Category: Australian News

Reports of a mass koala massacre in Victoria by a private logging company require an urgent independent investigation, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she had written to the Victorian and Federal Environment Ministers asking them to investigate and explain the gruesome footage that had emerged showing hundreds of koalas bulldozed to their deaths at a bluegum plantation.
“Thousands of koalas have died in the fires across the country and now it seems even more are dead because of logging in their habitat,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Australians already heartbroken by the images of burned koalas, will be ashamed and distressed that this is happening.
“Our environmental laws and our government should be protecting our precious wildlife not allowing private companies to inflict incomprehensible cruelty on innocent animals.
“The private companies involved must explain their actions and if laws have been broken they must be held accountable. I’ve contacted the companies involved seeking an urgent meeting.”
Senator Hanson-Young said that as Chair of the Senate’s Environment and Communications Committee she would seek to have those involved brought before the Faunal Extinction Inquiry.
“We cannot allow anyone to get away with this type of cruelty and harm and it’s up to governments to do something to stop it,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The long-overdue resignation of the ministry by Bridget McKenzie leaves unanswered questions about the Sports Rorts scandal and does not address underlying integrity issues with the Morrison Government, according to the Greens.
Co-deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters and spokesperson on sport Senator Janet Rice said the Prime Minister will try and draw a line under this sports rorts scandal after Bridget McKenzie’s resignation but the announcement today does not stop the rot.
Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Channel 10 News raised serious allegations on Friday about the Prime Minister’s office being directly involved in this scandal. Scott Morrison should make a statement to parliament this week clarifying the exact role his office played in bribes going to marginal seats and how the Prime Minister was involved.
“Sports Rorts is only the latest of a long line of scandals involving government ministers, including multiple conflicts of interest surrounding Angus Taylor and the post-parliament employment of Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop in industries they were previously responsible for regulating.
“On top of the Prime Minister’s list of business for this week should be restoring trust in the government and his ministers.
“My bill establishing an independent federal corruption watchdog passed the Senate in September last year, the Prime Minister should bring on a vote for the bill as first order of business in the lower house this Wednesday.
“The community is growing tired of witnessing behaviour from politicians that shows they are serving their own self-interest and benefit donors to their party. It’s time to clean up politics and strengthen our democracy so it works for everyone,” she said.
Senator Janet Rice said:

“The idea that political considerations were not a determining factor when deciding what clubs got funding is farcical.

“Australians take pride in a sporting culture that aims to play fair, from school competitions to social sport, right up to our elite national teams, so why won’t the Prime Minister and his ministers do the same? The same rules should apply to them.

“Minister McKenzie’s resignation does not change the result: we still have a government up to their neck in dishonesty and scandals, and there are still hundreds of deserving clubs across Australia who were robbed as the government used sports grants to buy and cheat their way back into government.
“The Prime Minister should do the right thing and make sure every community that met Sport Australia’s independent criteria for funding receives support for their local sports projects, regardless of their electorate.
“This is the level playing field the community expects: fix the problem, hold those responsible to account, and ensure this porkbarrelling never happens again.”

The National Security Committee of Cabinet met again today to consider new and urgent information regarding the novel coronavirus situation.
Based on updated health advice from the Commonwealth’s Chief Medical Officer and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the increased risk posed by the spread of novel coronavirus, we have decided to introduce strict new travel restrictions and new travel advice.
Effective immediately, foreign nationals (excluding permanent residents) who are in mainland China from today forward, will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they have left or transited through mainland China.
Australian citizens and permanent residents will still be able to enter, as will their immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians or dependants only). This exemption will be extended to airline crews who have been using appropriate personal protective equipment.
I want to assure Australians that we are doing everything we can, through these increased actions, to protect Australians and keep them safe from what is an escalating threat.
This is a temporary measure, which will be reviewed in 14 days.
Any foreign nationals who do arrive in Australia notwithstanding the prohibition, and who choose not to immediately return to their port of origin, will be subject to mandatory quarantine.
We will also be requiring Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families who do enter Australia and who have been in mainland China to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they left mainland China.
Further, enhanced screening arrangements will be effected at ports of entry. The Government will make 500,000 masks available for airport and port staff and arriving passengers and handheld thermometers will be made available at impacted ports.
We will also raise the travel advice to Australians for all of mainland China to Level Four – “Do not travel.”
We have not taken any of these decisions lightly. Over the past month we have consistently relied on expert advice, including from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, based on the advice of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia. Their advice has guided the decision to announce these new measures today.
In particular, the changing epidemiology of the coronavirus in China and the uncertainty that remains around its transmission and virulence, mean the utmost precaution is warranted.
There is no basis for alarm. It is important to remember the risk to Australians is currently very low. We need to keep it that way.
Australia is well-prepared to respond to these challenges. We have been assessed by the World Health Organization as a world leader in preparedness for pandemics.
The Australian Government continues to monitor and respond to the coronavirus outbreak as it evolves.
We will work in close cooperation with state Government authorities and our international partners to coordinate our response and keep Australians safe.

The Morrison and Berejiklian governments have reached a landmark agreement to lower power prices for consumers, reduce emissions and strengthen grid reliability.
Through this partnership, both governments have committed to deliver a number of initiatives that will:

• increase gas and electricity supply in NSW by encouraging investment;
• improve grid security by supporting transmission interconnection and network access; and
• support emissions reduction projects that deliver genuine abatement.

The more than $2 billion deal includes:

• NSW-based emissions reductions initiatives utilising $960 million in federal funding, (with a minimum $450 million grants and the remaining $510 million a mix of grants and loans) matched by $1.01 billion in direct funding from NSW.
• Jointly underwriting the delivery of HumeLink and the Queensland-NSW interconnectors to strength grid reliability.
• Commitments from the NSW Government to facilitate investment opportunities to inject an additional 70 petajoules of gas per year into the east coast market.
• An undertaking from the NSW Government to remove barriers to coal supply to the Mount Piper Power Station.
• Supporting new generation projects in NSW through the Federal Government’s $1 billion Underwriting New Generation Investment program.
• Financial support for the establishment of a pilot renewable energy zone in the Central West to help large-scale renewable generators pump as much as energy as possible into the grid.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the NSW energy deal was the first of many he hoped to sign with state and territory governments across Australia.
“I want households and businesses paying less for their electricity and I want to continue to get emissions down – this deal does both,” the Prime Minister said.
“There is no credible plan to lower emissions and keep electricity price down that does not involve the greater use of gas as an important transition fuel.
“This plan is about getting greater access to that gas, as a vital accompaniment to our record investment in renewables.
“Our agreement also outlines a responsible transition of the NSW electricity sector to lower emissions technologies, while recognising the critical contribution that energy dependent manufacturing jobs make to the economy.
“Energy security is an important issue for all states and territories and we are committed to continuing our investment in supporting the security of the National Electricity Market so all Australians have access to reliable power,” the Prime Minister said.
“NSW already has a pipeline of around $26 billion of large scale renewable and non-renewable energy projects and the NSW Government has introduced a range of rebates to help keep prices down as well as a five-year $1.4 billion Climate Change Fund,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“Our agreement with the Commonwealth today will ensure we continue to strengthen and diversify our energy sector here in New South Wales – securing traditional energy sources whilst growing renewable energy investment across the state.
This is the first of a series of state bilateral energy agreements between the Federal Government and state and territory governments.

The Australian Government is working across agencies to assist the departure of isolated and vulnerable Australians from Wuhan and to put strict quarantine arrangements in place.
Australian diplomatic and consular staff have been working very closely with the Chinese authorities and with other partner countries to develop options for the departure of Australians in Wuhan and Hubei Province, in what continues to be a difficult and complex situation.
The Australian Embassy in Beijing is now seeking formal approval from the Chinese Government to send a plane to Wuhan to assist the departure of Australians from Hubei Province.
We thank the Chinese Government for the cooperative way they have dealt with Australian counterparts and those of other countries who have citizens in Wuhan and Hubei province.
Australians departing on any flight arranged by the Australian Government will be flown to Christmas Island to undertake a period of quarantine of up to 14 days based on current medical advice, as a condition of their assisted departure.
They will also be required to commit to making a contribution to the cost, consistent with normal arrangements in these circumstances.
This will ensure we are also prioritising public health in Australia.
A consular team is positioned to support an assisted departure. A temporary Consular office is being set up in Wuhan to work with local authorities to help give effect to this plan. We do not have a permanent consular presence in Wuhan.
An Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) will provide medical support and expert advice to returning Australians upon arrival at Christmas Island.
There are just over 600 Australian citizens currently registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We will seek to speak with each of them in relation to the Government’s announcement. Our focus and priority is on vulnerable and isolated citizens.
We are endeavouring to make further contact with those people who have provided us their details. Contact can be difficult due to high demand on phone lines in China. We request that those who have registered their details contact DFAT again if they have not spoken to Australian consular officials in the past 24 hours. The DFAT emergency number is +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas or 1300 555 135 if you are calling from Australia on behalf of a family member.
We also thank Qantas, which has offered to support Australians out of Wuhan if the authority to proceed is provided.
We understand this is a very stressful time for those impacted. We encourage people to make contact with family and friends, stay in touch with travel providers and contact your insurers. Australians should continue to follow all health precautions which are available on the Smart Traveller website – www.smartraveller.gov.au.
We advise that Australians do not travel to Hubei Province and reconsider their need to travel to China overall.
There is still significant work to do but we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that we can help Australians to leave Wuhan as soon as possible.

