Australia news live: Dutton says PM ‘completely out of his depth’ in regards to Chinese ships; unprecedented marine heatwave affecting WA deep sea

Tory Shepherd

Senate estimates continuing to look at how much notice China gave of live firing

Let’s circle back to the Senate estimates hearing for the department of defence, foreign affairs and trade, where the next brouhaha has been over how much notice China should have given on its live firing exercise.

The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, said defence gives a timeframe of 24 to 48 hours, while Dfat has said 12 to 24 hours. He’s suggested Australia might have given the wrong advice to China on how much notice is expected. But Dfat official Elly Lawson said:

We are certain, our clear position is that China did not follow international best practice.

And she’ll check on those timeframes.

Wong said there are different timeframes for different sorts of exercises. She noted defence minister Richard Marles has framed it as 12 to 24 hours, and sometimes 48.

(Marles told ABC radio this morning that “at the end of the day, we would, in a live firing event, be giving 12 to 24, sometimes 48 hours’ notice”).

Paterson should put the different circumstances to the chief of the defence force, Wong said. Lawson said she would have to ask Defence to clarify.

Wong said the notice has to be given in good time for transparency, and also to not cause undue alarm or commercial disruption (in response to a question from Paterson about flight disruptions).

Benita Kolovos

Victorian government to look ‘street by street’ for unused space in Yarra and Melbourne

Jacinta Allan has explained the two local councils the government has identified as activity zones – Yarra and Melbourne – will take a different approach to the other areas.

The process with those municipalities is we’re going to run a ruler over those municipalities, knowing that there is unused space, available space right across those two municipalities.

Now there’s already quite a bit of height in those municipalities, so we’ll be going street by street, block by block, looking at where we can, with those councils, unlock that unused space that’s sitting there, particularly space that is close to those great public transport connections.

Benita Kolovos

For reference, here is a complete list of the 25 locations

• Caulfield Station

• Springvale Station

• Noble Park Station

• Yarraman Station

• Dandenong Station

• Glen Huntly Station

• Ormond Station

• Bentleigh Station

• Mentone Station

• South Yarra Station

• Prahran Station

• Windsor Station

• Elsternwick Station

• Ashburton Station Riversdale & Willison Stations

• East Malvern Station

• Holmesglen Station

• Coburg Station

• Brunswick Station

• Heidelberg Station

• High St, Thornbury (tram corridor)

• St Georges Rd (tram corridor)

• Kew Junction (tram corridor)

• Inner City (City of Melbourne)

• Inner City (Yarra)

Benita Kolovos

Allan addressing media on 25 locations selected for increased housing density

Let’s go back to Victoria, where the premier, Jacinta Allan, has begun speaking.

Allan said the 25 locations have been chosen due to their proximity to public transport, which has been upgraded via the removal of level crossings and the creation of the Metro Tunnel, allowing for more services to run.

It just makes sense to build more homes close to these stations, close to these existing services, because they’re also close to jobs, to schools and other opportunities that families look for when they’re looking at buying a home.

Allan said she’s also bracing for opposition to the plan, as there was in October.

We know the fear-mongers will be coming, and we know that they’ll be saying, ‘Don’t build more homes.’ They want to say, stick with the status quo. Well, those fear mongers have picked a side. And I say this to young Victorians, I say this to working families, they’ve picked a side, and it’s not yours. My government, we are on the side of Victorians wanting to find a home, wanting to find an affordable home … in exactly the right location for them and their family.

The prime minister has labelled comments made about the Matildas by Marty Sheargold has “shocking” and “completely unacceptable.”

Sheargold has departed Triple M after being condemned for comments he made about the Matildas, saying he “would rather hammer a nail through the head of [his] penis” than watch Australia’s national women’s football team in next year’s Asian Cup.

Speaking on Nova 100 radio earlier, Anthony Albanese said the “Tillies are just legends” who brought the country together. He went on, and said:

[Sheargold] also made some comments as well about endo not being real. You know, we need to respect each other, and disrespecting more than half the population is not on … It’s just not funny. It’s offensive.

And these are great athletes, like they performed so well to get to the Semis in the World Cup, but even if they didn’t, so what! They’re doing their best, and they’re great athletes, and they’re better footballers than all the blokes who’d be critiquing them, frankly.

Albanese said the Matildas have been “more successful historically than our men’s team have been.”

