Advocates say the goal isn't just about existing — it's about thriving at home.
Posted 28m ago 28 minutes ago Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 1:29am
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News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Waterfront community ‘heartbroken' over balcony sight
A group of Sydney neighbours are speaking out to draw the attention over the plight of a balcony-bound dog, capturing video of the small pet left outside at all hours as the city shivers through winter. In Wentworth Point, locals say they've been left 'heartbroken' by the sight of a small dog seen alone on an exposed concrete balcony for prolonged periods, with no visible bedding, toys or kennel. Neighbours have been taking turns monitoring the dog in recent weeks, and footage they have captured shows the dog out on the balcony at various times of day and night, with the animal whimpering in one clip. Locals said the dog appeared to have been spending nights inside the apartment since one neighbour confronted the owner on the street this week, but they remain concerned. 'We're feeling much better about the intervention but it only occurred due to community pressure and action. As this situation with the dog being left out all night has been occurring for months and there was no previous change, I think it would be understandable that concerned community members would have reservations about repeated behaviour,' said one local on a community Facebook page. Speaking to local Shiv said residents 'can no longer sit by and witness this'. 'For weeks, we have observed the dog's behaviour … from frequent barking to prolonged howling, to now barely making a sound and often lying curled up on the cold concrete,' she said. Residents claim the dog has been regularly seen scratching at the door and crying on the balcony of the luxury apartment complex, where rent costs upwards of $1500 a week. 'We've taken every possible step to address the situation. We've attempted to make numerous reports with the RSPCA and have been in contact with the Animal Welfare League,' said Shiv. However, a spokesperson for the building's management told they were aware of concerns, and that they had co-operated with authorities. 'We take animal welfare and community concerns seriously and are aware of a local Facebook post regarding a dog sighted on a balcony,' they said in a statement. 'While we understand the community's concerns, we wish to clarify that there is currently no evidence of cruelty or neglect involving the dog in question. We have responded transparently and cooperatively to inquiries from Animal Welfare NSW and remain committed to supporting any further investigations in line with legislative requirements. 'Our on-site management team has conducted visual welfare checks, and the dog appeared to be in good condition when observed.' Management said it was 'monitoring the situation closely' and would take further steps if required. Another neighbour, Lyndal, told that she walks her dog around 5am, often hearing crying and whining from the apartment balcony, after the dog was left out at night. 'I didn't think too much of it at first, but as more people began to notice, it clicked to me that the dog must be there overnight,' she said. Lyndal said concerned locals began taking turns to check on the dog at different times of the night, and claimed the dog had been seen on the balcony at all hours of the night. 'I haven't witnessed one interaction between the owner and the dog. It just sits outside in the freezing cold,' she said. Tensions boiled over this week when a member of the community confronted the owner from the street below, a move that other residents have described as 'unhelpful'. Since then, neighbours claim the dog has been moved inside. 'It is deeply upsetting,' said Shiv. 'We aren't wanting to publicly shame the owners or have the dog forcibly removed from their care. Many of us have offered support such as kennels, bedding, dog walking, or pet sitting. But no one is taking us up on these offers. Unfortunately, these offers have been met with no response from the owners.' A spokesperson for the City of Parramatta Council told 'With animal welfare matters of this nature, Council encourages concerned residents to contact building management or the appropriate animal welfare organisation such as the RSPCA.' RSPCA declined to comment but wrote in an email to that, as a general proposition, they take every report of animal abuse seriously. NSW's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 states that 'a person in charge of an animal shall not fail to provide the animal with food, drink or shelter, or any of them.' Individuals that breach this are subject to a maximum 150 penalty units or imprisonment for six months, or both. attempted to contact the dog owner for comment. The incident comes after A concerned neighbour filmed the dog over a period of months, sparking nationwide outrage over the heartbreaking scene. Harry the corgi, who was previously known as Trump, was surrendered by his owner to Melbourne city council after both parties agreed it was the right decision.
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- SBS Australia
This school's cane toad muster shows how education could be done differently
Most children are already home from school when darkness falls. But in the Kimberley, it's a different story. Once the sun sets, these kids are armed with rubbish bags and a bunch of sticks to walk through their community of Woorreranginy — also known as Frog Hollow — in search of cane toads. The invasive species come out at night and can be lethal to native predators who try to eat them, including quokkas, reptiles and birds. But they're no match for the students of Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School (PAICS). "Our science teacher came up with this idea to toad muster because I think he's seen a lot of them here," Sophia Mung, the Maja Gijam Boorroo (Boss for Gija Language and Culture) at PAICS, told SBS News. Mairead Scanlon, who became principal of the school this year, says the extracurricular activity is all about teaching the Gija children the importance of protecting their Country. "They went out for a few hours … they're helping protect the country," Scanlon told SBS News. "The disposal is the tricky bit. You need to freeze them and make sure you don't put them in the bin too far before rubbish day as they can smell a bit." It's just one way education is done differently in the East Kimberley. A key part of the Gija curriculum is On Country learning, where students engage in hands-on, culturally responsive teachings on Aboriginal land. Source: Supplied Aboriginal education that's the 'first of its kind' PAICS is the first Aboriginal school in Western Australia to formally change its entire curriculum to focus on Gija learning. It isn't aware of any other schools in Australia that approach Aboriginal education like it does. The school is working to revive Gija, the traditional language of the area that has been spoken for thousands of years. Its entire teaching program — from literacy, to numeracy, to art and science — centres on Gija stories, language, kinship and connection to Country. Mung is one of the last fluent Gija speakers left, and has been working for years to ensure her knowledge is passed down to the next generation. She's spent the last few years co-developing an alternative Gija curriculum for the school — recognised by the Curriculum Standards Authority in Western Australia — based on Gija culture and language. Most of the 46 students enrolled from early childhood to high school speak English as their second language. Their first is Gija Kriol, which combines Gija and Kriol. Aboriginal Kriol languages developed after European invasion and there are numerous dialects. They are primarily spoken in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. While some may perceive them as similar to English, Kriol is recognised as a legitimate language with its own grammatical system. Gija woman Sophia Mung (left) is one of the last fluent speakers of Gija and has worked for years to co-develop the Gija curriculum. She's teaming up with school principal Mairead Scanlon (right) to change the way education is done in Aboriginal communities. Source: Supplied The school is working with a language consultant to develop the orthography — a system of writing rules — for Gija Kriol, and is hoping to create a structured phonics and literacy program for the language to be taught in the school. "Gija Kriol is what they're speaking at home," Scanlon said. "A lot of kids when they get to school, it might be the first time they hear standard Australian English being spoken — and that's a really big challenge for them." Mung adds that the school's focus on embedding the Gija curriculum into every lesson, rather than offering individual units addressing Aboriginal language or culture, has led to some students travelling long distances from neighbouring towns to attend the school. Some of the kids come from 35 kilometres down the road in Warmun … they hear that we are teaching our traditional language here. Sophia Mung, Maja Gijam Boorroo (Boss for Gija Language and Culture) at Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School A foundational element of the curriculum is On Country learning, where students engage in hands-on, culturally responsive teachings on Aboriginal land. There are also after-school art clubs, regular cook-ups, and a Gija ranger program in the works. "A big focus of that is teaching the kids how to identify the native plants, what the non-native plants are, and then whether they're actually invasive," Scanlon said. Another key element is allowing students to develop their own Dreamtime stories based on the land and stories they are living on, written in Gija. The school also works with linguists and Kriol language consultants to convert traditional books into Gija Kriol, and to develop dedicated phonics resources. The children learn to read and write in Gija Kriol before standard Australian English. Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School is working with a language consultant to develop the orthography for Gija Kriol, including translating books and creating a structured phonics and literacy program. Source: Supplied Scanlon says the approach results in strong attendance and engagement because the kids feel "at home". "They feel that their language and culture is recognised and celebrated, so they're able to come to school proud," she said. Mung says their success is an example of how schools can resonate with Aboriginal students. "I think it would be good [for schools to] introduce their own Dreaming stories, bring them into the schools, and get the elders to come in and teach it. "You might get a lot of First Nations kids excelling at school." First Nations education gap widens Despite producing great outcomes for literacy and numeracy, the knowledge of kids at PAICS struggles to be recognised under standardised testing. The results of NAPLAN — Australia's largest standardised test — were released on Wednesday, showing student literacy and numeracy appeared to be stagnating across Australia. Almost one in three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one in 10 non-Indigenous students. There was also a regional divide, with just one in five students in very remote areas considered strong or exceeding expectations, far below 70 per cent of students in major cities. LISTEN TO Key education outcomes in First Nations communities, like increasing Year 12 and tertiary education participation, were improving, but not on track to meet targets. Marian Vidal-Fernandez, associate professor in the School of Economics at the University of Sydney, says the large gaps are "deeply concerning, but sadly not new". She adds that since 2023 — the most recent comparable cohort — there are no signs of this gap narrowing. "This persistence points to systemic issues in how resources are allocated and how culturally and contextually appropriate support needs to be delivered to the communities most in need," she told SBS News. But the NT government appears to be doubling down on 'explicit teaching' and a focus on school attendance to boost numeracy and literacy standards. "This is about delivering results, not excuses," NT education minister Jo Hersey said in a statement about the 2025 NAPLAN results. "We're turning that around by getting kids back in the classroom and giving teachers the tools that work." She said territory-wide participation rates had risen from 79.4 per cent in 2024 to 81.5 per cent in 2025. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the NAPLAN results showed "encouraging signs of improvement", but said there was "more work to do". He said the government had committed to the biggest investment in public schools by an Australian government — $16 billion over the next 10 years. 'Traditional methods aren't meeting the needs of kids' While NAPLAN may highlight widening gaps, some are concerned the test also doesn't fully capture the breadth of students' knowledge. A sit-down paper like NAPLAN is considered by many to be a Eurocentric, Western approach to education that may not take into account cultural nuances or hands-on knowledge. For example, tests on comprehension rely on students being familiar with the words but also the broader story themes. If these are based on city-centric experiences, this may disadvantage those living in rural or remote areas. "If there was a story about going down to the river to catch some fish, the kids would be able to comprehend every part of that story," Scanlon explained. These standardised tests are penalising knowledge that isn't [seen] as relevant. They're not giving kids the chance to demonstrate the knowledge that they do have or the skills they are developing. Mairead Scanlon, principal of Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School Vidal-Fernandez says that evidence shows that when NAPLAN questions use everyday scenarios or contexts that Indigenous students understand, performance improves significantly. Scanlon says there is evidence that Aboriginal children are very competent at hands-on, visual learning — something that also cannot be captured in a sit-down exam like NAPLAN. While she understands the need for standardised testing, especially to gauge how schools are performing on average, she says poor results among Aboriginal students don't reflect their true ability. "There's not this recognition that kids are coming in already fully comprehending their first language, and then transitioning into another language and being assessed on it," the principal said. Principal Mairead Scanlon says there is evidence that First Nations students are very competent at hands-on, visual learning — something not captured in an exam like NAPLAN. Source: Supplied Parents can elect for their children to opt out of the NAPLAN test if they wish, something all parents at PAICS have done, as they don't see it as meaningfully contributing to their understanding of their child's development. "We can show them all the [alternative] evidence of how their children are growing," Scanlon explained. Scanlon says the limitations of NAPLAN don't just apply to Aboriginal schools. "This is happening across the whole education system. People are realising that the very traditional methods of teaching and learning aren't meeting the needs of a lot of kids." 'So much work to be done' Vidal-Fernandez says that while NAPLAN can be a "useful snapshot" for understanding broad trends in literacy and numeracy, as well as highlighting systemic gaps, it has clear limitations and is a "narrow assessment". She recommends allowing Indigenous communities to adapt the test to their needs in a way that's culturally appropriate. "[NAPLAN] doesn't capture essential aspects of education like creativity, cultural knowledge, social-emotional learning, teamwork, or artistic expression. These are core parts of a holistic education and deserve more emphasis." Scanlon hopes there will be opportunities to develop a more collective approach to literacy and numeracy among schools like hers with similar demographics. She says her school has invested a huge amount of time, money and resources into its innovative curriculum. "But if we want systemic improvement and change, we need funding to develop these programs for entire regions so it's not just individual schools that are running their own race with this." Queensland's Human Rights Commissioner, Scott McDougall, who will be speaking at this weekend's Garma Festival — Australia's largest Indigenous gathering — says plenty of work needs to be done between education departments and representatives of First Nations communities to ensure schools are retaining students and teaching them effectively. He acknowledges the need to develop appropriate curricula for First Nations groups, something that he isn't seeing broadly in Queensland. There are so many rights that are tied up in the education system, including cultural rights and the right to be taught your own language. Scott McDougall, Queensland's Human Rights Commissioner "So many schools report that First Nations children do not see any relevance in the material that's being presented to them," he said. He adds that a key issue is the high rates of student absences as a result of suspensions and expulsions, which can go against the right to education, now protected by Queensland's Human Rights Act. McDougall will speak at Garma about the meaningful enactment of human rights in First Nations communities, and says education is a core part of this. "There's so much work to be done in the education space," he said. "It's foundational to the empowerment of First Nations communities — and it's lagging well behind."
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Washington DC crash investigation shows chopper flying above altitude limit
Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and a US army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people have found the chopper was flying higher than it should have been and its altitude readings were inaccurate. The details came out of the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings, chaired by Jennifer Homendy, in Washington, where investigators aim to uncover insights into what caused the crash between the American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, and the Black Hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan National Airport. The board opened the three days of hearings by showing an animation and playing audio and video from the night of the collision, as well as questioning witnesses and investigators about how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the army may have contributed to the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. The board's final report will not be released until sometime next year, but it became clear on Wednesday how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the nation's crash. The January night-time incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the travelling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. The hearing opened on Wednesday with a video animation showing where the helicopter and airliner were leading up to the collision. It showed how the helicopter flew above the 200 feet (61 metres) altitude limit on the helicopter route along the Potomac River before colliding with the plane. Investigators said the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 to 100 feet higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters. Sikorsky Aircraft's Dan Cooper said when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that did not exist back then that helped provide more accurate altitude readings. Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that she would not find a 80 to 100 feet discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Below 500 feet, Ms Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross-referencing them. She said as long as an altimeter registered an altitude within 70 feet of the published altitude before take-off, the altimeter was considered accurate under the checklists. Army officials said a discrepancy of 70 feet to 100 feet between the Black Hawk's altimeters was within the acceptable range because pilots were expected to maintain their altitude plus or minus 100 feet. The greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Reagan airport that included such small separation distances between helicopters and planes when planes were landing. "The fact that we have less than 500 foot separation is a concern for me," said Scott Rosengren, chief engineer in the office that manages the army's utility helicopters. But Rosengren said that "if he was king for a day" he would immediately retire all the older Black Hawk models like the one involved in this crash and replace them with newer versions of the helicopters. Army officials and the head of a local medevac helicopter company that flies around Washington told the board they believed air traffic controllers would never let them fly the helicopter route involved in the crash anytime a plane was approaching the runway. Chief Warrant Officer David Van Vechten said after the crash, he talked to many of his fellow pilots and everyone had the same assumption that controllers would never allow them to fly across the path of the runway the American plane was approaching before the crash. Citing the numbers for runways, Mr Van Vetchen said that "100 per cent of the time when I was on route four and 33/15 was active" he would be instructed to hold until after the plane landed or took off from that runway. During the two minutes before the crash, one air traffic controller was directing airport traffic and helicopters in the area, a task that involved speaking to or receiving communications from several different aircraft, according to the NTSB's History of Flight Performance Study. The air traffic controller had spoken to or received communications from the Black Hawk helicopter, an airplane that was taking off, an Air Force helicopter, an airplane on the ground, a medical helicopter and an inbound flight that was not the American Airlines plane that would crash. "All aircraft could hear the controller, but helicopters could only hear other helicopters on their frequency and airplanes only other airplanes," the report stated. "This resulted in a number of stepped on transmissions as helicopters and airplanes were not aware when the other was communicating." Stepped on transmissions are those that are unheard or blocked because of other transmissions. The NTSB report provides a list of 29 separate communications between the airport tower and other aircraft during approximately the 1 minute and 57 seconds before the collision. Previously disclosed air traffic control audio had the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it. Officials on Wednesday also raised the use of night vision goggles, which limit the wearer's field of view, on the helicopter as a factor. The animation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognise a troubling history of 85 near misses around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the collision, and that the army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capital with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. US senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, introduced legislation on Tuesday to require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment, but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes. The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. National Transportation Safety Board chair Ms Homendy said her agency had been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he would like to discuss "a few tweaks," the legislation was "the right approach." He also suggested that the previous administration "was asleep at the wheel" amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington's airspace. AP
