Greens climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has today called on Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor to do his job, end the war on renewables and extend the Renewable Energy Target (RET) to cut pollution and lower power bills.
“If Angus Taylor wants to do his job and cut emissions, he needs to extend the RET,” said Mr Bandt.
“Australia’s energy sector is facing a valley of death from the coming investment strike.
“It’s time for Australia to end its war on renewables. We need to extend the RET, establish a national storage target and significantly boost investment in the grid.
“Angus Taylor is like an internet dater ghosting on the state and territory Energy Ministers, refusing to host a COAG Energy Minister’s meeting since December 2018. We are a country floundering without an energy policy.
“Angus Taylor needs to do his job, call a COAG meeting and extend the RET to lower energy costs and cut pollution.”
Author: admin
Child sex offenders to face mandatory sentences under Coalition crackdown
Paedophiles would face mandatory jail sentences and the most serious offenders could be jailed for life under sweeping changes to Federal sentencing laws to be introduced to Parliament next week.
The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019 will also make it harder for serious offenders to get bail, while repeat offenders will have to stay in prison for longer.
The Bill reflects the Morrison Government’s commitment to keeping Australians safe and creates new offences to capture evolving forms of child exploitation such as being the administrator of a website that functions for the purpose of distributing child abuse material.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said 28 per cent of child sex offenders convicted of federal offences in 2018-19 did not spend one day in jail – a statistic totally out of step with community expectations.
“It simply beggars belief that nearly a third of all child sex offenders who were sentenced last year were not required to spend a single day behind bars, despite the devastating and life-long impacts that their crimes have on their young victims and their families,” the Attorney-General said.
“And when jail terms were handed out, the average length of time that offenders spent in custody was just 18 months.
“The changes being introduced by the Morrison Government will ensure that a jail term becomes the starting point for all child sex offenders, while maximum penalties will also be increased to better reflect the gravity of these types of crimes, including a new life term for the worst offenders.”
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the Australian Federal Police received almost 18,000 reports of child exploitation involving Australian children or Australian child sex offenders last year, which was almost double the number from the previous year.
“Sentences need to reflect community expectations and act as a significant deterrent to others, which is why these sorts of despicable crimes must result in significant penalties, not simply a slap on the wrist which is often the case,” Mr Dutton said.
“Our Government is at war with these predators and all those who would seek to do harm to children
“The message we are sending to paedophiles is that it won’t matter how good their lawyer is, a prison cell will be waiting for them when they are convicted. This is what the community expects and this what the Morrison Government intends to deliver.
“I would urge the Labor Party, who failed to support these reforms in the last Parliament, to listen to the Australian People and put community safety first when it comes time to vote on this Bill.”
The Bill complements a broad package of reforms already introduced by the Coalition during the last Parliament, which strengthened laws relating to child sexual abuse and created new protections for the community.
This included tough new measures to stop child sex offenders from travelling overseas to abuse children and the introduction of Carly’s law, which targets online predators who use the internet to prepare or plan to sexually abuse children.
The new Bill will vastly improve justice outcomes and community safety through:
- Mandatory minimum sentences for serious child sex offences and for recidivist offenders
- A presumption against bail for serious and repeat offenders to keep them off the streets
- Increased maximum penalties across the spectrum of child sex offences, including up to life imprisonment for the most serious offences
- Presumptions in favour of cumulative sentences and actual imprisonment
- Ensuring that all sex offenders, upon release from custody, are adequately supervised and subject to appropriate rehabilitative conditions
- Preventing courts from discounting sentences on the basis of good character where this is used to facilitate the crime.
The Bill will be introduced to Parliament next Wednesday.
Three charged over cocaine supply syndicate in Newcastle and Hunter region
Police have charged three men and dismantled a cocaine supply syndicate operating in the Newcastle and Hunter region.
In May 2019, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad established Strike Force Toongahra to investigate the supply of illicit drugs in the Newcastle and Hunter region.
As part of their inquiries, strike force detectives, with the assistance of Strike Force Raptor North, executed two search warrants at homes in Anna Bay and Soldiers Point about 8am on Thursday 8 August 2019.
Two men – aged 29 and 31 – were arrested during the operation.
The younger man was charged with 11 offences including supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), supply prohibited drug (commercial quantity x4), supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity x5), and supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis.
The older man was charged with supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity) and supply prohibited drug (commercial quantity x3).
They were both refused bail and appeared at Raymond Terrace Local Court on Friday 9 August 2019, where the pair were formally refused bail to re-appear at the same court on Wednesday 9 October 2019.
Following further investigations, a 24-year-old man attended Belmont Police Station about 12.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 3 September 2019).
He was charged with supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity).
The Fletcher man was granted conditional bail to appear at Gosford Local Court on Friday 13 September 2019.
Investigations are continuing.
Man charged over fail to stop crash causing death – Mayfield
A man has been charged following investigations into a fail-to-stop crash that killed a 91-year-old man in the Newcastle Region two years ago.
About 12.45pm on Friday 24 November 2017, a 91-year-old man was crossing Stedman Street, at Maitland Road, in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield when he was struck by an SUV.
The driver of the vehicle failed to stop and left the scene.
The man was taken to John Hunter Hospital with a number of injuries but was unable to recover from his injuries and passed away on Monday 27 November 2017.
Officers from Newcastle City Local Area Command commenced inquiries into the matter and following a lengthy investigation police today (Monday 2 September 2019) attended a correctional facility in Wellington where they spoke with a 25-year-old man.
He was charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop and render assistance causing death.
He was refused bail and will appear in Dubbo Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 3 September 2019).
Littleproud out of touch on Murray Darling
Federal Water Minister David Littleproud is completely out of touch if he believes his claims on ABC Radio this morning that the only problem with the Murray Darling Basin is a lack of water due to drought, the Greens say.
Greens Murray Darling Basin spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Minister is shirking responsibility by claiming that unless it rains, there’s no water to share.
“The NSW Natural Resources Commission found over-allocation of water in favour of up-stream corporate irrigators pushed the river system into severe drought leading to the devastating fish kills,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“If water is over-extracted by irrigators then it isn’t lack of it falling from the sky that means there’s not enough to go round. This is clearly a water management issue and therefore under the Minister’s purview.
“The Minister needs to stop working in favour of big corporate irrigators and lift the freeze on buying back environmental water.
“Water must be returned to the River and we must have a Royal Commission to fix the management of the Murray Darling Basin before it is too late.
“The National Party’s head in the sand attitude to climate change is a slap in the face to rural communities and farmers.
“Between denying climate change and refusing to tackle the greed of big corporate irrigators, it’s no wonder scientists are warning there will be more fish deaths this summer.”
City’s cultural duo appointed to State advisory roles
The Directors of Newcastle’s museum and art gallery have been recognised for their leading industry knowledge and expertise and called upon to guide the future direction of the State’s cultural sector.
Newcastle Museum Director Julie Baird and Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton have been appointed to the newly established Create NSW Artform Advisory Boards in their respective fields.
They join an illustrious panel of professionals who will assess applications to the State’s Arts and Cultural Funding Program, providing recommendations on the strategic directions of the sector to the NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin.
Ten new Artform Advisory Boards were established by the Minister, replacing the peer-reviewed assessment panels that were previously in place.
Hundreds of applications were received during an expressions of interest process, with 10 Chairs and 73 Board Members appointed. Ms Baird and Ms Morton’s appointments are testament to their unique contributions to the Newcastle Museum and Art Gallery, and the success they have achieved building on the reputation of these respected institutions both within the region and across Australia.
Ms Baird will sit on the Museums and History Board, drawing on more than 28 years of experience working in museums across Australia and Canada, including the National Motor Museum and the History Trust of South Australia.
Ms Baird was appointed Director of Newcastle Museum in March last year and has held positions of Manager and Deputy Director at Newcastle Museum after joining as Curator in 2002. She was instrumental in the iconic institution’s transition from its historic location in Newcastle West to its current home at Honeysuckle.
The Director and her small team have been responsible for reimagining the institution as a centre for our City’s identity, achieving more than 1.3 million visitors and a visitor satisfaction level of 98% at the new site.
“To have Newcastle Museum’s achievements and status as an innovative and integral part of our city and museum industry acknowledged at a State level by my appointment to the Artforms Assessment Board Museums & History is incredibly satisfying,” she said.
“This will allow me to make a significant impact on a state level and is personally quite humbling to be named amongst a handful of significant thinkers in my specialisation.”
Ms Morton was also appointed as Director of Newcastle Art Gallery last year following more than four years as Manager of the renowned cultural institution.
Ms Morton has built a strong reputation for developing ambitious national and internationally respected exhibitions with renowned artists and curators that showcase the city’s significant collection of works of art.
Through her artistic direction and strategic leadership, the Art Gallery has achieved the highest visitation numbers in over a decade, while the collection – valued at over $95 million – has experienced record growth. Her leadership has ensured the Art Gallery’s high-quality exhibitions, programs and thriving collection continue to be a source of immense pride for the community and City of Newcastle.
Ms Morton has more than 35 years’ experience in the Visual Arts and Creative Industries sectors in both private and government organisations in Australia and the United Kingdom.
“As a Create NSW and Museums & Galleries NSW Peer for several years I feel extremely honoured to have been appointed to the new Create NSW Visual Arts Advisory Board,” she said.
“I see this as an incredible and invaluable opportunity to ‘have a seat at the table’ to advocate and support the arts sector at a strategic level – promoting the importance of both regional and metropolitan Arts and Culture across our state”.
Newcastle Museum Director Julie Baird and Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton have been appointed to the newly established Create NSW Artform Advisory Boards in their respective fields.
They join an illustrious panel of professionals who will assess applications to the State’s Arts and Cultural Funding Program, providing recommendations on the strategic directions of the sector to the NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin.
Ten new Artform Advisory Boards were established by the Minister, replacing the peer-reviewed assessment panels that were previously in place.
Hundreds of applications were received during an expressions of interest process, with 10 Chairs and 73 Board Members appointed. Ms Baird and Ms Morton’s appointments are testament to their unique contributions to the Newcastle Museum and Art Gallery, and the success they have achieved building on the reputation of these respected institutions both within the region and across Australia.
Ms Baird will sit on the Museums and History Board, drawing on more than 28 years of experience working in museums across Australia and Canada, including the National Motor Museum and the History Trust of South Australia.
Ms Baird was appointed Director of Newcastle Museum in March last year and has held positions of Manager and Deputy Director at Newcastle Museum after joining as Curator in 2002. She was instrumental in the iconic institution’s transition from its historic location in Newcastle West to its current home at Honeysuckle.
The Director and her small team have been responsible for reimagining the institution as a centre for our City’s identity, achieving more than 1.3 million visitors and a visitor satisfaction level of 98% at the new site.
“To have Newcastle Museum’s achievements and status as an innovative and integral part of our city and museum industry acknowledged at a State level by my appointment to the Artforms Assessment Board Museums & History is incredibly satisfying,” she said.
“This will allow me to make a significant impact on a state level and is personally quite humbling to be named amongst a handful of significant thinkers in my specialisation.”
Ms Morton was also appointed as Director of Newcastle Art Gallery last year following more than four years as Manager of the renowned cultural institution.
Ms Morton has built a strong reputation for developing ambitious national and internationally respected exhibitions with renowned artists and curators that showcase the city’s significant collection of works of art.
Through her artistic direction and strategic leadership, the Art Gallery has achieved the highest visitation numbers in over a decade, while the collection – valued at over $95 million – has experienced record growth. Her leadership has ensured the Art Gallery’s high-quality exhibitions, programs and thriving collection continue to be a source of immense pride for the community and City of Newcastle.
Ms Morton has more than 35 years’ experience in the Visual Arts and Creative Industries sectors in both private and government organisations in Australia and the United Kingdom.
“As a Create NSW and Museums & Galleries NSW Peer for several years I feel extremely honoured to have been appointed to the new Create NSW Visual Arts Advisory Board,” she said.
“I see this as an incredible and invaluable opportunity to ‘have a seat at the table’ to advocate and support the arts sector at a strategic level – promoting the importance of both regional and metropolitan Arts and Culture across our state”.
$341 MILLION CONCORD HOSPITAL HITS MILESTONE
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have officially opened two new surgical theatres at Concord Hospital as construction ramps up on the facility’s $341 million transformation.
Ms Berejiklian, Mr Hazzard, and Minister for Veterans and Member for Drummoyne John Sidoti, marked the completion of enabling works for the rebuild, which will deliver 100 additional beds and world-class cancer, aged care and rehabilitation services.
“Concord Hospital has served both the local community and the men and women of the defence force for decades, and we owe this institution a great debt of gratitude,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We are continuing this hospital’s proud legacy by funding its transformation into Australia’s first comprehensive care centre for Defence Force personnel and their families.
“Health services are also being massively boosted for the local community with the Government’s delivery of a new cancer centre, rehab and aged care facility, and enhanced ambulatory services.”
The 214-bed Clinical Services Building will boost the hospital campus capacity to more than 650 beds.
Mr Hazzard said a further $1.3 million has been invested into refurbishing two theatres, making them fully digitally integrated – allowing doctors to communicate between theatres.
“Concord Hospital’s excellent medical teams will save valuable time during emergency surgery with the significant upgrading of these two state-of-the-art theatres, further improving patient care,” Mr Hazzard said.
“This redevelopment is indeed a game-changer for patients in Sydney’s inner-west communities, with the new Rusty Priest Centre for Rehabilitation and Aged Care.”
Mr Sidoti said the Government was proud to be delivering Australia’s first National Centre for Veterans’ Healthcare, recently opened in temporary premises at Concord Hospital. “This incredible, specialist centre is a one-stop-shop and continues Concord Hospital’s unique and proud history of supporting veterans,” Mr Sidoti said.
The NSW Government is spending a record $10.1 billion over four years to invest in the state’s health infrastructure.
The Concord Hospital’s new Clinical Services Building will include:
- The Rusty Priest Centre for Rehabilitation and Aged Care – including ambulatory care clinics, therapy areas and rehabilitation gyms;
- Australia’s first National Centre for Veterans’ Healthcare to support the health and wellbeing of veterans and their families in an outpatient setting;
- A comprehensive Cancer Care Centre with additional capacity for day and inpatient cancer services; and
- A new atrium will link the new building to the existing hospital, providing direct access to operating theatres, radiology and emergency care.
Construction of a new $32.3 million multistorey car park will begin following the completion of the $341 million redevelopment.
ENDANDGERED WALLABIES GLOBAL POPULATION TO TRIPLE FROM NSW GOVERNMENT PROGRAM
Environment Minister Matt Kean has today announced the successful reintroduction of a critically endangered wallaby into a large feral predator proof fenced area within Pilliga State Conservation Area, near Narrabri.
Mr Kean said the releases are part of the NSW Governments ten-year Saving our Species program that would see the global population of Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies triple.
“Current estimates suggest there are 2,500 Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies in the world. Our NSW Government program will see that number boost to more than 6,000 – that’s a massive boost to the global population,” Mr Kean said.
“Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world, but NSW has the opportunity to turn around our extinction and threatened species rates, by expanding our rewilding programs and focusing on eradicating feral species.”
“It’s not just about preserving what we have, it’s about bringing back what we have lost. It makes me incredibly proud to see these amazing endangered Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies returning home to NSW.”
The reintroduction was made possible through the collaboration of the NSW Government (National Parks and Wildlife Service), Queensland Government (Department of Environment and Science) the Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby Recovery Group and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).
AWC Chief Executive Tim Allard said projects like this will see the future secured for this species.
“We need to take radical action now to stop more extinctions. The fact that only very recently, the Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby was thought to be extinct shows collaborative efforts can protect our natural heritage,” Mr Allard said.
The NSW Government has committed $100million to secure populations of threatened species in the wild under the broader Saving our Species program, with a further $41.3 million for this specific project.
Under this project, 13 mammal species will be reintroduced to select national parks in western NSW, with Brush-tailed Bettongs and Numbats among the species still to come.
Mallee Cliffs and Sturt National Parks are also part of the program and further reintroductions will occur in these parks in the near future.
For more on NSW Government Saving Our Species Program:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/threatened-species/saving-our-species-program
South Coast, ACT to join Netball NSW Premier League
Netball NSW is delighted to announce that the organisation’s flagship competition, the Premier League, will expand in 2020 with new franchises from the South Coast and ACT joining the eight foundation teams.
Founded in 2016, the Netball NSW Premier League is the pinnacle competition in the state, showcasing the best current and emerging talent NSW has to offer.
It provides a local, elite platform for players, coaches, officials and administrators, and bridging opportunities to the Deakin University Australian Netball League (ANL), the feeder competition to Suncorp Super Netball.
The Premier League is contested across two divisions – Opens and Under 23s – and from 2020 will have 10 teams in each division facing off for the respective titles.
The newly formed South Coast Blaze, backed by the Illawarra, Kiama and Shoalhaven Netball Associations as well as the Illawarra Academy of Sport and University of Wollongong, has been confirmed as one of the new franchises.
The other, called Capital Spirit, will be owned and operated by Netball ACT. The competition’s regular season and Finals Series will still take place at Netball Central in Sydney Olympic Park.
Netball NSW CEO and Premier League Commissioner Carolyn Campbell said the addition of two new franchises was huge step forward for the competition.
“To see how the competition has grown since it was introduced back in 2016 is something we are very proud of,” Campbell said.
“Both the Blaze and Spirit put forward very strong cases for inclusion in the competition going forward and we are delighted to welcome them into our Opens and Under 23s competitions
“We have seen our ANL teams reach Grand Finals over the past few years and I think the level of netball they are exposed to in the Premier League helps with that.
“As a result our players are in a better position to step up should they be called into the ANL – or even the NSW Swifts or Giants Netball in the level beyond that.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both the South Coast Blaze and Capital Spirit on their successful applications and look forward to seeing them on court in 2020.”
The Blaze and Spirit will join the eight existing franchises who also compete across both the Opens and Under 23s divisions: Central Coast Heart, ERNA Hawks, GWS Fury, Manly Warringah Sapphires, North Shore United, Panthers, Sutherland Stingrays and UTS Sparks.
Police appeal for assistance with investigation into death of woman near Newcastle
Police are appealing for public assistance to establish the movements of Danielle Easey, whose body was found in a creek near Newcastle at the weekend.
About 10.30am on Saturday (31 August 2019), police were called to Cockle Creek, near Wakefield Road, Killingworth, after members of the public saw an item wrapped in plastic floating in the water.
The plastic, containing a woman’s body, was removed from the water by officers.
The woman has since been formally identified as 29-year-old, Danielle Easey.
Ms Easey lived in Booragul with family, but more recently she was staying at multiple locations around the area.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Lake Macquarie Police District have established Strike Force Furzer to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
The Homicide Squad’s Detective Chief Inspector Grant Taylor said investigators are appealing for assistance from the community to establish Ms Easey’s movements in the weeks leading up to her death.
“We know that Danielle was staying at different locations over the last three weeks and we are keen to establish where those locations were and speak to who she stayed with during that time,” Det Ch Insp Taylor said.
“Of particular interest to us is any sightings or contact with Danielle since early to mid-August, and we are appealing for those people to contact us as soon as possible.
“Our investigations have revealed Danielle had been associating with people involved in drug-related activities over the last few weeks.
“Detectives have been liaising with her family, who last had contact with Danielle several weeks ago.”
It is unknown when Danielle’s body was dumped in the creek.
“We are keen to speak to any motorists with dash cam vision who may have been driving in the area of Wakefield Road over the past three weeks,” Det Ch Insp Taylor.