Category: Australian News

The Albanese Labor Government is working with the Minns NSW Government to deliver a new $25 million program to help apartment residents save up to $600 on their energy bills annually.

The Solar for Apartment Residents incentive is the first-of-its-kind in NSW and provides co-funding to eligible owners’ corporations and strata managers to install shared rooftop solar systems.

Currently one in five NSW homes are apartments, yet only about 3.5 per cent of those are connected to solar.

This program will expand access to renewable technology and lower the cost of resident’s power bills.

It will cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of installing shared solar systems on apartments or other multi-unit dwellings, up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.

The incentive is funded by the Albanese Labor Government’s Solar Banks Scheme, which is focused on removing the barriers to accessing solar nationwide, and is a key action in the NSW Government’s Consumer Energy Strategy.

The program is designed and administered by the NSW Government, which will assess and approve applications, distribute funding to grant recipients and oversee the delivery of funded projects.

Owner’s corporations or strata managers of apartments or other multi-unit dwellings with 3-55 units that haven’t had a solar PV system installed in the last 10 years are eligible to apply.

Applications are now open and will close on 1 December 2025 or when funding is exhausted.

For more information on the initiative and to check your eligibility, visit Solar for apartment residents

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is Building Australia’s future. We want to makes sure all Australians have the services and the infrastructure they need now and into the future.

“That’s why we are working with the Minns Government to encourage the use of solar panels and help slash the cost of people’s power bills.

“This is good for families and good for the environment.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen

“We want to make it cheaper and easier for every Australian to install rooftop solar, because whether a home is a house or apartment, everyone should be able to take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to bust bills for good.

“In the past it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar- but Labor is helping households overcome those barriers and powering more Australian homes with renewables.”

NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe

“We’re excited to launch this initiative here in NSW, making solar power more accessible and affordable for the many people who live in apartments.

“Solar should be available to everyone. This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar.”

Information for media: Ashfield Case Study

Overview

• The apartment building is a three-level brick block with nine units in Ashfield, NSW, built in 1970.
• There is a mixture of owner-occupied and rentals in the building.
• The occupants are a mix of young families, working adults and retirees.

Solar system information

• Installed in December 2021.
• 20kW solar photo-voltaic (PV) system with 55 x 370 W solar panels and a 20-kW inverter powering nine strata units plus the common property, with capacity to export surplus electricity to the grid.
• The system is ‘battery-ready’.

Costs & savings

• Total system cost and cost to install: $50,000 total, paid for with a $5,000 special levy on each unit and the balance taken from the Owners’ Corporation Capital Works Fund.
• Approximate annual energy bill savings: $8,900 for the unit block, which is estimated to be $990 per household.
• Savings they would have received under the SoAR grant program: With a total system cost of $50,000, they could have been eligible to receive grant funding of up to $25,000 from SoAR.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Higher Education Senator Mehreen Faruqi has slammed universities for trying to shut down criticism of Israel by adopting a definition of anti-semitism that has been called “dangerous, politicised and unworkable” by the Jewish Council of Australia. 

o Senator Faruqi:

“Shamefully, universities have betrayed their students, their staff and their reputation by shutting down free speech and criticism of Israel. They are weaponising anti-semitism to sanitise campuses of anyone who speaks up for Palestinian human rights or against Israel’s genocide and occupation. 

“I’ve taught in universities for more than a decade, and I’ve never been more ashamed of how far the academic integrity of universities has fallen. Universities should be spaces for critical thought, open debate, and intellectual diversity, not for political censorship. 

“By adopting a definition of anti-Semitism that threatens academic freedom, silences Palestinian voices, and prevents legitimate criticism of Israel, they have failed their staff, students, and the very mission of higher education.

“Universities have shown utter cowardice in succumbing to conservative political forces and the Murdoch media, rather than standing up and defending political debate. They are also taking advantage of this political moment to silence legitimate criticism of their partnerships with companies complicit in genocide.

“Universities should be politically active places encouraging critical thinking and debate not quashing it with dangerous censorship. This is all embarrassing and galling at the same time.”

The Albanese Government has today launched A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India, to maximise Australia’s trade opportunities, benefit our businesses and consumers, secure our supply chains, and create jobs.

India’s economy is on track to be the world’s third largest by 2030, and Australia is working to realise the enormous trade and investment opportunities that come with this.

The Roadmap sets out a pathway to focus our ongoing efforts, including to boost two-way investment, and work with Indian-Australian communities and businesses. It identifies four ‘superhighways of growth’ in sectors where we have natural strengths and a competitive edge: clean energy, education and skills, agribusiness, and tourism.

It also identifies nearly 50 specific opportunities to focus and accelerate our engagement across fields such as defence industries, sports, culture, space, and technology.

To help kick start this ambitious plan, we are investing $16 million for a Australia-India Trade and Investment Accelerator Fund, which will help Australian business unlock new commercial opportunities in India.

We are also investing an extra $4 million for our Maitri (‘friendship’) Grants program, enhancing our people-to-people, business-to-business and cultural links.

Our free trade agreement with India, has saved Australian businesses hundreds of millions of dollars and is on track to save exporters around $2 billion in tariffs by the end of the year.

The savings are having a direct impact for Australians, reducing costs at the checkout and creating local jobs.

Australia continues to make progress in its negotiations with India on a new free trade agreement, which will unlock even more trade opportunities for Australian business.

The Roadmap is informed by over 400 consultations across every state and territory, as well as in India.

Imagery will be available from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Media Library, and a live stream of remarks on Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Youtube channel.

the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“India is an essential partner as we diversify our trade links to boost prosperity for all Australians.

“This Roadmap is critical to helping us fully realise our potential with India, which will be a boon to Australia’s economy, our businesses and jobs, and our prosperity”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong:

“Growing Australia’s economic security and diversifying our partnerships is a key element of our statecraft and central to our national interest.

“By boosting our economic ties with India, we are not only creating more jobs and opportunities for Australians, we are advancing our shared interest in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell:

“Australia has a rich and diverse Indian community, with strong personal and economic ties.

“The potential of our relationship with India is almost unmatched, opening a fast growing market of over 1.4 billion people.

“The Roadmap, the result of significant consultation with businesses and the community, offers a blueprint for Australian businesses to seize this extraordinary opportunity”

The ACT Greens have called on the ACT Government to step up their support for the Brindabella Christian College community as students, parents, teachers and staff are being left in the dark about the future of the school.

“We are alarmed that a rogue private operator has been allowed to descend into this level of turmoil without stronger, swifter government intervention,” said Laura Nuttall MLA, ACT Greens spokesperson for education.

On Sunday it was revealed that many staff at Brindabella Christian College had not been paid their salaries this week, as the future of the school remains in doubt. The school also owes money to staff in superannuation and over $8 million to the Australian Taxation Office.

“Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and staff are rightly concerned about the school’s future, and the subsequent impact on educational outcomes for students and employment security for staff.

“We’ve spoken to many families, including those involved in the group Reform BCC who are invested in the future of the school and they are rightly disappointed with the Government’s lack of action.

“The ACT Government has an obligation to ensure that every child in the ACT has access to a good education. There must be greater protections in place to ensure that an independent operator cannot get to this point.

“The ACT Greens are urging the ACT Government to take every action they can to support the school community. The ACT Government should seriously look into the feasibility of bringing Brindabella Christian College into public administration in the short term, if that’s what it takes to provide certainty for the BCC community.

“What we have witnessed is the failure of our current regulatory systems to intervene before a school reaches an inevitable crisis point. The regulatory action available to government has not been sufficient to ensure students and staff can confidently return to a safe, well-supported learning environment or, in the latter case, be paid their due salary during a cost of living crisis.

“This is not the first time government has been unable to act swiftly in the face of uncertain conditions for students or delayed payments for staff in a private institution.

“Both the ACT and Commonwealth Governments’ inability to intervene before the majority of staff at Gowrie Genius Childcare resigned over unpaid super and adverse working conditions earlier this year demonstrates that we do not have strong enough regulatory settings for independent education providers.

“The ACT Government needs to enact better legislative safeguards to ensure it is never again in a position where it cannot act swiftly to support student and staff wellbeing.

“The ACT Greens will always advocate for a strong education sector and where this is private it must have sufficient safeguards for the good of students, educators and parents,” said Miss Nuttall. 

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will invest an historic $9 billion into Medicare to fix Labor’s healthcare crisis and ensure all Australians have timely and affordable access to a doctor.   

Under Labor’s bulk billing crisis, it has never been harder and more expensive to see a doctor. Australians are now paying 45 per cent more to see their GP, as bulk billing has collapsed from 88 per cent under the Coalition, to 77 per cent under Anthony Albanese.  

This has had a serious impact on Australians’ access to healthcare at a time when they can least afford it. Last financial year alone saw 40 million fewer bulk billed GP visits under Labor, in comparison to the Coalition’s last year in government.   

This crisis has forced 1.5 million Australians to avoid seeing a doctor in 2023-24, adding further demand to already under-pressure hospitals across the country.  

The Coalition recognises the urgent need for better access to bulk billed services in the middle of Labor’s healthcare crisis.  

That is why a Dutton Coalition Government will match the $8.5 billion investment into Medicare dollar-for-dollar to fix Labor’s mess and restore bulk billing back up to Coalition levels.  

This investment builds on the $500 million commitment already announced by the Coalition to restore critical Medicare funding for mental health support, after it was slashed in half by the Albanese Government. We continue to call on Labor to match this funding and support vulnerable Australians with more complex or chronic mental health conditions.  

The Coalition welcomes the Government’s decision to finally listen to our calls to address the health workforce crisis with a comprehensive package of training measures. The Coalition led the way with our $400 million plan to grow a strong pipeline of homegrown GPs, which will provide junior doctors who choose to train as a GP in the community with financial incentives, assistance with leave entitlements and training support, to help fill the shortages in our suburbs and regional areas.  

In Government, the Coalition increased hospital funding by 16 per cent and established the now $22 billion Medical Research Future Fund which has delivered cutting edge research, medical breakthroughs and advancements for all Australians.  

The Coalition supported the additional $1.7 billion in funding for the public hospital system, because we know that Labor’s primary care crisis is putting unprecedented pressure on our hospitals.  

The Coalition has a strong record on health.

Without sound and prudent economic management – something Labor is incapable of – investments like this cannot be delivered. Only the Coalition can guarantee a strong economy to deliver better healthcare. 

Fixing Labor’s health care crisis and bulk billing crisis is all part of our plan to get our country back on track.

The Albanese Labor Government is building Victoria’s future, today announcing an investment of more than $3.3 billion in Victoria for new road and rail projects to boost economic growth, improve connectivity and tackle congestion on suburban roads.

We will partner with the Victorian Government to fund and build a rail link to Melbourne Airport, providing new transport options for people in Melbourne’s west.

We will invest an additional $2 billion towards transforming Sunshine Station, as part of our commitment to build the Melbourne Airport Rail – the next important step in Suburban Rail Loop.

This is on top of our existing $5 billion to build the rail line to Tullamarine, taking the overall Commonwealth commitment to $7 billion.

The Victorian Government will also bring forward their Melbourne Airport Rail funding to enable the works at Sunshine Station.

The joint investment will transform Sunshine Station, including extra platforms and a dedicated spur line that will make Sunshine Station the hub for regional rail services connecting to Melbourne Airport.

This funding will also go towards track, bridge and signalling improvements to enable future upgrades to service Melbourne’s north and west, including enabling the commencement of work on the electrification of the Melton Line.

This is a vital part of delivering better services for people in the west going to work, not just the airport.

If you are travelling from regional Victoria, you won’t have to catch a train all the way into Southern Cross and then back out to Tullamarine.

You’ll be able to switch to a direct airport link as soon as your train gets to Sunshine.

And if you’re travelling from the South East you’ll be able make a straight-through trip via the new Metro Tunnel.

The Albanese and Allan Labor Governments are working together to deliver the projects Victoria needs to connect a growing population – including Melbourne Airport, North East Link and the Suburban Rail Loop.

In addition, the Albanese and Allan Governments will invest $1.2 billion in a Suburban Road Blitz; a new package of works to increase capacity and improve efficiency in growth areas surrounding Melbourne.

The first tranche of projects to be delivered, with works to commence later this year, include:

• Old Sydney Road Upgrade, Wallan ($45 million)
• Evans Road Upgrade between Duff Street and Central Parkway in Cranbourne West ($30 million)
• McLeod Rd and Station Street Intersection Upgrade, Carrum ($3 million).

This money is ready, right now, to fix roads in need of repair.

These will be transformative projects for the south east and the north.

Additional projects will be decided in consultation with the Victorian Government.

The Albanese Government will deliver $1 billion towards the Suburban Road Blitz with the Victorian Government delivering $200 million.

In addition, we will continue to deliver the investment Victoria needs including:

• Delivering $325 million towards the Melton line upgrade, to increase the rail capacity by 50 percent;
• $20.5 million towards planning for Melbourne Western Suburbs Rail upgrades;
• $7.05 million towards planning for Melbourne Northern Suburbs rail upgrades;
• Partner with the Victorian Government to deliver $44.8 million of upgrades to the Princes Highway Corridor, with the funding split 50:50 and works to commence later this year.
• $10 million towards a business case to investigate upgrading key roads and structures across the High Productivity Freight Vehicle network, with the Victorian Government to deliver the other $10 million.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is Building Australia’s future – and that means Building Victoria’s future too. We want to make sure all Victorians have the services and the infrastructure they need now and into the future.

“We will partner with the Victorian Government to deliver rail upgrades, while also working to upgrade key roads to provide immediate congestion relief now.

“This is good for local jobs, good local businesses and good for commuters.”

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan

“We’re delighted to have a partner in Canberra who is investing in the infrastructure that Victorians need and delivering much needed projects for a growing population in the west, north and east.”

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King

“Delivering vital upgrades to Sunshine Station and road congestion hotspots will support Melbourne’s growing population by allowing them to move faster and more safely around the city and its suburbs. 

“These projects will enhance the resilience and reliability of the transport network, better connecting people to where they live, work and play.” 

Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams

“Reconfiguring Sunshine Station will not only create more capacity for more services, but also marks the first stage of works for Melbourne Airport Rail and paves the way for future upgrades to electrify the Melton Line.”

Federal Member for Fraser Daniel Mulino

“Melbourne’s west is growing at a rapid rate and upgrading the Sunshine Station will help to accommodate this growth.

“The Australian Government is delivering the world-class infrastructure people in Melbourne’s west need and deserve.”

The Australian Greens have today launched a plan to add ADHD and autism assessments to Medicare, in a bid to save people seeking a diagnosis thousands in out-of-pocket costs.

A core message of the Greens’ plan for minority government is taxing big corporations and billionaires to pay for essential services, including getting dental into Medicare and making it free to see the GP.

Making ADHD and autism assessments available through Medicare is the latest in the Greens’ series of ‘Robin Hood’ reforms aimed at easing the skyrocketing cost-of-living.

Under the Parliamentary Budget Office-costed plan, ADHD and autism assessments would be added to Medicare and could be billed by a paediatrician, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse practitioner or general practitioner.

People of all ages would be eligible to claim the item, and the rebate would be set at the average cost of a diagnosis which would allow health practitioners to bulk bill. 

The plan would cost $181 million dollars over the forward estimates.

There are currently no regulations around the cost of assessments, leading private operators to charge whatever they feel they can get away with. 

In their submission to a 2023 Senate inquiry into Assessment and Support Services for people with ADHD, the ADHD Foundation advised it was aware of some professionals charging up to $5,000 for ADHD assessments.

And in its submission to a 2022 Senate inquiry into Services, Supports and Life Outcomes for Autistic Australians, Australian Autism Alliance revealed details of a survey it conducted in which 40 per cent of respondents reported paying over $1,000 for an autism assessment, with out-of-pocket costs reaching as high as $3,000.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:

”The Greens will make big corporations and billionaires pay tax so you don’t have to pay thousands to get an ADHD or autism diagnosis.

“In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford basic care. Adding ADHD and autism assessments to Medicare will help people around the country get the services and support they need. 

“Labor has already adopted the Greens’ plan to expand Medicare to see the GP for free and getting these assessments covered too, as well as dental and mental health, are logical next steps.

“We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. This election will be the most important in a generation. By electing more Greens we can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act on the cost-of-living crisis.

“With poll after poll indicating we’re headed towards a minority parliament, if people vote Greens we can keep Dutton out and get cost of living relief like adding ADHD and autism assessments, as well as dental and mental health, to Medicare.”

Australian Greens disability spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele-John:

“Neurodivergent people have been left behind in this country for far too long. 

“I’ve heard countless stories of the barriers people are experiencing in accessing a diagnosis; the cost is too high, there are long wait times and there is stigma associated with seeking an ADHD or autism assessment. 

“In the last term of parliament, the Greens established a Senate inquiry on the assessment and support services available to people with ADHD, and by electing more Greens we can get the next parliament to put diagnosis for ADHD and autism into Medicare – making a diagnosis a possibility for thousands of people across Australia. 

“Access to a formal ADHD or autism diagnosis unlocks support, but it currently comes at a hefty price tag. Nobody should have to pay thousands of dollars just to begin the conversation, especially when we know this community is likely already struggling with a lack of support. 

“The Greens are committed to expanding the list of healthcare providers that can undertake an ADHD or autism diagnosis. By allowing a wider range of healthcare providers to diagnose we will reduce wait times, we will bring down the financial barriers, and support our healthcare providers to work to the top of their scope of practice.”

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research released a report on 18 February that shows the Minns Labor Government’s harsher bail laws, harsher penalties and increased prison time for young people is increasing the number of people on remand without reducing the rate of crime or offending in the community. A rally organised by NSW National Party leader Dugald Saunders in Kempsey, calling for further criminalisation of young people will not reduce crime and is shortsighted, reactionary politics driven by fear.

Greens MP and spokesperson for justice Sue Higginson said “The National Party as well as Labor Premier Chris Minns are driving community fear and division in a childish response to a very serious issue. We cannot allow the criminal laws of NSW to be a plaything for weak politicians who are baiting the electorate with scare tactics,”

“Where young people are engaging in crime, it is intellectual dishonesty to ignore the underlying causes of crime in favour of a political campaign of corflutes calling for putting more young people in prison and pushing increased rates of offending by those people throughout their lives. It is also deeply racist given the over representation of First Nations young people this is impacting,”

“The data shows that a year on from the Premier saying he will lock up more young people, the only result is that more young people are in prison, it has not reduced crime. Now, NSW Labor seem committed to extending these draconian laws for another 3 years with more young people in prison being the only evidence they care about,”

“It is telling that Supreme Court judges are among those who are calling out these laws as ‘draconian’, ‘unfairly discriminatory’, and ‘ham-fisted’. It is an extreme rebuke of these laws that senior judges, who, let’s face it, rarely speak out, are so clearly refuting the political fear mongers in the NSW Parliament and warning about the dangerous nature of these laws,”

“If we don’t listen to the actual evidence and we continue to put young people behind bars, we are turning what is a moral panic into a genuine crime spike into the future, remembering there is no real crime spike right now, that youth crime is generally trending downwards. Any localised variations to this trend can and should be dealt with through local responses, such as police surges and more diversionary support and services. Forcing young people into the criminal justice system early in no uncertain terms leads to more serious criminal offending in their adult years, and waging a politically fuelled war against troubled young people is ”

“We should be emptying our youth prisons. If we take a bold and evidence based approach to supporting young people at risk of offending, we can actually reduce the rate of young people offending, and prevent them from re-offending as adults,” Ms Higginson said.

The Greens will eliminate for-profit providers from the employment services system, restore the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES), and abolish all mutual obligations, ending the cruelty and wastefulness of the current Workforce Australia regime.

In addition to the party’s sweeping reforms to employment services, the Greens will also hire additional Centrelink staff to reduce average phone wait times for social security and welfare calls to less than 5 minutes.

Each of these policies has been independently costed by the PBO. Based on this analysis, our plan would be expected to cost approximately $3.6 billion over the forward estimates.

The CES would create thousands of public sector jobs and be universally accessible for anyone who wants it, including those in employment or planning to enter the labour market.

Labor have ignored members of their own government calling for reform, and have failed to act on the recommendations of their own Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services, which found that private employment services had failed and that the system needed to be comprehensively rebuilt.

Greens spokesperson on Social Services and Government Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“The privatised employment services system is costly, ineffective and cruel. It makes it harder for people to look for and find work while enriching for-profit providers, many of whom have demonstrated a callous indifference to the wellbeing of the people they’re meant to help.

“Mutual obligations are not only cruel, they’re completely dysfunctional. Multiple ongoing technology issues have rendered the system almost inoperable, while information that’s recently come to light raises serious questions about the legality of the whole scheme.

“We’d be better off doing away with the system altogether rather than continuing to throw good money after bad on something that is costly to administer and completely counterproductive.

“Labor have shown repeatedly that they’d rather sit on their hands than overhaul a clearly malfunctioning system that’s falling apart at the seams.

“This election the Greens are fighting to keep Dutton out of power, so we can push a minority Labor government to put job services back in government hands, and ensure we have a fit-for-purpose social security system that lifts us all up.”

Greens Public Sector spokesperson, Senator Barbara Pocock:

“Privatisation of employment services has been an abject failure with the brunt of the impact falling on unemployed workers who are being repeatedly penalised, shunted into inappropriate training and used by private service providers as fodder to generate lucrative bonuses. 

“The shortcomings of this failed system have been adequately documented over many years and it’s now time to bring the management of employment services back into the public service. We need to get the profit motive out of employment services and reinstitute a localised service that is in touch with community needs and responds to the aspirations of individual job seekers.

“Efficiency and quality of service are at the heart of this policy which seeks to address years of monumental waste as private for-profit providers have rorted the system at every turn while many job seekers have faced destitution, poverty and homelessness. Bringing back the Commonwealth Employment Service will put people and communities first and bring jobs back to the public sector where there is far greater reliability and accountability.”

Greens candidate for Canberra Isabel Mudford:

“The Canberrans I speak to know that our public service delivers better and fairer outcomes. 

“In a city with strong public service representation, the Greens recognise the failures of privatisation and the harm done by punitive measures imposed by for-profit employment service providers. 

“Reinstating the Commonwealth Employment Service will restore compassion and integrity to our employment services, so that unemployed workers and employers get the support they need.”

The Greens have supported calls from Tasmanian businesses for payments under the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES) to be increased for 12 months pending the results of a full review.

Senator Nick McKim, who was part of the recent Senate Inquiry into the TFES, said that the scheme is no longer fit for purpose and that northbound freight from Tasmania should be better supported while a review is underway. 

“Freight costs across Bass Strait have spiralled while support from the TFES has failed to keep pace.”

“This has been an issue for decades and it needs to be addressed.”

“We remain of the view that whole logs from Tasmania’s native forests should not attract support from the TFES. The mendicant native forest logging industry should not have access to yet another public subsidy.”