Australia news live: Easter holiday plans in chaos with Queensland lockdown and Bluesfest cancellation

Queensland will find out this morning if lockdown will be extended over Easter. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

• Queensland Covid hotspots • NSW Covid hotspots
• Australia’s vaccine tracker: how is the rollout progressing?

9.36pm BST

The minister for emissions reduction, Angus Taylor, has told an international event that the Australian government is “firmly committed to getting to net zero as soon as possible and preferably by 2050”.

While Taylor echoed the recent language of the prime minister, Scott Morrison, the comments could be seen as another sign that Australia is feeling pressure internationally over its reluctance to formally commit to the mid-century emissions target.

Australia is proud to support this program – and the IEA – as a forum to discuss and invest in the development of practical solutions to the world’s great policy challenges.

We now need to repeat that success across the next round of new and emerging technologies, like storage, carbon capture, green steel and green aluminium.

9.26pm BST

Good morning! Just one more day until the long weekend and, fingers cross, only one day until greater Brisbane is freed from lockdown.

Matilda Boseley here, blogging today from the beautiful island of San Serriffe and ready to take you through all of Australia’s biggest news today.

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