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A SCORCHING HEATWAVE has intensified bushfires in Australia as blazes surrounding Sydney worsened under “catastrophic” conditions.
Australia’s eastern coast has been hit by a record-breaking heatwave, which has moved in from the west of the country, fanning hundreds of fires in its path.
Sydney was shrouded in toxic smoke as blazes flared to its north, south and west, some just 130 kilometres from Australia’s largest city.
“Today has been an awful day,” New South Wales sate fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures were expected to peak at 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the state – the country’s most populous – including in parts of west Sydney.
The fires have torched at least three million hectares of land across the country – an area equivalent to the size of Belgium – with at least 10 people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed.
A “mega fire” burning over 460,000 hectares north of Sydney escalated Saturday, as did a fire burning on multiple fronts in the Blue Mountains, where authorities said an unknown number of properties were burning.
Some 3,000 firefighters across the state were bracing for a wind change in the afternoon, expected to bring “dangerous and difficult, volatile conditions”, Fitzsimmons added.
“We will not get on top of these fires until we get some decent rain,” Fitzsimmons said of the outlook.
“We are seeing a relentless pattern of hot, dry air dominating the weather features at the moment,” he added.
Devastating
Evacuations were being carried out in the town of Bargo, on the front of a 185,000-hectare blaze which tore through the nearby area on Thursday.
“It’s horrific, it’s devastating driving around. We feel pretty isolated where we are with the roadblocks. Loved ones can’t come and see us,” Bargo resident Corey Cartes told AFP.
Cartes was told to leave two days ago, but has stayed behind to defend his property.
“Everyone is offering to help, but there is nothing they can do. Not for us now, just stay out and stay safe and we hope the fireies (firefighters) can do their job.”
In the state of South Australia, which in the past few days has borne the brunt of the heat wave, more than 1,500 firefighters have been battling fires that ripped through more than 40,000 hectares.
Two people died in fires there over the past two days, and dozens of firefighters and residents have been treated for injuries and smoke inhalation.
Emergency crews were also on alert in the southern state of Victoria, where fires were burning following days of scorching temperatures.
Health emergency
Leading doctors have warned of a “public health emergency” given the unprecedented toxic smoke pollution choking Sydney.
“It is pretty much the whole New South Wales population being exposed to prolonged smoke and because we have never experienced this before, we don’t know what the eventual outcome will be,” Kim Loo told AFP.
“It probably won’t be obvious for months, or even years,” added Loo, also a member of advocacy group Doctors for the Environment.
Hospitals have been recording sharp increases in emergency room visits for heat exhaustion and respiratory problems.
Loo said elderly patients, as well as children and outdoor workers were the most at risk, warning the health sector is “not prepared” to deal with such cases.
Vulnerable people in New South Wales have been urged to stay indoors amid worries the scorching heat combined with the toxic smoke could cause “severe illness, hospital admissions and even death”.
- © AFP 2019.
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A handful of people (albeit a large handful) who feel they should be paid for issues which are probably of their own doing are completely ruining Ireland.
It’s time the government instruct the judicial system to take action against all fraudulent claims.
@Wreck Tangle: nonsense pearse Doherty made a mockery of this at PAC a few weeks back. The insurance forms are making millions in profit year on year
@Wreck Tangle: Starting with Maria Bailey, Insurance cheats cheats us all.
@John Paul: PD made a claim alright like that UK has twice as many claims, twice the claims compared to what? No actual figures examples: Average pay out, total premiums paid vs cost of payouts.
I would well believe that insurers feel that insuring in Ireland is too resource intensive and can’t be bothered.
@Wreck Tangle: a major part of the issue is exaggerated claims. People looking to be made whole plus
@John Paul: really? Motor insurance losses 2015 273 million 2016 757 million in losses. If it is so profitable then why are insurance companies pulling out? Yes they made profits last year…but still not covering their ongoing losses.
@John Horan: well if they actually got their solicitors to fight the cases they know to be fraudulent in court rather than pay out then maybe they might not be claiming “loses” ..the amount of people I’m after hearing say that their insurance company won’t fight it in court even after telling them it’s an exaggerated claim is ridiculous..
