The amount of free campsites around Australia is shrinking after a local council introduced new fees at a range of popular spots.

Tasmania's Central Coast Council will ask campers to fork out a $15 nightly fee from the end of February 2026 at several council-managed freedom camping sites.

The impacted sites are Forth Recreation Ground, Midway Point in Sulphur Creek and Bannons Park in Gunns Plains in the state's north-west.

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A new permit system will also be enforced, including a maximum stay of three nights per site for self-contained vehicles such as campervans or RVs and a ban on fires and tents.

"The permit system is being introduced to help council better manage camping and RV visitation across the Central Coast," the council's Director of Corporate Services Samantha Searle told nine.com.au.

"The modest fee will be reinvested directly into maintaining and improving facilities, protecting the natural environment, and ensuring fair and equitable access to camping areas.

"It also aligns with council's adopted RV and Camping Strategy and broader planning to enhance visitor experience, support tourism growth and deliver future infrastructure upgrades that will benefit both visitors and the local community."

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It follows a proposal by the NSW national parks service to standardise camping fees across the board following a rise in "ghost camping".

A consultation paper released last year, of which the submissions are yet to be released, outlined a "significant" change to the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the first since 2017.

The tiered system would see fees increased, particularly during the busy season.

For most campers, fees would increase in high season and be cheaper in low season, the NPWS said.

"For example, a family of four currently pays $68/night in a beachfront campground (tier 6), but with the proposed tiered system they would pay $89/night in high season or $54/night in low season," the consultation paper stated.

The fees would be introduced to encourage cancellations and discourage ghost camping or no-shows, where travellers book but don't ever arrive to claim their spot.

The NPWS said it had considered alternative approaches, including a "first-come, first-served" model, 100 per cent refunds for cancellations or fines for no-shows, but found it "difficult" to enforce.

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Around 23,000 people responded to the submission.

The NPWS is now in the process of reviewing the feedback.

Ghost camping is a nationwide issue that has prompted government responses in multiple states.

The practice surged after Victoria introduced free camping in every state forest and national park across the state in December 1, 2024.

The move wiped out $7.3 million in annual booking fees for campers but it's come at another high cost – campsites sitting empty.

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A police inspector has described the moment bystanders desperately tried to help a woman and her two young girls who became trapped in their car in a major crash on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

The girls, aged one and three, remain in a fight for their life in Queensland Children's Hospital today after a dump truck collided into the back of their car, pinning it to a construction site in Banya just before midday yesterday.

Their mother, 37, is in a stable condition at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, along with several others who suffered minor injuries in the crash.

"It was definitely a confronting scene," Acting Inspector Matt Robertson said.

"It was a tragic set of circumstances and a tragic situation where all people involved, the witnesses, the people involved in the accident, the first responders being ambulance and police, it takes its toll on people.

"Anyone who attends these situations doesn't necessarily want to be confronted with it, but they do their job and get involved and it does affect us, it affects everybody.

"The people who witnessed that accident immediately jumped in to assist and assist all the people involved in it and nobody shied away from getting in, helping, providing assistance."

The dump truck first collided into the back of a car, sending it across the road, near the intersection of Banya Avenue and Bruny Street.

It then travelled another 400m before smashing into several cars that were stopped at the intersection and pinned the blue Haval station wagon with the young family inside.

The 52-year-old male truck driver suffered minor injuries.

Police have spoken to him as they investigate the cause of the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact police.

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A family-of-three is missing and more than 20 homes are potentially lost as out-of-control bushfires continue to burn across Victoria.

The Longwood fire has burnt through more than 48,000 hectares and forced residents across dozens of towns to evacuate their homes.

Another major fire, the Walwa blaze, has burned through more than 17,000 hectares in the state's north-east.

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Authorities hold concerns for a man, woman and child who firefighters spoke with at a home in the Longwood East area yesterday morning.

Crews returned to find the property destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon.

"Those three people, we do not know at this point in time where they may be," Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said this morning.

"At this point in time, I'm not suggesting we've seen three people perish, all I'm saying is these three people are unaccounted for."

Emergency services are currently unable to investigate their disappearance as the area is still a danger zone but the trio remain unaccounted for this evening.

READ MORE: Small town of Ruffy unrecognisable as fire destroys homes

Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch confirmed "community and residential" properties have been destroyed in the Longwood fire.

Many of these losses have been in and around the Ruffy area.

Wiebusch said the number of properties destroyed could not yet be confirmed, but that the Ruffy community centre and telephone exchange had been destroyed, along with multiple homes.