Benita Kolovos

More from the Victorian government’s plan to increase housing density

Last year, Jacinta Allan announced the plan to overhaul of planning rules in 50 inner-Melbourne areas, to allow for “taller buildings” of between 10 and 20 storeys near the stations and “gentle, scaled height limits and more low-rise apartments and townhouses” of between three and six storeys alongside exisiting homes in the “walkable catchments” surrounding them.

The government said in these catchments, which will be up to 800 metres from the stations, the rights of residents to appeal development “will not change and heritage and landscape overlays will stay in place”. However, residents could lose the power to appeal developments closer to stations.

The plan led to immediate pushback from residents and the Coalition opposition who, at the time, had the majority of centres in their electorates. Several of the new zones to be announced shortly are located in Labor electorates.

Benita Kolovos

Allan to announce final 25 locations Victorian government will target for increased housing density

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and the planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, are about to hold a press conference in Noble Park, in Melbourne’s south-east, to announce the final 25 locations where it plans to seize planning control to allow for greater density.

A map on display at the press conference shows two entire local government areas – the City of Melbourne and Yarra – are included as “inner-city activity centres”, which appears to be a broadening of the scope of the plan.

The map also shows Bentleigh, Ormond, Glenhuntly, Caulfield and Ormond, on the Frankston train line, are to become activity zones, as well as Elsternwick, Prahran and Windsor on the neighbouring Sandringham line, and the South Yarra station interchange connecting the two rail lines.

In the north, Coburg and Brunswick have been added to list, as well as Kew Junction, Willison and Riversdale in the inner east, and Ashburton, Homesglen and East Malvern a little further out.

In the south-east, Springvale, Noble Park, Dandenong and Yarraman have also been designated activity zones.

Where does the RBA sit on future rate cuts?

Krishani Dhanji

It’s the question everyone around the country is asking – after a rate cut in February, when will we see another?

The deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, has told Senate estimates the Reserve Bank’s mission to bring down inflation is “on track” but there’s more to be done.

Central banks never declare mission accomplished but so far appears on track … We hope and expect that we will receive more further positive news, but we do need to see it before I think we feel confident that further removal of restrictiveness is appropriate.

Hauser was also asked about the impact of US tariffs and global uncertainty on the economy, and on the bank’s decision to cut rates in February. He said it was considered by a few board members, including himself.

He also noted the impact of uncertainty could lead to delays in investment in the economy:

If things remain as uncertain as they are currently then perhaps they’ll [businesses] delay their investment projects … just to see how things pan out.

‘Unprecedented’ marine heatwave affecting WA deep sea

Donna Lu

An “unprecedented” marine heatwave off the coast of Western Australia, which has caused coral bleaching at Ningaloo Reef and mass fish kills, extends down to deep sea waters, new analysis suggests.

Waters off much of the state’s north-west have experienced a prolonged heatwave since September. Dr Jessica Benthuysen, an oceanographer from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, said:

Monitoring shows the warm temperatures are not confined to just surface waters and have reached to at least 300 metres in the past few months, which has helped the extreme event to remain for such an extended period.

The temperatures reached unprecedented levels through December and January. In mid-to late January we saw warm waters exceeding 3C above normal along the shelf from the southern Pilbara to Ningaloo and Shark Bay.

Benthuysen added that though southerly winds had provided recent relief at Ningaloo, water temperatures were already “well above” what was expected in March or April, when waters tend to be warmest.

Tory Shepherd

Wong says China gave notice of firing exercise but not in accordance with best practice

There has been some hectic semantics in estimates about whether, and when, China gave notice about its live-firing exercise in the Tasman Sea.

The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, said there’s an inconsistency between the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, saying China gave notice and others saying China did not give notice.

China gave notice, but it wasn’t in accordance with best practice, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said (a commercial aircraft raised the alarm first). Dfat official Elly Lawson added:

It was not a formal notice to mariners, so it was not given directly to Australia or New Zealand.

Tory Shepherd

Paterson describes handling of Chinese ships issue as ‘shambolic’

Circling back to the foreign affairds minister, Penny Wong, who has been appearing before Senate estimates: The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, has been hyper-focused on who knew what, and when, in regards to the Chinese ships.

He’s digging into the time at which Wong was notified about the live-firing incident (it was about half an hour after the transport minister was notified, he said).

Wong said he asked the same questions yesterday, and referred him to those answers:

I think you are engaging in politicisation of this event for your own political purposes. And I think people can see that.

Paterson says the handling of the issue has been “shambolic”. He also has a back-and-forth with officials over the whereabouts of the taskforce. It’s 548km west of Hobart, he is told, and officials add there are regular updates on the defence website.

