as ruling it out, but said it was very unlikely.McGowan didn’t go as far as ruling it out, but said it was very unlikely.
“Barring some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe which we can’t predict. But that’s the nature of Covid.”“Barring some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe which we can’t predict. But that’s the nature of Covid.”
He said “it’s a very safe bet” that the border will reopen on 5 February.He said “it’s a very safe bet” that the border will reopen on 5 February.
Western Australia’s health minister Roger Cook has urged residents in his state to use the time between now and 5 February – when the state will reopen its borders – to get vaccinated.Western Australia’s health minister Roger Cook has urged residents in his state to use the time between now and 5 February – when the state will reopen its borders – to get vaccinated.
Cook addressed the fact that an already stretched health system in the state was predicted to buckle if Covid spread when its vaccination rate was low.Cook addressed the fact that an already stretched health system in the state was predicted to buckle if Covid spread when its vaccination rate was low.
He said nearly 500 doctors and 350 graduate doctors have joined the system this year.He said nearly 500 doctors and 350 graduate doctors have joined the system this year.
Cook said:Cook said:
McGowan is warning that there could still be travel restrictions for certain remote communities because of lower vaccination rates.McGowan is warning that there could still be travel restrictions for certain remote communities because of lower vaccination rates.
McGowan said “some regions have dramatically lower vaccination rates”, flagging the Pilbara, Goldfields and the Kimberley specifically.McGowan said “some regions have dramatically lower vaccination rates”, flagging the Pilbara, Goldfields and the Kimberley specifically.
“These are the only regions that currently have a first dose rate below 80%,” McGowan said.“These are the only regions that currently have a first dose rate below 80%,” McGowan said.
He said the Pilbara is of most concern, with a double -dose vaccination rate of just 46.1%.He said the Pilbara is of most concern, with a double -dose vaccination rate of just 46.1%.
“If individual regions do not get their vaccination rates up, then further measures will be needed to protect the community.”“If individual regions do not get their vaccination rates up, then further measures will be needed to protect the community.”
Mark McGowan is now explaining how Western Australia’s new border rules will work when they come into effect from 5 February.Mark McGowan is now explaining how Western Australia’s new border rules will work when they come into effect from 5 February.
International arrivals will still be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure and undertake a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in Perth, as well as six days after arriving.International arrivals will still be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure and undertake a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in Perth, as well as six days after arriving.
If the traveller is double vaccinated, there will be no quarantine requirement.If the traveller is double vaccinated, there will be no quarantine requirement.
For those who are not double vaccinated or have received a vaccine that is not recognised in Australia, they will have to go into a hotel or dedicated quarantine facility when it opens. McGowan said the cap of quarantine places for unvaccinated travellers will be smaller than WA’s current cap for all arrivals.For those who are not double vaccinated or have received a vaccine that is not recognised in Australia, they will have to go into a hotel or dedicated quarantine facility when it opens. McGowan said the cap of quarantine places for unvaccinated travellers will be smaller than WA’s current cap for all arrivals.
Domestic arrivals must be double vaccinated unless they have a valid exemption. Domestic travellers will still be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure and undertake a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in PerthDomestic arrivals must be double vaccinated unless they have a valid exemption. Domestic travellers will still be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure and undertake a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in Perth
If a traveller’s stay in WA is for five days or less, they will only be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure, and won’t need to get another test within 48 hours of landing.If a traveller’s stay in WA is for five days or less, they will only be required to return a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure, and won’t need to get another test within 48 hours of landing.
Premier Mark McGowan has announced that Western Australia’s hard border will ease on 5 February.Premier Mark McGowan has announced that Western Australia’s hard border will ease on 5 February.
It will take effect from 12:01am on that day, a Saturday.It will take effect from 12:01am on that day, a Saturday.
McGowan explained that he was making the announcement because WA had on Monday just reached 80% double dose vaccination coverage of residents 12 and over.McGowan explained that he was making the announcement because WA had on Monday just reached 80% double dose vaccination coverage of residents 12 and over.
By 5 February, McGowan said he expects the state to have reached 90% coverage.By 5 February, McGowan said he expects the state to have reached 90% coverage.
McGowan said:McGowan said:
McGowan’s announcement has defied earlier speculation on Monday that the state would ease its border rules from late January.McGowan’s announcement has defied earlier speculation on Monday that the state would ease its border rules from late January.
