SBS Gujarati Australian update: 12 June 2025
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Indonesian working holiday-makers' road deaths prompt calls for action
Read the story in Bahasa Indonesia Indonesian Robby Yahya Bachtiar was excited to come to Australia and live with his sister Armitha Safitri. But Mr Bachtiar's anticipation turned to devastation when Ms Safitri, known to her friends as Mitha, was killed by a car crash. "It hit me hard," Mr Bachtiar told the ABC. His parents were traumatised by Ms Safitri's death in 2023, and for a time refused to let Mr Bachtiar go to Australia out of fear for his safety. "They only had one child left," Mr Bachtiar explained. "They still post stories and talk about Mitha to remember her." Ms Safitri was on a work and holiday visa and had been packing oranges in a regional town in South Australia. She hit a ute while driving on the Karoonda Highway. An email from SA police provided to Mr Bachtiar and shared with the ABC said Ms Safitri "made a mistake while driving and that mistake resulted in her losing control of the vehicle". Mr Bachtiar said his sister did not have much driving experience at the time of the crash. Mr Bachtiar called on Australian governments to "tighten" drivers licence rules for international visitors. Even though there are fewer requirements to obtain a drivers licence in Indonesia, Indonesian visitors can still drive in Australia using their overseas licence. How long they can use an international licence, and other rules including what tests they need to do to get a local licence, varies between the states and territories. At least nine Indonesians died and 10 were injured in road crashes in 2023 and 2024, Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry told ABC Indonesia. All were on work and holiday visas. They included Sophie Florence and David Lim, who were killed in a crash in New South Wales, and Rosanti Dwi Septiyani and Fina Febriyanti, who were killed in a crash in Western Australia. This year, at least two more Indonesians on work and holiday visas have been injured in two non-fatal car crashes. The road crashes occurred as the number of Indonesians coming to Australia on work and holiday visas dramatically increased after the Australian government upped the visa quota for Indonesians in 2020. Road accidents have deeply affected the Indonesian community both in Australia and abroad, prompting calls for better support for working holiday visa holders who need transport to work. Migrant Workers Centre chief executive Matt Kunkel said road safety issues impacted many temporary visa holders, and the risks of driving were especially high for those employed in agriculture and regional jobs. "No-one should lose their life getting to work," Mr Kunkel said. All the fatal crashes involving Indonesians since 2023 are still before the courts or being investigated by coroners with findings not yet made public — except for one. In 2024, Lius Chandra was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order over a crash near Gunnedah in New South Wales in December 2023. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of negligent driving occasioning death and one charge of causing grievous bodily harm. Chandra was driving four friends to work at a poultry farm in NSW in the early morning when he overcorrected on a wet road. Three of the passengers died. The female passenger and Chandra were injured but survived. All were on work and holiday visas. The "horrific and tragic" crash was captured on dash-cam footage by a driver travelling in the opposite direction, the Gunnedah Local Court heard. A statement of facts tendered in court said Chandra held an international drivers licence at the time of the crash. Magistrate Mal Macpherson said during sentencing that the deaths of Chandra's friends would "remain with him for the rest of his life". In a statement to the ABC, Chandra urged fellow Indonesians to be careful on Australian roads, particularly if they were driving at high speed in wet conditions. "Slippery roads at high speeds are very dangerous," he said. "We must be careful by reducing speed, maintaining a distance from the vehicle in front, and avoiding sudden movements." Gunnedah Multicultural Women's Association president Lisanty Evans, who is Indonesian, supported Chandra in court and the victims' families after the crash. Along with the Indonesian consulate, the association recently held a seminar for the multicultural community in Tamworth that included a session on road safety. "We've always seen the need of educating about driving in the region because in Gunnedah itself there are also a lot of migrants," she said. Ms Evans said people who came to Australia should "adapt to the rules and regulations here". But she said employers should also run orientation programs, which include driving-safety information, for overseas workers. As an alternative, employers could arrange carpools or other transportation for their workers, she said. National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the farm sector relied on overseas workers, including people on working holiday maker visas. "Any death is a tragedy, and we feel for affected friends and families overseas who lose loved ones far from home," Mr Jochinke said. Mr Jochinke said it was common for employers, labour-hire firms and accommodation providers to offer transport for migrant and Australian workers in regional areas, where public transport was non-existent. "Many workers, however, will prefer to use their own transport," he said. The Department of Home Affairs granted 234,556 working holiday maker visas from July 2023 to the end of June 2024. However, a lack of data makes it difficult to get a complete picture of how many people on working holiday visas are dying in road crashes in Australia. Multiple federal government departments and authorities, including Home Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), said they did not collect or hold data on the deaths of working holiday visa holders in Australia. According to DFAT, the authorities that register deaths in Australia — such as police or coroners — inform the relevant embassies or consulates. National Transport Research Organisation safety expert David McTiernan said there was no national approach or data collected on how many drivers were using international licences. "So, we are not able to quantify a crash rate that might inform how common a problem international licensed drivers might represent compared to the general population," he said. "Understanding the country of origin of drivers licences involved in road crashes would certainly provide valuable insight to where Australia might need to focus its efforts to improve road safety outcomes," he added. In South Australia, an Indonesian driver involved in a fatal crash in 2023 is currently facing court. Ari Hasan Asyari had worked an overnight shift cleaning a meat processing factory in the Adelaide Hills, and later that morning began to drive three other Indonesians home. A police statement issued at the time said the car veered off the road at 9:30am and hit a tree. One passenger was killed. Asyari pleaded guilty to two aggravated counts of driving a motor vehicle without due care. A third charge was withdrawn. He remains on bail and will face court again in September. Asyari and two passengers, including Naufal Hisyam, survived the crash. Mr Hisyam, who now lives with a physical disability, is back in Indonesia in the care of his mother, Teti Ofianti. "He was full of ideas, but not anymore. He is more passive now," Ms Ofianti said. Indonesian drivers needed to be more careful when driving on Australian roads and not be "too confident", she said. "I hope there will be no other victims aside from Naufal," she said. Berry Lukman from the Indonesia Diaspora Network in South Australia was working at the meat factory when the crash occurred and liaised with many working holiday visa holders in his role. "I often asked [visa holders], 'Why do you dare to drive?' [They say] because they have no choice. "To work this job, they need a vehicle," said Mr Lukman, who no longer works at the factory. Mr Lukman added that Indonesian drivers often did not understand Australian road terrain and dangers. University of Sydney migration and labour market researcher Chris Wright said research he had done with colleagues showed there was a lack of infrastructure, including transportation, in areas that relied on the working holiday-maker visa program. "That therefore requires an assurance that those people have the capabilities to be able to handle Australia's often pretty hairy roads in regional areas," he said. Professor Wright said the original purpose of the working holiday-maker visa program was cultural exchange, but the scheme had changed since 2005 and become a "de facto work visa". Home Affairs Department data showed 4,578 first-time work and holiday visas were granted to Indonesians between 2023 and 2024. In that same year, 3,578 Indonesians were granted a second visa, meaning that group had completed at least an 88-day stint working in a regional area. Several Indonesian community members told the ABC many workers did not have insurance when they arrived in Australia and suggested insurance should be mandatory for work and holiday visa holders. Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Siswo Pramono, said mandatory insurance as a visa condition had been raised during consultations with the Australian government. "At the Indonesian embassy, on our website, there are instructions on what driving in Australia is like, and we urge [drivers] to switch to a local driving licence as soon as possible," Mr Pramono added. Low salaries and the cost of living in Indonesia mean Mr Bachtiar still wants to come to Australia on a work and holiday visa. He said he planned to drive but since his sister's death he was now focused on getting more driving experience. "My parents had held me back, but it wasn't until the end of last year that they went, 'It's OK if you want to go,'" he said. "My parents gave their blessings."
