More social and affordable homes for Kingsford

The Minns Labor Government are set to deliver 185 new homes in Kingsford including at least 50 per cent for social and affordable housing, thanks to the finalisation of a rezoning on Bunnerong Road.

This is the first project in metropolitan Sydney to be approved under our Social and Affordable Housing program rezoning pathway.

The approval has amended the Randwick Local Environment Plan to increase the floor space and height limits and enable the delivery of more well-located homes for families, essential workers, students and people in need.

The new homes will be well-located within walking distance of Kingsford town centre, light rail and bus services, the University of New South Wales, local schools, and open space.

The 8-storey development will replace eight existing three-storey buildings owned by Homes NSW that were constructed in the 1940s and are no longer fit for purpose.

The Social and Affordable Housing program aims to accelerate planning approvals for the NSW Government’s housing agencies, such as Homes NSW and Landcom, so more homes can be built quicker.

Homes NSW has worked closely with Randwick City Council, along with current residents and the local community during the planning phase of this redevelopment.

The proposal was progressed as a State Assessed Rezoning Proposal (SARP) through the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s (DPHI) Rezoning Pathways for Social and Affordable Housing. This is the first proposal to be approved under the pathway with another 4 in the pipeline which would deliver 3300 homes.

DPHI exhibited the Explanation of Intended Effect and supporting documentation from 16 December 2024 to 4 February 2025.  For more information, view the Finalisation Report on the NSW Planning Portal.

Acting Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Ryan Park said:

“The Minns Labor Government has made the delivery of more social and affordable homes a major part of increasing housing supply throughout the state.

“This approval is another example of the Social and Affordable Housing program rezoning pathway working as intended, so that we can deliver more homes for families, essential works and people in need in well located areas.

“Projects like this are vital to bringing housing choice back to Sydney and keeping young people of all income levels in our city and in their communities.”  

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“For too long, good housing projects have been held back by planning delays and local opposition. We’re changing that and getting on with delivering the homes people need.”

“We’re not going to let a vocal minority stand in the way of a more affordable, inclusive Sydney. The Minns Labor Government is backing in reform and getting it done.”

“This is what taking action on the housing crisis looks like, building homes for the people of NSW and not letting NIMBYs hold us back.

Albanese Government enhances national security with major investment in air defence and aerial strike

The Albanese Government is investing up to $2.12 billion in additional stocks of advanced medium-range missiles to strengthen the Australian Defence Force’s air defence and aerial strike capability. 

These AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 missiles can precisely strike targets at extended range, providing a significant deterrence to potential adversaries. Enhancing the ADF’s strike capability is a key priority of the 2024 National Defence Strategy. 

The AIM-120D-3 variant is a supersonic air-launched tactical missile, used on the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft as well as the F-35A Lightning II aircraft. It is designed to counter threats at extended ranges.

The AIM-120C-8 variant is launched using the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), and is being brought into service by the Army’s new 10th Brigade and will significantly boost ground-to-air capability against aerial targets. 

The Albanese Government is acquiring these missiles through the United States Government’s Foreign Military Sales Program. 

Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy:

“This is a major investment in the security of our nation and underscores the Albanese Government’s commitment to providing the ADF with the capabilities it needs to keep Australians safe.

“The ADF’s credible strike and long-range capabilities support our strategy of denial, which aims to deter any conflict before it begins.

“These additional missiles will help to ensure the ADF’s ability to protect Australians against aerial threats.”

Australia needs to lift some diplomatic muscle in Climate COP bid

Recognising that Türkiye’s bid for COP 31 remains active under the UNFCCC’s consensus rules, the Greens call on Labor to engage constructively with the Turkish government in a cooperative dialogue to secure a successful COP 31 in Adelaide.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment:

“Australia needs to talk turkey with Türkiye. It’s time for both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to flex some diplomatic muscle if we are to secure the world’s premier climate conference right here in South Australia. 

