A largely hidden fault beneath the Victorian Alps has triggered a magnitude 5.8 quake that was felt as far afield as Sydney, Adelaide and Launceston. Here’s what we know so far.
Set at a long, beery election night party, David Williamson’s classic play is laced with unfinished sexual encounters, fist fights and drunken accusations. It feels remarkably fresh today.
Tolerating political protest is an essential part of democratic life. But when the protests pose a genuine risk of harm to the community, that’s when they are no longer ethically justified.
We can do better than building a village of glorified dongas. Smart quarantine can be much higher-tech, and more adaptable for future uses once the pandemic is over.
A smart light pole in the UK can also recognise faces and numberplates and detect speeding.
Nazlika/Wikimedia Commons
Smart street furniture can do a lot of things at once. Some of these functions offer the public clear benefits, but the data collection and surveillance capabilities raise a number of concerns.
We can learn from how the Howard Springs quarantine facility in the Northern Territory works when planning Victoria’s new hub.
Glenn Campbell/AAP Image
The revamped Victorian hotel quarantine system appears to have addressed the weaknesses of the previous system, particularly around the risk of airborne transmission.
Meru Sheel, Australian National University and Charlee J Law, Australian National University
During the current COVID outbreak in Melbourne, the state government has been listing exposure sites as tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3. So what’s the difference between each level, and why does it matter?
Another lockdown in Victoria comes at a considerable cost. However, it’s important to see the distinction between this short, sharp lockdown and the one that lasted several months last year.
If there are inevitably going to be leaks from quarantine, wouldn’t it be better to have it in an isolated location so it can’t spread further?
Novak Djokovic was one of the lucky ones, sitting out quarantine in Adelaide and with greater freedom to train than tennis players isolating in Melbourne.
Morgan Sette/AAP Image
Nobody likes a whinger. But when you’re used to having an entourage, and being feted around the world, things can get tough when you don’t get your own way.