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Our housing system is broken and the poorest Australians are being hardest hit

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s <a href="https://www.anglicare.asn.au/publications/2023-rental-affordability-snapshot/">Rental Affordability Snapshot</a> by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like never before. In fact, if you rely on the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/youth-allowance">Youth Allowance</a>, there is not a single rental property across Australia you can afford this week. <h2>How did rental affordability get this bad?</h2> Several post-COVID factors have been blamed, including our preference for <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2023/jun/new-insights-into-the-rental-market.html">more space, the return of international migrants</a>, and <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news-research/news/2023/could-the-peak-in-interest-rates-signal-an-end-to-rising-rents">rising interest rates</a>. However, the rental affordability crisis pre-dates COVID. Affordability has been steadily declining for decades, as successive governments have failed to make shelter more affordable for low-to-moderate income Australians. <h2>The market is getting squeezed at both ends</h2> At the lower end of the rental sector, the growth in the supply of social housing persistently lags behind demand, trending at under <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/data/annual-growth-rates-social-housing-stock-and-population-2011-2020/">one-third</a> the rate of population growth. <hr /> <iframe id="OA0cS" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OA0cS/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> This has forced growing numbers of low-income Australians to seek shelter in the private rental sector, where they face intense competition from higher-income renters. At the upper end, more and more aspiring home buyers are getting <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085147.2021.2003086">locked out</a> of home ownership. A recent <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">study</a> found more households with higher incomes are now renting. Households earning <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">$140,000</a> a year or more (in 2021 dollars) accounted for just 8% of private renters in 1996. By 2021, this tripled to 24%. No doubt, this crowds out lower-income households who are now facing a shortage of affordable homes to rent. <h2>Why current policies are not working</h2> Worsening affordability in the private rental sector highlights a housing system that is broken. Current policies just aren’t working. While current policies focus on supply, more work is needed including fixing <a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-are-pouring-money-into-housing-but-materials-land-and-labour-are-still-in-short-supply-205471">labour shortages</a> and providing greater <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-want-and-need-more-housing-choice-its-about-time-governments-stood-up-to-deliver-it-122390">stock diversity</a>. The planning system plays a critical role and <a href="https://theconversation.com/confusing-and-not-delivering-enough-developers-and-councils-want-new-affordable-housing-rules-139762">zoning rules</a> can be reformed to support the supply of more affordable options. However, the housing affordability challenge is not solely a supply problem. There is also a need to respond to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-prices-are-climbing-alright-but-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think-158776">super-charged demand</a> in the property market. An overheated market will undoubtedly place intense pressure on the rental sector because aspiring first home buyers are forced to rent for longer, as house prices soar at a rate unmatched by their wages. Yet, governments continue to resist calls for winding back the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/ken-henry-australias-tax-system-in-worse-position-after-15-years/103465044">generous tax concessions</a> enjoyed by multi-property owners. The main help available to low-income private renters - the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme - is <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-billion-per-year-or-less-could-halve-rental-housing-stress-146397">poorly targeted</a> with nearly one in five low-income renters who are in rental stress deemed ineligible, while another one in four receive it despite not being in rental stress. <h2>Can affordable housing occur naturally?</h2> Some commentators support the theory of <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/Executive-Summary-FR387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">filtering</a> - a market-based process by which the supply of new dwellings in more expensive segments creates additional supply of dwellings for low-income households as high-income earners vacate their former dwellings. Proponents of filtering argue building more housing anywhere - even in wealthier ends of the property market - will eventually improve affordability across the board because lower priced housing will trickle down to the poorest households. However, the persistent affordability crisis low-income households face and the rise in homelessness are crucial signs filtering <a href="https://cloud.3dissue.com/122325/122578/143598/WhyNewSupplyisnotExpandingHousingOptionsfortheHomeless/html5/index.html?page=1&noflash">does not work well</a> and <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/AHURI-Final-Report-387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">cannot be relied upon</a> to produce lower cost housing. <h2>Location, location, location</h2> Location does matter, if we expect building new housing to work for low-income individuals. What is needed is a steady increase of affordable, quality housing in areas offering low-income renters the same access to jobs and amenities as higher-income households. The <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/housing-policy/accord#:%7E:text=The%20Accord%20includes%20an%20initial,5%20years%20from%20mid%E2%80%912024.">National Housing Accord</a> aims to deliver 1.2 million new dwellings over five years from mid-2024. But it must ensure these are “well-located” for people who need affordable housing, as suggested in the accord. Recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2023.229051">modelling</a> shows unaffordable housing and poor neighbourhoods both negatively affect mental health, reinforcing the need to provide both affordable and well-located housing. <h2>The upcoming budget</h2> While the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2023/payments-cra_budget_fact_sheet_fa_0.pdf">15% increase</a> in the maximum rent assistance rate was welcomed in the last budget, the program is long overdue for a major restructure to target those in rental stress. Also, tax concessions on second properties should be wound back to reduce competition for those struggling to buy their first home. This would eventually help ease affordability pressures on low-income renters as more higher-income renters <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8454.12335">shift into homeownership</a>. The potential negative impacts on rental supply can be mitigated by careful design of tax and other changes that guard against market destabilisation concerns. Overall, housing affordability solutions have to be multi-faceted. The housing system is badly broken and meaningful repair cannot be achieved unless policymakers are willing to confront both supply and demand challenges.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228511/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-housing-system-is-broken-and-the-poorest-australians-are-being-hardest-hit-228511">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

“The system is too soft”: Ally Langdon fires up over stabbing death of Vyleen White

Ally Langdon has called for an overhaul of the youth crime system in the wake of the violent death of Queensland grandmother Vyleen White. The A Current Affair host was discussing the death of the 70-year-old, as she became visibly frustrated while talking about the rising rates of youth crime. Langdon hinted at a nationwide issue, citing the recent stabbing death of young doctor Ash Gordon in Melbourne, who was also allegedly murdered by a teenager less than a month ago. “Whatever we’re doing to deal with youth crime, it’s failing,” she said. “The police do everything they can, but the system is too soft on serious crime, and we have lost faith in it and our politicians.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C29TB0HvWGj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C29TB0HvWGj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by A Current Affair (@acurrentaffair9)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ms White’s daughter and widowed husband echoed Ally's sentiment thoughts on the program, saying, “Justice has to be done, not for my sake, for the memory of Vyleen.” “People want action and harsher laws for crimes they are committing,” her husband Victor said. “For several years (politicians) have been promising a lot, a lot of rubbish talk to the public out there, and nothing happens." “All you hear is increase of violence, car stealing … This is due to slackness in the law." “The law is weak as water.” Ms White’s daughter, Cindy Micallef said harsher penalties for youth crimes are needed. “Youth crime, I hate to say it, it’s like having a koala, it’s a protected species, there’s no action,” she said. “They do heinous crimes and it’s getting worse, I don’t care what nationality or race. “If we let people get away with this, it’s going to increase.” A 16-year-old boy was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/update-on-tragic-stabbing-of-queensland-grandmother" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with Ms White’s murder on Tuesday morning, and is also facing charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing. Vyleen was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/grandmother-fatally-stabbed-in-front-of-granddaughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fatally stabbed</a> in the chest in Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre’s underground carpark around 6pm on Saturday, while she was shopping with her granddaughter. Image credits: Facebook / A Current Affair

Legal

How does Australia’s health system stack up internationally? Not bad, if you’re willing to wait for it

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-duckett-10730">Stephen Duckett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> When things are going bad in the health system, we are reassured we’ve got one of the best health systems in the world. But we’re rarely told where we actually stand relative to others. A <a href="https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance/">new report</a> from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows where Australia is doing relatively well – and not so well. The report is more than 200 pages with dozens of charts and tables. Here we highlight five charts showing Australia’s relative performance. Overall, Australia’s health system performs well, but can come after long waits. And our use of antibiotics is trending in the wrong direction. <h2>1. We spend less than average but live longer than average</h2> Despite the rhetoric about the unsustainability of the health system, Australia performs well. When mapping health expenditure against life expectancy, Australia (marked by the red dot) sits in the best performing quadrant – and has done so for the past decade. <iframe id="tc-infographic-996" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/996/32f7548791bf05b7559d74976bfa0b955319adc5/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> In contrast, the United States is stuck in the worst performing quadrant for the whole period – significantly higher spending than other countries with worse life expectancy. The life expectancy measure is used here but it involves an implicit assumption that the principal impact on life expectancy is from the health system, which is not really the case. Nevertheless, it is a good measure of overall system performance and combined with spending provides a good measure. <h2>2. Most Australians rate their health as good or very good</h2> The vast majority of Australians (about 85%) rate their health as good or very good, with Australia performing better on this metric than most other similar countries. Often good health is conflated with good health care, and the data show that Australia also has more doctors per head than other countries. <iframe id="Ygo7Z" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Ygo7Z/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> The founding charter of the World Health Organization (WHO) recognised that health is not just the absence of disease, but a “<a href="https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution">state of complete physical, mental and social well-being</a>”. This points to a flaw in the nexus between good health and more health professionals. The WHO focus on well-being helps to explain why it is not surprising that, looking across countries, the number of doctors doesn’t appear to be a key determinant of performance on self-rated health. <h2>3. It’s harder to get a bed in aged care</h2> About 30% of people in OECD countries are over 65, while the Australian proportion is about 20%. The proportion of over-65s is rising everywhere. A minority of older Australians (14%) use aged care, with most of these using home care. However, monitoring access to residential aged care (represented here by the number of long-term care beds per thousand population over 65) might act as a “canary in the coal mine”, highlighting where access problems exist. <iframe id="lBe4O" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lBe4O/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> In Australia, access to aged care beds is falling, by about 27% between 2011 and 2021. We started in the middle of the pack so this is a concern and probably contributes to more Australians being stuck in acute hospitals, rather than being in more appropriate accommodation in residential aged care. This “<a href="https://www.ama.com.au/articles/hospital-exit-block-symptom-sick-system">exit block</a>” in turn leads to problems of ambulance ramping. <h2>4. Australians wait too long for public hospital hip replacements</h2> Most publicly funded health systems are characterised by long waiting times for access to planned procedures such as hip replacements. Some waiting is to be expected as part of efficient management of operating theatre scheduling. But long waits, especially when the person is in pain, reflect poorly on management of the public hospital system. <iframe id="LNntD" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LNntD/2/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> The data shows that almost two-thirds of people waiting for hip replacement surgery in Australia waited more than three months. This is marginally worse than the OECD average. Unfortunately, our performance is deteriorating. A number of states, such as <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/planned-surgery-reform-blueprint">Victoria</a>, have developed strategies to improve the performance of the planned procedure system, or have identified opportunities for <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/about+us/about+sa+health/reporting+and+advisory+groups/health+performance+council/health+performance+council+reports">efficiency improvements in public hospitals</a> which would help address this issue. Although it’s understandable that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2049080122011554">planned procedures were affected</a> by the first few years of the COVID pandemic, governments should have adapted their funding and provision systems to bring waiting times back to the pre-pandemic levels. <h2>5. Our use of antibiotics is going in the wrong direction</h2> Antibiotics have saved millions of lives. But public health experts have long recognised the emerging <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance">problem of antimicrobial resistance</a>, where inappropriate use of these drugs can lead to their reduced effectiveness over time. Worldwide campaigns to promote appropriate use of antibiotics are bearing fruit and across the OECD, use of antibiotics is going down. Unfortunately, Australia’s trend is in the reverse direction. <iframe id="AK4GO" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AK4GO/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218031/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-duckett-10730">Stephen Duckett</a>, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-australias-health-system-stack-up-internationally-not-bad-if-youre-willing-to-wait-for-it-218031">original article</a>.

Caring

Women and low-income earners miss out in a superannuation system most Australians think is unfair

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551">Antonia Settle</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Most Australians think the superannuation system is unfair, with only one in three agreeing the retirement savings scheme is fair for most Australians, according to a survey conducted for the University of Melbourne. In fact, only about half of those <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/research-insights/search/result?paper=4630688">surveyed</a> agreed superannuation works well for them. These results contradict a conventional view based on earlier studies and held by academics and many in the personal finance sector, that Australians give little thought to superannuation. A 2013 survey found Australians have <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/INFORMIT.285049750322819">poor knowledge</a> of how the superannuation system works, while another study in 2022 highlighted <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/4382057/HILDA_Statistical_Report_2022.pdf">low financial literacy</a> in general. Australians also showed <a href="https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/projects/retirement-planning-saving-attitudes_0_0.pdf">little interest in superannuation</a>, according to a 2020 Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet survey, with few Australians showing interest in reading their superannuation statements, choosing their fund or making voluntary contributions. With Australian households seen as uninformed and uninterested, their opinions tend to be left out of the public debate. We hear much about the gender pension gap, for example, but little about what women actually think about superannuation. Similarly, the distribution of tax advantage in superannuation is hotly debated by economists but survey data tends to refrain from asking households what they think about equity in the superannuation system. The University of Melbourne survey of 1,003 Australians was undertaken by Roy Morgan Research in April. Its results show women and low-income households are widely seen as disadvantaged in the superannuation system. In fact, only one in five Australians see the superannuation system as well suited to the needs of women and of low-income households, while 70% believe super favours wealthy households. <iframe id="5VX3K" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5VX3K/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> This suggests although Australians may show little interest in the management of their super accounts and may report they find the system confusing or even <a href="https://www.professionalplanner.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Attitudes-to-Super-Report-May-2016.pdf">boring</a>, they are surprisingly aware of how superannuation is distributed. <h2>Women, singles and low-income earners miss out</h2> The federal government’s 2020 <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2020-100554">Retirement Income Review</a> documents these gaps. Renters, women, uncoupled households and those on low-incomes fare poorly in the retirement income system. With little super to supplement the public pension, these groups are vastly over-represented in elderly poverty statistics, which are among the <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/d76e4fad-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/d76e4fad-en">highest in the OECD</a>. Mirroring the gaps in the superannuation system reported by the review, the University of Melbourne survey shows that it is outright homeowners and those who are married who believe the superannuation system works well. Concerns the system works poorly for women and low-income households are strongest among women and low-income households. Only one in three renters believe the superannuation system meets their needs. <iframe id="N9GO6" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/N9GO6/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> This suggests individuals’ concerns about fairness in the superannuation system are driven by their own experiences of disadvantage, regardless of financial literacy. This is consistent with my own <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2023.2195159">research</a> into household attitudes to superannuation, which showed some resentment among women who were well aware their male partners had substantially higher superannuation balances than them. This all matters for policymakers. <h2>Why public perceptions are important</h2> In the short term, these results suggest public support for making super fairer is likely to be stronger than previously thought. Recent government changes to tax concessions on large balances, for example, could have gone much further without losing support from the 70% of households that think the system favours the wealthy. But it matters for the longer term too. Public perceptions of fairness, effectiveness and efficiency are crucial to policy sustainability. This is well established in the academic literature from <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/spol.12683">B Ebbinghaus</a>, 2021 and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1911-3838.12171">H Chung et al.</a>, and accepted by the Retirement Income Review. The review assessed the public’s confidence in the system to both “deliver an adequate retirement income for them(selves) and (to) generate adequate outcomes across society”. As the review makes clear, the system must avoid a loss of public confidence from perceptions of unfairness. Yet perceptions of unfairness are exactly what the University of Melbourne results suggest. This would have been clearer to policymakers if they asked earlier.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207633/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551">Antonia Settle</a>, Academic (McKenzie Postdoctoral Research Fellow), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-and-low-income-earners-miss-out-in-a-superannuation-system-most-australians-think-is-unfair-207633">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

It’s warming up and mozzies are coming. Here’s how to mosquito-proof your backyard

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> The weather is warming up and that means more time in the backyard. It also means more mosquitoes. Here are five ways you can mosquito-proof your backyard that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-battle-against-bugs-its-time-to-end-chemical-warfare-111629">don’t rely on spraying insecticides</a>. <h2>1. Get rid of water</h2> Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycles. They <a href="https://theconversation.com/feel-like-youre-a-mozzie-magnet-its-true-mosquitoes-prefer-to-bite-some-people-over-others-128788">need blood</a> – but water and warmth are just as important. Getting rid of water around your backyard will go a long way to keeping mosquitoes away. Water trapped in blocked roof gutters, drains and tarpaulin covering boats and trailers can be a great home for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can exploit the tiniest of water sources too. It may just be the upturned lid of a discarded plastic drink bottle. If it traps water, mosquitoes will find it and lay eggs in it. Flush out your bird bath once a week to disrupt the mosquito’s life cycle. If you have a pond, installing a fountain will discourage mosquitoes. If you can’t keep water clean and circulating, consider filling it with sand and gravel to create an interesting garden bed for succulents or other plants. Mosquitoes will avoid clean and chlorinated swimming pools but will quickly move into “green pools”. If you’re not using your pool, consider <a href="https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Your-local-environment/Wildlife/Living-with-wildlife/Pool-to-pond/How-to-convert-your-pool">converting it to a “pond”</a> so that fish can help keep mosquito numbers down. <h2>2. Screen up – windows, doors and rainwater tanks</h2> If you can’t get rid of permanent water, at least stop mosquitoes getting to it (or you). Ensure <a href="https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/water/water-smart-homes/rainwater-tanks/using-your-rainwater-tank">rainwater and septic tanks</a> have screens to stop mosquitoes entering. Screen windows and doors to stop mosquitoes entering the home. There are plenty of flexible screening options for windows, doors and balconies. If you live in a mosquito-prone area, creating a screened outdoor area (such as a pergola, courtyard, or balcony) will give you the opportunity to spend time outdoors without being hassled by mozzies. <h2>3. Choose your garden plants carefully</h2> Some plants <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-of-the-American-Mosquito-Control-Association/volume-25/issue-3/09-0016.1/Are-Commercially-Available-Essential-Oils-from-Australian-Native-Plants-Repellent/10.2987/09-0016.1.short">contain essential oils and other chemicals</a> that, when extracted and concentrated, provide protection against biting mosquitoes. But there isn’t a lot of evidence that the whole plant will keep mosquitoes away from your garden. Some types of plants are even marketed as “mozzie blockers” or “mosquito repelling”. But there isn’t <a href="https://www.veranda.com/outdoor-garden/a40592197/do-mosquito-repelling-plants-work/">any evidence of effectiveness</a>. In fact, some of these plants, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1440-6055.2009.00736.x">such as melaleucas</a>, also happen to be associated with <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/36/4/515/903838">hot spots of mosquito breeding</a> in coastal Australia. The plants to avoid around the home are those that help mosquitoes breed, such as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-6055.2008.00641.x">bromeliads</a>, which trap water. <h2>4. Encourage the animals that eat mosquitoes</h2> Mosquitoes are food for a range of animals including birds, bats, fish, frogs, lizards, insects, spiders and <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-2656.13965">dragonflies</a>. But don’t expect them to eat enough to keep all mosquitoes away. Bats are often promoted as a good “biological control” options but studies have shown mosquitoes are <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077183">more likely to be a snack food</a> for small bats, not an irresistible staple of their diet. For garden ponds, frogs will eat a few adult mosquitoes but tadpoles of Australian frogs generally <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-the-american-mosquito-control-association/volume-21/issue-4/8756-971X(2006)21%5b492%3aTOFCAF%5d2.0.CO%3b2/TADPOLES-OF-FOUR-COMMON-AUSTRALIAN-FROGS-ARE-NOT-EFFECTIVE-PREDATORS/10.2987/8756-971X(2006)21%5B492:TOFCAF%5D2.0.CO;2.short">don’t eat many mosquito “wrigglers”</a>. Australian native fish <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15532929/">will readily eat mosquitoes</a> and may be useful for backyard ponds. But not all fish are good. While “mosquitofish” (aka “plague minnow”) is distributed overseas to assist in mosquito control, <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article/30/3/316/134508/Does-predation-by-the-fish-Gambusia-holbrooki">it’s a disaster for local wildlife</a> and, <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquatic-biosecurity/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/finfish-species/gambusia">along with other exotic fish species</a>, should not be released into local waterways. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13157-019-01133-2">Healthier habitats promote fewer mosquitoes</a> so the best thing you can do is create habitats for the animals that eat mosquitoes. <h2>5. Avoid traps and other gadgets</h2> There are lots of devices purported to catch, kill, or repel mosquitoes from your garden. Some may catch a mosquito or two but they’re not very effective in knocking out big numbers. “Bug zappers” with bright lights will collect lots of flying insects. It’s just that mosquitoes make up a very small proportion of collections. Electrocuting devices, again, don’t seem to attract a lot of mosquitoes. Devices that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-buzz-from-your-smartphone-wont-stop-mosquito-bites-92611">emit high frequency sounds</a> won’t help either. The best devices are typically those that are baited with carbon dioxide. These are a mainstay of state and territory <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/mosquito-borne/Pages/surveillance.aspx">mosquito and arbovirus surveillance programs</a>. For a mosquito, the C0₂ tricks them into thinking the trap is a warm-blooded animal. The only problem is these can be expensive to run and don’t seem quite as effective for mosquito control <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-the-american-mosquito-control-association/volume-22/issue-3/8756-971X(2006)22%5b490%3aTATTFA%5d2.0.CO%3b2/Traps-and-Trapping-Techniques-for-Adult-Mosquito-Control/10.2987/8756-971X(2006)22%5B490:TATTFA%5D2.0.CO;2.short">unless used in large numbers</a>. <h2>Yes, you’ll still need repellent</h2> Perhaps the best way to avoid mosquito bites is to pick an insect repellent <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/december-2016-volume-26-issue-5/a-review-of-recommendations-on-the-safe-and-effective-use-of-topical-mosquito-repellents/">recommended by health authorities</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/mozzies-biting-heres-how-to-choose-a-repellent-and-how-to-use-it-for-the-best-protection-150183">apply it</a> to ensure all exposed areas of skin are covered. These products and safe, affordable and effective.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212711/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-warming-up-and-mozzies-are-coming-heres-how-to-mosquito-proof-your-backyard-212711">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

The $500 million ATO fraud highlights flaws in the myGov ID system. Here’s how to keep your data safe

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rob-nicholls-91073">Rob Nicholls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> The Australian Tax Office (ATO) paid out more than half a billion dollars to cyber criminals between July 2021 and February 2023, according to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-26/ato-reveals-cost-of-mygov-tax-identity-crime-fraud/102632572">ABC report</a>. Most of the payments were for small amounts (less than A$5,000) and were not flagged by the ATO’s own monitoring systems. The fraudsters exploited a weakness in the identification system used by the myGov online portal to redirect other people’s tax refunds to their own bank accounts. The good news is there’s plenty the federal government can do to crack down on this kind of fraud – and that you can do to keep your own payments secure. <h2>How these scams work</h2> Setting up a myGov account or a myGov ID requires proof of identity in the form of “<a href="https://www.afp.gov.au/sites/default/files/PDF/NPC-100PointChecklist-18042019.pdf">100 points of ID</a>”. It usually means either a passport and a driver’s licence or a driver’s licence, a Medicare card, and a bank statement. Once a myGov account is created, linking it to your tax records requires two of the following: an ATO assessment, bank account details, a payslip, a Centrelink payment, or a super account. These documents were precisely the ones targeted in three large data breaches in the past year: at <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-optus-data-breach-mean-for-you-and-how-can-you-protect-yourself-a-step-by-step-guide-191332">Optus</a>, at <a href="https://theconversation.com/medibank-hackers-are-now-releasing-stolen-data-on-the-dark-web-if-youre-affected-heres-what-you-need-to-know-194340">Medibank</a>, and at <a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/guidance-for-consumers-impacted-by-the-latitude-financial-services-data-breach/">Latitude Financial</a>. In this scam, the cyber criminal creates a fake myGov account using the stolen documents. If they can also get enough information to link to the ATO or your Tax File Number, they can then change bank account details to have your tax rebate paid to their account. It is a sadly simple scam. <h2>How government can improve</h2> One of the issues here is quite astounding. The ATO knows where salaries are paid, via the “<a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/business/single-touch-payroll/what-is-stp-/">single touch</a>” payroll system. This ensures salaries, tax and superannuation contributions are all paid at once. Most people who have received a tax refund will have provided bank account details where that payment can be made. Indeed, many people use precisely those bank account details to identify themselves to myGov. At present, those bank details can be changed within myGov without any further ado. If the ATO simply checked with the individual via another channel when bank account details are changed, this fraud could be prevented. It might be sensible to check with the individual’s employer as well. Part of the problem is the ATO has not been very transparent about the risks. If these risks were clearly set out, then calls for changes to ATO procedures would have been loud and clear from the cyber security community. The ATO is usually good at identifying when a cyber security incident may lead to fraud. For example, when the recruitment software company <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/australian-data-may-be-compromised-in-pageup-security-breach/9840048?itm_campaign=newsapp">PageUp was hacked in 2018</a>, the ATO required people who may have been affected to reconfirm their identities. This was done without public commentary and represents sound practice. Sadly, the millions of records stolen in the Optus, Medibank and Latitude Financial breaches have not led to a similar level of vigilance. Another action the ATO could take would be to check when a single set of bank account details is associated with more than one myGov account. A national digital identity would also help. However, this system has been in development for years, is not universally popular, and may well be <a href="https://www.themandarin.com.au/226280-gallagher-warns-community-support-for-digital-identity-not-ubiquitous/">delayed</a> until after the federal election due in 2024. <h2>Protecting yourself</h2> The most important thing to do is make sure the ATO does not use a bank account number other than yours. As long as the ATO only has your bank account number to transfer your tax rebate, this scam does not work. It also helps to protect your Tax File Number. There are only four groups that ever need this number. The first is the ATO itself. The second is your employer. However, remember you do not need to give your TFN to a prospective employer, and your employer only needs your TFN after you have started work. Your super fund and your bank may ask for your TFN. However, providing your TFN to your super fund or bank is optional – it just makes things easier, as otherwise they will withhold tax which you will need to claim back later. Of course, all the usual data safety issues still apply. Don’t share your driver’s licence details without good reason. Take similar care with your passport. Your Medicare card is for health services and does not need to be shared widely. Don’t open emails from people you do not know. Never click links in messages unless you are sure they are safe. Most importantly, know your bank will not send you emails containing links, nor will the ATO.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210459/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rob-nicholls-91073">Rob Nicholls</a>, Associate professor of regulation and governance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-500-million-ato-fraud-highlights-flaws-in-the-mygov-id-system-heres-how-to-keep-your-data-safe-210459">original article</a>.

Technology

Outrage after renters confronted with cleaning “scoring system”

An Australian real estate agent has come under fire for their “demoralising” scoring system for tenants during routine inspections. One fired up renter said they were shocked to receive a scorecard from the agent after they complied with an inspection, and shared their feedback on Reddit. The scorecard rated the tenant’s efforts cleaning the property in 17 different rooms and areas, marking them on cleanliness, and if the areas were damaged or required maintenance. The renter was then also given an overall rating out of five stars, based on the upkeep of their rental home. The Reddit user showed that they received just three and half stars, despite being marked down in only one area due to a light globe not working. In their post, the tenant said they had made every effort to clean the home, adding that the rating was “demoralising”. “I’ve been renting a long time, and my deep cleaning routine is based around inspections,” they explained. “I go all out - every room in my little 3x2 villa is given a spring clean, every surface is washed including walls, doors, lights, windows, carpets etc.” “Had my latest inspection a few weeks ago and just received the report. Despite the agent commenting once again that she never sees houses as clean as mine, and taking 112 (!) photos of every single thing that shows how great the condition of the house is - having one light globe not working is so terrible that I’m scored three and a half out of five.” The renter went on to say that they had only recently discovered that the broken light globe was the real estate’s responsibility to replace, and does not warrant such a severe marking down in their “score”. “The globe in question is a downlight fitting. We have so many downlights that I don’t even use this particular one,” they continued. “I can’t replace the globe itself, I need to get into the roof to replace the whole unit. Thanks to people here I’ve learned this isn’t even my responsibility to fix!” The renter’s post sparked a huge outrage online, with many up in arms over the current state of the rental market and unrealistic expectations of estate agents. One person said, “I fully believe that the average renter keeps a home to a higher standard than an owner, and it seems deliberately demoralising that someone could be marked down for having a light out.” Another added, “This is ridiculously petty, and more importantly, totally irrelevant to the purpose of a periodic inspection. Which is to identify whether any maintenance is needed.” A third person took their anger out on the entire system, summing it up by writing, “I sort of wonder what little lightbulb clicks in your mind and you wake up one day and ask yourself, ‘How can I be a massive c*** who offers no value to society? I know! I will get into real estate.’” Image credits: Getty Images / Reddit

Real Estate

An El Niño looms over Australia’s stressed electricity system – and we must plan for the worst

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dylan-mcconnell-1602">Dylan McConnell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/iain-macgill-576">Iain MacGill</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> The Bureau of Meteorology this week declared a 70% chance of an <a href="https://media.bom.gov.au/releases/1170/the-bureau-of-meteorology-issues-an-el-nino-alert/">El Niño</a> developing this year. It’s bad timing for the electricity sector, and means Australians may face supply disruptions and volatile prices. <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-nino-and-australia.shtml">El Niño events</a> are <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-floods-to-fire-a-climate-scientist-on-the-chances-el-nino-will-hit-australia-this-year-197408">associated with</a> increased temperatures and heatwaves. These conditions drive demand for electricity, especially in summer. These same conditions can also mean some generators don’t produce at full capacity. And unfortunately, the likely El Niño comes as the electricity sector grapples with other significant headwinds. Australia’s electricity grid may be fine this summer. But given what’s on the horizon, it would be prudent to plan for the worst. <h2>How does hot weather affect energy supplies?</h2> Increased air conditioning use in summer can cause <a href="https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/planning_and_forecasting/nem_esoo/2022/forecasting-approach-electricity-demand-forecasting-methodology.pdf">demand to peak</a>, particularly during heatwaves, as the below graph shows. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530604/original/file-20230607-27-m1kddg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Scatterplot of New South Wales demand and temperature, example based on 2017 calendar year" /><figcaption>Scatterplot of New South Wales demand and temperature, example based on 2017 calendar year. AEMO</figcaption></figure> At the same time, electricity generators – including coal, gas, <a href="https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/projects/esci/esci-case-studies/case-study-heat/">solar and wind</a> – can become less efficient in hot temperatures, and so provide less energy to the system. And the hotter transmission lines get, the less electrical current they can safely carry. This lowers their capacity to transport energy. When the electricity grid is under stress, this can lead to “load shedding” or blackouts – when power companies deliberately switch off the power supply to groups of customers to prevent the overall system from becoming dangerously unstable. This happened in Victoria in early 2019, when more than <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-26/victorian-blackouts-what-caused-them-and-is-this-the-new-normal/10751412">200,000 customers</a> lost power during a period of extreme heat. El Niño events are also associated with reduced rainfall. Among other effects on the electricity grid, this can reduce output from hydroelectricity generators (which produce electricity by pumping water through turbines). This <a href="https://theconversation.com/praying-for-rain-50085">occurred</a> in Tasmania in 2016, and contributed to an energy crisis in that state. <h2>Other headwinds are blowing</h2> Aside from facing a likely El Niño, the electricity sector faces other headaches. Earlier this year, the Australian Energy Market Operator <a href="https://aemo.com.au/newsroom/media-release/aemo-issues-nem-reliability-update">warned</a> electricity demand “may exceed supply” at times over the next decade due to factors such as weather conditions or generator outages. The market operator pointed to delays to the Snowy 2.0 hydro project and the gas-fired <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/new-snowy-ceo-can-t-rule-out-further-delays-at-projects-20230213-p5cjzr">Kurri Kurri Power Station</a>, both in New South Wales. The Kurri Kurri project has been delayed for a year. It was scheduled to begin operating in December this year – in time for the first summer since the Liddell coal-fired power station closed. The Australian Energy Market Operator said the electricity system was expected to meet the “reliability standard” in all regions for the next five years. The <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/energy-system/electricity/electricity-system/reliability#:%7E:text=What%20is%20the%20Reliability%20Standard,to%20be%20met%20each%20year.">standard requires</a> at least 99.998% of forecast demand be met each year. Unmet demand can lead to interrupted supply, or blackouts. But the operator also said delays to the Kurri Kurri project posed risks to reliability in NSW this summer. Adding to the pressures on the system, Queensland’s Callide C coal-fired power station is still not back to capacity more than two years after an explosion at the site. The station’s owners last week <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/energy-grid-fears-as-callide-c-return-delayed-until-mid-2024-20230529-p5dc90">announced</a> the plant would not be fully operational until mid-2024. Combine all this with a likely El Niño, and the electricity sector may be facing a challenging summer. <h2>El Niño years are not normal</h2> In August, the Australian Energy Market Operator is due to publish a new <a href="https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/planning_and_forecasting/nem_esoo/2022/esoo-and-reliability-forecast-methodology-document-2022.pdf">assessment</a> of the grid’s expected reliability over the next decade. It may well show reliability standards will be achieved. On first blush, that sounds like good news. However, the way the assessment is derived may mask the real risk during El Niño periods. The assessment combines a number of scenarios, which are based on different <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/electricity/national-electricity-market-nem/nem-forecasting-and-planning/forecasting-and-reliability/projected-assessment-of-system-adequacy">forecasts</a> of electricity demand. The scenarios based on average weather conditions are given the most weight. But if an El Niño arrives, this summer will not be average. We’re likely to experience very hot and dry conditions. This may lead to higher demands on the energy system, and a greater likelihood of blackouts. This won’t be properly reflected in the assessment. So the grid may be deemed reliable even though electricity supplies are under immense pressure. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530771/original/file-20230608-30-lb28wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="repair person climbs power pole" /><figcaption>The grid may be deemed reliable even though it’s under pressure. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>What can be done?</h2> You might find all this news worrying. But there are measures and technologies in place to help reduce the risks. <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/electricity/emergency-management/reliability-and-emergency-reserve-trader-rert">A mechanism</a> exists that allows the market operator to secure emergency energy reserves. It could mean, for example, calling on a large industrial plant to pause operations to reduce its electricity use, or starting up a standby diesel generator. The operator can start procuring this months ahead of time, and will no doubt be monitoring the situation closely. In the medium term, the uptake of so-called “consumer energy resources” such as rooftop solar farms and small-scale battery storage shows promise. These technologies are located at homes and businesses. They can reduce demand on the grid at peak times and can potentially be built faster than big projects. Longer term, we need to build more “stuff”. This includes renewable energy and other “dispatchable” resources – which can provide energy when it’s needed – as well as more transmission infrastructure. Several federal funding measures – the <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-supply/capacity-investment-scheme">Capacity Investment Scheme</a> and <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/news-media/news/rewiring-nation-supports-its-first-two-transmission-projects">Rewiring the Nation</a> – might help realise these projects. The reality is that ageing coal plants are closing – and while they remain open, they’re contributing to reliability challenges in the energy system. Unchecked climate change will also add considerable strain, through natural disasters and more extreme weather. Unfortunately, investment in renewable and other low-emission technology has been <a href="https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/news/clean-energy-construction-peaks-as-investment-pipeline-battles-headwinds">slower than necessary</a>. This has slowed Australia’s emissions reduction efforts and cast questions over the reliability of our energy supplies as an El Niño looms.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207210/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dylan-mcconnell-1602">Dylan McConnell</a>, Senior Research Associate, Renewable Energy & Energy Systems Analyst, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/iain-macgill-576">Iain MacGill</a>, Joint director, Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets, and Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-el-nino-looms-over-australias-stressed-electricity-system-and-we-must-plan-for-the-worst-207210">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Technology

Queen Camilla's damning "proof" in Simon Dorante-Day's case

A seemingly innocent comment made by Queen Camilla to the Archbishop of Canterbury about her relationship with King Charles has become new "proof" in Simon Dorante-Day's claims against the monarch. For several years, 57-year-old Simon from Queensland has claimed that he is the love child of King Charles and Queen Camilla. However, there have been several holes in his fact checking that have seen his claims been slammed. One major blindside in his story is the fact that he was born in 1966, and Charles and Camilla have famously dated their relationship back to when they were introduced by a friend in 1970. When Charles and Camilla first met, they were aged 21 and 22 respectively, and were not photographed publicly together until 1972. However, in a new documentary titled The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, Dr George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said their relationship could go back further than initially believed. Dr Carey was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, and gave his blessing for Charles and Camilla to marry. In the explosive documentary, Dr Carey says Camilla confirmed that her relationship with Charles went “back to when they were teenagers”. The former Archbishop said he met Camilla at his son’s flat in Peckham, London, to discuss the possibility of marrying Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales. He explained they had met at the obscure location to avoid attracting public attention. “She walked through the front door and we had coffee together… we had an animated conversation and we talked about her relationship with Charles, going way back to when they were teenagers,” Dr Carey said in the TV interview. “And after that I decided there was no way I could treat her as anything other than a really nice human being who is deeply in love with Charles.” Dr Carey later gave his blessing for the pair to marry. Dorante-Day has long claimed that his own personal research has shown that Charles and Camilla first became close in 1965. He believes that months later, in the lead-up to when he was born, Camilla disappeared from Britain’s social scene for at least nine months, while Charles was sent to Australia. “I have been unable to find any photos of Camilla from the last months of 1965 or the beginning of 1966, when she would’ve been heavily pregnant with me,” Dorante-Day said. Speaking to <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/queen-camilla-comment-to-archbishop-becomes-explosive-new-proof-in-aussie-simon-dorante-day-royal-love-child-case--c-10543212" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>, Dorante-Day said the new interview with Dr Carey casts doubt over the public history of Charles and Camilla's early relationships days. “My adoptive grandmother said to me, she said to me quite clearly, that Charles and Camilla were your parents,” he said. “So when I looked back in the history of when they got together and if this was even possible, I didn’t just believe it. But I went off and I researched it." “When you go back and you look at the newspapers from the time and read the royal biographies, it was always stated that they first met in 1972 at a polo match in Windsor." “You know, sometimes the media got it wrong and said 1974 or things like that. But that story was always 1972 until I started doing this." “Then royal commentator Robert Jobson changed it to 1970 in a TV interview with me, pushed it back a few years." “People just keep changing the date. It’s interesting to me." “And now the Archbishop’s story, that Camilla said that they went back to when they were teenagers as well. Yeah. Come on." “It’s the first time someone has given a concrete account of when they met, where it wasn’t just reports and changing dates.” Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook

Family & Pets

How to snake-proof your house and garden

If there’s one thing that strikes fear into many Australians, it’s snakes. Sure, some of them are harmless but they are still the last thing you want to see in your home or garden. There are some ways to make your home less inviting to these reptiles. 1. Block their entrance Snakes like to hide in quiet places such as your roof, garage or underneath the house. Try to make it harder for them to get in by covering any holes leading in or out, and ensuring that screens and doors are kept shut. 2. Keep your garden tidy Snakes like to hide, so keep things neat in the backyard to stop them finding a place to do so. Keep your lawns mowed, and garden beds weeded. Keep your shed locked, and be sure to have a clear out regularly to remove any old boxes. If you have wood stored outside try to have minimal space between each piece so that they can’t use it as shelter. Avoid keeping grass clippings and mulch in a pile as snacks find the warmth appealing. 3. Seal holes in walls Snakes love rock and brick walls as they can use them to keep warm, provide shelter, and find food. Block up any holes that they could hide in by filling them in. 4. Reduce the rodent population Snakes like houses that have mice and rats, so try reducing their numbers. Place bait in your house and garden (ensure it is pet-friendly) and this should reduce the chances of snakes hanging around. 5. Keep birds safe Ensure any chook pens or bird cages are well protected from snakes entering them. Also be sure to keep them clean so that rats and mice aren’t entering the pens either. 6. Keep your bins tidy When you dispose of food scraps, always ensure they are in a sealed garbage bag in your bin, rather than just loose. This will keep rats and mice away, and therefore snakes too. 7. Watch your plant choice Think about the types of plants in your garden if snakes are an issue. Low shrubs and bushes are the ideal spot for a snake. Taller trees and flowers could be a better option. Also be sure to keep leaf litter to a minimum as it’s the perfect hiding spot for snakes. Images: Getty

Home Hints & Tips

Want an easy $400 a year? Ditch the gas heater in your home for an electric split system

Earlier this month, regulators <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-electricity-prices-going-up-again-and-will-it-ever-end-201869">flagged</a> power price rises in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Like many people, you’re probably wondering how you can minimise the financial pain. Getting rid of gas and electrifying everything in your home can save you money. <a href="https://renew.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Report-Limiting-energy-bills-by-getting-off-gas.pdf">Modelling</a> by not-for-profit organisation Renew showed annual bills last year for a <a href="https://www.nathers.gov.au/owners-and-builders/home-energy-star-ratings">seven-star</a> all-electric home with solar power were between 69% (Western Sydney) and 83% (Hobart) cheaper than bills for a three-star home with gas appliances and no solar. There are other reasons to kick the gas habit, too. As renewables form an ever-growing part of Australia’s energy mix, electrifying the home increasingly helps tackle climate change. What’s more, there are sound <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2023/02/a-heated-debate--how-safe-are-gas-stoves--">health</a> reasons to get rid of gas appliances. But where do you start? And how do you get the best bang for your buck? Here, I offer a few tips. <h2>A quick guide to home energy use</h2> Australian home energy use can be separated into a few categories: <ul> <li>space heating and cooling</li> <li>water heating</li> <li>cooking</li> <li>vehicles </li> <li>other appliances (many of which are largely already electric). </li> </ul> Of the appliances that typically depend on gas, the <a href="https://www.rewiringaustralia.org/report/castles-and-cars-discussion-paper">largest component</a> (37%) is space heating, followed by hot water (24%) and cooking (6%). This varies between states. Victoria, for example, is particularly dependent on gas. But the breakdown above gives some insight into the largest contributors to energy costs in the average Australian home – particularly in the cooler southern regions. While both gas and electricity costs are rising, as they are now in most states, all-electric homes can expect lower overall increases. <a href="https://renew.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Report-Limiting-energy-bills-by-getting-off-gas.pdf">Analysis</a> by Renew has shown ditching the old gas heater in favour of a split system/reverse cycle air-conditioner (without solar panels) can lead to average savings of A$546 each year in Canberra, $440 in Adelaide, $409 in Melbourne and $256 in Perth. Heating a space with a reverse-cycle air conditioner is about four times more efficient than using natural gas. And when the electricity is generated by renewables, it can be done with zero greenhouse gas emissions. And what about heating water? Using the existing electricity grid, the cost of using an electric heat pump is around half that of using a natural gas water heater. The costs fall even lower if a household shifts to solar panels subsidised or financed by government, backed by a home battery providing the energy. In this case, heating costs are around a third of using gas. <h2>So what’s the payback?</h2> Buying new appliances costs money. So it’s important to examine the “payback” period - in other words, the length of time it takes for energy bill savings to equal the cost of the initial investment in a new appliance. The payback period can vary depending on: <ul> <li>cost and quality of the appliance</li> <li>an appliance’s energy rating</li> <li>size of the system</li> <li>for space heating, whether a split system is replacing an existing ducted system or being added on externally.</li> </ul> A <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CC_MVSA0323-CC-Report-Gas-vs-Electricity_V4-Single.pdf">report</a> last year by the Climate Council calculated the approximate cost differences between higher and lower-end electric appliances. Lower-end hot water heat pumps, reverse-cycle air conditioner and induction stoves were priced around $7,818 all together, while higher-end appliances cost around $14,936 together. Both scenarios included installation costs and $3,000 for electrical upgrades and other costs. The payback period for low-priced appliances ranged from five years in Hobart and Canberra to 15 years in Perth and Sydney. Higher-priced appliances were in the order of eight to ten years for most cities and 12, 16 and 19 years for Melbourne, Perth and Sydney respectively. Rolled out at scale, household electrification is also a feasible way to reduce gas demand. It may be the only practical option available to decarbonise residential energy. As research <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890422013802#b0130">recently suggested</a>, so-called “green” hydrogen – made by using low-carbon electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen – is unlikely to emerge as a cheap replacement for gas boilers. And why look for a technological solution to a problem we already know how to solve? Modelling by <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Vic-Gas-Market-Demand-Side-Study-Final-Report-1.pdf">Environment Victoria</a> has shown installing heat pumps for heating and cooling would reduce statewide gas use by 48 petajoules a year, compared to the relatively minimal 0.5 petajoules saved by installing induction cooktops. At the same scale – and using a similar technology – replacing gas hot water with heat pump hot water reduces household gas use by 10 petajoules each year. That’s an enormous saving of gas. <h2>The bigger picture for all-electric homes</h2> Existing homes can benefit from a combination of electrification, rooftop solar and batteries. They can also benefit from energy efficiency measures such as installing insulation, stopping draughts, closing off rooms and wearing the right clothing for the season. We can work together to speed up the transition to renewable energy and reduce the demand for gas. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-an-easy-400-a-year-ditch-the-gas-heater-in-your-home-for-an-electric-split-system-201941" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home Hints & Tips

Major overhaul of Aussie superannuation system touted

There may be a major change coming to Australia's $3.3 trillion superannuation system, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers looking to crack down on early access. Chalmers will be speaking to call for an objective for superannuation that will emphasise the need for it to be preserved until retirement. This would make it harder for Australians to access their funds early. The federal opposition are taking a different stance and have pushed for early access to remain open as part of a first home buyers scheme. John Kehoe, Australian Financial Review economics editor, told Today $36 billion had been withdrawn from Australians’ collective super during the COVID-19 pandemic. "That's something that Labor wants to shut the door on," he said. Kehoe said there were two sides to the first home buyers scheme, saying that people accessing their super early could drive prices higher. "The retirement income system showed the best way to have financial security in retirement is owning your own home," he said. "It is people renting in retirement that do it really tough.” Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie expressed her view on the proposal, saying life wasn't "black and white.” "There are things that happen in our lives where that money may come in handy, whether it is part of that money, or 20 per cent of that money, just to keep us afloat," she said. "And especially in the next two years, if we are going into recession, if there are guys out there who can dig in to make sure we can keep the roof over their head, to continue to pay their house rates, we have to be a bit more flexible than that when we are going through tough times." Image credit: Getty

Retirement Life

How grandchild proof is your home?

We all have adventurous little ones in our life who are full of beans and personalities who love nothing more than to explore everywhere and anywhere. Is your home safe for these explorers? It’s a given: little ones can (and will!!!) climb and crawl anywhere and everywhere! Here we have a few helpful tips to ensure your home is a safe place for young children to explore explore! Did you know that accidental falls are among the most common types of injuries that are sustained in the home when it comes to children? Given this, you’ll want to make every effort to keep stairs and hallways clear and clutter-free to make room for your child to explore without tripping. It might also be a good idea to consider temporary fencing around stairways, steps and hallways. Safety gates at the top or bottom of stairs should be securely fastened to the wall and have a locked handle that can be used with one hand. These will prevent toddlers from climbing stairs unsupervised. As you all probably know, grandchildren love to climb, look at everything and pull on anything in their sight. To make sure spaces are as safe as possible, guard any hazards you can see when you look around the house. For instance, conceal window locks and blind cords from adventurous babies. Furthermore, ensure window, back doors and so on are locked Modern technology has many benefits and it’s a tool you can use to help with safeguarding your home. For example, place baby monitors around the home. Baby monitors can provide you peace of mind and now also connect to a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer allowing them to be managed through a wireless network for parents on the go. Lastly, many child safety products can be DIY installed and keep children safe from hazards such as sharp corners on drawers and tables, power points and stairs. Do a search on the internet or head to your local hardware store or places like Target or Kmart for budget-friendly options. Image: Getty Images

Home Hints & Tips

"You have to beg for help": how our welfare system pressures people to perform vulnerability

People who rely on welfare payments to survive are often required to repeatedly tell stories of their personal hardships. In a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/07/job-seekers-could-have-welfare-stopped-under-onerous-new-points-based-system-advocates-warn">conditional welfare system</a>, many must regularly attend compulsory appointments, job search training courses, and self-development and treatment programs simply to receive their payments. People in extreme hardship often tell their stories even more frequently as they seek extra relief from non-government charities and community providers. Those on income support payments below the relative poverty line feel the crunch of <a href="https://www.ncoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NCOSS_CostOfLiving22_FINAL_DESIGNED.pdf">inflation and rising living costs</a> most severely. This means many will require extra support from welfare services to meet their basic needs. Integral to this system is the idea of “performing vulnerability”. “Performing vulnerability” – a term I borrow from UK-based researcher <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/vulnerability-and-young-people">Kate Brown</a> to update Australian academic <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/lowest-rung/FA159318C2D046EDD3C9347C8B8E4F2E">Mark Peel’s</a> idea of “performing poverty” – is not just about repeatedly describing personal hardship. It points to the expectation to describe hardship in particular ways that are recognisable – and hence believable – to support providers. My book, <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/making-a-life-on-mean-welfare">Making a Life on Mean Welfare: Voices from Multicultural Sydney </a>shows how the expectation to perform vulnerability to access support shapes experiences on both sides of the welfare frontline. It can compound the cycle of disadvantage associated with receiving welfare in the long term. It does so by <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026119876775">fostering mistrust</a> between welfare users and providers, as well as tainting how people in need of support see themselves and their situation. <h2>‘Tell me your story’</h2> For my doctoral research, I spent 18 months speaking to welfare users and workers in culturally and linguistically diverse southwest Sydney. I also observed different aspects of service delivery while volunteering at a community welfare organisation. I interviewed 25 welfare users and 11 community welfare practitioners. As a researcher of everyday experiences of welfare and poverty, I know all too well what it is like to ask people to tell their stories of hardship yet again. I also grew up in an impoverished family reliant on welfare to get by. I know firsthand what the impact of retelling stories of hardship can be, particularly when the audience is, as Peel <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/lowest-rung/FA159318C2D046EDD3C9347C8B8E4F2E">puts</a> it, “someone who has the power to give or deny them something they need”. One of the community welfare practitioners I interviewed summed it up by saying: "They’re coming again feeling ashamed. They’ve knocked on someone’s door, to tell yet again how shitty their situation is." Her response was to chat and put them at ease before saying, “Can you tell me your story?” She would follow up by saying, “You’ve given me some insight, let’s formalise your story a little bit.” Some welfare workers showed more scepticism, particularly when it came to giving out emergency relief. When someone refused to share more than the minimum information required to be eligible for extra assistance, one welfare worker commented: "That person doesn’t want to take responsibility." Another practitioner told me, “That woman dramatised her situation,” but quickly added, “That doesn’t mean she wasn’t genuine.” The willingness of people seeking assistance to disclose personal hardships and do so convincingly impacts on how deserving they may come across to those delivering support. The pressure to perform can overshadow encounters between welfare users and workers even when it doesn’t determine the outcome. <h2>‘It’s your dignity’</h2> Among the most marginal welfare recipients I spoke to, “performing vulnerability” was another toll of poverty. Those experiencing the worst hardship frequently told me about having to explain “the ins and outs” and feeling “embarrassed”, “intimidated” or “uncomfortable” when they had to present to welfare agencies. Two young people (whom I have given fictional names) powerfully conveyed the cost of telling all about their struggles: <blockquote> Kane: Often if you go to them sorts of people (welfare agencies) you’ve gotta put it all out there, that you’re homeless, that you got nothing, you got no friends, no family – and then they’re gonna go boom “alright” (you get the help you came for)… Nessa: Yeah, that’s what I had to do to get a house and it’s embarrassing (talking over each other) I think it’s embarrassing. Kane: You gotta go down to those levels you know – it’s wrong. Nessa: When you gotta expose everything and don’t want to, it’s, like, your dignity. Kane: Yeah, it’s everything. </blockquote> <h2>Performing is not pretending</h2> The most marginal welfare users get a great deal of practice performing their hardship. But knowing how to tell their story a certain way is not the same as pretending. Not only do people at the sharp end of the welfare system have to endure the hardships of poverty, but they must then recite it in a way that registers as genuine, pressing and beyond reprieve. As a woman living on the disability support pension put it:"You don’t have the flexibility that a rich person has to respond to crisis, so you have to beg for help. That takes time! And you know you’ll be judged like it’s your fault." A welfare system that demands disclosure of personal hardships – even when geared towards being <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/full/10.1111/1468-4446.12740">supportive</a> rather than suspicious – can undermine dignity and hold back those unwilling or unable to tell their story convincingly or in enough detail. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/you-have-to-beg-for-help-how-our-welfare-system-pressures-people-to-perform-vulnerability-180975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

Proof that Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are our sweetest rock and roll couple

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman will forever be known as the sweetest rock and roll couple. The loved up couple once again proved that during one of Keith’s shows where Nicole made a surprise appearance on stage. “We love you Nashville,” a smiling Nicole said as Keith embraced her. She then turned to get off stage for her husband to start his show before telling him to “play some music”. "Happy wife, happy life. You guys know what I'm talking about,” Keith responds. Nicole later shared a stunning noir photo of her and Keith with their arms around each other backstage at the show in Nashville. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeWh7NpWdG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeWh7NpWdG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fans went crazy at the photo, with many thanking the couple for being incredible and sweet during tour. “Nicole you looked amazing last night. I loved your outfit. I waved to you as I was very close to you. You and Keith are such a beautiful blessed couple. Love to you both and your family,” someone wrote. “Love you two Nicole and Keith! You guys are so beautiful together!” another commented. “You two were the sweetest last night - I love seeing a couple still thriving together- gives us all hope,” someone else wrote. “Do you know what I love the most about this photo? It’s the utter love the two of you share — you’re close, you're touching, you’re communicating, you’re supporting, you're in it together. Love it!” another read. Images: Instagram

Music

Did COVID harm my immune system?

So you’ve had COVID and have now recovered. You don’t have ongoing symptoms and luckily, you don’t seem to have developed <a href="https://theconversation.com/long-covid-how-researchers-are-zeroing-in-on-the-self-targeted-immune-attacks-that-may-lurk-behind-it-169911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long COVID</a>. But what impacts has COVID had on your overall immune system? It’s early days yet. But growing evidence suggests there are changes to your immune system that may put you at risk of other infectious diseases. Here’s what we know so far. <h2>A round of viral infections</h2> Over this past winter, many of us have had what seemed like a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-and-my-kids-get-so-many-colds-and-with-all-this-covid-around-should-we-be-isolating-too-179302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continual round</a> of viral illness. This may have included COVID, <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/influenza-seasonal#tab=tab_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">influenza</a> or infection with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus/symptoms-causes/syc-20353098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">respiratory syncytial virus</a>. We may have recovered from one infection, only to get another. Then there is the re-emergence of infectious diseases globally such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-talk-about-monkeypox-without-shame-and-blame-188295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkeypox</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-latest-polio-cases-have-put-the-world-on-alert-heres-what-this-means-for-australia-and-people-travelling-overseas-188989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polio</a>. Could these all be connected? Does COVID somehow weaken the immune system to make us more prone to other infectious diseases? There are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128009475000168?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many reasons</a> for infectious diseases to emerge in new locations, after many decades, or in new populations. So we cannot jump to the conclusion COVID infections have given rise to these and other viral infections. But evidence is building of the negative impact of COVID on a healthy individual’s immune system, several weeks after symptoms have subsided. <h2>What happens when you catch a virus?</h2> There are three possible outcomes after a viral infection: 1) your immune system clears the infection and you recover (for instance, with <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/Pages/Rhinovirus-Infections.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rhinovirus</a> which causes the common cold) 2) your immune system fights the virus into “latency” and you recover with a virus dormant in our bodies (for instance, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/chickenpox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">varicella zoster virus</a>, which causes chickenpox) 3) your immune system fights, and despite best efforts the virus remains “chronic”, replicating at very low levels (this can occur for <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hepatitis C virus</a>). Ideally we all want option 1, to clear the virus. In fact, most of us <a href="https://biosignaling.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12964-022-00856-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear SARS-CoV-2</a>, the virus that causes COVID. That’s through a complex process, using many different parts of our immune system. But international evidence suggests changes to our immune cells after SARS-CoV-2 infection may have other impacts. It may affect our ability to fight other viruses, as well as other pathogens, such as bacteria or fungi. <h2>How much do we know?</h2> An <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-021-02228-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian study</a> has found SARS-CoV-2 alters the balance of immune cells up to 24 weeks after clearing the infection. There were changes to the relative numbers and types of immune cells between people who had recovered from COVID compared with healthy people who had not been infected. This included changes to cells of the <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/organ-systems/the-immune-system/a/innate-immunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">innate immune system</a> (which provides a non-specific immune response) and the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21070/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adaptive immune system</a> (a specific immune response, targeting a recognised foreign invader). <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1009742" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another study</a> focused specifically on <a href="https://www.immunology.org/public-information/bitesized-immunology/cells/dendritic-cells" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dendritic cells</a> – the immune cells that are often considered the body’s “first line of defence”. Researchers found fewer of these cells circulating after people recovered from COVID. The ones that remained were less able to activate white blood cells known as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/T-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T-cells</a>, a critical step in activating anti-viral immunity. Other studies have found different impacts on T-cells, and other types of white blood cells known as <a href="https://askabiologist.asu.edu/b-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B-cells</a> (cells involved in producing antibodies). After SARS-CoV-2 infection, one study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI140491" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found evidence</a> many of these cells had been activated and “exhausted”. This suggests the cells are dysfunctional, and might not be able to adequately fight a subsequent infection. In other words, sustained activation of these immune cells after a SARS-CoV-2 infection may have an impact on other inflammatory diseases. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-021-00749-3#citeas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One study</a> found people who had recovered from COVID have changes in different types of B-cells. This included changes in the cells’ metabolism, which may impact how these cells function. Given B-cells are critical for producing antibodies, we’re not quite sure of the precise implications. Could this influence how our bodies produce antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 should we encounter it again? Or could this impact our ability to produce antibodies against pathogens more broadly – against other viruses, bacteria or fungi? The study did not say. <h2>What impact will these changes have?</h2> One of the main concerns is whether such changes may impact how the immune system responds to other infections, or whether these changes might worsen or cause other chronic conditions. So more work needs to be done to understand the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on a person’s immune system. For instance, we still don’t know how long these changes to the immune system last, and if the immune system recovers. We also don’t know if SARS-CoV-2 triggers other chronic illnesses, such as <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chronic fatigue syndrome</a> (myalgic encephalomyelitis). Research into this is ongoing. What we do know is that having a healthy immune system and being vaccinated (when a vaccine has been developed) is critically important to have the best chance of fighting any infection. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-had-covid-and-am-constantly-getting-colds-did-covid-harm-my-immune-system-am-i-now-at-risk-of-other-infectious-diseases-188899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Body

AI system sees beyond the frame of famous artworks

A new AI tool can provide a glimpse of what could potentially be going on beyond the frame of famous paintings, giving them a brand new life. OpenAI, a San Francisco-based company, has created a new tool called 'Outpainting' for its text-to-image AI system, DALL-E. Outpainting allows the system to imagine what's outside the frame of famous works such as Girl with The Pearl Earring, Mona Lisa and Dogs Playing Poker. DALL-E relies on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which simulate the way the brain works in order to learn and create an image from text. Now with Outpainting, users must describe the extended visuals in text form for DALL-E to “paint” the newly imagined artwork. Outpainting, which is primarily aimed for professionals who work with images, will let users 'extend their creativity' and 'tell a bigger story', according to OpenAI. US artist August Kamp used Outpainting to reimagine the famous 1665 painting Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, extending the background in the original style. The results show the iconic subject in a domestic setting, surrounded by crockery, houseplants, fruit, boxes and more. Other Outpainting attempts took a more creative turn, with one showing the Mona Lisa surrounded by a dystopian wasteland, and a version of A Friend In Need showing an additional table of gambling canines. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “Outpainting: an apocalyptic Mona Lisa” by tonidl1989<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dalle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dalle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dalle2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dalle2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aiart?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aiart</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aiartwork?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aiartwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/puYVxjyFMm">pic.twitter.com/puYVxjyFMm</a> — Best Dalle2 AI Art 🎨 (@Dalle2AI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dalle2AI/status/1565168579376566278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Used DALL-E 2’s new “outpainting” feature to expand the world’s greatest work of art… <a href="https://t.co/0HXQzngt9P">pic.twitter.com/0HXQzngt9P</a> — M.G. Siegler (@mgsiegler) <a href="https://twitter.com/mgsiegler/status/1565398150482784256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> DALL-E is available to more than one million people to create AI-generated images, all with a series of text prompts. DALL-E is just one of many AI systems infiltrating the art world, joining the likes of Midjourney and Imagen redefining how we create and appreciate art. Image credits: DALL-E - August Kamp

Art

8 ways to age-proof your brain

While it is well documented that eating a balanced diet (think lots of fruits and veggies and not much sugar, saturated fat or alcohol), as well as getting enough exercise and sleeping about eight hours a night, is not only good for your body but also your brain, there’s something else you need to know too. There is accumulating evidence that a whole host of other activities can help keep your brain young even as you age. Again it’s all about balance, so try a handful of the following. Take dance lessons According to a 2003 landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine, seniors who danced three to four times a week – especially ballroom dancing – had a 75 per cent lower risk of dementia compared with people who did not dance at. “Dancing is a complex activity,” says study lead author Joe Verghese, M.D., chief of geriatrics at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “It’s aerobic so it improves blood flow to the brain which has been shown to improve brain connections. It also provides mental challenges.” Play games A 2013 French study found a 15 per cent lower risk of dementia among people who played board games versus those who did not. And the effects seemed to last over the study’s 20-year follow-up. “The idea is that this helps build cognitive reserve,” says Verghese, whose study also found benefits to playing board games like Monopoly. “The more these activities buffer against the disease, you may be able to mask the effects of the disease for longer periods of time. It buys you extra time.” Read more of less While getting stuck into books in good for the brain in general, reading fewer books and articles so you can give them each more focused attention may be even better. “Our brain doesn't do very well with too much information. The more you download, the more it shuts the brain down,” says Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., director of the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas. “It's better to read one or two good articles and think about them in a deeper sense rather than read 20.” Change your font Next time you have to print something (or if you have the option under other circumstances) consider changing the typeface before you print. Chances are, the docs came to you in an easy-to-read font like Arial or Times New Roman, but switching it to something a little less legible like Comic Sans or Bodoni may improve your comprehension and recall of the information, according to a small study out of Harvard University. Likewise, a study at an Ohio high school revealed that students who received handouts with less-legible type performed better on tests than the students who were given more readable materials. It’s a version of the no-pain-no-gain phenomenon: When you exert more effort, your brain rewards you by becoming stronger. But make sure you keep things new by changing fonts regularly. Unitask If you pride yourself on your ability to multitask, you might want to rethink you behaviours. “Multitasking hijacks your frontal lobe,” says Chapman, who is also the author of Make Your Brain Smarter. The frontal lobe regulates decision-making, problem-solving and other aspects of learning that are critical to maintaining brain health. Research has shown that doing one thing at a time – not everything at once –strengthens higher-order reasoning, or the ability to learn, understand and apply new information. Write about your stress It has been shown that if you write about stressful experiences for 20 minutes three day in a row you can see an improvement in memory. “We hypothesized that stress causes unwanted, intrusive thoughts,” says study co-author Adriel Boals, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. “Writing gets rid of intrusive thoughts then working memory increases.” So if something’s bothering you, don’t bottle it up. Play a video game Playing puzzle games on an Xbox may have the same effects as brain-training games. And depending on what you play, they may be even more effective. In a Florida State University study, subjects either played games on Lumosity.com or played Portal 2, a popular action-puzzle game for computers, Playstation and Xbox. Those who played Portal 2 scored better on problem solving, spatial skill and persistence tests. Other research shows that playing Tetris may increase gray matter in the brain. Wash the dishes According to one study, washing the dishes, cooking and cleaning can add to your daily activity total and are linked with a reduced risk of dementia. In the study, people with the least amount of total physical activity were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's compared with people reporting the most activity. Even playing cards and moving a wheelchair counted.

Caring

Australia has a new bushfire danger rating system

Australia has a new bushfire danger rating system. Fire danger ratings describe the potential level of danger should a bushfire start. They provide people with information so they can take action to protect themselves and others from the potentially dangerous impacts of bushfires. The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (or AFDRS) has in many ways been a project more than 50 years in the making – only now it’s replacing the modelling originally developed in the 1960s with more precise scientific understandings of fuel sources, fire and human behaviours. The new system will extend to the way information is delivered to the public. While many roadside signs will be refreshed, some jurisdictions will instead use more modern communications like the internet and social media to relay information to their communities. So how does a sixty-year-old system – and the science behind it – get an overhaul? <h2>The science behind the new fire danger ratings</h2> While the public sees a colour-coded dial on a road sign, or catches an emergency update on the radio, there is a substantial body of scientific modelling underlying a system which covers one of the world’s largest countries by area. One of the most important changes to the AFDRS science is the expansion of vegetation models used to predict fire behaviour. Previously, the system considered just two types of vegetation – grassland and forest. Now, it’s eight. Grassland and forest remain, but the models have been refined and expanded to include grassy woodlands, spinifex, shrubland, mallee heath, button grass and pine forest. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The left map of Australia shows how fire modelling has seen Australia for the best part of sixty years, the right indicates how the nation will be viewed from September 1. That, says Dr Stuart Matthews, a principal project officer at NSW Rural Fire Service who led the science update for AFDRS, is because Australia is a land of more than just sweeping grassplains and expansive gum forests. “There’s very diverse range of vegetation across the whole country and pretending it’s all either grasslands or open, dry sclerophyll forest just isn’t an accurate representation,” says Matthews. The eight new vegetation models include the ability to consider 22 different fuel types. Creating a system that uses four times as many models is an involved process – one that has covered almost a decade of research, prototyping and public engagement. And the science goes beyond the expansion of vegetation analysis. Working closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to understand weather and climate patterns, the atmospheric science and reporting provided to both the AFDRS and the wider public has been updated to reflect the new vegetation modelling. <h2>How the science moves the dial</h2> Fire authorities use sophisticated systems to determine the rating for any given point in time. These systems – which are to be used nationally – divide the Australian landmass into 2.25 square kilometre units and analyses the fuel source within them. These units also reflect data on when the last time fuel in the region was burnt-through. Combined with the latest forecasts for areas from the weather bureau, information is placed into the fire behaviour model appropriate for the area. The system then creates a textual description of what a burning fire in that area would do, including its rate of spread, heat intensity and flame height. This description is then transferred to a series of tables which converts the description into a numerical value. This value aligns to a rating category on the Fire Behaviour Index, a ‘stepped’ indicator that allows authorities to prepare systems and resourcing to respond in the event of a fire. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> This index effectively guides local authorities’ actions on days of fire risk. For the public, it’s the guide to moving the dial on road signs. There are five categories on the behaviour index: no rating, moderate, high, extreme and catastrophic. Until the end of August 2022, the scale includes ratings like ‘low-moderate’, ‘very high’, and ‘severe’ – these have been retired. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The ‘no rating’ acts as the “parking bay” for the roadside needle, advising the public of the lowest risk conditions. But there’s science behind that too. ‘No rating’ days align to conditions appropriate for a controlled, prescribed burn. “For instance, in forest, prescribed burnings are normally done at a heat output of about 750 kilowatts per metre,” says Matthews. “So, in forests, if the prediction coming out of the model was that intensity would be less than 750kW, it would be classified in the ‘no rating’ range.” Anything above 750kW in a forest community would force authorities to ‘grade up’. <h2>System overhauled, but we won’t need to wait sixty years for the next update</h2> The previous fire rating system was developed by CSIRO scientist A. G. McArthur in the 1960s. And while familiar characteristics have been transferred to the new project, the ‘back end’ processes and science were rigid. Rigid enough that the system has been largely unchanged for the six decades since it was first implemented. In contrast, the new AFDRS is designed to be updated as new science comes to hand. It’s also informed by real world, operational knowledge and experience. This, says Matthews, provides authorities with more precision in fire preparation and response. “It’s a really big change from the old system, where none of the rating levels had an established and agreed meaning,” he says. “In the McArthur work, they were set up as a suppression difficulty measure, but that was never ‘tied down’ and everyone had their own interpretation of what that meant, which made it really hard to assess how the system was working. It was poorly defined. “It’s taken sixty years to get to where we are and one of the obstacles, from a science point-of-view, was that the system was fixed. You couldn’t make incremental changes to it. “With the new system, we’ve built it in a modular way, and clearly broken down the different parts of the system so we can upgrade and change things if we need to.” An important element of the bushfire rating system is to be able to indicate the impact of a possible bushfire in words a landowner might understand. <hr /> The Country Fire Service (South Australia) describes a ‘Catastrophic Level’ bushfire as: <ul> <li>The worst conditions for a bush or grass fire.</li> <li>If a fire starts and takes hold, it will be extremely difficult to control. It will take significant fire fighting resources and cooler conditions to bring it under control.</li> <li>Spot fires will start well ahead of the main fire and cause rapid spread of the fire. Embers will come from many directions.</li> <li>Homes are not designed or constructed to withstand fires in these conditions.</li> <li>The safest place to be is away from bushfire prone areas.</li> </ul> Dr Matthews points out that the messaging for consequences will continue to be based on fire behaviour and known elements like flame heights, fuel loads, wind speed and spotting. “We are building a case for funding for more research to improve the accuracy in the future of the fire impact.“ This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/australian-fire-danger-rating-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Matthew Agius. Image: Country Fire Authority (CFA)

Travel Trouble

Winter-proof your garden

The start of winter doesn’t mean you have to hang up your gardening hat for the season. Many people see winter as a time to close down the garden and cease all green-thumb activities. But before you hang up your gardening gloves and put away the packets of seeds, you might want to consider a few things first. Prepping your garden before and through winter will make a big difference when spring rolls around. Instead of going into damage control and fixing winter’s havoc, your garden will be ready to enjoy when spring’s first blooms have sprung. We’ve put together a list of things to stay on top of. It will not only give you a good start in spring, but protect your garden through winter. Getting the garden ready for winter checklist: Guard young trees Not only is it a good idea to protect young trees and shrubs from animals (think rabbits and mice), but during winter you have to take extra care of them to ensure the winter elements like rain, gusty winds, snow and ice don’t completely destroy them. Use plastic or wire mesh (known as hardware cloth) to guards around the slender trunks and shrubs. Make sure the guard is high enough, over the snow line. Keep the water coming Most people probably think that during winter, the garden doesn’t require water. But this is not always the case. As long as the ground is not frozen and can accept water, you should at least water your evergreens. While a lot of plants are dormant during these cooler few months and not using much water, evergreens keep their needles all winter and thus lose water through their needles. Keeping water supplied to the roots on a weekly basis as long as possible into the winter season will help reduce stress on evergreens. Brush it off If ice or snow settle or piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off and don’t shake the branches. If you’re in a snowy part of Australia, the snow may freeze on the branch and will not brush off easily, if this is the case it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub. If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, remove the broken limbs as soon as the weather permits. The tree’s wound will heal better in spring if it has clean edges instead of ragged tears. Get leafy with it Come winter it is quite possible that your garden floor is covered in leaves. Rather than throwing them out with the garbage, consider shredding autumn leaves and using them as winter mulch on flower beds. You can also add shredded leaves to the compost pile. Weekly clean-up A stitch in time save nine! This is a good thought to live by in the garden, too. Don’t wait until all the leaves have fallen, as during the cooler months of the year the lawn still needs sunlight and leaves left on the lawn will weaken it. Branch off When it comes to broken branches – as there can be a lot of these in winter – removing the most susceptible parts of a plant prior to the onset of winter weather can help with future breakage. Ice, snow, hail, wind, and other winter-weather extremes often cause branches to break, altering the plant’s appearance and, possibly, its productivity. Branches that appear partially dead or especially weak would qualify for early removal. Weed them out Do a big weed before winter sets in and discard any weeds that have seeds on them into the bin instead of compost. You will also want to do a good weeding and edging of the flower beds. Love your lawn It’s a good idea do apply lawn fertiliser late autumn as this encourages winter hardiness and promotes quick greening in spring. Perennial garden clean-up Cut down dying perennial foliage now and this way you don't have to clean up in the spring. A good compromise when getting your garden ready for winter is to remove leaves and stalks that frost turns to mush and any that are diseased. When cutting plants down, prune perennials so they're 4 to 5 inches of the ground. Spring into the warmer months It might sound odd, but this is still a good time to plant spring-flowering bulbs before the ground freezes hard. That way when spring is sprung you will be organised and can just sit back and watch your garden grow. Image credits: Getty Images

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