Health News at Your Fingertips

Sian Cain

With Olivia Newton-John’s family formally accepting the Victorian government’s offer to host a state funeral in her hometown of Melbourne, her husband John Easterling has put out a statement thanking the world for their well wishes since her death was announced on Tuesday morning.

“Our love for each other transcends our understanding,” he wrote.

Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural. We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever.

Easterling, who was married to Newton-John for 14 years, described her as “the most courageous woman I’ve ever known … in her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humour, and the will power to move things into the light.”

“Our family deeply appreciates the vast ocean of love and support that has come our way,” he wrote, signing it off with “onward ho”.

Matthew Guy loses third staff member

If you missed it earlier, a third staff member has left Victoria’s state opposition leader Matthew Guy’s office, months out from the election.

A Victorian scrap metal recycler has been convicted and fined $50,250 after a fuel tank exploded and seriously injured a worker.

Omega Metal Recyclers pleaded guilty to four charges in Bendigo Magistrates Court on Thursday and was ordered to pay court costs for failing to provide a safe workplace in relation to the September 2020 incident.

The worker was using an excavator to move an LPG fuel tank at the scrap yard in Eaglehawk when the machine’s grab attachment struck the tank, causing gas to escape.

The tank exploded and set fire to the driver, who sustained serious injuries.

The company was hit with three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and one charge under the Dangerous Goods Act, following a WorkSafe investigation.

-from AAP

Tamsin Rose

Concerns raised over relationship between NSW minister and developer

The former New South Wales building commissioner David Chandler raised concerns in his resignation letter about the relationship between sacked fair trading minister Eleni Petinos and a major property developer that hired John Barilaro after he quit parliament.

On Thursday a resignation letter sent by Chandler last month was released through parliament.

It came a day after the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, said the letter, initially sent to the secretary of the Department of Customer Service, had been referred to the state’s anti-corruption watchdog.

Read the full story from Tamsin Rose and Michael McGowan:

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 87 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

NSW

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

Hobart Airport has unveiled plans to double its terminal size, with current facilities operating at almost twice their designed capacity.

The airport on Thursday released a master plan for public consultation as part of its “20-year vision”.

Chief executive Norris Carter said current terminals were designed for about 1.5 million passengers per year but are dealing with 2.8 million.

He said the number of people travelling through the airport is forecast to hit 5.5 million by 2042.

“As a result we are looking at a doubling in the footprint of the terminal from 12,000 square metres to 23,000 square metres,” Carter said.

Community consultation on the plan is open until November 2, with construction slated to begin in two or three years.

Carter said the final cost, to be covered entirely by the airport, is still to be determined but would be in the “hundreds of millions”.

He said a runway upgrade, backed by $60 million in federal government funding, would likely be completed in early 2024.

– from AAP

After a delay, the Victorian Department of Health has released today’s Covid update.

There have been 5,550 new Covid cases recorded and 36 further deaths.

There are 605 people being treated in hospital with the virus including 27 people in ICU.

Sarah Martin

Peter Dutton: ‘My only desire is to see peace in our region’

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has held a press conference in western Sydney on the issues of the day, including responding to Labor criticism about his rhetoric on China and Taiwan.

After earlier conceding he “misspoke” when suggesting Taiwan was independent, Dutton said he supported the position outlined by foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and defence minister Richard Marles and that he wanted to see “stability and peace” in the region.

My only desire is to keep peace in our region and I don’t want to see happen in Taiwan what we’ve seen happen in [Ukraine], so everything that we’re doing as a country to keep us safe the Coalition will support and I’ve been very clear about that.

He also spoke about the interim report from the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide, and urged the federal government to reinstate veterans affairs back into cabinet:

There’ll be lots of lessons here for the culture within defence and within the Department of Veterans Affairs across government, and I really want to see that portfolio back in the cabinet because I think it deserves that prominence.

More reaction to death of Paul Green

Members of parliament have also posted tributes to Paul Green on social media following his shock death.

Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook paid tribute to the 49-year-old as a “tenacious little halfback” and “great competitor”.

South Australia Health has released today’s Covid update.

There have been 1,919 new cases recorded and one further death.

There are 269 people being treated in hospital with the virus including seven in ICU.

Parramatta Eels post tribute to Paul Green, who has died at 49

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Eel #646 Paul Green. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues for their loss.

Rest in Peace to a great man, player & coach.

The former Queensland State of Origin coach represented the Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, the Brisbane Broncos and the Parramatta Eels during his time as player.

Union CPSU welcomes recommendations from veterans’ suicide royal commission

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents members in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), has welcomed today’s royal commission into defence and veteran suicide interim report and its recommendations.

