Australia news updates live: Queensland floods death toll at seven; PM offers military support for Lismore; nine Covid deaths recorded

February 27, 2022
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6.04pm EST

18:04

Bruce Lehrmann assembling fresh legal team for possible trial delay

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

The prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged sexual assault of Brittany Higgins was in the ACT supreme court today for a callover (mention).

The acting chief justice, Michael Elkaim, asked if Lehrmann’s legal team was going to apply for a permanent stay. This follows comments from his legal team questioning whether he is able to get a fair trial due to the amount of public discussion of the case.

John Korn replied there had been “no talk of a permanent stay” and there is currently no application at present.

Korn said:

For a variety of reasons, for the moment that is all I can say. That’s not to say there won’t be [an application for a stay], hopefully there will be. I won’t be counsel if there is such an application. [He is] getting a different legal team that can look after that.

Justice Elkaim said he had been told to say if there is to be an application, it should be in by mid-March.

The matter is going to be called over again for a brief mention before the chief justice on Thursday 10 March. Korn said he hoped to be able to explain Lehrmann’s position then.

Shane Drumgold, the ACT director of public prosecutions, told the court this is the first he’d heard of the possible application.

The matter is still listed for a four to five week trial beginning 6 June.

Earlier in June, Scott Morrison clarified an apology to victims of harassment in Australian Parliament House, stating it was “by no means a reflection on the matters before a court”.

Updated
at 6.08pm EST



6.03pm EST

18:03

Flood summary

Okay, so it’s a bit confusing so here is a recap of the situation this morning.

The Brisbane River has believed to have peaked around 8am this morning at 4.0 meters, with large amounts of debris, boats and even potentially small homes seen floating down it. Across the south-east of the state, thousands of homes have now been evacuated and thousands of schools have been closed.

However, it appears the worst of damage this morning has been focused in the northern NSW town of Lismore, which is now facing its worst flooding on record, placing extreme pressure on emergency services.

About 15,000 people have been evacuated on the north coast and the entire Lismore CBD is inundated after days of unrelenting torrential rain, as the town braces for its worst-ever flood crisis that will surpass the devastation caused in 1974 and 1954, reports AAP.

The Bureau of Meteorology says Lismore’s Wilsons River could reach around 14.20 metres on Monday afternoon, stoking fears of unprecedented inundation in the area. The previous high of 12.27 metres was registered in 1954.

The Mayor says the city’s SES only has two boats and has taken to social media to urge people with private vessels to help enter the township and rescue the hundreds of people now sheltering in their attics and on top of their roofs.

Emergency services have now confirmed at least seven people have died in the floodwaters.

Updated
at 6.10pm EST



5.38pm EST

17:38

A reminder that we should be hearing from the Queensland premier in about 20 minutes with an update on the Brisbane flood situation

Covid-19