Source: New South Wales Government 2
15 April 2025
Importers and their agents/representatives responsible with importing and booking biosecurity inspections of stockfeed consignments arriving bulk-in ship hold.
To support more efficient and consistent booking of inspection activities for bulk stockfeed consignments, the department has made the following enhancements to the Biosecurity Portal:
Source:
1947 Austin series 1 tanker
When CFA formed, the organisation inherited a mixed range of former war surplus trucks but most firefighting trucks in 1950s were Austins, the tankers being the work horse of the rural fleet for many years holding 400 gallons (1,800 litres). The Austin pumper followed for urban brigades, which had a front-mounted pump and 350 gallons (1,592 litres) per minute capacity.
CFA’s Head of Fleet and Protective Equipment Danny Jones said CFA’s financial focus in the 1950s was purchasing trucks and trailer units.
“By 1960, CFA had 773 vehicles in its fleet – 516 of them in rural brigades,” Danny said.
“Small pumpers were then built which included more ladders, hoses, and larger pumps.”
Small 4WD, agile Willys trucks were the forerunners to the current ultralights and slip-ons. The small 4WD tankers enabled crews to get in ahead of the larger tankers to bushfires to help knock the fire down quickly.
Danny said the size of our tankers and pumpers grew in capacity as new trucks became available, including those with diesel engines.
“CFA soon realised more types of vehicles were required for the variety of fire calls being attended,” he said.
“CFA started to manufacture a range of specialised vehicles to suit our diverse needs which have continued to evolve over the years.”
These included radio communication vans, hazmats, road accident rescue, high angle rescue, mine rescue, protective equipment, rehabilitation, salvage, lighting, telebooms, ladder platforms, aerial pumpers, alpine and tracked vehicles, sand tankers, breathing apparatus vans, field operations vehicles, hose layers and educational units.
Today, most vehicles are twin cabbed, air conditioned and have comfortable seating compared to earlier vehicles. Safety features such as rollover protection systems, heat shields, vehicle sprinklers, window curtains, and remote-control monitors are common.
Crew protection systems installed into CFA’s fleet was a major step in enhancing firefighter safety from 2006. Between 2011 and 2013, CFA also retrofitted the same crew protection systems to all existing pre-2006 tankers.
“This has been further extended over the years with all of CFA’s ultralight tanker fleet currently undergoing and retrofit program to install crew protection,” Danny said.
“This technology received significant laboratory, simulation and real fire exposure testing.
“Retrofitting all our vehicles gives our members the best possible chance of survival in a burnover.”
The latest truck to join CFA’s firefighting fleet is the Ultra Heavy tanker which has the capacity to carry 10,000 litres of water – more than some of our water bombing fleet. These trucks will greatly boost our ability to fight fires in remote rural areas with open grasslands.
CFA’s progressive fleet department is always looking into new technology and prototypes to ensure CFA has the most advanced and safest vehicles for its firefighters.
| Submitted by | CFA Media |
|---|
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney
After announcing Liberation Day – stiff “retaliatory” tariffs on every country and penguin-inhabited island in the world – US President Donald Trump rescinded the vast majority of tariffs eight days later when stock and bond markets crashed.
He followed that with more exemptions for phones, computers and computer chips two days later. Ten percent tariffs remain across the board, along with rates up to 145% on China.
As with anything related to Trump, perceptions overwhelm reality. Trump’s showmanship – call him a carnival barker if you must – obfuscates what is really happening.
Trump is seen as a protectionist and a populist. By comparison, former president Ronald Reagan was seen as a principled free trader and more ideologically conservative. Both images are misleading.
Reagan slapped tariffs on cars, steel, lumber, computers, computer chips, motorcycles, machine tools, even clothes pins. The great guru of free markets, Milton Friedman, is reported to have said that the Reagan administration has been “making Smoot-Hawley look positively benign.” (Smoot-Hawley was an infamous tariff law enacted in 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression.)
Reagan went back and forth on tariffs, even attacking them in a radio address when Japan tried to impose them. At the end of the day, his record on the issue was as mixed as that of any American president.
Trump’s politics, if not his showmanship, look a lot more like traditional Republican approaches in the cold light of day. The showmanship – provocative statements, grand exaggerations, outright falsehoods and even stand-up-comic-like aspects – is purposeful.
The main goal of Trump’s tariff showmanship, largely unreported in the press, is keeping congressional Republicans unified as he pushes his domestic policy agenda of lower taxes, budget cuts, expanded energy production and tougher immigration policies.
Congressional Republicans have been working for months on legislating this agenda through the complex budget reconciliation process. This legislative process is difficult and involves passing budget resolutions through the Senate and the House on a specific schedule. This process is required because it allows for a path around the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate. With only 53 Republican senators and a Democratic Party that is committed to resisting Trump on almost every policy choice, Trump needs the reconciliation process to work this year.
In one sense, all of Trump’s activities since his inauguration – the “waste”-cutting DOGE, spending cuts, ending foreign aid programs, laying off federal workers – have given him the political space with congressional Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives, to advance his legislative agenda. It is important to know that Congressional Republicans have been ungovernable for quite some time.
Over the past ten years, there have been five Republican Speakers of the House – John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Patrick McHenry (acting) and now Mike Johnson. This unprecedented turnover is caused by a virtually unmanageable Republican coalition of mainstream business-oriented conservatives and the fiscal hawks who generally populate the Freedom Caucus. The Freedom Caucus is more than willing to vote against other Republicans – indeed they are proud of it. Because of this, speaker after speaker has had to reach out to Democrats for votes to pass legislation, ultimately dooming their time in the position.
Trump has managed to keep this ungovernable group of House Republicans united, and this may be his true political gift.
To achieve this, he has engaged in a comprehensive campaign of maximum pressure on just about everything: Canada, Greenland, NATO, Europe, China, Ukraine, American universities, federal workers, illegal immigrants, big law firms and even paper straws.
Congressional Republicans, in appreciation of this shock and awe campaign, have stayed united. This means Trump’s legislative agenda can move forward.
With his global tariff plan, Trump saw Republicans beginning to defect. In one Senate vote in April, four Republicans sided with Democrats against tariffs on Canada. Senator Ted Cruz warned that Republicans might lose the 2026 election because of tariffs. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the oldest senator and one of the most conservative, indicated he would support bringing tariff authority back to Congress and away from the president.
Trump can read a room as well as anyone. When he saw Republican unity was at risk because of his tariff plan, he quickly pivoted to a much more moderate version. While Trump’s grandiosity is often highly criticised, it is that quality that gives him the ability to keep his party together, and therefore to govern.
The other major effect of Trump’s tariffs strategy is to sow discord among his opponents.
Democrats, who want to criticise Trump but know their own party has often endorsed tariffs in the past, are reeling. Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she understood Trump’s “motivation behind the tariffs” and even agreed with Trump that we “need to make more stuff in America”. She was immediately criticised by fellow Democrats.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, tried a slightly more aggressive anti-Trump approach. He said:
Tariffs, when properly utilized, have a role to play in trying to make sure that you have a competitive environment for our workers and our businesses. That’s not what’s going on right now. This is a reckless economic sledgehammer that Donald Trump and compliant Republicans in the Congress are taking to the economy, and the American people are being hurt enough.
This response won’t help Democrats climb out of their deep hole of unpopularity, measured last month at an historic low.
Lester Munson receives funding from the U.S. Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
– ref. Trump’s tariffs rollercoaster is really about Republican unity – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariffs-rollercoaster-is-really-about-republican-unity-254471
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CALGARY, Alberta, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (“PrairieSky” or the “Company“) (TSX: PSK) is pleased to announce that its shareholders approved all resolutions at the annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company held on April 14, 2025 (the “Meeting“) in Calgary, Alberta. The resolutions approved at the Meeting were as follows:
The resolution to appoint the seven (7) nominees as directors of the Company to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company, or until their successors are elected or appointed, was passed by way of ballot and each of the directors received the following votes for their election:
| Margaret A. McKenzie | 212,802,872 (99.914%) |
| Anna M. Alderson | 212,841,516 (99.932%) |
| Anuroop S. Duggal | 209,670,592 (98.443%) |
| P. Jane Gavan | 204,866,881 (96.188%) |
| Glenn A. McNamara | 211,504,353 (99.304%) |
| Andrew M. Phillips | 212,830,654 (99.927%) |
| Sheldon B. Steeves | 211,493,978 (99.299%) |
The resolution to appoint KPMG LLP as the Company’s auditors was approved with 210,848,494 (97.387%) of the shares represented at the Meeting voting in favour of the resolution.
The resolution to accept the Company’s approach to executive compensation was approved with 211,217,643 (99.170%) of the shares represented at the Meeting voting in favour of the resolution.
The report on voting for the Meeting will be available at SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.com and on the Company’s website at www.prairiesky.com.
ABOUT PRAIRIESKY ROYALTY LTD.
PrairieSky is a royalty-focused company, generating royalty revenues as petroleum and natural gas are produced from its properties. PrairieSky has a diverse portfolio of properties that have a long history of generating funds from operations and that represent the largest and most concentrated independently-owned fee simple mineral title position in Canada. PrairieSky’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSK.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
Investor Relations
(587) 293-4000
PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/60671034-79e9-439e-9f12-5e2456de6556
Source:
15 April 2025
From bike rides to backyard footy, parents who exercise together with their teenagers are more likely to have kids with better physical and mental health, according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Conducted in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI) and a team of Canadian partners, a study showed that teenagers who exercise more frequently with their families were more likely to:
The study also showed that the more regularly the family exercises together, the better the outcomes.
Data from the World Health Organization shows that 80% of teenagers are not getting enough physical activity and that one in five teens play on digital screens for at least four hours when they engage in gaming. Additionally, one in seven teenagers experiences a mental disorder.
Dr Justin Lang, Adjunct Professor with UniSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada, says that simple, family-based interventions can make big differences to teenagers’ health and wellbeing.
“We know that regular exercise is great for both body and mind. But with more teenagers glued to screens and devices, it’s easy for sedentary habits to take hold,” Dr Lang says.
“Getting teenagers up and moving is crucial to reversing the slide into inactivity – and as our study shows, the key may be in getting the whole family involved.
“We found that teenagers who exercise daily with their families are twice as likely to meet activity and screen time guidelines – and four times more likely to report stronger mental health and greater life satisfaction.
“The message is simple: when parents get active with their teens and lead by example, everyone wins. Teens feel better, move more, and their mental health is stronger.”
The study examined the responses of 8213 Canadian teenagers aged 12-17 years, using self-reported data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth.
It found that only 11% of teenagers met national guidelines of 60 minutes of medium-to-vigorous physical activity per day; and just over half (56%) of teenagers engaged in less than two hours of recreational screen time per day.
Co-researcher, CHEO RI’s Dr. JP Chaput, says parents play a powerful role in influencing behaviours in their children.
“Exercising as a family does more than get hearts pumping – it may strengthen bonds, builds confidence, and can have a real impact on teenagers’ mental wellbeing,” Dr. Chaput says.
“When parents take an active role in their teens’ physical activity, it can build stronger emotional bonds, improves communication, and helps create a protective buffer against mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression.
“So, when families prioritise being active together, they’re not only building healthy habits – they’re also investing in their teenagers’ long-term wellbeing.
“Ultimately, it’s a reminder that even small, shared moments of movement can make a big difference.”
The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Contact for interview (located in Ottawa, Canada): Dr Justin Lang E: media@hc-sc.gc.ca
Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au
Sudan – 15 April 2025 – The war in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) enters its third year and people remain unseen, bombed, besieged, displaced and deprived of food, medical care and basic lifesaving services. 60 percent of the country’s 50 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to the UN, and people are facing simultaneous health crises and limited access to public health care.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reiterates its calls on the warring parties and their allies to ensure that civilians, humanitarian personnel, and medical teams are protected and that all restrictions are removed on the movements of humanitarian supplies and staff, especially as the rainy season fast approaches.
“The warring parties are not only failing to protect civilians — they are actively compounding their suffering,” said Claire San Filippo, MSF Emergency Coordinator. “Wherever you look in Sudan, you will find needs — overwhelming, urgent, and unmet. Millions are receiving almost no humanitarian assistance, medical facilities and staff remain under attack, and the global humanitarian system is failing to deliver even a fraction of what’s required.”