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Wiebusch said firefighters would face "challenging and difficult" conditions across the state.

"Victoria is in the midst of a severe to extreme intensity heatwave, which is now being matched with damaging winds and storms today, that will result in our state seeing catastrophic and extreme fire danger," Wiebusch said.

"That means that any fires that are in our landscape already or those that start will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and will be very fast-moving."

CFA Captain George Noye, who was visibly emotional this afternoon, told 9News the fire has cleared homes, buildings and livestock.

"There's not much left. It's just ash," Noye said.

"If we go away to a lot of fires and we see this happen with communities, it's devastating."

Earlier this morning, Noye said the damage in Ruffy looked like "an atomic bomb has gone off".

"We've lost the old school, the old Ruffy produce store is gone, three houses on the main street, we've lost countless homes across the area," he told ABC.

"Ten of my firefighters that I know of have lost homes."

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There are fears the potential impact zone of the Longwood fire could creep towards Melbourne's fringes due to a potential wind change expected at about 8pm tonight.

Approximately 1200 to 1600 hectares of a pine plantation have been destroyed by the Walwa fire, though no property there has be lost as yet.

A total fire ban has been declared across the whole of Victoria for tomorrow.

Temperatures are expected to cool across most of the state tomorrow, but the mercury is expected to nudge 40 in some areas including Geelong and Mildura.

A high of 26 degrees is forecast for Melbourne tomorrow.

Residents should visit the VicEmergency website for the latest updates and advice on fires in their area.

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In arguably the best match of the tournament so far, the top seed found a way.

Follow the action as Auckland FC clash with the Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.

An urgent recall has been issued for a luxury Volkswagen SUV due to fears it could pose a major fire risk.

There are warnings that the high-voltage battery in hundreds of Volkswagen Touareg vehicles could overheat while charging, potentially sparking a vehicle fire.

Owners of models dated between 2020-2024 are advised to have their cars inspected as soon as possible.

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Vehicles that are affected by the issue can take their vehicle to a Volkswagen dealership to have the software update carried out, free of charge. 

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Dozens of writers have pulled out of the Adelaide Writers' Week after it dropped a Palestinian author, Randa Abdel-Fattah, from the program due to "cultural sensitivities" following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

The Adelaide Festival Board yesterday announced it had cancelled her scheduled appearance at the February 28 to March 5 event in light of promoting social cohesion.

"Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi," the board said in a statement.

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Abdel-Fattah faced sustained criticism over a previous comment she made, saying Zionists had "no claim or right to cultural safety".

Dozens of writers have consequently withdrawn from the event in support of Abdel-Fattah, while others called on attendees to boycott it.

"I believe this statement, and the board's censorship, to be dangerous, inflammatory, and a broad threat to Australian writers and freedom of speech," Maxine Beneba Clarke, co-author of Eleven Words for Love, said.

"It is a gross act of discrimination and censorship I can in no way agree with, and I will therefore be withdrawing from this year's Adelaide Writers' Week unless Dr Abdel-Fattah's place in the program is reinstated," Hannah Kent, author of Always Home, Always Homesick, said.

Others who cancelled their appearance at the event include star British author Zadie Smith as well as Percival Everett, Hannah Ferguson, Jane Caro, Amy McQuire, Peter FitzSimons, Vanessa Turnbull Roberts, Karen Wyld and Chelsea Watego.

Adelaide Writers' Week has today updated its website to say: "In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the Writers' Week 2026 program we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes to the website."

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DTO-GmsEhB0/

Abdel-Fattah said the decision to remove her from the program was a "blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre".

"The board's reasoning suggests that my mere presence is 'culturally insensitive'; that I, a Palestinian who had nothing to do with the Bondi atrocity, am somehow a trigger for those in mourning and that I should therefore be persona non grata in cultural circles because my very presence as a Palestinian is threatening and 'unsafe'."

The Adelaide Festival Board said it conducted a review of current and planned events over the past few weeks in light of the heightened community tensions and debates following the events at Bondi on December 14.

The board said the decision to remove Abdel-Fattah from the program has "not been taken lightly" and that a sub-committee has been formed to oversee the review and guide decisions.

"This suite of decisions has been taken with the genuine view that they provide the best opportunity for the success and support of the Adelaide Festival, for Adelaide Writers' Week and the communities we seek to serve and engage," the board said.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he fully supported the board's decision, as Abdel-Fattah had advocated against the cultural safety of those who believe in Zionism.

"I think in the context of the single worst race-based terrorist attack that we've seen in the history of our federation, that matters," he told ABC.

9news.com.au has contacted Adelaide Writers' Week for further comment.

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A major bushfire that has destroyed homes and left three people missing in central Victoria has created scenes that a local firefighter has likened to an "atomic bomb".

The out-of-control blaze in Longwood has already burnt more than 48,000 hectares of land around the townships of Ruffy, Tarcombe, Caveat and Dropmore as the state battles the most dangerous conditions since the Black Summer fires.

In the small town of Ruffy, south of the fire, at least 10 homes have been destroyed.

READ MORE: Three people, including a child, missing in Victorian bushfires

"It looks like an atomic bomb has gone off," CFA Captain George Noye told ABC this morning.

"We've lost the old school, the old Ruffy produce store is gone, three houses on the main street.

"We've lost countless homes across the area. Ten of my firefighters that I know of have lost homes."

Noye told 9News this afternoon that the fire has cleared homes, buildings and livestock.

"There's not much left. It's just ash. If we go away to a lot of fires, and we see this happen with communities… It's devastating," he said, becoming visibly emotional.

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Three people also remain missing in nearby Longwood East. 

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill said firefighters had come across a man, woman and child near a home and advised them to take shelter because it was too late to evacuate.

Those firefighters later went back to the home and saw it had been destroyed by the fire.

"Those three people remain unaccounted for. Where that house has been destroyed is still a hot spot, and we are yet to be able to put the strike team from the fire services into that area to conduct an assessment for us," Hill said.

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The Longwood fire has been described as "incredibly dynamic" with emergency services warning it is spreading in multiple directions.

Residents in the impact zone have been told it is too late to leave and shelter now, while others in potential impact areas are urged to evacuate now.

Victoria is experiencing extreme fire conditions due to the peaking heatwave and strong, dry winds.

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There are currently seven emergency bushfires burning across the state in Longwood, Walwa, Streatham, Natimuk, Harcourt and Ravenswood, Muckatah and Bamganie.

Temperatures reached 46.7 degrees in Walpeup and 42.9 degrees in Melbourne.

A total fire ban is in place for all of Victoria today.

For all the latest updates and advice on fires, visit the VicEmergency website

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She told the man to stop having sex with her, but he wouldn’t, and then he beat her.

Queenslanders on the state's north coast are being urged to prepare for a massive rainfall event as forecasters warn a tropical low sitting off the coast is likely to reach cyclone intensity before it crosses the coast on the weekend.

"Plan for the worst" was the message from Premier David Crisafulli after today's emergency management meeting.

Sodden catchments that have endured days of rainfall, between Hope Vale in the north and Mackay in the south, some already exceeding half a metre of rain, are set to receive even more when the system reaches the coast sometime tomorrow.

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Crisafulli said additional police, fire and rescue and SES personnel had been deployed to the area.

"They join many thousands of local people who live and work in these areas and who are very experienced in this," the premier said.

"If you know you're in a low-lying area, now's the time to get your sandbags.

"I'm just asking people just to do the little things today to help, when this rainfall event does come in whatever shape it takes and wherever it comes, there's no harm in doing the preparation now.

"This rainfall will impact a large area, a large population, but they have great experience and great nous in being able to handle this."

READ MORE: Millions in disaster funding announced for flood-ravaged northern Queensland

Chris Hooper from Ergon Energy said people in warning areas should get ready for power outages.

"With these sort of systems that come through, we could expect to lose power," he said.

Mobile phone services could also be impacted.

Deputy Police Commissioner Chris Stream was scathing of people driving into floodwaters despite warnings ad nauseam.

"It's critical that people through those warning areas remain vigilant, and pay close attention to both the bureau warnings and also the information supplied through the disaster.qld.gov.au website," Stream said.

"You have all seen that emergency services have had to carry out a number of rescues over the last, several days.

"That has included two rescue activities in the last 24 hours.

"This is beyond stupidity," Stream said.

"When you drive into floodwaters, this is negligent activity, you are placing yourselves and your passengers at risk, as well as other people that have to come and rescue you from those situations."

READ MORE: Fourth major fire breaks out in Victoria

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said sandbagging sites are being replenished.

He urged people to be "prepared but not panicked".

"With warnings of heavy rain and wind, we could see power outages over the weekend and next 48 hours," Dametto said.

"We want people to take this seriously but not be worried to the point where they're stripping the shelves."

Meanwhile Cairns residents are now on level four water restrictions and are being asked to restrict their water use to drinking, cooking, and bathing due to "high turbidity" in the catchment.

Emergency kits should contain food, bottled water and medication for three to four days, pet supplies, torches with batteries and a radio.