Month: May 2026

Source: Prime Minister of Australia

DAN TAYLOR, HOST: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, welcome. How are you going?

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Source: Airservices Australia

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) today released a report detailing the findings of Project Acacia – a joint initiative examining how innovations in digital money and settlement infrastructure could support the development of wholesale tokenised asset markets in Australia.

The project was led by the RBA and the DFCRC in collaboration with industry participants, with support from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), and the Australian Treasury.

Conducted against a backdrop of growing global momentum in tokenised finance, Project Acacia identified the potential for asset tokenisation – alongside innovations in digital money and settlement infrastructure – to enhance the efficiency, functionality and resilience of Australia’s wholesale financial markets. The project also identified several challenges to scaling tokenised markets that warrant deeper analysis by regulators and industry, including some that connect to the broader environment for responsible financial innovation in Australia.

As part of the project, industry participants developed and tested 20 wholesale tokenised asset market use cases spanning a range of asset classes. These use cases demonstrated potential benefits from tokenisation across the asset lifecycle from issuance and servicing to trading and settlement. The use cases also explored multiple methods for settling tokenised asset transactions using different forms of public and private digital money, including traditional RBA exchange settlement account (ESA) balances, a pilot wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC), tokenised commercial bank deposits and stablecoins.

Building on the momentum generated by Project Acacia, the report outlines a new multi-stream program aimed at advancing responsible innovation in Australia’s wholesale financial markets. The program will focus on overcoming long standing co-ordination challenges, removing unnecessary barriers to the safe adoption of new technologies, and enabling industry participants to explore and scale innovative approaches to uplifting wholesale market functioning in a manner consistent with financial stability.

Key elements of the program, which will involve a range of stakeholders, include:

• Strengthened cooperation between industry and regulators
• Exploration of a new regulatory ‘sandbox’ for digital financial market infrastructure to provide industry with a more structured pathway from experimentation to commercialisation
• Consideration of the opportunities and challenges associated with government issuance of tokenised bonds
• Continued industry-led work on interoperable commercial bank deposit tokens
• RBA consultation with industry on opportunities to safely adapt its settlement infrastructure and ESA access arrangements, alongside continued exploration of wCBDC.

The RBA and DFCRC wish to thank all industry participants for their involvement in Project Acacia.

Brad Jones, Assistant Governor (Financial System) at the RBA said:

The constructive engagement between industry and public sector agencies was a foundation stone for the success of Project Acacia. It surfaced a set of common opportunities and challenges in making our financial system more dynamic and resilient through a period of intense technological disruption. The scope of future initiatives we are outlining today is ambitious – covering tokenised assets, money and new infrastructure arrangements – and recognises that it will take a collective effort to ensure Australia’s financial system is well positioned for the digital age.

Professor Tālis Putniņš, Co-CEO and Chief Scientist at the DFCRC said:

Project Acacia demonstrated how tokenised assets, digital money and new settlement infrastructure can improve the efficiency and functioning of wholesale financial markets. This includes faster settlement, reduced counterparty risk, improved capital efficiency and automated asset servicing. Australia achieved important world firsts through Project Acacia, including the issuance of pilot wholesale CBDC onto both public and private distributed ledger infrastructure for research purposes, demonstrating Australia’s capability to play a leading role in the next generation of financial market infrastructure.

DFCRC research estimates that digital finance innovation could deliver $24 billion in annual economic gains for Australia. The opportunity now is to build on the momentum from Project Acacia by translating successful experimentation into real-world adoption through continued collaboration between industry, regulators and government.

For a March 2026 speech summarising the key findings of Project Acacia, see: After Acacia: The Next Era of Financial System Innovation?

Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

The City of Greater Bendigo is proposing to name the future trail that will run alongside the Ironbark Gully Creek – Yirrip Baring and is inviting the community to comment on the proposed name.

Yirrip Baring means “Ironbark Track” in the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung.

City of Greater Bendigo Active and Healthy Communities Manager Deb Simpson said the construction of the trail is a key project of the City’s 2019 Walk, Cycle Bendigo Strategy.

“The proposed three-kilometre shared trail, links to the existing walking/cycling path network, nearby homes, schools, sports and recreation areas. It will help more people be physically active and make it easier to access quality public spaces,” Ms Simpson said.

“The City is a Naming Authority for places that it owns or manages. The naming of existing and new City-owned facilities in Traditional Owner language is in line with the City’s Reconciliation Plan Barpangu and our commitment to supporting Aboriginal place naming and the use of Traditional Owner language in public spaces across the municipality.

“Naming of all roads, features and localities in Victoria must follow the statutory requirements of the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria.

“Registering place names with Geographic Names Victoria is essential to identify locations for managing emergencies and delivering goods and services in Victoria.”

Submissions will then be considered and a report presented to Council with all the information. All submissions must comply with Naming rules for places in Victoria – Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities – 2022.

Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

The City of Greater Bendigo is encouraging residents to recognise local people who make a difference, with a refreshed Citizen of the Year awards now open for nominations year-round.

The updated awards enable community members to submit nominations throughout the year, with nominations closing on December 1 each year.

Every year, the City celebrates two outstanding residents as Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year, recognising individuals who make meaningful contributions to the Greater Bendigo community.

Residents are encouraged to nominate people who shine across a range of areas, including sport, arts and culture, education, business and community service.

Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Thomas Prince said the refreshed awards process makes it easier than ever to celebrate local people.

“We know there are so many remarkable people in Greater Bendigo who give their time, energy and passion to support others and strengthen our community,” Cr Prince said.

“By opening nominations year-round, we’re making it simpler for people to recognise those everyday contributions when they see them, rather than waiting for a specific window.

“Launching the refreshed awards during National Volunteer Week is especially meaningful, as these awards are a way for us to acknowledge the dedication of volunteers who embody the spirit of giving back.

“If you know someone who goes above and beyond, now is the time to nominate them.

“Nominating is simple, all residents need to do is complete a short online form outlining the nominee’s achievements and impact.”

Eligibility:

• Your nominee must be an Australian Citizen living in Greater Bendigo
• A Young Citizen of the Year nominee must be under 25 years of age on January 26
• Sorry, you can’t nominate yourself or immediate family!

To nominate, visit:

Source: Prime Minister of Australia

HOST: We are joined by the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, who is in studio with us. Good morning to you, PM.

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Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Following an incredibly challenging and devastating fire season, and one that impacted every region of Victoria, it may very well be Your Year to Volunteer and embed yourself in the spirit of CFA.

Op-ed by CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM

More than 3,400 Victorians have put up their hand to join CFA since January, because they too want to want to find purpose, form greater connections and make a real difference in their community – before, during and after an emergency.

CFA’s volunteers are the backbone of Victoria’s emergency response, and we wouldn’t be here without them. We’ve seen firsthand this season the incredible contributions and sacrifices our dedicated members make – leaving important events, families and work at the drop of a hat, to protect our Victorian communities.

As we celebrate and thank our 52,000 members this week, we also use this opportunity to grow and encourage the community we work closely each and every day to join our organisation.

At CFA, there is a role for everyone. You don’t have to squirt water onto a fire to play an important part. There are a range of support roles and we’re here to find the perfect role for you.

The statewide Give us a Hand recruitment drive commenced in 2023, and since 1 June 2023 we have proudly welcomed more than 8,800 volunteers. However, like any volunteer organisation, we always need more great people to help us continue in our mission to protect lives and property across the state.

Brigades are particularly looking to attract new members from diverse backgrounds and those who may be able to be daytime responders.

Living in rural Victoria myself, and travelling across the state regularly to different brigades, I am always impressed by the diverse range of skills and backgrounds of our members. From teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, tradies, farmers, and bakers to name a few, CFA is lucky to have you.

It’s always so heart-warming to see close-knit communities’ band together to be a part of CFA. If you’ve recently moved to a new country town or maybe your work and personal commitments have changed, we would love to hear from you.

Our brigades have flexible volunteering arrangements and roles for you to explore. With 1,200 brigades across the state, there is a place for everyone in every corner of Victoria.

Our members are also widely utilised for strike teams across the state, interstate and sometimes internationally. We attend all types of emergencies including fires, floods, storms and other natural disasters. There are some incredible opportunities for you as a CFA volunteer, and you could make a significant difference to our emergency response in your area.

Volunteering with CFA is not only a rewarding experience, but it can also be life changing. Many of our members have made lifelong friends, partners and meaningful connections. You’ll meet some extraordinary people along your CFA journey.

To ‘Give us a Hand’, express your interest on our website. Once you’ve submitted your expression of interest online, your local brigade will contact you regarding the next steps.

Thank you again to all those who selflessly give up their time to help millions of Victorians across the state.

Submitted by	CFA media

Source: Tasmania Police

New Town Death Update

Sunday, 17 May 2026 – 5:17 pm.

Police are continuing to investigate the death of a woman at a New Town residence, with an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow to determine her cause of death.
Detective Inspector David Gill said, “the woman was located deceased inside a residence on Lissadell Court yesterday afternoon.”
“At this stage police are treating the woman’s death as suspicious, however, we are keeping an open mind as to the possibility the woman’s death may be the result of natural causes.”
Early yesterday (Saturday) morning, a man in his 50s who resided at the Lissadell Court address was detained for a mental health assessment.
About 4pm yesterday, a person who did not reside at the address, visited the residence, and entered through an open door. At that stage, the visitor located the woman deceased within the residence and called emergency services.
Police attended and a crime scene was declared.
“Police and forensic officers remain at the address conducting an examination.”
“While a formal identification has not yet been undertaken, we believe the woman is aged in her 60s and she also resided at the Lissadell Court address.”
“An autopsy has been scheduled for tomorrow morning to determine the cause of the woman’s death.”
“At this stage it is believed the woman has been deceased within the residence for several weeks.”
Following the discovery of the woman’s body, the man in his 50s was arrested in relation to the matter. At this stage he remains in custody. He has not been charged with any offences.
If anyone has any information in relation to the property or the occupants, they are asked to contact police on 131 444 and quote Report 805693.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania.

Source: Prime Minister of Australia

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I’m absolutely delighted to be back in Tasmania, on the banks of the beautiful Derwent. And I’m here with the Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, about a project that we’ve discussed on my last visit to Tasmania with the State Minister, Kerry Vincent, and with a full crew of my team; Peter Khalil, the Assistant Minister for Defence, who has had responsibility for this program, as well as Tasmanian representatives, the Member for Lyons, Bec White, the Member for Franklin, Julie Collins, and of course Senator for Tasmania, who might have to duck off quickly because his partner’s about to give birth to their first child, Richard Dowling. So, we wish him very well, Richard over the next 24 hours. But this is an exciting project. Back in February, my government committed to undertaking the most significant reform to the Defence Estate ever, to ensure it’s fit for purpose, to ensure it continues to provide what we need for the defence of this country. But at the same time, to make sure that we are using facilities for the national objective, the national objective of building more houses, particularly in areas such as this. You look at this site and what a wonderful place it will be to live. This is a key recommendation of the Defence Estate Audit that we did to reduce Defence property holdings, including the divestment of several sites. This is about not just taking advantage of locations like this that aren’t fully utilised, it also is about making sure that good fiscal policy, that the maintenance costs of a range of sites around the country, it’s enormous, goes into the literally tens of millions of dollars, and it isn’t the best way in which to ensure that our Defence dollars goes for the right purpose. And importantly, we’ve indicated that every single dollar that’s raised from any of these projects will go straight back into Defence to provide us with the assets and support that we need going forward. Today, I’m very pleased that my government and the Rockliff Government have agreed to work together to redevelop and transform this site to provide more housing, open space, and community infrastructure. And we’re working as well with the local council, the Mayor of Glenorchy here as well, to make sure the three levels of government working together in the interests of Tasmanians.

This transformation could result in up to thousand new homes. This announcement builds on the decisive action that we took last week to boost housing supply and deliver outcomes. We have said very clearly that housing supply since we came to office has been our concentration. Whether it is the Housing Australia Future Fund, where earlier today I was in Melbourne at a site of 45 homes, I was there a year ago when it was under construction. Today it’s finished and tenants will be moving in over the coming weeks. Whether it’s our Help to Buy scheme, shared equity, whether it’s the five per cent deposits that have helped 250,000 Australians into their first home. Whether it be the changes that we’ve put in place as well to the arrangement of taxes with housing, so that there’ll be 75,000 additional first home buyers will be able to access their first home. This is absolutely critical, because we know that the security of a roof over your head is a precondition for a good life, for good educational outcomes, for good health outcomes, for good employment outcomes as we go forward. Now, the transition will be managed in a staged and sensible way, in close consultation with the Defence workforce, and in close consultation with the local community as well. So, this is a good example of the three levels of government working together across party lines to make a difference for Australians. It’s something that I’m very focused on, and I’m pleased that I continue to work constructively with the Premier of Tasmania, and we’ll hear from him, and then hear from Peter Khalil, Kerry Vincent, the respective ministers, before we hear from the Mayor, Sue Hickey as well, and then we’ll take some questions.

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Source: Prime Minister of Australia

KATE THWAITES, MEMBER FOR JAGAJAGA: Good morning, everyone. I’m Kate Thwaites, I’m the Member for Jagajaga. It’s an absolute pleasure to be welcoming the Prime Minister, the Housing Minister, and my State colleague, Anthony Carbines, here today to Rosanna, where we are going to be putting 45 new homes just here. As you can see, they’re just about ready to go. So, that will be people in our community getting a safe and secure roof over their heads, and I know how much that means to people around here. When I am walking around the electorate and talking to people, people are saying to me, not just young people, but parents, grandparents, they’re saying that they want younger generations to have the opportunity that they have had, that they want that promise, that Australian promise of people getting a job, working hard, and being able to have a secure roof over their head. And, of course, that’s what our government is all about, and that’s what we see here in our community, where we have these 45 new homes coming online. So fantastic to be here and wonderful to have the Prime Minister here today.

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Now, Angus Taylor, in his reply to the Budget on Thursday night, importantly said that programs like this, these 45 homes that will be lived in in just a few weeks’ time, that this program will be abolished. Just one of the measures that they said they would get rid of in their Budget on Thursday night. So, we’re throwing everything at housing supply and at opportunity, including in our Budget on Tuesday night, where we recognise that people who have negatively geared properties can continue down that road and to secure a benefit that comes from that, but that for new people who want to go into investment properties, it has to be new builds, new supply. And the difference between the two approaches is simply this: if someone chooses to invest in an investment property and to negatively gear it, then if it’s an old property, then previously, that would benefit their future wealth and build up their assets. If they invest in a new build, it not only does that still, but it also invests in the assets of the nation, and the wealth of the nation, which is why this is good policy. So, whilst we’re throwing everything at the housing issue, the Coalition and the three right-wing parties now in the National Parliament are all opposed to all of these measures. They voted against the Housing Australia Future Fund, now they say they’ll abolish it. They voted against Build to Rent, now they say they’ll abolish it. They say they will vote against our tax changes to better align the taxation system with actually equalising, not giving that advantage to investors over homeowners for the first time for existing properties, and that they’ll reverse it. This is the same mob, of course, that said not only did they vote against our tax decreases, but they said they’d reverse them as well. We are the party of aspiration. There is nothing more Australian about aspiration, than the aspiration to live in your own home, and that is what we want to give people the opportunity to do. And programs like this are the other part of the equation in increasing the stock and supply of social and affordable housing. Just think about this – if we had not been elected, where we are standing now would not exist, would not exist. These 45 homes. And if we are not re-elected, then there won’t be projects like this with 45 new homes springing up all around the country, that’ll be a part of history, something Australia used to do. Well, we’re concerned about the future, and we’re concerned about opportunity, which is why we are so proud to be here today. And I’ll hand to our fantastic Housing Minister, who’s done such a good job in developing our $47 billion Homes for Australia Plan, of which the Housing Australia Future Fund is a central component.

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Now, the contrast with the Liberals could not be clearer. We’ve got Labor levelling the playing field for first home buyers and building more homes for the country, and the Liberals bulldozing our social and affordable housing programs and leaving first home buyers floundering in a broken system. Someone had to step up and do something to change the situation, and that’s exactly what our government is doing.

Now, I want to spend just a minute on home building. We’ve got a housing challenge facing the country that’s been building for 40 years for one single reason – we have not been building enough homes. And if we want to improve affordability for Australians, we’ve got to build, build, build, because building more homes will create more affordable housing for Australians. Now we are tackling that problem from every possible angle. We’re investing in skills, we’re recognising construction skills when migrants come here and are able to help us with this task. We’re reducing red tape, and we’re making sure that we actually do something the Commonwealth did a long time ago, and that is roll up our sleeves and build homes ourselves. I want the Australian people to understand our commitment is we are on a pathway to building 55,000 social and affordable homes for Australians. Every one of those homes will change a life, and I’ll hand it to back to the PM to take questions.

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We – if there’s no more questions, can I just give a shout out to Delta Goodrem, who finished fourth in Eurovision this morning and did Australians proud. We were all cheering on, watching SBS, watching the coverage as the votes rolled in. And Delta Goodrem, I think, is someone who can be very, very proud of her efforts, and all Australians are proud of Delta. Well done.

Source: Prime Minister of Australia

he Albanese Federal Government and Rockliff State Government will work together to redevelop and transform Tasmania’s Dowsing Point to provide more housing, open space and community infrastructure.

The 31-hectare site, which currently houses the Derwent Barracks, has been identified for divestment as part of the Australian Government’s response to the independent Defence Estate Audit.

The Albanese and Rockliff Governments are committed to the redevelopment of the site, recognising its potential to deliver significant new housing supply in the greater Hobart region.

Early planning indicates the site could support up to 1,000 new homes, alongside open space, community infrastructure and a mix of housing options to meet the needs of the growing Tasmanian community. Future planning and development considerations will include:

• opportunities to increase housing supply, including social and affordable housing
• a mix of housing types and densities
• integration of open space, amenity and community infrastructure

Demand for housing in the greater Hobart area continues to be high – fuelled by population growth and changing housing needs – positioning Dowsing Point as an ideal expansion corridor. The new development will respond to these trends by offering a mix of housing types, including family homes, townhouses, and medium-density options to cater to diverse preferences.

The site benefits from established transport links, including proximity to main arterial roads, a future ferry terminal, the Intercity Cycleway, and the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor. It is just 2km from the Glenorchy CBD with good access to services, shops, employment, education and recreation facilities. It is also close to the planned Wilkinsons Point development.

Importantly, this process will be managed in a staged and sensible way in close consultation with the Defence workforce, tenants of the site and the community, with the Defence and Veterans Workshop set to remain on site following initial consultation.

Derwent Barracks is currently occupied by around 20 full time Australian Defence Force personnel, as well as Reservists and Cadets. The process to transfer all personnel from Derwent Barracks is expected to take at least 12 months, while work on planning between the Commonwealth and the Tasmanian Government to deliver the future of the site continues at pace. No personnel will be required to relocate until suitable alternatives are identified in consultation with the affected workforce.

Any transfer to the State Government will be subject to achieving market value and mutually acceptable terms including how the recently announced Housing Support Program – Local Infrastructure Fund can be accessed to activate the site.

Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“The Federal Government is delivering on its commitment of a fit for purpose estate for our Defence forces, while also opening up opportunities for better community use of divested land.

“This announcement builds on the Federal Government’s decisive action to boost housing supply and deliver outcomes for Australian households, including in the Federal Budget.

“All proceeds from property sales arising from the Defence Estate Audit will be reinvested back in Defence, to support the priorities outlined in the 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.”

Quotes attributable to Premier of Tasmania Jeremy Rockliff:

“Our Government is supercharging the delivery of infrastructure and homes through Building Tasmania.

“Dowsing Point has the potential to deliver far beyond the 1000 new homes through well-planned medium-density development.

“Plans will also include open space, parks, local businesses and community facilities, creating a walkable, connected neighbourhood.

“Following strong advocacy from our Government since 2023, I am so pleased the Prime Minister and Federal Government have seen the opportunity on this site.

“Dowsing Point represents a generational investment in Tasmania’s future – boosting housing supply and supporting jobs.”