As frontlines have shifted over the course of the war, especially in Khartoum and Darfur, civilians feared retaliatory attacks from both warring parties. For the past two years, both RSF and SAF have repeatedly and indiscriminately bombed densely populated areas. The RSF and allied militias have unleashed a campaign of brutality, including systematic sexual violence, abductions, mass killings, looting of aid, erasure of civilian neighbourhoods, and occupation of medical facilities. Both sides have laid siege to towns, destroyed vital infrastructure, and blocked humanitarian aid.
Widespread starvation is taking hold, according to the UN, — Sudan is currently the only place in the world where famine has been officially declared in multiple locations. Famine was first declared in Zamzam camp, for internally displaced people, in August and has since spread to ten more areas. Seventeen additional regions are now on the brink. Without immediate intervention, hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk.
In March MSF supported multi-antigen catch up vaccination campaigns for children under two in South Darfur. The over 17,000 children, in 11 of the 14 localities, who received vaccinations were also screened for malnutrition showing 7% of those screened were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with 30% with global acute malnutrition. In December 2024, during a therapeutic food distribution in Tawila locality, North Darfur, MSF teams screened over 9,500 children under five years old. They found a staggering 35.5% global acute malnutrition rate, with 7% of the children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Simultaneously, Sudan is facing multiple, overlapping health emergencies. MSF teams have treated over 12,000 patients — including women and children — for trauma injuries directly resulting from violent attacks. During the first week of February 2025, MSF teams in three areas of Sudan – Khartoum, North Darfur, and South Darfur states – treated mass influxes of war-wounded patients. Sudan is also experiencing one of the worst maternal and child health crises we are seeing anywhere in the world. In October 2024, in two MSF-supported facilities in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, 26% of the pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking care were acutely malnourished.
“Outbreaks of measles, cholera and diphtheria are spreading, driven by poor living conditions and disrupted vaccination campaigns. Mental health support and care for survivors of sexual violence remain painfully limited. These compounding crises reflect not just the brutality of the conflict, but the dire consequences of the crumbling public healthcare system and a failing humanitarian response”, says Marta Cazorla, MSF Emergency Coordinator.
Since April 2023, more than 1.7 million people have sought medical consultations at hospitals, health facilities and mobile clinics MSF supports or is working in, and more than 32,000 people were admitted in our emergency wards.
More than 13 million people have been displaced by the conflict, according to the UN — many of them multiple times. Of these, 8.9 million remain displaced inside Sudan, while 3.9 million have crossed into neighbouring countries. Many live in overcrowded camps or makeshift shelters, without access to food, water, healthcare, or a sense of future. People depend entirely on humanitarian organizations — but only where these organisations are responding.
Health facilities destroyed
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 70 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are barely operational or completely closed, leaving millions without access to critical care amid one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history. Since the war began, MSF has recorded over 80 violent incidents targeting our staff, infrastructure, vehicles and supplies. Clinics have been looted and destroyed, medicines stolen, and healthcare workers assaulted, threatened or killed.
“Buildings were destroyed, even beds were looted, and medicines were burned to the ground. From afar, it looked like a hospital, but when you entered it, it was a shelter for snakes and grass,” said Muhammad Yusuf Ishaq Abdullah, MSF health promotion officer in Tawila, North Darfur, about the state of Tawila´s hospital after being attacked and looted in June 2023.
These attacks must stop — medical personnel and facilities are not targets.
Upcoming rainy season
The rainy season, fast approaching, threatens to make an already catastrophic situation even worse — severing supply routes, flooding entire regions, and cutting off people just as the hunger gap peaks and malnutrition and malaria spike.
MSF calls for immediate preparedness measures ahead of the rainy season. More border crossings must be opened, and key roads and bridges must be repaired and kept accessible, especially in Darfur, where seasonal flooding isolates communities year after year.
Humanitarian restrictions must be lifted, and unhindered access must be guaranteed. MSF urges all actors — including donors, governments, and UN agencies — to enable and prioritize the aid delivery, ensuring that assistance not only reaches the country but is transported swiftly and safely to the hardest-hit and most remote communities. Without a serious commitment to overcoming the political, financial, logistical and security barriers that hinder last-mile delivery, countless lives will remain beyond the reach of help.
The people of Sudan have endured this horror for two years too long, they cannot and should not wait any longer.
MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VILNIUS, Lithuania, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The WhiteBIT.au platform was launched in December 2024, but this launch was preceded by months of internal work and preparation. WhiteBIT has registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider and Independent Remitter Dealer. The company is just beginning to scale up its activities in Australia, planning to build on its already strong local team. As of now, spot trading is available; however, the product line will keep on growing. The company’s focus is to provide the highest quality products while staying within the regulatory approvals in each country.
WhiteBIT is the largest European centralized crypto exchange by traffic. It has 8 million registered users and offices in 7 countries and is part of the WhiteBIT Group, a leading ecosystem of blockchain and crypto solutions with more than 35 million users worldwide. This launch in Australia comes amidst the growing demand for cryptocurrencies among Australian investors, creating the perfect environment for the development of digital asset infrastructure in the region.
For Australian users, WhiteBIT offers fast and secure transactions and access to a range of new cryptocurrency trading tools, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced traders.
Australia’s Crypto Adoption Surges as Investment Interest Grows
According to Triple-A data, 9.6% of Australians already own digital assets, highlighting the high level of crypto adoption in the country. This creates an ideal environment for the continued growth of the crypto industry, particularly given the stable economy and increasing popularity of cryptocurrency investments among younger Australians.
Despite its complexity, Australia presents an attractive landscape for crypto businesses. The nation boasts a resilient economy that is steadily recovering from post-COVID challenges. With a consistently growing average salary, Australians have the financial means, an investment culture, and access to a wide range of financial instruments. Notably, derivatives and cryptocurrencies are among the preferred options for younger investors.
The country’s crypto market infrastructure is well-developed, with clear regulations and an established legal framework ensuring a structured environment for industry players. As a result, both local and global crypto companies are actively expanding their presence, competing to meet the needs of Australian investors.
Volodymyr Nosov, founder and president of WhiteBIT Group, comments, “Expanding into the Australian market presents a unique opportunity to engage with a highly crypto-savvy audience and a region that plays one of the crucial roles in the Asia-Pacific Region. Our goal is to contribute to the economic well-being and financial independence of both Australian and Asian communities while driving the adoption of blockchain technology on a global scale. This expansion marks a significant step in our mission to make crypto accessible to everyone.”
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88b6e175-3db7-41a1-b067-b8f04e5d4fe8
Hundreds of university staff and students in Melbourne and Sydney called on their vice-chancellors to cancel pro-Israel events earlier this month, write Michael West Media’s Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon.
SPECIAL REPORT: By Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon
While Australia’s universities continue to repress pro-Palestine peace protests, they gave the green light to pro-Israel events earlier this month, sparking outrage from anti-war protesters over the hypocrisy.
Israeli lobby groups StandWithUs Australia (SWU) and Israel-IS organised a series of university events this week which featured Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservists who have served during the war in Gaza, two of whom lost family members in the Hamas resistance attack on October 7, 2023.
The events were promoted as “an immersive VR experience with an inspiring interfaith panel” discussing the importance of social cohesion, on and off campus.”
Hundreds of staff and students at Monash, Sydney Uni, UNSW and UTS signed letters calling on their universities to “act swiftly to cancel the SWU event and make clear that organisations and individuals who worked with the Israel Defense Forces did not have a place on UNSW campuses.”
SWU is a global charity organisation which supports Israel and fights all conduct it perceives to be “antisemitic”. It campaigns against the United Nations and international NGOs’ findings against Israel and is currently supporting actions to suspend United States students supporting Palestine.
It established an office in Sydney in 2022 and Michael Gencher, who previously worked at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, was appointed as CEO.
The event’s co-sponsor, Israel-IS, is a similar propaganda outfit whose mission is to “connect with people before they connect with ideas” particularly through “cutting edge technologies like VR and AI.”
Among their 18 staff, one employee’s role is “IDF coordinator’” while two employees serve as “heads of Influencer Academy”.
The events were a test for management at Monash, UTS, UNSW and USyd to see how far each would go in cooperating with the Israel lobby.
Some events cancelled
At Monash, an open letter criticising the event was circulated by staff and students. The event was then cancelled without explanation.
At UNSW, 51 staff and postgraduate students signed an open letter to vice-chancellor Atilla Brungs, calling for the event’s cancellation. It was signed on their behalf by Jessica Whyte, an associate professor of philosophy in arts and law and Noam Peleg, associate professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice.
Prior to the scheduled event, Michael West Media sent questions to UNSW. After the event was scheduled to occur, the university responded to MWM, informing us that it had not taken place.
As of today, two days after the event was scheduled, vice-chancellor Brungs has not responded to the letter.
UTS warning to students
The UTS branch of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students partnered with Israel-IS in organising the UTS event, in alignment with their core “pillars” of Zionism and activism. The student group seeks to “promote a positive image of Israel on campus” to achieve its vision of a world where Jewish students are committed to Israel.
UTS Students’ Association, Palestinian Youth Society and UTS Muslim Student Society wrote to management but deputy vice-chancellor Kylie Readman rejected pleas. She replied that the event’s organisers had guaranteed it would be “a small private event focused on minority Israeli perspectives” and that speakers would only speak in a personal capacity.
While acknowledging the conflict in the Middle East was stressful for many at UTS, she then warned students, “UTS has not received formal notification of any intent to protest, as is required under the campus policy. As such, I must advise that any protest activity planned for 2nd April will be unauthorised. I would urge you to encourage students not to participate in an unauthorised protest.”
Students who allegedly breach campus policies can face disciplinary proceedings that can lead to suspension.
UTS Student Association president Mia Campbell told MWM, “The warning given by UTS about protesting definitely felt intimidating and frightening to a number of students, including myself.
“Especially as a law student, misconduct allegations can affect your admission to the profession . . . but with all other avenues of communication exhausted between us and the university, it felt like we didn’t have a choice.
I don’t want to look back on what I was doing during this genocide and have done any less than what was possible at the time.
Sombre, but quietly angry protest
The UTS protest was sombre but quietly angry. Speakers read from lists naming dead Palestinian children.
One speaker, who has lost 120 members of his extended family in Gaza, explained why he protested: “We have to be backed into a corner, told we can’t protest, told we can’t do anything. We’ve exhausted every single policy . . . Add to all that we are threatened with misconduct.”
Do you think we can stay silent while there are people on campus who may have played a part in the killings in Gaza?
SWU at University of Sydney
University of Sydney staff and students who signed an open letter received no reply before the event.
Activists from USyd staff in support of Palestine, Students Against War and Jews Against the Occupation ‘48 began protesting outside the Michael Spence building that houses the university’s senior executives on the Wednesday evening, April 2.
Escorted by UTS security, three SWU representatives arrived. A small group was admitted. Soon afterwards, the participants could be seen from below in the building’s meeting room.
A few protesters remained and booed the attendees as they left. These included Mark Leach, a far right Christian Zionist and founder of pro-Israeli group Never Again is Now. Later on X, he condemned the protesters and described Israel as a “multi-ethnic enclave of civilisation.”
Warning letters for students
Several student activists have received letters recently warning them about breaching the new USyd code of conduct regulating protests. USyd has also adopted a definition of anti-semitism which critics say could restrict criticism of Israel.
It has been slammed by the Jewish Council of Australia as “dangerous” and “unworkable”.
A Jews against Occupation ’48 speaker, Judith Treanor, said, “Welcoming this organisation makes a mockery of this university’s stated values of respect, non-harassment, and anti-racism.
“In the context of this university’s adoption of draconian measures to stifle freedom of expression in relation to Palestine, the decision to host this event promoting Israel reveals a shocking level of hypocrisy and a huge abuse of power.”
No stranger to USyd
Michael Gencher is no stranger to USyd. Since October 2023, he has opposed student encampments and street protests.
On one occasion, he visited the USyd protest student encampment in support of Palestine with Richard Kemp, a retired British army commander who tirelessly promotes the IDF. Kemp’s most recent X post congratulates Hungary for withdrawing from “the International Criminal Kangaroo Court. Other countries should reject this political court and follow suit.”
Kemp and Gencher filmed themselves attempting to interrogate students about their knowledge of conflict in the Middle East on May 21, 2024, but the students refused to be provoked and declined to engage.
In May 2024, Gercher helped organise a joint rally at USyd with Zionist Group Together with Israel, a partner of far-right group Australian Jewish Association. Extreme Zionist Ofir Birenbaum, who was recently exposed as covertly filming staff at an inner city cafe, Cairo Takeaway, helped organise the rally.
Students at the USyd encampment told MWM that they experienced provocative behaviour towards them during the May rally.
Opposition to StandWithUs
Those who oppose the SWU campus events draw on international findings condemning Israel and its IDF, explained in similar letters to university leaders.
After the USyd event, those who signed a letter received a response from vice-chancellor Mark Scott.
He explained, “We host a broad range of activities that reflect different perspectives — we recognise our role as a place for debate and disagreeing well, which includes tolerance of varied opinions.”
His response ignored the concerns raised, which leaves this question: Why are organisations that reject all international and humanitarian legal findings, including ones of genocide and ethnic cleansing,
being made to feel ‘safe and welcome’ when their critics risk misconduct proceedings?
SWU CEO Michael Gencher went on the attack in the Jewish press:
“We’re seeing a coordinated attempt to intimidate universities into silencing Israeli voices simply because they don’t conform to a radical political narrative.” He accused the academics of spreading “provable lies, dangerous rhetoric, and blatant hypocrisy.”
SWU regards United Nations and other findings against Israel as false.
Wendy Bacon is an investigative journalist who was professor of journalism at UTS. She worked for Fairfax, Channel Nine and SBS and has published in The Guardian, New Matilda, City Hub and Overland. She has a long history in promoting independent and alternative journalism. She is a long-term supporter of a peaceful BDS and the Greens.
Yaakov Aharon is a Jewish-Australian living in Wollongong. He enjoys long walks on Wollongong Beach, unimpeded by Port Kembla smoke fumes and AUKUS submarines. This article was first published by Michael West Media and is republished with permission of the authors.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Death following Devonport crash on 3 April
Tuesday, 15 April 2025 – 9:47 am.
Sadly, police can confirm an 86-year-old man died yesterday in North West Tasmania.
The man was involved in a crash on the Bass Highway at Devonport on 3 April.
Following the crash the man was taken to hospital in a serious condition and has since passed away.
Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
Earlier this month, my family gathered to celebrate my niece’s christening marking the beginning of a new generation. As I was writing the card, I reflected on the importance of family and community, how they help shape lives and the enduring legacy they leave.
During the event, I spoke with the godmother who is expecting her third child about balancing work life and family responsibilities. I was incredibly encouraged by the empowered young woman, noting she is an incredible role model.
Role models are important in all facets of life. They include parents, mentors, coaches, teachers, leaders, academics, club members, professionals; the list is endless. What is true of all role models is their ability to influence behaviours and actions.
At the ATO, we talk about the model taxpayer and our vision for an Australia where every taxpayer meets their obligations because complying is easy, help is tailored, and deliberate non-compliance has consequences.
To support this vision, our Commissioner recently launched our organisational purpose ‘we collect tax so that government can deliver services for the Australian community.’
It’s within this context that we support the NFP sector and within which the sector must operate. In administering the law, we set compliance expectations and look for ways to reduce and minimise red tape. We expect all taxpayers to model good behaviour. For NFPs this means:
Our NFP Stewardship Group is both a group of stewards and role models for the sector. Our group which was recently refreshed to include a First Nations organisation and a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) NFP, met on 25 March for the first meeting of 2025. The diversity of our members was reflected in the depth and richness of the conversation which is critical given it’s one of our key consultative forums. Membership is contingent on members providing an integrity declaration and meeting the requirements of the charter including participation and support for the administration of the law.
Members of our NFP Stewardship Group are role models in their communities and networks and we greatly value their time and constructive feedback especially where the law may not be operating as intended.
The key items at our March meeting focused on:
As of 31 March, the extended lodgment date, more than 27,000 NFPs had lodged their return, and the number is still rising as more lodgments come in.
The NFPs who have lodged are modelling good sector behaviours and will have their future returns pre-populated making it even easier to meet their reporting obligations in future years.
We’re extending our support for NFPs who haven’t lodged and we’re urging them to do so before 30 June to avoid a review. We’ve published a new What happens if you lodge the NFP self-review return late page on the ATO site to help self-assessing NFPs who are yet to lodge. The key points for NFPs who need to lodge are:
NFPs can demonstrate they’re trying to do the right thing by:
Finally, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of applications for private rulings from NFPs. This is being driven by a desire for certainty. Seeking a private ruling may not be the most efficient way of obtaining the guidance required. Applying for a private ruling can take a significant amount of time and be resource-intensive, particularly if additional information is required.
In June last year, I urged NFPs and sector stakeholders to check if our publicly available guidance addresses questions first. If you’ve relied on our public advice and guidance in good faith, you have the requisite certainty.
For NFPs who already have a private ruling, there’s a common misconception that a time ‘extension’ must be requested if the end date is approaching. This isn’t the case.
If your NFP’s circumstances haven’t materially changed from the circumstances outlined in your initial private ruling, you don’t need to apply for an extension.
In fact, the life of a private ruling cannot be extended and any new request is treated as a fresh application!
In wrapping up this update, I’d like to call out the extraordinary efforts of the sector, my team, and all the internal and external stakeholders who have contributed to the implementation of the NFP self-review return. The NFP sector is significant and expected to grow with billions of dollars flowing through it. It’s appropriate for Australians to expect that all NFPs are meeting their tax, super and registry obligations and that they operate for the purpose for which they’re established. Modelling good behaviour ensures we can sustain a vibrant sector.
On that note, I wish everyone a safe break with the approaching Easter and Anzac public holidays, particularly if you’re taking a road trip.
Take care and stay safe
Jennifer
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Government has secured raw materials needed to save British Steel.
The Business Secretary pushes ahead with efforts to safeguard British Steel. Today [Tuesday 15 April] he will travel up to Immingham as the raw materials that have been waiting in the dock are unloaded and transported to the site, following the government settling payment for them.
The materials – which have arrived from the US – are enough to keep the blast furnaces running for the coming weeks, with officials continuing to work at pace to get a steady pipeline of materials to keep the fire burning.
A separate ship which contains yet more coking coal is on the way to the UK from Australia. This cargo was the subject of a legal dispute between British Steel and Jingye over the weekend that has now been resolved. The materials have been paid for using existing DBT budgets.
New legislation passed last weekend, in an unprecedented move, gives Government the power to direct the company’s board and workforce, ensure they get paid, and order the raw materials to keep the blast furnaces running. It also permits the Government to do these things itself if needed. The government acted to protect 37,000 jobs in supply chains and ensure we can build the infrastructure needed to deliver growth which is fundamental to the Plan for Change.
On Monday, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds confirmed the appointment of Allan Bell as interim Chief Executive Officer, and Lisa Coulson as interim Chief Commercial Officer, both with immediate effect – ensuring the right expertise is in place to keep the site running smoothly.
After intensive work over the weekend, the government has secured coke and iron ore pellets for the blast furnaces and is confident there will be enough materials to keep the furnaces burning.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
We will always act in the interest of working people and UK industry. Thanks to the work of those at British Steel, and in my department, we have moved decisively to secure the raw materials we need to help save British Steel.
Our industries depend on UK steel and – thanks to our Plan for Change – demand is set to shoot up: helping build the 1.5 million homes, railways, schools and hospitals we need to usher in a decade of national renewal.
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
This is a joint media release from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Victoria Police.
Detectives from the VIPER Taskforce executed warrants at 12 tobacco stores across Melbourne last week as part of the ongoing investigation by Taskforce Lunar into organised crime syndicates linked to the illicit tobacco trade.
Members of the taskforce were joined at the warrants from 7–11 April by representatives from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), who also executed warrants at the stores.
Police attended 12 stores, which they will allege are linked to two of the organised crime syndicates involved, in Altona Meadows, Truganina, Craigieburn, Broadmeadows, Tullamarine, Mill Park, Bundoora, Weir Views, Watsonia, Altona North, Prahran and Hawthorn.
As a result, the following was seized:
Fourteen people were arrested and interviewed in relation to the offences of possess tobacco and possess proceeds of crime. They are expected to be charged on summons.
Detectives from the VIPER Taskforce ran the same operation from 21 November – 2 December, 2024, executing 16 search warrants across regional and metropolitan Melbourne, seizing the following:
Victoria Police continues to support local councils and the Victorian Department of Health who have responsibility for tobacco and vape enforcement and compliance.
Detectives continue to work alongside external agencies such as the ABF, AFP, TGA, ATO and interstate counterparts.
Investigators continue to appeal to anyone, especially store owners and staff, who have information about these incidents and who is responsible to come forward.
Anyone with information about these incidents or with further information about serious and organised crime linked to the illicit tobacco trade is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.auExternal Link.
Quotes attributable to Detective Acting Inspector Justin Shields, VIPER Taskforce:
“The warrants this week in support of the Taskforce Lunar investigation into the operation of these crime syndicates are a strong demonstration of state and Commonwealth agencies coming together to target the issue of illicit tobacco in every way possible.
“We have been clear that this is no longer about simply the investigation of the individual incidents – this is about doing absolutely everything we can to deter, disrupt and dismantle these syndicates and those at the helm of them.
“This includes the targeting of anyone across Victoria who is involved in the distribution and sale of illicit tobacco, at any level. Ultimately, this is contributing to enabling those organised crime syndicates to operate here in Victoria.
“While people’s lives remain at risk due to this heightened criminal activity, we will continue to target these organise crime syndicates and do everything we can to hold them accountable.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Commissioner, Jade Hawkins, Australian Taxation Office:
“These arrests and the seizure of illicit tobacco products demonstrate the ATO’s ongoing commitment to supporting our partners in removing it from the community while creating a level playing field for legitimate businesses.
“We’ll continue to work with our partners to detect, disrupt and dismantle the organised crime syndicates who are using profits from selling illicit tobacco to fund other serious illegal activities. By doing this, it ensures there will be financial and criminal implications for those who are involved.”
Source: ACT Party
The Tertiary Education Union’s opposition to free speech legislation shows exactly why free speech policies are needed at university, says ACT Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.
“We know that university staff want the power to decide what ideas are allowed on campus. We’re telling them no.
“Universities are primarily funded by the taxpayer, and we all have an interest in ensuring they are fostering genuine debate and disagreement.
“Universities have historically, and rightly, offered space for contrasting ideas to be tested in debate. In fact, the whole project of academic inquiry and enlightenment hinges on the premise that any idea can be aired and challenged.
“Free expression includes the right to seek different perspectives. If students invite a willing speaker – whether it’s Don Brash or an extremist like Tamatha Paul – that speaker should be allowed to speak. No-one is forced to listen, and the political opinions of university staff shouldn’t come into it.
“The suggestion that a free speech policy is ‘nanny state’ regulation is laughable. ACT secured the free speech commitment precisely to get busybody university staff out of the business of regulating speech. We have set out clear requirements for a complaints process precisely because we have seen universities fail to uphold their students’ speech rights.”
Source: ACT Party
St Francis of Assisi recommended having the serenity to accept what you can’t change, the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference. He’d probably be quite useful for dealing with the Trump Tariff situation.
The Government of New Zealand cannot change the events unfolding overseas, but there are still useful things it can do. When you can’t change trade policy, the best trade policy is good domestic policy.
Regardless of trade conditions, the New Zealand Government can choose better domestic policies. It is (mostly) getting value from taxpayer funded services, regulating lightly, and managing the assets it owns. That’s where the emphasis should be as the May 22 Budget approaches.
Never has Parliament seen such a one-sided debate as the two hours it set aside for the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. A dozen MPs spoke against the Bill, but not one referred to the principles set out in the Bill. They certainly didn’t explain why they were opposed to the principles.
We saw the vote in Parliament, so we know the Bill was defeated in one sense, but in another sense it succeded. No idea can survive being displaced by a better ideal. The filtering of ideas is how open societies advance. On the other hand, no idea has ever been defeated by emotion and abuse alone. Only light can drive out darkness.
So long as an idea remains the best available argument, its time in the sun will come back around. Let’s put it another way, if there were better ideas than those put in the Bill, why didn’t opponents say what they were, at some point during a two hour debate?
Take Willie Jackson, who got booted from Parliament for calling David Seymour a liar, again. What’s interesting is this: Free Press knows Jackson had a chance to debate Seymour on TV3, but turned it down multiple times. For some reason we’re reminded of Ronald Reagan’s comment on the American flag: These colors don’t run.
Jackson didn’t just run in the media, though, he ran in the House as well. Parliament sat for over 100 days over the 14 months David Seymour was the Associate Minister of Justice responsible for the Treaty Principles Bill. Jackson could have asked Seymour questions hundreds of times but he only asked one question on the Bill. The question is captured in the YouTube video, viewed 80,000 times. The video shows why Jackson didn’t come back for more.
For all his talk, Jackson ran like diarrhoea when challenged to serious debate. Perhaps it’s not his fault, though. Perhaps nobody could give him good arguments. After all, if someone so passionately opposed to the Bill did have a good argument, they’d use it, wouldn’t they?
Not one MP in the debate got up and said ‘The Bill says x. I disagree with x. My reason is y. I think we’d have a better country if…z. None of them got to x. Nobody (except David Seymour) quoted the Bill. Even media commentators accepted David Seymour’s point that the opponents were not engaging with the Bill.
When the hysteria and personal attacks die down, people will be left to answer the simple question: what was wrong with the Treaty Principles Bill? Nobody has given an answer that engages with the contents of the Bill. That’s why we believe the Principles below will be the law of New Zealand sooner or later, it’s just a matter of time.
If you’re one of those people who’ve quietly (or not so quietly) supported David Seymour and ACT advancing the Principles below, thank you. We predict that, between now and the next election, ACT will lay out a new approach to making these undefeated principles part of our way of life. Until then we are grateful for your support.
Principle 1 The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws,— (a) in the best interests of everyone; and (b) in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.
Principle 2 (1) The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it. (2) However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, subclause (1) applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975
Principle 3 (1) Everyone is equal before the law. (2) Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to— (a) the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and (b) the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.
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.
SEL9
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 139
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
650 PM EDT Mon Apr 14 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
Northern and Central Virginia
Eastern West Virginia
* Effective this Monday night and Tuesday morning from 650 PM
until 100 AM EDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Supercells will continue to move eastward this evening
while posing a threat for large to very large hail up to 1-2 inches
in diameter. Scattered damaging winds with peak gusts of 60-70 mph
will also be likely with any clusters that can form while also
spreading quickly eastward.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles northwest of
Staunton VA to 35 miles north of Richmond VA. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for 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. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 138…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
28045.
…Gleason
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW9
WW 139 SEVERE TSTM VA WV 142250Z – 150500Z
AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
35NW SHD/STAUNTON VA/ – 35N RIC/RICHMOND VA/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM N/S /39ESE EKN – 30N RIC/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 28045.
LAT…LON 39417936 38807731 37217731 37837936
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU9.
Watch 139 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low ( 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (50%)
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.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced it will build 15 new temples in countries across the world, including one in Liverpool, New South Wales.
This follows a similar announcement last year of plans to build a second temple for Queensland, in South Brisbane.
The two new structures – together with existing temples in Sydney (1984), Adelaide (2000), Melbourne (2000), Perth (2001) and Brisbane (2003) – will bring the total number of Australian temples to seven.
In a nation with fewer than 160,000 practising Mormons, these new buildings seek to increase the legitimacy and visibility of the church.
There are currently at least 200 completed Mormon temples around the globe, with an additional 182 under construction or announced.
Temples have a different purpose and scope to Mormon chapels, which are far more common: Australia has about 190 Mormon chapels.
Chapels are used for weekly sacrament (or communion) and weekly sermons. They are open to visitors, and often hold cultural events, extra church activities and family history centres.
Temples, on the other hand, represent the blending of the divine and temporal. According to the Mormon worldview and doctrines, they are the world’s most sacred structures.
Each temple is emblazoned with the phrase “The House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord”. This isn’t just symbolic. Mormons believe each temple is literally the house of God, in which his presence may be felt.
Given the gravity of this belief, these spaces are reserved for those who have been deemed worthy to enter by Mormon leaders.
The church itself maintains that temples are “sacred, not secret”. It has long worked to dispel speculation over what happens within temple bounds.
One way it does this is through “open houses”, in which a newly-built temple may be toured by anyone for a brief period. Once the open house has ended and the temple has been “dedicated” by a church leader – a process that includes blessing the building and those who will use it – it becomes entirely closed to the public.
Within the temples, the most sacred rituals and knowledge of “the gospel” are imparted upon faithful members. Rituals can be performed for both living people and deceased ancestors. They must never be conducted – or even discussed – outside the sacred temple space.
One of these rituals is baptism and confirmation for the dead by proxy (baptisms for the living are conducted in chapels or other spaces). This provides the deceased individuals “ordinances” that are necessary for salvation, which they did not receive during life.
These baptisms have been controversial at times, with ordinances performed on individuals who were not direct ancestors of Latter-day Saints, including Holocaust victims and historical figures such as Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. Even prominent Australians such as Ned Kelly, Malcolm Fraser, Neville Bonner and Truganini have allegedly appeared as “baptised” in Mormon records.
Other temple ceremonies, conducted for both the dead and living, include washing and anointing with oil, “endowment” and “sealing”.
The rituals are accompanied by various stages of knowledge progression for attendees. As with the rituals, temple knowledge is not to be discussed outside.
The air of secrecy and exclusivity surrounding Mormon temples has resulted in a flood of negative attention from Australian media, other religious institutions and society at large. News reports from as far back as the early 20th century sought to expose “Mormon temple secrets”.
The first temple, built in Sydney in 1984, was widely protested by community groups and organisations. The building had to be modified by the church before it was eventually approved. A similar situation transpired in Brisbane in the early 2000s.
In other cities, such as Adelaide and Melbourne, temples were not directly protested, but were still critiqued for their lavishness, with the average Australian temple costing around A$8 million in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Given the cost of living crisis, and contention over the place of religion in contemporary Australia, the two proposed temples will likely also face criticism.
The church’s reputation in Australia has become ever more complicated over the past 20 years, not least due to several controversies.
In 2022 and 2023, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald reported the church was allegedly abusing tax laws, to the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars. This was addressed, but not confirmed or denied, in the November 2022 Senate Estimates by Australian Tax Office Assistant Commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn, after questioning by Greens Senator David Shoebridge. Accusations of tax evasion have also been made in New Zealand and the United States.
Other controversies relate to LGBTQIA+ discrimination, the church’s influence in Australian and global politics, and allegations resulting from the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse.
The new Australian temples will be completed under a pall of critiques and accusations around church finances and other controversies. And while they might be briefly open to the public, their doors will just as quickly shut – adding more fuel to the speculation.
Brenton Griffin was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is no longer a practising member of the church. His current research is focused on the religion’s place in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, politics, and society from the nineteenth century to present.
– ref. Why the Mormon church is on an expansion project, with 2 secretive new temples planned for Australia – https://theconversation.com/why-the-mormon-church-is-on-an-expansion-project-with-2-secretive-new-temples-planned-for-australia-254217
More businesses are taking proactive steps to protect themselves from scams but criminals are likely to ramp up their activity over Easter.
A new survey commissioned by CommBank shows the vast majority of small to medium business owners and senior managers (84 per cent) are either taking action to protect their business from scams or planning to do so, after more than one third (36 per cent) reported having experienced a scam at least once since starting their business.
CommBank Executive General Manager Small Business Banking, Rebecca Warren, said it’s encouraging to see more businesses take steps to protect themselves against scams.
“We know running a small business involves wearing many hats, and it often means you’re incredibly busy with not much time to spare. As a result, business owners may be less likely to spot some of the red flags, which can make them vulnerable to scams,” Ms Warren said.
Steps SMEs have taken to combat scams include checking bank accounts and invoices more regularly and thoroughly (58 per cent), upgrading software (50 per cent), providing additional training for staff (30 per cent) and engaging third-party suppliers such as security consultants (25 per cent).
Ms Warren said there is often a spike in scam events during busy holiday periods, calling for extra caution during the upcoming Easter break.
“While we have seen a 70 per cent reduction in customer scam losses across the bank over the past two years, scammers recognise business owners or key staff are often on holiday at this time of year and this affords them more opportunity combined with less chance of being caught,” Ms Warren said.
“It’s important to keep up with the trends as scams are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, particularly with AI use being so prevalent.
“Small businesses are often affected by the same scam types as individual Australians such as phishing, investment scams, and romance scams. However, the primary scam type that impacts businesses of all sizes is the business email compromise scam.
Business email compromise scams involve obtaining unauthorised access to an email account for the purpose of intercepting and redirecting payment requests.
For example, a business will receive an email that appears to be from someone they know such as an employee, member of senior management, supplier, customer, or service provider. It will request a change of beneficiary account details for a new or upcoming payment, often including an altered invoice.
With scammers now leveraging AI to create highly sophisticated and convincing communications, making it even harder to identify fraudulent activity, Ms Warren said it is more crucial than ever to upskill on cyber safety and scams awareness.
“The more business owners and their staff are aware of the risks, the more likely they’ll be able to spot red flags. People truly are the first line of defence, and it’s encouraging to see scams protection is top of mind for so many business owners.
“Awareness, combined with robust processes and technology, will significantly reduce risk for hard-working Aussie small business owners,” Ms Warren added.
Tips to protect your small business from scams
According to Ms Warren, there are three main parts to ensuring a business is protected from scams and fraudulent activity – people, processes and technology.
People: at CBA we have seen customer scam losses decrease by 70 per cent over two years, and we know that knowing what to look out for is an important defence against fraud and scams. People are truly the first line of defence, which is why education and scams awareness is key.
Processes: call your supplier on a verified/trusted number before making an invoice payment to a new supplier or in situations where existing suppliers are updating their banking details. It is really important to make sure at least two people sign off any payments or changes in beneficiary details as this will significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to a payment redirection scam.
Technology: installing and regularly updating antivirus programs and applying multi-factor authentication for your business applications like email, and accounting software will provide a much-needed third layer of defence.
“Small business owners and their staff can sign up for a free Cyber Wardens course, which was created in partnership between CommBank, Telstra and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) and designed to upskill Australian businesses in cyber safety,” Ms Warren added.
“They have launched an updated course with a focus on AI, given scammers and cyber criminals increasingly use this technology to target unsuspecting Australians.”
How CommBank protects your business
Helping customers stay safe by improving early detection and prevention of scams is among our highest priorities, and we continue to work hard to make Australian small businesses more resilient to scams.
We are focused on delivering initiatives that help customers stay safe by improving early detection and prevention of scams, such as NameCheck, CallerCheck and CustomerCheck, as well as progressive advances in our cyber protections.
If something goes wrong and you suspect you’ve been scammed, contact your bank and law enforcement immediately.
For more on how CommBank protects your business, visit commbank.com.au/business/security
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Meade, Adjunct Associate Professor, Griffith University, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University
Winter is coming to New Zealand and Australia, and with it come those inevitably higher power bills from heating our homes.
But even without that seasonal spike, household power bills were already set to rise by NZ$10 to $25 a month in New Zealand and up to A$9 a month in parts of Australia.
This is not, as some might assume, because electricity suppliers are acting uncompetitively. It’s because regulators are increasing charges for long-distance electricity transmission (pylons and substations) and short-distance distribution (poles and wires).
Those charges together make up around 40% of power bills on average, so the price increases matter. In New Zealand, an average 15% of household budgets is spent on electricity. The proportion going towards those infrastructure costs is higher for low-income, regional and rural households.
To put this another way, these fixed parts of our power bills can equal what a typical household spends on mobile phones, public transport or water services.
Transmission and distribution services are regulated because they are provided by monopolies. Regulators such as the Commerce Commission in New Zealand and the Australian Energy Regulator in eastern Australia try to set reasonable prices while still allowing those firms enough money to provide reliable services.
However, this old regulatory model is being challenged by changing consumer behaviour. Households are increasingly electrifying, switching to heat pumps for space and water heating, and electric vehicles (EVs) for personal transport.
Regulators want to ensure the reliability of electricity supply doesn’t significantly decline. But households that rely on electricity want greater reliability – especially with growing demand for “smart” appliances that can be damaged by outages.
Unfortunately, history is a poor guide to how regulation should ensure these future reliability needs are met. Furthermore, electricity is an unusual “product” – the quantity we consume is often an afterthought, while the affordability and quality of supply are more top of mind.
Importantly, quality means much more to consumers than just reliability. It includes how well outages are planned and communicated, how easy it is to get help and updates when things go wrong, new connection times, and the voltage stability modern appliances require.
What constitutes good service might also include customer charters or other guarantees of minimum acceptable expectations, as well as compensation schemes.
Beyond these options, however, the very basis for regulation is being upturned as households invest in rooftop solar panels, home batteries and electric vehicles (EVs). The competition offered by these new technologies means distribution companies are no longer monopoly providers because households can get electricity in new ways.
This also means households expect new services from those providers – such as being able to sell electricity to others (including to distribution companies themselves to help them maintain reliable supply).
Historically, electricity regulation has responded to emerging challenges like these with “bolt-on” solutions. Each one tries to address a specific issue individually, but not in a coherent and joined-up way.
Overall, how and why we regulate electricity transmission and distribution need rethinking from the ground up, not more rounds of regulatory whack-a-mole. Consumer preferences need to be more than a vague overriding objective. They need to be at the heart of regulation.
New Zealand’s Commerce Commission already exempts many distribution firms from much regulation because they are owned and governed by customers. And regulators in other English-speaking countries, including Australia, increasingly rely on consumer forums and other channels to indirectly and only partially identify consumer preferences.
But neither model obtains directly usable information about what consumers want – from those consumers themselves. Unsurprisingly, customer preferences are not widely or systematically reflected in regulation.
Besides, asking customers about quality and reliability of service assumes they can clearly articulate what they care about and what value they attach to them in ways regulators can use.
One solution is to use a direct measure of consumer satisfaction. We developed and applied a version of this in recent research involving a survey of Swedish electricity customers.
We measured satisfaction by asking consumers to rate the “value for money” they perceived from their distribution firm, ranging from zero (lowest) to five (highest).
Perceptions of quality can vary and are inherently subjective. But value for money can be interpreted as a ratio of quality to price: higher quality means higher value for money, higher price means lower value for money. From this, we obtained an objective measure of overall customer satisfaction levels.
As might be expected, we found value for money tended to be higher for customers of distribution firms owned and controlled by those customers. But directly measuring customer satisfaction in this way could be a good basis for regulation reform in general.
We still need to better understand how customer satisfaction is affected by regulatory decisions. This has always been the case, but it is especially true now that fundamental changes are happening in the sector.
Electricity customers heading into winter might be happier with rising transmission and distribution prices if they were confident regulation genuinely improved their overall value for money.
Business as usual, on the other hand, may offer them only cold comfort.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Winter electricity prices are rising – how do we know we’re getting value for money? – https://theconversation.com/winter-electricity-prices-are-rising-how-do-we-know-were-getting-value-for-money-254198
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Emergency Services Games donates $10,000 to mental health charity
Tuesday, 15 April 2025 – 7:37 am.
Emergency services personnel who took part in the Australian Police and Emergency Services Games held in Tasmania last month have raised $10,000 for charity.Acting Deputy Commissioner Rob Blackwood said that in a sold out event, 500 participants attended to help raise funds for charity through the AP&ES Games ‘charity of choice’ fundraiser event.“We’re pleased to announce that thanks to the generosity shown by all who attended our fundraiser event that we can present Mitch McPherson founder of Speak Up, Stay ChatTY with a cheque for $10,000,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Blackwood said.“The Games create the opportunity for emergency service workers who share a common goal to build camaraderie and promote healthy living.“We know emergency service workers and volunteers often face particularly challenging and stressful situations and we recognise the importance of supporting our employees and volunteers to keep a healthy body and healthy mind as they continue to help the community.”“That’s why we’ve decided to donate the $10,000 to Speak Up, Stay ChatTY – an important charity aimed at promoting positive mental health and preventing suicide by normalising conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.”The Games brought together not just police, fire, ambulance and SES, but also those emergency staff that work in defence, customs, corrections, royal lifesaving, environment and the coast guard to name just a few.“The 2025 Games was the largest multidiscipline sporting event to ever take place in Tasmania,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Blackwood said.“More than 2,000 competitors competed in over 50 individual sporting events and over 5,000 medals being presented to our competitors.” he said.“This year more than 200 volunteers also donated their time to make the games possible.“Supporting the mental and physical health of police officers, as well as other emergency services is extremely important, and we hope this donation will go some way in helping support other Tasmanians in need.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
April 11, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week joined U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and 15 Senate colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to help ease the financial cost of adoption and support prospective and adoptive families. The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act restores the refundable portion of the Adoption Tax Credit. By allowing the tax credit to be refundable, families will be able to access the full amount as a refund, even if the credit exceeds a family’s tax burden. The existing Adoption Tax Credit allows adoptive families to deduct up to $16,810 in qualified expenses.
“We should be doing everything we can to make things more affordable for families,” Duckworth said. “Adoption can put a financial strain on families, but by making the Adoption Tax Credit fully refundable we’re helping ensure these families can keep more of their hard-earned money to pay for their loved ones’ needs. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation, and I’ll keep working to put money back in the pockets of Americans.”
Earlier this week, Duckworth also joined Senate Democrats in introducing the American Family Act and the Tax Cut for Workers Act to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, helping give Americans much-needed financial relief.
In addition to Duckworth, Cramer and Klobuchar, this bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tim Scott (R-SC), Mark Warner (D-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
The legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Blake Moore (R-UT-01), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04).
This legislation is endorsed by the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group Executive Committee and 100 national, state and local groups. The bill text can be found on Senator Duckworth’s website.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 14, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov
c: 202.913.0126
NEW YORK, NY – Last week, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Co-Chair of the Smart Cities Caucus, toured the Cornell Tech Campus at Cornell University. Rep. Clarke met with faculty leaders, including Dean and Vice Provost Greg Morrisett and Founding Director of the Urban Tech Hub Michael Samuelian, who debriefed her on their latest advancements in smart city technologies, provided insight into their revolutionary Urban Tech program, and highlighted the direct impacts their program has had on New York City. Since its founding in 2012, Cornell Tech has stood as a leading institution in the smart cities space. In the 118th Congress, Rep. Clarke introduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act to expand smart city technologies and improve governmental coordination of these programs.
“Every American should have the right to call a clean, safe, and climate-resilient community their home, and it’s overwhelmingly clear smart city technologies represent the best, most practical path to making that aspiration a reality. As a leader in Congress’ efforts to shepherd the widespread adoption of smart cities, it was a privilege to tour Cornell Tech and learn from its many experts on the revolutionary research and work they are doing to make our cities run smoother,” said Congresswoman Clarke. “These visionaries are truly paving the way forward in smart city technology, which I am confident will benefit communities in New York and other cities across the nation. We know overcoming the climate crisis will demand bold, creative solutions to the myriad of challenges that lie ahead, and that is why I find great comfort in knowing Cornell Tech is a leader in this existential fight. I am honored to have had the opportunity to learn about their work firsthand, and I look forward to witnessing what they can achieve in the years ahead.”
“We were honored to welcome Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to the Cornell Tech campus to discuss how our campus, faculty, students, and staff are creating and fostering technological solutions and advancements that enhance daily life for New Yorkers and beyond. Congresswoman Clarke’s leadership in advancing smart cities, digital equity, and innovation aligns closely with our mission to build a more inclusive, robust, and sustainable tech ecosystem,” said Greg Morrisett, Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech. “Shaping a future that supports all members of society and drives economic growth requires that policymakers, academia, and the tech and business communities work together. As co-chair of the Smart Cities Caucus, the Congresswoman shares our optimism for the catalyzing and positive role technology will continue to have in the world and we want to be a partner and resource in endeavors to improve communities through innovation and power New York forward.”
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced it will build 15 new temples in countries across the world, including one in Liverpool, New South Wales.
This follows a similar announcement last year of plans to build a second temple for Queensland, in South Brisbane.
The two new structures – together with existing temples in Sydney (1984), Adelaide (2000), Melbourne (2000), Perth (2001) and Brisbane (2003) – will bring the total number of Australian temples to seven.
In a nation with fewer than 160,000 practising Mormons, these new buildings seek to increase the legitimacy and visibility of the church.
There are currently at least 200 completed Mormon temples around the globe, with an additional 182 under construction or announced.
Temples have a different purpose and scope to Mormon chapels, which are far more common: Australia has about 190 Mormon chapels.
Chapels are used for weekly sacrament (or communion) and weekly sermons. They are open to visitors, and often hold cultural events, extra church activities and family history centres.
Temples, on the other hand, represent the blending of the divine and temporal. According to the Mormon worldview and doctrines, they are the world’s most sacred structures.
Each temple is emblazoned with the phrase “The House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord”. This isn’t just symbolic. Mormons believe each temple is literally the house of God, in which his presence may be felt.
Given the gravity of this belief, these spaces are reserved for those who have been deemed worthy to enter by Mormon leaders.
The church itself maintains that temples are “sacred, not secret”. It has long worked to dispel speculation over what happens within temple bounds.
One way it does this is through “open houses”, in which a newly-built temple may be toured by anyone for a brief period. Once the open house has ended and the temple has been “dedicated” by a church leader – a process that includes blessing the building and those who will use it – it becomes entirely closed to the public.
Within the temples, the most sacred rituals and knowledge of “the gospel” are imparted upon faithful members. Rituals can be performed for both living people and deceased ancestors. They must never be conducted – or even discussed – outside the sacred temple space.
One of these rituals is baptism and confirmation for the dead by proxy (baptisms for the living are conducted in chapels or other spaces). This provides the deceased individuals “ordinances” that are necessary for salvation, which they did not receive during life.
These baptisms have been controversial at times, with ordinances performed on individuals who were not direct ancestors of Latter-day Saints, including Holocaust victims and historical figures such as Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. Even prominent Australians such as Ned Kelly, Malcolm Fraser, Neville Bonner and Truganini have allegedly appeared as “baptised” in Mormon records.
Other temple ceremonies, conducted for both the dead and living, include washing and anointing with oil, “endowment” and “sealing”.
The rituals are accompanied by various stages of knowledge progression for attendees. As with the rituals, temple knowledge is not to be discussed outside.
The air of secrecy and exclusivity surrounding Mormon temples has resulted in a flood of negative attention from Australian media, other religious institutions and society at large. News reports from as far back as the early 20th century sought to expose “Mormon temple secrets”.
The first temple, built in Sydney in 1984, was widely protested by community groups and organisations. The building had to be modified by the church before it was eventually approved. A similar situation transpired in Brisbane in the early 2000s.
In other cities, such as Adelaide and Melbourne, temples were not directly protested, but were still critiqued for their lavishness, with the average Australian temple costing around A$8 million in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Given the cost of living crisis, and contention over the place of religion in contemporary Australia, the two proposed temples will likely also face criticism.
The church’s reputation in Australia has become ever more complicated over the past 20 years, not least due to several controversies.
In 2022 and 2023, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald reported the church was allegedly abusing tax laws, to the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars. This was addressed, but not confirmed or denied, in the November 2022 Senate Estimates by Australian Tax Office Assistant Commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn, after questioning by Greens Senator David Shoebridge. Accusations of tax evasion have also been made in New Zealand and the United States.
Other controversies relate to LGBTQIA+ discrimination, the church’s influence in Australian and global politics, and allegations resulting from the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse.
The new Australian temples will be completed under a pall of critiques and accusations around church finances and other controversies. And while they might be briefly open to the public, their doors will just as quickly shut – adding more fuel to the speculation.
Brenton Griffin was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is no longer a practising member of the church. His current research is focused on the religion’s place in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, politics, and society from the nineteenth century to present.
– ref. Why the Mormon church is on an expansion project, with two secretive new temples planned for Australia – https://theconversation.com/why-the-mormon-church-is-on-an-expansion-project-with-two-secretive-new-temples-planned-for-australia-254217
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University
Home ownership in Australia was once regarded as proof of success in life. However, it remains elusive for many people today.
Prices have soared beyond wage growth, rents keep rising, and even some well-intentioned government initiatives, including those announced by Labor and the Coalition at their election campaign launches on the weekend, risk driving up demand.
The Grattan Institute says increasing housing supply is essential to maintain price stability over time, but notes we are not making enough progress.
Australia will miss its goal to build 1.2 million new homes within five years if we stick to the current housing policies and construction practices.
There is a wide range of reasons why Australia is failing to provide enough housing:
Fragmented policy approach: A national approach involving all levels of government aligning their policies, rules and regulations is needed.
Planning bottlenecks: Some projects face years of delay due to local council regulations and zoning requirements. The Productivity Commission has reported Australia’s planning system has excessive barriers to new projects, including medium-density developments.
Land release delays: State governments are slow to release new land for housing. This is often because of community opposition, political considerations and market dynamics. This results in limited availability, which leads to higher costs for land that can be developed.
Skills shortages: Recent immigration restrictions have worsened the shortage of skilled tradespeople in the residential construction sector.
Demand-side subsidies: Government programs, such as first home buyer grants, help some people buy homes. However, they also make housing less affordable because they can result in increased prices.
There are various changes that could be made without necessarily raising prices.
Duplication and logjams could be removed if a national housing strategy was introduced. This should integrate policies and regulations across federal, state and local jurisdictions.
Federal grants and incentives should be tied to states meeting targets for land release, re-zoning permits and streamlined approvals.
Using innovative construction technologies can cut construction time by as much as 50%. These include prefabricated and modular building parts, which are made in factories and later assembled at the construction site.
A government update of land use and zoning permits would make it easier and faster to build medium-density housing near transport and job hubs. This is a quick way to add dwellings without sprawl.
Governments could also offer tax or planning concessions for developments that lock in affordable rents. This would help create stable, long-term rental options.
Australia can get ideas for increasing housing supply without raising prices from the experience of other countries.
Through substantial investments in social housing, Finland has significantly reduced homelessness and created stable housing options for families with limited income.
Large-scale prefab public housing originated in Singapore decades ago as a method to accelerate construction timelines and reduce expenses. Prefabrication is only used in 8% of projects in Australia at the moment.
Sweden has adopted advanced modular construction techniques, which result in 80% of homes being built off-site.
Germany employs municipal-led housing associations along with rent controls to maintain price stability and tenant protection.
And in the UK, inclusionary zoning regulations mandate that new developments either contain affordable housing units or contribute to a fund that supports affordable housing in different locations. This helps create diverse housing options in most neighborhoods.
Significant reforms are needed – not election sweeteners. To make genuine progress, we need to invest heavily in modern construction techniques, transform housing approval processes and ensure states promptly release essential land.
The solution requires a coordinated response from federal, state and local governments. This would enable more Australians to obtain homeownership and secure rental options.
Our politicians must avoid short-term promises during elections because these threaten to return us to the destructive pattern of escalating prices and dissatisfied homebuyers. Long-term policy reform is what we need.
Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad has received funding from both national and international organisations to support research addressing housing and climate crises. His most recent funding on integrated housing and climate policy comes from the James Martin Institute for Public Policy (soon to be the Australian Public Policy Institute).
– ref. Why is it so hard for everyone to have a house in Australia? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-for-everyone-to-have-a-house-in-australia-254464
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Grant, Associate Professor in Finance, University of Sydney
Big promises on housing were at the centre of both major parties’ announcements at the official federal election campaign launches on the weekend.
Among the highlights, Labor pledged to build 100,000 new homes and extend a government-guaranteed 5% deposit scheme to all first home buyers. The Coalition promised to make interest payments on the first A$650,000 of a mortgage tax-deductible for up to five years, for eligible first home buyers purchasing new builds.
Amid this flurry of policies, it’s important we don’t forget another Coalition promise from earlier this month – lowering the 3% mortgage serviceability “buffer”.
Promising to help would-be homebuyers without access to the “bank of mum and dad”, the policy aims to make loans easier to get amid high interest rates and house prices. But it has also reignited debate over lending regulation.
What exactly does this buffer do, and what might we lose by lowering it?
Mortgage buffers are a risk management tool, regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
When banks assess a home loan, they don’t just check if you can repay it at today’s rate. They test whether you could still afford it if interest rates were higher.
Suppose a borrower in Sydney takes out a mortgage of $780,000 (around the average loan size). At a 6% interest rate, the monthly repayments over 30 years would be about $4,672.
Under the current serviceability buffer – three percentage points – banks assess whether this prospective borrower could still afford repayments if interest rates rose to 9%, which would increase their monthly repayments to around $6,270.
This buffer doesn’t increase the price the borrower actually pays. It simply ensures they have the capacity to service higher repayments if conditions worsen.
The last time mortgage rates were above 9% for an extended period (1996), Peter Dutton was in the Queensland Police Service, the Swans had lost the AFL Grand Final, and Oasis were about to cancel their Australian tour. Could history repeat itself?
APRA increased the serviceability buffer from 2.5% to 3% in late 2021. But at the time, Australia’s cash rate was very low, at just 0.1%. It’s now 4.1%.
Critics argue the buffer has become too restrictive now that rates are higher, locking out first home buyers and those without parental financial help.
The buffer can also act as a barrier to refinancing. Those who qualified for a loan when interest rates were low may no longer meet serviceability requirements under higher rates. Research suggests that removing refinancing barriers can reduce loan defaults and support household spending.
There are good reasons for the measures we have to protect borrowers from future shocks.
Reducing the buffer allows more borrowers to qualify for the same loan. But it also means there’s less built-in protection against future rate rises.
Research shows the risk of a borrower defaulting on their mortgage increases sharply when their loan-to-value ratio – the amount borrowed divided by the property’s purchase price – is above 75%, or where a borrower is spending two-thirds of their income on the mortgage.
But buffers also need to be set carefully, ensuring they don’t unnecessarily lock out creditworthy borrowers.
When considered together with the Coalition’s additional policies – to allow first home buyers to withdraw up to $50,000 from their superannuation for a home deposit and deduct mortgage payments from their taxable income – the implications become clearer.
Economic theory suggests that combined, such measures would move more borrowers closer to the margin of affordability.
Many would likely take on the maximum debt they could qualify for, leaving them highly exposed if economic or interest rate conditions deteriorate.
And the very borrowers likely to rely on superannuation withdrawals to fund their deposits are also those with limited savings and potentially high loan-to-value ratios. The borrowers most affected by the barrier are therefore among the most vulnerable to repayment stress.
There’s the obvious question of what reducing the barriers to borrowing would do to house prices, without a corresponding increase in supply.
Research has shown stricter borrower-level constraints are effective in slowing house price growth, especially during periods of rapid credit expansion.
These policies are most effective when targeted toward high-risk borrower groups such as first home buyers or those with high loan-to-valuation ratios.
Some economists argue buffers need not be static. Instead, they could be tightened during booms to prevent the housing market overheating, and eased during tougher times to avoid cutting off credit unnecessarily.
Serviceability buffers aren’t just bureaucratic hurdles. They are an unseen brake on unsustainable borrowing and a cushion against future shocks.
Borrower constraints don’t only reduce default risk – research shows they also redistribute credit more efficiently, shifting it away from overheated urban markets and toward lower-risk borrowers.
The first cut to the cash rate in nearly five years has eased Australian mortgage stress risk in the short term. With renewed borrowing appetite, the role of buffers becomes even more critical.
Removing them may help more people into homes in the short run, but it comes at the risk of greater pain later.
Andrew Grant has previously received funding from the Australian Institute of Credit Management and illion (Experian).
– ref. Would looser lending rules help more people buy a house – or just put them at risk? – https://theconversation.com/would-looser-lending-rules-help-more-people-buy-a-house-or-just-put-them-at-risk-253658
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cornelia Sattler, Research Fellow in Ecology & Videographer, Macquarie University
Australia’s honeybees are facing an exceptional crisis. The tiny but devastating foreign pest Varroa destructor is steadily spreading across the country.
The mite feeds on baby bees (larvae), weakening them. It can also spread viruses that eventually destroy entire bee colonies.
Efforts to contain its spread have failed, so it looks like Australia must learn to live
with this parasite.
What’s worse, Varroa destructor isn’t acting alone. In many parts of New South Wales, the mite’s arrival appears to have triggered a surge in another destructive pest: the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida).
A wet summer in the east has created ideal conditions for beetle outbreaks. This combination is putting enormous pressure on bees and beekeepers alike. Here’s how to help support the bee industry and, if you’re a backyard beekeeper, defend your hives against attack.
Varroa was first detected in Australia at the NSW Port of Newcastle in June 2022.
The mite is now widely established in NSW and in Queensland between Toowoomba and Brisbane.
It was detected in Victoria, North-West of Melbourne in February and the ACT earlier this month.
In September 2023, Australian authorities acknowledged eradication was no longer possible. The focus shifted to long-term management.
The varroa invasion appears to be making hives more susceptible to the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida). This species arrived in 2002.
The beetle thrives in warm, humid conditions and lays its eggs inside hives. The larvae feed on honey and wax, turning once-thriving hives into a foul, fermented mess. Beekeepers call this a “slime-out” — and it’s just as bad as it sounds.
A healthy bee colony can usually defend itself against beetles. But when bees are weakened by varroa mites, they’re far less capable of resisting a beetle invasion.
This deadly one-two punch has already devastated many beekeepers in NSW. One commercial beekeeper reported:
I had large infestations of mites. And then following the mite, I got the boom of the hive beetles. I probably lost 30 hives to beetles.
The number of registered recreational beekeepers in Australia is growing. In 2019, there were around 27,800 registered hobbyists. By 2023, that number had jumped to over 47,000. Backyard beekeepers also contribute A$260 million to the economy.
Varroa represents a major threat to every Australian honey producer, so here’s a few tips.
Inspect your hives at least once a month. If larvae appear to be tunnelling through honeycomb, or the honey appears fermented, these are signs beetles may be present.
It’s difficult to detect mites visually, especially when there are few mites present. That’s where monitoring techniques come in. Typically, 300 bees are placed in ethanol or icing sugar and shaken until mites fall off. This allows beekeepers to not only detect the mites but also to count them.
Report mites to the relevant state authorities. Failure to do so can result in fines.
Immediately treat the infested hive and move it at least ten metres away from any others.
Chemicals called miticides can kill varroa mites and knock the population down. But some beekeepers report side effects, including queen loss, so be prepared to replace queens.
Mites may develop resistance to these treatments over time, as one commercial beekeeper from NSW said:
We’ve experienced a lot of queenless hives. I don’t know whether that’s from treatments […] it might be just coincidence, but I’m hearing a lot of other beekeepers having the same problem.
Varroa mites feed on bee larvae, so caging the queen and taking a short break from brood production can reduce the mite population. Mites prefer male bee larvae, so removing these can help.
These control methods are effective, though labour-intensive, and potentially suitable for backyard beekeepers. They can lessen the need for chemical treatments — slowing the evolution of resistance to miticides.
To prevent your backyard hives being infested by mites or beetles:
keep colonies well fed, so they don’t rob other colonies and catch their parasites
help bees recognise hives, so they don’t enter the wrong colony with varroa mites on their back (paint hives, space them apart by a few meters, ideally 10m)
reduce the size of hive entrances to help bees block access to intruders
regularly check that your beetle traps are still working, as bees often block the holes that let the beetles into the traps with tree resin
fill the cracks where beetles hide.
