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Refinancing your home later in life – what you need to know

There are many reasons why you may look to refinance your home. The obvious one is to lower mortgage repayments with a better rate. However, other reasons people refinance later in life include: <ul> <li>unlocking equity to invest</li> <li>paying down other debts</li> <li>buying a holiday home</li> <li>funding extended travel</li> <li>launching a new business</li> <li>supporting children with a property deposit</li> </ul> Regardless of why you want to refinance, the points below will help you navigate your options. Changing lenders It may have been a while since you last revisited your mortgage, meaning you may not be aware of current lending options and traps. A common trick lenders use is the so-called “headline rate” to grab your attention. However, this interest rate is typically not what you end up paying. It may only be an introductory rate for the first few months, or hefty fees attached may wipe out any savings. Banks aren’t the only ones offering loans nowadays. Registered non-bank lenders, fintechs and online lenders can refinance your mortgage and provide other credit services the same as any bank; they just don’t take cash deposits. Alternatively, you could explore credit unions and mutual societies. Also consider any shareholder benefits you may have. Most banks have done away with them now but may still honour pre-existing ones. If you change lenders, you could lose this entitlement – permanently. Reverse mortgages Generally, only available to people aged 60-plus, a reverse mortgage effectively allows you to unlock equity in your home without you needing to make immediate repayments. However, they often have strict conditions including: <ul> <li>minimum borrowing amounts</li> <li>maximum borrowing ratios</li> <li>higher interest rates than standard mortgages</li> </ul> Crucially, the interest accrues over time and is repaid when you sell, move or pass away. As such, your debt liability grows over time – potentially impacting your future living arrangements and how much is left for beneficiaries in your will. The Govt has the “loan equity scheme” as another option to lenders. I just want to highlight the need to be careful with reverse mortgages. Changing homes Rather than selling, downsizing could involve making an investment property your primary residence and then renting out your existing home. This approach may require you to refinance both loans simultaneously. There will also be tax considerations to work through – including Capital Gains Tax liabilities when you do sell, negative gearing, depreciation, and changes to your income tax. Then there are the lifestyle factors to weigh up, especially if you are moving to a different area: <ul> <li>living expenses</li> <li>insurance and travel costs</li> <li>access to healthcare</li> <li>rental income</li> <li>property management expenses</li> </ul> Remember that if you have a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF), it CANNOT own any property that you directly use yourself, including your home. Becoming Bank of Mum and Dad Refinancing can unlock equity to support adult children with their first property deposit. However, it isn’t without its risks. Ask yourself honestly: <ul> <li>Will this be a gift or loan?</li> <li>If a loan, under what terms? Will interest be applied? How and when will repayments be made? What if they default?</li> <li>What happens if their relationship breaks down, will you get your money back?</li> <li>How does going without that money affect your retirement?</li> <li>Do you have alternative assets to support you if your circumstances change?</li> <li>How does this affect inheritances or deposit contributions to your other children?</li> <li>Can you assist them another way without using your home equity?</li> </ul> Draw up a written agreement outlining all conditions and scenarios to avoid disagreements in the future. Pension impacts Don’t overlook how refinancing your home could impact your pension. While your home is exempt from the means test, any income or assets you generate from unlocking equity is not. You could inadvertently see your pension amount reduced or your eligibility voided altogether. This would come as a nasty shock if you haven’t pre-budgeted for such a change! Getting advice To ensure you get the best bang for your buck when refinancing, be sure to enlist the help of a good: <ul> <li>mortgage broker to source the best loans for your circumstances</li> <li>insurance broker to ensure your cover is right sized for your needs, risk and budget</li> <li>accountant to work through any tax implications</li> <li>estate planner to manage any changes</li> <li>financial adviser to keep your investments and financial strategy working for you</li> </ul> Ultimately, decisions – including about refinancing – are only as good the information you have at hand. So, make sure you have all the relevant facts before signing on the dotted line. Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a style="color: #467886;" title="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754.

Money & Banking

Population panic: how demography is used for political gain

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> Population is far from the seemingly innocuous and bland topic of “people”. We’re not just talking people. We’re talking the very foundation of society, culture, and economy … and it’s deeply fraught. It’s also an effective political point scorer. Population scrutiny waxes and wanes in Australian populist and political discourse, much like many nations across the globe. <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-dramatic-shift-in-canadian-public-opinion-about-immigration-levels-219193">Canada</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-defends-immigration-policy-during-state-of-the-union-blaming-republicans-in-congress-for-refusing-to-act-225158">the United States</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-far-right-political-group-is-gaining-popularity-in-germany-but-so-too-are-protests-against-it-223151">Germany</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-demand-but-disempowered-why-low-skilled-migrant-workers-face-even-worse-exploitation-under-nzs-new-rules-227993">New Zealand</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-taking-back-control-of-its-borders-risks-rolling-back-human-rights-protections-230044">the United Kingdom</a> are all grappling with population issues. But when we talk population, it’s pretty safe to read immigration. It’s immigration that has most of the world talking, because growth for many is dominated by international movements, not local growth. Population growth due to immigration has fed growing fears from some quarters about a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/religion/five-years-terror-christchurch-mosque-danger-muslim-women/103593682">replacement of the majority dominance</a> – in other words, that white people will no longer be the majority in Australia. Contemporary population debate has been largely ill-informed, lacking nuance and is often detrimental. Rooted in a long history of the way we talk about population, contemporary debate is best understood in context, and with facts. <h2>Population dynamics and change</h2> Population is most simply a <a href="https://population.gov.au/population-topics/topic-population-measurement">bunch of individuals</a> living in a specific place. Sounds boring, I know, but the reality is something much greater. When we start talking about what underpins population – composition, characteristics and change – it becomes clear why population is so political. Populations are comprised of varying characteristics – think age, sex, and geography. Characteristics like the age structure of a population have a direct impact on the workforce and economic wellbeing of a nation. A younger population means more expenditure invested in the young to ensure a strong workforce in the future. This is known as the <a href="https://www.prb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/prb-demographic-dividend-evidence-1.pdf">demographic dividend</a>. An older population age structure, on the other hand, sees more spending on the upper end of the life course – senior people – and pressures on the workforce meeting the economic needs of the nation. This is <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/851dece969d9182cca2570ec000a2501!OpenDocument">structural ageing</a>. Australia’s population, like most of the world, is structurally ageing. We’re living longer and <a href="https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-birth-rate-falls-in-2022#:%7E:text=Australia's%20birth%20rate%20has%20been,level">not replacing ourselves</a> through births. Living longer is a mark of technological success and ingenuity, and the same could be said about below-replacement births. But our success has some downsides. <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/DBP0rqgSCm5/?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/DBP0rqgSCm5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Australian Bureau of Statistics (@absstats)</a> </div> </blockquote> The trouble with below-level births and an ageing population is that the local age structure is not sufficient to meet the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/intergenerational-report">needs of the workforce</a>. Simply, the local Australian population cannot meet the economic needs of the nation, and this has the potential to see living standards go backwards. Immigration helps offset the adverse consequences of an ageing population. Population change occurs due to births, deaths and migration. Commonly known as the population balancing equation, population growth is expressed as: births minus deaths plus migration. Immigration makes up the majority of population growth in Australia and has done so consistently since <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/profile-of-australias-population">around 2005</a>, with the exception of international border closures during COVID. Natural increase – the balance of births minus deaths – also contributes to population growth in Australia. However, increasing deaths and declining births means the country is expected to see <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-charts-on-how-australias-population-is-growing-and-changing-227153">natural decline by 2054</a>. <h2>Population problem</h2> In Australia, there has been a preoccupation with the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/profile-of-australias-population">drivers of population change</a> since colonisation. Is the nation’s population <a href="https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/postwar-immigration-drive">growing too slowly</a>? <a href="https://www.themandarin.com.au/237985-australia-population-27-million-milestone/">Too fast</a>? Why are women having <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-in-rich-countries-are-having-fewer-kids-or-none-at-all-whats-going-on-229185#:%7E:text=Simply%2C%20women%20are%20often%20not,and%20buying%20a%20first%20home.">too few children</a>? Are the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/abbott-calls-for-middle-class-women-to-have-more-children-20200128-p53vkx.html">wrong kind of women</a> having too many children? Will migrants <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/migrant-movement-in-australia-covid/100536114">want to come</a> to the country? Are there <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/21/migration-numbers-australia-2023-rise">too many migrants</a> coming to Australia? Australia is rarely not in a state of <a href="https://theconversation.com/solving-the-population-problem-through-policy-110970">population panic</a>. Population panic once stemmed from being a small population in a big country vulnerable to external military attack. Now population panic is about the pace of growth being too great, due to immigration. And it doesn’t take much to stoke <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/oct/18/global-population-growth-8-billion-unfdp-united-nations-warning-alarmism">population fear</a>. Population is charged and offers an easy trigger point to leverage voters. Politicians on all sides of the ideological landscape know this and use population discourse effectively for political gain. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h5CubF42DGI?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Since the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41110698">early 1900s</a>, Australia’s history has been dotted with inquiries into growth and birth rates. In fact, at the time of colonisation, the male-dominated imbalance in the colony sparked calls for more women from Britain – <a href="https://unsw.press/books/the-future-of-us/">of suitable status</a> – to help arrest high rates of hooliganism, drunkenness, and sexually transmitted infections. Women of standing were believed to help socialise the nation and provide essential children for nation building. Nothing much has changed really, with the Treasurer Jim Chalmers saying in the lead up to the 2024 federal budget: “<a href="https://youtu.be/JLzp53D6thg?si=p8YheMdF0-ndO9DB">It would be better if birth rates were higher</a>”. <h2>So why aren’t women having babies?</h2> Australian federal treasurers have expressed concerns about birth rates over many years, across different governments. Chalmers wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last bemoaning below-replacement births. In 2004, then-treasurer Peter Costello <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/peter-costello-1996/transcripts/doorstop-interview-treasury-place-melbourne-16">famously said</a>: “have one for mum, one for dad and one for the country”. <a href="https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/07/25/baby-bonus-frydenberg-costello">Josh Frydenberg, while treasurer, stated</a>: <blockquote> I won’t go as far as to say, like Peter Costello, “one for the mother, one for the father and one for the country”. But [what] I can say is that people should feel encouraged about the future and the more children that we have across the country, together with our migration, we will build our population growth and that will be good for the economy.“ </blockquote> In the 1940s, Australia held an inquiry into falling birth rates, and following the second world war Australians were called on to populate or perish. During the 1940s inquiry, <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1786445">women were invited to make submissions</a> reflecting how difficult motherhood was and how unsupported they were: "You men in easy chairs say ‘populate or perish’. Well, I have populated and I have perished – with no blankets.” Many Australians now won’t achieve their desired family size because contemporary life is simply not conducive to having children. Having no or fewer children is now a forced outcome for a growing number of Australians. The barriers to having a child are now insurmountable for far too many. Housing affordability, gender inequality, financial insecurity and climate change make for an unstable and uncertain future. Young Australians are carrying the burden of the nation’s future and the burden is simply too much. They have seen the generational bargain crumble and are being denied a future because of the failings of politics past. <h2>Permanent versus net overseas migration</h2> Among the many nuances missing from the population debate is the difference in the terminology used to refer to immigration. From a planning point of view, permanent migration is discussed; from a population perspective, net overseas migration applies. The difference between the two is stark and used in a smoke and mirrors way to hide reality or harm an opponent. Government has much control over permanent migration, little control over net overseas migration. Permanent migration refers to the cap of permanent visas granted. The permanent migration program is reviewed annually by the <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels">Department of Home Affairs</a> with input from select experts, peak bodies, and government. Permanent migration <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Budget/reviews/2023-24/Immigration">has fluctuated over the past ten years</a>, reflecting political point scoring. Under Tony Abbott’s government in 2014-15, permanent migration was just under 190,000. The permanent migration remained in the 180,000s until declining to over 160,000 in 2017-18 under Scott Morrison. Morrison also reduced permanent migration further to around 144,000 in 2021-22. In its final year, the Morrison government flagged increasing the planning level for <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-06/p2021-182464.pdf">permanent migration to 190,000</a>. Planning levels under the Anthony Albanese government were 195,000 and 190,000 in 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively. The permanent migration program ceiling is set to decline by 5,000 places to 185,000 in 2024-25 under Albanese. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also announced his party would reduce permanent numbers to 140,000, seemingly linking <a href="https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2024/05/16/leader-oppositions-budget-address-reply">housing affordability to permanent migration</a>. Dutton has also said his party would cut net overseas migration (NOM) but has since <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-08/dutton-walks-back-promise-to-cut-net-migration/10469921">backtracked on his plan</a>, possibly because he realised it couldn’t be done. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Explaining the 2024 Migration Surge A recent surge in net migration has become a hot topic, with politicians & media linking it to housing pressures. But what is Net Migration? And do we really have unusually high volumes of migration? <a href="https://t.co/TjzwbtGqsF">https://t.co/TjzwbtGqsF</a> <a href="https://t.co/aFHXIeC4ay">pic.twitter.com/aFHXIeC4ay</a> — Alan Gamlen (@alangamlen) <a href="https://twitter.com/alangamlen/status/1795721881699664286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2024</a></blockquote> Net overseas migration feeds into population estimates and is the balance of incoming minus outgoing migration. <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZPBEWLyQJhkvB8_SaqYBSgRdV_rx4Kjy86bbkugYRsOO2cukAoD2wd5dM_aem_AcfxCup1XXR8DP4ZaRfFTFaXggVYw8b8TyNLWsw-3fIenPm_wsx7xM0zfsZHmQ2OjYi0H-YUQdLxUjQUcT47Feij#:%7E:text=Net%20overseas%20migration%20%E2%80%93%20relationship%20with,New%20Zealanders%20and%20Humanitarian%20migrants">NOM is comprised</a> of temporary and permanent migration and includes refugees, students, working holiday makers, and even Australian and New Zealand citizens. A cut to the permanent migration program is unlikely to affect net overseas migration numbers. NOM is set to return to <a href="https://budget.gov.au/content/bp3/download/bp3_14_appendix_a.pdf">recent historical average</a> even without reduced permanent numbers. Most people granted permanency are <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1aJLdjyJotVfICnc2Ge8vcrJ6DMCaPC4XfDOST9owl1qS4YfBYCKYPkBw_aem_AcegFZW0_vafT8J90jDFyG8aVhMd2f0Ab_9EqE1Y38Q5vuVT5NExZi5Um2BrkpHg0odl0odbI0pDfnUE7A34PRhi">already in the country</a>. What will occur with a reduced migration program is increased temporariness. Increased temporariness has the potential to erode social cohesion, harming migrants and Australian society overall. Just like births, populist tactics are used when talking immigration for quick political point scoring. It works, but is it good for people? <h2>Turning on ourselves</h2> Demography is often used against the population in a peculiar ploy to win political points. Take gender. Fewer birth means less expenditure on paid parental leave and superannuation for those receiving parental leave. Announcing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-14/federal-budget-pledges-superannuation-into-paid-parental-leave/103846312">increased</a> paid parental leave benefits and superannuation while knowing births are set to be fewer is political genius. Chalmers announced exactly this in the 2024 budget. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> BREAKING: Parliament has just passed our bill to expand Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks. On top of that, we've announced a plan to pay super on PPL from 1 July 2025 - all part of our efforts to ensure women earn more, keep more of what they earn & retire with more as well <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://t.co/p3p4ib6sed">pic.twitter.com/p3p4ib6sed</a> — Jim Chalmers MP (@JEChalmers) <a href="https://twitter.com/JEChalmers/status/1769541268739080507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> The government says it’s doing more for women and mothers, but what it’s actually doing is a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-20/paid-parental-leave-payments-saving-millions-fertility-rate/103866506">whole lot of nothing</a>. There is no substantive examination of why women are saying no to motherhood. Demographic insights have enabled an effective political sleight of hand to give the illusion of doing something when actually not doing much at all. Blaming population growth for the housing crisis is another stroke of political mastery. Talking tough on population (immigration) while promoting and relying on immigration is a tale as old as Australia’s ageing population. When in opposition the talk is tough; when in government, actions speak louder than words. Governments and oppositions, no matter the political leaning, make promises and then realise immigration is the economic safety raft keep the economy afloat. <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/speeches/budget-speech-2024-25">Chalmers talked tough</a> on immigration in his 2024 budget speech, pointing the finger of blame towards immigration for all manner of things, <blockquote> […] we’re addressing the pressures caused by population growth, with net overseas migration next year now expected to be half what it was last year. </blockquote> But the government can’t take the credit for lowering NOM – nothing they did lowered the artificially high rates of NOM Australia saw post COVID border reopening. Yes, the Albanese government has introduced changes to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-tightens-student-visa-rules-migration-hits-record-high-2024-03-21/">build integrity</a> into the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-raises-minimum-savings-student-visa-warns-fake-recruitment-2024-05-08/">migration system</a>, but NOM figures were set to decline anyway. It comes down to the way it is calculated. Border closures in Australia saw NOM fall to <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/2022-23-financial-year">-88,000 in 2020-21</a>. That’s negative nearly 90,000 people. <hr /> <iframe id="datawrapper-chart-9amUU" style="border: none;" title="Overseas migration in Australia from 2014 to 2024" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9amUU/1/" width="100%" height="426" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Interactive line chart" data-external="1"></iframe> <hr /> This was the first such decline outside wartime in Australia’s recorded history. A big deal. Temporary migrants, including students, left Australia prematurely at the onset and peak of COVID-related measures. Morrison, prime minister at the time, told international students and temporary visa holders to “go home”, while saying those with critical skills <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-03/coronavirus-pm-tells-international-students-time-to-go-to-home/12119568">could stay and contribute</a>: “For those backpackers in Australia who are nurses or doctors, or have other critical skills that can really help us during this crisis, then there will be opportunities for them”. Expendability of migrants echoed in this statement. What happened with the NOM during COVID closed borders was essentially a calculation reset. Higher than expected numbers of people left Australia prematurely. Students, especially, left Australia prior to their studies finishing. This resulted in greater outgoings of NOM than the recent average. NOM restarted the moment borders reopened, but because so many brought forward their exit the number of incomers weren’t balanced by the usual outflow of people. Taking a longer view of NOM prior to and since COVID-related measures shows smoother growth than popular media suggests. But nuance is hard to articulate in small soundbites, especially when the language of otherness is so enticing. <h2>Creating the ‘other’</h2> <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14705958231216936">The language of otherness</a> is used extensively in the population (immigration) narrative. Dutton played population bingo with his use of the word “foreign” in his 2024 budget reply speech referring to students, ending investment, and interference. Dutton also blamed migrants for road congestion and pressure on local services. His speech was a populist symphony. When in opposition, members of the now government also made disparaging comments about migrants. For example, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/do-we-want-migrants-to-return-in-the-same-numbers-the-answer-is-no-20200501-p54p2q.html">Kristina Keneally</a> wrote an opinion piece suggesting migrants were taking jobs from locals. Fear about population is easily manufactured, and once created enables a fix the playmaker can resolve. Much like a David Copperfield magic special. The trouble with these tactics is in the enormous <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/australias-population-country-birth/latest-release">diversity in Australia</a> – we risk turning on ourselves and eroding already fraying social cohesion. <h2>Shaping Australia</h2> Our preoccupation with population largely reflects the central place people and demography hold in the economy and very function of the nation. But we appear to have lost our heads, instead problematising the very heart of what makes us Australian: the people. Demography is a slow-moving train, and based on past and current trends population science can somewhat predict the future. The populist playbook results in population (namely immigration) used for political point scoring, to the detriment of the people, particularly the young. Australia is by no means perfect. There is much work to be done to fix the multiple crises the nation is confronted with – housing affordability, financial insecurity, gender inequality, and climate change. A sensible approach to population and immigration is needed to ensure living standards don’t go backwards. Migrants help us weather the demographic headwinds. Rather than use population for political gain, we need instead to harness the power of demography to solve our way out of the gigantic mess we’re in. The key is ensuring young people have a future worth living. <hr /> This is an edited extract from <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/how-australian-democracy-works-and-why-we-need-it-more-than-ever/">How Australian Democracy Works</a>, a new collection of essays from The Conversation on all aspects of the country’s political landscape.<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/230409/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liz-allen-10193">Liz Allen</a>, Demographer, POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> 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/population-panic-how-demography-is-used-for-political-gain-230409">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Money & Banking

The renting trap snaring retirees – and how to avoid it

It has long been known that renting in retirement is associated with a lower quality of life. Understanding the causal factors can help you avoid a similar fate. There are many reasons why renting in retirement can be problematic. For a start, figures on how much income we need to retire comfortably usually assumes that you own your home – the cost of rent isn’t included. So, anyone using this as a guide falls well short, potentially by 20-40 per cent. Additionally: <ul> <li>Rent usually eats up a larger portion of retirement income than home ownership.</li> <li>Over time, rents typically keep rising while mortgage debts reduce.</li> <li>Home ownership provides equity to use for other investments, further boosting retirement income.</li> <li>Downsizing homeowners can make an additional superannuation contribution from the sale proceeds, which renters cannot.</li> <li>Homeowners can make accessibility modifications to meet their needs as they age, like installing ramps or rails.</li> <li>Homeowners have greater stability and aren’t subject to eviction (and moving costs) at short notice.</li> </ul> How big a problem is it? Numerous studies have highlighted the growing scale of the problem faced by renting retirees. <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/renting-in-retirement-why-rent-assistance-needs-to-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Grattan Institute</a> recently found that “two in three retirees who rent in the private market live in poverty,” and that “most older working Australians who rent do not have sufficient savings to keep paying rent in retirement.” The rental trap is also not exclusive to low-income earners. <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://everybodyshome.com.au/resources/priced-out-priced-out-an-index-of-affordable-rentals-for-australian-voters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everybody’s Home</a> recently found Australians earning $100,000 per year – above the <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/employee-earnings/latest-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national median of $1,396 per week</a> ($72,592 per year) – are struggling to pay their rent. The end result is that homelessness is a growing problem for over 55s – particularly women. <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.mercyfoundation.com.au/our-focus/ending-homelessness/older-women-and-homelessness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mercy Foundation</a> notes that homelessness among these women grew 6.6 per cent in the 2021 Census, following a huge 31 per cent increase in the 2016 Census. What is causing it? Not owning your own home in retirement is obvious answer here. But there are various contributing factors that see people forced to rent later in life, including losing their home and being financially unable to replace it. These include: <ul> <li>Divorce/separation – court and legal fees, counselling costs, division of assets (including the family home).</li> <li>Pre-retirement chronic illness – time out of the workforce for both the patient and their partner to care for them, loss of income, less going into super, and higher healthcare costs.</li> <li>Death of a partner – up-front bills like funeral expenses, surviving partner suddenly on a single income.</li> <li>Elder abuse – an estimated <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence/population-groups/older-people#abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in six older Australians experience elder abuse</a>, including 2.1 per cent facing financial abuse.</li> <li>Domestic violence – fleeing abusive relationships with little or no money and assets.</li> <li>Climate change – loss of uninsured home/other assets as storms, floods, cyclones, and fires increase in frequency and severity.</li> <li>Scams – <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.nasc.gov.au/news/australians-better-protected-as-reported-scam-losses-fell-by-almost-26-per-cent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australians lost $2 billion to scams</a> in 2024.</li> <li>Gambling – <a style="color: #467886;" href="https://aifs.gov.au/research/research-snapshots/gambling-participation-and-experience-harm-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46 per cent of gamblers are at risk of harm</a>, including losing their home.</li> <li>Housing unaffordability – soaring prices (and stamp duty) push home ownership out of reach.</li> </ul> Women often face the brunt of these effects, disadvantaged by the gender pay gap, having less in superannuation, often having primary or sole custody of children, and having less secure employment. How can you protect yourself? Thankfully, there are steps we can all take to protect ourselves and our retirement: <ul> <li>Get your foundations right for a strong financial footing – emergency fund, spending and investment plan, insurances, superannuation, estate planning.</li> <li>Make decisions jointly – letting your partner control finances alone means more risk for you and less spending oversight.</li> <li>Have contingency plans – your own bank account, independent financial and retirement plans, insurances, and back-up plans just in case.</li> <li>Get into the market ASAP – even a cheap investment property far from where you live is a financial asset and a roof over your head if needed.</li> <li>Consider co-ownership – if you can’t afford to buy property alone, split the purchase and ongoing costs with an adult child, sibling, or close friend. Alternatively, sub-let a room to offset the costs.</li> <li>Don’t settle for less – avoid accepting an unreasonable separation settlement just to resolve things quickly.</li> <li>Be alert – know the warning signs of scams, elder abuse, gambling addiction and domestic violence to avoid losing everything.</li> <li>Get independent advice – professional legal, accounting, and financial advice can help you build financial independence, create safeguards, and recover faster if disaster does strike.</li> </ul> Overall, the best thing you can do is simply to act. By being proactive instead of burying your head in the sand, your future self stands a much better chance of enjoying a comfortable retirement! Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a style="color: #467886;" title="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754. Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

How long will you live? New evidence says it’s much more about your choices than your genes

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> One of the most enduring questions humans have is how long we’re going to live. With this comes the question of how much of our lifespan is shaped by our environment and choices, and how much is predetermined by our genes. A study recently published in the prestigious journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03483-9">Nature Medicine</a> has attempted for the first time to quantify the relative contributions of our environment and lifestyle versus our genetics in how we age and how long we live. The findings were striking, suggesting our environment and lifestyle play a much greater role than our genes in determining our longevity. <h2>What the researchers did</h2> This study used data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a>, a large database in the United Kingdom that contains in-depth health and lifestyle data from roughly 500,000 people. The data available include genetic information, medical records, imaging and information about lifestyle. A separate part of the study used data from a subset of more than 45,000 participants whose blood samples underwent something called “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-022-00511-7">proteomic profiling</a>”. Proteomic profiling is a relatively new technique that looks at how proteins in the body change over time to identify a person’s age at a molecular level. By using this method researchers were able to estimate how quickly an individual’s body was actually ageing. This is called their biological age, as opposed to their chronological age (or years lived). The researchers assessed 164 environmental exposures as well as participants’ genetic markers for disease. Environmental exposures included lifestyle choices (for example, smoking, physical activity), social factors (for example, living conditions, household income, employment status) and early life factors, such as body weight in childhood. They then looked for associations between genetics and environment and 22 major age-related diseases (such as coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes), mortality and biological ageing (as determined by the proteomic profiling). These analyses allowed the researchers to estimate the relative contributions of environmental factors and genetics to ageing and dying prematurely. <h2>What did they find?</h2> When it came to disease-related mortality, as we would expect, age and sex explained a significant amount (about half) of the variation in how long people lived. The key finding, however, was environmental factors collectively accounted for around 17% of the variation in lifespan, while genetic factors contributed less than 2%. This finding comes down very clearly on the nurture side in the “nature versus nurture” debate. It suggests environmental factors influence health and longevity to a far greater extent than genetics. Not unexpectedly, the study showed a different mix of environmental and genetic influences for different diseases. Environmental factors had the greatest impact on lung, heart and liver disease, while genetics played the biggest role in determining a person’s risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, and dementia. The environmental factors that had the most influence on earlier death and biological ageing included smoking, socioeconomic status, physical activity levels and living conditions. Interestingly, being taller at age ten was found to be associated with a shorter lifespan. Although this may seem surprising, and the reasons are not entirely clear, this aligns with <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140509110756.htm">previous research</a> finding taller people are more likely to die earlier. Carrying more weight at age ten and maternal smoking (if your mother smoked in late pregnancy or when you were a newborn) were also found to shorten lifespan. Probably the most surprising finding in this study was a lack of association between diet and markers of biological ageing, as determined by the proteomic profiling. This flies in the face of the extensive body of evidence showing the crucial role of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00868-w">dietary patterns</a> in chronic disease risk and longevity. But there are a number of plausible explanations for this. The first could be a lack of statistical power in the part of the study looking at biological ageing. That is, the number of people studied may have been too small to allow the researchers to see the true impact of diet on ageing. Second, the dietary data in this study, which was self-reported and only measured at one time point, is likely to have been of relatively poor quality, limiting the researchers’ ability to see associations. And third, as the relationship between diet and longevity is likely to be complex, disentangling dietary effects from other lifestyle factors may be difficult. So despite this finding, it’s still safe to say the food we eat is one of the most important pillars of health and longevity. <h2>What other limitations do we need to consider?</h2> Key exposures (such as diet) in this study were only measured at a single point in time, and not tracked over time, introducing potential errors into the results. Also, as this was an observational study, we can’t assume associations found represent causal relationships. For example, just because living with a partner correlated with a longer lifespan, it doesn’t mean this caused a person to live longer. There may be other factors which explain this association. Finally, it’s possible this study may have underestimated the role of genetics in longevity. It’s important to recognise genetics and environment don’t operate in isolation. Rather, health outcomes are shaped by their interplay, and this study may not have fully captured the complexity of these interactions. <h2>The future is (largely) in your hands</h2> It’s worth noting there were a number of factors such as household income, home ownership and employment status associated with diseases of ageing in this study that are not necessarily within a person’s control. This highlights the crucial role of addressing the social determinants of health to ensure everyone has the best possible chance of living a long and healthy life. At the same time, the results offer an empowering message that longevity is largely shaped by the choices we make. This is great news, unless you have good genes and were hoping they would do the heavy lifting. Ultimately, the results of this study reinforce the notion that while we may inherit certain genetic risks, how we eat, move and engage with the world seems to be more important in determining how healthy we are and how long we live.<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/251054/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hassan-vally-202904">Hassan Vally</a>, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> 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/how-long-will-you-live-new-evidence-says-its-much-more-about-your-choices-than-your-genes-251054">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Caring

Farewell, Your Majesty: Major change coming to Aussie fiver

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced a new theme for the Aussie fiver, designed to honour the “enduring emotional, spiritual and physical connection of First Nations peoples to Country”. “This inspiring theme will guide the creation of an artwork that will feature on the redesigned banknote,” said Michelle McPhee, RBA’s Assistant Governor of Business Services. The selection of this theme followed an extensive national campaign, receiving over 2,100 theme nominations from the public. For the first time since 1992, the $5 note will not feature the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had appeared on the denomination for more than 30 years. Breaking with tradition, the RBA confirmed that the redesigned note would not bear a portrait of any monarch, meaning King Charles will also be absent from the new design. However, the reverse side of the note will continue to depict the Australian Parliament building. Since the 1960s, the $5 banknote has undergone four major redesigns, with the most recent update in 2016. When Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait was first introduced in 1992, it replaced humanitarian Caroline Chisholm, a decision that was met with criticism at the time. The RBA defended its choice, citing Australia’s status as a constitutional monarchy and the tradition of including the reigning monarch on at least one banknote. The new banknote is expected to take several years to be designed, printed and circulated. The process of selecting an artist for the design is currently underway, with more details to be revealed in the coming months. The development of the note will also involve incorporating advanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. While the new design is in progress, the existing $5 note will continue to be issued. Meanwhile, Australian coins, which are produced by the Royal Australian Mint, will maintain the tradition of featuring the monarch. Images: RBA

Money & Banking

An artificial heart may save your life. But it can also change you in surprising ways

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> This week, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/12/australian-man-survives-100-days-with-artificial-heart-in-world-first-success">doctors announced</a> that an Australian man with severe heart failure had left hospital with an artificial heart that had kept him alive until he could receive a donor heart. The patient, a man from New South Wales in his 40s, was not the world’s first person to receive this type of artificial heart. However, he is <a href="https://www.svhs.org.au/newsroom/news/australia-first-total-artificial-heart-implant">said to be</a> the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/australias-first-durable-total-artificial-heart-implant-announced-as-a-success">first with one to be discharged from hospital</a> to wait for a heart transplant, which he’s since had. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT This machine has enabled an Australian man with severe heart failure to be the first person in the world to leave hospital with an artificial heart transplant <a href="https://t.co/6S12mINwBm">pic.twitter.com/6S12mINwBm</a> — Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1899862954155126824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> I am a philosopher and bioethicist. I <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/thesis/Phenomenology_and_Artificial_Hearts/22312204">completed my PhD</a> on artificial hearts – particularly how these implants can change people’s lives in profound ways. Here’s what patients and their families need to consider. <h2>What is an artificial heart?</h2> Artificial hearts began to be developed in the 1960s, sponsored by the United States government and funded in a similar way to space and military programs. In 1982, a man named <a href="https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/hero-or-victim-the-25th-anniversary-of-barney-clar">Barney Clark</a> received the Jarvik-7 total artificial heart. Doctors removed his failing biological heart and replaced it with a plastic and metal device to circulate blood to his lungs and around his body. He lived for 112 days before dying from multi-organ failure. He never left hospital. In the 1980s and 1990s, medical device companies began to develop alternatives to total artificial hearts. These partial artificial hearts, known as ventricular assist devices, help out a biological heart by supplementing or replacing one of its two pumping chambers. These are more straightforward and versatile than total artificial hearts, and can be used for earlier stages of heart failure. Not all artificial hearts generate a pulse. Artificial hearts with a pulse generally mimic the biological heart. They pump blood in the same way the heart beats, by filling with blood and squeezing to circulate blood in waves or pulses. But some devices continuously push blood around the body instead of pulsing. So with these continuous-flow devices neither the patient nor their health team can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11906-017-0782-6">detect a pulse</a>. <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003497524008749">In the US between 2014 and 2024</a>, almost 30,000 patients received continuous-flow ventricular assist devices. In the same period, more than 310 total artificial hearts were implanted. The total artificial hearts <a href="https://www.syncardia.com/syncardia-total-artificial-heart-stah.html">commercially</a> <a href="https://www.carmatsa.com/en/our_product/">available</a> today are licensed exclusively as bridging therapies – to keep people alive until a donor heart becomes available – rather than permanent implants. <h2>How about the device making news this week?</h2> The device in the news – the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/australias-first-durable-total-artificial-heart-implant-announced-as-a-success">BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart</a> – was developed by a US-Australian collaboration. This device is innovative, mainly because it is the first continuous-flow device designed to replace the whole heart. Designers are also aiming for it to be the first total artificial heart suitable as a permanent transplant (known as destination therapy). A reliable, durable and responsive total artificial heart is, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-12/sydney-hospital-artificial-heart-implant-operation-success/105036154">in the words</a> of Paul Jansz, the surgeon who implanted the device, “the Holy Grail”. The BiVACOR’s clinical success so far gives us reason to be optimistic about an alternative to scarce donor hearts for responding to severe heart failure. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=12%2C12%2C8231%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=12%2C12%2C8231%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Hand holding the BiVACOR artificial heart" /></a><figcaption>This device is designed to replace the whole heart, and for now, is licensed as a temporary implant, ahead of a heart transplant. BiVACOR TIQ</figcaption></figure> <h2>Transplants can change lives</h2> However, patients do not just resume their old lives when they leave hospital with an artificial heart. While the pumping component is inside their chest, there are also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHW0ATvgFDu/?hl=en">external components</a> to manage and monitor. A thick tube perforates their abdomen and connects to an external controller unit and power supply, which the patient carries around in a bag. Controllers must be closely monitored, and batteries must be regularly recharged. My research showed that even a perfectly safe and reliable total artificial heart could transform patients’ lives in at least three major areas. 1. Is it part of me? Do I trust it? Patients must <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09638288.2020.1717648">trust, tolerate and receive sensory feedback about how the device is working</a> for it to feel like part of them. In the case of an artificial heart, this might mean the device feels responsive to exercise and the body’s needs. But it may be difficult for artificial hearts to meet these criteria, especially for devices that do not generate a pulse. Patients may also question whether their heart is located in their body, or in the controller unit. They may wonder if they even have a heart, particularly if they can’t feel a pulse. 2. Beeps and alarms An artificial heart also changes how patients live their lives and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-024-10050-7">navigate the world</a>. Interruptions from <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732317700853">loud device alarms</a> distract patients from their normal activities. And patients must switch between mains power and batteries when they <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0147956311002718">wake in the night and need to visit the toilet</a>. 3. Marking time Our hearts may be our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurorobotics/articles/10.3389/fnbot.2014.00015/full">natural</a> <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301051111000032">metronomes</a>, marking time. So removing someone’s heart rhythm can confuse their sense of time. The need for batteries to be recharged periodically can also reshape patients’ days. Waiting around for a transplant heart, or the latest software update, may change patients’ perspectives on what months and years feel like. <h2>We need to give patients the whole picture</h2> Artificial hearts are remarkable devices with great promise. But patients and families also deserve to know how these extraordinary treatments might change how they feel about themselves and the world. They need to know this before they sign up for them. Artificial hearts don’t just save lives – they also change them.<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/252165/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/pat-mcconville-2344684">Pat McConville</a>, Lecturer in Ethics, Law, and Professionalism, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> 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/an-artificial-heart-may-save-your-life-but-it-can-also-change-you-in-surprising-ways-252165">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Body

5 years since COVID was declared a pandemic – how prepared are we for the next one?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> On March 11 2020, as COVID continued to spread rapidly around the globe, the <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) officially declared a pandemic. More than <a href="https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths">7 million people</a> have since died from COVID. The virus, and the public health measures enacted to control it, have had far-reaching effects on societies around the world. Five years on, the virus continues to circulate. But, thanks to vaccines and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10425195/">immunity acquired from infections</a>, hospitalisations and deaths due to COVID are vastly less frequent <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/provisional-mortality-statistics/latest-release">than in previous years</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/covid-19/long-covid-in-australia-a-review-of-the-literature/summary">long COVID</a> continues to have a major impact on people’s lives. Estimates suggest more than <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03173-6">400 million people</a> around the world have had or are currently living with long COVID. At this point, Australia and the world must take the lessons of COVID – in areas from surveillance, to outbreak response, to vaccines and therapeutics – to be better prepared for the next pandemic. <h2>Some areas we went right – and wrong</h2> Our diagnostic laboratories across Australia were well prepared. Laboratories at the Doherty Institute diagnosed the first case of COVID in Australia and were the first to <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/212/10/isolation-and-rapid-sharing-2019-novel-coronavirus-sars-cov-2-first-patient">isolate and share the virus</a> globally in early 2020. At the same time, a national public health response was quickly put in place. This involved <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/73/3/e808/6044730?login=false">measures such as</a> closing borders, setting up testing centres, and limiting gatherings. But there are several areas where we could have mobilised more effectively. During the early stages of the pandemic, there were, at times, challenges with sharing data as well as biological samples and the ingredients for COVID tests between the different states and territories. For example, there are currently restrictions in place that limit sharing of virus strains between states and territories. But when a new strain emerges, many laboratories need access to it to evaluate their testing capabilities. One recommendation from an <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/commonwealth-government-covid-19-response-inquiry">independent 2024 review</a> of the federal government’s COVID response was an Australian Centre for Disease Control. An interim version was launched in early 2024 and the Australian government is investing <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/2517m-to-establish-an-independent-australian-centre-for-disease-control-cdc#:%7E:text=The%20Australian%20Government%20is%20investing,for%20Disease%20Control%20(CDC).">A$251.7 million</a> in this important initiative. The goal for the new centre for disease control will be to provide independent technical advice on infectious diseases to government. It will also facilitate rapid integration of data from all states and territories leading to a more unified response. At the start of a pandemic, we need to understand everything about the new virus and at great speed. This needs systems in place in “peace time”, ready to be mobilised in “war time”. Back in 2020, we had protocols ready for <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0819-2">hospitalised patients</a> and <a href="https://www.remapcap.org/">intensive care units</a> to collect specimens and also start new clinical trials. But we were not prepared on many other fronts, for example to collect samples or study how COVID was transmitted in the community or in different key groups. Every day counts at the start of a pandemic. <h2>Harnessing medical technologies</h2> Relatively recent technological advances in both diagnostics (RAT tests) and vaccine development (the use of <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Messenger-RNA-mRNA">messenger RNA</a>, which gives our body genetic instructions to fight COVID) have put us in a strong position to be at the cutting edge in any pandemic response. Moderna, one of the two companies that pioneered the mRNA vaccines, has established its <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/world-leading-moderna-vaccine-facility-opens-in-victoria">Asia-Pacific headquarters in Melbourne</a>. CSL, which made the AstraZeneca COVID vaccines in Australia and manufactures several other vaccines, has now incorporated <a href="https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/csls-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-approved-for-sale-in-japan">mRNA in its repertoire</a>. This capability means Australians could have immediate access to mRNA vaccines in the event of another pandemic. We could also potentially manufacture these vaccines for low- and middle-income countries in our region. But what if we can’t make an effective vaccine to fight a future pandemic? This is a situation we must be prepared for, as we’ve seen with infections such as HIV, where after 40 years of trying and billions of dollars spent, <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/aids-hiv-vaccine-anniversary-immunity-antibodies">we still don’t have a vaccine</a>. In such a situation, we will need to rely on antiviral drugs. The way we currently make antiviral drugs takes significantly longer to develop than vaccines. And although we have some <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8069527/">broad spectrum antiviral drugs</a>, the most potent antivirals are very specific – meaning one drug treats <a href="https://retrovirology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12977-022-00608-1">only one type of virus</a>. To be better prepared for future pandemics, many groups around the world are working on developing a library of drugs that work against whole <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-pathogen-might-spark-the-next-pandemic-how-scientists-are-preparing-for-disease-x-223193">families of viruses</a> that could cause the next pandemic. Another approach is to develop totally new technologies that are fully tested for one virus, but can be easily adapted to a new virus. This approach could allow more rapid deployment, as the details of safety and dosing would already be understood. This is one of the major goals of the recently launched <a href="https://www.doherty.edu.au/cumming-global-centre-for-pandemic-therapeutics">Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics</a> based at the Doherty Institute. These ambitious efforts will require global collaboration, sharing resources and engagement of the private sector. Once we have a vaccine or drug that works, we need agreed systems in place to ensure widespread equitable access. We fell seriously short of this goal with COVID. Some <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9878283/">low- and middle-income</a> countries received vaccines months or years later than high income countries. For treatments, <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/paxlovid-procured-supply-vs-health-need-in-low-and-middle-income-countries-through-the-end-of-2022/">antivirals such as Paxlovid</a> were never available in many countries. This is one goal of an agreement led by the WHO, called the “<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/pandemic-prevention--preparedness-and-response-accord">pandemic accord</a>”, to have member states agree on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. But after years of discussion, there remains no binding agreement. <h2>Preparing for the next pandemic</h2> As COVID was (partly due to advances in technology) the most intensively studied pandemic in human history, we have a unique resource in the record of what happened to inform our response to any future pandemic. And this is likely a matter of when, not if. New infectious disease outbreaks have continued to emerge over the past five years, including mpox, which was declared a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 and again in <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/diseases/monkeypox-mpox">August 2024</a>. Right now, there’s an outbreak of a new viral disease in <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/27/mystery-disease-kills-more-than-50-in-drc-what-we-know-so-far">the Congo</a>, the origins of which have still <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/mysterious-congo-outbreak-likely-linked-contaminated-water-researchers-say">not been identified</a>. We know bats, thought to be <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7?rel=outbound">the source</a> of the coronavirus behind the COVID pandemic, carry an enormous spectrum of viruses that potentially threaten us. But new pandemics can also arise through mosquitoes and close contact with other animals. Pandemics are global, not national, problems. We are at a pivotal time where countries including Australia must step up their commitments to this global effort. This will need politicians to rely on the evidence and lessons learned from COVID as well as private and public investment. Unfortunately, five years down the track, we still have a long way to go to be prepared for the next pandemic.<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/245362/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sharon-lewin-131968">Sharon Lewin</a>, Melbourne Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne; Director, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-peter-doherty-institute-for-infection-and-immunity-2255">The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-c-doherty-169">Peter C. Doherty</a>, Laureate Professor Emeritus, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-peter-doherty-institute-for-infection-and-immunity-2255">The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity</a> 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/5-years-since-covid-was-declared-a-pandemic-were-still-poorly-prepared-for-the-next-one-245362">original article</a>. Image: <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-printer-paper-OBmBHmrc3pw">Anastasiia Chepinska/Unsplash</a> </div>

Caring

"Get under your desks!": Incredible moment tornado strikes TV studio during live broadcast

Dramatic footage captured the moment an EF-2 tornado slammed into the FOX 35 television studio in Lake Mary, Florida, on Monday morning. The on-air meteorologist, Brooks Garner, swiftly ordered his colleagues to take cover as the storm bore down on them in real time. Garner, a seasoned meteorologist for FOX 35, remained remarkably composed as the tornado, with winds reaching up to 200km/h, moved directly toward the station. The storm was first spotted on the studio’s outdoor camera, showing it charging across Interstate 4 before closing in on the journalists inside. Once the wind and heavy rain obscured visibility, leaving only swirling debris on the cameras, Garner issued an urgent warning. “We got debris? Okay. Take shelter! Everybody in the FOX 35 building, get to your safe space. Under your desk if you’re not in a designated area. We’re catching debris right now on the roof,” he said during the live broadcast. As debris pounded the building, Garner repeated his instructions with greater urgency. “Seek shelter immediately! Get under your desks, guys, anchors. Under the desks. Producers, everybody get under the desks.” After the storm passed, Garner quickly shifted his focus back to the safety of viewers still in its path. “Get to the ground level, an interior room, away from the windows,” he urged. “This is a very serious situation. This is a real, live tornado. It just hit our station.” According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the tornado formed at 9:35am. near the southeastern edge of Wekiwa Springs State Park. The twister carved a destructive path through residential areas in Longwood, damaging homes, shattering windows and tearing off roofs. Officials later confirmed that at least one home collapsed. Additionally, a semi-truck was overturned with its driver and his dog inside. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported, though the region suffered widespread power outages and fallen trees. Even inside the fortified FOX 35 building, lights flickered as the tornado struck. Emergency crews have since been deployed to assess the damage and assist affected residents. Authorities urge locals to remain alert, as severe weather conditions persist in the area. Image: FOX 35

Travel Trouble

Replacing stamp duty with a land tax could save home buyers big money. Here’s how

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> Infrastructure Victoria has released a <a href="https://assets.infrastructurevictoria.com.au/assets/Victorias-draft-30-year-infrastructure-strategy.pdf">draft 30-year plan </a> outlining how the state can grow sustainably. It focuses on key areas like transport, housing, energy, and public services to support a growing population and improve liveability. The plan also suggests ways to make the state’s infrastructure and tax system fairer, more efficient and more sustainable. The plan’s recommendations are expected to cost between A$60 billion and $75 billion, mostly spent before 2035. This is around 10% of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-state-accounts/2023-24-financial-year#data-downloads">Victoria’s yearly economic output</a> in 2023-24, spread over the next decade. With Victoria already spending record amounts on infrastructure, and <a href="https://pbo.vic.gov.au/document/BudgetUpdateSnapshot2024-25">budget deficits forecast</a> until 2025-26, finding the money to fund social housing, transport and other projects is a key challenge. We estimate the Infrastructure Victoria proposals would add between $4 billion and $5 billion to Victorian government expenditure each year. Yet one of its proposals — replacing stamp duty with an annual land tax — would only cost between $1 million and $5 million to implement, but generate substantial gains for Victorian households. <h2>Why replace stamp duty with land tax?</h2> Stamp duty is one of the biggest barriers to moving house in Victoria and other Australian states. This tax, which people pay when they buy property, adds thousands of dollars to the cost of moving. In 2022-23, Victorians paid about <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-state-accounts/2023-24-financial-year#data-downloads">$12 billion</a> to move house. Of this, $3 billion went to actual moving costs (like real estate services, and removalists) and $9 billion was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/government/taxation-revenue-australia/latest-release#data-downloads">stamp duty</a>. That’s an effective tax rate of 300% on the true cost of moving, and in 2023 <a href="https://www.e-business.sro.vic.gov.au/calculators/land-transfer-duty">added about</a> $40,000, or 5.3%, to the cost of purchasing the average Victorian home. High stamp duty discourages people from relocating, even when their needs change — whether that’s moving for a new job, finding a bigger home for a growing family or downsizing after retirement. This leads to longer commutes, traffic congestion and a less efficient housing market. Switching from stamp duty to an annual land tax would make moving easier and spread the tax burden more fairly. Instead of a large, one-time tax when buying a home, all landowners would pay a smaller tax each year. This would help fund schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure more sustainably. <h2>What can we learn from Canberra?</h2> Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies <a href="https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1618407/cops-final-report.pdf">studied a similar reform</a> in the Australian Capital Territory, where stamp duty has been gradually phased out since 2012 and replaced with higher general rates (a type of land tax). Each year, the ACT government sets a target for how much money it needs to raise. Landowners then pay a share of that total, based on the value of their land. One of the biggest benefits of this approach is that it raises money more efficiently. Unlike other taxes, land taxes don’t discourage investment or economic activity. The study found removing stamp duty had a big positive impact on the ACT’s economy. Around 80% of the economic boost came from removing stamp duty, while introducing land tax also had benefits. By studying transaction data from the ACT, we showed each 10% reduction stamp duty rates drove a 6% rise in property transactions. <h2>Would it help housing affordability?</h2> One of the main arguments for replacing stamp duty with land tax is its effect on housing prices. Economists widely agree land taxes reduce land values, which makes housing more affordable. However, the impact of removing stamp duty is less predictable. Our previous research found <a href="https://theconversation.com/swapping-stamp-duty-for-land-tax-would-push-down-house-prices-but-push-up-apartment-prices-new-modelling-finds-184381">the effect on house prices</a> depends on how often properties are bought and sold. Apartments, for example, tend to change hands more frequently than houses. Because of this, removing stamp duty tends to push up apartment prices more than house prices. Even so, the overall effect of the reform is a drop in property prices. The challenge is ensuring this price reduction is evenly spread across different types of housing. <h2>A fairer tax system</h2> To make the system fairer, policymakers could adjust how land tax is applied. One option is to introduce a fixed-rate component, as <a href="https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/grants-schemes/previous-schemes/first-home-buyer-choice">proposed </a> in New South Wales. Another idea, suggested 15 years ago in the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-10/afts_final_report_part_1_consolidated.pdf">Henry Tax Review</a>, is to base the tax on the per-square-metre value of land. Another key factor is housing supply. If planning laws allow more high-density housing in inner suburbs, price changes could be better managed. <h2>We also need short-term solutions</h2> Replacing stamp duty with land tax is a long-term reform that would take years to fully implement. The ACT, for example, planned a 20-year transition. If all state governments implemented this reform, we estimate Australian households would ultimately be <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-337.pdf">better off by about</a> $,1600 per household per year. In the short term, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-way-to-ease-rents-and-improve-housing-affordability-we-modelled-4-of-the-governments-biggest-programs-225446">other policies </a> could help improve housing affordability. These include increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance and rethinking first-home buyer support. These steps could complement broader tax, infrastructure and housing supply reforms. The Victorian government is <a href="https://engage.vic.gov.au/victorias30yearinfrastructurestrategy">seeking feedback</a> on the draft plan before releasing the final version later this year. This is an opportunity for Victorians to contribute ideas on how to shape the state’s future and ensure its infrastructure and tax system work for everyone.<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/251472/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-nassios-318488">Jason Nassios</a>, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-giesecke-9853">James Giesecke</a>, Professor, Centre of Policy Studies and the Impact Project, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> 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/replacing-stamp-duty-with-a-land-tax-could-save-home-buyers-big-money-heres-how-251472">original article</a>. Image: 7news.com.au </div>

Money & Banking

How to prepare for a cyclone, according to an expert

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yetta-gurtner-2337172">Yetta Gurtner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a> Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to make landfall anywhere <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-03/tropical-cyclone-alfred-landfall-thursday-live-updates/105002038">between Bundaberg and northern New South Wales</a> this week. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20023.html">has warned</a> it may bring severe hazards and “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding”. So, how do you prepare for a cyclone – and what do you do if it’s too late to leave? <h2>How to prepare</h2> Your starting point is to consider the risk to yourself and everyone in your household (including pets). Consider ensuring you have: <ul> <li>non-perishable food that everyone in the family will eat (enough for five to seven days)</li> <li>water for drinking and cleaning (three litres per person per day)</li> <li>medication (two weeks worth)</li> <li>toiletries and first aid kit</li> <li>pet food/supplies</li> <li>torches</li> <li>batteries</li> <li>a back up battery for your phone</li> <li>baby formula and nappies if needed</li> <li>protective clothing and closed-in shoes</li> <li>cash in small denominations</li> <li>valuable documents such as passports, title deeds, ID, insurance details, photos (these can be photographed or packed in weather-proof container or envelope)</li> <li>kids’ books, card games, board games, headphones</li> <li>anything else you may need or really value (and isn’t too heavy to carry).</li> </ul> Make sure you have a grab-and-go kit that you can carry by yourself if authorities suddenly tell you to evacuate immediately. Conventional wisdom used to be to prepare enough supplies for three days of disruption. Now, experts recommend having enough for five to seven days. After the initial disaster there may be road blockages or supply chain problems. Ensure you have enough medication for a week or two, because pharmacies may take days or weeks to re-open. And remember that many medications, such as insulin, need to be refrigerated, so consider how you’d keep them cool if the power went out. Fill containers with water and stick them in your freezer now; they can keep your freezer cool if you lose power. They can also become drinking water in future. Talk to your neighbours. Do they have a generator or a camping fridge you can use? This is a great opportunity to get to know your community and pool your resources. Ask yourself if you have friends with whom you or a pet can stay. One of the main reasons people don’t evacuate is because they can’t bring their pets (not all evacuation shelters allow them, so check in advance). Consider what you can do now to prepare your house. One of the most common call-outs the SES receives is about blocked drains and gutters, so check if there’s time to clean your gutters now. You won’t be able to do it during the storm. <h2>Stay informed – and don’t rely on hearsay</h2> Have a plan for getting truthful information before, during and after the cyclone. Rely on the information provided by official sources, as they will tell you when it’s too late to evacuate or when it’s safe to come out. This is highly context-specific and will depend on where you are located. Get advice where possible from your local council’s <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/resources-translations/local-government-disaster-dashboards">disaster dashboard</a> (most councils have one). It should provide information such as where to get sandbags, which roads are closed (which can affect your evacuation plan) and evacuation centre openings and locations. Anyone who monitors social media will see how many amateur meteorologists and maps are out there, but these are often not the best source. Always rely on official sources rather than hearsay, trending footage or amateur “experts”. Always have an battery-operated AM-FM radio. If power goes out, relying on your phone to track information will drain your phone battery very quickly. You may be able to charge it via your car or laptop, but telecommunications networks may not be active. So having a battery-operated radio on hand – and plenty of batteries – is crucial. <h2>What if the cyclone hits while you’re at home?</h2> If it’s too late to evacuate, have a plan for sheltering in place. Find the smallest room in your house with the least windows (which can shatter in a storm). This is often the bathroom, but it could be under the stairs. It is usually on the lowest level of the house. Bring your food, water, radio, blankets and supplies there. Avoid walking around the house during the cyclone to fetch things; there could be glass on the floor or debris flying around. It’s hard to predict how long you will need to shelter there, but it’s important not to leave until official sources say it is safe to do so. Cyclones come in stages. They arrive from one direction, then comes an eerie calm as the “eye of the storm” passes over. Next, the other half of the cyclone arrives. Don’t go outside during the eye of the storm, because it’s not over. Outside the house, there may be powerlines down, broken glass and other hazards. Don’t venture out until you get official clearance from the disaster dashboard or official sources on the radio saying it is safe. For <a href="https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/ses-assistance">non-life threatening emergencies</a> – such as a tree on your roof, or water running through your house – call the SES on 132 500 or register on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/ses-assistance-qld/id704964892">SES Assistance app</a> (if you’re in Queensland). They will not come during the event itself but will come later. If it’s a life threatening emergency, always call triple 0. <h2>After the storm</h2> After the storm, consider how to make your house more cyclone-ready in future. Many houses in North Queensland are designed for cyclone zones, but not as many further south will be. Climate change means cyclones are likely to be more severe in future. These days, be cyclone-ready 365 days a year.<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/251251/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yetta-gurtner-2337172">Yetta Gurtner</a>, Adjunct senior lecturer, Centre for Disaster Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a> Image credits: SBS News 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/how-to-prepare-for-a-cyclone-according-to-an-expert-251251">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Tips

Dolly Parton's husband dies at age 82

Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, has died at the age of 82. Dean was notoriously private during their almost 60 years of marriage, after he tied the knot with the country music icon in 1966. Parton announced the sad news of her loss in a statement on her Instagram, saying "words can't do justice" to the "love [they] shared for over 60 years". "Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82," the statement read. "He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie." "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," Parton said in the statement. The statement concluded sharing that, "the family has asked for privacy during this difficult time". Parton met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville at 18. “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me)," Parton described the meeting. "He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.” They married two years later, on Memorial Day, May 30th 1966, in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. He later inspired Parton’s classic, “Jolene”, as Parton told NPR in 2008 that she wrote the song about a flirty a bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean. Parton and Dean kept strict privacy around their relationship for decades, Parton telling The Associated Press in 1984: “A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean, that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me.” She joked that she’d like to pose with him on the cover of a magazine, “So that people could at least know that I’m not married to a wart or something." Image credits: Instagram/Jason Moore/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Caring

Your 2025 Oscars wrap!

<div class="theconversation-article-body">In a year with few surprises in the awards categories, there was also a dearth of surprises on the red carpet. The sartorial themes included sparkling metallics, coloured menswear and bows, bows and more bows. Metallic gowns that resemble the Oscar statue are a familiar sight at the Academy Awards and this year was no different. Some of the standouts included best actress nominee Demi Moore in a magnificently glittering silver Armani Privé gown, Selena Gomez in custom Ralph Lauren encrusted with 16,000 individual blush-toned jewel teardrops, and Emma Stone in a minimalist Louis Vuitton sheath covered in iridescent fish scales. In the menswear category, tuxedos reign supreme. This year was notable only for the diversity of colours in which these suits came. Best actor nominee Timothée Chalamet lived up to his reputation for monochrome, richly hued ensembles in a custom butter yellow leather suit by Givenchy, paired with a matching silk shirt and delicate neck brooch in place of a tie. His best actor nominated compatriot, Colman Domingo (one of the best dressed men in Hollywood) was pristine in a double-breasted red silk jacket with black lapels, black trousers and matching red shirt by Valentino, similarly eschewing a tie in favour of a fine gold brooch. Andrew Garfield wore louche chocolate brown Gucci and Jeremy Strong wore a suit by Loro Piana in an unusual tone of olive green. Bows of varying size and stature were perhaps the strongest theme of the night. Best actress winner Mikey Madison in black and pink Dior, best supporting actress nominee Felicity Jones in shimmering liquid silver Armani, Elle Fanning in white and black Givenchy and Lupita Nyong’o in white Chanel were all adorned with bows at their waists. The most remarkable bow of the night though was best actress nominee Cynthia Erivo in a structured deep emerald-green velvet Louis Vuitton gown, the broad, wing-like sleeves of which were crafted as a bow. Notable mentions must also go to those attendees who do not fit neatly into any thematic category. Best supporting actress nominee Ariana Grande wore a meticulously crafted pale pink Schiaparelli confection and Lisa (of Blackpink and now White Lotus fame) perfected a feminine take on masculine suiting in a tuxedo dress by Markgong. The only real surprise was the lack of political statements on display. Unlike recent years, when pins and ribbons in support of Ukraine and Palestine were widely worn, this year only Guy Pearce was spotted wearing a Free Palestine pin, Conclave writer Peter Straughan wore a Ukrainian flag pin and Kayo Shekoni had “free Congo” emblazoned on the sole of her high heels. – Harriette Richards <h2>The best picture: Anora</h2> And the best picture Oscar goes to … Anora – the film that was favoured to win, so no surprises here. Though he had been working for more than a decade at the time, writer-director-editor Sean Baker came onto the independent movie scene with a bang with 2015’s Tangerine, a gimmicky film that was mainly celebrated for being shot on an iPhone. Why this would be celebrated is anyone’s guess. I suspect it’s because of the “I could do it too” factor – something the average person certainly couldn’t say if we’re talking 35mm celluloid. Since then, Baker’s films have relished in embracing the digital, neon world, but always in a kind of sentimental and shallow, rather than critical, register. None of his films are awful – and maybe that’s saying something in this day and age. Anora also is not awful, but it’s not particularly memorable either. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z20wJkdKz98?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Anora follows a run of the mill American dream-type story about a hard-working stripper who seems to strike fairytale gold when a young, fun Russian oligarch falls in love with her. Only the dream turns out to be more of a nightmare (kind of) when things don’t quite work out and the film ends with the titular character once again independent and free. The idea of undercutting the fairytale setup of the typical rom-com is not at all original, and the film strikes me as even more schmaltzy in its rejection of the fairytale dream than if it had embraced it and played like a tween-focused Nickelodeon film (it’s about as poignant as this). The film’s cardinal sin, however – and it’s certainly not alone in this – is its critical overlength. Each of the film’s sections could have had some 20 minutes cut and we would have had an enjoyably tight romp at 80 minutes. Instead, Anora drags on, swept up in its imagining of its own profundity – at times pretentious, but mainly tedious. – Ari Mattes <h2>Not the year to stick a neck out</h2> The speeches this year were conspicuously meek. No announcer majorly insulted anyone else. No winner assaulted anyone else. Even the James Bond retrospective lacked energy. What’s going on in Hollywood? There are clues that help explain this curious flatness. Host Conan O’Brien mentioned the pressure of “divisive politics” while reflecting on California’s wildfires. Several winners spoke about the importance of shared experience, of what unites us, of film as a medium that brings people together, a force for “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/oscars-2025-clement-ducol-and-camille-win-best-original-song-for-el-mal-from-emilia-perez/">good and progress in the world</a>” and “<a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a63981052/adrien-brody-best-actor-oscars-2025-speech-transcript/">a reminder not to let hate go unchecked</a>”. The directors of No Other Land, receiving their Oscar for best documentary, shared the one clear critical voice. Palestinian Basel Adra wished his newborn daughter a life without the fear that governs daily life in his homeland. Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham agreed: “There is another way. It’s not too late for life and for the living. There is no other way.” However, that was the only moment people at the Oscars seemed willing to confront the political elephant in the room. Anora director Sean Baker used his last (of four!) acceptance speeches to compel more people to help keep cinema doors open. He made his point passionately: this was the best way to sustain an industry that could continue to make brilliant movies. That said, the most emotive speeches of past Oscars events went much further than just commenting on the bread and butter concerns of the film industry. This year, there were more clues in what people did not say. There were feints at Russian dictators – but nobody mentioned the war in Ukraine. There was no discussion of a certain election result, nor of filmmakers’ fears that Washington is now in the control of a governing faction that loathes them. Most revealing of all: nobody raised a peep about the President or his friends. Hollywood’s collective discipline was on show tonight – and 2025 is not the year to stick a neck out. – Tom Clark <h2>A banner year for independent film</h2> Independent films were the big winners for this year’s Oscars. While many of the technical awards went to the big budget films, such as Wicked (the US$145 million film won costume design and production design) and Dune: Part 2 (made at a budget of US$190 million, and winning sound and visual effects), the night’s major awards went to small productions. While the definitions of “independence” and “studio” films don’t exist in a neat binary when it comes to production and global distribution, we can distinguish between film juggernauts and smaller films. Three independent films won significant awards that are of note. Latvian film Flow was the first independent film to win best animated feature, up against major films Inside Out 2 (Pixar Films) and The Wild Robot (DreamWorks). The film follows a cat, a dog, a capybara, a secretary bird and a ring-tailed lemur navigating a post-apocalyptic world with rising sea levels. The film also only used free and open-source software Blender and mostly used sounds from real world counterparts of the various characters. It was made for a budget of just €3.5 million (A$5.9 million). The best documentary film nominees were dominated by independent films. Notably, the winner No Other Land has sadly been unable to find a distributor to release the film in the United States. (It is available for streaming in Australia on DocPlay, and in select cinemas.) The film was only eligible because the Film Lincoln Centre in New York facilitated a one-week, qualifying theatrical run. The night’s top glories went to Anora, made on a budget of just US$6 million (A$9.7 million) and taking home the awards for best film, director, actress, screenplay and editing. In his acceptance speech for best director, Sean Baker spoke of the importance of films getting a theatrical release. Films, he said, are about humanity – and that is best experienced in watching a film with other people. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozpV7LyJ4YQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> During awards season, Baker has often spoken about the importance of small budget films in the expression of core human experiences. The final message of the night went to Baker when he thanked the Academy for recognising a truly independent film: “Long live independent film!” Indeed, independent films ruled this year’s Oscars. – Stuart Richards <h2>Best actor and actress</h2> Mikey Madison, who won the best actress award for Anora, is quite good in the role. That said, it’s difficult to evaluate her performance in such a meandering film. She tries hard playing a stripper who falls for Prince Charming – a Russian oligarch (Hollywood’s anti-Russian sentiment has certainly grown in recent years) who turns out to be a bit of a weakling with meanie parents. But Madison never really convincingly embodies the character, and we’re ever aware as we watch the film that she’s an actress working her way through relevant emotions and intensities. That said, Madison is good at yelling and stripping, and this is the main way she shows her chops here. She screamed well in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), too. The bar this year was admittedly pretty low, and truth be told Madison’s performance in Anora (aside from Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here) is probably the best out of the nominees. In contrast, Adrien Brody, who won the best actor award, is absolutely unforgettable in the flawed but magnificent The Brutalist – the best he’s been since The Pianist, and the deserved winner by a mile out of a similarly mediocre field. Brody is simply a pleasure to watch, and drives, in a wholly embodied way, this grandiose and exceedingly long film (the fact it doesn’t feel long is largely due to his magnetism). The screenplay, in which the character comes across as a combination of arrogant, sweet and at times comedic, allows Brody to display the full range of his talent, and he plays the whole thing with an endearing vulnerability. But, again, it’s unfair to compare Brody and Madison – The Brutalist is a spectacularly accomplished cinematic epic, while Anora feels as stylish and profound as a social media video (I know that’s the point, but that doesn’t make it any more compelling). – Ari Mattes <h2>A lacklustre year for music</h2> This was a strong year for music-based films, with three of the most nominated ones being musicals of various types: the big-budget Broadway adaptation Wicked, the original film musical Emilia Pérez, and the musician biopic A Complete Unknown. The music of the ceremony itself was nicely assembled, with a live orchestra (conducted by Michael Bearden) accompanying proceedings from above the stage. But the show was marred by an absence: the best song nominations were not performed live. The new songs this year were so bland, however – especially when compared to the Wicked score and Bob Dylan – that I can hardly blame the producers. The nominations included a dull Elton John song, some soft guitar rock from Sing Sing, Diane Warren’s 16th (!) nominated song (more soft rock), and two forgettable songs from Emilia Pérez (one of which, El Mal, was the winner). So little faith did the Academy have in the songs that only a few seconds were played from each, mostly covered by a montage of interviews with the songwriters. This year’s nominated best scores were not much more memorable, but Daniel Blumberg deserved his win for The Brutalist. It demonstrates a high level of composition and orchestration craft. It uses edgy instrumental textures to increase the feelings of uncertainty and imbalance that the film imparts. The show included a lot of Wizard of Oz. Ariana Grande sang Over the Rainbow from the 1939 film and Cynthia Erivo sang Home from The Wiz, the 1974 soul musical based on the book. Then they performed Defying Gravity from Wicked together. Another subtle Wizard of Oz nod was the music played during the commercial breaks: a loop based on Brand New Day from The Wiz, whose 1979 film version had its music produced by the late Quincy Jones. Queen Latifah and backup dancers brought some much needed energy to the last hour of the ceremony with Ease on Down the Road, also from The Wiz, as part of a Jones tribute. One surprise was an unnecessary but enjoyable James Bond sequence featuring Margaret Qualley dancing to John Barry’s famous theme, a performance of Live and Let Die by K-pop star Lisa, Doja Cat singing Diamonds Are Forever, and Raye’s rendition of Skyfall. This plus the various numbers from the Oz Musical Universe only highlighted how lacklustre this year’s nominated music was. – Gregory Camp By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/harriette-richards-992933">Harriette Richards</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ari-mattes-97857">Ari Mattes</a>, Lecturer in Communications and Media, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-notre-dame-australia-852">University of Notre Dame Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-camp-1280180">Gregory Camp</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stuart-richards-9983">Stuart Richards</a>, Senior Lecturer in Screen Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tom-clark-4911">Tom Clark</a>, Chair of Academic Board, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> 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/from-the-fashion-to-the-speeches-to-the-music-this-was-an-oscars-of-few-surprises-5-experts-break-it-down-251264">original article</a>. </div>

Movies

"How to guarantee you’ll stay poor"

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that being poor is just a mindset. At least, that’s the hot take from controversial Australian wealth and property guru Jack Henderson. Henderson recently graced his Facebook followers with a foolproof seven-step plan for staying poor. This list, boldly titled "how to guarantee you’ll stay poor", offers wisdom so profound it could only be matched by a fortune cookie written by a hedge fund manager. Let’s break it down, shall we? <ol start="1" data-spread="true"> <li> Start tomorrow, never today. </li> <li> Read every book and implement nothing. </li> <li> Hang around other broke people. </li> <li> Be a victim. Life is unfair. </li> <li> Fail once and never start again. </li> <li> Talk a big game. Do nothing you say you will. </li> <li> Listen to other broke people’s opinions and advice. </li> </ol> While Henderson’s devotees lapped up this advice like an overpriced matcha latte, struggling Australians facing a cost-of-living crisis may find it slightly less helpful. After all, when the price of a head of lettuce rivals that of a luxury handbag, "mindset" isn’t always the issue. The Reserve Bank of Australia did throw a lifeline to homeowners by cutting interest rates on February 18, but experts say it’s about as useful as offering a band-aid to someone who’s been hit by a bus. As Aaron Scott, co-founder of Aussie Proptech service bRight Agent, put it: "A rate cut might sound like good news on the surface, but the reality is that it’s unlikely to make a meaningful difference for many homeowners who are already stretched to their financial limits." Translation: Don’t start dreaming of caviar just yet. Scott also pointed out that, despite the hype, one rate cut won’t do much beyond covering the cost of a daily coffee. And even then, only if you’re buying it from the budget section of the servo. "A single rate cut is like getting a 4-cent discount on a $2 per-litre fuel. It might make you feel good, but the saving’s gone by the time you leave the servo." For those currently navigating the financial minefield of rent, groceries and a mortgage that costs more than a small island in the Pacific, a single rate cut is about as helpful as Henderson’s "mindset coaching". Recent Roy Morgan research found that 30% of Aussie mortgage holders – 1.5 million families – are experiencing mortgage stress. And with grocery prices skyrocketing, that stress isn’t going anywhere fast. "On a $1.4 million loan, a 6.75 per cent loan rate dropping to 6.5 per cent will only save the mortgage holder around $107 per fortnight," Scott said. In other words, just enough to buy an extra carton of eggs – if they’re on special. As Scott so eloquently put it, "A single RBA cut is like throwing a cup of water on a bushfire – it won’t contain the raging mortgage stress pain." But hey, at least we’ve got mindset, right? Maybe if we all start tomorrow, read a few books and surround ourselves with equally broke friends, financial freedom will magically appear. Until then, we’ll just keep admiring Jack Henderson’s wisdom – because if there’s one thing he’s truly mastered, it’s the art of talking a big game. Now excuse me while I go manifest my way to affording rent this month.

Money & Banking

From sunscreen to essential oils, why some personal care products could be harmful to your health

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asit-kumar-mishra-1458839">Asit Kumar Mishra</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</a> Each time you apply sunscreen to your face, you may inhale somewhere between <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/11/5944">10 to 30 milligrams of ethanol</a>, the type of alcohol used in alcoholic drinks. While the ethanol in sunscreen may not give you a buzz, it could make you think about what other chemicals you might be exposed to from personal care products. Products that are applied to the face, like sunscreen, can increase the inhalation of some chemicals by ten times or more than you would inhale from your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">home air in the entire day</a>. The levels of ethanol in cosmetics and skincare products may be reasonably safe – although it can still dry out the skin, causing pain, redness and swelling, and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ethanol-properties-uses-and-incident-management/ethanol-general-information">irritate the eyes</a>, causing tears, burning and stinging – but personal care products such as shampoos, skin creams, deodorants, cosmetics and perfumes contain fragrances and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be inhaled, absorbed through skin or ingested and some are more toxic than others. Unfortunately, manufacturers of personal care products <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-015-0327-6">do not have to disclose</a> every fragrance compound used. This is concerning when you consider the potential effects of toxic compounds that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">have been detected</a> in the air from personal care products. For example, hair-smoothing products have released formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can cause <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597627/">a range of symptoms</a> from dermatitis to low sperm count. Some perfumes and deodorants have generated monoterpenes, chemicals which <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8912113/#sec1-molecules-27-01716">can prove toxic</a> for some users. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfloNXKeyX8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Some of the VOCs found in personal care products <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36976159/">may trigger</a> skin irritation, headaches – and difficulty breathing, which can develop into an asthma attack in some users. The highest or peak concentration of these VOCs are likely to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22406137/">occur within ten minutes</a> of application. But these concentrations may take up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">two hours to decrease to background levels</a>, depending on your home’s ventilation. <h2>Natural doesn’t mean risk free</h2> But even if the levels of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20659630/">VOCs in personal care products</a> are kept <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22406137/">within safe limits</a>, they can still cause discomfort and a variety of health issues, including irritation of the eyes and airways, migraines and asthmatic reactions, in those who’re <a href="https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y">fragrance sensitive</a>. In the UK, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-018-00655-8">27% of the population</a> self reports as fragrance sensitive. It makes sense then that some people attempt to avoid potentially toxic synthetic chemicals in cosmetics by opting for “natural” or “clean” personal care products. But, <a href="https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y">natural does not mean safer</a>. For instance, essential oils are often used in “natural” personal care products as fragrance. Essential oils, though, are a source of terpenes, some of which can be <a href="https://www.lung.org/blog/essential-oils-harmful-or-helpful">toxic if absorbed, inhaled or swallowed</a>. Indoor concentration of terpenes are often at levels where you can smell them but not high enough to cause <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28126407/">eye or respiratory tract irritation</a>. However, the terpenes from essential oils can react with other chemicals, such as ozone from outdoor air, producing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32162221/">byproducts like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22250748/">allergens</a>. <h2>Beauty salon safety</h2> Beauty salons can be particularly risky environments for exposure to VOCs. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/7/4176">Studies have found</a> contaminants such as formaldehyde, ammonia and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/toluene-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/toluene-toxicological-overview">toluene</a>, a potentially harmful ingredient used in many personal care products, at high levels in salons, putting staff who work there at the highest risk. Formaldehyde levels in some salons have reached <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31321727/">above safety limits</a>. <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/npi/substances/fact-sheets/methyl-methacrylate#tabs-2">Methyl methacrylate</a>, which can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions and potential <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3072694/">respiratory issues</a> has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276513/">detected in the air of nail salons</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ydRklqO01fE?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> These contaminants are not necessarily limited to the places in a salon <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23765035/">where a certain product is being used</a>. Beauty salons with poor ventilation are likely to expose workers and customers to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494285/">much higher levels of contaminants</a>. Some of the components of personal care products are known, harmful contaminants and carcinogens. Regulations specifically related to ventilation in environments where large volumes of these products are used do reduce exposures. For instance, studies show that after ventilation regulations came into effect in Boston, US in 2011, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31622145/">air quality inside nail salons improved</a>. When visiting your nail salon or hair stylist, check with them about their ventilation system and other steps they are taking to reduce exposure to VOCs. To limit exposure to potential VOCs at home when using personal care products, try to open windows and use extractor fans in wet rooms. Be especially careful when applying products to the face or when using a high temperature application – <a href="https://occup-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12995-018-0213-x">high temperatures can increase emissions</a>.<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/248273/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asit-kumar-mishra-1458839">Asit Kumar Mishra</a>, Research Fellow in School of Public of Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/from-sunscreen-to-essential-oils-why-some-personal-care-products-could-be-harmful-to-your-health-248273">original article</a>. </div>

Body

I spy with my little eye: 3 unusual Australian plant ecosystems to spot on your next roadtrip

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-moore-1779">Gregory Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> When the growing gets tough, the tough trees and shrubs get growing. Australia’s environment is brutal. Its ancient, low-nutrient soils and generally low rainfall make it a hard place for plants to grow. Despite this, the continent is filled with wonderfully diverse plant ecosystems. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be easy to miss these seemingly unremarkable species. So, here are three little-known Australian plant species and ecosystems to look out for during your next roadtrip. <h2>1. Cycads and eucalypts</h2> If you are driving a coastal route along southern New South Wales, keep an eye out for the stunning combination of burrawang cycads (Macrozamia communis) and spotted gum (Corymbia maculata). These species live in harmony along the <a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org.au/our-science/our-collections/plant-families/cycads#:%7E:text=Meet%20one%20of%20the%20world's%20most%20southern%20Cycads&text=On%20the%20New%20South%20Wales,Spotted%20Gums%20(Corymbia%20maculata).">NSW coastline</a>, from Kempsey to Bega, and inland as far as Mudgee. If you’re on a road trip, now is the perfect time to talk to children about ancient moving continents, volcanoes and dinosaurs. Cycads are <a href="https://anpsa.org.au/APOL2009/feb09-s3.html">ancient gymnosperms</a> (cone-bearing plants) which evolved long before the Gondwanan supercontinent separated. These tough, hardy plants saw the dinosaurs come and go, and their relatives are found all around the world. These <a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org.au/our-science/our-collections/plant-families/cycads#:%7E:text=Not%20only%20is%20Macrozamia%20communis,inland%20as%20far%20as%20Mudgee.">cycads</a> form a striking understorey to the spotted gum. As their scientific name (Macrozamia communis) suggests, they form a dense community. Further north in Queensland, pineapple cycads (Lepidozamia peroffskyana), and Western Australia’s zamia palm (Macrozamia riedlei) are also worth spotting. Cycad seeds are poisonous, but First Nations Australians worked out a complex process to prepare them for <a href="https://www.apscience.org.au/apsf20036/">safe eating</a>. This involved dissolving the <a href="https://www.scienceflip.com.au/subjects/chemistry/equilibriumandacidreactions/learn10/">plant’s toxins</a> in running water, cooking, working and grinding the seeds into a powder. Spotted gums evolved long after dinosaurs went extinct. Early eucalypt fossils date from about 34 million years ago, while current species are often only a few million years old. Spotted gums are a great example of how plants that survive tough environments often also do well in difficult <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-humble-spotted-gum-is-a-world-class-urban-tree-heres-why-212540">urban situations</a>. Cycads are similarly found growing in poor soils and arid conditions. They have long, glossy leaves up to about 1.5 metres in length with lots of leaflets. There are both male and female plants. The female cone is an impressive, wide-domed structure that can be almost half a metre across. Its bright orange-red seeds are eaten by <a href="https://backyardbuddies.org.au/backyard-buddies/cycads/#:%7E:text=If%20you%20have%20a%20female,bats%20will%20feed%20on%20them.">foraging marsupials</a>, large birds and flying foxes. Spotted gums are tall, straight eucalyptus trees with dark green, glossy leaves. Old bark creates dark grey spots against their cream coloured trunk, giving them a mottled look. It is interesting to see ancient and modern species in such a close community relationship in cycad-spotted gum forests. Both are also well-adapted to the fires that frequent their habitat. <h2>2. Ancient acacias</h2> Travelling inland, the environment gets even tougher. Most large trees disappear and are replaced by woodlands dominated by <a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/abares/forestsaustralia/publishingimages/forest%20profiles%202005/acacia_forests_2005.pdf">inland acacia</a> (wattle) species. These inland acacias are short but mighty, with deep, extensive root systems. Two of these species, <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-mighty-mulga-grows-deep-and-lives-long-118838">mulga</a> (Acacia aneura) and brigalow (A. harpophylla) are part of Australian folklore. A Banjo Paterson character <a href="https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00072.txt">says</a>: “You know how the brigalow grows […] saplings about as thick as a man’s arm”. Nutrients and water resources are limited, so mulga and brigalow trees are often evenly spaced across the landscape. This eerie symmetry makes it look like they were planted by humans. Many people are unaware that the twisted, stunted specimens they see are more than 250 years old and occupy vast tracts of the Australian landscape. <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/action-plan/priority-plants/waddy-wood">Waddy-wood</a> (Acacia peuce) is a rare species of acacia, found in just three locations on the edge of the Simpson Desert. This tree has very strong wood, and was used by Indigenous Australians for making clubs (waddys) and tools for carrying fire. Inland acacias were widely used by Indigenous Australians for their wood, resins and medicinal properties. They have also been used as <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/671421/using-mulga-as-a-forage-supplement-for-livestock-in-droughts.pdf">fodder for livestock</a>, especially during drought. These <a href="https://era.dpi.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/13430/1/QJAS_6%5B2%5D_1949_pp87-139_everist.pdf">crucial species</a> provide important habitat for other plants and animals. But they are under threat. As old trees collapse and die, there are no young trees replacing them. This is because of drought and grazing, compounded by <a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/environmental-risk-mitigation-plan-acacia.pdf">climate change</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/desertification">Desertification</a> – where fertile land is degraded until it essentially becomes desert – is becoming a huge problem due to the massive area dominated by acacias. <h2>3. Boabs</h2> If you’re driving across the Northern Territory and Western Australia, you might come across the <a href="https://theconversation.com/built-like-buildings-boab-trees-are-life-savers-with-a-chequered-past-118821">mighty boab</a> (Adansonia gregoryii). These close relatives of the African and Madagascan baobabs <a href="https://theconversation.com/baobab-trees-all-come-from-madagascar-new-study-reveals-that-their-seeds-and-seedlings-floated-to-mainland-africa-and-all-the-way-to-australia-231031">floated to Australia</a> as seeds or seedlings around 12 million years ago. These <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2019/07/how-did-the-iconic-boab-tree-get-to-australia/">deciduous trees</a> live in mostly dry environments that also experience strong monsoonal-type rains. Boabs trap and store water in their trunks, allowing them not only to survive but thrive. Their African and Madagascan baobab relatives are sometimes called <a href="https://www.oneearth.org/species-of-the-week-african-baobab-tree/">trees of life</a>, as they support many species. Australian boabs are similar. They offer habitat, roosting and nesting sites. Their flowers and fruits are food sources to many species of insects and birds. They were – and are – important trees in First Nations cultures. Carvings and symbols on their trunks can last for more than a century, much longer than on other trees. These are called <a href="https://www.snexplores.org/article/carvings-australia-boab-trees-lost-history-first-nation">dendroglyphs</a>. For example, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-boab-trees-of-the-remote-tanami-desert-are-carved-with-centuries-of-indigenous-history-and-theyre-under-threat-191676">snake carvings</a> dated to more than 200 years old have been found on boab trees in Northern Australia’s Tanami Desert. While these special trees are usually found far from the beaten track, they can be spotted growing around Darwin and other remote towns. If you get the chance to see them, count yourself lucky. <h2>Tough terrain, tough trees</h2> Plant communities are remarkably resilient. They also display great creativity when evolving ways to survive tough environments. Make sure to keep an eye out as you’re exploring Australia and enjoy the fascinating plants our country has to offer.<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/246129/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-moore-1779">Gregory Moore</a>, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/i-spy-with-my-little-eye-3-unusual-australian-plant-ecosystems-to-spot-on-your-next-roadtrip-246129">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

Jackie O reveals how she lost her driver's license

Jackie O has revealed the simple road rule she broke that cost her her drivers license many years ago. The KIIS FM host revealed live on air that after she was wearing her seatbelt incorrectly, she lost her license. "I always wear it over me, but it was just that one day because I had got a tan," Jackie explained to her listeners on Monday morning. Jackie O said she was put on a 12-month good behaviour period, which means she had been driving with one demerit for a year. However, in the final week of her restriction, she lost the point just days before earning all her points back. "I got through the whole year by one week and then lost it," she said. Jackie then confirmed she lost her license two weeks ago and said she was struggling not being allowed to drive. The 50-year-old said she first struggled with not having a license after she had been gifted a trip to the Blue Mountains by her friend Gemma O'Neill for her 50th birthday. But she questioned how she was going to travel to her weekend away, which is more than 110km away from her home in Sydney's eastern suburbs, now that she is unable to drive herself there. "Gemma – my best friend – she's given me a weekend away to a silent retreat," she said live on air. "I'm gonna have to catch the train because it's to the Blue Mountains and I don't have my licence!" Image credits: Instagram

Legal

Why physical affection can boost your health

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/viren-swami-241976">Viren Swami</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a> In the opening scene of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Z3_ifFheQ">Love, Actually</a>, Hugh Grant’s character says how, whenever he gets gloomy with the state of the world, he thinks about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. The reason is on screen: we see couples kissing, old friends embracing, children smiling and laughing as they jump into the arms of their parents. Airports are great places to really understand the importance of physical affection – hugging, kissing, cuddling, holding hands, or even just touching. But physical affection is ubiquitous in everyday life, too – and with good reason. Science shows that non-sexual physical affection produces more than just moments of joy – it also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03637751.2020.1805480?casa_token=DrsRLnkOANAAAAAA:u8gR6dQFL2Jp99tIr3m1Bcm14hc-EwVrbckdpuDX0HyWEBDrzoUcxNYpkCQzXP5oD_IhHqzYo7Fj">benefits</a> our mental and physical health. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PlyMXYys16U?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Physical affection is one of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1998.tb00157.x?casa_token=Rq8rCHwvKboAAAAA%3AxmDZvSXM6wTZuZzCCotRMro4nC_xcSbnw6Em8Od29q__XfYEhuwW9Iigpr2c8WlZJ_aMY4ng5m-DM40">most direct</a> and important ways that people communicate intimacy in their romantic relationships. And it seems to occur in romantic relationships all over the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167220988373?casa_token=2rLs7-9M9bAAAAAA:UduYJMPaWQmLGFZXW0YcLvaBf-Lor1jITDDSIpqVTtTVuznW7YC89p-Jp0WUtebc2UTE8-ikrrxp&casa_token=2_f_mSXK3YYAAAAA:AkLcZq_uAkQ7HyQL9jCDdubu7zuseAslE864obd1OYUMR1JLq7JPDM3C7lLMJTzDHEnQwgs6kQRi">world</a>, despite cross-cultural differences in ideas of love and romance. People in romantic relationships report more <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10919-018-0281-8">intimate physical affection</a> than singletons. They’re also more comfortable allowing their partners to touch more of their bodies than strangers or friends. For example, most people are comfortable being touched on their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1519231112">thighs and abdomen</a> by their partner, but not by other people. Even how we touch our partners is different to how we touch other people. When participants in one study were asked to stroke their partner, a friend, a stranger, or an artificial arm, they did so more <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10919-020-00334-2">slowly</a> with their partner. Slower strokes may may be experienced as more pleasant and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/14/5/645/6973562">erotic</a> than quicker strokes. Even just <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203039">thinking</a> about physical affection from a partner evokes pleasant and erotic sensations. There is now strong evidence showing that physical contact is associated with better physical and mental health. One <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01841-8">review</a> of “touch interventions” – think massage – in 212 studies involving more than 13,000 participants found that physical touch benefited everything from sleep patterns to blood pressure to fatigue. Touch interventions were especially helpful in reducing pain, depression and anxiety. <h2>Couple’s therapy</h2> Before you rush off to book yourself a massage, you should know that much of the evidence suggests the strongest benefits come from physical affection with romantic partners. Several studies have found that, in couples, physical affection is associated with a range of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273229711000025?casa_token=ER4aGB-3vusAAAAA:IBMtXZdEpTywjizJ4kwcOPO2HykSwgaK3GS3qYWh5JTYvWJCLW-x1I3IYDYKbzLZ9aX8QIhOLlA">physiological</a> effects, including lower blood pressure and better immune responses. In couples, physical affection is also associated with better psychological <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167213497592?casa_token=_OtVkA13hgkAAAAA%3AU6eWWQLI4CXadtUanBR1PEGBA-Xh8en3plwOayvC4KNF_Ybi8zyzHjheM1m2XWLxjgczoQstUEEbDg&journalCode=pspc">wellbeing</a>. One study found that couples who <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42761-021-00093-3">sleep-touched</a> – cuddling shortly before or after sleep – felt happier and calmer in the morning, which meant they were more likely to enjoy the company of their partners. Physical affection – including <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-013-0190-1?correlationId=bbd6ba1a-a372-4cae-83b3-6d9ba5704f4e&error=cookies_not_supported&code=dc878548-1748-44ed-bf6b-36dd348ea060">kissing</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-014-0305-3">affection after sex</a> – is also associated with greater relationship and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-016-0820-5">sexual satisfaction</a>, and better ratings of one’s relationship overall, which in turn contribute to better psychological wellbeing. And even when conflicts do occur, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203522">hugging</a> seems to reduce levels of negative mood in couples. Cuddle up, because there’s more. Receiving physical affection from a partner makes us feel psychologically stronger. One study found that women showed less activation in parts of the brain that respond to threat when <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01832.x">holding their husband’s hand</a>. Even just imagining touch from a partner can increase one’s willingness to take on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103116302013?via%3Dihub">challenging tasks</a>. Another way to look at this is to examine what happens when we lose physical affection. Studies have shown that “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijop.12616">touch deprivation</a>” – the absence of touch – is associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Indeed, the loss of affection from others during the pandemic <a href="https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/2204">hit many people hard</a>. Among couples, a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10570314.2014.927071?casa_token=D34OY4K-RBIAAAAA:GY-MyGWWcZfOZgOYLmtjYbn3buO5fL1FUiD7whf1fs_aFQPGORTPwOS9Eh0ODdbeRmW32ehtrtntug">lack of physical affection</a> is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, stress, and feelings of loneliness. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ErWfdjdOah8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> There are several ways in which physical affection provides these benefits. Affectionate touch is known to activate <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.23679">reward centres</a> of the brain, which boosts our mood and promotes feelings of wellbeing. Touch also stimulates the release of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638320301107?casa_token=I6GG0M3UAQEAAAAA:qSsExsEvHY9NHduwUF26okRMUm1Ls-gYHbrVNzaYgMkmS-Ohk2Y5ZvowbF2iWfpa6SO-mw6duuI">oxytocin</a>, which can strengthen social bonds and increase feelings of trust between individuals. It’s for these reasons that oxytocin is sometimes called the “cuddle chemical”. Physical affection also reduces levels of the stress hormone <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.03.011">cortisol</a> and reduces perceived pain, which suppress physiological stress systems. One study found that a ten-minute neck-and-shoulder <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453007000698?casa_token=2Bzr1YblT_wAAAAA:U9SNg8zkf30IXRI9MHpvdrJHJm6SWSbmnwpMu5pmMVElt5xifUTAkaM8Vp3vvOcas9JTUYHZlwQ">massage</a> from one’s partner helped lower cortisol responses, helping to regulate levels of stress. Psychologically, physical affection in romantic relationships is an important way <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167213497592?casa_token=_OtVkA13hgkAAAAA%3AU6eWWQLI4CXadtUanBR1PEGBA-Xh8en3plwOayvC4KNF_Ybi8zyzHjheM1m2XWLxjgczoQstUEEbDg&journalCode=pspc">to keep our emotions under control</a>. Touching one’s partner in a caring manner helps to improve their mood and makes them feel loved, secure, and safe. As feelings of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-006-9071-1">connection</a>, trust, and belonging are strengthened through non-sexual physical signs of affection, negative effect is reduced and psychological well-being is improved. However, not everyone likes to be touched, even if it is by their romantic partners. Some people are “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00990960">touch avoidant</a>” – and some people may actually be apprehensive about being touched. For instance, people with avoidant attachment styles – characterised by a discomfort with emotional closeness – often have very <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.05.035">negative views about cuddling</a> and are more <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167295213008">hesitant</a> to touch their partners. Conversely, people with anxious attachment styles – characterised by a fear of abandonment – may desire <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167295213008">more touch</a> than they receive. But when couples have similar touch preferences, it can lead to greater attraction, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407520910791?casa_token=Q1265G4ynqsAAAAA%3AWuu40ji4ca-_TKKA7P2CeSqeTTFfYH-Bfz1c0pBUCJ6fD0_twBugXqg3Geon-ncaS2VhjfUTdp9HiQ&journalCode=spra">closeness</a>, and commitment to one another. And if you’re looking for a fun way to incorporate non-sexual physical affection into your relationships, consider home massage. One study found that couples who <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/11/2/33">took turns massaging</a> each other at home felt a deeper connection with each other, and felt more relaxed and less stressed.<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/247858/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/viren-swami-241976">Viren Swami</a>, Professor of Social Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/why-physical-affection-can-boost-your-health-247858">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Man charged with murder one day after police offer $500,000 reward

Coffs Harbour police have charged a 66-year-old man with the murder of Duncan Campbell, one day after announcing a $500,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Campbell’s body was discovered just over a year ago on February 12, 2024, in bushland near his campsite on John Champion Way. Initially, authorities did not consider his death suspicious. However, a medical review later revealed that the 58-year-old had been brutally assaulted, prompting a homicide investigation. Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty explained that humid and wet weather conditions had significantly decomposed the body, leading to the initial incorrect assessment of the cause of death. This misjudgment resulted in delays to the murder inquiry. On Tuesday, police issued a public reward of $500,000 for information on the case. Less than 24 hours later, strike force detectives arrested the suspect in Coffs Harbour. The man has been charged with murder and is accused of bludgeoning Campbell to death with a steel pole. He was refused bail and is set to appear in court. Campbell, a father of four and grandfather, had been living in a campsite with other rough sleepers near City Hill before his disappearance. Detective Superintendent Doherty noted that Campbell was well-regarded by those who knew him. "He was a loving father and grandfather," Doherty said. "[He] fell on hard times in recent years that led to him sleeping rough. He was a decent man; there was no criminality from Duncan." Campbell was reported missing by his family after they lost contact with him. Police discovered his body a week later in nearby bushland. Campbell’s murder comes amid a troubling rise in homicide cases in the Coffs Harbour-Grafton region. According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), the area recorded five murders in the year ending September 2024 – the highest annual total in the past decade. Image: NSW Police

Legal

How women will shoulder the burden of new care reforms

It’s time to put a ‘gender lens’ on the once-in-a-generation reforms to Australia’s aged care system. There are almost <a href="https://www.gen-agedcaredata.gov.au/topics/people-using-aged-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double</a> the number of women compared with men in permanent residential care. Women are also more likely to use home care services. And we do the bulk of unpaid caring for ageing parents and grandparents. In fact, almost 70% of women provide primary care, according to the <a href="https://www.carersnsw.org.au/uploads/main/Files/3.Resources/Policy-Research/Carers-NSW_2022_National_Carer_Survey-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Carer Survey</a>. Given these shocking statistics, why is the federal government reducing the quality of care, under its new Support at Home model? This affects women on both sides of the system: as unpaid carers and clients. It’s all to do with pricing. A 10% cap on care management fees will apply from July this year. This means home care service providers may not be able to continue to give older people, who are overwhelmingly women, the level of care they need. “The Aged Care Royal Commission told the sector loudly that Australians expect quality care. The Australian Government went so far to describe what that means in the 2024 Aged Care legislation, so the sector is aghast at the caps on care management, which is critical in supporting vulnerable older people to understand, know and access the support they need to age in place,” Your Side CEO, Danielle Ballantine, says. Capping care management results in the very specialist skills of a care manager being outsourced to family. Inevitably it’s women – especially the sandwich generation – who will shoulder this burden, while trying to hold down jobs and secure their financial future. My sister and I would have been lost without this support when we were caring for Dad in the home, while working full-time and raising our children. Many female carers are forced to cut back their hours of paid work – or leave employment altogether – reducing their earning capacity and financial security. This feeds into the gender pay and superannuation gaps: Women retire with around 25% <a href="https://www.hesta.com.au/stories/bridging-the-gap-for-women-and-super" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less</a> super than men, with many older single women living in extreme poverty. This is undoubtedly an unintended consequence. But it must form part of the federal government’s considerations. “The government is currently consulting with older people, consumer advocates and the sector, with more news on pricing yet to be announced,” Ms Ballantine says. We need women – unpaid carers, aged care workers and clients – to be at the centre of these conversations. Under the proposed changes, most of the services assisting people to be healthy, safe and independent in their later stages of life will be out of <a href="https://www.theweeklysource.com.au/home-care/cut-in-care-management-funding-threatens-high-quality-home-care-say-providers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reach</a>. Based on the capacity to pay, some older people might not be able to afford a care worker to support them to have a shower. When unpaid carers step in, they often become burned out, increasing the risk of skin tears and falls. Without adequate care management oversight, some of these issues can become life threatening. Is this the way we should be treating older women, many of whom have spent their lives caring for others? Closer to home, is this the future we want for ourselves? Image credits: Shutterstock / Supplied Tracey Spicer AM is a multiple Walkley Award-winning journalist, author and passionate advocate for social responsibility issues. She is an Ambassador for the non-profit aged care provider Your Side.

Money & Banking

"Dying does change how you live": Beloved Neighbours star opens up about cancer battle

Veteran Neighbours star Ian Smith, best known for his role as Harold Bishop on the popular long-running show, has shared insights into his ongoing battle with cancer, revealing that despite the challenges, he feels "good". Smith, 86, was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/non-fixable-neighbours-icon-reveals-terminal-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer</a> in 2024, leading to his departure from the beloved soap opera. In a candid interview with The Guardian, he recently reflected on his journey, saying, "I thought I would be stronger, but I am as weak as any human. Dying does change how you live." He added that his illness has made him "more forgiving, more understanding". The actor began chemotherapy and immunotherapy as part of his treatment, which has proved effective despite his terminal diagnosis. Initially, doctors predicted he wouldn’t survive past March 2024, but his successful response to treatment has extended his life expectancy to Christmas 2026. "I know I have cancer because doctors keep telling me I have it," he said. "I may get very sick again one day. But I have lived the most privileged life." Smith first appeared as Harold Bishop in Neighbours in 1987, introduced as the former love interest of Madge Mitchell, played by Anne Charleston. His character became a fan favourite, with Smith making multiple returns to the show over the decades. He initially played Harold from 1987 to 1991 before returning from 1996 to 2009. He later made guest appearances in 2011, 2015, 2022, and most recently in 2024 before stepping away due to his illness. Upon Smith’s most recent departure, Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison paid tribute to his contribution to the show. "The way the residents of Ramsay Street feel about Harold is how we all feel about Ian – we couldn't love him more than we do," Herbison told the Herald Sun. A spokesperson for Network 10 also expressed admiration for the actor, stating, "We are deeply saddened to hear of Ian Smith's cancer diagnosis. He is a cherished member of the Neighbours family." Beyond Neighbours, Smith appeared in the cult TV series Prisoner and worked extensively in theatre since the 1950s. His personal life has been marked by both joy and sorrow. His wife, Gail, passed away in 2019 after her own battle with cancer, after the couple had been married for more than 50 years. Smith also faced personal revelations later in life. At 54, he discovered he had been adopted after his mother, Connie, disclosed the truth before her passing. He later found his biological mother, Peg Kline, who revealed she had conceived him at 14 following a sexual assault. The two maintained a relationship until her death in 2005, also from cancer. Smith shared his adoption story on ABC’s Australian Story. Despite his health struggles, Smith remains positive and reflective, cherishing the life he has led. His impact on Australian TV has certainly solidified his place as one of the industry’s most beloved figures. Image: Network 10

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