Federal funding to combat SA's algal bloom
Published 21 July 2025, 8:11 am
The federal government has pledged a one-off 14-million-dollar assistance package for South Australia which is in the grips of a months-long toxic algal bloom. Environment Minister Murray Watt called it a 'very serious environmental event' but has resisted calls to declare the outbreak a natural disaster.
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News.com.au
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News.com.au
a day ago
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Concerning daycare images show children with their mouths taped shut in yoga exercise
A Sydney daycare centre has received a warning from the NSW Department of Education after concerning images emerged of children with their mouths covered with tape. The toddlers at Heritage House in Wahroonga, on Sydney's north shore, were participating in a breathing exercise as part of a yoga session last year. No injuries were reported from the exercise which was meant to be relaxing, but the Department launched an investigation into the matter after concerns were raised by a parent. 'While no children were harmed in this incident, it was an inappropriate activity that should not have taken place in an early learning centre,' a spokesperson from the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority told 'A thorough investigation was immediately conducted and a compliance action issued to the approved provider, which remains on their record.'  An external visitor was not running the yoga session, and the centre provided evidence to the Department that the mouth taping exercise has since been discontinued.  In a statement, Heritage House told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'It was a well-intentioned activity led by one of our educators, a yoga instructor.' 'We accept that the Department issued a warning and as a result we took steps to ensure that the activity was not repeated.' Photos of the activity were shared on the centre's parents app alongside a caption where an educator described the activity as 'unique'. 'The children gathered for a unique lesson combining breathwork, gentle yoga, and the tape-mouth technique. Guided to focus on nasal breathing, they playfully mimicked animals in yoga poses, learning to breathe deeply and calmly through their noses, fostering early mindfulness,' they wrote, according to SMH. A number of parents whose children attend the daycare threw their support behind the centre and its educators on Tuesday. One parent told 7News: 'They've always been very careful about the kids, their growth, their education, everything.' Another said: 'People are friendly, they seem engaged, kids are happy here.' Mouth taping, specifically for adults prone to mouth breathing while sleeping, has become a recent trend on TikTok but concerns have been raised about the dangers of restricting airflow.
ABC News
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Rock lobster pots removed from Granites beach despite 'no evidence' of shark risk mitigation
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