Marles says Australia still needs to see strait of Hormuz return to normal
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said the flow of ships through the strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire is not “what we want”.
Marles, who is serving as acting prime minister while Anthony Albanese is in Singapore to discuss the nation’s fuel supplies, spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
Ultimately, we need to see the strait of Hormuz open. We need to see the disruption of the global fuel supply chain stop. And we very much need this fragile temporary ceasefire become permanent.
Key events
Andrew Messenger
Queensland MP Jimmy Sullivan dead at 44
A Queensland member of parliament has died.
Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan had served as a Labor representative for the electorate of Stafford since 2020. He was expelled from the Labor party last May and sat on the cross-bench.
Queensland police confirmed that officers attended a residence at Stafford at 10.15pm last night to a “sudden death”.
“Officers are treating the death as non-suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner,” a spokesperson for Queensland police said.
“No further information is available at this time”.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Marles says Australia still needs to see strait of Hormuz return to normal
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said the flow of ships through the strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire is not “what we want”.
Marles, who is serving as acting prime minister while Anthony Albanese is in Singapore to discuss the nation’s fuel supplies, spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
Ultimately, we need to see the strait of Hormuz open. We need to see the disruption of the global fuel supply chain stop. And we very much need this fragile temporary ceasefire become permanent.
Greens say coalmine extension risks flouting climate laws
A state Greens MP saying the approval risks breaching climate laws, AAP adds.
“The state’s top legal minds are clear that any new coal is inconsistent with the current law,” MP Sue Higginson said. She went on:
It is therefore highly likely that if tested, this coal approval would be declared unlawful.
I have no doubt that environmental defenders will be considering heading to the courts right now, to uphold the climate and environmental laws of the state.
The NSW net zero commission found in December any increase in coal mining activity would leave the state at odds with the climate change act and the Paris agreement.
While the mine has been cleared for two extra years of digging, its operator, Delta Power and Energy, did not get everything it was seeking.
The commission denied its application to allow coal from the mine to be exported, largely because the increased emissions from trucks transporting the coal to the Port of Newcastle would have too great an impact on residents.
NSW gives coalmine green light to operate for two extra years
A large underground coalmine has been given the green light to keep digging for an extra two years because it will eventually shut down a day before net zero targets kick in, AAP reports.
The NSW independent planning commission has approved a proposal to extend the life of the consolidated Chain Valley and Mannering coalmines, south of Newcastle, until the end of 2029.
The commission said the extension was necessary to keep supplying the nearby Vales Point power station “during NSW’s transition to renewable energy”.
Legislated emissions reduction targets for the state don’t kick in until 2030, meaning none of the coal extracted from the mine will be counted in those assessments, the commission said on Thursday.
Nick Visser
Good morning, and happy Friday. Nick Visser here to pick up the blog. Let’s get to it.
Search for missing fisher suspended
Martin Farrer
A search for a fisher who disappeared in waters off Coffs Harbour has been suspended, police said last night.
Emergency services were called to Emerald Beach, Coffs Harbour, on Monday following reports that a 32-year-old man had been washed off rocks while fishing.
Coffs Harbour water police, assisted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, carried out an extensive search in the past four days but he could not be found and the operation was suspended yesterday afternoon.
Water police and other agencies will continue to search the waters off Emerald Beach in the coming days.
Albanese lands in Singapore
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese says Singapore and Australia are “strategically aligned” on fuel and energy, ahead of his meeting with Lawrence Wong later today.
But the Australian prime minister said the conflict in the Middle East would have “a long tail”, warning of “a difficult period ahead”.
There’s been substantial damage in the Gulf and that will have consequences for a period of at least months ahead.
Albanese will meet his Singaporean counterpart for an annual leaders’ meeting and they will hold a joint press conference this afternoon, after Albanese tours petrol refining facilities on Jurong Island.
Arriving into Singapore last night, Albanese said the two countries were important partners, with Singapore providing around a quarter of Australia’s refined fuels and Australia providing around a third of Singapore’s LNG.
We share values and we share a relationship of trust between each other. And that is why it’s so important that at difficult times in the world we can rely upon each other.
It’s unclear whether Albanese’s meeting will directly secure any new fuel supplies for Australia, but he says the meeting is important to bolster the bilateral relationship.
This is a relationship of trust and of mutual interest as well. We know that it is in both of our countries’ interests to engage with each other to make sure that we are both reliable suppliers.
We have each other’s word and indeed we have each other’s back at this time.
Welcome
Martin Farrer
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take the news reins.
Anthony Albanese says Singapore and Australia are “strategically aligned” on fuel and energy, ahead of his meeting with Lawrence Wong later today. More coming up in a minute.
And locally, a search for a fisher who disappeared in waters off Coffs Harbour has been suspended, police said last night. More details coming.
