Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Oxford Terrace, Epuni is closed near Brees Street while Police respond to an incident.
The road is expected to be closed for some time. Members of the public are advised to avoid the area.
There is no ongoing threat to public safety.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Reserve Bank of India
RBI/DCM/2025-26/131
DCM (CC) No.G-1/03.44.001/2025-26
April 01, 2025
The Chairman / Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
All banks
Madam / Dear Sir,
Master Direction – Scheme of Penalties for bank branches and currency chests for deficiency in rendering customer service to the members of public
In terms of the Preamble to and Section 45 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (RBI Act) and Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Reserve Bank of India issues guidelines / instructions for realising the objectives of Clean Note Policy and enhancing the operational efficiency of currency management. In order to ensure that all bank branches provide proper customer service, the Bank has formulated a Scheme of Penalties for bank branches including currency chests, for deficiency in rendering customer service to the members of public.
2. The Master Direction incorporating the updated guidelines / circulars on the subject is at Annex-I. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and few Illustrations are at Annexes II and III respectively.
Yours faithfully
(Sanjeev Prakash)
Chief General Manager
Encl: As above
Master Direction on the Scheme of Penalties for bank branches and currency chests for deficiency in rendering customer service to members of public
1. The Scheme of Penalties for bank branches and currency chests has been formulated to ensure that all bank branches / currency chests provide customer service to the members of public / linked bank branches keeping in view the objectives of Clean Note Policy and enhancing operational efficiency.
2. Penalties
Penalties to be imposed on banks for non-compliance with operational guidelines and Memorandum of Agreement, deficiencies in remittances sent to RBI, exchange of notes, operations of currency chests, replenishment of cash in ATMs, etc., are as follows:
| Sr. No. | Nature of Irregularity | Penalty |
| i. | Shortages of notes in Soiled Note Remittances (SNRs) and shortages of notes and coins in currency chest balances | For notes in denomination up to ₹50/-
₹50/- per piece in addition to the loss. For notes in denomination of ₹100/- & above Equal to the value of the denomination per piece in addition to the loss. For coins in all denominations Equal to the value of the denomination per piece in addition to the loss. The recovery of loss and levy of penalty shall be done immediately on detection of shortage, irrespective of number of pieces. |
| ii. | Counterfeit notes detected in soiled note remittances and currency chest balances | Banknotes tendered over the counter shall be examined for authenticity through machines. Similarly, banknotes received directly at the back office / currency chest through bulk tenders shall also be examined through machines. Failure of the banks to impound counterfeit notes detected at their end will be construed as wilful involvement of the bank concerned in circulating counterfeit notes and penalty will be levied.
Penalty shall be levied in terms of the instructions issued by DCM (FNVD) No.G-4/16.01.05/2025-26 dated April 1, 2025 |
| iii. | Mutilated notes (including deliberately cut notes and built-up notes) detected in soiled note remittances and currency chest balances | ₹50/- per piece irrespective of the denomination in addition to the loss.
The recovery of loss and levy of penalty shall be done immediately on detection, irrespective of number of pieces. |
| iv. | Non-compliance with operational guidelines by currency chests detected by RBI officials e.g.
a) Non-functioning of CCTV, non-compliance with rules / guidelines pertaining to CCTV recording preservation period, and related issues b) Branch cash / documents kept in strong room (CC’s vault) c) Non-utilisation of Note Sorting Machines (NSMs) for sorting of notes (NSMs not used for sorting of high denomination notes, i.e. notes of denomination ₹100 and above, received over the counter or not used for sorting notes remitted to chest / RBI), Non-updation of NSMs as per prescribed standards, non-functional NSMs etc. d) Non-conduct of surprise verification of currency chest balances – at (i) bimonthly intervals by officials unconnected with the operations of currency chest, and (ii) six-monthly intervals by officials from the Controlling Office |
Penalty of ₹5,000/- for each instance of irregularity.
Penalty shall be enhanced to ₹10,000/- in case of repetition / recurrence of irregularity in consecutive inspection cycles or earlier. Penalty shall be levied immediately. |
| v. | Violation of any of the terms of agreement with RBI (for opening and maintaining currency chests) or deficiency in service in providing exchange facilities, as detected by RBI officials e.g.
a) Non-issue of coins over the counter to any member of public despite having stock. b) Refusal by any bank branch1 to exchange soiled/ mutilated/ imperfect notes tendered by any member of public. c) Denial of facilities / services to linked branches / of other banks. d) Non acceptance of lower denomination notes (i.e. denomination of ₹50 and below) tendered by members of public and linked bank branches for exchange / deposit. e) Detection by RBI of mutilated, built up, counterfeit notes in re-issuable packets prepared by the currency chest branches. |
₹10,000/- for any violation of agreement or deficiency of service.
₹5 lakh in case there are more than 5 instances of violation of agreement / deficiency in service by the currency chest / branch in consecutive inspection cycles or earlier. The levy of such penalty shall be placed in public domain. Penalty shall be levied immediately. |
| vi | Non-replenishment of ATMs | The Scheme of Penalty for non-replenishment of ATMs has been formulated to ensure that sufficient cash is available to public through ATMs.
Penalty shall be levied in terms of provisions of circular DCM(RMMT) No.S153/11.01.01/2021-22 dated August 10, 2021 and instructions issued subsequently. |
3. Operational Guidelines on levy of penalties
3.1 Competent Authority
The Competent Authority to decide upon the nature of irregularity shall be the Officer-in-Charge of the Issue Department of the Regional Office under whose jurisdiction the defaulting currency chest / bank branch is located.
3.2 Appellate Authority
i. Appeal against the decision of the Competent Authority may be made by the Controlling Office of the currency chest / branch to the Regional Director / Chief General Manager / Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Office concerned, within one month from the date of debit, who shall decide whether the same can be accepted (in full or part) / rejected. Penalty waiver request would be considered only if the application for the same is made in the CyM-CC portal. Waiver requests in any other mode shall not be entertained. Appeals shall not be made in routine manner.
ii. Appeals for waiver of penalty made on grounds such as staff being new / untrained, lack of awareness, corrective action having been taken / shall be taken, etc., shall not be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Master Direction – Scheme of Penalties for bank branches and currency chests for deficiency in rendering customer service to the members of public
1. What is Clean Note Policy?
It is a policy adopted by RBI to ensure availability of good quality banknotes to members of the public.
2. What is Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)?
Before considering the first specific application for opening of a currency chest, a general MoA is entered between the Reserve Bank of India and the bank concerned, setting out the terms and conditions governing the entrustment of currency chest responsibilities to the bank.
3. What are linked branches?
These are the bank branches linked with nearby currency chests under Linkage Scheme, formulated by RBI mainly with a view to provide chest facilities to all non-chest bank branches at the same centre as far as possible.
4. What are ‘soiled’, ‘mutilated’ and ‘imperfect notes’?
A ‘soiled note’ means a note which has become dirty due to normal wear and tear and also includes a two piece note pasted together wherein both the pieces presented belong to the same note and form the entire note with no essential feature missing. A ‘mutilated note’ means a note of which a portion is missing or which is composed of more than two pieces. An ‘imperfect note’ means any note, which is wholly or partially, obliterated, shrunk, washed, altered or indecipherable but does not include a mutilated note.
Illustration
Master Direction – Scheme of Penalties for bank branches and currency chests for deficiency in rendering customer service to the members of public
1. Penalty for shortages of notes in soiled note remittances (SNRs) and shortages of notes and coins in currency chest balances:
Example:
| Shortage detected (in pieces) | Denomination | Penalty amount and loss recovered (₹)
(Up to ₹50 – ₹50/- per piece in addition to the loss) (₹100 & above – Equal to the value of the denomination per piece in addition to the loss) |
| 100 | 20 | Penalty amount ₹5,000/- (50*100) and loss ₹2,000/- (20*100) |
| 50 | 100 | Penalty amount ₹5,000/- (100*50) and loss ₹5,000/- + (100*50) |
2. Penalty for Mutilated notes (including deliberately cut notes and built-up notes) detected in soiled note remittances and currency chest balances
Example:
| Mutilated notes detected (in pieces) | Denomination | Penalty amount and loss recovered (₹)
All denominations- ₹50/- per piece in addition to the loss |
| 200 | 200 | Penalty amount ₹10,000/- (50*200) and loss ₹40,000/- (200*200) |
3. Non-compliance with operational guidelines by currency chests detected by RBI officials
In case of non-functioning of CCTV, non-compliance with rules / guidelines pertaining to CCTV recording, preservation period, and related issues, penalty of ₹5,000/- for each instance of irregularity shall be levied. Penalty shall be enhanced to ₹10,000/- in case of repetition / recurrence of irregularity in consecutive inspection cycles or earlier.
Example: If CCTV in the currency chest is found to be non-functional during inspection/ audit, a penalty of ₹5,000/- will be levied. If the same issue recurs during the next inspection cycle or earlier, ₹10,000/- will be levied.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia
Getting a headache during or after exercise can be seriously frustrating – especially if you have kept hydrated to try and stop them from happening.
But why do these headaches occur? And does keeping hydrated make any difference?
Exercise headaches (also known as “exertional headaches”) are exactly what they sound like: headaches that occur either during, or after, exercise.
French doctor Jules Tinel first reported these headaches in the medical literature in 1932 and they’ve been a regular point of discussion since.
Exercise headaches commonly present as a throbbing pain on both sides of the head. They most often occur after strenuous exercise – although what is considered “strenuous” can differ between people, depending on their fitness levels. They can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days.
Exercise headaches are thought to impact about 12% of adults, although this number varies from 1% all the way up to 26% across individual studies.
In most circumstances, these headaches are harmless and will resolve on their own, over time. Some research suggests you will stop getting them after a few months of starting a new type of workout.
But while they are usually harmless, they can sometimes signal an underlying condition that requires medical attention.
Despite a good amount of research looking at exertional headaches, we don’t know their exact cause, but we do think we know why they occur.
The leading theory suggests they are caused by changes in blood flow to the brain. During intense exercise, blood vessels in the brain dilate, increasing blood flow and pressure, leading to pain.
Because long-term exercise improves our cardiovascular health, including our ability to dilate and constrict our blood vessels, this theory makes sense when we consider that exercise headaches tend to resolve themselves over time. This might explain why research suggests fitter people are less likely to get exercise headaches.
People with migraines appear more likely to experience exercise headaches, which are thought to be caused by this same mechanism.
There is evidence suggesting that exercise headaches are more likely to occur in the heat.
Your brain cannot dissipate heat by sweating like the rest of your body can. So when it’s hot, your body has to increase blood flow to the brain to help bring down its temperature, which can increase pressure.
Similarly, exercise headaches also seem to get worse, and occur more often, when people are dehydrated.
However, we are not sure why this happens. Some research has shown that dehydration results in increased strain during exercise. As such, dehydration might not necessarily cause the headache, but make it more likely to occur.
Most exercise headaches resolve themselves after a few hours and result in no lasting negative effects.
In some rare instances, they could be sign of something more serious occurring in the brain, such as a subarachnoid haemorrhage (a bleed between the brain and the tissues that cover it), reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (a spasming of blood vessels), cervical artery dissection (or tear), intracranial hypertension (pressure in the brain), or an infection.
See a doctor to rule out anything serious if:
There is no surefire way to prevent exercise headaches.
But a recent review suggests that ensuring you’re adequately hydrated and gradually warm-up to your desired exercise intensity can make them less likely to occur.
Beyond this, you may wish to keep your exercise intensity in a light-to moderate range for a couple of months. This will give your cardiovascular system some time to adapt before trying more strenuous exercise, hopefully reducing the likelihood of getting exercise headaches at all.
Exercise headaches are annoying, but are generally harmless and should subside on their own over time.
Hunter Bennett 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. Why do I get headaches when I exercise, even when I drink lots of water? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-get-headaches-when-i-exercise-even-when-i-drink-lots-of-water-253039
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kai Riemer, Professor of Information Technology and Organisation, University of Sydney
Social media has recently been flooded with images that looked like they belonged in a Studio Ghibli film. Selfies, family photos and even memes have been re-imagined with the soft pastel palette characteristic of the Japanese animation company founded by Hayao Miyazaki.
This followed OpenAI’s latest update to ChatGPT. The update significantly improved ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities, allowing users to create convincing Ghibli-style images in mere seconds. It has been enormously popular – so much so, in fact, that the system crashed due to user demand.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT are best understood as “style engines”. And what we are seeing now is these systems offering users more precision and control than ever before.
But this is also raising entirely new questions about copyright and creative ownership.
Generative AI programs work by producing outputs in response to user prompts, including prompts to create an image.
Previous generations of AI image generators used diffusion models. These models gradually refine random, noisy data into a coherent image. But the latest update to ChatGPT uses what’s known as an “autoregressive algorithm”.
This algorithm treats images more like language, breaking them down into “tokens”. Just as ChatGPT predicts the most likely words in a sentence, it can now predict different visual elements in an image separately.
This tokenisation enables the algorithm to better separate certain features of an image – and their relationship with words in a prompt. As a result, ChatGPT can more accurately create images from precise user prompts than previous generations of image generators. It can replace or change specific features while preserving the rest of the image, and it improves on the longstanding issue of generating correct text in images.
A particularly powerful advantage of generating images inside a large language model is the ability to draw on all the knowledge already encoded in the system. This means users don’t need to describe every aspect of an image in painstaking detail. They can simply refer to concepts such as Studio Ghibli and the AI understands the reference.
The recent Studio Ghibli trend began with OpenAI itself, before spreading among Silcon Valley software engineers and then even governments and politicians – including seemingly unlikely uses such as the White House creating a Ghiblified image of a crying woman being deported and the Indian government promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s narrative of a “New India”.
Generative AI systems don’t store information in any traditional sense. Instead they encode text, facts, or image fragments as patterns – or “styles” – within their neural networks.
Trained on vast amounts of data, AI models learn to recognise patterns at multiple levels. Lower network layers might capture basic features such as word relationships or visual textures. Higher layers encode more complex concepts or visual elements.
This means everything – objects, properties, writing genres, professional voices – gets transformed into styles. When AI learns about Miyazaki’s work, it’s not storing actual Studio Ghibli frames (though image generators may sometimes produce close imitations of input images). Instead, it’s encoding “Ghibli-ness” as a mathematical pattern – a style that can be applied to new images.
The same happens with bananas, cats or corporate emails. The AI learns “banana-ness”, “cat-ness” or “corporate email-ness” – patterns that define what makes something recognisably a banana, cat or a professional communication.
The encoding and transfer of styles has for a long time been an express goal in visual AI. Now we have an image generator that achieves this with unprecedented scale and control.
This approach unlocks remarkable creative possibilities across both text and images. If everything is a style, then these styles can be freely combined and transferred. That’s why we refer to these systems as “style engines”. Try creating an armchair in the style of a cat, or in elvish style.
While the ability to work with styles is what makes generative AI so powerful, it’s also at the heart of growing controversy. For many artists, there’s something deeply unsettling about seeing their distinctive artistic approaches reduced to just another “style” that anyone can apply with a simple text prompt.
Hayao Miyazaki has not publicly commented on the recent trend of people using ChatGPT to generate images in his world-famous animation style. But he has been critical of AI previously.
All of this also raises entirely new questions about copyright and creative ownership.
Traditionally, copyright law doesn’t protect styles – only specific expressions. You can’t copyright a music genre such as “ska” or an art movement such as “impressionism”.
This limitation exists for good reason. If someone could monopolise an entire style, it would stifle creative expression for everyone else.
But there’s a difference between general styles and highly distinctive ones that become almost synonymous with someone’s identity. When an AI can generate work “in the style of Greg Rutkowski” – a Polish artist whose name was reportedly used in over more than 93,000 prompts in AI image generator Stable Diffusion – it potentially threatens both his livelihood and artistic legacy.
Some creators have already taken legal action.
In a case filed in late 2022, three artists formed a class to sue multiple AI companies, arguing that their image generators were trained on their original works without permission, and now allow users to generate derivative works mimicking their distinctive styles.
As technology evolves faster than the law, work is under way on new legislation to try and balance technological innovation with protecting artists’ creative identities.
Whatever the outcome, these debates highlight the transformative nature of AI style engines – and the need to consider both their untapped creative potential and more nuanced protections of distinctive artistic styles.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. ChatGPT’s Studio Ghibli-style images show its creative power – but raise new copyright problems – https://theconversation.com/chatgpts-studio-ghibli-style-images-show-its-creative-power-but-raise-new-copyright-problems-253438
Source: New Zealand Government
Legislation to repeal the Plain Language Act, which is a waste of time and money, has passed its first reading in Parliament today, Public Service Minister Judith Collins says.
“The Act, implemented by the previous government, compelled public service agencies to appoint designated ‘plain language officers’ and implement specific activities,” Ms Collins says.
“Rather than fix a problem, it created a problem whereby plain language officers had to be appointed, the Public Service Commission had to produce guidance documents and then agencies had to report to someone on something no one was quite clear on.
“That takes time, and time is money. It’s this sort of wasteful spending on bureaucracy that the Government is calling time on.
Repealing the Act means agencies will no longer be required to have a designated plain language officer.
“We need to trust the judgment and expertise of our public servants to communicate in language every taxpayer can grasp – without the need for designated officers or legal compulsion,” Ms Collins says.
“Repealing this Act cuts red tape and will allow the public service to get on with what really matters, which is delivering services for New Zealanders.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia
The small Queensland town of Eromanga bills itself as Australia’s town furthest from the sea. But this week, an ocean of freshwater arrived.
Monsoon-like weather has hit the normally arid Channel Country of inland Queensland. Some towns have had two years’ worth of rain in a couple of days. These flat grazing lands now resemble an inland sea. Dozens of people have been evacuated. Others are preparing to be cut off, potentially for weeks. And graziers are reporting major livestock losses – more than 100,000 and climbing. In some areas, the flooding is worse than 1974, the wettest year on record in Australia.
Why so much rain? Tropical, water-laden air has been brought far inland from the oceans to the north and east. This can happen under normal climate variability. But our ocean temperatures are the highest on record, which supercharges the water cycle.
In coming weeks, this huge volume of water will wend its way through the channels and down to fill Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, the ephemeral lake which appears in the northern reaches of South Australia. It’s likely this will be a Lake Eyre for the ages.
In the first three months of the year, deadly record-breaking floods hit northern Queensland before Cyclone Alfred tracked unusually far south and made landfall in southeast Queensland, bringing widespread winds and rains and leaving expensive repair bills. Now the rain has come inland.
Some meteorologists have dubbed this event a pseudo-monsoon. That’s because the normal Australian monsoon doesn’t reach this far south – the torrential rains of the monsoonal wet season tend to fall closer to the northern coasts.
Because the Arafura and Timor Seas to the north are unusually warm, evaporation rates have shot up. Once in the air, this water vapour makes for very humid conditions. These air masses are even more humid than normal tropical air, because they have flowed down from the equator. Many Queenslanders can vouch for the intense humidity.
But there’s a second factor at work. At present, Australia’s climate is influenced by a positive Southern Annular Mode. This means the belt of intense westerly winds blowing across the Southern Ocean has been pushed further south, causing a ripple effect which can lead to more summer rain in Australia’s southeast, up to inland Queensland. This natural climate driver has meant easterly winds have blown uninterrupted from as far away as Fiji, carrying yet more humid air inland.
These two streams of converging humid tropical air were driven up into the cooler heights of the atmosphere by upper and surface low pressure troughs, triggering torrential rain over wide areas of the outback
While these humid air masses have now dumped most of their water, more rain is coming in the aftermath of the short-lived Cyclone Dianne off northwest Australia. These rains won’t be as intense but may drive more flood peaks over already saturated catchments.
This is why it has been so wet in what is normally an exceptionally dry part of Australia.
Many Australians have never been to the remote Channel Country. It’s a striking landscape, marked by ancient, braided river channels.
Even for an area known for drought-flood cycles, the rainfall totals are extreme. This is a very rare event.
People who live there have to be resilient and self-sufficient. But farmers and graziers are bracing for awful losses of livestock. Livestock can drown in floodwaters, but a common fate is succumbing to pneumonia after spending too long in water. After the water moves down the channels, it will leave behind notoriously boggy and sticky mud. This can be lethal to livestock and native animals, which can find themselves unable to move.
Little of these temporary inland seas will ever reach the ocean.
Some of the rain has fallen in the catchment of the Darling River, where it will flow down and meet the Murray. The Darling is often filled by summer rains, while the Murray gets more water from autumn and winter rains. This water will eventually reach the Southern Ocean.
But most of the rain fell further inland. The waters snaking through the channels will head south, flowing slowly along the flat ground for weeks until it crosses the South Australian border and begins to fill up Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. Here, the waters will stop, more than 300 km from the nearest ocean at Port Augusta, and fill what is normally a huge, salty depression and Australia’s lowest point, 15 metres below sea level.
When Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre fills, it creates an extraordinary spectacle. Millions of brine shrimp will hatch from eggs in the dry soil. This sudden abundance will draw waterbirds in their millions, while fish carried in the floodwaters will spawn and eat the shrimp. Then there are the remarkable shield shrimps, hibernating inland crabs and salt-adapted hardyhead fish.
The rain event will send enough water to keep Lake Eyre full for many months and it usually takes up to two years for it to dry out again. We can expect to see a huge lake form – the size of a small European country. Birdwatchers and biologists will flock to the area to see the sight of a temporary sea in the desert.
Eventually, the intense sun of the outback will evaporate every last drop of the floodwaters, leaving behind salted ground and shrimp eggs for the next big rains.
As the climate keeps warming, we can expect to see more sudden torrential rain dumps like this one, followed by periods of rapid drying.
Steve Turton has previously received funding from the federal government.
– ref. Torrential rains created inland seas in outback Queensland. Soon, they will supersize Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre – https://theconversation.com/torrential-rains-created-inland-seas-in-outback-queensland-soon-they-will-supersize-kati-thanda-lake-eyre-253529
Source: South Australia County Fire Service
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Homes that have been built to withstand a bushfire, and are prepared to the highest level, may provide safety. You may lose power, water, phone and data connections. Fire crews are responding but you should not expect a firefighter at your door. What you should do
If you are leaving
If you are not leaving – prepare to defend
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Source:
Governing documents are the formal documents that set out your organisation’s:
Governing documents can also be called:
NFP organisations seeking access to tax concessions, either by ATO endorsement or self-assessment, must have appropriate clauses in governing documents to reflect their NFP character.
It’s important that your NFP’s administrators, both current and incoming, know where your NFP keeps its governing documents so they can access them when needed.
To demonstrate to us that it operates on an NFP basis, an NFP is required to have clauses in its governing documents that prohibit distribution of income or assets for the benefit of specific people – both while it operates and when it winds up.
The organisation needs to have sufficient controls in place to ensure members and other private persons do not receive the income, property or assets of the organisation (other than as reimbursement for services they have provided or for expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation).
‘The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.’
‘In the event of the organisation being dissolved, the amount that remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar purposes which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual members.’
End of example
To confirm your organisation is operating for purpose, you should review its governing documents:
Most income tax exempt entities:
You may need to update your NFP’s governing documents if:
An annual general meeting (AGM) can be the ideal time to review your NFP’s governing documents, so any amendments can be noted in the AGM minutes.
Your state or territory government may have specific requirements when updating your governing documents. For further information, refer to How to make changes to your rules or constitutionExternal Link.
An NFP self-assessing its eligibility for income tax exemption must not distribute income or assets to members.
This must be demonstrated by including clauses in the NFP’s governing documents that prohibit the distribution of income or assets to members both:
Non-charitable NFPs with an active Australian business number (ABN) need to lodge an annual NFP self-review return to notify us of their eligibility to self-assess as income tax exempt.
When completing the NFP self-review return, NFPs are required to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question: ‘Does the organisation have and follow clauses in its governing documents that prohibit the distribution of income or assets to members while it is operating and winding up?’
This is an important requirement that must be met to self-assess as income tax exempt.
NFPs must review their governing documents before completing the self-review return, to ensure they are answering this question accurately.
If an NFP’s governing documents do not have this clause, the governing documents must be updated to include the clause.
If your NFP doesn’t have and follow these clauses in its governing documents, it can still self-assess as income tax exempt for the 2023–24 income year provided it has not distributed any assets or income to members.
As a transitional arrangement, we’ve provided NFPs up to 30 June 2025 to update their governing documents. Failure to do so will mean they cannot self-assess as income tax exempt from 1 July 2024, for the 2024–25 income year. They will be taxable organisations and required to lodge an income tax return or non-lodgment advice.
Source: Reserve Bank of India
RBI/2025-26/03
FIDD.CO.GSSD.BC.No.02/09.09.001/2025-26
April 01, 2025
The Chairman/ Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
All Scheduled Commercial Banks (including Small Finance Banks)
Madam/ Dear Sir,
Master Circular – Credit facilities to Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs)
The Reserve Bank of India has, from time to time, issued a number of guidelines/instructions to banks on credit facilities to Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs). The enclosed Master Circular consolidates the circulars issued by Reserve Bank on the subject till date, as listed in the Appendix.
Yours faithfully,
(R. Giridharan)
Chief General Manager
Master Circular – Credit Facilities to Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs)
Banks should take the measures indicated below to step up their advances to SCs/STs.
1. Planning Process
1.1 The District Level Consultative Committees formed under the Lead Bank Scheme should continue to be the principal mechanism of co-ordination between banks and development agencies in this regard. The district credit plans formulated by the Lead Banks should clearly indicate the linkage of credit with employment and development schemes.
1.2 Banks will have to establish closer liaison with the District Industries Centres, which have been set up in different districts for promoting self-employment.
1.3 At the block level, a certain weightage is to be given to SCs/STs in the planning process. Accordingly, the credit planning should be weighted in their favour and special bankable schemes suited to them should be drawn up to ensure their participation and larger flow of credit to them for self-employment. It will be necessary for the banks to consider their loan proposals with utmost sympathy and understanding.
1.4 Banks should periodically review their lending procedures and policies to see that loans are sanctioned in time, are adequate and production-oriented and that they generate incremental income to make them self-liquidating.
1.5 While formulating the Block/ District Credit Plan, special focus may be given to villages with sizeable population of SC/ST communities/ specific localities (bastis) in the towns/villages having a concentration of these communities.
2. Role of Banks
2.1 Bank staff may help the borrowers in filling up the forms and completing other formalities so that they are able to get credit facility within a stipulated period from the date of receipt of applications.
2.2 In order to encourage SC/ST borrowers to take advantage of credit facilities, greater awareness among them about various schemes formulated by banks needs to be created through various means such as brochures, visits by field staff etc so that salient features of the schemes, as also the advantages that will accrue to them are known to such borrowers. Banks should advise their branches to organize meetings more frequently exclusively for SC/ST beneficiaries to understand their credit needs and to incorporate the same in the credit plan.
2.3 Circulars issued by RBI/NABARD should be circulated among the staff for compliance.
2.4 Banks should not insist on deposits while considering loan applications under Government sponsored poverty alleviation schemes/self-employment programmes from borrowers belonging to SCs/STs. It should also be ensured that applicable subsidy is not held back while releasing the loan component till the full repayment of bank dues. Non-release of subsidy upfront amounts to under-financing and hampers asset creation/income generation.
2.5 The National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation and National Scheduled Castes Finance & Development Corporation have been set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, respectively. Banks should advise their branches/controlling offices to render all the necessary institutional support to enable these institutions to achieve the desired objectives.
2.6. Loans sanctioned to State Sponsored Organisations for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes for the specific purpose of purchase and supply of inputs and/or the marketing of the outputs of the beneficiaries of these organisations are eligible for priority sector classification.
2.7 Rejection of SC/STs’ loan applications under government programmes should be done at the next higher level instead of at the branch level and reasons of rejection should be clearly indicated.
3. Role of SC/ST Development Corporations
The Government of India has advised all State Governments that the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Development Corporations can consider bankable schemes/proposals for bank finance.
4. Reservations for SC/ST beneficiaries under major Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
There are several major centrally sponsored schemes under which credit is provided by banks and subsidy is received through Government Agencies. Credit flow under these schemes is monitored by RBI. Under each of these, there is a significant reservation/relaxation for the members of the SC/ST communities.
4.1 Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
DAY-NRLM (previously known as NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India by restructuring the erstwhile Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, effective from April 1, 2013. DAY-NRLM would ensure adequate coverage of vulnerable sections of the society such that 50% of these beneficiaries are SCs/STs. Details of the scheme are available in the Master Circular on DAY-NRLM as updated from time to time.
4.2 Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, launched the DAY-NULM (previously known as NULM) by restructuring the erstwhile Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY), effective from September 24, 2013. Under DAY-NULM, advances should be extended to SCs/STs to the extent of their strength in the local population. Details of the scheme are available in the Master Circular on DAY-NULM as updated from time to time.
4.3 Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme
Under the DRI Scheme, banks provide finance up to ₹15,000/- at a concessional rate of interest of 4 per cent per annum to the weaker sections of the community for engaging in productive and gainful activities. In order to ensure that persons belonging to SCs/STs also derive adequate benefit under the DRI Scheme, banks have been advised to grant eligible borrowers belonging to SCs/STs such advances to the extent of not less than 2/5th (40 percent) of total DRI advances. Further, the eligibility criteria under DRI, viz. size of land holding should not exceed 1 acre of irrigated land and 2.5 acres of unirrigated land, are not applicable to SCs/STs. Members of SCs/STs satisfying the income criteria of the scheme can also avail of housing loan up to ₹20,000/- per beneficiary over and above the individual loan of ₹15,000/- available under the scheme.
5. Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes (CEGSSC)
The CEGSSC was launched by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment on May 6, 2015 with the objective of promoting entrepreneurship amongst the Scheduled Castes (SCs), by providing credit enhancement guarantee to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), which extend financial assistance to these entrepreneurs. IFCI Ltd. has been designated as the Nodal Agency under the scheme, to issue the guarantee cover in favour of MLIs for financing SC entrepreneurs.
Individual SC entrepreneurs/Registered Companies and Societies/Registered Partnership Firms/Sole Proprietorship firms having more than 51% shareholding and management control for the previous 6 months by SC entrepreneurs/ promoters/ members are eligible for guarantee from IFCI Ltd. against the loans extended by MLIs.
The amount of guarantee cover under CEGSSC ranges from a minimum of ₹0.15 cr to a maximum of ₹5.00 cr.
The tenure of guarantee is up to a maximum of 7 years or repayment period, whichever is earlier.
6. Monitoring and Review
6.1 A special cell should be set up at the Head Office of banks for monitoring the flow of credit to SC/ST beneficiaries. Apart from ensuring the implementation of the RBI guidelines, the cell would also be responsible for collection of relevant information/data from the branches, consolidation thereof and submission of the requisite returns to RBI and Government.
6.2 The Head Office of banks should periodically review the credit extended to SCs/STs on the basis of returns and other data received from the branches. Any major gap or variation in credit flow to SCs/STs on a year to year basis should be reported to the Board as part of the review on the theme of “Financial Inclusion” in terms of circular DBR No.BC.93/29.67.001/2014-15 dated May 14, 2015.
6.3 Banks should review the measures taken to enhance the flow of credit to SC/ST borrowers on a quarterly basis. The review should also consider the progress made in lending to these communities directly or through the State Level Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Corporations for various purposes based, amongst others, on field visits of the senior officers from the Head Office/Controlling Offices.
6.4 SLBC Convenor bank should invite the representative of National Commission for SCs/STs to attend SLBC meetings. Besides, the Convenor bank may also invite representatives from the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) and State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (SCDC) to attend SLBC meetings.
7. Reporting Requirements
Data on advances to SCs and STs should be reported as prescribed in the Master Direction on Priority Sector Lending as updated from time to time, within the time frames stipulated.
Credit Facilities to Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes
List of Circulars Consolidated in the Master Circular
| No. | Circular No. | Date | Subject |
| 1. | DBOD.No.BP.BC.172/C.464(R)-78 | December 12, 1978 | Role of Banks in Promoting Employment |
| 2. | DBOD.No.BP.BC.8/C.453(K)-Gen | January 09, 1979 | Agricultural Credit to Small and Marginal Farmers |
| 3. | DBOD.No.BP.BC.45/C.469(86)-81 | April 14, 1981 | Credit Facilities to SC / ST |
| 4. | DBOD.No.BP.BC.132/C.594-81 | October 22, 1981 | Recommendations of the Working Group on the Development of Scheduled Castes |
| 5. | RPCD.No.PS.BC.2/C.594-82 | September 10, 1982 | Credit Facilities to SC / ST |
| 6. | RPCD.No.PS.BC.9/C.594-82 | November 05, 1982 | Concessional Bank Finance to SC / ST Development Corporations |
| 7. | RPCD.No.PS.BC.4/C. 594-83 | August 22, 1983 | Credit Facilities to SC / ST |
| 8. | RPCD.No.PS.BC.20/C.568(A)-84 | January 24, 1984 | Credit Facilities to SC / ST – Rejection of Loan Applications |
| 9. | RPCD.No. CONFS.62/PB-1-85/86 | July 24, 1985 | Role of Private Sector Banks in Lending to SCs / STs |
| 10. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.22/C.453(U)-85 | October 09, 1985 | Credit Facilities to Scheduled Tribes under DRI Scheme |
| 11. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.129/C.594(Spl)/88-89 | June 28, 1989 | National SC / ST Finance and Development Corporation |
| 12. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.93/C.594.MMS-90/91 | March 13, 1991 | Scheduled Caste Development Corporation (SCDCs) – Instructions on Unit Cost |
| 13. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.122/C.453(U)-90-91 | May 14, 1991 | Housing Finance to SCs / STs – Inclusion under the DRI |
| 14. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.118/C.453(U)-92/93 | May 27, 1993 | Priority Sector Advances – Housing Finance |
| 15. | RPCD.No.LBS.BC.86/02.01.01/96-97 | December 16, 1996 | Inclusion of National Commission for SCs / STs in State Level Bankers Committees (SLBCs) |
| 16. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.124/09.09.01/96-97 | April 15, 1997 | Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of SCs / STs – Insisting on Deposits from SCs/ STs by Banks |
| 17. | RPCD.No.SAA.BC.67/08.01.00/98-99 | February 11, 1999 | Credit Facilities to SCs / STs |
| 18. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.51/09.09.01/2002-03 | December 04, 2002 | Proceedings of the work shop on the role of financial institutions in the development of SCs and STs |
| 19. | RPCD.No.SP.BC.102/09.09.01/2002-03 | June 23, 2003 | Sample study for review of credit flow to SCs and STs – Major Findings |
| 20. | RPCD.SP.BC.No.49/09.09.01/2007-08 | February 19, 2008 | Credit facilities to SC/ STs – Revised Annexure |
| 21. | RPCD.GSSD.BC.No.81/09.01.03/2012-13 | June 27, 2013 | Restructuring of SGSY as National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) |
| 22. | RPCD.CO.GSSD.BC.No.26/09.16.03/2014-15 | August 14, 2014 | Restructuring of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) as National Urban Livelihood Mission |
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
The unjustified firings come as immigration courts are already under immense pressure to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million backlogged cases, with further strains expected with Trump’s mass deportation agenda
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined 64 House and Senate Democrats in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to reverse the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) alarming decision to fire immigration judges even as the immigration courts currently face a staggering backlog of immigration cases. In February, EOIR abruptly fired 20 immigration judges, removed all nine Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) judges appointed during the Biden Administration, and terminated four individuals in senior EOIR leadership positions, with indications they may remove even more judges.
“We write with great concern regarding the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) decision to fire numerous immigration judges as the immigration courts face a staggering backlog of cases and a likely influx of new cases pursuant to President Trump’s mass-deportation agenda,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers highlighted the resource gaps left by these unjustified firings, citing data exclusively provided to the Committees, writing: “The termination of the [Assistant Chief Immigration Judges] (ACIJs) left roughly 25 percent of immigration courts without appropriate or established leadership or additional judges to preside over immigration matters. The fired ACIJs oversaw 18 of the 71 immigration courts and supervised 135 of approximately 700 immigration judges and over 400 staff members.”
The lawmakers emphasized that these judges helped supervise other immigration judges, and firing them will lessen the quality and slow down immigration case decisions amid preexisting large case backlogs. Immigration courts are under pressure to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million immigration cases, and a recent analysis found that 700 additional immigration judges would be needed to clear the case backlog by FY 2032.
“The absence of experienced ACIJs will impact immigration court dockets, in particular by further contributing to backlogs at courts with priority dockets, such as the detained dockets, juvenile dockets, Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) dockets, and credible fear dockets,” continued the lawmakers. “The firings also will directly impact the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) docket, a purported priority of the Trump Administration, which has commenced at the San Diego and El Paso courts. The two ACIJs with the most experience managing the MPP docket were among those fired.”
The lawmakers further underscored the lack of notice or justification provided for the firings, suggesting they were politically motivated. They noted the harmful caseload impacts of the BIA judge removals, which unlawfully reduced the size of the BIA from 28 to 15 appellate immigration judges.
The lawmakers concluded by outlining the grave consequences of continuing to threaten the EOIR workforce and making a series of information requests.
“Further jeopardizing the immigration courts’ ability to address the case backlog are EOIR’s efforts to reduce the overall size of the EOIR workforce,” concluded the lawmakers. “Despite the impact on adjudications and court efficiency, it appears EOIR leadership may continue to fire immigration judges. … Alarmingly, the Trump Administration also has not indicated any plans to replace the recently fired judges—a process that requires intensive training that can take upwards of one year.”
The letter was led by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. In addition to Padilla and Schiff, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
U.S. Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ill.-01), Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.-02), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.-11), Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Jesús García (D-Ill.-04), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Henry Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), George Latimer (D-N.Y.-06), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), James McGovern (D-Mass.-02), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.-06), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.-03), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.-02), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.-23), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.-43) also signed the letter.
Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. He’s led efforts to highlight the rising challenges at immigration courts including court backlogs, due process issues, and the importance of legal representation.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
We write with great concern regarding the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) decision to fire numerous immigration judges as the immigration courts face a staggering backlog of cases and a likely influx of new cases pursuant to President Trump’s mass-deportation agenda.
On February 14, 2025, EOIR abruptly terminated 20 immigration judges via email without prior notice or stated cause, including 13 judges who had not yet been sworn in and seven of EOIR’s approximately 40 assistant chief immigration judges (ACIJs). Additionally, EOIR removed nine Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) members, all of whom were appointed during the Biden Administration. These removals followed the termination of four individuals in senior EOIR leadership positions. The termination of the ACIJs left roughly 25 percent of immigration courts without appropriate or established leadership or additional judges to preside over immigration matters. The fired ACIJs oversaw 18 of the 71 immigration courts and supervised 135 of approximately 700 immigration judges and over 400 staff members. They played key roles in ensuring immigration judges under their supervision adjudicated cases properly and efficiently. These changes will lessen the quality of immigration case decisions and the speed at which immigration cases are adjudicated.
There have been valid criticisms in the past regarding the politicized hiring of immigration judges. Under President George W. Bush’s Administration, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales improperly considered political affiliations when selecting immigration judges. In addition, under the first Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions changed the hiring process to quickly add six new BIA members who were immigration judges with among the highest asylum denial rates in the country. There is no indication, however, that the hiring process for the recently fired immigration judges and ACIJs was politicized. The immigration judges and ACIJs had varied backgrounds and had previously worked as ICE attorneys, prosecutors, DHS officials, and members of the private immigration bar. In addition, two of the fired ACIJs are veterans; one is a disabled veteran, and the other is a combat veteran with a pending disability claim.
The decision to terminate these experienced ACIJs is particularly baffling, given the immense pressure the immigration courts are under to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million immigration cases. A recent analysis found that 700 additional immigration judges would be needed to clear the case backlog by FY2032.11 The absence of experienced ACIJs will impact immigration court dockets, in particular by further contributing to backlogs at courts with priority dockets, such as the detained dockets, juvenile dockets, Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) dockets, and credible fear dockets. The firings also will directly impact the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) docket, a purported priority of the Trump Administration, which has commenced at the San Diego and El Paso courts. The two ACIJs with the most experience managing the MPP docket were among those fired.
EOIR terminated the ACIJs with no warning, and in at least one case, an ACIJ received the termination email during an asylum hearing and had to abruptly depart the hearing, leaving the status of the case unclear. The termination emails did not cite any legal provision or basis for the removals, stating only that the ACIJs’ “employment was no longer in the best interest of the agency.” Like the EOIR leadership terminated shortly after President Trump took office, the ACIJs who were fired apparently had no conduct or performance issues prior to their termination.
EOIR also forced out every BIA member appointed during the Biden Administration through threats of demotion or reduction in force notices. This occurred despite the governing regulation stating the BIA shall consist of 28 members. Reducing the size of the BIA from 28 to 15 members will have practical repercussions on the Board’s caseload and quality of decisions.
Further jeopardizing the immigration courts’ ability to address the case backlog are EOIR’s efforts to reduce the overall size of the EOIR workforce. According to the union representing immigration judges, about 85 immigration court professionals, including 18 judges, accepted the Trump Administration’s deferred resignation offer or early retirement. Despite the impact on adjudications and court efficiency, it appears EOIR leadership may continue to fire immigration judges. Acting Director Owen recently issued a memo stating that EOIR may decline in the future to recognize restrictions for removing “inferior officers,” including the director, deputy director, all immigration judges, all appellate immigration judges, all administrative law judges, the chief administrative hearing officer, the general counsel, and the assistant director for policy. Another memo indicated that EOIR could not be “confident” that judges hired during the Biden Administration were hired in a “merit-based” and “appropriate” manner. Alarmingly, the Trump Administration also has not indicated any plans to replace the recently fired judges—a process that requires intensive training that can take upwards of one year.
We call on you to respond to the following questions at your earliest possible convenience, and no later than April 11, 2025.
1. Between January 20, 2025 and the date of the Department’s response to this letter, please provide the number of people in the following positions that have been dismissed, fired, reassigned, or otherwise let go, including by resignation or accepting an early retirement:
a. Immigration judges;
b. ACIJs;
c. BIA members; and
d. Immigration court staff, including legal assistants, attorneys, and administrative staff.
2. What are the locations of the immigration courts where the departed personnel, including immigration judges, ACIJs, and immigration court staff, were located?
3. Please provide the individual justifications, including indications of bias or impropriety, for the removal of immigration judges, ACIJs, and BIA members between January 21, 2025 and the date of the Department’s response to this letter?
4. What is your plan to hire immigration court staff, immigration judges, and ACIJs by the end of FY 2025 and by the end of FY 2026?
5. What is your plan to reduce the immigration court backlog? As part of that plan, have you conducted any assessment regarding how reducing immigration court staff and immigration judges will impact the backlog of cases?
6. What is your plan to apply expedited removal to people currently in removal proceedings under section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)? Have you provided any related instructions to immigration judges to block terminations of cases where the individual has demonstrated prima facie eligibility for a benefit and has an application pending for relief under the INA?
7. How do you plan to reduce the number of BIA members through regulation?
8. What, if any, plans do you have to convert IJs and/or ACIJs to “Special Inquiry Officers”?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Source: New Zealand Government
Inland Revenue is launching public consultation on proposals to make the Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) rules easier and to reduce compliance costs for taxpayers, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says.
FBT is a tax payable when the following benefits are supplied to employees or shareholder-employees:
“Public feedback will help shape final proposals which Government will consider this year. The proposals have also been designed to be broadly fiscally neutral as the changes will focus on enhancing the integrity of the tax system,” Mr Watts says.
“Inland Revenue has been working with private sector experts to develop practical options for modernising the rules and to reduce compliance costs. We have already heard a lot of feedback from small businesses, and therefore, Inland Revenue has incorporated a proposal to move away from a focus on absolute accuracy of usage and instead adopting a ‘close enough is good enough’ approach which could take a lot of the compliance cost sting out of FBT.
“The focus of the proposals in the consultation document relates to motor vehicles and other small benefits and aims to simplify requirements and ease the compliance cost burden.
“The Fringe Benefit Tax was launched 40 years ago and, in that time, only a limited number of minor adjustments have been made to the rules.
“It is a quite fitting coincidence that consultation is being launched on the 40th anniversary of fringe benefit tax coming into effect.”
The consultation document is available at https://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/consultation/2025/fbt-options-for-change with consultation closing on 5 May.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
MAKATI, Philippines, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nexif Ratch Energy is pleased to announce that its 500MW San Miguel Bay Wind Power Project has successfully obtained the Pre-Development Environmental Compliance Certificate (Pre-Dev ECC) on 3 March 2025. This certificate was granted by the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in accordance with its administrative order and the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (PEISS).
The Pre-Dev ECC approval paves the way for crucial pre-development activities, including offshore geotechnical and geophysical investigations, wind and metocean measurements, as well as environmental and social baseline and assessments. These activities are essential for understanding the project site’s characteristics, ensuring that development decisions are informed and sustainable.
In December 2024, the San Miguel Bay Wind Project received the Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance (CEPNS) from the Department of Energy (DOE), alongside being recognized as a Strategic Investment under the Green Lane Initiative of the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI). The issuance of the Pre-Dev ECC further reinforces the project’s strategic importance in advancing the Philippines’ renewable energy goals, supporting the country’s clean energy transition.
