Budget 2020-21: Investing in Education and Research

The Morrison Government is investing $51 billion in education to help drive Australia’s recovery from COVID-19 by guaranteeing essential services, including $550.3 million for additional university places and short courses and $1 billion for university research.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said education would be critical to Australia’s COVID-19 economic recovery.
“Our budget is providing funding for research that will drive new technologies and support jobs, improving support for school students and teachers impacted by COVID-19, and supporting working parents with child care needs,” Mr Tehan said.
Universities
The Morrison Government is providing additional new investments in university places, research and key research infrastructure, including:

  • $1 billion to fund research at Australian universities to drive the discovery of new products, ideas and innovations to power our post COVID-19 recovery.
  • $550.3 million for additional university places and short courses, which includes:
  • $298.5 million for an additional 12,000 university places for Australian students in 2021.
  • $251.8 million for an additional 50,000 short course places in 2021.
  • $40 million to fund universities to start projects in their local communities that drive the national interest, including greater collaboration with industry.

Schools
On top of near record and growing funding for schools, the Government has committed an additional $146.3 million to deliver a range of projects to help support students, families, and school communities impacted by COVID-19.
The Government is providing:

  • $38.2 million to support an additional 76,000 disadvantaged young Australians to complete secondary school and move into work, training or further study through the Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
  • $25.0 million to respond to education priorities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • $27.3 million to improve STEM skills in early learners and school students through a range of STEM programs, including the Australian Academy of Science’s STEM programs, the Smith Family’s Let’s Count initiative, Froebel Australia’s Little Scientists, Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) and the CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools initiative.
  • $39.8 million to improve the education and employment prospects for up to 12,500 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, by funding additional places with the Clontarf Foundation.
  • $5.8 million for Good to Great Schools Australia to pilot program in 10 remote schools and expand their Direct Instruction literacy model to include numeracy and science, and to evaluate its impact on student learning in remote communities.
  • $3.0 million over four years from 2020-21 to the Islamic Museum of Australia to develop educational resources and online learning platforms to support social cohesion, multiculturalism and community harmony.
  • $3.0 million over four years from 2020-21 to the Anti-Defamation Commission to create a Holocaust education platform to support inclusiveness, civility and respect.

Early learning and child care
Child care services are vital for so many parents and their children. In 2020-21, the Government will pay approximately $9 billion in Child Care Subsidy payments. Due to the means-tested nature of the subsidy, families who have lost income or work during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to use care will receive a higher level of subsidy.

2020 Budget 2020-21 – Backing Our Farmers, Supporting Disaster Recovery And Protecting Australians

The Morrison-McCormack Government has invested $328 million to grow our food and fibre exports as part of our Economic Recovery Plan for Australia and our commitment to supporting the farm sector’s goal to become a $100 billion industry by 2030.
Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, said the investments we make today will drive jobs and economic growth, cementing agriculture’s role in the nation’s COVID-19 recovery.
“Agricultural exports are critical to Australia’s economic recovery. That’s why this Budget is delivering the $328 million Busting Congestion for Agricultural Exporters Package,” Minister Littleproud said.
“This suite of reforms will modernise Australia’s export systems by slashing red-tape and streamlining regulation and service delivery for our farmers.”
“We’re making it faster and cheaper for farmers to get their product to market, while retaining the levels of quality and assurance that have made our exports world-class.”
“These investments form part of our Ag 2030 Plan, supporting industry to grow Australian agriculture to a $100 billion by 2030 through modern export systems.”
The support the Australian Government is providing includes:

  • $222.2 million over 4 years for digital services to take farmers to market. This will deliver a modern and reliable digital service to help farmers do business quickly and cost effectively – a single touch point for exporters that is available 24/7.
  • $14.3 million over 3 years for improving regulation post COVID-19 including targeted intervention for the seafood and live export sectors and providing dedicated case managers to help new exporters get on the front foot and existing exporters to expand and diversify their markets.
  • $10.9 million over 3 years for building a more competitive export meat industry and working with industry to streamline export and production costs to remain competitive.
  • $10 million over 4 years for busting congestion for plant export industries. Streamlining border clearances for plant exports by reducing manual processes and improving service times and cost savings for exporters.
  • $71.1 million over 3 years for Australian export services critical to ensuring our products make it to export markets.

Minister Littleproud says “These investments will accelerate innovation and agricultural trade growth, build a resilient and agile agriculture sector and create jobs in rural and regional Australia.”

AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the seasonal agricultural workforce, posing major challenges for the 2020-21 summer harvest.
Through the Budget, the Australian Government is investing $17.4 million in relocation assistance and $16.3 million to incentivise young Australians to take up farm work by temporarily changing Youth Allowance (student) and ABSTUDY independence eligibility criteria.

BUSHFIRES AND NATURAL DISASTERS

The Australian Government is working with states and territories to reduce the impacts of bushfires and recognises the importance of having access to a sophisticated aerial firefighting capability to protect communities and support firefighters on the ground.
To ensure there were no delays in preparations this season, the Australian Government has already committed to boosting its funding to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre by $11 million each year, indexed annually.
This brings the annual Australian Government investment to $26 million, and increasing aerial firefighting capacity to meet peak demand across Australia.
The Australian Government continues to fund response to and recovery from national disasters through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
The National Bushfire Recovery Agency was established by the Government in response to the severe impact of the 2019-20 bushfires and has delivered $1.2 billion of $2 billion committed for recovery assistance to support households, businesses and communities impacted by the bushfires.

FLOODS AND DROUGHT

The Australian Government is also committed to supporting communities impacted by the 2019 North Queensland floods and the ongoing drought.
The Government is investing $155.6 million over four years to support drought and flood-impacted communities. This includes:

  • $50.0 million in 2020‑21 to extend the On‑farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme,
  • $19.6 million in 2021‑22 to extend the drought function of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency for a further year to continue coordination and community engagement for the Government’s response and recovery activities; and
  • $86.0 million over four years from 2020‑21, through the Future Drought Fund, to establish eight Drought Resilience and Adoption Hubs that support networks of researchers, farmers, agricultural business and community groups to enhance drought resilience practice, tools and technology.

The Government is also investing $60 million for 2019 Monsoon Trough: A strategy for long-term recovery to provide a blueprint for recovery from and resilience against future economic shocks as a result of natural disasters. The investment will fund five locally led initiatives that support resilience, improve access to reliable and affordable telecommunications and energy services, increase disaster planning and preparedness, encourage economic diversification and support the mental wellbeing of young people.

2020-21 Budget – Manufacturing Australia’s Future

The Morrison Government is backing Australian manufacturing, as well as the science and research that underpins it, as part of our Economic Recovery Plan to lead the nation out of the COVID-19 crisis by creating the jobs needed now and for generations to come.
The 2020-21 Budget includes an investment of $1.5 billion over four years for the Modern Manufacturing Strategy to allow Australian manufacturers to scale up, compete internationally and create more jobs.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, said the investments highlight the Government’s commitment to making science and technology work for industry, which is a key pillar of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy.
“A resilient and competitive manufacturing sector should be at the heart of a modern Australian economy and this Strategy will create jobs, drive our economy forward and make Australia more secure.”
“When you combine our new Modern Manufacturing Strategy with the increased funding for the CSIRO, you have a powerful base from which to turbo-charge job creation,” Minister Andrews said.
The centrepiece of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy is the $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, which will see the Government strategically invest in projects that help manufacturers to scale up and create jobs.
“We are putting our money where our mouth is, to galvanise investment in Australian manufacturing,” Minister Andrews said.
The Modern Manufacturing Initiative will support projects within six National Manufacturing Priorities: resources technology and critical minerals processing, food and beverage, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence, and space.
Industry will be engaged to help develop tailored road maps for each of the priority sectors.
The Strategy will also address the competitiveness of individual manufacturers in our priority sectors, with a $52.8 million expansion of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund.
Earlier this year the Government invested $48.3 million to support around 200 projects worth $215 million, which are expected to create 2,600 jobs.
The COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted supply chain issues and opportunities. A $107.2 million Supply Chain Resilience Initiative will support projects that address an identified supply chain vulnerability.
The Budget also includes an additional $459.2 million in funding for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) over four years to address the impacts of COVID-19 on its commercial activities and ensure it is able to continue essential scientific research.
The 2020-21 Budget also includes measures to support the goal of Australia becoming a leading digital economy by 2030, with $29.7 million to help Australian businesses better use digital tools to readjust their operations and processes in a post-COVID economy.
This investment will accelerate the adoption of digital technologies by businesses, create jobs in sectors with high potential for growth, support the use of technology to make business regulatory compliance easier, and boost Australia’s influence over the development and deployment of digital standards.
The Government is committed to realising the potential of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Budget includes:

  • $35.9 million to expand the Boosting Female Founders Initiative.
  • $10 million to extend the successful Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grants program.
  • $2 million to extend the Women in STEM Ambassador initiative. This is also an important part of the Government’s Women’s Economic Security Statement.

The Government is also building sovereign capability in life-saving nuclear medicines with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) receiving an additional $238.1 million over the next four years.

2020-21 Budget: Supporting The Future Of Indigenous Australians

The Morrison Government is investing in new services and initiatives to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have sustained economic and social opportunities as part of our economic recovery plan for Australia.
The Government is also ensuring that the challenges from COVID-19 do not slow down progress towards improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said the Government is reforming the way it works with and for Indigenous Australians, focusing on partnerships and shared decision making to better target investments.
“The 2020-21 Budget continues the Government’s commitment to co-designing the solutions that will positively impact the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Minister Wyatt said.
The Government is rebuilding our economy by stimulating regional economic activity by ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and needs. This will also contribute to Closing the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Business Australia will receive an additional investment of $150 million over three years to deliver 360 home loans for new housing construction in regional Australia.
The extension of Indigenous Business Australia’s Indigenous Home Ownership Programme will support over 1,000 jobs by unlocking financing for shovel-ready construction projects in regional Australia and increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized housing.
The Government is also fulfilling one of its election commitments by finalising the agreement with the Queensland Government to deliver better housing for Indigenous people.
The 2020-21 Budget reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The Government will enhance the next phase of Closing the Gap with an investment of $46.5 million over four years to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations build their capacity and business models.
The Government is also continuing the Return of Cultural Heritage initiative by investing $10.1 million over four years for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) to secure the return of more cultural heritage to traditional owners and custodians.
The recently announced Murray-Darling Basin Package includes $3.1 million to create four new Indigenous River Ranger groups to care for Country which will bring Indigenous knowledge and connection to country to support water and natural resource management activities within the Basin.
The Government is providing $39.8 million over four years for the Clontarf Foundation, including $7.6 million through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy for 2,000 extra scholarships on top of the 10,500 scholarships currently offered under existing arrangements. This new funding provides immediate support for additional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
In addition to these measures, the July Economic and Fiscal Update included $19.8 million to support Indigenous Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic and through the recovery phase. This funding included support to three Commonwealth wholly-owned Indigenous subsidiaries that have been severely impacted in 2020 and funding to support jurisdictions with the cost of implementing COVID-19 related travel restrictions to remote communities.
The Government is also continuing its commitment to the $5.4 billion Indigenous Advancement Strategy. This will see work continuing on projects to reduce the rates of Indigenous incarceration, youth suicide, family and domestic violence as well as improving the health, safety, wellbeing, education, employment and economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Budget demonstrates that the Coalition Government is supporting Indigenous Australians through the COVID-19 pandemic and is working closely with Indigenous communities to invest in local priorities.
The Government believes in working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to make local decisions and give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities the support needed to deliver better life outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Budget fails on Closing the Gap

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe shares the disappointment of Aboriginal communities and peak bodies of the lack of funding for First Nations in the 2020-21 Budget, in particular the lack of funding to achieve Closing the Gap strategy.
“I’ve been in the senate for one day and this Budget has been a clear example of how this government treats the  First People of this country,” said Senator Thorpe, Greens First Nations spokesperson.
“Not even two months ago the Morrison government recalibrated all of the Closing The Gap targets and they have failed again, they have no intention of Closing the Gap, thats been blatantly clear in this budget.
On July 30 this year the Morrison government told the country it had been working with Aboriginal community leaders on developing a refreshed Closing the Gap strategy, this is all talk and no action.
At the time a $46.5 million commitment was made over four years to community-controlled organisations to “build their capacity and business models”, however no additional funding to Aboriginal communities has been allocated in the 2020-21 Budget.
And the lack of new funding is a further insult when $52 million has been given to the gas industry alone.
“This Budget shows that it’s business as usual, more money to desecrate our land and water,  and destroy the climate. Meanwhile Aboriginal people are given the trinkets of the budget,” Senator Thorpe said.
“All I see in this Budget is government mates being looked after, rich getting richer and poor getting poorer and no guarantee for grassroots people who need it most.
“Deals with non-Aboriginal corporates and infrastructure projects with no guarantee of jobs or business opportunities for Aboriginal people are not going to fix things. This is a Budget for the millionaires, not the millions of unemployed and struggling people in this country.”

An Anti-Education Budget

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi spokesperson has said that from early learning through to university and vocational training, the 2020-21 budget fails public education.
Senator Faruqi said:
“There’s nothing new in the budget for early childhood education. The government kept the sector on life support at the start of Covid-19, but early childhood education and care has been completely neglected now. Make early learning fee-free and everyone benefits.
“The public-private school funding gap remains disgusting. Private schools will receive $19 billion more than public schools over the next four years. The gap is growing, too. It’s time for the government to rip up the private school special deals and properly fund our public schools.
“Vocational education continues to be neglected and cut over the medium term. Well-funded and fee-free public TAFE, not privatisation and a mishmash of microcredentials, is the answer to giving everybody the opportunity to study, upskill and retrain throughout life.
“Funding a few short courses instead of making generational investment in post-school education is a naked attempt by the Liberals to save money and throw their for-profit education provider mates a bone.
“Let’s be clear about the supposed ‘new money’ for university research in the budget. It will barely cover the university funding cuts the government is ramming through right now, and won’t come near the loss from international students and projects on hold.
“We need generational new investment in research to aid our recovery, JobKeeper for universities to retain researchers who have lost their jobs, and free university for all to develop new talent,” she said.

Housing And Homelessness Funding Left Out In The Cold

Australian Greens Housing spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said the 2020-21 budget delivers nothing for social housing while cutting funding for homelessness services. Millions will be let down and thrust into very difficult circumstances by the Liberals’ failure to commit to funding basic services.
Senator Faruqi said:
“This budget is an abject failure for social housing. During Covid-19, there has almost been a political consensus that strong investment in social housing would be needed to build homes and create jobs. But the Liberals have left many out in the cold.
“With Covid-19 government support being cut back and more Australians at risk of homelessness while we remain stuck in recession, we urgently need more social housing to ensure everyone has a roof over their head.
“The government has cut funding for homelessness. More than $40 million will be cut from National Housing and Homelessness Agreement funding in 2021, putting services and their clients in the lurch.
“This inhuman budget has billions for corporations, but cuts for people experiencing or at risk of being homeless.
“It’s actually quite unbelievable that the Liberals would neglect essential housing services at this time. They had no problem finding almost $700 million for expensive renovation handouts through the HomeBuilder program,” she said.

Newcastle Libraries have more for members: including an extended fee free period

As part of the City’s response to COVID-19 overdue fines were suspended for an initial 6 months. However our community is continuing to face challenges so we’ve extended the fee free period to the middle of next year.
Since the pandemic we’ve had more than 1,300 new library members and we’re constantly looking at ways we can continue to provide them with more. More access, more services, and more ways to connect.
Extending our fines free period is another way we can offer more to all Library members. Plus we hope it will encourage new people to join and discover all their local library has on offer.
Membership is free and open to anyone who lives, works or regularly travels in the Newcastle region.  Find out more about becoming a member here or contact the Library team on 4974 5300

Seed library harvests new community partnership

Newcastle Libraries will harvest the flourishing momentum for home vegetable gardens with the launch of the City’s first free Seed Library today.
One of the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a national surge in the number of people growing their own fresh herbs and vegetables at home.
NewcastleSeedLibrary-1.jpgNewcastle Libraries will help cultivate this trend further by offering a variety of free seeds that residents can ‘borrow’ from the library to plant in their own gardens.
Residents will be encouraged to share in the fruits of each other’s labour by returning seeds from their ensuing harvest to the library in order to help re-stock and expand the collection.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said the Newcastle Seed Library was an innovative community partnership project that would continue to flourish and grow as more people became involved.
“Gardening is a fantastic pastime with many benefits for your physical and mental health and wellbeing,” Cr Clausen said.
“Growing your own vegetables is also a fantastic way to teach children about the life cycle of plants, while learning new seed-saving skills yourself. The best thing is you don’t need a huge amount of space to get started, with many of the plants able to be grown in pots.
“City of Newcastle already has for years been collaborating with residents to successfully establish community gardens throughout the local government area. The Seed Library initiative takes that support one step further by offering free, easy to grow seeds that locals can take and plant in their own gardens.”
The Newcastle Seed Library will start with certified organic varieties including basil, tomato, zucchini, pumpkin and bush bean.
Manager Libraries and Learning Suzie Gately said residents were encouraged to stay involved beyond their initial library ‘loan’ by returning their own seeds to share with the community.
“Our motto is ‘borrow and grow, harvest and share’. Newcastle Libraries members are invited to take home the free seeds for their garden, grow and return the same variety after harvest, and add other varieties of seeds to the library too,” Ms Gately said.
“Sharing seeds through the Newcastle Seed Library will help preserve rare, tasty and historical varieties for gardeners in our community, while the return of successful seeds will allow us to develop a collection adapted to local conditions.”
The Seed Library is being piloted at Wallsend Library from 6 October, with additional branches to potentially be added depending on demand.
Locals will be encouraged to subscribe to the Newcastle Seed Library newsletter for free seed saving tips, while tutorials on the Newcastle Libraries website and regular free seed saving workshops will help them build skills and confidence to grow from seed.
For more information visit the Newcastle Seed Library website.

NSW LIBERALS: 2020-21 FEDERAL BUDGET

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet tonight welcomed the Federal Government’s job-creating budget which provides significant tax relief for hard working Australians, supports businesses, and boosts investment in key infrastructure projects across NSW.
Mr Perrottet commended federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison for delivering a budget which provides “support and hope” for Australians in the midst of the most challenging economic environment in a generation.
“This is a budget which will create thousands of new jobs, deliver vital infrastructure projects for the people of NSW, and help stimulate the economic recovery through Government spending and tax cuts,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Businesses doing it tough have been thrown a lifeline with the ability for them to write-off the full value of eligible assets, and offset losses incurred out to June 2022, providing support when it is needed most.”
Mr Perrottet said the Commonwealth’s $2.7 billion investment in NSW infrastructure projects would help ensure a strong pipeline of construction projects and continue to create jobs for years to come, while the JobMaker program will support businesses to keep more Australians working.
The Federal budget also laid bare the true cost of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Australian economy with a forecast national hit of $21.2 billion hit to GST over the forward estimates to 2023-24 since the Federal Government’s update last December. This equates to a potential loss to NSW of $6.2 billion over this period.
“The nation’s two biggest economies, NSW and Victoria, have been hard hit by the pandemic and the resultant drop in GST revenue is something we will overcome as we chart a course of recovery,” Mr Perrottet said.
“When it comes to the economic cost of COVID-19 it impacts us all and it has never been more important to work with the Commonwealth to create as many jobs as possible and chart a course for a strong recovery in the years ahead.”
The NSW State Budget will be delivered on November 17.