Freedom of Information laws are meant to lead to more open government but, in reality, they often have the opposite effect.
Why do those who are meant to represent us try so hard to keep us in the dark - and what can you do to foil their plans?
This week we get advice on negotiating the FOI system from Rex Patrick – a self-styled transparency warrior who, until recently, was an independent senator for South Australia. Patrick tells us about the battles he has fought and won with the federal and state governments and his newest campaign against the Adelaide City Council’s secrecy.
You can read more about Patrick’s city council concerns in this InDaily article – Rex Patrick takes aim at old Le Cornu site secrecy.

<div>Freedom of Information laws are meant to lead to more open government but, in reality, they often have the opposite effect.</div><div><br></div><div>Why do those who are meant to represent us try so hard to keep us in the dark - and what can you do to foil their plans?</div><div><br></div><div>This week we get advice on negotiating the FOI system from Rex Patrick – a self-styled transparency warrior who, until recently, was an independent senator for South Australia. Patrick tells us about the battles he has fought and won with the federal and state governments and his newest campaign against the Adelaide City Council’s secrecy.</div><div><br></div><div>You can read more about Patrick’s city council concerns in this InDaily article – <a href="https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2022/07/18/rex-patrick-takes-aim-at-old-le-cornu-site-secrecy/" target="_blank">Rex Patrick takes aim at old Le Cornu site secrecy</a>.</div>

Notes on Adelaide is a weekly current affairs podcast driven by the independent journalism of InDaily, CityMag and SALIFE.

Notes on Adelaide

Freedom of Information laws are meant to lead to more open government but, in reality, they often have the opposite...

How to be a Transparency Warrior

Trudy Lin is a dentist but also an activist – and her primary measure of success is ensuring everyone has the capacity to eat, speak and smile.

Trudy is one of only a handful of special needs dentists in Australia but she says the need in this underfunded area is huge.

She makes a compelling case for oral health care as a human rights issue – as she puts it, she wants to create a world where a smile is no longer a barrier to feeling accepted, finding a job, and living to your full potential.

For the 2022 Young South Australian of the Year, her professional passion comes from a very personal place.

She joins us today.

To follow Trudy’s work go to: https://trudysmile.net/

<p>Trudy Lin is a dentist but also an activist – and her primary measure of success is ensuring everyone has the capacity to eat, speak and smile.</p>
<p>Trudy is one of only a handful of special needs dentists in Australia but she says the need in this underfunded area is huge.</p>
<p>She makes a compelling case for oral health care as a human rights issue – as she puts it, she wants to create a world where a smile is no longer a barrier to feeling accepted, finding a job, and living to your full potential.</p>
<p>For the 2022 Young South Australian of the Year, her professional passion comes from a very personal place.</p>
<p>She joins us today.</p>
<p>To follow Trudy’s work go to: <a href="https://trudysmile.net/">https://trudysmile.net/</a></p>

Trudy Lin is a dentist but also an activist – and her primary measure of success is ensuring everyone has the capacity to eat, speak and smile.

The Right to Smile

In 1946, sharp-eyed geologist Reg Sprigg noticed some strange patterns in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges. What he had discovered was a groundbreaking a fossil record of complex creatures dating back 550 million years.

The Ediacara fossils were – and remain – the earliest record of complex multi-cellular animals on the planet.

While the site is world famous with scientists, many South Australians are unaware of its existence, despite a campaign to have Flinders Ranges world heritage-listed.

That could be about to change, with materials about the fossils and their significance being introduced to the Year 8 curriculum for the first time next year. And now – for anyone who is interested – you can do a virtual dive into those shallow, warm ancient sees to swim with the Eediacaran creatures.

On the podcast this week, David Washington is joined by InDaily senior journalist Belinda Willis, and  University of South Australia geology professor Tom Raimondo who has led the project to bring these fossils to virtual life.

Belinda Willis’s reporting for InDaily on this project is here – https://indaily.com.au/news/science-and-tech/2022/12/02/calls-for-more-local-learning-as-sa-fossils-make-the-science-curriculum/

The UniSA team’s virtual reality project can be found here –  https://www.projectlive.org.au/

For more about the Nilpena Ediacara National Park, SALIFE visited earlier in the year - https://salife.com.au/people-places/set-in-stone-nilpena-ediacara-national-park/

<p>In 1946, sharp-eyed geologist Reg Sprigg noticed some strange patterns in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges. What he had discovered was a groundbreaking a fossil record of complex creatures dating back 550 million years.</p>
<p>The Ediacara fossils were – and remain – the earliest record of complex multi-cellular animals on the planet.</p>
<p>While the site is world famous with scientists, many South Australians are unaware of its existence, despite a campaign to have Flinders Ranges world heritage-listed.</p>
<p>That could be about to change, with materials about the fossils and their significance being introduced to the Year 8 curriculum for the first time next year. And now – for anyone who is interested – you can do a virtual dive into those shallow, warm ancient sees to swim with the Eediacaran creatures.</p>
<p>On the podcast this week, David Washington is joined by <em>InDaily</em> senior journalist Belinda Willis, and  University of South Australia geology professor Tom Raimondo who has led the project to bring these fossils to virtual life.</p>
<p>Belinda Willis’s reporting for <em>InDaily</em> on this project is here – <a href="https://indaily.com.au/news/science-and-tech/2022/12/02/calls-for-more-local-learning-as-sa-fossils-make-the-science-curriculum/">https://indaily.com.au/news/science-and-tech/2022/12/02/calls-for-more-local-learning-as-sa-fossils-make-the-science-curriculum/</a></p>
<p>The UniSA team’s virtual reality project can be found here –  <a href="https://www.projectlive.org.au/">https://www.projectlive.org.au/</a></p>
<p>For more about the Nilpena Ediacara National Park, SALIFE visited earlier in the year - <a href="https://salife.com.au/people-places/set-in-stone-nilpena-ediacara-national-park/">https://salife.com.au/people-places/set-in-stone-nilpena-ediacara-national-park/</a></p>

In 1946, sharp-eyed geologist Reg Sprigg noticed some strange patterns in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges. What he had discovered was a groundbreaking a fossil record of complex creatures dating back 550 million years.

The Cradle of Life

Last weekend was a historic coming together of two key moments in women’s sport. The AFLW premiership was decided, with Melbourne winning its first premiership, and the Adelaide Strikers won its first title in cricket’s WBBL.

It was a weekend of high-profile, nationally televised sport that wouldn’t have seemed likely just a few decades ago, with both sporting codes once entrenched in the nation’s mind as the pinnacle of Australian masculinity.

But women have played both sports for decades – despite little support in the past from governing bodies or the media.

That has changed – seemingly in the blink of an eye.

On the podcast this week, David Washington is joined by Liz Walsh, a journalist who has charted the rise of elite women’s cricket and football to discuss how far we’ve come – and where to next.

<p>Last weekend was a historic coming together of two key moments in women’s sport. The AFLW premiership was decided, with Melbourne winning its first premiership, and the Adelaide Strikers won its first title in cricket’s WBBL.</p>
<p>It was a weekend of high-profile, nationally televised sport that wouldn’t have seemed likely just a few decades ago, with both sporting codes once entrenched in the nation’s mind as the pinnacle of Australian masculinity.</p>
<p>But women have played both sports for decades – despite little support in the past from governing bodies or the media.</p>
<p>That has changed – seemingly in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>On the podcast this week, David Washington is joined by Liz Walsh, a journalist who has charted the rise of elite women’s cricket and football to discuss how far we’ve come – and where to next.</p>

How to be a Transparency Warrior

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