Category: Australian News

The Albanese and Minns Governments are activating disaster recovery support for communities in the Hilltops Local Government Area (LGA) following a severe storm on 10 February 2025.

Assistance measures that may be provided to communities through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) include:

• Support for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation.
• Grants for low income, uninsured residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain a basic standard of living.
• Grants for low income, uninsured residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a safe and habitable condition.
• Support for affected local councils and other agencies to help with the costs of cleaning up, keeping the community safe and restoring damaged essential public assets.
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and nonprofit organisations and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
• Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the funding will help the community clean up sooner and recover faster.

“Right now communities right across Australia are preparing for, or cleaning up from, the impacts of wild weather, and we are there supporting the,” Minister McAllister said.
“In NSW, we are working with the Minns Government to ensure communities across Hilltops get the support they need to clean up and recover.”

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the hail storm left significant damage and the SES have been on the ground assisting the community with the cleanup.

“The NSW SES and emergency services have been helping the people of Harden get back to their daily lives as soon as possible. Emergency services have been assisting the community to make their homes and businesses safe, ensuring they can access groceries
and essential supplies, and supporting Council in the cleanup and restoration of essential public assets.” Minister Dib said.

“As a result of this storm there has been a high number of calls to the NSW SES and emergency responders for help, and I would like to thank our volunteers and emergency workers who provided critical support to the community during this time.”

“I am also pleased that NSW Reconstruction Authority staff are on the ground, providing information, advice and referrals to local services so that people get the support they need.”

Further information on disaster assistance can be found on the Disaster Assist website.

The Minns Labor Government has marked the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Freedom Ride with the announcement of funding to complete a community pavilion in Walgett and a new program to commemorate significant steps along the Freedom Ride route.

Minister for Heritage Penny Sharpe and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris are in Walgett today to announce the grant for the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service to complete the Freedom Ride Pavilion in Freedom Ride Memorial Park in Walgett.

The Ministers also unveiled a blue plaque in the town, to formally recognise the Freedom Ride. It’s one of several blue plaques to be installed in key locations along the Freedom Ride route. NSW Blue Plaques are a popular heritage program recognising the events, groups and people who contributed to the rich history of NSW.

The 1965 Freedom Ride was instrumental in raising awareness of racial injustice and building momentum for reconciliation action in Australia.

Inspired by a set of bus trips by the civil rights movement in the US, a group of 30 University of Sydney students hired a bus, hung a banner across the front and set off on a two-week journey through regional NSW.

Led by Indigenous rights activist Charles Perkins, the group rode through Wellington, Gulargambone and Walgett, before passing Moree, Boggabilla, Tenterfield, Lismore, Grafton, Bowraville and Kempsey.

Their efforts were not well-received by locals, who pelted them with fruit and stones, and even chased the bus in a convoy of cars. In one town, police officers had to escort the students to safety.

The Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail will capture the stories and events that took place at the key stops on the Freedom Ride journey. In Walgett, they protested a ban on Indigenous ex-servicemen entering the Returned Services League (RSL) Club. In Moree and Kempsey, they called out local laws barring Indigenous children from swimming pools. In Bowraville, they attempted to ‘gatecrash’ the cinema to protest the inequity in ticketing for Indigenous people.

The widely publicised Freedom Ride contributed significantly to changes in Australians’ attitudes towards Aboriginal rights. Subsequently, in 1967, more than 90% of Australians voted ‘Yes’ in a landmark referendum that gave Indigenous Australians full rights as citizens.

The Minns Labor Government is committed to reconciliation and working together with Aboriginal communities and organisations to improve the lives of and opportunities for Aboriginal people living in NSW.

For more information on the Freedom Ride blue plaque visit https://blueplaques.nsw.gov.au/blue-plaques/locations/1965-freedom-ride

The community will be consulted on the locations of future plaques.

Minister for Heritage, Penny Sharpe:

“NSW has profoundly changed as a result of Charles Perkins and the students who drew attention to racial injustice in our state.

“It is fitting that the Blue Plaques program will join up from Sydney to Walgett to mark the journey and tell the stories of the Freedom Ride and the changes that happened as a result of it.

“In Walgett, the Freedom Ride will also be recognised through the addition of a Freedom Ride Pavillion in the Freedom Ride Memorial Park in Walgett, drawing visitors to the town.”

the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, David Harris:

“It is crucial we celebrate the courage, resilience and strength of the original Freedom Riders and of all Aboriginal people who, now and in the past, have led the way for racial equality in Australia. 

“The NSW Government is committed to reconciliation and working together with Aboriginal communities and organisations to close the gap and improve the lives and opportunities for Aboriginal people living in NSW.

“By listening to Aboriginal voices, supporting Aboriginal-led initiatives, and committing to real action, we can follow in the footsteps of the Freedom Riders to build a more just and equal Australia.”

One Nation will abolish the excise on alcohol served at licenced venues as part of its plan to put more money in Australians’ pockets and support small businesses struggling under Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.

Party leader Senator Pauline Hanson said the hospitality sector had felt the impact of the cost-of-living crisis more than most.
“Everyday we see pubs and restaurants across the country – some of them historic venues which have operated for decades or longer – being forced to close their doors because so many Australians can no longer afford to have a night out,” Senator Hanson said.

“They’re also being crippled by increased operating costs – energy bills, rents, insurance, council rates and state government regulations. Many of them rely on casual employees, but Labor’s IR changes mean that many of them can’t risk employing casuals anymore.

“One Nation’s policy will abolish the alcohol excise on drinks served in these businesses. This will not apply to take-away alcohol, however our policy also includes freezing the biannual increase in the excise on all alcoholic beverages.”

Senator Hanson said one of the more disturbing impacts of Labor’s cost-of-living crisis was the increase in drinking at home, which was fuelling higher rates of domestic violence.
“Our policy will help to reduce that,” she said. “We also see how Australians struggling to make ends meet are experiencing increased mental health issues. Having a schooner with mates at the pub, or socialising with friends at restaurants and other venues, has always been how many Australians spend their leisure time. Labor’s cost-of-living crisis has taken this option away from them.

“Abolishing the alcohol excise for hospitality venues is just one of many ways One Nation’s plan will put more money in Australians’ pockets. We hope to give venues a lifeline, a real shot in the arm, and enable Australians to again enjoy a night out without it breaking the budget. Our policy will also assist our brewers and our emerging world-class micro-brewery sector, which is being hit hard by government taxes too.

“One Nation puts Australia and Australians first.”

Today I announce the appointments of eight highly qualified individuals to lead Australia’s posts in Rarotonga, Suva, the Holy See, Wellington, Koror, Port Moresby, as well as Australia’s engagement with the UN in Geneva and our international work on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism.

I am pleased to confirm the following appointments:

• Ms Susannah Hodson as Australia’s High Commissioner to the Cook Islands.
• Mr Peter Roberts OAM as Australia’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji.
• The Hon Keith Pitt as Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See.
• Mr Daniel Sloper PSM as Australia’s High Commissioner to New Zealand.
• Mr Toby Sharpe as Australia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Palau.
• Mr Ewen McDonald as Australia’s High Commissioner to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
• Ms Clare Walsh as Australia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
• Ms Gemma Huggins as Australia’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism.

Australia is investing in all arms of national power to advance Australian interests and values in our region and the world – to keep Australians safe, to ensure our economic strength – and today’s appointments will bolster these efforts.

I thank the outgoing ambassadors and high commissioners for their important contributions.

The Albanese Government announced today it will force people in Australia to Nauru after bribing the country with an undisclosed amount of money.

The Albanese Labor Government, at the end of last year, worked hand-in-hand with Peter Dutton’s Coalition to push through the most extreme anti-migrant and anti-refugee policies Australia has seen in a generation.

One of these laws has allowed the Labor Government to bribe countries, like Nauru, to take up to 80,000 people who currently live in Australia. Once they arrive in Nauru, the law gives them no protection from being jailed or returned to the country they fled in fear of persecution.

An Australian offshore detention centre has operated in Nauru for over a decade. Along with a detention centre that previously operated in Papua New Guinea, Australia’s so-called ‘offshore processing regime’ has been directly linked to 14 deaths, including a murder by guards.

In January this year, the UN Human Rights Committee found, in two cases brought by people held in offshore detention, that Australia is responsible for people transferred offshore under the existing regime.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for Immigration and Multiculturalism, said: “The Albanese Government’s attempt to run to the right of Dutton is cruel and wrong in principle, but it also won’t work politically.

“This posturing by Labor doesn’t build their brand, all it does is legitimise Dutton’s brutal rhetoric on migration and citizenship.

“No one is in immigration detention because they have committed a crime. They are in immigration detention because of a visa issue.

“Today’s announcement entrenches a two-class legal system where you can be subject to arbitrary detention and forced to a country you have no connections to because of where you were born.

“Dozens of other countries face far more pressing immigration issues than Australia, yet no other country has decided to bribe other countries to take people without any regard for human rights.

“What we are seeing is the Albanese Government picking and choosing who gets human rights. When you start picking and choosing who gets human rights, it takes us down a divisive and dehumanising path.

“The Albanese Government has shown no interest in standing up to Dutton and protecting multiculturalism in Australia. When it comes to migration and refugees they have no red lines.

“Make no mistake, history has told us what will happen next: people will die, families will be separated, and the major parties will still blame migrants for problems they created.”

The Greens have called for an urgent independent inquiry into Creative Australia’s shock decision to revoke Australia’s selection to the Venice Biennale, 6 days after awarding the commission to artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Micheal Dagostino.

Citing the capitulation to political pressure, Greens spokesperson for the Arts, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for a full and frank inquiry into the crisis that has now engulfed Australia’s art world and put into question the integrity and independence of the Creative Australia Board.

 The Senator has vowed to hold the agency and Minister to account at the upcoming Senate Estimates, scheduled for Tuesday 25 February, and believes a specific Senate hearing is warranted.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for the Arts:

 “It’s an appalling capitulation that has plunged arts policy in Australia into crisis.

 “It has undermined the entire integrity and credibility of the newly formed Creative Australia. Succumbing to political pressure from the Murdoch media and conservative politicians has brought the nation’s premium cultural institution into disrepute.

 “Artistic expression must be free from political interference and intimidation. To allow this censorship of artistic thought and expression is to allow an attack on the very values of freedom and peace that are the lifeblood of our democracy.  

 “To award the submission to two of Australia’s great creative minds, only to revoke it 6 days later after political interference sets a dangerous precedent, not just in the art world but for all of our public institutions.

 “This is nothing short of an international arts embarrassment for Australia.

 “There must be a full and frank inquiry into how this decision was made, who was involved and how much it has cost the Australian taxpayer.

 “What role did the Minister for the Arts, or any other members of government have in this cancel-culture calamity?

 “The cancellation of the commission must be reversed, and the original contract with Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino must be upheld.

 “Senate Estimates can’t come soon enough. The agency has failed to stand with the arts community and the public deserves to know the full story.”

The Greens say Australia must stand up for quality journalism, responding to reports today that the Albanese Government will halt the implementation of a News Media Bargaining Incentive policy, over fears of a Trumpian backlash.

Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson for Communications & Senator for South Australia:

“Cowering to the bully won’t protect Australia’s interests or ensure public interest journalism is protected.

“The tech bro billionaires and President Trump are a threat to democracy and they will not respect a strategy of appeasement and delay.

“With President Trump acting dangerously outside his jurisdiction, creating chaos not just in the US, but across the rest of the world, Australia needs to stand up for quality public interest journalism now more than ever.

“Reports today that the Albanese Government is abandoning its News Media Bargaining Incentive policy are concerning. Australia should stand up to bullies, not allow them to dictate our public policy.

“The big tech corporations like Meta, X & Google should not be able to profit off the publication and sharing of news content without paying a fair price to the people who produce it.

“The backdown now begs the question, what about all policies that seek to hold the tech giants to account and make platforms safer? From social media age bans, duty of care obligations and scam laws, is the Albanese Government abandoning those too?

“Donald Trump is not our President – and his anti-truth, anti-journalism agenda should not dictate policy here in Australia.”

The Albanese Government is supporting a $95 million upgrade of Papua New Guinea’s Kimbe Port to improve freight services and resilience to climate change, while fostering economic growth and creating local jobs.

