Last night the Australian Greens National Council resolved to work with the NSW Greens to help it undertake a formal and independent review of Greens NSW structures and processes, including complaints processes and the Greens NSW Constitution. It also reaffirmed, that in the best interests of the party, Jeremy Buckingham should stand aside from the Upper House ticket at the next election.
This significant response is an opportunity for a constructive resolution to the issues in NSW, so that we can refocus on our mission of keeping the Liberal and Labor parties honest and putting forward a genuine alternative to politics as usual at the NSW election in March.
In the past, we’ve seen parties argue over perceived differences, talking about themselves and forgetting what they’re elected to do.
As Greens, we’ve been elected to push for better essential services, stronger protection for the environment, improved housing affordability and genuine action on climate change – and with so many of the odds stacked against us, we must work together if we’re to succeed in our mission.
As a people driven movement, it’s important that our incredible supporters know we all stand together. Last night’s unanimous approval of the Greens NSW resolution for an independent review shows that we all acknowledge there’s work to be done, and we are committed to doing it.
Through this review, we have an incredible chance for everyone to come together over the coming months to build a stronger party and a stronger movement..
The process will empower both MPs and grassroots Greens members – bringing everyone to the table to improve our internal processes, to be better organised and to deal with complaints and disputes better. With last night’s consensus agreement, we will now come together do the hard work of implementing the review.
Thanks to people coming together in good faith over recent days, we now have a path forward, and can show the community that we are the only party who will take on vested interests and create a better future for all of us.
– Leader of the Australian Greens, Dr Richard Di Natale
Author: admin
Prepare for delays on Christmas road trip police warn – Operation Safe Arrival
Delays on your Christmas road trip are inevitable, and police are encouraging drivers travelling to the state’s far north to factor extra time into Christmas road trip planning
Operation Safe Arrival, the Christmas/New Year road safety enforcement operation, starts at 12.01am tomorrow (Friday 21 December 2018) and concludes at 11.59pm on Tuesday 1 January 2019.
Double demerits will be in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
During the 2017/2018 Operation Safe Arrival period, 10 lives were lost in crashes on northern NSW roads.
Far North Region Traffic Tactician, Inspector Peter McMenamin said police would focus on main and backroads leading to key coastal areas such as Grafton and Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree/Foster and the Gold Coast
“In particular I would like to encourage our overseas visitors to take some time and get to know our road rules and the laws surrounding drink driving,“ Insp McMenamin said
“What we want to do is combat the belief that you can have a few drinks in a small community and not be pulled over for a RBT.”
Insp McMenamin said delays on long journeys are inevitable and people should factor additional time into their planning process.
“When people were impatient they sometimes took risks in their vehicles that placed them, and their loved ones, more at risk of being in a crash.
Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said it wasn’t worth taking the risk this holiday season.
“With Christmas and New Year just days away, there are plenty of people out on the roads enjoying celebrations and travelling to see friends and family,” Minister Pabey said.
“If you’re one of them, make sure you plan, get a good night’s sleep, drive to the conditions, stick to the speed limit and never ever risk driving if there’s a chance you could be affected by drugs or alcohol.
Motorists are also being reminded that from 17 September 2018 an extra demerit point was added to the penalty for illegally using a mobile phone while driving. This will add an additional two demerit points in double demerit periods resulting in a total of 10 demerit points for this offence.
"Your trip is our trip this Christmas" – Operation Safe Arrival begins
This Christmas, it won’t be a question of which rural road in NSW police will be on, but when they will be on it.
Operation Safe Arrival, the Christmas/New Year road safety-enforcement operation, starts at 12.01am on Friday 21 December 2018 and concludes at 11.59pm on Tuesday 1 January 2019.
Double demerits will be in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
As Friday is a designated school day, an additional demerit point on top of double demerits will also apply to all relevant school zone offences committed on that day.
During the 2017-2018 Operation Safe Arrival period, 31 lives were lost in 26 fatal crashes on NSW roads. Of the 31 lives lost, 19 were drivers, seven were passengers, two were motorcyclists and three were pedestrians.
About 42 per cent of fatal crashes during this time occurred between 11am and 5pm.
During operation Safe Arrival 2017-2018, police conducted 700,200 random breath tests and charged 1585 people with drink driving.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Assistant Commissioner, Michael Corboy, said back roads in rural areas will be a main target for police random breath testing.
“We will be travelling the same roads that you will this Christmas. Your trip is our trip.
“It will be those feeder roads that lead to our major arterial roads such as the Pacific, Newell and Princes highways,“ Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
“Generally over Christmas we have looked at major thoroughfares getting in and out of Sydney, where a lot of crashes occur.
“This year it won’t be a question of which road will we be on, it will be a matter of when will we be on that stretch of road?”
Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Mrs Melinda Pavey said while November had the lowest road toll recorded on record (since 1936) it’s important not to become complacent.
