NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Security of payment: preventing enforcement of adjudicated amounts to contractors in precarious financial positions

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Stays granted even if contractors are not insolvent 6 min read

    The Queensland Supreme Court has granted a stay preventing enforcement of a judgment debt obtained by a contractor in reliance upon an adjudication decision pursuant to the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld) (BIF Act).

    In this Insight, we consider Taringa Property Group Pty Ltd v Kenik Pty Ltd [2024] QSC 327 and similar cases in NSW and Victoria, with a focus on two key questions:

    • can contractors in liquidation benefit from security of payment legislation?
    • how do courts approach stay applications made by the principal where the contractor is solvent, but in a precarious financial position?

    Key takeaways 

    • Taringa Property Group is a welcome development for principals in Queensland as it lays the foundation for seeking a stay, even when a contractor is not in liquidation.
    • Insolvency remains a major challenge for contractors, who may now experience more difficulties in enforcing payment of adjudicated amounts which can, in turn, exacerbate cash flow problems.
    • Courts maintain a wide discretion and will consider each stay application on its own facts and circumstances—however, a major consideration is how long the stay will likely be.
    • We expect to see an increase in security of payment adjudication and related court litigation as a result of the likely reforms in Victoria.

    Taringa Property Group Pty Ltd v Kenik Pty Ltd [2024] QSC 327

    TPG (Principal) engaged Kenik (Contractor) to design and construct a retail complex at Taringa.

    The contract ended in August 2023 and the Contractor made a final payment claim in September 2023 for $9.7 million. Following the Principal issuing a payment schedule (with a scheduled amount of nil), the Contractor made an adjudication application under the BIF Act, where the adjudicator awarded the Contractor $4.2 million. The Contractor obtained judgment in respect of the adjudicated amount.

    The Principal commenced two applications in the Queensland Supreme Court:

    • First, seeking to have the adjudication decision declared void for jurisdictional error or, in the alternative, a stay of the judgment debt.
    • Second, seeking final relief relating to the contract (specifically, that the Contractor is not entitled to retain the adjudicated amount).

    The court warned that considerable caution should be given to the granting of the stay as it detracts from the primary purpose of the BIF Act in enabling a contractor to be paid.1 Any risk of non‑recovery of payments made under the BIF Act as a consequence of the financial failure of the contractor after the receipt of the BIF payment is generally to lie with the principal.2

    The court gave three examples of circumstances of when a stay might be granted:3

    • where the contractor has taken steps to make the task of recovering any BIF payment more difficult for the principal by way of restructuring its financial affairs;
    • where the contractor engages in tactics to delay the resolution of the substantive proceeding;4 or
    • where the contractor is in liquidation or in some form of external administration due to liquidity issues at the time the BIF payment would otherwise be made.

    Essentially, there needs to be a real risk that the Principal will suffer prejudice or damage if a stay is not granted. However, Justice Hindman rejected the proposition that the risk must reach the level of certainty before a stay might be granted—in other words, the threshold is not so high that the contractor must actually be in external administration or must be positively proved to be hopelessly or otherwise insolvent.5

    Justice Hindman found ‘undisputed’ evidence of serious financial instability and that, if a stay is granted, the Contractor is most likely to financially fail.6 It was further observed that, even if it received the adjudicated amount, the Contractor was still likely to go into external administration as it would be insufficient to satisfy its debts.

    The court concluded that if the stay was refused, there would be a very high risk that the Contractor would not be able to repay the adjudicated amount should the Principal succeed in its claim for final relief. The practical effect of refusing the stay would be to transform the Contractor’s interim entitlement under the BIF Act into a final payment, unable to be recovered by the Principal, and at odds with the intended operation of the BIF Act.

    In a separate proceeding following this decision, a creditor of the Contractor successfully obtained an order that the Contractor be wound up.7

    The decision is currently under appeal.

    Discussion 

    Insolvency has been a major challenge for contractors, who are experiencing obstacles at every turn—high inflation, regulatory reforms, supply-chain issues, delayed effects of the pandemic, labour shortages etc. The main purpose of the BIF Act (and equivalent acts) is to help contractors be paid for the work they do, so stays to delay payment to contractors may have significant consequences and could potentially increase insolvency rates in the industry.

    New South Wales

    Since 2019, NSW has had a prohibition on companies in liquidation using the security of payment process8—the only jurisdiction in Australia to have such an express carveout. Companies in liquidation may not serve or enforce payment claims, or make applications for adjudication of a payment claim.

    Where contractors are not in liquidation, courts have been cautious in light of the policy of the statute and have undertaken a close analysis of the extent or certainty of the risk of prejudice or damage if a stay is not granted. Nevertheless, courts have been ready and willing to grant stays if the failure to do so would have the practical effect of making permanent that which, clearly enough, the legislature intended to be only interim.9

    Recently, the NSW Supreme Court noted that, although it does make it harder to obtain a stay when the contractor is not in liquidation, it by no means follows that a stay cannot be obtained unless it is.10

    The court further observed that:

    ‘up to a point, the more financial difficulty the contractor is in, the less reason there is for granting a stay, as the more likely it will be that the grant of such a stay will result in the contractor being deprived of the cashflow which is needed to sustain its operations. It is only when insolvency becomes inevitable, or at least highly probable, that the dynamics reverse because of the possibility that an interim payment will effectively become final.’11

    Indeed, in another recent decision, the court considered that even a ‘significant risk’ was not sufficiently certain of financial difficulty such that a stay should be granted.12 We note, however, in that case the contractor continued to trade, unlike the contractor in Taringa Property Group.

    The decision in Taringa Property Group, although the first of its kind in Queensland, is consistent with the approach taken in NSW.

    Victoria

    Victorian principals can still run the argument that contractors in liquidation may not use the payment regime, though this is unlikely to be without serious consideration by the courts due to conflicting decisions on this issue.13

    There is also a question of whether, in seeking a stay against a contractor who is not in liquidation, a principal is required to show that there is more than a real risk the contractor would not be able to repay the adjudicated amount in order to succeed.14

    At least one decision has granted such a stay, without requiring that higher standard.15 In that case, the stay was justified—save the fact of the parlous financial circumstances of the contractor—on the basis that it would be limited in time, and therefore minimal in the prejudice it caused the contractor.16 The likely takeaway is that, where the court is able to grant the stay on conditions or for a limited time period, application of a higher standard in the form of more than a real risk may be less relevant.

    On a wider note, principals in Victoria should be prepared to engage in more and broader adjudications in the near future as a result of the likely reforms to the current Victorian act. Consequently, it is expected that there will be an increase in proceedings seeking final determination of rights under contract and corresponding stay applications.

    To read more about Victoria’s proposed reforms, including the removal of Victoria’s unique ‘excluded amounts’ regime, removal of the concept of ‘reference dates’, an introduction of a blackout period and the introduction of a new provision allowing notice-based time bars to be declared unfair, see Government support for security of payment reform in Victoria.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Urban juniors compete in the 2025 State Championships

    Source:

    2025 Championships winners team Melton

    The Urban Juniors battled it out over the weekend (22-23 March) in the 2025 CFA/VFBV State Firefighter Championships with ‘Melton A’ once again taking reign in Mooroopna.

    Thousands gathered for the historic event and were welcomed to the competition with an opening parade, remarks from CFA Board Chair Jo Plummer and VFBV State President Samantha Collins, before the event was officially opened by Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward MP.

    The Urban Junior competition kicked off around 9.30am on Saturday 22 March and concluded in the afternoon of Sunday 23 March, with the ‘Melton A’ team crowned Urban Junior champions for the fifth year in a row, making it their sixth overall win in seven years.

    Melton Fire Brigade 2nd lieutenant Bailey Rhodes took over the role as coach of Melton A from his father Anthony who had been in the role for around 20 years.

    Bailey who led the winning team, alongside his brother Cooper and brigade member Denzel as assistant coaches, said the victory was very emotional after a rocky start to the competition over the weekend.

    “The team struggled in the first few events but the comeback was incredible to watch,” Bailey said.

    “I shed a few tears after the last event which we had to win to win the championship, I’m not usually an emotional person but I’m immensely proud of the juniors and all their hard work.

    “The team has been training since last October around 4 hours a week. It’s also nice to see so many siblings and family connections to Melton Fire Brigade in the team.

    “The Championships are all I’ve known since I was born, I’ve watched Dad run in them for many years and competed with my whole family, so to take reign of the team and see them put in all the hard work is an honour to be a part of and a moment I’ll never forget.”

    The Junior Championships was a weekend full of traditions and some surprises, with Stawell being announced as the new location for the State Firefighter Championships next year.

    Stawell Captain Mal Nicholson said the brigade is chuffed to have the championships move to their town in 2026.

    “We ran the State Championships in Stawell in 1995, 2000 and 2006 so it will be great to have people back in the town, supporting the area especially after the bushfires over the Christmas period,” Mal said.

    “The Championships are also a great opportunity to showcase the area and local community to several other CFA volunteers from across the state.

    “We are a strong brigade with over 40 members and more than 200 call-outs per year.

    “We know the Stawell community and Northern Grampians Shire will get behind us to make the 2026 State Championships a fantastic event. See you all in Stawell next year!”

    Chief Officer Jason Heffernan congratulated all the competitors and thanked those who worked hard behind the scenes in the lead up and during the event.

    “It was fantastic to see the juniors battle it out over the weekend but more importantly, it’s great seeing the camaraderie between brigades and the skills of our future firefighters being showcased to thousands of spectators,” Jason said.

    “I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend for the final weekend of competition. May the best team win!”

    Grand Aggregate result

    1st place: Melton A – 80 points

    2nd place: Echuca A – 73 points

    3rd place: Grovedale – 48 points

    A full list of results can be found on the VFBV website. Members can find out more information on the Urban Senior, Rural Junior and Senior State Firefighter Championships taking place next weekend at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/champs.

    Keep up to date with everything that’s happening across the event on our CFA Champs Facebook page.

    The 2025 State Firefighter Championships are supported by the Victorian Government.

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: This might be the most important thing the Government does

    Source: ACT Party

    Welcoming Cabinet’s agreement on the shape of laws to replace the Resource Management Act, ACT Leader David Seymour says:

    “Ditching the RMA and passing new laws centred on property rights might be the most important thing the Government does.

    “Why can’t young New Zealanders afford homes? Why are power bills so high? Why can’t I buy McDonald’s in Wanaka? Each question has a common answer.

    “The Resource Management Act is a 913-page monstrosity that has strangled New Zealand’s development potential. The RMA empowers objectors from any part of the country to block us from building homes, wastewater treatment plants, power plants, and roads.

    “ACT has been beating this drum for more than a decade. I remember campaigning on it before I first entered Parliament in 2014. There’s been plenty of tinkering round the edges since the Act was passed in 1991, but only now are we seeing wholesale reform, delivered by ACT’s Simon Court alongside Chris Bishop.

    “The reforms announced today are based on ACT’s 2022 paper, Building New Zealand and Conserving Nature. By refocusing resource management on the protection of individual property rights, we dramatically reduce the range of people who can interfere with the use of someone else’s land.

    “One law will govern urban development and planning, while the other will protect the environment. It’s never made sense that the same laws that protect Fiordland National Park also determine whether a horse paddock in Helensville can have two homes built on it.

    “The legacy of these reforms will be more productive activity, more high-paying jobs, and affordable housing. That’s how we give young Kiwis confidence to build families and futures here in New Zealand, and I’m very proud of the role ACT and Simon Court have played.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Mark Riley, Weekend Sunrise, Channel 7

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Mark Riley:

    Treasurer, thank you for speaking to Weekend Sunrise.

    Jim Chalmers:

    Thanks very much, Mark.

    Riley:

    About your fourth budget, quite a feat in itself. The energy rebate extension, $150, half the amount of the first rebate. Why?

    Chalmers:

    This is hip pocket help for households, and that’s because we know that the cost of living is front of mind for most Australians and it’s front and centre in the Budget. This is another 2 quarters of energy bill relief, which recognises that even with all the progress we’ve made together on inflation, people are still under pressure and the Budget is designed to respond to that.

    Riley:

    Does that mean that after these 2 quarters, say the end of the year, people won’t need further assistance on their energy bills, they’ll start coming down?

    Chalmers:

    It means that there’s another 6 months worth of assistance and relief. We’ve provided 2 rounds of energy bill relief already. That’s played a really important role, taking some of the edge off these cost‑of‑living pressures.

    What we’ve tried to do here, in the most responsible way that we can, is to continue that for another 6 months. $150 off people’s power bills, more hip pocket help for households, because we know people still need it.

    Riley:

    Will you review it after that 6 months and see if it’s needed for another 6 months?

    Chalmers:

    Yeah, we keep these cost‑of‑living measures under more or less constant review. One of the defining features of the first 3 budgets, and will be again in the fourth, is doing what we responsibly can to help people with the cost of living. We know, as I said, that cost of living is front of mind for a lot of people and that’s why it’s front and centre in the Budget.

    Riley:

    So, this isn’t all the cost‑of‑living relief in the Budget? There will be more?

    Chalmers:

    We’ve already made it clear last Thursday, the Prime Minister announced that we’ll make medicines cheaper as well. What people will see on Tuesday night is really that the primary focus of the government’s fourth Budget, just like the first 3, is easing cost‑of‑living pressures, but also at the same time as we strengthen our economy and make it more resilient in the face of all of this global economic uncertainty.

    Riley:

    So, a couple of things have been suggested. Household battery subsidies for people to install them in their homes. Is that on the cards?

    Chalmers:

    First of all, I’m not going to foreshadow all of the elements of the Budget. We’re obviously aware that people have put that proposal to us.

    Riley:

    Of course. Is it a good one?

    Chalmers:

    The focus of the energy elements of the Budget is this energy bill assistance. $1.8 billion, a very substantial investment, but a responsible one as well, which recognises the pressure people are under.

    Riley:

    Some months ago the PM said he was looking at a fixed fee model for childcare. So, parents didn’t pay more than about $10 or $20 a day. What’s happened to that idea? Is that something that’s being accepted by the government?

    Chalmers:

    What we’ve announced already at the end of last year and what will be funded in the Budget is what’s called our 3‑day guarantee. That’s an important step towards that universal early childhood education system that we want. We can’t get there from A to B in one step when it comes to universal childcare. And that’s why we’re investing more money in building more childcare centres, especially for not‑for‑profit providers and especially where areas where there’s a real need, the so‑called childcare deserts. So the Budget will have that money for new childcare centres, it will have money for the 3‑day guarantee. These are important steps towards that universal system that you’re asking about.

    Riley:

    And just checking, that’ll be it for childcare in this Budget?

    Chalmers:

    There won’t be the fixed fee model that you’re talking about. That’s because we need to get there in interim steps. We know that the Prime Minister, the Minister, myself and others, we are real enthusiasts for early childhood education. We think it’s a game changer for families and especially for children. It also helps people to work more and earn more if they want to. That’s why we’re big believers, that’s why it’ll be an important feature of the Budget.

    Riley:

    Ok. A pre‑election Budget, which is interesting in itself. So, you’re going to empty the bank? Are you throwing the kitchen sink at it?

    Chalmers:

    No, it won’t be some kind of free for all of public money as I’ve made clear on a number of occasions. Cost of living will be the primary focus, but we’ll provide that cost‑of‑living relief in the most responsible way that we can. And we’ll also do it in a way with it where we’re not neglecting our responsibilities to the future.

    We know that there’s a lot of global economic uncertainty. What’s happening in the US and China, Europe and the Middle East casts a shadow over this Budget. There’s a lot of unpredictability and volatility in the global economy. So, in addition to that cost‑of‑living help, we’ll also be investing in making our economy more resilient because that’s the best way to build Australia’s future.

    Riley:

    And will there be measures in this Budget that we won’t hear about on Tuesday night that will be released during the election campaign?

    Chalmers:

    As I made clear, I think last week from memory, a lot of what’s in the Budget has been announced already. I mean, the big game‑changing investment in strengthening Medicare because more bulk billing means less pressure on families. That will be an important feature of the Budget – one of the most important features of the Budget already announced. There’ll be a small number of announcements to be made during the course of the election campaign, as you would expect. You’ve seen a few of these, Mark, over the years.

    Riley:

    Just a couple.

    Chalmers:

    But there’ll be some important initiatives announced on Tuesday.

    Riley:

    In the cost of living space as well?

    Chalmers:

    We’ve made it clear already cheaper medicines and some extra help with electricity bills. We’ve also got in the Budget the cuts to student debt, which is about cost of living as well. People will see a real focus on Tuesday night on the cost of living, but also making our economy more resilient in the face of this global uncertainty.

    Riley:

    Are you confident this is going to be enough to get you re‑elected?

    Chalmers:

    It remains to be seen. You know me, Mark. You know that I don’t take outcomes for granted when it comes to elections. What I am confident about is that we’ve made the right decisions for the right reasons. And I genuinely believe that if you have the right values and the right priorities, and if you take those right decisions for the right reasons, the politics will take care of themselves.

    Riley:

    Treasurer, thank you very much for speaking with Weekend Sunrise.

    Chalmers:

    Thanks.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Search continues for woman missing on Flinders Island

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Search continues for woman missing on Flinders Island

    Monday, 24 March 2025 – 2:20 pm.

    Police are continuing to search the Flinders Island area for 68-year-old Victoria Jean Paine.
    The White Beach resident has not been seen or heard from since Wednesday 19 March and there are concerns for her welfare.
    Police from Flinders Island and Launceston along with SES volunteers, and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter have been involved in searches over the weekend.
    The search will continue today, including a targeted ground search and sea search utilising police divers on Police Vessel Cape Wickham. 
    Anyone with information or who may have been contacted by Victoria after 2pm Wednesday should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Four missing people rescued in Far North

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Four people stranded in the State’s Far North have been rescued.

    Shortly after 4pm on Sunday 23 March, contact was made with a group of four missing people who had become stranded in the outback after suffering mechanical issues with their car.

    The group had left Oodnadatta on Friday at 4pm, believed to be heading to Finke in the Northern Territory. However, concerns were raised when the group had failed to arrive.

    Supplies, including food and a satellite phone, were provided to the group yesterday.

    The four people were successfully retrieved and transported to Coober Pedy this afternoon.

    There were no reports of injuries.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – Mixed-bag of weather for New Zealand this week – MetService

    Source: Metservice

    Covering period of Monday 24th – Thursday 27th March – New Zealand is set to experience a week of varied weather patterns through till the end of the week. While the North Island anticipates generally pleasant conditions with intermittent showers, the South Island may see cooler temperatures accompanied by occasional rainfall.

    The slow-moving rain band that tracked up the South Island over the weekend, finally made it onto the lower North Island this morning (Monday). These gloomy wet conditions are expected to continue north throughout the day as a cooler airmass holds firm over the South Island, however rain is expected to clear from the south. Unfortunately, this weakening band of rain isn’t going to bring much respite to the drought affected areas and the chance for meaningful rain this week remains low.

    Don’t lock away those umbrellas just yet if you’re in the east of the South Island, as showers persist today and tomorrow. For the rest of the week, the South Island is set to see sunnier skies before the next cold front arrives on Wednesday morning, spreading rain and showers up the Island into Thursday.

    MetService Meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube warns of chillier nights ahead “Behind the rainband on Thursday, a cooler airmass maintains colder overnight temperatures in many places, as well as cooler midday maximums in Southland”.

    Not a lot of change is expected in the next few days for the North Island, as the weather is expected to keep things cloudier with intermittent showers projected to occur for some. Dube says “Although the North Island should see areas of cloud and rain through the week, sports lovers will be happy to hear that dry and sunny weather are on the cards for football’s Men’s Oceania qualifier final between the All Whites and New Caledonia tonight (Monday) in Auckland; as well as during  cricket’s double header on Wednesday when the White Ferns take on Australia in the women’s clash, then later in the men’s clash, the Blackcaps take on Pakistan.”  

    For the latest weather forecasts, visit the www.metservice.com website.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – Primary Health Care wage agreement reached but pay parity still needed to retain nurses – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) primary health care members have agreed to an 8% wage increase over 12 months but pay parity with their hospital counterparts is still needed to retain nurses in the sector.
    NZNO’s College of Primary Health Care Nurses chair Tracey Morgan says there was overwhelming support for the Multi Employment Collective Agreement offer for an immediate increase of 5% followed by a further 3% in July.
    “This is good news for primary and community care nurses. However, their base hourly rate remains on average about 10% below Te Whatu Ora nurses despite having the same skills and qualifications.
    “Until primary and community care nurses are paid the same, they will continue to leave GPs and iwi and community clinics for better paid hospital jobs here and overseas.”
    A recent Victoria University of Wellington study found 36% of New Zealand’s general practices didn’t take new enrolments last year, with workforce shortages cited as the major reason people were being turned away.
    “If people can’t get the health care they need in their communities, they end up at hospital even sicker. This puts more pressure on our already stretched hospitals,” Tracey Morgan says.
    “NZNO urges the Government to fulfil its pre-election commitment to pay primary care nurses the same as their hospital counterparts and introduce a sustainable funding model for the primary care sector.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – New hi-tech buoys improve south coast scientific monitoring – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    The introduction of new Spotter buoys to measure wave height and direction, and temperature in the sea off Victor Harbor in South Australia, provides a timely new resource to monitor fluctuating sea conditions and their effect on coastal environments.

    As unusually warm ocean temperatures for this time of year have triggered peculiar and destructive brown foam (believed to be triggered by microalgal blooms) to be washed up along the southern coastline, the new buoys will provide crucial data to inform stakeholders and the public on changing ocean conditions.

    The buoys, released into Encounter Bay and the Southern Ocean in early March by Flinders University’s Associate Professor Graziela Miot da Silva and new PhD student Maya Lambert, working in conjunction with the South Australian Research and Development (SARDI) Oceanography team and Victor Harbor Council Coastal Surveillance Officer Bronson Symmonds, gather critical information on wave and ocean temperature changes driven by climate change.

    The deployed buoys are Sofar Spotter metocean buoys, that collect and transmit accurate ocean data such as wave height, period and direction, estimates in wind speed and direction, plus sea surface temperature and barometric pressure in real-time via cellular data transfer.

    “This will provide good baseline data about coastal waters that has been lacking, and there has never been a better time to have more information about this stretch of ocean,” says Associate Professor Miot da Silva, part of Flinders University’s Beach and Dune Systems (BEADS) Lab.

    “There has been a significant gap in wave information available to researchers, managers, developers and policy makers. These buoys will make a huge difference.”

    The real-time wave data collected by this project will allow for the development of validated data-assimilating wave- and morphodynamic models to predict future changes in South Australia’s coastline, including climate change and sea level rise.

    “The intent of the research is to find better ways to manage this coast and to mitigate the risk to private and public assets on the coastline,” says Professor Patrick Hesp, head of Flinders University’s Beach and Dune Systems (BEADS) Lab.

    “The provision of accurate wave data is critical to improve understanding of variations in the hydrodynamic processes that shape coastlines, to inform best coastal management practices, drive the development of marine industries, and to promote and support tourism.”

    Data from the Spotter buoys – which will be maintained and processed thanks to a three-and-a-half-year Enterprise Industry scholarship funded by Victor Harbor Council and Flinders University to Flinders student Maya Lambert – will help local governments to forge better solutions for coastal protection.

    Access to real-time wave data aids research and provides valuable information necessary for informing daily marine operations, such as dredging, navigation and sea conditions for commercial and recreational fishermen, plus search and rescue operations, and water-based research and monitoring programs.

    This work in Encounter Bay is a collaboration between Flinders University, SARDI (the research arm of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions), and several district councils will provide long-term monitoring with real-time wave and sea surface temperature data to better understand coastal processes in the region, and help predict the future of the state’s coastlines.

    The project builds on existing coastal research being done by Flinders University, SARDI, the Department of Environment and Water, and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) national Coastal Wave BuoysFacility with data being gathered from an extended network of wave buoys extending across the state from Robe to Ceduna.

    Access to this data is also freely available to the public through the www.sawaves.org website – a site that has quickly become popular with commercial and recreational marine users to check accurate wave conditions across the state.

    • The Coast Protection Board co-funds the Flinders PhD scholarship and contributed cash to the Council of Victor Harbor to purchase the wave buoy and maintain it via a Coast Protection Grant.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Scams – Less than 10% of Aussies would discuss their scam experience with family

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    The research also reveals people’s confidence in spotting a scam decreases with age.

    New research commissioned by CommBank shows more than 90 per cent of Aussies believe that talking about scams with their loved ones will help to build awareness, however only 8 per cent say they would be comfortable discussing with family about being scammed.

    The research also found that around 60 per cent of Australians are more concerned about scams than they were a year ago.

    When it comes to recognising and avoiding scams, 33 per cent of people under 60 say they are very confident in spotting a scam, this drops to just over 20 per cent for those over 60.

    Recent data from the National Anti-Scams Centre (NASC) also shows that older Australians are overrepresented when it comes to scam losses. The government organisation’s latest Targeting Scams Report shows that people over the age of 65 accounted for around 31 per cent of losses reported to Scamwatch, despite only making up just over 17 per cent of the population.1

    As part of the Bank’s commitment to providing Australians with greater education about scams, CBA is collaborating with Australian journalist Jess Rowe and her mother Penelope to launch a new campaign – Talk to a Loved One.

    The education campaign aims to encourage conversations about the dangers of scams between generations. By addressing intergenerational knowledge gaps, it seeks to equip all Australians, particularly older generations, with the information and tools necessary to protect themselves and their families.

    CBA Head of Group Fraud James Roberts said: “At CBA we have seen customer scam losses decrease by 70 per cent over two years, and we know education is one of the most important parts of fraud and scams prevention. The research shows older Australians feel particularly exposed to scams, so we hope this education campaign helps change that, and all Australians learn how to spot a scam and stay safe.

    “Our campaign ambassadors, Jess Rowe and her mum Pen, embody the importance of open family conversations and reflect exactly what we are encouraging all Australians to do—talk to their loved ones about scams, share knowledge, and protect each other,” Mr Roberts said.

    CBA is collaborating with journalist Jess Rowe and her mother Penelope to launch Talk to a Loved One.

    To support Australians in having these crucial discussions, CommBank has launched a new scam safety tips webpage filled with comprehensive resources and educational material, including a conversation guide.

    When speaking about taking part in the campaign, Australian journalist Jess Rowe said: “It’s so important to talk openly about fraud and scams with our loved ones. By sharing our experiences and supporting each other, we can create a safer environment for everyone. I’m thrilled to be part of a campaign that encourages these crucial conversations and empowers Aussies to protect themselves and their families.”

    “In the first half of this financial year CBA invested more than $450 million to prevent fraud, scams, financial and cyber crime and while this is important, so too is raising awareness in the community on how we can protect ourselves,” Mr Roberts said.

    CBA is urging all Australians to take part in the Talk to a Loved One initiative by:

    Having regular conversations about scams with family and friends.
    Staying informed about the latest scam tactics.  
    Remembering to implement and educate others on these three simple steps to help prevent scams:  

    Stop: Does a call, email or text seem off? The best thing to do is stop and take a breath. Real organisations won’t put you under pressure to act instantly.
    Check: Ask someone you trust or contact the organisation the message claims to be from.
    Reject: If you’re unsure, hang up on the caller, delete the email, block the phone number. Change your password if you think someone else may have it, and make sure you pick something long and unique.

    Seeking help immediately if you suspect a scam.

