A heartbroken father has described the moment his four-year-old son heroically shielded his two younger siblings from a deadly fire that ripped through a shed at the family's home near Geelong.

Kane McGregor said his family had experienced the worst two days of their lives after Saige, three, and their 18-month-old sister Ashlynn were killed in the Corio fire on Sunday.

His other two children, Mavis, six, and Isaac, four, were airlifted to hospital, where they remain.

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McGregor described four-year-old Issac, who attempted to protect his siblings from the fire, as one of the "strongest children (he) has known".

"Issac had two huddled under him so they didn't burn," he told reporters.

"He stayed there until he died himself, (paramedics) revived him and flew him to (hospital).

"I couldn't be any prouder really."

Issac suffered burns to 82 per cent of his body and is showing signs of kidney and liver failure.

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His sister Mavis is in a stable condition and is due to undergo surgery tomorrow.

"All seems well with Mavis at the moment," McGregor said.

"She is a lot less burnt, she should be on the mend soon."

Their mother Jasmine Beck also received burns to her hands after dragging her children out of the blaze.

It's understood all four children were inside the shed playing together when a couch caught alight.

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Anthony McGregor, who is the brother of the children's father, told reporters yesterday that Beck was still struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"She's distraught. She's not handling herself," he said.

"She's trying to be the best mum she can be right now and be there to support her children that are suffering.

"If anyone wants to know how a mother has just lost two kids and has two fighting for their lives is going — if you're a parent, you know.

"When your kid cuts their hand, you know how it feels to be worried about their child, and this is just multiplied by 1000, by a million. She's not coping. She's having a really hard time."

Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, with McGregor saying a "clicky lighter" could be to blame.

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Major national builder NPM has gone into voluntary administration with over 100 full-time employees terminated.

The NPM Group, which stands for National Projects and Maintenance, was a commercial fit-out, construction, minor works and maintenance company behind 45,000 projects across six states and territories.

It ceased operations yesterday.

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The group had 10 companies to its name across the country.

"The ongoing market pressures have made NPM's continued operation untenable, due to skilled labour shortages, inflationary pressures, interest rate rises and a commercial sector that continues to suffer from flow-on effects of (the) COVID-19 pandemic," director Daniel Afonso said in a statement.

Graeme Beattie, Christopher Darin, and Aaron Lucan of Worrells have been appointed administrators.

"The administration process is in its infancy and we are working hard to immediately establish the group's financial position, including identifying assets available for realisation and quantifying creditors' claims with the assistance of the director and the senior staff of the NPM Group," Beattie said.

"We are conscious of the impact the appointment will have on everyone involved."

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Police are treating the stabbing death of a 65-year-old woman inside her Canberra home yesterday as murder, authorities have confirmed.

Emergency responders were called to the Kinloch Circuit home in Bruce, a northern Canberra suburb, at around 5.40pm yesterday.

There they found the woman with stab wounds, as well as an injured 70-year-old man.

READ MORE: Hero four-year-old shielded siblings from horror shed fire

The woman was declared dead at the scene and the man was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

He remains there under police guard.

Police have not yet been able to speak to him regarding the alleged attack.

The home remains a crime scene as police investigate the circumstances of the incident.

Anyone with information in relation to this matter is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestoppers.com.au

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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An ex-commando defamed by the ABC will receive more than $400,000 despite giving false evidence in court, but he shouldn't expect an apology from the broadcaster.

A court heard on Tuesday the broadcaster would have been on the hook for less money if it had left it to the judge to determine payment of Heston Russell's legal bills after a defensive mindset within ABC Investigations led to his defamation.

The former army commando was defamed in reports alleging members of the platoon he led in Afghanistan executed a prisoner because the detainee would not fit on a helicopter.

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The allegation came via a US marine, who heard a "pop" over the radio in mid-2012 followed by advice there would be six prisoners on board, not seven.

The claim was published in October 2020 and revived in November 2021, when the ABC reported the Department of Defence had confirmed a criminal investigation into the November platoon, which the department later disputed.

Facing a senate grilling on Tuesday, ABC managing director David Anderson said he was not going to say sorry despite the defamation loss and million-dollar bill for the taxpayer-funded organisation.

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"If you're asking for me to apologise to Mr Russell, I'm not going to apologise to Mr Russell," he said.

"I am aware of what happens to our returned service women and men … that doesn't prevent us from holding people to account or the defence force to account."

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee ruled earlier in October a defensive attitude within ABC Investigations caused it to publish the defamatory reports, which have now been removed.

"In fighting back against critics and seeking to justify its earlier story, those responsible within ABC Investigations did not do all they should have done prior to publishing the November article conveying, as it did, such serious allegations," he said in his judgment.

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The matter returned to court on Tuesday, when a final payout figure of $412,315 was confirmed, accounting for interest on top of the $390,000 Russell was awarded.

He will also have his legal costs paid, however Lee said he would have made a different order to the one the broadcaster consented to after finding the former commando had given deliberately false evidence to the court.

"It is obvious, but worth remarking, that it is fundamental to the just resolution of disputes that a witness tells the truth," Lee said.

It would have been contrary to the overarching purpose of the court to allow Russell to recover the cost of legal practitioners and the court's time spent dealing with his false evidence.

However, it would also be an inappropriate use of discretion to reduce the amount he could recover in light of the broadcaster's expressed consent, Lee said.

Russell's solicitor sent an offer to ABC's lawyers offering to settle for $99,000 plus legal costs and the removal of the articles from publication in September 2022.

His costs will now be paid by the broadcaster on an ordinary basis up until the offer to settle, with indemnity costs thereafter.

Lee said he had seen some speculation on figures around $2 million, requesting a schedule of costs incurred be provided as he assesses the figure himself.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said the litigation "has ended up costing several million dollars, at least, of taxpayers' money".

The ABC destroyed Russell's reputation, which he had to fight to restore, and the broadcaster's reputation as a trusted news source had been undermined in the process, she said during senate estimates.

Anderson said between $700,000 and $800,000 had been spent defending the lawsuit.