Australia’s international border will open to more travellers on Wednesday, as the prime minister confirmed that his government would end the “pause” triggered by the emergence of the Omicron Covid variant.Australia’s international border will open to more travellers on Wednesday, as the prime minister confirmed that his government would end the “pause” triggered by the emergence of the Omicron Covid variant.
Scott Morrison, welcoming the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, to Canberra on Monday, said Australia would open to travellers from South Korea and Japan and also international students and skilled workers more broadly.Scott Morrison, welcoming the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, to Canberra on Monday, said Australia would open to travellers from South Korea and Japan and also international students and skilled workers more broadly.
While pandemic recovery was on the agenda for the talks at Parliament House, the leaders also heralded closer defence ties as they witnessed the signing of a previously announced $1bn military equipment contract with a South Korean firm.While pandemic recovery was on the agenda for the talks at Parliament House, the leaders also heralded closer defence ties as they witnessed the signing of a previously announced $1bn military equipment contract with a South Korean firm.
Moon said he respected the Australian government’s “sovereign” decision to strike the Aukus deal with the US and the UK – an arrangement that China has claimed poses a threat to regional stability, amid worsening tensions between Beijing and Canberra.Moon said he respected the Australian government’s “sovereign” decision to strike the Aukus deal with the US and the UK – an arrangement that China has claimed poses a threat to regional stability, amid worsening tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
But the South Korean leader also voiced a desire to maintain a harmonious relationship with China, which he said was important to securing North Korea’s denuclearisation. He ruled out joining Australia, the US and other countries in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.But the South Korean leader also voiced a desire to maintain a harmonious relationship with China, which he said was important to securing North Korea’s denuclearisation. He ruled out joining Australia, the US and other countries in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Read more:Read more:
Australians in major cities look set to be mostly spared La Niña rains on what is likely to be a mild Christmas Day, according to weather forecasters.Australians in major cities look set to be mostly spared La Niña rains on what is likely to be a mild Christmas Day, according to weather forecasters.
AccuWeather forecasts clear skies for Melbourne and Hobart on 25 December, while clouds are expected to linger across the rest of the country into the evening.AccuWeather forecasts clear skies for Melbourne and Hobart on 25 December, while clouds are expected to linger across the rest of the country into the evening.
Ahead of the release on Saturday of the Bureau of Meteorology’s official forecast for the week of Christmas, AccuWeather has predicted possible showers in Queensland and the Northern Territory on Christmas Day, with temperatures hitting the high 20s in most major cities.Ahead of the release on Saturday of the Bureau of Meteorology’s official forecast for the week of Christmas, AccuWeather has predicted possible showers in Queensland and the Northern Territory on Christmas Day, with temperatures hitting the high 20s in most major cities.
Here is the run down for every capital city:Here is the run down for every capital city:
We’re expecting Mark McGowan to outline Western Australia’s border reopening date at 2pm WA time/5pm eastern daylight time.We’re expecting Mark McGowan to outline Western Australia’s border reopening date at 2pm WA time/5pm eastern daylight time.
We’ll bring you that update here as it happens.We’ll bring you that update here as it happens.
Meanwhile in Victoria, the Australian Workers Union has raised concerns about the preselection process for the 2022 election amid ongoing factional turmoil in the state arising from the exit of party powerbroker Adem Somyurek.
AWU branch secretary Ben Davis has written to state secretary Chris Ford calling for a halt to the preselection process that is being run by the national executive, alleging irregularities that are “potentially fraudulent”.
Davis says that a number of party members have alleged that nomination forms have been filled out before a candidate has been selected, which he says is “potentially creating a false document pursuant to the Crimes Act.
“As a member of the Interim Governance Committee (IGC) I hereby request that nomination forms for all contested ballots be provided to me, and if you see fit to the other members of the IGC also, before any ballots of national Executive are held,” the letter says.
“Delaying the ballots in the contested seats should also occur until the party can conduct an appropriate investigation.”
So far, seven sitting Labor MPs have been targeted as a result of the factional in-fighting, with one of these, upper house MP Cesar Melhem, describing the situation as “total bloodletting”.
Millions of tourism dollars are expected to be injected into the Queensland economy after the state reopened its borders to fully vaccinated visitors, reports AAP.
Tens of thousands of people began flooding into Queensland on Monday following the decision to drop entry and quarantine restrictions at 1am for fully jabbed travellers after hitting the 80% double vaccination target.
