Politics

Fin Hansen. People sleeping rough could soon have access to a temporary homeless shelter on the Copper Coast. Salvation Army Copper Coast Corps has expressed its desire to open a shelter during SA Housing Authority’s Code Red or Blue extreme weather responses.

Michelle Daw. Barunga West Council plans to create 230 residential allotments between Fisherman Bay and Port Broughton to meet demand and ease the local housing shortage. Council received approval from Minister for Planning Nick Champion to start the process to rezone 26 hectares of farming land from rural to residential on Friday, May 5.

The Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has sought details from the Andrews Labor Government regarding the management and maintenance of levee banks throughout Victoria, including in her electorate of Northern Victoria Region.

A gorgeous new flower has been named in honour of DBCA Midwest Flora Conservation Officer Alanna Chant.  The striking red bloom occurs only in a handful of areas in WA’s Midwest (Mullewa, Morawa, Canna).

Earlier this week during his Run for the Voice ultra marathoner Pat Farmer ran to Yanchep National Park from Optus Stadium before heading north the next day. It was dark when Mr Farmer arrived at the Yanchep Inn on Wednesday, May 3 but a small group of people were there to greet him including Noongar cultural guide and didgeridoo player Derek Nannup.

Local councils are reeling after learning the NSW Government will not subsidise the increase in the Emergency Services Levy this year. Local Government NSW president Darriea Turley said the levy is a cost imposed on councils and the insurance industry to fund the emergency services budget in NSW such as the Rural Fire Service.

Prime Ministers Albanese and Sunak met in London on 5 May 2023 and announced the long-awaited entry into force date of midnight 31 May 2023 for the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UK FTA), following the expected completion of UK domestic processes ... The A-UK FTA, which was agreed in principle in June 2021 and signed on 17 December 2021, will see Australian beef and sheepmeat/goat meat access to the UK liberalised over a transition period.

Far North Queensland Regional Parliament will be held at the Cairns Convention Centre from Tuesday 9 May to Thursday 11 May ... “Regional sittings of Parliament are an important opportunity for locals – including our school students - to not only see democracy in action first hand, but to also hear all of the key issues for their area debated": Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland.

The Government will act on Treasury’s key recommendation to achieve a fairer return from offshore LNG projects by introducing a cap on the use of deductions from 1 July 2023. Specifically, the change will limit the proportion of Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) assessable income that can be offset by deductions to 90 per cent.

Senator Matthew Canavan and Member for Flynn Colin Boyce MP, have expressed their disappointment in NAB’s decisions to close the Biggenden branch ... "There are 47 community groups and 48 small businesses that are set to be directly impacted by the Biggenden branch closure. I urge NAB to support the community and keep this branch OPEN": Colin Boyce MP, Member for Flynn.

The Commonwealth Bank is closing a branch in an area it has itself labelled one of Australia’s most popular destinations for regional migration, breaking its pledge not to shut any regional branches while a senate inquiry into the impact of bank closures is in progress ... The Commonwealth Bank’s interpretation leaves Australia’s three biggest regional cities – Geelong, Wollongong and Newcastle – as well as the more densely populated regions along the east coast and places such as Bateau Bay, Gosford, Maitland, Murwillumbah, Raymond Terrace, Katoomba, Bacchus Marsh and Mandurah still vulnerable to the loss of their Commonwealth banks this year as they fall in the same category.

The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the 5 May 2023 announcement that the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 31 May 2023.  The FTA improves access to an important market for Australian farmers and will allow them to diversify their markets. It will importantly give UK customers the option of sustainable, high quality Australian produce on supermarket shelves to complement their existing home-grown options.

Robert Onfray. As we celebrate World Endangered Species Day on 19 May, I thought it timely this month to look closely at how species are faring in Australia, particularly in reserves authorities have established to protect them ... We don’t hear about this aspect of monitoring in our reserves because the government, bureaucrats and environmental activists don’t want the public to know just how poorly managed our reserves are.

The Australian Government has kicked off a new $1.4 million capacity enhancing project in Indonesia, providing Australian expertise in-country, to assist in the fight to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) ... Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp said the project would be delivered by the FAO in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) operating out of the MOA offices in Jakarta.

The proposed Blue Hills Quarry is causing some concern among neighbouring residents about the noise pollution, dust impact and heavy truck traffic it will generate. With potentially as many as 29,400 truck trips annually and approximately 120 round trips per day, the impact on the nearby residents, local roads, and potentially Victoria's First Notable Town is significant.

Five Barkly schools have been successful in a share of the $32 million grants to upgrade infrastructure and equipment. Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour was in Tennant Creek yesterday and visited Tennant Creek High School which will receive $25,000 to repair and maintain its facilities and refurbish classrooms.

Jenny Pollard. Avenues of engagement, updates on consultations and community intervention were amongst the themes addressed by the speakers at last Monday’s community meeting held at the Charlton Park function room ... Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, made good on her offer to bring Leader of the Federal National Party, David Littleproud, to the region following the strong activism at the St. Arnaud forum held in mid-April.

Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins has launched the Teach Rural pilot program, which will support up to 200 student teachers - or pre-service teachers (PSTs) - to undertake placements at government schools across rural and regional Victoria in 2023 and 2024 ... Country Education Partnership ... will deliver the Teach Rural pilot program.

A class action, organised and crowd-funded by Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann, is taking aim at the Commonwealth government and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), along with a number of senior public servants, alleging negligence, breach of statutory duty and misfeasance in public office. The suit alleges that the respondents approved the vaccines “with no proper or reasonable evidentiary or logical basis to reasonably determine the vaccines to be safe, effective and possessing a positive risk-benefit profile.”