Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt moving to the US
Anthony Pratt, one of Australia’s richest men, has announced he has been granted a green card and will move to the United States.
The billionaire head of Pratt Industries announced his move in a post to LinkedIn earlier today, where he listed three reasons it was “time to live in America”:
(1) My family are all US citizens.
(2) Over the past 30 years we have invested to build 70 factories in America, creating 12,000 well-paying American manufacturing jobs.
(3) I will remain chairman of Visy Australia, and will be returning to Australia on a regular basis.
Key events
Emily Wind Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Kate Lyons will be with you for the next little while to bring you the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.
Severe thunderstorm warning for Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes and Plains
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of northern NSW over the next several hours.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a surface trough is lying through northern parts of the state with “very moist, unstable conditions to its east”.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding, large hailstones and damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Glen Innes, Guyra and Emmaville.
The Australian Workers Union says it is frustrated and angry following news a worker was killed at the Golden Plains Wind Farm in Rokewood this morning.
AWU Victoria state secretary Ronnie Hayden said “this devastating loss could have been prevented”.
Just two weeks ago, union delegates from three different unions met with Vestas management to raise serious safety concerns, telling them it was only dumb luck that nobody had been killed on site yet.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of mounting safety concerns at the project, the AWU claimed, saying it has consistently raised concern on the pressure facing workers due to project delays.
This is not just another statistic, this is a worker who went to work and never came home.
Anthony Pratt, one of Australia’s richest men, has announced he has been granted a green card and will move to the United States.
The billionaire head of Pratt Industries announced his move in a post to LinkedIn earlier today, where he listed three reasons it was “time to live in America”:
(1) My family are all US citizens.
(2) Over the past 30 years we have invested to build 70 factories in America, creating 12,000 well-paying American manufacturing jobs.
(3) I will remain chairman of Visy Australia, and will be returning to Australia on a regular basis.
At the Geelong Botanic Gardens, a rare corpse plant is expected to begin blooming this afternoon.
Also known as amorphophallus titanum, the corpse flower only blooms once every 10 years or so. The bloom lasts only 24 to 48 hours, with a powerful smell released – likened to rotting flesh.
An update from the Gardens at midday said the plant had begun opening, and our very own Henry Belot is on his way to the scene to bring us the latest.
In the meantime, you can follow along with the livestream below:
Lingering doubts, end of subsidies put EVs in slow lane
Misconceptions and the early removal of rebates have put the brakes on electric car sales, an industry group warns, as figures show adoption has slowed.
But as AAP reports, the sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles continued to accelerate over the last six months despite challenging economic conditions, according to analysis by the Australian Automobile Association.
The peak motoring body has released a quarterly update to its online Electric Vehicle Index showing new vehicle sales dropping 7.6% in the third quarter of the year, with almost 15,000 fewer cars sold.
Sales of internal combustion engine vehicles dropped further than the average, falling 9.1% during the three-month period, but electric vehicles slid by 25%. Battery-powered cars made up 6.5% of all new cars sold, down from 8.1% last quarter, which is their lowest market share since 2022.
The results came after the removal of rebates for electric car sales in every state and territory except Western Australia. Despite the fall in electric vehicle sales, lower-emission hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have surged in Australia.
Hybrid vehicle sales increased by 3.3% to more than 48,000 sales during the quarter, or a share of more than 16%, while plug-in hybrid car sales jumped by 56.6% from a lower base.
Some plug-in hybrid vehicles are eligible for fringe benefit tax cuts from the federal government, though these incentives are due to expire in April 2025.
Liberals pick former RSL chief to take on teal MP in Mackellar
A former space-industry boss and Liberal prime minister’s son-in-law says he will help reduce the pressure of rising rents, mortgages and food prices if elected to federal parliament.
As AAP reports, James Brown is expected to be endorsed in the coming days as the Liberal candidate for Mackellar as the party tries to wrest back the northern Sydney seat from teal independent Sophie Scamps.
The 44-year-old father of two spent more than a decade in the Australian army before serving as president of RSL NSW and chief executive of the Space Industry Association.
His national profile was also boosted through his marriage to Daisy Turnbull, the daughter of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, before the pair separated during the pandemic.
Brown previously had preselection tilts at Liberal Senate seats left vacant by former defence minister Marise Payne and the late Jim Molan. He was also heavily involved in the party’s recent failed campaign to retain the state seat of Pittwater, which makes up about half of Mackellar.
