The Returned Services Association (RSA) is concerned people being deployed to support Ukraine won’t be eligible for the funding and support other veterans are. Today, a C-130 Hercules left New Zealand carrying nine New Zealand…
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Sydney Airport braced for busiest day since early 2020
Sydney Airport is expecting its busiest day in more than two years tomorrow.
More than 82,000 passengers are likely to pass through the domestic terminals with many people heading off for the Easter long weekend.
Tomorrow is set to be the first time the airport's domestic terminals have had more than 80,000 passengers since March 6 2020.
READ MORE: Easter weekend weather forecast
The previous peak was last Friday at 78,000 passengers.
Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert apologised in advance to any customer who is inconvenienced by the delay.
"Tomorrow and right through the school holidays we are pulling every lever available to us to get people on their way safely, including deploying senior executives and staff into our terminals to manage queues and ensure people make their flights," he said.
"We're also working with our security contractor, airlines, ground handlers and other operational agencies to make sure we have as many staff on the ground as possible for the morning and afternoon peaks.
"In the last few days we've seen the situation improve, but there is no avoiding the fact that significant queuing may occur over Easter.
"We continue to have up to 20 per cent COVID-related staff absences on any given day and we're working to rebuild our workforce in a really tight job market."
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Domestic travellers are urged to arrive two hours before their flight.It comes as huge crowds have continued to swamp Australian airports over the past week and staffing issues show no sign of ceasing.
Some reports have said security staff at Sydney Airport have been offered $50 vouchers to backfill roles in the next two weeks.
There are currently 100 vacancies for security roles.
"As more staff join in the weeks and months ahead, we expect some of the security challenges to ease, but rebuilding the workforce will take time," Mr Culbert said.
"The workforce shortages we are facing are cutting across almost every sector in Australia and, in the aviation industry, we've seen similar scenes play out with airports and airlines globally."
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Before 6am today, queues were already long at Sydney, though footage showed passengers being processed swiftly and efficiently.
At one stage traffic to the airport entrance was queued for a full kilometre, while queues for early flights stretched 100m out the door.
"It's a nightmare. I have been doing this for decades. What is the issue? I don't understand?" one passenger told 9News.
Sydney Airport staff have even been handing out bottles of water to people who have been waiting in line.
"As long as I get on the plane it is all good," one traveller said.
EXPLAINED: Easter long weekend store opening hours 2022
Qantas is scrambling to find staff and even pilots for local and international flights.
Delays are expected to continue for weeks, particularly at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports, as people take advantage of the first holiday break with open borders for two years.
Families and loved ones are reuniting in New Zealand after border rules eased overnight.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Easter holidays in 2022
From 11.59pm last night, fully-vaccinated Australians are allowed to visit New Zealand without having to quarantine on arrival.
They will still need to undergo a supervised RAT or PRC COVID-19 test.
New Zealand began opening its borders in late February, with the latest phase from today seeing non-citizens from eligible countries, such as Australia and the UK able to avoid isolation.
New Zealand has opened the border in time for the Easter school holidays and the Kiwi ski season, but anybody looking to make the trip over is likely to face a long wait at the airport.
The ghost gun crisis: Cheap, untraceable and easy to assemble
US President Joe Biden has announced new restrictions to regulate "ghost guns", in an attempt to ban these privately assembled firearms as their use in violent crimes increases.
"These guns are the weapons of choice for many criminals," Mr Biden said during an event at the White House Rose Garden.
"We are going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice."
Here's everything you need to know about "ghost guns" and what the Biden administration has planned to do about them.
What are ghost guns?
"Ghost guns" are untraceable, privately self-assembled firearms.
They can be assembled at home with DIY kits purchased online or with a 3D printer.
Ghost guns can be inexpensive and easy to acquire as they don't need background checks, making it easier for younger people and those with a criminal history to buy and make one without supervision.
As ghost guns are sold and made in private, the guns themselves don't have manufacturing serial numbers.
This makes it difficult for law enforcement to trace, track, and regulate the weapons.
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How many ghost guns are out there?
As they're untraceable, there is no official number or knowledge of how many ghost guns exist in the US.
In 2021, however, there were about 20,000 ghost guns reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as having been recovered by law enforcement during criminal investigations.
The appearances of ghost guns at crime scenes in the country have been increasing overtime, with more undercover federal agents encountering and purchasing un-serialised guns from gang members and criminals in their operations.
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What is the Biden administration doing about them?
The new regulation demands for all ghost gun kits to include serial numbers and mandatory background checks before all kit purchases in order to make each firearm easy to track and trace to their crime.
"It's no longer a ghost," Mr Biden said.
"It has a return address.
"And it's going to help save lives, reduce crime and get more criminals off the streets."
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Ghost guns will be treated the same as commercial firearms as the legal definition of firearms expands to include unfinished components of the gun, such as its frame and receiver.
The rule also demands individually sold parts of a firearm to be licensed and include serial numbers.
Sellers will have to abide by the same laws as commercial firearm dealers.
All these requirements apply regardless of how the ghost gun was made; whether they be bought and assembled with individual parts or by 3D printers in a person's home.
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Additionally, the new regulations mandate all firearm dealers to add serial numbers to already assembled ghost guns they come across.
Mr Biden has nominated former US attorney Steve Dettelbach from Ohio to run the ATF and oversee these regulations which have already been met with fierce opposition from gun groups.
Man dies at regional hospital while waiting hours for care
A man aged in his 70s has died while waiting for treatment at a regional hospital in Victoria's east.
A major investigation is now underway after the 72-year-old died on Monday after he waited more than three hours for treatment at the Bairnsdale Regional Health Service [BRHS], in East Gippsland.
BRHS executive officer Robyn Hayles said the man's death was a result of a cardiac arrest.
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"The gentleman arrived via ambulance (at midday) – at the time the health service was experiencing significant demand for services," Ms Hayles said.
"There were three other ambulances waiting as well as his."
Ms Hayles said the man was escorted to the bathroom at 3.30pm by paramedics and a hospital staff member when he experienced a cardiac arrest.
She said the man had received some initial care but hadn't been passed over to the hospital completely for care.
"He experienced cardiac arrest at 3.30pm, resuscitation occurred over the next 40 to 45 minutes.
"He passed away around 4.15pm."
Regional hospital under pressure
Demand for the regional hospital's emergency department has been increasing significantly over the past two years.
Ms Hayles said the service sees about 70 per cent of people within their KPI of four hours in their emergency department.
"Unfortunately we're seeing increasing periods over the past weeks where ambulances need to wait to offload their patients," she said.
"We're certainly seeing a general growth in our population in East Gippsland.
"Like all health services in Victoria, we're seeing the impact of delayed care due to Covid – we're seeing more patients needing care that are sicker."
On the day of the incident, Ms Hayles said the hospital experienced "significant" sick leave.
READ MORE: Victorians wait hours for help during Code Red as Ambulance Victoria overwhelmed by demand
She said 18 per cent of their clinical staff were unwell however said the emergency department had no staff shortages.
"The emergency department was 100 per cent full, so our beds that were staffed were 100 per cent full and our emergency department was full," she said.
"We had five beds that were closed in general because they were unstaffed."
Ms Hayles said the man was in the second highest category of care that was required.
She said they usually try to get category two patients off the ambulance within 40 minutes and see them in emergency department within four hours.
In this case, the man waited for an emergency department bed for three hours before his death.
Ms Hayles said Covid had a significant impact in the situation.
"Our workforce are extremely tired and under extreme stress," she said.
"Staff are definitely exhausted – staff towards the end of their careers are making the decision to leave earlier.
"It's increasingly difficult to attract staff to regional Victoria."
Gippsland East MP Tim Bull said the situation was very concerning.
READ MORE: 'Just unbelievable': Victorians die while waiting too long for ambulances
"We have a local family and community in mourning," he said.
"We need to be able to improve the system when things like this arise and make sure we don't experience them again."
It comes as heartbroken Victorian families continue to demand an overhaul of the health system after their loved ones died while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
At least 12 deaths in Victoria since October have been linked to ambulance delays, a 60 Minutes investigation found.
The investigation is being run by SaferCare Victoria and is expected to take two weeks.
Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Health ministry debating mask exemptions as issues persist
The Ministry of Health’s guidance for people exempt from wearing masks could be about to change as compliance from businesses continues to vary. It comes as the country prepares to move to the orange setting of the Covid-19 Protection…