Felicity Neale

Officials urge the public to report sick animals after a confirmed and suspected case of deadly bird flu, as experts warn of the potential impact on wildlife. Fears are growing that a deadly avian flu strain discovered in Australia’s largest state is spreading, with 16 sick or dead birds reported, although the government is calling for calm. The H5N1 variant of the virus was confirmed in a sick brown skua found on a remote beach near Esperance in Western Australia, about 700km southeast of Perth.

Apolitical spoke with Fábio Duarte, Associate Director of Research and Design at Senseable City Lab, an initiative between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, which uses advanced sensing tools to map informal settlements (favelas). Most smart city projects start with researchers presenting technology to government. Favelas 4D reversed that: the idea came from Rio’s Head of Urban Planning, who approached MIT with a problem to solve.

Anyone who lives and works in the Northern Territory knows that delivering services here is different. The vast distances, jurisdictional overlaps, and remote realities require deep local knowledge for impact to be meaningful and lasting. An evolution is underway in how we design programs and measure success in the NT, with the government and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) working together more productively than ever before.