    For more information about the campaign and how to stay safe from scams, visit commbank.com.au/scam-tips

    Note: The research, commissioned by CBA and conducted by YouGov, was carried out online between 6th – 12th January 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,500 Australians aged 18 years and older.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI China: E-commerce firm gets OK to resume operations after rectification

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A Hefei joint investigation team declared on Sunday that the e-commerce company Three Sheep Group, which had come under investigation last year for misleading consumers during live-streamed sales, has met the necessary requirements for rectification and fit to resume operations. 

    In October 2024, the company paid a fine of 68.95 million yuan ($9.5 million) in full, according to the investigation team. They have also compensated a total of 27.78 million yuan for products implicated in the case, including “Hong Kong Meicheng Mooncakes” and “Australian Grain-Fed Beef Rolls”. 

    According to earlier reports, the company had deceived customers during live-streamed sales of a mooncake brand, which caused a stir as despite its Hong Kong-suggestive name, no physical stores were located in Hong Kong, with packaging revealing production in Guangzhou and Foshan, Guangdong province.

    The company will continue to uphold the principle of full compensation, implementing a policy of refunding three times the purchase price to ensure proper handling of refunds and compensations, the investigation team said.

    Addressing concerns regarding product selection and quality control, promotional activities, after-sales services, and internal management, the investigation team provided guidance to the company in making 89 specific rectification measures and emphasized the importance of effectively implementing these changes.

    It also urged the company to reflect on inappropriate behaviors during previous live-streamed sales, adhere to requirements for online civility, enhance the management of hosts and live events, strengthen social responsibility and cultivate a positive image.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New appointments to arts institutions

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    The Albanese Labor Government has made a range of appointments to arts bodies and cultural institutions to ensure they remain under strong leadership.

    • Mr Tony Ayers has been appointed as a member of the Council of the National Museum of Australia for a three-year term.
    • Ms Sue Hampel OAM has been reappointed to the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council for a three-year term.
    • Mr John Barrington AM has been reappointed as Deputy Chair to the National Portrait Gallery Board for a three-year term. 

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the appointees would lend a deep well of expertise to guide the administration of these important organisations.

    “Each appointee brings years of dedication and experience across the arts and public sectors that positions them well for these roles.

    “Protecting our beloved cultural institutions for future generations means having the best leadership in place to safeguard them.”

    Mr Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian director, producer, showrunner, screenwriter, and editor with more than 33 years’ experience in film and television. Mr Ayres’ feature films and television shows have been nominated for over 100 Australian and international awards, and have won more than 60 of these awards – including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse, six AACTA awards, and six Logies. Mr Ayres is Executive Producer at Tony Ayres Productions, a Member of the Advisory Board of Australians in Film, and a Company Director at Big and Little Films.

    —-

    Ms Sue Hampel OAM has been a member of the National Archives Advisory Council since 2019. Ms Hampel is working as a teaching associate and research assistant at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University and is a well-known public speaker and lecturer. She holds a Masters degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and is the co-President of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. Ms Hampel has been recognised for her teaching and community service by receiving numerous awards including a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2014, for Service to the community through the promotion of understanding and tolerance. 

    Ms Hampel is a representative of the Australian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). She is an expert in Holocaust education and served as the International Chair of the Education Working Group in 2021.

    —-

    Mr John Barrington AM has served as Deputy Chair on the National Portrait Gallery of Australia Board since May 2022. He is co-founder and previously Managing Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Artrya Ltd, developing AI solutions to improve the diagnosis of heart disease and is Managing Director of Barrington Consulting Group. He is Chair of John Curtin Gallery and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and a Director of Health Translation Group Ltd. He was previously Chair of Perth International Arts Festival, Deputy Chair of Creative Partnerships Australia, Deputy Chair on the Federal Government’s Creative Economy Taskforce and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Curtain University in 2022. In 2019 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community of Western Australia

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: France’s Southern Cross regional military exercise moves to Wallis

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    Southern Cross, a French-hosted regional military exercise, is moving to Wallis and Futuna Islands this year.

    The exercise, which includes participating regional armed and law enforcement forces from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga every two years, is scheduled to take place April 22-May 3.

    Since its inception in 2002, the war games have traditionally been hosted in New Caledonia.

    However, New Caledonia was the scene last year of serious riots, causing 14 deaths, hundreds injured, and an estimated cost of 2.2 billion euros (NZ$4.2 billion)

    Southern Cross focuses on the notion of “interoperability” between regional forces, with a joint multinational command following a predefined but realistic scenario, usually in a fictitious island state affected by a natural disaster and/or political unrest.

    This is the first time the regional French exercise will be hosted on Wallis Island, in the French Pacific territory of Wallis and Futuna, near Fiji and Samoa.

    Earlier this month (March 3-5), the Nouméa-based French Armed Forces in New Caledonia (FANC) hosted a “Final Coordination Conference” (FCC) with its regional counterparts after a series of on-site reconnaissance visits to Wallis and Futuna Islands ahead of the Southern Cross 2025 manoeuvres.

    Humanitarian, disaster relief
    FANC also confirmed this year, again in Wallis-and-Futuna, the exercise scenario would mainly focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and that it would involve, apart from the French forces, the deployment of some 19 other participating countries, with an estimated 2000 personnel, including 600 regional.

    A French Carrier Strike Group exercise Clémenceau25 deployment map of operations. Image: ALPACI-Forces armées en Asie-Pacifique et en Polynésie française

    Last week, still in preparation mode, a group of FANC officers travelled again to Wallis for three days to finalise preparations ahead of the exercise.

    In an interview with public broadcaster Wallis and Futuna la 1ère, FANC inter-army chief-of-staff Colonel Frédéric Puchois said the group of officers met local chiefly and royal authorities, as well as the Speaker of the local territorial assembly.

    In 2023, the previous Southern Cross exercise held in New Caledonia involved the participation of about 18 regional countries.

    “It’s all about activating and practising quick and efficient scenarios to respond mainly to a large-scale natural disaster,” Colonel Puchois said.

    “Southern Cross until now took place in New Caledonia, but it was decided for 2025 to choose Wallis and Futuna to work specifically on long-distance projection.

    “So, the Americans will position some of their forces in Pago-Pago in American Samoa to test their capacity to project forces from a rear base located 2000 kms away [from Wallis].

    “And for the French part, the rear base will be New Caledonia,” he added.

    Port Vila earthquake
    He said one of the latest real-life illustrations of this kind of deployment was the recent relief operation from Nouméa following Port Vila’s devastating earthquake in mid-December 2024.

    “We brought essential relief supplies, in coordination with NGOs like the Red Cross. And during Southern Cross 2025, we will again work with them and other NGOs”.

    However, Colonel Puchois said not all personnel would be deployed at the same time.

    “We will project small groups at a time. There will be several phases,” he said.

    “First to secure the airport to ensure it is fit for landing of large aircraft. This could involve parachute personnel and supplies.

    “Then assistance to the population, involving other components such as civil security, fire brigades, gendarmes. It would conclude with evacuating people in need of further assistance.

    “So we won’t project all of the 2000 participants at the same time, but groups of 250 to 300 personnel”.

    Cooperation with Vanuatu Mobile Force
     FANC Commander General Yann Latil was in Vanuatu two weeks ago, where he held meetings with Vanuatu Mobile Forces (VMF) Commander Colonel Ben Nicholson and Vanuatu Internal Affairs minister Andrew Napuat to discuss cooperation, as well as handling and maintenance of the French-supplied FAMAS rifles.

    For two weeks, two FANC instructors were in Port Vila to train a group of about 15 VMF on handling and maintenance of the FAMAS used by the island state’s paramilitary force.

    The VMF were also handed over more ammunition for the standard issue FAMAS (the French equivalent of the US-issued M-16).

    French Armed Forces Commander in New Caledonia (FANC) General Yann Latil visits Vanuatu Mobile Forces (VMF) training in French FAMAS rifles maintenance. Image: FANC Forces Armées en Nouvelle-Calédonie

    During his visit, General Latil also held talks with Vanuatu Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat, who is in charge of the VMF and police.

    FANC and Vanuatu security forces are “working on a regular basis”, Vanuatu-based French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer said.

    The three-star general (equivalent of a lieutenant-general) flew back to Nouméa about 500 km away on March 8.

    French vessel on fishing policing mission
     At the same time, still in Vanuatu, Nouméa-based overseas support and assistance vessel (BSAOM) the D’Entrecasteaux and its crew were on a courtesy call in Luganville (Espiritu Santo island, North Vanuatu) for three days.

    After hosting local officials and school students for visits, the patrol boat embarked on a surveillance policing mission in high seas off the archipelago.

    One ni-Vanuatu officer also joined the French crew inspecting foreign fishing vessels and checking if they comply with current regulations under the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).

    On a regular basis, similar monitoring operations are also carried out by navies from other regional countries such as Australia and New Zealand in order to assist neighbouring Pacific States in protecting their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) from what is usually termed Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing from foreign vessels.

    Last month, the D’Entrecasteaux was engaged in a series of naval exercises off Papua New Guinea.

    Further north in the Pacific, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its strike group wrapped up an unprecedented two-month deployment in a series of multinational exercises with Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam), where “one third of the world’s maritime trade transits every day”.

    This included its own Exercises Clémenceau25 and La Pérouse (with eight neighbouring forces), but also interoperability-focused manoeuvres with the US and Japan (Pacific Steller).

    “The deployment of this military capacity underlines France’s attachment to maritime and aerial freedom of action and movement on all seas and oceans of the world”, the Tahiti-based Pacific Maritime Command (ALPACI) said this week in a release.

    US Navy in Western Pacific activity
     Also in western Pacific waters, the US Navy’s activity has been intense over the past few weeks, and continues.

    The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) returned on 18 March to Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, following a seven-month deployment, the submarine’s first deployment to the Western Pacific, the US Third Fleet command stated.

    On Friday, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) left Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific.

    The US Third Fleet command said the strike group’s deployment will focus on “demonstrating the US Navy’s unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in which all nations are secure in their sovereignty and free from coercion”.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press Conference – Parliament House, Canberra

    Source: Historic Cooma Gaol listed on the NSW State Heritage Register

    ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much for joining us. And I begin by giving a shout out to all those mums and dads and carers who are dropping their young ones off at school this morning for the school drop off right around the country and indeed for them, but most importantly for the young Australians to come, this is a historic day. Today we reach the point for the first time in Australian history where every student, public and private, will be delivered the school funding that they deserve. The School Resourcing Standard that was identified by David Gonski more than a decade ago. By Queensland agreeing to sign up with the agreement put in today, will change lives because public education changes lives. Public education is what is accessible and available to all Australians. And from today we can announce that every little Queenslander will have a better chance to reach their potential. Nothing is more important in the role of the Commonwealth and state and territory governments than delivering opportunity for young Australians. And it is education that opens the doors of opportunity and today we are widening them. This historic agreement means that every Australian child who goes to a public school will now receive a fully funded education. The private school students had reached the SRS standard previously. But what the agreements between the Commonwealth and our eight state and territory governments have delivered is that every student, regardless of which school they go to, will receive this funding. This agreement with Queensland will deliver an estimated $2.8 billion in additional funding for Queensland public schools over the next decade. This represents the biggest ever investment in Queensland public schools by an Australian government ever. In Queensland, we expect this to support some 560,000 public school students. It isn’t a blank cheque. This money is tied to real reforms like evidence based teaching practises, phonics and numeracy checks, catch up tutoring and more mental health support. Today’s announcement contributes to an estimated $16.5 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to public schools across the nation from 2025-2026, for the decade ahead to 2034. It represents the biggest new investment in public schools by an Australian government ever. And I do want to thank Premier Crisafulli for the constructive engagement that we have had to deliver this agreement. Constructive engagement that’s now reflected with agreements between every government right across this country, every state, every territory, combining with the Commonwealth. On election night in 2022, I spoke about education as being the key to widening those doors of opportunity. What my Government is doing in early childhood education, now in school education, with our higher ed agreements and with Free TAFE, is delivering across the board so that every child will have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. That’s what aspiration is about. That’s what people want for their young sons and daughters. And indeed, the beneficiaries of this agreement today include obviously people who haven’t been born yet. This is intergenerational reform that will make an incredible difference. And I do want to thank the Premier, we’ve engaged constructively in this over a period of months and today we’ve reached what is a historic agreement.
     
    DAVID CRISAFULLI, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Thanks, PM. It is a historic agreement and today I can confirm that Queensland has secured the biggest investment in schools in our nation’s history. And we are delighted to be standing here with you Prime Minister, thank you very much for the way that you’ve negotiated with us. This means a lot to Queensland and it means a lot because we’ve got some challenges in our schooling systems that other states don’t have. We are the most decentralised state. We’ve got a large portion of rural and regional and Indigenous schools. We have challenges because of that, not just geographically, but challenges that are historically been baked in. As a result, our NAPLAN results aren’t what we have wanted to see in recent years. What this does is give us a decade long commitment to be able to turn the funding shortfall around and with that will come the ability to turn those results around. And what excites me about this deal is it’s not just about a financial injection. It’s also about making sure that we meet standards. It’s also about making sure that we give every child the opportunity to be their best. And we want that and we want them to be their best, whether they’re in the capital or in the smallest of rural or remote schools. It’s important that that money does flow. This is a 10 year deal that will see an immediate investment, but also will deliver long term generational reform that’s important for Queensland, for what we want to achieve. We want to make sure that we have well educated children who become great performing members of our state. And we’ve got a lot ahead as a state. And making sure that we could sign this education deal means a lot to us. And we are delighted with the agreement that’s been struck and we are determined to make sure that the education standards for Queensland kids continue on an upward trajectory. And with that comes the best for our state. Thanks very much.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: We’ll hear from Jason and JP and then we’re happy to take questions.
     
    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: First, I want to thank the Prime Minister. This is real leadership in action. This is a Prime Minister who gets it and who knows how to get things done. Who knows how to work with the states and work with different political parties. A Prime Minister who gets how important this is for our kids and for our future. I also want to thank you, Premier, for all of the work that we’ve done together to get this deal across the line. Bringing forward funding, just extraordinary, sir. And I take my hat off to you and to JP. Absolute legend, mate. It’s been wonderful working with you and looking forward to working with you in the future. This is the last piece in the puzzle. With the agreement that we’ve just signed, it means that every public school in the country will now be fully funded. And that has never ever happened before. It should have, but it hasn’t. Now it will be and it will change kids’ lives. This is the biggest investment by the Commonwealth Government in public schools ever. As the Prime Minister said, it’s worth about $16.5 billion over the next decade. But it’s not a blank cheque. This money is tied to real and practical reforms to help children who fall behind to catch up and keep up. Ultimately help more young people finish high school. It’s bigger than that. It’s about helping to make sure that every child gets a great start in life. It’s what every mum and dad wants for their child and it’s what every Australian child deserves. You know, we know that a good education can change a life and a good education system can change a country. If you think back to the 1980s, to the 1990s, when some of us were at school, the number of kids finishing high school skyrocketed. It went from about 40% of kids to almost 80%. That changed us as a country. Now, in the last 10 years, that percentage has gone backwards. It’s dropped from about 83% to 73%. And that’s happening in public schools. We’ve got to turn that around. Fundamentally, that’s what this is all about, making sure that more young people finish school. It’s more important today than it was when we were at school. This is building Australia’s future in action. This is real microeconomic reform. If we’re going to build the country of our imagination, then we need people to build it. We’ve got to build the skills of the workforce today and tomorrow. We’ve got to make sure that more young people finish school and then go on to TAFE or to university and can build the career of their dreams. And that’s what this is about. And Albo, as a kid from public school I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is going to change the lives of kids at school today, kids that go to school tomorrow, children that aren’t even born yet. It’s going to make our education system better and it’s going to make us an even better and fairer country.
     
    JOHN-PAUL LANGBROEK, QUEENSLAND MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks, Jason. Well, can I also say as a returning education minister, hopefully this marks the end of the education wars because over a decade ago when I was Minister for Education, Training and Employment in a former government, was when we had the Gonski report and we had this constant debate about special needs in terms of what the states had. And as the Premier has mentioned, Queensland does have more of those areas of needs, whether it’s disability, Indigenous, socioeconomic status, small, regional, remote. Queensland has more than any other. And if we’re going to have league tables about schools, then no wonder Queensland’s had trouble competing. But this agreement today really does mean a big change for Queensland. It’s something I’m personally very appreciative of. I want to thank Jason as well for, he and I have had numerous conversations over the last four to five months. First of all we had to do a one year deal and after 10 years of declining investment or the former government in Queensland not putting enough funding in it means that now as a result of this agreement we’re reaching 75% in Queensland, four years ahead of the previous agreement or what the intended time was going to be. So, I want to thank the Premier and the Prime Minister as well. It’s been protracted negotiations but importantly for Queensland schools and I’m also state school educated, something I’m very proud of for in my family that’s made a big difference to my life and I know it will continue for other Queensland students. This is going to have a real impact in Queensland in education and across the country.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Thanks JP. Happy to take questions.
     
    JOURNALIST: Has there been deals, arrangements locked in for how fast the states, all the states are going to lift their funding amounts and this announcement today that you said $2.8 billion just for Queensland, your Finance Minister’s announced $2.1 billion of savings in the budget. Is this baking in more spending?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: No, because we accounted for most of this investment is already in MYEFO. There will be some additional investment given to Queensland that will be accounted for in the pre-election fiscal outlook. This is an investment in our young Australians. I can’t think of anything that is more worthwhile than investing in the opportunity of a young Australian and this will make an enormous difference. It has been spoken about for a long period of time, as JP said, people spoke about, the Gonski review occurred under the former Labor government. We then had in 2014 budget $30 billion ripped out of education. Since then we’ve seen school completions decline from 83% to 73%. We need to, in public schools overwhelmingly, we need to make sure that we compete not on the basis of driving down wages but we compete on the basis of how smart we are. And what this is is seizing opportunities. And Queensland does have particular challenges because it is the most regional of states and we’ve worked through all of these issues constructively but we have fully funded all of these agreements will be there. We’ve gone through our ERC processes, the Premier has been through his. But I’ll ask the Premier to comment.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: That’s a very good question. As part of this deal we have had to bring forward some funding at a Queensland level as well to secure the deal. But so we should. We’ve under invested in public education as a state for too long and this was an opportunity too good to miss. It was an opportunity to bring two levels of government together. But ultimately it’s about kids, ultimately it’s about can we get an outcome for children. And at the moment, when I look at Queensland’s education standards over many years it hasn’t been what it should be. And that’s not because of the kids, it’s not because of the teachers, it’s because of the broken system. And today we start putting together that broken system and outlining a funding pathway but also driving results. And that’s good news for everyone.
     
    JOURNALIST: Just on the schools funding now that all the states and territories have kind of signed on, what will this mean for the educational divide going forward? Because for every public school that still has demountables with air conditioning that doesn’t work, there’s private schools that are spending millions of dollars for performing arts venues with orchestra pits or multi-million dollar swimming pool centres like how will this lessen that educational divide that will be going on?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: What we want to make sure is that every parent, when they make a decision which is up to them of where their child goes to school, that they can have confidence that that child will receive the level of support that they deserve. It also is about making sure that children don’t get left behind. What we know from the testing that occurs is that if you wait until a child reaches the middle of primary school, it’s too late. Part of this agreement and the tying of this funding is for Year One testing, is making sure that if a young person needs that one on one help or small group help to make sure they’re not left behind, they get that really early on, they get to catch up, they don’t get to fall behind and then have issues later on. And so this is an investment that will pay off because we know that when people do fall behind, students, they can take forever or sometimes just don’t catch up. That’s what those figures of the decline in Year 12 completion shows. You know, the Hawke Government made the decision to lift very consciously the level of Year 12 completions from three out of ten to eight out of ten. What we’re doing as a Commonwealth, in partnership with Queensland and other states and territories, is making a conscious decision that children will not be left behind.
     
    JOURNALIST: A couple of years before you got the job, the Prime Minister and the premiers did a deal on the NDIS to try and bring it back under control. They offered the states, they extended the GST deal for another two years and guaranteed hospital funding, etc. Are you, is your state any closer to holding up your end of the deal and taking responsibility for foundational support?
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: Well, of course we’ll continue to negotiate in good faith and I hope what today proves is that we will always negotiate in good faith, but we’ll always look for the best deal for Queensland. I don’t think that’s any surprise to the Prime Minister with, we negotiated hard, but in the end I think we’ve got a good outcome. Good outcome for Queensland and a good outcome for Australia.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Just here and then, Paul.
     
    JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’ve committed to legislate to protect salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Have we got anything else on the biggest schools announcement? Can we stick to if there are schools questions, if not happy to move on?
     
    JOURNALIST: A school of fish.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Paul is always focused on the micro.
     
    JOURNALIST: So, salmon fishing, you’ve committed to legislate to protect it in Macquarie Harbour. How will that work and will that legislation have implications for environmental considerations in other industries?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we know is that the environmental science tells us that the skate is at the same levels that it was back a decade ago. We responded to the science to provide certainty. My Government makes no apologies for supporting jobs. That’s what the Labor Party does. We support jobs, but we also support sustainability, which is why we’ve invested $37 million for sustainability, for oxygenation. That’s why we’re engaged as well in what has been a very successful breeding program as well.
     
    JOURNALIST: Some of your colleagues believe that you’ve got a sense of momentum, that you might call the election as soon as you can after this sitting period’s over, they want to head back to their electorates very quickly. Do you want to seize the moment you’re in and call the election as soon as you can after Thursday? And Premier, you’ve had some time to speak to Peter Dutton now that you’re in the job. Do you have any more confidence in his nuclear plan now that you’ve had a chance to look at it?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Well, on the first, I’m told by my office that when we called this press conference, some thought we were about to call the election the day before the Budget. So, I say consistently, as I have said privately and publicly, three years is too short. I can now confirm the election will be in May. I’ve been saying that for a year. I was advised this time last year, in order to stop tax cuts going forward, that we should call an election. And I ignored that call by Mr Dutton and I continued to govern. We’ve got a Budget to hand down tomorrow night. It’s an important Budget that will set Australia up on the path to a better future. And I look forward to that. I look forward to some policy besides the three that have been announced. The nuclear plans, the $20,000 lunches and the cuts that we don’t know about, coming out sometime between now and May. But we’re very clear about what our agenda is. And it’s an agenda of governing. And what I’m doing today is governing, putting in place these important reforms.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: You won’t get running commentary from me about policies in Canberra, that’s for this guy and Peter to do. I don’t think Australians or Queenslanders or any of you will be too surprised with who I’m backing in the Federal Election. Of course I’m backing Peter – 

    JOURNALIST: It’s not contrary though, Premier (inaudible) reverse the ban on nuclear –
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: But it is, it is because I’m – no, it is because I’m here signing the biggest education deal in my state’s history and that’s pretty bloody important to me. And, you know, I’ll let others run political commentary. I’m here to talk about something that matters to parents in my state.
     
    JOURNALIST: On the Olympics stadiums there have been some major changes announced – thanks, Prime Minister – today, or major changes are due. Do you have a Plan B if you can’t renegotiate with the Prime Minister on moving funding away from Brisbane Live Arena to other venues?
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: Well, firstly, it’s been 1430 days since Queensland was awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Games. I reckon if I told you and didn’t wait until tomorrow, I’d probably be in strife from my gallery. But look, we’ve got a plan and it’s a plan to make sure that we do deliver generational infrastructure. And it’s a plan to make sure that we do host great Games when the eyes of the world are on us. And I want people to understand that we – yes, there’s been a long time since we were awarded the Games, but I do believe we’ve got a plan that can get the show back on the road.
     
    JOURNALIST: Premier, have you raised the Olympics in discussions with the Prime Minister?
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: I reckon we’ve spoken a lot about it, but we’ve negotiated well together. I think that’s fair. We’ve worked together well and that’s always my style. I’m on Team Queensland. Of course, there’s been some strong negotiations. Two people of Italian descent, you’d expect that. But there’s nothing that can’t be solved over a bit of common sense and a cannoli. Two cannolis, and I bought both of them.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: And I can confirm that the Premier has, on two occasions, given me cannolis and I haven’t declared them. So, I declare them now just in case I get into some trouble.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: They were good cannolis.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: We regard that as a cultural thing rather than anything else. And they’re fine cannolis, I’ve got to say. We’re going to go: 1, 2, 3, 4, and then we’re done. Oh, 5 – just got in.
     
    JOURNALIST: Prime Minister a question for you and one for the Premier. Peter Dutton yesterday described your energy rebate extension as a Ponzi scheme. His Shadow Treasurer said it was putting a band aid on a bullet wound, yet they’re supporting it. I’m just wondering what your view is of that. And, Premier, can you tell us, are you going to break your election promise tomorrow about no new venues?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: On the first, it says something about the Coalition – I’m trying not to be too partisan here, standing next to the Premier –
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: I’m out of the shot.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: But whether it’s our Medicare tripling of the bulk billing incentive for all 21 million Australians, the 50 new Urgent Care Clinics, the $25 for medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the freezing of the beer excise for two years, or a range of other measures – including the extension of Energy Bill Relief – the Opposition, having opposed all of these things for almost three years, have just said yes. I guess they’ve got to have something to say about policy and they don’t have any of their own. So, that has been their fallback position. But I think that Australians will have a look at their rhetoric and show that their heart isn’t in it. And in the rhetoric that they use, attacking this means that it can’t be secure. The last time round there was an election where the Coalition formed government was in 2013. They said there’d be no cuts to education, no cuts to health. The 2014 Budget had $50 billion cut from hospitals and $30 billion cut from education. And we’ve been playing catch up ever since. And in part, that’s what today’s announcement is about.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: Well, one day to go, Mark, one day to go. One thing’s for certain, though, is we set about a process to make sure that we could get that show back on the road. And I think even the most, even the most objective person – even the most partisan person – looking at where we are at the moment, would acknowledge that it’s been three years of chaos and crisis since we were awarded the Games. And I’m a big believer when you make decisions, you put the information out. I’ve done that throughout my career and I’ve certainly done it in recent times dealing with the disasters. I have this view that if you provide the information and the reasons behind your decision, whatever those decisions are, I think overwhelmingly people will respect where we’re going. And tomorrow we will outline a plan to make sure that we can deliver generational infrastructure for every square inch of the state. And I think it’s an exciting time and I want Queenslanders to believe that we can deliver something when the eyes of the world are on us that makes us feel proud to be Queenslanders.
     
    JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, yesterday your Treasurer said it remains to be seen when the next surplus will be delivered. Do you hope another surplus will be delivered during your Prime Ministership? And Premier, when the GST cover was recently announced by the Commonwealth Grants Commission, your Treasurer, David Janetzki, was quite critical of the funding that had been announced for Queensland under that deal. Was the GST arrangements subject to discussions today?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: You’ll see the Budget and all the figures tomorrow night. Not long to wait now. One more sleep.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: We don’t believe it was a good decision. We acknowledge how it was made, we acknowledge the framework behind it. But we, you know, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you all today that we’re going to continue to work pretty hard to make sure that some of that infrastructure funding is excised from the GST. I think that’s fair and proper, particularly with the Bruce Highway. We were very, very pleased with the announcement on the Bruce, but it is a national road and it is, in my mind is something that should be excise from that GST agreement. We’ll continue to negotiate in good faith. And then there’s that little matter of the flood mitigation on the Bruce Highway as well, which I might go and try and get his signature before I fly back to Brissie.
     
    JOURNALIST: PM, Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are due to start from April 2. Is the Budget in such a position that it can withstand any economic turmoil that will come out of that? And where is Australia’s negotiations up to with the Administration about changes or excisions of Australia’s trade markets into the US under those reciprocal tariffs?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Look, we continue to engage constructively with the Trump Administration. We were engaged over the weekend again in some of those discussions that have taken place. My Ministers are engaged, our people in the United States are engaged as well. We’re advancing Australia’s national interest, as you would expect.
     
    JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, David Littleproud says we need more gas in the market, he seems to be suggesting they’re going to water down the safeguard mechanism. Do you agree with the proposition we need more gas in the market and what would you be doing to resolve that? And for the Premier, is there enough being done to get the gas out of Queensland’s south?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: On the former, we’ve announced and delivered publicly released our future gas strategy. That’s a strategy that understands that gas has an important role to play, along with batteries, in providing certainty. I was in Gladstone in the great State of Queensland just last week with Rio Tinto there, at the refinery producing fantastic alumina, aluminium there. And they employ many people, and one of the things that they’ve done is to shift to renewables but they have firming capacity there as well. That’s part of the transition that’s important. The former government had this big announcement when they were there about gas, a gas led recovery. Not much happened. Not much happened. You don’t need rhetoric. What you need is actually investment. What the safeguard mechanism does, like the Capacity Investment Scheme, is to provide certainty for the investment environment for business, which is why business backed the safeguard mechanism.
     
    PREMIER CRISAFULLI: I haven’t seen what David Littleproud said, but if he’s talking about the need for more gas in the market, he’s 100 per cent correct. And have a look at across the states. Queensland, over a long period of time, we’ve done the heavy lifting, we’ve done our end of the bargain, and some of the safeguards that were put in place a little over the decade ago has ensured that communities that were once trod on have now embraced it. And overwhelmingly, it’s been great not just for our economy, but it’s also been great for regional communities to have a sense of identity. It’s been great for meeting the market that’s there. I would argue that other states probably haven’t come on the same journey that we have. And I think if you point to Queensland as an example, that it can be done, it can be done. You can protect the environment, you can treat local communities with respect, you can create some jobs, you can earn a living. It is absolutely possible.
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Last one.
     
    JOURNALIST: Australian doctor Mohammed Mustafa is in Gaza right now. He says he told SBS the situation is catastrophic. He’s asking for urgent assistance. What is your Government actively doing now that Israel has broken the ceasefire?
     
    PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have maintained our same position, which is we want to see the ceasefire be continued. We want an end to hostilities, we want to see hostages released. We want to see peace and security in the Middle East. Something that my Government is very focused on. We will remain focused on. But we’re not major players in the Middle East. That’s just the truth of the matter. And so, we remain incredibly concerned about the innocent loss of life that we’ve seen since October 7, whether that be in Israel or whether it be in Gaza. Surely people have a look at that innocent loss of life, including children and people who have done nothing wrong but be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They deserve protection. And I want to see that occur, as I’m sure most people who have a look at what is occurring, including whether it be people in Gaza or indeed people in Israel who are saying that as well. Thanks very much, thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Citrus remedy squeezes out dry mouth for cancer patients

    Source:

    24 March 2025

    A natural citrus oil from oranges, lemons, and limes is proving highly effective in relieving dry mouth, and when combined with a new lipid formulation, new research suggests it may be effective without significant side effects.

    Developed by the University of South Australia in collaboration with the Medical School at Stanford University, this world first formulation uniquely combines limonene (a citrus essential oil) with a lipid-based drug delivery system to treat dry mouth (xerostomia), a common side effect of radiotherapy.

    The new formula demonstrated 180-fold better solubility than pure limonene in lab experiments and boosted relative bioavailability by over 4000% compared to pure limonene in pre-clinical trials.

    Dry mouth is the most reported side effect following radiotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer, affecting up to 70% of patients due to salivary gland damage. It can lead to difficulty speaking and swallowing, significantly reducing quality of life.

    Limonene has protective effects on saliva production during radiotherapy, but its poor solubility means high doses are needed to take effect, and these cause indigestion, abdominal discomfort and unpleasant ‘citrus burps’.

    Lead researcher, Professor Clive Prestidge says UniSA’s new limonene-lipid combination creates a ‘super-solubilising’ treatment that reduces dry mouth at lower dose and without uncomfortable side effects.

    “The therapeutic benefits of limonene are well known. It’s used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mood-enhancing agent, and can also improve digestion and gut function. But despite its widespread use, its volatility and poor solubility have limited its development as an oral therapy,” Prof Prestidge says.

    “As limonene is an oil, it forms a film on the top of the stomach contents, causing significant stomach pain and discomfort.

    “Our novel formulation combines limonene with healthy fats and oils – called lipids – to create a super-solubilising compound that the body can easily absorb with reduced uncomfortable side effects.

    “This increases the dispersion of limonene in the stomach, boosts absorption, and controls biodistribution – all while increasing a patient’s saliva production and reducing dry mouth.”

    Co-researcher Dr Leah Wright says the formulation has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for cancer patients and others suffering dry mouth conditions.

    “Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and other medical treatments regularly experience dry mouth, which not only prevents them from comfortably swallowing, but can also have other negative and potentially life-threatening outcomes,” Dr Wright says. 

    “While limonene can be ingested directly, it’s not well tolerated, especially by those with dry mouth. Plus, its poor absorption prevents it from effectively reaching the salivary glands – the target site.

    “This inventive and highly impactful limonene-lipid formulation could provide a simple, effective oral solution for dry mouth, offering cancer patients long-lasting relief and comfort, improved oral health, and a higher quality of life during a difficult time.”

    Clinical trials for the new formula are ongoing, with next steps to be announced soon.

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

    Contacts for interview:  Professor Clive Prestidge E: Clive.Prestidge@unisa.edu.au
    Dr Leah Wright E: leah.wright@adelaide.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: All Australian public schools now on a path to full and fair funding

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    The Albanese Labor Government has now reached agreements with every state and territory to put all public schools in the country on a path to full and fair funding.
     
    The Government promised to work with states and territories to put all schools on a path to full and fair funding as set out in David Gonski’s review. We have now delivered that promise.
     
    As part of these Agreements, the Commonwealth will provide an additional 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to all states and territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory.
     
    This will lift the Commonwealth’s contribution from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the SRS by 2034.
     
    For the Northern Territory, the Commonwealth’s contribution will lift from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the SRS by 2029.
     
    This will see an estimated $16.5 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to public schools across the nation over the next 10 years.

    This represents the biggest new investment in public schools by the Australian Government – ever.
     
    As part of the Agreements, the provision allowing jurisdictions to claim 4 per cent of SRS funding for indirect school costs such as capital depreciation will be replaced with funding on eligible expenses.
     
    Unlike the previous school funding agreement reached by the former government, this is not a blank cheque.
     
    This funding will be tied to the reforms needed to lift education standards across the country, including more individualised support for students, mandating evidenced-based teaching practices, and more mental health support in schools.
     
    Reforms include: 

    • Year 1 phonics and early years of schooling numeracy checks to identify students in the early years of school who need additional help.
    • Evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind.
    • Initiatives that support wellbeing for learning – including greater access to mental health professionals.
    • Access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning, and
    • Initiatives that improve the attraction and retention of teachers.

    In addition to these reforms, the Agreements have targets, including that by 2030 the proportion of students receiving a Year 12 Certificate will be the highest it has ever been. Other targets include:

    • Reducing the proportion of students in the NAPLAN ‘Needs Additional Support’ proficiency level for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent by 2030.
    • Increasing the proportion of students in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent by 2030 and trend upwards for priority equity cohorts in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels.
    • Increasing the Student Attendance Rate, nationally, to 91.4 per cent (2019 level) by 2030.
    • Increasing the engagement rate (completed or still enrolled) of initial teacher education students by 10 percentage points to 69.7 per cent by 2035.

    This means more help for students and more support for teachers. It has taken too long, but all public schools in the country are now on a path to the full and fair funding level set by David Gonski more than a decade ago.
     
    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
     
    “Building Australia’s Future means investing in the next generation.
     
    “That’s why every dollar of this funding will go into helping children learn.
     
    “We know that education opens the doors of opportunity, and we want to widen them for every child in Australia.
     
    “This is about investing in real reform with real funding – so Australian children get the best possible education.”
     
    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
     
    “This is an historic day for Australia’s education system.
     
    “We have now reached agreements with every state and territory to put all schools on a path to full and fair funding.
     
    “This is a game‑changer for public education and it’s a life‑changer for our kids at school today, kids that will be at school in the next few years, and children that aren’t even born yet.
     
    “This will see on average a 70 per cent increase in Commonwealth funding per student when this is fully implemented.
     
    “This is real funding tied to real reform to get real results.
     
    “But this is all at risk if Peter Dutton wins the next election. In 2013, the Liberals said there’d be no cuts to our schools. That was a lie. As soon as they got in, they ripped $30 billion out and they will do the same thing again if they win this year.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Silicosis is ruining the lungs of construction workers. An AI-powered breath test can detect it in minutes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Alexander Donald, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney

    Irene Miller/Shutterstock

    Silicosis is an incurable but entirely preventable lung disease. It has only one cause: breathing in too much silica dust. This is a risk in several industries, including tunnelling, stone masonry and construction.

    Just last week, ABC reported that 13 workers from tunnelling projects in Sydney have been diagnosed with silicosis. It’s yet another reminder that current diagnostic methods are limited. They often detect the disease only after the lungs already have significant damage.

    Our new study, published in the Journal of Breath Research, provides the latest results on a breath test for detecting silicosis powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It’s non-invasive and measures dozens of molecules to identify silicosis in just minutes.

    The test we’ve developed achieved over 90% accuracy in differentiating silicosis patients from healthy individuals. This is better than traditional lung function tests.

    While our test is yet to be trialled in real-world clinics, our results so far suggest breath testing could become a crucial tool in workplace health screening. Early detection would prevent suffering and disease progression, and reduce healthcare costs.

    Silicosis is a growing problem – but hard to detect

    Currently, more workers in New South Wales, elsewhere in Australia and internationally are being diagnosed with silicosis at younger ages. The Australian government has responded by banning engineered stone, but that doesn’t address ongoing risks in other industries.

    Patients with silicosis often describe a feeling like they are slowly being strangled, with every breath becoming more difficult over time. In advanced stages, silicosis can be fatal unless patients can access a lung transplant.

    The only way to stop the progression of silicosis is removing affected workers from further silica exposure. This is why diagnosing patients in the early stages – before irreversible lung damage occurs – is critical.

    However, this isn’t easy to achieve. Lung function testing and chest X-rays only identify the problem once irreversible lung damage has occurred. In some cases, patients also need CT scans and invasive biopsy to confirm diagnosis. But CT scans, although much higher resolution, also rely on visible signs of silicosis.

    And these methods are costly and take time, making it harder to easily screen the thousands of workers who could be at risk.

    This is where breath testing comes in.

    Research team members Merryn Baker (left) and Dr Laura Capasso supervise a study participant providing a breath test sample for analysis.
    Richard Freeman/UNSW

    How breath tests can detect disease

    Human breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds – small gas molecules that come from metabolic processes in the body, as well as the environment.

    The composition of these molecules changes in response to physiological conditions like disease. However, volatile organic compounds are often present in extremely low concentrations – we need highly sensitive technology to detect them reliably.

    Our team has developed tools that can detect volatile organic compounds at concentrations as low as parts per trillion. This is equivalent to detecting a single drop of liquid diluted in multiple Olympic-sized swimming pools.

    This level of sensitivity allows us to identify very small biochemical changes in breath. AI is key to this approach. Our machine learning model analyses breath samples to tell apart healthy individuals and those with silicosis.

    This builds on our previous work using AI to analyse blood plasma for early Parkinson’s disease detection with high accuracy and interpretability, which allows us to determine the chemical features that contribute the most to model accuracy. Interpretability refers to the ability to understand and explain how the AI model arrives at its predictions, providing insights into which data inputs are most important.

    Now, we have applied similar methods to breath analysis. Thanks to the sensitivity of our test, we could potentially detect silicosis at very early stages.

    Breath samples could be collected at scale at workplaces to monitor the health of at-risk workers.
    Richard Freeman/UNSW

    How well does it work?

    In our new study, the breath test was trialled on 31 silicosis patients and 60 healthy controls. The AI-powered model successfully distinguished silicosis cases with over 90% accuracy.

    The test takes less than five minutes per sample, making it feasible for large-scale health screening. Additionally, the test doesn’t require subjects to fast or undergo any special preparation beforehand.

    An important question in breath analysis is whether external factors, such as diet or smoking, influence test results. Our study included smokers and non-smokers in both silicosis and healthy control groups, and the test maintained high accuracy.

    Our results show great promise, but there are challenges to overcome. The test relies on highly sensitive instrumentation that, while compact (less than a cubic metre), still requires technical expertise to operate.

    The AI-powered breath test involves specialised tools to perform the analysis.
    Richard Freeman/UNSW

    Currently, breath samples are collected in clinics and transported to a lab for analysis. We hope future iterations could allow for testing in workplace settings, creating routine screening programs. Further validation in larger, diverse worker populations is also necessary before full implementation.

    The next phase of research will involve refining the AI model and expanding real-world testing to thousands of silica-exposed workers who might be at risk.

    While routine medical evaluations will still be necessary for at-risk workers, the addition of breath analysis could enable more continuous monitoring than what is currently practical. It could help detect silicosis earlier, before the symptoms become irreversible, reducing long-term health risks.

    Acknowledgements: Aruvi Thiruvarudchelvan and Jeff Gordon also contributed to this research.

    William Alexander Donald receives funding from the Australian Research Council, iCare Dust Diseases Board, Coal Services NSW Health & Safety Trust, US National Institutes of Health and several industry research contracts. He is an advisor to Preview Health and Mass Affinity. He is president of the Australian & New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry.

    Deborah Yates is an occupational respiratory physician and a director of Thomas-Yates Pty Ltd, a medical services company, and an expert advisor to the Asbestos & Dust Diseases Research Institute, Concord, NSW. She is an independent director of the board of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, a global advisor to the Royal College of Physicians of London, independent member of the NSW Mine Safety Advisory Council and Councillor to the Australian Society of Salaried Medical Officers (ASMOF) of NSW, the doctors’ union. She acts also as an advisor to Tuberous Sclerosis Australia and LAM Australasia. She receives no funding for any of these roles. She has recently received funding for investigator-initiated grants from Boehringer Ingelheim and iCare NSW as well as the Coal Services Trust, and has previously participated in several industry initiated research studies into asthma and chronic cough. She is a member of the iCare Medical Advisory Panel. She has in the past acted in an advisory capacity and given paid lectures for Glaxo Smith Klein, Astra Zeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim. She has no shares in mining companies or pharmaceutical companies and is not a member of any political parties.

    Merryn Baker’s PhD research was funded by UNSW through the Scientia Scheme.

    – ref. Silicosis is ruining the lungs of construction workers. An AI-powered breath test can detect it in minutes – https://theconversation.com/silicosis-is-ruining-the-lungs-of-construction-workers-an-ai-powered-breath-test-can-detect-it-in-minutes-252640

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is hyaluronic acid – and is it OK for kids and teens to use this common skincare ingredient?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Porter, Lecturer, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Monash University

    Sabinayro/Shutterstock

    Earlier this month, Kmart pulled a “hyaluronic acid cleansing balm” from its shelves, after a teen who used the skincare product was hospitalised, reporting eye pain and blurred vision. It’s unclear what ingredient caused this reaction.

    In a statement, Kmart said it was removing the product while conducting an investigation. The retailer also said:

    We want to assure our customers that our cosmetics are designed to ensure that they comply with both Australian and European requirements on ingredients.

    Hyaluronic acid – despite the name – is a gentle ingredient commonly used in skincare products.

    But what does hyaluronic acid do to your skin as a skincare ingredient? And is it safe for tweens and teens?

    What is hyaluronic acid?

    Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan – a sugar-based molecule found naturally in the skin, eyes, joint fluid and connective tissue.

    It plays a key role in hydrating the skin and tissues, lubricating our joints and supporting tissue repair.

    Beyond cosmetics, hyaluronic acid is used in drug delivery, regenerative medicine, wound repair, and to treat conditions such as atherosclerosis (where the arterial walls harden and narrow) and osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease).

    It is also a key ingredient in many eye drops and contact lens care solutions.

    How is it used in skincare?

    While the word “acid” might suggest it is harsh and potentially damaging to the skin, hyaluronic acid is not used in its acidic form in skincare products. It is usually used in its salt form, sodium hyaluronate.

    In skincare, active acids such as salicylic acid usually lower the skin’s pH and exfoliate it by breaking the bonds between dead skin cells.

    Hyaluronic acid, in contrast, is used to hydrate the skin. It is a humectant, an ingredient that attracts and retains water molecules.

    Hyaluronic acid has three qualities that make it suitable for skincare: it’s soluble (can be dissolved in water), biocompatible (meaning it’s not harmful to the body), and biodegradable (naturally breaks down into non-toxic, simpler substances).

    It is usually safe and well-tolerated, meaning it has very few side effects.

    In skincare products, hyaluronic is used in different forms. Smaller hyaluronic molecules can penetrate deeper into the skin and hydrate the lower levels. In products this is often advertised as “anti-ageing”, because it stimulates the production of collagen (a structural protein in the skin), and helps to improve elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

    Larger hyaluronic acid molecules remain on the skin’s surface and have an immediate hydrating effect, preventing water evaporation from the skin.

    Hyaluronic acid helps the skin attract and retain water molecules for hydration.
    Art_Photo/Shutterstock

    Any risks?

    Hyaluronic acid is generally a safe ingredient, even for sensitive skin. But products advertised as “hyaluronic acid skincare” may contain other ingredients which can cause irritation.

    In particular, fragrances, preservatives and surfactants (ingredients that produce foam and help wash away oil and dirt) may be safe for skin but burn or otherwise irritate the eyes.

    This is because the cornea and conjuctiva (the thin membrane covering the eye) are much more sensitive than the skin.

    How are skincare ingredients regulated?

    Unlike medicines and products used for therapeutic reasons, which are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), general cosmetic products do not require pre-market safety testing or approval.

    Instead, companies need to register their business with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme and verify that their ingredients are not banned or restricted in Australia.

    This creates a potential gap where defective products remain on the market, only to be recalled after adverse reactions occur.

    Are these products appropriate for children?

    Most scientific research on active ingredients – including hyaluronic acid – has been evaluated in older populations. This leaves a gap in understanding how they affect teen and preteen skin.

    Many products are designed for ageing and/or specific skin types, and are largely unnecessary for children and younger people.

    In some cases, they can potentially be harmful to their skin. For example, unless prescribed by a dermatologist, it’s advisable for young people to avoid retinoid products (containing retinol or retinal) as they can cause redness, peeling and drying.

    Similarly, products with alpha hydroxy acids can cause irritation, itching, redness and may worsen acne in young skin.

    So, what should younger people look for?

    Preteens and teens should avoid products containing active ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C, alpha- and beta- hydroxy acids, and peptides, as well as those labelled with terms such as anti-ageing, wrinkle-reducing, brightening, or firming.

    To keep skin clean and protected, teenagers can use a good cleanser, a simple moisturiser and a broad spectrum SPF 30 or 50 sunscreen.

    It’s best to opt for gentle, fragrance-free cleansers and moisturisers suitable for all skin types. Consulting with a pharmacist can provide personalised recommendations based on individual skin needs.

    Laurence Orlando is a council member with the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

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

    – ref. What is hyaluronic acid – and is it OK for kids and teens to use this common skincare ingredient? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-hyaluronic-acid-and-is-it-ok-for-kids-and-teens-to-use-this-common-skincare-ingredient-252296

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Investigation team calling for information about former police officer

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Investigation team calling for information about former police officer

    Monday, 24 March 2025 – 1:08 pm.

    As was announced on 26 February, Tasmania Police is conducting an investigation into former police officer Dale Cook, who has been charged with allegedly accessing child exploitation material.
    Acting Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said the investigation is examining Cook’s entire career to determine whether he used his position as a police officer to commit child sexual abuse crimes or any other criminal offending and identify any misconduct during his employment with Tasmania Police.
    “The investigation has independent oversight by the Integrity Commission and is being run concurrently with the criminal case he is currently facing charges over,” Acting Commissioner Higgins said.
    “We strongly encourage anyone with information to come forward, as every piece of information, no matter how small, can be key to the outcome of an investigation.”
    “The investigators would like to hear from anyone with information by 5 May 2025, however information after this time will of course still be examined.”
    “The specialist investigation team recognises the need to offer choice and confidentiality to anyone wanting to provide information.”
    There are several ways information can be provided to investigators.
    This includes:

    Sending a direct email to the investigation team at cookinvestigation@police.tas.gov.au
    Submitting an online form which allows you the option or remaining anonymous, or providing your details if you are willing to be contacted.
    Submitting a report to the Tasmania Police Professional Standards online portal.
    If you would like to meet in person, contact the investigation team at cookinvestigation@police.tas.gov.au and they will arrange this at a time and place that ensures confidentiality.

    “An important part of the investigation is also receiving any relevant information from people who have previously been in the workplace with Dale Cook, and our staff are being contacted to facilitate this.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: The most important thing the Government will do

    Source: ACT Party

    The Haps

    At least one left wing chat room went ballistic about last week’s Free Press. The idea that men are oppressed seemed to trigger them so badly they missed the central point: The world is not made up of groups oppressing each other, but individuals trying to make the most of their time on earth.

    The most important thing the Government will do

    New Zealand in a nutshell is the best land in the world that you can’t build a home (or a quarry, or a road, or a water treatment plant, or a power station) on. Nearly every major problem we face begins with the difficulty in getting consent to build things.

    Why are young people disillusioned and leaving the country? Why are poor households spending over half their income on housing? Why is the Government spending billions on rental subsidies? Why are a worrying number of people facing retirement still paying rent? Why is the economy infamously imbalanced towards housing? It’s too hard to build houses and the services that connect them together.

    In this area ACT’s, and especially Simon Court’s, hard work in opposition is paying off for the whole country. Late last year Cabinet signed off on the engine room work Simon has been doing with RMA reform Minister Chris Bishop.

    The work started in 2022 with ACT’s paper Building New Zealand and Conserving Nature. The paper contains the details that Cabinet signed off as shaping the Government’s new Resource Management laws.

    It begins, “ACT proposes a shift in principle on Resource Management. At present the underlying principle is the 1980s paradigm of ‘sustainable development.’ This has never been defined in a way that is practical to implement… Instead, the principle of resource management should be to preserve the enjoyment of property… On a property rights basis, they can do anything that does not harm others’ enjoyment of property. It dramatically reduces the range of people who have an interest in someone else’s use of their own property.”

    Therein lies the heart of the Government’s reforms, based on ACT’s Coalition commitment to “replace the Resource Management Act 1991 with new resource management laws premised on the enjoyment of property rights as a guiding principle.”

    It says laws plural and there will be two laws under the Government’s reforms. One to guide urban development and planning, and another to guide environmental protection. As ACT has long said, it’s never made sense that the same law protecting Fiordland governs whether a horse paddock in Henderson can have two homes built on it.

    Building and Conserving Nature carries on to set out other principles; how water should be taken, how discharges to land and water should be managed within environmental limits, and how nationwide codes would replace every council reinventing every wheel for basic activities. These ideas also shine through in the Government’s plans, and they will make an enormous difference to the future of this country.

    Reforms like this make us proud to support ACT. The basic ideas of less regulation and more respect for private property rights are core party philosophy. They’re also becoming real with the Government’s reforms. Most importantly they are the solution to our country’s deepest problems.

    When the next generation can see their pathway to living in a property-owning democracy, the whole society changes. People who are physically invested in the community, with the security to build a life and start a family if they choose, are different types of citizens.

    Making it easier to build a water treatment plant, a road, a subdivision, and a home at the end of it may be the most important change this country can make, and it’s ACT what did that.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) High Court says no to travelling Group Costs Orders

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Impact on class action landscape: Victoria’s magnet effect 7 min read

    In the first of a string of upcoming decisions about the class action landscape, the High Court of Australia handed down judgment in Bogan v Smedley on 12 March 2025.1 The Court held that a group costs order (GCO) made in a class action commenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria could not travel to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and that, consequently, neither could the proceeding.

    Key takeaways 

    Background

    The legislative regime

    Group costs orders

    In every state and territory across Australia, legislation prohibits a law practice from charging contingency fees. Since July 2020, however, Victorian legislation has contained an exception for GCOs—orders allowing the representatives of plaintiffs in a class action to recover as costs a specified percentage of any award or settlement obtained in the proceeding.

    To make a GCO, the Supreme Court of Victoria must be satisfied that it is ‘appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done in the proceeding’.2

    Transfer of proceedings

    At the heart of this proceeding was s1337H(2) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), which allows a court to transfer a proceeding to another court if it appears to the first court that, ‘having regard to the interests of justice’, it is more appropriate for the second court to determine the matter.

    Notably, this provision only applies to a proceeding with respect to a civil matter arising under, relevantly, the Corporations Act or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) (ASIC Act).

    The Arrium proceeding

    On 14 August 2020, a class action was commenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the directors of Arrium Ltd (Arrium) and its auditor, alleging contraventions of the Corporations Act, the ASIC Act and the Australian Consumer Law. There was evidence that the proceeding was originally intended to be filed in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where Arrium had its principal place of business and where the relevant events had largely taken place. The High Court inferred that the ultimate choice to file in Victoria rather than NSW was to take advantage of the availability of GCOs.

    The plaintiffs applied for a GCO on 2 February 2021. On 26 February 2021, one of the defendants applied to transfer the proceeding to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

    The Supreme Court of Victoria made orders that the GCO application be determined first, before the transfer application. As noted by the High Court, no objection was taken to that order at the time. A GCO was then made in favour of the plaintiffs’ solicitors entitling them to 40% of any award or settlement (the Arrium GCO).

    The transfer application was not ultimately dealt with by the Supreme Court of Victoria. Instead, three questions arising on that application were removed to the Victorian Court of Appeal:

    1. whether the Arrium GCO would remain in force if the proceeding were transferred to the Supreme Court of New South Wales;
    2. if not, whether the absence of the Arrium GCO in the Supreme Court of New South Wales was a relevant factor to the transfer application; and
    3. whether the proceeding should be transferred.

    Decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal

    In respect of those questions, the Victorian Court of Appeal unanimously held that:

    1. the Arrium GCO would not remain in force if the proceeding were transferred to the Supreme Court of New South Wales;
    2. this was relevant to (and decisive of) the transfer application; and
    3. the proceeding should not be transferred.

    The same questions were subsequently removed to the High Court for determination.

    Summary of findings

    A majority of the High Court (Chief Justice Gageler, Justices Gordon, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones ) and Justice Edelman (in separate reasons) reached the same conclusion on each question as the Court of Appeal. Justice Steward disagreed on the second question, holding that the availability or not of a GCO in the Supreme Court of New South Wales was not relevant to the transfer application.

    Would the Arrium GCO remain in force in NSW?

    The parties agreed that the Supreme Court of New South Wales had no power to make an order in the nature of the Arrium GCO. The issue for the High Court instead turned on whether a provision of the Corporations Act would give legal force to the Arrium GCO if the proceeding were transferred.

    The High Court held that it would not. To the contrary, the provision could only apply if the Supreme Court of New South Wales had power to make an order providing for at least ‘similar steps’ to the Arrium GCO. The parties agreed it did not have that power and, accordingly, the Arrium GCO could not be carried into NSW. 

    Was the absence of the Arrium GCO relevant to the transfer application?

    The majority held that the absence of the Arrium GCO could not be ignored in considering whether transfer to NSW was in ‘the interests of justice’. Importantly, it was agreed between the parties that there was not a realistic prospect of alternative funding being obtained in the absence of the Arrium GCO. In this regard the majority stated that the capacity of the plaintiffs and class members to obtain access to justice ‘bear[s] vitally’ on the interests of justice,4 a sentiment echoed by Justice Edelman.5 In the views of the majority and Justice Edelman, these matters were decisive of the transfer application because, on the facts of the case, there was a ‘considerable risk’ that the proceeding would not be able to continue without the GCO.6

    By contrast, Justice Steward held that the Arrium GCO was not relevant to, and so not determinative of, the transfer application. His Honour disagreed with the majority on the basis that a GCO offers a plaintiff an advantage (a way of ensuring the financial viability of a proceeding) and imposes on a defendant a corresponding disadvantage (being subjected to a proceeding which would not be viable in any other jurisdiction). To consider the Arrium GCO a relevant factor would, in his Honour’s view, be for the court to ‘play favourites’.7 As his Honour noted, NSW did not cease to be a place where the plaintiffs could obtain justice merely because Victoria introduced laws introducing an exception to an otherwise national ban on contingency fees, and nor did those laws mean NSW was not a suitable forum in which to litigate class actions.

    Will a GCO always anchor proceedings to Victoria?

    The majority also noted that common factors bear on the determination of GCO applications and transfer applications. As noted above, the former involves consideration of whether the GCO is appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done, while the latter involves an inquiry into ‘the interests of justice’. While the High Court stopped short of articulating a general rule, its reasoning suggests that where a GCO has been made (because the court is satisfied that it is appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done), that will tend in favour of it being in the interests of justice that the proceeding remains in Victoria.

    Looking ahead

    One route not taken by the parties in this case was to challenge the sequence in which the Supreme Court of Victoria dealt with the GCO and transfer applications. If the transfer application was heard before the making of the GCO, the transfer application would have been decided by reference only to the connections the proceeding had to Victoria and NSW respectively. It remains to be seen what the attitude of the courts will be to that kind of challenge, however, it may be one strategy open to parties faced with similar circumstances in future.

    The majority’s reasoning also suggests a potential shift in the High Court’s approach to considering factors relevant to the ‘interests of justice’ and similar assessments. The High Court previously held that whether an action can proceed is not relevant to that inquiry.8 By contrast, in Bogan v Smedley, the majority and Justice Edelman held that whether the action could proceed was relevant to an inquiry into whether the transfer was ‘in the interests of justice’. As further matters come before the High Court which require a similar analysis, it will be interesting to monitor the extent to which the Court considers the survival of a proceeding to be relevant to ‘ensuring justice is done’.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trade mission to China

    Source: Australian National Party



    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 24/03/2025

    Promoting further trade, tourism and economic development with our largest trading partner, across a range of sectors, including tourism, aviation, education and investment will be the focus of this week’s trade mission to China.

    The week-long mission features activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Beijing-Canberra sister city relationship and a meeting with the Mayor of Beijing and Beijing Municipal Government representatives.

    Returning to Canberra’s largest export market for the first time since the Covid pandemic, the mission will focus on delivering outcomes outlined in our International Engagement Strategy and T2030 Tourism Strategy.

    Under the T2030 strategy, the Government aims to reach $5 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2030. China is Canberra’s largest international market and has considerable capacity to grow over this decade. Recent data shows 15 per cent of all international visitors to the ACT came from China, contributing 52 per cent of the total international visitor spend.

    Tourism and investment opportunities will be pursued through meetings with airlines including Air China and Cathay Pacific, hotel operators and key tourism distribution partners.

    Education partnerships will also be strengthened including an official visit to the Cunzhi Senior High School in Shanghai – who deliver the ACT Year 12 certificate through the BSSS (Board of Senior Studies).

    Supported by Tourism Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and AusTrade, participants in the mission include Visit Canberra and the Commissioner for International Engagement.

    The estimated cost of the Chief Minister’s component of the trade mission is under $15,000, met from the ACT Executive 2024-25 Budget. The final cost will be reported as part of the regular quarterly travel reports.

    – Statement ends –

    Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pro-Palestinian protesters challenge NZ’s Winston Peters at state of the nation speech

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday.

    A clarion call to Trumpism and Australia’s One Nation Party, the speech was accompanied by the background music of about 250 protesters outside the Town Hall, chanting: “Complicity in genocide is a crime.”

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) co-chair John Minto described Peters’ attitude to Palestinians as “sickening”.

    Inside the James Hay Theatre, protester after protester stood and spoke loudly and clearly against the deputy Prime Minister’s failure to support those still dying in Gaza, and his failure to denounce the ongoing genocide.

    Ben Vorderegger was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of people who have lost their voices in the dust of blood and bones, bombs and sniper guns.

    Before he and others were hauled out, they spoke for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza — women, men, doctors, aid workers, journalists, and children.

    Gazan health authorities have reported that the official death toll is now more than 50,000 — but that is the confirmed deaths with thousands more buried under the rubble.


    The Christchurch Town Hall protest.            Video:PSNA

    Real death toll
    The real death toll from the genocide in Gaza has been estimated by a reputed medical journal, The Lancet, at more than 63,000. A third of those are children. Each day more children are killed.

    One by one the protesters who challenged Peters were manhandled by security guards to a frenzied crowd screaming “out, out”.

    The deputy Prime Minister’s response was to deride and mock the conscientious objectors. He did not stop there. He lambasted the media.

    At this point, several members of his audience turned on me as a journalist and demanded my removal.

    Pro=Palestine protesters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday to picket Foreign Minister Winston Peters at his state of the nation speech.Image: Saige England/APR

    This means that not only is the right to free speech at stake, the right or freedom to report is also being eroded. (I was later trespassed by security guards and police from the Town Hall although no reason was supplied for the ban).

    Inside the Christchurch Town Hall the call by Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, to “Make New Zealand Great Again” continued in the vein of a speech written by a MAGA leader.

    He whitewashed human rights, failed to address climate change, and demonstrated loathing for a media that has rarely challenged him.

    Ben Vorderegger in keffiyeh was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of Palestinans before
    being thrown out of the Christchurch Town Hall meeting. Image: Saige England/APR

    Condemned movement
    Slamming the PSNA as “Marxist fascists” for calling out genocide, he condemned the movement for failing to talk with those who have a record of kowtowing to violent colonisation.

    This tactic is Colonial Invasion 101. It sees the invader rewarding and only dealing with those who sell out. This strategy demands that the colonised people should bow to the oppressor — an oppressor who threatens them with losing everything if they do not accept the scraps.

    Peters showed no support for the Treaty of Waitangi but rather, endorsed the government’s challenge to the founding document of the nation – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In his dismissal of the founding and legally binding partnership, he repeated the “One Nation” catch-cry. Ad nauseum.

    Besides slamming Palestinians, the Scots (he managed to squeeze in a racist joke against Scottish people), and the woke, Peters’ speech promoted continued mining, showing some amnesia over the Pike River disaster. He did not reference the environment or climate change.

    After the speech, outside the Town Hall police donned black gloves — a sign they were prepared to use pepper-spray.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto described Peters’ failure to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians as “bloody disgraceful”.

    The police arrested one protester, claiming he put his hand on a car transporting NZ First officials. A witness said this was not the case.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto (in hat behind fellow protester) . . . the failure of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is “bloody disgraceful”. Image; Saige England/APR

    Protester released
     The protester was later released without any charges being laid.

    A defiant New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event. He raised his arms defensively at protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?”

    I was trespassed from the Christchurch Town Hall for re-entering the Town Hall for Winston Peters’ media conference. No reason was supplied by police or the Town Hall security personnel for that trespass order..

    “The words Winston is terrified to say . . . ” poster at the Christchurch pro-Palestinian protest. Image: Saige England/APR

    It is well known that Peters loathes the media — he said so enough times during his state of the nation speech.

    He referenced former US President Bill Clinton during his speech, an interesting reference given that Clinton did not receive the protection from the media that Peters has received.

    From the over zealous security personnel who manhandled and dragged out hecklers, to the banning of a journalist, to the arrest of someone for “touching a car” when witnesses report otherwise, the state of the nation speech held some uncomfortable echoes — the actions of a fascist dictatorship.

    Populist threats
    The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Jorg Haider press conference I attended many years ago in Vienna. That “rechtspopulist” Austrian politician had threatened journalists with defamation suits if they called him out on his support for Nazis.

    Yet he was on record for doing so.

    I was reminded of this yesterday when the audience called ‘out out’ at hecklers, and demanded the removal of this journalist. These New Zealand First supporters demand adoration for their leader or a media black-out.

    Perhaps they cannot be blamed given that the state of the nation speech could well have been written by US President Donald Trump or one of his minions.

    The protesters were courageous and conscientious in contrast to Peters, said PSNA’s John Minto.

    He likened Peters to Neville Chamberlain — Britain’s Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. His name is synonymous with the policy of “appeasement” because he conceded territorial concessions to Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, fruitlessly hoping to avoid war.

    “He has refused to condemn any of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, including the total humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza.”

    Refusal ‘unprecedented’
    “It’s unprecedented in New Zealand history that a government would refuse to condemn Israel breaking its ceasefire agreement and resuming industrial-scale slaughter of civilians,” Minto said.

    “That is what Israel is doing today in Gaza, with full backing from the White House.

    “Chamberlain went to meet Hitler in Munich in 1938 to whitewash Nazi Germany’s takeovers of its neighbours’ lands.

    “Peters has been in Washington to agree to US approval of the occupation of southern Syria, more attacks on Lebanon, resumption of the land grab genocide in Gaza and get a heads-up on US plans to ‘give’ the Occupied West Bank to Israel later this year.

    “If Peters disagrees with any of this, he’s had plenty of chances to say so.

    “New Zealanders are calling for sanctions on Israel but Mr Peters and the National-led government are looking the other way.”

    New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event, dismissing protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?” Image: Saige England/APR

    Only staged questions
    The conscientious objectors who rise against the oppression of human rights are people Winston Peters regards as his enemies. He will only answer questions in a press conference staged for him.

    He warms to journalists who warm to him.

    The state of the nation speech in the Town Hall was familiar.

    Seeking to erase conscientiousness will not make New Zealand great, it will render this country very small, almost miniscule, like the people who are being destroyed for daring to demand their right to their own land.

    Saige England is a journalist and author, and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). She is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific.

    Part of the crowd at the state of the nation speech by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. Image: Saige England/APR

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged after police seize shortened semi-automatic rifle from vehicle

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged after police seize shortened semi-automatic rifle from vehicle

    Monday, 24 March 2025 – 10:19 am.

    A man has been charged with multiple firearms and drug-related offences after police seized a shortened semi-automatic rifle and a significant quantity of cash during a vehicle search at Westbury yesterday.
    Uniform officers from Central North attempted to intercept a vehicle on Mary Street before locating the vehicle parked behind a Westbury business.
    The driver – a 33 year old Kings Meadows man- was drug tested and returned a positive result.
    During a subsequent search of his vehicle, police located and seized a shortened semi-automatic rifle, quantities of methylamphetamine, illegal stimulants and prescription drugs and more than $120,000 in cash believed to be proceeds of crime.
    The driver was charged with multiple firearm and drug-related offences, including possess prohibited firearm to which a firearms licence may not be issued, possess shortened firearm, possess controlled drug and dealing with property suspected of being proceeds of crime.
    He was detained to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Firearms and ammunition surrendered to police during amnesty drive

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Firearms and ammunition surrendered to police during amnesty drive

    Monday, 24 March 2025 – 11:10 am.

    Police continue to encourage Tasmanians to surrender illegal or unwanted firearms and related items, after eight firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were surrendered as part of a mobile amnesty drive over the weekend. 
    “As part of a firearms amnesty drive across the state over the weekend, eight firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were surrendered to police,” said Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar.
    “This is eight firearms now out of our community that can’t get into the wrong hands and be used to commit crime or cause harm.” 
    Included in the surrendered firearms were one shotgun, three rifles, two air rifles, one pistol and one gel blaster that has the appearance of a firearm. 
    “While it’s pleasing that people surrendered these items, we know there continues to be people in our community that have illegal or unwanted firearms, which is a concern.” 
    “Under Tasmania’s permanent firearms amnesty you can surrender illegal or unwanted firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, or gel blasters that have the appearance of a firearm at any time without fear of being prosecuted for the possession.” 
    “If you have items to surrender, or you know of someone who has illegal firearms, please contact police on 131 444.” 
    Crime Stoppers Tasmania Ambassador, Mark Mewis said, “if you suspect that someone has an illegal firearm or ammunition, you can help keep your community safe by sharing what you know with Crime Stoppers.” 
    “The public can provide information anonymously to Crime Stoppers, safely and without the need to say who you are, get involved, or put yourself at risk of harm. Submit your tip at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000,” added Mr Mewis.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Next 5,000: avoid common CGT errors

    Source:

    Our engagement with Next 5,000 privately owned and wealthy groups reveals a range of common capital gains tax (CGT) mistakes. These are usually the result of the mischaracterisation of information and poor record keeping. They include:

    • cost base errors
    • reporting of transactions in the wrong year, or not at all
    • incorrect characterisation of ordinary income as capital income
    • beneficiaries that fail to gross up discounted share of capital gain distributed by trusts
    • unsubstantiated carried forward capital losses
    • inability to substantiate assets sold to related parties.

    Consequences for getting things wrong 

    Failing to correctly prepare tax returns can lead to audits and amendments. These can be time consuming and costly, highlighting the importance of accurate CGT reporting and record keeping.

    For example, a Next 5,000 group incorrectly characterised a transaction as ordinary income instead of capital income when lodging their tax return. The group acquired a property while it was in the process of being subdivided and developed, and shortly afterwards marketed the property for sale.

    During our audit, we concluded the property sale wasn’t simply the mere realisation of an asset but part of a profit-making undertaking where the intention was to generate a return.

    We amended the group’s tax returns, which increased their tax liability by over
    $5 million, plus penalties and interest of over $1 million.

    To avoid these type of issues, you should note that certain capital losses, disposals, and business CGT concession claims will attract our attention.

    How to get things right

    To ensure compliance and accuracy in CGT reporting, you need to:

    • understand the nature of the transaction and asset
    • keep records of everything that may be relevant to working out whether you’ve made a capital gain or loss from a CGT event
    • obtain independent professional valuations to support assets sold between related parties.

    By addressing these key areas, Next 5,000 groups can ensure compliance and avoid the pitfalls associated with CGT errors.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for medium, large and multinational businesses, to keep you up to date with updates and changes you need to know.

    Read more articles in our online Business bulletins newsroom.

    Subscribe to our free:

    • fortnightly Business bulletins email newsletterExternal Link
    • email notifications about new and updated information on our website – you can choose to receive updates relevant to your situation. Choose the ‘Business and organisations’ category to ensure your subscription includes notifications for more Business bulletins newsroom articles like this one.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating early warning collaboration on World Meteorological Day

    Source: Australia Safe Travel Advisories

    23/03/2025

    Issued: 23 March 2025

    Today is World Meteorological Day and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of national weather and water agencies across the world.

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology, operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences, commemorates World Meteorological Day on 23 March each year. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the WMO.

    The Bureau of Meteorology continues to play a leading role in supporting Pacific Islands nations to prepare for and respond to the impacts of severe weather and a changing climate. The Bureau engages in several initiatives in the Pacific region aligned to this year’s theme of “Closing the early warning gap”.

    In partnership with the Pacific Meteorological Council, the Bureau supports the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) program, to enhance early warning systems and increase climate resilience in the Pacific.

    As part of the initiative, the Bureau provides technical guidance and advice to help the Pacific improve its infrastructure, systems and training.

    General Manager of International Development, Dr Andrew Jones said the program supports the Pacific region in benefiting from advances in forecast and warning systems for weather, hydrological and oceanic events, enabling increased accuracy specificity and lead times of forecasts.

    “Severe weather events devastate Pacific Island communities through loss of life and damage to homes and infrastructure, agricultural lands, livelihoods, and economies,” Dr Jones said.

    “Climate change escalates the Pacific’s vulnerability to extreme events by increasing their intensity and/or frequency.

    “The Bureau supports Pacific meteorological leaders in providing technical guidance and advice to ensure that every Pacific Island person will be safer from severe weather and the impacts of climate change.”

    The Bureau also works with stakeholders in Pacific Island countries to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate variability through the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac) and, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and the Papua New Guinea Weather Service, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Papua New Guinea (CREWS-PNG).

    Dr Jones said Papua New Guinea’s diverse topography and highly variable rainfall means a limited rain gauge network is insufficient to accurately assess rainfall distribution.

    “The Bureau’s technical advice of extensive and uniform coverage of satellite-based precipitation observations provide a more precise picture of rainfall,” Dr Jones said.

    “CREWS-PNG closes the early warning gap, benefiting over 200 users in agriculture, water, energy, and emergency services with improved decision-making and climate resilience.

    “Meteorology operates outside of political and geographical boundaries. The Bureau works with partners in other countries, sharing information and resources to benefit people in Australia and around the world.”

    Find out more information about the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) program here: Program Summary and about World Meteorological Day here: World Meteorological Day

    ENDS…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pro-Palestinian protesters challenge Peters at state of the nation speech

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Saige England in Christchurch

    Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday.

    A clarion call to Trumpism and Australia’s One Nation Party, the speech was accompanied by the background music of about 250 protesters outside the Town Hall, chanting: “Complicity in genocide is a crime.”

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) co-chair John Minto described Peters’ attitude to Palestinians as “sickening”.

    Inside the James Hay Theatre, protester after protester stood and spoke loudly and clearly against the deputy Prime Minister’s failure to support those still dying in Gaza, and his failure to denounce the ongoing genocide.

    Ben Vorderegger was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of people who have lost their voices in the dust of blood and bones, bombs and sniper guns.

    Before he and others were hauled out, they spoke for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza — women, men, doctors, aid workers, journalists, and children.

    Gazan health authorities have reported that the official death toll is now more than 50,000 — but that is the confirmed deaths with thousands more buried under the rubble.

    Real death toll
    The real death toll from the genocide in Gaza has been estimated by a reputed medical journal, The Lancet, at more than 63,000. A third of those are children. Each day more children are killed.

    One by one the protesters who challenged Peters were manhandled by security guards to a frenzied crowd screaming “out, out”.

    The deputy Prime Minister’s response was to deride and mock the conscientious objectors. He did not stop there. He lambasted the media.

    At this point, several members of his audience turned on me as a journalist and demanded my removal.

    Pro-Palestine protesters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday to picket Foreign Minister Winston Peters at his state of the nation speech. Image: Saige England/APR

    This means that not only is the right to free speech at stake, the right or freedom to report is also being eroded. (I was later trespassed by security guards and police from the Town Hall although no reason was supplied for the ban).

    Inside the Christchurch Town Hall the call by Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, to “Make New Zealand Great Again” continued in the vein of a speech written by a MAGA leader.

    He whitewashed human rights, failed to address climate change, and demonstrated loathing for a media that has rarely challenged him.

    Ben Vorderegger in keffiyeh was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of Palestinans before
    being thrown out of the Christchurch Town Hall meeting. Image: Saige England/APR

    Condemned movement
    Slamming the PSNA as “Marxist fascists” for calling out genocide, he condemned the movement for failing to talk with those who have a record of kowtowing to violent colonisation.

    This tactic is Colonial Invasion 101. It sees the invader rewarding and only dealing with those who sell out. This strategy demands that the colonised people should bow to the oppressor — an oppressor who threatens them with losing everything if they do not accept the scraps.

    Peters showed no support for the Treaty of Waitangi but rather, endorsed the government’s challenge to the founding document of the nation – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In his dismissal of the founding and legally binding partnership, he repeated the “One Nation” catch-cry. Ad nauseum.

    Besides slamming Palestinians, the Scots (he managed to squeeze in a racist joke against Scottish people), and the woke, Peters’ speech promoted continued mining, showing some amnesia over the Pike River disaster. He did not reference the environment or climate change.

    After the speech, outside the Town Hall police donned black gloves — a sign they were prepared to use pepper-spray.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto described Peters’ failure to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians as “bloody disgraceful”.

    The police arrested one protester, claiming he put his hand on a car transporting NZ First officials. A witness said this was not the case.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto (in hat behind fellow protester) . . . the failure of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is “bloody disgraceful”. Image; Saige England/APR

    Protester released
     The protester was later released without any charges being laid.

    A defiant New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event. He raised his arms defensively at protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?”

    I was trespassed from the Christchurch Town Hall for re-entering the Town Hall for Winston Peters’ media conference. No reason was supplied by police or the Town Hall security personnel for that trespass order..

    “The words Winston is terrified to say . . . ” poster at the Christchurch pro-Palestinian protest. Image: Saige England/APR

    It is well known that Peters loathes the media — he said so enough times during his state of the nation speech.

    He referenced former US President Bill Clinton during his speech, an interesting reference given that Clinton did not receive the protection from the media that Peters has received.

    From the over zealous security personnel who manhandled and dragged out hecklers, to the banning of a journalist, to the arrest of someone for “touching a car” when witnesses report otherwise, the state of the nation speech held some uncomfortable echoes — the actions of a fascist dictatorship.

    Populist threats
    The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Jorg Haider press conference I attended many years ago in Vienna. That “rechtspopulist” Austrian politician had threatened journalists with defamation suits if they called him out on his support for Nazis.

    Yet he was on record for doing so.

    I was reminded of this yesterday when the audience called ‘out out’ at hecklers, and demanded the removal of this journalist. These New Zealand First supporters demand adoration for their leader or a media black-out.

    Perhaps they cannot be blamed given that the state of the nation speech could well have been written by US President Donald Trump or one of his minions.

    The protesters were courageous and conscientious in contrast to Peters, said PSNA’s John Minto.

    He likened Peters to Neville Chamberlain — Britain’s Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. His name is synonymous with the policy of “appeasement” because he conceded territorial concessions to Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, fruitlessly hoping to avoid war.

    “He has refused to condemn any of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, including the total humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza.”

    Refusal ‘unprecedented’
    “It’s unprecedented in New Zealand history that a government would refuse to condemn Israel breaking its ceasefire agreement and resuming industrial-scale slaughter of civilians,” Minto said.

    “That is what Israel is doing today in Gaza, with full backing from the White House.

    “Chamberlain went to meet Hitler in Munich in 1938 to whitewash Nazi Germany’s takeovers of its neighbours’ lands.

    “Peters has been in Washington to agree to US approval of the occupation of southern Syria, more attacks on Lebanon, resumption of the land grab genocide in Gaza and get a heads-up on US plans to ‘give’ the Occupied West Bank to Israel later this year.

    “If Peters disagrees with any of this, he’s had plenty of chances to say so.

    “New Zealanders are calling for sanctions on Israel but Mr Peters and the National-led government are looking the other way.”

    New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event, dismissing protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?” Image: Saige England/APR

    Only staged questions
    The conscientious objectors who rise against the oppression of human rights are people Winston Peters regards as his enemies. He will only answer questions in a press conference staged for him.

    He warms to journalists who warm to him.

    The state of the nation speech in the Town Hall was familiar.

    Seeking to erase conscientiousness will not make New Zealand great, it will render this country very small, almost miniscule, like the people who are being destroyed for daring to demand their right to their own land.

    Saige England is a journalist and author, and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). She is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

    Part of the crowd at the state of the nation speech by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. Image: Saige England/APR

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Skill gap issues need to be addressed through industry-academia-govt partnerships and apprenticeship-embedded curriculum: Jayant Chaudhary

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 3:57PM by PIB Delhi

    “In today’s knowledge driven world, right skill set gives us both the merit as well as national growth” – highlighted Sh. Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Speaking as the Chief Guest of the 3rd Annual Technical Festival “EPITOME 2025” of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya Vadodara, through a video conference. Sh. Chaudhary emphasized that “Transportation is all about acceleration, and it accelerates growth. Future of Logistics is green and digital, and AI driven predictive maintenance shall be a key driver”.

    Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya successfully concluded its 3rd Annual Tech-Fest “EPITOME’25”. The fest over the course of two days covered immersive technical sessions from industry experts, deliberation over technological application for economy growth and display of path-breaking ideas for real world applications.

    The Minister emphasized the role of Logistics efficiency, and PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. He mentioned that the investment by the country in multimodal logistics, aviation, railways, maritime etc are opening up global career pathways for the youth. However, the entire sector (Railways, Aviation, Logistics etc) being highly technical in nature, requires highly skilled manpower. Industry, Academia and Government must work in synergy for creating these skilled professionals to reduce errors and increase efficiency.

    Highlighting the role of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, he mentioned that doubling of India’s startup ecosystem by 2030, from 1.2 lakh to 2.4 lakh, is projected to create 50 million jobs, including direct white-collar roles, gig economy opportunities, and indirect jobs across industries and; therefore sector-specific skilling programs and encouraging startup culture are extremely important. The Govt of India has recently announced 60,000 crores scheme to upgrade ITIs.

    Strongly praising the “Industry-driven” approach of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Sh. Chaudhary advised the university to partner and mentor NSTIs to significantly enhance the reskilling and upskilling initiatives.

    The event was a hub of exchanging ideas, fostering steadfast collaborations, mentoring of young minds along with exploring and forming new alliances. It featured addresses from various industry leaders and from entities of social significance all highlighting the role of education institutes in cultivating young minds to reinforce and propel India towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

    The 2-day technical festival with the theme “Transport 360: Land, Air, Sea and Beyond” attracted several top companies in the sector. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Hemang Joshi (MP of Vadodara) spoke about the PM’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and very important role of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya in it. At the occasion, Prof. Manoj Choudhary (Vice-Chancellor, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya) briefed about the progress of university in its “Industry-driven Innovation-led” vision. Leading experts in the Transportation and Logistics sector joined to deliberate and exchange ideas: Davinder Sandhu (DB Engineering), Suraj Chettri (Airbus), Anil Kumar Saini (Alstom), Andreas Foerster (Tata Advanced Systems), Jaya Jagadish (AMD), Prof. Vinayak Dixit (UNSW Australia), Praveen Kumar (DFCCIL) and Maj. Gen. R. S. Godara.

    ***

    Pawan Singh Faujadar/Divyanshu Kumar

    (Release ID: 2114173) Visitor Counter : 53

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Türkiye

    Source:

    There have been large protests across Türkiye, including in Istanbul, in recent days. Demonstrations and protests may continue and may turn violent. A protest ban is in effect and there are restrictions to freedom of movement for those suspected of participating in protests. This is likely to be strictly enforced. Avoid protests and large public gatherings. Monitor the media and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’).

    There have been several recent deaths reported in Istanbul and Ankara from methanol in counterfeit drinks. Stick to reputable venues and be wary of suspiciously cheap alcohol (see ‘Safety’).

    You’ll need an e-visa for tourism or business if you’re staying for less than 90 days (see ‘Travel’).

    MIL OSI News –