Weaving Stories: A Reparative Truth‐Telling Agenda

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 182404, “Unconventional-Resources Exploration and Development in the Northern Territory—Challenges From a Regulator’s Perspective,” by M. Rezazadeh, J. van Hattum, and D. Marozzi, Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy, prepared for the 2016 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 25–27 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The production of conventional onshore oil and gas in Australia’s Northern Territory began in 1983 from the Palm Valley Field (gas) in the Amadeus Basin. Until 2010, the industry relied on conventional oil and gas development technology, but, in recent years, the focus of the industry has shifted to unconventional-resource exploration. This paper outlines the key issues that must be addressed from a regulatory perspective in regard to the development of an onshore unconventional-gas industry in the Northern Territory. Introduction In the Northern Territory, the Department of Mines and Energy (DME) is the agency responsible for regulating the exploration and production of oil and gas and the administration of petroleum tenures and petroleum pipelines onshore and in designated coastal waters up to 3 nautical miles seaward from the Territorial Sea Baseline of the Northern Territory. The DME’s role is to ensure that best-practice regulatory principles are applied for the sustainable and safe exploration and production of natural resources in the Northern Territory. In the Northern Territory, hydraulic fracturing has taken place since 1967, mainly as a process to enhance hydrocarbon production from conventional reservoirs with vertical wells. Since 2011, however, hydraulic fracturing has been carried out during exploration for unconventional hydrocarbons. Until now, developmental drilling has taken place only in producing fields in the Amadeus Basin. In the McArthur, Bonaparte, South Georgina, and Pedirka Basins, exploration activities are ongoing. Onshore Northern Territory oil production comes from the Mereenie and Surprise Fields. Until November 2015, onshore gas production in the Northern Territory came from the Mereenie and Palm Valley Fields. In December 2015, the Dingo Field began producing gas. In 2015, 3,703 MMscf of gas was produced from the three fields. Current Northern Territory Onshore Petroleum Regulatory Framework The Northern Territory Petroleum Act is the principal existing legislation regulating oil and gas exploration and production. The DME currently uses the Schedule of Onshore Petroleum Exploration and Production Requirements (referred to here as the Schedule) to regulate petroleum activities; this guideline is similar to that which Western Australia previously used. In 2015, Western Australia replaced the Schedule with its Petroleum Resource Management and Administration Regulations. The Schedule is used to provide requirements to regulate and audit all petroleum activities.

Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the elderly population of the Northern Territory (NT), explore the challenges of delivering aged care services to this population and implications for the acute care sector. Methods Data gathered from a variety of sources were used to describe the demographic and health profile of elderly Territorians, the aged care structure and services in the NT, and admission trends of elderly patients in NT hospitals. Information regarding NT community and residential aged care services was sourced from government reports. NT public hospital admissions from 2001 to 2015 were adjusted by the estimated Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. Results In 2015, elderly people constituted 9.2% of the NT population and this number is predicted to increase. Between 2001 and 2015, the number and rate of elderly admissions to NT public hospitals increased significantly. Compared with other jurisdictions, aged care in the NT is dominated by community services, which are of limited scope. Important geographical and economic factors affect the availability of residential aged care beds. This, in turn, affects the ability of elderly people to transition from hospital settings. Conclusions The NT has a relatively small but growing elderly population with increasing needs. This population is markedly different compared with its counterparts in other Australian states and territories, but receives aged care services based on national policies. Recent changes to community-based services and increases in residential beds should improve services and care, although remaining challenges and gaps need to be addressed. What is known about the topic? Increasing health and care needs of elderly people will place significant stress across the health and aged care system. In Australia, most aged care services are apportioned and funded under a national system. The NT has a markedly different population profile compared with the rest of Australia, which gives rise to unique considerations, but its aged care structure is based on nationally developed policies. What does this paper add? Elderly people in the NT are increasingly using acute care services. Aged care services in the NT have higher ratios of community-based services to residential aged care facilities (RACF) as a consequence of a 'younger' cohort of Aboriginal elderly people who live remotely. In addition, economic factors affect the low number of RACF places. As evidenced in past years, a small pool of beds can adversely affect the numbers and length of stay of elderly people waiting in hospitals. What are the implications for practitioners? The NT has a small but growing population of elderly people, which will place an increasing burden on acute care services that are ill equipped to manage their specific needs. Recent RACF and flexible care bed approvals may alleviate past difficulties to transition hospital patients awaiting RACF placement. Significant changes at the national level to community-based care services that increase flexibility for providers may bring about better outcomes for remote elderly recipients. However, high costs and issues with remote servicing will remain. Psychogeriatrics remains a major underserviced area in the NT with no prospective solution.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term coalition comes from the Latin coalescere or ‘coalesce’, meaning “come or bring together to form one mass or whole”. Coalesce refers to the unity affirmed as something grows: co – “together”, alesce – “to grow up”. While coalition is commonly associated with formalised alliances and political strategy in the name of self-interest and common goals, this paper will draw as well on the broader etymological understanding of coalition as “growing together” in order to discuss the Australian government’s recent changes to land rights legislation, the 2007 Emergency Intervention into the Northern Territory, and its decision to use Indigenous land in the Northern Territory as a dumping ground for nuclear waste.

Reports of a rise in childhood cancer incidence in Australia and globally prompted the investigation of cancer incidence and survival in South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT) over a 28-year period, with emphasis on Indigenous peoples. This cross-sectional analysis of two prospective longitudinal databases, the SA and NT Cancer Registries (1990-2017), included all reported cases of childhood cancers. Poisson regression provided estimates of incidence rate ratios and survival was modelled using Cox proportional hazard models for children aged <5 and ≥5 years. A total of 895 patients across SA (N = 753) and the NT (N = 142) were ascertained. Overall and in the NT, childhood cancer incidence was higher in males compared with females (IRR 1.19 [1.04-1.35] and 1.43 [1.02-2.01], respectively). Lymphocytic leukemia was the most reported cancer type across all locations. With reference to the 1990-1999 era (181.67/100,000), cancer incidence remained unchanged across subsequent eras in the combined cohort (SA and NT) (2000-2009: 190.55/100,000; 1.06 [0.91-1.25]; 2010-2017: 210.00/100,000; 1.15 [0.98-1.35]); similar outcomes were reflected in SA and NT cohorts. Cancer incidence amongst non-Indigenous children significantly decreased from the 1990-1999 era (278.32/100,000) to the 2000-2009 era (162.92/100,000; 0.58 [0.35-0.97]). Amongst 39 Indigenous children in the NT, incidence rates remained unchanged across eras (p > 0.05). With reference to the 1990-1999 era, overall survival improved in subsequent eras in SA (2000-2009: HR 0.53 [0.38-0.73]; 2010-2017: 0.44 [0.28-0.68]); however, remained unchanged in the NT (2000-2009: 0.78 [0.40-1.51]; 2010-2017: 0.50 [0.24-1.05]). In the NT, overall survival of Indigenous patients was significantly lower compared with the non-Indigenous cohort (3.42 [1.92-6.10]). While the survival of Indigenous children with cancer significantly improved in the last two eras (p < 0.05), compared to the 1990-1999 era, no change was noted amongst non-Indigenous children in the NT (p > 0.05). The incidence of childhood cancers has remained unchanged over 28-years in SA and the NT. Encouragingly, improved survival rates over time were observed in SA and amongst Indigenous children of the NT. Nevertheless, survival rates in Indigenous children remain lower than non-Indigenous children.

Three years of minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory, what does the evidence say?

Clinical & Experimental OphthalmologyVolume 51, Issue 2 p. 170-172 LETTER TO THE EDITOR ‘Closing the gap’ on visual acuity outcomes of Indigenous and remote patients receiving intravitreal injections in Northern Australia Danny Lam MMed, Corresponding Author Danny Lam MMed dannylam92@hotmail.com orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-8130 Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia Correspondence Danny Lam, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia. Email: dannylam92@hotmail.comSearch for more papers by this authorSusith Kulasekara FRANZCO, Susith Kulasekara FRANZCO Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorLeah Kim MMed, Leah Kim MMed Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorNisangi Wijesinghe MD, Nisangi Wijesinghe MD Monash University School of Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorTharmalingam Mahendrarajah FRANZCO, Tharmalingam Mahendrarajah FRANZCO Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author Danny Lam MMed, Corresponding Author Danny Lam MMed dannylam92@hotmail.com orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-8130 Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia Correspondence Danny Lam, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia. Email: dannylam92@hotmail.comSearch for more papers by this authorSusith Kulasekara FRANZCO, Susith Kulasekara FRANZCO Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorLeah Kim MMed, Leah Kim MMed Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorNisangi Wijesinghe MD, Nisangi Wijesinghe MD Monash University School of Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorTharmalingam Mahendrarajah FRANZCO, Tharmalingam Mahendrarajah FRANZCO Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 11 January 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14204Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume51, Issue2March 2023Pages 170-172 RelatedInformation

The case for government-run liquor stores in the Australian Northern Territory: Looking outside the box in regulating the supply of alcohol.

The aim of the present study was to characterize suicide in the Northern Territory (NT) for the 6 year period 1 January 2001-31 December 2006. Suicide death rates by area (Australia, NT), sex, and Indigenous status for the period of 2001-2006 were obtained from the National Coroners Information System through the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. Population figures were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. For this period the suicide rate of NT (21.6 per 100 000) was double the national rate ( 11 ), and the rate for NT Indigenous people (36.7) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of NT non-Indigenous people (14.7). There was a decline in the suicide rate for Australia of -8.6%; for NT, -6.3%; for NT non-Indigenous, -3.3%; and for NT Indigenous, -9.0%. The sex difference was significant (p < 0.001) for both Australia and the NT with male subjects having a higher suicide rate than female subjects. With respect to age group, some evidence suggested an earlier peak for NT Indigenous compared to NT non-Indigenous people. Hanging was more common in NT than in the rest of the country and accounted for 87% of Indigenous suicide. Suicide is more common in NT than in Australia generally, and more common in NT Indigenous than NT non-Indigenous people. There is evidence of a decline in suicide rates across the board.

Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in Australia's Northern Territory across three eras of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use (2006–15): a population-based cohort study

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 61, Issue 7 p. 243-244 Feeding rubberbush (Calotropis procera) to cattle and sheep B. L. RADUNZ, B. L. RADUNZ Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780 *South Australian Department of Agriculture, Box 618, Naracoorte, South Australia 5271Search for more papers by this authorG. WILSON, G. WILSON Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780 †Department of Primary Production, Box 2134, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 5750Search for more papers by this authorG. BEERE, G. BEERE Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780Search for more papers by this author B. L. RADUNZ, B. L. RADUNZ Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780 *South Australian Department of Agriculture, Box 618, Naracoorte, South Australia 5271Search for more papers by this authorG. WILSON, G. WILSON Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780 †Department of Primary Production, Box 2134, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 5750Search for more papers by this authorG. BEERE, G. BEERE Northern Territory Department of Primary Production, Box 1346, Katherine, Northern Territory 5780Search for more papers by this author First published: July 1984 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1984.tb06006.xCitations: 5 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume61, Issue7July 1984Pages 243-244 RelatedInformation

The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia is a large, low-density territory with the highest percentage of First Nations people in Australia, many of whom live remotely and encounter difficulties and barriers to accessing services. This determines significant gap in healthcare delivery inclusive of Nuclear Medicine and theranostic therapy services. In particular, no theranostic service for cancer patients is currently available in the NT. A narrative retrospective analysis of the provision of nuclear medicine services within the NT at the Royal Darwin Hospital was undertaken to determine the suitability and relevance of the establishment of a new theranostic service within the NT, catered to the specific needs of the local population and in particular of the large proportion of First Nations Patients that are likely to benefit from the local service. Building on the preexisting structure of Nuclear Medicine and PET, inclusive of a comprehensive facility with local production of radiopharmaceuticals, it is expected that the implementation of a theranostic service within the NT will have a high intake and a flow-down positive effect on cancer care within the NT. The implementation of cultural safety principles within the department is embedded in our model of service provision and will further be implemented in the theranostic service delivery. A theranostic service within the NT will prove beneficial to the NT population and sustainable financially. Principles of Cultural safety are paramount to service provision in the NT, and will hopefully contribute to enhancing the experience and improving the outcomes for First Nations patients.

The opportunity for onshore oil and gas development in the Northern Territory (NT) has grown exponentially in recent years, driven by the NT’s expansive shale gas resources in the McArthur Basin and elsewhere. Such resources provide many potential benefits to the territory’s economy, including job creation and clean, cost-effective energy generation opportunities. Critical to the successful development of the industry is a legitimate social licence to operate with the community, for which strong environmental regulation is a key enabling factor. Communities must be assured that oil and gas activities can provide ecologically sustainable development, and a transparent, evidence- and risk-based framework is the best way to achieve this. Following the NT Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing by Dr Allan Hawke in November 2014, and further review of the environmental assessment and approval processes in May 2015, the NT Government has implemented structural reform and developed contemporary outcome-focused Petroleum (Environment) Regulations to balance environmental protection with the economic development benefits offered by the onshore gas industry. Those objectives include that petroleum development in the NT: is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development; reduces risks and impacts to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable and acceptable; ensures meaningful engagement with stakeholder; and, provides for transparency of decision-making and publication of approved environment management plans in full. This extended abstract provides an update of the reform of the regulatory framework, the regulatory objectives, the regulations by which they’re achieved, and the consultation process followed to gain wide stakeholder support. It will also highlight that strong regulations alone do not provide a robust regulatory framework, and the steps the NT Government is taking to achieve its objective. The regulations are planned to come into force in the third quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, a full review of the NT Petroleum Act and development of Petroleum (Resource Management) Regulations that takes into consideration the recommendations from the Hawke Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT is underway.

Local genomic sequencing enhances COVID-19 surveillance in the Northern Territory of Australia

Having done all my medical education and training in Melbourne, Australia, I decided to spend my second year of neurology training in the Northern Territory. It is a very different...

Incidence trends of head and neck cancer (HNC) have implications for screening strategies, disease management, guiding health policy making, and are needed to further oral cancer research. This paper aims to describe trends in age-adjusted HNC incidence rates focusing on changes across calendar period between 2007 and 2010 in Australian Northern Territory. Age-adjusted incidence rates of HNC were calculated for 2007- 2010 using Northern Territory population based data assembled by Department of Health, Northern Territory Government of Australia. Changes in the HNC rate ratio (RR) and Estimated Annual Percentage Change (EAPC) between 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 were calculated. A total of 171 HNC patients were recorded by the Northern Territory Department of Health during the time period between 2007 and 2010, out of which, 135 were males (78.9% of male HNC patients) and 36 were females (21.1% of female HNC patients). In conclusion, HNC incidence rate has decreased in the Northern Territory Australian males but remains unchanged in Australian females. High incidences of HNC may be associated with the high smoking rate and high alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory. Continued monitoring of trends in HNC incidence rates is crucial to inform Northern Territory based cancer prevention strategies.