Childcare changes should be strengthened and brought forward

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government’s Cheaper Childcare Bill, introduced to parliament today, doesn’t go far enough, and should make early education and care universal and free.

Senator Faruqi said:

“We have an opportunity here to deliver universal and free childcare. This bill does not go anywhere near far enough.

“Expensive and inaccessible childcare has held women and families back for too long.

“Rather than spending $243 billion on the obscene Stage 3 Tax Cuts, we could have free childcare for a fraction of the cost.

“Making early childhood education and care free for all would be so beneficial for children, families and the whole community.

“This bill does not tackle the workforce crisis in early education. Educators must receive better pay and conditions that reflect the skill and responsibility of the work they do every day.

“At the very least, the bill should scrap the Activity Test that restricts access to subsidised childcare, and the new subsidy rates should be brought forward to commence at the start of next year rather than waiting until July. People need support now.”

Greens move for abortion access Senate inquiry

In the wake of Roe v Wade, the Australian Greens will today establish a Senate inquiry into abortion access in Australia. 

This inquiry will identify what can be done federally to alleviate the physical and financial barriers to accessing contraceptives, sexual and reproductive healthcare and termination services, as well as options to improve the quality and availability services, particularly in regional and remote Australia.

Greens leader in the senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Abortion remains expensive and inaccessible for many, especially those who already face massive healthcare barriers, including First Nations people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

“In the wake of Roe v Wade, the federal government should look at what it can do to eliminate Australia’s barriers to accessible and affordable abortion.

“Access to safe, legal abortion remains a postcode lottery in Australia, with different rules, costs and availability depending on where you live. Some people are having to travel for hours at significant expense to access this basic healthcare service.

“In remote and regional areas, like Townsville and Mackay, many women are forced to travel long distances, at significant expense, to access to sexual and reproductive health services including long-acting contraception, medical and surgical abortions and counselling.

“The Greens support calls for national consistency on abortion laws, provided they are best practice, which would be ascertained through the inquiry.

“The Greens will resist any attempt in Australia to wind back reproductive rights. And we’ll continue to work to ensure people have access to legal, free and safe pregnancy termination services and a full range of contraception options, including unbiased counselling, no matter where they live.

“The impacts of poor sexual health literacy, lack of access to contraceptives and quality reproductive healthcare are clear. This inquiry will provide an invaluable insight into the barriers people are facing and how the federal government can intervene to fix them.”

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, spokesperson for Health said:

“Improper access to sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, is a serious healthcare issue and must be addressed as such.

“Too often women, trans, and non-binary folks, are left behind by our state and federal governments when it comes to healthcare. 

“The Australian Greens will continue to demand better support and care for those who need any reproductive services whenever, wherever, and however they want to access it.

“This inquiry would champion every single person’s human right to accessing the services and care that they need in a timely, accurate, and culturally appropriate manner.”

Newcastle development application times cut by 25 per cent

A streamlined solution set to slash determination times for low-impact, decision-ready development applications will be considered by Councillors at tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting following a three-month trial.

City of Newcastle (CN) has developed an Accelerated Development Application (DA) pathway for applicants, which starts with an online triaging tool to assess developments against eligibility criteria. Suitable applications are then fast-tracked and determined within five to 15 days.

Ninety six low-risk DAs were determined during the three-month trial with an average processing time of just 5.8 days, which reduced CN’s overall processing times by 25 per cent from 50 days to 37 days.

More than 1,650 applications were determined by City of Newcastle during the past 12 months. Over 30 per cent of these would have been suitable to be determined under the Accelerated DA pathway.

Eligible developments that are deemed low-risk and do not require a notification period can include residential and ancillary developments, demolition, secondary dwellings, change of use, torrens and strata title subdivisions, signage, modifications and industrial and commercial developments.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the service was a game-changer for processing times and congratulated City of Newcastle’s Planning team for their ingenuity and commitment to streamlining the development application pathway for applicants.

“Newcastle is in the midst of a development boom. Significant levels of residential and commercial development continue to unfold right across our city and there are no signs of this slowing anytime soon,” Cr Nelmes said.

“City of Newcastle’s Accelerated DA pathway presents an innovative approach to facilitating timely development outcomes, with some of the onus on the applicant to provide a quality submission that reduces the double-handling of information and speeds up the process.

“City of Newcastle’s fast, streamlined development pathway will ensure our city is a more attractive place to invest in bricks and mortar compared to other locations.”

CN’s Planning and Environment Executive Director Michelle Bisson said applicants can still expect the same standard of professional review for each application seen by the CN assessment team.

“By identifying low-impact applications for CN’s Accelerated DA pathway, simple applications won’t get slowed down by more complex DAs that our team are assessing,” Ms Bisson said.

“Our customers can get on with building their developments much faster this way and our assessors can process significantly more applications with greater efficiency.

