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Father breaks silence after wife and two children die in tragic drowning

<p>Hoai Nguyen, 32, and her two children, Mitchell, 7, and Hazel, 5, were enjoying a day out at Shearer Park in south-west Sydney, and were walking down to a small pier on the waterfront before they were spotted <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/unimaginable-sorrow-mother-and-two-children-drown-during-family-outing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling in the Georges River</a> about 10.15am on Saturday. </p> <p>Hoai was pulled to shore shortly afterwards, but despite desperate attempts by rescuers and bystanders she could not be revived. </p> <p>The bodies of the two children were recovered a few hours later, metres from a jetty. </p> <p>The children's father, Dinh Nguyen, had been at work during the incident and only found out about the tragedy when police showed up at his house. </p> <p>He has since broken his silence, and told <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> that his wife was navigating a mental illness prior to her death. </p> <p>“She has bipolar disorder, and she has some ups and some downs,” he told the publication. </p> <p>“She takes medicine. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”</p> <p>He also recalled one of the last conversations the couple had, the night prior to the tragedy. </p> <p>“She told me the last night she didn’t sleep so she wanted to stay at home,” he said.</p> <p>According to <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>, detectives are now probing whether the incident was premeditated as they continue their investigations into the tragedy. </p> <p>The southwest Sydney community has since rallied around the family's loved ones, with bouquets of flowers and tributes seen at the riverbank as part of a growing memorial. </p> <p>A close friend of the family, Sarah Vu, has also organised a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/hoai-mitchell-and-hazel-nguyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page for the family which has since raised over $60,600 of their $40,000 goal. </p> <p>“I sincerely thank the entire community for their contributions,” she wrote in a social media tribute on Monday.</p> <p>“The family have decided to bring Hoai and the kids back to Vietnam.</p> <p>“The fund has currently exceeded my expectations, but I will keep the link open for anyone who still wants to donate.”</p> <p>"All we can do now is pray for you and the little ones to depart peacefully,” she added with a video of two young kids holding hands and skipping down a street together. </p> <p><em><strong>Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Lifeline: <strong>13 11 14</strong>, <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a></em></p> <p><em>SANE Support line and Forums: <strong>1800 187 263,</strong> <a href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a></em></p> <p><em>Headspace: <strong>1800 650 890,</strong> <a href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a></em></p> <p><em>Beyond Blue: <strong>1300 224 635</strong>, <a href="beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

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3 key differences between an ocean and river cruise

<p>People often have a personal preference when it comes to ocean cruises or river cruises, so if you’re not sure what to go for, it’s best to know how they really differ before booking your next trip.</p> <p>Here are the three key differences between an ocean and river cruise.</p> <p><strong>1. Cost</strong></p> <p>River cruises are initially more expensive, and travellers can expect the price to be from $200-500 per person per night. Ocean ships can cost less than $100 per night if you get a good deal.</p> <p>However, once onboard your ocean cruise there will be a likelihood that you splurge on extra costs such as drinks, tours and souvenirs.</p> <p><strong>2. Inclusions</strong></p> <p>Only the most upmarket ocean cruises are all-inclusive but on an ocean cruise if you want mealtime alcohol, Wi-Fi and other extras, you will be expected to pay up. All these extras are included in river-cruise fares and sometimes airport transfers are included too.</p> <p>River cruises require you to pay a heftier sum upon booking but if you are going on an ocean cruise, be sure to keep track of your spending.</p> <p><strong>3. Ship amenities</strong></p> <p>On river cruises, expect your onboard entertainment to be a massage room, fitness room or hot tub as most of the focus is on the destination. However, ocean cruises are lined with Broadway-styled shows, casinos, kids’ clubs, water parks, spas and various pools.</p> <p>If you prefer a quiet, intimate setting then river cruises would suit your desires but if you want a wide-range of entertainment, ocean cruises are for you.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Cruising

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For a century, it’s been illegal to swim in the Seine. Will Paris’s clean-up make the river safe for Olympic swimmers?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-a-wright-5162">Ian A. Wright</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>Five eagerly anticipated events in the Paris Olympics will be the mens and womens 10 kilometre marathon swimming races, as well as the 1,500 metre swimming section of three triathlon events. Why? Because all will be held in the Seine River in the centre of Paris. The swimmers – including <a href="https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/trio-complete-an-historic-australian-olympic-marathon-swim-team-for-paris-2024">four Australians</a> – will pass famous landmarks such as the Musee d'Orsay as they swim through the historic heart of the city. This will have enormous scenic appeal for spectators.</p> <p>But will it be safe for swimmers? Rivers running through large cities are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00026-w">often polluted</a>, whether from stormwater, chemical pollution or wastewater spills. As the marathon swimmers pass the <a href="https://musee-egouts.paris.fr/en/">Paris Sewer Museum</a>, they may well wonder if they’re in clean water.</p> <p>For more than 100 years, swimming in the Seine has actually been illegal, due to concerns over what the water could do to human health. Authorities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/24/olympic-games-clean-up-aims-to-leave-parisians-swimming-in-the-seine">have been working</a> to clean up the water, spending A$2.2 billion (€1.3 billion) on improving water quality. The goal: cut bacterial contamination by 75% before the first swimmer touches the water. These measures are having an impact – but recent heavy rains have seen bacteria levels spike.</p> <p>While officials have put on brave faces, there’s now a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/paris-2024-sets-up-reserve-site-marathon-swimming-if-seine-unsuitable-2024-07-05/">contingency plan</a> in case the Seine isn’t safe.</p> <h2>Why swim in the Seine at all?</h2> <p>Urban rivers have a questionable reputation. But this isn’t the first time the Seine River has been used for Olympic swimming.</p> <p>In the 1900 Paris Olympics, <a href="https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/paris-1900/results/swimming">seven swimming events</a> were all held in the river. These games were the first modern Olympics where <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/history-and-origin-of-the-games/when-did-women-first-compete-in-the-olympic-games">women could compete</a> in some sports, but swimming was not one of those permitted.</p> <p>The Australian swimmer who competed, Frederick Lane, had to swim under the United Kingdom’s flag as Australia did not have a flag until Federation the following year. He won two gold medals. One was for the 200 metre freestyle race, and the other for a bizarre race never held again: the 200m <a href="https://www.olympedia.org/results/4433">swimming obstacle race</a>, where swimmers had to climb over poles and boats. These Olympics also saw the first and last underwater swimming race, which was also in the Seine.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=378&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=378&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=378&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=475&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=475&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/606823/original/file-20240715-17-kajph6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=475&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="historic photo swimming seine river paris" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Swimmers took to the Seine’s waters at the 1900 Paris Olympics, when the river ran cleaner.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swimming_1900.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Back then, the waters of the Seine were cleaner. That’s because there was a great demand for human waste on farms – and cities were the main source. Back then, “night soil” (human waste) had a <a href="https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/11/1757/2007/hess-11-1757-2007.pdf">real market value</a>. No one would think of dumping it in rivers.</p> <p>But as time went on, sewerage systems developed and other fertilisers such as guano and mineral fertilisers arrived. By the early 20th century, most of the city’s wastewater went into the Seine. In 1923, the swimming ban came into effect. A year later, Paris hosted the Olympics for its second time – and swimmers competed in 50 metre pools.</p> <p>In recent years, many cities around the world have worked to clean up their urban waterways. River swimming is <a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/the-european-cities-cleaning-up-rivers-for-wild-swimmers-101821">now common</a> in cities such as Copenhagen, Berlin and Vienna, where river health has improved dramatically.</p> <h2>How can you clean a river like the Seine?</h2> <p>Cleaning the Seine is a challenge. Paris is home to 11 million people, with plenty of industry. Urban rivers are almost inevitably polluted by waste from the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00026-w%5D">surrounding city</a>.</p> <p>Leaking and overflowing sewage systems are a major source of pollution. In places like the UK, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-62631320">sewage spills</a> into waterways have become a major political issue.</p> <p>When wastewater spills into rivers, it carries pollutants and dangerous loads of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6725a1.htm">disease-causing microorganisms</a>, such as <em>Escherichia coli</em> (commonly known as E. coli). Untreated water can have viruses, bacteria and disease-causing protozoa.</p> <p>In the lead-up to the Paris games, authorities have been working to improve water quality enough to bring some Olympic swimming back to the Seine. Stormwater – often contaminated by dog poo or sewage overflows – is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/08/can-paris-clean-seine-for-next-year-2024-olympics">being cleaned</a> before it is released into the river.</p> <p>Despite the money and effort, there are still real questions over whether it will be enough to guarantee swimmer safety. Bacterial levels hit risky levels <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/11/sport/paris-olympics-seine-triathlon-bacteria-spiking-intl/index.html">most days in June</a> due to unseasonally heavy rains, but the water has <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20240712-seine-clean-enough-to-swim-for-most-of-past-12-days-paris-says-ahead-of-olympics">improved in July</a>.</p> <p>This week, French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/french-sports-minister-takes-dip-in-seine-river-2024-paris-olympics/3458469/">swam a few metres</a> in the Seine in an effort to douse concerns.</p> <p>By contrast, the other Olympic swimming events will take place in a recently constructed 50 metre pool, which will have very good water quality. The pool water is filtered and treated with a disinfectant such as chlorine or bromine. It will be regularly tested to ensure optimal water quality.</p> <p>At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, triathletes had to swim in polluted Tokyo Bay. But similar concerns over sickness proved unfounded. The real challenge was the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/05/olympic-athletes-and-volunteers-in-tokyo-tortured-by-heat">oppressive heat</a>.</p> <h2>What’s at risk?</h2> <p>The most likely outcome if races are held when bacterial levels are unsafe would be getting a gastrointestinal bug.</p> <p>Officials have some control over this. Contamination is worst after heavy rain. Races could be delayed if need be.</p> <p>Many swimmers – especially those who compete in open-water competitions – are familiar with swimming in water with some level of pollution. Some see it as worth the risk. Italian double world champion swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240226-paris-holds-its-breath-for-olympic-swimming-events-in-murky-seine">said in January</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Even if the water is dirty, I would rather swim in an electric atmosphere in the centre of Paris than in an anonymous stretch of water.</p> </blockquote> <p>Paris 2024 organisers previously warned there was no plan B for the 10 km marathon races in the Seine if water quality testing is unsuitable. But this has now changed. If the river isn’t clean enough, open water swimming <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/paris-2024-sets-up-reserve-site-marathon-swimming-if-seine-unsuitable-2024-07-05/">will be moved</a> to the rowing venue.</p> <p>The Olympic triathlon is planned around a swimming leg in the Seine. But triathletes <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/olympics/story/_/id/39912675/triathlon-leg-cancelled-seine-quality-paris-2024-chief">have been told</a> the swim leg could be skipped if the water is unsafe, which would turn the race into a running and cycling duathlon.</p> <p>As the world’s attention turns to Paris, there will be many anxious officials behind the scenes hoping their hard work on making the Seine swimmable pays off.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/231705/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-a-wright-5162">Ian A. Wright</a>, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: CARON/ZEPPELIN/SIPA/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p><em>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/for-a-century-its-been-illegal-to-swim-in-the-seine-will-pariss-clean-up-make-the-river-safe-for-olympic-swimmers-231705">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

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"Big one for shenanigans": Aussie larrikin paddles a giant pumpkin down a river

<p>In potentially the most Aussie story ever and a suspected world first, one bloke has pinched his mate's award-winning pumpkin to turn into a paddle boat and sail down the Tumut River. </p> <p>The enormous pumpkin was grown by farmer Mark Peacock, who grew the vegetable to a whopping 407kg and would regularly post updates on the gourd's growing progress on Facebook. </p> <p>The pumpkin even earned a fitting name, Tormund after a character in Game of Thrones, and was used to feed his livestock.</p> <p>After the pumpkin had served its purpose, Peacock's friend and local canoe club commodore Adam Farquharson saw a once in a lifetime opportunity. </p> <p>Sporting a sailor hat and pipe, he navigated the hollowed-out pumpkin, dubbed ‘Cinderella’, down the Tumut River in New South Wales’ Riverina region, much to the amusement of bystanders.</p> <p>“Barry Humphries said that he’s a big fan of the unnecessary, and I am too. I’m a big one for shenanigans,” he told <em><a title="www.abc.net.au" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/man-turns-mammoth-400kg-pumpkin-into-a-canoe/103708438">ABC Riverena</a></em><a title="www.abc.net.au" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/man-turns-mammoth-400kg-pumpkin-into-a-canoe/103708438">.</a></p> <p>While initially surprised by Farquharson’s antics, Mr Peacock acknowledged that it was characteristic of his friend’s sense of humour to do something out of the ordinary to make people smile. </p> <p>“He’s really hilarious. But he’s random, occasionally,” he said.</p> <p>“I intentionally grew this as a family project and then started doing Facebook updates every week.”</p> <p>For Mr Farquharson, the voyage was simply about enjoying himself and giving locals an opportunity for a laugh. </p> <p>Farquharson joked about potential future exploits but remained grounded about his brief moment of fame as “Popeye the Pumpkin Man.” </p> <p>“I think the worldwide fame will wear off pretty soon. I won’t end up like Taylor Swift. I’ll just get back to life as normal,” he said.</p> <p>Reflecting on the unusual journey, Mr Farquharson humorously considered preserving the pumpkin as a national curiosity by placing it on a pedestal among Australian sporting royalty. </p> <p>“It was a sad moment. I did jokingly say to my wife that I should petition the prime minister to have it preserved and put next to Phar Lap’s heart at the National Museum,” he told the <em>ABC</em>.</p> <p>“She thought I was an idiot.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Why guided touring is the best way to travel Europe

<p>As we head into winter and the thermostat reading lowers and the electric blankets come out of storage, your mind is probably wandering to the sun-soaked streets of Europe. Fortunately, <a href="http://www.travelmarvel.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travelmarvel</a> has an enviable range of European river-cruise itineraries and three decades of experience touring the globes most marvellous destinations.</p> <p>More than likely, you have already considered guided touring, but are not entirely convinced it is the right option for you. Trepidation among travellers trying guided touring for the first time is very common, but once guests have experienced the ease and enjoyment of group touring and cruising, it is hard to imagine travelling any other way. Read on to discover why guided touring could be the right for your next European holiday.</p> <p><strong>Travel worry free</strong></p> <p>Planning a trip can be overwhelming, particularly if you want to visit multiple destinations. Where to begin on planning you itinerary? How do you know which towns and attractions are must-sees, and which you can afford to miss? Combine this with trying to book accommodation, dining and entertainment and you have the perfect recipe for a rather stressful few months before you have even left on your travels. Travelmarvel’s travel experts and guides take the hard work out of planning your holiday, leaving you nothing to do but sit back, relax, and enjoy each destination to the fullest. </p> <p><strong>You will have an expert Tour Director to guide you </strong></p> <p>With an experienced Tour Director with you every step of the way, you will no longer have to waste precious time getting your bearings at each new destination. Ready with a map and a smile – your Tour Director will be there to navigate language barriers, transport and any unexpected difficulties that crop up while travelling, so you don’t have to. </p> <p><strong>Local guides will ensure you never miss a thing</strong></p> <p>Guidebooks and tourist information centres are all well and good – but nothing beats experiencing a new place with a local. Travelmarvel links guests with local guides who will offer more than just the obvious tourist experiences. From recommending the best café to sample a local delicacy, to directing you to a rarely visited local artisan, you can be confident of an authentic slice of every town and city you visit. </p> <p>As Travelmarvel first-time traveller Aaron explained “I did not think I would enjoy following a paddle around a city! However, the local guides were very engaging and were able to include personal storytelling and insider-knowledge in their tours. I feel like I got so much more out of visiting each location because of the local guided touring.”</p> <p><strong>Enjoy a perfect balance of touring and free time </strong></p> <p>The last thing you want to feel on holiday is rushed, which is why Travelmarvel tours are careful to ensure there is plenty of free time built into the day’s itinerary, so you have ample opportunity to explore each destination at your leisure – or perhaps just watch the world go by with a coffee for the afternoon; the choice is yours. </p> <p>First-time river cruiser Trudi particularly loved the freedom of choice guided tours can offer: “I thoroughly enjoyed getting to a new town and doing the walking tour, then enjoying the free time we had to explore each village or city by ourselves. The freedom and design of the trip so you could opt-in to meals and tours, or do your own thing, was delightful to discover.”</p> <p><strong>Make friends for life </strong></p> <p>Many of Travelmarvel’s guests end up staying in touch long after their tour has ended. On a guided tour you will travel in a small group of like-minded individuals, so you are assured to meet people with the same interests as you, and with so many places to visit together – there will never be shortage of things to talk about!</p> <p><strong>Curated experiences just for you</strong></p> <p>One of the main benefits of guided touring is gaining access to places and experiences you wouldn’t be able to if you were travelling on your own. Travelmarvel offers Insider Experiences which will make your time abroad unforgettable. For example, on the Balkan Adventure in Belgrade your Tour Director can arrange for you visit a local family on their farm and sample their home-brewed port, a special experience unique to your guided tour.</p> <p><strong>Great value for money </strong></p> <p>Budgeting for travel is tricky, unexpected expenses pop-up, accommodation needs to be rearranged and when you don’t know the local language or customs – it is easy to get caught out. With a Travelmarvel guided tour, accommodation, transport, and a large portion of your meals are included, meaning your only expenses while travelling will be for souvenirs, sampling delicious local cuisine and treating yourself to an extra-special event or two. Also, you will always have a Tour Director on hand to help navigate the local markets and eateries.</p> <p><strong>It's good to know where you are going to go</strong></p> <p>Book your guided tour today and start getting excited! Travelmarvel provides an enticing glimpse of what you can expect on each tour – from German palaces and wineries you will visit, to the premium accommodation you can expect to return to at the end of each day, locking in a guided tour means you have plenty to look forward to long before you touch down.</p> <p><strong>About Travelmarvel</strong></p> <p>Travelmarvel makes holidaying easy, giving guests the freedom to simply marvel at the world. As a part of Australia’s largest home-grown travel company, The APT Travel Group Travelmarvel delivers a premium holiday experience while offering exceptional value, so guests can enjoy every journey to the fullest. </p> <p><em><strong>For more information, visit <a href="http://www.travelmarvel.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.travelmarvel.com.au</a>  </strong></em></p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Travelmarvel.</em></p>

International Travel

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"Time moves like a river": Heartbreaking final words of Aussie writer taken too young

<p>Natalie Fornasier has passed away at the age of 28 following a years-long battle with metastatic melanoma cancer.</p> <p><em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> confirmed the news with an obituary on January 28, announcing that Natalie had died on January 14. </p> <p>“Beloved Wife of Alexander,” the obituary read, “much loved Sister of Alex, loving daughter of Peter &amp; Lorena. Adored daughter-in-law of Kirsten. She will be dearly missed by her grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, Natalie’s German family &amp; devoted ‘Little Helpers’.”</p> <p>Natalie received her first diagnosis when she was 20 years old after spotting a large mole on her toe, and was informed that she had Stage III metastatic melanoma. </p> <p>In December, Natalie shared the news with her followers that her condition had progressed to Stage IV. </p> <p>“At the end of July, I received the news that my cancer was now terminal and had months left to live,” she wrote. </p> <p>“It’s not easy to admit that I’m dying. At 28 years old… everything about it feels wrong. The conversations I’ve had to have, the plans I’ve had to make, the places my thoughts have gone and are still going - none of it is natural. It’s painful,” she went on, “for four months I’ve grappled with sharing this news. </p> <p>“But I'm here now, and that's because I want to take back control over my own agency. I am the one telling my story, as I always have. There are so many things in my life I can’t control but this I can.”</p> <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/Cl57HVJPnE8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/Cl57HVJPnE8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Natalie Fornasier (@nataliefornasier)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Natalie wrote of her husband, Alexander, and the love the two shared, telling her audience, “my one goal in life was to love. I’ve experienced a love that is all consuming - something so deeply precious and powerful and soul changing that I know that even though I’m leaving this earth, that energy and love will never die. Alexander and I have grieved together, and he has shared so many ways of how he will keep me in his life, which brings me peace as I face the unknown. But know this, no matter where I am, I’ll still be here – in some way.”</p> <p>The couple were married in a “secret” ceremony on November 26, as Natalie revealed in a new post two days later. </p> <p>On December 21, four days before Christmas, Natalie shared her final update with supporters. She passed away less than one month after. </p> <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/CmaQzRuha8V/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CmaQzRuha8V/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Natalie Fornasier (@nataliefornasier)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Today marks four weeks in palliative care. It’s absurd it’s been that long - time is so fluid, it feels like none has gone by but the calendar says otherwise,” she said, going on to write of how she missed her home and her experience with palliative care. </p> <p>“It’s one minute at a time for me right now - and I’m so thankful that, that is still a possibility. If my time here has taught me anything - it’s that time moves like a river. You’re unable to see the beginning or the end but you can feel it - so you better make the most of it. Even if that means napping next to your loved one for hours so long as you’re together.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Keanu Reeves attacked for still being alive

<p dir="ltr">Matthew Perry has backtracked on his insensitive comments questioning why beloved Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves is still alive. </p> <p dir="ltr">In his memoir <em>Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing</em>, the <em>Friends</em> star questioned why his friend River Phoenix died but Reeves didn’t.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?” he wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">Perry was discussing his friendship with River Phoenix - who is also friends with Reeves - and about the heartache he had when he overdosed on drugs in 1993 at the age of 23.</p> <p dir="ltr">He called Phoenix his “closest friend of that era” before attacking Reeves for still being alive. </p> <p dir="ltr">Social media was in uproar at his comments with many questioning why Perry would wish death upon anyone. </p> <p dir="ltr">“In a world full of Matthew Perry’s… be a Keanu Reeves,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Of all the people in Hollywood, there’s absolutely no reason to come for Keanu Reeves who even after personal tragedy has remained, by accounts, generous and kind. He just makes movies and comics, treats his cast and crew right, and minds his own business,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Imagine coming for Keanu Reeves like that. Might as well let the internet know you think all kittens should be drowned at birth. Good luck out there, man,” someone else commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Perry eventually came out and apologised and explained he was “actually a big fan” of Keanu Reeves. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm actually a big fan of Keanu,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Why Viking is No.1 in the world for river and ocean cruising

<p>When it comes to cruises, you want to make sure you’ve made the best possible choice in terms of picking the ship, the itinerary and the quality of services on hand. </p> <p>After being consistently voted the world’s best when it comes to river and ocean cruising, this is definitely where Viking comes in. </p> <p>Viking’s river, ocean and expedition cruises are perfect for curious travellers to set off and explore the world in comfort and style – not just this year, but in 2023 and 2024 as well. </p> <p>From their exquisite dining experiences to their wholesome cultural enrichment programmes, incredible onshore experiences and unmatched inclusions, let’s dive (literally and figuratively) a little deeper into what Viking are doing – and what they most definitely are NOT doing – to set themselves apart in the world of ocean cruising.  </p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60_SKY_Lofoten_Midnight_Sun_MXL0691_Red_lightSkyWide.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></strong></p> <p><strong>More bang for your buck </strong></p> <p>Viking’s Inclusive Value mantra means they include everything you need and nothing you do not. </p> <p>Worth more than $200 a day, guests will benefit from features and services ranging from a free guided excursion in every port of call to complimentary WiFi, plus beer, wine and soft drinks on board with lunch and dinner. </p> <p>You’ll also enjoy 24-hour specialty coffees, teas and bottled water, with access to their top-rated spa and state-of-the-art fitness centre. You can also access self-service launderettes, avoid port taxes and fees, as well as ground transfers with Viking Air purchase. </p> <p>Your stateroom includes a private veranda, a king-size bed with luxury linens and pillows, as well as a separate seating area where you can enjoy a 42-inch flat-screen LCD TV with complimentary movies on demand. </p> <p>Each room is decked out with a spacious closet and drawers, a mini-bar (of course), security safe, a hair dryer, spacious glass-enclosed shower with heated bathroom floor and anti-fog mirror. You will also be covered head-to-toe by Premium Freyja toiletries and enjoy plush robes and slippers. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-Chefs_Table_Plate_16-650.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><strong>Exquisite dining</strong></p> <p>The Restaurant, the main dining venue onboard each state-of-the-art Viking vessel, offers delicious regional cuisines from only the best locally sourced ingredients.</p> <p>This gives passengers not only the opportunity to explore their destination, but also the chance to explore different cultures through food. </p> <p>However, if you’re looking for something a little more specific, say Italian, then Manfredi’s is the place to be. Be transported to the farms of Tuscany or the city of Rome with its divine and authentic Italian meals. </p> <p>Those looking to extend themselves even further in a culinary sense and learn a little more about food and wine pairings will find themselves drawn inexorably to The Chef’s Table – where you’ll experience several courses, each paired with select wines all thoughtfully prepared for your enriching experience. </p> <p>If you’re into something a little more dynamic and want to observe the world-renowned chefs working their magic, then the World Café is the place to be. The open kitchen will have you watching on in excitement as your phenomenal sushi and seafood dishes are prepared, set against a backdrop of the breathtaking panoramic views from the Aquavit Terrace. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-CC_SEA_Restaurant_Window_Views-1280x720-1.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>However, if you want to switch places with the hard-working chefs and actually have a hand in cooking yourself, you are more than welcome to head over to The Kitchen Table to immerse yourself in local culture and cuisine. Here, the on board cooking school gives passengers a thrilling first-hand experience in how the chefs prepare meals for guests. </p> <p>If you’re looking to relax a bit before dinner then the Wintergarden is the place to be, where you can indulge in several different teas under a canopy of Scandinavian trellised wood while listening to a soft string quartet. </p> <p>Otherwise, head on over to Mamsen’s in the Explorers’ Lounge, which offers some of the best culturally enriching Norwegian specialties for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack or evening treat.</p> <p>Looking to keep it simple for an afternoon snack? Look no further than the Pool Grill, which has casual meals prepared to order. Otherwise, head up to your room and take advantage of the 24/7 room service on offer (we won’t tell anyone about that extra tempting midnight snack). </p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-STAR_Wintergarden_Horiz_124-1280x720-1.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Cultural enrichment</strong></p> <p>How extraordinary to be able to gain invaluable insights and knowledge while also relaxing on holiday. That’s right, Viking has so much on offer for its guests and it’ll have you wanting more. </p> <p>First on the list are the world-class guest lecturers, all of whom are experts in their field and include archaeologists, authors, former diplomats and even news correspondents. It’s their job (and passion) to share important information with you on your destinations’ art, architecture, music, geopolitics, the natural world and so much more.</p> <p>Alternatively, you can have one-on-one discussions with the onboard historian ready to enrich your mind with their in-depth stories and facts. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-CC_ORION_Resident_Scientist_Book-Ocean-Entertainment-Option-2.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>Another powerfully enriching Viking experience is the performing arts sector, where you are more than welcome to enjoy an incredible work of art or one of dozens of destination experiences. Could it be the Portuguese <em>fado</em> with its melancholy melodies and poignant lyrics? Or traditional Greek dancing or Italian opera. The choices are staggering. </p> <p>If you’re intrigued to see what’s on offer at your next onshore destination, there are informative multimedia presentations on Amsterdam, Bergen, Venice, San Juan, Vancouver, Tokyo and even Sydney that highlight the must-see landmarks during your shore visits. </p> <p>Viking’s knowledgable local guides are passionate about their unique region. They will introduce you to the iconic and the obscure, so you can soak up the culture, art, history and architecture of your destination while gaining an insight into the local way of life.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-Arles_Arena_Group_Excursion_2913.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>The cultural enrichment continues on board with a unique collection of original artworks on board every ship. Viking also has an exclusive deal with Oslo’s Munch Museum where guests can explore the entire collection of Norway’s most famous artist, Edvard Munch. This museum brings “magic” on board with an interactive event daily and showcasing the amazing artworks curated by Munch. </p> <p>Otherwise, indulge your mind with a TED Talk, where passengers can enjoy short and powerful talks about the arts, history, geography, science and even longevity. </p> <p>Fancy a night at The Met? Well, all you need to do is head to The Theater and enjoy the world-class production under the starlit “sky”.</p> <p>If you want to keep it simple, then there’s a special spot for you in the small cinemas where you can enjoy short films that will inform you about the iconic destinations you’re travelling through.</p> <p>Kick back and relax by listening to the classical music from Viking’s resident pianist, guitarist, violinist and cellist. Or head over to the onboard library, which have been expertly curated by independent London bookseller Heywood Hill – who dedicated hundreds of hours of his time into understanding what Viking guests most want to read on their journeys.</p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/O60-CC_-SEA_Dubrovnik_Sunset_SKY_red.jpg" alt="Viking" width="1280" height="720" /></strong></p> <p><strong>What Viking definitely is NOT</strong></p> <p>If we haven’t managed to convince you as to why you should be travelling with Viking, then let these be the cherries on top of your next cruising adventure.</p> <p>Each Viking cruise ship absolutely promises no casinos, no children under the age of 18, no umbrella drinks, no photography sales or art auctions, no charge for beer or wine at lunch or dinner and you can dine in a choice of restaurants at no additional cost.</p> <p>Wi-Fi comes included and you won’t be charged for using the laundry, there are no hidden entry fees for the spa and no undue pressure on spa sales of any kind. </p> <p>And perhaps most important of all, there’s no waiting in endless queues. All that’s left is a clear focus on you, on the quality of the service, and on making sure that every journey provides you with memories to last a lifetime.</p> <p>For more information and to book your next Viking adventure, <a href="https://www.vikingcruises.com.au/oceans/cruise-destinations/index.html?utm_medium=content&utm_source=oversixty&utm_campaign=native-findacruise-ocean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.</p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://www.vikingcruises.com.au/oceans/cruise-destinations/index.html?utm_medium=content&utm_source=oversixty&utm_campaign=native-findacruise-ocean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Viking</a>.</em></p>

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Why are homes still being built along rivers? Flooded residents disagree on the solution

<p>Like many residents living near Calgary’s rivers, Irene’s house flooded in June 2013 when heavy rainfall melted the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, inundating much of southern Alberta in what was, at the time, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2810070/top-10-most-costly-disasters-in-canadian-history-for-insurers/">the costliest disaster in Canadian history</a>.</p> <p>Irene watched as her belongings floated down the street. Everything in her basement and the first level of her home had to be discarded into a trash pile in her front yard.</p> <p>Reflecting on this trauma and her home’s devastation, she said: “Developers get away with a lot of shit they shouldn’t get away with.” She recalled arguing years earlier with the developer about how close to the river it planned to build the houses, and wondered if it might have been worse had her home been built as close to the river as initially planned.</p> <p>I was part of a team <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15356841211046265">studying housing, environmental views and hazards</a> who interviewed residents of Calgary’s flood-affected neighbourhoods. Remarks like Irene’s were common.</p> <p>Calgary and many other cities, including <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/housing-development-in-ste-marthe-sur-le-lac-was-mainly-in-flood-zone">Montréal</a>, <a href="https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/maple-ridge-council-proceeds-with-riverfront-subdivision/">Vancouver</a>, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-10-08/commentary-the-danger-of-development-in-flood-prone-areas">Myrtle Beach</a> and <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Even-after-Harvey-Houston-keeps-adding-new-homes-13285865.php">Houston</a>, continue to build houses in areas that hydrologists and engineers have designated as being high-risk for flooding.</p> <p>In most jurisdictions, home-builders are not financially liable for flooding for very long. In <a href="https://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/n03p2.pdf">Alberta, the window of liability is one year</a>, at which point the risk is transferred to homeowners. Following floods and other disasters, research shows that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.0.0047">development of new housing does not slow</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sox054">but intensifies</a>, as flooded properties lose value, are bought by developers and, as memory of flooding fades, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/calgary-home-built-after-alberta-floods-11604521775">become lucrative investments</a>.</p> <h2>The residents’ point of view</h2> <p>The residents I spoke with viewed developers as myopic capitalists who choose profit over safety. Scott told me that while developers are responsible for driving the hazard risk, “You can’t blame the developers, they are … there to make bucks, right? And if the city says you can build there then, bingo!… They make a pile.”</p> <p>Surprisingly, even though their homes had been flooded, residents were not angry at developers for situating the houses close to a hazard. Rather, they were resigned to it.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434534/original/file-20211129-19-1bqnj0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A man wearing a mask and work gloves throws muddy debris into a pile next to a house." /> <span class="caption">Yahya Abougoush helps clean up his parents’ house in High River, Alta., on July 3, 2013.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></p> <p>When asked what they thought should be done to keep people safe from floods, residents had two very different suggestions.</p> <h2>Better regulations</h2> <p>A sizeable group of Calgarians favoured new government regulations limiting development in flood-prone areas to rein in developers.</p> <p>Rachel said, “They can’t build where the city says they can’t…. It has to be government who says it can’t be done.”</p> <p>Gary said he believes Calgary’s municipal government “lacks the balls” to stand up to developers and regulate floodplain development. When asked why that was, he said, “It’s about money” and the political influence that developers wield over city council. Residents viewed the municipal government as weak, ineffectual and unwilling to stand up to developers.</p> <p>Quite often, the same people who argued for better government regulations on floodplain development also insisted that government should provide home buyers with a disclosure of a home’s location in a flood-prone area, a move that the real estate industry has dubbed “idiotic” and one that would “<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jeff-goodell/the-water-will-come/9780316260206/">kill the market</a>.”</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431443/original/file-20211111-27-1w1jkn7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A gravel path and some strips of grass separate a row of homes from a river." /> <span class="caption">New homes in Riverstone, with Bow River visible on the left.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Timothy Haney)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></p> <p>Tasha wished she had been informed of the risk prior to buying her home, and told us, “I have lived here for 42 years and I have never heard of ‘flood fringe’ … maybe realtors should be more upfront about that.”</p> <p>The flood fringe is the area adjacent to the river with measurable flood risk — usually greater than one per cent annual probability of flooding. Angela said any declaration must go beyond a simple disclosure and “explain what it means.” Many preferred this type of new regulation.</p> <h2>Buyer beware</h2> <p>As one might expect in Alberta, a place known for <a href="https://press.ucalgary.ca/books/9781773850252/">right-wing populism</a>, other participants pushed back against new regulations and said individuals must bear responsibility. They deferred to the sanctity of private property rights and their distaste for government overreach. They felt that buyers must beware, often mentioning the need for “common sense.”</p> <p>Caleb said, “I think people can live wherever they want, but I think they have to carry that risk.” Others called it “instinctual.”</p> <p>Sociologists, like me, are often critical of “common sense,” looking at how such taken-for-granted knowledge is a culturally dependent and contextually specific <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/678271">product of socialization</a>. Still, many Calgarians did not see it this way and did not believe that the government should infringe on private property rights.</p> <h2>Precaution over profits</h2> <p>Calgary, like many cities, continues to develop <a href="https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/development-dispute-chaparral-residents-say-proposed-community-would-put-their-homes-at-risk-1.5326215">new housing close to rivers</a>. New neighbourhoods like Riverstone and Quarry Park offer housing marketed for their picturesque living and river access.</p> <p>In other areas, older homes near the river are being <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/white-the-evolution-of-calgarys-infill-housing">razed to make room for infills</a> — usually two or more homes on an existing lot. These infill developments increase the density in river-adjacent communities, putting more residents at risk.</p> <p>The lack of consensus among the study participants was also noteworthy. Citizen activism tends to get mixed results in influencing government decision-making on development <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2019.1690337">even when</a> there is <a href="https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295748696/pushed-out/">relative consensus</a>. But in the case of restricting development near rivers, there is no such consensus, which may make it difficult for residents to mobilize.</p> <p>My own view is that municipal governments must stand up to moneyed development and home-building interests by restricting growth near rivers, which should instead be preserved as green space.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434535/original/file-20211129-59784-d6hlez.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="aerial view of a bend in a river with some elongated islands, several bridges and homes and business developments on each bank." /> <span class="caption">After floods in 1993 and 1995, and facing future flooding due to climate change, the Dutch city of Nijmegen gave more room to the Waal River during periods of high water by relocating a dike and dredging a new channel.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(DaMatriX/Wikimedia)</span>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a></span></p> <p>This approach is often called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15715124.2020.1723604">room for the river</a>,” and is particularly popular in northern and western Europe. With this approach, areas immediately adjacent to waterways are preserved, providing esthetic and recreational value, and people are moved away via buyouts when necessary. New development is restricted. It has been imported and applied in North American cities such as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/cities-around-globe-eagerly-importing-dutch-speciality-flood-prevention-180973679/">Norfolk, Va.</a>, though with varying degrees of consistency and success.</p> <p>The more volatile climate we are experiencing as a result of climate change will undoubtedly bring new flood events near rivers and mounting flood losses. Society must work harder to keep people and property away from the water, starting with halting new developments near these hazards. The first step in getting out of a hole, of course, is to stop digging.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171660/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-j-haney-1032153">Timothy J. Haney</a>, Professor of Sociology and Board of Governors Research Chair in Resilience &amp; Sustainability, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/mount-royal-university-966">Mount Royal University</a></em></span></p> <p>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/why-are-homes-still-being-built-along-rivers-flooded-residents-disagree-on-the-solution-171660">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Woman dies after her car is swept into river near Niagara Falls

<p dir="ltr">A woman in her 60s has died after her car was submerged in rushing water at the mouth of Niagara Falls.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was pulled from the car in the Niagara River, about 45 metres from the American Falls. At the mouth of the river, there is a 34 metre plunge to the rocks at the bottom of the falls.</p> <p dir="ltr">State Parks Police say witnesses reported seeing the car floating down the Niagara River shortly before noon on Wednesday, before it got stuck on the rocks at the brink of the falls. Pictures from the scene show the car almost completely submerged and with the trunk open.</p> <p dir="ltr">New York State Park Police Captain Chris Rola said during a press conference, “We have never had a vehicle in the water this close to the brink. Due to the area where the vehicle was, our swift water team was not able to make a recovery. We contacted the Coast Guard and their helicopter ... came out and was able to make a recovery.”</p> <p dir="ltr">They were able to use a drone, however, to see how many people were inside the vehicle, and to attempt to get its licence plate number. The woman was the sole occupant of the car.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US Coast Guard Great Lakes rescue crew, which included flight mechanic Jon Finnerty, helicopter co-pilot Jake Wawrzyniak, aviation survival technician Derrian Duryea, and aircraft commander Chris Monacelli, flew in from Detroit at 12.30pm, overcoming poor visibility and frigid rapids to reach the car.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEW</a> video from the <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGGreatLakes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCGGreatLakes</a> shows the view of the helicopter crew that pulled a local woman in her late 60s from her car in the Niagara River Wednesday, about 50 yards from the brink of the (American) Niagara Falls. (1/3) <a href="https://twitter.com/WGRZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WGRZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/NQNCz7VjY8">pic.twitter.com/NQNCz7VjY8</a></p> — Robert Hackford (@Robert_Hackford) <a href="https://twitter.com/Robert_Hackford/status/1469103363656921089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Once on the scene, they lowered a rescue swimmer down on a hoist, who was able to pull the woman from the vehicle. Video from the rescue shows Petty Officer 2nd Class Derrian Duryea being buffeted by winds and spraying water as he’s lowered the 24 metres to the car through falling snow.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was eventually able to grab onto the passenger side of the vehicle and open the door. Duryea said in an interview, “As I was coming down I was just really focused on how am I going to get in this car when there’s, you know, pretty much rapids coming over the car right next to Niagara Falls.</p> <p dir="ltr">”My sole focus was which window or door am I going in. Luckily, the car was unlocked and I didn’t have to break out any windows and I was able to open up the passenger side door and push it up against the current.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Roughly two minutes after entering the vehicle, Duryea emerged and signalled for his team to hoist him and the driver from the water. Jon Finnerty said, “The current was ripping pretty good through there and the car was close to the edge of the falls. If it moved, we didn’t want him getting dragged out with it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The US Coast Guard Great Lakes confirmed on Twitter that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, writing, “Today, we mourn the loss of a life. We commend the readiness and courage demonstrated today by our crew to effect an 80ft. hoist from a submerged vehicle 20 yards from the top of Niagara Falls in foul weather.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Investigators believe the vehicle drove into the river in between a pedestrian and vehicle bridge but it’s not clear what circumstances led to the incident. The investigation continues.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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New book claims man from Snowy River “had to be Aboriginal”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man from Snowy River from Banjo Paterson’s famous poem has always been depicted as a white man, but one author claims the character was based on an Indigenous stockman.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 1890 poem regales the story of a runaway horse, with various stockmen pursuing the colt and attempting to separate it from a herd of brumbies. When the wild horses descend an apparently impassable slope, the man from Snowy River is the only one who continues the chase.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Brumby Wars</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, author and Walkley Award-winning journalist Anthony Sharwood claims that the poem indicates the story takes place in the Byadbo region of the Snowy Mountains, where he says all the local stockmen were Indigenous.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Brumbies. A vision of the legendary Man from Snowy Riveror a spectre of ecosystems destroyed by feral pests? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBrumbyWars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheBrumbyWars</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/antsharwood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@antsharwood</a> is the riveting account of a major national issue and the very human passions it inspires.<br /><br />Out now: <a href="https://t.co/WF0FKMsEHu">https://t.co/WF0FKMsEHu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gh8je2ciRa">pic.twitter.com/Gh8je2ciRa</a></p> — Hachette Australia Books (@HachetteAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/HachetteAus/status/1432938770370727940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His theory relies on lines from the poem’s final stanza, which mention an area near Mount Kosciuszko “where the pine-clad ridges raise”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharwood said Byadbo is “the only part of Australia’s alpine region and nearby foothills with cypress pine forests, a native conifer that thrives in dry country”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If the poem were sourced from stories of the Byadbo area, then the stockman had to be Aboriginal because all the best riders in the area had Indigenous blood,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In his newly-released book, Sharwood considers the controversial case for reducing brumby numbers due to their overgrazing of national parks, versus the calls to protect them because of their romanticised image.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Forget that Patterson knew they were pests and advocated for them to be shot to protect the pasture for cattle,” Sharwood said. “The brumbies are characters in the poem and that makes them sacred, eternal, untouchable, as quintessentially Australian as Vegemite and thongs.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Sharwood isn’t the first to suggest the titular character was Indigenous.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1988, Victoria’s official historian Bernard Barrett proposed the character may have been based on a young Indigenous rider named Toby, with Barrett claiming “a better rider never sat a horse”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 331.0546875px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843655/gettyimages-542638958.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cb8bd6984579401690c748346937c534" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Jakelin Troy, director of Aboriginal research at the University of Sydney and an Aboriginal Australian from the Ngarigu community of the Snowy Mountains, said we may never know who the rider was based on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think any of us really care who the man, or woman, from Snowy River was, but it is an interesting thing to explore because it definitely plays into the mythology of the area,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One piece of research says he was my father’s great uncle called Jim Troy. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Banjo stayed with the family and Jim Troy fits the description even down to the horse. They bred them tough like their horses were a mixture of Timor pony which are really tough and thoroughbreds with a bit of Arab to make them a bit finer. The horses were a mixed breed … We will probably never know who the actual person was.”</span></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.hachette.com.au/anthony-sharwood/the-brumby-wars-the-battle-for-the-soul-of-australia" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Brumby Wars</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was released on Wednesday, August 1 by Hachette.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>

Books

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Jungle Cruise is now streaming with Emily Blunt and The Rock

<p>All ages will enjoy the new movie called <em>Jungle Cruise</em> which is now streaming on Disney+. It’s bursting with laughs and surprises - starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson – known as The Rock. </p> <p>If cinemas are open near you, <em>Jungle Cruise</em> will be showing. Otherwise, it’s streaming early on Disney+ but if you’re signed up for the platform, you will need to pay an extra amount of $35 to watch the movie.</p> <p>Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, <em>Jungle Cruise</em> is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (played by Johnson) and intrepid researcher Dr Lily Houghton (played by Blunt.)</p> <p>Lily travels from London to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on <em>La Quila</em>—his ramshackle-but-charming boat.</p> <p>Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounter many dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest.</p> <p>But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.</p> <p>Jaume Collet-Serra directs the film, which also stars Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti.</p> <p>The film’s producers are John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment; Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Dany Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions; and Beau Flynn of Flynn Picture Co., with Scott Sheldon and Doug Merrifield serving as executive producers.</p> <p>The story is by John Norville &amp; Josh Goldstein and Glenn Ficarra &amp; John Requa, and the screenplay is by Michael Green and Glenn Ficarra &amp; John Requa.</p> <p>You can watch <em>Jungle Cruise</em> on the <a href="mailto:https://www.disneyplus.com/en-au">Disney+ platform here.</a></p> <p><em>Photo: Courtesy of Disney</em></p> <p> </p>

Movies

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Sad end to stranded baby whale

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A juvenile minke whale got stuck in the River Thames and freed on the night of Sunday, May 9.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following its rescue the animal was later found beached against a river wall and had to be put down after vets found its condition was “rapidly deteriorating”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The whale was then loaded onto a truck at Teddington lifeboat station and taken to Whipsnade Zoo for post-mortem tests, the results of which are not expected for a few weeks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rob Deaville, who took part in the tests, said the whale was thought to be about two years old and was likely still dependent on its mother.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The juvenile female minke was first stranded on Richmond Lock’s boat rollers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crew from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) worked late into the evening to free the 4.2m-long whale and managed to move it. But the mammal escaped and was later seen swimming between Richmond and Teddington on Monday morning before becoming stuck once again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A vet from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) administered the injection to put it down after it became stranded.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the full results of the post-mortem tests will take several weeks, Mr Deaville said told the BBC they had found “no evidence of any recent feeding” and “evidence of starvation over a few days”, which he explained was consistent with the whale being found in the Thames.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though parasites were also found in the whale’s stomach, Mr Deaville said vets did not believe this was significant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minke whales are the smallest of the great whales and can grow up to 10m in length.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Deaville said he believed the number of whales found in the river had increased over recent years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It could be because there are increased numbers of them or it’s man-made impacts. The jury is still out,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The samples taken from the whale will not only help establish what happened to the creature, but will provide research material “for years to come”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re going to learn a lot about it - it’s life and the species as a whole,” he said.</span></p> <p><strong>Image credit: SKY News</strong></p>

International Travel

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Don’t count your fish before they hatch: experts react to plans to release 2 million fish into the Murray Darling

<p>The New South Wales government <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">plans to release</a> two million native fish into rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin, in the largest breeding program of its kind in the state. But as the river system recovers from a string of mass fish deaths, caution is needed.</p> <p>Having suitable <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquaculture/publications/species-freshwater/collecting-finfish-broodstock">breeding fish</a> does not always guarantee millions of healthy offspring for restocking. And even if millions of young fish are released into the wild, increased fish populations in the long term are not assured.</p> <p>For stocking to be successful, fish must be released into <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Strategies-to-improve-post-release-survival-of-hatchery-reared-threatened-fish-species_0.pdf">good quality water, with suitable habitat and lots of food</a>. But these conditions have been quite rare in Murray Darling rivers over the past three years.</p> <p>We research the impact of human activity on fish and aquatic systems and have studied many Australian fish restocking programs. So let’s take a closer look at the NSW government’s plans.</p> <p><strong>Success stories</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">According to</a> the Sydney Morning Herald, the NSW restocking program involves releasing juvenile Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch into the Darling River downstream of Brewarrina, in northwestern NSW.</p> <p>Other areas including the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Macquarie and Murray Rivers will reportedly also be restocked. These species and regions were among the hardest hit by recent fish kills.</p> <p>Fish restocking is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233194500_Stocking_Trends_A_Quantitative_Review_of_Governmental_Fish_Stocking_in_the_United_States_1931_to_2004">used worldwide</a> to boost species after events such as fish kills, help threatened species recover, and increase populations of recreational fishing species.</p> <p>Since the 1970s in the Murray-Darling river system, <a href="https://www.bnbfishing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Assessment-of-stocking-effectiveness-of-Murray-cod-and-golden-perch.pdf">millions of fish</a> have been bred in <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/centres/narrandera-fisheries-centre">government</a> and <a href="https://www.murraydarlingfisheries.com.au/">private</a> hatcheries in spring each year. Young fish, called fingerlings, are usually released in the following summer and autumn.</p> <p>There have been success stories. For example, the endangered <a href="https://www.fishfiles.com.au/media/fish-magazine/FISH-Vol-23-2/Back-from-the-brink">trout cod</a> was restocked into the Ovens and Murrumbidgee Rivers between <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235774467_Reintroduction_success_of_threatened_Australian_trout_cod_Maccullochella_macquariensis_based_on_growth_and_reproduction">1997 and 2006</a>. Prior to the restocking program, the species was locally extinct. It’s now re-established in the Murrumbidgee River and no longer requires stocking to maintain the population.</p> <p>In response to fish kills in 2010, the Edward-Wakool river system <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12424">was restocked</a> to help fish recover when natural spawning was expected to be low. And the threatened Murray hardyhead is now increasing in numbers thanks <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/wetlands-australia/national-wetlands-update-february-2020/murray-hardyhead#:%7E:text=In%20November%202018%2C%20around%20800,fish%20to%20NSW%20river%20systems.">to a successful stocking program</a> in the Lower Darling.</p> <p>After recent fish kills in the Murray Darling, breeding fish known as “broodstock” were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/mass-fish-rescue-gets-underway-in-darling-river/11492042">rescued from the river</a> and taken to government and private hatcheries. Eventually, it was expected the rescued fish and their offspring would restock the rivers.</p> <p><strong>Words of caution</strong></p> <p>Fish hatchery managers rarely count their fish before they hatch. It’s quite a challenge to ensure adult fish develop viable eggs that are then fertilised at high rates.</p> <p>Once hatched, larvae must be transported to ponds containing the right amount of plankton for food. The larvae must then avoid predatory birds, be kept free from disease, and grow at the right temperatures.</p> <p>When it comes to releasing the fish into the wild, careful decisions must be made about how many fish to release, where and when. Factors such as water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen levels must be carefully assessed.</p> <p>Introducing hatchery-reared fish into the wild does <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848610004540?casa_token=NbFwq0hZLSgAAAAA:SntmSZkoWH387KKTDvXn-rHg-I6P0P0Q-OfgI6hvb6gp_Hxy82Y9AMIndcMYR3yarSkeFOY_cWE">not always deliver</a> dramatic improvements in fish numbers. Poor water quality, lack of food and <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/A-review-of-domestication-effects-on-stocked-fish-in-the-MDB.pdf">slow adaptation to the wild</a> can reduce survival rates.</p> <p>In some parts of the Murray-Darling, restocking <a href="https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/publications/contribution-of-stocked-fish-to-riverine-populations-of-golden-pe">is likely to</a> have slowed the decline in native fish numbers, although it has not stopped it altogether.</p> <p><strong>Address the root cause</strong></p> <p>Fish stocking decisions are sometimes motivated by economic reasons, such as boosting species sought by anglers who pay licence fees and support tourist industries. But stocking programs must also consider the underlying reasons for declining fish populations.</p> <p>Aside from poor water quality, fish in the Murray Darling are threatened by being sucked into irrigation systems, cold water pollution from dams, dams and weirs blocking migration paths and invasive fish species. These factors must be addressed alongside restocking.</p> <p>Fish should not be released into areas with unsuitable habitat or water quality. The Darling River fish kills were caused by <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/managing-water/drought-murray-darling-basin/fish-deaths-lower-darling/independent-assessment-fish">low oxygen levels</a>, associated with drought and water extraction. These conditions could rapidly return if we have another hot, dry summer.</p> <p>Stocking rivers with young fish is only one step. They must then grow to adults and successfully breed. So the restocking program must consider the entire fish life cycle, and be coupled with good <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-08-28/more-fish-kills-expected-as-nsw-government-announces-rescue-plan/11457826">river management</a>.</p> <p>The Murray Darling Basin Authority’s <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Native%20Fish%20Emergency%20Response%20Plan%20-%20October%202019_0.pdf">Native Fish Recovery Strategy</a> includes management actions such as improving fish passage, delivering environmental flows, improving habitat, controlling invasive species and fish harvest restrictions. Funding the strategy’s implementation <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-good-plan-to-help-darling-river-fish-recover-exists-so-lets-get-on-with-it-110168">is a key next step</a>.</p> <p><strong>Looking ahead</strong></p> <p>After recent rains, parts of the Murray Darling river system are now flowing for the first time in years. But some locals say the flows are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-11/lower-darling-flows-hit-pooncarie-first-time-in-18-months/12137306">only a trickle</a> and more rain is urgently needed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/rainfall/median/weekly/0">Higher than average rainfall</a> is predicted between July and September. This will be needed for restocked fish to thrive. If the rain does not arrive, and other measures are not taken to improve the system’s health, then the restocking plans may be futile.</p> <p><em>Written by Lee Baumgartner, Jamin Forbes and Katie Doyle. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-count-your-fish-before-they-hatch-experts-react-to-plans-to-release-2-million-fish-into-the-murray-darling-140428">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Cruising

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A tale of 2 rivers: is it safer to swim in the Yarra in Victoria or the Nepean in NSW?

<p>Cooling off with a swim in the river is a popular summer pastime in Australia, particularly for people who live a long distance from the beach.</p> <p>But urban waterways often have poor water quality, and <a href="https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/bathing/annapolis.pdf">swimming in contaminated water</a> can pose health risks. Water-borne pathogens, if ingested, can cause <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/guidelines-managing-risks-recreational-water">infectious diseases</a> such as gastrointestinal illness.</p> <p>In <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/344/1/012016/meta">our recently published research</a> we compared a popular NSW river, the Nepean River in western Sydney, with the upper reaches of Victoria’s iconic Yarra River (from Kew in Melbourne to Launching Place in the Yarra Ranges).</p> <p>We investigated how safe these rivers were for swimming, based on levels of faecal bacteria. We also assessed what information is available to inform people of the rivers’ suitability for swimming.</p> <p>While the water quality is generally better in the Nepean River, NSW doesn’t provide guidance on whether it’s safe for swimming. So in this regard, Victoria’s Yarra River could be considered safer.</p> <p><strong>What contaminates our rivers?</strong></p> <p>Both the Nepean River and the Yarra River are exposed to many potential sources of contamination, such as faecal wastes from farm livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals, and pollution from urban streams and sewage.</p> <p>We calculated flows in the Nepean River can contain <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-of-us-are-drinking-recycled-sewage-water-than-most-people-realise-92420">up to 30%</a> treated sewage. However, the NSW Environment Protection Authority highly regulates the sewage to protect river water quality.</p> <p>Heavy rain reduces water quality as the rain mobilises pollutants and carries them into waterways.</p> <p><strong>Water quality: Victoria versus New South Wales</strong></p> <p>We generally use the presence of E. coli bacteria as <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/rwqc2012.pdf">an indicator of pollution</a> from animal and human faecal wastes in rivers. It also indicates the risk of swimmers contracting a water-borne disease. If people swim in water with highly elevated E.coli numbers, they have a greater chance of getting sick.</p> <p>NSW doesn’t have guidelines which stipulate safe levels of E.coli in freshwater rivers. But Victorian guidelines recommend E.coli in freshwater rivers and lakes used for swimming doesn’t exceed <a href="https://yarraandbay.vic.gov.au/weeklywatersamples?type=yarra&amp;site=290400">260 organisms per 100mL</a>.</p> <p>It was simple to get advice on water quality for swimming at four locations on the Yarra River on the “<a href="https://yarraandbay.vic.gov.au/yarra-watch">Yarrawatch</a>” website.</p> <p>Swimming is prohibited in the lower, highly urbanised parts of the Yarra, but Yarrawatch provides daily updates on the safety of swimming in its cleaner freshwater reaches. Yarrawatch also documents the actual <a href="https://yarraandbay.vic.gov.au/weeklywatersamples?type=yarra&amp;site=290400">bacteria concentrations</a>from weekly samples collected during the swimming season, which inform the safety recommendations.</p> <p>At the time we published this article all sites on the Yarra were “poor”, meaning not suitable for swimming.</p> <p>There was no similar information publicly available for swimmers in the Nepean River, so we obtained water quality data from NSW Government agencies.</p> <p>The Nepean River E. coli bacteria results showed river water quality was generally very good, particularly at the sites upstream of urban and agricultural development.</p> <p>We also compared bacteria results according to rainfall. After heavy rain in the previous week, the E. coli bacteria levels spiked. The Nepean River at Penrith Weir, a very popular swimming spot, often recorded hazardous E.coli results after more than 40mm of rain in a week.</p> <p><strong>Swimmers need advice</strong></p> <p>Our biggest concern is Nepean River users are not given any advice on water quality. Up-to-date guidance is important to enable people to make an informed choice about whether or not they should swim.</p> <p>For example, very young children have poorly developed immune systems and may be <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/health-daily-care/health-concerns/pool-hygiene">more susceptible</a> to getting sick from water-borne pathogens. Their parents and caregivers should be warned if E. coli levels are high at a particular swimming spot.</p> <p>In contrast, visitors to any coastal or harbour swimming beach in eastern Sydney can look up the NSW Government <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/water/beaches/beachwatch-water-quality-program">Beachwatch</a> advice. This guidance is updated daily based on regular testing of faecal bacteria and other factors, including rainfall.</p> <p>But in western Sydney, swimmers and other river users have no such guidance. The decision to go swimming in the Nepean River can therefore be a gamble.</p> <p>Faecal bacterial data is actually collected in the Nepean and other rivers by NSW government agencies. Yet they don’t make the results freely available to the public.</p> <p>The NSW government is failing in its duty of care in this regard. It must issue health warnings when it detects hazardous bacterial results in the river.</p> <p>So which river has the best water quality for swimming, the Nepean or the the Yarra? While the Yarra water quality may be poorer, authorities at least offer advice to river users to guide safe swimming.</p> <p>If you intend to swim in the Nepean, avoid swimming after rain. If you’re unsure, wait at least a few days, preferably a week, after significant rainfall.</p> <p><em>Written by Ian Wright, Jason Reynolds, Katherine Morrison and Michelle Ryan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-tale-of-2-rivers-is-it-safer-to-swim-in-the-yarra-in-victoria-or-the-nepean-in-nsw-130791">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

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Climate change is beating Aussie winemakers

<p>There is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0">growing evidence</a> that Earth’s systems are heading towards climate “tipping points” beyond which change becomes abrupt and unstoppable. But another tipping point is already being crossed - humanity’s capacity to adapt to a warmer world.</p> <p>This season’s uncontrollable bushfires overwhelmed the nation. They left <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/six-firefighters-injured-three-dead-within-10-hours-20200124-p53uc4">33 people</a> dead, killed an estimated <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html">one billion animals</a> and razed more than 10 million hectares – a land area <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043">almost the size of England</a>. The millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide the fires spewed into the atmosphere will accelerate climate change further.</p> <p>Humans are a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-may-be-most-adaptive-species/">highly adaptive species</a>. In the initial phases of global warming in the 20th century, we coped with the changes. But at some point, the pace and extent of global warming will outrun the human capacity to adapt. Already in Australia, there are signs we have reached that point.</p> <p><strong>Wine woes</strong></p> <p>For Australia, the first obvious tipping point may come in agriculture. Farmers have gradually adapted to a changing climate for the last two decades, but this can’t go on indefinitely.</p> <p>Take wine grapes. In the space of just 20 years, a warming climate means grape harvest dates have come back by <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/6559752/the-wine-industry-is-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine/">roughly 40 days</a>. That is, instead of harvesting red grapes at the end of March or early April many growers are now harvesting in mid-February. This is astounding.</p> <p>The implications for wine quality are profound. Rapid ripening can cause “unbalanced fruit” where high sugar levels are reached before optimum colour and flavour development has been achieved.</p> <p>To date, wine producers have <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/6559752/the-wine-industry-is-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine/">dealt with the problem</a> by switching to more heat-tolerant grape varieties, using sprinklers on hot days and even adding water <strong>to wine?</strong> to reduce excessive alcohol content. But these adaptations can only go so far.</p> <p>On top of this, the recent fires ravaged wine regions in south-eastern Australia. Smoke <a href="https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/the-hidden-cost-of-bushfires-smoke-taint-in-vineyards-20200120-p53szt">reportedly ruined many grape crops</a> and one wine companies, Tyrrell’s Wines, expects to produce <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/tyrrell-s-loses-80pc-of-grapes-due-to-fires-20200122-p53tr1">just 20% of its usual volume</a> this year.</p> <p>At some point, climate change may render grape production uneconomic in large areas of Australia.</p> <p><strong>The Murray Darling crisis</strong></p> <p>Farmers are used to handling drought. But the sequence of droughts since 2000 – <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-australias-current-drought-caused-by-climate-change-its-complicated-97867">exacerbated by climate change</a> – raises the prospect that investment in cropland and cropping machinery becomes uneconomic. This in turn will negatively impact suppliers and local communities.</p> <p>The problems are most severe in relation to irrigated agriculture, particularly in the Murray–Darling Basin.</p> <p>In the early 1990s, it became clear that historical over-extraction of water had damaged the ecosystem’s health. In subsequent decades, policies to address this – such as extraction caps – were introduced. They assumed rainfall patterns of the 20th century would continue unchanged.</p> <p>However the 21st century has been characterised by <a href="https://watersource.awa.asn.au/environment/natural-environment/murray-darling-basin-drought-most-severe-on-record/">long periods of severe drought</a>, and policies to revive the river environment have largely failed. Nowhere was this more evident than during last summer’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wrote-the-report-for-the-minister-on-fish-deaths-in-the-lower-darling-heres-why-it-could-happen-again-115063">shocking fish kills</a>.</p> <p>The current drought has pushed the situation to political boiling point - and perhaps ecological tipping point.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-water-crisis-has-plunged-the-nats-into-a-world-of-pain-but-they-reap-what-they-sow-128238">Tensions</a> between the Commonwealth and the states have prompted New South Wales government, which largely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/08/nsw-minister-altered-barwon-darling-water-sharing-plan-to-favour-irrigators">acts in irrigator interests</a>, to flag <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/13/states-threaten-to-quit-murray-darling-basin-plan-over-water-recovery-target">quitting</a> the Murray Darling Basin Plan. This may mean even more water is taken from the river system, precipitating an ecological catastrophe.</p> <p>The Murray Darling case shows adaptation tipping points are not, in general, triggered solely by climate change. The interaction between climate change and social, political and economic systems determines whether human systems adapt or break down.</p> <p><strong>Power struggles</strong></p> <p>The importance of this interplay is illustrated even more sharply by Australia’s failed electricity policy.</p> <p>Political and public resistance to climate mitigation is largely driven by professed concern about the price and reliability of electricity – that a transition to renewable energy will cause supply shortages and higher energy bills.</p> <p>However a failure to act on climate change has itself put huge stress on the electricity system.</p> <p>Hot summers have caused old coal-fired power stations to <a href="https://www.tai.org.au/content/september-gas-coal-power-plants-have-broken-down-100-times-so-far-2018">break down more frequently</a>. And the increased use of air-conditioning has increased electricity demand – particularly at peak times, which our system is ill-equipped to handle.</p> <p>Finally, the recent bushfire disaster <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/energy-grid-under-threat-as-bushfires-bear-down-on-power-lines-20200103-p53om1.html">destroyed</a> substantial parts of the electricity transmission and distribution system, implying yet further costs. Insurance costs for electricity networks are tipped to rise in response to the bushfire risk, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-23/power-prices-rise-blackouts-increase-bushfire-season-intensifies/11890646">pushing power prices even higher</a>.</p> <p>So far, the federal government’s response to the threat has been that of a failed state. A <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-16/cabinet-dumps-clean-energy-target-for-new-plan/9056174">series</a> of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=3&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjmuvPLvZvnAhWmxjgGHe_ZB0cQFjACegQIPBAB&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fclimatechangeauthority.gov.au%2Fsites%2Fprod.climatechangeauthority.gov.au%2Ffiles%2Ffiles%2FSpecial%2520review%2520Report%25203%2FClimate%2520Change%2520Authority%2520Special%2520Review%2520Report%2520Three.pdf&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Po_SKPoPYvtjR0eKx9PA5">plans</a> to reform the system and adapt to climate change, most recently the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/08/scott-morrison-says-national-energy-guarantee-is-dead">National Energy Guarantee</a>, have floundered thanks to climate deniers in the federal government. Even as the recent fire disaster unfolded, our prime minister <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fire-what-fire-it-s-business-as-usual-in-morrison-s-canberra-bubble-20191206-p53hom.html">remained paralysed</a>.</p> <p><strong>The big picture</strong></p> <p>Australia is not alone in facing these adaptation problems – or indeed in generating emissions that drive planetary warming. Only global action can address the problem.</p> <p>But when the carbon impact of Australia’s fires is seen in tandem with recent climate policy failures here and elsewhere, the future looks very grim.</p> <p>We need radical and immediate mitigation strategies, as well as adaptation measures based on science. Without this, 2019 may indeed be seen as a tipping point on the road to both climate catastrophe, and humanity’s capacity to cope.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-quiggin-2084">John Quiggin</a>, Professor, School of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-are-good-at-thinking-their-way-out-of-problems-but-climate-change-is-outfoxing-us-129987">original article</a>.</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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The relief of rain after bushfires spells disaster for Aussie river systems

<p>When <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-bushfires-are-horrendous-but-expect-cyclones-floods-and-heatwaves-too-129328">heavy rainfall</a> eventually extinguishes the flames ravaging south-east Australia, another ecological threat will arise. Sediment, ash and debris washing into our waterways, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin, may decimate aquatic life.</p> <p>We’ve seen this before. Following 2003 bushfires in Victoria’s alpine region, water filled with sediment and debris (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01851.x?casa_token=agMBKaIwouEAAAAA%3APypMeV5ZvxP-FB88fNaZ2E_Fyr1NCEkdPf8Q1CHfCEb8peTY_fT83a-tc86NZaix_Dbr7MpJfV9XVuk">known as sediment slugs</a>) flowed into rivers and lakes, heavily reducing fish populations. We’ll likely see it again after this season’s bushfire emergency.</p> <p>Large areas of northeast Victoria have been burnt. While this region accounts only for 2% of Murray-Darling Basin’s entire land area, water flowing in from northeast Victorian streams (also known as in-flow) contributes <a href="https://www.water.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/421639/NorthEast_SDS_WEB.pdf">38%</a> of overall in-flows into the Murray-Darling Basin.</p> <p>Fire debris flowing into Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the risk of fish and other aquatic life dying en masse <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/18/the-darling-will-die-scientists-say-mass-fish-kill-due-to-over-extraction-and-drought">as witnessed in previous years.</a>.</p> <p><strong>What will flow into waterways?</strong></p> <p>Generally, bushfire ash comprises <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935115300177">organic carbon and inorganic elements</a> such as nitrogen, phosphorous and metals such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Singarayer_Florentine/publication/317106161_Risk_of_post-fire_metal_mobilization_into_surface_water_resources_A_review/links/59de6f650f7e9bcfab24033e/Risk-of-post-fire-metal-mobilization-into-surface-water-resources-A-review.pdf">copper, mercury and zinc</a>.</p> <p>Sediment rushing into waterways can also contain large amounts of soil, since fire has consumed the vegetation that once bound the soil together and prevented erosion.</p> <p>And <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169410006748">carcinogenic chemicals</a> – found in soil and ash in higher amounts following bushfires – can contaminate streams and reservoirs <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ldr.3427">over the first year after the fire</a>.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VwPnKCx2SNM"></iframe></div> <p><strong>How they harm aquatic life</strong></p> <p>Immediately following the bushfires, we expect to see an increase in streamflow when it rains, because burnt soil <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/102/6/16/4613173">repels</a>, not absorbs, water.</p> <p>When vast amounts of carbon are present in a waterway, such as when carbon-loaded sediments and debris wash in, bacteria rapidly consumes the water’s oxygen. The remaining oxygen levels can fall below what most invertebrates and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01851.x">fish</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169412003691">can tolerate</a>.</p> <p>These high sediment loads can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135408001401#bib20">suffocate</a> aquatic animals with a fine layer of silt which coats their gills and other breathing structures.</p> <p>Habitats are also at risk. When sediment is suspended in the river and light can’t penetrate, suitable fish habitat is diminished. The murkier water also means there’s less opportunity for aquatic plants and algae to photosynthesise (turn sunshine to energy).</p> <p>What’s more, many of Australia’s <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/etc.4400">waterbugs</a>, the keystone of river food webs, need pools with litter and debris for cover. They rely on slime on the surface of rocks and snags that contain <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/fwb.12778">algae, fungi and bacteria</a> for food.</p> <p>But heavy rain following fire can lead to pools and the spaces between cobbles to fill with silt, causing the waterbugs to starve and lose their homes.</p> <p>This is bad news for fish too. Any bug-eating fish that manage to avoid dying from a lack of oxygen can be faced with an immediate food shortage.</p> <p>We saw this in 2003 after the sediment slug penetrated the Ovens River in the north east Murray catchment. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01851.x?casa_token=GQgDJxvEkN4AAAAA%3ATNhhYCetOkbRaRUSA57m9ERqH1ZFgXwauB_OdBAh4ofE089LGsi4WT9Bbax0PtxxkN2CrpqD71ybsPBS">Researchers</a> observed dead fish, stressed fish gulping at the water surface and freshwater crayfish walking out of the stream.</p> <p><strong>Long-term damage</strong></p> <p>Bushfires can increase the amount of nutrients in streams <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es500130g">100 fold</a>. The effects can persist for several years before nutrient levels return to pre-fire conditions.</p> <p>More nutrients in the water might sound like a good thing, but when there’s too much (especially nitrogen and phosphorous), coupled with warm temperatures, they can lead to excessive growth of blue-green algae. This algae can be toxic to both people and animals and often closes down recreational waters.</p> <p>Large parts of the upper Murray River catchment above Lake Hume has burnt, risking increases to nutrient loads within the lake and causing blue-green algae blooms which may flow downstream. This can impact communities from Albury all the way to the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia.</p> <p>Some aquatic species are already teetering on the edge of their <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-015-3463-7">preferred temperature</a> as stream temperatures rise from climate change. In places where bushfires have burnt all the way to the stream edge, decimating vegetation that provided shade, there’ll be less <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF04120">resistance to temperature changes</a>, and fewer cold places for aquatic life to hide.</p> <p>Cooler hide-outs are particularly important for popular angling species such as trout, which are highly <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eco.1653">sensitive to increased water temperature</a>.</p> <p>But while we can expect an increase in stream flow from water-repellent burnt soil, we know from previous bushfires that, in the long-term, stream flow will drop.</p> <p>This is because in the upper catchments, regenerating younger forests use more water than the older forests they replace from <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wrcr.20351">evapotranspiration</a> (when plants release water vapour into the surrounding atmosphere, and evaporation from the surrounding land surface).</p> <p>It’s particularly troubling for the Murray-Darling Basin, where large areas are already enduring ongoing drought. Bushfires may exacerbate existing dry conditions.</p> <p><strong>So what can we do?</strong></p> <p>We need to act as soon as possible. Understandably, priorities lie in removing the immediate and ongoing bushfire threat. But following that, we must improve sediment and erosion control to prevent debris being washed into water bodies in fire-affected areas.</p> <p>One of the first things we can do is to restore areas used for bushfire control lines and minimise the movement of soil along access tracks used for bushfire suppression. This can be achieved using sediment barriers and other erosion control measures in high risk areas.</p> <p>Longer-term, we can re-establish vegetation along waterways to help buffer temperature extremes and sediment loads entering streams.</p> <p>It’s also important to introduce strategic water quality monitoring programs that incorporate real-time sensing technology, providing an early warning system for poor water quality. This can help guide the management of our rivers and reservoirs in the years to come.</p> <p>While our current focus is on putting the fires out, as it should be, it’s important to start thinking about the future and how to protect our waterways. Because inevitably, it will rain again.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129449/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-mcinerney-428290">Paul McInerney</a>, Research scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gavin-rees-csiro-au-932733">gavin.rees@csiro.au</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/klaus-joehnk-932732">Klaus Joehnk</a>, Senior research scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sweet-relief-of-rain-after-bushfires-threatens-disaster-for-our-rivers-129449">original article</a>.</em></p>

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‘New Bradfield’: rerouting rivers to recapture a pioneering spirit

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “</span><a href="https://www.deb2020.com.au/newbradfield/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">New Bradfield</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” scheme is more than an attempt to transcend environmental reality. It seeks to revive a pioneering spirit and a nation-building ethos supposedly stifled by the </span><a href="https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsville-enterprise-to-receive-24m-for-hells-gates-dam-case-after-months-of-bureacratic-delay/news-story/492dba14afd4ce71ffd08f12d38c15a6"><span style="font-weight: 400;">bureaucratic inertia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of modern Australia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is not a new lament. Frustrated by bureaucracy, politicians in North Queensland have long criticised the slow pace of northern development.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1950, northern local governments blamed urban lethargy. </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63184273?searchTerm=concern%20at%20drift%20in%20north%27s%20population&amp;searchLimits="><span style="font-weight: 400;">One prominent mayor</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> complained: “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">… these young people lack the pioneering spirit of their forebears, preferring leisure and pleasure to hardships and hard work.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These sentiments were inspired by an agrarian nostalgia that extolled toil and toughness. Stoic responses to the challenges of life on the land are part of the </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/9284258"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian legend</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With drought devastating rural and urban communities and a state election looming in Queensland in 2020, </span><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/queensland/leaders-tout-bradfield-scheme-options-in-queensland-election-fight-20191101-p536o2.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">both sides of politics</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have proposed a “New Bradfield” scheme.</span></p> <p><strong>An idea with 19th-century origins</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Civil engineer John Bradfield devised the original scheme in 1938. His plan would </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97050378?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FQ%2Ftitle%2F379%2F1939%2F05%2F04%2Fpage%2F10280686%2Farticle%2F97050378"><span style="font-weight: 400;">swamp inland Australia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by reversing the flow of North Queensland’s rivers. Similar proposals go back to at least 1887, when geographer </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35590102?q&amp;versionId=44284267+219718360+231090219"><span style="font-weight: 400;">E.A. Leonard recommended</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the Herbert, Tully, Johnstone and Barron rivers be turned around to irrigate Australia’s “</span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/13361128"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dead heart</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the “dead heart” became the “</span><a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/finlayson-hedley-herbert-14881"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Red Centre</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” in the 1930s, </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6707892?q&amp;versionId=7723963"><span style="font-weight: 400;">populist writers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> revived the dreams of big irrigation schemes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These schemes have always been contested on both </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-18/fact-file-bradfield-scheme-drought-relief/11216616"><span style="font-weight: 400;">environmental and economic grounds</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. A </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/20252029"><span style="font-weight: 400;">compelling history of Bradfield’s</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> proposal reveals many errors and miscalculations. But what the scheme lacked in substance it made up for in grandiose vision.</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-water-dreamers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Water dreaming</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been a powerful theme in Australian history. The desire to transform desert into farmland retains appeal and </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97099323?searchTerm=bradfield%20AND%20%22Nimmo%22&amp;searchLimits=exactPhrase=Nimmo%7C%7C%7CanyWords%7C%7C%7CnotWords%7C%7C%7CrequestHandler%7C%7C%7CdateFrom=1944-01-01%7C%7C%7CdateTo=1948-01-01%7C%7C%7Cl-advstate=National%7C%7C%7Cl-advstate=New+South+Wales%7C%7C%7Cl-advstate=Queensland%7C%7C%7Cl-advstate=Victoria%7C%7C%7Csortby"><span style="font-weight: 400;">discredited</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> schemes like Bradfield keep reappearing.</span></p> <p><strong>Contempt for nature and country</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While less ambitious than the original plan, the “New Bradfield” scheme still engineers against the gradient of both history and nature. It would have irreversible consequences for Queensland’s </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/experts-dismiss-new-drought-proofing-bradfield-scheme/11666006"><span style="font-weight: 400;">environment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, society and culture.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What’s more, the new scheme manifests much the same mindset as the old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s an attitude that privileges the conquest of nature: in this case literally up-ending geography by turning east-flowing rivers westward. Its celebration of the human struggle against defiant nature reprises the pioneering ethos.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like many pioneers, “New Bradfield” proposals disregard the interests and land-management practices of Indigenous people. The bushfires ravaging the eastern states show the folly of </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-14/traditional-owners-predicted-bushfire-disaster/11700320?sf223598160=1&amp;fbclid=IwAR2UkvGj_wyO4s6tbRqyI5sI6UgEI6SvqkoMwxCFEkKEV6FO7ZGJfGMP3Kc"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ignoring traditional ways of caring for country</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> .</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases/case_d1-2018"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overlooking native title realities</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can also cost governments and communities.</span></p> <p><strong>Polarising debate neglects more viable projects</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“New Bradfield” is promoted as “</span><a href="https://www.deb2020.com.au/newbradfield/?utm_source=Digitaliyf&amp;utm_medium=GSearch&amp;utm_campaign=NBradfield&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA8K7uBRBBEiwACOm4d-0xBRkgojO1Wykl937_rMhWhPhAb2ZsKhcKHOqdM2OuG11V34XdHBoCxBMQAvD_BwE"><span style="font-weight: 400;">an asset owned by all Queenslanders for all Queenslanders</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">”. But </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-darling-river-is-simply-not-supposed-to-dry-out-even-in-drought-109880"><span style="font-weight: 400;">environmental destruction</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/drought-and-climate-change-are-driving-high-water-prices-in-the-murray-darling-basin-119993"><span style="font-weight: 400;">disputes over water sales</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the Murray-Darling Basin sound a warning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queensland Farmers Federation has </span><a href="https://www.qff.org.au/media-releases/qff-welcomes-lnp-commitment-new-bradfield-scheme/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cautiously welcomed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the new scheme. Others have dismissed it as a “</span><a href="https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/6479100/cold-water-poured-on-bradfield-mark-ii/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pipe dream</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thus, northern Australia again sits amid a polarised debate about its utility to the nation. Such polarising contests diminish the likelihood of more viable projects being implemented.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Extravagant expectations of “untapped” northern resources have been </span><a href="https://scholarly.info/book/northern-dreams/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">proffered for nearly two centuries</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Distant governments have fantasised the Australian tropics as a land of near-limitless potential. Northern communities have many times been disappointed by the results.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today’s promises to “</span><a href="https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/opinion/flow-of-jobs-water-vital-for-nq-says-lnp-leader-deb-frecklington/news-story/053bb635b9cb86461ead6eedd39756ca"><span style="font-weight: 400;">drought-proof</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” large areas of Queensland rely on similar images. “Drought-proofing” aims to keep people on the land but often defies economic and social reality.</span></p> <p><strong>Dam developments have an underwhelming record</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “New Bradfield” rhetoric echoes the inflated expectations of myriad disappointing northern development plans in the past. The </span><a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781349905737"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ord River project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was touted as an agricultural wonder that would put hundreds of thousands of farmers into the Kimberley. Its success lies forever just over the horizon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Much closer to the present proposal is the Burdekin Falls Dam. It sits in the lower reaches of the same river earmarked for the </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-01/bradfield-scheme-is-moving-water-from-north-to-south-feasible/11662942"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hells Gates Dam that would feed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the “New Bradfield” scheme. Damming Hells Gates has been advocated since at least the 1930s and has </span><a href="https://www.townsvilleenterprise.com.au/news-media/news-centre/advocacy-alert-hells-gates-funding-agreement-signals-boots-on-the-ground/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new supporters</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Back in the 1950s, damming the Burdekin was expected to generate hydro-electric power and irrigate vast swathes of farmland. After decades of political squabbling, the dam was completed in 1988. It does not generate hydro power. Although it irrigates some land downstream, the anticipated huge agricultural expansion never happened.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Burdekin Falls Dam has helped the regional economy and could help to overcome the water shortages of the nearby city of Townsville. But it has not met the inflated expectations widely proffered decades earlier. The benefits that would flow from another dam further upstream are likely to be even more meagre.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grandiose visions of northern development have a habit of </span><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8505121?selectedversion=NBD660057"><span style="font-weight: 400;">failing</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. A “New Bradfield” scheme, animated by an old pioneering ethos, is unlikely to be different.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drought-affected communities would derive more benefit from sober proposals that acknowledge the past, integrate Indigenous knowledge and incorporate agricultural innovation.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Patrick White, Russell Mcgregor. Contribution by Janine Gertz. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/new-bradfield-rerouting-rivers-to-recapture-a-pioneering-spirit-127010"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Conversation.</span></a></em></p>

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Why Paris is always a good idea

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want to know another side of Paris? Meet up with an insider. Consider a tour with Cariboo, a community of passionate local guides out to show you what they love about their city. Walk, talk history, browse buildings and grab a bite in the bustling 2nd arrondissement with a retired general.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do a hands-on shoeshine course with a professional cobbler, or get a glimpse of the murderous, ghostly side of the City of Lights with a book-loving theatre bug.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you prefer a more theatrical tone, try Visites Spectacles. Set off with a costumed actor in search of the beautiful Moulin Rouge dancer, Gabrielle, and along the way discover Montmartre’s Belle Époque characters – Picasso, Braque, Modigliani and Utrillo, street urchins and legendary cancan dancers.</span></p> <p><strong>Why not sail on an enchanting Parisian peniche?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meander along the Promenade Plantée, a railway viaduct morphed into the world's first elevated park. Blooming with lavender, roses, wisteria, maples, cherry trees and birdlife, the 4.5km corridor winds through the lesser-known 12th arrondissement, from Opéra Bastille past apartment blocks to the woods of Vincennes, via the picnic-perfect Jardin de Reuilly.</span></p> <p><strong>The beautiful flowers from Mimi</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fuel up for an afternoon at The Louvre with a takeaway lunch box jammed with organic, gluten- and dairy-free treats, prepared by the passionate all-female team of La Guinguette D'Angèle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stock up on food supplies at Marché Aligre, an authentic neighbourhood market with an excess of barking vendors, basket-loads of produce and a rich cultural mix. Prices are slightly higher at the covered Marché Beauvau next door but the olive oils, tapenades, craft beer, and take-home spit-roasted pork and lamb are first rate as are the cheeses and butter at Fromagerie Hardouin-Langlet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Circle back to the flea market on Place d’Aligre to pick up a bargain curio–French jam jars or a bone-handled cheese knife, anyone?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take the wheel of an electric boat at the Bassin de la Vilette (no permit required). Marin d’eau douce in the 19th arrondissement rents out cute 5, 7 or 11-seaters. Throw in a picnic and cruise the local canals on a sun-splashed Paris day, pulling into a grassy bank at leisure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Demolish a Paris-Brest from La Pâtisserie des Rêves. The unadulterated hazelnut flavour, crispy choux pastry and gooey praline is life affirming.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make a pilgrimage to the Cimetiere de Passy, the smallest of the 19thC grands cimetières Parisiens, to see the tombs of Impressionist painters Edouard Manet and his sister-in-law Berthe Morisot, composer Claude Debussy, fashion designer Jean Patou, and the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai.</span></p> <p><strong>The Cimietiere de Passy</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A colossal WWI sculpture adorning the cemetery walls on Place du Trocadero is by Paul Landowski, the man responsible for Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wave to the Eiffel Tower across the river as you head up through the 16th arrondissement to the Musée Marmottan to see the largest collection of Berthe Morisot’s work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Slip out to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne just to stand beneath the Daniel Buren coloured rooftop. Join the perennial queue at Le Burger Fermier des Enfants Rouges in the city’s oldest covered market. The burgers are made with meat fresh from Pas-de-Calais farms in the north, slapped on homemade buns, topped with cheeses sourced from small producers, wrapped in mock newspaper and served with a cone of fresh fries.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meats, sausages and terrines from northern farms are good take-home-for-later fare. Grab a fragrant bunch of blooms from Mimi on your way out and cross the road to Empreintes, an artistic concept store showcasing the superb work of French craftsmen and women, from jewellery and tableware to lights and furniture.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Devour a côte de boeuf for two at late-night Chez Denise–La Tour de Montlhéry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Still wandering? Get lost in the ramshackle alleys of antiques at Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen. You may never find your way home again.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Maryanne Blacker. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/why-paris-is-always-a-good-idea.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

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Exploring Kakadu: A paradise to see

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sun is settling across the horizon of the wetlands; thousands of birds are already in place on the calm waters, while many more are making their way across the sky in group formation to where they will rest for the night.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s a warm evening with a light breeze and our bush oven is flavouring our bush tucker dinner that was collected during the day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sun is setting now which means that our fresh barramundi, wild magpie goose and water buffalo will be ready soon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Happy and with new friends, we settle in to enjoy the spectacular sunset with a cup of freshly made billy tea with smiles on our faces. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animal Tracks Safaris are no ordinary tours as we soon find out: it’s the real deal and definitely one of the best tours we have enjoyed anywhere in the world. Owner and tour guide Sean’s passion for Kakadu is complimented by our aboriginal bush guide Patsy who provides us with an insight into traditional living and hunting across this remarkable land. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our open sided tour bus is comfortable and allows us to all see, hear and smell the bush. It really is a magnificent setting. On our tour is a group of mixed nations aged from 10 years old up to my Mum, Judy, who had recently arrived in Darwin on the Ghan from Adelaide who is in her early 70’s.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meeting our local guide Patsy really feels like an honour. Patsy is shy at first but warmed to us all as we did to her. Learning how to gather bush tucker and about the history of the area from her was an amazing experience. To me I’ve always looked at the bush landscape as just bush but Patsy helped show me that it’s really a remarkable provider of food and resources to sustain life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The amount of birds on the water and in the skies around us is hard to imagine as are the sunsets. Kakadu is a paradise and should be at the top of everyone’s to do list.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kakadu’s Yellow Water Cruise which operates from near Cooinda Lodge is also a great way to experience the abundance of wildlife amongst stunning waterways.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our guide gives a really informative commentary and is an expert in naming the wide variety of bird life that we come across. On our morning cruise we were certainly treated to a great show by the local crocodiles which were basking in the sunshine along the banks and swimming with surprising grace past our boat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It ‘s too hard to describe Kakadu without using all of the usual superlatives, in fact Kakadu probably inspired the creation of many superlatives in the first place. Amazing, magic, inspiring, a must see!</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Lynton Jones. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/explore-kakadu-the-paradise-of-the-north.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

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