Australia news live: Coalition names sites for proposed nuclear reactors; Gallagher calls policy ‘laughable’ | Australia news

Chris Minns rejects Coalition’s nuclear energy policy as potential ‘pipe dream’

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has rejected the idea of nuclear energy powering his state.

Minns was on ABC News Brekfast this morning, and said the transition to nuclear energy would be too expensive and would take too long.

It would cost maybe $200bn for small-scale nuclear reactors to replace existing coal-fired power stations in the state.

I don’t know where that money’s going to come from. It certainly can’t come on the backs of hard-working taxpayers in New South Wales, they just can’t afford it.

We’ve got a prohibition on nuclear power in the state, and my government’s not going to waive it. My understanding is that the Queensland opposition and government won’t waive it either, so I think there’s a few questions about whether this is a fantasy or a pipe dream or a legitimate energy policy.

Chalmers says Coalition nuclear plans ‘worst combination of economic and idelogical stupidity’

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking at the the Australian Energy Nation this morning, where he has called the Coalition’s nuclear policy the “dumbest policy ever put forward by a major party”.

He says the policy is a “road to nowhere” and that “nothing could be more economically irrational or fiscally irresponsible”:

Our plan for net zero is mainstream and middle-of-the-road. It recognises a role for gas in supporting the transition to renewables. It relies heavily on mining and resources, especially critical minerals.

It works with, not against, the ambitions and aspirations of private investors and employers. It relies on better informed and designed markets for capital, and tax breaks for production, more than it relies on grants.

In all these ways it couldn’t be more different to the economic madness peddled by our opponents.

Today we’re expecting to hear a bit more about the Coalition’s nuclear road to nowhere. With Australia’s advantages and opportunities, nothing could be more economically irrational or fiscally irresponsible.

Nuclear takes longer, costs more, and would waste Australia’s unique combination of geological, geographical, geopolitical and meteorological advantages.

This might be the dumbest policy ever put forward by a major party. It is the worst combination of economic and ideological stupidity.

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has called the Coalition’s nuclear policy “laughable,” arguing on ABC Breakfast this morning that it doesn’t stack up. She said the plan would cost more money than necessary and would delay any progress on addressing climate change:

They’ve got some plan, which is going to cost more money, delay any progress on addressing climate change and the stability of our energy grid, I think is just laughable.

It simply doesn’t stack up.

The former government’s history of under-costing this type of infrastructure is a real worry and a real risk for the budget, but also it would do nothing to put downward pressure on energy bills in the short term, which is what households are needing right now.

Coalition nuclear policy meet kicks off but locations still under wraps

Amy Remeikis

The teleconference joint party meeting of Coalition MPs is underway and so far it seems Liberal-National members have heard a lot about “new eras” but not actually the sites where this new era will abound.

Peter Dutton, David Littleproud and Ted O’Brien have kept all the details very close to their chest in a bid to stop leaks.

Almost half an hour into the meeting and MPs have heard about what details have been assessed, which apparently includes water availability, capacity of connection to the grid and the closure date of existing coal assets. But the confirmed sites remain a mystery, at least at this point of the meeting.

Sussan Ley says Coalition nuclear policy will be a ‘sensible proposition’

I just wanted to return to Sussan Ley’s appearance on Sky News this morning, where she was asked how a potential future Coalition nuclear policy would circumvent nuclear bans:

We’ll work through all that. We have a sensible proposition to put to the Australian people and I know that when we talk about nuclear people are starting to tune in, understanding that if 19 of the 20 biggest economies in the world are using nuclear, if it makes sense for cleaner baseload power, because it’s zero emissions, if it helps us get to 2050 net zero, if it does all of the things that we want it to do in terms of emissions, and in terms of securing affordable cheaper power for Australians … why would people not consider it? And I believe they will.

She also questioned the government’s energy policy, claiming it won’t be able to meet power demands in the future and that the renewable-only policy is “actually not going to happen”:

Now, the government says it’s renewables only. We can see that that’s actually not going to happen. The government talks about hydrogen, it’s not at scale. It’s not even something they can demonstrate works in that short timeframe and they talk about batteries that aren’t going to provide the storage for their renewables.

So, they are in a complete mess over this, and they need to be put on the sticky paper and asked what they are going to do for families, households and manufacturing businesses.

Because for the prime minister to run around his country and talk about a ‘future made in Australia’. How can you do that with energy costs where they are?

Zoe Daniels condemns attack on fellow MP’s office

Independent MP Zoe Daniel has condemned the vandalisation of Josh Burns’ office.

Daniels said the vandalism wasn’t “protest, it is dangerous criminal behaviour.”

Human remains located at Coffs Harbour beach

NSW police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of human remains at Jetty Beach in Coffs Harbour yesterday.

Police were called to the beach at around 10am on Tuesday, after reports human remains were located. Upon arrival, officers attached to Coffs-Clarence police district located the remains.

Strike Force Osbox has been established to investigate the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Coffs-Clarence police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Sussan Ley says Coalition will ‘consult with communities’ amid rumoured nuclear policy

The deputy opposition leader says the Coalition will “consult with communities” on nuclear policy, amid reports of an internal meeting being held today to discuss the policy.

