Supporting Mekong subregion resilience

Today, at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2024, I announced Australia is investing a further $222.5 million to support the resilience and prosperity of the Mekong subregion of Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Since its launch, the Mekong-Australia Partnership has supported the subregion’s environmental and economic resilience, leadership and skills, and trade and investment.

This second phase of funding over the next five years will address priorities and shared challenges with a focus on improving water security, responding to climate change and combatting transnational crime.

Australia will contribute to strengthened leadership, institutions, and people to people connections to promote shared prosperity.

The Mekong-Australia Partnership complements Australia’s longstanding bilateral partnerships and ASEAN development cooperation.

Australia will continue to work with our Mekong subregion partners to shape and secure the future of the region and all those who rely on it.

Australia and Southeast Asia Strengthen Climate Change and Energy Cooperation

The Albanese Government is strengthening its co-operation with Southeast Asia through a new $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window, designed to bolster our joint efforts on climate change and clean energy.

The Window, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne today, will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy programs including technical capacity building, and will ensure Australia and ASEAN countries are sharing expertise and learning from each other.

Building on existing cooperation, the Window will enable Australian Commonwealth and State and Territory Government agencies to expand and sustain lasting relationships with Southeast Asian counterparts on climate change and the clean energy transformation.

It will also include a flexible funding stream to respond to partner country requests.

The Window will be the first initiative to be designed under the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships program, announced by the Albanese Government in 2023.

It will also support implementation of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which recognises the critical enabling role of government-to-government partnerships and the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transformation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong said:

“Climate change is an existential threat to our region and we are working with our ASEAN partners to mitigate its impacts and accelerate the clean energy transition.

“The new Climate and Clean Energy Window is one example of how we are creating opportunity and addressing shared challenges together.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen said:

“Australia is strengthening cooperation with our ASEAN partners, working together to rewire our region and build new clean energy manufacturing and trade opportunities.”

“The $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window will assist to build capability across the region to respond to climate change and accelerate the clean energy transformation.”

Labor hiding increased health care costs from the people of Dunkley

The Prime Minister is prioritising his political interests over the needs of more than 14 million Australians who have private health insurance.

As revealed in the Australian today, the Albanese Labor Government is deliberately hiding how much more Australians will be paying for their private health insurance until after the Dunkley by-election, which would make this the latest premium change announcement in 15 years.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, Australians need time to prepare for rises in their out-of-pocket costs. Right now, every dollar counts.

Both the Prime Minister and the Health Minister ran away from transparency this morning as they refused to admit fault. Australians have a right to expect more from their Government.

During the last Parliament, the Coalition was able to achieve the lowest annual premium change for consumers since 2001 and still announce every change in December.

The Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said that clearly the Albanese Government is prioritising politics over people, and it will hurt hardworking Australians who are already struggling to pay their bills.

“It is astounding that this Government is not providing private health providers or Australians with private health insurance enough time to adjust to possible premium increases, which are due to come into effect in only a months’ time.

“Either the Health Minister has not been able to effectively negotiate with providers, or he has something to hide from the voters of Dunkley and the Australian public.

“It is totally indefensible that the Labor Government is refusing to tell the people of Dunkley the truth this week.

“The Prime Minister needs to be honest with the people of Dunkley – how much more will they be paying for importance services like private health insurance and residential aged care after this weekend?” Senator Anne Ruston said.

The Opposition remains strongly committed to Australians having affordable access to private health insurance.

Burke refuses to stand up for vulnerable women workers

Minister Tony Burke and the weak Albanese Labor Government are refusing to stand up for vulnerable women workers who want the right to leave Australia’s most militant union, the CFMEU.

In the Senate today Labor said they would not support a private Senators’ Bill brought forward by Senator Jacqui Lambie. Senator Lambie’s bill will enable the manufacturing division of the CFMEU, which includes the Textile, Clothing & Footwear workers, timber workers and furniture workers, to hold a secret ballot to consider whether they wish to demerge from the CFMEU.

Senator Michaelia Cash said the Coalition strongly supported the Bill.

“We have seen numerous examples of intimidation, standover tactics and even violence from members of the CFMEU,’’ Senator Cash said.

“It is no wonder that textile workers, including a very large number of women, want to split off from the CFMEU and form their own organisation,’’ she said.

“Labor talks a big game about standing up for women but when it comes to a test like this they show their true colours,’’ Senator Cash said.

“We know Labor hates small businesses but it’s also obvious now that they hate small unions as well,’’ she said.

