The families of four Victoria Police officers killed on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway have spoken after the truck driver responsible was sentenced to 22 years in jail.

Mohinder Singh, 48, was sentenced in Victoria's Supreme Court this morning after pleading guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing death, three charges of trafficking a drug of dependence, and one charge of possession of a drug of dependence.

He must serve at least 18 years and six months behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

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The Cranbourne father was high on drugs and had earlier stopped on his route to do a drug deal when he veered into the emergency lane of the freeway in Kew and ploughed into the officers on April 22 last year.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King and constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney all died in what is the deadliest incident in Victoria Police history.

The officers had pulled over Porsche driver Richard Pusey for allegedly speeding in the moments before the crash.

Multiple CCTV cameras showed footage of Singh "repeatedly drifting" into the emergency lane of the freeway before the crash.

Singh's reckless driving was observed by other motorists, with one witness saying: "He's going to f—— kill someone."

READ MORE: Timeline of how the deadly Eastern Freeway tragedy unfolded

Justice Paul Coghlan described the footage of the horror crash as "chilling" during the sentencing.

"I have viewed the footage on a number of occasions – it is chilling," he said.

"The police officers had no hope.

"Their deaths are entirely unnecessary and should have been avoided. Their deaths were caused by you."

The court heard Singh was high on ice while behind the wheel of his prime mover and had just five hours of rest in the 70 hours before the deadly crash.

He was "actively psychotic" and claimed he had seen a witch before the crash.

The court heard he was preoccupied with "delusional beliefs" that he had been "cursed" by a witch, also claiming to see "stick figures" on the morning of the tragedy.

However, he drove to work out of fear he would lose his job if he did not turn up.

Justice Coghlan said Singh was "selfish" for getting behind the wheel when he was clearly "unfit" to drive.

"It has been put that the threat to you was that you might lose your job," he said.

"You were simply unfit to do the job and had little, if any, legitimate claim to keep your position as a truck driver.

"In the sense that you drove to keep your job – that decision was selfish."

Justice Coghlan told the court the truck driver had claimed to see ghosts and UFOs when he was younger.

The court heard Singh "did not react" to the crash until after it occurred, later pressing the brake pedal out of "panic".

The grieving families of the four fallen officers watched on in anguish as the driver's sentence was handed down.

Singh remained silent throughout the hearing and was led out of the courtroom directly in front of the victims' families.

Today will not mark the end of the court proceedings as in two weeks' time, Pusey is due to be sentenced in court for filming the dying officers.

Justice Coghlan said the "unnecessary loss of lives" of the police officers was a matter of "huge community sorrow and regret".

"There are events which shock the public consciousness," he said.

"This has been such an event."

Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt said the four slain officers died looking after others.

"Our mates died protecting the community from the very things that ultimately took their lives," he said.

'No amount of punishment can replace our loss'

The heartbroken families of the four officers say "no amount of punishment" can ease the grief they feel over losing their loved ones.

Andrew Prestney, the father of Constable Josh Prestney, read out a statement outside court following the sentencing.

Mr Prestney said despite justice being served for the officers' deaths, it did not subside their pain.

"Even though justice has now been served in relation to the actual collision, no amount of punishment can replace the loss of our loved ones and the missing place at our tables that will be felt by us for the rest of our lives," he said.

"We would like to thank the people of Victoria, the people of Australia, and those from around the world for their outpouring of love and for embracing us with their hearts.

"We are consoled by the fact that our four will not be forgotten as we continue to carry them in our hearts."

READ MORE: Heartfelt tributes mourn fallen police officers

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Mr Prestney also thanked those who were first at the scene.

"On behalf of the families and loved ones of Lynette, Kevin, Josh and Glenn, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to those members of the public and first responders that were at the scene of the collision on the 22nd of April 2020, for the care and respect that was shown to our loved ones," he said.

"Even though we do not know them all, we share a history with them now and forever.

"We would like to thank the members of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, especially Detective Sergeant Roz Wilson and the Paragon Taskforce for their dedication to the investigation and the respect and care that they have shown to us and our loved ones.

