Myer’s mammoth robotic warehouse was supposed to transform its supply chain and revolutionise its online order fulfilment capabilities.

But the operation on the outskirts of Melbourne has been nothing short of a disaster, weighing heavily on its bottom line, costing shareholders their final dividend and sending shares plunging to their lowest level in three years.

While the problems at Myer’s national distribution centre in the Melbourne suburb of Ravenhall had already been disclosed, the price tag to fix them had not been until Tuesday.

Myer said it would cost $32 million to overhaul the warehouse and the work would not be completed until 2026/27. 

In the meantime, it is hiring a third-party logistics provider to begin in October handling online orders through the peak holiday period.

Myer blamed the warehouse’s problems for a big decline in its full-year earnings, also announced Tuesday.

The retailer made $36.8 million underlying profit in 2024/25, down 30 per cent from the previous year – but its profit would have been flat if not for the issues at the national distribution centre, executive chair Olivia Wirth told analysts.

Given the drop in profit, Myer elected not to pay shareholders a final dividend for the first time since 2021 after a 2.5 cent per share interim payout in March. 

Disappointed shareholders reacted by selling, sending Myer shares plunging 23.8 per cent to 48.7 cents, their lowest level since July 2022.

Spanning 40,000 square metres – about twice the field of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – the warehouse has been a disaster from the start.

It was two years late to open, and a month before it did so in August 2024, a worker was crushed to death responding to a jammed item in one of the warehouse’s 200 robots.

Then during the crucial holiday trading period, a significant amount of clothing – mostly Myer’s exclusive brands that it sells for a high profit margin – became “trapped” in the warehouse, costing the company an estimated $16 million in lost earnings.

Ms Wirth – who was the CEO of Qantas Loyalty when the warehouse was being developed under Myer’s former boss, John King – said Myer still expected to see $20 million of annual cost savings once the distribution centre had been overhauled.

On a brighter note, Ms Wirth said Myer was starting to see benefits from its acquisition of Premier Investment’s portfolio of five Apparel Brands – Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Portmans, Dotti and Jacqui E.

She reported sales were up 3.1 per cent in the first seven weeks of the new financial year after growing 0.5 per cent to $3.68 billion in 2024/25, which for Myer was the 52 weeks to July 26.

Ms Wirth said the year was one of transition for the business, which is in the middle of a multi-year transformation.

“We are making great progress on our growth strategy,” she said. 

“We’ll continue to work towards our plans to drive growth and build what we believe will be Australia’s most powerful retail platform.”

Myer ended the year with $168.1 million in net cash, up $54.3 million from the end of 2023/24.

But because of non-cash accounting issues related to the Apparel Brands acquisition, its statutory bottom-line result was still in the red, with a net loss of $211.2 million.

Pressure is mounting for the head of Optus to fall on his sword as the under-fire telco tries to move forward from a devastating outage.

But sacking chief executive Stephen Rue following a service interruption linked to multiple deaths would only give the illusion of action and not address systemic failures in the emergency network, a governance expert says.

Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh added her name to the list of politicians who want Mr Rue out at Optus, saying Australians had lost confidence in him and the network.

“He should seriously be considering his position … every Australian is rightly calling for him to step down,” she told the ABC.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said he would be surprised if Mr Rue was not considering his position, while Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young also said he should go.

Real accountability at Optus would entail fixing a broken system beneath the leadership, Swinburne governance expert Helen Bird said.

Former chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned 12 days after a similar 2023 outage before Mr Rue took over in 2024.

“History is repeating itself at Optus … the 2023 and 2025 failures were strikingly similar, both linked to routine maintenance, both resulting in system-wide outages, and both followed by slow and opaque communication with the public and regulators,” Ms Bird said.

“A new chief executive won’t solve those deeper problems.”

Optus will be in the Federal Court on Wednesday, where the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will ask it to impose a $100 million fine for unconscionable sales conduct, including for pressuring customers to buy mobile goods they did not want or need.

The sustainability of Australia’s emergency network could be challenged by redundancies at Triple Zero Victoria, according to a union representing laid-off workers.

Communication Workers Union assistant secretary John Ellery said between 30 and 40 back-of-house staff – including planning and forecasting and training workers – had been let go in recent months.

