Australia news live: US military aircraft crash survivor still in intensive care; ‘unprecedented’ strike at University of Melbourne
An update from the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services (PFES):
Of the 20 US marines who went to hospital after Sunday’s aircraft crash, eight remain in hospital.
Just earlier it was reported that five remained in hospital, but PFES has clarified the figure.
Earlier, NT Health representative Marco Briceno said that one of the patients was in the ICU and the others remained in the normal wards.
The University of Melbourne is a sea of purple this afternoon as staff walk off the job as part of a week of industrial action.
Now THAT’S a chant. Morrrrrre Permanent Jobbbbbbs~Onya @jcgmurphy !#unimelbstrikes pic.twitter.com/95Juq2r5Re[1][2][3]
— Dr Todd Farrell (@Todd_Farrell93) August 28, 2023[4]
Thomas Weight is a PhD candidate working on a part time contract at the university’s culture and communications department. A strike this duration is unprecedented in his lifetime.
While he’s technically not employed casually, he’s only paid for 10 months of the year and has to reapply for his role annually.
“Summer is a shitshow,” he says of the precarious few months he’s unemployed.
Weight says wage increases are only a small part of why he’s striking. The larger factor is his students.
There’s a fear we feel coming near to end of PhD knowing how precarious the conditions of employment are, especially for post doctoral research, some people have four part time contracts to make up a full time role … replicated across entire board.
— NTEU Victoria (@NTEUVictoria) August 28, 2023[6]
At the same time – he says “working conditions are learning conditions”.
In a masters subject last semester, he taught 30 students in a blended course with half the cohort in person and half online – double the workload to teach a large group two different ways with no additional resources. The subject was $4,000 per student. He gets about $7,500 in wages.
Weight:
My students lost out. The institutional conditions students are in [across the sector] are just awful. They all have an essay due this week but sympathise with our cause.
Hundreds turn out on day one of #unimelbstrikes . As a student I stand in solidarity with staff @NTEUUniMelb striking. They deserve better pay and conditions. Shame on @UniMelb pic.twitter.com/LkcbgygZNU[7][8][9][10]
— Luci Nicholson (@LuciNicholson8) August 28, 2023[11]
The university was approached for comment.
NT investigators to stay at military crash site for ‘at least 10 days’
Northern Territory police will remain at the scene of the fatal US military[12] aircraft crash on Melville Island for “at least 10 days” as part an extensive investigation.
According to a statement from the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services (PFES), eight people remain in hospital and exclusion zone remains in place around the crash site.
Acting assistant commissioner Matthew Hollamby said:
We understand the seriousness of this crash and are committed to providing a thorough investigation into the matter.
We are in the recovery phase and working closely with NT Fire and Rescue Service to assist us with a safe and respectful recovery operation of the three deceased US Marines.
Our thoughts are with those affected by the tragedy, and we will do everything in our power to provide answers and closure to the families and loved ones of those involved.
NT Police will continue to work closely with the Australian defence force and the US Marine Corps, the statement reads.
ADF chief sends condolences over marines’ deaths
The chief of the defence force, Gen Angus Campbell, has released a statement extending condolences to the families of the three US marines who lost their lives in a training exercise crash on Sunday.
He wrote:
Australia and the United States military forces share a deep bond developed through our shared history of serving together and supporting one another.
Our thoughts are with the families, the injured, their mates and the entire military community impacted by this terribly sad incident. We will continue to assist our friends as needed through this extremely difficult time.
The Australian Defence Force extends sincere condolences to the families of the three United States Marines who lost their lives in the tragic MV-22B Osprey crash in the Northern Territory on 27 August 2023. pic.twitter.com/dSL9ItEwHD[13]
— General Angus Campbell (@CDF_Aust) August 28, 2023[14]
Labor MP joins ex-Liberal on long-distance run backing voice
Labor MP Andrew Leigh joined former Liberal MP Pat Farmer as part of his 14,400km run around Australia for the Indigenous voice today.
Last week, Farmer was welcomed to Sydney by the prime minister Anthony Albanese and has already been joined on his run by a number of politicians.
Running with him in Canberra today, Leigh said:
He’s running something in the order of 80 kilometres a day, inspired by the mass movement that’s grown up around the Yes campaign.
…Pat’s now more than two thirds of the way though his run.
Thanks to Canberrans from across the political spectrum who joined us this morning to rally support for a First Nations Voice.
Press conference transcript: https://t.co/SfoMBGDrQV[15]
RSVP to hear Pat Farmer speak at 6pm tonight: https://t.co/cb2HX6vuGQ #auspol @yes23au @deek207 pic.twitter.com/iaAqwloAYz[16][17][18][19][20]
— Andrew Leigh (@ALeighMP) August 28, 2023[21]
An update from the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services (PFES):
Of the 20 US marines who went to hospital after Sunday’s aircraft crash, eight remain in hospital.
Just earlier it was reported that five remained in hospital, but PFES has clarified the figure.
Earlier, NT Health representative Marco Briceno said that one of the patients was in the ICU and the others remained in the normal wards.
And in even more animal-related news:
South Australian police are investigating after an animal head was found at an address in Murray Bridge last night.
The Advertiser has reported[22] that a Murray Bridge couple found a horse head left on their front doorstep last night, leaving them distraught.
In a statement, SA police confirmed it was investigating the incident and said:
Police have yet to locate the outstanding remains of the animal.
Investigations are continuing.
Man charged after dozens of protected animals found on Melbourne property
A Melbourne man could face up to $2m in fines and decades in prison after wildlife officers found dozens of protected animals – including dingoes, barn owls and a freshwater crocodile – illegally kept in squalid conditions in a property in the city’s inner north, AAP reports.
Conservation officers executed an animal welfare search on the property in March 2021 following anonymous reports of wildlife welfare and licensing concerns.
There they found dingoes, pythons, frogs, possums, gliders, barn owls, a lizard and a freshwater crocodile – most housed in small, filthy enclosures with no food or water.
Some of the animals were dead. Many reptiles and amphibians had no heat, lighting or humidity control, which is required for their health and welfare.
Officers located a total of 40 protected animals, which included 26 live, three recently deceased and 11 preserved.
The remaining live animals were assessed and treated by qualified veterinarians, with most in poor condition due to starvation or illness. Two brush-tailed possums and a barn owl were subsequently euthanised.
The 37-year-old man is accused of committing five offences relating to illegal possession of protected wildlife, 44 offences for acts of cruelty against wildlife, and five specifically for aggravated cruelty.
He could face up to $2m in fines and a maximum of 49 years in prison.
In Victoria, offenders face up to $48,000 in fines and/or 12 months’ imprisonment for animal cruelty and up to $96,000 in fines and/or two years’ imprisonment for aggravated animal cruelty for each charge.
Illegally keeping protected animals without a permit carries a maximum penalty of about $9,500.
Murray cod virtually gone from NSW Lower Darling after fish kills
Murray cod – a native fish classified as a vulnerable species – have virtually disappeared from the New South Wales’ Lower Darling, pointing to an environmental crisis following 2019 and 2023 fish kills in that part of the river.
A survey by NSW Fisheries undertaken in May has revealed the scale of the impact on fish populations, showing attempts at repopulating the river after the 2018-19 drought appear to have failed.
The survey was undertaken after a major blackwater event in March that[23] killed millions of fish, mainly bony herring but also perch and Murray cod.
It found that the numbers of Murray cod were “substantially lower” when compared with preceding years.
No cod were captured at sites upstream from weir 32 near the top of the Menindee Lakes system, although the report noted that anglers had reported capturing some in this part of the river.
They were captured in “low abundance” in the 200km of river downstream between Menindee and Pooncarie, and all were below 500mm in size and sub-adult, the report said.
Environmental crisis looms as Murray cod virtually disappear from NSW Lower Darling
Given that Mr Murray was appointed to the job, obviously, we want to make sure that we don’t spend that money when we don’t need to.
In retrospect, it wasn’t required. If you know who you want for the position, we want to make sure that we’re in a position where we can appoint those senior public servants for those difficult jobs.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward said the comments were an admission the process to appoint Murray “was a sham”.
She has led the coalition’s cries of “jobs for the boys”, pointing to the incoming transport tsar’s Labor connections.
Murray served as chief of staff in the Iemma government before climbing the corporate affairs ladder at infrastructure giant Laing O’Rourke.
The government has dismissed suggestions of wrongdoing and pointed out overseeing Transport for NSW’s $26bn annual budget was far from a cushy position, unlike in other recent “jobs for the boys” scandals.
The NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services has just confirmed with us that of the 20 marines that went to hospital after the aircraft crash, five remain in hospital.
Circling back to Albanese: he is asked whether he will raise concerns about detained Australian Yang Hengjun when meeting with the Chinese president at the G20 summit next month.
Albanese:
Yes, we always raise issues of Australian citizens where either myself or my ministers meet with our international counterparts, including China.
As my colleagues Ben Doherty and Rafqa Touma reported earlier, Yang fears he could die in a Chinese prison from a worsening medical condition he says is not being properly treated.
You can read the full story here:
Detained Australian writer fears he may die of kidney condition in China jail
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash. We are praying for those who also suffered injuries.
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash. We are praying for those who also suffered injuries. https://t.co/sztAUHbpeB[26]
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 28, 2023[27]
Albanese on the parties’ gaps over voice
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said that when Liberal MP Julian Leeser was “hand-picked” by opposition leader Peter Dutton to be shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, knowing there would be a referendum this term, he saw it as a “really positive sign”.
Albanese said:
To me, you have the campaign for ‘no’ undermined by the fact that Peter Dutton says that he supports constitutional recognition – tick, tick – he says that he supports legislating a voice, that’s the Liberal party policy. Well, so do we. The only difference is that we don’t think it should be able to be abolished with the stroke of a pen.
Its composition and procedures are very clearly up to the parliament. We agree on that. So, in spite of all the noise here, there is not a big gap between the positions. What there’s a gap between is what some in the ‘no’ campaign say this is about.
PM offers condolences after marines killed in aircraft crash
Speaking live from Perth, Anthony Albanese has just expressed condolences to the three US marines who died during a military exercise in Australia yesterday.
The prime minister said:
This is a difficult time for the families and friends and, indeed, all of the US Defence personnel, particularly those who are present in the Northern Territory and around Australia. They are good friends. We have no closer allies than the United States. And this incident is, indeed, tragic.
But once again, Australian emergency personnel, as well as our defence forces, as well as those people in the medical sector at the Royal Darwin Hospital, have shown the best of the Australian character in looking after our American friends.
Man charged after woman’s body found in south-west Sydney unit
Earlier this morning, police gave an update following the arrest of Danny Zayat.
Canadian national Tatiana Dokhotaru was found dead in her unit at Liverpool, in Sydney’s south-west, in May. Her partner, Zayat, was found with her body and has since been charged with 22 domestic violence-related offences.
Police said her mobile phone had still not been located, but a “large number of people” came forward and helped police build a case in relation to what will be alleged against Zayat.
What we’re saying is from the evidence that we’ve gathered so far to date, and what we’ll allege in court, was shortly after the 000 phone call was made, by Tatiana, just before midnight on May 26, and the phone being thrown out of the unit, police will allege that this 28-year-old man assaulted Tatiana causing her death… So it’s very tragic circumstances.
Police were asked about the response time to the incident, and said it would be investigated:
18 hours in the unit [is] very distressing obviously for the family, and again, that’s a separate investigation of inquiry.
Police also said locating the phone could still be useful for conviction and urged anyone to come forward:
But as of this morning with this charge, we’re satisfied that we’ve got a strong group of evidence against this man.
University of Melbourne staff have walked off the job and are gathering in the thousands to call for better working and teaching conditions.
Abigail Fisher, a PhD candidate and tutor in the Faculty of Arts, will tell the crowd that to be a graduate researcher is to “get pretty used to hearing that you have no future in academia”.
For many of us, the future that isn’t a future looks like vying for casual or fixed-term contracts … possibly working across multiple universities.
I’m not going to my classes this week in solidarity with the @NTEUUniMelb strike! I’d like to see my tutors paid a living wage with certainty that they’ll have a job next semester #unimelbstrikes[28][29]
— Sophie Nguyen (@soph_ngu) August 28, 2023[30]
Fisher will say that in her seven years at the university, she has witnessed people burn out, be discarded, leave the sector and grapple with high workloads. She’s planning to be a high school teacher after completing her PhD but is striking for the staff whose passion and drive make the university the place it is, yet who remain undervalued.
Heading on strike @NTEUUniMelb @NTEUVictoria at @UniMelb – I’ve had 37 contracts since 2017, an average of one contract every 59 days. Secure work now! pic.twitter.com/0Q0oWAyWIm[31][32][33][34]
— Dr Sophie Lamond (@sophielamond) August 28, 2023[35]
If we stick around at all, it seems that we’re supposed to do so quietly, for as long as we are convenient – tutor for two or 10 or 20 years without sick leave or parental leave, attempt to publish quality research with no time allocated in our workloads to do so, and in many cases to disappear.
Staff from several faculties are striking for seven days, with the Faculty of Arts to vote tomorrow on an extended strike.
NT Health representative Marco Briceno said that one of the patients was in the ICU and the other patients remained in the normal wards.
Of the 20 patients brought in to the hospital following the crash, 12 have returned to the barracks, he added.
We wanted to see all those patients to ensure [they were] given medical clearance before they actually go back to their normal place of work or where they live. They were involved in a significant accident and hidden injuries are possible and we wanted to see every single one of those patients.
References
- ^ @jcgmurphy (twitter.com)
- ^ #unimelbstrikes (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/95Juq2r5Re (t.co)
- ^ August 28, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ https://t.co/5YJyGDM3dx (t.co)
- ^ August 28, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ #unimelbstrikes (twitter.com)
- ^ @NTEUUniMelb (twitter.com)
- ^ @UniMelb (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/LkcbgygZNU (t.co)
- ^ August 28, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ US military (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/dSL9ItEwHD (t.co)
- ^ August 28, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ https://t.co/SfoMBGDrQV (t.co)
- ^ https://t.co/cb2HX6vuGQ (t.co)
- ^ #auspol (twitter.com)
- ^ @yes23au (twitter.com)
- ^ @deek207 (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/iaAqwloAYz (t.co)
- ^ August 28, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ The Advertiser has reported (www.adelaidenow.com.au)
- ^ major blackwater event in March that (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ Environmental crisis looms as Murray cod virtually disappear from NSW Lower Darling