August 2024 – Page 18

Another broken promise as Labor abandons LGBTIQA+ workers

On Friday, the Prime Minister announced at a press conference that he was going to abandon religious discrimination reform after the Opposition vetoed their legislation.

This broken promise from Labor has received universal scorn from across the political aisle. Religious leaders, LGBTIQA+ community and Labor’s own voters expected Labor to deliver their election promise — not capitulate to Peter Dutton’s whims.

The Australian Law Reform Commission’s report last year was a roadmap to reform everyone could agree to and Labor has had a clear pathway through the Senate, with the support of the Greens and crossbench, to deliver those recommendations in full.

But to Labor, the only opinion that matters is Peter Dutton’s.

Stephen Bates, Australian Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson

Yet another broken election promise from a Prime Minister too cowardly to do his job. Labor won the last election with a promise to protect LGBTIQA+ workers and people of faith from discrimination and he’s failed at both.

Enough broken promises. If this government cares at all about LGBTIQA+ workers, they would move right now to remove section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act like the Law Reform Commission said to.

This Labor government has had the numbers to get this done for months and The Greens have offered time and again to work collaboratively to make this change.

The LGBTIQA+ community wants protections. Communities of faith want protections. The vast majority of the country wants this positive and progressive change.

When it comes to keeping progressive promises, it seems this Labor government is incapable of doing so without the sign off of the LNP.

Sex discrimination reform on Friday. Makarrata Commission on Monday. How many election promises does Albanese plan on breaking this week?

Labor needs to realise that they are the government and have been for over two years. They have the power to implement progressive change with The Greens but it’s painfully clear that Labor has no intention of doing that.

When the LNP are in government, they waste no time in implementing a radical conservative agenda. Now that Labor is in power, we are told their hands are tied and that they’d love to do nice things but can’t because Dutton won’t let them. No-one’s buying it.

Greens push for moratorium on public housing evictions after Labor secretly signed demolition contracts

The Victorian Greens are calling for a moratorium on evictions for public housing residents following revelations that the Victorian Labor Government has secretly signed the demolition contracts to steamroll ahead with tearing down public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington.

The Victorians Greens are bringing a motion before the Parliament today that stands up for residents who face being forced from their homes in North Melbourne and Flemington now that Labor has signed the demolition contracts.

It comes as leaked documents recently revealed that Labor is pulling funding from multiple public and community housing, offering up land set aside from public and community housing to private developers and have signed this $100 million demolition contract with John Holland.

During question time on Tuesday, the Greens grilled Labor on whether the signing of the demolition contracts would be used to pursue legal action against residents, to which the government refused to give a straight answer.

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam said that Labor have clearly signed these contracts to have legal grounds to force evictions, which will displace hundreds of residents and tear their communities apart.

She added that while Labor continues to pull funding from social and community housing and is handing over swathes of public land to developers, it’s impossible not to think that they will do the same with the towers.

the Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam:

“We’re in a housing crisis and instead of building public housing, Victorian Labor is conducting a fire sale of public housing land and demolishing the public homes we have.

“Labor has clearly signed these contracts in order to pursue legal action against residents and force evictions displacing hundreds of people who are currently living in the North Melbourne and Flemington towers.

“We’re having thousands of conversations directly with residents who have no certainty about their future.

“Labor has sold off hectares of public housing and land to private developers – now they’ve signed these contracts, how can Victorians have any confidence they won’t do the same to all 44 public housing towers?

“We won’t stop holding Labor’s feet to the fire on this. We’re in the middle of a housing crisis where we should be building more public housing on public land, not tearing down our existing housing and selling off public land to private developers for massive profits.”

Gambling ad ban test for Labor in Senate as Greens slam “shifty” excuses

The Greens say Labor’s excuse for caving-in to the gambling lobby is shifty and they will test the Government with a Senate vote to ban gambling advertising in line with the Peta Murphy Inquiry recommendations.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is spokesperson for Communications and Manager of Greens Business in the Senate:

“Don’t buy Bill Shorten’s lie. Labor have caved in to the gambling lobby and they are scraping around for an excuse. The gambling lobby have had their claws in both the Labor and Liberal Party for far too long.

