Algal bloom killing marine life in South Australia is 'disaster', premier says
Algal bloom is naturally occurring but is caused by ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and nutrient pollution - all a direct result of climate change."This is a natural disaster and should be acknowledged as such... I think politicians can do themselves a disservice when they get caught up in technicalities," South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.He announced his government would match the federal government's A$14m in funding, with money to go towards research, clean up, and industry support measures.Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is among those openly criticising the federal government, accusing them of underplaying the situation."If this toxic algal bloom was wreaking havoc on Bondi Beach or on the North Shore in Sydney, the prime minister would have already been on the beach with a response," she said.However, federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Monday said while the bloom and its impacts were "incredibly disturbing", the catastrophe did not meet the definition of a natural disaster under the country's laws.The bloom - which now stretches from Coorong to the Yorke Peninsula, an area about double the size of the Australian Capital Territory - is decimating the local environment and lining the coastline with dead wildlife."It is like a horror movie for fish," Brad Martin - from OzFish, a non-profit organisation that protects fishing habitats - told the BBC in May.But the event is also wreaking havoc on the local economy. Representatives of the fishing industry say some of their members have had no income for at least three months."I've got fishermen in tears on the phone," Ian Mitchell - who works as a middleman between fishers and retailers - told the ABC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fate of Jimmy Fallon's late-night spot at NBC is revealed after Stephen Colbert's brutal firing
Jimmy Fallon 's spot in the world of late night television has been declared safe, just weeks after news broke of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert 's shock cancellation. According to Page Six, Fallon, 50, and his fellow NBC late-night host, Seth Meyers, 51, will continue their hosting gigs, despite having to navigate some budget shifts. 'Seth and Jimmy had budget cuts last year, which saw Jimmy go from five days a week to four days,' an insider told the outlet. 'He records Monday through Thursday and the show repeats on Friday.' In June, Fallon renewed his multimillion-dollar contract with NBCUniversal to continue on as the host of The Tonight Show through 2028. The extension came a month after he rang in his 10-year anniversary on the show with a two-hour special, which included surprise celebrity appearances including Robert De Niro, Kim Kardashian, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga and more. He has held onto the coveted role since 2014 after Jay Leno stepped down from the position in 2014. Over at ABC, Jimmy Kimmel has also been spared. 'Even if he was thinking of retirement, he most definitely will stay now,' a source insisted to Page Six. '[Disney President] Dana [Walden] would never ax Kimmel.' Daily Mail has reached out to Fallon's representatives and NBC, but they have not yet responded. Last month, Colbert's cancellation after a 10-season run drummed up considerable controversy as many dubbed him a political martyr under President Donald Trump. At the time, Trump praised CBS' decision to let Colbert go. 'The reason he (Colbert) was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses — And it was only going to get WORSE!' he wrote on Truth Social. Trump then asked: 'Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Falon. The only real question is, who will go first?' Trump, who once gained reality television notoriety as the face of The Apprentice, tried to offer the trio a lesson in showbusiness, writing: 'Show Biz and Television is a very simple business. 'If you get Ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don't, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow.' CBS announced the cancellation of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this month, just days after the host blasted the network's $16million settlement with Trump as a 'big fat bribe.' Executives said the decision was made after the show's revenue plummeted by around $40 million a year. 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,' they said in a statement. 'We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire the Late Show franchise at that time,' the executives continued. 'We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and his broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.' At the time, Trump praised CBS' decision to let Colbert go The network explained that the decision to cancel the show is 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.' 'It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' it added. But Colbert has not held back in his criticism of his employers since the decision was finalized, telling crowds: 'They made one mistake, they left me alive! For the next ten months, the gloves are off!' He dedicated much of his first show back after the announcement to criticizing the network, inviting other liberal late night talk show hosts and comedians onto his program to stand united against the decision.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Australian politician refuses to stand down despite being jailed for rape
An Australian politician has refused to stand down despite being jailed for rape, sparking an urgent court battle to expel the sex offender from a state parliament. Gareth Ward, a New South Wales state politician, was found guilty last month of sexually abusing two young men, aged 18 and 24, between 2013 and 2015. The 44-year-old former Liberal Party member has refused to stand down from state parliament, despite sitting in prison while awaiting sentencing for his crimes. Chris Minns, the state premier, said Ward had 'no shame', pledging to move a motion that would expel him from parliament, saying it's the 'first and most obvious choice'. 'Unconscionable situation' Mr Minns said: 'It's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in jail in Silverwater, convicted of serious sexual offences, who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid.' But Ward has so far stymied these efforts, obtaining a temporary injunction late on Monday that prevented the Labour government from removing him. Mark Speakman, the opposition leader, joined calls for Ward to step aside. The leader of the NSW Liberals, which Ward was formerly a part of, said: 'Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive.' Ron Hoenig, the leader of the House, said the government would seek an urgent hearing this week to have the injunction lifted. He told reporters: 'The issue is, as you would appreciate, of considerable significance. 'The House needs to be able to make its judgment to protect itself. And we will be seeking a review of the judge's decision.' Ward said he planned to appeal his convictions, and should remain in parliament until this appeal is heard. He is due to be sentenced next month, for three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Labor MPs urge government to prioritise reform of ‘failed' job-ready university graduates scheme
Labor MPs are increasing pressure on the government to speed up reform of the controversial Morrison-era job-ready graduates (JRG) scheme that has 'failed' students. The Albanese government has flagged its intention to reform the scheme, but MPs have told Guardian Australia it should be a priority early in Labor's second term. Louise Miller-Frost, a South Australian Labor MP, said the JRG scheme, which has been widely condemned for hiking the cost of humanities and social science degrees, has angered voters. 'It is something that gets raised quite often, particularly when I'm talking to students about the 20% off Hecs which is very popular and people love it, but this is the next step,' she said. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'It is a priority to make sure that we have the best possible access for university … I do see it as an intergenerational equity [issue].' The matter has also been raised with Victorian MP Carina Garland, who studied humanities and has worked as an academic. She said the reforms needed to be done as soon as possible. 'I would hate to see the scheme becoming too entrenched,' Garland said. 'It's really clear from my community that they want the government to act on the current job-ready graduates scheme, and it should happen sooner rather than later. 'The [universities] accord was pretty clear in its assessment and the minister has said we will move progressively to implement the recommendations. I've advocated for change [directly] to the minister's office and will continue to do so.' The scheme, introduced in 2021, changed the fee structure for university courses to increase costs for subjects including arts and law, and lowered course fees for degrees in Stem areas. The scheme also introduced a rule to remove Hecs debt eligibility for students who failed more than 50% of their units. Labor commissioned the universities accord to outline a reform path across the entire sector, which made several key findings on the JRG scheme. In July 2023, the accord released its interim report, which found the fee structure needed to be 'redesigned before it causes long-term damage to Australian higher education by increasing the cost of gaining a qualification', and recommended the 50% pass rule should be scrapped. Labor immediately abolished the 50% pass rule, and later established the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec) to make recommendations on changing the fee structure under the scheme. The education minister, Jason Clare, has provided no timeline on when Atec, which has been in place since 1 July, will make its recommendations. Clare said the accord had 'made a number of recommendations and called out the previous government's job-ready graduates program as a failure'. 'We've bitten off a big chunk of its recommendations already – 31 of 47 in full or in part. This includes changes to make the repayment system for Hecs fairer, which we passed through parliament last week,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'There's more work to do and we'll take it one step at a time.' Labor MP Sally Sitou railed against the 'failed' rules in parliament last week. Sitou told Guardian Australia the previous Morrison government 'actively undermined and underfunded the university sector' and said reform was 'complex' and would take time. '[The Coalition government] introduced the job-ready graduate scheme which the universities accord said [has] failed, and it made recommendations about how to address this,' she said, adding that Atec would 'help to steer reform across the sector, including advice on the setting of course fees'. Sitou said Labor had made significant progress on reform, and wants a rethink of the rules. The parliament's youngest-ever senator, Labor's 21-year-old Charlotte Walker, said 'stigma' around arts degrees, exacerbated by the JRG program, must end. 'There's a stigma around, 'Oh, why would you want to do that? You're not actually going to be able to get a job'. I do genuinely think that sort of stigma turns students away from studying things,' Walker said. 'I really hope we can start moving past that.'