The upgrade is financed by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), and will involve the demolition and reconstruction of wharf structures and the rehabilitation of existing facilities.

This project forms part of the broader AIFFP-funded PNG Ports Infrastructure Investment Program, which aims to strengthen connectivity and supply chain efficiency across Papua New Guinea.

The program, developed in partnership with the PNG Government, will also upgrade Oro Bay, Daru, Lae and Kavieng facilities.

Pacific Marine Group Pty Ltd has been awarded the contract by PNG Ports Corporation Ltd for Kimbe Port Marine improvement works.

The Kimbe Port upgrade is supporting local jobs via local construction companies and supply chains, with a minimum target of 30 percent expenditure on local content.

The works are scheduled to begin in early 2025 and conclude in 2026.

More information can be found on the AIFFP project page.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“Since the Albanese Government was elected, we have made the Pacific, including our relationship with Papua New Guinea, a priority.

“Through this project, and the broader Ports Program, we are responding to PNG priorities, and helping our neighbour become more economically resilient and secure.

“Australia is a trusted partner for major infrastructure projects in the Pacific, with transparent investment to support high quality construction and utilising local labour to create jobs and support the local economy.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy:

“The Albanese Government has been working hard with Pacific nations to shape a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

“With more than 90 per cent of internationally traded goods in Papua New Guinea transported by sea, maritime infrastructure is critical.”

“Pacific countries look to us first to support their development and economic needs. Australia is proud to support the re-development of Kimbe Port, particularly as PNG marks the historic milestone of 50 years of independence.”

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Torres Strait Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea, which entered into force on 15 February 1985.

In addition to defining the maritime boundaries between Papua New Guinea and Australia, the Treaty protects the ways of life of traditional inhabitants in the Torres Strait Protected Zone.

The Treaty’s unique provisions allow Torres Strait Islanders and Papua New Guineans from Treaty Villages free movement across borders for traditional activities, such as traditional fishing, cultural and religious ceremonies, social gatherings and trade.

It is particularly important to reflect on the Treaty’s success this year as we look forward to marking the 50th Anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence in September.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“The Torres Strait Treaty recognises the kinship between our two countries and our people, reflecting the deeply important relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea as neighbours, friends and equals.

“We will continue working closely together to advance our shared interests and ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy:

“The arrangements in the Treaty are a reflection of the thousands of years of engagement and cultural connection that exist between Papua New Guinea and Australia.

“Australia remains committed to the Torres Strait Treaty, and its assurance to empower our First Nations people and preserve their traditions, as the longest continuous culture on earth.”

The Greens have slammed the Prime Minister’s announcement today that he will cave in to the Tasmanian salmon industry by weakening Australia’s environment laws if re-elected. The Greens will stand up for the environment and community this election against vested interests.

Nick McKim is Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania:

“Labor has backed in the profits of foreign salmon-farming corporations over Tasmania’s environment and the survival of the Maugean Skate.

“Australia’s environment laws are already too weak. To water them down even further to underpin corporate profits is an outrage and a betrayal.

“The Greens will fight any attempt to erode the protection of Australia’s environment with everything we’ve got.

“This will play very badly for Labor at the election, because right around the state Tasmanian communities are fighting to defend their coastlines from pollution and privatisation by industrial salmon farms.

“Tasmanians have always voted for the environment, and will do so in even larger numbers after this shocking environmental sellout.”

Australian Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Prime Minister has bulldozed environment laws and his Environment Minister, again. Last week it was caving in to the fossil fuel industry, today it’s the multinational salmon corporations.

“It is clearer than ever that Labor is too weak to stand up to vested interests and protect the environment and native species. They simply can’t be trusted to do the right thing, by the law or by nature.

“Instead of applying the law, the Prime Minister has told industry he will change the rules to suit them at the expense of the community and the environment. This is not leadership, this is a weak capitulation.

“Whether it’s protecting our marine ecosystems, native forests or koalas, neither Labor or Mr Dutton can be trusted – they will sell out to the corporations every time. Only the Greens in balance of power can save our native species and force Labor to act.”