Australia news live: chaos in the rain at Splendour in the Grass; abortion access on women’s meeting agenda

Flash flooding in Queensland

Flash flooding has occurred in areas of South East Queensland this morning, according to the state’s Fire and Rescue service.

The wild weather comes as part of the developing east coast low, most prominently causing havoc at major music festival Splendour in the Grass.

Updated at 21.20 EDT

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Queensland records 10 Covid deaths and 1,050 people in hospital

There were 9,023 new cases in the last reporting period, and 26 people are in intensive care.

Possibilities of bilateral cooperation ‘really powerful’ – Kennedy

Caroline Kennedy was also asked about the length of time that’s elapsed since Australia had an ambassador from the US.

Q: “It’s been 549 days since the last time there was an American Ambassador to Australia. At that time, some people wondered whether the relationship had been downgraded, maybe it didn’t matter to the US. What do you say to people who have had that concern?”

Kennedy said it was “not true” that the Australia-US relationship had been downgraded.

I wish you could have been with me in DC. The sense of excitement about all the possibilities for bilateral cooperation is really powerful.

I think everybody feels that it’s unfortunate that it’s taken so long to confirm ambassadors but all my predecessors I’ve consulted with including Ambassador Culvahouse who have all given me great advice, and, you know, between Covid and all of that, I think it’s been a lot of that, but we’ve also seen that people can work remotely and I think that there’s been a lot of work ongoing, even though there hasn’t been an ambassador. So now we’ll see if having an ambassador makes a difference. I hope that I can tell you that it does.

Updated at 21.21 EDT

US and Australia cooperation will have ‘big impact’ in the Pacific, new ambassador says

Circling back to the new US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, and her media conference following her arrival in Australia. Kennedy acknowledged that the US had stepped back from the Pacific region over recent years and said she was glad the US was once again refocusing its efforts.

I know there’s a lot of work to do in the Pacific … after an absence of many years in terms of the US engagement.

Kennedy highlighted the personal significance the Pacific region has for her because of links with her father John F Kennedy:

It’s certainly a big focus now, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to visit. Certainly, for me personally, it has great significance, since my father served in the Pacific and was rescued by two Solomon Islanders and an Australian coast watcher.

This is a critical area in the region, and I think the U.S. needs to do more. We’re putting our embassies back in and the Peace Corps coming, and USAID is coming back and we’re coming back. We haven’t been there for a while, but I think that, that that is all tremendously positive, and I think the U.S. and Australia working together will make a big impact.

US ambassador, Caroline Kennedy, speaks to the media after arriving in Sydney. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/EPA

Updated at 21.15 EDT

Splendour in the Grass photographs

Heavy rain soaked the Splendour in the Grass campsite last night, making muddy conditions for campers. Organisers announced earlier this morning they are no longer accepting any more campers or vehicles.

Festival goer Maddie Denham, who is one of the attendees still at the site, shared these images with Guardian Australia showing the conditions.

Muddy conditions at the Splendour in the Grass campsite. Photograph: Maddie Denham The campsite has now been closed to new arrivals, who are being diverted offsite. Photograph: Maddie Denham Some attendees have raised health and safety concerns about the level of mud and water at the campsite. Photograph: Maddie Denham

Updated at 20.59 EDT

Huntsman telescope launched to hunt for ultra-faint galaxies

A new telescope, called the Huntsman telescope, has been launched at Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, NSW.

Inspired by the Dragonfly telescope in the US, the Huntsman is the only telescope of its kind in the southern hemisphere and is designed to hunt for ultra-faint galaxies.

The telescope was unveiled by Macquarie University and supported by Canon Australia, who provided an array of 10 super-telephoto lenses that power the telescope.

The telescope’s principal researcher, Dr Lee Spitler, of Macquarie University, said in a statement:

The Huntsman telescope is pioneering the way in which we view our southern skies by capturing images of the faintest galaxy structures that conventional telescopes simply couldn’t.

The ability to [see] the faintest and smallest galaxies in the universe will help us understand the potential fate of the Milky Way in the far distant future.

Researchers believe the telescope will shed light on galaxy formation and evolution – how galaxies form, how they grow, and what happens when they collide.

Spitler said the telescope would help scientists understand what might happen if our galaxy – the Milky Way – collided with the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy, which is predicted to occur in 4.5bn years.