@Wreck Tangle: sure thing. Innocent multimillion euro greed-bags ‘just trying to help’
@thesaltyurchin:
Well you hit the nail on the head there. Like it or not insurance is a business they collect millions in premiums and as company have the right to expect to make money.
If they do not make a margin (which should be in the millions) in line with other countries then they refuse to cover Ireland. That’s their right as a private company.
@Craig Clancy: insurance companies do challenge injury claims and car accidents but the cost of legal fees and detectives can run to thousands.
@John Paul: any chance we could get a statement from German insurance giants Allianz ? Oktoberfest maybe could have a chat with them – I am sure they are very aware of the realities of the Irish market as they pick and choose what sectors to profiteer most from – as Pearse Doherty exposed at the commitee hearings they are all quick to sign up the profitable bits of irelands insurance market fro cars homes travel and jack up prices , make exceptional profits and then claim that the increase in fraud claims is the problem….maybe the real fraud is from the selective nature of cherry picking fish in a barrel like our mandatory car insurance – the govt need to grow a pair and take the insurance giants to task – we are being sold a pup here – the 500 million single market for EU could be covered by the big insurance corps as a region and spread the premiums risks and payouts as a single market instead of carving up like they do at the moment. The BENEFITS of single market are not being shared in Ireland for mortgages or insurances – we also pay higest costs for access Public Transport and Internet – tell the next TD you meet that we are sick of the spin about the selective single market – show us the real benefits in our pockets from comparative costs – it shouldnt be this much more to cover a mortgage or insurance or internet fees than it is in almost every other EU market ??????? !!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Dave Hammond:
You realise insurance companies are not non profit right?? As with any business they have the right to set a business goal and are free to decide where they do not want to do business.
Ireland pays too much for telco because of a small population.. Switzerland has similar population, telco costs are also incredibly high.
Why should other EU countries pay towards Ireland’s inefficient transport network?
@Wreck Tangle: the insurance industry admitted to PD that they had reported 19 fraudulent claims in 2 years to the guards so not even 1 a month yet they claim it’s rampant. Why do they not report it if it is and as PD pointed out maybe it’s them that need to be investigated
@John Paul:
Probably because they believe it’s not their job.
In mainland Europe frivolous claims don’t even make court because the state takes responsibility to uphold their own courts. These countries enjoy lower premiums and don’t have to worry about public amenities closing..
@Wreck Tangle: thanks for the idiotic condescending observation insurance companies are not non-profit organisations…as if anybody could have thought otherwise -have you seen the profits ?? Do you realise there is actually an insurance crisis facing irish business at the moment ? Do you realise there was a dawn raid from the EU on Irish offices of Insurance co and an ongoing investigation to examine if there is cartel pricing ?? Pontificating that they can set business goals ? is that your best attempt to defend the disgraceful situation in Ireland at the moment ? That they are free to set goals ?? Seriously ?? How much profits do you think an irish mobile operator makes in a year in Ireland ?? I work in the mobile sector and know the facts mate so again you are simply trying to blindly defend irelands rip off pricing – i didn’t suggest the EU pay towards irelands inefficiencies in transport ! I said that we should see better single market benefits notably in mortgages ( and insurance ) – a recent report showed ireland ranks WORST in the world never mind the EU for users costs to access public transport and internet.
@Dave Hammond:
Probably with a bit more discussion we would agree on many points Dave.
I’d agree with you that Irish transport is too expensive and I have said on here many times, it’s a terrible service but that’s the government’s responsibility. Ireland does have access to single market, money can be borrowed across the eurozone without fx costs and it’s cheaper and easier for banks to find liquidity in the single currency.. However due to the nature of the Irish economy and behaviour of banks, there is a much higher risk and thus cost and this is probably the main reason why Irish borrowers pay more than say Germans.
Insurance companies make millions but they underwrite billions and are entitled to a return. The cartel relates to car insurance and again I agree with you, theres a huge issue there that I hope will be addressed.
In the case of public liability though, there is no cartel, companies are simply leaving! If you compare Ireland (and UK) to mainland Europe insurance companies are entertaining claims that just would not happen anywhere else in Europe. Someone falling off a moving tram would never get a payout, they’d be too busy avoiding prison. Someone falling from a swing or a table would be told unless an employee of the business put you there, you have no case. My own belief is that it’s not just the fake claims, it’s also the frivulous. Ultimately the rest of Europe enjoys amenities that are long forgotten in Ireland because insurers don’t face people looking for money for every single accident..
