Key events
Rafqa Touma
Thanks to Martin Farrer for kicking off the blog this morning.
I’ll be rolling your news updates through the day – let’s get into it.
More on that seaplane crash from AAP:
The owners of the seaplane say they are distraught over the tragedy.
“We are devastated by those injured and the loss of the two passengers involved in the terrible incident yesterday,” Swan River Seaplanes company director Kristy Bailey said.
“Our deepest and sincere condolences are with their families and friends.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of James [Wong], a talented and dedicated pilot who was an integral and deeply cherished member of our team.”
Investigators to try to salvage seaplane wreckage off Rottnest Island
Investigators will today attempt to salvage the remaining wreckage of a seaplane that crashed during take-off, killing three people and seriously hurting three other passengers, AAP reports.
It is believed the aircraft carrying seven people struck a small limestone outcrop near popular holiday spot Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth, about 4pm on Tuesday.
The Cessna 208 Caravan 675 plunged nose-first into the water near Thomson Bay, killing pilot James Wong, 34, a 65-year-old Swiss woman and a 60-year-old Danish man.
Investigators hope the sunken plane and wreckage already retrieved will provide answers about the cause of the crash, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said on Wednesday.
“Any of the information that we can gather from on board the plane, that’ll be our focus tomorrow as we recover the plane from the seabed,” he said.
“Any of the recorded information from on board, from mobile phones.”
Mitchell said bureau investigators working with police would continue interviewing witnesses to the crash.
Kosciuszko hiker Hadi Nazari expected to return home today
We will be hearing more about Hadi Nazari’s Kosciuszko national park ordeal today after he is debriefed by police.
He spent the night at Cooma hospital but is expected to be sent home today.
“I have every confidence that he’ll be released very soon,” NSW police Insp John Broadfoot told reporters yesterday.
“Our specialist paramedics have had a look at him and he’s seemed in great condition so full hopes he’ll be on his way home very shortly.”
In a statement on behalf of the family, sister Zahra Nazari said they were grateful he was safe and sound.
“We are grateful for everyone involved in helping us find my brother,” the family said.
In the meantime check out this piece by Cait Kelly about how he foraged for berries and drank water from creeks to keep going.
$50m federal incentive for farmers and truckers to go electric
Sarah Basford Canales
The Albanese government will today announce a $50m initiative to encourage farmers and freight companies to buy up electric vehicles as part of its plans to decarbonise the economy.
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said a deal between the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Metro Finance will offer eligible farmers, freight companies and other small and medium businesses the option to take on cheaper loans to buy electric vehicles.
A farmer financing a $60,000 electric vehicle, for example, could save about $1,700 in interest over five years, the government said.
More than 4,000 electric vehicles were bought using the financing subsidies as of December 2024.
Bowen said:
Australian motorists deserve more choices of cleaner, cheaper-to-run cars and that’s exactly what the Albanese government is delivering.
Electric vehicles made up 9.5% of light vehicle sales last year, rising from 8.4% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2022.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer here to take you through a couple of the best overnight stories before Rafqa Touma takes over as your news guide for the day.
Hadi Nazari will be debriefed by rescue teams today after his remarkable 13-day ordeal lost in the Kosciuszko national park wilderness. The 23-year-old was described as “alert” and able to walk after being rescued yesterday but was taken to Cooma hospital last night for checks. The Riverina district commander, Supt Andrew Spliet, said police wanted to hear from him about how he stayed alive and how he protected himself from the daytime heat. More coming up.
Peter Dutton will hold his first election campaign-style rally in Melbourne on Sunday, according to a report in the Age this morning. It says that Liberals were told an event was coming in the eastern suburbs where the Coalition is aiming to win back the seats of Chisholm and Aston as Dutton responds to Anthony Albanese’s whirlwind tour of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia this week. Speaking of which, his Labor government is putting up $50m to incentivise farmers and freight companies to switch to electric vehicles. More coming up.
Police watch houses in the Northern Territory are being repurposed as long-term prison cells as the number of prisoners reached more than 1% of the territory’s population this week. That is more than five times the national average – and if the NT were a country it would have the second-highest incarceration rate in the world. We’ll have reaction as it happens.
Article by:Source Martin Farrer
