NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Death following St Leonards crash on 17 April

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Death following St Leonards crash on 17 April

    Tuesday, 29 April 2025 – 4:30 pm.

    Sadly, police can confirm a 32-year-old man has died in Southern Tasmania.
    The man was the passenger in a vehicle involved in a crash on Johnston Road at St Leonards on 17 April.
    Following the crash the man was flown to hospital in a serious condition and has since passed away.
    Sadly the 27-year-old woman who was the driver of the vehicle died at the scene of the crash.
    Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the crash.
    A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. – Full Year Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FALCON OIL & GAS LTD.

    (“Falcon”)

    Full Year Results

    29 April 2025 – Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2024.

    The following should be read in conjunction with the complete audited financial statements and the accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis (‘’MD&A’’) for the year ended 31 December 2024.

    2024 Financial Highlights

    • Debt free with cash of $6.8 million at 31 December 2024 (31 December 2023: $8 million).
    • Continued focus on strict cost management and efficient operation of the portfolio.

    Filing of Financial Statements, MD&A, AIF and Reserves Data

    Falcon has filed its audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024, the accompanying MD&A for year ended 31 December 2024 dated 28 April 2025, its Annual Information Form (“AIF”) dated 28 April 2025 and the Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil and Gas Information (National Instrument 51-101, Forms 51-101F1, 51-101F2 and 51-101F3) with the relevant provincial securities regulators. These filings are available for review on the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR+”) at www.sedarplus.ca. The audited financial statements, MD&A and AIF are also available on Falcon’s website www.falconoilandgas.com.

    Ends.

    CONTACT DETAILS:

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.          +353 1 676 8702
    Philip O’Quigley, CEO +353 87 814 7042
    Anne Flynn, CFO +353 1 676 9162
     
    Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Broker)  
    Neil McDonald / Adam Rae +44 131 220 9771
       

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
    Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

          Year Ended
    31 December 2024
    $’000    		 Year Ended
    31 December 2023
    $’000
             
    Revenue        
    Oil and natural gas revenue     – –
          – –
             
    Expenses        
    Exploration and evaluation expenses     (196) (197)
    General and administrative expenses     (2,031) (2,470)
    Decommissioning provision     – (480)
    Foreign exchange gain / (loss)     256 (63)
          (1,971) (3,210)
             
    Results from operating activities     (1,971) (3,210)
             
    Finance income     42 322
    Finance expense     (1,036) (453)
    Net finance expense     (994) (131)
             
    Loss before tax     (2,965) (3,341)
             
    Taxation     – –
             
    Loss and comprehensive loss for the year     (2,965) (3,341)
             
    Loss and comprehensive loss attributable to:        
             
    Equity holders of the company     (2,958) (3,337)
    Non-controlling interests     (7) (4)
             
    Loss and comprehensive loss for the year     (2,965) (3,341)
             
    Loss per share attributable to equity holders of the company:        
    Basic and diluted     ($0.003) ($0.003)

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
    Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

        At 31 December
    2024
    $’000    		 At 31 December
    2023
    $’000
           
    Assets      
    Non-current assets      
    Exploration and evaluation assets   50,291 51,287
    Property, plant and equipment   – 2
    Accounts receivable   56 26
    Restricted cash   2,040 2,176
        52,387 53,491
           
    Current assets      
    Cash and cash equivalents   6,823 7,992
    Accounts receivable   3,031 54
        9,854 8,046
           
    Total assets   62,241 61,537
           
    Equity and liabilities      
           
    Equity attributable to owners of the parent      
    Share capital   406,684 402,120
    Contributed surplus   47,446 47,379
    Deficit   (410,155) (407,197)
        43,975 42,302
    Non-controlling interests   690 697
    Total equity   44,665 42,999
           
    Liabilities       
    Non-current liabilities      
    Decommissioning provision   16,587 16,204
        16,587 16,204
           
    Current liabilities      
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses   989 2,334
        989 2,334
           
    Total liabilities   17,576 18,538
           
    Total equity and liabilities   62,241 61,537

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
    Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

        Year Ended 31 December
        2024
    $’000    		 2023
    $’000
           
    Cash flows from operating activities      
    Net loss for the year   (2,965) (3,341)
    Adjustments for:      
    Share based compensation   67 316
    Depreciation   2 5
    Net finance loss   994 120
    Foreign exchange (gain) / loss   (256) 63
    Decommissioning provision   – 480
    Change in non-cash working capital      
    (Increase) / decrease in accounts receivable   (16) 19
    Increase / (decrease) in accounts payable   66 (63)
    Net cash used in operating activities   (2,108) (2,401)
           
    Cash flows from investing activities      
    Interest received   42 180
    Exploration and evaluation assets additions   (7,110) (6,723)
    Granting of ORRIs   4,000 –
    Net cash used in investing activities   (3,068) (6,543)
           
    Cash flows from financing activities      
    Proceeds from equity raise   4,865 –
    Costs related to equity raise   (301) –
    Net cash generated from financing activities   4,564 –
           
    Change in cash and cash equivalents   (612) (8,944)
    Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents   (557) 151
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year   7,992 16,785
           
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of year   6,823 7,992

    All dollar amounts in this document are in United States dollars “$”, except as otherwise indicated.

    About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

    For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. please visit www.falconoilandgas.com

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: India and Pakistan are on war footing. Can they be brought back from the brink?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University

    India and Pakistan are once again at a standoff over Kashmir. A terror attack last week in the disputed region that killed 26 tourists – mostly Indian – has brought the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals close to a devastating conflict.

    India claims the incident was an act of cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan and has vowed to hunt down and punish the perpetrators. In retaliation, it has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty to deprive Pakistan of water from the Indus River, which runs through the Indian-controlled region of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Pakistan has condemned India’s action as an “act of war”.

    Both sides have put their forces on alert as low-level clashes have broken out along the “Line of Control”, the de facto border established in the region following the first Indo-Pakistan war in 1947–48.

    Pakistan’s defence minister now says a “military incursion” by India is imminent. Can all-out war between the two sides be averted?

    A long-simmering dispute

    At the time of the painful partition of British India in the 1940s, the country’s Muslim minority were given the option of joining the newly created state of Pakistan. Kashmir’s Hindu ruler initially wanted independence for the region, but in fear of invaders from Pakistan, decided to join India.

    This laid the foundations for an enduring, bitter dispute over control of the Muslim-majority region. Attempts at a resolution have been hard to come by.

    The dispute has also become intrinsically linked to the political and strategic postures of the two protagonists.

    New Delhi has vehemently opposed any nationalist demands for independence in Jammu and Kashmir. It fears this would set a precedent for many other minorities who want autonomy in multi-ethnic India.

    Initially, the region was given a special autonomous status under Article 370 of the Indian constitution. But since 2014, the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has forcefully sought to bring Jammu and Kashmir under New Delhi’s control.

    In 2019, it revoked Article 370 and isolated the region from the rest of India and the outside world.

    Modi’s government argued this was necessary to bring progress and prosperity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In reality, it was aimed at squashing separatist movements and easing the way for more Hindus to move to the territory.

    Pakistan condemned the scrapping of Article 370, exacerbating the tensions between the two regional powers.

    New Delhi has also accused Pakistan of involvement in cross-border terrorist acts over the years. Islamabad has refuted New Delhi’s claims and castigated it for human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and for denying the people their right to self-determination.

    Nuclear deterrence has been effective

    India and Pakistan fought two wars in 1965 and 1971, the latter resulting in the dismemberment of Pakistan and creation of the state of Bangladesh.

    In 1999, the two rivals came very close to a nuclear exchange in the limited Kargil War in Kashmir, but pulled back from the brink. As I wrote at the time, the consequences of a nuclear war played a crucial role in both sides eventually backing down.

    This is also the main reason the protagonists have not fought another all-out war in five decades, notwithstanding periodic clashes along the Line of Control and the Kargil conflict. And nuclear deterrence may once more prove effective in preventing the two sides from escalating the current conflict.

    Pakistan is also going through a very politically, economically and socially fragile period in its history.

    The country has been in political turmoil since the ousting and arrest of popular Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023. The economy is in the doldrums. And the government faces a renewed threat from the Pakistani Taliban, amid growing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    The main force holding Pakistan together is the military and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

    India is facing its own challenges, despite being in a more stable position. The Modi government’s Hindu nationalism has marginalised minority groups, in particular the country’s Muslim population. And income inequality is growing, with the richest 1% of the country holding 58% of the wealth.

    Neither country can afford a war right now – particularly one with potentially catastrophic consequences.

    Amin Saikal 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. India and Pakistan are on war footing. Can they be brought back from the brink? – https://theconversation.com/india-and-pakistan-are-on-war-footing-can-they-be-brought-back-from-the-brink-255504

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tempted to turn on the aircon? Science says use fans until it’s 27°C

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Federico Tartarini, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture Design and Planning, University of Sydney

    New Africa, Shutterstock

    Many Australians struggle to keep themselves cool affordably and effectively, particularly with rising electricity prices. This is becoming a major health concern, especially for our most vulnerable people such as the elderly, pregnant women and people with cardiovascular diseases.

    Air conditioning is often seen as the only solution to this problem. But relying too heavily on aircon has major downsides. These include hefty electricity bills, increased greenhouse gas emissions, strain on an already weak electricity grid, and dumping heat from buildings to the outside – further heating the outdoor air.

    Our latest research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, highlights a simple yet effective solution: a “fan-first” cooling approach.

    The approach is simple: use electric fans as your first cooling strategy, and only turn on air conditioning when the indoor temperature exceeds 27°C.

    Fan-First Cooling: The Smart Way to Beat Australia’s Heat Crisis (Federico Tartarini)

    The solution: ‘fan-first’ cooling

    Electric fans can make you feel more comfortable on a hot day simply by moving the air around you. This helps our body release heat in two ways: improving the transfer heat from your body into the air, and increasing the evaporation of sweat from your skin.

    A gentle breeze can make you feel up to 4°C cooler, even when the weather is very hot and humid.

    This allows you to increase the aircon set-point (the temperature at which cooling turns on) from 23-24°C to 27-28°C. This simple change can significantly reduce the amount of time your aircon is running, leading to substantial energy savings.

    For example, in our previous research we showed raising the office air conditioning set-point from 24 to 26.5°C, with supplementary air movement from desk and ceiling fans, reduced energy consumption by 32%, without compromising thermal comfort.

    Don’t fans still use electricity to run?

    Yes fans still use electricity, but it’s as little as 3% of the electricity used to run air conditioning. That means you can run more than 30 fans with the same amount of energy it takes to run a single aircon unit.

    A basic pedestal fan is cheap to buy (A$20 to $150), requires no installation and minimal maintenance, and can be easily moved around to keep you cool in any part of your house. Simply turn on the fan as soon as you start feeling slightly warm.

    Fans cool you, whereas aircon cools the whole space, which is less efficient.

    We also previously showed that using fans rather than airconditioning is a more effective emissions reduction strategy than switching from old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs to LED lighting.

    The problem with over-reliance on aircon

    Globally, the use of air conditioning is rapidly increasing. Aircon units sales have tripled since 1990 and are projected to triple again in 2050. It is becoming the go-to solution to heat management.

    Aircon is effective but is expensive to buy, run and maintain.

    A recent survey showed while most people have aircon, two thirds did not use it due to cost concerns.

    Beyond the financial burden, the environmental impact of aircon is substantial. In Australia, electricity mainly comes from burning fossil fuels, creating greenhouse gas emissions. Even with the growth of renewable energy, the sheer demand for aircon cooling could strain the transition and the grid.

    Furthermore, the refrigerants used in most aircon units are potent greenhouse gases. It will also take time to replace older and less efficient aircon units.

    Aircon units also release heat into the outdoor environment, worsening the urban heat island effect – the phenomenon where cities are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.

    Finally, over-reliance on aircon might reduce our ability to cope with heat. If we constantly keep our indoor temperatures very low, our bodies may not acclimatise to warmer summer conditions, making us more vulnerable during power outages.

