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LABOR’S DEFENCE STRATEGY, MORE WORDS, MORE BILLIONS BUT NO CHANGE TO THE BROKEN FUNDAMENTALS

The Albanese Labor Government has launched another lengthy report concerning Australia’s military, which changes almost nothing but manages to hand billions more to a defence establishment that continually fails to deliver.

The Albanese Governemnt has announced a staggering $330 billion spend on Defence over the next decade, the vast majority going into the same white elephant projects such as nuclear submarines and (very) future frigates that have been burning through public funds for years.

Today’s announcement follows multiple other reviews from the Defence Strategic Review, The Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Review and the Defence Industry Development Strategy, now the Integrated Investment Program and the National Defence Strategy.

None of these has challenged a Defence leadership that has overseen failure after failure and each one has promised more public funds into a broken system.

Greens Defence Spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge said: “This latest review fails to deal with the giant AUKUS-sized-elephant in the room that has eaten up Defence’s budget and imposed the extra cost of less stability and the peace in the region.”

“With every major weapons platform retained regardless of their efficacy, if there is a tough decision here I cannot see it.

“No major procurement decision has been reversed here, no serious feathers have been ruffled in any of the services, which is clear evidence of weak political leadership.

“If more reports and meaningless catchphrases made us more secure then Minister Marles would get a gold star.

“Tiny initiatives on more defensive weapons are all that is possible when so much of the budget is soaked up on 20th-century platforms like nuclear submarines, frigates and attack helicopters.

“This is a major missed opportunity to refocus our defence spending to a much more affordable, less aggressive and more achievable direction that is aimed at defending Australia rather than threatening our neighbours,” Senator Shoebridge said.

Council Budget to deliver record infrastructure program as investment in community continues to grow

Almost $140 million will be invested into infrastructure projects across the city as part of a record Budget delivering essential services alongside a modest $4.1 million surplus.

The Council will place its draft 2024-25 Budget and Delivery Program on public exhibition for community feedback next week.  

More than $415 million will be invested across 60 services and more than 280 projects to be delivered across Newcastle during the next financial year.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Budget will set a new benchmark for CN’s investment in the local community.

“During the past decade Council has worked incredibly hard to balance the needs and expectations of our growing community with our commitment to making sure we are financially sustainable,” Cr Nelmes said.

“In that time, we have more than doubled our annual infrastructure program as we continue to deliver essential projects and services for the benefit of all Novocastrians.

“In 2024/25 this will see a record $139.5 million earmarked for local facilities and infrastructure projects across Newcastle.

“This includes $14.6 million for roads and footpaths across the city, including $5 million for renewing roads in the western corridor and $7.7 million on stormwater projects and flood planning in areas such as Mayfield East and Darby Street.

“We’re also revitalising our coast, city, and urban centres with $9.9 million for projects such as the East End Public Domain Plan, Hunter Street Mall and local centre upgrades at Orchardtown Road, New Lambton, and Georgetown. 

“These projects are fundamental to building an inclusive, liveable, and sustainable city, and ensuring we continue to be an attractive destination for visitors and investment.”

Other Budget highlights include:

  • $21 million to complete the expanded Newcastle Art Gallery
  • $14.7 million in improvements to our waste management 
  • $11 million on recreation and sports improvements, including the Gregson Park playground at Hamilton
  • $6 million on new cycleways and transport projects
  • $5 million for Longworth Avenue and Minmi Road, Wallsend road renewal
  • $4.5 million on coastal management including Stockton coastline protection work
  • $4.1 million on the Memorial Drive Road embankment 
  • $2.8 million on improving bushland and watercourses
  • $2.4 million on resources and improvements for Libraries, Civic Theatre and City Hall
  • $1.3 million on renewable energy projects including climate action and EV charging. 

CEO Jeremy Bath said CN continues to earn respect as an innovative organisation with a strong focus on the future of Newcastle, its economy and environment, and its people. 

