Category: Australian News

The Australian Greens have announced plans for a huge investment in public schools, committing an additional $4.6 billion for public schools over the next four years and $20.5 billion over the next ten years. Under this plan, all public schools would reach 100% of their Schooling Resource Standard by 2023. This will ensure every public school in Australia has the funding to meet the educational needs of their students, no matter their postcode or their parents’ bank balance.

In addition to this, the Greens will increase funding to the existing Capital Grants Program to $400 million a year to improve infrastructure in all schools. This fund will include public schools, which are currently excluded, and guarantee 80% of the fund, $320 million a year, for public schools only.

The Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said:

“The Greens are proudly the party of public education. We are unapologetic in our advocacy for a well-resourced, world class public education system.

“For too long, public schools have had to wait at the back of the queue while Government’s pander to already overfunded private schools. The Greens will ensure that, for the first time, every public school is fully funded.

“There are more than 2.5 million students going to public schools who deserve the best possible education we can offer them. We have to step up and invest in their future.

“We know education is life changing. All public school students should have the funding for a world class education.

“If we continue on the current trajectory, almost nine in ten public schools won’t be funded to meet the basic needs of their students. This is a national shame.

“Ninety-three percent of public school teachers dip into their own pocket to buy stationery and classroom equipment, and nearly half buy library resources and textbooks to make up for the lack of Government funding. It doesn’t have to be this way.

“A world class education can only happen in quality and comfortable learning environments for students and teachers. At the moment, public school students continue to sweat it out in demountable classrooms with no air conditioning, while some private schools build orchestra pits and their second swimming pool. We will ensure $320 million a year goes to disadvantaged and needy public schools to assist in upgrading and building infrastructure,” she concluded.

Detail

The Greens policy will see the Commonwealth Government make a guaranteed 25% contribution to each school’s Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), the minimum amount of funding needed to provide a quality education. This will amount to $20.5 billion over ten years.

Our Plan: Additional Commonwealth Recurrent Funding for public schools 

The current Liberal Government has restricted Federal funding to 20% of the SRS for public schools. Under Labor’s recent announcement, the Commonwealth will provide 22.2%. The Greens plan to provide 25% of SRS is the only plan that will make sure public schools reach 100% of their SRS.

We will fund our package by reversing the Coalition’s income tax cuts that disproportionately benefit high income earners, raising $13.4 billion over the next four years alone.

Read our full plan

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said Labor’s energy policy announced today fails to tackle coal and is another capitulation to Tony Abbott by dumping a carbon price in favour of a policy scavenged from the Liberals’ rubbish bin.

Mr Bandt said the policy also fails to act on climate change by doing little more than business-as-usual, failing the test set by the recent IPCC report on global warming. There is no policy to ensure a planned phase out of coal fired power plants.

“Labor is still scared of Tony Abbott and has run up the white flag on a carbon price, joining the Coalition’s protection racket for coal,” said Mr Bandt.

“Labor has given up on having a law to cut pollution.”

“Labor’s timid energy plan is a polluter’s dream and will keep coal in the system for decades, much longer than the world’s scientists are saying is needed to avoid climate breakdown.”

“Scavenging a policy from the Liberals’ rubbish bin is not good enough.”

“As a climate policy, this will do nothing to stop the planet burning.”

“Labor is letting coal off the hook while offering little more than business as usual for renewables. Experts predict we’ll get to 41% renewables by 2030 anyway, so Labor is really only proposing an extra 9% renewables over 11 years.”

“Subsidising battery storage and underwriting renewables, policies pinched from the Greens, are good ideas but not enough. Australia needs a proper economy-wide plan underpinned by a carbon price.”

“By copying the Liberals and dragging their economy wide target into the electricity sector, Labor is also expecting the rest of the economy to do much more, something they criticised the Coalition for doing only a few weeks ago. The transport sector and farmers shouldn’t bear the burden of Labor’s failure to stand up to the coal polluters.”

The IPCC recently reported that the world would need to close two-thirds of its coal-fired power stations by 2030 to avoid a dangerous 1.5 degrees of global warming.

The Australian Greens are announcing their policy to establish a Creativity Commission and bolster our local creative industries at this year’s Screen Forever conference.
“Our economy and our industries are rapidly changing. A creativity commission would give Australians the resources and the license to think about things differently to maximise success,” Greens arts spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Creativity can be harnessed in everything we do, and the Arts should be at the centre of it. Our communities value the arts – it’s time to extend that across all parts of our society and economy.
“This $10 million fund will harness the soft-skills our economy will need into the future. By incorporating the Arts into STEM thinking our workforce can be both creative and competitive.
“If we are to truly adapt to a new way of working, not just locally, but globally, we must give space and funding to tap into our collective creativity.”
Senator Hanson-Young, a passionate advocate for Australian film and television, also announced the Greens’ policy to bolster local content creation.
“There is no limit to creativity in Australia, yet our producers, artists and talent are limited by the ebb and flow international markets and commercial broadcasters’ disinterest in good local content. We need consistent investment for people to get a foothold in creative industries and be able to stay there.
“If the big commercial broadcasters have their way, local content requirements for children’s television will be abolished and Australian-made drama will be cut, which would have a devastating ripple effect on the production sector.
“Australians deserve to have their stories told, and their communities reflected back to them on screen. Not only that, but it helps Australia engage with the rest of the world, while providing a lucrative export.
“A creative Australia is something our nation can be proud of at home and abroad. In this ever-increasingly globally connected world, the soft diplomacy great Australian content – and children’s content – can foster is a win-win.
“We export so much world-class content. We have huge names starring in major roles around the world. This is the time to invest in our creative industries to see just how far we could go.”

• Package to deliver high-tech fruit-fly management across Australia
• New technology to give growers advanced warnings of Queensland Fruit Fly movements
• Smart traps to be trialed giving growers instant alerts of fruit-fly detections​

Australian fruit and vegetable growers will be given a new edge in the fight against fruit fly, with new high-tech systems giving early warnings of fly movements.
Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said a $16.9 million dollar package would assure our trading partners when produce comes from a fruit-fly free area.
“Fruit fly outbreaks cost the horticultural industry millions every year,” Minister Littleproud said.
“If we take control of fruit fly we’ll get access to more premium markets and boost farm gate prices.
“We’ve started a trial of smart-traps that’ll send farmers instant alerts if fruit fly is detected.
“Sensors detect fruit flies in the trap by the way they move and send mobile alerts to growers.
“This can provide farmers the best possible information so they can respond to an outbreak quicker.
“We’re also investing in a national mapping program, to track the movement of QFly in summer.
“The flies make their way south as it warms up and this will let growers know where they are and help us target where to release our sterile fruit flies.
“We’re putting extension officers on the ground to help growers use the latest science.
“They’ll help farmers work through the latest R&D and put it to work in their orchards.
“This package will help protect our $12 billion horticultural industry and reassure our trading partners of the systems we have in place.”
The program would address fruit fly management across Australia, such as medfly in the west and Qfly in the east. ​

The Department of Defence today commenced the first stage of the open market sale process for the Bulimba Barracks site in Brisbane, marking a significant step in the Government’s commitment to unlocking surplus Commonwealth land for housing.

This 20-hectare waterfront development opportunity will deliver housing, improved community amenity and waterfront access for the Bulimba community and the people of Brisbane.

Prior to selling the site on the open market in accordance with the Commonwealth Property Disposal Policy, Defence completed due diligence investigations including detailed environmental, Indigenous and historic heritage assessments.

The relevant due diligence reports will be available to prospective buyers to inform them of their obligations to protect heritage values once the site leaves Commonwealth ownership.

Defence has worked collaboratively with the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and local community groups to achieve the best possible planning outcomes in accordance with the Bulimba District Neighbourhood Plan.

Defence is consolidating and relocating ongoing Royal Australian Navy activities to HMAS Moreton, located adjacent to the Bulimba Barracks divestment site.

Further information about the open market sale process is available at:
http://www.defence.gov.au/id/propertydisposals/Bulimba.asp

NBN Co Limited’s (NBN Co’s) 2018-19 first quarter financial year results show strong performance and growth in activations and revenue with the company powering ahead to connect all Australians to fast broadband by 2020.
Shareholder Ministers’ welcomed the results which confirm the company’s solid performance across all metrics and are the first since NBN Co’s 2019 Corporate Plan.
In the three months to 30 September 2018, NBN Co’s revenue reached $620 million. This is a 53% increase compared to 30 September 2017.
NBN Co continued its solid progress in connecting customers with over 338,000 activations taking the total to 4.4 million active customers nationwide – a 48% increase from September 2017. By the end of the September quarter, almost two‑thirds of homes and businesses could order NBN services and the network build was just under three‑quarters complete.
The results confirm an increased take up of higher speed tiers with over 50% of all NBN connected premises now on 50 Mbps plans or higher, increasing from 500,000 to 2.4 million premises in the 12 months since October 2017.
With thousands signing up to the NBN every day, the extensive work over the past year to improve consumer experience on the network has delivered real benefits for consumers.
Ninety three per cent of homes and businesses now have their equipment installed right the first time, up from 85% in October last year. Average network congestion has also plummeted from 5 hours in October 2017 to just 34 minutes a week.
For more information about the NBN rollout visit: www.nbnco.com.au(link is external)

More than 70 people a day are being caught rorting the welfare system by falsely claiming to be single in order to qualify for higher Centrelink payments.
During the 2017-18 financial year, 26,346 individuals failed to declare that they were in a relationship, resulting in more than $61 million in overpayments that now have to be repaid to the Commonwealth.
While some cases involved genuine mistakes or oversights, many were deliberate acts of fraud that were detected by members of the Department of Human Services’ specialist fraud and compliance teams.
Since July 1, 2016, operations run by the teams have helped generate more than $2.1 billion in savings for taxpayers.
Human Services and Digital Transformation Minister Michael Keenan said the figures should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of defrauding the system that the risks of getting caught were very high.
“Stealing from the welfare system is not a victimless crime,” Mr Keenan said. “You are stealing directly from pockets of Australian taxpayers and robbing the wider community of much needed funds that could be spent on other essential services such as roads, schools and hospitals.
“You also need to know that if we catch you, you will be made to pay the money back and you could also end up with a criminal record, or worse, in jail.”
Just last month, a 76-year-old woman was sentenced to almost three years behind bars after a Victorian court convicted her of fraudulently claiming $287,000 in benefits. The woman claimed she was single in order to receive a higher rate of the age pension while in a relationship with a man who was worth millions.
People failing to declare that they are in a relationship is one of the main ways that welfare recipients end up with debts, along with failing to properly declare their income.
“Australia has a strong welfare system that ensures those who genuinely need our help can get a fair go,” Mr Keenan said.
“But those who fund the system – taxpayers – also have a right to a fair go, which is why we will continue to take strong action against those who are doing the wrong thing.”
The best way to avoid getting into debt is to alert Centrelink immediately to any changes to your personal circumstances that could affect your eligibility for payment.
For more information, or to report someone you suspect is committing welfare fraud, go to humanservices.gov.au/fraud or call the Fraud Tip-Off Line on 131 524.

ABC, Screen Australia and Keshet International (KI) are thrilled to announce that Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman will star in the upcoming drama series Black B*tch(working title). Made by Blackfella Films (Redfern Now) the captivating six-part drama Black B*tch (W/T) is a story of high stakes ambition, betrayal and treachery, playing out in the nation’s capital.

When Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman), a charismatic and contradictory Indigenous woman, is thrust into the national limelight after a horrific event, Australia’s embattled Prime Minister Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths), sees a publicity goldmine for her party. In a bold power play, she handpicks Alex for the Senate. But Alex wants to be more than just a political stunt: she wants to make a difference. So, when the Prime Minister’s cynical calculations betray her, Alex sets out for revenge that will send the political establishment into meltdown.
“Following on from our previous successes Redfern Now and Cleverman, ABC Indigenous continues its strategy to redefine how Indigenous people see themselves on the screen, with the impressive Black B*tch (W/T). We look forward to working alongside the talented team at Blackfella Films to produce this invigorating series for our audience.” Says ABC Head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin.
Darren Dale from Blackfella Films and Executive Producer Rachel Griffiths says “This story is one that united us in our shared passion to tell stories about contemporary women and the challenges of leaning in and finding their voice in our times.  Our exceptional writing team has created a thrilling story of two complex and gutsy female leads who vie for power in a male dominated world and we cannot wait to take it to a global audience.”
“Black B*tch (W/T) promises to be a ground-breaking series and as such has received a significant funding investment,” said Penny Smallacombe, Head of Indigenous at Screen Australia. “For us this program represents not only an incredible story, but one that will be authentically told with Indigenous talent represented across writing, producing, directing and of course on-screen.”
Atar Dekel, Head of Global Content for KI adds, “Black B*tch (W/T) is a strong local story with the potential to resonate and connect with audiences around the world, which is why it immediately stood out to us. This investment not only demonstrates our belief in the team behind this compelling story of power, loyalty and betrayal, it also reinforces our commitment to bring more high-end dramas to global audiences via the KI Content Fund.”
Black B*tch (W/T) will film in Canberra, Queensland and Sydney and air on ABC in 2019.
Production Credit: Blackfella Films production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Financed with support from Create NSW with Screen Queensland and Screen Canberra. Director Rachel Perkins. Producers Darren Dale and Miranda Dear. Executive Producer Rachel Griffiths. Script Producer Stuart Page. ABC Executive Producers Kelrick Martin and Sally Riley. International Distributor is Keshet International, working alongside Endeavor Content in the US.

Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and other agencies which form part of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team have conducted an operation in Melbourne.
Operation Donabate resulted in the arrest of three men and the execution of four warrants in the North West Metro Region this morning.
Three men remain in custody.

• A 30-year-old man from Dallas
• A 26-year-old man from Campbellfield
• A 21-year-old man from Greenvale

A fourth property was searched in Coolaroo.
It will be alleged the three men arrested were involved in undertaking preparations for planning a terrorist act in Melbourne.
The operation is ongoing and further information will be made available at the appropriate time.
Victoria Police would like to reassure the community that the threat has been contained and there is no on-going threat.