Key events
The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, is giving more details about that flood warning system speaking to ABC Radio:
We need to be able to read them remotely, particularly dangerous times.
…The better the flood gauges, the more warning we can give to communities and to emergency services personnel about approaching floodwaters
Plibersek says the aim of updating the gages would be to give people more warning, after one of the biggest criticisms from the 2022 Lismore floods was the inadequacy of the warnings people were given.
Daniel Hurst
Queensland will be given the highest priority in a new federal government program to upgrade flood warning systems, while other states will also be pressed to share the costs.
In the budget last Tuesday, the Albanese government announced it would provide $236m over 10 years to fix high-priority flood warning infrastructure. Under the program, the Bureau of Meteorology will “acquire, upgrade and integrate local and state government-owned rain and river gauges into its existing flood warning network”.
The government today announced more details about the program:
Based on the advice of the Bureau of Meteorology, work in Queensland will be prioritised. This is due to the high flood risk to the community in Australia’s most disaster-prone state and the Queensland government’s prior commitment to share the cost of ongoing operations of the flood gauge network.
The government’s statement said the federal funding would “ensure high priority catchment upgrades can begin in every state and territory across Australia, if successful cost sharing arrangements are agreed to”.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said severe weather events, including floods, were becoming more extreme and more frequent, and people needed access to the best available information in real time.
The emergency management minister, Murray Watt, said the Coalition had “ignored calls to show national leadership and upgrade and maintain flood gauges in high-risk communities”.
The government is also working on phone alert emergency warning systems, as Josh Butler reported recently:
Daniel Hurst
Opposition accuses Don Farrell of returning from China trip empty-handed
The Coalition has accused the trade minister, Don Farrell, of coming back from China empty-handed.
Farrell said after talks with the Chinese commerce minister, Wang Wentao, in Beijing late on Friday that he was “very pleased to confirm that we agreed to step up dialogue … to resolve our outstanding issues”.
But there were no concrete announcements of breakthroughs for particular sectors that are still suffering from steep tariffs or other restrictions, including Australian wine and seafood.
The Nationals MP Kevin Hogan, who is the shadow trade minister, expressed “deep disappointment that the trade minister’s visit to China has not delivered any relief from China’s punitive, unfair, and illegal trade sanctions on Australia exports”. Hogan said in a statement:
I publicly supported the trade minister’s visit to China as a positive step in the trade relationship thaw but nevertheless, join the many exporters who are disappointed that it delivered no dividend in sanction relief.
Despite the diplomatic dispute reaching its peak in 2020, Hogan said the Coalition government at the time had “never wanted to stop talking to the Chinese government”. China effectively banned high-level talks shortly after the Morrison government’s call for a Covid origins inquiry.
If you missed the news on Farrell’s China trip, see the full story here:
Liberals and Greens ‘should get out of the way’ of Labor housing bill, Collins says
The housing minister, Julie Collins, has warned Liberal and Greens senators to get out of the government’s way as it tries to solve the housing crisis.
Speaking to ABC News this morning after the $10bn housing future fund bill was blocked when parliament met last week, Collins said:
I would say to Liberal senators and Greens senators: we took this to the last election, we’re trying to legislate it and they should get out of the way, because there’s so many people in Australia today relying on those homes. There’s too many Australians doing it tough that need us to get on with the job.
Business council report urges penalties for not meeting housing targets
States and territories should be given financial penalties for failing to meet housing targets, according to a proposal by business groups.
A new report by the Business Council of Australia has recommended national housing targets should be tied to population growth forecasts.
The report said the targets should then lead to actions state or territory governments could take to meet demand.
Under the proposal, jurisdictions that met housing targets would get financial incentives, while those that didn’t would be penalised for failing to meet it. The report said:
This will provide a direct link, with specific incentives and penalties, between the forecast growth of the nation, which is in part controlled by the federal government, and the net additional dwelling targets set by states and territories.
This should take into consideration both greenfield and infill development.
– AAP
Treasurer kicks off budget roadshow
Daniel Hurst
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will today begin a “budget roadshow” to sell the cost-of-living measures outlined in last week’s economic statement.
Chalmers will launch his post-budget week tour in Sydney and expects to visit five cities in five days. The agenda includes meetings with locals, business representatives and unions, along with several budget-related speeches.
The government says the focus of the budget roadshow this week will be promoting the $14.6bn cost-of-living package. Chalmers will also declare that making Australia a renewable energy superpower is a core part of the government’s plan for growth.
The budget roadshow follows Coalition attacks that the budget “didn’t see much for middle Australia” and that the “working poor” are struggling to get by in a high-inflation environment.
Chalmers said the government understood that people were “under the pump” given the cost of living pressures:
My job this week is to tell more people how our investments in the budget can help.
Whether it’s our energy rebates, bulk billing incentives or our energy efficiency package, I’ll travel right across Australia this week – including from Brisbane to Bennelong, and South Australia to Swan – to explain the broad-based benefits that our budget delivers.
Good morning!
The Business Council of Australia believes states and territories should be given financial penalties for failing to meet housing targets.
A new report by the council has recommended national housing targets be tied to population growth forecasts, and comes as the government’s housing fund is stuck in parliament.
The Coalition have accused the housing fund of being inflationary, while the Greens do not believe the government’s scheme goes far enough.
In Sydney, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will today begin his post-budget week tour and expects to visit five cities in five days to sell the cost-of-living measures outlined in last week’s economic statement.
The trade minister, Don Farrell, has returned from his visit to China, but the Coalition has accused him of coming back empty-handed. Farrell said after talks he was “very pleased to confirm that we agreed to step up dialogue … to resolve our outstanding issues”.
Meanwhile, the assistant trade minister, Tim Ayres, is heading to Papua New Guinea. He is leading a delegation of Australian businesses to strengthen trade ties, including in clean energy, agriculture and rugby league.
Queenslanders can expect to see better flood warning systems, with the state being given the highest priority in a new federal government upgrade programs. The Albanese government announced it would provide $236m over 10 years to fix high-priority flood warning infrastructure in last Tuesday’s budget.
Let’s get into it!
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