Australia news live: consumer sentiment at 30-year low after rate hikes; China says Aukus ‘hurts peace and stability’ | Aukus – Beragampengetahuan

Ben Doherty and Daniel Hurst have put together a fantastic explainer on the Aukus deal that is well worth a read:

Circling back to the Aukus deal, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has shared a photo from a meeting with the US president, Joe Biden, following the announcement earlier this morning:

Commentary on the deal has continued to filter through on social media this afternoon. First up we have the minister for resources, Madeleine King, speaking on jobs:

Labor’s Senator Penny Wong highlighted the investment in South Australia, with the next-generation nuclear-powered submarines to be built at Osborne:

Meanwhile, the Greens Senator Janet Rice has spoken out against the deal:

ASX plunges into red for 2023

The local share market has plunged into negative territory for the year as the turmoil from Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse in the United States continues, AAP reported earlier today.

At noon, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index had fallen 133.7 points, or 1.88%, to 6,975.1, while the All Ordinaries was down 141 points, or 1.93%, to 7,169.6.

The ASX200 tumbled to its lowest level since a 3 January selloff. It is now down one per cent since the start of the year, despite a 6.2% rally in January.

The index was also trading below its 200-day moving average, a key technical level.

Surge of autumn heat forecast for week ahead

A strong surge of autumn heat will make its way across the country in the second half of this week and into the early part of next week, as reported by Weatherzone.

The BoM has already forecast above-average temperatures for much of western, southern and south-east Australia from Thursday.

Weatherzone has reported that a large pool of hot autumn air will extend from WA’s Pilbara region down to the coastline of western South Australia:

In those areas, maximum temperatures in excess of 44°C can be expected … That heat will then drift eastwards, with NSW in the bullseye.

Meanwhile, temperatures nearing 40C may be seen in western Sydney on both Thursday and Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach 30C or higher in the days between.

UN urges Australia to support global food security

Australia is being urged to strengthen its support for global food security and stability in the Pacific, AAP has reported.

Delegates from the United Nations’ agriculture finance agency have met foreign affairs and trade officials in Canberra.

One of the delegation’s messages was Australians should be worried about food security, both in the region and globally.

The agency’s Ron Hartman said:

The cost of living is a key concern in developed and developing countries, and the cost of food, particularly healthy, nutritious food, is as much a concern here in Australia as it is for the developing world.

We’re here to try and respond to the demand from Pacific islands and other developing member states for more support, not through the handouts type approach, but support in terms of hand-ups.

We’re motivated by the concern that we’ve got over-escalating global food insecurity and want to make sure that we’re co-ordinating and partnering with Australian stakeholders as much as possible.

The group is in the region for a conference in Fiji.

Hartman said world peace and food security were interlinked, and Australians should be aware of what’s happening in the global food space, as well as in the Pacific.

We need to be doing more. There’s almost a perfect storm at the moment that is facing the global community.

Making sure that Australian expertise, knowledge and innovation is able to benefit those countries that are either less fortunate or more impoverished is really important.

Last week, the assistant trade minister, Tim Ayres, warned against Australia taking a narrow focus when negotiating trade agreements.

He told a major agricultural conference there was a risk that less-developed nations would be ignored if their interests weren’t considered.

Greens propose $200 vouchers to boost live music scene

Meanwhile, the NSW Greens are proposing vouchers for the state’s young people in a bid to revive the live music scene.

The Greens music spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann says young people could boost the state’s ailing live music sector if given $200 worth of vouchers, in a scheme similar to the government’s popular Dine and Discover program:

Music, arts and culture are a major driver of economic activity across NSW and for years these sectors have been treated with contempt by this government.

Under the proposal all young people aged between 18 and 25 would be given four $50 vouchers to spend on live music events. The money could be spent on any type of gig, including festivals, DJ sets or small acoustic gigs, as well as international artists.

It comes after Labor revealed data showing just 133 live music venues were still operating in NSW, after the COVID-19 pandemic and impact of lockout laws.

Creative industries took a battering during the pandemic, losing $130m in revenue, and a number of key live music venues closed for good.

There is certainly an appetite for live music in NSW and just last night, international artists Lorde, Florence and the Machine, and Bikini Kill all performed in Sydney.

– with AAP

Announcements continuing in lead up to NSW election

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet and opposition leader Chris Minns are continuing their rounds today, pitching to voters ahead of the NSW election on March 25.

Minns was in Sydney’s southwest, announcing Labor’s plan to put 500 early childhood workers on university or diploma scholarships.

The $22 million package would provide 500 scholarships over three years of up to $25,000 for bachelor degrees or diplomas, to fund paid professional development leave and to launch a new study into childhood delivery models.

Minns said:

We know that in NSW early childhood education centres, those with diplomas or a degree is about 45 per cent – in Victoria, it’s above 60 per cent.

We’ve been speaking to the peak bodies and they regard this as an essential investment in early childhood education.

The announcement was made in the electorate of Liberal-held East Hills – the state’s most marginal electorate after Minns’ own seat of Kogarah.

Meanwhile, Perrottet announced $2m in funding for services to help those dealing with miscarriage or the heartbreak of stillbirth.

The funds would go towards over-the-phone, in-person and online services for bereaved families.

The announcement comes after Perrottet’s wife Helen revealed she had suffered three miscarriages. The mother of seven said she had been working before the first loss and there was little consideration for the “horrific” grief she felt.

She told Nine News:

They said ‘you can take a week off or whatever but you have to take sick leave. It should be bereavement leave.

– with AAP

Flooding expected to ease at Burketown

Record major flooding at Burketown in Queensland is expected to be easing, with minor flooding along the Nicholson, Gregory and Leichhardt rivers also easing.

The Queensland BoM said that showers and isolated thunderstorms are forecast for the next few days along these catchment areas, but widespread significant rainfall is not expected.

Anecdotal information from Burketown suggests the river level was expected to have peaked above the 2011 record flood level of 6.78 metres on Sunday.

The river level along the Albert River at Burketown is expected to continue easing slowly over the next few days, but is likely to remain above the major flood level (6.00 m) during Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly longer.

The river level is expected to remain elevated through to at least the end of the week.