Latest news with #SouthAustralia
ABC News
2 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
One in five calls to SA domestic violence crisis line go unanswered despite extra funding
About 20 per cent of calls to South Australia's domestic violence crisis line are going unanswered, despite a recent boost in government funding to address demand, the state's peak body for domestic violence services says. Embolden CEO Mary Leaker told ABC News Stateline the state's crisis domestic violence services were this year experiencing "unprecedented" demand, amid heightened community awareness, media attention, and a royal commission into domestic, family and sexual violence. "Despite an injection of funding from the state government last mid-year budget review, we're still seeing one in five calls to that crisis line go unanswered because of the increase in demand," she said. "Where there's that kind of pressure on the system, we do run the risk that people are discouraged from seeking help and that they don't actually get the help that they need in that moment." The crisis line is operated by Women's Safety Services SA and provides counselling, support and accommodation referrals to people experiencing domestic and family violence. In December, the state government announced it would increase funding for the service by an additional $880,000 each year, to "boost staffing levels and enhance the helpline's capacity to respond to calls outside business hours". The funding allocation was made one month after Women's Safety Services SA CEO Maria Haggias told the state's royal commission into domestic, family and sexual violence that only 70 per cent of calls to the crisis line were answered, leaving one in three callers without immediate support. Ms Leaker said there was also an increase in the number of families escaping family and domestic violence, who were being placed in emergency accommodation such as hotels and motels. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 She said for some months of the year, the numbers had increased by more than two thirds compared to the same time last year. "At times, there have been close to 100 families in emergency accommodation," she said. "The lack of appropriate housing options means that families are staying longer in emergency accommodation, with significant negative impacts for their health and wellbeing." The SA government allocated $3.5 million in its June state budget to coordinate its response to the domestic violence royal commission findings, ahead of a final report being handed down later this month. Ms Leaker said that money would go towards public sector staffing. "We know that we need a well-resourced public sector, but what we didn't see in this state budget was a really substantial allocation of funding that will enable our state to drive on the ground urgent royal commission recommendations," she said. "We know that for some time in South Australia we have been underinvesting in our domestic, family and sexual violence services relative to other jurisdictions. "We have some catching up to do, even before we look at driving really transformative system change." A state government spokesperson said the government was "committed to preventing, domestic family and sexual violence" and was awaiting the findings of the "landmark" royal commission report. The spokesperson said the report would "present an opportunity for generational change", but they did not respond to questions asking if the government was considering increasing funding for the domestic violence crisis line, or whether it would increase funding to respond to the royal commission recommendations. Ms Leaker was one of a number of South Australians who called for the royal commission into domestic violence, following the deaths of six South Australians from alleged family and domestic violence at the end of 2023. She said royal commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja had a "lean team" and was working towards "fairly ambitious timeframes", but the sector was confident that she would hand down "well-grounded" recommendations later this month. "There's always that concern around implementation and that's really where the metaphorical rubber hits the road," she said. "We know that it will be really, really critical that people who have lived experience of our systems and also the specialist domestic, family and sexual violence sector [are[ around the table when it comes to designing how we implement the recommendations." Ms Leaker said domestic violence services were also calling for "independent monitoring" of the royal commission recommendations. "We see that as absolutely vital in terms of building accountability to how our state government, how our services system more broadly is actually responding to those recommendations to ensure that the royal commission lives up to its promise to the South Australian community," she said. The royal commission has received more than 360 submissions and more than 800 survey responses. It has also heard from 64 people at 10 public hearings.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Sussan Ley's authority tested as Liberals stamp their feet
As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people, they can become difficult, or worse. Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers: Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term, and Jane Hume, who had a high profile in finance, were dumped to the backbench in Ley's reshuffle. There were mixed views about Ley's judgement. But it was clear neither would take the relegation lying down. Henderson at the time declared she found it regrettable that "a number of high-performing Liberal women have been overlooked or demoted". Hume said, ominously, "there is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points". This week, both women used their freedom to freelance. On the government's student debt legislation, Henderson made her presence felt by moving an amendment designed to cap indexation. It got only a handful of votes from the crossbench. The opposition abstained. Also in the Senate, Hume put down her marker on a motion moved by One Nation repudiating the net zero target. Predictably, Matt Canavan (Nationals) and Alex Antic (right-wing South Australian Liberal) voted for the motion. The Liberals' official position — given they're in no-man's land, reviewing their policy — was to abstain. But Hume and Andrew McLachlan (a moderate from South Australia) voted against the motion. Hume has kept a regular spot on Sky News Australia, an opportunity to use her "liberated" voice. Then there's Andrew Hastie, who, despite being a frontbencher, doesn't feel under collective discipline. Hastie, whom some see as a possible future leader, didn't get his wish for a non-security portfolio in the reshuffle. Instead, the former defence spokesman was moved to home affairs, a broad job that presents many opportunities. When the Western Australian Liberal council passed a motion rejecting net zero at the weekend, Hastie gave his enthusiastic backing. He then got stuck into state Liberal leader Basil Zempilas, who had said the WA parliamentary party supported "the status quo on the net zero targets". Hastie fired off a newsletter to supporters, declaring, "This motion — moved and supported by my division of Canning — reflects a growing concern from mainstream Australians about our expensive energy bills, unreliable supply, and the erosion of our national sovereignty. "I was therefore disappointed to see [Zempilas] publicly dismiss those concerns." The government was quick to exploit this, with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen telling parliament on Thursday that Hastie "will undermine any opposition leader he can find. He's taking a practice run in Perth for what he intends to do in Canberra, sometime in the next 12 months, as we all know. He loves undermining leaders of the opposition." Peter Dutton was a disaster for the Liberals, as the election drubbing showed. But he was (mostly) able to impose substantial unity on the parliamentary party. That was seen as a big achievement. But it had two downsides. At the time, it stifled what might have been useful internal debate, or warnings, that could have helped the opposition. And now it has left some Liberals who felt they held their tongues last time determined not to do so again. Even those not aggrieved for specific reasons are likely to be more inclined to be outspoken this term. Ley will not be able to impose the degree of discipline that Dutton did. Meanwhile, as the aggrieved Liberals were stamping their feet, their colleague James Paterson, new to his post of finance spokesman, was seeking to repair some of the political damage the opposition had done by its attacks on the public service. The hostility to the public service goes back a long way — some might argue it's ingrained in the Liberals' DNA. It was strong during Scott Morrison's prime ministership. Dutton promised massive cuts to the Canberra-based public service, which even the Liberals admit would have been unattainable. Hume's plan to force public servants back into the office five days a week, a policy the opposition had to drop midway through the election campaign, has also left deep suspicion. For the Liberals, attacking the public service has always appeared a ready road to savings. But the political dangers are obvious. It is not the seats directly affected — the ACT always votes Labor. But assaults on the public service can be readily segued by the Coalition's opponents into code for attacks on government services. Paterson, who's also shadow minister for the public service, told an Australian Financial Review summit on government services, "It is not lost on me that promising significant cuts to the size of the APS or changing the way public servants work from home was poorly received and not just here in Canberra." Paterson said, "I have great respect for public servants, and I recognise the significant contributions they make to our democracy. "The Coalition aspires to have a respectful, constructive relationship with the APS. We want a motivated, high-performing public service that works in genuine partnership with government to deliver the services Australians rely on. And we want it to do so as a trusted steward of taxpayer dollars." On the basis of history, the public servants will remain suspicious of the Liberals; Paterson's aim will be to mitigate that as much as possible. In a twist on the working-from-home debate, the secretary of the health department, Blair Comley, this week expressed some concern about the implications of the trend. "I don't think anyone is suggesting we go back to a rigid five days a week and no flexibility," Comley told the AFR summit. But he was worried about what was happening to "learning, development, mentoring, and what's happening to the social capital". Knowing the sensitivities of the issue, Comley was extremely careful with his words. Hume, having been burned once, was not putting her hand into this particular fire again. "That is not a policy that the Coalition has now, not a policy that we took to the election", she said. There is a limit to being liberated. Michelle Grattan is a professorial fellow at the University of Canberra and chief political correspondent at The Conversation, where this article first appeared.
