A sixth bleaching event has been confirmed in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) according to a new aerial survey.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Marine Science completed aerial surveys across 750 reefs in the GBR.

They found that the bleaching was significantly consistent with heat stress being experienced in the Reef.

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In the far north of the Reef, the Reef Authority says bleaching varies between being minor to severe.

Whereas in the northern and central areas they say bleaching is most severe and even some reef death has been found.

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered from substantial bleaching in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, and now again this year, something marine experts say is due to climate change.

It comes after a team from the UN Climate Council assessed the condition of the Reef and warned it is in danger of being destroyed, and that reaching net zero by 2050 would not be enough to save it.

The Reef Authority says it is continuing to analyse the data gathered over the past two weeks and is also conducting in-water surveys at certain reefs to get a better profile of the bleaching.

Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie has denied accusations he swapped information about Ben Roberts-Smith for positive media coverage that furthered his political career.

The Liberal MP today gave evidence for a second day in the high-stakes defamation trial in the Federal Court.

Mr Hastie was read newspaper snippets describing him as an "emerging Liberal star" and a "moral champion" of the Afghanistan war probe.

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Mr Hastie has gone on the record for interviews with journalists Chris Masters and Nick McKenzie, two of the three Nine Newspapers reporters being sued by Mr Roberts-Smith.

"You provide him (Nick McKenzie) with information for his stories and in return, he writes glowing remarks about you," Mr Roberts-Smith's barrister Arthur Moses, SC, claimed.

Mr Hastie hit back at the allegation.

"My ambition always has been to preserve the Special Air Service Regiment and the way we do that is by coming clean with some of the mistakes that have been made in the last 15 years," he said.

The former captain testified there were well-established rumours within the unit that Mr Roberts-Smith kicked a detainee off a cliff and bullied rookie soldiers.

Mr Roberts-Smith denies any wrongdoing.

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Mr Hastie told the Federal Court he now pities the Victoria Cross recipient.

"I pity this whole process… this is terrible for our country, terrible for the SAS," he said.

Mr Hastie was asked if he was giving evidence for Nine Newspapers because the publisher is covering his legal fees in a separate defamation trial in Western Australia.

Mr Hastie rejected suggestions he is beholden to the organisation.

The marathon trial will continue next week with evidence from more former and serving soldiers.

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An interaction between Hannah Clarke and her estranged husband Rowan Baxter, months before he murdered her and their children, has given new insight into his aggressive and controlling behaviour.

Four months before the tragedy in 2020, Baxter was pulled over by police while driving, with Ms Clarke sitting in the passenger side.

Police bodyworn video, shown to the inquest into the deaths of Ms Clarke and her three kids, shows the couple being pulled over and asked about the registration on the car.

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Baxter is asked about the overdue rego, to which he responds: "It's not my car".

"No, but you're the driver so I have to ask you for your licence," the Queensland Police officer responds in the footage.

Baxter can then be seen snapping at his wife as she tries to explain she thought the registration was due to be renewed in October.

"Don't talk to me about it, 'cause it's your car," Baxter tells her.

Ms Clarke remains calm as she apologises to police, telling them she is the one who handles the household bills.

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The inquest also heard Baxter had abducted the couple's middle child Laianah.

Detective Sargent Derek Harris, who reviewed the family's case after the abduction, described him as a "narcissist".

"What he did was disgusting and inappropriate, and he did it for the primary purpose of causing harm to Hannah," he said.

The incident was witnessed by a doctor, who was so concerned that she contacted police.

She said Baxter was in such a rush he didn't even put a seatbelt on the four-year-old.

"A loving father wouldn't do that," the doctor told the inquest.

Missing four-year-old Shayla Phillips has been found alive after she vanished from the yard of her Tasmanian home more than two days ago.

Shayla disappeared on Wednesday afternoon from her remote family property in Stormlea, in Tasmania's south-east, which sparked an extensive search.

Tasmania Police confirmed she was found this afternoon by State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers in bushland near Halls Road in Stormlea.

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She has been taken to hospital for a medical assessment.

Inspector Gavin Hallett said Shayla was found about one kilometre from her home in a "heavily wooded and very slopey" area.

"It seems like she had been lying down and stuck her head up and she was seen," he said.

"It was the right place at the right time, had the SES volunteer being looking to the left and not the right we could have still been doing the search."

The first thing Inspector Hallett did when Shayla was found was tell her mum, who was "very grateful".

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"The first thing we did was she was reacquainted with her mother," he said.

"It was very emotional, when I passed the happy news on to mum, she was very grateful and very keen.

"I said take a few minutes to have a shower but she didn't care, she just wanted to get in the car and see her daughter."

Both Tasmanian and Victorian police resources had been poured into the search for the little girl.

Drones, heat-seeking technology and sniffer dogs were used by emergency crews hoping to find the girl alive.

Many volunteers joined the search for the four-year-old over the past three days.

A paramedic and a tradie have helped police arrest a 12-year-old and two teenagers who were allegedly trying to flee from the scene of a three-car crash in North Adelaide.

One of the three boys allegedly crashed a black Mercedes-Benz into two other cars at the intersection of Tynte and O'Connell streets just after 7am.

A paramedic dressed in uniform and a tradie chased after the boys after they got out of the Mercedes and managed to hold down two of them until police arrived.

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Police arrested all three boys – a 12-year-old from Blair Athol, a 14-year-old from Gawler East and a 15-year-old from Greenacres – who have since been charged with illegal use.

The two younger boys have been granted bail while the 15-year-old was due to front a court today.

The Mercedes-Benz had been stolen from an Adelaide address overnight, according to police.

All three vehicles involved in the crash were so damaged they had to be towed from the scene.

Human remains that are believed to have been stolen from Melbourne mausoleums almost two months ago have allegedly been found at a home in Melbourne's south-west.

A 40-year-old Spotswood man has been arrested over the alleged theft of the partial human remains from mausoleums at a cemetery on Geelong Road in Footscray.

Police have said they expect to charge the man with interfering with the corpse of a human being and criminal damage.

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A significant police investigation has been underway since partial human remains were allegedly stolen from the mausoleums in two separate incidents between January 27 and February 1.

At the time, police said caskets at the mausoleum and had been opened and some body parts had been removed.

Police raided a home in Mary Street in Spotswood this morning, where they allegedly discovered what is believed to be the stolen partial human remains.

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Detectives located two skulls, one in inside a bedroom and the second in the front garden.

The man who has been arrested is believed to have been renting out a room at the house, living alongside other tenants.

The investigation into the thefts is still ongoing.

Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

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