Aid on way to Nepal amid grave concerns for missing Australians, Wong says
Josh Taylor
An RAAF flight containing hygiene kits, shelter and solar lights will leave for Nepal this morning, as the foreign affairs minister and acting prime minister, Penny Wong, says grave concerns are held over the ۴۳ missing Australians after the Nepal-Tibet flash flood.
More than ۴,۴۰۰ people are still missing on both sides of the border, with more than ۹۳۰ people confirmed dead. Wong told the ABC’s ۷.۳۰ program last night that the federal government is urgently seeking to find the whereabouts of the ۴۳ missing Australians.
She said the Australian government has provided $۸m in aid so far and noted that Australian citizens had donated $۲m to a public appeal – something that the federal government is matching.
More aid will leave today, she said:
We are deploying an RAAF aircraft to deliver these kits which are designed to support people in circumstances of natural disasters that destroy infrastructure and their shelter.
Whether it’s shelter kits, lights, hygiene kits, these are the things needed for those people who are facing the devastation of their homes and their communities.
On the ۴۳ missing Australians, Wong said Australia has been engaging with the Nepali and Chinese governments but the recovery and search effort is “very difficult”.
Nine of the ۴۳ missing were on the Chinese side of the border at the time of the floods, but no more information was available on the ۴۳ missing, she said.
I first want to again express what I’ve been expressing to the families and friends of the ۴۳ Australians who are not accounted for, that this is such a difficult time, it’s an incredibly distressing, traumatic time. I think all Australians are with you. And certainly we are with you. We are working to do whatever we can and to provide any information we obtain.
Key events
Most capital city home prices fall below $۱m in August
Luca Ittimani
The typical capital city home price has slipped back below $۱m as buyers fail to show up in a “buyers’ market”, property data firm Cotality has reported.
The median price in the capitals surpassed $۱m for the first time back in October but has steadily fallen this year with demand suppressed by rising interest rates and weak confidence in the economy. By the end of August, it fell to $۹۹۰,۳۹۴, Cotality found.
The typical home price in Perth passed $۱m in March, but slipped to $۹۹۹,۹۸۷ by the end of August.
Sydney and Brisbane are back to being the only capitals with median prices above $۱m. Sydney’s is at $۱.۲۲m, $۹۳,۰۰۰ below its peak earlier this year, while Brisbane is at $۱.۰۸m, down $۳۰,۰۰۰ from its peak.
Cotality’s research director, Tim Lawless, said nearly every capital city suburb had now seen prices fall, yet far fewer homes were being sold compared with this time last year, meaning listings on the market were building up. He said:
Longer selling times, larger vendor discounting and persistently low auction clearance rates all point to a buyer’s market, yet buyers are lacking the confidence to transact at the moment.
Adeshola Ore
Nepali and Tibetan communities mourn in Melbourne
Members of Melbourne’s Nepali and Tibetan communities gathered in the city’s Federation Square last night to remember the victims of the Nepal-Tibet flood.
More than ۴۰ Australians are among thousands of people who remain missing after the natural disaster last week. The overall death toll is at least ۸۱۰ people.
At the vigil, volunteers unfurled a sign on the ground – encircled by candlelights – that read “Vic united for Nepal”.
The event, organised by the Non-Resident Nepali Association’s Victorian branch, was attended by the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, and Labor and opposition MPs.
Speaking to the crowd of about ۴۰۰ people, Carroll said:
I know so many of your hearts are breaking right now. Look around you, all of Victoria stands behind you and every candle in Federation Square is lit up for you. You are not alone.
Carroll said the Victoria government had pledged to donate $۱۰۰,۰۰۰ to Australia’s immediate efforts in Nepal.
Josh Taylor
‘A lot of anger … but very few real solutions’, Wong says of Hanson
Penny Wong has said Labor accepts there’s a message from WA Labor’s loss to One Nation in the Secret Harbour byelection, but says the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has “very few real solutions”.
Wong told ABC’s ۷.۳۰ program the loss was “very disappointing”, but that Labor knows many Australians “believe the status quo is not delivering for them”.
She pointed to policies such a investment in Medicare, childcare and schools, as well as tax cuts and tax changes as the federal government’s response. Wong accepted that the public had not taken the changes on board in their vote in WA, but said Hanson was not offering solutions.
She said:
I accept there’s a message sent in this byelection for us. I accept that. And I think we understand that.
We understand the importance of delivering real change and as someone who sits in the Senate with Pauline Hanson, what I would say to you is that she is … there’s a lot of anger and a lot of complaints, but really very few solutions.
You can read political editor Tom McIlroy’s analysis on the byelection here:
Aid on way to Nepal amid grave concerns for missing Australians, Wong says
Josh Taylor
An RAAF flight containing hygiene kits, shelter and solar lights will leave for Nepal this morning, as the foreign affairs minister and acting prime minister, Penny Wong, says grave concerns are held over the ۴۳ missing Australians after the Nepal-Tibet flash flood.
More than ۴,۴۰۰ people are still missing on both sides of the border, with more than ۹۳۰ people confirmed dead. Wong told the ABC’s ۷.۳۰ program last night that the federal government is urgently seeking to find the whereabouts of the ۴۳ missing Australians.
She said the Australian government has provided $۸m in aid so far and noted that Australian citizens had donated $۲m to a public appeal – something that the federal government is matching.
More aid will leave today, she said:
We are deploying an RAAF aircraft to deliver these kits which are designed to support people in circumstances of natural disasters that destroy infrastructure and their shelter.
Whether it’s shelter kits, lights, hygiene kits, these are the things needed for those people who are facing the devastation of their homes and their communities.
On the ۴۳ missing Australians, Wong said Australia has been engaging with the Nepali and Chinese governments but the recovery and search effort is “very difficult”.
Nine of the ۴۳ missing were on the Chinese side of the border at the time of the floods, but no more information was available on the ۴۳ missing, she said.
I first want to again express what I’ve been expressing to the families and friends of the ۴۳ Australians who are not accounted for, that this is such a difficult time, it’s an incredibly distressing, traumatic time. I think all Australians are with you. And certainly we are with you. We are working to do whatever we can and to provide any information we obtain.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
