TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- At least one person has died in floodwaters in far northern Queensland;
- Canada announces retaliatory tariffs on the United States;
- And in cricket, Alyssa Healy vows to lead Australia through the O-D-I World Cup defence.
One person has died in floodwaters after an SES boat capsized in the far northern Queensland town of Ingham.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is urging residents not to take any risks during his latest update update on the flooding.
Over 2000 people in the area around Ingham are currently without power after authorities shut the power station down.
Residents are being told it is now too late to leave their properties if they have not yet evacuated.
Mr Crisafulli says residents must take the warnings seriously.
"If it is possible. Please go with family and friends. Ultimately, that's the best place to be. There are evacuation centers that have been open for those people who don't have access to that, one in Heatly and one at the Townsville sports precinct. They are open, and we're asking you to go there by midday, but if you do have access to family and friends, please take that option. "
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Residents in the Grampians are being told to evacuate as heatwave conditions are expected to worsen a bushfire that has been burning for almost a week.
An emergency warning has been issued for the small farming community of Mirranatwa in the Grampians National Park as the bushfire moves south.
Temperatures in Victoria are expected to reach the high 30's and early 40's between Sunday and Tuesday.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says emergency workers are battling the flames tirelessly.
"There's something like 600 personnel who have been working on that fire, and remembering too that this is a fire that has been going in the Grampians since the 16th of December. So we thank the huge effort that's gone on from the emergency services for a number of weeks now."
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The government has announced a $6 million investment in transitional housing for women fleeing domestic violence in Brisbane's south.
This is part of Labor's $1.2 billion investment in crisis and transitional housing.
Housing Minister Clare O'Neill says this funding is just one part of Labor's broader commitment to building more homes for Australians to address the nation's housing crisis.
"We know that Australian women say the main reason they don't leave a violent relationship is because they don't have safe housing to go to. And our government is making this investment to ensure we can address this problem. Family violence is a scourge on our society, and that's why our government has taken such strong action over the last three years to deliver more crisis and transitional housing for women who desperately need it."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has again intervened to remove plans for a federal environmental protection agency from this week's draft Senate program.
Following backlash from miners and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, Mr Albanese has stepped in to delay debate on the legislation until after the election.
The Greens says it's unwilling to support an environmental protection agency without a blanket ban on native logging, which the Coalition opposes.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the government must work harder to protect nature.
"The prime minister has again caved to the vested interests of the WA mining industry and Gina Reinhardt, and how many times do we need to see this bad film? How many times do we need to see the Labor Party go weak at the knees because the fossil fuel industry and Gina Reinhardt says boo."
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To cricket now,
Alyssa Healy has vowed to captain Australia's One Day International World Cup defence but says she is uncertain about her future beyond this year's tournament.
Still dealing with a stress injury in her right foot, Healy is enjoying the spoils of landing the first women's Ashes whitewash*.
After missing the Twenty20 portion of the Ashes, Healy has played as a batter-only in Australia's innings and defeat of England in the historic Test.
The 34-year-old was unsure if she was to feature in the pink-ball match right up until the toss due to her injury.
