Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Stuart Green

This International Day of People with Disability (3 December), CFA is recognising the important role people with disability play across our brigades and the broader community.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

Ellen Fanning, Host: I spoke with the Assistant Federal Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite earlier.

Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Immigration: In Queensland, I had a look at the numbers, basically since the mid-1990s has had double the numbers of New Zealanders migrating to your state compared to the rest of the population. So, because people have family there, naturally there’s an attraction to migrate to an area where you know people. So, I think that that in some respects compounds the numbers a bit each year. And secondly, I reckon if you lived in cold rainy New Zealand and you got to choose where you’d like to go in Australia, most people would say oh I want to go live in the sun and Queensland is the closest sunny state to New Zealand. The reason why New Zealanders get preference of entry into Australia is related to the closeness of the relationship. Obviously, they’re our nearest and dearest neighbours, but also the fact that we have a free trade agreement with them that allows that migration pattern to Australia.

Fanning: It does seem odd, doesn’t it, that you as the Assistant Minister for Immigration with Tony Burke, the Minister, you can dial down student numbers, you can dial down skilled visas, permanent migration, working holidaymakers. The one area you can’t dial down is New Zealand citizens. All they have to do is buy a Jetstar ticket and organise someone to pick them up from the Gold Coast airport and they’re here. Four years later, they’re citizens.

Assistant Minister: Well, we can dial down the numbers in certain visa categories, and we do that. So, if they’re applying for particular categories of visas in the skilled space, in the student space, then we can dial down those numbers. But you are right, there are relaxed conditions for New Zealanders that come to Australia on particular visas.

Fanning: Those numbers I was quoting were 444 visas which a New Zealander gets at the airport. They’re not coming on skilled visas, they’re all just turning up.

Assistant Minister: Yeah, that’s correct. They do have a preference in terms of the access to Australia on those 444 visas. But we can work with the states and territories to adjust those numbers if we see fit in the future.

Fanning: Can you? How?

Assistant Minister: It appears that it’s only an issue with Queensland, but we’re happy to have a discussion with the Queensland Government if they feel that that there needs to be change there, and that’s something that we could discuss with the New Zealand Government into the future, we can make adjustments. There’s been no request from the Queensland government to make that adjustment, but we’re constantly reviewing the way that the system works and working with those states and territories.

Fanning: The Federal Government is trying to drive down migration numbers. How much pressure do you come under from a state like Queensland to actually increase intakes to fill skills shortages?

Assistant Minister: Well, we have some large skill shortages in Australia, particularly in rural and regional areas. And whenever I meet with regional mayors and employers, they’re crying out for more skilled labour. Most of the migration program to Australia is skilled migration. It makes up about two thirds of all of the numbers. And in terms of Queensland, over the last 12 months, there’s been an increase by about 13% in skilled migrants.

Fanning: Do you have any idea why, in the first year of the Crisafulli Government, they put the brakes on the number of permanent migrants we settled in Queensland, taking in just 1,200. Then this financial year, they’ve said to the Commonwealth that they needed this big increase in permanent migrants to that 2500, so much so that the West Australians apparently are screaming at us because we took some of their allocation?

Assistant Minister: Yeah. It is confusing. And that’s why I think it’s important that the states and territories have a migration strategy and that they work with the Commonwealth on that. We can work with them, but we need to know what their plans are. And it was confusing that the Queensland Government initially wanted to cut numbers, now they want to boost them. I think that’s particularly given the fact that the Olympics are coming up and some of the construction on those projects will start in the very short-term future. So, they’re going to need those skills workers for those projects. So, we’re ready to work with the Queensland Government, but I guess they need to sort out what they require in the various categories and develop a plan to work with us.

Fanning: Why did they do that? Why did they stomp the brakes so hard in their first year in office? Do you know?

Assistant Minister: I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the Queensland Government. I suspect it was to try to be populist. But once you get your feet behind the desk and you work out that you do require a large number of skilled visas and workers, particularly in rural and regional Queensland, to work in the aged care homes, to look after our elderly, to make sure that you’ve got adequate coverage in our hospitals, on night shifts in regions, to build the homes and the infrastructure of the future. These are all the majority of the migration program to Australia. And we want to work with the states and territories to make sure that they have the skills they need into the future.

Fanning: Because it was quite the turnaround in numbers that they asked the Federal Government for. In terms of the allocation, you’ve got to go to Canberra and say, this is how many we want. And they divided it up between the states. So, it was quite the difference from year one of the Crisafulli Government to year two. Do you know what it looks like? It looks like that they realised they couldn’t staff the hospitals and aged care centres if they kept going the way they were. Would that be fair?

Assistant Minister: I think that’s correct. They needed those extra skilled migrants. That’s why they’ve made that request to the Commonwealth. We’ve responded with those increases in numbers for this year and we’re awaiting the publication of the Jobs and Skills Australia list for this year. That’s coming up soon and that will provide the foundation for our work with the states and territories on next year’s numbers.

Fanning: Queensland, as you say, has such widespread labour shortages that your office tells me they’re asking the Federal, the whole state to be covered by a Designated Area Migration Agreement just to make it easier to have more and more foreign workers come in.

Assistant Minister: So, Designated Area Migration Agreements, or DAMAs, are an agreement between a particular state or territory or a regional area with the Commonwealth Government to plan for skilled migration into those areas in the skills that are needed. And they range from low skilled occupations right up to professional occupations. There are two in Queensland. There’s the Far North Queensland DAMA and the Townsville one. They both expire in April 27. And we’ve been working with the Queensland Government to do a statewide one because obviously there are skill shortages that exist beyond those two regions. We’ve found that the South Australian, WA and Northern Territory governments have recently negotiated statewide DAMAs, and they’re working very well and they allow the Queensland Government to designate where they want skilled workers to go and what the skilled occupied in those regions are. So, we’re negotiating that with them at the moment and looking forward to finalising that soon.

Fanning: What’s the practical effect of that? Does it just make it easier for businesses to bring in foreign workers?

Assistant Minister: It means that there’s a process for employers being able to apply for workers, but it also has requirements on employers regarding English language competency, the minimum payments and conditions that are provided, and the various skills that are required to work in that occupation and accreditation.

Fanning: So, if the Gold Coast Hospital needed more doctors, could they apply under the DAMA to get more doctors allowed into the Gold Coast? Similarly, if St. George needed more hospitality workers or cleaners, could they apply under the DAMA to allow more foreign workers in?

Assistant Minister: Yeah, that’s correct. It provides that flexibility for those employers in that region.

Fanning: It sounds like the Queensland Government is saying we’re going to need to bring in a whole lot more people to meet the skills deficit we have?

Assistant Minister: Well, it’s not a free for all. It means that the Queensland Government would have to negotiate with the Department of Immigration based on the Jobs and Skills Australia skilled vacancy list. They need to demonstrate the shortages in particular occupations in particular regions. And that’s why Jobs and Skills Australia do that work every year to work with employers. They undertake surveys, they look at job ads, they look at the needs of different regions, and they compile that list. The Queensland Government needs to demonstrate the need before they’ll get the approval from the Commonwealth Department.

Fanning: Isn’t that radically out of step with what the federal LNP are saying? They’re coming with a new immigration policy calling for fewer migrants into Australia?

Assistant Minister: Well, the LNP are going to have to demonstrate which areas they’re going to cut skilled migration in. They’re saying they’re going to cut migration by around 100,000. That was the policy that they took to the last election. Where are those skilled migrant cuts going to come? Which hospitals are going to have to close? Which aged care facilities won’t have enough staff to look after their elderly residents? Which teachers jobs are going to be cut in rural and regional Queensland? What they’re not saying is where those cuts are going to be made and when you’ve got massive school shortages, particularly in rural and regional areas, that’s going to have a dramatic effect on those economies.

Fanning: Thank you so much for being so generous with your time.

Assistant Minister: Thanks, Ellen.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Today’s National Accounts show an uptick in annual economic growth and a stronger and broader private sector recovery.

Growth in the private sector is picking up pace, powered by the strongest growth in private investment in almost five years.

The biggest story in the National Accounts is the very strong growth in business investment and investment in homes.

This is a positive and promising result and shows we’ve made a lot of progress together in our economy.

Australia’s economy grew 0.4 per cent in the September quarter, to be 2.1 per cent higher through the year.

In annual terms, this was the fastest growth in two years.

