NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Ensuring First Nations children in New South Wales are school ready

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Australian Government is expanding the Connected Beginnings program, helping more First Nations children thrive in the crucial early years. 

    Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly today announced $1.8 million for Dalaigur Pre-School and Children’s Services Aboriginal Corporation to deliver Connected Beginnings program in Kempsey.

    The program connects First Nations children aged zero to five with a range of early childhood education, health and family support services – helping children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school.

    The new site will support around 700 local First Nations children. The Kempsey site joins 47 other locations across the country supporting more than 23,700 First Nations children.

    The community-led program is a key contributor to the early childhood Closing the Gap targets, driving an increase in preschool enrolments and improvements to developmental outcomes.

    The Government partners with SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to deliver the program.

    The new Kempsey site is part of an investment of $81.8 million from the Australian Government to expand the program to 50 sites nationally. Once all 50 sites are established, the program has the potential to support up to 20 per cent of all First Nations children aged zero to five.

    Other Connected Beginnings sites in New South Wales include Bourke, Broken Hill, Doonside, Dubbo, Gosford, Mount Druitt, Taree, Wagga Wagga and Wyong.

    Once all New South Wales sites are up and running, the program will support around 6,900 First Nations children across the state.

    Learn more about the Connected Beginnings program at: https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/community-child-care-fund/connected-beginnings.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly:

    “All children, no matter their background or where they live, should be able to access the transformational benefits of quality early childhood education and care.

    “Connected Beginnings is delivering significant positive results for First Nations children right across the country, helping to Close the Gap by improving developmental outcomes.

    “The Connected Beginnings program is empowering communities to design and deliver the program in a way which supports their individual needs and aspirations.”

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Ged Kearney:

    “Labor is committed to closing the health gap that leads to a significantly lower life expectancy for First Nations people.

    “Connected Beginnings is all about centring the voices of First Nations Australian and a community-led approach.

    “From child care, to pre-school, to primary school, Connected Beginnings is setting First Nations kids up for best start in life.”

    Quotes attributable to SNAICC Chief Executive Catherine Liddle:

    “SNAICC is very proud to be the Community Partner in the Connected Beginnings program, that is expanding access to culturally-centred early education and care to many more children and families around the country.

    “This is helping to drive positive outcomes in early childhood for Aboriginal and Torres Strait children by increasing participation in early education activities and increasing school readiness.

    “The benefits of Connected Beginnings extend to the entire community, as we know closing the gap starts with our children.”

    Quotes attributable to Dalaigur Pre-School and Children’s Services Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson Fred Kelly:

    “It is essential that all our Aboriginal children have a sense of their culture and in particular a strong cultural identity. Dalaigur Pre-School and Children’s Services Aboriginal Corporation provide this through language and culture educators working with both preschools.

    “Connected Beginnings is an exciting new program that will provide the resources and services for this solid foundation to be further expanded upon by providing the opportunity to draw upon the experience of existing and new connections and accessing the extensive knowledge from our local community to increase the support for the varied needs of our children.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises lenders on reaching financial close for BCI Minerals’ $981m Mardie Project financing

    Source: Allens Insights

    Allens has advised the lenders on the successful financial close of BCI Minerals’ $981 million financing for the Mardie Salt Project (the Mardie Project), marking a significant milestone in the development of Australia’s first large-scale salt project in decades.

    The syndicate of lenders includes Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, Export Finance Australia, Export Development Canada, Westpac Banking Corporation, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited.

    The financing package comprises $830 million for construction loans, $70 million for bank guarantees, and $81 million for potential cost overruns. The Mardie Project has been accredited as a Green Loan aligned with the Green Financing Framework.

    ‘We are proud to have played a key role in this significant financing deal for the Mardie Project,’ said lead Partner Ben Farnsworth.

    ‘This not only represents a major investment but also highlights the growing importance of sustainable financing in the global market. The Green Loan accreditation underscores the project’s commitment to environmental sustainability and economic growth.’

    Financial close was reached on 4 October. Allens continues to work with Lenders and BCI on satisfying the further conditions to the first drawdown of the construction loan facilities.

    Allens legal team

    Banking & Finance

    Ben Farnsworth (Partner), Louise Barbato (Senior Associate), Madeleine Ninkov (Associate), Megan Lee (Associate), Mariella Panegyres (Lawyer)

    Real Estate & Development

    Naomi Bergman (Partner), Layth Zumot (Associate)

    Projects

    Jodi Reinmuth (Partner), Lewis Pope (Associate)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Following in father’s footsteps at EIT sets student up for career in mechanical engineering | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    35 seconds ago

    Braydon Gregory is enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3).

    Following in his father’s footsteps by studying at EIT, is setting a student up for a career in mechanical engineering.

    Braydon Gregory, 17, is currently doing his apprenticeship and is enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) at EIT – the same programme his father Aaron completed in the early 2000s.

    Braydon left Napier Boys’ High halfway through Year 13 this year with a very clear plan of enrolling in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) and doing his apprenticeship at his father’s company, Gregory Innovations Limited.

    He says that he is a third generation product of Napier Boys’, but that mechanical engineering has also been a part of his life since he was young.

    “I’ve pretty much been doing it since I was ten, and then I got top of engineering two years in a row at school.”

    “It was then that I decided that I would get a head start by leaving school early and starting the EIT programme. Dad then offered me an apprenticeship opportunity.”

    As part of this apprenticeship, Braydon is working with his father on contract work for Dennis Glenn Logging.

    “The work we are doing is working on big diggers, big loaders and trucks. It is a wide variety of work.”

    It is a busy time for Braydon, whose family has a farm in Puketapu. Not only does he work as a part-time shepherd (he has his own dog) for a neighbour, but he also works at Pan Pac Forest Products outside Napier on a Sunday.

    Braydon says that his career path has been planned from the beginning, including studying at EIT.

    “My father said that it’s a really good place to learn all the basic skills that you’ll carry on for the rest of your life, like sharpening a drill bit.”

    “He said that if you went into industry straight away, they would just overlook it and not teach you. At EIT, you weld for as long as you want to get it right before going out into the industry.”

    The aim after he has studied is to eventually take over the family business. However, before then, he plans to go on an OE.

    “With my engineering qualifications I will probably travel with engineering, so either go to Australia for the big shutdowns or over to America where they do big pipelines. But the aim is definitely to take over the family business and carry that on.”

    Asked what he enjoyed about EIT, Braydon said that the tutors made all the difference.

    “It is more than a job for them, they really enjoy engineering and passing that knowledge on to us.”

    He has no hesitation in recommending EIT as a place to study.

    EIT’s Head of the School of Trades and Technology said: “The engineering industry are a big supporter of EIT’s Mechanical Engineering programme and provide excellent graduate pathways, it is fantastic to see one of our graduates pathway into the industry.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With reports Kamala might join Joe Rogan for a chat, the US election is showing the power of podcasting

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lea Redfern, Lecturer, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney

    Call Her Daddy/YouTube

    It was big news in the podcasting world when US Vice-President Kamala Harris recently sat down with Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy for an extended interview. This was not just because it was one of the few times Harris has opened herself up to direct media scrutiny, but also because it signalled podcasting’s coming of age.

    Now there are fresh reports she could sit down with Joe Rogan for his top-rated show. Former president Donald Trump has also said he’ll record with Rogan before election day.

    High-stakes interviews are no longer solely the domain of legacy media. Politicians, like celebrities with a story to tell or a film to sell, can pop onto a podcast with a hopefully sympathetic host to reach vast and potentially new audiences. (That said, Harris also did interviews with CBS News, 60 Minutes, The View and CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the same week.)

    So for the VP and Democratic presidential candidate, is this about finding new audiences or answering to a different, perhaps softer style of interview?

    Call her who?

    If you haven’t heard of Call Her Daddy, note the show’s emphasis is on sex and female empowerment. Cooper’s listeners are 70% women and 76% of them are aged under 35. It is often compared to the Joe Rogan Experience, a comparison Cooper hates. Cooper has also been called the Oprah Winfrey of her generation, which may say something about her interviewing skills or her market value.

    The comparisons to Rogan are hard to avoid. Call Her Daddy has been running since 2018. In 2020, Cooper split with her co-host and took the program to Spotify, also home to the Joe Rogan Experience. There, Call Her Daddy rose to be the second most-listened-to podcast globally, behind Rogan, with an average of 5 million weekly listeners. Spotify gave Cooper US$60 million to Rogan’s rumoured $250 million. This particular gender pay gap was recently reduced when Cooper took the podcast to SiriusXM for $125 million.

    A Harris appearance on Rogan’s podcast could give her a larger audience than Cooper’s and parallel access to young male listeners.

    ‘Here’s the thing …’

    Soft or smart?

    Harris’ decision to be interviewed on a podcast aimed at young women brought criticism from those who saw it as the “soft option”, as well as those who don’t rate young women or approve of talk of sex.

    The same commentators seem to have overlooked that for the last year, Trump has been wooing the “manosphere” and has called in to friendly bro-casts such as This Past Weekend with Theo Von. In other podcasts like Full Send, Trump has had scope for friendly freewheeling banter on topics from Ice Spice to golf.

    Cooper says she also invited the former president onto her show to discuss women’s rights.

    In the journalistic tradition of podcasts since Serial, Cooper revealed her process and opened her interview with Harris by sharing the reasoning behind her line of questioning. “Let’s be real, I’m probably not the one to be having the fracking conversation,” she deadpanned.

    Harris said she went on the podcast “to be real, you know, and to talk about the things that people really care about”. There were moments of genuine emotion, such as anger and compassion at the death of a young woman, Amber Thurman, in Georgia in the wake of the US’s newly restrictive abortion laws. Yet at times Harris still sounded rehearsed, in the manner of people in the public eye required to repeatedly answer similar questions and give similar speeches.

    The risk to a politician is that the authenticity and intimacy for which podcasting is known could just as well work against them – a lack of “realness” becomes amplified through headphones, straight into the listeners’ ears.

    While Harris’ cadence sounded like familiar speechifying near the end, perhaps her anecdotes were new to sections of Cooper’s audience. For all the claims that a focus on the concerns of women made for a “soft interview”, it was also a timely reminder of the centrality of reproductive freedom to women’s lives and the election.

    The risks of the interview were more Cooper’s, who hinted at the prospect of losing listeners by interviewing a politician while wanting Call Her Daddy to be “a place where everyone feels comfortable tuning in”. This is a pertinent concern for her as much of the program’s initial popularity was built on Barstool, a media company known for its conservative leanings.

    A different listener

    The question remains: is appearing on extremely popular podcasts with young audiences a good political strategy for Harris? The positives of appearing on Call Her Daddy were clear, given Cooper’s main audience of young women is generally more politically engaged and motivated to vote than young men.

    Rogan’s audience is 81% male with 34% aged 18–35. Making a connection with young men could prove trickier for Harris within the “bro-ey”, jokey framework of the Joe Rogan Experience than it was with Cooper.

    A lot will depend on Harris’ interaction with the host, but Rogan is not known for hostile interviewing and Harris is experienced in connecting with people from a range of backgrounds. And her recent spot on shock jock Howard Stern’s radio show gave her a chance to share her love of car racing.

    In a tight election, which could come down to swing voters in six or seven states, such skills, showcased in the podcasting space, could impact the election. The potential gains seem worth any risks.

    Lea Redfern 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. With reports Kamala might join Joe Rogan for a chat, the US election is showing the power of podcasting – https://theconversation.com/with-reports-kamala-might-join-joe-rogan-for-a-chat-the-us-election-is-showing-the-power-of-podcasting-241462

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thou Shalt Not Steal: new Stan series is a perversely funny road trip through Central Australia

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly McWilliam, Associate Professor of Communication and Media, University of Southern Queensland

    Stan/Ian Routledge

    Stan Original’s newest series is coming to smaller screens, having premiered its first three episodes in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal follows Aboriginal teen Robyn (played by the immensely talented Sherry-Lee Watson). She escapes juvenile detention and embarks on a defiant road trip from Alice Springs to Adelaide to uncover a long-held family secret.

    Fellow outsider Gidge (Will McDonald) comes along for the ride. He has run away from his dodgy preacher dad Robert (Noah Taylor, clearly enjoying his character’s exaggerated grossness, from a perpetually stained singlet to overflowing ashtrays).

    In hot pursuit are two incongruous duos. First come detectives Burke and Wills (Shari Sebbens and Darren Gilshenan). Then Robert teams up with the decidely crooked Maxine (played menacingly by Miranda Otto). Where Robert’s deceits are lazily self-serving, Maxine is an outback madam who poses very real dangers to the young people.

