Vanuatu climate minister says Australia ‘not doing enough’
AAP reports Ralph Regenvanu, the Vanuatu climate change minister who led a successful case to the international court of justice finding high-emitting countries have a legal duty to stop climate harm, said Australia needs to do more to tackle the warming world.
“Australia is not doing enough. Australia is a major producer of fossil fuels. We all know fossil fuels are the primary driver of the climate crisis,” Regenvanu said at the Pacific Islands Forum. He went on, per AAP:
The very least a country like Australia should be doing is stopping future expansion, and it’s not doing that.
This means a rapid transitioning away from fossil fuels and fossil fuel subsidies. There’s no other way.
The Climate Council notes the Albanese government had approved 36 new, expanded or extended coal, oil and gas projects to March 2026.
Key events
Achol Arok
Australia to deploy ‘disaster victim identification specialists’ to Nepal-Tibet border
Continuing on Wong’s press conference, the foreign affairs minister acknowledged that many Australians with loved ones missing after the disaster are anxiously waiting for more information.
I know how difficult this is, and I accept that families want more information than can be provided. What I will say is that we have done our best to engage as closely as possible with the Nepali authorities. We have engaged from a very early stage.
Wong added that “disaster victim identification specialists” are ready to be deployed to assist local authorities.
I can indicate to you that we have dedicated case officers assigned to next of kin, and we are also working closely with the Australian federal police to provide support to next of kin. This includes supporting families to understand formal identification processes should they become necessary.
Greenwich applauds local and arts efforts for ferry stop
Independent MP Alex Greenwich has commended advocacy efforts after the Minns government confirmed a new ferry stop in Sydney harbour.
The state government confirmed it will spend $5m to upgrade a pontoon to a ferry wharf over the next six months, to be running in time for summer.
It followed strong advocacy and petitioning efforts in parliament from locals and members of the arts community, Greenwich said.
The Walsh Bay ferry stop will be the third ‘ghost’ ferry stop reactivated by the NSW Labor government, following the successful reopening of stops in Balmain and Pyrmont last year.
This stop will allow residents, workers, tourists and performers to travel to and from Walsh Bay via our beautiful harbour, providing a much-needed public transport connection to this important arts and cultural precinct.
Achol Arok
Australians donate $4m for Nepal-Tibet floods
Australians have donated $4m to flood relief efforts in Nepal-Tibet, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong says, describing the show of generosity as “extraordinary”.
The donations have been received through the Emergency Action Alliance (EAA), a group of 15 leading humanitarian aid organisations in Australia who collaborate to centralise an appeal. Participating charities include Children Australia, Plan International Australia, Oxfam Australia among others.
Speaking in Adelaide, Wong said:
Australians have been extraordinary. You have donated $4m to the Emergency Action Alliance appeal and we thank you for it.
The alliance is providing critical support for recovery efforts, and the contributions being made by Australians personally and by the government are enabling the delivery of vital shelter, water, sanitation and healthcare.
Patrick Commins
What we learned from the national accounts, from EVs to European holidays
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its latest set of national accounts, which give us a snapshot of how the economy is performing in the quarter and what’s happening under the hood.
The economy is slowing, not collapsing. Growth is softening but is not disastrously slow, and there’s no sign of the collapse that many feared when the US and Israel began their attacks on Iran at the end of February, triggering a global oil shock.
Here’s what else you should know:
Vanuatu climate minister says Australia ‘not doing enough’
AAP reports Ralph Regenvanu, the Vanuatu climate change minister who led a successful case to the international court of justice finding high-emitting countries have a legal duty to stop climate harm, said Australia needs to do more to tackle the warming world.
“Australia is not doing enough. Australia is a major producer of fossil fuels. We all know fossil fuels are the primary driver of the climate crisis,” Regenvanu said at the Pacific Islands Forum. He went on, per AAP:
The very least a country like Australia should be doing is stopping future expansion, and it’s not doing that.
This means a rapid transitioning away from fossil fuels and fossil fuel subsidies. There’s no other way.
The Climate Council notes the Albanese government had approved 36 new, expanded or extended coal, oil and gas projects to March 2026.
Kat Wong
Loved ones of Australians missing in Nepal-Tibet floods fear others are turning away
Akash Venkatraman’s parents wished him a happy 22nd birthday before they left for Nepal on a spiritual pilgrimage.
Three days later, a glacial collapse sent a torrent of mud, water and debris through the Nepal-Tibet border, bursting the banks of the Trishuli River, and sweeping away homes, bridges and roads.
He hasn’t heard from them since.
In the days since losing contact, Akash has cried – as a psychology student, he knows not to repress his emotions – but he has also tried to keep going.
Read more:
Fire causes widespread damage at Tasmania power station
A large fire broke out at Tasmania’s Tungatinah power station overnight, one of 10 major stations in the state’s hydroelectric network.
The Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff, said the station was a “very important part of our hydro network, accounting for around 5% of Tasmania’s power”. He went on:
I want to assure Tasmanians that there is no risk to Tasmania’s power and energy supply.
No one was injured in the event.
Matt Lowe from Tasmania’s fire service said it was a “difficult fire” for the crews, but they did the best they could in the circumstance. Preliminary findings about the cause of the blaze could come this afternoons.
The site has a large footbridge and is in “varying stages of collapses”, he added, which complicate the matter.
Major Sydney arts precinct set to get new ferry stop
Sydney will open a new ferry stop at the city’s Walsh Bay arts precinct from next year, which is set to boost accessibility to an area featuring the Sydney Theatre Company, the Sydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance Company.
Transport NSW will begin works including a power upgrade, lighting installations and other infrastructure over the next six months. The stop would primarily be served by the Parramatta River class ferries and first fleet class ferries.
The move comes after other stops were reactived, including one at Pirrama Park in Pyrmont and a new Sydney Fish Market service set to begin next year. A stop is also planned in Rozelle Bay.
The arts minister, John Graham, said in a statement:
It’s time to match Sydney’s most iconic transport mode with the world’s most picturesque performing arts precinct.
Riding the ferry to Manly and Taronga Zoo is a bucket list experience for tourists all around the world. Now they can add Walsh Bay to the list.
The Inner West council also praised the connection of the area to the Walsh Bay precinct “in a way that never existed”.
“Along with more light rail services on the L1, and new ferry stops at Pirrama Park, Balmain West, the Sydney Fish Market and Bays West, this Walsh Bay service will connect inner west residents with the city via our beautiful waterways,” Philippa Scott, an Inner West councillor, said in a statement.
Markets price in 80% chance of RBA hike this month
Patrick Commins
Financial markets are now pricing in an 80% chance that mortgage holders will get hit with a fourth RBA rate hike at the end of this month, as investors fret that soaring oil prices will reignite inflationary pressures.
Yesterday’s national accounts confirmed Australia’s economy is slowing, but suggested it may not be slowing fast enough to ease capacity constraints that are pushing up costs and prices.
Traders are even now pricing in a 25% chance of a second hike by the end of the year – what would be the fifth for 2026.
Gavin Friend, a senior markets strategist at NAB, said “overall, the annual growth rate in GDP is tracking close to its trend rate and although household consumption has slowed, it appears to have been relatively resilient despite very weak consumer confidence”.
“For the RBA, the data confirm that growth has slowed a little from [the second half of 2025] but also suggests that growth has tracked around its trend rate over the past year,” he said.
NAB expects the RBA to hike later this month.
Marles says US-Australia alliance as relevant as ever
Richard Marles just spoke to the ABC from Washington DC, saying Australia’s alliance with the US remains as relevant today “as it ever has” in a “very challenging” environment.
Marles has been meeting with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth. He was asked if he believes president Donald Trump’s ongoing conflict with Iran and the US’s posturing towards other countries had affected Australian’s trust in the two country’s relationship. He said:
Our alliance with the United States is something that’s been built over decades. It really does transcend governments of the day.
Our collaboration as two defence forces is really central to providing deterrence and building peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, which is ultimately what underwrites every Australians’ safety.
The alliance is as relevant today in a very challenging and difficult world as it has ever been, and it’s profoundly important that we are making sure that it continues to evolve and to grow and to meet the circumstances of the moment. And that’s what we’re doing.
Taylor says degree of balance ‘always a good thing’ after Canavan’s comments on ‘feminisation’ of school curriculum
Angus Taylor was also asked on the ABC this morning about the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, who said yesterday the “feminisation” of school curriculum had led to the rise of “manosphere” content.
The opposition leader said he was “worried” about politicisation in schools, which he didn’t want to see in curriculums. When asked about Canavan’s suggestion that there should be more male teachers to give young boys more “role models” in school, Taylor said:
I think having a degree of balance is always a good thing. And that’s true, that’s true in everything.
Marles meets US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington
Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, met with his US counterpart, secretary of war Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon in Washington DC overnight.
A readout of the meeting released by the US says the pair spoke about the 75th anniversary of the Anzus treaty and “how both nations will continue to advance the alliance and strengthen deterrence in the Pacific”.
The US said both leaders “agreed to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases, bolster cooperation in combined logistics, and build greater interoperability through joint exercises”.
They also discussed joint efforts to increase capacity for guided weapons and “next-generation capabilities”. They also spoke about advancements surrounding the Aukus submarine deal.
Taylor ‘very confident’ tobacco excise cut would destroy model enriching organised crime
Angus Taylor, the opposition leader, is also out stumping the new Coalition tobacco policies.
He said the opposition is “very confident” that a significant, 80% cut in the tobacco excise would “destroy the business model” of organised crime.
“I understand business and this is sadly a bad business that we have to destroy,” Taylor said.
He went on to say the “horse has bolted” already and Australia’s the “worst of all worlds right now” with rising smoking rates and rising crime.
