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Queensland authorities investigating allegations water contamination stored secret
The Queensland authorities is looking for an replace from the impartial regulator after revelations that harmful ranges of poisonous chemical substances have been present in groundwater close to a web site contaminated by Linc Vitality.
Linc Vitality was fined $4.5m following contamination brought on by a joint-venture with CS Vitality that concerned setting fireplace to coal appears to underground coal appears to generate gasoline.
The Australian reported that leaked paperwork from Queensland’s Division of Atmosphere and Science confirmed cyanide and benzene had been detected in April final yr however land homeowners seem to not have been instructed.
The paperwork reportedly describe the extent of the contamination as “presently unknown”.
Minister for Communities and Housing Leeanne Enoch was requested concerning the incident whereas talking to reporters on Saturday however declined to supply any element saying the Atmosphere Minister was looking for an pressing briefing.
Can I simply say this, this was – this entire piece with Linc Vitality, this was one of the vital rigorous investigation within the impartial regulators historical past. The corporate was efficiently prosecuted and was fined some $4.5m because of that.
Definitely the impartial regulator thus far has discovered no contaminants from Linc’s activists however in fact the Minister, as she has already made clear, can be looking for some pressing briefing on that matter to ensure all that info is made clear.
So from my understanding the impartial regulator has been offering property homeowners the outcomes of water monitoring on their properties.
Enoch mentioned she believed landowners had been notified concerning the outcomes of groundwater testing on their property however didn’t know whether or not the outcomes from neighbouring properties had been shared.
She additionally wouldn’t be drawn on questions on whether or not the federal government prevented making information of the contamination public to keep away from the chance of litigation.
What I can say is that this work is and has been probably the most rigorous investigation and the Impartial Regulator, making it clear – an Impartial Regulator – have been in dialog with property homeowners and the Minister will get the knowledge from the division.
Queensland state authorities on alert as fourth Covid Wave looms
The Queensland minister Leeanne Enoch says the state authorities is watching and ready as fourth Covid wave looms.
Enoch praised the work of Queensland well being staff thus far and mentioned the state had invested closely in constructing capability to cope with future waves.
“Clearly we’ve got completely stood out amongst the pack over the whole time of coping with Covid,” Enoch mentioned.
Enoch mentioned the federal government is taking recommendation about any additional actions which will have to be taken.
Queensland web site to supply ‘single supply of reality’ for these transferring into aged care
Queensland’s authorities has introduced a brand new authorities web site to assist seniors and their households evaluate choices for retirement residing within the state.
The web site will function a software to allowed customers to check providers, services and places.
Talking to reporters exterior Southern Cross Care facility on Saturday, minister Leeanne Enoch described the web site as a “single supply of reality” for individuals who wanted assist to “navigate the system”.
“When folks resolve to consider transferring to a retirement village, there’s fairly an excessive amount of stress about that – all the same old issues concerned with taking that subsequent step in life.
“It may be fairly complicated.”
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, mentioned the web site was a part of her authorities’s dedication to offering higher providers.
I like our nice way of life – it is why so many individuals wish to retire in Queensland. Our seniors and retirees have given a lot to Queensland. We wish to present nice safety and certainty for seniors contemplating retirement village residing.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 11, 2022
Katharine Murphy
In the event you’ve been following the parliamentary tussle over the Albanese authorities’s office reform bundle this week, you’ll have clocked some fascinating divergences between the progressive forces within the 47th parliament.
In the event you’ve missed it, let’s catch up shortly. Labor’s efforts to implement multi-employer bargaining to spice up wages development hasn’t received common approval. The case examine confirms progressivism on this parliament runs alongside a spectrum from centre-right to centre-left to laborious left.
There’s a really previous proverb in Australia: cash runs Sydney and the unions run Melbourne. This can be a gross generalisation, and the entire notion feels fairly antiquated within the trendy financial system, however I remembered it this week when the Melbourne teal independents – Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel – voted with the federal government on the second studying of the economic laws, whereas the Sydney contingent opposed the coverage.
For extra evaluation on how the brand new parliament is shaping up, learn the total story for Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy.
Billion greenback hospital redevelopment on the playing cards if Victorian Liberals win election
The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne would bear a $2.4 billion redevelopment if the Coalition wins the upcoming Victorian election.
An additional 150 beds and a brand new hospital wing can be created, with building set to start in its first time period.
The revamp contains extra working theatres, larger intensive care capability, additional automotive parks and an up to date emergency and trauma centre.
The hospital pledge is the Coalition’s single greatest election promise and Liberal Chief Matthew Man anticipated it could take greater than 5 years to finish.
Liberal well being spokesperson and former midwife Georgie Crozier used to work at The Alfred and described the services as “crumbling”.
“A hospital that’s not match for objective, it’s not as much as scratch within the twenty first century. That’s Labor’s failure, that’s Daniel Andrews’ failure,” she mentioned.
Jason Hennessey attended the press convention with the Liberal management and defined his spouse Kylie, who had a mind tumour, needed to journey to Adelaide to get a specialised MRI scan as a result of the machine on the Alfred was damaged.
Hennessey mentioned there was a 3 month wait earlier than his spouse might get the scan at one other Melbourne hospital.
“If we needed to wait three months, my spouse would have died,” he mentioned.
Man reiterated his well being spending plan was potential as a result of if elected he would shelve stage one of many $35 billion Suburban Rail Loop undertaking from Field Hill to Cheltenham.
The Coalition will desire the Greens over Labor on the November 26 ballot, which it hopes will imply the federal government might lose as much as three seats.
To date the Coalition has dedicated funds to greater than 20 hospitals, $125 million to triple zero and plans to recruit an additional 40,000 nurses.
Heath has turn into the dominant problem within the 2022 marketing campaign, after pressures on the system had been highlighted by the pandemic.
– AAP
Renewed flood warnings throughout elements of New South Wales.
New local weather modelling suggests South Australia will develop hotter, extra arid
South Australia is in for warmer days and extra of them, much less rain however with heavier falls, and extra extreme fireplace situations because the world’s local weather warms, AAP experiences.
The forecast by the state’s division for setting and water relies on the seemingly results of local weather change obtained by modelling completely different greenhouse gasoline emission situations
The regarding projections point out will increase in most, minimal and common temperatures, and a decline in common annual rain regardless of a larger frequency of maximum falls.
They’ve been issued as a abstract of seemingly modifications within the a long time forward to key variables akin to temperature, rainfall, evapotranspiration, days of extreme fireplace hazard and sea degree rises.
Performing local weather minister, Joe Szakacs, says the information can be utilized by authorities, enterprise and communities to arrange for change.
“These projections reinforce why the state authorities declared a local weather emergency and why South Australia can’t afford to attend any longer on actual local weather change motion,” he mentioned.
“They additional spotlight the necessity to cut back greenhouse gasoline emissions by our hydrogen jobs plan, which can speed up SA’s renewable power trade.”
The modelling’s mid-range state of affairs is consultant of a world temperature enhance of between 1.9C and a couple of.9C by 2100, whereas a high-range state of affairs represents a 3.6 to five.0C enhance.
Statistical tables for Adelaide and 9 regional South Australian cities, together with statewide maps, present an in-depth evaluation on projected local weather variables to 2030, 2050 and, for the primary time, 2090.
Szakacs mentioned the figures offered the most effective info obtainable to assist plan for the longer term.
“The time for local weather change motion is now and it’s incumbent upon us all to help companies and the group to adapt and cut back emissions,” he mentioned.
SA’s deputy premier and local weather minister, Susan Shut, is presently attending the UN’s Cop27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Right here is the joint assertion on the brand new cybersecurity taskforce that was introduced earlier right now.
Victorian Electoral Fee rejects impartial candidate how-to-vote card
A group impartial for a high-profile Melbourne seat is threatening court docket motion over a dispute about her how-to-vote card design, AAP is reporting.
The Victorian Electoral Fee has instructed Brighton candidate Felicity Frederico her design for the 26 November state election just isn’t permissible because it has clean bins subsequent to different candidates.
“Your district HTVC should not embrace any visuals of clean bins subsequent to candidate names,” a VEC candidate providers officer wrote in an electronic mail to Ms Frederico.
“The rationale for that is that it might induce a voter to vote 1 for you, however not quantity all of the remaining bins. This could mislead the voter to forged a casual vote.”
Frederico is trying to prise the south-east Melbourne seat from Liberal MP and shadow cupboard minister James Newbury, who holds it on a notional margin of 0.5% after an electoral boundaries redistribution.
The previous Bayside mayor stop the Liberal celebration after dropping a preselection race towards Newbury final yr.
Below Victoria’s Electoral Act, how-to-vote playing cards should point out the order of voting desire for all listed candidates or an announcement {that a} quantity should be positioned towards every candidates identify.
The Act states that the fee should refuse to register a how-to-vote card whether it is prone to mislead or deceive an elector.
Frederico’s most popular design directs voters to “place a 1 on this field, then quantity all different bins”.
She says the VEC’s interpretation of the laws is improper, with the same design utilized by teal impartial Monique Ryan throughout her profitable marketing campaign for the federal seat of Kooyong in Could.
“I would like an open poll as a result of, as an impartial, I would like voters to decide on who their preferences go to,” she instructed AAP on Saturday.
How-to-vote card submissions for events and candidates open on Monday, the identical day as early voting begins throughout the state.
Designs should be registered with the VEC to be able to be distributed on election day however it’s not required at early voting centres.
Frederico plans to submit two designs on Monday, together with one as a again up that doesn’t point out some other candidate on the poll.
“I’ll undoubtedly contemplate authorized motion if my most popular how-to-vote card just isn’t registered,” she mentioned.
The VEC has been contacted for remark.
Extreme thunderstorm warnings have been issued for elements of South Australia together with the chance of huge hail.
⚠️A Extreme Thunderstorm Warning ⛈️has been issued for damaging winds, massive hail and heavy rainfall for the Decrease & Japanese Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, West Coast, North East and North West Pastoral districts. Newest warning: https://t.co/5wxFrWeCue pic.twitter.com/DR8YtZth4K
— Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia (@BOM_SA) November 11, 2022
Related warnings have additionally been issued for elements of Queensland’s southern inside.
⛈️Saturday forecast: thunderstorms ongoing in western QLD and the southern inside. Extreme thunderstorms potential with damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall. Extreme thunderstorms within the far southwest can also produce massive hail. Warnings if wanted: https://t.co/FBmpsIoqYW pic.twitter.com/kEo4pfyrbu
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 11, 2022
Extreme climate warnings have additionally been issued for elements of japanese Victoria.
O’Neil is requested concerning the Majestic Princess cruise ship that docked in Sydney in a single day.
New South Wales Well being is the lead company for managing how they will help the passengers and cope with this embarkation on a case-by-case foundation.
I might say that there are common protocols and plans which have arisen out of the Ruby Princess.
She additionally mentioned “the function of border forces supplementary to the lead on well being points”.
Again on the brand new taskforce, O’Neil says a everlasting standing committee can be shaped to supervise the partnership between the Australian Alerts Directorate and the AFP.
Dreyfus is requested whether or not Australia is contemplating expelling Russian diplomats. He says the Australian authorities is “trying laborious at Russia’s diplomatic profile in Australia and all choices stay into consideration”.
Nevertheless:
Our desire is to keep up diplomatic channels however diplomatic profiles should all the time be per our nationwide curiosity.
On whether or not the AFP can fairly count on to go after these accountable in Russia, O’Neill says Australia wants to vary its “mindset”.
I feel we have to shift away from the mindset right here that the one factor that wants success is having somebody behind bars. There is a gigantic quantity that may be executed which doesn’t look in that precise route.
I received’t go into the specifics however this time period disruption is what we’re right here to speak about. And this joint standing operation just isn’t merely responding to crime, they are going to be looking these gangs the place ever they’re around the globe and the their actions, we’re going to hack the hackers.
Clare O’Neil says Australia is waking from a ‘cyber slumber’
O’Neil says cybercrime is a world downside and is the No 1 crime of concern for regulation enforcement globally.
I feel what we’re seeing in Australia is that we’re waking up from a cyber slumber that we’ve been in. After I take a look at earlier years, you noticed in 2020, 2021, main assaults that are fairly comparable in nature to Optus and plenty of financial institution occurred in international locations around the globe.
Dreyfus is requested about relations between Russia and Australia and whether or not this may increasingly have an effect on the try to trace down those that stole the Medibank information.
He says the AFP will work with worldwide companions that features Interpol. He calls on “all international locations” to help within the elimination of this kind of cybercrime.
Russia stays a member of Interpol and [it is] doubly acceptable that Russia do all that it will possibly to make sure that people who find themselves inside its borders aren’t participating in this type of legal exercise.
The legal professional normal, Mark Dreyfus, is talking now about how this new partnership will work. He says the federal government is doing all it will possibly to “restrict the influence of this terrible legal act”.
The AFP has been working day and evening, scouring the web and no legal on-line websites to determine those that are shopping for and promoting private info, private identification info.
Dreyfus says a authorities invoice can be launched and he referred to as on “all events” within the Senate to help its invoice so it may be “handed at once”.
O’Neil says the brand new taskforce is not going to be a reactive organisation however can be set as much as “hack the hackers”:
At this time we’re placing cybercriminals on discover. The joint standing operation is not going to merely be responding to crimes as they have an effect on Australians, they are going to be looking these gangs around the globe and disrupting the actions of those folks.
The neatest and hardest folks in our nation are going to hack the hackers. Any further cybercriminals can be a continuing and enduring goal for our businesses to disrupt and they are going to be working intently with the worldwide partnerships that these two organisations have.
Clare O’Neill pronounces ‘new mannequin of policing’ to fight cybercrime
The house affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, has introduced a “new mannequin of policing” following the Medibank hack.
You’re entitled to maintain details about your well being, no matter it’s, fully personal. It doesn’t matter who you’re or what that info is perhaps, that’s your proper. And it has been stolen from you by Russian thugs. Our message right now is that these thugs ought to be careful.
O’Neil says a brand new partnership can be shaped between the Australian federal police and the Australian Alerts Directorate.
This can be by a joint standing operation towards cybercriminal syndicates. Round 100 officers round these two organisations can be part of this joint standing operation, many of those officers can be bodily colocated working from the Australian Alerts Directorate.
That is the formalisation of a partnership, a standing physique throughout the Australian authorities which can, day in, day trip, search out the scumbags who’re accountable for these malicious crimes towards harmless folks.
The legal professional normal, Mark Dreyus, and the cybersecurity minister, Claire O’Neil, are about to offer a press convention on the Medibank breach.
We’ll carry you the newest when it will get underway.
Majestic Princess passengers instructed to not take public transport
The Majestic Princess has docked in Sydney’s Darling Harbour and is presently permitting passengers to disembark.
Particular measures have been put in place to make sure passengers who’ve contracted Covid-19 stay remoted from wholesome passengers as they depart.
All passengers should put on masks and can be required to observe particular measures as they re-enter the group, for instance these contaminated are being instructed to not take public transport.
When disembarkation takes place the cruise ship will then be disinfected and can tackle new passengers earlier than transport out later right now.
Legal professional-Normal Mark Dreyfus and Minister for Residence Affairs and Cyber Safety Clare O’Neil will maintain a media convention in Melbourne on the newest developments relating to Medibank, 10:30AM #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) November 11, 2022