November 2022 – Page 13

GREENS CALL ON LABOR TO PREFERENCE GREENS AND PROGRESSIVE INDEPENDENTS ABOVE LIBERALS; URGE MAJOR PARTIES TO PUT FAR-RIGHT AND RELIGIOUS RIGHT LAST

The Victorian Greens have called on all parties running in the state election to put the far-right and religious right last in their preferences before early voting begins on Monday.

The Greens are also calling on Labor to preference the Greens and other progressive independents ahead of the Liberals this election.

The Greens are focused on pushing the next government to go further and faster on climate action, housing affordability and integrity.

With the Liberal party lurching further and further to the right, the Greens will preference Labor above the Liberals in every seat across the state.

The Greens say that due to the undemocratic voting system in the Upper House there is a very real chance that a far-right candidate could be elected to the next cross-bench.

The voting system allows micro-parties to game the system by paying tens of thousands of dollars to ‘preference whisperers’ who then coordinate group voting tickets.

Victoria’s last state election saw a number of candidates with very small primary votes elected to the upper house, at the expense of others who had received ten times as many votes.

The Greens say with a number of far-right and religious right parties registered for the upcoming November 26 election, there is a risk that one of them could get elected even if it is against the will of the overwhelming majority of voters.

This election the Greens will be putting One Nation, United Australia Party, Freedom Party, Family First and the DLP last.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC said:

“Parties like One Nation, United Australia Party and Freedom Party are anathema to the vast majority of Victorians.

“The Greens-initiated inquiry into the far right earlier this year exposed how their conspiracy-driven Trumpian politics is a danger to our political system.

“Family First and DLP are running on explicitly transphobic and homophobic campaigns and their politics of hate has no place in the Victorian Parliament.

“The failure of Labor to reform the corrupt group voting ticket system means a party can get elected into parliament on as little as 0.5% of the vote.

“To keep these hateful parties out of our parliament they need to be put last on everyone else’s group voting tickets this year.

“The Greens will be recommending preferences to Labor ahead of the Liberals in every seat in Victoria. If Labor is serious about a progressive parliament, they must commit to preferencing the Greens and progressive independents ahead of the Liberals across the state.

“What the Liberals do is up to the Liberals. We have not met with them and there is no Greens-Liberal deal. We’ll direct preferences to Labor and progressive parties across the state, and we’re calling on Labor to do the same.”

NO PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING TRANSPARENCY? NO WORRIES!

The Department of Education has admitted during Estimates that they have no visibility on how public funding to private schools is being spent.

Under questioning from Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne the Department conceded that they have “no line of sight” from the “cheques” they give to Independent and Catholic authorities in each state and territory to where and how that money is used.

The Department also acknowledged that even though recurrent funding to the private and public sector is determined by the Schooling Resource Standard, a needs-based model that takes into account loading for students with additional needs, funding is being distributed on entirely different models in each jurisdiction.

Greens spokesperson on schools, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Not only is the federal government giving private schools more than the Schooling Resource Standard requires, they don’t even know how that money is being spent.

‘We have elite private schools spending money on plunge pools for headmasters, but the Department of Education can’t tell us where all of those billions of dollars in private sector funding are going and whether they’re being used to support students who need it the most.

“We have public schools in crisis across the country, yet we’re giving private schools $70 billion over the next four years to do whatever they want with it.”

You can watch the full exchange here.

Humanitarian support to Myanmar and Bangladesh

As part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to supporting the humanitarian response in Myanmar and Bangladesh, Australia will provide $135 million in2022-23 to assist with the delivery of life-saving food, water and shelter through partner organisations.

The package of support will also deliver essential protection, education and health services for those most in need, including women, girls and people with disabilities.

Since the military coup in February 2021, the number of people in humanitarian need in Myanmar has surged from 1 million to an estimated 14.4 million.

Australia commends Bangladesh’s ongoing support to over 919,000 displaced Rohingya who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. We also recognise the ongoing impact on communities hosting the Rohingya.

Australia’s humanitarian assistance will be delivered through the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-government organisations.

All partner organisations have proven capacity to deliver neutral and independent humanitarian assistance and reach those most in need. They are carefully chosen to ensure that Australia’s assistance does not directly benefit or legitimise the military regime in Myanmar.

The package of support builds on $480 million provided since 2017 to people across Myanmar, and Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

Further information on development and humanitarian programs in Myanmar and Bangladesh can be found on the DFAT website.

Independent Review into the Afghan Locally Engaged Employee program

As part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to standing by those who helped Australia, today we announce Dr Vivienne Thom AM will lead an Independent Review into the Afghan Locally Engaged Employee (LEE) program.

Established in 2012, the program gives eligible Afghan LEE, who are at risk of harm due to their employment in support of Australia’s twenty-year mission in Afghanistan, priority under Australia’s Humanitarian Program. Since 2012, more than 2,300 Afghan LEE and their families have arrived in Australia.

We have been clear in opposition and in government that the Morrison Government failed to apply the instrument consistently and in accordance with its original intent.

The Senate Inquiry into Australia’s Engagement in Afghanistan confirmed this and recommended a review of the operation of the Afghan LEE program to ensure that programs of this nature are improved.

The Albanese Government is acting on this recommendation with Dr Thom’s review, which will examine how program decisions were made, including the application and appeals process, record keeping and departmental resourcing. It will also consider whether the legislative instrument that underpins this program remains fit for purpose.

Dr Thom AM has substantial experience leading public inquiries and is also leading the Afghanistan Inquiry Implementation Oversight Panel.

Dr Thom AM will report her findings to the Australian Government in early 2023.

The Australian Government is committed to supporting the Afghan community, with 16,500 additional places allocated for Afghan nationals under the Humanitarian Program. This builds on the 10,000 places already allocated for Afghan nationals under the Humanitarian Program, and will be delivered over the next four years in addition to the annual intake.

In total, the Government is committed to fulfilling its allocation of 31,500 resettlement places for Afghan nationals – comprising 26,500 places under the Humanitarian Program and 5,000 places under the Family stream of the Migration Program.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles said:

“Our current and former ADF personnel have been clear about the painful impact of leaving people behind in Afghanistan.
Dr Thom’s review is critical to ensuring our ADF personnel can have confidence that Australia will stand by those help us.”

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

“We know that those attempting to leave Afghanistan face a very difficult set of circumstances, not least because border crossings out of the country are difficult and dangerous.
But Australia has a moral obligation to help those who helped us and we are focused on doing everything we can to assist those people whose safety is at risk.”

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Andrew Giles said:

“We have a duty to ensure that our humanitarian efforts focus on those whose safety is most at risk, especially those who may face harm due to their involvement in our mission in Afghanistan.
The Government remains resolute in our commitment to prioritise the grant of visas for Afghan Locally Engaged Employees and their immediate families.”

Emerging artists making their mark on Darby Street

The newly renovated Darby Street Headphones Courtyard will be transformed into a spectacular pavement canvas this weekend as part of a live street art event supported by City of Newcastle (CN).

Hosted by Zest Events International, the Newcastle Chalk the Walk art competition will give emerging local artists the chance to make their creative mark on Newcastle’s renowned eat street precinct as part of CN’s Streets as Shared Spaces trial.

It follows the hugely popular Chalk the Walk event held during CN’s New Annual Festival, which saw artists create seven temporary masterpieces across the CBD and Darby Street during September.

The live competition will run from 9am to 4pm on Saturday 12 November, with participating artists in the running for cash prizes of up to $500.

Visitors are encouraged to come along and watch the artists at work in a mind-bending live art performance and become part of the illusion, posing for photos with the final artworks.

The Darby Street trial has been made possible with a $500,000 grant from the NSW Government through the Streets as Shared Spaces program (Round 2) and funding from City of Newcastle’s Urban Centres Revitalisation Program.

CN is supporting a number of events along Darby Street throughout the six-month trial. Details of this competition and other upcoming events can be found at whatson

Artists interested in registering to participate in the competition should visit chalkthewalk.com

$13 million to reduce disaster risk across NSW

A range of projects aimed at reducing the risk posed by future disasters will share in almost $13 million from the Australian and New South Wales governments.

The joint funding is being provided to educational institutions, Government agencies and not-for-profit organisations through the State Risk Reduction stream of the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) to deliver projects that better protect communities against future natural disasters, including research programs, useable tools like apps and awareness campaigns.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the funding is being allocated to projects that have a State-wide impact.

