Month: May 2022

The Morrison Government’s $2.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy is a plan to help Australian manufacturing scale-up, become more competitive and resilient – driving jobs and skills, realising economic growth, and developing new products and services to improve the lives of Australians.

The Morrison Government is investing over $94 million in funding through the Modern Manufacturing Initiative to back 19 Victorian manufacturers to grow their businesses, create more jobs and compete internationally.

Geelong manufacturer Carbon Revolution will receive up to $12 million for their $33 million project to expand its advanced manufacturing of carbon fibre wheels to the global electric vehicle market. This funding will increase their capacity by around 94 per cent, equating to an additional 75,000 carbon-fibre wheels per annum and reduce unit costs by 60 per cent.

This project will position Australia as a leader in the production and export of carbon fibre wheels for the auto sector. This will create significant benefits into the broader local carbon fibre sector, provide better commercialisation pathways for research at Deakin University, and improve the cost effectiveness of production and improve the ability to secure global supply contracts for the growing EV market.

As a result of the Morrison Government’s investment in this project, Carbon Revolution is expected to create and retain over 300 additional skilled manufacturing jobs in Geelong.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emission Reduction Angus Taylor said this funding was a testament to the strength of the manufacturing sector in the state.

“Victoria has long been the centre of Australian manufacturing and remains a key source of revenue and jobs for the Victorian economy. Victorians have been strong and resilient in the face of a number of COVID-19 related lockdowns which posed real challenges to these manufacturers,” Minister Taylor said.

“That’s why we are backing our manufacturers to grow their business, create more jobs, more exports and more investment. The ability to make the things our country needs is a key part of the Morrison Government’s plan for a stronger economy and a stronger future”

Liberal Senator for Victoria, Sarah Henderson said only the Morrison Government has a plan to support a strong, flexible and competitive Australian manufacturing sector in Victoria.

“With customers from Ford to Ferrari, Carbon Revolution is producing some of most technically advanced and highest performing wheels on the planet, keeping our region on the modern manufacturing map,” Senator Henderson said.

“Already a global technology powerhouse and major local success story, this $12 million grant from the Morrison Government, will enable sustainable wheel supply to the Global Electric Vehicle Market, driving cleaner technology and creating 323 smart jobs.”

Other recipients that will share in this funding include:

• Wilson Transformers will use its $8.7 million in funding to expand its capability to manufacture HV transformers (key components) to support the growth of renewables and batteries.
• Energys Australia will use $5.3 million in funding to expand the manufacture of its patented hydrogen fuel cell power products (FC Gensets).
• Selectronic Australia will use its $7.1 million in funding to leverage proven Australian IP to develop a best-in-class Australian made ecosystem of physical renewable solar system products.
• Visy Australia will use its $3.6 million in funding to build a new plant for a cardboard-based replacement for extruded polystyrene, the vast bulk of which currently goes to landfill.
• Advanced Recycling Victoria will use its $12 million in funding to develop a global scale advanced recycling facility in Victoria recycling waste plastic into Plasticrude that can be used as feedstock to manufacture new food grade plastics.
• Cablex will use its $4.9 million to manufacture highly complex and bespoke accredited electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) & electronic sub-assemblies to meet the emerging domestic & export demand in the space sector.
• Chobani will use its $3.3 million to accelerate their product development, shelf-life testing program and manufacturing expansion to new products and see export volumes in 2025 reach 5,780 tonnes.
• Patties Foods will use is $4.2 million to build an automated pick and place robotic system to pack its range of Four N Twenty party pies & sausage rolls, increasing throughput to meet growing export demand for ready-made meals.
• H W Greenham & Sons will use its $10 million to install state-of-the-art smart manufacturing equipment to create a new chilled beef processing line capable of processing 600 head of cattle per day.
• D’Orsogna will use its $2 million to install, test and commission a high-tech mincer, massager, slicing & packing line at the Merrifield facility, incorporating cutting-edge technology and increasing the plant capacity by 20 per cent.
• Ballantyne Dairy will use its $4 million to build the first ultra-high temperature (UHT), enzyme modified aseptic dairy flavour concentrate facility to be built in Australia. Ballantyne has collaborated with local dairy experts and engineers to establish the processing specification and equipment design.
• Casella Wines will use its $3 million to establish a modern whiskey distillery to support large scale whiskey manufacture, as well as support expansion of a new cellar door and tourism facility.

