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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University

    Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp.

    More than 80 people are confirmed dead (28 of whom were children) and 12 people are still missing. Parents have described finding children’s bodies while picking through flood debris searching for their own missing kids.

    In Texas, the floodwaters rose very rapidly and in the middle of the night. Authorities had issued flood warnings but many people were still caught off-guard.

    Sudden floods can also happen in Australia, as seen recently in New South Wales around Taree and Lismore, in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred.

    As climate change makes severe weather events more frequent, it’s worth asking: how ready is Australia for its next sudden flood? And what could help to encourage people to leave while there’s still time?

    It’s hard to appreciate how suddenly floods happen

    Decades of research shows disasters can emerge and change very quickly. Hazards at night are especially difficult, because much can change while people are sleeping.

    Even when flood warnings are issued, authorities can struggle to convince people the problem will affect them.

    People often base their risk assessments on what’s happened in the past. So, if they live in an area that has experienced minor flooding before, they may think the current flood will be similarly minor.

    Research also shows people often wait for extra evidence to confirm the initial warnings from officials. They might look to see if people around them are preparing to leave, or look for cues from the environment such as a sudden burst of loud rain.

    Unfortunately, waiting can mean you miss the opportunity to leave. A road may close, or services may be overwhelmed and evacuation may no longer be an option. Escape options can narrow incredibly quickly, especially when people are asleep.

    What about early warning systems?

    The Albanese government announced in 2023 it would spend A$236 million over a decade to establish a national flood warning network. This will involve buying and upgrading flood gauges across Australia and trying to repair what the government has called “patchwork flood gauge network”.

    That’s important, and it’s also positive to see other research on ways we can use existing technology infrastructure such as mobile phone towers to get early warnings on rising floodwaters.

    But technology is only one part of the bigger picture. As growing body of research shows, many people do not evacuate even when warned about floods or fire.

    Communicating risk in a disaster

    Authorities must find ways to communicate disaster risk in a way that people will respond to.

    Research shows getting the message out through as many channels as possible is crucial. People need to hear about the warnings on TV and on radio and online through various platforms and via local groups as well as national authorities.

    The evidence also suggests people are more likely to trust messages coming from others in their community.

    So, emergency agencies should work through community “champions” to help spread the word about an impending flood threat. It could be the principal of a school, a trusted source in a non-English speaking community, local emergency services volunteers or the manager of a local neighbourhood centre.

    Emergency and government agencies need to identify trusted sources in communities, and build connections with them, before the crisis arrives to ensure information is disseminated smoothly in an emergency.

    Tailoring information is key

    Many people hear warnings and believe a flood is coming, but may think the worst impacts won’t happen in their area. This is a very common misconception.

    That’s why information should be tailored so people understand the risk at their particular location.

    Helping people understand the consequences of not evacuating is also vital. This might mean messaging such as “if you don’t leave now, the floods will be over your roof and we may not be able to come and rescue you or your children or pet”.

    Residents may not understand how fast floodwaters can move, that conditions may be very choppy and windy, or that large and dangerous debris will be coming at them and their children in a flood. This should also be communicated clearly.

    Education prior to the crisis event can help people understand what flood waters can do at their location. This community awareness should be conducted in flood-prone areas at regular intervals.

    Localised, tailored information can help people understand what will happen to them and their families if they don’t leave early enough – hopefully preventing devastating death tolls of the kind Texas is now grappling with.

    Erica Kuligowski has received funding from the Australian Research Council and from Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    – ref. In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods? – https://theconversation.com/in-texas-parents-search-flood-debris-for-missing-kids-are-australians-ready-for-our-own-sudden-floods-260581

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University

    Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp.

    More than 80 people are confirmed dead (28 of whom were children) and 12 people are still missing. Parents have described finding children’s bodies while picking through flood debris searching for their own missing kids.

    In Texas, the floodwaters rose very rapidly and in the middle of the night. Authorities had issued flood warnings but many people were still caught off-guard.

    Sudden floods can also happen in Australia, as seen recently in New South Wales around Taree and Lismore, in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred.

    As climate change makes severe weather events more frequent, it’s worth asking: how ready is Australia for its next sudden flood? And what could help to encourage people to leave while there’s still time?

    It’s hard to appreciate how suddenly floods happen

    Decades of research shows disasters can emerge and change very quickly. Hazards at night are especially difficult, because much can change while people are sleeping.

    Even when flood warnings are issued, authorities can struggle to convince people the problem will affect them.

    People often base their risk assessments on what’s happened in the past. So, if they live in an area that has experienced minor flooding before, they may think the current flood will be similarly minor.

    Research also shows people often wait for extra evidence to confirm the initial warnings from officials. They might look to see if people around them are preparing to leave, or look for cues from the environment such as a sudden burst of loud rain.

    Unfortunately, waiting can mean you miss the opportunity to leave. A road may close, or services may be overwhelmed and evacuation may no longer be an option. Escape options can narrow incredibly quickly, especially when people are asleep.

    What about early warning systems?

    The Albanese government announced in 2023 it would spend A$236 million over a decade to establish a national flood warning network. This will involve buying and upgrading flood gauges across Australia and trying to repair what the government has called “patchwork flood gauge network”.

    That’s important, and it’s also positive to see other research on ways we can use existing technology infrastructure such as mobile phone towers to get early warnings on rising floodwaters.

    But technology is only one part of the bigger picture. As growing body of research shows, many people do not evacuate even when warned about floods or fire.

    Communicating risk in a disaster

    Authorities must find ways to communicate disaster risk in a way that people will respond to.

    Research shows getting the message out through as many channels as possible is crucial. People need to hear about the warnings on TV and on radio and online through various platforms and via local groups as well as national authorities.

    The evidence also suggests people are more likely to trust messages coming from others in their community.

    So, emergency agencies should work through community “champions” to help spread the word about an impending flood threat. It could be the principal of a school, a trusted source in a non-English speaking community, local emergency services volunteers or the manager of a local neighbourhood centre.

    Emergency and government agencies need to identify trusted sources in communities, and build connections with them, before the crisis arrives to ensure information is disseminated smoothly in an emergency.

    Tailoring information is key

    Many people hear warnings and believe a flood is coming, but may think the worst impacts won’t happen in their area. This is a very common misconception.

    That’s why information should be tailored so people understand the risk at their particular location.

    Helping people understand the consequences of not evacuating is also vital. This might mean messaging such as “if you don’t leave now, the floods will be over your roof and we may not be able to come and rescue you or your children or pet”.

    Residents may not understand how fast floodwaters can move, that conditions may be very choppy and windy, or that large and dangerous debris will be coming at them and their children in a flood. This should also be communicated clearly.

    Education prior to the crisis event can help people understand what flood waters can do at their location. This community awareness should be conducted in flood-prone areas at regular intervals.

    Localised, tailored information can help people understand what will happen to them and their families if they don’t leave early enough – hopefully preventing devastating death tolls of the kind Texas is now grappling with.

    Erica Kuligowski has received funding from the Australian Research Council and from Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    – ref. In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods? – https://theconversation.com/in-texas-parents-search-flood-debris-for-missing-kids-are-australians-ready-for-our-own-sudden-floods-260581

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University

    Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp.

    More than 80 people are confirmed dead (28 of whom were children) and 12 people are still missing. Parents have described finding children’s bodies while picking through flood debris searching for their own missing kids.

    In Texas, the floodwaters rose very rapidly and in the middle of the night. Authorities had issued flood warnings but many people were still caught off-guard.

    Sudden floods can also happen in Australia, as seen recently in New South Wales around Taree and Lismore, in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred.

    As climate change makes severe weather events more frequent, it’s worth asking: how ready is Australia for its next sudden flood? And what could help to encourage people to leave while there’s still time?

    It’s hard to appreciate how suddenly floods happen

    Decades of research shows disasters can emerge and change very quickly. Hazards at night are especially difficult, because much can change while people are sleeping.

    Even when flood warnings are issued, authorities can struggle to convince people the problem will affect them.

    People often base their risk assessments on what’s happened in the past. So, if they live in an area that has experienced minor flooding before, they may think the current flood will be similarly minor.

    Research also shows people often wait for extra evidence to confirm the initial warnings from officials. They might look to see if people around them are preparing to leave, or look for cues from the environment such as a sudden burst of loud rain.

    Unfortunately, waiting can mean you miss the opportunity to leave. A road may close, or services may be overwhelmed and evacuation may no longer be an option. Escape options can narrow incredibly quickly, especially when people are asleep.

    What about early warning systems?

    The Albanese government announced in 2023 it would spend A$236 million over a decade to establish a national flood warning network. This will involve buying and upgrading flood gauges across Australia and trying to repair what the government has called “patchwork flood gauge network”.

    That’s important, and it’s also positive to see other research on ways we can use existing technology infrastructure such as mobile phone towers to get early warnings on rising floodwaters.

    But technology is only one part of the bigger picture. As growing body of research shows, many people do not evacuate even when warned about floods or fire.

    Communicating risk in a disaster

    Authorities must find ways to communicate disaster risk in a way that people will respond to.

    Research shows getting the message out through as many channels as possible is crucial. People need to hear about the warnings on TV and on radio and online through various platforms and via local groups as well as national authorities.

    The evidence also suggests people are more likely to trust messages coming from others in their community.

    So, emergency agencies should work through community “champions” to help spread the word about an impending flood threat. It could be the principal of a school, a trusted source in a non-English speaking community, local emergency services volunteers or the manager of a local neighbourhood centre.

    Emergency and government agencies need to identify trusted sources in communities, and build connections with them, before the crisis arrives to ensure information is disseminated smoothly in an emergency.

    Tailoring information is key

    Many people hear warnings and believe a flood is coming, but may think the worst impacts won’t happen in their area. This is a very common misconception.

    That’s why information should be tailored so people understand the risk at their particular location.

    Helping people understand the consequences of not evacuating is also vital. This might mean messaging such as “if you don’t leave now, the floods will be over your roof and we may not be able to come and rescue you or your children or pet”.

    Residents may not understand how fast floodwaters can move, that conditions may be very choppy and windy, or that large and dangerous debris will be coming at them and their children in a flood. This should also be communicated clearly.

    Education prior to the crisis event can help people understand what flood waters can do at their location. This community awareness should be conducted in flood-prone areas at regular intervals.

    Localised, tailored information can help people understand what will happen to them and their families if they don’t leave early enough – hopefully preventing devastating death tolls of the kind Texas is now grappling with.

    Erica Kuligowski has received funding from the Australian Research Council and from Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    – ref. In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods? – https://theconversation.com/in-texas-parents-search-flood-debris-for-missing-kids-are-australians-ready-for-our-own-sudden-floods-260581

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University

    Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp.

    More than 80 people are confirmed dead (28 of whom were children) and 12 people are still missing. Parents have described finding children’s bodies while picking through flood debris searching for their own missing kids.

    In Texas, the floodwaters rose very rapidly and in the middle of the night. Authorities had issued flood warnings but many people were still caught off-guard.

    Sudden floods can also happen in Australia, as seen recently in New South Wales around Taree and Lismore, in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred.

    As climate change makes severe weather events more frequent, it’s worth asking: how ready is Australia for its next sudden flood? And what could help to encourage people to leave while there’s still time?

    It’s hard to appreciate how suddenly floods happen

    Decades of research shows disasters can emerge and change very quickly. Hazards at night are especially difficult, because much can change while people are sleeping.

    Even when flood warnings are issued, authorities can struggle to convince people the problem will affect them.

    People often base their risk assessments on what’s happened in the past. So, if they live in an area that has experienced minor flooding before, they may think the current flood will be similarly minor.

    Research also shows people often wait for extra evidence to confirm the initial warnings from officials. They might look to see if people around them are preparing to leave, or look for cues from the environment such as a sudden burst of loud rain.

    Unfortunately, waiting can mean you miss the opportunity to leave. A road may close, or services may be overwhelmed and evacuation may no longer be an option. Escape options can narrow incredibly quickly, especially when people are asleep.

    What about early warning systems?

    The Albanese government announced in 2023 it would spend A$236 million over a decade to establish a national flood warning network. This will involve buying and upgrading flood gauges across Australia and trying to repair what the government has called “patchwork flood gauge network”.

    That’s important, and it’s also positive to see other research on ways we can use existing technology infrastructure such as mobile phone towers to get early warnings on rising floodwaters.

    But technology is only one part of the bigger picture. As growing body of research shows, many people do not evacuate even when warned about floods or fire.

    Communicating risk in a disaster

    Authorities must find ways to communicate disaster risk in a way that people will respond to.

    Research shows getting the message out through as many channels as possible is crucial. People need to hear about the warnings on TV and on radio and online through various platforms and via local groups as well as national authorities.

    The evidence also suggests people are more likely to trust messages coming from others in their community.

    So, emergency agencies should work through community “champions” to help spread the word about an impending flood threat. It could be the principal of a school, a trusted source in a non-English speaking community, local emergency services volunteers or the manager of a local neighbourhood centre.

    Emergency and government agencies need to identify trusted sources in communities, and build connections with them, before the crisis arrives to ensure information is disseminated smoothly in an emergency.

    Tailoring information is key

    Many people hear warnings and believe a flood is coming, but may think the worst impacts won’t happen in their area. This is a very common misconception.

    That’s why information should be tailored so people understand the risk at their particular location.

    Helping people understand the consequences of not evacuating is also vital. This might mean messaging such as “if you don’t leave now, the floods will be over your roof and we may not be able to come and rescue you or your children or pet”.

    Residents may not understand how fast floodwaters can move, that conditions may be very choppy and windy, or that large and dangerous debris will be coming at them and their children in a flood. This should also be communicated clearly.

    Education prior to the crisis event can help people understand what flood waters can do at their location. This community awareness should be conducted in flood-prone areas at regular intervals.

    Localised, tailored information can help people understand what will happen to them and their families if they don’t leave early enough – hopefully preventing devastating death tolls of the kind Texas is now grappling with.

    Erica Kuligowski has received funding from the Australian Research Council and from Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    – ref. In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods? – https://theconversation.com/in-texas-parents-search-flood-debris-for-missing-kids-are-australians-ready-for-our-own-sudden-floods-260581

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia

    After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin Patterson murdered her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.

    She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian: the only guest to survive the beef wellington lunch served in July 2023 at her home in Leongatha.

    In delivering the guilty verdict, the jury was satisfied Erin Patterson had complete control over the ingredients that went into the meal portions served to her guests – portions that included death cap mushrooms.

    There would not be too many observers surprised with the outcome, given the strength of the prosecution case presented by Nanette Rogers.

    There were no procedural surprises in this case. The prosecution presented its case, followed by the defence and ultimately, a jury verdict.

    But this much-publicised case raises a number of legal issues that contributed to the length of the trial and its outcome. Let’s unpack them.

    Motive doesn’t matter

    The first is the question of motive. Defence counsel Colin Mandy made much of his assertion that there was no apparent reason for the accused to kill her guests.

    It is, however, a mistake to think there needs to be a motive in order to convict. In cases of murder and attempted murder, all that’s required is for a jury to find a “culpable state of mind”.

    In the case of the three deceased, the jury needed to be satisfied, beyond any reasonable doubt, that there was an intention to kill, or to do serious bodily harm.

    In other words, it did not matter why Patterson killed her victims, only that she intended to do so, or to inflict serious harm with death resulting. In the case of the surviving guest, the jury was satisfied that there had been an intention to kill.

    Establishing a motive is a useful tool that prosecution counsel may deploy to add fuel to the fire in the courtroom, but it was not necessary for Rogers to locate a motive in order for the jury to reach guilty verdicts.

    Circumstantial, but substantial

    Another oft-repeated fallacy is that guilty verdicts require more than “mere” circumstantial evidence.

    In fact, most evidence in criminal cases is circumstantial, because direct evidence (such as an eyewitness or a visual or voice recording) is usually unavailable.

    The circumstantial evidence in this case, according to the prosecution, included the attempted hiding of a tainted dehydrator, the doubt cast over whether an Asian grocer was the source of the poisonous mushrooms, and the fact that Erin Patterson’s meal portion was free of the deadly ingredient.

    Placed together, this circumstantial evidence was strong enough for the 12 men and women to return guilty verdicts.

    Indeed, taking into consideration the strength of this evidence, it is perhaps surprising that Patterson did not plead guilty to murder, given the discount on sentence she may have received. She chose to take her chances with a jury. Ultimately, she failed.

    Days of summing up

    Another interesting aspect of the case is that the summing up by the two lead barristers, and then the judge, took more than six days. A generation ago, these addresses would have typically taken considerably less time than that.

    The change, which has occurred slowly over the last two decades, has been necessitated by appeal judgements following guilty verdicts in long trials. In some of these, defence counsel successfully argued the defence case was not sufficiently covered in the judge’s summing up.

    That being the case, the prosecution summary now needs to preempt every aspect of the defence case, knowing the defence counsel summary that follows will attend to every last point that the prosecution has raised.

    Then the judge needs to give chapter and verse (in this case, over four days) in relation to everything again, paying particular attention to the defence case.

    The process is now laborious and time-consuming. One might pity the jurors hearing everything over and over again.

    Indeed, we believe there is little evidence this very expensive change has raised the quality of verdicts.

    But one cannot doubt the way that the criminal process now goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that an accused receives a fair trial. We will never know why the jury took over six days to reach its verdict (in Australia they are duty bound not to reveal anything of their deliberations), but it does indicate the seriousness with which they treat their role in this process.

    The trust that is placed in the hands of jurors, even with the high profile media frenzy that this case elicited, remains firm.

    On the other hand, with such drawn-out procedures, it’s perhaps not surprising that court backlogs continue to grow, and ever-increasing numbers of people (currently 42% of the Australian prison population) are sitting in prison on remand, awaiting trial.

    What now?

    The maximum sentence for murder in Victoria is life imprisonment. This does not necessarily mean life in prison, for the minimum non-parole period is 30 years, unless a court considers it not in the interests of justice to set such a term.

    Erin Patterson will likely receive a life sentence, with a non-parole period that is in keeping with the number of victims.

    The head sentence and non-parole period will be set by Justice Christopher Beale after sentencing submissions in the days and weeks to come.

    The so-called “mushroom case” still has another chapter to run.

    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. Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why – https://theconversation.com/erin-patterson-has-been-found-guilty-in-the-mushroom-murder-trial-legal-experts-explain-why-230294

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia

    After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin Patterson murdered her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.

    She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian: the only guest to survive the beef wellington lunch served in July 2023 at her home in Leongatha.

    In delivering the guilty verdict, the jury was satisfied Erin Patterson had complete control over the ingredients that went into the meal portions served to her guests – portions that included death cap mushrooms.

    There would not be too many observers surprised with the outcome, given the strength of the prosecution case presented by Nanette Rogers.

    There were no procedural surprises in this case. The prosecution presented its case, followed by the defence and ultimately, a jury verdict.

    But this much-publicised case raises a number of legal issues that contributed to the length of the trial and its outcome. Let’s unpack them.

    Motive doesn’t matter

    The first is the question of motive. Defence counsel Colin Mandy made much of his assertion that there was no apparent reason for the accused to kill her guests.

    It is, however, a mistake to think there needs to be a motive in order to convict. In cases of murder and attempted murder, all that’s required is for a jury to find a “culpable state of mind”.

    In the case of the three deceased, the jury needed to be satisfied, beyond any reasonable doubt, that there was an intention to kill, or to do serious bodily harm.

    In other words, it did not matter why Patterson killed her victims, only that she intended to do so, or to inflict serious harm with death resulting. In the case of the surviving guest, the jury was satisfied that there had been an intention to kill.

    Establishing a motive is a useful tool that prosecution counsel may deploy to add fuel to the fire in the courtroom, but it was not necessary for Rogers to locate a motive in order for the jury to reach guilty verdicts.

    Circumstantial, but substantial

    Another oft-repeated fallacy is that guilty verdicts require more than “mere” circumstantial evidence.

    In fact, most evidence in criminal cases is circumstantial, because direct evidence (such as an eyewitness or a visual or voice recording) is usually unavailable.

    The circumstantial evidence in this case, according to the prosecution, included the attempted hiding of a tainted dehydrator, the doubt cast over whether an Asian grocer was the source of the poisonous mushrooms, and the fact that Erin Patterson’s meal portion was free of the deadly ingredient.

    Placed together, this circumstantial evidence was strong enough for the 12 men and women to return guilty verdicts.

    Indeed, taking into consideration the strength of this evidence, it is perhaps surprising that Patterson did not plead guilty to murder, given the discount on sentence she may have received. She chose to take her chances with a jury. Ultimately, she failed.

    Days of summing up

    Another interesting aspect of the case is that the summing up by the two lead barristers, and then the judge, took more than six days. A generation ago, these addresses would have typically taken considerably less time than that.

    The change, which has occurred slowly over the last two decades, has been necessitated by appeal judgements following guilty verdicts in long trials. In some of these, defence counsel successfully argued the defence case was not sufficiently covered in the judge’s summing up.

    That being the case, the prosecution summary now needs to preempt every aspect of the defence case, knowing the defence counsel summary that follows will attend to every last point that the prosecution has raised.

    Then the judge needs to give chapter and verse (in this case, over four days) in relation to everything again, paying particular attention to the defence case.

    The process is now laborious and time-consuming. One might pity the jurors hearing everything over and over again.

    Indeed, we believe there is little evidence this very expensive change has raised the quality of verdicts.

    But one cannot doubt the way that the criminal process now goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that an accused receives a fair trial. We will never know why the jury took over six days to reach its verdict (in Australia they are duty bound not to reveal anything of their deliberations), but it does indicate the seriousness with which they treat their role in this process.

    The trust that is placed in the hands of jurors, even with the high profile media frenzy that this case elicited, remains firm.

    On the other hand, with such drawn-out procedures, it’s perhaps not surprising that court backlogs continue to grow, and ever-increasing numbers of people (currently 42% of the Australian prison population) are sitting in prison on remand, awaiting trial.

    What now?

    The maximum sentence for murder in Victoria is life imprisonment. This does not necessarily mean life in prison, for the minimum non-parole period is 30 years, unless a court considers it not in the interests of justice to set such a term.

    Erin Patterson will likely receive a life sentence, with a non-parole period that is in keeping with the number of victims.

    The head sentence and non-parole period will be set by Justice Christopher Beale after sentencing submissions in the days and weeks to come.

    The so-called “mushroom case” still has another chapter to run.

    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. Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why – https://theconversation.com/erin-patterson-has-been-found-guilty-in-the-mushroom-murder-trial-legal-experts-explain-why-230294

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A test of political courage: Yoorrook’s final reports demand action, not amnesia

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremie M Bracka, Law Lecturer and Transitional Justice Academic, RMIT University

    Australia’s colonial era may be formally over but its legacies of inequality, land dispossession and systemic racism continue to shape daily life for First Peoples.

    Last week, the Victorian Yoorrook Justice Commission delivered its two final reports to the Victorian governor, concluding the most ambitious effort yet to reckon with these injustices.

    The reports, Yoorrook for Transformation and Yoorrook Truth Be Told, contain 100 detailed recommendations across five volumes. They deliver a devastating account of dispossession, family separation, cultural erasure and structural racism, past and present.

    Their scope is historic. But the question remains: will they change anything?

    A bold innovation in truth-telling

    Yoorrook is not just another inquiry.

    Established in 2021, it is Australia’s first formal truth commission and the only one globally to be established alongside a Treaty process in a settler-colonial democracy.

    It was designed by the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and has been led and shaped by Aboriginal communities.

    Its mandate is wide: to investigate both historical and ongoing injustices across all areas of life from land, law, health and education to housing, finance and child protection.

    Over the past four years, Yoorrook has compelled testimony from ministers and senior bureaucrats, visited prisons and out-of-home care facilities, and travelled across the state to conduct on-country truth-telling with Elders.

    In the words of one witness, Aunty Stephanie Charles:

    Our Land, Our Language, Our
    Lore and Our Lives have been denied
    for far too long. In order to move
    forward these must be recognised
    an respected. This is Yoo-rrook.

    Why truth commissions matter

    Truth commissions emerged most famously in South Africa, where they were used to document atrocities during apartheid.

    In recent years, however, they’ve also appeared in stable democracies grappling with colonial legacies: Canada’s commission on residential schools, Belgium’s commission on its African empire, and multiple United States commissions examining slavery, segregation and systemic racism.

    In postcolonial states such as Australia, truth-telling is particularly powerful and necessary, because harm has not only been inflicted but denied.

    As anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner put it in 1968, Australia has long maintained a “great Australian silence” – a wilful forgetting of how the nation was built on the dispossession of others.

    Yoorrook challenges this silence. It has created an official record of Victoria’s colonial and ongoing harms, and opened a rare space for Indigenous people to define harm on their own terms, including what justice and healing should look like.

    Structural injustice laid bare

    The commission’s final reports lay out both stories and statistics. These include:

    • in the past, Victoria explicitly authorised child removals on racial grounds and controlled every aspect of Aboriginal life under protectionist laws
    • today, the state still removes Aboriginal children at more than 20 times the rate of non-Indigenous children
    • Aboriginal people remain vastly over-represented in police custody, prison populations and cases of public housing exclusion.

    Yoorrook is connecting these dots, showing how the injustices of colonisation did not end but evolved into contemporary legal and institutional forms.

    Importantly, the commission has not shied away from naming these harms. It has condemned Victoria’s systemic racism – including alleged genocide – and called for radical change not just recognition.

    Among its recommendations are calls to return land and water to Traditional Owners, to embed First Peoples’ control over education and child protection, and to establish reparations and shared governance structures across public institutions.

    Will this lead to real change?

    Yoorrook’s reports could be transformative if acted on – but this is far from guaranteed.

    The Canadian experience is instructive. While its Truth and Reconciliation Commission garnered attention, many Canadians today are unfamiliar with its findings and progress on its recommendations has been slow.

    In Australia, there’s a similar risk that Yoorrook may preach to the choir while political leaders move on. Despite a public apology in 2008, most recommendations of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody remain unfulfilled.

    Since then, more than 500 additional Indigenous people have died in custody.

    We must resist the cycle of “truth without justice.”

    In recent hearings, Yoorrook commissioners pressed ministers to move beyond rhetoric. While several public apologies were made, including from Victoria’s attorney-general and the police minister, the commission rightly warned apologies without action are hollow.

    Where to from here?

    The failure of the Voice referendum in 2023 showed just how contested questions of history, race and recognition remain in Australia.

    But it also underscored the need for renewed engagement with the truth, not just in parliaments but in homes, schools, workplaces and media.

    Yoorrook’s challenge is not only to shape policy but to shift public consciousness. In this sense, it must speak to all Victorians.

    Without broader buy-in, even the best-designed truth commission risks being forgotten.

    A test of political courage

    Yoorrook has done its part. It has listened to more than 1,500 voices. It has built the record. It has made the case for transformation.

    Now, the Victorian government and indeed all of us must decide what to do with that truth. Will we confront it? Will we act on it? Or will we retreat once more into silence?

    Yoorrook has narrowed the range of permissible lies in this country. But narrowing lies is not the same as achieving justice. That next step is ours to take.

    Jeremie M Bracka was awarded the Malcolm Moore Industry Research Grant to support the implementation of the Final Reports of the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

    – ref. A test of political courage: Yoorrook’s final reports demand action, not amnesia – https://theconversation.com/a-test-of-political-courage-yoorrooks-final-reports-demand-action-not-amnesia-260580

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Amit Shah marks 4 years of Ministry of Cooperation with major announcements in Anand, Gujarat

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Underlining that cooperation has been an integral part of Indian society since the Vedic era, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave this tradition a formal structure by establishing the Ministry of Cooperation four years ago.

    Shah was speaking at a special event in Anand, Gujarat, marking the fourth anniversary of the ministry’s formation and commemorating the 150th birth anniversary year of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

    The event, organised by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF), featured several major launches, inaugurations, and policy highlights aimed at strengthening India’s cooperative movement.

    He said that PM Modi institutionalized this tradition by establishing a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation four years ago, breathing new life into over 8.4 lakh cooperative societies linked to nearly 31 crore people.

    Shah said that the Ministry has undertaken more than 60 initiatives over the past four years, all built upon a strategic foundation of “Five Ps”: People, PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies), Platform, Policy, and Prosperity. He explained that these initiatives aim to directly benefit citizens, empower PACS at the grassroots level, promote digital platforms for cooperative activity, ensure member-focused policies, and deliver shared prosperity for society as a whole.

    A major milestone announced during the event was the launch of the newly formed multi-state cooperative body, Sardar Patel Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited, along with the unveiling of its official logo. Shah highlighted that this federation will help complete a sustainable cycle in the dairy sector, involving fair milk procurement, input services, price compensation, and circular economy practices. He further explained that the model will mirror the success of Amul and will directly benefit dairy farmers across India.

    Also unveiled were the expansion of Amul’s Chocolate Plant at Mogar, worth ₹105 crore, and the Cheese Plant at Khatraj, valued at ₹260 crore. The chocolate plant’s capacity will now double from 30 to 60 tonnes per day. The modernized cheese plant will also manufacture UHT milk, mozzarella cheese, whey-based beverages, and include facilities for smart warehousing and cheese packaging.

    The Union Minister inaugurated the Ready-to-Use Culture (RUC) Plant developed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) at a cost of ₹45 crore. He also inaugurated the new office of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI)—the Maniben Patel Bhawan—constructed at a cost of ₹32 crore, and laid the foundation stone of NDDB’s new headquarters building in Anand.

    Shah spoke about the newly formed Kutch District Salt Cooperative Society, describing it as a model that would empower salt-producing laborers, similar to how Amul transformed dairy farming. He added that initiatives such as establishing 2 lakh new PACS, a National Cooperative University, a National Cooperative Database, and several national-level cooperatives for grains and dairy sectors are part of the government’s effort to further strengthen the cooperative landscape.

    In the spirit of the International Year of Cooperatives, Shah stressed the need to embed three critical values in cooperative functioning—transparency, adoption of technology, and keeping cooperative members at the center of decision-making. He cautioned that a lack of transparency weakens cooperation, and institutions that resist technology or overlook member interests often fail to survive.

    The event was attended by dignitaries including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying S.P. Singh Baghel, and Union Cooperation Secretary Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani.

    Paying tribute to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary, Shah recalled his contributions to India’s unity and sovereignty, particularly his role in integrating Kashmir and West Bengal into the Indian Union. He praised Dr. Mookerjee’s famous call for “one constitution, one flag, and one Prime Minister,” noting that his ultimate sacrifice laid the groundwork for national unity.

    Shah called on cooperative leaders and members across the nation to internalize the values of transparency, technology, and inclusivity to ensure the sustainability and success of India’s cooperative model.

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Barclay-Timmis, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, University of Southern Queensland

    Vitalii Khodzinskyi/Unsplash

    Imagine your friend hasn’t replied to a message in a few hours. Most people might think, “they are probably just busy”.

    But someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might spiral into a flood of thoughts like, “they must hate me!” or “I’ve ruined the friendship!”

    These intense emotional reactions to real or imagined rejection are part of what’s called rejection sensitive dysphoria.

    The term isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it’s gaining traction in both research and clinical work, especially among adults seeking to understand themselves better.

    So, what is rejection sensitive dysphoria, how does it relate to ADHD, and how can we handle it with more compassion?

    It’s more than just disliking criticism

    Everyone feels hurt when they’re criticised or left out. But rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t just about “not liking” feedback. The word dysphoria refers to intense emotional distress.

    People with rejection sensitivity dysphoria describe overwhelming reactions to perceived rejection, even if no one actually said or did anything cruel.

    A passing comment such as “I thought you were going to do it this way” can trigger feelings of shame, embarrassment or self-doubt.

    The emotional pain often feels immediate and consuming, leading some people to withdraw, over-apologise or lash out to protect themselves.

    The ADHD brain and emotional hypersensitivity

    ADHD is often associated with attention or impulsivity, but one major (and often overlooked) component is emotional dysregulation: difficulty managing and recovering from strong emotional responses.

    This isn’t a character flaw; it’s a neurological difference. Brain imaging studies show people with ADHD tend to have differences in how their amygdala (the brain’s emotional alarm system) and prefrontal cortex (which regulates impulses and emotions) work together.

    The amygdala is the brain’s emotional alarm system. The prefrontal cortex regulates emotions.
    chaiyo12/Shutterstock

    The result? Emotional experiences hit harder and take longer to settle.

    A 2018 study highlights this imbalance in emotional control circuits in people with ADHD, explaining why intense feelings can seem to “take over” before logical thinking kicks in.

    What does the research say?

    Recent research from 2024 reports a strong link between ADHD symptoms and rejection sensitivity. It found students with higher ADHD symptom levels also reported significantly more rejection sensitivity, including a heightened fear of being negatively evaluated or criticised.

    Further evidence comes from a 2018 study which showed adolescents with ADHD symptoms were far more sensitive to peer feedback than their peers. Their brain activity revealed they were more emotionally reactive to both praise and criticism, suggesting they may perceive neutral social cues as emotionally charged.

    This reflects what I see daily in my clinic. One 13-year-old boy I work with is creative, empathetic and full of potential, yet social anxiety tied to a deep fear of rejection often holds him back. He once told me, “if I say no, they won’t like me anymore”. That fear drives him to go along with things he later regrets, simply to keep the peace and avoid losing connection.

    This constant social hypervigilance is mentally draining. Without support, it can spiral into shame, low confidence and ongoing mental health struggles.



    Read more:
    Parents are increasingly saying their child is ‘dysregulated’. What does that actually mean?

    Adults with ADHD aren’t immune either. A 2022 study explored how adults with ADHD experience criticism and found many linked it to persistent feelings of failure, low self-worth and emotional reactivity – even when the criticism was constructive or mild.

    One client I support – a high-achieving professional diagnosed in her 50s – described learning about rejection sensitive dysphoria as “finding the missing piece of the puzzle”.

