Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney

Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country – but no actual changes. Today the government introduced a new bill to make way for NDIS reform.

Disability minister Bill Shorten said “legislation and rule changes are the key to unlocking a trustworthy and sustainable NDIS and will enable the government to drive change”.

What changes does the bill suggest? And what do people with disability need to know about what might happen next?

Read more:
States agreed to share foundational support costs. So why the backlash against NDIS reforms now?

Why now?

Although the NDIS Review set out a five-year timeframe for reform, many of the items within this bill are needed to modify the NDIS Act and to allow for those changes to take place. One big motivator for action is the government’s commitment to moderate cost growth of the NDIS – rather than see it grow to more than one million participants and cost up to A$100 billion a year by 2032.

Some in the disability community have expressed concern about legislation being introduced without co-design with them. Reports suggest disability advocates who did see the bill before its introduction were subject to non-disclosure agreements. The government says co-design will take place over an 18-month period to flesh out the changes.

Although states and territories asked the government to delay introducing this legislation because of concerns over foundational supports, the bill does not mention them. It is mostly focused on the scheme and the work of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) that administers it.

What changes are outlined in the legislation?

There are a large number of changes outlined in the bill and there will be a lot to unpack in coming weeks. Broadly these focus on:

• how people access the scheme and plans are created
• how participants can spend funds
• how the NDIA can step in if they have concerns funds are not being spent effectively
• the powers of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The first big change is in how people will be assessed for entry to the scheme.

At the moment the scheme lists impairments that are likely to give people access to the scheme, for example permanent blindness or severe intellectual disability.

The review argued this was unfair because people may have a similar level of need as a result of a condition that isn’t listed. They have had to provide more evidence, which can be difficult to obtain and expensive. It has also meant access has been driven via diagnosis rather than the impact on function and daily activities.

A new type of assessment

The changes outlined in the bill will move the NDIS towards a needs-based assessment.

This will be supported by the use of functional assessment tools, removing some need for individuals to collect evidence from medical professionals.

“Your needs assessment will look at your support needs as a whole,” Shorten said. “And we won’t distinguish between primary and secondary disabilities any longer.”

Many of the tools needed for this process do not yet exist. But some in the community are wary given the controversy over proposals to introduce Independent Assessments a few years back. Those plans were shelved after significant backlash suggested they could become dehumanising and traumatising.

Read more:
‘I want to get bogged at a beach in my wheelchair and know people will help’. Micheline Lee on the way forward for the NDIS

Tightening control on budgets and supports

The bill also outlines changes to how individuals can spend their plans.

At the moment plans are made up of a number of categories of funding and line items that set out how plans should be spent. The NDIS Review noted this process is often confusing for individuals and limits how they can spend funds. The changes will allow participants to spend funding allocations in more flexible ways.

The bill defines what constitutes an NDIS support and links to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the first time. Examples include “supports that facilitate personal mobility of the person in the manner and at the time of the person’s choice”.

However, holidays, groceries, payment of utility bills, online gambling, perfume, cosmetics, standard household appliances and whitegoods will not qualify as NDIS supports. Participants will only be able to spend funding on those things identified as an NDIS support and which a participant requires as a result of their impairment.

The bill would give the NDIA more power over how participants manage plans. These powers will be used if the NDIA have concerns that an individual is not able to use their plan effectively or someone else might be trying to exploit or coerce them to use their funds in a way that isn’t consistent with their best interests.

The Quality and Safeguards Commission has previously been criticised for insufficient action. The review suggested a new model of regulation that would be scaled according to the level of participant risk. A taskforce examining provider and worker registration will report back some time in the middle of this year. So there are no changes to provider registration in this bill.

There is an expansion of the commission’s compliance and enforcement powers. They will be able to scale up efforts and restrict employment of a support worker when they have been banned by an approved quality auditor.

Read more:
Recommendations to reboot the NDIS have finally been released. 5 experts react

More legislative changes ahead

These won’t be the last changes we will see to the NDIS legislation in the near future.

The government has already indicated it is likely there will need to be further changes following engagement with the disability community.

Co-design requires trust and the government will be hoping that releasing this legislation without significant engagement with the disability community hasn’t damaged relationships too badly.

Helen Dickinson receives funding from ARC, NHMRC and CYDA

– ref. Draft NDIS bill is the first step to reform – but some details have disability advocates worried – https://theconversation.com/draft-ndis-bill-is-the-first-step-to-reform-but-some-details-have-disability-advocates-worried-226730

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney

The Albanese government came to power with a promise to be “strong on borders without being weak on humanity”.

But there was little humanity in parliament yesterday as the government tried to force through some of the most draconian migration laws this country has seen in decades. The draft legislation was distributed to MPs and introduced in the lower house for debate just hours later.

Today, the senate stopped the bill in its tracks, referring it to a committee instead of passing it just before a parliamentary break.

In a radical departure from the existing framework, the government is seeking to further criminalise the migration system. The consequences could be disastrous.

Read more:
The government is fighting a new High Court case on immigration detainees. What’s it about and what’s at stake?

What would the laws do?

The Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill proposes amendments to the Migration Act to deal with situations where non-citizens subject to removal are not cooperating with government authorities, or where their own government refuses to take them back.

It is widely understood to be a response to the High Court’s ruling in November 2023 that found indefinite immigration detention to be unlawful.

It’s also considered an attempt to pre-empt further litigation scheduled in the High Court. The case of an Iranian man refusing to cooperate in his deportation is due before the court next month.

However, the amendments introduced in the bill go far beyond addressing this issue. They have wide-ranging impacts for how non-citizens are treated in Australia, and indeed for Australia’s relationship with governments around the world.

As such, it is particularly concerning the government tried to rush the bill through parliament without the opportunity for proper scrutiny or review. While a senate committee hearing is a welcome development, it won’t fix everything.

Criminalising non-cooperation

The bill gives the minister new powers to compel people who have exhausted their options to stay in Australia to cooperate and take steps towards their own removal. This would apply not only to people affected by the High Court’s ruling last year, but also to certain bridging visa holders.

Extraordinarily, it would also apply to “any other non-citizens” the minister might seek to designate through the migration regulations.

The powers include directing individuals to sign and submit documents to facilitate their departure, attend appointments, and provide any other information as required. In the case of families, if the parents are affected non-citizens, they can be directed to help facilitate the removal of their children, irrespective of whether it is in the child’s best interests.

Read more:
Government rushing through bill to crack down on ‘uncooperative’ non-citizens it is trying to remove

Anyone who fails to comply with these directions without a “reasonable excuse” will face a mandatory jail term of between one and five years, a A$93,900 fine, or both. The fact that someone faces a real risk of persecution or other serious harm will not be considered a reasonable excuse.

These are extraordinary provisions without precedent in Australia. Even in the context of terrorism offences, a failure to comply with a direction does not result in mandatory imprisonment.

The closest comparisons are offences under various state laws concerning failure to disclose identity, which may be punished by up to 12 months’ imprisonment. In some states, reportable offenders, such as child sex offenders, who fail to produce electronic devices when directed by police, may face up to five years in prison.

However, in all these cases, these are maximum sentences, not a mandatory minimum sentence. As the Law Council of Australia President put it: “In effect, this Bill will implement mandatory sentencing”.

Concerns for fast-track asylum seekers

Section 199D of the bill attempts to ensure that the new powers are not used to remove individuals to a country where they would face a real risk of persecution or other serious harm.

But there is a risk the bill could still lead to people who do have protection claims being forced to return to countries where their life or freedom is threatened. There are particular concerns for people assessed under Australia’s fast-track asylum processes.

The Labor party has acknowledged these processes have not been “fair, thorough and robust”, meaning people with genuine refugee claims may have been denied protection.

Read more:
What is the government’s preventative detention bill? Here’s how the laws will work and what they mean for Australia’s detention system

Others could also be at risk of removal contrary to Australia’s protection obligations if their personal circumstances or the situation in their home country has changed since their original protection claim was determined.

The Refugee Council of Australia has warned about these risks and shared its concerns that “those who do have strong claims, but have not had a fair hearing or review, will be sent back to real harm.”

Countries can be blacklisted

The bill also gives the minister a new power to “blacklist” entire countries and prevent their citizens from applying for Australian visas.

This is a discretionary power that requires little consultation and is unlikely to be subject to administrative or judicial review. The only limitations on this power are that the minister first consults with the prime minister and minister for foreign affairs. The immigration minister must also detail why they think it is in the national interest to make such a decision.

The travel bans are intended to force targeted countries to cooperate and accept the return of their own nationals. But in practice, they will prevent people who may wish to work, study in or visit Australia from leaving – through no fault of their own.

Travel bans could also have unintended consequences. Diplomatic relations between countries may sour following such decisions, and countries may opt to retaliate in other ways, whether through trade, tourism or other matters of international concern.

The issue of international cooperation concerning the return of nationals to their home country is a diplomatic one that should be negotiated in good faith between political leaders. It is quite likely that inducements rather than threats would work better.

Other countries may also simply be unmoved to take any further steps to facilitate returns, or may even welcome their citizens not being able to visit Australia. It is important to remember that not all countries wish for their citizenry to be able to leave.

Walking the walk

At a time when the immigration minister has emphasised the “importance of lived experience in shaping national and international dialogue and policy” and claimed that the “government walk the walk on meaningful participation for refugees”, it is disappointing to see attempts to rush this bill through parliament without any consultation with refugee communities and other stakeholders, and very limited scrutiny.

The Albanese government is continuing the tradition of governments before it by attempting to ram legislation through parliament that severely curtails human rights and is disproportionate to its stated objectives. Both the government and the opposition have a vested interest in passing laws that further expand the minister’s discretionary powers, which are already ill-suited to a liberal democracy.

But the changes will have far-reaching consequences for both our migration program and our foreign policy objectives, and demand further democratic scrutiny.

Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the expert sub-committee of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration.

Daniel Ghezelbash receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Government. He is a member of the management committee of Refugee Advice and Casework Services and Wallumatta Legal, and a Special Counsel at the National Justice Project.

Madeline Gleeson and Tristan Harley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The consequences of the government’s new migration legislation could be dire – for individuals and for Australia – https://theconversation.com/the-consequences-of-the-governments-new-migration-legislation-could-be-dire-for-individuals-and-for-australia-226713

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Caprani, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, Monash University

When the container ship MV Dali, 300 metres long and massing around 100,000 tonnes, lost power and slammed into one of the support piers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the bridge collapsed in moments. Six people are presumed dead, several others injured, and the city and region are expecting a months-long logistical nightmare in the absence of a crucial transport link.

It was a shocking event, not only for the public but for bridge engineers like me. We work very hard to ensure bridges are safe, and overall the probability of being injured or worse in a bridge collapse remains even lower than the chance of being struck by lightning.

However, the images from Baltimore are a reminder that safety can’t be taken for granted. We need to remain vigilant.

So why did this bridge collapse? And, just as importantly, how might we make other bridges more safe against such collapse?

A 20th century bridge meets a 21st century ship

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was built through the mid 1970s and opened in 1977. The main structure over the navigation channel is a “continuous truss bridge” in three sections or spans.

The bridge rests on four supports, two of which sit each side of the navigable waterway. It is these two piers that are critical to protect against ship impacts.

And indeed, there were two layers of protection: a so-called “dolphin” structure made from concrete, and a fender. The dolphins are in the water about 100 metres upstream and downstream of the piers. They are intended to be sacrificed in the event of a wayward ship, absorbing its energy and being deformed in the process but keeping the ship from hitting the bridge itself.

The fender is the last layer of protection. It is a structure made of timber and reinforced concrete placed around the main piers. Again, it is intended to absorb the energy of any impact.

Fenders are not intended to absorb impacts from very large vessels. And so when the MV Dali, weighing more than 100,000 tonnes, made it past the protective dolphins, it was simply far too massive for the fender to withstand.

Read more:
I’ve captained ships into tight ports like Baltimore, and this is how captains like me work with harbor pilots to avoid deadly collisions

Video recordings show a cloud of dust appearing just before the bridge collapsed, which may well have been the fender disintegrating as it was crushed by the ship.

Once the massive ship had made it past both the dolphin and the fender, the pier – one of the bridge’s four main supports – was simply incapable of resisting the impact. Given the size of the vessel and its likely speed of around 8 knots (15 kilometres per hour), the impact force would have been around 20,000 tonnes.

Bridges are getting safer

This was not the first time a ship hit the Francis Scott Bridge. There was another collision in 1980, damaging a fender badly enough that it had to be replaced.

Around the world, 35 major bridge collapses resulting in fatalities were caused by collisions between 1960 and 2015, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure. Collisions between ships and bridges in the 1970s and early 1980s led to a significant improvement in the design rules for protecting bridges from impact.

Further impacts in the 1970s and early 1980s instigated significant improvements in the design rules for impact.

The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering’s Ship Collision with Bridges guide, published in 1993, and the American Association of State Highway and Transporation Officials’ Guide Specification and Commentary for Vessel Collision Design of Highway Bridges (1991) changed how bridges were designed.

In Australia, the Australian Standard for Bridge Design (published in 2017) requires designers to think about the biggest vessel likely to come along in the next 100 years, and what would happen if it were heading for any bridge pier at full speed. Designers need to consider the result of both head-on collisions and side-on, glancing blows. As a result, many newer bridges protect their piers with entire human-made islands.

Of course, these improvements came too late to influence the design of the Francis Scott Key Bridge itself.

Lessons from disaster

So what are the lessons apparent at this early stage?

First, it’s clear the protection measures in place for this bridge were not enough to handle this ship impact. Today’s cargo ships are much bigger than those of the 1970s, and it seems likely the Francis Scott Key Bridge was not designed with a collision like this in mind.

So one lesson is that we need to consider how the vessels near our bridges are changing. This means we cannot just accept the structure as it was built, but ensure the protection measures around our bridges are evolving alongside the ships around them.

Second, and more generally, we must remain vigilant in managing our bridges. I’ve written previously about the current level of safety of Australian bridges, but also about how we can do better.

This tragic event only emphasises the need to spend more on maintaining our ageing infrastructure. This is the only way to ensure it remains safe and functional for the demands we put on it today.

Colin Caprani receives funding from the Department of Transport (Victoria) and the Level Crossing Removal Project. He is also Chair of the Confidential Reporting Scheme for Safer Structures – Australasia, Chair of the Australian Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and Australian National Delegate for the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

– ref. Baltimore bridge collapse: a bridge engineer explains what happened, and what needs to change – https://theconversation.com/baltimore-bridge-collapse-a-bridge-engineer-explains-what-happened-and-what-needs-to-change-226716

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Steer, Deputy Director, Institute for Space (InSpace), Australian National University

Last week, the federal minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, signed a A$207 million commitment with the United States in support of “Landsat Next”.

Aptly named, this is the next generation of an Earth observation satellite program from which Australia has benefited for over 40 years.

The commitment means we will make a critical contribution to global Earth observation efforts with our cutting-edge data management. In essence, we will be the custodians of data downloaded from new Landsat satellites – a major role.

Read more:
Landsat turns 50: How satellites revolutionized the way we see – and protect – the natural world

What is Earth observation?

Earth observation satellites provide the world with more than half of all climate change data – and some of that data can come from nowhere else but space. They also provide over 90% of weather data, which the Bureau of Meteorology uses to give us our daily forecasts.

In Australia, Earth observation data is also critical for supporting agriculture, fisheries, mining, land and water policies, bushfire response, and national security needs. In 2020, the economic benefits of Earth observation data were estimated at over A$2.4 billion.

Furthermore, such data brings immense benefits to First Nations people, particularly in northern Australia. Indigenous rangers use Earth observation data to augment their traditional land and water management practices.

Importantly, Geoscience Australia and CSIRO work closely with the Centre for Appropriate Technology, an Indigenous business in Alice Springs. This business owns a satellite dish that receives data from Landsat and other Earth observation satellites.

Read more:
‘Painting with fire’: how northern Australia developed one of the world’s best bushfire management programs

What is Landsat?

Landsat is a program led by NASA and the US Geological Survey. For more than 50 years it has provided the “longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land in existence”.

This means since 1972 we’ve had continuous data on ice melts, weather and temperature changes, and changes in the planet’s landscapes and freshwater sources.

Australia has been a Landsat beneficiary and partner since the early 1970s. Just earlier this year, emergency services in Queensland facing Cyclone Kirilly depended on Landsat data to help mitigate potential flooding. Geoscience Australia has also used Landsat data gathered over decades to map changes in Australia’s shorelines.

And during the Black Summer megafires of 2019–20, the worst bushfire season New South Wales has ever recorded, Landsat images were critical in predicting where the bushfires would be worst, and assisting in real-time response.

The new agreement places us at the centre of data management for the next generation of Landsat.

Read more:
I made bushfire maps from satellite data, and found a glaring gap in Australia’s preparedness

What is Landsat Next?

There have been nine Landsat satellites since 1972, of which eight are operational today. Landsat Next will add three more satellites to this, with new capabilities. As a result, we will get more data more often, and at a higher resolution.

Landsat Next will significantly improve image resolution of some of the original satellites. This means, for example, that 40% more detail can be captured for agricultural sowing, irrigation and harvesting needs.

The current Landsat satellites cover 11 spectral bands. These are wavelengths of light captured by satellite sensors, ranging from visible light which we can see with the naked eye to invisible wavelengths like infrared and ultraviolet.

Landsat Next will increase this to up to 26 bands, which makes it possible to track water quality at much greater accuracy. This is helpful, for example, in detecting harmful algal blooms.

Landsat satellites also sense thermal bands. This is a measurement of surface temperatures so we can understand soil health and water levels, and track bushfires.

Landsat Next will improve the resolution of temperature measurements, providing improved climate change data and more accurate information for farmers and sustainable urban planning.

Read more:
Landsat zooms in on cities’ hottest neighborhoods to help combat the urban heat island effect

Australia is great at satellite data

The new commitment builds on what Australia already does, and is really good at – the ground and data segments of Earth observation satellite systems. In fact, we are a world leader in Earth observation data management.

We have excellent geography for collecting data from the satellites via large satellite dishes in Alice Springs. We also have a longstanding tradition of being the data custodians and stewards for our US and European partners.

The Landsat Next agreement fulfils one aspect of the planned National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO) which was cancelled last year due to major budget cuts. This was a disappointment to many people in Australia, and to our international partners.

This new commitment to Landsat Next puts in place part of what we were already planning to do through the NSMEO, and will make us a more important partner in global Earth observation infrastructure.

With our unique geography, Australia is a heavy user of Earth observation data, and this agreement means we can be bigger contributors, as well.

Read more:
The first-ever survey on Australian attitudes towards space is out. So, what do we think?

Cassandra Steer receives funding from Geoscience Australia and the Department of Defence. In the past she has received funding from the Australian Space Agency, DFAT, the Canadian Department of National Defence, the US Department of State, and the US Department of Defense.

– ref. Australia just committed $207 million to a major satellite program. What is it, and why do we need it? – https://theconversation.com/australia-just-committed-207-million-to-a-major-satellite-program-what-is-it-and-why-do-we-need-it-226621

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pratik Raul, PhD candidiate, University of Canberra

Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference associated with specific experiences and characteristics.

For decades, autism research has focused on behavioural, cognitive, social and communication difficulties. These studies highlighted how autistic people face issues with everyday tasks that allistic (meaning non-autistic) people do not. Some difficulties may include recognising emotions or social cues.

But some research, including our own study, has explored specific advantages in autism. Studies have shown that in some cognitive tasks, autistic people perform better than allistic people. Autistic people may have greater success in identifying a simple shape embedded within a more complex design, arranging blocks of different shapes and colours, or spotting an object within a cluttered visual environment (similar to Where’s Wally?). Such enhanced performance has been recorded in babies as young as nine months who show emerging signs of autism.

How and why do autistic individuals do so well on these tasks? The answer may be surprising: more “neural noise”.

Read more:
From deficits to a spectrum, thinking around autism has changed. Now there are calls for a ‘profound autism’ diagnosis

What is neural noise?

Generally, when you think of noise, you probably think of auditory noise, the ups and downs in the amplitude of sound frequencies we hear.

A similar thing happens in the brain with random fluctuations in neural activity. This is called neural noise.

This noise is always present, and comes on top of any brain activity caused by things we see, hear, smell and touch. This means that in the brain, an identical stimulus that is presented multiple times won’t cause exactly the same activity. Sometimes the brain is more active, sometimes less. In fact, even the response to a single stimulus or event will fluctuate continuously.

Neural noise in autism

There are many sources of neural noise in the brain. These include how the neurons become excited and calm again, changes in attention and arousal levels, and biochemical processes at the cellular level, among others. An allistic brain has mechanisms to manage and use this noise. For instance, cells in the hippocampus (the brain’s memory system) can make use of neural noise to enhance memory encoding and recall.

Evidence for high neural noise in autism can be seen in electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, where increased levels of neural fluctuations were observed in autistic children. This means their neural activity is less predictable, showing a wider range of activity (higher ups and downs) in response to the same stimulus.

In simple terms, if we imagine the EEG responses like a sound wave, we would expect to see small ups and downs (amplitude) in allistic brains each time they encounter a stimulus. But autistic brains seem to show bigger ups and downs, demonstrating greater amplitude of neural noise.

Many studies have linked this noisy autistic brain with cognitive, social and behavioural difficulties.

Read more:
Most adults with autism can recognise facial emotions, almost as well as those without the condition

But could noise be a bonus?

The diagnosis of autism has a long clinical history. A shift from the medical to a more social model has also seen advocacy for it to be reframed as a difference, rather than a disorder or deficit. This change has also entered autism research. Neuroaffirming research can examine the uniqueness and strengths of neurodivergence.

Psychology and perception researcher David Simmons and colleagues at the University of Glasgow were the first to suggest that while high neural noise is generally a disadvantage in autism, it can sometimes provide benefits due to a phenomenon called stochastic resonance. This is where optimal amounts of noise can enhance performance. In line with this theory, high neural noise in the autistic brain might enhance performance for some cognitive tasks.

Our 2023 research explores this idea. We recruited participants from the general population and investigated their performance on letter-detection tasks. At the same time, we measured their level of autistic traits.

We performed two letter-detection experiments (one in a lab and one online) where participants had to identify a letter when displayed among background visual static of various intensities.

By using the static, we added additional visual noise to the neural noise already present in our participants’ brains. We hypothesised the visual noise would push participants with low internal brain noise (or low autistic traits) to perform better (as suggested by previous research on stochastic resonance). The more interesting prediction was that noise would not help individuals who already had a lot of brain noise (that is, those with high autistic traits), because their own neural noise already ensured optimal performance.

Indeed, one of our experiments showed people with high neural noise (high autistic traits) did not benefit from additional noise. Moreover, they showed superior performance (greater accuracy) relative to people with low neural noise when the added visual static was low. This suggests their own neural noise already caused a natural stochastic resonance effect, resulting in better performance.

It is important to note we did not include clinically diagnosed autistic participants, but overall, we showed the theory of enhanced performance due to stochastic resonance in autism has merits.

Read more:
Autism is still underdiagnosed in girls and women. That can compound the challenges they face

Why this is important?

Autistic people face ignorance, prejudice and discrimination that can harm wellbeing. Poor mental and physical health, reduced social connections and increased “camouflaging” of autistic traits are some of the negative impacts that autistic people face.

So, research underlining and investigating the strengths inherent in autism can help reduce stigma, allow autistic people to be themselves and acknowledge autistic people do not require “fixing”.

The autistic brain is different. It comes with limitations, but it also has its strengths.

Jeroen van Boxtel receives funding from Australian Government through an Australian Research Council Discovery Project (project number DP220100406), the ACT government.

Jovana Acevska and Pratik Raul do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. ‘Noisy’ autistic brains seem better at certain tasks. Here’s why neuroaffirmative research matters – https://theconversation.com/noisy-autistic-brains-seem-better-at-certain-tasks-heres-why-neuroaffirmative-research-matters-225180

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Cresswell, Adjunct professor, The University of Western Australia

In the Southern Ocean about 4,000 kilometres from Perth lies a truly extraordinary place. Known as the Heard Island and McDonald islands, they are among the most remote places on Earth: a haven for marine life amid the vast ocean, virtually undisturbed by human pressures.

But as our report released today reveals, this special place in Australia’s territory is at risk. In particular, climate change is warming the waters around the islands, threatening a host of marine life.

More than 20 years ago, a marine reserve was declared over the islands and parts of the surrounding waters. At the time, it was a significant step forward in environmental protection. But since then, science has progressed and the threats have worsened.

Our report reviewed these protections and found they are no longer adequate. The marine reserve surrounding the Heard and McDonald islands must urgently be expanded.

Spotlight on the reserve system

The Heard and McDonald islands are just a tiny tip of the Kerguelen Plateau – a huge underwater mass rising high above the surrounding ocean basins.

The plateau intercepts the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the strongest current system in the world. When the current hits the plateau, deep, nutrient-rich waters are pushed to the surface. This supports a food chain ranging from tiny plankton to fish, invertebrates, seabirds and marine mammals such as elephant seals and sperm whales.

On Heard Island, Mawson’s Peak is officially Australia’s highest mountain. It is 2,745 metres high and forms the summit of an active volcano known as Big Ben. Heard Island and McDonald Islands also host valuable fisheries for Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish.

The marine reserve around the islands was declared in 2002 and extended in 2014. It now covers 17% of what is known as the “exclusive economic zone” – the area of the sea in which a nation (in this case, Australia) has exclusive rights to resources such as fish and minerals.

The original reserve was primarily designed for waters shallower than 1,000m, because in 2002 little was known about the area’s deeper waters. A review of the reserve system is due this year.

Our report draws on more than 20 years’ of research conducted since the reserve was first declared. It highlights new scientific understanding of the region and the need to expand its protection.

Climate pressures on the plateau

Climate change poses wicked threats for the Heard and McDonald islands and surrounding marine environment.

We found the shelf area is becoming warmer. This potentially threatens species adapted to cold polar waters, such as the mackerel icefish. This species lives in shallow water and is an important food source for fur seals and other predators.

No other sub-antarctic shelf exists to the south of Heard Island, which means the region is a vital animal habitat. Maintaining the islands’ biodiversity in the face of climate change is best achieved by extending the existing marine reserve to cover more shallow waters, as well as protecting currently unprotected deeper waters.

Read more:
Australia’s only active volcanoes and a very expensive fish: the secrets of the Kerguelen Plateau

Protecting deep-water species

The Patagonian toothfish is a top predator species that connects different parts of the food web. Commercial fishing in the islands’ economic zone targets toothfish using “bottom longlines” which are weighted to the seafloor at depths down to 2,000m. The footprint of fishing operations has expanded over the past 30 years.

Our report suggests protecting spawning grounds of toothfish will reduce risks to this species and help ensure the fishery does not deplete fish stock.

Fishing is managed in such a way to eliminate the accidental catching (or by-catch) of seabirds. But there is still significant by-catch of a number of non-target fish species, especially skates.

Keeping fishing out of some areas can reduce pressure on vulnerable species. Important areas for achieving this are in the deeper waters to the southeast of Heard Island.

Read more:
Climate risk index shows threats to 90 per cent of the world’s marine species

Sustaining biodiversity into the future

Our analysis reveals an updated understanding of the marine ecosystems surrounding Heard and McDonald islands.

Scientists now know more about where marine mammals and birds forage – particularly in the important period when parents are feeding their young. We found some species that breed on Heard Island, including king penguins and fur seals, rely on areas not protected by the marine reserve during these times.

Our analysis also reveals a complex mosaic of productive habitats in shallow water, and less productive habitats in deeper water. This in turn affects the distribution of animal species.

Increased protection for the areas in the west, south, and southeast of the economic zone will be needed to protect animals in these habitats.

Looking ahead

The current marine reserve covering Heard and McDonald islands is not sufficient. It should cover deeper water ecosystems and provide protection for foraging areas of resident seals, penguins and albatross.

Protecting spawning grounds of toothfish and areas important to cold-adapted species, such as mackerel icefish, will help ensure these species have the best chance against continuing warming of the ocean.

Extending the protections would help Australia meet its domestic policy and international agreements. For example, the federal government has committed to protecting at least 30% of ocean ecosystems by 2030.

It would also ensure our marine protected areas are nationally representative – a key national objective Australia has committed to.

By extending adequate protection of Heard and McDonald islands, Australia has the chance to show global leadership in conserving this precious natural asset in the Southern Ocean.

The report underpinning this article was part-funded by Pew Charitable Trusts and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

– ref. These extraordinary Australian islands are teeming with life – and we must protect them before it’s too late – https://theconversation.com/these-extraordinary-australian-islands-are-teeming-with-life-and-we-must-protect-them-before-its-too-late-226513

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Wells, Research fellow, UNSW Sydney

Late last week, a boat crammed with Rohingya refugees fleeing a squalid camp in Bangladesh capsized off the coast of Indonesia. Around 75 people were rescued, including nine children, but more than 70 are missing and presumed dead.

This tragedy isn’t an isolated incident. The number of Rohingya people trying to escape refugee camps by boat has skyrocketed in recent months.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 1,783 Rohingya refugees boarded boats from Bangladesh from January to October 1, 2023. Since then, around 3,100 people have embarked on these treacherous journeys – an increase of nearly 74%.

Since January 2023, around 490 Rohingya have been reported dead or missing, including 280 since October 1.

Their attempts to reach countries like Malaysia and most recently Indonesia are being met with refusals and pushbacks, leaving many Rohingya stranded at sea and vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and even death.

Why are so many Rohingya trying to flee in recent months? And how should the international community respond to this increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis?

In a new article recently submitted for peer review, we (two Australian academics and six anonymous Rohingya activists) describe the “push factors” that have been identified in community-based research in the camps, which are forcing many people to board boats to try to reach safety.

Living with constant tension

The nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees now living in Bangladesh are survivors of a massive Myanmar military operation in 2017 aimed at driving them from their homes in western Rakhine state.

Estimates of the number of people killed during the operation range from around 7,800 to 24,000. The United Nations has called it a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and genocide.

Even before they were forced across the border, the Rohingya people had been subjected to decades of discrimination, denial of citizenship, exclusion from schools and work, restrictions on freedom of movement and violence from authorities.

Now, trapped in limbo in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, they are experiencing many of the same things.

In 2019, we conducted on-the-ground interviews with 27 Rohingya community experts living in Cox’s Bazaar, including teachers, mothers, religious leaders, spiritual healers, youths and activists. We wanted to know how Rohingya people understand and describe the psychological impacts of genocide and displacement.

This understanding is important because most mental health services are based on Western terminology like “depression”, “anxiety” or “stress”. But these may not properly fit the Rohingya experience. Instead, we found the English word “tension” (in Rohingya, sinta) was used by many refugees, which conveys feelings of worry, concern and anxiety and captures the experience of being stateless.

As two anonymous adolescent Rohingya women described it to us:

There is no opportunity to do anything, all we do is stay inside.

Tension is loss. We’ve lost land, children, husband, that’s why we feel tension.

Tension is neck pain. Tension is throat, shoulders and head pain.

After conducting our interviews, we then developed a pictorial model of “tension”, as Rohingya is an oral language. The model (below) showed how being “opportunity-less” – from lack of work, education or freedom of movement – sits at the centre of tension.

Our interview subjects told us lack of opportunity leads to thinking too much, pain in the body and conflict in the family, between families and with the Bangladeshi community.

Why the situation has become even more dire

The six Rohingya activists who helped us to conduct this research have since described to us how these sources of tension have worsened since 2019.

Like so many in their communities, they have personally experienced arbitrary arrest, fabricated legal cases and imprisonment by the Bangladeshi authorities.

After dark, the “night government” (armed groups) roam the camps, kidnapping and demanding ransoms from families, threatening people in their homes, trafficking drugs and killing anyone who tries to speak up. Women and girls are targeted for assault and trafficking.

The camps are also fenced off, like open-air prisons. This means the refugees are trapped when fires break out, which happens frequently. In January, a huge fire spread quickly in the congested encampments, destroying some 800 shelters and leaving 7,000 people homeless.

And with civil war raging inside Myanmar across the border, some Rohingya in Bangladesh have even been killed by stray mortar shells.

Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the world, cannot address these push factors in the camps without support. International aid for the Rohingya, meanwhile, continues to rapidly decline.

What Australia and regional partners should do

What can – and should – the international community do to find a durable solution to this problem?

As a well-resourced regional partner, Australia can play a much bigger humanitarian role not focused solely on punishing people smugglers or the refugees themselves through boat turnbacks.

When people are faced with such dire conditions, they will move, no matter the cost. As recent refugee boat arrivals in Australia and Indonesia demonstrate, boat turnbacks and arrests fail to address the root causes of forced migration. They do not “stop the boats”.

Read more:
Amid a worsening refugee crisis, public support is high in both Australia and NZ to accept more Rohingya

Here are our recommendations for what Australia, New Zealand and their regional partners should do instead to help the Rohingya people:

1. Exert diplomatic pressure on the Myanmar junta to recognise Rohingya citizenship and facilitate a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Rakhine state so the refugees can return home.

2. Address the shortfall in funding to humanitarian organisations working in Bangladesh to address the immediate needs of Rohingya refugees, including food, shelter, health care, proper education and psychosocial support. Invest in the resilience of refugees.

3. Increase pressure on Bangladesh to improve conditions in the refugee camps and provide livelihood opportunities for Rohingya refugees. This includes advocating for policies that allow refugees to work legally and contribute to the local economy.

4. Prioritise resettlement opportunities for Rohingya refugees in third countries, especially those who have been displaced since the 1990s. Resettlement offers a durable solution for those in need of international protection, providing them with the opportunity to rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Gangs, kidnappings, murders: why thousands of Rohingya are desperately trying to escape refugee camps by boats – https://theconversation.com/gangs-kidnappings-murders-why-thousands-of-rohingya-are-desperately-trying-to-escape-refugee-camps-by-boats-224515

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilary Stace, Honorary Research Associate, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The recent Facebook announcement by Whaikaha – the Ministry of Disabled People on changes to funding for carers and equipment modification and services has put the media spotlight, once again, on respite care for families with disabled children.

Much of the discussions since have centred on the ministry’s NZ$65 million budget overrun as well as how the media announcement was made via Facebook. But parents leading the charge against funding cuts have also spoken out about the role respite care plays in their everyday lives.

Disability funding in New Zealand includes carer support and individualised funding respite.

Last year, the government paid for the equivalent of 4.9 million support hours. During the same period, 120,000 people accessed disability support services that included equipment and vehicle and housing modifications.

According to Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds, the funding reset will take entitlements back to where they were before COVID. Labour has claimed this move will take the sector back 20 years.

Whether it is four years or 20 years, the government moves highlight just how fragile the position of families is when they rely on government support for their disabled children. But the current news cycle also puts a spotlight on how far the community has come in the last seven decades.

Out of sight, out of mind

In the mid-20th century, it was believed a disabled child pointed to faulty family genetics or even potential immorality. Disabled children and adults were usually hidden away in institutions. Their existence was often kept secret, even from siblings.

But in 1949, a group of New Zealand parents founded the Intellectually Handicapped Children’s Parents’ Association. These parents were fighting for facilities and support to keep their disabled children in their local communities. The main option at the time was institutional care.

