Australia news live: Barnaby Joyce denies drinking problem; ACCC warns Taylor Swift fans to be wary of online offers of last-minute Melbourne show tickets | Australia news

Nickel placed on national critical minerals list

The federal resources minister, Madeleine King, has placed nickel on the critical minerals list.

In a statement, King says this gives nickel companies the opportunity to access billions of dollars in commonwealth funding. Since the list was last updated in December last year, six operating nickel facilities have either announced reduction in operations or gone into care and maintenance, she said.

The international nickel price is forecast to stay relatively low through 2024, and likely for several years to come until the surplus of nickel in the market is corrected.

In the meantime, this puts further Australian nickel operations at risk.

Given impacts to our domestic capacity and noting the broader market developments presently unfolding in the nickel sector, I am fully convinced that we must be proactive in addressing the recent developments, including by adding nickel to the Critical Minerals List.

King said she had been progressing discussions with international counterparts in the US, Canada and EU to ensure “the high standards applied in Australian mining and production of nickel and other critical minerals are reflected in future pricing on international markets”.

‘Lots of friends and family have lost homes and lost businesses’, Grampians tourism chief says

Grampians Tourism chief executive and community member, Marc Sleeman, said he was lucky his Pomonal home was still standing.

Sleeman told AAP:

It’s bittersweet when I know lots of friends and family have lost homes and lost businesses.

I know we’ve lost a few sheds and boats and things like that, but small things in comparison to what other people have lost.

This comes as the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, confirmed 44 homes have been lost at Pomonal in the Grampians National Park, up from 24 yesterday.

Residents of Pomonal have been advised local tap water is unsafe to drink even if boiled. Pomonal Primary School and two early learning remained shuttered today due to fire impacts.

– AAP

Mount Stapylton bushfire in Victoria updated to advice level

VicEmergency has updated its warning for the Mount Stapylton bushfire, which is continuing to burn at advice level in the Grampians National Park.

Advice level means there is currently no threat, but locals should stay informed in case the situation changes.

VicEmergency says the fire is expected to continue “for some time”.

Firefighters will continue to work to keep the fire contained. Smoke and flames may be visible, but the threat to communities is reduced.

Community meetings for residents only will be held at the Pomonal community hall at 2pm, and the Dadswells Bridge hall at 4pm.

The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has shared some photos of the heavy rain and flash flooding in the state’s south-east:

Miles said the rain is expected to continue today, so people should drive with caution and not drive in flood waters.

Barnaby Joyce denies drinking problem

Number of customers needing power payment ‘will continue to come down’, premier says

Jacinta Allan is asked – given the power payment only applies to people who have had power out for seven days, and it’s only day three of no power – whether there will be that many who can get it.

Allan said it is being announced today so people can get the paperwork in place, but it is expected that the number of customers who need the support will come down from the 33,000 still without power today in the Gippsland region.

That number will continue to come down and as that number comes down, our focus has been keenly targeted on the households and communes that will be left without power for longer periods.

80 requests for assistance outstanding in Miraboo North, SES says

Tim Wiebusch from the Victorian State Emergency Service says Miraboo North still has around 80 requests for assistance, with 16 homes now uninhabitable, but that number is expected to grow.

He said he expected the need for assistance to continue over the weekend:

We’re likely to see for another two days at least requests for assistance being clear. We’re down from 5,000 requests for assistance almost back to 300 requests for assistance.

Victorian government activating prolonged outage payments to households still without power

Just going back to the Victorian press conference with the premier, Jacinta Allan. Allan says she is activating prolonged outage payments for those residents in the state who are still without power.

There were 550,000 without power at the peak, and that is now down to around 33,000 mostly within Ausnet’s region, Allan says.

The payments for those without power for 7 days or more are $1,920 per week for up to three weeks for homes, and $2,927 per week for businesses.

This is a payment funded by both the state and federal governments, Allan said.

There will also be a waiver of the waste levy for local government areas that are storm affected, Allan said.

Bonded asbestos found in mulch poses ‘low’ risk to public, authorities say

Authorities in Sydney are speaking at a press conference about the asbestos-contaminated mulch crisis across the city.

