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| Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires heap pressure on Scott Morrison – latest updates | Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires heap pressure on Scott Morrison – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The PM’s handling of the Australian bushfire crisis comes under further scrutiny as NSW and Victorian towns gain brief reprieve from fires. Follow the latest news and live updates | The PM’s handling of the Australian bushfire crisis comes under further scrutiny as NSW and Victorian towns gain brief reprieve from fires. Follow the latest news and live updates |
| Australia’s tax office is giving people in fire-impacted areas an automatic two months extra to complete their tax returns or pay their tax bills. | |
| The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, says “the last thing that you should be concerned about is your tax affairs” if you’re struggling in the fires. | |
| The ATO says: | |
| There’s more information on the ATO’s website. | |
| Evening folks, Graham Readfearn here. | |
| Can we have a virtual round of thanks to Naaman Zhou for blogging through this afternoon, and for Amy Remeikis earlier today. If I’m less busy than they were, then we’ll all be happy. | |
| It’s been a confusing day, weather-wise, for Melbourne. The heavy cloud cover and the smoke – and some light rain – has actually brought temperatures down a bit. The bureau has also issued a “road weather alert” in the past hour. | |
| The drizzle, plus the smoke, has created slippery road surfaces and poor visibility. So be careful if you’re still travelling. | |
| I’ll be handing over to my colleague Graham Readfearn now. Thanks for reading. | I’ll be handing over to my colleague Graham Readfearn now. Thanks for reading. |
| If you missed it earlier today, we updated our ongoing interactive map showing the scale of the bushfires. We’re now at 8.4m hectares burnt, across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and WA. | If you missed it earlier today, we updated our ongoing interactive map showing the scale of the bushfires. We’re now at 8.4m hectares burnt, across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and WA. |
| We are still waiting on figures from the NT. | We are still waiting on figures from the NT. |
| In pictures, here’s 8.4m hectares, laid over Sydney, Melbourne, London and Paris to show the scale. | In pictures, here’s 8.4m hectares, laid over Sydney, Melbourne, London and Paris to show the scale. |
| One of the Sydney festival’s biggest events has been cancelled due to ongoing poor air quality from smoke haze. | One of the Sydney festival’s biggest events has been cancelled due to ongoing poor air quality from smoke haze. |
| Opening Night, a play starring the Oscar-nominated French actor Isabelle Adjani, was set for a week-long run from 21 to 26 January at the Opera House. | Opening Night, a play starring the Oscar-nominated French actor Isabelle Adjani, was set for a week-long run from 21 to 26 January at the Opera House. |
| But it’s just been announced that the entire run is cancelled “due to health concerns related to fire-affected air quality in Sydney”. | But it’s just been announced that the entire run is cancelled “due to health concerns related to fire-affected air quality in Sydney”. |
| “Naturally, on behalf of the people of Sydney, we are extremely disappointed,” the festival director, Wesley Enoch, said. | “Naturally, on behalf of the people of Sydney, we are extremely disappointed,” the festival director, Wesley Enoch, said. |
| Meanwhile, the Sydney festival has announced a bushfire charity concert, with Regurgitator, Custard, Dan Sultan and more. It’s on 11 January at the Metro Theatre. | Meanwhile, the Sydney festival has announced a bushfire charity concert, with Regurgitator, Custard, Dan Sultan and more. It’s on 11 January at the Metro Theatre. |
| The army will deliver an emergency water purification system to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, AAP reports. | The army will deliver an emergency water purification system to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, AAP reports. |
| Fires are still burning on the island today, and up to 100 army reservists arrived on the island to provide the community with immediate help. | Fires are still burning on the island today, and up to 100 army reservists arrived on the island to provide the community with immediate help. |
| The ADF chief of joint operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the army had also provided 64,000 litres of bottled water. | The ADF chief of joint operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the army had also provided 64,000 litres of bottled water. |
| In response to a freedom of information request from my colleague Josh Taylor, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has said providing information would “divert resources” during the bushfire crisis. | In response to a freedom of information request from my colleague Josh Taylor, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has said providing information would “divert resources” during the bushfire crisis. |
| The request was about messages to Scott Morrison about the bushfires while he was on holiday in Hawaii. | The request was about messages to Scott Morrison about the bushfires while he was on holiday in Hawaii. |
| Visibility in Melbourne is down to less than 1km, due to smoke haze. | Visibility in Melbourne is down to less than 1km, due to smoke haze. |
| Meanwhile, residents are trying to find the P2 masks that can help, but not completely protect you from inhaling PM2.5 particles. | Meanwhile, residents are trying to find the P2 masks that can help, but not completely protect you from inhaling PM2.5 particles. |
| Meanwhile the Victorian CFA has just tweeted out that the Victorian government has its own direct donation site that goes to families. | Meanwhile the Victorian CFA has just tweeted out that the Victorian government has its own direct donation site that goes to families. |
| Hillsong founder Brian Houston, a friend and religious mentor of Scott Morrison, says that the church has raised half a million dollars for firefighters and those affected. | Hillsong founder Brian Houston, a friend and religious mentor of Scott Morrison, says that the church has raised half a million dollars for firefighters and those affected. |
| Two news stories you may have missed from earlier today. | Two news stories you may have missed from earlier today. |
| An ad Scott Morrison made about his government’s bushfire response has been labelled “misleading and deceptive” by an integrity expert, reports Christopher Knaus. | An ad Scott Morrison made about his government’s bushfire response has been labelled “misleading and deceptive” by an integrity expert, reports Christopher Knaus. |
| The ad was authorised by the Liberal party and Scott Morrison, rather than by the Australian government. | The ad was authorised by the Liberal party and Scott Morrison, rather than by the Australian government. |
| Senior NSW Liberals have also lashed out at Morrison over comments his office made that the state “refused” the offer of assistance. | Senior NSW Liberals have also lashed out at Morrison over comments his office made that the state “refused” the offer of assistance. |
| The Daily Telegraph’s Sharri Markson reported the refusal, after a briefing by the prime minister’s office. | The Daily Telegraph’s Sharri Markson reported the refusal, after a briefing by the prime minister’s office. |
| But the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, today said: “The answer is simply ‘no’. | But the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, today said: “The answer is simply ‘no’. |
| “There has been no offer of assistance that I am aware of that hasn’t been accepted.” | “There has been no offer of assistance that I am aware of that hasn’t been accepted.” |
| And in more sport news, the bidding for Shane Warne’s baggy green – also auctioned off for bushfire relief – has already hit $100,500, in just 90 minutes. | And in more sport news, the bidding for Shane Warne’s baggy green – also auctioned off for bushfire relief – has already hit $100,500, in just 90 minutes. |
| The former England captain Michael Vaughan earlier bid $25,000, but was soon overtaken. | The former England captain Michael Vaughan earlier bid $25,000, but was soon overtaken. |