A decision by the country’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, applies only to states and territories that are willing to allow this, and is applicable only to travellers that have been in New Zealand for the 14 days prior to departure.

In addition, all travellers must provide proof of a negative pre-departure PCR test within three days of the departure flight to Australia, and provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated with an appropriate vaccine.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan, said the resumption of quarantine-free arrivals from New Zealand would be a major boost for tourism and for confidence in Australia.

Before Covid, Kiwis spent $1.6-billion in Australia

“In 2019, Australia hosted 1.434-million visitors from New Zealand – making it our second largest source market – and they spent $1.6-billion in the Australian economy supporting local jobs and businesses,” Tehan said.

“Australia delivers what Kiwis want in a holiday – including safety and security, value for money and world-class natural beauty and wildlife.

“Tourism Australia will look to scale up its marketing activities in New Zealand, with an immediate focus on building confidence and broadening knowledge of the depth of Australia’s tourism offering.

“The resumption of quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia is another important marker on our road to recovery and it will encourage more Australians to dust off their passport and plan their next holiday.”

Passport applications show Aussies want to travel

Certainly, travel-starved Aussies seem to be increasingly keen to venture overseas as the country begins relaxing its travel ban on citizens from 1 November.

According to statistics supplied by Tehan, in October the Australian Passport Officer received more than 102,000 passport applications, an average of more than 5,000 every working day.

This is a notable jump compared to 82,000 applications received in September and 53,000 applications in August.

There has also been strong demand for the new International Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate, with more than 717,500 certificates generated since it was launched on 19 October.

The post One-way quarantine-free travel into Australia from NZ opens up appeared first on Australian Times News.

Despite the uplift, discretionary retail results reflected the impact of extended lockdowns. Department stores and clothing, footwear and personal accessories recorded the sharpest year-on-year falls out of the retail categories (down 16.9% and 11.4% respectively).

However, there were modest year-on-year increases for food retailing, household goods and cafes, restaurants and takeaways.

ACT had the biggest regional sales decline

Analysing statistics from of the individual states and territories, the ACT recorded the sharpest decline in retail sales for September compared to the same month last year – down 26.2%. NSW, which was also battling through a lockdown in September, recorded drop of 8.9%.

Victoria – also locked down – recorded a 12.9% increase in sales. However, this figure is skewed because of the state’s lockdown of 100-plus days that occurred in 2020.

As anticipated, jurisdictions that have been spared the pain of prolonged lockdowns are continuing to enjoy positive year-on-year sales growth, the Australian Retailers’ Association said in a commentary.

The association’s CEO, Paul Zahra, said with the worst of the lockdowns now behind us, the country’s retailers were looking to capitalise on pent-up demand in the lead up to Christmas.

Pent-up demand should boost Festive sales

“The retail recovery is underway in NSW and the ACT, which emerged from lockdowns in recent weeks. We’re seeing a lot of pent-up demand in those locations with people getting back out and about, enjoying their freedoms. We expect retail sales to accelerate even further [as] Melbourne retailers throw open their doors.

“While the ABS figures are looking back at a lockdown month, retailers have got their sights firmly set on Christmas, which is a time when many discretionary retailers make up to two-thirds of their profits.”

Zahra said it was not surprising that there were sharp declines in September compared to 12 months ago for department stores and clothing, footwear and personal accessories. These were business sectors that had been significantly impacted by the lockdowns, but were now looking forward to making up for the substantial trading losses over the festive period.

“Our research in conjunction with Roy Morgan shows Australians are forecast to spend nearly $59-billion in the pre-Christmas sales period, which is in line with last year’s spend, but well up on pre-pandemic conditions.

“The overall trend is looking positive, with retailers looking to cash in on the pent-up demand that exists across the economy,” he stated.

The post Pent-up demand a good sign for Festive Season shopping in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries had sought to renew its Coral Fishery Wildlife Trade Operation which had seen a 705 percent increase in the number of coral pieces harvested since 2007.

Ley said the Queensland Fisheries Harvest Strategy proposal had been significantly overdue, had failed to establish adequate catch limits, or appropriate enforcement measures to constrain escalating harvest levels, and that it did not meet the goals in the state’s own Sustainable Fisheries Strategy.

“Coral harvesting dates back to the 1840s and, while evidence suggests that it can be sustainable, it can’t be allowed to continue at a rate which has seen a 40 percent increase in a single year,” she commented.

Independent expert recommends improvements

“An independent expert report has made a number of recommendations for management improvements and species-specific harvest limits to protect ocean ecosystems and industry sustainability.

The minister added: “I have written to Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner, on two occasions to express my concern that Queensland’s failure to properly manage the fishery risked the livelihoods of fishers and the health of the reef.

“I would trust that the Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef would have no greater priority than seeking to address this problem with her fellow ministers.”

Strict annual harvest limits have been set with additional caps for at-risk species. These will be subject to further evidence-based monitoring and research about the long-term sustainability of the fishery.

According to a statement from Ley, the independent expert report finds that Queensland management of the fishery does need to improve, or it will risk contravening the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and face closure to international markets.

The independent report is available here.

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The investigation began in early 2020 when three separate consignments were seized by law enforcement. The consignments were found to contain approximately four, nine and 14 kilograms of cocaine, respectively.

Police allege the man was part of a syndicate responsible for importing the drugs. The man apparently told other syndicate members he had access to an Australian Border Force (ABF) member, who could provide information on the status of the consignments.

Used phone in a false name to track consignments

Officers further allege that the man has been accessing publicly available parcel-tracking websites to determine the status of the consignments and reporting the findings to the other syndicate members.

According to a statement released by the Federal Police, the accused man used a phone subscribed in a false name to track 62 consignments, six of which were found to contain border-controlled drugs. The six consignments had a total of 14 kilograms of cocaine, 8.2 kilograms of heroin and 48.6 kilograms of methamphetamine.

A search warrant was executed on the man’s residence yesterday (Friday) and police seized three encrypted communication devices.

He was charged with four counts of importing commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs and faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Smaller shipments not surprising to law enforcement

Superintendent Matthew Parsons of the AFP said there is a high demand for illicit drugs in NSW, particularly cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

“Shipments of this size are not a surprise to law enforcement, given the changes organised crime syndicates have made in response to the current environment – steering towards sending smaller packages through air cargo and mail streams in attempts to avoid detection,” Parsons explained.

The Integrity Commissioner and head of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, Jaala Hinchcliffe, said allegations of access to a corrupt law enforcement member to assist criminal entities with the importation of illicit drugs is a very serious matter.

“Information obtained by law enforcement members can be extremely valuable to criminal entities and corrupt conduct by law enforcement members will not be tolerated,” Hinchcliffe warned.

The post NSW man facing court today over multiple drug-importation charges appeared first on Australian Times News.

The record 1.89-tonne seizure is the largest in the country’s history and would have had a potential street value of approximately $1.3-billion.

A joint Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and NSW Police Force investigation led authorities to intercept a drug-filled vessel off the NSW coast near Newcastle in August 2020.

The three crew members – a Hong Kong man then aged 40 and two Australian men then aged 27 and 32 – were arrested and charged with drug importation offences.

Both accused men had pleaded guilty to charges

The two Australian men appeared at the Downing Centre District Court today, where they were each sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 10 years.

On 16 October, the men pleaded guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, namely cocaine.

The vessel used to transport the consignment was seized by the AFP and has since been sold as a Commonwealth forfeited asset.  

Acting Commander Matthew Ciantar said the AFP worked closely with our partner agencies to stop dangerous drugs from reaching Australia.

“Australians consume around 4.6 tonnes of cocaine annually and this can have a devastating impact on our society,” he stated.

Seizure an example of agencies working together

“Our investigators are working night and day to ensure we intercept these dangerous drugs before they cause devastation to the lives of vulnerable Australians.”

ABF Commander Port Operations East, Susan Drennan, said this seizure was a great example of Australian law enforcement agencies working together.

“This seizure of cocaine – the largest in Australian history – has not only stopped millions of street deals, but also prevented more than a billion dollars entering the pockets of organised criminals” she said.

“The work of the ABF and our partner agencies has again protected the Australian community from enormous harm.”

The post Long sentences for two men found with cocaine worth $1.3-billion appeared first on Australian Times News.

Insurers have received more than 12,000 claims so far and this number is expected to rise over coming days, the council said.

At this time, most claims are from policyholders from areas including the Barossa Valley, Elizabeth, the Adelaide Hills, Salisbury, Craigmore and surrounds.

Motor vehicle claims account for two-thirds of those currently lodged. It is expected crop losses from the Barossa Valley region will also be substantial.

Insurers want to deploy staff from interstate

“Insurers currently anticipate the need to deploy up to 80 specialist assessment and recovery personnel from interstate, including from Victoria and New South Wales,” the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said.

“Under South Australia’s current border regime these insurance disaster responders would be subject to a range of restrictions, including prohibiting entry altogether or having to quarantine for 14 days.

“The ICA is engaging with the South Australian Government to allow these essential personnel to enter South Australia to operate and support impacted communities in their recovery.”

According to council CEO, Andrew Hall, the insurance industry typically mobilises hundreds of staff from other jurisdictions to areas impacted by a natural disaster to assess damage and commence repairs and recovery.

Too early to estimate extent of the damage

“Families, businesses and communities rely on insurance disaster responders from interstate in the aftermath of severe weather events – without them, recovery is delayed with significant personal, social and economic impacts,” he warned.

Hall said it was too early to understand the extent of the damage to property and crops in affected areas, or to estimate the insurance damage bill.

He added that the ICA would continue to monitor the impact of storms and strong winds in Victoria to ascertain whether the Insurance Catastrophe declaration should be widened to include impacted areas in that state.

Under the Catastrophe declaration, claims from affected policyholders will be given priority by insurers. Claims will also be triaged to direct urgent assistance to the worst-affected property owners.

The post Insurance Catastrophe declared for South Australia as big storms hit appeared first on Australian Times News.

This is the sixth time Australia has deployed a warship on Operation Argos, the country’s commitment to the enforcement of these sanctions, since they began in 2018.

According to a statement released by the Department of Defence, “Operation Argos is an important part of Australia’s efforts to support nuclear non-proliferation and the ongoing stability and security of the Indo-Pacific”.

Warramunga will monitor and deter North Korea’s illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods.

The RAN’s Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the deployment would add weight to Australia’s economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea.

Aim of sanctions is ‘irreversible denuclearisation’

“Enforcing UN sanctions supports the international community’s goal of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea,” Lieutenant General Bilton said.

“Australia is committed to the stability and security of our region and will continue to enforce sanctions until North Korea takes concrete steps towards denuclearisation.”

Warramunga will contribute to a multinational force including Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The ship is the second to deploy on Operation Argos this year, following the deployment of HMAS Ballarat in May 2021.

Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime patrol aircraft have contributed to Operation Argos on nine occasions, most recently in August.

Limits on nation’s imports of petroleum and crude

“Enforcing sanctions supports the international community’s goal of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea,” the Department of Defence said.

“United Nations Security Council sanctions limit North Korea’s imports of refined petroleum and crude oil, and its exports of coal, all of which are facilitated by such transfers.”

Earlier this month, the Washington DC-based publication, Foreign Policy, reported that it had obtained leaked documents indicating the US State Department is concerned that United Nations member states lack the ability to fully implement sanctions on North Korea.

“The report is a sign that US President Joe Biden’s administration is looking to restore the sanctions network that fell apart during the last several years of failed nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,” Foreign Policy said.

“In the report, submitted to Congress in April, the State Department conceded to lawmakers that the lack of international capacity to help make sanctions bite is one of the most significant challenges to full implementation.”

The post Navy deploys another warship to help fight N. Korea sanctions-busting appeared first on Australian Times News.

This is the warning issued by one of the country’s biggest insurance companies, which says it is getting at least one home insurance claim a month for fire damage caused by lithium-ion batteries and their charging systems.

According to insurer AMI, claims data shows these fires are not only growing in frequency, but are more likely to cause severe damage compared to other types of blazes. In many instances, lithium-ion fires are resulting in the loss of an entire home.

“It’s devastating to see cases where battery powered devices have led to fires that can have terrible consequences for customers,” AMI Executive General Manager Claims, Dean MacGregor, said.

Raising awareness of this emerging trend

“By raising awareness of this emerging trend, we want to remind Kiwis why it is so important to treat lithium-ion battery equipment with extra care, to protect themselves and their families from the increased fire risk.”

MacGregor says the gadgets causing these fires are becoming increasingly diverse.

“Some of the recent claims we’ve received include a model helicopter that caught fire while on charge, an e-tool left to charge in a garage overnight which ignited and destroyed an entire home, and multiple cases of phones and laptops catching fire after being left to charge on a bed.

“Of particular concern are the number of cases where the fire was not noticed until it was well established – either because it started in the garage and was too far away to trigger a smoke alarm, or simply because fires from lithium-ion batteries are particularly intense and grow very fast.”

The New Zealand experience ties in with reports of an increasing number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in Australia.

One fire a week reported in Queensland

Last year, an ABC News report quoted a Queensland fire inspector as saying rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in laptops, mobile phones, power drills and toys were causing fires — some of them serious — at least once a week across the state.

In one incident at Dimbulah, west of Cairns, investigators found a fire ripped through a single-storey building after ‘a large bank’ of lithium-ion batteries purchased from overseas were used as part of a solar system upgrade.

In another, a Toowoomba garage was damaged after two lithium-ion batteries were left on charge for ‘no longer than two hours’ on top of a cupboard.

And on the Sunshine Coast, a home was evacuated after a lithium-ion battery exploded, scorching carpeting and filling the home with toxic smoke.

The post Warning of rise in lithium-ion battery fires in New Zealand homes appeared first on Australian Times News.

The organisation – which is the largest non-government provider grouping of health, community and aged care services in the country – has been advocating strongly for a booster to be approved for a number of months.

Frontline staff who got their first jabs early in the year have been worried their immunity is likely to be dropping, Catholic Health warned.

Alex Lynch, Health Policy Manager at Catholic Health Australia, said the sector was relieved by the Pfizer booster approval, but the government needed to do more to ensure safety.

Immunity of double doses starts to reduce

“As we have been saying for weeks, there is strong evidence that the immunity offered against Delta by two vaccine doses wears off significantly after eight months,” Lynch stated.

“So, doctors, nurses and those in aged care who got their first shots early are becoming vulnerable. They need that booster.”

He added: “It’s good that health and aged care workers are in that priority group, but we need that booster shot to be a compulsory condition for working in hospitals as well as residential and community aged care.”

“We need the government to send an unambiguous message: if you work in health or aged care then you must be vaccinated.”

Vaccines for hospital staff not controversial

According to Catholic Health Australia, mandating Covid vaccines for hospital staff should not be thought of as controversial; healthcare workers are already required to get jabs to protect against the likes of measles, mumps and rubella.

News agency Reuters reported on Monday that Australian officials plan to roll out Covid-19 booster shots soon to prevent a resurgence of cases, as residents in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne begin to enjoy more freedoms after months-long curbs.

“Australia has ditched its Covid-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the coronavirus, after largely stamping out infections for most of this year, and is now aiming to live with the virus through higher vaccinations,” Reuters said.

“Officials are gradually shifting their focus to booster shots as double-dose vaccinations levels in Australia’s adult population nears 75%. Almost 87% of people above 16 have received their first dose since the national rollout began in February.”

The post Catholic Health wants compulsory booster shot for health workers appeared first on Australian Times News.

The pause applies to cruises scheduled to depart from 15 January 2022 to 14 February 2022.

President of P&O Cruises Australia, Sture Myrmell, said the voluntary pause had been extended because of the absence of a clear pathway for a return to cruising in Australia.

 “We are naturally disappointed for our guests and our many suppliers to have to extend the pause in operations by a further month,” Myrmell said. 

Vital need for a pathway to resumption

“With society rapidly reopening, including social gathering and travel just weeks away, there is a vital need for a pathway for the staged resumption of domestic cruising. 

“Our guests have made it clear they want to cruise again and we look forward to welcoming them on board as soon as possible – supported by comprehensive protocols based on world’s best public health practice and standards. 

He added: “We are also mindful of the many businesses who rely on cruising for their livelihoods across food and fresh produce, marine engineering and logistics, entertainment and, of course, travel agents.” 

P&O Cruises Australia has already announced its intention to resume domestic operations with cruises for fully vaccinated guests and crew. 

Guests whose bookings have been affected will be notified of the pause and options available either directly or via their appointed travel agent, the company said.

Massive losses for cruise line operators

Together, Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, and the two other biggest cruise operators, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, lost nearly US$900-million each month during the pandemic, according to credit rating agency Moody’s.

Quoting the Cruise Lines International Association, the New York Times reported recently that the cruise industry carried 80 percent fewer passengers last year (2020) compared to 2019.

But the sector is starting to make a comeback. The same Times article said cruise companies restarted operations in Europe and Asia late last year and, after months of preparations to meet stringent health and safety guidelines set by authorities, cruise lines have started to welcome back passengers for US sailings.

In the US, demand is now outweighing supply, with many itineraries fully booked throughout the summer.

The post Australian cruising giant extends pause in sailings until mid-Feb appeared first on Australian Times News.

The company pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court for failing to ensure the safety of employees.

On 14 October 2017, two workers and a supervisor were searching for proposed drill sites in rugged terrain while working at Mount Windell in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The work took place over two days in temperatures estimated to be higher than 37°C.

Workers walked more than 16km in heat

On each occasion, the trio were required to walk more than 16km each day in harsh conditions, carrying equipment and supplies.

According to the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Rio Tinto Exploration had various policies and procedures in place concerning the risks associated with exposure to extreme conditions, including hydration monitoring, recognition of heat stress symptoms and appropriate management.

However, the workers conducting the reconnaissance did not understand they were required to complete heat-stress assessments, a procedure which indicates muscle cramps and dehydration are symptoms of heat stress that can lead to life-threatening conditions such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke if not appropriately managed.

At the end of the second day, one of the workers collapsed and later died after complaining of leg cramps and that he felt dehydrated the day before.

“While other factors contributed to the worker’s death, it is difficult to predict an individual’s susceptibility to heat stroke and it can occur very suddenly. A person suffering heat stress must receive immediate treatment with appropriate cooling,” the department said in a statement.

Temperatures were likely above 37 degrees

The exact temperature of the work site is unknown, although the nearest weather station at Wittenoom, 48kms from the incident, recorded temperatures of 37.8°C on the day of the employee’s death and 37.4°C the day before.

Acting Mines Safety Director at the department, Sally North, said employers must ensure workers understand that exposure to extreme conditions – including hot, humid temperatures, while undertaking demanding work – can lead to heat stroke. 

“The company had written procedures in place, but they were not well known or understood by some workers or enforced by some supervisors,” North said.

“As at October 2017, the company did not provide these workers with a specific training program to educate them about the causes, symptoms and treatment of thermal stress.”

The post Company fined after workers exposed to extreme heat conditions appeared first on Australian Times News.

“We’ve heard the calls from employers and employees to provide certainty on what roles need to be done by vaccinated workers under the Covid-19 Protection Framework,” the minister said.

“We’re mandating vaccination for workers at businesses where customers need to show Covid Vaccination Certificates to make those workplaces as safe as possible and give confidence to staff and customers.

“The timing of this coming into force will depend on when we move to the Protection Framework. We’re working with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and BusinessNZ to make sure we will have robust guidance for businesses ready well in advance.”

Businesses and unions asking for clarity

Wood said a number of businesses had already gone through a risk-assessment process to mandate vaccinations at their workplace, but the Government had received calls from both businesses and unions to make this process as clear as possible.

Consequently, it would be introducing a risk-assessment process in law for employers to follow when deciding whether they can require vaccination by employees for different types of work.

“We know, though, that many businesses and employers who are not covered by vaccine certificates want greater clarity on whether they can mandate vaccines,” he emphasised.

“This process will provide businesses with a clear and simplified legal framework to make decisions about requiring staff to be vaccinated or not.”

Risk assessments based on various inputs

He said the risk assessment would build on the guidance provided by WorkSafe, with input from public health officials, business representatives and unions. It would cover factors like whether a workplace required interaction with customers.

“This new process won’t override risk assessments that businesses have already done under the existing health and safety guidelines,” Wood stated.

“We know that these changes raise questions around what happens when mandated employees refuse to get vaccinated. To provide clarity, a new four-week notice period will apply if their employment is terminated if they choose not to be vaccinated and their work requires it.

“This change will only apply to employees who do not have a notice period, or whose notice periods are shorter than four weeks. Most employees will have notice periods in their employment agreement.”

The post NZ Government backs businesses on vaccination of workforce appeared first on Australian Times News.

“Following the latest public health advice, Western Australia’s controlled interstate border is set to be safely adjusted, pending no further outbreaks,” the WA Government said in a statement.

For almost two months now, travel has been allowed from Queensland to WA without approval, but 14 days of self-quarantine has been required.

With Queensland now transitioning from ‘low risk’ to ‘very low risk’ under WA regulations, visitors will, from Wednesday, have to complete a G2G Pass declaration before travel, stipulating that they do not have any Covid-19 symptoms and identifying which jurisdictions they have visited in the previous 14 days.

Arrivals must take a Covid test if necessary

All Perth Airport arrivals must undergo health screening and travellers must be prepared to take a Covid test if deemed necessary by a health clinician.

Queensland visitors arriving at WA land borders will undergo health screening at the border checkpoint and have their G2G Pass declaration checked. 

Meanwhile, WA continues to classify the Australia Capital Territory is a ‘medium risk’ jurisdiction, while Victoria and New South Wales are both classified as ‘extreme risk’ jurisdictions.

“Western Australia’s border controls are safe and sensible, allowing WA to remain open without importing the virus from high-risk locations like New South Wales and Victoria,” said WA Premier Mark McGowan.

Travel to WA quarantine-free for 10m Aussies

 “With the inclusion of Queensland as a ‘very low risk’ jurisdiction, about 10-million Australians are now free to come and go from WA, quarantine-free.

 “As a priority, I ask those Western Australians who haven’t yet been vaccinated to do so immediately to protect yourself, your family and the rest of the community from this dangerous virus.”

According to the state’s Health Minister, Roger Cook, WA was intending to introduce the Queensland reclassification last week, but paused the decision when a new case emerged in Qld.

“The Acting Chief Health Officer has advised the border controls can safely transition to ‘very low risk’ from Wednesday, pending no new cases,” Cook said.

The post Queenslanders can enter WA quarantine-free from Wednesday appeared first on Australian Times News.

Action is being taken against First Class Slate Roofing (First Class) and RAD Roofing Specialists (trading as Mr Shingles) and their sole directors, Scott Barton of First Class and Damian Hand of Mr Shingles,

First Class and Mr Shingles are providers of slate roofing works in Sydney and its surrounds.

“The ACCC alleges that First Class, Mr Shingles and their respective sole directors colluded to rig bids for tenders in exchange for cash payments at two construction projects,” commission Chair Rod Sims said.

Bids rigged for uni and residential project

The allegations include that, in August 2019, First Class and Mr Shingles engaged in bid rigging for the supply of slate roofing services at the Wesley College at the University of Sydney.

It is alleged that the purpose of the bid rigging was to increase the likelihood that First Class would win a tender for supplying Wesley College in exchange for a cash payment from First Class to Mr Shingles. First Class ultimately won the Wesley College tender.

It is also alleged that in September 2019, First Class and Mr Shingles engaged in bid rigging in relation to a tender for a residential building project in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill.

The ACCC is contending that the purpose of rigging the Bellevue Hill Tender was to ensure that Mr Shingles would be more likely to be the successful tenderer, which Mr Shingles eventually won.

According to a statement from the commission, it also alleges that the cash payment Mr Shingles was to pay First Class for bid rigging the Bellevue Hill tender was offset by the money it was due to receive for rigging the Wesley College tender.

Such collusion inflates prices for consumers

“This case demonstrates how cartel conduct, such as bid rigging, corrupts the competitive process and has the potential to artificially inflate prices for customers,” Sims said.

“The ACCC takes allegations of cartel conduct very seriously and will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action against any company or individual who engages in this type of conduct.”

In bringing the case to court, the ACCC is seeking penalties, declaration, injunctions and disqualification orders against Barton and Hand.

Bid rigging occurs when two or more competitors agree they will not compete genuinely with each other for tenders, allowing one of the cartel members to ‘win’ the tender. Participants in a bid-rigging cartel may take turns to be the ‘winner’ by agreeing about the way they submit tenders, including some competitors agreeing not to tender at all.

The post Consumer regulator takes action against alleged roof tiling cartel appeared first on Australian Times News.

Whilst Australia has reached Phase B of the National Plan, with 70 percent of the eligible general population now fully vaccinated and more than 86 percent having had at least one dose, health minister Greg Hunt says it is important to ensure people receive their second dose and the country reaches the 80 percent fully vaccinated mark.

“The advertisements create a sense of encouragement and a feeling of enjoying more freedoms as Australia opens up; as Australians start to return to travelling overseas, birthday parties, weddings and a family Christmas,” Hunt said.

“It provides a positive, hopeful tone [and] a touch of humour to motivate those who are more hesitant to get vaccinated to avoid missing out on greater freedoms.”

‘Spread Freedom’ campaign launches tonight

The ‘Spread Freedom’ campaign will air from tonight and materials will be shared across all media channels.

To further encourage First Australians to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the Government is also launching a new project entitled ‘For all of us’.

The project features a number of high-profile Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who have come together to encourage their mob to get vaccinated.

Model Samantha Harris, musician Baker Boy, chef Nornie Bero, street artist Tori-Jay Mordey, and renowned didgeridoo player and vocalist William Barton all encourage further vaccination uptake and seek to combat vaccine hesitancy.

Community groups being regularly consulted

The project conveys the message: ‘For our past, for our future, for all of us. Get vaccinated for Covid-19’.

“Committees representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people with a disability, and multicultural communities are being consulted regularly to ensure the vaccination messaging is clear, appropriate and disseminated through the best communication channels to reach all Australians,” the minister said.

The communications campaign also supports on-the-ground engagement with the public, including information kiosks at shopping centres and events, and community in-reach activities with CALD and Indigenous communities.

The Australian Government says it has invested more than $90-million in support of its vaccination communications campaign.

The post Australia launches latest version of vaccine communications campaign appeared first on Australian Times News.

Following consistent calls from the retail sector for an earlier reopening, trading in stores will be allowed from 6pm next Friday, in line with the 80% double-dose vaccination target. Capacity and density limits will also be removed when 90% of the 12+ population is fully vaccinated, set to be in late November.

“Every day counts for retail as we enter the most important trading period of the year, particularly for small businesses on the brink of collapse,” said the association’s CEO, Paul Zahra.

Retailers have been losing $55m a day

“Victorian retailers were losing $55.2-million a day in retail trade as a result of the most recent lockdown. Most discretionary retailers make up to two-thirds of their annual profits during the all-important Christmas trading period so we need to ensure they can open and trade at their full potential.”

Zahra said the earlier reopening also allows fashion retailers to take advantage of the important shopping period just prior to the Melbourne Cup.

“It’s great to see the start of the rebound for hospitality and hair and beauty businesses, which reopened a couple of days ago, and we look forward to all retailers joining them from next Friday night.”

Most stores will go beyond 9pm trading

He continued: “Most retailers will extend their trading hours beyond the traditional 9pm close, so they can get a head start in recovering the substantial trading losses they’ve incurred in recent months.

“Small businesses have been hardest hit across clothing, accessories and department stores. CBD retailers have also struggled enormously through more than 200 days of lockdown over the past two years. The only real antidote to that kind of economic hit is to let retail open their doors – and we strongly welcome [the news], as will retailers across Victoria.

“Victorians are forecast to spend $15.4-billion in the pre-Christmas sales period – a 1.3% increase on last year, and a significant increase on pre-pandemic conditions. There’s a lot of pent-up demand for people to get back out and shop and we’re looking forward to seeing double vaccinated people being rewarded,” Zahra stated.

The post Melbourne’s retail revival is set to begin from next Friday appeared first on Australian Times News.

This is according to the Australian Conservation Foundation, which engaged accounting firm Deloitte to research the economic opportunities that come hand-in-hand with clean transport.

The foundation says the current approach to road transport will cost Australia $865-billion between 2022 and 2050.

Set a strong policy on electric vehicles

The report offers three scenarios, each of which are claimed to deliver notable savings while also dramatically improving the environment. The most ambitious of the scenarios indicates that $492-billion could be saved if there’s a complete transition to electric vehicles and increased usage of public buses by 2035.

“If Australian leaders are looking for ways to cut emissions this decade and are serious about reaching net zero by 2050, then setting strong policy on electric vehicles is a vital and practical solution,” the foundation’s Economy and Democracy Program Manager, Matt Rose, said.

“Australia is getting left behind when it comes to electric vehicles and it makes no sense when there are obvious savings to be made.

“Electric vehicles have proven technology to reduce emissions and make the air we all breathe cleaner. They should be an integral part of every government and businesses plan to reduce emissions and also be made affordable to all Australians,” he said.

Transport a major polluter in Australia

The Deloitte Access Economics modelling has been based off the cost to the Australian community from air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Transport is a significant contributor to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and we’re now at a real inflection point where we can realistically look at the benefits from a fast and complete transition to EVs in this country,” said Dr Eamon McGinn, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics and principal author of the report.

“The potential benefits for our economy of the market-led EV solution, in terms of less greenhouse gas emissions, less air and water pollution, and less vehicle noise are truly staggering – almost $500 billion over the next 30 years.”

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University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Anthony Romilio recently led an international team to re-analyse the footprints, dated to the latter part of the Triassic Period around 220-million years ago.

“For years it’s been believed that these tracks were made by a massive predator that was part of the dinosaur family Eubrontes, with legs over two metres tall,” Dr Romilio said.

“This idea caused a sensation decades ago because no other meat-eating dinosaur in the world approached that size during the Triassic period.

“But our research shows the tracks were instead made by a dinosaur from the Evazoum family – vegetarian dinosaurs that were smaller, with legs about 1.4 metres tall and a body length of six metres.”

There was good reason for doubt

The research team suspected there was something not quit -right with the original size estimates and there was a good reason for their doubts.

“Unfortunately, earlier researchers could not directly access the footprint specimen for their study, instead relying on old drawings and photographs that lacked detail,” Dr Romilio said.

The dinosaur fossils were discovered more than half a century ago around 200 metres deep underground at a coal mine, just west of Brisbane.

“It must have been quite a sight for the first miners in the 1960s to see big bird-like footprints jutting down from the ceiling,” Dr Romilio said.

Hendrik Klein, co-author and fossil expert from Saurierwelt Paläontologisches Museum in Germany, said the footprints were made on the water-sodden layers of ancient plant debris with the tracks later in-filled by silt and sand.

“This explains why today they occur in an upside-down position right above our heads,” Klein said.

“After millions of years, the plant material turned into coal which was extracted by the miners to reveal a ceiling of siltstone and sandstone, complete with the natural casts of dinosaur footprints.”

Made virtual 3D model of footprint

The mine has long since closed. But, fortunately, in 1964 geologists and the Queensland Museum mapped the trackway and made plaster casts, now used in current research.

“We made a virtual 3D model of the dinosaur footprint that was emailed to team members across the world to study,” Klein explained.

“The more we looked at the footprint and toe impression shapes and proportions, the less they resembled tracks made by predatory dinosaurs – this monster dinosaur was definitely a much friendlier plant-eater.

“This is still a significant discovery even if it isn’t a scary Triassic carnivore. This is the earliest evidence we have for this type of dinosaur in Australia, marking a 50-million-year gap before the first quadrupedal sauropod fossils known.”

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The 5.9 magnitude earthquake, north of Rawson in Victoria on 22 September, was felt across six states and territories – including in the major centres of Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Canberra and even Brisbane.

Resources minister, Keith Pitt, said the quake has demonstrated the valuable role the Australian Government’s world-renowned National Earthquake Alerts Centre plays in detecting and preparing for disasters.

“Seismic analysts were able to provide Emergency Management Australia’s National Situation Room with preliminary details about the size, location and depth of the quake approximately 10 minutes after this earthquake occurred,” the minister said.

Information helps to mobilise the response

“This information helped local emergency managers gauge the severity of the quake and start mobilising their response.”

The Alerts Centre has detected approximately 30 aftershocks in the month following the quake, ranging in magnitude from 2.2 to 4.1, including one last night.

Geoscience Australia’s Earthquakes@GA website also received more than 40,000 felt reports in the first 24 hours – a new record for an Australian earthquake.

These reports, made by members of the public, are used to produce a calibrated ShakeMap showing the modelled ground-motion intensity over a broader area. 

“The National Earthquake Alerts Centre is continuing to receive felt reports from the community and will continue to assess the shaking intensity of each report,” Pitt said.

“This ‘citizen science’ will feed into Geoscience Australia’s seismic hazard modelling work, which will help keep Australians safer in future.”

Permanent network of more than 100 stations

The National Earthquake Alerts Centre uses a permanent network of more than 100 stations across the country to detect and respond to earthquakes 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

On average, it detects and locates approximately 100 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or larger per year. 

Australia experiences an earthquake around the size of the one that occurred in Victoria on average every five to 10 years.  However, most large earthquakes tend to occur in remote central and western Australia.

“This event reminds us that large earthquakes can occur anywhere across Australia without warning,” Pitt said. “No technology can predict earthquakes, but we can certainly prepare for them.”

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The report finds that if all forms of insecure work are included, up to half of workers in Central Queensland do not have a permanent job.

Key industries such as mining, meat processing and manufacturing – some of the biggest employers in Central Queensland– have been deliberately replacing permanent jobs with insecure ones, the union bodies say.

Less than half of mining jobs are permanent

The report found that levels of permanent work in the mining industry had gone from almost all permanent in 1996 to less than half this year.

“Those workers are on casual or labour hire arrangements earning 30 to 40 percent less than permanent workers employed directly by mine operators doing exactly the same work – this is despite the industry making at least $35-billion in profits last year,” the ACTU said in a statement.

It added that insecure work puts workers lives on hold, with uncertainty over hours, lower pay and no job security. This put tremendous financial and emotional strain on families.

“Mining, aged care, meat processing and manufacturing are key areas of work in Central Queensland and employers are deliberately replacing permanent jobs with insecure ones,” said ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus.

Casual employment gives all power to bosses

“This is not only bad for workers, but bad for communities who rely on workers with money in their pockets to spend.”

“Casual employment gives all the power to employers, making it difficult for workers to bargain for better pay or rights – and the Morrison Government has condemned more workers into insecurity by passing laws earlier this year that ensure employers can label any worker as a casual, irrespective of the true nature of their work,” McManus stated.

“To stop the ‘uberisation’ of the Australian workforce, the Morrison Government must protect workers and pass laws ensuring ‘same job same pay’. Workers doing the same job should get the same pay regardless [of] if they are on the books of a labour hire company or directly employed.”

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The environmental organisation says the Government wanted the findings removed from the next major report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to Greenpeace, the leaked documents reveal how Australia is part of a small group of fossil fuel-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), who are lobbying the IPCC – the world’s leading authority on climate change – to water down findings and delete a key conclusion that the world needs to rapidly phase out fossil fuels. 

Comments are a window into national positions

IPCC scientists are under no obligation to accept the comments, and each of them is checked against the scientific literature. However, the comments provide a window into the positions being adopted by leading nations behind the scenes, the organisation said in a statement.

In one comment seen by Unearthed, a senior Australian government official is said to have rejected a claim that one of the most important steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to phase out coal-fired power stations.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO, David Ritter, said the leaked documents reveal the extent of the Morrison Government’s attempts to derail global climate progress.

“These leaked documents reveal the shameful lengths the Morrison Government will go to [in order] to protect fossil-fuel interests and damage global efforts to reduce emissions and safeguard the climate,” he said.

Morrison Government officials ‘in sabotage mode’

“What we see in these leaked documents is Morrison Government officials in sabotage mode, rather than acting in good faith with the best interests of the Australian people to collaborate to secure ambitious global climate cooperation.

“Scott Morrison has rejected setting a stronger 2030 emissions reduction target for Australia, and now we know his government is pushing back against key recommendations by the world’s leading climate science body on the need to phase out coal over the next decade.” 

Greenpeace claims that, in one comment, an Australian government official suggests Australia be deleted from a list of the world’s major producers and consumers of coal – despite Australia being the fifth-largest coal producer in the world between 2018-21 – on the grounds that it does not consume as much coal as other countries. 

“The Australian government even goes as far as arguing against the need for a coal phase out while also trying to rewrite history by denying the role of corporate lobbying in blocking climate action,” Greenpeace International Executive Director, Jennifer Morgan, said.

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New Zealand is only the second country to secure such an agreement with the UK post Brexit. The deal aims to cuts costs for Kiwi exporters and businesses, as well as provide greater access to the United Kingdom’s markets.

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson and I spoke yesterday (Wednesday) evening to mark this historic moment and its importance in forging a stronger and more dynamic future relationship between two close friends and partners,” Ardern said.

“This deal serves New Zealand’s economy and exporters well as we reconnect, rebuild and recover from Covid-19, and look forward into the future.

Deal comes at a crucial time for NZ

“It’s one of our best deals ever and secured at a crucial time in our Covid recovery,” she added.

“The lesson from [the pandemic] is that we must have as many options [as possible] for our world-class products to ensure certainty for our primary producers, our economy and our people.”

The UK was New Zealand’s seventh largest trading partner pre-Covid, with two-way trade worth nearly $NZ6-billion to March 2020. It is estimated that the new agreement will see a 40% increase in NZ goods being exported to the UK, which will boost the economy by around $NZ970-million.  

“This new trade deal is the cherry on the top of a long and lasting partnership between the United Kingdom and New Zealand,” UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said.

“It is good for both our economies, boosting jobs and growth as we build back better from the pandemic. We already share deep ties of history, culture and values, and I look forward to the next chapter in our friendship.”

Discussion on people-to-people links

Ardern also announced that New Zealand and the UK have committed to a discussion – outside of the free trade agreement talks – on how people-to-people links can be deepened even further.

This will include working to extend and improve the existing New Zealand-UK Working Holiday/Youth Mobility scheme. Work on this will begin immediately.

“These schemes create opportunities for young New Zealanders to develop their skills and work experience while travelling and living in the UK; and vice versa,” the PM said.

“For many young New Zealanders an overseas experience has become a rite of passage, providing a pathway to develop their skills and work experience while travelling and living in the United Kingdom.”

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At the heart of the problem are soaring insurance rates – in some cases increases in premiums of 200 percent – and in other instances a point-blank refusal by insurance companies to provide attractions with the cover that they are legally required to have.

“There is a clear and present danger facing the amusement and recreation sector because an inability for these businesses to get insurance cover means that many of the attractions people know and love won’t be able to operate,” Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, warned.

Interim report into crisis released today

He has today released an interim report into the crisis facing the amusement, leisure and recreation industry in Australia.

“The lack of insurance coverage could lead to the closure of businesses … significant job losses (particularly in regional areas), stranded assets and loss of economic activity generated by metro and regional shows and amusement parks,” Billson said.

The report, entitled The Show Must Go On, explores whether a Discretionary Mutual Fund (DMF) can be a solution and discusses required legislative reform by states and territories to ensure it is ‘fit for purpose’. 

It also highlights the need for such a DMF to be recognised and accepted as a suitable solution by local councils and showground managers.

‘A shattering blow’ to small businesses

Billson said the interim report seeks urgent feedback from all stakeholders by 3 November to the ideas and questions raised in the document.

“As businesses look to re-open after lockdowns, this issue is a shattering blow for those small and family businesses in the amusement, leisure and recreation sector which will be forced to stay shut because they can’t get insurance,” he stated. 

“There is a very real possibility shows won’t go on; something has to be done for the show to go on. A DMF may represent the only workable solution.” 

The interim report found the lack of affordable insurance was not the fault of the amusement industry but due to a ‘hardening’ in the global insurance market. Very few insurers were willing to insure the industry and premiums – when available – had risen significantly.

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Stats NZ said the publication of the 2023 Census: Final Content Report confirmed that that gender and sexual identity questions would be included for the first time.

“People’s sense of their gender and sexual identity is really important to them and can impact on their lives and experiences. The census touches everyone and will provide a detailed picture of how people with diverse genders and sexual identities experience life in Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Stats NZ’s Social and Population Insights General Manager, Jason Attewell.

Sexual identity data already in other surveys

“The data will also inform better decision making and provision of services for the Rainbow community.”

He added: “We are already collecting sexual identity and gender in our other household surveys and that is going well. It is important that everyone is able to see themselves in – and take part in – the census.”

Collecting information on gender and sexual identity in the census will allow more detailed geographic breakdowns of the data produced than may be possible for data collected in household surveys.

The 2023 Census also marks the first time in any Stats NZ survey that information will be collected on variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex status).

First time NZ to have data on intersex community

“This is exciting because for the first time we will have data about the intersex community and just how many people in Aotearoa New Zealand are part of this community,” Attewell said.

Questions on sexual identity (for example, heterosexual, gay or lesbian) and variations of sex characteristics will only be asked of people aged 15 years or older.

According to Stats NZ, census data has many important uses such as allocating funding for health and education, making decisions on facilities needed in local areas, and understanding the wellbeing of population groups – including local, ethnic and other communities.

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Jen Williams, Queensland Executive Director of the council, said that with Brisbane’s CBD office vacancies being 50 percent higher than pre-Covid levels, the re-opening benchmark announced by the State Government would provide a much-needed injection of confidence.

CBD businesses, retailers and tourism operators could now plan for the Festive Season and beyond, she said.

Plan will provide the certainty everyone needs

“Today’s release of the Covid Vaccine Plan provides the certainty that industry and the community have been calling for,” Williams stated.

“Queensland has been fortunate to avoid the extended lockdowns experienced in other states. However, there is no doubt that ongoing social distancing and health restrictions, along with the ever-present threat of lockdowns, have impacted confidence across many sectors.

“The CBD – the epicentre of the state’s social, economic and cultural institutions – has been particularly hard hit by forced and voluntary work from home. Having a plan for when mask wearing will be minimised and lockdowns will end removes some of the barriers to a full return to the office.”

Boost for hospitality and entertainment sectors

Williams added: “The Vaccine Plan will not only allow for greater people flows across the border. The proposed removal of health restrictions for venues requiring all staff and patrons to be vaccinated will be music to the ears of many arts, entertainment and hospitality businesses who have been doing it tough throughout the pandemic.”

She believed that, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the Queensland economy remained in an enviable position. Interstate migration continued to be strong, planning was now underway for the Brisbane 2032 Games, and investor interest in the state had returned.

“To make the most of the opportunities ahead, it is now incumbent upon us all to get back to the CBD and help support our local businesses in the lead up to what we hope will be a bumper Festive Season,” Williams said.

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From today (19 October), Australians and Australian visa holders who have a valid passport and their Covid-19 vaccination recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) can obtain an International Covid-19 proof of vaccination.

According to a statement released by the Government, this will enable fully vaccinated Australians to depart the country and to travel internationally, consistent with the National Plan to transition Australia’s Covid Response.

It can be downloaded digitally or printed, and is compatible with Covid-19 travel apps such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass.

Secure QR code to prove your status

“The international proof of vaccination features a secure QR code to prove Covid vaccination status to border authorities around the world and increases a person’s ability to travel safely and with confidence,” the statement said.

“The Visible Digital Seal technology within the international proof of vaccination is world-leading, it is as secure as an Australian passport, and authenticated in the same way.”

This international certificate meets the new global standard specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization and conforms with World Health Organization guidance.

According to the Federal Government, Australia will share the Visible Digital Seal technology, building a curated library of technical documents to assist interested countries develop their own vaccination certificates.

“The launch of the international proof of vaccination is a key step towards safely reopening international borders and supporting Australia’s Covid-19 economic recovery,” the statement said.

Access to certificate via Medicare account

Requesting an international certificate is free. The easiest way to get your certificate is by using your Medicare account through myGov, or the Medicare Express app.

Meanwhile, a report by ABC News says that if you’ve been vaccinated overseas and are waiting to return home, you won’t be able to apply for an Australian international vaccine certificate.

“That’s because you can only have an international vaccination uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register once you’re back in the country,” the ABC reported.

“The government is yet to say exactly how people vaccinated overseas who haven’t had the chance to do that can prove their status.”