Growth and private sector activity are picking up, unemployment is low, participation is high, more people are in jobs and real wages are growing.

This is the only quarter on record where the economy has had annual growth above two per cent, the unemployment rate had a four in front of it and participation was more than two thirds of the working age population.

While Australia is not immune to heightened global uncertainty and people are still under the pump, we’re well placed to manage the challenges coming at us from around the world.

Since we were elected, employment growth has been much stronger than any major advanced economy.

Our annual growth was among the fastest of any major advanced economy.

And the OECD outlook report released overnight forecasts the Australian economy to grow faster than any major advanced economy for the next two years.

New private final demand grew 1.2 per cent in the quarter to be 3.1 per cent higher through the year.

Private demand has now contributed more to growth than public demand for four consecutive quarters.

In just a year, annual private demand growth has lifted more than five‑fold and it has contributed to all the economic growth over the past year.

At the same time, annual public demand growth is less than a third of what it was a year ago.

New public final demand grew 1.1 per cent in the quarter and 1.5 per cent over the year.

The most encouraging aspect of today’s data is that private sector growth was powered by strong growth in investment.

Private investment recorded the fastest quarterly growth in almost half a decade, contributing 0.5 of a percentage point to growth in the quarter.

From data centres to renewable energy, machinery and new technology, businesses are investing, that’s driving the private sector recovery and underpinning encouraging growth in Australia’s economy.

New business investment grew 3.4 per cent in the quarter, to be 3.8 per cent higher through the year.

While there can be lumpiness quarter to quarter, the quarterly pick up in business investment was driven by machinery and equipment investment, including data centres, which was up 7.5 per cent in the quarter.

Since we came to office, new business investment has grown by an annualised average of 3.9 per cent, compared to negative 1.3 per cent growth under our predecessors.

Investment in new housing supply is another really positive part of the story in this National Accounts.

We’re incentivising investment in housing and fast‑tracking approvals for new projects, our efforts are making a meaningful difference, and we see that in today’s figures.

We have now seen dwelling investment grow for seven consecutive quarters, the longest consecutive period in a decade.

Dwelling investment grew 1.8 per cent in the quarter to be 6.5 per cent higher through the year.

When we came to office, dwelling investment was going backwards by 3.6 per cent in annual terms, but this data shows that housing investment is turning around under Labor.

Unlocking more investment in housing is one of our highest priorities and the National Accounts show the progress we’re making together.

While we know quarterly movements can be volatile and the job is far from over, productivity has continued to grow.

Productivity lifted for the fourth consecutive quarter, up 0.2 per cent in the three months to September and in annual terms is growing at 0.8 per cent, consistent with the 20‑year average.

Market sector productivity was up 1.1 per cent through the year.

We’ve already delivered important reforms to make our economy more productive and we’re maintaining momentum, with a sustained effort across government.

Consumption grew 0.5 per cent in the quarter and was up 2.5 per cent through the year. However, the quarterly number was around half the 0.9 per cent recorded in the previous quarter.

Consumption was driven by essential spending, which grew 1.0 per cent while discretionary spending fell 0.2 per cent.

The saving ratio lifted to 6.4 per cent, up from 6.0 per cent in the previous quarter.

Boosting wages and living standards is central to our economic plan and today’s figures to show people are earning more under Labor.

When we came to office, real per capita incomes were going badly backwards, falling 1.5 per cent.

Real household gross disposable income per capita grew 0.5 per cent in the quarter, to be 2.1 per cent higher through the year.

The latest OECD data shows that real per capita incomes in Australia grew faster than any major advanced economy over the past year.

The progress we’ve made in real incomes reflects a combination of lower inflation, solid wage and income growth, Labor’s tax cuts for every taxpayer and three interest rate cuts this year.

Compensation of employees grew by 1.7 per cent in the quarter, to be 7.1 per cent higher through the year. This has seen the wage share of income rise to 54.2 per cent from below 50 per cent before we came to office.

As the three rate cuts this year continue to flow through household budgets, mortgage interest costs are falling. Mortgage interest costs have fallen by around $2.1 billion since the end of last year.

Net exports detracted 0.1 of a percentage point from growth in the quarter, partly reflecting that much of the data centre and technology investment is imported.

Inventories detracted 0.5 of a percentage point from growth in the quarter, as they were drawn down to meet export demand for coal.

Today’s data shows that when it comes to growing our economy, building more homes, incentivising investment and boosting wages and incomes, we are making a lot of progress together.

We know there’s more work to do and people are still under pressure, which is why we’re rolling out cost‑of‑living relief and getting on with our ambitious economic reform agenda.

The best way to improve living standards and continue to get more growth into the future is to make our economy more productive and resilient and our budget more sustainable and that’s our focus.

Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

3 December 2025

Who does this notice affect?

All Self-Assessed Clearance (SAC) clients/brokers/reporters who receive DoNotReply@agriculture.gov.au emails from the Biosecurity Integrated Information System (BIIS) Import Management System (IMS).

What has changed?

From 27 February 2026, the email address used by BIIS to send automated system notifications will change.

What is…

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

The Albanese Government is supporting a stronger, more inclusive Indo-Pacific through a new $50 million flagship initiative – Stronger Movements, Stronger Futures.

Stronger Movements, Stronger Futures will strengthen national, regional, and global disability rights movements – ensuring people with disability are at the centre of policy and decision-making.

Supporting disability rights movements is a key priority under the Albanese Government’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, released in November 2024.

Australia has a proud history of supporting disability equity and rights through our development program. This new initiative is Australia’s largest ever international investment dedicated to disability, reaffirming our global leadership in this sector.

Through this investment, Australia will partner with three leading organisations of people with disability – the International Disability Alliance, Pacific Disability Forum, and ASEAN Disability Forum.

Today’s announcement coincides with International Day of People with Disability.

Quotes attributable to Foreign Minister Penny Wong: 

“One year on from launching Australia’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, we are deepening our engagement with organisations led by and for people with disability – powerful advocates for change and key partners for creating real outcomes.

“Stronger Movements, Stronger Futures empowers people with disability to lead change – removing barriers and creating opportunities for full and equal participation in society.

“Improving outcomes and advancing rights for people with disability reflects Australia’s values and strengthens our region.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for International Development Anne Aly:

“Disability equity benefits everyone. Inclusive societies are more peaceful and cohesive, and have greater potential for economic growth.

“People with disability are expertly placed to shape the policies and programs that impact them. This investment will ensure people with disability are at the centre of decision-making, from the very onset.

“Too often people with disability aren’t seen, or their needs are treated as an afterthought. Inclusion shouldn’t be an add on, it should be central to how decisions are made.”

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has extradited and charged a man in relation to a suspicious death in Bakewell.

On Saturday 12 September 2020, a 43-year-old woman was located deceased at a residence in Bakewell in suspicious circumstances.

A crime scene was declared, and a report was prepared for the Northern Territory Coroner.

An inquest into her death was held from the 17-21 June 2024.

A referral was made to the Commissioner of Police after the formal findings were handed down.

Following continued investigations, the Northern Territory Police Force can now confirm that last week, the 44-year-old former partner of the deceased was arrested in Victoria, charged with one count of Murder, and has been extradited back to the Northern Territory.

He was further remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court tomorrow.

Source: Australian Capital Territory – State Government

Source: Tasmania Police

Police investigate firearms incident at Rokeby

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 – 10:02 am.

Police are investigating an incident involving a firearm in Rokeby on Tuesday evening.
Authorities were called to the scene on Hart Place shortly before 8:30pm, after a man was reportedly shot in the leg.
He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A crime scene was declared and police began searching the area for two people of interest, believed to be young males who had fled on foot in the direction of Burtonia Street.
At this stage the males have not been located. Initial inquiries indicate the broader community is not at risk.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact South East CIB on 131 444 (reference ESCAD 373-02122025).

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

The ACCC will not oppose Igneo Infrastructure Partners’ proposed acquisition of Benedict Recycling Pty Ltd, following a change to the transaction addressing the ACCC’s preliminary competition concerns.

Igneo manages the infrastructure fund which owns Integrated Waste Services (IWS) and operates under the Recycle Central brand in New South Wales. IWS and Benedict Recycling overlap in the supply of building and demolition (B&D) waste processing services in New South Wales’s Newcastle region.

In September 2025, the ACCC expressed strong preliminary competition concerns that the proposed acquisition was likely to substantially lessen competition in the supply of mixed B&D waste processing services in the Newcastle region.

“IWS and Benedict Recycling are each other’s closest competitors in the area, and there are limited alternatives to IWS and Benedict Recycling for customers to choose from,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams said.

“We were concerned that in its original form, the proposed acquisition would have led to higher prices or reduced service quality for those seeking to dispose of mixed B&D waste in the Newcastle region.”

After the ACCC’s preliminary concerns were outlined in its Statement of Issues, and following further engagement with the ACCC, the merger parties restructured the transaction to exclude Benedict Recycling’s Newcastle Recycling Centre in Mayfield West, including its assets, staff and equipment, from the transaction.

Under the revised transaction, the Newcastle Recycling Centre will be retained by the existing owners of Benedict Recycling, and it will continue to operate as an independent facility for customers such as waste collectors.

“Having reviewed this restructured transaction, we are of the view that the proposed acquisition is now unlikely to result in a substantial lessening of competition,” Dr Williams said.

More information is available on the ACCC’s public register at Igneo Infrastructure Partners – Benedict Recycling Pty Ltd.

Note to editors

B&D waste is material generated from the demolition, construction or renovation of residential and commercial buildings, civil projects or infrastructure development. B&D waste is non-putrescible (or ‘solid’), meaning it contains primarily non-organic materials that may or may not be recyclable.

Mixed B&D waste is a subcategory of B&D waste which involves materials that have not been segregated. Mixed B&D waste may involve materials such as bricks, concrete, timber, glass, plastic, plasterboard, ceramics, metal, paper and cardboard. Producers of mixed B&D waste typically engage waste collectors to dispose of it. These waste collectors commonly supply skip bins and operate trucks to collect the waste.

Background

Igneo proposes to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of Benedict Recycling. Prior to this acquisition taking place, the assets, staff and equipment of the Newcastle Recycling Centre will be transferred to a new company which will be owned and operated by the current owners of Benedict Recycling.

Igneo is an unlisted infrastructure asset management business of the First Sentier Investors Group, an Australian asset manager with more than $222 billion in funds under management (as at 30 June 2024). First Sentier Investors Group is ultimately owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Igneo manages an infrastructure fund that owns IWS, a waste management business with operations in Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales. IWS provides a range of waste management services including resource recovery, commercial composting, and disposal.

IWS owns Recycle Central Group (Recycle Central), a waste management business that provides waste collection, disposal and processing services for B&D and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste. Recycle Central operates two facilities in Greater Newcastle:

• a large-scale waste processing facility, located in Kurri Kurri, 38 km from the Newcastle CBD; and
• a waste transfer station located in Cardiff (in central Newcastle).

In the Newcastle region, Recycle Central offers collection services under the brands ‘Central Skips’ and ‘Rentaskip’.

Benedict Recycling provides waste disposal and processing services for B&D, C&I, household and green waste across Greater Sydney (Belrose, Chipping Norton and Smeaton Grange), Bowral, Unanderra and Newcastle.

In Newcastle, Benedict Recycling operates a processing facility in Mayfield West, close to the centre of Newcastle.

Benedict Recycling does not operate a waste collection business.

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

The City of Greater Bendigo is calling on residents from our small township communities to submit their ideas for the City to apply for funding through the Victorian Governments Tiny Towns Grant Program.

City of Greater Bendigo Director, Healthy Communities and Environments, Jess Howard, said the City want to hear from residents who live in Greater Bendigo’s small townships about their ideas for projects that could be funded through the program.

“Whether it’s a project to improve local spaces, celebrate culture, or strengthen community connections, your ideas matter,” Jess Howard said.

“By working together, we can make our local small towns even better places to live.”

Small township residents can submit their ideas through the City’s community engagement website Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo by Sunday January 4, 2026.

To meet the grant criteria the townships are required to be non-urban areas of Greater Bendigo and have a population of less than 5,000.

Eligible projects could include:

• Improvements to local parks, playgrounds, or community spaces
• Initiatives that celebrate culture and heritage
• Activities that strengthen community connections
• Small-scale infrastructure that benefits residents

All submissions will be assessed against the grant guidelines and the City’s strategies and policies to ensure project ideas align with community priorities and deliver the best outcomes for Greater Bendigo.

To submit an idea, please visit: