Month: February 2022

The Australian Government and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) congratulates Australian athletes and officials after a record-breaking performance at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said it was an inspirational two weeks of sport, culminating with an Australian record four medals – one gold, two silver and one bronze.

“It’s fantastic to have seen the Australian Olympic team achieve record podium success in Beijing, following on from an equal-record gold medal haul of 17 at the Tokyo Summer Olympics just last year,” Minister Colbeck said.

“Mogul skier Jakara Anthony broke through to claim Australia’s first gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 12 years, but it was one of many wonderful performances that show how we’re continuing to evolve in Winter sports and challenging the world’s best.

“The medals were complemented by a record nine top-six finishes, and numerous personal bests, which means we’re knocking on the door for more medals in the future.

“Australian Olympic debuts in sports such as curling and monobob show there’s greater depth and opportunity for our athletes too.

“This gives us a lot to be excited about in the future, especially with the opening of the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre in Brisbane and the new National Snowsports Training Centre in Jindabyne being developed by Snow Australia.

“It gives Olympic and aspiring athletes access to a world-class training centre in Australia all-year round.

“Well done to all our Olympic athletes in Beijing and the team behind the scenes, led by Chef De Mission Geoff Lipshut.

“We now look forward to our Australian Paralympic team competing in Beijing next month.”

The Australian Government, via the Australian Institute of Sport, provided a record $29.8 million in preparation for Beijing, an increase of almost 50 per cent in funding. The funding includes more than $2.5 million in direct grants to athletes.

By the end of this year, the AIS will confirm the next four years of winter funding to help athletes and sports prepare for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. It is part of a longer-term approach to sports funding.

Australian Sports Commission Chair Josephine Sukkar AM said Australia’s winter athletes had overcome enormous challenges and thrived on the world stage.

“We’re always building for the future too, so preparations for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics are already underway and we’ll confirm funding by the end of 2022,” Ms Sukkar said.

“I thank the Australian Government for believing in the ASC’s long-term vision for Australian high performance sport. With the Government’s support, we’re now able to give sports greater certainty and clarity to build for a full Games cycle.

“It creates a stronger platform than we have ever had in Australian sport and is a huge vote of confidence for the Australian high performance system, the sports and our athletes.

“Beyond funding, the AIS will continue to support our winter sports and athletes in areas of innovation and technology, medicine and sport science, wellbeing and community engagement, coaching and leadership, as well as high performance facilities, including the AIS campus in Canberra, European Training Centre in Italy and the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre in Brisbane.

“As we welcome our Olympians home, we also wish our Australian Paralympic team all the very best as they prepare to compete from March 4-13.”

The Federal Coalition Government is providing $3.7 million to the University of South Australia (UniSA) to create a training site in Port Lincoln that will encourage current and future nursing and allied health students to pursue a career in aged care once qualified.

Making the significant announcement today at the Matthew Flinders Home, where the training and simulation site will be built, Federal Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey said this was a win-win for local health students and the increasing elderly population in the area.

Mr Ramsey said the new centre will include state of the art equipment, including a simulated resident’s room with geriatric mannequin, clinical skills training laboratory, video/telehealth conferencing facilities, and areas for student mentoring, tutorials, and office space.

“Each year, the demonstration project will give dozens of students in nursing and other health professions the opportunity to study under supervision in residential and community aged care in Port Lincoln,” Mr Ramsey said.

“As well as nursing, the project will support students in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry, pharmacy and nutrition; with the program likely to expand to include dietetics, exercise physiology and social work students in the future.”

Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie, who will join Mr Ramsey tomorrow for a rural health visit to Wallaroo, said the centre will give students the experience and training to build their knowledge, expertise, and skills relevant to rural aged care practice, which makes them more likely to pursue a career in regional, rural, or remote aged care at the end of their studies.

“The project will initially start with 52 weeks of student placements in 2022, building to 288 weeks and 48 students in 2024 and beyond, which is a huge staff boost to local aged care,” Dr Gillespie said.

“In return, it will give people receiving aged care access to health services which haven’t been available locally, and better access to existing services.”

Mr Ramsey said the project’s benefits would extend across the Port Lincoln community.

“Port Lincoln is the service centre for the Lower Eyre Peninsula and also a retirement destination, with a growing population of elderly people,” Mr Ramsey said.

“This project will give students from the local area and other places the opportunity to train on the job and link them to future local employment opportunities.

“At the same time, it will help local aged care provider, Matthew Flinders Home, to continue to deliver high quality care and meet the health care needs of its residents.”

UniSA will receive nearly $3.7 million from the Liberal and Nationals Government to establish the site at Matthew Flinders Home. It is part of the Federal Government’s $18.4 million investment to establish up to seven health training demonstration sites in rural and remote aged care services, as part of the broader Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program.

In October 2020, the Australian Government announced a $48.3 million investment to increase rural health training opportunities to deliver health, aged care, and disability services in regional, rural, and remote communities under the RHMT program. The program currently provides over $200 million in funding to 21 universities across Australia to improve the recruitment and retention of medical, nursing, dental and allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia.

An innovative health training program will be established in Murray Bridge, Berri and other sites in the Riverland Mallee Coorong (RMC) region, improving access to health services and providing invaluable training opportunities for health students.

Member for Barker, Tony Pasin today announced Flinders University will receive $1.94 million from the Federal Coalition Government to establish a new model of person-centred, multidisciplinary health training placements for the RMC region.

Mr Pasin said that Flinders will work closely with RMC Local Health Network and Aboriginal Medical Services to provide opportunities for about 18 students each year to take part in 4-6 week training placements, which equates to around 360 weeks of placements in local communities over the next two years.

“Additionally, Flinders will employ several local academic and administrative staff to work in the region, attracting and retaining the health workforce” Mr Pasin said.

Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie joined Mr Pasin today at Flinders University’s Murray Bridge campus to announce the investment through the Coalition Government’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program.

Mr Pasin said the project will extend the university’s existing rural health training activities into new, more remote settings, as well as a greater range of health professions.

Dr Gillespie, a former regional doctor, said the project was part of a $14.25 million investment to establish multidisciplinary health training demonstration sites in more remote areas of Australia.

“This will give students in many health disciplines the experience, skills and positive learning experiences to encourage them to return to these areas after they graduate,” Dr Gillespie said.

“Additionally, it will give local students new career pathways in health while boosting access to local health services for patients, now and into the future.”

Mr Pasin said Flinders will hold recruitment activities in schools to create a career pathway for young health professionals to become educators, supervisors, and mentors to local students.

Flinders has co-designed this project,working with local health services to create more multidisciplinary placements for students from Flinders, University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, and TAFE SA.

To ensure that the project is appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Flinders will second a cultural expert from the Aboriginal Health Unit of RMC Local Health Network.

“Flinders will extend collaborations with the local Aboriginal Medical Service, Moorundi, and multiple community and non-government health services providers in the region to expand existing training programs,” Mr Pasin said.

Dr Gillespie said the training hubs would build on Flinders’ existing rural health training staff and infrastructure, providing multiple benefits for local people.

Flinders will give priority to students from Indigenous and rural backgrounds.

“Located in an area with one of the largest Indigenous populations in SA, the initiative has the potential to transform health outcomes for Indigenous communities,” Mr Pasin said.

“Bringing staff and students to the region will also make an economic contribution to the local community.”

Flinders will purchase two additional houses for student accommodation, one in Berri and one in Murray Bridge, which will actively encourage students to stay in the region rather than commuting from Adelaide, adding to their overall rural experience.

An Albanese Labor Government’s $200 million Northern Territory Strategic Roads Package will bring better economic and social opportunities to remote and regional communities across the Territory.

Road upgrades will be focused on all weather access, ensuring that remote communities have more reliable year-round connections to the services and opportunities that they need.

We have identified the Santa Teresa Road, Mereenie Loop Road, and all weather access to Maningrida, Ramingining, and the Milingimbi mainland barge ramp, as early priorities.

We will work closely with the NT Government to determine the final list of projects, ensuring Labor’s investment brings the greatest possible benefit to communities across the Territory.

Not only will these upgrades bring jobs in the construction phase, they will also act as crucial enabling infrastructure, ensuring locals have more reliable access to health, education, social and sporting services across the Centre and the Top End. Labor also wants to see communities across the Territory benefit from increased tourism opportunities as the health crisis recedes.

This funding will be included in our first Budget, ensuring work can get underway as soon as possible.

Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party said:

“Labor’s infrastructure investments are about creating jobs and extending opportunities to all Australians.”

“ Remote Australia is dependent on good, safe roads for accessing essential services, getting to work, or welcoming tourists.”

“Sadly, remote roads still have a death toll 11 times higher than those in major cities. These investments will give remote communities the connections they deserve, allowing more people to get around with greater safety.”

Catherine King, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development said:

“These investments will ensure local communities have year round access to the services they need.”

“Unlike the Morrison-Joyce Government, Labor will work closely with state and territory governments to deliver the projects that bring most benefit to communities around Australia.”

Marion Scrymgour, Labor Candidate for Lingiari said: 

“This is a great investment for remote communities across the Territory.”

“This package of works will mean more locals can more easily access the work, education, health and recreational services we all rely on.”

“After the recent weather events we’ve had, these investments are more important than ever.”

“I know that not only will an Albanese Labor Government invest in our communities, but we’ll get the work underway as soon as possible.”

From 1 March 2022, Australians with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), a complication that can occur when patients undergoing cancer treatment receive transplanted stem cells from a donor, will have access to a new treatment through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

cGVHD is a complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant, that occurs when donor bone marrow or stem cells start recognising the recipient’s body as foreign and start attacking the recipient’s body cells.

This causes damage in the body, especially to the liver, skin and gut. cGVHD can appear immediately or any time after a patient’s allogeneic transplant.

Uvadex® (methoxsalen) will be used as part of an integrated, closed system extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) service for the treatment of cGVHD.

ECP is a type of treatment which removes some of a patient’s blood using a machine. The machine separates the white blood cells—then red blood cells and plasma go back into the body.

The white blood cells are mixed with Uvadex^®, then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light and put back into the patient.

The listing of Uvadex® on the PBS will be extended for the treatment of steroid dependant, steroid intolerant or steroid refractory chronic cGVHD.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the listing of Uvadex® on the PBS will benefit around 180 Australians a year.

“Without PBS subsidy, Australians with cGVHD could pay more than $9,200 per course of treatment, instead, from March 1, they’ll be able to access it for $42.50 per script or just $6.80 for people with a concession card,” Minister Hunt said.

“Since 2013, the Coalition Government had approved more than 2,800 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $14.3 billion.”

Concurrently, two new items will be introduced on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (PBS) for the use of ECP in combination with Uvadex^® to treat this condition, as recommended by the Medical Services Advisory Committee.

This PBS listing has been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

The Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.

This is a strong contrast to Albanese and Labor, who when last in Government stopped listing essential medicines and treatments on the PBS.

Today in Cairns the Greens have announced a more than $2 billion plan to save the Great Barrier Reef and the workers who rely upon it for their livelihood, as the Reef remains at serious risk from the effects of climate change and poor water quality.

Last year the Reef narrowly avoided a World Heritage Committee “In Danger” listing after cynical lobbying by a Morrison Government desperate to avoid another PR disaster, but Australia was given just one year to pull up its socks on Reef protection.

Under this government’s watch, half of the Reef’s coral cover has died over three mass coral bleaching events, in 2016, 2017 and 2020, bleaching events driven and exacerbated by the climate crisis being fuelled by the burning of coal, oil and gas.

As one of the seven natural wonders of the world, an employer of 60,000 people, and one of Australia’s greatest tourist attractions, we must take serious action to protect what’s left of our Reef.

The Greens will:

• Act rapidly on the climate crisis by boosting clean energy and banning new coal and gas;
• Improve Reef water quality with a $2 billion grant fund over 10 years available to scientists, governments and farmers to improve farming practises and repair catchments; and set legal caps on water pollution by catchment
• Reclaim the balance of the $443 million grant made to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and reallocate the funds through a new grants process
• Properly fund the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science with $90 million in extra funding and stronger powers
• Stop damaging coal and gas port expansions 
• Ban offshore dumping of dredge spoil

The Greens’ plan to save the Reef forms part of our “Green Australia” policy initiative which can be found here.

Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said:

“You can’t save the Reef by making climate change worse. Scott Morrison flew to Queensland last month and promised less than half of what’s needed to fix water quality, and totally ignored the climate crisis which is imperilling the Reef. 

“Meanwhile he had denied tourism businesses JobKeeper while the economic effects of the pandemic continued to hurt the industry, and gave handouts to airlines instead of local tourism operators.

“The Prime Minister’s $1 billion over 10 years announcement was self-defeating and hollow rhetoric, when it is just one per cent of the public money he gifts to coal and gas, which is driving the decline of the Reef. 

