We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.
1. Mental health report recommends increase in community mental health funding.
The full government-commissioned mental health report has been revealed, with recommendations to increase funding to community mental health services.
Leaked versions of the National Mental Health Review were released earlier this week, with a full copy made available online today.
The report claims a nine-day stay in a hospital mental health unit costs the same as at-home support by a community program for a whole year.
The report also notes programs are not set up to promote early intervention, and serious physical harm is often required before being provided adequate support.
According to ABC News, one of the report’s authors, mental health commissioner Professor Ian Hickie, does not recommends funding be re-directed toward community programs as a more efficient and effective service to those suffering mental health issues.
“The big winners would be those living in rural and regional Australia who suffer most from the current lack of effective community and professional services in their own local areas,”
she said.
“The report also challenges health professionals to work in real partnership with communities and those people and families most affected.”
Health Minister Sussan Ley has said mental health funding will be discussed at the upcoming COAG meeting on April 17.
2. Bali calls for booze ban.
Indonesia is allegedly calling for a ban on consuming drinks with an alcohol content greater than one per cent.
The news comes as Indonesia Institute president Ross Taylor says the concern about alcohol consumption ranks higher in public concern than the fate of Bali Nine inmates Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
He says the anti-alcohol legislation proposed by two Islamic parties could become law as early as the end of this year if backed by President Joko Widodo.
The ban would start with mini-marts and expand, but some tourist areas would be exempt.
Mr Taylor said the proposal horrified local authorities, Yahoo reports.
3. My Kitchen Rules Judge contacts police after threats against daughters.
My Kitchen Rules judge and chef, Colin Fassnidge, has alerted authorities to disturbing tweets he received about his two young daughters.
The man offered to babysit the girls, aged four and five.
Mr Fassnidge reported the tweet to NSW Police, who said they could not act on the alleged threats.
According to the Daily Mail, the celebrity chef is outraged authorities aren’t able to take further action against online abusers.
“There are a lot of sick people out there and the police have said to me that the law is so far behind,” Fassnidge said.
“But if it was Tony Abbott they’d find out who it was.”
Fassnidge also said he believed online trolling was out of control, and while he can handle people being rude about his restaurants or his hair, they need to leave his kids and the MKR contestants out of it.
4. Australia is most expensive country in the world for jeans and iPhones.
An annual survey conducted by the Deutsche Bank has found Australia is the most expensive country in the world, when it comes to shopping.
It ranks among the top in buying iPhones, Adidas, denim, public transport, cigarettes and accommodation.
The study found while an iPhone6 in the United States is $838 ($USD650), in Australia it’s more than $990 ($USD768).
Sydney and Melbourne are also the top most expensive cities for catching the train, and both rank quite highly for the most expensive dates.
This is the fourth year in a row the survey found Australia to be the most expensive nation.
5. American woman gives birth to the nation’s first surviving all-girl set of quintuplets.
A couple from Houston, Texas has given birth to the first surviving all-girl set of quintuplets in America.
Such a feat has allegedly not been achieved anywhere in the world since 1969.
Danielle Busby, her husband Adam and their other daughter Blayke welcomed five healthy baby girls: Olivia Marie, Ava Lane, Hazel Grace, Parker Kate and Riley Paige.
The babies were delivered via caesarean at 28 weeks and two days, USA Today reports.
6. Unemployment rate is down as jobs added.
Australia’s unemployment rate has dropped to 6.1 per cent as an estimated 37,700 jobs were added.
The Bureau of Statistics reports 31,500 of those jobs are full time, with 6,100 part-time positions.
The unemployment rate fell 0.1 per cent, down from 6.2 per cent in February, ABC News reports.
According to Guardian Australia, the drop comes as a surprise to economists, who expected the rate to stay the same.
7. Sydney lockout laws reduce assaults, but NSW suffers drug abuse rise.
A NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report has found the Sydney lockout laws have reduced violent assaults in the CBD, but drug possession and trafficking has increased across the state.
Despite the drop in alcohol-fuelled violence, cocaine and amphetamine possession rose by more than 30 per cent each.
The report also showed an increase in major crimes including robbery and theft, ABC news reports.
The Sydney lockout laws — a program in which bars require 1.30 am lockouts, and 3am last drinks, reduced assaults in Sydney’s King Cross by a third, and 40 per cent in the CBD. However, the laws had no effect on rates of violent assaults in surrounding areas.
Medical professionals have praised the laws for relieving pressure on hospitals and emergency units in the city.
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Top Comments
How many times does a person have to attempt suicide before they get a treatment plan and access to a case worker? In Geelong, the answer is TWO TIMES. Regional cities desperately need more mental health support services. I'm so surprised this has taken so long to happen. Lets start valuing our mentally ill and actually make effective mechanisms to rehabilitate.
Community mental health programs are never going to replace acute beds. they just will not. they need to provide long term support to needy people to avoid re hospitalisation but these are also overlooked in favour of rehabilitation programs and money pushed into these community programs has come at a cost to the very sick due to lack of acute beds and lack of long term housing support.
While I agree these services can be helpful at the moment they have come at the cost of long term housing and support. Why they cannot have both is beyond me.
People with mental illnesses ( serious ones like schizophrenia ) are often socially isolated, difficult for family to support and need a range of support for different levels of sickness. the most needs are so badely supported they often end up suiciding, living like animals if filth with some seriously horrible stuff going on in their heads,
I see this with my brothers and with patients at work. the reality is these illnesses can be as debilitating as cancer, but they do not get the funding and support or serious care they need. Sick people need hospitalbeds, long term tailored support, not patch work community services that involve a revolving door of social worker's ridiculous lack of support for those is bad places and a great deal of grief for the patients and their families.
I think we need more money but not all of it in community NGO's who in my oppinion have failed my brothers significantly