As it happened:Foot and mouth disease detected in imported meat products;CMO urges indoor mask-wearing as COVID cases grow across the nation

A motorbike mysteriously parked on the roof of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Wednesday caused theories to swirl online.

Melburnians ona viral Reddit post asked:Could filming have started on a newMission Impossible? Has street parking become too expensive? Has a maintenance worker found a fun and efficient way to do their job?

The Agehas gotten to the bottom of this mystery,finding the bike was there as a media stunt to mark Melbourne securing the rights to a leg of the FIM World Supercross Championship for the next three years.

Following a press conference,Australian Supercross racer Chad Reed,who announced he would come out of retirement to race at the event in October,and competitor Luke Clout climbed a stairwell to the roof for a photoshoot where the bike had been carefully hoisted to earlier in the morning.

Jess Cook,from AME Group,a PR group for SX Global,which secured the three-year event,said a group of about 10 people helped position the motorbike on the roof in a bid to create a stunt that would showcase the city and the stadium.

“We had to get the bike up there before the event to make sure it was set and ready to go.”

Marvel Stadium spokesperson Jay Allen said a promotional photo was taken with a rider and his bike and was done with the appropriate safety measures in place.

The Australian sharemarket posted its best session in almost four weeks,with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rising by 1.7 per cent.

The technology sector led the gains,rising by 3.8 per cent,with software firms Xero and WiseTech Global jumping more than 5.5 per cent higher.

Mining stocks also chalked up a strong session,with Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group up 5.2 per cent,Rio Tinto 2.2 per cent higher and BHP climbing by 1.4 per cent.

Better-than-expected company earnings results lifted Wall Street overnight and gave the local index a strong early lead,with tech stocks taking full advantage.

Iron ore prices recovered somewhat after falls overnight,lifting the materials sector to its best day in about a month as the session wore on.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano has called for a total ban on passengers bringing food into Australia on international flights to prevent foot and mouth disease from decimating the country’s livestock industry.

Germano said while food imports should continue,the Australian Border Force was too short-staffed to ensure all edible products brought in by passengers were free of the virus.

“We absolutely need to secure our borders,” Germano said.

“It could not be more important.”

Earlier today,the disease was detected in goods coming into Australia from Indonesia and China.

Just one positive case of foot and mouth on an Australian farm could shut the $27 billion livestock export trade down for months or even years.

Germano said border force agents should also interview everyone disembarking from flights from Indonesia.

“We’re still getting reports people are just waltzing through the airports.”

The federation also wants more aid sent to Indonesia so the country is better able to manage the outbreak.

“They’re going through a horrific time right now,” Germano said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has released a statement after Drummoyne MP John Sidoti was found to have engaged in corrupt conduct by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

“I have contacted Mr Sidoti to inform him that I believe he should resign from the parliament,” Perrottet said.

“Should Mr Sidoti not resign,the NSW government will move a motion to have him suspended.”

“There is no place for corruption in the NSW parliament,” he continued,confirming the government had sought legal advice in relation to this matter.

ICAC said on Wednesday that Sidoti tried to improperly influence City of Canada Bay Liberal councillors between late 2013 and early 2017 to benefit his family’s local property interests.

In a statement on Wednesday,Sidoti said he had instructed his lawyers to lodge an application in the Supreme Court to clear his name.

“ICAC took complaints from a non-government majority Upper House Committee,they interviewed disgruntled Liberal Party members and interrogated my family,” he said.

“This report has a number of unfounded inferences,errors and assumptions,and its findings are completely rejected. The only positive for myself and my family is that the ICAC part of this saga is over.”

The ICAC is now seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether criminal prosecution should be commenced against Sidoti.

The AgeandThe Sydney Morning Heraldhave launched a new podcast that showcases the best of culture journalism from two of Australia’s biggest newsrooms.

The Drop,hosted by culture news editorOsman Faruqi, launched today and will unpack the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment.

The weekly show,which will release new episodes each Wednesday,will feature interviews withThe HeraldandThe Age’s team of culture journalists and critics,as well as conversations with musicians,actors,directors and writers from Australia and around the world.

The member for Drummoyne in NSW has been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by using his position to influence local councillors to benefit his family’s property interests.

The corruption watchdog on Wednesday said John Sidoti tried to improperly influence City of Canada Bay Liberal councillors between late 2013 and early 2017.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether any criminal prosecution should be commenced.

“The commission is of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the DPP with respect to the prosecution of Mr Sidoti for the offence of misconduct in public office,” the ICAC said on Wednesday.

The ICAC held a public inquiry in April last year investigating whether Sidoti,who was formerly in the Liberal Party but now sits on the crossbench,had misused his position as a member of parliament.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been engaged in a testy press conference on a bitingly cold Melbourne afternoon.

Addressinga scathing IBAC/ombudsman report into Victorian Labor Party culture,Andrews was quick to apologise for the conduct of some of his Labor MPs,which occurred under his leadership.

However,after taking ownership,he spent the remainder of the hour-long press conference emphasising the uniqueness of dumped MP Adem Somyurek’s misdemeanours.

He used the word “unprecedented” eight times to describe the actions of his factional opponents,who have been ostracised from the Victorian Labor Party since a 2020 exposé byThe Ageand 60 Minutes.

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Andrews said he would “go further” than adopting all 21 of the report’s recommendations by creating new laws to uphold internal party rules and banning MPs from hiring family members.

But he faced repeated questions about how it was possible that systemic breaking of party rules and potentially improper use of taxpayer funds could have gone unnoticed for so long.

Andrews said the scale of Somyurek’s actions made this case special. “The unique nature of this is noted by the agencies today in the report,” Andrews said.

“It became known to us at about nine o’clock on Sunday night. By nine o’clock Monday morning,I had sacked a minister and set about an extreme intervention.”

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A good indicator of the gravity of a political press conference in Victoria is the attendance of senior journalists who don’t often attend daily media events.

The Age’s chief reporter,Chip Le Grand,was on hand,as wasThe Australian’s associate editor,John Ferguson,who asked Andrews whether,as a young Labor apparatchik known for his recruitment skills in the south-east,he was himself a branch-stacker.

A long back-and-forth ensued between Andrews and Ferguson,in which the premier became increasingly frustrated.

Andrews has previously denied he breached party recruitment rules but did not appear to give an explicit response to Ferguson.

“I’ve answered the question. I just answered the question,” Andrews said.

“John,I’m not here to have a debate with you. You can look at the tape because I just answered.”

The devastating foot and mouth disease,which threatens to decimate Australia’s livestock industry,has been detected in goods coming into Australia from both Indonesia and China.

Foot and mouth disease infects cloven-hoofed animals and does not affect the health of humans. It can be carried on animal products including meat and leather,and people can carry it on their shoes,clothes or in their noses,where it can survive for up to 24 hours.

If one positive case of foot and mouth disease was detected on an Australian farm,it could shut the country’s $27 billion livestock export trade down for months or even years. The federal government has estimated the total cost of a major outbreak at $80 billion.

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Good afternoon,and thanks for reading our live coverage today.

I’mAmelia McGuire, and I’ll be taking over the national blog for the rest of the day.

If you’re just joining us,here’s what you need to know:

Broede Carmodywill be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning.