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Responding to a community protest supporting BREAZE, a volunteer-run renewable energy group recently cut from funding by the City of Ballarat, Senator Steph Hodgins-May and Sarah Mansfield MLC have raised serious concerns about transparency and fairness. 

The group says the decision was made without good-faith engagement and was based on unrelated political views expressed by a former board member speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. 

BREAZE plays a crucial role in driving Ballarat’s clean energy transition. This move threatens to stall Ballarat’s renewable progress and erode community trust.

Greens Senator for Victoria, Steph Hodgins-May: 

“BREAZE is an incredible volunteer-run organisation helping power Ballarat’s clean energy future.

“The council has cut ties with this vital community group, and refuses to engage with them in good faith, all because of posts by a former board member that, like so many Australians, express horror at the genocide taking place in Gaza.

“This will jeopardise Ballarat’s ability to respond to the climate crisis and drive the renewable energy transition.  

“In a healthy democracy, we need space to speak openly and freely. 

“The community deserves transparency and fairness. This decision should be revisited and funding restored so BREAZE can get on with building a cleaner, brighter future for Ballarat.”   

Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens and MLC for Western Victoria, Dr Sarah Mansfield: 

“The council’s decision to cut the funding of a community group working for real climate action with the people of Ballarat undermines crucial efforts towards cleaner, more sustainable energy, as well as community trust.

“The council has failed to engage fairly or transparently with BREAZE, raising serious concerns about this decision, and I’d urge them to restore funding to BREAZE so they can continue their vital work empowering the Ballarat community towards zero emissions.”

The ACT Greens have today announced they will not support the proposal from the ACT’s minority Labor Government to impose a $250 levy on every day Canberrans.

“Not only is this levy unfair, but it passes on the failures of both Territory and Federal Labor to create a truly universal healthcare system,” said ACT Greens Leader, Shane Rattenbury.

“A flat levy does not take into account a person’s ability to pay and does not reflect the type of city we want to build. It will unfairly impact a lot of people in our community.

“As the ABC reported – it essentially imposes a gap payment on Canberrans – whether they access healthcare or not, and no matter their income.

“Many Canberrans are already struggling, and even those on decent incomes are feeling the pinch.

“The irony is that this additional levy might be the difference between someone being able to buy essential medicine or healthy food – both key to maintaining good health, in order to fork out for the Government’s health bill.

“A good Budget raises revenue from those who can afford it, like big corporations, before passing the bill on to everyday people.

“The Greens put forward a proposal for a Big Corporations Tax that would introduce a new, higher tax threshold for big corporations like the supermarkets, banks and airlines.

“Companies that operate in our city and make billions in profits, like Qantas and Wesfarmers, should be paying their fair share of tax. But instead, they’re raking in massive profits while Canberrans struggle with the cost of living.

“Not only is a Big Corporations Tax a significantly fairer way to generate revenue, it also generates more than double the amount the government will receive from every day Canberrans through the proposed health levy.

“So the ACT Greens will not be supporting the $250 levy in the Appropriation Bill and we call on the Government to go back to the drawing board and come up with something fairer.

“The Greens recognise that we need to raise enough revenue to deliver the services that our community needs, but this is not the way to do it,” said Mr Rattenbury.

A link to the ACT Greens Budget Reply Speech can be found here: Budget Reply Speech 2025

The Minns Labor Government is investing $13.6 million over four years to design and deliver a state-of-the-art Service NSW Centre in South West Sydney’s Campbelltown as part of the 2025-26 Budget.

As part of this Government’s comprehensive plan to build better essential services, the new Service Centre will provide South West Sydney locals with improved access to 1,300 government transactions and essential services in one convenient location.

Campbelltown is one of the fastest-growing local government areas in South West Sydney with a population of more than 175,000. This investment from the Minns Labor Government will make it easier for local families to access services they need as the region continues to expand.

Once opened, the Campbelltown Service Centre increases the number of centres to 119 across NSW, including two driver testing locations.

Campbelltown Service Centre will provide another option for Ambarvale, Appin, Bradbury, Leumeah and Menangle Park locals, complementing existing centres in Edmondson Park and Gregory Hills.

Around 100,000 customer visits are expected at Campbelltown Service Centre in its first 12 months of operation, improving essential service access for this rapidly growing and diverse community.

Service NSW is working with Property and Development NSW to find a suitable location for the new centre, ensuring it is accessible and convenient for the Campbelltown community.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

“With more than 6.6 million customer visits across NSW last year, investing in new and improved Service Centres helps ensure access for those who need the essential services they provide.

“As South West Sydney’s population grows, we’re seeing increasing demand for government services and transactions from the local community.

“This investment by the Minns Labor Government will provide the services people rely on, whether they are looking for cost of living support, applying for a Seniors Card, or requesting personalised business advice through the Service NSW Business Bureau.”

Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren said:

“I fought and opposed the Liberal National government’s shortsighted decision to close our former Campbelltown centre and promised the community I’d bring this essential service back.

“I’m so proud Campbelltown is getting what we need and deserve for our growing area, and the broader Macarthur community.

“I acknowledge everyone in our community I’ve fought with to return this critical service to Campbelltown.”

Today NSW Greens Spokesperson for Treasury, Abigail Boyd, has said that the Minns Government’s 2025/26 Budget is a missed opportunity to help millions of people struggling to pay their bills.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW MP:

“Right now, people in our communities are suffocating under the Minns Labor government’s business as usual agenda which does nothing to combat skyrocketing grocery prices, energy bills and out-of-pocket education and health costs, nor does it come close to delivering the investment we need in accessible, affordable housing,” said Ms Boyd.

“This is not a budget for people–it’s a budget for Big Business, the gambling lobby, private developers and climate-wrecking corporations. The Minns Labor government’s third Budget is a betrayal to all those in our communities doing it toughest – failing to address the rising cost of living in this state or lift people out of poverty, while leaving billions in uncollected revenue on the table from big business. Whether its failing to rein in subsidies for pokies operators, leaving high-end taxes lower than in other jurisdictions, or failing to innovate to raise revenue from the big corporations who can most afford it, the Minns Labor government would rather turn its back on workers and everyday people than take on the vested interests in our State with the bold reforms it once promised.

“This is a Labor government that refuses to pay nurses and midwives a fair wage and is trying to strip injured workers of their entitlements due to so-called budget constraints, while all the while cosying up to its mates in the clubs industry by failing to rein in pokies subsidies that are costing billions. The only ones thanking Minns and Mookhey for this budget is the Business lobby, which shows you how far the Labor party will go to turn their backs on workers.”

“Across the State, nurses, midwives and other essential workers are without hope that they will ever earn fair wages and conditions after the Labor Minns government has forced them to beg for scraps under its failed mutual bargaining regime. The impact on essential public services like hospitals has been particularly catastrophic, with workers fleeing the state for higher wages elsewhere and people going without the medical treatment they need. This is a fundamental betrayal and a slap in the face to all those who voted this government in.

“We know that the greatest issues of our time – climate change, the cost of living, housing affordability – will negatively impact marginalised communities disproportionately. And yet this Budget does nothing to provide for those doing it toughest.

“Labor has put no extra money into frontline domestic violence services. Instead, they’ve made a desperate, and frankly sad attempt to spin funding for courts as funding for victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.

“While acknowledging the catastrophic impact that more severe and frequent weather events are having on the people and finances of our State, there is nothing new in this Budget to properly tackle the climate crisis and accelerate our State’s transition to 100% renewable energy.

“For years, the Greens have consistently offered constructive options for how the government can increase revenue in order to better fund the universal services our community desperately needs. These proposals include:

•   A progressive payroll tax system that expands in scope to capture rideshare, delivery and other gig worker platforms as well as consulting firms and others currently dodging basic taxes.
•   A luxury motor vehicle duty that progressively increases taxation on cars according to their retail market price.
•   A ‘vacancy tax’ for properties left empty for more than six months in areas with high levels of housing stress.
•   A supplementary banking levy that taxes banks on the assets they hold in New South Wales, raising at least $600 million each year.

“There is no excuse for the Treasurer’s cowardly retreat on removing subsidies for pokies operators and failing to redirect billions towards the services people in this state rely on.

“The Greens are calling on the Minns Labor government to have the courage to raise revenue from those who ought to be paying a fair share–the fossil fuel industry, gambling companies, big banks and the very wealthy–in order to provide a better life for the people of New South Wales.”

The Minns Labor government has today handed down a Budget that once again utterly fails victim-survivors of domestic and family violence-with no new investment in existing frontline domestic and family violence services, and mere crumbs for initiatives and programs that have gone underfunded for years.

The Greens have consistently backed calls from countless experts, victim-survivors and dedicated specialist frontline workers who have categorically called for a significant and permanent increase in baseline funding for existing frontline services.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW Spokesperson for Gendered Violence and Abuse:

“Over a year on from the Minns Labor government’s so-called ’emergency funding package’ and its promise to listen to calls from experts and the community, today’s Budget has nothing for existing frontline domestic and family violence services.
“These services provide genuinely critical, irreplaceable and life-saving support to women and children fleeing violence-victim-survivors who are already waiting an average of two months to access support.

“The Minns Labor government has not only failed to meet repeated calls from domestic and family violence experts for a 50% increase in baseline funding for frontline services, but it has embarked on yet another attempt at spin-dressing up a cash splash for courts and the corrections system as somehow being funding for domestic and family violence victim-survivors.

“To claim this as an investment in ending domestic and family violence is not only blatantly dishonest-it’s an arrogant betrayal of the over-stretched frontline workers who are working incredibly hard every day to deliver the services and programs that we know provide victim-survivors with sorely needed protection and refuge.

“Peel back the spin and what are we left with? A few piecemeal operational reforms and crumbs for strategies and plans we’ve been waiting on for years, which is nothing compared to the level of investment needed to tackle the gendered violence crisis.

“According to Domestic Violence NSW, it would only take $163 million to sufficiently resource frontline services to meet demand in 2025-26. Imagine what we could do to turn around the domestic and family violence crisis if Labor would finally fund the evidence-based services and programs the sector has been consistently crying out for.

“This Budget is all spin and no action, painting a clear picture of just how little the NSW Labor government cares about ending violence against women and children in our state.”