“It is hoped the process is supported by the elected Council tonight and potentially gain interest state-wide.”

Ordinary Council Meeting Tuesday 27 September 2022

Following is a summary of resolutions from the Ordinary Council meeting of Tuesday 27 September 2022. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.

Lord Mayoral Minutes

Honouring the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
A Lord Mayoral Minute (LMM) was unanimously supported that acknowledged the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, and honoured Her Majesty’s service to the Commonwealth as the longest serving British monarch.

The LMM acknowledged City of Newcastle’s connection with the throne, following approval in 1947 by King George VI of its elevation to Lord Mayor, the first Australian non-capital city to receive the honour. In addition, the LMM noted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the City of Newcastle on four occasions, in 1954, 1970, 1977 and 1988.

Council supported writing to King Charles III expressing sincere condolences on behalf of the community of Newcastle and to congratulate him on his ascension to the throne.

NRLW Lord Mayoral Challenge
A Lord Mayoral Minute (LMM) was unanimously supported that congratulated the Newcastle Knights Women’s NRL team for progressing to the Grand Final on Sunday 2 October and wishes them the best of luck as they take on the Parramatta Eels.

Council supported hosting a celebratory Civic Reception for the Newcastle Knights NRLW Team at City Hall and accepts the challenge from Cr Donna Davis, Lord Mayor of the City of Parramatta to wear the winning NRL team’s jersey in the Council Chambers at the next Ordinary Council Meeting following the NRLW match.

Ordinary business

Public Exhibition of Our Sustainable Waste Strategy
Council unanimously voted to place the draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy – Strategic Framework, White Paper and Delivery Plan on public exhibition for 42 days.

Public Exhibition of the draft Harbour Foreshore Masterplan
Council unanimously voted to place the draft Harbour Foreshore Masterplan on public exhibition for a period of four weeks.

Accelerated Development Application System
Council unanimously voted to endorse the Accelerated Development Application System.

Adoption of amendments to the Newcastle Development Control Plan (DCP) 2012
Council voted to adopt amendments to Section 4.02 Bush Fire Protection, Section 4.03 Mine Subsidence, Section 4.04 Safety and Security and Section 7.03 Traffic, Parking and Access of Newcastle DCP. The amendments will become operational from 1 November 2022.

Public Exhibition of draft Planning Agreement for 10 Dangar Street, Wickham
Council unanimously voted to place the draft Planning Agreement and Explanatory Note for 10 Dangar Street, Wickham on public exhibition for 28 days.

Public Exhibition of draft Local Social Strategy
Council voted to place the draft Local Social Strategy 2030 on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days.

Public Exhibition of the draft Social Infrastructure Strategy
Council unanimously voted to place the draft Social Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2026 on public exhibition for a minimum 28 days.

Wilkinson Avenue, Birmingham Gardens – raised pedestrian crossing between Blue Gum Road and King Street
Council unanimously voted to approve the installation of a raised pedestrian crossing with kerb extensions and associated footpath connections on Wilkinson Avenue Birmingham Gardens.

Newcastle Light Rail – Transport Asset Holding Entity land transfer to City of Newcastle
Council voted to approve the transfer of four parcels of land in Hunter, Scott and Merewether Streets, from Transport Asset Holding Entity, allowing for the land to be dedicated as public road.

In addition, Council granted authority to the Chief Executive Officer or his delegate to execute all relevant documentation to affect the transaction.

Executive Monthly Performance Report
Council received the Executive Monthly Performance Report for August 2022.

Hunter And Central Coast Regional Planning Panel Alternative Memberships
Council unanimously voted to authorise City of Newcastle’s CEO in consultation with the Lord Mayor and Councillor representatives to the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel (HCCRPP) to determine staff or independent alternative representatives to the HCCRPP when Councillor appointed representatives or alternative representatives have declared a conflict of interest or conflict of duties or where they are otherwise unavailable to represent CN on the HCCRPP.

Notices of Motion

Residential EV charging
Councillors supported a notice of motion that noted the rapid increase in electric vehicle (EV) ownership in Australia and noted that the NSW and Commonwealth Governments have announced electric vehicle strategies to increase EV ownership.

The motion also notes that a number of Australian local councils are developing strategies to enable at-home charging for properties without off-street parking and that some of these initiatives are being funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to trial EV charging points on power poles.

Council supported an action to develop an EV policy framework for Newcastle to include within the upcoming Environment Strategy.

EV charging – Adamstown Local Centre
Councillors supported a notice of motion that noted the rapid increase in electric vehicle (EV) ownership in Australia and reiterated Council’s commitment to the upgrade of the Adamstown Local Centre at Brunker Road within CN’s popular local centre upgrade program.

Council supported requesting that public EV charging infrastructure be included as part of the Adamstown Local Centre future upgrade.

Recognition of carers and national carers week
Councillors supported a notice of motion that acknowledged the important role that carers play in our local community and supports the greater recognition and community inclusion of carers in the lead up to National Carers Week (16 to 22 October 2022).

Councillors supported writing to the NSW Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services, the Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC, and the Shadow Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington MP, calling upon the NSW Government to include local government in the next Action Plan (2023-2025) by consulting with Local Government NSW and local councils to develop actions and measurable outcomes aligned to the priorities of the NSW Carers Strategy.

Councillors also supported writing to the Federal Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, and the Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon MP, advising of the City’s support for action by the Federal Government.

Fossil fuel ad ban
Councillors supported the director’s recommendation.

Get back to sport with Active Kids this summer

Summer sport registrations are officially open and families are being encouraged to take advantage of the State’s enormously successful Active Kids Voucher program, so children can get back to playing sport without breaking the family budget.
 
Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said there is an exciting summer ahead and families are being reminded to use these excellent NSW Government cost-saving measures.
 
“Getting kids out of the house to be active is vitally important for health and wellbeing. Signing your child up for sports allows for them to make new friends, learn important skills and stay healthy,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“Whether it’s, tennis, dance, cricket or nippers there are over 11,000 Active Kids providers across the State, so now is the perfect time to download your voucher and register your child in their favourite sport or active recreation activity.”
 
School-enrolled children in NSW can access two $100 Active Kids vouchers each year towards the cost of sport and active recreation fees.
 
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said NSW families have embraced the Active Kids program, and is one of more than 70 Government savings to help ease cost of living and boost household budgets.
 
“We are improving the application and redemption process for parents and providers, with a digital version of the voucher on the Service NSW app now available,” Mr Dominello said.
 
“Active Kids has been an overwhelming success, with almost 100 per cent of parents giving it the thumbs up.”
 
Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon said the program offered greater opportunities for kids to play sport.
 
“Our Cricket NSW purpose is to inspire everyone to play and love cricket and the Active Kids Voucher program makes it easier for families to do that,” Mr Germon said.
 
“Anything we can do to provide greater access to the game is a positive, particularly in that 5-12 year old age group that we are focused on, so our thanks go to the NSW Government for this program.”
 
More information about Active Kids is available online.

App helps drivers save on petrol as fuel excise discount ends

NSW drivers are being urged to use the FuelCheck app to find a cheaper servo and save up to $10 a tank as the fuel excise discount ends on Wednesday.
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said the app can save drivers up to $800 a year and is just one of the measures contributing to the almost $7 billion delivered in cost of living savings to NSW residents since July 2017.
 
“Prices can vary greatly between petrol stations so if you’re filling up a 50L tank and there’s a 20 cent difference between service stations, you’d save $10 by filling up at the cheaper one,” Mr Kean said.
 
“Driving a couple of hundred metres down the road to a cheaper servo can really pay off and boost your budget.
 
“New data from the past six months shows independents consistently offer drivers the cheapest fuel.”
 
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said Sydney’s cheapest petrol is often found in the western and southwestern suburbs.
 
“FuelCheck has been an overwhelming success, with more than 2.2 million drivers downloading the free app, and 93 per cent giving it the thumbs up,” Mr Dominello said.
 
“With high petrol prices right now, drivers can find the cheapest fuel anywhere in NSW in real-time in the palm of their hand.
 
“Do yourself a favour these school holidays and get the app. You could save up to $800 a year by using it regularly.”

Aspiring teachers to earn while they learn

The state’s top university graduates will be the target of a bespoke program designed to attract high achievers into teaching careers in high demand areas across NSW.  

Premier Dominic Perrottet said Teach for Australia, which has a successful track record in other states, has created a unique model for our public schools.  

“The modern workforce has changed but pathways into the teaching profession have become more siloed, with students spending most of their time at university and unable to earn an income until they complete their placements,” Mr Perrottet said. 

“We want to attract the best candidates to our classrooms and this model actively seeks out the best graduates and helps them make the jump into teaching.” 

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said a particular focus of the program is mid-career professionals, who, once they have completed intensive Masters units, will be supported to work in a school while they complete their study. 

“Not only do tailored mid-career programs ease the burden of months of unpaid leave, they also provide future teachers with instrumental experience in the classroom – which teachers constantly tell us is where their most valuable learning takes place,” Ms Mitchell said. 

“This is not about cutting corners; it’s about rethinking the way we do teacher training to ensure future teachers have the hands-on experience they need to build their confidence and improve their practice.” 

Under the NSW Teach for Australia pathway, participants complete their Master of Teaching degree at Australian Catholic University while they are employed in a school. They receive holistic coaching, mentoring and classroom observations to provide teaching students with a continuous cycle of feedback and improvement.    

As part of the program, Principals will also have greater say in how the model is implemented in their school to ensure it meets the needs of a diverse range of school contexts.  

