Latest news with #Ellwood
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Congestion levy and hybrid work underpin productivity chief's CBD vision
'Hybrid [work] is going to be the sweet spot for a lot of organisations,' Wood says. 'You get the same, if not slightly better productivity with hybrid work, while also bringing the benefits to your workers of flexibility, the time savings of the commute and a greater capacity to combine work and family.' It's why the CBD must continue to diversify on the road to 2050, Wood says, to cement itself as a meeting place for leisure through shopping, dining, nightlife and major events. 'All those things act together to help promote the city into a destination.' Wood says that transport systems need to be tweaked to improve and spread out the flow of people moving in and out of the city. She says time-based road user charges should be on the table to ease congestion and prompt drivers to change when they visit, or to use other transport modes. She also supports improving public transport with measures such as staggered work start times, more frequent services during the day and cheaper off-peak fares to encourage more off-peak travel. Wood also says that increasing high-density residential development in inner and middle suburbs and making the planning system more efficient, both of which are central to the Allan government's housing plans, will aid access to the CBD. Ellwood agrees there is an ongoing shift towards the city serving as a social hub as much as a place to work. 'The urban planning that they're talking about, the beautification of the city and the open mindedness of creative people more generally, I think, is a pretty exciting combination,' he says. Ellwood believes Melbourne in 2050 will be a creative and collaborative city. 'Melbourne has always treated creativity as not just a nice thing to do, but as an essential part of the power of the city,' he says. 'We think differently than other cities, we support risk, and we see it as a core part of who we are.' Unsurprisingly, Ellwood sees the NGV Contemporary, a gallery that is still in the design phase, as key to Melbourne's future. 'We don't see anything of this ambition anywhere in our part of the world,' he says. Ellwood says the $1.7 billion space itself – together with the $45 million in new exhibits the NGV has acquired from its three Triennial exhibitions – will be transformative. 'We're bringing in a whole new collection that the community can then start to really connect with,' he says. 'While that's opening in four to five years' time, and I know the vision in this forum is around 2050, it is a great launchpad and a great indication of community working together to create something that for the next three decades is going to be sharing the most relevant contemporary thinkers and practitioners that we have around the world.' Ellwood's ambition for Melbourne in 2050 is for the city to be seen as one of the globe's top providers of cultural life. As for the gallery, his vision is for it to be among the top 10 in the world. 'I believe that will happen,' he says.
The Age
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Congestion levy and hybrid work underpin productivity chief's CBD vision
'Hybrid [work] is going to be the sweet spot for a lot of organisations,' Wood says. 'You get the same, if not slightly better productivity with hybrid work, while also bringing the benefits to your workers of flexibility, the time savings of the commute and a greater capacity to combine work and family.' It's why the CBD must continue to diversify on the road to 2050, Wood says, to cement itself as a meeting place for leisure through shopping, dining, nightlife and major events. 'All those things act together to help promote the city into a destination.' Wood says that transport systems need to be tweaked to improve and spread out the flow of people moving in and out of the city. She says time-based road user charges should be on the table to ease congestion and prompt drivers to change when they visit, or to use other transport modes. She also supports improving public transport with measures such as staggered work start times, more frequent services during the day and cheaper off-peak fares to encourage more off-peak travel. Wood also says that increasing high-density residential development in inner and middle suburbs and making the planning system more efficient, both of which are central to the Allan government's housing plans, will aid access to the CBD. Ellwood agrees there is an ongoing shift towards the city serving as a social hub as much as a place to work. 'The urban planning that they're talking about, the beautification of the city and the open mindedness of creative people more generally, I think, is a pretty exciting combination,' he says. Ellwood believes Melbourne in 2050 will be a creative and collaborative city. 'Melbourne has always treated creativity as not just a nice thing to do, but as an essential part of the power of the city,' he says. 'We think differently than other cities, we support risk, and we see it as a core part of who we are.' Unsurprisingly, Ellwood sees the NGV Contemporary, a gallery that is still in the design phase, as key to Melbourne's future. 'We don't see anything of this ambition anywhere in our part of the world,' he says. Ellwood says the $1.7 billion space itself – together with the $45 million in new exhibits the NGV has acquired from its three Triennial exhibitions – will be transformative. 'We're bringing in a whole new collection that the community can then start to really connect with,' he says. 'While that's opening in four to five years' time, and I know the vision in this forum is around 2050, it is a great launchpad and a great indication of community working together to create something that for the next three decades is going to be sharing the most relevant contemporary thinkers and practitioners that we have around the world.' Ellwood's ambition for Melbourne in 2050 is for the city to be seen as one of the globe's top providers of cultural life. As for the gallery, his vision is for it to be among the top 10 in the world. 'I believe that will happen,' he says.
Wales Online
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Seven items households 'should stockpile in case of grey zone attack'
Seven items households 'should stockpile in case of grey zone attack' Former defence minister warns that the UK must 'wake up and start preparing' "They're real-world scenarios we must now seriously consider," says former MP Tobias Ellwood, (Image: (Image: Getty) ) UK households are being advised to stock up on seven essential items incase of an attack on the country, according to a former defence minister. Tobias Ellwood, former defence minister and ex-MP, warned that the UK needs to "wake up and start preparing" for a potential "grey zone attack" that could disrupt the country's infrastructure, energy, or food supplies. On Thursday, Mr Ellwood urged people to be prepared for realistic scenarios, including drone attacks, internet outages, and power cuts. He recommended that households stockpile seven key items, including drinking water, food, radios, and iodine tablets. Article continues below In an article for PoliticsHome, he wrote: "What if your phone buzzed with a national emergency alert warning of a swarm drone attack en route to your city – where would you go? How would you respond?" "These aren't scenes from a dystopian thriller – they're real-world scenarios we must now seriously consider. "Britain is now facing a surge in grey-zone warfare – deniable, covert attacks aimed at weakening our economy, undermining our infrastructure, and sowing confusion and panic. "Russia's so-called shadow fleet is already mapping the UK's undersea cable networks – those vital arteries that deliver our electricity, gas and data. Autonomous underwater vehicles are criss-crossing the seabed, gathering intelligence.", "This isn't speculation – Russia's ambassador to the UK recently acknowledged that sensors had been placed in British waters, after several devices washed ashore. "The Royal Navy is responding, ramping up its ability to detect threats and developing its own unmanned underwater vehicles. But this fight doesn't begin and end with the military." Mr Ellwood urged households to stock up on these seven key items, reports the Express: At least 100 litres of clean water Non-perishable food items, including tinned goods and food that can be consumed cold Candles and a working torch. A battery-powered radio Iodine tablets for protection against nuclear fallout Sufficient cash A basic first-aid kit Continuing his cautionary advice, he declared: "The era of complacency is over. A significant grey-zone attack on the UK is not just possible – it's likely. If we want to protect our lives, our economy and our democracy, we must get ready now." The UK's own emergency website, Prepare UK, echoes the call from the former defence minister. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here It also urges Brits to stock up on essential foods, radios, batteries and spare phone battery packs among other key items. Prepare UK highlights: "Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure. "They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer." The guidelines recommend: "Consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days, such as a power cut or water outage, or situations where you are advised to stay at home or to leave your home (evacuate) for safety reasons." Additionally, households are advised to consider stockpiling essential items including baby supplies, hand sanitiser, and wet wipes, as well as a portable power bank, bottled water, first aid kits, and non-perishable food. Article continues below
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK ‘behind the curve' on Russian undersea spying, former minister says
Britain's navy needs a huge expansion of its surveillance capability, warning the UK is 'behind the curve' in tracking Russia's undersea operations. a former minister has said. Tobias Ellwood made the comments after it was revealed the navy had captured a number of Russian sensors suspected of trying to spy on Britain's nuclear submarines. The existence of the sensors was revealed by The Sunday Times, which reported several sensors were discovered after they washed ashore. The Times reported the devices were believed to have been placed in the seas around Britain to gather information on the UK's four nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines. The discovery of the sensors was deemed a national security threat, the publication reported, and has not been confirmed by the government. Mr Ellwood, a former foreign office and defence minister, told The Guardian the report confirmed that the UK was 'now in a greyzone war with Russia'. The former Conservative MP said the sensors were only 'half the story', and claimed that Russia had built 'remote seabed platforms' around the UK coast to allow mini submarines to recharge. Those submarines, he said, are used by the Kremlin 'to map our undersea cable network for potential sabotage'. Mr Ellwood said that because 90 per cent of the UK's data comes through undersea cables and 60 per cent of Britain's gas comes through one line from Norway, the UK was vulnerable to 'enormous' damage from sabotage. He said the damage would also be 'deniable and it's cheap to do'. While the UK commissioned a deep-sea surveillance vessel in 2023, the RFA Proteus, Mr Ellwood said it was 'just one ship and given the threat from this greyzone capability we are going to need half a dozen of these vessels if not more'. The Times reported that 'unmanned Russian vehicles' had been found hovering around deep-sea communications cables, and that the government was looking at making energy and technology companies work more closely with the military to protect underwater infrastructure. A senior military figure told the publications: 'There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic. This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the ending of the Cold War, and is now heating up again. We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity.' Less than a fortnight ago, the Royal Navy shadowed three Russian ships through the English Channel, including an oceanographic survey ship that has previously been accused of involvement in an operation to map Britain's critical undersea infrastructure. Defence Secretary John Healey revealed in January that the Navy had been tracking a Russian spy ship through the Channel, and warned Vladimir Putin the government was watching Russian activity in British waters. 'We see you,' he warned at the time.
