Category: Australian News

A Shorten Labor Government will deliver better mental health, aged care, rehabilitation and maternity services for the people of Perth by investing in a major redevelopment of the Bentley Health Service.
Labor will invest $10.9 million to renovate and refurbish the ageing specialist hospital to ensure the growing local community in Perth’s south is getting the best possible care.
The 199-bed facility was built in the 1960s and the majority of hospital buildings remain in their original condition. As a result, the campus requires a major upgrade to ensure the safety and comfort of both patients and staff.
The hospital is already struggling with the impacts of increased population and activity – and the area is projected to grow rapidly over the coming decade.
A Shorten Labor Government’s investment will deliver:

• Upgrades to Maternity Services to reduce wait times, improve pain management services and increase patient privacy;
• Major improvements to Mental Health Services to improve security and amenity for patients, including outpatients;
•  Upgraded facilities for rehabilitation patients;
• Better patient and visitor access through renovations of the entrance and waiting areas; and
• Better facilities for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff, including upgrades to the staff dining room.

Labor believes that Western Australia deserves its fair share of health funding. Every WA resident is entitled to quality and affordable health care when they need it. That’s why will improve local health services through our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund.
Labor believes in a fair go for WA. We fought to make sure WA receives its fair share of GST funding, but a fair share doesn’t end with the GST.
Western Australia deserves its fair share of funding for Medicare and hospitals – not Scott Morrison’s cuts to Medicare and hospitals.
When he was Treasurer, Scott Morrison extended the Liberals’ Medicare freeze, which has forced up health care costs for all Australians.
And Morrison cut $77 million from WA’s public hospitals – which means fewer doctors and nurses, and longer waiting times for patients.
A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Morrison’s cuts to WA’s public hospitals, ensuring our emergency departments and hospital wards have the doctors, nurses and hospital staff to keep up with record demand.
Unlike Morrison and the Liberals, who are only for the top end of town, Labor will deliver a fair go for Western Australia by giving WA it’s fair share of health funding.

Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters says the Government should be sued for ignoring water laws for Adani’s 12.5 billion litre water pipeline, unless the Environment Minister intervenes today and requires a full environmental impact assessment.
“We learned three weeks ago that this Government had done yet another special deal for Adani, exempting them from water laws despite their plans to suck out almost as much water as all the other users combined, from a drought-stricken region,” Senator Waters said.
“Today we learn that even the Water Department thought the water impacts were significant and required assessment – but the so-called Environment Department ignored this advice in favour of Liberal Party donors.
“The Environment Minister didn’t even put her name to the decision – but she must now intervene and require the water impacts of sucking out 12.5billion litres of water to undergo a full environmental assessment.
“If she won’t step in, the decision should be challenged in Court – and as a former environmental lawyer, I will support anyone who wants to do so.
“This Government shows wanton neglect of our water, environment and climate in favour of Big Coal. Why don’t they just abolish parliament and have the Prime Minister report directly to the mining industry?
“The Government has once again demonstrated why corporate donations to political parties must be banned.
“Between 2014 and 2017, the LNP and Labor accepted $3.94 million from the Big Mining and Gas.
“Until we get donations reform, the major parties will keep propping up the coal industry and their corporate donor mates at the expense of protecting our precious water resources.
“Nevertheless, people power will stop Adani – and the Greens proudly stand with the community working for a safe climate future for us all.”

Australia’s icebreaker RSV Aurora Australis is steaming south to Antarctica and over the last week has been towing an ingenious plankton sampling device.
The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) traps plankton swimming in the ocean between moving sheets of silk.
The silk-and-plankton sandwich is wound up in a removable cassette, driven by the passing water turning a propeller, at a constant rate of 1cm for each nautical mile travelled.
Each tow lasts about 450 nautical miles, and also records ocean and climate data at the same time.