“This achievement marks a significant step forward in our commitment to developing offshore wind projects in the Philippines in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Cyril Dissescou, CEO of Nexif Ratch Energy. “It aligns with national priorities, and we are proud to contribute to the Philippines’ growing renewable energy sector.”
In addition to San Miguel Bay, Nexif Ratch Energy is also progressing toward securing the Pre-Dev ECC for the 475 MW Lucena Wind Power Project in Quezon Province, after the project being awarded CEPNS in January 2025. These ongoing development efforts position the Company strongly for the upcoming Green Energy Auction 5 (GEA-5) by the DOE, slated for the third quarter of 2025.
Nexif Ratch Energy remains committed to collaborating with key stakeholders and regulatory bodies to ensure the successful development of its offshore wind projects, with a focus on sustainable outcomes for both the environment and local communities.
“We deeply appreciate the ongoing collaboration with the Philippine government in driving the nation’s renewable energy initiatives,” said Matthew Bartley, Chairman of the Development Committee at Nexif Ratch Energy. “The San Miguel Bay Offshore Wind Project, alongside the Lucena Offshore Wind Project, will play a pivotal role in advancing the Philippines’ clean energy transition. We are confident that both projects will be well-positioned for the upcoming Green Energy Auction Program”.
About Nexif Ratch Energy
Nexif Ratch Energy is a leading renewable energy company focused on the development, acquisition, construction, and operation of clean-energy projects across the Asia Pacific region. Headquartered in Singapore with regional offices in Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, the company’s portfolio includes 378 MW of operating, under-construction, and shovel-ready hydro, solar, and wind energy assets. Additionally, Nexif Ratch Energy has a development pipeline totaling 3.6 GW across wind, solar, and energy storage projects.
Nexif Ratch Energy is jointly owned by Nexif Energy (Singapore) with a 51% stake and RATCH Group (Thailand) with a 49% stake.
For Media Inquiries:
Chariya Poopisit
Nexif Ratch Energy
communications@nexifratch.com
Source: Reserve Bank of India
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia
At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.10 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances at 4 per cent.
Inflation has fallen substantially since the peak in 2022, as higher interest rates have been working to bring aggregate demand and supply closer towards balance. Recent information suggests that underlying inflation continues to ease in line with the most recent forecasts published in the February Statement on Monetary Policy. Nevertheless, the Board needs to be confident that this progress will continue so that inflation returns to the midpoint of the target band on a sustainable basis. It is therefore cautious about the outlook.
The Board noted that monetary policy is well placed to respond to international developments if they were to have material implications for Australian activity and inflation.
Private domestic demand appears to be recovering, real household incomes have picked up and there has been an easing in some measures of financial stress. However, businesses in some sectors continue to report that weakness in demand makes it difficult to pass on cost increases to final prices.
At the same time, a range of indicators suggest that labour market conditions remain tight. Despite a decline in employment in February, measures of labour underutilisation are at relatively low rates and business surveys and liaison suggest that availability of labour is still a constraint for a range of employers. Wage pressures have eased a little more than expected but productivity growth has not picked up and growth in unit labour costs remains high.
There are notable uncertainties about the outlook for domestic economic activity and inflation. The central projection is for growth in household consumption to continue to increase as income growth rises. But there is a risk that any pick-up in consumption is slower than expected, resulting in continued subdued output growth and a sharper deterioration in the labour market than currently expected. Alternatively, labour market outcomes may prove stronger than expected, given the signal from a range of leading indicators.
More broadly, there are uncertainties regarding the lags in the effect of monetary policy and how firms’ pricing decisions and wages will respond to the demand environment and weak productivity outcomes while conditions in the labour market remain tight.
Uncertainty about the outlook abroad also remains significant. On the macroeconomic policy front, recent announcements from the United States on tariffs are having an impact on confidence globally and this would likely be amplified if the scope of tariffs widens, or other countries take retaliatory measures. Geopolitical uncertainties are also pronounced. These developments are expected to have an adverse effect on global activity, particularly if households and firms delay expenditures pending greater clarity on the outlook. Inflation, however, could move in either direction. Many central banks have eased monetary policy since the start of the year, but they have become increasingly attentive to the evolving risks from recent global policy developments.
Sustainably returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe is the Board’s highest priority. This is consistent with the RBA’s mandate for price stability and full employment. To date, longer term inflation expectations have been consistent with the inflation target and it is important that this remain the case.
The Board’s assessment is that monetary policy remains restrictive. The continued decline in underlying inflation is welcome, but there are nevertheless risks on both sides and the Board is cautious about the outlook.
The Board will rely upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks to guide its decisions. In doing so, it will pay close attention to developments in the global economy and financial markets, trends in domestic demand, and the outlook for inflation and the labour market. The Board is resolute in its determination to sustainably return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that outcome.
Source: Airservices Australia
At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.10 per cent and the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances at 4 per cent.
Inflation has fallen substantially since the peak in 2022, as higher interest rates have been working to bring aggregate demand and supply closer towards balance. Recent information suggests that underlying inflation continues to ease in line with the most recent forecasts published in the February Statement on Monetary Policy. Nevertheless, the Board needs to be confident that this progress will continue so that inflation returns to the midpoint of the target band on a sustainable basis. It is therefore cautious about the outlook.
The Board noted that monetary policy is well placed to respond to international developments if they were to have material implications for Australian activity and inflation.
Private domestic demand appears to be recovering, real household incomes have picked up and there has been an easing in some measures of financial stress. However, businesses in some sectors continue to report that weakness in demand makes it difficult to pass on cost increases to final prices.
At the same time, a range of indicators suggest that labour market conditions remain tight. Despite a decline in employment in February, measures of labour underutilisation are at relatively low rates and business surveys and liaison suggest that availability of labour is still a constraint for a range of employers. Wage pressures have eased a little more than expected but productivity growth has not picked up and growth in unit labour costs remains high.
There are notable uncertainties about the outlook for domestic economic activity and inflation. The central projection is for growth in household consumption to continue to increase as income growth rises. But there is a risk that any pick-up in consumption is slower than expected, resulting in continued subdued output growth and a sharper deterioration in the labour market than currently expected. Alternatively, labour market outcomes may prove stronger than expected, given the signal from a range of leading indicators.
More broadly, there are uncertainties regarding the lags in the effect of monetary policy and how firms’ pricing decisions and wages will respond to the demand environment and weak productivity outcomes while conditions in the labour market remain tight.
Uncertainty about the outlook abroad also remains significant. On the macroeconomic policy front, recent announcements from the United States on tariffs are having an impact on confidence globally and this would likely be amplified if the scope of tariffs widens, or other countries take retaliatory measures. Geopolitical uncertainties are also pronounced. These developments are expected to have an adverse effect on global activity, particularly if households and firms delay expenditures pending greater clarity on the outlook. Inflation, however, could move in either direction. Many central banks have eased monetary policy since the start of the year, but they have become increasingly attentive to the evolving risks from recent global policy developments.
Sustainably returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe is the Board’s highest priority. This is consistent with the RBA’s mandate for price stability and full employment. To date, longer term inflation expectations have been consistent with the inflation target and it is important that this remain the case.
The Board’s assessment is that monetary policy remains restrictive. The continued decline in underlying inflation is welcome, but there are nevertheless risks on both sides and the Board is cautious about the outlook.
The Board will rely upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks to guide its decisions. In doing so, it will pay close attention to developments in the global economy and financial markets, trends in domestic demand, and the outlook for inflation and the labour market. The Board is resolute in its determination to sustainably return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that outcome.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines — Soldiers of the Philippines Army 5th and 7th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division participated in a subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) on bundle drop and sling load operations training during Salaknib 25 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 25, 2025.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
SINGAPORE — The 27th iteration of Exercise Valiant Mark came to a close on March 26, 2025, as U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Singapore Guardsmen with 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, culminated the exercise with a field-expedient closing ceremony at SAFTI City training facility, Singapore. The U.S. force included Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, attached to MRF-SEA and integrated with the Singapore Guardsmen during the 10 days of training.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 31, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) reintroduced two bills to expand and increase access to employment opportunities for underserved youth. The Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act will increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives to businesses and employers to hire and retain youth from economically distressed areas.
“Far too many young Americans live in neighborhoods that lack good job opportunities and struggle with all-too-commonplace violence and danger,” said Duckworth. “It doesn’t have to be that way, but it’s not going to get better unless we work together to do something about it. I’m so proud to join Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Kelly to reintroduce these bills that would help open up new economic opportunities for every American, no matter where they live or what community they grew up in.”
“To invest in our future, we must invest in the next generation. Increasing youth employment opportunities can address poverty and crime across Illinois while setting up our state’s youngest residents for a brighter future,” said Durbin. “Congresswoman Kelly, Senator Duckworth, and I are reintroducing the HERO for Youth Act and the AID Youth Employment Act to boost federal resources for youth employment programs and incentivize businesses to hire, retain, and mentor youth.”
“Our youth is our future,” said Kelly. “I’m proud to partner with Senators Durbin and Duckworth once again to introduce two pieces of legislation that will invest in economic opportunities for our youth. Better job options can help break a cycle of poverty and address roadblocks that prevent young people from reaching their full potential.”
For many young people, lack of job experience is a prohibitive disadvantage for potential employers, which perpetuates vicious cycles of unemployment and poverty in their communities, further limiting potential for further economic growth. In 2022, 13 percent of youth between the ages of 18-24 were neither employed nor in school, and Native American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and Black youth, as well as youth with disabilities, were disproportionately impacted. Barriers to employment at a young age have devastating consequences on the long-term employment prospects of opportunity youth, including lower lifetime earnings, higher rates of incarceration, and opioid addiction.
There is clear evidence of a correlation in communities where high rates of poverty, gun violence, and chronic unemployment among youth are prevalent. A 2017 study found that among youth participating in Chicago’s youth summer employment program, violent crime arrests decreased by nearly 33 percent. Providing employment opportunity to youth can have a considerable impact in lowering recidivism and violent crime among youth while improving their long-term health, and economic and educational outcomes.
When youth are provided a pathway to employment and the workforce, employers benefit too because they are able to train and hire skilled workers. It is estimated that between 2022 and 2032, there will be an average of 20 skilled roles with job openings for every one new worker.
The HERO for Youth Act would encourage the business community to become a partner in addressing youth unemployment by hiring underserved youth who reside in communities with high rates of poverty. Specifically, the bill would provide a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) of up to $2,400 for businesses that hire and train youth ages 16 to 24 who are out of school and out of work and youth ages 16 to 21 that are currently in foster care or have aged out of the system. The legislation would expand the summer youth program under WOTC, which provides a tax credit to businesses that hire for summer employment youth ages 16 to 17 who are enrolled in school and live in highly distressed rural and urban communities known as Empowerment Zones, by doubling the amount of the credit to $2,400 and expanding the program to include year-round employment.
The AID Youth Employment Act will make it easier for local governments and community organizations to apply directly for federal funding to create and expand summer and year-round employment programs for young people. The legislation would establish a five-year competitive grant program for youth summer employment that also incorporate access to trauma-informed mentorship as well as job coaches. The program would provide planning grants of up to $250,000 for 12 months or implementation grants of up to $6 million over three years.
The HERO for Youth Act has been endorsed by National Grocers Association, National Small Business Association, National Recreation and Park Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Youth Employment Coalition, Young Invincibles, Food Industry Association, and Youth Guidance.