The Bureau of Meteorology has published a severe weather update, looking at the storms forecast for south-east Queensland and north-east NSW:
Severe Weather Update Mon 11 Nov 2024: Severe storms continue for parts of Australia’s east and interior
Video current: 12:00pm AEDT Monday 11 November 2024
For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/M0mdlZaErj
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) November 11, 2024 Adeshola Ore Vestas ‘working closely with emergency services’ after worker died at its Victorian windfarm
Danish energy company Vestas has released a statement after a man died while working at its regional Victorian windfarm this morning.
Victoria police say the man was crushed by a blade shortly after 8am at Golden Plains windfarm in Rokewood, about 133km west of Melbourne and 69km north-west of Geelong.
In a statement, a Vestas spokesperson says a “workplace accident” occurred:
The site has been closed and we are working closely with emergency services and the authorities.
The spokesperson says Danny Nielsen, senior vice president and country head for Vestas Australia and New Zealand, will provide an update to the media outside the site at 3pm.
Josh Taylor Myki slowly recovering after readers unable to be used following 3G shutdown
Victoria’s ageing public transport ticketing system, Myki, is slowly recovering after readers were unable to be used when Telstra shuttered its 3G network last week.
The readers use mobile networks to ensure users can touch on.
The issue affected trams and buses across the Victorian public transport network last week, despite – as Guardian Australia revealed – the Victorian government investing $3.3m into upgrading the outdated Myki ticketing system in preparation for the 3G network being shut down.
A software update has been issued, and all trams should now have functioning Myki readers, the department said, as 91% of vehicles with issues have been fixed. The remaining buses affected are expected to be fixed in the coming days.
A department of transport and planning spokesperson said:
Crews are making progress rectifying the issue – with the majority of buses and all trams back online.
The issue comes ahead of a replacement Myki system expected to be rolled out across Victoria next year.
Paul Karp The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has rejected a push from some on his backbench including Keith Pitt and Matt Canavan to dump Australia’s commitment to net zero due to the election of Donald Trump.
Littleproud was asked if Peter Dutton – who also supports keeping the commitment – should revisit it. He told Sky News:
No. And while President Trump’s made some soundings about that, you have got to understand your place in the world. They are 330m people, we’re 27m people, we’re a trading nation. The only people that will hurt out of that will be our farmers and our mining sector. Because what will happen is while we think we can go and lead the world on it, what will happen is we will get a tariff whacked on our commodity.
So, we might want to beat our chest and sound big about it, but you have got to understand where the world is. Now the world has all signed up to this, but we don’t need to experience what the country is at the moment, which is trying to achieve it all by 2030. We will do it in a uniquely Australian way, and we’ll take our time to do it and do it properly, so that there isn’t an impact on the economy.
And that is why, as leader of the Nationals, I am the first leader to be able to get the Coalition to agree to nuclear energy being part of that grid, to have that complement and supplement with gas and coal, with [carbon capture and storage] and having some renewables. We will have a balance, we’ll do it properly, we’ll do it sensibly. But I think we should just take a deep breath on trying to be Trump-esque here in Australia, because there are unintended consequences, and they are farmers and miners.
You’ll note that Littleproud’s comments are largely directed at his internal detractors, arguing that he’s done more than predecessors (or potential successors) on nuclear power.
BoM predicts thunderstorms in south-east Queensland and north-east NSW
In more weather news, severe thunderstorms are forecast in south-eastern Queensland and north-east NSW this afternoon, as we flagged earlier.
Here are some maps from the Bureau of Meteorology, showing the areas affected:
⛈️Thunderstorm FORECAST for TODAY: Severe thunderstorms are possible in the northeast this afternoon and evening. Risk of localised heavy falls leading to flash flooding, also damaging winds and large hail. Warning as needed https://t.co/HaQrNPzBsh pic.twitter.com/3PiqUD4Z1w
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 11, 2024 Watch and act for bushfire in Queensland
The Queensland Fire Department has issued a watch and act warning for the rural town of Forsayth amid a large, slow-moving fire.
The warning area covers Forsayth Airport and Stockman Creek Road, including Forsayth township, Einasleigh Road and Curralle Station, and says:
A large, slow-moving fire is burning Einasleigh Road. It is travelling towards Forsayth. Conditions could get worse quickly.
People are urged to avoid driving on Einasleigh Road.
Kate Lyons The governor general and prime minister have announced the posthumous awarding of the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military honour, to Private Richard Norden, a veteran of the Vietnam war.
Norden, then aged 19, ran into enemy fire after his platoon was ambushed during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral in 1968, one of a series of actions fought between Australia and North Vietnamese forces near Saigon, to recover a wounded comrade and then retrieve the body of another.
Governor general Sam Mostyn said at a Remembrance Day event in Canberra, announcing the honour:
The Victoria Cross for Australia is Australia’s highest military honour, the awarding of it speaks to Private Norden’s courage and selflessness in the heat of battle, his ongoing legacy and the bravery of generations of our service personnel. This is an historic occasion for Australia and the Australian Defence Force, and a very significant day for Private Norden’s loved ones.
