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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 Wingecarribee Shire Council has organised to take residents of fire-ravaged Balmoral and Buxton back to inspect their homes this afternoon. | |
| The council announced on Facebook that it will provide busses for people from directly affected residences, leaving from two local RSLs around 3pm this afternoon. Staff from local police, emergency services and support agencies will also be on board the busses. | |
| Public access to these villages remains restricted. | |
| RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers estimates more than 3m hectares of land has now been destroyed in the NSW bushfires. | |
| NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers says it appears about 100 homes were lost to the weekend’s ferocious bushfires. | |
| Backburning has been conducted around Warragamba, which remains under threat from the Green Wattle Creek fire. Kazan Brown, a Gundungurra traditional owner who spoke to Guardian Australia last week, said the fire was predicted to hit them on Saturday night but the wind didn’t reach them. | Backburning has been conducted around Warragamba, which remains under threat from the Green Wattle Creek fire. Kazan Brown, a Gundungurra traditional owner who spoke to Guardian Australia last week, said the fire was predicted to hit them on Saturday night but the wind didn’t reach them. |
| She took these photos from Silverdale Hill, which is behind the town at Warragamba. The fire is still a fair distance from them, Brown says, but they have been warned by the local RFS brigade that this coming Saturday will also be very bad. | She took these photos from Silverdale Hill, which is behind the town at Warragamba. The fire is still a fair distance from them, Brown says, but they have been warned by the local RFS brigade that this coming Saturday will also be very bad. |
| Premier Gladys Berejiklian says NSW communities including Dargon and Balmoral ravaged by bushfires could “take years to rebuild”. | Premier Gladys Berejiklian says NSW communities including Dargon and Balmoral ravaged by bushfires could “take years to rebuild”. |
| But she denied there was any shortage of supplies to fight the fires, saying RFS volunteers had the resources they needed. | But she denied there was any shortage of supplies to fight the fires, saying RFS volunteers had the resources they needed. |
| She told a press conference that local firefighters were unwilling to leave their posts to take breaks. | She told a press conference that local firefighters were unwilling to leave their posts to take breaks. |
| NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers has warned against complacency in the cooler weather. | NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers has warned against complacency in the cooler weather. |
| He told a press briefing the RFS would attempt to take advantage of the cooler conditions over the coming days by undertaking hazard reduction burns, but “the threat is by no means passed for the Blue Mountains”. | He told a press briefing the RFS would attempt to take advantage of the cooler conditions over the coming days by undertaking hazard reduction burns, but “the threat is by no means passed for the Blue Mountains”. |
| Morrison has also downplayed claims that his office lied about his overseas holiday. Paul Karp writes: | Morrison has also downplayed claims that his office lied about his overseas holiday. Paul Karp writes: |
| Although several journalists reported that the prime minister’s office had denied he was in Hawaii, Morrison deflected a question about the lack of transparency by claiming it was an “issue the media’s got very excited about and my political opponents are seeking to exploit”. | Although several journalists reported that the prime minister’s office had denied he was in Hawaii, Morrison deflected a question about the lack of transparency by claiming it was an “issue the media’s got very excited about and my political opponents are seeking to exploit”. |
| Scott Morrison has claimed climate change is “as important now” – amid an extended bushfire crisis and a record-breaking heatwave – as it was at the election and denied that the government was split over whether to improve Australia’s policy response, writes Paul Karp. | Scott Morrison has claimed climate change is “as important now” – amid an extended bushfire crisis and a record-breaking heatwave – as it was at the election and denied that the government was split over whether to improve Australia’s policy response, writes Paul Karp. |
| NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has released this video with the member for the Blue Mountains and spokeswoman on emergency services, Trish Doyle. McKay says: | NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has released this video with the member for the Blue Mountains and spokeswoman on emergency services, Trish Doyle. McKay says: |
| The Currowan fire has merged with the Tianjana fire. | The Currowan fire has merged with the Tianjana fire. |
| “No, Gladys, we haven’t been destroyed,” says the NSW town of Balmoral. | “No, Gladys, we haven’t been destroyed,” says the NSW town of Balmoral. |
