For today’s news updates as they happen, follow us here.
For today’s news updates as they happen, follow us here.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has backed the federal government’s pick of Australian golfing legend Greg Norman to join the Brisbane 2032 organising committee board.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese nominated Norman to join the 24-person board as one of the federal governments representatives, replacing Moreton backbencher Graham Perrett, who is retiring from politics at the upcoming election.
While Norman’s sporting experience and business acumen were cited as driving factors in his appointment, there may also be some geopolitics at play – Norman is known to have the ear of US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at Maryborough this morning, Crisafulli said Norman was “one of Queensland’s greats” as he welcomed him to the board.
“When he speaks, people listen and we look forward to him helping us shine a spotlight on what will be a really great project for this state,” he said.
“We’ve taken steps to get that show back on the road. We’ve taken the steps to make sure that Queenslanders see that there will be generational infrastructure for every part of Queensland, that there will be a plan to make sure that every part of Queensland can benefit.
“And to have the ‘Great White Shark’ on board? It’s great.”
All big four banks now believe the Reserve Bank will slice official interest rates when it meets for the first time this year on February 17 and 18.
After this week’s better-than-expected inflation figures, which showed inflation down to a near four-year low of 2.4 per cent, Westpac joined the ANZ and Commonwealth banks in expecting the RBA to cut the cash rate to 4.1 per cent next month.
This morning, the NAB – which had been expecting a rate cut in May – joined the February rate change club.
“The fourth-quarter consumer price index confirms that inflation has moderated more quickly than the RBA expected and sets up a likely downward revision to the inflation profile in the February statement on monetary policy,” NAB chief economist Alan Oster said.
“This now makes February the most likely starting point for a gradual easing in interest rates.”
An ongoing concern for the RBA and many economists has been the strength of the jobs market. Unemployment is still at 4 per cent, with more than 440,000 jobs created over the past year.
Oster said the jobs market would not prevent a rate cut.
“While the labour market remains strong, we do not see current conditions as inflationary. However, the RBA’s growing confidence will need to come in part from a reassessment of tightness in the labour market,” he said.
NAB believes the RBA will be gradual with its rate cuts. It expects the cash rate to edge down to 3.1 per cent by February next year.
Maritime Safety Queensland and a sea pilot company failed to identify and plan for the risk of floods causing moored ships to break free, an investigation has found.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Thursday handed down its findings into two separate incidents where container ships broke free at the Port of Brisbane during the 2002 floods.
In both incidents, strong currents after high rainfall wreaked havoc when other ships passed by and moored ahead of the ships, causing them to break away from the wharves.
It found MSQ, the regulator, and the Poseidon Sea Pilots were ill-prepared for such events, creating a safety issue, but had since improved their extreme weather planning.
“These breakaways highlight the importance of robust, properly structured and clearly defined emergency and risk management arrangements for managing port shipping movements outside of normal operating conditions,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
“Such arrangements must facilitate accurate assessment of all the available information by the involved parties and provide for adequate assessment of all potential risks.”
A popular riverside venue will reopen months earlier than first thought after a freak storm ripped the roof off.
The Officers Mess, a repurposed World War II-era US naval base, had parts of its roof ripped off at the height of the storm about 7.50pm last Friday.
General manager Alex Sey, who initially feared they would be out of action for three months, said they had made the best of a bad situation and would be able to reopen tomorrow.
But it will be a more open experience for patrons – the devastated space has, through necessity, been transformed into an al fresco dining area, with tables, umbrellas and fairy lights.
“After a catastrophic event where, miraculously, no one was seriously injured or killed, we have worked around the clock with our incredible team, suppliers, and contractors to be able to open less than seven days after the event,” Sey said.
“We are so proud of our team members who not only averted disaster but have rallied together to bring Officers Mess back to life.
“Having only opened several months ago, we quickly became a part of the fabric of New Farm and can’t wait to continue to serve our community by providing quality products in a family-friendly environment enjoying unparalleled views of the Brisbane River.”
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has backed the federal government’s pick of Australian golfing legend Greg Norman to join the Brisbane 2032 organising committee board.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese nominated Norman to join the 24-person board as one of the federal governments representatives, replacing Moreton backbencher Graham Perrett, who is retiring from politics at the upcoming election.
While Norman’s sporting experience and business acumen were cited as driving factors in his appointment, there may also be some geopolitics at play – Norman is known to have the ear of US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at Maryborough this morning, Crisafulli said Norman was “one of Queensland’s greats” as he welcomed him to the board.
“When he speaks, people listen and we look forward to him helping us shine a spotlight on what will be a really great project for this state,” he said.
“We’ve taken steps to get that show back on the road. We’ve taken the steps to make sure that Queenslanders see that there will be generational infrastructure for every part of Queensland, that there will be a plan to make sure that every part of Queensland can benefit.
“And to have the ‘Great White Shark’ on board? It’s great.”
The Australian Human Rights Commission is concerned Queensland’s “pause” on hormone therapy for young people with gender dysphoria goes against medical advice and will put lives at risk.
Under the immediate restrictions announced by Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Tuesday, any existing patients receiving puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone therapy will be allowed to continue.
But hormone therapy will no longer be offered to new patients in state facilities. At the end of December, 448 people were on the service waiting list.
On Thursday, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody said “a fundamental human right is access to healthcare, and gender-affirming healthcare is part of this right”.
“Trans and gender-diverse children and young people should feel supported to affirm their gender by the adults in their lives and healthcare providers,” Cody said in a statement.
“This pause has the potential to harm the physical and mental wellbeing of children in Queensland who are currently awaiting care.
“We note that these treatments are supported by evidence and the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents that are endorsed by medical experts.”
Premier David Crisafulli said on Wednesday the government was intervening out of concern for “the wellbeing and safety of Queensland kids” and to review the evidence around hormone therapy.
Northern Australia is being battered by heavy rainfall and flooding as two tropical lows linger off the Queensland coastline, and may yet escalate to cyclones.
Tully, Innisfail and Gordonvale were hit by up to 250mm of rain last night into this morning, while Mackay received around 150mm.
Areas around Cairns can expect rain to ease today, but showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop in the afternoon further south in Bowen and Mackay, with the potential for flash flooding.
A tropical low off the coast of Cairns is behind the heavy rainfall, but senior meteorologist Jonathan How said it will start to move away over the next three days, and is less likely to develop into a cyclone.
“The chance of this system becoming a tropical cyclone over the weekend has fallen from 25 per cent and is now back to 15 per cent,” he said on Thursday.
There are still four other tropical lows across northern Australia including one in the Gulf of Carpentaria, one offshore of Queensland in the Coral Sea and two in Western Australia that could become cyclones.
How said the tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria still has a 25 per cent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone from Sunday, and is forecast to bring heavy rainfall and flooding between Townsville and Cairns.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said he enjoyed a “very warm” conversation with newly appointed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was confirmed to the role by the US Senate last week with the smallest possible margin.
Hegseth rejected allegations of sexual assault and aggressive drunkenness put to him in a fiery Senate confirmation hearing last week, where he also faced claims of infidelity. He required the tie-breaking vote of Vice-President J.D. Vance for his nomination to be confirmed.
While refusing to go into detail about the meeting, Marles told ABC Radio National that Hegseth was “very positive” about the AUKUS security deal, and noted a “sense of common purpose” between the two leaders.
“From my point of view, what was really clear in the words of secretary Hegseth to me, was an intention to maintain American leadership in the world in terms of supporting a rules-based order,” Marles said.
“I think Australians can have a sense of confidence that the alliance is going to be maintained in the way you would expect between this government and the Trump administration.
“We live in a world where there are any challenges that are understood by those in the Trump administration, and they mean to maintain American leadership in the world, and that is a very good thing.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said he and other parliamentary colleagues will be briefed on the discovery of explosives in a Dural caravan today, after the development was made public yesterday afternoon.
Appearing on ABC’s News Breakfast this morning, Chalmers condemned the antisemitism “which is unfortunately becoming a feature all too frequently in our communities”, but was reluctant to weigh into the decision to keep the caravan discovery secret for 10 days.
Chalmers wouldn’t say if the caravan discovery would trigger another snap meeting of national cabinet, saying such a decision was “in the hands” of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
For the latest on the investigation into the explosives, and three examples of antisemitic graffiti in Sydney overnight, follow the developing story here.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal government is “not getting carried away” by the encouraging inflation update released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, which found headline inflation fell to 2.4 per cent in the December quarter while the underlying figure slipped to 3.2 per cent.
Chalmers refused to be drawn on how the inflation figures might influence the timing of the federal election, due by May, telling Today that that would be a matter for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“My focus has been on inflation, and what we saw yesterday was very welcome,” Chalmers said.
“It was really encouraging because we made more substantial and sustained progress on every measurable front when it comes to inflation. And we’re encouraged by that, not because we think that these cost of living pressures have disappeared, but because they are easing.”
The inflation figures have accelerated calls by some economists for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates at its next meeting on February 17 and 18.
A Brisbane music venue’s fight against the construction of more than 1000 apartments next door has landed in court.
The Triffid in Newstead – part-owned by former Powderfinger bassist John Collins – is attempting to overturn or amend approval of an adjacent $1.5 billion three-tower project.
Its owners argue the “long-established and successful live music venue” should not be put in jeopardy by potential noise complaints from new residents.
Lawyers for both parties appeared in the Queensland Environmental and Planning Court in the Brisbane CBD yesterday, revealing they had been trying to resolve the issue outside court.
“There have been discussions … and they’re heading in the right direction, but I don’t know if I’m as optimistic [as the developer],” Triffid representative Michael Connor said.
Acoustic specialists have been sought to draft a report on venue’s potential impact.
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