The Huntsman Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, NSW. Photograph: Canon Australia

Updated at 20.59 EDT

Australian birthrate falls to lowest in over a decade

Australia has seen its lowest birthrate in more than a decade but stillborn rates have remained stubborn, based on the latest mothers and babies data.

In 2020, there were 295,796 babies born to 291,712 mothers. This represents a fall from 66 women per 1,000 giving birth in 2007 to 56 per 1,000 in 2020, according to the Australia’s mothers and babies report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], published today.

Updated at 20.43 EDT

‘I’m ready to get filthy today’: muddy conditions at Splendour

Muddy conditions at the Splendour in the Grass campsite. Photograph: Maddie Denham

While many are disappointed by, and fearful for their safety, camping in the muddy conditions at Splendour in the Grass, others have decided to embrace the event regardless – que sera, sera.

Boomers have also taken to social media to remind the young ’uns about the mud at Woodstock in 1969.

Updated at 21.11 EDT

Treasurer meeting with state and territory counterparts

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is today meeting state and territory treasurers before the new federal parliament sits for the first time next week.

The minister for women, Katy Gallagher, is also meeting with her state and territory counterparts today to discuss gender equality and policy priorities.

Updated at 20.26 EDT

Victoria’s power-saving scheme gets a top-up

The Victorian government will inject an extra $205m to its $250m power saving bonus program.

The scheme allows Victorian households to receive a $250 payment if they seek out a better energy deal via a comparison website, in a bid to reduce the burden of rising costs of living.

The state’s energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said 1 million Victorians had already participated in the program.

We are proud to have supported 1 million Victorian households with their energy bills while helping them find the cheapest deal available.

D’Ambrosio said the extra $250m would be sufficient to cover the additional demand but that extra funding could be provided for the uncapped program. The program runs until 30 June.

Updated at 20.13 EDT

Health and safety concerns at Splendour in the Grass

Attendees at Splendour in the Grass are expressing health and safety concerns as they are being asked to pitch tents amid deep puddles of water and mud, as well as over the lengthy wait times to enter the campground last night.

Updated at 20.10 EDT

Flash flooding in Queensland

Flash flooding has occurred in areas of South East Queensland this morning, according to the state’s Fire and Rescue service.

The wild weather comes as part of the developing east coast low, most prominently causing havoc at major music festival Splendour in the Grass.

Updated at 21.20 EDT

NSW records 15 Covid deaths and 2,202 people in hospital

There were 18,669 new cases in the last reporting period, and 55 people are in intensive care.

Splendour in the Grass no longer accepting campers

Splendour in the Grass is banning any more campers or vehicles from entering the site near Byron Bay in northern NSW because of heavy rain and muddy conditions.

Muddy conditions at the Splendour in the Grass campsite. Photograph: Maddie Denham

Those arriving to camp at the festival are being moved to the Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah.

A statement just posted to the festival’s Facebook page says:

Due to ongoing weather conditions we can no longer accept any campers or vehicles including day parking at North Byron Parklands (NBP).

All incoming camping patrons and day parkers should proceed to Byron Events Farm (BEF) at 35 Yarun Rd, Tyagarah NSW 2481.

This does not include Accessible, Flashcamp and Tent City patrons who will still be accepted at NBP.

Free bus shuttles between BEF to NBP will be available.

We thank you for your patience here and big shout out to our staff who are working around Mother Nature to get you in here safely.

Updated at 20.49 EDT

Victoria records 25 Covid deaths and 840 people in hospital

There were 12,278 new cases in the last reporting period, and 33 people are in intensive care.

Splendour in the Grass organisers say show will go on

As popular music festival Splendour in the Grass is hit by the east coast low, festival-goers wade through mud after many spent hours waiting to gain access to the camp ground.

The campsite was left soaked by heavy rain last night.

The ABC is reporting that many attendees, despite arriving at the site in the afternoon didn’t get to their tents until the early hours of the morning after being made to wait in their cars to gain entry to the grounds.

The festival’s Facebook page made a post very late last night (approximately 10 hours ago) saying:

We are extending our campgrounds entry hours at NBP tonight so if you’re in the queue, we will get you in. Please be patient – we hear you.

The weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected.

We are doing the best we can – the show will go on rain, hail or shine.

Updated at 19.35 EDT

In Kennedy’s media conference following her arrival in Australia, she has stood up for a female journalist whose question was interrupted by a male colleague.