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Historic home on sale for first time in 135 years

<p>If you've ever dreamed of stepping into a time machine with pressed-metal ceilings and wrap-around verandahs, your moment has arrived.</p> <p>"Whroonga", a grand old Queenslander perched on 3 Mark Street in New Farm, is up for sale for the first time since 1890, marking the end of one remarkable family’s 135-year chapter.</p> <p>Passed lovingly down through generations, the home is more than a piece of real estate, it’s a living scrapbook of Brisbane’s colonial past and political legacy. It was here that Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen, known to most Australians as “Lady Flo”, spent her formative years. Before she was baking her famous pumpkin scones or sitting in the Senate, she was simply Flo from New Farm, sharing her childhood with sister Margaret in what neighbours once dubbed the suburb’s own “Gilmore Girls” household.</p> <p>Lady Flo was married to Queensland's longest-serving premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, and w<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">hile the world outside transformed apace, "Whroonga" stood still, its high ceilings, timber joinery, and century-old charm untouched by modern trends. Even the majestic red flame tree in the front yard has stood sentinel for generations, shading countless childhood games, family gatherings and quiet moments alike.</span></p> <p>Margaret Gilmour, Florence’s sister and a respected local historian, remained in the house until her passing at the age of 101, ensuring its story stayed whole. Now, for the first time in well over a century, the keys will pass to a new owner who will write the next chapter.</p> <p>In a world of fast flips and fleeting ownership, "Whroonga" is a rare and beautiful reminder of the stories homes can hold when they’re given time to breathe – and generations to grow.</p> <p><a href="https://view.com.au/property/qld/new-farm-4005/3-mark-street-16853999/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take a look at the property here</a>.</p> <p><em>Images: Place New Farm / Qld State Library</em></p>

Real Estate

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Is it OK to boil water more than once, or should you empty the kettle every time?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>The kettle is a household staple practically everywhere – how else would we make our hot drinks?</p> <p>But is it okay to re-boil water that’s already in the kettle from last time? While bringing water to a boil <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FWC-WSH-15.02">disinfects it</a>, you may have heard that boiling water more than once <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/never-boil-water-twice/">will somehow make the water harmful</a> and therefore you should empty the kettle each time.</p> <p>Such claims are often accompanied by the argument that re-boiled water leads to the accumulation of allegedly hazardous substances including metals such as arsenic, or salts such as nitrates and fluoride.</p> <p>This isn’t true. To understand why, let’s look at what is in our tap water and what really happens when we boil it.</p> <h2>What’s in our tap water?</h2> <p>Let’s take the example of tap water supplied by <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydneys-water/safe-drinking-water.html">Sydney Water</a>, Australia’s <a href="https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/nswgovdirectory/sydney-water-corporation">largest water utility</a> which supplies water to Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra region.</p> <p>From the <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydneys-water/safe-drinking-water/water-analysis.html">publicly available data</a> for the January to March 2025 quarter for the Illawarra region, these were the average water quality results:</p> <ul> <li>pH was slightly alkaline</li> <li>total dissolved solids were low enough to avoid causing scaling in pipes or appliances</li> <li>fluoride content was appropriate to improve dental health, and</li> <li>it was <a href="https://guidelines.nhmrc.gov.au/australian-drinking-water-guidelines/part-5/physical-chemical-characteristics/hardness-as-calcium-carbonate">“soft” water</a> with a total hardness value below 40mg of calcium carbonate per litre.</li> </ul> <p>The water contained trace amounts of metals such as iron and lead, low enough magnesium levels that it can’t be tasted, and sodium levels substantially lower than those in popular <a href="https://afcd.foodstandards.gov.au/fooddetails.aspx?PFKID=F008402">soft drinks</a>.</p> <p>These and all other monitored quality parameters were well within the <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-drinking-water-guidelines">Australian Drinking Water Guidelines</a> during that period. If you were to make tea with this water, re-boiling would not cause a health problem. Here’s why.</p> <h2>It’s difficult to concentrate such low levels of chemicals</h2> <p>To concentrate substances in the water, you’d need to evaporate some of the liquid while the chemicals stay behind. Water evaporates at any temperature, but the vast majority of evaporation happens at the boiling point – when water turns into steam.</p> <p>During boiling, some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723062848">volatile organic compounds</a> might escape into the air, but the amount of the inorganic compounds (such as metals and salts) remains unchanged.</p> <p>While the concentration of inorganic compounds might increase as drinking water evaporates when boiled, evidence shows <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33095189">it doesn’t happen</a> to such an extent that it would be hazardous.</p> <p>Let’s say you boil one litre of tap water in a kettle in the morning, and your tap water has a fluoride content of 1mg per litre, which is within the limits of Australian guidelines.</p> <p>You make a cup of tea taking 200ml of the boiled water. You then make another cup of tea in the afternoon by re-boiling the remaining water.</p> <p>On both occasions, if heating was stopped soon after boiling started, the loss of water by evaporation would be small, and the fluoride content in each cup of tea would be similar.</p> <p>But let’s assume that when making the second cup, you let the water keep boiling until 100ml of what’s in the kettle evaporates. Even then, the amount of fluoride you would consume with the second cup (0.23mg) would not be significantly higher than the fluoride you consumed with the first cup of tea (0.20mg).</p> <p>The same applies to any other minerals or organics the supplied water may have contained. Let’s take lead: the water supplied in the Illawarra region as mentioned above, had a lead concentration of less than 0.0001mg per litre. To reach an unsafe lead concentration (0.01mg per litre, according to Australian guidelines) in a cup of water, you’d need to boil down roughly 20 litres of tap water to just that cup of 200ml.</p> <p>Practically that is unlikely to happen – most electric kettles are designed to boil briefly before automatically shutting off. As long as the water you’re using is within the guidelines for drinking water, you can’t really concentrate it to harmful levels within your kettle.</p> <h2>But what about taste?</h2> <p>Whether re-boiled water actually affects the taste of your drinks will depend entirely on the specifics of your local water supply and your personal preferences.</p> <p>The slight change in mineral concentration, or the loss of dissolved oxygen from water during boiling may affect the taste for some people – although there are a lot of other factors that <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-some-tap-water-taste-weird-94661">contribute to the taste of your tap water</a>.</p> <p>The bottom line is that as long as the water in your kettle was originally compliant with guidelines for safe drinking water, it will remain safe and potable even after repeated boiling.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/260293/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/faisal-hai-938602">Faisal Hai</a>, Professor and Head of School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-okay-to-boil-water-more-than-once-or-should-you-empty-the-kettle-every-time-260293">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / </em><em>Bia Sousa</em></p> </div>

Home & Garden

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Star of The Cosby Show dies aged 54

<p>Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who became a household name playing Theo Huxtable on <em>The Cosby Show</em>, has died at age 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica.</p> <p>Warner drowned on Sunday afternoon while swimming at Playa Cocles, a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, according to the country’s Judicial Investigation Department. Authorities said he was caught in a current and pulled out to sea. Though beachgoers managed to bring him to shore, Costa Rica’s Red Cross responders found him unresponsive. He was later taken to the local morgue.</p> <p>Warner’s death marks the tragic end of a career that spanned four decades and helped shape American television in the 1980s and beyond. Cast at age 13 after a wide talent search, Warner’s portrayal of Theo – the only son in the Huxtable household – earned him an Emmy nomination in 1986 and made him a relatable and iconic figure for a generation of viewers.</p> <p>Among the show’s most memorable moments was Theo’s heartfelt debate with his father about responsibility in the pilot episode, and his comic misadventures with a homemade designer shirt gifted by his sister Denise, a scene many fans still recall with fondness.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMYaVaqSR14/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMYaVaqSR14/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Born on August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Warner was named after Malcolm X and jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. He was raised by his mother, Pamela, who became his manager and guided his early interest in the arts. He later attended The Professional Children's School in New York to pursue acting seriously.</p> <p>Though forever linked to his role on <em>The Cosby Show</em>, Warner successfully carved out a diverse career in the decades that followed. He starred in <em>Malcolm &amp; Eddie</em>, the BET sitcom <em>Read Between the Lines</em>, played a popular returning character in <em>Community</em>, and more recently appeared in acclaimed dramas such as <em>American Crime Story</em> and <em>The Resident</em>. He also earned a Grammy Award for best traditional R&amp;B performance and received a spoken word nomination for his poetry album Hiding in Plain View.</p> <p>In a 2015 interview with the Associated Press, Warner expressed both pride in the cultural significance of <em>The Cosby Show</em> and sadness over its legacy being overshadowed by the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby.</p> <p>"My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of colour on television and film," Warner said. "We've always had <em>The Cosby Show</em> to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most – because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairytale."</p> <p>He also shared his deep commitment to his craft and his drive to evolve as an artist: “I grew up with a maniacal obsession with not wanting to be one of those 'where are they now kids.’ I feel very blessed… to be where I am now and finally at a place where I can let go of that worry about having a life after <em>Cosby</em>.”</p> <p>Warner was married and had a daughter, though he kept their identities private. His representatives and those of Bill Cosby declined to comment following news of his death.</p> <p>Malcolm-Jamal Warner leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking work, creative versatility, and a deeply personal connection with millions of viewers who watched him grow up on screen.</p> <p><em>Images: NBC / Supplied</em></p>

Caring

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Princess Anne honoured for the first time on new royal coin

<p>As Princess Anne approaches her 75th birthday on August 15, the UK is marking the milestone in a truly special way, with her first-ever appearance on an official British coin.</p> <p>The Royal Mint has announced a beautifully crafted commemorative coin to celebrate the occasion, paying tribute to The Princess Royal’s lifetime of duty, devotion, and public service. It marks an historic moment in British numismatic history, as it’s the first time Princess Anne has been featured on UK currency.</p> <p>The coin’s design, created by renowned artist Thomas T. Docherty, captures Her Royal Highness wearing the elegant Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara, set against a portrait based on an official photograph by celebrated photographer John Swannell. Around the edge is the inscription: “The Princess Royal – Celebrating 75 Years – Duty and Devotion”, with her official Coat of Arms positioned beside the image.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMSXKEFRKRX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMSXKEFRKRX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Mint (@royalmintuk)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“It was an honour to create this commemorative coin,” Docherty said. “I wanted to reflect Her Royal Highness’s remarkable legacy and strength of character – her unwavering dedication to public service.”</p> <p>Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said the tribute was well deserved. “Her Royal Highness’s lifelong commitment to charity, the monarchy, and the armed forces makes her truly worthy of this celebration” she said. “This graceful design perfectly captures both her dignified presence and extraordinary legacy.”</p> <p>With admirers around the world preparing to celebrate her birthday, this elegant coin offers a lasting tribute to one of the Royal Family’s most hardworking and respected members.</p> <p><em>Images: The Royal Mint</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Bring back The Project!": Viewers divided over new Channel 10 show

<p>Just weeks after Channel 10 confirmed the shock axing of <em>The Project</em>, its replacement show <em>10 News+</em> made its prime-time debut – and reactions have been anything but quiet.</p> <p>The new current affairs program, hosted by seasoned journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, launched Monday night with bold promises and a serious tone, setting itself apart from its long-running predecessor.</p> <p>“Firstly, we’re not here to tell you what to think. We’re not here to scare or depress you,” Hitchcock told viewers in the show’s opening minutes. “We will give you facts, information you can trust, the truth,” Brace added, outlining the show’s mission for “digging deeper with investigations and original reporting you won’t see anywhere else”.</p> <p>Despite landing a world-exclusive with convicted drug smuggler Debbie Voulgaris – speaking from a prison cell in Taiwan – and featuring an interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the show failed to win over many of <em>The Project</em>’s former fans.</p> <p>“Seriously Channel 10!” one viewer wrote on social media. “There’s enough depressing news already out there and now you’ve brought it to us at 6pm! Bring back The Project.”</p> <p>Another slammed the show as “A Current Affair, yawn!” while one frustrated viewer branded it “a SNOOZE FEST of a show with NO SOUL”, accusing the network of underestimating its audience.</p> <p>“Cut and paste of Channel 9’s A Current Affair. Not interested. Already changed channel,” another viewer declared.</p> <p>The comparisons to <em>A Current Affair</em> – and the shift in tone from <em>The Project</em>’s lighter, panel-style format – were a recurring theme in the online backlash.</p> <p>“Genuine feedback and not at all a criticism of the hosts,” one person commented, “but this show is so vastly different from The Project and more like A Current Affair. It’s not unique... Was it just a cost-cutting measure all along?”</p> <p>Others went even further, suggesting the show might not last the year. “Give it a month,” one viewer said. Another quipped, “Are the hosts AI-generated?”</p> <p>Still, <em>10 News+</em> wasn’t without its defenders. Some viewers praised the show’s content and approach.</p> <p>“Loving @10NewsPlus – strong launch story. Is this the new Schapelle Corby story we all need to know about?” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). “10 News should be very proud.”</p> <p>“I liked 10 News+. It was very interesting and I liked the interview with the astronaut,” another added.</p> <p>For now, Channel 10 is betting on its revamped format to reinvigorate its 6pm slot. Whether audiences warm to the serious tone – or keep demanding the return of <em>The Project</em> – remains to be seen.</p> <p><em>Images: Network 10</em></p>

TV

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Karl's Origin bet sees NRL star run nude across Bondi Beach

<p>Nothing kicks off the weekend quite like your morning coffee, a cheeky croissant, and a surprise unblurred penis on national television. That’s exactly what <em>Today</em> show fans copped around 6am this morning when Channel 9’s breakfast crew decided, apparently, that broadcast standards were merely a suggestion.</p> <p>Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo were front and centre for the chaos, as sports reporter Danika Mason crossed live from Bondi Beach. Mason was joined by retired NRL star Aaron Woods – who, thanks to a State of Origin bet gone sideways, had only his dignity to keep him warm (spoiler: it didn’t).</p> <p>Woods had promised to streak if NSW lost Game 2. Queensland, being Queensland, delivered the goods in Perth on Wednesday night, so Woods kept his word, stripped down, and bolted starkers into the surf. The <em>Today </em>team howled with laughter as he made his break for the briny deep – so far, so PG.</p> <p>But then Woods did what no one expected. In what can only be described as a truly bold move, he turned to face the camera. Editors had roughly zero seconds to react. Viewers had roughly zero seconds to look away. And the <em>Today</em> show had roughly zero seconds before the complaints line started ringing off the hook.</p> <p>“No! Don’t show it!” shrieked Abo, as newsreader Jayne Azzopardi presumably contemplated her next career move. Meanwhile, Woods grinned like a man who knew exactly what he'd done.</p> <p>Danika Mason, ever the professional, summed up the moment with the sort of innuendo that will no doubt earn her a spot at next year’s Logies: “The smallest sporting event I’ve seen.”</p> <p>The man of the hour eventually reappeared on screen – mercifully clothed – declaring, “I’m feeling good, it was good fun. It was a long run, it was like ‘when is this water going to get closer?’” A sentiment shared by viewers who were wondering when their corneas might recover.</p> <p>It turns out Woods' bare-all sprint wasn’t just eyebrow-raising, but technically illegal. NSW Premier Chris Minns had warned him beforehand, but Woods seemed blissfully unaware that public nudity is frowned upon – even at Bondi. “But at the beach!” he protested, in what’s sure to become the rallying cry of accidental exhibitionists everywhere.</p> <p>Minns, showing off his dry wit, suggested Woods try his luck at one of Sydney’s many legal nude beaches next time. “It’s been illegal forever,” he deadpanned on radio. Woods could now be staring down a fine, though fans are hoping common sense (and perhaps a sense of humour) prevails.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Woods’ mate Beau Ryan said the footy star was “genuinely shocked” by the revelation. “You can’t be nude in public,” Ryan told him. Woods: “But at the beach!” Ryan: “Still public, mate.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLGNU0tToP9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLGNU0tToP9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>To add another layer to the inter-state banter, Minns himself has a State of Origin bet with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – the loser must star in the other state’s advertising campaign. So at least if Woods ends up in court, he can rest easy knowing that somewhere out there, a Premier might soon be forced to smile awkwardly in a “beautiful one day, perfect the next” ad.</p> <p>In the meantime, <em>Today</em> producers are probably googling “delay button for live TV” and breakfast viewers are recovering from seeing a little more than they bargained for with their Weet-Bix.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show</em></p>

TV

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Today show reporter shares happy news