    Annual sales of air conditioning units have more than tripled globally since 1990.
    aapsky, Shutterstock

    Using fans safely and effectively

    While fans offer numerous benefits, it’s important to use them correctly, especially in very hot indoor conditions.

    There’s a common misconception that fans should be turned off above 35°C because they might blow hot air onto the skin. This ignores the crucial role fans play in evaporating sweat.

    We have established safer and more accurate temperature thresholds for fan use by conducting laboratory studies. Just remember to check the temperature indoors, not outdoors.

    Electric fans can be safely used in indoor temperatures up to:

    • 39°C for young, healthy adults.
    • 38°C for older adults.
    • 37°C for older adults taking anticholinergic medications (which can impair sweating).

    Above these indoor temperatures, fans could worsen heat strain by increasing cardiovascular strain and core body temperature. In such situations, alternative cooling strategies such as wetting the skin, moving to a cooler place, or turning the aircon on are essential.

    Below these thresholds, we have proven, in laboratory studies, that there’s no reason to switch fans off, because they provide further thermal comfort and reduce heat stress.

    Climate change means many people are experiencing hotter summers.
    Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock

    Take action now

    Based on our field and lab research, we suggest five simple steps to using fans for managing heat at home:

    1. consider buying pedestal or ceiling fans

    2. point the fan at your body and adjust the speed to your liking

    3. wear light clothing and stay hydrated

    4. if you have aircon, increase the set-point to 27-28°C

    5. enjoy a reduced energy bill and increased comfort.

    You may also want to ask your employer to install fans at your workplace and share this “fan-first” cooling strategy with family and friends.

    Let’s work together towards a more sustainable future by reducing our reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning. This will lead to lower electricity costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased resilience to heat.

    Federico Tartarini is affiliated with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

    Angie Bone is a Board Member of Doctors for the Environment Australia.

    Ollie Jay receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Wellcome Trust (UK).

    – ref. Tempted to turn on the aircon? Science says use fans until it’s 27°C – https://theconversation.com/tempted-to-turn-on-the-aircon-science-says-use-fans-until-its-27-c-252018

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Spain

    Source:

    We’ve reviewed our travel advice for Spain and continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions.

    There’s an ongoing threat of terrorism in Spain. The national terrorism alert level for Spain is ‘high’. Attacks could be indiscriminate and could occur anywhere, at any time and without warning. Take official warnings seriously and follow the advice of local authorities.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Planisware – Q1 2025 revenue

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Q1 2025 revenue: € 47.5 million; +16.0%

    • Revenue up +14.3% in constant currencies, in line with FY planned trajectory
    • Strong commercial dynamic despite still elongated sales cycles
    • Growing pipeline fueled by high demand for advanced solutions providing visibility and agility
    • 2025 objectives confirmed:
      • Mid-to-high teens revenue growth in constant currencies
      • c. 35% adjusted EBITDA margin1
      • Cash Conversion Rate*of c. 80%

    Paris, France, April 29, 2025 – Planisware, a leading B2B provider of SaaS in the rapidly growing Project Economy market, announces today its Q1 2025 revenue. Up by +16.0% in current currencies Revenue amounted to € 47.5 million, mainly led by the continued success of the Group’s market-leading SaaS platform. In constant currencies, revenue growth reached +14.3% (€+5.9 million), in line with the planned trajectory to achieve a mid-to-high teens revenue growth in 2025. Recurring revenue amounted to € 43.9 million (92% of total revenue) and was up by +16.2% in constant currencies.

    Loïc Sautour, CEO of Planisware, commented: “Although we are not directly impacted by tariffs, we are still observing elongated customers’ decision-making process. So we continue to leverage the close connection with our existing customers, but also to initiate commercial relationships with new clients. This approach enabled Planisware to deliver a robust revenue growth in Q1 2025, in line with the planned trajectory for the year.

    Facing a significant level of macroeconomic uncertainties, our clients and prospects express greater needs for advanced solutions to manage their portfolio of strategic projects and gain better visibility and agility to navigate in this challenging environment.

    In this context, we confirm our mid-to-high teens revenue growth objective for the year while staying vigilant to potential further deterioration in the global economy, particularly in the short term. We also remain disciplined on resources allocation to maintain a strong profitability and best-in-class cash conversion rate while ensuring we keep investing in our long-term growth.”

    Q1 2025 revenue by revenue stream

    In € million Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Variation
    YoY    		 Variation
    in cc*
    Recurring revenue 43.9 37.2 +18.0% +16.2%
    SaaS & Hosting 22.7 18.9 +20.4% +18.5%
    Evolutive support 13.2 10.8 +21.8% +20.0%
    Subscription support 3.0 2.8 +6.7% +4.1%
    Maintenance 4.9 4.6 +6.4% +5.2%
    Non-recurring revenue 3.6 3.8 -3.3% -4.4%
    Perpetual licenses 0.8 1.1 -24.1% -25.4%
    Implementation & others non-recurring 2.8 2.7 +5.5% +4.4%
    Total revenue 47.5 40.9 +16.0% +14.3%

    * Revenue evolution in constant currencies, i.e. at Q1 2024 average exchange rates

    Reaching € 47.5 million in Q1 2025, revenue was up by +16.0% in current currencies and +14.3% in constant currencies. The exchange rates effect was almost fully related to the appreciation of the US dollar versus the euro. In order to reflect the underlying performance of the Company independently from exchange rate fluctuations, the following analysis refers to revenue evolution in constant currencies, applying Q1 2024 average exchange rates to Q1 2025 revenue figures, unless expressly stated otherwise.

    Recurring revenue

    Representing 92% of Q1 2025 total revenue, up by c. 150 basis points versus 91% in Q1 2024, recurring revenue reached € 43.9 million, up by +16.2%.

    Revenue growth was led by +17.8% growth of Planisware’s SaaS model (i.e. SaaS & Hosting, Annual licenses, and Evolutive & Subscription support), of which SaaS & Hosting revenue was up by +18.5% thanks to contracts secured with new customers as well as continued expansion within the installed base. Revenue of support activities (Evolutive & Subscription support), intrinsically related to Planisware’s SaaS offering, grew by +16.7%.

    Maintenance revenue was up by +5.2% in the context of the Group’s shift from its prior Perpetual license model to a SaaS model and reflecting the strong demand for licenses in the start of 2024 from customers with specific on-premises needs, in particular in the defense industry.

    Non-recurring revenue

    Non-recurring revenue was down by -4.4% in Q1 2025, with a contrasted trend of Perpetual licenses down by -25.4% and Implementation up by +4.4%.

    Implementation activity was high in Q1 2025 with the start of several large SaaS contracts signed end of 2024, leading to +4.4% revenue growth. On the other hand, the Group sold several Perpetual licenses extensions and upgrades to customers with specific on-premises needs but posted a revenue decline by €-0.3 million compared to Q1 2024 which represented a particularly high comparative basis.

    Commercial dynamic

    In Q1 2025, despite sales cycles remaining longer than a year before, clients and prospects expressed greater needs for advanced solutions to manage their portfolio of strategic projects and gain better visibility and agility to navigate in the current uncertain environment. Planisware continued to support its existing customers in adapting and reorganizing themselves to a rapidly changing environment, while maintaining or enhancing their operational efficiency. As a result, key clients such as Philips or Boston Scientific expanded their usage of Planisware’s solutions and support practices. This was particularly the case in the automotive industry with clients such as Fox Factory in the US in PD&I, Continental in Germany, as well as Forvia in France.

    The relevance of Planisware’s multi-specialist approach has been demonstrated in many sectors, from retail in Australia with Coles or the pharmaceutical industry in Japan with Takeda, to automotive in the USA and Sweden with Dana and HADV Group, which now uses Orchestra to manage its product development portfolio.

    2025 objectives confirmed

    Taking into account its strong commercial pipeline and acknowledging a high level of uncertainties that may drive further elongation of sales cycles and delays in the start of new contracts, Planisware confirms its 2025 objectives:

    • Mid-to-high teens revenue growth in constant currencies
    • c. 35% adjusted EBITDA margin*
    • Cash Conversion Rate* of c. 80%

    Appendices

    Investors & Analysts conference call

    Planisware’s management team will host an international conference call on April 29, 2025 at 8:00am CET to details Q1 2025 performance and key achievements, by means of a presentation followed by a Q&A session. The webcast and its subsequent replay will be available on planisware.com.

    Upcoming event

    • June 19, 2025:                 Annual General Meeting of shareholders
    • July 31, 2025:                 H1 2025 results publication
    • October 21, 2025:         Q3 2025 revenue publication

    Contact

    About Planisware

    Planisware is a leading business-to-business (“B2B”) provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) in the rapidly growing Project Economy. Planisware’s mission is to provide solutions that help organizations transform how they strategize, plan and deliver their projects, project portfolios, programs and products.

    With circa 750 employees across 16 offices, Planisware operates at significant scale serving around 600 organizational clients in a wide range of verticals and functions across more than 30 countries worldwide. Planisware’s clients include large international companies, medium-sized businesses and public sector entities.

    Planisware is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Compartment A, ISIN code FR001400PFU4, ticker symbol “PLNW”).

    For more information, visit: https://planisware.com/ and connect with Planisware on LinkedIn.

    Disclaimer

    Forward-looking statements

    This document contains statements regarding the prospects and growth strategies of Planisware. These statements are sometimes identified by the use of the future or conditional tense, or by the use of forward-looking terms such as “considers”, “envisages”, “believes”, “aims”, “expects”, “intends”, “should”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “thinks”, “wishes” and “might”, or, if applicable, the negative form of such terms and similar expressions or similar terminology. Such information is not historical in nature and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future performance. Such information is based on data, assumptions, and estimates that Planisware considers reasonable. Such information is subject to change or modification based on uncertainties in the economic, financial, competitive or regulatory environments.

    This information includes statements relating to Planisware’s intentions, estimates and targets with respect to its markets, strategies, growth, results of operations, financial situation and liquidity. Planisware’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Absent any applicable legal or regulatory requirements, Planisware expressly disclaims any obligation to release any updates to any forward-looking statements contained in this document to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances, on which any forward-looking statement contained in this document is based. Planisware operates in a competitive and rapidly evolving environment; it is therefore unable to anticipate all risks, uncertainties or other factors that may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to which the occurrence of a risk or combination of risks could have significantly different results from those set out in any forward-looking statements, it being noted that such forward-looking statements do not constitute a guarantee of actual results.

    Rounded figures

    Certain numerical figures and data presented in this document (including financial data presented in millions or thousands and certain percentages) have been subject to rounding adjustments and, as a result, the corresponding totals in this document may vary slightly from the actual arithmetic totals of such information.

    Variation in constant currencies

    Variation in constant currencies represent figures based on constant exchange rates using as a base those used in the prior year. As a result, such figures may vary slightly from actual results based on current exchange rates.

    Non-IFRS measures

    This document includes certain unaudited measures and ratios of the Group’s financial or non-financial performance (the “non-IFRS measures”), such as “recurring revenue”, “non-recurring revenue”, “gross margin”, “Adjusted EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA margin”, “Adjusted Free Cash Flow”, and “cash conversion rate”. Non-IFRS financial information may exclude certain items contained in the nearest IFRS financial measure or include certain non-IFRS components. Readers should not consider items which are not recognized measurements under IFRS as alternatives to the applicable measurements under IFRS. These measures have limitations as analytical tools and readers should not treat them as substitutes for IFRS measures. In particular, readers should not consider such measurements of the Group’s financial performance or liquidity as an alternative to profit for the period, operating income or other performance measures derived in accordance with IFRS or as an alternative to cash flow from (used in) operating activities as a measurement of the Group’s liquidity. Other companies with activities similar to or different from those of the Group could calculate non-IFRS measures differently from the calculations adopted by the Group.

    Non-IFRS measures included in this document are defined as follows:

    • Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as Current operating profit including share of profit of equity-accounted investees, plus amortization and depreciation as well as impairment of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, plus either non-recurring items or non-operating items.
    • Adjusted EBITDA margin is the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to total revenue.
    • Adjusted FCF (Free Cash Flow) is calculated as cash flows from operating activities, plus IPO costs paid, if any, less other financial income and expenses classified as operating activities in the cash-flow statement, and less net cash relating to capital expenditures.
    • Cash Conversion Rate is defined as Adjusted FCF divided by Adjusted EBITDA.

    1 Non-IFRS measure. Non-IFRS measures included in this document are defined in the disclaimer at the end of this document.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Home Energy Empowerment Program aims to help local residents

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City in collaboration with the Central Victoria Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) and Bendigo Sustainability Group have developed a Home Energy Empowerment Program to help local homeowners and renters to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

    City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Manager Michelle Wyatt said the Home Energy Empowerment Program has been developed to support local households to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home, plan for the short and long term, and save on their energy bills.

    “Everyone is feeling the impact of rising energy costs and the City and our partners want to empower residents with the information they need to know to make their homes energy efficient and to ultimately save money,” Ms Wyatt said.

    The program is free and will commence on Sunday May 4, 2025 with an in-person home energy efficiency planning session at the Old Church on the Hill 36 Russell Street, Quarry Hill from 10.30am to 12pm.

    It will then continue through to October with fortnightly short webinars on:

    • Energy Efficiency for renters
    • Draught proofing
    • Efficient heating and cooling
    • Insulation
    • Hot water heat pumps
    • Solar panels
    • Windows and blinds for comfort and efficiency
    • Electric vehicles and e-bikes

    To register, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The government plans to regulate carbon capture technologies – but who will be the regulating agency?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barry Barton, Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    The Icelandic company Carbfix has developed a technology to store carbon dioxide. Shutterstock/Oksana Bali

    Newly released documents add more detail to the government’s plans for a regulatory framework to enable carbon capture and storage.

    But they show indecision on two key matters – the legal framework and the agency that would be in charge.

    The plan relates primarily to conventional carbon capture and storage technologies, which remove carbon dioxide from an industrial gas flow and dispose of it deep underground.

    It also covers some methods of carbon dioxide removal, an emerging but as yet commercially untested suite of technologies such as enhanced rock weathering, bio-energy capture and direct air capture.

    The latter technologies are not predicated on fossil fuel consumption and could operate in many different situations.

    Neither kind of carbon removal is a simple answer to the climate challenge and the priority remains on cutting emissions. But we need to have regulatory frameworks in place for both reduction and removal technologies of all kinds, and soon.

    Earning credits from emissions trading

    Both types of technologies will benefit from the government’s decision to allow companies to get credits in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the disposal of carbon dioxide from any source. Credits will not be tied to any one technology, according to the released policy discussion documents.

    It’s also a positive development that an operator can get credits as a separate removal activity, not merely as a reduction of an existing emissions liability (although official advice was initially against separate credits). This allows for diversity in the players and the systems for removals.

    The government has decided it will assume liability for any carbon dioxide leaks from geological storage, but only after verification that fluids in the subsurface are behaving as expected after closure, and no sooner than 15 years after closure.

    Leaks this long after injection are unlikely, but we nevertheless need strong regulation, financial assurance to guarantee remedial action and clear liability rules.

    Companies will be able to earn credits for the permanent disposal of carbon dioxide.
    Shutterstock/VectorMine

    The government also states ETS credits will only be available for removals that can be recognised internationally against New Zealand’s commitments to cut emissions. This would apply only to geological storage but not deep-ocean deposition or rock weathering.

    But that’s not quite right. The general international rules already allow the inclusion in a national greenhouse gas inventory of removals from any process. Detailed methodologies for carbon dioxide removal are likely to become available within the next few years.

    With change underway, New Zealand’s new regime should allow a wide range of removal methods to receive credits.

    A new regulatory regime

    The documents acknowledge that New Zealand needs a broader regulatory regime, beyond the ETS, to cover the entire process of carbon dioxide removal. The suitability of a disposal site must be verified, a detailed geological characterisation is required and the project design and operation need to be approved.

    Approval is also required for closure and post-closure plans, and systematic monitoring. Monitoring is everything; it must be accurate and verifiable but also cost effective. The operator will have to pay for monitoring for decades after site closure.

    In agreeing on these features, the government is following the examples of many countries overseas, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the EU.

    However, it is intriguing that the government hasn’t decided where this new regime should sit in the statute book, and who should manage it. Much of the apparently relevant text in the documents has been redacted.

    Given that carbon dioxide would be stored underground, the Crown Minerals Act is one possibility. But this legislation is all about extraction, not disposal. Although the New Zealand petroleum and minerals unit at the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment has expertise in regulating subsurface operations, it focuses largely on oil and gas, not on innovative climate projects.

    The Resource Management Act certainly provides a regulatory approval regime, but it is awaiting reform and would need much more than the currently proposed changes to deal with carbon capture and storage or removal properly. So would legislation covering activities within New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone.

    Indeed each act would require a whole new part to be added, with its own principles and procedures. There is a lot to be said for a standalone new act, in a form that would fit with the emerging Natural Environment Act that will replace the Resource Management Act.

    The new legislation and regulation regime could be administered by the Environmental Protection Authority, which is already involved in Resource Management Act call-ins and fast-track approvals, the legislation covering the exclusive economic zone and the ETS.

    One can only guess there might be tensions between contending factions in government. What we should ask for is a legislative and institutional arrangement that allows carbon capture and storage or removal technologies to evolve and grow without being a mere offshoot of the oil and gas industry or any other existing sector.

    As part of our efforts to reduce emissions, we must make sure all kinds of removal technologies are available that truly suit New Zealand.

    Barry Barton is part of the project “Derisking Carbon Dioxide Removal at Megatonne Scale in Aotearoa” which is funded by the MBIE’s Endeavour Fund. In the past, he has received funding from MBIE and the gas industry for research on CCS legal issues.
    He is a director of the Environmental Defence Society.

    – ref. The government plans to regulate carbon capture technologies – but who will be the regulating agency? – https://theconversation.com/the-government-plans-to-regulate-carbon-capture-technologies-but-who-will-be-the-regulating-agency-254696

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New appointments to Eden Park Trust Board

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Two new members have been appointed to the board of Eden Park Trust, Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell says.
    “Marama Royal MNZM (Ngāti Whātua) and Hon Simon Bridges (Ngāti Maniapoto) will be bringing their extensive governance experience and passion for the Auckland region to support the leadership of New Zealand’s largest stadium.
    “I am confident that these appointments will add fresh perspectives and expertise to help lead Eden Park through the current conversations about the park’s future.
    “Marama Royal MNZM is Chair of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Board and has extensive governance experience. She is an esteemed and experienced iwi leader who will bring significant governance experience, strong networks and deep understanding of the whenua to the role. 
    “Hon Simon Bridges is well known for his political experience where he served in several Cabinet positions, and more recently for his role as CEO of Auckland Business Chamber. His experience in both political and commercial settings offer unique perspective, skillset, and networks that would enable the board to thrive.
    “I have also reappointed Kereyn Smith CNZM and Bill Birnie CNZM as members of the board to continue their steadfast commitment to the future of Eden Park. 
    “These appointments and reappointments will ensure strong leadership and a commitment to the future success of New Zealand’s iconic stadium,” says Mr Mitchell.
    “I also acknowledge outgoing members, Victoria Toon and Renata Blair, whose terms ended in February.  They have been influential in supporting relationships with residents, iwi and commercial entities, and I thank them for their services to the board over the years.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How do the Coalition and Labor plans on housing differ – and what have they ignored?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

    Any doubts that Australia’s growing housing challenges would be a major focus of the federal election campaign have been dispelled over recent weeks.

    Both major parties announced strikingly ambitious housing initiatives as campaign centrepiece offers. So how do they compare?

    What’s the Coalition offering?

    The Coalition had already pledged several significant housing initiatives, should it form government. Among those, the biggest ticket item is the $5 billion program for enabling infrastructure to “unlock up to 500,000 new homes”.

    In the absence of underpinning detail, both the wording of this pledge and its alleged potential impact have generated some scepticism.

    Also announced well ahead of the campaign was the Coalition’s plan to allow first home buyers to draw down on their superannuation. They could withdraw up to $50,000 to help fund mortgage deposits.

    This proposal has attracted some qualified support. But it’s been rejected by most of Australia’s top economists. This reflects concerns the measure could prove highly inflationary. It also risks a net loss for scheme participants if devalued retirement savings outweigh the benefit of accelerated access to home ownership.

    Likewise, the Coalition’s newly unveiled plan to allow mortgage interests for first home buyers to be tax-deductible has been fiercely criticised for its likely inflationary and regressive effects.

    Such arrangements are novel in Australia, but exist in some other countries. These include the Netherlands, where their impact has been recently described as damaging to both housing affordability and public finances.

    What’s Labor offering?

    Labor’s two new offers are to enable access to a mortgage with only a 5% deposit, and its $10 billion “Build to Sell” program.

    As a demand-side instrument, the first of these could have some inflationary impact. But given the modest nature of the assistance provided, and that it only expands the existing Home Guarantee Scheme from its current maximum annual quota of 50,000 to an expected take-up of around 80,000, this is likely to be limited.

    The Build to Sell plan would see collaboration with state and territory governments to commission 100,000 new homes in eight years. These would be for first home buyers only and, likely, for cost-price sale.

    In further details of the plan, released just days out from polling day, Labor says the plan would be progressed partly via $2 billion in concessional loans to the states.

    The whole build-to-sell idea revives the practice of the 1950s and 1960s where, in addition to constructing public housing for rent, state governments commissioned homes for sale. This contributed to the rapid rise in home ownership during that period.

    As a supply-side measure, the new plan builds on the 2022 National Housing Accord. The accord aims to expand overall housing industry output to 1.2 million new homes in the five years to 2029.

    Much about the Build to Sell plan has yet to be revealed. But from what we know, it looks like a bold initiative in challenging conventional modern thinking about the proper limits of direct state involvement in supplying a commodity largely provided through the market.

    By expanding overall housing production, it could help in slightly moderating prices market-wide, as well as benefiting the homebuyers directly involved.

    One-eyed agendas

    When it comes to helping first home buyers, both parties have put forth some ambitious new propositions. But social housing and homelessness pledges have been glaringly absent from their proposals.

    Neither Labor nor the Coalition has announced any significant new initiative to relieve rental stress at the lower end of the housing market, affecting millions of Australians. Measures that might, at least indirectly, help stem the rising tide of homelessness that now sees more than 10,000 newly homeless people being taken on by support agencies every month.

    Given its numerous initiatives to increase assistance to low-income and otherwise disadvantaged renters already enacted since 2022, Labor has a somewhat stronger excuse here.

    But while Albanese government measures, such as increased rent assistance, have eased the situation for some hard-pressed tenants, many other measures will only start to help in the next term of parliament.

    That’s especially true for the Housing Australia Future Fund and all of Labor’s other post-2022 federal programs to expand social and affordable housing construction. Pledged commitments during the current parliament should add 55,000 new social and affordable homes to the national portfolio.

    In combination with the Build to Sell initiative, this would see state-commissioned or otherwise funded housing construction perhaps equating to as much as 10% of all home-building later this decade. While short of the 16% achieved in the 1945-70 period, that would be a giant increase over the 1-2% typically recorded during the 2010s.



    Read more:
    Homelessness – the other housing crisis politicians aren’t talking about

    Even so, social and affordable housing investment so far pledged by Labor is limited in relation to demand. It’s estimated 640,000 households have an unmet need for social or affordable housing.

    The Coalition says if it wins the election, it would abolish the housing future fund. When asked how he would replace it, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor declared it unnecessary because “there’s billions of dollars that [already] goes to the states for social housing”.

    While narrowly true, this is also disingenuous. The relatively modest funds referenced here – paid annually under the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness – are entirely swallowed up in balancing the operating budgets of state public housing authorities.

    With public housing systems otherwise mired deep in deficits, it’s been decades since this funding stream has been sufficient to generate any new housing supply.

    In this respect, the Coalition’s 2025 housing pitch foreshadows a resumption of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison stance: nine years of federal subsidy drought for new social and affordable housing.

    What else is missing?

    Many have also criticised the recent major party offers as ignoring the overdue need for fundamental housing tax reform.

    That’s true for Labor. But the Coalition’s pitch on mortgage interest would, in fact, amount to a major property tax reset.

    Unfortunately, though, this so-called “negative gearing for first home buyers” would pile yet another damaging “market distortion” on top of all our existing property ownership tax breaks.

    These concessions have, over decades, contributed to today’s housing affordability problem, as their value is capitalised into higher prices.

    As observed by researcher Peter Mares, this new Coalition foray only goes to shine an even brighter light on the rational case to confront that problem head-on.

    Hal Pawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and Crisis UK. He is a part-time unpaid advisor to Senator David Pocock.

    – ref. How do the Coalition and Labor plans on housing differ – and what have they ignored? – https://theconversation.com/how-do-the-coalition-and-labor-plans-on-housing-differ-and-what-have-they-ignored-253337

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Iraq

    Source:

    We continue to advise do not travel to Iraq due to the volatile security environment and the threat of kidnapping. If you are in Iraq, you should leave Iraq immediately by commercial means. If you’re staying in Iraq, be alert and monitor media for updates (see ‘Safety’).

    Terrorist attacks can occur without warning. Avoid possible targets including markets, transport hubs, places of worship and government facilities (see ‘Safety’).

    Demonstrations and protest activity may occur, and local security situations could deteriorate with little notice. Avoid all demonstrations and protests (see ‘Civil unrest and political tension’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 29, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 29, 2025.

    Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ti Wi / Unsplash Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and promises, many from the new party

    The Oscars have rolled out the red carpet for generative AI. And surprisingly, viewers don’t seem to mind
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Crosby, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University The Oscars have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explicitly said, for the first time, films using generative AI tools will not be disqualified from the awards.

    Echidna ancestors lived watery lifestyles like platypuses 100 million years ago – new study
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sue Hand, Professor Emeritus, Palaeontology, UNSW Sydney Mary_May/Shutterstock As the world’s only surviving egg-laying mammals, Australasia’s platypus and four echidna species are among the most extraordinary animals on Earth. They are also very different from each other. The platypus is well adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, spending

    ‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Pitt, Senior Research Fellow – Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University David P. Smith/Shutterstock Do something about it before it gets worse. This was a response from a 16-year-old boy in one of our recent studies when asked what he would say to the prime minister

    ‘I’m always afraid for the future of my family’: why it’s too hard for some refugees to reunite with loved ones
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University When refugees flee their home country due to war, violence, conflict or persecution, they are often forced to leave behind their families. For more than 30,000 people who have sought asylum in Australia since arriving more than

    Major survey finds most people use AI regularly at work – but almost half admit to doing so inappropriately
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Gillespie, Professor of Management; Chair in Trust, Melbourne Business School Matheus Bertelli/Pexels Have you ever used ChatGPT to draft a work email? Perhaps to summarise a report, research a topic or analyse data in a spreadsheet? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools

    1 billion years ago, a meteorite struck Scotland and influenced life on Earth
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Kirkland, Professor of Geochronology, Curtin University Stoer Head lighthouse, Scotland. William Gale/Shutterstock We’ve discovered that a meteorite struck northwest Scotland 1 billion years ago, 200 million years later than previously thought. Our results are published today in the journal Geology. This impact now aligns with some

    Arsenic is everywhere – but new detection methods could help save lives
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Wajrak, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Edith Cowan University Arsenic is a nasty poison that once reigned as the ultimate weapon of deception. In the 18th century, it was the poison of choice for those wanting to kill their enemies and spouses, favoured for its undetectable nature

    Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia SarahMcEwan/Shutterstock If you’ve ever tried to build a new habit – whether that’s exercising more, eating healthier, or going to bed earlier – you may have heard the popular claim that it only takes

    ‘Complaining is career suicide’: the hidden mental health crisis turning our screen industry upside down
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hegedus, Associate Professor, Griffith Film School, Griffith University Shutterstock The Australian screen industry is often associated with fun, creativity and perhaps even glamour. But our new Pressure Point Report reveals a more troubling reality: a pervasive mental health crisis, which could see the screen industry lose

    New survey shows business outlook is weakening and uncertainty rising as the trade war bites
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Simon, Adjunct Fellow in Economics, Macquarie University Vivid Brands/Shutterstock Uncertainty is everywhere these days. There is even uncertainty about the uncertainty. The Reserve Bank of Australia, for example, noted in the minutes from its April 1 meeting: The most significant development in the period leading up

    How ICE is becoming a secret police force under the Trump administration
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Morgenbesser, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University Secret police are a quintessential feature of authoritarian regimes. From Azerbaijan’s State Security Service to Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation, these agencies typically target political opponents and dissidents through covert surveillance, imprisonment and physical violence. In

    Democracy on display or a public eyesore? The case for cracking down on election corflutes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer in Marketing, Research School of Management, Australian National University In my time researching political advertising, one common communication method that often generates complaints is the proliferation of campaign corflutes. Politicians love them. Not so, many members of the general public. People are so fed

    Here’s how to make your backyard safer and cooler next summer
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pui Kwan Cheung, Research Fellow in Urban Microclimates, The University of Melbourne Varavin88, Shutterstock Our backyards should be safe and inviting spaces all year round, including during the summer months. But the choices we make about garden design and maintenance, such as whether to have artificial turf

    Five ways to make cities more resilient to climate change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul O’Hare, Lecturer in Human Geography and Urban Development, Manchester Metropolitan University John_T/Shutterstock Climate breakdown poses immense threats to global economies, societies and ecosystems. Adapting to these impacts is urgent. But many cities and countries remain chronically unprepared in what the UN calls an “adaptation gap”. Building

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: pollster Kos Samaras on how voters are leaving the major parties behind
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As we enter the final days of campaigning, Labor leads with its nose in front on most polls, but the devil is in the detail of particular seats. To help get a read on what the voters are feeling at

    Vanuatu communities growing climate resilience in wake of Cyclone Lola
    Communities in Vanuatu are learning to grow climate resilient crops, 18 months after Cyclone Lola devastated the country. The category 5 storm struck in October 2023, generating wind speeds of up to 215 kmph, which destroyed homes, schools, plantations, and left at least four people dead. It was all the worse for following twin cyclones

    Election Diary: Labor to slash more consultant costs and increase visa charges to pay for fresh election commitments
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government has dug out last-minute savings of more than A$7 billion, to ensure its election commitments are more than offset in every year of the forward estimates. Its costings, released Monday, include savings of $6.4 billion from further reducing

    Big and small spending included in Labor costings, but off-budget items yet to be revealed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra The federal budget will be stronger than suggested in last month’s budget, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers who released Labor’s costings on Monday. Many of the policies included in the costings were already detailed in either the 2025 Budget

    How much do election promises cost? And why have we had to wait so long to see the costings?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra With the May 3 federal election less than a week away, voters have only just received Labor’s costings and are yet to hear from the Coalition. At the 2022 election, the costings were not released for nearly two months

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Govt cuts will cost jobs, health, and homes

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Nicola Willis announced that funding for almost every Government department will be frozen in this year’s budget, costing jobs, making access to public services harder, and fuelling an exodus of nurses, teachers, and other public servants.

    “Nicola Willis’s slash-and-burn budget is dangerous and reckless,” Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

    “This Government is hanging out a very clear sign that there’s no hope here. They may as well book tickets to Australia for nurses, teachers, police officers, and other public servants who are already struggling, and who will now find it untenable to stay in New Zealand.

    “This Government had no problem doling out billions to landlords and the tobacco lobby, but when it comes to what Kiwis care most about—jobs, health, and homes—it’s just one cut after another.

    “But the biggest cuts are to investments in our future. In last year’s budget the Government set aside $1.4 billion from Budget 25 just to keep the lights on in our health system. Today’s announcement leaves nothing for new investments, meaning any so-called ‘new’ spending will be funded by cuts elsewhere.

    “Last year we saw $12 billion in borrowing for tax cuts, First Home Grants scrapped and $1.5 billion cut from public house building and maintenance, while they froze hiring for frontline health roles and thousands of Kiwis lost their jobs. Every dollar they promise now comes at the cost of something else, and Kiwis deserve to know what’s on the chopping block.

    “This is about the Government’s choices. New Zealanders depend on their public services for jobs, good quality healthcare, and access to an affordable home with a good school down the road. Their budget chooses short-term savings at the expense of long-term prosperity, and it’s New Zealanders who will pay the price,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology

    Ti Wi / Unsplash

    Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and promises, many from the new party Trumpet of Patriots (backed by Clive Palmer, a veteran of the mass text campaign).

    The practice isn’t new, and it’s totally legal under current laws. It’s also non-partisan. Campaigns of all stripes have partaken. Behold, the Liberal Party’s last-minute SMS to voters about asylum seekers before the 2022 federal election, or Labor’s controversial “Mediscare” text before the 2016 poll. Despite multiple cycles of criticism, these tactics remain a persistent feature of Australian election campaigns.

    A recent proposal to update decades-old rules could help change things – if a government would put it into practice.

    What does the law say about political spam?

    Several laws regulate spam and data collection in Australia.

    First, there is the Spam Act. This legislation requires that organisations obtain our consent before sending us marketing emails, SMSs and instant messages. The unsubscribe links you see at the bottom of spam emails? Those are mandated by the Spam Act.

    Second, the Do Not Call Register (DNCR) Act. This Act establishes a “do not call” register, managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which individuals can join to opt out of telemarketing calls.

    Finally, there is the Privacy Act, which governs how organisations collect, use and disclose our personal information. Among other things, the Privacy Act requires that organisations tell us when and why they are collecting our personal information, and the purposes for which they intend to use it. It restricts organisations from re-purposing personal information collected for a particular purpose, unless an exception applies.

    This trio of laws was designed to offer relief from unsolicited, unwanted direct marketing. It does not, however, stop the deluge of political spam at election time due to broad political exemptions sewn into the legislation decades ago.

    The Spam Act and DNCR Act apply to marketing for goods and services but not election policies and promises, while the Privacy Act contains a carve-out for political parties, representatives and their contractors.

    The upshot is that their campaigns are free to spam and target voters at will. Their only obligation is to disclose who authorised the message.

    How do political campaigns get our information?

    Secrecy about the nature and extent of campaign data operations, enabled by the exemptions, makes it difficult to pinpoint precisely where a campaign might have obtained your data from.

    There are, however, a number of ways political campaigns can acquire our information.

    One source is the electoral roll (though not for phone numbers, as the Australian Electoral Commission often points out). Incumbent candidates might build on this with information they obtain through contact with constituents which, thanks to the exemptions, they’re allowed to re-purpose for campaigning at election time.

    Another source is data brokers – firms which harvest, analyse and sell large quantities of data and profiles.

    We know the major parties have long maintained voter databases to support their targeting efforts, which have become increasingly sophisticated over the years.

    Other outfits might take more haphazard approaches – former MP Craig Kelly, for example, claimed to use software to randomly generate numbers for his texting campaign in 2021.

    What can be done?

    Unwanted campaign texts are not only irritating to some. They can be misleading.

    This year, there have been reports of “push polling” texts (pseudo surveys meant to persuade rather than gauge voter options) in the marginal seat of Kooyong. The AEC has warned about misleading postal vote applications being issued by parties via SMS.

    This election campaign has seen a flood of texts from Trumpet of Patriots among others.
    The Conversation, CC BY-SA

    Generative AI is hastening the ability to produce misleading content, cheaply and at scale, which can be quickly pushed out across an array of online social and instant messaging services.

    In short, annoying texts are just one visible symptom of a wider vulnerability created by the political exemptions.

