The Australian Government is deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed that authorities in Laos are not pursuing the most serious charges in relation to the methanol poisoning deaths of Australian citizens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones.
This devastating news will only add to the immense pain and grief suffered by the families and friends of Holly and Bianca.
We have consistently made clear our expectations that charges should reflect the gravity of the tragedy that claimed the lives of Holly and Bianca in November 2024. This includes the Prime Minister and I expressing these expectations directly to our respective counterparts.
What happened to Holly, Bianca and four other foreign nationals should never have happened.
Since their deaths, Australia has advocated for a thorough and transparent investigation that takes into account all available evidence and for those responsible to be held to account. We have engaged repeatedly and at the highest levels of the Lao Government to support that objective.
The Prime Minister and I appointed Mr Pablo Kang as Special Envoy to continue Australia’s efforts and explore all avenues to achieve progress in the investigation. Mr Kang has engaged extensively with Lao authorities on behalf of the Australian Government and the families, with whom he has maintained regular contact.
The Prime Minister and I have asked Mr Kang to travel to Laos today to convey the Australian Government’s objections and reinforce our expectations for an investigation that delivers justice for Holly, Bianca, and the other victims of the methanol poisoning. The Acting Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also called in Laos’ Ambassador this morning in Canberra.
Next week I will again put Australia’s views directly to my Lao counterpart when I travel to Manila for the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.
These discussions in the coming days in Canberra, Vientiane and Manila will help inform next steps.
The Albanese Government will continue to advocate for Holly and Bianca’s families with the Lao Government at every level, and will continue to provide consular assistance for as long as required.
As ever, our thoughts are with the family and friends of Holly and Bianca.
Reporting today confirms that Labor’s NDIS cuts will be disastrous for disabled kids and autistic people, with almost 145,000 autistic people to lose their supports.
The internal documents reported by the Guardian also show that two-thirds of the 241,000 people who will no longer be eligible for the NDIS in 5 years will be children.
These supports are often used for speech therapy, to build social skills, strengthen independence and help kids attend school. Alternatives do not currently exist for kids, and the government has failed to explain what programs are planned for teenagers with autism.
Ahead of the public hearings for the inquiry into the NDIS cuts recommencing on 30th July, the Greens say Labor should withdraw a bill already doing so much harm.
Acting Australian Greens Leader Mehreen Faruqi said:
“Autistic people and children with disabilities will be hurt the most by Labor’s cruel NDIS cuts, the biggest cut to a government program this century.
“The parents of 154,000 children will today be wondering what comes next for their child – when Labor takes away the support that lets them go to school, build social skills, and to play.
“These kids are being deprived of essential supports because Labor is too cowardly to tax gas exports, to stop sending billions to the USA for AUKUS submarines that we’ll never get, or to stop the $30 billion a year in tax handouts to wealthy property investors.
“We’re already hearing from disabled people and their loved ones who are being cut from the services they relied on. The threat of these cuts is already drying up funding and doing harm to thousands of people.
“Labor’s cuts to the NDIS are one of the cruelest acts perpetrated on a community by an Australian government. The Greens will continue to fight to see this cruel attack on disabled people scrapped.”
Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said:
“This is an appalling and dangerously irresponsible Bill that sees Labor forcing 145,000 autistic people off the NDIS because they are too cowardly to tax the superprofits of corporations.
“The government has no explanation for what will happen to autistic people, and kids with other disabilities who lose their supports, because there is no plan. They are booting hundreds of thousands of people off the NDIS when there is no alternative.
“Labor decided to balance the budget by removing disabled people’s critical supports because they were too cowardly to tax gas exports, or scrap the tax perks for property investors instead of grandfathering them in the last budget.
“Thankfully, the momentum behind these cuts is crumbling, and public opposition is growing as people realise they will leave hundreds of thousands of disabled people and their families without carers, equipment and supports they rely on every day.
“The Greens will fight alongside the disability community to stop these cuts. Labor and Liberals should listen to the powerful testimony of disabled people and shelve this bill.”
The Victorian Greens stand in solidarity with teachers and education support staff taking industrial action, saying the Allan Government must deliver a fair pay and conditions deal that values the people educating our children.
Victorian teachers are the lowest paid in Australia despite facing some of the highest workloads, with the average school employee working around 12 hours of unpaid overtime every week.
By October, experienced Victorian teachers are set to earn more than $15,000 less than their counterparts in New South Wales.
The Greens say that unless the Allan Labor Government addresses pay and workload, Victoria will continue to struggle to attract and retain the teachers and education support staff schools desperately need.
Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell:
“Teachers and support staff shouldn’t have to be fighting this hard just to be paid what they’re worth.
“Victoria is meant to be the Education State. We have it on our number plates, for crying out loud. We should be leading the country, not paying our teachers the least in the country, having them work the most overtime, and underfunding our schools.
“Labor can find billions of dollars to fund their political pet projects but then doesn’t have enough money to pay our teachers and support staff a fair wage. It is shameful.”
Greens respond to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s AI speech.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for communications, arts and environment and chair of the inquiry into AI data centres:
“AI is the new extractive industry, if we don’t have the right rules in place big tech companies will take our resources and leave Australians with little to show for it.
“We need a moratorium on the building of data centres until there are laws in place to properly regulate their impact in Australia including energy, water use, environment and communities.
“It is essential that we get the rules right. To do that we need a pause on the approval and construction of new hyperscale data centres while we do this important policy work.
“Just because big tech companies want to move at hyperspeed, doesn’t mean that we need to fast track and roll out the red carpet for them. We need to take the time to get this right, if we don’t there will be serious consequences for our energy grid, water, environment and climate.
“The Albanese Government needs to show the Australian people that they are more than just talk when it comes to putting the interests of Australians ahead of the interests of big AI companies.
“Today’s announcement that there will be rules for the building of data centres is welcome, but with more than 90 data centres already in the pipeline we cannot allow a free for all in the meantime.
“A key part of getting the rules right is protecting Australian artists, creators, journalists and copyright holders who all need their work protected from the extractive AI industry.
“AI companies want to build data mining factories that strip mine our knowledge, culture and intellectual property. This is theft. We do not allow other industries to pick and choose what laws apply to them, big tech should be no exception to this.
“The test for the Albanese Government will be how strongly they protect Australia’s knowledge, culture and environment.
Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for digital rights:
“If this government was serious about accountability it would be building an independent regulator and giving it strong statutory powers, not just building another door inside the PMs office for tech lobbyists to knock on.
“This is another power grab from one of the most centralising PM on record, keen to ensure he doesn’t face another rogue Minister with a vision for serious regulation of this technology.
“Providing government data for US AI companies raises real questions about consent, privacy and surveillance risk for all Australians and it’s hard to see how it’s in the public interest.
“A coordination office in Canberra doesn’t stop a single kid getting harmed tonight, and no amount of branding changes the fact that this government still hasn’t legislated a single enforceable protection.
“Not only does this announcement not provide any meaningful steps for building sovereign capability, the PM is also leaving Palantir embedded in the agencies holding Australians’ most sensitive information including Defence.
“The Prime Minister points to Five Eyes as if that settles the sovereignty question, but our closest security partner is also home to the AI companies that are the biggest security risks across the public and private sectors.
“He’s calling this an AI for Australia plan but the future he mapped out is controlled by American billionaires, not Australian communities.
“Australians need an independent AI regulator with real powers, mandatory guardrails, and legislated protections for kids, workers and creators.
“What we got today was a red carpet for Meta, Palantir and Amazon that leads straight to the PM’s office.”
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Acting Leader of the Australian Greens:
“Pauline Hanson’s on a holiday with a billionaire, spouting racism and Islamophobia in a hotel room paid for by a different billionaire’s media empire – trying to turn Australians against one another.
“This latest insight into Pauline Hanson’s mind is scary stuff, but unsurprising. Her sit down interview with convicted criminal and professional hate monger Tommy Robinson is the latest in a decades-long career of her spreading the same, hate-filled message.
“Harking back to a white Australia and piling hate on Muslims and migrants is disgusting, blatant racism. This hate doesn’t exist in headlines or in a vacuum, it has a material impact on targeted communities and One Nation knows that.
“They don’t want people fighting the system making their lives harder, they want people fighting each other.
“The Australia of One Nation’s fantasies is a mean and selfish place where pointing the finger at your neighbour and punching down on Muslims becomes the norm, where women’s rights are wound back, and where we fight each other for scraps dropped from above by the billionaires pulling the strings.
“Labor and the Liberals have created the conditions for One Nation’s hate to rise, by constantly putting their corporate donors’ interests ahead of people’s and dogwhistling on migrants.
“The One Nation scam of pretending to be anti-establishment while being bankrolled by billionaires and right-wing media is clear for everyone to see. Hanson goes on holiday with a billionaire in a luxury hotel in Italy and still has the gall to tell you it’s migrants making it hard for you to pay your rent.