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Hamish Blake's cake night stuns fans once again
Media personality Hamish Blake has won hearts once again after documenting his attempt at making a birthday cake for one of his children. Blake shares two children, Sonny, 11, and Rudy, eight, with his wife, beauty guru Zoë Foster Blake. Every year, on the eve of one of his children's birthdays, the 43-year-old father documents his endeavour to make a birthday cake, with Rudy's eighth birthday was no exception. It's a Blake family tradition that's become something that many Australians look forward to, with brands and fans alike weighing in. 'This is our Roman Empire,' one social media user added. One commented: 'This is our Super Bowl.' 'She's going to be a spectacular cake,' another added. One social media user said: 'I love the algorithm of Instagram. I don't see your face on my feed at all until it's cake night.' 'Cake night is life, excited to see the LOL cakewalk extravaganza,' another commented. Ahead of the activity, the Lego Masters star took to Instagram to wish people a good morning and 'Happy cake night'. 'Tomorrow is my daughter's eighth birthday party. Tonight, it is cake night,' he said. 'The brief is not impossible — it's a doll. They're called LOL dolls. If you've got young kids, you will know what they are. 'If you don't, good for you. It's a doll with a pretty big head and massive eyes.' Blake said the cake would require a runway, lights, a rainbow plait and an off-the-shoulder shirt. A swinging handbag was also part of the ensemble. Blake said the hardest part was that he was filming with Andy Lee in Melbourne and needed to fly back to Sydney, where he lived, at 5.30pm — which meant the cake process would be starting later than usual. But, the hands-on dad delivered and documented the while journey. He started by making the dolls head and attaching it to a pole, which would later form the body. Blake attached it to the store-bought cake, which he had iced, and then started on the hair. The fondant kept breaking on it. 'I thought it would be like a hair plait, but it's not hair and it's not behaving like hair so we're just going to move onto other stuff,' he said, according to Mamamia. Blake moved back to the runway and the outfit, which was a little smaller than intended. He remedied the issue and pushed along. Eventually, he came back to the hair. It did prompt a slight panic but he pulled through. While the cake did look like a doll, Blake was an extra harsh critic on himself and declared it was only 'Okay'. Finally, at 3am, he was officially done. 'Thanks for hanging in there gang. Happy birthday to the greatest daughter I could imagine,' he added.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
The Block 2025 Episode 1 recap: NSW snubbed with no applicants deemed good enough
The Block is back and, this year, the devil will be in the detail. For the first time in 20 seasons, every house on The Block is being built purely for the show. And every 365 sqm house has the same floor plan (meaning minor details like fittings and fixtures become major selling points). Each house sits on a 2000 sqm block in the Victorian township of Daylesford. Although identical inside, all five houses will have their own distinct exterior. Most notably, some have a gabled roof while others have flat tops. This meant the five teams had very clear ideas about which ones they wanted to renovate. So, who are the teams hoping to go big when they go home after renovating their homes in 2025? Emma and Ben, from Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula, are high school sweethearts. Ben is a civil engineer. Emma is a woodwork and textiles teacher who also moonlights as a pole dancing instructor. 'It's the best job in the world,' she smiles. The only tools that South Australians Mat and Robby have been on are the scissors. Mat is a hairdresser and Robby is a barber. Robby is a new dad to baby son Brooks, while Matt is a former figure skating champ. The duo has been best mates for 15 years. Alicia and Sonny hail from Queensland and have three children. He's a plumber. She works in a dental clinic. After a tearful goodbye to their kids — and promising not to embarrass them on national TV — the couple arrived in Daylesford to quickly clock they were 'the old couple on site'. West Australian couple Han and Can don't just have names that sound alike, they look alike too. They met on a dating app and hit it off talking into the wee hours about their shared love of dogs and wine. A geologist who once worked in the mines, Han is no stranger to gruelling hours. Can less so. She has worked in marketing and fashion and likes 'balance and harmony'. Taking one look at the lookalike blondes, the other teams assumed the pair are sisters rather than partners. The glamazon couple are not the only representatives from the West. Police officers and parents of two, Britt and Taz live in a dusty, outback town. That means in a Block first, no applicants from NSW made the grade this year. In good news, nobody must rough it in a tent this year. Instead, the teams all get their own caravan to live in (including host Scott Cam) during the three-month build. 'They are the duck's nuts,' Scotty tells them of their accommodation, (which provides yet another handy opportunity to plug a sponsor). Mat decrees their caravan will be a 's**t-free zone' explaining that otherwise, the confined environment would become a 'dungeon of stench.' His decree falls on deaf ears though and Robby's bowel motions and night-time rumblings quickly become a regular plot point. After touring their new digs, Scott reveals the first challenge will be a little different. The five teams will have to draw on all their creative skills and showmanship to create a float for Daylesford's annual Chillout Festival, which is a celebration of the town's LGBTIQ+ community. Judges Shaynna Blaze, Marty Fox and Darren Palmer would decide whose float performance made the biggest, sparkliest impact to determine house selection order. The event had special significance for some of the teams. An emotional Can said: 'We need to do the lesbians proud and make this big and amazing!' 'Having the chance to be out and proud means so much. 'For a lot of my teenage years I felt a lot of shame and insecurity around my sexuality. I have not professed that I have a girlfriend or that I am gay and I still hide it from certain people and in certain instances. So, to come on national TV is a big thing.' The challenge was equally meaningful to Mat who explained: 'High school was probably the toughest time of my life because I was a figure skating, gay boy at a private Catholic school with lesbians for parents, so s**t wasn't f**king easy in the late 90s, I'll put it that way.' The boys were perhaps a little too eager to make an impact with their float. And Scotty had to step in to gently remind them The Block was a family show upon seeing them turning an inflatable hammer into a large male appendage with the addition of two strategically placed disco balls. 'My mum watches the show,' Scott warned. The laid-back host wasn't concerned about the boys' wardrobe choices for the parade, assuring them the Block crew could find somewhere else to tuck the microphone pack when they stripped off their trousers and into budgie smugglers. The cops stole the official Block sign for their float as well as Mat's wardrobe choice, with Taz also donning a pair of tight-fitting swimwear for the parade. Judging the parade gave Darren the perfect opportunity to get the guns out. Again. Meanwhile Shaynna was visibly delighted by the sight of Mat and Caz in their togs. For Marty, it was business as usual with the eager real estate agent already focused on auction day. 'Unlike other seasons where we have been comparing apples with oranges, this season it's apples with apples, with apples,' Marty explained. 'So, it's important you understand what style you are going to go for and what the buyer in the Daylesford market is looking for.' The bedazzled Britt and Taz took out the win and chose House Three, distinguished by its timber frontage and pitched roof. The other teams were stunned that Britt and Taz had chosen the property in the centre of the street rather than what all other teams agreed were the more prized locations at either end of the strip. Emma and Ben came second and swooped on the dark and moody House One. Robby and Matt took the bookend property with House Five. With all the pitched roofs gone, a devastated Han and Can grabbed House Two, leaving losers Alicia and Sonny with House Four. 'I hate it. It's like letting go of my child,' Han moaned of missing out on their dream home (House One) and discovering their property had a retaining wall blighting their view. Han decided to have a long cry in the bath while Can got to work on Google looking for silver linings to their flat roof. The teams now have $20,000 to renovate their first room, a bathroom. With all the plumbing already in place, everybody will be using the same bathroom layout leaving the teams to distinguish themselves via their finishes. And it will be a case of first in, first served because nobody is allowed to have the same, tiles, fittings and fixtures. As usual, Scott urged the teams to hold some cash in reserve for landscaping week. And there's an added incentive to budgeting well this season. Every week, the team who is best at balancing their books will be gifted a $10,000 bonus. 'That's a massive incentive because, even if you don't win the room or finish you could still come out with $10,000,' Can said. Crunching the numbers, Sonny said the new cash bonus meant there was up to $50,000 up for grabs every week (if you factored in bonuses for perfect scores as well as room wins). Mat and Robby saw the additional prize money as a means to fund a wine cellar. If they can scrape together the cash to do it, the pair believe a cellar could be the thing that sets them apart from their neighbours. It also meant asking a very sun smart foreman Dan, if they could follow the fine Aussie tradition started by Dale Kerrigan on The Castle to dig a hole. Understanding that it was a big risk, Mat mused: 'If we spend money on a cellar and don't win anything, we could end up with a very big hole.' Although they've never renovated anything before, Mat and Robby have decided on a contemporary country look for their bathroom, with lots of dark timber finishes. Unfortunately, Alicia and Sonny had a similar brown aesthetic, prompting some friendly rivalry over fittings. Melburnians Emma and Ben — who have done the rounds of the kitchen with renovations — have gone for a mid-century modern vibe, with lots of green tones to reflect their surrounds. Britt and Taz liked a 'modern and organic' look and so have chosen bathroom tiles in soft pinks and natural-coloured stones. Can was hamstrung by Han's desire to micromanage all her decisions. Eventually, after some input from Han via phone, Can went with floor-to-ceiling tiles and with a green feature wall. 'In an ideal world we would be shopping together, always,' Can explained.