The Morrison Government is backing these Victorian businesses to turn good ideas into commercial success stories and build critical capability for the future.

Only the Coalition have a plan to deliver a strong economy and a stronger future for Victoria.

Australia is committed to working with our partners and allies to shine a light on Russia’s ongoing unacceptable activity in cyberspace and condemns Russia’s destructive, disruptive and destabilising cyber activities against Ukraine. Today we join the US and the EU in attributing to the Russian government the following activity:

• Russian military cyber operators have deployed multiple families of destructive wiper malware, including WhisperGate, on Ukrainian government and private sector networks. These disruptive cyber operations began in January 2022 prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Russian government cyber actors have compromised a number of Ukrainian civilian entities since October 2021 that would be involved in crisis response activities, including networks related to emergency services, energy, transport and also communications. We have previously publicly highlighted Russia’s mid-February distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks against certain Ukrainian banking-related services.
• Together with our partners, we assess that Russia launched cyber attacks in late February against commercial satellite communications networks to disrupt Ukrainian command and control during the invasion and those actions had spill-over impacts in other European countries. The activity disabled very small aperture terminals (VSAT) in Ukraine and across Europe. This included tens of thousands of terminals outside of Ukraine that, among other things, support wind turbines and provide internet services to private citizens.

These unacceptable activities are further examples of Moscow’s indiscriminate approach to cyber operations and blatant disregard for the effects of such operations on the public, including through the commercial sector.

In addition to shining a light on Russia’s actions, Australia is committed to imposing costs on state-based or state-sponsored malicious actors who seek to undermine an open, free, safe and secure cyberspace.

Australia does not tolerate activities in cyberspace that are detrimental to international peace and stability and that are contrary to the international framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, which Russia and all members of the international community have agreed to.

Hundreds of Australian soldiers, troops from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) and US Marines have started a major warfighting exercise at Queensland’s Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Running until the 27th of May, Exercise Southern Jackaroo is a trilateral training activity designed to enhance warfighting interoperability, strengthen international relationships and improve combat readiness.

Commander of the 7th Brigade, Brigadier Michael Say, says the combined arms activity will feature infantry live fire and tank integration

“Exercise Southern Jackaroo is a great example of how our regional partners integrate with Australian forces to conduct realistic combat team training for combat operations,” Brigadier Say said. 

“Our combined capability to coordinate ground forces demonstrates adaptability and interoperability that can be applied to disaster relief or warfighting operations.”

Marine Rotational Force Darwin (MRF-D) Commanding Officer, Colonel Christopher Steele, said Southern Jackaroo builds on past activities and enhances collective strength.

“MRF-D is excited to continue the outstanding tradition of Southern Jackaroo alongside our trusted Australian and Japanese allies,” Colonel Steele said.

“We are looking forward to enhancing our combined interoperability and developing our relationships.”  

JGSDF Training Unit Commander Lieutenant Colonel Ryozo Asano said it was a great honour to have the opportunity to participate in a trilateral exercise between Japan, the United States and Australia.

“Considering the current world situation, the trilateral exercise is very significant, and it is very useful for improving the capability of units and all soldiers,” Lieutenant Colonel Asano said.

Exercise Southern Jackaroo will feature around 400 soldiers from the Australian Defence Force (ADF), 190 from the MRF-D and 70 from the JGSDF.

Up to 2,200 MRF-D personnel will conduct combined training with the ADF this year, with Exercise Southern Jackaroo forming part of a series of warfighting training activities.

The MRF-D is part of the US force posture initiatives which were expanded at AUSMIN 2021 to include enhanced air cooperation, enhanced maritime cooperation, enhance land cooperation and the establishment of a combined logistics, sustainment, and maintenance enterprise.

The Australian Greens will move in the next parliament to establish an Independent Debates Commission to oversee live television election debates, with last night’s leaders’ debate once again proving to be a farce.

Greens spokesperson for media and communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Last night’s debate was woeful and a disservice to voters.

“Those of us who suffered through it watched two grown men – so-called leaders – shouting at each other, interrupting, smirking and aggressively talking over the top of others including the female moderator.

“Australians shouldn’t be subjected to this unseemly squabble again. An election debate should be a contest of ideas and vision for our country, not chest-thumping.

“We need an Independent Debates Commission that oversees the official election debate. I will move for this in the new parliament. 

“The decision making over election debates must be taken out of the hands of political parties and politicians. Each election we go through this farce. Parliament simply needs to agree to having an independent umpire, and not have the negotiating over the rules by the parties on the eve of the election.

“The nation’s official election debate should be on the nation’s public broadcaster. Instead, Morrison has once again snubbed the public broadcaster in favour of Murdoch’s Sky News and Channel Nine.

“As the only minor party, the Greens should also be represented in a leaders’ debate. With the Greens included, we would also get a guaranteed debate about climate and environment policy, unlike last night.”

The Greens have called on the Morrison Government to intervene and rule out using explosives on protected seals during its three-year trial of fish farms in Commonwealth waters.  

The call comes following the release of Government data which revealed Huon Aquaculture used more than 8057 underwater explosives against seals in the 15 months to the end of March.

Seals in Commonwealth waters are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. It is an offence to kill, injure or move them without a permit.

The Greens will be writing to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Commonwealth Environment Department to seek advice on this matter.

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Whish-Wilson said: 

“The big salmon companies – including Huon Aquaculture, Tassal, and Petuna – should voluntarily stop this practice, it shouldn’t be up to the community to force this issue. 

“If JBS wants to get off on the right foot with Tasmanians then Huon Aquaculture should lead by example and immediately and publicly declare an end to this barbaric practice. 

“It’s a lazy and lethal business practice to blast a protected species in its habitat for profit. 

“Our precious marine life is already under enough pressure from warming oceans and a raft of other environmental pressures – it’s essential that the expanding salmon industry is more tightly regulated, and far more accountable for any environmental damage it creates.”

Labor will lift teacher entry standards and boost teacher numbers, as part of a plan to raise the status of the teaching profession, fix teacher shortages, and improve student results. 

The Morrison Government has let our children down with a school system that’s falling even further behind countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Korea. 

This is a serious problem for students, who aren’t being properly prepared for high-skilled, well-paid jobs, and it’s a handbrake on the economy.

Our hardworking teachers do a terrific job. They stepped up during COVID to make sure our kids could keep learning. But far fewer high achievers in Australia choose teaching today. That needs to change. 

If the federal government doesn’t act now, we’re going to have a massive teacher shortage in coming years – we’re already facing shortages and Australia will be about 4,000 teachers short by 2025, according to Senate testimony from the federal education department. 

To tackle these issues, Labor will:

• Seek to double the number of high achievers studying teaching over the next decade. To help achieve this we will pay 5000 students who get an ATAR of 80 or above a bursary of up to $12,000 a year to study an initial teacher education degree.
• Boost the High Achieving Teachers Program to support 1,500 qualified professionals in other fields – including mathematicians and scientists – to retrain as teachers through an employment-based pathway that will pay a part-time wage while they complete an intensive master’s degree in education. The 1,500 extra places will include 700 new Teach for Australia teachers and 60 new teachers through LaTrobe University’s Nexus Program.
• Labor will work with States and Territories, through the next National School Reform Agreement, to make sure teachers have a better career path with more opportunities to become recognised and rewarded as experts, and to pass on their skills to other teachers without having to leave classroom teaching.

Labor will invest $146.5 million to deliver the plan, over four years. This investment will improve outcomes for our kids, and lift education standards for our nation – helping to secure a Better Future for Australians.

Anthony Albanese said:

“We want to make sure our kids get the best education they can. That means we have to make sure they get the best quality teaching.
 
Labor’s plan will incentivise the best graduates to join the teaching profession, leading to a brighter future for our students and for the nation.”

Tanya Plibersek said:

“One of the most important things we can do to stop the slide and boost student results is to lift teaching standards. 

“I want students competing to get into teaching like they do to get into medicine or law. 

“If we want a better future in Australia, we need a smart, skilled workforce so we can compete for jobs and growth with our neighbours.”