• Labor promises new Mount Barker hospital
• Record petrol prices to stay until end of Ukraine war
• Floods to be declared a national emergency
• Big western brands close doors in Russia
• Premier flags further lift on restrictions
• Labor pledges to strengthen disability watchdog powers
• US bans Russian oil imports
• Ambulance service investigates deaths of two patients
• Rain finally easing but devastating NSW floods go on
• Australia wicketless as Pakistan Test fizzles out to a draw

Labor promises new Mount Barker hospital

The Opposition has announced a plan to build a $220 million new Mount Barker Hospital to meet growing demand if it wins the state election, but the Marshall Government says construction is already underway to expand the existing hospital.

Labor says its proposed new hospital would triple the number of beds at the current hospital to 102, and service a new 12-bed mental health unit, rehabilitation and palliative care beds, and additional obstetrics and medical and surgical beds.

It would also include an on-site pharmacy, pathology and radiology services, upgraded outpatient clinics and operating theatres, as well as upgraded chemotherapy services.

Under the plan, construction would begin in 2024-25 and be complete by 2027, with $95 million of the total cost to come from the four years of forward estimates, with the remainder of the $220 million project budgeted for 2026-27.

“The new Mount Barker Hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility – offering the local community new and expanded treatment and care, and 68 extra beds,” Labor leader Peter Malinauskas said.

“Local people will be able to be treated more often at their own hospital, and it will relieve pressure on metro hospitals.

“This builds on our other commitment for Mount Barker – a newly rebuilt ambulance station with 18 additional ambos and two extra ambulance crews.”

But Health Minister Stephen Wade questioned whether building a new hospital would delay the provision of upgraded hospital facilities for the Mount Barker area.

He said construction had already started on a $15.5 million expansion of the existing Mount Barker Hospital’s emergency department.

“The Mount Barker community needs expanded services now, not in five years time like the Labor Party is suggesting,” he said.

“That’s why we’re constructing a new emergency department that will be delivered by the end of this year – accommodating up to 22,000 emergency presentations a year.

“Will Labor cancel this project and make Mount Barker residents wait five more years for upgraded services? Or will they build it just to abandon it? None of these options is a sensible use of taxpayers’ money.”

Labor said planning for the new hospital would begin immediately following the election, with local clinician and community input to be sought on the site selection, service structure and model of care.

Mount Barker Hospital is located in the electorate of Kavel, which is currently held by independent MP Dan Cregan.

In a statement this afternoon, Cregan called on the government to immediately match Labor’s pledge.

“We desperately need this investment for our rapidly growing community,” he said.

“Since 2018 presentations at the Mount Barker ED alone have increased from 12,342 to 19,278 and Mount Barker is set to be the largest city in SA after Adelaide.

“In my view the Liberal Party cannot run a credible campaign in the Hills without making a similar commitment. This announcement is a result of increased political competition in our community.”

Record petrol prices to stay until end of Ukraine war

Petrol prices across Adelaide are smashing the $2 a litre barrier today as a peak national motor body predicts Australian drivers will have to pay the record prices for as long as Russia’s war on Ukraine continues.

The comments from the NRMA come as prices soared past $2.20 per litre this morning at petrol stations across Adelaide.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the price drivers were paying at the bowser was unprecedented.

“In Australia, most capital cities by the end of this week or early next week will see two dollars a litre on average,” he told AAP on Wednesday.

“That’s the first time it has ever happened. There’s really no end in sight.

“We’re struggling to be able to point to any factors globally that will provide any sort of short-term relief.”

The sizeable jump of Brent Crude to nearly $US130 ($A179) a barrel comes after President Joe Biden announced overnight the banning of Russian oil and gas imports in what he termed as a “blow to (Vladimir) Putin’s war machine”.

Russia, the second-largest exporter of oil globally, has threatened to push prices up to $US300 ($A414) a barrel by cutting supplies to Europe in retaliation to heavy sanctions levelled against it.

Prices at Australian petrol stations hovered around the $1.80 per litre mark before the February 25 invasion but have spiked to more than $2.

“We have no control over this,” Khoury said.

He noted Australia, a significant oil producer and exporter, relies heavily on imports even though they do not come directly from Russia.

More than half of Australia’s refined products come from South Korea and Singapore, according to Shipping Australia – the peak industry body for shipping.

“The latest Russian invasion of Ukraine has just escalated the increases to a whole new level.

“They (prices) have gone up about $US50 ($A69) a barrel this year alone.”

Floods to be declared a national emergency

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will visit flood-hit Lismore today. Picture: Jason O’Brien/AAP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to declare a national emergency in response to the widespread flooding disasters in northern NSW, a move that will free up more support measures.

The declaration would allow for red tape to be cut between government agencies and allow for resources and support to be deployed faster.

It is the first time a national emergency has been declared following a natural disaster since the laws passed federal parliament in December 2020.

The national emergency declaration was first proposed as a recommendation following the Black Summer bushfires in 2019/20.

Morrison is expected to make the declaration while in Lismore on Wednesday, where he will be visiting flood-affected areas.

The prime minister is also set to announce more funding to help rebuild communities impacted by the floods, with a focus on long-term reconstruction.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said Mr Morrison probably won’t receive a warm welcome from locals during his visit.

“People are incredibly vulnerable, and it’s understandable that they want to express that and the pain that they’re going through,” Mr Joyce told Sky News.

“I would be incredibly surprised if people got a happy reception, because they’re not in a happy place, and they want to be heard.”

Residents in Lismore and surrounding areas have criticised the government’s handling of the crisis, calling the response too slow to help deal with the clean-up efforts.

There are 1800 ADF personnel on the ground in northern NSW assisting flood recovery efforts, with that number set to grow to 2500 by the end of the day.

Big western brands close doors in Russia

McDonald’s and Starbucks are temporarily closing hundreds of restaurants in Russia, with Coca-Cola and Pepsi among the latest Western companies to pause operations in the country after it moved troops into Ukraine.

PepsiCo, the soft drink and snack maker, will suspend all advertising in Russia and stop the sale of its drinks brands, while rival Coca-Cola said it will suspend its business there.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s said it would go on paying salaries to its 62,000 employees in Russia.

The closure of McDonald’s 847 restaurants also carry symbolic importance in Russia, where the first location to open, in central Moscow’s Pushkin Square in 1990, became a symbol of flourishing American capitalism as the Soviet Union fell.

Coffee chain Starbucks also said on Tuesday it is suspending all business activity in Russia, including the shipment of its products and cafes run by a licensee.

Earlier, Shell stopped buying oil from Russia and said it would cut links to the country entirely while the United States stepped up its campaign to punish Moscow by banning Russian oil and energy imports.

The West’s moves to isolate Russia economically for attacking its neighbour have turbocharged global commodity and energy markets, sending prices soaring and threatening to derail the nascent recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The surge in metal prices since Russia attacked Ukraine is starting to hurt some players caught on the wrong side of the market, as well as end consumers such as carmakers.

The London Metal Exchange halted trade in nickel on Tuesday after prices of the metal, a key component in electric vehicle batteries, doubled to more than $US100,000 a tonne.

Premier flags further lift on restrictions

Premier Steven Marshall says South Australians should have confidence that the state’s COVID-19 restrictions will ease this week as hospital admissions for the virus drop below 100 for the first time since early January.

The COVID-Ready committee is set to meet tomorrow to discuss the latest suite of fortnightly eased restrictions after two weeks ago lifting a ban on stand-up drinking and buffets and scrapping density limits on outdoor seated venues.

South Australia recorded no COVID-19 deaths and 2089 cases on Tuesday, up from 1577 cases on Monday and 1688 on Sunday. There are more than 19,000 active cases across the state.

However, the number of people hospitalised with the virus has dropped to 97 – the first-time hospitalisations have been below 100 since January 3.

There are 13 people in intensive care and two on a ventilator.

Marshall said hospitalisations numbers were “very stable” having dropped from nearly 300 people last month.

“I think that should give every South Australian confidence that as we have the COVID-ready committee this week we’ll continue on that trajectory of reducing those restrictions, freeing up South Australia,” he told reporters yesterday.

“But I do emphasise that we cannot become complacent.”

Friday’s planned lift on restrictions is the last time restrictions are scheduled to be lifted before the March 19 state election.

Asked whether there was any scope to further ease restrictions after Friday but before the election, Marshall said: “What we’ve tried to do over the last six or eight weeks is ease the restrictions in two weekly blocks because that gives us the ability to look at what the effects of easing the restrictions have been.”

“Pleasingly, though, we’re seeing the number of people in hospital plummet, so that will give us even more confidence to reduce the restrictions later this week,” he said.

A one-person per two-square metre density cap remains in place for hospitality venues that allow stand-up drinking, as do mask mandates for high-risk venues, indoor public places and public transport.

Singing and dancing bans at public venues also remain in place as does a cap of 50 people for home gatherings and 150 for private functions.

Labor pledges to strengthen disability watchdog powers

Labor has promised to strengthen the powers of the Community Visitor Scheme – the independent safeguarding body for people living with disability and mental illness – if elected at this month’s state election.

It comes a day after the case of ‘Mr D’ – whose treatment in the state government’s Hampstead facility led to a scathing independent review – returned to the spotlight.

Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink attempted to downplay complaints by first responders about the man’s condition, which sparked the ire of one of those paramedics.

The Mr D case had previously prompted calls to reinstate the full powers of the Community Visitor, an independent statutory scheme that visits and inspects mental health facilities, hospital emergency departments, state-run disability accommodation and NDIS clients under guardianship in non-government organisations, but whose powers were reduced by the Marshall Government in 2019.

The Disability Rights Advocacy Service said last month that “the effectiveness of this scheme has been diminished, allowing events such as the one at Hampstead to occur”, with “the responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people living with disability who reside in facility care being handballed to the Commonwealth”.

But Labor has announced if elected it will “revamp” the Community Visitor Scheme, investing $1 million to reinstate its previous powers – and extend them further – “to ensure safeguarding oversight in government-run homes, non-government disability support services, and where necessary, in private homes”.

The power to visit private homes appears prompted by the 2020 neglect death of Ann Marie Smith, who lived with cerebral palsy – and whose former carer Rosa Maione has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter.

Smith’s death prompted the former Principal Community Visitor of SA’s Community Visitor Scheme, Maurice Corcoran, to publicly slam “the reduction in scope and coverage of the SA CVS”.

“In May 2019, the Marshall government made a decision to reduce the coverage and scope of the CVS and prevented it from visiting individuals with disabilities in group homes and cluster homes who are being supported by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs),” Corcoran said in a letter to InDaily at the time.

“This resulted in the CVS no longer visiting 2200 individuals in houses and accommodation that were providing personal support from NGOs and private companies.”

– Jemma Chapman

Read the full story here

US bans Russian oil imports

President Joe Biden announces bans on Russian oil in response to its war on Ukraine. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA

US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports, a significant move in piling pressure on President Vladimir Putin to halt his forces’ devastating assault on Ukraine.

It comes as Ukraine’s government accused Russian forces of shelling a humanitarian corridor that Russia had promised to open to let residents flee the besieged port of Mariupol.

The civilian death toll in the conflict has mounted and, with the war in its 13th day, the number of refugees who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries surged past two million.

“Russia may continue to grind out its advance at a horrible price but this much is already clear: Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

Announcing the US ban on Russian energy imports, Biden said: “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable in US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the UK parliament via videolink, urged the world to increase the sanctions.

He said his people would fight to the end against the Russian invaders but it needed help, including no-fly zones.

“The question for us now is to be or not to be,” said Zelenskyy.

“I can give you a definitive answer: it’s definitely to be.”

Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.

Sanctions imposed over the invasion have already cut off Russia from international trade and financial markets.

Russia is the world’s biggest exporter of oil and natural gas, and until now its energy exports had been exempted from the international sanctions.

The US is not a leading buyer of Russian oil but Biden has worked with allies in Europe, who are far more reliant on it, to isolate Russia’s energy-heavy economy and Putin.

The UK announced shortly before Biden’s remarks that it would phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022.

Ambulance service investigates deaths of two patients

The South Australian Ambulance Service has apologised to two families and launched an internal investigation after two patients died waiting for an ambulance on Monday.

The ambulance union reported on Tuesday that the first death occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when a priority one patient in cardiac arrest waited 14 minutes for an ambulance when they should have only waited for eight minutes.

The union said the second death occurred on Monday night, when a priority two patient with chest pain waited 35 minutes for an ambulance, when they should have only waited 16 minutes.

The SA Ambulance Service confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that an internal review into the incidents is underway and the agency has apologised to the patients’ families.

“SAAS offers sincere condolences to the loved ones of both patients during this extremely upsetting time,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“While many factors influence SAAS’s response to a patient, we continue to implement measures where possible to enhance patient care and improve our response times.

“Our ambulance crews have a difficult and tremendously important job. It is undoubtedly distressing for everyone involved when a patient outcome is not positive and when SAAS fails to meet community expectations.”

But Opposition health spokesperson Chris Picton this morning said “sorry just isn’t good enough when we have seen this happen again and again”.

“The only acceptable response is to properly fund our health system so we can prevent tragedies such as this,” he said in a statement.

Premier Steven Marshall yesterday reiterated that “we need to end ramping in South Australia”.

“Ramping is not going to be ended with slogans or scare campaigns – it’s going to be ended with a comprehensive plan,” he told reporters

The Liberals released figures last week – a month earlier than scheduled – showing ambulance ramping has nearly halved compared to October 2021, although health groups have attributed the decline towards the suspension of elective surgery during South Australia’s Omicron wave.

Rain finally easing but devastating NSW floods go on

Flooding from a swollen Manly Creek is seen inundating cars and the street at Campbell Parade, in Manly Vale, north of Sydney, Tuesday, March 8. Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

Parts of NSW hit with devastating flooding a year ago are in for even worse this time around as the state’s flood disaster continues.

Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment was being watched closely on Tuesday after torrential rain deluged Sydney, with multiple areas near the rivers experiencing major flooding.

The severity of the flooding would depend on how much more rain the area experienced overnight, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said on Tuesday.

“But there is some good news,” he said, noting that a low-pressure system creating havoc in multiple states for more than a week is now moving south off the coast and expected to ease.

As the rain ends, strong winds will follow, bringing further danger by threatening to topple trees and down powerlines.

Soil saturated by more than two weeks of consistent downpours increases the risk of trees being blown over by strong winds, Narramore said.

About 4500 homes and businesses lost power in Shoalhaven, the Illawarra and Southern Highlands on Tuesday afternoon as storms downed trees and powerlines.

Endeavour Energy said about 1700 homes and businesses near flooding rivers in western Sydney were also without power on Tuesday night, and a further 300 were expected to lose power overnight.

The anticipated emergence of the sun on Thursday will not be the end of the risk, with many rivers likely to continue delivering major flooding until peaks subside.

Conditions worse than those of 2021 were already occurring on Tuesday afternoon in western Sydney on the Upper Nepean River at Menangle, and the Hawkesbury River at Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry.

Levels higher than last year were also occurring at North Richmond, Windsor and Sackville, the NSW State Emergency Service said in a statement on Tuesday night.

“Rapid rises have been observed at Windsor where the river level has exceeded the March 2021 event and is likely to reach levels just below the March 1978 event on Wednesday,” it said.

Australia wicketless as Pakistan Test fizzles out to a draw

Australia has just three days to work out how to make a dent in Pakistan’s batting line-up after the hosts’ second innings on a docile Rawalpindi wicket ended at 0-252 and in a predictable draw yesterday.

In one of the most dour bat-dominated Tests in decades, Pakistan ended it on a high with opener Abdullah Shafique scoring 136, his maiden Test century.

Opening partner Imam-ul-Haq also made it twin tons for the game with his 111, as part of the highest unbeaten opening partnership against Australia in history.

Australia was never really interested in a contest that was over long ago as captain Pat Cummins saved his bowlers with the second Test in Karachi starting Saturday.

He bowled himself for just four overs on Tuesday, as spinners sent down 55 of the 77 bowled.

Australia, Pakistan and the ICC will all be hoping for a better wicket in Karachi, with the Rawalpindi pitch offering next to nothing for the bowlers.

But Australia also needs to find answers after their four wickets for the Test made for their least in history when sending down more than 200 overs.

Those wickets also came at a cost of 182 per scalp, the most in any Test where they have bowled in two innings.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood each ended up going wicketless for the match, while Cummins and Lyon claimed one each.

Cummins however insisted there was no cause for concern given the wicket.

“It’s not a (confidence) hit at all,” Cummins said.

“Our three quick bowlers and Nathan are all quite experienced.

“They’ve played a lot of cricket on really good wickets, flat wickets, bouncing wickets and spinning wickets.

“Whoever’s called on for the next Test will be ready to go.”

Australia is likely to go with a spinner with Mitchell Swepson favoured to debut on a Karachi wicket expected to turn.

– With AAP and Reuters