Destructive ‘Burrup Hub’ finally under investigation

Save Our Songlines, a grassroots campaign led by Murujuga Traditional Custodians, remains vigilant in its fight to protect their sacred rock art and song lines from the ‘Burrup Hub’, which includes Woodside’s Scarborough gas project and Perdaman’s urea plant.

Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has bowed to pressure from the campaign and granted a full assessment of the impact of all industry in the Burrup Peninsula on cultural heritage, under Section 10 of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act (ATSIHPA).

Although welcome news, the Minister’s denial of a Section 9 application from the group last month, means work can commence as scheduled and the movement of the rock art will take place while the Section 10 assessment is being completed.

Yamatji-Noongar Senator Dorinda Cox, the Greens spokesperson for resources said:

“If Labor wants to meet their climate targets, they can’t allow the Burrup Hub to continue producing some of the dirtiest LNG in the world to fire the Perdaman plant.

“The North West Gas Shelf, and now Perdaman, will make their huge profits off the back of destroying First Nations’ cultural heritage while setting off a climate bomb that will cause irreversible damage to the environment.

“This Labor government can not talk about recognition, they are silencing the voices of traditional owners and ramping up another Juukan Caves. When Traditional Owners say no, governments need to listen. None of this work has ever received free, prior informed consent and this is why our grassroots organisations need to find legal assistance to make them listen.

“Murujuga National Park is due to bid for World Heritage listing in February next year, we need this fast-tracked to protect it from destruction. Murujuga contains the world’s largest collection of rock art, one of the oldest women’s law grounds in the world, as well as the Seven Sisters dreaming song-line linking stories across Australia and the world.

“We cannot continue to allow projects to go ahead that wreck the climate and destroy cultural heritage. We need investment in cleaner, greener renewable energy sources now, and for this Government to stand on the right side of history and protect Australia’s First Peoples stories and sacred places.”

Refugee kids kicking goals thanks to increased grants and sponsorships program

Refugee children will be supported to play sport and feel welcome throughout the community after receiving a share of City of Newcastle (CN)’s almost $1 million grants and sponsorships funding.

CN’s funding, which includes community support, infrastructure grants, economic development and events sponsorship and partnerships, has increased tenfold since 2014 in response to growing needs in the community and the success of sponsorships driving city activity.

Initiatives ranging from a learn to swim program for refugee women, an Indigenous and disability sports clinic, through to workshops teaching Auslan to the community using popular songs are just some of the programs to be delivered under CN’s community support grant funding.

Budding footballers Mohamed Dia, 11 and Daniel Zanganeh, 9 (front) with Joseph Wright from Northern NSW Football, Newcastle Councillor Dr Elizabeth Adamczyk, and representatives from the Afghan Association of Hunter Mohammad Nasir, Sajad Ahmad, Jawid Ahmad and Fardin Rahmani.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said community grants and sponsorship funding is vital to enhancing community wellbeing and contributing to our city being a great place to live, work, play, visit and invest.

“Whether its funding for a program to help refugees engage with the community or an event to bring thousands of people to the city centre, City of Newcastle’s grants and sponsorships program is helping build a more liveable and inclusive community,” Cr Nelmes said.

“We have significantly boosted grant and sponsorship funding to support the needs of our ever-changing community from almost $130,000 in 2014 to almost $1 million in 2022, representing a tenfold increase.

“Our funding program is targeted to help provide opportunities for locals to reach their full potential, take an active part in our community and live in a more vibrant city.”

Ward 4 Councillor Dr Elizabeth Adamczyk, who joined Northern NSW Football, the Treasurer of the Afghan Association of the Hunter and refugee families to help launch the refugee football initiative, said social inclusion, recreation participation and economic development were at the heart of CN’s grants and sponsorships program.

“Through the City’s financial assistance, we are seeing a wide range of wonderfully inclusive and progressive initiatives aimed at supporting our culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities right across Newcastle, with a strong focus on our western suburbs,” Cr Adamczyk said.

“I’m also thrilled to see such a wide-breadth of local sporting facilities receive funding to support facility upgrades while local businesses at Shortland and Stockton are set for a refresh to their shopfronts through the Façade Improvement Scheme initiative.”

Among the community support grant initiatives to have been allocated funding in this round are a multicultural inclusion program delivered by Northern NSW Football for local refugee students and a sports program run by the Afghan Association of the Hunter for newly arrived Afghan refugees.

“Newcastle has a large number of newly arrived refugee youth and football is a universal language that unites people,” Northern NSW Football Legacy Development Officer Joseph Wright said.

“Thanks to this grant funding, Northern NSW Football will be able to provide player, coach and referee scholarships to children from refugee backgrounds to help them continue their football journey and integrate into the community.”

Forugh Dorani from the Afghan Association of Hunter Incorporated said their sports program and the football program delivered by Northern NSW Football will help Afghan refugees feel welcome and supported across Newcastle.

“Sports programs provide a wonderful opportunity for Afghan refugees that have newly arrived in Newcastle to connect with others in the community through a game that they love,” Mr Dorani said.

$1.1 million bill to repair City’s southern beaches

City of Newcastle is commencing works to reinstate safe access to beaches from Bar Beach to Merewether, following storm damage earlier this year.

The stretch of beach, and the Cooks Hill Surf Lifesaving Club, suffered significant damage from huge swells in April, leading to the temporary closure of facilities.

Since then, City of Newcastle has been working with structural and coastal engineers to assess the damage and develop options for the restoration of the pedestrian and vehicle accesses, buildings and promenade areas leading into the busy summer period.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the reinstatement of safe access for the community is a priority for the months ahead and will enable the Cooks Hill Surf Lifesaving Club to return to operation.

“We know how much the community values these beaches, and with summer not too far away, we are spending over a million dollars along this stretch of beach now so that locals and visitors can get back to the activities they love,” Cr Nelmes said.

“In addition to those more immediate actions, we are also looking ahead to the future to understand what these beaches may look like in decades to come.”

Cooks Hill Surf Lifesaving Club President Michael Clancy said these works are an important step in returning to activities for the summer period.

“We are looking forward to seeing these works underway so that both our members and the broader community can safely get back to the beach this season,” Mr Clancy said.

Initial works leading into summer have already commenced including the installation of temporary stairs at Bar Beach, which are now complete to allow lifeguards direct access from the viewing tower and promenade direct to the beach, as well as improving access to amenities and upgrades to access for lifesaving vehicles.

Following the busy summer period, further works are planned and include improvements to accessways at four points between Bar Beach and Merewether Beach.

The Bar Beach promenade area will also be upgraded including construction of a new disabled access ramp, new stairs, upgrades to seawalls and the installation of new handrails.

Looking ahead, City of Newcastle is working with coastal experts to develop a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for the stretch of beaches between Nobbys and Burwood Beach, which will consider the increasing exposure to coastal hazards and explore long-term management options for this highly valued stretch of coastline.

The CMP will ultimately be placed on public exhibition and then brought to the Council for support. It will then be forwarded to the NSW Minister for Local Government for certification.

Time to ‘Get Ready’ for bush fire season

Rural Fire Brigades across NSW are gearing up to host more than 500 community awareness events on Saturday as part of the annual Get Ready Weekend.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke is reminding people to prepare their homes and ensure their bush fire survival plan is up to date.
 
“Wet weather may have reduced the immediate risk of fires but it only takes a few days of hot, dry and windy conditions for vegetation to dry out and the fire danger to return, which is why it’s so important to get ready now,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“Grass fires move three times faster than bush fires and are our greatest threat across the State this summer.
 
“Get Ready Weekend is an ideal opportunity to find out more about making a plan for your family, and preparing for bush and grass fires. It’s also a chance to learn about the new Fire Danger Rating System which has now been rolled out across NSW.”
 
Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Rob Rogers said Brigades will be holding events at their local stations, shopping centres and other public spaces like parks to share information about how to stay safe.
 
“Four out of five households in bush fire-prone areas have some form of plan for what to do during a fire, and it’s important that people review their plan now so they know what to do if threatened by a fire,” Commissioner Rogers said.
 
“This year’s Get Ready Weekend allows residents and landowners to meet their local volunteer firefighters, learn more about what they do and get tips on how to stay safe.”
 
The RFS’s top four tips to get ready for the bush fire season are:

  • Discuss what to do if a bush fire threatens your home;
  • Prepare your home by cleaning leaves and twigs from gutters, keeping lawns and gardens well maintained, cutting back trees and shrubs overhanging buildings, cleaning up fallen vegetation, and having hoses long enough to reach around your house;
  • Know the bush fire alert levels; and
  • Keep all the bush fire information numbers, websites and the Fires Near Me app handy.

More young people empowered to stand against hate

The NSW Government’s flagship program helping empower young people to fight racism and hate has nearly doubled in size, with ten new partnership projects joining the initiative.
 
Each of the new partnership projects have been awarded a share in $1.6 million through the Community Partnership Action (COMPACT) program, to run projects specifically designed to help young people combat hate, racism, and divisive attitudes.
 
Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said each partnership is made up of a collection of community groups and organisations wanting to work together in their local area to help young people fight hate and division.
 
“We now have 24 COMPACT partnership projects involving over 80 organisations who are willing to stand up and stand united as champions for community harmony,” Mr Coure said.
 
“There will always be individuals who want to threaten and divide our society by inciting fear and hatred along racial or religious lines.
 
“COMPACT is all about denying these negative forces what they want, and we see young people as the key to achieving this. We do this by working with grassroots organisations to draw on the strength of our unity and foster a sense of connectedness among young people.”
 
Mr Coure said many of the new partnerships are in regional NSW, including Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Shoalhaven, and Wagga Wagga.
 
“Our multicultural society is not confined to one area or city, it extends right across NSW,” Mr Coure said.
 
“It is really promising that we have so many community organisations rallying together to create projects that will benefit young people in their local areas.”
 
Among the 10 new partnership projects joining the program are:
 

  • Cohesive Communities: Building social cohesion through youth agency: a project led by the Institute for Economics and Peace and partnership with PCYC NSW and Rotary International in Sydney, particularly South-West Sydney.
  • Mount Druitt Youth for Peace and Understanding: a project led by Mount Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency (MECA) in partnership with Blacktown City Council, The Street University (Ted Noffs Foundation) and Settlement Services International.
  • Stand Up – Multicultural Youth Conference: a project led by Queanbeyan Multilingual Centre bringing young people from across regional NSW together to stand united against racism and hate.

 
Established in 2015, COMPACT has engaged over 50,000 young people, inspiring a new generation of community leaders, critical thinkers and champions for community harmony to stand united against hate. It is a proven model for building social cohesion and community resilience. The NSW Government is investing $3 million each year for three years through the NSW Countering Violent Extremism Program to expand the COMPACT Program from 2021 to 2024.
 
For more information, visit https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/compact/

MEETING OF NATIONAL CABINET

Today National Cabinet met virtually to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and receive an update from Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly.

First Ministers agreed to extend the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (PLDP) at current rates beyond 30 September 2022.

The payment will remain available for as long as mandatory isolation periods are applied by all States and Territories.

First Ministers agreed to cap the maximum number of PLDP claims an individual can make in a six month period to three.

National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth and States and Territories would continue 50:50 cost-sharing arrangements for the payment.

First Ministers also agreed to a National Cabinet Statement on the National Day of Mourning to honour the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II on 22 September 2022. A copy of the statement is available on federation.gov.au.

The National Cabinet remains committed to working together on national priorities and will meet again in Canberra at the end of the month.

Man charged over alleged jewellery store robbery – East Maitland 

A man has been charged over his alleged involvement in the robbery of a jewellery store in the state’s Hunter last month. 

Just before 9.30am on Wednesday 6 July 2022, officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to a shopping centre on Molly Morgan Drive, East Maitland, following reports of a robbery at a jewellery store.