Our insurance system is clearly broken. Maybe a not for profit, state run insurance system could work here?
Claim caps need to somehow introduced too.
@Ciaran Maher: all the claiments needs is a doctors cert and then he can claim what ever BS he wants.
@Ciaran Maher: Claims need to be capped but also the payouts for totally innocuous things. Little Johnny stubbed his toe doing something he shouldn’t be doing so let’s sue for €50k. Someone should make a list of all the ridiculous claims that have been reported over the last few years. There’s some real gems that make suing because you fell off a swing seem almost rational.
@Ciaran Maher: As is our health & justice systems.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: ive been to German beer festivals in a forest (100k people per day in a place where you wouldn’t allow sober people congregate in ireland) and in large tents. People dancing on tables and spilling beer is norm, no one will challenge you because if you fall it is your lookout. We have gone to far, if it’s a twisted ankle the award should be medical expenses only, if it’s a serious life changing injury them that’s what insurance is for.
@Carpentoza: that’s also because they have a public health system that will take care of you, whereas here its at least a few thousands in the *public * system to fix a broken ankle, or else a blank cheque for the health insurance companies, who in turn claim from the liability insurance companies (again a blank cheque for the legal industry), who pass on the costs to struggling businesses. It’s all a big circular scam. NHS style public health and these insurance costs would drop like a stone.
@Ciaran Maher: The solution is as plain as the light of day. We turn the whole gambit on its head and instead every citizen, their carer or visitor to our country has their own personal accident insurance. Thus when they have an “accident” they are covered and can up their cover for risking activity, horse riding, rugby or whatever. Of course if they have multiple accidents, their cover will go through the roof, but why the hell should the rest of us have to pay for those. If the accident is caused by someone else breaking the law, then that person or company is brought to court and punished, not blatantly put out of business.
We would unfortunately need to build new flood control mechanisms for all the tears the scammers and their legal accomplices would cry.
I would like to see someone do the math on this. How much would we need to pay to cover genuine accidents, versus the present scamming system.?
Couldn’t they just have the event but without any swings?
@Paraic: Ha!
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS GOING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING IN BUSINESS, LEISURE AND THE MOTOR INSURANCE. WE CANNOT SURVIVE WITH THIS CARRY ON THEY SHOULD INVESTIGATE EVERY CLAIM AND LEAVE THE GENUINE CUSTOMERS ALONE WHO ARE PLAYING BY THE RULES.
@Eugene Quinlan: the bogus claimants who have nothing to lose ,not a cent ,if they are found out are the problem
Shift costs of their failed attempt onto them and their solicitor would make them think twice.
@Means of escape: include the solicitor in that and you might have it…they are the ones who advise to go to court in the first place so they can get paid…they too are responsible..
This is getting ridiculous… insurance companies have us by the balls and they’re backed by the government and always have been
@Leroy Brown: if you contest a claim against you in a traffic accident here in Ireland.. You are not allowed in court to argue your point unless it is through your insurance company solicitor.. Whom in a lot of cases Has no interest in your personal argument as the claiments insurance company is the same as yours.. They just want you to settle out of court.. Regardless of the truth.. And the judge just goes along with it.. The whole system is a farce..
@Victor Feldman: the insurance company doesn’t and cant care about rights and wrongs, they need to be a moral and deal with the claim as cheaply as possible
@Victor Feldman: The judges have no choice if the case never even gets to them…. most cases are settled with big payouts where the insurance companies pass on the cost to poor Paddy public.
@Conor Heneghan: you really contradict yourself how can they be moral and deny the accused his version of events.. Moral!!!
@Victor Feldman: I think he meant ‘amoral’ but it was auto corrected to ‘a moral’ looking at the comment
@Ciarán FitzGerald: the problem is precedence. Judges will always award the previous highest claim as a default. Costs are awarded based on the most recent, made up, costs by another judge and no accountability or reference to actual loss of earnings or expenses. A reform is actually easy with the right political will.
Thank you Maria Bailey
Its a shame but totally understandable
I can see the old school sports day, local sports events taking a hammering also if our Goverment does not jump in and sort this out
The only losers here will be us
@Dan: force the ending of the “no foal no fee” bs that solicitors are promoting
Thanks Maria Bailey. You’re the reason we can’t have nice things.
One big problem is that there is no consequence for lieing in court, this is ridiculous.
We don’t have common sense here and judges are to quick to agree with what lawyers interprate.
I can’t make a claim against car manufacturers for me speeding , I have to accept the fine and points.
Why can’t the same apply to other issues.
We need look at other countries where they do things you wouldn’t even dream of doing in Ireland. Set new guidelines that organisers must follow and customers must abide by.
And Irish insurance premiums would go down?
This isn’t about dishonest people making claims.
When road safety improved – all credit to safer drivers – there was a massive leap in the cost of driving insurance.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I think it’s a case of not just one issue that will fix our dysfunctional insurance
Correct in Germany you are not used to it because the complicated claim system in Germany doesn’t allow you to claim in many cases. You can keep your system.
@Mjhint: sounds better than our system where you can claim for anything and get thousands for nothing
@Mjhint: whatever you are smoking…stop
@Mjhint: and they can keep their adventure centres open, Oktoberfest Open etc etc
@Ben Leahy: where injured people can’t get compensation? Thanks but no thanks.
@SFNutters: ya that’s right once the drink is flowing who cares about injured individuals.
@Ben Leahy: all you need is a doctors
Cert and then you are free to create whatever faery tales you want and the judge goes along with the charade
@Mjhint: What about the woman who bumped her knee on the leg of a table in a restaurant. Was it €40k she got? Great system.
@Mjhint: the injured individuals who get their medical bills covered by their taxes. The same individuals who get their sick leave paid by their PRSI. Unlike here, their actual costs are covered, not a holiday in Marbella for the claimant and his legal team.
@Mjhint: Don’t make statements you know nothing about!
@Mjhint:
You’re right it is hard to claim because the germanic countries make people accountable for their own actions and claims seen in Ireland would not make it to court.
You fell in a pub? This happens to drunk people.
You hurt yourself on a trampoline? That’s a risk you took.
You slipped in a swimming pool? This happens near water..
Meanwhile everyone can enjoy public amenities and there’s no talk of claiming for accidents..
The judiciary are the biggest obstacle to social cohesion in Ireland today. Whether it’s allowing criminals to walk the streets or allowing these obscene awards in insurance cases. It’s amazing that I have come around to the Shane Ross position on appointing these people.
Hardly the Insurance companies were made a balls of by Pearce Doherty and this is there way of getting back . This is propaganda at its finest .
Im a firm believer in mass protest… We should do what the country done with Irish Water, we completely hard backside boycotted the introduction of water charges.
We should do the same with insurance and really show them who owns this country!
@Philip Pip Adams: How? If you don’t have insurance, the person who wants to make a buck will come after you, take you for all your worth. So the decent tax paying member of society still loses and those trying to make a quick buck still win.
@Karen Doyle: Its not just the insurance companies that are to fault, its the judiciary who allow these claims, government who doesnt legislate, solicitors who take on cases that are fraudulent on a no win no fee basis and its the people in society who think they can make a fast buck at our expense. The whole system is rotten. But if I try run a business without insurance, and somebody sues and I have no insurance but have assets then I could lose these to pay it. So not having insurance is not the answer.
Insurance ruins everyone fun. Can’t have any craic in public anymore without the fat cat companies ruining it for everyone. It’s a form of gambling where you’re betting on yourself to get hurt. I’ll take my chances thank you very much, if I get injured be grand.
@Simon Johnson: it’s not the insurance companies. It’s a combination of greedy manipulative solicitors, disingenuous claimants, naive judges and a government that sits on the sidelines doing nothing about it.
They went too far when they messed with our access to beer…and pretzels.
Why is the claim culture still touted as the main reason for insurance hikes when the insurance companies have quadrupled their profits on the last few years….mind boggles.
