Month: March 2020

NEWCASTLE APPRENTICE NUMBERS PLUMMET

New local data has revealed that apprentice and trainee numbers in Newcastle are appallingly low.
We now have 1,165 fewer apprentices and trainees in Newcastle than we did when the Liberals came to power. That means we have lost almost a third of the 3,500 apprentices we had in 2013.
This leaves Newcastle, like the rest of the country, desperately short of critical trades that are vital to the healthy functioning of our regional economy.
The Morrison government has robbed Australians of employment opportunities and forced the country into a tradie crisis by ripping $3 billion out of vocational training and education.
Nearly two million Australians are out of work and employers are crying out for skilled staff.
The Liberals like to brag about their economic credentials, yet they starve the very sector that delivers the skilled staff that we need to grow the economy and stem unemployment.
Investment in skills, education, training is Economics 101 if you want to drive economic growth and maintain a high standard of living. But all the Liberals know is to cut, cut, cut.
By locking Australians out of education and training, the Liberals are locking Australians out of jobs.
The Morrison Liberal government is a do-nothing government with no agenda for jobs, training or a better Australia.

Former foster carer charged over alleged indecent assaults of young girl

A former foster carer has been charged following an investigation into the alleged indecent assaults of a girl in the Newcastle region.
Last month, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a young girl had been indecently assaulted by a man while she was in his care.
Following extensive investigations, detectives arrested a 42-year-old man at a home on the Central Coast just before 8am on Wednesday 19 February 2020.
He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with aggravated indecent assault- victim under authority of offender (x4) and commit act of indecency with person under 16 years.
Police will allege in court that the man indecently assaulted the girl – then aged nine – on several occasions while she was in his care in 2017.
The man was refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on 19 February 2020 where he was formally refused bail to re-appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 4 March 2020).
 

MORRISON'S FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL OVER SPORTS RORTS SCANDAL, ANAO REVELATIONS SHOW

Following revelations from the National Audit Office in Senate Estimates,Greens Senator Janet Rice has condemned the Morrison government for their corrupt behaviour and for meddling with the list of sports projects funding hours after the Federal election was called.
Senator Janet Rice, Greens spokesperson for Sport said:
“Morrison is absolutely up to his neck in this scandal and his denials are not cutting it with the Senate or the Australian people. People are fed-up with this government thinking the rules don’t apply to them.
“Last night in Estimates, we learnt from the ANAO that the Coalition were still changing what projects were to be funded under the community sports grants and modifying the spreadsheet on the day the election was called, more than four hours after the government put into caretaker mode.
“These representations made by the Prime Minister’s office changed the allocation and amounts of grant funds sports clubs received. The updates resulted in one club being removed and likely missing out on funding, and nine new or amended applications rammed in at the last minute.
“These new grants were given to clubs and organisations that had put in late applications after being invited to do so by the government
“With revelations like this coming out almost daily, it’s crystal clear the Morrison government is actively subverting democracy with this cover up. The public has a right to know how their money is being spent.
“How many more scandals need to break before we get a federal anti-corruption watchdog with teeth?
“The Greens bill to establish a national integrity commission has already passed the Senate. If Scott Morrison was serious about integrity and honesty, he could bring this bill to a House vote now.”

Senate Estimates reveal Australia not on track for Paris climate targets: Bandt

The climate crisis is heating Australia faster than other nations and answers to Greens questions at Senate Estimates today confirm Australia will warm by ‘closer to 4 degrees’, not the 2 degrees agreed to in the Paris Agreement on climate change, with Scott Morrison marching us on a path towards death.
Under questioning by Senator Larissa Waters, the Bureau of Meteorology indicated that Australia has warmed by 1.4C from pre-industrial temperatures, 0.3C more than the global average, and that Australians will suffer through warming that is “closer to 4C” – over double the maximum target temperatures set out in the Paris Agreement and a global temperature at which scientists estimate only a billion people may survive on the planet.
Estimates also revealed that the government is undertaking no planning for the current 4 degrees scenario, with the Bureau also revealing they had not been approached by any Federal Minister or Department to provide advice about preparing for current policy settings.
Greens Leader and Climate Emergency Spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, said the questioning demonstrated that our government is woefully underprepared for the climate crisis.
Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“Answers at Senate Estimates have confirmed that we are not on track to meet Paris targets and our country is set to burn.
“Our government is marching us on a path towards death. Australia will be one of the hardest countries hit by the climate crisis, but our government clearly couldn’t care less.
“The science is in. Not only is Australia one of the worst contributors to the climate crisis, we’re also going to be one of its worst victims.
“Scott Morrison is failing to seek expert advice about the impacts of his climate policies. He is developing no plans for agriculture, tourism, and health in a four degree scorched world.
“Australia saw this horrific bushfire season with just over one degree of warming. We’re hurtling towards four degrees and it’s only going to get worse from here”
Australian Greens Co-Deputy Leader Larissa Waters said:
“Four degrees of global warming will transform our society and environment, yet no government agency or government minister has asked for a briefing so they can plan for this new climate change-affected reality.
“This is our future burning and our government is burying its head in the sand rather than preparing for a new reality. We lose our precious Great Barrier Reef and the 63,000 tourism jobs that rely on it at only two degrees of global warming.
“We need climate action now, not delaying for decades to come.”

 

Private School Favouritism Confirmed With Broad Slush Fund Guidelines & New Bill

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Education spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has said that private schools will be able to spend the $1.2 billion ‘Choice and Affordability’ slush fund with enormous discretion. Flexible guidelines for the fund have been released as parliament debates handing out a further $3.4 billion for private schools.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Private schools will have enormous freedom to spend this public money on practically whatever they want. Meanwhile, public schools continue to suffer without having their basic needs met.
“This latest handout reflects the Liberal government’s obsession with giving out cash to already over-funded private schools. The Greens have warned about this from the start.
“Now the Government has a bill before parliament that would gift a further $3.4 billion to private schools. I urge the Opposition and crossbench to oppose this bill and stop the handouts and special deals.
“It’s way past time to prioritise public school funding and stand up to the private school lobbies.”

Today's rate cut lays the foundation for a Green New Deal: Whish-Wilson, Bandt

Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, and leader, Adam Bandt MP, called on the government to respond to today’s interest rate cut with stimulus spending, including for transformative infrastructure.
Senator Whish-Wilson said “this government must overcome seven years of surplus mania.
“We have the triple whammy of COVID-19, secular stagnation and a climate emergency, including recent bushfires.
“The government must use the latest record low interest rates and undertake stimulus spending.
“There’s no point achieving a surplus if the economy is on life support.
“I expect to see a conversion on the road to Damascus.
“Without government action the cheapest money ever will continue flow into ever higher house prices and other unproductive speculation.
Adam Bandt said the Greens have a plan to stave off a recession and transition to a clean energy future.
“We’re heading towards a cliff but Scott Morrison is refusing to grab the steering wheel.
“A looming recession means we need to stimulate the economy and there’s never been a cheaper time to do it.
“The Green New Deal means tackling the economic and inequality crises by lifting Newstart and Youth Allowance, increasing public sector wages by 4% and investing $6b to extend the electricity grid to Renewable Energy Zones.
“The only thing stopping the government from putting the economy back into gear is their own ‘surplus first’ rhetoric.
“Government needs to act now to stave off a recession or the public will never forgive them.

Bumper weekend of events may attract thousands

The City will come alive this weekend with Newcastle hosting multiple major events including world class sport, live music and family entertainment.
There will be no shortage of things to do from Friday, with the Newcastle Show, Matildas versus Vietnam, Surfest final, The Drop music festival and Barrelled Food and Wine Festival expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors.
Crowd-(1).jpgLord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the bumper weekend would provide an economic boost for the city while demonstrating Newcastle’s growing reputation as an ‘event city’.
“As thousands of visitors stream into Newcastle for the weekend, we’re poised to show-off our spectacular natural coastline, outstanding sporting facilities, and showstopping entertainment and cultural scene,” the Lord Mayor said.
The Matildas Australian women’s football team will vie for a ticket to Tokyo on Friday as they take on Vietnam at McDonald Jones Stadium in the first of two Olympic qualifying matches.
“City of Newcastle has been a strong supporter of women’s football, and we can’t wait to host the Matildas again at McDonald Jones Stadium,” Cr Nelmes said.
“I encourage all Novocastrians to show their support by turning out to the match to cheer on our hometown star Emily van Egmond and the team as they shoot for Olympic glory.
“Internationally, we’re attracting more major events, as showcased by the recent Asian Cup, Wallabies announcement and yet another Matildas fixture.”
Merewether Beach will be a hive of activity as the iconic Surfest celebrates its 35th year on Newcastle’s sporting calendar. The event is the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere with over 850 national and international male and female competitors taking to Merewether Beach’s world-renowned waves.
Across town The Newcastle Show is set to deliver family fun from Friday to Sunday with rides and amusements, livestock parades, show jumping and various attractions such as speedway and motocross cars at Newcastle Showground. The long running event offers three days of entertainment with marching bands, fireworks, an agriculture pavilion, exhibition centre, a mini cinema and sideshow alley.
Surfest affiliated event Barrelled Food, Wine and Beer Festival will feature a fantastic line up of Hunter Valley wine producers, food from quality local restaurants as well as craft brewers in Jefferson Park alongside the action at Merewether Beach.
The good vibes will continue with The Drop Festival attracting hit Aussie artists to Empire Park for an event dedicated to the community, culture and a shared love of the ocean. The all ages annual music festival follows the World Surf League Championship League.
For more information about the weekend’s events, visit www.visitnewcastle.com.au/whats-on

Newcastle Show
6,7,8 March
Newcastle Showground		 Surfest
Friday-Sunday 6-8 March
Merewether Beach		 Barrelled Food Wine and Beer Festival
Saturday-Sunday 7-8 March
Jefferson Park Merewether
Matildas v Vietnam
Friday 6 March
McDonald Jones Stadium		 The Drop Music Festival
Saturday 7 March
Empire Park, Bar Beach

NSW GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE STAMP DUTY RELIEF FOR PEOPLE WHO LOST HOMES DURING BUSHFIRES

The NSW Government will provide stamp duty relief for people who lost their homes during the bushfires and who choose to purchase a replacement home elsewhere rather than rebuild.
Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro, and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, said the latest NSW Government assistancewould enable people to get back on their feet and back into a new home faster.
“This is about ensuring people have the ability to buy a home to replace the one destroyed by fire and not have to worry about the substantial cost of stamp duty which can be tens of thousands of dollars,” Mr Barilaro said.
“While many people will want to rebuild their homes, there will be others who choose to buy in another location, and we want to ensure that can happen as quickly as possible – this is a big bottom line boost for people during a challenging time.”
Mr Barilaro said 2448 homes were destroyed during the bushfires, with the Government-funded clean-up now well underway across the State.
“We have boots on the ground, bulldozers on building blocks and now more bucks staying in your bank account,” Mr Barilaro said.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the stamp duty relief package would allow people much more flexibility and financial freedom as they made one of their most important decisions in the recovery process.
“Losing your home is one of the worst things anybody has to face, and deciding whether to rebuild or relocate is no doubt on a lot of minds,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This will allow people to weigh-up their options, and if they do decide to purchase a replacement home, they can do so without the added financial burden and stress of paying stamp duty.”
People purchasing replacement homes will only begin paying stamp duty once the amount payable exceeds $55,000.
Information on how to apply for a refund and eligibility requirements will be available from Service NSW and Revenue NSW websites from March 10. Eligible people who have already paid duty will be able to apply for a refund.
The NSW Government has made available funding for tourism, school repairs, mental health, small businesses and on the ground assistance including:

  • $1 billion to help re-build critical NSW State-owned infrastructure damaged in the bushfires including roads, bridges and schools.
  • The NSW Government is jointly funding 50:50 with the Commonwealth the clean-up of residential and commercial properties destroyed by the recent bushfires in NSW with costs estimated in the “hundreds of millions”.
  • $10 million tourism package through Destination NSW.
  • $30 million for on the ground services and assistance measures to support Primary Producers impacted by fires.
  • $15 million for additional mental health services for individuals, community groups and emergency services personnel.
  • More than $315 million of additional funds have been committed to fight fires on top of the record 2019/20 RFS Budget.
  • $35 million for Economic Recovery and Community Resilience Grants Program, with payments of up to $250,000 for small scale local activities that will kick-start the social and economic recovery of their communities.

SEEDS OF HOPE FOR NSW KOALAS

To celebrate World Wildlife Day, the NSW Government has announced six new koala habitat restoration projects, which include planting 50,000 koala feed tree seedlings, in the Northern Rivers and Far South Coast regions.
Environment Minister Matt Kean said he was pleased to provide up to $150,000 in funding to a wide range of organisations, including Lismore City Council, Friends of the Koala, Far South Coast Landcare Association, Border Ranges-Richmond Valley Landcare Network and Bangalow Koalas to restore koala habitat.
“While we’re still determining the full impact of this season’s bushfires on koalas and other wildlife, we know that more than 25 per cent of koala habitat in eastern NSW was affected by fires,” Mr Kean said.
“By planting more trees and restoring habitats, we can help our koalas and other native animals recover from these devastating bushfires.
“These projects also acknowledge the passion of our regional communities and local organisations, who spend their time and money caring for their local koala populations and getting involved in tree planting, weed control and site preparation activities.
“These grants are part of the $1 million investment to deliver local actions in partnership with the community under the NSW Koala Strategy.”
The NSW Koala Strategy, which provides $44.7 million in funding, is the biggest commitment by any State government to secure koalas in the wild. It sets out the NSW Government’s long-term goal to stabilise then increase koala populations across NSW.
The NSW Koala Strategy is supported by the Saving our Species program, which is working to secure the future of NSW threatened plants and animals, including the koala.
Further information on how the NSW Government is supporting conservation through community actions is available on NSW Koala Country, a website that celebrates some of the inspiring people and organisations who dedicate their time to helping protect our koalas.
Find out more about the NSW Koala Country website at www.koala.nsw.gov.au

Appeal for information after theft and ram raid – Lake Macquarie

Police are investigating after three cars were stolen and used during two break and enters in Lake Macquarie.
About 3.30am today (Tuesday 3 March) three people driving the stolen vehicles attended a service station at Wyee.
The three forced entry through an external toilet door, smashed through a wall and into the service station, where they took a safe containing a large sum of money and a large number of cigarettes.
One of the vehicles was left at the Wyee service station, with the three people continuing to another service station at Fennell Bay.
About 4.20am the two vehicles were used to smash a glass wall at the service station, before the three people attached a rope to an ATM and unsuccessfully tried to pull it from its location.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District have established crime scenes at both locations and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
The vehicles involved were stolen between Saturday 29 March and today (Tuesday 3 March) from Cessnock, West Gosford and Scone.
The vehicles are a silver Toyota utility with the number plate CQ21JZ, a white Mitsubishi Pantech truck with the registration BT73PL and a white Mitsubishi Canter flatbed truck with the number plate CE78NR.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police on (02) 4922 8899 or Crime Stoppers.