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The Greens have today said the Morrison Government’s Media Code plan is incomplete, calling on the government to include the public broadcasters in the Mandatory Code, ensure the survival of the AAP newswire and protect smaller players.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for Communications and Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said any Code must protect public broadcasting and public interest journalism.
“The ABC is Australia’s most trusted news source and should be included in any reform to tackle the greed of the big tech giants.  It was a deliberate decision to lock the public broadcasters out of the draft code, allowing Facebook and Google to profit from their content for free – the Government should reverse this and drop their relentless attack on the ABC.
“The power and greed of the tech giants is threatening journalism and public access to news. The government’s mandatory ACCC code could be part of the solution but the draft needs fixing and additional measures brought to the table.
“Australia’s media landscape is facing unprecedented challenges. Public interest journalism, reliable local news and trustworthy and informed analysis is essential for a robust and accountable democracy.  The power imbalance between the big tech giants and Australian news organisations is unsustainable.
“It is therefore important that key parts of Australia’s media landscape are protected as part of this process.  There is no reason for the ABC and SBS to be excluded from the Code. Public broadcasters deserve a fair return for what they produce and what the tech platforms benefit from.
“At the same time it is important that Australia’s fact based independent newswire service is supported. It would be unconscionable for the Government not to find a way of supporting AAP while introducing a code that supports other media players. AAP is key media infrastructure that helps new players into the market and diversity across Australia’s media landscape.
“The ACCC’s draft Mandatory Code must guarantee simple and cost effective benefits for small and independent media players, through effective collective bargaining arrangements.
“If the aim of this code is to ensure the viability of Australia’s media, then the Government should ensure ABC is included, that AAP doesn’t fail and that small and independent publishers don’t miss out.
“Public interest journalism is under threat in Australia, whether it be from funding cuts to the ABC, loss of advertising revenue for commercial outlets or the threat of heavy-handed police action that we have seen lately. The Greens’ changes would see the mandatory code go some way to protecting public interest journalism in Australia.
“The Greens reserve our final position on the Mandatory Code until we have seen the legislation.”

The Morrison Government is taking action to secure Australia’s long-term fuel supply, keep prices low for consumers and create over 1000 new jobs with a $211 million investment in building new domestic fuel storage and backing local refineries to stay open wherever commercially possible.
As part of our 2020-21 Budget, the Government will enhance Australia’s fuel security and bolster local industry through a $211 million investment in new domestic diesel storage facilities, reforms to create a minimum onshore stockholding, and measures to support local refineries.
This will be delivered through a combined market and regulatory framework, with three key elements:

• Investing $200 million in a competitive grants program to build an additional 780ML of onshore diesel storage
• Creating a minimum stockholding obligation for key transport fuels; and
• Backing the refining sector by entering into a detailed market design process for a refinery production payment.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s fuel security was essential for our national security and that we had been fortunate to not have experienced a significant fuel supply shock in over 40 years.
“Our positive changes to the fuel market will ensure Australian families and businesses can access the fuel they need, when they need it, for the lowest possible price,” the Prime Minister said.
“Fuel security underpins our entire economy. Not only does it keep Australia moving, the industry supports thousands of people across the country and this plan is also about helping keep them in work.
“Like all sectors of the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on Australia’s fuel industry. The events of 2020 have reminded us that we cannot be complacent. We need a sovereign fuel supply to shield us from potential shocks in the future.”
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Government recognised that Australian refineries are under significant financial pressure and is committed to working with the sector to ensure it has a long-term future.
“Almost all Australians are reliant on fuel and it is the lifeblood of so many sectors in our economy. Our farmers and miners rely heavily on diesel to do their jobs and provide services, while the transport sector sources 98 per cent of its energy from liquid fuels,” Minister Taylor said.
“That’s why it is critical that Australia has control over its fuel security arrangements and the Government is making sure of that.”
The construction of diesel storage will not only secure our diesel supplies but will support up to 950 jobs, along with 75 new ongoing jobs, many in regional areas.
A minimum stockholding obligation will act as a safety net for petrol and jet fuel stocks, and increasing diesel stockholdings by 40 per cent.
The Government will work with industry over the next six months on the legislative and regulatory design of the package.
Refineries play an important role in securing Australia’s fuel security and putting downward pressure on fuel prices for consumers. Modelling has shown that a domestic refinery capability is worth around $4.9 billion (over 10 years) in value to Australian consumers in the form of price suppression.
The Government is committed to a sovereign on-shore refinery capacity despite the threat to the viability of the industry. This is why we will design a market system for a production payment that recognises those fuel security benefits. It has been designed to protect Australian families and businesses from the around 1 cent per litre increase that modelling shows will hit fuel if all refineries close in Australia. For refineries to receive support, they will be required to commit to stay operating in Australia.
The Government recognises that the future refining sector in Australia will not look like the past. However, this framework will protect Australian families and businesses from higher prices and will secure jobs in the fuel sector and in fuel-dependent industries, such as our farmers, truckers, miners and tradies.
Additional measures will also be introduced to reduce the burden on industry and improve fuel market information.
This includes modernising the online fuel reporting system to make it easier for industry to report stock levels to Government and improve the timeliness of data. The Government will also remove the application fees for fuel standard variation requests.
This domestically-focused package builds on Government action to purchase up to $94 million of crude oil at record low global prices to be stored in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve for access during a global emergency.
Supporting our refineries will ensure Australia has the sovereign capability it needs for any event, protect families and businesses from higher prices and support thousands of jobs across the economy as we recover from COVID-19.

From Monday 14 September 2020, Victorians will have access to additional mental health support with 15 new dedicated mental health clinics opening to the public.
The clinics, announced on 17 August as part of a $31.9 million federal government mental health package to support Victorians during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been rapidly rolled out across the state at a cost of $26.9 million.
There will be nine HeadtoHelp clinics located in Greater Melbourne and six in regional Victoria. The locations are:

• Greater Melbourne: Berwick, Frankston, Officer, Hawthorn, Yarra Junction, West Heidelberg, Broadmeadows, Wyndham Vale, Brunswick East
• Regional Victoria: Warragul, Sale, Bendigo, Wodonga, Sebastopol and Norlane.

Our Government recognises that the ongoing restrictions are having a significant impact on the wellbeing and mental health of individuals and communities in Victoria, and is committed to ensuring that support is available.
These new clinics, branded with the HeadtoHelp logo, are a free service and, over the next 12 months, will provide a place within the community for people to access mental health care as early and as conveniently as possible.
The clinics are staffed by multi-disciplinary teams of mental health professionals which may include GPs, mental health nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and/or other allied health workers.
The HeadtoHelp clinics will provide on-site mental health support, and will also connect to other mental health services in their region, including intensive mental health care or social supports, to ensure people get the help they need when they need it.
The clinics will play a key role in supporting our GPs, emergency departments, and hospitals by providing easily accessible mental health care.
The rapid establishment of the clinics has been overseen by a joint federal and state Mental Health Pandemic Response Taskforce co-chaired by Dr Ruth Vine, the Australian Government Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, and Pam Anders, CEO Mental Health Reform Victoria.
This collaboration between the Commonwealth and Victorian governments is ensuring that the new clinics will be integrated with local services and will support other enhancements to Victoria’s mental health system.
The clinics are being delivered by the Commonwealth Government’s Primary Health Networks (PHNs) which play a critical role in commissioning mental health services at a regional level.
In addition to the clinics, $5 million in funding is being provided to enhance existing digital and phone services for specific groups that are experiencing significant challenges during the restrictions in Victoria.
These services providers include The Butterfly Foundation, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), Q-Life, Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA), and Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) Yarning SafeNStrong helpline.
This new support builds on the more than $500 million additional funding provided by our Government for mental health and suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, including 10 additional Medicare subsidised psychological therapy sessions for people subject to further restrictions.
We continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, with estimated annual federal expenditure on mental health services and suicide prevention estimated to be a record of $5.7 billion in 2020-21 alone.
Anyone concerned about their mental health can visit these clinics in person or call 1800 595 212 to talk to a health professional or connect to a service near them.
More information on how to access the HeadtoHelp clinics and additional digital supports can also be found at health.gov.au/resources or headtohelp.org.au.
HeadtoHelp Mental Health Clinic Locations.