The arrival of interstate travellers in time for the festive season is a much-needed boost for tourism, particularly in the state’s far north.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said the region had been losing millions of dollars a day since early 2020. He told Nine:
Olsen said more than 9,000 tourism jobs in the far north had been lost since early 2020 but was confident it could bounce back after Monday’s reopening.
You can read more about Queensland’s border rules easing from today in this article, filed by Jennifer King in Tweed Heads.
There are 16 new cases of Covid-19 in the Northern Territory, with the government considering ramping up Covid rules for some communities.
Of the new cases announced on Monday, 14 are from East Katherine, where authorities had been doing a testing “blitz”.
A chief health officer directive will be issued from today requiring anyone in the NT who has been in Katherine recently to get tested.
Nicole Manison, deputy chief minister of the NT, has also revealed there were only five Covid tests conducted in Tennant Creek – a town of about 5,000 – on Sunday despite positive wastewater detections of Covid.
She said “frankly, that is not good enough”.
Manison said it was “likely” the government would escalate Covid rules and introduce “lockouts” – where unvaccinated people are placed in lockdown – in some regional communities in the territory in coming days.
South Australian premier Steven Marshall has said there are 13 new Covid-19 cases in his state for the reporting period announced on Monday.
He said the majority of the cases are believed to be the Delta variant.
There have so far been two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in SA.
There has been a bit more sun across New South Wales in recent days, prompting concern for people swimming in hazardous conditions at beaches in the state.
Over the weekend, Surf Life Saving NSW volunteers performed more than 60 rescues, with two people requiring resuscitation.
Sadly, a middle-aged man was unable to be revived at Coffs Harbour on Saturday. He was pulled from the water about 300m north of the patrol flags, semi-conscious and still breathing.
NSW Ambulance inspector Charnan Kurth said “drownings can occur in seconds – we have to be constantly looking out for each other”.
In the UK, Boris Johnson is gambling on an unprecedented ramping up of vaccinations, rolling out 1m booster jabs a day to stem an incoming “tidal wave of Omicron” and avoid imposing further restrictions.
The army will be deployed across the country to help rapidly accelerate the vaccine program and GPs will be told to cancel appointments to dedicate resources to offering vaccines to every UK adult by the end of December.
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday night, the prime minister said he was “afraid we are now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant, Omicron, and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe”.
Read more:
The RSPCA has teamed up with two other leading animal welfare organisations to lobby both clothing brands and sheep farmers to move away from mulesing sheep.
RSPCA Australia, Four Paws and Humane Society International say they will work with the wool industry to encourage the breeding of sheep that do not require mulesing.
Mulesing is the process of removing folds of skin from the tail area of a sheep. It’s done to reduce flystrike and is mainly practised on sheep that have folds of skin, like merinos.
It used to be the industry standard in Australia, where flystrike can be a deadly problem, but over the past two decades many wool producers have focused on breeding sheep that do not require mulesing.
Some farming organisations are also changing their standards to discourage mulesing. The Victorian Farmers Federation lobbied for regulations requiring the mandatory use of pain relief when mulesing sheep, which came into effect last year.
But the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association remains in support of the practice. Four Paws’s wool expert, Rebecca Picallo Gil, said more than 3,000 Australian woolgrowers had already switched to no-mules flocks.
Humane Society international’s Georgie Dolphin said:
One of the most tangible announcements from the joint presser was Scott Morrison confirming the international borders would reopen as planned this Wednesday.
We reported last week this was likely, but a bunch of international students and other travellers have been anxiously messaging Guardian Australia over the weekend hoping for some certainty. This should come as a relief to them.
First, a quick recap: the government announced in late November it was delaying the plan to reopen Australia to international skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working, holidaymaker and provisional family visa holders, from 1 December until 15 December.
That “pause” also included reopening to travellers from Japan and South Korea. It was to gather more information about the Omicron variant. As it stood, the Australian border was “already closed to travellers except fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated green lane travellers from New Zealand and Singapore and limited exemptions”, per the government release at the time.
All arrivals to Australia also require a negative PCR test and to complete Australian traveller declaration forms detailing their vaccination status and confirming requirements to comply with state and territory public health requirements.
While the government has been signalling it wanted to get on with reopening, these things are always subject to change, based on latest advice about Omicron – so many travellers were worried about whether their plans would be disrupted once again. But Morrison, standing next to South Korean president Moon Jae-in, told reporters:
Morrison praised the high level of vaccination in both countries, adding: