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Did You Know? As noted by ArchivesACT which featured the mock funeral in its 'Find of the Month' in 2017, "the NCDC was abolished after the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 with many of its functions, staff and files passed on to the new ACT government. The remaining functions were passed to the National Capital Authority (NCA) which was established under the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 to undertake the Commonwealth role in the development of the national capital as the Seat of Government."
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Sky News AU
20 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Draconian' Victorian Government imposes hefty fine for farmers
Victoria Shadow Treasurer James Newbury says the Victorian Government is telling farmers they will be fined $12,210 if they block transmission companies land access. 'It's shocking and they're doing this not just to regional Victoria, but also in the city,' Mr Newbury told Sky News host Steve Price. 'The government is taking over planning controls … now saying to farmers we're going to come along with a massive stick if you say no. 'What the government's doing is draconian.'
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
As Iran and Israel fighting rages, many people face a difficult choice
For some people in Iran and Israel, the past week of fighting between their two countries has posed a difficult question: stay, or leave? Choosing the former usually means living with an ever-present risk of serious injury or death. At best? Survival and constant anxiety. Seeking to leave your home to find safer areas — elsewhere in the country or abroad — may seem an obvious option, but there are multiple reasons why it's not one available to everyone. It often represents a logistical nightmare that comes at enormous financial cost (just ask the Israelis who chartered yachts to take them on a 20-hour journey to the safety of Cyprus this week). Some residents of Tel Aviv are determined to stay in the city. However, they are moving underground to stay safe. Three generations of the Papirany family are currently living underneath one of the city's largest malls, the Dizengoff Centre. Their home is still standing. But a missile strike a few days ago hit buildings a couple of hundred metres away and they are worried about being caught short in future. "I've never heard anything like it before, there were like several jets up ahead, like a dog fight was going on, and we heard lots of booms," Tracey Papirany said. "And then next minute, such a loud boom that everyone yelled and grabbed each other." When the ABC visited the car park, people's mobile phones started chirping with advance warning of a missile strike, which comes from an official Israeli government app. "We put on a show, just for you," Mali, Tracey's daughter, quipped. "This is our everyday life, it's the reality here and that's what we accept when we come here. "We know what we're coming into and we live with it each day now." Maya Papirany, Mali's sister, said she had copped abuse from her friends for moving to Israel. She had been living in New Zealand with her two young children while her parents were in Australia. When they moved to Israel, she followed. "I made that decision knowing that there was a war, but I knew that I had no choice, there was nothing else I could do, it was my sanity, my mental health and doing what I thought was best for the children at the time," she said. "And since moving over, people have been messaging me saying, how could you bring your children to this war? How could you do this to them?" While the Papiranys brought their own bedding, the shopping centre's management is also sourcing supplies. "We're also bringing them tents and mattresses, so people will come here every night, just for the night, from 6pm to 9 in the morning after," Dizengoff centre chief executive Dan Pilz said. "And then they can spend the night safely, not be worrying about taking the kids to run during the bombs. "Without tents and mattresses, 4,000 or 5,000 people can stay here, [with tents] we believe we can contain around 100 or 150 families." Almost 1,500 kilometres away, in Iran, Israel's attacks over the past week have sparked a rush at many of the country's land borders as people attempt to flee. With airports shuttered, hours-long traffic jams clogged roads out of the capital, Tehran. Some were headed for more isolated areas, particularly in the country's north, while others, like Barry Jahed, 34, and his father, Parvis, wanted out altogether. Both men are British-Iranian and live in London. Parvis had been working on a film in Iran and had been based there for several months at the time of the latest attacks, while Barry had arrived in the country to visit family in May. After several days of moving between various locations — including a particularly distressing night at a relative's home, which was punctuated by "a series of air raids and explosions", according to Barry — the pair decided to head for the country's border with Türkiye. That meant convincing a stranger to drive them north. "We didn't get to say goodbye to family members or anything like that. We made a rush to the border in this car," Barry told the ABC. They relied on connections to beat large queues at petrol stations, and eventually used a border crossing that's typically reserved for freight. Once in Türkiye, Barry and his father combined with a group of around 16 other people in the same position to rent a dilapidated minibus in an attempt to drive towards Istanbul and its major international airport. After multiple mechanical issues, that trip took about 24 hours. "We had a young girl sit up front, and she was the DJ and put on music, and we listened to some songs and tried to make it as enjoyable as possible, as uncomfortable as the journey was," Barry said. After boarding a flight in Istanbul, Barry and Parvis are now back in London. But their concerns about the situation in Iran remain ever-present. "I'm worried about not just the bombings, but also the further consequences of shortages of fuel and therefore food," Barry said. His elderly grandmother is among the many people who cannot leave. "She's not able to move around very much," Barry said. "If there is some kind of shortages, this could very much be bad for her health." While Barry may be safe, his anxiety looks likely to continue as fighting rages into a second week. And if the rhetoric from leaders in both Israel and Iran is anything to go by, the end of hostilities could be a long way off.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Steve Martin: Government's response to concerns about trains shows Labor's arrogance
Over 300 WA train drivers blew the whistle on the Government with major concerns about the safety and operability of WA Labor's Metronet C-series trains. The arrogant and dismissive response from Transport Minister Rita Saffioti should horrify every Western Australian. A six-railcar C-series train has 400 seats and can carry more than 1000 passengers. So, when the union that represents the people driving those trains releases a survey stating that the majority of drivers support withdrawing the trains until the issues can be resolved, you would expect the State Government to pay attention. The survey is genuinely shocking: 94 per cent of train drivers believe the trains weren't ready for service when they launched; 91 per cent believe the training they received was inadequate; 83 per cent report serious safety issues such as braking, speed and communication issues; 73.8 per cent of drivers said they themselves have felt unsafe while operating a C-series railcar. The 59-page report from the Rail Tram and Bus Union raised a plethora of specific issues. Doors opening or closing when they shouldn't, braking inconsistencies, difficulty communicating using the passenger emergency intercom, auto speed issues causing surging and/or over-speeding. There were also pages of testimony from drivers not holding back with their criticisms. The report also states that drivers felt the introduction of the C-series was 'politically motivated and rushed.' When 75 per cent of train drivers tell you they feel unsafe operating these massive machines, you sit up and pay attention. So, it has been surprising to see the level of willingness of the Cook Labor Government to completely deny and dismiss genuine concerns raised by professional train drivers. Premier Roger Cook, after spending quite a bit of time during the last election campaign riding around on the trains, had this to say: 'We understand that, you know, changing the model of trains always challenges the work force.' Ms Saffioti was even more blunt, responding to questions in Parliament from Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas by saying: '… drivers need to get used to the new trains.' It is difficult to think of a more disdainful response from the State Government to train drivers than to tell them that they, not the machinery they are paid to professionally operate, are the problem. It is the sort of arrogance that is becoming a constant theme from WA Labor in their third term. The drivers have good reason to be cynical of the Minister's priorities. The Bussell Highway duplication was 'opened' in time for Easter this year after years of delay — but the red warning cones, lane closures and speed reductions were swiftly back in place afterwards and roadworks continue to this day. The ultimate disdain of the Minister, who is also the Treasurer, is for WA taxpayers. Metronet has now blown out by over $12.5 billion. That's not her money, that is yours. Western Australians deserve better than a Transport Minister and Treasurer who is it in for herself and not for you. Steve Martin is Shadow Transport Minister
