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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andy Nguyen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland

    The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon, it serves as one of the vital arteries of the state capital, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily.

    But a recent report revealed serious structural issues in the 85-year-old bridge. These included the deterioration of concrete, corrosion and overloading on pedestrian footpaths.

    The findings prompted an urgent closure of the footpath for safety reasons. They also highlighted the urgency of Brisbane City Council’s planned bridge restoration project.

    But this example – and far more tragic ones from around the world in recent years – have also sparked a broader conversation about the safety of ageing bridges and other urban infrastructure. A simple, proactive step known as structural health monitoring can help.

    A number of collapses

    In January 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States collapsed and injured several people. This collapse was caused by extensive corrosion and the fracturing of a vital steel component. It stemmed from poor maintenance and failure to act on repeated inspection recommendations. These problems were compounded by inadequate inspections and oversight.

    Three years earlier, Taiwan’s Nanfang’ao Bridge collapsed. Exposure to damp, salty sea air had severely weakened its suspension cables. Six people beneath the bridge died.

    In August 2018, Italy’s Morandi Bridge fell, killing 43 people. The collapse was due to corrosion in pre-stressed concrete and steel tendons. These factors were worsened by inspection and maintenance challenges.

    In August 2007, a bridge in the US city of Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. This collapse was primarily due to previously unnoticed problems with the design of the bridge. But it also demonstrated how ageing infrastructure, coupled with increasing loads and ineffective routine visual inspections, can exacerbate inherent weaknesses.

    A technology-driven solution

    Structural health monitoring is a technology-driven approach to assessing the condition of infrastructure. It can provide near real-time information and enable timely decision-making. This is crucial when it comes to managing ageing structures.

    The approach doesn’t rely solely on occasional periodic inspections. Instead it uses sensors, data loggers and analytics platforms to continuously monitor stress, vibration, displacement, temperature and corrosion on critical components.

    This approach can significantly improve our understanding of bridge performance compared to traditional assessment models. In one case, it updated a bridge’s estimated fatigue life – the remaining life of the structure before fatigue-induced failure is predicted to occur– from just five years to more than 52 years. This ultimately avoided unnecessary and costly restoration.

    Good structural health-monitoring systems can last several decades. They can be integrated with artificial intelligence techniques and bridge information modelling to develop digital twin-based monitoring platforms.

    The cost of structural health monitoring systems varies by bridge size and the extent of monitoring required. Some simple systems can cost just a few thousand dollars, while more advanced ones can cost more than A$300,000.

    These systems require ongoing operational support – typically 10% to 20% of the installation cost annually – for data management, system maintenance, and informed decision-making.

    Additionally, while advanced systems can be costly, scalable structural health monitoring solutions allow authorities to start small and expand over time.

    A model for proactive management

    The design of structural health monitoring systems has been incorporated into new large-scale bridge designs, such as Sutong Bridge in China and Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in the US.

    But perhaps the most compelling example of these systems in action is the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada.

    Opened in 1930, it shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge. And, like many ageing structures, it faces its own challenges.

    Opened in 1930, the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada, shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge.
    Pinkcandy/Shutterstock

    However, authorities managing the Jacques Cartier Bridge have embraced a proactive approach through comprehensive structural health monitoring systems. The bridge has been outfitted with more than 300 sensors.

    Acoustic emission monitoring enables early detection of micro-cracking activity, while long-term instrumentation tracks structural deformation and dynamic behaviour across key spans.

    Satellite-based radar imagery adds a remote, non-intrusive layer of deformation monitoring, and advanced data analysis ensures that the vast amounts of sensor data are translated into timely, actionable insights.

    Together, these technologies demonstrate how a well-integrated structural-health monitoring system can support proactive maintenance, extend the life of ageing infrastructure – and ultimately improve public safety.

    A way forward for Brisbane – and beyond

    The Story Bridge’s current challenges are serious, but they also present an opportunity.

    By investing in the right structural health monitoring system, Brisbane can lead the way in modern infrastructure management – protecting lives, restoring public confidence, preserving heritage and setting a precedent for cities around the world.

    As climate change, urban growth, and ageing assets put increasing pressure on our transport networks, smart monitoring is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

    Andy Nguyen receives funding from the Queensland government, through the Advance Queensland fellowship. He is on the executive committee of Australian Network of Structural Health Monitoring.

    – ref. Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them – https://theconversation.com/ageing-bridges-around-the-world-are-at-risk-of-collapse-but-theres-a-simple-way-to-safeguard-them-260005

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hazelwood North Primary leads the way in fire education pilot

    Source:

    Hazelwood North Primary School has become the first school in District 27 to pilot the Schools in Fire Country program, an exciting new initiative aimed at helping our older students understand fire risk, preparedness, and their role in community resilience.

    Situated in one of Victoria’s fire risk areas, Hazelwood North Primary was a fitting choice to launch the program. Over the last term, students in Years 5/6 engaged in a series of interactive learning sessions designed to deepen their knowledge about bushfires and how they impact communities like their own.

    Delivered in collaboration with local CFA members and community safety representatives from Hazelwood North Fire Brigade, the program gave students a chance to explore real-life scenarios, learn about fire behaviour, and discover what actions families and communities can take to stay safe.

    CFA Community Engagement Coordinator Hayley King said the pilot at Hazelwood North was a standout success.

    “The students were incredibly engaged and asked thoughtful questions. It was inspiring to see them thinking critically about the risks in their own environment and how they can be part of the solution,” Hayley said.

    A highlight of the program was a student-led presentation day, where learners shared their knowledge and fire safety ideas with parents, staff, and CFA.

    From bushfire emergency plans to creative artwork and quizzes, and testing CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer Bryan Russell on his bushfire knowledge, the presentations reflected both the seriousness of the topic and the confidence the students had gained.

    Hazelwood North Brigade Community Safety Coordinator Maria Harkins worked hard and supported the program’s practical and empowering approach.

    Following its successful rollout, CFA’s District 27 and 9 will evaluate the program’s impact and explore how Schools in Fire Country can be expanded to other schools in the Latrobe Valley and beyond.

    By equipping the next generation with knowledge and a sense of shared responsibility, Hazelwood North Primary is helping to build a safer and more fire-aware future for all.

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tax Time 2025 update – 1 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Welcome and governance

    The ATO Co-chair welcomed members and ATO attendees to the first Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG) Tax Time 2025 meeting.

    ATO updates

    Frontline Services

    Frontline Services provided the following update:

    • Tax time has progressed well on day 1, noting the day is not over yet.
    • We’ve received 4,000 calls from tax agents so far, which is similar to this time last year.
    • Lodgment numbers are slightly higher from this time last year, but we expect this figure to level out throughout the week.
    • We’ve put in place a safety net that may be removed progressively throughout this week.

    Member comments

    Members queried whether we will investigate and amend tax returns lodged early this year. We stated that this will depend on the circumstances and reiterated the safety net should help prevent this as has been done in previous years.

    IT system updates and maintenance

    Enterprise Solutions and Technology provided the following update:

    • Good system performance throughout the day with notably good response times.
    • There is a small issue with the availability of webchat functionality in myTax, which is currently being worked through, but this has had no impact on Online Services for Agents.

    ATO Digital services

    Digital services are operating as intended and there is nothing to report.

