Tag Archives: oceania

Gold Coast Mansion a 'ticking time bomb'

A teetering Gold Coast property and ripped up Brisbane streets are among a number of concerns authorities are dealing with as a result of Queensland's heavy wet weather. 

However, the worst is yet to come, with the Bureau of Meteorology and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today warning that the next 24 hours could be deadly. 

The Wongawallan hillside property today was seen as a ticking time bomb, with structural experts saying the house could collapse at any moment.

LIVE UPDATES: Thousands of Sydney residents evacuated from homes

A teetering Gold Coast hinterland property are among  concerns as a result of Queensland's heavy wet weather.

The street's residents were also forced to evacuate this afternoon or face being cut off by rising water levels. 

The street is among a number of south east neighborhoods that have been heavily affected by the continued downfall, one even cracking and under the pressure of the water and leaving a car completely written off.

The eerie scenes come as large parts of South and Central Queensland are again on high alert following a new heavy rainfall warning from the Bureau of Meteorology. 

The Wongawallan hillside property today was seen as a ticking time bomb.

The updated warning coming out Monday evening encompasses much of Southern Queensland, including the Channel Country, Maranoa & Warrego, Central Highland and Coalfields, Darling Downs & Granite Belt and South East Coast. 

Six-hourly rainfall totals, from 50mm all the way to 150mm, are likely across these regions with heavier falls and possible thunderstorms also on the table. 

Bad weather could move west

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk joined calls for south east locals to be prepared for the next 24 hours of weather, saying the coastal weather could turn its gaze west. 

"The Bureau has advised us that they expect the weather to increase overnight and also spread further out into the south west as well," Ms Palaszczuk said this afternoon. 

"We have already heard some reports of some land slips that are occurring around the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Downpours and floods continue to threaten parts of south-east Queensland

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said they expected to see "150mm over six hours" that will lead to more cases of flash flooding across the state.

"Please prepare now – plan another route to go home if you need to." he said

It comes as parts of the Sunshine Coast have recorded over 40mm since Monday morning, while parts south of Brisbane have copped just over 30mm in the same time. 

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A flood watch remains in place this afternoon for parts of Western and Central Queensland, as well as the Darling Downs. 

The warning comes after authorities said earlier today there could be in excess of 150mm of rain from the Sunshine Coast to the northern NSW border over the coming hours.

The SES has received more than 300 calls for help overnight, mainly for flood inundation to homes.

Brisbane, Queensland, floods

"A lot of those requests have been about flood inundation to homes as well as trees down and we have also seen a couple of flood boat rescues as well," QFES State Coordinator Brian Cox told Today.

"It has been a very busy period…we are asking people not to be complacent.

"This weather event will hang around for the next three days. The ground is already saturated so the risk of flooding is quite high."

There are several flood warnings in place for low-lying areas.

https://twitter.com/LukeBradnam/status/1373747556690239489?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwBrisbane, Queensland, floodsBrisbane, Queensland, floods

There was flash flooding in Brisbane, with it and Logan receiving over 100mm of rain over a 24 hour period.

The heavy downpour caused flash flooding and even cracks in roads in Logan.

The Bureau of Meteorology said most of the heavy rain will be seen further south in NSW.

South Australian man dies after contracting meningococcal

A 29-year-old Adelaide man has died after a case of invasive meningococcal disease.

SA Health reported the case posthumously today, with the man dying last week.

"Multiple people who had close contact with the man have been identified, an five people have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics," SA Health said.

https://twitter.com/SAHealth/status/1373862250201587716

The strain has been identified as serotype W.

This is the first invasive meningococcal case recorded in the state this year.

Five cases were recorded last year. Three were serotype B and two were serotype Y.

Extinction Rebellion protesters pose as dead bodies

Climate protesters dressed in red have stopped traffic on a busy Melbourne CBD intersection on day one of a week of disruptive demonstrations.

The Extinction Rebellion activists rallied at State Parliament this morning, blocking Spring Street and Bourke Street, with some pretending to lie dead on the road with white sheets covering their bodies and wearing toe tags.

The protests come after two men were arrested after locking themselves to a roof of a truck in the middle of a Flinders Street intersection on Friday.

The protesters have pledged to wreak havoc every day this week in the city as they call for climate intervention.

There was a strong police presence at State Parliament overseeing the 'dead bodies', monitoring the actions of protesters.

Traffic was diverted at the intersection, with route 86 and 96 trams also disrupted.

