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| Australia fires live: NSW and SA count cost of bushfires after Balmoral and Cudlee Creek devastation – latest | Australia fires live: NSW and SA count cost of bushfires after Balmoral and Cudlee Creek devastation – latest |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Residents in South Australia and New South Wales wait to discover the extent of devastation from the weekend’s fires. Follow today’s events live | Residents in South Australia and New South Wales wait to discover the extent of devastation from the weekend’s fires. Follow today’s events live |
| The bushfire zone covers about 30% of the 1100ha of vineyards that make up the premier Adelaide Hills wine region, the Advertiser reports. | |
| What a sad but iconically Australian moment this photograph, from the Eden Hills Country Fire Service’s Facebook page, captures. | |
| Air quality across Adelaide has fallen to hazardous levels because of smoke from the bushfires in the Adelaide Hills, the Environment Protection Authority says. | |
| It says pollution levels in the city are two to seven times normal levels. | |
| Adelaide’s central business district peaked at 200 micrograms of PM 10 particles (particles up to 10 micrograms across) early on Monday. | |
| The normal level is 50 micrograms. | |
| In suburban Kensington, levels rose to 350 micrograms. | |
| EPA boss Keith Baldry said the smoke haze was the result of evening gully winds pushing smoke from the fire ground, combined with calm conditions and an inversion layer that trapped the smoke overnight. | |
| Air quality in the Adelaide metropolitan area is likely to improve on Monday afternoon, before the haze returns overnight, AAP reports. | |
| SA Health said the smoke could pose a health risk, particularly for people with lung or heart conditions. | |
| “Hot weather and poor air quality are a dangerous combination and we are urging people to stay indoors, stay hydrated and reduce their exposure to smoky air,” acting chief public health officer Chris Lease said. | |
| “Smoke particles can aggravate existing health problems such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and heart conditions.” | |
| Some good news at last for the bushfire victims: ANZ has extended its bushfire relief package to take in customers across the country. | Some good news at last for the bushfire victims: ANZ has extended its bushfire relief package to take in customers across the country. |
| The package, which allows customers hit by the fires to suspend loan repayments and avoid fees, was previously available to those in NSW and southern Queensland. | The package, which allows customers hit by the fires to suspend loan repayments and avoid fees, was previously available to those in NSW and southern Queensland. |
| ANZ’s general managing director of retail banking, Kath Bray, said the bank had also given extra paid leave to employees who were volunteering fighting fires or performing other emergency services. | ANZ’s general managing director of retail banking, Kath Bray, said the bank had also given extra paid leave to employees who were volunteering fighting fires or performing other emergency services. |
| Under the relief package, customers can suspend repayments on loans, including credit cards, for up to three months. | Under the relief package, customers can suspend repayments on loans, including credit cards, for up to three months. |
| The bank says it will also give interest rate cuts to customers who are “experiencing extreme financial distress in areas impacted by the fires”. | The bank says it will also give interest rate cuts to customers who are “experiencing extreme financial distress in areas impacted by the fires”. |
| It will also waive fees to restructure business loans for customers hit by the fires and allow depositors to crack term deposits open early without penalty. | It will also waive fees to restructure business loans for customers hit by the fires and allow depositors to crack term deposits open early without penalty. |
| CBA, NAB and Westpac also have disaster relief packages for customers in NSW and Queensland bushfire areas. | CBA, NAB and Westpac also have disaster relief packages for customers in NSW and Queensland bushfire areas. |
| Cricket Australia is preparing for smoke from bushfires to impact play during Sydney’s New Year’s Test match between Australia and New Zealand. | Cricket Australia is preparing for smoke from bushfires to impact play during Sydney’s New Year’s Test match between Australia and New Zealand. |
| On Saturday, a Big Bash League fixture in Canberra was abandoned because of poor air quality. Reduced visibility on the field, caused by smoke from the bushfires currently ravaging parts of NSW, is the primary issue that could put players and umpires at risk of injury at the 3-7 January fixture. Spectators could also face health risks. | On Saturday, a Big Bash League fixture in Canberra was abandoned because of poor air quality. Reduced visibility on the field, caused by smoke from the bushfires currently ravaging parts of NSW, is the primary issue that could put players and umpires at risk of injury at the 3-7 January fixture. Spectators could also face health risks. |
| Young Australians on social media are mocking Scott Morrison and expressing their anger over his six-day holiday to Hawaii during Australia’s bushfire crisis. | Young Australians on social media are mocking Scott Morrison and expressing their anger over his six-day holiday to Hawaii during Australia’s bushfire crisis. |
| The online parodies of Scott Morrison, including a video with Kourtney Kardashian saying “Working is not my top priority”, are going viral, Naaman Zhou reports. | The online parodies of Scott Morrison, including a video with Kourtney Kardashian saying “Working is not my top priority”, are going viral, Naaman Zhou reports. |
| Heatwave update: the extraordinary nationwide burst that gave Australia its hottest three days on record between Tuesday and Thursday continued into Friday before dipping slightly on the weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology says. | Heatwave update: the extraordinary nationwide burst that gave Australia its hottest three days on record between Tuesday and Thursday continued into Friday before dipping slightly on the weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology says. |
| The average maximum temperature across the country on Friday was 40.3C. Before last week, that would have made it the equal hottest day recorded, alongside 7 January 2013. | The average maximum temperature across the country on Friday was 40.3C. Before last week, that would have made it the equal hottest day recorded, alongside 7 January 2013. |
| But that mark had been broken on Tuesday (initially reported as 40.9C after a preliminary assessment by the bureau, now confirmed as 41.0C), then smashed on Wednesday (41.9C). Thursday fell back to 41C. | But that mark had been broken on Tuesday (initially reported as 40.9C after a preliminary assessment by the bureau, now confirmed as 41.0C), then smashed on Wednesday (41.9C). Thursday fell back to 41C. |
| It means the country endured four of its five hottest days in a row. | It means the country endured four of its five hottest days in a row. |
| The average maximum fell to 39.1C on Saturday before climbing back to 39.6C on Sunday. | The average maximum fell to 39.1C on Saturday before climbing back to 39.6C on Sunday. |
| Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese says the federal government should be playing a bigger role coordinating the fire response. | Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese says the federal government should be playing a bigger role coordinating the fire response. |
| Albanese questioned PM Scott Morrison’s leadership, saying a Coag meeting – to discuss the development of a new national strategy for disaster preparedness and the appropriate funding by governments for emergency services – must be brought forward. | Albanese questioned PM Scott Morrison’s leadership, saying a Coag meeting – to discuss the development of a new national strategy for disaster preparedness and the appropriate funding by governments for emergency services – must be brought forward. |
| The prime minister “can do three things immediately, which is to bring forward the Coag meeting, meet the former fire chiefs and do something now to provide support for those volunteer firefighters who have been in the field for such a long time,” AAP reports Albanese said. | The prime minister “can do three things immediately, which is to bring forward the Coag meeting, meet the former fire chiefs and do something now to provide support for those volunteer firefighters who have been in the field for such a long time,” AAP reports Albanese said. |
| “This is a national issue that requires some form of national coordination and national leadership.” | “This is a national issue that requires some form of national coordination and national leadership.” |
| But Morrison rejected this, saying he did not accept the proposition that Coag had to meet for things to get done, because options and proposals for improving fire management were already being worked on. | But Morrison rejected this, saying he did not accept the proposition that Coag had to meet for things to get done, because options and proposals for improving fire management were already being worked on. |
| “Our fire services are responding to this fire better than last time, and the next time it will be better still with the resources and the technology and the other things that we can put in place,” he said. | “Our fire services are responding to this fire better than last time, and the next time it will be better still with the resources and the technology and the other things that we can put in place,” he said. |
| “So there’s no need for knee-jerk responses.” | “So there’s no need for knee-jerk responses.” |
| For many people with friends and family in the bushfire zones, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming. | For many people with friends and family in the bushfire zones, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming. |
| Gavin Fenwick, son of Colin Todd, a Balmoral local who was featured in our story on Friday about the town, said he drew this cartoon to help cope with these feelings. | Gavin Fenwick, son of Colin Todd, a Balmoral local who was featured in our story on Friday about the town, said he drew this cartoon to help cope with these feelings. |
| Colin and his partner, Sandy Lockwood, who is a prominent Australian potter, are still waiting to establish if their Balmoral home and studio has survived the fires. | Colin and his partner, Sandy Lockwood, who is a prominent Australian potter, are still waiting to establish if their Balmoral home and studio has survived the fires. |
| There are fears the rare and ancient Wollemi pine has been caught up in the fires that are sweeping the Blue Mountains. | There are fears the rare and ancient Wollemi pine has been caught up in the fires that are sweeping the Blue Mountains. |
| The Wollemi pines are more than 200m years old and were thought completely extinct until they were discovered by bushwalkers in 1994 in a small grove in the Blue Mountains. | The Wollemi pines are more than 200m years old and were thought completely extinct until they were discovered by bushwalkers in 1994 in a small grove in the Blue Mountains. |
| The discovery makes the pines some of NSW’s most precious flora. They are listed as critically endangered by the UN and their whereabouts have been kept secret from the public to keep them safe. | The discovery makes the pines some of NSW’s most precious flora. They are listed as critically endangered by the UN and their whereabouts have been kept secret from the public to keep them safe. |
| But as the Gospers Mountain megafire burns through the area, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph has reported that three of four of their locations may be in danger. | But as the Gospers Mountain megafire burns through the area, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph has reported that three of four of their locations may be in danger. |
| The NSW Department of Environment is remaining tightlipped but said it was “doing everything we can to protect them”. “Fire activity across the Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Park is ongoing,” a spokeswoman said. “We are doing everything we can to protect them. Their ongoing survival depends on their location remaining protected. | The NSW Department of Environment is remaining tightlipped but said it was “doing everything we can to protect them”. “Fire activity across the Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Park is ongoing,” a spokeswoman said. “We are doing everything we can to protect them. Their ongoing survival depends on their location remaining protected. |
| “The Wollemi pines have survived for over 200 million years and are not found anywhere else in the world. They are an important part of our heritage.” | “The Wollemi pines have survived for over 200 million years and are not found anywhere else in the world. They are an important part of our heritage.” |