    ATO Communications

    Marketing and Communications provided the following update:

    • Key focus for tax time communications this year is to encourage people to wait until all pre-fill information is available before lodging, with our strategy and messages centered on ‘Back to basics’ themes emphasising record keeping, eligibility to claim, and substantiation.
    • The ATO Tax Time Spokesperson has been engaging with a wide range of audiences through media, podcasts, webinars and events, and achieving early reach in partnerships with high-profile consumer brands.
    • Our flagship tax time toolkits, including the Investors toolkit, the Individuals tax time toolkit and the Tax time toolkit for small business, have been successfully updated, offering a helpful resource for tax agents to guide conversations with individuals and small business clients.
    • A significant focus this tax time is encouraging uptake of the ATO app, with new security features rolling out to keep users safe and their ATO records secure. Recent communication around real time security messaging has been successful in generating uptake, with a number of instances already confirmed of blocking suspected fraud.
    • The recent tax time webcast with tax professionals was a success with a total of 2,051 attendees and 132 questions from participants. The recorded version of the webcast will be included in this week’s edition of the Tax professional’s newsletter.

    Member comments

    Members highlighted that 142,000 early lodged returns last year were adjusted or reviewed for errors is an important message for taxpayers.

    Superannuation

    Superannuation and Employer Obligations provided the following update:

    • Super Guarantee (SG) rate will increase to 12% on 1 July. This rate applies for payments of salary and wages to eligible workers on and after 1 July, even if some or all of the pay period it relates to is before 1 July.
    • SG contributions should be made by 28 July in full, on time and to the right fund. For the quarter ending 30 June, apply the 11.5% SG rate for salary and wage payments made before 1 July.
    • As of 1 July, some pay as you go (PAYG) withholding schedules and tax tables have been updated. Tax agents should ensure they are using the correct tax tables or the tax withheld calculator to work out how much to withhold from employees’ payments
      • a reminder to update payroll software to withhold, report and pay the correct amount of tax.
    • Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting and finalisation declarations are due by 14 July
      • lodge a finalisation declaration for all employees paid and reported through STP so they have the right information to lodge their income tax returns
      • finalise all employees paid in the financial year, even those that haven’t been paid for a while, like terminated employees
      • if an employer changes payroll software providers, they should finalise records before they change. This ensures employers and employees have accurate information during tax time.

    Member insights and experience

    Member comments

    A professional association representative member raised an issue in relation to an ATO LinkedIn poll asking taxpayers what they thought was the fastest and easiest way to lodge this tax time. Members were disappointed that this poll did not acknowledge lodging through a registered tax agent is also a valid, fast and easy option.

    Members raised concerns that ATO communications do not acknowledge the role of tax professionals and in the current environment with changes to the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA), this adds to the increasing unease across the tax professional community.

    Members encouraged us to continue to engage the Communication Content Working Group (CCWG) and the TSPG to improve messaging that positions tax agents alongside myTax in our communications.

    We expressed appreciation for this feedback and noted that the post was intended to be a light-hearted and engaging way to spark conversation around tax time, rather than a comprehensive overview of lodgment options. We stated that registered tax agents were considered as an option in this poll, however thought placing them alongside choices like paper returns or interpretive dance might unintentionally come across as disrespectful to tax agents, and not in keeping with the playful tone of the post.

    We absolutely recognise the vital role tax professionals play and regularly highlight the contributions they make across our channels, encouraging the community to seek support from registered agents. We’ve taken this feedback on board and will keep this in mind this for all future communications. We apologised to tax professionals for this post and any offence taken and have since taken the poll down.

    A professional association representative member raised an increase in their members commenting on ATO outbound calls, where our officers are requesting the tax agents to go through a POI process, which at tax time is causing an increased level of frustration amongst agents.

    Members quired whether there is an easier solution to provide verification through a message in Practice Mail.

    Members raised the amendments made by the ATO to 142,000 tax returns lodged within the first 2 weeks of tax time last year and whether shortfall interest charge (SIC) was applied to these taxpayers.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lodging the self-review return if your NFP may be charitable

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    It’s time for self-assessing as income tax exempt not-for-profits (NFPs) with an ABN to lodge the NFP self-review return.

    NFPs that have only charitable purposes and meet the legal definition of a charity can register as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and be formally endorsed by the ATO as income tax exempt. Once registered, you don’t have to lodge the NFP self-review return.

    But what if your NFP has applied to the ACNC and you’re waiting for the outcome? Or if your NFP may be eligible to register as charitable, but you haven’t yet applied to the ACNC?

    Lodge while waiting for the ACNC’s response

    Your NFP should continue to lodge annual NFP self-review while you wait to hear the outcome of your charitable registration application to the ACNC. You must lodge the 2024–25 NFP self-review return by 31 October if you have not received the outcome of your application by then.

    If you haven’t yet lodged the 2023–24 return, lodge it now. When you lodge, select ‘yes’ or ‘unsure’ to the question ‘Does your organisation have charitable purposes?’.

    Use ACNC resources if unsure your NFP is charitable

    If your NFP has already lodged the 2023–24 NFP SRR and selected ‘yes’ or ‘unsure’ to the question ‘Does your organisation have charitable purposes?’ take the next step now:

    • To see if your NFP is eligible to register as charitable, use the ACNC’s charity registration self-assessment toolExternal Link.
    • If your NFP is eligible, apply to register as a charity with the ACNC. Backdate your application to the period your organisation first became a charity so you can access tax exemptions for that period.

    If your NFP hasn’t yet lodged the 2023–24 NFP SRR, it is overdue. Lodge it now, select ‘yes’ or ‘unsure’ to the question ‘Does your organisation have charitable purposes?’, and then use the ACNC tool to check if your NFP can register as a charity.

    Sporting clubs

    Some community sporting clubs have answered ‘unsure’ to the question asking if they have charitable purposes. In most cases, sporting clubs are not charitable, but they are eligible to self-assess as income tax exempt.

    You can check if your sporting club is eligible to register as charitable by using the charity registration self-assessment tool on the ACNC websiteExternal Link.

    If your sporting club is not charitable, submit your NFP self-review return and select ‘no’ to the question about charitable status. If your NFP self-review return gives an income tax exempt outcome, continue to lodge it annually.

    How to lodge

    Find out more about lodging your NFP self-review return in this edition of NFP news, or check out the information available at ato.gov.au/NFPtaxexempt.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – CommBank unveils new brand platform Doubt Never Did, designed to inspire Australians – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Cinematic hero film leads a bold new brand campaign across TV, social, OOH and digital.

    CommBank has launched Doubt Never Did, a bold new campaign designed to empower Australians to overcome self-doubt and take action towards their personal and business goals.

    The next evolution of CommBank’s enduring brand platform, Can.

    Informed by deep cultural insights and macro tr

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Green approach to increase wastewater recycling in regional towns – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    Rising rural populations, drought and climate change are making water scarcity a problem in country townships – with more efficient handling of sewage system wastewater part of the solution.

    Pioneered by Flinders University environmental health experts, local councils in South Australia are operating sustainable energy-efficient sewage treatment operations with low-cost high-rate algal pond (HRAP) systems.

    Now new research led by Flinders University is investigating improved effluent treatment and biosolids removal with ‘sequencing batch reactors’ – or low-cost ‘SBR-HRAP’ technology field trials – installed at SA Water’s Angaston wastewater treatment plant in the Barossa Valley.

    The good news is that the newer systems under development can work better and faster without major capital expense – due to the latest research of new approaches to bio-processing inside them, says Professor Howard Fallowfield, from the College of Science and Engineering at Finders University.

    The SBR techniques under development involve a new kind of algae and improved removal of waste from the water, for better quality non-potable water for use in parks, gardens, sporting fields and other purposes.