“The Morrison Government has turbo-charged the climate crisis by funnelling billions of dollars of public money into the pockets of their fossil fuel donors to ramp up coal and gas production. The federal government has put the Reef, and the 60,000 people who depend on it for their livelihoods, at serious risk – just so they can keep their donation gravy train rolling.

“The world is watching. World Heritage Committee representatives are coming to visit the Reef before the Committee makes its final decision on the “In danger listing” – they will want to see real action, and they’ll see right through the government’s empty promises. 

“The Greens are the only party with a comprehensive plan to protect the Reef, and we’re the only party talking seriously about the climate crisis and the need to transition away from coal and gas to clean renewable energy.

“In balance of power after the next election the Greens will push for a freeze on all new coal, gas and oil projects while Parliament negotiates new climate legislation, and we’ll push the next government to act swiftly to save the Reef before it is lost forever.”

Greens candidate for Leichhardt Phillip Musumeci said:

“The LNP will tell you that we can’t afford to phase out fossil fuels – but the opposite is true. We can’t afford not to.

“From Cairns to Thursday Island, it’s obvious to those of us who live and work in the Far North that climate change is already affecting our lives.

“From the failing health of the Reef, to the increase in extreme weather events, and the impacts on biodiversity, the Far North is suffering from the effects of climate change more than most other parts of Australia. And without serious and urgent intervention it will get worse.

“Not only will a transition to clean and renewable energy help to keep global temperatures below the 1.5-degree increase scientists tell us we must not exceed, it will also create hundreds of thousands of well-paid, long-term jobs, ensuring we leave no one behind.

“By kicking out this Coalition of chaos and putting more Greens in parliament we can push the next government to tackle the climate crisis, save the Reef and build a future for all of us.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP has announced a bold plan to expand and repurpose Snowy Hydro, the Commonwealth owned corporation, to build over 25 GW of wind, solar and energy storage over the next decade, the equivalent to Australia’s current coal generation capacity. The Greens will push for this plan in balance of power after the next election.

The expanded and repurposed ‘Snowy Hydro 3.0’ – renamed Clean Energy Australia – will be supplied with $40 billion of equity over the decade by the Commonwealth to invest in the equivalent capacity to Australia’s remaining 20 coal fired power stations.

The plan will also create a new not-for-profit electricity retailer from Snowy Hydro, called Power Australia, that will sell electricity on a cost-price basis, driving down household and business power bills. Power Australia will incorporate Snowy’s current retail arms, Lumo and Red Energy.

The plan will also reverse the Liberal-Labor subsidy of $600m to build a gas-fired power plant in the Hunter Valley.
Mr Bandt unveiled the plan in Canberra where a Labor-Greens government has already transitioned the ACT to 100% renewables and has a government owned retailer.

The Greens want to kick the Liberals out and put the Greens in the balance of power in the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure the next government takes real climate action. 

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said

“To fight the climate crisis and to secure Australia’s economic prosperity we need a large scale public investment in renewables, not subsidies for coal and gas.”

“The government’s plan locks the Snowy Hydro into a fossil fuelled failure with expensive and polluting gas. In balance of power the Greens will kick the Liberals out and push for a big build of renewables.

“This investment will push out coal and gas and create tens of thousands of jobs by providing cheap electricity and making Australia a renewable energy superpower.

“With a massive government-led build of renewables, we can tackle the climate crisis while growing jobs.

“Cheap electricity from the sun and the wind should be Australia’s international advantage. By selling electricity at cost-price to homes and businesses, we will drive down power bills, attract energy-intensive industries to Australia and become the region’s clean energy hub. 

“We need a Snowy Hydro for the twenty-first century, with the biggest public investment in infrastructure we’ve seen for decades to get us to zero emissions as quickly as possible.

“Liberal and Labor talk up renewables, but they want more coal and gas, not less, and they don’t have a policy to drive investment at the scale we need.” 

“Clean Energy Australia will lead our plan to power past coal and gas and into a clean energy future and a safe climate.”

Greens MLA and ACT Energy Minister Shane Rattenbury said

“The ACT is 100 percent renewable electricity because the government took a deliberate decision to make it happen. 

The climate crisis means we don’t have the time to sit back and passively wait for the market to solve it – government can and must play a leadership role. The ACT has shown what is possible when you do that. 

The community is not only supportive, but many are proud of this achievement, and the policy has created significant economic and job opportunities in the ACT, with around $500 million of local investment resulting from the policy.