Australia news live: Gerard Rennick quits LNP to start new party; man shot dead in Parramatta | Australia news

Celebrity chef Maggie Beer is recovering in hospital after falling at her home in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, AAP reports.

The 79-year-old suffered “a couple” of bone fractures and related injuries, her family said on social media.

Thankfully Col, her husband, was there and she is now in the excellent hands of her doctors who are confident she will make a full recovery. It may just take a little while.

Beer’s family also apologised on her behalf that she won’t be able to attend a number of events and public engagements.

More than anything else, Maggie hates letting people down.

Beer is a chef, food author, restaurateur and food producer and has led an ongoing campaign to improve food quality in aged care homes.

The Victorian State Emergency Service responded to 422 requests for assistance after huge hailstones and damaging wind gusts swept the state yesterday.

Most requests were in relation to downed trees, with 230 requests received, and 123 requests on building damage. The SES said on X:

Great job to all of our volunteers responding today.

Exclusive: NSW government appoints expert forestry panel

Elias Visontay

The New South Wales government has appointed an expert panel as it develops a plan for the state’s forestry industry that balances environmental and sustainability concerns with the expected demand for timber from housing and construction.

The NSW government has announced that Peter Duncan would chair the Independent Forestry Panel, with Prof Mary O’Kane and Mick Veitch also sitting on the panel that has been tasked with leading consultation on a forestry industry action plan.

The panel will consult a range of stakeholders including the timber industry, forest growers, environment groups, unions, Aboriginal communities, local government, business and related industries, tourism and scientific experts and the federal government.

The plan will address the sustainability of current and future forestry operations; the environmental and cultural values of forests, including threatened species; community demand for timber products, particularly as relates to NSW housing, construction, mining, transport and retail.

It will also address the future of softwood and hardwood plantations and the continuation of private native forestry in helping meet timber supply needs; carbon and biodiversity benefits; and the greenhouse gas emission impacts of different uses of forests and assessment of climate change risks to forests.

Tara Moriarty, minister for regional NSW, said:

We need both trees and wood and we must strike the right balance for communities and our environment in regional NSW. Timber is a crucial part of our everyday lives, with timber needed for community and government priorities such as housing, transport infrastructure, electricity distribution, and freight transport.

Senator Gerard Rennick will begin to register his new political party after quitting the LNP yesterday, AAP reports.

The senator told the Sydney Morning Herald that he would establish the Gerard Rennick People First Party and planned to start the registration process today. Senator Rennick said while he was unsure of how long he will be in the Senate, he added:

I’d rather use that time to talk about really important issues rather than just play tiddlywinks.

The senator was kicked off the LNP’s federal election ticket in July and his attempts to appeal due to alleged “gross irregularities” with the process were rejected.

Senator Rennick is keen to introduce inquiries on issues such as increasing the tax-free threshold to $40,000, addressing how childcare support is structured and looking at a public bank financed by quantitative easing. He told the SMH:

After learning how the Senate works I know a bit about how it works that we can get these inquiries up and going.

Senator Rennick said the decision was nothing against Liberal leader Peter Dutton. The senator raised eyebrows during the Covid-19 pandemic when he questioned the efficacy of vaccines and mandates.

Welcome

Emily Wind

Good morning, and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage for most of today.

An investigation is under way after a fatal shooting in Parramatta this morning, shortly after 3.30am at Harold Street. Paramedics treated a man who died at the scene. A crime scene has been established, to be examined by specialist forensic police.

NSW police were also called to reports of a car fire about 3.45am in Granville. Officers found a sedan alight, which had been reported stolen. Police have established a crime scene and commenced investigations, with two men reportedly seen leaving the scene in another vehicle.

Police said it is unknown if the two incidents are connected, but the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Meanwhile, Queensland senator Gerard Rennick will begin to register his new political party after quitting the LNP. As AAP reports, he announced yesterday that he was leaving the party to bring “bread and butter” issues into public debate ahead of the next federal election, which is due by May 2025. We’ll have more on this in a moment.

See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Let’s get started.