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News.com.au
5 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Children in remote communities denied seats on near-empty ‘Indigenous-only' charter flights
The Albanese government will review charter flight arrangements for students living in remote outback communities after claims non-Indigenous students were prevented from boarding planes because they were not ABSTUDY recipients. Derek Lord, a father of two boys living in the far north west Queensland town of Normanton about five hours north of Mt Isa and eight hours west of Cairns in the Gulf of Carpentaria, said his sons faced a 'six-day ordeal' to get home after they were not allowed to purchase seats on a nearly empty, taxpayer-funded flight. Mr Lord, who is the Air Traffic Services Reporting Officer at the tiny Normanton Airport, said he regularly sees 20-seat planes arriving with fewer than half the seats occupied. But he claims his two sons, who board at school in Charters Towers, 90 minutes southwest of Townsville, have been turned away from those same flights because they're not ABSTUDY recipients. 'My boys have been left sitting at the airport, bags packed, because they weren't allowed on a plane with empty seats,' Mr Lord said in a statement via Katter's Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter. 'We'd gladly pay for those seats — anything to avoid the six-day ordeal we have to go through with commercial flights to get them home for the holidays when roads were cut off due to flooding.' ABSTUDY, introduced in 1969, is a federal government scheme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that offers education-related financial assistance, including course fees and travel costs for students who study away from home. Mr Katter has slammed the new school charter flight arrangement as fundamentally flawed and unfair, describing it as a system that fosters division and fails to meet the needs of remote communities. 'This is not an Indigenous problem. It's a remote living problem,' Mr Katter said. 'When you've got families living in the same town, sending their kids to the same school, but being treated differently — that's wrong. It risks creating division in communities where it doesn't exist.' Mr Katter said the situation had been made worse by the government's decision to hand the contract to a UK-based operator with no local experience, replacing long-time provider Volantair. 'We had a capable, locally based operator with 20 years' experience and regional knowledge,' he said. 'Now we've got a foreign company charging up to $1781 per ABSTUDY seat — almost triple what a regular flight costs — and delivering a shambolic service.' The new operator, Air Charter Services, was appointed last year by Corporate Travel Management (CTM), which is responsible for the ABSTUDY charter contract. Air Charter Services and CTM have been contacted for comment. Since the change, according to Mr Katter, planes had shown up without passengers to collect, flights had gone unused, and single-engine aircraft without weather radar had been deployed into some of Queensland's toughest flying conditions. 'Kids are being left stranded, rural and remote families are being ignored,' Mr Katter said. 'It's time these services were made available to any child living remotely — not just those eligible under a narrow government program — and returned to experienced local operators who know the land, know the people, and care about the outcomes.' Speaking to 2GB's Ben Fordham on Tuesday, Mr Lord said he had even tried paying for seats on the planes but his sons were denied 'because they don't fall under ABSTUDY'. 'The carrier even agreed to take our money but the booking company that now does it, which is overseas, refused to allow our children to get on because they don't meet the criteria,' he said. 'We don't understand it either. It's taxpayer-funded. Even if we weren't willing to pay, the plane is coming here, it's being paid for by everyone's taxes whether you're Indigenous or non-Indigenous, the kids are from the same town.' Mr Lord noted 'we're in the middle of a flood crisis and we couldn't get in our out', recounting the tortuous journey home for his sons. 'So there was no way to get our kids home unless it's on a private charter ourselves, or through Rex, and Rex can be up to two, three weeks waiting for a seat,' he said. 'We would have to bus them down to Townsville and then either bus them or plane them up to Cairns, and then they'd have to sit in Cairns over the weekend because there's no Rex flights, and then they'd have to fly home on Rex if we could get a Monday or Tuesday flight, and that's a big if.' He said 'even Indigenous leaders here don't understand it'. 'I don't think it's about reconciliation, I think it's more about that the system is broken,' he said. 'The gap is not a gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous per se, it's regional versus non-regional. If you actually compared the two I think you'd find many of the non-Indigenous kids and families have the same disadvantages as Indigenous people in rural or remote communities.' Mr Lord added that son's girlfriend was Indigenous and 'the first time this happened, she got on one flight and he had to get on the other'. Fordham said it was 'absolutely mad'. 'Just put the kids on the same damn plane,' he said. A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek told the matter was being reviewed. 'The ABSTUDY program was introduced in 1969 by Liberal National Prime Minister John Gorton to help Indigenous students from very remote communities get access to education,' she said. 'Charter flights are only used where it is the cheapest or most cost effective alternative, from very remote communities. The allocation of spare seats is a matter for the charter company. The government agrees that empty seats should be made available for other students or community members to purchase where safe and practical to do so. The Minister will request updated advice from her department on this issue to ensure charter fees reflect value for money.' The Department of Finance, which manages all the whole of Australian government travel contract, has previously clarified that CTM has no exclusive agreements with charter companies and will choose charter providers for the ABSTUDY program based on the needs of ABSTUDY travellers. 'CTM has encouraged competition through the expansion of charters available to be booked for the government, including the ABSTUDY program,' a spokeswoman for the department told Cairns Post last year. 'They have also recently included an additional 12 new charter service providers to the program, including two Indigenous businesses.'
The Guardian
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Queensland town in limbo after sonic boom; Australian universities drop in rankings; and river swimming in Europe
Good afternoon. Residents in a tiny north Queensland town say they have been ignored for two years by the RAAF after a sonic boom from a fighter jet shattered windows and damaged roofs. In June 2023, an F-35 fighter from the nearby Townsville RAAF base broke the sound barrier over Greenvale, causing what locals say was a 'bloody terrifying' explosion initially mistaken for a car crash or gas bottle eruption. When the dust settled, about 14 homes in a straight line across the town of 192 people were damaged. But since then there's been silence from the air force – and unable to afford replacements, and with no local tradespeople – shattered windows are still replaced with temporary timber boards. The Department of Defence said the episode occurred 'within an area where overland supersonic airspeeds are approved', but the local MP, Robbie Katter, has described the defence force response as 'indifference at best'. Israel attacks Iran's Arak heavy water reactor as Iran hits Israeli hospital NSW Labor's anti-protest laws protecting places of worship have 'chilling effect' on democracy, court told Victoria's crime rate surges with young offenders contributing to record arrests Bruce Lehrmann pleads not guilty to stealing four-wheel drive in Tasmania Cambodia bans fruit imports and soap operas from Thailand as border dispute sours New Zealand halts millions of dollars in aid to Cook Islands over deals struck with China As the threat of war looms, are these four horsemen out of a job? It's all looking a bit apocalyptic, reckons Fiona Katauskas. 'Behind the filters and followers was a sophisticated criminal enterprise exploiting digital platforms to sell counterfeit luxury goods.' NSW police charged three men in Sydney on Wednesday as part of what Det Supt Peter Faux alleged was a $10m scheme to sell counterfeit luxury goods on social media. Police seized nine cars worth about $3m, more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, $270,000 in cash and a gel blaster imitation firearm. Twenty-five of Australia's 36 ranked universities have dropped in this year's QS World University Rankings, and just seven moved up – the third-biggest percentage drop in the world behind Austria (88%) and Russia (85%). The University of Melbourne, Australia's highest performer, dropped seven places to 19th, while the University of Sydney dropped from 18th in the world to 25th. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Across Europe, emboldened by a nine-year plan to clean up the Seine River in time for last year's Paris Olympics, city residents are pushing authorities to make their waterways swimmable. From Berlin to Oslo, Guardian reporters detail some of urban Europe's swimming hotspots – both those that are coming, and those that have been delighting city swimmers for years. Today's starter word is: KIER. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email. If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email
The Guardian
19-06-2025
- The Guardian
Greenvale was rocked by a sonic boom that shattered windows. But locals say the silence from the RAAF has been deafening
Greenvale, population 192, is best known for a Slim Dusty song about the local pub, the Three Rivers hotel. Located about 250km west of Townsville, the median age of residents is 20 years older and $1,000 poorer each week than the state median; it could be fairly characterised as a quiet, sleepy retirement community. At 10.37am on 26 June 2023, that quiet was shattered by a gigantic blast in the sky. 'I was at work at the hotel, and we just heard this massive noise, blast, boom-type thing. It was scary,' says Dinka Marovic, a Three Rivers hotel employee. 'Some ran to the gas bottle thinking that the gas bottles blew up. I thought that a semi had hit the front of the pub … we came all back together, and that's when we noticed the ceiling starting to come down.' The 'blast' was an F-35, the most advanced aircraft in the Royal Australian Air Force, breaking the sound barrier directly overhead. The shockwave in its wake shattered windows, smashed light fittings and shook roofs. But since then there's been silence from the air force, locals say. For two years phone calls have gone unanswered. Repeated complaints have resulted in no action. Unable to afford replacements – and with no local tradespeople – shattered windows are still replaced with temporary timber boards. The local MP, Robbie Katter, says the lack of response by the defence force has 'really got my back up'. 'It almost seems as though they're that remote, that no one's going to listen to them,' he said. Louise Fletcher, the owner of the Three Rivers hotel, has lived in Greenvale for 19 years. 'We actually did have CCTV footage of it, you can see our ceiling drop,' she says. 'It drops probably 15cm. And then it goes up and down.' The suspended ceiling was knocked off its clips. Only quick repairs kept it from collapsing to the ground. When the dust settled the damage appeared to be contained to about 14 homes in a straight line across town. At the time, Paula Ransom was the treasurer of the Greenvale Progress Association. She says about 21 windows were shattered, out of 133 dwellings in the area. In the years since, some homes have started to leak. She is in no doubt that the huge boom was caused by a supersonic jet. The sound is different, she says: you'll hear an ordinary plane coming, but this one didn't crescendo or decrescendo – it was suddenly loud and then instantly over, like an extremely loud gunshot. 'I lived in Townsville when the jets first came to the RAAF base in Townsville,' she says. 'In the 70s and the 80s, the boys all wanted to play games with their jets. 'It was a definite boom.' One resident says the noise caused her such a shock she called for medical help. 'I went close to a second heart attack,' she said. 'It was bloody terrifying.' Ray Smith said the jet came over 'hard and fast and low'. 'The whole houses shook,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Smith had a window shatter and another damaged. He's left a hole where the damaged one used to be because he can't afford to replace it. A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said the episode occurred in the Townsville restricted airspace 'within an area where overland supersonic airspeeds are approved'. 'Defence received eight noise complaints and reports of property damage, with three of these complaints referred for compensation,' the spokesperson said. 'The Department is committed to working with communities that are impacted by Defence operations, including compensation where liability is evident. 'Where possible, air force avoids known noise sensitive areas, townships and other areas of significant activity; however, the conduct of flying operations is vital for Defence preparedness. Air force operates under control measures to minimise the impact of aircraft activity on local residents where reasonably practicable.' A sonic boom is caused when an object breaks the sound barrier – travelling faster than the speed of sound. The speeding jet aircraft carries a wave of sound behind it like a wake, which breaks on a relatively narrow 'carpet' of ground after it passes over. It's so loud it can even be used as a weapon; a high-speed pass designed to intimidate or suppress rather than kill. It's for this reason that supersonic flight over land has been banned in the US since 1973. Peter Carter from Carter Capner Law says there is no similar legislation prohibiting supersonic flight in Australia, even over a major city like Sydney or Melbourne. But he says Defence could be sued for causing building damage through a civil action 'and there is no liability exemption unless the aircraft was engaged in active military operation which necessitated that flight path'. If flying over Greenvale was an operational necessity, it should have been done at an altitude well above the risk of damage to the ground, he says. Ransom estimates that she contacted the defence force to demand an explanation within weeks. Two more complaints have led nowhere. Katter describes the defence force response as 'indifference at best'. 'Maybe I'm paranoid, but I can't be blamed for thinking that they've taken advantage of the fact that these are people without means that aren't often heard.' Ransom says nobody is wealthy enough to book tradespeople to drive out from Townsville or Charters Towers. The matter simply would not be swept under the carpet in a big city, she says, where a sonic boom would leave thousands windowless. 'You would not get away with it,' she says. 'This is a small town of a couple of hundred people at the most where we do tend to have a lot of the outback attitude of 'she'll be right, mate'. But this, this won't be right.' Watch TenNewsFirst at 5pm to see the residents of Greenvale tell their story.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie caravanner's expensive mistake prompts urgent travel warning: 'Avoid until further notice'
Caravanning enthusiasts travelling around parts of the country's northeast have been warned to beware of dangerous conditions that are leaving motorhomes bogged. Queensland MP Robbie Katter took to social media on Friday to urge caravanners and tourists visiting the Gulf Savannah region in the state's Far North to avoid the Hann Highway, after a combination of recent wet weather and natural underground springs caused the surface to lift — turning large stretches of the unsealed road "into a deep, boggy mess". "We're urging all caravanners and tourists visiting our great region to avoid the Hann Highway until further notice," Katter said. "[It's] impassable by any vehicle. Road works crews have not been able to access the site safely, and it doesn't seem that the underground springs are letting up soon, which unfortunately means the road is likely to remain in poor condition for the foreseeable future." Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for Etheridge Shire Council confirmed the road remains closed. The spokesperson said it's likely to stay that way until Thursday, when crews will asses it again. "Alternate route is Hughenden via Flinders Highway," the spokesperson said. 🚘 P-plater's 'stupid' 4WD decision in national park stuns Aussies 💰 Man cops $322 fine after failed shortcut ends with 4WD stuck for weeks 🏝️ Stark warning to drivers visiting infamous beach: 'Not suitable' Stretching more than 500 kilometres, the Hann Highway is a crucial inland link between North Queensland and the southern parts of the state, often used as a shortcut between Hughenden and the Gulf region. While remote and less travelled than major coastal routes, it serves as a lifeline for local communities, graziers and outback travellers during the dry season, particularly those embarking on the iconic "Big Lap" or tackling Queensland's lesser-known inland trails. But conditions like those currently affecting the road can quickly turn treacherous, particularly for caravanners towing heavy rigs who may not realise just how easily their vehicles can become stranded. Local authorities say boggings have already been reported, with some travellers needing to be towed out — at a cost of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars. The warning comes as inland roads across northern Australia remain vulnerable to ongoing seasonal rains and underground water flows, which can linger long after weather systems move on. Travellers are being encouraged to carry emergency supplies, download offline maps, and check in regularly with local councils or Queensland Traffic for road condition updates. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
