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| Australia fires live news: Victoria and NSW count cost of New Year's Eve bushfires destruction – latest updates | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Four unaccounted for in Victoria after East Gippsland fires claim homes in Buchan, Sarsfield and Mallacoota | |
| Shane Fitzsimmons confirms that Conjola Park has been “heavily impacted” by the fires. The ABC reported that about 50 properties have been destroyed. Fitzsimmons does not put a figure on it, but says “initial reports are that it’s had heavy impact and there are significant damage and destruction to property” | |
| The Deputy Commissioner, Gary Worboys, provides some important information for people in fire-affected areas. | |
| The Public Information and Inquiry Line in NSW is 1800-227-228. It’s for people looking for about where they should go or what they should do. “We would ask people to use it only when they need to.” | |
| He also points people to the Register. Find. Reunite website. It is a Red Cross initiative that allows people to put details in there of themselves and those people they have concerns about. | |
| Fitzsimmons says efforts are focused on shoring up as “much protection and as much consolidation as we can ahead of deteriorating weather conditions expected on Saturday”. | |
| The worst of the conditions will be concentrated along the ranges and the south-east corner of NSW. | |
| The NSW rural fire service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says more than 3,000 people were deployed to the fires yesterday. | |
| The Badja fire has inflicted heavy damage throughout towns including Cobargo, Fitzsimmons says. | |
| Berejiklian warns that the community should brace for worsening conditions on the weekend: “Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were yesterday.” | |
| The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is speaking at a press conference right now. | |
| She describes yesterday as a “horrible day”. Crews are working on containing the existing fires as they make the most of improved conditions, she says. | |
| Authorities are also working on restoring power to communities on the south coast and clearing roads. | |
| Crisp also provided some information on homes lost in East Gippsland. That included: 24 structures in Buchan, 19 in Sarsfield and more than 10 in Mallacoota. | |
| The Victorian emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, spoke on the ABC earlier this morning. | |
| He confirmed that four people remain unaccounted for in Victoria. Those appears to be the same people that the premier, Daniel Andrews, said authorities held grave fears for yesterday. Crisp said he was still unable to provide more details. | |
| In some good news, Crisp said there were no reported lives lost in Mallacoota, where thousands were forced to take shelter on the beach yesterday. | |
| The ABC is reporting that 50 properties and structures have been destroyed in Conjola Park on the NSW south coast. | |
| The properties were lost when the Currowan fire tore through the town, which is south of Nowra. | The properties were lost when the Currowan fire tore through the town, which is south of Nowra. |
| The town is among those that remains without power this morning. | The town is among those that remains without power this morning. |
| More than 100 fires were still burning across NSW at midnight, while in Victoria there were dozens of blazes alight in the East Gippsland region. | More than 100 fires were still burning across NSW at midnight, while in Victoria there were dozens of blazes alight in the East Gippsland region. |
| In Victoria, there are seven fires still burning at emergency level, but all fires in NSW have been downgraded to watch and act. | In Victoria, there are seven fires still burning at emergency level, but all fires in NSW have been downgraded to watch and act. |
| Good morning. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes. | Good morning. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes. |
| Thanks for joining us and happy new year to you. Yesterday was a day of destruction as fires throughout Victoria and New South Wales claimed two lives and razed homes in East Gippsland and the southern coast. Four people remain unaccounted for in Victoria. | Thanks for joining us and happy new year to you. Yesterday was a day of destruction as fires throughout Victoria and New South Wales claimed two lives and razed homes in East Gippsland and the southern coast. Four people remain unaccounted for in Victoria. |
| More residents will be returning to their communities today while the defence force will also be involved in the expanding recovery effort. | More residents will be returning to their communities today while the defence force will also be involved in the expanding recovery effort. |
| We’ll be with you throughout the day. | We’ll be with you throughout the day. |