There has been a strong campaign to see Norden awarded the Victoria Cross, uniting many within the Australian military community.
Norden, who died in 1972 from injuries sustained in a police motorcycle accident, while serving in the Australian Capital Territory police, was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) before his death, but many felt this was inadequate.
Anthony Albanese acknowledged the campaign for Norden to receive the Victoria Cross in his Remembrance Day address:
In honouring Richard Norton and all he fought for, Australia also honours all those who fought for him: his fellow veterans, those who served alongside him, and those who took up his cause when they learned of his story. Everyone who kept alive the memory of his valour, everyone who has championed and advocated due recognition of Richard Norden, and everyone who has kept faith with Australia’s promise to remember all those who have served and their loved ones.
A man has died while working at a windfarm in Victoria, police have confirmed.
In a statement, police said the man was working at Rokewood windfarm when he was crushed beneath a fan blade shortly after 8am this morning.
First responders attempted to revive him but he was declared dead at the scene.
WorkSafe will investigate the incident, police said.
Josh Taylor Misinformation makes emergency responses difficult, Senate inquiry hears
The National Emergency Management Agency has warned misinformation and disinformation online makes emergency responses more difficult.
The deputy coordinator general, Joel Buffone, told a Senate inquiry that the example of recent misinformation and disinformation spread about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) in the US in response to floods there “put staff at risk” and forced Fema staff to withdraw.
He also pointed to the recent Crowdstrike outage, which took down millions of Windows computers worldwide and threw many services into chaos:
Straight away there was effectively using platforms to effectively run scams, and there was a whole lot of misinformation.
He said misinformation about the 2019 bushfires – where arsonists with a political motive were falsely blamed for causing fires – almost immediately had an impact on social cohesion.
Blue banded bee wins ABC’s first Insect of the Year poll
The native blue banded bee has won the ABC’s first Insect of the Year poll.
Just over 50.1% of voters (6,815) chose the blue banded bee from six insect finalists. The common hoverfly received the second highest number of votes (13%), followed by the Bogong moth (11.4%).
The blue banded bee was cited by environment minister Tanya Plibersek as one reason why the site of a proposed goldmine near Blayney should be issued an Aboriginal heritage protection order.
As Calla Wahlquist reported, the basis of the protection declaration was a claim that the Belubula River, headwaters and springs were the site of pre-initiation ceremonies in Wiradyuri culture and that the river itself was the subject of the Blue Banded Bee dreaming.
The Insect of the Year poll was conducted by the ABC for four weeks during October and November.
Governor general begins Remembrance Day address
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, has begun a commemorative address at the Remembrance Day service at the War Memorial in Canberra.
Mostyn noted it was her first Remembrance Day as governor general and said she was honoured to address the crowd before the Stone of Remembrance as the daughter of an army officer.
For more than a century, Australians have repeated this ritual of remembrance, just as we do gathering today. Each year, we render our tribute anew to the generations of servicemen and women who have died or suffered for Australia in conflicts far from home. And so it is, our Remembrance Days are born of all the days of commemoration that have gone before.
Ben Doherty Anti-slavery advocates welcome appointment of national commissioner
Anti-slavery advocates have welcomed the appointment of former senator Chris Evans as Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner. Evans’s appointment to a five-year term was announced by the attorney general.
Alison Rahill, program manager of the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network, said Evans could draw on his “formidable experience in government and the private sector to make a difference to the estimated 41,000 people experiencing modern slavery right here in Australia and 50 million people worldwide”.
This must include examining economic, migration, corporate governance, social and trade policies settings that currently undermine Australia’s anti-slavery ambitions.
As we flagged earlier, the NSW anti-slavery commissioner Dr James Cockayne said Evans’s appointment was “encouraging on several levels”. Cockayne said the inaugural national anti-slavery commissioner had numerous challenges ahead:
With regulators overseas increasingly ratcheting up expectations of Australian businesses’ modern slavery and human rights due diligence, including in thorny cases like cotton and tomatoes coming from Xinjiang, it is crucial that government sets clear expectations for Australian business on what is expected of them to manage these risks. Otherwise, Australian business will find it increasingly hard to access overseas markets and capital, especially from Europe.
Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt moving to the US
Rare corpse plant expected to begin blooming in Geelong this afternoon
Severe weather update issued
David Littleproud rejects Nats backbench push to dump net zero
Victoria Cross for Vietnam war veteran who ran into enemy fire to help comrades
Man dies at Victorian windfarm site after being crushed beneath blade