“We can support public interest journalism in this country without sucking the life and happiness out of Australian families, forcing gambling addicts to pay the price. The Prime Minister of this country Anthony Albanese needs to stand up to the gambling lobby.

“Experts have told us we need to ban gambling advertising, like tobacco ads, and Labor will be tested on this question in the Senate when Greens amendments for a full gambling ad ban in line with the Peta Murphy recommendations are voted on.

“We should be banning gambling advertising, taxing the big tech corporations and funding public interest journalism. Gambling addiction is not the solution for public interest journalism.

“It is incredible that only two months ago the Albanese government threw free to air broadcasters under the bus by locking sport behind the paywalls of the global streamers with their anti-siphoning laws. Now, suddenly are using Free TV as an excuse to cave-in to the gambling lobby. Labor caved to the pressure of the big tech companies like Kayo and Amazon, now they are caving to the gambling lobby.

“This is not about championing Free TV or quality journalism, this is about Labor caving to vested interests instead of standing up for the public interest.”

Greens slam NSW Labor’s broken promise to create an independent office for animal welfare

Today the NSW Labor Government has confirmed their plans for an independent office of animal welfare — except that it will not be independent, not an office and not for animal welfare.

The NSW Upper House has today debated the NSW Greens Independent Office of Animal Welfare Bill introduced by Greens MLC Abigail Boyd.

As part of their platform ahead of the 2023 State Election, NSW Labor committed to introducing a new animal welfare framework in NSW, including establishing an independent office of animal welfare. However, in voting down the bill, the Agriculture Minister made clear Labor’s intentions to introduce their own bill that creates a body that has no operational costs, sees the inherently-conflicted Minister for Agriculture of the day retain primary responsibility for the welfare of animals, and which is required to consult as much with industry as it does with animal welfare stakeholders.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW Animal Welfare spokesperson:

“It is truly shameful to hear the Agriculture Minister confirm what we have long suspected — that Labor has no intention of keeping their election commitment to introduce an independent office of animal welfare, and is instead slow-walking towards creating wholly inadequate regulation that will overlook the interests of animals in our state.

“Unless it is truly independent, robustly resourced and responsible for prioritising the interests of animals, Labor cannot possibly call their long-promised reform an independent office of animal welfare.

“Labor is too afraid to do anything that is not in the interest of Big Ag, and as a result we will undoubtedly see animals across our state continue to suffer in the name of profit.

“Establishing an Independent Office of Animal Welfare that aligns with scientific evidence and community expectations has been core Greens business for over a decade.

“Our Greens bill was developed in close consultation with the animal welfare sector and the community, and would have done exactly what is needed to overhaul our outdated animal welfare framework.

“Labor’s failure to support our Greens bill today is yet another broken election promise, and is an insult to all those in the community who have campaigned tirelessly for an independent office of animal welfare for years.”

Swing into New Annual’s packed program of free events

A nine-metre-tall swing that reimages the popular playground equipment on a grand scale will be a highlight of the free and family-friendly events on offer at this year’s award-winning New Annual festival.

Set up opposite the Civic Theatre, SWING will allow participants to become part of a giant public art installation as they soar high above Wheeler Place during the closing weekend of City of Newcastle’s flagship cultural event, which runs from 27 September to 6 October.

Worlds Collide will be one of the headline acts at the Global Gathering event in Museum Park.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the free, wheelchair-accessible activity demonstrates how New Annual provides something for the whole community as it celebrates the city’s commitment to arts and culture.

“New Annual has become a catalyst for Newcastle’s cultural events sector to take centre stage alongside leading national events, cementing Newcastle as a creative city where exciting, ambitious and accessible contemporary art and culture grows and thrives,” Cr Nelmes said.

“One of the key aims of the program is to provide a mix of free and low-cost, family-friendly events, which will ensure every member of our community can enjoy the New Annual experience.

“The 2024 festival is also dedicated to amplifying multicultural voices and creativity from our culturally and linguistically diverse communities, fostering a sense of belonging and community involvement.

“From the childhood nostalgia of the swing in Wheeler Place to the cultural melting pot of our Global Gathering event in Museum Park, New Annual will deliver a fun, interactive program not to be missed.”

Almost 5000 people flocked to last year’s Global Gathering event, which will once again deliver a vibrant celebration of diverse traditions, food, art forms, and cultural expressions in Museum Park on 5 October supported by a Multicultural NSW Festival and Event grant.

The free community event will feature cooking demonstrations, interactive kids workshops and a wide range of musical and dance performances including a colourful lion dance by Jin Woo Koon, belly dancing and African drum and dance displays, as well as a fire show and DJ sets.

The night will be capped off by world music favourites Ghana Road Show, which fuses thrilling circus acts with traditional African dance and rhythmic drum beats set to the freshly curated tunes of DJ Lady Chika, while Worlds Collide delivers an intersection of seven cultures who fuse hip hop rhymes, melodic hooks, languages and genres into a fun, authentic and powerful experience.

Culture is also at the heart of the expansive program being delivered in conjunction with MEGAN COPE: Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House at Honeysuckle Marina, which is proudly presented by Newcastle Art Gallery and supported by the University of Newcastle, Create NSW and Thermidor.

The temporary, custom-built space will be activated with a series of free talks, hands-on workshops and performances including a professional oyster shucking competition and a daily Scrub Club that celebrates local oysters and the ongoing research practice of internationally acclaimed Quandamooka artist Megan Cope.

Gomeroi hip-hop artist and Triple J favourite Kobie Dee will bring the Marina to life after dark as he headlines the first of two Friday Night Sounds events on 27 September supported by proud Aboriginal man Maanyung, while local DJ Jun Wan’s genre-bending sets will keep the Friday night party going on 4 October.

New Annual will run from 27 September to 6 October, offering a vibrant mix of immersive dance, music, circus, visual art and theatre. It will kick off with a free family-friendly First Night street party in the precinct around City Hall, which has been supported by a grant from Transport for NSW.

The success of City of Newcastle’s flagship event was recognised at the recent Local Government Week Awards, where New Annual won the prestigious Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award.

Visit www.newannual.com for more details about the full program.

Events and exhibitions give Newcastle Museum two million reasons to celebrate

Newcastle Museum has welcomed the two millionth visitor to its Honeysuckle site as it prepares for one of its busiest events of the year.

Thousands of people are expected to flock through the doors this Sunday for the free Hunter Science Festival, which in previous years has set new attendance records for a single-day event at the Museum.

Electric Vehicle exhibit at the Hunter Science Festival, Newcastle Museum.

It is just one of the popular exhibitions and events that have helped attract more than two million visitors to the iconic Newcastle institution since it transformed the former Railway Workshops into a state-of-the-art cultural facility 13 years ago.

The Museum eclipsed the milestone in July and by August had recorded a grand total of 2,015,000 visitors.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle Museum plays a key role in the city’s cultural and tourism attractions.

“Since reopening at the Honeysuckle site, Newcastle Museum has become a cornerstone of City of Newcastle’s cultural facilities in the Civic precinct, adding to the diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Welcoming two million visitors is an impressive milestone and a wonderful testament to the expertise of our hard-working Museum staff, who deliver an innovative program of exhibitions and events each year.

“The Hunter Science Festival is a highlight of that annual programming, providing a fun, free day out for the whole family in Newcastle as part of more than one thousand activities being held across Australia for National Science Week.”

The original Newcastle Region Museum opened in 1988 as a Bicentenary project in Wood Street, Newcastle West, and closed in 2007 before making the move to Workshop Way in Honeysuckle.

City of Newcastle Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird said the present-day institution has forged an identity in Honeysuckle, and a reputation for exceptional exhibitions.

“From our current, unmissable A Place Called Hollywood exhibition all the way back through the thousands of events we’ve delivered during the past 13 years, I’m proud of the hard-working, knowledgeable and friendly team who continue to preserve and share the stories of our city through our collections, exhibitions, and audience engagement,” Ms Baird said.

“This year’s Hunter Science Festival has something for everyone. It’s a chance to meet astronomers, inventors, marine biologists and countless other brilliant people who live in our city and beyond.

“It could be the start of a lifelong love of knowledge, or the inspiration you’ve been searching for. Our museum has that effect in Science Week and every week of the year.”

The Hunter Science Festival is delivered by City of Newcastle in conjunction with Hunter Innovation and Science Hub (HISH) and features additional displays and demonstrations from a range of organisations including Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI).

Attendees can expect perennial favourites such as the revolting and revealing HMRI ‘Poo Palace’ – a giant inflatable digestive system – and the chance to build and race electric vehicles with HISH.

There will also be interactive fun presented by the Hunter Geological Society’s School of Earth, bushfire science shows by Fizzics Education and displays by the Irukanji Shark and Ray Centre, Hunter Wetlands Centre and Hunter Landcare, among others.

The Hunter Science Festival will run from 10am to 2pm on Sunday 18 August. For more information visit newcastlemuseum.com.au

West Wyalong Key Health Worker Accommodation arrives

Healthcare workers will soon have access to modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation at the West Wyalong Health Service following the arrival of new units, delivered as part of the NSW Government’s Key Worker Accommodation (KWA) Program.

Three self-contained units are being installed on the south side of the West Wyalong Health Service, close to the Masonic Village aged care facility.

Healthcare workers are expected to take advantage of the new temporary accommodation before the end of the year, after installation, connection of services, fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of the three units is completed.

Each unit will be fully furnished and self-contained, and feature a screened verandah, light-filled living and dining area, modern kitchen, bedroom with ensuite, and internal laundry. Parking spaces and secure access are also provided.

The pre-fabricated units were built off-site and modelled on the KWA Program prototype unit completed earlier this year.

The West Wyalong Health Service Key Worker Accommodation was delivered in partnership with Health Infrastructure and Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD).

MLHD is one of three regional Local Health Districts to benefit from a $45.3 million investment to deliver accommodation for health workers under the Key Worker Accommodation Program. Finley, Leeton and Narrandera health services will also benefit from the program.

The NSW Government has committed an additional $200.1 million to increase key health worker accommodation across rural and regional areas of the state as part of the 2024-25 NSW Budget.

Regional Health Minister Ryan Park:

“The new units will support heath care workers looking to establish themselves in West Wyalong by providing accommodation close to work.

“This is a crucial factor in attracting and retaining health workers at rural and regional hospitals and why the Minns Labor Government is investing a further $200.1 million to increase key health worker accommodation across the state.

“We look forward to welcoming the first health workers into the units once completed.”

Labor Spokesperson for Cootamundra Stephen Lawrence MLC:

“It’s great to see the innovation behind the KWA Program accommodation modules, which are built off-site, loaded onto trucks, and then delivered and installed on-site. This approach is cost-effective and also less disruptive to the overall operation of the health facility.

“The Minns Labor Government’s additional investment into key health worker accommodation forms one part of a comprehensive plan to build a better health system across NSW.”

Essential workers welcomed to Regional NSW

Police officers, teachers, firefighters, doctors and childcare workers are among hundreds of essential workers and their families receiving support to relocate to regional New South Wales thanks to a successful NSW Government initiative.

Launched by the Government in June last year, The Welcome Experience has helped 511 essential workers to find a new home in the regions, settle into their communities, enrol kids in school, join sporting clubs and assist with finding a job for their partner.

The Welcome Experience is part of the NSW Government’s $25.1 million Essential Worker Attraction Program, which aims to boost essential workforces in regional NSW.