“That back-of-house underpins the functioning of the operations workers … if you haven’t got calls being answered, that blows out response times before it even goes from the call takers and dispatches out to emergency services,” he told AAP.

After the telco’s 2023 outage, a review recommended the government implement a triple-zero custodian with oversight and responsibility for the emergency network, including monitoring its end-to-end performance.

Communications Minister Anika Wells conceded the role was yet to be fully implemented, although it had been set up.

Labor is yet to legislate powers for the custodian.

In accepting a recommendation in April 2024, the government said it recognised the need for a single body to oversee emergency call services and said it would have key co-ordination and decision-making authority during crisis events.

“It’s beyond frustrating that it has taken another triple-zero network outage to find out those urgent recommendations have not been implemented in full, including the triple-zero custodian role,” Ms McIntosh told AAP.

The custodian role will be performed by the communications department and the requisite legislative changes could be fast-tracked after the latest Optus calamity.

The outage on Thursday, which Optus only revealed late on Friday, came 18 months after rival Telstra also failed to comply with emergency call rules during a triple-zero network disruption.

An eight-week-old boy from Gawler West, north of Adelaide, was among the deaths linked to the fault.

SA Police say the outage was “unlikely to have contributed” to his death because his grandmother immediately used another phone to contact triple zero.

The other deaths include a 68-year-old Adelaide woman and men aged 74 and 49 from Perth.

Australia has used a United Nations meeting to try to revive a long-stalled major trade deal, after formally recognising Palestine as a state.

Anthony Albanese met with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly for a 40-minute sit-down in New York on Tuesday, Australian time.

In an address to the summit of world leaders, the prime minister reiterated Australia’s support for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, and a two-state solution.

Mr Albanese compared the plight of Palestinians to that of the Jews before the creation of Israel.

“In recognising Palestine, Australia recognises the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the Palestinian people,” he said.

“It means real hope for a place they can call home.

“This is the same hope that sustained generations of Jewish people.”

Mr Albanese and Mr Macron also discussed progress on the previously stalled free trade agreement negotiations with the EU, and Australia’s bid to jointly co-host the COP31 climate conference with Pacific countries.

The pair also talked about their nations’ co-operation on issues including support for Ukraine, the renewable energy transition and the Indo-Pacific.

The prime minister met with other leaders including his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa.

During the two-state solution conference at the UN, Mr Albanese urged the Israeli government to “accept its share of responsibility” for the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

France was among a swathe of other countries that used the UN General Assembly session to recognise Palestine including the UK, Canada, Portugal, Malta and Andorra.

More than 150 UN states, or more than three-quarters of the global body’s membership now recognise Palestinian statehood.

But Australia faces pushback from 25 US Republicans who suggest “punitive measures” could be imposed on countries that have moved forward with recognition.

The grouping of Israel supporters, including former presidential candidate Ted Cruz, said countries choosing to recognise Palestine were “rewarding terrorism”.

In a briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump disagreed with the decision taken by Australia and allies to recognise Palestine.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley wrote to the American politicians, saying the decision to acknowledge Palestine “does not reflect the view of a majority of Australians”.

She pointed to an August Resolve poll showing 44 per cent of voters believed the government should not recognise statehood, 32 per cent thought the government should wait until Hamas was removed from power and 24 per cent backed Labor’s move.

“I write to reassure you, and the Congress, that this decision taken at this time by the Labor government does not enjoy bipartisan support here in Australia,” Ms Ley said.

“The federal opposition opposes this decision and would reverse it should we form government.”

The opposition leader, who flagged plans to visit the US in early December, posted on social media that she had expressed her concerns in a conversation with Israel’s foreign minister.

Mr Albanese is still working to secure an elusive formal meeting with the US president after the prime minister was left off a list of upcoming engagements released by the White House.

The two leaders are expected to speak, at least briefly, during a reception on Wednesday.

Australia’s top medical authorities have emphatically rejected Donald Trump’s claim of a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism.

Chief medical officer Michael Kidd and the Therapeutic Goods Administration joined other global medicines regulators, leading clinicians and scientists worldwide in declaring “robust scientific evidence” showed no causal link between the use of paracetamol in pregnancy and autism or ADHD.

“Paracetamol remains the recommended treatment option for pain or fever in pregnant women when used as directed,” the TGA said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Importantly, untreated fever and pain can pose risks to the unborn baby, highlighting the importance of managing these symptoms with recommended treatment.” 

