Australia news live: authorities say Gold Coast helicopter crash that killed four could have been ‘far worse’ | Australia news

Okay so Mitchell has given some extra particulars, he stated the helicopter that was taking off was airborne for lower than 20 seconds, however added that its actual altitude was not but identified:

So, the precise altitude is one thing that we’re but to find out. We do know that the helicopter taking off had been air borne for lower than 20 seconds on its ascent.

Now, the forces concerned in coming down, not solely within the precise collision are substantial, however clearly within the uncontrolled fall, which basically is what it’s as soon as it’s misplaced its fundamental rotar to get a greater appreciation.

Mitchell has stated that there is no such thing as a clear reason for the crash to date, with a variety of strains of inquiry being thought of:

So at this stage, we all know, clearly, that the collision – we have now an affordable understanding of what the 2 helicopters had been doing, as I stated, within the important phases of flight.

However precisely why this occurred, what of the vary of visibility from each the pilots? What was taking place contained in the cabins the time? They’re the issues that can assist us piece collectively probably what might have been a contributing issue right here. However it’s nonetheless very early stage within the investigation to begin speculating.

In any helicopter operations, what we are going to take a look at now could be – what had been the processes and procedures in place working out of Sea World. Have been all of them adopted? Have been they adequate? And once more, very early days however what we’re eager to know is what the 2 helicopters had been doing on the time? What had been the processes in place at to guard helicopters, in these phases of flight. As soon as we’ve obtained that, then we’ll have a greater course of.

Mitchell stated the salvage job is ongoing, saying it has been “difficult” as a result of it’s on the sand financial institution, and that heavy equipment is required:

In the meanwhile, each the helicopters are being salvaged off the sand financial institution and that’s below manner for the time being. That has been difficult. One, as a result of it’s a sand financial institution, to get out the heavy equipment required. But in addition due to the tides.

As soon as we get them ashore and we begin to undergo the precise wreckage, we’ll get a greater appreciation. However that may be, as I simply talked about, the forces concerned in a crash like this are appreciable. There’s appreciable disruption to each air frames, and that can take us a while to get a greater appreciation.

Mitchell has confirmed the helicopters had been on a “vacationer flight” including that it was a “exceptional” that one of many broken helicopters was in a position to land:

It’s a vacationer flight that does supply a vacationer expertise. So we are going to get what we will from the crash website. However equally, if there’s something that occurred to be on any of the passengers on board, and that’s generally the place we get among the finest info as properly.

When any plane accident occurs, there are monumental forces at play, and notably helicopter collisions. So the presence of thoughts to have the ability to land that helicopter, notably contemplating the harm that we all know has occurred on that entrance left-hand seat of the helicopter, it does seem have been a exceptional job to have gotten it down.

We’ll have a greater concept of precisely what was disrupted in that helicopter. What components of the flight mechanisms had been disrupted. However I’d say at this stage, that we’re very lucky that we’re not standing right here with much more deaths. However the truth that there’s 4 fatalities is a really tragic consequence.

Mitchell has continued, saying that whereas the tide did come up in a single day, officers had been in a position to get the perishable proof off the positioning, with each helicopters faraway from the sand:

At this stage, the helicopters have each been eliminated off the sand bar. They’ll be taken ashore the place my investigators will get a greater appreciation of precisely what’s occurred and the forces that had been in play. However what I want to say is that our ideas do exit to all those that have been affected right here.

Not solely these the helicopter and their prolonged household, however equally to all of these on the Broadwater yesterday who’ve witnessed very confronting scenes of the helicopters coming down.

And notably to these members of the general public that had been the primary responders that had been on scene, after which clearly to the police and emergency companies and ambulance who needed to cope with that sight and do their finest in very attempting circumstances. As I stated, they’ve each been on a sand bar.

The tide has come up in a single day. While we did get a whole lot of that perishable proof off the positioning final evening and the stuff that we actually do depend on, a whole lot of that digital recording gear, we now have a painstaking job of attempting to recreate precisely what’s occurred within the lead-up to this tragic begin to the brand new yr.

Authorities are offering an replace on the helicopter collision in Queensland, with the chief commissioner of the Australia Transport Security Bureau (ATSB), Angus Mitchell, starting by outlining the main target of investigators:

While it has been tragic that 4 folks have misplaced their lives and lots of households are mourning this morning, we may have had a far worse scenario right here, and the truth that one helicopter has managed to land has been fairly exceptional.

The method now for the ATSB is to assemble all of the intelligence and all of the proof we will. We’ve actually, we’d prefer to thank these of the group that had been witnesses to the occasion who’ve come ahead. People who have digital camera footage, CCTV off buildings. That will likely be crucial for us to attempt to put collectively what has occurred right here. And notably, these ultimate phases of flight.

We all know the take-off and the touchdown phases of any plane operations are important phases of flight the place the cognitive workload of pilots are at their biggest. What we do have to know now could be what was occurring inside the 2 cockpits on the time. We do have a number of accounts from witnesses and a video.

However equally, we’ll get what we will from the 2 helicopters to attempt to get a greater image of what was occurring. However equally, what had been the processes in place which can be designed to truly shield helicopters on this scenario? We all know that it’s a busy time of the yr. We all know helicopters are out and in of that Sea World helipad continually all through the day.

So we’ll anticipate actually be taking a look at a number of strains of inquiry right here across the procedures that had been in place, and probably what has helped contribute to such a tragic consequence that we’re standing right here as we speak.

A person has died and one other has suffered head accidents after an obvious capturing incident in Hobart’s northern suburbs.

Police had been referred to as to an handle in Granton round 1.30am on Tuesday after receiving a report of a gunshot.

“Upon attendance police have situated the physique of a deceased male exterior the residence and one other male was situated inside with head accidents,” Tasmania police stated in a press release.

The second man has been taken to the Royal Hobart hospital with non-life threatening accidents.

A police investigation is underway and a piece of a avenue in Granton has been cordoned off.

Paul Karp

China journey scenario the ‘first check of the Albanese authorities’, Liberal MP says

The shadow assistant minister for psychological well being, Melissa McIntosh, is amongst these from the Coalition criticising Labor’s determination to not observe well being recommendation on imposing circumstances on journey from China.

McIntosh informed ABC Information Breakfast:

The Coalition all the time helps one of the best pursuits of Australians and the security of Australians … Now I feel that is actually the primary check of the Albanese authorities in the case of pandemic administration.

And it’s fairly perplexing that on New Yr’s Eve, the chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, despatched a letter to the well being minister, Mark Butler, stating he didn’t really feel these restrictions on Chinese language travellers had been actually required. After which a day later, the well being minister has gone in opposition to the well being recommendation, of the chief medical officer of this nation, and imposed these restrictions. I feel Australians very a lot deserve solutions in the case of the federal government’s determination, why did the federal government go in opposition to the chief medical officer’s recommendation and what’s the plan now they’ve carried out these restrictions?

Requested about Butler’s defence of performing out of an “abundance of warning”, she stated:

One of many explanation why Australia obtained by the pandemic as among the finest nations on the planet to take action was as a result of we adopted Australia’s medical recommendation. Australia’s medical recommendation. Not following different nations.

I feel it’s actually essential we’re constant in what we do as a nation … in the case of following the recommendation. And as I stated, that is actually a primary check of the Albanese authorities. It’s main folks to be confused. Why would you have got the chief medical officer say one factor, and the federal government ignore that, and do one other?

Peter Hannam

Property costs drop 5.3% in 2022, with document falls in Sydney and Melbourne

Final yr was fairly a big one for actual property – however principally in a adverse manner.

It was the primary yr since 2018 that nationwide costs retreated, with a drop of 5.3% in dwelling values in 2022. For Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, although, the calendar yr declines had been the biggest on document, based on CoreLogic, whose information goes again to the Nineteen Eighties.

Learn our wrap right here (with some data too, from PropTrack):

Amongst different issues to observe from the decline in actual property costs will likely be a crunch in state authorities stamp responsibility revenues. Decrease costs nudged properties into decrease classes, whereas gross sales had been off about one-third too.

“By the December quarter, estimated capital metropolis dwelling gross sales had been 30.1% decrease than a yr in the past and 9.2% under the earlier five-year common,” CoreLogic stated.

Because the article notes, although, there are some modest indicators {that a} plateau in costs may not be that far off.

However that’s not the case for renters, who noticed document will increase in rents in 2022. With emptiness charges under 1% in markets comparable to Adelaide or Perth, these housing prices are prone to proceed to rise.

The British Overseas, Commonwealth & Improvement Workplace has confirmed this morning that two British nationals are among the many 4 individuals who died within the deadly helicopter collision yesterday close to Sea World.

A spokesperson for the FCDO stated authorities had been supporting the households:

We’re supporting the household of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in touch with the native authorities.

Well being minister says China journey restrictions are to ‘collect extra info’

Paul Karp

The well being minister, Mark Butler, has spoken to FiveAA Radio in Adelaide to debate the very fact chief medical officer Paul Kelly really useful in opposition to the federal government adopting pre-flight checks for travellers from China in recommendation on 31 December.

Kelly had additionally stated in interviews final week the measure was pointless, feedback echoed by prime minister Anthony Albanese who stated he was following the well being recommendation.

Requested about this discrepancy, Butler stated:

After I introduced this measure the chief well being officers throughout the nation take a view that the resumption of journey between China and Australia poses no public well being menace to Australians. And that Australia could be very properly positioned within the battle in opposition to Covid proper now. We now have excessive ranges of vaccination, we have now superb entry to remedies notably the antiviral medication.

So we’re properly positioned in that battle. However as I stated, actually over the weekend and after the prime minister stated that the issues that you just’ve simply referred to, we began to see numerous nations transfer, England and France I feel inside 24 hours of my announcement simply as one instance. But in addition as I stated [we saw] that WHO assertion … about what they described as an absence of complete details about the scenario in China. So whereas the chief well being officers say fairly rightly that there’s no imminent public well being menace to Australia from the resumption of journey between China and Australia, we’re involved to ensure that we will collect extra details about what is going on on the bottom with China. And that is a method through which we will do it.

This reply places a big gloss on the recommendation. The recommendation wasn’t simply that Australia is properly positioned and that journey poses no danger – it was explicitly that Australia mustn’t place ANY situation on journey from China.

Kelly stated there was “robust consensus” amongst chief well being officers that “implementation of any restrictions to journey from China at the moment could be inconsistent with the present nationwide method to the administration of Covid-19 and disproportionate to the chance”.

“I don’t consider that there’s adequate public well being rationale to impose any restriction or extra necessities on travellers from China,” he said.

The concept that adjustments to different nations settings is related can also be deceptive, as a result of Kelly’s recommendation took into consideration the truth that each France and England had been as a consequence of introduce pre-flight checks.

One of many 4 folks killed in a helicopter crash close to Gold Coast’s Sea World has been recognized, as crash investigators proceed to attempt to work out what went incorrect.

An skilled pilot and “all-round good man” has been recognized as considered one of 4 killed when two helicopters crashed mid-air close to Sea World on the Gold Coast.

Sea World Helicopters chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson died after the chopper he was in careened the other way up right into a sand financial institution close to the favored Sea World theme park, about 2pm on Monday.

On board, 4 folks had been killed and three passengers had been critically injured.

The second plane landed safely, however 5 of the six folks on board suffered glass shrapnel wounds when the windscreen shattered.

Jenkinson, a father who had instructed quite a few novice pilots, was remembered as a “nice mate” and “an absolute legend”.

Andy Taylor recalled the bond cast when the pair assisted victims of flooding in northern NSW in 2022.

“Immediately we misplaced one of many greatest legends, Ash Jenkinson, you had been a gentleman!!” he stated.

Colleague Penny Wilson stated Jenkinson had “such golden of coronary heart, cheeky sense of humour and all the time such amusing to be round”

“A tremendous pilot. At all times so form, useful, and supportive. A real gentleman, and all the time prepared to assist,” former colleague Lucy Kuhn stated.

Prof Fiona Russell, from the Asia Pacific Well being Group on the Murdoch Kids’s Analysis Institute, has informed ABC radio that the federal government’s restrictions on travellers arriving from China was “not justified.”

Russell stated the transfer was unlikely to make any distinction to the variety of infections in Australia. She additionally stated a brand new variant is extra prone to emerge in a inhabitants that’s already immune reasonably than China, which was “naive to the virus”.

From a public well being perspective, it’s actually not an affordable factor to do. And it truly is unlikely to make any distinction in any respect to the burden of infections in Australia.

The true factor that we need to know is in regards to the variants which can be circulating in China. So it doesn’t actually make any public well being affect in any respect.

We all know with this virus it’s simply so transmissible with everybody touring, as they usually do, the virus will simply unfold in all places anyway, because it has achieved and it’s in all places.

So it’ll simply discover one other entry level. And we’re in a really totally different scenario than we had been three years in the past. So, there’s 1 billion folks in China, they’ve moved away from Covid-zero and there are an infinite quantity of infections anticipated to be there and their well being system is prone to be burdened. And from what we see coming on the market it’s burdened for the time being as a result of a whole lot of the aged haven’t been vaccinated.

She stated the “fundamental purpose why the federal government has thought to do that is to cease variants coming or potential variants coming into the nation”.

However they’re extra prone to emerge in a inhabitants that has already … obtained some immunity already. Not in a rustic like China the place they’re pretty, fully naive to the virus.

From a public well being perspective, it’s actually unlikely to have a lot of an affect.

Littleproud requires readability China journey restrictions determination

The federal Nationals chief David Littleproud has referred to as on the federal government to make clear among the “confusion” surrounding the choice to impose restrictions on travellers arriving from China.

Littleproud was on the Immediately Present, the place he stated the choice was “turning right into a canine’s breakfast” after it emerged chief well being officer Paul Kelly had suggested in opposition to introducing the measure:

I feel it’s essential now the federal government takes away the confusion. … It’s getting away from them shortly whenever you’re at odds together with your chief well being cfficer.

It will be significant the minister comes out as we speak, clarifies this, but additionally makes it transparently clear about what are the set off factors shifting ahead. That’s what builds confidence.

When the establishments that you just belief – the federal government and chief well being officer – are at odds, you’ll want to rebuild that belief. That’s why it’s essential the minister comes out as we speak and clarifies it.

Indigenous voice marketing campaign will deal with grassroots conversations, Labor’s Pat Dodson says

Senator Pat Dodson, Anthony Albanese’s particular envoy for reconciliation, has stated the “sure” marketing campaign for the Indigenous voice to parliament will start with a “week of motion” subsequent month and can deal with grassroots conversations.

Dodson informed the Australian newspaper that door-knocking and group barbecues will type a part of the efforts to construct momentum for the sure marketing campaign:

A voice means listening to native communities and native options, altering the insurance policies and applications that aren’t working, and enhancing the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks.

I’ll be on the market campaigning, however this will likely be led by the grassroots and group organisations which have been working for years to make a voice a actuality.

The week of motion is about speaking immediately with Australians about why we’d like a voice to parliament within the structure.

AAP is reporting some additional particulars on the deadly helicopter crash on the Gold Coast, with investigators set to deal with what induced the accident.

One helicopter careened the other way up right into a sand financial institution on the water’s edge scattering particles over a large space within the crash about 2pm on Monday close to the favored Sea World theme park.

On board, 4 folks had been killed and three passengers had been critically injured.

The second plane landed safely, however the windscreen was broken with numerous folks injured by glass particles.

Queensland ambulance supervisor Jayney Shearman stated one other six sufferers had been handled primarily for glass shrapnel wounds.

The favored Gold Coast theme park was rocked by the tragedy, expressing shock and deepest sympathy in a press release.

“We and the complete flying group are devastated by what has occurred and our honest condolences go to all these concerned and particularly the family members and household of the deceased,” a spokesperson for Sea World Helicopters stated.

Australian Transport Security Bureau (ATSB) chief commissioner Angus Mitchell stated an investigation into the deadly mid-air collision has begun.

“Transport security investigators with expertise in helicopter operations, upkeep and survivability engineering are deploying from the ATSB’s Brisbane and Canberra places of work,” he stated on Monday hours after crash.

The investigators will study the wreckage and map the accident website in addition to collect any out there recorded information for evaluation and interview witnesses and different concerned events.

A preliminary report is anticipated to be revealed within the subsequent six to eight weeks.

Whereas investigations into the tragedy proceed, premier Annastacia Palaszczuka additionally provided her condolences to all concerned.

“My deepest sympathies are with every of the households and everybody affected by this horrible accident,” she tweeted.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese stated Australia was shocked by the horrible and tragic incident on the Gold Coast.

“My ideas are with all these affected, together with first responders, and my deepest sympathies are with those that are grieving,” he tweeted.

Good morning. It’s the primary Tuesday of the yr (I will likely be doing this on daily basis, it brings me pleasure), Mostafa Rachwani with you as soon as once more to take you thru the morning’s information.

We start on the Gold Coast, the place investigations are starting after 4 folks died yesterday in a helicopter collision close to Sea World. A girl and two kids are in a important situation following the accident. Police have stated they consider one helicopter was touchdown whereas the opposite was taking off when the accident occurred.

Elsewhere, the federal government’s new Covid restrictions on travellers from China stays below the highlight, after it emerged the measure was imposed in opposition to the recommendation of the chief medical officer, Prof Paul Kelly.

The recommendation, revealed by the well being division, stated Kelly “did “not consider that there’s adequate public well being rationale” for any extra restrictions, growing the strain on the federal government to elucidate its rationale.

We’ll deliver you extra on each tales as they arrive in, in addition to all the things else taking place across the nation.