“We continue to follow the roadmap provided in our Community Strategic Plan, while delivering key initiatives and actions set out in our Community Engagement Strategy, Newcastle Environment Strategy, and Social Strategy. We are also developing new strategies that will help us manage our growing population, including the Broadmeadow Place Strategy,” Mr Bath said.

“Investing in our community delivers benefits now and into the future, with estimates that our proposed infrastructure program in 2024/25 will create 735 local jobs and increase total economic output in the LGA by up to $305 million.

“Delivering back-to-back-to-back balanced budgets following the pandemic is not an achievement that occurs by accident. Rather it is the result of the commitment and passion of our 1300 staff who have yet again shown that Newcastle is a city that can provide for its citizens without having to take on huge amounts of debt.”

Religious Leaders call for calm

On Monday evening at 10:30pm I convened a meeting of faith leaders representing religious communities across Western Sydney.

All of the following community leaders endorsed and supported a unanimous condemnation of violence in any form, called for the community to follow first responder and police instructions and called for calm in the community.

We’re calling on everyone to act with kindness and respect for each other.

Now is the time to show that we are strong and united as a NSW community.

Attendees:

Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay – Maronite Bishop of Australia
Hafez Alameddine – President, Lebanese Muslim Association
Bishop Robert Rabbat– Bishop of the Melkite Church
Sheikh Shadi Alsuleiman – President of Australian National Imans Council
Archbishop Zaia Mar Malis– Archbishop of Assyrian Community
Kamalle Dabboussy– CEO, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Chris Minns – NSW Premier
Steve Kamper – Minister for Multiculturalism
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cook – NSW Police
Simon Draper – Secretary, Premier’s Department
Joseph La Posta – CEO, Multicultural NSW

Community to come together for a candlelight vigil in wake of Bondi Junction tragedy

A candlelight vigil, supported by Waverley Council and the NSW Government, will be held on Sunday 21 April to allow community to come together and honour the victims of the Bondi Junction tragedy.

The vigil will begin at 5:30pm on Sunday and will take place at Dolphin Court, Bondi Beach – south of the Bondi Pavilion.  

There will be a 1-minute silence in honour of those whose lives were lost.

Attendees are asked to bring their own candle to take part in the vigil and kindly take candles home at the end of the evening.

The NSW Government is working with Waverley Council to support this community event, including ensuring services such as counsellors and mental health first aid are available on site.  People are encouraged to catch public transport to and from the vigil.

Support and information for the Waverley community are listed on the Waverly Council website.

General supports for the community are also available:

A temporary floral tribute is in place at Oxford St Mall in Bondi Junction, supported by NSW Government and Waverley council staff.  This is the primary site for anyone wishing to leave flowers.

The online condolence book in honour of those affected is also live.

The NSW Government will work with families impacted at a later date regarding a formal memorial service and a permanent memorial to honour the victims lost.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:  

“This has been a devastating attack that’s touched everybody in the state, whether you knew one of the victims or not.

“This vigil will be an opportunity for the community to stand together to support and honour the victims and survivors of this horrific tragedy.

“I hope they can draw some strength from the fact that there’s many people that are standing with them during this time.”

Mayor of Waverley Council Paula Masselos said:

“Our community is deep grief and this is a time to support each other and stand together. This vigil will be an opportunity to reflect and commence healing.”

Inaugural appointees to the restored Industrial Court of NSW

The NSW Government has endorsed three highly experienced barristers as appointees to the new Industrial Court of NSW.

The Industrial Court, established last year by the Industrial Relations Amendment Act 2023, will be the specialised venue for industrial relations in NSW, resolving industrial disputes, and dealing with work health and safety matters.

It will act as a superior court of record, with equivalent status to the Supreme Court and the Land and Environment Court.

Ingmar Taylor SC, a nationally recognised expert in employment law and work health and safety, will be appointed President of the IRC and a judge of the Industrial Court.

David Chin SC, a specialist in work health and safety, industrial, employment and discrimination law, who co-authored The Modern Contract of Employment, will be the IRC’s Vice-President and a judge of the Industrial Court.

Jane Paingakulam, who has practiced primarily in criminal law and provided advice to government agencies on public sector issues, will be the IRC’s Deputy President and a judge of the Industrial Court.

The three will now be formally recommended to the Governor for appointment.

The NSW Industrial Court will hear all industrial relations matters relating to NSW State Government and Local Government employees. Private sector employees will remain under the Fair Work Commission.

The Industrial Court will hear matters relating to work health and safety in New South Wales and will again have jurisdiction over matters that were transferred to other courts when the Industrial Court was abolished in 2016.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“I am delighted to announce three eminent and respected legal practitioners will be the first appointees to the Industrial Court of NSW.

“The re-establishment of the Industrial Court was a key election promise of the NSW Labor Government to ensure that public sector employees have access to a fair and independent umpire.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:

“By creating a one-stop shop for industrial justice, the new Industrial Court is a significant win for working people.

“I congratulate the respected and very qualified Mr Taylor SC, Mr Chin SC and Ms Paingakulam on their appointments to the court”.

Child protection workers protest over closure of Edgeworth Community Services Centre 

Child protection caseworkers will protest outside the Community Services Centre (CSC) in Edgeworth today (Thursday 18 April) at 12.30pm after management said the site would be closed.

The CSC is where child protection caseworkers support and protect children at risk of harm in the local area.

Last week child protection caseworkers declared the child protection system is now in crisis in New South Wales, and announced the commencement of an industrial campaign to force the NSW government to act to save thousands of at-risk kids from further harm. 

The Public Service Association (PSA) says the month of campaign action will commence with a series of rolling stop-work meetings across the state and escalate as necessary.

Child protection caseworkers are concerned about chronic understaffing and staff burnout.

The announcement the Edgeworth CSC will close has only inflamed the concerns of local child protection caseworkers and expedited their contribution to statewide campaign action.

The action comes after alarming new statistics showed three in four children reported as at risk of harm from October 1, 2022 until September 30 last year received no visit from Department of Communities and Justice caseworkers.

More disturbingly, a recent report found low staffing numbers are believed to be among the reasons for some of the deaths of children in child protection in 2022.

The sector is experiencing an unprecedented attraction and retention crisis with one in four positions unfilled in some regions of the state.

The Department’s own figures show the vacancy rate for child protection caseworkers has increased exponentially in the last year, with the state losing more caseworkers that it is employing.

The child protection caseworkers that are left are relatively inexperienced and coping with the extra workload of colleagues who have left.

One in two child protection caseworkers leave in their first two years of employment with the department.

Premier Chris Minns needs to intervene, said PSA Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright.

“The most vulnerable children in New South Wales are at risk of serious harm, or even worse, because child protection caseworkers are chronically understaffed, exhausted and management just aren’t listening to their concerns,” said Mr Wright.

“But the response to this crisis by the Department of Communities and Justice management is to close offices rather than increase resources.

“PSA members are now concerned that we are at risk in NSW of exposing the very same vulnerable children we are meant to be supporting to even greater harm through a broken system.

“Chris Minns needs to immediately onboard another 500 child protection caseworkers to address the attraction and retention crisis in child protection, otherwise the system will collapse.

“To be fair the current government didn’t create this mess but it’s up to them to fix it.

“These child protection caseworkers are passionate about their work, and they want Novocastrians to know no urgent child protection responses will be impacted, and that skeleton staffing will be maintained at all times during this protest.

“But they feel they have to do something as management just aren’t listening to their concerns,” said Mr Wright.

Child Protection caseworkers will walk off the job and protest outside the Edgeworth CSC (720 Main Road, Edgeworth) today, Thursday the 18th of April at 12.30pm.

Appeal to locate man wanted on outstanding warrant – Hunter Valley 

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a wanted man last seen in the Hunter Valley area.

William Hickey, aged 23, is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for robbery related offences.


Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District have been conducting inquiries into his whereabouts.

William is known to frequent the Sydney and Kempsey areas.

William is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 175cm to 180cm tall, with a thin build, blue/grey eyes, brown hair and beard.

Anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to not to approach him but to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Australia supports the 2024 Solomon Islands Joint Elections

Australia is supporting Solomon Islands in the conduct of its upcoming Joint Elections on 17 April 2024, including through investment in logistics, operations and training, Australian election observers and the deployment of additional police and defence personnel.

The 2024 elections are historic for Solomon Islands as this is the first time National, Provincial and Honiara City Council elections will occur on the same day.

Through a AU$25 million package, Australia is delivering assistance in logistics and voter registration, training for electoral officials and voter awareness initiatives.

This builds on our longstanding cooperation with the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) to strengthen the electoral cycle, improve election administration and boost women’s participation in the political process.

At the invitation of the Solomon Islands Government, Australia is deploying additional Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to help deliver safe and secure elections.

As part of the Solomons’ International Assistance Force (SIAF), the AFP is working with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force alongside partners from Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

The ADF will work alongside the New Zealand Defence Force to provide logistics and enabling support.

Australia will also send parliamentary observers to monitor the elections: Kate Thwaites MP, Bridget Archer MP, Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC and Anne McEwen OAM, former Senator for South Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP:

“Australia has a long history of supporting democracy in the Pacific and will continue to work with our regional partners to support prosperity and security based on our shared values. The ADF’s support to the Solomon Islands Joint Elections is a further demonstration of our strong partnership.”

acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher:

“Australia is a longstanding supporter of democracy in Solomon Islands. With a relationship based on mutual trust and respect, we are pleased to respond to the requests of Solomon Islands, and provide substantial support for upcoming elections.”

the Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP:

“The Australian Federal Police continues its strong partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF). Together, the agencies have continued to build RSIPF capacity off the back of the successful Pacific Games security operation in 2023, in preparation for the Joint Elections.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Australia is pleased to be providing election logistics and security assistance to these important elections. Our support responds to Solomon Islands’ priorities, and is a natural extension of our deep and longstanding bilateral relationship.”

POLITICAL ACTION ONLY SAVIOUR FOR GREAT BARRIER REEF

Today’s declaration of a fourth global coral bleaching event reaffirms only the strongest political action on climate change and environmental law reform can secure a future for the Great Barrier Reef – which is now 75% bleached.

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson: 

“Transformative action to reverse climate change impacts on the world’s reefs has been possible, but political will and determination has let us down – including by successive Australian governments. 

“In recent weeks the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority quietly released data showing a shocking 75% of the Great Barrier Reef is now bleached, caused by extreme ocean warming from the burning of fossil fuels. 

“The world is now watching, we can’t continue to monitor the Great Barrier Reef to its death. Our government must take a leadership role in protecting the Reef by increasing Australia’s climate ambition and improving our broken environment laws.

“Frustratingly, Labor appears satisfied with a weak climate target that is consistent with degrading 99 per cent of the world’s coral reefs, and is failing to show meaningful accountability for breaking its election promise to deliver comprehensive environmental law reform.

“You can’t acknowledge climate change is the biggest threat to our marine ecosystems on one hand, and on the other rip open new coal and gas projects that are cooking our oceans. It’s completely disingenuous.

“So long as Labor is beholden to vested interests and big corporations, Australia will never get the climate action or environmental protection it needs to save the Great Barrier Reef from being annihilated by political stupidity.”

Code of Conduct investigation

In accordance with Council’s resolution of 12 December 2023, CN sought advice on the proactive release of the investigation report prepared by the independent, external Conduct Reviewer.

CN is governed by the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) when considering the release of documents which contain the information of third parties.

Following due process, including consultation with third parties, a full copy of the Investigation Report has been proactively released. Minor redactions have been included, for example to protect the personal information of third parties.

CN is unable to engage in ongoing commentary on the detail in the Investigation Report. It has followed a rigorous process in line with the Procedure for the Administration of the Code of Conduct. This included the Conduct Reviewer Pinnacle Integrity determining the allegations to be investigated and undertaking the process independently.