Tony Chappel, the CEO of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority, says precautionary testing across Sydney schools will determine whether there is asbestos material present.

He said it is bonded asbestos, and poses very low risk when undisturbed, and if the material can be prevented from being disturbed, the risk is minimal.

He said:

We’re continuing to work through the ultimate destination for the mulch that we have a concern may be contaminated and we’ll be providing a further update at the end of today about any additional positive results that are received.

NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty explained the risk:

I really just wanted to reiterate that asbestos causes health damage if you breathe it in.

The amount you breathe in and length of time you breathe it in over are important factors about the likelihood of getting sick.

If asbestos appears in the environment, particularly if it’s bonded and not disturbed and the air is not then full of fibres that you can breathe in, then the risk remains low, but it’s important to have a precautionary approach so that asbestos, where found, is not disturbed. But the important thing is people should be aware that you’ve got to have an exposure pathway, people need to breathe in the fibres and to be clear, the more you breathe in over a longer time, the higher the risk.

Jacinta Allan says at least 16 homes uninhabitable in Mirboo North

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking to the media from Mirboo North about storm damage across the state.

She said there has been a localised impact in Mirboo North from the storms, and there are “at least” 16 homes that are uninhabitable.

She said as assessments continue, that number is expected to grow:

[Work is under way] right now in terms of the repair work and assessing the structural damage in town and current estimates are there are at least 16 homes that have been identified as uninhabitable. That number is expected to increase as those repairs are undertaken.

The severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall is continuing in Queensland, including for the Sunshine Coast and Maroochydore and surrounds.

The Bureau of Meteorology says moderate rainfall is occurring elsewhere across south east Queensland, with a slight risk of heavy rainfall redeveloping later today.

Updated power outage figures for Victoria

Aemo has just released its latest update on the electricity outages across Victoria, after the extreme storms earlier this week.

As at 11.30am, a total of 33,796 homes and businesses remain without power across the state. A spokesperson said “it may still take days or more than a week in extreme circumstances to restore electricity to all of those impacted”.

The stats can be broken down by distributor as:

• AusNet: 32,593 without power in outer east and outer northern Melbourne, and eastern and north-eastern Victoria

• United Energy: 1,151 without power in south-east Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula

• Powercor: 43 without power in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne, and central and western Victoria

• Jemena: six without power in north-west Melbourne

• CitiPower: three without power in the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs

Overnight rainfalls reach 151mm in south-east Queensland

Earlier this morning, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for south-east Queensland.

Here are just some of the rainfall totals that were recorded overnight:

• 151 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Rosalie

• 148 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Mt Coot-tha

• 140 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Green Hill

• 135 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Brisbane

• 135 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Bowen Hills

• 134 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Toowong

• 124 mm of rainfall recorded in the 6 hours to 7 am at Gold Creek Reservoir

Taylor Swift fans say ‘the vibe in Melbourne is incredible’

Hundreds of people are already lining up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, hoping to secure some merchandise ahead of tonight’s Taylor Swift concert:

One “Swiftie” described the atmosphere in Melbourne as “incredible”, having received friendship bracelets from someone at the train station:

The vibe in Melbourne is incredible. The guy at the train station gave us all friendship bracelets. We’re about to brave the merch lines. Such an in incredible experience. I [love] Melbourne.

And this group of Swifties have arrived in Melbourne for the Eras Tour, all the way from New Zealand.

Ticket scammers pull a Swiftie

A quick search of “Taylor Swift Melbourne” on X/Twitter reveals dozens, if not hundreds, of people purporting to be selling tickets to tonight’s concert.

Ticket scams related to the Eras Tour have been rife since the Australian concerts were first announced. Between mid-June last year and 12 February, the ACCC had received 406 reports to Scamwatch regarding Taylor Swift ticket scams, with total losses of about $183,000.

Last month it warned of a social media scam, where scammers would hack social media accounts to sell fake Taylor Swift tickets to the compromised account’s friends list.

An ACCC spokesperson said:

Taylor Swift fans looking to secure last minute tickets to the Australian leg of The Eras Tour are being urged to be cautious of scammers selling fake tickets on social media.

You can read all the latest advice from Scamwatch here. Please be on alert if you’re looking for last-minute tickets!