| In case you missed it, here are Helen Davidson and Jessica Hromas reporting from the fire ground in NSW yesterday: | In case you missed it, here are Helen Davidson and Jessica Hromas reporting from the fire ground in NSW yesterday: |
| New South Wales | New South Wales |
| 110 fires, of which almost 60 are uncontained. | 110 fires, of which almost 60 are uncontained. |
| 2 volunteer firefighters, Geoff Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer, killed as well as four others on the mid-north coast: Vivian Chaplain, 69, and George Nole, Julie Fletcher, 63, and an unnamed 58-year-old man. | 2 volunteer firefighters, Geoff Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer, killed as well as four others on the mid-north coast: Vivian Chaplain, 69, and George Nole, Julie Fletcher, 63, and an unnamed 58-year-old man. |
| 100 buildings destroyed over weekend alone. | 100 buildings destroyed over weekend alone. |
| Smoke continues to affect Sydney. | Smoke continues to affect Sydney. |
| Fires: Gospers Mountain blaze (areas hardest hit include Lithgow and along the Bells Line of Road in the upper Blue Mountains); Green Wattle Creek fire (devastating Wollondilly Shire villages of Buxton and Bargo, and wiping out small town of Balmoral); Currowan blaze (has hit communities near Nerriga, north of Batemans Bay). | Fires: Gospers Mountain blaze (areas hardest hit include Lithgow and along the Bells Line of Road in the upper Blue Mountains); Green Wattle Creek fire (devastating Wollondilly Shire villages of Buxton and Bargo, and wiping out small town of Balmoral); Currowan blaze (has hit communities near Nerriga, north of Batemans Bay). |
| Victoria | Victoria |
| Two blazes still burning uncontrolled in Tambo Crossing in East Gippsland and Hotspur, Digby, in the western district. | Two blazes still burning uncontrolled in Tambo Crossing in East Gippsland and Hotspur, Digby, in the western district. |
| Bushfires in East Gippsland burning since Thursday | Bushfires in East Gippsland burning since Thursday |
| Cooler conditions have given firefighters a reprieve but smoke from the fires and from NSW expected to make air quality hazardous. | Cooler conditions have given firefighters a reprieve but smoke from the fires and from NSW expected to make air quality hazardous. |
| South Australia | South Australia |
| Huge fire burning in Adelaide Hills. | Huge fire burning in Adelaide Hills. |
| One killed (Ron Selth, 69), three more in hospital with burns. | One killed (Ron Selth, 69), three more in hospital with burns. |
| 25,000 hectares burned within a 127km perimeter. | 25,000 hectares burned within a 127km perimeter. |
| 72 homes confirmed lost along with 404 other buildings and 227 vehicles over the weekend. | 72 homes confirmed lost along with 404 other buildings and 227 vehicles over the weekend. |
| Significant losses to crops, including vineyards and hundreds of sheep killed. | Significant losses to crops, including vineyards and hundreds of sheep killed. |
| Most concern centred on difficult terrain around the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir at Castambul. | Most concern centred on difficult terrain around the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir at Castambul. |
| Queensland | Queensland |
| About 60 fires burning within containment lines across the state. | About 60 fires burning within containment lines across the state. |
| Severe fire conditions in the central highlands and Coalfields and upper Flinders region in central Queensland. | Severe fire conditions in the central highlands and Coalfields and upper Flinders region in central Queensland. |
| Cooler conditions, some rain expected around Christmas Eve. | Cooler conditions, some rain expected around Christmas Eve. |
| Smoke haze from NSW fires. | Smoke haze from NSW fires. |
| Western Australia | Western Australia |
| Lives and homes threatened by bushfires in Perth’s Hills region around Roleystone. in the city’s south-east and a massive blaze at Yanchep, north of Perth, last week before being downgraded. | Lives and homes threatened by bushfires in Perth’s Hills region around Roleystone. in the city’s south-east and a massive blaze at Yanchep, north of Perth, last week before being downgraded. |
| Firefighters battled heatwave conditions for much of the six-day fire, saving thousands of properties. | Firefighters battled heatwave conditions for much of the six-day fire, saving thousands of properties. |
| One house and a Yanchep petrol station were destroyed; about 13,000 hectares were burned. | One house and a Yanchep petrol station were destroyed; about 13,000 hectares were burned. |
| Tasmania | Tasmania |
| Two bushfires north of Launceston were brought under control at the end of November. | Two bushfires north of Launceston were brought under control at the end of November. |
| Northern Territory NT last saw major fires in September when there were nine active fire grounds. | Northern Territory NT last saw major fires in September when there were nine active fire grounds. |
| (Thanks to AAP for the summary). | (Thanks to AAP for the summary). |