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| Australia news live update: Hillsong leader Brian Houston resigns; nation records 26 Covid deaths | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | |
| Whitehaven Coal has lodged an application for a new coal exploration licence near Narrabri in the north-west of New South Wales. | |
| The application is to explore for coal in an area known as Gorman North, which the former deputy premier John Barilaro nominated for new coalmining in his strategic statement on coal in 2020. | |
| The proposal, first flagged last year, has sparked concerns from community members who fear a licence may be granted for exploration without community consultation. | |
| A similar land release proposed at Rylstone, near the Wollemi national park, went to public consultation before mining companies were able to submit exploration applications and resulted in the state government ruling out exploration in two areas. | |
| The Boggabri farmer Sally Hunter said the application from Whitehaven, through its subsidiary Narrabri Coal, demonstrated the “industrialisation” that was occurring in the north-west of NSW: | |
| She said Namoi Valley residents deserved the same opportunity to respond to new land releases for exploration as the Rylstone community received. | |
| A top Indian diplomat has urged Australian business executives to put aside “old prejudices” about his country as the two sides scramble to reach an interim trade deal. | |
| With a trade deal now three months later than originally planned, India’s high commissioner to Australia, Manpreet Vohra, said too many boardrooms had placed the country in the “too hard basket” based on “old notions”. | |
| Vohra said the Covid-19 pandemic had further “exacerbated divides that we see, the fissures that we see, in what seemed to be a very cosy way that the world was going along”. | |
| He said India and Australia had “rediscovered that we are actually natural partners” – but many Australian investors had failed to “seize the opportunity” of India’s growth. | |
| Last year, during the pandemic, India attracted about $82bn of foreign direct investment but “the Australian part of that is extremely low”, the high commissioner said. Australia’s foreign direct investment in India was worth less than $1bn in 2020. | |
| Vohra called on Australian businesses to develop their “India literacy” and “look at India in a different light”. | |
| He said one factor may be “the old notions and prejudices amongst many in Australia, certainly many Australian businesses, that they decided 30 years ago when they might have looked at India that we are a difficult place to do business”. | |
| “But I suggest to you that it is actually a new India today,” he told an event hosted by the Perth US Asia Centre at the University of Western Australia. | |
| Australia and India had previously said they wanted to reach an interim trade deal by December 2021 – a deadline that has now been missed – and a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2022. | |
| India was Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2020, when the two-way value of trade in goods and services was $24.4bn. Australia’s top exports to India were coal and education-related travel. | |
| On Wednesday a new paper called on the two governments to follow an “investment-led strategy” for building the economic relationship. | |
| I don’t think we got to the SA numbers yet, so here they are. There were 4,594 new Covid-19 cases reported in South Australia, and two additional deaths. | |
| The NSW government will not try to pass a motion to remove the Kiama MP, Gareth Ward, from parliament pending his historical sexual abuse charges being heard in court, as the premier, Dominic Perrottet, flagged yesterday, after receiving legal advice. The government will instead try to suspend him. | |
| Some more tributes to Ash Barty from politicians: | |
| The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has responded to the news of Ash Barty’s shock retirement from tennis. | The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has responded to the news of Ash Barty’s shock retirement from tennis. |
| He said: | He said: |
| The suspended global pastor Brian Houston has resigned from the Hillsong church following revelations of his alleged mistreatment of women. | The suspended global pastor Brian Houston has resigned from the Hillsong church following revelations of his alleged mistreatment of women. |
| The global board said in a statement on Wednesday: | The global board said in a statement on Wednesday: |
| The resignation follows an apology issued by the church on Friday over allegations of Houston’s conduct towards two women. | The resignation follows an apology issued by the church on Friday over allegations of Houston’s conduct towards two women. |
| The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, will be in isolation for seven days after one of his family members tested positive to Covid-19, AAP reports. | The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, will be in isolation for seven days after one of his family members tested positive to Covid-19, AAP reports. |
| Gutwein on Wednesday released a statement, saying he had returned a negative rapid antigen test and would continue to work from home where possible. | Gutwein on Wednesday released a statement, saying he had returned a negative rapid antigen test and would continue to work from home where possible. |
| “The deputy premier, Jeremy Rockliff, will undertake those duties and responsibilities that I would normally perform as premier during question time and for matters before the parliament,” Gutwein said. | “The deputy premier, Jeremy Rockliff, will undertake those duties and responsibilities that I would normally perform as premier during question time and for matters before the parliament,” Gutwein said. |
| It comes after nearly 20 Tasmanians who had Covid-19 were incorrectly told they had tested negative on their PCR tests. | It comes after nearly 20 Tasmanians who had Covid-19 were incorrectly told they had tested negative on their PCR tests. |
| Tasmania’s health commander, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, confirmed 19 people were on Tuesday wrongly notified. | Tasmania’s health commander, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, confirmed 19 people were on Tuesday wrongly notified. |
| The department said the error was corrected within three hours. | The department said the error was corrected within three hours. |