CPSU members in the DVA said the report highlighted the understaffing and underfunding of the past federal government which had hindered the department’s ability to deliver the comprehensive support veterans needed.

They welcomed four specific recommendations: eliminating the claims backlog, improving the administration of the claims system, for the department to provide advice on its funding needs and removing the DVA average staffing level cap.

CPSU deputy president Brooke Muscat said the report highlighted the “shocking backlogs and barriers” veterans faced when seeking help.

For years, the Coalition government ignored the warnings of our members in DVA about the risk to the mental health and lives of veterans caused by understaffing, delays, and veterans’ claim backlogs.

This report makes clear that there is no benefit from policies such as the staffing cap. It costs the taxpayer more, decreases secure employment, and increases backlogs and delays.

CPSU members welcome today’s recommendations and call on the government to immediately accept them. DVA workers are committed to helping veterans and their families navigate the department to access the services they deserve, but government policy has been a clear roadblock.

The union said the federal government’s election commitment of transferring 1,000 labour hire contractors to permanent employment at DVA and creating an additional 500 jobs would “go a long way” to addressing problems, but wouldn’t fix everything.

The Greens have urged environment minister Tanya Plibersek against approving billionaire miner Gina Rinehart’s proposed expansion of a coal seam gas project in Queensland.

According to reports today, South Korean steelmaker Posco will partner with Rinehart to lift production at the Senex venture in the Surat Basin, with work set to begin in coming weeks.

The plan still needs approval from Plibersek.

Environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said any expanded or new coal or gas projects would “blow” Labor’s 43% emissions reduction target.

Approving more coal and gas in the midst of a climate crisis is reckless and dangerous. Minister Plibersek should rule this one out too.

It is clear we need a climate trigger in our environment laws to require the minister to consider the impact the emissions from the project will have on the climate crisis. The comments from the resources minister backing in the future of coal and gas are a very worrying sign.

If the Albanese Labor government is truly committed to tackling the climate crisis, then making sure they, and the government that comes next, don’t approve projects that make it worse is a must.

Last week, Plibersek said she intended to block a coalmine project backed by mining billionaire Clive Palmer that would have dug for the fossil fuel just 10km from Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef coastline. It was her first decision in her new portfolio.

NSW weather warning for sheep graziers

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning to sheep graziers in parts of New South Wales and Canberra for unfavourable weather as a cold front moves in ahead of the weekend.

A strong marine wind warning is also active for the Eden Coast.

The BoM:

Sheep graziers are warned that cold temperatures, rain and showers and north-westerly winds are expected during Thursday and Friday. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Southern Tablelands, South-west Slopes, Snowy Mountains and Australian Capital Territory forecast districts. There is a risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions.

SA taskforce to examine firefighters responding to emergencies

Hopping over to South Australia, and the state’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, has announced a taskforce to look into firefighters responding to medical emergencies.

It comes after a man died from cardiac arrest on Monday night while waiting 42 minutes for an ambulance. The family of the South Australian man have labelled the state’s health system “broken”.

Thanks to the ripper Royce Kurmelovs for keeping us abreast of today’s news. I’ll be with you for the rest of the afternoon.

Josh Butler

Veterans minister stops short of endorsing royal commission recommendations on immunity and privilege

Veterans minister Matt Keogh has acknowledged concerns had been raised by the royal commission about access to information from government departments, but stopped short of immediately endorsing the interim report’s recommendations to reform parliamentary privilege and public interest immunity claims.

Commissioner Nick Kaldas told Radio National this morning that he was “still awaiting some things to be resolved”, noting “a number of problem areas we’re trying to navigate … privacy, national security issues”.

Kaldas has previously said the royal commission had found some relevant information “difficult to obtain”. When asked if that information had been more forthcoming in recent months, Kaldas replied: “not as yet”.
The interim report said it had been “constrained – unreasonably so” by parliamentary privilege and public interest immunity claims in its investigations, as well as raising serious concerns about a lack of legal protections for sources to engage with the royal commission.

The report said previous related investigations had been conducted by the Australian National Audit Office and various parliamentary committees, but that parliamentary privilege “presented a barrier to the royal commission making full use of, or fully reviewing, these reports”.

It recommended the government make changes to public interest immunity claims, introduce exemptions for parliamentary privilege for future royal commissions, as well as provide further legal protections for serving members of the ADF who wish to engage with the commission.

Keogh acknowledged concerns but said he had “not formed a view” on the recommendations about immunity and privilege.

The minister said it was “vitally important” the royal commission get the information it requested, but flagged administrative difficulties in sourcing and providing some information. Keogh noted more than 500,000 people in Australia today had served in the defence force, and that not all records were digitised for easy access.