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The Albanese Government will invest $13.6 million towards the St George Illawarra Dragons Community and High Performance Centre (CHPC) – a world-class precinct and facility which would create significant legacy for sporting teams, fans and the Illawarra community into the future.

This Federal investment will allow the Dragons’ existing facilities to come together under one roof at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus and allows for new opportunities for the Club’s elite and junior representative programs, as well a community partnership programs.

Critically, the new CHPC will enable increased female participation in sport, with an additional 6,000 women expected to play in the region over the next decade.

Community and High Performance Centres across the country have formed the pathways for so many athletes to go on to major national and international success.

The collaboration between the University of Wollongong and the St George Illawarra Dragons for the CHPC aims to deepen engagement with the wider Illawarra community through partnerships, programs, collaboration and learning.

The Albanese Government’s investment, alongside funding from the NSW Government and the St George Illawarra Dragons Club will deliver:

• Two full-sized NRL playing fields.
• Equitable male and female player facilities.
• Medical and treatment facilities.
• High-performance gym and sport science areas.
• Lecture theatre and meeting rooms.
• Community classroom and program spaces including an internal ‘grandstand’.
• Office space for football, community and administration staff, as well as for community partners.
• Communal function rooms.
• University of Wollongong research collaboration space.
• Allied Health area.

The St George Illawarra Dragons’ CHPC project is due to be completed in 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“My Government understands the important role that community sporting facilities play in the quality of life for Australians.

“Our investment of $13.6 million to the St George Illawarra Dragons’ Community and High Performance Centre will provide a base for the Dragons to deliver the next chapter for the Illawarra.

“The Centre will include world-class high-performance training, administration and community facilities as well as community programs to foster even greater rugby league talent.

“This project will help build a better future for the Dragons, University of Wollongong and the Illawarra community.”

the Minister for Sport, Anika Wells:

“The Albanese Government is determined to bridge gender sporting gaps and this investment in the Dragons new facility will help more women and girls have access to more sport.

“Having equitable male and female player facilities is what women in professional sport deserve.”

the Member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones:

“Sport is a major part of family life across the region, and the St George Illawarra Dragons are an integral part of the Illawarra community.

The Albanese Government is backing our region by investing in a world-class facility and community programs that families across the Illawarra will enjoy.

Kids across the Illawarra will now have access to the best facilities that will grow their love for the game of rugby league, while building resilient and healthy communities.

The Illawarra has a top-notch university and this investment will grow the Illawarra and our regions even further.”

the Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes:

“The St George Illawarra Dragons’ Community and High-Performance Centre will be a game-changer for the Illawarra, providing pathways for inclusive sporting opportunities, and upgrades to our much-needed community and sporting infrastructure.

“This state-of-the-art facility supported by the Albanese Labor Government will foster greater participation in sport – particularly for women and girls – while also supporting First Nations communities, Pasifika groups, and people of all abilities.

“With a strong focus on health, education, and community engagement, the CHPC will connect people through sport, learning, and resilience-building programs in partnership with the University of Wollongong.”

St George Illawarra Dragons CEO, Ryan Webb:

“On behalf of the Dragons, I’d like to sincerely thank Prime Minster Albanese and the Federal Government for believing in our vision and helping this project to become a reality.

“This Community and High Performance Centre will bring all our staff, coaches and male and female players together under one roof in a state-of-the-art facility that will take our preparation to the next level.

“The CHPC will also provide a significant boost to the local community via access to the NRL fields and community and education program spaces.”

I am pleased to announce the recipients of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations grants round for 2024-25, and new appointments to its Advisory Board.

The Foundation is providing 29 grants to support cooperation and engagement between the people of Australia and China. These programs are focused on building capability in Australian industry, boardrooms, community and institutions to foster engagement in a risk-informed way.

The initiatives receiving grants are listed on the Foundation’s website and include: 

• Long-term investment in Australia’s China capability, through scholarships and exchange programs for students, and training and mentoring programs for Australian businesses, academics and members of the public sector.
• Research, dialogue and cooperation in the priority areas of climate change, sustainable agriculture and decarbonisation.
• Celebrating Chinese-Australians with initiatives sharing the stories of those making powerful contributions to our communities.
• Through the convening power of sport, education and the arts, building understanding of Australia in China, and supporting stronger people-to-people connections.

Today I also announce the appointment of Advisory Board members for the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

The Advisory Board helps guide the Foundation in its work to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and China, in support of Australia’s national interest.

I am pleased to appoint Ms Wendy Huang, Publisher and Managing Director, 1688/Chinese Herald Australia to the Advisory Board.

I am pleased to confirm that Mr Rowan Callick, Dr Yin Cao, Ms Wesa Chau, Dr Courtney Fung, Mr Douglas Gautier AM, Ms Marina Go AM, Dr Jade Little, Professor Sharon Lewin AO, Mr Richard McGregor and Professor Rory Medcalf AM have been reappointed to the Advisory Board.

I am also delighted Ms Marina Go AM has accepted my invitation to become Chair of the Foundation in June 2025.

I pay tribute to outgoing Chair Ms Pru Bennett for her contribution to the Foundation as Chair since 2020.

I also thank outgoing Board Members Professor Brian Schmidt AC and Professor Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC for their valuable support to the Foundation over recent years.

I look forward to the Foundation’s continued work to strengthen engagement with China in Australia’s interest and to reinforce social cohesion by partnering with Chinese-Australian communities to showcase their contributions.

200,000 more young people would get access to JobSeeker or Youth Allowance or increased payments to support them in further studies under the Greens’ proposed changes to eligibility criteria announced today in the party’s target seat of Wills in Melbourne’s inner north.

The PBO-costed election commitment will lower the JobSeeker eligibility age from 22 to 18 and eliminate the Youth Allowance parental income test for young people living away from home.

These changes will increase the average Youth Allowance payment for existing recipients by $4,700 and make 68,000 young people who are currently locked out of the payment newly eligible.

A further 76,000 Youth Allowance recipients will also become eligible for the higher JobSeeker payment, putting an average of $4,900 extra into their pockets in 2025-26.

The plan will cost $7.2 billion over the forward estimates.

The announcement comes as a growing number of students and young people face precarious housing, rising rents and soaring out of pocket costs. Among undergraduates considering leaving university early, 40% of them say that financial difficulties are the reason.

Today’s announcement is the first of a number of election commitments the Greens will make as part of the party’s plan to reform the social safety net and tackle poverty.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt MP:

“Finishing school and working out what’s next is a pivotal time for young people, but with rents, education fees and the cost of living all rising, many of them are finding completing further study is not a path they can afford. 

“Starting out your adult life shouldn’t be this hard. Labor should be doing much more to support young people to get established in the field or industry they want to pursue.

“In a minority government, the Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on cost of living by making sure more young people can access Youth Allowance and are supported to get the education they need to be able to do what they want to do.”

Greens social services spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“Many people act like the soaring cost of living is an aberration, but for millions of young Australians financial stress has been a fact of life for years.

“We increasingly expect young people to undertake tertiary studies, but then we set them up to fail by putting roadblocks in their way: low-paying jobs, low-quality housing and rising rents, and unpaid placements.

“For many young people, the costs are just too great to make tertiary study an option. The Greens want to lower the barriers to study and support young people as they make the transition from high school to university life.

“We should be investing in our young people, not driving them into precarity and poverty. We need a social security system that lifts us all up, and allows uni students to live independent, secure lives.”

Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam:

“With the cost of living so high, young people in Wills are telling me they are struggling to make ends meet while continuing to study. They are skipping going to the doctor or dentist regularly and often can’t afford the food or essentials they need. 

“If we want young people to be able to get into further education and get the most out of it, we need to support them to do so. The Greens’ plan for more young people to get access to Youth Allowance and JobSeeker will help ease the pressure on young people who are studying at this foundational time of their lives.”

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and tertiary education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“Time and time again, students and young people are being screwed over by the major parties who refuse to do more than tinker around the edges rather than actually tackling cost of living,  rising fees and rents.

“Students deserve so much better than being forced into poverty as they pursue education. Our plan to expand access to Youth Allowance will ease the pressure on students, so they can focus on their education instead of worrying about how to survive.”

The Victorian Greens say that Labor would not need to cut public service that people rely on if the Government properly taxed the big banks and corporations. 

It comes as the Allan government announces that up to 3,000 public jobs could be on the chopping block following a major review into the public sector. 

The Victorian Greens say that it’s essential that our public services are properly resourced to ensure they’re operating as effectively and efficiently as possible and that services Victorians need shouldn’t be compromised. 

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for Economic Justice, Aiv Puglielli said that we wouldn’t need to sacrifice the efficiency of our public services and no one would have to lose their jobs if Labor implemented the Greens plan to put a levy on the big banks. 

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Economic Justice, Aiv Puglielli: 

“Labor should be ensuring the big banks pay their fair share of tax, rather than cutting public services that people rely on. 

“I don’t think it’s reasonable that one big bank can rake in over $5 billion in profits in just six months while 3,000 public sector workers have their jobs on the chopping block.”

The Victorians Greens are offering Labor a progressive pathway to pass effective hate speech laws, having long advocated for protections for the LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities. 

The Greens have extensively consulted human rights, legal, faith and community groups and are seeking a number of amendments as we share some serious concerns about the adverse impacts that Labor’s recent changes could have on marginalised communities including the LGBTQIA+, disabled, multicultural, and First Nations communities.

We’re concerned by the expanded scope of the religious exception and will be seeking changes to ensure LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised groups are protected from hate speech that could hide under the guise of religion. 

The Greens have raised our serious concerns about the criminal provisions of this Bill and how these could be disproportionately used against already over-policed groups experiencing systemic injustice. To safeguard against this we are seeking that decision-makers are required to consider context and power imbalances when applying these laws. 

To safeguard the communities that are most likely to be unfairly impacted by these laws, like First Nations people, we will also be seeking a public interest defence for genuine and reasonable conduct in good faith. 

Greens MP, Gabrielle de Vietri: 

“The Greens are offering a progressive pathway for effective protections against hate speech. It’s essential that we get these important laws right. 

“We’ve been working closely with human rights, legal, faith and community groups on changes and share their concerns that elements of this Bill could have an adverse impact on marginalised people including the LGBTQIA+, disabled, multicultural and First Nations communities. 

“We’ve consistently said we want to work with Labor to pass effective protections against hate speech and now we implore them to come to the table so we can do just that.”