Australia information reside: Coles revenues rise as customers change to own-brand groceries; 10-year-old boy attacked by dingo on Okay’gari | Australia information

Hotline for stranded Bonza clients launched

Elias Visontay

The federal government has opened a hotline for Bonza passengers stranded throughout the nation after the funds service abruptly cancelled all providers right this moment, amid discussions about its ongoing viability.

The hotline quantity is 1800 069 244.

Transport minister Catherine King mentioned her division had been involved with Bonza “and our expectation is that they hold passengers knowledgeable of their choices and their client rights”.

King mentioned:

I’m conscious of reviews this morning of Bonza flights being cancelled. I’ve spoken to Qantas and Virgin CEOs this morning and each airways stand prepared to help stranded passengers needing to get residence.

In the meantime, the Australian Airports Affiliation (AAA) has additionally famous a brand new report stating passenger numbers stay “properly under” pre-pandemic ranges.

The annual ACCC airport monitoring report for 2022-2023 reveals passenger numbers have seen a year-on-year improve of 127.4% however stay under pre-Covid ranges.

Chief government James Goodwin mentioned:

Whereas home aviation has led the restoration 2022-23 passenger ranges are nonetheless 10.4% decrease than 2018-19. Worldwide operations have been slower to get well, remaining at 31% under pre-Covid ranges.

Goodwin mentioned the explanation for the unfinished restoration is constrained airline capability, “notably from the 2 essential home carriers”.

The rebound in airport revenues merely displays the elevated variety of travellers, with the reporting interval the primary with out Covid border or journey restrictions.

Airports affiliation monitoring Bonza scenario, it says

The Australian Airports Affiliation (AAA) says it’s monitoring funds airline Bonza’s present scenario carefully.

As Elias Visontay reported earlier, Bonza has cancelled a raft of flights throughout the nation, and sources informed the Guardian that its fleet of Boeing 737-Max 8 plane had been repossessed.

In an announcement, AAA chief government James Goodwin mentioned:

Airports labored to assist Bonza to enter the Australian market and we’re monitoring the rising scenario carefully whereas we help affected passengers at terminals throughout Australia.

Lisa Cox

Sarah Hanson-Younger calls on Plibersek to halt Darwin land clearing

Persevering with on from earlier put up:

The clearing has drawn condemnation from conservationists, Darwin neighborhood members and unbiased and Greens MPs.

The Greens setting spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Younger referred to as on the setting minister, Tanya Plibersek, to urgently shield the location, which was habitat for vital species such because the critically endangered japanese curlew:

The Minister not too long ago made an enormous splash about saving Jap Curlew habitat in Toondah Bay in Queensland, however that very same critically endangered chicken deserves safety in Lee Level Darwin as properly.

The unbiased senator David Pocock tweeted that the clearing was an instance of Australia’s damaged system of environmental protections.

The clearing comes a month after the developer, Defence Housing Australia, was given the inexperienced mild to begin the event, which it had paused for a number of months whereas Plibersek thought of an emergency software by Larrakia conventional house owners for defense of the location on cultural grounds.

Plibersek notified the candidates late final month that after contemplating the proof she was not glad that the particular space that might be developed met the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Act necessities for a “vital Aboriginal space in accordance with Aboriginal custom”.

Destruction of woodlands begins for defence housing growth in Darwin

Lisa Cox

Destruction of woodlands which might be habitat for a whole bunch of chicken species, together with the endangered gouldian finch, has commenced on the website of a deliberate defence housing growth at Lee Level/Binybara in Darwin.

Footage launched by the Surroundings Centre NT reveals bulldozers pulling down bushes on the much-loved website {that a} neighborhood marketing campaign had fought to guard.

Darwin neighborhood members who arrived on the website this morning had been met by police and safety guards:

Amy Remeikis

Second educational questioned over racism impacts throughout Faruqi-Hanson court docket case

The federal court docket listening to Mehreen Faruqi’s racial discrimination case towards Pauline Hanson has simply completed listening to from the College of Melbourne educational, ProfKate Reynolds.

Reynolds additionally ready a report which varieties a part of Faruqi’s proof on the impacts of racism on well being and wellbeing. Reynolds has a PhD in psychology and informed the court docket:

I come from a self-discipline of social psychology, the place we spend plenty of time attempting to know the position that individuals’s group memberships play in shaping their attitudes, their behaviour, and their wellbeing.

Reynolds says individuals can expertise issues as a part of a bunch, or as a person.

Hanson’s counsel, Sue Chrysanthou led a lot of the questioning of Reynolds, which centres round whether or not there was sufficient data to evaluate whether or not individuals skilled the Hanson tweet as racism. Reynolds:

What this knowledgeable opinion says primarily based on the proof that’s accessible and mentioned is that’s that marginalised group members are more likely to expertise a tweet resembling this as racist. And when that happens, there’s a stream on impact to poorer bodily and psychological outcomes.

Reynolds had additionally reviewed the physique of labor across the well being and wellbeing impacts of racism, which included worldwide and home research. Chrysanthou’s questions centre round whether or not unfavourable outcomes are “potential” or “possible”. The distinction, as Chrysanthou lays out is “possible is extra possible than not. And potential is one thing lower than that”.

Reynolds says within the knowledgeable opinion offered to the court docket, it’s “possible”.

Reynolds says she has not interviewed, studied carefully or examined the people concerned within the case – and that she is showcasing the “top quality” proof which is on the market, which “speaks to the connection between experiences of racism and unfavourable outcomes”. Reynolds:

I believe possible is the phrase I’d use to explain my evaluation of this literature within the context of those sorts of situations.

Reynolds is excused from the court docket, which is now on break till 2.15pm. Hanson is predicted to present proof later this afternoon, as soon as the court docket resumes.

Luca Ittimani

Australia’s public service fee introduces CALD targets for public service

Folks from culturally and linguistically numerous (CALD) backgrounds maintain just one in ten senior government positions within the federal public service, regardless of making up one in 4 Australians.

Now the federal government has promised to carry illustration from the present common of 11% throughout the senior ranks of the general public service to 17% by 2030 and subsequently to 24%, roughly consistent with the nationwide inhabitants.

The business, science and assets division has the bottom CALD illustration on the senior government stage at 4%. Three different main authorities departments have solely 5% of senior positions crammed by CALD staff, whereas even essentially the most consultant division (overseas affairs and commerce) has solely 19%.

The targets are for the general public service on common, and particular person businesses will set their very own benchmarks and plans to assist the sector-wide goal.

The Australian public service fee has introduced the targets as a part of a CALD employment technique, which additionally consists of improved coaching, recruitment and promotion processes to scale back discrimination inside the public service.

A teen has been arrested following an alleged stabbing in St Albans this morning, in Melbourne’s north-west.

Emergency providers had been referred to as to reviews a 37-year-old man was situated injured in a quick meals outlet automobile park on St Albans Highway about 6am. It’s alleged a dispute occurred between the sufferer and one other man earlier than the sufferer was stabbed.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested at a Keilor Downs deal with right this moment. It’s additional alleged he was concerned in a stabbing at St Albans railway station yesterday.

It’s alleged the sufferer was chased by three males earlier than being stabbed. The 21-year-old Tarneit man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening accidents.

Investigations into the incident stay ongoing.

Natasha Might

Queensland well being warns of record-breaking Ross River detections

A spike in Ross River virus instances has coincided with a record-breaking variety of detections in mosquito traps this summer time season in Queensland.

Performing chief well being officer Dr Catherine McDougall mentioned within the yr up to now 2,065 individuals have had Ross River virus, which is the best variety of instances because the final vital outbreak of the virus.

Half of these instances had been in south-east Queensland, which has seen case numbers between six to eight occasions greater than common this summer time season (from November to April), McDougall mentioned.

Circumstances peaked in the course of the second week of March with 333 weekly instances recorded, she mentioned.

Hospital and well being service areas with the most important will increase in Ross River virus instances in comparison with earlier years had been Sunshine Coast, Metro North, Metro South, Gold Coast, and Vast Bay.

Ross River virus is unfold by the chunk of contaminated mosquitoes, with signs together with fever, rash and joint ache. There isn’t a therapy accessible however most individuals really feel higher in a number of weeks.

The final time there was a big Ross River virus outbreak in Queensland was in 2020, when 3,381 annual instances had been recorded.

The well being division’s amassing and testing mosquito samples helps assess threat. They are saying the best variety of mosquito entice assessments returned a constructive end result this summer time because the surveillance program began in 2016.

Out of greater than 1,225 mosquito traps examined for Ross River virus a report 116 traps have returned a constructive end result McDougall mentioned. It’s the newest warning from well being authorities following earlier notices of rising instances:

Man charged after alleged stabbing in Sydney’s west

Members of the general public detained a person who had been chasing individuals with a knife in Sydney’s west on Monday afternoon, police say.

New South Wales police mentioned in an announcement {that a} 25-year-old had been charged with a number of offences after allegedly stabbing a person and chasing different individuals at Heber Park in Hebersham about 5.45pm.

When police arrived on the park, they discovered a person had “been detained by members of the general public”, based on the assertion.

NSW police mentioned:

Police had been informed he allegedly chased a number of members of the general public and stabbed a person in his 20s earlier than bystanders disarmed and restrained him.

The injured man was handled for wounds to his neck and head earlier than being taken to Nepean Hospital in a steady situation, police mentioned.

The alleged offender was additionally taken to hospital for evaluation, however was later launched and charged at Mount Druitt police station with two counts of stalking or intimidation with intent to trigger worry or bodily hurt, widespread assault and wounding particular person with intent to trigger grievous bodily hurt.

He was refused bail to look earlier than Mount Druitt native court docket on Tuesday.

NSW police anticipate to talk to the media concerning the incident at 1pm on Tuesday.

Truckie in B-Double driving greater than 50 km/h over the restrict: police

A truckie has been fined and had his licence suspended after police detected him driving his B-double at 114km/h in a 60 km/h hour zone close to a New South Wales nation city.

NSW police mentioned in an announcement that the 25-year-old Queensland man was detected about 11am on Monday driving via roadworks south of Coonabarabran.

He was examined for medicine and alcohol however returned a unfavourable end result.

Police issued the person an infringement discover for exceed pace by greater than 45 km/h and his licence was suspended.

Daniel Hurst

Parliamentary group name for nuclear ban

A cross-party group has renewed requires Australia to affix a treaty that imposes a blanket ban on nuclear weapons, saying “historical past is asking”.

In a video message launched right this moment, members of the Parliamentary Buddies of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons say Australia ought to be a part of the 93 international locations which have already signed as much as the comparatively new treaty.

The treaty, referred to as the TPNW, is opposed by all the international locations which have nuclear weapons, together with the US.

However the treaty “has given international locations, and residents, internationally hope, and a brand new and promising pathway in the direction of the abolition of those weapons”, based on MPs and senators together with Labor authorities backbenchers Josh Wilson, Susan Templeman, Sam Lim, Louise Pratt, Sharon Claydon and Josh Burns.

Others to look within the video are Russell Broadbent (former Liberal now unbiased), Warren Entsch (LNP) and Jordon Steele-John (Greens), Lidia Thorpe (unbiased) and Monique Ryan (unbiased). The group says:

As members of the Parliamentary Buddies of TPNW, we’re working collectively to see the nuclear weapons ban treaty signed and ratified.

We’re pleased with our nation’s dedication to eliminating different inhumane weapons, like landmines, cluster munitions, organic and chemical weapons.

We welcome Australia’s engagement with the TPNW beneath the Albanese authorities, and we pay tribute to the neighborhood activism being undertaken in assist of Australia becoming a member of this treaty.

The performing director for Worldwide Marketing campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Australia, Jemila Rushton, welcomed the video as as a “joint message of hope” at a time of “unimaginable international insecurity”. Rushton referred to as on Labor to signal the treaty “at once”.

Amy Remeikis

Faruqi-Hanson court docket case continues

Sue Chrysanthou SC has completed her questioning of Prof Yin Paradies, so Mehreen Faruqi’s counsel Saul Holt KC has taken the chance to ask Paradies about Britishness as an ethnicity and whether or not criticising the colonial empire could possibly be thought of being racist to British individuals.

Holt is re-examining Paradies after Chrysanthou’s questioning yesterday within the first day of the listening to about whether or not it was potential to be racist towards white individuals.

Paradies says from the analysis, “racism skilled while you’re white, has a weaker affiliation between a weaker affiliation with well being outcomes. So you need to map it otherwise”.

Paradies then turns to a different challenge:

There may be additionally in fact, the problem of what’s generally referred to as white fragility.

And in these instances individuals who expertise racism might be notably perturbed by the expertise as they don’t actually have a lot historical past of being subjected to the experiences themselves.

On the concept of Britishness as an ethnicity, Holt asks concerning the concept of Britishness together with a colonial historical past and whether or not “to criticise a colonial historical past is to criticise the ethnicity of recent British folks”.

Paradies:

There have been many nation states that engaged in colonisation, Britain was definitely a kind of. And sure, some individuals definitely really feel individuals of British descent definitely really feel a type of a guilt over that coloniality however in the long run, individuals are not establishments.

And so to critique the British Empire is to not critique any explicit British particular person.
… So I believe there’s a distinction between critiquing colonisation and being racist to British individuals.

Paradies is excused by the court docket.

See the complete background to the case and yesterday’s hearings right here:

Luca Ittimani

Retail commerce falls 0.4% from February to March as customers proceed to really feel cost-of-living pressures

Australian customers reduce a little bit greater than anticipated in March, with retail commerce falling 0.4% from February.

The figures shocked markets, which had anticipated commerce to select up 0.2% over the month, a little bit under February’s month-to-month improve of 0.2% (which itself was revised under its earlier 0.3% estimate). Immediately’s knowledge from the Australian Bureau of statistics additionally confirmed NSW customers reduce essentially the most, by 1.1%.

A key indicator of cost-of-living stress on Australian clients, family items commerce, has now resumed its downward slide, falling to $5.61bn within the month in comparison with a $5.8bn development on the finish of 2023.

The determine has been slipping because the finish of 2022, as steeper costs and rate of interest rises ate away on the financial savings households would have spent on fridges and furnishings.

Count on the sector to maintain sliding as value rises show onerous to curb, after Australia’s inflation fee slowed lower than anticipated within the March quarter. That led markets to worry the Reserve Financial institution may nonetheless hike rates of interest additional earlier than the top of 2024.

However Sean Langcake, head of macroeconomic forecasting for Oxford Economics Australia, mentioned right this moment’s knowledge confirmed rising prices had been “nonetheless placing the squeeze on family budgets”.

Final week’s CPI knowledge spurred considerations that the RBA might but want to boost charges once more to rein in inflation. However these knowledge are an extra affirmation that client demand may be very restrained at current.

We’ll get a greater sense of how the RBA views the information after its assembly subsequent week.