The government set up the Consultative Committee on Intellectually Handicapped Children. In 1953, the committee recommended expanding what they referred to as the “mental deficiency colonies”. The committee recommended sending children as young as five to these institutions.

Read more:
Good design lies at the heart of normalising disability – NZ’s new Ministry for Disabled People must make it a priority

The committee decided permanent respite from the “burden” of caring for their children was best for families. Authorities assured the parents their children would be cared for and be “with their own kind”.

However, the current Royal Commission on Abuse in Care puts paid to those claims, with multiple survivors sharing testimonies about neglect and abuse in these institutions.

After two decades, the Royal Commission into Hospital and Related Services in the 1970s halted the unabated growth of these institutions. But it wasn’t until 2006 when the last one, Kimberley near Levin, was closed after protest led by disabled people.

The Disabled Persons’ Community Welfare Act (1975) provided some support. However it was still less than the support provided by the recently established Accident Compensation Corporation for those who were those disabled through an accident.

Deinstitutionalisation accompanied the growth of the disability rights movement with demands for autonomy and agency for disabled people. Inclusion rather than segregation became an aspiration and expectation for disabled people and families.

From NASCs to Enabling Good Lives

In 1993 disability support was moved from the purview of social welfare to health. The government introduced the Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASCs) system with narrow eligibility for those with intellectual, physical or sensory (vision, hearing) impairments. Autism was not eligible until 2014 and many neurodivergent conditions are still not covered.

“Carer relief” provided a minimal amount of money for out of home care, if suitable carers could be found.

The 2000s was a busy time for the disability community with the first minister and an Office for Disability Issues, a disability strategy and a carers’ strategy.

Disabled New Zealanders had significant input into the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006). A select committee investigated care and service provision.

But families were still not paid for their carer roles – placing immense pressure on household budgets. After multiple legal challenges to the status quo, restricted provision for family funding was introduced.

In 2011, disabled people and their allies developed the person-centred principles of the Enabling Good Lives framework.

During COVID, families were allowed more support and flexibility in how funding was spent. In July 2022, the community finally got its own ministry, Whaikaha.

24/7 care and the need for respite

Care can include constant planning and managing daily routines including medical interventions and personal cares, feeding, lifting and transferring, remaining alert through wakeful nights, and to children whose behavioural responses can be unpredictable. Care includes trying to avoid situations of sensory overload, constant washing and cleaning, fighting for school access and against other barriers, finding and employing carers, learning new communication technologies and fighting for appropriate equipment.

There may also be also hostility or indifference from those who don’t understand. Families with disabled children are often also supporting other siblings and keeping a sometimes fragile family unit together with precarious finances. This care is often for the lifetime of the disabled person.

Read more:
Home support work in NZ is already insecure and underpaid – automation may only make it worse

Respite funding offers carers a break from their caring routines, but also for disabled people to have a break from families.

Just as in 1949, parents want to care for their much loved children but the support and respite required varies from family to family as each disabled person is unique. Respite must be flexible, funded and timely. But now that flexibility has suddenly “paused”.

The Intellectually Handicapped Children’s Parents’ Association is 75 years old this year. Despite much advocacy, few gains are really entrenched in a way that can’t be taken away. Instead, support is fragile. The assumption endures that only “natural” supports – family and, in particular, mothers – are required for disabled children.

Those earlier battling parents would recognise today’s battling parents. Disabled children and adults are again second class citizens. But what this debacle has shown is that the “disability sector” in all its diversity, is united, strong and vocal.

Hilary Stace has received funding in the past from the Health Research Council and from the IHC Foundation. Stace is also an occasional volunteer for the NZ Labour Party

– ref. After seven decades of fighting, disabled people are still vulnerable when it comes to support – https://theconversation.com/after-seven-decades-of-fighting-disabled-people-are-still-vulnerable-when-it-comes-to-support-226218

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Moglia, Associate Professor in Systems Science and Sustainable Urbanism, Swinburne University of Technology

Recent revelations about poor air quality at Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station probably came as no surprise for passengers who have experienced such conditions.

Train platforms, bus terminal and nearby areas have recorded alarmingly poor air quality. In some parts of the station, nitrogen dioxide levels were more than 90 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit. At such levels, considered much higher than medically acceptable, human health is at risk.

Poor air quality in train stations is a concern in many major cities, including Sydney, New York and Boston in the US, and London and Edinburgh in the UK. In some Sydney stations and tunnels, air pollution was up to five times worse than the WHO’s recommended limit.

Poor air quality is a result of fumes from diesel engines, restricted airflow, station design and the wear of train components. These emissions include tiny airborne particles. This fine particulate matter can cause illness and disease. Passengers, workers and nearby residents may all be affected.

Solutions already exist. Investing in technology, alternative fuels, electrification and better management of stations can improve air quality and reduce the health risks. As with COVID, people can also reduce their exposure by wearing suitable face masks, such as P2 and N95 masks.

Read more:
London Underground polluted with particles small enough to enter the human bloodstream – new research

It’s a worldwide problem

International studies show poor air quality is common in enclosed train and bus stations. Data for most stations from many cities show levels of fine particulate matter exceeded WHO guidelines.

In Sao Paolo, Brazil, a study found “time spent inside a bus terminal can result in an intolerable health risk for commuters”.

A Danish study identified much higherpollution levels of pollutants in and around diesel trains than for electric trains. Inside the diesel trains, levels of ultrafine particulate matter were 35 times higher, black carbon six times higher, nitrogen oxides (NOx) eight times higher, PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, so they can enter the bloodstream) twice as high and benzo(a)pyrene six times higher.

Read more:
Commuting by subway? What you need to know about air quality

But aren’t trains a more sustainable form of transport?

In terms of sustainability and general urban air quality, trains help reduce emissions and air pollution when compared to cars and trucks in Australia. Trains transport people more efficiently, with a much smaller land, energy and emissions footprint.

The health impacts of air pollution are usually lower for train commuters than those who commute by car. However, the impacts on train commuters depend on location, the fuel used (diesel or electric) and the extent of their exposure to highly polluted air in enclosed and underground stations.

Read more:
Air pollution from brake dust may be as harmful as diesel exhaust on immune cells – new study

What can be done to improve air quality?

Rail operators can do many things to help passengers breath more easily. These involve both trains and station management.

Train-side interventions include the use of cleaner fuels, more efficient engines and filtering systems, and shifting from diesel to electric trains.

Station-side solutions include exhaust fans, station design and real-time monitoring of air quality. Optimising schedules and operations can reduce train engine idling time. Loading and unloading facilities can be relocated away from congested areas.

Alternative fuels

Train operators have trialled the use of biofuels, typically blended with mineral diesel. Biodiesel and renewable diesel are made from renewable resources and burn cleaner. Biofuels can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 86%.

Biodiesel costs nearly the same as mineral diesel, but renewable diesel costs more.

Read more:
Climate explained: could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in New Zealand?

Technology fixes

Exhaust after-treatment systems on diesel engines are a low-cost option. Filters can capture most soot particles. Selective catalytic reduction technology uses a chemical reaction to reduce NOx emissions.

Improving ventilation and air flow within stations can also help limit pollution.

Another option is diesel-hybrid train fleet conversion. Electric traction modules and energy-storage systems recover energy when the train brakes and store it in a battery for later use.

These systems can operate the train when the diesel engines are shut down, for example during boarding. Energy savings can be up to 6,000kWh/day.

The South Australian government has retrofitted trains with these systems. They can cut fuel use by up to 20% and carbon dioxide emissions by 2,400 tonnes a year on the Adelaide Metro.

Electrification

Electric trains produce much less air pollution – around 20-30% less greenhouse gas emissions per passenger kilometre.

Being lighter and more efficient, electric trains are also cheaper to make, maintain and run than diesel trains (with average savings of 20%, 33% and 45% respectively).

Read more:
Australia’s freight used to go by train, not truck. Here’s how we can bring back rail – and cut emissions

Cleaner air saves lives

Estimating health impacts in Australia is difficult due to limited data, but international evidence provides guidance.

Compared to travel on roads, commuters on trains and metros typically have less exposure to air pollution, except for black carbon. Long-term exposure to black carbon typically increases mortality rates even at low levels of ambient air pollution.

At exposure levels close to what is often found in cities, excess lifetime lung cancer mortality is 0.3 per 1,000. For train staff, Danish research estimates black-carbon exposure results in an extra 16 lung cancer deaths per 1,000 individuals over a lifetime (assuming an eight-hour working day). For working conditions over ten years, a six-fold increase in black carbon lifts this rate to 1.9 per 1,000. A ten-fold increase takes it to 3.2 extra deaths per 1,000.

Short-term exposure to high air pollution is also linked to deaths from kidney disease.

Leadership is needed to protect people and the planet

Some solutions are easy to apply immediately. Others require planning and foresight.

The impacts on rail costs and operations should be balanced against the importance of protecting the health of commuters and staff, as well as cutting emissions.

Active monitoring and transparent reporting of air quality promote public trust. They’re also needed to assess the effectiveness of solutions.

Shifting towards a cleaner rail system is an opportunity for operators and regulators to show vision and leadership by supporting trains as one of the best alternatives to cars and trucks.

Magnus Moglia receives funding from the iMOVE Australia Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, Sydney Water, Sustainability Victoria, AHURI, and ACIAR. He is affiliated with Regen Melbourne.

Christian A. Nygaard receives funding from the iMOVE Australia Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, Sustainability Victoria, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, and the Community Housing Industry Association

Hadi Ghaderi receives funding from the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, IVECO Trucks Australia limited, Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, Victoria Department of Education and Training, Bondi Laboratories, Australian Meat Processor Corporation, MotorOne Group, 460degrees and Passel.

Hussein Dia receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the iMOVE Australia Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, and Beam Mobility Holdings.

For this article, Hussein acknowledges the input of Mr Ali Matin, PhD candidate from Swinburne University of Technology, for the work he completed in collating the data and development of diagrams and visuals.

– ref. Air quality at many train stations is alarmingly bad. Here’s how to improve it – https://theconversation.com/air-quality-at-many-train-stations-is-alarmingly-bad-heres-how-to-improve-it-225799

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alasdair Macintyre, Associate lecturer visual arts, artist, PhD, Australian Catholic University

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the name of someone who has died.

In the late 1970s, the south bank of the Brisbane river was a hectic construction zone, the new and permanent home of the Queensland Art Gallery. At this same time, Judy Watson’s fledgling career as a visual artist was also beginning.

It is fitting that Watson’s expansive survey show, mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri (“tomorrow the tree grows stronger”, taken from a poem by Watson’s son Otis Carmichael), is staged in the Queensland Art Gallery building, which this year celebrates its 42nd birthday.

Contemporary photographs of the Robin Gibson-designed building on opening day in 1982 show a stark, sun-soaked edifice with small spindly trees on a sparse verge overlooking the river. The history of Watson’s considerable creative practice through the decades align with the gallery building.

Like the gallery, Watson is as much a part of the cultural fabric of Brisbane’s visual arts scene from the late 20th century into the new millennium. Her work is held in many public and private collections, both in Australia and internationally, most notably in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London.

Originally trained as a printmaker, Watson is now truly a multimedia artist. The 130 artworks within this survey show include prints, drawings, paintings, video and installations spanning her career between 1981 to 2023.

Read more:
Here’s looking at: black ground, 1989 by Judy Watson

‘Rattling the bones of the museum’

Born in 1959 in Mundubbera and raised in Brisbane’s outer-suburban Acacia Ridge, Watson undertook her initial visual art training in Toowoomba before leaving Queensland to work and study interstate, and then overseas.

Watson’s matrilineal family is from Waanyi country in north-west Queensland, and this bloodline is a principal driving force of her art practice.

In this exhibition works are arranged into thematic categories; identity, ecology, feminism, and Watson’s investigations into historical and social archives.

Challenging notions of Indigenous aesthetic perspectives, Watson has spoken in the past about bringing hidden histories to light through delving into archives (“rattling the bones of the museum”, as she puts it).

One such work is 40 pairs of blackfellow’s ears, lawn hill station (2008) which sees 40 pairs of cast beeswax ears nailed to the gallery wall, echoing the 19th century grisly punishment and murder of the Waanyi peoples by a brutal cattle station boss.

A more contemporary event, the demise of Palm Island man Cameron Mulrunji Doomadgee is also explored in memory bones (2007), a print work which Watson describes for her is “internal grieving” where white rib-like forms float above a blood-like splatter of red ochre.

Beauty and power

In the 1990s, Watson won the Moet and Chandon travelling fellowship, the second Indigenous artist to do so, after fellow Queenslander Gordon Bennett. Unlike Bennett, whose “in ya face” work was overtly socio-political, Watson’s approach is more subtle.

In the Louise Martin-Chew’s 2009 book about Judy Watson, Blood Language, Watson described how her work aims to seduce the viewer through its beauty. Powerful messages of Indigenous dislocation, Stolen Generations, and disenfranchisement lie beneath.

There are monumental works that fill the gallery walls. In canyon (1997) we see a two-storey high thin vertical canvas with a snaking skein of yellow ochre. In two halves with bailer shell (2002), the shells used to bail water out of a canoe, are rendered in thin white lines over a sumptuous ocean-blue.

The deep pigments within Watson’s works – particularly the indigo blues and ochres – are intense and beguiling. Printed or digital reproductions do not do them justice: these works must be seen in the flesh.

Several sculptural works broaden Watson’s practice, with walama (2000) a large installation of bronze termite mounds and upside-down dillybags, and her wonderful toe row (2016), a cast bronze fishing net permanently installed outside the gallery.

Over the course of four decades, those spindly trees bordering the Queensland Art Gallery now tower over the riverbank, offering welcome shade to visitors and forging a connection between the gallery and the river.

Like those mighty trees, Watson’s career has grown in a similar manner in that time: strong, resolute and uncompromising. This survey exhibition offers a counterpoint to the online world of glib fast-art purveyors that feed the insatiable appetite of social media consumers.

Watson is an artist of the highest integrity, a living legend of Australian art, her people, and country. Tomorrow the Watson tree will indeed continue to grow stronger.

mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri: Judy Watson is at the Queensland Art Gallery until August 11.

Read more:
How artists Judy Watson and Helen Johnson are stripping back Australia’s ‘white blanket of forgetfulness’

Alasdair Macintyre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Strong, resolute and uncompromising: you should see the intense and beguiling art of Waanyi artist Judy Watson – https://theconversation.com/strong-resolute-and-uncompromising-you-should-see-the-intense-and-beguiling-art-of-waanyi-artist-judy-watson-226008

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona McKay, Associate Professor of Health Equity, Deakin University

More Australians than ever are vaping, according to recently released data.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows the proportion of Australians aged 14 and over who, in 2022–2023, said they currently vaped was 7%. In 2019 it was just 2.5%. Users are most likely to be aged 18-24.

As we learn more about the potential harms of vaping, many will be keen to quit.

But because vapes have only been widespread in recent years, there is limited evidence on how to go about quitting. With the addictive nature of nicotine-containing vapes, it can also be hard to stop vaping on your own.

Could apps be the answer? The vast majority of young people have a smartphone. And we know apps have helped people quit smoking. So why not use apps to help people quit vaping?

But which apps are best? And which app features should you look for? Our recently published study gives us some clues.

Read more:
Could messages from social media influencers stop young people vaping? A look at the government’s new campaign

We tested 30 apps

We searched the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores in May 2023 to identify apps available in Australia claiming to help people quit vaping.

We then made a shortlist of 20 iOS apps and ten Android apps to assess for:

• quality (including ease of use, how it engaged users, appearance, and the information it conveyed)

• the potential to change behaviour (including setting goals, making an action plan, identifying barriers, monitoring progress and giving feedback).

Read more:
My teen is addicted to vaping. How can I help them quit and manage their withdrawal symptoms?

Here’s what we found

The highest rated app overall was the iOS app Quit smoking. Stop vaping app. This had 19 out of 21 features known to help people change behaviour.

The highest rated app for Android devices was Quit Tracker: Stop Smoking, with 15 behaviour change features.

The highest rated app for both Android and iOS users was the QuitSure Quit Smoking Smartly app. This had 15 behaviour change features for iOS users and 14 for Android users.

Read more:
My teen’s vaping. What should I say? 3 expert tips on how to approach ‘the talk’

So what should I look for?

There are key app features to look for in an app that could help you change your behaviour. These features also apply to apps helping people to quit alcohol, or to take more exercise, for instance. These features include:

• full customisability, allowing individuals to tailor the app to their needs

• goal setting, allowing individuals to create their own goals, monitor their progress, then update them over time. This is more likely to lead to positive behaviour change

• external help, allowing users to access more help or advice, directly from the app

• apps that are easy to use or navigate, so users are more likely to stick with the app.

But not all apps we assessed scored highly on these. On average, apps only had about nine out of 21 behaviour change features. And only 12 of the 30 apps included a goal-setting feature.

The overall quality of the apps was moderate – scoring about three out of five. While apps were easy to use and navigate, we found they were not always transparent in who funded or developed them.

Read more:
How apps and influencers are changing the way we sleep, for better or for worse

Future apps

Earlier research shows quit smoking apps rate higher for their potential to change behaviour than ones to quit vaping.

In one study, researchers found more than half of users of one quit smoking app were still not smoking after a month.

So app developers could look at quit smoking apps to identify strategies and features to develop or update quit vaping apps.

App developers need to create apps with comprehensive goal-setting features. These apps need to be trialled or tested by the developer, users or an external party. This is important as, to our knowledge, no publicly available app has undergone such testing.

As many young people vape to relieve stress or anxiety, future apps could provide extra features, such as meditation, cognitive behaviour therapy and relaxation.

Apps need to align with current guidelines on how to quit vaping, so evidence-based messaging is consistent. Unfortunately, information and guidelines on quitting vaping are in their infancy and vary across different countries or jurisdictions.

Developers also need to ensure they disclose who owns and paid for the app. Is it a commercial company, a research group, a government agency, or a not-for-profit? We found it difficult to tell during our analysis.

Last of all, quit vaping apps need to be updated and improved over time, to iron out bugs, make improvements as the evidence changes, and to respond to changes in how users behave.

In an ideal world, we’d see partnerships between app developers, people who vape, researchers and experts in health behaviour change to develop and update quit vaping apps – ones with the highest chance of actually shifting people’s behaviour.

We wish to thank Lilian Chan, Rebecca Cerio, Sandra Rickards, Phillipa Hastings, Kate Reakes and Tracey O’Brien from Cancer Institute NSW for their assistance with this research.

Fiona McKay has previously received funding from Cancer Institute NSW (which funded this study) and VicHealth.

Matthew Dunn has previously received funding from Cancer Institute NSW and VicHealth, and currently receives funding from VicHealth.

– ref. Want to quit vaping? There’s an app for that – https://theconversation.com/want-to-quit-vaping-theres-an-app-for-that-224254

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Britnell, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, Auckland University of Technology

Alongside my career path from a PhD in computer science, work as a nurse and ambulance officer and now a university lecturer in nursing, I have become progressively Deafblind.

As a result, I have personal experience navigating New Zealand’s health system, both as an employee and patient living with dual sensory loss.

My experiences provide me with a unique perspective on how important it is to integrate technology well into healthcare practices. Currently, accessibility is often lacking or insufficient, both for staff and patients.

My work focuses on bridging the gap between technology and nursing to make digital health accessible. A broader review of existing research confirms this need: accessibility is often an afterthought in software development, and digital health solutions are designed in a way that makes them inaccessible.

Accessibility must be part of early software design

One in four New Zealanders lives with a disability. Despite this significant portion of the population, digital solutions often overlook their needs.

The YourRide taxi booking app’s launch last year has created difficulties for total mobility scheme card holders, with some struggling to access their taxi service equitably. With 89,000 individuals relying on the scheme in 2022, it is essential that they have equity in access to taxi transportation.

The app does not cater for total mobility card holders and a national taxi company is making them call by phone to confirm their status. This is further complicated by a malfunctioning text-as-taxi-approaches system, leaving those without app access no way of knowing how far away the taxi is without phoning the company.

This system has led to delays, multiple phone calls and missed appointments. Had the app been designed with total mobility card holders from the beginning, these issues could have been avoided.

The lack of emphasis on accessibility often begins at the early stages of software development, which leads to inaccessible digital health solutions.

While major companies like Apple and Microsoft have proprietary accessibility libraries, their usage is not widespread and considerably variable. Some accessibility test tools exist for web-based applications, but their implementation varies. And not all digital health solutions are web-based and guidelines for native applications are scarce.

Read more:
Australia is lagging when it comes to employing people with disability – quotas for disability services could be a start

It is important to integrate accessibility in the design phase of any project. One of the recommendations of a Digital Health Leadership Summit held in 2023 was that New Zealand should adopt a national strategy for accessibility in digital health, moving away from the fragmented approach.

Community engagement and collaboration are crucial to informing design in digital health and enhancing data collection and analysis. Projects such as Hira, which put in place the foundations for initiatives such as My Health Record, foster inclusivity, user-centred design, legislative compliance and equitable resource access.

Considering accessibility in the design phase and upholding ethical standards in digital health is essential. Flexible and adaptable solutions that cater to diverse access needs are necessary, along with clear information, navigation and personalisation to meet the specific requirements of individuals with disabilities.

Read more:
Treatments tailored to you: how AI will change NZ healthcare, and what we have to get right first

Gaps between recommendations and reality

Unlike some other countries, New Zealand does not have legislation explicitly addressing or policing accessibility.

In 2022, the United Nations examined New Zealand’s performance under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and highlighted:

… a lack of recognition, across all government portfolio areas, that disability is a whole-of-government responsibility.

The UN also stressed that legislative and policy frameworks on disability should align with the Treaty of Waitangi to ensure active involvement in decision making and consultation with Māori with disabilities. It recommended a national strategy to increase awareness and promote respect for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities.

The discrepancy between recommendations and reality may be related to employment. Only 44% of people with disabilities are employed, compared with 69% of those without disabilities. This disparity in employment rates suggests a need for greater inclusivity and support for individuals with disabilities in the workforce.

Perceptions of disability

In healthcare, staff with access needs appear to be undeserved.

My first experience of this was when I worked as a nurse. I had disclosed my disability and was using a magnifying glass to check drug vials when giving medications. I had made no errors.

But the charge nurse nevertheless told me she no longer wanted me to use a magnifying glass as it decreased the public’s trust. If I had been quicker off the mark, I could have asked how a magnifying glass differs from reading glasses.

Her attitude raises important considerations regarding the perception of disability within healthcare environments. Her request to restrict the use of a tool that allowed error-free medication checks highlights a potential lack of understanding or sensitivity towards the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Last year, a German survey using sign language found that a lack of understanding of disability needs meant that deaf people were choosing not to engage with the healthcare system.

A similar survey in New Zealand could provide valuable insights into the barriers deaf people face. It could compare the effectiveness of digital versus face-to-face consultations and exploring the use of digital solutions such as closed captions in tele-health consultations.

Lingering undercurrents of discrimination

The historical treatment of individuals with disabilities within pākehā society was marked by a pervasive view of disability as a deficiency.

Rooted in the medical model of health which historically focused on deficits and impairments, the prevailing attitudes towards disability have often been shaped by societal norms that prioritise able-bodiedness. This has led to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of individuals with disabilities, who were seen as a deviation from the norm.

The legacy of these historical perceptions continues to linger. Despite advancements in understanding and awareness, an undercurrent of discrimination and exclusion prevails. This is reflected in the limited access to resources, opportunities and support systems available to individuals with disabilities.

People with disabilities have a long history of distrust in the health and disability systems in New Zealand. Improving education and training, building trust and promoting effective data sharing are essential for enhancing their care and experiences.

My goal is to advocate for this change. I want to ensure that digital health tools are designed with an equity lens, where disability, just like culture and gender, is given due consideration. This isn’t just about technology. It’s about reshaping our society’s approach to health, disability and inclusivity.

Sally Britnell is affiliated with Health Informatics New Zealand as a Board Member, DeafBlind Association New Zealand as a Board Member and is employed by Auckland University of Technology.

– ref. Accessibility remains an afterthought – how NZ’s digital health tools risk excluding people with disabilities – https://theconversation.com/accessibility-remains-an-afterthought-how-nzs-digital-health-tools-risk-excluding-people-with-disabilities-224845

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Cullen, Adjunct professor, The University of Western Australia

The High Court in London has granted Julian Assange leave to appeal the UK Home Secretary’s order that he be extradited to the United States on charges of computer misuse, and multiple charges under its Espionage Act.

However, the favourable judgement has a sting in its tail – the US can stop the appeal if it submits adequate assurances on the treatment of Assange, including guaranteeing freedom of expression.

The two-judge panel rejected some of the grounds argued by Assange’s legal team and accepted others. They have allowed the US government and the home secretary until April 16 to provide any assurances in relation to the accepted grounds of appeal. Without assurances, leave to appeal will be granted. If assurances are filed with the court, the court will hold another hearing on May 20.

The court rejected the following grounds of appeal:

• that extradition would be incompatible with the US–UK extradition treaty (this essentially addresses the claim that charges are for political offences)

• that extradition is barred because it involves prosecution for a political opinion

• that extradition is incompatible with Article 6 (right to a fair trial) or Article 7 (ban on retroactive criminal law) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

• that extradition is incompatible with Article 2 (right to life) or Article 3 (prohibition on torture or inhuman or degrading treatment) of the ECHR.

The grounds provisionally accepted by the court are:

• that extradition is incompatible with Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the ECHR

• that the UK Extradition Act prohibits extradition in cases where the accused might be prejudiced on grounds of nationality

• that there is inadequate protection of the principle of speciality (that a person can only be charged with offences listed in the extradition request) and against the death penalty.

The grounds of appeal are in some ways surprising, given the District Court judgement of 2021 decided that extradition should not be allowed on the basis that it would be oppressive.

In the leave to appeal hearing, it seems the court was persuaded by arguments that Assange is being charged for actions that are normal journalistic activities. The European Court of Human Rights has never found that extradition would violate freedom of expression, so this case could be a major development in the law under the ECHR.

The issue of prejudice on the grounds of nationality appears to relate to claims that Assange, as a non-national of the US, would not be able to rely on First Amendment protections of freedom of expression.

The court has asked for new assurances because the grounds of appeal are outside the assurances the US government gave in 2021, which responded to the District Court judgement.

Today’s judgement opens the door to a full appeal. Dates for hearing will be set, but the appeal will probably be heard later this year. If the appeal succeeds, the extradition process would be over. At that point, Assange would be released from Belmarsh prison and probably deported to Australia.

If the appeal fails, he could seek leave to appeal to the UK Supreme Court. If leave is denied or a further appeal fails, he would at that stage have exhausted all possible remedies in the UK.

US Marshals will likely seek to remove Assange to the United States as soon as possible after he exhausts his UK recourses. To prevent that, his legal team will make an application to the European Court of Human Rights. Assange’s lawyers applied to the European Court of Human Rights in 2022, but the application was declared inadmissible without published reasons on December 13 2022, probably because he had not yet exhausted potential remedies in the UK.

Read more:
After years of avoiding extradition, Julian Assange’s appeal is likely his last chance. Here’s how it might unfold (and how we got here)

Once Assange has exhausted his last possible recourse before the British courts, an application to the European Court of Human Rights would probably be declared admissible. The application will be accompanied by a request for urgent interim measures to obtain an order prohibiting the UK from extraditing Assange until the European Court has decided on his case.

Interim measures are usually only granted in cases involving the right to life or the prohibition on torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. The District Court judgement in 2021 found he should not be extradited because it would be oppressive. The facts underlying that finding, that the likely prison conditions in the US increased the risk that Assange could attempt suicide, could support a claim under the European Convention on Human Rights that extradition would violate his right to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, said before the February hearing that the conditions Assange would face could amount to torture or other forms of ill-treatment or punishment.

Read more:
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Greg Barns on the battle to free Julian Assange

Last week, reports surfaced that the US government would consider offering Assange a plea bargain that would see him released from prison based on the time he has already served in Belmarsh.

Assange’s American lawyers stated at that time that they had not been contacted by the US government, and no one associated with Assange has made further comment.

With the prospect of legal proceedings continuing for months or years to come, a plea bargain may begin to look like a reasonable outcome for everyone concerned.

Holly Cullen has been a volunteer for the Australian Labor Party.

– ref. Assange wins legal lifeline against extradition to the US – but there’s a sting in the tail – https://theconversation.com/assange-wins-legal-lifeline-against-extradition-to-the-us-but-theres-a-sting-in-the-tail-226614

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

Who’d want to go back to the days before Uber? The days in which you could never be certain you could get a taxi, the days of long wait times trying to order one on the phone, and the days in which you would never know for sure how your driver would treat you.

So much has Uber improved the experience of getting a ride (young people rely on it in a way their parents were never able to rely on taxis) that it might seem incomprehensible Uber has just agreed to pay almost A$272 million to stop a class action against it going to court.

The $271.8 million settlement is the fifth-largest in Australia, eclipsed only by two for Victoria’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, one for Queeensland’s 2011 floods and one for Johnson & Johnson for defective pelvic mesh implants.

So what exactly did Uber do wrong – or at least be so unwilling to defend it was prepared to pay a quarter of a billion dollars not to have aired in court?

The statement of claim presented on behalf of 8,000 taxi drivers and licence holders to the Supreme Court of Victoria paints a picture of an organisation prepared to break the law in order to build a large base of customers it could use to lobby to change the law to make what it had been doing legal.

‘Greyballing’ and ghost cars

The statement of claim points to internal Uber documents that indicate Uber knew in advance of its 2014 launch that its so-called UberX drivers were not licensed to operate commercial passenger vehicles, and that the fines were small.

Its aim was to quickly get to 2,000 trips per week in both Melbourne and Sydney, to ensure it had “as many people as possible to support UberX leading up to what will inevitably be a regulatory fight in both cities”.

Uber told drivers it would pay their fines, and in Victoria paid $1,732 at a time.

The class action said where inspectors tried to collect evidence, Uber engaged in a practice known as “greyballing” in which the apps of selected users get shown a fake view of ghost cars that won’t stop for them.

The claim said Uber also used “blackout geofences” that made it impossible to hire Ubers near the buildings used by enforcement officers and regulators.

Case settled at the last moment

By settling just before the case went to court, Uber managed to avoid these claims being tested, and also managed to avoid the court airing the trove of documents leaked two years ago in which one international Uber executive joked he and his colleagues had become “pirates” and another conceded: “we’re just f***ing illegal.”

Uber succeeded in getting each state’s laws changed, at a cost of devaluing to near zero taxi licences reported to have been worth as much as $500,000 each.

But in its defence (and I may as well defend Uber because it decided not to in court) most taxi drivers never paid anything like $500,000.

And taxis provided a pretty poor service. That’s because the number in each state was limited, which helped ensure drivers had work, but worked against customers in two ways – it ensured there weren’t enough taxis available at busy times, and by pushing up the price of licences it pushed up the price of fares.

Taxis served cities poorly

In a landmark 2012 report, Customers First, two years before the arrival of Uber, former competition chief Allan Fels recommended Victoria issue licences without limit, charging a simple fee of about $20,000 per year for anyone who wanted one.

It’s this recommendation, adopted by Victoria, and publicised in other Australian states, that began devaluing licences before the arrival of Uber.

And the Fels report found most of the owners of licences weren’t drivers.

Most were passive investors, some of whom had done well by punting that the value of their licences would rise, and all of whom should have taken into account the possibility the value could fall.

Uber has gone mainstream

Now that Uber has won the right to do what was illegal (and settled a class action that would have exposed how it did it), it has lifted its prices to something closer to taxi fares and allowed customers to book taxis from its platform.

It has become mainstream in other ways. In Australia, it has entered into an agreement with the Transport Workers’ Union on employment, and in the US it wants to work with transport authorities to replace lightly used bus services.

Read more:
Gig economy workers set for new protections in Albanese government’s legislation introduced next week

The path Uber has forged – becoming an outlaw, building public support for a change in the law, then becoming entrenched – has become something of a model for new firms in all sorts of other industries, from online gambling, to cryptocurrency trading to footpath scooters.

Uber has shown it works. In this case, the class action has shown that ultimately there can be a cost, but it took a long time and it wasn’t at all certain until the last moment that Uber would buckle.

Peter Martin is Economics Editor of The Conversation.

– ref. Uber has settled a class action lawsuit for $270 million – what was it accused of? – https://theconversation.com/uber-has-settled-a-class-action-lawsuit-for-270-million-what-was-it-accused-of-226505

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney

On Monday evening Australia’s state premiers and territory chief ministers got together and called on the federal government to delay or amend draft laws to overhaul the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The laws are to determine how states provide “foundational supports”, a key recommendation of the NDIS Review.

There was a sense of optimism in December when National Cabinet agreed the states and Commonwealth would split the funding of foundational supports and the Commonwealth would add billions to strengthen Medicare. This was meant to ease the costs of specialist support within the NDIS.

So why are the details proving controversial now? And does the backlash mean NDIS reforms might fall over at the first hurdle?

Creating other avenues of support

Last year’s NDIS Review was tasked, among other things, with considering the financial sustainability of the scheme.

The review argued there is no single issue driving the growing cost pressure of the NDIS. But the lack of accessible and inclusive mainstream services for people with disability was pushing them into the NDIS. This means more people are on the scheme than was originally intended.

Read more:
Recommendations to reboot the NDIS have finally been released. 5 experts react

We have seen particular growth in the number of young people with autism and developmental delay entering the NDIS. One in ten boys aged between five and seven have an NDIS plan when starting school.

While this could indicate the original scheme estimates were not correct, it’s likely a significant proportion of demand is being driven by a lack of other available supports through mainstream services.

Supports the states used to provide

The NDIS was never intended to provide services to all people with disability and about 86% of disabled Australians do not have NDIS plans. Those without NDIS plans access the same mainstream services as the rest of the population – be they schools, health services or public transport.

But mainstream services are not always accessible to people with disability. Research from the University of Melbourne in 2022 shows the vast majority of Australians with disability who don’t have NDIS plans can’t access the services and supports they need. When this happens people have to go without or pay for additional supports such as taxis, mobility equipment or domestic assistance themselves.

Read more:
What’s the difference between ‘reasonable and necessary’ and ‘foundational’ supports? Here’s what the NDIS review says

Since the establishment of the NDIS over a decade ago, states and territories have pulled back from providing some services for people with disability.

Home and community care programs to support people under 65 years of age with less intensive disability needs, for example, are inconsistent and underfunded in many places. So if a person with disability needs help with some shopping or cleaning, their only option for support may well be to apply to join the NDIS.

Are these reforms a surprise?

The NDIS Review acknowledges the scale of reform outlined in its recommendations are significant and should be transitioned to over a five-year period. But many of the changes that will take place within the NDIS are dependent on having foundational services in place outside the scheme. Foundational supports are a key priority in the reform process.

The development of a foundational supports strategy should not have taken states and territories by surprise. The day before the NDIS Review was launched in December, National Cabinet reached its decision to share foundational support costs equally between the Commonwealth and states and territories. And at the end of January, the Commonwealth committed A$11.6 million over two years to support the development and implementation of the foundational supports strategy.

Although fresh reports say state and territory leaders fear “uncosted” foundational supports, premiers were reportedly given an indication of additional costs at the December National Cabinet meeting.

Since then, state and territory governments will have been working to determine exactly what foundational services are needed in their jurisdictions and how many people might want to access these. Given the NDIS Review recommended better and more detailed data collection, many of these governments likely don’t have good enough data to easily understand what the demand for these services might be and therefore what they might cost.

While states and territories appear to have signed up to the general direction of reform, the latest reports suggest premiers are concerned at the speed and the scale of the changes. In a context of tight state budgets there are likely also fears of extra budgetary pressures from developing new systems of support.

Read more:
There is overwhelming gender bias in the NDIS – and the review doesn’t address it

Future disability reform

Debates over which parts of government should fund which services are not new. But focusing on who pays for what misses the bigger picture.

Getting a system of foundational supports in place is essential not only for the sustainability of the NDIS but also for all those disabled Australians who are currently going without necessary supports to live their lives. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, Australia has a commitment to protect the rights of people with disabilities and ensure their full inclusion in society.

The NDIS is one part of realising this commitment, but it will not be able to achieve this on its own. If they can’t access mainstream services, disabled people are shut out from participation in aspects of daily life we should all be able to take for granted.

Disability advocates argue delaying tactics from states and territories are unacceptable and reform needs to happen now. The federal government seems committed to the top recommendation of the NDIS Review. It remains to be seen whether the states and territories are ready to move at the same pace.

Helen Dickinson receives funding from ARC, NHMRC and CYDA.

– ref. States agreed to share foundational support costs. So why the backlash against NDIS reforms now? – https://theconversation.com/states-agreed-to-share-foundational-support-costs-so-why-the-backlash-against-ndis-reforms-now-226620

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

Ceasefires are a uniquely complicated tool in armed conflict. This is because they exist at the intersection of war, law and politics.

Political scientist Cindy Wittke has suggested that attempts to define what a ceasefire is and what it entails will ultimately reveal a “lack of fit” with international law. This is because they are notoriously difficult to negotiate and enforce.

This “lack of fit” has perhaps been most obvious in the UN Security Council’s deliberations over a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Countless resolutions have been proposed with different wording, such as:

• “an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire” (October 16)

• “humanitarian pauses” (October 18)

• “pauses in fighting” (October 25)

• “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors” (November 15)

• “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” (December 8)

• a “sustainable cessation of hostilities” (December 22).

Finally, on Monday, after nearly six months of linguistic wrangling, the Security Council has managed to pass a resolution that demands an “immediate ceasefire”. It emphasises “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance” entering the Gaza Strip.

So, what will this resolution do in practical terms – and will it have any effect?

Enforcement mechanisms are limited

According to international law, a resolution of the Security Council is binding on all UN member states. This includes Israel and Palestine, which has UN observer status.

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas have welcomed the ceasefire resolution.

However, Israel was furious over the US decision to abstain from the vote, in effect allowing it to pass. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office argued the wording benefits Hamas, saying it gives the group “hope that international pressure will allow them to accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages”.

It also remains to be seen whether the Israeli government will comply with the resolution and if so, in what ways.

In reality, the resolution may make little practical difference to the lives of millions of Palestinians trapped in Gaza because the council has little way of enforcing it. Israel has already ignored the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian aid”.

While military action to force Israel to adhere to the resolution seems highly unlikely, states could take other economic and diplomatic action to try to compel Israel to comply. These could include imposing sanctions, halting weapons sales or withdrawing diplomatic missions and support.

In addition, the resolution only emphasises the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip be increased. This wording gives Israel some wiggle room to continue to deny access to aid convoys stuck at the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings based on security grounds.

Even before the war began – but particularly since the Hamas attack on October 7 – Israel has been imposing obstacles on humanitarian aid entering Gaza during the inspection and distribution process. It continues to frequently, and seemingly arbitrarily, reject the entry of supplies such as anaesthetics, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, sleeping bags, dates and maternity kits.

However, the fact the US abstained undoubtedly marks a dramatic shift in its diplomatic support for its chief ally in the Middle East. The resolution sends a clear message to the Israeli government that a red line has been reached in terms of what the US is prepared to accept and support.

Where negotiations currently stand

The Security Council resolution will also likely put greater pressure on both sides to come to an agreement through the negotiations being led by Qatar and Egypt.

Hamas’ latest proposal includes four points:

• a comprehensive ceasefire

• withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip

• the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians

• the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

According to media reports, Israel has accepted an American compromise for the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for Israeli hostages. But media reports indicate it is currently refusing to commit to a permanent ceasefire.

If this agreement does eventually come to fruition, it will no doubt include many details about how the terms will be implemented. This was the case for the temporary truce that was negotiated between the parties in November, which included a choreographed exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The number of prisoners Hamas is currently seeking in exchange for hostages has been a source of contention.

In 2011, Israel agreed to exchange more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

Arguably, foreseeing a similar scenario, Israel has arrested thousands of Palestinians in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank on minor offences in recent months. Hamas continues to hold around 100 hostages, the majority men and many reservists in the Israeli military.

Why ceasefires matter

International law is based on the premise that it imposes obligations on states, non-state parties and individuals that cannot be bargained away. However, as permanent members of the Security Council with veto power, the US, Russia, China, France and the UK have disproportionate power over how such laws come about or come into effect.

Nevertheless, the international community is ordered around certain social, political and legal norms. These norms come not only in the form of international law, but also diplomatic and economic relations. This is what the UN terms “friendly relations among nations”. These norms ensure, to an extent, that states comply with their obligations under international law without the need for military force.

The Security Council resolution passed Monday, with vague terms and relatively little incentive for compliance, is currently the least worst option to push the sides toward a halt to the violence and allow aid into Gaza.

Other efforts towards a potentially more meaningful and practical ceasefire should – and will – continue. If they weren’t before, all eyes should not be firmly on Gaza.

Marika Sosnowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The UN Security Council has finally called for a ceasefire in Gaza. But will it have any effect? – https://theconversation.com/the-un-security-council-has-finally-called-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza-but-will-it-have-any-effect-226595

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

The government is seeking to rush legislation through parliament to crack down on non-citizens who refuse to cooperate with attempts to remove them.

The bill, introduced by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles just after noon on Tuesday, also allows a minister to designate a country as a “removal concern country” when it won’t cooperate with the return of its citizens.

This would mean that, apart from certain exceptions, nationals of that country who are outside Australia could not apply for a visa to come here. Exemptions would be for close family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents as well as applications for refugee and humanitarian visas.

Giles said: “This legislation sends a strong signal about the government’s expectations of cooperation with removal efforts, by non-citizens who are on a removal pathway, and by other countries where it is appropriate for them to accept their nationals on removal from Australia”.

The government wants the legislation, which has gone through the House of Representatives, passed by the Senate on Tuesday night, or Wednesday at the latest. Parliament adjourns on Wednesday until the budget on May 14.

The government allowed minimum opportunity for debate in the house. It said there were time factors requiring the legislation to be passed quickly.

The opposition demanded a brief Senate inquiry to be held late on Tuesday so it could question officials. The government agreed to it.

Crossbenchers were outraged at the lack of time to consider the bill.

The government’s action is driven by a looming High Court decision next month that, if it went against the Commonwealth, could prompt the release of another group of people from immigration detention.

The case is about an Iranian citizen who has been in immigration detention for a decade. He has refused to cooperate with efforts to send him back to Iran, saying he fears for his life. Iran won’t take back involuntary removals.

Read more:
The government is fighting a new High Court case on immigration detainees. What’s it about and what’s at stake?

The government believes it is more likely to win this case than an earlier High Court one, when its defeat led to the release of 152 people from immigration detention. But it wants to bolster its defences.

Giles said people who refused to cooperate with their removal would face penalties of a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail and a maximum of five years.

Giles told parliament: “Unfortunately, examples of non-cooperation with the government’s removal efforts have been going on for far too long. Against the expectations of the Australian community. And undermining the integrity of our migration laws.”

The measures “will make clear that a non-citizen who is on a removal pathway is expected to voluntarily leave Australia. And must cooperate with steps taken to arrange their lawful removal from Australia.

“The removal pathway direction provides a positive duty on the non‑citizen to cooperate with removal efforts,” Giles said.

An example of the cooperation required from those subject to removal is completing, signing and submitting an application for a passport or other foreign travel document to facilitate their removal.

“When this legislation is enacted, it will make clear that the parliament expects foreign countries to cooperate with Australia to facilitate the lawful removal of their citizens from Australia,” Giles said.

Briefing crossbenchers, Giles named Iran and Iraq as countries which did not take back involuntary returns but indicated there could be a number of others potentially affected by the legislation. Government sources said, other countries could be Zimbabwe and South Sudan

He told parliament the legislation would apply to various categories of non-citizens who are on “removal pathways”, both in and out of detention.

He stressed: “these amendments are targeted at non-citizens who have come to the end of any visa application processes. And who are on a removal pathway.

“These individuals may be unlawful non-citizens who have exhausted their visa processing options. And who are being held in immigration detention

“Or they may be in the community on a bridging visa that is issued for removal purposes.”

In a range of safeguards in the legislation, the minister may not give a direction

• “if the non-citizen has applied for a protection visa and the application is not yet finally determined

• to take an action in relation to a country from which the individual is owed protection

• directly to children under 18 (but can make a direction to that child’s parents to take certain actions)

• to take actions related to making or withdrawing an Australian visa application, or in regards to court or tribunal proceedings.”

Greens senator David Shoebridge accused Labor of “trying to outflank the Coalition to the right by coming up with new and novel ways to be cruel particularly to refugees and asylum seekers”.

The opposition spokesman on home affairs, James Paterson, said: “It feels like groundhog day. Another day, another rushed, patch up job from a panicked government when it comes to border protection, national security and community safety.

“This is now the fourth piece of legislation that the Albanese government has dropped on the opposition and the crossbench in the parliament and asked us to pass in as little as 36 hours to deal with the rolling crisis of immigration detention.”

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Government rushing through bill to crack down on ‘uncooperative’ non-citizens it is trying to remove – https://theconversation.com/government-rushing-through-bill-to-crack-down-on-uncooperative-non-citizens-it-is-trying-to-remove-226615

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillip Dawson, Professor and Co-Director, Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University

In 1894, Harvard University commissioned a report on grading standards, due to concerns that:

Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily – Grade A for work of no very high merit, and Grade B for work not far above mediocrity.

More than a century later, the fear of declining academic standards continues. In Australia, there are ongoing media reports about universities awarding increasing numbers of high grades. Evidence has also been found in the United Kingdom and the United States. Some US studies suggest grade averages have been steadily increasing since at least the early 1960s.

This week, a report by academics at the University of Sydney found a 234% increase in the number of high distinctions awarded to students at the university between 2011 and 2021 (the university notes it changed its grading model in 2012).

Education experts call this “grade inflation”. It is often presented as a negative, a sign of lowering standards. However, this is only one way to look at the phenomenon of marks going up.

What are grades for?

Behind concerns about grade inflation are assumptions about what grades are and what they are meant to do.

Several decades ago, assessment used to be “norm referenced”. This means the performance of students was measured against their peers. In this system, the best students get high distinctions, the worst fail and there’s a bell curve in between. This holds true regardless of the quality of the teaching and the capability of the students.

A high distinction in this system communicates you were one of the best students. It’s a commodity valuable primarily because of its rarity, like a gold medal at the Olympics. It says nothing about what you are capable of, because your performance was entirely judged against what your peers could do.

But norm referenced assessment has since gone out of fashion. In Australia, the Higher Education Standards Framework now requires students to be assessed against predetermined standards. If a student meets the standard for a high distinction, they get one.

The mark of high distinction signals they met a very high standard. The performance of their peers does not matter. If there’s a particularly strong student cohort, or improvements to teaching, more people get high grades.

There has been a change in assessment

Grades are the product of assessment, so significant changes to assessment in recent years may also have driven grade inflation.

On top of the move towards standards-based assessments, many universities now give students rubrics (or scoring guides) before they begin their work.

These guides tell students how their work will be graded. So it’s no surprise they can? lead to significant improvements in student performance. If we tell students what good work looks like, they are more likely to be able to do it and achieve higher grades.

Similarly, there is growing attention given to the quality of feedback practices in higher education. We know feedback is a significant part of student learning.

So, in a standards-based grading system, where grades are directly tied to student learning outcomes, this improvement in performance should naturally translate to higher grades.

Read more:
We need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things

Other explanations

There are other explanations for why grades have been going up.

Since 1979, some academics have been arguing student evaluations drive grade inflation.

This refers to the increasing practice of universities asking students for feedback on their lecturers and tutors, which in turn has an impact on academics’ career progression.

The logic is, if teachers give students a better grade they will get better evaluation scores.

But while there is some correlation between students who get better grades giving better scores to their teacher, it’s not clear if this is a causal link. It might be that successful students like their teachers more, or perhaps students learn more from people they think are good teachers.

Read more:
We have developed a way to screen student feedback to ensure it’s useful, not abusive (and academics don’t have to burn it)

‘Grade improvement’

Society depends on universities to produce competent graduates and grades are one signal of competence.

But we need to be careful about equating rising grades with declining academic standards.

If better teaching is enabling students to meet a higher standard then it’s not grade inflation, it’s actually “grade improvement”.

Phillip Dawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, the federal Department of Education, education technology hub EduGrowth, and online assessment companies Turnitin and Inspera.

Thomas Corbin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. If uni marks are going up, does that mean there’s a problem? – https://theconversation.com/if-uni-marks-are-going-up-does-that-mean-theres-a-problem-226506

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Kim Beazley, a former Labor leader, served as Australia’s ambassador in Washington between 2010 and 2016. He is widely respected for his expertise in foreign and defence policy.

In this podcast episode, Beazley discusses the brouhaha over Donald Trump’s denigrating comments about Kevin Rudd, the present Australian ambassador in Washington. We also canvass wider alliance issues and the recent visit to Australia by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who included a meeting with Paul Keating among his engagements.

On Kevin Rudd’s future, Beazley says:

I have hopes that he could serve under a second term of President Trump – if there is a second term, which I also hope does not occur. I think you’ve got to remember, ambassadors don’t see much of presidents. We do when we’re accompanying the Australian prime minister somewhere. But aside from that, we see people [in] much more lowly positions than presidents.

On why AUKUS is so important to Australia now:

Back in the 80s, we had a very different perspective. We had the capacity to basically defend ourselves with some of the equipment provided by the Americans and with their intelligence […] We now find ourselves in a situation where we can’t really defend ourselves without the United States assisting. […] It is just totally vital to us now. I don’t think that those of us who were in politics in the 80s have really caught up with that.

On China, Beazley says Australia walks the tightrope:

We’re trying to keep a situation where nothing goes wrong. […] We wish the Chinese well – absolutely. But there are lines in the sand that you have to draw in all these things.

Beazley was Labor leader during Anthony Albanese’s first years in parliament. He says of the man who became PM:

He’s always been a pragmatist. That’s the first point. The second point is when you get to the position that he is in, you understand that the survival of Australia is not guaranteed, that the changing circumstances around us are not necessarily in Australia’s favour.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kim Beazley on Kevin Rudd, being an ambassador, and a possible second Trump presidency – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-kim-beazley-on-kevin-rudd-being-an-ambassador-and-a-possible-second-trump-presidency-226504

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Crowe, Head of School and Dean, School of Law and Justice, University of Southern Queensland

Earlier this month, Queensland became the latest state to pass affirmative consent laws. This means consent is understood as ongoing communication for the purposes of rape and sexual assault offences.

Under affirmative consent, agreement to each sexual act must be actively communicated. That is, each person must say or do something to indicate consent and check the other is willing to proceed.

It’s common for victims of sexual assault to freeze or try to avoid further injury, rather than fighting back. The new laws make it clear these reactions are not consent.

But it’s not just Queensland that has such laws. Where else are they in place, and how are they working in practice?

Read more:
NSW adopts affirmative consent in sexual assault laws. What does this mean?

What do Queensland’s laws do?

The new Queensland laws define consent as “free and voluntary agreement”. They clarify that a person does not consent where they do not “say or do anything to communicate consent”.

The laws also limit the mistake of fact excuse for rape and sexual assault. This excuse allows defendants to argue they honestly and reasonably — but mistakenly — believed the other person consented to sex.

The excuse has been heavily criticised for allowing defendants to rely on irrelevant factors, such as the other person’s clothing or failure to fight back, as the basis for alleged mistakes about consent.

However, the new laws say a belief in sexual consent is not reasonable unless the person took active steps to check their partner was consenting. This is consistent with an affirmative consent model.

Where else has similar laws?

Four out of the six Australian states and one of the two territories have now enacted affirmative consent laws. Tasmania was the first state to adopt an affirmative consent model in 2004.

The Queensland laws follow on the heels of recent legal changes in NSW, the ACT and Victoria. NSW and the ACT legislated affirmative consent in 2021, while Victoria did the same in 2022.

Western Australia and South Australia, meanwhile, are currently reviewing sexual consent laws and may well follow suit.

Read more:
It’s time we aligned sexual consent laws across Australia – but this faces formidable challenges

The national trend is clearly towards an affirmative consent standard. Some scholars have argued this could pave the way to aligning sexual consent laws across the nation — although significant challenges remain.

Critics of affirmative consent laws have suggested they could criminalise “spontaneous marital sex”. However, this ignores the social and legal context within which the laws operate.

There is no evidence of the laws being applied in this way.

Vital for debunking rape myths

Affirmative consent laws can only be effective and fair if people understand what they mean in practice.

However, public attitudes are not always consistent with an affirmative consent model. A NSW government study found 14% of young men “didn’t agree that you must seek consent every time you engage in sexual activity”.

Societal attitudes are clouded by persistent myths about consent and sexual violence. For example, people may think that someone who was drunk or did not fight back cannot be a victim of rape.

