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More support is on the way for families, farms and businesses affected by the catastrophic flooding disaster in northern NSW and Queensland as part of an additional package of support from the Morrison Government.

As communities continue the recovery and clean-up effort led by Resilience NSW and regional recovery coordinator, Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, as well as by the Queensland Government and Major General Jake Ellwood, this further support from the Morrison Government will ensure people get money in their pockets to help get them through.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government was focused right now on the pressing needs of communities in NSW and Queensland.

“I intend to recommend to the Governor-General to make a National Emergency Declaration covering this severe weather and flooding event across New South Wales and Queensland to ensure all our emergency powers are available and that we cut through any red tape we might face in delivering services and support on the ground,” the Prime Minister said.

“I have made this decision today, in consultation with the Premiers, after further briefings from government agencies about the situation in northern NSW and seeing the catastrophe firsthand. We introduced the power to make a National Emergency Declaration after the Black Summer bushfires and it will ensure our Ministers and agencies don’t face any unnecessary bureaucracy as they roll out what communities need.

“The feedback we’ve had from communities, state governments and my own ministers who have visited the impacted areas has helped us identify where the gaps are right now, and how we can get support out the door quickly to where it’s needed.”

The National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Emergency Management Australia have assessed the flood extent area, the proportion of the populations affected, the latest residential impact assessments and the proportion of population seeking assistance for Disaster Recovery Payments to declare the Richmond Valley, Lismore and Clarence Valley LGAs are the highest impacted areas and in need of additional support. 

The Prime Minister said those three LGAs were facing catastrophic conditions. 

“The sheer scale and impact to these areas in northern NSW highlights the need for extra support right now,” the Prime Minister said. 

“While people in northern NSW aren’t able to work, are still clearing out their homes and businesses, the extra two lots of $1,000 payments we’re rolling out to eligible families and individuals will give them some certainty as they start to rebuild their lives.

“We can’t underestimate the long term mental health toll so many communities will be facing. As well as the new mental health supports we’re announcing, my government will closely monitor the situation to understand what else people need as they recover from these disasters.

“Resilience NSW and Deputy Commissioner Lanyon and the Queensland Government and Major General Ellwood will work alongside the Federal National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) to identify the priorities for the longer-term recovery under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“We’ll work closely with the NSW and Queensland Governments to deliver further funding. It’s crises like this that the Emergency Response Fund was established to help support and it will help as part of the initiatives we deliver so communities across NSW and Queensland get back on their feet.”

This next phase of support includes:

• An additional two weekly disaster payments for the catastrophe zones in the Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs, automatically paid for those who have already claimed and received the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment, at the current rate of $1,000 per adult and $400 per child. These payments will be made from 15 and 22 March. The NRRA will also undertake assessment of possible additional LGAs that also meet the catastrophic impact assessment
• Support for Norco in northern NSW on a bespoke business support package, in partnership with the NSW Government, to help restore operations of this key business and employer
• $10 million to support the mental health of school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the recent flood event under the ‘Resilient Kids’ program
• $800,000 to extend the Regional Small Business Support Program to include small businesses impacted by the recent flood event in NSW and QLD for two RFCS regions, with a six month extension until 31 December 2022, as well as free and independent case managed financial counselling through the Rural Financial Counselling Service
• $5.4 million to boost existing legal assistance services operating within affected communities
• $25 million for emergency relief, food relief and financial counselling services
• Approximately $6.9 million in support payments of $10,000 to assist early childhood education and care (ECEC) services affected by the floods where they have been closed for more than seven days. More severely impacted services will also be able to apply for Community Child Care Fund Special Circumstances grants
• $7 million to expand the Commonwealth’s business recovery and resilience service, Strengthening Business, into at least 30 of the most flood affected regions of northern New South Wales (NSW) and south-eastern Queensland
• $31.2 million to deliver immediate and longer term local mental health support services for individuals, families, and communities impacted by the disaster and to support communities to recover and build resilience across the flood affected communities 
• $4.7 million to ensure the immediate continuity of primary health care services for flood-impacted Australians

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said the Government was also looking at how to support primary producers particularly in northern NSW.

“As people turn their minds to the future, we want them to know they’ve got options and we’ll be there to help them,” Minister McKenzie said.

“That’s why we’re working with NSW and Queensland to identify the priorities for the longer-term recovery under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.”

