Month: April 2022

With joint state and federal funding set to run out in June, the Greens have pledged $30 million to extend the Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program and fund a coordinated eradication program in Townsville, protecting North Queensland’s ecological health and tourism industry from one of the world’s most invasive species.

The Greens will provide:

• $20 million to the Wet Tropics Management Authority to continue its Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program for five more years, including intensive monitoring to be confident of complete success
• $10 million to fund a coordinated Townsville eradication program.

Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said:

“A responsible government would recognise that failing to invest in finishing the job threatens the eradication work done to date and puts the Wet Tropics tourism drawcard at risk. But the Morrison Government is more interested in space lasers and throwing billions at coal and gas multinationals.

“Eradicating Yellow Crazy Ants will help to protect biodiversity, strengthen agricultural productivity, improve the region’s resilience to other threats – particularly climate change –  and protect thousands of jobs.

“It should be a no-brainer, yet funding for the eradication program in the Wet Tropics runs out in barely two months. Meanwhile, there is almost no funding to manage the Townsville outbreak they’ve been warned of for years.

“Full eradication within the Wet Tropics must be the end goal, and is still possible with proper investment. That must be matched with a fully-funded eradication program in Townsville, built on the successful WTMA model. 

“The Greens will fund both programs for five years to get the job done, protecting nature, farmers and the tourism industry. We’re calling on the Federal and Queensland Governments to match our commitment so critical eradication gains made to date are not undone.”

The Greens have announced they will establish a new and fully-funded Australia Network, pushing Labor to go further in a minority government.

While responding to Labor’s announcement today of $8m to the ABC to deliver Australian content to Pacific nations, Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“What we need is a new Australia Network, fully funded, engaged, and with a purpose of connecting us as a nation to our neighbours and our region.

 “The Liberals under former PM Tony Abbott, destroyed The Australia Network and with it, soft diplomacy in the Pacific. They were warned the real cost of this budget cut would be much higher and now we are seeing that play out with the relationship between the Solomons and China. 

 “Instead of broadcasting current affairs and quality Australian content, the Morrison government has been paying for “Married at First Sight” to be broadcast into the Pacific.

 “Labor’s commitment is welcome, but it’s tiny, modest at best, and far more is needed. We need a publicly funded Australia Network, managed by the ABC and funded properly to do the job.

“The Greens have pledged that in the balance of power, we will push Labor to restore the funding cut by the Abbott Government in its entirety. This means that at a minimum, $22m per annum should be restored to deliver the services properly.

“Today we are talking about the Solomons and the Pacific, but The Australia Network reached 46 countries across Asia, the Pacific and the Indian sub-continent, so where will the Morrison Government have failed in their diplomatic efforts next?

“We are seeing the consequences of the Liberal Party’s attacks on the ABC play out in real-time on a national security level. 

“While China was courting the Solomons, shows like Married at First Sight were airing on televisions in the Pacific. 

“If these trashy so-called reality tv shows are how we show Australia to the world, it’s no wonder we have diplomatic issues.  

“We need quality news and Australian shows from our public broadcaster to be aired instead. 

 “The Greens have been fighting Abbott’s attacks on the ABC since 2014. We now have a real opportunity to kick the Libs out and push the new government to fully restore funding to our public broadcaster in the next parliament.”

An Albanese Labor Government will restore Australia’s place as the partner of choice for the countries in the Pacific.
 
Labor will secure our region and build a stronger Pacific family, to help face our shared challenges and achieve our shared goals.
 
Scott Morrison has dropped the ball in the Pacific, and as a result Australia is less secure.
 
The vacuum Scott Morrison has created is being filled by others – who do not share our interests and values.
 
Our plan brings together Australia’s defence, strategic, diplomatic and economic power to reassure the region that they can rely on Australia.
 
By combining effective climate leadership, vital development assistance and improvements to Pacific worker programs – along with defence and security cooperation and enhanced diplomatic capability, we will leverage Australia’s strengths to secure our region.
 
An Albanese Labor Government will:

• Establish a new Australia-Pacific Defence School to provide training for members of defence and security forces from Pacific Island nations, ensuring Australia’s defence engagement in the region delivers practical support for the region’s needs and builds deeper institutional links between the ADF and its regional counterparts. The new Australia Pacific Defence School will be funded at $6.5 million over four years through existing Defence resources. 
• Double Australia’s funding for the Pacific Maritime Security Program which provides aerial surveillance of Pacific Island countries’ enormous exclusive economic zones, helping Pacific governments to recoup some of the US$150 million a year in revenues which are estimated to be lost due to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Labor will step up Australia’s support for aerial surveillance activities as part of the Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP) by increasing funding by $12 million a year from 2024-25. 
• Deliver an Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy that boosts Australian public and commercial media content to audiences in our region, increases training for Pacific journalists and enhances partnerships with broadcasters in our region. We will increase funding to ABC International by $8 million a year over the forward estimates to expand ABC transmission and deliver Australian television, radio and online media content to more audiences in the Pacific, as well as Southeast Asia and South Asia. 
• Boost Australian Official Development Assistance for Pacific countries and Timor-Leste by $525 million over the next four years, to help address the decade’s worth of development gains that have been lost due to the pandemic. This will include $5 million for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, to strengthen regional health preparedness in the Pacific and Timor-Leste. 
• Restore Australia’s climate leadership, and listen and act on Pacific Island warnings of the existential threat of climate change. We will establish a Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership to support climate and clean energy infrastructure projects in Pacific countries, in addition to our bid to co-host a future UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Australia with our Pacific partners. 
• Reinstate regular bipartisan Parliamentary Pacific visits to demonstrate to the Pacific family that stronger Pacific partnerships are in Australia’s national interest. Bipartisan visits were undertaken under Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop, but have been abandoned by Scott Morrison and Marise Payne. 
• Address Pacific economic challenges and ease Australia’s agricultural worker shortages by reforming the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) and expanding the PALM Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). 
  • We will ensure the Federal Government meets upfront travel costs for Pacific workers under the Seasonal Worker Program – costs which currently have to be met by Australian farmers. This will increase the attractiveness of the Seasonal Worker Program for Australian farmers. 
  • We will make it easier for Pacific workers to fill labour shortages in Australia under the Pacific Labour Scheme by allowing participants to bring family members to live and work in Australia. 
  • We will establish a dedicated Agriculture visa stream under the PALM, creating a robust and sustainable four-year visa, with portability, strong oversight mechanisms, and protections and rights for workers. These protections will be consistent with the protections under the PALM-PLS and PALM-SWP.
• Boost our people to people links across the Pacific family by encouraging more Pacific permanent migration to Australia through a new Pacific Engagement Visa, modelled on New Zealand’s Pacific Access Resident visa.

Rather than just talking tough with no follow through, Labor will provide practical support for our neighbours to improve their security and protect their economies.
 
Nothing is more central to the security and economies of the Pacific than climate change. As Pacific leaders themselves put it plainly in the first article of the 2018 Pacific Island Forum’s Boe Declaration on Regional Security:
 

We reaffirm that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and our commitment to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

But rather than help Pacific Island leaders, Morrison Government ministers have mocked their concerns.
 
It costs us little to tell a positive story about Australia in the region, but Scott Morrison has squandered Australia’s natural advantage of shared values with Pacific neighbours.
 
Labor will draw on the strength of who we are – a generous, respectful and reliable nation.
 
A country that many Pacific Islanders call home, and that will always step up in times of need.
 
A partner that will invest in the long-term stability and prosperity of our region.
 
A partner that will listen, and that will strengthen the Pacific family.

The Morrison Government’s economic plan is supercharging Queensland’s energy and resources sectors to create thousands of new jobs, support existing industries and expand export opportunities for the entire state.

Two new hydrogen hubs will be established, with one in Townsville in North Queensland and the other in Gladstone in Central Queensland. Three early-stage development project grants will also be funded.

In addition, six carbon capture utilisation and storage projects will be supported by the Morrison Government across Gladstone and the Surat Basin to help reduce emissions from power generation and heavy industry.

The Morrison Government is committing over $275 million to these clean hydrogen and carbon capture projects bringing the total private and public co-investment for Queensland to more than $535 million.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more than 5,700 jobs are set to be created in Queensland when the projects are operational from 2025, with even more possible when the industry scales up.

“We are backing Queensland to play a leading role in Australia’s emerging hydrogen industry, to build a strong economy for a stronger future,” the Prime Minister said.

“Queensland has got the goods, it has the natural resources that the world wants and the skills and know-how that are needed to seize new opportunities.

“Ensuring affordable and reliable energy, while meeting our emissions reductions targets, is key to our national economic plan.

“Queensland is playing an important role in delivering on our economic plan by supercharging the state’s position as a global energy powerhouse, growing export opportunities and creating thousands more jobs, particularly in regional Queensland.

“There is a clear choice at this election and Australians can vote for a stronger economy under the Coalition or a weak economy under Labor with higher taxes and real consequences on your mortgage repayments, grocery bill and household budget.”

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the range of these projects demonstrates Queensland’s ability to use existing skills from its world-class liquified natural gas (LNG) industry.

“Queensland has great potential to become a clean hydrogen producing powerhouse, with its access to local low-cost gas, carbon capture opportunities and renewables potential,” Minister Taylor said.

“There is a lot of interest in both Gladstone and Townsville from key hydrogen consumer countries including Japan and Korea. Today’s announcement will help to secure this important international investment and partnership into regional Queensland communities.

“We can also help to make our LNG sector even more attractive to our international customers through proving up affordable and world-leading carbon capture technologies. This will not only reduce emissions from LNG production, but can also capture emissions from other processes such as electricity generation or cement production.

“Our support will ensure Queenslanders and all Australians can benefit from a new clean hydrogen industry.”

A re-elected Coalition Government is committed to delivering up to $70 million to establish a clean hydrogen hub in Townsville.

In addition, the Government is delivering up to $2.4 million for Ark Energy H2 Pty Ltd’s Han-Ho H2 Hub Feasibility Study, with a total project value of more than $4.8 million.

The Government will also invest in hydrogen projects in Gladstone:

• Up to $69.2 million to establish Stanwell Corporation Limited’s The Central Queensland Hydrogen Hub (CQ-H2 Hub), with a total project value of more than $148 million
• Up to $1.25 million for Origin Energy Future Fuels Pty Ltd’s Origin & ENEOS MCH Gladstone Project, with a total project value of $2.5 million
• Up to $3 million for Vena Energy Services (Australia) Pty Ltd’s Euroa Energy Project, with a total project just over $6 million
• Up to $44.9 million for Fortescue Future Industries’ Green Hydrogen Gigafactory – Electrolsyer Manufacturing Facility at Aldoga in Gladstone, with a total project value of $136.2 million.

As part of our investment in carbon capture technology the Government is committing:

• $25 million in funding, matched by industry, for Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development (ANLEC R&D) to assess the feasibility of a zero emissions Allam-Fetvedt Cycle dispatchable generator in the National Electricity Market
• Up to $20 million for CTSCo’s Surat Basin Hub Scale Storage Appraisal and Development Project, with a total project value of $50 million
• Up to $15 million for CTSCo’s Surat Basin Test Injection Project, with a total project value of $50.3 million
• Up to $15 million for Bridgeport (Surat Basin) Pty Ltd’s Moonie CCUS Project, with a total project value of $42.5 million
• Up to $5 million for KC8 Capture Technologies Ltd’s Potassium carbonate absorption for clinker emissions reduction (PACER) project, with a total project value of $12 million
• Up to $5 million for a feasibility study for the Zero Degrees Rosella 1’s zero emissions Allam-Fetvedt Cycle generator and hydrogen production project, with a total project value of $32.7 million.

Clean hydrogen exports could directly support 16,000 jobs by 2050, plus an additional 13,000 jobs in renewable energy infrastructure construction. Clean hydrogen production for both export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050.

The Morrison Government’s economic plan is creating jobs by helping small and medium businesses save money on their energy bills through a new $60 million Powering Business program.

A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will offer grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses, and up to $50,000 matched funding for medium businesses to support energy efficient equipment upgrades to save businesses money.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the program backs small and medium businesses, and would boost investment and grow jobs.

“Affordable and reliable energy is part of our economic plan,” the Prime Minister said.

“By empowering small and medium businesses to invest in cost-saving, energy efficient upgrades we’re building a strong economy for a stronger future.

“By investing in energy efficient equipment, thousands of businesses can save thousands of dollars on their energy bills, putting more money back in their pockets to reinvest and create more jobs.

“Whether it’s replacing air conditioners, upgrading cool rooms, installing new equipment, this will help Australian businesses from the farm, to retail, to manufacturing, to cut energy bills and get ahead.

“Under the Liberal and Nationals Government, energy prices have fallen. Business energy costs are down 10 per cent, and energy bills for Australian families have fallen by eight per cent across the National Electricity Market over the past two years. Under Labor, power prices doubled.”

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the program continues to build on the Morrison Government’s strong record of backing businesses and delivering affordable, reliable power.

“Small and medium businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and improvements to their energy productivity can make a big difference in helping them reduce their overheads,” Minister Taylor said.

“This program could support thousands of SMEs reinvest in their businesses, building on the success of the Energy Efficient Communities and Hotel Energy Uplift programs, which have already supported over 1,300 businesses invest in new initiatives to help lower their energy bills.

“Providing funding to help SMEs make these investments will provide genuine and lasting savings on power bills with a positive flow on effect for jobs and the competitiveness of small and medium businesses into the future.”

Grants of up to $25,000 will be available to small businesses, with a turnover up to $10 million and up to 20 employees, with no requirement for matched funding. Grants of up to $50,000 will be available to medium businesses, with a turnover up to $50 million and up to 200 employees, with a requirement for matched funding.

Some of Australia’s most loved film industry personalities have combined to create a compelling plea to act on climate change: These futures aren’t inevitable.

The short feature depicts a three generation Australian family gathering to celebrate a newly born baby and pondering what the future holds for the child.

It was directed by Rachel Ward, a filmmaker and regenerative farmer; written by Margaret Morgan, an Australian screenwriter and novelist with a background in law and science ; and produced by The Truth and Integrity Project, an independent body campaigning for real climate change action and the end of lies and corruption in Australian politics.

The cast is Rachel Ward, Marcus Graham, Michael Caton, Jenny Wu, Tim Franklin, and Joshua Nichols.

Margaret Morgan said “I wrote These futures aren’t i nevitable because I realised that what we know intellectually about the urgency of climate change needs to be connected to our emotions before we will act. By showing the future that we’re currently creating for our children, I hope I’ve brought that message home.”

Rachel Ward said: “At a time when it is hard to find actions that fit the enormity and urgency of our climate crisis, I welcomed the chance to be part of this.”

The feature doesn’t advocate voting for any particular political party, but its closing message is that lack of action on climate change is not inevitable. We can choose to vote for parties who pretend to act on climate change, or we can choose to vote for parties and candidates committed to effective action.

The feature will be shown in selected cinemas around Australia and be part of the Truth and Integrity Project’s social media campaign.

The Truth and Integrity Project was founded by veteran Australian film producer Bob Weis, and its patrons are Barry Jones AC and John Hewson AM.

The Truth and Integrity Project aims to reach out to all Australians – whatever their differences are or have been – to promote a fair and successful Australia where truth, integrity, policy and decency are the core of politics.

The feature can be seen at: https://bit.ly/3rRrr2Q

Cast

Rachel Ward

Marcus Graham

Michael Caton

Jenny Wu

Tim Franklin

Joshua Nichols

Filmmakers, crew and post production

Director: Rachel Ward

Screenwriter & Producer: Margaret Morgan

Producer: Bob Weis
Cinematographer: Jack Shepherd
Casting Director: Greg Apps

Editors: Nick Meyers & Karen Johnson
Sound engineer: Andy Wright

Original Score: Robert Hart
Archivist: Melissa Garner

Lighting: Mikey Hamer

Focus Puller: Thomas Austin

Sound operator: Dante Florez

Continuity: Maxine Verbruggen

Runner: Martien Verbruggen

Sound and picture post production services: Soundfirm.

The Australian Workers’ Union has today welcomed Labor’s agriculture workforce policy which contains a range of measures to secure the workforce Australian farms require, without rolling out the welcome mat to more abuse and exploitation.

The plan announced by the ALP today rolls David Littleproud’s failed ‘ag visa’ into the more successful and established PALM (Pacific Australia Labor Mobility) scheme. Under Labor’s policy workers on the scheme will have the ability to apply for more permanent migration, and the government will play a more active role in covering the costs of travel.

The policy also includes higher standards on inductions and stricter rules around approved employers.

Vitally, employees will also have the right to change employer so they will no longer be accused of ‘absconding’ if they leave an exploitative employer.

“David Littleproud’s tenure as agriculture minister has been calamitous, unethical, and embarrassing. Thankfully the policy announced by Labor today would help clean up the ungodly mess he’s made,” said AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton.

“Instead of begging the Foreign Minister to convince her Asian counterparts to accept a ‘trust us’ frankenstein visa with no safeguards, Labor’s plan would build on the success of the established PALM scheme, which would strengthen existing ties with our Pacific neighbours.

“Australia doesn’t need to run an agriculture sector that turns an intentional blind eye to worker exploitation and abuse. We can uphold Australian working standards on farms while continuing to grow our industry. Labor has laid out a plan for how this can be achieved.

“Crucially, under Labor’s plan, ethical farmers who do the right thing will no longer be undercut by dodgy operators whose business models rely on exploitation.

“The election battle lines are now clear. Labor now has a plan to reward good farmers who do the right thing. Littleproud and the Nationals have a plan to reward unethical farmers who like to exploit foreign workers.”

The opening arguments in Youth Verdict’s critical human rights and climate change legal challenge to Clive Palmer’s proposed Galilee Coal Project will be heard today in the Queensland Land Court in Brisbane.

Youth Verdict’s First Nations-led argument is the first time a coal mine has been challenged on the grounds of human rights violations in Australia.

Represented by the Environmental Defenders Office, Youth Verdict and The Bimblebox Alliance, will argue burning coal from the mine will impact the cultural rights of First Nations Peoples by further contributing to adverse climate change. They will also argue the mine would destroy the Bimblebox Nature Refuge in the proposed site.

In a legal first, First Nations people in Gimuy (Cairns) and the Torres Strait Islands of Erub and Poruma will give evidence to the Land Court ‘on Country’ and in accordance with First Nations protocols.

Witnesses will deliver compelling evidence that the Mining Lease and Environmental Approval for the mine should be refused due to its severe impacts on the environment, its contribution to run-away climate change, and the profound effects this will have on the human rights of First Nations and young people.

Murrawah Johnson, Co-Director of Youth Verdict and First Nations Campaign lead said:

“First Nations peoples and our cultural rights are barely addressed in policies on climate change.

“To truly address the climate crisis, the first hand experiences of First Nations need to urgently be heard and acted upon.

“First Nations people know what’s best for their Country through their deep and abiding knowledge of Country. They know what will sustain their futures and carry on their cultures.”

“That’s why we’re here today. To make sure the Land Court and Waratah Coal are listening to the lived reality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are experiencing the detrimental impacts of fossil fuel induced climate change right now.

“Our First Nations witnesses will be sharing cultural knowledge and expertise of Country and climate that has been passed down for thousands of generations to demonstrate how global warming, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is having profound impacts on their ability to exercise their rights to practice their culture and sustain their livelihoods.

“First Nation’s Cultural rights are supported under the Queensland Human Rights Act and will be argued for the first time in Australia as grounds to reject the mining lease and environmental approval applications for a new coal mine.

“We are taking this case against Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal mine because climate change threatens all of our futures. For First Nations peoples, climate change is taking away our connection to Country and robbing us of our cultures which are grounded in our relationship to our homelands.

“Climate change will prevent us from educating our young people in their responsibilities to protect Country and deny them their birth rights to their cultures, law, lands and waters.

“Our governments refuse to commit to stopping new coal mines despite the fact that we are running out of time for urgent climate action. So we have stepped up to challenge Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal mine.

“If the Queensland Government were actually concerned about promoting and protecting human rights they would not be letting Palmer’s mine go ahead.”

Sharyn Munro, spokesperson for The Bimblebox Alliance said:

“The Bimblebox Alliance is taking this action to defend the Bimblebox Nature Refuge. The idea that a coal mining exploration permit can be given out over a nature refuge is unthinkable. It throws into question the entire nature refuge program and the legal agreements that underpin it.

“It’s now more important than ever that Bimblebox be protected, as it was agreed to be. In perpetuity.”

Sean Ryan, EDO Managing Lawyer said:

“This is the first time a coal mine has been challenged on human rights grounds in Australia.

“The case unites First Nations people (through Youth Verdict Ltd) and rural landowners (through The Bimblebox Alliance Inc) as they defend the places they love from Clive Palmer’s climate polluting coal mine.”

“Under Queensland law, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a right to practice and enjoy their culture.

“All cultures are under threat from climate change, but particularly those cultures that have maintained a strong connection to the land and water, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. With its emissions, this coal mine would worsen climate change impacts on culture.

“Our clients will also argue against the direct destruction of the Bimblebox Nature Refuge by the mine.

“Clive Palmer’s coal mine would undermine and destroy this quintessential Australian bush to exploit the coal that will pollute our climate and offend basic human dignities.

“In a long overdue step for environmental litigation in Australia, the Land Court will follow First Nations protocols throughout the hearing. These protocols accept Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of communicating and provide a more respectful system for First Nation witnesses to be heard in Court.”

A new standard of care will help thousands of Australians at risk from long-term reliance on opioid analgesics following short-term use for acute pain in hospital.

Released today, the first national Opioid Analgesic Stewardship in Acute Pain Clinical Care Standard, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), sets out appropriate use of opioid analgesics in the emergency department and after surgery.

The new standard encourages doctors to consider alternate analgesics and, where opioids are required, promotes planning for their cessation.

Every year, more than 2.5 million people undergo surgery in public and private hospitals [1], some of whom become persistent users* of opioid analgesics after being treated for acute pain.

Opioid analgesics include oxycodone, morphine, buprenorphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, tapentadol, tramadol and codeine, which are sold under a variety of trade names. More than three million people have at least one prescription dispensed each year for opioid analgesics[2]. While these medicines play an important role in managing certain types of pain, they also carry potential for harm.

As well as nausea, drowsiness and respiratory depression, long-term use of opioids can lead to dependence and even unintended overdose.

Conjoint Professor Anne Duggan, Commission Chief Medical Officer, said there is a need to care for people who leave hospital after being prescribed opioids. A national survey found that 70% of hospitals send people home after surgery with opioids ‘just in case’.[3]

“Opioid analgesics are incredibly effective in providing pain relief for severe acute pain,” she said. “However, we must remember that these medicines can have significant adverse effects and may put people at risk of harm after they leave hospital.

“We need to fine-tune our prescribing and use of opioids analgesics for acute pain, to reduce the harms associated with inappropriate prescribing and avoid short-term use becoming a long-term problem.

“Ensuring adequate pain relief to avoid unnecessary suffering while minimising the risk of over-reliance on opioid analgesics is not an easy balance to strike. It is critical that when patients are discharged from hospital, there is a discussion with the patient and a clear medication management plan to wean off opioids,” Professor Duggan said.

Since 2018, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has introduced regulatory reform for opioid analgesics to minimise harm and limit inappropriate prescribing. This includes changes in June 2020 to opioid listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and smaller pack sizes for immediate-release opioids[4]. Recent data suggest Australia’s use of opioid analgesics is declining since the introduction of the regulatory reforms.

Conjoint Associate Professor Jennifer Stevens, Anaesthetist and Pain Management Specialist at St Vincent’s Hospitals Sydney, said there is large variation in how opioids are prescribed around Australia. She said the standard provides guidance for all patients to receive the same level of evidence-based safe and effective opioid prescribing.

“The clinical care standard encourages the use of simple analgesics such as paracetamol and anti-inflammatory medicines and non-medication techniques for mild to moderate pain. For severe acute pain, the standard recommends judicious opioid use,” said A/Professor Stevens.

“As prescribers, doctors have an ‘opioid-first’ habit that we need to kick. Compared to many European and Asian developed nations, Australia places a high reliance on using opioids as first-line analgesia, despite evidence those countries with significantly lower reliance do not have poorer pain outcomes.”

Dr Andrew Sefton, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Dubbo Base Hospital NSW and North Shore Private Hospital Sydney, said it was important for prescribing doctors to consider how and when opioids will cease after discharge.

“It might be quick and easy to provide a repeat on an opioid prescription when we have a patient experiencing pain, but we need to reflect on the individual patient to ensure the benefit outweighs risks.

“The clinical care standard highlights the need to support transition of care into the community, with communication and plans for opioid cessation. Providing the patient’s GP with a plan outlining the expected duration of opioid use and the amount of opioids supplied is a practical way to work together.”

Professor Duggan concluded: “It is ironic that a medication that is designed to reduce pain for patients can in turn create long-term anguish for an individual who becomes a persistent user of opioid analgesics once they leave hospital.

“We hope this standard will provide a turning point for Australia to reflect on our opioid use in hospitals, to ensure that we are providing the safest possible care to our patients as they recover and return to their regular activities in the community.”