Latest news with #Alfred
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
CalMac ferries crisis: 'Never-ending storm of disruption' for key route as timetable changes hit
Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Passengers on one of CalMac's busiest routes are facing a 'never-ending storm of disruption' by being forced to switch several times between ports 15 miles apart, an MSP has complained. It comes amid fears the operator's ferries crisis could get even worse when several major vessels are taken out of service for annual overhauls this autumn. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Extended repairs to Caledonian Isles could take almost two years | John Devlin/The Scotsman A shortage of ferries because of breakdowns and refits, along with with harbour maintenance work, means sailings on the main ferry route to Arran will be shifted between Ardrossan and Troon several times until October. It will also result in a single, smaller ferry providing the service for a week compared to the normal two. The service to and from Brodick will only run from Troon until September 7, then it transfers to Ardrossan for a week before returning to Troon from September 15. Many passengers prefer travelling from Ardrossan because it is a shorter crossing and the port has a rail link with Glasgow. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, CalMac was forced to suspend the service in January because of a shortage of ferries during mammoth repairs to Caledonian Isles, the route's main vessel, which could continue until November - nearly two years. Another vessel, Isle of Arran, was drafted in to serve the route for three weeks until Thursday last week, but it was then switched to cover the main Islay route. The ferry will return to temporarily resume Ardrossan-Brodick sailings from Sept 8-14 while the Troon linkspan, which enables vehicles to drive on and off vessels, undergoes maintenance. Winter timetable plans due But there will be no Ardrossan sailings again from September 15 to at least October 19, with CalMac reviewing its planned winter timetables because of Caledonian Isles' extended absence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ferry operator said it planned to share the information with affected communities in the next couple of weeks. Troon sailings are handled by the new Glen Sannox ferry and chartered catamaran Alfred, neither of which can use Ardrossan. Alfred has been on charter to CalMac from Pentland Ferries in Orkney since 2023 | John Devlin/The Scotsman Isle of Arran will be out of service from September 18 to October 23 for annual maintenance, followed by Loch Seaforth, CalMac's largest vessel, which operates the Ullapool-Stornoway route, from October 18. 'The latest downpour' That will further reduce capacity on the main Arran route as Alfred is due to help cover for Loch Seaforth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad West of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene said: 'Islanders are facing a never-ending storm of disruption and this news is just the latest downpour. 'The hard-working staff at CalMac are doing their very best, but they have been let down by a chaotic SNP Government that broke its promise to build new ferries on time and on budget. 'Islanders are now stuck with an ageing fleet that's constantly breaking down and causing havoc. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The Scottish Government are treating my constituents along the west coast like second-class citizens. I have spoken to so many islanders who don't have any faith in the government's ability to deliver for them.' 'Significant disruption' A CalMac spokesperson said: "We have shared a vessel deployment plan for the last few weeks of our summer timetable with communities on our network. 'This plan meets projected demand on all routes and has been designed to provide people with certainty of service levels during what we acknowledge is a period of significant disruption.
ABC News
13 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Coastal erosion researcher warns against Gold Coast plan for bars on beaches
Beach bars could become a permanent tourist attraction on the Gold Coast from next year, but an environmental researcher warns the city's eroded beaches are in no shape to accommodate them. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he would like the first venue to be set up at Broadbeach in the 2026 summer and packed up in winter. "The ideal beach bar is that I can go down there and enjoy the surf," Cr Tate said. A beach bar was successfully trialled at Broadbeach during the 2021–22 Christmas school holidays. Gold Coast City Council endorsed a three-year extension of the Kurrawa Beach Bar trial, but it was blocked by the Department of Natural Resources in 2022 after complaints from environmental groups. Councillor Tate said a resurrected beach bar would need to be affordable and accessible to the public, unlike some European beach clubs. Bond University coastal erosion researcher Mark Ellis said the venture wouldn't be viable given the city's beaches still bore the scars of damage inflicted during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. "The issue is you actually need to have a beach to have it on," Mr Ellis said. An estimated 6 million cubic metres of sand, the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools, was washed away from beaches across the city. The Gold Coast City Council predicts it could take up to three years to recover from the storm, with more than $30 million already spent on a sand-pumping barge to help speed up the process. Several major events have been relocated or cancelled, including the Pacific Airshow, because of the erosion. Mr Ellis said any planned beach bar would be vulnerable to future storm threats. "I think from an environmental point of view and a climate and modelling point of view, it's not really a good long-term business model because the next storm surge is going to increase," he said. "I think we're going into a La Niña summer and La Niñas are usually profound for bringing in more storms and, when more storms come in, that leads to more erosion. While councils pay to maintain and manage Queensland beaches, the state government owns them. There has been a change of government since the Kurrawa Beach Club was shut down, and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has publicly supported its revival. But the Gold Coast City Council would have to apply for a trustee lease if it wanted to operate a beach club long term. The Gold Coast Council has been drafting a land-management plan for the Broadbeach foreshore and it carried out community consultation last year. A city spokesperson said the final report would be ready in the coming months. While residents and businesses have previously opposed commercial activities on the beach because of noise and pollution, Cr Tate said the new proposal would have minimal impact on the community. "This is only taking a small part of the beach, not even 50 metres," he said. "We've got 66 kilometres of beach so, if you don't want to go to the beach bar, you've got [plenty of beach] to choose from."
West Australian
19 hours ago
- General
- West Australian
NAPLAN results: One-in-10 need extra support, girls outperformed boys in literacy, boys better in numeracy
One-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards despite 'encouraging' signs that kids are getting better at maths. Two-thirds of students performed strongly or exceeded expectations on NAPLAN testing, but geographic location, parent education levels and family background continue to be a major factor impacting results. Almost one-in-three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one-in-ten 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. Girls again outperformed boys in literacy but boys did better in numeracy, with the gaps emerging in early secondary and late primary school. Some 71.1 per cent of year 7 girls achieved strong or 'exceeding' - the highest proficiency level - writing results, compared to 57 per cent of boys. In numeracy, by year 3 there were 6.1 per cent fewer girls achieving 'exceeding' results than boys, which increased to eight per cent by year 5. Children from higher socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas also tended to score better. Results in all subjects were relatively stable across the board but Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel called for 'collective action' to help those left behind. 'Such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students,' he said. The curriculum boss was buoyed by more Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving 'exceeding' results in writing and numeracy, as well as an overall better maths results. 'It's encouraging to see higher NAPLAN scores on average across years 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy, particularly among the stronger students,' he said. 'These may be small percentage changes, but the increases represent an additional 20,000 Australian students performing at the highest proficiency level - exceeding - in 2025 compared to 2024'. Year 3 and year 5 students recorded better reading and numeracy results compared to last year, however there was a jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support in both subject areas. NAPLAN results released on Wednesday did not give reasons behind the trends and a school-by-school breakdown will be released later in the year. Participation rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels as some 1.3 million students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the tests in early March - equivalent to 93.8 per cent of students. That includes students in Queensland, who did their exams in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck and still managed the highest participation rates since 2019.
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- General
- The Advertiser
One-in-10 students need extra school support: NAPLAN
One-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards despite "encouraging" signs that kids are getting better at maths. Two-thirds of students performed strongly or exceeded expectations on NAPLAN testing, but geographic location, parent education levels and family background continue to be a major factor impacting results. Almost one-in-three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one-in-ten 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. Girls again outperformed boys in literacy but boys did better in numeracy, with the gaps emerging in early secondary and late primary school. Some 71.1 per cent of year 7 girls achieved strong or "exceeding" - the highest proficiency level - writing results, compared to 57 per cent of boys. In numeracy, by year 3 there were 6.1 per cent fewer girls achieving "exceeding" results than boys, which increased to eight per cent by year 5. Children from higher socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas also tended to score better. Results in all subjects were relatively stable across the board but Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel called for "collective action" to help those left behind. "Such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students," he said. The curriculum boss was buoyed by more Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving "exceeding" results in writing and numeracy, as well as an overall better maths results. "It's encouraging to see higher NAPLAN scores on average across years 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy, particularly among the stronger students," he said. "These may be small percentage changes, but the increases represent an additional 20,000 Australian students performing at the highest proficiency level - exceeding - in 2025 compared to 2024". Year 3 and year 5 students recorded better reading and numeracy results compared to last year, however there was a jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support in both subject areas. NAPLAN results released on Wednesday did not give reasons behind the trends and a school-by-school breakdown will be released later in the year. Participation rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels as some 1.3 million students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the tests in early March - equivalent to 93.8 per cent of students. That includes students in Queensland, who did their exams in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck and still managed the highest participation rates since 2019. One-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards despite "encouraging" signs that kids are getting better at maths. Two-thirds of students performed strongly or exceeded expectations on NAPLAN testing, but geographic location, parent education levels and family background continue to be a major factor impacting results. Almost one-in-three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one-in-ten 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. Girls again outperformed boys in literacy but boys did better in numeracy, with the gaps emerging in early secondary and late primary school. Some 71.1 per cent of year 7 girls achieved strong or "exceeding" - the highest proficiency level - writing results, compared to 57 per cent of boys. In numeracy, by year 3 there were 6.1 per cent fewer girls achieving "exceeding" results than boys, which increased to eight per cent by year 5. Children from higher socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas also tended to score better. Results in all subjects were relatively stable across the board but Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel called for "collective action" to help those left behind. "Such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students," he said. The curriculum boss was buoyed by more Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving "exceeding" results in writing and numeracy, as well as an overall better maths results. "It's encouraging to see higher NAPLAN scores on average across years 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy, particularly among the stronger students," he said. "These may be small percentage changes, but the increases represent an additional 20,000 Australian students performing at the highest proficiency level - exceeding - in 2025 compared to 2024". Year 3 and year 5 students recorded better reading and numeracy results compared to last year, however there was a jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support in both subject areas. NAPLAN results released on Wednesday did not give reasons behind the trends and a school-by-school breakdown will be released later in the year. Participation rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels as some 1.3 million students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the tests in early March - equivalent to 93.8 per cent of students. That includes students in Queensland, who did their exams in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck and still managed the highest participation rates since 2019. One-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards despite "encouraging" signs that kids are getting better at maths. Two-thirds of students performed strongly or exceeded expectations on NAPLAN testing, but geographic location, parent education levels and family background continue to be a major factor impacting results. Almost one-in-three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one-in-ten 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. Girls again outperformed boys in literacy but boys did better in numeracy, with the gaps emerging in early secondary and late primary school. Some 71.1 per cent of year 7 girls achieved strong or "exceeding" - the highest proficiency level - writing results, compared to 57 per cent of boys. In numeracy, by year 3 there were 6.1 per cent fewer girls achieving "exceeding" results than boys, which increased to eight per cent by year 5. Children from higher socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas also tended to score better. Results in all subjects were relatively stable across the board but Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel called for "collective action" to help those left behind. "Such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students," he said. The curriculum boss was buoyed by more Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving "exceeding" results in writing and numeracy, as well as an overall better maths results. "It's encouraging to see higher NAPLAN scores on average across years 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy, particularly among the stronger students," he said. "These may be small percentage changes, but the increases represent an additional 20,000 Australian students performing at the highest proficiency level - exceeding - in 2025 compared to 2024". Year 3 and year 5 students recorded better reading and numeracy results compared to last year, however there was a jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support in both subject areas. NAPLAN results released on Wednesday did not give reasons behind the trends and a school-by-school breakdown will be released later in the year. Participation rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels as some 1.3 million students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the tests in early March - equivalent to 93.8 per cent of students. That includes students in Queensland, who did their exams in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck and still managed the highest participation rates since 2019. One-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards despite "encouraging" signs that kids are getting better at maths. Two-thirds of students performed strongly or exceeded expectations on NAPLAN testing, but geographic location, parent education levels and family background continue to be a major factor impacting results. Almost one-in-three Indigenous students fell below minimum standards and needed extra support, compared to less than one-in-ten 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. Girls again outperformed boys in literacy but boys did better in numeracy, with the gaps emerging in early secondary and late primary school. Some 71.1 per cent of year 7 girls achieved strong or "exceeding" - the highest proficiency level - writing results, compared to 57 per cent of boys. In numeracy, by year 3 there were 6.1 per cent fewer girls achieving "exceeding" results than boys, which increased to eight per cent by year 5. Children from higher socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas also tended to score better. Results in all subjects were relatively stable across the board but Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel called for "collective action" to help those left behind. "Such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students," he said. The curriculum boss was buoyed by more Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving "exceeding" results in writing and numeracy, as well as an overall better maths results. "It's encouraging to see higher NAPLAN scores on average across years 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy, particularly among the stronger students," he said. "These may be small percentage changes, but the increases represent an additional 20,000 Australian students performing at the highest proficiency level - exceeding - in 2025 compared to 2024". Year 3 and year 5 students recorded better reading and numeracy results compared to last year, however there was a jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support in both subject areas. NAPLAN results released on Wednesday did not give reasons behind the trends and a school-by-school breakdown will be released later in the year. Participation rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels as some 1.3 million students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat the tests in early March - equivalent to 93.8 per cent of students. That includes students in Queensland, who did their exams in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck and still managed the highest participation rates since 2019.
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- General
- The Advertiser
How kids' gender and location impacted NAPLAN results
KEY TAKEAWAYS * Almost one-in-three Indigenous students not meeting basic education standards and classified as needing extra support, compared to just under one-in-ten non-Indigenous students * Two thirds of students classified as 'strong' or 'exceeding expectations' levels in literacy and numeracy, with results relatively stable * Location, family background and socio-economic status continue to be factors in students' scores RESULTS * Year 3 and 5 students recorded better literacy and numeracy results compared to 2024 * A jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support * Small improvement to numeracy skills for year 5, 7 and 9 but results generally relatively stable GEOGRAPHIC AND BACKGROUND DIVIDES * One-in-five students in very remote areas were considered strong or exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of students in major cities * High percentage of Indigenous students classified as needing additional support compared to overall student population * Small increase in Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving 'exceeding results' in writing and numeracy * Students from highest socio-educational background, classified by parental education or occupation, scored higher than other students GENDER * Girls performed better on literacy testing and boys performed better on numeracy testing * The literacy gap emerged in early secondary school, with 71.1 per cent of year 7 female students achieving strong or exceeding writing results, compared to 57 per cent of males * The numeracy gap began in primary school, already by year 3 some 6.1 per cent fewer female students achieved exceeding results than male students PARTICIPATION * 1.3 million students sat the tests and participation is back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 93.8 per cent sitting at least one test * Highest participation in Queensland notable as testing happened in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck QUOTES * "The latest results also continue to highlight areas that need collective attention, such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students" - Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel KEY TAKEAWAYS * Almost one-in-three Indigenous students not meeting basic education standards and classified as needing extra support, compared to just under one-in-ten non-Indigenous students * Two thirds of students classified as 'strong' or 'exceeding expectations' levels in literacy and numeracy, with results relatively stable * Location, family background and socio-economic status continue to be factors in students' scores RESULTS * Year 3 and 5 students recorded better literacy and numeracy results compared to 2024 * A jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support * Small improvement to numeracy skills for year 5, 7 and 9 but results generally relatively stable GEOGRAPHIC AND BACKGROUND DIVIDES * One-in-five students in very remote areas were considered strong or exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of students in major cities * High percentage of Indigenous students classified as needing additional support compared to overall student population * Small increase in Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving 'exceeding results' in writing and numeracy * Students from highest socio-educational background, classified by parental education or occupation, scored higher than other students GENDER * Girls performed better on literacy testing and boys performed better on numeracy testing * The literacy gap emerged in early secondary school, with 71.1 per cent of year 7 female students achieving strong or exceeding writing results, compared to 57 per cent of males * The numeracy gap began in primary school, already by year 3 some 6.1 per cent fewer female students achieved exceeding results than male students PARTICIPATION * 1.3 million students sat the tests and participation is back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 93.8 per cent sitting at least one test * Highest participation in Queensland notable as testing happened in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck QUOTES * "The latest results also continue to highlight areas that need collective attention, such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students" - Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel KEY TAKEAWAYS * Almost one-in-three Indigenous students not meeting basic education standards and classified as needing extra support, compared to just under one-in-ten non-Indigenous students * Two thirds of students classified as 'strong' or 'exceeding expectations' levels in literacy and numeracy, with results relatively stable * Location, family background and socio-economic status continue to be factors in students' scores RESULTS * Year 3 and 5 students recorded better literacy and numeracy results compared to 2024 * A jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support * Small improvement to numeracy skills for year 5, 7 and 9 but results generally relatively stable GEOGRAPHIC AND BACKGROUND DIVIDES * One-in-five students in very remote areas were considered strong or exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of students in major cities * High percentage of Indigenous students classified as needing additional support compared to overall student population * Small increase in Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving 'exceeding results' in writing and numeracy * Students from highest socio-educational background, classified by parental education or occupation, scored higher than other students GENDER * Girls performed better on literacy testing and boys performed better on numeracy testing * The literacy gap emerged in early secondary school, with 71.1 per cent of year 7 female students achieving strong or exceeding writing results, compared to 57 per cent of males * The numeracy gap began in primary school, already by year 3 some 6.1 per cent fewer female students achieved exceeding results than male students PARTICIPATION * 1.3 million students sat the tests and participation is back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 93.8 per cent sitting at least one test * Highest participation in Queensland notable as testing happened in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck QUOTES * "The latest results also continue to highlight areas that need collective attention, such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students" - Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel KEY TAKEAWAYS * Almost one-in-three Indigenous students not meeting basic education standards and classified as needing extra support, compared to just under one-in-ten non-Indigenous students * Two thirds of students classified as 'strong' or 'exceeding expectations' levels in literacy and numeracy, with results relatively stable * Location, family background and socio-economic status continue to be factors in students' scores RESULTS * Year 3 and 5 students recorded better literacy and numeracy results compared to 2024 * A jump in year 7 and 9 students classified as needing extra support * Small improvement to numeracy skills for year 5, 7 and 9 but results generally relatively stable GEOGRAPHIC AND BACKGROUND DIVIDES * One-in-five students in very remote areas were considered strong or exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of students in major cities * High percentage of Indigenous students classified as needing additional support compared to overall student population * Small increase in Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 achieving 'exceeding results' in writing and numeracy * Students from highest socio-educational background, classified by parental education or occupation, scored higher than other students GENDER * Girls performed better on literacy testing and boys performed better on numeracy testing * The literacy gap emerged in early secondary school, with 71.1 per cent of year 7 female students achieving strong or exceeding writing results, compared to 57 per cent of males * The numeracy gap began in primary school, already by year 3 some 6.1 per cent fewer female students achieved exceeding results than male students PARTICIPATION * 1.3 million students sat the tests and participation is back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 93.8 per cent sitting at least one test * Highest participation in Queensland notable as testing happened in the days after Cyclone Alfred struck QUOTES * "The latest results also continue to highlight areas that need collective attention, such as supporting students from our regional and remote areas, those from a disadvantaged background, and Indigenous students" - Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive Stephen Gniel