Minister for Government Services Linda Reynolds said the additional $1,000 disaster payments would take immediate pressure off many families and allow them to focus on recovering from this major disaster event.

“The catastrophic scale and impact of what we’re seeing in this region of northern NSW is exactly why this extra support is needed,” Minister Reynolds said.

“The additional two $1,000 payments will automatically kick in for AGDRP recipients in the Lismore, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley local government areas so there is no need for people to re-apply.

“Eligible adults in these three LGAs will receive a total payment of $3000 each, plus a total of $1,200 for each child. I’d encourage anyone who has not yet applied for the disaster payment to do so as soon as possible.”

The Federal Government has paid $238.9 million in disaster payments to 205,700 individuals impacted in NSW, since the payments opened on 1 March, including $16.5 million to 14,342 individuals in northern NSW. The Government has also paid $146.3 million in disaster payments to 125,200 individuals impacted in Queensland, since the payments opened on 28 February.

The Morrison Government has so far deployed more than 4,370 Australian Defence Force personnel to the flood zones, including 2,650 to northern NSW, and this support is expected to increase over coming days, with total deployments expected to reach 6,000 across NSW and Queensland by the end of the week.

The ADF are also deploying additional tractors, front end loaders, bob cats, dump and lift trucks into the region, and have been inserted into communities including Evans Head, Coraki, Woodburn and Broadwater by helicopter, and have been on the ground in Wilson’s Creek, Main Arm and Repentance Creek.

The latest round of support is in addition to the $434.7 million package announced last week by the Morrison and Perrottet Governments, including:

• Demand driven – $75,000 grants to assist primary producers that have suffered direct damage from the recent severe weather and flooding. NSW Government estimate this to initially be $111.5 million.
• Demand driven – $50,000 grants to assist small business and not-for-profit organisations that have suffered direct damage from the event. NSW Government estimate this to initially be $89.7 million.
• $210 million to assist affected communities with the clean-up and removal of flood and storm related damage, debris and green waste. This will enable LGAs to work with Resilience NSW and NSW Government agencies to coordinate clean-up activities in their communities.
• $1 million grants to impacted councils to assist with their immediate social, built, economic and environmental needs. This list may continue to grow.
• $6.5 million to provide Community Recovery Officers to support communities impacted by this event.

The Morrison and Palaszczuk Governments announced an initial $558.5 million jointly funded support package for flood affected Queensland communities in need, which included:

• Demand driven grants – $75,000 for farmers and primary producers
• Demand drive grants – $50,000 for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations
• Demand driven grants – $20,000 for sporting and community clubs and associations
• Nineteen affected councils will also be helped through a $1 million injection each to assist with urgent clean-up works.

People in NSW requiring assistance are urged to contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or online at: www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods.

For more information on grants for primary producers, small businesses and non-profit organisations, phone the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority on 1800 623 946 or visit http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au.

A world-leading research program that aims to incorporate unique aspects of peoples’ needs and abilities into software engineering practices will be launched at Monash University today.

The HumaniSE (Human-Centric Software Engineering) Lab, part of the Faculty of Information Technology (IT), has been established to focus on engineering intelligent, human-centred future software systems.

Four key interconnected themes of the Lab:

Engineering future software systems – new human-centred software engineering paradigms for future AI-driven systems
Future machine intelligence – better harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for human benefit
Trust and security for future software – addressing critical issues including fairness, privacy, security, auditability, transparency, verifiability and socio-legal aspects of trust like ethics and regulation
Future software for humans – advancing multi-disciplinary research in human-led design to ensure future AI-based software systems understand and meet diverse human needs.
The Lab has already led research projects to create software to :

Better support end users with physical and mental disabilities
Make advertisements for software engineering jobs more gender inclusive
Address privacy issues in mobile applications
Create user-friendly options to observe and assess emotions of team members in Agile work environments.
HumaniSE Lab Director Professor John Grundy said the purpose of software is to solve human problems but current software development techniques forget to take into account the various diversities of end users.

“HumaniSE Lab will focus on the inclusion of peoples’ unique qualities such as their age, culture, gender, cognitive ability, emotions and personality, into creating new software solutions,” Professor Grundy said.

“Our work will create a world-first evidence-base of human-centric modelling, tools, and processes for future software engineers while improving their productivity and reducing costs.”

The Lab will be collaborating with international teams across the world ranging from Canada, Singapore, Vienna and the United States. In Australia, the team will be working with local and federal government agencies, community organisations and industry collaborators from the health, finance and software sectors.

Faculty of IT Dean Professor Ann Nicholson warmly welcomed the new research lab to the faculty.

“We are proud that in addition to the thought leadership of researchers like Professor Grundy, the HumaniSE Lab also includes researchers from varied diverse backgrounds along with a majority of female researchers in a male-dominated sector,” Professor Nicholson said.

“Research resulting from HumaniSE Lab projects are sure to create real-world impact for the software engineering sector that will be felt throughout the global community.”

The HumaniSE Lab is supported by the Australian Research Council’s Laureate Fellowship, Discovery Project and Industry Transformation Funding Schemes in partnership with Monash University.

Students across Australia will get a chance to build their skills as next-generation pilots thanks to an innovative safety campaign being launched by aviation safety regulator CASA in schools nationally.

Children represent a growing proportion of the record numbers of Australians buying and flying drones for fun and recreation.

The new resources are designed to help the modern-day aviators develop a safe flying culture as they hone their skills in one of the Australia’s fastest-growing technologies.

CASA has partnered with youth education specialists to develop a range of materials promoting safety and aligned to the Australian curriculum.

‘In consultation with Education Services Australia, we have designed tailored resources to build awareness, understanding and acceptance of drone safety rules and regulations among young people aged 10 to 16, teachers, parents and carers,’ CASA’s Acting Branch Manager of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Services, Sharon Marshall-Keeffe said.

‘We’re asking children to test their drone safety knowledge through quizzes, school-based learning activities and teacher-led discussions.

‘We’ve also developed a dedicated education resources section on the campaign website – knowyourdrone.gov.au/classroom – and we strongly recommend the use of CASA-verified safety apps to find out where it’s safe to fly.’

‘It’s also important to raise awareness of the incoming operator accreditation and registration requirements affecting people over 16 and the need for those under 16 to be supervised by an accredited adult unless flying at a CASA approved flying site.’

Education Services Australia says its proud to be playing a role in providing school children with access to information about rules, regulations and flying zones.

‘It’s imperative that children understand the rules and regulations in place to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the freedom that comes with flying drones,’ Education Services Australia CEO Andrew Smith said.

‘We hope that by arming our pilots of tomorrow with the information they need today, they will take to the skies with confidence, in a safe and responsible manner.’

For more information about what you can and can’t do with a drone, visit the CASA campaign website: knowyourdrone.gov.au

The Australian Government is placing new sanctions on Moscow’s propagandists and purveyors of disinformation, who are trying to legitimatise Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified invasion with false narratives such as the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine.

The targeting of propaganda and disinformation is one of the latest steps in Australia’s work with international partners to impose a high price on those responsible for, and complicit in, Russia’s war on Ukraine. Together with partners, we will drive Russia out of our economies, supply chains and airwaves.

This new round of sanctions will impose targeted financial sanctions on the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against an additional six senior Russian military commanders responsible for implementing naval, ground and air attacks on Ukraine. Last week, Australia also imposed targeted financial sanctions on a further 11 financial institutions of economic significance to Russia, including the Central Bank of Russia.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been accompanied by a widespread disinformation campaign, both within Russia and internationally. Tragically for Russia, President Putin has shut down independent voices and locked everyday Russians into a world characterised by lies and disinformation.

The addition of sanctions on those responsible for this insidious tactic recognises the powerful impact that disinformation and propaganda can have in conflict.

The Australian Government is sanctioning 10 people of strategic interest to Russia for their role in encouraging hostility towards Ukraine and promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda to legitimise Russia’s invasion.

This includes driving and disseminating false narratives about the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine, making erroneous allegations of genocide against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, and promoting the recognition of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as independent.

The Australian Government continues to work with digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to take action to suspend the dissemination of content generated by Russian state media within Australia. SBS and Foxtel have already announced the suspension of Russia Today and NTV broadcasting.

Our designation of the Russian Armed Forces covers the Russian Ground Forces, Russian Navy, and Russian Aerospace Forces, as well as the Strategic Missile Troops and Russian Airborne Troops, and has the effect of prohibiting the export of goods from Australia to all Russian military end users. The Russian Armed Forces are directly responsible for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and hundreds of civilian deaths.

With our global partners, we will collectively work to remove Russia’s ability to continue financing its war by targeting its most significant banks, including those critical to its defence sector.

Australia and partners will continue to impose costs on Russia’s egregious, unlawful and completely unjustified war on Ukraine. We again call upon Russia to withdraw its military forces immediately from Ukraine.

This International Women’s Day, the Greens have announced a plan to deliver economic security for Australian women and work to close the persistent gender pay gap that sees too many women struggle to make ends meet, juggle multiple jobs, live in poverty or without a home, or to stay in abusive relationships. 

Australia has dropped to 50th place on the Global Gender Gap rankings and the gender pay gap has barely shifted in a decade. Without more effective and targeted strategies, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency estimates that it will be 26 years before the gap closes completely. Australian women cannot afford to wait that long.

Studies consistently show that women’s workforce participation and earning capacity are higher where they have access to a strong parental leave scheme, flexible working arrangements and affordable childcare. 

The Greens will invest $24.5 billion over ten years to provide a 26-week parental leave package, paid at the carer’s replacement wage (pro rata up to $100,000 annual, with superannuation), with “use it or lose it” provisions to encourage parents to share care more equitably.  Single parents will be entitled to the full 26 weeks.  

We will also require workplaces to consider flexible working arrangements and fund free and universal childcare to give families more options to juggle work and caring responsibilities. Because giving more women the option to return to work is good for women, good for families, and good for the economy.

Other measures in the Greens’ comprehensive plan include:

• Lifting the minimum wage, boosting superannuation for low-income earners with caring responsibilities to address the ‘parenting penalty’, and doubling low-income super offsets
• Reversing the unfair Stage 3 tax cuts which disproportionately benefit men
• Increasing the transparency of pay data and giving WGEA more power to act when employers fail to take action to close their gender pay gap 
• Investigating long-term options to value unpaid care work 
• Supporting female-led businesses
• Requiring a Women’s Budget Impact Statement to consider the gendered impacts of budget allocations before they are made 
• Implementing all recommendations of the Respect@Work and Set the Standard reports to ensure women are equal and respected at work
• Addressing the housing crisis where older women are the fastest growing group of homeless, by building one million social homes over 20 years

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“It’s pretty simple: women are busier than ever and they just aren’t paid enough.

“Women do more unpaid family work, including childcare, than men, and they’re punished for it with smaller pay packets, missed promotions, insecure employment, and tiny super balances. It’s shameful that in one of the richest countries in the world, the reward for taking time out of the workforce to raise children is lower wages, fewer opportunities, and, too often, poverty in retirement. 

“The current parental leave scheme tends to lock mums into the role of primary carer and the loss of work opportunities that comes with it. We need to do much more to encourage both parents to share the parenting load, and to normalise working arrangements that help families juggle work and caring responsibilities. 

“We know from the experience in other countries that more equitable parental leave, coupled with free childcare, has a significant impact on women’s workforce participation. It also helps to shape long term sharing of childcare and unpaid household tasks.

“The Greens’ plan will reduce the amount of time women are missing a pay cheque and provide families with more incentives, and more support, to share caring responsibilities more fairly. 

“The Greens will also work to close the gender pay gap by lifting the minimum wage, boosting superannuation balances for low income earners, who are disproportionately women, reversing the sexist Stage 3 tax cuts which go largely to men, removing pay gag clauses, and increasing the penalties on employers who fail to close their gender pay gap.

“And we’ll get the Productivity Commission to examine options for valuing unpaid caring responsibilities and domestic labour, and reinstate the Women’s Budget Impact Statement to analyse the gendered impacts of budget allocations.

“We know the Liberals aren’t interested in improving the lives of women. That’s why Tony Abbott removed the gender lens on the budget in the first place, and it’s why they continue to pay nothing but lip service to women’s demands for fairness and equality.

“Australian women can no longer afford a government that cries poor when it comes to meeting women’s economic needs, while spending billions of dollars on failed military technology and subsidies to their coal and gas donors.

“At the next election the Greens will help send the Coalition scuttling to the opposition benches, and we’ll push the next government to deliver the economic security that all women deserve.”

The Australian Greens are calling on the Morrison Government to immediately extend the suspension of mutual obligations for jobseekers and others on income support in flood-affected areas across New South Wales and Queensland.

Australian Greens spokesperson for community affairs and social services, Senator Janet Rice said: 

“Morrison’s decision to reinstate mutual obligations today for people on income support in flood-affected areas is a cruel joke.

“People across NSW and QLD are dealing with an ongoing natural disaster and the impacts have already been devastating. People in these areas have been battered by more than a week of catastrophic weather conditions, their lives as they’d known them have been destroyed, and they’re struggling to rebuild their homes and communities. More than ever they need the support of their government.

“Yet after only seven days, the Morrison Government has ended the suspension of mutual obligations for jobseekers and people on income support.

“Clearly, Morrison and his government have not even an ounce of empathy or understanding for the hell people are living through. 

“People should be focusing on healing from the disaster and repairing their lives. Instead, those on income support are once again being forced to fulfil mutual obligations or risk their payment being cancelled.

“The government must immediately extend the suspension of mutual obligations to ensure that these communities aren’t further devastated.”

Sporting events across rural and regional Australia are set to benefit from the Morrison Government’s Regional Sport Events Fund.

Now open for applications, the fund will support community sporting events with an aim of kick-starting local economies and encouraging visitors back after the impacts of the pandemic.

The grants will also assist rural and regional communities across New South Wales and Queensland affected by flooding.

Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said local government areas outside major cities would benefit from the $1.9 million investment from Sport Australia.

“Sport is often the glue that brings rural and regional communities together and this program aims to fast-track the recovery from what’s been a very challenging period for these parts of Australia,” Minister Colbeck said.

“Local sporting clubs and associations play an incredibly important role in regional Australia and through this fund, the Australian Government is encouraging communities to come together and celebrate through sport.

“Staging these events in regional and remote communities will also benefit the small businesses that are central to local economies across the country.”

More than 400 eligible LGAs across Australia can apply for funding of up to $50,000.

Local government areas are encouraged to work with local sporting clubs and organisations to deliver fantastic sports events to their respective communities.

Events can range from “come and try days” to larger events including elite sporting exhibitions and state level competitions that engage the broader community.

Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said the resumption of these events will have wide-ranging benefits for regional and remote communities.

“Like so many sectors of our economy, community sport has been hit hard by the pandemic and this fund will support many of the events that were cancelled or postponed to resume,” Mr Dalton said.

“This program encourages LGAs to be creative in how they re-engage with their communities through sport and will have substantial flow on effects throughout the rest of the community.”

Applications for the Regional Sport Events Fund are now open.

More details about the program, including the Fund Guidelines and closing dates can be found on Sport Australia’s Grants and Funding page, here.

Australia wide

For up to date weather information and warnings

Specifically for weather warnings

For non-life threatening assistance call the SES on 132 500 or in a life threatening emergency call 000. 

Queensland

For assistance, call the Queensland SES on 132 500

In an emergency call 000.

Queensland emergency updates: https://www.qld.gov.au/alerts 

Federal Government financial support for people in flood-affected areas in Queensland: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/south-east-queensland-floods-february-2022?context=60042 

State Government Personal Hardship Financial Assistance: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/money-finance/eligibility-apply/seq-flooding-february-2022 

Regional Community Support services: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/resources-translations/regional-support-brochures or call the Community Recovery hotline on 1800 173 349

SES website: https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/about-us/frontline-services/state-emergency-service 

Queensland schools closures: https://closures.qld.edu.au/ 

Social Media to follow: 

• QFES: https://twitter.com/QldFES https://www.facebook.com/QldFireandEmergencyServices 
• Premier: https://www.facebook.com/annastaciamp https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP 
• BOM: https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld https://www.facebook.com/bureauofmeteorology 
• Police: https://twitter.com/QldPolice https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandPolice 

New South Wales

For assistance, call the New South Wales SES on 132 500

In an emergency call 000.

Financial support for people in flood-affected areas in New South Wales: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/nsw-floods-february-2022?context=60042  

State Government Disaster Relief and support https://www.nsw.gov.au/disaster-recovery/disaster-relief-and-support 

SES website: https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/ 

Info on schools https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/school-safety 

NSW Floods updates https://www.nsw.gov.au/floods 

Social Media to follow: 

• Fire and rescue NSW https://www.facebook.com/frnsw https://twitter.com/FRNSW 
• Premier: https://twitter.com/Dom_Perrottet https://www.facebook.com/domperrottetmp 
• BOM: https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW https://www.facebook.com/bureauofmeteorology 
• Police: https://twitter.com/nswpolice https://www.facebook.com/nswpoliceforce