Category: Australian News

Australian Government disaster payments will roll out from tomorrow to eligible residents in 23 local government areas (LGAs) affected by the severe storms and flooding that continue to impact large areas of Metropolitan Sydney and east coast of New South Wales.

The assistance will be available in the local government areas of Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kiama, Lithgow, Liverpool, Northern Beaches, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, The Hills, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

The one-off, non-means tested Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment 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.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) 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. DRA is taxable.

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

The Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP said:

“It’s heartbreaking to think that for many people this is the third or fourth time in 18 months that their lives have been disrupted by a natural disaster of this magnitude.

“Over the last few years our resilience has been tested time and time again, and many people are doing it tough.

“I want everyone in a flood affected region to know that the Commonwealth stands ready and committed to provide support now and through the recovery.”

Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt said:

“The Australian Government is committed to making financial help available as swiftly as possible.

“We know natural disasters are distressing for those impacted, both emotionally and financially, and we are doing everything we can to get help where it’s needed fast.

Acting Minister for Government Services Amanda Rishworth said:

“Services Australia’s priority is helping people access essential disaster assistance.”

“These are the toughest of times for people and we want to help communities get back on their feet.

“People impacted can check their eligibility for AGDRP and DRA on the Services Australia website, before lodging a claim for assistance.

“The easiest way to claim is online through my.gov.au. Online claiming is available 24×7. Claims can be submitted from 2pm Thursday.

“If people need additional support to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency Information Line on 180 22 66 from 2 pm Thursday.”

Deputy Greens Leader and International Aid & Global Justice spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has today written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraging the Australian Government to support Vanuatu’s bid to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the rights of present and future generations to be protected from climate change.

Vanuatu’s initiative will reportedly be considered at the Pacific Islands Forum, which Prime Minister Albanese is attending, next week.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Australia’s support for the initiative would demonstrate that the new government wants to be a climate leader rather than a climate laggard. Critically, it would also prove to our Pacific neighbours that we have listened to them and are genuinely committed to climate justice.

“Those least responsible for the climate crisis, including nations like Vanuatu, face the worst impacts of climate change.

“An advisory opinion from the ICJ could put climate justice and human rights at the forefront of the climate change discussion and drive countries to take stronger climate action.

“Wealthy, colonial countries of the Global North, including Australia, bear overwhelming responsibility for causing and driving the climate crisis. It is imperative that Australia advocates for global climate justice.”

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, will visit Sydney from 6 to 8 July to attend the Australia New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting (ANZLM).

The ANZLM is an annual meeting. Discussions are expected to cover a range of topics including economic links, regional security, Indigenous cooperation, migration settings, economic recovery and climate change.

This visit follows Prime Minister Ardern’s June visit to Australia, and will also include a meeting of the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF).

The ANZLF is being held for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides business and government leaders a valuable opportunity to meet.

The visit is also an opportunity to set the agenda for trans-Tasman cooperation into 2023, when Australia and New Zealand will celebrate 40 years of our Closer Economic Relations trade agreement and 80 years of mutual diplomatic representation.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Ardern back to Australia, along with her delegation of government and business leaders.

“This will be our second bilateral meeting in the past month, which is a reflection of the closeness of our trans-Tasman relationship. It truly is one of family.

“I look forward to discussing ways to strengthen Australia’s bond with one of our closest neighbour.”

Tomorrow I will welcome International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to Australia.

Australia is a longstanding supporter of the IAEA’s mission to harness the peaceful use of nuclear technology in areas like medicine, industrial processes and environmental monitoring, as well as upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Australia’s commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is unwavering.

I look forward to discussing with Mr Grossi the Australian Government’s open and transparent engagement with the IAEA on nuclear safeguards.

This includes our approach for the acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS, in which we are committed to the highest possible non-proliferation standards.

Mr Grossi and I will also discuss the challenging international security environment.

Australia supports the IAEA’s role in addressing proliferation risks in the DPRK and Iran and mitigating nuclear security risks created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In 2021-22, Australia provided the IAEA $31.5 million in core funding and an additional $5.2 million to assist our regional partners to safeguard healthy oceans, enhance women’s leadership in the nuclear field and support nuclear security in Ukraine.

Mr Grossi will also visit the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to engage with Australian leaders in nuclear science and innovation.

The Coalition is passionate about ensuring Australians get off welfare and into work. When we left office in May 2022, the unemployment rate was 3.9%, which is a 50 year low.

This did not happen by accident. Getting people off welfare and into work was at the forefront of every decision the previous Government made.

The new employment services model that starts today, Workforce Australia, was developed by the previous Coalition Government over a number of years in consultation with jobseekers, providers, peak bodies and employers.

The new model seeks to build on the success of jobactive and give jobseekers the best opportunity to find employment through a tailor made approach. jobactive saw nearly 2 million placements since it was established in 2015. The success of this system was a key factor in keeping our unemployment rate low.

For the new Workforce Australia model to succeed, it is critical that it is based on the principle of mutual obligation, which ensures those receiving a welfare benefit are actively improving their chances of finding work.

The Labor Government must not abandon or try and water down this requirement through the new model.

Unfortunately, we are already seeing worrying signs that the new Labor Government is putting politics ahead of helping Australians find work.

Labor’s proposal to abolish the Youth Jobs PaTH program, which gave tens of thousands of young Australians the ability to find employment, will disadvantage some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

We will hold the government to account to ensure that these changes still allow the system to do what it is designed to do – get more people into jobs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Kyiv yesterday, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and expressed Australia’s support for the brave people of Ukraine and the incredible defence of their homeland.

During the visit Prime Minister Albanese saw first-hand some of the devastation caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Following President Zelenskyy’s request for further support, Australia will provide the following new package of assistance to Ukraine:

• A$99.5 million in military assistance, including 14 armoured personnel carriers, 20 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles and other military equipment supplied by Australia’s defence industry, and a contribution to NATO’s Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package Trust Fund. This brings Australia’s total military assistance to Ukraine to approximately A$388 million.
• A$8.7 million (US$6 million) to assist Ukraine’s Border Guard Service to upgrade border management equipment, improve cyber security and enhance border operations in the field.
• Duty free access for Ukrainian imports to Australia, complementing similar trade measures taken by our partners, including the UK and the EU.
• Australia will intervene at the International Court of Justice in support of Ukraine in its case against Russia.
• Targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 16 additional Russian ministers and oligarchs.
• Australia will prohibit imports of Russian gold to reduce Russia’s ability to fund its war, joining with partners, including Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and United States.

Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine in the defence of their homeland.

The Prime Minister said:

“Russia’s brutal invasion is a gross violation of international law. I saw first-hand the devastation and trauma it has inflicted on the people of Ukraine.”

“My visit to Kyiv and recent visits by other world leaders sends a clear message that democratic nations like Australia will stand side-by-side with the Ukrainian people in their time of need.”

“I sincerely thank President Zelenskyy, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Australian Defence Force for ensuring the safety of my visit.”

“President Zelenskyy’s leadership has rallied the Ukrainian people to defend their country and inspired the world to support humanity and freedom. The road ahead is hard but I am confident Ukraine will prevail.”

Australia remains deeply concerned by the continuing erosion of Hong Kong’s rights, freedoms and autonomy, two years since the imposition of the National Security Law.

The National Security Law has been applied broadly to arrest or pressure pro-democracy figures, opposition groups, the media, trade unions and civil society. The electoral reforms imposed by Beijing in 2021 have further eroded Hong Kong’s democratic governance.

We urge the Chinese Government and Hong Kong authorities to uphold and protect those elements which have been so crucial to Hong Kong’s success, including its high degree of autonomy, the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law and the Sino-British Declaration, to which Beijing committed.

Many Australians know and love the city of Hong Kong and its people. Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, and we reaffirm the importance of those freedoms that have enabled its prosperity and stability.

The President of the Government of Spain, HE Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, welcomed the Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, for bilateral talks in Madrid on 28 June 2022, marking the first bilateral visit to the Kingdom of Spain by an Australian Prime Minister.

Leaders reaffirmed the warm and productive relationship between Spain and Australia, underpinned by shared values, a commitment to multilateralism and the international rules-based order and close economic ties. Leaders noted 2023 will mark fifty-five years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Spain and Australia welcomed the strong growth in the bilateral economic and trade relationship between both countries. Prime Minister Albanese welcomed in particular the substantial contribution of Spanish companies to Australia’s renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. President Sánchez welcomed the important increase in the presence of Australian investment funds in Spain over recent years.

In line with their adherence to open trade relationships based on a level playing field and guided by the rules-based multilateral trading system, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the swift conclusion of a comprehensive and ambitious Australia-EU Trade Agreement. Prime Minister Albanese welcomed President Sánchez’s proposal for a high-level Spanish trade delegation to visit Australia in 2022.

As Spain prepares for its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023, leaders intend to deepen and expand the longstanding engagement of Australia and Spain in policy areas of mutual interest.

Leaders welcomed the long-standing defence industry cooperation between Spain and Australia which has contributed significantly to both nations’ naval capability. Prime Minister Albanese noted in particular Spanish ship-builder Navantia’s involvement in the design and construction of 60 per cent of the Royal Australian Navy’s on-water vessels by tonnage since 2006.

Leaders expressed their will to intensify cultural and educational exchanges through bilateral linkages and welcomed the contribution of the Cervantes Institute. They also recognised the important role of the Spain-Australia Council Foundation in fostering ties between both nations’ companies and civil societies.

Leaders discussed the urgent challenge of addressing the global climate crisis, including the need to work together to accelerate the clean energy transition while maintaining and enhancing energy security. President Sánchez welcomed Australia’s commitment to stronger climate action, and Prime Minister Albanese welcomed the EU’s REPowerEU plan and other EU climate initiatives to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels and hasten efforts to tackle climate change.

Leaders condemned Russia’s unilateral, illegal and immoral war of aggression against the people of Ukraine. The invasion is a gross violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. Spain and Australia reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory. Spain and Australia agreed to continue to work together and with partners, to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its actions.

Prime Minister Albanese commended Spain’s contribution to NATO’s unified efforts in supporting Ukraine and its ongoing efforts to address global security challenges. Australia is committed to working with NATO to maintain international solidarity in responding to authoritarian pressure, and commitment to international rules and norms. President Sánchez in turn expressed Spain’s appreciation for Australia’s steadfast support to Ukraine.

Spain and Australia reaffirmed their vision for free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, where countries adhere to the fundamental principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including the right to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight.

Australia welcomed increased European engagement in the Indo-Pacific, including Spain’s appointment of an Ambassador for the Indo-Pacific and the EU’s Joint Communication on the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Both countries agreed to explore further opportunities to work together in the region, including by supporting greater investment in infrastructure and clean energy.

As important partners in multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the G20, Spain and Australia agreed to increase collaboration and to work together to counter threats to the rules-based order and preserve the integrity of the multilateral system. The two countries will cooperate to promote human rights, gender equality, sustainable and inclusive development and climate action as shared priorities across the multilateral system.

Prime Minister Albanese expressed his gratitude to Spain for hosting this historic bilateral visit linked to the NATO Summit in Madrid, marking a new level of cooperation between the two countries.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it’s good to be here in Madrid for the NATO summit. This is an important meeting at a critical time for the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has broken international law. What we know is that this brutal invasion is having real consequences for the people of Ukraine. And the people of Ukraine are inspiring the world with struggling to defend their national sovereignty, struggling against this brutal invasion. But this invasion is also having an impact on the world, and it’s a reminder that even an island continent like Australia, across the other side of the world, has been impacted by this, with rising petrol prices and the difficult issues relating to the supply chains as a result of the disruption from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So over the next days I will have important meetings, including as a part of the AP4. The presence of Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Australia, who have all been invited to the summit, signifies that this is not just an issue for Europe, but there are also issues in our own region that need to be dealt with. And the Russian invasion of Ukraine, of course, came just after the arrangement was made of the special relationship between Russia and China. That reinforces the need for us to be engaged, and I’m very pleased to be here representing Australia at this NATO summit.

JOURNALIST: What message do you want to hear from the NATO members about China?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that I’m sure that the NATO members know that China is more forward leaning in our region. We’ve seen actions from China against Lithuania, for example. China has been prepared to make sanctions not just against Australia, but to be more aggressive in its stance in the world and it requires the world to move towards peace and security, but to do so in a way which says that we are prepared as democratic nations to ensure that when something happens, like the invasion of Ukraine, the world is prepared to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and provide practical and real support.

JOURNALIST: What’s the importance of there being insistent and long term pressure on Russia over this given that Xi Jinping might think that if people relent, he can wait too.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is critical. We know that the invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic disaster for Vladimir Putin. He was expecting to march into Ukraine and for it to be all over well before now. But he underestimated the courage and the resilience of the Ukrainian people. He also underestimated what the impact would be on the world. What Vladimir Putin has done with this invasion is to unify NATO and to unify democratic nations against this action, and we know that Sweden and Finland are considering joining NATO. So what this invasion has done, far from weaken NATO, it’s actually strengthened it, and that’s why this NATO summit comes at such a critical time.

JOURNALIST: Will you be joining the call from others to (Inaudible).

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re not members of NATO, but Australia regards a strong NATO as being absolutely critical. NATO has grown from its original composition up to 30 countries now. And the more countries that are involved, the stronger the message is of solidarity and unity against any aggression against any member countries.

JOURNALIST: PM I believe you spoke to Manasseh Sogavare in recent hours. What was the tone of that conversation? Did you reach out or did he reach out?

PRIME MINISTER: Well it was a very constructive discussion. I’ve had talks with the Pacific leaders, I received a congratulations from the Prime Minister, as I have from other Pacific leaders. We talked about the Pacific Islands Forum that will be coming up and the important agreement that has been made, led by the Fijian Prime Minister to make sure that the Pacific Islands Forum can remain united and strong. That’s an important breakthrough and it was a very constructive discussion. We both look forward to having a meeting during the Pacific Islands forum one-on-one as well as participating in that conference and as well, Prime Minister Sogavare reconfirmed his position that Australia remains the security partner of choice, a statement that he made of course, to Foreign Minister Wong.

JOURNALIST: Jens Stoltenberg is saying that nations now have to be behind Ukraine for the long haul. Are you coming here with additional commitments from Australia to support Ukraine in a humanitarian sense? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australia has already made substantial commitments. We are in fact the largest non-NATO contributor to the defence of Ukraine. We need to make sure that those commitments are realised. All of them haven’t been delivered on the ground yet. We’ll make sure that happens. And we will, of course, listen to any request which is made. It is important that the world don’t tire of this. This is a struggle in which the Ukrainian people are showing incredible courage and resilience on what they deserve, what they deserve, and indeed the world needs to do is to make sure that the resilience of the world and the commitment is just as strong and long lasting as the Ukrainian people have shown themselves to hold. Thank you very much.

Australia will provide additional emergency relief of $1 million to support the people of Afghanistan, following the devastating earthquake on the 22nd June.

This is on top of the $140 million in assistance pledged to Afghanistan since September 2021.

The earthquake has caused extensive loss of life, homes and livelihoods, with the full effects still to be determined. This tragedy comes at a time when the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are greater than ever.

Our support will be delivered through UN agencies already operating in the affected area, and will go towards providing shelter, food and medical support for those in need.

The Australian Government extend its deepest condolences to the people of Afghanistan, and the Afghan-Australian community.