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Scientists build app to save platypus Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
Scientists have joined forces with Sydney's Taronga Zoo and the tech giant Google, to build an app that allows Australians to gather information about one of our most unique and elusive animals, the platypus. It's not clear how many platypuses are living in the wild, but conservationists say the star of the 20 cent coin is facing an uncertain future due to urban sprawl and river pollution.
Topics: animals, information-and-communication, science-and-technology, australia
PM: Full Program Audio
Posted
On Friday's program: A new report has found the Federal Government's remote work-for-the dole scheme is failing Indigenous communities. Asthma Australia says more needs to be done to raise awareness of the relationship between allergies and asthma. And scientists have joined forces with the tech giant Google to develop an app to track platypus numbers.
Topics: australia
Are we seeing the end of magazines? Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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How much longer will the humble magazine be lining the shelves of Australian newsagencies? After 48 years in print, Dolly is ceasing its print edition and will become a solely online publication. Australian Property Investor magazine is also winding up after 20 years - the current issue is its final edition.
Topics: print-media, information-and-communication, internet-culture, australia
PNG landowners threaten 'chaos' unless Govt honours gas project deal Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Landowners at Papua New Guinea's biggest resources project are threatening to create 'chaos' if the Papua New Guinea Government doesn't honour a deal to give them equity. The PNG Government has withdrawn an offer to help finance the purchase of four per cent of the PNG LNG project. Landowners complained it was unfair. The Government now says landowners need to find more than a billion US dollars before the equity option expires at the end of this month.
Topics: government-and-politics, business-economics-and-finance, papua-new-guinea
Broome's outdoor cinema Sun Pictures turns 100 Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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After surviving cyclones, floods and two world wars, Broome's outdoor cinema Sun Pictures is about to turn 100.
Topics: film-movies, arts-and-entertainment, community-and-society, history, broome-6725, australia, wa
More than one million users hacked in massive Android security breach Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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More than one million users of the technology giant Google's Android operating system have had their phones hacked. The hack gives the attackers access to users' email, photos and documents. The global security breach continues to spread, and is hitting Australia particularly hard.
Topics: mobile-phones, wireless-communication, australia
Trump chooses retired general James 'Mad Dog' Mattis for defence secretary Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The US President-elect Donald Trump says he'll nominate retired general James Mattis to be his defence secretary. General Mattis only retired from his post as commander of the US Central Command in 2013, which means that Congress will have to act to bypass a law that bars retired military officers from becoming defence secretary within seven years of leaving active duty. In a new Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House, Professor of History at Sydney University, James Curran, has been trying to get the measure of the US-Australian relationship in the Trump era.
Topics: government-and-politics, defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, united-states
David and Goliath battle over 'Radio Adelaide' name Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A community radio station in Adelaide believes it has a strong legal case against the ABC, over claims the public broadcaster is planning to use its name. Radio Adelaide is outraged over the ABC's plans to rebrand in Adelaide as ABC Radio Adelaide, part of a national rollout across all ABC capital city stations. Radio Adelaide's chairman has labelled the move 'breathtakingly arrogant', and says the station is preparing for a battle.
Topics: radio-broadcasting, information-and-communication, broadcasting, adelaide-5000, australia, sa
Call for greater awareness around links between asthma and allergies Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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An Asthma Australia survey has found that four in 10 people who experienced asthma symptoms during last week's Melbourne thunderstorm hadn't been diagnosed with the condition before. However, early results from the online survey also found that a majority of victims had previously suffered from hay fever and other allergies. Asthma Australia says more needs to be done to raise awareness of the relationship between allergies and asthma and that the dangers of the latter should never be underestimated.
Remote work-for-the-dole scheme failing Indigenous communities: report Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A new report has found the Federal Government's remote work-for-the dole scheme is failing Indigenous communities. The Australian National University researchers have described the Community Development Programme as a policy disaster. They say more people are receiving financial penalties under the scheme, rental arrears are increasing and people are struggling to feed their families.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, government-and-politics, work, australia
State treasurers can't convince feds to change negative gearing Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The state treasurers came to Canberra today, with many hoping to convince Scott Morrison to look at ways the feds can help make buying a house more affordable. The Federal Treasurer said there was some agreement on making rental accommodation more accessible, but Scott Morrison said he had no plans to change the Government's position on negative gearing. Labor and Liberal states have been urging the Commonwealth to consider it as a way to make it easier for people to get into the housing market.
Topics: housing, government-and-politics, australia
British actor best known for playing Manuel on Faulty Towers dies aged 86 Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The British actor and Fawlty Towers star, Andrew Sachs, has died at the age of 86. Sachs, best known for his portrayal of Spanish waiter Manuel in the classic 1970s sitcom, Faulty Towers, passed away last week following a four-year battle with dementia. His wife Melody has told media outlets he was buried yesterday.
Topics: death, television, australia
Film and media industry urged to create diverse female characters Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The way women are portrayed in American film and television is improving, but one group believes more producers need to be reminded that there are greater box office returns if female characters have equal billing with their male co-stars. That's just some of the research from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media, founded by the Academy Award winning actor.
Topics: film-movies, television, australia
Italian referendum vote will be close, expert predicts Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Italians go to the polls this weekend to answer a referendum question which could end up bringing down the Prime Minister, further destabilising the country and Europe. Voters are being asked to approve reforms to the constitution and the Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has threatened to resign if they fail to get through. After Brexit and Trump, observers say anything could happen. Lorenzo Codogno is a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a former chief economist of the Italian Treasury.
