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Federal Government disaster payments are available now to eligible residents in eight additional local government areas (LGAs) affected by the severe storms and flooding that continue to impact large areas of New South Wales.

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) is now available in the local government areas of Cumberland, Mid Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Randwick and Warren, which brings the number of LGAs receiving disaster payments as a result of this event to 37.

The assistance has also previously been made available in the local government areas of: Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Dungog, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Liverpool, Maitland, Northern Beaches, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills, Upper Lachlan, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

The one-off AGDRP of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child is available to people who live in those LGAs and who have suffered a significant loss as a result of the floods, including a severely damaged or destroyed home or a serious injury. It is a non-means tested, tax-exempt payment.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance has also been made available to assist employees and sole traders who experience a loss of income as a direct result of a major disaster and is payable for a maximum of 13 weeks. The Disaster Recovery Payment is a taxable, fortnightly payment.

Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt said as areas were disaster declared, the Albanese Government was making sure financial support was extended to residents.

“The floods were widespread and lasted several days, and as the extent of the damage is reported, we are continuing to make sure support is made available,” Minister Watt said.

“This funding will help to provide for immediate needs, including temporary accommodation, food and clothing.”

Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said Services Australia’s priority was helping people access essential disaster assistance.

“Staff from Services Australia are processing claims as quickly as possible to ensure people have money available to meet their immediate needs,” Minister Shorten said.

“Almost 528,000 people affected by the severe storms and flooding in New South Wales have already received more than $436 million in Australian Government disaster assistance.

“The fastest and easiest way for people in these additional LGAs to claim is through myGov.

“If people need help to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency Information Line on 180 22 66.”

The Australian Government Emergency Information Line is available Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, and this coming weekend from 9am to 4pm.

More information about the payments, including all eligible local government areas is available at: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disasterevents

Equivalent financial assistance will also be available to eligible New Zealand citizens (‘non-protected’ Special Category Visas, subclass 444 holders) affected by the floods.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s website at www.recovery.gov.au

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Fiji on Wednesday, 13 July for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting in Suva.

It will be his first visit to the Pacific as Prime Minister.

The first in-person Leaders’ Meeting since 2019 will bring together Pacific leaders to discuss important issues including Pacific unity, climate change, regional security and economic recovery from COVID-19. 

The Forum has been gathering for more than fifty years and brings together heads of government and representatives from the Forum Members.

The Prime Minister will return to Australia on Friday, 15 July.

The Prime Minister said:

“It is a privilege to visit Fiji to participate in the Pacific Islands Forum. I look forward to meeting my fellow Pacific leaders, hearing their priorities and learning from their experiences.

Australia’s partnership with the Pacific is longstanding. The Pacific Islands Forum is the heart of Pacific regionalism – and Australia is a proud founding member.

A strong, united Pacific Islands Forum is vital to protecting our shared interests in a peaceful, prosperous and resilient region and to addressing the pressing challenges our region faces.”

The Federal Environment Minister must rule out approving the 27 new coal projects set to come across her desk according to analysis by the Sunrise Project, the Greens say.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Approving new coal and gas mines that pollute the environment and make climate change worse is a climate crime.

“The Environment Minister needs to stare down the fossil fuel lobby and take a stand for our environment. 

“No mine should be given approval from the Minister without assessing the climate pollution it will create, alongside the the impact on our threatened species. 

“It is a furphy to give ‘environmental approval’ for a coal or gas mine without considering the environmental damage of climate pollution.

“There are 27 coal projects the Environment Minister could rule out today. The cumulative emissions from these projects is 35 times Australia’s annual emissions, there is absolutely no way they can go ahead and any climate target that prevents further warming be met. 

“The Great Barrier Reef will be gone, there will be more fires and floods, and our iconic native species like the koala will no longer exist in the wild. 

“If the environment is really back, then the Minister will prioritise it over new fossil fuel projects that destroy it. 

“The Greens will be pushing in the new parliament for an overhaul of our broken environment laws and the inclusion of  a ‘climate trigger’ that assesses the climate impacts of a mine, development or land clearing proposal. 

“The Albanese Government has an opportunity to rule out any new coal and gas projects at the Pacific Forum this week, and show our neighbours it is serious about tackling the climate crisis and saving our environment.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has called on the government to promise Pacific Leaders that Australia will stop opening coal and gas projects, ahead of the Quad energy meeting with Pacific regional powers in Sydney on Tuesday and the PM’s diplomatic trip to Suva on Wednesday.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:

“Coal and gas will be the real test for Australia in Pacific diplomacy this week.

“Pacific leaders have been explicit: climate action is key to our nations’ relationship, and climate action means no new coal and gas projects.

“New coal and gas projects mean climate destruction. Our Pacific neighbours are already experiencing turbocharged cyclones, storms, landslides and flooding.

“The floods we’ve seen at home in NSW and QLD are becoming business-as-usual across our region.

“Climate change is the number one national security threat to our region. It’s the foundation for all the relationships between the Pacific, Australia and China.

“The strongest action our new Prime Minister can take for national security is promising our neighbours that we will stop opening new coal and gas projects.”

The Albanese Labor Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit will be held at Parliament House in Canberra on 1–2 September.

The Summit will bring together Australians, including unions, employers, civil society and governments to address our shared economic challenges.

Our Government took office at a time of rising inflation and interest rates, falling real wages and a trillion dollars in debt which is now more expensive to service.

Our goal is to build a bigger, better-trained and more productive workforce; boost incomes and living standards; and create more opportunities for more Australians to get ahead and to reach their aspirations.

The Summit will be led by the Prime Minister and Treasurer who will work with all Ministers, with key contributions from Finance Minister and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher, who will have a particular focus on the labour market experiences of women, along with Ministers Burke, Rishworth, O’Connor, O’Neil and Husic.

The themes and outcomes of the Summit will inform the Employment White Paper, which will help to shape the future of Australia’s labour market. It will be led by Treasury, which will invite submissions and engage the wider community over the next 12 months.

The Summit will cover a range of topics with a focus on:

• Keeping unemployment low, boosting productivity and raising incomes
• Delivering secure, well-paid jobs and strong, sustainable wages growth
• Expanding employment opportunities for all Australians including the most disadvantaged
• Addressing skills shortages and getting our skills mix right over the long-term
• Improving migration settings to support higher productivity and wages
• Maximising jobs and opportunities from renewable energy, tackling climate change, the digital economy, the care economy and a Future Made in Australia
• Ensuring women have equal opportunities and equal pay.

We will have more to say about the format of the Summit closer to the event.

For more information, visit Jobs and Skills Summit.

The Government continues to build a stronger, broader and more sustainable economy that works for everyone.

With millions of deaths globally, and over 5,000 in Australia alone, per year attributable to the burning of fossil fuels, leading health professionals and organisations across the country are demanding a ban on fossil fuel advertising in Australia from all levels of government, saying the industry should not be allowed to continue spending over $200 million per year to promote these toxic products to consumers.

Initiated by Comms Declare, a coalition for positive climate action from the communication, creative and advertising sector, the Fossil Ad Ban campaign aims to highlight the hypocrisy of the fossil fuel industry being allowed to market themselves unrestricted across airways, billboards and digital platforms as if they were any other consumer product despite the proven negative health impacts – when the tobacco, gambling, food and alcohol categories cannot for the same reason. 

The campaign is already gaining momentum with support from leading health organisations including the Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association, Australasian Epidemiological Association, Australian Federation of Medical Women, Medical Scientists Association of Victoria and Doctors for the Environment Australia.

In March 2022, Yarra City became the first Council in Australia to move to restrict the promotion of fossil fuels on council-run property. 

A letter signed by 195 health professionals, including surgeons, GPs, nurses, and professors of public health from Australia’s major universities, was sent to the Prime Minister and every Mayor in Australia today calling on other cities and councils, as well as the State and Federal governments, to ban fossil fuel advertising to protect the lives of all Australians. 

Individuals and communities across Australia are being encouraged to send a message of support for change to their local council via the fossiladban.org website. 

Comms Declare Founder, Belinda Noble said “Australia was a world leader in restricting tobacco advertising for the public good, and we can stop the promotion of high emission products for the same reason. There is already global action underway with restrictions imposed in France, Amsterdam and several UK councils, as well as similar restrictions being debated in the EU, U.S.A, Germany, Sweden and Canada. And a quarter of a million people have signed a European Citizen’s Initiative to ban fossil fuel ads and sponsorships across Europe.” 

“We now have a government that is committed to acting on climate change and banning fossil fuel advertising is an obvious next step for them to acknowledge the significant health impact climate change is already having on our children and community.” added Noble.  

Tobacco ban campaigner, author and Emeritus Professor from Sydney School of Public Health Simon Chapman highlighted that “Tobacco advertising is banned in most nations because smoking kills 2 in every 3 of its long term users: 8 million people a year worldwide. But this number is chicken-feed when we consider the existential threat to generations to come of unabated climate change this century caused by frequent extreme weather events, crop failure, conflict caused by population displacement and more. How can we continue to allow the rampant marketing of fossil fuel emitting energy sources to continue when we know what the impact will be and what is at stake?”

Burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of global warming which is driving more intense and frequent heat waves, storms, bushfires and droughts. The impact this will have on human health and our medical systems cannot be underestimated. It is expected that climate change could cause around 83 million human deaths by 2100 if urgent action isn’t taken. Countless more will suffer long-term physical, economic and mental impacts of displacement, loss of life and loss of livelihoods.

Climate Action Health Alliance CEO Roland Sapsford commented, “Fossil fuels are hazardous to human health. From mining and refining through to burning, fossil fuels harm our climate and release toxic pollutants into our air, soil and waterways. We restrict alcohol and tobacco advertising and sponsorship for health reasons. As leading health professionals have said, we need to bring the fossil fuel industry in line with other restricted products. Allowing fossil corporations free rein to promote their harmful products is the last thing people need on the journey to a healthier future.”

ENT Surgeon and founder of Vote Earth Now, Professor Rob Eisenberg said “Our laws are meant to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians. Tobacco advertising is banned because it damages lives and hurts our communities but one of the biggest threats Australians are facing this century is climate change. As this recent election has shown, voters across Australia want to see climate action and this is a clear way forward for governments at all levels to enact change.” 

“Fossil fuel advertisements and sponsorships mislead consumers about dangerous and toxic products and grants corporations disproportionate influence over governments and community debate. The latest IPCC report confirmed that marketing and lobbying by coal, oil and gas corporations is delaying emissions reduction and has set the agenda in Australia. Curbing this propaganda is essential if we are to rapidly move to cleaner energy and a healthier, safer future for all Australians.” added Noble. 

For more details and to support the Fossil Ad Ban campaign visit fossiladban.org