Australia news live: Albanese to visit Timor-Leste; heatwave to scorch western NSW as Victoria welcomes cool change | Australia news
important events
Troubled hospital becomes surgery center to reduce backlog
A struggling hospital with a history of failure will host a dedicated surgery center to reduce waiting times.
Sydney’s Northern Beaches hospital under fire over toddler’s death Joe Massa It will be the site of the first high-volume planned surgery center in 2024.
It will focus on high-demand specialties such as ophthalmology, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, general surgery and gynecology, enabling an extra 5,000 surgeries to be performed each year.
The government’s aim is to reduce surgical waiting lists while reducing demand on hospitals across NSW, particularly in densely populated Western Sydney.
Minister of Health, Ryan Park, The center was founded on the government’s decision to reverse the former coalition government’s “failed privatization agenda”, he said.
With the establishment of the surgery center, we will be able to offer thousands of patients each year the option to undergo surgery more quickly and provide much-needed assistance to hospitals across the state.
An initial agreement to buy back the Northern Beaches hospital, the jewel in the crown of Australia’s largest private hospital operator, for $190 million was reached in October and the transition is expected to take place in mid-2026.
Two-year-old Joe died after waiting three hours for care in the emergency room.
His death sparked a campaign urging the passage of a law banning future private-public hospital partnerships.
-Australian Associated Press.
Australian Human Rights Commission chief braces Australia for ‘glacial progress’ on raising age of criminal responsibility
Chairman of the Australian Human Rights Commission Hugh de CresterHe says Australia has made “glacial progress” on raising the age of criminal responsibility after it was rejected by members of the United Nations.
More than 120 countries lined up at the UN on Monday evening to criticize Australia’s human rights record, making nearly 350 recommendations; these included expressing concerns about the treatment of First Nations citizens and refugees.
Speaking to ABC RN from Geneva, de Crester said the five-year review had noted some improvements but further action was needed to address violence against women and girls, as well as the age of criminal responsibility and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Australian government has been doing better on climate change in the last five years, but it’s not enough… And if we want to properly protect people’s rights, we need to legislate the right to a healthy environment and take stronger action on climate change.
Raising the age was one of the strong issues in 2021 when we last looked at it, and disappointingly we’ve seen sort of glacial progress on that… It’s disappointing to see this lack of progress. This was an issue emphasized by many countries.
Stephanie Convery
Ouyen drops below 25 degrees before sunrise on Wednesday
The temperature rose again this morning as the sun began to rise over the small Victorian town of Ouyen. Yesterday’s possibly record-breaking temperatures are a sign that the planet is overheating, but it’s also just one day in a long line of days above 40°C in this very hot part of the world.
Ouyen’s local bar, the very well air-conditioned Victoria Hotel, was noisy around 4pm yesterday as the temperature peaked.
Later, as the sun began to set towards the horizon and the clouds began to move in with the strong hot wind, small groups of locals and visitors began to make their way towards the lake.
Ouyen Lake is a reclaimed, rehabilitated reservoir right in the middle of the town; It is a community-built recreational body of water with sandy edges, grassy banks and, further back, bushland.
There is no shade on the water, so there is no protection from the heat until the bite is out of the sun. But the bush is a haven for animals and birds, and locals tell me that bird life (and bird watching) has improved encouragingly in the area since the lake reopened in 2018.
As last night arrived, rainbow bee-eaters and welcome swallows flocked to the water for a much-needed refreshment, and a group of kangaroos gathered on the grass as children threw water bombs from the pontoon. A kite was hovering overhead, looking for its dinner.
At 19:00 it was still 43 degrees. The temperature did not drop below 40C until 20.30 as the sun set. At 23.30 the temperature was 30 degrees. The lowest temperature recorded was 25 degrees at 5.33am and then the sun rose.
Anthony Albanese to address East Timor parliament
The Prime Minister will seek to improve the complex relationship between Australia and Timor-Leste when he addresses the small island nation’s parliament.
On his first visit to one of our closest neighbors, Anthony Albanese Wednesday will highlight Australia’s contributions to the country, including the government’s support for Timor’s independence in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“In dark times, our friendship and our innate respect for each other, for democracy and for sovereignty will prevail,” Albanese will say in a speech to the country’s parliament, according to quotes provided to AAP.
As Australia’s prime minister, I say today to you and the brave Timorese people you represent: Your fellow Australians will never forget you.
Albanese is not expected to make any statements about the ongoing dispute over access to gas fields in the Timor Sea.
East Timor has long demanded that gas extracted from the sea between the country and Australia be piped to the south coast for processing. Until recently Woodside, which operated the fields, insisted it would be cheaper to ship the gas to Darwin.
The energy giant has signed a deal to explore building a gas plant in Timor-Leste in late 2025, but the project still needs to clear a number of significant hurdles.
-Australian Associated Press
Good morning
Caitlin Cassidy
The Prime Minister will address parliament in East Timor today, seeking to improve complicated relations with the small island nation. On his first visit to one of our closest neighbors, Anthony Albanese Australia’s contributions to the country will be highlighted, including the government’s support for Timor’s independence in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In addition to his speech, he is also expected to meet with the prime minister. Xanana Gusmao, and the president, José Ramos-Horta.
Meanwhile, the heatwave will push northwards as parts of Victoria welcome a cool change. Melbourne is expecting a top temperature of 24C with the morning smog on Wednesday, while a top temperature of 43C is expected in Mildura towards the South Australian border, which reached record-breaking temperatures on Tuesday.
Parts of Western New South Wales, including Wagga Wagga, are expected to be scorched with temperatures exceeding 45°C, while Canberra is expected to reach 42°C. There is an “extreme heatwave warning” for the Snowy Mountains, South West Slopes and Upper West regions.
His Caitlin Cassidy I’m here to guide you through today’s news. Let’s get into it.
