Australia news updates live: wet weather warnings for eastern coast, NSW trains still on limited services

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a snap meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss Australia’s response to Russia.

It comes as troops have started to move into rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine and US President Joe Biden announced the US will impose sanctions on Russia.

On Tuesday Vladimir Putin recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories.

Marise Payne says it is “not helpful” to speculate if there will be a war:

We have to be absolutely clear that there is a cost to Russia for such behaviour that is severe sanctions that will target a Russian individuals and entities that are responsible for these actions.

Payne says there will be an announcement later today about sanctions but she cannot give an indication of what they might be:

I don’t think it’s appropriate to forward run sanctions options because what you do if you forward run sanctions options is that you give those whom you intend to sanction a chance to make their own decisions around what losing assets or whatever it might be.

Marise Payne says Australia has had sanctions against Russia for years:

I understand though, that it’s important to remind Australians that we have existing sanctions in place and they have been imposed since 2014.

And we will use whatever tools we have available to us to the greatest degree to ensure that we are applying sanctions in conjunction with our counterparts and that is something which senior members of the government in Australia are discussing amongst colleagues now.

Asked if a full-scale invasion is inevitable, Marise Payne says she does not think so.

I don’t agree there is no stopping a full-scale invasion.

Russia still has, always has the option not to proceed. That’s what we’ve been calling for, that is what likemindeds have been calling for”

But we do see an ongoing build-up that is concerning. And a range of activities. None of these things are contributing to security or stability in any way and with our partners we are identifying options that are available to us to address these.

We strongly condemned those [actions].

Marise Payne is speaking on Radio National now.

She is asked if Australians still in Ukraine are on their own and have to find their own way out:

We will continue to provide as much support as we can for Australians … but we are of course limited and we’ve been very clear about that.

Good morning everyone, this is Cait Kelly and I will be with you across the morning.

It will no doubt be another big day of news – so let’s get into it.

Australia is set to implement “swift and severe” sections against Russia over its aggression towards Ukraine, targeting people close to President Vladimir Putin.

Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne has been working with international allies to formulate a plan to freeze the wealth of those in Putin’s inner circle. Yesterday the US announced it would impose sanctions that target two Russia-backed breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine.

A $500,000 reward is being offered for information about the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez, who vanished on a night out in the northern NSW beach town of Byron Bay nearly three years ago.

NSW police will announce the reward today in the popular tourist hamlet, in the hope it will lead to the discovery of Hayez’s whereabouts or disclose the circumstances of his disappearance.

The 18-year-old was last seen at about 11pm on 31 May 2019 outside a nightclub on Jonson Street.

NSW trains will again hit the tracks with a reduced capacity of 25% as the showdown between the rail union and the government continues, leaving commuters frustrated.

Another day of commuter chaos comes after premier Dominic Perrottet ordered staff to investigate the timeline of events surrounding the Sydney train halt.

There are still lingering questions about why exactly the rail network was shut down, and how much the government had a hand in it. Transport minister David Elliott has sought to distance himself from the decision, saying yesterday it was the agency’s responsibility to make the call.

And torrential downpour has drenched Sydney and other parts of NSW with the rain expected to last throughout the week. A strong upper trough and associated cut-off low will move slowly eastward from central Australia towards the eastern seaboard into tomorrow.

Flash floods have impacted many towns and city roads, the SES said yesterday afternoon.

Those are the big headlines this morning – welcome to Wednesday’s blog!