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Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius told 3AW police would not hesitate to make arrests.

"We will issue a direction for them to cease their obstruction and if they don't comply we will move in to arrest people," he said.

Protesters have also vowed to camp out at Carlton Gardens as part of the planned protests, but Mr Cornelius said the City of Melbourne had made it "very clear" camping was not permitted.

"They will not permit camping in the Carlton Gardens," he said.

"If camping occurs, we will support the City of Melbourne … to have those camping sites taken down."

Several people have been arrested.

Protester Helen Bowman said she was arrested and fined for obstructing traffic, which she believed was a small price to pay to advocate for change.

"I feel very sure that this is the right thing to do," she said.

"Until people listen, I am afraid we will have to keep doing this.

"This is too important. This is the future of everything, but particularly our children."

Another protester, Timothy Neville said the group wanted to force action on the climate crisis.

"We want to draw attention to the fact that nothing's been done about cataclysmic climate and meteorological lapse," he said.

Activist Jane said she felt a responsibility to protest.

"I have known for a number of years that we're facing a climate and ecological emergency and I feel I have no choice."

Nurse Sasha King said she was marching out of concern for her patients.

Ms King was part of a group that went to deliver a letter to energy company AGL, but they were refused entry.

"I'm a nurse, there are thousands of nurses that are extremely concerned about the health impacts of climate change for our patients," she said.

Victoria Police confirmed to 9News just under 2000 police officers, who would normally work at local stations, have been rostered on this week to monitor the protests.

A spokesperson said people could expect a heavy police presence in the CBD, under the "significant public order operation".

"Everyone has the right to protest peacefully and lawfully, without impacting the rest of the community," a police statement read.

"The police objective is always to facilitate the safe and peaceful protest until there is a point where a significant risk is presented – either through significant obstructions that threatens the free movement and assembly of the broader community or in the face of violence.

"If this occurs, rest assured police will be taking swift action to remove the obstruction and to ensure the many people who are going about their daily lives in the city are not unduly disrupted."

Jarryd Hayne guilty of sexual assault

Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman near Newcastle. 

The jury found Hayne not guilty of further charges which included recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm.  

There was no visible reaction from Hayne as the verdicts were delivered three days into deliberations.  

Jarryd Hayne has been found guilty of sexual assault.

Hayne met the woman on Instagram before he stopped his taxi at her home on the way back to Sydney from a buck's weekend on NRL grand final day in 2018.  

The court was told the woman suffered two lacerations and bled heavily afterwards.  

Hayne has been granted bail on a $50,000 surety and will be sentenced on May 6.

Outside court today, the former NRL star said: "I told the truth and I'll do it all again."

https://twitter.com/KellyFedor/status/1373870063439077378

NSW Police praise 'courageous victim'

Detective Superintendent Stacey Maloney from NSW Police has praised the woman who came forward to police after she was sexually assaulted by former NRL player Jarryd Hayne.

"What an incredible feat it was for the victim to go through this process," she said.

Detective Superintendent Maloney highlighted the victim's "courage, resilience and steely nature" through the process.

She also thanked to NSW Police for their professionalism, and urged any other alleged victims of alleged sexual assault to come forward.

"We want to know, we want people to come forward to us, we want to hear your story and we need you to know that we believe you, and we will be on the journey with you," she said.

AstraZeneca says US trial data shows vaccine 79 per cent effective

AstraZeneca says advanced trial data from a US study on its COVID vaccine shows it is 79 per cent effective.

Although AstraZeneca's vaccine has been authorised in more than 50 countries, including Australia, it has not yet been given the green light in the US.

The US study comprised 30,000 volunteers, 20,000 of whom were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots. The results were announced Monday.

In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79 per cent efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID and was 100 per cent effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalisation.

Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — which previous studies in other countries had failed to establish.

The early findings from the US study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration.

An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine.

Scientists have been awaiting results of the US study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work.

Britain first authorised the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70 per cent effective.

Nations suspend AstraZeneca vaccine

But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.

Then came more questions, about how well the vaccine protected older adults and how long to wait before the second dose. Some European countries including Germany, France and Belgium initially withheld the shot from older adults and only reversed their decisions after new data suggested it is offering seniors protection.

Last week, more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended their use of the AstraZeneca shot after reports it was linked to blood clots.

On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency concluded after an investigation that the vaccine did not raise the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was connected to two very rare types of clots.

France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently resumed their use of the shot on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.