In 2020 the Coalition brought forward and passed important legislation allowing greater freedom for registered organisations, which the Labor Party actually supported at the time. Now Labor has removed those freedoms and refuses to back their re-instatement.

“This Government is hopelessly beholden to the big unions and in particular the CFMEU. We know its all about the millions of dollars those large unions give to Labor,’’ Senator Cash said.

“Minister Burke and the entire Labor side should bow their heads in shame,’’ she said.

First home ownership has never been further out of reach under Labor

As another Parliamentary sitting week draws to a close home ownership, especially for first home buyers, has never been further out of reach.

This week, the Albanese Labor Government fiddled while the housing crisis continues to get worse.

The so called ‘Help to Buy’ scheme – a tiny proposal – simply replicates state government shared equity schemes that already exist and have largely been rejected by Australians. For example, 94 per cent of places in the virtually identical New South Wales scheme (Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper) are still unused, such is the lack of demand.

So, it’s no wonder the Government gagged debate of the ‘Help to Buy’ Bill – an election promise which was due to commence on 1 January 2023 – as it was unable to convince its backbenchers to even speak in support of the shambolic proposal.

On top of this, Australia has recently seen the weakest quarter of construction in more than a decade, with forecasts showing housing starts will decline even further over the next two years.

First home buyers are at the lowest level since the Gillard government, new home approvals have dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade, and lending for new homes remains at a shameful 20-year low.

Since the election, national median rents have increased by 26 per cent to $580 per week, Australia is experiencing record migration on Labor’s watch, and it has also been confirmed Labor’s 1.2 million homes promise is officially broken with an estimated 400,000 shortfall.

Labor continues to dodge the Coalition’s questions about the state of the housing crisis, and after 20 months of this Government, things are unfortunately only going to get worse with home ownership and the residential construction industry remaining at the bottom of Labor’s priority list.

Labor must act to resolve news media impasse

Meta’s refusal to renew deals made under the News Bargaining Code is highly disappointing.

The Coalition put the code in place to address bargaining power imbalances between multinational digital platforms and Australian media companies.

The News Bargaining Code is critical competition policy to ensure that global social media giants do not abuse market power and that Australian publishers are fairly remunerated for the content they create.

This is important to support Australian jobs, small businesses, and a competitive media market that delivers good outcomes to consumers.

The government must consider all options under the existing legislation to support Australian publishers and deliver a sensible outcome to support Australian media.

When Meta made similar announcements in the UK, France and Germany in September last year, the government should have immediately taken measures to prevent this from happening in Australia.

The recent experience of Canada’s negotiations with Meta were also a clear indication of its intentions.

If the government is serious about competition, they must not allow digital service providers to hold Australian jobs and publishers hostage to dominant market power.

This is a critical test about whose side the government is on: Australian jobs, media, and publishers – or large multinational tech giants.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Labor has been caught on the back foot.

“This is another example of a government that’s asleep at the wheel.

“This is a world leading competition policy, and the government needs to use it.

“The warning signs were there and the government ignored them.

“Labor has been all talk and no action.”

Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman said the government must take action.

“The News Media Bargaining Code was a world-leading initiative of the Coalition Government. It has played a vital role in ensuring that Australian journalism is properly valued online. The Albanese Government must ensure that all parties are fully compliant with the Code, now and in the future.”

Gallery takes art to the community as expansion continues

Art and storytelling of two local artists have launched a new year of off-site programming for Newcastle Art Gallery as the expansion of the cultural institution continues to progress.

Newcastle artist Izabela Pluta is helping transform the exterior of the construction site with a new work of art commissioned as part of the Gallery’s street hoarding project, while locally-based artist Lottie Consalvo shares insights into her career as part of the Gallery’s second podcast series, Conversations from the Collection.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton, artist Izabela Pluta and Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes in front of Izabela’s artwork on the construction hoarding around the Gallery.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said these projects provide opportunities for the community to stay connected with Newcastle Art Gallery and its nationally significant collection.

“Newcastle Art Gallery is held in high regard in the Australian arts community, home to a nationally significant collection worth more than $126 million and with an award-winning artistic program,” Cr Nelmes said.

“This esteem will grow further as we progress with our long-awaited Gallery expansion project, which will double the size of the Gallery and significantly increase the exhibition space to display artworks of local, national and international importance.

“In the meantime, however, it is important to give our community as many avenues as possible to stay connected to the Gallery, whether that is through works of art being displayed on the temporary construction hoarding, or by learning more about artists featured in our collection through the second season of the podcast series.”

