Queensland repeals renewables targets, despite last-ditch tactic
Andrew Messenger
Queensland parliament has voted to kill its legislated renewables targets, despite a last-minute attempt to rename it the “Propping Up Coal and Delaying Renewables Amendment Act 2025”.
The bill also repeals a development approval for a windfarm near Gympie, the Forest windfarm. It replaces Labor’s targets with the LNP’s energy policy, which would extend the operation of the state’s government-owned coal generators past their planned closure dates.
Maiwar MP Michael Berkman moved amendments to rename the bill, saying the government was “pouring literally billions of dollars into propping up ageing coal-fired power stations, keeping them on life support potentially beyond 2050”:
The LNP is pitching their roadmap as pragmatism but I am pretty sure pouring billions more taxpayer dollars into keeping ageing coal-fired power stations open for longer while delaying the transition to renewable energy is not pragmatism, it is plain stupidity.
Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian
During debate, assistant minister Bryson Head told the parliament that he loved coal and accused Labor and the Greens of “propping up renewables”.
“The beauty about our plan is that the cheapest form of power will ultimately win … the beauty about a free market is that the cheapest and best value good always wins,” he said.
Berkman’s amendment was shot down and the bill passed just before 9.30pm, both on party lines.
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Updated at 16.47 EST
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Nino Bucci
Greg Lynn’s legal team, including barristers Dermot Dann KC and Michael McGrath, left court without commenting on the possibility that Lynn may apply for bail.
Lynn’s son did not comment to the media.
Det Sgt Brett Florence, the police informant in the case, did not speak about the verdict outside court, but asked media to respect the Clay and Hill families.
“If everyone can please leave the families alone, they’re devastated,” he said.
ShareCaitlin Cassidy
Victorian students wake to Atar results
Pawan Cooray “didn’t get much sleep last night” as he anxiously awaited receiving his Atar score. On Thursday morning, the 18-year-old Nossal High school student woke to find there was nothing to worry about: he had received a near-perfect score of 99.9, and was dux of his class.
I was hoping for an Atar of around 99.7 so I’m very happy. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do my best, and my tip for other students is to have a clear, realistic goal that you will do anything to achieve.
Pawan said his highlights for the year was spending time with friends and competing in basketball and soccer. He’s already looking forward to the 2026 Fifa World Cup and is hoping Argentina can win back-to-back trophies with his favourite player Lionel Messi at the helm.
Principal, Tracey Mackin, attributed the south-east Melbourne school’s highest median Atar since 2015 to the dedication of teachers and tremendous support from wellbeing staff. The school’s median Atar was 94.4, and 73.5% of year 12 students achieved an ATAR above 95.
Macklin said the combination of wellbeing and learning was “absolutely core”, while the students also needed to take credit.
They were very driven and when you put a group of students like this together, they encourage each other to do well.
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Updated at 17.50 EST
Nino Bucci
The reasons for the verdict are yet to be published.
Justice Emerton said that without prejudicing any possible further applications for bail, Greg Lynn would be remanded in custody until an appearance before the supreme court on 28 January.
Shortly after Emerton delivered the appeal verdict, Lynn stood in the dock and turned to smile at one of his sons, who was in court.
His son was sitting immediately behind Emma Davies, Clay’s daughter, who was inconsolable after the verdict was delivered.
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Updated at 17.48 EST
Greg Lynn appeal: high country murder conviction overturned
Nino Bucci
Former pilot Greg Lynn has had his conviction for murdering an elderly camper in the Victorian high country overturned in a stunning decision made by the state’s highest court.
Read more here:
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Updated at 17.26 EST
Chris Michael
Tourists to US would have to reveal five years of social media activity under new Trump plan, including Australians
Tourists to the United States would have to reveal their social media activity from the last five years, under new Trump administration plans.
The mandatory new disclosures would apply to the 42 countries whose nationals are now permitted to enter the US without a visa, including longtime US allies Britain, France, Australia, Germany and Japan.
Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
In a notice published on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said it would also require any telephone numbers used by visitors over the same period, and any email addresses used in the last decade, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics.
It would also ask for the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.
Read more here:
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Updated at 17.25 EST
Households need $112,000 a year to afford median rental house, report finds
AAP reports that, to afford the median rental house, a household must earn more than $112,000 a year – a 51% increase compared to 2019 – according to a report released by property listings marketplace Domain on Thursday.
Before the pandemic, the income required to fall below the standard benchmark of rental stress – spending more than 30% of income on rent – for a median house was $74,533.
Rents have since outpaced growth in incomes, making large swathes of the nation unaffordable for many renters.
The data demonstrated a particular challenge for people on a sole income, with individual earnings sitting about $80,200 on average.
Unsurprisingly, Sydney’s rental market is the most challenging, with $135,200 a year required to afford a median house and $130,000 for a typical unit.
A ‘for rent’ sign is seen outside a house in Canberra Photograph: AAPShare
Updated at 17.41 EST
Labor MP criticises death of homeless mother revealed by Guardian
MP Joan Pease has criticised the tragic death of a homeless woman revealed by the Guardian as a “failure of empathy”.
Tammie Thrower was one of 21 Brisbane residents known to have died in palliative care while homeless, according to homeless service Micah Projects. She was one of Pease’s constituents.
The Labor MP told parliament last night that her office and a string of housing and homeless agencies had done everything they could to find her somewhere to die in peace.
“Despite the compassion of our frontline workers, no home was secured,” Pease said. “No stability, no dignity and instead of resting Tammie spent her final months searching for a place to die. This is not an isolated failure.”
Pease said there were about 56,000 people on the social housing waiting list in Queensland, a record.
“In my decade as a member of parliament and in the prior 10 years as electorate officer, I have never ever seen the crisis this dire,” she said.
“Tammie’s story is not about bureaucracy; it is about humility and humanity. She did not need another referral, Tammie needed a home. This is a moral failure – not just a policy failure but of empathy”.
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Updated at 16.58 EST
Nino Bucci
High country killer Greg Lynn appeal verdict to be handed down
A former pilot convicted of murdering an elderly camper in the Victorian high country will find out on Thursday morning if his bid to overturn his conviction or have his sentence reduced will be successful.
Greg Lynn, 59, was found guilty in June last year of murdering grandmother Carol Clay but acquitted of murdering her fellow camper and lover Russell Hill.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison for murdering the 73-year-old.
Greg Lynn, seen in 2024. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
The pair were killed while they were camping in the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.
The Victorian court of appeal is expected to hand down its verdict in Lynn’s appeal at 9.15am.
You can read more about Lynn’s grounds for appeal here:
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Updated at 16.47 EST
Queensland repeals renewables targets, despite last-ditch tactic
Andrew Messenger
Queensland parliament has voted to kill its legislated renewables targets, despite a last-minute attempt to rename it the “Propping Up Coal and Delaying Renewables Amendment Act 2025”.
The bill also repeals a development approval for a windfarm near Gympie, the Forest windfarm. It replaces Labor’s targets with the LNP’s energy policy, which would extend the operation of the state’s government-owned coal generators past their planned closure dates.
Maiwar MP Michael Berkman moved amendments to rename the bill, saying the government was “pouring literally billions of dollars into propping up ageing coal-fired power stations, keeping them on life support potentially beyond 2050”:
The LNP is pitching their roadmap as pragmatism but I am pretty sure pouring billions more taxpayer dollars into keeping ageing coal-fired power stations open for longer while delaying the transition to renewable energy is not pragmatism, it is plain stupidity.
Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian
During debate, assistant minister Bryson Head told the parliament that he loved coal and accused Labor and the Greens of “propping up renewables”.
“The beauty about our plan is that the cheapest form of power will ultimately win … the beauty about a free market is that the cheapest and best value good always wins,” he said.
Berkman’s amendment was shot down and the bill passed just before 9.30pm, both on party lines.
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Updated at 16.47 EST
Penry Buckley
Sloane says she needed to make ‘pragmatic decisions’ on workers’ compensation
The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, says she needed to make “pragmatic decisions” on a compromise agreement on workers’ compensation with the Minns government.
As shadow health minister, Sloane described Labor’s proposed changes to the threshold for psychological injuries, or whole person impairment (WPI), as “nasty”. Today, she tells 2GB the change of Liberal leadership provided “an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and have a reset on that relationship” with the government.
A parliamentary inquiry heard that most workers who are assessed as having a WPI of 21% or higher were “not fit to work in any capacity”. The final report claimed the government’s proposal to raise the threshold from 15% to 31% left workers at serious risk of self-harm or suicide.
Sloane pays tribute to the “really principled, ethical and evidence-based campaign” the Coalition fought against Labor’s proposed changes under former leader Mark Speakman but says, six months after Labor first sought to pass their legislation, “it has come to a point where we need to make pragmatic decisions”. She does not provide any detail on the compromise but says:
It will secure much-needed certainty for businesses across New South Wales, for charities who’ve been concerned about increasing premiums. It will secure additional rights for injured workers.
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Updated at 16.21 EST
Penry Buckley
NSW opposition reaches compromise with government on controversial workers’ compensation reforms
The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, says she has negotiated a compromise agreement with the Minns government on controversial changes to workers’ compensation reforms, amid concerns about spiralling insurance costs for businesses before the summer break.
The Coalition previously had rejected a change to raise the threshold at which workers could claim compensation for psychological injury, known as “whole of person impairment”, or WPI, from 15% to 30%, which could have excluded hundreds of workers from the scheme.
Kellie Sloane. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Speaking to 2GB just now, Sloane said she had been negotiating with the NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, since she became leader last month, and they had now reached a deal which would “secure much needed certainty for businesses across NSW”.
We’ve reached a position that is not going to please everyone. The government didn’t get what they want. I didn’t get what I wanted. But we’ll have a [compromise].
It’s been clear to me this has gone on for way too long, that we cannot have a situation where businesses are heading into Christmas wondering if they need to lay off staff. We also can’t have a situation where injured workers are put on the scrapheap.
The premier’s office has confirmed to Guardian Australia that a deal has been reached. Sloane is holding a press conference at 10am this morning to provide details on the agreement, while Mookhey is also expected to speak later today.
We’ll bring you more detail later.
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Updated at 16.01 EST
