Tent where twins were born up to a 15-minute walk away from nearest public toilets or running water

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The tent where a newborn baby was found dead at Wagga beach at the weekend was part of a homeless encampment up to a 15-minute walk away from the nearest public toilets or running water, with residents in a nearby apartment block saying conditions were “worse than a Syrian war camp”.

The tragedy has prompted fury in the community, with residents of Wagga Wagga calling on authorities to take urgent action to make the encampments safe and sanitary.

Police say ‘no suspicious circumstances’ while local councillor argues ‘tragedy’ shows housing crisis has gotten out of hand in regional Australia

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

A baby has been found dead in a tent in regional New South Wales, prompting renewed calls to address homelessness across regional Australia.

Police were called to a homeless encampment near Wagga beach on the Murrumbidgee River on Saturday, where they found a 37-year-old woman with two infants, one of whom was deceased.

This blog is now closed

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

A man has allegedly stolen nearly $3,000 worth of diesel in jerry cans and drums from a South Sydney service station.

Police said they were told a driver of a white ute allegedly filled large drums and jerry cans with 915 litres of diesel, valued at over $2,870 (or about $3.14 a litre), without paying at about 7.15pm on 11 April.

This blog is now closed

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Queensland health minister still has major concerns about Thriving Kids

Tim Nicholls, the Queensland health minister, said the state still has major concerns about the federal government’s Thriving Kids program, which will move children under nine years old with mild development delays and autism off the NDIS. Queensland is the only state yet to sign on to the plan, which is expected to be fully set up by 2028.

We want to make sure that any system that does replace what the Commonwealth is trying to do – and let’s face it, the Commonwealth is cost shifting to the states in regard to this – is able to provide the adequate supports that people need in those circumstances in those early years. …

We’re not going to sign up to that until we’re convinced that there is a program that can be done.

We want to make sure we get it right and don’t leave kids who need support and their families out of the considerations we’re taking.

This blog is now closed

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Firefighters say two missing in Blue Mountains house fire are children

Back to that house fire in the Blue Mountains we reported earlier:

Firefighters are moving into the home with hose lines to gain access to the areas where they can search for the unaccounted for people.

When I thought about it a bit more as the … day rolled on, I couldn’t help but feel a bit angry about it as well, which I think is a human response to a tragic set of circumstances.

I don’t want to exaggerate it, but nor do I want to dismiss it. I think there was a couple of people that partook in the activity. And the reason for the anger is it’s just so self-indulgent.

Any act of self-indulgence or any attempts to commandeer Anzac Day away from the cause that it actually represents, I think should be responded to with a full-hearted response by leaders around the country just about how outrageous it is.