Nationwide marches attract thousands in support of the yes vote for Voice referendum; W-A police shoot a dog after an attack on a woman; Australian wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario victorious at the Sydney Marathon.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- Nationwide marches attract thousands in support of the yes vote for Voice referendum;
- W-A police shoot a dog after an attack on a woman;
- Australian wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario victorious at the Sydney Marathon.
Tens of thousands of people have marched across Australia to support the 'yes' vote for an Indigenous voice to parliament.
Rallies have been held in major capital cities, including in Brisbane where around 20,000 people walked from South Bank into the city.
Attendees are hoping to encourage Australians to vote in favour of constitutional change at the upcoming referendum on October 14.
This supporter in Canberra has told SBS News it's important for the rest of the country to get behind the 'yes' vote.
"This is the first step of such an important coming together, particularly around reconciliation in the country. So, I'm here to show my support with my family or friends, and to send a powerful message, I guess, to, you know, try and bring people on the journey. I think that you know, we've spent so many years looking for a way forward and I truly believe that this is the first step of something, something beautiful for Australia."
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Meanwhile, prominent 'no' campaigner Warren Mundine is standing firm against the voice.
He says a 'no' vote would pave the way to a treaty with First Nations people.
Mr Mundine says a treaty is where the "real work starts" - and doesn't believe progress would be achieved with what he's calling "another layer of bureaucracy".
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The search is continuing for a swimmer who is believed to have gone missing at a Byron Bay beach this weekend.
New South Wales police say the man, in his 50s, was swimming at Tallow Beach on the New South Wales north coast, and looked "in distress" - before he disappeared under the water.
Police say they are yet to receive a missing persons report about the man.
But authorities, joined by volunteers and a rescue helicopter crew, are trying to locate him.
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West Australian police have shot a woman's dog after it attacked her inside her home.
Authorities say they were called to the home in Success, south of Perth, because two Rottweilers were attacking the woman.
Police shot one of the dogs to stop the attack - and locked another away until rangers arrived and seized the animals.
The woman has been rushed to hospital, suffering serious bite wounds to her arms and legs.
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Extra rangers will be hired to patrol the popular K'gari island in the Queensland Wide Bay region to deal with a growing number of dangerous encounters between tourists and dingoes.
Thirteen additional staff member will be employed to enhance community safety, amid concern over a number of attacks by dingoes [[also known locally as wongari]].
The state's Environment Minister Leanne Linard says management is being stepped up as crowds to the island increase, with half a million campers now visiting K'Gari annually.
Ms Linard says those visitors also need to take responsibility for their own welfare by following the rules.
"Dingoes, or wongarri as they are known on the island, are wild animals. We want people to go to the island and have a fantastic time, but we want them to be safe... We as a government will ensure we have rangers on the ground and messaging to keep people safe - but it is a partnership. People have to make sure they are doing the right thing."
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Australia's weather bureau has issued heatwave warnings for parts of southern and coastal New South Wales, as spring temperatures soar into the 30s today.
The Bureau of Meteorology alert covers the New South Wales coastline from south of Sydney to the Victorian border.
But the Bureau's Miriam Bradbury says the rest of the state is also experiencing unseasonable spring heat.
"It's not entirely unusual to see temperatures this high in September, but they usually happen towards the end of the month, and they certainly don't usually hang around for as long as these temperatures are. It is unusual for a very warm period like this to happen in the middle of September."
The hot weather is expected to last until Wednesday when a cool front is predicted to push across the state, dropping temperatures back to average.
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The winner of the men's race in today's Sydney Marathon has dedicated his win to Moroccans affected by the last week's earthquake.
Moroccan Othmane El Goumri took out the race in just over 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Speaking through a translator, he says his thoughts were with his family and friends throughout the race.
"At some point he did not think he would make the trip to Sydney. But in a last-minute he decided to come. And throughout the race he was thinking about all the people in Morocco and this victory is for them."
Australian wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario has also claimed victory in the Sydney Marathon.
The multiple Paralympic and Commonwealth champion dominated her debut outing in the race, crossing the line in one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds.
She says it was a tough course - especially in the heat - but that it was a lot of fun.
