Confirmed case of bird flu in endangered Australian sea lion
Lisa Cox
South Australia has confirmed its first H5 bird flu case in an endangered Australian sea lion.
The sea lion was found dead by a state government ranger at Seal Bay at Kangaroo Island on Friday.
The animal had sustained a shark wound three months prior and was already being monitored. The government said it was confident the shark wound was not the cause of death and tests had returned a strong positive result for H5 bird flu.
The government said there had been no other known endangered sea lion deaths at seal bay but it was monitoring the population closely.
Seal Bay has an estimated 800 resident Australian sea lions, the third largest single colony for the species and about 5% of the total population. About three quarters of Australia’s sea lion population lives in South Australia.
Scientists had warned of the potential “carnage” in the Australian sea lion population if bird flu takes hold, after the virus had already impacted seal populations in South America and sub-Antarctica.
SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mainland mammal in August after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1.
John Woinarski, a leading mammal scientist at Charles Darwin University, said at the time he feared the virus could quickly start affecting more seals and sea lions.
“The carnage may be substantial and represent a serious conservation impact,” he said.
“I fear for Australian sea lions in particular because of their small population size.”
Updated at 23.04 EDT
Key events
What we learned, Sunday 13 September
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines.
Energy minister Chris Bowen sought to reassure Australians about the nation’s supply reserves. He said Australia had 41 days worth of petrol in strategic reserve and 42 days worth of diesel. But he warned the escalating conflict in Iran would impact fuel prices.
Speaking on Insiders, communications minister Anika Wells defended the opt-out push for social media algorithms, saying it was a “sensible measure to try and deal with these emerging harms that are coming”.
Television presenter Melissa Doyle has been appointed chair of the Australia Day Council board. She said: “I am honoured. I’m humbled. I’m daunted. I’m excited”.
Anthony Albanese said Pauline Hanson’s comments that it was “not on” that his mother lived in public housing for decades. The PM said: “If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that’s fine. But my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson’s league, way out of it.”
South Australia has confirmed its first H5 bird flu case in an endangered Australian sea lion. Scientists have warned of the potential “carnage” in the Australian sea lion population, which is endangered, if bird flu takes hold.
Thank you for spending some of your day with us. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated at 01.02 EDT
Sea lion dead from bird flu had been recovering from shark attack, minister says
The South Australian environment minister, Emily Bourke, has given an update on the first confirmed detection of H5 bird flu in an Australian sea lion.
Bourke said:
double quotation markWe’ve seen quite a number of mammal cases, but the Australian sea lion is the rarest … found in our Australian waters. Eighty-five per cent of the population is found here in South Australia.
It’s an endangered species, and today we are confirming our first case in this endangered species here in South Australia.
She said the sea lion was recovering from a shark attack, but bird flu had caused its death.
double quotation markWe found that it was actually not the shark attack that killed the sea lion. It was the bird flu case. We might find that this particular case was more susceptible because it was recovering.
Experts say about 12,000 Australian sea lions remain – though one recent estimate put the figure at less than 10,000.
Updated at 00.24 EDT
Victoria launches ‘women’s pain standard’ for health practitioners
A women’s pain standard to set clear expectations for how health services recognise, assess and respond to pain has been launched following an inquiry that uncovered systemic failings, AAP has reported.
The Australian-first Victorian Women’s Pain Standard, announced on Sunday, will be embedded across the state’s public health services and aims to give women more consistent and higher-quality care.
It follows an inquiry into women’s pain in November where medical gender bias and healthcare system barriers were laid bare, which was leading to denial or dismissal of pain, misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses.
The state government flagged it would develop a pain standard for women after the inquiry, which has now been created alongside clinicians, experts and women.
Updated at 00.24 EDT
The South Australian government says there are three new detections of H5 bird flu, including the sea lion.
The other new cases are a greater crested tern at Port Noarlunga South, and a little penguin at Victor Harbor.
There have now been 290 confirmed cases of the virus in South Australia, from more than 2,000 tests administered by authorities.
ShareConfirmed case of bird flu in endangered Australian sea lionLisa Cox
South Australia has confirmed its first H5 bird flu case in an endangered Australian sea lion.
The sea lion was found dead by a state government ranger at Seal Bay at Kangaroo Island on Friday.
The animal had sustained a shark wound three months prior and was already being monitored. The government said it was confident the shark wound was not the cause of death and tests had returned a strong positive result for H5 bird flu.
The government said there had been no other known endangered sea lion deaths at seal bay but it was monitoring the population closely.
Seal Bay has an estimated 800 resident Australian sea lions, the third largest single colony for the species and about 5% of the total population. About three quarters of Australia’s sea lion population lives in South Australia.
Scientists had warned of the potential “carnage” in the Australian sea lion population if bird flu takes hold, after the virus had already impacted seal populations in South America and sub-Antarctica.
SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mainland mammal in August after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1.
John Woinarski, a leading mammal scientist at Charles Darwin University, said at the time he feared the virus could quickly start affecting more seals and sea lions.
“The carnage may be substantial and represent a serious conservation impact,” he said.
“I fear for Australian sea lions in particular because of their small population size.”
Updated at 23.04 EDT
Victorian Labor pledges to recruit 1,500 additional police officers
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, has said the government will recruit an extra 1,500 frontline police if elected. The election pledge also includes building a new training academy in Melbourne’s south-west.
He said:
double quotation markWe know we’ve got to get more police on the street, community safety is my number one priority. This comprehensive plan deals with the how. This is the difference between the Liberal-One Nation policy on police recruits and Labor’s policy.
Liberal-One Nation have promised more police. They’ve also said they’ll bring them from overseas. What Labor is promising is the pathway to unlock more police. With the second police academy to complement Glen Waverley.”
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPShare
Updated at 23.32 EDT
RBA expected to raise cash rate
Comments by senior Reserve Bank of Australia officials will be closely monitored as anticipation builds towards another interest rate hike later this month, AAP has reported.
The central bank’s chief economist, Sarah Hunter, will participate in a fireside chat at a Regional Australia Institute summit in Canberra on Monday.
Then, RBA governor Michele Bullock will appear before a parliamentary committee on Friday.
Both are expected to echo recent comments from bank officials reiterating that inflation is too high and leaving the door open to further interest rate hikes, after the three the bank has handed down so far in 2026.
Hunter and RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser sent bonds markets into a spin in separate hawkish speaking appearances last week.
Markets are now pricing in about a four in five chance the RBA will lift the cash rate by 25 basis points on 29 September.
Updated at 23.31 EDT
Hanson faces bipartisan attack over resurfaced comments on Albanese’s mother
Krishani Dhanji
Pauline Hanson has come under fire from Liberal and Labor MPs for “appalling” comments attacking Anthony Albanese’s mother that have resurfaced from an old podcast interview.
The One Nation leader criticised Albanese’s mother, Maryanne Ellery, for staying in public housing for several decades, in a podcast with Karl Stefanovic from February this year.
Andrew Hastie, who has had his own fight with Hanson, this morning criticised Hanson and told News24 she should “leave mums out of it”.
double quotation markI don’t think you should be talking about the late mother of anyone in this game, and certainly not reflecting on circumstances over which she had no understanding … I remember in the schoolyard, if anyone said anything about your mum, mate, it was on. So let’s leave mums out of it.”
The trade minister, Don Farrell, also berated Hanson for the remarks this morning, telling News24:
double quotation markAnthony loves his mother, as I’m sure you do, I certainly loved my mother … To have them attacked publicly this way is just appalling. There’s a certain bitterness in One Nation’s approach to the world that I find quite un-Australian, actually. I think Ms Hanson should apologise.”
Updated at 22.43 EDT
Albanese defends his mother as ‘way out of Pauline Hanson’s league’
The PM says he is “stunned at these comments”.
double quotation markBut I’ll make this point. If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that’s fine. But my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson’s league, way out of it.”
Updated at 21.28 EDT
Albanese criticises Hanson’s ‘spiteful’ comments about his mother using public housing
The PM is back up where he is talking about comments Pauline Hanson made about his mother living in public housing. Hanson said in February it was “not on” that his mother had lived in public housing for decades, saying such housing “should be limited time”. This week she told the Australian, “The Prime Minister complains about his housing commission upbringing”.
In response, he said:
double quotation markFirstly she made comments about me being complaining about being growing up in public housing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m proud to be a ‘houso’, and I’m proud of the community in which I grew up. I’m also proud about my mother.
She was someone who had a tough life. She didn’t associate with billionaires. She was someone who as has been documented, when overseas, came back to a Australia chose to make the courageous decision in 1963 to keep a child out of wedlock. Who is now the prime minister of Australia.
I said during the last campaign, kindness isn’t weakness. I’ll tell you what’s weakness – nastiness, and spitefulness.
Updated at 21.36 EDT
Melissa Doyle is up now. She says:
double quotation markI am honoured. I’m humbled. I’m daunted. I’m excited. I’m every single emotion. But above all, as a journalist, as a storyteller, I have spent my entire career telling the stories of people who inspire us heroes. We all need to hear about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things in our community, advocating for us all in so many fields, be it science, be it sport, be it art, be it community leaders.
I think we all need to hear those stories. And so to be able to play a role with the National Australia Day Council, to work with the board, to work with the executive, to continue to champion these extraordinary Australians and celebrate them and inspire all of us. Look, it’s truly an honour and I’m really excited.”
Albanese:
double quotation markThis is an important role for our nation. For decades, Australians have trusted Mel [Doyle] to tell Australian stories and now she will take that to the next level in the national interest. Australia Day is an important day where we come together.
Updated at 21.14 EDT
Melissa Doyle appointed chair of Australia Day Council board
Anthony Albanese is speaking in Sydney, where he has just announced that television presenter Melissa Doyle has been appointed chair of the Australia Day Council board.
Updated at 21.13 EDT
People in western NSW developing MND at four times global average
People across a vast swathe of Australia are developing a deadly disease at more than four times the global average, AAP has reported.
Researchers found a motor neurone disease (MND) incidence rate of 3.72 cases per 100,000 people annually across western NSW.
In some areas, the prevalence of MND was up to seven times higher than expected, with several higher-incidence regions overlapping with areas of more intensive agricultural activity.
The global burden of MND is increasing, and in 2021 the age-standardised prevalence and incidence were estimated at 0.77 cases per 100,000 people.
MND was also observed to be occurring at higher rates in women than in other areas, and the incidence of bulbar-onset MND was unusually high.
Updated at 21.14 EDT