Read more:
Not as simple as ‘no means no’: what young people need to know about consent

Rape myths are not limited to the general public. They influence judges, lawyers, police and jurors as well. Recent research has found rape myths in supreme court judgments and jurors’ perceptions of evidence in rape trials.

It is easy to assume that once affirmative consent laws are passed, they will be fully effective in the courts. However, years after affirmative consent was adopted in Tasmania, courts were still applying outdated legal principles.

Raising public awareness

For affirmative consent laws to serve their purpose, everyone — including judges, lawyers, jurors, police and the public — needs a clear understanding of what affirmative consent means.

Public awareness campaigns can help to clarify that consent is an active, ongoing process that cannot be inferred from silence or lack of resistance.

NSW’s Make No Doubt campaign was launched the week prior to its new consent laws taking effect, but a similar campaign has yet to be announced in Queensland.

The Queensland Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce heard from victim-survivors, support services, lawyers, police and the broader community about the need for improved public education on consent.

Understanding consent in isolation is not enough. Comprehensive education on respectful relationships is vital to fostering a culture where affirmative consent becomes the norm.

The effectiveness of affirmative consent laws also depends on how they are applied by police, lawyers and judges. If police don’t give effect to the laws, then most sexual assaults will never reach prosecutors — let alone the courtroom.

Comprehensive training for these professionals is essential to ensure affirmative consent is implemented across the criminal justice system.

Since Australia’s affirmative consent laws are so new, there is limited evidence (beyond Tasmania) of exactly how they will work in practice. It will be important to build this evidence base to ensure the laws are functioning as intended.

Government action is essential

Online resources, such as Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy’s sexual consent toolkit, can help people learn about affirmative consent. However, these resources only reach a small part of the community.

To raise wider awareness of affirmative consent and to overcome persistent rape myths, large-scale efforts are needed.

Governments across Australia should invest in the success of affirmative consent laws through further public awareness campaigns, as well as training and education for criminal justice professionals and the public.

Otherwise, affirmative consent laws could turn out to be just words on paper.

Jonathan Crowe is Director of Research at Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy.

Gianni Ribeiro receives funding from the Australian Institute of Criminology.

– ref. Most states now have affirmative sexual consent laws, but not enough people know what they mean – https://theconversation.com/most-states-now-have-affirmative-sexual-consent-laws-but-not-enough-people-know-what-they-mean-225655

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcin Glowacki, Research Associate, Curtin University

Stars are born from huge clouds of mostly hydrogen gas floating in space. Astronomers like me study this gas because it helps us understand how stars and galaxies form and grow.

Hydrogen gas gives off a faint glow that is invisible to human eyes but can be observed with a telescope tuned to detect radio waves.

Recently, my colleagues and I were using a telescope like this – a radio telescope called MeerKAT, in South Africa – to look for hydrogen gas in a particular galaxy. We were only observing for less than three hours, which is quite a short amount of time since the hydrogen glow is so faint.

When we looked at the results, we were in for a huge surprise. Instead of discovering hydrogen gas in the galaxy we aimed at, we spotted it in no less than 49 previously unknown galaxies. Our findings are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Gas in galaxies

The giant clouds of gas in which stars are born are called nebulae. When stars eventually die, they expel their gas into their surrounding environment, where it eventually cools and forms new nebulae.

Galaxies are like huge factories where the life cycle of stars repeats itself over and over. To properly understand galaxies and how they grow and evolve, astronomers need to consider both the stars and the gas making up the galaxy.

One thing we are particularly interested in is “merger events”, when two galaxies collide and merge into a single, larger galaxy. These events can also impact the gas, and kickstart star formation.

Studying gas can often help us understand a galaxy’s history. Gas often extends far further out than the stars in galaxies.

When we see trails of disturbed gas, it is a classic clue that a recent galaxy merger or interaction has occurred.

But we don’t see galactic gas easily with optical telescopes. Thankfully, radio telescopes are a great tool for finding hydrogen gas.

The MeerKAT radio telescope

The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa recently celebrated its fifth birthday. It is one of the “pathfinder” telescopes for the much larger Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a project under construction in South Africa and Australia.

MeerKAT has already achieved some great results, from detecting giant radio galaxies to studying the centre of our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

There are large survey projects underway with MeerKAT to study the star-forming hydrogen gas in galaxies. These include the MIGHTEE-HI and LADUMA surveys, the latter of which will use MeerKAT for more than 3,000 hours searching one part of the sky for hydrogen gas in very distant galaxies. These surveys are specifically focused on finding hydrogen gas and are carefully planned and carried out with that goal in mind.

But that’s not the only way MeerKAT can be used. Astronomers can also pitch ideas for “open time” observations to tackle other science questions or goals.

That’s how this discovery came about. I was hoping to detect hydrogen gas in one specific galaxy with MeerKAT, as it is the most sensitive telescope for these studies.

We did not find hydrogen gas in that galaxy, which was fine. We astronomers don’t always find what we are looking for.

But when I inspected the MeerKAT data, I spotted some gas located away from the target galaxy. So we investigated further.

By using techniques developed for the larger MeerKAT science surveys such as LADUMA, we found a lot more gas. In total, we had 49 detections.

Meet the 49ers

Each detection of the gas in these galaxies was brand new. In little more than two hours of observing time, MeerKAT had revealed several collections of neighbouring galaxies.

Some of these neighbours are even interacting with each other, as their gas content shows. This was not at all obvious from just looking at the optical images of their stars.

In one case, a galaxy is stealing gas from two companion galaxies, and using it to fuel its own star formation.

I’ve informally nicknamed this collection of galaxies the 49ers, a reference to the miners of the 1849 California gold rush.

While MeerKAT took the observations containing the 49 gold nuggets in just a couple of hours, winnowing them out required several other tools. These included the ilifu cloud supercomputer, where we reduced the MeerKAT observations (“data reduction” is a kind of pre-processing that makes the raw observations useful) and a data visualisation tool called CARTA which we used for the initial discovery of the 49 new galaxies.

We also examined our data with iDaVIE-v, a virtual reality software for viewing astronomical datasets in 3D. This software has already been used for new discoveries such as polar ring galaxies.

More gold nuggets to be found

Finding 49 new galaxies in such a short amount of observation time is quite unusual, even with a telescope as powerful as MeerKAT. However, we know there are more galaxies waiting to be found in upcoming and existing MeerKAT observations.

In some other recent work, our team found traces of gas in more than 80 galaxies (most brand new) across three separate MeerKAT observations. Each of these observations was originally focused on a single galaxy, like the “open time” observation in which we found the 49ers.

What will we find next? We don’t know, but with MeerKAT – and eventually its more powerful successor, the SKA telescope – we’re confident astronomers will turn up plenty more pieces of gold.

Marcin Glowacki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. We went looking for glowing interstellar gas – and stumbled on 49 unknown galaxies – https://theconversation.com/we-went-looking-for-glowing-interstellar-gas-and-stumbled-on-49-unknown-galaxies-226397

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen On, Professor of Microbiology, Lincoln University, New Zealand

The far-reaching consequences of climate change inevitably include the production of foods and beverages, including wine.

In New Zealand, winemaking is an important business, with exports worth more than NZ$2 billion per year.

Earlier studies have already suggested that grapevine characteristics such as flowering and grape sugar ripeness may be linked to climatic changes. But so far, the microbes that ferment grapes have received little attention.

Our new research explores how yeasts, bacteria and fungi may be affected by changes in temperature and rainfall.

Microbes, wine and the coveted gold star

Without microbes, all we have is grape juice.

It is well established that individual strains of yeast (most commonly Saccharomyces cerevisiae) used to ferment grape juice into wine play a major role in the generation of a range of chemical compounds that influence the flavour, aroma and mouthfeel of wine. A “good” strain (or strains) can mean the difference between a gold award or a bottle of plonk.

Conventional commercial winemakers tend to use established strains from yeast suppliers to provide increased assurance for their production schedule and consistency of the final product. Nonetheless, inevitably every batch of juice will already possess its own diverse community of microorganisms, some of which will begin exerting their own influences upon the wine as it develops.

Some winemakers choose to eschew the addition of commercial yeast, relying on the native microflora in and on the grapes to do the job. This process can be referred to as either spontaneous or “wild” fermentation.

In such cases, the role and diversity of these microbes is critical in the development of the wine, and to its quality. Various studies have demonstrated that the microbial populations in a given winemaking region can be distinctive, contributing to the terroir of the wine.

But what if they change over time and in different climates?

Read more:
Grape growers are adapting to climate shifts early – and their knowledge can help other farmers

Climatic factors and changing microbes

In collaboration with Greystone Wines, an organic winemaker in North Canterbury, we had the opportunity to explore how microbial ecosystems (yeasts, bacteria and fungi) in organic winemaking changed between vintages.

We set out to test this by analysing must (grape juice sampled during fermentation). We also tested exposure of their Pinot Noir wines to wild microbes in their winery and vineyard during two different years of production, 2018 and 2021.

We then subjected these samples to a molecular genetic process called “metabarcoding”. In this process, universal gene markers found in every single known example of bacteria, fungi and yeast are used to describe the diversity and distribution of microbes in the samples taken at different times of the wine production.

Read more:
Come pests, frost or fire: How the Swiss are arming their wines against climate change

The results were striking. Samples taken from the 2018 vintage contained certain organisms that seemed to be completely absent in the 2021 vintage – and vice versa.

We found significant differences between vintages, most striking for bacteria (with 12 of 16 organisms present in one vintage but not the other). For fungi and yeast species, we found six of a total of 12 organisms fluctuating between harvests.

What could cause these differences? We suggest changes in temperature and rainfall play an important role.

Using publicly available climate data on humidity, temperature and rainfall to model climatic differences we determined that especially temperature, but also humidity, may be important factors in influencing the composition of different populations of microbes. The average rainfall during each of the production periods was also very different.

Temperature and moisture are well established elements that influence microbial growth, but to observe such stark differences between populations was a surprise to us.

Implications of climatic and microbial diversity for wines

Fermentative yeasts are the major agents converting grape fruit sugar into alcohol, the primary winemaking reaction. As mentioned above, they also help produce a range of other chemicals involved with the overall flavour and perception of the wine.

Different yeast strains will produce different compounds. Even at early stages of fermentation, certain yeasts may affect the overall quality of the wine. Most bacteria are not well adapted to the rather harsh environments of wine (ethanol is toxic, hence its use as a sanitiser); however several may proliferate, and some are known to spoil.

Like yeasts, any bacterium able to grow in grape juice (even for a short time) will secrete chemicals into the wine. Whether or not such chemicals are perceptible, favourable or undesirable to humans depends entirely on the individual chemical.

Read more:
Climate change may make Bordeaux red wines stronger and tastier

Some of the organisms observed are expected, with well-known adaptations to the wine environment. However, the dominance of a bacterium (Tatumella)
previously found in winemaking regions abroad is especially striking in the 2021 vintage. Its role is unknown.

What does this mean for the New Zealand, and indeed international, wine industry? We don’t know yet whether the changes in microbial diversity affect the flavour profiles of these two vintages. However, it is prudent to say that changes in microbial populations in winemaking are associated with differences in climatic factors.

It is therefore important we understand the full extent of climate change impacts on winemaking to be better prepared to protect the industry.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How climate change could affect the microbes that ferment grapes and give wine its specific flavours – https://theconversation.com/how-climate-change-could-affect-the-microbes-that-ferment-grapes-and-give-wine-its-specific-flavours-225997

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Chau, Lecturer at Curtin University, Curtin University

Until 2026, Wanneroo Regional Art Gallery will be showing 53 original artworks by one of the most famous artists of the 20th century: Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol ICONS includes famous works such as Elvis (1963), Campbell’s Soup Cans (1968) and Marilyn (1967).

When thinking about international pop art, it’s hard to think of someone more famous than Warhol. He is remembered as the embodiment of American pop – making iconic portraits of key celebrities, many as memorable as the people themselves.

The artworks have become celebrities in their own right. In 2022 Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold for US$195 million in under four minutes of bidding at Christie’s, making it the most expensive 20th century artwork to sell at an auction.

Considering the historical and international notoriety of his artworks, it is surprising how little publicity there has been about this exhibition.

Consequently, Andy Warhol ICONS is likely to attract audiences local to the commercial centre of Wanneroo, or die hard art history fans from Perth willing to trek along the Kwinana Freeway.

To see Warhol’s original works here in the northern suburb of Perth gives off a very different aura to other art meccas across the world where Warhol’s works have been collected and shown in. Instead of the Tate London or MoMA in New York City, this gallery is in the middle of Wanneroo’s cultural precinct and commercial centre.

It is unexpected and oddly refreshing to see such famous works in a regional gallery. Perhaps this match between regional hub and high art is much more apt. Warhol is notorious for his ambivalent approach to advertising and consumer goods that boomed after the second world war.

Like many other American avant-garde artists, Warhol was interested in collapsing distinctions between art and the everyday. In this exhibition we see first hand that he called himself a “commercial artist”. He turned wooden crates into Brillo Boxes, made collages from celebrity magazines, and transformed a gallery into a faux supermarket.

Critics were never entirely sure if he was endorsing or hypercritical of capitalist consumer culture.

Read more:
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe portraits expose the darker side of the 60s

Up close with Warhol

A captivating piece in the exhibition is the video documentary by WNET of Warhol up close. Here we see first hand how Warhol dances between commercial artist and reticent art provocateur when he dodges answering questions. “Why don’t you just tell me the words and they’ll just come out of my mouth,” he tells the filmmaker while yawning – feigning to not understand the questions.

We are under no illusion about this entertaining performance.

Together with his self portrait (1970), a highly contrasted blue and yellow photo lithograph where half of Warhol’s face is obscured by his shadow, the exhibition continues the performance of Warhol as an aloof, enigmatic character.

Seeing these artworks in Wanneroo continues Warhol’s contradictory play on viewers’ expectations around high art, capitalism, pop culture and the everyday. The exhibition plays with themes of repetition, authenticity and pop culture in a suite of Campbell’s Soup Cans (1968), repetitive prints of Mona Lisa (1970) and Elvis (1963).

While some viewers may have seen Warhol artworks in the flesh, many might be more familiar with these pieces online. This exhibition gives the opportunity to get up close and take time with some of Warhol’s key lithograph prints. Each is grainier, more delicate with edges less crisp and saturated than their online copies.

With Cow (1966), the newsprint pixels are more than a slick nod to newsprint. Instead we can see the smudge, bleed and overlap of colours made in the process of offset lithography.

Likewise in the artwork Mona Lisa (1970) we can see each repetition makes its own unique mark in the printing process. With analogue materials, even a copy bears its own originality.

A standout piece in the exhibition is Elvis (1963) which towers at 208 by 91 centimetres. This larger than life screen print gives homage to the celebrity who’s fame seemed larger than the sum of his parts.

Sharing the national collection

Andy Warhol ICONS has come through a pilot program from the Revive National Cultural Policy, which has dedicated A$11.8 million dollars over four years to sharing the collection from the National Gallery of Australia to regional art spaces across Australia.

To be eligible for the program institutions must be more than 5 kilometres away from the CBD of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane, or anywhere in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

Curator of the Wanneroo Regional Art Gallery Robert Buratti was the first to express interest in exhibiting new international works from the collection.

His tenacity has paid off with securing Warhol. Given the early success, there are high hopes for more institutions to get in on the game.

Andy Warhol: ICONS is on display at Wanneroo Regional Gallery until May 4. After this date a satellite space will host additional art works on rotation.

Read more:
Under-counting, a gendered industry, and precarious work: the challenges facing Creative Australia in supporting visual artists

Christina Chau does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. It is unexpected and oddly refreshing to see Andy Warhol in a regional Australian art gallery – https://theconversation.com/it-is-unexpected-and-oddly-refreshing-to-see-andy-warhol-in-a-regional-australian-art-gallery-225086

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michele Madigan, Associate Professor, Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney and Clinical Associate Professor, Save Sight Institute, Clinical Ophthalmology, University of Sydney

“How is eye colour made? And why are they different colours?” – Jane, age 12, from Pascoe Vale South

Hi Jane,

Eyes are so fascinating and I’m glad you asked this question!

When we talk about eye colour, we’re talking about the iris or coloured area around the dark dot (pupil) in the centre of the eye. Like our fingerprints, iris colours are unique to each person.

The most common eye colour is brown, then blue, and less often green or hazel. Pigment means a substance that adds colour. The amazing thing is the human body only makes brown iris pigment (melanin) but not blue, green or hazel iris pigments. So how come everyone doesn’t have brown irises?

Read more:
Curious Kids: what are the main factors in forming someone’s personality?

‘What colour are your eyes?’

Iris colours can be brown, blue or green, or mixtures such as brown-yellow, greenish brown or blue-brown. The word “iris” comes from the Greek word meaning “rainbow”. In ancient Greek stories, a goddess called Iris carries messages across a rainbow bridge between Earth and the supernatural world.

Genetics – how physical traits and characteristics pass from one generation to the next – play a part in determining eye colour. In many cases, the genes that produce brown eyes are dominant, but how eye colour genes are passed on is complex. This can mean if one biological parent has brown eyes and another has blue eyes, their child is more likely to have brown eyes. But not always.

Read more:
Curious Kids: why do we see different colours when we close our eyes?

But what about all the other colours?

So what is the iris made of? Our iris is inside the eye, behind a clear layer called the cornea. It’s circular and very thin (less than half a millimetre) and shaped like a donut with a hole in the middle for our pupil. The iris contains many cells, special muscles, blood vessels and nerves, surrounded by a gel material with millions of tiny crisscrossed fibres.

Iris pigment cells – melanocytes – contain pigment particles (melanosomes). Pigment cell numbers for all iris colours are about the same. But pigment particles inside the cells are different. For example, a blue iris does not have as many pigment particles as a brown iris.

The other iris cells make the tiny fibres and gel material in the iris, and other cells help protect the iris from damage. Special iris muscles with thin stretchy fibres can bunch up or relax the iris to control our pupil size in bright or dim light.

The back of the iris has a dark brown surface because of cells filled with brown pigment. This back surface pigment helps our vision as it stops light scattering through the iris.

Read more:
Curious Kids: why are people colour blind?

White or visible light contains a rainbow spectrum of colours from blue to red. As light passes through the iris, the blue light scatters much more than other colours. So blue light bounces back, and this means that if there are fewer pigment particles, we see a blue iris.

Other colours in light, especially red, scatter less and get into the iris between the tiny fibres, gel and cells. Green, hazel or brown irises have more pigment particles that soak up this light.

So the eye colours we see are a result of the scattering of some light colours more or less than others, brown pigment particles soaking up more of some colours, and the number of pigment particles a person has in their iris.

Read more:
Curious Kids: Why is the sky blue and where does it start?

Can eye colours change?

Iris colours can seem to change if different colours are near the eye. For example, different-coloured eye makeup can “trick” us as to the iris colour we see.

People with little or no iris pigment often have very pale blue irises. These can look reddish without the iris pigment to soak up the red light from inside the eye, which then passes through the iris.

Iris colour does not always stay the same during life. Babies born with blue eyes can have brown or hazel eyes by their second birthday because more dark pigment is made in iris cells after birth.

Iris colour can also change because of rare diseases or injuries.

Some eye drops to treat eye pressure make more brown pigment in iris cells, and make eyes appear browner. Some people are born with one brown eye and one blue eye, but these stay the same with age – although we’re not sure why.

There’s still so much to discover about irises and eye colour!

Michele Madigan receives funding from Australian Vision Research.

– ref. Curious Kids: how is eye colour made? And why are they different colours? – https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-is-eye-colour-made-and-why-are-they-different-colours-224507

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tatiana Dancy, Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne

Your money, postcode, friends and family can make all the difference to how the criminal system treats you.

The New South Wales police recently scrapped a widely condemned program known as the Suspect Targeting Management Plan. It used algorithmic risk scores to single out “targets”, some as young as ten years old, for police surveillance.

But similar programs remain in place. For instance, Corrective Services NSW uses a statistical assessment tool called LSI-R to predict whether prisoners will reoffend.

“High risk” prisoners receive “high intensity interventions”, and may be denied parole. The risk scores are calculated from facts such as “criminal friends”, family involvement in crime or drugs, financial problems, living in a “high crime neighbourhood” and frequent changes of address.

A predictive algorithm is a set of rules for computers (and sometimes people) to follow, based on patterns in data. Lots has been written about how algorithms discriminate against us, from biased search engines to health databases.

In my newly published book, Artificial Justice, I argue the use of tools that predict our behaviour based on factors like poverty or family background should worry us, too. If we are punished at all, it should be only for what we have done wrong, not for the cards we have been dealt.

Read more:
Biased AI can be bad for your health – here’s how to promote algorithmic fairness

Algorithms are watching us

Algorithms generate risk scores used in criminal justice systems all over the world. In the United Kingdom, the OASys (Offender Assessment System) is used as part of the pre-sentence information given to judges – it shapes bail, parole and sentencing decisions. In the United States, a tool known as COMPAS does something similar.

Risk scores are used beyond criminal justice, too, and they don’t always need computers to generate them. A short survey known as the Opioid Risk Tool helps doctors in Australia and across the world decide whether to prescribe pain relief for acute and chronic illness, by predicting whether patients will misuse their medications.

Predictive algorithms literally save lives: they are used to allocate donor organs, triage patients and make urgent medical treatment decisions. But they can also create and sustain unjustified inequalities.

Imagine that we develop an algorithm – “CrimeBuster” – to help police patrol crime “hot spots”. We use data that links crime to areas populated by lower income families. Since we cannot measure “crime” directly, we instead look at rates of arrest.

Yet the fact that arrest rates are high in these areas may just tell us that police spend more time patrolling them. If there is no justification for this practice of intensive policing, rolling out CrimeBuster would give these prejudices the status of policy.

Read more:
The evidence is in: you can’t link imprisonment to crime rates

Algorithms are judging us

The trouble deepens when we use statistics to make predictions about intentional action – the things that we choose to do.

This might be a prediction about whether someone will be a “toxic” employee, commit crimes or abuse drugs.

The factors that influence these predictions are rarely publicised. For the British sentencing algorithm OASys, they include whether someone has been the victim of domestic violence.

The American COMPAS system captures parental divorce and childhood abuse. The Opioid Risk Tool asks whether the patient’s family has a history of substance abuse, and whether the patient (if female) has a history of “preadolescent sexual abuse”.

In each case, these facts make it more likely that someone will go to prison, miss out on medical treatment, and so on.

We all want to have the chance to make choices true to who we are, and meet our needs and goals. And we want to be afforded the same choices as other people, rather than be singled out as incapable of choosing well.

When we punish someone because of facts they can’t easily influence, we do just this: we treat that person as if they simply cannot help but make bad choices.

We can’t lock people up just in case

The problem isn’t the use of algorithms per se. In the 19th century, Italian physician Cesare Lombroso argued we could identify “the born criminal” from physical characteristics – a misshapen skull, wide jaw, long limbs or big ears.

Not long after, British criminologist Charles Goring ran with this idea and argued that certain “defective” mental characteristics made “the fate of imprisonment” inevitable.

Algorithms simply make it much harder to see what’s going on in the world of crime risk assessment.

But when we look, it turns out what’s going on is something pretty similar to the Lombroso-Goring vision: we treat people as if they are fated to do wrong, and lock them up (or keep them locked up) just in case.

Public bodies should be required to publish the facts that inform the predictions behind such decisions. Machine learning should only be used if and to the extent that these publication requirements can be met. This makes it easier to have meaningful conversations about where to draw the line.

In the context of criminal justice, that line is clear. We should only deal out harsher penalties for bad behaviour, not other physical, mental or social characteristics. There are plenty of guidelines that take this approach, and this is the line that Australian institutions should toe.

Once penalties for their crime have been applied, prisoners should not be treated differently or locked up for longer because of their friends and family, their financial status or the way in which they’ve been treated at the hands of others.

Tatiana Dancy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Algorithms that predict crime are watching – and judging us by the cards we’ve been dealt – https://theconversation.com/algorithms-that-predict-crime-are-watching-and-judging-us-by-the-cards-weve-been-dealt-225798

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Lee, Reader (Associate Professor) in Marketing, Cardiff University

We are in an era of brand activism and conscious consumerism. More than 70% of consumers expect brands to publicly stand for sociopolitical issues.

And more than half of Australians consider sustainability an important purchasing criterion. Experts also predict a major shift in consumer attitudes with sustainability evolving from a “nice-to-have” to a baseline requirement.

In this climate, The Body Shop – promoted as a global beacon of ethical retailing – shouldn’t have failed. However, in February, it entered administration in the United Kingdom. The following month, The Body Shop in the United States and Canada filed for bankruptcy.

The Australian subsidiary remains profitable, boasting about 100 stores. But it is reportedly facing a “cash flow crisis” with “unsustainable levels of debt” following the collapse of its UK parent company last month.

The Body Shop was once a ground-breaker

Founded by UK businesswoman and human rights activist Anita Roddick in 1976, The Body Shop was a trailblazer of cruelty-free products, fair trade and environmental sustainability.

It was as well known for its advocacy and ethics as its flagship products, including White Musk scent, Dewberry oil and peppermint foot scrub.

The brand helped change 24 laws in 22 different countries by mobilising customers to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics.

However, The Body Shop’s trajectory over the last two decades diverges sharply from its founding ethos.

Read more:
Should businesses consult shareholders before taking a stand on social issues?

First sold in 2006 for A$1.26 billion to cosmetics and personal care company L’Oreal, the brand was abandoned by many customers because of perceived betrayal of its core values.

In 2017, The Body Shop was bought by Brazilian cosmetics giant Natura for A$1.7 billion, which its CEO Ian Bickley promised would start “a new chapter”. Natura then sold the brand to asset management company Aurelius in 2023, just three months before its UK collapse, for only A$399 million.

This signalled significant value decline and raised questions about the viability of the brand worldwide.

Activism fatigue

Countless brands are vying for marketplace positioning based on social and environmental justice. This saturation of ethical messaging leaves consumers fatigued and they’re likely to tune out.

The most recent Gallup survey shows consumer interest in brands engaging in sociopolitical issues is waning.

What was once an extraordinary point-of-difference for The Body Shop is now seen as standard.

The Body Shop has also faced extreme competition. Brands including Aesop, LUSH and Neal’s Yard Remedies emerged as worthy rivals, leveraging credible ethical branding to attract eco-conscious shoppers.

The Body Shop had the advantage of being the first in its field but the sale to L’Oreal compromised its core purpose and consumer connection. It struggled to recover its founding values and was crowded out by competitors.

Dwindling brand bravery

Our research shows activism must be backed by brand bravery to be credible in the eyes of consumers. In the past, consumers supported activism aligned with corporate values. We found alignment on its own was not enough.

A brave brand considers the greater good, sticks to its core values, defies dominant norms, takes risks to be unconventional and even controversial as a brand and shows resilience to setbacks such as consumer backlash.

When The Body Shop opened in 1976, cruelty-free products and ethical business practices were unheard of. It is now challenged by competitors with more radical claims.

LUSH boldly deleted its social media accounts, citing concerning impacts on young consumers’ mental health. Considering potential revenue loss, as social media is the primary way to reach Gen Z, this was a brave move.

Falling short of true transformation

Recent research shows how important it is for brands to be authentic activists. Brands must practice what they preach. The Body Shop originally did this well but consumer scepticism arose after L’Oreal’s acquisition.

L’Oreal has not tested on animals since 1989 but consumers’ distrust of the company’s ethical standards rubbed off on The Body Shop.

Transformative brands must also lead by example on both business and social fronts. The Body Shop did both in the beginning but neither by the end.

Under Roddick’s leadership, The Body Shop transcended mere profit-making and revolutionised the beauty industry. However, it later became part of faceless global conglomerates and private equity firms. While the brand initially served as a catalyst for change to industry and consumption standards, cruelty-free products eventually became expected of all companies in the saturated beauty market.

As a commercial business, The Body Shop became estranged from its original customer base and failed to meaningfully engage with a younger demographic.

It missed the mark on evidence-based skincare products, which rely on scientific research and formulations – another major trend. Consumers have also traded down to cheaper options, amidst a cost-of-living crisis, as they must prioritise price over ethical claims made by brands like The Body Shop.

Reclaiming an activist brand heritage

What should The Body Shop and other ethical brands do? The UK business is trading in administration but remains “fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward”.

Our research offers several possible pathways. The Body Shop needs re-energising as a brand leader on product innovation, customer connection and social change. For ethical brands, a shared focus on market and societal goals is essential to be transformative.

The Body Shop must seek to not only reclaim its position as a leader in sustainability but adapt to survive the struggling retail sector. They could start by rebuilding customer relationships.

Read more:
When charities engage in ‘brand activism’, research shows they must demonstrate bravery to attract donations

The Body Shop has a history of activism. This can continue and it can be more effective in achieving change if it stays relevant and delivers on the brand’s vision long-term.

This means taking risks by adopting innovative and unconventional promotional strategies and updating its messaging to ensure it can attract the next generation of shoppers.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Body Shop shouldn’t have failed in an age when consumers want activism from their brands. What happened? – https://theconversation.com/the-body-shop-shouldnt-have-failed-in-an-age-when-consumers-want-activism-from-their-brands-what-happened-226128

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland

As we slide of out summer, you might be wondering how careful you need to be about sun exposure. Excessive exposure causes skin cancer, but sun exposure also has benefits. How do you balance the two?

A new position statement from cancer, bone health and other experts aims to help Australians balance the good and bad effects of sun exposure by taking into account their skin colour, risk of skin cancer, and where they live.

What are the benefits of sunlight?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation (the wavelengths in sunlight that cause skin cancer) also leads to vitamin D production. Vitamin D is very important for maintaining strong bones, and is likely to have multiple other health benefits.

But vitamin D probably isn’t the whole story. Sunshine, including UV radiation, is thought to affect health in other ways such as improving our mood and reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases and infections. So for many people, avoiding the sun and taking a vitamin D supplement may not be the best approach.

Read more:
Vitamin D supplements can keep bones strong – but they may also have other benefits to your health

How much time does it take to make vitamin D?

It’s complicated, but for most people and most of the year across most of Australia, it’s a lot less than you think.

The amount of time needed depends on the amount of skin covered by clothing and the intensity of UV radiation (indicated by the UV index). More skin exposed and higher UV index equate to less time needed.

Both the UV index and the amount of the year that UV radiation is high increase as you get closer to the equator. In summer, all of Australia is bathed in sunshine. But in winter, opposite ends of the country have very different exposures.

In summer, everybody except those with deeply pigmented skin can make enough vitamin D in just five minutes between 9am and 3pm, anywhere in Australia, provided they are wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

In winter it’s a different story. In Darwin and Brisbane, 5–10 minutes between 10am and 3pm will do the trick, but in Hobart, factoring in winter clothing, it will take nearly an hour in the middle of the day.

Hover your mouse over the lines below to see the length of exposure needed at specific times of day.

Staying out for longer than needed doesn’t necessarily make more vitamin D, but it does cause skin damage.

Hang on, what about those with darker skin?

People with deeply pigmented, brown to black skin accumulate both vitamin D and DNA damage at a much slower rate than people with lighter skin tones.

When UV radiation hits a DNA strand, it causes the DNA to become distorted. If the distortion isn’t fixed, it will cause a mistake when the DNA is copied for a new cell, causing a permanent mutation that sometimes leads to cancer.

Melanin, the brown pigment in the skin, absorbs UV photons before that can happen, and the high melanin content in the darkest skin tones provides 60 times as much UV protection as the small amount in very fair skin.

The flip side is the risk of vitamin D deficiency is much higher than the risk of skin cancer.

The new statement accounts for this by putting people into three groups based on their risk of skin cancer, with specialised advice for each group.

Highest skin cancer risk

This includes people with very pale skin that burns easily and tans minimally, but also people with darker white or olive skin who can tan easily but have extra skin cancer risk factors because they:

• have had skin cancer before
• have a family history of melanomas
• have many moles
• are taking immunosuppressant medications.

For these people, the harms of sun exposure almost certainly outweigh the benefits.

These people should wear sunscreen every day the UV index is forecast to get to three or more, and use the five sunsmart steps whenever the UV index is above three:

• slip on clothing covering as much of the body as possible
• slop on SPF30+ sunscreen on areas that can’t be covered up
• slap on a hat
• seek shade
• slide on sunglasses.

They shouldn’t spend time outdoors deliberately to make vitamin D, but should discuss vitamin D supplements with their doctor.

Intermediate skin cancer risk

This means people with dark white/olive skin that sometimes burns but tans easily, and who don’t have other skin cancer risk factors.

These people should still apply sunscreen as part of their usual routine on all days when the UV index is forecast to get to three or more, but they can spend enough time outdoors to get a “dose” of vitamin D on most days of the week.

Read more:
Curious Kids: how does the Sun help your body make vitamin D?

Once the time needed for their vitamin D dose is up, they should also use the slip-slop-slap-seek-slide steps to avoid accumulating DNA damage.

If they’re unable to do this because of health or lifestyle factors, like being housebound, working night shifts, or always covering up with clothing, they should see their doctor about whether they need vitamin D supplements.

Lowest skin cancer risk

This covers people with deeply pigmented brown to black skin that rarely or never burns.

These people can safely spend enough time outdoors to make vitamin D and get the other benefits of sunshine. But because more time is needed, it can be difficult, particularly when the weather is cold. Vitamin D supplements might be needed.

They don’t need to routinely protect their skin, but might need to slip-slop-slap-seek-slide if they are outdoors for more than two hours.

How do I get the feel-good effects of sunshine?

Spending time outdoors in the early morning is the best way to get the feel-good effects of sunshine. An early morning walk is a great idea for all of us, but it won’t make vitamin D.

Read more:
Should I be getting my vitamin D levels checked?

Katie Lee receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for a student stipend.

Rachel Neale receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for grants related to vitamin D and sunscreen. She was the lead author of the manuscript describing the revised position statement and chaired the Summit that led to the revised recommendations.

– ref. Summer’s over, so how much sun can (and should) I get? – https://theconversation.com/summers-over-so-how-much-sun-can-and-should-i-get-224144

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Pfautsch, Research Theme Fellow – Environment and Sustainability, Western Sydney University

If you visit southern Greece or Tunisia, you might notice lots of white rooftops and white buildings to reflect the intense heat and keep residents cooler.

It’s very different in Australia. New housing estates in the hottest areas around Sydney and Melbourne are dominated by dark rooftops, black roads and minimal tree cover. Dark colours trap and hold heat rather than reflect it. That might be useful in winters in Tasmania, but not where heat is an issue.

A dark roof means you’ll pay considerably more to keep your house cool in summer. Last year, the average household in New South Wales paid A$1827 in electricity. But those with a lighter-coloured cool roof can pay up to $694 less due to lower cooling electricity needs. Put another way, a dark roof in Sydney drives up your power bill by 38%.

When suburbs are full of dark coloured roofs, the whole area heats up. And up. And up. This is part of the urban heat island effect. In January 2020, Penrith in Western Sydney was the hottest place on Earth.

Cool roofs have many benefits. They slash how much heat gets into your house from the sun, keep the air surrounding your home cooler, boost your aircon efficiency, and make your solar panels work more efficiently.

