NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: It’s raining, its pouring. Top of the South drivers, heed the weather warnings.

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

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    Drivers in the top of the South Island are urged to keep a close eye in weather and road conditions tonight.

    The Metservice has issued a Heavy Rain Warning for the Tasman ranges west of Motueka, with heavy rain forecast  for 10 hours from 9 pm tonight. This will affect State Highway 60 in Tākaka and Golden Bay.

    A Heavy Rain Watch is also in force overnight for the Bryant and Richmond Ranges, including the Rai Valley. This will affect State Highway 6 between Nelson and Canvastown, and also State Highway 63  through the Wairau Valley.

    Drivers must be prepared for wet weather driving and take extra care on the roads. Wet roads are slippery so road users should drive to the conditions – reduce speed, increase following distances, and avoid sudden braking.

    Bad weather can also see roads closed at short notice. Drivers are encouraged to check road and weather conditions before they travel.

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Munich Security Conference concludes

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Journalists work at the media center of the 61st Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) concluded on Sunday amid strained transatlantic relations.

    “We have to fear that our common value base is not that common anymore,” Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the MSC, remarked on Sunday, pointing to the growing divide between Europe and the U.S., as he closed the three-day annual event.

    In the wake of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s controversial speech at the MSC, Heusgen expressed his gratitude that European politicians had “spoken out and reaffirmed the values and principles they are defending.”

    During this year’s meeting, participants, including around 60 heads of state and government and 150 ministers, discussed key global security challenges such as climate change, European security and regional conflicts.

    Yet, divisions persisted on issues like the Ukraine conflict and European defense, amid an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

    What set this year’s MSC apart was Vance’s comment regarding Europe’s democracy and free speech, which sparked widespread backlash and openly exposed the rift between the U.S. and its transatlantic allies, Xiao Qian, deputy head of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, told Xinhua.

    Heusgen emphasized the urgent need for shared norms and principles in a multipolar world. “This order is easy to disrupt, to destroy, but much harder to rebuild,” he noted.

    Highlighting the rising importance of the Global South, Heusgen concluded that over 30 percent of speakers at this year’s conference were from Africa, Asia, Latin America, ensuring their voices were heard in discussions on the evolving multipolar order.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China remains constructive force in changing world

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) concluded on Sunday. In interviews with Xinhua, Chinese experts attending the MSC said the event addressed numerous emerging global uncertainties, while China reaffirmed its commitment to being a constructive force in a changing world.

    A security report was released ahead of the conference with a focus on multipolarization and its U.S. section noted that the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump “promises more selective, often unilateral, international engagement, only when narrowly construed US interests are at stake.”

    And it also stated that the administration’s “toying with the idea of coercively absorbing Greenland, Panama, and Canada” suggests it will not feel bound by key international norms.

    Wang Junsheng, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the key focus of the conference was the uncertainties stemming from the Trump administration. He said the administration’s past statements and acts have indicated a disrespect for international order and a disruption of the existing international system.

    The report stated that the Trump administration’s indifference toward United Nations’ agencies and climate change will negatively impact the Global South countries.

    Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization not only undermined the authority and effectiveness of the global governance system but also dampened the momentum for multilateral cooperation. This, he argued, has deepened the fragmentation of the international order and hastened the world’s shift toward a more disordered state.

    During his speech at the MSC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European countries, including Germany, on issues concerning democracy and immigration. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday criticized Vance for interfering in German politics. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday emphasized that Europe would not accept external imposition.

    Wang Junsheng said Vance’s speech was condescending, undermining the principle of equal exchanges between nations. He added that Vance’s blatant interference in Germany’s internal affairs violates other’s sovereignty and reflects unilateralism, which could provoke diplomatic tensions.

    Xiao Qian, deputy head of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said Vance’s speech failed to address issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tariffs, disregarding the concerns of countries in Europe and beyond. European officials and scholars have expressed deep disappointment.

    Wang Junsheng said the Russia-Ukraine conflict remained a key issue at this year’s MSC. While the Trump administration has been pursuing a negotiated resolution, widespread concerns persist in Europe regarding the fairness and justice of the U.S. proposal, its potential to achieve lasting peace, and whether it primarily serves American interests.

    With regard to U.S. wielding the big stick of tariffs, Wang Yiwei said this move has undermined the global free trade regime and World Trade Organization rules, fueled trade protectionism and economic nationalism, disrupted global supply chains, and heightened uncertainties in the development of world economy.

    Addressing the “China in the World” session of the MSC, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that China will remain a global stabilizing factor and a constructive force in the transformation of the world. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, elaborated on China’s four key views regarding multipolarity, including advocating equality among nations, respecting the rule of international law, practicing multilateralism, and upholding openness and win-win cooperation.

    The Chinese experts said Wang’s speech addressed concerns of all parties and provided the greatest certainty in this uncertain world. China’s proposal to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world was widely discussed and received high praise from attendees.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Debut of Hong Kong-born giant panda twins stirs fuzzy feelings

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    HONG KONG, Feb. 16 — A crowd had gathered outside Ocean Park Hong Kong three hours before opening on Sunday to see the Hong Kong-born giant panda twins in the fluffy flesh, as they turned six months old and could meet the public for the first time.

    The pair of female and male pandas were born on Aug. 15 last year to Le Le and Ying Ying, who were given as a gift by the central government to Hong Kong.

    Visitors dashed towards the exhibition venue housing the giant pandas the second the amusement park opened. As many as 500 people queued outside the venue, which prompted the park to limit the window for each visit to 5 minutes.

    The pair sparked an outpouring of love as they entered the display area in the arms of caretakers. They frolicked, scaled trees and rubbed their heads against each other, before hitting the sacks for a nap.

    The older female cub has round black patches around the eyes and has proved to be a good tree climber. The male one is chubbier and darker, marked by squarer patches around the eyes, according to Elke Wu, assistant curator of zoological operations at Ocean Park Hong Kong.

    The parents and children now live in separate areas. The mother Ying Ying has recovered her pre-maternal weight and gained greater gusto.

    “The cubs are even cuter than what I saw in videos. I’ve already picked out names for them,” said a teenager surnamed Zhou who purchased spin-off stuffed animals of the twins.

    The park will extend visiting hours gradually for the public to see the twins from the second half of this year or next year, said Paulo Pong, chairman of Ocean Park Corporation, adding that new venues and a giant panda museum are also under planning.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash: SH 39, Otorohanga, Waikato

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can advise a serious crash has closed both lanes on SH39, Ormsby Road near Puketotara.

    A crash has occurred between a truck and caravan at around 11.20am.

    Emergency services are responding to the scene and the road is completely closed and will be for some time.

    Two people have serious injuries and are being transported to hospital.

    Motorists are advised to avoid SH39 if possible and expect delays in the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University

    Indonesia’s TVOne launched an AI news presenter in 2023. T.J. Thomson

    Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in the past couple of years, creating disruption in many industries. Newsrooms are no exception.

    A new report published today finds that news audiences and journalists alike are concerned about how news organisations are – and could be – using generative AI such as chatbots, image, audio and video generators, and similar tools.

    The report draws on three years of interviews and focus group research into generative AI and journalism in Australia and six other countries (United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and France).

    Only 25% of our news audience participants were confident they had encountered generative AI in journalism. About 50% were unsure or suspected they had.

    This suggests a potential lack of transparency from news organisations when they use generative AI. It could also reflect a lack of trust between news outlets and audiences.

    Who or what makes your news – and how – matters for a host of reasons.

    Some outlets tend to use more or fewer sources, for example. Or use certain kinds of sources – such as politicians or experts – more than others.

    Some outlets under-represent or misrepresent parts of the community. This is sometimes because the news outlet’s staff themselves aren’t representative of their audience.

    Carelessly using AI to produce or edit journalism can reproduce some of these inequalities.

    Our report identifies dozens of ways journalists and news organisations can use generative AI. It also summarises how comfortable news audiences are with each.

    The news audiences we spoke to overall felt most comfortable with journalists using AI for behind-the-scenes tasks rather than for editing and creating. These include using AI to transcribe an interview or to provide ideas on how to cover a topic.

    But comfort is highly dependent on context. Audiences were quite comfortable with some editing and creating tasks when the perceived risks were lower.

    The problem – and opportunity

    Generative AI can be used in just about every part of journalism.

    For example, a photographer could cover an event. Then, a generative AI tool could select what it “thinks” are the best images, edit the images to optimise them, and add keywords to each.

    Computer software can try to recognise objects in images and add keywords, leading to potentially more efficient image processing workflows.
    Elise Racine/Better Images of AI/Moon over Fields, CC BY

    These might seem like relatively harmless applications. But what if the AI identifies something or someone incorrectly, and these keywords lead to mis-identifications in the photo captions? What if the criteria humans think make “good” images are different to what a computer might think? These criteria may also change over time or in different contexts.

    Even something as simple as lightening or darkening an image can cause a furore when politics are involved.

    AI can also make things up completely. Images can appear photorealistic but show things that never happened. Videos can be entirely generated with AI, or edited with AI to change their context.

    Generative AI is also frequently used for writing headlines or summarising articles. These sound like helpful applications for time-poor individuals, but some news outlets are using AI to rip off others’ content.

    AI-generated news alerts have also gotten the facts wrong. As an example, Apple recently suspended its automatically generated news notification feature. It did this after the feature falsely claimed US murder suspect Luigi Mangione had killed himself, with the source attributed as the BBC.

    What do people think about journalists using AI?

    Our research found news audiences seem to be more comfortable with journalists using AI for certain tasks when they themselves have used it for similar purposes.

    For example, the people interviewed were largely comfortable with journalists using AI to blur parts of an image. Our participants said they used similar tools on video conferencing apps or when using the “portrait” mode on smartphones.

    Likewise, when you insert an image into popular word processing or presentation software, it might automatically create a written description of the image for people with vision impairments. Those who’d previously encountered such AI descriptions of images felt more comfortable with journalists using AI to add keywords to media.

    Popular word processing and presentation software can automatically generate alt-text descriptions for images that are inserted into documents or presentations.
    T.J. Thomson

    The most frequent way our participants encountered generative AI in journalism was when journalists reported on AI content that had gone viral.

    For example, when an AI-generated image purported to show Princes William and Harry embracing at King Charles’s coronation, news outlets reported on this false image.

    Our news audience participants also saw notices that AI had been used to write, edit or translate news articles. They saw AI-generated images accompanying some of these. This is a popular approach at The Daily Telegraph, which uses AI-generated images to illustrate many of its opinion columns.

    The Daily Telegraph frequently turns to generative AI to illustrate its opinion columns, sometimes generating more photorealistic illustrations and sometimes less photorealistic ones.
    T.J. Thomson

    Overall, our participants felt most comfortable with journalists using AI for brainstorming or for enriching already created media. This was followed by using AI for editing and creating. But comfort depends heavily on the specific use.

    Most of our participants were comfortable with turning to AI to create icons for an infographic. But they were quite uncomfortable with the idea of an AI avatar presenting the news, for example.

    On the editing front, a majority of our participants were comfortable with using AI to animate historical images, like this one. AI can be used to “enliven” an otherwise static image in the hopes of attracting viewer interest and engagement.

    A historical photograph from the State Library of Western Australia’s collection has been animated with AI (a tool called Runway) to introduce motion to the still image.
    T.J. Thomson

    Your role as an audience member

    If you’re unsure if or how journalists are using AI, look for a policy or explainer from the news outlet on the topic. If you can’t find one, consider asking the outlet to develop and publish a policy.

    Consider supporting media outlets that use AI to complement and support – rather than replace – human labour.

    Before making decisions, consider the past trustworthiness of the journalist or outlet in question, and what the evidence says.

    T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Michelle Riedlinger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Global Journalism Innovation Lab. She is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Phoebe Matich receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a post-doctoral research fellow within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society.

    Ryan J. Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it – https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-is-already-being-used-in-journalism-heres-how-people-feel-about-it-247232

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Milestone reached for Takitimu North Link Stage 1 Road of National Significance

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Construction of Takitimu North Link Stage 1, a new four lane expressway connecting Tauranga and Te Puna, has passed the halfway point, which is great news for economic growth and productivity in the western Bay of Plenty, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.  

    “This is a huge undertaking, with two thousand people having worked on the project to date and 1,500,000m3 of earthworks moved so far”, Mr Bishop says. 
    “Four of 10 bridges are already completed (Minden Road, Minden Gully off-ramp, Wairoa Road, Cambridge Road) and traffic is using the new bridges at Minden, Wairoa and Cambridge Roads. 

    “Earthwork crews have now broken under the Cambridge Road and Minden Road bridges, meaning it’s now possible for the project team to ‘drive through’ the full length of the future expressway for the first time. 

    Eight beams were installed at the Wairoa Awa (River) bridge recently, with 32 of a total of 80 beams now in place, spanning the awa and flood plains. 24 beams have been installed at the SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road flyover bridge this summer, with nine left to install in the next two months.  

    “At SH2/Fifteenth Avenue, crane pads are being built and piling will soon be underway to build the new bridge connection – this is the final structure to get underway on the project. 

    “In other positive news for local road users, congestion is set to improve between Fifteenth Avenue and Welcome Bay in the near future, with $10.3 million of funding confirmed by the NZTA Board for Tauranga City Council (TCC) to design extra traffic capacity between the Tauranga CBD and the growing suburbs of Welcome Bay, Hairini, Ohauiti and Maungatapu. 

    “These suburbs house 29,000 people and the local population is set to keep increasing. All these people need to cross the harbour to access services such as high schools, supermarkets and employment. 

    “This project being led by TCC will help road users get there more quickly, by adding another traffic lane to the bridge by removing the footpath from the main structure, re-locating the path to a lightweight clip-on structure and utilising a dynamic lane system – the first of its kind in the Bay of Plenty. Sections of 15th Avenue will also be widened, adding capacity as a T2 lane.  

    “It’s all about saving people travel time. By reducing congestion that extends onto the state highway, modelling shows it will save more than 750 vehicle-hours of congestion per day, which is an average of 2-3 minutes of peak travel time saving per vehicle.”

    Note to editors:

    The Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project is a Road of National Significance supporting economic growth and productivity in the western Bay of Plenty, by providing a reliable, resilient and safe expressway connection between Tauranga and Te Puna.  
    Tolling was confirmed for the project in December 2024.
    Current expected completion date is 2028.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian National Maritime Museum Council Appointment

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Labor Government has appointed Ms Nataliya Dikovskaya to the Australian National Maritime Museum Council for a three year term.

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said Ms Dikovskaya has extensive experience in the financial sector and has worked with and supported a number of arts and cultural institutions.

    “Having served on boards for various cultural institutions, Nataliya’s knowledge will be a great asset to the Museum. 

    “Nataliya has also worked for many years in the financial sector and is equipped with extensive insight in the industry.”

    The Australian National Maritime Museum is dedicated to exploring Australia’s maritime history through topics of migration, archaeology, ocean science, commerce, culture and lifestyle, and honours the stories of First Nations peoples’ living cultural connection to ancestral waters. 

    Natalia Dikovskaya has worked in the financial services industry for over 17 years and is currently a Senior Adviser at Minchin Moore Private, and the Director of financial planning firm NASHAUS Consulting.

    Ms Dikovskaya is the Chair of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize and is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk sub-committee of the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

    Since 2024, Ms Dikovskaya has been a member of the Collectors Committee of the Art Gallery of South Australia and previously served as a member on the Helpmann Academy Foundation Board, which develops pathways for emerging creatives in the performing and visual arts. 

    Ms Dikovskaya holds a Masters of Applied Finance and is a Certified Financial Planner through the Financial Planning Association. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference – Apex Park, Cessnock

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    DAN REPACHOLI: G’day all. I just want to start by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Well, we’re here today with Minister Catherine King, Mayor Dan Watton of Cessnock, and what an announcement we’ve got today for you. We’ve got $14 million going to Apex Park, an amazing amount of money coming into the Cessnock region to really uplift this park and make a beautiful space for our kids, for adults to be here. And as you can see by the pool, the pool is chockers right now today, so there’ll be kids coming and playing in this park all the time. So, really looking forward to seeing what they can do. And I just want to say thank you to the Minister for seeing the value in this project and seeing the value in our area here in Cessnock, to make sure that we continue to deliver for the Hunter. And that’s what Labor does, and that’s why Labor is here. We’re here to deliver for the Hunter, and we will continue to do that as well. So, I’ll pass over to the Minister very shortly, then we’ll pass over to Dan as well. But this project only came about because of Cessnock City Council. They put this project forward to us so to see if they can get funding through a few different channels. So, we worked hard, we pushed extremely hard to make sure that we can get what we need for this project, and it’s going to be a $14 million project. And I can’t wait to see this get up and going. So, thank you all. Thank you to the Minister. Thank you to the Mayor and to council for all the work they’ve done on this. Now, I’ll pass to the Minister. 

    CATHERINE KING: Beautiful. Thanks very much. Catherine King, I’m the Federal Minister for infrastructure. And I’m here, of course, with the magnificent two Dan’s – Dan Repacholi, the Labor Member for Hunter, and Dan Watton, the Mayor of Cessnock. This is a great announcement for Cessnock today. The regional Precincts and Partnership Program that this funding is coming out of, I cannot think of a better example of what we are trying to do with this program than Apex Park. The regional Precincts and Partnerships Program is trying to take under-utilised areas of central business districts, towns, communities, larger centres, and reinvigorate them so that community can use them. And you can look around us here. Apex Park, you’ve got the sign and the gateway up there, 1930’s, honouring a former Mayor, this park really was put together for the community, is now really not a very well utilised space. The $14 million that the Albanese Labor Government is announcing today, budgeted part of the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, is going to see this space transformed. You will see more amenity for the local community – barbecue spaces, shade, seating, spaces, better parking, a kiosk which might provide the opportunity for a small cafe here. Really rewilding this magnificent- the creek that is here that has been concreted over for long peaks- a period of time. Rewilding it, trying to get, attract wildlife back into the area, but making it a beautiful place that is the gateway and part of the CBD. As I said, can I congratulate the Mayor, but also the staff at the city. As I said, we have been looking for projects that really take the CBD’s and those under-utilised areas that need repurposing, and lifting them up so you’re actually seeing the way in which your space is used in a city differently. The idea for the program actually came when Dan took me to Muswellbrook and showed me what had been done in the community of Muswellbrook. And that really is the catalyst for the idea of the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. The Hunter was the catalyst for this program, and now it’s very much here in Cessnock, the beneficiary of this program – $14 million announced here today. I might hand over to the mayor to say a few words and then happy to take questions. 

    CESSNOCK MAYOR DAN WATTON: Well, absolutely excited to be here this morning. It’s fantastic news. I want to thank the Honourable Catherine King for coming up to Cessnock to make this announcement, and of course, our local Member, our Federal Member, Dan Repacholi. There’s been so much work go into this behind the scenes so, firstly, I want to acknowledge that, and thank Dan Repacholi for his hard work behind the scenes for advocating for this project. Absolutely fantastic work. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears going into this, so I want to thank Dan for that. Also, really want to thank Council staff and I hope I don’t get in trouble for naming and shaming one particular staff member in particular, but Tony Chadwick worked really hard behind the scenes on this. So, I just want to really acknowledge Tony for his hard work. He had a vision for this. I believe there was a very slim chance of getting this grant, but combined with Dan’s hard work and working collaboratively with Council, that’s what it’s all about. We want to work together to get the best outcome for our community, and what an outcome we’re getting today. Fantastic – $14 million to revamp this area, the gateway to the Hunter as Catherine just mentioned before. Fantastic opportunity. We’re going to see this whole thing revitalised – parking, EV parking, disabled toilets. We’re going to see sandstone, it’s going to look beautiful – lighting, the whole thing. So, we welcome this. On behalf of Cessnock City Council, welcome this funding and thank you so much. 

    CATHERINE KING: Happy to take questions. Who would you like? 

    JOURNALIST: Either one. 

    JOURNALIST: Maybe one for Mayor Dan first? 

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, let’s go. 

    JOURNALIST: Just some of the nitty gritty. Obviously, this been something that you’ve been working towards for quite a while. Do you have, at this point, a sort of a timeline of when you’re hoping to have it completed by? 

    DAN WATTON: A timeline? Well, I guess we’ll get the funding. So, at the moment, we’re going through a master plan review, so we’re hoping that all ties up well with their CBD master plan. So we’re looking at finishing that by this year, end of this year, so hopefully we can break some ground following 2026. 

    JOURNALIST: And obviously, how important is it in Cessnock to have these kind of third spaces for people where they can just come and just be, rather than having to pay to be somewhere, especially in a cost of living crisis? 

    DAN WATTON: Huge. Yeah, absolutely huge to have three free things like this to do. So go into a park, close to the pool as well, which runs at a very good cost as well. So having amenities like this available to our community to come to sit around, to relax, have some lunch, is fantastic. So yeah, if you don’t want to pay money. You can come and park your car. And great for tourists as well – you know, we’ve got wine country just down the road, so they can come up, park their car, have a swim and explore a bit of Cessnock as well. 

    JOURNALIST: I’m not sure if this is a question for Dan or the Minister – just clarification, is this only if Labor is re-elected? 

    CATHERINE KING: No, this is actually a budgeted program as part of the normal funding. We’re getting on with the business of government. I know there is an election not too far away. You’ll hear us making election commitments. This is a budgeted, locked in program. It will- the funding will be delivered via the New South Wales State Government to the local council to do the delivery of the project, which is a good way of doing things. We’re used to doing that together. And it’s really- this will be delivered, absolutely – of course, unless Peter Dutton gets elected and decides to cut things. And we’ve heard already that he’s planning to do that; I’ll be very disappointed if he cuts something like this. 

    JOURNALIST: I only have one [indistinct], Minister … we’ve seen this morning that it’s possible that you could travel from Newcastle to Sydney within an hour on the high-speed rail. 

    CATHERINE KING: Yep. So the business case for high-speed rail is now being delivered to government. And it is under the assessment of Infrastructure Australia. Be in no doubt, the Albanese Labor Government is very serious about the delivery of high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney, and high speed rail will be a game changer for this region. What it will deliver is- but first, of course, it is about jobs. Jobs in construction, jobs in helping people getting to the CBD of Sydney and a rail project. But it is also about getting high quality, high paid jobs out of Sydney into the Hunter. Absolutely what it is about – getting those jobs out of Sydney, because we know people want to come and live in this area. We know through the delivery of the Housing Support Program which has delivered, I think, about $22 million here in Cessnock to unlock 900 new homes. We know people want to come and live here, but they also have to be able to work here as well. And so, high speed rail provides that opportunity, that if you do have a job in the city, in Sydney, you can actually live and work here and get into the CBD. We’ll make some announcements about what the next steps of the project are, but be in no doubt, Labor is very serious about delivering high speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle, and also some stops along the way at Central Coast. 

    JOURNALIST: What would it mean for Newcastle and Hunter residents to be able to travel to Sydney that quickly? 

    CATHERINE KING: What it will mean- so one of the things that I have had the opportunity to go and have a look at is High Speed Rail Two over in the UK, which is transforming Birmingham, a really important city centre, and what [indistinct] has actually seen. So the travel times are important – so being able to get from Birmingham into London really quickly, being able to get from Newcastle into Sydney is really important. It means you can work, you can live here in the Hunter and then you can get into town in that really quick time frame. It means why would you drive your car? Like, you wouldn’t. You’d just – you’d save a massive savings on petrol, parking costs, toll – all the toll costs. You would use the train- absolutely be a game changer. But the thing that High Speed Rail Two has been – has done for Birmingham, and why I’ve been at pains to make sure that the High Speed Rail Authority opened an office in Newcastle, and people can go in to that office and have a look at what high speed rail will do, is you have seen major banks that had their headquarters in London moved to Birmingham. All of those jobs allowing people to live in Birmingham and surrounds and have those high paid, high quality jobs in the region. And that is really what high speed rail delivers. It’s not just about faster rail, it’s about growing the economy of Newcastle and the Hunter. The jobs that will be in construction, again, on High Speed Rail Two – I met people who had come off- had come out of mining, had come out of a hairdressing salon, had- was doing environmental approvals on High Speed Rail Two – huge jobs, great opportunities for people in construction, but then- and also in train manufacture, all of those jobs. So this is a really big economic development opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter, and we’re very excited to be part of it. We’ll have more to say about the next stages of delivery now that the business case has been delivered to government. This is a long term project. You won’t see shovels in the ground tomorrow, but this is a long term project that requires a serious long term government that wants to invest in infrastructure in the Hunter, and that’s what the Albanese Labor Government is. 

    DAN REPACHOLI: Can I just add something to that if I can please? 

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, you can- yeah. 

    DAN REPACHOLI: As you can see, we’ve just had our $14 million upgrade to this park that we’ve promised that we’re going to do. And we’re the gateway to Paradise here in the Hunter. We really are. We have the beautiful wine country just there. Within five minutes we’re in a vineyard, so we have so much to offer this place. We are- between us here at the Cessnock LGA and Maitland LGA, we’re the two fastest growing LGAs in New South Wales. So we know people want to come here. We know people want to experience this beautiful place, and that’s why we’re also helping and putting funding into projects like this. We’re looking into the high speed rail to make sure that we can give people what they need and what they want, to make sure they can have the best of both worlds and have a really good paying job in the city, and then live in amazing, beautiful place like here in the Hunter. So we’re making sure we’re doing that along the way, and we’ll continue to work with council, continue to work with our ministers to keep pushing these things so that the Hunter does not get left behind, because we are here to keep growing the Hunter and to keep pushing to get more and more residents here, and more businesses to come and enjoy this beautiful part of the world. 

    CATHERINE KING: Lovely. 

    JOURNALIST: Thank you guys. 

    CATHERINE KING: Thank you, you’re welcome.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Blast from the past: Sports reminiscence hits loneliness out of the park

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 February 2025

    From Australia’s historic victory in the 1983 America’s Cup to Freeman’s gold-medal sprint at the Sydney Olympics, sport has the unique ability to captivate and inspire us all.

    Now, a study by the University of South Australia is exploring the experiences and benefits of older people involved in a community reminiscence program – Sporting Memories Australia – tapping into their memories and experiences of sport in a move to address loneliness and social isolation.

    Working with SportsUnited, the program is actively connecting people over the age of 65 (many living with dementia) to discuss historic sporting events, participate in activities, and share memories from past decades. A knowledgeable facilitator guides the group and promotes inclusivity.

    Initial results from the study indicate wide-ranging positive impacts, with participants reporting that it helps them feel included, socially connected, and engaged.

    Participants say that the program lets them talk freely about any topic, presenting them with opportunities to share and learn with others, a proven factor that stimulates cognitive functioning and social engagement.

    It’s a valuable finding given Australia’s ageing population, where current estimates indicate that 4.2 million Australians (16% of the population) are aged 65+.

    UniSA researcher Robert Laidlaw says the Sporting Memories Australia program is helping address the challenges of aging by providing a group setting for older people to develop new friendships through sharing memories.

    “Social isolation and loneliness have become a public health concern as people age. But while individual approaches such as psychological interventions and medications have been trialled, their effectiveness is limited,” Laidlaw says.

    “Community group reminiscence programs have been developed as a novel approach to combat social isolation. In the Sporting Memories Australia program, we bring a group of older people together to talk about past sporting events.

    “Some of the participants may be socially isolated or lonely, while others struggle with anxiety, depression or even have mild cognitive changes. But together, we engage everyone though a range of inclusive and fun activities including games, quizzes, memorabilia, guest speakers and trips to sporting venues.”

    The program, originally developed in the United Kingdom, aims to attract people with an interest in sport who are living with cognitive changes, loneliness, and/or depression.

    Co-researcher, UniSA’s Dr Richard McGrath, says that in addition to the health and social benefits, participants value the opportunity to learn about and from each other as they play games and share stories.

    “Learning is important for older people because it fosters an active and enquiring mind while promoting social interaction and broadening their horizons,” he says.

    “The benefits of the Sporting Memories Australia program can do wonders for a person’s general quality of life – mentally, socially, and physically. And anything that support a positive mind and spirit is good for our health and wellbeing – and that goes regardless of our age.”

    Sporting Memories Australia holds fortnightly and monthly sessions across seven South Australian locations. To find out more visit: https://www.sportsunited.org.au/sporting-memories-australia.html 

    Notes to editors

    The full paper –‘A qualitative study of a Sporting Memories program in South Australia: belonging, participation, and social connection’ is published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health with contributions from: Robert Laidlaw, Dr Richard McGrath, Prof Saravana Kumar, Dr Caroline Adams and Dr Carolyn M. Murray.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview: Dr Richard McGrath E: Richard.McGrath@unisa.edu.au

    Robert Laidlaw M: +61 407 979 163 E: robert.laidlaw@mymail.unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – A Muggy and Wet Week – humidity is back! – MetService

    Source: MetService

    Covering period of Monday 17th -Thursday 20th February – ‘Warm and moist’ is the name of the game this week with a swath of tropical air over Aotearoa New Zealand. Rain, associated with a low-pressure system from the north, continues to fall on the North Island today (Monday). The Coromandel Peninsula to the Kaimai Range, and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti north of Tolaga Bay are under Orange Heavy Rain Warnings until 8 and 9pm respectively today.  

    MetService Meteorologist Katie Hillyer says, “We’ve already seen 200mm of rainfall recorded at the Pinnacles on the Coromandel Peninsula over the last 24 hours, which, even given the exposure of this mountainous station, is very impressive.” MetService expects a further 70-90mm of rain to fall in those areas today.

    High humidity will be felt across the North Island too. “Warm humid air with plenty of cloud cover acts like an insulative blanket, meaning warmer nights and uncomfortable sleeps this week,” says Hillyer. The poster child of this effect being Rotorua, who only saw a 2°C difference between their maximum yesterday and their minimum this morning. Honourable mentions to Whanganui and Hawkes Bay, where temperatures are set to crack 30°C over the next couple of days – a distinct change to the cool summer they’ve experienced in the east thus far.  

    Overnight, the main action switches from northeastern areas of the North Island to the South Island with rain associated with an approaching low-pressure system from the Tasman Sea. The Ranges of the Tasman District have been upgraded to an Orange Warning, with 80-100mm expected to fall between 9pm tonight and 7am tomorrow. A Heavy Rain Watch is also in place for the Richmond and Bryant Ranges. Rain will spread into eastern parts of the South Island tomorrow morning, soaking some of those dry soils.  

    “Thunderstorms could also be on the cards Tuesday afternoon and evening for Canterbury down to Southland, as well as Westland through to Buller,” warns Hillyer. Periods of rain will continue across much of the country through to Thursday, with today and Tuesday being the most active days.  

    “Cloudy and wet will be the real descriptors for much of the country until Thursday and into Friday, when a ridge of high pressure starts trying to push out that humidity and bring in some fresher air,” says Hillyer.  

    Please keep up to date with the most current information from MetService at http://www.metservice.com/national/home

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release: International travel: December 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – 17 February 2025 – Overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand totalled 3.3 million in the December 2024 year. This was up 357,000 (12 percent) from the December 2023 year, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

    Australia led the increase in visitor arrivals, up 127,000 (10 percent) from 2023. China followed with an increase of 97,000 (64 percent), and the United States with an increase of 32,000 (10 percent).

    “There were just over 2,200 more international flights to New Zealand in 2024 than in 2023,” international travel statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

    “This included 1,700 more direct flights from Australia, China, and the United States, combined. These countries were the three main sources of visitor arrivals to New Zealand.”

    Files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $15.7 million in additional funding to combat family violence in Tasmania

    Source: Australian Ministers for Social Services

    Joint with:

    The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
    Minister for Social Services 
    Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
    Member for Kingston
     

    The Hon Jo Palmer MLC 
    Minister for Education
    Minister for Disability Services
    Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence

    The Albanese Labor Government is partnering with the Tasmanian Liberal Government to provide additional funding for frontline services under a renewed five-year National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses (FDSV National Partnership).

    Working collaboratively to end gender-based violence, the renewed National Partnership will see the Tasmanian and Federal Government’s equally contribute to invest $15.7 for critical Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence programs in Tasmania from July 2025.

    This brings the total allocation of Commonwealth National Partnership funding to $23.4 million for Tasmania since 2022.

    Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, said the renewed partnership demonstrates the strong commitment the Commonwealth and state and territory governments have to ending gender-based violence in Australia. 

    “By working together at a state and federal level, we are taking significant strides to make Australia safe for all women and children,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “The renewed National Partnership provides longer term funding guarantees for Tasmanian family, domestic and sexual violence services, resulting in victim-survivors receiving ongoing access to supports needed to build a life free from violence.

    “Added assistance on the frontlines of the fight against family, domestic and sexual violence will not only improve lives, but save them.”

    Across all jurisdictions, the National Partnership will deliver $700 million in new, matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories, supporting frontline FDSV services, including specialist services for women and children exposed to FDSV, and men’s behaviour change programs.

    Tasmanian Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence, Jo Palmer, said the additional funding is an important step forward in meeting the needs of victim-survivors across Tasmania. 

    “We are committed to working side by side with the Australian Government to end family, domestic and sexual violence in Tasmania and to ensure our State gets the support it needs over the coming years,” Minister Palmer said. 

    “All Tasmanians should not only feel safe in their communities and their homes, they should be safe, and this additional investment will help ensure essential services and programs can be delivered across the State.”

    The Tasmanian Government investment is in addition to its $100 million commitment to implement measures through Tasmania’s Third Family and Sexual Violence Action 2022-2027: Survivors at the Centre. 

    More information on the FDSV National Partnership Agreement is available on the Federal Financial Relations website.

    If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au for online chat and video call services:

    • Available 24/7: Call, text or online chat
    • Mon-Fri, 9am – midnight AEST (except national public holidays): Video call (no appointment needed) 

    If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au

    Feeling worried or no good? Connect with 13YARN Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporters on 13 92 76, available 24/7 from any mobile or pay phone, or visit www.13yarn.org.au No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police pleased to report no significant issues at Taumarunui gang event

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Senior Sergeant Grant Alabaster, Ruapehu Response Manager:

    Police are pleased to report no significant issues following a gang gathering in the Taumarunui area.

    An operation to monitor the behaviour of those involved was carried out by Police, monitoring the gathering and the impact on the roads. Additional Police were deployed to assist with road policing and community reassurance.

    Ahead of the event, Police worked with the organisers and set clear expectations around behaviour to ensure there was minimal impact to the local community.

    No arrests were made and Police did not observe any anti-social or unlawful behaviour.

    We would like to thank the members of the public and a number of local businesses for their patience. Police will continue to monitor the movements of the gathering as it comes to an end.

    Members of the public are urged to report any instances of unlawful activity to us, so we can take appropriate action. In instances we are unable to immediately act we will note down identifying details and follow up later.

    Please contact 111 if it is happening now, or report non-emergencies online via 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: All roads lead to the new Piarere roundabout

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Road users can look forward to a more complete roundabout experience in Piarere, with the final permanent approach road towards Hamilton set to open.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises traffic is planned to be switched onto the new approach on Tuesday 25 February (weather permitting).   

    Darryl Coalter, Acting Regional Manager – Infrastructure Delivery Waikato/Bay of Plenty says the switch will provide road users a taste of the finished product.    

    “We’ve received positive feedback about the roundabout so far and we’re confident motorists will enjoy it even more when the final approach road is in action. It’s one step closer to a more efficient and safer intersection.”   

    The roundabout at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 29 opened to traffic in September 2024 with 2 temporary approach roads in action, while work continued on the 3 permanent approaches. Two of the 3 permanent approach roads (SH1 from Tīrau, and SH29) opened to traffic in December 2024.    

    No road closures or stop/go are needed for the switch onto the new approach road; however, motorists should prepare for minor delays in the area.  

    The roundabout will be reduced to a single lane with traffic switched over one direction at a time, starting with the northbound lane first and the southbound lane by late afternoon. 

    Mr Coalter says the project is on track to be completed in mid-2025, but there is still work to be done. 

    “Work will continue on the central median and barriers on the Hamilton approach, before the focus shifts to the installation of a centre sculpture, landscaping and planting. 

    “Prior to the switch, line marking will be undertaken under stop/go overnight from 8pm Monday 24 February until 4am Tuesday morning. Motorists should expect delays of around 10 minutes during this time.”  

    Mr Coalter thanks motorists for their patience and asks drivers to stick to temporary speed limits and take extra care when travelling through the area while people adjust to the new layout.   

    “We’re not far from the finish line now and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received from nearby residents and road users during this time.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Net migration falls in 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release: International migration: December 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Net migration falls in 2024 – 17 February 2025 – New Zealand had a net migration gain of 27,100 in 2024. This was down from a net gain of 128,300 in 2023, according to provisional estimates released by Stats NZ today.

    “Ups and downs in net migration are a feature of New Zealand’s history. These have been much larger in 2023 and 2024,” international migration statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

    Annually, net migration rose by just over 100,000 in 2023 and fell by a similar amount in 2024. There was still a net migration gain overall.

    “The main driver of the fall in net migration in 2024 was fewer migrant arrivals of non-New Zealand passport holders,” Drake said.

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release: International travel: December 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – 17 February 2025 – Overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand totalled 3.3 million in the December 2024 year. This was up 357,000 (12 percent) from the December 2023 year, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

    Australia led the increase in visitor arrivals, up 127,000 (10 percent) from 2023. China followed with an increase of 97,000 (64 percent), and the United States with an increase of 32,000 (10 percent).

    “There were just over 2,200 more international flights to New Zealand in 2024 than in 2023,” international travel statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

    “This included 1,700 more direct flights from Australia, China, and the United States, combined. These countries were the three main sources of visitor arrivals to New Zealand.”

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gamified building sites provide safer, more accessible learning opportunities for UniSA students

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 February 2025

    Construction education is being transformed with immersive virtual learning environments, allowing University of South Australia students to safely and freely navigate building sites and connect theory to practice.

    The virtual site visits create a realistic digital environment where architecture and construction students can explore the complexity of construction sites from a first-person perspective, like a video game.

    Through the UniSA-developed SiteSeer program, students experience the full fabrication process and learn to translate two-dimensional plans into three-dimensional structures, bridging the gap between plans and built reality.

    UniSA Senior Lecturer: Architecture Dr Sean Pickersgill says the development of the gamified platform was born out of the logistical challenges often faced by academics when co-ordinating physical construction site visits as part of students’ practical learning.

    “Organising physical site visits for students is challenging because there’s no way to ensure that all students receive the same experience without organising a site visit for the entire class. This is where co-ordination challenges arise because there’s no guarantee that a construction site’s schedule will align with the students’ learning progress,” he says.

    “Then there’s the organisational complexity of arranging student access to construction sites which requires significant liaison with builders and there’s also safety and liability concerns with having students on site.

    “There’s also the difficulty of students’ travelling to building sites, sometimes outside of regular teaching hours. For some students it’s impractical, especially if they rely on public transport or have long commute times, and because of that in the past we’ve observed higher absentee rates as students are reluctant to attend.

    In response to these complexities, four UniSA academics developed an original digital platform, called OnSite, in 2015. Capturing five stages of the construction process – site set out, slab, single-storey wall framing, double-storey wall framing and roof framing.

    The project evolved over the next decade, with more than 1000 first year students engaging in the gamified platform as part of a first-year introductory course on Australian construction practices.

    In 2024, OnSite advanced into a new digital model, SiteSeer, containing more than 70 distinct phases of the construction process of a small, double-storey studio. A mixture of timber frame and brick veneer, the new structure demonstrates a broad scope of construction phases a first-year student is expected to understand.

    The newest current version achieves an even greater level of simulated realism with detailed elements such as bins, vegetation and tools providing an additional aspect of authenticity to the experience.

    Dr Pickersgill says construction and architecture students observing real-world methods echoes the apprenticeship model where trade skills are learned alongside skilled craftspeople.

    “Tertiary architecture and building degrees face challenges in providing this first-hand experience due to time restraints – but this foundational knowledge is critical,” he says. “SiteSeer is allowing students to explore every detail of the environment and gain an in-depth insight to each building stage, all within one seamless platform.

    “We’re diversifying and elevating learning in the digital age.”

    For more information on SiteSeer, read the research paper: Sean Pickersgill, Andrew Lymn-Penning, Damian Madigan, and Darcy Holmes. 2024. Virtual Site Visits through Gamification for AEC Students: Perspectives on Practice. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 Educator’s Forum (SA ’24). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 2, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3680533.3697062

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Dr Sean Pickersgill, Senior Lecturer: Architecture, UniSA E: Sean.Pickersgill@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 406 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: These are our people: celebrating the rainbow

    Source: Auckland Council

    Celebrating the diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau comes in many forms and this month Pride shines a spotlight on our Rainbow communities. Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson and Director of Community Rachel Kelleher reflect on the role the council plays to support tākatāpui and rainbow communities in our region and why it’s important to us.

    Not good enough and not acceptable

    Phil: We started writing this piece last week, but the events of the weekend have sadly forced us to look at it again and take a stronger line. Our people were attacked on Saturday. Verbally and physically. Children, young people and their families were caught up in a violent and ugly situation that was outrageous and unacceptable.

    As an organisation, we respect people’s right to free speech, protest and freedom of expression. Our libraries lead the charge on this. But when it turns violent and aggressive, when shouting drowns out other voices, and when people get hurt (children, for crying out loud!), it has gone too far.

    In saying he is proud of the actions of his people, Bishop Tamaki is condoning violence and aggression towards our staff and the community and that is deplorable.

    I’m proud of the calm and professional way Saturday’s attack on a family-friendly event was dealt with by our people at Te Atatū Peninsula Library. And I’m proud of the decent members of our community who supported them. Thankfully, most folk value places like our libraries and community centres for what they are and should continue to be – places of tolerance, acceptance, inclusion. Safe places where all are welcome. Leave your bigotry and intolerance elsewhere please.

    It starts with community

    Phil: What sort of community are we building if we’re not celebrating difference, championing tolerance and valuing social cohesion? With one in 20 adults belonging to Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTIQ+ population, councils play an incredibly important part in setting the tone for inclusion for our Rainbow community.

    Throughout Pride Month there will be many fantastic events for all to enjoy, but it is also a reminder of the things we do every day to encourage and enable social cohesion, provide safe spaces for people to connect and deliver activities that champion learning, tolerance and inclusion.

    Rachel: This week I heard a story about a young woman who attended a ‘literary salon’ evening at a library where attendees talked about celebrated books and shared kai. She was nervous about going on her own, was new to Auckland and has felt quite isolated here. After an evening of listening, learning and meeting others, her parting comment to our librarian was that she had ‘found her people’. This is the why: why we provide opportunities for communities to connect in different ways and why it’s important.

    Finding a place for respectful understanding

    Phil: Auckland Pride board chair Bhen Goodsir recently spoke to the NZ Herald’s The Front Page podcast about the current trend of what he termed an increasingly vocal minority pushing back against important progress for recognising a dignity and importance of Rainbow priorities. Bhen emphasised that when people are surrounded by a loving and supported community, and involved locally, they have better mental and physical health. We all benefit from this.

    There’s that word again – community. Alongside dignity, support and local. And I agree, that as well as being focussed on building a supportive community, we are striving for greater acceptance and a more respectful understanding of what it means to be LGBTIQ+ in Tāmaki Makaurau.

    Rachel: For us, and especially during Pride Month, those places for respectful understanding and celebration are our Proud Centres – our arts and community venues, our and libraries.

    This year we’re hosting 80 arts, cultural and community events where people can come together in their neighbourhoods to celebrate and champion local tākatāpui and rainbow community members.

    We know that marginalisation and misunderstanding continue to exist; by proudly demonstrating just how much we support and value our rainbow communities, we’re striving to be champions for respect and inclusivity.

    Our people, our commitment

    Phil: We became the first council in New Zealand to gain a Rainbow Tick in 2019, which helped us focus our efforts on integrating diversity into our everyday mahi. We now know that growing that diversity within an organisation, and creating a strong sense of belonging, is driven by ongoing engagement. Rainbow Tick kick-started this for us and now our membership of Pride Pledge (and proud gold members too) signals our evolution from a compliance-based mindset which required us to meet annual targets, to more innovative and meaningful mahi that is tailored to our specific challenges and will nurture a sense of belonging in our workplaces.

    This takes many forms, from training modules and toolkits, to the way we design those workplaces and work programmes but what makes me most proud are the things that surround us each day as we go about our work – a rainbow wash over our logo, a photograph that reflects the diversity of Auckland, a practical initiative like all-gender bathrooms that promote safety and inclusion and a meal shared during Pride month.

    Rachel: The unpleasant impact of being highly visible supporters of our Rainbow community and the ugly side of being inclusive champions and standing up for diversity is very real for our kaimahi, especially those working in our centres, delivering programmes, managing social media accounts and clearing inboxes.

    Within minutes of switching the council’s iconic pōhutukawa to logo to rainbow mode for Pride month, we were getting mean-spirited comments. Our complaints system has had a spike in feedback from those who want to share their views. In person confrontation, threats of protest and disruption, aggressive posts, foul language and unacceptable slurs abound. Te Atatū Peninsula Library on Saturday.

    We live in a society that values free speech, human rights and celebrates a range of opinions and as a council we respect people’s right to express their views. But we will not tolerate personal attacks; threats of violence or aggression towards our staff; or behaviour that displaces or threatens the safety and enjoyment of those who use our services or attend our events.

    The last word

    Phil: That’s enough about protestors and aggressors, let’s remind ourselves that the festival and the events we have delivered have been enormously successful.  I attended several events and the mood was overwhelmingly positive – yes, there were some challenges but the depth and breadth of community support and goodwill, including community members standing alongside our staff, has been pleasing.

    Rachel: Pride Month will continue, with our wholehearted support. Our hope is that inclusivity, respect and peace will shine through and that our communities can join together to grow tolerance and support.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra light rail steams ahead

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    Canberra’s light rail is one step closer to reaching Woden, with construction beginning today on the Stage 2A extension. 

    Stage 2A of the Canberra Light Rail involves extending the existing rail network from Civic to Commonwealth Park to improve transport connections as the capital grows. 

    Canberra is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities with the population predicted to approach 750,000 by mid-century.

    This $577 million joint investment by the Albanese and Barr Labor Governments will prevent future congestion and provide greater ease of movement through our capital.  

    The project includes the construction of 1.7 kilometres of new rail line from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park, a new bridge over Parkes Way, and three new stations for City Edinburgh Avenue, City South and Commonwealth Park. 

    Once complete, the new rail connection will unlock housing and commercial opportunities and bring Canberra’s CBD closer to the lake.

    Construction is due to be complete in 2027. Light rail services will connect Gungahlin and North Canberra to City West, the ANU, New Acton, Commonwealth Park and Lake Burley Griffin. 

    The Stage 2A project is expected to create 1000 jobs and shape the way visitors and locals move around the city. 

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Light rail is future-proofing Canberra with a modern public transport system, connecting residential areas with employment precincts, and recreation and lifestyle hubs.

    “This is about more than just transport, it’s about reshaping the way people move around Canberra and unlocking the growth of our nation’s capital.

    “It’s one of a number of significant projects we’re investing in to build Australia’s future, from the cities to the suburbs.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for the ACT Katy Gallagher:

    “When I was ACT Chief Minister, I saw the potential that light rail had to transform and connect our city and that’s why we started this project.

    “Stage one of light rail has proven popular and has transformed the City to Gungahlin corridor and I am excited to see the next stage of this project getting underway to extend the tracks south of the lake.

    “Only Labor delivers investments in city-changing projects like this one that build Canberra, create jobs and grow our local economy.”

    Quotes attributable to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr:

    “Light rail is a long-term asset for Canberra.

    “It will service our city for decades to come.

    “I’m pleased to see construction on Light Rail to Commonwealth Park in the heart of our city, connecting to the future Acton Waterfront, more homes and better commercial precincts in an underused part of our CBD.

    “This is the next stage of a long-term plan to make the Canberra we love, even better.”

    Quotes attributable to ACT Minister for Transport Chris Steel:

    “Light rail has proven the benefits of mass transit in Canberra.

    “This next stage is critical to building out the network and delivering better public transport to the rest of the city.

    “Stage 2A is part of our wider vision of building a north-south light rail line to Woden, integrated with electric buses to our suburbs.

    “The extension of the light rail network will also support more housing, so that more people can choose to live in well-located areas close to public transport and access to services.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne MP: 

    “Canberra’s light rail is one of the most transformative infrastructure projects in our city’s history, and this next stage will make it even easier for people to get around. 

    “With construction now underway on Stage 2A, we are bringing light rail closer to the lake, unlocking new opportunities for housing and businesses, and ensuring our growing city has the modern, sustainable transport it needs.

    “This project is about making Canberra an even better place to live, work, and visit—now and for future generations.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Pacific Islands: Zone of peace or ocean of discontent? – Vic

    Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    A conference focused on Pacific politics is being hosted this week at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Entitled “Zone of peace or ocean of discontent?”, the event will run from 19-21 February 2025.

    The conference is taking place at a time when international geopolitical structures may be changing forever with far-reaching consequences. At the same time, there are internal political pressures in many Pacific nations.

    The conference programme centres on both geopolitical impacts on the region and on internal political issues. The event will bring together Pacific experts to discuss where the region is heading.

    The programme is available here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/strategic-studies/documents/PIPSA2025-Programme-10-02.pdf

    It is the first annual conference of the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association since the COVID-19 pandemic.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tech – Gen Q4 Threat Report: 321 Threats Blocked Per Second as Social Media Becomes a Playground for Scammers

    Source: Botica Butler Raudon for Gen

    Social media, AI and human trust led to a record-breaking year of  
    advanced scams and personal data loss

    AUCKLAND, 17 February 2024 – Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety with a family of brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner, today released its Q4/2024 Gen Threat Report. The report reveals a surge in online threats to close out a record-breaking 2024, with 2.55 billion cyberthreats blocked in October to December – equalling 321 threats every second. The risk ratio of encountering threats reached 27.7 percent in Q4, with social engineering attacks comprising 86 percent of all blocked threats, demonstrating the advanced psychological tactics used by cybercriminals today.  

    “We’re continuing to see scam-related threats becoming far more dangerous as they hide, sometimes in plain sight, throughout every aspect of our digital life,” said Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO at Gen. “This quarter we saw them prey on people’s emotions, such as the need to shop on budget during the holidays, the desire to find love during the end of the year, the hope for change during government elections and more. And, unfortunately, this is resulting in people continuing to lose money and control over their personal information. In 2025 we only expect these risks to increase as the rise of AI-powered systems and devices will mark the next frontier for cybercrime.”

    The Dark Side of Social Media
    Scam-related attacks continue to demonstrate global reach and adaptability. Phishing attacks rose by 14 percent in Q4 of 2024, with many exploiting platforms for creating websites like Wix and spoofing brands such as Apple iCloud with fake invoice scams. Meanwhile, malvertising remained a leading method of driving scams and malware delivery, comprising 41 percent of all blocked attacks for the quarter.  

    Social media platforms remained one of the prime grounds for scams and cybercrime at the end of 2024. Facebook stands out, accounting for a staggering 56 percent of total identified threats. YouTube trails behind at 24 percent, followed by X with 10 percent and Reddit and Instagram both accounting for 3 percent of all social media threats. When it comes to messaging platforms, despite WhatsApp’s larger user base, Telegram experiences six times more threats due to scammers utilising the platform’s additional privacy features to make their crimes harder to track by authorities.  

    The ways that scammers are using social media vary with such different people and use cases for the platforms. Gen found that the main ways people were scammed across social media were:  

    • Deceptive online ads (Malvertising) (27%): These deceptive ads spread malicious software onto the device being used or redirected people to malicious websites that can do the same. 
    • Fake e-shops (23%): People are lured by fraudulent online stores, also exposing personal and financial data. 
    • Phishing (18%): Scams aimed at stealing sensitive information like credit card numbers or passwords. 

    Social media is quickly turning into a playground for scammers to leverage platform algorithms, AI, and personalised interactions to scale their attacks faster and more effectively than ever before. Read the full analysis on social media threats in our latest blog.

    Year-End Spike in Financial Scams
    October to December marked the year’s most active quarter for financial scams, with mobile phones serving as a primary attack vector. Leading this trend were:

    • The largest deepfake crypto scam: The infamous CryptoCore group, known for hijacking YouTube accounts to promote their crypto scam campaigns, capitalised on the US Presidential Election. The group used deepfake videos featuring figures like Elon Musk to steal over $7 million from its victims. This marked the largest attack of its kind.  
    • Mobile banking trojans: New mobile bankers, phone applications designed to steal banking information, launched in Q4 of 2024. This included DroidBot which used remote access capabilities to go after banking details and crypto wallets. Another was ToxicPanda that disguised itself as Visa, dating apps and Chrome. The well-known BankBot banker saw infections rise by 236 percent compared to Q3 of 2024. 
    • Spyware and SpyLoans: Malicious apps promising quick money with high interest rates and predatory repayment schedules, also surged this quarter. Once installed, these apps request access to SMS messages, photos and other sensitive information, allowing them to spy on the victim. After a few weeks, the victim faces extortion and threats of their private data being published unless they pay to the cybercriminals. A new spyware strain disguised as a body mass index (BMI) calculator spread via the Amazon App Store, a novel distribution tactic reflecting the rising number of official Android app stores. 

    Personal Data – The New Gold
    Personal data loss continued to pose a high risk of identity theft and loss of privacy for consumers. Scam-Yourself Attacks, such as ClickFix and FakeCaptcha, grew rapidly. In Q4, Gen blocked attacks targeting 4.2 million individuals, a 130 percent increase from the previous quarter. These campaigns use psychological manipulation to deceive people into copying and executing malicious code, potentially leading to financial fraud, account takeovers or malware infections.  

    To help people stay protected from this threat and keep their data safe, Gen introduced a Clipboard Protection feature across the Norton, Avast and AVG brands that blocks clipboard-based threats before they can execute.  

    For the third consecutive quarter, ransomware continued its alarming upward trend, with a notable 50 percent increase in Q4. This highlights an escalating threat for both organisations and individuals globally.  

    To read the full Q4/2024 Gen Threat Report, visit: https://www.gendigital.com/blog/insights/reports/threat-report-q4-2024

    About Gen   
    Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted Cyber Safety brands, Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing safety for the first digital generations. Now, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately, and confidently today and for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy and identity protection to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: University cuts on the cards under National

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The Government’s sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand’s universities.

    “Now that the Government has delayed this crucial review of the sector’s long-term funding, universities are left with no clear path forward. The immediate consequence will be substantial job cuts and slashed services, directly affecting students’ learning experiences and weaking New Zealand’s future workforce,” Labour tertiary education spokesperson Deborah Russell said.

    “Not only that, but the cancellation of this funding also poses a significant threat to New Zealand’s research and development sector, as universities play a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth through research initiatives,” Deborah Russell said.

    In 2023, New Zealand’s universities were set to announce massive job cuts, but a $128 million funding boost passed by all parties kept the sector afloat through 2025. This funding was designed as a stop-gap measure until there could be a comprehensive review of the sector’s long-term funding system, aimed at preventing drastic cuts in the future.

    “By scrapping that funding before completing the review, National is effectively choosing to pull the plug on vital funding that universities are counting on, leaving institutions scrambling to cover costs and reassessing key services for future academic years.

    “The Government claims to be focused on economic growth, but National’s choices have already plunged New Zealand into the sharpest recession in 30 years, with 33,000 more people out of work. The last thing we need now is to cut opportunities for our future workforce,” Deborah Russell said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious Crash, Sh 30, Roititi Forest

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are responding to a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 30, Rotoiti Forest, Rotorua District.

    Emergency services were alerted around 9:20am.

    It appears one person is in a serious condition.

    The road is closed, and motorists are advised to take an alternate route.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update on the Epitaph Rift and Slip, South Westland – delays extend Monday to Friday from next week

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    The work to remove unstable rock material from South Westland’s Epitaph Rift is going well, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

    Abseiling crews have been working on the cliff face, north of Haast, removing large rocks and exploding unstable rock features since the highway closed early November last year. Intensive rain set off numerous rockfalls and slips, closing SH6 for 13 days.

    “This week, the abseiling and rock explosive team reached an important milestone,” says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast. “The unstable layer along the crest of the rockfall has now been completely removed and benched.  This means they can now begin safely deconstructing the unstable material further down the cliff face, through to the end of March.”

    Current situation re delays for drivers/ road users

    Currently SH6 is closed in both directions between 12:30pm and 3pm Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with Stop/Go in place between 3pm and 5pm on those two afternoons with delays for drivers.

    New timetable with crews closer to the road – Monday to Friday delays

    Now that the team is able to work down the southern margin of the rock face, there will be longer delays during the day to allow this area of the face to be scaled safely, says Miss Whinham.   

    From Monday 17 February, there will be delays of up to 30 minutes Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.  Full closures for blasting will continue Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12.30 pm to 3pm through to the end of March.

    “We appreciate road users’ patience while we undertake this important recovery work, affecting more people across the working week,” says Miss Whinham.

    Epitaph Slip/ below road level funding confirmed

    NZTA confirms that around $1.7 million in funding has been confirmed this week to construct a micro-pile wall along the downslope shoulder of the road (ie under the road on the 2012 slip area). 

    Work on this will begin in early March and is expected to be complete in May. “Both activities, to the upper slope and under the road, will be happening at the same time and will be coordinated across the site, but it will mean there is traffic management in place around the clock until the micro-pile work is complete,” says Miss Whinham.

    What are micro-piles?

    Micro-piles are a whole lot of little piles drilled down into the road that basically stabilise the surface.  This piece of work will deal with the stability below the road, specifically around the shoulder, and is separate from the rockfall stabilisation work. As well as the rockfall last November, there was also movement in the road surface. Cracks have since been filled, but the micro-piling is a more long-term fix.

    Longer term resilience business case, Hāwea to Knights Point, north of Epitaph slip area

    Work continues on the NZTA investment case looking at potential medium and long-term solutions for the management of the Epitaph Slip to address the vulnerability of the state highway at this location.  The business case is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.

    This work will enable NZTA to determine a preferred long-term solution at this site in parallel with completing its SH6 Haast (Knights Point) to Hāwea Corridor Resilience Improvement Business Case.

    SH6 Epitaph Slip Investment Case

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH2 summer renewals progressing in Central Hawke’s Bay

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising road users travelling on State Highway 2 (SH2) between Waipawa and Takapau in Central Hawke’s Bay to expect some delays day and night as the summer renewals programme focusses on this part of the region.

    SH2 resealing between Waipukurau and Takapau – day work

    Starting this week, a stretch of SH2 between Takapau and Waipukurau will be resealed over the next 6 weeks.

    Crews will be working onsite Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm each weekday.

    The road will be under stop/go traffic management and road users are encouraged to plan for possible delays of up to 20 minutes. Outside of the work hours, temporary speed limits will be in place.

    SH2 road rebuild in Waipawa – night works begin next week

    The road rebuild project between Victoria Street and Tamumu Road, just north of the Waipawa township is progressing.

    The first stage of the road rebuild project, the kerb and channel, was completed last week.

    The second stage, the road rebuild, is starting on Monday 17 February. Working at night between 8pm and 5am Mondays to Fridays, crews will rebuild the road section by section.

    On Monday crews will start with section 2 at the Victoria St end of the worksite, working up to Tamumu Road. See the map included.

    Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the night works with possible delays of up to 20 minutes. Road users are encouraged to plan ahead using Journey Planner.

    Journey Planner(external link)

    This work is happening at night to reduce daytime disruption and complete the job faster.

    NZTA appreciates the work will cause delays and is confident resealing this stretch of road will improve its resilience, safety and ultimately efficiency of travel for everyone who uses it.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Public invited to have their say on next tranche of gaming reforms

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 16 February 2025

    Last updated: 17 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Gaming and Racing

    The public is invited to have its say on two new schemes that fulfill election commitments and build on the Minns Labor Government’s delivery of gaming reforms to address gambling harm and money laundering while supporting a thriving hospitality industry.

    From today the community can give feedback on consultation papers for a proposed third-party exclusion scheme and proposed mandatory facial recognition technology to support a statewide exclusion register for NSW hotels and clubs with gaming machines. 

    Facial recognition technology will support gambling harm-minimisation by removing the guesswork of staff identifying excluded patrons, often in crowded venues. There would still need to be human interaction to verify the match made by the system. Currently, the list of excluded patrons and images that venue staff need to memorise can be difficult to manage.

    The Government is building strict parameters into the reforms to protect people’s privacy to ensure hotels and clubs can only use facial recognition for the purpose of identifying excluded patrons. Venues will be prohibited from using the technology for customer tracking, surveillance and marketing purposes.

    The Government is also delivering on its election commitment to introduce a third-party exclusion scheme that would allow family, friends and venues to apply to ban someone experiencing significant gambling harm.

    Research estimates that more than a million Australians experienced harm in the past year because of another person’s gambling.

    It is proposed the minimum period for an exclusion order would be 12 months, with a maximum period of two or three years, with a temporary exclusion of 21 days while an application is considered.

    In addition to the consultation papers, the Government has also developed a draft facial recognition Code of Practice that gives pubs and clubs already operating the technology guidelines to support identification of self-excluded patrons.

    The code has been developed over several rounds of consultation with government, industry and community stakeholders, including cyber security and privacy experts.

    The Independent Panel for Gaming Reform provided advice on considerations for third party exclusion and facial recognition technology in its Roadmap Report. The issues raised in this advice were incorporated in both discussion papers.   

    These measures are the latest in a suite of reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to reduce gambling harm, delivering more in 22 months than the previous government did in 12 years, including:

    • reducing the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for all new gaming machines;
    • reducing the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements by approximately 3,000;
    • banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines;
    • banning external gaming-related signage, and internal gaming-related signage that can be seen from outside the venue;
    • requiring that venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements have a Responsible Gambling Officer on duty while poker machines are in operation;
    • mandating that venues keep an updated Gaming Plan of Management and a Gaming Incident Register;
    • banning the placement of any signage or advertising relating to gaming machines either on, or visible from an ATM or EFTPOS terminal with cash withdrawal facilities;
    • announcing a ban on gaming advertising from public transport; and
    • establishing the Independent Panel for Gaming Reform and commissioning its roadmap report, which the Government is considering.

    The Third-Party Exclusion Consultation Paper is available here: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/third-party-exclusion-pubs-and-clubs and Facial Recognition Technology in Pubs and Clubs Consultation Paper is available here:  https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/facial-recognition-technology. The consultation period will close on 14 March 2025.

    Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to addressing gambling harm through evidence-based policy and it’s important that we get the balance right. 

    “Third-party exclusions are designed to help those experiencing gambling harm and their loved ones when other avenues to seek help may have failed.

    “It recognises the physical, psychological, emotional and financial flow-on effects of gambling on a person’s family and friends.

    “This is complex reform which is why we are seeking feedback on a range of issues.

    “Facial recognition will also be an important harm-minimisation tool by providing another way to identify excluded patrons in crowded venue environments, which can often be challenging for venue staff.

    “I encourage everyone to have their say on these important harm-minimisation measures.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New sports high school for South-West Sydney

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 17 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning

    The Minns Labor Government have delivered on another election commitment with Eagle Vale High School becoming Australia’s newest sports high school, as work continues to ensure families in Western Sydney have access to world class public education opportunities.

    The school’s Talented Sports Program kicked off on day one term one this year with 60 students who successfully competed in the athletic trials last year excelling across Rugby League, Basketball and Cricket.

    The delivery of this election commitment means for the first time families in the Macarthur region have a school on their doorstep catering for students excelling in sports alongside a strong academic program.

    Previously, aspiring athletes in the region had to travel up to an hour to pursue their athletic ambitions at their nearest sports high school.

    To support Eagle Vale High School’s students the NSW Government is funding multimillion-dollar upgrades to the school with new cricket nets and upgraded change rooms already delivered.

    Further upgrade works are also underway including for a new running track, resurfacing the school’s full-sized playing field, new lighting for the sports field, new pickleball courts, a new multipurpose hall, a new Health and PE Learning Hub and a new PE Fitness Laboratory.

    The Talented Sports Program has a proven track record of nurturing some of the country’s best up-and-coming athletes, including more than 170 national senior level representatives in NRL and AFL, and professional basketballers, golfers and surfers.  

    Successful alumni of NSW sports high schools include Test cricketer Usman Khawaja, former national cricket captain Michael Clarke, soccer greats Harry Kewell and Alanna Kennedy, and former Australian rugby league captain Boyd Cordner.

    This investment is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education in NSW, ensuring families in growing Western Sydney communities have access to world-class schools, no matter their postcode. This ongoing work includes:

    • Investing a record $3.6 billion to deliver new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney
    • Delivering five new public schools across Western Sydney which welcomed students for the first time day one, term one 2025
    • Valuing the workforce by delivering the largest pay rise in a generation to NSW’s 95,000 teachers
    • Giving teachers job security by making 16,000 teachers and school support staff on temporary contacts permanent
    • Reducing teacher vacancies by 40 per cent, ensuring more students have a qualified teacher at the front of their classrooms.

    Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

    “No matter the postcode we want to ensure that children across New South Wales are given every opportunity to achieve their dreams.

    “This means kids in South-West Sydney will have a real opportunity to pursue their sporting aspirations without their parents having to commit to hours of travel each day.

    “For both budding athletes and their parents, this is a game changer.

    “There is such a strong sporting culture in this part of Sydney and it’s great that the opportunities available to local school children finally reflects that.”

    Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Prue Car said:

    “The population in the Macarthur region is continuing to grow, and the Minns Labor Government is committed to supporting young people to reach their potential in their local area.

    “Previously, Macarthur students had to travel an hour or more each way to access a Talented Sports Program. Now, these students can follow their sporting dreams in their local area.

    “Eagle Vale High will be a school where some of South-West Sydney’s most talented athletes get their start as possible future Olympic champions.”

    Member for Leppington Nathan Hagarty said:

    “It is fantastic to see the upgrade works underway at Eagle Vale High School.

    “Delivering a selective sports stream for the Macarthur community is giving talented young athletes from our local area more opportunities.

    “I cannot wait to see the dividends this investment delivers for our strong local sporting community.”

    Eagle Vale High School principal Craig Butler said:

    “The community is very excited about the new sports facilities. They think it’s wonderful that we’re supporting our kids and showing a commitment to the Macarthur area.

    “We are going to have kids who will become Olympic champions and professional athletes, but as a sports high school, we can allow them to manage their study so they don’t have to make a choice between academic success and sport.

    “The students know they are part of something special and talk about the school with pride.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Missing teenager located, Mount Wellington

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)


    Location:

    Counties Manukau

    The 16-year-old previously reported missing from the Mount Wellington area has been located safe and well.

    Police would like to thank those members of the public who provided information, which assisted in locating him.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – The Salesians celebrate the 25th anniversary of missions in Pakistan with a special focus on Akash Bashir

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Salesians Pakistan ANS

    Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – In the rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan, there are many peasant families who live off what they produce, who have only an agricultural income and many children. These families, including Christians and Muslims, are united by the problem of poverty. Often they cannot finance the education of their children, especially that of girls, who are culturally discriminated against and often prevented from completing their education or from taking up vocational training. This is the situation that the Salesian missionaries found themselves in when they arrived in the central region of Pakistan 25 years ago and decided to open a mission there. This is how an institution was born that is now very appreciated in the region and very popular with boys and girls, as the first Salesian priest ordained in Pakistan, Father Noble Lal (48), director of the “Don Bosco Technical Vocational School”, tells us today. The institute, which opened in Lahore in 2000, has trained more than 8,000 boys and girls in the 25 years of its activity, in a country where there are still many illiterate people, especially in rural areas.The institute in Lahore, which employs teachers, volunteers and employees of the Salesians of Don Bosco, also employs Father Noble Lal and Brother Piero Ramello, a missionary from Piedmont and originally from Italy. The institution, which has been structured over the years, is now at full capacity: the “Don Bosco Educational Society” offers educational opportunities in the field of both school education (“New Don Bosco Higher Secondary School”) and vocational training (“Don Bosco Technical Centre”). In the complex in Lahore, which has the typical facilities of the Salesians of Don Bosco’s educational project, such as the theater and a playground, “various educational programs are carried out according to the needs of the community, all of which aim to combat the problem of youth unemployment,” reports the Salesian priest. The global “Don Bosco Education” project in Pakistan aims to reach marginalized communities in remote areas. The school fees charged by the Salesians are low because most of the families of the children who attend the institute are very poor and need support or scholarships to finance the school or vocational training that will make them independent members of society. The institute offers training in metalworking, electrical work, carpentry and automobile sector. “Since the institution opened in 2000, we have trained thousands of young people between the ages of 15 and 22 in various technical professions. This has helped many of those who had dropped out of school to find jobs,” explained the religious, recalling that Pakistan is a country with a low average age, “which therefore has a high percentage of children and young people.”Particular attention is paid to girls “to try to reduce school dropouts,” explains Father Lal. In fact, many girls abandon their education long before the end of compulsory education to take care of the family, or because of the prevalence of early and arranged marriages by families (another widespread cultural custom in the Indian subcontinent). This happens in rural village communities, but also in the outskirts of urban centers such as Lahore. The Salesians in Pakistan are aware of this cultural and social phenomenon and are involved in social promotion initiatives and educational programs on women’s rights to promote awareness and empowerment of young girls. “We encourage girls to continue their studies; we also maintain relationships with their families of origin to ensure that they do not abandon their studies,” explains the director. Vocational training courses (for example tailoring) are also organized for them “so that they can learn a trade, which contributes to the emancipation of girls,” he notes.In addition to the educational center in Lahore, the Salesians are also active in Quetta, the capital of the Pakistani province of Balochistan, the other city where the Salesians of Don Bosco were the first “to develop a model of joint education for boys and girls in our school. Since then, others in Pakistan have followed our example,” reports the religious.Today, the educational and vocational training work of the Salesians is “very much appreciated by the population, who show us much gratitude, but also by the civil institutions, who recognize our social commitment and our openness to young people of all religions and cultures, Muslims, Christians and other minorities”.There is another area in which the Salesians are making an active contribution to the Catholic community in Pakistan: the institutional collaboration in the beatification process of the Servant of God Akash Bashir, for whom the Diocese of Lahore has opened the diocesan phase of the process. Akash was a student at the Salesian School in Lahore. On the occasion of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the missions of the Salesians in Pakistan, which took place in Lahore these days, a book on Akash Bashir was also published. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/2/2025)
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