Last Melbourne Metro Tunnel station accomplished
Benita Kolovos
State Library station – the ultimate of 5 stations to make up Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel – has been accomplished, marking the top of building on the lengthy awaited challenge.
After the premier, Jacinta Allan, and infrastructure minister, Gabrielle Williams, on Sunday introduced the completion of City Corridor station, they may at this time go to State Library station to verify it’s also full. Anzac, Arden and Parkville stations had been handed over to Metro trains in April.
State Library station is the deepest and most advanced to be constructed beneath Melbourne’s CBD, because the tunnel wanted to journey beneath the present Metropolis Loop. It sits 36m beneath floor, and may have a 42m-long escalator, which is 12m longer than the escalators at Parliament station, which till now was the longest in Melbourne.
The station’s principal entrance at La Trobe and Swanston Road options 12m-high columns topped with huge, 70-tonne, 18m beams, reflecting the classical structure of the close by State Library Victoria. A second entrance opens on to Franklin Road, proper outdoors RMIT.
It additionally consists of an underground underpass that can enable commuters to switch between State Library and Melbourne Central, with out tapping on or off. The $13.48bn Metro Tunnel will join the Sunbury line within the west to the Cranbourne and Pakenham traces within the south-east through 5 new underground metropolis stations, forming a single 97km practice line.
Now in its third time period, the Labor authorities is pinning its hopes on the tunnel delivering political capital earlier than the November 2026 state election. It is going to now be beneath strain to announce the date it is going to open to commuters – to date they’ve solely stated it is going to open by the top of the yr.
In a press release, Allan stated the announcement marked “ one small step for a commuter and one big leap for Victoria”. She continued:
The tip of main building means the beginning of a brand new period for Melbourne, the place you may get to uni, work and retail quicker and simpler.
Key occasions
Right here’s how one can vote within the 2025 Australian chicken of the yr ballot
In thrilling information, now you can vote within the 2025 Australian chicken of the yr ballot! Matilda Boseley explains how the voting works, whereas undoubtedly under no circumstances encouraging you to vote for a specific chicken.
With the information of the completion of the ultimate station of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel, right here’s one thing we ready earlier on “the most important change to Melbourne’s rail community since 1981”.
Benita Kolovos
Jacinta Allan says Metro Tunnel subsequent step is so as to add it to remainder of community
Jacinta Allan stated the subsequent step earlier than the Metro tunnel opens is rewriting town’s whole transport timetable – trains, trams and buses – to make means for it. She says this is among the key distinction between Melbourne’s Metro and Sydney’s, which opened final yr.
Allan stated:
That Sydney Metro challenge, it’s an amazing challenge. It’s an amazing public transport challenge as nicely. That’s a standalone line – it runs by itself line. It doesn’t should intersect with the remainder of its community. That provides to the complexity right here with the Metro Tunnel by way of how we join it in to the remainder of Melbourne and Victoria’s practice community.
Allan additionally used the chance to have a dig on the Liberal occasion, who she says referred to as the challenge a “merciless hoax” when it was first proposed greater than a decade a go.
She continued:
They stated it might be an absolute catastrophe for Melbourne. And worse than that, not solely had been they critics of it, once they had been in authorities, they refused to fund the Metro tunnel challenge.
Effectively Labor, not solely did we fund it, we’ve been constructing it, we’re delivering it, and it’s going to open later this yr, a full yr forward of schedule. And we’ve achieved this as a result of we’ve understood that while you look to the way forward for our nice metropolis and state, it is advisable make investments, work by means of the complexities of tasks like this and, sure, I can say very clearly, there have been challenges alongside the best way, you’ve obtained to roll up your sleeves.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian premier hails new State Library station
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and infrastructure minister, Gabrielle Williams, are holding a press convention at State Library station to mark the completion of building.
State Library station is the ultimate of 5 stations to make up the Metro Tunnel and Allan says it was one of the vital advanced of the challenge. She continues:
Right here at State Library, we are able to see the dimensions of the cavern that’s been excavated right here, the width of the platforms at 18m – they’re amongst the longest within the on the planet. There are 27 escalators, together with one which’s the longest additionally on the planet, as a result of we’re deep beneath the bottom.
Right here at State Library, we’re six storeys deep beneath the bottom, or if you happen to like, that’s deeper than the peak of Marvel Stadium. And that, I hope, provides a way of this big, advanced building job that was earlier than the thousand of employees who’ve labored across the clock over that eight yr interval.
Moreton Island fireplace attributable to campfire, RFS says
A holidaymaker might be charged after allegedly lighting a campfire throughout a complete fireplace ban, sparking the huge blaze on Queensland’s Moreton Island over the weekend, AAP reviews.
Rural Fireplace Service Queensland Performing Chief Supt Neil Parker stated the reason for the blaze was a campfire at Eagers Creek, on the island’s japanese coast.
Parker instructed AAP:
When careless issues like this occur, it has a huge impact, significantly on our volunteers who exit in any respect hours of the night time to maintain our group protected.
As we reported earlier, the hearth’s warning degree was downgraded this morning to “recommendation” degree after firefighters labored over the weekend to comprise it.
Penry Buckley
‘It sounded thought of’: Croydon Park witness on gunfire
Returning to the alleged taking pictures incident in Sydney’s inside west final night time, Matt Iocco, who lives regionally, arrived within the space at about 8pm to search out the highway blocked off. He and his household waited at one finish of the road because the police operation unfolded. He shared a video during which a burst of gunfire may be heard.
Iocco, who works on the vet subsequent door to the residence the gunman allegedly opened fireplace from, stated “it is vitally scary” to assume what might have occurred if he had been strolling by means of solely minutes earlier.
Michelle Baldock was at house throughout the road about 7.30pm when she heard what she thought had been firecrackers. She says the photographs had been going off in bursts. “It sounded thought of,” she says.
Baldock says her house didn’t seem to have sustained any harm, however there are seen bullet-holes within the home windows within the house of her neighbours, who Baldock says are a household with younger youngsters.
NSW Ambulance has confirmed that 5 individuals had been taken to hospital final night time. One, a taxi driver in his 50s, self-presented at Canterbury hospital and was transported to Royal Prince Alfred hospital in a critical situation. A person and a lady, each of their 30s, self-presented at Campsie police station final night time with minor accidents and had been taken to hospital. Two extra males had been handled on the scene on Georges River Highway earlier than being taken to hospital.
Australia and PNG to signal main defence treaty
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Australia and Papua New Guinea will ink a significant defence settlement in Canberra on Monday to entrench ties between the 2 international locations.
The PNG prime minister, James Marape, will be a part of Anthony Albanese in Parliament Home later this morning to formally signal the Pukpuk mutual defence treaty.
The treaty will elevate Australia’s relations with PNG to the identical standing because the US and New Zealand, and consists of provisions requiring that each international locations come to the opposite’s assist within the occasion of a navy assault.
It is going to additionally enable residents of the 2 nations to serve within the different’s navy, paving the best way for doubtlessly 1000’s of PNG residents to hitch the Australian Defence Pressure.
The treaty was anticipated to be signed final month when Albanese travelled to Port Moresby for the fiftieth anniversary of PNG’s independence however considerations over sovereignty and the dearth of a quorum in Marape’s cupboard held up the deal.
Award-winning porridge jaffles
If the considered porridge jaffles with rum bananas tickles your fancy, you’re in luck: the Golden Spurtle web site has Caroline Velik’s prize-winning recipe, which makes use of a jaffle iron – the fashionable incarnation of which is an Australian invention, and meals historical past lovers hint it to a Bondi man in 1949.
Australian wins world porridge-making award
An Australian has gained an award at this yr’s Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.
Caroline Velik was named Speciality Dish winner for her porridge jaffles – a yoghurt flatbread crammed with rum bananas, made along with her mom’s recipe, which included Bundaberg banana toffee rum liqueur, bananas, oatmeal and wattle seeds, tossed in Davidson plum sugar.
Sven Seljom, from Norway, took house the title of Golden Spurtle world champion. He made his porridge from Norwegian black oats – an historic grain that was grown throughout Europe – sea salt, and water he introduced with him from house.
Australian Toby Wilson, who has been a finalist within the championship a number of instances, has beforehand given Guardian Australia his prime suggestions for making prize-worthy porridge:
‘It was like continuous bang, bang, bang’: Croydon Park enterprise proprietor
Penry Buckley
A enterprise proprietor on the road in Sydney’s inside west the place a gunman allegedly opened fireplace on Sunday night time says there was preliminary public confusion as the primary of as many as 100 bullets had been fired.
Aysegul, who requested that her surname not be used, was working her enterprise on the Croydon Park Kebab Home, next-door to the residence the gunman allegedly started taking pictures from, when she heard two photographs however didn’t know what they had been. Prospects contained in the restaurant initially continued consuming.
“Then it was like continuous bang, bang, bang,” Aysegul stated.
She stated she might odor the dwell rounds contained in the restaurant. They referred to as police, who instructed her and her prospects to shelter contained in the restaurant, which they did till about 10pm.
Aysegul says she knew the alleged perpetrator however not by identify, and understood he had moved to the realm lately.
At Georges River Highway, site visitors is now flowing, though the northern aspect of the road continues to be blocked off. A number of bullet holes are seen in a constructing throughout the road, and on the bus cease. Shattered glass from the bus cease continues to be strewn throughout the road.
Police are actually inspecting the awning in entrance of the window from which the gunman allegedly opened fireplace. Officers have been seen contained in the residence this morning.
Moreton Island fireplace downgraded to ‘recommendation’ degree
The alert for the Moreton Island fireplace has been downgraded to “recommendation” degree this morning after fireplace crews labored over the weekend to comprise the blaze.
The hearth broke out on the island off Queensland’s south-east coast in dense nationwide park close to Jap Seaside at 10.30am on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of 20 campers to the western aspect of the island on the lengthy weekend, AAP reviews.
Emergency providers despatched in 32 fireplace crew and 5 plane, together with water bombers, to comprise the hearth on Sunday.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson Jay Classes instructed AAP there had been a “actually large effort” from multi-agency groups to get a backburn in place on the 37km sand island.
Performing Chief Supt Neil Parker stated fireplace crew and plane labored collectively to make sure the hearth didn’t bounce Telegraph Observe, “as a result of then we may have communities that might be impacted”.
A beneficial wind change on Sunday helped with the backburn, which was inside a goal space of about 2,300 hectares. There have been about 500 individuals of the island, many visiting for varsity holidays and the state’s King’s birthday lengthy weekend.
Photographs of obvious harm from taking pictures in Sydney’s Croydon Park
Guardian reporter Penry Buckley has been down in Croydon Park this morning on the scene of the alleged taking pictures final night time, and has taken some snaps of the harm.
Inside the brand new State Library station
Earlier, we introduced you the information of the ultimate station within the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, State Library station, being accomplished. Right here’s a peek at what it seems like.
‘I heard a bang-bang-bang on the left aspect of the automobile,’ Sydney taking pictures eyewitness says
A taxi driver, who was an eyewitness to the taking pictures in Croydon Park, has described his expertise to the ABC:
I used to be simply occurred to be driving by, and as I used to be driving by, I simply heard a bang-bang-bang on the left aspect of the automobile, the taxi. After which I appeared subsequent to me, and I noticed a few holes by means of the window proper subsequent to – on the passenger aspect. And I didn’t realise there was really a gap on the roof as nicely. And I smelled the gunpowder, however I assumed as a result of it was [NRL] Grand Last night time, [it was] any person throwing firecrackers or one thing.
Police say Sydney taking pictures ‘extremely regarding’ however they don’t suspect terrorism
The taking pictures in Sydney’s Croydon Park in a single day was “extremely regarding” and it was fortunate extra individuals weren’t damage, the performing assistant commissioner for New South Wales police Trent King has stated.
A 60-year-old man allegedly used a longarm rifle to fireside “at the very least 50” bullets from a residence above a store on Sunday night time. Along with the person in his 50s who had been taken to hospital with a gunshot wound and remained in a critical situation, King stated as much as 16 different individuals had acquired minor accidents “from glass shattering and different shrapnel because of the photographs being fired”.
King instructed ABC RN:
It’s unprecedented for Sydney to have one thing like this, with such numerous photographs fired. And we’re very lucky that we didn’t have extra harm and positively extra accidents or certainly fatalities.
Police who initially attended the incident had been additionally allegedly fired upon, King stated, and a big tactical response together with freeway patrol, the air wing and canine unit had been referred to as in, arrange a fringe and “initiated tactical response to the energetic taking pictures”.
King stated:
Identical to [for] the group, it might have been terrifying [for the police]. What I can say is that these preliminary police had been fired upon. We have now broken police autos, and we’re very lucky that no police have been injured.
There was no understanding as but about what prompted the incident, however police didn’t suspect terrorism, King stated.
The 60-year-old man, he’s present process medical remedy in hospital. As soon as that remedy is resolved, we may have him in custody after which we’ll converse additional with him. However actually there’s nothing in relation to historical past, in relation to any relation to gang or different associations that will point out why this has occurred.
Last Melbourne Metro Tunnel station accomplished
Benita Kolovos
State Library station – the ultimate of 5 stations to make up Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel – has been accomplished, marking the top of building on the lengthy awaited challenge.
After the premier, Jacinta Allan, and infrastructure minister, Gabrielle Williams, on Sunday introduced the completion of City Corridor station, they may at this time go to State Library station to verify it’s also full. Anzac, Arden and Parkville stations had been handed over to Metro trains in April.
State Library station is the deepest and most advanced to be constructed beneath Melbourne’s CBD, because the tunnel wanted to journey beneath the present Metropolis Loop. It sits 36m beneath floor, and may have a 42m-long escalator, which is 12m longer than the escalators at Parliament station, which till now was the longest in Melbourne.
The station’s principal entrance at La Trobe and Swanston Road options 12m-high columns topped with huge, 70-tonne, 18m beams, reflecting the classical structure of the close by State Library Victoria. A second entrance opens on to Franklin Road, proper outdoors RMIT.
It additionally consists of an underground underpass that can enable commuters to switch between State Library and Melbourne Central, with out tapping on or off. The $13.48bn Metro Tunnel will join the Sunbury line within the west to the Cranbourne and Pakenham traces within the south-east through 5 new underground metropolis stations, forming a single 97km practice line.
Now in its third time period, the Labor authorities is pinning its hopes on the tunnel delivering political capital earlier than the November 2026 state election. It is going to now be beneath strain to announce the date it is going to open to commuters – to date they’ve solely stated it is going to open by the top of the yr.
In a press release, Allan stated the announcement marked “ one small step for a commuter and one big leap for Victoria”. She continued:
The tip of main building means the beginning of a brand new period for Melbourne, the place you may get to uni, work and retail quicker and simpler.
Hastie did ‘the honourable factor’ by transferring to backbench, Paterson says
Andrew Hastie has achieved “the precise factor and the honourable factor” by stepping down from the Liberal occasion’s frontbench given his disagreement on immigration coverage, Liberal senator James Paterson has stated.
Paterson, talking to ABC RN this morning, defended Hastie towards criticism that was reportedly levelled towards him by Peter Dutton in a submission to the occasion’s election evaluate.
Paterson, whereas he hadn’t seen that submission, stated:
I don’t agree with the characterisation of Andrew’s contribution. He was a key voice in our nationwide safety and defence group, which was one of many strongest areas that we put ahead over the past time period … We have now to simply accept collective duty for our election loss. All of us contributed to that, and Peter Dutton has taken public duty for that, as have I.
Paterson continued:
What I might say is: if there are any present members of the parliamentary occasion or their workers who’re enjoying video games with an vital course of like this for inside positioning or development, then I believe that can finish very badly … We have now to have a evaluate that may take a look at the final election outcome holistically and in a means that has confidence and belief within the occasion, and that when it’s handed down, we are able to implement the suggestions. And get on with our enterprise. Leaks from a course of like that undermine belief in that course of.
Welcome
Good morning.
A number of fireplace hazard warnings are in place throughout Queensland, with residents in elements of the Bundaberg area and Moreton Island instructed to organize to depart, as bushfires rage throughout the state.
The hearth on Moreton Island broke out in dense nationwide park on Saturday morning, forcing the evacuation of 20 campers, whereas the Queensland Fireplace Service warned final night time that fires in Nearum and Takilberan “might worsen rapidly”.
We’ll additionally carry you extra on the taking pictures in Sydney’s Croydon Park that left a number of vehicles broken and one particular person hospitalised with a gunshot wound, as that story develops.
I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be with you till early this afternoon. Let’s get caught in.