PDF printable version of Seniors to Benefit from Remote Aged Care Workforce Accord – PDF 312 KB
Senior Australians living in remote areas will benefit from a targeted new initiative to sustain, support and expand the aged care workforce in remote communities.
“I welcome this move, which involves experienced remote aged care providers and expert organisations taking up the Accord on the Remote Aged Care Workforce, part of our Government’s landmark Aged Care Workforce Strategy,” said Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Ken Wyatt AM.
“The Accord group will provide a unified voice for remote and very remote age care services and is expected to meet at least four times a year.
“The industry-led Accord recognises the unique challenges and the importance of finding local solutions to support a safe and rewarding working environment to attract and retain remote area workers.
“The group will focus on practical action, with the aim of supporting senior Australians to live close to home with the care they need, provided by people they know and trust, who are well trained and connected with their communities.”
Accord Chair is Chris Hall, CEO of Juniper WA. Deputy Chair is Praveen Gopal, Operations Manager, Aged Care and Disability Services at MacDonnell Regional Council, Northern Territory.
Professor John Pollaers OAM, Chair of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, said: “The Remote Accord will help lead the industry in maximising local workforce development and designing training and education experiences suited to people in remote settings.
“It will also work with communities to support the safety of the aged care workforce, and liaise with governments on appropriate program and policy settings for better remote aged care delivery.”
The Accord is part of continuing efforts by the industry, with the support of the Liberal National Government, to find new and innovative ways to provide services to senior Australians living in remote communities.
The Accord will complement extensive new Government funding and places for regional and remote aged care, including $40 million for capital works and expansions, $105.7 million for an additional 900 residential and home care places for First Nations aged care, and the regional priority given to the more than 14,000 new residential places allocated in 2018.
The Aged Care Workforce Strategy includes practical actions to grow the professional workforce and attract, train and retain skilled and talented staff to work in aged care services in a variety of settings.
For more about the remote accord and the workforce strategy go to the Department of Health’s website.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today acknowledged the decision of Tennis Australia to impose a two year ban on athlete Omar Jasika for the presence of a prohibited substance.
Mr Jasika was selected for in-competition testing while participating at the Australian Open Wildcard Playoff in Melbourne on 11 December 2017.
His sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, which detected the presence of Benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine).
Cocaine is prohibited in-competition under category S6.a Non-Specified Stimulants of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2017 Prohibited List.
Mr Jasika was deemed to have waived his right to a hearing and accepted the sanction. As a result, he is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 5 March 2020. He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory event organisation.
ASADA is committed to protecting the right of clean athletes to fair competition. If you are aware of any suspicious doping activity, you can report it anonymously via the ASADA website: www.asada.gov.au/report-doping or call us on 13 000 27232. ASADA recommends you check all your substances before you take them on the ASADA app. For more information visit: ASADA tech.

Claudia O’Doherty to star in Sarah’s Channel / Photo by Ramona Rosales © augustimage.com (USA) ravenandsnow.com (AUS)

Four comedies and one drama form the latest Online Production slate from Screen Australia. Four of the creative teams are receiving Screen Australia funding for the first time, including producers Karen Colston and Robbie Miles who will create the six-part parody Sarah’s Channel for ABC iview. Claudia O’Doherty (Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, Netflix’s Love) will star in the title role.

Sarah’s Channel follows beauty vlogger Sarah who discovers she’s been reanimated after an apocalypse. Live performer and theatre playwright Nick Coyle will make the jump to screen to write/direct, fresh off the back of his hit play The Feather in the Web.
“I’m thrilled (and surprised) that my idea of a Beauty Vlogger uploading videos in a post-apocalyptic world has been green-lit, and excited to be collaborating with such a fantastic team to bring it to life,” said Coyle. “There is so much comedy to mine in the online influencer world, and so many pre-existing fans who I hope will love this new take on the genre.”
Producer Karen Colston of Yellow Creative Management added, “We’re so pleased Nick’s unique voice will be seen by a wider audience than those lucky enough to have caught his brilliant theatre work, and we hope to create a pathway to screen for other stage practitioners. The concept and execution of Sarah’s Channel is inextricably linked to the internet, so it is uniquely suited to the online series format.”
Emmy-award winning Queensland studio Ludo are also creating a series for the ABC, satirising the web life-coach industry in the six-part comedy Content. Completion funding has been provided to the emerging creators behind comedies How To Know If You’re Dating A Narcissist and Single Ladies, plus family drama Time & Place.
“We have a healthy appetite for creative risk in Online Production, and want to support new creators who are trying out bold concepts,” said Screen Australia Investment Manager Lee Naimo. “I’m particularly pleased to see the majority of projects in this slate have female central characters, and female directors.”
“As we’ve seen most recently with Superwog and Sheilas, online content can well and truly compete with traditional mediums in terms of production values and audience share. Now is the time for emerging creators to be taking advantage of Screen Australia’s revised Development funding opportunities to refine their concepts, and get in touch with us in Online Production to discuss their projects.”
Please find funded project blocklines below.

ONLINE FUNDING

Since 2008, Screen Australia has funded more than 200 online projects, collectively amassing over 290 million views on YouTube alone.
In 2017/18, Screen Australia provided $3.479m in production funding to online dramas. Recipients included Theo and Nathan Saidden for the Superwog series, which launched in October 2018. The first three episodes of the comedy all trended #1 on YouTube, and have already amassed over ten million views.
The agency also provided near $600k in online talent and sector development in 2017/18, including the hugely popular Google Skip Ahead and ABC Fresh Blood initiatives.
Screen Australia invests in online documentaries and online works from Indigenous creators through additional funding programs.
Four of the five titles nominated for the 2018 AACTA for ‘Best Online Video or Series’ were Screen Australia funded.

ONLINE CONTENT

Screen Australia’s Drama Report detailed that the budgets and expenditure for Australian online dramas* more than tripled in 2017/18 to $53 million. There were seven fewer online drama titles compared to 2016/17, however the higher volume of hours and significant increase in budgets stemmed from the production of content with longer episodes and higher cost per hour.
18 Australian titles* were made for first release online in 2017/18, including ABC iview’s Deadlock and SBS On Demand’s Homecoming Queens – both of which are nominated for Best Online Video or Series in the 2018 AACTA Awards.
*includes single episodes or series titles with total durations of 30 minutes or more.
How To Know If You’re Dating A Narcissist

CONTENT

1 x 60 min / 6 x 10 min
Ludo Studio (QLD)
Genre: Comedy
Producer: Meg O’Connell
Executive Producers: Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson
Director: Daley Pearson
Writer: Anna Barnes
Platform: ABC TV and ABC iview
Synopsis: Lucy is a woke, successful influencer who wants to help you achieve everything you’ve wanted – a partner, a career and contentedness. Unfortunately, Lucy has a severely unhealthy relationship with her phone which keeps her from achieving any of these things herself.
Production credit: Content is a Ludo Studio production for the ABC. Principal production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Screen Queensland.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE DATING A NARCISSIST

6 x 5mins
Sweary Canary Films (NSW) 
Genre: Comedy
Producers: Kristy Best, Michelle Lia (Associate), Enzo Tedeschi
Directors: Kristy Best
Writers: Kristy Best
Platform: TBC
Synopsis: Follow multi-narcissist survivor Kristy Best as she abrasively whisks you through a surreal lifestyle parody hell-bent on teaching women everywhere How To Know If You’re Dating A Narcissist.
Production credit: How to Know If You’re Dating a Narcissist is a Sweary Canary Films productions. Production investment from Sweary Canary Films in association with Screen Australia.

SARAH’S CHANNEL

6 x 5 mins
Yellow Creative Management Pty Ltd and Mythmaker Media Pty Ltd (NSW)
Genre: Comedy
Producers: Karen Colston, Robbie Miles
Executive Producers: Mark Morrissey, Jean Mostyn, Claudia O’Doherty
Director: Nick Coyle
Writer: Nick Coyle
Platform: ABC iview
Synopsis Sarah’s Channel is a quirky, relatable Youtube channel created and run by Sarah, who isn’t going to let the fact that she’s been re-animated in a post-apocalyptic future stop her from doing what she’s famous for: Beauty Vlogging. Sure, everyone she knew is dead, the subterranean mutants who worship her are annoying, and a monster is trying to kill her, but Sarah’s got some fantastic makeup tips and it’ll take more than that to prevent her from uploading them.
Production credit: Sarah’s Channel is a Yellow Creative and Mythmaker production for the ABC. Principal production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW.

SINGLE LADIES

6 x 8 mins
Story Republic Pty Ltd (WA)
Genre: Comedy
Producer: Joshua Gilbert
Executive Producer: Ros Walker
Directors:  Gemma Hall, Mimi Helm, Jacqueline Pelczar
Writer: Aaron Moss
Platform: TBC
Synopsis: Single Ladies follows the misadventures of unlikely trio Catherine, Nina and Hashim as they try to save their sex positive radio show from the conservative owners of the station.
Production credit: Single Ladies is a Story Republic production. Production investment from Screen Australia and Screenwest.

TIME & PLACE

7 x 9 mins
Gemini Arts and Media Pty Ltd (QLD)
Genre: Drama
Producer: Tam Sainsbury, Dylan Schenkeveld
Director: Tam Sainsbury
Writer: Tam Sainsbury
Platform: TBC
Synopsis: After living abroad for years, magazine writer Rebecca Woodruff returns for a holiday to her hometown of Golden Beach with her husband and daughter. Her family; divorced mum and dad, her mum’s new lesbian partner, her married sister and wildly single lawyer brother; are all thrilled to have her home. As Rebecca navigates her family’s chaos, her marriage begins to crumble and her deeply hidden secret begins to surface and she realises that maybe this is the time and the place where she now needs to be…..permanently.
Production Credit: Time & Place is a Gemini Arts and Media production. Principal production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Sunshine Coast Council and Arts Queensland.
Single Ladies
 

A new school-based mental health program that aims to give teachers the tools to help students manage their mental health will be launched today following a $98.6 million investment from the Morrison Government.
The program Be You will be delivered by beyondblue in partnership with headspace and Early Childhood Australia.
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the program will provide Australian teachers with the skills and resources to be able to teach students how to manage their mental health and wellbeing, build resilience, and support the mental wellbeing of other students.
“It will ensure that students have all the support required for healthy social and emotional development,” Minister Hunt said.
“Be You will teach educators to identify any students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, and to work with the families and local services to get the right help early on. It will also help educators look after their own mental health.”
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said Be You builds on the strengths of current school-based mental health programs, and complements our Government’s recently launched Australian Student Wellbeing Framework.
“I encourage all Australian schools and early learning providers to engage with beyondblue and Be You to support the mental health and wellbeing of our students,” Minister Tehan said.
“As half of all mental health disorders in Australia emerge before the age of 14, schools and early learning services in Australia represent one of the best opportunities for mental health issues to be detected early and managed.
“Schools also play a vital role in prevention by helping our children and young people learn the skills they need to look after their own mental health and wellbeing.
I want our children and young people to have access to the information and skills they need to face life’s challenges and to know they have our support.”
The program will be rolled-out by beyondblue in 6,000 schools and 2,000 early learning services in 2019.
Teachers and educators, including those still in training, will have access to free online courses and materials on mental health and suicide prevention.
The program will also be supported by over 70 frontline staff from Early Childhood Australia and headspace who will help schools and early learning services around the country implement the program, through online, telephone, and face to face consultations.
The Government is also providing $2.36 million over four years to the University of Queensland to evaluate the program. This will assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the program, and identify opportunities to strengthen or improve it.
The Liberal National Government is prioritising better mental health for all Australians with an additional $338.1 million allocated in the 2018¬–19 Budget and $4.7 billion expected to be spent on mental health this financial year.
Our Government’s strong economic management ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and hospitals.