“A successful COP 31 in Adelaide will be a defining moment for climate justice in Australia and the world, but only if it is underpinned by genuine cooperation, ambition, and real-world outcomes.

“A stand-off over COP hosting rights won’t secure the conference and certainly won’t stop the climate crisis.

“To avoid further delays that threaten Adelaide’s logistical preparations, the Prime Minister must engage constructively with President Erdoğan to get past the deadlock.

“The opportunity to host COP 31 in Adelaide is more than a state-defining moment, it must be an act of genuine leadership as a hard deadline for stopping new polluting coal and gas projects and end the $12 billion per year in taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.

“It is also an opportunity for Australia to listen to our Pacific neighbours’ calls for no new coal and gas projects, and support island nations to manage the devastating impacts of climate change.

“South Australia leads the charge in the transition to renewable energy, however, the transition is made harder and harder while the federal government continues to sign off on new mines and extend gas fields to 2070. This hypocrisy will undermine any bid for a genuine ‘Pacific COP’.

“Australia cannot lecture the world on climate action if it won’t stop fuelling the fire. If the Prime Minister secures COP 31, he must also secure real, measurable commitments both at home and in partnership with Pacific to meet the urgency the climate emergency demands.”

Band-aid fixes won’t protect children, Greens ready to work with Government to deliver a national independent early learning watchdog with teeth

The Greens say new early childhood education and care safety measures, announced by both state and federal governments this week, fall far short of what’s needed — a national, independent watchdog with real power to keep children safe.

This week’s horrifying abuse allegations in Victorian childcare centres have once again exposed a system in crisis. The time for piecemeal, reactive measures is over. What’s needed is a regulator with the authority to enforce safety standards, and drive sector-wide reform. The Greens have already put forward a fully costed plan to establish this national body earlier this year. 

Senator Steph Hodgins-May is urging the government to work with the Greens to deliver this real reform to early childhood education when parliament resumes in 2.5 weeks.

Earlier this week, the Greens called for a Royal Commission into the safety and quality of early childhood education and care. The Government, to date, has dismissed these calls.

Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“Following this week’s horrifying reports which laid bare serious failings by the early learning system, we’re reiterating our call for a national watchdog with teeth to keep our kids safe.

“This independent watchdog would enforce quality standards, act swiftly on safety breaches, and drive a shift toward universal, high-quality care — not just retrospective patch-ups.

“Families are feeling anxious and are counting on us to act now. Reactive band-aid solutions won’t keep children safe or move us towards the child-centred system we need for the future. 

“The Greens have a costed plan to establish this national regulator, and we’re ready to get to work with the Government to deliver this urgent reform before the end of the year.”

Greens welcome action to regulate Big 4 consultants but will it be enough?

Treasury must consider all the recommendations of two recent parliamentary inquiries before it takes action to regulate the Big 4 consulting firms according to Greens Finance and Public Service spokesperson Barbara Pocock.

The two inquiries made 52 recommendations between them which were agreed by Labor, the Liberals and the Greens giving the government a green light for root and branch reform across the accounting and consulting sector.

Senator Barbara Pocock:

“The question this government has to answer is ‘Can the Big 4 be trusted to govern themselves?’ and let me tell you, after sitting on two parliamentary inquiries brought on by massive governance and ethical failures at PwC, the answer is emphatically no.

“We’ve yet to see the detail of Treasury’s proposals but we have put a raft of recommendations on the table aimed at regulating the big accounting and consulting firms. These firms look and act like multinational corporations but they hide behind unaccountable partnership structures avoiding the scrutiny of our corporate watchdog.

“One key recommendation I made urged the government to reduce the cap on partner numbers from 1000 down to 100 partners. This number recognises the workable size of a genuine partnership and would force firms with more than 100 partners to incorporate under ASIC. It was also recommended that corporate reporting requirements be extended to cover partnerships as well as corporations.

“For those not paying attention, we have an audit crisis in this country with up to 60% of audits reviewed by ASIC in 2022, called into question. Deloitte and KPMG suffered a drastic decline in audit quality that year with the regulator calling for concerted action from both firms to lift their game.

“This is a sector that is not performing well and our business community is not being well served by the current regulatory regime. I look forward to seeing the detail of Treasury’s proposals and I urge the government to consider all the recommendations of both recent parliamentary inquiries into this sector.”

Buck stops with Cook Government on shocking new rental affordability data

A new report has laid bare the Cook Labor Government’s failure to address WA’s rental crisis, revealing that mortgage repayments are now cheaper than renting in many parts of Perth.

The Rent vs Buy Reportpublished today by real estate website Domain, compares the average cost of rent to mortgage repayments for houses and units around the country. 

It found that in almost 83 percent of suburbs in Perth, it is cheaper to service a mortgage on a unit than it is to simply rent one. By contrast, the equivalent national figure sits at 22 percent. 

When it comes to houses, it is more affordable to take out a mortgage than it is to pay for a rental in almost five percent of Perth suburbs – a stark contrast to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, where renting a house is cheaper than buying in every suburb.

Of the top 10 localities in WA where a mortgage is more affordable than rent, more than half are in regional areas.

Tim Clifford MLC, Greens WA spokesperson for housing and homelessness:

“Whether you’re a first home buyer or a renter, the takeaway from this report is clear: housing in WA is a zero-sum game.

“It is absolutely shocking that, in some parts of Perth, taking out a mortgage is now cheaper than renting.

“While the Domain report heralds the data as good news for first home buyers, the reality is that house prices are still at record highs. In fact, the national average passed $1 million for the first time just last month.

“This is not a case of houses getting cheaper – it’s a case of rentals becoming even more expensive and inaccessible. 

“Renters in WA are doing it tougher than anywhere else in the country. 

“The blame for that lies squarely with the Cook Labor Government, who should be looking at introducing measures like a flexible rent cap as per the ACT; banning no-cause evictions; and moving quickly to address the adverse impacts of short-stays on the rental market. 

“These urgent interventions would free up more homes, easing the squeeze on renters and the housing market itself. 

“I look forward to working constructively with the government to make that happen.”

Public consultation opens for the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations

The Albanese Government is taking an important step as part of Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. 

Today, public consultation has opened on the regulatory framework that will underpin Australia’s Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. 

This is another milestone occurring under the AUKUS partnership, a core pillar of the Albanese Government’s national security policy, creating more than 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years. 

This consultation allows for the development of a framework that will ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety and radiological protection are applied across the nuclear-powered submarine program. 

The consultation period will run from 2 July to 30 July 2025, with key stakeholders and the Australian public invited to provide input. 

The draft regulations focus on licensing the facility and material activities necessary to support work associated with the current stage of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program. Regulations for submarine-specific activities will be developed at a later stage.

The new Regulator and supporting regulations will build upon Australia’s strong nuclear stewardship credentials, while drawing on the experience of our AUKUS partners to deliver international best practice in nuclear safety. 

The Regulator will operate within a national regulatory system that supports the safety of people, the public and the environment, and will be established on 1 November 2025.

That system includes Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), the Commonwealth’s existing radiation protection and nuclear safety regulator, and the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO), who regulate nuclear safeguards and nuclear security, as well as the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Comcare, the Defence Seaworthiness Regulator, and appropriate state and territory government regulatory organisations who have broader safety and environmental protection roles.

Information about how to view the regulations and submit feedback is available at https://defence.gov.au/annpsr-consultation.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP:

“The Albanese Government is committed to the highest standards of nuclear safety and stewardship, as we continue to progress the AUKUS pathway at pace.

“This important period of public consultation will help inform the first Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations.

“These regulations are an important part of our approach to building a fit-for-purpose legislative and regulatory framework for Australia’s future conventionally armed, nuclear‑powered submarines.”

Joint statement from the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington

  • Joint Statement

The text of the following statement was released by the Secretary of State of the United States, the Foreign Minister of Australia, the External Affairs Minister of India, and the Foreign Minister of Japan.

01 July 2025

Washington DC, United States

We, the Secretary of State of the United States, and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan met in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2025, to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. We underscore our commitment to defending the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, we are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region. We are committed to a region where all countries are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

We discussed the opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific and how to further harness the strengths and resources of the Quad to advance peace, security, and prosperity, working with our regional partners. To ensure the Quad’s enduring impact, we are pleased to announce today a new, ambitious, and strong agenda focused on four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad’s ability to leverage our resources to address the region’s most pressing challenges.

As we advance our shared objectives for the region, our cooperation with and support for ASEAN and its centrality and unity, the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific-led regional groupings, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) remain unwavering.

We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea. These actions threaten peace and stability in the region. We are seriously concerned by the militarization of disputed features. We emphasize the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We affirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, and reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016 is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.

We are deeply concerned about the abrupt constriction and future reliability of key supply chains, specifically for critical minerals. This includes the use of non-market policies and practices for critical minerals, certain derivative products, and mineral processing technology. We underscore the importance of diversified and reliable global supply chains. Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation, and supply chain disruptions, which further harms our economic and national security.

We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing launches using ballistic missile technology and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs, and we urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs. We also express grave concern over North Korea’s malicious cyber activity, including cryptocurrency theft and use of workers abroad to fund North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. We will continue to support efforts to address contraventions of North Korea-related UNSCRs. We urge all UN Member States to abide by their international obligations under the UNSCRs to implement sanctions, including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We express deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global nonproliferation regime. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.

We remain deeply concerned by the worsening crisis in Myanmar and its impact on the region. We call on the regime to adhere to its commitment to a ceasefire, and call on all parties to implement, extend and broaden ceasefire measures. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s efforts, including calling for the full and effective implementation of the Five Point Consensus in seeking an inclusive, durable, and peaceful resolution to the crisis. We call on all parties to allow safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. We are also concerned about the impact of the crisis on regional security and the spread of transnational crimes. We are committed to fighting cybercrime and online scam operations.

The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured. We call for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.

In the face of these challenges, we are proud to announce today key initiatives that the Quad is advancing to strengthen maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and support humanitarian assistance and emergency response across the Indo-Pacific. We are launching today the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, an ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains. We continue to deepen our cooperation on maritime law enforcement cooperation through regional training initiatives, maritime legal dialogues, and Coast Guard cooperation. We plan to host the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise this year to strengthen shared airlift capacity and leverage our collective logistics strengths to respond to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently, providing support for regional partners. We also plan to launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this year. We continue to coordinate rapid responses to regional disasters and collectively contributed over USD $30 million in humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025. We will continue to counter foreign efforts to push false narratives and interfere with Quad interests in the Indo-Pacific.

As the Quad continues to evolve, our four democracies remain committed to deepening our cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and ensuring our cooperation has an enduring impact on the region’s top challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. We look forward to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India later this year and the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by Australia in 2026.

Victorian Greens Welcome Yoorrook’s Historic Reports for Truth, Demand Labor Finally Walk the Talk

The Greens have welcomed the historic final reports of the Yoorrook Justice Commission and called on the Allan Labor Government to adopt all 100 recommendations, after Labor ignored or rejected around 85% of Yoorrook’s interim recommendations.

Today the Government tabled Yoorrook’s third and final report, Yoorrook for Transformation, and its public record of colonisation in the state, Yoorrook Truth Be Told

Leader of the Victorian Greens Ellen Sandell thanked all Commissioners for their more than four years’ of work recording vital evidence, as well as witnesses for delivering often devastating testimonies. Yoorrook’s final report covers both areas for immediate reform, such as self-determination and education, as well as transformative proposals for the Treaty process.

Ms Sandell called on Labor to finally walk the talk and commit to all 100 final recommendations, after the Government fully accepted just 6 of 46 urgent reforms from Yoorrook for Justice, a 2023 interim report into child protection and criminal justice systems.

While some justice reforms may be negotiated through Treaty, Labor outright rejected three: strengthening the Victorian human rights charter; raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14; and creating a presumption of bail for all but the most serious offences. 

The Allan Labor Government even rushed through knee-jerk bail laws against Yoorrook’s recommendations, leading to record-high imprisonment of First Nations Victorians.

New figures from Corrections Victoria shows the overall prison population increased by 9.7% in the 12 months to May 2025. But this number is almost twice as high for Indigenous Victorians, at 18.8%, and is more than five times as high for Indigenous women at 51.6%. 

Shockingly, almost two-thirds (65%) of Indigenous women in prison are now being held on remand without any finding of guilt, nearly all for minor offences. 

Yoorrook’s final reports were delivered to the Government and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria last week.

The Greens strongly support legislation which would allow the First Peoples Assembly’s work to continue in an ongoing way – advocating for solutions put forward by First Nations Victorians themselves.

Leader of the Victorian Greens Ellen Sandell: 

“All Victorians will benefit from better understanding Victoria’s true history and its enduring impacts on First Peoples.

“It takes bravery for Aboriginal Victorians to come forward and share stories about what their families endured through colonisation – and I also thank everyone who opened their hearts to hear these stories and think about how we can walk forward together for a better future.

“The Greens stand ready to work with the Victorian Government to deliver the solutions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are calling for. 

“I urge the Premier to finally walk the talk and adopt all the Yoorrook recommendations in full – instead of ignoring or rejecting them like Labor has done in the past.”

Victorian Greens justice spokesperson, Katherine Copsey MLC:

“The Greens call on Labor to accept all recommendations of the Yoorrook Justice Commission – including the 85% of previous recommendations that Labor initially put in the too hard basket.

“Labor’s knee-jerk bail laws have already put a record high number of unsentenced First Peoples in prison – particularly Aboriginal women who are languishing in prison without even going to trial yet, often for non-violent crimes.

“Indigenous Victorians, especially Indigenous women, pay the price for punitive ‘tough on crime’ changes to bail – when violent crimes are overwhelmingly committed by non-Aboriginal men.”  

Greens celebrate minimum age of criminal responsibility coming into effect this week

As of this week, the ACT has become the only state or territory in Australia to raise the age of criminal responsibility fully to fourteen, diverting Canberra’s children away from the harm of gaol towards critical support services.

This reform was introduced by Leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury when he was Attorney General in 2023, and is a clear example of the change that has been achieved with Greens in the balance of power in the Assembly.

Leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury:

“This is a momentous week for young people, advocates for change and the government because as of Tuesday, children under the age of fourteen are no longer being diverted away from the support they need to live a fulfilling life.

“All evidence shows that children come in contact with the criminal justice system because of challenging life circumstances such as complex trauma, poverty, neglect and unaddressed mental or physical health problems.

“The reality is, punishing kids for the hardship they’ve faced only causes more harm. Because of this, we know that prison is no place for a child. At times of need, young people deserve care, safety, and support, not a jail cell.

“This reform is another clear example of the ACT Parliament, with the Greens in the balance of power, leading the nation with the kind of bold, progressive change we need to create a fairer and more just society.

“In the coming days, the Greens will be closely examining government funding for support services to make sure young people get the help they need to get their lives back on track—and aren’t being left to fall through the cracks.

“So far, we’re glad to see that vital support services like the Safer Youth Response Service have been funded to expand to 24/7 support so that young people can be diverted away from the criminal justice system at all times.

“However, the Greens have heard some concerns from stakeholders, and
as a result will be investigating in the coming weeks throughout the estimates period, to ensure the government is properly funding essential services