Posted November 02, 2018 14:32:19
Three-time Tour De France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen is swapping his road bike for a mountain bike and golf clubs at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast. ABC Gold Coast: Jennifer Huxley Topics:sport,cycling,golf,athletics,miami-4220 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-02/cycling-mcewen-golf/10450604
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Updated November 04, 2018 00:20:56
Related Story: 'The mother realised we were helping': Baby whale freed from shark nets off Gold Coast Rescue crews have worked to free a humpback whale calf trapped in a shark net off the Gold Coast, highlighting the risks of nets to marine populations, experts say. Seaworld said it took about half an hour to free the animal, which was spotted tangled in the Burleigh Heads net shortly after 5:00am on Saturday. It is the second whale calf to be trapped off the coast in the past month. Seaworld's director of marine sciences, Trevor Long, who took part in the rescue, said the whale suffered some superficial damage to its head but would recover in the wild. "It had only probably been caught for a couple of hours, so it still had lots of energy and we were able to free it fairly quickly," Mr Long said. Photo: It took 30 minutes to free the calf. (Supplied: Seaworld) Mr Long said the calf's distressed mother was nearby throughout the rescue. "It's quite amazing these whales appreciate that we're actually helping the calf and not further damaging the calf," Mr Long said. "I think if the mother thought we were further injuring the animal she might take actions towards us that wouldn't be pleasant. "They're very, very concerned, that bond is extremely strong, and they will not leave that calf." Photo: Rescuers said the calf's distressed mother was nearby. (Supplied: Seaworld) Outdated nets killing marine life Mr Long said the issue highlighted the need to update beach protection measures to minimise the harm to wildlife. In last month's rescue, the young whale suffered painful grazes after being trapped in a shark net all night. "The practices that we're using today date right back to the 1960s," Mr Long said. "We do believe there are actions that can be taken that will minimise these whales being caught, as well as reducing the number of indiscriminate taking of dolphin and turtles and other fish. "Animal welfare has got to come into play a little bit more than it does now." He said 'smart' drumlines, which could detect when an animal is caught, were preferable to nets. "The Gold Coast has got a lot of high rises, we can use drones, we've got a lot more technologies we can use to identify that there's an animal out there," he said. Topics:animals,human-interest,qld,australia,brisbane-4000,burleigh-heads-4220 First posted November 03, 2018 14:21:44 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-03/baby-whale-freed-from-shark-net-on-gold-coast/10462972 Updated November 02, 2018 10:08:45
Photo: Mr Dick says the website is the biggest and most extensive portal of its kind in Australia. (ABC News: Josh Bavas) Map: Brisbane 4000 With Queensland's growing population expected to hit 6.7 million by 2036, the State Government is throwing out the welcome wagon with a "big data" website aimed at delivering that growth to all the right places. Key points:Measures that Matter website collates data on a range of key economic indicatorsMinister says portal is biggest and most extensive of its kindSouth-east Queensland could create city of 5 million, says Bernard Salt A new website being launched today gives town planners, developers and even private investors access to the largest amount of public data gathered in one place, in a bid to drive positive growth for the south-east corner. The Measures that Matter website will offer the latest numbers on a range of key indicators covering housing, transport availability, employment rates and even environmental management. The information can be searched by region or topic, covering issues from affordable living to growth and prosperity. State Development Minister Cameron Dick said the website was the biggest and most extensive portal of its kind in Australia. "One of the biggest challenges we face is being on the front foot of planning during this period of continued population growth," Mr Dick said. "This brings together all the important data to track the progress of previous and current growth trends in south-east Queensland in a transparent way that's not been done before." Infographic: A breakdown of a variety of data sets from housing to environment and even employment will now be publicly available (Supplied: Queensland Government) Development 'with rifle-shot accuracy' Demographer Bernard Salt said transparent access to data was the key to smart planning. "This is an example of big data putting everything into one convenient place," Mr Salt said. "We're a small nation in charge of a big continent with vast spaces, we need to make sure our investment dollars, our tax dollars are directed absolutely with rifle-shot accuracy. "In order to do that, you need information, you need information centralised and I think that's what this does." Photo: Information can be searched via regional or council breakdown. (Supplied: Queensland Government) Mr Salt said the region from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast had potential to offer a better lifestyle than Melbourne or Sydney for larger populations. "I think that south-east Queensland can deliver a city of 5 million people in a better format," Mr Salt said. Photo: The website offers the latest numbers on key indicators including housing and transport availability. (ABC News: Liz Pickering) "A series of connected but independent cities, operating most like a series of cogs in the back of a watch, to create a better quality of life at 5 million people than we're currently developing in Melbourne or Sydney at 5 million people." The new website compares current data with future trends detailed in the Queensland Government's 20-year regional plan. Infographic: Measures that Matter website provides updated information on key real estate indicators such as dwelling growth. (Supplied: Queensland Government) Urban Development Institute of Australia spokeswoman Kirsty Chesser-Brown said the information would unveil key indicators on a level-playing field. "It is critical in terms of making medium and long-term investment decisions," Ms Chesser-Brown said. "It's obviously being presented in a very user-friendly format. "It's just wonderful to have some of those measurable tools at our fingertips to guide future planning decisions and future investment decisions." Photo: The website provides information on industry, including a regional breakdown of employment by occupation. (Supplied: Queensland Government) Ms Chesser-Brown said having employment figures and trends available was particularly useful to prepare for sustained growth. "Over the next 25 years, south-east Queensland is expected to attract an additional 2 million people and an additional 1 million in jobs, so obviously we know that employment is really a key attractor when people are looking to move from southern states," she said. "So it's important we'll be building towards having that data available, and certainly great in terms of having to attract greater investment to the region." Topics:regional-development,regional,state-parliament,housing,housing-industry,information-and-communication,computers-and-technology,science-and-technology,environmental-management,unemployment,information-technology,brisbane-4000,qld,bundaberg-4670,cairns-4870,longreach-4730,mackay-4740,maroochydore-4558,mount-isa-4825,rockhampton-4700,southport-4215,toowoomba-4350,townsville-4810 First posted November 02, 2018 07:39:19 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-02/big-data-website-queensland-aims-big-to-shape-future-growth/10458012 Posted November 02, 2018 14:32:19
Photo: Robbie McEwen is swapping his road bike for a mountain bike and golf clubs at the Pan Pacific Masters Games. (ABC Gold Coast: Jennifer Huxley) Three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen has built a career on pushing his limits, so it is no surprise that he is taking code-hopping to the extreme. The 46-year-old Olympian will switch his road bike for a mountain bike and golf clubs at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast, which started today. It will be his first competition in any sport since retiring six years ago. "They really are two extremes of sports," McEwen said. "Mountain biking, with my cycling background, is something I am pretty comfortable with entering into, while golf I really enjoy but I'm just not that good at it I play off a handicap of 20." Photo: Three-time world Superbike champion Troy Bayliss will compete in the Masters Games mountain biking. (ABC Gold Coast: Caitlyn Gribbin) But he will need to be on his game when he switches smooth, fast roads for rougher terrain. In the mountain biking, McEwen will be up against another ace: three-time world Superbike champion Troy Bayliss, regarded as one of the most gifted riders on two wheels. "The racing will be tough but it's not like what I've raced in the past," Bayliss said. "I'm not going to lose sleep over it, I'm not going to stress out about it too much." The pair will join 15,500 athletes from 30 countries competing across 40 sports. There are no qualifying standards, apart from a minimum age for each sport, which is generally 30. Why retired athletes keep competing The Pan Pacific Masters Games are marketed as a "celebration of sport", but Griffith University Sports College director Duncan Free said the games play an important role for retired elite competitors. External Link:Twitter Pan Pacs McEwen "Some athletes compete in their one sport for so long it's actually hard for them to give it up," Mr Free, also a two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist, said. "That urge to compete again is back in no time at all whether it be in the same sport or in a different sport that you have always had a passion for or always wanted to have a crack at but never had time to do it." That sentiment is familiar to McEwen, who is still getting used to the challenges of cycling on tricky, off-road terrain. "Rather than just being able to sit in the slip stream of other riders and cruise along and wait for your moment on the road, on the mountain bike it's super-intense and you can't afford to lose your concentration," he said. "I am retired but I still need to have a hobby and I genuinely enjoy riding my bike. "It is still something you enjoy to pin a number on and enter a competition and have that feeling that there is something on the line here to ride for. "Not that I'm expecting to go out and win everything but to take part and have that buzz of being in the field? I'm looking forward to that." A record number of athletes will compete in the Masters Games, with a big increase in those participating in the distance running and ocean swim events. Topics:sport,cycling,golf,sports-organisations,event,older-people,athletics,miami-4220,griffith-university-4111,france http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-02/tour-de-france-and-superbike-world-beaters-switch-sports/10442628 Updated October 28, 2018 15:19:10
Brush turkeys have become somewhat ubiquitous in many urban areas along Australia's east coast, scratching their way around bushland and parks and invading backyards. Key points:The bird has made a resurgence since being hunted to near-extinction during the Great DepressionOver the years, brush turkeys have found a way to adapt and thrive in suburban environmentsA new study has been launched to discover how the bird has managed to survive so well in urban areas Once rare due to over-hunting during the Great Depression, the large, native birds, also called bush turkeys and scrub turkeys, have made a robust comeback. Griffith University professor of ecology Darryl Jones said it was fascinating to see rainforest birds adapt so well to suburbia. "We are in the vicinity of a huge evolutionary experiment here, where this bird that normally lives in the rainforest has decided it can cope with the suburban environment that we have invented," he said. "They're saying 'We'll give this a shot, we reckon we can survive', and they're doing a very good job of it." Photo: Brush turkeys dig in the ground for food and build large mounds in which they lay their eggs. This one was spotted in the D'Aguilar National Park, Queensland. (Supplied: Joshua Prieto) Brush turkeys range along eastern Australia from Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, south to the Illawarra region of New South Wales. In the past decade there has been an increase in the number of urban turkeys colonising south-east Queensland and parts of NSW, and it has created a human-wildlife conflict situation. While some residents are pleased to see native wildlife close to home, not all are happy about sharing their space with such large, invasive birds that can wreak havoc in a carefully tended garden. "The population of brush turkeys is booming extraordinarily," Mr Jones said. "In NSW, Sydney and the vicinity is experiencing what happened in Brisbane probably 20 years ago, where they've moved out of the forest into people's backyards and parks and things, and are making themselves really well-known. "It's urban ecology right now, this is happening, it's going to be exasperating and exhausting and terrifying, but also extremely interesting. "There's going to be big birds moving into people's yards and initially they will be intrigued and then probably horrified by the damage they can do." Australians encouraged to talk turkey Photo: Researchers hope to determine how brush turkeys have adapted so well to urban environments. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society) To find out more about how brush turkeys are surviving so well in urban areas, and also how they are faring in their natural habitat, a new research project has been launched. An app called Brush Turkeys: birds in suburbia has been developed for Australians to record their observations of brush turkeys, including whether there are chicks present. The data is contributing to a collaborative research project run by Taronga Conservation Society, The Sydney University and The Royal Botanic Gardens. Matt Hall, the PhD student leading the project, said researchers had been tagging turkeys at Taronga Zoo and other areas in Sydney, observing their behaviour and tracking the birds with GPS in an effort to understand their population dynamics, movement patterns and social behaviour. "Brush turkeys have been really spreading in urban and suburban areas over the last 30 years," he said. "But we really don't know anything about how they are surviving and thriving in these areas, and because they are in such close contact with people all the time, it was really timely to start research into them. "While it looks like brush turkeys are becoming more common in suburban areas, it's highly likely the population has actually declined in some of their natural habitat due to habitat destruction or introduced species. "They were commonly found across eastern Australia until the 1930s when they started being hunted for food during the Depression, and they almost disappeared and were heading for extinction. "It was only after native species were protected in the 1970s that the population started coming back." Brush turkey is no mother hen Photo: After hatching, brush turkey chicks burrow out of the mound where the eggs were laid and are left to completely fend for themselves, with no parental care. They are fully feathered and are able to walk immediately. (Supplied: Kylie Randall) There is a behavioural feature about brush turkeys that makes their growth in urban areas even more intriguing. Once they lay their eggs in huge incubator nest mounds made of soil and leaf litter, their parenting duties are done. "They don't have anybody to look after their chicks," Mr Jones said. "Those little baby chicks hatch out of an egg at the bottom of a metre of dirt and sticks, they dig their way to the surface and when they get out there is nobody to look after them or tell them what a predator looks like or anything. "The adults that produce them don't even recognise them as members of their own species. "So when they encounter dad as they emerge from the mound, he treats them exactly as he would a snake or a lizard or a frog, and just sort of tosses them off into the bush, saying 'Well done, see you later, good luck', so it's a pretty rough world out there. "Lots of chicks don't survive in the city beyond their first week because they are cat food basically." Mr Jones said brush turkeys laid about 20 eggs every year, which was one of the keys to their survival. "I think it comes down to sheer weight of numbers. If you are going to abandon your chicks for good, you have to have lots of offspring so at least some survive," he said. "It's really fascinating seeing them survive and do so well in the suburbs." Photo: Once rare due to over-hunting during the Great Depression, brush turkeys have made a dramatic comeback. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society) Topics:birds,animal-science,urban-development-and-planning,research,ecology,community-and-society,port-macquarie-2444,lamington-national-park-4275,byron-bay-2481,nerang-4211,noosa-heads-4567,brisbane-4000,sydney-2000,wollongong-2500 First posted October 27, 2018 08:39:50 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-27/brush-turkeys-are-booming-in-urban-areas-and-we-dont-know-why/10406294 Updated November 03, 2018 15:03:47
Related Story: 'The mother realised we were helping': Baby whale freed from shark nets off Gold Coast Rescue crews have worked to free a humpback whale calf trapped in a shark net off the Gold Coast, highlighting the risks of nets to marine populations, experts say. Seaworld said it took about half an hour to free the animal, which was spotted tangled in the Burleigh Heads net shortly after 5:00am. It is the second whale calf to be trapped off the coast in the past month. Seaworld's director of marine sciences, Trevor Long, who took part in the rescue, said the whale suffered some superficial damage to its head but would recover in the wild. "It had only probably been caught for a couple of hours, so it still had lots of energy and we were able to free it fairly quickly," Mr Long said. Photo: It took 30 minutes to free the calf. (Supplied: Seaworld) Mr Long said the calf's distressed mother was nearby throughout the rescue. "It's quite amazing these whales appreciate that we're actually helping the calf and not further damaging the calf," Mr Long said. "I think if the mother thought we were further injuring the animal she might take actions towards us that wouldn't be pleasant. "They're very, very concerned, that bond is extremely strong, and they will not leave that calf." Photo: Rescuers said the calf's distressed mother was nearby. (Supplied: Seaworld) Outdated nets killing marine life Mr Long said the issue highlighted the need to update beach protection measures to minimise the harm to wildlife. In last month's rescue, the young whale suffered painful grazes after being trapped in a shark net all night. "The practices that we're using today date right back to the 1960s," Mr Long said. "We do believe there are actions that can be taken that will minimise these whales being caught, as well as reducing the number of indiscriminate taking of dolphin and turtles and other fish. "Animal welfare has got to come into play a little bit more than it does now." He said 'smart' drumlines, which could detect when an animal is caught, were preferable to nets. "The Gold Coast has got a lot of high rises, we can use drones, we've got a lot more technologies we can use to identify that there's an animal out there," he said. Topics:animals,human-interest,qld,australia,brisbane-4000,burleigh-heads-4220 First posted November 03, 2018 14:21:44 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-03/baby-whale-freed-from-shark-net-on-gold-coast/10462972 Updated October 30, 2018 08:48:00
A French couple in Tweed Heads due to be deported this week have been granted a two-week extension by the Department of Home Affairs. But Chef Damien Pigot and his partner Sandrine Mendy, who have run the 3 Sea cafe in the northern NSW coastal city since 2013, say the reprieve is of little comfort. Key Points:The French couple have lived in Australia for more than a decadeMr Pigot conceded he did not meet the visa requirements to remain in AustraliaHe reached out to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton for ministerial intervention but was denied Mr Pigot and Ms Mendy have lived in the country for 15 and 12 years, respectively, and were told to leave Australia by October 1 after their application for a RSMS 187 visa was refused, but they now have until October 14. They said the ordeal has been an "emotional rollercoaster" and they did not understand why the two-week extension was granted or what processes might lead to their visa refusal being overturned. External Link:3 Seas Facebook Post "That's how it is I guess, that's called ministerial discretion," said Mr Pigot, adding these decisions appeared to be made "at the stroke of a pen". "They could easily grant us a visa if they want too, I don't know why they don't want to. "I re-sent a letter to the Minister and 10 minutes after I did I got a call from the Border Force, and they said I could be granted another two weeks visa, so I took it. "It's a relief but there's also a question as to why they would give it that easy?" In a petition posted through their cafe's Facebook page, Mr Pigot conceded he did not meet the conditions to fill his visa requirements. He was advised his business was not able to pay the applicant, himself, a full-time wage for a period of two years. "I entirely agree with that fact, and therefore I fully understand the refusal of the visa," he said. Still, the couple consider themselves Australian, saying they even "have a bit of an accent", and the local community have rallied around the couple and described them as part of the area's "culinary fabric". He said the growth of his business slowed because they actively tried to employ locals, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. He also highlighted their charity and community work including their prominent presence at food festivals and providing accommodation for victims of the Murwillumbah floods in 2017. Mr Pigot said he had reached out to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to intervene but was told by the department he did not qualify for a visa. Topics:community-and-society,immigration,government-and-politics,tweed-heads-2485,nsw First posted October 03, 2018 11:31:37 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-03/french-couple-deportation-tweed-heads/10332388 Thousands of young children suffering serious tooth decay, Queensland Health report reveals11/2/2018 Posted October 28, 2018 11:11:55
Tens of thousands of Queensland children have rotten teeth by school age, a new report into public oral health care has found. The data, released by Queensland Health, looked at the 130,000 children aged between five and 14 who accessed publicly funded dental care in 2016/17. It revealed more than half of the children had a history of tooth decay, with almost one in four suffering decay in at least four teeth. Queensland Health director of oral health services Dr Peter Osborne said children were not getting the best start in life and urged parents to get dental checks sooner. "Parents should ensure their children brush their teeth twice a day, every day," he said. "Parents should also book their children in for their first dental check-up before they turn two, and regularly after that. "Other important strategies to prevent decay are to limit the consumption of sugary foods and drinks." Dr Osbourne said more than 4,000 children under the age of nine were being admitted to hospital each year suffering severe tooth decay, but that the rates of hospitalisation had decreased over the past decade. However, dental health is especially poor among Indigenous children, particularly those in northern and south-western Queensland. More than two thirds of Indigenous children aged between 5 to 14 years old experienced decay and 41 per cent of those had four or more teeth affected In the past 10 years, Dr Osbourne said hospital admission rates for Indigenous children had also increased. "We know there is more work to be done to close the gap," Dr Osbourne said. "We are working to improve access to oral health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders." Topics:dental,public-sector,healthcare-facilities,health-policy,indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander,children,brisbane-4000,qld,bundaberg-4670,cairns-4870,longreach-4730,maroochydore-4558,mount-isa-4825,rockhampton-4700,southport-4215,toowoomba-4350,townsville-4810,mackay-4740 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-28/thousands-of-young-queensland-children-serious-tooth-decay/10438754 |
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