Here's what you need to know this morning.
Nature Council says development 'green light' to threaten wildlife
The Nature Conservation Council has criticised an announcement by the federal government to streamline developments in some areas by removing the need to seek environmental approval.
A statement issued by Environment Minister Sussan Ley and Resources Minister Keith Pitt on Monday said the $62 million reform would "remove the need for a project-by-project approval under national environment law" in 10 unnamed regional areas.
Nature Conservation Council chief executive Chris Gambian last night said in a statement the move was a "gift to coal and gas giants and a kick in the guts for threatened wildlife and the Australian bush".
“This package is just a green light for coal mines. It strips away hard-fought protections for native species under the pretext of efficiency," Mr Gambian said.
“The government’s phrase — streamlining environmental assessments — is code for unconstrained development and would strike terror into every koala’s heart if they knew what was going on."
Thousands of patients still waiting for elective surgery, results show
At the end of last year, almost 10,800 patients were waiting longer than the recommended wait-time for elective surgery, a new report shows.
The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released a report on Monday revealing the effect COVID-19 had on the health system in 2021.
Efforts to increase non-urgent surgery in the first half of the year brought the wait list down to pre-pandemic levels by June, the report says, before the Delta wave caused the numbers to increase again.
By December, there were 10,770 patients who had waited longer than recommended, with 9,309 of those in metropolitan local health districts.
“In rural and regional local health districts, the waiting list decreased steadily throughout 2021,” BHI chief executive Dr Diane Watson said.
“Overall, while the waiting list reached a high for 2021 of 95,102 at the end of October, it was still below the record 101,024 in June 2020.”
The latest report also shows paramedics responded to almost 9,000 high-priority call outs between October and December.
That's a 21 per cent hike on the same period the year before.
Vivid Sydney's program to be revealed
The spectacular light display of Vivid Sydney will be switched on in a few months, with the government set to unveil the full program today.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres and Destination NSW will be meeting today to reveal what we can expect to see at the event from May 27 to June 18.
Over 23 nights, the annual festival is set to showcase artists, music and creatives while illuminating landmarks across the city of Sydney.
New witness expected at Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case
A special forces witness, codenamed Person 7, is expected to be called by publisher Nine Entertainment as part of its defence to the defamation case brought by war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith.
The Victoria Cross recipient is suing the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Time newspapers over stories containing allegations of unlawful killings overseas, bullying and domestic violence.
Mr Roberts-Smith denies any wrongdoing.
This comes after an explosive hearing on Tuesday, when a former soldier told the court he saw Ben Roberts-Smith shoot an unarmed Afghan man in the back in an "exhibition execution" the decorated veteran "wanted people to see".
Man dies in floodwaters
A man has died in flood waters overnight at Broken Hill in far western NSW.
Just after 10:30pm, emergency services were called to Menindee Road, 35km east of Broken Hill, after reports a man had driven into flood waters.
Police say the 56-year-old man died after he exited his four wheel drive and was sucked into a concrete pipe due to the force of the waters.
The man's body was later located with the help of State Emergency Service members, but he could not be revived.
