Australia news live: arrival of H5N1 bird flu a ‘genuine wildlife emergency’, experts say; fuel excise rebate extended for extra month

Key events Contactless payments roll out to Melbourne tram network from today Tram passengers in Melbourne will be able to pay for their trip using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch from today. The long awaited expansion of tap-and-go payments follows a staged roll out to the city’s train network and main regional routes. Buses are expected to follow. The step follows almost a decade after Sydney introduced tap-and-go payments. Passengers who prefer to use a Myki card can continue to do so. Gabrielle Williams , the Victorian minister for public and active transport, said: double quotation mark From today, you can step off a train and straight on to a tram using the same phone, watch or bank card. Four in five tap and go trips are already being made with a phone or smartwatch – showing more Victorians are leaving the wallet at home. Commuters in Melbourne will be able to use a phone, smartwatch or credit card on public transport from today. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/The Guardian Arrival of H5N1 on mainland a ‘genuine wildlife emergency’, wildlife experts say Kate Millar , chief executive of BirdLife Australia , said the significance for Australian wildlife of the arrival of H5N1 bird flu could not be overstated and it could be “the beginning of a long fight to protect birds and wildlife in Australia”: double quotation mark The potential for this virus to kill wildlife in significant numbers means it could be particularly catastrophic for threatened species. …