Under the partnership, a pilot cohort will be recruited next year commencing in NSW public schools in 2024. 

$1.1 million firefighting boost for the Blue Mountains

Rural Fire Brigades in the Blue Mountains are benefitting from the delivery of three new appliances, worth a combined $1.1 million, ahead of the official Bush Fire Danger Period beginning on 1 October.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke joined Rural Fire Service (RFS) staff and volunteers at Katoomba today to hand over the keys to Category 1 tankers for the Blaxland, Hazelbrook and Lawson Brigades.
 
“Each of these appliances, worth $385,000, will assist our volunteers in providing an even greater level of fire protection to the local community,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“The Blaxland, Hazelbrook and Lawson Brigades are very active and do a wonderful job protecting people and property in one of our State’s most bush fire prone areas, as well as responding to building fires, vehicle accidents, and storm and flood responses.
 
“I am confident the new state-of-the-art appliances will prove to be invaluable assets, ensuring volunteers have access to modern firefighting technology when responding to fires and other incidents.”
 
RFS Acting District Manager, Inspector Rob Vinzenz, said the efforts of volunteers do not go unnoticed and the new Category 1 tankers will support their work.
 
“The men and women of the RFS remain on-hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we should be extremely proud and grateful for their contribution,” Inspector Vinzenz said.
 
Since the 2019-20 Black Summer bush fires, the NSW Government has funded more than 400 fire trucks for RFS Brigades across the State.

NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

The Albanese Government will introduce legislation this week to establish a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.

This shows the Government is delivering on its promise to tackle corruption and restore trust and integrity to federal politics.

The Government has committed $262 million over four years for the establishment and ongoing operation of the Commission.

This funding will ensure the Commission has the staff, capabilities and capacity to properly consider referrals and allegations, conduct timely investigations and undertake corruption prevention and education activities.

The Albanese Government’s National Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate serious or systemic corrupt conduct across the entire federal public sector.

It will be built on the following design principles:

  • Broad jurisdiction: The Commission will have broad jurisdiction to investigate serious or systemic corrupt conduct across the Commonwealth public sector by ministers, parliamentarians and their staff, statutory officer holders, employees of all government entities and government contractors.  
  • Independent: The Commission will operate independent of government, with discretion to commence inquiries into serious or systemic corruption on its own initiative or in response to referrals, including from whistleblowers and the public.
  • Oversight: The Commission will be overseen by a statutory Parliamentary Joint Committee, empowered to require the Commission to provide information about its work.
  • Retrospective powers: The Commission will have the power to investigate allegations of serious or systemic corruption that occurred before or after its establishment.
  • Public hearings: The Commission will have the power to hold public hearings in exceptional circumstances and where it is in the public interest to do so.
  • Findings: The Commission will be empowered to make findings of fact, including findings of corrupt conduct, and refer findings that could constitute criminal conduct to the Australian Federal Police or the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
  • Procedural fairness: The Commission will operate with procedural fairness and its findings will be subject to judicial review.

The legislation also provides strong protections for whistleblowers and exemptions for journalists to protect the identity of sources.

Following the introduction of the Bill the Government will propose the establishment of a joint select committee to examine its provisions.

We look forward to support from across the Parliament for a National Anti-Corruption Commission with real power and authority.

Australian Greens express their solidarity with the women of Iran

The Australian Greens remain deeply concerned at the recent crackdown on dissent in Iran, with official reports of at least 22 protesters killed and more than 1,000 Iranians detained.

Greens leader in the senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Two weeks ago, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody. Mahsa had been arrested by Iran’s morality police for failing to comply with a new national code requiring women to wear a hijab. She was allegedly beaten and died from her injuries.
 
“Following Mahsa Amini’s death, women across Iran have taken to the streets to stand up to the oppressive regime, demanding freedoms that have been denied to them.  
 
“In a country with harsh penalties for public protest, this is an incredible show of bravery and solidarity. Human Rights Watch has described the scale of protest, particularly on issues of women’s choice and police accountability, as unprecedented. 
 
“The gendered impacts of authoritarian rule, whether by the Iranian government, the Taliban, Russia or others, cannot be ignored.  
 
“The Australian Greens are in solidarity with the women of Iran. We will always protect the right to protest.  And we will always fight for women’s rights to choose their dress, their partner, their religion, their career, and what they do with their bodies.”

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Peace said:

“The Iranian authorities’ suppression of the rights of women, LGBTIQA+ people, and other minorities, including the Bahai, must end. People should not have to protest to protect their basic human rights. 

“The Australian Greens are calling upon the international community to condemn the ongoing abuses of freedom and human rights. Those responsible for Mahsa Amini’s death must be held accountable through a criminal investigation.

“The Australian Government should meet with the Iranian ambassador as soon as possible to raise these concerns directly.”