While on holidays in Germany recently, I kept seeing things that would have the leeches in Ireland cueing up to make claims. They must have honest politicians and legal systems in Germany
All evidence of rising costs is due to fraud and rising numbers in claims has been proven to be lies by insurance companies, yet government allow them fleece citizens.
“Chickens on the way home to roost”
“Granny Bearns”
What an awful city..
Big claim
If they just remove the swings it’ll be ok!
Ffs
Nope, it’s the insurance companies playing John and Mary against each other and good old Irish nativity believing every word.
It wasn’t a particularly great event to begin with. Went once a few years back and never again, it was overpriced and lacked much of an atmosphere. I doubt insurance costs are the real reason rather it just ran it’s course.
@Paul M. Barrett: I agree with you
Simple solution. Ban all personal injury claims. Use PRSI for a no fault accident insurance that covers your medical fees, rehabilitation fees and a certain level of lost income. Works elsewhere in the world. Why not here?? Ireland is being ruined by this frivolous suing culture.
€20+ for a litre of beer and have the neck to complain about insurance costs. Pot, kettle. Went once and never again.
Have any claims been made at this event through the years?
@TonySuperSaints: If Pamplona can run bulls in the streets we should be able to manage a piss-up.
Well I see an opening here. I remember in the late 80s early 90s waiting outside the 7/11 on Westmorland street for a phone call to see where that nights rave was on. 5 locations only one live to throw the smellys off the trail. O boy we had some nights. And do you know what. Build it and they will come and enjoy themselves. Give me 3 weeks I’ll have something up and running. The people of Dublin and Ireland deserve more than this bull poop.
It’s a self fulfilling prophecy
Out one side of their mouths politicians call out insurance companies for bullshitting – and on the other they have a law requiring you to be insured to drive, but with no state insurance scheme, you have to take your chances with the insurance companies.
Wolves at lambing, the lot of em.
As for Oktoberfest….. Insurance my arse
Last week a holiday resort now October festival hey Government what you doing??
Fella in Waterford reverses his car into other people and keeps on getting money another 5000 a fortnight ago
It wont stop until we can legitimately threaten with a counter claim as in other countries. Knowing a bogus claim could be wiped out and then owing even more would soon end this insurance nonsense
The government need to sort this out the useless b!@##@s
The problem is the price of all our insurance and the bad excuses of the lobby of the insurers. They have billions. Don’t forget even during the WWII they were still very wealthy.
Really. A few chancers Vs the insurance industry. Sure thing. Fake news.
What about the Legal profesion advertising
to encourage it
The Troika told the government to bring them under control
Nothing happened Thats lobying
We should hang our heads in shame at how we’ve allowed greedy and unethical people to use morally corrupt solicitors and an incompetent legal and governance system to create an entire industry who’s only job is to make extraordinary profits from customers who are legally obliged to buy their services – and, by the way, force businesses to close as a result. AND …. Get away with it !! Jez….
Why can’t we reform the law to restrict the liability of businesses to accidents which are unequivocally the business’s fault? IE, if someone gets injured because of their own stupidity or clumsiness where 99% of other customers do not, the business isn’t liable. Case closed.
It should be extremely simple to legislate for this. Why are we talking about reducing the size of payouts and tackling fraudulent claims, when the real issue here is the fact that the law places too high a duty of care on businesses to baby proof their operation for the small minority of customers who are complete eejits?
this is exactly it
Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel like we usually do, why not look at the differences between the irish/english legal systems and those of the continent, since the other important important half of this story is that Germany (& the rest of continental Europe) doesn’t have this problem.
No harm. It’s only promoting alcoholism.
But where they normally have it beside the CHQ is no longer available. Surely that’s the main reason?
To when an antitrust investigation on Irish insurance companies?
Want to get there dates right Saturday in October is the 5th not the 6th
Did you read the article? It clearly states claims are up 0.8% and payouts down 4.5%, so insurance premiums should be down and yet they are up 20%. Insurance companies are the real scammers it seems whereas the rise in ‘claim culture’ is a myth.
FFG base their entire ideology on letting the ‘free market’ work out all issues. They refuse to have the government on their watch interfere with any commercial industry. As long as they are in power, there will be no charges to the industry.
It’s not like we really needed another reason to go on the drink. Nothing will change here, move along…
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