Only 64.1% of domestic flights arrived on time last month, minster says
The transport minister, Catherine King, says only 54.3% of Virgin flights and 66.3% of Qantas flights arrived on time domestically in November, in “very disappointing results”.
Bonza and Rex led the way for the month with on-time performances of 73.9% and 70.5% respectively, the latest BITRE on-time performance report shows.
Across all airlines, only 64.1% of domestic flights arrived on time.
King said:
Given these very disappointing results, it is no wonder that so many Australians remain fed up with our major airlines.
transport minister Catherine King says only 54.3% of Virgin flights & 66.3% of Qantas flights arrived on time last month – across all airlines, only 64.1% arrived on time
“very disappointing results, it is no wonder that so many Australians remain fed up with our major airlines” pic.twitter.com/INsvrTSdtd
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) December 21, 2023
Key events
Perth minister for emergency services Stephen Dawson gave an update to press on the unfolding bushfire situation in the south-east, warning of “tough days ahead” in the lead up to Christmas.
A fire alert for Lancelin was originally an emergency warning but was downgraded to a watch-and-act shortly before midnight as the fire was contained.
Dawson said that fire is now “contained and controlled and downgraded”.
He said:
The fire in Lancelin is looking better today, and that is thanks to the outstanding work of about 100 firefighters who were busy overnight.
We said … it would be a long, hot and dry summer, and we would have fires, and we’ve seen them happen already.
We will have some tough days ahead, with some windy conditions.
There will be people away from their homes and their loved ones this Christmas fighting fire to keep us safe. So I want to thank [firefighters] for the work that they’re doing.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a fire weather warning for large parts of the state. People in West Toodyay and Julimar were urged to leave.
‘Every farmer in the region’ impacted by Cyclone Jasper
Mangoes, bananas, avocadoes, barramundi and prawns are among the produce ruined in far north Queensland as the fallout from Cyclone Jasper continues.
“Every farmer in the region that’s been affected has been impacted,” Jo Shepperd from the Queensland Farmers Federation said.
With supply routes cut, some dairy farmers were forced to dump milk while growers are being hit by transport delays, affecting getting their produce to market. Mango farmers who had already been struggling to produce a good crop in Queensland’s north are now facing extensive damage.
About 1.2m of rain fell over five days at Joe Morrow’s mango farm near Mareeba, resulting in a loss of half a million dollars’s worth of produce. His 14 workers resumed harvest on Thursday after a two-week delay. Morrow said:
Half my crop has either been damaged by the flooding, [it’s] totally black, can’t be harvested at all, or it’s ripening and dropping onto the ground.
Morrow is also the president of Queensland’s fruit and vegetable growers association and said the damage to agriculture across the region has been severe.
Every crop has been affected in some way. Papaya trees are falling down, heavily blemished fruit, banana trees are falling down and sometimes some of that crop is also in water.
Even the avocado crop, which hasn’t been harvested yet, there would be some impact on those growers as well.
– Australian Associated Press
Andy Warhol art is on its way to Western Australia
Works by pop art master Andy Warhol worth $148m are heading to Perth, in the biggest loan so far under a federal government plan to share the national art collection.
The artworks being loaned by the National Gallery of Australia to the Wanneroo regional gallery for two years include iconic images, such as Warhol’s life-size screenprint Elvis from 1963 and his Campbell’s Soup I from 1968.
The sharing program is part of the national cultural policy announced in January, which has allocated $11.8m over four years to transport, install and insure the artworks.
– Australian Associated Press
Thunderstorm warning for Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding in the Darling Downs and granite belt of Queensland.
62mm was recorded at Upper Bracket Creek, in the 60 minutes to 11.40am today.
⚠️⛈️Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt. 62 mm was recorded in the 60 minutes to 11:40 am at Upper Bracket Creek (West of Stanthorpe). pic.twitter.com/u3b3rMQyAm
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) December 21, 2023
Elias Visontay
Labor is failing to crackdown on airlines, Coalition says
The opposition has accused the Albanese government of failing to crackdown on airlines to improve the passenger experience when flying, after fresh data revealed delays and cancellations are increasing.
In November only 54.3% of Virgin flights and 66.3% of Qantas flights – which account for 95% of the domestic aviation market – arrived on time, while smaller carriers Bonza and Rex led the way for the month with on-time performances of 73.9% and 70.5% respectively.
Across all airlines, only 64.1% of domestic flights arrived on time. Two in five flights were either cancelled or delayed, representing a 17% increase on the previous month. The Sydney to Melbourne route was the most affected, with 46.4% of flights delayed or cancelled in November, up from 42.6% in October.
The opposition says the results are proof the government needs to implement reforms long called for by the sector.
Bridget McKenzie, the opposition transport spokesperson, said:
As with previous months, the Albanese Labor Government’s failure to implement reforms to the industry which have been sitting on the Minister’s desk for 18 months now continues to see a high level of flights cancelled or delayed across the entire aviation network.
And with the Government shut down commencing tomorrow there is no chance of these changes being actioned to give holidaying Australians some respite from turbulence in the industry over the summer period …
The high level of delays and cancellations across the entire aviation network are exacerbated by the gaming of airline slots at Sydney Airport of which the Labor Government could fix tomorrow.
Queensland Health is warning of an increase in respiratory infections:
Queenslanders are urges to prioritise good hygiene habits this festive season amid an unseasonal surge in respiratory infections across the state.
⚠️ Increase in respiratory infections hits QLD ⚠️
Queenslanders are urged to prioritise good hygiene habits this festive season amid an unseasonal surge in respiratory infections across the state. Read more:https://t.co/yhKcPO8z8X
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) December 21, 2023
Daniel Hurst
Why the Albanese government said no to the US warship request
The Australian government’s decision to rebuff a US request to send a warship to the Red Sea has been greeted in some quarters as a seismic event but it’s not really a bolt from the blue.
Australia is facing “an increasingly challenging strategic environment which is placing greater demand on ADF resources closer to home”, a senior Australian political figure said:
As a result, the Australian Defence Force will reduce its naval presence in the Middle East to enable more resources to be deployed in our region.
Who was it who proclaimed this shift in Australia’s military priorities?
Read the full analysis here:
Qantas spins poor-on-time data as positive
Elias Visontay
We reported earlier how transport minister Catherine King described the latest airline on-time performances as “very disappointing”, with only 54.3% of Virgin flights and 66.3% of Qantas flights arriving on time domestically in November.
Bonza and Rex led the way for the month with on-time performances of 73.9% and 70.5% respectively, the latest BITRE on-time performance report shows.
Qantas has released a statement noting it has “notched up its 15th consecutive month as the most reliable major domestic airline”. Its proclamation is rooted in its view of the market, that Virgin is its main major competitor. Qantas Group – which includes budget carrier Jetstar – and Virgin operate 95% of the domestic aviation market.
But Qantas noted a “variety of factors meant on time performance in November was below target levels”:
November was a challenging month operationally, with major storm activity on both the east and west coasts of the country and air traffic control issues. There were also a significant number of engineering related delays, with safety always coming before schedule.
It also addressed improving its performance on the Sydney-Canberra route:
The unacceptably high number of cancellations on Qantas’ Canberra-Sydney flights has continued to drop, with a change in fleet mix used to help protect the route from disruption on the airline’s regional network. In November, less than 4 per cent of flights were cancelled, down from 10 per cent in October.
Jonathan Barrett
ANZ defends climate credentials amid protest
ANZ has defended its climate lending policies, while also conceding the bank has a large exposure to oil and gas companies.
Chairman Paul O’Sullivan told the annual general meeting in Brisbane today that ANZ was the first Australian bank to engage with large emitting business customers. He said energy clients would need to have transition plans in line with the landmark Paris agreement by 2025:
We’ve been transparent that ANZ has a relatively large oil and gas exposure and that is certainly not something we shy away from.
In fact, it makes our role in the energy transition all the more important.
O’Sullivan’s address to shareholders was disrupted by climate protesters, resulting in a delay of about 10 minutes.
ANZ has been described as a “laggard” by climate groups when it comes to its lending policies.
The bank’s policies don’t require fossil fuel companies to take into account emissions generated from the use of their coal, oil and gas, according to Market Forces and the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Greens launch Coles and Woolworths whistleblower portal
The Greens have launched an online portal for whistleblowers on the practices of Coles and Woolworths, in the lead-up to the Senate inquiry into price gouging.
Senator Nick McKim, the Greens economic justice spokesperson, is chairing the inquiry. He said:
Since announcing the inquiry last week, we have had a number of people come forward and share stories about the internal practices of Coles and Woolworths.
These accounts reveal a culture of deep fear within the industry, underlining the urgent need for scrutiny.
We want to hear from employees, suppliers and primary producers, as well as anyone with knowledge of the industry.
Our platform is designed for people to share their stories in complete confidence, so that we can fully understand the tactics and practices of the duopoly.
Calls for gig worker reforms after unreported death in Melbourne
Renewed calls have been made for urgent minimum standards for gig workers after police data revealed a 15th food delivery driver death that previously went unreported.
A 29-year-old delivery driver was killed on the job in November 2022 after he was struck by a van while riding his electric bicycle across an arterial road in Preston in Melbourne’s north-east at night.
He had crossed at a pedestrian crossing light while the light was still red and failed to give way to the van.
The man, who held an international licence, died at the scene. His death went unreported at the time.
WorkSafe Victoria was not notified of the worker’s death as gig workers aren’t classed as employees of the food delivery services.
More than 900 motorbike and bicycle workers have been injured on Victorian roads since 2016, according to police data.
This coincides with the rise of food delivery services such as UberEats, Deliveroo, Menulog and Foodora.
The Transport Workers’ Union is demanding the Senate pass urgent reforms to enshrine rights and entitlements such as a minimum wage and rules against unfair contract terminations.
Current conditions put deadly pressure on workers to rush and take risks on the road to earn enough money and retain their jobs, the union said.
It said the legislation has received broad support across the industry, including from gig companies Uber, DoorDash and Menulog.
The “horrific but not surprising” data shows the lethal race against time many riders face to avoid their accounts being deactivated, TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said:
While unreported deaths and injuries of transport gig workers are beginning to come to light across more states, deadly pressures to make a living persist in an unregulated industry.
– AAP
Only 64.1% of domestic flights arrived on time last month, minster says
The transport minister, Catherine King, says only 54.3% of Virgin flights and 66.3% of Qantas flights arrived on time domestically in November, in “very disappointing results”.
Bonza and Rex led the way for the month with on-time performances of 73.9% and 70.5% respectively, the latest BITRE on-time performance report shows.
Across all airlines, only 64.1% of domestic flights arrived on time.
King said:
Given these very disappointing results, it is no wonder that so many Australians remain fed up with our major airlines.
transport minister Catherine King says only 54.3% of Virgin flights & 66.3% of Qantas flights arrived on time last month – across all airlines, only 64.1% arrived on time
“very disappointing results, it is no wonder that so many Australians remain fed up with our major airlines” pic.twitter.com/INsvrTSdtd
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) December 21, 2023
GenCost report blasts nuclear out of energy mix
A surge in the cost of small nuclear reactors has forced the national science agency to change its calculations for Australia.
The latest modelling of all energy sources, released by CSIRO today, includes data from a newly scrapped project in the US that was showcasing nuclear small modular reactors as a way to fight climate change.
The draft GenCost 2023-24 report, out for consultation over summer, shows that while inflation pressures are easing there has been a recalculation on SMRs that puts them out of reach.
Real data on a high-profile six-reactor power plant in the US has confirmed that the contentious technology costs more than any energy consumer wants to pay.
Project costs for the Utah project were estimated at $18,200 a kilowatt, but the company has since disclosed a whopping capital cost of $31,100/kW, prompting its cancellation in November.
In contrast, under existing policies the cost of new offshore wind in Australia in 2023 would be $5545/kW (fixed) and $6856/kW (floating), while rooftop solar panels are calculated at a modest $1505/kW.
– AAP
Australia won’t send warship to Red Sea but will triple personnel in Bahrain
Daniel Hurst
The federal government has confirmed it will not deploy a warship to the Red Sea at the current time but it will triple the number of personnel it has embedded in the combined maritime forces (CMF) headquarters in Bahrain.
The US has been seeking additional military commitments from allies and partners to help protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea after attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen in protest at Israel’s war in Gaza.
But, as has been foreshadowed, the Australian government is not sending a warship to the Red Sea, insisting that its focus is on the Indo-Pacific region.
Under a longstanding arrangement, Australia has five ADF personnel embedded in CMF headquarters in Bahrain under Operation Manitou, which aims to promote maritime security, stability in the Middle East and east Africa regions.
This will now be doubled to 10 personnel.
On top of that, Australia is preparing to send up to six additional ADF staff officers to the CMF in Bahrain in 2024 as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the US-led operation announced by the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, this week.
That means Australia will have up to 16 people in CMF headquarters, compared with five now.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, told Sky News this morning:
We won’t be sending a ship or a plane. That said, we will be almost tripling our contribution to the combined maritime force …
We need to be really clear around our strategic focus and our strategic focus is our region – the north-east Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Pacific. What comes from the defence strategic review is an urgency around Australia maintaining a strategic focus on our immediate region, and that’s what we will do.
For more on this, see this analysis piece from overnight:
Cooktown shakes off setbacks to welcome Wujal Wujal evacuees
Beds may have been scarce, supermarket shelves bare and the water supply “dwindling”.
But the far north Queensland town of Cooktown still opened its arms to people fleeing flood waters from the Aboriginal community Wujal Wujal.
Two Australian defence force Chinook helicopters have relocated about 200 people over two days after Wujal Wujal was devastated by flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Cooktown threw out the welcome mat despite being hit by record rainfall.
At one stage the town copped almost 340mm in 24 hours, eclipsing the previous December daily record mark of 195mm set way back in 1907.
The water treatment plant went under, along with road access, sparking concerns for food supplies.
Cooktown was also forced to scramble for bedding before hundreds arrived from Wujal Wujal.
Yet the town did not think twice about opening up their PCYC as an evacuation centre.
Cook shire mayor Peter Scott said today:
We have opened our arms to the Wujal Wujal people. We are saying, ‘You are part of our Cape family – welcome.’
About 100 people arrived in Cooktown yesterday, a day after 97 were flown in from the Aboriginal community.
– via AAP
Look out for scams related to Christmas parcel deliveries, ACCC warns
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is warning consumers about parcel delivery scams before the holiday period.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has seen the number of reports for delivery phishing scams quadruple this year and is worried that may increase during the holiday period, the ACCC said.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said:
Many Australians will be waiting for parcels to be delivered both ahead of Christmas and following the Boxing Day sales and you can be sure that scammers will be looking to take advantage of this.
Our advice to consumers is to never click on links in text messages or emails, even if you’re expecting a delivery. Instead, consumers should independently check the status of their delivery by going to the Australia Post app or website or the courier service they’re expecting the delivery from.
Catie McLeod
Three women in mental distress say they were further traumatised by NSW police
During the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, Jane* said she had an adverse reaction to a new ADHD medication and “ended up having a manic episode”.
She claims she was experiencing domestic violence at home and ran out on the street in Sydney’s inner west naked to get help. She was “really scared and confused”.
Jane says she asked passersby to call the police and soon found herself surrounded by “three or four” police cars:
As I was trying to explain what was happening, four officers each grabbed me by one of my limbs and lifted me naked and screaming into an ambulance.
It was just the most traumatising and humiliating experience. I was in such distress. I just needed … someone to talk to and somewhere safe.
Jane is one of three women to raise concerns about the force’s responses to these kind of emergencies.
Read the full exclusive here:
ADF evacuates 160 more people from flood-hit Wujal Wujal
Australian army helicopters have evacuated 160 more people from Wujal Wujal in the last 24 hours, according to Defence Australia. They deployed CH-47F Chinooks and AW-139s from Townsville to Cairns.
In the past 24 hours, #YourADF deployed CH-47F Chinooks & AW-139’s from Townsville to Cairns to transport emergency services personnel & provide additional aerial rescue capability. #AusArmy helicopters evacuated a further 160 civilians from Wujal Wujal. #Qld <2/2> pic.twitter.com/FRfNpfwWUK
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) December 20, 2023
Green light for AGL’s grid-scale battery on site of former Liddell power plant
A 500-megawatt bank of energy storage on the site of the defunct Liddell coal-fired power plant has been given the green light.
AGL Energy on Tuesday announced it has reached a final investment decision on the two-hour duration, grid-scale battery in the Hunter region of New South Wales after closing the power station in 2023.
The total construction cost is about $750m and will be funded from the company’s balance sheet.
As the largest electricity generator in a system that has traditionally relied on coal, AGL is also the country’s largest greenhouse gas emitter but plans to close its final coal-fired plant by 2035.
Read the full story here:
– AAP
