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Investing in Asian-Australian representation

Today I am pleased to announce a pilot program that will harness the knowledge and experience of Asian Australians to deepen our understanding of our region and make Australia stronger and more influential in the world.

Australia’s diversity is one of our strengths – it gives us broader perspectives, deeper connections and a better ability to engage with our region on issues that matter to all Australians.

The Asian Australian Voices pilot program will equip professionals with the training and skills to contribute to public life.

The program will help to ensure Australians with deep expertise and personal experience of our region are part of the national conversation on the economic, security and diplomatic challenges and opportunities shaping our future.

It will also ensure we are using our strengths to Australia’s advantage, building Australia’s Asia literacy and creating a pipeline of senior Asian-Australian representation in civic life.

In partnership with Asia Society Australia, this initiative is a collaboration between DFAT’s National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, Centre for Australia-India Relations, and ASEAN-Australia Centre.

It reflects the Albanese Government’s commitment to ensuring all Australians can contribute to our engagement with the world.

Details about the pilot program can be found here: Asian Australian Voices.

Greens welcome national conversation on disadvantage in schools

The Greens have welcomed comments by former secretary of the federal Department of Education, Dr Michele Bruniges, examining disadvantage in Australian schools.

Greens spokesperson on Primary and Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Dr Bruniges’ work on disadvantage in schools confirms that public schools are doing more and more of the heavy lifting in terms of educating disadvantaged students.

“Our current system of schooling is hollowing out many of our public schools, particularly in growth areas, and forcing parents to make tough decisions for their kids.

“It’s not a real choice for parents when both the local private and public school receive taxpayer money, but only one is expected to cater to disadvantaged kids.

“I strongly welcome a national conversation about disadvantage in schools and I thank Dr Bruniges for her work with all sectors on this research.

“We need to start asking all schools that receive public money to cater to the needs of the public. That could mean a serious conversation around common standards or catchment areas for any school that receives taxpayer funding.

“In my view, every proportional increase in private school enrollments is a public policy failure, especially when they are publicly funded schools too.

“I was a public school teacher for over 25 years, and I know that the vast majority of parents and carers would prefer to be able to send their kids to a properly resourced local public school.

“Australia’s future relies on public education. Only the Greens fully support public schools – we’ll fund them, build them, and make them free for all kids.”

LABOR MUST FAST-TRACK RENEWABLES TO BRING DOWN ENERGY PRICES AND HIT EMISSIONS TARGETS

The Victorian Greens say that no one would have to pay more on their bills and we wouldn’t have to risk blowing our emissions targets in a climate crisis if Labor pulls it together and gets renewables online faster.

In recent years we’ve seen significant delays on getting renewable energy online and now a new report from Infrastructure Victoria has warned that these delays will prevent Victoria from hitting its emissions targets and could make energy bills more expensive until 2035 when more renewables come online.

More than a third of what Australians hand over to energy giants like AGL and Origin for electricity is pure profit for the companies and the Greens say that people shouldn’t have to pay more money to greedy energy companies for climate-destroying fossil fuels because Labor are dragging their feet on getting cheaper renewables online.

The Victorian Greens say we can’t risk more emissions that will supercharge climate change which we know creates even more expenses for people, with insurance premiums as one of the first costs to skyrocket.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for coal transition, Dr Tim Read:

“Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy and if we got them online faster everyone would actually be paying far less on their bills sooner.

“Labor must prioritise getting Victoria off dirty coal and expensive gas and properly support and invest in fast-tracking our clean energy transition.

“We know that climate change is going to cost people. Insurance premiums are already going through the roof. We can’t risk blowing our emissions targets that we know will supercharge climate change and create even more everyday expenses for people.”

GREENS OUTLINE FURTHER REFORMS NEEDED TO PREVENT BARRIERS FROM ACCESSING VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING

The Victorian Greens have second read their Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill today to urge the Labor Government to consider further reforms that could be made to improve access to VAD in Victoria.

It follows the Labor Government’s recent announcement that they will amend Victoria’s legislation, including removing the gag clause that prevents doctors from discussing VAD with their patients.

The Victorian Greens have strongly welcomed the announcement but say that these changes will only just bring Victoria into line with other states and still behind some jurisdictions and there is more that can be done to make our laws more compassionate, by removing barriers and improve access.

As the first legislation of its kind in Australia, Victoria’s VAD laws took a very cautious approach and what were initially intended to be safeguards are now barriers preventing people who should be able to access VAD from being able to access it.

The Victorian Greens first introduced their VAD Bill to Parliament last year and have extensively consulted with stakeholders, now following the government’s announcement they’re calling for a full scope of reforms to be considered to improve access.

One key difference in the Greens’ Bill is expansion of the type of practitioners allowed to provide VAD assessments and support by enabling more GPs and nurse practitioners to provide these services. The Greens say that strict requirements to see certain types of specialists is creating barriers, especially for regional Victorians.

The Victorian Greens health spokesperson who is from regional Victoria and a GP herself, Dr Sarah Mansfield, said that the opportunity to update these laws doesn’t come around often and that we want the best possible laws to be passed swiftly.

Victorian Greens health spokesperson, Dr Sarah Mansfield:

“We’ve been really heartened to see the Labor Government’s commitment to update these laws, but the changes they are proposing only go so far, and we could be doing more to make our laws more compassionate and remove barriers to accessing voluntary assisted dying in Victoria.

“The opportunity to amend these laws doesn’t come up often, and we don’t want to just see this as yet another thing on Labor’s to do list. We are ready to work with the government now to make much needed changes to our VAD laws so that people who want to access choice and dignity at the end of their lives can do so.”

Freedom from fear: the Greens will protect women and children from family, domestic and sexual abuse

Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) in Western Australia is at crisis levels and getting worse. Every day, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape violence, yet frontline services remain critically underfunded and unable to meet demand.

An estimated 30% of women in WA have experienced physical, sexual, or economic abuse by a partner. In 2022-23, WA Police attended nearly 60,000 call-outs related to family and domestic violence—an increase of approximately 6,000 from the previous year.

The Greens WA are committed to a full reform of the family, domestic, and sexual violence response systems in WA and to fully funding the services required to keep women and children safe.

WA Labor has recently committed to large-scale reform of the FDV response system, which is a welcome step, but greater resourcing and more tangible commitments are needed to ensure this reform is a top priority in the next term of government.

The Greens will work with Labor to ensure that the reform is implemented, along with monitoring and compliance, and make sure that life-saving services get the full funding and support they require.

While FDV is beginning to receive the urgent attention it desperately needs, sexual violence remains overlooked, with both major parties missing in action.

Every month, 600 sexual offences are recorded by police, yet research shows that 91% of victims never report. In spite of this epidemic, WA employs only 12 full-time sexual assault service workers statewide, and access to forensic and medical examinations is location-dependent.

Many areas of WA have no access to sexual assault services at all. Women and children across this state are being left without the support they need to report sexual violence or receive care.

The Greens WA will make freedom from fear for women and children a priority in the next government.

The Greens WA will:

Fully reform the Family and Domestic Violence system as a priority, ensure ongoing monitoring and compliance measures.
Take a collaborative approach where health, education, justice and police work constructively together to make perpetrators visible, share information and take action to protect victim survivors.
Fully fund the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing.
Fully fund the development of a specialist workforce, as well as crisis services, transitional and long-term housing for victim survivors, and evidence-based perpetrator interventions. This includes through Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations (ACCOs) services that are culturally safe and led by First Nations women.
Reform sexual assault response and services across WA, including law reform, multi-agency collaboration and full funding of services to prevent and respond to sexual assaults across the state including in remote areas.
Invest $432m over 4 years in family and domestic violence and sexual violence specialist workforces, crisis and frontline services and preventative programs.

WA Greens Legislative Council candidate, Jess Beckerling:

“The sheer scale of family, domestic, and sexual violence in WA is horrifying, yet governments continue to underfund the very services that are meant to keep women and children safe.”

“We need urgent and comprehensive reform of WA’s response to these crises, including stronger action to hold perpetrators accountable and full funding for frontline services, crisis accommodation, and long-term housing for victim survivors. The Greens will fight to ensure women and children across WA don’t have to live in fear.”

WA Greens candidate for Churchlands, Caroline McLean:

“It is completely unacceptable that WA has just 12 full-time sexual assault service workers for the entire state, leaving thousands of victim-survivors without access to critical support.”

“We cannot continue to ignore the epidemic of sexual violence in WA. The Greens will push for major reforms, including full funding for specialist services, increased workforce capacity, and justice system reforms that ensure victim-survivors are supported, not silenced.”

Councils should apply flexibility to keep shelves stocked as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches

The Minns Government is asking councils to take into consideration the need for additional supply chain support when responding to any complaints about operations at warehouses and distribution centres, wholesale and retail centres.

As the community prepares for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the NSW Government is asking councils to be considerate of the exceptional circumstances and support supermarkets and other essential retailers to help keep their shelves stocked.

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and its regulation authorises councils to take compliance action in response to breaches of conditions of a development consent relating to operating hours, noise limits and vehicle movement caps.

We are reminding councils they also have discretion in choosing whether to exercise their enforcement powers. This includes considering the temporary nature of any breach, the low level of harm caused and the broader public interest in restoring supply chains.

South West Metro conversion period to be extended into 2026

The complex extension of Sydney Metro services from Sydenham to Bankstown will be completed in 2026 due to the ongoing impacts that industrial action has had on the project.

This conversion of a century old train line to a brand-new state of the art metro is a very complex and difficult project that the NSW Government warned last year could take over 1 year to complete.

The complexity of this project has been compounded by more than 130 days of work on the project that have been impacted by industrial action and its subsequent effects, placing increasing pressure on the construction and testing programs.

Industrial action limited access to work sites and restricted the provision of crucial work permits, which are required for contractors to safely complete work in a live electrical network environment.

This is particularly crucial at the interfaces between the future metro network and the existing Sydney Trains assets.

This has required significant reprogramming of vital construction activities including overhead wiring upgrades, electrification changes, disconnection from adjoining rail networks, track improvements, and platform extensions at Bankstown Station.

This resulted in a delay to the commencement of dynamic train testing, a crucial component of safely testing and commissioning the new railway.

Despite the significant disruptions, the project team and delivery partners have worked tirelessly to progress the Southwest Conversion.

Dynamic testing of Metro Trains on the Southwest conversion is imminent, following approval by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

Passengers on the M1 Line will have experienced some disruption to their commutes with partial closures of the service to allow for work to progress when possible. These disruptions will continue as the testing program commences. We acknowledge passengers will be frustrated and apologise for any inconvenience caused. These possessions will allow the team to complete necessary work to extend metro services to Bankstown.

All platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers along the line from Marrickville to Bankstown have been installed, taking teams approximately 500 hours to fit out each station.

Since the conversion began a large portion of works have been completed including new lifts installed at Wiley Park, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Punchbowl and Canterbury Stations, as well as new kiss and ride zones and refurbishing of station buildings and platform surfaces.

A total of 28.3 kilometres of high-tech railway fencing has been installed along the alignment, which is made up of 5.8km of segregation fencing to separate the existing freight line and the metro corridor and 22.5km of security fencing.

The security fencing includes first-of-its-kind intrusion and object detection system which uses fibre optic cables to monitor for possible intrusions.

Southwest Link buses will continue to operate and will continue to be free for passengers until the new Southwest Metro opens.

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“The Government has always said that this complex and difficult project may take longer than 1 year. We need to let people know that over 130 days of work have been impacted by industrial action. That means we’ll complete this project in 2026.

“Works like upgrades to overhead wiring and station platforms, as well as electrical work to disconnect the line from the wider train network haven’t been able to proceed on schedule. Testing will start soon but industrial action has been very disruptive.

“Converting a 130-year-old rail line to metro standards is a highly complex project and we are very sorry that passengers will have to wait a bit longer to jump on the metro from Bankstown to the Sydney CBD.

“We promise it will be worth the wait – passengers can look forward to fast, safe and reliable trips, with a train arriving every 4 minutes in the peak.

“When the extension to Bankstown opens in 2026, a trip from Bankstown to Central will take just 28 minutes, Marrickville to Macquarie University will take just 36 minutes and Dulwich Hill to Victoria Cross will take 21 minutes.”

Precautionary school closures in Northern NSW as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches

Schools across the North Coast of NSW will be non-operational for the next two days to safeguard students and staff as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches.

Due to potential impacts of the cyclone, including a heightened risk of flooding, more than 230 public schools, 29 Catholic schools, five independent schools and 16 TAFE campuses, along with two additional TAFE campuses being used as evacuation centres, are closed. The closures are expected to impact schools from Wednesday 5 March, through to Friday 7 March 2025.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coastline north of Brisbane as a Category 2 cyclone late on Thursday or early Friday.

Substantial flooding is expected with up to a metre of rain forecast to fall in southern Queensland and north-eastern NSW over several days.

Because of these risks, families have been asked to not send children to school for the next two days.

At this stage schools are expected to resume operations on Monday 10 March 2025.

The department has a stock of essential products ready to be dispatched to support our school communities, including gloves, paper towels, pump soap, tissues, toilet paper, bottled water and personal insect repellents. Additional blow-drying units and air purifiers are also available.

The Department of Education also requires all early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to operate safely, including during extreme weather events, and is contacting services in affected regions.

The Department urges services to assess the risk of severe weather in their community and if necessary, activate their emergency plans and procedures. We encourage services to follow the advice of local authorities and the SES.

The SES has asked families to prepare their homes for strong winds, by putting away loose items around their home, trimming trees away from properties and not parking vehicles under trees or powerlines.

Never drive, walk, ride through, play or swim in flood water, and any avoid unnecessary travel. Download the Hazards Near Me App to stay across the latest warnings and information.

Call the NSW SES on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance in floods and storms. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au

Visit the Department of Education website for up-to-date list on information on schools that are non-operational. A list of TAFE NSW campuses that are non-operation is available on the TAFE NSW website.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“As our communities prioritise their safety and prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Alfred, we are ensuring teachers, students and school staff are not unnecessary placed in harm’s way by attending school.

“Keeping our students and families safe must always be our top priority.

“While we usually do not advocate for the closure of schools and places of learning, in these circumstances, an abundance of caution can be what keeps our community safe.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“It is important that at this critical time we plan ahead, and we are asking the community to keep their children home from school.

“Please follow the advice of emergency services and continue to check the NSW State Emergency Service website for the latest information and, if you haven’t already, download the Hazards Near Me App which includes the latest warnings and information.

“The NSW Government is doing all we can to prepare ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred crossing the coast later this week and we are asking the community to take steps now to ensure that they are prepared.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“Our number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff, students and their families.

“We are incredibly grateful to our team of dedicated TAFE NSW staff who have a wonderful track record of supporting their communities by ensuring campuses can be turned into evacuation centres during natural disaster events.”

Deputy Secretary of Public Schools Deborah Summerhayes said:

“The department is taking a safety-first approach. We know a lot of our North Coast communities have been through difficult periods in recent years – with the 2022 floods still fresh in their memories.

“That’s why we are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

“We want to do everything we can to ensure our school communities are well supported and our staff and students are safe.”

Acting Children’s Guardian appointed

This morning, the Governor of NSW appointed Ms Rachael Ward as the Acting Children’s Guardian while a Special Ministerial Inquiry is conducted into the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Mr Steve Kinmond, who commenced as Children’s Guardian in January 2023, has agreed to step aside from that role for the duration of the Inquiry.

Ms Ward has more than 23 years’ experience specialising in child protection law and is a member of the Children’s Court Advisory Committee. She has, most recently, served as Director of Child Law within the Department of Communities and Justice. I am confident Ms Ward’s knowledge and experience will be an asset to the Office of the Children’s Guardian during this time.

Australia’s newest city starting to take shape

The Western Sydney Aerotropolis is set to take-off, with the official opening of the first building at Bradfield City Centre and the release of the Minns Labor Government’s infrastructure delivery plan which will drive further investment into the region.

The Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) – is the first step in delivering the new city of Bradfield at the heart of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the start of an innovation ecosystem that will boost the NSW manufacturing industry.

A landmark partnership agreement between the AMRF and 11 NSW and ACT universities will see this ecosystem rapidly evolve with the world class research capabilities of the universities combined with the AMRF’s industrial expertise and infrastructure.

Under the agreement, the parties will work together to translate research into production and develop the next generation of advanced manufacturing experts through a paid internship program.

Critical to facilitating further growth in the precinct, the NSW Government has released the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, which sets out how essential government infrastructure will be delivered quickly and efficiently to service the development of thousands of hectares of employment land.

The Sector Plan, developed by Infrastructure NSW, provides certainty to industry, the community, and all levels of government around how infrastructure will be sequenced and prioritised in the Aerotropolis.

This will enhance the State’s competitiveness and boost the supply of serviced land to combat the critical shortage across NSW. It will also assist planning assessment authorities to align development with infrastructure capacity in the region.

This is the first time the Aerotropolis has had a concrete road map that brings together planning and infrastructure coordination.

With the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport due to open by the end of 2026, investment in Bradfield City Centre and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis capitalises on the opportunity to deliver more than 120,000 high-quality jobs and new industries that will see the Western Sydney economy boom.

This work builds on the Minns Labor Government’s historic investment in Western Sydney to deliver more homes, jobs and investment to the region.

To find out more about Bradfield City Centre, First Building and AMRF collaboration with NSW VCC visit: Bradfield Development Authority | NSW Government

To find out more and read the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, visit: Aerotropolis Sector Plan | NSW Government

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“The Aerotropolis is almost 40 times the size of Sydney CBD and provides an unprecedented economic opportunity for Western Sydney.

“We’re backing the region with over $25 billion of infrastructure investment that is going to ensure the critical roads and services are delivered as quickly as possible to give industry certainty and confidence to invest in the area.

“We asked Infrastructure NSW to develop the Aerotropolis Sector Plan to identify how and when we will do this. Today’s announcement demonstrates the value in utilising whole-of-government coordination to deliver on our commitments.

“With Bradfield and the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF), we’re showcasing the NSW Government’s commitment to rebuilding the state’s critical manufacturing capability and delivering economic growth in the region.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“Western Sydney is a rich and diverse region set to boom with the opening of the new Airport. We’re building better communities by investing in the region.

“With Bradfield and the Aerotropolis, we’re giving kids in Western Sydney the opportunity to dream about a future with high quality jobs close to home.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The First Building opening is another example of the genuine momentum building around Australia’s first new city in over 100 years.

“This is just the beginning of Bradfield’s future growth as it evolves into a world class city with 10,000 homes, 20,000 high quality jobs, and critical green open spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.”