Labor conference fails on climate and coal as Liberals’ Taylor misleads on Paris

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today expressed his disappointment that Labor’s National Conference has failed to act on coal.
“It is fundamentally dishonest to move motions about the climate emergency but then have no plan to stop the burning and exporting of coal,” said Mr Bandt.
“Their refusal to phase out coal, along with their Abbott-esque commitment to pro-rata emissions reductions across the economy, shows that Labor is not prepared to tackle the climate emergency.
“Unless Labor comes up with a plan to stop Adani and end coal exports, Bill Shorten will be dogged by striking students and climate protestors right up until election day.
“Meanwhile, as Australia’s emissions continue to rise, Angus Taylor continues to mislead the public about the Paris Agreement.
“Australia will not ‘smash the target without intervention’ because it’s an economy-wide target, not an electricity-specific one, and the government’s own data says we’re on track to miss it.
“There is no electricity sector-specific target in our Paris commitments. We have promised to cut pollution across the whole country, but instead pollution is going up.
“So far, the government’s only plan to meet Paris appears to be using dodgy accounting to cook the books and count dodgy ‘carryover’ credits from Kyoto towards Paris.
“The only thing we are going to ‘smash’ under this government are temperature records.”

Liberal War on Universities Continues with MYEFO Research Cuts

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has condemned the Liberal Government’s punitive $328.5m cuts to University Block Grants.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The Liberal Government has continued their war on universities with the $328.5m cut to Research Block Grants announced in the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
“These punitive cuts demonstrate the Liberal government’s disrespect for the higher education sector and the vital research work conducted in our universities.
“The cuts are more than double the amount previously announced. The government doesn’t even have the courtesy to consult or even let universities know how much money they are cutting.
“The principle here is simple. We cannot be an innovative country without properly funding universities to undertake world class research.
“The Liberals hostility towards universities is clear. They’ve politically interfered in ARC grant approvals, introduced a tax on unis with their Cost Recovery bill and have now confirmed they are gutting research funding,” she concluded.

Pigs will fly before heroic MYEFO wage growth forecasts come true

Greens employment spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today noted MYEFO joins 8 years of heroic wage growth forecasts that haven’t come true, making this mid-year update more fantasy than reality.
“If history is anything to go by, we’ll see pigs at 35,000 feet before these wage growth forecasts come true,” said Mr Bandt.
“We’re now in our 8th year of broken wage growth promises.
“Neoliberalism does not deliver decent wage rises.
“We need to legislate a floor under the minimum wage, restore cuts to penalty rates and recalibrate the economy so it serves working people.
“Working people are entitled to be sick and tired of this government, but there’s no guarantee that Labor will deliver either. If the market won’t deliver wages growth, the next government needs to implement policies to generate it.”
Below is a graph representing the gap between forecasted increases to wage growth and actual wage growth:

Sources: Budget Strategy and Outlook: Budget paper No. 1; Statement Two: Economic Outlook, Table 1; and MYEFO, December 2018

Australia inhibiting real climate action at home and abroad: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today noted that the release of this year’s ‘Mid-Year Financial and Economic Outlook’, which shows spending on climate change decreasing every year to 2021-2022, reflects the same disdain this government has shown towards real action on climate change at the recent international climate talks in Poland.
“Australia is a climate change denier at home and abroad,” said Mr Bandt.
“While Australia attempts to sabotage international climate negotiations abroad by spruiking fossil fuels, MYEFO shows the government is cutting spending on climate change when it should be lifting it.
“Australia should be leading the way and joining other countries in the urgent push to lift ambition to keep global warming well below 1.5 degrees.
“Instead, we’re trying to undermine real action on climate and attempting to cook the books by using ‘carryover’ from Kyoto to meet our already measly Paris obligations.
“It’s clear we need to turf this rotten government out as soon as possible and hold the next one to account, as Labor is also refusing to rule out using dodgy ‘carryover credits’ from Kyoto.”

Labor locks in cruelty to refugees

Labor’s commitment to the cruelty of offshore detention and boat turnbacks is disappointing, but not surprising, Greens immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“Labor cannot call themselves progressive while they continue to support these inhumane measures” Senator McKim said.
“Indefinite detention on Manus Island and Nauru, which began under Labor, has destroyed so many lives.”
“The tide has turned on offshore detention – the Australian people want it to end.”
“Additional support for the UNHCR is welcome, as is an increase in Australia’s humanitarian intake.”
“But it is long past time for Labor to commit to ending the cruelty of offshore detention.”

NSW Talent & Regional Talent squads for 2019 named

Netball NSW is happy to announce that the below athletes have been selected for the 2019 NSW Talent Squad.
Hundreds of netballers from all over New South Wales recently trailled for the 17/U and 19/U State Teams, which were announced yesterday.
In addition to naming the 12 players in each of the State Teams, selectors also identified 26 for next year’s NSW Talent Squad, which will keep the players engaged in the Netball NSW High Performance Pathway.
Each player selected in the Talent Squad – which includes athletes from regional and metro areas – impressed selectors with their potential to play for NSW in the future.
Also announced today is the Regional Talent Squad, a group which – unlike the main NSW Talent Squad – focuses solely on Regional athletes.
During the State Team trials there were a number of regional athletes which showed great potential. The Regional Talent encompasses athletes from the seven regional areas in NSW; Hunter, West/Central West, Far North Coast, South Coast, Northern Inland, North Coast, Riverina.
The aim of this program is to provide selected athletes with more opportunity to excel in netball. Many of these regional athletes may not have access to specialist coaching and Strength and Conditioning sessions, hence this second Talent Squad was formed.
Netball NSW would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all athletes selected.
2019 Talent Squad
Alysha Pearson Penrith District
Amelia Kirgan Bankstown City
Anastasia Afoa Liverpool City
Ashleigh Selwyn St George District
Beatrice Dignan Sutherland Shire
Brooklyn O’Mara Wyong District
Charlotte Smith Sutherland Shire
Courtney Castle Blacktown City
Dakota Thomas Northern Suburbs
Elecia Parrott Blacktown City
Emily Wise Manly Warringah
Erin O’Brien Hills District
Georgia Cottle Northern Suburbs
Hannah Cullen Newcastle
Hayley Biddulph Manly Warringah
Jemma Donoghue Northern Suburbs
Laura Cook Hills District
Madeline Melvelle Manly Warringah
Matilda Elliott Lismore & District
Olivia Coleman Eastwood Ryde
Olivia Johnston Penrith District
Rose Hughes Blacktown City
Sarah Okunbor Blacktown City
Stella Atkinson Ballina
Tegan Holland Sutherland Shire
Violet Wetsteyn Blacktown City
Regional Talent Squad
Amelia Wilcox Orange
Anna Atkinson Newcastle
Annalise Maier Orange
Charlise Cleary Queanbeyan
Clancy Best Bathurst
Eliza Perkins Tamworth
Elly Davidson Gosford
Emily Burton Glen Innes
Emily Williams Orange
Erin Asquith Newcastle
Freya Peacock Brunswick Byron
Gillian Leecroft Gosford
Grace Korovata Leeton
Isabella de Vivo Woy Woy Penninsula
Jessica Kelly Wyong District
Lucy Tonkin Newcastle
Maddison Mueller Lakeside
Melissa Winter Great Lakes
Milla Evans Wyong District
Natasha Flanagan Lismore & District
Ruby Sargent-Wilson Illawarra District
Samantha Chicken Manning Valley
Sarah Mcilveen Tamworth
Sharnee Behr Illawarra District
Sophie Brisbane Orange
Teagan Germech Bathurst
Teah Faimanu Wyong District
Zoe Peden Newcastle

Police investigate after body found – Scone

A man is assisting police after a body was found at a house in Scone today.
About 6.30am (Tuesday 18 December 2018), a 20-year-old man attended Muswellbrook Police Station and provided information to police.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District attended a house on Parker Street, Scone, where they located the body of a 41-year-old man.
A crime scene has been established and investigations continue.
The 20-year-old man was arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Man charged with 54 domestic violence-related assault and sexual assault offences

A man will face court today charged over alleged historical sexual assault, kidnapping and domestic violence-related offences committed against four women.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced investigations under Strike Force Cilento in June 2018, following reports four women had been sexually assaulted and held against their will over a period of time by a man known to them.
Following inquiries, a 28-year-old man was arrested and charged at Gosford Police Station with 54 domestic violence-related offences, including:

  • assault occasioning actual bodily harm (x10);
  • take/detain person with intent to obtain advantage occasioning actual bodily harm (x3);
  • common assault (x19);
  • sexual intercourse without consent (x8);
  • use offensive weapon with intent to commit serious indictable offence (x2);
  • aggravated sexual assault – deprive liberty;
  • stalk/intimate intend fear of physical/mental harm;
  • aggravated sexual assault – inflict actual bodily harm (x2);
  • intentional choke person with recklessness (x6);
  • dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm;
  • pervert the course of justice.

Police will allege in court that the man was a high-risk domestic violence offender and allegedly sexually assaulted the four women on numerous occasions in Sydney’s west between 2009 and 2017.
The man was refused bail and is due to appear at Central Local Court today (Tuesday 18 December 2018).
Investigations under Strike Force Cilento continue.

Council demands answers from Board of Newcastle Maritime Museum Society

Almost seven months after the members of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society (NMMS) unanimously voted to wind up, the future of the 7,500 piece collection remains up in the air.
The decision to wind up followed an earlier decision by the Board of the NMMS not to extend its lease on its former building on Honeysuckle Drive.
The timelines committed to by NMMS for winding up have lapsed including an agreed deadline to provide City of Newcastle with key financial information.
The NMMS through its lawyers Peter Evans and Associates wrote to City of Newcastle’s (CN) CEO Jeremy Bath on 22 August 2018 demanding that a list of items “be disposed of in order to discharge the liabilities”.
The NMMS lawyers subsequently wrote to CN on 13 September 2018 that it would “be necessary for us to advise our client to activate Rule 29 of the Constitution and place the Society into voluntary liquidation”. To date the NMMS Board has not done this.
City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said the most important outcome being sought by Council is that the city’s maritime history is preserved in Newcastle.
“The Board of the Maritime Museum emailed me a list of their creditors in June with debts totalling $212,000.
“The Board of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society have proposed to pay debts by selling items from the collection. However, to date the Board have failed to produce financial records to substantiate any of these debts. This is especially critical given more than $144,000 of this debt is listed in the NMMS’s email as being owed to a number of the Museum’s directors and their former General Manager.
“I met with three of the Newcastle Maritime Museum’s directors on the third of October. At that meeting they assured me that evidence validating all financial claims would be produced within two weeks.  A final deadline issued to NMMS for producing the information lapsed on Friday.
“As the trustee of the Maritime Museum’s collection, Council is responsible for disposing of items (whether by sale other otherwise).  In disposing of items, Council is committed to ensuring the disposal is in keeping with the Museum’s Collection Management Policy and Procedures.
“The Museum’s Collection Management Policy makes clear that the monies from disposal can only be used in limited and appropriate circumstances. Specifically, it states: Any monies received by the governing body from the disposal of objects should be applied solely for the upgrading of the collection either by purchase or by conservation.
“It is for this reason that City of Newcastle is calling on the Board of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society to abandon its seven month push to sell items of the collection. Further, with no way of raising monies to clear debts they claim are owed to them, we further call upon them to waive any personal claims so that the Maritime Museum can be voluntarily wound up as their members voted on the 21st of May.
“Right now, the collection is safe. When HDC and Property NSW instructed the Maritime Museum to vacate their museum and storage properties, Council secured a temporary storage site for the collection at Carrington courtesy of a generous offer from Thales. However, this agreement runs only to September 2020 and as of right now, the collection remains under the control of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society.
“Until the Maritime Museum Society formally winds up and transfers ownership of the collection to Council, City of Newcastle cannot begin the process of reviewing the 7,500 items and creating a new exhibition space. The Newcastle Museum stands ready to become the new permanent home of the collection. Newcastle Museum has the capacity to allocate a significant exhibition space which will ensure the Maritime Museum collection remains permanently accessible to the people of Newcastle and its visitors.
“The City of Newcastle calls on the NMMS to act and eliminate the risk that at some point, a creditor will appoint a liquidator and a fire sale will send the collection into private hands. This would be an unnecessary and tragic outcome for our city’s maritime history,” Jeremy Bath said.

Newcastle 500 Brings in Record Airline Numbers

City of Newcastle welcomes the news of a record number of passengers travelling into Newcastle Airport on the first day of this year’s Newcastle 500 Supercars event.
Newcastle Airport has reported more than 5,200 passengers on Friday 23 November, an 11 per cent increase on last year and a new record – despite bushfires that impacted flights.
Aerial-Newcastle-500_2018_web_inside.jpg
More than 2 million people watched on TV as the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars champion was crowned in our city and Supercars also recently reported a record breaking year thanks to significant increases in viewing audiences across television and digital platforms for the Newcastle 500.
These excellent results speak to the success of the event and position us as a destination city with a growing reputation for hosting great events, said Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.
“It’s been a massive year for growth in the Newcastle tourism industry,” said the Lord Mayor.
“Following on the incredible success of our second Supercars race, the City this week announced a landmark deal bringing the first five-star hotel to Newcastle by 2020.
“Our City’s revitalisation is tantalisingly close to completion and by early next year the new light rail transport system will be up and running.
“We are clearly firing on all cylinders in attracting visitors to Newcastle, with incredibly popular major events, a greater selection of flights in to our airport, high quality accommodation and improved public transport in the CBD.
“The powerful combination indicates we are a destination city poised for significant economic growth in our tourism sector.”