TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Greg Dyett.
Qantas has been fined $250,000 for breaching workplace health and safety laws and discriminatory conduct after standing down an employee for raising concerns about COVID-19.
The health and safety representative directed staff not to clean planes from China in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New South Wales Labor Senator Tony Sheldon says today's outcome shows the lack of corporate responsibility for health and safety at the airline.
"It's quite clear that when you operate an airline you have a responsibility to protect the safety of the traveling public and your bonuses, your income is based on those practices being met, of having a safe airline."
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Optus has been handed a $1.5 million fine after being found to have breached public safety rules by the communications watchdog.
The watchdog found Optus did not upload the details of 200,000 mobile customers to a database used by emergency services between January 2021 and September 2023.
The database is used to provide information to police, fire or ambulance services during triple zero calls, as well as being used to issue emergency alerts in disasters such as bushfires.
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The federal government has revised plans for an offshore wind zone near western Victoria, with the new area to be one fifth of the original blueprint.
The Southern Ocean zone, located 15 to 20 kilometres off Victoria's coast near Portland, will span 1030 square kilometres rather than the original size of more than 5,000 square kilometres.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen says the change has been made after "extensive" consultation with local leaders, industry and community groups.
He says the reduction answers the concerns of environmental groups about the impact on marine life, including migrating Endangered Blue and Southern Right whales.
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Police in New South Wales are investigating a potential hit and run incident after finding the body of man in a suburban street in Sydney's southwest.
Emergency services were called to an intersection in Mount Pritchard at about 3am on Wednesday after reports of a man in the street with serious injuries.
Paramedics attended the scene but the man was declared dead.
Police are urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers.
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The Australian Human Rights Commission has announced the appointment of a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.
Katie Kiss will take on the role which is responsible for promoting the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and providing information to the government on matters relating to the rights of Indigenous people.
She says she's grateful for the opportunity.
"It's been a big day. I'm very honored and humbled to be asked to take on this very important role for our people, and it's been a big journey for me, but I feel like it's a legacy that my old people have left and it's a big responsibility to take on."
And in AFL,
St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster has received the longest AFL suspension in six years.
He's been banned for seven games after a bump on Jy Simpkin, in a landmark case.
In recent months, the AFL has increased efforts to protect players from concussion.
I'm Greg Dyett and that's SBS News in Easy English.