The Welcome Experience program pilot has so far delivered the following successes:

Close to 1,800 workers have inquired about the pilot locations – Broken Hill, Walgett, Coffs Harbour, Muswellbrook, Goulburn, Griffith, Corowa, and Bega.
Provided a vital boost to essential services in locations, by helping 511 essential workers relocate and settle into their new communities, including 224 health workers, 84 educators and 35 NSW Police staff.
Helped more than 227 workers move to Broken Hill, 62 to Bega, 57 to Walgett, and 38 to Muswellbrook.

The program offers a concierge style service facilitated by a number of organisations including councils, local business chambers, not-for-profit organisations and community groups.

Originally piloted in Broken Hill, Muswellbrook, Bega, Walgett, Coffs Harbour, Corowa, Griffith and Goulburn, the program has been such a success it is now being rolled out to 52 Local Government Areas across the State.

The new areas include Orange, Dubbo, Kiama, Tumut, Kempsey, Uralla, Bourke, Yass Valley, Queanbeyan, Shoalhaven and Wagga Wagga. These new locations will give essential workers considering a change, that extra nudge to get them over the line, because they will have confidence that they and their family will have choices and opportunities to fit in and be welcomed in the regions.

Whether it is the pristine beaches of the Mid North Coast, the expansive plains of the Far-West or inland regional city living, the program’s new locations will offer a friendly helping hand to essential workers to move, settle their families, grow their career and give back to their new communities.

The expansion will support the delivery of a skilled and robust essential workforce in our regions and is further proof of the NSW Government’s dedication to paving the way for stronger, more resilient communities while ensuring that every corner of the state thrives.

Police Officer Amy Loomes – Walgett

Among these essential workers assisted by The Welcome Experience, is Police Officer Amy Loomes, who now lives and works in Walgett after moving from Sydney with her family in November 2023.

The Welcome Experience helped the family settle into the local community and assisted Amy’s husband Casey to secure a local carpentry job thanks to the Partner Employment Program.

While living in Sydney, the family didn’t have a backyard. Now they have two dogs, a trampoline, a thriving veggie garden and their very own chicken coop, complete with laying hens.

Find out more about The Welcome Experience and the exciting opportunities that await those considering a move to the regions.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said:

“We are so lucky to live in a state with such beautiful regions, from the beaches of the South Coast to the bushes of the Central West.

“But what makes it such an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family is the strong sense of community.

“This program is about ensuring when people ‘make the move’, whether it’s to Broken Hill or Bega, they feel welcomed and find their feet as soon as possible.

“We need skilled and essential workers in our country towns, and we’re working to make it easier than ever for people considering a tree change to take that leap.”

NSW Minister for Regional NSW and Minister for Western NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“Locals can give insights on different locations in towns to suit housing needs, or finding a reliable removalist or even knowing which café boasts the best cappuccino in town, and that is why The Welcome Experience pilot has been such a resounding success.

“Since I launched the program 12 months ago, 1,800 individual enquiries have been received from essential workers who are considering moving or have made the move to the regions.

“511 workers and their families have already made the move and the feedback is the program was important in accepting the job offer and was vital in helping people find their feet in their new community.

“The NSW Government’s decision to expand the program shows what a difference a warm welcome can make for workers moving to a new community. It fosters people to grow roots in the town and be part of the community they are looking after.

“I want to highlight that The Welcome Experience is a promise to our regional communities that our Government is invested in their futures and will deliver real and tangible results for them.”

Police officer and The Welcome Experience client, Amy Loomes (Walgett) said:

“We decided to give regional NSW a go, and after making the move to Walgett, we not only have room for a trampoline, but our children love collecting fresh eggs from their very own chicken coop every morning.

“We haven’t looked back. Living in a close-knit regional community has given us the freedom and space to give our kids a childhood filled with fun and adventure. We tend to stress less and have more time to spend together doing the things we love.”

Cardiologist and The Welcome Experience client, Dr Sean Conte (Bega) said:

“My wife and I told ourselves that our move to Bega could be for a few years, or until the kids are at high school but now we are here, we can’t imagine living back in the city.

“The Welcome Experience has been great and helped us with things such as completing a house inspection when we were still in Sydney, connecting us with local services like electricians and gave us the lay of the land with preschools.

“My wife Anna found the local Tathra playgroup through a recommendation from our Local Connector and enjoyed a social event to welcome newbies to the area.

“We have found that there is a friendly community of young families and a range of opportunities for playgroups and services for young kids.

“To anyone considering a move to the regions, I recommend making the sea change with young kids. Our kids are thriving having us at home more without the longer commutes and busy schedules and thriving at preschool.

“I have gotten into ocean swimming with a local group and Anna has just bought a bike – we are enjoying the outdoors more than we could in Sydney.”

Upper House knocks down Opposition’s home building block

Young people, families and key workers can breathe a sigh of relief as Labor and the cross bench rejected the Opposition’s attempt to stop the delivery of thousands of well-located homes to address the housing crisis, with the defeat of the Liberals and Nationals TOD SEPP disallowance Bill this afternoon.

Despite the fact that 12 out of 13 councils came to an agreement with the Minns Government in April to deliver homes around 37 train stations, the Opposition sought to abolish the agreements and work against councils to deliver more homes for their local community.

Since the agreement, Development Applications are now able to be submitted at 23 TOD sites as councils have worked with the Government to create bespoke housing plans for their area.

The threat of abolition of these locations has created significant uncertainty on business investment confidence in building new homes in NSW.

This Opposition’s Bill directly put at risk up to 170,000 new homes over the next 15 years and risked hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs over this period.

Not content with abandoning young people and families by refusing to address the housing crisis, the Liberal National Opposition are now trying to confine another generation of young people and families to not being able to afford to rent or buy a home closer to their jobs and in the communities in which they want to live.

The Bill was the product of an opposition more interested in supporting a Nimby objection to more medium density housing around train stations than they are in addressing the housing affordability and availability, that was the product of their more than a decade in government.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Across the political divide upper house members have said it’s time to get on with confronting the housing crisis.

“Not everyone may agree with all the fine details of the Government’s approach, but everyone agrees it’s time to end the uncertainty and build better homes and better communities for young people, families and key workers.

“This was a sad desperate stand by an Opposition with no plan to address the housing crisis and block the development of new homes for those in desperate need.

“Common sense has prevailed with recognition that the only way that homes will be more affordable and available to rent or to buy is to build more homes, and it makes sense to build them near transport, jobs, services and amenities.”

New laws introduced to improve strata living

New laws designed to take immediate action to help restore confidence in living and investing in strata schemes are now before the NSW parliament.

The reforms which impose higher penalties and greater disclosure obligations on strata managing agents are aimed at ending secret kickbacks on insurance policies and weeding out bad players.

Strata laws put owners’ corporations in charge of making key decisions on the buildings and common property of townhouses and apartments, usually with the assistance of a strata managing agent.

The new laws will help build confidence in the sector which has been challenged by more than 965 complaints about strata agents to NSW Fair Trading in the five years to 2023. More than half of those complaints were about rules of conduct or budgets, levies and finances.

The higher penalties, greater transparency and new enforcement powers follow an $8.4 million investment in more resources for the Strata and Property Services Commissioner in this year’s budget.

Key changes include:

increasing the maximum penalties and penalty infringement notice amounts for existing agent obligations to disclose information about commissions
strengthening the conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements
banning agents from receiving a commission on insurance products when they don’t play a role in finding the best deal for residents
strengthening NSW Fair Trading’s enforcement and compliance powers.

The new laws were informed by consultation with key stakeholders such as the Owners Corporation Network and Strata Community Association.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Building more high quality, higher density housing is a key pillar of the NSW Government’s comprehensive plan to build a better NSW.

“These reforms are critical to supporting confidence in investing and living in strata schemes.

“They will help to restore the confidence of the 1.2 million people already living in strata schemes, but they won’t be the last changes we make as we work to make strata an attractive housing option.”