NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has wanted, and expected, the deputy leadership of the Liberals since before Dominic Perrottet became premier. Kean missed out the first time, but he was not going to let that happen again.
The unashamedly ambitious Kean was sure he had the role secured after the fall of his friend Gladys Berejiklian, but a late factional deal last year saw now dumped trade minister Stuart Ayres snatch the position from him.
Treasurer Matt Kean has long coveted the deputy leadership of the party.Credit:Kate Geraghty
On Tuesday, Kean finally secured the deputy role, which one minister mocked as nothing more than a “participation ribbon”, with the support of the Liberal party room. Grandiose it may sound, but the role has few formal functions other than carrying out menial party work for the premier.
However, more enticing to Kean was probably the fact the two most recent deputies, Berejiklian and Perrottet, were in the box seat when the premier before them fell. There is no doubt Kean sees himself as a future leader.
When Kean missed out last year, Perrottet sold it to him as the government needed a strong western Sydney representative in the leadership team. But with Ayres, the Penrith MP, now on the backbench, it seems geography is no longer important. Kean is from the Liberal heartland seat of Hornsby.
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Kean has branded himself as a climate change warrior and a champion of women. He has been successful in filling policy voids for women that have been previously ignored, including a major intervention into childcare.
However, Kean has failed to sort his own house. The two recent casual vacancies filled in the upper house were both handed to men. They were spots to be filled by his moderate faction of him, but Kean did not seek out women.
Kean, for all his talk – including making demands on corporates to put more women on boards – was not prepared to forgo his ambition to promote a woman to the deputy leadership.
Whyalla tourism operators have been buoyed by recent figures showing a surge in Giant Australian Cuttlefish numbers.
Key points:
Giant Australian Cuttlefish congregate in waters around Whyalla during the winter months to breed
This season’s cuttlefish aggregation has attracted more than 137,000 individuals
It comes months after the government reintroduced a ban on fishing cuttlefish in the upper Spencer Gulf
Recently published figures reveal a 28 per cent increase in the numbers of cuttlefish migrating to waters around the Eyre Peninsula town for their breeding season.
The findings come just a few months after the South Australian government reimposed an upper Spencer Gulf fishing ban for cuttlefish north of Arno Bay and Wallaroo.
Whyalla Dive Shop owner Tony Bramley said his business relied on tourism generated by cuttlefish and was glad to see numbers increasing.
“I don’t think there’s anything else people who are concerned about the aggregation could ask for,” he said.
“It’s absolutely fantastic news because it shows the efficacy of that spatial closure, which was taken away two years ago because, according to the government at the time, it had done its job.”
The ban was originally put in place by the former state government after cuttlefish numbers fell from 200,000 to just 13,000 in a few years. It was repeated two years ago.
The latest aggregation has attracted more than 137,000 individuals.
Whyalla Diving Services owner Tony Bramley says his business relies on the cuttlefish.(ABC News: Declan Gooch)
A ‘reassuring’ result
Cutty’s Boat Tours began operating glass bottom boat tours for the first time this year, enabling more tourists to see the cuttlefish.
Owner Matt Waller said it was reassuring to see the numbers increasing.
“It just says to us that yes, this is a good thing. Yes, this is an industry that’s going to exist in the future,” he said.
“It gives us a bit more confidence for sure.”
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Permanent ban being considered
SA Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven said the latest ban would last until May 2023 but the government was looking at ways to make it permanent.
“Not only is the Giant Australian Cuttlefish spawning aggregation unique to South Australia, it creates opportunities for small businesses in regional areas to benefit from the extraordinary show of nature on our doorstep,” she said.
Cuttlefish gather in the waters around Whyalla to breed and hide their eggs under rocks.(Supplied: Jayne Jenkins)
Mr Bramley said that while he was happy with the current level of protection, he felt the cuttlefish had not yet recovered from fishing over the past few decades.
“Old timers like myself have been saying that since commercial fishing in the 90s, the numbers are nothing like what they were,” he said.
All sex is rape, argued radical feminist Andrea Dworkin. She believed that because we live in a patriarchal society heterosexual sex can only be understood as domination: “the pure, sterile formal expression of men’s contempt for women.”
Dworkin’s polemics from the 1980s and 1990s made her the enemy of “sex positive” feminists who were pro porn and pro sex work. Indeed most people recoiled from her unyielding, dark take on sex, which seemed to strip women of all carnal agency, and joy. But I had a bit of time for Dworkin’s ideas of her, despite being heterosexual myself (within a measly margin of error). She was articulating something previously unsayable about encounters between men and women: the eroticism stems for the former violating the boundaries of the latter. Even when the parties are equally enthusiastic, the subtext of conquest and submission lurks in the bedroom like a third person.