Topics: world-politics, italy
French President Hollande announces intention not to seek re-election Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The French President Francois Hollande has made the surprise announcement he won't seek a second term, making him the first modern French head of state not to attempt to be re-elected. It might be because the 62-year-old is the country's least popular leader since World War II, and his departure would clear the way for an alternative left-wing candidate.
Topics: world-politics, france
Call for reinvention of American journalism as media adapts to Trump era Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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For the American media Donald Trump has already proven to be an unorthodox political candidate and now President-elect. Stung by criticism about the election campaign coverage, many US outlets are re-examining how they cover politics and how they'll continue to try to hold the powerful accountable.
Topics: print-media, digital-multimedia, world-politics, social-media, united-states
Campaigner Jacinta Nampijinpa Price urged to keep quiet about Aboriginal family violence Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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An Indigenous campaigner against family violence claims she's been pressured to keep quite about the alarming levels of violence in Aboriginal communities. Two weeks ago, Jacinta Price captured the country's attention with her address at the National Press Club, along with academic Professor Marcia Langton and Josephine Cashman from the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. Now Ms Price has revealed she's been labelled an oxygen thief and has been put on notice by Aboriginal men in her home town of Alice Springs for speaking out.
Topics: domestic-violence, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, indigenous-other-peoples, australia
Calls for anti-slavery laws Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Australia's religious leaders have written to the Prime Minister urging him to pass laws that will stamp out slavery in Australia. There are estimates more than 45 million people worldwide live in some form of slavery, including over 4,000 people locally. Here, slave-like conditions are prevalent in parts of the agriculture and restaurant sector. Countless products are also imported here that were made using slave labour. Representatives from all major religions have told Malcolm Turnbull that it's unacceptable and tough measures are needed to stop it.
Topics: work, poverty, religion-and-beliefs, australia
IMF says Australia should boost infrastructure spending to protect against global downturn Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The International Monetary Fund says Australia should boost infrastructure spending to protect against a global downturn, even if it means a slower reduction in the budget deficit. It says more government spending would increase growth and help maintain Australia's top investment ranking. Global credit ratings agency, Standard and Poor's, has threatened to downgrade the Triple-A credit rating if the budget doesn't look like it'll return to surplus by 2021.
Topics: international-financial-institutions, economic-trends, australia
Landcare waiting for details on $100 million funding boost Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Landcare was the surprise winner from the deal made with the Greens to secure passage of the backpacker tax. The volunteer organisation, which cleans up farmland, public land and waterways, has scored an extra $100 million as part of the negotiations. Landcare has had its funding slashed by around half over the last few years and this money won't go all the way in making up the difference. Meanwhile, farmers are just relieved that they have certainty backpacker tax. Nick Tana, who's a major vegetable exporter and employer of backpackers says he's disappointed about the political process, but at least he can plant next season's crop and have some certainty that he'll have enough staff to harvest it.
Topics: non-governmental-organisations, recycling-and-waste-management, farm-labour, australia
Govt celebrates backpacker tax compromise Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Federal Coalition MPs and Senators are heading home from Canberra, relieved to have finally resolved the long-running impasse over the backpackers tax. It's a triumph for the Treasurer Scott Morrison, but it was only achieved at the eleventh hour, and only after the Greens approached the Government, offering support in return for $100 million for Landcare. This morning the Government says it's happy to do deals with anyone in order to get things done.
Topics: tax, federal-parliament, australia
Great Barrier Reef report in, scorecard pending Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Environment Minister is defending the amount of money being set aside to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. A joint state and federal report has been handed to UNESCO, to update the organisation about what Australia is doing to improve the health of the World Heritage site. Earlier this year, experts warned the reef would be threatened if more than eight billion dollars wasn't spent on improving water quality over the next decade. Experts say the deteriorating health of the reef is an indication that Australia needs to reconsider its emissions output.
Topics: great-barrier-reef, conservation, water, australia
Michael Brissenden leaves AM after two years as presenter Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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After two years as presenter of AM, Michael Brissenden is leaving to become a reporter on the ABC's Four Corners program. In his time in the role, he's interviewed leading politicians, marked momentous occasions, and travelled the breadth of the country. Here are some highlights.
Topics: company-news, australia
Lendlease covering up serious incidents on Barangaroo worksite: former safety manager Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A former senior employee of construction giant Lend Lease says the company has routinely covered up safety issues on Sydney's Barangaroo building site and not reported serious incidents to authorities. The former environmental health and safety manager has called the firm's attitude to safety an 'absolute disgrace', saying there's a culture of intimidation and bullying that stopped employees from speaking out for fear of losing their jobs. Lend Lease denies the allegations and says safety is their number one priority.
Topics: building-and-construction, australia
NSW Gov't set to pay reparations to Aboriginal people part of Stolen Generations Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The New South Wales Government has followed the lead of the Tasmania and South Australia governments in paying reparations to Aboriginal people who were part of the Stolen Generations. It's part of a $73 million package to be tabled in the New South Wales Parliament today. But some of the people who were removed say it's still happening, and the lessons of the past haven't been learned.
Topics: stolen-generations, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, indigenous-policy, australia