The Australian
6 hours ago
- The Australian
SA Police believed to have found head of Tamika Chesser's alleged murder victim Julian Story
Police believe they have found the head of alleged murder victim Julian Story. The grisly discovery comes weeks after his girlfriend and former Beauty and the Geek contestant Tamika Chesser allegedly murdered him and removed his head at the pair's unit in Port Lincoln, South Australia. South Australian Police and SES volunteers spent more than a week fanning out across the scrubland and waters around Port Lincoln searching for Mr Story's head in the aftermath of the brutal alleged killing in June. The search was paused on July 1 but resumed last week, with police identifying several additional search sites in and around Port Lincoln. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke made the announcement about the grim discovery at a press conference on Thursday. 'Earlier today, police received info from a member of the public in Port Lincoln they have located in a scrub what appeared to be a human skull,' he said. 'Preliminary investigations and phone calls to forensic science centre (indicate) the remains are most likely human, and I believe they are the remains of Julian Story. 'To confirm this, those remains will be subject to further testing over the coming days. 'Those remains currently remain in Port Lincoln.' Mr Story's family were contacted and updated on next steps, the Superintendent said. 'Hopefully we can give them some comfort that we have found all the remains of Julian.' A dog walker made the discovery, Superintendent Fielke said. 'There are some walking tracks through there. My understanding is the person who contacted us today was walking their dog in the area. The dog ran off into the scrub, it didn't come back when called. The person went into the scrub to find the dog, and discovered the skull off the walking track. 'They had to walk into the scrub area to find it (the skull). (The remains) were not buried. They were quite out in the open.' Port Lincoln local Katie, speaking with NewsWire, said she felt 'relieved' by the news. 'I'm relieved for the family, it's a bit of closure for them,' she said. 'But I feel devastated for the person that found it.' Katie's friend, who did not wished to be named, said she was no longer worried she would stumble across the head. The pair said they expected the discovery to reignite conversation and interest in the horrific incident among locals. 'It's going to go mental,' Katie said. Greg, a Port Lincoln local, said earlier in the day locals in the town discussed the case regularly. 'It was a gruesome bloody incident,' he said. 'This town, we've never had anything like that before.' Police allege Ms Chesser murdered Mr Story at about midnight on June 17. Mr Story's body was found on the afternoon of June 19 following a small fire at the unit and Ms Chesser was arrested in the yard of the home. Mr Story was a Port Lincoln local, while Ms Chesser had only recently moved to the area from Queensland. The cause of death is still being investigated, he added, and a motive remains unknown. 'We know they were in a relationship together, and I'm not suggesting that is a motive, but it is something that is being explored,' Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said in an update from June. Police allege Ms Chesser was captured on CCTV walking with a bag, dogs, and dressed in heavy clothing in the hours after Mr Story's death. Ms Chesser has been charged with murder, destroying human remains, and assaulting a police officer. The assault matter will be heard at Port Lincoln Magistrates Court on July 31, while the murder case is booked to appear in court in December. Ms Chesser is currently being held at psychiatric facility James Nash House. She starred in the second series of the hit reality TV show Beauty and the Geek in 2010, finishing in second place. She has also worked as a model for a range of brands including Target and appeared in men's magazines including Ralph and FHM, a profile for her on Star Now states. Her Instagram and Facebook social media profiles are filled with racy and glamorous images. She has also posted a series of images that appear to reflect Jewish and Hindu mythology. More to come. Duncan Evans is a reporter for News Corp's NewsWire service, based in Adelaide. Before NewsWire, he worked as a resources and politics reporter for The Daily Mercury in Mackay, Queensland and as a reporter at CQ Today, an independent newspaper based in Rockhampton. He was raised in Emerald and Brisbane and studied English Literature and American Studies at the University of Sydney. He began his career in journalism working for the Jakarta Post in Indonesia for over two years as an editor, translator and writer. He is fluent in Indonesian. Business Breaking News Collapsed Australian fashion label Tigerlily has emerged from a turbulent two-year period to make a dramatic retail comeback just in time for a milestone anniversary. Business Breaking News Property prices have defied interest rate pressures to reach a high, with regional areas outperforming capital cities across most markets.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Australia's intelligence boss reveals the common act that is putting the country at risk - so are YOU guilty of it?
Australia's intelligence boss has warned that people who boast about their access to sensitive information are openly painting themselves as targets for foreign spying operations. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess chided people who held security clearances or who had access to classified information openly promoting themselves on social media at the annual Hawke lecture at the University of South Australia on Thursday. More than 35,000 Australians indicated they had access to classified or private information on a single professional networking site, he said, adding 7000 referred to working in the defence sector and critical technologies. Nearly 2500 boasted about having a security clearance, he said. 'All too often we make it all too easy,' he said. Almost 400 people explicitly said they worked on the AUKUS project, under which Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines as the keystone of its military power. Mr Burgess put the cost of espionage - including the theft of intellectual property resulting in lost revenue and responding to incidents - at $12.5 billion in 2023/24. This included cyber spies stealing nearly $2 billion of trade secrets and intellectual property from Australian companies. The number came from a conservative Australian Institute of Criminology analysis that took into account details for ASIO investigations, he said. Hackers stealing commercially sensitive information from one Australian exporter gave a foreign country a leg up in a subsequent contract negotiation, 'costing Australia hundreds of millions of dollars', Mr Burgess said. The director-general also revealed details of multiple espionage operations as he warned officials, businesses and the general public about interference threats and the impact of lax security. Russian spies were deported in 2022 after an ASIO investigation found they were 'recruiting proxies and agents to obtain sensitive information, and employing sophisticated tradecraft to disguise their activities', he said. Russia, China and Iran were singled out as adversaries but 'you would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets', he said. ASIO, the nation's domestic intelligence agency, disrupted 24 major espionage and foreign interference operations in the last three years, more than the previous eight years combined. Mr Burgess said spies used a security clearance-holder to obtain information about trade negotiations and convinced one state bureaucrat to log into a database to obtain details of people a foreign regime considered dissidents. The director-general also detailed how a foreign intelligence service ordered spies to apply for Australian government jobs, including at national security institutions, to access classified information. Another example included a visiting academic linked to a foreign government breaking into a restricted lab with sensitive technology and filming inside, he said. 'They are just the tip of an espionage iceberg,' Mr Burgess said. Foreign companies tied to intelligence services had also tried to access private data, buy land near military sites and collaborate with researchers developing sensitive technology. 'In recent years, for example, defence employees travelling overseas have been subjected to covert room searches, been approached at conferences by spies in disguise and given gifts containing surveillance devices,' Mr Burgess added. Hackers had also broken into the network of a peak industry body to steal sensitive information about exports and foreign investment, as well as into a law firm to take information about government-related cases, he said.
The Australian
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Australian
Australian house prices hit surprising new milestone in July
Australia's house prices hit a new record high in July, with an interest rate cut and the warmer months tipped to continue to spur on the housing market in the months to come. National home prices reached a new record high of $827,000 in July, up 0.3 per cent over the month of July. Home prices are now 4.9 per cent higher or around $39,000 more expensive than they were this time last year. REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty said the gains were off lower volumes and strong growth out of the regions. 'Regional areas outperformed their capital city counterparts in most markets, recording stronger growth over both the month and the year,' she said. 'South Australia remains the strongest market, with Adelaide and regional SA the two top performing regions in the country.' Property prices hit a new record high in July. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard The gains came despite the RBA shocking markets and holding the cash rate in July. Experts now widely predict a rate cut will come after the RBA's 11-12 August meeting. Ms Flaherty said despite July being the slowest growth rate this year, house price growth could pick back up on strong demand and future rate cuts. 'While the number of homes for sale has slowed over winter, buyer demand remains strong, with auction clearance rates sitting at the highest level in more than two years,' she said. 'Home prices are expected to break into new territory later this year, with further interest rate cuts expected to add momentum to price growth.' The gains were led by regional areas which were up 0.4 per cent over the month and 6.5 per cent over the year. Leading the capital city growth was Adelaide up 0.9 per cent in the month, followed by Hobart which gained 0.5 per cent and Brisbane which is up 0.4 per cent. Offsetting these gains were more subdued growth out of Sydney and Darwin which were up 0.1 per cent each. Canberra prices slipped by 0.1 per cent. House prices rose again in July although the pace of growth is slowing. Picture: Supplied House price growth slowed in the month of July: Picture Supplied. New houses picks up While supply of housing remains a struggle and a key driver of house price growth, there is signs of life in the construction sector. According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there was an 11.9 per cent increase in total dwelling approvals in June to 17,076. This was the highest level of approvals since August 2022. Approvals for private sector houses fell 2.0 per cent. There have been a total of 185,844 dwellings approved, in original terms over the last 12 months. This is 13.5 per cent higher than the 12 months before that, which had 163,692 dwellings approved. HIA senior economist Tom Devitt said new building approvals recovered from the troughs in 2023-2024 financial year. 'Interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank in February and May this year, with the expectation of more to come, will help bring more potential homebuyers back to the market in the lagging – and often more expensive – states and territories,' he said. 'Even with lower interest rates, Australia is set to start just 200,000 homes per year, on average, over the next four years. 'Multi-unit activity, in particular, needs to do more heavy lifting. Multi-unit commencements need to double from current levels in order to achieve the government's housing targets.' Read related topics: Weather