State governments could, at a stroke, penalise dark roofs and give incentives for light-coloured roofs. Scaled up, it would help keep our cities cooler as the world heats up. But outside South Australia, it’s just not happening.

Why won’t state governments act?

To date, our leaders show no interest in encouraging us to shift away from dark roofs.

In New South Wales, plans to ban dark roofs were axed abruptly in 2022 after pushback from developers.

The current NSW planning minister, Paul Scully, has now paused upgrades to the state’s sustainability building standards which would have encouraged light-coloured roofs. Other Australian states and territories have also paused the rollout of new, more ambitious building sustainability standards.

This is short-sighted for several reasons:

1. it costs the same for a light- or dark-coloured roof
2. owners will pay substantially higher electricity bills to keep their houses cool for decades
3. keeping the building status quo makes it harder to reach emission targets
4. dark roofs cut how much power you get from your rooftop solar, especially when it’s hot. This is doubly bad, as blackouts are most likely during the heat.

At present, South Australia is the only state or territory acting on the issue. Early this year, housing minister Nick Champion announced dark roofs will be banned from a large new housing development in the north of Adelaide.

Read more:
The Great Australian Dream? New homes in planned estates may not be built to withstand heatwaves

What’s at stake?

At present, the world’s cities account for 75% of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. It’s vitally important we understand what makes cities hotter or cooler.

Brick, concrete, tarmac and tiles can store more heat than grass and tree-covered earth can, and release it slowly over time. This keeps the air warmer, even overnight.

Built-up areas also block wind, which cuts cooling. Then there’s transport, manufacturing and air-conditioning, all of which increase heat.

Before aircon, the main way people had to keep cool was through how they designed their homes. In hot countries, buildings are often painted white, as well as having small windows and thick stone walls.

The classic Queenslander house was lifted off the ground to catch breezes and had a deeply shaded veranda all around, to reduce heat.

But after aircon arrived, we gradually abandoned those simple cooling principles for our homes, like cross-ventilation or shade awnings. We just turned on air conditioning instead.

Except, of course, the heat doesn’t go away. Air conditioning works by exchanging heat, taking the heat out of air inside our house and putting it outside.

As climate change intensifies, it makes hot cities even hotter. Heatwaves are projected to be more frequent, including in spring and autumn, while overnight temperatures will also increase.

As cities grow, suburbs can push into hotter areas. The 2.5 million residents of Western Sydney live at least 50km from the sea, which means cooling sea breezes don’t reach them.

Sweltering cities aren’t just uncomfortable. They are dangerous. Extreme heat kills more people in Australia than all other natural disasters combined.

Read more:
Western Sydney will swelter through 46 days per year over 35°C by 2090, unless emissions drop significantly

How can we cool our cities?

We don’t have to swelter. It’s a choice. Light roofs, light roads and better tree cover would make a real difference.

There’s a very practical reason Australians prize “leafy” suburbs. If your street has established large trees, you will experience less than half the number of days with extreme heat compared on residents on treeless streets. If you live in a leafy street, your home is also worth more.

Blacktop roads are a surprisingly large source of heat. In summer, they can get up to 75°C. Our research shows reflective sealants can cut the temperatures up to 13°C. Some councils have experimented with lighter roads, but to date, uptake has been minimal.

Cool roofs markedly reduce how much energy you need to cool a house. When used at scale, they lower the air temperatures of entire suburbs.

The simplest way to get a cool roof is to choose one with as light a colour as possible. There are also high-tech options able to reflect even more heat.

Soon, we’ll see even higher performance options available in the form of daytime radiative coolers – exceptional cooling materials able to reflect still more heat away from your house and cut glare.

Until we choose to change, homeowners and whole communities will keep paying dearly for the luxury of a dark roof through power bill pain and sweltering suburbs.

Read more:
Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city

Riccardo Paolini has received funding from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources

Sebastian Pfautsch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. If you’ve got a dark roof, you’re spending almost $700 extra a year to keep your house cool – https://theconversation.com/if-youve-got-a-dark-roof-youre-spending-almost-700-extra-a-year-to-keep-your-house-cool-225674

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Waghorn, Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT University

It’s a weeknight, parents rush through the door from work, grab a snack, and then speed off in various directions to children’s extracurricular activities. As they do, they are managing tired and hungry kids as they all move from on thing to the next. Sound familiar?

As of 2022–23, almost 50% of Australian children under 14 participated in extracurricular sport. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 19% of Australian children aged five to 14 did music out of school hours in 2021–22, while 13% did dance and 5% did drama.

There can be a lot of pressure to have your child in extracurricular activities, as this is seen as a way of giving them a rounded education and upbringing. And it can get expensive.

Pre-pandemic, Australian families spent an average of A$1,859 per child per year on extracurricular activities.

How do you get the balance right?

What are the benefits?

Extracurricular activities can provide a range of benefits.

Studies have shown extracurricular activities can help students academically. For example, a 2011 study of US high school students showed participation in extracurricular activities was linked with better results in maths. Other US studies have shown students who participate in extracurricular activities are more likely to complete a college (university) degree.

Research has shown extracurricular activities can help young people develop self belief, goal-setting, confidence and the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations.

In turn, it can also help with mental health and emotional regulation. Team activities have especially been shown to reduce anxiety in already anxious kids, increase a sense of belonging and boost social awareness.

Read more:
The kids who’d get the most out of extracurricular activities are missing out – here’s how to improve access

What are the drawbacks?

You may have heard media reporting about “oversheduling”. Too many activities can see children neglect their schoolwork and limit family time, which are also important parts of growing up. It can also have an impact on children’s sleep.

High levels of sport in particular can lead to injuries and burnout.

It can also lead to “overtraining syndrome” where children don’t recover adequately from previous training or competitions.

Not only does a child lose interest in the activity but their mood is linked to how well they perform. The activity can also come to dominate the family’s life.

How do you get the balance right?

Start by working out as a family what is financially reasonable and how much time you can commit. Think about not just the game or lesson itself but any other regular training or practice that may be involved.

Look at what your child is genuinely interested in, rather than what you feel they should do (as this just adds unnecessary pressure).

You could consider limiting children to one or two activities per week. This allows the child to focus on that activity and any training or practice that goes with it.

But there is no magic number of activities experts consider to be the “perfect” amount – each child is different. Some other factors you can consider are:

• is the child still getting adequate sleep?

• can they still spend time with the rest of the family?

• are they able to have some down time?

• do they enjoy their activities?

Read more:
Grit or quit? How to help your child develop resilience

What age can you start?

Children as young as two or three can benefit from extracurricular activities. As they start to assert their independence, programs in dance, sport or music can boost their ability to socialise with others, listen and get ready for school.

There are also benefits in starting extracurricular activities before the age of ten. Research shows if you start before ten, children are more likely to stick with the activity for longer because it will become part of their identity.

Having said that, there is of course no issue with starting new activities after this age as children grow and develop new interests.

Elise Waghorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Is your child ‘overscheduled?’ How to get the balance right on extracurricular activities – https://theconversation.com/is-your-child-overscheduled-how-to-get-the-balance-right-on-extracurricular-activities-225786

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruari Elkington, Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries & Chief Investigator at QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC), Queensland University of Technology

Australians have had plenty of time in the last 100 years to work out what they value about cinema-going and why it matters. Head to any cinema and catch the Val Morgan advertising in the pre-show. Take a closer look at the date the company was founded. Not 1984, but 1894. That’s more than 125 years of “Making Messages Memorable” on Australian screens.

We have a deep and abiding love for cinema in this country. Over the last century, the experience of going to the movies has both shifted significantly (we invented Gold Class, you know) and somehow remained resolutely enduring in terms of appeal.

My colleague Tess Van Hemert and I have spent the last two years researching the cultures and practices of cinema-going and how cinema sites shape that experience.

A typical response in our research was:

I love the cinema experience. It’s a bonding experience, if it’s good it’s a emotional and cathartic experience.

Read more:
The promised big hits, sure disappointments, and hidden indie gems we’ll get from Hollywood in 2024

‘A reprieve and a reward’

Cinemas are a catalyst for social, cultural and economic activity wherever they operate, from single-screen regional sites to major multiplexes in suburban shopping malls. Cinema, our participants said, is the “ideal” way to watch a movie:

I like to sit as close as I can to the screen so that the ‘real’ world is completely blocked out. I am immersed in & in awe of the film only. To truly forget life for a while – a reprieve & a reward.

Cinemas also mirror communities back to themselves. We may go in alone, as a couple or with family and friends, but in the cinema we form a community. When reflecting on returning to the cinema between COVID lockdowns, one person spoke of seeing American Utopia:

There were only about 10 people in the cinema. We didn’t know each other but we all started spontaneously dancing, first in our seats, and then everyone ran down to the floor in front of the screen to dance together. It was like a mini music festival when live music was banned.

Despite the cost, despite the hassle, despite the need to leave the couch, Australians turn up time and time again to cinemas. In 2023, the Australian box office generated nearly A$1 billion (although this is down on pre-COVID figures). Four
of the top ten highest grossing films of all time in Australia have been released since the pandemic began. Australian census data tells us cinema-going remains Australia’s most popular cultural activity.

‘Being able to switch off’

When cinemas face closure – or shut temporarily, as they did during the pandemic – the outpouring of community support can galvanise a community and remind them of all the times and ways in which they valued that access to that experience.

One participant spoke of seeing their first film in the cinema after the pandemic:

It made me appreciate the whole cinema experience more. Getting out and being able to switch off was a welcome change.

In our research, we observed how cinemas began to articulate their value to community through the pandemic period of forced closures.

In the large-scale national audience research we conducted in partnership with Palace Cinemas the value audiences derive from cinema-going was as diverse as the programming.

They remembered specific films, such as watching the opening credits of Force Awakens with a crowd of avid fans, or feeling like they were “experiencing summer in Italy” while watching Call Me By Your Name.

They focused on memories of the people they were with, such as feeling “all grown up” while seeing arthouse films with their dad when they were a kid.

Read more:
Beyond Barbie and Oppenheimer, how do cinemas make money? And do we pay too much for movie tickets?

‘Float in the memory’

They spoke about the feelings they had before during and after the screening and the experience overall. One respondent wrote of loving the end of a film:

the quiet few minutes as the credits roll and you float in the memory of the film. This only happens for me when I see it in the cinema.

Another participant spoke about leaving the cinema and:

doing a walk around the block thinking about the movie, still thinking about the movie driving home.

One participant said they love “being able to have respectful (unbothered) alone time publicly”.

Clear in this data is that memorability – and the experience of cinema – is far more nuanced than the simple appeal of watching a big film in a big room on a big screen. Cinemas continue to serve Australian communities in far more complex way than simply movies and popcorn.

Cinema has always battled headwinds. Since radio, cinema has constantly faced in-home entertainment technology that was supposed to knock it over completely – TV, colour TV, cable, satellite, VHS, DVDs and now streaming. Each time, the desire for people to come together in a space and watch something unique in a way they can’t find anywhere else, with a level of engagement they can’t find anywhere else, has prevailed. We all have a kitchen at home, but we still love going out to restaurants.

Disney, Warner Bros and Australia’s own Birch Carrol and Coyle all celebrated 100 years of operation in 2023. To sustain another century, more research is needed to better understand how cinema-going must continue to evolve to meet shifting audience expectations.

Read more:
Interactive cinema: how films could alter plotlines in real time by responding to viewers’ emotions

Ruari Elkington and Tess Van Hemert collaborated with Palace Cinemas (Palace Audience Survey) and Film Fantastic/Brisbane International Film Festival (2021 and 2022 BIFF industry reports). They were not funded by Palace Cinemas or Film Fantastic for this research.

– ref. ‘To truly forget life for a while – a reprieve and a reward’: why Australians love going to the cinema – https://theconversation.com/to-truly-forget-life-for-a-while-a-reprieve-and-a-reward-why-australians-love-going-to-the-cinema-222597

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alfio Leotta, Associate Professor, School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The second instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has dominated most conversations about cinema in the first few months of 2024. Adapted from Frank Herbert’s classic novel, the two-part epic has been credited with reviving the science fiction genre, and the blockbuster experience in general.

Villeneuve’s latest movie, however, is not just a mere sci-fi blockbuster. Although Dune features many familiar sci-fi visual trappings – interstellar travel, atomic arsenals and distant planets inhabited by alien lifeforms – its main strength resides in telling a fantasy story outside the traditional confines of this genre.

After all, Dune is the story of an aristocratic hero who, after undergoing a series of religious trials, acquires supernatural powers that allow him to overthrow the leader of a feudal empire. Similarly, Dune’s dukes, barons and princesses engage in arcane traditions and ritualised sword fighting. Villeneuve’s films are clearly new classics of epic fantasy cinema.

Epic – or high – fantasy is a sub-genre defined by an emphasis on large narrative scale (in both geographic and temporal terms), detailed fantastical universes, and a mythical hero. Usually some kind of “chosen one”, this hero embarks on a journey full of magic, monsters and other creatures.

In epic fantasy films there is usually a clear opposition between good and evil, with the destiny of the imaginary universe within which the story takes place at stake.

The sweeping scope of epic fantasy cinema can also translate into gargantuan running times, while the spectacular foregrounding of imaginary worlds and creatures requires large budgets, extensive production infrastructures and advanced technology.

The origins of epic fantasy cinema

In recent times, the epic fantasy label has been assigned to films and TV series such as Star Wars, Excalibur, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and the Avatar franchise. But its origins can be traced back a century, to 1924, when Fritz Lang’s Die Nibelungen premiered at Berlin’s Ufa Palast am Zoo theatre.

Die Nibelungen is a two-part film based on the German medieval epic poem the Nibelungenlied. The first movie, Siegfried, and the second, Kriemhild’s Revenge, were released two months apart between February and April 1924. Together, the two films reach a total running time of nearly five hours, and are considered major landmarks of German film history.

Despite the social and economic crisis that followed Germany’s defeat in World War I, the German film industry in the 1920s was thriving, as audiences sought to escape the grim reality of the post-war period. Many of the German films of this era – including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Golem, and Nosferatu – explored the theme of identity and reality through the lens of fantasy and horror.

Similarly, Lang and his wife, screenwriter Thea von Harbou, felt the fantastic Nibelungen saga, which had been popularised by Wagner’s operatic adaptation in the 19th century, would resonate with the defeated people of Weimar Germany. By adapting one of the most powerful icons of German culture, Lang and von Harbou aimed to embolden the nation and foster national pride.

Die Nibelungen opens with a title dedicating the film to the German people. Shortly after, we are introduced to Siegfried, a forest-dwelling blacksmith. Upon hearing stories of the virtuous princess Kriemhild, the sister of King Gunther, he decides to win her heart.

Read more:
Bagpipes in space: how Hans Zimmer created the dramatic sound world of the new Dune film

Siegfried embarks on an epic journey during which he kills both a dragon and a dwarf king, thus gaining treasure and a cloak of invisibility. In return for permission to marry Kriemhild, he agrees to use the cloak to help Gunther win the fierce warrior-queen Brunhild by trickery.

The two couples are married, but when Brunhild discovers the deception, she compels Gunther and his evil vassal Hagen into a conspiracy to murder Siegfried. In the second film, Kriemhild vows to avenge Siegfried’s murder by killing Hagen, who is protected by Gunther.

In order to fulfil her plans, Kriemhild marries Etzel, king of the Huns, and persuades him to attack Hagen. The film ends with a brutal battle during which Hagen, Kriemhild and all her family are massacred.

Spectacle to rival Hollywood

Lang conceived Die Nibelungen as a production to rival Hollywood in scale and ambition. And the making of the two films was as epic as the story itself. Production lasted more than nine months and featured complex special effects, innovative lighting techniques, lavish costumes and massive sets.

The spectacular scene in which Siegfried slays the 16-metre dragon was a true standout for its time, and was considered an impressive feat of film puppetry. The success of Die Nibelungen paved the way to another large-scale German production, 1927’s Metropolis, which would become Lang and von Harbou’s best known work.

The innovative use of film technology and special effects, so crucial to the success of Die Nibelungen, remains an essential feature of contemporary epic fantasy cinema. In the 21st century, the technical achievements of epic fantasy films such as The Lord of the Rings, Avatar and Dune are still central to their marketing.

However, the similarities between Die Nibelungen and contemporary fantasy epics are not confined to the narrative, aesthetic and technological dimensions.

Despite the fact that Lang held antifascist beliefs and fled Germany shortly after the rise of Hitler, Die Nibelungen was systematically used as propaganda tool by the Third Reich, which admired the film’s celebration of both nationalist sentiments and a heroic Űbermensch.

The movie’s association with the Nazi regime has remained an ideological stain on epic fantasy cinema that critics have often been quick to highlight. In the 1980s, Excalibur was attacked for supposedly advancing a fascist aesthetic, while an early review of The Fellowship of the Ring stated:

You can’t help feeling Hitler would have adored this film – with its hideous Untermenschen, its hobbits and its Aryan beauties.

Read more:
Is Dune an example of a white saviour narrative – or a critique of it?

Similarly, Dune has been criticised for both its “white saviour” narrative tropes and its celebration of a messianic, autocratic figure.

Is epic fantasy’s escape into archaic worlds intrinsically conservative? Maybe. Or perhaps it’s up to viewers to take what they want from these fantastical adventures. As J.R.R. Tolkien said of the function of fantasy:

The authoritarians have us all in prison. If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape.

If that’s the case, thank God for epic fantasy movies and their ability to help us make that escape.

Alfio Leotta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. From Die Nibelungen to Dune: epic fantasy cinema has been thrilling audiences for 100 years – https://theconversation.com/from-die-nibelungen-to-dune-epic-fantasy-cinema-has-been-thrilling-audiences-for-100-years-225884