A bill to pass affirmative consent laws was introduced to Victoria’s parliament last week. The proposed changes are in part driven by the #Metoo movement.Credit:Damian Dovarganes
Dworkin died in 2005. But as the New York Times′ Michelle Goldberg noted in 2019, in the #MeToo era, feminists began invoking the firebrand theorist “in a spirit of respect and rediscovery”. This is not because women suddenly believe all sex is rape, or all men rapists. But because, Goldberg argued, Dworkin has relevance for a new generation “engaged, in a pitched cultural battle over whose experiences and assumptions define our common reality”.
I hear Dworkian echoes in the wave of “affirmative consent” reforms to sexual assault laws. Such legislation was introduced into Victoria’s parliament last week; Queensland is likely to follow, and NSW passed similar laws last year.
Under the Victorian bill, a man – the actual wording is gender neutral, but the overwhelming reality of sexual assault is not – can only reasonably believe a woman was consenting throughout an encounter if he took active steps to find out, such as asking her, or looking for signs of reciprocity like removing clothes. Radical? Well, it sounds radical. Like I said, I hear echoes of Dworkin who talked about “presumptive rape”.
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You could read into the bill an assumption that the sex act in question was non-consensual unless the accused has evidence to the contrary. And that is a significant philosophical flip; the “no means no” mantra of the 1970s has become “only ‘yes’ means yes”. Rape laws have traditionally favored men who managed to breach women’s boundaries, which were considered rubbery to start with. Affirmative consent, says Victoria’s Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes, shifts the scrutiny from the victim – what she did, what she wore – to the accused; what did I have do to ascertain her state of mind?
The defense barristers argue, as they’re professionally obliged to do, that the laws could criminalize cases in the “grey zone,” ensnaring hapless, emotionally unintelligent teenage boys – who don’t fit the traditional profile of a predator – after a night of drunken misadventure. To which the feminist campaigners say, yes that’s the point of the exercise: to eradicate the gray zone because the woman who is feeling degraded in the aftermath of an encounter doesn’t think the zone’s gray anyway.
If I was convinced of the accuracy of the underlying premise – namely that the proposed laws have the serious potential to criminalize cases that don’t presently make the cut for rape – then I’d be more sympathetic to the defense barristers’ warnings about unintended consequences. But I’m not convinced, for what my opinion’s worth. Largely because I don’t think this new articulation of what constitutes “reasonable belief” in another’s consent is a significant departure from the current law. Unless I’m misreading the text, an accused doesn’t have to ask if the other party’s consenting: they just need to actively seek out positive cues, and be on alert for negative ones.
From 10am to 4pm today there will be no trains running on the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra and South Coast rail lines due to ongoing industrial action.
Although the protected action does not officially start until 10am, the head of Sydney Trains predicts impacts from about 6am.
“We urge all our customers to plan ahead by catching alternative public transport or working from home on Wednesday if possible,” Matt Longland said.
He said the line, which runs from Bondi Junction to Bomaderry, would not be fully operational until about 8pm.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) secretary Alex Claassens said union members were fighting for a greater commitment from the government to fix the new intercity fleet.
The RTBU says the fleet, built in South Korea, has a safety flaw which means guards cannot monitor passengers getting on and off the train.
The government has agreed to the safety changes in an enterprise agreement but the union wants a deed of agreement.
Mr Claassens said the NSW government chose to inconvenience customers on the T4 line today by not bringing in trains from other areas.
“90 per cent of our train crews and trains are still available to go form the other regions into that region to provide a level of service,” he said.
“Unfortunately… [Sydney Trains] management made a decision that they weren’t going to run any additional trains on that Illawarra line.”
Monkeypox vaccine rollout goal
There are currently 33 cases of the virus in NSW, two of which were locally acquired.(Reuters: Given Ruvic/Illustration)
The government wants everyone in NSW who takes HIV-prevention medication to be vaccinated against monkeypox before WorldPride 2023.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government was aiming to have the 22,000 people who currently took pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) inoculated before Sydney hosted the pride event next March.
“NSW Health has been working with community partners … including doctors who have a special interest in HIV and sexual health … to support the vaccine rollout,” Mr Hazzard said during Question Time in parliament yesterday.
“With monkeypox cases increasing internationally, it’s expected there will be further cases in NSW and local transmission may increase rapidly.”
Men who have sex with men are considered most at risk of contracting monkeypox, which spreads through skin to skin contact.
There are currently 33 cases of the virus in NSW, two of which were locally acquired.
Vaccines are already being distributed in Sydney and on the Far North Coast, with 5,500 doses being provided by the federal government.
NSW Health expects to receive between 24,500 and 30,000 doses in September and another 70,000 in early 2023.
The symptoms of monkeypox include headache, fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, rash, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue. The rash may initially look like pimples.
Resignation letter sought from building commissioner
The NSW Building Commissioner’s private resignation could be made public amid scrutiny over the conduct of sacked Fair Trading minister Eleni Petinos.