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With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, scheduled to be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow at the end of October, major European and global companies have paid significant amounts – in some cases apparently millions of dollars – to be corporate sponsors.

Among the biggest names are Microsoft, Hitachi, Jaguar Land Rover, Unilever and broadcaster Sky.

Event planning has been ‘very last minute’

But, according to a report by the London-based Guardian newspaper, paying sponsors are said to be unhappy and have complained that planning is “mismanaged” and “very last minute”.

Several companies are believed to have co-signed a letter raising concerns about inexperienced civil servants delayed decisions, poor communication and a breakdown in relations between the organisers and the sponsoring firms.

Reported the Guardian: “One source, employed by a COP26 sponsor, said that ‘the biggest frustration’ was the lack of information about how the event will run, and the role for its key backers, because important questions have gone unanswered and planning decisions have been delayed’.

The newspaper added: “They had an extra year to prepare for Cop due to Covid, but it doesn’t feel like this time was used to make better progress. Everything feels very last minute, the source said.”

Big sponsors promised ‘unique benefits’

Organisers of COP26 apparently promised sponsors an ‘outstanding opportunity’ and ‘unique benefits’ in exchange for their support, including a chance to promote their brands at the conference Green Zone exhibition space and the participation of government ministers at their events.

But in multiple emails and official letters the companies have complained to organisers about unmet expectations, and deepening concerns over delays to the Green Zone plans. They have also raised complaints that ministers have not always been available for their events in the run-up to COP26, as agreed as part of the sponsor deals.

However, not everyone is sympathetic to the sponsors’ complaints, it seems. According to the Guardian, an unnamed UK Government veteran of COP summits commented: “It feels like some of these sponsors have forgotten the actual reason we’re in Glasgow. COP isn’t about branding, it’s about tackling climate change. Keeping 1.5C in reach is the best thing you can do for your bottom line: they would do well to remember this.”

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The study looked at six years’ worth of complaints made about junk food being marketed to children and found the food industry codes fail to protect them. Loopholes are being exploited by food marketers and complaints made by concerned parents and the community are being ignored.

McDonald’s, KFC, Cadbury and Kellogg’s were amongst the food brands that were the subject of complaints, with many of them running ads that clearly appeal to children. Yet very few complaints were upheld due to flaws in the industry-designed codes.

System is failing to protect our children

Clare Hughes, Chair of the council’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee, said: “The system is failing to protect our children from junk food marketing. Children’s exposure to high levels of unhealthy food marketing affects the food and drinks that they like, ask for, buy and consume.

“There’s no denying that the ads we looked at were clearly targeting children, yet campaigns for products like Happy Meals, LCMs bars, KFC chicken and Cadbury Oreo bars are slipping through gaping loopholes in the current industry codes and reaching our children every day on buses, TV and online.”

The industry codes are not set up to protect kids from exposure to unhealthy advertising, the Cancer Council said.

The most common loophole being exploited by food companies is the term ‘primarily directed to children’ as often advertisers claim that, rather than being directed to children, the ad was equally of appeal to parents.

Complaint against McDonald’s dismissed

An example of this was a McDonald’s Happy Meal ad promoting Peter Rabbit toys. The complaint was dismissed because that theme was found to be appealing to children and to parents who would like to buy a treat for their children.

The research found several other loopholes being exploited by marketers, including that the codes mostly define children as under 14 years, whereas best practice defines children as someone under the age of 18

Another loophole is that, alongside the unhealthy food, ads feature people exercising and sharing food as the current codes say they should encourage physical activity and good dietary habits (including not promoting excessive consumption).

In light of the findings, Cancer Council is now calling for mandatory independent government regulation of food marketing to children.

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According to Department of Health figures as at 10pm last night, there were 39,024 first doses and 90,971 second doses. Auckland now has 89% of its eligible people vaccinated with at least one dose.

“I want to give a huge thanks to every eligible New Zealander who stepped up today and over the past few days to get their shot, as well as to the hundreds of health providers, businesses, workplaces and community organisations who’ve pulled out all the stops as part of the nationwide push for vaccination,” said Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

Biggest ever day for Māori vaccinations

“It’s fantastic that Auckland has enjoyed its biggest ever vaccination day with 8,957 people getting their first doses and 31,686 people receiving their second doses.”

“It’s also the biggest ever day for Māori vaccinations, with 10,941 first doses and 10,874 second doses. I want to thank Māori providers for the enormous amount of mahi (work) that has gone into making today such a success.

“It was also a great day for the Pacific community with 4,223 first doses and 8,093 second doses.”

Broomfield extended thanks to all those involved with New Zealand’s first ‘Vaxathon’ event on Saturday.

Celebration of an historic day for NZ

“Both those behind the scenes and those in front of the cameras who united to energise and celebrate this historic vaccination day, encourages New Zealanders – particularly young Māori, Pacific and tāngata whaikaha (those living with a disability) – to get vaccinated,” he stated.

“We take our hats off to the thousands of vaccinators, volunteers, DHB and healthcare staff, community helpers, logistics teams, delivery people, Healthline call centre takers and everyone else who played their part, without whom this result would not have been possible.”

The Department of Health says yesterday’s vaccination numbers mean that 85% of New Zealand’s eligible population have had at least one vaccination, and 65% are now fully vaccinated.

“Super Saturday has been a shot in the arm for the final stage of our Covid-19 vaccination programme and we now need to finish the job to protect all New Zealanders from the virus,” Broomfield noted.

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The national carrier has also welcomed the decision by the NSW Government to remove quarantine arrangements for fully vaccinated arrivals, which is in line with many countries around the world.

Qantas will operate up to five return flights a week from Sydney to London and up to four return flights a week from Sydney to Los Angeles with its Boeing 787 Dreamliners from 1 November.

It said in a statement that more flights will be added to meet demand, if needed. Flights to London will operate via Darwin until at least April 2022.

Limits on those who can take early flights

These initial flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents – in line with Australian Government requirements, the airline said.

Flights to other destinations – including Singapore, Fiji and Vancouver in Canada – are still scheduled to commence from 18 December, with other destinations to restart in the new year.

However, in light of the shift to remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in New South Wales, Qantas hopes to bring forward some additional flights from Sydney, if possible. 

“Bringing forward the reopening of Australia to the world and removing quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers entering New South Wales is a massive step towards [returning to] life as we knew it,” Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said.

Qantas workers will be thrilled, says CEO

“We have thousands of our pilots and cabin crew wanting to get back to work and they will be thrilled at [the] announcement. It will still be a long time before international travel returns to normal, but this is a fantastic start.

“Removing quarantine for the fully vaccinated is a sensible approach and brings New South Wales into line with many other global [destinations].”

According to Qantas, all passengers on its international flights (aged 12 years and older) will be required to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-approved vaccine, unless they have an exemption.

As part of Government requirements, people on these flights will also be required to return a negative Covid test from an approved PCR-testing site 72 hours prior to departure.

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The Australian Retailers Association is supporting calls for Australia to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, with a more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target.

Paul Zahra, outspoken CEO of the association, said the science is clear and so is the business case for change.

“Having navigated the global pandemic, we are now moving on to tackle the next big global disruption – climate change,” he stated.

Australian consumers want action on climate

“Report after report has demonstrated that consumers want this change, with a recent study showing that Australians are three times more concerned about climate change than Covid. Our sector is listening and acting, with 40% of Australia’s retail trade already covered by public commitments to net-zero emissions.”

Following the establishment of a sustainability taskforce earlier this year, the association conducted in-depth consultation with members to stimulate their views on climate action.

In a survey conducted this month, 63% of members who responded agreed that urgent action is needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change, with 59% having already taken steps to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions.

In the lead up to the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow later this month, the association has now released its own Five-Point Climate Action Plan.

Sector must have a common vision on change

It will engage Australian retailers to unify the sector behind a common vision for change and create a net-zero roadmap for the industry that is informed by global best practice and the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, which was recently launched by global leaders in sustainable retail.

The association will also support retailers in setting and meeting their own climate-change targets by arranging workshops and training sessions. In addition, it is to offer support for the retail sector to transition to renewable energy through education and partnerships.

The fifth point in the action plan is to collaborate with other sectors to take a holistic approach to addressing emissions in key retail precincts, in warehousing and transportation, and along the supply chain.

“Unlike previous disruptions that have caught some retailers off guard, we’ve had plenty of notice about the need for climate action. Retail has a great foundation to build on, with many Australian retailers already taking steps to reduce emissions within their sphere of influence,” Zahra said.

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A Malaysian national has been arrested following the joint AFP and Australian Border Force operation.

The man was charged on Thursday (14 October) with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drugs and attempted possession of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

He faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday (15 October) and was remanded in custody and is due to next appear in court in January 2022.

The heroin, which has an estimated street value of $140-million, was detected in a sea freight container of ceramic tiles addressed to a Melbourne business.

Almost 1,300 drug packages were found

The shipment arrived at the Port of Melbourne in late September, where ABF officers examined the container and located packages with distinctive red heroin branding. Testing on the substance within those packages returned a result for heroin.

AFP investigators assessed a total of 1,290 packages containing heroin within the shipment. The total estimated weight of 451kg, which is about the same weight as a grand piano, made it the largest onshore detection of heroin in Australia.

The heroin was removed from the shipment and the consignment delivered to an industrial precinct near Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport in early October.

On Friday, officers executed a number of search warrants on business and residential premises.

The AFP’s Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Command, Krissy Barrett, said the AFP had strong and enduring relationships with its international partners in the fight against drug trafficking.

Aussie cops working with Malaysian police

“We have a strong relationship with the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and in particular the RMP Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department,” she said.

“We continue to work together in identifying and disrupting transnational organised crime syndicates that seek to harm both our nations and generate millions of dollars of profits from criminal activity.”

According to authorities, there is an average of one death in Australia for approximately every two kilograms of heroin consumed.

“It is important to note that in addition to the arrests made, the primary outcome of this operation is the preservation of an estimated 225 lives” Barrett said.

“It is common for drug traffickers to add other substances to heroin to increase the volume and, therefore, make bigger profits. This involves manufacturing heroin with industrial, toxic chemicals that remain in the end product.”

The post Cops seize 450kg of heroin in largest ever onshore drugs detection appeared first on Australian Times News.

The investigation began in March 2019 when the AFP arrested two men and seized 38kg of methamphetamine which had been imported into Sydney via an Air Canada flight.

Following these arrests, the specialist Sydney Aviation Investigations team identified a man suspected of acting as an overseer of the importation within the airport precinct. Police allege the man used an encrypted device and a ‘burner’ phone to communicate with an extended criminal syndicate.

Syndicate planned another drug importation

In June this year, police executed search warrants in Liverpool, NSW, where they seized approximately $100,000 in cash and charged a man and a woman.

Intelligence gathering during the international sting operation known as Operation Ironside revealed this syndicate had begun planning another importation through Sydney Airport. Police will allege the syndicate consisted of people with trusted insider access at the airport, who used encrypted devices to communicate.

They will further allege in court that the six members of the criminal syndicate, who consisted of past and present employees of a service provider at the airport, planned to import an unknown amount of border-controlled drugs concealed within a cargo box in the hold of a commercial aircraft on in March 2020.

Reduced flights put paid to second import

The importation did not occur due to reduced flight schedules as a result of the pandemic, but the syndicate was heavily involved in its planning. This included distributing encrypted AMOM devices to each of the six members, as well as canvassing for suitable exchange locations within the secure airside area of Sydney Airport.

Following further investigation, officers charged the six syndicate members on Wednesday (13 October) with offences relating to the failed importation.

Detective Inspector Scott Sykes said Operation Ironside continued to deliver investigative leads for police, and the AFP was increasingly focusing on targeting trusted insiders working in Australia’s busiest airport.

“We ask all people that utilise the airport for work or pleasure to be vigilant; if you see or hear something that is unusual or suspicious, please report it to the AFP,” he said.

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This is according to research commissioned by the Australian Automobile Association in partnership with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), which revealed that nearly two-thirds of RACV members surveyed say they will take more trips away interstate and intrastate than they did before Covid-19.

RACV Executive General Manager for Leisure, Craig Peachey, said the research was another critical piece for understanding confidence to travel.

“This survey detailing members’ confidence of when and where they expect to travel, and what they may be required to do to travel, is important for all industry stakeholders – and especially government decision makers – to understand. The survey is like a business confidence index for travel,” he said.

A measured pathway to opening up

The research showed members surveyed want a measured and balanced pathway to opening up travel and mobility.

The use of vaccination certificates to help people travel had overwhelming support, with 79% of people saying they would use a vaccination certificate to cross a state or territory border.

Other survey statistics included: 78% of people saying they plan to travel to a different country when possible; 73% want to attend hospitality venues like pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes; 69% plan to go to larger indoor venues like shopping centres, stations and airports; and 66% said they would attend large events in places like stadiums.

“Right now, 93% of members surveyed say the risk of disruption, cancellation or having to quarantine means it’s not worth the stress or hassle of booking trips away. Over 70% of members surveyed want state borders kept open after 70% of eligible Australians are double vaccinated,” Peachey said.

“Certainty and consistency will be absolutely critical for people [to] have [the] confidence to book trips and travel, and for operators to return staff to work and fulfil bookings. Victoria is now well and truly on the path to re-opening, and it will be important that we can stay open.”

Current 14-day isolation requirements

According to the RACV, the recent changes in relation to secondary close contacts are a positive step to enabling hospitality businesses to re-open and stay open, but the current 14-day isolation requirements for all primary close contacts – even those who are vaccinated – presents an impossible challenge for operators.

“All hospitality operators have invested heavily into their CovidSafe Plans to keep their guests and team members safe, and all accommodation workers are now required to be vaccinated in line with the government requirements,” Peachey stated.

“Despite this, a business can be crippled by the loss of vaccinated team members who are currently required to isolate for 14 days if they’ve inadvertently attended a tier one exposure site.

“This quickly becomes unworkable, and we need more streamlined testing and isolation requirements for vaccinated team members,” he emphasised.

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Quoting data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the union body says unemployment has risen to 4.6 percent, although experts believe the real number of people out of work could be closer to 10 percent.

Participation has dropped to 1.3 percent lower than it was in March 2020, and youth unemployment remains high at 10.8 percent.

Without support more jobs will go

The number of people either unemployed, underemployed – meaning they need more hours – or who have left the labour force entirely due to lack of available jobs, is now at around 2.5-million across the workforce, with 1.3-million out of work entirely or with zero hours.

According to the ACTU, without support from the Government to keep working people with income and attached to employment, ongoing restrictions and lockdowns will keep costing Australians jobs.

“We are so close to our vaccination targets thanks to the work of millions of working people – but restrictions and lockdowns which effect jobs and hours will still be needed throughout the recovery phase and this data shows we are not doing enough to support working people,” ACTU President Michele O’Neil said.

“The headline unemployment rate is hiding a grim reality for young and insecure workers who are facing the worst of the pandemic right now.

Govt has abandoned working people

“Just as they did at the end of 2020, the Morrison Government is pulling up the ladder and abandoning working people before the job is done. We should have financial support in place for any worker affected by restrictions and lockdowns until they are a thing of the past.”

In its statement released this morning, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said seasonally adjusted employment fell by 138,000 people (1.1 percent) between August and September 2021.

Bjorn Jarvis, Head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said: “Extended lockdowns in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have seen employment and hours worked both drop back below their pre-pandemic levels.

In September 2021, there were 111,000 fewer employed people (0.9 percent) and 2.0 percent fewer hours worked than in March 2020.”

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The aircraft was operating from HMAS Brisbane as part of a Regional Presence Deployment with HMAS Warramunga, when the crew conducted an emergency landing in the water.

HMAS Brisbane deployed sea boats and rescued the crew approximately 20 minutes later. The crew received first aid for minor injuries upon their return to HMAS Brisbane.

In a statement released today (14 October), Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Mark Hammond, commended the crews of both ships involved for their quick response to the emergency.

‘Immediate actions’ ensured aircrew’s survival

“The successful rescue is credit to the devotion to duty and skill of the officers and sailors of HMAS Brisbane,” Hammond said.

“Their immediate actions ensured the survival of the aircrew, validating the significant training undertaken in the event an emergency of this nature occurs.”

Both ships continue to search the area for any debris, which will aid in determining the cause of the incident.

“With the aircrew safe, investigating the circumstances that led to the helicopter ditching is the priority at the moment,” Hammond stated.

“As a precaution, we have temporarily paused flying operations of the MH-60R Seahawk fleet.”

The Department of Defence said it was reviewing the impact of the incident on Brisbane and Warramunga’s current deployment.

Navy operates 24 Seahawks in a combat role

According to the website australiandefence.com.au, the RAN currently operates 24 MH-60R Seahawks – including the helicopter involved in this incident – in the naval combat helicopter role, sufficient to provide eight flights (of a single helicopter) at sea and concurrently deliver shore based training and operational tasking.

They are shore-based at HMAS Albatross, near Nowra and serve with 725 and 816 Squadrons.

The US State Department recently approved the potential sale of an additional 12 MH-60R Seahawk naval combat helicopters to the RAN, valued at US$985 million.

The additional helicopters, while still able to be reconfigured for the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role if required, are being acquired to replace the Navy’s current NHI MRH 90 Taipans in the shipboard logistics role, australiandefence.com.au reported.

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Speaking at a virtual business event today (October 13), Westpac’s Acting CEO, Simon Power, said the bank’s report into the Māori economy highlights several areas where Māori are being held back from achieving their economic potential.

“Firstly, Māori are over-represented in low-skilled jobs, which contributes to an income gap of around NZ$2.6-billion between Māori and non-Māori,” Power said. “Secondly, a lack of access to funding is stifling future growth.

Lack of assets to borrow against

“And thirdly, linked to the second point, Māori home-ownership rates lag well behind non-Māori, depriving would-be entrepreneurs of an asset to borrow against to start their own business.”

Power said a key discussion point at the event was how governments and big business can work with Indigenous communities in New Zealand and across the region to ensure economic growth is shared equally and no groups are left behind.

“We’re already working to connect with more Māori and diverse businesses through our supply chain, partnering with iwi (people) on shared equity schemes to help more whanau (family) onto the housing ladder, and using our strength as a lender to support organisations and projects that are driving better social outcomes.”

In June the bank signed Australasia’s first Social Loan with Aotearoa’s largest tertiary education provider, Te Pūkenga. The NZ$125-million loan will be put towards initiatives that align with specific social outcomes, such as providing better access to job training.

Provide young people with skills

“The Māori population is young and it’s growing fast. Between 2013 and 2018, the Māori labour force grew by 40%, compared to 8% for non-Māori, and that growth is set to continue,” Power noted.

“Our rangatahi (young people) are our future. Providing them with the skills and support they need to thrive in the workforce is the first step to clearing those barriers that have traditionally held Māori back.”

Westpac NZ Head of Māori, Inclusion & Diversity, Fonteyn Moses-Te Kani, said the bank saw the urgency around helping Māori SMEs to get access to finance.

“Today’s report includes examples of Indigenous businesses who are already leading the way by staying true to their values of relationship-building, shared responsibility and respect for others and the environment. Helping more of these businesses to succeed will have positive benefits for all of Aotearoa,” she said.

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Leading Australian businesses and researchers will come together to develop the rover, backed by $50-million in funding from the Trailblazer program in the Government’s ‘Moon to Mars’ initiative.

The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil that contains oxides and, using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil. This is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s mission to the Moon would contribute to growing the economy in the Covid-19 recovery period and create more local jobs.

A share of the growing space economy

“This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector, and is central to our Government’s vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy,” the Prime Minister noted.

“By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector – adding $12-billion to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs. – providing more opportunities for Australians and industries.

Morrison said the Government had invested more than $700-million in the civil space sector since July 2018 and was supporting core industries including manufacturing, robotics, engineering, mining and resources.

“This mission to the Moon is just one exciting way that we can create opportunity and jobs for the future and … ensure Australians reap the benefits,” the PM stated.

Minister for Science and Technology, Melissa Price, said the milestone agreement would usher-in a new era for the Australian space sector.

Creating Australia’s own lunar history

“With our expertise in robotics technology, NASA wants to partner with us on this project to the Moon, creating our own lunar history,” Price said.

“As well as putting Australia front and centre for scientific discoveries, our $50-million in support gives Australian businesses and researchers the opportunity to contribute to NASA’s mission to the Moon and beyond.

“It will build the Australian space sector’s capability and capacity, and showcase Australia’s strengths to the world, as well as inspire a whole new generation of young people to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.”

Head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo, said the mission would demonstrate Australian industry’s world-leading skills and experience in remote operations, drawing from the nation’s expertise in the resources and mining sector.

“Australia is at the cutting-edge of robotics technology and systems for remote operations, which are going to be central to setting up a sustainable presence on the Moon and eventually supporting human exploration of Mars,” Palermo said.

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Rebecca Andrews, Queensland Head of the association, called today (12 October) for the State Government to end the conflicting messages on the reopening of the borders. This was for the sake of the well-being of the Queensland community and its business sector.

“Talking vaguely of a Christmas reopening schedule and then upping the ante on vaccination targets is far from the circuit-breaker announcement that the Government needs to deliver to encourage people to get the jab,” she said.

“Queensland businesses are facing ruin and our own people are languishing as exiles, locked away in other states from their families and friends.

Govt must make a clear announcement

“This situation needs to come to an end. [It] requires decisive leadership that can only come from making a clear reopening announcement and then sticking to it.”

According to the Ai Group, vaccination coverage is what will make Queensland safe in the longer run, not the false sense of security provided by borders closed to outsiders.

“We need an unequivocal statement from the Premier, backed up by health authorities, that the state border barriers will be removed on the Monday after the state reaches 80 percent vaccination coverage of all of those eligible to get the jab,” Andrews urged.

“If this occurs, the community will have greater confidence to vaccinate in much larger numbers.

Cannot be held hostage by anti-vaxxers

“We cannot accept a situation where our state’s future is held hostage to the hesitant and the anti-vaxxers,” she said.

Andrews believes there is a compelling case for the state to re-join the nation for both compassionate and good business reasons.

“The longer this situation continues the more Queenslanders will be out of work, the more families that will break down under the stress, the higher the mental toll will be on all of us.

“A safe state is a vaccinated state, and an isolated state is a state of denial against the inevitable,” Andrews said.

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It says the Premier’s call is at odds with several experts – including Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe, Professor Judith Sloan and Professor Ross Garnaut. All have cited high immigration as contributing to the past decade’s stagnant wages and rising job insecurity.

Sustainable Population Australia added that last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Conservative Party Conference: “What I won’t do is go back to the old [and] failed model of low wages, low skills, supported by uncontrolled immigration.”

It said Australian politicians should take a leaf from Johnson’s book and stand up to the self-interested ‘Big-Australia’ lobby.

Not economic growth at any cost

The organisation’s National President, Jenny Goldie, said Perrottet’s economic-growth-at-any-cost position took no account of environmental and social factors.

“Premier Perrottet stated quite clearly on the day he was installed as Premier that his priorities were the economy over health,” Goldie noted. “His immigration push is now prioritising the economy over the environment and social factors such as providing enough schools and hospitals.

“After Sydneysiders have suffered the overcrowded services and infrastructure of two decades of red-hot population growth prior to the pandemic, it seems this is a brazen attempt by Mr Perrotet to inflict another, even more extreme, dose.”

“For 15 years, until Covid closed our borders, we had massive population growth fuelled largely by immigration that led to infrastructure not keeping up. That led in turn to a decline in standards of living.

Unemployment fell and wages rose

“Since borders closed, however, resident Australians filled many of the jobs normally filled by immigrant workers. Unemployment fell and some employers have lifted wages to attract staff.@

Goldie said it is critical that Australia does not increase its population, either through immigration or natural increase.

“We are losing critical habitat for other species, not least the koala, because of population growth,” she stated. “The more people there are, the greater urban and agricultural expansion to house and feed all the extra people.

“Premier Perrottet must also tell us which countries he is poaching workers from. In the case of health care workers, many will come from countries already in dire need of them. It is not a moral position to take.”

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Resources delivered a record $210-billion in petroleum and mineral sales for 2020-21 and in doing so ‘powered the nation through Covid’, the Premier crowed.

“WA is continuing to do the heavy lifting for the Australian economy, as we have throughout the pandemic,” McGowan said.

“Our efforts to crush the virus quickly and keep our economy and mining industry open has not only benefited Western Australians but the nation more broadly, with WA continuing to provide the largest per capita financial contribution to the Federation.

“While the economies of the larger States are expected to contract given their extended lockdowns, the WA economy continues to punch well above its weight in supporting the nation.”

Sector created new jobs during pandemic

And the ebullient Premier wasn’t finished yet. “We resisted calls to shut down the resources sector at the height of the pandemic and these results demonstrate the significance of that decision,” he said.

“We have not only protected tens of thousands of Western Australian resources jobs, but created an additional 14,400 this financial year.”

According to the WA Department of Mines, minerals and petroleum sales grew by $38-billion, to $210-billion, from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

Jobs supported by the sector increased from 135,000 in 2019-20 to 149,400 in 2020-21.

“These results follow the State’s strong economic performance throughout the pandemic, where WA’s domestic economy has grown by 5.7 percent between the December quarter 2019 and the June quarter 2021,” the department said.

‘More than half’ of export goods from WA

“Western Australia accounted for well over half (56.2 per cent) of national goods exports in 2020-21.”

Iron ore sales reached a record $155-billion. Gold sales were valued at $16.6-billion, up four percent from 2019-20, while nickel sales were valued at $3.5-billion – the industry’s highest sales value in seven years.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to have a go at Australia’s other states and territories, Mines and Petroleum Minister, Bill Johnston, added his voice.

“While other major mining jurisdictions suffered protracted shutdowns, WA’s miners operated and traded uninterrupted throughout the crisis,” he stated.

“The sector’s success in trading, largely uninterrupted by the pandemic, has enhanced our global reputation as a reliable and safe supplier, and is set to position WA with a significant competitive advantage as the world’s economy recovers.”

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Australia’s largest bank disclosed to the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Securities Exchange in 2019 that it was completing a company-wide review of compliance with its enterprise agreements since 2010 and identified contraventions.

Impacted staff performed various roles nationally, but most were in customer service roles.

Following an investigation, the ombudsman is alleging that the bank and CommSec breached clauses of its enterprise agreements that required both companies to ensure that staff paid under these agreements and Individual Flexibility Arrangements were better off overall.

Both companies failed to undertake reconciliations

The ombudsman alleges that both companies failed to undertake reconciliations to ensure that employees were not paid less overall compared to the applicable industrial instruments, and make top-up payments for any shortfall.

This led to staff being paid less than their lawful entitlements between October 2015 and December 2020.

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said improving compliance in large corporates is a priority.

“We allege that Commonwealth Bank Australia and CommSec failed to meet their lawful obligations to ensure employees were better off overall, which led to thousands of employees across the country being financially disadvantaged year after year,” Parker said.

Businesses must prioritise workplace law compliance

“Businesses have a responsibility to their employees, customers and the Australian community to get it right by prioritising workplace law compliance, investing in their payroll systems and conducting audits. Boards should treat the lawful payment of their employees as a core governance requirement.”

The regulator also alleges that, for staff paid under Individual Flexibility Arrangements, the companies failed to ensure that workers were better off overall than if they were paid under the enterprise agreements between October 2015 to June 2020.

The Fair Work Ombudsman further alleges that the bank and CommSec also applied invalid arrangements to some staff, leading to a failure to pay various entitlements, including minimum rates, overtime, weekend and public holiday penalty rates, and some allowances.

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The research – led by academics from The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in the US – estimated people living in countries severely impacted by the pandemic have been most affected, especially women and younger people.

The study is said to be the first to assess global impacts of the pandemic on major depressive and anxiety disorders, quantifying the prevalence and burden of the disorders by age, sex and location in 204 countries and territories during 2020.

Study leader, Dr Damian Santomauro of the University of Queensland, said countries hit hardest by the pandemic in 2020 had the greatest rise in prevalence of the disorders.

“We estimated that cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders increased by 28 percent and 26 percent respectively in 2020, with women affected more than men, and younger people affected more than older age groups,” he stated.

Lockdowns and school closures impact mental health

“Countries with high Covid-19 infection rates and major reductions in the movement of people – a consequence of measures such as lockdowns and school closures – were found to have the greatest increases in prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders.”

Other approaches to this research have generally focused on specific locations over a short window of time.

Dr Santomauro said mental health systems would need urgent strengthening to cope with the significant increase in cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, but taking no action should not be an option.

“Support services should be improved by promoting mental wellbeing, targeting factors contributing to poor mental health that have been made worse by the pandemic, and improving treatment for those who develop a mental disorder,” he explained.

“Even before the pandemic, mental health-care systems in most countries have historically been under-resourced and disorganised in their service delivery – so meeting the added demand for mental health services due to Covid will be challenging.”

Pandemic exacerbates many existing social inequalities

Study co-author, Dr Alize Ferrari of the University of Queensland, said the reserch found that the pandemic had exacerbated many existing social inequalities that predispose people to developing mental disorders.

“Sadly, for numerous reasons, women are likely to be more affected by the social and economic consequences of the pandemic as they often carry the load when it comes to additional caring and household responsibilities,” Dr Ferrari noted.

“Women are also more likely to be victims of domestic violence, which has increased at various stages of the pandemic.

“School closures and wider restrictions limiting young people’s ability to learn and interact with their peers, combined with the increased risk of unemployment, also meant young people were more heavily impacted by major depressive and anxiety disorders during the pandemic.

“It is crucial that policymakers take underlying factors such as these into account as part of measures to strengthen mental health services,” Dr Ferrari said.

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More than 1,000 office workers across the UK were surveyed in August to understand how well-prepared employees and organisations felt for the widespread return to the workplace this Northern Hemisphere autumn.

The workers were also asked about how flexible working practices – where staff time is split between working from home and from the office – were playing out.

Just 22 percent of participants reported that their offices had been redesigned to support hybrid working, while only seven percent had received training in managing or participating in hybrid meetings – indicating a training gap for effective hybrid working and hybrid meeting management.

While most participants reported flexible working patterns at their workplace, only 31 percent were aware of a formal flexi-hours policy in their organisation, and just 21% knew of a formal hybrid working policy.

Significant disruption and change in workplaces

The research raises the prospect of significant disruption and change in UK workplaces in the coming months as employers adapt to the biggest shake-up of office work in decades, with the findings being a part of a major research project being undertaken by the Leeds University Business School, based in the north of England.

Dr Matthew Davis of Leeds University said: “As Covid-19 social-distancing restrictions have lifted, many of us are working flexibly; splitting our time [between] the office and at home.  

“But this survey shows that employers are feeling their way through these changes – the majority are developing systems and practices as they go along rather than taking a planned, systematic approach. This is likely to lead to more disruption and change as employers establish what works and what doesn’t.”

The Leeds research also underlined the unpopularity of ‘hot desking’, where office workers share desks. More than 80 percent of interviewees said that they wanted to have an assigned desk rather than sharing with others.

“It’s well known that hot desking isn’t particularly popular, but the argument has previously been made that employees will grow to like hot desking given more time. Our survey suggests this is not the case – 43 percent of those we spoke to were already in workplaces where hot desking was used and still didn’t like it,” Dr Davis said.

Employers should off-set loss of personal space

“This shows the need for change-management and selling the vision of what hybrid workplaces provide to off-set loss of personal space.”

Other key findings included office workers expressing a preference for working more often from the office (average of 2.7 days per week) than from home (average of 2.1 days per week).

When asked about the prospect of working in the office, 33 percent of respondents said they never wanted to work in the office, 37 percent said that they wanted to work there five days a week, while 30 percent wished for some level of a hybrid work pattern (between one and four days a week from home).

Twenty-eight percent of workers said they never, or only occasionally, had access to a quiet workspace at home, with 36 percent not having a dedicated workspace and instead working from dining tables, living spaces or even their beds.

Dr Davis said that the findings indicated the complexity of trying to manage the move to flexible working, and trying to accommodate employees’ competing expectations about work.

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According to an announcement made on Friday, the fund’s shared-equity arrangement will make it easier for more people to buy a home by reducing the amount of money eligible participants need to enter the market.

It will also relieve Victorian homebuyers from the extra financial burden of Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance.

The $500-million VHF is expected to support more than 3,000 Victorians become homeowners, and is an expansion of the Government’s $50-million HomesVic Shared Equity Initiative, a pilot program that supported more than 300 households to buy their first home.

Importance of stable and affordable housing

“Stable, affordable housing has always been important, but the pandemic has heightened financial pressures for Victorians and highlighted the value of a having a secure, safe place to call your own,” said Treasurer Tim Pallas.

“It can take years to save for a deposit – through our Victorian Homebuyer Fund, more than 3,000 [people] are expected to enter their own home sooner.”

Eligibility criteria under the VHF will be broader than the HomesVic pilot. Under the new scheme, applicants no longer need to be first-home buyers; they can buy in a broader range of locations, and can have higher household incomes compared to the earlier pilot.

The fund is available to Australian citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18, who currently don’t have an interest in a property and who meet the income thresholds.

Buyers will need only a five percent deposit

Eligible participants require a five percent deposit and the Government provides up to 25 percent of the purchase price in exchange for an equivalent share in the property.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homebuyers can buy with a lower deposit of 3.5 percent and receive a Government contribution of up to 35 percent in exchange for an equivalent share in the property.

Homeowners can buy out the Government’s share at market value over time if they choose, with funds then reinvested to help other aspiring homebuyers get into the property market.

Eligible participants can purchase in any location in Metropolitan Melbourne and are provided with a range of regional options as well. The value of the property cannot exceed $950,000 in Metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, while the price cap in Regional Victoria is $600,000.

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According to local and international media reports, quoting National Department of Health statistics, there have been almost 22,000 Covid cases and nearly 250 deaths in the island nation since the first Covid outbreak began.

The number of weekly infections are now at around 600, although there are fears that this figure could actually be far greater because of the low testing rate.

Papua New Guinea’s health services have long been plagued by infrastructure problems, as well as shortages of drugs and adequately trained medical personnel.

Local stadium is makeshift hospital

“In Lae, the country’s second largest city, Angau general hospital is admitting an average of five new cases a day and saw 19 deaths in September alone. The city’s only public hospital, serving a population of 76,255, it has just 320 beds and a further 150 temporary beds,” the London-based Guardian newspaper reported this week.

“Health authorities have been forced to turn the town’s stadium into a makeshift hospital and morgue.”

The newspaper quotes Dr Alex Peawi, head of the hospital’s emergency department, as saying: “The emergency department is seeing only life-threatening emergency cases, while all other cases are referred to local clinics. People travelling in from Goroka [the capital of the neighbouring Eastern Highlands Province] are a big worry as people are not observing ‘new-normal’ measures. We are advising people to get vaccinated.”

In the Eastern Highlands, Covid-19 cases have reportedly overwhelmed Goroka provincial hospital.

Dr Kapiro Kendaura, the province’s director of curative health services, described the situation as critical, with cases increasing every day.

Hospital is on the brink of closure

In the Western Highlands province, the country’s most densely populated region, Mount Hagen general hospital is also on the brink of closure due to an influx of Covid-19 cases and an acute shortage of government funding, the local Post Courier reported.

Apart from its medical infrastructure problems, Papua New Guinea has, along with many other Pacific island nations, been struggling with vaccine misinformation spread on social media.

In May, Prime Minister James Marape publicly had the first jab of an emergency vaccine consignment sent from Australia in an effort to dispel the public’s fears.

At the time, he said that if he died people didn’t have to take the vaccine. But if he didn’t die, he hoped others would follow suit and agree to receive their vaccinations.

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Author of the study, Dr Caroline Eakin from The Australian National University (ANU), said the country’s land mass is made up of different building blocks that fused together over 1.3-billion years ago. 

“Australia is an old, stable continent,” Dr Eakin explained. “Australia’s different building blocks are reflected on the Earth’s surface, but it’s been unclear to what depth these geological differences would be reflected below the Earth’s crust.” 

Dr Eakin used observations of scattered surface waves – known as Quasi-Love waves – created by distant earthquakes to study Australia’s geological makeup.  

Features are preserved for billions of years

“These Quasi-Love waves show boundaries deep within and surrounding the Australian continent that correspond to the same tectonic boundaries seen at the surface,” she said. 

“This suggests these kinds of geological features are preserved for billions of years.” 

According to Dr Eakin, this new information about what’s happening 100-200 kilometres below the Earth’s surface indicates the deeper part of our continent is just as geologically diverse as the crust. 

It is the most detailed analysis of this kind of data in Australia to date, taking into account over 2,000 earthquake recordings made at seismometers across the continent.  

The study has been published in the open-access journal Communications Earth & Environment.

A land of big geological contradictions

According to Geoscience Australia, which is part of the Federal Government, Australia is a land of geological contradictions with some of the oldest features in the world alongside rocks which are in the process of formation.

The continent is home to rocks dating from more than 3-billion years, while others are the result of volcanic activity which continued up to only a few thousand years ago.

Recently, scientists have been able to obtain a much clearer picture of Australia’s geological past through deep seismic surveys, which has provided new information about how the continent was formed, particularly around Broken Hill, Mount Isa, Iron Knob and West Arnhem Land.

Although the shape of Australia is due largely to tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level, most of its topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water.

The post Deep and historic roots of Australia’s geology revealed by study appeared first on Australian Times News.

Telstra CEO, Andrew Penn said while it was a significant societal issue beforehand, more than a quarter (27%) of Australians experienced loneliness for the first time during Covid.

“We know the pandemic has had a huge impact on mental health, but now we also know how it has accelerated the widespread issue of loneliness,” he noted.  

“Today everyone and everything is connected. Despite this, there are so many people in the community who feel disconnected.”

People are reluctant to talk about it

Sadly, there were many people in the community who were reluctant to speak up about something with significant consequences.

“It could be your brother, neighbour or workmate and you may never know,” Penn said. “That’s why we wanted to challenge the preconceptions about who might be lonely and to encourage Australians to find a sense of connection through their shared experience.”

He believed the Talking Loneliness report was a call to action for Australians to start talking about loneliness and bring focus to what was a growing issue. This would help Australia to emerge from pandemic fatigue stronger as a nation and individually.

To support the fight against loneliness, Telstra has released a series of videos highlighting real stories from nine Australian impacted by it, as well as a dedicated hub with resources and support tools.

 The report also found that more than half (54%) of Australians say they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ lack companionship, while a quarter (24%) of people don’t feel they have anyone to talk to, with Gen Z (32%) and Millennials (26%) the most likely age groups to feel this way 

Two in five very lonely during Covid

In addition, over a third (35%) of Australians admit they rarely or never feel like they are part of a group of friends, and almost two in five (38%) say they have never felt lonelier than they have felt in lockdown.

The research was conducted in September 2021 in consultation with leading loneliness researcher and clinical psychologist, Dr Michelle Lim.

Dr Lim said loneliness was the next public-health crisis facing Australia. “Loneliness, when persistent or severe, hurts our health, communities and society. We need to work together as a community to combat loneliness.”  

“If you feel lonely, it is important to understand that your feelings are normal. Take small [and] feasible steps towards managing your loneliness,” she advised.

You don’t always have to make more friends to feel less lonely – look within your current network and consider how you can improve the quality of those relationships.” 

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“The pattern of wildfire fallout over Antarctica points to New Zealand/Aotearoa being the source of the increase in fires dating back to the year 1300, coinciding with the arrival and settlement of the Māori people,” Professor Nerilie Abram, from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, said.

The researchers were surprised to learn humans were impacting the environment on such a large scale long before the industrial era. 

Human impact dates back 700 years

Lead author, Dr Joseph McConnell from the Desert Research Institute, said: “The idea that humans at this time in history caused such a significant change in atmospheric black carbon through their land-clearing activities is quite surprising.

“We used to think that if you went back a few hundred years you’d be looking at a pristine, pre-industrial world. But it’s clear from this study that humans have been impacting the environment over the Southern Ocean and the Antarctica Peninsula for at least the last 700 years.”

Professor Abram was part of the research team that analysed black carbon levels found in six Antarctic ice cores. The ice from James Ross Island on the Antarctic Peninsula revealed a significant increase in black carbon that began in 1300, with levels tripling over the next 700 years and peaking during the 16th and 17th centuries.

At the same time, samples taken from continental Antarctica indicate black carbon levels remained relatively stable, helping researchers to pinpoint the source of the wildfires.

New Zealand is most likely origin

The researchers determined New Zealand was the most likely origin of the increased black carbon emissions after demonstrating charcoal records – which showed a major increase in fire activity in 1300 – coincided with the estimated arrival, colonisation and subsequent burning of much of New Zealand’s forested areas by the Māori people.

This is despite New Zealand’s relatively small land size and how far the smoke would have travelled to reach the ice core site on James Ross Island, more than 7,000 kilometres away.

“Compared to natural burning in places like the Amazon, southern Africa or Australia, you wouldn’t expect Māori burning in New Zealand to have a big impact – but it does over the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula,” Dr Nathan Chellman, from the Desert Research Institute said.

“Our findings show that wildfires in the southern hemisphere have long been influenced by both the climate and human activities, but we do also expect wildfires to become more frequent and more intense in the future due to human-caused climate change,” Professor Abram noted.

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Facing court are Absolute Thai Melbourne Pty Ltd, which operated a restaurant that traded as Wokks in Carlton, and company director Ronald Nah. The restaurant is no longer trading.

The regulator began an investigation after receiving a request for assistance from a worker employed at the restaurant as a food and beverage attendant on a casual basis from July 2019 to July 2020.

Worker was not paid all entitlements

A Fair Work Inspector issued Compliance Notices to Absolute Thai in September 2020 after forming a belief the worker had not been paid all entitlements owed under the Restaurant Industry Award 2010 and the Restaurant Industry Award 2020.

The inspector formed a belief that the worker was underpaid the minimum wage, casual loading, and weekend and public holiday penalty rates.

The FWO alleges Absolute Thai, without reasonable excuse, failed to comply with the Compliance Notices, which required the calculation and back-payment of the worker’s outstanding entitlements. It is alleged Nah was involved in the contravention.

Fair Work Ombudsman, Sandra Parker, said the regulator would continue to enforce workplace laws in a proportionate manner during the Covid-19 pandemic and take business operators to court where lawful requests are not complied with.

Offenders pay penalties and back pay

“Where employers do not comply, we will take appropriate action to protect employees. A court can order a business to pay penalties in addition to back-paying workers,” Parker stated.

The FWO is seeking penalties against Absolute Thai Melbourne Pty Ltd and Nah for allegedly failing to comply with two Compliance Notices.

The company faces a maximum penalty of up to $33,300 per contravention, while Nah faces a maximum penalty of up $6,660 per contravention.

The regulator is also seeking an order for the company to comply with the Compliance Notices, which includes rectifying any underpayments in full, plus interest and superannuation.

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It is an independent think-tank dedicated to preventing corruption, protecting the integrity of accountability institutions, and eliminating the undue influence of money in politics in Australia.

The centre’s analysis of State and Territory integrity commissions concludes that the strongest and most effective integrity commissions in New South Wales and Queensland share several critical powers.

Investigate people outside public service

Among these is the ability to investigate any conduct of any person that affects the impartial exercise of public administration. This includes investigation of those outside the public service who seek to unduly influence public decision making, and does not limit investigations to criminal conduct.

Also key is the ability to begin investigations without satisfying a threshold of evidence, meaning that investigations are used in their appropriate function of finding out whether any misconduct has occurred.

Other critical powers include the ability to hold public hearings if in the public interest, as well as the ability to make findings and report publicly.

These powers feature in both independent MP Helen Haines’ Bill, and the model proposed by the ALP. In contrast, none of them is a feature of the Government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC).

The ‘weakest watchdog in the country’

“The Government’s proposed CIC would be the weakest watchdog in the country,” said Anthony Whealy QC, former judge and Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity.

“It would not be able to begin investigations into the majority of cases, as it is limited to only investigating a specific list of criminal offences,” added Whealy.

“It would hide corruption, not expose it. The inability to hold public hearings and table reports would mean the public is left in the dark,” noted Stephen Charles QC, former judge and director of the Centre for Public Integrity. 

“The CIC falls short of its state counterparts on almost every level. It is a breed of its own and does not deserve to be a called a watchdog,” said Charles.

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This is according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the national regulatory authority for therapeutic goods.

The TGA says consumers should also ask overseas retailers to include a copy of their prescription with the order, as Australian Border Force officials can stop goods at the border that they suspect are unlawful imports and refer them to the TGA for further investigation.

Nicotine vaping products may be seized if there is no prescription provided by the importer, or enclosed in the package, and the goods may be destroyed and the importer fined, it warned.

Retailers can’t sell nicotine vaping products

“Consumers continue to require a valid prescription to purchase nicotine vaping products from Australia pharmacies. It remains, illegal for Australian retailers (such as tobacconists, ‘vape’ shops and convenience stores) to sell nicotine vaping products to consumers,” the TGA said.

“The new requirements balance the need to prevent adolescents and young adults from taking up nicotine vaping (and potentially cigarette smoking), while enabling current smokers to readily access nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation with appropriate medical support.”

According to the TGA, smokers and users of nicotine vaping products are encouraged to make an appointment with their GP to discuss their smoking cessation options.

While nicotine vaping products are not widely considered to be ‘first line’ smoking cessation treatments, they may be a reasonable intervention for people who have tried other approaches without success.

‘Thousands of unknown chemicals’ – study

Meanwhile, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the US have found that vaping aerosols contain thousands of unknown chemicals and substances not disclosed by manufacturers, including industrial chemicals and caffeine.

The study is the first to apply to vaping liquids and aerosols an advanced fingerprinting technique used to identify chemicals in food and wastewater. The results, just published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, suggest people who vape are using a product whose risks have yet to be fully determined and could be exposing themselves to chemicals with adverse health effects.

“Existing research that compared e-cigarettes with normal cigarettes found that cigarette contaminants are much lower in e-cigarettes. The problem is that e-cigarette aerosols contain other completely uncharacterised chemicals that might have health risks that we don’t yet know about,” said senior author Carsten Prasse, who is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins.

“More and more young people are using these e-cigarettes and they need to know what they’re being exposed to.”

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Regional education minister, Bridget McKenzie, said the 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey shows regional universities are performing well and clearly meeting the needs of employers and students.

According to the study, the employment rate for graduates from regional universities is far outpacing the Australian average by achieving 78.6 percent. This is significantly higher than the average of 68.9 percent across all institutions.

Charles Sturt University topped the list with an employment rate of 84.6 percent four months after graduation. Central Queensland University came in next at 83.4 percent, University of New England at 80.9 percent, University of Southern Queensland at 79.2 percent, and James Cook University at 78 percent.

Regional graduates’ skills are in great demand

“Many graduates from regional universities have completed degrees that prepare them for career paths and equip them with the skills that are in high demand by employers,” the Minister said.

“These results also demonstrate that our regional universities have become centres of excellence in specialised fields and as a result are attracting the highest calibre of students.”

The 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey was conducted across three survey rounds and the graduate full-time employment rate improved substantially from 60.6 percent in November 2020 to 67.9 percent in February 2021, to 72.1 percent in May 2021.

Graduates with strong vocational outcomes include Pharmacy (95.0 percent), Engineering (80.3 percent) and Teacher Education (79.1 percent).

Fewer qualifications among regional Australians

The full 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey can be found at www.qilt.edu.au.

According to information supplied by the Regional Universities Network, there is a significant differential in higher education attainment between city and regional Australians.

The 2016 Census revealed that 49 percent of people aged 15 years and over living in greater capital city areas held a bachelor degree or above qualification, compared with only 30 percent living outside of the greater capital cities.

In 2017, almost 45 percent of people aged 25-34 years in major cities held bachelor degree or above qualifications, while the proportion for those people living in inner and outer regional areas was 20.5 percent and 20.6 percent respectively.

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Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral that is being developed for the first-line treatment of Covid-19 in adult patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.

According to the Federal Government, treatment with the oral antiviral has been shown to stop people with Covid developing serious symptoms, keeping them out of hospital and preventing serious illness and death.

Whilst Molnupiravir is in late-stage clinical trials, the agreement between Merck Sharp & Dohme is for supply to Australia, should it be approved by the Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA), during early 2022.

Must have access to promising treatments

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was ensuring Australians had access not only to Covid-19 vaccines, but also promising treatments.

“Vaccines and new treatments like this will boost our National Plan to safely reopen Australia and keep Australia safely open,” the Prime Minister said.

“Throughout this pandemic we’ve been closely watching developments for Covid vaccines and treatments, and Molnupiravir will be ready to go in Australia, should it be approved by the TGA.

“While our vaccination rate continues to climb, we’ve been investing in and closely monitoring research into treatments, and we are securing supply of promising treatments.

“If the medical experts at the TGA approve this treatment for use, it will join other Covid-19 treatments such as Sotrovimab and Remdesivir, which are already available to Australian doctors to help treat those with Covid-19.”

Capsule is ideal for use in the rural areas

Molnupiravir is a capsule that is taken twice a day for five days by adult patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms and does not need to be refrigerated, allowing it to be used in the community or as a targeted intervention at high-risk locations and in rural areas.

The makers of Molnupiravir, MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, have recently announced that Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death from Covid by 50 percent at a planned interim analysis of the Phase Three trial.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, noted that these positive results added to the ongoing analysis the TGA has been undertaking into Molnupiravir.

“All Covid-19 treatment assessment processes are being treated with the greatest priority as part of the Government’s response to the pandemic,” Hunt said.

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However, the ATO says it doesn’t rely on data leaks to the media to do its job and is constantly investigation possible offshore tax-dodging by the country’s taxpayers, as well as other criminality.

The Pandora Papers, published on Sunday, are based on documents leaked to the ICIJ and exposes the offshore business and financial dealings of kings, presidents and prime ministers. These include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The leaked records come from 14 offshore services firms from around the world and the ICIJ – a network of reporters and media organisations – launched a two-year effort to sift through 11.9-million confidential files leaked to it.

Information reaches ATO from various sources

Will Day, who is ATO Deputy Commissioner and head of its Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, said the organisation regularly received information from a range of different sources in its efforts to fight tax evasion and crime.

“While the information in data leaks is interesting, we don’t rely on data leaks to do our job. We detect, investigate and deal with offshore tax evasion year-round,” Day stated.

But he noted that the ATO would be analysing the information contained in the Pandora Papers to identify any possible Australian links.

“We are well connected locally and globally in our efforts to fight financial crime. We will certainly look at this data set and compare it with the data we already have to identify any potential connections,” Day said.

ATO has strong global partnerships and treaties

He added that the ATO had strong international partnerships, as well as treaties and agreements, that enabled a collaborative approach to identifying and addressing international tax evasion and crime.

It was important to remember that being included in a data leak did not automatically mean that there had been tax evasion or crime, the Deputy Commissioner emphasised.

“There are a range of legitimate reasons that someone may have for an offshore bank account or structure. We know most Australians do the right thing. However, there are some who attempt to hide their ownership interests,” he said.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald there are around 400 Australians, out of the total 40,000 global citizens, who have been caught up in the Pandora Papers. However, at this stage is no suggestion that their actions are illegal.

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Recent research by the FMA into online investing platforms found 31% of all online DIY investors jumped into an investment in the last two years because they didn’t want to miss out.

Additionally, 27% said they invested based on a recommendation from someone they know without doing their own research. 

Public campaign gives timely investing advice

Given this state of affairs, the FMA’s public campaign is urging investors to follow the ‘5 D’s of DIY investing’. These are: Do your due diligence; Drip feed your investments; Diversify your portfolio; Don’t freak out if markets go down; and If in Doubt, talk to a financial adviser.

One particular DIY investor type the authority is focused on is the ‘planter investor’ identified in the research. Planters make up (42%) of DIY investors, with the others being opportunists (19%), speculators (20%) and dabblers (19%).

Gillian Boyes, FMA Investor Capability Manager, said planters tend to be comparatively younger with a female skew, and to see DIY investing as a significant part of their financial strategy. 

“Our research found planters have 52% of their investment portfolio in online investing platforms. This suggests they are putting a large portion of their income into DIY platforms and may have more to lose in a market downturn, with larger portfolios and less time to recover,” she explained.

Don’t adequately research potential investments

“Planters have good intentions around investing, but don’t always research potential investments thoroughly – such as making decisions based on whether a company is well-known.

Boyes said the authority wanted to use World Investor Week to remind New Zealand’s DIY investors about good investing habits and steps they can take to protect themselves.

“As part of their due diligence, we’re encouraging planters to ask themselves some important questions before making an investment. These include: Will the investment earn an income? Do I understand the company I’m thinking of investing in? Is the share price reasonable? What fees or costs are involved? How can I get my money back? Is it a legitimate offer?” 

World Investor Week is an annual event sponsored by the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

The post Kiwi small investors warned that FOMO isn’t a clever strategy appeared first on Australian Times News.

Australian Federal Police Cybercrime Operations began an investigation, known as Operation Ipone, in July 2016 following a report from the US FBI about an online user from Rooty Hill, NSW who was illegally accessing sexualised videos and images from private Gmail accounts.

AFP investigators executed a search warrant at his home in February 2017, where they gathered information about a second online user offering his services as a ‘ripper’ to access iCloud accounts and share sexualised photos downloaded from the private accounts. 

The person offering his services in various online forums was identified as a 48-year-old man residing in Parramatta, NSW at the time. 

Pleaded guilty to charges in late 2020

The AFP gathered further evidence about the second man’s illegal activities, and he was arrested in September 2018. He was charged with three counts of accessing and modifying restricted data while knowing that the access was unauthorised, and one count of possessing child abuse material.

In October 2020, he pleaded guilty to the charges in an appearance at the Downing Centre District Court. 

According to evidence heard in court, strangers connected to the convicted man in online forums and would provide him with details of private accounts they wanted him to access. Once he accessed and downloaded private sexual material from these accounts, he would provide the files to the ‘clients’ – commonly through a Dropbox link.

On many occasions the man was offered money for his services, but instead requested he be allowed to keep copies of the files for himself.

Targets included women the man knew

People targeted included women in his life, where he was able to gather enough details about them to access their accounts and download their personal images and videos.

Forensic analysis of storage devices seized during the search warrant at his residence revealed a large quantity of sexualised images and videos belonging to his victims, whose private accounts he had compromised. Further analysis of the evidence also identified child abuse material on multiple electronic devices.

AFP Detective Superintendent, Brad Marden, said the convicted man invaded the privacy of more than 90 victims who had their intimate images and videos unknowingly downloaded from their accounts.

“Your private images and videos are just that, private. This was a gross self-serving invasion of privacy that should never have occurred,” he said.

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“We’re getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can,” says the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Foran.

“Being vaccinated against Covid-19 is the new reality of international travel [and] many of the destinations Kiwis want to visit are already closed to unvaccinated visitors. The quicker we get vaccinated, the sooner we can fly Kiwis to places like New York, Vancouver and Narita.

Measures important to customers and employees

“We’ve been hearing from both customers and employees that this measure is important to them,” Foran noted.

It came through loud and clear in our recent consultation process with employees and we want to do everything we can to protect them. Mandating vaccination on our international flights will give both customers and employees the peace of mind that everyone onboard meets the same health requirements as they do.”

These requirements will sit alongside the measures the airline already has in place in an effort to keep Kiwis safe, Foran emphasised.

“It’s not just customers who will be required to be vaccinated; it’s everyone on board an Air New Zealand aircraft travelling internationally, adding to the health and safety measures we already have in place. Another tool in our toolbox.”

This is the right way to protect wider community

He acknowledged that there would be some people who would disagree with the strategy, but the airline believed this was the right way to protect the wider community.

“We’ll spend the next few months making sure we get this right, ensuring it works as smoothly as possible for our customers. This also gives anyone wanting to travel from next year plenty of time to get their vaccination,” Foran stated.

The vaccination requirement will apply to all passengers aged 18 and older arriving or departing Aotearoa on an Air New Zealand aircraft. Customers who are not vaccinated will be required to present proof that vaccination was not a viable option for them for medical reasons.

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“Fair payment times are incredibly important for the viability of small businesses and I welcome the beginning of this significant policy,” Billson said. 

Under the Payment Times Procurement Connected Policy introduced by the Federal Government, large businesses with Commonwealth government contracts of over $4-million are required to pay their small business sub-contractors of up to $1-million within 20 calendar days, or pay interest.

Importantly, they must also take reasonable endeavours to ensure smaller businesses throughout the supply chain of their contract are paid on time by other sub-contractors.

Lodge complaints with the Treasury

Under this policy, where disputes arise, small and family businesses will now be able to lodge a complaint through the Treasury.

“Challenging large businesses payment practices can be daunting for smaller businesses. I always encourage an initial conversation between the parties to try to resolve a dispute,” Billson said.

“But if this is difficult, my office is here to provide support and guidance to try to resolve your dispute.”

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s website www.asbfeo.gov.au has a more detailed fact sheet on the Payment Times Procurement Connected Policy.

Large businesses are reporting publicly

In November last year, small and family business minister, Senator Michaelia Cash, said that under the Federal Government’s Payment Times Reporting Scheme, large businesses with a total annual income of over $100-million would have to report publicly on how and when they pay their small business suppliers.

The rules would require large businesses to detail their small business supply chain financing arrangements, such as reverse factoring. This would ensure small businesses were fully informed about the large businesses that use these types of arrangements.

“This will allow our small businesses to make informed decisions about who they do business with,” the Minister said at the time.

“Shining a light on large business payment performance will lead to fairer and faster payments for Australia’s 3.5 million small and family businesses,” she added.

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“This is a step forward. But more can still be done,” said Philip Goh, the association’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, in a statement.

“The announcement of the November timeline and the removal of the international arrival caps are positive steps forward. The reduction-of-quarantine period and introduction of home quarantine for vaccinated Australians are also steps in the right direction,” Goh said.

He added: “We welcome the use of rapid antigen tests for international travel.”

But the statement noted that, realistically, the woes of the travel and tourism sectors will persist as long as passenger caps are retained for unvaccinated arrivals and quarantine remains even for the vaccinated.

Travel recovery muted while quarantine remains

International travel recovery will be muted and restrained when quarantine remains, Iata emphasised.

“Ultimately, the need to quarantine should be removed for those who are vaccinated and who test negative prior to departure for Australia.

“We urge the Australian government to follow guidance from [the World Health Organisation] on a risk-based approach. This includes relaxing measures and/or quarantine requirements for travellers who are fully vaccinated.”

The association has also urged Australian authorities to provide alternatives for unvaccinated individuals through testing.

“A number of major [countries] – the US, Canada, European states – have lifted quarantine requirements for international arrivals. Australia needs to work towards a similar approach,” Iata said.

Aviation sector will need more detail of Govt plans

“Airlines will also need more details if this is to be operationalised in November. Hence, it is essential that the Australian government steps up its engagement with the aviation sector to help airlines prepare for the safe and efficient re-opening of Australia’s borders.” 

Meanwhile, the outspoken Australian Retailers Association has welcomed the resumption of international travel from next month and said the Federal Government’s framework for reopening the border provides hope for retailers which have been severely impacted by the absence of international tourists.

“Our international border has been closed since March last year, which is a long time to go without tourists and many businesses have been decimated as a result,” association CEO, Paul Zahra, said.

“CBD retailers, regional businesses in popular tourist hot spots, as well as travel retailers are all heavily reliant on spending from international visitors and they’ve suffered immensely over the past 19 months.

“Before the pandemic, international travellers spent over $40-billion a year when visiting Australia and that boost to the economy has been sorely missed,” Zahra said.

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He was arrested at his home yesterday (30 September) following a joint investigation launched last month when Australian Border Force officers detected an alleged substance in a parcel from China.

Investigators from the task force removed the substance from the parcel, then notified the intended recipient that it was ready for collection.

Police will allege the 43-year-old man attempted to take possession of the package from the freight collection depot on Wednesday (29 September).

Police officers searched the suspect’s home

Early yesterday morning officers executed a search warrant at the man’s residence, which is alleged to be the delivery address marked on the parcel.

The man was arrested at his home and charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, and possessing cannabis and a smoking implement.

During the search warrant, officers seized mobile phones, a laptop and cannabis. The electronic devices will be subject to forensic examination and further charges have not been ruled out.

The accused was remanded in custody to re-appear on Wednesday, 6 October. 

These substances are extremely dangerous

AFP Superintendent, Matthew Ballard, said the use of these illicit substances are extremely dangerous and can lead to a loss of consciousness, memory loss, respiratory difficulties, and even death.

“The AFP continues to work closely with its partners to prevent these drugs from getting onto our streets and potentially being used in the carriage of other serious offences, such as assaults,” he said.

“This seizure and arrest is another great example of the results that are being continually achieved through law enforcement agencies working collaboratively,” noted Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan from the Northern Territory Police Drugs and Organised Crime Section.

GABA is marketed in some countries as a dietary supplement to promote relaxation, mental focus and sleep, as well as reduce anxiety.

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It is based on individual assessment of published data and in certain cases regulatory information provided in confidence. This advice is subject to change as new information becomes available, the TGA highlighted.

In the report it assessed six vaccines that have been widely deployed in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in national vaccination programs in countries such as China and India. These are countries from which Australia normally receives many international arrivals.

‘Recognition’ is not local approval

Following assessment to determine the protection offered by certain of these vaccines against infection and serious illness, TGA’s initial advice is that Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) vaccines be considered ‘recognised vaccines’ for incoming international travellers to be regarded as appropriately vaccinated.

However, ‘recognition’ status does not constitute Australian regulatory approval, as this would enable a company to provide that vaccine for administration within Australia.

At this point, the TGA says it has received insufficient data to reach a conclusion as to the protection offered by BIBP-CorV (Sinopharm), Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), Sputnik V (Gamaleya Institute), and Convidecia (CanSino).

“These vaccines could be recognised in the coming weeks or months as more data becomes available,” it noted in a media statement.

TGA will continue examining data

All four COVID-19 vaccines which have been granted provisional approval in Australia – from Pfizer (Comirnaty), AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Moderna (Spikevax) and Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen – are also recognised for incoming travellers.

“The TGA will continue work on vaccine recognition for the next couple of years and in the coming weeks and months we expect to receive more data not only on the vaccines listed above, but on a wide range of other vaccines already in use or in late-stage clinical trials in other countries,” the statement said.

“Our decisions around recognition will therefore be updated at regular intervals.”

The study was undertaken at the request of the Government to help inform decisions that will subsequently be made about allowing future travellers into Australia.

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“Content moderation is a giant game of whack-a-mole – ultimately it’s futile because there will always be new content popping up where you’re not looking,” said Chris Cooper, Executive Director of Reset Australia, the Australian arm of the global initiative working to counter digital threats to society.

“If YouTube is serious about tackling misinformation it needs to be transparent about how its algorithms are amplifying this content to viewers.”

YouTube has ‘consistently been opaque’

The group claims that YouTube has consistently been opaque about the nature and extent to which its recommendation algorithms are leading people to misinformation or the true scope of anti-vaccine conspiracies.

“Big Tech’s timid attempts at self-regulation, like labelling posts as fake or de-platforming individual spreaders have as much impact as an oil company planting a thousand trees to counter climate change. The problem with all these downstream interventions is they don’t tackle the core systemic issue of unchecked algorithms,” Cooper said.

According to Reset Australia, recommendation algorithms are used across technology platforms to keep users online for longer and enable them to be served more advertisements. Algorithms prioritise the most engaging content, but increasingly research is showing this also happens to be the most emotive, conspiratorial, and enraging content.

“YouTube’s algorithms prioritise content for its engagement value, rather than its accuracy,” Cooper stated.

Vaccine misinformation leads to hesitancy

“So while social media didn’t invent conspiracy theories – its unchecked algorithms have supercharged them into global movements.

“Even in a country like Australia, with a 95% childhood immunisation rate, Covid-19 vaccine misinformation has led to a high degree of hesitancy.”

He said much of this anti-vax content can be found on YouTube, despite the fact that YouTube’s policy states that it doesn’t allow content about Covid-19 that contradicts health authorities.

“Many viewers have likely had conspiracies recommended to them by an algorithm, rather than seeking it out themselves,” he asserted.

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The funding package of up to $2.27-billion announced today (30 September) by Premier Daniel Andrews, will support businesses most affected by restrictions as Victoria reaches the 70 percent, then 80 percent fully vaccinated thresholds on the state’s Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan.

At these key markers – forecast to be around 26 October and 5 November respectively – dining, entertainment, retail, sport, recreation and other sectors will progressively and safely open.

Support for more than 160,000 businesses

“The package provides businesses with further certainty that support will continue in line with Victoria’s Roadmap. This will see more than 160,000 businesses receive support, ranging from retailers and gyms to hairdressers and hotels – mostly through automatic deposits into their bank accounts,” the Premier said in a statement.

Of these, around 124,000 eligible businesses will receive automatic Business Costs Assistance Program grants ranging from $1,000 to $8,400 per week, rising according to payroll. This will continue until the end of October.

Businesses that remain closed or severely restricted over the first two weeks of November will also receive automatic payments for that period.

More than 9,000 eligible cafes, restaurants, hotels and bars across Victoria will receive automatic Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund payments of between $5,000 and $20,000 per week until the end of October.

Hospitality industry assistance is reduced

Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund payments will continue for the first half of November, set at reduced rates to reflect lower restrictions in place at that stage under Victoria’s Roadmap.

The package will also enable a further 30,000 businesses to receive a one-off $20,000 payment through the Small Business Covid Hardship Fund, taking the number of recipients to 65,000.

“Since late July, the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments have joined forces to allocate $6.6-billion to help Victorian businesses remain viable through lockdown, with automatic payments and grants to help cover wages, rent, utilities and other costs,” the statement said.

“Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this package comes on top of the Morrison Government’s more than $45-billion in direct economic support to Victorian households and businesses since the start of the pandemic.”

The post Victorian businesses to get support for six more weeks appeared first on Australian Times News.

This historic event will see a total of 160,108 hectares of land returned to Eastern Kuku Yalanji ownership. Under the hand-back arrangements, the Jabalbina Aboriginal Corporation will take ownership of the national parks, which will then be jointly managed with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. 

The return of the Daintree, Ngalba Bulal and Kalkajaka (formerly Black Mountain) National Parks marks the first time that ownership of World Heritage-listed National Parks has been returned to First Nations people in Queensland. 

Best way to protect area’s values

“The Daintree is globally significant and rich in living cultural heritage. Returning these parks to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji is the best way to protect the area’s natural and cultural values,” said the Queensland Conservation Council’s Andrew Picone. 

“Returning the Daintree to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji People demonstrates the Palaszczuk government’s leadership in the growth and support of First Nations’ management of our protected area estate.”

Australian Conservation Foundation CEO, Kelly O’Shanassy, said First Nations peoples hold unique knowledge and rights inherited from their ancestors and have cared for the Daintree for thousands of years.

‘This is such an important moment’

“They are leaders in caring for country, which is fundamental to protecting nature in Australia.”

Lucy Graham, Director of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, added: “This is such an important moment for the World Heritage Area and we look forward to the Palaszczuk Government’s continued return of national parks to First Nations ownership and funding of their management.”

Since 1995, the Cape York land-tenure resolution process has returned approximately four-million hectares of land to Aboriginal ownership. This includes more than two million hectares of Aboriginal-owned and jointly managed national parks, and nearly two million hectares of Aboriginal freehold land.

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The report shows passenger numbers in July 2021 plunged to 23 per \cent of pre-pandemic levels, after recovering to a peak of 68 percent of pre-pandemic levels in April 2021. Passenger numbers reported for August and September 2021 are expected to be even lower.

Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Rex, combined, were forced to cancel one in three flights in July 2021, which is the highest cancellation rate since April 2020. Weekly passenger numbers in Victoria fell 91 percent from mid-May to early June, and in NSW they dropped 97 percent between mid-June and the end of July.

“The Delta outbreak has hit the domestic airline industry hard, and it has unfortunately halted the airlines’ recovery just as they were starting to approach pre-pandemic levels of flying,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

Queensland routes proved the busiest

The report reveals that routes in and out of Sydney Airport were not in the top 10 busiest routes in July 2021, despite it normally being Australia’s busiest airport. Intra-state Queensland routes were the busiest, with Brisbane to Cairns, Townsville and Mackay among the most popular.

“With many state borders closed, those that could fly were doing so closer to home,” Sims noted.

“July was the first time that Sydney hasn’t been among the 10 busiest routes in the country, which is a sign of the state of the industry.”

The cancellation of flights forced Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Rex to implement temporary stand downs until flying can resume.

Government support for airline sector

The Australian Government announced new support through the Retaining Domestic Airline Capability program, which gives eligible airlines $750 per week for frontline employees that are otherwise unable to access Covid-19 disaster payments. Additionally, the government extended a number of existing aviation support programs until the end of the year.

Despite the reduced number of flights, the industry remains optimistic that demand for domestic travel, especially to leisure destinations, will bounce back strongly when vaccination targets are reached and border restrictions are eased.

The ACCC has recently heard concerns from some airlines that airports may seek to significantly increase charges to airlines in order to recover lost profits from the pandemic. The report explains that the ACCC believes such actions would be inconsistent with the Australian Government’s Aeronautical Pricing Principles and would be a clear example of airports systematically taking advantage of their market power.

“We would be very concerned if the major Australian airports sought to use their monopoly position to charge airlines excessive prices in order to recover any lost profits from the pandemic. This could limit an already vulnerable sector’s ability to recover, and impact on both consumers and the economy,” Sims warned.

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The report, published today (28 September), concludes that enforcement action under Australia’s existing competition laws alone is not sufficient to address the competition issues in the sector, and that the ACCC should be given powers to develop specific rules in response.

Ad tech services facilitate complex transactions for the selling and buying of advertising space on websites or apps, resulting in the ads that are displayed to consumers.

Dominant position in key parts of the supply chain

The report finds that Google has a dominant position in key parts of the ad tech supply chain and estimates that more than 90 percent of ad impressions traded via the ad tech supply chain passed through at least one Google service in 2020.

Google’s dominance in the ad tech supply chain is underpinned by multiple factors including its access to consumer and other data, access to exclusive inventory and integration across its ad tech services. Key acquisitions by Google, including of DoubleClick in 2007, AdMob in 2009, as well as YouTube in 2006, have helped Google entrench its position in ad tech.

The report finds that Google has used its position to preference its own services and shield them from competition. For example, Google prevents rival ad tech services from accessing ads on YouTube, providing its own ad tech services with an important advantage.

Won’t participate in publisher-led header bidding

Google has also refused to participate in publisher-led header bidding, an industry innovation aimed at increasing competition for publishers’ inventory, and previously allowed its services to have a ‘last look’ opportunity to outbid rivals.

“Google has used its vertically integrated position to operate its ad tech services in a way that has, over time, led to a less competitive ad tech industry. This conduct has helped Google to establish and entrench its dominant position in the ad tech supply chain,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

“Google’s activities across the supply chain also mean that, in a single transaction, Google can act on behalf of both the advertiser (the buyer) and the publisher (the seller) and operate the ad exchange connecting these two parties. As the interests of these parties do not align, this creates conflicts of interest for Google which can harm both advertisers and publishers.”

The post Google’s dominance in advertising supply chain harms Aussie consumers appeared first on Australian Times News.

The 2021-2022 summer season will see about 500 expeditioners travel south to undertake research or support the nation’s scientists as part of the Australian Antarctic Program.

But Australia’s new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, is only scheduled to arrive in Hobart in October on its maiden voyage from Europe and will therefore require a period of commissioning before the vessel can travel to Antarctica.

Kim Ellis, Director of the Antarctic Division, said an ice-strengthened cargo vessel will also be chartered and potentially a second icebreaker to ensure the season’s big science project can be supported.

Expedition requires 800 tonnes of equipment

“This summer we are transporting 800 tonnes of equipment and machinery to Casey research station to support an expedition to drill an ice core dating back more than a million years,” Ellis stated.

Equipment includes 20 sleds, living and medical vans, generators and fuel in preparation for the journey 1,300 kilometres inland to a remote drill site in 2022-23.

“In order to be able to deliver this cargo and support resupply missions at our four stations in Antarctica and on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island we will use at least one, and potentially two, other vessels,” he explained.

“This will give us flexibility to deal with a range of scenarios and contingencies over the coming season.”

The division’s Chief Scientist, Prof Nicole Webster, said the ice core project is a critical bit of the climate puzzle.

Ice core is located 2,800m within the ice cap

“We are aiming to recover Antarctica’s oldest continuous ice core, beyond 1.2 million years, from 2,800 metres deep within the ice cap,” she said.

Trapped within this ice are tiny bubbles of air and chemicals from this period in time.

“This will give us a snapshot of the Earth’s climate and atmospheric composition from when ice age cycles occurred at a pace of 41 thousand years, before slowly shifting to a [gap of] 100,000 years,” noted Professor Webster.

“Measurements on the ice core we retrieve could help us better predict future stability of the climate system and the processes involved in transitioning between different climate states.”

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Unhealthy measures of self-worth, harmful body image issues, pointless competition, preying on the impressionable. Combining social media and envy can be a recipe for disaster, the researchers have warned.

The long-suspected fraught nature of the relationship between young women and social media has been confirmed byresearch conducted by Lawrence Ang, Associate Professor in Business at the Department of Marketing at Macquarie Business School, and Dr Camille Singh.

The research, which involved online surveys and interviews of 335 female Facebook users aged 18–25 years, investigated the effects of envy on purchase intent.

“The main condition required for envy is upward social comparison, whereby you perceive someone is superior to yourself,” explained Singh. “People tend to compare themselves with those similar to them, especially friends and peers.

“Many women told us the number of likes and comments they get on their social media posts were a barometer for their self-worth. They are very engaged with how they are perceived. There is also a lot of pressure to keep up with what they see on social media.”

In the age of social media, consumers are constantly exposed to idealistic images of others, arousing social emotions such as envy.

“We found the effects of envy-inducing imagery was most effective for body-related products,” said Singh. “If you look at evolutionary psychology, females put high value on their physical attractiveness and the way they look – and clothes are a way you put your attractiveness on display.

Women are more sociable and impressionable

“As a generalisation, women are more suggestable and impressionable because they are more social than men. Women talk a lot more. They share a lot more.

“We found they also engage with – and follow – people they don’t like just to see what they’re up to. They stalk these people (aka ‘frenemies’) partly because they are interested in their lives and partly in the hope of seeing them fail.”

Ang noted that while social media didn’t invent envy, it does heighten personal comparisons.

“Our culture values how people look and social media is a very visual medium,” he emphasised.

“Forty-four percent of women aged between 18 and 25 reported feeling envy within the previous seven days from watching social media. This was mostly due to appearance and body image issues.

“The worst thing about this is that the images to which young women are comparing themselves are not real. They are curated. These ‘ideal’ images are used for marketing purposes to create a following.

“For young women suffering from self-image issues or existing mental health problems, social media is likely to make them more depressed. Cosmetic surgeries are rising because of social media and this makes me more depressed.”

The research notes that there are broadly two types of envy, which can be a challenge as the English language has only one word for both. Other cultures and languages understand that envy is more nuanced.

“In English, envy is always perceived as a negative,” says Singh. “But this is not always so when it comes to buying intentions.

Envy has two subtypes – benign and malicious

“In our study of the effects of envy, we looked at two subtypes – benign envy and malicious envy – and found they trigger vastly different behavioural actions.

“Benign envy is actually inspiring and engenders a positive attitude. You perceive the ‘envied’ person to be deserving of their good fortune and associating with them stimulates pride.

“Malicious envy is the opposite. It is seen as showing off. This person doesn’t deserve their success, or body, and you want to pull them down or see them fail. In this case English borrows the German word ‘schadenfreude’ [pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune].”

To test the difference between benign envy and malicious envy, Ang and Singh asked the 335 interview subjects to gauge their attitudes – and their subsequent willingness to buy – a crop top presented in two different ways.

They created a profile and photo of a young, good-looking, female university student wearing the crop top they wanted to sell. All the parameters were the same except for the captions they attached to the photo.

To elicit benign envy, the caption said the model had achieved her attractive body by exercise and a healthy diet. She was perceived as deserving.

To elicit malicious envy, the caption specified the model had achieved her attractive body through liposuction. She was perceived as undeserving.

“Crucially for marketers and advertisers, the ‘deserving’ model was far more persuasive and generated significantly more intentions to buy the crop top,” said Singh.

The post Aussie study shows how ‘envy’ can be manipulated on social media appeared first on Australian Times News.

Study participants said an app that listed candidate information and allowed eVoting directly may not only increase the convenience of voting, but potentially increase youth voting numbers.

Dr Kyle Whitfield, a Doctor of Business Administration graduate of the Otago Business School, surveyed 18- to 24-year-olds and also used focus groups of young people in his research.

Although New Zealand’s low youth voter turn-out numbers in local elections aren’t unlike other countries, this issue does hinder having a healthy democracy and needs to be resolved, Dr Whitfield believes.

Low turnout can undermine political process

“Low voter turnout amongst 18 to 24-year-olds can undermine the political process,” he says.

“Lack of information, the feeling that local elections are ‘second order’ elections and the feeling that youths have no actual influence over the political process, ultimately produces these low turn-outs.”

For the study, Dr Whitfield investigated whether young people would be more encouraged to vote if eVoting was available, voting was compulsory, or if there was a reduction in the voting age.

He found eVoting appeals to young people and could increase their turnout; that youth felt divided about compulsory voting; and that they were opposed to reducing the voting age to 16 based on the belief that this age is too young.

Youth are not receiving sufficient information

Other research insights revealed youth felt they were not receiving enough information to make knowledgeable decisions; more than 90 percent of participants felt they should have been better educated on the importance of their civic rights; and 17 of the contributors mentioned they knew nothing about politics, voting or government operations.

Despite these concerns relating to local elections, New Zealand’s most recent national election – in late 2020 – showed a big increase in the number of young people turning out to vote.

Official turnout was 82.2%, the highest since 1999, and the final enrolment rate was 94.1%, the highest since 2008.

Speaking just after the election, Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright said an age breakdown showed the biggest gains in turnout in the younger age groups. In the 18-24 category, for example, the number of voters rose by 43,293, which was an increase of almost 19 percent versus the previous election.

The post How eVoting could increase youth voter turnout in NZ local elections appeared first on Australian Times News.

Jointly developed through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the University of Queensland, the new technology combines satellite imagery and underwater mapping to create what are claimed to be the most detailed biological terrain maps of the Reef to date.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is already employing the data to prioritise crown-of-thorns starfish control, with future applications including improved understanding of the ways individual reefs connect, their exposure to major weather events and new baseline data on the Reef’s diverse range of marine habitats.

Data being generated will directly assist the authority in planning permit assessments, as well as with on-water management.

“The Great Barrier Reef is the best managed reef system in the world and this breakthrough is a perfect example of science informing Reef management,” Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley said.

Building a clearer picture of the Reef

“Thousands of individual satellite images are producing a high-resolution picture of the offshore Reef, making how we look at individual reefs easier, clearer, and more accurate.”

Warren Entsch, an MP and Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, said that new mapping technology would be an important tool in targeting the extensive on-water programs that exist to protect the reef.

“This information enables us to better understand habitat types on some of these remote reefs, and the ways cyclones and physical damage from predatory starfish may impact resilience,” he explained.

Lead scientist on the Habitat Mapping Project, Dr Chris Roelfsema, and his team from the University of Queensland, developed the maps in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science and EOMAP Ltd for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

“We are delighted to collaborate on this work with the Authority to bring together field knowledge, high quality satellite imagery and improved mapping and modelling methodologies,” Dr Roelfsema said.

More Reef patrols to deter illegal fishing

Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority announced last week that day and night compliance patrols across the Reef have been ramped up as part of an ongoing effort to deter illegal fishing and help protect the marine environment.

Director for Operations, Chris Cochrane, said compliance patrols in the air and on the water could detect illegal activity, even at night and in remote areas.

“Late September is a known high-risk period for non-compliance in the Marine Park, and fishers are reminded to know the zoning rules to avoid fines of $2,200 for fishing in no-take areas,” he said.

“Investment into our compliance program means there are more staff, better boats, and better technology which has led to more effective patrols.

“We now have boats and surveillance aircraft with thermal surveillance capability, which allows us to capture fishing activity from a distance at night.”

The post Aussie-led technology breakthrough sheds new light on Barrier Reef appeared first on Australian Times News.

CoreStaff and Gumala Enterprises were found to have discriminated against a worker when they refused to hire a qualified 70-year-old grader operator because of his age. The Court ordered 50 percent of the penalties, totalling $14,500, be paid to the affected worker who was denied the opportunity to work.

In October 2018, the worker submitted an application for a grader operator role in the Pilbara to CoreStaff, which provides labour hire and permanent recruitment services to clients across a range of industry sectors.

The application was forwarded by a CoreStaff area manager to Gumala Enterprises, which provides civil construction, transport and mining-related services to clients in the Pilbara region.

Email message noted that ‘age is a concern’

On 25 October 2018, a Gumala Enterprises human resources advisor emailed the CoreStaff area manager stating:

“I have some feedback on the grader ops. … we had his details already, he applied directly with us. He has all the tickets we are looking for however [his] age is a concern – 70 years old.”

The CoreStaff area manager replied: “Wow didn’t know that however I would have found out eventually… yes will certainly keep looking.”

Later that day, the CoreStaff area manager emailed the worker stating: “Sorry … no joy with the role at Gumala due to your age mate.”

CoreStaff’s liability was determined by the Federal Court last year after a contested hearing.

Age used to deny employment opportunity

In Friday’s penalty decision, the Court said: “The discrimination against [the worker] was clear – the only roadblock to his continued consideration for employment was his age. Conscious recognition was given to his age by both Gumala … and by CoreStaff … and that factor was then relied upon to deny his opportunity of employment.”

In determining the penalty to be imposed on CoreStaff, the Court noted the absence of any indication of remorse on its part.

“I note that CoreStaff, by the nature of its business, is in the position to disabuse its clients of any misunderstanding as to discriminatory conduct in employment and so to reduce the prospect of such conduct occurring. It is to be hoped that it will be attuned to this potential in the future.”

However, Gumela had apologised and admitted liability at an early stage.

According to Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) Commissioner, Stephen McBurney, the Fair Work Act 2009 makes it clear that it is unlawful for any employer to take adverse action against an employee or prospective employee because of their age.

The post Two WA companies penalised $29,000 in age discrimination case appeared first on Australian Times News.

The man – the first to be convicted in Western Australia under Operation Ironside – did not challenge the forfeiture orders made this month by the Supreme Court of WA.

The $6-million in cash will be redistributed from the Confiscated Assets Account by the Minister for Home Affairs, Karen Andrews, to support crime prevention, law enforcement and related community initiatives.

Operation Ironside-West-Maidos was an investigation into a Perth-based organised crime syndicate allegedly involved in the importation and distribution of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Intelligence was gained from the AN0M platform

The discovery of the cash came as a result of intelligence gained from the AN0M platform, which was secretly run by the AFP and FBI. The AFP developed the technical ability to read encrypted messages in near real time.

A search warrant executed in Perth on 26 November 2020 found about $6-million in cash and cash-counting equipment.

A man present at the Girrawheen home at the time of the search warrant was arrested and charged with a money-laundering offence.

The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to dealing in the proceeds of crime and was sentenced in the WA District Court on 27 July 2021 to five years’ imprisonment.

Forfeitures ensure no ‘silver lining’ for criminals

Before his sentencing, the man signed a consent order for the restraint and forfeiture of the seized cash, and on 8 September 2021 the Supreme Court of Western Australia issued orders restraining and forfeiting the cash.

AFP National Manager for Criminal Assets Confiscation, Stefan Jerga said the dual criminal conviction and asset confiscation strategy undertaken by the AFP and its state police partners delivers maximum impact and ensures there is no silver lining for offenders when they are released from jail.

“Our strategy ensures that when offenders have served their sentence they do not come home to enjoy their criminal wealth and a property portfolio, cars, boats and jewellery – all paid for by the proceeds of crime,” Jerga said.

“We know some criminals build jail time into the cost of doing business. But what they really dislike is coming out of prison without the benefit of their ill-gotten gains.”

The post First multi-million cash forfeiture as a result of AFP’s Operation Ironside appeared first on Australian Times News.

Grants of up to $4-million will be available to ensure that major tourism enterprises remain viable and are ready to scale up as visitation returns.

Eligibility criteria for the ‘Iconic’ tourism grants will include the businesses being key drivers of significant interstate and/or international tourism, as well as being major employers. Or they must be nationally significant tourism operators and attractions, such as major theme parks and major reef tourism operators.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a 50% reduction in turnover and visitation over the three-month period from 1 July to 30 September 2021, compared to pre-Covid. In addition, the businesses must maintain their staff levels throughout the assistance period, which concludes at the end of 2021.

Second round of grants also available

A second round of grants of $15,000, $25,000 and $50,000 will be available for small, medium and large-employing businesses across the State that have experienced a reduction in turnover of at least 70 percent for at least seven consecutive days between 1 July and 30 September. 

Major tourism enterprises that receive an ‘Iconic’ tourism grant will not be eligible to receive a further grant under the Second Round of the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Hardship Program. 

Karen Andrews, Federal MP for McPherson, which includes much of the Cold Coast, said the targeted support would go where it was most desperately needed. 

“I know how tough things are right now. That’s why I’ve been advocating – alongside my Gold Coast LNP colleagues – for more support for our local businesses,” she stated.

Operators must be able to scale up

“It has been devastating to see our hotels, attractions, restaurants and shops suffer through another school holiday period – when they should be overrun with interstate tourists. 

“We know visitors – from Sydney, Melbourne and beyond – will head straight for the Gold Coast when borders re-open. This targeted support will ensure they’re ready to scale up as we move through the National Plan and visitors return.”

Stuart Robert, MP for Fadden, welcomed the $70-million rescue package saying it would save some of Australia’s most iconic and loved attractions. But he called for greater certainty for the community. 

“This package will help save some of our most iconic attractions from certain ruin. It is welcome support for the many businesses facing difficult days and will save Gold Coast jobs.

“But the Gold Coast needs certainty, we want this to be the last package needed to save the Gold Coast from collapse, and with the Queensland Government seemingly ruling out opened borders for Christmas we need to know when vaccinated tourists will be able to safely spend money in our businesses.”

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On 16 September, 2021, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers identified the alleged drugs concealed inside boxes labelled as Mexican handicrafts that had arrived in international airfreight at Brisbane Airport.

Presumptive testing of a white powder concealed in the boxes returned a positive result for methamphetamine.

The matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police and officers created a replica consignment that was delivered to a Surfers Paradise address yesterday.

Police swoop after a replica consignment delivered

The 29-year-old Colombian national allegedly accepted the package before officers executed a search warrant and entered the property. Police observed parts of the boxes had been cut apart corresponding to where the drugs were concealed in the original consignment.

Police seized a number of electronic devices for further examination along with a passport, consignment documentation, the blade used for cutting the boxes and the replica consignment.

The woman was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

She was bailed in Southport Magistrates Court today and is next due to appear on 18 October.

‘More than just a delivery driver’ on your doorstep

AFP Detective Superintendent Helen Schneider said this was another case of an alleged drug importer finding more than just a delivery driver arriving on their doorstep.

“It shouldn’t be any surprise to people to find AFP officers knocking on their door if they are trying to import drugs through international cargo and mail,” Schneider said.

“We are constantly working with our partners to stay one step ahead of even the most sophisticated methods of concealing drugs.”

ABF Commander Chris Waters said the outcome demonstrates the degree to which law enforcement agencies collaborate to detect and disrupt those responsible for importing illicit goods such as drugs into Australia.

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Repayment insurance, sometimes known as CCRI, is a form of insurance which covers some, or all, of a customer’s outstanding credit card repayments in certain circumstances. These include bankruptcy, redundancy, injury, illness or death.

But the Financial Markets Authority review has confirmed that CCRI is a poor value product for New Zealand consumers.

This is based on several factors, including the limited level of underwriting completed by providers when they issue such a policy.

Customers’ circumstances not properly assessed

“The underwriting process involves an assessment and calculation of the amount of risk the insurer is taking on for the person buying insurance,” the authority explained.

“With the CCRI product, providers do not assess a customer’s medical and occupational circumstances. These factors mean numerous exclusions and prescriptive conditions are applied when someone makes a claim on the policy, so customers may not receive the benefits they expect.”

The report also found providers treated CCRI as a low-touch product, with customers receiving little communication or engagement. Therefore, many customers did not make claims.

“Because claims are being declined due to numerous exclusions or customers simply not making claims, this has resulted in providers experiencing low claims loss ratios and accruing significant profits. The amount paid out in claims to customers is low compared to the insurance premium collected by providers,” the authority said.

The loss ratio for CCRI was reported as low as 10%, meaning around 10c is paid in claims for every $1 received in premiums. This compares, on average, to loss ratios of 80% for health insurers and 47% for life insurers.

Concerns were first highlighted in a 2019 report

The Joint Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Financial Markets Authority report into conduct and culture of the life insurance industry highlighted concerns about CCRI in 2019, and since then insurers have stopped selling it to new customers.

But the authority said it remained focused on this product, given an estimated 200,000 New Zealanders still hold in-force policies, with insurers earning around NZ$20-million in premiums annually.

“We found underwriters and distributors are not displaying sufficient levels of customer care in their suitability assessments and communications with customers,” the report said.

“Product suitability assessments are a critical part of customer care, where a customer’s personal circumstances should be checked to ensure the product meets their needs and financial position.”

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According to a statement by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), which summarises the findings, the study found more than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have these and other existing conditions. These could increase the risk of needing intensive care admission, requiring mechanical ventilation, or death if they contract Covid-19 and are not vaccinated.

First Nations ‘must remain a priority group’

The study was undertaken by researchers and health practitioners at ANU, NACCHO, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Lowitja Institute.

Their findings, the researchers say, reinforce that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians “must remain a priority group” for the nation’s vaccine rollout and broader pandemic response, rather than being simply labelled “vulnerable”.

“The root cause of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ elevated risk of severe Covid-19 illness is health inequity, stemming from colonisation and racism,” lead researcher Dr Katie Thurber, from ANU, said.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who have high household income, live in advantaged areas, are food secure, do not experience discrimination, were not forcibly removed from family, and have access to healthcare are at significantly lower risk of severe illness if they contract Covid-19.

Lack of access to key health determinants

“If all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had access to these key determinants of health, it is likely that risk of severe illness from Covid would be much lower in the population.

Thurber added: “Our study makes it very clear; because of these long-term inequities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must continue to be treated as one of the highest priority groups in our pandemic response.”

Dr Jason Agostino, who is from ANU and a medical advisor to NACCHO, said: “We found that three-in-five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have at least one of these risk factors.
 
“This means there are almost 300,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who are at higher risk of getting very sick if they are not vaccinated and get Covid.”

The post First Nations adults at higher risk of severe illness due to Covid appeared first on Australian Times News.

Under current rules, Victorians in Extreme Risk Zones can’t return home unless they obtain an exemption, have another valid permit (such as for specified workers) or are exempted for limited reasons.

“As part of the changes advised by the Chief Health Officer, which will come into place from 30 September, Victorians in an Extreme Risk Zone will be eligible to return home to Victoria if they are fully vaccinated,” Andrews said.

Must quarantine at home for 14 days

“They must test negative 72 hours before their departure, quarantine at home for 14 days upon arrival, and get tested again at the start and the end of their quarantine period.

“The current Extreme Risk Zone rules will remain for Victorians who aren’t fully vaccinated. Those who are not currently fully vaccinated can still apply for an exemption to enter Victoria under the existing limited criteria.”

To ensure people from Extreme Risk Zones are meeting their quarantine obligations, Authorised Officers will conduct at-home spot checks on Victorians quarantining.

Vaccinated permit holders returning to Victoria will be required to attest their vaccination status on their application and may be asked to provide proof of vaccination when requested by an Authorised Officer.

Fines for giving misleading information

According to the State Government, they will face fines if they provide false or misleading information. They’ll also have to carry proof of their vaccination status so it can be checked at airports, seaports or borders.

“Service Victoria is developing a solution for Victorians to show their vaccine certificate and vaccination status in the Service Victoria app. They are also looking at how this can be linked to an individual’s Victorian travel permit application,” Andrews said.

“This change will allow Victorians to return home from Extreme Risk Zones – but you have to be vaccinated.

“Given our increasingly high vaccination rates and the direction we’re headed in the roadmap, this is a safe and appropriate decision and it’s made on public health advice.”

The post Victoria releases pathway for its vaccinated residents to return appeared first on Australian Times News.

ARC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sue Thomas, welcomed today’s (22 September) official launch of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics led by The University of Melbourne. 

The Centre is receiving $35-million in funding from the ARC over seven years to carry out experiments using new cutting-edge technologies, including at the underground physics laboratory at Stawell, 240 kilometres north-west Melbourne.

Improve experience and skills of Australian researchers

Professor Thomas said the Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter would allow Australia to lead research endeavours towards understanding what the universe is made of, with the potential for major discoveries and compelling new ideas on the nature of dark matter.

“This kind of innovative research will help advance our understanding of the universe and improve the experience, skills and capacity of Australian researchers,” she stated.

“It will utilise new experimental equipment in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory as the Southern Hemisphere’s epicentre for dark matter research and a national facility desired for other disciplines.

Centre to provide a dynamic environment for advances

“This will provide a dynamic environment for advances in ultra-sensitive detectors, ultra-low radiation techniques, spin-off technology translation and highly trained graduates ready to lead innovation in Australian industry.”

According to the ARC, the centre is being led by Professor Elisabetta Barberio, who is at the forefront of Australian research in the hunt for elusive dark matter.

The centre will bring together a diverse field of national and international expertise in particle and nuclear physics, quantum measurement and astrophysics – working together to further knowledge and explore new approaches to detection that will provide valuable insights into the history and evolution of the universe.

It is collaborating with six universities across Australia: The University of Melbourne which will lead the ARC Centre of Excellence, Swinburne University of Technology, The University of Adelaide, The University of Sydney, The Australian National University and the University of Western Australia.

The post Cutting-edge new Aussie research facility to investigate dark matter appeared first on Australian Times News.

“Inspections are underway across the transport network with engineers assessing any potential damage to metropolitan and regional roads, bridges and culverts – similar inspections are underway across the public transport system,” it said

Due to power failures caused by the earthquake, on the state’s road network up to 90 sets of traffic lights had been offline. However, services had been restored and traffic lights were operating normally around the network.

It was possible that more power and communication disruptions would still occur, the State Government warned.

Damage to building housing tram control centre

“The tram network may experience minor delays due to potential earthquake damage reported at the building that houses the tram control centre. Operators have moved to a contingency location [and] delays, if any, are expected to be minimal across the tram network,” the statement said.

Metro Trains continue to run as normal, with all services running to time. But on the V/Line network, coaches continue to replace most V/Line services due to driver availability.

Meanwhile, the Australian Psychological Society has urged Australians who experienced this morning’s earthquake, particularly those in Melbourne where it was most strongly felt, to look after their mental health.

“Disasters or significant events like an earthquake can be incredibly distressing for many people,” the society’s CEO, Dr Zena Burgess, said.

Acknowledge you’ve had a difficult experience

“There is no right or wrong way to feel, and it’s important to acknowledge you’ve been through a difficult experience.”

“For those in Melbourne, and across Victoria, it’s particularly important to look after yourself right now. As a community you have been living through difficult and often stressful circumstances for a while now, so it’s understandable that this morning’s events may have brought on strong feelings for you.”

“Lean on each other, rest, take time to relax, and if you’re highly distressed or struggling, please reach out for help,” Dr Burgess advised.

The earthquake occurred this morning at 9.15am (AEST) and was felt around the state and further afield. The epicentre occurred near Mansfield, which is located in the Victorian Alps approximately 180 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.

The post Only minor impacts on Victorian transport network after earthquake appeared first on Australian Times News.

“Throughout this Delta outbreak we’ve seen the overwhelming majority of people doing their bit by complying with Alert Level restrictions, which are there to protect our communities by stopping the spread of Covid,” Hipkins noted 

“Police continue to report high compliance levels at checkpoints and in their day-to-day interactions with people across the country.

Behaviour of minority is unacceptable

“Disappointingly, however, a number of serious breaches have occurred, which seriously put at risk the good progress we’ve made to stamp out Delta. I think all New Zealanders would agree that this behaviour is unacceptable.”

The minister said rule-breaking risked spreading the virus, and the fines which have been in place no longer properly reflected the significant social and economic impacts of a single case of the virus getting out into the community.

Breaches by a small minority of people created a risk for everyone. The new penalties would provide further deterrence to those who chose to break the rules.

Among the changes are an increased penalty for failing to comply with a Covid-19 requirement. This has been specified as an infringement offence and will increase to a maximum infringement fee of NZ$4,000 (previously NZ$300) or a NZ$12,000 maximum court-imposed fine – a rise of NZ$1,000.

‘Failure to comply’ fine is set to triple

Examples of infringement offences include failure to wear a face covering in places where it is mandatory.

In addition, a person who intentionally fails to comply with a Covid-19 order, thereby committing a criminal offence, is now liable, on conviction, for a fine of up to NZ$12,000 – up from $4,000 – or six months imprisonment.

That could include offences such as a person travelling without permission, or travelling for a purpose other than what was permitted from an Alert Level 4 or 3 area to an Alert Level 2 area.

A maximum infringement fee of $12,000, or maximum criminal offence fine of $15,000, has also been introduced for body corporates who fail to have systems and processes in place in accordance with the Health Order.

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What’s concerning mining industry CEOs most right now is a shortage of skilled workers to fill local jobs, according to the council’s latest State of the Sector report.

QRC Chief Executive, Ian Macfarlane, said the report for the June 2021 quarter, released today (21 September) shows a combination of Covid-related border restrictions, less skilled migration and interstate competition for workers has created a perfect storm of labour shortages at a time of continued growth across the sector.

Increased demand for key Qld commodities

He added that the Minerals Council of Australia’s latest Commodity Demand Outlook 2030 report had forecast increased demand for key Queensland commodities out to 2030.

“This is supported by Queensland Treasury’s most recent forward estimates that show coal export volumes are predicted to rise by 23 percent out to 2024-25,” Macfarlane said.

“Treasury is also anticipating a broadening of the resources sector due to increasing demand for Queensland’s critical minerals and rare earths used in the production of emerging technologies.”

According to Macfarlane, mining leaders have become increasingly concerned over the past 12 months about attracting and retaining enough skilled employees to support industry growth, with the issue jumping from number 12 on the list to number one in the latest CEO sentiment survey.

Jobs in sector have increased significantly

“The number of jobs in our sector in Queensland has increased by more than two-thirds over the past five years to reach a record high of almost 85,000 earlier this year,” he said.

“This growth in resources jobs, which has surged since Covid, is around six times the relative growth experienced across the rest of Queensland’s workforce over the same five-year period.

“Looking forward, jobs growth over the next five years is likely to continue due to increasing global demand for traditional resources like coal, base metals and gas – plus the growing demand for new economy minerals such as cobalt, graphite, vanadium and rare earths which are being used to build everything from microchips to electric vehicles.”

He said this demand would create a growing and increasingly diverse pipeline of jobs for Queenslanders, with the National Skills Commission projecting employment in the sector would grow by a further 8 percent to 2025.

The post ‘Perfect storm’ causing critical labour shortage in Queensland appeared first on Australian Times News.

The organisation has been calling for the mandatory vaccination of the Australian health workforce since mid-July. NSW was the first state to move and issued a public health order to its workers to get vaccinated in August. Since then, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland have followed.

“The high transmissibility of the Delta variant of Covid makes South Australia’s hospitals extremely vulnerable and we need that vaccination rate as high as it can possibly go,” said Catholic Health Australia Health Policy Director, James Kemp.

‘Tie down the tarp before the storm’

“South Australia has been relatively fortunate to date in terms of Delta, but that’s all the more reason to tie down the tarp before the storm strikes.

“A blanket public health order by the South Australian Government would take the decision-making out of the hands of operators – it’s a safer and more thorough approach.”

He said the South Australian Government needed to send a clear and unambiguous message: if you work in healthcare you must be vaccinated against Covid.

“The majority of staff working in the Catholic sector have been vaccinated, of course, but a government mandate would give a nudge to the few remaining staff who are unvaccinated.

Healthcare workers get other jabs

“Mandating Covid vaccines for hospital staff should hardly be considered controversial. Already healthcare workers are required to get jabs to protect against the likes of measles, mumps, and rubella. This would be a straightforward extension of that requirement.”

Earlier this month, Catholic Health Australia welcomed the confirmation by WA that it was mandating that health workers be vaccinated.

“Every day we delay is another day where patients are exposed to unnecessary risk. There is no reason why we shouldn’t be targeting double doses for all hospital workers by Christmas or sooner.

“Most hospital workers are already getting vaccinated. But for the minority who are hesitating for whatever reason, that hard push from the government will draw a line in the sand,” the organisation said at the time.

The post Catholic hospitals urge SA govt to mandate vax for health workers appeared first on Australian Times News.

Supported by Facebook, the campaign aims to reach at least 80 percent of Australians and give every business in the country access to a toolkit of vaccination-related messages and assets to let them speak with a united voice.

“Every person we get vaccinated [takes] us one shot closer to bringing Australians back together and letting us all get on with our lives,” the council’s Chief Executive, Jennifer Westacott, said.

“The One Shot Closer campaign is carefully researched and geared to complement existing State and Federal advertising with messages that remind Australians that safe and effective vaccines are our path back.

Businesses are pulling out all stops

“This is critical to the economy and the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians.”

According to Westacott, businesses across the country are pulling out all stops to reach national vaccination targets and put Australia on track to reopen.

Facebook Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Will Easton, said: “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve supported Aussie businesses and our community in staying connected during these challenging times.

“As the vaccine rollout continues to gather pace, the business community has a role to play in encouraging Aussies to get vaccinated as we return to normal life.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer our support to the ‘One Shot Closer’ campaign and help the Business Council of Australia amplify this important message on our platforms.”

Need to get communities flourishing

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations, Alexi Boyd, said that without a clear roadmap out of Covid restrictions, small businesses would struggle to reopen and stay open.

“This initiative will help small businesses by encouraging more Australians to get jabbed [and] get our communities flourishing again,” he noted.

Speaking for the hospitality industry, Restaurant & Catering Australia’s CEO, Wes Lambert said the national vaccine rollout gave the sector a pathway to bring Australians together again after an incredibly tough time.

“This campaign will help encourage all Australians get their jab so that we can open our doors and then keep them open for good,” he stated.”

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ARA CEO Paul Zahra said that, whilst it was pleasing that hairdressers and personal care services can reopen at the 70 percent double-dose vaccination milestone, other discretionary retail businesses face a longer wait.

This would limit their ability to trade in the lead-up to the all-important Christmas shopping period.

Discretionary retail faces a longer wait

“Victorian businesses have been desperate for hope and certainty out of the ongoing Delta devastation, and whilst the roadmap details what life will look like after lockdown, it’s disappointing that most of discretionary retail faces a longer wait to reopen,” Zahra lamented.

“Discretionary retail has been the hardest hit throughout the pandemic. Many small retail businesses are on the brink of financial, emotional and mental health collapse. Sadly, they’ll be closed for at least another seven weeks, while other sections of the economy can open and trade at 70 percent double-dose.

“We appreciate the health and safety of the community needs to come first, but we can’t hide our concern for vulnerable retailers who will have been continuously closed for 13 weeks in total – which will sadly be unsustainable for some.

“In NSW, retail businesses, along with hospitality and hair and beauty services, will reopen when 70% of their population is fully vaccinated.

Questions around proof of vaccination

Zahra said there were some important details to be finalised with the Victorian Government around how proof of vaccination will work and will be enforced.

Front-line retail staff had unfortunately been the victims of increased customer aggression as a result of the QR code and mask mandates, and while these instances were in the minority, asking for a customer’s vaccination history would certainly elevate this concern.

“It’s important that retailers have the backing of law enforcement agencies so they can manage the safe reopening of their businesses,” he stated.

“We appreciate this has been an incredibly difficult time for the small business community in particular, but there is hope on the horizon and today’s roadmap is a welcome relief – even if it does mean a longer wait for freedom over others.”

The post Victoria’s roadmap to reopening is still a worry for state’s retailers appeared first on Australian Times News.

Almost 350,000 doses arrived on Friday night (17 September) as part of Australia’s original contracted supply, with a further 700,000 from the additional million doses secured from European Union member states due to arrive today (19 September).

Health minister Greg Hunt welcomed the arrival of the doses and said they were the first of two million to be supplied by Moderna in September from its Belgian plant.

Delivered to 1,800 community pharmacies

“We expect that these doses will be distributed to more than 1,800 community pharmacies across the country and put in into the arms of Australians in the next week,” the Minister said.

“A further 1,800 community pharmacies across the country will start to receive doses [in] the week commencing 27 September.

“To date, we have administered over 24 million Covid-19 vaccines across Australia, with more than 70 percent of Australians having received a first dose and 45 percent having received a second dose. These are important achievements as we move closer … to the vaccination rates required for us to safely reopen our country.”

According to Hunt, the additional Moderna vaccines will provide more opportunities for Australians to get vaccinated, including those aged 12-15 who recently joined the rollout. He encouraged anyone who has yet to receive the vaccine to make an immediate booking.

Key bodies have approved use of vaccine

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved the Moderna vaccine, while the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has recommended its use for Australians aged 12 and over.

Nationwide, more than 3,640 pharmacies have already agreed to administer the Moderna vaccine.

Australia has an advance purchase agreement with Moderna to secure 25-million doses of the vaccine – 10-million this year and 15-million in 2022. The new doses will go through the standard TGA batch-testing process, as with all other Covid-19 vaccines.

Australians wanting to book a Covid-19 vaccination can visit visit https://www.australia.gov.au/

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Offering a potential solution and a way of recycling the material, New Zealand researchers have found that compostable plastic can be turned into a foam that functions as building insulation.

University of Canterbury academic Dr Heon Park – along with co-authors Chemical and Process Engineering PhD student Lilian Lin and BE(Hons) graduate Young Lee – have developed a method to convert single-use plastic knives, spoons and forks into a foam that can be turned into insulation for walls or flotation devices. This cutlery is made from PLA.

An explanation of polylactic acid

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a plastic made of fermented starch from corn or sugar cane. It is designed to break down harmlessly, but if PLA enters the environment it doesn’t always break down as intended.

Dr Park studies biodegradable foams and the synthesis and processing of biodegradable plastics as part of his many fields of research.

How did the NZ researchers do it?

The researchers placed the cutlery, which was previously thought to be ‘non-foamable’ plastic, into a chamber filled with carbon dioxide. As pressure increased, the gas dissolved into the plastic. When they suddenly released the pressure in the chamber, the carbon dioxide expanded within the plastic, creating foaming.

Dr Park says the process is like opening a can of soda and releasing the carbonation.

“By tweaking the temperature and pressure, there is a window where we can make good foams,” he says. “It’s not that every temperature or every pressure works. We found what temperature [and] pressure is the best to make those non-foamable plastics into foams.”

Each time plastic is recycled, it loses a bit of strength. Foams are an ideal material because strength is not important in many applications.

“Whenever we recycle, we degrade the plastics each time,” explains Park. “Let’s say we have a biodegradable spoon. If we use it and we recycle it back into another spoon, it may break in your mouth.”

Alleviate global pollution problems

The ideal structure of a foam depends on its final use. Bulky foams, which have large or plentiful air pockets, are good for buoys. The researchers found, contrary to what was previously thought, lower chamber pressures led to bulky foams.

Making biodegradable plastics recyclable could alleviate some of the global pollution issue. While biodegradable material eventually breaks down in nature, it is even better for the environment if plastics can be repurposed.

Biodegradable and recyclable plastics can be used more than once, but are also less of an environmental threat if they end up in oceans or landfills. The team believes this process could be implemented on a large scale.

“We can expand foaming applications to a lot of plastics, not just this plastic,” says Dr Park.

The post How plastic cutlery can be recycled into home-insulating foam appeared first on Australian Times News.

The 47-year-old had pleaded guilty last year to 12 offences after an extensive investigation by the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team – known as SA JACET – which included comparing his features to those of a man abusing girls in videos posted online.

SA JACET launched an investigation in early 2019 after information was received from Queensland Police about comments on a child abuse website that were suspected to have been posted by someone in South Australia.

The comments included a desire for photographs of Asian girls aged eight to 12 and police inquiries linked the internet subscription details to the Adelaide man.

Man was also a suspect in US investigation

Officers from the team, which comprises Australian Federal Police and South Australia Police, arrested the man in May 2019 after they executed a search warrant at his home and found a USB containing aggravated child abuse material.

They learned the same man had been identified as a suspect in a major operation led by United States Homeland Security Investigations a decade earlier.

The US investigation into an international network of sex offenders – who abused young children and traded images and videos of the offending via an encrypted online ‘bulletin board’ – resulted in more than 70 people being prosecuted.

While the Adelaide man was not charged as part of that investigation, Homeland Security provided Australian police with the data it had collected and suspected to be linked to him, including videos.

Some material found on forums on dark web

Over several months, Australian investigators examined these images, and also found photos and videos on other dark web-based child abuse forums that they connected to the Adelaide man.

Police say the man had recorded the videos of himself sexually abusing the girls in Cambodia but had not kept those digital files on his electronic devices they could access. They found the incriminating evidence only on the hidden websites.

Details about the man’s frequent trips to Cambodia were also collected with the assistance of AFP officers based in Cambodia, with significant support from local authorities and non-government agencies.

“Child sex offenders are not restricted by state or national borders, however neither are law enforcement and their partner agencies, whose focus is protecting children from harm and bringing these heinous offenders to justice,” said AFP Detective Superintendent Gail McClure.

“This should send a clear warning that we are working tirelessly with our partners to expose and hunt down anyone who preys on children – there is nowhere for these offenders to hide.”

The post SA man jailed for abusing girls on his trips to South-East Asia appeared first on Australian Times News.

Planned cuts will see the company’s North Ryde manufacturing staff numbers halved from 480 to 240 by November 8, with 110 operators/warehouse/floor employees and 130 staff positions made redundant, according to the AWU.

AWU National Secretary Dan Walton says the job losses will be a huge blow, not only for Sydney manufacturing but also Australia’s sovereign capability.

“The AstraZeneca vaccine is the only vaccine being produced in Australia, so the importance of keeping pharmaceutical production skills here has never been clearer,” he said in a statement.

‘We are losing critical skills and employment’

“Frankly it’s crazy to see a situation in which AstraZeneca is making 100 skilled, experienced workers redundant.

“We will lose critical skills and employment from Sydney and Australia in what is a huge lost opportunity for Australia’s future.

“If the Morrison Government doesn’t step in here, it will send a powerful signal about how much Australia values this sovereign capacity,” Walton said.

The AWU believes AstraZeneca has generally been a good employer, with the main reason for the cuts being that China has cancelled its contract for respules (small plastic containers full of liquid used in nebulisers to treat asthma). It is unclear what motivated the Chinese buyer’s decision.

A statement released by the union quotes a worker at the North Ryde plant, Peter Kelly, as saying the operators who will be made redundant have very specialised skills in pharmaceutical manufacture.

Australia must retain pharmaceuticals capacity

The only option they will have now to use their skills within AstraZeneca will be to move overseas, creating a skills exodus in this critical field, Kelly said.

“Next time a pandemic, or some other major health crisis, hits we may not be able to rely on intentional supply lines. Australia needs to retain the capacity to make pharmaceuticals here. We can’t afford to be shedding these jobs and these skills in this moment.”

The AWU said it is urging the Government to ensure the Sydney facility stays operational and productive, perhaps by being upgraded or altered to manufacture vaccines.

“The Government needs to see what’s required to keep these jobs and make sure Australia doesn’t lose this capacity,” Walton warned.

The post Union calls for intervention to save AstraZeneca jobs in Sydney appeared first on Australian Times News.

“This is a common sense, risked-based move to pave the way for Australia to reopen, reunite and recover,” Westacott stated.

“Hotel quarantine has been crucial to keeping us safe. But as the number of people protected grows, of course we should get rid of the bottlenecks that stop Australians getting home and critical skilled workers getting into the country.

“NSW is yet again leading the nation with a plan to safely ease restrictions as more Australians are protected at home and more returning travellers are fully vaccinated.

Lay the groundwork to reopen now

“Vaccines dramatically reduce the risks of transmission and serious illness, so as we get closer to reaching our targets, we have to lay the groundwork to reopen now.”

The Business Council said it is urging all state and territory leaders to follow the NSW example, put the nation first and start planning to re-join the rest of the world.

“The longer we delay planning to reopen and reunite, the bigger the risk to our international reputation as a good place to do business, invest, visit and create jobs,” Westacott noted.

New research from the Business Council, released last week, showed almost 80 percent of Australians want lockdowns and restrictions phased out once the country meets its vaccination targets. 

The research coincided with the council’s unveiling of a plan to deliver on Australians’ expectations by “detailing how we can safely and carefully unwind the restrictions that are costing our economy $3-billion a week”.

Doesn’t mean losing focus on health

Introducing the plan, Westacott said: “Our urgent first challenge is carefully planning to manage the safe easing of restrictions.

“The pathway out doesn’t mean losing focus on the health challenge, it means giving ourselves the ability to adapt to changes and maintain the capacity of our health system.

“We should be preparing to use new technologies like rapid antigen testing now, getting the protocols in workplaces and in homes ready to roll-out at scale.

“State governments should be clear on the manageable level of cases and they must prepare surge capacity in the event of outbreaks, including remote and regional areas.”

She warned that the longer Australia delayed planning to reopen and reunite, the bigger the risk to the country’s international reputation.

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In what is said to be a first for the Asia-Pacific region, the two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on a joint research project to better understand the opportunities and challenges of flying zero-emission hydrogen aircraft in the country.

Under the MoU, Air New Zealand will analyse the impact hydrogen aircraft may have on its network, operations and infrastructure, while Airbus will provide hydrogen aircraft performance requirements and ground operations characteristics to help the airline develop its decarbonisation roadmap.

A step closer to airline’s emissions commitment

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Greg Foran, said the MoU was an exciting step towards understanding how hydrogen-powered aircraft could become a reality in the country.

“This agreement brings us a step closer to our net zero emissions by 2050 commitment, and to realising our aspiration to put low-carbon solutions in place for our shorter domestic and regional flights in the next decade,” he stated.

“New Zealand has a unique opportunity to be a world leader in the adoption of zero emissions aircraft, given the country’s commitment to renewable energy which can be used to generate green hydrogen and our highly connected regional air network.”

Foran added: “At this stage, both hydrogen and battery-electric aircraft are still on the table as potential options for our shorter domestic flights, along with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for long-haul operations. This research will help to inform future decision-making as we work to decarbonise the airline.”

Study of required infrastructure and logistics

According to the airline’s Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer, Captain David Morgan, the MoU is an opportunity for the airline to be part of the design and definition of how a hydrogen-powered aircraft might fit into its own operations.

“We’ll be working closely with Airbus to understand opportunities and challenges, including achievable flying range and what ground infrastructure or logistics changes may be required to implement this technology in New Zealand,” Morgan said.

Hydrogen-powered aircraft produce zero CO₂ emissions and, depending on the technology used, can substantially reduce or even eliminate air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, as well as helping prevent contrail formation.

Airbus’ announced in 2020 that zero-emission commercial aircraft based on hydrogen could enter into service by 2035.

The post Air NZ and Airbus to research future of hydrogen-powered aircraft appeared first on Australian Times News.

Bjorn Jarvis, Head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said the latest data covered the first two weeks of August, which included the continued lockdown in New South Wales, new lockdowns in Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, and a series of changes in restrictions in other parts of the country.

“Labour market changes in New South Wales continued to have a large influence on the national employment and hours worked figures. In August, there were big falls in New South Wales in both employment (-173,000) and hours worked (-6.5 percent),” he stated.

Large falls for NSW in both July and August

“The large falls in employment and hours in New South Wales in August followed falls in July (37,000 and 7.0 percent), with employment and hours down by 210,000 people and 13 percent since the beginning of the lockdown in late June.”

Other states and territories that were in lockdown for part of the first two weeks of August also recorded large falls in hours worked. These included Victoria (-3.4 percent), Queensland (-5.3 percent) and the Australian Capital Territory (-2.5 percent).

The national participation rate fell by 0.8 percentage points to 65.2 per cent, following a 0.2 percentage point fall in July. This was underpinned by a large drop in the New South Wales participation rate, down 2.5 percentage points. There was also a 1 percentage point fall in the previous month.

Also a big drop in participation, says ABS

“The fall in the unemployment rate reflects a large fall in participation during the recent lockdowns, rather than a strengthening in labour market conditions,” Jarvis explained.

“Throughout the pandemic we have seen large falls in participation during lockdowns – a pattern repeated over the past few months.

“Beyond people losing their jobs, we have seen unemployed people drop out of the labour force, given how difficult it is to actively look for work and be available for work during lockdowns. This has also coincided with a temporary pause in mutual obligations for jobseekers living in lockdown areas.”

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In an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which comes just weeks before a major climate conference in Glasgow, they say Australia must significantly lift its commitment to the global effort to bring climate change under control in order to save lives and protect health.

The letter calls on the Prime Minister to commit to an ambitious national plan to protect health by cutting Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and aligning them to science-based targets. It must happen this decade, the doctors urge.

‘Imminent health threats’ posed by climate change

Numerous medical organisations have signed the letter. Among them are the Australian Medical Association, The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.

“As doctors, we understand the imminent health threats posed by climate change and have seen them already emerge in Australia. The 2019-2020 bushfire season in Australia saw parts of the country afflicted by the poorest air quality in the world, with large numbers of the population enduring weeks of bushfire smoke and the related adverse health impacts,” the letter states.

“That climate disaster also tragically took more than 30 lives as a direct result of the fires. Since then, we have seen the stark impacts of extreme weather events playing out in the northern hemisphere in 2021. Flooding, fires and heatwaves not only have immediate health risks, but also come with the longer-term physical, economic and mental impacts of displacement, loss of life and loss of livelihoods.”

In the letter, the doctors and medical colleges said the Government’s plan to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions should include policies that accelerate the transition to renewable energy and acknowledge its health benefits. It said the plan must also increase Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement at UN climate negotiations (COP26), in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 C.

Doctors are seeing the realities in their surgeries

“The government must urgently act to significantly reduce emissions this decade. Severe fires, superstorms and floods have arrived and are destroying lives,” Dr Omar Khorshid said.

Doctors for the Environment Australia Chair, Dr John Van Der Kallen, said doctors are already dealing with the reality of climate change in their surgeries and in emergency departments.

“Failure to act urgently on climate change risks unmanageable threats to the health of all Australians,” Dr Van Der Kallen stated.

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The US Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal was awarded to the pair who had been posted to the School of Armour at Puckapunyal Training Area in Victoria at the time. They are Master Sergeant John ‘Ricky’ Farrell IV and Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Accornero.

The award is presented to service members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC) who have performed commendably in routine duties or for exceptional achievements.

On the Sunday afternoon of the fire, both men were at the Weapon and Tactics Wing at the School of Armour when they noticed a large smoke plume. Without hesitation, both got into Gunnery Sergeant Accornero’s car and drove towards the incident.

“We were concerned as Gunnery Sergeant Accornero’s home is less than 200m from the buildings that would’ve been burning,” Master Sergeant Farrell said.

School was already engulfed in flames

“When we arrived, the school was fully engulfed in flames. The wind was very strong, which was a serious cause for concern because many homes on Alamein Road were at risk if the fire couldn’t be contained.”

This apprehension was shared by Gunnery Sergeant Accornero. “As we drove, I came to the realisation that not only was this fire far larger than we anticipated, but that its location was near military service members’ houses,” he said.

Joining three Australian Army members already on scene – Major Matthew Whitwell, Major Johnny Ozols and Warrant Officer Class 2 Bernie Maus – it became clear the fire would soon overwhelm the civilian authorities at the scene.

“At that time there were only four firefighters. I identified from the direction of the wind that there was potential for the fire to jump and spread from the school,” Gunnery Sergeant Accornero said. “I knew we had to do something.”

The Marines provided direct assistance to the Country Fire Authority personnel, replacing expended oxygen cylinders on the firefighters’ breathing apparatus, laying out and connecting additional water hoses and removing debris to allow access for additional fire trucks. 

Fire hoses were being burned through

Major Whitwell said the fire was so intense that fire hoses were being burned through or bursting, with military personnel replacing damaged sections with new hose.

“As the fire progressed through the school’s main building, thick black smoke was enveloping us and it became very difficult to breathe and see each other,” Major Whitwell said. 

Undeterred, Gunnery Sergeant Accornero assisted Major Whitwell and Major Ozols with a spare water hose and attacked the fire front. 

Major Ozols said the Marines continued to assist local fire crews and their ADF colleagues for about 45 minutes. 

“Without [the Marines’] selfless effort to work in a dangerous situation in support of emergency services, it is possible the fire would have extended into bushland, risking the homes and lives of many families,” Major Ozols said.

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This comes as new CSIRO research uncovers more about the ways lost and discarded fishing gear circulates in Northern Australian waters.

Federal Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said today (14 September) the trial of a tracking device had allowed the two foreign fishing nets to be safely retrieved so they cannot continue to harm marine species. Fish, turtles, dolphins and seabirds often die through entanglement in nets that become floating death traps.

“We are thrilled by the success of this first GPS tracking trial and look forward to continuing to tackle ghost nets head on,” the minister said. 

Retrieved near two islands in the Torres Strait

“The two foreign ghost nets were retrieved from locations near Badu Island and Possession Island in the Torres Strait, and have now been safely unloaded and disposed of in Cairns.

“The voyage also picked up parts of a fish aggregating device from the ocean east of Cape York – including buoys, netting and bamboo.”

According to a statement issued by Ley, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Border Force through its Maritime Border Command, and Parks Australia recently joined forces on a trial to improve how ghost nets are tracked and retrieved from the oceans around Australia.

A Border Force surveillance aircraft located the larger of the two ghost nets 10 nautical miles north-north-west off Badu Island in the Torres Strait. Officers on board a patrol boat then attached a tracking device to the net. 

Fishing nets are massive and hard to remove

“When nets are first spotted it is not always possible for them to be immediately retrieved, as they can sometimes weigh up to 4 tonnes and span a length of almost 1 kilometre,” Ley explained.

“Improving our ability to detect and retrieve ghost nets through targeted tracking technology is key to the Government’s approach to protect our ocean and the species that live in it.”

The tracking trial comes as the CSIRO marine debris research team completes the most comprehensive analysis of aerial survey data of ghost nets in the Gulf of Carpentaria to date, with the study also funded under the Government’s Ghost Nets Initiative. 

This study highlights that the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland and south of the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory are key hotspots for ghost nets and that the number of nets has increased over time, building on the important work many groups are doing to collect data on the ground. 

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These findings were included in the Commission’s latest report, led by Age Discrimination Commissioner Dr Kay Patterson, What’s age got to do with it? A snapshot of ageism across the Australian lifespan. 

The report found ageism remains the most accepted form of prejudice in Australia, with 63% having experienced ageism in the last five years.

“Ageism is arguably the least understood form of discriminatory prejudice, with evidence suggesting it is more pervasive and socially accepted than sexism or racism,” Dr Patterson said.

Ageism is experienced in different ways

The research was undertaken by the Commission in 2020 and 2021 to explore what Australians think about age and ageism across the adult lifespan. It found ageism is experienced in different ways.

Among the findings is that young adults (18-39) are most likely to experience ageism as being condescended to or ignored, particularly at work.

However, middle-aged people (40-61) are most likely to experience ageism as being turned down for a job, while older people (62+) are more likely to experience ageism as being ‘helped’ without being asked.

It also shows the generations have much in common – but that there are ongoing tensions, which arise from stereotypes held by one generation about another. When these were questioned, most Australians rejected the stereotype.

Warmth expressed to other age groups

The research found that 70% of Australians disagreed with the sentiment that ‘today’s older generation is leaving the world in a worse state than it was before’, and fewer than 20% agreed that any age group was a ‘burden on their family’ or a ‘burden on society’.

“While we found common stereotypes about different age groups during our research, I was struck by the warmth expressed by participants towards members of age cohorts other than their own – and a real understanding of the life issues faced by those of other age groups,” Dr Patterson said.

The report uncovers what it means to be a certain age is also changing. Increased longevity, changing social mores, cultural factors and economic shifts mean people are realising key milestones at later ages – such as completing an education, buying a home or having children. 

“Every Australian must do what they can to challenge ageist attitudes in themselves and others, so together we can reduce ageism for Australians of all ages. Age is not the problem. Ageism is,” stated Dr Patterson.

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But scientists at The University of Manchester in the UK have now developed a way to potentially overcome this problem: by creating a concrete-like material made of extra-terrestrial dust along with the blood, sweat and tears of astronauts.

In their study – published on 13 September in Materials Today Bio – the researchers say they’ve discovered that a protein from human blood, combined with a compound from urine, sweat or tears, could glue together simulated moon or Mars soil.

This would produce a material stronger than ordinary concrete, perfectly suited for construction work in extra-terrestrial environments.

Astronauts must use on-site resources

The cost of transporting a single brick to Mars has been estimated at about US$2-million, meaning future Martian colonists cannot bring their building materials with them. Rather, they will have to utilise resources they can obtain on-site for construction and shelter.

This is known as in-situ resource utilisation (or ISRU) and typically focuses on the use of loose rock and Martian soil (known as regolith) and sparse water deposits. However, there is one overlooked resource that will, by definition, also be available on any crewed mission to the Red Planet: the crew themselves.

In their article, the UK-based scientists demonstrated that a common protein from blood plasma – human serum albumin – could act as a binder for simulated moon or Mars dust to produce a concrete-like material. The resulting novel material, termed AstroCrete, had compressive strengths as high as 25 MPa (Megapascals), about the same as the 20–32 MPa seen in ordinary concrete on Earth.

However, the scientists found that incorporating urea – which is a biological waste product that the body produces and excretes through urine, sweat and tears – could further increase the compressive strength by over 300%, with the best-performing material having a compressive strength of almost 40 MPa, substantially stronger than ordinary concrete.

The answer was inside us all along

Dr Aled Roberts from The University of Manchester, who worked on the project, said the new technique holds considerable advantages over many other proposed construction techniques on the moon and Mars.

“Scientists have been trying to develop viable technologies to produce concrete-like materials on the surface of Mars, but we never stopped to think that the answer might be inside us all along”, he said.

The team investigated the underlying bonding mechanism and found that the blood proteins ‘curdle’ to form an extended structure with interactions known as ‘beta sheets’ that tightly holds the material together.

“The concept is literally blood-curdling,” Dr Roberts explained, only slightly tongue-in-cheek.

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According to a statement issued by the MUA earlier today (13 September), Qube Ports Director Michael Sousa informed the union that large global shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen had indicated over the weekend it would cancel its contract with Qube and shift its business to rival operator Linx.

MUA WA Branch Secretary Will Tracey said Wallenius Wilhelmsen was Qube’s largest customer and the loss of this business would have a detrimental effect on its profits and share price.

“This will be a devastating blow to Qube Ports, which is one of Australia’s largest import/export logistics firms,” Tracey said.

“Rather than negotiating a fair outcome to the dispute at Fremantle, which is now in its seventh week, Qube Ports appears to have decided that winning an industrial dispute and losing its major client is a good outcome for the company, its workers and its shareholders.”

‘Dispute is not about wages’ claims MUA union

Tracey said the company had outlined to the MUA the numbers of jobs to be made redundant across the Brisbane, Melbourne and Port Kembla Terminals.

“The MUA bargaining dispute with Qube, incredibly, is not about wages and is focussed firmly on providing our members with a safer work environment,” he stated.

“Our bargaining claims are primarily about improving fatigue-management practices and occupational health and safety on the job, while ensuring that our members have a proper work-life balance.”

Tracey said a key claim is workers having an ability to plan their life outside of work. Not one worker employed by Qube in Fremantle Ports has a roster, he said

“Workers, including permanents, are told by text message whether they have work the following day and which shift they will be working. This is no way for a company to treat its workforce.”

Qube says unions wants black bans of vessels

In its own statement issued tonight (Australian time), Qube said the MUA’s Fremantle branch had begun targeting international shipping lines in an attempt to organise black bans of vessels visiting the Qube Fremantle terminal. 

The union was urging shipping lines to move their contracts for stevedoring in Fremantle and possibly Brisbane to Linx, Qube said.

Michael Sousa, Director, Qube Ports said: “This behaviour from the MUA is both disgraceful and un-Australian. The MUA is using bullying tactics against Qube customers that put businesses, jobs and the Western Australian economy at risk.

“We have had an agreement with the MUA since August 2020 in 25 out of 26 ports. This latest stunt by the Fremantle branch of the MUA in their failing campaign against Qube and its customers demonstrates just how low they will go.

He added: “We call on them again to return to work, take the agreed pay rise and honour the agreement reached with their national office.” 

Qube said it has now called on the MUA National Office to intervene and honour the deal that was made.

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With the arrival of millions more vaccines, easier access through an expanded network of GPs and pharmacists, and the opening up of the vaccination program to everyone aged over 12, the campaign marks a major ramp-up of the vaccination program, the Federal Government said in a statement.

The ‘First Things First’ campaign encourages Australians to get vaccinated so they can start enjoying the things they are missing out on, or to get vaccinated to keep enjoying the things they love.

Latest campaign has two key themes

It has two key themes: to speak to those who have been living in areas of lockdown and are looking forward to their first tastes of freedom again; and to speak those who are already enjoying the things they love, urging them to get vaccinated in order to keep living their lifestyles without the risk of lockdowns.

“It mobilises all Australians to make the decision to get vaccinated. It particularly speaks to a younger age group,” explained health minister Greg Hunt.

He said the “comprehensive vaccination communications campaign” was being supported by an additional $50-million of funding to take the campaign through the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.

According to the minister, the latest research shows a continuing positive trend in attitudes to being vaccinated, with 81 percent of people saying they will be, or intend to be, vaccinated.

Uptake of vaccinations is encouraging

“This is extremely encouraging as we strive to reach the 70 and 80 percent vaccination rates as important targets in the phases for re-opening,” Hunt said.

“This campaign targets those who are still unsure [about being vaccinated] to [get] vaccinated, as it will enable them to do things they enjoy – such as being with family, attending weddings, going to concerts and travelling.”

To date, more than 66 percent of the Australian population aged 16 and over has had at least one vaccine dose, and more than 22-million doses have been administered across the country.

“We are setting vaccination records on an almost daily basis – and the next phase of the communications campaign will seek to keep this momentum going,” said the minister.

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AFP investigators notified the UK’s National Crime Agency of a transnational criminal syndicate using encrypted communications to coordinate cocaine shipments on the vessel Kahu.

UK authorities intercepted the vessel approximately 80 nautical miles off the coast of the UK, near the English city of Plymouth, in a multi-agency operation which included AFP officers based in the UK. 

The UK’s Border Force boarded and secured the vessel before returning the yacht to Plymouth for examination.

Five Nicaraguans and one Briton are arrested

Five Nicaraguan nationals and one UK national who were on the yacht have been arrested in connection with the attempted importation and are currently being questioned.

The arrests are linked to the global joint law enforcement sting known as Operation Ironside. The AFP, working with the American FBI’s operation Trojan Shield, has led to the mass disruption of the criminal environment across Australia and around the world.

AFP Assistant Commissioner for the Northern Command, Lesa Gale, said intelligence from Operation Ironside had enabled the AFP to assist international enforcement partners in disrupting an alleged sophisticated criminal network.

“Operation Ironside has opened the door to unprecedented collaboration across law enforcement agencies around the globe,” Gale stated.

Highlights importance of policing partnerships

“This result highlights the importance of the AFP’s partnership with the [UK’s National Crime Agency] to combat offshore transnational organised crime that impacts both of our countries.

“The AFP and NCA have a strong, historic relationship and both agencies recognise the significant threat to national security posed by transnational organised crime.”

NCA Deputy Director, Matt Horne, said this was a massive haul of cocaine with an estimated street value of around £120-million (AUD$226-million).

“There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold on into communities across the UK, fuelling more crime and misery.

“Organised crime groups are motivated by money. The deprivation of these drugs will smash a hole in the group’s plans and ability to operate,” he said.

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