The AID Youth Employment Act has been endorsed by Young Invincibles, Youth Guidance, and Chicago Urban League.
A one-pager for the HERO for Youth Act can be found here.
A one-pager for the AID Youth Employment Act can be found here.
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Source:
We’ve reviewed our advice and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa. South Africa is hosting the G20 in 2025. During the year there will be multiple meetings across the country, which may result in increased traffic and police presence.
Protests and large gatherings can occur anywhere. Avoid areas affected by protests, demonstrations or large public gatherings. Monitor media for updates and follow advice from local authorities. Use major roads where it’s safe to do so and verify that alternate routes recommended by your GPS are safe prior to travel. Express kidnappings happen in South Africa. Always be alert to your personal security and surroundings (see ‘Safety’).
You may not be allowed to enter or exit South Africa on an Australian passport if you’re an Australian-South African dual national (see ‘Full advice/Dual citizenship’).
Source: China State Council Information Office
Members from the China Search and Rescue Team and the Rescue Team of Ramunion jointly transfer a pregnant survivor at a quake site in Mandalay city, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, multiple Chinese rescue teams have arrived in the disaster-stricken areas, working with local responders around the clock to search for survivors.
So far Chinese teams have rescued six survivors in severely-hit Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. The rescuers combed through the ruins of apartments, hotels and hospitals to find signs of life. Continuous aftershocks, power cuts, destroyed roads and communication interruptions made their rescue work even harder.
Meanwhile, more Chinese rescue teams are heading to Myanmar, bringing in earthquake experts, structural engineers, medical personnel and canine units, as well as life detectors, demolition equipment and field hospital systems.
According to Myanmar’s State Administration Council, by Sunday about 1,700 people have been reported killed, 3,400 injured, and 300 missing in the massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the country and its neighbors on Friday.
Survivors rescued
Early on Monday, the China Search and Rescue Team found a woman at a collapsed hotel in Mandalay city after more than five hours of intense work. The survivor had been trapped for nearly 60 hours and had good vital signs when rescued.
At another site, members of China’s Blue Sky Rescue Team worked with local volunteers and recovered a survivor on Sunday.
Satellite images showed that countless buildings were reduced to rubble in the city, located less than 20 km from the epicenter.
In the capital Nay Pyi Taw, a 37-member rescue and medical team from China’s Yunnan Province arrived on Saturday evening with emergency supplies such as full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones and drones.
The team, alongside local rescuers, rescued an elderly man trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of Ottara Thiri Private Hospital after an emergency rescue operation overnight.
On Sunday morning, Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visited the hospital and expressed his appreciation to members of the Chinese rescue team for their timely assistance.
Challenges ahead
Mandalay’s Sky Villa is among the most severely affected structures in the city. Two apartment buildings have completely collapsed, and another 12-story building was reduced to six stories by the earthquake, burying many.
Among the anxious onlookers was Daw Nan Mya Aye, a 65-year-old retired high school teacher. She stood with a composed yet weary expression, her hands tightly clasped in front of her.
“Our house had 11 people. When the quake struck, I wasn’t home — I had just returned from a meditation center and was staying at my daughter’s place. My niece and nephew were also at work,” she recalled.
As of Sunday evening, two of her family members had been pulled from the rubble. One of them was her 76-year-old sister. Her 14-year-old niece, badly injured with broken hip bones, was sent to hospital.
“We have lost so many family members. There aren’t many of us left,” she said softly.
At dawn on Monday, a woman was pulled out from the rubble of a condominium after hours of rescue efforts by the China Search and Rescue Team and a civilian team from RAMUNION RESCUE.
A girl and a pregnant survivor were also pulled out at the Sky Villa quake scene soon after.
Despite challenges like confined working areas, frequent aftershocks, residual fires and dense smoke, local and international rescuers are racing against time, hoping to save more people as the crucial 72-hour window of earthquake rescue closes.
Hope endures
Among the brave rescuers is 19-year-old Pyae Phyo Aung, a member of Myat Thada Rescue. Since 2016, he has dedicated himself to saving lives, but he said nothing has tested him like this disaster.
“We are rescuing people trapped in the rubble — some with their legs pinned, some buried up to their waists, and others completely covered,” he said. “We prioritize saving the living before retrieving the dead.”
His team alone has saved 11 people so far, he said.
In Mandalay, more than 100 young overseas Chinese volunteers in Myanmar have started providing technical, information and logistical support such as collecting information under the guidance of the professional rescue team.
Officials from the Myanmar rescue department also briefed the rescue team on Myanmar’s arrangements for international rescue efforts.
Li Wenyang, a member of the China Blue Sky Rescue Team, said they plan to divide the city into several search areas to let volunteers collect information on missing persons, survivors and casualties, so as to facilitate planning and assessment for the incoming rescue forces.
On Sunday afternoon, a chartered flight took off from Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province, carrying approximately 7.3 tons of relief supplies for Myanmar, including clothes, medicines, instant noodles, tents and other daily necessities. This was the second batch of provincial-level relief supplies that Yunnan has sent to Myanmar.
On Sunday night, 118 members of the China International Search and Rescue Team arrived in Nay Pyi Taw, while on Monday morning, the first batch of emergency humanitarian earthquake relief supplies provided by the Chinese government to Myanmar departed from Beijing.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
During the ongoing exhibition, Radiance of the East: Million-Year Human Imprint in Nihewan, at the Natural History Museum of China in Beijing, visitors can follow fossil evidence to trace the earliest presence of humans in northeast Asia.
Opened on March 8 and running through to May 11, the event highlights the rich archaeological significance of the Nihewan site in North China’s Hebei province. Jointly organized by the museum, the Hebei Nihewan Site Protection Committee, and the Zhangjiakou Association for Science and Technology, it aims to enhance public understanding of the region’s geological and anthropological history.
Showcasing more than 200 artifacts, including stone tools, fossils and reconstructed site models, alongside multimedia presentations, the curators try to present the scientific knowledge of Nihewan’s archaeology and paleontology, according to Wei Yi, an associate researcher at the Natural History Museum of China.
Divided into four sections, visitors can follow the timeline to explore the themes of human origins, ancient ecosystems, Paleolithic culture and the archaeological development of the site.
Located in Yangyuan county, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Nihewan Basin is one of the country’s earliest systematically excavated Paleolithic sites. The strata contains abundant fossils of ancient mammals, such as three-toed horses, woolly rhinoceroses, saber-toothed cats, giant deer and steppe mammoths, providing invaluable materials for studying the evolution of Cenozoic fauna in northern China. Nearly 400 sites have been identified, constructing a cultural sequence of ancient human evolution spanning nearly 2 million to 10,000 years.
Discovered in the early 1920s, the site contains well-known mammalian fauna and stone-tool artifacts in long sequences of sediments, making the region an attractive setting for geological, paleontological and archaeological exploration and research, according to the Geological Society of Hebei Province.
It has not only the earliest Majuangou site in northern China dating to 2 million years before the present, but also the Xujiayao site of the late Paleolithic period where human skulls and many forged spheroids were unearthed, as well as the Yujiagou site of the Paleolithic-Neolithic transition period where the earliest pottery fragments and many microliths were discovered.
Restored animal skeletons from Nihewan on show. [Photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum of China]
A standout exhibit is the reconstructed scene from the Majuangou site, where evidence of human activity dating back 1.66 million years was discovered.
“This is where the ‘first meal of Eastern humans’ took place,” Wei explains.
“One scraper was found in direct contact with a rib fossil, bearing clear signs of impact and scraping, reflecting scenes of ancient humans hunting, dismembering and sharing mammoth meat,” she adds.
The exhibition also introduces the fossilized remains from the Houjiayao-Xujiayao site, representing 16 individuals across various life stages, from children to the elderly. Nearby, three round stone balls are exhibited. “Stone balls are the most distinctive tools from this site, with thousands discovered,” Wei says.
The site yielded more than 4,000 horse tooth fossils, leading experts to speculate that the stone balls were specialized tools for hunting wild horses.
“Ancient humans likely tied ropes around the stone balls to create bolas, which they threw to strike animals’ bodies or heads,” she explains.
Another groundbreaking discovery that Wei doesn’t want visitors to miss is the evidence of a culture that processed ochre, which is used to make pigments, discovered at the Xiamabei, a 40,000-year-old archaeological site in Nihewan.
Small pieces of hematite and grinding tools are displayed together in the exhibition.
“This discovery pushes the history of hematite pigment use in East Asia back to 40,000 years ago. Since pigments were likely used for body decoration, it suggests that humans had developed a sense of aesthetics by this period,” Wei says.
Additionally, experts found plant fiber traces on the surfaces of some stone flakes, indicating that ancient humans may have bound small stone flakes to create composite tools, reflecting the increasing complexity of their technology and behavior.
Over the past century, archaeological discoveries at Nihewan have pushed the timeline of human origins in China and East Asia back to approximately 1.7 million years ago.
With the launch of the project of chasing the human origins in Nihewan by the provincial government in Hebei, further archaeological revelations are anticipated.
Source: Plant and Food New Zealand – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: Making sense of turbulent times
What else will 2025 bring? Collab crosses to DC to speak with Raj Kumar, founding President & Editor-in-Chief of Devex, the media platform for the global development community. Raj breaks down the current turbulent times and identifies trends to watch in the coming year. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he is the author of the book “The Business of Changing the World,” a go-to primer on the ideas, people, and technology disrupting the aid industry.
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Source: Auckland Council
Hundreds of residents and visitors gathered in Muriwai on Sunday 23 March for the official unveiling and naming ceremony of Pou Hihiri – a new sculpture commemorating the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Designed by renowned artist Jeff Thomson in collaboration with the Muriwai community, the sculpture consists of eight columns and benches crafted from materials salvaged from Category 3 houses that were deconstructed following the devastating 2023 storms.
“What the sculpture stands for is multifaceted, says Clare Bradley, chair of the Muriwai Community Association.
“Using material from the deconstructed homes gives it a real connection to the event that led to their destruction.
“It serves as a strong reminder that this has happened in our community, so the events of 13 February 2023 will not be forgotten.”
Jeff reflected on the strong sense of community throughout the project.
“It’s been a fascinating project, and it’s still ongoing. I’ll continue to add materials to the sculpture until the deconstruction in Muriwai is complete,” says Jeff.
Linda Greenalgh, Group Community and Social Recovery Lead for the Recovery Office, shared how deeply the ceremony moved her.
“The whenua is regenerating, spaces are coming back to life, and there’s a strong sense of hope and momentum.”
Pou Hihiri is a fully self-funded public artwork, made possible through the generosity of hundreds of donors who contributed funds, artworks, products, services and time to bring this meaningful project to life.
Source: Te Pati Maori
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes.
The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Their haka, rooted in cultural expression, has been unjustly branded as “disruptive and disorderly.” This characterisation undermines the significance of tikanga and highlights the ongoing marginalisation of te iwi Māori within the parliamentary system.
Despite requests for a fair hearing, the Committee has denied key legal rights, including:
“This decision not only undermines basic legal practices but also perpetuates the ongoing tyranny of the majority against Māori representation,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“Parliament continues to dismiss tikanga and justice, and this Committee is no different. They have already decided our fate. This is not a fair hearing. It is s a display of power designed to silence us.”
“No just legal system would tolerate such a blatant denial of rights,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi.
“How can we defend tikanga when their decisions are predetermined? The Committee’s actions are yet another example of how Māori voices are systematically marginalised, entrenching discrimination within the halls of power.”
In light of these developments, the MPs have stated their refusal to attend the scheduled hearing, asserting that the conditions imposed deny them their rights to a fair hearing.
Please direct any queries, tikanga concerns, and double standards to the Chair of the Privileges Committee Judith Collins, apparently now an expert in all three.
Email: [email protected]
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police can now release the name of the man who died following a plane crash near Lake Hawea on 29 March.
He was Ivan Peter Van de Water, 65, of Wanaka.
Police extend their condolences to his family at this difficult time.
His death has been referred to the Coroner.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines — Soldiers from the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment and the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, conducted joint artillery training on the “Big Three” verification method and the M2A2 aiming circle in preparation for Salaknib 2025 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, March 21, 2025.
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Sarah G. Phillips, Professor of Global Conflict and Development; Non-Resident Fellow at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (Yemen), University of Sydney
The “Signalgate” story has received wall-to-wall coverage since Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, published explosive details about a Signal group chat where senior US officials discussed impending airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the coverage has focused on details of most concern to Western audiences, including the depth of the security breach, the classification status of the material that was shared, and the implications of sending war plans through a non-secure platform.
But what are the implications of this for Yemen? In short, it helps the Houthis and hurts the civilians living under their control.
Yemeni civilians are caught in an impossible position. They have suffered from years of ruthless violence in a civil war that began with the Houthi capture of the capital, Sana’a, in 2014. The conflict grew even more violent when a Saudi-led (and Western-backed) military coalition entered the fray to back the Yemeni government the following year, imposing a crippling blockade that lasted until 2021.
The war has caused a humanitarian disaster, with malnutrition rates among the highest in the world. The Houthis have consolidated their control over much of Yemen’s population through the weaponisation of food distribution and brutal repression of dissent.
In early 2024, the Houthis then began attacking ships in the Red Sea, bringing retaliatory strikes by the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel. Each of these have caused further civilian casualties and harm.
The Houthis (and their Iranian and Russian supporters) will draw comfort from the Signal chat group’s apparent confirmation the US strikes on March 15 were not a sign of the Trump administration’s intent to dislodge them from power:
Vice President JD Vance (14 March, 08:16am ET): The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (14 March, 08:27am ET): This [is] not about the Houthis. I see it as two things: 1) Restoring Freedom of Navigation, a core national interest; and 2) Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered.
The Houthis can withstand intermittent airstrikes – they have withstood airstrikes for over two decades.
But a more substantial intervention — one that combines a coalition of local forces with guaranteed air support from Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (with US support) — would pose a far greater threat to the Houthis.
With this apparently not being considered, the Houthis may now feel emboldened to press-gang more people into military service before a fresh assault on the strategically important oil fields in Marib. This is the last major city in northern Yemen still under government control.
The Houthis have tried to take Marib before, but were prevented by Yemeni troops supported by Saudi air cover. Controlling the oil fields in Marib is vital to the group’s ability to sustain itself economically.
While the Trump administration claims the chat did not compromise sources and methods, Goldberg noted a US-based intelligence officer was named. The Atlantic removed their name for security reasons.
The publication’s decision to remove this detail is a stark reminder of whose security matters — and whose doesn’t. The transcript reads:
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (15 March, 13:48pm ET): VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID…
Waltz (15 March, 14.00pm ET): Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.
Putting aside the fact this was a residential building — it should not be an aside, but this is how most news coverage has been treating it — this detail is important to the Houthis.
This is because Waltz confirms “multiple” sources had positively identified a target, which the Houthis may use to justify further crackdowns, forced disappearances and even executions of those they accuse of being spies.
The Trump administration was clearly reckless in divulging this detail. But it’s striking The Atlantic did not consider the danger posed to Yemeni civilians by publishing it. Experts on the Houthis – and their methods of subjugation – could have quickly highlighted this point if they were consulted.
From a Yemeni perspective, a named source may have even been preferable to the hazy, but authoritative, confirmation of US operational methods and sources. The lack of specificity in the transcript plays to the Houthis’ dragnet approach to extinguishing independent voices by forcibly disappearing people on fake allegations of espionage.
These are typically aid workers, academics, minorities, journalists and members of civil society who are not vocally aligned with the group.
These abductions have been occurring for years, but ramped up in the middle of 2024. Dozens of members of civil society and aid organisations (and potentially many more) were kidnapped last year. Some are confirmed to have died in detention; many others have not been heard from since.
There are reports that abductions are already escalating in response to the latest US strikes.
The ongoing abductions have had a chilling effect on the willingness of local and international aid providers to speak out against the Houthis. This has helped the Houthis consolidate their control over the flow of humanitarian assistance (particularly food), which they divert based on political, rather than needs-based, calculations as a means of coercing compliance.
Yemeni civilians are seldom, if ever, a consideration in the geopolitical machinations that concern their country. The reflexive prioritisation of Western security interests exposed in the group chat – and the publication of these details – condemns them to further insecurity.
Sarah G. Phillips receives funding from The Australian Research Council as a Future Fellow (FT200100539), and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies.
– ref. ‘Signalgate’ was damaging to the Trump administration. It could be deadly for Yemeni civilians – https://theconversation.com/signalgate-was-damaging-to-the-trump-administration-it-could-be-deadly-for-yemeni-civilians-253524
The second of a two-part series on the historic Rongelap evacuation of 300 Marshall islanders from their irradiated atoll with the help of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior crew and the return of Rainbow Warrior III 40 years later on a nuclear justice research mission. Journalist and author David Robie, who was on board, recalls the 1985 voyage.
SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie
Mejatto, previously uninhabited and handed over to the people of Rongelap by their close relatives on nearby Ebadon Island, was a lot different to their own island. It was beautiful, but it was only three kilometres long and a kilometre wide, with a dry side and a dense tropical side.
A sandspit joined it to another small, uninhabited island. Although lush, Mejatto was uncultivated and already it was apparent there could be a food problem.Out on the shallow reef, fish were plentiful.
Shortly after the Rainbow Warrior arrived on 21 May 1985, several of the men were out wading knee-deep on the coral spearing fish for lunch.
But even the shallowness of the reef caused a problem. It made it dangerous to bring the Warrior any closer than about three kilometres offshore — as two shipwrecks on the reef reminded us.
The cargo of building materials and belongings had to be laboriously unloaded onto a bum bum (small boat), which had also travelled overnight with no navigational aids apart from a Marshallese “wave map’, and the Zodiacs. It took two days to unload the ship with a swell making things difficult at times.
An 18-year-old islander fell into the sea between the bum bum and the Warrior, almost being crushed but escaping with a jammed foot.
Fishing success on the reef
The delayed return to Rongelap for the next load didn’t trouble Davey Edward. In fact, he was celebrating his first fishing success on the reef after almost three months of catching nothing. He finally landed not only a red snapper, but a dozen fish, including a half-metre shark!
Edward was also a good cook and he rustled up dinner — shark montfort, snapper fillets, tuna steaks and salmon pie (made from cans of dumped American aid food salmon the islanders didn’t want).
Returning to Rongelap, the Rainbow Warrior was confronted with a load which seemed double that taken on the first trip. Altogether, about 100 tonnes of building materials and other supplies were shipped to Mejatto. The crew packed as much as they could on deck and left for Mejatto, this time with 114 people on board. It was a rough voyage with almost everybody being seasick.
The journalists were roped in to clean up the ship before returning to Rongelap on the third journey.
‘Our people see no light, only darkness’
Researcher Dr Glenn Alcalay (now an adjunct professor of anthropology at William Paterson University), who spoke Marshallese, was a great help to me interviewing some of the islanders.
“It’s a hard time for us now because we don’t have a lot of food here on Mejatto — like breadfruit, taro and pandanus,” said Rose Keju, who wasn’t actually at Rongelap during the fallout.
“Our people feel extremely depressed. They see no light, only darkness. They’ve been crying a lot.
“We’ve moved because of the poison and the health problems we face. If we have honest scientists to check Rongelap we’ll know whether we can ever return, or we’ll have to stay on Mejatto.”
Kiosang Kios, 46, was 15 years old at the time of Castle Bravo when she was evacuated to “Kwaj”.
“My hair fell out — about half the people’s hair fell out,” she said. “My feet ached and burned. I lost my appetite, had diarrhoea and vomited.”
In 1957, she had her first baby and it was born without bones – “Like this paper, it was flimsy.” A so-called ‘jellyfish baby’, it lived half a day. After that, Kios had several more miscarriages and stillbirths. In 1959, she had a daughter who had problems with her legs and feet and thyroid trouble.
Out on the reef with the bum bums, the islanders had a welcome addition — an unusual hardwood dugout canoe being used for fishing and transport. It travelled 13,000 kilometres on board the Rainbow Warrior and bore the Sandinista legend FSLN on its black-and-red hull. A gift from Bunny McDiarmid and Henk Haazen, it had been bought for $30 from a Nicaraguan fisherman while they were crewing on the Fri. (Bunny and Henk are on board Rainbow Warrior III for the research mission).
“It has come from a small people struggling for their sovereignty against the United States and it has gone to another small people doing the same,” said Haazen.
Animals left behind
Before the 10-day evacuation ended, Haazen was given an outrigger canoe by the islanders. Winched on to the deck of the Warrior, it didn’t quite make a sail-in protest at Moruroa, as Haazen planned, but it has since become a familiar sight on Auckland Harbour.
With the third load of 87 people shipped to Mejatto and one more to go, another problem emerged. What should be done about the scores of pigs and chickens on Rongelap? Pens could be built on the main deck to transport them to Mejatto but was there any fodder left for them?
The islanders decided they weren’t going to run a risk, no matter how slight, of having contaminated animals with them. They were abandoned on Rongelap — along with three of the five outriggers.
“When you get to New Zealand you’ll be asked have you been on a farm,” warned French journalist Phillipe Chatenay, who had gone there a few weeks before to prepare a Le Point article about the “Land of the Long White Cloud and Nuclear-Free Nuts”.
“Yes, and you’ll be asked to remove your shoes. And if you don’t have shoes, you’ll be asked to remove your feet,” added first mate Martini Gotjé, who was usually barefooted.
The last voyage on May 28 was the most fun. A smaller group of about 40 islanders was transported and there was plenty of time to get to know each other.
Four young men questioned cook Nathalie Mestre: where did she live? Where was Switzerland? Out came an atlas. Then Mestre produced a scrapbook of Fernando Pereira’s photographs of the voyage. The questions were endless.
They asked for a scrap of paper and a pen and wrote in English:
“We, the people of Rongelap, love our homeland. But how can our people live in a place which is dangerous and poisonous. I mean, why didn’t those American people test Bravo in a state capital? Why? Rainbow Warrior, thank you for being so nice to us. Keep up your good work.”
Each one wrote down their name: Balleain Anjain, Ralet Anitak, Kiash Tima and Issac Edmond. They handed the paper to Mestre and she added her name. Anitak grabbed it and wrote as well: “Nathalie Anitak”. They laughed.
Fernando Pereira’s birthday
Thursday, May 30, was Fernando Pereira’s 35th birthday. The evacuation was over and a one-day holiday was declared as we lay anchored off Mejato.
Pereira was on the Pacific voyage almost by chance. Project coordinator Steve Sawyer had been seeking a wire machine for transmitting pictures of the campaign. He phoned Fiona Davies, then heading the Greenpeace photo office in Paris. But he wanted a machine and photographer separately.
“No, no … I’ll get you a wire machine,” replied Davies. ‘But you’ll have to take my photographer with it.” Agreed. The deal would make a saving for the campaign budget.
Sawyer wondered who this guy was, although Gotjé and some of the others knew him. Pereira had fled Portugal about 15 years before while he was serving as a pilot in the armed forces at a time when the country was fighting to retain colonies in Angola and Mozambique. He settled in The Netherlands, the only country which would grant him citizenship.
After first working as a photographer for Anefo press agency, he became concerned with environmental and social issues. Eventually he joined the Amsterdam communist daily De Waarheid and was assigned to cover the activities of Greenpeace. Later he joined Greenpeace.
Although he adopted Dutch ways, his charming Latin temperament and looks betrayed his Portuguese origins. He liked tight Italian-style clothes and fast sports cars. Pereira was always wide-eyed, happy and smiling.
In Hawai`i, he and Sawyer hiked up to the crater at the top of Diamond Head one day. Sawyer took a snapshot of Pereira laughing — a photo later used on the front page of the New Zealand Times after his death with the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French secret agents.
While most of the crew were taking things quietly and the “press gang” caught up on stories, Sawyer led a mini-expedition in a Zodiac to one of the shipwrecks, the Palauan Trader. With him were Davey Edward, Henk Haazen, Paul Brown and Bunny McDiarmid.
Clambering on board the hulk, Sawyer grabbed hold of a rust-caked railing which collapsed. He plunged 10 metres into a hold. While he lay in pain with a dislocated shoulder and severely lacerated abdomen, his crewmates smashed a hole through the side of the ship. They dragged him through pounding surf into the Zodiac and headed back to the Warrior, three kilometres away.
“Doc” Andy Biedermann, assisted by “nurse” Chatenay, who had received basic medical training during national service in France, treated Sawyer. He took almost two weeks to recover.
But the accident failed to completely dampen celebrations for Pereira, who was presented with a hand-painted t-shirt labelled “Rainbow Warrior Removals Inc”.
Pereira’s birthday was the first of three which strangely coincided with events casting a tragic shadow over the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage.
Dr David Robie is an environmental and political journalist and author, and editor of Asia Pacific Report. He travelled on board the Rainbow Warrior for almost 11 weeks. This article is adapted from his 1986 book, Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior. A new edition is being published in July to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah G. Phillips, Professor of Global Conflict and Development; Non-Resident Fellow at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (Yemen), University of Sydney
The “Signalgate” story has received wall-to-wall coverage since Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, published explosive details about a Signal group chat where senior US officials discussed impending airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the coverage has focused on details of most concern to Western audiences, including the depth of the security breach, the classification status of the material that was shared, and the implications of sending war plans through a non-secure platform.
But what are the implications of this for Yemen? In short, it helps the Houthis and hurts the civilians living under their control.
Yemeni civilians are caught in an impossible position. They have suffered from years of ruthless violence in a civil war that began with the Houthi capture of the capital, Sana’a, in 2014. The conflict grew even more violent when a Saudi-led (and Western-backed) military coalition entered the fray to back the Yemeni government the following year, imposing a crippling blockade that lasted until 2021.
The war has caused a humanitarian disaster, with malnutrition rates among the highest in the world. The Houthis have consolidated their control over much of Yemen’s population through the weaponisation of food distribution and brutal repression of dissent.
In early 2024, the Houthis then began attacking ships in the Red Sea, bringing retaliatory strikes by the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel. Each of these have caused further civilian casualties and harm.
The Houthis (and their Iranian and Russian supporters) will draw comfort from the Signal chat group’s apparent confirmation the US strikes on March 15 were not a sign of the Trump administration’s intent to dislodge them from power:
Vice President JD Vance (14 March, 08:16am ET): The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (14 March, 08:27am ET): This [is] not about the Houthis. I see it as two things: 1) Restoring Freedom of Navigation, a core national interest; and 2) Reestablish deterrence, which Biden cratered.
The Houthis can withstand intermittent airstrikes – they have withstood airstrikes for over two decades.
But a more substantial intervention — one that combines a coalition of local forces with guaranteed air support from Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (with US support) — would pose a far greater threat to the Houthis.
With this apparently not being considered, the Houthis may now feel emboldened to press-gang more people into military service before a fresh assault on the strategically important oil fields in Marib. This is the last major city in northern Yemen still under government control.
The Houthis have tried to take Marib before, but were prevented by Yemeni troops supported by Saudi air cover. Controlling the oil fields in Marib is vital to the group’s ability to sustain itself economically.
While the Trump administration claims the chat did not compromise sources and methods, Goldberg noted a US-based intelligence officer was named. The Atlantic removed their name for security reasons.
The publication’s decision to remove this detail is a stark reminder of whose security matters — and whose doesn’t. The transcript reads:
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (15 March, 13:48pm ET): VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID…
Waltz (15 March, 14.00pm ET): Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.
Putting aside the fact this was a residential building — it should not be an aside, but this is how most news coverage has been treating it — this detail is important to the Houthis.
This is because Waltz confirms “multiple” sources had positively identified a target, which the Houthis may use to justify further crackdowns, forced disappearances and even executions of those they accuse of being spies.
The Trump administration was clearly reckless in divulging this detail. But it’s striking The Atlantic did not consider the danger posed to Yemeni civilians by publishing it. Experts on the Houthis – and their methods of subjugation – could have quickly highlighted this point if they were consulted.
From a Yemeni perspective, a named source may have even been preferable to the hazy, but authoritative, confirmation of US operational methods and sources. The lack of specificity in the transcript plays to the Houthis’ dragnet approach to extinguishing independent voices by forcibly disappearing people on fake allegations of espionage.
These are typically aid workers, academics, minorities, journalists and members of civil society who are not vocally aligned with the group.
These abductions have been occurring for years, but ramped up in the middle of 2024. Dozens of members of civil society and aid organisations (and potentially many more) were kidnapped last year. Some are confirmed to have died in detention; many others have not been heard from since.
There are reports that abductions are already escalating in response to the latest US strikes.
The ongoing abductions have had a chilling effect on the willingness of local and international aid providers to speak out against the Houthis. This has helped the Houthis consolidate their control over the flow of humanitarian assistance (particularly food), which they divert based on political, rather than needs-based, calculations as a means of coercing compliance.
Yemeni civilians are seldom, if ever, a consideration in the geopolitical machinations that concern their country. The reflexive prioritisation of Western security interests exposed in the group chat – and the publication of these details – condemns them to further insecurity.
Sarah G. Phillips receives funding from The Australian Research Council as a Future Fellow (FT200100539), and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies.
– ref. ‘Signalgate’ was damaging to the Trump administration. It could be deadly for Yemeni civilians – https://theconversation.com/signalgate-was-damaging-to-the-trump-administration-it-could-be-deadly-for-yemeni-civilians-253524
Source: Privacy Commissioner
We try to facilitate a resolution to individual privacy complaints wherever that is possible and appropriate in the circumstances of the case. There are a number of mechanisms in the Privacy Act that allow us to do this:
Usually, we do this by way of a conciliation meeting between the parties, facilitated by an OPC staff member. Conciliation is a dispute resolution process similar to mediation – the difference is that a conciliator is a subject matter expert. Where conciliation isn’t appropriate, in some cases we will act as the ‘go between’ in shuttle negotiations.
‘Best endeavours’ won’t look the same in every case. We have to take into account all the circumstances of the case, including the conduct and wishes of the parties and the resources of our Office, when determining what is appropriate in each case.
We take a pragmatic approach to resolving complaints, and where a complaint is about access to personal information we would not usually conciliate, or try to resolve the matter using shuttle negotiations. This is because a complaint about access is either resolved by the granting (by the agency concerned) of access to the information requested, or by us reviewing the withheld information, and forming a view on whether the agency has a proper basis for its decision to withhold that information. Due to the secrecy obligations we have under the Privacy Act we cannot discuss withheld information and it wouldn’t usually be appropriate for the agency concerned to meet with the complainant in these circumstances, because they can’t discuss the information withheld either. However, we have conciliated complaints about access to information in some cases – for example where it appears to us the parties are at cross purposes about the scope of a request and facilitating a conversation will allow them to understand each other and the agency to respond to a request.
If one party makes an offer to settle a complaint, we are obliged to put that offer to the other party. This does not mean that we approve or endorse the offer.
Conciliation is a form of alternative dispute resolution. It is similar to mediation, except the neutral third party has expertise in the issue in dispute. We have specially trained staff who can run this process.
We guide the conversation and help provide some structure, but the parties decide their own outcome. We are impartial, and we can’t compel an outcome, but we can give guidance on the Privacy Act if needed. We are also able to provide information on what might happen if the matter isn’t settled in the meeting.
There are many benefits of resolving your complaint though conciliation – if we are able to achieve a settlement through this process it can help the parties to be able to move forward and get some closure. It’s also an opportunity to ask the other party questions, human to human, to understand what went wrong, and what impact that has had. It is particularly useful where there is an ongoing relationship between the parties.
We have information about what the process looks like, and a conciliation preparation toolkit (opens to PDF, 187KB).
If both parties are willing to meet, we will work out who should attend and the work out the logistics. These meetings usually take place by Zoom or in person, and take two-four hours, depending on the issues to be discussed. We tailor the process to the parties and we will make reasonable adjustments if any of the parties have communication, cultural, disability or other needs. You can also have a support person or lawyer attend to support you, but you do not need one.
To get the most out of your conciliation, you should be prepared to be open to hearing and trying to understand the other party’s perspective, speak openly about your own experience and be willing to be flexible about the outcome.
The content of the conversation will be confidential, but our Office may take what is discussed into account when we are considering the appropriate next steps for the file.
There’s no formula for determining what a good resolution looks like: ultimately that’s up to the parties. An explanation and a heartfelt apology can go a long way to resolving a complaint.
Often complainants are seeking compensation, and in some cases that may be appropriate. We see all kinds of creative solutions though – that’s the beauty of getting people in the room and brainstorming to solve the problem together.
If we are able to reach a resolution of the complaint that will be documented in a settlement agreement, and both parties will have the opportunity to seek legal advice and contribute to the wording of the agreement.
If an agreement is reached, it will be in full and final settlement of the privacy complaint, and the matter can’t be pursued further in the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
If the conciliation meeting has not led to a resolution or a reasonable settlement offer, we will consider the appropriate next steps.
If we have notified under section 77, we may decide to formally investigate the complaint and form a view on whether there has been an interference with the complainant’s privacy. Alternatively, we may decide not to further consider the complaint if we consider this is unnecessary or inappropriate, or where, in the Commissioner’s opinion, one of the grounds for decline set out in section 74 applies.
If we are already investigating, we may make a finding about the substance of the complaint.
In appropriate circumstances the Commissioner may also consider taking additional steps available to him under the Privacy Act. This may include taking action under our Compliance and Regulatory Action Framework, referring the matter to the Director of Human Rights Proceedings or issuing an Access Direction.
If the agency has made a reasonable settlement offer, we will usually consider that the Commissioner’s involvement is no longer necessary. This is so even if the complainant doesn’t want to accept the offer. Our Office has limited resources, so where we consider there is a fair offer of resolution open for acceptance by the complainant, we will usually consider our further involvement is not necessary. Read an example of where this happened.
Whatever we decide, we will let the parties know as soon as practicable. If we decide to take no further action, we will close our file, and the complainant will have the right to take their complaint to the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
