Category: Australian News

Australia is deeply disappointed by the signing of a security cooperation agreement between Solomon Islands and China, announced by the Chinese Government.

We respect Solomon Islands’ right to make sovereign decisions about its national security.

Our consistently stated view, including from the perspective of Australia’s national interests, remains that the Pacific family is best placed to meet the security needs of the region.

We are concerned about the lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed, noting its potential to undermine stability in our region. We continue to seek further clarity on the terms of the agreement, and its consequences for the Pacific region.

We welcome recent statements from Prime Minister Sogavare that Australia is Solomon Islands security partner of choice, and his commitment that Solomon Islands will never be used for military bases or other military institutions of foreign powers.

Australia is consulting the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency in a manner consistent with our regional security frameworks.

Through RAMSI and again in response to the recent unrest, the Pacific family has always supported the Solomon Islands to address their security needs. We will continue to strongly encourage the Solomon Islands to engage in regional dialogue and to work with the Pacific family first, including prior to seeking security assistance from China under this arrangement.

The Type 1 Diabetes community are calling on the government to keep its commitment to fund a new insulin management system. While many welcomed the election promise from the Coalition and Labor to fund continuous glucose monitoring for people with Type 1 Diabetes, those who had been waiting for good news about the reimbursement of the Omnipod DASH System have been left disappointed. 

Users are currently paying for the technology out of their own pocket despite commitments from the outgoing Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt. In late 2021, Mr Hunt told the media of Omnipod, “I guarantee if they approve it, we will fund it.” Despite being approved and recommended for funding, no further announcements or financial commitments have been made from either side of the political aisle.

Stacey Moragiannis, a Melbourne resident who has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for 43 years, has been advocating for better access to diabetes management technologies. Ms Moragiannis has been using Omnipod DASH System since November 2021 and no longer feels like a ‘diabetic’.

“I had a complete change of my lifestyle and now can do anything without being stressed about the amounts of insulin I need. I no longer feel like a Type 1 Diabetic. I am currently self-funding Omnipod by drawing down on my mortgage. I am fearful that without public subsidy, I will not be able to self-fund for much longer and I will have to come off Omnipod therapy,” said Ms Moragiannis.

Kelly Caven, a Queensland resident whose son Liam is an Omnipod DASH System user, says her family is self-funding the Omnipod at over $400 per month which has caused a huge financial and mental burden. 

“The government needs to be held accountable in providing a reasonable timeframe for funding so that more kids like Liam can access it,” Says Ms Caven. 

The Coalition committed $273M to deliver continuous glucose monitoring devices and this was quickly matched by Labor. People with Type 1 Diabetes who use the Omnipod DASH – a discreet, tubeless insulin pump – have been left out of any benefits as the technology does not fit with current funding models. 

Joanna Sader, Country Manager for Insulet Australia, says the company is doing everything it can to secure public funding for its Omnipod DASH system. 

“The Omnipod DASH insulin delivery system has been rigorously approved and a commitment was made by Minister Hunt to fund this technology. The Diabetes community need to know when this will happen. Hopefully good news will be coming,” said Ms Sader. 

Inclusion of Omnipod DASH System on the NDSS (National Diabetes Services Scheme) would create important equity of access for Australians living with Type 1 Diabetes. The type 1 diabetes community remains hopeful that the government will follow through on its funding promise prior to the federal election in May. 

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, says that Anthony Albanese’s unconditional surrender to the Liberals on coal means Labor has given up on climate action, the Paris Agreement and is now aiding the real enemy with 114 new coal and gas projects.

Neither the Liberal or Labor emissions targets are in line with the science or Paris Agreement, and even their weak targets don’t take into account the 114 new coal and gas projects on the books. 

The Greens are pushing for a freeze on all new coal and gas projects.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt MP said:

“This is a dark day in the fight against global warming.

‘I challenge Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese to look the people of Cobargo, Mallacoota, Lismore or Ballina in the eye and tell them opening a new coal mine is a good idea. 

“Coal and gas are the main causes of the climate crisis, but Labor and Liberal want more.

“We’re in the fight of our lives against the climate crisis, but Liberal and now Labor are aiding the enemy by backing more coal and gas. Liberal and Labor are backing 114 new coal and gas projects around the country.

“Liberal and Labor say they care about the climate crisis, but talk is cheap. If you open new coal mines, you’re not serious about climate. 

“You can’t put the fire out while pouring petrol on it.

“Only the Greens in balance of power can stop new coal mines.”

The Greens have announced their plan for animal welfare ahead of the federal election.

Both the Coalition and Labor have ignored animal welfare over the last term of parliament, and actively supported industries that harm animals. The Greens believe we must properly care for animals and treat them with respect and compassion. We will fight to protect animals from cruelty and suffering and end harmful practices that put profit ahead of the welfare of animals.

As part of our plan, the Greens will push to:

• Enact strong, national laws to end animal cruelty, protect the welfare of animals, and hold corporations and individuals to account
• Ban the cruel practice of live export of animals overseas
• End inhumane, intensive factory farming with a just transition for workers employed in those industries
• Shut down the gambling-fuelled industries of horse and greyhound racing, and end the export of greyhounds for commercial purposes
• Tackle the cruel global shark fin trade by banning the import and export of shark fins
• Establish an Independent Office of Animal Welfare to enforce the rules and ensure animal welfare is never ignored again

The Greens full policy initiative is available here.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare, said:

“Animals are sentient beings, not commodities. Yet every day their welfare is compromised in the name of corporate profit, as they are made to suffer for gambling, entertainment and food.

“Too often, animal welfare gets sidelined, and over the last three years we have seen Labor and the Coalition turn a blind eye to animal cruelty and actively support industries that harm animals.

“We need strong animal cruelty laws and an Independent Office separate from the Department of Agriculture to enforce these laws and protect animals.

“Cruel practices that are harmful to animals must be brought to an end. That means shutting down industries such as live export and racing.

“The live export industry continues to hold immense power over this government, which has recently relaxed restrictions on live sheep export during the Northern Hemisphere summer that were designed to protect the animals from mortality and heat stress.

“It’s time we put animal protection squarely on the agenda for this election and put in place strong policies that will protect their welfare.

“We know people care about animals. It’s high time for politicians to listen.”

On the eve of the 31st anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handing down their recommendations, The Greens have today called for urgent end to torture and abuse in prisons and other places of detention, like police watch houses, and some aged care facilities.

Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe, Greens spokesperson for Justice and First Nations said:

After the Australian government fully ratified the Convention Against Torture they were required to stamp out torture and abuse in places of detention by setting up an independent body to inspect these facilities. They failed to do this by their own deadline.  They need to go.

I am hearing some of the most horrific stories of abuse, torture, and cruel and degrading treatment of imprisoned people, particularly First Nations people. An independent oversight body of places of detention will absolutely keep imprisoned people safe and prevent more deaths in custody. No wonder the Morrison Government hasn’t prioritised this.

There is a cruel lack of oversight in prisons and places of detention in this country. Until that changes, people will continue to die in custody, First Nations people in particular.

The Greens have a plan to provide $382m to establish this oversight body in partnership with the states and territories so that all imprisoned people have their human rights respected and affirmed while imprisoned. 

The Greens will also establish a fully independent and impartial Police Ombudsman system to handle complaints about the conduct of police officers and take appropriate action. The system we have now, where police investigate themselves when they are accused of wrongdoing, is completely inappropriate.

This is in addition to The Greens plan to:

• continue working with the families impacted by deaths in custody to fully implement the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
• raise the age of legal responsibility to at least 14; and
• more than double funding for legal assistance services to keep people from getting caught in the quicksand of the criminal legal system.

The Greens election policy platform can be found here: https://greens.org.au/platform 

An Albanese Labor Government will provide more support to Australians rebuilding their lives after natural disasters by boosting funding for a Veteran-led disaster response organisation.  
 
Disaster Relief Australia (DRA), a fully-Veteran led organisation, has been working since 2016 to provide relief to communities in the wake of natural disasters, deploying hundreds of veteran volunteers across Australia and the world.  
  
Under an Albanese Labor Government, Disaster Relief Australia will receive $38.1 million over three years to expand this program. 
  
The funding will allow DRA to add another 5,200 volunteer veterans to its ranks – a total of 6,700 veteran volunteers able to provide over 13,600 volunteer days per annum. 
  
The funding covers costs relating to deployment, recruitment, equipment, and training. 
  
Over the last three years, Australia has watched Scott Morrison refuse to take responsibility and go missing in action when natural disasters have struck. 
  
Now, as communities recover from devastating floods, Scott Morrison has politicised flood recovery, caring more about who flood victims voted for than what help they need. 
  
An Albanese Labor Government will put Australians first. We will increase support for organisations like the DRA assisting on the ground and never use recovery funding as a political football.

Only an Albanese Labor Government will restore trust in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and ensure a better future for the 4.4 million Australians with disability.

Today Labor reveals its plan to fix the NDIS and return it to its original vision.

