Category: Australian News

A Daley Labor Government will deliver an additional $9 million to Coffs Harbour hospital – bringing the total investment into the facility to $203 million – as part of the Schools and Hospitals before Stadiums’ plan.
The additional Labor funding for Coffs Harbour hospital will go towards:

• Replacement of the dental X-ray machine, which has been broken for at least six months – forcing patients to go “private”; and
• Funding to deliver additional parking spaces to off-set the expected loss of 110 parking spaces under the current plan.

The overall improvements – costing $194 million – include:

• Expansion of the existing surgical and operating theatres;
• New theatres;
• A new short stay surgical unit;
• Orthopaedic and vascular unit;
• Ambulatory care area; and
• The expansion of community health.

The region has experienced substantial population growth over the last eight years and the needs of the hospital have been neglected.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley made the announcement with Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge.
The Coffs Harbour announcement follows NSW Labor’s commitment to employ 5,500 more nurses and midwives; 1,500 more paramedics; 2,240 more cleaning, support personnel and allied health workers; and 250 more security staff to protect patients and health workers.
In an earlier announcement, NSW Labor committed to capping hospital parking fees for health workers at $10 per week – subject to current contracts ending.
Coffs Harbour hospital is under enormous pressure with its emergency department seeing about 40,000 patients a year.  About one in five (21.9 per cent) of patients waited longer than four hours. Ten per cent of patients waited longer than seven hours and 48 minutes.
As of December 31, there are 1,797 patients waiting for elective surgery at Coffs Harbour hospital with the median wait for non-urgent elective surgery is 240 days with 10 per cent of patients waiting longer than 348 days.
In addition, in 2018, there were 1,058 babies born at Coffs Harbour hospital.
Built in 2001 under then Labor Premier Bob Carr and Dr Andrew Refshauge, it is a major referral hospital for the Coffs Network of the Mid North Coast Local Health District.
With 292 beds, its services include general medicine, surgery, day surgery, planned and emergency theatre service, coronary care (including coronary angiography unit), intensive care, obstetrics, paediatrics, 24-hour Emergency Department, oncology, palliative care, rehabilitation, stroke, acute renal dialysis, high dependency and mental health and an extensive range of outpatient clinics.
Country Labor candidate for Coffs Harbour Tony Judge said: “The mid-North Coast has been neglected by the National Party and taken for granted.”
“Unfortunately, the National Party have the wrong priorities. They want to splurge $2.2 billion on stadiums and refuse to listen to the community on their health and hospital needs – while NSW Labor will invest in health and hospital services.
“Coffs Harbour deserves world-class health and hospital services in their local community.”

The Morrison Government will provide a further $40 million in grants to better support people living with dementia.
Applications are now open under the National Dementia Support Program for funding from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
Funding of $36 million will support education programs, services and resources to improve interactions between people living with dementia and those around them.
This could include projects to raise awareness and understanding about dementia, and increase the skills and confidence of people living with dementia, their carers, families, health professionals, volunteers, and contacts within their communities.
Grants may also be used to:

• support primary health care practitioners, including GPs, to improve early diagnosis of dementia;
• reduce stigma about dementia which can exist in the community;
• support people and families at or after the diagnosis of dementia;
• provide culturally appropriate education and information on dementia and support services for people, families and carers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This funding includes $5 million to Dementia Australia to enable the organisation to continue to provide its services for five months to 30 November 2019 while the grant process is undertaken.
This investment will ensure people living with dementia, their families and carers are continually provided the support they need during this process.
The remaining $4 million focuses on the use of innovative technology for people living with dementia.
These grants will aim to:

• assist people living with dementia to sustain their independence and remain in their own homes for longer;
• improve the quality of life of people living with dementia in both home and residential aged care; and
• support families and carers to develop skills and strategies for caring.

Dementia is one of the biggest health and social challenges facing our nation, and other developed countries around the world.
The number of Australians living with dementia will increase rapidly over the next 30 years because we are living longer and the population is ageing.
Earlier this month, the Morrison Government announced funding for a world-first national network of specialist care units for patients with severe dementia. At full roll out, funding of $70 million a year will support more than 30 specialist care units to provide best practice person-centred care for these vulnerable people.
The Morrison Government also provides $50 million each year for a number of dementia specific programs to support quality of life and care for people living with dementia.
It’s also on top of the $200 million over five years for the Boosting Dementia Research Initiative, of which $15 million is earmarked for Implementing Dementia Risk Reduction and Prevention Research Priority projects.
Applications for the National Dementia Support Program can be downloaded from the GrantConnect website by searching for GO1777 at www.grants.gov.au.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the New Zealand Muslim community in the wake of today’s senseless right wing terrorist attack in Christchurch. I extend these sympathies to Muslims in Australia and indeed around the world. My heart aches with yours on this dark and terrible day.

We must unite, as one community, against the plague of hatred and violence that is ricocheting around the world. Silence is not an option. This is a time for us to call out racism and islamophobia in all its forms, and the politicians and media commentators who enable it.
Innocent New Zealanders are lying dead in the streets of Christchurch tonight because a climate of fear and division has fueled this kind of murderous behaviour. It must stop.
Muslims contribute so much to the fabric of our great multicultural nation, a fact I’m reminded of every time I have the honour of being welcomed into their community.
We stand with the Muslim community at this time of suffering and grief, and pledge to end this senseless violence, and the hateful rhetoric that fuels it.

– Richard Di Natale, Leader of the Australian Greens

From July 1, 2019, the Greens will introduce a $2.2 billion battery storage fund providing household battery storage incentives of up to $7000 per battery (tapering down annually to July 1, 2023). Each quarter, $137.5 million will be made available for use from the fund.
Battery storage in Australia is taking off, with household battery storage uptake tripling in 2017 and expected to reach 33,000 in 2018. However, the Greens recognise the industry is still developing and this boost will improve access for households and help manufacturers reduce costs and increase production.
As the landscape and economics of battery storage are changing rapidly, the size of the grant will taper down annually and a review will be conducted halfway through the scheme to assess the size of the grant, taking into account battery prices in each state of the scheme, the resulting payback periods and the performance of the scheme. If any changes to the size of the grant in years 3 and 4 are required, 3 months advance notice will be provided.
The opportunities presented by the huge growth in distributed energy storage will be missed if the ‘behind the meter’ technology is unable to coordinate. The aggregation of home battery systems provides the opportunity to save consumers money while adding additional flexibility and security to the grid when required. To be eligible for the scheme, households will need to use qualified system providers installing battery systems that meet a set of minimum technical requirements, so batteries are safe and capable of (where technology permits) participating in a sophisticated distributed energy arrangement, such as a virtual power plant.
The goal of the scheme is to reduce the consumer’s effective payback period of batteries to as close to 3 years as possible, close to the best payback period for average solar PV systems in some parts of Australia. Guidelines will be developed to determine the precise level of subsidy provided to achieve this goal, having regard to:

• The size of the desired battery storage system;
• The cost of the desired battery storage system;
• Which state the consumer is in.

10% of the funding cap each quarter will be set aside for low income households, who will be eligible to receive double the allocated grant in that year.
The scheme will work in harmony with state-based schemes by ‘topping up’ state based grants. For example, if a household receives the Victorian Labor subsidy of $4838 in 2019, they will still be eligible to receive up to $2162 from the Federal Government grant.
This policy will be fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.
Quotes attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Greens climate change and energy spokesperson:
“We want to supercharge demand for batteries in households and businesses,” said Mr Bandt.
“Instead of a one-way street, our energy system needs to transform into a distributed, coordinated smart grid with battery storage at the heart of that transformation.
“Two million Australians have already embraced solar. The next step is battery storage.
“70% of home owners with rooftop solar want batteries, but research indicates a lack of government incentives have inhibited the uptake of batteries. Instead of encouraging the uptake of batteries, the government is just spruiking coal.
“Our $2.2 billion plan will help households and businesses embrace and enjoy the benefits of battery storage and extra support will be given to low-income households to ensure they don’t miss out.
“Battery storage will help people reduce their energy bills while reducing demand on the network during peak times.
“Not only can distributed battery storage technology create virtual power plants, but they can almost double a household’s self-consumption from their solar panels.
“More battery storage will help Australia reach 100% renewables as soon as possible by keeping pollution and power prices down.”
Scheme design:

YEAR	GRANT	FUNDING CAP
1	Up to $7000	$550 million ($137.5M limit each quarter)
2	Up to $5950	$550 million ($137.5M limit each quarter)
REVIEW	REVIEW	REVIEW
3	Up to $5355	$550 million ($137.5M limit each quarter)
4	Up to $4820	$550 million ($137.5M limit each quarter)
TOTAL	N/A	$2.2 billion

Small Business:
Under the Greens’ scheme, small businesses will have access to loans up to $15,000 (tapering down to $9300 in 2023) administered by the CEFC to assist with the installation of battery storage. These loans will be repayable over a 10 year period.

The Australian Greens have announced their first suite of policies aimed at achieving full equality for all LGBTIQ+ people.
“The Greens policies will mean LGBTIQ+ people have the right to be free from discrimination, have autonomy over their bodies, and have access to holistic and comprehensive health services and secure housing.”
“LGBTIQ+ people continue to face many challenges in our society, such as students and teachers being expelled and fired from religious schools, higher rates of mental health issues and homelessness, and enduring sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.
“We can and must do better. The Greens plan removes religious exemptions in federal anti-discrimination laws, creates an LGBTIQ+ health strategy, replaces religious chaplains in public schools with trained, secular counsellors, and appoints an LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Commissioner and Minister for Equality, and more.”
“We especially want to stamp out dangerous sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts. We know from survivors that the ex-gay and ex-trans conversion movement extends beyond formalised ‘therapies’ in subtle and insidious ways. These change efforts pervade some religious communities, faith-based organisations, schools and the counselling industry.”
“The Greens plan will support survivors of sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts and their allies to stamp out these practices and fund $1 million for LGBTIQ+ faith organisations to build capacity for self-advocacy and $500,000 into a public health and awareness campaign.”
“The Greens have always stood with LGBTIQ+ people, and we will continue fighting for the rights of every member of our community,” said Adam Pulford, Australian Greens candidate for Wills.
“As a gay man, I am proud to be part of announcing our first set of policies to help end discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people and provide the support we need when we need it.”
The Greens plan will:

• Protect LGBTIQ+ rights in law, through a Charter of Rights and removing religious exemptions in federal anti-discrim laws
• Create a national LGBTIQ+ health strategy
• Ensure secular student support is provided in all schools
• Address the crisis in housing and homelessness for LGBTIQ+ people
• Establish a ministerial advisory group on LGBTIQ+ issues
• Stamp out sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts
• Appoint an LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Commissioner
• Appoint a Minister for Equality

Policy document available here.

$5.8 billion would be invested in providing Medicare-funded dental care in a policy announced today by Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale and Greens candidate for Macnamara Steph Hodgins-May.
“Your health shouldn’t be determined by your postcode or bank balance,” said Dr Di Natale, a former GP and public health specialist.
“Untreated dental disease can dramatically impact on a person’s health and quality of life, and it is the most vulnerable people in our community who are impacted the most. The Greens will invest $5.8 billion to provide Medicare-funded dental care to all young people, aged pensioners, full benefit recipients and concession card holders.
“Millions of Australians have delayed visiting the dentist because of high out of pocket costs, which is why the Greens have long been champions of Medicare-funded dental care. In 2012 the Greens secured Medicare-funded dental care for 3.4 million children and now we commit to build on that foundation.
“The Coalition has never supported Medicare but if the Labor party really support affordable universal healthcare Bill Shorten should commit to working with the Greens to bring dental into Medicare,” Di Natale said.
Hodgins-May said the out of pocket costs of dental treatment undermined Australia’s health system.
“I’m proud to live in a country with universal healthcare but the cost of seeing a dentist is a huge gap,” said Hodgins-May.
“There is no reason why your mouth should be treated differently to the rest of your body. Going to the dentist should be just like going to the GP and that’s exactly what the Greens will deliver.”
The policy initiative document can be found here.

The Morrison Government will provide $4 million to the Esther Foundation for its life-changing work helping young women build themselves brighter futures.
The investment will give the Foundation funding security for seven years and also support the operation of an additional 20 beds at its Gooseberry Hill centre, in Western Australia.
The Esther Foundation plays a critical role, currently assisting approximately 120 women in crisis each year- and up to 20 children- through its comprehensive, fully residential program.
At present, up to 70 participants can be accommodated at a time, with the Foundation’s reputation for changing lives for the better attracting young women from across WA and interstate.
They are helped to tackle mental health issues, depression and self-harm, eating disorders and addictions and are also supported through family breakdowns and to escape from abuse and domestic violence.
The Foundation has assisted some participants with bail to leave prison, while others have come from hospitals where they have been dealing with mental health challenges.
Programs include life skills education, creative arts, education and internships, legal support, group and private counselling, family reunification, and sport and recreation.
The Foundation also operates the popular Esther Café and boutique recycled clothing shop in the nearby centre of Kalamunda, which provides training and job opportunities for program participants.
The Foundation provides a springboard for future success, offering security, housing and support, along with pathways to employment and independence.
Our Government is proud to support the Foundation’s ongoing work and expansion, with its success built on 20 years of determination to give young women in need – and their children – the best opportunities for fulfilling lives.

The Morrison Government will be getting the people of Perth home sooner and safer with a $96 million congestion-busting package that will transform parts of the city.
The infrastructure overhaul includes upgrading three road bottlenecks at Hazelmere, Alkimos and Kewdale; further widening of the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways and Smart Freeway infrastructure; and funding toward construction of a train station at Lakelands on the Mandurah Line.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the important thing was that people were spending less time on the road and more time with their loved ones.
“That is why we are investing in public transport infrastructure and removing pinch points and bottlenecks will make a real difference to the lives of people living in fast-growing suburbs,” the Prime Minister said.
”This will help families and businesses get back valuable time.”
The projects are funded through the Liberal and Nationals Government’s $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund and includes:

• $20 million toward extending Lloyd Street in Hazelmere to ease congestion caused by limited freight access to the industrial areas of Hazelmere and Midlands.
• $13.25 toward upgrading a three-kilometre stretch of Abernethy Road to tackle congestion caused by population growth and more heavy vehicles servicing nearby industrial areas in Kewdale.
• $10 million toward construction of Lakelands Station on the Mandurah Rail Line, filling a 23-kilometre gap in the urban rail network in order to ease pressure on the city’s roads.
• $2.5 million to bust congestion at the Shorehaven Boulevard/Marmion Avenue intersection at Alkimos, improving peak-period travel times and safety for Perth’s growing northern suburbs.
• $50 million to roll out the next section of widening of the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways and to implement Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to monitor and control traffic flows.

Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said congestion was a growing problem across Perth and the Morrison Government’s Urban Congestion Fund would deliver a solution.
“The Urban Congestion Fund is designed to eliminate congestion issues where they are hurting the most – not only the major freeways but the local pinch points which can provide daily headaches to commuters,” Minister Tudge said.
The funding injection builds on the Government’s $11.2 billion commitment between 2013–14 and 2027–28 toward transport projects across Western Australia.
This includes $2.3 billion for METRONET projects, a $944 million investment in the Perth Congestion Package, and $560 million toward Stage 2 and 3 of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
Minister Tudge said the investment in the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways would build on the Government’s existing commitment to widen and implement ITS on the Kwinana Freeway between Canning Highway and Narrows Bridge, which is currently underway.
“These investments are about managing the flow of vehicles onto, through and out of the freeway corridors to maximise the network’s performance,” Minister Tudge said.
Other key projects supported by the Morrison Government include various METRONET projects, upgrading the Tonkin Highway, extending the Mitchell Freeway and widening the Kwinana Freeway.

The Liberal National Government is providing $50 million for nationally co-ordinated medical research to improve the recovery of patients with a traumatic brain injury.
More than 20,000 Australians are hospitalised with traumatic brain injury every year.
In an Australian-first, our Government is providing dedicated funding for research into traumatic brain injury. The funding, over 10 years, is through the Government’s landmark Medical Research Future Fund.
The Traumatic Brain Injury Mission will seek to better predict recovery outcomes after a traumatic brain injury, develop new technologies and identify the most effective care and treatments.
This nationally coordinated approach will bring together paramedics, emergency physicians, intensivists, neurotrauma specialists, neurologists, psychiatrists, neuroscience researchers, neuropsychologists and advocacy representatives from all states and territories to translate research into new treatments that work for traumatic brain injury, from mild to severe trauma to the brain.
This funding will give those injured and their families hope for the future.
There is a desperate need for options to better chart the patient journey following traumatic brain injury.
By addressing the unmet needs in traumatic brain injury research, we will be able to improve the lives of thousands of Australian children and adults.
Traumatic brain injury can arise from a range of circumstances – including concussion from sport, to more serious injury following a road accident or an elderly person having a fall.
Symptoms span a spectrum of severity, such as deficits in cognition through to vegetative states.
Patients can also experience lack of emotional control, poor mental health, disrupted balance and sleep disturbances. This can have long-lasting impacts on both patients and their families.
Some patients recover quickly and completely and others do not. This mission will examine factors including what interventions can improve the chances of recovery.
The lifetime cost of each traumatic brain injury in Australia is estimated at $2.5 million for moderate and $4.8 million for severe injuries.
This funding is further demonstration of our Government’s commitment to health and medical research – and how the Medical Research Future Fund is enabling unprecedented support to the Australian research community.
Our researchers already punch above their weight internationally, and the Medical Research Future Fund is ensuring that our best and brightest can continue their valuable work.
The Medical Research Future Fund will double Australia’s investment in health and medical research and further enhance our global reputation for research excellence.
Our Government’s strong economic management ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and hospitals.

The Morrison and Berejiklian Governments will ensure the Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport has a metro rail line in time for its opening.
The Prime Minister said his Government’s $3.5 billion rail package commitment would help bring the vision to life, alongside the commitment from the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government.
“Working together our governments are going to get this done,” the Prime Minister said.
“For years people have talked about backing the Western Sydney International Airport. For years people have promised more rail links in the western suburbs. We’re going to deliver both.
“Our plan for a stronger economy means we can make record infrastructure investments in Western Sydney unlike the Labor Party who would need to prop up their Budget with $200 billion of higher taxes on housing, retirees, incomes, electricity and small and family businesses.
“This project and the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will drive economic growth for Western Sydney, boost jobs and housing and make it into a key hub of our city all as part of our Western Sydney City Deal.”
The rail overhaul is set to begin with the first stage of the North South Rail Link from St Marys to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis via Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. The Morrison Government’s $3.5 billion commitment kicks off with $61 million for the Elizabeth Drive Overpass, an essential piece of early enabling infrastructure to ensure the airport is rail ready. The Morrison Government is fully funding Western Sydney International Airport with $5.3 billion, and has committed $2.9 billion to the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the construction of the rail line would bring together rail, road and airport infrastructure, all in time for the commencement of operations at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport in 2026.
“This will provide a crucial north-south rail connection for the people of Western Sydney and create a new way of travel for the community,” Minister Tudge said.
“It will contribute to the success of the airport and the businesses in the Aerotropolis in helping to bring Western Sydney to the world.”
The business case for the project is being jointly funded by the Federal and NSW governments and is expected to be delivered to the Australian and NSW governments by the end of this year.