Commissioner David Chandler quit in late July.
The state opposition wants to see Mr Chandler’s resignation letter, amid reports the relationship between Mr Chandler and Ms Petinos had soured.
Debate on a motion to compel the state government to hand over a copy of the letter is expected today.
Ms Petinos was sacked from cabinet last month over bullying allegations.
Bill to ban Nazi symbols passes
A state government bill to ban displays of Nazi symbols in public has passed the lower house with unanimous support.
The bill criminalises knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public without a “reasonable excuse”, which includes artistic, academic or educational purposes.
Offenders can face 12 months’ imprisonment or fines of up to $11,000 for individuals and $55,000 for corporations.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman said the bill would provide additional safeguards against hate speech.
“The display of a Nazi symbol undermines our shared values and causes harm and distress to others in the community, including those from the Jewish faith,” he said.
“This bill recognizes that the public display of Nazi symbols is abhorrent, except in very limited circumstances such as for educational purposes.”
The bill will ensure that use of a swastika by religious groups including Buddhists, Hindus and Jains will not be a criminal offence.
Mr Speakman said he expected the bill to pass the upper house and be enacted by next week.
For two years, Sarah McLay has dipped into her personal savings, sacrificed a take-home wage and run her central Queensland medical practice at a loss of “several hundred thousand dollars”.
Key points:
A 2021 survey of 846 GPs found 47 per cent of female GPs’ weekly consultations involve mental health
RACGP is urging the federal government for more equitable rebates for mental health-related appointments
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce will examine potential rebate increases
Regardless of the hours Dr McLay worked or the patients she saw, the numbers did not stack up.
“We were really subsidizing the public’s health care,” Dr McLay said.
“Nothing is ever truly free. Everything costs someone something.”
Most patients probably don’t think about the finances of a medical clinic — and that’s provided you can get into the waiting room in the first place.
Yet financial strain is part of a hidden toll that Dr McLay and other general practitioners say is disproportionately affecting women and adding to skills shortages as burnt-out doctors leave the profession.
A financial and emotional gender disparity has emerged because female GPs tended to see more patients needing longer consultations.
Dr McLay says Clermont will have no permanent doctor if she was forced to close her clinic.(Supplied)
“Yes, I did medicine because I wanted to help people, but I can’t change the reality that our Medicare rebate is actually completely inadequate to pay our bills,” Dr McLay said.
“I can’t keep sacrificing and suffering because the government doesn’t value what we do.”
Short appointments more lucrative
General practitioners across the board have reported struggling to provide care with Medicare rebates that have not increased with inflation.
Louise Stone, a Canberra GP and medical educator said short consultations received a higher rebate per minute than longer appointments.
Dr Stone said she would “earn four times as much” doing back-to-back vaccination appointments than a 40-minute consult for someone with mental health or chronic physical conditions.
Added to this, Dr Stone said GPs were also facing long wait times to find patients specialized help above the mental health help they were trained to deliver.
“This is what I hear from other GPs around the country: the patients that you carry home in your head and worry about, there’s only so long you can do that before it starts to impact your health and wellbeing when there’s a lot we can’ t do,” she said.
“Living with that stress of watching patients that we do care about not being able to get the services they need, eventually that burns you out much more than working hard.”
A 2021 survey of 846 GPs by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration came to similar conclusions.
Dr Richmond says reducing her hours was the only way to cope with the emotional and financial toll of general practice.(ABC Capricorn: Michelle Gately)
The survey found while male GPs do 49 per cent of all consultations involving mental health, it only accounts for 32 per cent of their weekly consultations.
This is compared to 47 per cent of female GPs’ weekly consultations involving mental health.
“Female GPs, therefore, have the potential to feel the pressure on their time, income and emotional wellbeing more acutely,” the report stated.
‘Many general practitioners feel the same way’
For Rockhampton-based Vicki Richmond, the only way to avoid the “enormous” personal demands of general practice was to work part-time.
“Over the years, I think, I’ve often felt that it was a personal weakness on my behalf,” she said.
“Why couldn’t I cope? Perhaps it was something about me.
“More recently, I’ve recognized that, actually, my experience is not mine alone and that many, many general practitioners feel the same way.”
Dr Richmond said more recognition of the issue was needed.
“To feel every day like you’re not able to actually achieve what needs to happen because of all those other pressures, let alone my own pressures of needing to get home and get dinner on the table and pick up my kids from school,” she said.
“It is a lot to carry, isn’t it?”
Mounting debt for doctors
For Dr McLay, who owns her own practice in Clermont, reducing her hours was not an option.
The only solution she saw for the growing financial hole and mounting pressure was to be frank with her community.
Dr McLay recorded a video and shared it on Facebook, explaining why the clinic could no longer bulk bill appointments.
The reaction was mixed.
Dr McLay said some colleagues warned her to stay quiet and avoid seeming “greedy”, while some community members explained they did not have the money to pay up-front.
But she said most people had a new appreciation for and understanding of the system.
“It’s heart-wrenching because you just want to say, ‘Sure’… but, ultimately, if we keep going like that, we’ll have to shut this business,” she said.
“Then this town will have no permanent doctors.”
Calls for equitable rebates
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling on the federal government to create more equitable rebates for mental health-related appointments.
RACGP rural chair Michael Clements said this would help GPs while giving patients better access to care and reduce pressure on hospitals.
Mr Butler says the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce will examine potential rebate increases.(ABC News: Che Chorley)
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the average out-of-pocket cost for GP services had risen 60 per cent over the past decade.
In a statement, Mr Butler said the government had committed to investing almost $1 billion, which included the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce to examine potential rebate increases and other improvements.
GP practices can also apply for funding to improve equipment and staff skills as part of a $220 million grant program.
While both Dr McLay and Dr Richmond admit there is no quick fix, both believe seeing the human beneath the profession goes some way towards helping GPs feel valued.
“No one goes through the gut-wrenching, challenging experience of university, and then all the special training afterwards because they want money,” Dr McLay said.
“We all got into medicine because we care about people, and we care about outcomes.”
Native trees like the paperbark are central to the culture of the traditional owners of K’Gari (Fraser Island).
“These species are living stories,” says Matilda Davis, who works with the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation as a biosecurity and climate change officer on the World Heritage-listed island.
Matilda Davis has been checking the health of trees after wild fires on K’gari (Fraser Island).(Supplied: Matilda Davis)
Apart from many being edible or medicinal, these trees have ancestral and spiritual connections, and are key to the health of Butchulla country, she says.
For example, the paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)—called “deebing“ by the Butchulla people — can let them know when it’s safe to sustainably harvest certain foods.
“When the deebing flowers, it’s a seasonal indicator for particular kinds of seafood,” Ms Davis says.
Paperbark and other tea-trees belong to a large family known as Myrtaceae, which also include eucalypts, lilly pillies, bottlebrushes and guavas.
But a pandemic of an invasive fungal disease is making it harder for some Myrtaceae species to bounce back after intense bushfires.
Myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii), which can appear as a bloom of golden spots on leaves, can suck the life out of new growth.
The disease, which was first detected on K’gari in 2013, is a real worry for the Butchulla, Ms Davis says.
“Myrtle rust is threatening our ability to practice culture.”
The ‘other pandemic’: the spread of myrtle rust
Myrtle rust originally comes from South America, where the native Myrtaceae species have co-evolved a natural resistance to it.
But, the plant fungus has jumped from the wild — not unlike the virus that causes COVID-19 — and become a “pandemic strain”, causing disease across the globe.
The pandemic strain (see pink) is the most wide-spread strain of myrtle rust.(Supplied: Alistair McTaggart)
Its tiny spores have hitched a ride on the wind or on people’s clothes, with globalization playing a key role in the spread.
The disease has proven devastating to many “naïve” species of Myrtaceae that did not evolve with fungus.
Since it landed in Australia in 2010, it has infected forests in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and most recently Western Australia.
Tiny myrtle rust spores, which are so light they can spread on the wind, as seen under the microscope.(Supplied: Geoff Pegg)
Fungus targets growing tips of plant
When the fungus lands on species susceptible to infection it can robthe plant’s cells of nutrients, and kills off the growing tips — the new leaves, stems, flowers and fruit.
The plant is forced to put more energy into new growth, but if the plant cannot fight off the fungus, it becomes re-infected.
Midyim berry fruits are being attacked by the fungus before they can even mature.(Supplied: Matilda Davis)
“So you get this repeated cycle of growth and dieback and eventually the plant runs out of reserves and declines,” says forest pathologist Geoff Pegg of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Dr Pegg has been working to document the impacts of myrtle rust on trees impacted by fire, including on K’Gari where he is collaborating with Ms Davis and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation.
A shrub called midyim berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) is among the Myrtaceae species affected on K’Gari.
The plant is important for the health of the country, Ms Davis says.
She says many animals depend on the berry, which is “sweet with a distinct aftertaste.”
But myrtle rust affects the formation of the flowers and tasty berries in plants growing in areas recovering from bushfire.
‘Unprecedented’ extinction event of rainforest species likely
A recent survey of rainforests in Eastern Australia predicted a “plant extinction event of unprecedented magnitude” due to myrtle rust.
“Sixteen speciesare doomed with extinction within a generation,” says co-author of the survey, Rod Fensham, a plant ecologist from the University of Queensland.
Among the most at risk were the thready-bark myrtle (Gossia inophloia) and native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides).
And a further 20 species could be at risk.
“It’s an extraordinary example of a disease phenomenon,” he says.
