Are We Still Locking Children Up & Throwing Away The Key in NSW? The number of minors who had spent time in police custody by the end of first three calendar quarters of 2022.

 

The Youth Justice system in News South Wales is being described with some justification in the mainstream media as being in crisis. Citing an increase in bail refusals sometimes apparently without sufficient cause, instances of segregation, and serious abuse, systemic failures, institutional racism, and neglect in youth justice facilities.

In NSW, like Victoria & WA, children at 16 years of age can be incarcerated in adult prisons in certain circumstances.

There are six youth detention centres in NSW with one being the Acmena Youth Justice Centre at South Grafton, which accommodates boys and young men aged between 10 and 21 years of age who have been sentenced or remanded in custody. Young women and girls may be held at Acmena YJC for short periods and accommodated in the Admissions Centre. Acnena was last scheduled for official inspected in January 2022 by the NSW Inspector of Custodial Services and an unflattering but factual media report of the findings of a 2021 inspection can be found here. A previous official inspection which also contained disturbing observations arrears to have been conducted in July 2019 with a follow-up visit in May 2020. 

By 30 June 2021 there were only 375 permanently funded youth detention centre beds in New South Wales, at which time there was an official daily occupancy average of 151 persons and a nightly occupancy average of 201.2 persons.

To place young offenders in police custody in 2022 into perspective, it is noted that from 1 January to 30 September 2022 there were 37,140 adults who had also spent time in police custody.

Total Young Offenders in NSW Police Custody from 1 January to 30 September 2022 [NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research]:

585 individuals between the ages of 10 to 17 years inclusive.

That number represents an increase of 10 young people 

compared to the same period in 2021.

Of these 585 young people only est. 185 had been charged with an identifiably violent crime.

A total of 153 young offenders were recorded as “Sentenced” and 432 were listed as “On Remand”.

A total of 36 of these young offenders in police custody were female which represents a decrease of 8 girls compared to the same period last year. Of these 36 young female offenders only 10 were recorded as “Sentenced” and 26 were listed as “On Remand”.

There were 299 young offenders in police custody who identified as Aboriginal. This number represents an increase of 71 young individuals compared with the same period last year. Of these 299 Aboriginal young offenders only 59 were recorded as “Sentenced” and 240 were listed as “On Remand”.

So what is currently in the SARS-Cov-2 viral soup swirling around us as we go about our daily lives?

 

 

The NSW Perrottet Government decided in late 2021 that it would ignore the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It no longer publicly report instances of COVID-19 infection in a meaningful way. As well as removing in stages all mandatory health measures, including an obligation to get tested or to isolate if unwell. 

Therefore the general public knows little about the viral soup that now swirls arounds Australia's public spaces, transit systems, workplaces and even our homes.

So as a new cluster of Omicron subvariants make themselves felt this month in New South Wales: the population is generally under-vaccinated; the viral transmission rate is rising; the number of people testing positive is growing by approx. six to eight thousand confirmed cases every 7 days; hospital admissions due to COVD-19 are climbing; and somewhere between 22 to 39 deaths are occurring over 7 day periods.

With all statistics belatedly supplied by NSW Health indicating an increase in the already massive under reporting, once all pretence of a public health approach to this pandemic was abandoned.

So how many SARS-CoV-2 subvariants are there now?

Well since the original subvariants Apha, Beta, Gamma and Delta gave way to Omicron, there have been so many more subvariants of concern spawned in Australia and around the world.

Here is an outline of what is currently in the viral soup......

Doherty Institute, News, 3 November 2022:

From Centaurus to XBB: your handy guide to the latest COVID subvariants (and why some are more worrying than others)

The Omicron variant of concern has splintered into multiple subvariants. So we’ve had to get our heads around these mutated forms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including BA.1 and the more recent BA.5.

We’ve also seen recombinant forms of the virus, such as XE, arising by genetic material swapping between subvariants.

More recently, XBB and BQ.1 have been in the news.

No wonder it’s hard to keep up.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has had to rethink how it describes all these subvariants, now labelling ones we need to be monitoring more closely.

What’s the big deal with all these subvariants?

Omicron and its subvariants are still causing the vast majority of COVID cases globally, including in Australia.

Omicron subvariants have their own specific mutations that might make them more transmissible, cause more severe disease, or evade our immune response.

Omicron and its subvariants have pushed aside previous variants of concern, the ones that led to waves of Alpha and Delta earlier in the pandemic.

Now, in Australia, the main Omicron subvariants circulating are BA.2.75, and certain versions of BA.5. More on these later.

 

Viral genomes from Australia: once we had Alpha and Delta waves. Now we have waves of Omicron subvariants. Author provided

We still don’t fully understand the driving forces behind the emergence and spread of certain SARS-CoV-2 subvariants.

We can, however, assume the virus will keep evolving, and new variants (and subvariants) will continue to emerge and spread in this wave-like pattern.

How do we keep track of this all?

To monitor these subvariants, the WHO has defined a new category, known as “Omicron subvariants under monitoring”.

These are ones that have specific combinations of mutations known to confer some type of advantage, such as being more transmissible than others currently circulating.

Researchers and health authorities keep track of circulating subvariants by sequencing the genetic material from viral samples (for instance, from PCR testing or from wastewater sampling). They then upload the results to global databases (such as GISAID) or national ones (such as AusTrakka).

These are the Omicron subvariants authorities are keeping a closer eye on for any increased risk to public health.

Newer versions of BA.5

The BA.5 subvariant that arose in early February 2022 is still accumulating more mutations.

The WHO is monitoring BA.5 versions that carry at least one of five additional mutations (known as S:R346X, S:K444X, S:V445X, S:N450D and S:N460X) in the spike gene.

The spike gene codes for the part of the virus that recognises and fuses with human cells. We are particularly concerned about mutations in this gene as they might increase the virus’ ability to bind with human cells.

Throughout recent months, BA.5 has been the dominant subvariant in Australia. However, BA.2.75 has now established a foothold.

BA.2.75 or Centaurus

The BA.2.75 subvariant, sometimes called Centaurus, was first documented in December 2021. It possibly emerged in India, but has been detected around the globe.

This includes in Australia, where more than 400 sequences have been uploaded to the GISAID database since June 2022.

This subvariant has up to 12 mutations in its spike gene. It seems to spread more effectively than BA.5. This is probably due to being better able to infect our cells, and avoiding the immune response driven by previous infection with other variants.

 

BJ.1

This was first detected in early September 2022 and has a set of 14 spike gene mutations.

It has mostly been detected in India or in infections coming from this area.

We know very little about the impact of its mutations and at the time of writing, there was only one Australian sequence reported.

BA.4.6 or Aeterna

BA.4.6, sometimes called Aeterna, was detected in January 2022 and has been spreading rapidly in the United States and the United Kingdom.

There have been more than 800 sequences uploaded to the GISAID database in Australia since May 2022.

It may be more easily transmitted from one person to the next due to its spike gene mutations.

Early data suggests it is better able to resist cocktails of therapeutic antibodies compared with BA.5. This makes antibody therapies, such as Evusheld, less effective against it.

BA.2.3.20

This was first detected in the US in August 2022. It has a set of nine mutations in the spike gene, including a rare double mutation (A484R).

Like BA.2.75, this subvariant is probably better able to infect our cells and avoid the immune response driven by previous infection.

There are more than 100 Australian genomic sequences reported in the GISAID database, all from August 2022.

XBB

This recombinant version of the virus was detected in August 2022. It is a result of the swapping of genetic material between BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75. It has 14 extra mutations in its spike gene compared with BA.2.

Although there have only been 50 Australian genomic sequences reported in GISAID since September, we anticipate cases will rise. Lab studies indicate therapeutic antibodies don’t work so well against it, with XBB showing strong resistance.

Although XBB appears to be able to spread faster than BA.5, there’s no evidence so far it causes more severe disease.

 

How about BQ.1?

Although it is not on the WHO list of subvariants under monitoring, cases of the BQ.1 subvariant are rising in Australia. BQ.1 contains mutations that help the virus evade existing immunity. This means infection with other subvariants, including BA.5, may not protect you against BQ.1.

In the meantime, your best protection against severe COVID, whichever subvariant is circulating, is to make sure your booster shots are up-to-date. Other ways to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection include wearing a fitted mask, avoiding crowded spaces with poor ventilation, and washing your hands regularly.

Written by

Dr Ash Porter, Research officer and Dr Sebastian Duchene, Australian Research Council Future Fellow.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Almost singlehandedly the policies and actions of the NSW O'Farrell-Baird-Berejiklian-Perrottet coalition governments have brought the Koala to the brink of extinction

https://youtu.be/w8LiyaMs0xU

This century started with celebrations across the state. 

Twenty-two years in and there is little to celebrate in New South Wales.

The state is at the sharp end of climate change impacts, the sharp end of a pandemic and, the sharp end of the Koala extinction crisis.

In 2019-20 alone over 17 million hectares were burnt or impacted and more than 61,000 koalas killed, injured or impacted by fire in the east coast mega bushfire season.

More than than 5.3 million hectares were burnt or impacted in NSW, including 2.7 million hectares of national parks.

In NSW more koala have also been lost to widespread flooding and the stress of habitat loss as the NSW Government continues to allow an unsustainable level of land clearing.

A total of 646,418 hectares have been approved for land clearing in the state between 9 March 2018 and 1 April 2022. The rate at which native vegetation was being cleared was over 61,00 hectares a year.

In 2020-21 the state-owned forestry corporation logged an est. 13,500 hectares of native forest and, as in the past, repeatedly logged in protected areas or known koala habitat.

Currently it is estimated that Australia-wide there may be as few as 43,000 koala left of the est. 7-10 million koala population calculated to exist in 1788. Almost certainly less than 80,000 koala.

In NSW there is some suggestion that the current number of koala left in the wild could be as low as <11,000 individuals in increasingly isolated colonies. Since the 2019-20 devastation of national parks, many of these koalas are now found on private land.

It should be noted that the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison federal coalition governments' support of the continued logging of New South Wales native forests between September 2013 to May 2022 had exacerbated the rate of land clearing/loss of native tree cover and the environmental impacts which flow from the removal of so many mature trees.

NSW Perrottet Government in full election mode 9 months out from the state election and its hypocrisy is showing beneath a cloak of environmental concern

ARR News, 20 June 2022:

Australian Rural & Regional News has asked a few questions for the Ministers, set out below the release.

Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Minister for Energy (NSW), James Griffin, Minister for Environment and Heritage (NSW), Dugald Saunders, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Western New South Wales (NSW), Joint Media Release, 19 June 2022

Farmers around the State will be supported to adopt additional sustainable practices through a groundbreaking $206 million program delivered in the NSW Budget.

Treasurer Matt Kean said this landmark investment will reward farmers who voluntarily reduce their carbon emissions and protect biodiversity.

“This is great news for farmers and the environment. This funding will help improve biodiversity and lower emissions across NSW, and our farmers will receive tangible benefits for sustainable land management practices,” Mr Kean said.

Mr Kean said NSW has an early mover advantage to secure a leading position in the emerging global marketplace for low carbon food and fibre from producers who are also improving our biodiversity.

“This new era of natural capital could unlock up to $10 billion of ‘Environment, Social and Governance’ financing in Australia,” Mr Kean said.

“Natural capital will reduce farmers’ risks from climate change and biodiversity loss while improving long-term farm productivity.”

Minister for Environment James Griffin said the Sustainable Farming Program will help to shore up the long-term health of the environment and the agricultural sector.

“This $206 million new program is completely voluntary. We’re proposing to develop an accreditation scheme for farmers who manage their land for biodiversity and carbon, while enhancing their productivity,” Mr Griffin said.

“Just as we know what the Forestry Stewardship Council certification system represents, this is about developing an easily recognisable accreditation for sustainable farms.

“We know that investors and consumers are increasingly looking for sustainably produced products, and this program will support our producers to meet that demand.”

Many farmers are already undertaking sustainable practices as part of their day to day operations and this program represents an opportunity for diversified income, with the program offering farmers payments to secure and maintain accreditation.

In turn, the accreditation has potential to increase their market access globally, helping farmers sell their products at a premium and access emerging environmental markets. The accreditation will not impact existing accreditation schemes such as those used to access the European beef markets.

Accreditation could be achieved by actions such as restoring habitat, fencing for dam and riparian areas, rotating crops, and using best-practice feed and fertiliser practices.

Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the program will be developed in close consultation with farmers and landowners.

“The NSW Government will work with farmers and landholders on options to tap into the emerging natural capital market,” Mr Saunders said.

“Farmers in NSW are already natural capital specialists and should be rewarded for the productive and environmental outcomes they generate.

“This announcement will give farmers and other landholders more options to diversify their income while maintaining ultimate decision making power on how to sustainably and productively manage their property.”

Farmers will receive a payment for reaching milestones on agreed sustainable practices under an accreditation framework.

The accreditation program will be developed in consultation with stakeholders, and complements existing private land conservation programs offered by the NSW Government.

Learn more: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/sustainable-farming

Questions

Australian Rural & Regional News asked a few questions of the Ministers. Their response will be included here once received.

1. When do you expect the programme to actually start?

2. Who will be the 'stakeholders' to be consulted in regard to the accreditation process?

3. Have there been any community meetings in rural & regional communities to discuss this programme? If not, are they planned as part of the consultation process?

A question not yet being asked is 'How does this media release fit with a Perrottet Government farm forestry policy which encourages farmers to log native timber stands on their land for additional income and to support the dying timber industry, thereby further threatening extinction of the NSW Koala population by 2050?'

With less than 50 per cent of native forests on private land in Northern NSW and a deliberately weakened private native forestry code, that’s a clear threat to what biodiversity and undisturbed habitat remains on local farmland.

And for what? For a very few years worth of construction timber, power poles, flooring, furniture and firewood.

Under reporting of COVID-19 cases in New South Wales is now a sick joke being played on the population

As of 4pm on Friday, 17 June 2022, Australia-wide there were est. 208,173 active cases of COVID-19 recorded by the Australian Government Dept. Of Health.

Of these, 30,302 confirmed cases had been reported in the prior 24 hours.

A total of 2,817 cases were currently hospitalised on 17 June, with 93 in intensive care units and of these 30 people requiring ventilation.

In the 24 hours to 4pm on 17 June 51 people had died as a result of contracting COVID19. As government agencies do not update on weekends it is noted that covidlive.com.au reported a further 64 deaths on Saturday 18 June.

In New South Wales up 4pm on Friday 14 June 2022 there were 85,386 active cases of COVID-19 and in the 24 hours up to 4pm 17 June there were 8,119 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases.

A total of 1,344 cases were currently hospitalised on 17 June, with 45 in intensive care units and of these 18 requiring ventilation.

In the 24 hours to 4pm on Friday, 17 June 25 people had died as a result of contracting COVID-19.

Since the SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 pandemic first entered Australia and NSW in late January 2020, NSW Health has recorded a total 2,704,725 confirmed cases of COVID-19 – a conservative figure given the ongoing under reporting of infection numbers – and 3,387 deaths.

The seven local government areas in the NSW Northern Rivers region recorded the following newly confirmed COVID-19 case numbers as at 4pm on Friday, 17 June 2022:

Tweed Shire – details not available

Ballina Shire – details not available

Byron Shire – details not available

Lismore City – details not available

Richmond Valley – details not available

Clarence Valley – details not available

Kyogle Shire – details not available

TOTAL 242 cases – 77 confirmed as positive by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests & 165 confirmed positive by Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs).

In the four weeks to 17 June 2022 the seven local government areas in the NSW Northern Rivers region recorded the following number of confirmed COVID-19 cases:

Tweed Shire – 443 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Ballina Shire – 250 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Byron Shire – 104 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Lismore City – 167 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Richmond Valley – 126 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Clarence Valley – 123 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count;

Kyogle Shire – 16 cases confirmed by PCR tests. All cases confirmed by RATs excluded from the count.

TOTAL 1,229 cases – this figure includes only cases confirmed as positive by PCR tests and deliberately excludes all positive RAT testing.

Note: Under reporting of COVID-19 infection in the Northern Rivers region over the four week period ending 17 June 2022 is possibly in the vicinity of more than 1,229 persons – bringing the estimated total number to anywhere between 2,458 to 3,687 infected people spread out over the 7 local government areas.