Month: October 2022

Around 2,000 homeowners in flood-prone areas of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales will now be eligible to raise, repair, retrofit or have their home voluntarily bought back, as part of a new $800 million program.

The Commonwealth and New South Wales Government joint funding will support residential homeowners impacted in the February-March 2022 floods, in the seven Local Government Areas of Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed.

The voluntary buy-back scheme will be offered to Northern Rivers residents located in the most vulnerable areas where major flooding would pose a catastrophic risk to life.

The Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Fund package will also provide financial assistance of up to $100,000 for house raising or up to $50,000 for retrofitting for homeowners in areas where flood risk can be reduced by better building standards.

The New South Wales Government will provide $100 million to acquire land and open up new flood safe locations for future development, in partnership with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation. The Corporation is currently conducting an expression of interest process to identify suitable parcels of land.

Eligible homeowners will be offered one of the three available measures, based on expert property assessments; flood impact severity data, safety risks, and potential future flood levels.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that by retrofitting homes to make them more flood resilient, and moving those at most risk away from danger, communities can be safer during future flood events.

“We know that disasters are expected to become more frequent, and more severe due to climate change, and that’s why we’re working with the NSW Government to develop practical solutions to protect lives and livelihoods,” he said.

We know this repeated, relentless flooding can be emotionally and financially draining and we want communities to know we will be there to support them now, and as they recover.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the Resilient Homes Program would help Northern Rivers’ residents take further steps on the road towards recovery while also boosting community resilience in the long-term.

“I saw first-hand the devastation extreme flooding caused across the Northern Rivers and I hope this program provides relief for so many residents who have suffered for too long,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We are stepping up to provide options for residents to move out of harm’s way and protect themselves and their families but we cannot continue to build back as we have in the past.”

“We will work with the Northern Rivers community to ensure repairs, retrofitting and voluntary buy-backs are undertaken in a way that will better protects people and their homes from future flood events.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, said both governments would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the region on the long road to recovery.

“The Northern Rivers has been absolutely devastated by flood after flood,” Minister Watt said.

“We know that being prepared for future disasters is a huge boost when it comes to the damage and long-term recovery of the region. Investing in resilience measures in the home can significantly reduce the effort, cost and time to recover from disasters.

“I’m very pleased to be part of this program which gives Northern Rivers residents more options in their flood preparedness toolkit.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, Paul Toole, said offers to individual homeowners will be based on extensive analysis of the 2022 floods and expert advice on any subsequent disasters.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to building back and this program offers multiple measures to help residents stay in the region in homes that can better withstand future floods,” Mr Toole said.

NSW Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke, said the Resilient Homes Program complements the Resilient Land Program, which is identifying Northern Rivers’ locations that could be considered for future developments.

“We want to ensure residents who do choose to move are able to relocate into areas where there is community infrastructure and amenities so that they can start their lives anew, not from scratch,” Ms Cooke said.

The Flood Property Assessment Program provides a first point of entry, with registered homeowners automatically considered for the Resilient Homes Program.

Other homeowners can register their interest in the Resilient Homes Program by filling in the online registration form at https://www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/northern-rivers-reconstruction-corporation/resilient-land-program

The NSW Government will contact eligible homeowners from mid-November onwards.

For detailed information about the program, including guidelines, eligibility and co-contributions, go to: www.nsw.gov.au/NRRC

Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi will today give notice of a private senator’s bill that abolishes indexation on all education and training loans – effectively freezing existing student debt – and raises and ties the minimum repayment income to the median wage.

Student debt has grown rapidly over the last decade, from $25.5 billion in 2012 to more than $68.7 billion in 2021.

The Education and Other Legislation Amendment (Abolishing Indexation and Raising the Minimum Repayment Income for Education and Training Loans) Bill 2022, which Senator Faruqi will introduce during the November sittings, halts indexation on student debt from 1 July 2022 and ties the minimum repayment income to the median wage from 1 July 2023.

Student debt is currently indexed by CPI annually on 1 June. This year, with inflation so high, debts were indexed by 3.9% – the highest rate in a decade. The average student debt was estimated to have risen by $923.

Inflation has since risen to 7.3%, meaning an even higher indexation rate is expected in 2023.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson for Education said:

“Student debt is no small problem. About three million people in Australia have the burden of student debt.

“At a time when the cost of living is biting hard, governments can no longer ignore the student debt crisis and its impacts.

“Study debts are impacting people’s ability to obtain loans, their mental health, their ability to save up to buy a home or simply afford to live a good life.

“Scrapping indexation on HELP debts and raising the minimum repayment threshold will provide much needed money in people’s pockets to make ends meet or pay rent.

“No one should be shackled with a debt sentence just in order to study. Higher education should be free. This bill is one of the first pieces of the puzzle in making that vision a reality.

“Fixing the repayment thresholds means that no one with a study debt will repay a cent of that debt until they’re earning above the median wage.

“Labor has an opportunity to work with the Greens and wind back Liberal-era policies which have saddled people with more debt which takes longer and longer to pay off.”

“People are unable to get the mental health support they need. We know that the availability of local services, long waitlists, and the cost are major barriers to people getting mental health supports. 

“The Australian Greens are disappointed that Labor’s budget did not commit to an extension of the additional 10 psychology sessions under the Better Access scheme. 

“This government should not be going backwards. We can not return to only 10 Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist.

“The Australian Greens are calling on the government to make more mental health services free under Medicare. We are calling on the government to give certainty to the community and improve access to a range of mental health supports. We hope to see the Better Access evaluation and the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce provide recommendations to enable this.”

Greens Spokesperson for Youth, Stephen Bates said:

“We are in the midst of a devastating mental health crisis that is disproportionately impacting young people. For LGBTQIA+, disabled, and multicultural Australians, this situation is even more dire.

“Young people are being failed by mental health services because there is not enough capacity to treat them. Nearly 1 in 3 young people have received mental health support in the last two years, and more than 1 in 10 young people sought mental health support but did not receive it. 

“Labor’s Budget fails to address the immediate need for mental health support, as well as the systemic issues that are causing young people psychological distress, like climate inaction, homelessness, and housing insecurity.

“The very least that the Government should commit to is extending the additional 10 psychology sessions under the Better Access Scheme during this time of great need.  

“Until mental healthcare is universally accessible and fully funded under Medicare, we cannot begin to address the scale of the youth mental health crisis in this country. 

“The idea that Labor is even considering reducing current support shows how out of touch they are with everyday people.”

The Australian Greens remain deeply concerned about the ongoing situation in Iran and are in solidarity with the protestors in Iran. We will always protect the right to protest.  And we will always fight for people’s rights to choose their dress, their partner, their religion, their career, and what they do with their bodies. The Iranian authorities’ suppression of the rights of women, LGBTIQA+ people, and other minorities, including the Bahai, must end. 

Today, 40 days after the death of Jina Amani, there are reports that Iranian security forces have shot tear gas and opened fire on people gathered in Zindan Square, Saqqez city. 

Jina Amani was arrested by Iran’s morality police for failing to comply with a new national code requiring women to wear a hijab. She was allegedly beaten and died from her injuries.
The Australian Greens are deeply disappointed in the lack of response from the Australian Government. Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele-John on behalf of the Australian Greens are calling on the government to take 10 clear actions:

1. Clearly express to the Iranian regime that they, and countries like them, will face consequences from the international community for allowing violence against women and minorities within their borders.
2. Meet with the Iranian Ambassador as soon as possible to express Australia’s concerns directly.
3. Call on the Iranian government to end its violent crackdown on protesters and request the release of all arrested protestors. 
4. Hold those responsible for Jina Mahsa Amini’s death accountable through a criminal investigation.
5. Call on the Iranian government to respect the basic human rights of Iranian women’s choice of clothing.
6. Impose Magnitsky-style or other targeted sanctions, including financial asset freezing and introduce visa bans on people linked to the Iranian regime (including the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), key security officials, Basiji Militia and the morality police).
7. Declare the IRGC a ‘terrorist organisation’ under the Criminal Code Act 1995.
8. Pass, sponsor and support a strong resolution against the criminal actions of the Islamic Republic both in the Australian Parliament and at the UN General Assembly and encourage counterparts in allied countries to take similar steps.
9. Take steps to remove Iran from the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
10. Support Iranians’ access to the Internet and social media networks as well as the Iranian Civil Society in all possible manner.

Additionally, Senator Jordon Steele-John welcomes that the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will investigate the Australian Government’s response to the situation in Iran. It is our hope that this inquiry may get the government to finally take some action to support people in Iran. 