Six key measures include: 

1. Labor will revitalise the National Disability Insurance Agency: Labor will lift the staffing cap at the NDIA, commit to urgently reducing insecure labour hire arrangements, increasing permanent staff at the agency and improving the culture. Labor will also review NDIS design, operation and sustainability.
2. Stop the waste: Labor will review the excessive use of external lawyers, crack down on criminal activity and fraud, and review the value for money of lucrative consultancy contracts.
3. Boost efficiency: Streamline the planning process for better initial plans. Fix the planning pathway and appeals to make NDIS decision-making more efficient, fair and investment focused. 
4. Stop the unfair cuts: Labor will introduce an expert review that will guarantee plans will not be arbitrarily cut.
5. Fixing regional access: Labor will appoint a senior officer within the NDIA to tackle the concerning barriers to service delivery in regional areas of Australia. 
6. Put people back into the NDIS: Labor commits to co-designing changes to the scheme with people with disability and the sector and we will boost the number of people with disability on the board of the NDIA.

Beyond these major initiatives Labor will also: 

• Increase advocacy funding: Labor will double existing support for disability advocacy, investing an additional $10 million over four years and match existing provider advocacy funding for AAT appeals.
• More flexible housing: Labor will pause the current changes to Supported Independent Living (SIL) and investigate solutions to excessive red tape and the mounting queues stopping people with disability accessing appropriate housing.
• Boost employment: Labor will create an evidenced-based Centre of Excellence to get more people with disability into long-term jobs.
• No one left behind: Labor will make sure all 4.4 million Australians living with disability get the action and support they need by measuring progress on a National Disability Strategy, developing a National Autism Strategy, backing research, and a central coordination point for disability – to ensure they are never again left at the back of the queue in a crisis.

This policy is the result of thousands of conversations with people with disability, NDIS participants, carers, families, advocates and providers. 

Dealing with the NDIS should not be like having second full time job. We will return the NDIS to its original objective because at the moment, even if you get a good plan, there’s a constant fear it will be cut when it gets reviewed. 

The Morrison Government’s mismanagement of the scheme has seen a 400% increase in appeals of NDIS decisions to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), with the NDIA wasting $28 million in just six months on legal fees to fight people with disability appealing for support at the tribunal.

Labor wants to stop people with disability and their families feeling like they are trapped in a maze of reviews, appeals and legal action. 

We also recognise the NDIS needs more skilled carers. 

And whilst there are many good service providers, we will crack down on the fringe-dwelling unregistered cowboys ripping people off.

The Morrison Government’s mishandling of the NDIS does not just jeopardise the safety of Australians with disability, it puts at risk a major contributor to the Australian economy, with NDIS supported industry valued at $52 billion per year, approximately double the cost of the scheme. 

An Albanese Labor Government will use the existing budget in the forward estimates to fund and fix the NDIS for the 504,000 participants who rely on the scheme to live a better life. 

Labor will work closely with people with disability, stakeholders and State Governments to ensure people with disability are given the choice and control they were promised when the scheme was designed.

The Morrison Government is committed to boosting Western Australia’s status as a global resources and energy powerhouse by investing in regional areas, growing export opportunities and creating more jobs to build a strong economy for a stronger future.

Two new hydrogen hubs will be created in the Pilbara and Kwinana (Perth) and will receive $140 million, as well $6 million to investigate two new development projects in Western Australia, creating more than 3,600 jobs, and $67 million to develop two carbon capture and storage hubs and support the appraisal of a third potential storage site in WA.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government would also boost Western Australia’s critical minerals sector by investing almost $8 million in two strategically critical projects, securing more jobs and important supply chain industries.

“Securing Western Australia’s economy is absolutely critical to locking in stronger future for Australia and my Government will continue to back the resource, mining, mineral and energy sector in WA by creating more jobs and cutting red tape,” the Prime Minister said.

“Western Australia is a world leader in critical minerals and these investments are just the beginning of our commitment to the sector, alongside our new hydrogen hubs, which backs in the state’s status as an economic powerhouse for the whole country.

“These investments will also turbocharge the development of Australia’s critical minerals and clean hydrogen industries, helping achieve the government’s vision to make Australia a global producer and exporter of clean hydrogen by 2030, while stimulating a surge in regions across WA.”

Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said the Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative will help fast-track strategically significant projects to market and drive investment.

“It is another step towards establishing Australia as a critical minerals powerhouse,” Minister Pitt said.

“Australia possesses extraordinary reserves of critical minerals crucial to many industries including medical equipment production, defence, aerospace, automotive and agritech.

“The Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative is yet another example of how this Government is backing the resources sector to strengthen our national economy and create jobs, especially in regional Australia.

“This initiative will help uncover new sources of supply, support robust supply chains, and create high-paying regional jobs for Australians, while improving Australia’s export resilience.”

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Morrison Government is investing more than $1.5 billion to accelerate the growth of the nation’s clean hydrogen industry, along with more than $300 million to support the development and deployment of carbon capture technologies.

“Kwinana and the Pilbara have long made Western Australia an energy and export powerhouse. Today’s announcement will embrace the competitive advantages of WA – plentiful low-cost gas, great solar and wind potential, and a skilled workforce in resources and fertilizers – to grow another huge industry opportunity,” Minister Taylor said.

“These hydrogen projects in WA will bring over $413 million of new private and public investment into the regions and can create over 3,600 jobs initially when operational – but this is just the start of hydrogen’s potential benefits.

“Australia has a competitive advantage in CCS due to our abundant, world-class geological storage basins. Proving up low cost CCS will be essential to reducing emissions from LNG production and building an early cost advantage in clean hydrogen production.

“Our commitments will create jobs, boost clean exports, and help to drive the production costs of hydrogen down, the heart of our technology-focused approach to reducing emissions.”

The projects in Western Australia which will be offered grant funding from this first round of the Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative are:

• Global Advanced Metals Pty Ltd – $4 million for a tantalum and tin recovery plant at Greenbushes in Western Australia. By increasing the volume of tantalum that is produced in Australia, this project will help make Australia an integral, world leading part of critical supply chains for tantalum. It is estimated the project will create an additional 7 jobs in construction and 12 operational jobs over the life of the project.
• Mineral Commodities Ltd – $3.94 million for developing an Australian integrated graphite ore-to-battery anodes business based in Munglinup, Western Australia. It is estimated the project will create an initial 78 regional jobs and around a further 210 highly skilled jobs in Esperance and Kwinana as the project moves into value-adding downstream processing.

These projects build on the Morrison Government’s announcement of a $1.25 billion loan through the Critical Minerals Facility to Australian company Iluka Resources, to develop Australia’s first integrated rare earths refinery at Eneabba in Western Australia.

The refinery project is estimated to have a construction workforce of around 300 people and an operational workforce of around 270 people. These high skilled regional jobs are crucial for Australia to grasp its place in the global new energy economy.

Western Australia’s resources sector provides critical inputs for Australia’s manufacturing industry and these initiatives will build on the more than $304 million we have invested through the Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy to continue to grow our resources technology and critical minerals sector.

The Government is delivering Western Australia’s first Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hubs by committing:

• Up to $70 million to support BP Australia Pty Ltd’s H2Kwinana Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hub, with a total project value of over $252.5 million.
• Up to $70 million to support the Western Australian Government’s Pilbara Hydrogen Hub, with a range of local and international private partners and a total project value of $140 million.

And supporting two projects under the Design and Development stream by further committing:

• Up to $3 million for Engie Hydrogen Pty Ltd’s ENGIE Pilbara Green Hydrogen Hub project, with a total project value over $7.8 million.
• Up to $3 million for Santos Limited’s Carnarvon Clean Hydrogen Front End Engineering Design project, with a total project value of over $13 million.

As part of the $250 million investment in CCS announced in the 2021-22 Budget, the Government is committing:

• Up to $40 million to support the design and construction of Woodside Energy’s multi-user Burrup carbon capture and storage hub and CO2 gathering and transportation network.
• Up to $20 million to support the design and construction Mitsui E&P’s Mid West carbon capture and storage hub.
• Up to $7 million to support Buru Energy to assess the potential for onshore storage in the Carnarvon Basin.

The Burrup and Mid West hubs are expected to reduce emissions by a combined 7.4 million tonnes per annum from 2028. The projects are expected to drive more than $1 billion of investment in regional Western Australia and will create more than 2,000 jobs.

The National Hydrogen Strategy released in 2019 sets the goal for Australia to become a major producer and exporter of clean hydrogen by 2030. Hydrogen hubs were identified as an effective means to create demand, build scale and reduce production costs by co-locating producers, exporters and users.

Australian hydrogen production for export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050. Clean hydrogen exports could directly support 16,000 jobs by 2050, plus an additional 13,000 from the construction of related renewable energy.

The Morrison Government will invest $50 million to create a new business and research partnership with Western Australia’s Curtin University, focusing on the critical mineral supply chain that will create 1,300 jobs.

This project is the first under the Government’s Trailblazer program and will see Curtin University partner with 33 business representatives, the University of Queensland and James Cook University.

The focus will be on developing new technology that will help Australia to establish competitive advantage in key critical minerals supply chains, including nickel, cobalt and lithium.

The project is expected to create 1,300 new jobs over the next decade through industry employment of researchers and work ready students, an increase in research and industry activity at regional campuses, and new positions created in start-ups launched through the Trailblazer.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Curtin University was the first Australian university to receive funding through the Trailblazer program which is designed to focus Australia’s considerable research power on Australia’s National Manufacturing Priorities.

“Our economic plan backs in talented Australians to supercharge research and new ideas, working with business and industry leaders, to develop new products, new companies and more jobs to help build a strong economy and a stronger future,” the Prime Minister said.

“Employment in the mining industry grew by over 26,800 jobs – or 10.6 per cent – over the past year and is expected to grow by 5.9 per cent over the next five years, so it is important we back our best researchers and their ideas to ensure Australia’s mining sector is secure for the future.

“It’s no accident we’re announcing the first Trailblazer program in WA, which is designed to push the boundaries, drive collaboration between universities and industry and challenge intellectual property arrangements that limit the dividend for our young, smart, savvy researchers.”

Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education Bridget McKenzie said the project will have a significant impact for regions across Australia, but particularly in Western Australia.

“This is a research commercialisation project that will directly benefit regional Australia by ensuring our mining sector is strong, efficient and reliable,” Minister McKenzie said.

“The Trailblazer investment is an important component of the Government’s $2 billion Regional Accelerator Program announced in the recent 2022 Budget, which is designed to drive economic growth and jobs in regional Australia.”

Acting Minister for Education and Youth Stuart Robert said Curtin University and its industry partners have promised $144 million in co-investment, matching public funding more than 2 to 1.

“The investment of industry partners in this project highlights the extraordinary potential of the Government’s Research Commercialisation Action Plan, with leading edge manufacturing at its core,” Minister Robert said.

“Harnessing the significant and important research done right here in Australia means more jobs right here in Australia, more exports and a stronger economy. The Morrison Government has a plan for a stronger economy and a stronger future.”

Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said it was a win for Western Australia to see Curtin University chosen as a Trailblazer.

“Curtin University and its partners will create new resources technologies, new STEM and mining jobs in critical regions – particularly in Western Australia – and new career paths,” Minister Price said.

“It is incredibly exciting for Western Australia to have this investment right here on the ground, supporting Western Australian jobs and the Western Australian economy.”

Curtin University is the first successful Trailblazer to be announced, with further announcements expected in coming weeks.

Curtin University was selected as a Trailblazer from a two-stage competitive assessment process where universities were required to submit expressions of interest and then more detailed business cases.

Earlier this year, the Morrison Government released its ten-year $2.2 billion University Research Commercialisation Action Plan, which focuses Australia’s considerable research power on our National Manufacturing Priorities. The Action plan included an initial $243 million for four Trailblazers. An additional $119 million was invested for two more Trailblazers through our regional accelerator program announced on Budget night.

The individual wartime journeys of over 330,000 Australian men and women who volunteered to serve overseas in the First World War are revealed for the first time in an ambitious family history project launched today.

Australian War Stories by Memories enables descendants to search for a loved one at australianwarstories.memories.com.au and receive a free online memorial of their wartime journey: from enlistment, to training, embarkation and beyond.

The memorials are delivered via a link sent free-of-charge by email and mobile text. They can be shared among extended family and posted to social media.

An estimated 5 million Australians have a relative who served overseas during the First World War. Many more will wish to honour a local ANZAC hero by registering their details to receive and share an online memorial.

Australian War Stories is a collaboration between leading family memorial platform memories.com.au and media services company Mediality.

Memories CEO Tom Ainsworth said: “The heart of Australian War Stories is the commemoration of this extraordinary generation and the creation of a permanent memorial for each of them.”

“Every descendant of a First World War veteran can now very easily open the window on that special part of their family history.”

Each memorial contains historically-accurate details of the veterans’ enlistment, embarkation and military unit.

Mediality CEO Bruce Davidson said the core tenet in creating the 330,000 stories was respect for the legacy of the First ANZACs.

“It is, quite rightly, a revered part of our nation’s history and with that comes a responsibility in telling the stories of these men and women,” Mr Davidson said.

“We have drawn on official military records and histories to anchor these stories in fact. This is a critical foundation of Australian War Stories .

“We then bring the individual stories to life in a way which I believe will be a revelation to descendants and, indeed, all Australians.”

Australian War Stories has been launched in the lead up to Anzac Day, which after two years of Covid-imposed restrictions, will resume most of its traditions.

“Anzac Day is a time when many families pause to reflect on the service and sacrifice of their loved ones, and the Anzac spirit of mateship, courage and resilience.” Mr Ainsworth said.

“The Australian War Stories memorials add a new dimension for the nation to honour our veterans.”