Alcohol-related harm in the NT on the rise
A local health group in Alice Springs feared alcohol-related harm had heavily increased after a recent lack of police presence around bottle shops.
CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Donna Ah Chee, said the declining police presence ignored recommendations made in the Government's $300,000 alcohol review.
The Northern Territory Government said point-of-sale interventions would continue, but they would leave police in charge of decisions about how frequently officers should monitor bottle shops.
Railway services across the south-east cut in preparation for the Commonwealth Games
Queensland Rail is yet to deny reports that weekend train services in south-east Queensland will be halved to meet demand during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Weekend services across the network will be cut from half-hourly to every hour, while the Gold Coast line will run on an accelerated schedule, according to News Corp.
Queensland Rail CEO, Nick Easy, said “Queensland Rail staff will be out across the rail network from this morning, speaking with commuters and assisting them to plan their journey ahead of these changes”.
Mosquito management halts fish reproduction
A Queensland Gulf community has expressed concerns about the council’s mosquito control program and its impact on the local barramundi industry.
According to the Carpentaria Shire Council, the barramundi hatchery at Karumba had not produced successful spawn since mid-2016 until recently, when mosquito spraying was halted for two months.
The Council used a chemical called Twilight ULV Mosquito Adulticide Concentrate to manage mosquitos, which poses many ecological risks.
Black GST (stop Genocide; recognise Sovereignty; formalise Treaties)
On Sunday January 21, 2018, WARCollective: Warriors for the Aboriginal Resistance, held a Black GST Public Forum, which was part of the Seven Days of Resistance (leading to the January 26 nationwide protests). Long-time Indigenous activists Tony Birch; Margi Thorpe; Robbie Thorpe; and non-Indigenous ally Clare Land talked Genocide, Sovereignty and Treaty.
11am Zedlines
Your 11 am Zedlines with Christie and Holly
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Plastic bag ban still holds existing concern for Vanuatu locals
Vanuatu’s ban on plastic bag still holds existing concerns, with an influx of cheaper material exports set to hit the local handicraft sector.
Amazon has won patents for wristband to track workers movements
Amazon has won two patents for a wristband that enables employers to track their worker’s every movement, however it remains unclear whether Amazon actually plans to manufacture the device and have their employees wear it.
Comparison report finds that Tasmania’s Integrity Commission is largely ‘toothless’
A recent report released by The Australia Institute, an independent think tank, has labelled Tasmania’s Integrity Commission as ‘toothless’.
NSW Judges file legal action in their own court to prevent headquarter move
New South Wales’ top industrial judges have launched legal action in their own court in a bid to prevent the State Government from evicting them from their Sydney headquarters.
Calls for wider representation on Mining executive boards
A recent Deloitte report on the Mining sector has started a call for greater diversity on mining company boards.