A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said crews were called to the fire in Patumahoe at 6pm.

A camper had been riding his dirt bike to find phone reception when he got lost in bushland in Victoria's north-east, sparking an extensive search.

Robert Sampson, 49, was on a week-long fishing trip with two friends at Cambarville.

He said he rode off on his dirt bike along Frenchmans Spur Track yesterday afternoon to make a phone call but he couldn't find his way back to the campsite.

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"I walked 15 to 20 miles, up and down hills and dirt roads," he told 9News.

By 10pm, Sampson's dirt bike had run out of fuel.

He was forced to push it up the steep terrain but the situation only worsened when he suffered an asthma attack, so he called triple zero.

"The calls constantly dropped out and it's given us an approximate location of where they were and we've sent the air wing out," Victoria Police said.

Police used the GPS location on the man's phone to find him by helicopter.

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Dehydration and exhaustion began to kick in for Sampson but as an experienced camper, he managed to light a fire which helped police track him down.

"It really helped because it created a heat signature for them to locate him," police said.

Despite a long night and being a little worse for wear, Sampson was still in high spirits.

After being picked up by the police helicopter, he was taken to Maroondah Hospital where he was treated for dehydration.

"We're happy he's gotten out alive and well and he's able to talk about it," police said.

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Sampson has since been discharged from hospital and went back to the campsite to retrieve his dirt bike and car.

But he was thankful to the emergency services who rescued him.

"Thank them and stuff like that. You're worth more money," he said.

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DogHQ in Albany said they were advised they could extend the 90-day trial – they couldn’t.

Professor looks into the history of land use and planning decisions at Muriwa.

Philippine authorities have launched a search mission atop a restive volcano after spotting the suspected wreckage of a missing plane carrying two Australians along with a Filipino pilot and crew member.

The aircraft was bound for the capital Manila when it lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday after it left Bicol International Airport in Albay province, said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

The two Australians – Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam – were technical consultants working for Energy Development Corp, a Manila-based geothermal firm, the company confirmed in a statement.

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"It's now the fourth day since they've gone missing, and considering the terrain and harsh weather, it's a difficult and challenging situation … we continue to hope and pray that we will locate them," Allan Barcena, the company's assistant vice president and spokesman, told CNN on Tuesday.

In the statement, the company said its emergency response team had located wreckage at an altitude of about 1823 metres near Mount Mayon, which last erupted in 2018, on Sunday.

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Authorities were still working to reach the wreckage and verify it belongs to the missing plane, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio told state broadcaster PTV on Monday.

"We only have aerial photos – the drone shots – but we cannot confirm if that is the said aircraft. Our accident investigators need to see the actual crash site on the ground," Apolonio said.

"We need to find the plane first before we can determine what caused the crash."

The wreckage is located near a "permanent danger site" and a determined "no-fly zone" around the volcano.

Rescue teams have been given permission by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to begin the high-risk search operations, he said.

Heavy rain and the risk of landslides have added difficulty to the search.

More than 200 personnel along with 34 vehicles, 11 drones and four K9 dogs were deployed in the joint search and rescue operation to reach the aircraft in the remote volcano, according to state-run Philippine News Agency.

HK Yu, Australia's ambassador in the Philippines said on Twitter that the embassy is in contact with Philippine authorities and providing consular assistance to the families of the two Australians.

"Sadly, we are aware that two Australians were reported to be on the light aircraft which disappeared in Albay province in the Philippines on Saturday 18 Feb," Yu said.

"Our thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of all those affected."

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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) echoed a similar message in a statement supplied to 9news.com.au yesterday.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of reports that authorities lost contact with a light aircraft in the Philippines on Saturday 18 February 2023," a spokesperson said.

"The Australian Embassy is in contact with local authorities and DFAT officials are providing consular assistance to the families of two Australians reported to be missing.

"Our thoughts are with their families, friends and loved ones at this difficult time."

When Mount Mayon last erupted, it spewed ash and lava flow, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of villagers.

The volcano's most devastating eruption took place in 1814 when at least 1200 people were killed.

– Reported with CNN

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Church was given a stand despite allegations of racism, sexual assault and homophobia.

Shortly after Katie Clemmens was fatally struck by a car last year, her family made a decision that went on to save the lives of many people.

Katie's husband, Rob Clemmens, said it was an "immensely difficult" time for the family, including their daughters Emily and Isabella, but said the decision to donate Katie's organs was an easy one.

"It's all about her story and getting people to understand what she did to help other people. I think she would be proud of us," Clemmens said.

"Her life has meant so much to so many people and her generosity afterwards."

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Clemmens said he and Katie never spoke about being organ donors but the family "didn't need any convincing".

"The girls and I were approached by DonateLife staff where it was brought to our attention that Katie was a viable organ and tissue donor," he said.

"Katie had only then recently retired from work during her life. She was a nurse and a flight attendant.

"She had cared for other people all her working career."

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Donor rates are beginning to rise in Australia for the first time in years.

About 454 donors and families said yes to organ donation across the country last year, according to the Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report, which was released today.

That is up eight per cent on the previous year.

The report found that Victoria is leading the nation in terms of donors, with 144 Victorians becoming organ donors in 2022 alone, a 30-person increase in donation since 2021.

"We are talking about helping someone at a time when they have lost someone," DonateLife's Dr Rohit D'Costa said.

"It truly amazes me how people can think about others at these times."

To register as an organ donor go to https://www.donatelife.gov.au/.

As Sydney welcomes tens of thousands of tourists down under in celebration of 2023's WorldPride festival, the momentous occasion serves as a timely reminder of just how far Australia has come in terms of gay rights.

Though there is still much progress to be made, with the spotlight currently firmly on Sydney, advocates say now is the perfect time to "showcase Australia's queer community to the rest of the world".

And no one knows exactly what it's like to be in that spotlight as much as Australian swimming legend, Olympic champion and fierce LGBTIQ+ activist Ian Thorpe.

READ MORE: All the best free, family-friendly and ticketed events this WorldPride

Thorpe told 9news.com.au what it means to him to see an event of this scale land in the city, how he'll be marking the occasion and where he'd like to see the most growth moving forward.

"So, for people who don't know, this is probably the largest event that Sydney has hosted since the Olympic Games," Thorpe, who also serves as Optus' Champion of Diversity and Inclusion, well-being and sustainability, said.

"And I think post-COVID, we're at a point where we want to see more of these things in Sydney.

"I also think that in a country that is so accepting of the gay community, to be able to celebrate in this way, it's really important.

"The visibility part of it? If you can't see it, you can't be it.

"I think that will be reinforced throughout the entire period."

With excitement levels high among the LGBTIQ+ community as Pride is welcomed to Australian shores, it's easy to forget many are still facing struggles with acceptance, Thorpe says.

READ MORE: 'Sit up and listen': The largest LGBTIQ+ human rights conference ever to be held in Southern Hemisphere is about to come to Sydney

"A lot of people assumed when marriage equality happened, that everything was resolved in the queer community and that's actually not the case," he said.

"I've been to Canberra to speak with politicians, not only on marriage equality, and around the Religious Discrimination Bill, and the multiple iterations that it had.

"Because it was a horrible bill for gay people in this country, but also people of faith, and I'm actually really pleased that it was something that the government decided to dismiss.

"During the previous election, we saw trans issues really being weaponised as they had been in the US, and I think when you demonise a group of vulnerable people that struggle so much, it's lacklustre at best."

The landscape has changed an enormous amount in the last two decades and Australia has come a long way.

As the swimming legend points out, back when he was competing professionally, approval of gay marriage sat at just 35 per cent nationally – a stark comparison to levels now.

READ MORE: Sydney WorldPride 2023: Key events, tickets, performers and everything else you need to know

"When I was competing, like in 2004, around 35 per cent of people supported gay marriage," he said.

"When it came to the plebiscite, those numbers actually had doubled in that period of time.

"When it comes to the acceptance of trans people in the community, the numbers are going up.

"But it also means that there is a struggle in this area, and there's more that could be done … it appals me that (trans rights) had been weaponised during election periods."

Thorpe says that as a queer person, it's easy to get caught up in negative headlines and divisive politics.

He reminds young people the real change in perception often happens quietly, subtly and among peers "around the dinner table".

"The reasons that marriage equality worked in Australia was, it was not in debates that happened in parliament, or in television, or through the media," he said.

"It was conversations which were around a dinner table.

"And that is usually the most influential place for people to gain or disregard an opinion.

"As people have actually been out and been representative of their gay community, people realise that we're your nurses, your doctors, your teachers, all of those things.

"It's normalised our position."

READ MORE: 'A pivotal moment in terms of visibility': How a violent clash with police triggered Australia's biggest ever queer movement

Asked what he wants to see from WorldPride, Thorpe says he'd like all Australians – and people around the world – to understand the event is actually a celebration of inclusion that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just LGBTIQ+ people.

"I'm just excited," he said.

"We'll have you know, tens of thousands of extra people, all having fun, enjoying themselves.

"It's not something that's just for the queer community, it's actually for everyone.

"Everyone's invited to the party."

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Qantas boss Alan Joyce has defended the airline's plans to splash $100 million on lounge upgrades as customers continue to complain of soaring flight prices.

Joyce blamed fuel costs, which he said are 65 per cent higher than they were before COVID-19, for flight prices being what he said are 20 per cent higher than in 2022.

In December, Australia's consumer watchdog warned airlines that the price of their domestic airfares will be monitored after a report showed the cost of flying had soared well above pre-pandemic levels.

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"The jet kerosene that we're paying for has gone up significantly," Joyce said.

READ MORE: Ticket prices soar as airlines hold back supply

"We're finding capacity in Russia and other places is out, that's made it very expensive."

Joyce said delays getting aircraft back after they were stored in the desert through the pandemic, plus retraining crew and pilots has also hit customers paying for tickets.

However, he claimed the costs of airline tickets were starting to drop.

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He said Qantas has new planes arriving every three weeks for the next three years.

"Airfares will come down as this capacity comes back online and that is happening as we speak," he said.

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Joyce said the firm lost $7 billion over the past three years during COVID-19, but he said the airline will start making money again, allowing the company to start spending again including on new and revamped lounges.

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Lounge upgrade to 'new level of luxury'

The airline has promised a "new level of luxury" for lounge users who are usually business and first class passengers and frequent fliers.

Joyce announced the creation of four new lavish lounges including a new first lounge at London's Heathrow Airport to tie in with the pioneering Project Sunrise flights direct from Melbourne which will begin at the end of 2025.

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The airline will also reopen the Hong Kong International Lounge and revamp the International Business Lounges in Melbourne and Sydney.

Hobart will get a new Qantas Club and Broome's Regional Lounge will expand.

Joyce said the Sydney Qantas lounge serves a total 250,000 dishes of salt and pepper squid and one million coffees annually.

He said 30 per cent of Qantas passengers – nine million people a year – use the airline's lounges.

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The airline has also announced it will release tens of thousands of new international reward seats for frequent flyers from Friday.

Frequent flyers have been complaining they have been unable to use points due to a lack of flights or the points needed being too high.

Meanwhile, seat designs for the Project Sunrise planes will be revealed later this week, Joyce said.

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More investment is urgently needed to modernise Australia's energy grid or the continued closure of coal power stations could lead to electricity shortages and blackouts on the east coast by 2027, according to a forecast from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman said "reliability gaps" would begin to emerge from 2025, until all states and territories in the national energy market would "breach" reliability standards in 2027, without urgent investment in generation and the grid.

Westerman said the breaches could be attributed to at least five coal power stations – totalling about 13 per cent of the market's total capacity – expected to retire.

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"Urgent and ongoing investment in renewable energy, long-duration storage and transmission is needed to reliably meet demand from Australian homes and businesses," Westerman said.

He said short-term reliability gaps in South Australia and Victoria had been filled by "new gas, wind and battery developments".

"The NEM (national energy market) has a strong pipeline of proposed generation and storage projects, totalling three times today's generation capacity, with large-scale solar, wind and batteries accounting for 86 per cent," Westerman said.

"Investment in firming generation, such as pumped hydro, gas and long-duration batteries, is critical to complement our growing fleet of weather-dependent renewable generation to meet electricity demand without coal generation."

AEMO was established in 2009 by the Council of Australian Governments to regulate the energy market and is jointly owned by the federal and state governments, and industry.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pointed the finger at the previous government after the dire forecast.

"(AEMO's) integrated systems plan to bring the grid, the national grid, into the 21st century, has been available on their website for year after year after year," he said while in Western Australia.

"The former government didn't act on that at all."

Albanese said there needed to be investment certainty to encourage more development of the clean energy market.

"We've had a decade of denial and delay, a decade in which the Coalition still can't seem to agree that climate change is real," he said.

"There is a transition happening in our economy, and they seem determined to just say no. 

"The price that is paid will be paid by Australian industry and by Australian consumers."

Other experts said it was clear more action was needed on renewables.

"The good news is we are going to be okay for electricity supply this winter when Liddell closes," Nexa Advisory founder and former AGL public policy head Stephanie Bashir said.

"Over the longer term, this statement shows we are behind on building renewable generation and transmission.

"We need to get on with it, on a massive scale."

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Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley said there had clearly been significant progress on decarbonising the energy grid in the past six months.

"AEMO flags a staggering 209 gigawatts pipeline of new firmed renewables project proposals – battery, solar and wind – worth over $250 billion in total, highlighting the massive, once-in-a-century regional employment and investment opportunities ahead for Australia from decarbonisation," he said.

"However, with only 10 gigawatts committed, there is a clear need for sustained policy certainty, accelerated grid transmission investment, expedited Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) and a continuation of the Federal-State cooperation we have seen since the election of the Albanese government."

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