Australia news live: big banks lend $43bn to fossil fuel companies; NSW to spend $130m on beds for homeless

8.49pm GMT Liberal senator describes atmosphere as Coalition descends on Canberra to debate net zero policy Leah Blyth, a Liberal senator for South Australia, said predictions for how the Coalition moves forward on net zero remains the “million-dollar question” as members descend on Canberra today. Blyth spoke to RN Breakfast, saying while she personally doesn’t believe net zero is “working for the Australian people”, she was looking forward to the broader opposition discussing if they should abandon the policy. She said: It will certainly be a very good process for us to have a genuine debate and come up with a position that’s in the best interests of the Australian people. … I think all of my colleagues are absolutely in favour of us doing our bit and to certainly have the minimal impact that we can on our natural environment. … I think the really important thing is everyone in the Coalition is committed to doing what’s right for our economy, for the environment and for the Australian people. Blyth said her major hurdle with net zero remained the price tag: I don’t think that we can be stewards of the environment if we can’t afford it. Updated at 8.59pm GMT 8.35pm GMT Ken Henry says he hopes Coalition reflects on what they owe to future Australians during net zero debate Ken Henry, the former federal Treasury secretary and now chair of the Nature Finance Council, said this morning he hopes members of the Coalition debating the opposition’s stance on net zero have a moment to “pause and reflect” on how they serve Australians. Henry spoke to RN Breakfast this morning as MPs are set to meet in Canberra today to discuss the policy, a major thorn for opposition leader Sussan Ley and her hold over the Coalition. Related: Advance launches last-minute lobbying campaign pressuring Liberal MPs to dump net zero target Henry said: If 25 years ago somebody had told me that this would be happening right now, in November 2025, I would have just simply laughed at them. I would hope that the people who are involved in the debates in the Coalition at the moment at some stage this week take the opportunity to pause and reflect and ask themselves what their role is. And I would hope that in contemplating that reason, they understand the awesome responsibility that they owe to future generations of Australians. He went on: That their job is not all about worrying about the cost of living in the present, but that they do whatever they can in a functioning democracy to ensure that future generations of Australians enjoy even more opportunity than has been available to us. And there’s no way they’re going to be able to argue that they’re looking after future generations whilst they continue to avoid achieving net zero in a timely fashion. Updated at 8.40pm GMT 8.19pm GMT NT childcare staff charged over death of toddler Ebony Thompson Staff at a childcare centre in the Northern Territory have been charged over the death of a toddler in 2023. The NT education department said last night two charges had been laid against the Humpty Doo Community & Child Care Centre near Darwin and the three nominated supervisors who were on staff when Ebony Thompson died. They included one count of inadequately supervising children and one count related to the protection of children from harm and hazards. Both charges were under the Education and Care Services National Law. The infant was just 22 months old when she was found unresponsive at the childcare centre on 31 August 2023 after being unaccounted for during a period of around 10 minutes. She died in intensive care days later of a brain injury due to cardiac arrest. A coroner’s findings, released in late October, determined Ebony was trying to get over a chicken-coop gate by standing on a tricycle and fell prior to her death. 8.10pm GMT Good morning, and happy Wednesday. Nick Visser here to take things over. Let’s get to it. Updated at 8.14pm GMT 7.54pm GMT Homelessness advocate welcomes expansion of NSW crisis accommodation A Salvation Army leader working first-hand with homelessness has said the NSW government’s crisis accommodation announcement responds to a system “under enormous strain”, with one in two people urgently seeking safe shelter currently being turned away.The divisional commander of New South Wales/ACT Salvation Army, Major Robyn Black, said the charity is seeing people experiencing homelessness that they’ve “never seen before”.“People who used to be volunteers at the Salvos are now finding themselves homeless, and people who are the working poor, people who still have a job and cannot afford rent in Sydney. We have the working homeless,” Black told Guardian Australia.Black described the $130m funding and additional 200 crisis accommodation beds, announced by the NSW government today, as “a tangible and compassionate” response to homelessness.“I think this is a fantastic step in the right direction. There are other factors at play [like] family and domestic violence, there’s a severe rental affordability crisis, there’s the increased cost of living. But at least this gives a chance of people having a roof over their head.” Updated at 7.56pm GMT 7.51pm GMT Minns government invests $130m to expand crisis accommodation The NSW government has today announced a $130m investment to add at least 200 crisis accommodation beds across the state for those in critical need of safe shelter. Crisis accommodation will be expanded and upgraded to increase capacity and better support people experiencing homelessness, including domestic and family violence victims, young people and Aboriginal communities. The first of the 200 additional beds are expected to be available from next year. The plan comes as homelessness has continued to rise each year under the Minns government, with a 35% increase in people sleeping rough in the state since 2023, according to the past three NSW Street Counts. The minister for housing and homelessness, Rose Jackson, said the plan was “about making sure that when someone reaches out for help, there’s a door open, a bed ready, and the support they need to get back on their feet”. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said: “Whether it’s a mum and her kids escaping domestic violence, or a young person facing a night on the streets, this plan will deliver more safe and secure beds. Every new bed means one fewer person sleeping rough.” 7.37pm GMT Big four banks have handed fossil fuels $43bn in decade, analysis claims Australia’s big four banks have provided $43bn to fossil fuel companies in the last decade, with ANZ and Westpac continuing to fund further gas expansion. Expansions of coal, oil and gas projects accounted for $30bn of the funding, according to analysis by green advocacy group Market Forces released nearly 10 years on from the Paris agreement’s signing. Each bank has endorsed the agreement and CBA has reduced its fossil fuel financing since changing its policies in 2024, with NAB indicating it will do the same, Market Forces’ report found. ANZ has provided the most fossil fuel funding of the big four, accounting for over $10bn from 2016 to 2021 and a further $5.7bn since 2022. Westpac has become the second largest, lending $3.8bn since 2022 to companies such as Woodside and BP. The report concluded the two banks’ policies were “little more than window dressing and greenwashing”. The big four would be breaking their own promises if they offered further financing to any of the 23 active customers with “egregious” fossil fuel expansion plans incompatible with the Paris agreement, it found. Kyle Robertson, head of research at Market Forces, said ANZ and Westpac could still stop enabling the industry: “Australia’s biggest banks have well and truly given their fossil fuel clients long enough to prepare. If they’re still not transitioning, it’s time to turn the money tap off once and for all.” An ANZ spokesperson said the bank was a significant lender for the energy sector and aimed to move towards a lending portfolio accounting for net zero emissions in line with the Paris agreement. Westpac was contacted for comment. Updated at 7.44pm GMT 7.29pm GMT Welcome Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take up the slack. Australia’s big four banks have provided $43bn to fossil fuel companies in the last decade, with ANZ and Westpac continuing to fund further gas expansion. A study by the green advocacy group Market Forces showed the expansion of coal, oil and gas projects accounted for $30bn of the funding. More details in a moment. The NSW government is going spend $130m to add at least 200 crisis accommodation beds across the state for those in critical need of safe shelter. The Salvation Army said the move was a response to a system “under enormous strain”. More details coming up.