    ‘Some bastards have it coming …’

    Thou shalt never go to Coober Pedy

    Each episode begins with a tongue-in-cheek lesson from Robyn’s past. These range from the eponymous “thou shalt not steal” to “thou shalt never go to Coober Pedy”.

    This deadpan humour cleverly introduces significant issues. There are the inordinate rates of incarceration of Indigenous youth, alcoholism, assault, toxic masculinity, bullying and weaponised religion, among others.

    These themes are particularly pertinent in the Northern Territory, where Thou Shalt Not Steal was both set and shot. Earlier this year the NT city of Alice Springs initiated a youth curfew and the territory has now reportedly lifted its ban on using “spit hoods” on young people.

    This context means some of the laughs in the series are uncomfortable. But comedy is a well-established vehicle for social justice and the show remains focused on the heroes’ journey, albeit within an important socio-political context.

    Over the first six of its eight short episodes, Thou Shalt Not Steal maintains a balance between acerbic comedy and perilous road trip. Its final episodes revel in a series of over-the-top scenarios that nevertheless tie up narrative loose ends in an enjoyable way.

    Indeed the shift to outright absurdity reveals the show’s gentler message: about finding a chosen family.

    Miranda Otto and Noah Taylor’s characters are dangerous for different reasons.
    Stan

    Alice Springs (Mparntwe)

    If the tone and topic of the show – described elsewhere as “End of the F…ing World meets Fargo” – sound familiar, it’s because it draws from director, co-writer and co-creator Dylan Rivers’ earlier multi-award-winning Robbie Hood (2019).

    In that show, the Robin Hood mythology falls to 13-year-old Alice Springs’ local, Robbie (Pedrea Jackson). The same desert-dry humour articulates the charming teen’s well-intentioned misadventures through a variety of legal and familial landscapes.

    Alice Springs (Mparntwe) is not just a recurrent muse for Rivers; it is also where he grew up, as the son of award-winning filmmakers Penelope McDonald and Warwick Thornton. Rivers has noted that, while his family actively supports each other, they are also “competitive”, pushing each other to produce their best work.

    The series is set in Central and Southern Australia in the winter of 1980.
    Stan/Ian Routledge

    Slick and self-aware

    Having worked previously with his parents on multiple productions, Thou Shalt Not Steal is also something of a family affair. Co-created and co-written with cousin Tanith Glynn-Maloney, who also serves as executive producer, Thou Shalt Not Steal was developed during COVID lockdowns. The duo slowly developed the premise and the first two episodes over two years, before securing investment and support.

    The result is a slick, well-made series with terrific attention to detail. The gorgeous landscapes contrast with the dank, grimy spaces occupied by the antagonists. The soundtrack is its own treasure trove, ranging from Slim Dusty to the Yamma Family and the Warumpi Band, and always in perfect alignment to the scenes. The chorus of “almost the end, almost the end!” is a highlight in the last episode.

    Rivers says he tried not to

    […] shy away from being a bit cheesy, being a bit self-aware, and being over the top at times. Hopefully there’s twists and turns that people don’t expect. But it was very consciously, like, let’s have fun.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal is most definitely a fun ride.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal is streaming on Stan from today.

    Kelly McWilliam 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. Thou Shalt Not Steal: new Stan series is a perversely funny road trip through Central Australia – https://theconversation.com/thou-shalt-not-steal-new-stan-series-is-a-perversely-funny-road-trip-through-central-australia-241353

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federal electoral divisions in Victoria formalised [17 October 2024]

    Source: Australian Electoral Commission

    AECMedia

    Updated: 17 October 2024

    The next federal general election will be conducted on new electoral division boundaries in Victoria after a notice was published today in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette.

    While final names and boundaries for House of Representatives seats in Victoria were announced on Thursday 5 September 2024, today’s gazettal is the step that formally sets them in place. Today’s gazettal also provides people with further details about the boundaries.

    • Maps and geospatial data for the new electoral divisions now available.

    More detailed division maps and the final redistribution report will be available after the Minister has tabled material in both houses of Parliament.

    Editor’s notes:

    • People on the electoral roll who are affected by the redistribution will now be moved into their new federal electoral division in readiness for the election. No action is necessary.
    • While the new electoral divisions will be in place from Thursday 17 October 2024, they will only apply from the next federal election onwards. Any federal by-election conducted before that point must be conducted on existing divisions to avoid overlap in, or missing, representation.
    • Further information about the redistribution process

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: CEO Update: Why Meaningful Connections Matter this World Mental Health Day

    Source: Mental Health Australia

    World Mental Health Day on 10 October is a time to put mental health in the spotlight, raise awareness and break down stigma.

    This year for Mental Health Australia’s World Mental Health Day campaign we have focussed on why meaningful connections matter, and why they are so important for good mental health.

    At the heart of our campaign are the voices of those with lived and living experience of mental ill-health.

    12 advocates from across the country have shared their experiences of how meaningful connections have shaped their mental health journey and supported them on the road to good mental health.

    From Outback Queensland to Australia’s capital, these stories show us that regardless of income or postcode, mental health is an issue that touches each and every one of us in different ways.

    World Mental Health Day reminds us that we should be connecting with loved ones, connecting with our community, our colleagues, connecting to Country, connecting with services and supports if needed – and most importantly – connecting back with ourselves for good mental health.

    This is the message we shared with our policymakers at Mental Health Australia’s Mental Health Sector Expo at Parliament House yesterday.

    Co-hosted in partnership with the Parliamentary Friends of Youth Mental Health and the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health, we were delighted to welcome the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, to speak with over 120 mental health professionals and attendees from 45 of our member organisations.

    Mr Butler said, “The consumer voice, the carer voice, are incredibly important in making sure we get the design and the implementation of mental health programs – perhaps more than any other area of health – right.”

    “I want to thank all of you for the work that you do. These are really tough times. We’ve gone through an incredibly traumatic period with the pandemic that really impacted people’s mental health, impacted young people’s and children’s mental health, in some ways in a way that we hadn’t seen before, with the impact particularly of lockdowns, and that’s been followed by other crises… You have the best ideas of how we can do better to support people in mental distress, whether that’s relatively temporary mental distress or whether it’s lifelong relatively severe mental illness. I just want to thank you again for coming out this morning. I want to thank you for putting together this terrific expo.”

    In one of the last federal parliamentary sitting weeks of 2024, our members were able to showcase the incredibly important work of their organisations to parliamentarians, feature sector achievements, and promote the availability of mental health supports and services in local electorates.

    By building these meaningful connections in a bipartisan way, mental health sector professionals, policymakers and people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health, along with their family, carers and supporters, can all work together to continue building a mental health system that supports the needs of all people in Australia.

    Carolyn Nikoloski 

    CEO, Mental Health Australia 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Powerful performances by artists with disabilities to celebrate diversity at 2024 OzAsia Festival

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 October 2024

    Photo by Matt Byrne.

    Two films celebrating the dedication and tenacity of Korean and South Australian performers with and without disability will hit the big screen as part of the Asia-focused arts festival OzAsia.

    Counterpoise, which features nine artists from Adelaide-based Restless Dance Theatre and the Korean 29Dong Dance Theatre, is a contemporary black and white dance film created at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Directed by Larissa McGowan and Matt Byrne, the 20-minute dance film highlights the noise of life, as well as quiet loneliness within ourselves. Counterpoise’s detailed choreography melded with electrifying music by KOREAN MUSIC PROJECT using a combination of traditional and western instruments embedded with digital technology.

    Dancing Against the Odds, a documentary directed by Adelaide filmmaker Matt Byrne, follows the innovative and inclusive journey of making Counterpoise over three years. Produced by University of South Australia arts management experts Dr Boram Lee and Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM, the 60-minute film embraces diversity, inclusion and self-expression.

    Both films will screen on 29 October as part of the Adelaide Film Festival and OzAsia.

    The project began in 2020, when dancers could only collaborate virtually due to COVID-19. It wasn’t until 2022, when members from the three companies – Restless, 29Dong Dance Theatre, and KOREAN MUSIC PROJECT – could meet face-to-face in Adelaide for the first time and continue the bonds formed online.

    In 2023, Restless Dance Theatre had the opportunity to travel to Seoul, reuniting the team for a public preview of Counterpoise and workshops with Korean artists with and without disabilities. This journey not only expanded the project’s reach but also nurtured community connections, inspiring a deeper appreciation for inclusive arts.

    Dr Boram Lee says the project connected people across Australian and Korean borders to help foster a network of inclusivity and diversity through the arts.

    “After a three-year saga of overcoming international borders, language barriers, and perceptions of disability, we’ve transformed the impossible into a breathtaking reality,” she says.

    “This collaboration showcases the incredible power of public initiatives, made possible by the steadfast support of the Korean and Australian governments and our diverse partners.

    “With multiple layers of collaboration among dancers, musicians, academics and filmmakers, we’ve fostered deep people-to-people connections, and we’re excited to share our learning with communities around the world.”

    Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM says the project embraced diversity, inclusion and self-expression to help shift stereotypes around the capabilities of artists with disability.

    “These films present disability in a new light. They showcase what the dancers can do rather than focusing on what they can’t do,” she says.

    Counterpoise and Dancing Against the Odds is supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and KOFICE as part of Kore·A·Round Culture 2023, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program, Australia-Korea Foundation, and Arts South Australia.

    Screening of the two films Counterpoise and Dancing Against the Odds

    When: Tuesday 29 October, 5:45pm

    Where: Palace Nova East End, Adelaide

    The screening will be followed by an artists’ talk moderated by Prof Ruth Rentschler and including selected dancers in the film, and Dr Boram Lee.

    More information available on the Adelaide Film Festival and OzAsia websites.

    Images

    Trailer

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

    Contacts for interview:

    Dr Boram Lee, Senior Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management, UniSA E: boram.lee@unisa.edu.au

    Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM, Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership, UniSA

    E: Ruth.Rentschler@unisa.edu.au

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. But an AI-powered Auslan avatar can help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Korte, Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology

    Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock

    For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. On an average day, nothing goes wrong: they catch their train to their destination and carry on with their business.

    But when something out of the ordinary happens, the situation can quickly get scary, because most updates are only delivered by audio announcements. A Deaf traveller may miss their train because it was moved to a different platform, or watch as their station whizzes by because the train isn’t stopping there today. They may also remain on a train carriage in an emergency after everyone else has evacuated, and have to be rescued by station staff.

    Every single one of these examples has been drawn from the real life experiences of Deaf people in Sydney. But my colleagues and I are working with Sydney Trains and members of the Australian Deaf community to develop an advanced, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered signing avatar which can automatically translate audio announcements into Auslan.

    Our work on the avatar also builds towards the next step: developing AI systems which can “understand” Auslan.

    Journeys don’t always go to plan

    Earlier this year, my colleagues and I ran a pilot study with three Deaf train travellers in Sydney. As well as the stories they shared about what can go wrong during train travel, we learned they use tried and tested strategies for making their journeys go smoothly.

    Their strategies might be familiar to regular commuters. For example, they would plan their journeys with an app, arrive early and look for signage to let them know if anything had changed.

    But they also said they felt they needed to stand near information screens to watch for updates, and ask station staff or other passengers for information when the situation had changed. They also reported being hypervigilant while on the train, watching to make sure they don’t miss their stop.

    But these strategies didn’t always ensure Deaf travellers received important information, including about emergencies. For example, while usually helpful, station staff were sometimes too busy to assist.

    The greatest frustration came in situations where other passengers weren’t willing or able to provide information, leaving our Deaf travellers to just “follow the crowd”. This often meant ending up in the wrong place.

    Developing a signing avatar

    Speech-to-text software might seem like an easy solution to some of these problems. But for many Deaf people, English is not their native language and Auslan can be processed far more easily and quickly.

    Our Deaf travellers told us that, in a perfect world, they would want live interpreters. However, automatic, AI-powered translation using a signing avatar displayed on a platform or train screen which could identify key words in an audio announcement, generate a sentence with correct Auslan grammar, and stitch together the corresponding signs from our vocabulary library was appealing for a number of reasons.

    Avatar by Maria Zelenskaya, QUT. Auslan by Julie Lyons, QUT.

    First, it allows for real-time translation of announcements that use known vocabulary – which is relevant in the trains-and-stations context, where many announcements cover similar topics.

    Second, an avatar and its signing can be customised to the needs of a given situation, such as using information about screen location to ensure the avatar signs in the right direction while pointing out exits or other platforms.

    Third, multiple signers can contribute signs to an avatar’s vocabulary, which can then be smoothly stitched together to make a sentence.

    And importantly, an avatar means no real person has to be the “face” of an organisation’s automatically generated announcements. This is particularly important because the Australian Deaf community is small and close knit, and if something goes wrong with the translation, nobody suffers any reputational damage.

    From a technical point of view, an avatar also allows us to ensure a minimum quality threshold for signing. We’re using motion capture to make sure each sign in our vocabulary library is accurate, and movements are clear.

    It also helps us avoid the “uncanny valley” – an effect where something human-like but subtly wrong is unsettling. We don’t want any of the many-fingered monstrosities you may have seen recently generated by AI.

    AI for everyone

    This work is one step in our broader aim of creating an AI system which can understand Auslan. This AI could be used to help Deaf and hearing station staff converse, or to create “chatbot booths” or app-based assistants that would allow Deaf people to get information on demand in Auslan about their train journeys or other daily tasks.

    Sign languages and Deaf cultures around the world have nuances and complexities that hearing researchers and developers of AI may not be aware of. These nuances and complexities must be embedded in new technologies, and researchers and developers must take a language-first approach to AI data collection and design with – not just for – Deaf people.

    Only then will AI meet Deaf people’s real needs: to ensure their safety and independence in every aspect of daily life.

    Jessica Korte has received funding from Qvest Australia, a technology solutions partner to Sydney Trains.

    – ref. For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. But an AI-powered Auslan avatar can help – https://theconversation.com/for-deaf-people-train-travel-can-be-a-gamble-but-an-ai-powered-auslan-avatar-can-help-241016

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trentham brigade welcomes Melbourne Cup trophy

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Jockey Jamie Kah, former Australian Basketballer Chris Anstey and members of the Trentham Fire Brigade pose with the Melbourne Cup

    Trentham Fire Brigade had a day to remember yesterday when the iconic Melbourne Cup trophy, along with the world’s top-ranked female jockey, Jamie Kah, paid a special visit to the local fire station.

    The stop was part of the annual Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, which sees the iconic trophy travel across Australia and internationally.  

    This year, Trentham was chosen as one of the destinations, thanks to the efforts of local pub owner and Australian basketball legend Chris Anstey, who successfully applied to bring the Cup to the picturesque town. 

    Chris said he hoped the visit would shine a light on the important work of the Trentham Fire Brigade.  

    “Bringing the Cup to Trentham was a unique opportunity to celebrate the community, and the CFA are such a big part of that,” Chris said.  

    “CFA volunteers give so much to protect our community and often go underappreciated. 

    “We wanted to recognise the work they do, and this Melbourne Cup visit was a small gesture to thank them and let them know how much we appreciate what they do on behalf of the town.” 

    Captain of the Trentham Fire Brigade, David Wheeldon, said he never imagined having the iconic trophy in his hands.  

    “It’s heavier than I thought it’d be!” David said. 

    “It’s fantastic what Chris has been able to bring to the town, and we’re thrilled he shared the experience with the brigade.”  

    David added that he hoped the event might inspire a few people to join the brigade, especially with summer fast approaching. 

    “This kind of event is great publicity. We’re always on the lookout for new members, particularly as we head into what could be a high-risk fire season,” he said. 

    He also reminded the community of the importance of preparation ahead of the summer fire season. 

    “As the hotter months approach, it’s essential for everyone to be prepared. On hot, dry, windy days, fires can start and spread rapidly.  

    “If the Fire Danger Rating is Extreme or Catastrophic, leaving early is always the safest option. 

    “Plan ahead, talk with your family about when to leave and where you’ll go.”  

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Forestry firefighters brief Minister on bushfire preparations

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Forestry firefighters brief Minister on bushfire preparations

    Published: 17 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Regional NSW

    Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty has met with Forestry Corporation fire specialists to discuss bushfire preparations on the Mid North Coast.

    Minister Moriarty attended Forestry Corporation’s Wauchope depot to speak with fire crews, who are geared up and ready to put their training into action protecting forests and communities during the NSW bushfire season.

    Forestry Corporation is one of the state’s four fire authorities joining the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and National Parks and Wildlife.

    The organisation oversees land management, bushfire preparation and response across more than 2-million hectares of state forests.

    Forestry Corporation has more than 500 trained firefighters rostered on to respond to state forest fires across NSW.

    Firefighters are trained in national firefighting competencies and its highly experienced managers undertake Incident Management Team roles on major firegrounds.

    Forestry Corporation has a statewide fleet of more than 450 fire appliances, 35 pieces of heavy plant, four contracted aircraft and over 130 drones and trained pilots.

    Heavy plant machinery, which the broader forestry industry uses to harvest sustainable timber is also available to fight fires.

    This machinery including bulldozers, excavators and specialist harvesting machines are used to create control lines for firefighting, set up back burns and remove dangerous trees for firefighting safety.

    In 2023/24 Forestry Corporation firefighters and fire managers were engaged in a total of 184 fires, this impacted 98,250 hectares of land.

    During the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, this heavy plant machinery played an instrumental role in stopping the spread of fast burning bushfires saving life, property and assets across NSW.

    Outside of the bushfire season, Forestry Corporation also conducts forest hazard reduction burns and undertakes cultural burns in partnership with local Aboriginal communities.

    Forestry Corporation also sends its expert fire specialists abroad in the winter months to assist international firefighting agencies in the Northern hemisphere.

    Six staff members deployed to the United States and Canada this year and last year Port Macquarie local Matt Model was one of Forestry’s fire specialists, who deployed to Canada bringing back firefighting skills and expertise to the region.

    Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty:

    “The NSW Forestry Corporation has managed fire in state forests for more than 100 years.

    “Forestry Corporation’s trained firefighters work in State forests every day of the year, protecting lives, the environment, forestry resources and local communities.

    “They have decades of experience in managing forest fires, working with the RFS, managing heavy equipment across major firegrounds and maintaining thousands of kilometres of fire trails,

    “When bushfires are reported in our NSW state forests, our forest firefighters rapidly respond using their large fleet of appliances and bringing in heavy plant machinery from the broader forest and timber industry.”

    Forestry Corporation Senior Manager Fire and Natural Hazards Rebel Talbert:

    “As one of the four statutory firefighting authorities in NSW, Forestry Corporation works collaboratively with the other agencies to protect communities, the environment and the State’s essential timber assets from the risk of fire.

    “We are well prepared heading into the fire season with a workforce of skilled firefighters, a fleet of equipment, drones and heavy plant ready to deploy and networks of fire trails and fire towers maintained to aid rapid detection and early suppression of fires.

    Forestry Corporation Fire and Operations Team Leader, Wauchope, Matt Model:

    “In managing more than 200,000 hectares of state forests here on the Mid North Coast, we keep the Mid Coast Bush Fire Management Committee briefed on fuel loads and fire conditions in state forests.

    “Since the Black Summer Bushfires here on the Mid North Coast firefighting technology has been rapidly expanded across NSW to include drones and satellite technology, which this summer will  help our crews with early detection, mapping, response and containment of forest fires.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More homes for Orange to be delivered through new planning pathway

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: More homes for Orange to be delivered through new planning pathway

    Published: 17 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    As part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to confront the housing crisis, a proposal from Landcom to deliver 330 new homes in Orange, with 20 per cent of these homes being identified as affordable housing, is on exhibition for community feedback.

    This rezoning proposal for Redmond Place Precinct at Orange is the first site recommended to progress through the Social and Affordable Housing Rezoning Pathway, one of the Government’s earliest policies to reform the planning system.

    The policy implements a faster, simplified rezoning process for the state’s housing agencies; Homes NSW, Landcom and the Aboriginal Housing Office, to speed up the delivery of social and affordable housing.

    This pathway adds to the planning reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government over the past 12 months aimed at delivering more homes faster.

    The proposal aims to amend the Orange Local Environmental Plan (OLEP) 2011 to allow the rezoning of vacant Council-owned land for a residential precinct.

    The public exhibition opens on Monday 21 and will close on Monday November 12, 2024.

    To make a submission or find out more, visit the NSW Planning Portal at https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ppr/redmond-place-orange

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “This proposal will deliver good housing outcomes for Orange.

    “The NSW Government is committed to exploring suitable housing opportunities across the state which promote economic diversity, innovation and sustainability.

    “We need to confront the housing crisis head on by using all levers we can pull to speed up the delivery of new homes.

    “The Social and Affordable Housing Pathway is an important part of the NSW Government’s plan to boost affordable housing stock across the State.

    “Our State’s future depends on more affordable homes being built for families. This is critical because if NSW loses our young people, then NSW loses its future.”

    Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

    “The proposal from Landcom in partnership with Orange City Council will help meet the growing demand for housing in regional New South Wales.

    “I encourage everyone to have their say on this proposal from Landcom.

    “Let’s make the great Australian dream of owning a home a reality!”

    Orange Mayor Tony Mileto said:

    “There is still work to do but this is a great milestone to reach for Orange. The community has some strong views on how the city should be developed and how we can address affordability. It’s great to see the vision reflected in the rezoning proposal. I urge Orange residents to get involved in this latest step to seek feedback.”

    Landcom CEO Alex Wendler said:

    “The development will provide new homes to accommodate the changing needs and demographics of the Orange region and offer more opportunity for households to buy their own home.

    “I look forward to working with Council and the community as we progress with the project to deliver much needed housing.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Workshops to help new councillors Hit the Ground Running

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Workshops to help new councillors Hit the Ground Running

    Published: 17 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Local Government

    A series of training sessions for almost 1,300 newly elected councillors will kick off today to provide essential information for councillors to effectively serve their communities over the next four years.

    The Office of Local Government will be hosting ‘Hit the Ground Running’ webinars for several weeks to help new and returning councillors understand their duties and responsibilities.

    The webinars will cover a wide range of important topics including financial management, appropriate conduct and ethical decision making, roles and responsibilities, corruption risks and prevention, meeting practices and strategic planning.

    The state’s 128 councils employ more than 50,000 people, invest more than $15 billion each year in the delivery of services and around $7 billion on new and existing infrastructure.

    Overseeing this work is a critical responsibility and these training sessions will ensure councillors can commence the new term of council with a strong understanding of the job ahead of them.

    The webinars will also assist councils with satisfying the requirement to deliver training for new and returning councillors within six months of their election. Councillors will receive a certificate of attendance for each webinar they participate in to help councils comply with their reporting obligations regarding councillor training.

    Session dates and details including how to register, can be accessed by councils via the ‘Hit the Ground Running’ webpage on the Office of Local Government’s Council Portal here: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/council-portal/hit-the-ground-running/

    Further resources for councillors including a Councillor Handbook are available here: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/councils/councillors/

    Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

    “I congratulate all the mayors and councillors elected across the state last month for stepping up to serve their community.

    “Being a councillor carries significant responsibility and it’s imperative those who have been elected know what’s expected of them so they can carry out their duties to the best of their ability.

    “I strongly encourage all councillors to participate in these webinars to learn more about local government and how they can make the most of their time on council.

    “Councillors have four years ahead of them to make a difference for the people they have been elected to represent.

    “I urge them to grasp this opportunity with both hands and use the time productively to shape a better future for their community.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Faster NBN for hundreds of thousands more South Australians

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    More than 225,000 homes and businesses in South Australia are now able to upgrade to a world-class, full fibre NBN broadband connection thanks to investment from the Albanese Government.
     
    The Albanese Government has invested $2.4 billion in NBN Co over four years to give 1.5 million more households and businesses affordable access to full fibre to the premises, including over 660,000 in regional communities.
     
    This is on top of our commitment to ensure the NBN remains in public hands, with legislation introduced just this week to ensure the NBN is not for sale.
     
    We know that communities across the country are benefitting from high-speed fibre connections, with speeds up to 18 times faster than the average broadband connection over copper.
     
    Only by keeping the NBN in public hands will these significant fibre upgrades continue to be delivered to provide access to affordable, world class broadband speeds.
     
    Faster connections also enable South Australians to connect more devices simultaneously, such as smart TVs and home security systems, as we conduct our lives increasingly online.
     
    Almost 28,000 homes and businesses across the state have already ordered a full fibre upgrade, and demand continues to grow – with Australians using more data than ever.
     
    The local government areas of Port Adelaide Enfield, Playford, Charles Sturt, Salisbury and Onkaparinga lead the way with the highest number of fibre connections.

    In addition to those already eligible for an upgrade, a further 13,500 premises across the state, will progressively become eligible for full fibre upgrade by the end of 2025.
     
    Average data usage in Australia has increased 10 times over the last 10 years, with the average home now downloading over 450 Gigabytes per month across 22 internet-connected or smart devices. By the end of the decade demand is forecast to increase to 1 Terabyte per household monthly.
     
    By the end of 2025, more than 10 million premises on the fixed line network will have access to full fibre connections able to deliver speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second.
     
    The fibre upgrades are available on demand when an eligible household or small business takes out an eligible higher speed tier plan.
     
    To find out if your premises can access full fibre now or in the future, visit: https://www.nbnco.com.au/residential/upgrades/more-fibre#checkaddress.
     
    Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
     
    “Fast and reliable full fibre broadband can be a gamechanger for families and businesses who have struggled with dropouts and slow speeds over copper.”

    “It’s essential infrastructure in 2024 – not a luxury. That’s why the Albanese Government has invested $2.4 billion to support NBN Co’s fibre upgrade program, and introduced vital legislation to ensure this critical national infrastructure remains in public hands to keep broadband affordable.”
     
    “I encourage households across South Australia to check the NBN Co website to see if you are eligible for a full fibre upgrade to enjoy the benefits of faster broadband speeds at home or work.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A man lived to old age without knowing he may have had 3 penises

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Meyer, Senior Lecturer, Anatomy and Pathology, James Cook University

    Life science/Shutterstock

    Do you really know what you look like on the inside? Most people do not, and usually it takes surgery or medical imaging to take a look while we are still alive.

    A case study was published last week where researchers made the rare finding of a man with “triphallia”. Most people would say the man had three penises. But anatomists, like myself, who teach health professionals about the structure of the human body, prefer the term penes (plural of penis).

    This finding emerged from the dissection of the body of a 78-year-old man who had donated his body to science. It is a case that has left many anatomists scratching their heads, and ignited discussions about typical human anatomy and anatomical variation.

    I too have an extra organ – an extra spleen – plus other anatomical variations regarding two muscles. It is highly likely you might also have anatomical variations, and not necessarily know.

    Back to this case

    According to the latest study, only one penis was externally visible. But when his body was dissected, there were two extra, smaller penises inside the scrotum.

    The main penis was 77mm long and 24mm wide, with the smaller ones about half the size. However, the images provided in the study don’t seem to match the written descriptions in all places. So the study does need clarification.

    Intriguingly, researchers identified a single urethra – the hollow tube from the bladder that allows urine (and sperm from the testes) to leave the body. This urethra travelled from the bladder through part of one of the smaller penises and along the length of the main penis, leaving out the third penis entirely.

    Was there a misunderstanding in identifying these anatomical structures? Could the second penis simply be a misidentified part of the main one? Is this actually a case of diphallia – two penises? In either case, the man’s anatomy was different to what you’d typically see in anatomy textbooks.

    The study suggests all three penises contained erectile tissue capable of engorgement. But it remains unclear whether they worked independently or together. Unfortunately, the authors did not confirm structures by examining them under the microscope, or report tracing the nerves or blood vessels, to shed more light.

    Not everyone’s anatomy looks like the textbooks.
    kocakayaali/Shutterstock

    There was an earlier case in a baby

    A separate case of someone with three penises, which was documented in 2020, involved a three-month-old infant.

    In this instance, the main penis was in its typical position, but you could see the extra ones on the perineum (between the anus and the scrotum in males).

    Neither of the extra penises had a urethra, making them incapable of functioning typically. Ultimately, these non-functional penises were safely removed.

    Such cases are rare, with only these two examples reported in medical databases.

    So how does this happen? The answer may lie in how embryos develop.

    Early in development

    The penis begins to develop early in the first trimester of a 40-week pregnancy, a time when a woman may not know she’s pregnant.

    During this critical period, the embryo may be exposed to various influences. These include toxins passed through the bloodstream if the mother falls ill, takes certain drugs while pregnant or is exposed to certain chemicals. There are also genetic factors that shape how organs develop.

    By the fifth week of pregnancy, cells migrate to the midline of the embryo, where they help form the precursor to the penis.

    Problems in this migratory process, abnormalities in a developmental gene (called “sonic hedgehog”), or fluctuations in testosterone levels or receptors during early fetal development, could potentially lead to the formation of additional penises.

    The penis develops early in the first trimester of pregnancy.
    Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock

    Humans are varied

    While the appearance of triphallia may be startling, these rare cases highlight a broader point: our anatomy can vary significantly. Just as individuals differ in their external appearances, so too does our internal anatomy.

    For example, there are anatomical variations in blood vessels, organs, muscles, nerves and even bones that may not be readily visible.

    Indeed, incidental findings during my own medical examinations have found I have a supernumerary (or extra) spleen, called a splenunculus, an extra flexor digitorum longus muscle (in my leg), and I’m missing both palmaris longus muscles (in my forearms).

    While my anatomical variations are internal, a common example of a visible external anatomical variation are extra nipples. These can be mistaken for moles and can also result from developmental issues in the early weeks of pregnancy.

    Why is this important?

    Cases like the man said to have three penises are important reminders of the complexities of human anatomy and the many factors that can influence our bodies from the very start of development.

    Exploring these rare findings emphasises the importance of continued research in anatomy and embryology.

    These findings also highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle for people intending to fall pregnant and who are already. This is so growing embryos can have the best chance of developing typical anatomy.

    Amanda Meyer is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists, the American Association for Anatomy, and the Global Neuroanatomy Network.

    – ref. A man lived to old age without knowing he may have had 3 penises – https://theconversation.com/a-man-lived-to-old-age-without-knowing-he-may-have-had-3-penises-241475

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sustainability Data Book 2024: Update on Key Points of Medium-Term Environmental Action Plan GREEN IMPACT PLAN 2024

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Sustainability Data Book 2024: Update on Key Points of Medium-Term Environmental Action Plan GREEN IMPACT PLAN 2024

    Panasonic Group announced its Sustainability Data Book 2024 on August 30. This fact sheet provides an overview of the key progress of GREEN IMPACT PLAN 2024 and our efforts to solve environmental issues in an easy-to-understand infographic-format. For more detailed information, please refer to the full Sustainability Data Book 2024.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Drug Charges – Operation Kint

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Drug and Organised Crime Unit have arrested 6 offenders in relation to the largescale supply of drugs across the Territory.

    Operation Kint was launched in May 2024 to specifically target known commercial suppliers and distributors of illicit substances. Since its launch, investigators have been gathering evidence and identifying members from a known Outlaw Motorcycle Gang who have had significant influence on the Greater Darwin drug trade.

    Yesterday, Investigators arrested two men, aged 48 and 56, outside a hotel in Darwin. Police will alleged the 48-year-old was in possession of $201,000 in cash while the other had just transported 31kg of cannabis from Melbourne to be distributed.

    These arrests prompted investigators to immediately execute 8 separate search and seizure warrants across the Greater Darwin Area.

    As a result of these searches, including the hotel arrest operation, police have seized in total:

    • $447,430 cash
    • 35.5kg of cannabis
    • 3 vehicles
    • Traffickable and less than traffickable quantities of methamphetamine
    • A substance believed to be commercial MDMA
    • An unsecured firearm
    • Nun chucks, knuckle dusters and an extendable baton
    • 5 ice pipes
    • An encrypted communication device
    • Items indicative of drug supply

    A further 4 men, aged 33, 50, 51 and 54, were arrested during the searches.

    All 6 men have since been charged with:

    • Possess/Supply Commercial Quantity Sch2 dangerous drug
    • Possess/Use Tainted Property

    All have been remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.

    Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Tim Gardiner said “These arrests have significantly disrupted the illicit drug trade across Darwin and are the direct result of hundreds of hours of comprehensive police work.  

    “ Drug Syndicates, with influences from Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, cause untold harm throughout our community. They fuel crime and financially cripple vulnerable members of the Territory, while having a complete disregard for the impacts of their actions.

    “Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are not welcome here, and members should be aware that any attempt to operate an organised crime network will be disrupted by the Northern Territory Police.  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How can Australia make housing affordable for essential workers? Here are 4 key lessons from overseas

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicky Morrison, Professor of Planning and Director of Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University

    GettyImages

    Essential workers such as teachers, health workers and community safety staff play a vital role in ensuring our society works well. Yet soaring housing costs in cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are squeezing essential workers out of the communities they serve.

    The issue is reaching crisis point across Australia. Anglicare Australia yesterday released a special edition of its Rental Affordability Snapshot focused on essential workers in full-time work. Housing costs under 30% of household income are considered affordable. In a survey of 45,115 rental listings, it found:

    • 3.7% were affordable for a teacher
    • 2.2% were affordable for an ambulance worker
    • 1.5% were affordable for an aged care worker
    • 1.4% were affordable for a nurse
    • 0.9% were affordable for an early childhood educator
    • 0.8% were affordable for a hospitality worker.

    This trend is creating unsustainable patterns of urban sprawl and long commutes. It erodes workers’ quality of life. It also undermines public service delivery by making it harder to recruit and retain these workers in high-cost areas.

    International experience, particularly in the UK where I have advised on similar policies, shows there are solutions to this crisis. These global lessons fall into four categories.

    Essential workers face long commutes from home when they can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    1. Define essential worker housing

    Essential worker housing typically targets front-line public sector workers on low to middle incomes. Yet eligibility should extend to support roles, such as ambulance drivers, porters and medical receptionists, who play a vital part in enabling front-line services. They too struggle to find affordable housing near their workplaces.

    Conditions of eligibility should also include a cap on household earnings.

    The UK experience highlights the importance of providing both rental and ownership options. To keep key worker housing affordable and accessible over time, both types need to be priced appropriately.

    Australian cities could adopt similar approaches, by requiring housing developers and community housing providers to allocate affordable housing for essential workers. Prices would be below market rates for both rentals and home ownership for the long term, and not revert to market rates. This ensures stability for public service workers.

    2. Financial innovations focused on long-term affordability

    Innovative financial models, such as shared equity schemes, have succeeded in the UK. These allow workers to gradually buy into their homes, creating long-term stability.

    Shared equity involves the government or another investor covering some of the cost of buying the home in exchange for an equivalent share in the property. Australia could explore similar schemes to provide immediate relief while ensuring sustained affordability for future essential workers.

    This approach could build on the Commonwealth’s proposed Help to Buy scheme, currently before the Senate, and existing state and territory shared equity programs. These may need refinement to better serve essential workers by, for example, adjusting income thresholds and eligibility criteria to ensure they qualify. These schemes also need to expand to cover all urban areas where housing affordability is most strained.

    3. Leverage planning systems

    Countries like the UK have leveraged their planning systems to deliver affordable housing for key workers. In England, planning authorities use mechanisms such as Section 106 agreements to ensure a portion of new developments is reserved for key worker housing as a condition of planning approval.

    Australian states could adapt this model, setting targets within existing planning frameworks. For example, they could use Voluntary Planning Agreements to prioritise essential worker housing.

    Yet essential worker housing should not displace housing for other people in urgent need. They include people who are homeless, low-income families, people with disabilities, the elderly, those at risk of domestic violence, veterans and youth leaving foster care.

    4. Use public land for housing development

    The use of surplus public land for essential worker housing has proven successful in several cities, including London, Amsterdam and San Francisco.

    Earmarking land owned by the public sector, such as hospital or education sites, is a strategic way to deliver affordable housing near key public sector employers. It also allows staff to travel to work nearby using sustainable transport instead of cars.

    Affordable housing has profound benefits

    Without action, essential workers are likely to be forced into lower-quality, high-cost housing, shared accommodation, or long commutes from more affordable areas. Over time, these patterns of job-housing imbalances and urban sprawl are unsustainable. These issues are the focus of my current research, particularly in Western Sydney.

    The New South Wales government has set up a parliamentary select committee to inquire into options for essential worker housing. It’s bringing much-needed attention to the housing crisis affecting key public sector roles.

    Tackling these issues through targeted housing solutions has many benefits. It can help create more sustainable communities, reduce recruitment and retention difficulties for employers and ease the strain on infrastructure and services.

    The key takeaway from the UK and other countries is the importance of long-term, sustainable solutions that do not shift the focus away from those most in need of housing. Australia has the opportunity to strike this balance. We need to ensure essential workers can afford to live near their workplaces while not sidelining everyone else in need of affordable housing.

    Nicky Morrison 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. How can Australia make housing affordable for essential workers? Here are 4 key lessons from overseas – https://theconversation.com/how-can-australia-make-housing-affordable-for-essential-workers-here-are-4-key-lessons-from-overseas-239934

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Death of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney

    Former One Direction band member and solo artist Liam Payne has been found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, media reports have confirmed. Payne was just 31 years old – a loved friend and father.

    Alongside his former One Direction band mates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, Payne had a huge influence on popular culture in his home country of the United Kingdom and internationally.

    The group formed in 2010 on the British talent show X Factor and stayed together for about five years before officially splitting in 2016. Throughout this time, Payne remained a valuable member of the band and a clear talent in his own right.

    Although each member auditioned seperately, they were eventually hand-picked by Simon Cowell to form a group.

    After the split (and a brief hiatus from music-making), Payne continued to release music periodically as both a songwriter and collaborator. He most recently released the single Teardrops in March, ahead of an anticipated second solo album.

    News of Payne’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes. Like many young people thrust into stardom seemingly overnight, his life wasn’t without controversy. But the response to his death by fans and industry colleagues alike is proof of the impact he had.

    The making of a pop supergroup

    While One Direction may have not been together for as long as other globally successful acts, their influence far exceeded bands that have been together for decades. They released five studio records – and broke many more, including six Guinness World Records. And even though they didn’t make it to their 10th anniversary together, they had still sold some 70 million records by 2020.

    In the years since the split, fans continued to gather, listen and celebrate – with the most recent anniversary (14 years) seeing fan-led events held in Australia and the rest of the world.

    It’s easy to dismiss pop music and its influence, especially in the face of what feel like increasingly dire global circumstances. But pop, like many other forms of entertainment, provides a practical way for people to gain momentary pleasure and comfort.

    It also provides connection with others – and relief from politics and other daily pressures. For example, one of One Direction’s biggest hits, That’s What Makes You Beautiful, sought to empower young people who might otherwise be overwhelmed by negative messaging.

    Within a year of their debut, the group was met with massive crowds of fans almost everywhere they want.

    One Direction has been compared to The Beatles in terms of their influence on young people – and female and queer fans in particular.

    The impact on fans when their idol dies

    The loss of life, especially a young person’s life, is always a tragedy.

    For some young fans, this might be the first person they “know” who has died. While it may not be the same as losing a family member or close friend, the feeling of loss is significant. Young fans will need support. And in 2024, many will find this support through social platforms and online forums.

    I still remember the impact the deaths of stars such as Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley had on people like me who were teenagers in the 1990s. These were artists I admired and listened to – and whose art I relied on during times of pleasure and pain.

    A similar pang was felt when artists such as George Michael, Aretha Franklin and David Bowie died, albeit later in my life and theirs.

    The experience of losing a music idol is in many ways a universal one. People whose art we attach to our own life experiences become inseparable from our lives. And when they die, it can feel like those experiences are over too.

    After news of Payne’s death broke, hundreds of fans took to the streets of Palermo in Buenos Aires, where Payne had been visiting. They held a vigil, cried and consoled one another in front of the Casa Sur hotel where Payne had been staying.

    One fan, 25-year-old Yamila Zacarias, probably spoke for many when she said:

    He meant a lot to me because the band came into my life at this time when you’re trying to be a part of something, and being a One Direction fan became that something for me.

    Lifelong fandom and memories

    There’s a stereotype of “fans” as hordes of screaming girls, which can really take away from the depth of fandom.

    Anyone at any stage of life can be a fan of just about anything. And the best thing about fandom is that it can, and often does, allow lots of different types of people an outlet for connection throughout their lives.

    Many fans have left comments on old music videos.
    YouTube/screenshot

    The death of US actress Betty White in 2021, as sad as it was, brought people across generations and walks of life together. And not just those who knew her personally, but those who had connected with each other through their love of her work. It reminded me of my own family, including my Nan and Dad, now gone, and the laughs we’d share as we watched her.

    As more details and tributes to Payne’s life and death emerge, the fans will have each other to lean on. If you yourself know someone who is a fan of Payne or One Direction, even reaching out to just acknowledge that person’s grief and experience is important. It says to them, “what you love is valid, and so are you”.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Liz Giuffre 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. Death of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music – https://theconversation.com/death-of-an-idol-response-to-liam-paynes-death-highlights-the-power-of-childhood-and-music-241554

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Media statement – private health insurance

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Media statement – private health insurance

    Published: 17 October 2024

    Released by: Treasurer, Minister for Health

    The Minns Labor Government met today with representatives of the private health insurance sector to discuss its members’ use of the public hospital system and refusal to pay their bills. 

    While no alternative solutions were proposed, the parties agreed to continue dialogue. 

    This ongoing standoff is costing taxpayers $140 million per year.  

    The NSW Government will continue with implementing the same legislative approach as led by former Treasurer Mike Baird in 2013, enabling it to resolve the issue.

    The Government has met with representatives of the private health insurance sector more than 20 times since May 2024.  

    The Treasurer and Health Minister’s offices reiterated their commitment today that their doors remain open.

    The Government applauds the majority of private health funds, including Teachers Health, Nurses and Midwives Health and Emergency Service Health, who continue to pay the correct amount.  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australia’s largest charity kitchen opens its doors in Melbourne

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    Today food rescue and relief charity FareShare officially opens the doors of its new kitchen at South Audley Street, Abbotsford, in Melbourne’s inner north east.

    The state-of-the-art facility will serve as Australia’s largest charity kitchen, and will see rescued, donated and homegrown food transformed into millions of delicious, healthy meals to support the dignity and wellbeing of Australians experiencing hardship.

    The Allan Labor Government contributed $2.2 million to the project which upgraded key equipment to expand packing and chilling capacity. 

    The Albanese Labor Government committed $2 million to the $8.16 million project, which significantly upgraded the kitchen. Nearly $4 million was raised by philanthropic funding to make up the remaining funds toward the project.

    With a kitchen area that has been expanded by 35 per cent, FareShare is now able to produce a staggering additional 500,000 meals every year.

    In addition to the new kitchen facilities, the site’s warehouse has more than doubled in size, to enable the storage of larger quantities of rescued food, as well as keeping the vegetables and herbs grown at FareShare’s kitchen gardens fresh.

    There are also new offices, banks of ovens, cool rooms, wash areas, store rooms, a forklift area, laundry and cleaners’ areas, bin rooms, toilets and parking spaces.

    FareShare’s meals for people experiencing food insecurity are given away free to frontline charities such as soup vans, homeless shelters, women’s refuges, First Nations organisations and groups providing disaster relief.

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

    “There are plenty of people here in Melbourne and across Australia, who are suffering hardship and finding it difficult to afford meals.

    “It’s wonderful to see the significantly upgraded facilities here at the Fareshare Abbotsford Charity Kitchen now open, which will be able to dish up 4,000 free meals a day, to more than 400 charities that will assist in distributing the food to those in hardship.

    “The upgraded facilities will also allow for meal production for frontline charities to be upscaled in times of natural disasters should this be needed.”

    Quotes attributable to Victorian Minister for Carers and Volunteers Ros Spence:

    “FareShare’s efforts provide a lifeline for people doing it tough and we’re proud to support their work day in and day out to support those who need a helping hand, contributing to stronger, more connected communities.”

    “No Victorian family should have to worry about putting food on the table, which is why we’ve invested more than $56 million since 2020 to strengthen support, including for six regional food relief hubs.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Macnamara Josh Burns:

    “As well as the essential service this will provide in feeding the hungry in our city, these new facilities will improve outcomes for social amenity and cohesion, health and wellbeing for those in need.

    “This project will make a real difference to many right across our city – by helping people at the ground level of hardship get a good feed.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Higgins Michelle Ananda-Rajah:

    “The Australian Government understands that many people are facing tough times, even in our country’s largest cities. That’s why we’ve helped fund this expanded facility, which will now be able to provide many more meals for the charities it assists.

    “What a great outcome to now have the Fareshare Abbotsford Charity Kitchen working at greater capacity, to support even more people in our city who are experiencing hardship.”

    Quote attributable to State Member for Northern Metropolitan Enver Erdogan

    “We’re proud to support food relief operations like this one in Abbotsford, rescuing food from going to waste and – with the champion efforts of a team of volunteers – feeding thousands of hungry people.”

    Quotes attributable to SecondBite | FareShare CEO Daniel Moorfield:

    “The new facility couldn’t come at a better time to support the growing needs of Australians as they do it tough in the cost-of-living crisis.

    “This facility would not have been possible without the support of the Australian and Victorian governments, and our many dedicated supporters – both financial and in kind.

    “We would love to thank each and every one of them, who came together to make this happen.

    “It is only with their help that we are officially opening our doors today and producing more meals than ever before.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Media Release: Net zero goals a step closer with Moomba CCS project milestone – Australian Energy Producers

    Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

    Headline: Media Release: Net zero goals a step closer with Moomba CCS project milestone – Australian Energy Producers

    First injection and full ramp up at the Moomba carbon capture and storage (CCS) project marks a major milestone for Australia’s rollout of this crucial net zero technology.

    Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said the Santos and Beach Energy Moomba joint venture demonstrates the Australian oil and gas sector is driving progress to net zero, deploying proven technologies to cut emissions today.

    “At Moomba, Santos has proven what the industry has long known – that CCS is real and it works. It’s a first for onshore in Australia,” she said.

    “Australia is now host to two of the largest CO2 storage projects in the world, with Moomba and Chevron’s Gorgon project storing emissions equivalent to taking one million cars off the road each year.”

    Around the world, there are more than 50 large-scale CCS projects in operation, with a further 550 under development.

    “This global momentum for CCS is essential for achieving climate goals, with the International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and CSIRO all clear that there is no pathway to net zero without CCS,” Ms McCulloch said.

    “CCS is particularly important for manufacturing, because without it industries like fertiliser and chemical production, iron and steel, and cement, will find it harder and more expensive to reach net zero.”

    In Australia, between two and 20 Moomba-scale CCS projects need to be built each year between now and 2050 to reach net zero, according to the Net Zero Australia study. 

    “Australia has a comparative advantage in CCS, with world class geology, industry experience, and strong links with regional trading partners looking to collaborate on CCS,” Ms McCulloch said.

    “Scaling up CCS is an opportunity not just to reduce emissions but to create new jobs and attract new investment.”

    However, CCS continues to be kept on the sidelines of energy and climate policies in Australia.

    “Australia is increasingly out of step with the rest of the world in failing to provide meaningful policy support for this critical technology,” Ms McCulloch said.

    “If Australia is going to reach net zero, while managing cost of living pressures for Australian households and businesses, we need to take a technology-neutral, least-cost approach to emissions reductions, and this includes CCS.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A million new jobs under Labor

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Under the Albanese Government, more Australians are working, earning more and keeping more of what they earn, with today’s ABS Labour Force figures showing well over a million jobs (1,039,300) have now been created since Labor came to office in 2022.

    This is the first and only time any government of any political persuasion has overseen the creation of a million new jobs in a single parliamentary term.

    This is a remarkable achievement, in the context of a slowing economy and a labour market that is expected to soften.

    Today’s result means the Albanese Government continues to oversee the largest increase in employment in a single parliamentary term in Australia’s history.

    In September, 64,100 jobs were created – 51,600 of which were full‑time positions.

    It’s also encouraging to note that the labour force participation rate continued to increase over the month, rising by 0.1 percentage points in September, to stand at a record high of 67.2 per cent.

    That equates to an additional 54,900 people entering the labour force over the month.

    Importantly, the female participation rate increased to a record high of 63.2 per cent, equating to an additional 23,100 women entering the labour force.

    Strong jobs growth was recorded across most Australian states and territories in September with employment now at a record high in five jurisdictions.

    Particularly positive results were recorded in New South Wales (with employment up by 23,100 or 0.5 per cent), followed by Victoria (up by 21,700 or 0.6 per cent) and Western Australia (up 8,300 or 0.5 per cent).

    Helping all Australians find work and delivering higher wages is one of the best ways we can support households with current cost‑of‑living pressures.

    The average full‑time worker is now earning $159 extra per week since the Albanese Government was elected. And the average full‑time worker is also receiving a tax cut of $44 per week because of the Government’s cost‑of‑living tax cuts.

    But while the Albanese Labor Government is focused on supporting more well‑paid, secure jobs, Peter Dutton and the Coalition have promised to cut wages and working conditions if they’re elected.

    Just this week, Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume told Sky News the Coalition will “definitely consider” a request to allow medium sized businesses to unfairly dismiss their workers, without repercussions.

    This is on top of earlier promises from Peter Dutton to cut labour hire workers’ pay and scrap the rights of casual workers and the Right to Disconnect, forcing Australians into more unpaid overtime.

    At a time when many Australians are doing it tough, Peter Dutton and the Coalition will make things worse.

    We’re all about more people working, earning more and keeping more of what they earn and this shows we’re making good progress.

    Peter Dutton and the Coalition want you to work longer for less.

    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

    “Today’s data shows that one million new jobs have been created since our election, and that our Government has helped more Australians than ever into secure, well‑paid jobs – earning more and keeping more of what they earn.

    “This is the most jobs ever created in a parliamentary term in Australian history.

    “The majority of our one million new jobs are full‑time, around half are for women and the gender pay gap is at a record low.

    Quotes attributable to Treasurer Jim Chalmers

    “More than a million new jobs in one parliamentary term is a pretty remarkable achievement in a slowing economy, and it means more new jobs have been created on our watch than any other government at any time.

    “This is the first and only time any government of any political persuasion has overseen the creation of a million new jobs in a single parliamentary term.

    “It’s a tribute to Australian workers and employers and it justifies the responsible way we’re managing the economy.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt

    “This is a great result that is helping more Australians deal with cost of living pressures.

    “There’s nothing more important than having a well‑paid job, so that you can pay your bills, and that’s what the Albanese Government is delivering.

    “In contrast, Peter Dutton has promised to make life harder for people, by cutting wages and conditions and making it easier to get the sack.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Interim Report
    17 October 2024 at 08:00 EEST

    Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024

    Strong gross margin improvement amidst ongoing market weakness

    • Q3 net sales declined 7% y-o-y in constant currency (-8% reported) as growth in Network Infrastructure and Nokia Technologies was offset by decline in Mobile Networks primarily in India and a divestment in Cloud and Network Services.
    • Order intake remained strong in Network Infrastructure, while the sales recovery continues to be slower than expected.
    • Comparable gross margin in Q3 increased by 490bps y-o-y to 45.7% (reported increased 500bps to 45.2%), with improvements across business groups, particularly in Mobile Networks.
    • Q3 comparable operating margin increased 160bps y-o-y to 10.5% (reported up 70bps to 5.7%), mainly due to higher gross margin, continued cost control and a benefit from the reversal of loss allowances for certain trade receivables.
    • Q3 comparable diluted EPS for the period of EUR 0.06; reported diluted EPS for the period of EUR 0.03.
    • Q3 free cash flow of EUR 0.6 billion, net cash balance EUR 5.5 billion.
    • Continued to make significant progress with cost savings program, EUR 500 million run-rate of gross savings actioned.
    • Nokia’s full year 2024 outlook is unchanged. Nokia currently expects comparable operating profit of between EUR 2.3 billion and 2.9 billion and free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit of between 30% and 60%.

    This is a summary of the Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024 published today. Nokia only publishes a summary of its financial reports in stock exchange releases. The summary focuses on Nokia Group’s financial information as well as on Nokia’s outlook. The detailed, segment-level discussion will be available in the complete financial report hosted at http://www.nokia.com/financials. A video interview summarizing the key points of our Q3 results will also be published on the website. Investors should not solely rely on summaries of Nokia’s financial reports and should also review the complete reports with tables.

    PEKKA LUNDMARK, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ON Q3 2024 RESULTS

    As I reflect on our performance in the third quarter, I am optimistic we are now turning the corner in many parts of our business, even if some continue to experience market weakness. Among the key highlights was a return to net sales growth in Network Infrastructure with Fixed Networks growing 9% in constant currency and IP Networks growing 6%. Order intake in Network Infrastructure continued to be robust with strong year-on-year growth and a growing order backlog. Additionally, we delivered a significant improvement in our gross margin at the group level and cash generation remained strong with EUR 621 million free cash flow in the quarter.

    There are reasons for optimism across our portfolio. We expect a significant acceleration in growth in Q4 in Network Infrastructure and see a number of structural demand trends supporting our future growth. In Mobile Networks, although market dynamics are more challenging, we have secured several important deals in the quarter, remain confident in our competitive position and are improving our gross margin. In Cloud and Network Services we are seeing excellent momentum in 5G Core along with strong progress in network automation, cloudification and enabling network APIs. Nokia Technologies continues to benefit from greater stability following the conclusion of its smart-phone renewal cycle and is making good progress expanding into the new growth areas.

    Across Nokia we are investing to create new growth opportunities outside of our traditional communications service provider market. We see a significant opportunity to expand our presence in the data center market and are investing to broaden our product portfolio in IP Networks to better address this. Our pending acquisition of Infinera will also bolster our Optical Networks exposure to this market and accelerate our growth opportunities. Additionally, we see a compelling new long-term opportunity in bringing 5G technology to the defense market and we continue to invest in private wireless networks where we are the clear market leader.

    Regarding our financial performance in Q3, our net sales declined by 7% in the quarter in constant currency. Three quarters of the decline was driven by India due to a strong year-ago quarter. Importantly we delivered a significant improvement in comparable gross margin which expanded 490 basis points from the year-ago period to reach 45.7%. This was driven by a combination of improved product mix, regional mix and actions to reduce product cost. Despite continued intense competition, we remain disciplined on price while still winning deals as we remain focused on improving the profitability of our business. We also progressed our cost reduction efforts contributing to a solid improvement of 160 basis points in our comparable operating margin on a year-on-year basis.

    Regarding full year 2024, our comparable operating profit outlook remains EUR 2.3 to 2.9 billion and we are currently tracking within the bottom-half of the range. The net sales recovery is happening slower than we expected previously, however, this is being partially offset by an improving gross margin and quick action on cost. We expect to be at the high end of our free cash flow target of 30% to 60% conversion from comparable operating profit.

    FINANCIAL RESULTS

    EUR million (except for EPS in EUR) Q3’24 Q3’23 YoY change Constant currency YoY change Q1-Q3’24 Q1-Q3’23 YoY change Constant currency YoY change
    Reported results                
    Net sales 4 326 4 709 (8)% (7)% 13 236 15 722 (16)% (15)%
    Gross margin % 45.2% 40.2% 500bps   46.1% 39.4% 670bps  
    Research and development expenses (1 116) (1 067) 5%   (3 376) (3 197) 6%  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (692) (697) (1)%   (2 101) (2 104) 0%  
    Operating profit 246 237 4%   1 082 1 127 (4)%  
    Operating margin % 5.7% 5.0% 70bps   8.2% 7.2% 100bps  
    Profit from continuing operations 145 130 12%   965 700 38%  
    Profit/(loss) from discontinued operations 31 3 933%   (494) 11    
    Profit for the period 175 133 32%   471 711 (34)%  
    EPS for the period, diluted 0.03 0.02 50%   0.08 0.13 (38)%  
    Net cash and interest-bearing financial investments 5 460 2 960 84%   5 460 2 960 84%  
    Comparable results                
    Net sales 4 326 4 709 (8)% (7)% 13 236 15 722 (16)% (15)%
    Gross margin % 45.7% 40.8% 490bps   47.0% 39.9% 710bps  
    Research and development expenses (1 029) (1 024) 0%   (3 169) (3 119) 2%  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (591) (594) (1)%   (1 785) (1 833) (3)%  
    Operating profit 454 418 9%   1 477 1 507 (2)%  
    Operating margin % 10.5% 8.9% 160bps   11.2% 9.6% 160bps  
    Profit for the period 358 293 22%   1 198 1 035 16%  
    EPS for the period, diluted 0.06 0.05 20%   0.21 0.18 17%  
    ROIC(1) 10.4% 11.9% (150)bps   10.4% 11.9% (150)bps  

    1 Comparable ROIC = Comparable operating profit after tax, last four quarters / invested capital, average of last five quarters’ ending balances. Refer to the Alternative performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024 for details.

    Business group results Network
    Infrastructure    		 Mobile
    Networks    		 Cloud and Network Services Nokia
    Technologies    		 Group Common and Other
    EUR million Q3’24 Q3’23 Q3’24 Q3’23 Q3’24 Q3’23 Q3’24 Q3’23 Q3’24 Q3’23
    Net sales 1 525 1 534 1 747 2 157 702 742 352 258 3 22
    YoY change (1)%   (19)%   (5)%   36%   (86)%  
    Constant currency YoY change 1%   (17)%   (4)%   35%   (86)%  
    Gross margin % 42.1% 40.5% 39.8% 34.8% 40.9% 39.1% 100.0% 100.0%    
    Operating profit/(loss) 180 165 92 99 65 36 242 181 (126) (62)
    Operating margin % 11.8% 10.8% 5.3% 4.6% 9.3% 4.9% 68.8% 70.2%    

    SHAREHOLDER DISTRIBUTION

    Dividend

    Under the authorization by the Annual General Meeting held on 3 April 2024, the Board of Directors may resolve on the distribution of an aggregate maximum of EUR 0.13 per share to be paid in respect of financial year 2023. The authorization will be used to distribute dividend and/or assets from the reserve for invested unrestricted equity in four installments during the authorization period, in connection with the quarterly results, unless the Board decides otherwise for a justified reason.

    On 17 October 2024, the Board resolved to distribute a dividend of EUR 0.03 per share. The dividend record date is 22 October 2024 and the dividend will be paid on 31 October 2024. The actual dividend payment date outside Finland will be determined by the practices of the intermediary banks transferring the dividend payments.

    Following this announced distribution, the Board’s remaining distribution authorization is a maximum of EUR 0.03 per share.

    Share buyback program

    In January 2024, Nokia’s Board of Directors initiated a share buyback program to repurchase shares to return up to EUR 600 million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of two years. The share buyback execution started on 20 March 2024. On 19 July 2024, Nokia’s Board of Directors decided to accelerate the timeframe for the share buyback program with the aim of completing the full EUR 600 million program by the end of this year instead of the initial two year timeframe.

    On 27 June 2024, Nokia announced its intention to acquire Infinera in a transaction that valued Infinera at US$1.7 billion equity value with up to 30% of the consideration to be paid in Nokia American depositary shares (“ADSs”), depending on the elections of Infinera shareholders. Nokia’s Board of Directors is committed to repurchase additional shares on top of the on-going EUR 600 million program to offset the dilution from the transaction to Nokia shareholders.

    Under the share buyback program, by 30 September 2024, Nokia had repurchased 84 295 899 of its own shares at an average price per share of approximately EUR 3.48.

    OUTLOOK

      Full Year 2024
    Comparable operating profit(1) EUR 2.3 billion to EUR 2.9 billion
    Free cash flow(1) 30% to 60% conversion from comparable operating profit

    1Please refer to Alternative performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024 for a full explanation of how these terms are defined.

    The outlook, long-term targets and all of the underlying outlook assumptions described below are forward-looking statements subject to a number of risks and uncertainties as described or referred to in the Risk Factors section later in this release. Along with Nokia’s official outlook targets provided above, below are outlook assumptions by business group that support the group level outlook.

      Nokia business group assumptions (full year 2024)
      Net sales growth (constant currency) Operating margin
    Network Infrastructure -6% to -3% (update) 10.0% to 12.0% (update)
    Mobile Networks -22% to -19% (update) 5.0% to 7.0% (update)
    Cloud and Network Services -7% to -4% (update) 6.0% to 8.0% (update)

    Nokia provides the following approximate outlook assumptions for additional items concerning 2024:

      Full year 2024 Comment
    Nokia Technologies operating profit at least
    EUR 1.4 billion    		 Nokia expects cash generation in Nokia Technologies to be EUR 700 million below operating profit in 2024 due to prepayments received in 2023. From 2025 onwards Nokia expects greater alignment between cash generation and operating profit in Nokia Technologies.
    Group Common and Other operating expenses EUR 350 million This includes central function costs which are expected to be largely stable at approximately EUR 200 million and an increase in investment in long-term research to approximately EUR 150 million.
    Comparable financial income and expenses Positive EUR 75 to EUR 125 million  
    Comparable income tax rate ~25%  
    Cash outflows related to income taxes EUR 450 million  
    Capital Expenditures EUR 450 million (update)  

    2026 TARGETS

    Nokia’s current targets for its existing perimeter of the business for 2026 are outlined below. This does not consider pending acquisitions. The Network Infrastructure operating margin assumption below considers Submarine Networks being treated as a discontinued operation. Nokia sees further opportunities to increase margins beyond 2026 and believes an operating margin of 14% remains achievable over the longer term.
    Net sales    		 Grow faster than the market
    Comparable operating margin(1) ≥ 13%
    Free cash flow(1) 55% to 85% conversion from comparable operating profit

    1 Please refer to Alternative performance measures section in Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024 for a full explanation of how these terms are defined.

    The comparable operating margin target for Nokia group is built on the following assumptions by business group for 2026:

    Network Infrastructure 13 – 16% operating margin
    Mobile Networks 6 – 9% operating margin
    Cloud and Network Services 7 – 10% operating margin
    Nokia Technologies Operating profit more than EUR 1.1 billion
    Group common and other Approximately EUR 300 million of operating expenses

    RISK FACTORS

    Nokia and its businesses are exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties which include but are not limited to:

    • Competitive intensity, which is expected to continue at a high level as some competitors seek to take share;
    • Changes in customer network investments related to their ability to monetize the network;
    • Our ability to ensure competitiveness of our product roadmaps and costs through additional R&D investments;
    • Our ability to procure certain standard components and the costs thereof, such as semiconductors;
    • Disturbance in the global supply chain;
    • Impact of inflation, increased global macro-uncertainty, major currency fluctuations and higher interest rates;
    • Potential economic impact and disruption of global pandemics;
    • War or other geopolitical conflicts, disruptions and potential costs thereof;
    • Other macroeconomic, industry and competitive developments;
    • Timing and value of new, renewed and existing patent licensing agreements with licensees;
    • Results in brand and technology licensing; costs to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; on-going litigation with respect to licensing and regulatory landscape for patent licensing;
    • The outcomes of on-going and potential disputes and litigation;
    • Our ability to execute, complete and realize the expected benefits from our ongoing transactions;
    • Timing of completions and acceptances of certain projects;
    • Our product and regional mix;
    • Uncertainty in forecasting income tax expenses and cash outflows, over the long-term, as they are also subject to possible changes due to business mix, the timing of patent licensing cash flow and changes in tax legislation, including potential tax reforms in various countries and OECD initiatives;
    • Our ability to utilize our Finnish deferred tax assets and their recognition on our balance sheet;
    • Our ability to meet our sustainability and other ESG targets, including our targets relating to greenhouse gas emissions;as well the risk factors specified under Forward-looking statements of this release, and our 2023 annual report on Form 20-F published on 29 February 2024 under Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, projects, programs, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics, geopolitical conflicts and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain, the timing of market changes or turning points in demand and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to our ongoing transactions and changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “continue”, “believe”, “envisage”, “expect”, “aim”, “will”, “target”, “may”, “would”, “see”, “plan” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in the Risk Factors above.

    ANALYST WEBCAST

    • Nokia’s webcast will begin on 17 October 2024 at 11.30 a.m. Finnish time (EEST). The webcast will last approximately 60 minutes.
    • The webcast will be a presentation followed by a Q&A session. Presentation slides will be available for download at http://www.nokia.com/financials.
    • A link to the webcast will be available at http://www.nokia.com/financials.
    • Media representatives can listen in via the link, or alternatively call +1-412-317-5619.

    FINANCIAL CALENDAR

    • Nokia plans to publish its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results on 30 January 2025.

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia
    Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email:press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia
    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 4080 3 4080
    Email:investor.relations@nokia.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Severe thunderstorms are sweeping through southern Australia. But what makes a thunderstorm ‘severe’?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Brown, Research Fellow in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne

    Jamestorm/Shutterstock

    Clusters of severe thunderstorms are expected to strike Australia’s southern regions over Thursday and Friday.

    The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings and forecasts related to these unusually widespread stormy conditions as they move through South Australia today and into Victoria.

    As of October 17th, there’s a risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of central and southern Australia.

    Some areas have already experienced golf ball-sized hail and intense winds.

    While we might not always think of thunderstorms as a threat, severe storms can be surprisingly damaging. The enormous Sydney thunderstorm of 1999 dropped an estimated 500,000 tonnes of hail, causing widespread damage to cars and roofs. At the time, it was the most expensive natural disaster on record, overtaken only by the unprecedented 2022 floods across eastern Australia – which were themselves partly caused by severe thunderstorms in addition to other weather systems.

    When severe thunderstorms bring torrential rain, they can often trigger flash flooding. This is because extreme rain from thunderstorms usually falls over a relatively short time – less than an hour or two in many cases. Lightning can also pose a threat.

    In recent years, severe thunderstorms have also shown they can damage the power grid. In 2016, huge rotating supercell storms brought intense winds and at least seven tornadoes to South Australia, toppling transmission towers and causing a statewide blackout. Smaller thunderstorms caused major outages in Victoria in February this year after taking down six towers.

    But what makes a thunderstorm “severe”?

    The ingredients for a storm

    What triggers thunderstorms? Climate scientists and meteorologists often talk about the ingredients necessary for thunderstorms.

    To make a normal thunderstorm, you need to have a lot of moisture in the air. Then you need vertical instability in the atmosphere, meaning relatively warm moist air near the surface and very cold air above. You also need a mechanism to lift warmer surface air up to a level where the atmospheric instability can be released.

    For a severe thunderstorm, you need all those ingredients and usually one more: vertical wind shear. This means that wind speeds and direction differ with height. For example, you might have strong northerly winds down low, and strong southerly winds up higher.

    Vertical wind shear can make a run-of-the-mill thunderstorm much more intense, in a range of ways. For instance, wind shear can help warm updrafts stay separate from cold downdrafts and rainfall, which can help make the storm last longer.

    If a thunderstorm has large hail, damaging wind gusts or could trigger a tornado or flash flooding, this makes it a severe thunderstorm, according to Bureau of Meteorology classification.

    You might have also heard of supercell storms. These are convective thunderstorms, characterised by strong, rotating updrafts that last for a long time.

    Forecasters can predict the potential for severe thunderstorms several days out by looking for moisture-laden air and winds. But predicting exactly where and when they might pop up is extremely challenging.

    Severe storms can bring lightning, hail, intense winds and rain. Pictured: a previous thunderstorm over Perth’s northern suburbs.
    cephotoclub/Shutterstock

    What’s unusual about these storms?

    The storms this week are unusually widespread, with thunderstorms possible from Kalbarri in central Western Australia down through Esperance, across into South Australia, into Victoria and up through New South Wales and southern Queensland.

    These conditions are due to a large-scale low pressure system moving west to east.

    As this large low pressure system moves east, it brings thunderstorms. This map shows the low pressure system on October 16th.
    Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY-NC-ND

    Ahead of the arrival of this low pressure system, winds from the north are bringing down moisture and instability and priming the system for thunderstorms. When air near the low pressure system begins to rise, energy from the warm, moisture-laden and unstable air can be released. This includes energy release due to condensation of water vapour. These rising air currents can travel several kilometres up into the atmosphere, even reaching the top of the troposphere, 10–15km up.

    Severe thunderstorms in southern Australia are more likely in spring and summer. That’s because there’s plenty of moisture available from the tropics and the warm oceans around Australia, while low pressure systems and cold fronts can still emerge from the cold oceans to our south.

    Thunderstorms, tornadoes and fire

    Severe thunderstorms can also pack a hidden punch. They can trigger tornadoes in extreme cases.

    In August, severe thunderstorms hit northern Victoria and triggered a tornado, a destructive whirling column of air that damaged houses and farms in the high country.

    This surprised many people. It’s generally known that Australia has tropical cyclones in the north, intense tropical storms coming in off the sea, but not as well known to have tornadoes.

    In fact, Australia does get tornadoes – an estimated 30–80 each year. In 2013, a total of 69 known tornadoes caused almost 150 injuries. Many of these tornadoes spin out of supercells.

    In Australia’s hotter months, many fires burn around the country. Thunderstorms can make fires worse by bringing strong, warm northerly winds, often with rapid variations in speed and direction that can increase the rate of spread of a fire.

    Firefighters and first responders dread these conditions. Australia’s most deadly bushfire was Black Saturday in 2009, which killed 173 people. One reason it was so dangerous was its suddenness. Intense northerly winds brought down powerlines and started fires, which were quickly whipped into intense firestorms, including thunderstorms generated in the fire plumes.

    Will climate change bring more severe storms?

    As the world heats up, more water is evaporating off warm sea surfaces and hanging in the air as water vapour. This means there’s more of this ingredient necessary to fuel severe thunderstorms and more intense rain from thunderstorms.

    What we don’t know for certain yet is how prevailing air currents over Australia are changing. This could shift moisture to different regions, or affect other thunderstorm ingredients like vertical wind shear, instability, and lifting mechanisms. If circulation patterns do change, we could see severe storms develop in new areas, or different times of the year.



    Read more:
    We can’t say yet if grid-breaking thunderstorms are getting worse – but we shouldn’t wait to find out

    Andrew Brown receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather.

    Andrew Dowdy receives funding from University of Melbourne, including through the Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Melbourne Energy Institute.

    – ref. Severe thunderstorms are sweeping through southern Australia. But what makes a thunderstorm ‘severe’? – https://theconversation.com/severe-thunderstorms-are-sweeping-through-southern-australia-but-what-makes-a-thunderstorm-severe-241555

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Loss of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney

    Former One Direction band member and solo artist Liam Payne has been found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, media reports have confirmed. Payne was just 31 years old – a loved friend and father.

    Alongside his former One Direction band mates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, Payne had a huge influence on popular culture in his home country of the United Kingdom and internationally.

    The group formed in 2010 on the British talent show X Factor and stayed together for about five years before officially splitting in 2016. Throughout this time, Payne remained a valuable member of the band and a clear talent in his own right.

    Although each member auditioned seperately, they were eventually hand-picked by Simon Cowell to form a group.

    After the split (and a brief hiatus from music-making), Payne continued to release music periodically as both a songwriter and collaborator. He most recently released the single Teardrops in March, ahead of an anticipated second solo album.

    News of Payne’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes. Like many young people thrust into stardom seemingly overnight, his life wasn’t without controversy. But the response to his death by fans and industry colleagues alike is proof of the impact he had.

    The making of a pop supergroup

    While One Direction may have not been together for as long as other globally successful acts, their influence far exceeded bands that have been together for decades. They released five studio records – and broke many more, including six Guinness World Records. And even though they didn’t make it to their 10th anniversary together, they had still sold some 70 million records by 2020.

    In the years since the split, fans continued to gather, listen and celebrate – with the most recent anniversary (14 years) seeing fan-led events held in Australia and the rest of the world.

    It’s easy to dismiss pop music and its influence, especially in the face of what feel like increasingly dire global circumstances. But pop, like many other forms of entertainment, provides a practical way for people to gain momentary pleasure and comfort.

    It also provides connection with others – and relief from politics and other daily pressures. For example, one of One Direction’s biggest hits, That’s What Makes You Beautiful, sought to empower young people who might otherwise be overwhelmed by negative messaging.

    Within a year of their debut, the group was met with massive crowds of fans almost everywhere they want.

    One Direction has been compared to The Beatles in terms of their influence on young people – and female and queer fans in particular.

    The impact on fans when their idol dies

    The loss of life, especially a young person’s life, is always a tragedy.

    For some young fans, this might be the first person they “know” who has died. While it may not be the same as losing a family member or close friend, the feeling of loss is significant. Young fans will need support. And in 2024, many will find this support through social platforms and online forums.

    I still remember the impact the deaths of stars such as Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley had on people like me who were teenagers in the 1990s. These were artists I admired and listened to – and whose art I relied on during times of pleasure and pain.

    A similar pang was felt when artists such as George Michael, Aretha Franklin and David Bowie died, albeit later in my life and theirs.

    The experience of losing a music idol is in many ways a universal one. People whose art we attach to our own life experiences become inseparable from our lives. And when they die, it can feel like those experiences are over too.

    After news of Payne’s death broke, hundreds of fans took to the streets of Palermo in Buenos Aires, where Payne had been visiting. They held a vigil, cried and consoled one another in front of the Casa Sur hotel where Payne had been staying.

    One fan, 25-year-old Yamila Zacarias, probably spoke for many when she said:

    He meant a lot to me because the band came into my life at this time when you’re trying to be a part of something, and being a One Direction fan became that something for me.

    Lifelong fandom and memories

    There’s a stereotype of “fans” as hordes of screaming girls, which can really take away from the depth of fandom.

    Anyone at any stage of life can be a fan of just about anything. And the best thing about fandom is that it can, and often does, allow lots of different types of people an outlet for connection throughout their lives.

    Many fans have left comments on old music videos.
    YouTube/screenshot

    The death of US actress Betty White in 2021, as sad as it was, brought people across generations and walks of life together. And not just those who knew her personally, but those who had connected with each other through their love of her work. It reminded me of my own family, including my Nan and Dad, now gone, and the laughs we’d share as we watched her.

    As more details and tributes to Payne’s life and death emerge, the fans will have each other to lean on. If you yourself know someone who is a fan of Payne or One Direction, even reaching out to just acknowledge that person’s grief and experience is important. It says to them, “what you love is valid, and so are you”.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Liz Giuffre 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. Loss of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music – https://theconversation.com/loss-of-an-idol-response-to-liam-paynes-death-highlights-the-power-of-childhood-and-music-241554

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Slash Management – Aratu Forests plans high strength steel nets to manage woody debris

    Source: Aratu Forests Limited

    Aratu Forests Ltd (Aratu) today announced plans for the first of three Swiss-designed high strength steel debris nets which aim to reduce the amount of woody debris flowing into catchments following storm events.
    Aratu plans debris nets at private properties bordering Te Marunga, Waimanu and Wakaroa forests. These will be subject to a resource consent process. The first is planned to span a waterway near Wakaroa Forest on a site straddling two properties.
    These will complement a range of other measures within the forest that have already been implemented or are planned.
    “We’re committed to being a responsible custodian of the environments we operate in, so we’re pleased to be advancing our plans with today’s announcement,” said Neil Woods, Aratu Chief Executive.
    “Debris nets are one part of a toolbox of measures we are using and plan to use to minimise woody debris accumulating in plantations and migrating down waterways after storms.
    “The nets are an extra layer of protection that have been successfully used overseas and in New Zealand. They’ve proven to be very effective at saving lives, buildings and land from the impacts of woody debris and rock falls.
    “We’re proud to be partnering with Swiss-based Geobrugg, the pioneer of debris net technology. In the last 10 years Geobrugg has installed over 250 debris flow barriers of the kind proposed by Aratu in more than 25 countries including New Zealand.
    “The planned net will be the first of its kind in Tairāwhiti. One installed in 2021 in northern Hawke’s Bay has worked well to date to trap debris after storms.
    “The region paid a high price for the devastation caused by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. Like all forestry companies in Tairāwhiti, we work in a very challenging environment with many trees planted on highly erodible soils on steep hill slopes.
    “We have learnt much from the cyclones and are determined to keep lifting our game to limit the impacts from our operations.”
    Since taking over the forests in 2019, Aratu has introduced a range of measures to improve the management of woody debris (see details in Q&A attached).
    “We look forward to progressing the resource consent process with the Gisborne District Council so we can get on with doing our bit to better manage woody debris in Tairāwhiti,” said Neil Woods.
    Aratu manages 35,000 hectares of forestry plantation land across Te Tairāwhiti. In July 2019, Hikurangi Forest Farms was purchased by New Forests, an Australian-based, international and sustainable forestry investment manager, on behalf of its institutional investment clients. The company was renamed Aratu Forests Ltd. Since taking over ownership, we have continued to develop low impact harvesting techniques to mitigate debris movements from the plantations to ensure its sustainable plantations deliver long term benefits for the local community. We support over 200 permanent jobs and each week our company invests more than $1 million into the local economy through payments to our employees and suppliers. Aratu is committed to being a responsible custodian of the environment it operates in. In learning from the 2023 cyclone events, we have continued to refine our forest management practices with the aim of mitigating any negative impacts on the wider environment.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: WHO – Despite health gains, urgent action needed to meet health-related Sustainable Development Goals in the Western Pacific Region

    SOURCE: World Health Organization (WHO)

    Manila, Philippines, 17 October 2024 – According to a new report released today, countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region experienced the smallest decline in life expectancy during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other WHO regions. Life expectancy in the Western Pacific fell by only 0.07 years during 2020-21, a minimal drop compared to the global average decline of 1.7 years. The Western Pacific now has the highest life expectancy among WHO’s six regions, rising from 72.0 years in 2000 to 77.4 years in 2021.

    However, despite this progress, the Region – comprising 37 countries and areas across Asia and the Pacific – is still grappling with critical challenges and is off-track in achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are the global goals adopted by world leaders to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity by 2030. The new WHO report, Health statistics in the Western Pacific Region 2023: Monitoring health for the SDGs, highlights advancements made across the Region while also emphasizing the urgent need for action. The report shows that while the COVID-19 pandemic may have done less damage to life expectancy in the Western Pacific than other regions, it nevertheless exacerbated health inequalities and disrupted progress in other areas.

    Noncommunicable diseases on the rise

    While infectious diseases and injuries were previously major causes of illness and death in the Western Pacific, the Region is undergoing a significant epidemiological shift. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer now account for nearly nine in 10 deaths. While the probability of premature death from NCDs has declined in the Region by over 25% since 2000, major challenges remain. Moreover, the Region is experiencing rapid population ageing. There are now more than 245 million people aged 65 and older in the Region – a number that is projected to double by 2050. And many older people are living with NCDs.

    A major risk factor for NCDs is alcohol and tobacco use. Consumption of alcohol in the Region has risen by 40% since 2000. Despite a decline from 7.2 litres per capita per year in 2015 to 6.1 litres in 2019, the overall increase highlights an ongoing concern for public health. Similarly, although tobacco use declined from 28.0% of adults smoking in 2000 to 22.5% in 2022, this was still above the global average of 20.9%.

    Mental health issues are also taking their toll on the population, with alarmingly high suicide rates in some countries of the Western Pacific Region, influenced by factors such as stigma, limited access to mental health services and socioeconomic challenges.

    Climate- and environment-related health concerns are yet another major challenge. While air pollution in urban areas of the Region was found to have decreased from 2010 to 2019, air quality levels are still much worse than the WHO-recommended levels. Populations living in urban areas are therefore continuing to breathe unhealthy air.

    Mixed progress towards universal health coverage

    Universal health coverage (UHC) is another important SDG target for which the Western Pacific Region has had mixed progress. The UHC service coverage index measures access to essential health services such as reproductive, maternal, newborn and child care, and prevention and treatment services for both NCDs and infectious diseases. Over the past 20 years, the overall UHC service coverage index in the Western Pacific increased impressively, from 49 to 79 points out of 100 between 2000 and 2021. However, people’s ability to access health-care services varies greatly across the Region. In some countries, the UHC service coverage index score is as low as 30, meaning many people struggle to access basic health care, while in others, it exceeds 80, indicating a much higher level of service availability and coverage. Despite these advancements, progress has slowed and stagnated since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, and particularly since 2019.

    Despite the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, access to essential health services for NCDs did not improve significantly, increasing only slightly from 52 points in 2000 to 58 points in 2010. Even more troubling, there has been no further progress since 2010, and access to services remains low, particularly in Pacific island countries and areas.

    In contrast, access to services for infectious diseases improved significantly, rising from just 18 points in 2000 to 82 points in 2021. Immunization coverage for the WHO-recommended three doses against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or DTP3, showed mixed results from 2000 to 2023: coverage increased in 15 countries, while four countries experienced no change and eight saw a decrease.

    In the Western Pacific Region, average health spending has increased substantially, tripling from around US$ 383 per person in 2000 to US$ 1336 in 2021. On average, health spending accounted for 6.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) at country level in 2000, and rose to 8.2% by 2021. However, despite efforts to increase public spending for health, the proportion of people in the Western Pacific experiencing catastrophic health expenditure − defined as spending more than 10% of their income on health-care − has nevertheless doubled, rising from 9.9% in 2000 to 19.8% in 2019.

    Critical action needed to achieve SDGs

    “While we celebrate the significant health gains that the Western Pacific Region has achieved, we must also acknowledge urgent challenges in sustaining progress,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “We are living longer than ever, and more than any other region of the world, but this isn’t enough. We’re off-track to meet many of the SDG targets, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities. Now is the time for concerted action to address these issues. We look forward to working with health leaders from across the Region next week to finalize our new vision to weave health for families, communities and societies.”

    New vision for health in the Region

    Ministers of health and other senior officials are preparing for discussions at the seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Manila on 21−25 October 2024. The meeting will focus on the most pressing health needs in the Region and chart a course to address them.

    Weaving health for families, communities and societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025-2029): Working together to improve health, well-being and save lives is the proposed new vision for the Region. The vision centres on the analogy of weaving a mat – a traditional activity across Asia and the Pacific – symbolizing the collaborative efforts required by WHO, governments and partners to improve population health and well-being. The vision centres on five vertical strands of action led by governments interwoven with three horizontal strands of action by WHO.

    The five vertical strands of action led by governments, working with WHO and other stakeholders include:

    Transformative primary health care for UHC
    Climate-resilient health systems
    Resilient communities, societies and systems for health security
    Healthier people throughout the life course
    Technology and innovation for future health equity.

    The three horizontal strands of action by WHO are:

    Country offices equipped with skills for scaling up and innovation
    Nimble support teams in the Regional Office
    Effective communication for public health.

    These strands reflect the reality that the Western Pacific Region faces complex health challenges that cannot be addressed by the health sector alone. Achieving the goals of SDG 3 − Good health and well-being – will require a concerted effort from multiple sectors. Social determinants of health, including education, housing, employment, social protection, gender equality and the environment, significantly impact health outcomes. Therefore, collaboration between the health, education, urban planning, agriculture and environmental sectors, to name but a few, is crucial. Collaboration can create synergies and co-benefits for all these sectors while accelerating progress towards achieving SDG 3.

    “The commitment of governments, WHO and partners to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is a commitment to health and well-being for all,” added Dr Piukala. “We must work together to ensure that no one is left behind as we weave a healthier future.”

    In addition to the vision, the Regional Committee will also consider new regional action frameworks on digital health and on health financing to achieve UHC and sustainable development. There will be panel discussions on climate-resilient health-care facilities, transformative primary health care and oral health, as well as a special event on the Investment Round to resource WHO’s work for 2025–2028.

    Notes:

    The seventy-fifth session of the Western Pacific Regional Committee will run from Monday, 21 October through Friday, 25 October, at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines. The Agenda and timetable are available online. A livestream of proceedings, all other official documents, as well as fact sheets and videos on the issues to be addressed can be accessed here. For real-time updates, follow @WHOWPRO on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube and the hashtag #RCM75.

    Working with 194 Member States across six regions, WHO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for public health. Each WHO region has its regional committee – a governing body composed of ministers of health and senior officials from Member States. Each regional committee meets annually to agree on health actions and to chart priorities for WHO’s work.

    The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to more than 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and areas: American Samoa (United States of America), Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (France), Guam (United States of America), Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Niue, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (United States of America), Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Viet Nam, Wallis and Futuna (France).

    Related links:

    Health statistics in the Western Pacific Region 2023: Monitoring health for the SDGs
    Draft vision Weaving health for families, communities and societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025−2029): Working together to improve health and well-being and save lives
    WHO data on progress towards universal health coverage (UHC)
    Other WHO data which can be searched by country.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brevard County Felon Sentenced To More Than 17 Years In Federal Prison For Drug And Firearm Offenses

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Shawndell Johnson (32, Melbourne) to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Johnson to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used in the offenses. Johnson entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2024. 

    According to court documents, Johnson twice distributed fentanyl to a confidential source in September 2022. Following his arrest on state fentanyl distribution charges in March 2023, a search of Johnson’s residence uncovered more than 600 grams of fentanyl, over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine, and over 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, agents located two loaded firearms. At the time of the search, Johnson had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including murder in the third-degree without design and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Pål Jonson attends NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Pål Jonson attends NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels – Government.se

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    Press release from Ministry of Defence

    Published

    On 17–18 October, Sweden’s Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will meet with his colleagues from other NATO member countries in Brussels. Part of the meeting will also be attended for the first time by the defence ministers of Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand – NATO’s partners known as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4).

    The agenda includes discussions on continuing and deepening NATO’s cooperation with the IP4.

    At the meeting in Brussels, the NATO defence ministers will also discuss deeper cooperation between NATO and the EU, and reinforcements of NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities.

    They will also discuss continued support to Ukraine and the support being provided to Russia by Iran, China and North Korea.

    This is the first NATO ministerial meeting led by new Secretary General Mark Rutte. 

    Press contact

    More about the Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on 17–18 October

    More information about the Meeting of Defence Ministers on 17–18 October is available on the NATO website. Images and video material from the meeting will also be published on the website as they become available.

    About the North Atlantic Council (NAC)

    The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the principal political decision-making body within NATO. For the NAC’s day-to-day work, member countries are represented by their NATO Ambassadors.

    The NAC meets a number of times a year at the levels of defence ministers, foreign ministers and heads of state and government. Normally, one NATO summit, two meetings of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs and three meetings of NATO Defence Ministers are held each year. The NATO Secretary General chairs the NAC.

    About Sweden in NATO

    MIL OSI Europe News –