The Australian Government commits to never conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti‑satellite missile testing, consistent with our role as a responsible actor in space.

When carried out, these tests generate large amounts of debris that remain in space for years; threatening satellites and other space objects, and risking the long-term sustainability of human activity in space.

The use of these missiles to destroy space objects is reckless, irresponsible and poses threats to space assets of all nations.

Australia joins the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Germany and the Republic of Korea in making this commitment toward a safer, more stable and peaceful space domain.

Space touches every aspect of our lives – from international communications networks, to the global economy and military and defence capabilities.

Australia has actively participated in the United Nations Open Ended Working Group on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours.

We call on all nations to make this commitment as a transparency and confidence building measure.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Hon Richard Marles MP said:

“Destructive testing of direct-ascent anti-satellite missiles threatens the security of vital systems in space, which Australia and other nations depend on every day. With this pledge, the Government is demonstrating Australia’s commitment to act responsibly to protect our national security interests.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong said:

“The global community must work together to build a common understanding on rules and norms that can guide how states behave in outer space. This commitment to responsible behaviour, helps build a meaningful framework that contributes to the security, safety and sustainability of outer space.”

Minister for Industry and Science, Hon Ed Husic MP said:

“Space technologies support critical services that improve national wellbeing and economic prosperity. This commitment is a responsible step to help ensure space assets are protected for the benefit of all Australians.”

New industrial relations laws must work for women and carers and lift the wages of the low paid, the Greens say, as the government introduces their industrial relations bill to the House. The Greens vote will be essential for the bill to pass through the Senate.

Evidence from months of hearings and over 100 submissions before the Select Committee on Work and Care showed that 5 million people are currently trying to balance work with caring responsibilities. 

Senator Barbara Pocock, Greens Spokesperson for Employment, and chair of the Select committee into Work and Care, said that the damning evidence showed that reform was urgently needed.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP said:
“The Greens have said for a long time that the industrial relations system in this country is broken. Pressure on workers has been growing for too long, wages have been too low, and people haven’t been able to bargain for better pay and conditions,” Mr Bandt said.

“Labor needs the support of the Greens to pass this bill. 

“The Greens want industrial relations laws that work for women, work for carers and lift the wages of the lowest paid. That’s what we’ll be looking for as we work our way through this bill.

“For years the Greens have brought bills to Parliament to give people enforceable rights to flexible working arrangements. We need to make sure that people are able to balance work and caring responsibilities. We want to make sure the new bill delivers on a longstanding Greens call.”

Greens Spokesperson on Employment, Senator Barbara Pocock said:
“It’s time we caught up with the real lives of Australia’s 5 million working carers, women and men. Our industrial relations system is broken, but we can fix it,” Senator Pocock said.

“We need to move from the Hunger Games to roster justice, and decent work. That means adequate notice of shift changes, negotiation, minimum hours. 

“Our major supermarkets can predict the kinds and quantities of apples they will buy tomorrow, but apparently can’t tell their workers what shifts they’re working. 

“Being unable to plan your life or see your kids is hugely stressful. Many workers withdraw from the labour market because it’s impossible to juggle taking care of the kids and keep working.

“Australian workers, especially women, have waited decades for flexibility that actually works for them. They’ve waited for justice in their rosters, rosters and predictability of their working time.

“I have spent decades in my professional career researching the right to request and roster justice. The research case for change is inarguable. It’s time for major reform. 

West Australian energy prices are rising and everyday people are paying the price. 

Fossil fuel companies are making windfall profits but instead of taxing them appropriately, governments are giving them handouts to export our resources.

Research shows that when adjusted for inflation. Fossil fuel exporters are paying less Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) than they were 15 years ago.

Greens spokesperson for resources, Yamatji-Noongar Woman Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“The wholesale price of electricity in Western Australia has risen by 44% in the last year due to our reliance on underperforming dirty fossil fuels. Our lack of investment in green renewables has left us susceptible to price hikes despite our domestic reserves. 

“West Australia currently gets more revenue from car registrations than the multi-billion dollar gas industry. The Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) is not fit for purpose, we cannot continue to give these corporations handouts and leave West Australians to foot the bill.

“Labor knows renewable energy is the cheapest form of power. Federal and state governments should be focused on investing in cleaner, greener renewable energy sources to drive energy prices down.”