Key events
What we learned today, Thursday 4 December
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the day’s main stories:
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The Victorian government will slash 1,000 public service jobs – including more than 300 executive positions – and merge several entities, as part of its response to an independent review which it claims will save $4bn.
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Alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with 83 new offences, after being accused of sexually abusing babies and toddlers while working in Melbourne childcare centres.
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Communities across large parts of Australia have been urged to take precautions as temperatures begin to soar ahead of severe and extreme heatwave conditions, with parts of western Sydney expected to reach the low 40s by Saturday.
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Bushfires were raging in Tasmania, with the fire service warning lives and homes were at risk.
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The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has rejected the Reserve Bank’s suggestions the Australian economy may not be able to grow any faster, and says GDP growth figures are “very positive and very promising”.
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The Australian Border Force has detained six foreign nationals who arrived in Australia by boat after police find them in remote Western Australia.
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The federal government has received the Trump administration’s review of the Aukus submarine deal and is “working through” its findings, the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, has confirmed.
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The high court will hear a challenge to an appeals court ruling that overturned the approval of the largest coalmine expansion in New South Wales.
We will see you here again for more news tomorrow.
Australia receives Aukus review from Trump administration
Dan Jervis-Bardy
The federal government has received the Trump administration’s review of the Aukus submarine deal and is “working through” its findings, the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, has confirmed.
But the government does not intend to release the long-awaited report, with a spokesperson confirming to Guardian Australia that its publication was a matter for the US.
The future of the deal to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines was uncertain for months after the Pentagon ordered a review to examine if it aligned with Donald Trump’s “America-first” agenda.
Any fears inside the Australian government were eased after Trump publicly endorsed Aukus when he hosted the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, at the White House in late September.
Trump’s navy secretary signalled at the meeting that the US wanted changes to address unspecified “ambiguity” in the deal. Albanese confirmed he was aware of what changes the US wanted but would not publicly disclose them.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Marles confirmed the government had been provided with the review. He said:
We are in receipt of the Aukus review now. We’re working through the Aukus review, and we very much thank the United States for providing it to us.
What’s really important here is the United States is completely supportive of Aukus, as the president of the United States made clear, and all of us moving ahead in his words, full steam ahead. And so this is a program that we are doing, meeting all of our milestones. It’s fundamentally important in terms of Australia’s national interest, but this really is very central to the United States’ national interest as well.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed in Senate estimates that it had received a copy of the review.
The department’s secretary, Jan Adams, and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, told the hearing they would not answer questions on the report’s contents.
Sarah Basford Canales
More on the social media high court case delay:
The NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick says a delay in his high court challenge against the federal government’s social media ban will bolster the case because there will be real-world negative consequences to draw from.
The ban on under-16s accessing a range of social media platforms is set to come into effect from next week. The high court said further directions for the case would occur on or after 25 February 2026.
Speaking to Guardian Australia shortly after the high court’s decision this afternoon, Ruddick, who runs the Digital Freedom Project, said:
I believe that over the course of that period of time when this ban will be in effect, it’s going to cause a lot of unforeseen negative consequences. And so there is a … silver lining in this delay, which is that, we’ll have real-world experience about how people are getting around it, and … we believe it’s going to cause all sorts of unforeseen problems, and a delay is not a bad thing.
High court challenge to social media ban hit with delay
Sarah Basford Canales
A high court challenge against the federal government’s social media ban for under-16s has been delayed to at least February next year.
Two young people, 15-year-olds Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, will test whether the ban robs them of the implied right to freedom of political communication in the high court.
Jones and Neyland are being supported by digital rights group the Digital Freedom Project – an initiative led by NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick.
Chief Justice Stephen Gageler ruled on Thursday afternoon that the special case will be listed for further directions on or after 25 February 2026.
Ruddick announced yesterday they would drop an attempt to place a court injunction on the ban set to come into effect next week.
You can read more on that story here:
Matt Canavan accused of ‘killing blue-collar jobs’ in anti-renewables stance
Donna Lu
In a Senate estimates hearing, the minister for science, industry and innovation, Tim Ayres, has accused the Nationals senator Matt Canavan of “killing blue-collar jobs” in his opposition to renewables.
In a testy exchange about the fate of Tomago, Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, Ayres told Canavan:
Every time you go and stand in front of some new wind development and say that it shouldn’t happen, you are killing blue-collar jobs. Every time you campaign against solar or transmission, you are killing blue-collar jobs. And you ought to stop.
Canavan later asked Ayres:
Are there 100,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in this country since we signed up to net zero?
Ayres responded:
It’s got nothing to do with net zero … nothing at all. It does matter if you have a decade of dysfunction and delinquency, and it turns out that the kind of net zero fetishism that you and others have engaged in has consequences for ordinary people. When it takes hold of a government and wrecks a government, and causes it to create disinvestment and sovereign risk, it has a consequence.
Coalition says cut in aerial patrols could explain boat arrivals
The Coalition has questioned whether a reduction in aerial surveillance of Australia’s maritime borders contributed to a boat with six foreign nationals being able to land in remote Western Australia.
The shadow home affairs minister, Jonno Duniam, says the arrival of the people, reportedly from China, meant that at least eight boats had illegally reached the Australian mainland as part of at least 37 attempts since Labor came to government.
He said there had been a 20% decrease in aerial surveillance hours under Labor compared to the Coalition’s tenure in government.
Victorian premier ‘angry’ as childcare worker hit with more charges
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says she is “angry” and has had her trust broken after police revealed this morning that a worker who allegedly sexually abused babies and toddlers at Melbourne childcare centres was facing 83 extra offences.
Joshua Dale Brown, 27, has now been charged with 156 offences, after an additional four alleged victims were identified.
Allan said:
Families must be able to trust that their children are safe in childcare.
Victorian parents will be angry and distressed by these additional allegations – I am too.My thoughts are with the impacted families, and all Victorian families who are dealing with this news.
As these matters are before the courts, I won’t say or do anything that may jeopardise the court process.
The allegations this year have broken the trust of Victorians, and they’ve broken my trust too.
She said the government had introduced four pieces of new legislation to parliament, with three passed, and that “the safety of children is my highest priority – and the highest priority of this government”.
High court to hear mining company appeal against climate decision
Lisa Cox
The high court will hear a challenge to an appeals court ruling that overturned the approval of the largest coalmine expansion in New South Wales.
The case will be the first time the high court will adjudicate on the issue of climate change.
The court has granted mining company MACH Energy leave to challenge the decision by the NSW court of appeal in July that found in favour of a community group that challenged the company’s expansion of its Mount Pleasant coalmine in Muswellbrook.
The court of appeal found the independent planning commission was required and failed to consider the impacts of all emissions associated with the Muswellbrook project on the local environment, including from the exported emissions – known as scope 3 emissions – when the coal is sold and burnt overseas.
The ruling was considered a significant legal breakthrough that could have wider implications for future fossil fuel project proposals in NSW.
A MACH Energy spokesperson said since the decision the company had “pursued all available options to ensure the continuity of this important project”:
Now that the High Court has agreed to hear the appeal, MACH Energy is actively preparing a comprehensive case around the validity of the approval of Mount Pleasant.
The Denman, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook and Scone Healthy Environment Group (DAMS HEG) said it looked forward to defending its “historic win” in the high court.
Its president, Wendy Wales, said if the community group was successful in defending the court of appeal decision it would “create the precedent Australia needs”.
Anita O’Hart, principal lawyer at Johnson Legal, which is representing the group, said “our client welcomes the opportunity for the matter to be heard in the High Court of Australia”:
The assessment of climate impacts caused by NSW coal mining is an important issue of significant national interest and our client looks forward to being heard in the High Court.
Lives in danger and homes may be destroyed in Tasmanian bushfire
Another bushfire emergency warning has been issued in Tasmania, this time for Dolphin Sands, north-east of Hobart.
The Tasmania fire service says people should seek shelter now as an uncontrolled bushfire travels from the south of Dolphin Sands Road and east of Cambria Drive.
According to the statement, it “is expected to put lives in danger and may destroy homes now”.
There is expected to be thick smoke, and showers of embers which may cause fires all around you.
Spot fires may threaten your home before the main fire arrives.
Smoke and ash may make it difficult to see and breathe.
Tasmania Fire Service is attending. Conditions are expected to be changeable.
Man dies after being pulled unresponsive from Sydney tidal pool
A man has died after being pulled from the water in Sydney’s east on Thursday afternoon, NSW police say.
In a statement, police said emergency services were called to a tidal swimming pool at Double Bay about 2.30pm after reports of a concern for welfare. The incident occurred at the Murray Rose Pool, more commonly known as the Redleaf pool.
Officers found an unresponsive man had been pulled from the water by members of the public.
He was treated by NSW ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
Police have established a crime scene and an investigation has commenced into the incident.
