Australia news live: community at Gellibrand warned too late to leave as Otways bushfire grows; manhunt continues in remote NSW | Australia news

‘Challenging’ conditions for firefighters in Victoria’s south-west

As residents in Gellibrand in Victoria’s south-west have been told it is too late to leave with a bushfire at Carlisle River just one kilometre from the town, forest fire management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said yesterday’s extremely hot day in the state made it challenging for firefighters.

He told ABC’s Weekend Breakfast:

That fire is right on the edge of Gellibrand and that fire will continue to move today. And the conditions are a little bit milder, so firefighters will do everything they can to protect the community assets in and around Gellibrand.

He said residents should also keep an eye on the Walwa fire in the north-east, as it was likely to move further to the south on Sunday.

That’s not necessarily going to threaten communities in the days ahead but that fire could significantly increase in size and continue to challenge firefighters for many weeks to come.

He said in the north of the state, it’s hot and dry and really challenging conditions.

These fires can continue to grow and challenge us. This is very early in the season, this is the peak of the fire season now. We have had some terrible fires but it’s not a time to turn our gaze away from the challenges ahead.

Around 1,700 firefighters had been deployed in the state on Sunday morning, he said.

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40-year-old man charged over allegedly religiously-motivated assault in Sydney

A 40-year-old man was charged over an assault that was allegedly religiously motivated in Bankstown, in Sydney’s south west on Saturday.

A 51-year-old man was handing out religious flyers in Bankstown on Saturday morning, and allegedly became involved in an argument with another man about the flyers.

Police allege during the argument, the 51-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by the man.

Shortly after midday, a 40-year-old man approached officers at Bankstown railway station, where he was placed under arrest, and later charged with common assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was granted bail to appear in court on 26 February.

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