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Background

As reported by the Guardian today, leaked documents reveal that a consultancy firm Good Advice, run by a former NLC employee, played a central role in facilitating private meetings between Empire Energy and Traditional Owners in the Beetaloo region. 

Had the proper process for such meetings have been followed, the Northern Land Council would have facilitated this meeting to ensure no undue influence. Instead these two meetings were held in mid-2024 in Mataranka, designed to obtain signatures from Traditional Owners in support of a sacred site authority certificate needed for fracking approvals in the Beetaloo Basin. 

The Guardian reported that in these meetings there were unrealistic promises of large royalties and other benefits, with some Traditional Owners even thinking they were simply signing an attendance sheet. At least two current members of the NLC’s full council are also employed by Good Advice and were reported to have been wearing their NLC uniforms when canvassing communities to support fracking. 

First Nations communities have been speaking up against fracking for a decade now, including Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, a vocal group of Traditional Owners from the affected area. Yet the CLP Government continues to charge ahead. 

Empire Energy are attempting to hide from this scandal and the many that have come before it including that they have changed their business name to Beetaloo Energy. The CLP Government continues to subsidise the gas industry despite their exploitation of communities and Country.

This deceptive and immoral conduct from Good Advice and Empire Energy undermines the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and damages trust in our Land Councils. 

The NT Greens call on the Albanese government to urgently intervene to stop this project going ahead, and to investigate Good Advice consultancy and Beetaloo Energy.  

Kat McNamara MLA, Member for Nightcliff

“The gas industry views gaining consent from Traditional Owners as a mere box-ticking exercise that they are willing to achieve by any means necessary.”

“This exploitative industry cannot be trusted. Fracking cannot continue under these current conditions.”

“Across the NT we continue to see the revolving door from Government or Statutory bodies to the private sector. To prevent community members from being taken advantage of, we must introduce stronger regulations.”

“Empire Energy thinks they can wash their hands of this deceit simply by changing their name, but we will hold them to account.”

Today’s 2025-26 ACT Budget has missed the mark, with the ACT Government seeking to solve its Budget shortfalls by increasing costs put on every day Canberrans rather than generating revenue from those who can – and should – pay more.  

ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury said that the Budget handed down today reveals a range of surprising measures that will unfairly impact every day Canberrans and hurt the most vulnerable in our community. 

“A good budget invests in our people, community and the things we need to live well in Canberra. Critically it should raise revenue from those who can afford it, like big corporations, in the first instance before passing on the bill to everyday people,” Mr Rattenbury said. 

“The ACT Greens only weeks ago proposed to ACT Labor that they can generate hundreds of millions by taxing corporations who make billions in profits off everyday people. Today’s Budget ignores that completely and instead jumps straight to taxing everyday Canberrans. 

“Instead the Budget introduces a $250 health levy on all households and businesses in order to pay for the increasing costs of the health system; charges Canberrans trying to electrify their home in a climate crisis; and will increase the number of small, local businesses who are paying more payroll tax. 

“Increasing numbers of Canberrans are being priced out of the housing market, many are in rental stress without the safety net of the Rent Relief Fund, and our public housing wait list is sitting over 3,000 people.  

“It is baffling that the Government has only committed to building 140 new social and community homes in this Budget. 

“At the same time, we’re only getting $10 million for the community sector – or roughly $33,000 per organisation. In a cost-of-living crisis, this Budget will push more people to the brink, increasing pressure on our community sector. This simply does not go far enough.” 

Deputy Leader for the ACT Greens Jo Clay said ACT Labor is slowing down progress on climate action and measures to actively restore our environment. 

“This Labor Budget will also introduce a 3% interest rate on loans through the Sustainable Household Scheme, which entirely defeats the purpose of the scheme. It will block some Canberrans out of the option to switch off from gas,” Ms Clay said. 

“They’ve also introduced a levy on all electric vehicle sales. When we know transport makes up over 65% of our emissions, this is another significant backwards step on climate action.  

“Climate and environment funding only makes up 2% of the overall Budget. If ACT Labor want to show they value biodiversity, want to stop species going extinct and restore ecosystems to keep Canberra a great place to live for both people and animals then they need to properly fund it. 

“These are all measures that will significantly impact every day Canberrans and, in a cost-of-living crisis, when people are already under financial stress, this is hardly fair.  

“We urge the ACT Labor Government to amend the Budget to tax big corporations, before imposing new taxes on everyday people, to generate more than $100m per year.” 

The Coalition supports actions taken by the United States of America to ensure that the Iranian regime is stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons.

It was made clear by the International Atomic and Energy Agency on 12 June that Iran was in breach of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations after stockpiling more than 400 kilograms of 60 per cent enriched uranium at Fordow—the last step in enrichment towards a nuclear weapon.

The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to.

A nuclear armed Iranian regime would be a serious and direct threat to world peace and stability, especially as it continues to engage in terrorism including by supporting its proxies: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

While Australians will never seek conflict in the world we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy. It expressly seeks the destruction of our allies, enacts extrajudicial killings of political dissidents and brutally represses the rights of women and girls. It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them.

The Coalition stands with the United States of America today. We can never allow the Iranian regime the capacity to enact its objectives of the destruction of the United States and Israel.

The third Minns Labor Budget is focussed on delivering on commitments for the Central Coast, building better essential services and the infrastructure we need while investing to grow the economy.

This budget builds on the strong foundations we have already laid to ensure that we continue to build a better NSW for all.

We’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s much more to do. Budget commitments across major areas that will benefit the people of the Central Coast include:

Health

• Working to ease pressures on our emergency departments with the continuation of the $200 million stage 3 redevelopment of the Wyong Hospital, including:
  • a new Carer Support Unit
  • Nunyara Aboriginal Health Unit
  • Women’s Centre Clinics and workspaces for medical staff
• $6.4 million for the Wyong Hospital’s Cancer Day Unit expansion to ensure cancer patients can get treatment close to home
• $1.7 million to expand NSW Pathology services at Wyong Hospital
• Works have commenced on the new Wyong Palliative Care Unit to support Central Coast residents in their final stages of life that will feature 12 patient bedrooms with ensuites,  communal areas, meeting spaces and flexible outdoor spaces  as part of the existing $93 million World Class End of Life Care program.
• Ensuring locals get care quicker through the development of the New Lisarow Ambulance Station as part of the continuing $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program
• Pregnant women on the Central Coast to benefit from the $83 million in new funding to boost maternity across NSW, including:
  • Funding for an additional 53 midwives across regional local health districts, on the back of the successful recruitment of obstetricians and gynaecologists at Gosford Hospital and last week’s reinstatement of the hospital’s accreditation for obstetrics and gynaecology
• Delivering $864,138 additional funding for First Nations-led suicide prevention initiatives.

Education

• Improving secondary education on the Central Coast with upgrades to high schools in Lisarow and Narara Valley, delivered through the High Potential and Gifted Education School Partner Program.
• Continuing to deliver public preschools at the Tuggerawong and Umina Beach public schools as part of the NSW Government’s commitment of 100 public preschools state-wide.
• $10.2 million towards upgrading facilities and aligning course delivery across the three Central Coast TAFE campuses to align with the needs of the community as part of the TAFE NSW investment to fund critical investments to upgrade facilities, boost permanent teaching staff, and modernise campuses—laying the groundwork for a more skilled and future-ready workforce.

Transport and Roads

Over the next four years, the Budget contains funding through various NSW and Australian Government-funded projects, including:

• Continuing the NSW Government’s $84 million commitment to begin work on the $420 million Wyong Town Centre upgrade
• $75 million for the Terrigal Drive upgrade
• $50.7 million to continue the upgrade of Avoca Drive in Kincumber
• $47.8 million to continue the Tumbi Road and Central Coast Highway intersection upgrade.
• $29 million to continue planning and design for the Gosford Bypass
• $15 million for the Empire Bay Drive Intersection Strategy
• Central Coast residents will also benefit from a $150 million state-wide investment to expand bus routes in regional areas and the outer suburbs of Sydney.

Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

• The Central Coast will benefit from the record $3.4 billion investment in TAFE and skills funding, as part of the Government’s plan to tackle the housing crisis that includes:
  • $40.2 million towards an additional 23,000 fee-free construction apprenticeships over the next two years
  • $13.8 million Construction Workforce Package to upskill 4,800 workers into residential construction jobs over the next two years tobuild the skilled workforce needed to speed up delivery of much-needed more homes across the state
• $6 million over two years to explore design and delivery of short-term public domain improvements for the Gosford Waterfront while continuing to investigate long-term planning for this prime area
• The NSW Government is making it easier to deliver more homes on the Central Coast by extending tax concessions for new build-to-rent housing developments; and releasing draft guidelines to speed up the delivery of homes and infrastructure through works-in-kind agreements with developers
• $10,000 grant for eligible Central Coast first home buyers of a newly built house, townhouse and apartment below $600,000 or land and new house package below $750,000.

Cost of Living

Central Coast residents will benefit from a number of budget measures to help households with cost-of-living pressures, including:

• Energy bill relief that extends the $150 payment to the end of 2025 for all Central Coast households and eligible small businesses
• Assistance for eligible Central Coast residents to pay their energy accounts and energy rebates for eligible concession card holders, Family Tax Benefit recipients, seniors and others who rely on mechanical and life support equipment
• Water rebates for eligible Central Coast pension and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs card holders and community organisations
• Around 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing small-scale battery systems through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program for eligible Central Coast households and small businesses
• Doubling the incentive with up to $1,500 discount to set up a virtual power plant
• Increased solar battery discount from 1 July 2025
• Expanded free access to NSW National Parks for all our Central Coast Commonwealth Veteran Card holders as part of $5.3 million funding to give NSW veterans a free pass where a vehicle entry fee applies
• In addition, the Government has reached multi-year pay agreements with employees including school and TAFE teachers, police, correctional officers, school support staff and paramedics (including those in the Central Coast). This is on top of the biggest pay increase to public sector workers in over a decade in 2023-24.

Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris said:

“The Minns Labor Government is continuing to build a better NSW by this year focussing on delivery of our election commitments to the Central Coast community and investing in our people.

“We’ve been working meticulously to deliver better essential services that people rely on, to build the homes and infrastructure we need and investing to grow the economy to continue setting up our fast-growing region for long-term prosperity.”

Minister for the Hunter and Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said:

“This budget delivers for our residents in the Central Coast – investing in the essential services we rely on, building the infrastructure we need, and supporting families doing it tough.

“Whether it’s better healthcare, more preschool places for our young families, or critical upgrades to our local roads – this is a budget that puts the Central Coast first.

“We’ve made significant progress since coming to government – but we know there’s more to do, and this budget keeps us moving in the right direction.”

Member for The Entrance David Mehan said: 

“Labor’s third budget continues our work to rebuild our essential public services and deliver on the promises made in 2023.”

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said:

“The Minns Labor Government’s third budget is all about building on the groundwork already laid for a brighter future for our Central Coast, investing in essential services while navigating responsible financial management.

“After over a decade of budget mismanagement by the former Liberal-National government, this budget continues to make meaningful investment in the foundations of our community, upgrading major roads, strengthening emergency services, and improving education for all.

“By investing in the services that our community depends on, the Minns Labor Government is reinforcing the strong foundations we have already laid, working towards a fairer, stronger, and more prosperous NSW for everyone.”

Update on our party member survey: the issues important for One Nation to raise in parliament. A few weeks ago we asked our members to tell us what they want raised in Parliament.

We’re proud to report that hundreds of you took the time to share your thoughts, concerns, and priorities. It’s clear that One Nation members are passionate, well-informed, and deeply invested in Australia’s future. Our four Senators are now working through each submission, and thanks to your input, we’re prioritising real issues that matter to everyday Australians. 

Here are just a few of the strong voices we heard:

• Beatrice from Victoria wants Australia to abandon the ‘Net Zero’ agenda and restore energy independence. And so we will, it is a position that aligns directly with One Nation’s commitment to affordable, reliable Australian energy.
• Raymond from South Australia asked why multinational giants like Chevron receive our natural gas for free while Australians face soaring prices. This will be raised in parliament, because One Nation has long called for greater resource sovereignty and fairness in our domestic energy market.
• Firzana from Western Australia questioned the financial and social costs of mass immigration. That’s a conversation One Nation has never been afraid to have, we believe immigration must serve the national interest and preserve social cohesion.
• Bob from Queensland expressed support for a return to Australia’s traditional values and cultural identity, and these are themes central to our fight against politically correct overreach and revisionist history.
• Wendy from Queensland asked why original land title deeds are no longer issued, calling for transparency and reform in property law. This will be raised because One Nation supports the rights of Australians to own and defend their property free from bureaucratic interference.
• Keith from Queensland shared the challenges small business owners are facing due to rising taxes, red tape, and government waste. We’re pushing hard in Parliament for lower taxes and a fair go for small business, and these concerns will form the backbone of our parliamentary debates, questions and search for answers.
• Pauline from Victoria raised alarm about the growing mental health crisis and its link to family breakdowns and institutional failures. We agree, mental health needs more than lip service, and support needs to reach the people on the ground – especially in rural and regional areas.
• Adele from Victoria called for a forensic audit into government spending, questioning where taxpayer dollars are going. This lines up with One Nation’s demand for fiscal transparency and our opposition to wasteful bureaucracy. This term we will use this insight to turn a sharp focus on government spending and overreach.
• Russell from South Australia demanded tougher penalties for youth crime and stronger consequences for repeat offenders. This is so crucial to our members, and One Nation will continue to push for law and order reforms that protect innocent Australians and put victims first.

Each of these examples reflects the kind of practical, grassroots wisdom we’ve come to expect from our members. These are real concerns from real Australians.

Thanks to our Direct Democracy model, we’re not just listening, we’re acting. The feedback we receive through this survey is helping shape the motions we put forward, the speeches we deliver, and ultimately, the policies we push to enact. Once we’ve raised your issues in Parliament, we’ll send responses back to local branches so they can build informed policy from the ground up.

This is what democracy should look like, led by the people, shaped by their voice, and delivered by their representatives.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a response. We will have more surveys and ways to involve yourself in policy development over the coming term of parliament. Together, we’re giving Australia back to Australians.