The Australian Greens today condemned US President Donald Trump’s blatantly unfair “peace” proposal for Israel and Palestine, which would instead further entrench injustice and conflict in the Middle East.
“This proposal is not worth the paper it’s written on. It fails to provide the minimum requirement for a Palestinian State and rewards breaches of international law like the Israeli Government’s flagrant settlement building,” said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.
“This is very clearly a political document drafted by men who are desperate to distract from the corruption allegations that surround them. The Palestinian people have been excluded from this process and will be forced to reject this deal, because it compels them to effectively live on scraps of territory.
“The Australian Greens call on the Coalition and the Labor Party to condemn this terrible proposal, and clearly communicate to the US and Israeli Governments that it will further entrench conflict and division. It is critical that Australian voices speak out before we see emboldened ultranationalists illegally annexing even more territory.”

The Australian Government is working across agencies to assist the departure of isolated and vulnerable Australians from Wuhan and to put strict quarantine arrangements in place.
Australian diplomatic and consular staff have been working very closely with the Chinese authorities and with other partner countries to develop options for the departure of Australians in Wuhan and Hubei Province, in what continues to be a difficult and complex situation.
The Australian Embassy in Beijing is now seeking formal approval from the Chinese Government to send a plane to Wuhan to assist the departure of Australians from Hubei Province.
We thank the Chinese Government for the cooperative way they have dealt with Australian counterparts and those of other countries who have citizens in Wuhan and Hubei province.
Australians departing on any flight arranged by the Australian Government will be flown to Christmas Island to undertake a period of quarantine of up to 14 days based on current medical advice, as a condition of their assisted departure.
They will also be required to commit to making a contribution to the cost, consistent with normal arrangements in these circumstances.
This will ensure we are also prioritising public health in Australia.
A consular team is positioned to support an assisted departure. A temporary Consular office is being set up in Wuhan to work with local authorities to help give effect to this plan. We do not have a permanent consular presence in Wuhan.
An Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) will provide medical support and expert advice to returning Australians upon arrival at Christmas Island.
There are just over 600 Australian citizens currently registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We will seek to speak with each of them in relation to the Government’s announcement. Our focus and priority is on vulnerable and isolated citizens.
We are endeavouring to make further contact with those people who have provided us their details. Contact can be difficult due to high demand on phone lines in China. We request that those who have registered their details contact DFAT again if they have not spoken to Australian consular officials in the past 24 hours. The DFAT emergency number is +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas or 1300 555 135 if you are calling from Australia on behalf of a family member.
We also thank Qantas, which has offered to support Australians out of Wuhan if the authority to proceed is provided.
We understand this is a very stressful time for those impacted. We encourage people to make contact with family and friends, stay in touch with travel providers and contact your insurers. Australians should continue to follow all health precautions which are available on the Smart Traveller website – www.smartraveller.gov.au.
We advise that Australians do not travel to Hubei Province and reconsider their need to travel to China overall.
There is still significant work to do but we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that we can help Australians to leave Wuhan as soon as possible.

Funding for farmers, small businesses, families and schools in drought-affected communities across Australia will now start rolling out as part of a $57 million support package.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was important that those people and businesses suffering from the drought continued to get the support they need.
“While we know the nation has been gripped in recent months by the bushfire crisis I want all Australians impacted by drought to know that you have remained firmly in our Government’s focus,” the Prime Minister said.
“You remain at the centre of relief, response and recovery plans for the future and making Australia more resilient to these challenges in the future.
“This funding will support local tourism initiatives, new infrastructure and amenities, and funding to help non-government schools facing financial hardship as a result of drought.”
Minister for Drought David Littleproud said an additional 52 councils would now receive up to $1 million under the extended Drought Communities Programme, determined by rainfall data and both agricultural and broader employment information.
“We will distribute $47 million to drought effected areas based on population, providing councils of less than 1,000 people with $500,000 and those with a larger population with $1 million to ensure we continue to provide appropriate, tailored support,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Drought doesn’t just hurt farmers, it goes out the farm gate. It hurts small businesses and the wider community as well, but this extra funding keeps money flowing through affected areas.
“Funding will support events that create jobs, boost tourism and improve community wellbeing, and enable construction of infrastructure that encourages people to stop in these small towns.
“So far, the DCP extension has funded over 300 projects, such as the construction of amenities blocks, potable water supply, local tourism assets, community resilience events and employing local drought support officers.”
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Government was committing an additional $10 million to ensure families affected by drought are supported to continue accessing education.
“We have doubled our drought relief support for non-government schools to $20 million to help more schools across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia keep their doors open,” Minister Tehan said.
“Many of these schools have been taking money out of their own pockets to waive fees and subsidise fees to ensure that families can continue to send their children to school.
“This additional funding will ensure students don’t have their education interrupted as a result of financial hardship caused by drought.”
Since the election the Government has rolled out more than $1 billion in extra grants and payments to support drought-affected communities.
Today in Orange the advisory board of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency will meet for the first time, working with the National Farmers Federation to improve access to support programs for affected farms and communities across all levels of government.
A list of the additional councils made eligible for the DCP Extension can be found below. A full list of eligible councils for the DCP Extension can be found at business.gov.au/dcp

New South Wales
Clarence Valley	Junee	Lismore	Richmond Valley	Snowy Monaro
Cootamundra-Gundagai	Kempsey
Northern Territory
Barkly	Central Desert
Queensland
Bundaberg	Scenic Rim
South Australia
Barossa
Tasmania
Devonport
Victoria
Benalla	Greater Shepparton	Moira	Wangaratta
Western Australia
Albany	Carnamah*	Dumbleyung*	Kent*	Narembeen*
Beverley	Coorow	Esperance	Kojonup	Pingelly
Bridgetown-Greenbushes	Corrigin	Gnowangerup	Kulin*	Plantagenet
Brookton*	Cranbrook	Irwin	Lake Grace	Quairading
Broomehill-Tambellup	Dandaragan	Jerramungup	Mingenew*	Ravensthorpe
Bruce Rock*	Denmark	Katanning	Moora	Three Springs*
Busselton	Donnybrook-Balingup	Kellerberrin	Nannup	Wickepin*

*Denotes councils with populations of less than 1,000 and receiving $500,000 in funding.
All other councils have populations of 1,000 or greater and will receive $1 million in funding.
Funding for farmers, small businesses, families and schools in drought-affected communities across Australia will now start rolling out as part of a $57 million support package.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was important that those people and businesses suffering from the drought continued to get the support they need.
“While we know the nation has been gripped in recent months by the bushfire crisis I want all Australians impacted by drought to know that you have remained firmly in our Government’s focus,” the Prime Minister said.
“You remain at the centre of relief, response and recovery plans for the future and making Australia more resilient to these challenges in the future.
“This funding will support local tourism initiatives, new infrastructure and amenities, and funding to help non-government schools facing financial hardship as a result of drought.”
Minister for Drought David Littleproud said an additional 52 councils would now receive up to $1 million under the extended Drought Communities Programme, determined by rainfall data and both agricultural and broader employment information.
“We will distribute $47 million to drought effected areas based on population, providing councils of less than 1,000 people with $500,000 and those with a larger population with $1 million to ensure we continue to provide appropriate, tailored support,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Drought doesn’t just hurt farmers, it goes out the farm gate. It hurts small businesses and the wider community as well, but this extra funding keeps money flowing through affected areas.
“Funding will support events that create jobs, boost tourism and improve community wellbeing, and enable construction of infrastructure that encourages people to stop in these small towns.
“So far, the DCP extension has funded over 300 projects, such as the construction of amenities blocks, potable water supply, local tourism assets, community resilience events and employing local drought support officers.”
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Government was committing an additional $10 million to ensure families affected by drought are supported to continue accessing education.
“We have doubled our drought relief support for non-government schools to $20 million to help more schools across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia keep their doors open,” Minister Tehan said.
“Many of these schools have been taking money out of their own pockets to waive fees and subsidise fees to ensure that families can continue to send their children to school.
“This additional funding will ensure students don’t have their education interrupted as a result of financial hardship caused by drought.”
Since the election the Government has rolled out more than $1 billion in extra grants and payments to support drought-affected communities.
Today in Orange the advisory board of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency will meet for the first time, working with the National Farmers Federation to improve access to support programs for affected farms and communities across all levels of government.
A list of the additional councils made eligible for the DCP Extension can be found below. A full list of eligible councils for the DCP Extension can be found at business.gov.au/dcp

New South Wales
Clarence Valley	Junee	Lismore	Richmond Valley	Snowy Monaro
Cootamundra-Gundagai	Kempsey
Northern Territory
Barkly	Central Desert
Queensland
Bundaberg	Scenic Rim
South Australia
Barossa
Tasmania
Devonport
Victoria
Benalla	Greater Shepparton	Moira	Wangaratta
Western Australia
Albany	Carnamah*	Dumbleyung*	Kent*	Narembeen*
Beverley	Coorow	Esperance	Kojonup	Pingelly
Bridgetown-Greenbushes	Corrigin	Gnowangerup	Kulin*	Plantagenet
Brookton*	Cranbrook	Irwin	Lake Grace	Quairading
Broomehill-Tambellup	Dandaragan	Jerramungup	Mingenew*	Ravensthorpe
Bruce Rock*	Denmark	Katanning	Moora	Three Springs*
Busselton	Donnybrook-Balingup	Kellerberrin	Nannup	Wickepin*

*Denotes councils with populations of less than 1,000 and receiving $500,000 in funding.
All other councils have populations of 1,000 or greater and will receive $1 million in funding.

Access to a cutting edge and potentially curative cancer therapy will be expanded for patients with particular forms of lymphoma, following a positive recommendation from the medical experts on the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC).
Between 200 and 250 additional cancer patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, Transformed Follicular Lymphoma and Primary Mediastinal B Cell Lymphoma, are expected to benefit from access to the CAR T-cell therapy, Kymriah®, each year.
Kymriah is a type of CAR T-cell therapy that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The patients T cells are extracted from the body, genetically reengineered and programmed to recognise and destroy cancer cells, and then reimplanted into the body.
Together with states and territories, the Government currently provides Kymriah to children and young adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia for free.
Treatment would cost more than $500,000 for each patient without Government funding.
The agreement with Novartis to extend the availability of this treatment to patients with some types of lymphoma through the public health system, follows a positive recommendation from the medical experts on the MSAC. An MSAC recommendation and agreement with the supplier is an essential step in the public funding process.
Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma is the most common type of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. Most patients respond very well to current treatments, but for a small number of patients the disease relapses or is resistant to everything available.
Transformed Follicular Lymphoma and Primary Mediastinal Large B Cell Lymphoma are less common types of lymphoma that can also be hard to treat in some patients.
Treatment with Kymriah gives patients a new chance at achieving remission.
As Kymriah is a highly specialised treatment, it is delivered to patients in specialised tertiary public hospitals.
Melbourne is also set to become one of the few cities in the world to manufacture CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, with the signing of an historic partnership agreement between Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, to manufacture Kymriah in Melbourne.
The Government welcomes this announcement.
This historic partnership agreement adds to the Morrison Government’s broader commitment to the Parkville Precinct and Victoria as a world leading health and medical research centre, with a particular focus on cancer.
It follows our $460 million investment in a range of health and medical research centres throughout the state, including $80 million to establish the Centre for Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
The Centre for Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy is supporting the capacity and capability of Australia’s leading cancer specialists to use CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of certain types of cancer.
The manufacture of Kymriah at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre means patient cells will no longer need to be shipped overseas for processing.
Australia will become one of the few countries in the world to manufacture CAR T-cell therapies.
This demonstrates the advanced medical manufacturing capabilities we have in Australia and Victoria.
The Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable treatments, when they need them, remains rock solid.

Labour force figures released today by the ABS exceeded all market expectations in December 2019, with seasonally adjusted employment rising by 28,900 over the month, to stand at a record high of 12,981,600.
Over the year to December 2019, employment has risen by 262,500 (or 2.1 per cent), above the decade average growth rate, of 1.8 per cent.
Seasonally adjusted full-time employment is now at 152,700 (or 1.8 per cent), which is higher than it was a year ago.
Full-time employment has comprised 58.2 per cent of total employment growth over the last year.
Part-time employment rose by 29,200 in December and is now 109,900 (or 2.7 per cent) higher than it was a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points over the month, to 5.1 per cent in December 2019.
The participation rate was steady in December 2019, at 66.0 per cent, but is 0.3 percentage points higher than it was a year ago.
The Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, welcomed today’s positive figures and noted that while labour force figures can jump around from month-to-month, a total of 1,505,400 jobs had been created since the Government came to office, an increase of 13.1 per cent.
“The Government is also facilitating a record infrastructure spend, which will help create tens of thousands of jobs across the country and also has a plan to create 80,000 apprenticeships,” the Minister stated.
“Today’s data continue to reflect the underlying strength and resilience of the Australian labour market and highlight the success of the Government’s efforts to stimulate ongoing, sustainable jobs growth, even in the face of significant global and domestic headwinds,” the Minister said.