WARWICK LONG, HOST: On the line now is Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, who will be touring flood-affected areas today. Prime Minister, welcome to the program.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Warwick and a big, heartfelt shout-out to those people who are really doing it tough today, many people are having to evacuate their home. I do encourage people to follow the advice of the authorities. If asked to leave, please do so and stay safe. The emergency services personnel certainly just have one consideration, which is people's safety.

The Commonwealth and Victorian governments have come together to prepare the Centre for National Resilience at Mickleham to provide crisis accommodation for Victorians affected by widespread flooding.

From Tuesday, 250 beds at the Mickleham facility will open to help people whose homes have been inundated. As well as accommodation, residents will be provided with food and support services both on-site and remotely.

The Australian Government has moved quickly to support people in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales affected by the ongoing extensive flooding, making disaster assistance payments for individuals available across an additional 44 Local Government Areas.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much for joining us. Today. I was able to join the Premier of Victoria, firstly in Bendigo, to look at the work that emergency services personnel are doing – volunteers as well through the SES – to thank them for their service, but to also look at the quite devastating situation which communities in Victoria are facing at the moment.

VIRGINIA TRIOLI, HOST: The Prime Minister is between Parkes and Forbes in Western New South Wales right now, Prime Minister, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Virginia.

TRIOLI: And you were touring some of the flood affected areas here in Victoria over the weekend. Are there any more announcements you can make about payments or support that you can offer? Or perhaps boots on the ground to these flood affected communities?

CHRIS ROYLANCE, DEPUTY MAYOR OF SHIRE COUNCIL: Welcome, everybody. My name is Chris Roylance, Deputy Mayor for Shire Council. And it's with great pleasure to welcome to the PM along to our little flood event we're having today.

More than 400,000 low-paid workers in key industries will take home a bigger pay slip from today, thanks to a 4.6 per cent increase to minimum wages under their awards.

Industries in which workers are set to benefit include hospitality, tourism and aviation, with full-time workers seeing a minimum $40 extra per week.

It will be the first pay cycle for many workers set to get a bump in pay after the change came into effect on 1 October.

Workers under 111 other awards received their pay rise in July.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pleased to announce that the Governor-General has made four appointments to the Council for the Order of Australia on the Government’s recommendation.

Reconciliation advocate, Ms Shelley Reys AO, has been appointed Chair of the Council for the Order of Australia.

ED HUSIC, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE: Thank you for joining us here today, because here at Pallion, like in communities in different parts of the country, we know that manufacturing makes a difference, creating great firms, generating terrific jobs and adding huge economic value to the nation. We know that after the pandemic we need to be able to find ways to make things that we need at the time that we need them.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic toured ABC Refinery in Marrickville today and viewed the iconic Melbourne Cup trophy.

ABC Refinery is part of Pallion which employs more than 300 people in Marrickville, and hundreds more across Australia, processing, refining and working precious metals.

Pallion employs metallurgists, chemists, assayers, engineers, traders, jewellers and gold and silver smiths.