March 2024 – Page 20

Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Meeting

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met today with the Prime Minister of Singapore, His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong, for the 9th Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Meeting.

Australia and Singapore share a partnership that is remarkable in its breadth and depth, grounded in trust and respect.

The Prime Ministers discussed current regional and global security issues and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to promote peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region. They underlined the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region, which promotes free trade and open markets and where differences are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.

In the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, Leaders discussed initiatives to shape the next phase of the Australia-Singapore relationship.

Under our landmark Green Economy Agreement, Leaders announced agreed principles for cross-border electricity trade. These principles will provide clarity and predictability to businesses and create jobs in the clean energy sector.

Leaders also announced the next step towards a green and digital shipping corridor between Australia and Singapore, an agreement between our respective port authorities. This will ensure our maritime industries are fit for the future and provide an avenue for the export of Australia’s renewable energy.

To support this initiative, Leaders welcomed progress in implementation of the Australia-Singapore Initiative on Low-Emissions Technologies for maritime and port operations.

The two Prime Ministers announced the first group of Australian and Singaporean small and medium-sized businesses to receive grants under the $20 million Go-Green Co-Innovation Program, which will facilitate co-innovation between our two countries and support the development of sustainable products and services.

Additional grant funding was announced to encourage collaborative research between Australian and Singaporean scientists on sustainability, innovation and food technology.

Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Lee also announced a new agreement between border agencies to increase cooperation on border security and help to combat cross-border crime.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Today, Prime Minister Lee and I charted the course for the next ten years of the Australia Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“Australia is fortunate to have a strong partner in Singapore, and an ambitious agenda for the future of our relationship.
“I congratulate Prime Minister Lee on his two decades of service to Singapore and to the region, and I thank him for his unwavering support of our bilateral relationship.”

$2 billion investment facility to support business engagement with Southeast Asia

The Albanese Government is establishing a $2 billion investment financing facility to boost investment in Southeast Asia as part of a suite of economic initiatives announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne.

Australia’s two-way investment with ASEAN was worth $307 billion in 2022. Two-way trade with ASEAN accounted for $178 billion in 2022, accounting for 15 per cent of Australia’s trade, which is greater than our trade with Japan or the United States.

The intiatives fulfil recommendations from Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which was launched last year by Prime Minister Albanese to deepen Australia’s economic engagement with the region and ensure our shared prosperity.

Addressing 100 Australian and Southeast Asian CEOs at the Special Summit today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled a package of focussed initiatives that represent the next phase of the Government’s response to recommendations in the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, including:

A $2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility (SEAIFF). Managed by Export Finance Australia, the SEAIFF will provide loans, guarantees, equity and insurance for projects that would boost Australian trade and investment in Southeast Asia, particularly in support of the region’s clean energy transition and infrastructure development.
$140 million over four years to extend the Partnerships for Infrastructure Program. The Program will support efforts to improve regional infrastructure development and attract more diverse, quality infrastructure finance – including from the Facility. The program has been running since 2021 and has assisted partners to accelerate transport connectivity, the clean energy transition and telecommunications reforms.
Appointing 10 Business Champions to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia and the economies of ASEAN. The Champions are senior Australian business leaders who will ensure Government and the private sector work in tandem to boost our two-way trade and investment.
The launch of regional technology ‘Landing Pads’ in Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City. The new Landing Pads will provide on-the-ground support for Australian businesses to boost technology services exports to Southeast Asian markets, following the establishment of the initial ‘Landing Pad’ in Singapore in 2017.
Improving visa access for Southeast Asia. Business Visitor visas will be extended from three to five years. The ten-year Frequent Traveller stream will be extended to eligible ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Australia’s economic future lies in our region.
“I am proud to lead a Government that is strengthening our trade and investment ties with Southeast Asia, directly contributing to our shared economic prosperity.
“These initiatives represent further investments in our future and ensure we are working with Southeast Asia as it continues to grow in economic size and reach.
“When our region prospers, Australia prospers.
“Our work internationally is delivering for Australians – for jobs, for our economy and for our people.”

NEWCASTLE COMMUNITY RECOGNISES THE SERVICE OF LOCAL VETERANS

Newcastle organisation, Friends of the Schoolmasters House have received $2,400 in funding to commemorate the service and sacrifices of local veterans through the latest round of the Albanese Government’s Saluting Their Service (STS) Commemorative Grants Program.

The funding will go towards installing a bronze plaque to commemorate local Ash Island service personnel.

Across Australia, more than $1 million in grant funding will be shared amongst 90 successful applicants.

Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon said:

“The grants awarded through Saluting Their Service are a crucial way for local communities to honour veterans and their families.”

“I’m proud the Albanese Labor Government is supporting veterans and veteran organisations in our community. Friends of the Schoolmasters House will now be able to commemorate local Ash Island service personnel, providing long-overdue recognition.

“The current round of Saluting our Service Grants closes on 20 June, and I encourage everyone with a potential commemorative project in Newcastle to put in an application.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Matt Keogh MP said:

“Saluting Their Service grants support local communities undertake projects that recognise and commemorate the service and sacrifice of our Defence personnel, veterans and their families.”

“Many older communities around Australia have cenotaphs and memorials dating back to World War I, but as an ever growing country we need to ensure Australia’s history is understood, and modern conflicts, and the service of modern veterans is recognised.”

“Australia’s service personnel come from all corners of our vast nation, this program ensures that the stories of local heroes are known, and recognised.”

“There are several significant commemorations in 2024, including the 25th Anniversary of INTERFET and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. I would encourage anyone thinking about a project commemorating these two significant events in Australia’s military history to apply.”

Saluting Their Service Grant Recipient:

Recipient	Funding description	Amount Sought	Amount Received
Friends of the Schoolmasters House Incorporated	Install a bronze plaque to commemorate local Ash Island service personnel.	$2,400	$2,400

STS is an ongoing national grants program aimed at honouring the history of Australia’s Defence personnel, veterans, and their families.

Applications for the next round of STS grants are open until 20 June 2024.

Grants are available to a wide range of applicants, including ex-service organisations, community groups, schools and local councils.

STS Grants come in two categories:

Community Grants: Up to $10,000 for local, community-based commemorative activities.
Major Grants: Between $10,001 and $150,000 for significant commemorative projects with national, state, territory, or regional impact.

To find out more, or apply for a grant, visit: https://www.grants.gov.au/Go/Show?GoUuid=8f80a57c-4453-4014-8ef3-7ce786b356d7

The Station’ offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

The NSW Government is inviting expressions of interest for the iconic Newcastle former city railway station, commonly referred to as the ‘The Station’.

The Station is in need of an experienced operator ready to manage the site long-term, maintaining the integrity of the buildings without it falling into disrepair.

The beloved heritage site has long been enjoyed by the Newcastle community, as well as travellers far and wide as they arrived via the railways on their regional travels to Newcastle from 1885 to 2014.

The building symbolises the expansion of rail into regional NSW and is a major example of one type of Victorian Station architecture.

The opportunity to see the station transformed again into a site that travellers and tourists alike will visit is one that the NSW Government applauds.

Colliers International is marketing the long-term lease and EOIs will be accepted until 2 May 2024.

For more information, visit hccdc.nsw.gov.au/station-EOI.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the right group to transform The Station. The historical significance of this site makes it the perfect place for a community centred project.

“Newcastle’s East End and waterfront is ripe with potential, and we are looking for an operator who will reimagine the site to create a destination that draws both visitors and locals into the city centre while celebrating the unique heritage aspects of the site.

“This lease is another example of the NSW Government working to secure public spaces that hold both historical and cultural significance for the communities that will use them in the future.”

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:

“People from the Hunter have been starting their journeys at The Station since 1885 and it’s been at the heart of Newcastle since sail ships brought coal to the world. People gathered here and it was a gateway to opportunity.

“The city has evolved, and The Station has to be part of that. It’s historic but we can’t let it fade into the past.

“I’m excited that the NSW Government is injecting life into The Station through tourism and hospitality. It will continue to be a living place for the people of Newcastle.”

Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation Chief Executive Valentina Misevska said:

“We’re seeking an outcome that embraces the heritage of the site providing a variety of offerings that people want to visit again and again.

“The Station is much-loved by the community, and an outcome that provides the right social, economic and heritage outcomes will ensure it can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors for many decades to come.

“We’ve enabled temporary activation since 2018 to keep the site maintained and in-use while its future is being determined, and now it’s time to find The Station’s long-term operator.”

New funding for maritime partnerships in Southeast Asia

The Australian Government will invest $64 million over the next four years, including $40 million in new funding, to enhance Australia’s Southeast Asia Maritime Partnerships.

The new commitment, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2024, will expand Australia’s maritime cooperation with regional partners and contribute to the security and prosperity of the region, consistent with the priorities of Southeast Asian countries.

Australia will expand government and institutional cooperation with Southeast Asian partners through practical maritime activities.

These include skills development, training and the sharing of technology. Examples of current partnerships include:

conserving coral reefs through the Australian Institute for Marine Science
maritime law enforcement and domain awareness through the Australian Border Force
geospatial mapping through Geoscience Australia
marine environmental governance through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; and
marine protection through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

This cooperation supports the ASEAN Maritime Outlook and the maritime pillar of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Australia is working closely with Southeast Asian partners to respond to shared maritime challenges and uphold international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

We will continue to cooperate on those challenges, which include law enforcement, domain awareness, sustainable marine resources, marine protection and conservation, and upholding the law of the sea.

Supporting Mekong subregion resilience

Today, at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2024, I announced Australia is investing a further $222.5 million to support the resilience and prosperity of the Mekong subregion of Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Since its launch, the Mekong-Australia Partnership has supported the subregion’s environmental and economic resilience, leadership and skills, and trade and investment.

This second phase of funding over the next five years will address priorities and shared challenges with a focus on improving water security, responding to climate change and combatting transnational crime.

Australia will contribute to strengthened leadership, institutions, and people to people connections to promote shared prosperity.

The Mekong-Australia Partnership complements Australia’s longstanding bilateral partnerships and ASEAN development cooperation.

Australia will continue to work with our Mekong subregion partners to shape and secure the future of the region and all those who rely on it.

Australia and Southeast Asia Strengthen Climate Change and Energy Cooperation

The Albanese Government is strengthening its co-operation with Southeast Asia through a new $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window, designed to bolster our joint efforts on climate change and clean energy.

The Window, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne today, will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy programs including technical capacity building, and will ensure Australia and ASEAN countries are sharing expertise and learning from each other.

Building on existing cooperation, the Window will enable Australian Commonwealth and State and Territory Government agencies to expand and sustain lasting relationships with Southeast Asian counterparts on climate change and the clean energy transformation.

It will also include a flexible funding stream to respond to partner country requests.

The Window will be the first initiative to be designed under the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships program, announced by the Albanese Government in 2023.

It will also support implementation of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which recognises the critical enabling role of government-to-government partnerships and the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transformation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong said:

“Climate change is an existential threat to our region and we are working with our ASEAN partners to mitigate its impacts and accelerate the clean energy transition.
“The new Climate and Clean Energy Window is one example of how we are creating opportunity and addressing shared challenges together.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen said:

“Australia is strengthening cooperation with our ASEAN partners, working together to rewire our region and build new clean energy manufacturing and trade opportunities.”
“The $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window will assist to build capability across the region to respond to climate change and accelerate the clean energy transformation.”

Labor hiding increased health care costs from the people of Dunkley

The Prime Minister is prioritising his political interests over the needs of more than 14 million Australians who have private health insurance.

As revealed in the Australian today, the Albanese Labor Government is deliberately hiding how much more Australians will be paying for their private health insurance until after the Dunkley by-election, which would make this the latest premium change announcement in 15 years.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, Australians need time to prepare for rises in their out-of-pocket costs. Right now, every dollar counts.

Both the Prime Minister and the Health Minister ran away from transparency this morning as they refused to admit fault. Australians have a right to expect more from their Government.

During the last Parliament, the Coalition was able to achieve the lowest annual premium change for consumers since 2001 and still announce every change in December.

The Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said that clearly the Albanese Government is prioritising politics over people, and it will hurt hardworking Australians who are already struggling to pay their bills.

“It is astounding that this Government is not providing private health providers or Australians with private health insurance enough time to adjust to possible premium increases, which are due to come into effect in only a months’ time.

“Either the Health Minister has not been able to effectively negotiate with providers, or he has something to hide from the voters of Dunkley and the Australian public.

“It is totally indefensible that the Labor Government is refusing to tell the people of Dunkley the truth this week.

“The Prime Minister needs to be honest with the people of Dunkley – how much more will they be paying for importance services like private health insurance and residential aged care after this weekend?” Senator Anne Ruston said.

The Opposition remains strongly committed to Australians having affordable access to private health insurance.

Burke refuses to stand up for vulnerable women workers

Minister Tony Burke and the weak Albanese Labor Government are refusing to stand up for vulnerable women workers who want the right to leave Australia’s most militant union, the CFMEU.

In the Senate today Labor said they would not support a private Senators’ Bill brought forward by Senator Jacqui Lambie. Senator Lambie’s bill will enable the manufacturing division of the CFMEU, which includes the Textile, Clothing & Footwear workers, timber workers and furniture workers, to hold a secret ballot to consider whether they wish to demerge from the CFMEU.

Senator Michaelia Cash said the Coalition strongly supported the Bill.

“We have seen numerous examples of intimidation, standover tactics and even violence from members of the CFMEU,’’ Senator Cash said.

“It is no wonder that textile workers, including a very large number of women, want to split off from the CFMEU and form their own organisation,’’ she said.

“Labor talks a big game about standing up for women but when it comes to a test like this they show their true colours,’’ Senator Cash said.

“We know Labor hates small businesses but it’s also obvious now that they hate small unions as well,’’ she said.

In 2020 the Coalition brought forward and passed important legislation allowing greater freedom for registered organisations, which the Labor Party actually supported at the time. Now Labor has removed those freedoms and refuses to back their re-instatement.

“This Government is hopelessly beholden to the big unions and in particular the CFMEU. We know its all about the millions of dollars those large unions give to Labor,’’ Senator Cash said.

“Minister Burke and the entire Labor side should bow their heads in shame,’’ she said.

First home ownership has never been further out of reach under Labor

As another Parliamentary sitting week draws to a close home ownership, especially for first home buyers, has never been further out of reach.

This week, the Albanese Labor Government fiddled while the housing crisis continues to get worse.

The so called ‘Help to Buy’ scheme – a tiny proposal – simply replicates state government shared equity schemes that already exist and have largely been rejected by Australians. For example, 94 per cent of places in the virtually identical New South Wales scheme (Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper) are still unused, such is the lack of demand.

So, it’s no wonder the Government gagged debate of the ‘Help to Buy’ Bill – an election promise which was due to commence on 1 January 2023 – as it was unable to convince its backbenchers to even speak in support of the shambolic proposal.

On top of this, Australia has recently seen the weakest quarter of construction in more than a decade, with forecasts showing housing starts will decline even further over the next two years.

First home buyers are at the lowest level since the Gillard government, new home approvals have dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade, and lending for new homes remains at a shameful 20-year low.

Since the election, national median rents have increased by 26 per cent to $580 per week, Australia is experiencing record migration on Labor’s watch, and it has also been confirmed Labor’s 1.2 million homes promise is officially broken with an estimated 400,000 shortfall.

Labor continues to dodge the Coalition’s questions about the state of the housing crisis, and after 20 months of this Government, things are unfortunately only going to get worse with home ownership and the residential construction industry remaining at the bottom of Labor’s priority list.