Pluta’s work of art can be seen on the construction hoarding that runs along Laman Street, while proud Yuwi man Dylan Mooney from Brisbane has his work of art displayed along Darby Street.

Sydney-based artists Diana Baker-Smith and Agus Wijaya will also have their works of art on show to passers-by later this year, with the four artists selected from more than 300 applications from across Australia during an expressions of interest process last year.

The Gallery’s temporary street hoarding commission project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

NSW State Minister for the Arts Hon. John Graham MLC said we are lucky to live in NSW, a state rich in creativity. 

“The state’s first arts, culture and creative industries policy commits the government to advocating for the value of culture, to enabling and investing in culture with the whole of government,” Minister Graham said. 
 
 “The Create NSW funding is just one way the NSW Government is supporting our regional arts, culture and creative industries.”

Newcastle Art Gallery has also launched the second season of its Conversations from the Collection podcast, which uncovers the untold stories of six contemporary artists from across Australia who have contributed to the significance of the Gallery’s diverse collection.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said she was thrilled to feature internationally-exhibited, Newcastle-based artist Lottie Consalvo in the podcast.

“We can’t wait to be able to welcome the community back into our expanded Newcastle Art Gallery, which will significantly increase our capacity to present exhibitions and programming that showcase our incredible collection, while supporting contemporary practice and artists’ groundbreaking ideas that engage and broaden our audience,” Ms Morton said.

“The first series of the Gallery’s podcast was launched last year as a way to explore our collection through some of the artists featured within it. The podcast was highly regarded, reaching number two in Apple’s Australian Visual Arts podcast charts and being used as a learning resource for Hunter-based secondary and tertiary educators.

“We are thrilled to be able to share even more of these artist stories through this second season, which features episodes with Lottie Consalvo, Jemima Wyman, Lindy Lee, Janet Fieldhouse, Owen Leong and Tina Havelock Stevens.”

The six-part podcast is now available via the Gallery website and on all major podcast listening apps.

The Newcastle Art Gallery expansion project is supported by $5 million from the Australian Government under the Regional Recovery Partnerships and $5 million from the New South Wales Government under the Regional Recovery Package, as well as $12 million from the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation made possible through the Valerie and John Ryan bequest, Margaret Olley Trust, and community fundraising over many years. A further $1 million is currently being sought through the Foundation’s public fundraising campaign.

Most improved: Attendance shows promising lift in NSW public schools

With the 2024 school year in full swing, the NSW Government has launched a new phase of its campaign to remind parents and carers of the critical importance of good school attendance as figures from 2023 show a promising lift above the improvement rates of other states.

Student attendance increased from 85.2% in 2022 to 88.1% in 2023, a nation-leading improvement of 2.9%, but schools are continuing to work hard to make further progress.

The Department of Education’s latest ‘Every Day Matters’ campaign aims to raise parent, carer and community awareness of the importance of attending school daily, showing how just 1 day off school can lead to students missing out and falling behind, academically and socially.

Research shows positive school attendance benefits students’ academic achievement, engagement and wellbeing, while students who attend school regularly are also more likely to experience positive health, social and economic outcomes after leaving school.

While school attendance rates have increased across the state, there’s more work to be done, and the NSW Department of Education is supporting schools with strategies to lift attendance across the state.

Parents and carers are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school if they have attendance concerns, so they can access support.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“A day or 2 away from school may not seem like a big deal, but missing just 1 day per fortnight adds up to an entire year of missed learning over a student’s school career.

“We have made good progress on lifting attendance in NSW since coming to government, but there is more to do.

“Unless your child is unwell, please send them to school. It’s the best thing you can do to ensure your child receives the best education possible.”

Penrith Beach swimming season extended until Anzac Day

The state’s newest beach will remain open to the public for another month as the warm days continue across Western Sydney.

Penrith Beach has been a massive hit with local residents, with almost 200,000 people visiting the temporary activation to cool off since its opening in December 2023, and an average of 5,000 people continuing to visit the beach each week.

The fresh water oasis provided significant relief to local families, without the need to pack the car and drive over an hour East. Temperatures regularly soared above 30 degrees, reaching 39.7 on Thursday this week.

The NSW Government has now extended the activation of the site beyond the original 3 March 2024 closing date given this strong support from the Western Sydney community.

Lifeguards from Royal Life Saving Society NSW will continue patrolling the beach under new operating hours. The public will be able to visit on weekends and public holidays from 9 March between the hours of:

10am and 6pm; and,
10am and 4:30pm from 7 April 2024, at the end of daylight savings.
Facilities at the beach will remain open during these times with visitors able to access toilets and change rooms and enjoy the 130-metre-long beach. Free car park passes are also available online.

For more information, visit Penrith Beach.

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“In just a few short months we have seen almost 200,000 Western Sydney residents vote with their feet, visiting Penrith Beach for a day out by the water.

“At the opening I said this move is about fairness. For too long Western Sydney locals were neglected as the Liberals and Nationals focused all their energy on investment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“After watching the site sit behind a locked gate for decades, locals have embraced Western Sydney’s first ever beach, and are loving having somewhere to cool off right on their doorstop.

“I am delighted to see the season extended at Penrith Beach for Western Sydney to enjoy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Penrith Beach has shown how critical new swim sites are for communities living away from our coastline.

“The beach has been a big drawcard with local residents and has provided relief for the people of Western Sydney.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“Seeing thousands of Penrith families enjoy this beach has been the highlight of summer for the Penrith community.

“I encourage everyone in Western Sydney to come and experience the tranquillity of this location.

“Having our own beach is an absolute delight and I am thrilled to see Penrith Beach will remain open through to Anzac Day.”

Metro TBMs head West to Burwood North

Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year of tunnelling with the relaunch of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Beatrice and Daphne at the Five Dock Metro Station site.

The TBMs continue to build the new metro tunnels towards Sydney Olympic Park, with their next stop two kilometres away at the future Burwood North Metro Station site.

The relaunch of TBM Beatrice and Daphne is a major milestone in a significant program of work that will see the 24-kilometre metro line between Westmead and Hunter Street in Sydney’s CBD start to take shape over the next 12 months, further progressing the Sydney Metro West project that will also help drive housing supply.

The 1,300-tonne machines will tunnel an average of 200 metres a week to complete the second leg in their journey and are expected to break through at Burwood North in April.

In December 2023, the TBMs made tunnelling history when they arrived at Five Dock station site minutes apart to achieve the first double TBM breakthrough in the southern hemisphere.

Upon arrival at Five Dock, the TBMs have undergone necessary maintenance to ensure they continue safe operations for the next leg of their journeys.

Now that TBMs Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock, work will continue to prepare the 200-metre-long, by 22-metre-wide and up to 30-metre-deep excavated cavern for station construction.

Autonomous TBMs Betty and Dorothy are making significant progress in building the tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead and are more than 1.3 kilometres and 930 metres into their journey, respectively.

A further two TBMs to construct the metro tunnels below Sydney Harbour will arrive at The Bays in the coming months ahead of commencing tunnelling mid-year.

Sydney Metro West is expected to be complete by 2032. When it opens, these fast and reliable metro services will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.

This reaffirms the NSW Government’s commitment to building more housing in the right places, where people want to live – to improve affordability, reduce building and infrastructure costs and create thriving communities.

This includes a proposal, which was brought to the NSW Government by the Australian Turf Club, centring around the potential to build more than 25,000 new homes on the Rosehill Racecourse site. This would allow the government to explore the feasibility of a new Metro West Station at Rosehill.

Find out more about the Sydney Metro West project

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year in tunnelling and over the next 12 months we will really see this transformational project take shape.

“These mighty machines are really doing the heavy lifting as we move closer towards our goal of delivering even more public transport connections for the people in Sydney’s west.

“This once in a generation investment into transport infrastructure will also act as a catalyst for the delivery of much-needed housing.

“As Sydney grows, fully-accessible and reliable rail services are crucial to keep our city moving.

“By the end of the year, six enormous tunnel boring machines will be crushing through rock to deliver 24 kilometres of brand new metro tunnels beneath Sydney.”

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) fast facts:

  • Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock to continue the 11-kilometre tunnel digging journey.
  • Beatrice and Daphne are expected to arrive at Burwood North in April.
  • Beatrice and Daphne will each move up to 200 metres per week.
  • 15 workers will operate each TBM in rotating shifts.
  • Each TBM is 165 metres long, weighs 1,300 tonnes and has 34 rock-cutting disks in its 7m diameter cutterhead.
  • The TBMs move around the clock, with tunnelling approved to occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Their departure comes two months after Beatrice and Daphne achieved a historic double breakthrough at Five Dock within minutes of each other on 30 November 2023.