<p>Congratulations are pouring in for Today reporter Izabella Staskowski, who has announced she is expecting her first child with fiancé Drew Jones.</p> <p>The couple shared the heartwarming news on Instagram, posting a glowing photo of themselves standing on a Queensland beach at sunrise. In the picture, Jones lovingly cradles Staskowski’s baby bump while the two beam with excitement.</p> <p>“We can’t wait to meet you,” the caption read – a simple but joyful message that has already sparked an outpouring of love and excitement from friends, family and fans alike.</p> <p>"Congratulations! How beautiful," wrote Channel Nine Traffic Reporter Marina Ivanovic, while Channel 7 reporter Tyra Stowers added, "I can't wait either. So gorg, love you both."</p> <p>Channel Nine’s Zac Bailey also joined in with the well wishes, commenting: "Congrats guys! So stoked for you both."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKq5EmRzx2F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKq5EmRzx2F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Iza Staskowski (@izastaskowski)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>This latest chapter in the couple’s love story comes just six months after their dreamy engagement. In December last year, Jones popped the question by the water at sunset, accompanied by their beloved dogs, Dennis and Raymond.</p> <p>"06.12.24 🤍," they captioned a carousel of pictures capturing the romantic moment. One photo shows Staskowski hugging her now-fiancé with a sparkling oval-cut solitaire diamond ring on her finger. Another shows Jones on one knee as the couple gazes into each other’s eyes.</p> <p>Their love story has been unfolding publicly and joyfully. Just months before their engagement, the couple celebrated another major milestone – buying their first home together. “We bought Dennis & Raymond a home,” they joked in an Instagram post from July, featuring happy snaps of the pair holding up their new keys. Sitting on the floor of their new living room with pizza boxes and champagne, the couple looked ready to take on the next stage of life.</p> <p>Now, with a baby on the way, that next stage has truly arrived – and it seems the growing family couldn’t be happier.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Is it OK to leave device chargers plugged in all the time?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>How many chargers do you own? We’re surrounded by rechargeable electronic devices – mobile phones, laptops, smart watches, headphones, e-bikes and more.</p> <p>You might have a phone charger plugged in next to your bed without ever bothering to switch it off at the wall or unplugging it when not in use. The same might go for a laptop charger by your desk.</p> <p>But is that risky to do? And are there hidden costs associated with leaving chargers plugged in all the time?</p> <h2>What’s inside a charger?</h2> <p>Naturally, not all chargers are the same. Depending on the application and power requirement, their internal structure can range from very simple to complex.</p> <p>However, a typical charger takes in the AC (alternating current) from the wall plug and converts it to a low-voltage DC (direct current) suitable for your device’s battery.</p> <p>To understand the difference between DC and AC, consider the flow of electrons in a wire. In a DC circuit, electrons move in one direction and keep rotating in the circuit. In an AC circuit, electrons doesn’t circulate and only move back and forth.</p> <p>The reason for why we use both types of current goes a long way back, to the time when inventors Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla battled over which type <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-the-war-of-the-currents">would become the default standard</a>. Today, we are <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/war-currents-ac-vs-dc-power">still stuck between both</a>. Electricity is traditionally generated in AC form, but modern appliances and batteries require the DC form. This is why almost every electrical appliance comes with an AC–DC converter.</p> <p>To do the conversion from AC to DC, a typical charger needs several electrical components such as a transformer, a circuit for doing the actual conversion, filtering elements to enhance the quality of output DC voltage, and control circuitry for regulation and protection.</p> <h2>Chargers consume power even when not charging</h2> <p>“Vampire power” is real. If you leave it plugged in, a charger will continuously draw a small amount of power. Part of this power is used to keep the control and protection circuits running while the rest is lost as heat.</p> <p>When we look at an individual small charger, the vampire power – also known as standby power – is negligible. However, if you add up all the chargers in your home for various devices, over time the wasted energy can be significant. Standby power is not exclusive to chargers, either; other electronic devices such as TVs draw a little bit of standby power, too.</p> <p>Depending on how many things you leave plugged in, over the course of the year it could amount to several kilowatt hours.</p> <p>That said, modern chargers are designed to minimise standby power consumption. These chargers come with smart power management components that keep them in sleep mode until an external device attempts to draw power.</p> <h2>There are other risks, too</h2> <p>Chargers wear out over time when electricity flows through them, particularly when the electricity grid voltage temporarily rises above its rated value. The electricity grid is a chaotic environment and various voltage rise events happen from time to time.</p> <p>Leaving your chargers exposed to these events will shorten their life. This premature ageing shouldn’t be alarming for modern devices, thanks to their improved design and control. But it is particularly concerning for cheap, uncertified chargers. These often lack appropriate levels of protection and can be a fire hazard.</p> <h2>How should I treat my chargers?</h2> <p>Although modern chargers are generally very safe and should be drawing minimal standby power, consider unplugging them anyway – if convenient.</p> <p>If a charger gets warmer than usual, makes noise, or is damaged in any way, it is time for a replacement. And it definitely shouldn’t be left plugged in.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/255016/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glen-farivar-2373201">Glen Farivar</a>, Lecturer in Power Electronics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-ok-to-leave-device-chargers-plugged-in-all-the-time-an-expert-explains-255016">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: </em><a class="source" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; text-align: center;" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-black-power-strip-YrdSQ_1gYRE"><em>Kit/Unsplash</em></a></p> </div>

Technology

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"First time I've really cried": Star shares sad family news

<p>Christina Applegate is mourning the loss of her father, Robert "Bob" Applegate, who passed away last week. The 53-year-old actress shared the heartbreaking news during an emotional episode of her podcast MeSsy, which she co-hosts with fellow actress Jamie Lynn Sigler.</p> <p>Applegate broke down in tears as she revealed her father had died just a week earlier, marking the first time she publicly grieved his passing.</p> <p>"You're probably wondering why I'm crying right now, I'm sorry," Applegate said through tears. "My dad just passed away a week ago. This is the first time I've really cried."</p> <p>Struggling to hold back emotion, the <em>Dead to Me</em> star admitted that she had been suppressing her grief. "I think kind of, like, I wasn't allowing myself to have that yet. [I was] too busy with this, too busy with that."</p> <p>Applegate hinted that her father's death followed an illness, though she did not share specific details. “We knew he was going to die," she said. "Is that an excuse for not feeling? Because you know that someone's gonna go, and you've said your goodbyes?”</p> <p>The episode of MeSsy centreed on a conversation about grief with guest JoAnna García Swisher. Sigler, aware of how raw the topic might be, warned that the discussion could be "triggering" for Applegate. At the time, Applegate believed she would be able to handle it – but as the recording unfolded, her sadness surfaced.</p> <p>“I thought I was going to be OK, and I’m not,” she said. “I’m insanely sad.”</p> <p>Christina Applegate, the only child of Bob Applegate and actress Nancy Priddy, has largely kept her family life out of the spotlight. However, she and her father did share a public moment together in 2013 on TLC’s <em>Who Do You Think You Are</em>, exploring their family’s roots.</p> <p>Bob Applegate’s passing comes during an already difficult chapter in Christina’s life. In 2021, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She has spoken candidly about her battle with the illness, revealing on a recent episode of Dax Shepard's <em>Armchair Expert</em> that she has “30 lesions” on her brain.</p> <p>“My biggest one is behind my right eye, so my right eye hurts a lot,” she shared.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Australia has the highest gambling losses in the world. Is it time for mandatory limits?

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Gambling prevalence studies provide a snapshot of gambling behaviour, problems and harm in our communities. They are typically conducted about every five years.</p> <p>In some Australian states and territories, four or five have been conducted over the past 20 or so years. These have provided a snapshot into how gambling has changed – and how it has not.</p> <p>So, how has gambling in Australia changed in the past two decades or so, and where may we be heading?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia has the highest gambling losses in the world.<br />Australia should: <br />🚫 Ban gambling ads<br />🎰 Introduce loss limits on pokies and online gambling<br />📉 Progressively cut the number of pokies in each state</p> <p>Our new report shows how governments should prevent gambling harm.… <a href="https://t.co/7U3IgzOLSp">pic.twitter.com/7U3IgzOLSp</a></p> <p>— Grattan Institute (@GrattanInst) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrattanInst/status/1831297414080176469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <h2>The intensification of gambling</h2> <p>In 1997-98, the Productivity Commission found <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/gambling/report/summary.pdf">about 82% of Australians</a> had gambled in the previous 12 months.</p> <p>Almost all further prevalence studies show the proportion of adults gambling has declined substantially over time.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">2024 NSW prevalence survey</a>, for example, found 54% reported gambling in the previous 12 months, down from 69% in 2006.</p> <p>While fewer people are gambling, the proportion of people experiencing problems has not changed much, <a href="https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/statistics/theme/society/gambling/australian-gambling-statistics">nor has gambling turnover</a>.</p> <p>In some states, gambling turnover has increased, even when you take inflation into account.</p> <p>So while a smaller proportion of people are gambling, those who do gamble are doing so more frequently, and spend more money – a phenomenon we have described as the “intensification” of the industry.</p> <p>As figures from the Grattan Institute show, the vast majority of gambling spend comes from a very small proportion of people who gamble.</p> <p><iframe id="Z6EYJ" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z6EYJ/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <h2>What’s the problem?</h2> <p>Typically, the focus in gambling studies has been on “problem gamblers”, a term we now avoid because it can be stigmatising.</p> <p>This refers to those experiencing severe problems due to their gambling, which is typically <a href="https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/safer-communities/gambling/victorian-population-gambling-and-health-study-2023">about 1% of the adult population</a>, and around 2% of people who gamble.</p> <p>This doesn’t sound like much, until you remember 1% of adults in Australia is more than 200,000 people. That’s a lot of people struggling with severe problems.</p> <p>Based on recent prevalence surveys in Australia, these gamblers spend <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">about 60 times as much</a> as people who do not experience problems.</p> <p>However, that’s just the most severe cases.</p> <h2>How gambling harms people</h2> <p>When most people think of gambling harm, they think about financial harm. But gambling can cause problems with relationships, work and study, emotional and psychological harm, and <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2747-0">even cause health issues</a>.</p> <p>Some degree of gambling harm is experienced by <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">around 10-15%</a> of people who gamble.</p> <p>Some groups are overrepresented: young men typically experience very high levels of harm compared to others. Other overrepresented groups are:</p> <ul> <li>those who have not completed tertiary education</li> <li>people who speak a language other than English</li> <li>people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.</li> </ul> <p>Harm isn’t just experienced by people who gamble, though – it impacts the people around them.</p> <p>While young men are more likely to experience harm from their own gambling, <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">women, particularly young women</a>, are most likely to experience harm from someone else’s gambling.</p> <p>When we take all of these sources of harm into account, we get a much better picture of gambling harm in our community: <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">around 15-20% of all adults</a> (not all gamblers) experience harm.</p> <p>That’s very different to the figure of 1% we’ve focused on in the past.</p> <p>We’re still missing some accounting, though: we don’t know how much harm is experienced by people under 18, for example, because prevalence studies typically only include adults.</p> <h2>Where does the harm come from?</h2> <p>The most problematic form in Australia is pokies, responsible for <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260219/#:%7E:text=EGMs%20are%20responsible%20for%2051,problems%20due%20to%20low%20participation.">about 51-57% of problems</a>.</p> <p>Casinos are responsible for <a href="https://ftp.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/safer-communities/gambling/victorian-population-gambling-and-health-study-2023">another 10-14%</a>, although fewer people have been gambling in casino games in recent years.</p> <p>Sports betting and race betting together account for about another 19-20% of harm.</p> <p>Between them, pokies, casino games and sports and race betting account for about 90% of harm to Australian gamblers.</p> <p><iframe id="w2wEY" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/w2wEY/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <h2>Availability is an issue</h2> <p>This widespread availability of pokies is the biggest single driver behind gambling harm in Australia.</p> <p><iframe id="hIgeD" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/hIgeD/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>In other countries, pokies are limited to venues that are specifically used for gambling, like casinos or betting shops.</p> <p>We have pokies in a huge number of our pubs and clubs, except in Western Australia.</p> <p>A couple of years ago, we used national prevalence data to compare gambling problems in WA <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/12/3/article-p721.xml">to the rest of the country</a>.</p> <p>A higher percentage of adults in WA gamble, but mostly on the lotteries which are typically <a href="https://theconversation.com/pokies-lotto-sports-betting-which-forms-of-problem-gambling-affect-australians-the-most-240665">not associated with much harm</a>.</p> <p>Gambling on pokies is far less prevalent in WA because they’re only available in one casino. Gambling problems and harm are about one-third lower in WA, and our analysis shows this can be attributed to the limited access to pokies.</p> <p>This also tells us something important. If pokies are not available, people will typically not substitute them with other harmful forms. It points to the role of the availability of dangerous gambling products in gambling harm, rather than personal characteristics.</p> <p>Online gambling has also become a lot more available. Most of us now have a mobile phone almost surgically implanted onto our hand, making online gambling more accessible than ever. Not surprisingly, <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/publications/second-national-study-interactive-gambling-australia-2019-20">online gambling continues to increase</a>.</p> <h2>An obvious solution to try</h2> <p>Governments have taken increasingly proactive measures to help address gambling harm, such as the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/gambling/resource/national-consumer-protection-framework-online-wagering-national-policy-statement">National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Gambling</a>, strategies for minimising harm such as NSW’s investment into <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/gambleaware-week-0">gambling harm minimisation</a>, Victoria’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/26/victoria-pokies-changes-limits-new-laws">proposed reforms on pokies</a> including mandatory precommitment limits, Queensland’s <a href="https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/gambling-harm-min/resource/84d444db-97e0-4be0-8e87-0c6f0cb412d6">Gambling Harm Minimisation Plan</a> and the ACT’s <a href="https://www.gamblingandracing.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1436580/Strategy-for-gambling-harm-prevention.pdf">Strategy for Gambling Harm Prevention</a>.</p> <p>Voluntary limits have been trialled to help people keep their gambling under control, but have had <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-03/nsw-government-cashless-gaming-trial-findings-released/104679384">virtually no uptake</a>.</p> <p>For example, the recent <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/1340136/evaluation-of-the-nsw-digital-gaming-wallet-trial-2024.pdf">NSW Digital Gaming Wallet trial</a> was conducted in 14 venues. Only 32 people were active users, and 14 of these were deemed genuine users. <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/saces/ua/media/652/evaluation-of-yourplay-final-report_0.pdf">Another study</a> found only 0.01% of all money put through machines in Victoria used the voluntary YourPlay scheme.</p> <p>The problem with voluntary limits is, no one volunteers.</p> <p>Mandatory limits though are almost certainly necessary, just like we have mandatory limits for how fast you can drive, or how much you can drink before the bartender puts you in a taxi.</p> <p>There will almost certainly be push back against this, just like the introduction of mandatory seatbelts in the 1970s, or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-04/road-safety-history-australia-toll-increase/102903364">the introduction of random breath testing</a>.</p> <p>Now, we accept them as important public health measures.</p> <p>History tells us the same will happen with mandatory gambling limits, even if we’re a bit uncomfortable about it at first.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/252389/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-russell-133860">Alex Russell</a>, Principal Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-browne-97705">Matthew Browne</a>, Senior Lecturer in Statistics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-rockloff-569">Matthew Rockloff</a>, Head, Experimental Gambling Research Lab, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/gambling-in-australia-how-bad-is-the-problem-who-gets-harmed-most-and-where-may-we-be-heading-252389">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Catch of the day: bride hauls in shark at her wedding!

<p>Most brides on their big day are content with a nice bouquet, a slice of cake and a husband who hasn’t locked his knees and fainted at the altar. But Miccala Toms of Darwin had slightly more ambitious ideas – and they involved beer, fishing and a decent-sized aquatic predator.</p> <p>After saying “I do” to her now-husband Brodie, the couple did what any sensible Territorians would do in the sweltering heat: they swung by the Dundee Tavern for a couple of cold ones and some casual wedding photos. You know – veil, vows and VB.</p> <p>But while some brides might be focused on getting the perfect shot with golden sunlight and maybe a well-behaved Labradoodle, Miccala spotted a local teen fishing off the rocks and thought, “Now <em>that’s </em>a vibe.”</p> <p>“It was a hot day,” Miccala explained on the <em>Today </em>show. “So we thought we’d have a few drinks and take some photos at the front.” The vibe was clearly: bridal glam meets bush telly.</p> <p>The helpful teen handed over his fishing rod – probably assuming she’d hook a little barra or, at worst, a mildly confused crab. But Darwin had other plans.</p> <p>Cue dramatic <em>Jaws</em> music.</p> <p>What Miccala thought would be a cute “bride-with-fish” moment turned into a full-on marine wrestling match when something large, scaly and very toothy yanked on the line.</p> <p>“It was a shark and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, it’s a shark!’” she recalled, possibly while her wedding photographer simultaneously reconsidered their life choices.</p> <p>In true Northern Territory fashion, this bride did not flinch. In fact, she dug in her heels (or possibly bare feet, unclear), while Brodie jumped in to help haul in the unexpected guest star of their wedding album.</p> <p>And because true love is built on mutual support, Brodie did what any man witnessing his wife dragging a shark in her wedding dress would do: picked the beast up by the tail so they could pose together, glowing with wedded bliss and mild concern for their fingers.</p> <p>The shark, possibly the only one more confused than the couple, was photographed before being safely released back into the water, no doubt with a wild story to tell its shark mates. </p> <p>As for Brodie? He knows he’s punched above his weight. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be here without her, that’s for damn sure,” he said. “She’s given me three lovely children and made me the happiest I’ve ever been, so can’t let it go now.”</p> <p>And why would he? When you marry a woman who’ll fish in full bridal gear and take a spill while catching a shark with a beer buzz and a grin... well, you know you’ve found The One.</p> <p>Moral of the story? In Darwin, love is real, the beer is cold and the brides are tougher than the wildlife.</p> <p><em>Images: The Today show</em></p>

Relationships

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"Dumb and Dumber": Karl levels brutal accusation

<p>Treasurer Jim Chalmers has dismissed accusations that Australia’s major political parties are recklessly splurging on big-ticket promises to win votes, defending Labor’s fiscal strategy during a heated exchange with <em>Today </em>host Karl Stefanovic.</p> <p>Stefanovic didn’t hold back on Monday morning, opening the interview with a blunt comparison, saying watching the major parties was like "watching <em>Dumb and Dumber</em>, you guys recklessly buying our votes".</p> <p>Chalmers swiftly pushed back, insisting there is "a really important difference" between responsible budgeting and empty spending.</p> <p>“What we've shown as a Labor government is we’ve been able to maintain a focus on the cost of living,” Chalmers said.</p> <p>“At the same time, we’ve got the budget in much better nick, and that’s meant that we could make room for the sorts of commitments that we have been making in a really responsible way."</p> <p>Chalmers pointed to the government’s fiscal achievements, highlighting a significantly stronger budget position. “The budget’s more than $200 billion stronger than when we came to office. We’ve got the Liberal debt down,” he said. “We’ve delivered those two surpluses, and that’s meant we’ve been able to help with the cost of living. Ongoing tax relief, helping with medicines and energy, bill rebates and the like.”</p> <p>The debate comes as both Labor and the Coalition unveil costly housing policies, which economists warn could further inflate housing prices by injecting more money into an already overheated market.</p> <p>Chalmers criticised the Coalition’s approach, claiming it lacks lasting impact. “What Peter Dutton did yesterday was to borrow and burn another $10 billion and still provide no ongoing cost of living help for people who are doing it tough," he argued.</p> <p>“And then he’ll claw that back with permanently higher income taxes, lower wages and secret cuts to pay for his nuclear reactors.”</p> <p>As the election campaign heats up, both sides are under increasing scrutiny over their spending pledges and their real impact on Australians facing mounting cost-of-living pressures.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show</em></p>

TV

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Aussie TV star wins $9.2m on game show – the largest in history

<p>In an electrifying moment that will surely go down in television history, Australian reality TV star David Genat has claimed a jaw-dropping AUD$9.2 million prize on US television, securing the largest single cash payout ever seen on American TV.</p> <p>The 44-year-old, widely recognised by Aussie audiences from <em>Survivor Australia</em>, <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em>, <em>Rush</em> and <em>Getaway</em>, delivered a masterclass in risk-taking and intuition in NBC’s <em>Deal or No Deal Island</em>.</p> <p>Genat, dubbed the “Survivor golden god” after his 2020 <em>Survivor Australia: All Stars</em> victory, knew he had the upper hand early in the final showdown. But the real twist came when the show’s notorious banker was revealed as none other than Chrissy Teigen.</p> <p>Faced with 26 cases – one containing the life-changing sum of AUD$12.2 million – Genat navigated a nail-biting elimination round, fuelled by his father’s memory and a razor-sharp strategy. Rejecting a staggering seven offers, including multiple million-dollar deals, he played with nerves of steel until just two cases remained.</p> <p>Then came the final offer: a mind-blowing $US5.8 million ($AUD9.2 million). With tension at an all-time high, Genat made the call – he took the deal.</p> <p>It was a decision that paid off in monumental fashion. When his chosen case was opened, it contained just $75. Had he gambled one step further, he would have walked away with next to nothing. Instead, he etched his name into television history with the record-breaking win.</p> <p>“It was surreal,” Genat later shared with <em>USA Today</em>. <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">“The offer came in at US$5.8 million and I started thinking about it, and that is just so much money. I was having a spiritual experience, man. I just knew where that money was. I knew which cases to open. I was looking for signs from my father, who passed away a couple of years ago. I felt his presence there, and he was just guiding me on what cases to open.”</span></p> <p>That deep connection gave him the clarity to seize the moment and walk away with a life-altering fortune. “My frequency is on another level,” he added. “I fully feel like I’m floating.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">With his newfound millions, Genat already has a few indulgences in mind, including a new motorcycle, a luxury watch and some sleek new cars for his four kids.</span></p> <p>But the adventure might not stop here. Rumours are swirling that Genat could be gearing up for another reality TV showdown on the upcoming <em>Survivor: Australia vs. the World</em>, set to air later this year.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"It's time": ABC legend announces retirement

<p>ABC’s chief election analyst Antony Green has announced his plans to step down from the public broadcaster after 30 years in his distinguished role. </p> <p>Green announced that he would be retiring after the next federal election, which is rumoured to take place between March and May 2025. </p> <p>“By the time of the next election, I’ll be 68 and I know I’m not as sharp and quick as I was five years ago,” Green said, according to the <em>ABC</em>.</p> <p>“It gets harder and harder. It’s like a footballer, sometimes they play on a season too long, and I’m making sure I don’t do that.”</p> <p>Green, who has covered more than 90 Australian elections, said it was “time to retire” but he would “stay on” for a couple years “handing over work and doing other things”.</p> <p>“Essentially I’m deciding to retire and work less,” Green said.</p> <p>“I got this job as an election worker 36 years ago and I decided I enjoyed doing it – I’ve done a lot of development since. It’s been a long, fun journey.”</p> <p>Green’s final on-air appearances will be the West Australian state election on March 8th and the federal election, which is yet to be announced.</p> <p>Casey Briggs will step in  as ABC’s chief election and data analyst after Green's departure, as she announced he would be missed. </p> <p>“For more than three decades Antony Green has set the bar for election analysis. He is sharp, fast and, even under the immense pressure of the night, manages to keep his sense of humour,” Briggs said.</p> <p>“For me, it has been such a privilege to have had a front-row seat to watch and learn from the master at work."</p> <p>“We will all miss him from our screens, but I’m thankful that at least we get a couple more chances to celebrate his monumental contribution to Australia and its democracy.”</p> <p>ABC journalist Annabel Crabb said covering four federal elections with him had been “one of the great pleasures of (her) professional life”.</p> <p>“What a gift it is to our democracy and to our national broadcaster that in 1989 this wee maths nerd saw the ad in the paper for a research position at the ABC and the late Ian Carroll recognised in him the sprouts of the Tree Of Wisdom he’d become!” Crabb wrote in a social media post.</p> <p>“A legendary figure. A migrant success story. A generous colleague.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Today reporter shares joyous news after heartwarming home birth

<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Popular <em>Today</em> Entertainment Reporter </span>Renée Bargh has shared an exciting life update: she's welcomed her second child!</p> <p>Bargh and her partner Andrew Lange announced the news in a heartwarming Instagram post recently that they have lovingly welcomed a little girl named Soléil James.</p> <p>"Our beautiful sunshine girl joined us earthside a week early in the most magical birth," <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Bargh told her 106,000 followers</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">. "Born peacefully at home in the water, surrounded by love."</span></p> <p>The journalist shared several black-and-white photos, including one of her holding her newborn daughter after giving birth. She also posted an adorable picture of her nearly two-year-old son, Tide, with his sister.</p> <p>Bargh also expressed her deep gratitude to her midwife and doula: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">"Forever grateful for our incredible midwife @janineatibirth for creating the most peaceful and safe environment for this to take place and giving us the healing experience we dreamed of," she wrote. "Thank you to our doula @thehealingshed for your tender love, calming presence and support." </span></p> <p>The post was flooded with congratulatory messages from friends and fans. Model Megan Gale commented, "She is precious ♥️ Congratulations beautiful Mama xx."</p> <p>Journalist Lisa Wilkinson added, "These are the magical moments. Congrats Renée, and enjoy every second xx."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_HWckzF_Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_HWckzF_Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Renée- Claire Bargh (@reneebargh)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bargh and Lange welcomed their first child, son Tide, in March 2023.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Journalists rumoured to replace Alex Cullen on Today

<p>Two female Channel Nine journalists are rumoured to be the front runners for Alex Cullen's sports presenter role on the <em>Today </em>show, after he was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/we-ll-miss-him-terribly-alex-cullen-steps-down-from-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">axed for accepting a $50,000 gift</a> from billionaire Adrian Portelli. </p> <p>Insiders have told the <em>Daily Mail </em>that Roz Kelly and Danika Mason are the top contenders for the role, alongside Sarah Abo and Karl Stefanovic. </p> <p>They also claim that Kelly is "the obvious first choice" with her current role as the sports presenter on Friday and Saturday evenings, but she might not be too keen on taking the role. </p> <p>"She's polished and the viewers already know her and love her. But she's got two young sons and her husband has to travel to India a lot for work," the source told the <em>Daily Mail. </em></p> <p>"Right now, her life is really finely balanced and in a good place so she might not be too keen to take on all the pressures and demands of live television five days a week." </p> <p>"Danika is also equally amazing and is the other really strong contender that everyone is talking about at the moment," the source continued. </p> <p>Another source suggested that Mason was actually the top pick for the position, as she already has a loyal NRL fan base. </p> <p>"Danika would have to be the top pick - she's an absolute live wire, which is what you need at breakfast, and is a hard-worker who throws herself into every challenge with everything she's got," they said. </p> <p>"While nothing has been decided as yet, she's definitely in strong consideration." </p> <p><em>Image: Nine/ Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

TV

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Returning home after a flood? Prioritise your health and take it one step at a time

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kazi-mizanur-rahman-1057615">Kazi Mizanur Rahman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p>Parts of North Queensland have received almost <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgpvrgezp3o">two metres</a> of rain since the weekend, causing flash and riverine flooding that claimed the lives of <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/second-death-confirmed-in-flood-hit-north-queensland-as-threat-eases-20250204-p5l9l1.html">two women</a> around Ingham.</p> <p>While some North Queensland residents are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-05/north-queensland-flooding-townsville-rainfall-flood-recovery/104894530">on alert</a> for more flooding, others are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-05/north-queensland-flooding-townsville-rainfall-flood-recovery/104894530">returning home</a> to assess the damage.</p> <p>This can be very confronting. You may have left in a rush when the evacuation order <a href="https://www.fire.qld.gov.au/aws">was issued</a>, taking only a few valuables and <a href="https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/emergencykit">necessary items</a>, and maybe your <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1423501/full">pet</a>. You may have been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37791723/">scared</a> and unsure of what would happen.</p> <p>Coming back and seeing the damage to the place you lived in and loved can be painful. You might also be worried about the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35681967/">financial consequences</a>.</p> <h2>First, focus on safety</h2> <p>Make sure it’s <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/After-a-flood-returning-home-safely">safe to return home</a>. Check with your energy provider whether power has been restored in your area and, if so, whether it’s <a href="https://www.ewoq.com.au/news-and-publications/news/support-for-customers-affected-by-floods">safe to turn the main switch back on</a>. Do not use appliances that got wet, as electrical hazards can be <a href="https://floodlist.com/dealing-with-floods/electricity-safety">deadly</a>.</p> <p>Look for any <a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/what-to-do-if-you-are-affected-by-floods-in-queensland/">structural damages to your property</a> and any hazards such as <a href="https://www.asbestos.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/asbestos-cleaning-removing-asbestos-containing-materials.pdf">asbestos exposure</a>. Watch out for sharp objects, broken glass, or slippery areas.</p> <p>The hardest part is cleaning up. You will need to be patient, and prioritise your health and safety.</p> <h2>What risks are involved with flood clean ups?</h2> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-go-wading-in-flood-water-if-you-can-help-it-its-a-health-risk-for-humans-and-dogs-too-178027#:%7E:text=Health%20risks%20from%20flood%20water,thrive%20in%20mud%20and%20water">Floodwater</a> carries <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/newsroom/doh-media-releases/health-risks-lurking-in-far-north-queensland-floodwaters#:%7E:text=Queensland%20Chief%20Health%20Officer%20Dr,risk%20of%20disease%20and%20infection.">mud</a> and <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/ma/Fulltext/MA23051">bugs</a>. It can also be contaminated with sewage.</p> <p>Contaminated flood water can cause <a href="https://theconversation.com/drinking-water-can-be-a-dangerous-cocktail-for-people-in-flood-areas-178028">gastroenteritis</a>, skin infections, conjunctivitis, or ear, nose and throat infections.</p> <p>Mud can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010486">make you sick</a> by transmitting germs through broken skin, causing nasty diseases such as the bacterial infection <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/melioidosis-a-deadly-infection-that-can-spread-aft">melioidosis</a>.</p> <p>Your house may also have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-04/qld-pest-controllers-report-spike-in-rats-snakes-after-floods/100958648">rodents</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-04/qld-pest-controllers-report-spike-in-rats-snakes-after-floods/100958648">snakes</a>, or <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-floods-stand-by-for-spiders-slugs-and-millipedes-but-think-twice-before-reaching-for-the-bug-spray-157600">insects</a> that can bite. Rats can also carry diseases that contaminate water and enter your body through <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9151845/#:%7E:text=It%20is%20presumed%20that%20infection,urine%20from%20animal%20reservoir%20hosts.">broken skin</a>.</p> <p>Be <a href="https://asthma.org.au/triggers/flooding-and-mould/">careful about mould</a>, as it can affect the air quality in your home and make asthma and allergies worse.</p> <p>Stagnant water in and around your home can become a place where <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/8/1393">mosquitoes breed and spread disease</a>.</p> <h2>How can you reduce these risks?</h2> <p>When you first enter your flood-damaged home, open windows to let fresh air in. If you have breathing problems, wear a face mask to protect yourself from any possible air pollution resulting from the damage, and any mould due to your home being closed up.</p> <p>Cleaning your home is a long, frustrating and exhausting process. In this hot and humid weather, drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks. Identify any covered part of your home with sufficient ventilation which is high and dry, and where flood water did not enter. Use that as your resting space.</p> <p>While assessing and cleaning, wear <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/emergency_preparedness/weather/Pages/household-cleanup.aspx">protective clothing</a>, boots and gloves. Covering your skin will reduce the chance of bites and infection.</p> <p>Wash your hands with soap and water <a href="https://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/coping-after-a-crisis/cleaning-up-wind-water/">as often as possible</a>. And don’t forget to <a href="https://www.torres-cape.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/news/take-care-of-health-and-safety-during-flood-and-rain-20241213">apply</a> sunscreen and mosquito repellent.</p> <p>Throw away items that were soaked in floodwater. These could have germs that can make you ill.</p> <p>Empty your fridge and freezer because the food inside is <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/when-the-power-goes-off/#:%7E:text=Food%20stored%20in%20freezers&amp;text=If%20the%20freezer%20door%20is,food%20chilled%20for%2024%20hours.">no longer safe</a>.</p> <p>If there is standing water, avoid touching it.</p> <p>When you can, empty outdoor containers with stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes breeding.</p> <h2>Don’t overlook your mental health</h2> <p>When cleaning up after a flood, you may feel sad, anxious, or stressed. It’s hard to see your home in this condition.</p> <p>But know you are not alone. Stay connected with others, talk to your friends and families, and accept support. If you feel too overwhelmed, seek help from mental health support services in your area or contact <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14.</p> <p>On top of everything, be mindful about those who are vulnerable, such as older people and those with disabilities, as they may be <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e056210.abstract">more affected and find the clean up process harder</a>.</p> <p>Recovering from a flood takes time. Focus on what needs to be fixed first and take it step by step.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kazi-mizanur-rahman-1057615"><em>Kazi Mizanur Rahman</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of Healthcare Innovations, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/returning-home-after-a-flood-prioritise-your-health-and-take-it-one-step-at-a-time-248902">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Domestic Travel

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Despite decades of beach safety ads, at least 55 people have drowned in Australia this summer. It’s time to change tack

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-cornell-1418374">Samuel Cornell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australia is considered a nation of beach lovers. But with all this water surrounding us, drownings remain tragically common. At least <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/summer-drowning-toll">55 people have drowned</a> in waterways in Australia so far this summer, most of whom drowned at the beach. And the season’s not over.</p> <p>Every drowning is a tragedy, and Australia is nowhere near the federal-government supported <a href="https://www.watersafety.com.au/australian-water-safety-strategy/">goal of zero drownings</a>.</p> <p>Public health agencies are <a href="https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/australia-in-the-grip-of-a-disturbing-rise-in-summer-drownings/news-story/bf2b1595f36bb4b458b371b9fab4f7ed">concerned</a> about the drowning numbers. So how do we fix it? An important factor to consider is how beach safety messages are communicated.</p> <h2>Another season, another campaign</h2> <p>The peak water safety bodies in Australia, <a href="https://sls.com.au/">Surf Life Saving Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/">Royal Life Saving Society – Australia</a>, work to reduce drownings in all Australian aquatic locations, from swimming pools to rivers to beaches.</p> <p>Their public safety campaigns aim to raise awareness of drowning and risks around the water. Australians are undoubtedly safer because of the work and advocacy of these organisations – but drowning numbers remain stubbornly high.</p> <p>Surf Life Saving Australia is running a new campaign this summer – <a href="https://sls.com.au/surf-life-saving-calls-in-hollywood-actor-angus-sampson-to-help-reach-men-at-high-risk-of-drowning/">Stop, Look, Stay Alive</a> – featuring Australian-born actor and filmmaker Angus Sampson.</p> <p>This campaign is one of many in recent years urging Australians to stay safe near the water. Others include:</p> <ul> <li>the “swim between the flags” message</li> <li>the “<a href="https://sls.com.au/surf-life-saving-australia-launches-new-summer-safety-campaign-give-an-f-about-the-flags/">give an F about the flags</a>” campaign</li> <li>the <a href="https://sls.com.au/slsa-draws-the-line-on-rips/">“think line”</a> campaign, which urges people to “stop, look and have a plan”</li> <li>the <a href="https://www.floattosurvive.au/">“float to survive”</a> campaign, which urges people to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f7cf9fd8c3f251339c3dfa8/t/65ea851cbcbf287ede28cdc3/1709868332878/Float+to+Survive+Report.pdf">float if they’re in trouble in the water or stuck in a rip</a></li> <li>the <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/respect-the-river">“respect the river”</a> campaign.</li> </ul> <p>But the tragic number of drownings, particularly during summer, suggests not everyone is heeding the message. In fact, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278434322000760#:%7E:text=However%2C%20there%20is%20no%20evidence,and%20hazards%20to%20the%20public.">Australian researchers in 2022 found</a> no evidence to suggest beach drowning deaths in Australia have reduced over the long term. This, the researchers said:</p> <blockquote> <p>rais[es] questions regarding the effectiveness of existing strategies designed to communicate messages and information about beach safety and hazards to the public.</p> </blockquote> <h2>Changing how we communicate</h2> <p><a href="https://sls.com.au/surf-life-saving-calls-in-hollywood-actor-angus-sampson-to-help-reach-men-at-high-risk-of-drowning/">According to Surf Life Saving Australia</a> the current Angus Sampson campaign aims to be:</p> <blockquote> <p>appealing to more Aussies, in particular men who continue to swim at unpatrolled locations and take unnecessary risks.</p> </blockquote> <p>As the <a href="https://sls.com.au/surf-life-saving-calls-in-hollywood-actor-angus-sampson-to-help-reach-men-at-high-risk-of-drowning/">organisation notes</a>, 86% of all drowning deaths on Australia’s coast last year were men.</p> <p>The campaign involves ads on television and online, as well as outdoor advertising. The decision to use a mix of platforms is wise.</p> <p>But the use of a TV and movie celebrity may not be effective. A <a href="https://archive.acrs.org.au/files/arsrpe/RS030057.pdf?utm">review looking at road safety campaigns</a>, for example, found limited evidence of celebrity effectiveness in improving safety outcomes.</p> <p>Could it be more effective to, for example, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/38/2/daad034/7143327">use a TikTok star</a> who is hugely popular among young males?</p> <p>Research suggests using the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/28355245.2024.2350155">right platform</a> and “<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7501494">voices that matter</a>” offer benefits when delivering safety messages. This is in part due to the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2023.2237693">emotional connection</a> people form with these social media stars, which can result in behaviour change.</p> <p>When asked for evidence to show the current public messaging campaigns are working, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) told The Conversation:</p> <blockquote> <p>SLSA is committed to preventing drowning through holistic, evidence-based approaches, combining awareness programs like Stop Look Stay Alive with lifesaving services, in-person programs, and education. This summer alone, lifesavers have performed over <a href="https://sls.com.au/coastal-safety/sls-research/national-summer-coastal-drowning-data/">2,500 rescues and 700,000 preventative actions</a>.</p> <p>Despite population growth, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020023000961">coastal drowning has remained stable</a>. This summer, 32 coastal drownings have been reported, fewer than the <a href="https://sls.com.au/coastal-safety/sls-research/national-summer-coastal-drowning-data/">same period last year</a>. SLSA focuses on behaviour change through initiatives like beachpassport.org.au (with 21,000+ “passports” issued already!), and on-beach programs that have provided active community learning <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420924007040">opportunities</a>.</p> <p>It’s too early to comment on the broader effectiveness of Stop Look Stay Alive, however preliminary campaign results show positive impact and an evaluation will be conducted by <a href="https://www.beachsafetyresearch.com/">UNSW Beach Safety Research Group</a> later this year.</p> </blockquote> <h2>Rethinking ‘swim between the flags’</h2> <p>Many current beach messaging approaches, <a href="https://sls.com.au/1281-reasons-swim-flags/">including “swim between the flags”</a>, compel people to fit into what the system wants.</p> <p>But many beaches <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-beachgoers-are-told-to-always-swim-between-the-flags-but-what-if-there-arent-any-220043">don’t have flags</a>. And not everyone stops or looks for flags, signs, or even the conditions before they go into the water.</p> <p>And studies show while most domestic beachgoers know to swim between the flags, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278434322000760#:%7E:text=However%2C%20there%20is%20no%20evidence,and%20hazards%20to%20the%20public">many choose not to</a> because, for example, people are located closer to beaches without flags or lifeguard patrols.</p> <p>What’s more, research suggests overseas visitors to Australia do not always understand <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753522003058">what “swim between the flags” means</a> or terms often used on common beach safety <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753523003089">signage</a> such as “shore dump” and “shore break”. One 2021 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753523003089">study</a> found 21% of international students perceived “always swim between the flags” to mean that beachgoers who don’t or can’t swim need to stay outside the flags.</p> <p>This shows that current strategies aren’t resonating with all beach users, and there’s a need to reassess beach safety messaging.</p> <h2>Changing tack</h2> <p>Other forms of public safety messaging should also be considered when trying to reduce drowning numbers in Australia.</p> <p>For example, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hpja.785">people who have been caught in rip</a> might be encouraged to tell their stories publicly. Research into other areas of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10732748241237328">public health communication</a>, such as vaccines, suggest this can form the basis of an effective campaign.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278434322000760#:%7E:text=However%2C%20there%20is%20no%20evidence,and%20hazards%20to%20the%20public.">Research also suggests</a> teaching beachgoers about coastal science can improve beach safety behaviour. For example, people can be taught about how rip currents work, using images of dye released into the water.</p> <p>Crucially, consensus is needed on which <a href="https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(06)00231-3/abstract">key messages to prioritise</a>. Too much differing messaging <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8807320/?utm_source">may lead to message fatigue or confusion</a> about which message is most important to follow.</p> <p>Messaging on beach safety to date has surely prevented drowning. But the stubborn drowning toll highlights the need to evaluate what is not working. Clear and consistent messaging, using modern platforms and engaging influencers may help us to get to zero drownings sooner.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/245747/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-cornell-1418374">Samuel Cornell</a>, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-decades-of-beach-safety-ads-at-least-55-people-have-drowned-in-australia-this-summer-its-time-to-change-tack-245747">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Domestic Travel

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Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dorina-pojani-413644">Dorina Pojani</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/05/share-with-parents-or-rent-forever-i-have-put-life-on-hold-while-trying-to-buy-a-house">sounding the alarm</a> about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”.</p> <p>This describes a situation in which individuals or families are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-10/young-people-priced-out-of-home-ownership/104202602">unable to transition</a> from renting to home ownership, due to rising property values and wages that can’t keep up.</p> <p>Forever-renting is often framed as a terrible condition that should be avoided at all costs – that renting is only acceptable in the short term, as an individual or family saves for a down-payment.</p> <p>The underlying implication is that the ultimate goal in life for just about every Australian should be to own a house – or at least a condominium unit.</p> <p>This only serves to stigmatise renters, who currently make up <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/2019-20">nearly a third</a> of Australian households. Demographic research indicates <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24639395">about 15% of Australia’s population</a> changes address every year. Many of these moves require rental accommodation.</p> <p>And, yes, millions of Australians will <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/news/rising-proportion-forever-renters-requires-tax-and-policy-re-think">rent for their whole life</a>.</p> <p>Clearly, we need to change our thinking around renting to bring it into step with reality. We must accept that the proportion of renters may never go down – or may even increase – and that that’s not necessarily a bad thing.</p> <h2>Where did this attitude come from?</h2> <p>The Australian tradition of home ownership was established in the early decades of European settlement. To make what we now call the “Australian dream” happen, the continent had to be treated as a <em>tabula rasa</em>, or blank slate. A mass of Indigenous people were <a href="https://theconversation.com/refugees-in-their-own-land-how-indigenous-people-are-still-homeless-in-modern-australia-55183">dispossessed</a>.</p> <p>Migration to Australia offered impoverished Britons an opportunity to own a house and plenty of land. In the old country, in contrast, real estate ownership had been a privilege of the gentry. Postwar waves of immigrants from southern Europe and East Asia were also intent on home ownership.</p> <p>In a low-density nation with smallish cities and cheap land, owning a home made sense. Now, urban land is no longer cheap and our <a href="https://www.apimagazine.com.au/news/article/scale-of-urban-sprawl-in-australia-hurting-more-than-just-the-environment">cities have sprawled</a> beyond what’s sustainable.</p> <h2>Renting can have advantages</h2> <p>The first step towards rethinking renting as a norm is acknowledging it can have some significant and often overlooked advantages. For some, renting is a <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09604521011027598/full/html">lifestyle preference</a>.</p> <p>Ownership comes with burdens such as house and garden maintenance. This makes renting much more convenient and carefree for some demographics, including young people and older adults.</p> <p>Another key advantage of renting is the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Homeownership_and_the_Labour_Market_in_E/GwoUDAAAQBAJ">employment flexibility</a> it can provide. Renters can look for work outside their commute range and are less tied to particular employers.</p> <p>There’s some evidence that high levels of home ownership could even damage the overall labour market.</p> <p>Previous <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w19079">research</a> by the US National Bureau of Economic Research has shown that increasing home ownership leads to less labour mobility, longer commutes, and fewer new businesses because homeowners are less likely to move.</p> <h2>Safe as houses?</h2> <p>One common argument against renting is that investing in your own home is a “safe bet”. But we perhaps need to rethink this unquestioned reliance on housing as a store of wealth. Those who enter the housing market for investment purposes should be aware of several issues.</p> <p>Over the long term, housing prices have historically shown a <a href="https://www.dpn.com.au/articles/house-price-growth-australia-over-30-years">general upward trajectory</a>, driven by population growth and limited land supply in desirable areas.</p> <p>In the short term, however, housing prices can be <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo20832545.html">quite volatile</a>. They may move up, down, or stay the same. This depends on broader economic cycles, market conditions and interest rates.</p> <p>Think of the housing bubble in the United States, which led to a global recession in 2008, or the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-07/china-property-crash-a-warning-for-australian-housing-market/104788660">current downturn in China</a>.</p> <p>The cycles in property prices are often worsened by <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1914185">psychological biases</a> that can lead to overoptimism during booms or panic during busts. Investors may win or lose.</p> <h2>Compounded by climate change</h2> <p>In the contemporary era, we also need to factor in climate change. Areas that are currently desirable may become unappealing before too long – due to <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/how-hot-will-your-neighbourhood-be-by-2050/">heatwaves</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-of-the-most-extreme-disasters-in-colonial-australian-history-climate-scientists-on-the-floods-and-our-future-risk-178153">floods</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/la-is-on-fire-how-will-australia-cope-when-bushfires-hit-sydney-melbourne-or-another-major-city-246967">fires</a>.</p> <p>Natural disasters, or even just growing disaster risks, can prompt large drops in property prices and massive population movements.</p> <p>To illustrate: during the pandemic, South East Queensland began to draw many domestic migrants as other states struggled to contain the virus.</p> <p>People from cooler southern states were also attracted by the region’s mild winter climate. In 2024, Brisbane became Australia’s <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/uneven-price-growth-reshuffles-rankings-of-australias-most-expensive-cities/">second-most expensive</a> city for property values.</p> <p>That might appear to bode well for property buyers who’ve invested millions of dollars. But one <a href="https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/joc.5998">2019 study</a> has predicted that temperature rises could make Brisbane “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-22/temperature-increases-from-climate-change-brisbane-unliveable/11227404">unbearably hot</a>” by 2050.</p> <p>In this context, renters may be more adaptable than owners.</p> <h2>A more renter-friendly Australia</h2> <p>None of this is to argue that everyone should be a renter, or that renters should be left to the whims of the market.</p> <p>In Australia, current rent increases are <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/latest-release">outpacing</a> both wage growth and inflation (CPI). The rental affordability crisis has driven a <a href="https://homelessnessaustralia.org.au/rough-sleeping-surges-as-homelessness-crisis-worsens-new-report/">recent surge</a> in homelessness.</p> <p>There is a wide range of policy tools available to us, many of which have been shown to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-16/build-to-rent-fix-housing-crisis-australia-us-uk-hong-kong/104458458">work relatively well in other countries</a> and could be adopted here.</p> <p>These include:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://thefifthestate.com.au/housing-2/the-case-for-rent-control-and-historical-norms-in-rent-increases/">rent caps</a>, which tie allowable rent increases to the CPI (Australia already <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/round5-5.pdf">regulates the price of utilities</a> in this way)</p> </li> <li> <p>nationwide no-ground eviction bans (already in place in <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/money/property/renting/articles/no-grounds-evictions-update">some states</a>)</p> </li> <li> <p>normalisation of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-28/how-to-find-a-long-term-rental-home/100217074">long-term leases</a> beyond 12 months and restrictions on <a href="https://cities-today.com/barcelona-set-to-ban-short-term-rentals/">short-term rentals such as Airbnb</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>More vulnerable renters, including people with disabilities, single parents, victims of domestic abuse, those on low incomes, and older retirees, need extra protections.</p> <p>The supply of rental units should also be increased, through <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/what-build-rent">build-to-rent</a> and <a href="https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/news-and-events/granny-flats-provide-housing-choice-in-tight-rental-market">granny flat</a> construction, for example.</p> <p>Landlords should not be vilified either. In an unregulated market, they are often cast as “<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/robber-barons-great-landlord-myth-exposed/">robber barons</a>” and “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/16/landlords-social-parasites-last-people-should-be-honouring-buy-to-let">social parasites</a>”.</p> <p>If tenants were protected from excessive rent increases and evictions, landlordism could also be recast as an essential service that yields <em>reasonable</em> profits to providers.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/245848/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dorina-pojani-413644">Dorina Pojani</a>, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-ownership-is-slipping-out-of-reach-its-time-to-rethink-our-fear-of-forever-renting-245848">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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