Month: November 2023

Back to basics: Social housing maintenance call centre back in public hands

The NSW Government will overhaul how social housing maintenance is conducted across 95,000 of the State’s social housing properties with a new and ‘simpler’ back to basics model that will focus on quality, accountability, better outcomes for tenants and better value for taxpayers.

The NSW Government will establish a new one stop ‘Maintenance Hub’ within Homes NSW that will streamline requests for maintenance under one roof.

The current arrangement – privatised by the former government, has a left a maintenance system that is confusing, disjointed and unworkable.

Tenants are bouncing between departments with requests being stalled by bureaucracies and a lack of accountability. 

Homes NSW will triage, scope and issue work orders while the contractors will be the ones to attend site for work delivery.  

Today’s announcement will mean improved responses, with trained experts who can better address tenants’ questions, coordinate work orders and deliver better outcomes for tenants.

For the first time ever, tenants will be able to see the status of their requests with development of a new Maintenance App.

This is about making the process easier to navigate for our tenants while simultaneously allowing maintenance contractors to deliver works under a simplified approach.

The new model will deliver better results for taxpayers by determining costs through a pre-agreed schedule of rates, rather than under a scope and quote process which causes delays to work being undertaken. 

This approach will provide better oversight by putting ‘boots on the ground’ with technical and inspection staff to return to the field to improve processes and engage with tenants to realise improved maintenance outcomes.

There will also be a strong focus on supporting small businesses, local tradies, and local jobs especially in our regions.

As well as new jobs created for disability and community service providers, Aboriginal trades and businesses and social housing tenants.

The new maintenance hub and app will be operational by mid-2024. 

This is on top $35 million announced in the NSW Budget to help ease the maintenance backlog.

Over the coming months, the NSW Government will begin to actively seek out a number of key partnerships to deliver maintenance for the state’s social housing portfolio, with a specific and simplified directive to focus on the quality and timeliness of delivery of maintenance and repairs.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“This announcement is an important step in simplifying the social housing maintenance system to deliver better outcomes for residents and taxpayers. 

“Everyone deserves access to safe and secure shelter without having to jump through hoops to ensure essential maintenance is done.

“We have a housing crisis in New South Wales, and we are working across the government to address the challenges, including maintaining the liveability of our social housing properties.”

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“Today’s announcement will restore dignity, respect and hope to our social housing tenants and the social housing system in NSW.

“It is clear the Liberal experiment of out-sourcing jobs and contracts to private providers has failed with soaring wait times for basic maintenance and breeches of contacts rife.”

“We acknowledge that there have been flaws in how maintenance has been addressed in the past and it’s our job to fix that, for now and into the future and that’s why we’re overhauling the current system to ensure a better outcome for our residents.

“This is about putting residents of our social housing properties at the heart of what we do because everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home and this new approach to how we deliver maintenance will play a vital role in ensuring basic requests are actioned in a timely manner to stop the risk of homes falling into disrepair.

“Homes NSW will bring social housing delivery, maintenance and tenancy management under the one roof, to ensure tenants no longer fall through the cracks trying to get basic issues resolved.

Member for East Hills Kylie Wilkinson said:

“Fixing the maintenance system will play a vital role in rebuilding our broken housing system. For too long residents have had to navigate a heavily bureaucratic and confusing system to have basic maintenance requests addressed.

“This announcement today is a strong step in the right direction to creating processes that put people first.”

Government can’t cost a $60 toll cap, expects people to believe it can forecast 40 years accurately

The Labor Government couldn’t even cost its $60 toll cap correctly, but now expect people to believe it can forecast 40 years of toll road revenue – this is a made up number.

If NSW Treasury and Transport for NSW were so precise why does the NSW Budget change its forecasts every six months?

The Fact is Labor committed to tabling in Parliament the Toll Road contracts – The former Coalition Government disagreed with that approach, but Labor were elected and they should meet their commitment.

If Labor disagree with a user-pay approach why are they still committed to tolling the M6 Stage 1 and Western Harbour Tunnel, which are both Government owned projects they could remove the toll on tomorrow.

ENDS

Background

  • The M6 Stage 1 and Western Harbour Tunnel are two road projects in delivery by Transport for NSW and 100% owned by the NSW Government.
  • A decision to toll either project is a policy decision of Government just like the tolling arrangements for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel.
  • Earlier this year the Labor Government increased tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel after promising that “Tolls would be cheaper under Labor”. 

Labor Commitment to Table Toll Contracts: https://amp.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-labor-gets-all-clear-to-release-secret-toll-contract-details-if-it-wins-govt-20230322-p5cubl.html

Toll Roads commissioned under each Party

LaborLiberal
Sydney Harbour TunnelEastern DistributorCross City TunnelM7Lane Cove TunnelM5 South WestM2North ConnexWest ConnexM6 Stage 1

NATIONAL APOLOGY AND RECOGNITION FOR THALIDOMIDE SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES

On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, the Australian Government will issue a formal national apology to all Australians impacted by the Thalidomide Tragedy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver the apology on behalf of the Australian Government, Parliament and the Australian people, in the House of Representatives.

Thalidomide survivors, their family members, carers and supporters will attend the historic apology, followed by a reception in the Great Hall of Parliament House.

A National Site of Recognition will also be unveiled on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin at a ceremony on Thursday, 30 November 2023. This important event will also be attended by thalidomide survivors and their families.

The apology and the creation of a memorial site are in response to key recommendations of the Support for Australia’s thalidomide survivors final report, delivered by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee in March 2019.

Thalidomide was the active ingredient in a sedative drug widely distributed to many mothers in Australia and around the world in the early 1960s. It was later found to cause malformation of limbs, facial features and internal organs in unborn children.

While there are 146 thalidomide survivors registered with the Australian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program, the exact number of those affected is unknown.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“The thalidomide tragedy is a dark chapter in the history of our nation and the world.

“I recognise that the survivors, their families, friends and carers have advocated for this apology with courage and conviction for many years. This moment is a long overdue national acknowledgement of all they have endured and all they have fought for.

“In giving this apology, we will acknowledge all those babies who died and the families who mourn them, as well as those who survived but whose lives were made so much harder by the effects of this terrible drug.”

Minister Butler said:

“So many mothers and their babies were let down by systemic failures that led to the thalidomide tragedy, and we should reflect on that and apologise for it.

“While we cannot change the past or end the physical suffering, I hope these important next steps of recognition and apology will help heal some of the emotional wounds.

“It is difficult today, to think a tragedy like thalidomide could happen, and it’s a sobering reminder of our duty to put in place measures to protect people from harm.”

Bee workshops helping to turn Newcastle into pollinator-friendly city

City of Newcastle (CN) has created a buzz at the beginning of Australian Pollinator Week by hosting two fully booked native bee workshops at the Hunter Wetlands Centre.

Run by native bee expert, Dr Tobias Smith, the workshops focused on bee diversity, lifecycles and management, and the process of hive splitting and propagation.

Dr Tobias Smith conducts a native bee workshop at the Hunter Wetlands Centre

Residents also had access to a free plant giveaway as part of CN’s Natural Connection program, which aims to build community understanding and stewardship of Newcastle’s pollinators and their habitat.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said CN was one of the first councils in Australia to commit to being a pollinator-friendly city.

“These community skill-building events form part of the broader Newcastle Environment Strategy, which was adopted by Council at our October meeting,” Cr Nelmes said.

“As part of the Strategy’s four-year delivery plan, we’re working on nature-based solutions to expand our urban forest and improve vegetation cover for movement of pollinators and other wildlife through connected habitat corridors.”

Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk said creating awareness of the plight of pollinators is vital for our future, with her notice of motion at April’s Council meeting attracting unanimous support.

“We are excited to kick off Australian Pollinator Week by celebrating the crucial role our thousands of native pollinators play in producing food, increasing biodiversity and protecting human and ecosystem health with two fully booked native bee workshops at the Shortland Wetlands,” Cr Adamczyk said.

“Habitat destruction through carbon emissions, pollution, pesticides, urban heat island effects, and impacts of drought, bushfire, flood, and the recent varroa mite incursions have exacerbated declining pollinators in Australia and locally, and City of Newcastle is committed to collaborating with the community to restore pollinator habitats and reconnect broken biodiversity corridors in the city.

“We are proud to host and support a range of events this Australian Pollinator Week where anyone can get involved in the way that best suits them, whether it’s a powerful pollinators webinar with leading entomologists, learning how to create a pollinator-friendly backyard or verge garden, or becoming a ‘citizen scientist’ by taking part in the pollinator census.

“Media coverage has highlighted the situation regarding honeybees, especially after the varroa mite was detected in our region, but in Australia up to 2000 native bee species are also crucial as pollinators of our crops and gardens.”

Sydney alights with poppies on Remembrance Day

Sydney harbour was alight with red poppies at sunrise this morning as the sails of the Sydney Opera House projected the iconic image to mark the commencement of Remembrance Day.

Minister for Veterans, David Harris was joined at a Remembrance Day sunrise service by incoming RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge, who recited the Ode before the Last Post rang out across the harbour in front of the poppies on the Opera House.

For more than a century, red poppies have been used as a symbol of community respect and recognition, marking the end of fighting in the First World War. Poppies have been projected onto the Opera House since 2014 and will light up the sails once again at 8pm tonight.

Large crowds are expected to gather with the Premier and Minister Harris at the State’s Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in Sydney’s Martin Place, as well as local memorials throughout the state to honour the service and sacrifice of Australia’s servicemen and servicewomen.

A minute’s silence will be held at 11am to mark the moment on 11 November 1918 when the guns fell silent on the Western Front at the end of the First World War.
 
This year we also particularly acknowledge the service of our Korean veterans following the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of the Korean War, as well as our Vietnam veterans who commemorated the 50th anniversary of the extraction from Saigon.

Schools across NSW received a resource pack from the NSW Office for Veterans Affairs with activities to educate the younger generation on the importance of commemorating Remembrance Day each year. Lest we forget.

Applications for Round 2 of the 2023/24 Community War Memorials Fundlaunch also open today with $125,000 available for restoration of our local war memorials.

The grant round will close at 5pm on Sunday 11 February 2024. To be eligible for funding, the memorial must be listed on the NSW War Memorials Register.

Premier, Chris Minns said: 

“This Remembrance Day, we reflect on those who bravely laid down their own lives to preserve our way of life and defend our country.

“We acknowledge those who currently serve in our defence, at home and abroad. There is no example of a higher public service than offering your own life to protect your country.

“Our nation also owes recognition to those who have lost a parent, child or family member in the defence our country. They profoundly know the value commemoration of our fallen and recognising those who returned.

“Australia’s free and democratic society is built upon the shoulders of these brave men and women for which we commemorate today. Lest we forget.”

Minister for Veterans, David Harris said: 

“Today, on Remembrance Day, we remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping missions, as well as their families.

“On this Remembrance Day, I am feeling grateful. The sacrifice and service of those in the Australian Defence Forces have made our way of life possible.  

“I encourage everyone in NSW to observe the minute’s silence at 11am, to remember those who have fought for our country. We owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude for helping to make Australia the prosperous and free country it is today.”

SENATOR MEHREEN FARUQI’S STATEMENT ON SENATOR PAULINE HANSON

“The Senate has rightly forced Senator Hanson to withdraw her unacceptable racist comments and held her to account for once.

“This should send a strong message to Senator Hanson that she cannot continue to make this parliament an unsafe workplace for people like me day in, day out.

“Senator Hanson’s racist bile is extremely damaging and also unleashes vile hate and abuse from bigots. It must be nipped in the bud.

“If Parliament is to be a safe workplace, then it needs to set a standard that any form of bigotry and racism are unacceptable. Racist hatred should never be tolerated in any workplace, let alone one that is supposed to lead the way in standards of behaviour.

“People who look like me have all been told to ‘go back to where they come from’ at one point or another, and it is harmful and unacceptable every single time. I’ve copped it more times than I can count, and so have many others in the community. Enough is enough!

“The government needs to stop dragging the chain on Parliamentary behaviour codes and implement the codes and the consequences for breaching these without delay.”

REPORT FOR THE INQUIRY OF DISABILITY SERVICES AND INCLUSION BILL TABLED

The Community Affairs References Committee has today tabled a report on the inquiry into the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill.

The Disability Services and Inclusion Bill seeks to repeal the Disability Services Act 1986 and provide legislative authority for new and existing spending on disability-related programs outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme.  

Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John welcomes the repeal of the Disability Services Act 1986, however, has submitted additional comments to the report that indicate his intention to move significant amendments to the legislation. 

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services said:

“This bill requires significant amendments to do justice to the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 

“It is imperative that this opportunity to replace the Disability Services Act 1986 does not pass by without doing everything we can to end the cycle of segregation that too many disabled people find themselves trapped within.

“It’s time for the government to put into law timeframes for ending the cycle of segregation. Disabled people will no longer accept being kept out of view; we will not accept government policies that reinforce segregated employment and education any longer. 

“We need to ensure that the human rights of disabled people are upheld in all services that would be funded under this bill, and we need to ensure that disabled people are included in the decision-making processes.

“Many in our community welcome the establishment of a Code of Conduct, however, what I have heard from the community is there is still concern about the independence of those reviewing breaches and the process for handling complaints. 

“Getting this Act right could be transformational in the lives of disabled people.”

GUARANTEES NEEDED IN MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

Responding to the release of the Senate inquiry report into the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023, Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for the Environment and Water said:

“This Bill should not pass in its current form.

 “Extending deadlines for water recovery will just kick the can down the road. After a decade of inaction, there must be a guarantee in this Bill that will ensure the Plan will be delivered in full and on time, including the 450GL promised to South Australia and the environment.

“Without a guarantee of real water delivery, the Basin will continue to see more fish kills, species decline and degradation of ecosystems.

 “We can’t eat cotton, we can’t drink mud. There are no jobs on a dead river.

“As climate change gets worse and El Nino threatens a hot dry summer, it is crucial that we see water flowing before the next election.

 “The Greens will not rubber stamp this Bill. We will continue discussions with the Government in good faith. As it stands the Bill will not pass the Senate without a guarantee of environmental flows.”

WIDE SUPPORT FOR CANNABIS LEGALISATION IN SENATE SUBMISSIONS

There is strong support from more than a dozen key stakeholders across the country for the Greens plan to legalise cannabis. The support comes from organisations as diverse as the Pennington Institute, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform, Australian Lawyers Alliance, Drive Change and Harm Reduction Australia.

Of course there is opposition from groups that have opposed serious drug law reform for decades, including some police unions. Other bodies such as the AMA have taken a surprising approach to cannabis legalisation that is inconsistent with recent previous statements on drug law reform.

This level of constructive engagement with the Greens’ plan to legalise cannabis nationally will almost certainly produce a highly engaged senate inquiry that will be a critical step on the way to reform. 

Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

“The Greens welcome the strong support for the Legalising Cannabis Bill from so many key stakeholders across the country. 

“The level of engagement with our proposal to legalise cannabis is a strong indication of just how much support there is for this Bill across Australia.

“Many stakeholders acknowledged the obvious fact that an illegal market for cannabis already exists in Australia and that illegal market causes harms ranging from criminalisation to poor public health outcomes.

“A legal market immediately reduces harm to almost 60,000 people every year who will no longer get dragged into the criminal justice system for the crime of cannabis possession.

“Of course there is traditional opposition from vested interests who benefit from criminalisation including some police bodies and some existing commercial players. This is to be expected with any serious reform.

“The Greens welcome the constructive engagement from so many organisations looking for ways to improve the Bill and improve the public health and public interest outcomes that flow from cannabis legalisation.

“It is disappointing to see the inconsistency in the approach to drug law reform from the AMA who, as recently as January 2023, publicly acknowledged the positive health outcomes achieved in jurisdictions such as Portugal from non-punitive approaches to drug use.”

Comments from stakeholder submissions regarding the Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023:

All Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform (ACT) Inc.
“This submission urges you to identify the “sweet spot” for cannabis. Most of the harm caused by cannabis comes from the police, courts and jails. Moving to a regulated system reduces the need to participate in the illegal production and supply of cannabis and can reduce the harm of maximum prohibition and move us to the sweet spot without going to maximum liberalisation as had occurred with other potentially addictive activities like gambling and consumption of tobacco and alcohol, where commercial interests profit from promoting harmful patterns of consumption.
…
“The tight complex regulatory scheme is welcome in that it would prevent the exploitative commercialisation as has existed in relation to other addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco.” 

The Australian Lawyers Alliance
“The ALA, therefore, welcomes the advent of the Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023 which represents a significant step away from Australia’s current approach modelled on criminalisation. Such an approach has shown little success in reducing illicit drug use in general.
…
“The ALA supports the proposal to implement legalisation in the manner proposed by the Bill, that is, through the registration and licencing of cannabis strains. Such a system allows for the growth, manufacture and distribution of cannabis to become legal and also regulated by law enforcement. On the other-hand, decriminalisation prevents the safe operation of a cannabis business.”

National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University (NDRI)
“Overall, we see the Bill to be well intended and consistent with the developing research evidence on the impact of cannabis legalisation schemes and expert advice and recommendations regarding the potential public health benefits of middle ground, rather than fully commercial profit-driven, models of cannabis legalisation. We also note the following specific elements of the Bill as beneficial and in keeping with the public health evidence: 
1. Exclusion of persons involved in the manufacture of alcohol or alcohol products, tobacco or tobacco products, or pharmaceutical products from being able to receive a licence under Section 27 or engage in activities under Section 10. 
2. Permitting cultivation of cannabis not more than 6 plants per household. 
3. Allowing small scale social supply of cannabis where the value of the cannabis is not more than $50 under Section 20 (d). 
4. Allowing for Cannabis Social Clubs under Section 27 (2) (b), a not-for-profit co-operative that is registered on a State or Territory co-operatives register. 
5. Generally appropriate conditions for location and operation of cannabis cafes under Section 30. 6. Public health consistent requirements for labelling, packaging and storage of cannabis products under Section 32.”

Pennington Institute
“Penington Institute endorses several elements of the Legalise Cannabis Bill 2023. These include the following: 
• Allowing cultivation of cannabis plants in households for personal use, although we observe that there is debate around the optimal number of plants that should be permitted per household. Canada, for instance, established a limit of four plants per household, which was found during a review to be generally satisfactory to the small proportion of people who choose to grow.8 
• The distribution of cannabis via dispensaries and dedicated cannabis cafes, including those organised as not-for-profit cooperatives. We further endorse the separation of sites offering alcohol sales and consumption from sites offering cannabis sales and consumption. 
• The proposed minimum age of 18, as well as the removal of criminal penalties for all offences committed by those under 18 years of age and for all people consuming cannabis in prohibited areas.”

Drug Policy Modelling Program UNSW
“We commend the efforts underpinning this Bill to address harms that exist within the current cannabis legislative landscape in Australia. These harms include: 
• the criminalisation of personal use/possession (Lenton & Heale, 2000; Lenton et al., 2000) 
• the reliance on fines in decriminalisation and diversion schemes (Hughes et al., 2018; see also McCarron et al., 2008) 
• uneven policing in decriminalisation and diversion schemes (Baker & Goh, 2004; Hughes et al., 2019; Taperski & Rahman, 2023; see also McCausland & Baldry, 2023) 
• unregulated supply (Armstrong, 2021; Fischer et al., 2022; Lynskey et al., 2016).
…
“We look forward to Australia making progress on cannabis regulation. It is an area requiring long-overdue policy reform, in light of the substantial harms of the current recreational cannabis policies across Australia.”

Harm Reduction Australia and Drive Change
“The removal of criminal sanctions for these low-level offences would help to reduce the negative impact of the current laws on individuals and their families as well as reducing the burden on law enforcement and judicial systems.
…
“As noted above, we are supportive of the Legalising Cannabis Bill as it presents an opportunity to divert people away from the criminal justice system, and encourage a harm minimisation approach on the use of cannabis.”

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
“According to the latest Criminal Intelligence Report (Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (2023), there were 66,285 arrests across Australia in 2020/21 for consuming or providing (selling) cannabis. The vast bulk of these arrests (59,353 or 90%) were for using or possessing cannabis.”

List and links to stakeholder submissions on the Legalising Cannabis Bill:

Hilary Charlesworth re-election to the International Court of Justice

The Australian Government congratulates the Honourable Judge Hilary Charlesworth on her re-election to the International Court of Justice.

The election took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York overnight (9 November 2023, EST) to fill vacancies that will arise in February 2024.

Judge Charlesworth has served as a member of the International Court of Justice since 2021 and is a world-leading jurist, as well as the first Australian woman to serve as a Judge of the Court in its 78-year history.

The International Court of Justice plays a critical role in upholding international law and the rules-based order.

The Australian Government is confident that Judge Charlesworth will continue to draw on her exceptional expertise and act in accordance with the highest standards of independence and integrity.

These qualities are integral to the International Court of Justice in its mission to support the peaceful resolution of disputes between States.

The Australian Government sincerely thanks the outgoing judges for their service to the Court and wishes them well for the remainder of their terms.

More information about the Court can be found on the International Court of Justice website.