“If you’re on the roads this holiday season, I encourage everyone to be their best self behind the wheel, whether you’re driving in the city or travelling in the country, so you can return home to loved ones,” Mrs Pavey said
Motorists are also being reminded that from 17 September 2018, an extra demerit point was added to the penalty for illegally using a mobile phone while driving. This will add an additional two demerit points in double demerit periods resulting in a total of 10 demerit points for this offence.
Man charged with murder after alleged fatal stabbing – Belmont
A man has been charged with murder following an alleged fatal stabbing at Belmont yesterday.
About 1.30pm (Wednesday 19 December 2018), police were called to Beach Street, Belmont South, after reports of a crash between a Holden Commodore and a 4WD utility.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and found the 4WD driver, a 50-year-old man, suffering stab wounds to his neck.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he later died.
Police will allege the man was involved in a verbal altercation with another man, known to him, before the crash.
Following inquiries by detectives from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and officers from Lake Macquarie Police District, a 32-year-old man was arrested at a home on Marriot Street, Belmont, just before 2pm.
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 20 December 2018).
Man charged with murder over Lake Macquarie home invasion death
A man has been charged with murder after the death of another man during a Lake Macquarie home invasion earlier this week.
Emergency services were called to the home on Lonus Avenue, Whitebridge, about 2.30am on Monday (17 December 2018), and found a 60-year-old man with a serious injury to his arm.
The man was treated at the scene by paramedics; however, he died at John Hunter Hospital a short time later.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and commenced inquiries.
Police will allege that three people – with their faces covered and armed with baseball bats and knives – broke into the home and attacked the man in his bedroom.
The man’s two brothers were home at the time but were not injured.
Following inquiries by detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District, assisted by the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, officers arrested a 19-year-old man at a home on Warners Bay Road, Charlestown, about 8.45am yesterday (Wednesday 19 December 2018).
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with murder.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 20 December 2018).
Investigations are continuing and police are still seeking two men in relation to the incident.
Man stabbed after crash – Belmont
A man has died, and another man is in police custody after an incident in Belmont today.
Police have been told a Holden Commodore and a 4WD utility were involved in a crash on the Pacific Highway, near Beach Street, about 1.30pm (Wednesday 19 December 2018).
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and found a 50-year-old male driver suffering stab wounds to his neck.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he later died.
A 32-year-old man was arrested nearby and taken to Belmont Police Station where he will be spoken to by detectives.
The pair are known to each other.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are assisting officers from Lake Macquarie Police District to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Inquiries are continuing.
City offers 25 per cent off on-street parking price
The City of Newcastle will slash the hourly cost of on-street parking by 25 per cent for users of its pay-by-phone parking app, in preparation for Australian-first technology that guides drivers to vacant parking spaces.
The discount will automatically apply to the EasyPark app, which allows drivers to pay only for the time they use and remotely top-up payments after receiving SMS notifications 15 minutes before their meter expires.
The City is currently working with the app’s developers to deliver the ‘Find and Park’ auxiliary solution to help motorists find vacant parks.
“From 1 January, the City will automatically apply a 25 per cent discount on the hourly parking rate on a six-month trial basis as a reward to drivers who use our parking app,” City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said.
“We will also absorb the 10 per cent surcharge that drivers currently have to pay on top of the hourly rate when using the parking app.
“With light rail construction behind us and the city set for an exciting 2019, we know that parking ease is important to many people who shop in the CBD. That’s why we’re incentivising use of the app to make parking cheaper and easier.
“The release of the ‘Find and Park’ add-on has been planned for almost 12 months but we opted to wait and learn from the roll out of the technology in Sweden earlier this year.
“By July next year, the app will have the ability to point out to drivers the most likely place to find a park, based on sophisticated parking algorithms.”
As part of the EasyPark revolution, the free 15-minute paper ticket will also go digital.
“The ticket-based system has been increasingly abused since it was introduced in 2015 by motorists, putting machines out of order,” Mr Bath said. “When drivers come across a faulty parking meter, they often they incorrectly assume they can’t park in the area for fear of receiving a ticket.
“And with 88 per cent of adult Australians now owning a smart phone, the time is right to move to digital.”
In other parking changes, the trial of a morning and afternoon rate on all 1P and 2P parking meters will finish at the end of December.
A flat rate of $4/hr between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday will return in the New Year.
The move follows feedback that variable pricing was confusing for drivers and led to unnecessary parking fines.
Although a flat rate of $4 an hour will appear on meters in 1P and 2P zones, motorists paying via the EasyPark app will only be charged $3/ hr.
“This is a significant reduction in the price of parking in the city during the peak time of the day from 11am to 2pm,” Mr Bath said.
“By offering such a significant discount on the hourly parking rate, there is of course a risk to parking revenue. To manage this risk we will review the discount in time for the 2019/20 budget.”
Under the changes:
- The discounted tariffs of $2.50/hr from 9am-11am and $3/hr from 2pm-5pm will no longer exist. EasyPark users will be eligible for an hourly rate of $3/hr all day.
- The price of all-day (8P) parking will also drop by $1 through EasyPark, reducing the price of the all-day No.2 carpark to just $5.
- The 25 per cent discount for drivers using the EasyPark app will also apply to 4P zones.
- The Saturday hourly rate will increase from $2.50 to $3 if using a meter but decrease 25c/hr when paid with EasyPark.
- The hourly rate for 4P and 8P zones will also be brought into line with 1P and 2P zones.
The EasyPark app can be downloaded via the Apple app store by typing EasyPark or at Google Play for Android users.
Just look for the logo of a white ‘e’ set in a pink square. Motorists can also call EasyPark on 1300 734 070 for assistance with use of the app.
Boosting support for older Australians
The Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver more support for older Australians, with a half a billion dollar ($552.9 million) increase to aged care funding including the release of 10,000 high-level home care packages within weeks.
We understand that older Australians prefer to receive support and services in their own home and live independently for as long as possible.
The 10,000 new high-level home care packages deliver important services at home, such as complex clinical care from a range of providers, nursing and mobility care, nutrition, hydration and meal preparation and transport support.
The packages and will be available in early 2019 and will be spilt across 5,000 level three and 5,000 level four care packages, providing up to $50,000 per person in services each year.
The $287 million home care expansion is on top of the extra 20,000 packages funded in the past year, which combined will result in a record 40 per cent increase in the number of people receiving home care packages.
We will also ease the cost of living for 70,000 older Australians by reducing the daily maximum fees payable by up to $400 per year for level one packages, $200 a year for level two packages and $100 a year for a level three packages.
Older Australians who are not currently charged this maximum fee will still benefit because we will increase the value of packages by providing a top-up payment for additional services by providers that is the same amount as the fee reduction.
We are also investing more in providers that support older Australians living in rural and remote areas and people who have been affected by homelessness.
These providers face unique circumstances and cost pressures and we want to ensure their sustainability.
The Viability Supplement for eligible residential aged care providers is to be increased by 30 per cent, through an investment of $101.9 million.
Currently, more than 550 services, accounting for around 13,500 residential care places, receive the Viability Supplement to offset higher care costs in regional areas.
The Homeless Supplement will also be increased by 30 per cent, through a $9.3 million funding injection. Currently, 42 residential services receive the homeless supplement on behalf of more than 1,700 residents.
We will also invest $98 million to fund increased payments to GPs to attend residential aged care homes to treat patients. This recognises the important role of GPs in supporting the health and care of patients in residential aged care.
These initiatives reflect the rollout of our Government’s unprecedented aged care improvements to help ensure older Australians receive the care they want and deserve, where and when they need it.
We have invested an extra $1 billion a year in aged care services since 2013 and have continued our record investment through the 2018/19 Budget’s $5 billion boost over the next four years.
Because without a strong economy and getting our budget back into balance, we can’t make these important decisions. This is why a strong economy matters; because it guarantees the essential services Australians rely on without higher taxes.
It is this strong economic management that ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding in aged care and other vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and public hospitals.
Even as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety goes about its’ important work, our commitment to improving care for older Australians will continue at full pace.
Greens Say Political donations are a recipe for corruption
The NSW ICAC raid of ALP’s headquarters in Sydney shows political donations are a main source of corruption, yet the Government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) wouldn’t even be able to investigate, Greens spokesperson for democracy Senator Larissa Waters said.
“The Government has intentionally designed a body that will ensure political parties can’t be investigated for the millions of dollars in corporate donations they take from industries like mining, banking and gambling,” Senator Waters said.
“The raid on Labor offices by NSW state ICAC shows the need for both donation reform and a federal anti-corruption body that can investigate the influence of big money on our politics.
“The millions of dollars in political donations corrupt our democracy, yet the Government is proposing a weak federal integrity commission that will not have the power to investigate donations.
“The Morrison Government’s proposed CIC lacks broad powers, teeth, sufficient funding, and the capacity to investigate allegations of corruption from public tip offs.
“The Greens have repeatedly moved for an end to corporate donations and a cap of $1000 on all donations yet hit the major party road block every time as they choose to stay in the pockets of the big corporate donors.”
“Up to $100,000 could be donated to a political party without the need for disclosure, if it is split across state and federal bodies and below the $13,800 threshold.
“It’s an absolute indictment on our democracy that anonymous donations can be made without any laws being broken. Corruption could be absolutely rife yet there is no ability for anybody to investigate.
“There must be urgent political donation reform to close this channel for corruption once and for all.”
Man presents to hospital with a gunshot wound – Cessnock
An investigation is underway after a man was shot in the Hunter overnight.
About 6.45pm on Tuesday 18 December 2018, officers from Hunter Valley Police District were called to Cessnock Hospital after a man presented to emergency with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
It’s believed the man was shot at a home on Comerford Close, Aberdare between 6pm and 6.30pm.
The 30-year-old man was stabilised, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition; police have been told he will undergo surgery.
Detectives from Hunter Valley Police District are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries.