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And In Other News…IPAA conference still openThe Institute of Public administration Australia (IPAA) is still accepting registrations for its inaugural regional conference in Albury next month. The conference will be held from 15 to 16 March. More information is available at this PS News link. Detector dogs turn 20 The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has celebrated 20 years of detector dog service in Australia. The anniversary was launched at on Monday (20 February 2012) by DAFF Biosecurity Deputy Secretary, Rona Mellor. Refugee experts meet Experts from across the globe are in Australia as part of discussions on international refugee resettlement services. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Working Group on Resettlement (WGR) meeting has been held in Melbourne throughout the week. The WGR is a forum for countries that resettle refugees, the non-government organisations which assist in the process, and the UNHCR. Race to stop nation Every Australian has been encouraged to watch an ABC-TV program this weekend which explores the issue of organ donation. The Last Race is to be aired next Sunday evening (February 26) at 6.30pm on ABC1. The Last Race is a 30-minute drama about a family suddenly faced with a decision of whether to donate the organs of 25-year-old Mike, and a race against time to save a life. It was made with financial assistance from the Australian Government. Previously this week... Sports plan online The Australian Sports Commission’s Strategic Plan is now available online through the ASC website. The plan, which was approved by the Minister for Sport focuses on partnerships with governments and the sport sector to achieve a shared national vision of more Australians participating and excelling in sport. The plan is available at this PS News link. Koalas put off The decision on whether to add the koala to the list of nationally threatened species has been put off for another 10 weeks. The Minister for the Environment has requested further information from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee in relation to the precise boundaries of where koala populations were dwindling. The Committee found that the national koala population was variable, with koalas abundant in some areas such as South Australia and declining in other areas such as Queensland and NSW. A decision will now be made by 30 April 2012. Loans going up The number of affordable loans to people under financial pressure reached 16,409 in 2011, a increase over the10,547 loans written in the previous year. The loans under the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) and StepUP program assist borrowers purchase essentials for their homes Both programs are open to anyone who holds a Pension or Health Care Concession card. Uni boost Universities are to receive a funding boost of $367 million over the next four years to meet the cost of quality research and training. The result of indexation, the increase will see the higher education sector receive a total of $1.63 billion for research and research training. Separately, the number of Commonwealth supported postgraduate places has doubled over the last four years to 33,000 while the number of Australian Postgraduate Awards (APAs) has doubled. Guidance for dating schemes The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched guidelines to support efforts by dating and romance websites to combat scammers. More than 2,100 individuals reporting dating related scammers to the ACCC in 2011, revealing costs of $21 million According to the ACCC, the average loss for a victim was over $20,000. The new guidelines are available for download from this PS News link. Courage exhibition opens The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is hosting the Courage to Care exhibition until 9 April. The exhibition exposes visitors to the roles of victims, perpetrators and bystanders of prejudice and discrimination by introducing them to survivors of the Holocaust and their rescuers. It features a free educational program for school students focusing on the importance of standing up to bullying and prejudice whenever it occurs and is free after admission. Courage to care is open to the public from 2:30pm-5pm weekdays and 9am-5pm weekends. Planet lined up Tourism Australia is to team up with Lonely Planet for a There’s nothing like Australia campaign. The marketing partnership will highlight ‘only in Australia’ experiences, and utilise the travel publisher’s unique and well-regarded content. A consumer sweepstakes will be hosted on LonelyPlanet.com with $1,000 worth of books as prizes. The campaign features Australian travel experiences including visiting the Great Barrier Reef, star gazing at the Sounds of Silence dinner at Uluru and wildlife spotting on Australia’s nature haven, Kangaroo Island. Declaration lifted The Exceptional Circumstance (EC) declaration in the River Murray and Lower Lakes Corridor is to expire as scheduled on 31 March 2012. The National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC) considered that improved seasonal conditions and irrigation allocations in the area gave producers the opportunity to return to typical farm management practices. NRAC said a majority of the area had undergone a seasonal recovery and this was supported by a 100 per cent allocation against irrigation entitlements for 2011-12. ABC takes awards ABC TV has won two 2012 Kidscreen Awards and received more nominations than any other broadcaster across all categories. Drama series My Place (series two) won the Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series award and Giggle and Hoot hosts, Jimmy Giggle and Hoot from ABC4Kids won the Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team Award. ABC TV and its commissioned productions were also nominated in the categories of Best Companion Website – Bananas in Pyjamas (ABC TV); Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series – Dance Academy (Werner Film Productions); Best Channel Design – ABC4Kids; and Best Channel Website – ABC4Kids. Food standards for comment Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for submissions on a draft nutrition, health and related claims Standard. The proposed new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels about the nutrition content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health. FSANZ is also seeking comment on the part of the proposal considering regulation of ‘fat free’ and ‘percentage fat free’ claims. Submissions close on 16 March 2012. Driver assessments revised Updated medical standards for assessing whether private and commercial vehicle operators are fit to drive will come into effect on 1 March. The new edition of Assessing Fitness to Drive has been published by the National Transport Commission and Austroads and contains medical standards to guide health professionals and driver licensing bodies on assessing private and commercial drivers of heavy vehicles, light vehicles and motorbikes. Edition 301, 21 February 2012
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