Seventh Japanese encephalitis case in NSW; nation records 17 Covid deaths – as it happened | Australia news

And with that we’re going to put this weblog to mattress – thanks for becoming a member of us in the present day. Earlier than we go, let’s recap the large ones:

• Man dies in NSW flood waters in Damaged Hill
• A person was charged with homicide over a NSW boarding home fireplace; he later appeared in court
• Coalition to spend $243m on 4 mining tasks
• New Zealand border to open to international travellers in April
• NSW provides 10,000 additional Covid cases from RATs
• Attorneys search stay of prosecution for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins
• ‘Chilling silence’ from China on Russia: PM
• NSW information 30,402 Covid circumstances and 5 deaths, Victoria 9,426 circumstances and eight deaths, QLD information three deaths and 6,136 circumstances, whereas WA information one loss of life and 6,062 circumstances, and the ACT information 1,226 new Covid circumstances

That’s it from me for in the present day – I’ll see you all once more tomorrow afternoon!

LGBTIQ+ equality, well being and oldsters’ teams have joined the NSW Lecturers Federation in welcoming the NSW authorities’s outright rejection of One Nation’s anti-LGBTIQ+ schooling invoice.

Ghassan Kassisieh, authorized director of Equality Australia:

Each youngster deserves a high quality schooling in a faculty the place they’ve a spot and really feel valued.

The LGBTIQ+ neighborhood in New South Wales will breathe a bit of simpler in the present day, because the NSW Authorities has stood as much as One Nation’s bullying of trans and gender numerous youngsters, affirming their proper to attach, succeed and thrive at college.

The federal government’s place is contained in its response to Parliamentary Education Committee’s report into the bill, opposed on the time by committee members Anthony D’Adam (Labor) and David Shoebridge (Greens).

Teddy Cook dinner, the only real trans individual invited to offer proof on the committee hearings, and performing director, Neighborhood Well being and Wellbeing at ACON, stated:

It’s incredible to see the NSW authorities in the present day stand by trans youngsters and their households, who already face so many obstacles, and expertise disproportionate ranges of bullying and harassment.

Trans youngsters already expertise extraordinarily regarding unfavorable psychological well being impacts, as we see in analysis findings everywhere in the world. One Nation’s invoice would solely have made faculties much less protected for trans college students, and positioned lives in danger.

From AAP:

A bunch of important staff who had been difficult Victoria’s vaccination mandates have been given permission to discontinue their case – although they must pay prices.

However two are hoping to press on.

There have been 132 staff and employers who sought to problem the state’s Covid-19 vaccination mandates, arguing it breached their human rights.

Melbourne couple Belinda and Jack Cetnar filed a case difficult the mandates in October final yr, however after a choose advisable they get authorized recommendation, they joined a bigger motion led by a healthcare employee Simon Harding.

All however two members of that group had been represented in a Victorian supreme courtroom listening to on Thursday the place Justice Melinda Richards granted them permission to file a discontinuance and convey their case to an finish.

Clive Palmer’s handle to the Nationwide Press Membership is again on, after the mining magnate cancelled his beforehand scheduled look due to Covid-like signs.

Palmer is believed to have refused to get the protected, efficient vaccine.

The ABC beforehand stated it could air the handle on a delay, due to his views on the vaccine.

From AAP:

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has once more defended Wivenhoe Dam releases throughout current floods after extending her condolences to the households of 13 folks killed within the catastrophe.

Palaszczuk moved the movement in parliament on Wednesday to take inventory of the catastrophe within the state’s south-east over the last two weeks.

13 folks died and one other man stays lacking, feared useless within the floods, which additionally broken hundreds of houses and companies.

“The file rainfall that led to the widespread floods of the previous fortnight will enter the file books as one of many hardest ordeals our state has ever confronted,” the premier instructed parliament.

“I specific as soon as once more my sympathies to the households and mates of [the] 13 individuals who misplaced their lives.

“These floods occurred with scary velocity throughout an unlimited space. It’s as if a river dropped from the sky throughout the whole southeast.”

She paid tribute to Queensland Fireplace and Emergency Companies who made 657 swift water rescues and responded to 13,685 requires assist.

The inspector normal of emergency administration is probing the federal government’s response, Palaszczuk stated, together with flood mitigation releases from Wivenhoe Dam into the higher Brisbane river.

Nevertheless, the premier once more defended the operation of the dam, which she stated had held again “4 Sydney Harbours’” value of water.

“Critics have accused the dam’s operators of contributing to the floods – how they clarify what occurred in Gympie and Maryborough, not to mention Lismore and Sydney, is past me,” Palaszczuk stated.

From AAP:

Some Australian Defence Power veterans are being “overwhelmed” by a fancy compensation claims course of that may very well be contributing to excessive suicide charges amongst ex-soldiers, a royal fee has been instructed.

The fee in Sydney is probing the long-running challenge of defence and veteran suicide, with the inquiry on Wednesday listening to from Division of Veterans’ Affairs officers a few “difficult course of” for ex-ADF members looking for compensation payouts.

Counsel helping the royal fee, Peter Singleton, put to the DVA official Kate Pope that complexities within the division’s claims course of meant “some veterans really feel overwhelmed by the duty of looking for their entitlements”.

“Sure, I feel it’s broadly true that DVA would have the view that, for some folks, it’s an amazing course of,” Pope stated.

The claims course of, for some veterans, turned a supply of stress, despair, deteriorating psychological well being and even suicidality, the inquiry was instructed.

“Does DVA settle for that in some circumstances these points can prolong as far as to be contributing components to suicidality?” Singleton requested.

“It’s not unreasonable to suppose that an amazing course of that impacts somebody in that approach may very well be a contributing issue,” Pope replied.

The inquiry has beforehand heard of an “unacceptably excessive” claims backlog at DVA, with the typical processing time blowing out to round 200 days.

With petrol costs persevering with to soar, Peter Newman, a John Curtin Distinguished Professor from the Curtin College Sustainability Coverage Institute, says it’s time to make the swap to electrical transport.

The oil disaster is lastly taking place after many earlier shorter variations with critical fluctuations in value attributable to political interference in oil markets. These have been very large disruptions up to now. I used to be in San Francisco throughout the first oil disaster in 1973-74 when the entire metropolis fell aside desperately making an attempt to get their final tank of petrol.

We should act quickly to get all electrical transport so we will rely on native sunshine for our transport in addition to our buildings.

We have now electrical trains, however we should go for electrical buses and electrical trendy trams – and, after all, electrical automobiles. It’s time to place the diesel subsidy into getting assist for trade to modify to electrical freight trains and vehicles, electrical tractors, and mining gear. And it’s time for the gasoline tax to be put into electrical automobiles and electrical public transport purchases and infrastructure.

From AAP:

Victoria’s well being minister has been pressured into seven-day quarantine after a member of the family examined constructive for Covid-19 because the state’s case numbers develop.

Martin Foley stated he returned a unfavorable speedy antigen however since he was an in depth contact he would endure isolation, which means he’ll miss the primary half of this state parliament sitting week.

“I really feel wholesome, so I’ll proceed working remotely and will probably be doing common checks,” he tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.

The minister held a press convention about vaccinations within the suburb of Sunshine earlier on Wednesday.

Victoria has seen a ten% rise in Covid-19 case numbers week-on-week because the state authorities pushes vaccinations forward of winter.

The state’s every day Covid-19 determine, of 9,426 new infections, is the very best since posting 9,908 on 9 February.

From AAP:

Entry to Victoria’s parliament is a privilege not a proper, says a lawyer defending the rejection of a media go for a conservative activist and political commentator.

Avi Yemini, the Australian bureau chief for Canadian far-right web site Insurgent Information, is suing over a choice to refuse him media accreditation to permit him entry to each homes of state parliament, the constructing and its surrounds.

Yemini, whose attorneys describe him as a member of the “new media”, have argued in Victoria’s supreme courtroom that he was denied procedural equity when his accreditation utility was rejected final yr.

He has introduced a case in opposition to the higher home president Nazih Elasmar, the decrease home speaker, Colin Brooks, and the serjeant-at-arms, Paul Groenewegen.

However Chris Horan QC, representing the trio, stated all circumstances for entry had been a matter of privilege.

“There’s no proper or entitlement of journalists or anyone else to have entry to any a part of the parliamentary precinct,” he stated.

“That doesn’t detract from the significance of freedom of the press or reporting on parliament, however the choice to not give a media go is, of itself, not inconsistent with the liberty of expression or reporting of political actions.”

Justice Tim Ginnane recommended there have been totally different guidelines for members of the “outdated media” – organisations who’ve traditionally been granted entry and accreditation.

However Horan insisted choices had been made on a case-by-case, saying even accredited organisations would have limits on the variety of yearly accreditation passes based mostly on issues just like the capability within the parliamentary press gallery places of work.