Flanked by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US president linked autism to the use of over-the-counter pain medication Tylenol.

Tylenol is an American brand of paracetamol and has the same main ingredient, acetaminophen.

No evidence was provided to back up the claim but the US Food and Drug Administration has moved to change acetaminophen product labels while issuing a letter to doctors saying the decision to take it “still belongs with parents”.

Australian medical experts branded the claims as unhelpful and alarmist.

Many patients would now raise the issue with their GP, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice president Ramya Raman predicted.

“This announcement risks causing unnecessary alarm for pregnant women and must be approached with caution,” Dr Raman said.

“The consensus of expert Australian researchers is that no published scientific studies have proved a causal relationship between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism, only that there might be a link.”

Margie Danchin, a clinician scientist at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, said the claim was based on research that wasn’t robust.

“It’s not a clinical trial, it wasn’t a randomised study, it wasn’t even prospective,” the Royal Children’s Hospital consultant pediatrician told AAP on Tuesday.

“It’s very concerning … it’s going to have serious health consequences.”

Autism Awareness Australia chief executive Nicole Rogerson described the US announcement as “jazz hands and nonsense”.

“There will be people here who listen to that who fall hook, line and sinker,” Ms Rogerson said.

The president’s suggestion that leucovorin, a form of folic acid, as a treatment for autism symptoms gave off “Ivermectin vibes”, she said, referring to Mr Trump’s  endorsement of the unproven drug to treat COVID-19.

“He is feeding the world of the conspiracy theorists.”

National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Gino Pecoraro said Mr Trump’s announcement was not helpful and had the potential to cause unnecessary anxiety for pregnant women and their families.

“Numerous studies have found association between paracetamol use and autism spectrum disorder but none have found causation,” he said.

“Even in the studies suggesting association, the effect is very mild with only a 0.1 per cent increased rate (from 1.33 per cent to 1.42 per cent)  in the largest Swedish study looking at 2.5 million children born between 1995 and 2019.”

The TGA said paracetamol remained Pregnancy Category A in Australia, meaning it is considered safe for use in pregnancy.

“The TGA has no current active safety investigations for paracetamol and autism, or paracetamol and neurodevelopmental disorders more broadly.”

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said he wouldn’t give medical advice.

“Any advice or determinations which are coming out of the US FDA, we will obviously look at very carefully, but  … any woman out there who has any query about what drugs they should be taking during their pregnancy is a matter that they should take up with their doctor,” he said.

The Kids Research Institute Australia autism researcher Andrew Whitehouse said evidence that leucovorin could treat autism was “weak”. 

“A few small trials suggest possible small improvements in behavioural outcomes, yet these studies are limited by small numbers, inconsistent findings, and a lack of independent replication,” Prof Whitehouse said. 

“Families and clinicians should be cautious, and also know that there are already many support programs with strong scientific backing that reliably support development in autistic children.”

“Compared to these proven approaches, leucovorin is still very much unproven.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s absence from US President Donald Trump’s diary may have been a “petulant” rebuke after Australia recognised Palestinian statehood.

But failure to secure a formal bilateral with the US president is unlikely to affect long-term relations, according to one expert.

“It’s the kind of thing that will pass … it was just a little slap on the wrist and it’ll be forgotten,” Australian National University Law School Professor Ron Levy told AAP. 

The government has been trying to secure the first face-to-face between the pair, after an earlier meeting planned on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada in June was cancelled because of escalating violence between Israel and Iran.

Mr Albanese’s travel to the United Nations in New York presented another opportunity for a sit-down but a meeting between the leaders of the long-term defence allies is yet to materialise.

Despite Canberra’s eagerness for a meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not mention Australia when revealing a rundown for the bilateral talks Mr Trump plans to hold.

Some trace the snub to Australia’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine, in line with Canada, France, the UK and others.

Asked about the recognition of Palestinian statehood by US allies, Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump “has been very clear he disagrees with this decision”.

“He believes these decisions is just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies, and I think you’ll hear him talk about that tomorrow at the UN,” she told reporters.

There was a “distinct possibility” Mr Albanese was left off Mr Trump’s list for this reason, Dr Levy said.

“It actually would be a little bit surprising if there was not some kind of slightly petulant response like that.”

Mr Albanese has not yet met with Mr Trump since he came into office over eight months ago but Dr Levy said not securing a meeting would not have long-term impacts on relations. 

“There’s a number of reasons for that … one of them is that we have this AUKUS deal and they don’t want to push us too hard,” he said.

“So it’s just symbolic. It’s nothing too serious.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has “no doubt” Mr Albanese and Mr Trump will have a face-to-face meeting “in the not-too-distant future”.

“We’re very confident about the relationship there, the prime minister and the president have spoken to each other by phone on a number of occasions,” Mr Marles told reporters in Launceston.

Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite told Sky News there was “no need” for Mr Albanese to meet with the US president.

“We’ve had pretty good commitments that offers will be maintained and will continue on that important defence relationship into the future,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.

“It’s a sign that the relationship between Australia and the United States is strong.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Australia had a “long shopping list of issues” that needed to be discussed with Mr Trump, including tariffs on Australian goods and the $368 billion nuclear-submarine deal under the three-nation AUKUS partnership.

United States Studies Centre director of research Jared Mondschein said this would have been the “most opportune time” for Mr Albanese to have leadership talks with Mr Trump.

But he said it was difficult to predict whether failing to secure a meeting would impact pressing issues.

“Donald Trump could impose further tariffs on Australia. I think he could also remove all tariffs from Australia,” he said.

“The only predictable aspect of this is continuing unpredictability (from Mr Trump).”

If Mr Albanese does miss out on a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump, he may have a chance to speak with him at least briefly at a world leaders’ reception on Wednesday (AEST).

A stoush over coal royalties is set to go another round with a state premier expected to take a swipe at a mining giant.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli on Tuesday will take aim at the likes of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance in his first State of the State address in Brisbane following a string of job losses announced by miners.

The fight heated up after the company highlighted the government’s “unsustainable” royalties scheme when it cut 750 jobs, claiming the state coal industry was reaching “crisis point”.

Fellow giant Anglo American and Queensland company QCoal soon followed in what was labelled a co-ordinated campaign that resulted in more than 1200 workers being axed.

It prompted calls for reforms, with federal Nationals leader David Littleproud the latest to ask the Queensland government to ditch higher coal excise rates introduced under the former Labor administration.

The state’s Liberal National government has refused to make any changes as it looks to fulfil a 2024 election promise, branding BHP Mitsubishi Alliance “un-Australian” after it announced the lay-offs.

Mr Crisafulli is expected to take another thinly veiled jab at the giant when he criticises “fairweather friends” in his Committee for Economic Development of Australia address on Tuesday afternoon.

“We are looking for partners who want to join with us to build a state that delivers for Queenslanders,” he will tell a packed Brisbane Convention Centre.

“We are looking for companies that want to become part of the fabric of our communities, partners who will share in the good times, and partners who will remain steadfast in our communities in the challenging times. 

“We are not interested in fairweather friends who come running for the dollars when things are good, and then abandon Queenslanders in the name of shareholder interests.”

The state government has insisted it is “not at war” with mining companies, instead saying it is delivering new investment, cutting red tape and creating long-term job opportunities across regional Queensland.

It will meet with lobby group Queensland Resources Council on Friday.

The meeting is believed to have been organised weeks ago and not in response to royalties scheme criticism or lay-offs.

There is speculation the government will offer financial relief via other costs and charges the state imposes on miners without touching its royalties regime.

It comes after the state government in August finalised a deal with Adani to defer royalty payments in exchange for an expansion of central Queensland’s Carmichael coal mine.

The former Labor government introduced a tiered royalties system in 2022.

Under its progressive structure, higher revenues are generated during boom periods of high coal prices but less is taken when market conditions deteriorate.

But miners want the tiers adjusted amid rising production costs and weak coal prices.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s Adam Lancey said his company paid about eight times more in royalties than it made in profit under the regime after announcing the lay-offs.

Significant problems at Myer’s troubled high-tech warehouse have weighed heavily on its bottom line, sending the retailer’s shares plunging. 

Myer made a $36.8 million underlying profit in 2024/25, down 30 per cent from the previous year. The result was also about half of the $71.1 million it made two years ago.

For the first time since 2021, Myer won’t pay shareholders a final dividend, after a 2.5 cent per share interim payout in March. 

In morning trading on Tuesday, Myer shares were down 21.6 per cent to a three-year low of 50 cents.

Executive chair Olivia Wirth told analysts the department store’s gross profit would have been flat if not for problems at its national distribution centre in the Melbourne suburb of Ravenhall.

The 40,000-square-metre facility was supposed to transform Myer’s distribution network and fulfil up to 70 per cent of online orders, but has been plagued by “significant implementation issues” since opening in August 2024.

A worker was crushed to death by a stock collection robot in 2024, and high-margin stock was “stuck” in the automated warehouse during a key trading period.

The facility hasn’t been performing as expected, costing Myer an estimated $16 million in the financial year.

As a short-term solution, Myer has hired a third-party logistics provider to support its order fulfilment through the end-of-year trading period.

Myer also will spend $32 million to overhaul the warehouse, with completion targeted for 2026/27.

It still expects to reap $20 million of cost savings once the fix is in place. 

On a happier note, Ms Wirth said that Myer was starting to see benefits from its acquisition of Premier Investment’s portfolio of five Apparel Brands – Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Portmans, Dotti and Jacqui E.

Myer reported $3.68 billion in sales for the year to July 26, up 0.5 per cent from the year before.

In the first seven weeks of the new financial year, sales were up 3.1 per cent.

Ms Wirth said the year was one of transition for the business, which is in the middle of a multi-year transformation.

“We are making great progress on our growth strategy,” she said. 

“We’ll continue to work towards our plans to drive growth and build what we believe will be Australia’s most powerful retail platform.”

Myer ended the year with $168.1 million in net cash, up $54.3 million from the end of 2023/24.

But its statutory bottom-line result was still in the red, at a net loss of $211.2 million.

Anthony Albanese may again miss out on a sit-down with Donald Trump, after Australia was left off the US president’s list of meetings with world leaders.

In a briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not mention Australia when reading out a rundown for the bilateral talks Mr Trump plans to hold in New York after he arrives on Tuesday (AEST).

The government has been trying to secure the first face-to-face between the pair, after an earlier meeting planned on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada in June was cancelled because of escalating violence between Israel and Iran.

The hiccup comes after the prime minister announced late on Sunday that Australia, alongside its allies Canada and France, had recognised the state of Palestine.

Asked about the recognition of Palestinian statehood by US allies, Ms Leavitt told reporters that Mr Trump “has been very clear he disagrees with this decision”.

“He feels this does not do anything to release the hostages, which is the primary goal right now in Gaza,” she said.

“It does nothing to end this conflict and bring this war to a close, and frankly he believes it is a reward to Hamas.

“He believes these decisions is just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies, and I think you’ll hear him talk about that tomorrow at the UN.”

Mr Trump is due to address the United Naton’s General Assembly in New York on US power around the world and his administration’s achievements.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Australia had a “long shopping list of issues” that needed to be discussed with Mr Trump, including tariffs on Australian goods and the $368 billion nuclear-submarine deal under the three-nation AUKUS partnership.

“We need the meeting,” she told Nine’s Today program on Tuesday.

“We need it to be calm, we need it to be considered, and we need our prime minister to be there, standing up for our national interest.”

The prime minister’s office is yet to respond, but cabinet minister Amanda Rishworth skirted the issue saying Australia has a “very close diplomatic relationship” with the US.

“He’s had a number of phone calls with the president and … as he’s described them they’ve been warm, they’ve been good conversations,” she told Nine.

But Liberal senator Andrew Bragg was more direct, saying “Australia has been treated like a piece of dirt by this administration” under Labor.

“Perhaps sending (Kevin Rudd to the US as ambassador) was actually not in Australia’s interests, and also the way that Mr Albanese has conducted his diplomacy, he’s also been a disaster,” he said.

“We’re being punished, frankly, and it’s now very embarrassing.”

If Mr Albanese does miss out on a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump, he may have a chance to speak with him at least briefly at a world leaders’ reception on Wednesday (AEST).

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is preparing to meet the French president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly as he defends Australia’s stance on Palestinian recognition.

Mr Albanese and Emmanuel Macron will sit down in New York on Tuesday (AEST) for their third official meeting, where the conflict in the Middle East is likely to be on the agenda.

The prime minister will also address a summit of world leaders gathering to discuss the next steps towards ending the war between Israel and Hamas, and an eventual two-state solution.

The talks will be co-chaired by Mr Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Mr Albanese will use his speech to compare the plight of Palestinians to that of the Jews before the creation of Israel.

“In recognising Palestine, Australia recognises the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the Palestinian people,” Mr Albanese will say.

“It means real hope for a place they can call home.

“This is the same hope that sustained generations of Jewish people.”

In his speech to the two-state solution conference, Mr Albanese will also urge the Israeli government to “accept its share of responsibility” for the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

A swathe of countries are using this session of the UN General Assembly to recognise Palestine, including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Portugal, Malta and Andorra.

Roughly 150 of the UN’s member states, or more than three-quarters, now recognise its statehood.

Australia faces pushback from 25 US Republicans who suggest “punitive measures” could be imposed on countries that recognise a Palestinian state.

The grouping of hardline Israel supporters, including former presidential candidate Ted Cruz, says the countries choosing to recognise Palestine now are “rewarding terrorism”.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has written to the American politicians, saying the decision to acknowledge Palestine “does not reflect the view of a majority of Australians”.

Ms Ley pointed to an August Resolve poll showing 44 per cent of voters believed the government should not recognise statehood, 32 per cent thought the government should wait until Hamas is removed from power, and 24 per cent backed Labor’s moved to recognise statehood.

“I write to reassure you, and the Congress, that this decision taken at this time by the Labor government does not enjoy bipartisan support here in Australia. The federal opposition opposes this decision and would reverse it should we form government,” Ms Ley wrote on Monday.

The opposition leader, who also flagged plans to visit the US in early December, also posted on social media that she had expressed her concerns to Israel’s foreign minister.

Mr Albanese is still working to secure a formal face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump, and is likely to speak with him at least briefly at a leaders’ reception on Wednesday (AEST).

However, there are doubts that Mr Albanese will be successful in securing the meeting after the White House announced a list of country leaders who will have bilateral talks with Mr Trump after he arrives in New York on Tuesday (AEST).

Australia was not on the list read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Ms Leavitt also suggested the decision by Australia, and its allies Canada and the UK, to announce their support for a Palestinian state put them all at odds with Mr Trump.

A US federal judge has ruled that a nearly complete offshore wind project the White House halted can resume, dealing President Donald Trump a setback in his ongoing effort to restrict the industry.

Work on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut has been paused since August 22 when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order for what it said were national security concerns. 

It did not specify those concerns at the time. Both the developer and the two states sued in federal courts.

Danish energy company Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables sought a preliminary injunction in US District Court in Washington, DC, that would allow them to move forward with the project.

Judge Royce Lamberth held a hearing on that request Monday. 

Lamberth said he considered how Revolution Wind has relied on its federal approval, the delays are costing $US2.3 million ($A3.5 million) a day and if the project can’t meet deadlines, the entire enterprise could collapse. 

After December, the specialised ship needed to complete the project won’t be available until at least 2028, he said. 

More than 1000 people have been working on the wind farm, which is 80 per cent complete.

“There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs,” Lamberth said, as he granted the motion for the preliminary injunction. 

The Interior Department has said that the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Orsted said Monday that construction will resume as soon as possible. 

Trump wants to boost production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, which cause climate change, in order for the US to have the lowest-cost energy and electricity of any nation in the world, he says.

His administration has stopped construction on major offshore wind farms, revoked wind energy permits and paused permitting.

It has also cancelled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and stopped $US679 million ($A1.0 billion) in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects. 

Revolution Wind is supposed to be Rhode Island’s and Connecticut’s first large offshore wind farm, capable of providing about 2.5 per cent of the region’s electricity needs.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the judge’s ruling is a major win for workers and families, who need this project on track now so it can start to drive down unaffordable energy bills. 

Connecticut Democrat congressman Joe Courtney said a multibillion-dollar project that is 80 per cent complete and was fully permitted with input by the Pentagon is not a national security problem. 

The Interior Department “should take the hint and let the thousands of construction workers finish the job,” he said.

Orsted began construction in 2024 about 24 km south of the Rhode Island coast. 

It says in its complaint that about $US5 billion ($A7.6 billion) has been spent or committed, and it expects more than $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) in costs if the project is cancelled. 

Rhode Island is already home to one offshore wind farm, the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm.