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"I thought I was Bear Grylls": Woman speaks out after being trapped upside-down for 7 hours

<p>A young woman who spent hours stuck upside-down between two boulders has spoken out about her horrific <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/woman-rescued-after-getting-stuck-in-between-two-boulders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordeal</a> as she was reunited with her rescuers. </p> <p>Matilda Campbell, a 23-year-old from Newcastle, was on a trip away with friends in Laguna, about a 30-minute drive from Cessnock, when she dropped her phone between two huge rocks.</p> <p>The young woman climbed down to retrieve her phone, and when she got stuck upside-down, her friends called 000 for help. </p> <p>Paramedics had to move the boulders using a specialist winch to reach Matilda, before facing the tricky task of “navigating” her out from her precarious position.</p> <p>After suffering minor injuries from the ordeal, Matilda has spoken out about how she ended up in the sticky situation. </p> <p>“We wanted to see nature ... and we saw these beautiful rocks so we sat there ... and then my friend had my phone and it slipped off the rock,” she told <em>7News</em>.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBsj-x1CYI2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBsj-x1CYI2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Sydney (@7newssyd)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“And I thought oh no I’m still paying off that phone I need it ... so I ventured down and thought I was Bear Grylls ... and I slipped head first into the crevice where I was stuck for seven hours."</p> <p>“I didn’t freak out at the start ... it took me about half an hour to realise I was fully stuck and then I started to have a big cry."</p> <p>“I’m very thankful I was with my friends, otherwise it would have been a very different story.”</p> <p>Campbell has since been reunited with her rescuers, to whom she says she owes her life, as she said, “I’m just thankful to see them again ... I wouldn’t be here today without them. So, I’m really thankful.”</p> <p>Specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts said the rescue was “challenging but incredibly rewarding”, saying after the rescue, “In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I had never encountered a job quite like this.”</p> <p>In total, the woman spent seven hours hanging upside-down before she was freed, with only minor scratches and bruises but still without her phone, which could not be retrieved.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"A wonderful human being": Tributes flow for George Negus

<p>Tributes have poured in for George Negus, a founding presenter of Nine's <em>60 Minutes</em> and ABC's <em>Foreign Correspondent, </em>following his death at age 82. </p> <p>News of the broadcaster's death was announced by his family in an emotional statement saying that he had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/george-negus-dies-at-age-82" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died peacefully</a> surrounded by loved ones after a "gracious decline" from Alzheimer's disease. </p> <p>His family also said while Negus would be celebrated for his "unique contribution to journalism, football, and the environment" he would also want to be remembered for the  "incredible family man he was". </p> <p>"To us, 'Negsy' was the greatest father, grandfather, and partner there ever was," they said in the statement. </p> <p>"We created a beautiful life together and we will miss him dearly.</p> <p>"We would ask for privacy and time to farewell George in our own way with family, and his and our closest friends."</p> <p>Now, tributes have poured in from fellow colleagues, with TV personality Ray Martin saying that Negus was "more than a colleague, he was a mate".</p> <p>"He was probably the strongest TV character I can remember on Australian television," Martin said.</p> <p>"He was outrageous, he was charismatic, he was loud, he was heavily opinionated, he was funny but he was just a great bloke."</p> <p>Fellow journalist Liz Hayes has honoured him for being a "trailblazer" in Australian journalism, and praised his  "larger than life" personality. </p> <p>"George always had an insatiable appetite for information, but he was a regular guy too," Hayes said.</p> <p>"This is a guy who loved the cooking segment on the <em>Today</em> show, this is a guy who enjoyed sport and he was a family man."</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to Negus, remembering him as "a giant of Australian journalism".</p> <p>"His courage, curiosity and integrity gave millions of Australians a sense of the big issues on <em>60 Minutes</em>, and a window to the world through<em> Foreign Correspondent</em>," he said.</p> <p>"George sought and served the truth with steely determination and a twinkle in his eye, and along the way, he made even the smallest TV screen feel that much bigger.</p> <p>"He was a wonderful human being and his loss will be deeply felt by so many Australians.</p> <p>"We offer his family the heartfelt condolences of our nation. May he rest in peace."</p> <p>Negus is survived by his partner Kirsty, his two sons Ned and Serge as well as the rest of his family. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

Caring

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Grandparents found hugging after being killed by fallen tree

<p>Marcia Savage, 74, and Jerry Savage, 78, had already turned in for the night as Hurricane Helene roared outside. </p> <p>Their 22-year-old grandson, John Savage, had checked in on them to make sure they were fine after he heard a snap. </p> <p>“We heard one snap and I remember going back there and checking on them. They were both fine, the dog was fine." he recalled. </p> <p>But not long after disaster struck and John and his father heard a "boom" as one of the largest trees on their property in Beech Island, South Carolina came crashing down on top of his grandparents' bedroom, killing them. </p> <p>“All you could see was ceiling and tree,” he said. “I was just going through sheer panic at that point.”</p> <p>John said his grandparents were found hugging one another in the bed, in what he described as a final heroic act from Jerry who tried to protect his wife. </p> <p>“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try to protect my grandmother,” he said.</p> <p>Jerry did all sorts of handy work but worked mostly as an electrician and carpenter. Jerry went “in and out of retirement because he got bored”. </p> <p>“He’d get that spirit back in him to go back out and work," his grandson said. </p> <p>Marcia was a retired bank teller who was very involved in their church. </p> <p>Their daughter Tammy Estep said Marcia loved cooking for her family, especially for Thanksgiving, and was known for her banana pudding. </p> <p>The couple were high school sweethearts and were married for more than 50 years, with Tammy recalling that "their love was immediate, and it was everlasting”.</p> <p>“They loved each other to their dying day,” John said.</p> <p>The couple are among more than 150 people confirmed dead in one of the deadliest storms in US history. </p> <p>A GoFundMe organised for their funeral expenses says that they were survived by their son and daughter, along with their four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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Kiwi pilot freed after being held hostage for 592 days

<p>After 592 days in <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/rebel-fighters-share-eerie-footage-of-abducted-kiwi-pilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captivity</a>, a New Zealand pilot is finally going home.</p> <p>Phillip Mehrtens was taken hostage in Indonesia by a West Papua rebel group in February 2023 when he was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air.</p> <p>The pilot was kidnapped by rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group at Papua’s Nduga airport on February 7th 2023, and spent over a year and a half in captivity. </p> <p>On Saturday, the 38-year-old was collected by police and military forces from a village in Nduga district before being given medical and psychological checks.</p> <p>He was then flown to the Papuan city of Timika before jetting to the capital Jakarta where he was handed over to New Zealand’s ambassador.</p> <p>“Today I have been freed,” Mehrtens told reporters. “I am very happy that shortly I will be able to go home and meet my family."</p> <p>“Thank you to everybody who helped me today so I can get out safely in a healthy condition.”</p> <p>New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier said Mehrtens was “safe and well” and had been able to speak with his family, saying, “This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones."</p> <p>Mehrtens' long-anticipated release came after intense negotiation efforts between Wellington and Jakarta, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo saying that Jakarta had secured Mehrtens’ freedom through negotiation, not force.</p> <p>“We prioritised the safety of the pilot who was held hostage. It took a long process and I appreciate the authorities,” he told reporters.</p> <p>The rebels had demanded that the Indonesian government recognise Papuan independence in return for his freedom, as Mehrtens' kidnapping was part of a long-term, often brutally violent conflict between the Indonesian government and West Papua’s Indigenous people.</p> <p><em>Image credits: The West Papuan National Liberation Army / Handout</em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Schoolgirl identified after allegedly being murdered by mother

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find upsetting. </strong></em></p> <p>The 10-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her mother has been identified as Sophie Wang, a young schoolgirl from the Gold Coast. </p> <p>Wang's mother, 46-year-old Yingying Xu, has been arrested and charged with the violent murder of her daughter. </p> <p>Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis described the crime scene as "incredibly confronting", after Sophie was allegedly killed by having her throat slashed in her Carrara home. </p> <p>“In my 15-year career as a detective, it’s one of the most confronting things I have seen.”</p> <p>According to Ellis, it was Sophie's father who found his daughter dead at the scene after he arrived home and called police.</p> <p>“It was an extremely distressing scene for not only the ... father there, but attending police, and I can understand the significant distress amongst the community,” the detective said.</p> <p>The woman was arrested on a “nearby street” some four hours after Sophie’s body was found, according to Ellis.</p> <p>Sophie's death was made public by her school Emmanuel College, who is offering counselling to the school community over the tragic incident. </p> <p>“The Emmanuel College community is devastated by the tragic passing of one of our students at a home within Emerald Lakes last night,” the school principal Dan Brown said in a statement.</p> <p>“Our prayers are with the family, friends, first responders and all affected by the loss of this beloved child in her home. Our priority is supporting our community at this difficult time."</p> <p>“We have mobilised our counselling and pastoral care teams to provide comprehensive support to students, staff and parents as our community comes to terms with this distressing news."</p> <p>“We ask for understanding and respect for the privacy of our families and students at this time. While words cannot ease the shock and pain of such a tragic loss, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Emmanuel College</em></p>

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"Really upsetting": Man turned away from concert for being in a wheelchair

<p>A man from Melbourne has been left devastated after he was denied entry into a concert due to being a wheelchair. </p> <p>Dylan Taylor and his friends arrived at the Pier Bandroom in the suburb of Frankston to see one of his favourite heavy metal bands Polaris, when he ran into problems getting in the door. </p> <p>“I got to the front of the line, and they were checking IDs like normal, and one of the bouncers wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was there,” Taylor told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/dylan-was-turned-away-from-seeing-his-favourite-band-because-he-uses-a-wheelchair-experts-say-its-a-common-issue-c-15618393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p>“I was holding up my licence, and he wouldn’t look at it or take it, and they had taken everyone else’s licence."</p> <p>“I hadn’t really figured it out at this point ... but then the other bouncer said: ‘Nup, sorry mate, no wheelchairs’.”</p> <p>Taylor’s group of friends called for a manager to discuss the potential for them to “make it work”.</p> <p>The group was asked to wait around the side of the building for the manager, who was unable to offer any solutions. </p> <p>Dylan said he was told it would be a fire safety risk to let him in, and that even though in a scenario where a person injured in the venue would be carried out by bouncers during a fire, that the bouncers would not carry a wheelchair user out in the same scenario.</p> <p>“I’m spewin’ because, at this point, I haven’t even paid my friends back for the ticket, and I’ve ruined their night out,” he said.</p> <p>His friends continued to try to reason with the manager to let Dylan in, even saying they had seen a wheelchair user in the venue two weeks earlier, but to no avail.</p> <p>“Technically, you can have wheelchairs, but you have to be ambulant, that’s what we got out of them, in the end,” Taylor said.</p> <p>According to Dylan, there was no wheelchair access disclaimer on his tickets, nor on the Pier Bandroom’s website or social media, with Google Maps even displaying an accessibility widget which claimed there was a “wheelchair-accessible entrance”.</p> <p>A spokesperson from the Pier Bandroom parent company Endeavour Group told <em>7News</em> it was sorry for the distress caused by the incident.</p> <p>“The Pier Hotel was originally built in the 1800s and is a historic landmark in Frankston. While the Pier Hotel has various rooms on the ground floor, the Pier Bandroom function space is only accessible by stairs, and is not wheelchair accessible,” it said.</p> <p>“We apologise to any ticket holders who were not given adequate information about our venue’s policies at the time of purchasing tickets to recent concerts. We regret any inconvenience or distress this may have caused.</p> <p>“We are taking action to update the Pier Bandroom’s website with this information and communicate with any show promoters to do the same.”</p> <p>Taylor said the incident at the Pier Bandroom “was the first time I’ve faced, I would say, pretty blatant discrimination”, as he has only required the wheelchair for 18 months after sustaining a permanent spine injury. </p> <p>“You feel pretty empty inside, and I did have a little cry in the car on the way home."</p> <p>“It just really upsets me thinking about people who have maybe been dealing with disability for their whole life. Who maybe haven’t had the other half of life I’ve had, to be able to go and experience these things before being in a wheelchair.”</p> <p>While learning to live with his disability, Taylor was pleased to learn “how many people will go out of their way to help you out” but said it was disappointing to discover just how much his autonomy was curbed by poor accessibility.</p> <p>“It’s been a steep learning curve,” Taylor said.</p> <p>“Melbourne will accept the reputation of being inclusive and accepting, but it’s not necessarily accessible.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Google Maps / 7News / Dylan Taylor </em></p>

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Country boycotts Paris Games after being stripped of medal

<p>The prime minister of Romania has vowed to boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics over what he described as “flagrant injustice” to two of the country’s gymnasts.</p> <p>Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called out the "scandalous situation" surrounding Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who both missed out on medals after the women's floor routines. </p> <p>Barbosu was initially believed to have won bronze and was beginning to celebrate the win, when the judges then adjusted the difficulty of American gymnast Jordan Chiles' routine, bumping her up into third place and sending the Romanian gymnasts into fourth and fifth position. </p> <p>The president of the country’s gymnastics federation Carmencita Constantin told AFP she would file two complaints to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after both Romanian gymnasts left the competition in tears.</p> <p>Voinea, 17, who filed an unsuccessful appeal of her own, complained she had been unfairly penalised.</p> <p>Fellow Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci chimed in on the controversy, urging a review of Voinea’s routine, after she claimed the athlete didn’t step outside the floor surface, an act she had been punished for.</p> <p>It comes as heartbreaking new footage of Barbosu’s medal being taken away emerged, after the final scores were updated and resulted in her coming in fourth place. </p> <p>As a result, the Romanian gymnastics team, who qualified for the first time in 12 years, left Paris without a medal after coming in seventh in the team competition.</p> <p>Prime Minister Ciolacu shared his upset over the loss, saying the athletes were treated "dishonourably" and would be boycotting the closing ceremony in protest. </p> <p>“I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable way,” he wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>Romania also sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, after it was revealed that Voinea has now quit gymnastics after the dramatic Olympics loss. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Daniela Porcelli/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p>

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Grandfather killed after being mistaken for kidnapper

<p>An Indian grandfather has been tragically killed in a one-punch attack after being mistaken for a kidnapper. </p> <p>Mewa Singh, 60, was visiting his son and grandson in Christchurch when he suffered the fatal blow at the hands of a stranger.</p> <p>His 32-year-old attacker, whose name has been suppressed, was spending time at a park on April 7th 2023 with his son when he drove off and left his child behind to “teach his son a lesson” after the boy was misbehaving, according to <em><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350337161/totally-unfair-how-one-punch-changed-familys-life-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Stuff</a></em>.</p> <p>When he returned a short time late to pick up his son, the man saw a stranger, later identified as Singh, holding his son’s hand near a bus stop and became enraged, shoving Singh and yelling “that’s my f****** son”.</p> <p>He drove the child back to his ex-partner’s house and explained the situation, when his son allegedly said, Singh was “trying to walk him to daddy’s car”. </p> <p>The man then decided to drive back to the park to find Singh, where he confronted the grandfather by grabbing his shirt collar and accusing him of trying to abduct his son.</p> <p>He then delivered a “haymaker-style punch” to his jaw, which caused Singh to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement.</p> <p>Believing Singh to be dead, his attacker left and told his ex-partner he thought he killed him, prompting her to phone emergency services.</p> <p>Despite being treated in the ICU at Christchurch Hospital, Singh did not regain consciousness and died on April 9th.</p> <p>Singh’s attacker faced Christchurch High Court on Friday, when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and is scheduled to be sentenced in October. </p> <p>Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350337161/totally-unfair-how-one-punch-changed-familys-life-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff</a></em> about the attack 15 months on, Singh’s son Himanshu Keshwer said his family was still beyond devastated at the sudden loss.</p> <p>“He was a very good human being,” he said.</p> <p>Keshwer said what happened to his father was “totally unfair”.</p> <p>“Someone killed my dad and I couldn’t do anything, and still can’t do anything,” he told the outlet.</p> <p>“It makes me sad, it shouldn’t have happened.”</p> <p>A <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helping-and-support-the-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">fundraiser</a> was launched to support Singh’s family and transport his body back to India, raising $16,316, which exceeded the $15,000 goal.</p> <p><em>Image credits: givealittle.co.nz</em></p>

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“Greedy” woman slammed after being “disappointed” with engagement ring

<p dir="ltr">A woman has been dubbed “ungrateful” and “greedy” online after sharing a lengthy post about how she was “pretty disappointed” with the ring her boyfriend proposed with. </p> <p dir="ltr">The bride-to-be took to Facebook to say that while she still loves her fiancé, she was upset at being given a lab-made diamond as opposed to a natural one. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed, especially since my future husband has enough income to afford a real diamond,” she said in the lengthy post. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also confessed to feeling like “a spoiled brat for complaining”, but went on to compare how her fiancé was previously engaged to another woman and proposed with a ring costing more than $75,000, so the cheaper diamond left her feeling “second best”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post was met with ridicule online, as thousands of people commented on her post to express their disbelief. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person quipped, “I require my diamonds to be exploitative.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“People sure do get upset when their diamonds aren't the result of human rights abuses and environmental destruction, huh,” another said, slamming the woman's “entitled attitude”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another woman was quick to agree that the bride-to-be's “greedy” disappointment was in bad taste.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carbon is carbon,” another person said, referring to the material that diamonds are made of, whether from the ground or in a lab.   </p> <p dir="ltr">“Such a weird hill to die on! I told my husband I wanted a lab created diamond for this exact reason: because diamond mining claims lives! Having a chemically perfect diamond is a bonus,” another woman said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Relationships

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Three children dead after allegedly being forced into house fire

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains disturbing content that readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Three children have tragically died in a house fire in Sydney's west, with police allegedly treating the incident as a domestic violence attack. </p> <p>At 1am on Sunday morning, neighbours raised the alarm after spotting the fire in a family home in the suburb of Lalor Park.</p> <p>Firefighters arrived on the scene in six minutes to battle what neighbours called an "intense" blaze. </p> <p>"The flames were shooting out the front window at 20 feet," Brett said.</p> <p>Two adults and seven young children were inside when the fire broke out, with neighbours saying they were awoken by screaming. </p> <p>Two boys aged three and six years old were given CPR on the street but could not be revived, and a 10-month-old baby girl was also found dead inside the home.</p> <p>As rescue crews, emergency services and locals battled to extinguish the powerful flames and rescue those inside, father Dean Heasman was allegedly seen pushing the children back in.</p> <p>"We're alleging that 28-year-old man took direct actions to prevent the rescue of those young lives that were lost," NSW Police Homicide Squad Superintendent Danny Doherty said.</p> <p>"We will allege that this 28-year-old man's actions were directly the cause of the death of these three young people."</p> <p>"We've seen three young lives have just been taken away in the most tragic of circumstances, quite unimaginable how the family is coping with this."</p> <p>A 29-year-old woman, a nine-year-old girl, and three boys aged four, seven and 11 were also in the house during the blaze, but escaped and were rushed to Westmead hospital. </p> <p>Neighbours said the surviving children told them the man ordered them to stay inside the home as it burned, one of them claiming he tried to fight in a bid to save his siblings.</p> <p>"Dad tried to kill us," the child allegedly told rescuers.</p> <p>Residents claimed they saw the man attempting to drag the terrified children back inside, as they said he was shouting "leave me here to die".</p> <p>It's understood the man, who was arrested at the scene and remains in a coma with significant injuries, was not previously known to police and had no existing apprehended violence order against him.</p> <p>NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident "horrifying and senseless" and offered the family support, as an investigation into the cause of the blaze begins. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p> <p> </p>

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Australia’s tax system is being weaponised against victims of domestic abuse. Here’s how

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>When women seeking financial help from the government-funded UNSW <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/accounting-auditing-taxation/about-us/unsw-clinic">Tax and Business Advisory Clinic</a> are asked whether they have ever been affected by family or domestic violence, most say they have.</p> <p>In the past year this number has grown from <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3339/sub009.pdf?1718777706">65%</a> to over 80%.</p> <p>And about <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=4746954">14%</a> of the clinic’s clients say their tax debts are a result of intimate partner violence. These debts often arise from business debts, bankruptcy, corporate directorships and director penalty notices.</p> <p>We know that economic abuse is a red flag for other forms of domestic violence. Economic abuse occurs in nearly all Australian domestic and family violence cases, affecting more than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release">2.4 million Australians</a> and costing the economy an estimated <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/content/dam/caas/newsroom/docs/Cost%20of%20financial%20abuse%20in%20Australia.pdf">A$10.9 billion</a> a year.</p> <p>Unfortunately, existing laws fall well short of protecting abuse victim-survivors from financial loss.</p> <h2>How violent partners weaponise tax</h2> <p>The perpetrators of violence can effectively weaponise the tax system by placing tax debts solely in the names of former partners, often because they have made them directors of companies or through family businesses operating through partnerships or trusts.</p> <p>There is a policy assumption that family members benefit from family partnerships.</p> <p>But this does not always hold in practice and can be problematic when there is economic abuse because Australian tax law requires victims report and pay tax on their “share” of the family partnership’s income.</p> <p>The average tax debt at the tax clinic is about $90,000. This can result in debilitating financial burdens, exhausted savings, insecure housing and prolonged economic instability, well after abusive relationships end.</p> <h2>Change is needed</h2> <p>Australia has no specific strategy for relief of tax debts caused by financial abuse. There are “serious hardship” provisions in Australian taxation law, but these are outdated and in need of <a href="https://theconversation.com/sometimes-people-can-do-with-a-break-3-ways-tax-debt-relief-rules-are-too-tough-156948">reform</a>.</p> <p>Usually people do not have the funds up front so the only way the Australian Taxation Office can collect debts from the abused partner is through (generally two-year) payment plans, offsetting future tax refunds, engaging external debt collectors and initiating bankruptcy proceedings.</p> <p>To that end, the decision announced in this year’s budget to give the Tax Commissioner discretion <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/new-legislation/in-detail/businesses/changes-to-offsetting-debts-on-hold">not to offset</a> against tax returns debts previously placed “on hold” is welcome.</p> <p>It will provide short-term relief by enabling abuse victims to get their refunds instead of having it used by the Tax Office to reduce their debt.</p> <p>Colleagues Christine Speidel, Leslie Book and I want this power extended to all <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4746954">forms of tax debts</a> not just for tax debts that have been placed “on hold” especially where the taxpayer is known to have experienced financial abuse.</p> <p>But this wouldn’t go far enough – the victim-survivors would still have the perpetrator’s tax debt hanging over them.</p> <p>Where this happens, financial instability can <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/content/dam/commbank-assets/support/2021-01/unsw-report-key-findings.pdf">drive women back</a> into abusive relationships.</p> <h2>The US shows what can be done</h2> <p>Legislative reform to shift tax liability from abuse survivors to perpetrators is the key to helping solve the problem.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> <p>The United States has offered some form of “<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/innocent-spouse-relief">innocent spouse relief</a>” since 1971. In 2011 it widened eligibility and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/ir-11-080.pdf">removed a two-year time limit</a> for requesting relief.</p> <p>It is important to understand the US provisions apply because the country offers jointly filed “married” tax returns. In Australia tax returns are filed by individuals.</p> <p>Australia’s laws would need to change to ensure abused women do not find themselves jointly liable. Any changes should also include debts incurred in the name of partnerships and company directors.</p> <p>The US is the first and only country to do this, largely because of the advocacy of US low-income tax clinics over decades. Australia now has such clinics, funded as part of the Tax Office <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/financial-difficulties-and-disasters/support-to-lodge-and-pay/national-tax-clinic-program">National Tax Clinic Program</a>.</p> <p>Australia’s adoption of US-style rules could provide a model for other jurisdictions, increase tax debt collection (as perpetrators are likely to have better capacity to pay than victims) and foster greater confidence in the Tax Office.</p> <p>Most importantly, it would acknowledge that victim-survivors with tax debts should not bear responsibility for debts incurred by perpetrators.</p> <hr /> <p><em>For information and advice about family and intimate partner violence contact 1800 RESPECT (<a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800 737 732</a>). If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000. The Men’s Referral Service (<a href="https://ntv.org.au/get-help/">1300 766 491)</a> offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232609/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, Founding Director of UNSW Tax and Business Advisory Clinic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-tax-system-is-being-weaponised-against-victims-of-domestic-abuse-heres-how-232609">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Worried your address, birth date or health data is being sold? You should be – and the law isn’t protecting you

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australians don’t know and can’t control how data brokers are spreading their personal information. This is the core finding of a newly <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital-platform-services-inquiry-March-2024-interim-report.pdf">released report</a> from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).</p> <p>Consumers wanting to rent a property, get an insurance quote or shop online are not given real choices about whether their personal data is shared for other purposes. This exposes Australians to scams, fraud, manipulation and discrimination.</p> <p>In fact, <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/consumers-lack-visibility-and-choice-over-data-collection-practices">many don’t even know</a> what kind of data has been collected about them and shared or sold by data firms and other third parties.</p> <p>Our privacy laws are due for reform. But Australia’s privacy commissioner <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4224653">should also enforce</a> an existing rule: with very limited exceptions, businesses must not collect information about you from third parties.</p> <h2>What are data brokers?</h2> <p><a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CPRC-Singled-Out-Final-Feb-2024.pdf">Data brokers</a> generally make their profits by collecting information about individuals from various sources and sharing this personal data with their many business clients. This can include detailed profiles of a person’s family, health, finances and movements.</p> <p>Data brokers often have no connection with the individual – you may not even recognise the name of a firm that holds vast amounts of information on you. Some of these data brokers are large multinational companies with billions of dollars in revenue.</p> <p>Consumer and privacy advocates provided the ACCC with evidence of highly concerning data broker practices. <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Salinger%20Privacy.pdf">One woman</a> tried to find out how data brokers had got hold of her information after receiving targeted medical advertising.</p> <p>Although she never discovered how they obtained her data, she found out it included her name, date of birth and contact details. It also included inferences about her, such as her retiree status, having no children, not having “high affluence” and being likely to donate to a charity.</p> <p>ACCC found another data broker was reportedly creating lists of individuals who may be experiencing vulnerability. The categories included:</p> <ul> <li>children, teenage girls and teenage boys</li> <li>“financially unsavvy” people</li> <li>elderly people living alone</li> <li>new migrants</li> <li>religious minorities</li> <li>unemployed people</li> <li>people in financial distress</li> <li>new migrants</li> <li>people experiencing pain or who have visited certain medical facilities.</li> </ul> <p>These are all potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited, for example, by scammers or unscrupulous advertisers.</p> <h2>How do they get this information?</h2> <p>The ACCC notes <a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CPRC-working-paper-Not-a-fair-trade-March-2025.pdf">74% of Australians are uncomfortable</a> with their personal information being shared or sold.</p> <p>Nonetheless, data brokers sell and share Australian consumers’ personal information every day. Businesses we deal with – for example, when we buy a car or search for natural remedies on an online marketplace – both buy data about us from data brokers and provide them with more.</p> <p>The ACCC acknowledges consumers haven’t been given a choice about this.</p> <p>Attempting to read every privacy term is near impossible. The ACCC referred to a recent study which found it would take consumers <a href="https://www.mi-3.com.au/06-11-2023/aussies-face-10-hour-privacy-policy-marathon-finds-study">over 46 hours a month</a> to read every privacy policy they encounter.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The approximate length and time it would take to read an average privacy policy in Australia per month.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/serial-publications/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-25-reports/digital-platform-services-inquiry-interim-report-march-2024">ACCC Digital Platform Services Inquiry interim report</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Even if you could read every term, you still wouldn’t get a clear picture. Businesses use <a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CPRC-Singled-Out-Final-Feb-2024.pdf">vague wording</a> and data descriptions which <a href="https://theconversation.com/70-of-australians-dont-feel-in-control-of-their-data-as-companies-hide-behind-meaningless-privacy-terms-224072">confuse consumers</a> and have no fixed meaning. These include “pseudonymised information”, “hashed email addresses”, “aggregated information” and “advertising ID”.</p> <p>Privacy terms are also presented on a “take it or leave it” basis, even for transactions like applying for a rental property or buying insurance.</p> <p>The ACCC pointed out 41% of Australians feel they have been <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/consumers-and-data/data-collection-and-use/how-your-data-is-used/articles/choice-renttech-report-release">pressured to use “rent tech” platforms</a>. These platforms collect an increasing range of information with questionable connection to renting.</p> <h2>A first for Australian consumers</h2> <p>This is the first time an Australian regulator has made an in-depth report on the consumer data practices of data brokers, which are generally hidden from consumers. It comes <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/data-brokers-call-transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014/140527databrokerreport.pdf">ten years after</a> the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted a similar inquiry into data brokers in the US.</p> <p>The ACCC report examined the data practices of nine data brokers and other “data firms” operating in Australia. (It added the term “data firms” because some companies sharing data about people argue that they are not data brokers.)</p> <p>A big difference between the Australian and the US reports is that the FTC is both the consumer watchdog and the <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2312913">privacy regulator</a>. As our competition and consumer watchdog, the ACCC is meant to focus on competition and consumer issues.</p> <p>We also need our privacy regulator, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), to pay attention to these findings.</p> <h2>There’s a law against that</h2> <p>The ACCC report shows many examples of businesses collecting personal information about us from third parties. For example, you may be a customer of a business that only has your name and email address. But that business can purchase “<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4224653">data enrichment</a>” services from a data broker to find out your age range, income range and family situation.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text">current Privacy Act</a> includes <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/read-the-australian-privacy-principles">a principle</a> that organisations must collect personal information only from the individual (you) unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so. “Impracticable” means practically impossible. This is the direct collection rule.</p> <p>Yet there is no reported case of the privacy commissioner enforcing the direct collection rule against a data broker or its business customers. Nor has the OAIC issued any specific guidance in this respect. It should do both.</p> <h2>Time to update our privacy laws</h2> <p>Our privacy law was drafted in 1988, long before this complex web of digital data practices emerged. Privacy laws in places such as California and the European Union provide much stronger protections.</p> <p>The government has <a href="https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/speeches/privacy-design-awards-2024-02-05-2024">announced</a> it plans to introduce a privacy law reform bill this August.</p> <p>The ACCC report reinforces the need for vital amendments, including a direct right of action for individuals and a rule requiring dealings in personal information to be “fair and reasonable”.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/230540/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law &amp; Justice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-your-address-birth-date-or-health-data-is-being-sold-you-should-be-and-the-law-isnt-protecting-you-230540">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

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Our housing system is broken and the poorest Australians are being hardest hit

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p>Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s <a href="https://www.anglicare.asn.au/publications/2023-rental-affordability-snapshot/">Rental Affordability Snapshot</a> by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like never before.</p> <p>In fact, if you rely on the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/youth-allowance">Youth Allowance</a>, there is not a single rental property across Australia you can afford this week.</p> <h2>How did rental affordability get this bad?</h2> <p>Several post-COVID factors have been blamed, including our preference for <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2023/jun/new-insights-into-the-rental-market.html">more space, the return of international migrants</a>, and <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news-research/news/2023/could-the-peak-in-interest-rates-signal-an-end-to-rising-rents">rising interest rates</a>.</p> <p>However, the rental affordability crisis pre-dates COVID.</p> <p>Affordability has been steadily declining for decades, as successive governments have failed to make shelter more affordable for low-to-moderate income Australians.</p> <h2>The market is getting squeezed at both ends</h2> <p>At the lower end of the rental sector, the growth in the supply of social housing persistently lags behind demand, trending at under <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/data/annual-growth-rates-social-housing-stock-and-population-2011-2020/">one-third</a> the rate of population growth.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="OA0cS" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OA0cS/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>This has forced growing numbers of low-income Australians to seek shelter in the private rental sector, where they face intense competition from higher-income renters.</p> <p>At the upper end, more and more aspiring home buyers are getting <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085147.2021.2003086">locked out</a> of home ownership.</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">study</a> found more households with higher incomes are now renting.</p> <p>Households earning <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">$140,000</a> a year or more (in 2021 dollars) accounted for just 8% of private renters in 1996. By 2021, this tripled to 24%. No doubt, this crowds out lower-income households who are now facing a shortage of affordable homes to rent.</p> <h2>Why current policies are not working</h2> <p>Worsening affordability in the private rental sector highlights a housing system that is broken. Current policies just aren’t working.</p> <p>While current policies focus on supply, more work is needed including fixing <a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-are-pouring-money-into-housing-but-materials-land-and-labour-are-still-in-short-supply-205471">labour shortages</a> and providing greater <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-want-and-need-more-housing-choice-its-about-time-governments-stood-up-to-deliver-it-122390">stock diversity</a>.</p> <p>The planning system plays a critical role and <a href="https://theconversation.com/confusing-and-not-delivering-enough-developers-and-councils-want-new-affordable-housing-rules-139762">zoning rules</a> can be reformed to support the supply of more affordable options.</p> <p>However, the housing affordability challenge is not solely a supply problem. There is also a need to respond to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-prices-are-climbing-alright-but-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think-158776">super-charged demand</a> in the property market.</p> <p>An overheated market will undoubtedly place intense pressure on the rental sector because aspiring first home buyers are forced to rent for longer, as house prices soar at a rate unmatched by their wages.</p> <p>Yet, governments continue to resist calls for winding back the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/ken-henry-australias-tax-system-in-worse-position-after-15-years/103465044">generous tax concessions</a> enjoyed by multi-property owners.</p> <p>The main help available to low-income private renters - the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme - is <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-billion-per-year-or-less-could-halve-rental-housing-stress-146397">poorly targeted</a> with nearly one in five low-income renters who are in rental stress deemed ineligible, while another one in four receive it despite not being in rental stress.</p> <h2>Can affordable housing occur naturally?</h2> <p>Some commentators support the theory of <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/Executive-Summary-FR387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">filtering</a> - a market-based process by which the supply of new dwellings in more expensive segments creates additional supply of dwellings for low-income households as high-income earners vacate their former dwellings.</p> <p>Proponents of filtering argue building more housing anywhere - even in wealthier ends of the property market - will eventually improve affordability across the board because lower priced housing will trickle down to the poorest households.</p> <p>However, the persistent affordability crisis low-income households face and the rise in homelessness are crucial signs filtering <a href="https://cloud.3dissue.com/122325/122578/143598/WhyNewSupplyisnotExpandingHousingOptionsfortheHomeless/html5/index.html?page=1&amp;noflash">does not work well</a> and <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/AHURI-Final-Report-387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">cannot be relied upon</a> to produce lower cost housing.</p> <h2>Location, location, location</h2> <p>Location does matter, if we expect building new housing to work for low-income individuals.</p> <p>What is needed is a steady increase of affordable, quality housing in areas offering low-income renters the same access to jobs and amenities as higher-income households.</p> <p>The <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/housing-policy/accord#:%7E:text=The%20Accord%20includes%20an%20initial,5%20years%20from%20mid%E2%80%912024.">National Housing Accord</a> aims to deliver 1.2 million new dwellings over five years from mid-2024. But it must ensure these are “well-located” for people who need affordable housing, as suggested in the accord.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2023.229051">modelling</a> shows unaffordable housing and poor neighbourhoods both negatively affect mental health, reinforcing the need to provide both affordable and well-located housing.</p> <h2>The upcoming budget</h2> <p>While the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2023/payments-cra_budget_fact_sheet_fa_0.pdf">15% increase</a> in the maximum rent assistance rate was welcomed in the last budget, the program is long overdue for a major restructure to target those in rental stress.</p> <p>Also, tax concessions on second properties should be wound back to reduce competition for those struggling to buy their first home. This would eventually help ease affordability pressures on low-income renters as more higher-income renters <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8454.12335">shift into homeownership</a>.</p> <p>The potential negative impacts on rental supply can be mitigated by careful design of tax and other changes that guard against market destabilisation concerns.</p> <p>Overall, housing affordability solutions have to be multi-faceted. The housing system is badly broken and meaningful repair cannot be achieved unless policymakers are willing to confront both supply and demand challenges.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228511/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, ARC Future Fellow &amp; Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-housing-system-is-broken-and-the-poorest-australians-are-being-hardest-hit-228511">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Millions of phones at risk of being cut off from calling triple-0

<p>Over a million Aussies may be unable to contact triple-0 as two major telcos cut their 3G networks. </p> <p>Telstra's network will be closed on June 30 this year followed by Optus, which will shut their 3G network in September.</p> <p>While most late model phones are now serviced by either 4G or 5G networks, there are many devices that still rely on 3G. </p> <p>Approximately 113,000 Telstra customers have not upgraded their 3G handsets, while Optus have not disclosed a figure.</p> <p>The greater concerns lie for older 4G-enabled handsets that may not be able to call triple-0 once the 3G networks are switched off, because of the way those phones are configured.</p> <p>In March, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was informed that 740,000 Australians were in that category.  </p> <p>A month later, that figure was revised to over a million. </p> <p>"I welcome the industry’s first report to government but am concerned around their disclosure of around one million potentially impacted consumers,” the minister said. </p> <p>“I am considering the detail provided and next steps, and the government will have more to say about the 3G switchover soon.”</p> <p>She also said that they were open to delaying the switchover  "if warranted in the public interest”.</p> <p>“Options exist under law for the government to consider proposals to delay the planned switchover, subject to consultation and procedural processes,” she said.</p> <p>Telstra has informed customers about what to do if they are affected, and how they could check. </p> <p>“If your mobile device doesn’t have Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology, even if it uses 4G data, it will not be able to make voice calls on our network after 30 June 2024,” they informed their customers. </p> <p>“Not all VoLTE enabled devices support emergency VoLTE calling, meaning they will not be able to make an emergency call to triple-0 once 3G closes." </p> <p>“Without taking the recommended action you won’t be able to connect to a network after 30 June 2024,” they warned. </p> <p>Customers who are worried that they might be impacted, are encouraged to text 3 to the number 3498, so that the telco can inform the customer on their connection status.</p> <p>Optus have also encouraged customers to contact them if they think they may be affected. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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"Worst experience of our lives": Aussies break silence after being stranded by cruise ship

<p>An Australian couple have spoken out about how their dream holiday turned into a nightmare after they were abandoned by their cruise ship and left stranded in Africa. </p> <p>Violetta and Doug Sanders were two of eight travellers on the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship who took off on a private tour not organised by the cruise while they were docked on the small African island of São Tomé. </p> <p>After their <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/the-key-decision-that-led-to-cruise-passengers-being-abandoned-by-ship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">private tour ran late</a>, the Aussie pensioners and their fellow travellers were unable to rejoin the cruise as the ship was ready to disembark from the port, and were left stranded. </p> <p>Doug and Violetta are still attempting to rejoin the cruise in Senegal to be reunited with valuables such as their passports to finish out their journey. </p> <p>The couple spoke to <em>Sunrise</em> on Wednesday, detailing their nightmarish experience in the foreign country. </p> <p>“It’s been the worst experience of our lives to be abandoned like that in a strange country, can’t speak the language — Portuguese or an African (language),” Violeta said.</p> <p>“We have no money, our credit cards aren’t accepted.”</p> <p>The group of stranded travellers have been racing through six African countries to get to where the ship is docking in Senegal in time, but US travellers Jill and Jay Campbell have cast doubt on whether they will re-board the ship.</p> <p>“We believe that it was a basic duty of care that they have forgotten about — although there are a set of rules, they have followed them too rigidly,” Jill told US media overnight.</p> <p>The group, which included four elderly people, a pregnant woman, a quadriplegic and a person with a heart condition, were set to rejoin the ship last Sunday in The Gambia, however, low-tide meant the ship couldn’t dock at the African port.</p> <p>The Campbells have been using their credit card to look after the entire group, spending more than $5,000 USD so far.</p> <p>Norwegian Cruise Lines has said it is up to guests to be back on time.</p> <p>“Guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” it said.</p> <p>The cruise line later said it was in contact with passengers and had been “working closely with authorities” to allow the guests to re-join the ship.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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The key decision that led to cruise passengers being abandoned by ship

<p>A group of travellers, including two Australians, have been left stranded in Africa after their cruise ship allegedly refused to let them board the ship after a day trip. </p> <p>Eight passengers were among the many cruisers who disembarked the Norwegian Dawn at São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation of 220,000 people off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, last Wednesday. </p> <p>The group of eight passengers took off on a private day tour, that reportedly wasn't organised through the cruise company. </p> <p>Things turned sour when the group were delayed on their day trip, with their tour operator allegedly connecting with the captain to tell the cruise the eight passengers would arrive later than their 3pm curfew. </p> <p>When the group arrived to the port, the ship was still anchored, but American couple Jill and Jay Campbell said the captain allegedly refused to let them on board.</p> <p>According to cruise ship lawyer Spencer Aonfeld, the group's big mistake was not booking the tour through the cruise company, as private tours come with a huge risk. </p> <p>Weighing into the drama on TikTok, Mr Aonfeld said, “Eight passengers were left behind when their cruise ship left them because they were delayed in an excursion apparently conducted without buying it directly through Norwegian."</p> <p>“These passengers include elderly passengers, one apparently a paraplegic, one has a heart condition, they don't have their medication, money, passports, cell phones and other things — they’re just left behind."</p> <p>“That unfortunately, according to Norwegian and me is, one of the consequences you pay when you buy your excursions from someone other than the cruise line."</p> <p>“Now they’re left there having to come up with the means to travel back to the next port or home and forfeit the remaining potion of their cruise. Imagine trying to do that in Africa without a passport, money or medication — we wish them the very best.”</p> <p>In order to rejoin the cruise and be reunited with their valuables, the group is now trekking to a port in Senegal, where the cruise is set to dock on Tuesday. </p> <p>In a statement, Norwegian Cruise Lines said it was “in communication with the guests,” and was providing them with “additional information” to rejoin the cruise. </p> <p>“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” NCL said in a statement.</p> <p>The company said it was “working closely with the local authorities” on how the guests might re-join the ship. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / WRAL North Carolina </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Dad dies after being bitten by deadly snake in child care centre

<p>A beloved father has passed away after reportedly trying to remove an eastern brown snake from a child care centre in North Queensland. </p> <p>Jeremy Brookes attended the child care centre on Tuesday afternoon after one of his relatives reportedly called him over to remove the snake, according to <em>The Courier Mail</em>. </p> <p>Brookes was not a qualified snake handler and was bitten multiple times on his hand and arm.</p> <p>According to Queensland Ambulance Service acting district director Paula Marten, Brookes then managed to drive to his Deeragun home but he soon went into cardiac arrest.</p> <p>HIs wife performed CPR until paramedics arrived and he was rushed to hospital, but unfortunately could not be saved. </p> <p>“(He) was found to be in cardiac arrest by our crews,” Marten said. </p> <p>“The call was made by the patient’s wife, who then commenced CPR as the patient went into cardiac arrest.</p> <p>“The information provided to us was that the gentleman had been bitten in a different location and attended back to his residence, where his wife has immobilised his arm and wrapped it, when the onset of the symptoms occurred.”</p> <p>She added that snake bites were common in North Queensland and they were rarely fatal, but advised that if "you’re not aware of snakes, treat them as if they are venomous."</p> <p>“It’s really important that you stay calm and keep the person calm.</p> <p>“Apply basic first aid, which would be immobilisation and using compression bandages, and contact triple-0.</p> <p>“If you are unsure about what first aid measures to take, call triple-0, and they will walk you through what you need to do for the patient.”</p> <p>Eastern Brown Snakes are one of the most deadly snakes in the world, with the second most toxic venom. </p> <p>They can be found across the east of Australia including the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, NSW and the ACT.</p> <p>Brookes is believed to be the first person to have died from a snake bite in Australia this year. </p> <p>Last year, two people died from suspected eastern brown snake bites in Australia. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

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Why we need to stop being so judgemental – and the 4 steps to do it

<p>As a society, we've become increasingly judgmental. We tend to judge not only others but ourselves as well. From a person's physical appearance to their actions, we criticise and judge everything. Everyone is too fat, too thin, too old, or too young, creating an environment where nothing seems to be good enough. This constant pattern of judgment is now harming our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.</p> <p>When we judge, we compare ourselves to others, leaving us emotionally vulnerable. Through this judgement, we seek to establish a sense of security and control over our lives and surroundings, often without even realising it. However, by increasing our emotional resilience and sense of control, we become consciously aware of this behaviour and can take steps to change it. So, is it possible to become less judgemental? </p> <p>As an educator and researcher, I developed an Emotional Resilience language (ER). It introduces simple changes that can reduce judgment, foster empathy, compassion, and personal responsibility, and bolster emotional intelligence and resilience when integrated into everyday life. Using a driving metaphor, ER simplifies the intricate world of emotions, providing an innovative way to integrate emotional vocabulary into daily life. It enhances understanding and establishes new neural pathways and healthier thought patterns.</p> <p>The following outlines the initial steps of ER, which can effectively manage judgement towards yourself and others. Though the changes may appear simplistic, they are instrumental in establishing lasting transformation.</p> <p><strong>1. Removing judgement towards how you or others may feel:</strong> Instead of labelling emotions as good or bad, view them as rough or smooth emotional roads. Just as roads serve different purposes, so do emotions. Rough emotions build resilience, while smooth emotions promote well-being, removing the need to lift everyone off a rough road. This makes it easier to recognise and accept emotions without feeling like a failure when things aren't going smoothly. You don’t know why someone is on a rough road, so resist the temptation to judge them.</p> <p><strong>2: The metaphorical steering wheel</strong> in ER represents emotional control and the power of choice in navigating life's challenges. As in a car, you should be the only one controlling your emotional steering wheel. Rather than judging yourself and others, this logical approach empowers you to regain control over your focus, emotions, and destination. Just because someone else is on a rough road doesn’t mean you must join them, fostering resilience and responsibility. </p> <p><strong>3. Shifting judgement and blame to responsibility</strong> involves removing phrases such as "You are making me angry, " which inadvertently hands your emotional steering wheel to others. Replace it with, "I am choosing to feel angry in response to this situation." This subtle alteration, substituting "making" with "choosing," helps reclaim ownership of your steering wheel rather than relinquishing control to external factors. Assigning blame—"It's your fault, it's the government's fault, it's my partner’s fault"— leaves you feeling like a victim, and you then resort to judgement and retaliation to regain control. </p> <p><strong>4. The importance of taking control:</strong> Understanding that judgement cannot be contained nor emotional resilience built when you are out of control on either road is crucial. Out-of-control scenarios activate the amygdala, the brain's fight, flight or freeze mode, disabling the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking and creativity. It is only possible to discuss a situation once the involved parties have regained control and can access the thinking part of their brain. Therefore, regaining control is essential for reducing judgement, as then you can have productive discussions that help maintain emotional well-being. This includes your conversations with yourself, which can often be the harshest!</p> <p>ER helps reduce judgement by developing your emotional resilience. Awareness of the emotional state of yourself and others fosters emotional intelligence, while learning to regain control builds resilience. Recognising that navigating rough emotions is crucial for growth alleviates the pressure from always needing to be on a smooth road and judging yourself and others if they aren’t. It shifts focus from dwelling on challenges and comparing yourself to others to being able to understand and manage your responses. Incorporating language changes into daily life builds new neural pathways, creating new thought patterns that reduce judgment and blame. </p> <p>By avoiding the tendency to judge yourself or others, you take back control of your reactions to people and circumstances. This leads to better mental and emotional well-being and fosters positive relationships with yourself and others. Does this mean you will never judge again? Of course not. You’re human. It’s what you do with the judgment that can make all the difference. </p> <p><strong>Dr Jane Foster is a leading educator, researcher, presenter and author of <em>It’s In Your Hands; Your Steering Wheel, Your Choice</em>. Combining her educational skills with neuroscience and positive psychology, Jane equips people with strategies to help build emotional resilience and manage their daily stresses, successfully changing perspective and creating new neural pathways. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.emotionalresiliencetraining.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.emotionalresiliencetraining.com.au</a></strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Mind

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Coles shopper humiliated after being accused of shoplifting

<p dir="ltr">A Coles shopper has been left feeling humiliated after they were forced to lift up their shirt to prove they weren’t shoplifting. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tony Jones, 39, was about to pay for his groceries at self-checkout on Saturday morning when he was confronted by the employee of the Brisbane Coles who made the accusation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And what about what’s under your shirt?” Mr Jones said the staff member loudly asked him, causing the other customers to look around.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jones has a stoma as a result of having his entire bowel removed from bowel cancer a few years ago, and later developed an “extremely obvious” hernia at the site which “sticks out about 15 centimetres from my stomach”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My initial reaction was flat-out shock, because she didn’t say it in a way of asking me, she flat-out accused me,” he told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/customer-with-obvious-hernia-humiliated-at-selfservice-checkout/news-story/56980cdcada75ba9ae0cca9cb90c75f0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She seemed quite proud. Everybody in the self-checkout bay heard what she accused me of, and she walked over to me. I was just stunned, I guess I kind of shut down — I’ve never been accused of being a thief before — so I just lifted my shirt.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After revealing his condition, Jones was left feeling “violated” as the supermarket worker simply said, “Yeah, sorry, we’ve had a few of those lately,” apparently referring to shoplifting incidents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Coles has since apologised to Mr Jones, but that hasn’t made up for the trauma he endured in the supermarket. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve lived here for 12 or 13 years, I’ve been at that Coles plenty,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Obviously I don’t expect retail staff to recognise everybody … I assume they’ve had some thefts lately, I’m not sure whether they’ve been given instructions to pull up more people because they don’t have a [security] gate yet.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jones took to Reddit to share the story of his encounter, asking those on the social media site, “Is Coles allowed to ask what’s under my shirt? When it’s just my hernia.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of comments.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Former loss prevention officer here — they cannot detain you in any way unless they have witnessed you select the goods and witnessed you not take advantage of a reasonable opportunity to pay,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another woman said, “I have a permanent ileostomy and have had retail workers accuse me of stealing too. It’s annoying because most of the time I wear clothes where the top of it pokes out the top and it’s happened when I’ve worn clothes that completely covered it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A third person commented, “Gentle reminder Coles turned a record profit in the midst of the Covid recession, then decided to install hard arse security detectors to catch thieves.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Jones said the whole experience left him feeling rattled and upset, especially as he continues to undergo treatment for his condition and prepare for another surgery. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not dealing with it great, if I’m truthful,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m seeing doctors weekly at the moment. Things add up, and getting called out on Saturday, it basically shut me down for the entire day, [left me] for lack of a better word feeling like s**t. I had all eyes on me. I’m not a social person so I just wanted to get out of there to be honest. I don’t think I’ll ever be going back to Coles.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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"Am I being too sensitive?": Woman's dilemma after partner forgets 60th birthday

<p>A woman has shared her dilemma on how to approach her partner of 30 years, after he forgot her 60th birthday. </p> <p>"It's my 60th birthday today, and my partner of 30 years has not acknowledged it. Should I tell him?" she titled her post on Reddit. </p> <p>"It's my actual birthday today, and whilst we have planned a big party for next weekend, when I woke up this morning I expected a 'Happy Birthday!' and a smile," she continued. </p> <p>"I didn't get anything. He started my coffee but he does that almost every morning.</p> <p>"At first I thought maybe he forgot but now I am thinking that he thinks he doesn't have to say anything because we are having a big party this weekend. </p> <p>"Am I being too sensitive? Should I tell him? If so, how?" she asked in her post. </p> <p>Hundreds of Reddit users took to the comments to share their thoughts on how to approach the situation, with a few sharing crafty solutions of their own. </p> <p>"I'd make a joke of it. 'I can't believe they moved my birthday!' Or 'I saw on the TV we should ask easy questions to check for dementia- I'll ask you first, when's my birthday?'" one user playfully suggested. </p> <p>"I'm going to say the absolute minimum I'd expect for ANY birthday is my wife wishing me a Happy Birthday. Don't let it fester and ruin your day - just ask him about it" another added. </p> <p>One user saw the bright side of things and said:  "He's handed you the best birthday present of all - the opportunity to use this against him for the next twenty years.</p> <p>"I'd be rubbing my hands with glee. Happy Birthday!" </p> <p>"Happy Birthday. Go out and buy a large cake. Eat it all yourself. Nobody need ever know" to which she responded: "there is a Costco not that far away. Go big or go home." </p> <p>Another Redditor came up with an elaborate plan on how she could get her partner's attention. </p> <p>"Purchase this 'Acknowledge Me' t-shirt of WWE wrestle Roman Reigns. Then write 'Birthday' on a piece of card and use some tape to stick on the t-shirt. 'Acknowledge Me Birthday.' Then just wear it around the house," they said. </p> <p>The woman was onboard with the plan, but luckily she didn't need to apply any of their crafty solutions and shared an update. </p> <p>"He just came up to my home office and gave me a big hug, admitting he had forgotten because he was so focussed on both work and next weekend's party," she wrote. </p> <p>"He apologised sheepishly, which was exactly the best outcome possible. Now I have both my birthday acknowledged as well as a fine story and/or bit of ammo to be saved for another day.</p> <p>"So there you go. I've cancelled the 'acknowledge me' t-shirt order, and shall now share my Costco cake with him instead of eating it from across the table, glaring.</p> <p>"Thank you everyone for the very fine passive aggressive suggestions which made me smile. Much appreciated!"</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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