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One serving or former member of the Australian Defence Force makes suicide-related contact with emergency services every four hours, according to new research published today by the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide.
Using linked data about Queensland veterans, the new study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research found that ADF veterans and serving members were 1.24 times more likely than members of the wider adult population to have suicide-related contact with police or paramedics. It found that permanent serving and former members were at greatest risk, being almost six times more likely to have such contact than reservists.
In a statement, the royal commission said the research estimated that the death rate for male veterans who had experienced suicidal ideation was almost eight times that of the general male Queensland population and, among female veterans compared with the wider female population, the rate was 10 times greater.
The royal commission's chair, Nick Kaldas, said the findings challenged Defence's argument that service protects against the risk of contemplating suicide. Kaldas said in a statement:
For some time, there was a reluctance to accept that issues of suicide and suicidality were impacting current serving members.
This research demonstrates there is a clear link between service in the ADF and suicide and suicidality, which was accepted for the first time by military chiefs at our recent Sydney hearing.
The commission completed its public hearings recently but is still taking evidence in private session ahead of publishing its final report later this year.
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Lifeline: 13 11 14
Victorian government supports extra reproductive leave for women in public service
Circling back to Victoria where premier Jacinta Allan has been giving a press conference:
Allan says the government supports extra reproductive leave for women in the public service.
The proposal of five days additional leave has been put forward by the Community and Public Sector Union during bargaining and Allan says the government will support it:
I don't want to cut across the right of members to have their say on the in-principle agreement that's been reached ... in the instance of providing support for women. They need support to be able to fully participate in the workforce and our women's pain inquiry is already telling us that chronic pain for women affects many women, it's holding them back from being able to hold down a job to participate in the workforce to achieve both their full potential but also for the rest of society to benefit from their skills and talents. And so having a workplace that understands [that from time to time we] need to provide women with additional support [with] being able to conceive a baby, [or managing] the pain that can come from time to time - or for many women all the time - with their periods.
She said the leave would also be able to be used by women undergoing menopause or perimenopause.
Rain hampers search for 20-year-old woman after cliff fall
Challenging wet conditions have made work difficult for search crews as a major, multi-agency hunt for a woman who fell from a waterfall enters its third day, AAP reports.
The 20-year-old woman was reported missing early on Sunday afternoon following reports she had slipped and fallen at Belmore Falls, in the NSW Southern Highlands region.
Chief inspector Brendan Bernie told ABC Radio conditions had made it tough to continue the search:
It is still slippery, there is a lot of water and dampness around the areas we're searching.
We are confident we can identify the location where she actually has slipped, but unfortunately we haven't been able to determine [the exact position yet].
The extensive water- and land-based search resumed this morning after the operation was suspended yesterday evening due to low light.
Bernie said authorities would be using all available resources in an attempt to find the missing woman. Police have been talking to a male friend, who was with the woman on Sunday, as they try to work out what happened in the lead-up to the incident:
The full circumstances around why they were there that day is still to be determined. Unfortunately we haven't been able to determine where the female has ended up.
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Waste levy scrapped for flood-hit areas along east coast
Seven more local government areas in New South Wales[2] affected by the recent east coast flooding will have the waste levy lifted for them as clean-up efforts continue.
The state's environment minister, Penny Sharpe, said residents in the following LGAs would be able to take flood-generated waste to the tip without paying the waste levy:
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Blue Mountains;
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Camden;
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Liverpool;
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Penrith;
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Sutherland;
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Wingecarribee; and
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Wollondilly
The Hawkesbury, Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Shellharbour and Kiama LGAs had already received waivers.
Sharpe said local landfill gate fees may still apply.
The waiver for all 12 LGAs is in place until 30 June, with requests for extensions to be considered.
The government also left the door open for more LGAs to join this list as the clean-up progresses, if needed.
[3]
Victorian premier takes questions on potential second safe injecting room for Melbourne
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is refusing to be drawn on whether the government will open a second safe injecting room in Melbourne's CBD.
Last night, Nine News Melbourne reported a long-awaited report by former police commissioner Ken Lay which recommended a new site and highlighted three areas of the city of concern.
Allan said she would not comment on the contents of the report - which was handed over last year - until the government has finalised its response:
I appreciate there is a lot of interest, there is a keenness and a desire for the government to provide its response and to release the Ken Lay report. And we are working very hard on finalising our response and finalising our decision and going through the appropriate cabinet processes to finalise our response to the Lay report.
[4]
Greens call for 'final rejection, now' on Toondah harbour project
The Greens are calling for environment minister Tanya Plibersek to make a "final rejection, now" on the Toondah harbour project.
As Lisa Cox reported earlier, Plibersek said:
I have made my proposed decision, which is to protect Moreton Bay from unacceptable impacts from a proposed development.
Tanya Plibersek rejects Toondah harbour project over impact on globally significant wetlandsThe community have made their voices heard, why keep them waiting with a 'proposed rejection'? Dredging 40 hectares of Ramsar-listed wetlands for luxury high-rise residences no one can actually afford makes no sense, except to the profits of developers like Walker Corp.
We are calling on [Plibersek] to finally reject this dodgy project and save Toondah harbour.
Minister Plibersek's announcement of a proposed rejection should be made a final rejection, now.
The community have made their voices heard, why keep them waiting with a 'proposed rejection'? https://t.co/IAL42oDDSK[6]
-- Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) April 9, 2024[7]The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, has also shared this video announcement on her Toondah harbour decision:
An update on Toondah Harbour. pic.twitter.com/i20fscTFWK[8]
-- Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) April 9, 2024[9]One serving or former member of the Australian Defence Force makes suicide-related contact with emergency services every four hours, according to new research published today by the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide.
Using linked data about Queensland veterans, the new study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research found that ADF veterans and serving members were 1.24 times more likely than members of the wider adult population to have suicide-related contact with police or paramedics. It found that permanent serving and former members were at greatest risk, being almost six times more likely to have such contact than reservists.
In a statement, the royal commission said the research estimated that the death rate for male veterans who had experienced suicidal ideation was almost eight times that of the general male Queensland population and, among female veterans compared with the wider female population, the rate was 10 times greater.
[10]
The royal commission's chair, Nick Kaldas, said the findings challenged Defence's argument that service protects against the risk of contemplating suicide. Kaldas said in a statement:
For some time, there was a reluctance to accept that issues of suicide and suicidality were impacting current serving members.
This research demonstrates there is a clear link between service in the ADF and suicide and suicidality, which was accepted for the first time by military chiefs at our recent Sydney hearing.
The commission completed its public hearings recently but is still taking evidence in private session ahead of publishing its final report later this year.
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Lifeline: 13 11 14
Not a seat is free - and no standing is allowed - in the federal court room that is hearing a landmark case that will test the boundaries of the Sex Discrimination Act.
Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman from regional New South Wales[11], sued the women-only social media platform Giggle for Girls for discrimination after being blocked from using the app.
Known as Tickle v. Giggle, it is the first time a case alleging gender discrimination has been heard by the federal court and may have global implications.
In a lawsuit filed in December 2022, Tickle claimed she was unlawfully barred from using Giggle in September 2021 after the firm and its CEO, Sall Grover, said she was a man.
Tickle had made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2021, with Giggle - represented by former Liberal party candidate Katherine Deves - then failing to have the case thrown out of court.
The trial is not being live-streamed because of unacceptable online behaviour during an interlocutory hearing in April 2023.
Why was the Toondah harbour project so controversial?
As environment reporter Lisa Cox brought us just earlier, Tanya Plibersek has rejected the Toondah harbour project[12] over its impact on globally significant wetlands.
Plibersek's announcement looks set to end an almost decade-long battle by conservationists and community groups to protect the site, with long-time campaigners the Australian Conservation[13] Foundation hailing it a "landmark decision for nature and people".
But why was it so controversial? You can read the full explainer below:
Tanya Plibersek plans to reject a £1.3bn development at Moreton Bay.Why was it so controversial?
We welcome more transparency, more accountability for what is a tragic occurrence, there have been almost 200 aid workers [who] have lost their life during this conflict. No aid worker should be at risk of losing their life when they are providing support in a humanitarian way.
Quite clearly, in Gaza, there are dire consequences for the population there. Issues of access to clean water, access to food, basic provisions, people suffering greatly.
We want to make sure that that humanitarian support is available there.
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The PM also said he had spoken with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on concerns about a potential ground invasion of Gaza.
We're very concerned about the humanitarian consequences as are like-minded countries, including the United States.
Human Rights Law Centre calls for whistleblower laws to come together in single regime
Federal whistleblower laws should be brought together into a single regime to give those coming forward more confidence, the Human Rights Law Centre says.
The legal advocacy group is appearing at a parliamentary inquiry this morning and has warned there are three different whistleblowing protection laws - for those in the public sector, private sector and for those blowing the whistle on issues within tax administration.
The committee is looking at proposed amendments to tax laws to close loopholes that allowed the PricewaterhouseCooper confidentiality scandal to occur, and to strengthen disclosure protections to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with wrongdoing in the taxation space.
Jade Tyrell, the law centre's acting senior lawyer, said whistleblowers were often the only reason these scandals came to light and therefore it was essential to protect them. By bringing together the three different protection regimes, the pathway for disclosures could be made simpler.
Tyrell said:
Research has shown that whistleblowers are the primary mechanism for identifying wrongdoing about organisations. Robust, accessible protections are essential to prevent future PwC leak-equivalents.
Whistleblowers make Australia a better place.
Kieran Pender, HRLC's acting legal director, said the bill in its current form goes a step forward in the right direction but needs to address how to support whistleblowers after they've come forward.
References
- ^ (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ New South Wales (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ Tanya Plibersek rejects Toondah harbour project over impact on globally significant wetlands