“I have taken on Hanson and the far-right in parliament, on the streets and in the courtroom. Now is the time to fight back and show people that something different is on offer. We want to see a country where everyone feels safe, welcome, and has everything they need to thrive and live a good life.”
The Albanese Labor Government will introduce a world-leading artificial intelligence framework to ensure Australia can capture the opportunity, share the benefits and keep Australians safe.
We will do that the Australian way – without undercutting conditions, dividing communities or damaging our environment.
The Government will introduce a set of Australian Standards for AI, building on the Data Centre Expectations, with our values as the benchmark to ensure AI works in Australia’s interests.
The new standards will set out clear rules for large data centres— including a legal obligation to underwrite their own new power supply, pay their full share of connection costs so energy bills are not impacted, reduce power when needed to strengthen the grid, and be as water efficient as possible.
The Federal Government will also work with State and Territories to ensure large data centres are built in the most appropriate locations, and with input from local communities.
Effective today, the Office of AI will be established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to accelerate implementation of the Australian Standards on a national level.
The Government’s approach will be considered by National Cabinet in August, with standards expected to be legislated early next year.
The implementation of these standards will deliver a simple, consistent regulatory framework for large data centres and AI training and be the first to be legislated by a government worldwide.
The Government’s approach will help further grow Australia’s economy, strengthen our sovereignty, secure benefits consistent with our national interests, and lift our standard of living.
The AI Standards will deliver greater clarity, speed up approvals and streamline the process for verifying compliance with energy, water, safety and other requirements.
The Government will also ensure the strongest possible protection for Australian artists and media.
Our approach will ensure Australian writers, artists and journalists retain ownership over their work, meaning no company should use Australian creative works to train AI without the artist’s control.
The Government will also outline its whole-of-government AI consumer safety priorities in coming weeks, building on the recent establishment of the AI Safety Institute.
The Government has every confidence that Australia can seize this moment of technological advancement and make it our own, while ensuring AI stands for Australia’s interests.
the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese
“This world leading framework is about Australia choosing to shape the future rather than letting the future of AI shape us.
“This framework is about protecting our national interests and ensuring certainty for growth, jobs and investment.
“If we set our national standards high, then we can make AI stand for Australia’s interests.
Senator Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
“A Future Made in Australia is all about shaping Australia’s industrial and technological future in the national interest and in the interest of every Australian.
“That means securing critical AI investments here so Australians shape the future.
“Australian Standards for AI strengthen Australia’s framework to make sure AI investments are on Australia’s terms and strengthen our resilience, security and economy.”
Andrew Charlton, Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy
“Australia has an opportunity to ensure that new technology delivers inclusive, safe and sustainable growth, with shared benefits for our workers, and the community.
“Establishing a clear and enforceable social licence for AI is fundamental towards achieving this objective.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has serious questions to answer following fresh allegations of corruption and improper government intervention on Victorian Big Build projects.
On ABC’s 7.30 on 30 June, the Prime Minister was asked whether he had sought assurances from Premier Jacinta Allan that Commonwealth funding would not end up in the hands of organised crime. His response was unequivocal: “Well, of course.”
Just two weeks later, The Age today has published fresh allegations from a former senior Victorian Health Building Authority executive alleging government intervention on behalf of the CFMEU on a Commonwealth-funded hospital redevelopment, alongside further reporting of alleged corruption and criminal influence across Victorian Big Build projects.
These allegations raise serious questions about the assurances the Prime Minister claims he received from the Victorian Government.
Australians deserve to know what assurances the Prime Minister received, whether he still stands by them, and whether he remains confident that Commonwealth taxpayer funds have been properly protected.
The Prime Minister cannot simply rely on assurances while serious allegations continue to emerge. He owes Australians an explanation.
The Albanese Government should stop hiding behind assurances and heed the calls of almost 50,000 Australians who have signed Senator Maria Kovacic’s petition for a Senate inquiry into CFMEU and construction sector corruption. The Coalition stands ready to support such an inquiry when the Parliament next meets.
City of Newcastle has kicked off more than $2.5 million worth of upgrades at two Newcastle sports fields experiencing a significant increase in female participation across different codes.
Funded by City of Newcastle and the NSW Government’s Level the Playing Field Program, Tarro Reserve and Johnson Park at Lambton will each receive a new amenities building complete with female friendly change rooms, an accessible toilet, a canteen, a referees’ room and storage.
Chair of City of Newcastle’s Sports Infrastructure Working Party, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said the upgrades will support the city’s growing population.
“These facilities are vital community assets that host a range of sports including football, cricket and touch football,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.
“Tarro Reserve and Johnson Park have seen female participation in cricket expand by more than 130% since 2024.
“The number of female footballers using Tarro Reserve has grown from 11 in 2024 to 144 this season, with those numbers expected to increase over the next few years.
“Female-friendly change rooms will support increased participation by women and girls, allowing them to train and compete in a safe and inclusive environment.
“The upgrades will also provide improved accessibility, ensuring we have more appropriate facilities for people of all ages and abilities.”
NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said sporting infrastructure needs to keep pace with the growth of women’s sport.
“Through the Level the Playing Field Fund, the Minns Labor Government is committed to removing barriers for women and girls in sport, so everyone can participate in an environment that makes them feel safe and supported,” Mr Kamper said.
“These projects ensure more equitable and inclusive access, so all members of the community feel comfortable taking part.”
The amenities at Johnson Park will complement improvements already completed by City of Newcastle including new LED floodlighting that meets modern standards for training and matches, along with drainage improvements.
City of Newcastle also completed the construction of a new playground at the southwest corner of Johnson Park in December.
The old playground at the intersection of Bindera and Wyong Roads will be demolished to make way for the new amenities building.
The existing toilets in the southeast corner of Johnson Park will be demolished when the new building is complete.
Construction at both fields is expected to be completed by early 2027.
This July will also see City of Newcastle upgrade facilities at Waratah Park with the installation of a new toilet block near the existing playground.
The work forms part of the Waratah Park Masterplan, which was endorsed by the Sports Infrastructure Working Party in 2025 following community consultation.
A major pumped hydro project with the potential to power up to 120,000 homes has been given the green light to transform a former mining site into a renewable energy generator in the Gloucester Valley.
The $1.8 billion Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar project will boost energy security and bring investment and jobs to the Hunter, with up to 350 construction jobs and 10 ongoing jobs.
This project will bring lasting benefits for the region, including around $18.2 million over the life of the project for community and infrastructure projects through a Voluntary Planning Agreement with Mid Coast Council.
Located, about 100 kilometres north of Newcastle, the project will sit on the Stratford Mining Complex site where coal mining operations ended in 2024, providing a productive and innovative future for the post-mining land.
The project by Gloucester Coal Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Yancoal Australia Limited, includes a 300 megawatt (MW) pumped hydro power station with 12 hours of energy storage and a 320 MW solar farm.
To generate electricity, water will be transferred between a new upper reservoir and an existing dam via a tunnel, with water for the initial reservoir to be sourced from the existing mine site.
It will provide “firming” energy by storing surplus electricity generated during the day during and releasing it to generate electricity at peak times in the evening. It is forecast to deliver around 13 per cent of the State’s 2034 long duration storage target.
Declared Critical State Significant nfrastructure (CSSI) in June 2024, the project is a crucial component of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, a 20-year plan to diversify the energy generation mix, and provide energy security as NSW moves away from coal-fired power.
The coal to renewable energy evolution happening in the Hunter is also demonstrated in the Port of Newcastle.
While the Port of Newcastle remains the largest coal export port in the world, it is also now a critical gateway for renewables infrastructure. The port is the entry point for everything from wind turbines, to solar panels and battery energy storage systems to enable energy projects across the Hunter and beyond.
The Minns Labor Government has supported this evolution by declaring part of the Port of Newcastle State Significant Infrastructure, consolidating approvals for updates to the Port which will add flexibility for future operations.
Since March 2023, the Minns Labor Government has approved 52 renewable energy projects that, when built, will generate enough electricity to power 5.1 million homes.
There are currently more than 57 renewable energy, storage, pumped hydro and transmission projects under assessment in NSW. If approved, these 12.9 GW of generation projects could produce enough electricity to power about 6.68 million homes.
A further 107 projects, including solar, wind, battery storage and pumped hydro projects are at various stages in the planning pipeline.
This is another example of the Minns Labor Government backing jobs in the Hunter for decades to come, alongside pilot sites, to rezoning mines into employment land and its commitment to establish a long-term pipeline of passenger train manufacturing in the region.
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:
“This is exactly what planning for the future looks like.
“We are taking a former mine site and giving it a new purpose powering up to 120,000 homes across New South Wales.
“This is a major vote of confidence in our region. We have the land, infrastructure, and skilled workforce needed to deliver the next generation of major energy projects.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
“This is the first pumped hydro project to secure final planning approval in NSW in 6 years. It’s a sign of our commitment to a clean energy future and the beginnings of an evolution of jobs and energy generation in the Hunter to power homes and businesses.
“Projects like Stratford Pumped Hydro also show how we can make the most of former mining sites and create new jobs and industry which will help to drive the region’s economic growth for decades to come.”
Member for Newcastle Tim Crackanthorp said:
“The Port of Newcastle is the mouth that feeds the state’s transition to renewable energy.”
“This project is a great glimpse into NSW energy future, reusing a former mining site for new and innovative renewable energy technologies.”
The $381 million Muswellbrook Bypass is powering forward with early work well underway and a refined design to deliver safer journeys, faster freight movements and better outcomes for the local community.
Jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments, the Australian Government is investing $304.8 million and the NSW Government $76.2 million to deliver the transformative New England Highway upgrade.
The bypass will reshape travel through the Upper Hunter by diverting around 2,500 heavy vehicles a day away from Muswellbrook’s town centre, creating safer roads, more reliable freight movements and a more connected community.
Every day, around 20,000 vehicles travel through the heart of Muswellbrook.
Once complete, the bypass will provide a free-flowing 100 km/h alternative route for through traffic, cutting congestion, improving travel time reliability for freight operators and reducing conflicts between heavy vehicles, local traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.
The project’s refined design delivers a safer, more resilient and more efficient road network.
Key refinements include:
a safer intersection at Milpera Drive
improved northern and southern connections
better local road access
a dedicated U-turn facility on the New England Highway north of the project.
The updated design also reduces flooding impacts, improves traffic movements and minimises property acquisition.
The project is expected to provide a significant boost to the regional economy, supporting about 720 jobs during construction.
Early works are progressing across the project, with the Aboriginal cultural heritage salvage program, undertaken in consultation with the local Aboriginal community, completed in late 2025. Utility relocation work is underway, and dynamic compaction work is now progressing on a section of the alignment crossing a backfilled open-cut mine ahead of major construction.
Completing this work ahead of the main construction contract will help reduce project risk and minimise potential delays during construction.
The project is also moving closer to major construction, with shortlisted applicants progressed to the Request for Tender stage.
The project has been fast tracked with main construction expected to start in 2027.
Alongside the bypass, Wybong Road and Bengalla Link Road have now both been officially re-categorised as state roads, recognising their strategic importance to the regional freight network.
The reclassification means the NSW Government will take responsibility for their ongoing maintenance, reducing costs for Muswellbrook Shire Council.
Acting Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain said:
“With early works well underway and a refined design finalised, we are powering forward to deliver this $304.8 million Australian Government investment, ensuring trips across the Upper Hunter will be quicker and safer, sooner.
“By moving heavy vehicles onto an alternate route and removing traffic lights, we will fast-track freight movements and save critical time for motorists and truck drivers traveling through the Upper Hunter.”
NSW Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley said:
“The Minns Labor Government’s $76.2 million investment in this bypass is about delivering the infrastructure the Hunter has been waiting for.
“The Hunter powers our state, and we’re making sure the infrastructure keeps pace with its ambition by backing families, businesses and the jobs that drive this region forward.
”There is nowhere else quite like the Hunter and this project is another important step in securing its future.”
NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:
“The Muswellbrook Bypass is one of the most significant road projects underway in the Upper Hunter. It will take 20,000 vehicles out of the town centre, making local streets safer while giving freight operators a faster, more reliable route.
“And it’s not the only win for the region. For years, Muswellbrook Shire Council asked the former Liberal and National Government for help with these roads, and for years they were ignored. That government promised to reclassify 15,000 kilometres of roads across the state and never delivered.
“We’re getting on with the job they walked away from. I’m proud that Wybong Road and Bengalla Link Road are now officially reclassified as state roads, with the NSW Government taking on responsibility for these important freight links.”
Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi said:
“For a long time, the people of Muswellbrook were just told about a bypass, but now they can actually see it happening.
“We are getting closer to having heavy traffic flowing away from the town centre, which will make our local streets safer and quieter, and give locals their community back.”
Labor Spokesperson for the Upper Hunter, Emily Suvaal said:
“I’ve seen firsthand what 20,000 vehicles a day rattling through Muswellbrook does to this town – the noise, the wear on streets, the risk to families crossing the road.
“This bypass finally takes that pressure off. Combined with recategorizing Wybong Road and Bengalla Link Road, we’re backing the freight routes this region relies on.
“I look forward to seeing the project progressing over the coming months.”