    Despite consistently excelling in every role, she had long felt anxious about how she was perceived by colleagues. When she received a minor, formal complaint at work, she spiralled into intense self-doubt and shame.

    Instead of brushing it off, she thought: “I’m too much”. This belief
    had been silently reinforced for years by her emotional sensitivity to feedback.

    What helps?

    If you experience rejection sensitivity dysphoria, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

    Here are some tools that may help:

    • name it. Saying to yourself, “This feels like rejection sensitivity,” can give you distance from the emotional flood

    • pause before reacting. Taking slow breaths, counting backwards, or stepping outside are simple grounding strategies that help calm the body’s stress response and restore balance to your nervous system. Research shows slowing your breath and grounding your senses can help shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode, supporting clearer thinking and emotional regulation

    • challenge the story. Ask yourself, “What else could be true?” or “How would I speak to a friend feeling this way?”

    • consider therapy. Working with a psychologist who understands ADHD and rejection sensitivity dysphoria can help untangle these reactions and develop healthy, self-compassionate responses. The Australian Psychological Society has a Find a Psychologist service: you can search by location, areas of expertise (such as anxiety, ADHD, trauma) and the type of therapy you’re interested in

    • start early with kids. Helping children with ADHD learn emotional language, boundary-setting and resilience can prevent rejection sensitivity from becoming overwhelming. For parents, resources such as Raising Children Network and books like The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson offer practical ways to teach these skills at home

    • communicate gently. If you work or live with someone who has ADHD, try to give feedback clearly and kindly. Avoid sarcasm or vague phrasing. A little extra clarity can go a long way.

    Rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t about being fragile or “weak”. It’s about how the ADHD brain processes emotional and social cues. With insight, tools and support, these experiences can become manageable.

    Victoria Barclay-Timmis is a clinical psychologist and works in private practice.

    – ref. What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-in-adhd-and-how-can-you-manage-it-259995

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Barclay-Timmis, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, University of Southern Queensland

    Vitalii Khodzinskyi/Unsplash

    Imagine your friend hasn’t replied to a message in a few hours. Most people might think, “they are probably just busy”.

    But someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might spiral into a flood of thoughts like, “they must hate me!” or “I’ve ruined the friendship!”

    These intense emotional reactions to real or imagined rejection are part of what’s called rejection sensitive dysphoria.

    The term isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it’s gaining traction in both research and clinical work, especially among adults seeking to understand themselves better.

    So, what is rejection sensitive dysphoria, how does it relate to ADHD, and how can we handle it with more compassion?

    It’s more than just disliking criticism

    Everyone feels hurt when they’re criticised or left out. But rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t just about “not liking” feedback. The word dysphoria refers to intense emotional distress.

    People with rejection sensitivity dysphoria describe overwhelming reactions to perceived rejection, even if no one actually said or did anything cruel.

    A passing comment such as “I thought you were going to do it this way” can trigger feelings of shame, embarrassment or self-doubt.

    The emotional pain often feels immediate and consuming, leading some people to withdraw, over-apologise or lash out to protect themselves.

    The ADHD brain and emotional hypersensitivity

    ADHD is often associated with attention or impulsivity, but one major (and often overlooked) component is emotional dysregulation: difficulty managing and recovering from strong emotional responses.

    This isn’t a character flaw; it’s a neurological difference. Brain imaging studies show people with ADHD tend to have differences in how their amygdala (the brain’s emotional alarm system) and prefrontal cortex (which regulates impulses and emotions) work together.

    The amygdala is the brain’s emotional alarm system. The prefrontal cortex regulates emotions.
    chaiyo12/Shutterstock

    The result? Emotional experiences hit harder and take longer to settle.

    A 2018 study highlights this imbalance in emotional control circuits in people with ADHD, explaining why intense feelings can seem to “take over” before logical thinking kicks in.

    What does the research say?

    Recent research from 2024 reports a strong link between ADHD symptoms and rejection sensitivity. It found students with higher ADHD symptom levels also reported significantly more rejection sensitivity, including a heightened fear of being negatively evaluated or criticised.

    Further evidence comes from a 2018 study which showed adolescents with ADHD symptoms were far more sensitive to peer feedback than their peers. Their brain activity revealed they were more emotionally reactive to both praise and criticism, suggesting they may perceive neutral social cues as emotionally charged.

    This reflects what I see daily in my clinic. One 13-year-old boy I work with is creative, empathetic and full of potential, yet social anxiety tied to a deep fear of rejection often holds him back. He once told me, “if I say no, they won’t like me anymore”. That fear drives him to go along with things he later regrets, simply to keep the peace and avoid losing connection.

    This constant social hypervigilance is mentally draining. Without support, it can spiral into shame, low confidence and ongoing mental health struggles.



    Read more:
    Parents are increasingly saying their child is ‘dysregulated’. What does that actually mean?

    Adults with ADHD aren’t immune either. A 2022 study explored how adults with ADHD experience criticism and found many linked it to persistent feelings of failure, low self-worth and emotional reactivity – even when the criticism was constructive or mild.

    One client I support – a high-achieving professional diagnosed in her 50s – described learning about rejection sensitive dysphoria as “finding the missing piece of the puzzle”.

    Despite consistently excelling in every role, she had long felt anxious about how she was perceived by colleagues. When she received a minor, formal complaint at work, she spiralled into intense self-doubt and shame.

    Instead of brushing it off, she thought: “I’m too much”. This belief
    had been silently reinforced for years by her emotional sensitivity to feedback.

    What helps?

    If you experience rejection sensitivity dysphoria, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

    Here are some tools that may help:

    • name it. Saying to yourself, “This feels like rejection sensitivity,” can give you distance from the emotional flood

    • pause before reacting. Taking slow breaths, counting backwards, or stepping outside are simple grounding strategies that help calm the body’s stress response and restore balance to your nervous system. Research shows slowing your breath and grounding your senses can help shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode, supporting clearer thinking and emotional regulation

    • challenge the story. Ask yourself, “What else could be true?” or “How would I speak to a friend feeling this way?”

    • consider therapy. Working with a psychologist who understands ADHD and rejection sensitivity dysphoria can help untangle these reactions and develop healthy, self-compassionate responses. The Australian Psychological Society has a Find a Psychologist service: you can search by location, areas of expertise (such as anxiety, ADHD, trauma) and the type of therapy you’re interested in

    • start early with kids. Helping children with ADHD learn emotional language, boundary-setting and resilience can prevent rejection sensitivity from becoming overwhelming. For parents, resources such as Raising Children Network and books like The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson offer practical ways to teach these skills at home

    • communicate gently. If you work or live with someone who has ADHD, try to give feedback clearly and kindly. Avoid sarcasm or vague phrasing. A little extra clarity can go a long way.

    Rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t about being fragile or “weak”. It’s about how the ADHD brain processes emotional and social cues. With insight, tools and support, these experiences can become manageable.

    Victoria Barclay-Timmis is a clinical psychologist and works in private practice.

    – ref. What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-in-adhd-and-how-can-you-manage-it-259995

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan – mid-point progress report released

    Source: Australian National Party

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

    Released 07/07/2025

    The ACT is making significant progress in delivering the ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026 (DSAP), with 27 of the 34 actions being significantly progressed or completed.

    The DSAP outlines the ACT Government and whole of sector priorities to address and minimise harms from alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and non-medical use of pharmaceuticals.

    It supports Canberrans by focusing on areas such as improved service navigation, stigma reduction and supports for individuals with co-occurring issues.

    As part of the Action Plan, the ACT has become home to Australia’s first fixed-site drug checking service, CanTEST.

    The CanTEST service tested nearly 3000 samples in its first two years of operation, helping Canberrans to make safer choices, with one in 10 people choosing to discard potentially dangerous substances after testing.

    Significant drug law reforms and criminal justice initiatives have also helped to keep people out of the criminal justice system while ensuring they get the help they may need. The government has expanded the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List from 35 to 42 concurrent participants and reduced the maximum penalties for personal possession of illicit drugs through the Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Act 2022.

    Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith welcomed the DSAP mid-point progress report and noted stable community outcomes and declining drug-related charges, which demonstrates the changes are working for the benefit of our whole community.

    “We are also investing across the health sector to improve alcohol and other drug services and facilities in the ACT, with programs like the Pathways to Assistance and Treatment (PAT) mobile clinic, and the Take-Home Naloxone Program, making a real difference to people’s lives,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “We are also working with our community partners to deliver specialised services for vulnerable groups in the ACT, including Canberra’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation facility, as well as a new facility for Ted Noffs’ youth alcohol and other drug treatment service.”

    The DSAP also aims to reduce vaping and tobacco smoking harms in the ACT. During the life of the Action Plan, the ACT Government has secured a $1.065 million Federation Funding Agreement to enhance Quitline and other smoking and vaping cessation support services.

    “Youth vaping remains a major concern in the community, which is why – through our partnership with the Commonwealth – the ACT is enhancing its Quitline service to include digital support options and establishing a new vaping cessation support service for young people,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    The ACT Government has also funded an independent harm reduction review, led by the Australian National University and Burnet Institute, partnering with the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy.

    The review found that current harm reduction interventions in the ACT are cost effective, with the ACT investing in effective initiatives including opioid maintenance therapy (OMT), needle and syringe programs (NSP), naloxone, and CanTEST.

    The review also provided insight into further service development and enhancement opportunities to be considered in the future.

    The ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026 Mid-Point Progress Report is available at: https://act.gov.au/open/act-drug-strategy-action-plan.

    The ACT Harm Reduction Cost-Benefit Analysis is available at: https://www.act.gov.au/open/act-harm-reduction-cost-benefit-analysis-harm-reduction-review.

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Anhui’s Suzhou intensifies efforts to build computing power hub

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    A screen displays real-time data and operations at the Bianshui Riverside Supercomputing Center, part of the Suzhou Computing Power Industrial Park in Suzhou city, Anhui province, July 5, 2025. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

    Suzhou, a city in eastern China’s Anhui province, is ramping up efforts to grow its computing power industry, with plans to build an industrial cluster expected to be worth 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion).

    Not to be confused with Suzhou in neighboring Jiangsu province, Suzhou in Anhui is seeking to become a regional center for advanced computing and data services.

    At the center of this push is the Suzhou Computing Power Industrial Park, which opened in 2012 and spans about 15 hectares. The park is currently being expanded to include 100,000 square meters of data center facilities.

    Equipped with extensive network infrastructure, the site serves major clients such as Huawei, QuantumCTek and Inspur, along with academic institutions including Tsinghua University, Peking University and the Beijing Institute of Technology. It also provides resources to research organizations specializing in atmospheric physics and automation.

    The park supports sectors including big data, software development, mobile gaming, animation rendering and e-commerce livestreaming, according to Liang Xixi, a staff member at Suzhou Huarui Network Information Service, which helped develop the project.

    Liang told China.org.cn that the park offers both supercomputing and intelligent computing services, which are used for distinct purposes.

    “Supercomputing is used for high-precision tasks, such as tracking typhoon paths or analyzing protein structures, mostly serving research institutions,” Liang said. “Intelligent computing, by contrast, is used in everyday applications. For example, animation rendering for games like ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ and films such as ‘Ne Zha 2’ relied on intelligent computing.”

    Key projects at the park include the Huaihai Intelligent Computing Center and the Bianshui Riverside Supercomputing Center. Plans are underway for additional facilities, including a China Mobile computing power center and a Baidu intelligent cloud computing center.

    Suzhou currently hosts 465 enterprises related to the computing power sector, generating nearly 7.5 billion yuan in annual revenue. The city plans to increase its computing power capacity to 6,000 petaflops this year and aims to ultimately reach 8,000 petaflops.

    Officials are also cooperating with partners across the Yangtze River Delta to establish an integrated computing power network that can meet rising regional demand.

    The city will continue supporting integrated industrial development, according to the Suzhou City Development and Reform Commission. Priorities include a regional low-altitude intelligent computing center to improve flight route optimization and safety, as well as a data service platform for smart connected vehicles and tests of vehicle-to-road collaboration technology.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 7, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 7, 2025.

    The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other

    New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Angel DiBiblio/Shutterstock In recent weeks, the US State Department implemented a policy requiring all university, technical training, or exchange program visa applicants to disclose their social media handles used over the

    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,

    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

    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

    A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby, Tautoro Māori Engagement Advisor, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Getty Images In biomedical science, the immune system is described as a cellular defence network that identifies and neutralises threats. In te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), it can be seen as a dynamic

    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

    ‘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

    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

    Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Octo Mote
    Pacific Media Watch West Papuan independence advocate Octovianus Mote was in Aotearoa New Zealand late last year seeking support for independence for West Papua, which has been ruled by Indonesia for more than six decades. Mote is vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and was hosted in New Zealand by the

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 6, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 6, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New molecular engineering laboratory created at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the structure Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies (IMMT) NSU A new laboratory of molecular engineering has been created; it will become the first specialized laboratory beyond the Urals that will comprehensively deal with such promising areas of modern medicine as the cultivation of microorganism cells, the study of virome and metagenomic analysis, and the prediction of protein structure based on the analysis of the data obtained.

    In early 2026, after the delivery of the new building of the NSU IMMT, which is part of the second stage of the NSU campus, built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, the laboratory will be located on the premises of the new campus. The creation of the laboratory is part of the strategic project “Center for the Integration of Personalized Biomedicine, Pharmacy and Synchrotron, Binary Technologies”, financed within the framework of Priority 2030 programs.

    Currently, the laboratory employs 5 people, including representatives of leading research centers in Novosibirsk and Tomsk. Also, students, postgraduates and graduate students of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and other faculties of NSU will be involved in the work in the laboratory, who, as part of the preparation of their diploma and scientific papers, will participate in the implementation of the laboratory’s projects. The laboratory is headed by Elena Prokopyeva, PhD in Biology, research fellow at the IMMT NSU.

    The laboratory is fully focused on solving applied problems facing the modern pharmaceutical industry and biomedicine. First of all, we are talking about the rapid implementation of new methods of pharmaceutical development, expansion of interdisciplinary research, integration of artificial intelligence and big data analysis in biology and medicine; as well as the formation of a modern educational environment for training new generation specialists, including students from different countries.

    The main areas of work of the laboratory:

    creation and improvement of biotechnological protocols for cultivating prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in laboratory and industrial bioreactors; creation of innovative methods for identifying and quantitatively analyzing viral particles using accelerator mass spectrometry; study of the diversity, structure and dynamics of viral communities (virosphere) in various ecological niches using modern methods of metagenomics and bioinformatics.

    — One of the promising areas for the laboratory is the analysis of viromes (a set of viruses) using metagenomic and bioinformatics analysis in partnership with research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is an advanced area in science. Metagenomic analysis is based on next-generation sequencing methods, which can be used to “read” several sections of different genomes in different samples at the same time. However, today the problem is the analysis of billions of available sequences, the number of which increases exponentially every year. Thus, advanced technologies will speed up the process of identifying new viruses, even based on already available and published metagenomic data, — said Elena Prokopyeva.

    The lab plans to use machine learning models to analyze biomedical data, such as genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, as these methods can effectively identify complex patterns and relationships in large and multidimensional data sets. The use of machine learning in biomedical research opens up new opportunities for deep understanding of biological processes and improving clinical practice.

    Another area of the laboratory’s work is education. By the end of 2025, an interactive educational web application will be finalized. HTTP: //histology. HSU.ru, which includes a collection of digital microscope slides on histology, embryology and cytology.

    — Thus, this project will create a comprehensive scientific and technical platform that will unite disparate areas (bioreactors, metagenomics, molecular diagnostics, digitalization of education and biomedical developments) into a single ecosystem, increase the efficiency of research and accelerate the introduction of innovations in industry and medicine, — Elena Prokopyeva emphasized.

    The industrial and scientific partners of the laboratory are industry leaders — Technoprom LLC, research institutes of the SB RAS (G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, G.K. Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS), FBSI SRC VB Vector of Rospotrebnadzor, Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM). The laboratory also cooperates with foreign partners, such as Qinghai University and East China Normal University (China), RSE Institute of Genetics and Physiology (Kazakhstan).

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other side of the equation – economic growth and investment, the government’s rationale for new mines – is rarely interrogated.

    In fact, the environmental and economic debates are inseparable. Section 85(3)(b) of the Fast Track Approval Act allows for project applications to be declined if any “adverse impacts are sufficiently significant to be out of proportion to the project’s regional or national benefits”.

    So, the claims of economic benefits from the current round of proposals need to be scrutinised closely. If those benefits don’t stack up, any adverse environmental impacts become harder to justify.

    Having spent more than 35 years researching and consulting on mining projects and mineral policy in the Pacific, I have noted several important economic characteristics of the mining industry.

    First, the capital spend – the setup cost of an operation – is typically largely spent offshore. In the case of Trans-Tasman Resources, currently seeking to fast-track seabed mining off the Taranaki coast, this amounts to 95% of the $1 billion construction estimate. This will largely be spent on the building in China of a huge, sophisticated barge and two 450-tonne seabed crawlers.

    The government’s recent Investment Boost policy will also mean 20% of this investment is an immediate tax deduction for the company – money lost offshore to the foreign investor.

    Second, any estimate of annual revenue, operational costs, taxation and distribution of net profit has to come with a caveat. Annual variations in all these factors are typical across the sector due to commodity price volatility, high rates of depreciation on capital expenditure, unexpected events, and exposure to changing operating costs.

    The same applies to average annual figures for taxes and royalties. Mineral resource companies cannot be regarded as stable sources of government revenue. For example, foreign-owned OceanaGold – the largest gold producer in the country and operator of the MacRaes Flat and Waihi mines – paid no corporate income tax in 2021 or 2023 on gold production worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Essentially, the country can often receive a minimal share of the value of its own natural resources. Unlike forestry, dairy, wine, tourism and other major sectors, with mining we don’t get a second chance: when the resource is gone, it’s really gone.

    If New Zealand does decide to expand mineral resource extraction, however, there are four things that could be done to ensure the country benefits more.

    1. Adopt international best practice

    Over the past 30 years, the international mining sector has developed a range of best-practice guidelines, such as those developed by the International Council on Metals and Mining.

    These have been adopted by leading global mining corporations elsewhere to ensure ethical behaviours, high levels of social and environmental performance, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and conservation of biodiversity.

    International bodies such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative also provide a means for signatory countries and their citizens to track the economic contributions mining (and oil) companies make.

    2. Capture a fair share of resource value

    Aside from being levied a small 2% royalty on the value of the minerals produced (or 10% of net profits, whichever is higher), mining companies are effectively treated like any other sector. But the price of mining commodities and revenues, and the operational costs, are highly volatile.

    A better model might involve a simple calculation made each year to determine the total value of mineral exports from each operation. An agreed, a mandatory proportion – half or two-thirds, perhaps – would then be required to accrue within New Zealand.

    This proportion of the value of the mineral resource exported should take into account local employment, locally sourced operational expenses, taxes and royalties. An additional tax could then be applied that brings the local share of the export value up to the agreed proportion, if needed.

    3. Mandate a return to communities

    Another common mechanism found in many countries is the community-level or regional development agreement. These exist at some New Zealand mine sites now, but they are not mandatory. They return a share of the value of the government’s take from the sector back to the communities or regions where the resource has come from.

    While mining companies often make voluntary “corporate social responsibility” contributions to local communities, these are not community-led programs funded from a share of the mining royalties collected from the region.

    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has said he is looking at redirecting a greater share of mining royalties to the regions where mining takes place, particularly the west coast of the South Island.

    4. Establish a form of sovereign wealth fund

    Famously, Norway and the US state of Alaska have established hundred-billion-dollar trust funds by putting aside a proportion of mining and oil revenues.

    These funds now support national budgets, lower or eliminate taxes, and provide a mechanism for the intergenerational transfer of mineral resource wealth.

    New Zealand’s current oil, gas and mining sector is not of these magnitudes. But if the country does decide to significantly expand its extractive sector, we should be thinking about a “fair share” in intergenerational terms, too.

    A local sovereign wealth fund might not be huge to begin with. But if it were used effectively, it could grow and deliver ongoing benefits from non-renewable mineral resources.

    Without proper attention to the economic implications of mining, New Zealand risks
    being doubly worse off: few guaranteed long-term economic benefits from its own mineral resource, but still living with the inevitable environmental effects of those mines.

    Glenn Banks 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. The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects – https://theconversation.com/the-hard-questions-nz-must-ask-about-the-claimed-economic-benefits-of-fast-track-mining-projects-259779

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘World’s supermarket’ embraces foreign trade talents

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    A merchant (L, front) from Nepal watches dragon dance performance outside the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In a city long famed as the “world’s supermarket,” foreign businesspeople are no longer just visitors — they are being officially recognized as vital drivers of China’s future development.

    Yiwu City, a bustling hub in east China’s Zhejiang Province that trades with over 230 countries and regions, has launched China’s first standardized system for formally certifying foreign trade talents.

    The pilot program, launched in June, marks a shift away from traditional talent criteria that focus solely on education or technical credentials, instead rewarding foreign entrepreneurs for their real-world business contributions.

    Under the new guidelines, any foreign national with a valid work permit and a registered company in Yiwu can be classified as A or B-level talent if they meet key performance metrics, such as import-export volume, job creation, or long-term local operations.

    B-level talent now enjoys two- to four-year work permits, rather than having to renew them annually. At the same time, A-level recognition offers five-year permits, along with priority services and faster approvals.

    “Foreign businesses and investors are essential participants in China’s modernization,” said Wang Liqin, head of the talent and cooperation section at Yiwu’s science and technology bureau. “This pilot program offers institutional support for their entrepreneurship and serves as a model of high-quality development in trade and foreign investment.”

    As of late June, over 609 foreign businesspeople in Yiwu had been certified under the program, part of a community of more than 8,600 foreign work permit holders that makes Yiwu the top city in Zhejiang for foreign employment.

    Yiwu’s decision to pioneer this reform reflects its long-standing international DNA. On any given day, more than 28,000 foreign merchants work in the city, a density unmatched in most of China.

    For Sakhi Brahim, a Moroccan businessman who first learned about China at a Confucius Institute back home, Yiwu represents the ideal place to build a career bridging cultures.

    “Foreigners are afraid of miscommunication,” he said. “So I decided to be that bridge.”

    Brahim arrived in Yiwu in 2013 after studying at Beijing International Studies University. He now runs a kitchenware export business while helping Moroccan clients understand the Chinese market and ensuring local suppliers profit.

    “The work opportunities here are very good. Even getting a driver’s license is easy — they offer the theory test in Arabic,” said Brahim.

    Brahim credits the city’s infrastructure, openness, and new certification system for creating a foundation of trust. “It shows they recognize our contribution. That trust is why I can succeed here,” he said.

    Nidal R.A. Sabarneh, who calls himself “Ni Dale” in China — a name he chose to express his hope that the support and opportunities he finds in China can reach his homeland, Palestine — also found a professional home in Yiwu.

    Born in 1994, he was inspired by his father’s trade trips to China and chose to study international economics at Wuhan University, central China’s Hubei Province.

    He arrived in Yiwu in 2016 and now runs his own company that sells automotive repair tools. His supply network includes over 80 factories across Zhejiang.

    “Honestly, if it wasn’t Yiwu, a modern, open trade city, I doubt I could get so many factories to work with me,” he said.

    His products reach 36 countries, with demand rising thanks to China’s own booming new energy vehicle exports. Yet for him, Yiwu’s greatest advantage is security.

    “My home is in a war zone. I’ve traveled to many countries, and China is the safest place I know. That security is what allows us to do business,” he said.

    For Dumaru Bishnuprasad, head of the Nepal-China chamber of commerce and industry in Yiwu, Yiwu has been both a business base and a family home for over two decades. He first arrived in 2002, married a local from Ningbo, and is raising three children in China.

    “Yiwu is a great platform for foreigners,” he said. He pointed to opportunities created by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the dedicated China-Nepal railway cooperation.

    Bishnuprasad’s businesses encompass trade and logistics, with a focus on selling hardware, stationery and footwear. As chamber head, he often mediates disputes between merchants and suppliers. “Ninety percent of problems can be solved inside the chamber,” he said.

    He also praised Yiwu’s attentiveness to foreign families. “I take my parents to local senior centers and dining halls. It’s convenient and reassuring,” he said.

    As Yiwu deepens its role as a testbed for comprehensive trade reforms, officials say the new talent certification system is only the beginning. Future plans include refining criteria, expanding service support, and sharing lessons with other regions in China.

    For foreign merchants in Yiwu, the new system is not just about paperwork. It represents a formal invitation to build a lasting life in China — a place where trade ties turn into personal connections and foreign investment becomes local development.

    “Yiwu isn’t just a city of small commodities,” Bishnuprasad said. “It’s a city that really takes care of people.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • 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: 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 Analysis: Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kirsten Banks, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology

    K Ly / Deep Random Survey

    This week, astronomers spotted the third known interstellar visitor to our Solar System.

    First detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on July 1, the cosmic interloper was given the temporary name A11pl3Z. Experts at NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) have confirmed the find, and the object now has an official designation: 3I/ATLAS.

    The orbital path of 3I/ATLAS through the Solar System.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech, CC BY-NC

    There are a few strong clues that suggest 3I/ATLAS came from outside the Solar System.

    First, it’s moving really fast. Current observations show it speeding through space at around 245,000km per hour. That’s more than enough to escape the Sun’s gravity.

    An object near Earth’s orbit would only need to be travelling at just over 150,000km/h to break free from the Solar System.

    Second, 3I/ATLAS has a wildly eccentric orbit around the Sun. Eccentricity measures how “stretched” an orbit is: 0 eccentricity is a perfect circle, and anything up to 1 is an increasingly strung-out ellipse. Above 1 is an orbit that is not bound to the Sun.

    3I/ATLAS has an estimated eccentricity of 6.3, by far the highest ever recorded for any object in the Solar System.

    Has anything like this happened before?

    An artist’s impression of the first confirmed interstellar object, 1I/‘Oumuamua.
    ESO/M. Kornmesser, CC BY

    The first interstellar object spotted in our Solar System was the cigar-shaped ‘Oumuamua, discovered in 2017 by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. Scientists tracked it for 80 days before eventually confirming it came from interstellar space.

    The interstellar comet 2I/Borisov, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.
    NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA), CC BY-NC

    The second interstellar visitor, comet 2I/Borisov, was discovered two years later by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov. This time it only took astronomers a few weeks to confirm it came from outside the Solar System.

    This time, the interstellar origin of 3I/ATLAS has been confirmed in a matter of days.

    How did it get here?

    We have only ever seen three interstellar visitors (including 3I/ATLAS), so it’s hard to know exactly how they made their way here.

    However, recent research published in The Planetary Science Journal suggests these objects might be more common than we once thought. In particular, they may come from relatively nearby star systems such as Alpha Centauri (our nearest interstellar neighbour, a mere 4.4 light years away).

    Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, from the triple star system Alpha Centauri.
    ESA/Hubble & NASA, CC BY

    Alpha Centauri is slowly moving closer to us, with its closest approach expected in about 28,000 years. If it flings out material in the same way our Solar System does, scientists estimate around a million objects from Alpha Centauri larger than 100 metres in diameter could already be in the outer reaches of our Solar System. That number could increase tenfold as Alpha Centauri gets closer.

    Most of this material would have been ejected at relatively low speeds, less than 2km/s, making it more likely to drift into our cosmic neighbourhood over time and not dramatically zoom in and out of the Solar System like 3I/ATLAS appears to be doing. While the chance of one of these objects coming close to the Sun is extremely small, the study suggests a few tiny meteors from Alpha Centauri, likely no bigger than grains of sand, may already hit Earth’s atmosphere every year.

    Why is this interesting?

    Discovering new interstellar visitors like 3I/ATLAS is thrilling, not just because they’re rare, but because each one offers a unique glimpse into the wider galaxy. Every confirmed interstellar object expands our catalogue and helps scientists better understand the nature of these visitors, how they travel through space, and where they might have come from.

    A swarm of new asteroids discovered by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

    Thanks to powerful new observatories such as the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, our ability to detect these elusive objects is rapidly improving. In fact, during its first 10 hours of test imaging, Rubin revealed 2,104 previously unknown asteroids.

    This is an astonishing preview of what’s to come. With its wide field of view and constant sky coverage, Rubin is expected to revolutionise our search for interstellar objects, potentially turning rare discoveries into routine ones.

    What now?

    There’s still plenty left to uncover about 3I/ATLAS. Right now, it’s officially classified as a comet by the IAU Minor Planet Center.

    But some scientists argue it might actually be an asteroid, roughly 20km across, based on the lack of typical comet-like features such as a glowing coma or a tail. More observations will be needed to confirm its nature.

    Currently, 3I/ATLAS is inbound, just inside Jupiter’s orbit. It’s expected to reach its closest point to the Sun, slightly closer than the planet Mars, on October 29. After that, it will swing back out towards deep space, making its closest approach to Earth in December. (It will pose no threat to our planet.)

    Whether it’s a comet or an asteroid, 3I/ATLAS is a messenger from another star system. For now, these sightings are rare – though as next-generation observatories such as Rubin swing into operation, we may discover interstellar companions all around.

    Kirsten Banks 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. Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-have-spied-an-interstellar-object-zooming-through-the-solar-system-260422

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • 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 United Kingdom: Brian Cox CBE and Radek Rudnicki to receive honorary degrees Abertay graduation

    Source: University of Abertay

    A world-renowned Scottish actor and a pioneering sound artist will be awarded Honorary Degrees at Abertay University’s summer graduation ceremony later this month.  

    Dundee-born Hollywood star Brian Cox CBE will be recognised for his contribution to the performing arts over the last 50 years, while Radek Rudnicki will be honoured for his innovative work in new media and spatial sound.  

    The ceremony will take place on Friday 11 July at Caird Hall in Dundee, where over 400 graduates from Abertay’s academic schools will gather to celebrate the culmination of their studies.

    Photo credit: Jakub Hader

    Graduates from Abertay’s academic faculties – the Faculty of Design and Informatics and Business, the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, and the Graduate School – will be joined by friends, family, and members of the University leadership team, including Chancellor Professor Alice Brown and Vice-Chancellor Professor Liz Bacon, for a memorable day of celebration. 

    Professor Liz Bacon, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said:

    Graduation is one of the most memorable days in the university calendar, and this summer we’re thrilled to celebrate not only our talented students but also two outstanding individuals whose careers represent the very best of creativity, innovation and dedication. We’re delighted to welcome Brian Cox and Radek Rudnicki to the Abertay community and to honour their extraordinary achievements.

    Brian Cox began his acting career in 1961 at Dundee Repertory Theatre, going on to become a founding member of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. With a stage and screen career spanning more than six decades, his breakthrough Hollywood role came in 1986’s Manhunter and has since appeared in films such as Braveheart, Adaptation, The Bourne Identity, Troy, 25th Hour and X2: X-Men United, an iconic portrayal of the much-loved Dundee comedy character Bob Servant, and most recently in the award-winning HBO drama Succession. He has received two BAFTAs, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe, and remains deeply connected to his theatrical roots, including a forthcoming return to the Dundee Rep stage in Make It Happen.

    Radek Rudnicki is a new media artist, composer, and sound designer whose work blends spatial audio and immersive storytelling. Currently the lead sound designer for the Precyzja Foundation and director of Wave Folder Records, Radek’s digital studio develops cutting-edge experiences showcased around the world. His career includes collaborations with NASA’s Goddard Institute and the Stockholm Environment Institute, and partnerships with hardware synthesizer manufacturers like Waldorf, Elektron and Cwejman. His accolades include the Emerging Excellence Award, the Provost Award for World-Class Excellence in Research. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Six teams announced as finalists for Abertay’s annual video games design competition

    Source: University of Abertay

    Abertay University has announced the finalists for its flagship video game design competition, DARE Academy. 

    Six talented undergraduate teams will spend the summer developing and refining game prototypes, competing for the prestigious DARE trophy and a grand prize of £5,000. 

    A highlight of the university’s calendar, the competition offers students intensive support from academic staff and industry experts. Over the coming months, the teams will work in the university’s state-of-the-art Centre for Excellence in Computer Games, honing their concepts and creating playable prototypes in a professional studio environment. 

    This year’s finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges, who were impressed by the originality, polish and potential of the teams’ pitches. 

    The Dare Academy 2025 finalist teams are: 

    • Fishbowl Studio
    • Bonny Bandits
    • Final Prism Interactive
    • Cosmic Coda
    • Hyperfix
    • Riverboat Games 

    The teams will have the opportunity to showcase their games at two events in Dundee: “Drop in and Play” at DCA on Saturday 30 August, and the awards ceremony at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab at Water’s Edge on Thursday 11 September. 

    DARE has a strong track record of launching careers and start-ups, with former teams going on to form successful indie studios including Pocket Sized Hands and Bit Loom. 

    Dr Dayna Galloway, Head of the Department of Games and Arts, said: 

    We’ve been absolutely blown away by the standard of submissions for this year’s DARE Academy. The creativity, ambition and quality on display have been incredibly exciting to see. A huge thank you goes to our judging panel for their time and input, and we’re thrilled to be working with such brilliant industry mentors and sponsors again this year. Their support will be vital in helping our students grow – not just during DARE, but as they move forward into careers in the games industry.

    Torin Pellegrini, team leader of Fishbowl Studio, said: 

    We’re absolutely thrilled to have made it to the DARE Academy finals – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. As Abertay students, we know how much this competition can open doors in the industry, and we’re ready to make the most of it. This year’s line-up is packed with originality and fun, and we can’t wait to work with mentors to develop the best version of our game and contribute to DARE’S amazing legacy. Go Fishbowl!

    Last year’s DARE Academy winners were Triple 7 Studios with their game “Left Upon Read”. They were crowned winners by a panel of top industry judges at the UK’s biggest video games expo, EGX in London.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • 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 –