"We also wish to thank all the emergency services and members of Victoria Police for their assistance through this time."

A supply ship that has been avoiding the global impact of coronavirus for the past 18 months has returned to Australia's west coast after a fire broke out in one of its engines.

The MPV Everest set sail for Antarctica in 2019 embarking on a 20,000km resupply mission to Australia's Davis and Mawson research stations – delivering food, fuel and essentials to the South Pole.

But during the mission, the coronavirus pandemic broke out – lengthening the trip for those onboard by a year and a half.

READ MORE: Australian Antarctic supply ship erupts in flames

"That's two Christmases, two New Year's Eves, two birthdays," Davis Station Leader David Knoff told 9News.

"We got 4G for the first time, had to download all the apps to sign into places."

While making its way to Hobart, a fire erupted in one of the engines last Monday forcing the Everest to detour to Fremantle instead.

None of the ship's 72 expeditioners or 37 crew members were injured and while those onboard were anticipating a two-week quarantine period before they can finally set foot back on Australian land, this has now been ruled out.

While this is good news for those onboard the Everest, there are fears tonight a second crew member on another ship anchored off WA's north-west coast has contracted COVID-19.

READ MORE: Cargo ship hit with positive COVID-19 case off WA coast

The AquaGenie crew member returned a positive result to an onboard rapid coronavirus test and is showing mild symptoms.

Health Minister Roger Cook said any potential infection still needs to be confirmed by a more accurate test and authorities are now waiting to hear if the man will be taken to Karratha.

If confirmed, it would be the second COVID-19 case from the AquaGenie – after a Filipino man was evacuated to Karratha and flown to Perth.

He has since been moved from Royal Perth Hospital to hotel quarantine – where he will stay until he recovers.

Tropical Cyclone Seroja has been declared an "insurance catastrophe" with the damage bill expected to top $25 million in coming days.

Western Power crews continue to restore electricity to an estimated 29,000 properties, while reinforcements have been called in to help with the clean-up.

At least seven properties have been destroyed in the tourist town of Kalbarri alone with damage to more than 150 other homes and businesses in surrounding areas.

READ MORE: Thousands still without power after Seroja

John Perry is one of dozens of Kalbarri residents who were getting help from the SES today as hundreds more reinforcements make their way into town in the coming days.

"The damage is unbelievable, it was so scary, wind was sideways with the rain," John told 9News.

Police, firefighters and volunteers have been joined by DFES and SES crews from over 600 kilometres away and members of the Army Reserve are making their way in to help with the recovery effort.

READ MORE: Seroja damage 'widespread, severe'

Kalbarri recorded wind gusts of 170 km/h at the weekend as Seroja hit the coast as a category three storm.

Authorities believe the structural damage to some properties could be so severe they may have to be knocked down, with recovery efforts predicted to last two years.

Police have taken two shovels into evidence in their search for missing Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay as detectives continue to believe other parties were involved in their disappearance.

Investigators widened the search area today to include Mount Hotham after the elderly couple mysteriously disappeared more than a year ago.

Missing Person Squad detectives and Search and Rescue officers began combing the area near the Great Alpine Road from 9am to pursue any clues.

UNDER INVESTIGATION: The mystery disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay

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Missing Persons Squad Detective Acting Inspector Tony Combridge said it was not clear how significant the discovery of the shovels was.

"At this stage I'm aware of the discovery, as to the relevance or its importance to the investigation, that is still to be determined."

The shovels will be assessed by investigators.

Police are considering all possibilities with regard to the mysterious disappearance of the pair.

"I think the most likely scenario is that there are other parties involved in this," Detective Acting Inspector Combridge said.

He said the reason for investigators turning their focus to Mount Hotham came from multiple sources.

READ MORE: Truck driver Mohinder Singh jailed for 22 years after killing four police in Eastern Freeway crash

"The accrual of that information when put together as part of a bigger picture has helped us make the decision this might be a high-value area for us."

Detective Acting Inspector Combridge also said there were "no actual suspects at the moment" but an "enormous" amount of information had been received.

He added police wanted answers for the families of Ms Clay and Mr Hill.

"To be honest we don't know what we're going to find until we've searched it," he said.

"The area is of interest to us because of information we've uncovered.

"We want to find some answers."

The terrain at Mount Hotham is particularly challenging for search and rescue teams.

"There are parts of that bush that have probably never been walked on by humans," Detective Acting Inspector Combridge said.

"Some of this bush is so thick that we might not find what we're looking for … but it won't be for want of trying."

The last known contact with the pair was on March 20 last year via HF radio when Mr Hill stated he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps.

Police believe Mr Hill left his Drouin home on March 19 last year and picked up Ms Clay from her home in Pakenham in his white Toyota Landcruiser.

READ MORE: Guests evacuated and restaurants destroyed in fire at popular Victorian beachside town

The pair then travelled via Licola, spending a night camping at Howitt High Plains, before heading into Wonnangatta Valley on March 20.

Campers found Mr Hill's vehicle with signs of minor fire damage at their campsite, which was destroyed by fire, near the Dry River Creek Track on March 21, prompting fears of foul play.

Detectives and specialist police have conducted numerous searches of the Wonnangatta Valley area over the past 12 months, however, the missing couple has never been found.

Cadaver dogs were recruited from NSW to assist in the search in the valley on April 4.

They are not being used as part of the Mount Hotham investigation.

Police have made repeated appeals to the public for anyone who was in areas of interest at the time to come forward.

Detectives have established Mr Hill was camping alone with his Landcruiser in the area of King Billy and Bluff Track, between March 11 and 13.

An older person or pair was later sighted at the Black Snake Creek, Eaglevale River crossing and the Ollies Jump area between March 22 and 23, however, police have never been able to determine if it was the missing campers.

"Detectives call for anyone in this area, any older couple who may be these persons, to also come forward."

Anyone who was in the area of Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track on March 19 or 20, the Wonnangatta Valley and Wonnangatta Station between March 20 and 24 who has not yet made contact with police, are also urged to come forward.

Police have also been looking for the person or persons in a white dual cab, four-wheel-drive utility ute seen at the time of their disappearance near the Wonnangatta River.

READ MORE: Melbourne experiences 'upside down' weather as temperatures warmer at midnight than midday

Today Detective Acting Inspector Combridge said detectives were still making inquiries about the car and had "an enormous amount of information come in".

Police have extended the investigative team working on that line of inquiry.

The search will go throughout the day and is likely to continue tomorrow.

Anyone who sights Mr Hill or Ms Clay is urged to contact triple-zero immediately.

People with any other information regarding the couple's disappearance or who have any CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Thousands of Australians facing long wait times for their COVID-19 vaccination are jumping the queue thanks to a new online tool.

Popular website Health Engine is now helping consumers locate clinics with availability for the jab within seconds.

Double Bay resident Pamela Stein, who has an auto-immune disorder, has been waiting for her appointment for almost a month.

READ MORE: National cabinet meetings ramped up to get troubled vaccine rollout 'back on track'

"I put my name down at three different clinics and I didn't get a call back for three weeks," the 81-year-old told 9News.

"I think you're just lucky if you can get it done."

Experts say there's no lack of supply but finding out which clinics actually have the vaccine in stock is proving difficult.

"The problem is because they're being rolled out in different phases," Health Engine CEO Dr Marcus Tan said.

"It's not as easy to identify which are the ones who have actually got the vaccine."

READ MORE: What's gone wrong with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine?

Using the Health Engine website, 9News was able to find dozens of Sydney GP clinics with appointments available tomorrow in suburbs including Bondi Junction, Ashfield, Auburn, Cherrybrook and Northmead.

You don't have to be a current patient of the clinic, but you do have to be eligible as part of the current phase 1B rollout, which includes over 70s and people with underlying medical conditions.

For those who would rather wait for their own GP, experts say you're most likely to get lucky if you rock up at the end of the day.

"Where there is availability it's good to use up the doses as the day ends," infectious disease expert Professor Robert Booy told 9News.

"Because once the vial is open you can't use it the next day."

Alicia Alexander was basking in the baby bubble when she was thrust into the fight of her life.

Six months after giving birth to her firstborn Stevie, she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

"It was like someone threw a hand grenade into our family. It was just like a bomb going off," she told 9News.

The tumour was aggressive, it had spread to her lymph nodes.

"The lump was almost impossible to feel so I was quite shocked."

Alicia underwent emergency surgery to remove the affected lymph nodes, chemo and radiotherapy.

"Having a small child, a baby, it was just really hard to come to terms with what I'd have to have done. So surgery chemo, radiotherapy. It was quite shocking and very unexpected."

A new study by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has shed light on why tumours developed during or shortly after pregnancy are particularly aggressive.

Half of women diagnosed with pregnancy-associated breast cancer lose their battle within five years. And breast cancer survival rates fall from 80 per cent to 50 per cent if the woman is pregnant.

Over the past decade, researchers have been looking at hormone changes as a trigger, but that's only part of the story.

They've now found inflamed tissue surrounding the tumour also plays a role. If a tumour is present during breastfeeding, the inflammation actually causes the cancer to spread faster.

Dr David Gallego-Ortega from the Garvan Institute explained: "we've found an inflammatory mechanism that fuels cancer cells to spread and metastasise."

The study will help scientists improve therapies and develop more targeted treatments.

Researchers hope to now look at whether treating the inflammation around the tumour with a common over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug might reduce or even stop the spread of the cancer.

"So using common drugs such as Ibuprofen or just broad spectrum anti-inflammatories may reduce the inflammation and in turn change the outlook for the patient," Dr Gallego-Ortega said.

Alicia is excited by the prospect of young mothers not having to tread the same path as her own.

"Maybe it wouldn't have spread to my lymph nodes and that would have been a good thing."

But she's still doing well, it's now been four years since she was first diagnosed, and she's in the clear.

It's a reunion between three strangers that now share a lifelong bond, with a student nurse in training making the miraculous and spontaneous act of delivering a baby under a Brisbane overpass.

New parents Ashling and Stephen Mohan this afternoon had a proper introduction to Emily, a training midwife who they met earlier today in more stressful circumstances.

Walking to work at the Mater Hospital this morning, Emily came across the couple's car on the side of the road – finding Ashling in the middle of childbirth in the front seat.

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READ MORE: Water search and rescue underway for missing man near Brisbane

Ashling gave birth to the couple's second child, a healthy boy weighing 3.68 kilograms and 47cm on a nearby bike path.

"The baby's head came out while we were still driving– so we needed to pull over," Ashling told 9News.

"I just kind of surrendered to the fact that the baby was coming in the car."

Born at precisely 7.45am, the rendezvous's timing seemed entirely up to good luck, with Emily supposed to clock on at 8am.

"When I got to the car, mum was really calm, and comfortable," Emily told 9News.

"Well, I wouldn't say comfortable because she was on the handbrake," she added.

While the newborn boy is yet to be named, some suggestions have been made by Stephen for the name "Rhoadie" – which Mum quickly shot down.

Queen Elizabeth II has returned to royal duties just days after the death of her husband Prince Philip.

British media had previously reported she was determined to keep pushing on with solo engagements, and was set return to royal duties at the end of next week – also a few days after her 95th birthday.

However, the Independent this morning reported that she already had taken up her duties, presiding over an official ceremony that saw Earl Peel stand down as Royal Chamberlain.

READ MORE: 'Cheeky right 'til the end': Harry's tribute to Prince Philip

Senior members of the royal family are set to support her during some events, with Prince Charles due to join her for the traditional State Opening of Parliament.

With the royal family currently preparing for Prince Philip's funeral, Buckingham Palace is set to release more details about the funeral, including the guest list, in the next 48 hours.

READ MORE: Prince Philip – what are the plans for his funeral?

Renegade royal Prince Harry is set to be on that list, and is currently halfway through his quarantine at Princess Eugenie's house, Frogmore Cottage.

Only 30 people are set to attend the funeral, which will comply with UK social distancing, and even the Queen wearing a facemask.

READ MORE: World reacts to Prince Philip's death