Category: News
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No drought insurance for farmers
A government report has rejected the feasibility of drought assistance for struggling farmers. The report was commissioned by the government to investigate whether the provision of drought assistance would benefit Australia’s significant agricultural sector. The report found that the move would be uneconomical, as 80% of government aid after droughts is allocated to livestock producers.…
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Contactless cards have arrived
Contactless smartphone payment systems are here and changing the way we deal with technology. Senior Director of Product Management at Google Pali Bhat told Fairfax Media that “60 per cent of Australians already make payments with a contactless card. It’s a logical cohesion that will see wallets become a thing of the past” (SMH, 2016). Gone are the…
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Wooden escalators well past their use by date
Sydney’s Town Hall and Wynyard station are among the seven remaining wooden escalators in the world, and, finally, after some 80 years, it seems they might be given the chop for good. The wooden escalator was first installed in Sydney in 1932, the same year the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened. The escalators have continued operation due to their classification…
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Schools to use gender neutral language as part of Safe Schools Program
Teachers at Cheltenham Girls High School, in northwest Sydney, have been asked to stop referring to their students as “girls”, ladies” and “women” and to instead use “gender-neutral” language like “students.” This is in line with Safe Schools, an initiative that aimed to “Create safer and more inclusive environments for same sex attracted, intersex and gender…
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Ticketless train stations are a major cause for concern
Since 2012, paper tickets have been on their way out, after the state invested $1.4 billion into the electronic Opal ticketing system. Nearly five years on, and more than 7.5 million have converted to Opal. Now, the Government has set a deadline for the 1st August when paper tickets will be fully abolished. Transport for NSW said, “Just…
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Emails – only in the workplace?
The French Socialist Party, run by President Francois Hollande, has proposed a governmentally implemented ban on work emails outside of normal work hours. A vote will occur on the measure that according to Hollande, will preserve employee’s rights to disconnect. The bill would see all companies with 50+ people write up a ‘good conduct’ charter, with…
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Telstra rebrand to evolve from a telco into a tech company
Telstra has announced a new brand campaign as part of it’s aim to evolve from a telecommunications company into a technology-driven one. The rebrand hopes to reflect Telstra’s vision of a connected world and highlight it’s support for an development of the startup ecosystem. Telstra group managing director of media and marketing Joe Pollard told The…
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Cyberhate and online abuse is commonplace for women
76 per cent of women under the age of thirty are likely to cop online abuse; according to Australian Research, as conducted by Norton. These figures come amidst the cyber-hate and online abuse that women receive on social media. Women are being told to “Sit on a butchers knife”, “Slut kill yourself” and “Get a knife and shove it…
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There’s nothing Nice about this attack
Horrific images have emerged from the terrorist attack that occurred in Nice yesterday. At least eighty people have been confirmed dead and CNN reports that at least 100 are injured. Twitter has been flooded with the news. The Bastille Day celebrations that took place were celebrating all things French including a military parade in Paris, dancing and French…
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Algae leads the way to sustainability
There’s a new solution to climate change bubbling around Sydney, and it’s bright green. Associate Professor, Sara Wilkinson, of the UTS School of the Built Environment and Professor Peter Ralph, from the UTS Centre for Industrialised Algae, believe that algae is the solution to many of the issues created by climate change. Together with the architectural firm,…