NewsMatch Alert: Press Release Summary | 15 November 2024
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Today's highlights
Monash University researchers discover new species of skink in central Australian desert
A new species of rock skink has been discovered in central Australia by Monash University researchers. Characterised by its orange, pointed snout, the Central Ranges rock skink, or?Liopholis aputja, inhabits the hills of the Mann-Musgrave Ranges near the northern border of South Australia. Jules Farquhar, who led the research for Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences, said “aputja” is a local Aboriginal word meaning “of the hills”.
Report reveals an epidemic of loneliness amongst older people in NSW
Council on the Ageing NSW ( COTA NSW )
The report, Voices of Solitude: Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Adults in NSW, drew on data from a survey of over 2,200 individuals aged 50 and over across NSW to better understand the extent and impacts of loneliness and social isolation. It has found that 60% of respondents are lonely, with 25% suffering from the most extreme levels of loneliness and 50% are socially isolated. Gohar Yazdabadi , CEO of COTA NSW said, “Our findings paint a devastating picture of the extent of loneliness and social isolation among those aged 50 plus in our community.”??
Oxfam Australia welcomes Australia’s backing of UN Resolution on “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians
Oxfam Australia welcomes the Australian Government’s vote in favour of a United Nations resolution affirming the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians’ over their natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.?
Australian-first research program to examine discrimination experiences launches
Monash University’s Campus Cohesion research program – the first major research program in Australia to examine the discrimination experiences of Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students and staff concurrently – was officially launched (yesterday) by The Honourable Jason Clare MP , Federal Minister for Education.?
Medicare’s Safety Net must catch those most at risk
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling for the Medicare Safety Net thresholds to be lowered to ensure the most vulnerable Australians can access essential general practice care. In a submission to the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s Medicare Safety Net Reform Working Group, Australia’s peak general practitioner (GP) body says the Medicare Safety Net thresholds need to be lowered so people across all income brackets can benefit.??
Drowning risk: three in five Japanese students have no understanding of safety flags
Tragically, overseas visitors drowning at Australian beaches has been a regular occurrence in recent years and as the weather warms up, the risk of more drownings increases. The recently published Surf Life Saving Australia National Coastal Safety Report 2024 shows a 22 per cent increase in coastal drowning deaths in the summer of 2023/24 compared to the previous year – the most coastal drowning deaths recorded since July 2004. Japanese visitors are among the highest numbers of international visitor coastal drowning deaths in Australia.
Historic deal to lock in big pay rises for long day care staff set for vote
The first multi-employer supported bargaining agreement developed under new industrial relations laws, with pay rises of 15% over two years, is ready to be put to a vote by thousands of teachers and educators working for 63 employers in the long day care sector. Unions and the employers have endorsed the deal.
Solving chronic school absence: MissingSchool’s Megan Gilmour named 2025 Australian of the Year for the ACT
Announced at a ceremony last night (14 November 2024), MissingSchool co-founder and CEO Megan Gilmour is the 2025 Australian of the Year for the ACT. The award recognises her leadership of the first organisation in Australia to address chronic school absence for children facing medical-mental challenges serious enough to affect their education and wellbeing. Megan now goes into the running for the national accolade to be revealed on 25 January 2025.?
Media talent: Employment and industrial law barrister
Coles has become the latest corporate to mandate office returns, with a memo from the chief executive instructing all head office staff to work in the office one day per week, starting next week. As companies increasingly require in-person attendance, questions arise: What rights do employees have in refusing a return? How far can employers push these mandates post-pandemic? Leading Australian Employment and Industrial Law Barrister Ian Neil SC is available for interview.
Monash experts: Negotiating a just and equitable energy transition at COP29
World leaders are gathered in Azerbaijan for the UN Climate Change Conference 2024, also known as COP29 or the Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Monash University has sent a delegation of climate action leaders, including academics and students, to each conference since becoming an official COP Observer Organisation in 2016.
Oxfam reaction to Australian Government Asian Development Bank (ADB) climate change loans
In response to the announcement that the Australian Government will guarantee up to AUD$300 million worth of Asian Development Bank (ADB) climate change lending for the Pacific and South-East Asia, Oxfam Australia Policy and Advocacy Lead, Josie Lee, says:?“We are disappointed that the Australian Government has announced money for loans at this time, when negotiations are so tense and one of the big concerns from low-income countries has been the provision of debt creating loans, rather than real money to respond to the climate crisis."
$1 billion in tree cover hangs in the balance - regional tree canopy under threat
Former Southern Grampians Mayor Howard Templeton has called for the Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, to vote for common sense and ensure Victoria’s Regional tree canopy is secured by adding $1 billion in tree canopy.?The Victorian Government is seeking to overturn the overwhelming recommendation of a highly credentialled expert committee which wants to reduce unnecessary tree pruning around power lines in Victoria in areas designated as low bushfire risk.
Forgotten Australians to march through Richmond to mark the 15th Anniversary of the National Apology
Forgotten Australians are invited to join a commemorative march in Richmond this Friday 15 November, to mark the 15th Anniversary of the National Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants. More than 500,000 Forgotten Australians were placed into institutional or other out-of-home care before 1990, with many experiencing abuse, neglect, and trauma during their time in ‘care.’ On 16 November 2009, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology on behalf of the Australian Government and the nation, to Forgotten Australians and children who arrived through historical child migration schemes and were subsequently placed in ‘care’.
Winners announced in Melbourne’s top literature prize
Melbourne Prize Trust
Supported by major patron, The Vera Moore Foundation, the $60,000 Melbourne Prize for Literature 2024 is awarded to ALEXIS WRIGHT for her body of published work and an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life. Alexis Wright, a member of the Waanyi Nation of the Southern Highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, is a world- renowned author of groundbreaking published works including four novels and several works of non-fiction.
Shaw and Partners Financial Services WA Race Week – $240,000 prize pool, world-class athletes, and record attendance
The 11th running of the Shaw and Partners Financial Services WA Race Week returns to Perth (23-30 November) with an impressive $240,000 prize pool and an action-packed schedule, featuring over 1,000 competitors from around the world, including Olympians, world champions, and Australia’s top surf lifesaving athletes. This year’s event will also host Australia’s largest-ever Nipper Clinic, where more than 600 young surf lifesavers will have the unique opportunity to train with legends of the sport.
Celebrating the recipients of the 2024 Creative Australia Awards
Creative Australia has announced the eleven leading artists to receive 2024 Creative Australia Awards. For the first time this year, the awards proudly include the National Arts and Disability Awards, celebrating the contributions of artists to their fields and the cultural life of the nation.
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