If too much taskforce talk is barely enough, you can follow those updates here.

Caitlin Cassidy

$44m announced for boarding schools in remote First Nations communities

The federal government has announced a $44m investment towards boarding schools that cater to First Nations students in remote communities.

It follows ongoing lobbying from independent providers, who cater to First Nations boarders, warning schools were at risk of closing after the commonwealth’s grants program was discontinued in the 2024-25 budget.

More than 50 boarding providers will share in the latest funding, expected to support about 2,500 First Nations students to graduate high school with upgrades to facilities and tech, employment of First Nations teachers and wellbeing officers or counsellors trained in trauma-informed care.

The minister for education, Jason Clare, said investing in boarding facilities helped First Nations students access quality education and finish school.

The government understands the importance of choice for families in supporting their children through their education and options to study on-Country, or nearby where possible. Boarding continues to be an important education pathway for First Nations students, particularly for families in remote areas.

Krishani Dhanji

Deputy RBA governor fronting Senate estimates

Sticking with Senate estimates, the Reserve Bank of Australia is in the spotlight this morning – but the governor, Michele Bullock, isn’t in the hot seat. She’s over at a G20 meeting, so the deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, is taking her place.

Liberal senator Dean Smith is trying to get a peek behind the curtain on when and how the board makes decisions on the cash rate.

Hauser says that decision is generally made on Tuesday morning – so the board first meets on Monday afternoon, then takes the evening to ponder. That decision is then revealed at 2.30pm on the Tuesday.

Hauser is also asked about whether the board will vote on rates decisions when new RBA reforms come into effect (at the moment the board makes a decision based on consensus rather than a formal vote). Hauser says the bank is looking at how other central banks operate before settling on a model of voting v consensus or somewhere in the middle.

Tory Shepherd

Wong outlines further details on who knew what, when, about Chinese firing exercises

Continuing from our last post: Penny Wong has described China’s live-firing in the Tasman Sea as “unsafe and unprofessional”.

She told Senate estimates that Defence had monitored the Chinese task group and that commercial aircraft had issued an alert about the live firing, as had New Zealand (although she didn’t mention the exact timing of these alerts).

The government asked China for an explanation within hours, Wong said, adding that she made direct representations to her counterpart, Wang Yi, and made it clear that the activities “did not meet our expectations and was of deep concern”, she said.

Wong said some politicians “seem to be insinuating” that Australia is responsible for China not giving notice.

We now see gunboat diplomacy being added to the litany of war talk from the opposition. Such rhetoric does not make Australia safer.

She said reckless political point-scoring had implications at home, importing hatred and division. She said “we all want to end the scourge of antisemitism, of Islamophobia and of violence extremism” and called for the temperature to be dialled down.

Wong says world facing ‘growing challenges’ amid Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan conflicts

Tory Shepherd

Australia faces a “world of growing challenges”, of unpredictability and the “devastating human toll” of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has told Senate estimates.

Wong outlined those challenges before accusing the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, of reckless political point scoring and “gunboat diplomacy”. In her opening statement to the hearing for the department of defence, foreign affairs, and trade, she said:

Each day, our assumptions are being tested. Malign actors continue to engage in sabotage and terrorism. Bullies threaten to use nuclear weapons. Authoritarianism is spreading. Some countries are shifting alignment.

Wong said the changing climate, opaque military build ups, inflation and trade disruptions were also challenges.

Australians don’t want “reckless political gain from people who claim to be leaders”, she said, accusing the previous government of leaving a “massive vacuum” in the Pacific.

Dutton once said it was “inconceivable” we would go to war, but he “is going to keep beating the drums of war”, she said.

Josh Butler

Dutton continues to defend purchase of bank shares

Continuing from our last post: Peter Dutton was asked whether he had learned anything about the package from then-opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull, and responded:

I’ve conducted myself with integrity my whole life. I have never made an investment decision based on insider information or insider knowledge. I mean, why would I do that, and then knowing that the shares are all disclosable?

I saw an opportunity to invest, as I’m sure many other Australians did at the time, with banks that had strong balance sheets, and because of global instability, particularly in the US, that the bank share price was depressed at the time. My judgment was that it was a good investment to make. I disclosed it all. I didn’t do with any insider information and that’s the reality of it.

Dutton claimed he simply “took a punt” on the stocks he bought.

Like, as I say, many other Australians would have looked at blue chip stocks and thought, you know, they’re down a lot at the moment. There’s nothing wrong with them. The problem is emanating out of the US, and you know, I made a decision to invest and disclose at all.