“It’s a pretty profound event.”
Native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) is at risk of going extinct thanks to myrtle rust.(Supplied: Glenn Leiper)
Dr Pegg has also seen the devastating effects of myrtle rust on the east coast, and not just in rainforests.
“There are thousands of dead trees in some sites that we’ve looked at.”
He points to one forest at Tullebudgera not far from the Gold Coast, where there were 3,400 dead trees per hectare.
When he started the study in 2014, the high-rainfall forest was dominated by Myrtaceae species such as eucalypts and silky myrtle (Decaspermum humile).
Now most of seedlings that are surviving are non-Myrtaceae natives, and weeds like lantana and camphor laurel.
All mature silky myrtle trees (Decaspermum humile) are now dead at the Tallebudgera study site, Dr Pegg says.(Supplied: Geoff Pegg)
fire and rust
While Dr Fensham doesn’t count paperbarks among the worst affected trees, others like Dr Pegg emphasize they are still at risk, especially after bushfires.
“We’ve seen quite significant impacts in some sites,” Dr Pegg says.
Bob Makinson of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation is also worried about paperbarks from a biodiversity perspective.
Paperbark trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia) vary in their susceptibility to myrtle rust.(Supplied: Glenn Leiper)
Even without sending paperbarks extinct, he says, the impact of myrtle rust on such species could have broader implications for the ecology.
“The paperbark is such an important tree for wetlands and riverbanks where there are not many other trees that can tolerate the water-logging conditions there,” Mr Makinson, a conservation botanist, says.
“This species is important for providing shade on the water, for reducing erosion and for keeping freshwater wetlands running.”
Paperbark forests play an important ecological role.(Supplied: Glenn Leiper)
And, he adds, insects, birds and flying foxes rely on the paperbark’s flowers.
“We don’t know what the knock-on effects will be of reduced flowering in those populations that are severely affected by myrtle rust,” Mr Makinson says.
Some individual trees in a species are more resistant to myrtle rust — just as some of us appear to be naturally more resistant to COVID-19.
But Dr Pegg says only 15 to 35 per cent of paperbark seedlings in New South Wales study sites have shown natural resistance to the fungus.
Ms Davis says another species on K’Gari that’s being “smashed” by fire and rust is the the Satinay (Syncarpia hilli).(Supplied: Matilda Davis)
What about eucalypts?
During the 1970s, myrtle rust decimated eucalypts in Brazil, where they were planted as an exotic tree.
Thankfully, testing so far has showneucalypts growing natively in Australia have promising levels of resistance, although there is some concern about a few eucalypt species.
And just as we’ve had to worry about the rise of more infectious strains of COVID-19, new strains of myrtle rust may be on the way.
This Plunkett mallee (Eucalyptus curtisii) is one eucalypt that could be at risk from myrtle rust.(Supplied: Glenn Leiper)
In fact, last year, Brazilian scientists reported the evolution of a new “highly aggressive” fungus that was attacking eucalypt plantations in that country, which had been bred to be resistant.
“An introduction of a new strain like that to Australia could actually increase the risk to our eucalypts,” Dr Pegg says.
Stopping the spread to save species
To stop the spread of the disease to new areas, quarantine is essential – as is monitoring.
When the fungus reached the Northern Territory in 2018, this kicked off a monitoring program which subsequently picked up myrtle rust in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Symptoms of myrtle rust can appear variable and are sometimes hard to identify the disease unless the plants are dripping with what some have described as a “yellow sludge” of spores.
Botanic gardens and others are using every tool in the book to identify plants with natural resistance to myrtle rust.
The idea is to preserve seed or other biological material which could be crucial in saving species.
And, it wouldn’t be a pandemic without a vaccine in the wings — Australian scientists hope to use RNA-interference vaccines to get the fungus to self-destruct.
Another tree at risk of extinction is the thready bark myrtle (Gossia inophloia), which has edible fruit.(Supplied: Glenn Leiper)
But you can also help by washing your clothes (including hat!) if you’ve been in the bush in affected states, and by following quarantine rules.
And think about planting threatened species in your backyard.
Dr Fensham suggests that native guavas can make a nice addition to the home garden.
“We need more people committed to growing these things and trying to get them to reproduce,” he says.
Avoiding ‘upside-down country’
Meanwhile, back on K’Gari, Ms Davis hopes to collect seeds from paperbarks and other affected trees in an effort to conserve genetic diversity, which will be key to their survival.
And she wants to see a shift away from “bad fires” with high flames that leads to a reverse in the color scheme of forests—resulting in brown burnt treetops and green new growth below.
“That is a good indicator for us that that country is stressed,” she says.
“We call it upside-down country.”
After an intense hot fire the colour-scheme of forests can be reversed.(Supplied: Matilda Davis)
She says evidence links cooler, less-intense fires with lower impacts from myrtle rust infection.
So she’d like to see a move towards traditional “Galangoor gira” — or “good fire” — practices, something Dr Pegg agrees could be explored in the future.
Ms Davis says the “positive and respectful” partnership with scientists like Dr Pegg is allowing for a two-way learning, placing traditional custodians of the land at the center of the response to ecological problems like myrtle rust
“I do believe the answers are in our old people’s ways.” she says.
The death of a woman in her 70s who was ramped and waiting to be admitted to a Tasmanian hospital’s emergency department for more than nine hours is “totally unacceptable” and shows the state’s health system is crumbling, a union says.
Key points:
Ambulance ramping happens when hospital emergency departments are full and cannot admit new patients
In June this year, 52 per cent of patients were seen on time at the LGH ED, according to Tasmania’s Health Department
Tasmanian Health Department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks says a formal review of the case is underway
The union that represents paramedics in Tasmania said the woman was taken to the Launceston General Hospital about midnight on Friday night, and died at about 9am on Saturday.
“The patient had been ramped for nine hours at the time when they passed away, and they were still in an inappropriate setting and had not been allocated a bed at that time,” said Robbie Moore from the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) .
“This is a very sad situation that just demonstrates how bad our health system is, that we couldn’t have a bed available for a patient who clearly needed medical assistance, and shows that ambulance ramping is out of control and patients’ lives are being put at risk.”
Ambulance ramping happens when hospital emergency departments are full and cannot admit new patients.
Paramedics care for the patients they have transported in an area of the hospital outside of the emergency department.
Mr Moore said the patient received care from emergency department staff while they were waiting for an ED bed to become available, and was also cared for by ambulance paramedics.
“A patient being ramped for nine hours is totally unacceptable, and demonstrates that we are letting down the Tasmanian community,” he said.
“Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident … we’re unfortunately aware of several other incidents where patients have been unable to get a bed and passed away on the ramp.”
Nursing staff ‘distraught’ at conditions in LGH emergency department
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s Tasmanian secretary Emily Shepherd said on the night the woman was brought to the hospital, the LGH’s emergency department was full, with 20 patients waiting to be admitted to beds in other parts of the hospital, about 50 people in the ED waiting room, and seven ambulances ramped up.
“It’s incredibly concerning [to have a patient die on the ramp],” she said.
“Our members have been absolutely distraught for many years about the situation in the LGH emergency department, and indeed across the state.”
Ms Shepherd said nurses, doctors and paramedics did their best to care for patients who were waiting to be admitted to the ED.
“We’ve got patients receiving care not only on the ramp but also in waiting rooms surrounded by dozens of other people.
“Clearly the environment and circumstances upon which care is being delivered is sub-optimal, of course our members would like to see every patient presenting to the emergency department moved into a cubicle and cared for appropriately in the appropriate environment and the appropriate space.
“But we know for many years now that unfortunately that just isn’t the case.”
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
What is bed block?
Patients spend twice as long at LGH ED as at comparable hospitals
Access-block, also known as bed-block, is the root cause of ambulance ramping.
It occurs when acute beds in hospitals are full, so patients in the emergency department cannot be admitted to the hospital, meaning new patients cannot be admitted to the emergency department.
In 2019, the Australian College of Emergency Medicine determined the Launceston General Hospital’s ED suffered the worst access block in Australia.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, up to 10 per cent of patients spent more than 16 hours at the LGH ED, compared with more than eight hours at comparable hospitals nationwide in 2020-21.
While the number of patients presenting at the LGH ED has barely changed over a decade, the number of emergency presentations has nearly doubled from 3,228 in 2011-12 to 6,117 in 2020-21.
In June this year, 52 per cent of patients were seen on time at the LGH ED, according to Tasmania’s Health Department.
Formal review into ramping death underground
Tasmanian Health Department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said a formal review of the case was underway.
“As is the case whenever a patient dies in our care, we take this matter very seriously and we give our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this patient,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.
“The Launceston General Hospital and Ambulance Tasmania will be conducting a root cause analysis to fully review and understand the circumstances around this patient’s death.”
Ms Morgan-Wicks said she could not comment further due to patient confidentiality.
Asked on Tuesday about what the state government was doing to reduce ambulance ramping, Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said his government had employed an extra 870 frontline health staff over the past 12 months and was working on system improvements.
“It’s about ensuring that we get the access and flow from triple zero right through to patient discharge through our hospital system and through our emergency department,” he said.
“And it’s those system improvements that are so crucially important, as well as, of course, the investment into staff and infrastructure resources.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, up to 10 per cent of patients spent more than 16 hours at the LGH ED.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) has begun issuing a Chinese-themed 88-cent commemorative banknote, which has been causing a stir with many questioning the timing and significance of the release.
Key points:
The banknote has been issued as a collectors’ item and will not be in circulation
It features Chinese imagery, alongside the Fijian coat of arms
The release has been polarizing at it comes at a time of geopolitical tension over China’s Pacific influence
The 88-cent collectors’ item was released on the eighth day of the eighth month of the year.
The number eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture, bringing wealth and fortune — and the more eights the better.
Accompanying the lucky Chinese number, one side of the note features an image of the Chinese god of wealth and a money tree.
The words “Good luck and good fortune. May prosperity be yours” are printed in the corner.
The other side has a hibiscus flower, the Fiji coat of arms and the Governor of the Reserve Bank’s signature.
The note is available for purchase from the RBF for FJ$28 ($18), but as it is numismatic, and so purely for collectors, it will not be in circulation.
The front of the banknote features Fijian symbols alongside the Chinese lucky number denominational value. (Fiji Reserve Bank)
Why has it been released?
The issue of the note has raised eyebrows and sparked a flurry of confusion on social media.
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People joked about the worth of the 88-cent currency, while others questioned why the RBF would release the note at a time when China’s growing influence in the Pacific has been causing diplomatic tension.
Following the “misinformation and speculation on social media,” the RBF issued a clarification statement.
It said the banknote was created to generate sales income targeting the Chinese and wider Asian market, adding that “NO NEW $0.88 numismatic banknotes will be entering into circulation”.
“The newly-announced $0.88 numismatic banknote is among the hundreds of non-circulation numismatic currency that the RBF has produced since 1974,” the statement said.
“The practice is similar to that of stamp production, whereby hobbyists can purchase the banknotes and coins for their collections.”
In the past, the RBF has issued banknotes and coins with Christmas imagery, celebrities, landmarks and Fijian fauna themes.
While it is common for the RBF to issue themed numismatics banknotes and coins, Biman Prasad — the leader of the National Federation party — said they are usually produced with a specific intention.
“They are normally produced to mark commemorative events of both national and sometimes international significance,” Mr Prasad told the ABC’s Pacific Beat program.
“I think the controversy is, what does it mean? What does this commemorate?”
De La Rue — a British company that collaborated with the RBF to design and produce the banknote — said it was released to bless people with fortune in challenging times.
“This theme was chosen because it was felt appropriate to wish people wealth and good fortune in the context of challenging global events,” De La Rue said.
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The RBF has generated over $8 million in income through the sale of numismatic banknotes and coins.
Mr Prasad said it is odd for the bank to be focusing on raising funds when there are more important issues to address.
“The Reserve Bank should be really concerned about other issues, particularly inflation and high cost of living,” he said.
Suspicion vs celebration
The Chinese community in Fiji is small but significant.
There are around 8,000 people of Chinese origin who live in the country, which makes up about 1 per cent of the population.
Mr Prasad said the community is respected and had contributed to the development of the country in a significant way.
However, in the current geopolitical circumstances, it creates “suspension and controversy”.
“At this point in time, it doesn’t make sense for them to engage in these kinds of novelty exercises,” he said.
Neisau Tuidraki is a Fijian based in Melbourne who describes herself as an “avid” banknote collector.
She thinks the new note should be embraced as a way to celebrate Fiji’s Chinese community.
“It’s very polarizing for some people, but avid collectors like myself will probably buy it up,”Ms Tuidraki told the ABC.
“I’ve actually talked to a couple of my family back home and asked them to go into the Reserve Bank and purchase one for me.”
Neisau Tuidraki sees the note as a celebration of Fiji’s Chinese community. (Supplied )
While Ms Tuidraki acknowledges the animosity regarding China’s influence in the region, for her the note symbolizes the generations of positivity.
“I can honestly say that some of the best Chinese food I’ve had is in Fiji,” she said.
“As Fijians, we should embrace it. We have a very vibrant and diverse Chinese community in Fiji, and I think it’s a good way to celebrate that.”
Australian National University professor of finance Meijun Qian also believes the move should not be politicised.
She views it simply as a symbol of economic collaboration.
“It’s being too criticized,” Professor Qian told the ABC.
“If Fiji wants to develop more economic connections with China with this kind of symbolic thing, I don’t think they need to get any extra political attention.”
When John Norton heard a noise outside his Port Macquarie home in the early hours of the morning he never expected to be attacked by a large deer.
Key points:
The Invasive Species Council says feral deer numbers have “exploded” across NSW
A Port Macquarie resident says a large deer charged at him in his front yard
Feral deer can cause damage to natural environments and agriculture businesses
“At two in the morning I heard this banging noise,” Mr Norton said.
“I went around the corner and in a split second I saw a male deer with horns and he actually stood up, pointed at me and charged,” he said.
“I fell to the ground, then he stomped on me and bolted.”
Mr Norton said he called an ambulance and spent a night in hospital for observation, but managed to walk away with a couple of bruises.
