Latest news with #MinderooFoundation
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
'Wake up call': more Aussie kids missing milestones
Nearly half of all Australian children are not meeting physical, emotional, social and communication developmental milestones by the time they start school, as calls for a universal early education system intensify. Only 53 per cent of children are developmentally on track when they start school, a slight decrease since 2021, according to the Australian Early Development Census. The national survey of 288,483 children and 16,723 teachers measured development across five domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language skills and communication. The rate of children developmentally vulnerable in two or more domains is at its highest level since the census began in 2009, sitting at 12.5 per cent. Only 43 per cent of children in remote Australia were developmentally on track, compared to 50 per cent in larger regional areas and 54 per cent in the major cities. Those rates represented a slight decline for all children since the last census in 2021. There were also developmental gaps among First Nations students and children from lower-income families. The results demonstrated the urgency for equitable early education and health services, according to several advocacy groups. Children's health charity Royal Far West, which links rural families with specialist support, has long been highlighting the shortage of early intervention services in the bush. There were nearly 200,000 children in remote areas with very limited access to speech and language therapy or mental health support, with 37 psychologists per 100,000 people in outer regional areas. The federal government must live up to its promise to even the playing field, the charity's chief executive Jacqui Emery said. "(The) government must ensure that every Australian child, regardless of their location or circumstances, is not left behind," Ms Emery said. "The 2024 census underscores how urgent and important these reforms are for all Australian children." There have been several steps towards universal access, with the government introducing a three-day guarantee for early childhood education, abolishing the activity test and committing to build more services in areas of need. Minderoo Foundation's Thrive By Five campaign, which highlights the importance of learning and brain development in a child's early years, called for more comprehensive reforms including tailored services for First Nations children. "This data should be a wake-up call, but it should also be a call to action," spokesman Griffin Longley said. "We know what works and we know how to fix this; now we need to build the system that gives every Australian child the foundation they deserve."
The Age
7 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Forrest calls for global fishing overhaul as Australia backs major treaties at UN summit
Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has called for the United Nations to back a major overhaul of global fishing regulations and marine life protections following an international ocean summit last week. Australia's Environment Minister Murray Watt also attended the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, and confirmed on Friday the federal government has joined 96 other nations in committing to end plastic pollution. Declaring 'the ocean is in freefall', Forrest made the comments following the summit on Saturday, saying his Minderoo Foundation will commit an additional $25 million towards implementing new marine protected areas and real-time vessel monitoring. 'We must lock in 30 per cent no-take marine protected areas by 2030 in every nation, in the high seas [international waters] and across at least 30 per cent of Antarctica – this must be the minimum, not the maximum – and it must be enforced, not just declared,' the WA-based magnate said in a statement. 'Thanks to science, enforcement is now possible. Satellites track vessels in real time. AI flags illegal behaviour. The excuses are gone.' Loading Forrest unveiled the foundation's Flourishing Oceans Commercial Fishing Act (FOCFA), a self-financing, enforcement-ready model for no-take MPAs and sustainable fisheries and said he would relaunch a Global Fishing Index in 2026. 'This flips enforcement incentives. Fishers, regulators, and even competitors are motivated to expose illegal actors. Governments reclaim lost revenue. Legal operators are protected. And the commercial risk of turning a blind eye rises – all the way up the supply chain,' he said of the proposed FOCFA. Minderoo has also partly funded a new documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough, about the devastation brought about by unregulated industrial fishing, which was released last month.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Forrest calls for global fishing overhaul as Australia backs major treaties at UN summit
Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has called for the United Nations to back a major overhaul of global fishing regulations and marine life protections following an international ocean summit last week. Australia's Environment Minister Murray Watt also attended the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, and confirmed on Friday the federal government has joined 96 other nations in committing to end plastic pollution. Declaring 'the ocean is in freefall', Forrest made the comments following the summit on Saturday, saying his Minderoo Foundation will commit an additional $25 million towards implementing new marine protected areas and real-time vessel monitoring. 'We must lock in 30 per cent no-take marine protected areas by 2030 in every nation, in the high seas [international waters] and across at least 30 per cent of Antarctica – this must be the minimum, not the maximum – and it must be enforced, not just declared,' the WA-based magnate said in a statement. 'Thanks to science, enforcement is now possible. Satellites track vessels in real time. AI flags illegal behaviour. The excuses are gone.' Loading Forrest unveiled the foundation's Flourishing Oceans Commercial Fishing Act (FOCFA), a self-financing, enforcement-ready model for no-take MPAs and sustainable fisheries and said he would relaunch a Global Fishing Index in 2026. 'This flips enforcement incentives. Fishers, regulators, and even competitors are motivated to expose illegal actors. Governments reclaim lost revenue. Legal operators are protected. And the commercial risk of turning a blind eye rises – all the way up the supply chain,' he said of the proposed FOCFA. Minderoo has also partly funded a new documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough, about the devastation brought about by unregulated industrial fishing, which was released last month.
