Received

It was open to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke to infer that Novak Djokovic had refused to get vaccinated and that his presence in Australia might "foster anti-vaccination sentiment", the Federal Court says.

A three-judge panel of the court has published the full reasons why it ruled unanimously against the men's tennis world No.1 in an 11th-hour hearing the day before the Australian Open started.

Mr Hawke needed to be satisfied of the potential risk to the "health, safety or good order" of the community to cancel Djokovic's visa. The court found he did so on grounds that "cannot be said to be irrational or illogical or not based on relevant material".

Chief Justice James Allsop, Justice Besanko and Justice O'Callaghan said it was "plainly open" for Mr Hawke to infer that the 34-year-old had chosen not to get vaccinated because he was opposed to it.

They also said it was "not irrational" for Mr Hawke to be concerned Djokovic's presence may encourage anti-vaccination rallies - which could lead to community transmission - or otherwise discourage some people who had yet to get vaccinated from doing so.

"An iconic world tennis star may influence people of all ages, young or old, but perhaps especially the young and the impressionable, to emulate him," the judges said.

"This is not fanciful; it does not need evidence. It is the recognition of human behaviour from a modest familiarity with human experience.

"Even if Mr Djokovic did not win the Australian Open, the capacity of his presence in Australia playing tennis to encourage those who would emulate or wish to be like him is a rational foundation for the view that he might foster anti-vaccination sentiment."

Chief Justice Allsop earlier said that the decision did not involve an appeal against the decision of the Australian government.

Instead it was a judicial review hearing focused on whether the government's decision was irrational or unreasonable in a way that made it unlawful, he explained.

"It is not part of the function of the court to decide upon the merits or wisdom of the decision," Chief Justice Allsop said.

Djokovic had been set to launch the defence of his Australian Open title in the competition's opening round on Monday, but was instead deported to Serbia.

The 34-year-old may face a three-year ban on re-entering the country.

He's also been ordered to pay the federal government's legal costs.

Djokovic said in a statement that he was extremely disappointed with the court's decision to dismiss his application but that he respected its ruling.

"I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country," he said.

He vowed to take time to rest and recuperate before making further comments.

The ruling ended an extraordinary saga that had the court sit for five hours on Sunday during its summer holiday, a highly unusual event that reflected the urgency and high stakes of the case.

Djokovic brought the case after his visa was cancelled for a second time on Friday afternoon.

The immigration minister cited a risk to public health and the chance that the unvaccinated Djokovic's presence in Australia could excite anti-vaccination sentiment.

Djokovic's visa had earlier been cancelled on the basis that he didn't have an exemption from the requirement to be vaccinated. That decision was revoked and the visa reinstated earlier last week.

© AAP 2022

A woman has been released by police without charge after the body of a baby boy was found at a home in southern NSW.

Officers searched the house in Corowa near the Victorian border on Wednesday night after concerns were raised about the welfare of a three-month-old boy.

There they found the body of a child.

The body was located in a freezer wrapped in plastic, according to media reports.

A 40-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Albury Police Station. She was released on Thursday morning.

Police say investigations are ongoing, with Strike Force Walumil established.

A post-mortem examination will be held to determine the cause of death.

The home is now a crime scene and specialist forensic officers are examining it.

Police were seen removing a freezer or refrigerator from the home on Thursday afternoon.

The mayor of Corowa's Federation Council, Pat Bourke, said in a statement there was a shared sense of devastation in the community.

"Any time a child is lost, under any circumstances, is a tragedy," he said.

"Our thoughts go out to everyone affected, especially the family of the infant and our first responders."

© AAP 2022

Australian and New Zealand planes carrying humanitarian aid have landed in Tonga after volcanic ash was cleared from an airport runway.

The C-17 plane left Australia on Thursday morning carrying shelter, hygiene kits, equipment for people clearing ash and water containers.

A Royal NZ Air Force C-130 Hercules is carrying aid supplies including water, temporary shelters, generators and communications equipment.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the planes are delivering equipment to help rebuild Tonga's communication network after a vital underwater cable was damaged during the submarine volcano eruption which sparked a tsunami.

"We are working closely with Tonga and listening to their needs and their requests," Mr Dutton told 2GB on Thursday.

The HMAS Adelaide is also ready to be deployed from Brisbane, loaded with humanitarian and disaster relief supplies, along with critical equipment to help recovery efforts.

Three Chinook helicopters have also been loaded onto the ship.

It's expected the voyage to Tonga will take five days, and the ship will serve as a base for relief work.

Australia's high commissioner to Tonga has described the damage from a tsunami in the Pacific nation as catastrophic, as more disaster relief supplies arrive.

Rachael Moore said the volcanic eruption and tsunami led to large numbers of buildings being wiped out on small islands.

"Through the region, these places are devastated, they're described as a moonscape," she told ABC Radio on Thursday.

"We've seen reporting of zero houses remaining on some of the small islands and along the western beaches. There's a moonscape where there were once beautiful resorts and many, many homes."

Ms Moore said freshwater contamination in the country following the tsunami had caused significant issues.

"Water is an extremely high priority here and it's something the government is working on, and development partners here are working closely with them on ensuring that they have what they need," she said.

Phone communications have been restored in Tonga after several days of limited access, allowing residents to contact family abroad.

Internet connections will take longer to restore after an underwater cable was severed, with its repair expected to take several weeks.

Complicating matters are Tonga's pandemic border measures, which have kept the Pacific nation COVID-free.

Disaster relief efforts are expected to be led by locals on the ground to avoid a spread of virus cases on top of the tsunami damage.

The offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington is due to arrive on Thursday carrying a helicopter as well as mapping and diving personnel.

Support vessel HMNZS Aotearoa is expected to arrive on Friday with bulk water supplies. It can carry 250,000 litres, and is able to produce 70,000 litres per day a through a desalination plant.

The HMNZS Canterbury is planning to leave on Saturday with two NH90 helicopters on board.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke with Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni on Wednesday, and Foreign Minister Marise Payne spoke with her Tongan counterpart Fekita Utoikamanu on Thursday.

© AAP 2022