Penry Buckley
Sydney tunnel delays a ‘failure of privatisation’, says roads minister
Returning to the hours-long delays experienced by Sydney drivers in the M4 tunnel, the NSW roads minister, Jenny Aitchison, has described the closure and delays as “a failure of privatisation”.
“This tunnel is privately operated and, while Transport [for NSW] has been working incredibly hard to provide offers of assistance and practical support through technical engineering and even materials to try to get this tunnel reopened, at the end of the day it is a decision of Transurban about how they operate and manage the tunnel.”
One of the lanes has now reopened. Transurban has been contacted for comment and is expected to provide an update on the tunnel closure shortly.
The government is now in the process of negotiations with the company, which has a majority stake in the state’s private motorway tolls – including WestConnex assets such as the M4 – to unify tolling in the state.
Aitchison said Transurban had indicated to her that it would be refunding tolls collected from affected road users today.
Road users are being advised to avoid the area and use surface level roads.
All citybound lanes of the tunnel remain open. You can view up-to-date information on the incident on the NSW government’s Live Traffic website here.
Drivers left stranded for hours in Sydney tunnel amid fears of roof collapse
Penry Buckley
Drivers have been left stranded for up to four hours in Sydney’s M4 motorway tunnel, after fears of a concrete roof collapse saw the closure of all westbound lanes, causing delays on surrounding roads.
About 6am this morning, Transport for NSW advised the tunnel was closed westbound between Haberfield and North Strathfield due to “emergency roadworks”.
In a press conference this afternoon convened by the NSW roads minister, Jenny Aitchison, as the issue persisted almost eight hours later, the Transport for NSW coordinator general, Howard Collins, said the toll road’s private operator Transurban had closed the road after an overnight inspection.
He said engineers had identified an issue with “shockcrete”, a form of sprayed-on concrete which separates the tunnel from a waterproof membrane and the sandstone above.
“The engineers … who were working for Transurban last night discovered a couple of large bulges in the tunnel roof. And quite rightly, for safety reasons, they were concerned that if there was a major issue with this shockcrete, it could fall on vehicles.”
Collins said Transurban had advised they were working to reopen one of the lanes, but said all lanes would close again at 10pm tonight.
Aitchison said she had seen reports on social media of drivers being stuck for up to four hours.
Emergency warning issued for Tasmanian fire
The Tasmania fire service has issued an emergency warning for Levendale, about 50km north of Hobart.
It said in the warning that:
An uncontrolled bushfire at Levendale is travelling towards New Country Marsh Road, Levendale and surrounding areas which is expected to put lives in danger and may destroy homes as early as now.
There is expected to be thick smoke, and showers of embers which may cause fires all around you.
Spot fires may threaten your home before the main fire arrives. Smoke and ash may make it difficult to see and breathe.
Tasmania Fire Service is attending. Conditions are expected to be changeable.
Josh Butler
Young Nats urge scrapping of social media ban
The federal Nationals’ youth branch has called on the government to dump the under-16s social media ban, amid a growing Coalition push against the world-leading laws coming into effect from next week.
Coalition members including leader Sussan Ley, Andrew Bragg and Matt Canavan have voiced alarm at the looming 10 December commencement, despite the opposition waving through parliament legislation that specified the date and the party’s former leader Peter Dutton championing the ban.
The Young Nationals have urged the government to scrap the law entirely, saying it would hurt regional Australians.
You can read more on that story here:
Tom McIlroy
New Australian military assistance and sanctions welcomed by Ukrainians
Members of Australia’s Ukrainian diaspora have welcomed new military assistance and sanctions announced by the federal government on Thursday.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia would give Ukraine another $95m for the war against Russia, and impose new sanctions targeting 45 so-called shadow fleet vessels, being used to support Russia’s efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed by Australia and like-minded partners.
Kateryna Argyrou, the chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, thanked the Albanese government.
“Even as peace talks continue, Russia has shown no sign it is ready to negotiate for peace,” she said.
“It has continued to maintain its maximalist demands, and has only escalated its daily missile and drone attacks on innocent civilians and grinding assaults on the frontline.”
Argyrou said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was not genuinely seeking peace.
This is why Australia’s support will be deeply appreciated by Ukrainians. The aid is desperately needed now and will help Ukraine continue to resist Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Following a year in which no military aid was announced for Ukraine, we hope this signals the Albanese government’s determination to provide the timely, steady, and effective aid that Ukraine requires – and will continue to require to defend itself.