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Science
- West Australian
'Lifeline' for coral at risk of rising sea temperatures
Australian researchers are working to develop a coral that could be more resilient against the impact of warming sea temperatures. A study has revealed selectively breeding corals can enhance their tolerance, offering a short-term lifeline for reefs as ocean temperatures increase due to climate change. Researchers from Minderoo Foundation, in collaboration with multiple universities, have successfully bred heat-tolerant corals at Ningaloo. Ningaloo is a World Heritage-listed reef system off the Australian north-west coast that is under increasing threat from marine heatwaves and bleaching events. The study found selectively bred coral with at least one "parent" from reefs in warmer oceans had double the survival rate under extreme heat stress, compared to corals from cooler waters. It was the first successful demonstration of how selectively breeding corals could boost their tolerance to heat. Researchers wanted to see if small temperature differences resulted in corals with enhanced heat tolerance, principal research scientist Kate Quigley said. "Coral babies with at least one parent from the warmer reef exhibited significantly higher survival rates under heat stress," she said. The study signalled a crucial tool to help reefs survive in the short term, Minderoo Foundation founder Andrew Forrest said. "Of course, the only real and lasting solution to ending the destruction of coral reefs is the complete phase-out of fossil fuels," he said. "Coral reefs support the livelihoods of millions of people globally, provide critical shoreline protection and support more than a quarter of the ocean's biodiversity, but have suffered steep declines globally." In March 2025, World Heritage-listed reefs on either side of Australia bleached at the same time: Ningaloo in the west and the Great Barrier Reef in the east. Mass global bleaching that began in 2023 has spread to at least 82 countries and territories, impacting almost 84 per cent of the world's reefs. The study results come as the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) begins in Nice, in the south of France. Environment Minister Murray Watt will attend - his first major international engagement since taking on the portfolio. "Australia currently leads the world in the total area of ocean that is highly protected, but we want to go further," he said. "One of the key items for discussion at UNOC3 is the ratification of the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty, which provides greater environmental protection for seas beyond national borders. "At UNOC3, I will announce that Australia will introduce enabling legislation for the treaty in the spring sitting of parliament, with ratification of the treaty as soon as possible after that."
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- Science
- Perth Now
'Lifeline' for coral at risk of rising sea temperatures
Australian researchers are working to develop a coral that could be more resilient against the impact of warming sea temperatures. A study has revealed selectively breeding corals can enhance their tolerance, offering a short-term lifeline for reefs as ocean temperatures increase due to climate change. Researchers from Minderoo Foundation, in collaboration with multiple universities, have successfully bred heat-tolerant corals at Ningaloo. Ningaloo is a World Heritage-listed reef system off the Australian north-west coast that is under increasing threat from marine heatwaves and bleaching events. The study found selectively bred coral with at least one "parent" from reefs in warmer oceans had double the survival rate under extreme heat stress, compared to corals from cooler waters. It was the first successful demonstration of how selectively breeding corals could boost their tolerance to heat. Researchers wanted to see if small temperature differences resulted in corals with enhanced heat tolerance, principal research scientist Kate Quigley said. "Coral babies with at least one parent from the warmer reef exhibited significantly higher survival rates under heat stress," she said. The study signalled a crucial tool to help reefs survive in the short term, Minderoo Foundation founder Andrew Forrest said. "Of course, the only real and lasting solution to ending the destruction of coral reefs is the complete phase-out of fossil fuels," he said. "Coral reefs support the livelihoods of millions of people globally, provide critical shoreline protection and support more than a quarter of the ocean's biodiversity, but have suffered steep declines globally." In March 2025, World Heritage-listed reefs on either side of Australia bleached at the same time: Ningaloo in the west and the Great Barrier Reef in the east. Mass global bleaching that began in 2023 has spread to at least 82 countries and territories, impacting almost 84 per cent of the world's reefs. The study results come as the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) begins in Nice, in the south of France. Environment Minister Murray Watt will attend - his first major international engagement since taking on the portfolio. "Australia currently leads the world in the total area of ocean that is highly protected, but we want to go further," he said. "One of the key items for discussion at UNOC3 is the ratification of the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty, which provides greater environmental protection for seas beyond national borders. "At UNOC3, I will announce that Australia will introduce enabling legislation for the treaty in the spring sitting of parliament, with ratification of the treaty as soon as possible after that."
