Latest news with #Sturt
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Locals fume as 22-year-old roundabout garden destroyed by council: 'A complete stuff-up'
Flowers planted and lovingly tended to for over two decades by a local resident have been destroyed by workers contracted by the local council, with a whipper snipper turning the once blossoming roundabout into a pile of dirt. Geoff Miers, 75, was devastated to learn the hundreds of Sturt's desert peas were ripped out from the roundabout on the intersection of Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue in Alice Springs last Monday — one day after spending more than four hours tending to them with his wife Kaye. "I was stunned. I couldn't believe it, especially as we had been tending to the roundabout the day before," he told Yahoo News. "I've been looking after the roundabout for over 22 years when I first planted it out with a group of horticultural students from Charles Darwin University." Geoff, who is a horticulturalist himself, explained he wants to do his bit to "keep Alice looking good" and this was the reason behind his committed effort to the roundabout, which had long been renowned in the town. Yahoo News understand the contractors had mistaken the native flowers, not yet in bloom, for weeds and ripped them up. "Simply it boils down to a lack of adequate training and a lack of direct and clear supervision," Geoff said. "The roundabout garden was designed to be self-sustaining with weeding and the occasional watering to keep it looking wonderful." Resident's kerbside garden under threat after anonymous council complaint 🤔 Retiree facing $7600 council fine over 'meticulously looked after' plants 🌱 Council defends 'disgraceful' road move after residents erupt The council has been slammed after word spread around town of the incident. The editor of local news outlet Alice Springs News published a scathing letter penned by a resident calling for an investigation. "The Town Council needs a rigorous, independent review to restore democratic representation, transparency and sanity," it reads. "The council's wanton destruction of the iconic Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue roundabout planted with Sturt Desert Peas is final proof, if more was needed, that it lacks all three." Joshua Burgoyne, a local member of the legislative assembly, also questioned the council's actions online saying, "We need to be encouraging locals to care for their spaces. Not destroying them by taking the whipper snipper to them." Geoff had recently propagated the Sturt's desert peas and planted them on a second roundabout outside Joshua's office. "I want to thank him for his ongoing work ensuring Alice Springs looks it's best," Joshua said. Yahoo News reached out to the Alice Springs Town Council, however, it declined to comment. It is understood the council offered Geoff compensation, however Geoff told Yahoo News he wasn't interested in compensation and he doesn't know how much the council were willing to offer. "[I] didn't want to know about it so we never got that far [with a dollar amount]," he told Yahoo News. "They are full of apologies and realise it was a complete stuff-up. It will be discussed at the next full council meeting next Tuesday, 27th May." Geoff is adamant he will replant the flowers once the water supply is restored on the roundabout — something that was removed several years ago without explanation by council. "It will come back again when I get some water put on, even if I have to treat and direct seed the roundabout," he said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Will the federal election results be replicated at next year's SA contest?
On Saturday night at the Robin Hood Hotel in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, Liberal MP James Stevens took to the stage to concede that he had lost the seat of Sturt. He apologised for being the man in the seat when it slipped from his party's hands for the first time in more than five decades. As he descended from the stage, there to comfort the now-former MP were party faithful and elders, chief among them the recently-retired Senator Simon Birmingham. Speaking to the media later, Mr Birmingham did not sugar-coat the result. He said it was "diabolical" and he was "gutted" to see "so much good talent, particularly fresher, younger, newer faces" lose their seats. If this wasn't rock bottom, he posited, it won't be too long before there is not much of a party. With the loss of Sturt, the Liberals had lost their last metropolitan stronghold in Adelaide. And with the Electoral Commission currently carrying out a three-candidate-preferred count in the seat of Grey, there are also concerns about one of the party's last two regional strongholds. Live results: Find out what's happening in your seat as counting continues A stark contrast to the Howard heyday where the party held Adelaide, Boothby, Hindmarsh, Kingston, Makin, Sturt, Wakefield (now Spence) and the peri-urban seat of Mayo. Now, all gone. A sign that John Howard knew how to tap into the outer-suburban "battler" vote in a way the current Liberal Party simply does not. That era also saw the SA Liberals with scores of senior voices at the cabinet table — from Alexander Downer to Robert Hill and Nick Minchin — and rising stars like Christopher Pyne and Amanda Vanstone. The party was in government at a state level too, making it unquestionably the dominant force in South Australian politics of the time. How times change. As bad as Saturday's result looks on the face of it, when you dive into the details it starts to look even worse. In almost every one of the more than 400 polling places across Adelaide's eight electorates, voters favoured Labor on a two-party preferred count. On polling day just a small handful of booths favoured the Liberals in higher numbers. A kind way to look at those results would be to consider that pre-polls and postals generally favour the Liberal Party. But any way you cut it, it's a devastating result — voters in almost every part of the city rejected the Liberals, often in emphatic numbers. Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 federal election coverage Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC Listen Both state Labor and Liberal leaders have been quick to distance their contest from the federal one. At a press conference the day after Labor's victory, Premier Peter Malinauskas said he wasn't "sitting around counting numbers, thinking about seats". "I think that would be self-serving," Mr Malinauskas said. "Any sort of analysis for what this means for the state election would be foolhardy from my perspective. We've just got to get on with doing the job." While Mr Malinauskas doesn't want to seem arrogant or over-confident, Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia also has strong reasons to distance himself from the result. "The federal election has been fought on federal issues and I think people can distinguish between federal issues and state issues," he said. "All I can say is we're just working hard every day now to make sure that we hold the Labor government to account, but also make sure we continue to put our alternative vision forward for the people of South Australia." Mr Tarzia has enough to contend with, without looking at what's just happened to his federal colleagues. He's a relatively-new leader, still defining to the public who he is and what his team stands for, up against a very popular, first-term government. And there's even more he needs to overcome — the local Liberal Party's woes have been oft repeated. They lost six seats in the 2022 state election, went on to lose two by-elections — one in Dunstan when former Premier Steven Marshall retired, another in Black following the resignation of former opposition leader David Speirs. They lost MacKillop when Nick McBride turned independent. The party has also been tarnished by criminal allegations — Mr Speirs has pleaded guilty to drugs charges, and Mr McBride has this week faced court over assault charges after being charged with three counts of assaulting his wife in April. Before the 2022 election the brand also took a major hit — and lost other seats — when Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell was charged with fraud, and Narrunga MP Fraser Ellis was charged with deception — both have been found guilty but are waiting on appeals. They both still sit in parliament as independents. The Liberals also lost Kavel in the Adelaide Hills when Dan Cregan defected, making a deal with Labor to become Speaker. With all that recent history, Peter Dutton's disastrous campaign is something the local team could have done without. Party insiders are now questioning not how many seats Vincent Tarzia can win, but how many he might lose. The good news is, with all the regional seats lost to defections and scandals, there could be a chance to gain some of those back. But Saturday's result will have done little to energise the local membership — not a good start when you need to be developing an election campaign and pre-selecting candidates. For Tarzia and his team, their hope will echo Simon Birmingham, that the federal election was rock bottom, and the only way from here is up.
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Labor in driver's seat as Aussies go to polls
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have made last-ditch bids to convince Australians why they should lead for the next three years. On the penultimate day of campaigning before Saturday's election, public polling has Labor in the driver's seat to form government with an outside shot at retaining majority. But the prime minister insists the government isn't getting ahead of itself, after being scarred by an upset defeat to Scott Morrison in 2019. "I don't take the Australian people for granted. I'm working my guts out to ensure there's a majority government," Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane on Friday. With 76 seats needed to form an outright majority, the major parties' tallies have shifted since the last election because of defections to the cross bench and seat redistributions. Labor holds 78 seats and the coalition 57. Despite facing dire polling and a surge in early voting, the opposition leader remained confident the coalition could still pick up seats. Almost 5.7 million people had cast their vote and more than 1.5 million postal ballots were returned by Thursday night, accounting for about 40 percent of eligible voters. Mr Dutton said he expected "big surprises" on election night. The election had the hallmarks of 2019, where polling was different to the outcome, he said, claiming candidates had been receiving "pretty remarkable" feedback on pre-poll booths. Mr Albanese hit Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania on Friday, while Mr Dutton started in South Australia, where the coalition is looking to win Boothby and sandbag Sturt, before heading to Western Australia to target key seats lost in 2022. Mr Dutton stood alongside Tangney candidate Howard Ong at a 4WD store in Perth, where he again championed his policies to bring down petrol prices. Labor won the seat with a 2.8 percent margin in 2022, following a 12 percent swing away from the Liberals. "It's a significant decision for people to make because this is a sliding-doors moment," Mr Dutton said in Perth. "I have been coming to WA for 25 years and to watch it at different periods where it's been down ... but when it's booming, when it's racing, it is an exciting place, and it will be racing under a government that I lead." The prime minister started the day on the attack in Mr Dutton's Brisbane-based seat of Dickson, which Labor contends is winnable because of its less than two percent margin but the coalition is confident will be retained. Greens leader Adam Bandt cast his ballot in his electorate of Melbourne, where he predicted a "renter rebellion" at the election. Mr Dutton is working to defy history with no party having formed government after one term in opposition since 1931. The record is set to stay if national polls are to be believed, with the coalition trailing significantly and a seat-by-seat poll released on Thursday by YouGov predicting it could sink to its lowest seat total since the 1940s. YouGov predicted Labor was on course for 52.9 percent of the national two-party preferred vote, ahead of the coalition on 47.1 percent, with the government picking up 84 seats against the opposition's 47. Labor's support was slightly less at 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent for the coalition on a two-party preferred basis in the final Freshwater Strategy Poll published by The Australian Financial Review on Friday. It gave Labor 74 seats and the coalition 64. The opposition's campaign has been littered with missteps and backtracks amid a lack of policy clarity and comparisons between Mr Dutton and US President Donald Trump. Despite Labor's increased electoral fortunes, its primary vote hasn't received a major uptick as Australians increasingly look to minor parties and independents.
The Independent
31-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Eight ways to reduce your risk of bowel cancer
A new study offers hope for more accurate bowel cancer risk prediction in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The research, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the journal Gut, demonstrates over 90 per cent accuracy in predicting bowel cancer risk within five years for a high-risk IBD group. Individuals with conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis face a heightened risk of bowel cancer. Current routine screenings detect pre-cancerous growths, indicating a 30 per cent chance of developing bowel cancer within a decade. However, this new study reveals a more precise method. By analysing DNA alterations in pre-cancerous cells using a specialised algorithm, researchers achieved significantly improved predictive accuracy. This breakthrough raises the possibility of a simple blood test to identify high-risk IBD patients, potentially revolutionising early detection and intervention strategies. 'For people without a condition like Crohn's or colitis, there are many lifestyle changes that can help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.' So, here are 8 ways to reduce your risk of bowel cancer. 1. Stop smoking 'Seven out of 100 bowel cancers in the UK are linked to smoking and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked a day, so stopping smoking is an important way to reduce your risk,' advises Sturt. 2. Reduce intake of red meat 'Diet plays an important role in the development of the disease,' highlights Sturt. 'Reducing your intake of red and processed meat will help decrease the chance of getting bowel cancer. 'For example, you could swap out beef, sausages and bacon for chicken or fish.' 3. Feed yourself with fibre 'Fibre has many important functions within the bowel, such as increasing the weight and size of your stool and softening it, so it's easier to pass,' explains Dr Dave Nichols, NHS GP and resident doctor for at-home testing provider MyHealthChecked. 'It's crucial to aim for 30g of fibre a day, which is available from wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and veg, beans and oats.' 4. Increase calcium intake 'Getting plenty calcium can help decrease the chance of getting bowel cancer,' says Sturt. 'Add milk and dairy to your diet for calcium – or non-dairy alternatives that have calcium added.' 5. Avoid ultra-processed food 'Limiting the intake of ultra-processed food is also important; reduce the intake of things such as crisps, breakfast cereals, sausages, ham, and mass-produced bread,' advises Nichols. 6. Maintain a healthy weight 'Being overweight increases your risk of bowel cancer,' says Sarah Sweenie, health information and evidence manager at Bowel Cancer UK. 'To manage your weight, be mindful of portion sizes, avoid sugary drinks, limit alcohol consumption, and choose healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables.' 7. Limit alcohol consumption 'Alcohol is linked to an increased risk of developing several types of cancer including bowel cancer,' says Sweenie. 'If you do drink alcohol, cutting down the amount you drink will reduce your risk. 'It's recommended that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week and spread it out over the week. Aim to have at least two alcohol free days a week.' 8. Stay physically active Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk. 'Aim for at least 150 minutes of activity, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, each week,' recommends Sweenie. 'This not only helps maintain a healthy weight but also keeps your digestive system healthy. 'If you don't do much physical activity, try starting with 10 minutes and increase the time gradually.'
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Can I reduce my risk of bowel cancer?
A new study has shown more than 90% accuracy in predicting bowel cancer risk, based on a high-risk group of people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), over the next five years. People with IBD, such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, are known to have an increased chance of developing bowel cancer, but not all will develop it. Routine screenings for pre-cancerous growths in the gut are currently offered to people with IBD and, if found, suggest a 30% chance of developing bowel cancer within 10 years. However, the new study, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the journal Gut, discovered that DNA alterations in these pre-cancerous cells, when analysed by an algorithm, can predict with more than 90% accuracy who will develop bowel cancer within the next five years. Researchers hope that this method could eventually lead to a straightforward blood test to identify IBD patients who are most at risk. Commenting on this study, Georgia Sturt, research and grants manager at Bowel Research UK said: 'Today's research is an exciting step forward in helping identify people with Crohn's or colitis who are most at risk of bowel cancer, which is important because it can be worrying if pre-cancerous growths are found in routine checks for these patients, as we don't know for sure whether they will develop into cancer. 'For people without a condition like Crohn's or colitis, there are many lifestyle changes that can help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.' So, here are 8 ways to reduce your risk of bowel cancer… 1. Stop smoking 'Seven out of 100 bowel cancers in the UK are linked to smoking and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked a day, so stopping smoking is an important way to reduce your risk,' advises Sturt. 2. Reduce intake of red meat 'Diet plays an important role in the development of the disease,' highlights Sturt. 'Reducing your intake of red and processed meat will help decrease the chance of getting bowel cancer. 'For example, you could swap out beef, sausages and bacon for chicken or fish.' 3. Feed yourself with fibre 'Fibre has many important functions within the bowel, such as increasing the weight and size of your stool and softening it, so it's easier to pass,' explains Dr Dave Nichols, NHS GP and resident doctor for at-home testing provider MyHealthChecked. 'It's crucial to aim for 30g of fibre a day, which is available from wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and veg, beans and oats.' 4. Increase calcium intake 'Getting plenty calcium can help decrease the chance of getting bowel cancer,' says Sturt. 'Add milk and dairy to your diet for calcium – or non-dairy alternatives that have calcium added.' 5. Avoid ultra-processed food 'Limiting the intake of ultra-processed food is also important; reduce the intake of things such as crisps, breakfast cereals, sausages, ham, and mass-produced bread,' advises Nichols. 6. Maintain a healthy weight 'Being overweight increases your risk of bowel cancer,' says Sarah Sweenie, health information and evidence manager at Bowel Cancer UK. 'To manage your weight, be mindful of portion sizes, avoid sugary drinks, limit alcohol consumption, and choose healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables.' 7. Limit alcohol consumption 'Alcohol is linked to an increased risk of developing several types of cancer including bowel cancer,' says Sweenie. 'If you do drink alcohol, cutting down the amount you drink will reduce your risk. 'It's recommended that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week and spread it out over the week. Aim to have at least two alcohol free days a week.' 8. Stay physically active Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk. 'Aim for at least 150 minutes of activity, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, each week,' recommends Sweenie. 'This not only helps maintain a healthy weight but also keeps your digestive system healthy. 'If you don't do much physical activity, try starting with 10 minutes and increase the time gradually.'