“Investing in ways that reduce the severity and impact of natural disasters is a high priority. We stand ready to work with all levels of government, community members and organisations to achieve this,” Minister Watt said.

“Over the past three years New South Wales has copped disaster after disaster which have left communities reeling. Recovery is ongoing and we continue to support those efforts, but it is equally important to make sure we are investing in risk reduction projects for future disasters.”

New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the State Risk Reduction stream of the DRRF targets projects which will better protect communities.

“The $13 million will go towards helping communities be better prepared for when future disasters inevitably strike,” Ms Cooke said.

“The projects receiving funding cover a range of hazards including floods, fires, heatwaves and storms, with initiatives ranging from capability building and community engagement to new data systems and technology.”

The DRRF offers $52 million in total to build resilience and help reduce, mitigate and manage the risks of future disasters.

Some of the successful funding recipients include the Bushfire Building Council of Australia for the creation of a building assessor app and training program to improve the disaster resilience and energy efficiency of homes, and the Department of Planning and Environment to undertake flood hazard projects under plausible climate change scenarios.

For a list of recipients of the first round of funding, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/resilience-nsw/disaster-risk-reduction-fund.

New courses to strengthen digital workforce

An army of cyber security, cloud computing and artificial intelligence experts will be trained at the State’s first revolutionary Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) with the NSW Government today unveiling of a suite of 19 new digital-focused courses.

The new facility, located at Meadowbank, is a partnership between TAFE NSW, Microsoft, the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University, and will focus on turbocharging the take-up of digital skills to strengthen our State’s workforce.

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the new IAT, which opens in February next year, is now taking enrolments in courses spanning artificial intelligence, cyber security, cloud computing, machine learning and data analytics.

“These courses have been developed hand-in-glove with industry to meet current and emerging skill needs,” Mr Henskens said.

“At a time when cyberattacks are on the rise, this training will allow people to quickly build the skills we need for a strong and safe digital economy.

“With Australia needing another 17,000 cyber professionals by 2026, now is the time for people to enroll in courses at our new IAT and get the skills they need for jobs in cyber security, digital forensics, data engineering, machine learning, and more.”

To meet this increasing industry demand, the IAT will offer a combination of flexible microskills and microcredentials to cater for new learners as well as current industry workers who require upskilling to maintain pace with the rapidly evolving sector.

Member for Ryde and Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said learners can stack multiple microcredentials to create a nationally recognised certification, such as a diploma, or advanced diploma, or count towards a degree with participating education partners.

“Ryde is being transformed into an education and employment powerhouse, and this revolutionary new training facility will help attract, retain and upskill local workers, which is a fantastic win for our community,” Mr Dominello said.

In addition to the 19 programs now available, the IAT will release another 16 courses in time for Semester 2, 2023. For more information, visit www.iat.nsw.edu.au.

More savings, more businesses, better Seniors Card Program

Businesses will now be able to register for the NSW Seniors Card program faster and more efficiently online, thanks to the new digital registration process officially going live from today.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the new and improved digital registration process will save businesses time and make it easier for them to update their discounts and business details.

“Until now, businesses were required to submit paper forms and wait up to four weeks to get approved to join the program with on average just fifteen new businesses on boarded each month,” Mr Dominello said.

“With the new online registration process, we have the ability to register hundreds of new businesses every week. For most businesses the registration process will take less than 10 minutes.

“We have also added a new enhanced map experience that will provide seniors with a bird’s-eye view of the savings on offer.

“Since launching the Digital Seniors Card in April, we have had an average of 24,000 seniors joining the program every month. Our digital savvy seniors are really enjoying the experience with a customer satisfaction rate of 90 per cent.”

Minister for Seniors Mark Coure said increasing business participation in the NSW Seniors Card program was a win-win for seniors and businesses.

“By reducing the registration time, we are making it much easier for businesses across the State to get involved in the program and promote themselves to the almost two million seniors in NSW,” Mr Coure said.

“The new digital platform will also allow new and existing businesses to easily update their discounts with the click of a button. This is a great opportunity for businesses to directly reach one of the State’s biggest markets.

“While giving them opportunity to connect with more customers, these businesses will ultimately be helping ease some of the pressure on seniors’ house hold budget.”

To register their business for the NSW Seniors Card program, business representatives must be authorised to act on behalf of the business by being listed as an associate in the Australian Business Register. If they are not, they’ll be guided through the steps for authorisation when they start their registration. Alternatively, they can supply a letter of authority.

For more information or to register, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 for assistance or to complete the online form go to: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-be-nsw-seniors-card-program-participating-business

Major milestone for Parramatta Light Rail stage 2

The NSW Government is encouraging communities to have their say on the Environmental Impact Statement for Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 to help shape the final design for this once-in-a-generation transport project.

Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 (PLR 2) would transform how people move around the region and the public exhibition of the EIS was a perfect opportunity for the community to learn more about the project and provide feedback.

“The Parramatta Light Rail extension would link Stage 1 and the Parramatta CBD with the entertainment and sport precinct of Sydney Olympic Park, delivering a much-needed public transport solution to connect Greater Parramatta to the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP),” Mr Elliott said.

“GPOP is one of the fastest growing areas in the Central River City, and this project will deliver significant improvements across Western Sydney by connecting great people with great places while supporting jobs and housing growth.”

Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said Western Sydney communities will be reaping the benefits of a modern, world-class transport system.

“Placing the EIS on public exhibition is a vital part of the planning process which allows the community to have its say, and helps assess the proposal,” Mr Roberts said.

“The proposal will be open for comment until 7 December 2022, and I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to learn more about the proposal and make a submission.”

Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said PLR 2 would deliver improved transport connectivity for families on their commute to work, education or medical appointments via a safe, modern and reliable system.

“PLR 2 will ultimately provide new services approximately every 7.5 minutes between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and 14 fully accessible stops over a 10-kilometre two-way track. There will be an 8.5-kilometre walking and bike-riding path parallel to the light rail corridor linking to the existing network,” Mr Lee said.

Following planning approval construction on PLR 2 will start with enabling works and delivery of the bridge across the Parramatta River between Melrose Park and Wentworth Point.

There will be several opportunities to hear more about the proposal through face-to-face information sessions or via a virtual engagement room.

Visit Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 virtual engagement room for details about information sessions and how to make a submission.

NSW Reconstruction Authority to be established

A new authority dedicated to disaster preparedness, recovery and reconstruction from natural disasters will be established under legislation introduced to Parliament today.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the creation of a NSW Reconstruction Authority was a key recommendation of the independent Flood Inquiry, conducted by Professor Mary O’Kane AC and Mick Fuller APM.

“Travelling throughout our state this year, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact floods have had on our communities,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We need to make sure communities across NSW are equipped to respond to natural disasters and that they have the support to get back on their feet.

“This Authority will be key to ensuring communities across NSW can better prepare for and recover more quickly from the impact of floods and other natural disasters.”

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the Reconstruction Authority will focus on better preparing NSW communities against future disasters and protecting lives and property.

“We’ve always said we will do whatever we can to improve our management of natural disasters from prevention to response and rebuilding – and this authority is an important part of us putting those plans into action,” Mr Toole said.

“The establishment of the NSW Reconstruction Authority is the Government’s commitment to learning from past challenges to make us stronger as a State.”

Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said the Authority will have the responsibility and power to facilitate the protection, recovery, and reconstruction of affected communities following a natural disaster.

“The Authority will implement mitigation measures against the impact of potential disasters, and improve the resilience and adaptation of communities moving forward,” Mr Roberts said.

“Modelled off the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, it will ensure NSW is as prepared as we can be to tackle disaster mitigation and recovery head on.”

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the Reconstruction Authority will help communities to be better prepared when natural disasters hit.

“Our emergency services organisations continue to lead the response to natural disasters, with the new Reconstruction Authority focusing on the crucial tasks of long-term rebuilding and risk mitigation,” Ms Cooke said.

The Authority will also be responsible for:

Developing a State disaster mitigation plan and material to guide councils to prepare adaptation plans; and
Ensuring development needed to prevent or recover from a natural disaster can be delivered quickly.

The Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation will continue its important work rolling out the $800 million Resilient Homes Program rebuilding communities within the Byron, Clarence Valley, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tweed and Kyogle local government areas, before being transitioned into the NSW Reconstruction Authority at an appropriate time.

For more information, visit www.planning.nsw.gov.au/flooding.