| Morgan-Wicks said the RHH Laboratory was improving its system to ensure another mistake won’t happen. | Morgan-Wicks said the RHH Laboratory was improving its system to ensure another mistake won’t happen. |
| “On behalf of the Department of Health, I apologise for the error and for any inconvenience caused to the recipients of the incorrect results,” she said. | “On behalf of the Department of Health, I apologise for the error and for any inconvenience caused to the recipients of the incorrect results,” she said. |
| Tasmania reported 1,825 new cases on Wednesday. | Tasmania reported 1,825 new cases on Wednesday. |
| There were no further deaths but 32 people were in hospital. | There were no further deaths but 32 people were in hospital. |
| Labor says it “welcomes the commencement of Australia’s Defence Force Space Command”. | Labor says it “welcomes the commencement of Australia’s Defence Force Space Command”. |
| The defence minister, Peter Dutton, announced yesterday that the new space command within the air force had begun operations, a move first flagged last year. | The defence minister, Peter Dutton, announced yesterday that the new space command within the air force had begun operations, a move first flagged last year. |
| Labor’s defence spokesperson, Brendan O’Connor, issued a statement today saying it backs the move: | |
| For more on what the new head of the space command said, see yesterday’s story: | For more on what the new head of the space command said, see yesterday’s story: |
| One in 20 Australian university students have been sexually assaulted since starting university and one in six have been sexually harassed, a survey of 43,819 students has found. | One in 20 Australian university students have been sexually assaulted since starting university and one in six have been sexually harassed, a survey of 43,819 students has found. |
| The findings come from the National Student Safety Survey, which was released by Universities Australia this afternoon. It follows a survey in 2016, which found higher rates of sexual assault and harassment, but was criticised for not using a best practice approach to sexual harassment research. The questions in the 2021 survey were changed to ask about behaviours which would be considered sexual harassment or assault, rather than asking people to nominate whether they have been sexually harassed or assaulted. | The findings come from the National Student Safety Survey, which was released by Universities Australia this afternoon. It follows a survey in 2016, which found higher rates of sexual assault and harassment, but was criticised for not using a best practice approach to sexual harassment research. The questions in the 2021 survey were changed to ask about behaviours which would be considered sexual harassment or assault, rather than asking people to nominate whether they have been sexually harassed or assaulted. |
| Rates of sexual assault and harassment were highest among non-binary, trans, First Nations and disabled students. Thirty per cent of all students had been sexually assaulted at least once in their life — but for non-binary or gender-diverse students that figure was 56.1%. Students who lived in student accommodation were also more likely to have been impacted, with 6% reporting having been sexually assaulted in the past 12 months, and 19% reporting being sexually harassed. | Rates of sexual assault and harassment were highest among non-binary, trans, First Nations and disabled students. Thirty per cent of all students had been sexually assaulted at least once in their life — but for non-binary or gender-diverse students that figure was 56.1%. Students who lived in student accommodation were also more likely to have been impacted, with 6% reporting having been sexually assaulted in the past 12 months, and 19% reporting being sexually harassed. |
| Those figures are still lower than in previous reports, a fact that Universities Australia say may be attributed to fewer people being on campus due to Covid. | Those figures are still lower than in previous reports, a fact that Universities Australia say may be attributed to fewer people being on campus due to Covid. |
| The report also found a spike in online harassment, particularly in private messages sent over Zoom. The Universities Australia chair, Prof John Dewar, said the survey results were “distressing, disappointing and confronting”. | The report also found a spike in online harassment, particularly in private messages sent over Zoom. The Universities Australia chair, Prof John Dewar, said the survey results were “distressing, disappointing and confronting”. |
| Max Walsh, a highly influential economics journalist who rose to lead the Australian Financial Review and was a popular commentator on Channel Nine, has died aged 84. | Max Walsh, a highly influential economics journalist who rose to lead the Australian Financial Review and was a popular commentator on Channel Nine, has died aged 84. |
| The former editor-in-chief and chief political correspondent of the AFR died on Wednesday morning with dementia, the AFR reported. | The former editor-in-chief and chief political correspondent of the AFR died on Wednesday morning with dementia, the AFR reported. |
| Walsh played a significant role in the opening up of the Australian economy in the 1980s and was editor-in-chief of the former Fairfax financial daily when it was profitable in the 1970s and 80s. | Walsh played a significant role in the opening up of the Australian economy in the 1980s and was editor-in-chief of the former Fairfax financial daily when it was profitable in the 1970s and 80s. |
| He wrote about politics for the Sun-Herald and the Bulletin and enjoyed a second career as a regular contributor on Channel Nine’s now defunct Sunday program. | He wrote about politics for the Sun-Herald and the Bulletin and enjoyed a second career as a regular contributor on Channel Nine’s now defunct Sunday program. |
| He was described as “the great oak of Australian journalism” by former Nine Sunday journalist Jennifer Byrne. | He was described as “the great oak of Australian journalism” by former Nine Sunday journalist Jennifer Byrne. |
| Walsh is survived by his wife, Geraldine, daughters, Flicc and Sophie, and grandson, Xavier. | Walsh is survived by his wife, Geraldine, daughters, Flicc and Sophie, and grandson, Xavier. |
| Barty, a three-time grand slam champion, is just 25, but says she is spent: | Barty, a three-time grand slam champion, is just 25, but says she is spent: |
| Here’s Emma Kemp’s full report: | Here’s Emma Kemp’s full report: |