Sussan Ley was on Sky News earlier, where she provided scant details of the nuclear policy plan but acknowledged that the opposition is preparing to unveil sites of future nuclear power plants.

I think it’s clear that there will be a conversation and there will be an announcement later this morning.

What I will say is that we will consult … with communities unlike this government that is forcing renewable energy solutions on communities like the Hunter, like the south-west of WA with offshore wind.

We’ve said that it makes sense to connect new nuclear technologies with existing Brownfield sites where you have the grid already in place.

Victoria police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the vandalisation and damage done to federal MP Josh Burn’s office in St Kilda overnight.

They said at least 5 people were seen near the Labor member’s office at around 3.20am. The group smashed windows and painted walls and slogans at the premises. Small fires then occurred in telecommunication pits at the front of the building.

The group then ran from the scene.

Burns himself released a statement saying it was a “politically motivated attack.”

Last night, my St Kilda office was damaged in a politically motivated attack.

I’ve been in contact with the federal police and am awaiting further advice.

My team won’t be at the office this morning, or until we’re told it is safe to do so, but we’re here to help our community and can be contacted by email.

A crime scene is currently in place with Barkly Street shut in both directions.

Daniel Hurst

Australia cautiouns China over of ‘deeply concerning and destabilising behaviour’ in South China Sea

The Australian government has accused China of escalating its “deeply concerning and destabilising behaviour” in the South China Sea.

The strongly worded statement was issued last night, shortly after the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, flew out of Perth at the end of a four-day visit to Australia.

The statement said the Australian government “expresses its grave concern at, and stands by the Philippines in its response to, the dangerous and illegal actions by China’s vessels against Philippine vessels and crew taking part in a routine mission” within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on Monday.

The statement, published on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website, said the Chinese vessels “engaged in dangerous manoeuvres and illegal conduct, including the ramming of Philippine vessels, resulting in injury to crew and damage to Philippine vessels”. It said:

This is an escalation in a pattern of deeply concerning and destabilising behaviour by China. This conduct endangers peace and security in the region, threatens lives and livelihoods, and creates risks of miscalculation and escalation.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on Monday that he and Li discussed military-to-military communication between Australia and China to reduce the risk of dangerous incidents.

Temperatures plunge across Australia

If you’re waking up this morning shivering, you’re not alone. Many Australians are waking up to the coldest morning of the year today as the cold weather blanketing the east coast continues to maintain its grip.

Melbourne was on course for temperatures of around 1C this morning while parts of western Sydney could be down to 3C, after Queenslanders awoke to a blanket of frost across a large swathe of the state’s centre yesterday.

Monday night was the coldest June night on record in Queensland’s inland. The band of cold was blanketing the entire east coast, with widespread frost across Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT and New South Wales on Tuesday morning.

You can read more at our story below:

Coalition party room meeting to discuss nuclear policy

Amy Remeikis

Good morning from Canberra where the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is expected to announce the Coalition’s nuclear policy after months of speculation.

In March, Dutton raised the prospect of releasing the nuclear policy in his May budget in reply speech. In May, it became “June-July”.

But the announcement, expected later today took most of his party room by surprise when speculation began mounting it was coming imminently late yesterday.

A snap shadow cabinet meeting was called for Tuesday night, with Coalition MPs informed late Tuesday afternoon of an impromptu joint party room teleconference meeting for 8.30am on Wednesday.

It is expected the nuclear policy, the detail of which has been tightly held by the Coalition leadership, will be laid out for the party room before it is formally announced.

Dutton has previously said he would be announcing six or seven areas with existing end-of-life coal-fired power stations as potential sites for nuclear power plants under the Coalition’s plan.

Yesterday, backbench MPs spoken to by the Guardian were questioning how much research had gone into the nuclear plan, given the very specific geographical requirements for nuclear plants – which includes easy access to large bodies of water and positions away from fault lines.

It was all still speculative late last night, but the sites named as potential nuclear picks were Queensland’s Gladstone, Callide, Stanwell or Tarong plants, Port Augusta in South Australia, Collie in Western Australia, Mt Piper and the Hunter in NSW and potentially the Latrobe Valley in Victoria.

We should all find out very soon what is going on.

Mostafa Rachwani

Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the day’s news.

Welcome

Martin Farrer

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ve got some of the top overnight stories for you to get started before we move on to the mains.

The biggest story of the day in Canberra promises to be the long-awaited unveiling of the details of the Coalition’s nuclear plan with a party room meeting called for 8.30 this morning in the wake of snap shadow cabinet meeting last night. Peter Dutton is then expected to announce the details later.

We reported this morning that Queensland is emerging as a potential future nuclear capital under the Coalition’s plans, with six or seven sites expected to be named as potential locations for nuclear reactors. More coming up.

The Australian government has issued a strongly worded statement accusing China of “destabilising” behaviour in the South China Sea. It expressed “grave concern”about what it called “dangerous and illegal actions by China’s vessels against Philippine vessels and crew taking part in a routine mission” within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on Monday.

It came as the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, completed a four-day visit to Australia which was overshadowed by efforts of Chinese officials to block the view of the formerly detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei during an event with Li inside Parliament House. The Australian government has formally complained to the Chinese embassy over what it called the “ham-fisted” attempts to block Cheng. More coming up.