Australia news live: temperatures pass 46C in north-west Victoria; pools and libraries to stay open late amid heatwave

Extreme fire weather expected to fuel blazes and pose threat to communities near Great Ocean Road. Follow today’s news live

• Extreme heatwave may break records in Victoria as firefighters warn of bushfire risk in ‘very dry’ state

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Victoria to open nation’s first offshore wind auction this year

Australia’s first offshore wind auction is set to kick off this year, with the Victorian Government announcing it would invite tenders for 2 gigawatts of capacity in August.

We want to give industry the certainty it needs to invest and help us keep building the renewable energy Victoria needs to push down energy bills.