Category: Australian News

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson calls on the upcoming Meeting of Environment Ministers to review lethal shark mitigation measures as a priority agenda item. This comes at the end of a whale migration season that saw an unprecedented number of whales caught in shark nets and as a coalition of NGOs announces a full costing for Queensland to transition from lethal to non-lethal measures.
Spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said, “The issue of shark mitigation needs to be a federally coordinated approach that advocates for evidence-based programs and consistency across states.
“That this needs to be a Federal Government-led initiative is no more evident than in our recent whale migration.
“This season, the public whale-watched from coastlines right along the east coast.
“But the whales they watched in some states and on some beaches became entangled in shark nets in Queensland and in New South Wales because of an inconsistent patchwork of shark control measures.
“The fate of our marine life can’t be in the crossing of a border.
“Last year, the Meeting of Environment Ministers addressed the negative impact of yabby nets on wildlife in light of platypus deaths.
“In a similar way, the upcoming meeting must address this urgent issue in light of whale entanglement and the deaths of countless endangered marine life in nets and drumlines.
“I chaired a Senate inquiry into shark mitigation in 2017 which recommended a nationally coordinated response, including a national summit and working group.
“There is no evidence that lethal shark control methods make ocean-goers safe.
“Time is up on outdated shark control measures now.
“The Federal Government can lead the way in developing coordinated strategies and facilitating information sharing about effective measures with the aim of ending lethal shark control programs.
“I’m sure those state governments would be grateful for the help in what is a difficult and often highly charged issue.”

Due for Senate debate this week, the Government’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill has now been delayed until at least November. This allows more time for stakeholder and community input, as well as constructive cross-party negotiations on amendments to improve a once-in-a-generation opportunity for legislative reform that builds a circular economy and protects our oceans.
Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said, “Last year our Prime Minister said that his daughter had urged him to do something to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution in our oceans. He addressed the United Nations in New York, promising Australian leadership on this most critical of marine pollution issues.
“The Government’s long-awaited legislation to fix the waste crisis, though, does not include any measures for reducing or recycling plastic packaging.
“The Greens are working constructively across party lines to fix this and have circulated a series of amendments to ban single-use plastics and legislate producer responsibility for packaging within the new product stewardship framework.
“These measures are broadly supported by key recycling industry groups, local government associations and NGOs.
“You can’t rely on voluntary, industry-led approaches to reducing plastics and increasing recycling rates. They have consistently failed in the past and the current bill does nothing to fix this.
“The waste ban in the bill will also not achieve its desired purpose of forcing Australia to build a circular economy if the confidence to invest in infrastructure, innovation and jobs is missing.
“A proper plan needs to provide business certainty for increased investment and jobs.
“This won’t happen when key recycling industry stakeholders are not on board with the Government’s proposed packaging industry-led approach.
“The Greens’ proposed measures are the obvious way forward and we are optimistic that the Government will listen to waste industry stakeholders before it brings its legislation back in November.
“The Greens won’t let this become a wasted opportunity to protect our oceans and build green jobs.”

Regional Australians will benefit from improved access to health services thanks to the Australian Government’s $1.2 billion investment to boost healthcare in the bush in the 2020-21 Federal Budget.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton, said the significant regional health investment builds on reforms in place to expand rural training opportunities and address complex workforce challenges in rural communities.
“Whether it is through training more health professionals in regional areas, supporting regional hospitals, or increasing access to mental health supports, the Government stands with regional and rural Australians,” Minister Coulton said.
“Our suite of reforms, including important investments in Budget 2020, focus on addressing this distribution challenge and investing in new approaches and localised solutions.”
Minister Coulton said the 2020-21 Budget invests in new models of primary care and expands rural training opportunities to build the rural workforce of the future.
“We are breaking new ground by investing in unique, sub-regional models of primary care delivery to trial different approaches to addressing these perennial rural challenges,” he said.
“We need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, by handing local communities the tools to integrate services, increase their ability to support necessary health services and localise the solution.
“This is significantly different to traditional workforce solutions. We recognise the need to develop local workforces to meet the unique needs of rural and remote communities, better harness the resources at-hand, and ensure professionals have a supportive team is an important part of that.
“National Rural Health Commissioner, Ruth Stewart, will play a central role in overseeing the implementation and evaluation of these ready-to-go projects and will lead the identification and development of a further six similar projects across the country.”
The new models of primary care being funded through the 2020-21 Budget will utilise health services and professionals across like communities and test how novel approaches, including governance and program management, can better deliver health services to small, rural communities. This investment builds on the rollout of the Murrumbidgee Model for Rural Generalist trainees announced in May 2020.
Evidence shows that students, who train rurally, are more likely to live and work rurally, and this is fundamental to the Government’s approach to developing a rural training pipeline.
“We are continuing to enhance rural training opportunities with $50.3 million to expand the
Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program, including funding for a new University Department of Rural Health to support more nursing and allied health students to train in the regions,” Minister Coulton said.
“This investment in rural training will also increase remote training opportunities and provide dedicated training spaces in aged care services.
The 2020-21 Budget importantly continues to fund the Government’s COVID-19 Health Response to manage the impact of the pandemic in rural Australia. The roll-out of 150 GP Respiratory Clinics, of which more than half are in regional centres, are critical to monitoring potential outbreaks and ensuring hospital and primary care networks continue operating as normal.
“While cases remain low in regional communities, it is important we remain vigilant and be ready to respond if there is transmission in any of our regional communities,” Minister Coulton said.
“Perhaps the greatest revelation for rural and remote Australians during the pandemic has been the Government’s fast-tracked expansion of temporary MBS Telehealth items.
“While Telehealth doesn’t replace face-to-face care, it is a valuable tool to tackle the peril of distance and has helped protect vulnerable patients and health professionals across the country through this pandemic.”
Minister Coulton said the Government will continue to build on investments in this year’s Budget through broader primary care and workforce reforms.
“As Australia’s focus moves beyond the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic and into a long-term COVID safe recovery, regional Australia will benefit from this Government’s commitment to them,” Minister Coulton said.
“The Coalition is focused on delivering for regional Australia and is committed to building strong, safe, well‑serviced local communities for the future.”
Background:
The 2020-21 Budget delivers significant investment to improve access to health services in regional, rural, and remote Australia, including the following measures:

• $125 million to deliver clinical trials in regional locations, through the Medical Research Future Fund, improving access to potentially life-saving medical innovations and helping make the regions an attractive career move.
• $50.3 million to enhance the rural training pipeline through the long‑standing Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program. This investment expands the network of 16 University Departments of Rural Health to 17 and extends training into smaller rural communities, and rural residential aged care facilities. A feasibility study will identify opportunities for dental training in regional locations.
• $3.3 million to support new methods of delivering primary care across five sub-regions in western and southern New South Wales.
• $11.2 million over four years, and $2.1 million per year (ongoing), to secure and expand the office of the National Rural Health Commissioner.
• A further $2 billion to extend the COVID-19 Health response, taking the total health response to $16.5 billion, with key components of the package extended for a further six months to 31 March 2021.

Young Australians will be offered more opportunity and increased support to build a better future under key measures announced in the 2020–21 Budget.
Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck said the Morrison Government’s plan, outlined on Tuesday night, paved the road to recovery, particularly for young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our Government is focused on making sure opportunities exist for young Australians in education and employment, while delivering appropriate assistance to help them navigate the impact of the COVID pandemic,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Budget clearly outlines how young people remain a key focus as we get Australia back on track.”
The Coalition has committed $4 billion to support young people into work through the JobMaker Hiring Credit.
It provides a wage subsidy of $200 a week for up to a year to make an eligible position available to a Jobseeker, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment recipient aged 16 to 29 or $100 a week for recipients aged 30 to 35.
Minister Colbeck said the Government is also encouraging more young people to take up a trade with $1.2 billion for Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements – a 50 per cent wage subsidy for any businesses taking on a new or recommencing apprentice.
“This is tangible action which builds on the existing $2.8 billion wage subsidy that is helping employers retain their apprentices and trainees,” Minister Colbeck said.
Other Budget initiatives that have a strong focus on supporting young Australians include:

• $146.3 million for a Student Support Package to help more than 76,000 disadvantaged young people through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program;
• $10 million investment to expand the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grants program funding up to an additional 50 projects to remove barriers and increase participation;
• $25.2 million to amend workforce participation requirements, making it easier for young people on Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY to prove independence;
• $900,000 to expand the Girls in STEM Toolkit which supports school aged girls;
• $21.9 million for the Faster Connections and Greater Support for Young People for those aged 15-24 years. The initiative connects early school leavers to services faster  and provides specialist youth assistance to young job seekers in online employment services; and
• $39.4 million for Online Safety Reform.

Minister Colbeck said the Government was also committed to ensuring the mental health of young people is maintained by supporting Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
“The Australian Government has invested an unprecedented $5.7 billion in mental health support in 2020-21 alone,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Doubling the number of Medicare-funded psychological services from 10 to 20 through the Better Access Initiative.
“The Government is driving the largest expansion of the headspace network, from 124 services to 153 services nationally by 2022. Over the next four years, the Government will invest $630.4 million in this national network,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We’re also expanding the national suicide prevention trials, as well as aftercare services for those who have self-harmed or attempted suicide, new services to support families and carers who have been bereaved by suicide, youth peer support, and support for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander youth.”
Minister Colbeck said these budget measures build on our existing and ongoing work in developing a whole-of-government National Youth Policy Framework to inform how policies and programs support young Australians and improve their lives.
“Young Australians aged 15-24 are still able to contribute to this vital framework aimed at shining a light on the issues that affect so many and shaping the priorities, policies and programs for the future.”
The survey can be found here.
More information about the 2020–21 Budget is available here.

An Albanese Labor Government will rebuild the nation’s manufacturing industry with a comprehensive plan to create jobs, boost vital skills, bring industry expertise back onshore and supercharge national productivity.
As part of his budget reply speech in Canberra tonight, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese unveiled A Future Made in Australia ­– Labor’s blueprint for local manufacturing jobs and skills – which includes:

• A National Rail Manufacturing Plan to see more trains built in Australia by local workers and ensure every dollar of federal funding spent on rail projects boosts local jobs and industry;
• A Defence Industry Development Strategy to leverage our $270 billion investment pipeline, develop sovereign industrial and research capabilities and build skills and expertise within the Australian workforce; and
• An Australian Skills Guarantee to give apprentices, trainees and cadets a foot in the door when it comes to work on major Commonwealth projects.

This will build on the jobs that will flow from Labor’s plans for an Australian Centre for Disease Control and a social housing repair program to get tradies back on the tools.
Labor’s National Rail Manufacturing Plan will undertake a national audit of passenger train capacity and condition, develop our rail procurement and manufacturing strategy, assess how we can grow jobs, bolster research and development and collaborate with innovation initiatives and organisations.
Importantly, it will reinstate the important role of the Rail Supplier Advocate cut by the Liberals in 2013 – to help small and medium-sized businesses identify export opportunities and get a foot in the door with government purchasing bodies.
The Defence Industry Development Strategy will put Australian industry, workers and security first with a framework to maximise and publicly disclose local content for all major defence material procurements and local defence contracts.
Finally, an Australian Skills Guarantee will ensure that one in 10 jobs on major federally funded infrastructure projects are given to apprentices, trainees or cadets.
This work will be supported by Jobs and Skills Australia – announced by Mr Albanese last year – an independent body designed to bring together the business community, states and territories, unions, education providers and regional organisations to match skills training with the evolving demands of industry.

A new targeted support package for young people is helping to tackle the uncertainty around leaving school and choosing the right career pathway.
The National Careers Institute (NCI) has launched the School Leavers Information Kit and the School Leavers Information Service.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said these initiatives provide invaluable support and assistance for school leavers.
“Australian school students in Years 10, 11 and 12 have shown unwavering resilience in the face of COVID-19 and they deserve the best possible support as they consider their next steps,” Minister Cash said.
“These initiatives will help young people finishing school to find the education, training and employment options that best suit them, now and into the future.
The Australian Government has invested $13.8 million in the Enhanced Support for School Leavers measure.
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships, the Hon Steve Irons MP, said the online kit and the information service complement the recently launched Australian Government careers website, Your Career.
“I am pleased that these initiatives are available at such an important time to support our school leavers in taking their next step towards pursuing their career pathway in 2021,” Assistant Minister Irons said.
The School Leavers Information Kit Your Career: What’s next for you? is available on the Your Career website at YourCareer.gov.au.
The School Leavers Information Service is available by calling 1800 227 337or emailing schoolleavers.nci@dese.gov.au.
For more information about the work of the NCI, visit www.nci.dese.gov.au.

The Australian Government is investing a total of $2.3 billion to support home-grown researchers and manufacturers to develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine, while engaging in strategic international partnerships to support access for Australia and our region.
Under its COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatment Strategy, the Australian Government is investing $1.7 billion to pre-order 84.8 million doses of vaccine with leading Australian manufacturer CSL Limited (Seqirus) and UK-based AstraZeneca.
On 7 September 2020, the Australian Government announced that should promising trials prove successful for the University of Oxford/Astra Zeneca and the University of Queensland vaccine candidates, more than 80 million doses of the two potential COVID-19 vaccines would be made available for the Australian population, almost entirely manufactured in Melbourne.
This followed from the execution of a binding Heads of Terms between the Australian Government and CSL/Seqirus for the University of Queensland vaccine candidate.
The Government has now entered a final supply agreement with CSL/Seqirus around the supply of 51 million doses of the University of Queensland (UQ)-CSL COVID-19 vaccine candidate, including key terms to support clinical and technical development activities for the vaccine candidate.
Phase IIb/III trials of the UQ vaccine candidate are scheduled to start in early December 2020 in numerous countries and over more than 100 sites. The study will evaluate efficacy, immunogenicity and safety in adults aged 18 years and above.
The Australian Government has also joined the COVAX facility, providing access to a large portfolio of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and manufacturers across the world. The Government’s upfront payment of $123.2 million guarantees we receive offers to purchase a number of vaccine candidates from around the world as they become available, meeting safety and effectiveness standards.
This is Australia’s second commitment to the COVAX facility, with $80 million donated in August to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment – a collaborative effort to provide doses to developing countries, enabling more countries to protect their most vulnerable groups.
Australia’s contribution supports a global coordination effort to ensure equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines, which is essential to reinvigorate the global economy.

The Morrison Government remains committed to keeping Australians safe, while protecting the nation’s interests as part of Australia’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan, in a rapidly changing global environment.
The 2020-21 Budget sees sustained strong investment in Australia’s national security, with a focus on regional security, building defence capability and creating jobs, boosting Australia’s cyber resilience and supporting Australia’s sovereign defence industry.
The Budget delivers the Morrison Government’s commitment to grow the Defence budget to two per cent of GDP in the 2020–21 financial year and will deliver a stable funding path into the future.
2020 DEFENCE STRATEGIC UPDATE AND 2020 FORCE STRUCTURE PLAN
The 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan is a 10 year funding model with a 20 year outlook and continues to provide Defence and defence industry with the planning certainty required to support the ongoing development and delivery of critical Defence capability and Australian jobs.
This 10 year model provides Defence, including the Australian Signals Directorate, with funding of $575 billion over the decade to 2029-30.
The Morrison Government’s Budget commitments position Defence to implement the 2020 Force Structure Plan and address our increasing strategic competition, now and into the future.
BOOSTING AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE CAPABILITY
The Morrison Government will invest $270 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade the capability and potency of the Australian Defence Force.
This includes investing in more lethal and long-range capabilities to hold adversary forces and infrastructure at risk, further from Australia, including longer-range strike weapons, offensive cyber capabilities and area denial capabilities.
We will also invest in capabilities to give Australia better awareness of our region and to support regional engagement, while also increasing our air and sea lift capability to ensure we can rapidly respond to events across our region.
More broadly, through this investment we are ensuring Defence and Australia has more durable supply chains, while further strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence industry to create more high tech Australian jobs and enhance the ADF’s self reliance.
Our investment in Defence will also expand ADF support to civil authorities in response to national crises and natural disasters with deployable health care and engineering capabilities.
This $270 billion investment provides unprecedented opportunities for Australian industry and the creation of more Australian jobs.
The Morrison Government is strengthening the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) Program to help maximise opportunities for Australian business in these projects.
Investment in critical infrastructure, facilities, wharves and ports will continue with around $30 billion being invested over the decade.
Local industry involvement in the delivery of these projects will be maximised through the Morrison Government’s Local Industry Capability Plan initiative. This ensures that local suppliers, contractors and tradies have the opportunity to secure more of this work, creating more jobs for local communities.
CYBER SECURITY SUPPORT
Malicious cyber activity against Australia is increasing in frequency, scale and sophistication.
This Government is making the nation’s largest ever investment in cyber security through our $1.7 billion 2020 Cyber Security Strategy, which includes $1.4 billion over the next decade to enhance the cyber security capabilities and assistance provided to Australians through the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
This significant investment, known as the Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response (CESAR) package, will mean that we can identify more cyber threats, disrupt more foreign cybercriminals, build more partnerships with industry and government and protect more Australians.
The CESAR package has been designed to boost protection and cyber resilience for all Australians, from individuals and small businesses through to the providers of critical services.
It includes a $470 million investment to expand our cyber security workforce, with the creation of over 500 new Australian jobs within ASD.
The package will put our nation on the front foot in combatting cyber threats and our investment in a cyber security workforce will help ensure we have the people we need to meet future cyber challenges.
SUPPORTING AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND BACKING DEFENCE INDUSTRY
Australia’s defence industry has demonstrated remarkable versatility throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to keep Defence capabilities and our Australian economy moving.
Supporting Australia’s defence industry is crucial to our economic recovery and the creation of more jobs.
We have implemented a $1 billion investment package aimed at boosting Australia’s defence industry and supporting thousands of jobs across the country.
This includes increased funding of over $110 million for Defence innovation, industry grants, skilling and micro credentialing, and cyber training for Defence industry.
The Morrison Government recently launched the Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) Grants program, which will deliver $39 million over the next three years to support a skilled workforce in the defence industry sector.
In addition to these grant initiatives, the Government is announcing a further $4 million to establish the Joint Strike Fighter Industry Support Program, delivering more opportunities for Australian industry participation. This builds on the success of the New Air Combat Capability Industry Support Program, which has delivered 46 grants to 25 Australian companies, worth $21.7 million.
Already we have fast-tracked a range of capability, infrastructure, skilling and workforce initiatives over the next two years, including a $300 million national estates works program focusing on regional areas, and $190 million on infrastructure projects in the Northern Territory.
Around 4,000 Australian jobs will be supported over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years through the delivery of this economic package. This reaffirms our commitment to further strengthening the defence industrial base to ensure that it is robust, resilient and internationally competitive.
The measures will continue to support and grow the 70,000-strong workforce in defence industry, supply chains, and down-stream suppliers who are benefiting from our investment in defence.
ADF SUPPORTING AUSTRALIANS
The Government remains committed to supporting Australians in need which is why we are strengthening the ADF’s ability to respond to natural disasters, domestic emergencies, and support to the near region.
Since February, Defence has provided comprehensive support worth $80.7 million to states and territories as part of Operation COVID-19 ASSIST with more than 3,200 personnel providing support across the country.
To continue to provide support, the Government will streamline the process for calling out Reservists to boost the ADF’s capacity to respond quickly when needed.
This measure builds on the Government’s commitment to increase the number of reserve days for existing ADF Reserve members, and recruiting an additional 500 Reservists to provide more employment opportunities for Australians impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic.
DELIVERING SUPPORT TO THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC
The Morrison Government will invest a further $124.3 million over 10 years to support the Pacific Step-Up through increased investment in security infrastructure in the Pacific.
This investment includes a joint Australia-Solomon Islands project to construct a border and patrol boat outpost in Solomon Islands’ western provinces, announced by Prime Minister Morrison and Prime Minister Sogavare in October 2019.
Australia’s support for a border and patrol boat outpost will enhance infrastructure and security cooperation between our countries, and support Solomon Islands’ border security.
The outpost will be used by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and other Solomon Islands agencies to conduct remote patrolling and security operations.
The design will feature environmentally sustainable elements and will be appropriate to regional conditions, and will include a wharf capable of replenishing Guardian-Class patrol boats, accommodation buildings, and storage facilities.
Under the Pacific Step-Up, Australia is working with regional partners to strengthen economic resilience, deepen personal connections and enhance security cooperation.
Our infrastructure projects in the Pacific contribute to the Australian and regional economies. These projects are providing significant economic stimulus and employment opportunities.
Defence Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) 2020-21 are available on the Defence website.