On the Hawkesbury River, the floods clean-up begins
Caitlin Cassidy
If it weren’t for a helicopter hovering overhead there’d be few indicators that western Sydney had been lashed with floods whereas heading down the Hume motorway on Friday morning.
Blue skies had lastly hit the area, as strings of emergency autos flocked to Windsor the place the Hawkesbury River was starting to recede.
Nearer in, although, mud slicks, closed roads and shuttered retailers have been a reminder of the torrential rainfall that had lingered in Sydney because the weekend. And, because the water dries, the clear up begins.
In Windsor’s predominant drag, strings of ADF crew walked the streets alongside drained SES volunteers, sat on the banks of the river, watching it move.
The river peaked above the foremost March 2022 flood degree of 13.8 metres on Tuesday, however was now sitting at 9.18 metres and falling slowly. The Bureau mentioned it was prone to fall under the reasonable flood degree of seven metres on Saturday.
A plaque on the aspect of the Macquarie Resort pays testomony to the 1867 floods, when water licked on the predominant avenue. The pub had been saved from any harm this time round, however locals agreed July 2022 had been the worst floods of their current reminiscence.
Down on the river financial institution, Melanie Woods was carting mud-drenched belongings from the underside story of her home, as her kids mopped the flooring, donned in knee-high gumboots.
Key occasions:
Truthful Work Fee set to rule on NSW rail industrial motion tomorrow
AAP is reporting that we received’t know whether or not the NSW authorities has received a bid to halt industrial motion that has disrupted the state’s practice community for 2 weeks till tomorrow.
The state authorities on Friday squared off towards the Rail, Tram and Bus Union on the Truthful Work Fee after earlier within the week dropping an preliminary bid to dam the motion.
Whereas it was hoped a remaining choice can be handed down on Friday, a union spokeswoman instructed AAP the fee was now anticipated do give its ruling on Saturday.
Kangaroo rescued from flood water in Maitland
Authorities should intervene in Julian Assange case, Andrew Wilkie says
The impartial MP Andrew Wilkie has hit again at claims Australia has no authorized grounds to intervene within the case of Julian Assange, AAP studies.
Wilkie, a former intelligence analyst and a distinguished advocate for Assange, says the matter may very well be solved rapidly at a political degree:
Governments and politicians have gotten to cease hiding behind the excuse of the Julian Assange matter being a authorized matter.
It has at all times been an intensely political matter.
His feedback come after the previous lawyer normal George Brandis mentioned Australia had no authorized grounds in Assange’s case.
Brandis mentioned:
Australia wasn’t a celebration to the proceedings and had no standing to intervene within the proceedings.
It was authorized proceedings in a British courtroom between the federal government of america and a personal citizen. We’d not intervene in these proceedings.
Wilkie says the matter may very well be solved with a telephone name from the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to the US or UK:
This has gone on lengthy sufficient, it’s time to place it to an finish.
I don’t doubt that Australia has sufficient affect to carry this to an finish, we underestimate ourselves to suppose in any other case, and we’re shut allies of each nations.
A chilly entrance will hit south-west Western Australia tomorrow, bringing showers and doable storms.
Covid reinfection window decreased from 12 weeks to twenty-eight days
The Australian Well being Safety Principal Committee (AHPPC) has launched an announcement on the state of the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia, by which it advises to scale back the window persons are deemed to not have been reinfected with Covid-19 from 12 weeks to twenty-eight days.
It means should you catch Covid once more 4 weeks after the final time, it needs to be counted as a brand new transmission.
The AHPPC mentioned:
Given reinfections might happen as early as 28 days after restoration from a earlier Covid-19 an infection, the AHPPC advises that the reinfection interval be decreased from 12 weeks to twenty-eight days. Individuals who check optimistic to Covid-19 greater than 28 days after ending isolation as a result of earlier an infection needs to be reported and managed as new circumstances.
The AHPPC mentioned BA.4 and BA.5 turning into the predominant strains in Australia means there might be reinfections amongst those that have been contaminated with Covid earlier than, and those that are updated on vaccinations.
Amanda Meade
The times of stacking the ABC board and its nominations panel with captain’s picks could also be over. The Labor authorities has pledged to ensure ABC board members are appointed on the idea of experience in a clear and neutral approach and are capable of function independently, the brand new minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, mentioned.
Learn extra in The Weekly Beast:
Victorians suggested to guide fourth Covid shot with GP or pharmacy
For these in Victoria who need to guide their fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the state well being division has suggested folks to guide together with your native GP or pharmacy relatively than going to the state-run vaccination centres.
From Monday, folks aged 30 and over will have the ability to get a fourth jab, in the event that they so select, with Atagi recommending the fourth dose to folks aged 50 and over.
The Victorian well being division says the state-run vaccination centres at the moment are focused for communities most vulnerable to severe sickness from Covid-19, resembling these 65 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 50 and over, folks with compromised immunity and folks with a incapacity.
David Elliott criticised for abroad vacation in center of rail dispute
The NSW opposition has slammed the state’s transport minister for taking a vacation whereas an industrial dispute between the federal government and rail union disrupts practice providers for a second straight week, AAP studies.
The Labor chief, Chris Minns, on Friday criticised the transport minister, David Elliott, who has beforehand vowed to resign if he doesn’t ship on guarantees to handle union considerations, for leaving the nation throughout the disaster.
Elliott is holidaying in Europe together with his spouse after having his depart delayed a number of instances.
Nonetheless, Minns mentioned the answer to the dispute was for either side to enter a locked room that nobody left till an final result was achieved.
“That may’t occur should you soar on an aeroplane and depart earlier than negotiations have been finalised,” he mentioned.
Elliott would reply to the criticisms when he returned from depart, his workplace confirmed to AAP.
A end result on the Truthful Work Fee is predicted on Friday afternoon.
Australia’s Antarctic analysis ship out of motion
Australia’s $529m Antarctic resupply and analysis vessel will seemingly be out of motion for the 2022-23 season as a result of a delay in sourcing spare elements, AAP studies.
The Australian Antarctic Division says it has “moved swiftly” to regulate delivery plans to the frozen continent and is assessing implications for scientific tasks.
The RSV Nuyina arrived in Singapore in April for scheduled upkeep and was due again in Hobart in October forward of summer time.
The Antarctic Division director, Kim Ellis, mentioned works included enhancements to the icebreaker’s hydraulic management system inside the propulsion system clutches.
“Whereas work has been progressing nicely on the clutches, an sudden challenge was found within the massive couplings that join the propulsion shafts with the clutches,” he mentioned in an announcement on Friday:
Following preliminary investigations and testing, the producer has decided that shaft couplings must be changed.
Supply time frames for alternative couplings are prolonged, pushed to a big extent by materials shortages and provide chain points.
Nuyina, which undertook its first two Antarctic voyages earlier this yr, is unlikely to be prepared for the approaching 2022-23 season, Ellis mentioned.
The change-over dates for the 90 expeditioners residing and dealing on the 4 Australian analysis stations in Antarctica and on Macquarie Island will stay a lot the identical, he mentioned.