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Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires insurance bill tops $700m – latest updates Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires insurance bill tops $700m – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
Rain falls on some NSW, Victorian and South Australian bushfire-affected areas, but worse fire conditions are forecast to return. Follow all today’s latest news and live updatesRain falls on some NSW, Victorian and South Australian bushfire-affected areas, but worse fire conditions are forecast to return. Follow all today’s latest news and live updates
Five generators have been sent to Victoria to help stabalise power supply there. Rod Simms says the ACCC is dealing with “numerous” reports of fundraising scams in relation to bushfire appeals.
In the NSW firezone, there are still thousands of people without power - David Littleproud says part of the difficulty there, is that authorities still can’t get in. “Some low life characters will take advantage of the fact that many people want to donate,” he told the ABC.
“They want to donate quickly, and many are doing it for the first time. We have come across a range of different scams.”
Simms says the most common way of scamming people is the old cold call and text seeking donations, with social media campaigns also being roped in.
“Thirdly, and perhaps the most egregious, people impersonating relatives of people who have died, perhaps on a Facebook page, saying join me and fund me, when it is fake.”
Simms says the GoFund Me fundraisers “have a range of tools” to try and ensure fundraisers hosted on its site are legit. He suggest lodging any questionable donation requests to the SCAMwatch website
But prosecutions can be tricky - under Australian law, you have to have misled people to be taken to the federal court.
EVENTS CANCELLED DUE TO VICTORIA’S DEADLY BUSHFIRES:
* A DAY ON THE GREEN: The concert, featuring Cold Chisel, Birds of Tokyo and Magic Dirt, was set to take place at Rutherglen on Tuesday but has been cancelled due to smoke from the bushfires.
* KARKAROOK PARKRUN: The annual run at Heatherton scheduled for January 4 has been cancelled due to poor air quality.
* COUTA BOAT CLASSIC RACE: Accounting firm KPMG cancelled the annual Sorrento race, which was to be held on January 3, out of respect for those facing bushfires across the country.
* FIREWORKS: RACV’s Healesville Country Club cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks display out of respect for communities battling fires. Fireworks displays were also cancelled at other events.
* FALLS FESTIVAL: The music festival, on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road in Lorne, was cut short due to extreme weather.
* RAINBOW SERPENT: The three-day festival is set to go ahead with some changes in late January after its Lexton site was affected by bushfires in December.
Via AAP
Murals are still popping up around Melbourne.
Craig Kelly has deleted his “weather girl” facebook post.
He is now sharing a 2013 story, which News Corp columnist Miranda Devine has also been putting on social media, where a retired Monash University researcher disputed the link between climate change and worsening bushfires, with the comment “listen to the experts”.
The experts have said it is linked.
On the impacts to the water supply in fire-ravaged areas, Andrew Colvin says fixing it is a priority:
Five generators have been sent to Victoria to help stabilise power supply there.
In the NSW fire zone, there are still thousands of people without power – David Littleproud says part of the difficulty there, is that authorities still can’t get in.
The BBC have put together a brief history of the Coalition’s government position on climate change.The BBC have put together a brief history of the Coalition’s government position on climate change.
Andrew Colvin on where the agency needs to start, given the magnitude of the disaster:Andrew Colvin on where the agency needs to start, given the magnitude of the disaster:
David Littleproud says the recovery mission has begun. He is with Andrew Colvin, the former AFP commissioner, who will head up the disaster recovery agency.David Littleproud says the recovery mission has begun. He is with Andrew Colvin, the former AFP commissioner, who will head up the disaster recovery agency.
Littleproud:Littleproud:
Queensland SES volunteers will also receive the government’s volunteer payments ($300 a day, up to $6,000) for their work during the fire crisis.
As we have reported, there have been about 8,500 insurance claims put in so far, totalling about $700m (with more to come)
Josh Frydenberg says of those, about 20% have been assessed and half of that 20% have been settled.
Frydenberg:
The meeting with the insurance heads has broken.
Josh Frydenberg will hold a short press conference on that in the next 20 minutes.
The defence force is now being deployed to help remove livestock carcasses from the fire zones – much as they did following the north Queensland floods early last year.
Farmers who need assistance with assessing or disposing of livestock disposal should contact their relevant state agency.
· Victoria: Emergency Victoria on 1800 226 226
· NSW: Department of Primary Industries Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647 or their local Land Services office.
· South Australia: PIRSA hotline on 1800 255 556
The areas impacted represent about 9% of Australia’s cattle stock and about 12% of our sheep stock.
There is no number on how many animals have been killed as yet.
You may remember that in the lead-up to the election, Craig Kelly, who had been about to be dumped by his branch as the preselected candidate, but was saved by Scott Morrison’s intervention, was banned from appearing on Q&A.
Later the backbencher, who appeared so regularly on Sky News, was dubbed the MP for Sky, while colleagues joked about looking for his office when the organisation opened its new Parliament House studio, was also noticeably absent from their screens as well.
Looks like he decided he was needed again, even without the PMO’s approval.
Sigh.
Humans are going to human. That means we see the best of us, but also this.
Josh Frydenberg will have an update on the outcome of his meeting with Australia’s insurance industry very soon.
David Littleproud has called a press conference for midday.
Andrew O’Dwyer’s funeral is today. He is the second NSW RFS firefighter to be laid to rest. The 36-year-old was father to 19-month-old Charlotte.
Former prime minister John Howard has been turning up almost everywhere – including the ABC Grandstand cricket commentary box – talking about Scott Morrison and the bushfires.
Morrison said he spoke to Howard earlier this week.
Howard has defended Morrison’s actions, most recently on Sky News this morning.
On climate change, Howard says there are “a range of opinions”.
There may be a range of opinions about climate change, but the only thing that really matters is the facts. And the facts are, it is happening. It is having an impact on the severity of things like droughts and bushfires, just as it was predicted to do.
Anthony Albanese was asked about one of Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly’s proposals for a war-like mobilisation in response to the climate crisis, while on Studio Ten a little earlier today:
He was asked if there should be a national service set up: