tag:theconversation.com,2011:/institutions/victoria-university-1175/articlesVictoria University2024-03-18T19:21:22Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254462024-03-18T19:21:22Z2024-03-18T19:21:22ZWhat’s the best way to ease rents and improve housing affordability? We modelled 4 of the government’s biggest programs<p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/housing-series-2024-153769">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ease rental stress and get more Australians into home ownership. Four of the most prominent are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://firsthome.gov.au/">first homeowner grants</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://unohomeloans.com.au/articles/shared-equity-schemes">shared equity schemes</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/taxes-duties-levies-royalties/transfer-duty/first-home-buyers">first homeowner stamp duty exemptions</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-services/commonwealth-rent-assistance">rent assistance</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Our team at Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies has modelled the economic impact of each of them in a way that allows their outcomes to be <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-344.pdf">compared</a>.</p>
<p>The bad news is that we’ve found none of the four can simultaneously lift affordability for renters, lift affordability for owners, get more Australians into home ownership, and boost economic efficiency.</p>
<p>The good news is we’ve found a mix that could work well.</p>
<p>We used Victoria University’s regional economic model to compare the effect of spending an extra A$500 million on the variant of each of the programs presently available in Victoria.</p>
<p>To better assess the economic impact, we assumed the extra $500 million was paid for by an increase in taxation.</p>
<h2>Grants and shared equity</h2>
<p>We found first homeowner grants improve affordability for owners, slightly improve affordability for renters, and slightly increase home ownership rates, but come with a heavy economic cost.</p>
<p>The cost to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economic_efficiency.asp">economic efficiency</a> amounts to about 20 cents for every dollar spent. Economic efficiency measures the extent to which inputs such as labour, land and capital are allocated to their most valuable uses.</p>
<p>Importantly, that 20 cents in the dollar cost is the economic cost of the spending, not the cost of raising the revenue to fund it.</p>
<p>With the average economic cost of state government taxation in the vicinity of <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-289.pdf">30 cents</a> per dollar raised, that means every extra dollar raised to be spent on a first home buyer grant has an economic cost of about 50 cents, making it an economically expensive way to get people into homes.</p>
<p>Shared equity schemes in which the government part-owns a home with a buyer have similar costs, but are better at getting people into their own homes.</p>
<h2>Stamp duty discounts</h2>
<p>Our modelling finds that stamp duty discounts for first home buyers have an economic benefit. This is because stamp duty is an extraordinarily inefficient tax that makes it <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">harder for people to move</a>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the model also finds stamp duty discounts will make home ownership even less affordable by pushing up property prices, and make it only slightly easier for the first home owners able to get the discounts. </p>
<h2>Rent assistance</h2>
<p>Rent assistance is delivered by the Commonwealth rather than states to Australians in receipt of Commonwealth benefits. </p>
<p>Our study finds its economic costs are low, just 5 cents for every dollar spent, meaning that raising extra tax and spending it on rent assistance should have a total economic cost of about 35 cents for each dollar raised and spent.</p>
<p>We find it has a significant effect in making rent more affordable, but causes home ownership rates to fall, because it tips the balance for financially strained households in favour of renting rather than buying.</p>
<h2>What works best</h2>
<p>If making shelter more affordable for low-income earners is the number one priority, by far the best way to do it is to boost rent assistance.</p>
<p>While the benefits come at the expense of home ownership, for the renters receiving them, they are worth having.</p>
<p>But rent assistance is federally administered. For a state government, the best way to help both owners and renters at the lowest economic cost appears to be a mix of two thirds first home buyer grants and one third stamp duty discounts. </p>
<p>Our modelling suggests such a blend would have a negligible impact on economic efficiency and home affordability, while allowing more owners to rent and, as a result, make renting more affordable. </p>
<p>However, it would be costly. From a national perspective, the same improvement in rental affordability could be achieved for less than one-tenth the financial cost if the Commonwealth were to fund additional rent assistance.</p>
<p>If nothing else, our modelling proves these decisions are difficult.</p>
<p>No single tool is perfect, but using the right mix of them can help – all the more so if the states and Commonwealth can work together. Our estimates can help.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-help-to-buy-scheme-will-help-but-wont-solve-the-housing-crisis-224956">The Help to Buy scheme will help but won't solve the housing crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225446/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For the Commonwealth, the best measure is rent assistance. For the states, it’s a mix of two-thirds first homebuyer grants and one-third stamp duty discounts.Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria UniversityJames Giesecke, Professor, Centre of Policy Studies and the Impact Project, Victoria UniversityXianglong Locky Liu, Research fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256672024-03-13T09:20:50Z2024-03-13T09:20:50ZKemenangan ‘Oppenheimer’ hingga penampilan pribumi yang memukau: Oscar 2024 di mata 5 pakar<p>Seperti banyak film biografi, <em>Oppenheimer</em> karya Christopher Nolan, yang mendapatkan tujuh penghargaan termasuk Film Terbaik, mungkin terlihat agak konyol, seperti sebuah aksi berdandan. Kita menyaksikan bagaimana aktor-aktor terkenal seperti Robert Downey Jr. (yang memenangkan Aktor Pendukung Terbaik) dan Cillian Murphy (Aktor Terbaik) berusaha keras untuk berperan sebagai tokoh-tokoh sejarah nyata, tapi tetap tidak bisa menangkap segala halnya 100% sempurna.</p>
<p>Demikian pula dengan narasinya–yang menelusuri keterlibatan J. Robert Oppenheimer dalam Proyek Manhattan mengembangkan bom atom yang pada akhirnya akan menghancurkan Hiroshima dan Nagasaki–berjalan dengan cara lambat seperti umumnya narasi kisah nyata.</p>
<p>Film genre biasanya memiliki banyak ketelitian dan kecerdasan karena mereka mengikuti formula tertentu yang mengharuskan mereka untuk sangat kreatif dengan cerita dan tampilan mereka–elemen-elemen tersebut tak tampak di sini.</p>
<p>Namun, <em>Oppenheimer</em> memenangkan Film Terbaik bukanlah sebuah kesalahan. Malah, kemenangan tersebut sangat masuk akal.</p>
<p>Film ini benar-benar memikat, menggunakan visual dan suara untuk menciptakan pengalaman yang intens dan memukau yang terlihat luar biasa di layar besar, terutama karena difilmkan dalam film 70mm berkualitas tinggi.</p>
<p>Seperti kebanyakan film Christopher Nolan, <em>Oppenheimer</em> sedikit berlebihan dan terlalu berusaha keras untuk tampak lebih dalam dari yang sebenarnya. Namun, sebagai sebuah refleksi hiburan tahun 1950-an–sebuah periode yang sering diidealkan dalam film dan budaya Amerika–Nolan melakukan pekerjaan hebat.</p>
<p><em>Oppenheimer</em> bukanlah <a href="https://theconversation.com/oppenheimer-barbie-past-lives-an-experts-pick-for-the-oscars-2024-best-picture-winner-225264">film terbaik yang dinominasikan</a> atau film terbaik tahun 2023, tetapi ia berhasil sebagai sebuah karya sinema.</p>
<p>Kemenangan ini merupakan perubahan yang cukup menyegarkan: Akademi telah menjauh dari film-film yang biasanya membosankan dan didaktis, yang penuh dengan pesan dan telah mendominasi dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Sebaliknya, mereka memilih untuk memberi penghargaan pada sebuah karya yang secara teknis dan formal tercapai dengan baik, sebuah karya yang benar-benar mempertimbangkan mediumnya dan efektif dalam menggunakannya.</p>
<p>–<em>Ari Mattes</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/oppenheimer-barbie-past-lives-an-experts-pick-for-the-oscars-2024-best-picture-winner-225264">Oppenheimer? Barbie? Past Lives? An expert's pick for the Oscars 2024 best picture winner</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Di karpet merah: pin merah dan gaun hitam</h2>
<p>Upacara penghargaan sering kali menjadi kesempatan untuk menyampaikan pernyataan politik melalui fesyen. Di Oscar, pernyataan ini biasanya berbentuk pin atau pita. Pada 2021, banyak peserta mengenakan <a href="https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/celebrity-style/a39549279/oscars-blue-ribbons-ukraine-refugees/">pita #withrefugees</a> berwarna biru sebagai dukungan terhadap Ukraina setelah invasi Rusia.</p>
<p>Tahun ini, sebagai tanggapan atas serangan Israel yang sedang berlangsung di Gaza, banyak artis, termasuk Billie Eilish (dalam balutan Chanel) dan Finneas O'Connell, Ava DuVernay (dalam busana Louis Vuitton), Ramy Youssef (dalam <em>thobe</em> hitam cantik karya Zegna), Mahershala Ali, Riz Ahmed dan Mark Ruffalo mengenakan pin merah <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/billie-eilish-ramy-youssef-artists4ceasefire-pins-oscars-2024">Artists4Ceasefire</a>. </p>
<p>Pernyataan lain dibuat melalui desain itu sendiri.</p>
<p>Bagi Lily Gladstone, penduduk asli Amerika pertama yang dinominasikan dalam kategori Aktris Terbaik, ini berarti mengenakan gaun kolom Gucci hitam cantik yang menampilkan kereta biru tengah malam dengan manik-manik menakjubkan karya seniman Pribumi Mohawk, Cree & Comanche Joe Big Mountain dari Ironhorse Quillwork.</p>
<p>Terlepas dari sifat politis contoh-contoh ini, Academy Awards secara konvensional merupakan acara yang agak konservatif. Tahun ini pun tak berbeda. Pilihan warna dominan untuk semua jenis kelamin adalah hitam, kilau berlimpah, dan siluetnya anggun, meski mudah ditebak.</p>
<p>Beberapa yang menonjol dalam lautan prediktabilitas monokrom ini adalah ansambel karya <a href="https://www.istitutomarangoni.com/en/maze35/game-changers/anatomy-of-loewe-how-jonathan-anderson-berbentuk-merek-itu-2023">Jonathan Anderson di Loewe</a>. Greta Lee menampilkan keanggunan sederhana dalam balutan gaun hitam putih langsung dari <em>runway</em> Musim Gugur 2024, Celine Song melanjutkan komitmennya pada jahitan dengan rok dan blazer yang tajam, dan Andrea Riseborough menerobos kilau yang ada dengan gaun kotak-kotak lengan panjang yang unik untuk tampil karpet merah.</p>
<p>Sorotan lainnya termasuk Sandra Hüller dalam balutan busana Schiaparelli kustom, dengan detail lengan bersayap tajam yang mengingatkan kita pada gaun karya Gilbert Adrian yang dikenakan sosialita Amerika <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/%202010/03/16/fabulous-dead-people-millicent-rogers/">Millicent Rogers tahun 1947</a>, Emma Stone dalam balutan Louis Vuitton hijau mint dengan peplum (aksen mengembang) yang mengingatkan pada detail lengan dari kostum pemenang Desain Kostum Terbaiknya di <em>Poor Things</em>, dan Wim Wenders dengan pakaian Yohji Yamamoto yang sama seperti yang dia <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/wim-wenders-norman-reedus-model-yohji-yamamoto-runway-1235794560/">modelkan di atas <em>catwalk</em></a> Januari lalu. </p>
<p>– <em>Harriette Richards</em></p>
<h2>Kekuatan suara Pribumi</h2>
<p>Dalam momen yang benar-benar bersejarah, Oscar menampilkan penampilan luar biasa dari musisi dan komposer Osage Scott George dengan Osage Tribal Singers membawakan <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/%20scott-george-osage-tribal-singers-perform-killers-of-the-flower-moon-2024-oscars-1235629256/"><em>Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)</em></a> dari <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em>. Osage sendiri merupakan keturunan penduduk asli Amerika Utara yang telah bermukim di sana selama ribuan tahun.</p>
<p><em>Wahzhazhe</em> adalah lagu untuk konsumsi publik, bukan untuk tujuan seremonial, dan dengan itu George adalah <a href="https://parade.com/movies/osage-singers">pria asli Amerika pertama</a> yang menerima nominasi Oscar untuk lagu orisinal terbaik, meski kalah dari Billie Elish.</p>
<p>Oscar mengharuskan musik didaftarkan <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/scott-george-osage-tribal-singers-perform-killers-of-the-flower-moon-%202024-oscar-1235629256/">dalam bentuk tertulis</a>. Namun, Osage umumnya tidak menyimpan musik secara tertulis—melainkan dalam memori. George mengatakan kepada Billboard bahwa butuh “tiga atau empat hari” untuk menuliskan karya tersebut dalam notasi musik.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766984480974336399"}"></div></p>
<p><em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em> mendapatkan 10 nominasi Oscar, termasuk Aktris Terbaik untuk Piegan Blackfeet dan aktor Nez Perce Lily Gladstone yang berperan sebagai Mollie Burkhart. Gladstone adalah wanita penduduk asli Amerika pertama yang dinominasikan sebagai aktris terbaik dalam peran utama, namun sayangnya ia gagal meraih Oscar, kalah dari Emma Stone dalam Poor Things.</p>
<p>Komunitas adat di seluruh dunia menantikannya dengan napas tertahan–namun terlepas dari tidak adanya Oscar, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=807642254731572&set=a.620962340066232">semua orang sangat antusias</a> melihatnya dinominasikan.</p>
<p>Kisah-kisah seperti <em>Killer of the Flower Moon</em>, tentang “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Osage-murders">pemerintahan teror</a>” yang membunuh puluhan Osage secara brutal, perlu diceritakan agar tidak terlupakan. Tidak hanya menarik, tapi juga sudah waktunya kita melihat lebih banyak masyarakat adat mengambil peran utama dalam film. Kesuksesan <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em> seharusnya membuat Hollywood memperhatikan bahwa masyarakat ingin cerita-cerita ini diceritakan.</p>
<p>Tanpa memenangkan banyak penghargaan di Oscar 2024, <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em> menyertakan aktor-aktor penduduk asli Amerika yang luar biasa termasuk Tantoo Cardinal yang memerankan Lizzie Q, ibu dari karakter Gladstone, Mollie Burkhart, dan saudara perempuannya yang diperankan oleh Cara Jade Myers (Anna), JaNae Collins (Reta) dan Jillian Dion (Minnie). </p>
<p><em>– Bronwyn Carlson</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/an-oscar-win-for-lily-gladstone-would-be-a-huge-step-for-native-americans-in-an-industry-that-has-reduced-them-to-stereotypes-224724">An Oscar win for Lily Gladstone would be a huge step for Native Americans in an industry that has reduced them to stereotypes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Empat nominasi pidato paling berapi-api</h2>
<p>“Pada mulanya adalah Firman, dan Firman itu bersama-sama dengan Allah, dan Firman itu adalah Allah.” </p>
<p>Da’Vine Joy Randolph memberikan pidato penerimaan pertama pada upacara Oscar tahun ini. Dianugerahi Aktris Pendukung Terbaik untuk perannya dalam The Holdovers, ia mengawalinya dengan rasa syukur kepada Tuhan.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766970140325769336"}"></div></p>
<p>Batasan pidato penerimaan selama 45 detik pada upacara tersebut memberikan lebih banyak peluang untuk memberikan komentar kepada pembawa acara daripada para pemenang.</p>
<p>Jimmy Kimmel, pembawa acara, memulai acara dengan lelucon yang memuji film Barbie atas pesan feminisme inklusifnya, yang mendapatkan tepuk tangan meriah. Mendekati akhir acara, dia mengejek Donald Trump, dan penonton yang sejalan dengannya secara politik turut tertawa. Yang lebih mengejutkan, bagian <em>In Memoriam</em> diawali dengan cameo dari Alexei Navalny yang melambangkan apa yang bisa dipertaruhkan polemik untuk menggerakkan kita.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1767006582372507940"}"></div></p>
<p>Saya menghitung empat nominasi untuk pidato penerimaan yang paling berapi-api.</p>
<p>Cord Jefferson (Skenario Adaptasi Terbaik untuk Fiksi Amerika) menganjurkan agar pemodal film lebih siap mengambil risiko dengan mendukung pembuat film yang kurang berpengalaman.</p>
<p>Jonathan Glazer (Film Fitur Internasional Terbaik) memposisikan filmnya tentang Auschwitz, <em>The Zone of Interest</em>, sebagai seruan untuk mengakhiri dehumanisasi, kerap dilakukan oleh kedua pihak bertikai, yang menopang perang panjang di Israel dan Palestina.</p>
<p>Mstyslav Chernov (Dokumenter Terbaik) berharap alasannya untuk membuat film sesukses <em>20 Days in Mariupol</em>, sebagai tanggapan terhadap invasi Rusia ke Ukraina, tak pernah ada.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766995030986645664"}"></div></p>
<p>Ini adalah pidato yang penuh semangat dan menyentuh hati, sedangkan pidato Randolph penuh semangat, menyentuh hati, sekaligus memesona.</p>
<p>Selebihnya, sebagian besar penerimaannya berdasarkan angka. Ada berbagai macam versi ucapan terima kasih yang menghibur, muluk-muluk, mencela diri sendiri, dan penuh anekdot dari orang-orang yang menjadikan momen-momen di lokasi karya mereka bermakna.</p>
<p>– <em>Tom Clark</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-zone-of-interest-new-holocaust-film-powerfully-lays-bare-the-mechanisms-of-genocide-222017">The Zone of Interest: new Holocaust film powerfully lays bare the mechanisms of genocide</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Lagu-lagu kuat dan pertunjukan memukau</h2>
<p>Penampilan Ryan Gosling dalam <em>I’m Just Ken</em>, yang ditulis dan diproduseri oleh Mark Ronson dan Andrew Wyatt, merupakan penampilan Lagu Asli Terbaik yang paling menonjol di Oscar 2024.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1767001795316871516"}"></div></p>
<p><em>I’m Just Ken</em> adalah salah satu dari dua lagu yang dinominasikan dari <em>Barbie</em>, bersama dengan <em>What Was I Made For</em> karya Billie Eilish dan Finneas O'Connell. Mereka bergabung dengan <em>The Fire Inside</em> dari <em>Flamin’ Hot</em> karya Becky G, <em>It Never Went Away</em> karya Jon Batiste dari American Symphony, dan <em>Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)</em> dari <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em>.</p>
<p>Becky G merayakan warisan Meksiko-Amerika-nya dengan penampilan penuh semangat dari <em>The Fire Inside</em>, diiringi dengan indah oleh paduan suara anak-anak Latin dan latar belakang visual yang menyala-nyala.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766998858788196740"}"></div></p>
<p>Penampilan Jon Batiste yang memukau dalam <em>It Never Went Away</em> dari American Symphony membawa pulang cinta dan pengabdian mendalam yang dia miliki untuk istrinya, Suleika Jaouad.</p>
<p>Lagu balada Billie Eilish, <em>What Was I Made For</em>, akhirnya memenangkan penghargaan untuk lagu orisinal terbaik. Penampilannya sangat emosional, dengan rekan penulis dan saudara produsernya, Finneas O'Connell, menemaninya bermain piano. Aransemen orkestra yang indah menghadirkan bakat dan daya tarik ke panggung.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766977053008515540"}"></div></p>
<p>Penampilan <em>Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)</em> oleh Scott George dan Osage Tribal Singers dari <em>Killers Of The Flower Moon</em> adalah pernyataan yang kuat tentang kekuatan energi yang dibawa oleh penyanyi kolektif dan perkusi ke dalam sebuah pertunjukan.</p>
<p>Namun, penampilan Oscar juga mengingatkan kita, terkadang keintiman dari drama yang senyap, justru mengirimkan pesan paling keras.</p>
<p><em>– Alison Cole</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-truly-international-slate-your-guide-to-the-2024-oscar-nominees-for-best-documentary-222271">A truly international slate: your guide to the 2024 Oscar nominees for best documentary</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225667/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Para penulis tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi di luar afiliasi akademis yang telah disebut di atas.</span></em></p>Dari karpet merah hingga para pemenang dan pidatonya, para ahli kami membedah Oscar 2024.Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame AustraliaAlison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of SydneyBronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie UniversityHarriette Richards, Lecturer, Fashion Enterprise, RMIT UniversityTom Clark, Chair of Academic Board, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2214932024-03-11T06:07:39Z2024-03-11T06:07:39ZOppenheimer’s triumph, a stunning First Nations performance, and lots of sparkles: 5 experts on the 2024 Oscars<p>Like most biopics, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer – which won seven awards, including the big one, Best Picture – seems kind of silly, an exercise in dress up. We watch “serious” actors like Robert Downey Jr. (who won Best Supporting Actor) and Cillian Murphy (Best Actor) go to extraordinary lengths to essentially imitate real life people, inevitably failing to be 100% true to life.</p>
<p>Similarly, the narrative – tracing the involvement of J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb that would eventually devastate Hiroshima and Nagasaki – plods along in a way true story narratives often do. </p>
<p>There’s none of the precision and wit that often characterise genre films, their entanglement with questions of narrative and aesthetic form necessitated by their highly formulaic nature. </p>
<p>Yet Oppenheimer winning Best Picture is no travesty; in fact, it makes a lot of sense. </p>
<p>It works well as an engaging exercise in image and sound, a viscerally charged and hypnotic spectacle shimmering on the big screen shot in glorious 70mm film. </p>
<p>Typically for a Nolan film, it is pretentious and heavy-handed, and seems to think it is more important than it actually is. But as a fun romp through the 1950s – that perennially fetishished period in American cinema and culture – it works splendidly. </p>
<p>It was certainly <a href="https://theconversation.com/oppenheimer-barbie-past-lives-an-experts-pick-for-the-oscars-2024-best-picture-winner-225264">not the best film nominated</a>, nor the best film of 2023, but it does work as a piece of cinema. </p>
<p>There’s something refreshing about this fact alone: the Academy has eschewed the tedium of the usual didactic, message-driven cinema that has dominated recent years and have rewarded a technically and formally accomplished work, something that actually considers its medium and effectively works within it. </p>
<p>–<em>Ari Mattes</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/oppenheimer-barbie-past-lives-an-experts-pick-for-the-oscars-2024-best-picture-winner-225264">Oppenheimer? Barbie? Past Lives? An expert's pick for the Oscars 2024 best picture winner</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>On the red carpet: red pins and black gowns</h2>
<p>Awards ceremonies are often taken as opportunities to make political statements through dress. At the Oscars, these statements usually take the form of subtle pins or ribbons. In 2021, multiple attendees wore blue <a href="https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/celebrity-style/a39549279/oscars-blue-ribbons-ukraine-refugees/">#withrefugees ribbons</a> in support of Ukraine following the Russian invasion. </p>
<p>This year, in response to the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, numerous attendees, including Billie Eilish (in Chanel) and Finneas O'Connell, Ava DuVernay (in custom Louis Vuitton), Ramy Youssef (in a chic black thobe by Zegna), Mahershala Ali, Riz Ahmed and Mark Ruffalo donned red <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/billie-eilish-ramy-youssef-artists4ceasefire-pins-oscars-2024">Artists4Ceasefire</a> pins. </p>
<p>Other statements are made through design itself. </p>
<p>For Lily Gladstone, the first Native American to be nominated in the Best Actress category, this meant wearing a chic black Gucci column dress featuring a stunning midnight blue train with beading by Indigenous Mohawk, Cree & Comanche artist Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork. </p>
<p>Despite the political nature of these examples, the Academy Awards is conventionally a rather conservative affair. This year was no different. The dominant colour choice for all genders was black, sparkles abounded, and silhouettes were chic, albeit predictable. </p>
<p>Some of the standouts in this sea of monochrome predictability were ensembles by <a href="https://www.istitutomarangoni.com/en/maze35/game-changers/anatomy-of-loewe-how-jonathan-anderson-shaped-the-it-brand-of-2023">Jonathan Anderson at Loewe</a>. Greta Lee oozed easy elegance in a black and white draped gown straight from the Fall 2024 runway, Celine Song continued her commitment to tailoring in a sharp skirt and blazer, and Andrea Riseborough broke through the shine and shimmer with a long-sleeved plaid dress unlike anything else on the red carpet. </p>
<p>Other highlights included Sandra Hüller in custom Schiaparelli, with sharply winged sleeve detail reminiscent of a gown by Gilbert Adrian worn by American socialite <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/fabulous-dead-people-millicent-rogers/">Millicent Rogers in 1947</a>, Emma Stone in mint green Louis Vuitton with a peplum that recalled the exuberant sleeve detailing of her Best Costume Design award-winning costumes in Poor Things, and Wim Wenders in the same Yohji Yamamoto outfit he <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/wim-wenders-norman-reedus-model-yohji-yamamoto-runway-1235794560/">modelled on the catwalk</a> back in January. </p>
<p>– <em>Harriette Richards</em></p>
<h2>The power of First Nations voices</h2>
<p>In a truly historic moment, the Oscars included a powerful performance by Osage musician and composer Scott George with the Osage Tribal Singers performing <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/scott-george-osage-tribal-singers-perform-killers-of-the-flower-moon-2024-oscars-1235629256/">Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)</a> from Killers of the Flower Moon.</p>
<p>Wahzhazhe is a song for public consumption, not for ceremonial purposes, and with it George is the <a href="https://parade.com/movies/osage-singers">first Native American man</a> to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song, losing out to Billie Elish.</p>
<p>The Oscars requires music be submitted for consideration <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/scott-george-osage-tribal-singers-perform-killers-of-the-flower-moon-2024-oscars-1235629256/">in written form</a>. However, the Osage do not generally keep written music — rather, it is kept in memory. George told Billboard it took “three or four days” to write the work down in musical notation.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766984480974336399"}"></div></p>
<p>Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Actress for Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce actor Lily Gladstone who plays Mollie Burkhart. Unbelievably, Gladstone is the first Native American woman to be nominated for best actress in a leading role, but unfortunately missed out on the Oscar, to Emma Stone of Poor Things.</p>
<p>Indigenous communities globally were waiting with bated breath – but regardless of no Oscar, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=807642254731572&set=a.620962340066232">everyone was excited</a> to see her nominated. </p>
<p>Stories like Killer of the Flower Moon, about the “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Osage-murders">Reign of Terror</a>” where dozens of Osage were brutally murdered, need to be told so that they don’t get to be forgotten. It is both overdue and exciting to see more Indigenous peoples taking leading roles in films, and the success of Killers of the Flower Moon should make Hollywood pay attention that people want these stories to be told.</p>
<p>Even without winning big at these Oscars, Killers of the Flower Moon includes a wonderful cast of Native American actors including Tantoo Cardinal who plays Lizzie Q, mother to Gladstone’s character Mollie Burkhart, and her sisters who are played by Cara Jade Myers (Anna), JaNae Collins (Reta) and Jillian Dion (Minnie). </p>
<p><em>– Bronwyn Carlson</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/an-oscar-win-for-lily-gladstone-would-be-a-huge-step-for-native-americans-in-an-industry-that-has-reduced-them-to-stereotypes-224724">An Oscar win for Lily Gladstone would be a huge step for Native Americans in an industry that has reduced them to stereotypes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Four nominees for Most Impassioned Speech</h2>
<p>“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Da’Vine Joy Randolph gave the first acceptance speech at this year’s Oscars ceremony, awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Holdovers, and she led it with thanks to God.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766970140325769336"}"></div></p>
<p>The ceremony’s 45 second limit on acceptance speeches gives more opportunities for meaningful comment to the presenters than the winners. </p>
<p>Host Jimmy Kimmel’s opening roast was generous towards the Barbie movie, a nod to its gender-inclusive feminism that drew loud applause. He unloaded on Donald Trump near the show’s end, to politically aligned chuckles. More striking, the In Memoriam section led with a cameo from Alexei Navalny that epitomised what polemic can put at stake to move us.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1767006582372507940"}"></div></p>
<p>I counted four nominees for the Most Impassioned Acceptance Speech. </p>
<p>Cord Jefferson (Best Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction) advocated that movie financiers be more ready to take risks by backing less experienced movie-makers. </p>
<p>Jonathan Glazer (Best International Feature Film) positioned his film about Auschwitz, The Zone of Interest, as a call for an end to the mutual dehumanisation that sustains the long war in Israel and in Palestine. </p>
<p>Mstyslav Chernov (Best Documentary) wished he had never had the cause to make a film so successful as 20 Days in Mariupol, his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766995030986645664"}"></div></p>
<p>These were passionate and heartfelt speeches, while Randolph’s was passionate, heartfelt and mesmerising.</p>
<p>For the rest, it was largely acceptances by the numbers. There were variously entertaining, grandiose, self-deprecating and anecdote-rich versions of “thank you” from people who make it their life’s work to imbue set-piece moments with meaning.</p>
<p>– <em>Tom Clark</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-zone-of-interest-new-holocaust-film-powerfully-lays-bare-the-mechanisms-of-genocide-222017">The Zone of Interest: new Holocaust film powerfully lays bare the mechanisms of genocide</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Powerful songs and mesmerising performances</h2>
<p>Ryan Gosling’s performance of I’m Just Ken, written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, was the definite standout Best Original Song performance of the 2024 Oscars. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1767001795316871516"}"></div></p>
<p>I’m Just Ken was one of two songs nominated from Barbie, alongside Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell’s What Was I Made For. They were joined by Becky G’s The Fire Inside from Flamin’ Hot, Jon Batiste’s It Never Went Away from American Symphony, and Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) from Killers of the Flower Moon. </p>
<p>Becky G celebrated her Mexican American heritage with a passionate performance of The Fire Inside, accompanied beautifully by a choir of Latino children and a blazing visual backdrop.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766998858788196740"}"></div></p>
<p>Jon Batiste’s mesmerising performance of It Never Went Away from American Symphony brought home the deep love and devotion he has for his wife, Suleika Jaouad. </p>
<p>Billie Eilish’s ballad What Was I Made For ultimately won the award for best original song. Her performance was emotional, with her co-writer and producer brother, Finneas O’Connell, accompanying her on the piano. A beautiful orchestral arrangement brought flair and gravitas to the stage. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1766977053008515540"}"></div></p>
<p>Scott George and the Osage Tribal Singers performance of Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) from Killers Of The Flower Moon was a powerful statement of the strength of what energy collective singers and percussion bring to a performance. </p>
<p>But as the Oscars performances reminded us, sometimes the intimacy of quiet drama sends the loudest message.</p>
<p><em>– Alison Cole</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-truly-international-slate-your-guide-to-the-2024-oscar-nominees-for-best-documentary-222271">A truly international slate: your guide to the 2024 Oscar nominees for best documentary</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221493/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From the red carpet to the winners and the speeches, our experts dissect the 2024 Oscars.Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame AustraliaAlison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of SydneyBronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie UniversityHarriette Richards, Lecturer, Fashion Enterprise, RMIT UniversityTom Clark, Chair of Academic Board, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225952024-03-08T05:41:05Z2024-03-08T05:41:05ZTattoo regret? How to choose a removal service<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577250/original/file-20240222-30-6z69d0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C998%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-blonde-woman-tattoo-wearing-summer-1891174123">Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10043702/">About one in four</a> people regret at least one of their tattoos. Almost half of those go on to have their unwanted tattoo removed or camouflaged with a new one.</p>
<p>So it’s no wonder people are <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=AU&q=%2Fg%2F11sx2710yh&hl=en">searching for</a> laser tattoo removal services.</p>
<p>Here’s what to consider when choosing the best clinic and what to expect when you get there.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-a-nother-tattoo-this-summer-what-you-need-to-know-about-sunburn-sweating-and-fading-216078">Thinking of a(nother) tattoo this summer? What you need to know about sunburn, sweating and fading</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are tattoos permanent?</h2>
<p>You can still see tattoos on the 5,300-year-old ice mummy <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1296207415000023#bib0200">Ötzi</a>. That’s because tattoo artists use needles to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10485912/">deposit ink in the dermis</a>, the <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/the-structure-of-normal-skin">layer of skin</a> under the outer layer (or epidermis).</p>
<p>When this happens, the body recognises ink particles as “foreign”. So <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cup.12023">immune cells</a> in the dermis, such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">macrophages</a>, take them up. </p>
<p>But the particles are too large for these specialised cells to break down and remove via the lymphatic system. Instead, the particles remain “locked” permanently in macrophages in the dermis.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cross-section of human skin showing epidermis and dermis" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563548/original/file-20231205-29-8elmtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tattoo inks are inserted into the dermis, and tend to stay there.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/normal-skin-layers-crosssection-human-structure-2339540305">zonn hong/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-otzi-the-prehistoric-iceman-can-teach-us-about-the-use-of-tattoos-in-ceremonial-healing-or-religious-rites-168058">What Ötzi the prehistoric iceman can teach us about the use of tattoos in ceremonial healing or religious rites</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How do lasers remove tattoos?</h2>
<p>To remove a tattoo, a laser device delivers high-intensity laser pulses to the ink. These incredibly short pulses are delivered in a billionth or trillionth of a second (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25949016/">nanosecond or picosecond pulses</a>), confining the laser energy to the tiny ink particles, minimising damage to the surrounding skin. </p>
<p>Once the ink particles absorb the laser energy, a thermal reaction takes place, increasing the particles’ internal pressure and causing them to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25949016/">expand</a>, then <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">fragment</a>.</p>
<p>The macrophages can now remove these smaller particles via the lymphatic system. That’s when your tattoo starts to fade.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-laser-hair-removal-heres-what-you-need-to-know-113561">Thinking of laser hair removal? Here's what you need to know</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Can all inks be removed?</h2>
<p>Most inks can be removed, but several factors affect the result.</p>
<p><strong>Colours</strong></p>
<p>Each colour absorbs a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">different wavelength of light</a>, so each colour requires a specific laser to be removed effectively. This may require using several different machines over the course of the treatment.</p>
<p>Some colours are much more challenging to remove than others. For instance, black ink is much easier to remove than yellow, which is easier to remove than <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33068020/">white</a>. This is because different pigments (such as black) are more likely to absorb the laser’s energy than others (yellow or white).</p>
<p>As a result, tattoos with white ink particles often need extra therapies. These include ablative laser treatments, which vaporise the tissue containing the tattoo ink, and tattooing over the original tattoo with a saline solution, which helps to draw the tattoo out of the skin.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Laser treatment to remove leg tattoo" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579109/original/file-20240301-30-zeap0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You may need several laser treatments to remove your tattoo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/laser-tattoo-removal-leg-443862091">damiangretka/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Combination of colours</strong></p>
<p>Tattoo inks can also be made up of many colours to achieve the desired shade.</p>
<p>For example, a red ink may have touches of yellow ink to create a poppy red. As the red particles are broken down, the yellow appears and must be treated with a different wavelength, sometimes requiring a different machine and extra sessions.</p>
<p><strong>Your skin colour</strong></p>
<p>Any laser that can target and destroy an ink particle can also <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">target natural skin pigment</a> and the cells that produce them. This can result in overheating of the skin, and in severe cases, damage or destruction of the cells that produce pigment. This causes the skin to either darken or lighten in response to the injury, sometimes permanently. </p>
<p>So it’s important to choose a tattoo removalist who not only knows how to operate the laser, but how to choose the right wavelengths and modify the treatment plan as the tattoo changes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-getting-a-minor-cosmetic-procedure-like-botox-or-fillers-heres-what-to-consider-first-161271">Thinking of getting a minor cosmetic procedure like botox or fillers? Here's what to consider first</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Choosing a tattoo removalist</h2>
<p>Laser tattoo removal creates a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">controlled wound</a> in your skin, so it’s important to choose the right service to get the result you want, without increasing your risk of complications.</p>
<p>But in Australia, there is no national regulation for laser tattoo removal services, so standardising practitioners’ education and the treatments they offer is an ongoing challenge. Instead, each state and territory either licenses its own practitioners, or has no licensing at all.</p>
<p>As there are no licensing requirements in Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and the Northern Territory, anyone can legally own and operate laser devices to remove tattoos there.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young person with tattoos on arms sitting at desk using laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579114/original/file-20240301-18-lofsm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not all tattoo removal services are licensed, so you’ll have to do some research before booking yourself in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-tattoo-using-laptop-table-437656087">Africa Studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But in <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/public-health/industry-environment/personal-appearance/laser-licensing">Queensland</a>, <a href="https://www.health.tas.gov.au/health-topics/radiation-protection/applying-new-licence-or-amending-current-radiation-licence">Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://www.radiologicalcouncil.wa.gov.au/%7E/media/RadiologicalCouncil/Documents/PDFs/Notices/lasers-cosmetic-fact-sheet.pdf">Western Australia</a>, tattoo removal providers need a licence to operate and must have studied infection control, laser safety and tattoo removal. They also need to have many hours of supervised practical experience. </p>
<p>In unregulated states and territories, look for a practitioner with similar education and extensive practical experience, such as a bachelor-qualified <a href="https://www.dermalclinicians.com.au/dermal-locator">dermal clinician</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-skin-deep-beauty-salons-are-places-of-sharing-and-caring-127006">More than skin deep, beauty salons are places of sharing and caring</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How long will it take and how much will it cost?</h2>
<p>Most tattoos require multiple sessions to be effectively removed. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4411587/">inks and art style</a>, as well as the tattoo size, play a big role in how many sessions it will take – and how much it will cost.</p>
<p>An experienced practitioner will use the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923953/">Kirby-Desai</a> scale – which includes noting your skin colour, body site, scarring, ink colour and density, and layering of ink – to estimate how many sessions your specific tattoo will need. </p>
<p>Typically, black fine-line tattoos are easier to remove than coloured high-density tattoos, such as a portrait or sleeve.</p>
<p>You’ll also need to allow time between sessions for your tattoo to recover, since the wound needs to heal before the next treatment. </p>
<p>After your laser treatment, your practitioner will advise you on how to manage the health of your skin. In many circumstances you will be asked to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287123713_Laser_Treatment_of_Tattoos">keep the area cool</a>, and depending on the tissue response, you may need topical aftercare products (such as emollient creams and a protective hydrogel dressing) to keep the area clean and hydrated. </p>
<p>There are many variables that influence how quickly your tattoo will heal after treatment. This includes where the tattoo is (for instance, a chest tattoo heals faster than an ankle tattoo), the devices used, and your general health. The more compromised your health, the longer it will take to heal. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tattoos-have-a-long-history-going-back-to-the-ancient-world-and-also-to-colonialism-165584">Tattoos have a long history going back to the ancient world – and also to colonialism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Watch out for allergies</h2>
<p>Depositing tattoo ink in the dermis can cause <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">acute and chronic skin reactions</a>, including allergic or inflammatory reactions, infections, and hypersensitivity responses. So it’s important to tell your practitioner how your skin responded to the initial tattoo. That’s because you might be at risk of the same response again when the laser breaks down the tattoo ink. </p>
<p>An experienced practitioner will conduct a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10103-022-03576-2.pdf">thorough consultation</a> to ensure they identify any treatment risks. If necessary, they will work with your GP or dermatologist to ensure the safe removal of your tattoo.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222595/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Lee receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Coulstock and Samantha Reeve do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Not all tattoo removal services are licensed, so you’ll have to do some research before booking yourself in. Here’s what to look out for.Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of QueenslandClaire Coulstock, Lecturer in dermal science, Victoria UniversitySamantha Reeve, Course Chair and Lecturer, Bachelor of Dermal Sciences, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252672024-03-08T00:44:21Z2024-03-08T00:44:21ZSam Kerr’s alleged comments may have had a racial element, but they were not ‘racist’<p>Footballer Sam Kerr has been charged with “racially aggravated harassment” over a January 2023 incident in which she allegedly insulted a London police officer. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/06/sam-kerr-allegedly-called-police-officer-a-stupid-white-bastard-source-says">widespread media reports</a>, she is said to have called the officer a “stupid white bastard”. </p>
<p>Kerr has pleaded not guilty to the charge and has <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sam-kerr-legal-team-reportedly-challenge-allegations-of-police-harassment/744598ef-75f9-4e03-acb5-7b37aecde8d1">reportedly denied</a> using the word “bastard”.</p>
<p>According to section 33 of the British Crime and Disorder Act, to be found guilty of such an offence, the conduct would have had to cause – or have intended to cause – alarm or distress. </p>
<p>Regardless of the court’s ultimate verdict, one big question seems to occupy the minds of many: does the phrase attributed to Kerr constitute racism? </p>
<p>Kerr was born in Western Australia, and has Indian ancestry on her father’s side. Can she be racist towards a white person, and more specifically to a white police officer? </p>
<p>Assuming it is true Kerr used the term “white”, there is a racial element. But “racial” is not the same as “racist”. </p>
<h2>Definitions of racism</h2>
<p>It is important to note here that “race” is not a biological category (there is only one human race). Race is a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/race-is-a-social-construct-scientists-argue/">social construct</a>, invented and cemented centuries ago to legitimise colonial atrocities, oppression and forms of subjugation including slavery.</p>
<p>There are many definitions of racism, but there has been a broad consensus for decades that racism is more than “just” prejudice and discriminatory behaviour. It is not simply a matter of less favourable treatment of an individual or group of people based on their actual or ascribed ethnic background, skin colour, origin or related characteristics. </p>
<p>Racism also reflects and manifests as systemic exclusion and marginalisation based on historically rooted power imbalances and racial hierarchies that put white people at the top. </p>
<p>To put it very simply, the scholarly (if not the legal) definition is that “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1998-07453-002">racism equals power plus prejudice</a>”. </p>
<p>In a vicious cycle, everyday racism and discrimination are shaped and justified by racial hierarchies, while they operate continuously in a way that cements power imbalances and racial marginalisation. </p>
<p>This may sound a bit abstract, but if we do not recognise this power dynamic, we trivialise racism as little more than name-calling. We will fail to understand how racism operates and how it continues to affect people from racially marginalised groups in their daily lives. </p>
<p>One way to illustrate the systemic nature of racism is to look at the persistent lack of representation of people of colour in leadership positions in the corporate sector, the media and governments in Australia and elsewhere. </p>
<p>In the United Kingdom, where the alleged incident occurred, institutional racism – including within the police force – has been recognised since the release of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-stephen-lawrence-inquiry">Macpherson report</a> in 1999. It was reaffirmed in 2023 by the <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/met/about-us/baroness-casey-review/update-march-2023/baroness-casey-review-march-2023a.pdf">Baroness Casey Review</a>, despite some political pushback. </p>
<p>The review found “Met officers are 82% White and 71% male, and the majority do not live in the city they police. As such, the Met does not look like the majority of Londoners.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-reverse-racism-and-whats-wrong-with-the-term-208009">What is 'reverse racism' – and what's wrong with the term?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Reverse racism?</h2>
<p>Anti-discrimination legislation in the UK and Australia usually does not speak explicitly of “racism”. It outlaws certain acts that are motivated, partially or wholly, by a person’s race (or other personal identity markers). </p>
<p>Legislators introduced these laws with the intention of enhancing the legal protections for those who were considered vulnerable to racism. In Australia, for example, the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00274/latest/text">Racial Discrimination Act</a> (1975) is often celebrated as a legal cornerstone in the country’s journey away from its racist “White Australia” history towards a modern multicultural society. </p>
<p>The United Nations’ <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-convention-elimination-all-forms-racial">International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination</a> (1965), ratified by Australia in 1975 and the UK in 1969, makes its intention explicit when it calls on all state parties to make it an offence to disseminate “ideas based on racial superiority”. </p>
<p>The issue of power structures should also be seen through an institutional lens. It is difficult to imagine a person on the streets of London with more institutional power than a white police officer. </p>
<p>Being called a “stupid bastard” might hurt someone’s feelings. But while I’m in no position to judge whether Sam Kerr’s alleged actions have caused “distress” to the officer – as the law would require – labelling the incident as racist is clearly not in line with what racism means. </p>
<p>Such a definition would not align with the concept’s institutional and systemic dimensions. It is not what anti-discrimination laws were intended to outlaw.</p>
<p>Claims of anti-white or “reverse” racism are based on a shallow, misguided and inaccurate understanding of what racism really constitutes. </p>
<p>If Kerr’s court case fails to acknowledge the deeper purpose of anti-racism legislation by equating “racial” with “racist”, it risks setting a highly problematic precedent that would undermine efforts to acknowledge and tackle racism in all its forms. </p>
<p>What would be the message to those millions of people in the UK, Australia and elsewhere who have to face racism every day without recognition of the harm it causes and without the support and capacity to sue the perpetrators? </p>
<p>What would they think about their right to equality and their place in society?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mario Peucker receives funding from Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).</span></em></p>Claims of anti-white or “reverse” racism are based on a shallow, misguided and inaccurate understanding of what racism really constitutes.Mario Peucker, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242462024-02-24T13:05:30Z2024-02-24T13:05:30ZUniversities Accord: ‘Gonski-style’ funding is on the table for higher education. This will see some unis gain more than others<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577534/original/file-20240223-24-s0e2jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C53%2C5946%2C3853&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-writing-on-book-6RTM8EsD1T8">Kyle Gregory Devaras/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The federal government has released the final report on a Universities Accord. Taking more than a year to prepare, it is billed as a “blueprint” for reform for the next decade and beyond. It contains 47 recommendations across student fees, wellbeing, funding, teaching, research and university governance. You can find the rest of our accord coverage <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/universities-accord-121839">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Australian universities could get more federal government funding, in changes recommended by the Universities Accord final report. But there is little detail so far on how it will be paid for. </p>
<p>The accord wants to set a target to more than double the number of government-funded students by 2050. This would see the number of students grow from 860,000 to 1.8 million.</p>
<p>On an individual student level, the accord proposes Australia adopt a “needs-based” funding model. This means universities would receive a base amount per student. Then there would be further loadings for equity students – those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and students with a disability. Regional universities would also receive extra funding.</p>
<p>But the report is quiet on how to fund the extra places and the loadings. An <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-levy-on-international-student-fees-mean-for-australian-universities-215794">international student levy</a>, which was widely anticipated to be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/02/explainer-whats-the-plan-to-tax-international-students-and-why-is-it-needed">included as a recommendation</a>, is not mentioned in the final report.</p>
<p>The detail on funding is left to a proposed Tertiary Education Commission to implement within a “funding envelope set by government”. </p>
<p>This sets the scene for the difficult task of designing a new funding system that will inevitably involve losers as well as winners.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/gonski-for-universities-what-if-we-funded-higher-education-like-schools-216898">Gonski for universities: what if we funded higher education like schools?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Some universities are set to gain more than others</h2>
<p>The accord has recommended that per student funding is changed so universities receive more money for students from equity backgrounds.</p>
<p>This is a similar approach to funding in Australia’s schools, introduced as part of the “<a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/senate/school_funding/school_funding/report/a03">Gonski</a>” reforms a decade ago.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/education/tertiary-education/gonski-for-universities-what-if-we-funded-higher-education-like-schools">Mitchell Institute modelled</a> what a Gonski-style funding model might look like, using the categories identified by the accord and based on funding rates in the school sector. </p>
<p>We found the overall funding per student would increase by about 11%, or A$1.3 billion per year.</p>
<p>Regional universities and universities in outer-suburban areas would receive the biggest share of funding increases, as they tend to enrol more students from under-represented backgrounds. The more prestigious universities, the so-called <a href="https://go8.edu.au">Group of Eight</a>, would gain the least.</p>
<p><iframe id="f9Cb6" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/f9Cb6/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Why have a new approach to funding?</h2>
<p>The accord has proposed a needs-based funding model because, it says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>people from groups under-represented in higher education on average require greater support to succeed, often due to experiencing educational disadvantage.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The aim is to help universities improve outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students are less likely to go to university, and less likely to finish their studies if they do, than students from more advantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p><iframe id="UH2V1" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UH2V1/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Managing funding across the system</h2>
<p>The accord is proposing a government funding cap for each university based on the number of students. The Tertiary Education Commission would manage allocations and adjust funding every year to ensure there is “sustained and system-wide growth”.</p>
<p>Built into the model are other provisions intended to remove barriers to higher education access, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>new funding rates for courses that cover the full cost of teaching them </p></li>
<li><p>fee-free preparation programs for anyone who has qualified for a government-supported university place. This is to help get students ready for their course</p></li>
<li><p>freedom for universities to make more choices about their enrolments and finances, including using government-supported places for postgraduate courses. This means some expensive postgraduate qualifications could become more affordable </p></li>
<li><p>extending government supported places to non-universities such as TAFEs, so they can offer higher education courses without having to charge full-fees. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>International student levy not mentioned</h2>
<p>One of the most controversial ideas from the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/accord-interim-report">accord’s interim report</a> in July was an international student levy. It suggested income from international students would be used to pay for the extra funding required to support the growth in equity students. </p>
<p>But the international student levy is not mentioned in the final report. Instead, the accord recommends the establishment of two funds.</p>
<p>The first is a “Higher Education Future Fund” which would be used to support infrastructure for the sector, including student housing. The recommendation is for a fund of $10 billion, with half coming from universities and the other half from the federal government. Universities with higher non-government revenue, such as high international student income, would be expected to contribute more. </p>
<p>The accord also recommends a new “Solving Australia’s Challenges Fund” to reward universities that use their research expertise and capability to solve national problems. The size of this fund is unclear.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two rows of book shelves in a library." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577703/original/file-20240224-30-wd4thp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An levy on international student fees is not mentioned in the report, but there are two new funds for unis.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/shallow-focus-photography-of-bookshelfs-ggeZ9oyI-PE">Priscilla du Preez/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-levy-on-international-student-fees-mean-for-australian-universities-215794">What would a levy on international student fees mean for Australian universities?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is next?</h2>
<p>The proposals outlined in the accord report will likely result in a redistribution of federal government financial support in the sector.</p>
<p>But the report has not outlined how this will be done. Instead, the Tertiary Education Commission will be required to determine funding rates and funding caps with universities.</p>
<p>This is understandable because determining final funding models can be very technical work. But it does mean we lack a lot of crucial detail. </p>
<p>It also means a new Tertiary Education Commission (if one is set up) has a very difficult job to do in a constrained funding environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224246/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Universities Accord final report proposes Australia adopts a ‘needs-based’ funding model. On top of base funding, there would be extra loadings to support equity students.Peter Hurley, Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityMelinda Hildebrandt, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2241422024-02-22T19:19:00Z2024-02-22T19:19:00ZVictoria’s power outage could have been far worse. Can we harden the grid against extreme weather?<p>Last week’s destructive storm took Victoria by surprise. As winds of up to 150 kilometres an hour raced through the state, transmission towers near Geelong toppled and the grid went into chaos. </p>
<p>At its worst, almost one in five Victorian homes were left <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/13/victorias-electricity-spot-prices-soar-as-states-largest-coal-generator-suffers-outage">without electricity</a>
while the main transmission system came <a href="https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/market_notices_and_events/power_system_incident_reports/2024/preliminary-report---loss-of-moorabool---sydenham-500-kv-lines-on-13-feb-2024.pdf?la=en">close to collapse</a>. </p>
<p>That makes it comparable to Victoria’s last <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-29/wild-weather-warning-as-storms-lash-melbourne-regional-victoria/100578948">grid-crippling storms</a> in October 2021. </p>
<p>But this power outage could have been much worse. It speaks to the urgent need to harden our grid against the more frequent extreme weather expected under climate change. </p>
<h2>What actually happened?</h2>
<p>It was very hot in Victoria on February 13. Fires raged in central Victoria, claiming dozens of houses. When a cool change arrived, it brought extreme winds. </p>
<p>At about 12.35pm, Australia’s largest windfarm, Stockyard Hill, disconnected from the grid, as a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vicemergency/photos/watch-act-grass-fire-leave-nowincident-location-stockyard-hillissue-date-tuesday/719539106985386/?paipv=0&eav=AfZh-4_GUI540qgzMqlBWjgP6p6IhujLW7rBtJ4YFeC4rUOuizrz_zn82hPUhOAsn3g&_rdr">grass fire</a> threatened its grid connection. </p>
<p>As it happens, the loss of the windfarm was actually a lucky break.</p>
<p>At 2.08pm, six of Victoria’s highest voltage transmission towers (500 kiloVolt) were toppled by extreme downdrafts. This catastrophe took out two sets of 500 kV powerlines transporting much of the electricity from wind farms in western and south western Victoria to Melbourne. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/unsexy-but-vital-why-warnings-over-grid-reliability-are-really-about-building-more-transmission-lines-212603">Unsexy but vital: why warnings over grid reliability are really about building more transmission lines</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>At the time of collapse, the circuits were likely fairly heavily loaded. They would have been much more heavily loaded had Stockyard Hill windfarm not dropped off the system 90 minutes earlier from the unrelated grass fire. </p>
<p>In response to the 500 kV faults, voltages dipped, forcing all four of the large coal-fired generating units at Loy Yang A to disconnect. Two wind farms in western Victoria were disconnected automatically, as intended in their cases.</p>
<p>During most of the transmission crisis, rooftop solar became the largest source of supply in Victoria.</p>
<p>In addition to the transmission events, damage to local distribution poles and wires was widespread, especially in regional Victoria. This <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/experts-to-review-victoria-s-energy-crash-after-extreme-storms-20240220-p5f6as.html">cut power</a> to about one in five Victorian homes. </p>
<p>In about two hours, the power system had stabilised. Gas and hydro generators rushed in to fill the gap left by Loy Yang A and the wind farms, and Victoria got through its evening peak. Many homes on however still remain without power through distribution network failures.</p>
<p>In response, the Victorian government has <a href="https://www.insidestategovernment.com.au/victorian-govt-announces-independent-review-of-storm-response/">announced</a> it will appoint an independent panel to review the disaster, <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/news/independent-review-green-lit-into-vic-storms-blackout">closely following</a> the review of <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dandenongs-storms-residents-still-reeling-a-year-later/103068ad-295d-41db-9618-27386380c498">devastating storms</a> in June 2021. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/about-energy/legislation/regulatory-reviews/electricity-distribution-network-resilience-review">final recommendations</a> from the review of the 2021 storms, the panel played it safe, calling for better communication with affected communities, beefed up emergency responses and relief delivery and so on. </p>
<p>The government also <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/about-energy/legislation/regulatory-reviews/electricity-distribution-network-resilience-review#:%7E:text=The%20Government%20Response%20to%20the,Victoria%20to%20submit%20a%20request">accepted</a> a key recommendation: any major changes to strengthen network resilience should be referred to the Australian Energy Markets Commission, thereby kicking the big challenges into the long grass.</p>
<p>This time round, the omens are inauspicious. The government has explicitly excluded transmission from its review, instead relegating it to the electricity safety regulator. This is short-sighted. The Victorian transmission network is heavily exposed to weather risk and it is getting worse. </p>
<h2>What should be done about it?</h2>
<p>This won’t be the last grid-buckling extreme weather we’ll see. Far from it. </p>
<p>There are many things that can be done to reduce weather risk, and putting high (and low) voltage lines underground is often spoken about. </p>
<p>It will be expensive. In the wake of devastating fires, California’s <a href="https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/safety/community-wildfire-safety-program/system-hardening-and-undergrounding.html#:%7E:text=We%20are%20upgrading%20our%20electric,improve%20reliability%20during%20severe%20weather.">largest utility</a> committed to put 16,000 km of lines underground. So far, almost 1,000 km has been completed. But the cost has <a href="https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2024/02/20/fighting-fires-in-the-power-sector/">been substantial</a> – around A$3.2 million a kilometre. </p>
<p>Victoria has 148,000 km of distribution lines of which 84% is overhead and 16% underground, a similar proportion to the rest of Australia. It’s much easier and cheaper to put distribution lines underground than transmission lines. </p>
<p>If we optimistically assume the same cost as in California, boosting the proportion of Victoria’s distribution network that is underground by 10 percentage points (to 26%) would cost around $37 billion. That’s more than double the regulatory value of the distribution network in Victoria. </p>
<p>Is enhanced vegetation management – widespread tree clearing near lines cheaper? Perhaps not. <a href="https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/WP347.pdf">Research in California </a> suggests undergrounding may actually be more cost-effective in terms of fires avoided. </p>
<p>More cost-effective than undergrounding are rapid switches, devices able to quickly clear faults and reduce the chance downed lines will start fires. Victoria began requiring distributors to install these from 2016, following the state’s 2009 Black Saturday fires, where downed powerlines sparked several lethal blazes. Their effectiveness is yet to be proven. </p>
<p>These are difficult questions and much is to be gained by considering them carefully. This will require the government to reach for more than another set of “must-try-harder” recommendations.</p>
<h2>What about building new transmission lines?</h2>
<p>Even as extreme weather topples huge transmission towers, state and federal governments are pressing ahead to build more. Expanding transmission capacity is important to decarbonise our electricity supply. But if not done well, it will increase exposure to weather risk. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.vepc.org.au/_files/ugd/cb01c4_adef2391c5414148bf8f388a0f1dcebe.pdf">Our study</a> of VNI-West, the proposed massive new Victoria-New South Wales interconnector, found it would greatly increase Victoria’s energy security risk.</p>
<p>Why? Because it will be very heavily loaded, much more so than the 500 kV lines that failed last week, and it carries two sets of conductors on one set of towers. </p>
<p>This proposed new interconnector will make Victoria deeply dependent on NSW for its electricity supply. In a little over a decade Victoria is expected to <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/new-links-could-turn-victoria-into-energy-importer-solar-and-storage-would-be-cheaper/">import 26%</a> of its grid-supplied electricity, much of it conveyed on VNI-West. This is an astonishing and little-known aspect of Victoria’s existing electricity policy.</p>
<p>Vandalism or extreme weather could, at a stroke, disable this new transmission line. In our report we drew attention to sabotage and weather risk and since out report we have seen yet more evidence of <a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/two-charged-after-allegedly-tampering-with-power-pole-that-cut-electricity-to-thousands-of-homes-20230913-p5e4cc.html">sabotage</a>, and now we have another clear example of the risks from extreme weather. </p>
<p>To date, Australia’s market operator has <a href="https://www.vepc.org.au/_files/ugd/92a2aa_e9a4bfe6fd1f44ffb16b1d3eb9da3e5c.pdf">brushed off</a> our critique without reason.</p>
<p>Victoria dodged a bullet last week. It could have been far worse. To be ready for the next major storm, we should at the very least have a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the events of February 13. And this must scrutinise whether the proposed Victoria-NSW interconnector could survive a similar event – and what would happen if it did not. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-major-blackout-left-500-000-victorian-homes-without-power-but-it-shows-our-energy-system-is-resilient-223494">A major blackout left 500,000 Victorian homes without power – but it shows our energy system is resilient</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224142/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Mountain does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Transmission towers bent like soft plastic when extreme winds whipped through Victoria last week. Fixing it means asking hard questions.Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222552024-02-01T19:05:00Z2024-02-01T19:05:00Z5 questions your child’s school should be able to answer about bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572379/original/file-20240131-25-b7ipz8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C16%2C5609%2C3748&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/boy-sitting-on-concrete-stairs-FLdK5N-YGf4">Gaelle Marcel/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As children return to classrooms for 2024, school communities will be confronting bullying in person and via technology. </p>
<p>In-person bullying and cyberbullying affect <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-and-safety/bullying">significant numbers</a> of children and young people in Australia and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/eclinm/PIIS2589-5370(20)30020-1.pdf">around the world</a>.</p>
<p>The eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/40-jump-in-child-bullying-reports-to-esafety">recently revealed</a> a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports. In 2023, it received 2,383 reports of cyberbullying compared with 1,700 in 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of reports concerned children aged 12–15 years.</p>
<p>A 2019 <a href="https://headspace.org.au/our-organisation/media-releases/new-data-finds-more-than-half-of-aussie-kids-experience-cyberbullying/">headspace survey</a> found 53% of young Australians aged 12–25 have experienced cyberbullying.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-safety/bullying">2016 survey</a> of 12- and 13-year-olds found seven in ten children had experienced at least one bullying-like behaviour within the past year.</p>
<p>Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment. As part of our <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">work on bullying</a>, we have identified five key ways schools can prevent and respond to bullying. </p>
<h2>What is bullying?</h2>
<p>In-person bullying is unwanted, negative and aggressive behaviour. It is done on purpose and done repeatedly, and can cause physical, emotional or social harm. </p>
<p>As the eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/cyberbullying">explains</a>, cyberbullying occurs </p>
<blockquote>
<p>when someone uses the internet to be mean to a child or young person so they feel bad or upset. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can happen on a social media site, game or app. It can include comments, messages, images, videos and emails. </p>
<p>There is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33066202/">a lot of overlap</a> between the two types of bullying. Those who bully or are bullied in person also tend to bully or be bullied online, and vice versa. </p>
<p>In any kind of bullying, the person doing the bullying has – or is perceived to have – more power than the person being bullied. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-study-provides-a-potential-breakthrough-on-school-bullying-195716">Our new study provides a potential breakthrough on school bullying</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do schools need to do?</h2>
<p>As the Australian Human Rights Commission <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/commission-general/bullying-know-your-rights-violence-harassment-and-bullying-fact-sheet">notes</a>, bullying is an abuse of individuals’ human rights. It says schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment free from violence, harassment and bullying. This protects the right to education. </p>
<p>Approaches vary between jurisdictions and school systems. In <a href="https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/bullying-prevention-response/policy">Victoria</a>, for example, government schools need to have bullying prevention policies. In New South Wales, government schools need to have an “<a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/policy-library/public/implementation-documents/pd-2010-0415-01.pdf">anti-bullying plan</a>”. </p>
<p>But while schools often have bullying policies, they need comprehensive systems to be adequately prepared. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-kids-bully-and-what-can-parents-do-about-it-194812">Why do kids bully? And what can parents do about it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our work has <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">examined</a> what schools should do to be prepared to prevent and respond to bullying. As part of this, we spoke to five principals and teachers at five Victorian schools in 2022. </p>
<p>This highlighted the ongoing and complex nature of the challenges schools face. For example, they told us how COVID set back responses to cyberbullying. As one high school principal told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We had a lot of online bullying going on […] a lot of nasty stuff happening online, a lot of sexting and a lot of horrible comments […] We nearly got it wiped out and then COVID hit and we then went back to having kids on computers all day, every day, so I think that’s back in a big way.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Technological change also means new challenges keep emerging. As a primary school teacher said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>[students are now] getting Apple Watches and so we’re having to rewrite policy to deal with that.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What should schools do to be prepared?</h2>
<p>We have also reviewed Australian and international evidence on bullying. Here we distil this work into five key questions to ask your child’s school. </p>
<p><strong>1. Do they have good data?</strong> The school should regularly collect, review and act on data about social relationships in the school community. These should include levels of trust, support, empathy and kindness between students and between students and teachers/staff. This tells the school whether students feel safe and supported to raise social problems if they arise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five students sit on steps with backpacks, writing in books and working on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ask students what they think how to stop bullying in their school. And whether they trust their peers and teachers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/students-sitting-on-steps-in-a-school-hallway-and-writing-in-notebooks-8457288/">Norma Mortenson/Pixels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Do they seek students’ ideas?</strong> The school should ask students how the school can better prevent and respond to bullying. It should also consider and act on these suggestions. Actively involving children and young people in issues that concern them is a basic human right. It also results in policies and practices that are more likely to be appropriate for them.</p>
<p><strong>3. Do people know about “gateway behaviours”?</strong> All school staff and students should be trained to identify and immediately report “gateway behaviours”. Examples include posting embarrassing photos online, ignoring particular students, name-calling, whispering about people in front of them, and eye-rolling. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth-Englander-2/publication/311654874_Understanding_Bullying_Behavior_What_Educators_Should_Know_and_Can_Do/links/5b87f13d92851c1e123bf9fb/Understanding-Bullying-Behavior-What-Educators-Should-Know-and-Can-Do.pdf">Gateway behaviours</a> are not in and of themselves considered bullying, but when left unchecked, can escalate into bullying. </p>
<p><strong>4. Do students think bullying is being reported?</strong> The school should also ask students whether they believe students and staff report all or almost all bullying they observe. It is also important to know whether students think reporting will remain anonymous and be acted on and positively resolved. This indicates whether students believe the school takes bullying seriously and feel empowered to come forward if they need to.</p>
<p><strong>5. Does the school have “safety and comfort plans”?</strong> These are created for specific students immediately after they are identified as having been a victim of bullying. They should be designed by the student and a staff member together. This is to ensure they feel comforted and safe at school. </p>
<p>We know bullying can have devastating <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/bullying/conditioninfo/health#:%7E:text=It%20can%20lead%20to%20physical,emotional%20problems%2C%20and%20even%20death.&text=Those%20who%20are%20bullied%20are,and%20problems%20adjusting%20to%20school.&text=Bullying%20also%20can%20cause%20long%2Dterm%20damage%20to%20self%2Desteem.">physical and psychological impacts</a> on children. It can lead to issues including <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-homeschooling-numbers-keep-rising-in-australia-is-more-regulation-a-good-idea-217802">school refusal</a>, poor self-esteem and poor mental health. This is why it is so important schools are properly equipped to not just handle incidents of bullying when they arise, but try and prevent them in the first place. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14, <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or contact <a href="https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/connect-with-us/">headspace</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222255/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nina Van Dyke was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona MacDonald was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research. </span></em></p>Bullying is not going away. The eSafety Commission recently revealed a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports.Nina Van Dyke, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityFiona MacDonald, Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2221642024-01-30T06:34:20Z2024-01-30T06:34:20ZA Victorian bookshop owner has called for ‘a substantial shift’ in ‘woke’ Australian publishing – but we still need diverse books<p>The owner of independent Victorian bookshop chain Robinsons has come under fire for a series of (since deleted) social media posts on X, including a list of “books we don’t need”.</p>
<p>“What’s missing from our bookshelves in store? Positive male lead characters of any age, any traditional nuclear white family stories, kids picture books with just white kids on the cover, and no wheelchair, rainbow or indigenous [sic] art, non indig [sic] aus history,” read one post from Robinsons’ chief executive Susanne Horman.</p>
<p>Horman’s list of books we don’t need includes “hate against white Australians, socialist agenda, equity over equality, diversity and inclusion (READ AS anti-white exclusion), left wing govt propaganda”. She called this “the woke agenda that divides people”.</p>
<p>Robinsons has since <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/robinsons-bookshop-owner-apologises-amid-backlash-over-white-kids-comments-20240128-p5f0mh.html">made an official apology</a>, claiming <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robinsonsbooks/posts/pfbid0joKEX5X68CFzQL4vFUsQ7o8z3ZB9E11pCBooC3uqN5C7aNfKr6EaYZEoJ8sUjtNbl">Horman’s comments had been</a> “taken out of context” and “misrepresented”. Horman’s X account has been deleted. Horman later told The Age her bookshops “fully support and encourage stories from diverse voices, minorities, and we are most definitely stocking these important topics and the authors that write them”.</p>
<p>Ironically, her earlier call on social media for <em>less</em> diversity comes as many librarians are calling for <a href="https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-122/the-need-for-diverse-book-collections/">more diverse books</a> in Australian bookshops and libraries. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-20-years-of-award-winning-picture-books-non-white-people-made-up-just-12-of-main-characters-147026">In 20 years of award-winning picture books, non-white people made up just 12% of main characters</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Last year, a <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/research-confirms-lack-of-cultural-diversity-in-published-literature">study</a>, looking at the cultural identity of the authors of 1,531 books published here in 2018, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/fewer-than-1-in-10-aussie-books-published-by-people-of-colour-report-finds-20221013-p5bpj4.html">found</a> authors of colour were “dramatically underrepresented” in Australia. Books by Indigenous authors accounted for 3%. (3.2% of Australians identified as Indigenous in the 2021 census.) </p>
<p>Only 7% of books were written by non-Indigenous people of colour (defined as non-European backgrounds). In 2021, nearly a quarter of Australians (22.8%) <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/cultural-diversity-australia">reported using</a> a language other than English at home. Of the 284 picture books in the sample, eight were by First Nations authors and eight were by people of colour. </p>
<p>Horman had complained of “way too many indigneous [sic] books coming out. Remember you need to publish for the other 97% and listen to those who said no to the #Voice.”</p>
<p>Yet a <a href="https://creative.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/readers_survey_summary_final_v-592cf39be2c34-1.pdf">major survey of Australian readers</a> in 2017 found 63% believed “books written by Indigenous Australians are important for Australian culture” and 42% were interested in books and writing about Indigenous Australia.</p>
<p>In relation to positive male lead characters, in April 2019, I examined <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-looked-at-100-best-selling-picture-books-female-protagonists-were-largely-invisible-115843">the 100 bestselling picture books at Australian book retailer Dymocks</a>. In their bestsellers list, 46% of books had male protagonists, while only 17% had female ones (32% had no lead character). There were only seven female-led books in the top 50, compared to 26 male-led books.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-looked-at-100-best-selling-picture-books-female-protagonists-were-largely-invisible-115843">I looked at 100 best-selling picture books: female protagonists were largely invisible</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Last year, Natalie Kon-yu, chief investigator on the project researching the cultural identity of authors, known as the First Nations and People of Colour Count, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/fewer-than-1-in-10-aussie-books-published-by-people-of-colour-report-finds-20221013-p5bpj4.html">told The Age</a> she suspects there’s been a positive shift towards diversity and inclusion since 2018. “There’s certainly an awareness that there’s a problem and I think people are acting in that way, which is good”. </p>
<h2>‘Traditional nuclear white family stories’</h2>
<p>While Horman claimed “traditional nuclear white family stories” were “missing” from Robinsons’ bookshelves, such households are commonly portrayed in Australian picture books. (Yes, more family types are now being explored, but white, two-parent families are far from missing.) </p>
<p>When I conducted a study at my local library in 2018, I found that of the children’s picture books with families in them, 78% of their collection showcased “traditional” families, while 22% were diverse in structure (not nuclear).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two mums with a baby on a couch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572084/original/file-20240130-19-1x1ork.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Diverse families are not the norm in children’s picture books.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-family-looking-at-the-screen-of-a-mobile-phone-7078832/">Kampus Production/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Approximately <a href="https://theconversation.com/mum-dad-and-two-kids-no-longer-the-norm-in-the-changing-australian-family-88014">1.1 million Australian children</a> live with only one biological parent; approximately <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en/pride-month-2023-9-of-adults-identify-as-lgbt">2.3 million Australians</a> identify as LGBTQ+; and <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples">167 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages</a> are spoken in homes. </p>
<p>Australian booksellers’ peak industry body, Book People, <a href="https://twitter.com/bookpeopleau/status/1751810547400810777">posted on X</a> yesterday: “We stand with bookshops that celebrate inclusivity”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/empathy-starts-early-5-australian-picture-books-that-celebrate-diversity-153629">Empathy starts early: 5 Australian picture books that celebrate diversity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Not ‘missing from the mix’</h2>
<p>Robinsons is a chain of seven bookshops across suburban Melbourne. In another of Horman’s now-deleted posts, she wrote: “I am advocating for a substantial shift in the focus of Australian publishers to be in line with public opinion and requests for books and for what is GOOD!” </p>
<p>Its subsequent apology, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=robinsons%20bookshop">posted on Facebook</a>, said in part:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>While some genres are overflowing on the shelves, others are noticeably bare. Positive stories with men and boys as the hero are almost missing from the mix. Neither Susanne Horman, nor Robinsons Bookshop are making a value judgement on this observation. Susanne apologises if people have taken this comment as a negative reflection on an excellent range of diverse books.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ironically, Robinsons’ list of current new releases on its website does not seem to corroborate this, nor Horman’s claims of white exclusion. </p>
<p>In all of Robinsons’ new release categories for January 2024 (children’s, young adult, fiction, non-fiction), white characters outnumbered people of colour. Likewise, while <a href="https://robinsonsbooks.wordpress.com/2024/01/19/january-new-release-picture-books-kids-fiction/">picture book and children’s novel</a> releases did not have much in the way of human representation, there were still an equal number of male and female characters on the covers. </p>
<p>Only Robinsons’ young adult releases had all-female leads (with one male co-protagonist) featured on the covers and this is in keeping with the genre. Young adult books are the only genre of children’s literature where female protagonists are more common than male ones. (Girls <a href="https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/items/31f97bd8-db3e-4643-a286-f9050c23e7a4">are far more likely than boys</a> to read a variety of books, crossing perceived gender boundaries.)</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/white-female-and-high-rates-of-mental-illness-new-diversity-research-offers-a-snapshot-of-the-publishing-industry-189679">White, female, and high rates of mental illness: new diversity research offers a snapshot of the publishing industry</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Is the industry changing?</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1128&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1128&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572087/original/file-20240130-15-tckrdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1128&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Natalie Kon-yu says awareness of diversity and inclusion in Australian publishing is ‘good’.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There have certainly been recent shifts in diversifying characters in our stories, and highlighting women’s experiences and authors of colour. However, the Australian publishing industry is a long way off equitable representation. Its workers remain <a href="https://theconversation.com/white-female-and-high-rates-of-mental-illness-new-diversity-research-offers-a-snapshot-of-the-publishing-industry-189679">“largely white”</a>, which is reflected in its publishing output.</p>
<p>Australian picture books, for example, remain predominately white in representation, with people of colour making up approximately <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/social-affairs/20-years-award-winning-picture-books-non-white-people-made-just-12-main#:%7E:text=Overall%2C%20human%20characters%20appear%20in,census%20data%20(from%202016).">12%</a> of characters.</p>
<p>Unlike Horman, I view this as a problem. It is lack of diversity, not the inclusion of it, that creates “divisiveness” in Australia. As First Nations author <a href="https://www.wheelercentre.com/wlr-articles/we-need-diverse-books-because-an-indigenous-perspective-on-diversity-in-young-adult-and-children-s-literature-in-australia/">Ambelin Kwaymullina</a> has written:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We need diverse books because a lack of diversity is a failure of our humanity. Literature without diversity presents a false image of what it is to be human. It masks – and therefore contributes to – the continuation of existing inequities, and it widens the gulfs of understanding that are already swallowing our compassion for each other.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Mokrzycki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The owner of Robinsons Bookshop has listed several kinds of books ‘missing’ from its shelves, including ‘kids picture books with just white kids on the cover’.Sarah Mokrzycki, Sessional Academic, children's literature and creative writing, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2214052024-01-25T01:29:23Z2024-01-25T01:29:23Z2024 is a huge year for the Olympics – and it’s not just about the Paris games<p>2024 is a leap year, and in the world of international sport it means something very exciting: it’s an Olympic year. For Australians, there is growing excitement about the 2032 games to be held in Brisbane. And between those four-yearly stints, there is also the winter Olympics to keep us entertained.</p>
<p>So let’s take a look at what’s coming up, and what it might mean for Australian athletes and audiences. </p>
<h2>The 2024 Paris Olympics</h2>
<p>A good example of the growing excitement around this year’s games is the new Australian Olympic television broadcaster, Channel 9, bombarding us with promotional commercials. </p>
<p>With Australia finishing sixth overall at the 2020/21 Tokyo Olympics with 46 medals, there is optimism for another top 10 finish in Paris this year.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IeaWoYBygFI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>2032 Brisbane summer Olympics</h2>
<p>Organising a global sporting event such as the Olympics is a massive logistical exercise, so it’s no surprise the <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/about/brisbane2032/brisbane-2032-organising-committee">organising committee</a> for the Brisbane games has already been set up, despite the games being more than eight years away.</p>
<p>There is growing reluctance for countries to take on the huge financial burden of hosting events like the Olympics. As a result, the planning for 2032 is in full swing with a goal that these games not “break the bank” with expensive facilities, staying within budget and also delivering key <a href="https://q2032.au/plans/games-legacy">legacy goals</a> well after the games finish.</p>
<p>However, some recent disagreement within the infrastructure planning process has led the Queensland state government to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-18/graham-quirk-to-lead-qld-olympics-review/103349700">instigate a review</a> of the master plan and what it says are the “over the top costs”. These are estimated at $2.7 billion to refurbish the ‘Gabba as the main Olympic stadium, and a new $2.5 billion Brisbane Arena.</p>
<p>With plenty of time to sort out this and other issues, there is confidence that Brisbane will continue the Australian tradition of being a great Olympic host. </p>
<h2>2024 Youth Winter Olympics</h2>
<p>Starting in 2010, the Youth Olympic Games (summer and winter) for athletes aged from 15 to 18 were added to the Olympic schedule. The fourth <a href="https://www.olympics.com.au/news/australias-largest-winter-youth-olympic-games-team-set-for-gangwon-2024">Youth Winter Olympics</a> are being held in Gangwon, South Korea, from January 19 to February 1 2024. With over 70 nations, 81 events and 1,900 athletes participating, this youth-based event is growing in stature and popularity.</p>
<p>Australia has its largest representation ever, with a record 47 athletes competing in eight disciplines, including the first all-Australian ice hockey team. In the previous three youth games, Australia has won seven medals. We can expect more in Korea. </p>
<p>Interestingly, there will be significant media coverage on 9Now, Stan Sport and the AOC website as well as Australian Olympic team social channels, highlighting how this multi-sport event has grown in popularity.</p>
<h2>100th anniversary of the first Winter Olympics</h2>
<p>Of special Olympic significance is that January 25 marks the 100th anniversary of the Winter Olympics. The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. This rather modest event, held over 11 days, had 258 athletes from six participating nations competing in 16 different events in five sports. </p>
<p>While initially a poor cousin of the summer games, the winter edition gradually expanded and improved its profile. At the 2022 Beijing games, the numbers expanded to 2,092 athletes, seven sports, 15 disciplines, 109 events and 91 nations, including those with little or no history in winter sports.</p>
<p>This growth resulted for several reasons: adding in lots of new sports and events, pressure from the <a href="https://www.xgames.com/">X Games</a> and its appeal to a youth audience, adding sports that are television-friendly, promoting gender balance, increased corporate and sponsorship funding and, starting in 1994, putting the winter games on a new cycle of even years between the summer games.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/everyones-a-winner-with-new-events-at-the-winter-games-22820">Everyone's a winner with new events at the Winter Games</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Australia’s Winter Olympics journey</h2>
<p>Australia is not the first nation that springs to mind when considering the Winter Olympics due to its warm climate. We always perform extremely well at the summer games, ranking 14th with 566 medals in 2021. While we will likely never replicate this placing in the winter games, there has been significant improvement.</p>
<p>Australia was not represented at the 1924 Winter Olympics 100 years ago. In 1936, it participated in its first Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, with just one competitor, speed skater Kenneth Kennedy. </p>
<p>However, after a sluggish and inconsistent history in the winter games, we won our first medal in 1994. Since then, we have won medals at every games and our world rank has risen to 25th with 19 medals.</p>
<p>Our winter Olympians have produced a number of exciting performances, with several athletes winning two medals. These include Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila in aerial skiing, Dale Begg-Smith in mogul skiing, Torah Bright in the half-pipe and Scotty James in snowboarding.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/better-late-than-never-australias-winter-olympic-medallists-22884">Better late than never: Australia's Winter Olympic medallists</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>By far our most famous medallist is Steven Bradbury, who won a bronze medal in team speed skating in 1994 and then our first ever gold medal in the same sport at the 2002 Salt Lake City games. He won in unconventional fashion, shooting forward from the back of the pack to win after all the leaders collided and fell. </p>
<p>His triumph, dubbed the “accidental gold”, became legendary and part of Olympic lore. It also entered the vernacular: “to do a Bradbury” means to win in an unusual and unexpected circumstance. Bradbury’s achievements have been recognised with an ice rink named after him at the O’Brien Icehouse in Melbourne.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LwWt3jNhsv4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>To support its athletes, Australia has made investments in winter sports infrastructure and athlete development. </p>
<p>The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia was set up in 1998, funded by the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission. It has been a major reason for our increased Olympic success. The purpose of this investment is to develop talent and increase the nation’s ability to compete in the Winter Olympics. </p>
<p>In addition, the media, the corporate sector and the public are now also on board the winter Olympic bandwagon.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/advance-australia-five-steps-to-winter-games-success-22885">Advance Australia: five steps to Winter Games success</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The next winter games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2026 represent a good chance for our best-ever medal haul.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221405/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Baka does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>All the attention is on the Paris summer games starting in July, but there’s plenty else to get excited about this year.Richard Baka, Honorary Professor, School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, Canada; Adjunct Fellow, Olympic Scholar and Co-Director of the Olympic and Paralympic Research Centre, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2215912024-01-24T00:16:27Z2024-01-24T00:16:27ZSome Australian Open matches run extremely late. How would that impact player sleep and recovery?<p>For many Australians, January is synonymous with late nights spent watching the Australian Open tennis tournament. These night matches are a great spectacle, and many players consider the prime time slot on centre court as a privilege and reward for their hard work.</p>
<p>An early highlight of this year’s tournament was the men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev playing out <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/daniil-medvedev-emil-ruusuvuori-australian-open-339-am">a five-set thriller</a> against unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, with the match finishing at nearly 4am. Less than 48 hours later, Medvedev followed this up <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/medvedev-eases-past-auger-aliassime-sets-borges-clash">by winning his next round match</a>. </p>
<p>In Medvedev’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medvedev-late-australian-open-tennis-708e79d5b03b1d8f042e4b23f183cc88">post-match interview</a>, he discussed recovery and preparation strategies after the previous late-night finish. This included ice baths, medical treatment and physio work before finally going to bed at around 7am, managing to get five hours of sleep.</p>
<p>Similarly, the first round match for women’s number two seed, Aryna Sabalenka, didn’t start <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/life/sport/defending-womens-champion-plays-just-before-midnight-at-australian-open-raising-scheduling-questions/">until almost midnight</a>.</p>
<p>As sleep scientists, we know limited and disrupted sleep opportunities can impact the body. So what do these late nights and lack of sleep mean for players’ recovery and performance?</p>
<h2>Why a lack of sleep is bad for your muscles</h2>
<p>The function of sleep is still not well understood, despite us spending close to a third of our life asleep. While we do know that sleeping less than six hours a night is linked to the increased risk of several <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-1124">chronic diseases</a>, there is still much to investigate.</p>
<p>Several recent studies we’ve worked on have demonstrated the importance of sleep for optimal muscle function. For example, one night of <a href="https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14660">sleep deprivation</a> (pulling an “all-nighter”) or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/JP278828">repeated nights of short sleep</a> actually impair the muscles’ ability to make new proteins, which is essential for repair and recovery.</p>
<p>Furthermore, other recent research suggests that a period of sleep loss (five nights, with four hours of sleep each night) can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101110">reduce mitochondrial function</a> within your muscles. Mitochondria are known as the “powerhouses of the cell” and are responsible for producing the energy needed to exercise – and win a tennis match.</p>
<p>Therefore, the lack of sleep tennis players experience after such late-night finishes may well impact their recovery and subsequent performance.</p>
<h2>Sleep loss directly affects athletic performance</h2>
<p>It is well accepted that sleep loss negatively impacts cognitive function and decision making. While the data is not definitive, there are also several studies that show sleep loss <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.01.012">impacts athletic performance</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003000">A recent study</a> in healthy young women accustomed to resistance exercise found that when they performed their weights session after several nights of restricted sleep, the quality and volume of their performance was reduced. The effort it took to complete the session increased, too.</p>
<p>Losing sleep is also detrimental to anaerobic power and skill execution – both of which are critical for Australian Open hopefuls. One study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.07.002">found a decline in tennis serving accuracy</a> with only five hours of sleep, while another found a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520802551568">decline in maximal power output</a>. </p>
<h2>Exercise can help you sleep – but it depends</h2>
<p>It is a widely held belief <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep">that exercise improves sleep</a>. However, falling asleep shortly after completing an adrenaline-fuelled, high-intensity tennis match is not always easy.</p>
<p>Indeed, a recent study investigated the impact of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad099">high-intensity exercise on sleep quality</a>. When the high-intensity exercise was performed in the early afternoon, deep sleep was improved. But when participants exercised shortly before bed, their sleep quality diminished.</p>
<p>However, this effect also depended on whether the person was a morning lark or evening owl (scientists call this a chronotype). The sleep quality of evening types was unaffected by exercise in the evening.</p>
<p>When it comes to tennis stars, a late-night finish can also affect their circadian rhythm. By the time Medvedev or Sabalenka would have got to bed, their natural, tightly regulated internal clock would have been readying them to wake up. Such a misalignment between the body’s circadian rhythm and the body’s drive for sleep tend to result in disrupted, insufficient sleep. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jetlag-hits-differently-depending-on-your-travel-direction-here-are-6-tips-to-get-over-it-196730">Jetlag hits differently depending on your travel direction. Here are 6 tips to get over it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Can players prepare to handle late-night matches?</h2>
<p>Some players have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-late-matches-explainer-509cb3dab84762ae346a1c7fc7b3dfe4">voiced their concerns</a> regarding <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-03/australian-open-extended-late-night-finishes-thing-of-past/102927520">late-night matches</a>. But other players suggest it’s just <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/it-s-the-nature-of-the-beast-why-the-australian-open-can-t-avoid-late-nights-20240115-p5excn.html">part of the game</a>. So what can a player do to prepare for the sleep disruption?</p>
<p>Professional athletes have a number of strategies available. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134650">napping has myriad benefits</a> for both cognitive function and physical performance.</p>
<p>A popular supplement, caffeine, has consistently been shown to improve physical performance and alertness. While endurance exercise has shown the largest performance benefits from caffeine, small to moderate improvements have been shown in muscle strength, sprinting, jumping and throwing performance.</p>
<p>However, caffeine can be detrimental to subsequent sleep. While athletes preparing for late matches might have an evening caffeine hit, the average Australian should avoid drinking coffee after 3pm.</p>
<p>Increasing sleep duration in the week leading up to late-night matches can also help. Studies have shown that sleep extension <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.035">increases tennis serving</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.1132">basketball free throw</a> accuracy almost 10%. Increasing sleep duration could really be the difference between hitting a winner or an unforced error. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen if athletes like Medvedev and Sabalenka will overcome their disrupted sleep and prevail at this year’s Australian Open. But there’s certainly an advantage to having a good night’s shut eye.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221591/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Saner receives funding from the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivia Knowles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Night matches at the Australian Open are a great spectacle, but sleep disruption is likely to wreak havoc even on professional athletes.Nicholas Saner, Post-doctoral researcher in sleep science, Victoria UniversityOlivia Knowles, High Performance Manager, Hawthorn FC, and Researcher, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2206672024-01-18T04:49:23Z2024-01-18T04:49:23ZChina’s population shrinks again and could more than halve – here’s what that means<p>China’s population has shrunk for the second year in a row. </p>
<p>The National Bureau of Statistics reports just 9.02 million births in 2023 – only half as many as in 2017. Set alongside China’s 11.1 million deaths in 2023, up 500,000 on 2022, it means China’s population shrank <a href="https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202401/t20240117_1946605.html">2.08 million</a> in 2023 after falling 850,000 in 2022. That’s a loss of about 3 million in two years.</p>
<p>The two consecutive declines are the first since the <a href="https://alphahistory.com/chineserevolution/great-chinese-famine/">great famine</a> of 1959-1961, and the trend is accelerating. </p>
<p>Updated low-scenario projections from a research team at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-population-is-about-to-shrink-for-the-first-time-since-the-great-famine-struck-60-years-ago-heres-what-it-means-for-the-world-176377">first</a> to predict the 2022 turndown, have China’s population shrinking from its present 1.4 billion to just 525 million by 2100.</p>
<p>China’s working-age population is projected to fall to just 210 million by 2100 – a mere one-fifth of its peak in 2014. </p>
<h2>Deaths climbing as births falling</h2>
<p>The death rate is climbing as an inevitable result of the population ageing, and also an upsurge of COVID in the first few months of 2023.</p>
<p>The population is ageing mainly because the birth rate is falling.</p>
<p>China’s total fertility rate, the average number of births per woman, was fairly flat at about 1.66 between 1991 and 2017 under China’s one-child policy. But it then fell to 1.28 in 2020, to 1.08 in 2022 and is now around 1, which is way below the level of 2.1 generally thought necessary to sustain a population. </p>
<p>By way of comparison, Australia and the United States have fertility rates of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/births-australia/latest-release">1.6</a>. In 2023 South Korea has the world’s lowest rate, <a href="https://time.com/6488894/south-korea-low-fertility-rate-trend-decline/">0.72</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="idC4X" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/idC4X/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<h2>Births plummet despite three-child policy</h2>
<p>China <a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3135510/chinas-one-child-policy-what-was-it-and-what-impact-did-it">abandoned</a> its one-child policy in 2016. In 2021 the country introduced a three-child policy, backed by <a href="https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-releases-supporting-measures-for-three-child-policy/">tax and other incentives</a>.</p>
<p>But births are continuing to fall. In part this is because of an established one-child norm, in part because the one-child policy cut the number of women of child-bearing age, and in part because economic pressures are making parenthood less attractive.</p>
<p>China’s National Bureau of Statistics says employees of enterprises work an average of <a href="https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202401/t20240117_1946605.html">49 hours</a> per week, more than nine hours per day. Women graduates earn less than men and are increasingly <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/4c47ddba-0e1a-467e-9f7c-33d71b0e843a">postponing having children</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-population-is-now-inexorably-shrinking-bringing-forward-the-day-the-planets-population-turns-down-198061">China's population is now inexorably shrinking, bringing forward the day the planet's population turns down</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The Year of the Dragon offers hope</h2>
<p>One hope is that 2024 will see a bump in births, being the year of the dragon in Chinese astrology, a symbol of good fortune. </p>
<p>Some families may have chosen to postpone childbirth during the less auspicious year of the rabbit in 2023. At least <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1973601">one study</a> has identified such an effect.</p>
<h2>An older, more dependent population</h2>
<p>The same research team at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Centre for Policy Studies at Australia’s Victoria University have China’s population falling by more than one-half to around 525 million by 2100, a fall about 62 million bigger than previously forecast.</p>
<p>The working-age population is set to fall more sharply to 210 million.</p>
<p>We now expect the number of Chinese aged 65 and older to overtake the number of Chinese of traditional working age in 2077, three years earlier than previously.</p>
<p>By 2100 we expect every 100 Chinese of traditional working-age to have to support 137 elderly Chinese, up from just 21 at present.</p>
<p>Our central scenario assumes China’s fertility rate will recover, climbing slowly to 1.3. Our low scenario assumes it will decline further to 0.88 over the next decade and then gradually recover to 1.0 by 2050 before holding steady.</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="Kihc6" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Kihc6/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p>We have based our assumptions on observations of actual total fertility rates in China’s region and their downward trend. In 2022 these rates hit 1.26 in Japan, 1.04 in Singapore, 0.87 in Taiwan, 0.8 in Hong Kong and 0.78 in South Korea.</p>
<p>In none of these countries has fertility rebounded, despite government efforts. These trends point to what demographers call the “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2005.00094.x">low-fertility trap</a>” in which fertility becomes hard to lift once it falls below 1.5 or 1.4.</p>
<h2>An earlier peak in world population</h2>
<p>At present accounting for one-sixth of the world’s population, China’s accelerated decline will bring forward the day when the world’s population peaks.</p>
<p>Our updated forecast for China brings forward our forecast of when the world’s population will peak by one year to 2083, although there is much that is uncertain (including what will happen in India, now bigger than China, whose fertility rate has <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?page=&locations=IN">fallen below</a> replacement level).</p>
<p>The accelerated decline in China’s population will weaken China’s economy and, through it, the world’s economy.</p>
<p>It will put downward pressure on Chinese consumer spending and upward pressure on wages and government spending. As the world’s second-largest economy, this weakness will present challenges to the world’s economic recovery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220667/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Xiujian Peng works for Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University in Australia. </span></em></p>Deaths have exceeded births by 3 million over the past two years. China’s working-age population is set to plunge to one-fifth of its peak.Xiujian Peng, Senior Research Fellow, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2151462023-12-24T20:54:15Z2023-12-24T20:54:15ZWhat if I discover mould after I move into a rental property? What are my rights?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553157/original/file-20231011-21-rq753i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C59%2C4994%2C3259&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A startling number of Australian rental homes come with an unwanted housemate: mould.</p>
<p>If you discover mould in a rented home, who is responsible and what can you do if the landlord seems unwilling to fix it?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-related-disasters-leave-behind-trauma-and-worse-mental-health-housing-uncertainty-is-a-major-reason-why-206861">Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Find the cause</h2>
<p>The landlord is responsible if the mould is caused by the structural condition of the property. This can include things like leaking pipes, gutters, roofs or windows. </p>
<p>Tenants are responsible for mould remediation if the way they occupy a home has promoted mould growth. For example, if they have not been using exhaust fans in bathrooms, have been failing to ventilate their home or have been storing wet clothes in a cupboard.</p>
<p>This means establishing the cause of the mould is crucial to working out who’s responsible for repairs. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman looks at mould in a house." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553158/original/file-20231011-29-newuk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Establishing the cause of the mould is crucial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why are so many rentals mouldy?</h2>
<p>Australia has a rental home mould problem chiefly because much of our housing hasn’t been built to suit our climate. Houses tend not to be built with sufficient consideration of:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>efficient energy consumption to regulate indoor temperature</p></li>
<li><p>the orientation of homes</p></li>
<li><p>the use of double glazing and insulation to regulate temperature and humidity.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It is estimated that nearly 17% of privately rented homes and 22% of social housing dwelling require <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-mobility-and-conditions/2019-20">major repairs</a>. This includes structural defects, such as large cracks in walls or leaking gutters, that can generate mould growth. </p>
<p>Tenant representatives have said in the past there is also a problem of weak enforcement of laws concerning the <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-11/AHURI-Final-Report-391-Regulation-of-residential-tenancies-and-impacts-on-investment.pdf">condition of rental homes</a>. </p>
<h2>4 ways to cut mould risk</h2>
<p>To reduce your mould risk, you need to manage indoor moisture and temperature. Try to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>keep the home well ventilated</p></li>
<li><p>open windows and use exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen</p></li>
<li><p>in humid climates, use air conditioning or a dehumidifier</p></li>
<li><p>in cold climate, use a dehumidifier (desiccant dehumidifiers might more appropriate in very cold places)</p></li>
<li><p>reduce moisture in the home by wiping up spills and condensation on surfaces</p></li>
<li><p>dry washing outside</p></li>
<li><p>if buying a dryer, opt for a condensing dryer instead of a conventional dryer (condensing driers put out much less vapour)</p></li>
<li><p>report any structural issues (such as leaking pipes or windows that don’t close properly) to the agent or landlord as soon as you notice them. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Washing and clothing dries on a rack indoors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553160/original/file-20231011-17-d968r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t dry your washing inside.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Rental minimum standards differ by state or territory</h2>
<p>In New South Wales, adequate ventilation is one of the <a href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/renting/new-residential-tenancy-laws">minimum standards</a> properties must meet to be considered fit to live in.</p>
<p>If the rental provider has been notified about mould problems in the house but has failed to act, you might consider getting advice from the <a href="https://www.tenants.org.au/?gclid=CjwKCAiAjfyqBhAsEiwA-UdzJEj1YE27QhWKv2W5hPiiFTXMeX5Yqe61X4WlsHwRcq5kh5qDnU-MEBoC2LgQAvD_BwE">Tenants’ Union of NSW</a>. </p>
<p>Its <a href="https://www.tenants.org.au/factsheet-24-mould">fact sheet on mould</a> also explains what to do if you’d like to contact the <a href="https://www.ncat.nsw.gov.au">NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal</a> to apply for repairs, rent reduction or compensation. </p>
<p>In Victoria, <a href="https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/repairs-alterations-safety-and-pets/minimum-standards/minimum-standards-for-rental-properties">rental minimum standards</a> say “all rooms must be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure.”</p>
<p>The <a href="https://tenantsvic.org.au/advice/common-problems/mould-and-damp/">Tenants Victoria</a> website has information on how to ask a landlord to fix a mould problem or structural problems leading to mould and how to apply to the <a href="https://www.vcat.vic.gov.au">Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal</a> if the landlord fails to act.</p>
<p>In Queensland, it depends on when you signed the lease. If you signed after September 1 this year (after new <a href="https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/about/initiatives/rental-law-reform">standards</a> were introduced) tenants should notify the landlords of <a href="https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/during-a-tenancy/maintenance-and-repairs/mould">mould as soon as they discover it</a>.</p>
<p>If mould is a result of problems with the property and the landlord doesn’t undertake repairs, tenants can contact the <a href="https://www.qcat.qld.gov.au">Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal</a>. </p>
<p>The guidelines in <a href="https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_821_homepage.html">Western Australia</a> say the landlord must ensure the premises is “in a reasonable state of cleanliness and a reasonable state of repair […] and must conduct any repairs within a reasonable period after the need for the repair arises.” And in <a href="https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/publications/maintenance-your-rental-property-who-responsible-landlord-bulletin-issue-12-september">Western Australia</a>, mould caused by faults in gutters or other fixtures is the responsibility of the rental provider. Further information on <a href="https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/resolving-rental-property-issues">what to do</a> if a dispute over the premises can’t be resolved amicably is available on the state government website.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.housingsafetyauthority.sa.gov.au/minimum-housing-standards/whole-property">South Australia</a> rental properties must be “reasonably free from mould or other irritants [and] reasonably free from the adverse effects of moisture or damp.” If a landlord refuses to fix something after being asked, the tenant can <a href="https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/renting-privately/during-a-tenancy/Repairs-and-maintenance">apply to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal</a>.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/housing/renting/rental-maintenance-repairs-changes/requesting-repairs">Tasmania</a>, rental properties must be clean and in good repair when leased out. <a href="https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/housing/renting/beginning-tenancy/minimum-standards/types">According to</a> the Tasmanian government website on the issue, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘Clean’ includes having no […] serious mould/rising damp issues.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If the tenant requests repairs and the landlord doesn’t act, the tenant can lodge a repair order with the <a href="https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/housing/renting/rental-maintenance-repairs-changes/requesting-repairs">Commisioner’s office</a>. </p>
<p>In the Australian Capital Territory, the Tenants’ Union ACT has guidance on what to do if you discover <a href="https://www.tenantsact.org.au/what-can-i-do-about-mould/">mould</a> in a property you rent.</p>
<p>In the Northern Territory, tenants may wish to seek advice from the <a href="https://www.dcls.org.au/tenants-advice/">Tenants’ Advice Service</a> if there is a mould problem in a property they rent.</p>
<h2>What policy change could help?</h2>
<p>If the cause of indoor mould is related to the design and construction of the house, rental providers should act. But tenants may not have the information they need to determine and substantiate this claim and can’t do much to get rental providers to act on mould if it’s not clear what’s causing it. Also, renters often worry asking for repairs could lead to a rent increase or eviction.</p>
<p>Solutions include strengthening tenants rights to compel landlords to investigate the cause of mould in a house (given that knowing the cause is essential to assign responsibility for repairs). There should also be more stringent enforcement of current minimum standards relating to mould in rental properties.</p>
<p>Given the scale of problems like mould in Australian homes, policymakers may wish to consider whether a parliamentary inquiry on home environments and health is needed. </p>
<p>This would give Australians a chance to speak about their experiences – something that could help policy makers improve regulation in the rental sector. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sudden-mould-outbreak-after-all-this-rain-youre-not-alone-but-you-are-at-risk-177820">Sudden mould outbreak after all this rain? You’re not alone – but you are at risk</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215146/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Bentley receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Law is the Technical Lead for Building Sciences at Restoration Industry Consultants (RIC). He has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Building Codes Board, the Victorian Building Authority, Consumer Building and Occupation Services (Tasmania) and Commercialisation Australia.</span></em></p>If the cause of the mould is related to the design and construction of the house, rental providers should act.Rebecca Bentley, Professor of Social Epidemiology and Director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of MelbourneTim Law, Adjunct lecturer, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195902023-12-11T05:07:31Z2023-12-11T05:07:31ZWe are hurtling towards a million international students in Australia – migration changes will only slow this growth, not stop it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564747/original/file-20231211-17-7olbq2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C16%2C5381%2C3582&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photography-of-people-graduating-1205651/">Emily Ranquist/ Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government is aiming to rein in the growth of international students in its <a href="https://theconversation.com/government-to-toughen-scrutiny-of-international-students-as-it-slashes-net-migration-over-two-years-219574">new migration policy</a>, released on Monday.</p>
<p>This is in response to record levels of international students entering the country once COVID-related border closures were lifted. Current and former international students living in Australia already number 860,000 and are hurtling towards one million people.</p>
<p>As Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil told journalists:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] we do not want [the international student population] to grow as fast as it has been growing in the past few years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The government is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-bringing-immigration-back-to-normal-levels-but-cuts-are-not-as-dramatic-as-they-seem-219501">relying on</a> tightening of visa regulations, greater integrity measures and increased entry requirements to reduce the number of students.</p>
<p>These reforms target the vocational education and training sector and students who remain in Australia following their course. But the number of international students is set to remain about the same, just with more sustainable levels of growth. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, universities – who are so reliant on international student income – are likely to be less affected.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-bringing-immigration-back-to-normal-levels-but-cuts-are-not-as-dramatic-as-they-seem-219501">The government is bringing immigration back to 'normal levels' but cuts are not as dramatic as they seem</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Towards 1 million</h2>
<p>Over the past decade, the number of current and international students in Australia has more than doubled. In 2012, there were about 340,000 international students in Australia. The most recent data shows 650,000 are in Australia.</p>
<p>Enrolled international students are just one group of temporary migrants. Some former international students are eligible for <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/extended-poststudy-work-rights-international-graduates">post-study work visas</a> of up to six years when they finish their course.</p>
<p>Thanks to border closures, the pandemic caused a major decline in the number of international students living in Australia. To encourage international students to return, the Australian government allowed <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/punjabi/en/article/australia-to-re-introduce-work-hour-restrictions-for-student-visa-holders-from-1-july/ak3bl6s9e">international students to work more hours</a> and increased post-study visa work rights.</p>
<p>But the rate at which international students have returned has been much quicker than many expected. There have also been several recent reviews into the migration system highlighting problems.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-publications/reviews-and-inquiries/departmental-reviews/migration-system-for-australias-future">One review</a> found Australia was creating a class of “permanently temporary” migrants in Australia. These are people who have lived in the country for an extended period but have no path to permanent residency or citizenship.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-publications/reviews-and-inquiries/departmental-reviews/rapid-review-exploitation-visa-system">Another review</a> found the migration system, including student visas, was the subject of major abuses.</p>
<p><iframe id="5QV1P" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5QV1P/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>A targeted clamp down</h2>
<p>To lower the growth rate, the government is proposing a series of measures.</p>
<p>These include closing the COVID-related programs that uncapped working hours for international students.</p>
<p>They are also proposing strengthening the integrity and lifting standards in international education. This includes increasing minimum English language requirements for student and graduate visas.</p>
<p>The government is also promising to crack down on unscrupulous education providers who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/may/17/international-education-providers-gaming-the-system-undermine-australias-reputation-inquiry-hears">deliver cheap, poor quality courses</a> but offer access to visas with work rights. </p>
<p>To halt the growth in former international students staying on in Australia, the government will shorten graduate visas.</p>
<p>They will also end settings that allow graduates to prolong their stay in Australia by cycling through courses to remain in the country. The number of international students staying in Australia on a second or subsequent student visa grew by more than 30% to more than 150,000 in 2022–23. Students will now need to demonstrate further study is part of career progression.</p>
<p>These are combined with other reforms aimed at making pathways to permanent migration clearer. The government forecast that this package will bring down the growth in net overseas migration. </p>
<p><iframe id="U8EuC" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/U8EuC/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Universities are set to be spared</h2>
<p>This policy is aimed at a major reduction in the rate of growth rather than to reduce the total number of international students.</p>
<p>Of the 860,000 current and former international students in Australia, just under half are currently enrolled in higher education courses. But it is the non-university sector that will be most impacted.</p>
<p>The increase in English language requirements will impact students in the vocational education and training sector, which is dominated by private colleges, as English language requirements for university students are largely unchanged.</p>
<p>Tightening the criteria for enrolments in second and subsequent courses will also impact the vocational sector the most. In 2022–23 almost 69,000 students granted a subsequent student visa in Australia have been in vocational education and training courses where the government claims there is “a lower likelihood of a credible course progression”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-unis-and-vocational-colleges-are-key-to-australias-temporary-migration-challenge-205011">Why unis and vocational colleges are key to Australia's temporary migration challenge</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We are not alone</h2>
<p>Australia is not the only country <a href="https://monitor.icef.com/2023/12/notable-government-policy-shifts-affecting-international-students-going-into-2024/">winding back post-pandemic policies</a> aimed at boosting international education.</p>
<p>The United Kingdom <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67623131">announced reforms last week</a> aimed at cutting net overseas migration, including restricting some students from bringing family members.</p>
<p>Overall, the Australian government’s aim is to deliver a more cohesive migration strategy that better aligns international education, labour market needs and pathways to permanent residency.</p>
<p>It is a welcome recognition we need significant improvements to Australia’s migration program if we are also going to make improvements to the international student sector.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219590/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Australian government is aiming to rein in the post-COVID boom in international students in its new migration policy.Peter Hurley, Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityMelinda Hildebrandt, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2172672023-12-07T19:18:52Z2023-12-07T19:18:52ZCouncils are opening the door to tiny houses as a quick, affordable and green solution<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/01/australia-rental-price-rice-crisis-data">Soaring rents</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/22/housing-prices-record-levels-corelogic-home-value-index#:%7E:text=Housing%20prices%20back%20at%20record%20levels%2C%20defying%20Australia's%20interest%20rate%20rises,-The%207.5%25%20drop&text=Australian%20home%20prices%20are%20back,to%20the%20data%20group%20CoreLogic.">home prices</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/oct/10/australia-under-more-mortgage-stress-than-any-other-nation-says-imf">increasing mortgage stress</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-immigration-rents-inflation/103128424">record immigration</a> and a growing population are fuelling a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-06/housing-crisis-medium-high-density-development-730/102818054">housing crisis</a> and <a href="https://homelessnessaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HA-Overstretched-and-overwhelmed-report-v03-1.pdf">increasing homelessness</a>. In the face of this pressing need, tiny houses offer an alternative housing option. </p>
<p>Tiny houses have become <a href="https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/nine-out-of-10-americans-would-consider-tiny-house-living">popular in the United States</a>. Their popularity is growing in other developed countries such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/15/priced-out-uk-house-hunters-turn-to-lorry-sized-tiny-homes">the UK</a> and <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/we-can-live-how-fredericton-s-growing-affordable-tiny-home-community-offers-hope-1.6660712">Canada</a>. In Australia, however, planning and housing regulations <a href="https://theconversation.com/tiny-and-alternate-houses-can-help-ease-australias-rental-affordability-crisis-182328">present many barriers</a> to using tiny houses as permanent homes. </p>
<p>Dire statistics highlight the need to find homes for Australians quickly and cheaply. The unmet need for social housing has been estimated at <a href="https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/documents/522/Modelling_costs_of_housing_provision_FINAL.pdf">437,000 households</a>. The 2021 census counted <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/estimating-homelessness-census/latest-release#:%7E:text=122%2C494%20people%20were%20estimated%20to%20be%20experiencing%20homelessness%20at%20the,increase%20of%201.6%25%20from%202016">122,494 people</a> as homeless. By 2022, <a href="https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/documents/699/CHIA-housing-need-national-snapshot-v1.0.pdf">more than 640,000 households’</a> housing needs were not being met. </p>
<p>Some local councils now see tiny houses as part of the solution to these problems. They are taking steps to make it easier for people to live in them. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1623130260245200896"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiny-and-alternate-houses-can-help-ease-australias-rental-affordability-crisis-182328">Tiny and alternate houses can help ease Australia's rental affordability crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Australia is trailing a global movement</h2>
<p>The tiny house movement is built on several values. These include a preference for smaller homes, the pursuit of minimalism, the desire to live more sustainably and a rejection of the prevailing consumer culture. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2018P6">2018 International Housing Code</a> defines tiny houses as dwellings of 400 square feet (37 square metres) in area or less. In Australia, dwellings under 50 square metres are commonly regarded as tiny houses. </p>
<p>The two main types are tiny houses on foundations and tiny houses on wheels. The latter is built on a trailer and must comply with road-legal dimensions and vehicle regulations.</p>
<p>Tiny houses have long been used as dwellings overseas. Faced with high property prices and land scarcity, those who enjoy the convenience of city life with a minimalist lifestyle have embraced tiny homes. </p>
<p>Examples include <a href="https://www.yankodesign.com/2021/10/03/japanese-inspired-tiny-homes-that-incorporate-our-favorite-aesthetic-micro-living-trends/">micro-homes in Tokyo</a>. Japanese micro-homes are often sited <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/japan-micro-homes/index.html">on irregular leftover pieces</a> of land.</p>
<p>In the US, the Occupy Madison Village is a tiny house commune in Madison, Wisconsin. It provides housing, communal living and community-based decision-making for homeless people to promote their sense of belonging and social participation. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EUxR8RRVqRc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Tiny house villages have been built across the United States.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-innovations-helping-the-homeless-in-eugene-oregon-133036">3 innovations helping the homeless in Eugene, Oregon</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s happening in Australia?</h2>
<p>In Australia, the various barriers to tiny house living include local government planning schemes, time limits and other restrictions on occupancy and connection to utilities. Over the past year, local councils have begun to make it easier to live in a tiny house.</p>
<p>The Shire of Esperance in Western Australia was the <a href="https://www.esperance.wa.gov.au/news/2023/may/31/everything-you-wanted-know-tiny-houses-wheels">first local council</a> in the country to recognise tiny houses as permanent dwellings in December 2022.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1721044795894993091"}"></div></p>
<p>Mount Alexander Shire Council in Victoria <a href="https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Council/News-and-updates/Local-law-changed-to-allow-tiny-homes-on-wheels">removed the permit requirement</a> for residents to park tiny houses on wheels on properties with existing dwellings in June 2023. </p>
<p>The Shire of Capel in Western Australia adopted a <a href="https://www.capel.wa.gov.au/news/council-meeting-august-ocm/23#:%7E:text=Council%20endorsed%20the%20adoption%20of,stay%20accommodation%20under%20certain%20regulations.">tiny house policy</a> to allow ancillary dwellings and tiny house communities in August 2023. </p>
<p>The Surf Coast Shire in Victoria is starting a <a href="https://www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Community/Housing/Tiny-house-pilot/Council-to-trial-domestic-use-of-tiny-houses-on-wheels">two-year trial</a> of domestic use of tiny houses on wheels in 2024. </p>
<p>These changes are likely to help people who are struggling to find an affordable home and those on <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-soul-destroying-how-people-on-a-housing-wait-list-of-175-000-describe-their-years-of-waiting-210705">long waiting lists</a> for social housing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiny-houses-and-alternative-homes-are-gaining-councils-approval-as-they-wrestle-with-the-housing-crisis-199667">Tiny houses and alternative homes are gaining councils' approval as they wrestle with the housing crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A cheaper and faster way to house people</h2>
<p>Tiny houses offer a cost-effective and prompt solution to the issues of affordable housing and homelessness. Their small size means they can be built more quickly and cheaply. </p>
<p>The construction cost of a tiny house is typically A$80,000-$160,000. The median house price for Australian capital cities is now <a href="https://propertyupdate.com.au/the-latest-median-property-prices-in-australias-major-cities/">more than $900,000</a> – and around $650,000 for units. </p>
<p>On average, it takes <a href="https://articles.soho.com.au/2022-guide-how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-house">four to 12 months</a> to build a house in Australia after the purchase of land and design approval. It takes only <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-26/tiny-homes-may-train-future-tradies-help-solve-housing-shortage/100242220">about four weeks</a> to build a tiny house commercially.</p>
<p>The average new house size in Australia is the <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/newsroom/2020/11/commsec-home-size-trends-report.html">biggest in the world</a>. Average floor area has been between <a href="https://theconversation.com/drafts/217267/edit">230 and 246 square metres</a> for the past 20 years. Large houses use more materials and energy to build and run, adding to living costs. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1325702174773555200"}"></div></p>
<h2>Shrinking our environmental footprints</h2>
<p>Tiny houses promote liveable space downsizing and simpler lifestyles. They also demonstrate a stronger responsibility for environmental stewardship. Some have rainwater tanks, composting toilets, solar panels and batteries and can operate completely off-grid. </p>
<p>Because tiny houses use fewer resources, their occupants’ environmental footprint is smaller. They represent a shift towards more sustainable living by prioritising lower energy use (heating, cooling and lighting) and greenhouse gas emissions. These signify a commitment to limit climate change and global warming by moving towards Australia’s net-zero carbon emission target by 2050. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-people-downsize-to-tiny-houses-they-adopt-more-environmentally-friendly-lifestyles-112485">When people downsize to tiny houses, they adopt more environmentally friendly lifestyles</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The global tiny house movement represents a concerted effort to reduce the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8540435/">huge environmental footprint</a> of the building and construction industry. At the same time, high-performing, energy-efficient tiny houses cut occupants’ living costs.</p>
<p>Tiny houses do not cater for all households. They <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-a-tiny-house-whats-it-like-and-how-can-it-be-made-better-110495">suit certain demographics</a>, especially single and partnered people with no children or retirees. </p>
<p>Tiny houses can add <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-want-and-need-more-housing-choice-its-about-time-governments-stood-up-to-deliver-it-122390">much-needed diversity</a> to Australians’ housing options. As councils are recognising, they’re a way of quickly expanding the affordable housing supply in a community. Lower running costs and a smaller environmental footprint are added bonuses.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hing-Wah Chau does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Until now, planning and housing regulations have stood in the way of using tiny houses as permanent homes. That’s starting to change as councils look for solutions to the housing crisis.Hing-Wah Chau, Course Chair in Building Design & Senior Lecturer in Built Environment, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2182472023-11-23T11:30:09Z2023-11-23T11:30:09ZThe Productivity Commission wants all Australian kids to have access to 3 days of early learning and care a week<p>A major new report is recommending bold changes to Australia’s early childhood sector. On Thursday night, the Productivity Commission released an <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/childhood/draft">interim report</a> from its <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/childhood#draft">inquiry</a> into early childhood education and care.</p>
<p>The report recommends every Australian child aged under five years gets access to three days a week of “high-quality” early learning and care. This entitlement could occur in a range of settings such as centre-based day care, family day care and preschool. </p>
<p>Currently there is no national guarantee, only a mix of entitlements to preschool for three- and four-year-olds, which varies depending on the state.</p>
<p>The report also recommends lower-income families receive a 100% <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy">child care subsidy</a> for these three days and some work or study requirements are removed. This means families earning less than A$80,000 would get up to 30 hours of free childcare for children aged under five years.</p>
<p>The recommendations would result in a huge overhaul of the sector and require large increases in the supply of early education places and government funding. </p>
<h2>Why do we have this report?</h2>
<p>The inquiry was set up in February this year, following a <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/cheaper-child-care">Labor election promise</a> to conduct a comprehensive review of the sector with the aim of paying 90% of fees for all families covered by the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-care-subsidy">Child Care Subsidy</a>. </p>
<p>The report is one of several federal government-commissioned inquiries into early education and care. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently looking at <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/childcare-inquiry-2023">the early learning market</a> and Australia’s children’s education and care regulator is looking at <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/interview-sky-news-sunday-agenda-0">safety</a> in the sector. </p>
<p>The Productivity Commission review has a broader scope than the other reviews and is examining issues such as cost, quality, workforce and access to early learning and care.</p>
<p>The sector already provides services to more than <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/resources/june-quarter-2023-data-tables">1.4 million children</a> every year and receives about A$13 billion in government funding. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-childcare-is-costly-but-nowhere-near-as-costly-as-recent-reports-suggest-heres-why-215259">Yes, childcare is costly, but nowhere near as costly as recent reports suggest – here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the key findings?</h2>
<p>The interim report found Australia’s early learning and care system can be complex and costly, with patchy provision in some areas and not enough support for vulnerable groups.</p>
<p>To meet these challenges, the Productivity Commission recommends the federal government takes a more active role in ensuring up to 30 hours or three days a week of quality early childhood education and care is available to all children up to five years.</p>
<p>This would be the first time there is an explicit policy aim in Australia for an entitlement like this.</p>
<p>The report highlighted that those who are likely to benefit most from childcare services - those experiencing disadvantage – are also less likely to attend. To increase participation, the report recommends “relaxing” the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/activity-level-and-subsidised-care-for-child-care-subsidy?context=41186">activity test</a> and increasing subsidies for low income families.</p>
<p>At the moment, many families need to undertake a certain amount of work, study or volunteering (“activity”) to be eligible for the child care subsidy.</p>
<p>As Associate Commissioner Deborah Brennan said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A child’s entitlement to at least three days of [early childhood education and care] a week should not depend on how much their parents work.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-1-million-australians-have-no-access-to-childcare-in-their-area-179557">More than 1 million Australians have no access to childcare in their area</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Fees and subsidies</h2>
<p>A key point is the amount of subsidy different families should receive.</p>
<p>Currently, families earning between $80,000 and $530,000 receive up to 90% in subsidies. The subsidy decreases by 1% for each $5,000 they earn above $80,000. The subsidy is paid directly to early childhood services and they pass it on to families as a fee reduction. </p>
<p>In response to Labor’s request to investigate a 90% universal subsidy, Productivity Commission modelling suggests this would would increase the child care subsidy payments by about $4.1 billion annually, or 33%. The biggest beneficiaries would be high-income families, because their subsidy would increase the most. </p>
<p>But the report goes a step further. For families on incomes up to $80,000 it recommends increasing the subsidy to 100% of the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/type-child-care-you-use-can-affect-child-care-subsidy?context=41186">top subsidy rate</a> for 30 hours a week.</p>
<p>This would make up to 30 hours of childcare effectively free for about 30% of all families with children aged under five. The estimated cost of this policy, along with the relaxing of the activity test, is an additional $2.5 billion a year, or 20%.</p>
<p>The commission believes these changes would remove barriers for lower-income families and encourage more children experiencing disadvantage to benefit from high-quality early learning. </p>
<p>As the report says: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Affordability should not be a barrier to […] access.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The commission will explore further recommendations in their final report for subsidy rates to families not covered by the 100% subsidy recommendation. </p>
<p><iframe id="Scxct" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Scxct/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Expansive reform</h2>
<p>The commission’s proposal would introduce an entitlement to early education and care like reforms already underway in other countries. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-australia-should-look-to-quebec-s-5-a-day-daycare-20230702-p5dl3q.html">Quebec in Canada</a> already has an entitlement to childcare at $10 a day regardless of income. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/upcoming-changes-to-childcare-support/">United Kingdom</a> is expanding childcare entitlements to 30 hours per week for many working families with children aged over nine months.</p>
<p>The commission highlights such an expansion “will require careful sequencing and implementation”.</p>
<p>To do this, it is proposing more government involvement in locations where families struggle to find appropriate education and care. At the moment, the government subsidises those who create the demand for early childhood services (parents and families). Meanwhile, supply is created by a mix of for-profit and not-for-profit providers opening centres to respond to this need.</p>
<p>This is different to our school system, where governments fund schools directly, there is greater government service provision and schools are not allowed to be for-profit.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>When viewed this way, the Productivity Commission has not recommended a major overhaul of the current approach. Instead, it will explore the most effective government interventions where the current model is not working properly. This means there is still a lot of detail that needs to be worked out.</p>
<p>But the reform agenda is undeniably big and geared towards directing the most support to those children from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>The commission will hold public hearings next year with a final report due to the government on June 30 2024.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218247/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Hurley works for the Mitchell Institute who receive funding from Minderoo Foundation to undertake research into early childhood education and care.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Tham works for the Mitchell Institute who receive funding from Minderoo Foundation to undertake research into early childhood education and care.</span></em></p>Australia is set to embark on bold changes to early childhood education if a new report is anything to go by.Peter Hurley, Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityMelissa Tham, Research fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2125312023-11-20T18:59:57Z2023-11-20T18:59:57ZDenial is over. Climate change is happening. But why do we still act like it’s not?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559024/original/file-20231113-25-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C90%2C5241%2C3098&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Climate-fuelled disaster is now front-page news, as record-breaking floods, fires, droughts and storms keep arriving. </p>
<p>The damage done by climate change is systemic and pervasive, resonating through our communities, economies and environments. It manifests in many ways, from empty spaces in supermarket shelves to houses left unlivable after floods, anxious communities, collapsing ecosystems and emergency services stretched to capacity. </p>
<p>Climate researchers initially assumed that if you gave people the right information, we would act on it. Burning fossil fuels comes with severe consequences – so let’s phase out fossil fuels. But they found out very quickly this was not the case. </p>
<p>For many people, it triggered <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/28186/chapter-abstract/213097621?redirectedFrom=fulltext">cognitive dissonance</a>, where they knew climate change was happening but <a href="https://psychology.org.au/community/advocacy-social-issues/environment-climate-change-psychology/resources-for-psychologists-and-others-advocating/public-understanding-of-climate-change#:%7E:text=People%20often%20experience%20cognitive%20dissonance,driving%2C%20flying%2C%20etc">acted like it wasn’t</a>. After all, many people still smoke, even though they know it is bad for their health. And many of us still fly to Italy – even though we know how many extra tonnes of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere. </p>
<p>But why is it so easy to understand but not act?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man smoking" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559013/original/file-20231113-16-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Smokers now know full well the damage cigarettes do.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Change seems hard, doing nothing is easy</h2>
<p>It’s because of public and private narratives we have grown up with. Our expectations of life are geared towards wanting comfort and stability.</p>
<p>This means not everyone has developed the ways of thinking needed to deal with the impacts (such as natural hazards) we are now facing. Sudden changes caused by these – such as the loss of a home – are almost invariably shocking and can create a sense of disbelief. How could this be? When do we get back to normal? Surely it won’t happen again?</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://vuir.vu.edu.au/32103/1/19-Young-2014-Problem-Solution-Framework.pdf">research on systemic risks</a> such as climate change adaptation suggests this disconnect is common. Because we expect and hope for stable normality, we find it hard to truly believe the changes we are seeing will continue. </p>
<p><iframe id="Hp4wy" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Hp4wy/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>There’s also a divide between who benefits and who pays. Your family trip to Iceland pays off for you in shared memories and good times. The damage in terms of emissions is spread across the globe. Often the damage done has less impact on the people who have done most to cause it, compounding inequality and eroding the ability of those most at risk to respond. </p>
<p>Adapting to the climate and working to reduce further heating can be an uncomfortable and at times painful process where we have to embrace and acknowledge <a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-grief-can-help-us-adapt-to-climate-change-37518">our grief for the changing world</a>. We’re often taught to avoid potentially dangerous or painful things – especially if they are unfamiliar. But now, doing what we’ve always done is not safe. </p>
<p>Then there are the limitations of individual action. No matter how committed you are to cutting your own climate impact, it makes very little difference if others aren’t doing the same.</p>
<p>Action needs to be collaborative and sustained over the longer term, favouring public good over individual vested interests and short term gains. The politicisation of action in Australia’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-wars-carbon-taxes-and-toppled-leaders-the-30-year-history-of-australias-climate-response-in-brief-169545">climate wars</a> has <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2016/10/04/the-politics-of-climate/">polarised opinion</a> and eroded trust in the research. It has also left some people feeling that their actions are too small to matter. </p>
<p>All of this means we can find it surprisingly easy to detach our own daily actions – driving to work, holidays in Queensland, watching Netflix – from the broader goals of getting emissions down to zero as soon as possible. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tourists-flock-to-the-mediterranean-as-if-the-climate-crisis-isnt-happening-this-years-heat-and-fire-will-force-change-210282">Tourists flock to the Mediterranean as if the climate crisis isn't happening. This year's heat and fire will force change</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So how can we avoid climate hypocrisy?</h2>
<p>Many of us understand the risks of climate change full well, but we do not accept the responsibility. That, in turn, means we may feel okay not to act. Or we may understand and accept the risk, but not have the resources or ability to act.</p>
<p>We know that presenting climate change as a problem without a solution or using fear tactics <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547008329201">disengages and demotivates us</a>. It can also feed anxiety, which undermines action. </p>
<p>So the first step to overcoming climate inaction is to identify where you can act directly, such as switching your second car to an e-bike, investing in solar panels, working on local re-vegetation projects or making climate-friendly consumer choices.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="family planting tree, silhouette" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559211/original/file-20231114-17-ew2xgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Action helps make more action.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Where you have influence, apply this through voting, education or advocacy. Humble actions matter because they accumulate to create change. </p>
<p>This isn’t to say you should give up holidays. It is about making informed choices. Ending the burning of fossil fuels will take time and our choices will change as we transition away from this. </p>
<p>But doing something is always better than nothing. Active responses can help reduce climate anxiety and they are also the panacea for avoiding climate hypocrisy. And while large-scale policy responses are necessary, individual action and pressure can help speed up the shift. </p>
<p>Climate change isn’t just a problem for scientists, engineers and governments. We need both large-scale and small-scale action. As the costs of climate change escalate, we can no longer afford to know about climate change but not act. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-minds-handle-risk-strangely-and-thats-partly-why-we-delayed-climate-action-so-long-213761">Our minds handle risk strangely – and that's partly why we delayed climate action so long</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212531/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Celeste Young has funding from the National Center for Climate Change Adaption Research Facility, The Bush Fire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Center, Victorian Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Department of The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) (formerly DEWLP). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Jones has provided technical advice on fire climate regimes to the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Formerly the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning).
</span></em></p>Climate denial is passe. But why do so many of us know the climate crisis is upon us – and live like it isn’t?Celeste Young, Collaborative Research Fellow, Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria UniversityRoger Jones, Professorial Research Fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2168982023-11-05T19:12:43Z2023-11-05T19:12:43ZGonski for universities: what if we funded higher education like schools?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557370/original/file-20231102-19-szrxpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C186%2C2871%2C1881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/room-chair-lot-356065/">Pixabay/Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/universities-accord">Australian Universities Accord</a> is a major review of Australian universities.</p>
<p>Its proposals promise to have a huge impact on how Australia’s higher education system will function in years to come.</p>
<p>Education Minister Jason Clare has made <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-21/university-accord-student-higher-education-reforms-could-sting/102626504">equity a top priority</a> for the accord. This means increasing opportunities for disadvantaged groups to attend university and finish their degrees. </p>
<p>In its <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/australian-universities-accord-interim-report-and-immediate-actions">interim report</a> in July, the review panel suggested a “needs-based” funding model could be used for Australian universities, similar to what we have to determine school funding.</p>
<p>With a final accord report due in December, <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/education/tertiary-education/needs-based-funding-lessons-from-the-school-sector">our new paper</a> explores how this might work. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-anu-vice-chancellor-brian-schmidt-on-the-challenges-universities-face-213994">Politics with Michelle Grattan: ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt on the challenges universities face</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is needs-based funding?</h2>
<p>Australia currently has a needs-based model for schools. This was introduced as part of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/still-waiting-for-gonski-a-great-book-about-the-sorry-tale-of-school-funding-178016">Gonski</a>” reforms a decade ago and is called the “<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/schooling-resource-standard">Schooling Resources Standard</a>”.</p>
<p>This involves a base amount for every primary and high school student and then six equity loadings. The loadings provide more funds to schools and students who need more support, including students with disabilities, low English language proficiency, First Nations students, students with <a href="https://www.myschool.edu.au/media/1820/guide-to-understanding-icsea-values.pdf">socio-educational disadvantage</a>, students in regional and remote areas, and small schools.</p>
<p>The accord review panel said a needs-based model, similar to our current school one, has</p>
<blockquote>
<p>potential benefits […] for learning and teaching in universities [which] takes into takes into account the costs of different courses and the socio-economic mix of students at each institution.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As our paper notes, research evidence shows resources do matter. <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED563793.pdf">Many studies</a> have shown increases in per-student funding, when properly targeted, can lead to improved or higher student outcomes. </p>
<p>At the moment, <a href="https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/policy-submissions/teaching-learning-funding/how-universities-are-funded/#">university funding is primarily based</a> on a student’s field of study. There are some extra funds for equity students, <a href="https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2023/10/Mapping_Australian_higher_education_2023_005.pdf">about A$360 million a year</a>, but this is not a key feature of the system’s design.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1718757394396610978"}"></div></p>
<h2>How might it apply to universities?</h2>
<p>In our paper we explored what would happen if a model similar the Schooling Resource Standard was introduced in Australian universities. </p>
<p>We found a needs-based funding model, using the same parameters as the Schooling Resource Standard, would see an overall 11% increase in base funding amounts to universities for government-funded students. We estimate this would mean about an extra A$1.3 billion per year in federal government funding.</p>
<p>Importantly, universities with large enrolments of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds would gain the most. Under our system, James Cook University, the University of New England and CQUniversity would receive more than a 30% increase in base funding. Charles Darwin University and Charles Sturt University would gain more than 20% in base funding. </p>
<p>The University of Canberra, University of Melbourne and Australian National University, the University of Notre Dame and University of Sydney would stand to gain the least, with an increase of 5–6% in base funding.</p>
<p>This extra funding would specifically help universities counter disadvantage by meeting extra learning needs and providing extra support to help students finish their courses. </p>
<p>We know universities with a higher proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds have <a href="https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/university-completions-and-equity">poorer completion rates</a>.</p>
<p><iframe id="694Ni" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/694Ni/5/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Could international student fees make university funding more equal?</h2>
<p>A needs-based model could also help with other policy challenges. </p>
<p>The interim report has already <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-draft-contains-spiky-ideas-but-puts-a-question-mark-over-the-spikiest-one-of-all-210383">suggested a levy</a> on lucrative international student fees. The idea is universities would pay some of the fees they receive from international students into a central fund managed by the government.</p>
<p>As we have <a href="https://theconversation.com/international-students-are-returning-to-australia-but-they-are-mostly-going-to-more-prestigious-universities-193391">noted before</a>, prestigious metropolitan universities tend to attract far more international students than other universities. </p>
<p>The idea of a levy has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-levy-on-international-student-fees-mean-for-australian-universities-215794">criticised by researchers</a> as complicated and risky. </p>
<p>But a needs-based model could help. International student income could be used to adjust funding to universities using a concept like the “<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/schooling-resource-standards-capacity-contribute">capacity to contribute</a>” mechanism in the school sector.</p>
<p>For private schools, a “capacity to contribute” score is calculated using parents’ income. This means independent schools with more advantaged students receive less funding from the government. These schools typically charge higher fees to families. </p>
<p>This model could be applied in higher education so universities with higher international student revenue relative to domestic student revenue receive less government funding.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1719680627639730482"}"></div></p>
<h2>Remaining questions</h2>
<p>In our report, we find a needs-based model is promising. But significant questions remain: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>how should equity be measured within each loading category, and what should be the relative weighting of funding for each group?</p></li>
<li><p>what should students contribute in a needs-based funding model?</p></li>
<li><p>what formula should we use for a “capacity to contribute” measure?</p></li>
<li><p>Could there be a needs-based funding model that doesn’t increase overall funding? </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Our research also found needs-based funding models are very technical. Much more work is required to make sure it would be appropriate for Australia’s higher education sector.</p>
<p>The Universities Accord was right to identify needs-based funding as a policy direction, but it is only the first step towards a new model.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-draft-contains-spiky-ideas-but-puts-a-question-mark-over-the-spikiest-one-of-all-210383">The Universities Accord draft contains 'spiky' ideas, but puts a question mark over the spikiest one of all</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216898/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New analysis finds if Australian universities were treated like Australian schools, they would gain 11% in funding per year.Peter Hurley, Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityHa Nguyen, Research Fellow, Victoria UniversityMaria Prokofieva, Senior lecturer, Lead data scientist, Victoria UniversityMelissa Tham, Research fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2159912023-10-24T19:19:05Z2023-10-24T19:19:05ZCricket? Lacrosse? Netball? The new sports that might make it to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games<p>At the International Olympic Committee’s recent session in Mumbai, India it <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1141782/ioc-session-la-28-sports-confirmed">officially ratified</a> five sports being added to the existing 28 core sports for the 2028 Los Angeles summer games.</p>
<p>Of these five, several will be making their first-ever appearance, namely squash and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_football">flag football</a>, while others have had a long gap between inclusion – lacrosse in 1904 and 1908, cricket in 1900 and baseball/softball coming back in after a gap since the Tokyo 2021 games.</p>
<p>Until 1992, the IOC allowed sports to be added to the Olympic Games by the local organising committee as “demonstration events”. Under this arrangement, the 1956 Melbourne games included baseball and Australian Rules football. Over the years, a large number of other host cities trialled a variety of sports, but only a few stayed in the games.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breakdancing-in-the-olympics-the-games-have-a-long-history-of-taking-chances-from-pesapallo-yes-its-a-sport-to-kite-flying-151750">Breakdancing in the Olympics? The Games have a long history of taking chances, from pesapallo (yes, it's a sport) to kite flying</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Nowadays, the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-agenda-2020-plus-5">Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5</a> serves as a major IOC policy document about how the games should operate. A recent change sees the local organising committee recommending what sports should be added to their particular games. </p>
<p>Faced with an IOC guideline to cap the summer games at approximately 10,500 athletes and to stay within a 19-day schedule, means there are limitations to new sports being added. Besides the <a href="https://www.paris2024.org/en/olympic-sports/">28 core sports</a> guaranteed inclusion in the summer olympics (although these core sports can be altered by the IOC), what are the criteria used for any new additions?</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CdY9RWptxJc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p><strong>Inspiring the next generation</strong>: The inclusion of new sports in the Olympics is a strategic move to attract younger athletes who may not be involved in traditional Olympic sports.</p>
<p><strong>Innovation and adaptation</strong>: Many of the recently added sports represent new and innovative approaches to competition and showcase the ability of the games to adapt to the changing times.</p>
<p><strong>Diversity</strong>: The inclusion of different sports is a way of embracing cultural diversity and promoting global reach to regions that may not have traditionally been strongly represented at the Olympics. For example, it is expected that by adding cricket, the sub-continent, with its huge population base including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will develop an enhanced interest in the olympics.</p>
<p><strong>Popularity and integrity</strong>: How popular is the sport worldwide? Is it played in a number of countries and does it have a significant number of participants? Is the respective world sporting federation “squeaky clean” and does it have strong and effective leadership? Most importantly, is it devoid of sport integrity issues (such as significant doping and governance faults)?</p>
<p><strong>Screen dream</strong>: Is the sport going to be exciting to watch for television viewers? Since broadcasting rights is the major source of revenue for the games, the IOC wants to cater to the broadcasters’ and audience’s preferences.</p>
<p><strong>Corporate cash</strong>: New sports in the olympics tend to attract corporate interest and sponsorship from new sources. This helps to secure the financial stability of the games and aligns with the IOC’s wish to diversify its revenue streams.</p>
<p><strong>Leaving a legacy</strong>: Since facility legacy has become an extremely important criterion, will any newly built facilities be useful post-games? There is a very strong push to eliminate costly facilities that later become “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-07/what-japan-learned-from-olympic-white-elephants/100329488">white elephants</a>” – a strong criticism of the 2004 Athens Olympics.</p>
<p><strong>Gender equality</strong>: There has been a concerted effort by the IOC to ensure a 50-50 gender ratio. The recent addition of mixed “co-ed” events seen in many winter sports has the potential to expand into several summer sports (for example, mixed relays in swimming or athletics).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/everyones-a-winner-with-new-events-at-the-winter-games-22820">Everyone's a winner with new events at the Winter Games</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Host nation’s preferences</strong>: In the new process of selecting sports, the IOC has given a lot of flexibility to the local organising committee to evaluate and make recommendations. </p>
<p>So given all of this, what sports might we expect to be added for the Brisbane 2032 games? Here are some early thoughts.</p>
<p><strong>The favourites</strong></p>
<p><em>Cricket</em>: It is being introduced in 2028 and should remain in the games in 2032 due to its popularity in the host nation and strong support from the sub-continent.</p>
<p><em>Lacrosse</em>: This is a sport in which Australia is again expected to do well. As it will be played in a modified six-person format (similar to rugby 7s) and using a shot clock, nations traditionally not strong in the current version of this sport – with its bigger field and larger number of players – may begin to take an interest and support its inclusion.</p>
<p><em>Sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding</em>: All of these had their debut in Tokyo 2021 and will likely remain in the program. Surfing, in particular, will be popular in beach-crazed LA, and should be a no-brainer for sunny Queensland.</p>
<p><em>Baseball/softball</em>: These should be back in the 2028 games after a short hiatus. As Australia is normally quite competitive in these sports and a medal contender, they are a strong chance be included.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-year-to-go-will-the-paris-2024-olympics-see-a-return-to-normalcy-210186">One year to go: Will the Paris 2024 Olympics see a return to normalcy?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>The “maybe” list</strong></p>
<p><em>Flag football</em>: It will no doubt be assessed after its LA 2028 debut. The fact that the NFL in the US is actively supporting this initiative enhances its chances of remaining in the program.</p>
<p><em>Breakdancing</em>: This popular, youth-friendly sport making its debut in the Paris games, was somewhat <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1141612/breaking-world-dance-sport-los-angeles">surprisingly not selected</a> for LA in 2028. This does not preclude its addition to the 2032 games, especially if it proves to be a hit in 2024.</p>
<p><em>Netball</em>: There will be a strong push to have it included by the Brisbane organising committee, but its limited worldwide profile will work against it. </p>
<p><em>E-sports</em>: Competitive video gaming has experienced explosive growth worldwide in recent years. Although it offers a unique blend of skill, strategy, and technology is it deemed worthy of an Olympic guernsey as it lacks athletic prowess? However, the IOC is monitoring it very closely and <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1141738/ioc-to-launch-olympic-esports-games">recently announced</a> a new standalone E-sports games, which could possibly lead to it making an appearance in the mainstream games.</p>
<p><strong>Long shots</strong></p>
<p><em>Surf lifesaving</em>: These would be a perfect beach activity for these games and a sport in which Australia would be a medal favourite. But a limited worldwide profile harms its chances.</p>
<p><em>Pickleball</em>: It is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and quickly gaining a following in Australia. As it is played on tennis courts it is not a big cost factor for the host city. But it may take a few more years of growth and lobbying to get into the games.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kqLRRNOpe8U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p><em>Motorsports, karate and kickboxing</em>: All three put in a bid for the LA games and were not successful. They are not likely to be included in the Brisbane games, as they appear to have limited widespread support among the large IOC membership.</p>
<p><em>AFL</em>: This is a real long shot, as too few countries play this sport and the host nation would dominate.</p>
<p>Four years from now, the IOC must decide on the sports for the 2032 Brisbane games. New sports breathe fresh life into the Olympic movement, ensuring its relevance and appeal. </p>
<p>With lobbying by many sports to capture a spot on the program, much can happen between now and then. The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Organising Committee must attempt to strike a balance between its recommendations to the IOC for final approval, while at the same time trying to put an “Aussie slant” on the sporting program.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Baka does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We now know sports that will make their Olympic Games debut in 2028. Here’s what that tells us about what might get the nod for Brisbane 2032.Richard Baka, Adjunct Fellow, Olympic Scholar and Co-Director of the Olympic and Paralympic Research Centre, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2161702023-10-24T04:23:53Z2023-10-24T04:23:53ZPushing water uphill: Snowy 2.0 was a bad idea from the start. Let’s not make the same mistake again<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555503/original/file-20231024-15-9cuz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C28%2C3822%2C2126&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last night <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-23/snowy-hydro-sinkhole-toxic-gas-tunnelling-four-corners/102995568">ABC’s Four Corners</a> investigated the problem-plagued Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro power station, focusing on a bogged tunnelling machine, toxic gas and an unexpected volume of sludge. </p>
<p>While these specific problems are new, we have criticised this project <a href="https://theconversation.com/snowy-2-0-will-not-produce-nearly-as-much-electricity-as-claimed-we-must-hit-the-pause-button-125017">since 2019</a> and outlined <a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-has-approved-snowy-2-0-here-are-six-reasons-why-thats-a-bad-move-139112">six key problems</a> even earlier <a href="https://www.afr.com/opinion/why-snowy-20-is-a-writeoff-from-the-start-20180104-h0d9z4">elsewhere</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="snowy hydro scheme hydroelectricity plant, with pipes and turbines and a lake" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555484/original/file-20231024-15-oy1pz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The original Snowy Hydro scheme is regarded as a major nation-building project for Australia. But will Snowy 2.0 be seen the same way?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How did we get here?</h2>
<p>In March 2017, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull <a href="https://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/securing-australias-energy-future-with-snowy-mountains-2.0">announced the project</a>, lauding it as a game changer for our clean-energy revolution. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/turnbull-says-his-biggest-leadership-failure-was-on-climate-change-83289">his memoir</a>, Turnbull dubbed Snowy 2.0 “the single most important and enduring decision of the many I made on energy”.</p>
<p>Alas, Snowy 2.0 has not gone well. The warning signs were there from the start. Both the government-appointed Snowy Hydro Board and federal government were warned they had <a href="https://www.afr.com/opinion/why-snowy-20-is-a-writeoff-from-the-start-20180104-h0d9z4">greatly under-costed it</a>, underestimated the construction time and failed to recognise the <a href="https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=SUB-5110%2120191106T014221.508%20GMT">damage it would do</a> to the Kosciuszko National Park. </p>
<p>In August this year, the government bumped up funding for Snowy 2.0 to A$12 billion – triple the October 2018 figure, when the final decision was made to go ahead, and six times what Turnbull first claimed it would cost in March 2017. That’s before counting the new transmission lines through the controversial HumeLink and VNI West transmission projects. When complete, Snowy 2.0 plus transmission could cost upwards of $20 billion – over ten times the figure Turnbull claimed. </p>
<p>Energy minister Chris Bowen put the Snowy failures and blowouts down to poor execution. Was it still worthwhile? Yes, he said. But Bowen also admits to being swayed by the sunk cost – the government has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/florence-the-2400-tonne-machine-that-came-to-symbolise-snowy-2-0-s-woes-20230901-p5e17w.html">already spent</a> over $4 billion on it. </p>
<p>Snowy Hydro’s new CEO Dennis Barnes <a href="https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/news/securing-the-future-of-critical-energy-transformation-resets/">has claimed</a> that while costs have blown out, the public benefits have increased as well. </p>
<p>To date, nothing has been released to substantiate claims of extra benefit despite requests by journalists and by the Senate. All that has been released is a one-page <a href="https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/bowen/media-releases/joint-media-release-snowy-hydro-corporate-plan-update">press release</a> and a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Tabled_Documents/3774">highly redacted report</a>. </p>
<h2>What are the lessons here?</h2>
<p>Pumped hydro is essentially a hydroelectricity plant with the ability to pump water back up to the top reservoir. You use cheap power to pump it uphill, and run water back down through turbines to generate power as needed. </p>
<p>The technology isn’t new. It had a previous burst of popularity in developed nations in the 1970s. But since then, there’s been very little pumped hydro built <a href="https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-industry-news/pumped-storage-hydro/china-three-gorges-begins-construction-of-1-7-gw-tiantai-pumped-storage-power-station/#gref">except in China</a>. </p>
<p>Since the 1970s, Australia has had three pumped-hydro generators supplying the National Electricity Market, two in New South Wales and one in Queensland. Data on their generation shows they have only <a href="https://www.vepc.org.au/v-nem">a minor role in energy storage</a>.</p>
<p>None of these are comparable to Snowy 2.0, which would be vastly bigger than any we’ve built before. Snowy 2.0 has by far the longest tunnels – 27 kilometres – of any pumped-hydro station ever built. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-has-approved-snowy-2-0-here-are-six-reasons-why-thats-a-bad-move-139112">NSW has approved Snowy 2.0. Here are six reasons why that's a bad move</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Even our smaller pumped-hydro projects are proving harder to complete than expected. The depleted Kidston gold mine in Queensland is being converted to a 250 megawatt pumped-hydro station. The project is much simpler and smaller than Snowy 2.0 and has had extensive policy and financial support by federal and state governments. But it too is running <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/genex-resumes-work-on-pumped-hydro-flagship-as-billionaire-bidder-bides-his-time/#:%7E:text=The%20company%20insists%20that%20the,to%20%2415%20million%20over%20budget.">over budget and late</a>, although not remotely close to the same extent as Snowy 2.0.</p>
<p>These projects present hard and expensive engineering problems. They do not deliver economies from learning because each is different from the other. </p>
<p>By contrast, chemical batteries are increasingly standardised. They’re attracting huge investment in research and production. They improve the capacity of existing transmission. They’re made in factories so become cheaper as the industry scales, they have much lower capital outlays per unit of storage, so you get a much quicker payback. And you can resell them easily. </p>
<h2>How did we make such an expensive mistake?</h2>
<p>One simple explanation is that it was a political decision. The original Snowy Hydro scheme is famed as a nation-building project in post-war Australia. Snowy 2.0 was framed in the same way. Then there’s the need to be seen to “do something”, with economic and technical merit a distant third place. </p>
<p>But there’s another factor – a failure to acknowledge the pace of technology change in ever-better solar panels and wind turbines as well as in battery storage. Apparently insurmountable problems are being solved quickly, such as rapid manufacturing and installation of solar panels, the ability to harness low quality winds, and producing batteries able to service different markets at different points in the grid.</p>
<p>Given the pace of change, it would seem sensible to make the most of cheaper solutions which can be built quickly and don’t lock us in or out to technologies for the long term. </p>
<p>In practice, that means we should focus first on Australia’s <a href="https://www.cefc.com.au/insights/market-reports/how-much-rooftop-solar-can-be-installed-in-australia">huge potential</a> for solar on warehouse and factory rooftops close to our cities. It’s easy to store rooftop solar surpluses for local use. We should make the most of the enormous local potential before reaching for complex, risky, expensive and distant alternatives. </p>
<p>By analogy, don’t try to summit the mountain before climbing its foothills. From base camp, we are bound to find the mountain looks quite different to how we imagined it from a great distance. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-ensure-the-worlds-largest-pumped-hydro-dam-isnt-a-disaster-for-queenslands-environment-191758">How to ensure the world's largest pumped-hydro dam isn't a disaster for Queensland's environment</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Energy expert Ted Woodley contributed to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Mountain does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Storing energy in large pumped hydro schemes sounds simple. But engineering and terrain challenges have put Snowy 2.0 well off track – while grid-scale batteries get better and betterBruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.