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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 liveResidents in South Australia and New South Wales wait to discover the extent of devastation from the weekend’s fires. Follow today’s events live
For many people with friends and family in the bushfire zones, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming.
Gavin Todd, 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.
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 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.
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.”
Many more homes could have been lost in the NSW town of Balmoral on Saturday when the RFS firefighting crew ran out of water.Many more homes could have been lost in the NSW town of Balmoral on Saturday when the RFS firefighting crew ran out of water.
Guardian Australia’s Helen Davidson reports flames began reaching 200m above the treetops and the town, which is on tank water, simply did not have enough to meet demand.Guardian Australia’s Helen Davidson reports flames began reaching 200m above the treetops and the town, which is on tank water, simply did not have enough to meet demand.
As village Rural Fire Service brigade captain Brendon O’Connor tells it:As village Rural Fire Service brigade captain Brendon O’Connor tells it:
The NSW Rural Fire Service says the scale of the bushfires is “unprecedented” for this point in the season.The NSW Rural Fire Service says the scale of the bushfires is “unprecedented” for this point in the season.
The total area burned in NSW has reached 3.41m hectares, according to the RFS.The total area burned in NSW has reached 3.41m hectares, according to the RFS.
“To put it in perspective, in the past few years we have had a total area burned for the whole season of about 280,000ha,” RFS spokeswoman Angela Burford said. “This year we’re at 3.41m and we are only halfway through the season.”“To put it in perspective, in the past few years we have had a total area burned for the whole season of about 280,000ha,” RFS spokeswoman Angela Burford said. “This year we’re at 3.41m and we are only halfway through the season.”
The total number of houses destroyed currently sits at 829, but damage assessments of areas affected by the catastrophic conditions on Saturday are still underway. Burford said that number could increase by “up to 100”.The total number of houses destroyed currently sits at 829, but damage assessments of areas affected by the catastrophic conditions on Saturday are still underway. Burford said that number could increase by “up to 100”.
Morrison also responded to this tweet from Greta Thunberg:Morrison also responded to this tweet from Greta Thunberg:
He said Australia would set policies based on Australia’s national interests.He also strongly rejected rumours that had been floating around on Twitter that he went to New York around the time of the Hawaii holiday for the opening of the Hillsong church in New York City with Brian Houston.“That’s rubbish ... If you’re going to ask me a question about something as specific as that, you might actually tell me the source of what it is based on. So someone, somewhere, has started some rumour about apparently me being in New York and we’re going to ask that in the middle of the bushfires? I mean, seriously!”He said Australia would set policies based on Australia’s national interests.He also strongly rejected rumours that had been floating around on Twitter that he went to New York around the time of the Hawaii holiday for the opening of the Hillsong church in New York City with Brian Houston.“That’s rubbish ... If you’re going to ask me a question about something as specific as that, you might actually tell me the source of what it is based on. So someone, somewhere, has started some rumour about apparently me being in New York and we’re going to ask that in the middle of the bushfires? I mean, seriously!”
Morrison has been asked whether communities can wait until the Coag meeting in March for decisions on policies around the fires.Morrison has been asked whether communities can wait until the Coag meeting in March for decisions on policies around the fires.
Morrison says he doesn’t accept the premise of the question, and argues decisions are being made now, for financial support and for help from defence.Morrison says he doesn’t accept the premise of the question, and argues decisions are being made now, for financial support and for help from defence.
He says decisions around coordination will be made at Coag. That includes on whether volunteers should be given the resources they need. But he isn’t keen to talk about paying the volunteers because he says it’s a bit like meals on wheels.He says decisions around coordination will be made at Coag. That includes on whether volunteers should be given the resources they need. But he isn’t keen to talk about paying the volunteers because he says it’s a bit like meals on wheels.
“We need to understand that if it is fighting fires or patrolling our beach or supporting Meals on Wheels or any volunteer SES arrangement which supports during floods or storms, Australia’s system all around the country has always, and will always, depend on having a large volunteer force to deal with these issues.”“We need to understand that if it is fighting fires or patrolling our beach or supporting Meals on Wheels or any volunteer SES arrangement which supports during floods or storms, Australia’s system all around the country has always, and will always, depend on having a large volunteer force to deal with these issues.”
Morrison is claiming he and his deputy Michael McCormack are on the same page when it comes to climate change policy. McCormack said the other day that more needed to be done, but Morrison has ruled out changes to climate change policy. Morrison is arguing more is being done as part of the government’s policy position. I guess it just depends on how you decide what the starting point for ‘more’ is?Morrison is claiming he and his deputy Michael McCormack are on the same page when it comes to climate change policy. McCormack said the other day that more needed to be done, but Morrison has ruled out changes to climate change policy. Morrison is arguing more is being done as part of the government’s policy position. I guess it just depends on how you decide what the starting point for ‘more’ is?
Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking at a media conference in Mudgee in New South Wales.He said he flew across the Bells Line out through Wollemi and saw the absolute incineration of land and homes.Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking at a media conference in Mudgee in New South Wales.He said he flew across the Bells Line out through Wollemi and saw the absolute incineration of land and homes.
Morrison isn’t saying anything particularly new at this stage, just a lot of platitudes. It’s his third visit of the day to one of these places.Morrison isn’t saying anything particularly new at this stage, just a lot of platitudes. It’s his third visit of the day to one of these places.
Melissa O’Dwyer, wife of Andrew O’Dwyer, and Jess Hayes, the fiancée of Geoff Keaton, had children born just four days apart.
The Daily Telegraph has reported today how the women want their children to remember them as heroes.
O’Dwyer says she is taking comfort from her husband’s fellow volunteers.
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 buses for people from directly affected residences, leaving from two local RSLs around 3pm today. Staff from local police, emergency services and support agencies will also be on board the buses.
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.
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”.
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.