    The basic argument for the political exemptions is to facilitate freedom of political communication, which is protected by the Constitution. As the High Court has said, that freedom is necessary to support informed electoral choice. It does not, however, guarantee speakers a captive audience.

    In 2022, the Attorney-General’s Department proposed narrowing the political exemptions, as part of a suite of updates to the Privacy Act. Per the proposal, parties and representatives would need to be more transparent about their data operations, provide voters with an option to unsubscribe from targeted ads, refrain from targeting voters based on “sensitive information”, and handle data in a “fair and reasonable” manner.

    The changes would be an overdue but welcome step, recognising the essential role of voter privacy in a functioning democratic system.

    Unfortunately, the government has not committed to taking up the proposal.

    A bipartisan lack of support is likely the biggest obstacle, even as the gap created by the political exemptions widens, and its rationale becomes flimsier, with each election cycle.

    Tegan Cohen has received funding from the Australian Research Council (FT210100263). She has volunteered for not-for-profit groups and parties, including the Wilderness Society and the Australian Greens.

    – ref. Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop? – https://theconversation.com/why-are-political-parties-allowed-to-send-spam-texts-and-how-can-we-make-them-stop-255413

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australia’s External Position and the Evolution of the FX Markets

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Introduction

    I would like to thank Bloomberg for hosting this event. Today I will discuss Australia’s evolving external position and the development of foreign exchange (FX) markets. I will emphasise the growing footprint of superannuation funds in Australia’s capital flows and the importance of these and other ‘buy-side’ firms of adopting best practices in FX markets.

    Australia’s capital account and FX markets since the float

    The removal of capital account restrictions and the floating of the Australian dollar in 1983 reshaped our economy. Free capital movement facilitated large increases in foreign investment in Australia and allowed Australian households and firms to diversify their portfolios by investing overseas. Deep, well-functioning FX markets that developed following the float helped banks, businesses and fund managers to manage their foreign exposures.

    Australia’s integration into global capital markets saw two distinct trends in our net investment position with the rest of the world (Graph 1). First, in the decades after the float, Australia’s high investment rate was associated with rising foreign debt. This saw net foreign liabilities rise substantially to around 50 per cent of GDP. Second, over more recent years, outbound investment has grown as a share of GDP as Australia’s saving rate rose and domestic investment declined. This accumulation of foreign assets has contributed to an extraordinary decline in Australia’s net foreign liabilities to levels last seen prior to 1983.

    The rise in external debt and the internationalisation of FX markets in the 1980s

    While foreign ownership of Australian assets was already common in some sectors, the full opening of the capital account allowed for much more foreign investment in Australia. The growth in debt held by overseas creditors was particularly noticeable in domestic banking and resource sectors.

    The increase in cross-border investment was accompanied by a rise in FX transactions. Prior to the float, spot transactions by local commercial banks dominated FX transactions. While the Australian dollar spot market grew strongly, the 1980s also saw the establishment of FX swap markets. These instruments, which allowed market participants to better hedge their foreign currency exposures, quickly became the most traded in Australian dollar markets (Graph 2). The deepening of FX markets locally was also supported by the Australian Government’s steps to broaden foreign banks’ participation in Australia’s markets.

    The growth of currency markets enabled non-financial corporations to make use of hedges in support of their trade flows and foreign-currency borrowing. This hedging was in part a response to post-float currency volatility and high-profile losses by unhedged borrowers. Over the 1980s, both the share of firms hedging and the average share of currency exposures hedged increased significantly.

    By the mid-1990s, the internationalisation of the Australian dollar and its capital markets was well advanced. Trading in Australian dollar FX derivatives had risen to $75 billion per day, with about 60 per cent undertaken offshore. Also, foreign entities were issuing debt in Australian dollars in the ‘Kangaroo bond market’. This issuance grew steadily over the 2000s, supported by cross-currency basis swaps, another FX derivative but with longer tenors that enabled better hedging of long-lived foreign currency borrowings.

    Rising demand for Australian dollar assets from international investors enabled Australian businesses to issue debt in Australian dollars. At the same time, Australian banks and businesses issuing in large offshore markets could hedge their foreign currency-denominated debt back into Australian dollars at a modest cost. Both developments greatly reduced the vulnerability of Australian debtors to Australian dollar depreciation.

    The growth in Australian dollar FX markets since the float has been remarkable: it is the sixth most traded currency, even though Australia ranks 13th in economic size. This demonstrates the importance to Australia of FX markets in support of foreign trade and investment. But it also reflects the attractive correlations of the Australian economy (and hence the Australian dollar) with economic developments in Asia, coupled with strong institutional settings in Australia, including the free movement of capital.

    The increasing role of superannuation funds in Australia’s FX markets

    Another key facet of Australia’s external position has been the substantial growth of the net foreign equity position. Australians have steadily accumulated more foreign equity holdings than foreigners have accumulated in Australian equity. Indeed, since 2013 we have had a positive net equity asset position (Graph 3).

    The rise in net equity assets of late has occurred while Australia has been running a current account deficit, creating an unusual situation. Inflows of new liabilities rose with the banks returning to offshore debt markets as the RBA’s Term Funding Facility came to an end. However, a further rise in foreign equity holdings offset this, so net liabilities still declined. Much of the rise in net foreign equities reflects valuation effects from the Australian dollar’s depreciation and rising overseas equity values (Graph 4). Even so, new equity accumulation continues, driven by investment from Australia’s superannuation funds.

    The growth of superannuation funds since 1993 and their rising offshore investments have significantly shaped Australia’s balance of payments. Super funds’ offshore asset allocation has increased from nearly one-third in 2013 to about half in 2024 (Graph 5). As a result, super funds now account for a substantial share of Australia’s capital outflows.

    Purchases of foreign currency assets by superannuation funds expose them to exchange rate fluctuations. Many funds shield their members by partially hedging the foreign exchange rate risk associated with offshore assets via, for example, FX swaps. Given the large increase in super funds’ offshore assets, the extent of foreign currency assets hedged has more than quadrupled since 2013. This has made the super funds natural counterparties to domestic banks, which are hedging their FX exposures arising from issuing debt offshore in foreign currency terms.

    The Foreign Exchange Global Code

    This discussion highlights the increasing role of superannuation funds and their asset managers in FX markets. For FX markets to meet participants’ needs, it is important that they all observe common standards promoting fair and transparent markets. The Foreign Exchange Global Code (Code) fulfills that function.

    With the advent of the Code in 2017, buy-side participants like super funds can have greater confidence in market functioning and the behaviour of their sell-side counterparties. But this is a two-way street: both sell-side and buy-side firms should adhere to the Code’s standards. Moreover, one way for fund managers to demonstrate that they are meeting their fiduciary duties is to adhere to the Code. Encouraging more buy-side participants to sign up is a focus of the Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC).

    To this end, the GFXC has worked hard to explain the process of signing up to the Code. We have emphasised that adoptees can concentrate on those aspects of the Code that are material to their activities, thereby greatly reducing the burden for buy-side firms.

    I will end by acknowledging the sharp rise in volatility in FX markets in early April as markets incorporated announcements about the US administration’s tariffs and the subsequent ebb and flow of related news. The Australian dollar fluctuated within a range of US4 cents, experiencing its largest daily decline of 4.5 per cent against the US dollar outside of the global financial crisis. Also, measures of volatility from FX options increased to levels observed during the pandemic and liquidity deteriorated noticeably. While markets have been more settled of late, such episodes serve as a reminder of the importance of the Code. It enhances trust between market participants and offers standardised and predictable ways of doing business. Hence, the role the Code plays in proper market functioning is even more crucial during periods of great uncertainty when markets are adjusting to significant economic news.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Supporting fintechs to boost competition

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A pilot programme that will help financial technology (fintech) firms shake up competition in the financial and banking sectors is now underway, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson.

    “Our Government is focused on improving competition in the areas that matter most to Kiwis. The financial and banking sectors are among the most crucial to our everyday lives and our economic growth – however, they are often criticised as being among the most regulated and, some say, least competitive,” says Mr Simpson.

    “We have heard these concerns from the industry and have taken them seriously. I am pleased that the Financial Markets Authority has now announced the six firms that will take part in its pilot ‘regulatory sandbox’ programme, which was announced late last year.

    “The sandbox is a testing ground where fintechs can experiment with new products and services in a controlled environment, ensuring they comply with regulations, before doing a full commercial launch.

    “The benefits of this programme reach all corners of our economy. For consumers, it opens the door wide for new and innovative solutions that will challenge traditional banks and boost competition, providing more choices about how people manage their money, investments, and day-to-day transactions.

    “For fintechs, it means having the freedom and guidance to develop new products and services that will not only benefit customers but also help them supercharge New Zealand’s economic growth. I expect the sandbox will enable firms to save time, reduce costs, and bring innovative products to market sooner.

    “Fintechs are exactly the kind of high-value companies that we want to see thrive in New Zealand, but regulatory barriers have prevented them from competing on a level playing field. That’s why our Government is identifying and removing these barriers to support a thriving, scalable fintech industry in New Zealand.

    “Our Government also recognises the potential of fintechs to disrupt New Zealand’s financial services sector, increasing competition and choice for Kiwis. With open banking now on track to be operational in New Zealand by the end of the year, this is another action we are taking to help further unlock that potential.

    “I look forward to seeing how the firms make use of the sandbox. I encourage them to be bold and push the boundaries as they develop innovative solutions that will bring more choice and better services to consumers.”

    Notes to editors:

    The firms taking part in the pilot are:

    Fintech firm Details 

    ECDD Holdings Limited  

    		 ECDD Holdings Limited (part of the exchange service Easy Crypto) intends to launch a yield bearing NZD-backed stablecoin and to generate revenue from interest earned on money held on trust in interest-bearing accounts.   

    Emerge Group Limited  

    		 Emerge is a digital banking alternative offering products like debit cards, current accounts, and in-app expense tracking. Customer funds are currently held in trust with a partner bank but Emerge aims to transition to higher yielding options such as government bonds. 

    Homeshare  

    		 Homeshare offers investors the chance to own a fractionalised share of a property. This offering would be tokenised and made available via an online platform. 

    IndigiShare 

    		 IndigiShare aims to improve access to capital for Māori entrepreneurs and small businesses. It seeks to offer Te Whare Manaaki (a koha loan platform), as a way to lower barriers to entry for indigenous businesses and enable community entrepreneurship.  

    Invest in Farming Co-op

    		 IIF (Invest in Farming) is an Australian-based cooperative that connects investors to farming by digitising ownership of livestock, aquaculture, horticulture, and agriculture. It allows investors to own a share of agricultural assets, where investment returns are unlocked on the sale of the stock or crop. 
    Tandym Limited A group investment platform enabling people to form groups and build wealth together in a social and engaging way – while removing administrative burden.

    For further details on the regulatory sandbox and the firms participating in the pilot, please visit: https://www.fma.govt.nz/business/focus-areas/innovation/.

    It is anticipated the firms will operate within the terms of the sandbox for a period of between 12 and 24 months. Following the pilot, the Financial Markets Authority will make a decision on whether to make the programme permanent.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NAB joins trial to help customers reduce energy bills

    Source: Premier of Victoria

    From this week, selected NAB customers applying to refinance or top up their mortgage will be invited to take part in a new Australian Government led energy rating trial for existing homes.

    Customers will receive an assessment of their home’s energy performance, giving them a starting point to make improvements that can help reduce energy bills over time.

    NAB Chief Climate Officer Jacqui Fox

    The trial is part of the Australian Government’s expansion of the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) to existing homes. It is designed to help homeowners identify cost-effective upgrades to improve their home’s comfort and reduce energy usage.

    NAB Chief Climate Officer Jacqui Fox said NAB is proud to support the NatHERS for existing homes trial, working alongside the Australian Government, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, and property valuers.

    “Cost of living pressures are still looming large for so many people which is why we’re thinking creatively about how to help Australians save money,” Ms Fox said.

    “Energy bills can be one of those variable bills that consumers scrutinise to work out how they can reduce them over time.

    “Knowing where to start when upgrading your home is often the hardest part.

    “This initiative will help simplify the process by providing participants with practical recommendations such as improving insulation, installing energy efficient appliances, solar, batteries, window coverings, and draught proofing.”


    How the trial works:

    • The trial will test the tools and processes used to assess the energy efficiency of existing homes, ahead of a national rollout later this year.
    • Each assessment will take place at the same time as a property valuation and will take around 30-60 minutes.
    • Participants will receive a trial energy rating certificate, plus recommendations on how to improve their home’s efficiency.
    • Around 800 NAB customer’s properties will be assessed as part of the trial
    • For more information on the trial, visit: https://www.nathers.gov.au/Trials

    Topics

    SEE ALL TOPICS

    Media Enquiries

    For all media enquiries, please contact the NAB Media Line on 03 7035 5015

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Legendary architect’s works on show for Hawke Centre exhibition

    Source:

    29 April 2025

    Architect Guy Maron at UniSA’s City West campus.

    Award winning South Australian architect Guy Maron AM is responsible for some of Adelaide’s most iconic buildings, including UniSA’s original City West campus and the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

    Yet his body of works also includes significant housing projects, educational facilities and commercial buildings.

    A retrospective exhibition Enduring Rationalism: The Architecture of Guy Maron will be held at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA, from 30 April to 30 May.

    The exhibition, shown in collaboration with UniSA’s Architecture Museum, will showcase photographs, drawings and writings from Maron’s extensive body of work. This includes prizewinning housing at Clovercrest from 1964 and the modern Australian Automobile Headquarters in Canberra, as well as many of Maron’s innovative competition entries for significant national buildings.

    Maron played a major role in the foundation of UniSA’s City West campus, designed to promote interaction and the flow of ideas and knowledge between students and across disciplines.

    He spent his early years in Sydney where he studied architecture at the University of Sydney before moving to North America where he lived and studied for four years.

    “It’s the desire for any young architect to reach to the top of his profession and as new graduates we were inspired by the pioneers of modern architecture such Walter Gropius, Frank Lloyd Wright, le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe who were leading the world at the time as hero-architects,” Maron says.

    “Climate had a great deal of influence on me, and it became evident that the concept of shelter was of paramount importance in our environment. My parental home in Batavia (Djakarta) showed an ability to cope with the harshness of the tropical heat and humidity, which was a fortunate influence on me in dealing with the tropical environment where air-conditioning did not exist.

    “This early awakening to the environment was of crucial importance to my realisation of the importance of shelter as a prime determinant of architecture. The concept of functionalism and the acceptance of its importance came naturally to me and was never an issue I took for granted during my studies of architecture.”

    The Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

    Relocating to Adelaide in 1972, Maron became the principal in the firm Cheesman, Doley, Neighbour and Raffen. His career took off in the late 1980s and he completed his most famous building, the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in 1989, which went on to win 10 national awards as well as international design awards, including the BHP Architecture of the Decade Award. He also designed the Mount Lofty Lookout in the Adelaide Hills.

    Maron has said his architecture comes from ‘finding rational solutions to intricate problems’ with the credo ‘more for less’ informing his work, something evident across the photographs, drawings, and writings on display in this exhibition.

    He reflects on the world’s expanding population and need for new buildings to accommodate new arrivals.

    “The world is increasing by a net 200,000 new arrivals every day… meaning that we have a need for 50 million new buildings a year to accommodate our new arrivals. That must be achieved by one million registered architects worldwide. This is not possible,” Maron says.

    “In my opinion we are due for another major engineering invention of some kind that will bring about a revolution. An attitudinal change will be required as well so that people can divorce themselves from accepted forms of design and construction and embrace a new world, a world that will build houses and housing on an endless belt as for motor cars today and build hundreds of houses per day.

    “This engineering invention is overdue by a long time now and is urgent. It will be expected to cause the same revolution as reinforced concrete did.”

    Enduring Rationalism: The Architecture of Guy Maron is showing at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre’s Kerry Packer Civic Gallery at UniSA, located on Level 3 of the Hawke Building, 55 North Terrace, City West Campus, from 30 April to 30 May, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Free entry.

    ……………………………………………………

    Media contacts

    Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA Media M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    Dr Julie Collins, Director & Curator, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, P: +61 8 8302 9235 E: Julie.Collins@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: City takes another step towards smarter waste

    Source: South Australia Police

    Wanneroo Council has appointed Talis Consultants to progress concept and detailed designs for the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct.

    The concept designs will incorporate key infrastructure, including a waste transfer station, community recycling centre and materials recovery facility.

    Community engagement will form an important part of the design process, with consultation planned for late 2025.

    This milestone follows Council’s endorsement of the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct masterplan in December 2024, outlining how the City will deliver long-term, sustainable waste management solutions for Perth’s northern corridor.

    Mayor Linda Aitken said she was pleased to welcome Talis Consultants on board to bring the City’s vision for the precinct to life.

    “This is an exciting step towards building the facilities we need to manage waste more sustainably in the City,” she said.

    “I look forward to seeing the designs and sharing it with the community.”

    The new facilities will be designed to handle recyclables, organics and residual waste more efficiently, aligning with the City’s commitment to reducing landfill and reducing emissions.

    The Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct remains a key priority in the City’s advocacy efforts and will help inform the development of the upcoming Waste Plan 2026–2030.

    Find out more on the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct page.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police conducted dedicated day of action enforcing road rules across North West

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police conducted dedicated day of action enforcing road rules across North West

    Tuesday, 29 April 2025 – 10:25 am.

    Police conducted a dedicated day of action enforcing the road rules across North West Tasmania yesterday, aimed at detecting and deterring unsafe behaviours that contribute to fatal and serious injury crashes.
    Acting Inspector Martin Parker said police from Western Road Policing Service (RPS) and Crash Investigation Services (CIS) conducted dedicated traffic enforcement activities in a range of areas and detected offences at Burnie, Penguin, Devonport, Parramatta Creek, Kimberley, Sulphur Creek, Latrobe, Port Sorell, Forth and Don.
    Police issued 141 traffic infringement notices and two defect notices, for offences including:

    63 x drivers detected speeding between 10 and 14 km/hr over the limit.
    54 x drivers detected speeding between 15 and 29 km/hr over the limit.
    1 x driver detected speeding 35 km/hr over the limit.
    1 x driver detected speeding 31 km/hr over the limit.
    6 x drivers failed to stop at a railway crossing.
    1 x driver failed to display P plates.
    1 x driver detected using a mobile phone while driving.
    4 x drivers failed to wear a seat belt.
    1 x unlicensed driver.

    “Tasmania Police are committed to ensuring the safety of both Tasmanians and visitors on our roads,” said Acting Inspector Martin Parker.
    “Despite the conclusion of Operational Safe Arrival over the Easter period, our efforts in road safety enforcement will persist.”
    “This year, we have seen a devastating increase in fatalities and serious crashes compared to last year. Even one death or serious crash is one too many.”
    “It is disappointing that some individuals continue to disregard the law and endanger other road users by undertaking risky driving behaviours.”
    “Police will continue to conduct targeted and random patrols on Tasmania’s roads to curb high-risk behaviours such as speeding, drink driving, inattention, and not wearing seatbelts. These factors overwhelmingly contribute to serious and fatal crashes.”
    “We encourage the public to report dangerous driving and traffic offences to police on 131 444, or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Reports can also be made through our website.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 185

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 185
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    730 PM CDT Mon Apr 28 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Far Northeast Iowa
    Extreme Southeast Minnesota
    Western and Northern Wisconsin

    * Effective this Monday night and Tuesday morning from 730 PM
    until 200 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events
    to 2 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…A broken line of thunderstorms will continue to move
    quickly east-northeastward this evening and into the early overnight
    hours. A few tornadoes and scattered severe/damaging should be the
    main threats with this activity, but some large hail may also occur
    with any embedded supercells.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 50 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 55 miles north northeast of Wausau WI
    to 45 miles south of La Crosse WI. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 180…WW 181…WW
    182…WW 183…WW 184…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 26040.

    …Gleason

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 185
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    730 PM CDT Mon Apr 28 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Far Northeast Iowa
    Extreme Southeast Minnesota
    Western and Northern Wisconsin

    * Effective this Monday night and Tuesday morning from 730 PM
    until 200 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events
    to 2 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…A broken line of thunderstorms will continue to move
    quickly east-northeastward this evening and into the early overnight
    hours. A few tornadoes and scattered severe/damaging should be the
    main threats with this activity, but some large hail may also occur
    with any embedded supercells.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 50 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 55 miles north northeast of Wausau WI
    to 45 miles south of La Crosse WI. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 180…WW 181…WW
    182…WW 183…WW 184…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 26040.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 185 TORNADO IA MN WI 290030Z – 290700Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    55NNE AUW/WAUSAU WI/ – 45S LSE/LA CROSSE WI/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM E/W /11E RHI – 42SSE ODI/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.

    LAT…LON 45658816 43229026 43229224 45659023

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 185 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ‘Use it or lose it’ blitz targets digital currency exchanges

    Source: Australian Department of Communications

    AUSTRAC is encouraging inactive digital currency exchange (DCE) businesses to voluntarily withdraw their registrations or risk having it cancelled. 
    DCEs must be registered with AUSTRAC before they can offer a service to exchange cash for cryptocurrency, or vice versa. This includes cryptocurrency ATM providers. 
    There are currently 427 registered DCEs but AUSTRAC is concerned that a significant proportion are inactive. AUSTRAC is contacting any DCEs that appear to no longer be trading. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Classrooms under surveillance?

    Source:

    29 April 2025

    International researchers are urging a critical rethink of digital technology in schools, warning that many classroom education tools are collecting student data in ways that could threaten privacy and wellbeing.

    The team*, including experts from the University of South Australia and the London School of Economics and Political Science, say the hidden workings of education technologies make it difficult for schools and teachers to know what happens to the data they collect about children behind the scenes.

    UniSA researcher and contributing author to the new book – Handbook of Children and Screens – Dr Jamie Manolev says the lack of transparency around education technologies (ed-tech) raises concerns.

    “Edtech products have rapidly flooded classrooms worldwide, but this has outpaced regulation and research. As a result, many tools have been adopted without understanding their long-term educational or ethical impacts,” Dr Manolev says.

    “Children shouldn’t just be taught with technologies, but about them, which centres on the knowledge and competencies of each teacher, who should be supported to understand the inner workings of the programs they use.

    “While edtech does present new opportunities for engaging students, supporting personalised learning, improving access, and streamlining school processes, most tools are data-hungry, capturing information during every interaction from lessons and assessments to communication and monitoring.

    “It risks turning students into datapoints, limiting their potential as human beings, and raising concerns about student wellbeing, privacy, and surveillance.

    “Furthermore, while edtech is designed to level the playing field – especially for students in rural or remote areas – barriers like internet access, data bias, and cost can still leave many behind.”

    Platforms like ClassDojo, GoGuardian and Gaggle are used in schools worldwide. However, these technologies often oversimplify student behaviour, reducing it to numerical scores without the necessary context.

    Lead author, LSE’s Dr Velislava Hillman says that teachers need greater support to understand how education technologies work, including how data is collected and used, so they can make informed decisions in the classroom.

    “We need to move beyond the idea that more tech is always better,” Dr Hillman says.

    “The ed-tech sector is extremely fast, making it hard for teachers to keep up. And while teachers may try to engage in ongoing professional development, they need the time and support to be able to do so.

    “Stronger regulation is essential to protect students and ensure that technology supports their learning without compromising their privacy or wellbeing. We must prioritise children’s interests to safeguard their future in a safe and ethical way, in an increasingly digitised school environment.”

    Published in a landmark international volume on childhood studies, the chapter is part of growing calls for reform in how digital tools are used and understood in Australian classrooms.

    *Contributing authors include Dr Velislava Hillman, London School of Economics and Political Science; Dr Jamie Manolev, University of South Australia; Dr Samantha-Kaye Johnston, University of Oxford; Dr Priya C. Kumar, Pennsylvania State University; Dr Florence Martin, North Carolina State University; Assist. Prof Elana Zeide University of Nebraska; Prof Dr Gergana Vladova, Humboldt University of Berlin; and Dr Rina Lai, University of Cambridge.

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

    UniSA contact for interview (Australia):  Dr Jamie Manolev E: Jamie.Manolev@unisa.edu.au
    LSE contact for interview (UK): Dr Velislava Hillman E: v.hillman@lse.ac.uk
    UniSA Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: The Real Culture War

    Source: ACT Party

    The Haps

    Quiet? MPs are having a break from Parliament and the country is having a break from MPs thanks to a three-week Parliament recess. The Government announced $68.5 million of repayable loans to people building electric vehicle chargers. Free Press readers will be outraged by that, but under ACT’s coalition agreement it has come down from National’s version: $257 million of grants. Such are the victories under MMP. Meanwhile the Ministry for Regulation started a clean out of red tape from the $6 billion Early Childhood sector, following Brooke van Velden’s Health and Safety overhaul. Beside the resource management reforms at the start of the month, it’s been a good April for ACT and freedom.

    The Real Culture War

    We are taken with David Seymour’s speech over the Parliamentary recess. In it, Seymour says the real culture war is not about identity or bathrooms, but pioneers vs tall poppy choppers.

    Of course, you should be free to point out the very basic fact of a person’s biological sex at birth. The law should be able to use sex at birth as an identifier, when it matters, such as which prison someone goes to. All of that is correct, but only a fraction of a per cent of people claim anything different. The overwhelming majority people are never close to being harmed in real life by them doing so.

    The real culture war affects all of us, every day. It’s the war between our pioneering spirit and tall poppy syndrome. We, or our ancestors, all made brave voyages to these isolated islands. These were people with real courage who wanted better through their own efforts.

    Then, somewhere along the way, we ended up with one out of every six working-aged people on welfare. Some days half the children don’t show up to their school. We have one of the largest diasporas of people who left a country.

    No good deed goes unpunished. Landlords, small business owners, licensed firearm owners, farmers. Under Labour/NZ First/Green they were always just a patronising lecture and one more expensive regulation away from salvation. Now there is some relief for those long-suffering groups, but the culture carries on. Look out if you spent your life building up an owner-operated supermarket, or work at a bank.

    It’s easy to blame politicians, but in a democracy they ultimately reflect the culture. The treatment of Zuru lately is a classic.

    The toy and home supply company founded by three Kiwis just won Walmart supplier of the year. Walmart is the thirteenth largest company in the world, and by far the largest retailer. It’s difficult to overstate how big this business achievement is. The company put out a press release, which got zero coverage from the New Zealand media. One of the founders building a helipad in Herne Bay gets enough clicks to keep the Herald in business month after month.

    The end result is written in our founding story. People with get-up-and-go can get up and leave again, which they are doing in huge numbers right now. Easy come here, easy go away.

    How do you change a culture? Government should look at its policies by asking a simple question at every decision: Is this a meritocracy policy? It should favour policies that increase the difference people can make in their own lives. It should reject policies that pull down success or reward hectoring, bludging, nuisance behaviour.

    What should happen with taxes? They should be low and flat. If a person earning $20,000 pays $2,400 income tax, how much should a person earning $100,000 pay? If five times the income meant five times the taxes, they’d pay $12,000. Try $22,900, nearly ten times the taxes. Progressive tax rates send the wrong message: if you study, work, save, and invest hard, the IRD will whack you extra hard.

    What should happen with welfare? It’s a policy designed to help someone down on their luck. How long can bad luck last? Surely not 44 years, the tenure of our longest-serving (not really the right word) career beneficiary. There should be lifetime limits, and if you keep having children on the benefit you should get a plastic card with controlled spending. Otherwise, people have to ask themselves: why am I working to make a difference when I can make the same on a benefit?

    What should happen with red tape and regulation? The Government’s starting attitude should be, don’t regulate. Red tape doesn’t just add cost to things that do happen, it stops things that would happen without the extra cost. It doesn’t just stop things that would happen, though, it deprives children of heroes and gives them bad examples. It’s nice if your dad’s an engineer who’s building New Zealand, but he’s probably actually in traffic management.

    What should happen with race and identity? Is your life determined by what you do or what happened long before you were born? The argument against the Treaty being a partnership between races is really an argument for individual self determination. The argument against discrimination by sex, race, sexuality, or anything else you cannot change is really an argument for each person to have a fair chance at living their best life.

    There is a culture war in New Zealand, it’s the children of pioneers vs the blob of mediocrity. If you’re a Free Press reader, we can guess which one you are. Please support ACT since we all need to stick together.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Mexico

    Source:

    We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Sonora, Colima and Chiapas. There are lower levels within some of these locations. See our advice level summary for details.

    Plan your travel carefully. Don’t travel at night outside major cities. Use major toll roads wherever possible or access cities directly by air travel. Other travel options and routes may have higher security risks (see ‘Safety).

    If you have an ordinary passport with a chip, you can use the e-gates located at the airports of Mexico City, San Jose del Cabo, and Cancun. You’ll receive your FMM (Multiple Immigration Form) printed, which authorises Australians to stay for 180 days exclusively for tourism purposes.

    If you don’t have an ordinary passport with a chip, and you’re visiting for 180 days or less as a tourist, you’ll receive a visa on arrival. Mexican authorities advise to avoid being detained or deported, you must complete an online Multiple Immigration Form (FMM) and obtain a QR code (see ‘Travel’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m always afraid for the future of my family’: why it’s too hard for some refugees to reunite with loved ones

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University

    When refugees flee their home country due to war, violence, conflict or persecution, they are often forced to leave behind their families.

    For more than 30,000 people who have sought asylum in Australia since arriving more than a decade ago, that separation has stretched into more than a decade. This group of people – known in policy circles as “the legacy caseload” – need a clear pathway to reunite with family members.

    Refugees separated from family are plagued by guilt and worry for their family members’ safety. This makes it extremely difficult to focus on education, work or getting settled.

    The right to family unity is a basic human right and vital to any humane refugee policy.

    However, tensions arise between refugees’ conceptions of family and the restrictive definitions embedded in Australian law.

    High costs, complex administrative requirements, and lengthy processing times often delay or prevent families from reuniting.

    The legacy caseload: more than a decade in limbo

    The so-called “legacy caseload” refers to approximately 30,000 people who arrived by boat between 2012 and 2014, and who were placed on Temporary Protection Visas.

    For more than a decade, they were denied a pathway to permanency and barred from sponsoring family members to join them in Australia.

    That policy made life so unbearable, more than 6,500 people from this group “chose” to return home despite the risks they face. This raises serious concerns about whether they were genuinely able to make a free choice, or were pushed into returning to danger.

    Since the Albanese government’s 2022 commitment to end temporary protection, almost 20,000 people have been eligible to transition to permanent visas through the Resolution of Status process.

    This is a crucial step. Without a permanent visa, they could not sponsor family members.

    Even with permanency, however, family reunion remains out of reach for many “legacy caseload” refugees. This is due to outdated laws, harsh policies and bureaucratic delays.

    Many of these refugees have not seen their spouses or children since before their arrival. Because they arrived by boat, they are barred from proposing family members through the humanitarian visa program and must use the family migration program.

    That’s significant because the humanitarian program has a much broader definition of “family”, and grants people access to settlement services after they arrive.

    Still unresolved is the fate of some 7,000 people who were refused protection under the flawed fast track system (a now abandoned policy that was supposed to speed up processing but actually introduced delays and unfairness).

    These people urgently need a pathway to permanency.

    Why family reunion remains so difficult

    The main barriers to family reunification for refugees include:

    • high visa fees (partner visa application charges, when they include children, can cost more than A$20,000)
    • strict legal definitions (children over 23 are not classified as “dependents”; a child who was 12 when their parent fled may now be 24 — legally an adult, but still dependent and at risk)
    • barriers to documentation (war and instability can make it difficult or dangerous to obtain documents, such as passports or identity papers)
    • limited access to embassies
    • technical issues with online applications
    • repeated health checks (there is a visa requirement health checks but they are only valid for 12 months, so may need to be repeated if visa processing is delayed)
    • unclear rules around exemptions.

    These uncertainties further delay the process and add emotional and financial strain.

    Calls for reform

    Several organisations, including the Refugee Council of Australia, have called for clear, achievable reforms. These include:

    • introducing visa application charge concessions for refugees
    • allowing people to pay fees in instalments
    • adapting visa processing to reflect realities faced by refugee and humanitarian visa applicants, such as challenges obtaining identity documents
    • establishing a dedicated unit in the Department of Home Affairs for processing visas from refugee families
    • prioritising families where children may “age out”.

    They have also called for changes to the legal definitions of “dependent” and “member of the family unit”. This is to reflect the diverse familial structures in many refugee communities.

    For many refugees, family extends beyond the Western concept of the nuclear family. It may also encompass, for instance, adult daughters and parents (who often play pivotal care-giving roles).

    Another big issue for many refugee families is single young women in Afghanistan being left behind because they have aged out.

    Reuniting families

    Australia can learn from other countries.

    Canada’s refugee sponsorship program actively supports family reunification.

    New Zealand offers a more affordable and flexible system. Their definitions of family are broader and visa fees are lower.

    Without family reunion, a refugee’s safety remains incomplete.

    As one refugee told researchers:

    I’m partly safer [in Australia], but inside I’m not safe […] I’m always afraid for the future of my family.

    Thousands of refugees in Australia are still waiting. Their families remain in danger. The legal and policy tools to fix this already exist. What’s missing, for now, is the political will.

    Reforming Australia’s family reunion system would mean more efficient refugee resettlement and integration, ultimately benefiting broader Australian society.

    Mary Anne Kenny is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia and the Law Council of Australia and an affiliate of the UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law. She was on the Ministerial Council on Asylum Seekers and Detention (an independent advisory body) between 2012 and 2018.

    – ref. ‘I’m always afraid for the future of my family’: why it’s too hard for some refugees to reunite with loved ones – https://theconversation.com/im-always-afraid-for-the-future-of-my-family-why-its-too-hard-for-some-refugees-to-reunite-with-loved-ones-254710

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Pitt, Senior Research Fellow – Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University

    David P. Smith/Shutterstock

    Do something about it before it gets worse.

    This was a response from a 16-year-old boy in one of our recent studies when asked what he would say to the prime minister about gambling in Australia.

    This response is not uncommon.



    Read more:
    Gambling in Australia: how bad is the problem, who gets harmed most and where may we be heading?

    Calls for action

    Even before they can legally gamble at the age of 18, young people recognise the harms that the gambling industry (and those who profit from gambling, such as sporting codes) can cause to Australians.

    And they are frustrated by a lack of government action to protect them from these harms.

    They tell us that rather than prioritising the wellbeing of the community, the government is prioritising the profits of a harmful business.

    Politicians are also hearing concerns about gambling from the young people they represent in their communities.

    Urging parliamentary action on gambling advertising, former Australian rugby captain and Independent ACT Senator David Pocock told parliament:

    Talk to parents and young people. They’ll name all the gambling companies. They’ll be able to recite odds. They’ll talk about the odds for the upcoming games of their favourite teams. What I’m hearing from people here in the ACT that I represent is that this is not the direction they want to go in.

    Gambling has become a costly pastime for many young Australians.

    Starting young

    For more than a decade, our team has been talking to young people and their parents about the normalisation of gambling in Australia. We have carried out multiple studies that show how pervasive marketing tactics are normalising gambling for young Australians.

    Young people tell us they see innovative marketing strategies for different gambling products (including betting, lotteries and casinos) everywhere, including during family-friendly television shows, through watching and attending sport and even while walking down the street.

    They increasingly see promotions on social media sites such as TikTok and Snapchat.

    They can name multiple gambling brands from a young age, and think gambling gives you a reason to watch sport.

    When asked why, they say gambling adds to the fun and excitement of the game. Some tell us they would be convinced to gamble if they got a good “deal” from a company.

    Newer forms of app-based gambling also make it is easier for young people to gamble anywhere, anytime when they turn 18.

    As an example, a young person couldn’t sit in a classroom and drink alcohol when they reach the legal age, but it is not unusual for young people to tell us that classmates use apps to bet on major events while at school.

    Some researchers have also documented the extent to which young people gamble before the age of 18.

    One study found 31% of 12- to 17-year-olds had ever gambled and 6% had gambled in the past month. They found 8% were at some level of risk of gambling harm.

    It’s no wonder parents are worried.

    Their concern about the risks of gambling are similar to their concerns about alcohol: 70% are at least somewhat concerned about the risks associated with gambling for their children, and 27.7% are extremely concerned.

    They comment that gambling products are “highly accessible”, “attractive” and “in your face”.

    When parents try to talk to their children about gambling, they say it is almost impossible to “get the message across” given the constant exposure to ads that their children see in their everyday lives. As one father told us:

    It’s advertised to children every day of the week when they watch their favourite sport stars, so they think it’s normal.

    It’s time to act

    Government decisions about how to respond to the gambling industry will have a major impact on young people’s futures. But young people have rarely (if ever) been given an opportunity by the government to put forward their views.

    Research shows when they are given the opportunity to comment on gambling policy (and gambling industry tactics), they carefully consider the issues. They are also able to use their own experiences to suggest strategies that would help protect them and other young people from gambling industry harm.

    The United Nations states children have the right to be consulted about issues that matter to them and impact their futures. This includes strengthening engagement with children and young people, recognising their “agency, resilience and their positive contributions as agents of change”.

    Young people have been central actors in the climate justice movement, and have been key stakeholders in initiatives to respond to the tactics of the junk food and tobacco industries.

    While we talk a lot about the impact of the gambling industry on young people, governments rarely consult them about the policies that are needed to protect them from harm.

    Yet their message to the government in our research is clear. They:

    • are concerned about the influence of gambling marketing on the normalisation of gambling for young people, and its short and long-term impacts

    • believe current restrictions aimed at protecting young people are ineffective

    • are critical of the overwhelmingly positive messages about gambling they are exposed to, with very limited information about the risks and harms associated with the industry and its products.

    The following comment from a 15-year-old sums it up best:

    The wellbeing of the population is more important than the revenue that comes in from these sorts of businesses.

    Dr Hannah Pitt has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, VicHealth, NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, Department of Social Services, ACT Office of Gambling and Racing Commission, and Deakin University. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Health Promotion International.

    Grace Arnot has received funding for gambling related research from the ACT Office of Gambling and Racing Commission, VicHealth, and Deakin University. Grace is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Health Promotion International.

    Professor Samantha Thomas has received funding for gambling and related research from the Australian Research Council, ACT Office of Gaming and Racing, Department of Social Services, VicHealth, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Healthway, NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, Deakin University. She is currently Editor in Chief for Health Promotion International, an Oxford University Press journal. She receives an honorarium for this role.

    Dr Simone McCarthy has received funding for gambling and related research from ACT Office of Gaming and Racing Commision, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, VicHealth, Department of Social Services, and Deakin University. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Health Promotion International.

    – ref. ‘Do something about it before it gets worse’: young people want government action on gambling reform – https://theconversation.com/do-something-about-it-before-it-gets-worse-young-people-want-government-action-on-gambling-reform-251614

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Echidna ancestors lived watery lifestyles like platypuses 100 million years ago – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sue Hand, Professor Emeritus, Palaeontology, UNSW Sydney

    Mary_May/Shutterstock

    As the world’s only surviving egg-laying mammals, Australasia’s platypus and four echidna species are among the most extraordinary animals on Earth.

    They are also very different from each other.

    The platypus is well adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, spending up to 20 hours a day swimming in Australian waterways to forage for freshwater invertebrates. Echidnas, on the other hand, live entirely on land. They are widely distributed across Australia and New Guinea, and adapted for feeding on termites, ants and earthworms.

    How did these differences emerge? Some researchers think echidnas evolved from a swimming, platypus-like ancestor. This hypothesis is based on evidence from aspects of their genes and anatomy, and from hypotheses about their evolutionary history.

    However, this idea is controversial because fossil evidence for such a profound evolutionary transformation has been lacking – until now.

    Did the ancestors of echidnas spend time in the water? It’s a controversial idea.
    Natalia Golovina/Shutterstock

    A bone from 108 million years ago

    In our study published today in PNAS, we gleaned new data from a 108-million-year-old mammal humerus (arm bone), found 30 years ago at Dinosaur Cove, Victoria, by a team from Museums Victoria.

    This arm bone, from a species called Kryoryctes cadburyi, belongs to an ancestral monotreme – a semi-aquatic burrower like the platypus. Our findings support the hypothesis that land-living echidnas evolved from a swimming ancestor.

    Kryoryctes lived during the Age of Dinosaurs (the Mesozoic), when monotremes and monotreme relatives were more common than they are today. Glimpses of this past diversity are found in the fossil record in southern Victoria and Lightning Ridge, New South Wales.

    Nevertheless, Australian Mesozoic mammal fossils are exceedingly rare, and mostly consist of teeth and jaws. Kryoryctes is the only one known from a limb bone, which provides significant information about its identity, relationships and lifestyle.

    Reconstruction of Kryoryctes cadburyi and a small dinosaur (above) at Dinosaur Cove, Victoria, Australia ~108 million years ago.
    Peter Schouten

    Tiny clues inside bones

    In order to test the evolutionary relationships of Kryoryctes, we added it to a broader data set of 70 fossil and modern mammals. From there, we calculated an evolutionary tree. This showed Kryoryctes is an ancestral monotreme.

    We also compared the external shape of the Kryroryctes humerus bone to living monotremes. These analyses indicated the bone is more like those of echidnas, rather than platypuses.

    But it was a different story on the inside. When we looked at the internal structure of the Kryoryctes humerus with several 3D scanning techniques, we uncovered microscopic features of this arm bone that were actually more like those of the platypus.

    Such tiny features inside bones yield crucial clues about the lifestyle of an animal. Numerous previous studies link bone microstructure in mammals and other tetrapods (four-limbed animals) with their ecology.

    Using the wealth of data available for living mammals, we compared characteristics of the Kryoryctes humerus microstructure to those in platypuses, echidnas and 74 other mammal species.

    These analyses confirmed that the Kryoryctes humerus has internal bone features found in semi-aquatic burrowing mammals (such as the platypus, muskrat and Eurasian otter), rather than land-living burrowing mammals such as the echidna.

    The Kryoryctes humerus we studied.
    Museums Victoria

    From water to land

    This discovery suggests that a semi-aquatic lifestyle is ancestral for all living monotremes. It also suggests the amphibious lifestyle of the modern platypus had its origins at least 100 million years ago, during the Age of Dinosaurs.

    In this scenario, the modern platypus lineage has retained the ancestral semi-aquatic burrowing lifestyle for more than 100 million years. Echidnas would have reverted to a land-based way of life more recently.

    For echidnas, a return to land appears to have resulted in adaptations such as their long bones becoming lighter, as shown in our study.

    They possibly also lost several other features more useful for spending time in the water rather than on land, including the loss of a long tail, reduction of webbing between fingers and toes, reduction of the duck-like bill to a narrow beak, and a reduced number of electroreceptors on that beak.

    However, precisely when this evolutionary transformation occurred is not yet known. The answer must wait until early echidna fossils are found – so far, nothing definitive has turned up anywhere.

    The modern habitats of monotremes are increasingly under threat from environmental degradation, interactions with humans and feral predators, and climate change. This is especially true for platypuses. To ensure the survival of this ancient lineage, we need to better understand how their unique features evolved and adapted.

    Sue Hand receives funding from the Australian Research Council

    Laura A. B. Wilson receives funding from the Australian Research Council

    Robin Beck receives funding from the UK’s National Environmental Research Council, and the Australian Research Council.

    Camilo López-Aguirre 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. Echidna ancestors lived watery lifestyles like platypuses 100 million years ago – new study – https://theconversation.com/echidna-ancestors-lived-watery-lifestyles-like-platypuses-100-million-years-ago-new-study-254484

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Public invited to sign condolence books for victims of Lapu-Lapu Festival attack

    Books of condolence are available for members of the public to express their sympathies and messages of support following the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

    Members of the public may sign a book of condolence at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria, located in the Hall of Honour. The book will be accessible daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., from now through Friday, May 2, 2025.

    An online condolence book is also available here: https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=f4944988-5402-45a8-bb9c-7b2a95f928d9

    The online book is the easiest and most convenient way for people to pay their respects. It will remain open until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Community safety in the alps

    Source:

    The 2019-20 fires were the catalyst for Steve Belli’s interest in community resilience and recovery.

    At the time, Steve lived part-time in Dinner Plain but wasn’t a CFA member. 

    “My interest really gathered momentum during those fires. I could see there was a need for more resources, more equipment and better communication between the emergency services and the community,” Steve said.

    “As the president of the Mount Hotham Chamber of Commerce, I initiated fundraising for Mount Hotham-Dinner Plain brigade and we raised more than $100,000 thanks to our generous community and people from afar.”

    Steve has been a local resident and business owner at Mount Hotham since 2012. He set up a snow park for families to do activities other than skiing and snowboarding, he does tours on snowmobiles and has a café and distillery at Dinner Plain.

    Steve believed the public and businesses at Mount Hotham needed more information during a fire and have a stronger voice in the recovery stage. He participated in a Victorian Government initiative that asked locals for feedback about safety, and this led 
    to the formation of the Alpine Community Recovery Committee (ACRC) in 2020.

    Community recovery committees ensure grants and programs are relevant to a particular community through a community-led approach to recovery. Steve was asked to join the ACRC.

    “The ACRC is a voice for the community to the government to discuss grants, programs for mental wellbeing, and infrastructure that needs to be replaced,” Steve said. “It also encourages emergency services to talk to the community.

    “We helped to open a communication channel between emergency services personnel and the community so that the emergency services had a really good understanding of the issues in this area.”

    Historically, alpine resorts couldn’t apply for recovery funding through the local funding and federal funding authority. Steve was instrumental in changing that.

    “The resorts, lift companies, Chamber of Commerce and community members campaigned for change. Previously, alpine resorts couldn’t access 90 per cent of grants. Now we can access 90 per cent and we have received about $17 million funding for things like new water tanks, tourism initiatives and new infrastructure. That was a big win.”

    Steve is also a member of two municipal emergency management planning committees (MEMPC). All emergency services are represented on the committees, including direct representation of locals through the Chamber of Commerce or through the Alpine Resilience Partnership.

    “When we surveyed our community, we found that many people didn’t know where to get correct information during a fire and recovery, or who they should talk to,” Steve said. “Emergency services produce a lot of information, yet the community said they didn’t know where to find it.

    “To combat this, we created The Loop – a community communications network. When emergency services want to reach the community, they send the information to the Loop. It is then passed onto community members through community connectors – they could be a hairdresser, a guy in the pub or someone of standing in the community.

    “The crucial information is passed onto locals in a way that makes sense and that the community understands. It’s much more powerful than putting up a poster that might not be read.”  

    An administrator is in contact with the emergency services to make sure information is added to The Loop. Official messaging for emergency incidents is not submitted to The Loop – community members are referred to the VicEmergency website and app for information about current incidents.  

    As well as improving community safety through his committee work, Steve also enjoys doing face-to-face engagement.

    “I want people to have a great and safe experience in the mountains. I became a CFA member in 2024 and I’m happy to sit on a truck and answer questions to the best of my ability,” Steve said. “I help with community-based events such as barbecues and I enjoy giving people accurate information.

    “I also explain why cars need chains on their tyres. Some people don’t understand their importance and we want to keep people safe. There are two checkpoints on our mountain and a significant number of cars are turned around for not having chains.”

    When asked why he spends so much time protecting community members, Steve simply said, “if it’s not you, who is it?” 

    Submitted by News and Media

    MIL OSI News –