1. In a horrifying turn of events two boys have been charged with deliberately lighting fires in NSW.
The 11-year-old was charged over fires started near Newcastle which burnt more than 5000 hectares of bushland.
The 14-year-old was also charged with starting a fire on Sunday at Rutherford.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said that it saddened him that these young people could not see the consequences of their behaviour.
Over the weekend two girls aged 12 and 13 were also charged with deliberately lighting a grass fire in Sydney’s west.
– 62 fires were burning across the state last night, with 17 uncontained and emergency warnings for residents of the Blue Mountains townships of Bilpin, Berambing and Springwood.
– Firefighters are hoping to get a little relief with some forecast rain this afternoon, however authorities say the worst is yet to come tomorrow.
2. The ACT Government plans to pass a bill legalising gay marriage in parliament today. Some pro-marriage equality groups and constitutional law experts have raised concerns the laws could be struck down if the bill was not re-worded to create a separate status of marriage for same-sex couples. The Federal Government has already flagged it will challenge the laws in the High Court. The ACT Government will put forward some amendments to clarify the scope of the laws when it is debated in the Legislative Assembly today.