Australia

More than five years after a royal commission recommended Darwin's notorious Don Dale Youth Detention Centre be closed, the facility is still in use.

Coroners around Australia are frustrated their potentially life-saving recommendations to prevent Indigenous suicide are being routinely ignored by the government, a new national report has found.

G'day all! Just thought I'd chuck up this random thread for a bit of a yarn. You know, sometimes it's nice to have a chinwag about anything and everything – could be your latest DIY project, a recipe you're stoked about, or even just how your day's been. It's all about sharing the good vibes and having a fair dinkum chat. So, what's the goss? Jump on in and let's have a good old chit-chat, like a bunch of mates sitting 'round the table. Cheers!

With the referendum on next Saturday, we're opening up this thread for questions about the referendum itself. As I read in an ABC article this morning no-one under 42 has ever been able to vote in a referendum and the last one was ~24 years ago.

This thread is not a place to discuss the alteration itself - that is handled by the older Voice to Parliament Referendum Megathread which will remain open until after October 14. There you will find a wide range of opinions, and do remember these are opinions and not facts.

Anyway this thread is here for anyone that's got questions about the referendum. And by extension anyone with answers

The corruption watchdog has conceded it has "no power" to publicise a report into former deputy-premier, Jackie Trad, following a decision by the High Court last month.

It's probably too late to make a submission but it's not too late to vote on the submissions under the Banner Photo post (featured in this community). I'll be checking the votes either later tonight or tomorrow (4/09/2023) morning so make sure you have your say.

In her first memoir, Nadesalingam revisited painful memories to tell her family’s story. Now happily settled in Biloela, she’s urging the country to keep fighting

Health minister says on-site checking not a ‘silver bullet’ as advocates warn expected hot summer increases likelihood of harm for drug-takers

While many residents agree the flats are past their useful life, sudden announcements about the demolition of their homes has caused shock and anxiety

The man tasked with overhauling WA's problem-plagued youth detention system does not have his contract for the role renewed by the state government.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has released a statement urging the government to be more ambitious with its energy targets – net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

This is just one day after the Climate Council called on the government to do the same.

“The science is unequivocal, the climate induced catastrophes are irrefutable. ATSE calls for leaders across every Australian sector to join us in making Australia a frontrunner amongst global peers, in setting an ambitious target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035,” said ATSE President Dr Katherine Woodthorpe.

“To meet this ambition, with the Federal Government in the driver’s seat, Australia should prioritise upskilling our workforce, and develop and urgently apply evidence-based solutions across all industry sectors – particularly in energy, transportation, manufacturing, construction, minerals and agriculture.”

The position statement highlighted six top priorities. They included developing new policy for the energy network, limiting waste, and increasing the electrification of the transport industry.

“We’re the engineers and the applied scientists, we’re the ones where the rubber hits the road – who work out how to do this,” Woodthorpe told RenewEconomy.

“And we’re saying it’s doable. It’s not easy. It’s a huge task, but it’ll set Australia’s economy up for the future in a world where climate will be a real issue.”

A major change to Australian design rules promises to be a “game changer” for Australia’s shift to electric freight transport.

The new rule announced by the federal government will allow wider trucks on Australian roads, bringing the country in line with overseas markets and removing one of the key barriers to local uptake of heavy duty electric trucks, as most overseas-built models were just a few centimetres too wide to meet Australia’s previous standards.

“This Safer Freight Vehicles package responds to direct calls from industry to increase the width limit of trucks and follows extensive public consultation and feedback,” said federal assistant minister for infrastructure and transport Carol Brown.

“These changes will be a real game changer for industry, businesses and other road users, as they will save lives by adopting technology to reduce the likelihood of crashes, while also lowering freight costs and supporting better environmental outcomes.”

The change increases the overall width limit from 2.50 to 2.55 metres for new trucks, as long as they are fitted with safety features such as side guards and devices to limit blind spots.

Holy shit, so much fucking american politics. it's in everything, even the boomer-tier memes.

The Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre features heavily throughout the eighth volume of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability report.

These were the top posts across Aussie Zone at the end of this week

Top 5 from Australia:

• Banner Photo
• Weekly Random Thread #39 26-09-2023
• Major car brands accused of trying to write 'loopholes' into Australia's looming fuel efficiency laws
• Australia’s wealthiest 20% worth 90 times the country’s poorest, new report reveals
• [Australia] Government to overhaul privacy laws, including opting out of advertising, a right to be forgotten, and new rules for small businesses

Top 5 from Aussie Enviro:

• A farmer set a trap to catch whatever was killing his chooks. He caught a quoll extinct in SA for 130 years
• Koala lover here still looking for any discussions on conserving koala habitat
• Recovered RNA has put scientists one step closer to resurrecting the Tasmanian tiger
• As Antarctic sea ice continues its dramatic decline, we need more measurements and much better models to predict its future
• We should use Australia's environment laws to protect our 'living wonders' from new coal and gas projects

Top 5 from Australian News:

• This nurse has had to rescue clients 'abducted' by unscrupulous NDIS providers
• Australia has long debated this housing idea, but in Auckland it's already working
• COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in Australia last year, ABS data shows
• Federal Court grants injunctions against online piracy requested by Foxtel and Disney
• Senator claims former Qantas boss Alan Joyce could face jail if he avoids airline inquiry

Top 5 from Australian Politics:

• Daniel Andrews resigns as premier of Victoria
• Another one bites the dust: Labor's national leader's border depleted again
• The Parable of the Politician

Top 5 from World News:

• Japanese scientists developing drug to grow new teeth in humans
• On a remote atoll, a concrete dome holds a leaking toxic timebomb
• 16-year-old arrested after cutting down of iconic Robin Hood tree in northern England
• Nuclear bombs vaporised parts of the Bikini Atoll decades ago. What are the lasting impacts today?

Mark Dreyfus on X (Twitter):

Mark Dreyfus [@]MarkDreyfusKCMP 22h

Open access to information is essential for good decision-making, genuine engagement in democratic government, and combatting corruption.

I would like to acknowledge today is International Access to Information Day and share why this year's theme is so important.

This year's theme highlights the importance of online spaces for access to information.

We all spend more time online. Ensuring equity of access to information in an accessible format is critical.

The Albanese Government is firmly committed to transparency and accountability, to ensure we have better government for all Australians.

The disability royal commission made 222 recommendations for change The commissioners were split on key areas like education, work and group homes The government has set up a taskforce, but gave no immediate response to the recommendations

A good read, and something we need to keep in mind with the referendum debate

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/4017115

Related material, not all as optimistic as the ABC news article:

• Video interview with Dr Katharine Kemp.
• Government response to the Privacy Act Review Report.
• Govt kicks Privacy Act can down the road - Only commits to a handful of review recommendations..

Exclusive: Queensland police say ‘inquiries will be made’ in response to questions about whether post complies with force’s social media guidelines

Woodside's massive Scarborough gas development is dealt a major blow, with the Federal Court finding an environmental plan for part of the project was not legally approved and was therefore invalid.