Australians can support the nation’s beekeepers in a few simple ways. Buy 100% Australian honey and hive products from trusted, local sources.
Sugar can easily be swapped for honey in most recipes and honey is a great way to sweeten tea.
When substituting sugar for honey, it’s worth noting honey tastes sweeter so you might want to use less. Honey also contains 18% water, so you may need to reduce the amounts of other liquids in cake recipes accordingly.
Avoid imported honey and bee products to reduce the chance of bringing bee viruses into the country. Not all imported bee products are treated to kill bee viruses.
Finally, planting pollinator-friendly gardens helps to feed local bees.
As well as backyard hobbyists, Australia’s beekeeping community includes 1,872 large-scale commercial beekeepers.
Many fear mites will push beekeepers out of business. Protecting the industry requires a shift in mindset, from emergency response to long-term pest management.
With good science, community support and adaptive management, beekeepers — both commercial and backyard — can weather the storm.
Cornelia Sattler receives funding from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation to develop non-chemical varroa control methods.
Théotime Colin receives funding from the Australian Research Council, through an Early Career Industry Fellowship to develop non-chemical varroa control methods. He also receives funding from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation.
– ref. Australian honeybees are under attack by mites and beetles. Here’s how to keep your backyard hive safe – https://theconversation.com/australian-honeybees-are-under-attack-by-mites-and-beetles-heres-how-to-keep-your-backyard-hive-safe-253947
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Guastella, Professor and Clinical Psychologist, Michael Crouch Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health, University of Sydney
When parents are concerned about their child’s development, they often seek an assessment to address concerns and identify any conditions, such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or learning disorders.
Common worries include difficulties making friends, focusing on tasks, or meeting educational goals.
It might seem counter-intuitive but assessments are starting to focus on a child’s strengths during this process. This can create powerful opportunities to improve child and family outcomes, particularly when too much of the focus is on challenges in the family home, school and play settings.
There is, however, a lack of evidence about how to do such assessments and how certain strengths can be used in assessment.
In a new research paper, we have developed a strengths checklist for parents, carers and clinicians to more easily identify children’s skills, talents and positive qualities – and understand the type of support they need at home, school or socially.
The aim was to provide an easy way for parents and clinicians to identify strengths in children, and to provide a method for studying the role of strengths in development. This assessment can be used alongside more established assessments of challenges.
Focusing on a child’s strengths can have a powerful impact on children and parents. It can boost a child’s motivation, self-esteem, cognitive skills, language development, problem-solving abilities and build stronger relationships.
For parents and caregivers, it can increase their own feelings of self-worth and improve the quality of their relationship with their own children.
When parents and caregivers believe in their child’s abilities and encourage their strengths, children and families thrive.
However, there are many gaps in research about how to apply a strengths-based approach in the context of a neurodevelopmental assessment.
Currently, while the basic principle of incorporating strengths is clear, clinicians need to rely on intuition and creativity to guide their practices.
We have long needed better evidence-based methods to guide this.
Our new study used the Sydney Child Neurodevelopment Research Registry, which aims to improve the neurodevelopmental assessment processes and the evidence for what works for families and clinicians. We asked caregivers to identify their child’s strengths on their first assessment visit.
Nearly 700 caregivers reported an average of 2.8 strengths about their children. Using these themes, we developed a child strengths checklist to use for clinical assessments.
We showed caregivers identified six categories of child strengths: cognitive and intellectual, social and interpersonal, hobbies and passions, character and personality, physical, and resilient behaviours.
Some caregivers might report that while their child had difficulty with peer interactions, they were also kind, affectionate, honest and caring.
Other caregivers described concerns about cognitive delays, but they also described how children persevered and persisted with tasks.
Analysing the data qualitatively – where we read caregiver transcripts and extracted themes – we captured the richness and detail of unique strengths. In total, we identified 61 unique strengths.
With community representatives and clinicians, we used this to develop a strengths-based checklist we’re calling the Child Autism and Neurodevelopment Strengths Checklist, or the CANS checklist.
This type of research will provide the evidence needed to be able to implement national guidelines and to develop better evidence about how strengths can be used to improve outcomes. We want to develop best practices for combining concerns and strengths into feedback, support plans and intervention strategies.
Support schemes including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) often require families to highlight what children can’t do. Still, there are some practical ways caregivers and clinicians can ensure a child’s strengths are kept front and centre.
For caregivers, along with discussing concerns, reflect on and talk with your clinicians about your child’s strengths. Make sure clinicians keep these in mind when devising supports.
For both caregivers and clinicians, it can be helpful to think about characteristics often seen as challenges – such as a strong need for routine – as also potential strengths. It may lead to new ways of supporting children. With the right environment and support, these traits can be valuable assets in a child’s development.
For clinicians, consider how a child’s strengths can inform your assessment and intervention strategies. Make sure you don’t only focus on what children can’t do or need support with.
Communicate clearly about the child’s strengths and consider how these strengths can:
support the child’s long-term development and goals. If the child thrives on routine and pays close attention to details, showing them how to embrace these strengths can teach them how to use them to reach their own goals and to be more independent
be the target of an intervention. Everyone needs to experience success. Designing activities around strengths can make intervention more enjoyable and engaging, and the effects are more likely to be long-lasting
be used to support the wellbeing of families. Helping families focus on each other’s strengths and improve the way family members talk about and support one another creates a positive environment where they can all feel valued, respected and cared for.
By focusing on strengths, we want to create more effective and personalised support for children with neurodevelopmental conditions to reach their full potential.
Building a strong, evidence-based approach will help ensure children’s strengths are consistently considered in assessments and intervention planning.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Focusing on a child’s strengths can transform assessments – and help them thrive after an ADHD or autism diagnosis – https://theconversation.com/focusing-on-a-childs-strengths-can-transform-assessments-and-help-them-thrive-after-an-adhd-or-autism-diagnosis-250640
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McDonald, Honorary Professor of Demography, Centre for Health Policy, The University of Melbourne
Immigration is shaping as one of the most potent policy issues of the election campaign.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has announced a Coalition government would cut the two major migration programs – permanent and net overseas. He has directly linked the number of people coming into the country to high house prices, which feeds into the election’s hot button issue of cost of living:
the first and foremost interest in mind is to get young Australians into housing.
But will cutting immigration help fix the housing crisis? Or is this a smokescreen for other problems with the migration system that are not being addressed by the major parties?
The Coalition is campaigning on its plans to reduce the Permanent Migration Program, from 185,000 a year to 140,000.
This is the wrong time to make such a large cut. Permanent migration, more than temporary, is critical for Australia’s economic growth. It also helps offset the ageing of the population.
For its part, Labor failed to include the permanent migration number in last month’s budget, so we have no idea about its plans if it is re-elected.
It is best for our economy when the annual migration intake is between 160,000 and 220,000. From the Gillard government until today, the Permanent Migration Program has been set by governments of both shades within that range.
Th Coalition’s proposed cut is problematic because extreme pressure is building in two visa categories that have close to 100% grant rates: Partners and Children in the Family stream and Employer Sponsored workers in the Skill stream.
If recent experience is anything to go by, the number of applications lodged by family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents will skyrocket to 110,000 by June 30. It is important to note this category is largely demand-driven. These family members have a right to permanent residence under Section 87 of The Migration Act.
Demand is also exploding in the visa category that allows employers to address labour shortages, which has a grant rate of over 98%. Almost 100,000 applications are expected in 2024–25. However, only 44,000 places have been allocated. Employers are going to be very unhappy whichever side is elected.
Given the pent-up demand, the Coalition is avoiding the tricky questions about which parts of the Permanent Program it would cut and by how much. Labor is shirking the issue altogether by not providing any target.
Dutton’s planned reduction to permanent migration numbers would have only a small impact on housing. In a normal year, 60% of grantees are already living in Australia. They won’t be adding to housing demand, because they are already here.
The other major category, Net Overseas Migration, includes temporary arrivals – mainly skilled workers, working holiday makers and international students. Treasury estimates 260,000 migrants in this category in 2025–26
Dutton says the Coalition would cut this number by 100,000 people and would do it “straight away, once we get into government”.
But this number is not achievable, at least not “straight away”. Arrivals can be lowered. But the number of departures will be way too low to reach the target.
The category has already fallen by 100,000 in each of the past two years. It will continue to decline gradually over the next couple of years, but not nearly as fast as the Coalition target requires.
The number of departures has been low due to the surge in temporary migrants that followed the COVID border closures. The majority of these people have valid visas until at least 2027–28. Only then, is there likely to be a flow of migrants leaving Australia.
Dutton should have said a Coalition government would reach this target in its third year, not its first. But this would not have suited the false argument that net overseas migration has a big impact on housing affordability. It’s spurious because net overseas migration largely consists of temporary residents who rarely buy houses. And both major parties have policies banning temporary residents from purchasing established properties.
New temporary migrants do have an impact on rental demand, but it’s highly localised near universities and along public transport routes. Even this demand is somewhat muted. According to 2021 Census data, a large minority (30–40%) of students and working holiday makers live in specialist accommodation or in very large households.
Australia is facing an estimated shortfall of 130,000 housing construction workers. Both sides of politics are taking worthwhile steps to expand the number of apprentices. But the apprenticeship route is slow and likely to fall short of requirements.
We need more skilled tradies from overseas, but it’s not happening due to obstacles in the migration system. Neither side of politics seems to be looking for creative solutions. Certainly, cutting the Permanent Program is not the answer.
Another major issue is the difficulty successive governments have had in getting people to leave Australia once all their options to remain have been exhausted.
As of January 2025, there were 92,000 individuals who had been refused a final Protection Visa, but had not yet departed. This number accumulated under the previous Morrison government and has continued to expand under Labor.
Undue panic over the level of net overseas migration in an election context has made a mess of Australian migration policy.
This is evidenced by the policy shambles over international education. The major parties both have plans to limit the number of foreign students, but the cap in both cases is not much below pre-COVID enrolments.
On a more positive note, both sides of politics should be commended for not allowing racism and the “otherness” of migrants to enter the debate.
But it’s time to drop the fantasy that cutting migration will help young Australians enter the housing market. This a blatant distraction from the real and tangible problems with the migration system that must be dealt with by whoever wins on May 3.
This is the seventh article in our special series, Australia’s Policy Challenges. You can read the other articles here
Peter McDonald has received funding from the Australian Research Council and from the Department of Home Affairs (including its predecessors) for studies of migration issues, but not in the past decade.
– ref. Cutting migrant numbers won’t help housing – the real immigration problems not being tackled this election – https://theconversation.com/cutting-migrant-numbers-wont-help-housing-the-real-immigration-problems-not-being-tackled-this-election-250646
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, John Curtin Distinguished Professor & ARC Future Fellow, Curtin University
As the election campaign rolls on, housing has been, unsurprisingly, a major campaign focus. We’ve seen a series of housing policy announcements from across the political spectrum, including duelling announcements from the major parties in recent days.
Labor will expand access to their Help to Buy and Home Gurantee schemes by either raising or removing income limits and price caps.
The Liberals will allow first homebuyers to access their super for housing and deduct mortgage repayments from their income tax, while lowering the mortgage serviceability buffer.
While the politicians make big promises, it’s worth thinking about what evidence shows would actually make a meaningful difference. We have five ideas.
It’s old news that we have a significant housing affordability problem in Australia.
Between 2004 and 2024, the national dwelling price to income ratio climbed rapidly from five to eight, hitting ten in Sydney.
Advertised rents have climbed by more than 20% since the start of COVID.
The public housing waitlist is around 170,000 households, and the number of homeless persons rose from 95,000 to 122,000 in the two decades to 2021.
Policies of the past decade have not worked, and in some cases they’ve made it worse. So what would help?
When we talk of the affordability crisis, what we’re really talking about is a complicated cluster of interrelated problems that make housing unaffordable to buy, build and rent.
Unaffordable housing comes from the interaction between the global economy, interest rates, inefficiencies in our construction and planning systems, as well as the outcomes of poor government policies. We should be wary of hitching our wagon to any of these alone.
Reform of the planning system, for example, is held up by some as the simple solution. While the planning system needs to be improved, it does not make up the entirety of the housing production pipeline – and it’s definitely not a magical solution.