    “Supported by SA Water and the ARC Biofilm Research and Innovation Centre at Flinders, we are trialling selective enrichment of algal-bacterial combinations to produce higher quality treated effluent,” says Professor Fallowfield.

    “Using wastewater from the Angaston community, our six pilot-scale HRAP tanks will compare the performance of these improved processes against the original HRAP operations.”

    Large high-rate algal pond systems, which have been treating wastewater at local council-owned facilities near Kingston-on-Murray (since 2013) and Peterborough (since 2018) in South Australia, use low-energy paddlewheels to move township and business organic waste along shallow channels where harmless green microalgae and bacteria remove pathogens and contaminants.

    PhD candidate Felipe Sabatté, who has used a native freshwater filamentous algal population to produce higher quality clarified treated effluent, says the latest developments will be scaled up in the Angaston field trials.

    “While high-rate algal ponds are an accepted method of wastewater treatment, particularly for regional and rural communities, they utilise microalgae which are difficult to remove from the treated wastewater leading to unacceptably high suspended solids in the discharge,” says Mr Sabatté.

    “These larger filamentous algae offer the prospect of easier separation from the treated wastewater, significantly improving treated effluent quality.”

    The outcome of this research provides a new operational strategy for wastewater HRAPs, particularly for the benefit of regional and rural communities challenged with water restrictions and to help meet UN SDG6 (clean water and sanitation) targets in the long run, he says.

    See more, ‘High-rate algal ponds operated as sequencing batch reactors: Towards wastewater treatment with filamentous algae’ (2025) by Felipe Sabatté, Ryan Baring and Howard Fallowfield, just published in the Journal of Applied Phycology – DOI: 10.1007/s10811-025-03545-6

    First published 13 June 2025 – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03545-6

    This research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation and funded by the Australian Government.

    Also at the Angaston trial site, Flinders ARC Biofilm Research and Innovation Centre PhD researcher Sam Butterworth is investigating how to use this new technology to develop dense, algae-bacterial granules, which can be more readily removed from wastewater and to potentially reduce phosphorus levels.

    “Algae-bacterial granule formation is a positive way for biofilms to form dense, fast-settling biomass and improve treated wastewater quality,” says Mr Butterworth.

    “Using microalgae in high-rate algal ponds is increasingly seen as a better alternative to other wastewater treatment systems, such as activated sludge,” he says.

    Traditional wastewater treatment methods can use more energy and water and can be less sustainable due to higher greenhouse gas emissions.

    An independent validation of the HRAP projects approved the treated wastewater to be used for non-food crop irrigation. For example, the Kingston-on-Murray ponds supply reuse water to irrigate a woodlot, and the ponds in Peterborough provide reuse water for a golf course and a sports field.

    Working with industry, the Flinders University ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation is working on a range of sustainable and environmentally friendly research solutions. See more at the website and https://youtu.be/FbWhd-lc9z0?si=pCnUqEaDDlymcDRF

    Acknowledgements: This research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation (project number IC2201000003).

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Nafanua Purcell Kersel named as 2025 Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence – Vic

    Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) is delighted to announce the appointment of Nafanua Purcell Kersel as the Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence for 2025.

    Nafanua, a Sāmoan writer and performer, is based in Heretaunga, Te Mātau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay). She will use the residency to work on a stage adaptation of her debut poetry collection Black Sugarcane, as well as a new book of poems.  

    Her aspiration is to create work that creates more. “More alofa, more creativity, more understanding in our communities and worlds,” says Nafanua.  

    Nafanua has a background in facilitation and community storytelling, including her role with Nevertheless NZ, where she leads the storytelling programme and runs creative writing workshops with Māori, Pasifika, and Rainbow+ communities. Her creative work includes poetry, theatre and spoken word, often centring on themes of intergenerational memory and Pasifika knowledge systems.  (ref. https://neverthelessnz.com/ )

    Black Sugarcane, published in 2025 by Te Herenga Waka University Press, grew out of Nafanua’s Master of Creative Writing at IIML, for which she won the 2022 Biggs Family Prize in Poetry. Her poetry has appeared in anthologies and in various literary journals including Cordite, Landfall and Turbine l Kapohau.  

    Nafanua says it is a privilege and an honour to receive this award.  

    “I admire each of the previous recipients, and feel humbled to have been chosen to follow on from them.  

    “My wish is to write work which offers an insight into the complexity of community and the subtle work of shared stories, through my own experiences, dreams, and observations. My goal for the residency is to produce work which is mana-enhancing and unapologetic in its cultural depth. Fa’afetai, fa’afetai, fa’afetai tele lava mo le avanoa.”
    Nafanua will receive a stipend of $15,000 to write her new work at the IIML for three months. She will also work with a mentor during the residency.

    Damien Wilkins, Director of the IIML, says Nafanua’s wonderful first book of poems shows her to be a highly skilled writer with new things to say.  

    “We’re excited to see her work develop. The IIML is also very appreciative of the support of the University and Creative New Zealand.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Practise your home fire escape plan these school holidays

    Source:

    Victoria’s fire services are encouraging families to practice their home fire escape plans these school holidays.

    Fires can take hold at any time, and a practised escape plan could save lives.

    Last year, 18 people tragically lost their lives in preventable residential fires in Victoria, with research showing that young children, people aged over 65, smokers and people with disabilities are more likely to die in house fires. 

    All occupants of the home should know the quickest and safest way to escape from every room, and know of two exits from every room, either through doors or windows.

    You can find materials on both FRV and CFA’s respective websites to help create a plan.

    FRV Deputy Commissioner Community Safety Joshua Fischer said all family members should know what to do in the event of a fire.

    “In an emergency people can often panic and might not know what to do – particularly children,” Deputy Commissioner Fischer said.

    “Having a practised home fire escape plan will significantly increase your chances of survival, ensuring that all members of the house know how to safely evacuate as quickly as possible.”

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said fire escape plans should be tailored to your living environment and the abilities of all members of the household.

    “If you live in a high-rise building, know where the fire exits are, always take the stairs, and know the building’s evacuation procedures,” Chief Officer Heffernan said.

    “And if you have people in the family who will require assistance to evacuate, such an elderly family member or young child, consider this in your plan.”

    “Kids are always looking for things to do during school holidays, so why not practise your home fire escape plan together?”

    When making your home fire escape plan, remember:

    • Know what to do if a fire occurs. Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, you should have a Home Fire Escape Plan in place.
    • Practice your plan with everyone in the home.
    • If you must keep deadlocks locked, leave your keys in the door.

    When there is a fire:

    • Get out and stay out by getting down low and staying out of the smoke.
    • If it is safe, close the doors to slow down the spread of fire and smoke.
    • Alert other people on your way out and meet at a safe place, such as the letterbox or out the front of your home.
    • Call 000 from a mobile phone or neighbour’s phone.

    For more information, visit frv.vic.gov.au or cfa.vic.gov.au

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • Sakshi, Jaismine, Nupur clinch gold as India bags 11 medals at World Boxing Cup Astana 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s women boxers led the country’s best-ever show at the World Boxing Cup in Astana on Sunday, with Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine (57kg) and Nupur (80+kg) clinching gold medals to cap off a memorable campaign.

    Sakshi outclassed USA’s Yosline Perez with a unanimous verdict in the women’s 54kg final, while Jaismine edged past Brazil’s Jucielen Cequeira Romeu 4:1 in the 57kg bout. Nupur rounded off the day with a dominant 5:0 win over Kazakhstan’s Yeldana Talipova in the 80+kg final.

    India ended its campaign with 11 medals — three gold, five silver and three bronze — bettering its tally from the first leg in Brazil, where the team won six medals, including one gold.

    Sakshi set the tone for India on the final day with her aggressive approach and quick combination punches to seal the first gold. Jaismine, 23, used her reach smartly to keep her opponent at bay in a close contest before landing clean counters in the final round to pull ahead.

    Nupur, who lost the opening round to the local favourite Talipova, came back strong to dominate the next two rounds with better footwork and sharper attacks.

    Earlier, Meenakshi went down fighting to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay in the 48kg final, losing 2:3.

    Jugnoo (men’s 85kg), Pooja Rani (women’s 80kg), Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg) settled for silver after finishing second in their respective finals. Jugnoo lost 0:5 to Kazakhstan’s Bekzad Nurdauletov, while Pooja went down by the same margin to Australia’s Eseta Flint. Hitesh lost 0:5 to Brazil’s Kaian Oliveira and Jamwal fell short 2:3 against Yuri Falcao.

    Sanju (women’s 60kg), Nikhil Dubey (men’s 75kg) and Narender (men’s 90+kg) claimed bronze.

    (ANI)

     

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trentham trio honoured for brave storm rescue

    Source:

    Left to right – Ethan Brown, Pat Sutton and David Wheeldon. Image: Uniform Photography

    Three members of Trentham Fire Brigade have been recognised for their extraordinary bravery after they ventured into a severe storm to assist isolated community members in need.

    CFA volunteers David Wheeldon, Pat Sutton and Ethan Brown each received the distinguished Unit Citation for Courage, at a ceremony at the Trentham Community Hub on Sunday (6 July).  

    On the night of 9 June 2021, destructive winds exceeding 160km/h tore through central Victoria, felling hundreds of trees, blocking roads, and cutting power and water to entire Trentham community for days. 

    Faced with dangerous conditions, David, Pat and Ethan recognised the need for immediate action after receiving an urgent call for help from a woman who had been left stranded by the storm damage and urgently needed access to an oxygen cylinder due to a health condition.  

    With roads blocked and no way for vehicles to get through, the trio set out to deliver the oxygen themselves. 

    Joined by a Victoria Police officer, they began to cut their way through a road strewn with dozens of trees. 

    David, who is now the captain of the brigade, said they didn’t give the rescue a second thought. 

    “You don’t think, you just go. The road was completely blocked, some of the fallen trees were huge and the weather just kept getting worse,” David said.  

    “I’ve never experienced winds like that, it was over 100 miles an hour, and trees continued to come down around us as we worked.” 

    Despite their efforts, the road proved to be impassable, but using local knowledge of backroads and paddocks, the crew was able to reach the person in need and deliver the oxygen in time. 

    “We thought we were responding to help the one person, but when we finally got through, there were six or seven cars out there with around 10 people trapped,” David said. 

    The crew moved the group to a nearby farmhouse, providing them with blankets, water and supplies to ensure their safety. 

    “We couldn’t bring them back it was too dangerous,” David said. 

    “So, we gave them any essentials we had on hand to ensure they were comfortable.” 

    After confirming the group was safe, and catching a few hours rest, response efforts resumed at first light. 

    David added that it was an honour to be recognised alongside Pat and Ethan.  

    “I couldn’t have asked for two better people to be out there with,” David said. 

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan, who presented the trio with their awards, praised the crew’s bravery and dedication. 

    “These volunteers placed themselves in harm’s way to protect others, without hesitation and under incredibly dangerous conditions,” Jason said. 

    “Their courage, teamwork and community mindedness perfectly reflect what CFA stands for.” 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Creating a fire-wise garden

    Source:

    Through face-to-face workshops, CFA’s Landscaping for Bushfire plant selection tool is helping keen gardeners to have valuable conversations about how to enhance bushfire resilience around their homes, while providing enjoyable landscapes and habitat for wildlife. 

    These initiatives are a collaboration between CFA and Community-Based Bushfire Management facilitators.

    Workshops like this allow people to walk around different zones of gardens classed as  ‘fire-wise’ properties, have conversations about practical landscaping elements and how to best place plants to achieve passive fire protection. This includes through site analysis and design (zoning), understanding plant flammability (placement and separation), while incorporating well-placed hard landscaping, such as paths, driveways, low walls and pruned vegetation. 

    Subtle modifications to your garden can make living with bushfire less scary and aesthetically beautiful.

    “Workshop participants said they left feeling empowered and confident to design a garden that looks after wildlife,” Newham Landcare Group event organiser Jess Szigethy-Gyula said. “They are not so scared of bushfires now.”

    The Landscaping for Bushfire tool can be used to test a range of plant specimens from local gardens for fire-wise attributes. This means touching, scrunching and smelling foliage, and sharing different opinions about the values these plants provide people.

    Participants also learned that while some plants may be ranked as more flammable, they can be managed through pruning or by placing them in safer locations more than 10 metres from the house.

    “We can increase our understanding of not only the structure of plants, but also how their safe placement in a garden is influenced by the property’s location and topography,” workshop presenter Owen Gooding said.

    Submitted by News and Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal Crash – Arnhem Highway

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force are currently investigating a fatal crash that occurred along the Arnhem highway overnight.

    Around 9pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received report that a vehicle had rolled on the Arnhem Highway, approximately 40km outbound from the Marrakai turnoff. The vehicle was carrying a 32-year-old male driver, a 14-year-old female and an 8-year-old male.

    St John Ambulance, Police and the NT Fire and Rescue Service attended and conducted first aid.

    The 8-year-old male was declared deceased at the scene, with the 32-year-old man and 14-year-old female conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital via CareFlight.

    Both currently remain in stable conditions. It is believed the occupants are all family members.

    The Major Crash Investigation Unit are investigating and the Arnhem Highway remains closed from the Bark Hut Inn for 11km outbound.

    Police advise motorists to avoid the area as delays are expected to remain until midday July 7.

    Police urge anyone with information to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25181329.

    The lives lost on Territory roads now stands at 22.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Copper thief caught at Beulah Park

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man was arrested after allegedly being caught red-handed stealing copper from a communications pit at Beulah Park overnight.

    About 1.30am on Monday 7 July, police were notified of an alarm activation within a cabling pit on the corner of The Parade and Shipsters Road, Beulah Park.

    Police attended and located the suspect and his vehicle nearby.

    A large quantity of copper piping was found inside the vehicle.

    A 40-year-old man from Leabrook was arrested and charged with property damage and theft.  He was refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court later today.

    His vehicle was seized for further forensic examination.

    The extent of damage to the cabling and communications equipment is not yet known.

    CO TBA

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland

    Pixels Effect/ Getty Images

    Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students achieve higher grades.

    The practice threatens to undermine the quality of a university degree and the prestige of higher education.

    Is it happening in Australia and if so, why?

    To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.

    Increases in grades

    Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

    For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.

    But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?

    Our study

    To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.

    Our main question was:

    [What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?

    In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.

    In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.

    The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).

    Overall opinions

    The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.

    Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).

    Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.

    The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.

    Pressure from university administration

    Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.

    Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.

    Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:

    there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].

    Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:

    Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.

    Complaints generate more work

    On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:

    I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.

    In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.

    The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.

    Is it always a problem?

    Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:

    It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.

    Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.

    1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.

    Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:

    Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.

    An honest discussion is needed

    While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.

    Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.

    To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve – https://theconversation.com/the-customer-is-always-right-why-some-uni-teachers-give-higher-grades-than-students-deserve-258923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland

    Pixels Effect/ Getty Images

    Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students achieve higher grades.

    The practice threatens to undermine the quality of a university degree and the prestige of higher education.

    Is it happening in Australia and if so, why?

    To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.

    Increases in grades

    Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

    For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.

    But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?

    Our study

    To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.

    Our main question was:

    [What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?

    In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.

    In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.

    The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).

    Overall opinions

    The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.

    Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).

    Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.

    The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.

    Pressure from university administration

    Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.

    Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.

    Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:

    there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].

    Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:

    Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.

    Complaints generate more work

    On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:

    I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.

    In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.

    The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.

    Is it always a problem?

    Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:

    It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.

    Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.

    1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.

    Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:

    Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.

    An honest discussion is needed

    While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.

    Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.

    To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve – https://theconversation.com/the-customer-is-always-right-why-some-uni-teachers-give-higher-grades-than-students-deserve-258923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne

    xinlan/Shutterstock

    Medicare spending on mental health services varies considerably depending on where in Australia you live, our new study shows.

    We found areas with lower Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health services had poorer mental health outcomes, including more suicides.

    This variation across the country was mostly related to factors such as a shortage of mental health providers and GPs, rather than people in some regions being in poorer mental health in the first place.

    We also looked at how much extra government funding in today’s money would make a difference to people’s mental health across the population, using the latest data.

    We worked out increasing government spending on out-of-hospital mental health services by A$153 million a year – about $7.30 per adult per year – could lead to:

    • 28,151 fewer mental health emergency department visits (a 10% reduction)

    • 1,954 fewer hospitalisations due to self-harm (a 20% reduction)

    • 313 fewer suicides (a 10% reduction).

    Here’s where our research suggests it’s best to target this extra funding.

    What we did

    We looked at Medicare-funded out-of-hospital mental health services, such as GP mental health visits, as well as visits to psychologists and psychiatrists. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call these Medicare-funded mental health services.

    We also looked at mental health prescriptions (such as for depression or anxiety).

    We looked at these services and prescriptions for the entire Australian population from 2011 to 2019.

    We followed adults as they moved between regions to see how their use of mental health services and prescriptions changed after the move. This meant we could account for underlying individual factors, such as someone’s mental health needs.

    Our study allowed us to assess how differences in the availability of mental health care across regions impacted how much the government spends on mental health services and prescriptions, and how this links to people’s mental health outcomes.

    What we found

    We found that only 28% of variation in spending on mental health services across regions was driven by patient-related factors, such as their need for mental health care. The rest was due to geographical reasons, such as availability of mental health providers and GPs.

    But about 81% of the regional variation in spending on mental health scripts was due to patient factors.

    In other words, when people experience mental health distress, accessing mental health medications, largely provided by a GP, is much easier than accessing care from a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

    Areas with lower spending on out-of-hospital mental health services had higher rates of mental health-related emergency department visits, hospitalisations for self-harm, and suicides.

    We mapped access to mental health services

    We also compared funding for people with the same “need” for mental health services across different regions. This was from the best access (the most funding) at 100% down to 0% (no access).

    After controlling for factors such as socioeconomic background and underlying mental health-care need, the region with the best access was the Gold Coast, with the highest Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health services.

    The regions with the worst access were western Queensland and the Northern Territory. Here, a person with similar mental health-care needs would receive about 50% less in mental health service spending compared to someone on the Gold Coast.

    How can we use our findings?

    Recent analyses suggest government mental health expenditure has barely changed in 30 years. It now sits at about 7.4% of the total health budget.

    Our results suggest there is unmet need for mental health services across the board. But some regions are more affected than others.

    So we should target extra funding to rural and low-income regions – particularly when considering expanding access to psychologists and psychiatrists.

    Recent policy initiatives have tried to improve access to GPs. This includes creating financial incentives for providers to bulk bill and to practise in underserved regions.

    However, these policies have had little or modest effects on boosting access to GPs. There has also been much less focus on attracting more specialty mental health providers, such as psychologists or psychiatrists, to underserved areas.

    To address the disparities and unmet needs in mental health care, we recommend:

    • expanding the mental health workforce: implementing targeted incentives to attract and retain psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health-trained GPs in underserved areas

    • reforming funding models: adjusting funding allocations and incentives to target regions where there is significant unmet need. Our map shows which regions should be targeted first

    • improving access to digital mental health services: using technology to provide accessible mental health support, particularly in areas with limited in-person services, while ensuring digital solutions are integrated with traditional care pathways.

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

    Karinna Saxby receives funding from the University of Melbourne McKenzie Fellowship.

    Dennis Petrie receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Australian Research Council (ARC), Transport Accident Commission (TAC), National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care, Department of Social Services (DSS), Breast Cancer Trials and WISE (Employment Service Provider).

    Sonja de New receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    – ref. Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it – https://theconversation.com/just-7-extra-per-person-could-prevent-300-suicides-a-year-heres-exactly-where-to-spend-it-259890

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Riley, Co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and Professor in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work; and Chair, Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies.original Education & Indigenous Studies., University of Sydney

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images of deceased people.

    In 1938, when Australia celebrated the sesquicentenary – 150 years since Captain Phillip and the First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove – the organisers wanted Aboriginal people to be involved in a re-enactment.

    More than 25 Aboriginal men were rounded up from Menindee in western New South Wales. They were told if they did not perform the role of running up the beach away from the British, their families would starve.

    Ngiyaampaa elder Beryl (Yunghadhu) Philp Carmichael, who was three at the time, recollected years later that all she could remember was the crying:

    All the women were crying. Whether they were taking them away to be massacred, no one knew.

    The re-enactment was of course a fallacy of what really happened on January 26 1788 – it was a “white-washing” of history.

    The mistreatment of the Menindee men illustrates the anger that was simmering over the status and treatment of fellow Aboriginal kin.

    Protests against Australia Day, which had been growing since the 1920s, led to the Aboriginal Day of Mourning, the first national gathering of Indigenous people speaking up against discrimination and dispossession.

    The Aboriginal Day of Mourning was regarded as one of the first major civil rights movements in the world.
    National Museum of Australia, CC BY

    The emergence of Aboriginal protest groups nearly a century ago gave birth in the 1970s to what eventually came to be known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC), which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

    Celebrating culture

    NAIDOC’s role is to encompass all Indigenous/First Nations peoples in Australia.

    One week is set aside each July:

    to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

    NAIDOC Week is essentially a celebration of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Numerous events are held across the country – performances, art and photographic exhibitions, smoking ceremonies and the popular National NAIDOC Awards.

    They present a crucial opportunity to increase awareness in the wider community of Indigenous history and excellence, while acknowledging the challenges that remain.

    It is distinct from Reconciliation Week, which focuses on relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

    As a current co-chair of the NAIDOC Committee, I recognise the ongoing need, as initially established by our Elders as the founders of NAIDOC Week, to highlight the continuing issues for us as Indigenous peoples in Australia.

    NAIDOC themes

    We do this by setting a theme each year focused on a specific challenge.

    The themes are determined through deep consideration of the significant issues facing Indigenous peoples. They have evolved through political protests, social change, recognition, respect and appreciation of Indigenous rights.

    Some examples down the years from the 1970s include:

    • Advance Australia Where? (1972)
    • Self Determination (1974)
    • White Australia has a Black History (1987)
    • Understanding It Takes the Two of Us (1985)
    • Justice not Tolerance (1995)
    • Gurindji, Mabo, Wik – Three Strikes for Justice (1997)
    • Bringing Them Home (1998)
    • Advance Australia Fair? (2008)
    • Our Languages Matter (2017)
    • Voice. Treaty. Truth. (2019)
    • Always Was, Always Will Be (2020).

    NAIDOC Week helps promote to the wider community the importance of truth-telling and learning of societal issues, the heritage of culture and languages, and the history of interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

    Ask yourself: what do you know about the themes? Why are they relevant and what impact do they have on Indigenous peoples across Australia?

    Next generation

    The theme for 2025 is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy”.

    It was selected following the committee’s distress at the way in which our youth are often demeaned in the media and presented as social pariahs and potential risks to the wider community’s safety.

    To us, our youth are our cultural and social strength, and the continuity for our communities.

    We therefore celebrate our youth. We wish to highlight these amazing young people in our communities, as our vision and legacy for our future.

    Look no further than our past NAIDOC Youth winners:

    • Dante Rodrigues 2024: a professional martial arts and kickboxer who runs health and wellbeing programs for young Indigenous people

    • Courtney Burns 2023: a marine biologist who is deeply passionate about the connection between ocean, Country and our Mob

    • Elijah Manis 20022: Young islander working in the fields of social justice issues and the effects of climate change on the Torres Strait.

    In NAIDOC and the ABC’s educational resource Culture Is Life, three young people speak of the kind of ancestor they would like to be to inspire future generations.

    Visual artist Irwin Lewis said he would want to be known for his conservation of cultural knowledge, stories and language.

    Foster care worker Shaylem Wilson nominated never turning away from hard truths, and working with young people who continue to be taken away from their families and Country, as well as maintaining and strengthening their family and cultural ties.

    Youth advocate Manny Williams noted he wanted to seek deeper connection to Country to help guide the next generations of young people:

    I want to be an ancestor who always nurtured everything
    from people to Country — guiding those who seek a deeper
    connection; sharing wisdom and knowledge to those who listen. An ancestor who is there to remind our people of the light we all have within ourselves.

    The future is in the hands of these remarkable Indigenous youth as they grapple with the human rights, political and societal issues facing their communities.

    Many Australians have much to learn from NAIDOC Week.

    All of us have much to celebrate.

    Lynette Riley is the co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee

    – ref. Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn – https://theconversation.com/much-to-celebrate-as-naidoc-week-turns-50-but-also-much-to-learn-259900

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Nguyen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland

    The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon, it serves as one of the vital arteries of the state capital, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily.

    But a recent report revealed serious structural issues in the 85-year-old bridge. These included the deterioration of concrete, corrosion and overloading on pedestrian footpaths.

    The findings prompted an urgent closure of the footpath for safety reasons. They also highlighted the urgency of Brisbane City Council’s planned bridge restoration project.

    But this example – and far more tragic ones from around the world in recent years – have also sparked a broader conversation about the safety of ageing bridges and other urban infrastructure. A simple, proactive step known as structural health monitoring can help.

    A number of collapses

    In January 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States collapsed and injured several people. This collapse was caused by extensive corrosion and the fracturing of a vital steel component. It stemmed from poor maintenance and failure to act on repeated inspection recommendations. These problems were compounded by inadequate inspections and oversight.

    Three years earlier, Taiwan’s Nanfang’ao Bridge collapsed. Exposure to damp, salty sea air had severely weakened its suspension cables. Six people beneath the bridge died.

    In August 2018, Italy’s Morandi Bridge fell, killing 43 people. The collapse was due to corrosion in pre-stressed concrete and steel tendons. These factors were worsened by inspection and maintenance challenges.

    In August 2007, a bridge in the US city of Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. This collapse was primarily due to previously unnoticed problems with the design of the bridge. But it also demonstrated how ageing infrastructure, coupled with increasing loads and ineffective routine visual inspections, can exacerbate inherent weaknesses.

    A technology-driven solution

    Structural health monitoring is a technology-driven approach to assessing the condition of infrastructure. It can provide near real-time information and enable timely decision-making. This is crucial when it comes to managing ageing structures.

    The approach doesn’t rely solely on occasional periodic inspections. Instead it uses sensors, data loggers and analytics platforms to continuously monitor stress, vibration, displacement, temperature and corrosion on critical components.

    This approach can significantly improve our understanding of bridge performance compared to traditional assessment models. In one case, it updated a bridge’s estimated fatigue life – the remaining life of the structure before fatigue-induced failure is predicted to occur– from just five years to more than 52 years. This ultimately avoided unnecessary and costly restoration.

    Good structural health-monitoring systems can last several decades. They can be integrated with artificial intelligence techniques and bridge information modelling to develop digital twin-based monitoring platforms.

    The cost of structural health monitoring systems varies by bridge size and the extent of monitoring required. Some simple systems can cost just a few thousand dollars, while more advanced ones can cost more than A$300,000.

    These systems require ongoing operational support – typically 10% to 20% of the installation cost annually – for data management, system maintenance, and informed decision-making.

    Additionally, while advanced systems can be costly, scalable structural health monitoring solutions allow authorities to start small and expand over time.

    A model for proactive management

    The design of structural health monitoring systems has been incorporated into new large-scale bridge designs, such as Sutong Bridge in China and Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in the US.

    But perhaps the most compelling example of these systems in action is the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada.

    Opened in 1930, it shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge. And, like many ageing structures, it faces its own challenges.

    Opened in 1930, the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada, shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge.
    Pinkcandy/Shutterstock

    However, authorities managing the Jacques Cartier Bridge have embraced a proactive approach through comprehensive structural health monitoring systems. The bridge has been outfitted with more than 300 sensors.

    Acoustic emission monitoring enables early detection of micro-cracking activity, while long-term instrumentation tracks structural deformation and dynamic behaviour across key spans.

    Satellite-based radar imagery adds a remote, non-intrusive layer of deformation monitoring, and advanced data analysis ensures that the vast amounts of sensor data are translated into timely, actionable insights.

    Together, these technologies demonstrate how a well-integrated structural-health monitoring system can support proactive maintenance, extend the life of ageing infrastructure – and ultimately improve public safety.

    A way forward for Brisbane – and beyond

    The Story Bridge’s current challenges are serious, but they also present an opportunity.

    By investing in the right structural health monitoring system, Brisbane can lead the way in modern infrastructure management – protecting lives, restoring public confidence, preserving heritage and setting a precedent for cities around the world.

    As climate change, urban growth, and ageing assets put increasing pressure on our transport networks, smart monitoring is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

    Andy Nguyen receives funding from the Queensland government, through the Advance Queensland fellowship. He is on the executive committee of Australian Network of Structural Health Monitoring.

    – ref. Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them – https://theconversation.com/ageing-bridges-around-the-world-are-at-risk-of-collapse-but-theres-a-simple-way-to-safeguard-them-260005

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Old Reynella

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are at the scene of a serious crash in Old Reynella.

    About 5.20am today (Monday 7 July), emergency services were called to Main South Road after reports that a car had collided with a pedestrian.

    Major Crash officers are attending the scene.

    Northbound traffic is closed from the Sherriffs Road intersection.

    Please avoid the area if possible.

    MIL OSI News –

  • ICC ODI rankings: West Indies slip to 10th spot, automatic qualification for 2027 WC at risk

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Rankings, two-time champions West Indies have slipped out of the automatic qualification spots for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, putting them at risk of missing another appearance at the marquee tournament.

    The latest ICC rankings update came after Bangladesh’s victory in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, where they defended a total of 248 runs in Colombo, thanks to a brilliant five-wicket haul from Taijul Islam. The win helped Bangladesh level the three-match series 1-1 and lifted them to ninth place in the men’s ODI team rankings, according to Wisden.

    However, the West Indies still have time to climb back into the required qualification spots before the cutoff date for the World Cup rankings.

    The West Indies have now dropped to the 10th spot and sit outside the automatic qualification places for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. The 2027 edition will feature 14 teams, with South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically qualifying as co-hosts. However, Namibia, the third co-host, will not receive automatic entry as they are not a full ICC member playing Test cricket.

    The top eight teams (excluding the hosts) will qualify based on their ODI rankings as of March 31, 2027. The remaining four spots will be decided through a qualifier tournament featuring 10 teams.

    The Men in Maroon will be keen to avoid the qualifiers, having been forced to play them for the 2023 edition and subsequently missing their first World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1975, after losing to the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in the qualifiers.

    Elsewhere in the latest ICC ODI Rankings, Sri Lanka dropped to fifth after their loss, while Pakistan moved up to fourth. The ICC Champions Trophy holders India remain at the top with 124 points, followed by second-placed Australia and third-placed New Zealand, who both have 109 rating points.

    (ANI)

     

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back more than four billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by one of us — associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) — proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before they became metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-more-than-four-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Rainbow Warrior saga. Part 2: Nuclear refugees in the Pacific – the evacuation of Rongelap

    COMMENTARY:  By Eugene Doyle

    On the last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior prior to its sinking by French secret agents in Auckland harbour on 10 July 1985 the ship had evacuated the entire population of 320 from Rongelap in the Marshall Islands.

    After conducting dozens of above-ground nuclear explosions, the US government had left the population in conditions that suggested the islanders were being used as guinea pigs to gain knowledge of the effects of radiation.

    Cancers, birth defects, and genetic damage ripped through the population; their former fisheries and land are contaminated to this day.

    Denied adequate support from the US – they turned to Greenpeace with an SOS: help us leave our ancestral homeland; it is killing our people. The Rainbow Warrior answered the call.

    Human lab rats or our brothers and sisters?
     Dr Merrill Eisenbud, a physicist in the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) famously said in 1956 of the Marshall Islanders:  “While it is true that these people do not live, I might say, the way Westerners do, civilised people, it is nevertheless also true that they are more like us than the mice.”

    Dr Eisenbud also opined that exposure “would provide valuable information on the effects of radiation on human beings.”  That research continues to this day.

    A half century of testing nuclear bombs
     Within a year of dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the US moved part of its test programme to the central Pacific.  Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands was used for atmospheric explosions from 1946 with scant regard for the indigenous population.

    In 1954, the Castle Bravo test exploded a 15-megaton bomb —  one thousand times more deadly than the one dropped on Hiroshima.  As a result, the population of Rongelap were exposed to 200 roentgens of radiation, considered life-threatening without medical intervention. And it was.

    Part of the Marshall Islands, with Bikini Atoll and Rongelap in the top left. Image: www.solidarity.co.nz

    Total US tests equaled more than 7000 Hiroshimas.  The Clinton administration released the aptly-named Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), report in January 1994 in which it acknowledged:

    “What followed was a program by the US government — initially the Navy and then the AEC and its successor agencies — to provide medical care for the exposed population, while at the same time trying to learn as much as possible about the long-term biological effects of radiation exposure. The dual purpose of what is now a DOE medical program has led to a view by the Marshallese that they were being used as ‘guinea pigs’ in a ‘radiation experiment’.

    This impression was reinforced by the fact that the islanders were deliberately left in place and then evacuated, having been heavily radiated. Three years later they were told it was “safe to return” despite the lead scientist calling Rongelap “by far the most contaminated place in the world”.

    Significant compensation paid by the US to the Marshall Islands has proven inadequate given the scale of the contamination.  To some degree, the US has also used money to achieve capture of elite interest groups and secure ongoing control of the islands.

    Entrusted to the US, the Marshall Islanders were treated like the civilians of Nagasaki
     The US took the Marshall Islands from Japan in 1944.  The only “right” it has to be there was granted by the United Nations which in 1947 established the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, to be administered by the United States.

    What followed was an abuse of trust worse than rapists at a state care facility.  Using the very powers entrusted to it to protect the Marshallese, the US instead used the islands as a nuclear laboratory — violating both the letter and spirit of international law.

    Fellow white-dominated countries like Australia and New Zealand couldn’t have cared less and let the indigenous people be irradiated for decades.

    The betrayal of trust by the US was comprehensive and remains so to this day:

    Under Article 76 of the UN Charter, all trusteeship agreements carried obligations. The administering power was required to:

    • Promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the people
    • Protect the rights and well-being of the inhabitants
    • Help them advance toward self-government or independence.

    Under Article VI, the United States solemnly pledged to “Protect the inhabitants against the loss of their lands and resources.”  Very similar to sentiments in New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi.  Within a few years the Americans were exploding the biggest nuclear bombs in history over the islands.

    Within a year of the US assuming trusteeship of the islands, another pillar of international law came into effect: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) — which affirms the inherent dignity and equal rights of all humans. Exposing colonised peoples to extreme radiation for weapons testing is a racist affront to this.

    America has a long history of making treaties and fine speeches and then exploiting indigenous peoples.  Last year, I had the sobering experience of reading American military historian Peter Cozzens’ The Earth is Weeping, a history of the “Indian wars” for the American West.

    The past is not dead: the Marshall Islands are a hive of bases, laboratories and missile testing; Americans are also incredibly busy attacking the population in Gaza today.

    Eyes of Fire – the last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior
     Had the French not sunk the Rainbow Warrior after it reached Auckland from the Rongelap evacuation, it would have led a flotilla to protest nuclear testing at Moruroa in French Polynesia.  So the bookends of this article are the abuse of defenceless people in the charge of one nuclear power — the US —  and the abuse of New Zealand and the peoples of French Polynesia by another nuclear power — France.

    Senator Jeton Anjain (left) of Rongelap and Greenpeace campaign coordinator Steve Sawyer on board the Rainbow Warrior . . . challenging the abuse of defenceless people under the charge of one nuclear power. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    This incredible story, and much more, is the subject of David Robie’s outstanding book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior, published by Little Island Press, which has been relaunched to mark the 40th anniversary of the French terrorist attack.

    A new prologue by former prime minister Helen Clark and a preface by Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid, along with an extensive postscript which bring us up to the present day, underline why the past is not dead; it’s with us right now.

    Between them, France and the US have exploded more than 300 nuclear bombs in the Pacific. Few people are told this; few people know this.

    Today, a matrix of issues combine — the ongoing effects of nuclear contamination, sea rise imperilling Pacific nations, colonialism still posing immense challenges to people in the Marshall Islands, Kanaky New Caledonia and in many parts of our region.

    Unsung heroes
     Our media never ceases to share the pronouncements of European leaders and news from the US and Europe but the leaders and issues of the Pacific are seldom heard. The heroes of the antinuclear movement should be household names in Australia and New Zealand.

    Vanuatu’s great leader Father Walter Lini; Oscar Temaru, Mayor, later President of French Polynesia; Senator Jeton Anjain, Darlene Keju-Johnson and so many others.

    Do we know them?  Have we heard their voices?

    Jobod Silk, climate activist, said in a speech welcoming the Rainbow Warrior III to Majuro earlier this year:  “Our crusade for nuclear justice intertwines with our fight against the tides.”

    Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific . . . the Rainbow Warrior taking on board Rongelap islanders ready for their first of four relocation voyages to Mejatto island. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    Former Tuvalu PM Enele Sapoaga castigated Australia for the AUKUS submarine deal which he said “was crafted in secret by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison with no public discussion.”

    He challenged the bigger regional powers, particularly Australia and New Zealand, to remember that the existential threat faced by Pacific nations comes first from climate change, and reminded New Zealanders of the commitment to keeping the South Pacific nuclear-free.

    Hinamoeura Cross, a Tahitian anti-nuclear activist and politician, said in a 2019 UN speech: “Today, the damage is done. My people are sick. For 30 years we were the mice in France’s laboratory.”

    Until we learn their stories and know their names as well as we know those of Marco Rubio or Keir Starmer, we will remain strangers in our own lands.

    The Pacific owes them, along with the people of Greenpeace, a huge debt.  They put their bodies on the line to stop the aggressors. Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira, killed by the French in 1985, was just one of many victims, one of many heroes.

    A great way to honour the sacrifice of those who stood up for justice, who stood for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, and who honoured our own national identity would be to buy David Robie’s excellent book.

    You cannot sink a rainbow.

    Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira being welcomed to Rongelap Atoll by a villager in May 1985 barely two months before he was killed by French secret agents during the sabotage of the Rainbow Warrior. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back 4.3 billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before these become metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-4-3-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back 4.3 billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before these become metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-4-3-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: University leaders have to make sense of massive disruption — 4 ways they do it

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Atlin, Adjunct Professor, Gordon S. Lang School of Business, University of Guelph

    Trying to navigate an environment where massive disruption and unprecedented change is the norm presents a challenge for business leaders everywhere.

    Social-purpose, multi-stakeholder organizations like post-secondary institutions, hospitals, governments and NGOs are particularly affected.

    The practice of “sense-making” — making sense of the situations people find themselves in, in the words of organizational theorist Karl Weick — offers an innovative and timely framework that can help social-purpose leaders address complexity.

    Senior post-secondary leaders study

    Management experts have described sense-making as the key skill needed in an age of disruption. This has been confirmed through my research while completing a master’s degree in change leadership.

    I interviewed more than two dozen senior leaders in complex organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand — the majority of whom were in the post-secondary sector. I found the leaders I interviewed were intuitively using elements from Weick’s organizational sense-making framework.

    As one leader shared:

    “The first thing you need to do is to recognize that it’s your role to help the rest of your community make sense of what’s happening around you. It’s something that I take very seriously.”

    Deborah Ancona, professor of management at MIT, says:

    “Sense-making is most often needed when our understanding of the world becomes unintelligible in some way. This occurs when the environment is changing rapidly, presenting us with surprises for which we are unprepared or confronting us with adaptive, rather than technical problems to solve.”

    Leading in ‘age of outrage’

    Social-purpose organizations face common issues such as a lack of funding, system fragmentation, competing stakeholders, new entrants and the challenges of emerging technologies.

    They are also at the centre of what business and public policy professor Karthik Ramana describes as “the age of outrage,” reflected in heightened polarization. Against this backdrop, it’s increasingly challenging to attract and retain leaders.

    I heard from leaders who felt they didn’t have the proper training for the job or support once they started their roles. In part, this is because few of them, including those involved in their hiring, seem to realize the actual messiness inherent within their organizations.

    This brings to mind the parable that writer David Foster Wallace used in his 2005 convocation speech at Kenyon College, in which two young fish are told by an older fish that they are swimming in water. One of the young fish then turns to the other in surprise and says: “What is water anyway?”

    Lack of agency

    I heard from various leaders who experienced an “aha” moment when they realized they were immersed within a fluid and dynamic organizational environment that they were expected to run like a traditional business. This realization gave them a framework to understand the lack of agency they often experienced.

    The challenge with social-purpose organizations is that they’re complex adaptive systems in which individual interactions form an ever-changing array of networks generating emergent behaviours that are often unpredictable. Complex adaptive systems also tend to revert to the status quo when faced with change.

    So how do social-purpose leaders navigate change and this challenging organizational context? They wrap their efforts around purpose. It’s an anchor point and unifying focus for leaders, teams and all stakeholders.

    4 strategies

    Based on my research, I’ve identified four main sense-making strategies that leaders use:

    Exploration and map-making: These pursuits help leaders extract a steady flow of information and data from their interactions both inside and outside their organizations. This allows them to develop high-level, adaptive frameworks that are constantly in flux — similar to Google Maps, as it generates live snapshots of traffic flows and suggested routes.

    Storytelling and narrative development: Leaders use storytelling and narrative development to project ideas, purposes and visions into the future. This allows them to connect emotionally and inspire people and communities. Recognizing their role as storyteller-in-chief can align disparate parts of an organization into a coherent and engaged whole.

    Invention and improvisation: These are employed by leaders to test assumptions as they learn what works and what doesn’t. This approach allows them to respond in real time to the never-ending flow of new information. Without taking risks, leaders are at risk of being stuck in paralysis.

    Adaptation and collaboration allows leaders to help their organizations remain relevant. Leaders spoke about the need to foster adaptation. They also stressed the need to attract new resources through collaboration across like-minded institutions, governments, funding partners and the private sector.

    Embracing a sense-making mindset

    Thinking that benefits the interests and perspectives of the total enterprise is a critical but challenging task for leaders in social- purpose organizations.

    Time and energy — two scarce resources — are necessary to build aligned and high-performing teams and to break down silos. Team alignment cannot be achieved through the occasional team-building session, but requires an ongoing commitment and a well-articulated plan.

    Social-purpose organizations need practices, frameworks and metrics that are tailored to organizations’ unique needs. Rather than spending resources, time and energy on strategic plans, some leaders are building more flexible strategic frameworks or using strategic foresight to guide an innovative vision for the future.

    Leadership can be lonely

    It’s also important to remember that leadership can be lonely. To survive and thrive, social-purpose leaders must remember to seek out their own coaches and build communities of practice to enhance their lived experience and activities.

    Developing an outer shell to weather criticism also helps. While leaders can’t please everyone, sense-making leaders find strength and build endurance in the recognition that the roles they play are meaningful, satisfying and essential — not only within the organizations they serve but through the collective work their organizations accomplish in the world.

    Leaders (and board members) must realize that hiring the same people with the same profile as the past won’t make an organization ready for change, but instead reinforces the status quo.

    By recognizing the messiness of their organizations and using sense-making skills, leaders in social-purpose organizations have better odds of surviving the perils and challenges of massive disruption and unprecedented change.

    Daniel Atlin 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. University leaders have to make sense of massive disruption — 4 ways they do it – https://theconversation.com/university-leaders-have-to-make-sense-of-massive-disruption-4-ways-they-do-it-257866

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Sexual assault – Tiwi Islands

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to an alleged sexual assault that occurred earlier today on the Tiwi Islands.

    About 12:40pm, police received reports that a woman had been sexually assaulted by a male who was unknown to her in Wurrumiyanga.

    Investigations are ongoing to locate the alleged offender and determine the circumstances of the incident.

    Detectives from the Sex Crime Unit have deployed to Wurrumiyanga to continue investigations.

    Police are calling for any witnesses who may have information that can assist police in their enquiries to make contact on 131 444 or to visit your local police station.

    Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police search for man at Parafield Airport

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are searching for a person who was seen running on the runways at Parafield Airport.

    About 3.25pm today (Sunday 6 July), police were called to the airport on Kings Road after reports that a man dressed in dark clothing was seen near the runways.

    No flights were affected or aircraft put in danger.

    The man ran into a stormwater drain.

    STAR group officers were called in to search the area but the man was not yet been located.

    Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –