South Australia Digest — local news from South Australia

Local doctors have raised concerns over a new birthing program in South Australia's Mid North, calling the model "unsafe" and "unsustainable". The program, which alternates between Jamestown and Crystal Brook hospitals, aims to address midwifery shortages but may have unintended consequences.

A South Australian GP has been banned from practising for a year after being found to have exploited a vulnerable patient and engaged in professional misconduct. The doctor had prescribed addictive pain medication to the patient, then bought it back off them for his own use.

A 71-year-old woman was treated on the floor of a hospital waiting room for four hours, sparking an apology from SA Health and a review of her care. The woman, who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said she was not provided with a bed despite her low oxygen levels.

A domestic violence survivor has bravely confronted her attacker in court, labelling him a monster for the damage he had inflicted on her body and her life. Kellie Franklin detailed how her former partner, Joshua Armstrong-Leckstrom, had raped and tormented her during a regime of harm spanning more than six years.

More than 250 workers at the Whyalla steelworks are set to be made redundant, with the first group expected to exit the plant by this Friday. The redundancies come as the steelworks continues to operate under administration.

Small-town post offices are at risk due to aging licensees and changing community needs, advocates warn. A Senate inquiry is underway into Australia Post's retail network, including the role of licensed post offices in delivering community services.

The federal government is expected to decide within 24 hours whether to accept an offer from the European Space Agency to send Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station. The offer is dependent on financial support, with around $25 million raised so far.

A proposed crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade in South Australia aims to increase penalties for those involved, including landlords who turn a blind eye to illegal activity on their properties. The SA government plans to introduce amendments to cigarette and retail laws that would allow for harsher penalties, including up to 17 years in jail for illicit tobacco dealers and fines of up to $21 million.

South Australia's goal of reaching 100 per cent net renewable energy by 2027 may be slipping out of reach, but experts say the exact timeline is less important than the state's overall progress. Renewable energy sources currently account for 77.1 per cent of the state's net electricity generation.