Equal attention needs to be given to workforce shortages, productivity concerns in the construction industry, development financial risk and developer behaviour. These are all arguably as important as planning in delivering new supply.
Many major housing policy announcements are either supply-focused or demand-focused. What Australia needs are coherent and integrated policy packages addressing both sides of the problem at the same time.
During this election campaign, both major parties have made a series of demand-boosting policy announcements in rapid succession, designed to put more cash into the hands of first homebuyers.
All these measures will further fuel increases in house prices at a pace that income growth cannot match.
It is true both parties have proposed supply measures, such as Labor’s plan to build 100,000 new homes exclusively for first homebuyers.
However, supply lags mean these houses will not be delivered in time to offset any rise in demand (and price) from the expansion of the demand-boosting schemes.
The shortfall of dwellings in Australia is certainly a problem, but even an ambitious construction target is likely to add only about 2% to our existing stock each year.
We need to look to the homes already built and how they can better meet demand. This might include measures to promote granny flats, or enable additional subdivision.
Too many housing programs are poorly targeted. We need to zero in on those in housing need. We shouldn’t be providing assistance to those who don’t need it.
Policymakers need to confront the targeting errors that afflict their proposed plans.
Currently, 11% of aspiring first homebuyers are able to meet deposit and repayment requirements to purchase a home.
Labor’s plan to lift the income limits and caps on available places will open up the scheme to many homebuyers who don’t need government-funded assistance for a home purchase.
The Liberals’ super for housing plan will also benefit higher-income and older groups.
As we live longer, policymakers must embrace the challenge of meeting the housing needs of multiple generations. This co-existence in society is the new normal.
For instance, economists have consistently called for the abolition of stamp duties in home purchases, favouring instead a broad-based land tax. This removes a major upfront sum that would otherwise be paid by both young people looking to buy their first home and older “empty nesters” looking to downsize.
Read more:
25 years into a new century and housing is less affordable than ever
Stamp duty is a major revenue source for state and territory governments. This reform needs Australian government financial support as we move to a more affordable future. Australia’s reliance on stamp duty is second only to South Korea among OECD countries.
But even if stamp duties are not abolished, we could better use this revenue to meet housing needs, including building additional social housing, bolstering homelessness services and constructing new housing infrastructure.
At the end of the day, it’s worth remembering that housing isn’t all about supply, buildings, investment and construction. Our housing is also where we live, sleep and grow old.
Our population aren’t just passive players in the housing system, they actively shape it, in their choices to buy housing, to rent, seek out major cities and renovate.
By demonstrating, de-risking, and promoting a broader range of housing options (such as making rental an attractive lifetime tenure, expanding shared equity options, or championing advances in modular and prefabricated construction), governments can shape demand towards more affordable homes.
Rachel Ong ViforJ is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project FT200100422). She also receives funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
Andrew Beer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the City of Lithgow.
Emma Baker receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
– ref. Amid the election promises, what would actually help ‘fix’ the housing crisis? Here are 5 ideas – https://theconversation.com/amid-the-election-promises-what-would-actually-help-fix-the-housing-crisis-here-are-5-ideas-253332
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nikki-Anne Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), UNSW Sydney
In the 21st century, digital technology has changed many aspects of our lives. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest newcomer, with chatbots and other AI tools changing how we learn and creating considerable philosophical and legal challenges regarding what it means to “outsource thinking”.
But the emergence of technology that changes the way we live is not a new issue. The change from analogue to digital technology began around the 1960s and this “digital revolution” is what brought us the internet. An entire generation of people who lived and worked through this evolution are now entering their early 80s.
So what can we learn from them about the impact of technology on the ageing brain? A comprehensive new study from researchers at the University of Texas and Baylor University in the United States provides important answers.
Published today in Nature Human Behaviour, it found no supporting evidence for the “digital dementia” hypothesis. In fact, it found the use of computers, smartphones and the internet among people over 50 might actually be associated with lower rates of cognitive decline.
Much has been written about the potential negative impact from technology on the human brain.
According to the “digital dementia” hypothesis introduced by German neuroscientist and psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer in 2012, increased use of digital devices has resulted in an over-reliance on technology. In turn, this has weakened our overall cognitive ability.
Three areas of concern regarding the use of technology have previously been noted:
An increase in passive screen time. This refers to technology use which does not require significant thought or participation, such as watching TV or scrolling social media.
Offloading cognitive abilities to technology, such as no longer memorising phone numbers because they are kept in our contact list.
Increased susceptibility to distraction.
We know technology can impact how our brain develops. But the effect of technology on how our brain ages is less understood.
This new study by neuropsychologists Jared Benge and Michael Scullin is important because it examines the impact of technology on older people who have experienced significant changes in the way they use technology across their life.
The new study performed what is known as a meta-analysis where the results of many previous studies are combined. The authors searched for studies examining technology use in people aged over 50 and examined the association with cognitive decline or dementia. They found 57 studies which included data from more than 411,000 adults. The included studies measured cognitive decline based on lower performance on cognitive tests or a diagnosis of dementia.
Overall, the study found greater use of technology was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Statistical tests were used to determine the “odds” of having cognitive decline based on exposure to technology. An odds ratio under 1 indicates a reduced risk from exposure and the combined odds ratio in this study was 0.42. This means higher use of technology was associated with a 58% risk reduction for cognitive decline.
This benefit was found even when the effect of other things known to contribute to cognitive decline, such as socioeconomic status and other health factors, were accounted for.
Interestingly, the magnitude of the effect of technology use on brain function found in this study was similar or stronger than other known protective factors, such as physical activity (approximately a 35% risk reduction), or maintaining a healthy blood pressure (approximately a 13% risk reduction).
However, it is important to understand that there are far more studies conducted over many years examining the benefits of managing blood pressure and increasing physical activty, and the mechanisms through which they help protect our brains are far more understood.
It is also a lot easier to measure blood pressure than it is use of technology. A strength of this study is that it considered these difficulties by focusing on certain aspects of technology use but excluded others such as brain training games.
These findings are encouraging. But we still can’t say technology use causes better cognitive function. More research is needed to see if these findings are replicated in different groups of people (especially those from low and middle income countries) who were underrepresented in this study, and to understand why this relationship might occur.
In reality, it’s simply not feasible to live in the world today without using some form of technology. Everything from paying bills to booking our next holiday is now almost completely done online. Maybe we should instead be thinking about how we use technology.
Cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, learning a new language and playing music – particularly in early adulthood – can help protect our brains as we age.
Greater engagement with technology across our lifespan may be a form of stimulating our memory and thinking, as we adapt to new software updates or learn how to use a new smartphone. It has been suggested this “technological reserve” may be good for our brains.
Technology may also help us to stay socially connected, and help us stay independent for longer.
While findings from this study show it’s unlikely all digital technology is bad for us, the way we interact and rely on it is rapidly changing
The impact of AI on the ageing brain will only become evident in future decades. However, our ability to adapt to historical technological innovations, and the potential for this to support cognitive function, suggests the future may not be all bad.
For example, advances in brain-computer interfaces offer new hope for those experiencing the impact of neurological disease or disability.
However, the potential downsides of technology are real, particularly for younger people, including poor mental health. Future research will help determine how we can capture the benefits of technology while limiting the potential for harm.
Nikki-Anne Wilson has previously received funding from the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute and the Australian Association of Gerontology.
– ref. New study finds no evidence technology causes ‘digital dementia’ in older people – https://theconversation.com/new-study-finds-no-evidence-technology-causes-digital-dementia-in-older-people-254392
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, John Curtin Distinguished Professor & ARC Future Fellow, Curtin University
As the election campaign rolls on, housing has been, unsurprisingly, a major campaign focus. We’ve seen a series of housing policy announcements from across the political spectrum, including duelling announcements from the major parties in recent days.
Labor will expand access to their Help to Buy and Home Gurantee schemes by either raising or removing income limits and price caps.
The Liberals will allow first homebuyers to access their super for housing and deduct mortgage repayments from their income tax, while lowering the mortgage serviceability buffer.
While the politicians make big promises, it’s worth thinking about what evidence shows would actually make a meaningful difference. We have five ideas.
It’s old news that we have a significant housing affordability problem in Australia.
Between 2004 and 2024, the national dwelling price to income ratio climbed rapidly from five to eight, hitting ten in Sydney.
Advertised rents have climbed by more than 20% since the start of COVID.
The public housing waitlist is around 170,000 households, and the number of homeless persons rose from 95,000 to 122,000 in the two decades to 2021.
Policies of the past decade have not worked, and in some cases they’ve made it worse. So what would help?
When we talk of the affordability crisis, what we’re really talking about is a complicated cluster of interrelated problems that make housing unaffordable to buy, build and rent.
Unaffordable housing comes from the interaction between the global economy, interest rates, inefficiencies in our construction and planning systems, as well as the outcomes of poor government policies. We should be wary of hitching our wagon to any of these alone.
Reform of the planning system, for example, is held up by some as the simple solution. While the planning system needs to be improved, it does not make up the entirety of the housing production pipeline – and it’s definitely not a magical solution.
Equal attention needs to be given to workforce shortages, productivity concerns in the construction industry, development financial risk and developer behaviour. These are all arguably as important as planning in delivering new supply.
Many major housing policy announcements are either supply-focused or demand-focused. What Australia needs are coherent and integrated policy packages addressing both sides of the problem at the same time.
During this election campaign, both major parties have made a series of demand-boosting policy announcements in rapid succession, designed to put more cash into the hands of first homebuyers.
All these measures will further fuel increases in house prices at a pace that income growth cannot match.
It is true both parties have proposed supply measures, such as Labor’s plan to build 100,000 new homes exclusively for first homebuyers.
However, supply lags mean these houses will not be delivered in time to offset any rise in demand (and price) from the expansion of the demand-boosting schemes.
The shortfall of dwellings in Australia is certainly a problem, but even an ambitious construction target is likely to add only about 2% to our existing stock each year.
We need to look to the homes already built and how they can better meet demand. This might include measures to promote granny flats, or enable additional subdivision.
Too many housing programs are poorly targeted. We need to zero in on those in housing need. We shouldn’t be providing assistance to those who don’t need it.
Policymakers need to confront the targeting errors that afflict their proposed plans.
Currently, 11% of aspiring first homebuyers are able to meet deposit and repayment requirements to purchase a home.
Labor’s plan to lift the income limits and caps on available places will open up the scheme to many homebuyers who don’t need government-funded assistance for a home purchase.
The Liberals’ super for housing plan will also benefit higher-income and older groups.
As we live longer, policymakers must embrace the challenge of meeting the housing needs of multiple generations. This co-existence in society is the new normal.
For instance, economists have consistently called for the abolition of stamp duties in home purchases, favouring instead a broad-based land tax. This removes a major upfront sum that would otherwise be paid by both young people looking to buy their first home and older “empty nesters” looking to downsize.
Read more:
25 years into a new century and housing is less affordable than ever
Stamp duty is a major revenue source for state and territory governments. This reform needs Australian government financial support as we move to a more affordable future. Australia’s reliance on stamp duty is second only to South Korea among OECD countries.
But even if stamp duties are not abolished, we could better use this revenue to meet housing needs, including building additional social housing, bolstering homelessness services and constructing new housing infrastructure.
At the end of the day, it’s worth remembering that housing isn’t all about supply, buildings, investment and construction. Our housing is also where we live, sleep and grow old.
Our population aren’t just passive players in the housing system, they actively shape it, in their choices to buy housing, to rent, seek out major cities and renovate.
By demonstrating, de-risking, and promoting a broader range of housing options (such as making rental an attractive lifetime tenure, expanding shared equity options, or championing advances in modular and prefabricated construction), governments can shape demand towards more affordable homes.
Rachel Ong ViforJ is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project FT200100422). She also receives funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
Andrew Beer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the City of Lithgow.
Emma Baker receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
– ref. Amid the election promises, what would actually help ‘fix’ the housing crisis? Here’s 5 ideas – https://theconversation.com/amid-the-election-promises-what-would-actually-help-fix-the-housing-crisis-heres-5-ideas-253332
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