Port Macquarie resident John Norton wants deer control measures to be improved.(ABC Mid North Coast: Madeleine Cross )
Deer have become a seemingly incongruous regular sighting in suburban communities around NSW, particularly in Port Macquarie.
Locals have even reported seeing the animals walking in streets in the CBD during the night, while further north in Coffs Harbor there have been reports of deer on the busy Pacific Highway.
There are growing concerns about the increased spread of feral deer across northern and central New South Wales, particularly in suburban areas.
Invasive Species Council’s conservation director James Trezise said the feral deer herd have expanded across the state over the past 10 years.
“In about 2016, feral deer occupied 18 per cent of the state. They now occupy more than 22 per cent of the state. They’re really growing in the Mid North Coast, northern NSW and the Central West districts,” he said.
Chital deer are regularly seen at Coffs Harbor on the Mid North Coast.(Supplied: North Coast Local Land Services)
North Coast Local Land Service invasive pests team leader Dean Chamberlin urged people to stay clear of deer especially during rutting season, when deer mate.
“They’re protecting their own little space so they become a little bit more aggressive,” Mr Chamberlin said.
“They become more mobile and move around in areas where they’re not normally.”
There have also been increased sightings of large deer in the state’s north, from the NSW and Queensland border ranges and the Northern Tablelands.
Tweed Shire Council’s feral deer management officer Rachel Hughes said the Russian breed have been spotted near roads.
“Due to the unpredictability of deer and how fast they are… all of a sudden they will appear in front of you and you won’t have time to react,” she said.
“They can write off a vehicle with no problem at all.”
North Coast LLS says Chital deer have been seen in the Coffs Harbor region(Supplied: North Coast Local Land Service)
Residents across the Hunter region report seeing deer almost daily in some areas.
The Lake Macquarie City Council is funding a University of Technology Sydney project to gauge the extent of the issue.
“We need to know whether they are present, how many are present and what impact they’re having before we can actually make some sensible decisions about how to manage them,” UTS environmental sciences program director Leigh Martin said.
Population has ‘exploded’
The Invasive Species Council said feral deer were likely Australia’s worst emerging pest problem, causing damage to natural environments and agriculture businesses.
“feral deer [numbers] have just exploded across the state and it’s creating a really serious challenge for management because they will keep moving north,” Mr Tresize said.
“Unless we introduce containment and control measures that really stop these populations spreading … we’re going to see deer just march straight up into Cape York.”
Feral deer have been spotted on private property across Australia(Supplied: Judy Owen)
The animal was originally introduced in Australia for hunting and farming purposes. But numbers have continued to grow, largely due to a lack of natural predators.
Mr Trezise said the animal’s grazing and hard hooves could have a destructive effect on vegetation.
“A very small population of deer can have a serious impact on threatened species.”
Control efforts ongoing
North Coast Local Land Service has continued its attempt to control the population through hunting methods and a trapping trial.
Mr Chamberlin said the medium-scale trapping program had been successful in keeping deer numbers static, despite delays due to recent flooding events.
North Coast LLS says trapping trials are continuing in Port Macquarie.(Supplied: North Coast Local Land Services )
“That will hopefully bring numbers down to a bigger degree so they don’t have to move into areas of backyards or retirement villages.”
Mr Chamberlin said people should report feral deer sightings to the LLS or the FeralScan app.
A parliamentary inquiry has handed down a scathing report into how emergency agencies responded to major flooding in New South Wales earlier this year.
The parliamentary committee, led by Labor’s Walt Secord found that the NSW State Emergency Service and Resilience NSW failed to provide leadership, created confusion and responded poorly during the event.
The flood crisis is the worst the city has seen in decades. (Nine)
“Put simply, the community was forced to save themselves; neighbor saving neighbor,” Secord said in the report.
“While this is an admirable testament to these communities, it is both unreasonable and undesirable as a matter of public policy.”
The report found government agencies and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) were not “prepared” for and did not “comprehend” the scale of the floods.
It also found criticized the state government for treating the disaster response as a “nine-to-five business operation”.
A helicopter came to rescue the residents atop the hotel in Lismore earlier this year. (Nine)
The committee made 37 recommendations, including restructuring the NSW SES and having it coordinate “more closely” with other rescue agencies.
Resilience NSW should be abolished if it was unable to focus on “meeting community needs”, the report recommended.
The committee also urged the weather bureau to review its rain data infrastructure and flood modeling tools.
Devastating deluge impacts two states
“Resilience NSW demonstrated some of the biggest failures of the NSW Government’s response to the floods,” Secord said.
“The agency failed to engage or coordinate with community groups leading flood recovery efforts in their communities.”
The committee also called on the government to finalize its long-term housing options.
Investments were needed in supporting relocations, land swaps, and providing fair compensation for landowners who wish to relocate from severely flood-impacted areas.