On arrival, police were told a male approached the store and allegedly used an emergency tool to smash the glass of a jewellery cabinet, before fleeing with a number of items. 

Initial inquiries were conducted by local police, before detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad took carriage of the matter under Strike Force Malwood.

Following further inquiries – including public appeals for information – a 38-year-old man was arrested by strike force detectives at a home in Tenambit about 7am today (Wednesday 14 September 2022).

During a subsequent search of that home and a second address at East Maitland, police located a seized several items of interest to the investigation for forensic analysis.

The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station and charged with steal from the person value more than $5,000, destroy or damage property, and larceny.

The Tenambit man was granted conditional bail to appear at Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 16 November 2022.

Inquiries continue.

NETBALL NSW | Nominations OPEN for Judy Dunbar Media Awards

Netball NSW is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Netball NSW Judy Dunbar Media Awards.

The Judy Dunbar Media Awards recognise individuals and/or media outlets that have demonstrated an outstanding media contribution to the sport of netball between the period; 1 September 2021 – 31 August 2022.

Judy Dunbar was an avid and long-serving Member of Netball NSW having served on the Board of Directors as well as various committees. Until her passing in July 2002, she was also the Media Officer for the Baulkham Hills Shire Netball Association and was responsible for building the image and increasing the exposure of netball in her local area.

To recognise her dedication to the sport over the years, Netball NSW named its media awards in her honour.

The Netball NSW Judy Dunbar Media Awards are presented annually at the Netball NSW State Dinner, this year to be held on Saturday 5 November at the Waterview in Sydney Olympic Park.

Nominations can be made in the following categories;

  • Best Overall Media Coverage
  • Best Feature
  • Best Photograph
  • Community Media Excellence

Eligible nominations from accredited media outlets will be accepted whereby the content refers to individuals or teams representing or participating in the following competitions and/or activities:

  • Netball NSW competitions, programs or events.
  • Netball NSW affiliated Association (local) netball competitions.
  • NSW State Teams 
  • NSW Swifts
  • GIANTS Netball
  • Suncorp Super Netball & Australian Diamonds 
  • National Championships

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY

Closing date for nominations is 5pm AET, Friday 30 September2022.

Australia and Mongolia celebrate 50 years of diplomacy

Today, I was pleased to meet with Mongolia’s Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency S. Amarsaikhan, as Mongolia and Australia prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Our business, educational, and people-to-people ties have grown year-on-year since we officially established relations on 15 September 1972.

Mongolia’s 2007 decision to designate Australia a ‘third neighbour’ was a significant milestone for our relations, which has been reinforced by the opening of the Mongolian Embassy in Canberra in 2008, and the Australian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar in 2015.

Australia has supported more than 650 Mongolians to study under Australia Awards – many rising to leadership positions – which has strengthened our people-to-people ties.

I am hopeful that reciprocal Work and Holiday Maker visas, established this year, will build on these links.

In our meeting today, His Excellency S. Amarsaikhan and I agreed that we look forward to supporting the Australia-Mongolia relationship to grow even stronger in the years ahead.

Penny Wong

Gomeroi Nation’s fight for survival

In a legal first, the Gomeroi Nation is using the public interest test, commonly used by fossil fuel companies to fight native title cases, to prevent Santos’ planned gas project in the Pilliga Forest. 

If the argument is successful, it would set a precedent for First Nations people to use climate change as a reason to stop fossil fuel projects on Country.

Greens spokesperson for Resources and Yamatji-Noongar woman Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“The Gomeroi people are co-opting the public interest test – using the fossil fuel industry’s tricks against them. Hopefully this sets a precedent for future native title cases.

“The Gomeroi people are spiritually linked to the Pilliga Forest. It is their lungs, and one of the most spiritually significant elements of their culture. They shouldn’t have to take an energy giant to court to have their heritage and culture protected.

“This is a classic example of a fossil fuel company ignoring the wishes of Traditional Owners in favour of profits.

“The Gomeroi people have chosen Country over profits, declining substantial financial compensation from Santos, proving you can’t put a price on culture.”