Category: Australian News

Victoria Daly regional communities in the Northern Territory affected by severe weather and heavy rainfall brought on by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie have access to disaster assistance to support emergency relief and recovery efforts.

The assistance, jointly funded under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), may include:

• Help for people whose homes or belongings have been damaged
• Personal hardship and distress payments
• Support for local councils and residents to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his Government would work with the Territory Government to get people the support they need now and long after the waters have receded.

“This was a one in a 50-year flood in Timber Creek, and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted,” he said.

“I’d like to thank all of our hard working emergency services personnel and volunteers for their hard work and assistance during this unprecedented event.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said the severe weather and flooding had significantly impacted communities in the region.

“This was a one in 50-year flood in Timber Creek and I’d like to thank emergency services for their coordinated response that ensured residents were taken to safety as houses became flooded,” Minister Watt said.

“The Federal and Northern Territory Governments have made this financial assistance available to support impacted residents with their immediate needs to help them get back on their feet and into their homes.

“This funding will also assist councils to cover the costs of clean-up, repairing flood-damaged infrastructure back to a usable condition, and undertaking counter disaster operations.

“The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring communities are better prepared and can recover quicker from natural disasters.”

Acting Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Hon Nicole Manison MLA said the Northern Territory is continuing to monitor the situation.

“While some residents have returned home, there are a number of dwellings that need more work,” Minister Manison said.

“We are working with all partners in the community to provide support where it is needed.”

“We thank all the hardworking people who have helped Timber Creek deal with the flood emergency and the recovery efforts, as well as the Commonwealth for their support through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.”

Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said by working together collaboratively, all levels of government have been able to provide support to some of the most isolated communities in the country.

“We have been monitoring this disaster closely since it arrived and have been in constant contact with communities to provide the assistance required as quickly as possible,” Ms Scrymgour said.

“This funding will ensure that the recovery can begin as rapidly as the response.”

The Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) is a jointly funded program between the Australian Government and state and territory (state) governments, through which the Australian Government provides financial assistance to support state governments with disaster recovery costs.

Eligible costs include assistance measures for individuals and families, businesses, primary producers, non-profit organisations and local and state governments.

Under these arrangements, state governments determine what assistance measures will be activated, and the areas in which they will be made available.

The Australian Government may then reimburse state governments for up to 75 per cent of these costs.

State governments are responsible for administering the DRFA assistance measures.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website, and the Northern Territory Government’s emergency information and response Secure NT website.

Disaster recovery assistance has been made available to flood-affected communities in Western Australia’s Kimberley region after heavy rainfall associated with Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie has caused significant impacts to the area.

The shires of Derby West Kimberley, Broome, Wyndham East Kimberley and Halls Creek are eligible for assistance measures through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Eligible costs include assistance measures for individuals and families, businesses, primary producers, non-profit organisations and local and state governments.

Under these arrangements, state governments determine what assistance measures will be activated, and the areas in which they will be made available.

This funding can be allocated to emergency assistance, temporary living expenses, replacement of essential household goods, housing repairs, personal and financial counselling assistance.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie crossed into Western Australia from the Northern Territory on December 28, 2022.

Since December 30, widespread rainfall totals between 200-500mm have been recorded across the Kimberley region.

Major flooding has occurred along the Fitzroy River to Fitzroy Crossing, reaching record levels of 15.81m.

Major roads and associated infrastructure have been damaged and floodwaters have isolated towns including Fitzroy Crossing and many remote indigenous communities along the Fitzroy River.

Some local communities have chosen to relocate to safer areas until the threat passes. Community infrastructure and homes have also been impacted by the event.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Commonwealth would provide any support requested by the Western Australian Government.

“We have already deployed aircraft to assist with evacuations and to transport crucial supplies, and will continue to provide support now and long after the water recedes,” Prime Minister Albanese said.

“I’d like to thank all of our hard working emergency services personnel and volunteers for their hard work and assistance during this unprecedented event.”

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, said the flooding was unprecedented for the Kimberley region and had wrought devastating impacts on local homes, businesses, and communities and the recovery process would take some time.

“This is a once-in-a-century event so the State and Federal Governments will work for as long as it takes to ensure communities recover and rebuild.

“We’ll continue to work cooperatively with the Federal Government to get support out to the communities affected and I thank everyone who has been assisting in the response for their efforts.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the rainfall in the north-west of the country was extraordinary.

“This sheer amount of water that is flowing through the region is just staggering and the impact this is having on these communities is immense,” he said.

“We have responded quickly by making assistance available to help with the cost of repairs to damaged infrastructure that is vital to supply chains and access for local communities.

“We have also deployed two C-27J Spartan and one C-130J Hercules transport aircraft to evacuate residents and transport supplies to cut-off communities following requests for support from the Western Australian Government.

“The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring communities are better prepared and can recover quicker from natural disasters.”

WA Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Stephen Dawson, said the McGowan Government had been in regular contact with the Federal Government to fast-track the activation of the DRFA, which will provide much-needed support for the community.

“First of all, can I say thank you to the community that’s been impacted for their resilience.

“People in the Kimberley are experiencing a one-in-100-year flood event, the worst flooding Western Australia has ever seen.

“While our primary focus has been on ensuring people’s lives and livelihoods, we must eventually pivot to recovery actions and support.

“With this in mind, we have been working closely with the Commonwealth Government to make sure people in impacted communities will have access to Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.”

2023 is already off to a bitter start for many vulnerable Australians as the Albanese Labor Government officially slashes mental health supports provided through the Better Access program.

On the first day of the new year, the Labor Government has blatantly cut Medicare, showing a complete disregard for the importance of accessible mental health support for Australians, particularly as the community continues to face difficult times.

The Better Access mental health initiative will be slashed from 20 Medicare-subsided psychology sessions to only 10 sessions, despite experts warning that the traumas of the pandemic and other pressures continue to impact lives.

Instead of proactively working to continue to improve mental health supports, particularly for Australians with complex circumstances, the Labor Government has just completely cut additional support for everyone.

This is a tragic repeat of history, as the current Health Minister cut the same program back in 2011. The Labor Government is once again disregarding experts, peak bodies, and medical professionals who have all called for these psychology sessions to be re-instated.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said, “the Labor Government should be providing tangible solutions to address the critical issue of workforce shortages in the mental health sector, instead of cutting additional psychology sessions at a time when Australians are facing natural disasters, cost of living pressures, and household energy bills are skyrocketing.”

“These cuts simply put more pressure on hardworking psychologists and mental health practitioners who will now be forced to try and space out appointments with patients throughout the year, in a bid to make the Medicare-subsided sessions last. By not addressing the underlying workforce issues, the Labor Government is abandoning the essential mental health workforce,” Senator Ruston said.

The Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Melissa McIntosh MP, says despite the clear need for these sessions to continue, the Government has ignored the pleas of Australians, and have pushed forward with the cuts.

“I have heard from many families across Australia who have relied on the 20 sessions for their children. Helping people through what has been the toughest of times in recent history is what the extra 10 sessions, implemented by the former Coalition Government, was about.

“If the Albanese Government has a plan to take the mental health of Australians seriously, people deserved to know what that plan is before the cuts were made. Right now there is no plan, just heartless cuts to a much needed service for vulnerable Australians,” Mrs McIntosh said.

The Labor Government’s decision to cut this important additional support is bitterly disappointing, especially after the Coalition, with the support of the Senate, voted to reinstate the additional sessions under the Better Access initiative. The Labor Government is even ignoring the will of the Senate.

The Prime Minister and the Health Minister have demonstrated that the Labor Government is prioritising the Budget bottom line over the mental health of vulnerable Australians.

Labor has turned its back on vulnerable Australians needing its support.

Residents and businesses in nine South Australian local government areas are now able to apply for a range of assistance to help them clean up, get back to business and back into homes.

The Albanese and Malinauskas Governments today announced $126.25 million in further disaster assistance for communities hit by the devastating flooding that peaked in Renmark on Boxing Day and is subsequently impacting downriver areas.

The funding for the flood event that started in mid-November 2022 and continues to cause major issues for communities all along the Murray River, is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

A comprehensive range of assistance is available:

• Property Assessment and Essential Services Reconnection; $10 million to assess damage to primary residential properties including structural damage, electrical infrastructure and reconnection of services.
• Small Business Recovery Grants: $9.3 million (up to $50,000 per business) to help affected businesses get up and running again.
• Primary Producer Recovery Grants: $45.9 million (up to $75,000 per producer) for clean-up and reinstatement of the primary producer businesses.
• Waste Management Program: $60 million for assessment of hazardous waste, including disposal, and other waste management activity.
• Blackwater: $800,000 to assist with clean-up of large scale fish kills.
• Legal Assistance: $250,000 for legal assistance for affected people and businesses.

The nine local government areas eligible for funding are Alexandrina Council, Berri Barmera Council, Coorong District Council, District Council of Karoonda East Murray, District Council of Loxton Waikerie, Mid Murray Council, Murray Bridge Council, Pastoral Unincorporated Area and Renmark Paringa Council.

Further measures being provided through a separate funding process include $5 million for a range of activities relating to flood mitigation and recovery for impacted councils, and $250,000 for mentors for rural businesses and financial counselling support for families.

For information about these grants, contact the South Australian Relief hotline on 1800 302 787.

Further information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said

In this time of crisis, the people of South Australia should know that the Federal Government is standing by them ready to help wherever and whenever it is needed.

This assistance will provide invaluable support to residents, farmers and businesses to recover from this flooding disaster.

The quicker we recover, the sooner we can begin investing in mitigation to lessen the impact of events like this in the future.

Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas said

We’re still witnessing these floodwaters wreak devastation along the river.

Our river communities have been united, resourceful and courageous through this event.

But we know we have a significant clean-up ahead.

Getting to work quickly will be vitally important for communities to recover and thrive.

That’s why we’ve been working extremely closely with the Commonwealth to help our communities who’ve been so united, resourceful and courageous throughout this event, to not just get back on their feet, but thrive.

I’m pleased today  to be able to announce this additional $126.25 million in funding to help them put recent events in the past, and look to the future.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said

We know it’s going to be a long road to recovery, but this new funding means that people will have access to the immediate, impactful support they need to start to clean up, repair, rebuild and recover.

The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring communities in South Australia are better prepared and can recover quicker from natural disasters.

We will continue to work very closely with the Malinauskas Government to provide assistance and support as and when it’s needed.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High Representative of the European Union are gravely concerned that the Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order barring female employees of national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the workplace puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival.  We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse this decision.

Women are absolutely central to humanitarian and basic needs operations.  Unless they participate in aid delivery in Afghanistan, NGOs will be unable to reach the country’s most vulnerable people to provide food, medicine, winterization, and other materials and services they need to live.  This would also affect the humanitarian assistance provided by international organizations, as international organizations utilize NGOs to deliver such materials and services.

The Taliban continue to demonstrate their contempt for the rights, freedoms, and welfare of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls, and their disinterest in normal relations with the international community.

We support the Afghan people’s calls for girls and women to return to work, school, and university, and for women to continue to play essential roles in humanitarian and basic needs assistance delivery, and we urge the Taliban to respect the political, economic, social, and cultural rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

To this end, we are in close contact with the United Nations, who are urging, also on behalf of all international donors, that the Taliban reverse this decision immediately.  This would avoid any disruption and allow the continuation of all humanitarian operations of international and national NGOs.

A First Nations man collapsed and died at Greenough Regional Prison on Tuesday afternoon, the second death of an Aboriginal person in custodial care in less than a week. 

This death follows that of a First Nations woman at Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison who had a “medical event” on December 21 and was on life support until Christmas Eve.

In the year leading up to the end of September, 106 people died in custody and 27 per cent were First Nations people.

WA Greens Senator and Yamatji-Noongar woman, Dorinda Cox said:

“First Nations communities across WA are in distress over yet another death in custody. 

“The final months of 2022 have brought so much grief and sorrow to families who’ve lost loved ones so tragically.

“Following the violent attacks on Cassius Turvey and Diane Miller, our community is now dealing with two deaths in custody over Christmas – when loved ones should be enjoying time with their families.

“We cannot continue to accept First Nations deaths in custody as unavoidable. We need to ensure that everyone in custodial care receives adequate health and mental health care, and access to support services including visits by the community when needed.

“The Commonwealth and State governments have the solutions to change these dire outcomes – they’ve had them for over thirty years.

“I call on state governments to implement all of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody report handed down in 1991, and the Commonwealth to urgently fund and implement the United Nation’s Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) which was ratified in 2017. 

“We cannot keep turning a blind eye and accepting these devastating outcomes for First Nations people and their families.”

WA Greens MLC, Dr Brad Pettitt said:

“These two tragic deaths in custody in short succession around Christmas time are undoubtedly devastating for the families of these relatively young people.  

“WA continues to have the highest rate of incarceration in the nation and it is time that earnest steps were taken to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission and to do more to ensure these tragedies are not repeated.”

Christmas is such a special time of year.

It’s a day of giving. It’s a day for relaxing together with family and friends.

And for many Australians, it is a day that is so central to their faith.

Of course, not everyone gets to take it easy today. If you’re rostered on somewhere, I want to say thank you for your service to others.

If you’re working because you’ve volunteered your time to make Christmas better for your fellow Australians – whether you’re serving lunch to those in need or you’re keeping our beaches safe – I want to express my gratitude and my admiration.

The same goes to all our emergency service workers, and of course all Australian Defence Force personnel, whether they’re serving here, or far from home overseas. Thank you to every single one of you.

Whatever form Christmas Day takes for you, may it be a very happy one. And may Santa be good to every child.

Merry Christmas.

You can view and download the Prime Minister’s Christmas message here.

The Sixth Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue was held in Beijing on 21 December 2022. Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong and China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, met to exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of interest.

50 years on from the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides reiterated the importance of a stable, constructive relationship to both sides, the region and the world. They agreed to a relationship based on mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and navigating differences, in keeping with our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two sides agreed to maintain high-level engagement, and to commence or restart dialogue in areas including:

• Bilateral relations
• Trade and economic issues
• Consular affairs
• Climate change
• Defence, and
• Regional and international issues

They also agreed to support people-to-people exchanges, including the 1.5 track High-Level Dialogue, the Australia-China CEO Roundtable and visits by bilateral business delegations.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High Representative of the European Union strongly condemn the Taliban’s recent decisions to ban women from universities, to continue to bar girls from secondary schools, and to impose other harsh restrictions on the ability of women and girls in Afghanistan to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Taliban’s oppressive measures against Afghan girls and women have been relentless and systemic. Over the last 16 months, the Taliban have issued no fewer than 16 decrees and edicts that, among other things, constrain women’s mobility, remove women from places of work, require head-to-toe coverings for women, ban women from using public spaces such as parks and gyms and leave widows and women-headed households in dire circumstances by the requirement of male guardianship. These policies make clear the Taliban’s disregard for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Afghanistan.

Afghan women’s ingenuity and dynamism are needed urgently to help relieve profound and staggering economic and humanitarian needs. A stable, economically viable, and peaceful Afghanistan is only attainable and sustainable if all Afghans, including women and girls, can fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in and contribute to the country’s future and development.

We stand with all Afghans in their demand to exercise their human rights consistent with Afghanistan’s obligations under international law. With these moves, the Taliban are further isolating themselves from the Afghan population and the international community. We urge the Taliban to immediately abandon the new oppressive measures with respect to university education for women and girls and to, without delay, reverse the existing decision to prohibit girls’ access to secondary school.

Taliban policies designed to erase women from public life will have consequences for how our countries engage with the Taliban. Our foremost concern will continue to be the welfare, rights, and freedoms of the people of Afghanistan.

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Justin Hayhurst as Australia’s next Ambassador to Japan, commencing in early 2023.

Australia and Japan share a Special Strategic Partnership, with an aligned strategic agenda, strong commercial relations, and enduring people-to-people links.

Japan is Australia’s second-largest trading partner, second-largest export market, and third-largest source of imports.

We are close, trusted and active partners in multilateral, regional and in plurilateral frameworks, including the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue, Quad, the East Asia Summit, World Trade Organization and G20.

Our security and defence relationship is critical to both nations and supports regional stability, prosperity and peace, enabled by a bilateral Reciprocal Access Agreement and the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation signed by Prime Ministers this year.

Mr Hayhurst is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Deputy Secretary of the Geostrategic Group and Australia’s Senior Quad Official.

He was previously First Assistant Secretary International in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Mr Hayhurst has served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Beijing, and in the Philippines.

I thank Chargé d’Affaires Peter Roberts for his contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in Japan since July 2022.