From today, the Morrison Government will make a new medicine available for free for an extremely rare and potentially life-threatening disease, saving patients hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
The new medicine Galafold® (migalastat) for the treatment of Fabry disease will be listed on the Life Saving Drugs Program, which provides free access to highly specialised medicines to treat patients with rare and life-threatening diseases.
Patients with Fabry disease have a rare enzyme deficiency, which means their bodies have trouble breaking down a fatty substance called globotriaosylceramide.
The condition usually presents in childhood with episodes of severe pain. Others symptoms include skins rashes, headaches, fatigue, vertigo, fever and vomiting and diarrhea.
It can result in potentially life-threatening complications including kidney failure, heart attack and stroke. It can have a major impact on patients and their families.
Currently, there are around 100 Fabry patients receiving enzyme replacement therapy through the LSDP.
Galafold® is a new oral medicine alternative for the treatment of Fabry disease patients aged 16 years and older.
It provides greater treatment choice for Fabry patients, reduces disease symptoms and dramatically improves quality of life, whilst also allowing patients to manage their own treatment at home without the need to have painful injections or infusions.
Without subsidy, Australian Fabry patients would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for this treatment, putting them beyond the reach of most families who have to fight this extremely rare condition.
This is the first medicine included on the Life Saving Drugs Program following the implementation of our reforms to make the process more timely, transparent and improve patient access through the program.
Our Government currently funds fourteen different life-saving medicines for nine very rare diseases through the program, providing physical, emotional and financial relief for 400 Australian patients.
These medicines are very expensive and would be too high of a financial burden on patients.
Medicines funded through this program include high cost medicines that do not meet the criteria to be funded on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Only in 2017-18 our Government invested $128 million in the Life Saving Drugs Program.
The new the Life Saving Drugs Program medical expert panel was announced in August. The panel, chaired by Australia’s former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Hobbs, supports the evaluation of medicines for funding on the program and provides advice to the Chief Medical Officer.
Our Government’s strong economic management ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding into vital health initiatives including life-saving medicines, Medicare, hospitals and vaccination programs.

Some of Australia’s most remote communities will be better connected to vital supplies, transport and medical services thanks to Round six of the Liberal and Nationals’ Government’s Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program, which opened for applications today.
Deputy Prime Minister, Nationals’ Leader and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the program was about improving the safety and accessibility of airstrips across remote Australia to better connect communities to the services they need to survive and thrive.
“It is important for all communities to have great transport links and even more so in our remote areas where local airstrips are crucial pieces of community infrastructure,” Mr McCormack said.
“For many Australians living in remote communities, airstrips are needed to get essential supplies, mail deliveries and potentially lifesaving medical services, as well as connect with education and employment opportunities and travel long distances.
“The Liberal and Nationals’ Government has committed $28.3 million to improve safety and access at airstrips to ensure those living in the most remote parts of our nation continue to remain connected to the essential services they need.”
Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister Andrew Broad said 31 projects had been approved for funding in the previous round, highlighting the importance of the program to local communities and the Australian Government’s strong commitment to supporting remote and regional Australia.
“Last round we invested more than $500,000 to improve drainage and sealing at Camooweal in Queensland, $225,000 to re-sheet and regrade the runway at Bulla Camp in the Northern Territory and $55,000 to repair fences at the Flinders Island aerodrome in Tasmania, to name just a few,” Mr Broad said.
“These kinds of projects benefit thousands of Australians living in remote communities and surrounding regions, whether through job creation, more reliable transport access or improved service delivery.
“I encourage all owners and operators of remote community airstrips who can see a real need for an upgrade to apply under Round 6.”
Royal Flying Doctor Service Chief Executive Dr Martin Laverty welcomed the new round.
“The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program saves lives,” Dr Laverty said.
“It delivers safety improvements such as night lighting or navigation aids for the Flying Doctor to land in health emergencies at otherwise unserviceable airstrips. Our remote Australia health service simply couldn’t operate without this essential funding program.”
Applications for Round 6 are open until 29 November 2018 and can be lodged by owners/operators of remote airstrips including community groups, Indigenous organisations and local governments.
To apply, visit www.business.gov.au/raup.

A new version of the Express Plus Centrelink app is now available for people to download who use an Apple device.
We’re encouraging people to update it today.
Department of Human Services General Manager Hank Jongen said the update is needed to keep using the iOS version of the app.
“We’re urging people to update to the new version to keep doing their Centrelink business via the app”,  Mr Jongen said.
“Once people have updated to the new version of the Express Plus app they can continue to report as they normally would.
“Anyone using the Express Plus Centrelink app on Android devices can continue to use their existing version.
“People can still report using their Centrelink online account through myGov or phone self-service.”
The new Express Plus Centrelink app for iOS devices is available on the App Store.