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The federal Energy Minister says a massive blaze at one of the country's key oil refineries is not cause to move to the next phase of Australia's four-point fuel security plan.

The country is currently in phase two.

Chris Bowen says he doesn't anticipate the blaze will force a shift to phase three of the plan, which would introduce "practical measures to limit fuel use".

The site is one of only two major operational oil refineries in Australia - it supplies over 10 per cent of the nation's fuel and more than 50 per cent of Victoria's.

Protest groups have won their bid to have controversial laws in New South Wales struck down.

The laws to restrict protests were introduced by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns in the wake of the Bondi beach terrorist attack in December.

They were quickly challenged by pro-Palestine and First Nations groups.

Chief Justice Andrew Bell has now accepted arguments that the expanded police powers were unconstitutional.  

US President Donald Trump says Israel and Lebanon will meet again for talks tomorrow.

It follows more than six weeks of deadly fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.

There's also growing pressure on Israel to agree to a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, which is a key demand from Iran in wider talks to end the war.

Hezbollah will not be involved in the talks.

It's unclear how a major blaze at one of Australia's key oil refineries will impact the country's fuel supply.

The massive fire at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong in Victoria has now been extinguished, after over 12 hours of firefighting efforts.  

The plant is one of only two remaining oil processing facilities in the country, supplying about 50 per cent of Victoria's fuel and about 10 per cent of national totals.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen has assured that the state's fuel supply is sufficient.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says an additional 100-million litres of diesel has been secured for Australia.

The government was able to underwrite the purchase of spot cargoes in Brunei and South Korea, under new strategic reserve powers.

Mr Albanese has travelled to Malaysia as part of his efforts to bolster relations with trading partners across Asia.

Defence Minister Richard Marles says Australia needs to invest greater resources in our defence to become more self reliant.

He's unveiled a plan to lift defence spending by $53 billion in the next decade.

But Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says the federal government is not taking Australia's defence seriously.

The Coalition wants more resources allocated to maintaining current assets. 

A massive fire at one of Australia's key oil refineries has now been extinguished.

It took firefighters more than 12 hours to put out the blaze at the Viva oil refinery in the Geelong suburb of Corio.

Fire Rescue Victoria says equipment failure caused a valve to leak, sparking several explosions and a massive blaze.

The site is one of only two major operational oil refineries in Australia and supplies over 10 per cent of the nation's fuel.

The full impact of the blaze on Australia's fuel supply remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media is reporting negotiations with mediator Pakistan, will continue today.

The US and Iran were unable to agree to a peace deal during direct talks over the weekend, and now Pakistan is trying to revive the negotiations and possibly extend the current ceasefire.

The White House says it has not formally requested extending the current conditional truce, which is due to expire next week.

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the nation's unemployment rate is still very low by historical standards but the jobs market is expected to slow in the year ahead.

50,000 full time jobs were added in March although 30,000 part time roles were lost, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.3 per cent.

A major blaze at one of Australia's two remaining oil refineries threatens to hurt production but to what extent remains unclear during a global fuel crisis. 

The Electoral Commission of South Australia has uncovered ballot papers that were not counted in the seat of Narungga on the Yorke Peninsula in the recent state election.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says the accidental release of an inmate from a prison in the state's north is 'embarrassing'. 

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Firefighters are continuing to douse a large blaze at one of Australia's two oil refineries and it is still not clear how it will play into the country's fuel crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. 

A former US marine pilot, and Australian citizen, accused of unlawfully aiding the Chinese military will be extradited to the United States, after a ruling by the Federal Court.

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Australian's leaders are warning there will be an impact on the flow of petrol from a significant fire at one of the country's two remaining oil refineries in Victoria. 

It is another headache for the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he continues his overseas mission to help secure fuel and fertiliser supplies for the country.

The European Union will release an app for online age verification, as a growing number of member countries, including France and Spain, follow Australia's teen social media ban.

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Australia's energy minister Chris Bowen says a major fire at an oil refinery in Geelong will impact petrol production for sometime but the full extent of the damage is still unknown.

Australia's defence spending is set to climb by $53 billion over the next decade.

In a speech to be delivered later today Defence Minister Richard Marles will say Australia faces its most complex and threatening strategic circumstances since the end of the Second World War.

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The federal energy minister says there has been some impact on fuel production after a major oil refinery in Geelong went up in flames overnight.

The fire has broken out at a time of a global fuel crisis that is having a big impact in Australia. 

While the Prime Minister is in Malaysia today to shore up critical fuel supplies, Australia's gas exports to the Southeast Asian nation are a potential bargaining chip. 

A manhunt is underway in the New South Wales city of Newcastle after a prisoner was mistakenly released from jail earlier this week.

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Emergency services say they have responded to explosions and flames from a fire that has broken out at one of Australia's two remaining oil refineries, based in the Victorian city of Geelong. 

This comes as the nation faces a fuel crisis due to the war in the Middle East. 

The Prime Minister is continuing his trip in Southeast Asia to try and ensure supplies keep coming here if the situation worsens.

Multicultural groups are criticising the Coalition's proposal to block non-citizens from using the Australian Government's five per cent deposit scheme for first homebuyers.

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