Category: Australian News

Australia was one of the most successful nations in its pandemic response, but an investigation by the independent COVID-19 Response Inquiry finds the country was not adequately prepared for a pandemic.

The Inquiry is a reminder of the incredible service and sacrifice of so many people, not just frontline workers, but every single person in Australia.

It was a time of great uncertainty and adversity. Thousands of Australians lost their lives. Borders were closed. Australians were asked to stay in their homes.

The Albanese Government believes we need to be transparent about how the response to COVID-19 was managed and learn the lessons to inform the management of future public health emergencies.

The independent Inquiry says Australia went into the pandemic with stretched health and aged care systems, no clear national management plan, and deficiencies in the National Medical Stockpile.

The Inquiry finds the economic response to the pandemic was critical in achieving the desired public health outcomes.

But mistakes were made, and those mistakes were costly, and inflationary.

Modelling cited in the report says peak inflation could have been reduced by at least 2 per cent if the economic policy settings during the pandemic had better matched the public health restrictions.

Global supply shocks contributed to substantial inflationary pressures in the Australian economy, but the impact was clearly compounded by some poor policy choices during the pandemic and its immediate aftermath.

The Inquiry found that trust in governments and in science has waned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses of Australian Governments.

The report says that rebuilding community trust and maintaining it needs to be an immediate and ongoing priority, because a key partner in any pandemic response is the Australian public.

The Inquiry was established in September 2023 to consider Commonwealth responses to the pandemic, including vaccines and financial support. The Inquiry also considered the role of National Cabinet.

It was led by an independent panel with significant experience in public health and economic policy – Ms Robyn Kruk AO (Chair), Professor Catherine Bennett and Dr Angela Jackson.

The Inquiry has 9 guiding recommendations and 26 actions for both short term and longer-term work to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics.

The Inquiry received 2201 submissions from organisations and individuals, conducted interviews and roundtables, and commissioned research to understand the experiences of those most heavily affected.

Stakeholder interviews included the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Health Minister Greg Hunt, and Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, as well as a majority of the former State Premiers and Chief Ministers.

The Government will release a response after careful consideration of the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations.

In the interim, the Albanese Government will deliver a new Australian Centre for Disease Control, which is one of the central recommendations of the independent Inquiry.

The report is available at: COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“The pandemic was an extremely difficult period for many Australians, with its impact still being felt. Given the magnitude of this crisis, I determined that it was in the national interest to review what worked and what we can do to be better prepared in the future.

“I thank the panel members for their dedicated work. I also thank the many individuals and organisations who shared their experiences of the pandemic.

“The Australian Government is committed to doing all that we can to ensure Australia is fully equipped and prepared to face future pandemics. We will release a response after careful consideration of the Inquiry report.”

Minister for Health Mark Butler

“This inquiry will be the blueprint to ensure Australia is better prepared for the next pandemic – and there will be a next pandemic.

“As the Inquiry makes clear, Australia lacked sufficient planning and preparation for a pandemic. There are a lot of lessons.

“The establishment of the Australian CDC will help ensure we are prepared next time.

“Within the next 24 hours, I’ll be discussing the Inquiry with my health minister colleagues. Those discussions will continue over coming months.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers

“The pandemic showed us the best of Australians’ resilience, but it had a profound and lasting impact on our nation’s economy that we are still repairing today.

“The Inquiry has told us that big decisions were taken, and big mistakes were made. These mistakes were costly and added fuel to the inflationary fire.

“The report, and the progress we’ve made since, are proof of why our responsible economic management is so important. It’s why we’re so focused on fighting inflation, delivering responsible cost of living relief, and repairing the budget mess we inherited.”

The Albanese Labor Government is backing home-grown innovation, regional jobs and a Future Made in Australia – with the country’s first commercial Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) heat plant to be built in Victoria.

The development of the plant at the Mars Petcare facility in Wodonga will be backed by more than $17 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

This project will secure jobs in the region, reduce emissions through clean, renewable energy and show what’s possible for the future of manufacturing in Australia.

Concentrated solar power technology is a well-known technology for electricity generation, but its application in providing renewable heat for industry is new.

Manufacturing often relies on using large volumes of heat in different processes.

Fossil fuels have traditionally been the only way to generate sufficient heat – however technology breakthroughs mean renewable, clean energy can now be used.

CST uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight to produce thermal energy (PDF 1 MB), that’s then stored as pressurised steam and used in the manufacturing process.

This project will:

• Include an 18 MW thermal CST plant, with up to 10 hours of thermal storage
• Reduce 50% of the facility’s gas use – equivalent to the average annual gas use of over 2,000 households
• Create around 80 jobs during construction

Construction will kick off this month, with completion and full operations expected by 2026.

The Albanese Labor Government is supporting real reliable renewables projects right now.

Peter Dutton’s only plan for Australia’s energy system is to introduce the most expensive form of energy – nuclear – in two decades time.

It’s up to the Coalition to detail the costs of their risky nuclear plan and explain why they’re against a Future Made in Australia.

The Mars Petcare Wodonga project will demonstrate CST as a viable option for businesses seeking reliable, renewable heat solutions to decarbonise industrial processes.

The new CST project will complement Mars Wodonga’s Electric Thermal Energy Storage technology which allows the facility to generate low-cost renewable electricity during off-peak times to produce and store heat for later use.

The company is committed to the facility’s transition to 100% renewable energy in 2 years.

The Wodonga facility is the largest Australian manufacturing site for producing pet food brands such as Pedigree and Whiskas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Creating jobs, investing in our regions and reducing emissions – this is a perfect example of a Future Made in Australia.

“Australia has long and proud energy story.

“Projects like this are part of a new chapter which shows what we can do right across Australia, not just here in Wodonga.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen

“Our regions have powered the Australian economy for a decades, and will continue to do so in a net zero world, with a future made in Australia.

“This is a great demonstration of the potential for renewable technologies like Concentrated Solar Thermal to drive decarbonisation and create regional Australian jobs.

“The Albanese Government is implementing a Reliable Renewables Plan right now, while Peter Dutton and his colleagues have nothing but a nuclear scheme that could cost $600 billion and deliver less than 4 per cent of Australia’s energy needs.”

Most of the Ocean beaches in Byron Shire and Ballina Shire have been given excellent grades in this year’s State of the Beaches report. Water quality assessment indicated that 100% of monitored ocean beaches in Ballina Shire achieved a Good or Very Good grading. This means the swim sites were suitable for swimming most or almost all the time.

The best rated beaches in the Ballina electorate were Seven Mile Beach, Shelly Beach, and Lighthouse Beach. In Ballina Shire three of the seven estuarine swim spots were classed as Good while Shaws Bay North, East and West, and Missingham Beach – received poor grades. Shaws Bay East was downgraded from Good from the previous year. Only one of the four monitored lake/lagoon sites (Lake Ainsworth South) was graded as Good in 2023-24, with Lake Ainsworth North, East and West all graded as Poor this year.

The North Coast experienced above average rainfall in Spring 2023 due to heavy rainfall in October and November. Rainfall is the major driver of pollution in swim sites, with water quality impacted by stormwater runoff and sewage overflows.

State of the Beaches grades are compiled from water quality samples collected at NSW swim sites monitored under the Beachwatch and Beachwatch Partnership programs.

Member for Ballina

“It is fantastic to see our ocean beaches receive great results despite the high rainfall we have received.”

“It is also a timely reminder that that swimming should be avoided during and for up to three days following rainfall or if there are signs of stormwater pollution such as discoloured water or floating debris.”

“I will be working with Ballina Shire Council to confirm if the beaches that were rated poorly near the mouth of the Richmond River are due to the overall poor health of the river, or if there are other contributing factors.”

“As a major tourist destination for our beautiful beaches it is great news that our ocean beaches are some of the safest in terms of water quality in the State.”

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Greens leader and spokesperson for Higher Education, has reacted to reports that over 1,000 jobs could be at risk at universities nationwide due to the government’s reckless international student cap legislation, which is before the senate.

Senator Faruqi: 

“Labor’s disastrous plan to introduce international student caps is wreaking havoc in the sector before they’ve even come into effect.

“If the prospect of more than 1000 uni job cuts across many universities during a cost of living crisis isn’t enough to convince the Albanese Government that international student caps are a catastrophic mistake, nothing will. 

“Rampant casualisation, wage theft and unsustainable workloads were already crushing staff, and now more than 1000 university workers stand to lose their jobs because of Labor.

“Labor should dump its disastrous international student caps bill and get rid of Ministerial direction 107 right now.

“What universities need is a boost in funding and an overhaul of governance to prioritise staff and students in every decision, not these politically motivative crackdowns on international students.”

Australia will provide a further $10 million in humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected civilians in Lebanon.

Around 800,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon by the conflict between Israel and Hizballah. Emergency shelters have been overwhelmed and humanitarian workers killed.

Australia’s humanitarian assistance will be delivered through United Nations partners to address immediate and emerging needs, including access to food, shelter, healthcare and other critical services.

This will support international efforts, including through the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty, convened in Paris overnight.

Since 7 October 2023, we have committed $94.5 million in humanitarian assistance to support civilians impacted by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and to respond to the refugee crisis in the region worsened by those conflicts.

Australia has been clear in its call for ceasefires in both Lebanon and in Gaza. We continue to call for all parties to uphold international law and protect civilians and humanitarian workers.

We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Lebanon. Australians in Lebanon should leave. Australians in Lebanon can register on DFAT’s Crisis Portal or by calling the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

“The conflict in Lebanon is taking a heavy toll on civilians, including women and children, with around 800,000 people having now been displaced.

“Australia and our partners continue to press for ceasefires in Lebanon and in Gaza. This additional contribution will help those in urgent need, through access to food, shelter and healthcare.”

Minister for International Development and The Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected, and humanitarian personnel must be able to access all individuals in need of assistance.”

“Australia’s humanitarian funding will provide critical services for people displaced or affected by these conflicts and help protect the most vulnerable.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has today joined other Pacific leaders to mark the first deployment of the new Pacific Police Support Group, part of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), backed by Australia and endorsed by Pacific Island Forum leaders in August 2024.
 
More than 40 police officers from 11 Pacific countries are part of this deployment, providing security support for Samoa’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.  The deployment includes officers from Pacific partners trained at the PPI’s Pinkenba training hub in Brisbane.
 
The Pacific Police Support Group is a new multi-country police capability ready to respond to emergencies or assist during major events, at the request of a Pacific Island Forum Government.
 
Australia has committed approximately $400 million over five years to ensure the Pacific Policing Initiative delivers on the agreement by leaders that the security of the Pacific is the shared responsibility of the Pacific family.
 
The PPI is a Pacific-led initiative designed to strengthen policing capacity and coordination in the region. The PPI has three pillars – regional police training Centres of Excellence, the Pacific Police Support Group and a Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub, based in Brisbane.
 
In marking this first deployment, Prime Minister Albanese confirmed that Australia will support the establishment of four regional Centres of Excellence under the PPI. The Centres of Excellence will be purpose-built to train police from across the region in a range of specialist capabilities.
 
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
 
“Samoa is the first Pacific island country to host CHOGM. Australia is proud to join our Pacific family to provide police and security support for Samoa as host.
 
“Two months since the Pacific Policing Initiative was endorsed by Pacific leaders, we are seeing it deliver for the region at CHOGM 2024.
 
“The Pacific Policing Initiative will play an important role in promoting regional security across the Pacific region.
 
This is about Pacific security, delivered by the Pacific, in support of Pacific sovereignty.”

The Australian Government is bolstering Africa’s ability to withstand the escalating impacts of climate change and combatting food insecurity through a new Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture.

To be announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting where climate change is a major focus, the Partnership will use Australian expertise to support the climate resilience of farming communities in Africa. 

Delivered by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) over a six-year period, the first year of $11.9 million in funding will contribute to the development of new bilateral research projects and training programs, in close collaboration with local partners. 

ACIAR is already supporting impactful research in Eastern and Southern Africa, including the improvement of sustainable crop and livestock systems, and forest management practices as well as plant biosecurity to stimulate commercial options for smallholder farmers.

The Partnership will allow ACIAR to expand its operations into Northern and Western Africa, as well as deliver capacity development and innovative partnerships across the continent.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong: 

“Through innovative partnerships and Australian know-how, we are helping build a future where communities are fed, economies are stronger and the environment is protected. It’s about securing a better, more resilient future for all.

“This initiative will help address food insecurity in regions most exposed to climate change’s devastating impacts.

“It is another example of the Albanese Government’s commitment to helping our partners across the world in the fight against climate change and our work to shape the world for the better.”

Minister for International Development, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Investing in Africa’s food security through climate-responsive agriculture is also an investment in Australian farmers and those throughout our region who are facing similar climate impacts.

“This will help secure lives and livelihoods for decades to come.”

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP: 

“Australia is a trusted partner in agricultural innovation and this Partnership will further deepen our economic and research ties with Africa.

“By sharing expertise and resources with African nations, we are helping to build resilient communities that can withstand the interconnected challenges of food security and climate change.”

An extraordinary warning from some of the nation’s foremost marine scientists about the plight of the endangered Maugean skate has left Minister Plibersek with nowhere to hide.  

For years scientists have sounded the alarm on the toxic impacts of Atlantic salmon farming in the Maugean skate’s last known habitat of Macquarie Harbour – and now over 250 days have passed since the Minister was compelled to make a decision on the fate of the industry operating there.

It’s time the Minister made a decision: will she do her job as Environment Minister and protect the Maugean skate, or will she cave to the Atlantic salmon farming industry?

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:

“The toxic Atlantic salmon farming industry has been frantically trying to undermine existing scientific conservation advice regarding the skate – but enough is enough. 

“Today’s bold statement from scientists sends a powerful message to the Environment Minister: will she do her job and protect the skate or cave to the vested interests of powerful and greedy corporations?  

“The writing is on the wall for the Atlantic salmon industry: it has no future in Tasmania.

“Warming oceans from climate change is the single biggest threat to this toxic industry, and shocking new data revealing the volume of dead fish removed from the skate’s last remaining home in Macquarie Harbour proves this point.

“Fish farming mortalities will only get worse with climate change, so why are we risking the extinction of the endangered skate when this industry itself is surely facing extinction? 

“The survival of the Maugean skate is a political decision. Minister Plibersek has the power to act and she needs to listen to these eminent scientists, not the spin from a profit driven, self-interested Atlantic salmon farming industry”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, met today on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the election of the Starmer Government.

The Prime Ministers discussed Australia’s and the United Kingdom’s modern and dynamic relationship, underpinned by close personal ties and strong security, trade and investment links.

The two leaders considered how the two countries could step-up their work together to meet common challenges and to realise new opportunities.

Australia and the UK agree that the transition to net zero represents economic opportunity. The Albanese and Starmer Governments believe private capital and the power of government can be leveraged to shape a clean energy future in the interests of working people. The transition paves the way for new industries, new technologies, new job opportunities and a revitalisation of each nation’s industrial base.

To this end, the Prime Ministers agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on climate change and energy by negotiating a dynamic new partnership. The Australia–UK Climate and Energy Partnership will focus on the development and accelerated deployment of renewable energy technologies, such as green hydrogen and offshore wind, to support the economic resilience and decarbonisation goals of both countries.

The partnership will also build upon the two countries’ long-standing cooperation on international climate action, including on renewable energy and climate finance.

The Prime Ministers agreed the Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia and the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom will take this important work forward.

The two leaders also announced grant recipients under the Australia-UK Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Partnership Program. Under this program, the two Governments will support six cutting-edge projects focused on industrial decarbonisation.

On trade and investment, Prime Ministers discussed gains under the ambitious Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement. The United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership later this year will also present new opportunities for the region.

Discussions on defence and strategic cooperation focused on working together to ensure the AUKUS partnership delivers for the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to negotiating a bilateral treaty, as announced by Defence Ministers in September 2024, to develop the SSN-AUKUS submarine for both nations. 

The Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to an approach that sets the highest non-proliferation standards and to sustaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, respectful of sovereignty and rules.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Australia and the UK are longstanding partners, with common values and aligned strategic interests. It was great to congratulate Prime Minister Starmer in person after his election win in July.

“We had a productive discussion, including agreeing to negotiate a new climate and energy partnership. This partnership will ensure we maximise the economic potential of the net zero transition, and build on our long-standing cooperation on international climate action and shared commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

“We share a vision for a modern and transformed Australia-United Kingdom relationship, which delivers tangible benefits and prosperity to both our nations and the Indo-Pacific.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer

“The UK and Australia share many things in common, including our governments’ determination to improve the lives of working people, drive economic growth and ensure cleaner, more affordable energy.

“This partnership underscores our commitment to powering up the UK with clean energy projects that will benefit communities across the country.

“Together, we’re delivering better futures for our two countries, whether that’s through protecting our national security with projects like AUKUS or delivering on our net zero commitments.”

The Victorian Greens have responded to the Allan government’s plan to fast-track high-rise apartment blocks and remove stamp duty for investors, saying that proceeding without guaranteeing any new public and genuinely affordable housing will simply funnel more profits to wealthy developers while Victorian suffer through more housing stress.

The Greens said that while they welcome more housing near transport and services, without policies to require building genuinely affordable homes in these zones, Labor’s plans will simply let developers get away with building more expensive penthouses, and young people will not benefit.

The Greens say that fast-tracking the plans of wealthy property developers and providing short-term stamp duty concessions for property investors without forcing them to build any public and genuinely affordable homes will actually make the housing crisis worse.

The Greens have been calling for inclusionary zoning to ensure that 50% of these new activity areas are public and genuinely affordable housing for the people who need them the most.

Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam:

“If Labor wants to fundamentally reshape our city, they need to do it in a way that creates housing that teachers, nurses and young people can actually afford, but right now Labor is just giving incentives to wealthy property developers to build expensive houses that won’t solve the housing crisis.

“We’re in the worst housing crisis we’ve seen in decades and property developers are building expensive houses, hoarding land and keeping homes empty.

“If Labor actually cared about building homes that young people can afford, they’d require developers to build genuinely affordable and public homes in these zones, rather than just allowing developers to build expensive luxury apartments.

“Labor must commit to building more public and affordable housing – not just expensive luxury apartments.”