Category: MIL-OSI

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New grants to support social enterprise

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

A student in the sewing program at Harvest Hope Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A new ACT Government program is set to support established and start-up social enterprises in Canberra.

Delivered by Canberra social enterprise advisory intermediary, The Mill House Ventures, the Social Enterprise Grants Program is now open and closes 19 January 2024.

The grants provide matched funding from $10,000 to $30,000 to support businesses like Lolendo Collections, which was started by two Canberra locals to fund their charity, Harvest Hope Africa.

**Trigger warning**:

Teachers Rebecca and Patrick Lubilanji spent a decade living and working together in Africa before moving to Canberra.

Patrick was raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After spending time working in a rape crisis centre in 2017, the pair established Harvest Hope Africa to help give girls a voice and to achieve a better life.

“The girls we support are often displaced, traumatised, very poor, and their family and friends have rejected them after becoming pregnant as a result of rape,” Rebecca said.

“Girls as young as 11 years old had nowhere to go, no real chance of finishing school or a way to create a means to take care of themselves or their newborns.

“We had already started a school in Tanzania, we knew the culture, the language and had networks on the ground, so Harvest Hope Africa was the next step.” As if running a charity wasn’t enough on top of their full-time teaching roles, Rebecca and Patrick founded a new social enterprise in 2022. They started Lolendo Collections as a revenue producing stream to help fund their charity.

“After three years running the charity, we needed a more consistent way to generate revenue aside from donations.

“We didn’t know how or where to start which is when a friend told us about The Mill House Ventures.

“They were absolutely incredible!” Rebecca said.

“They guided us each step of the way, from product idea testing to viability, and the right legal structure for our social enterprise.”

That idea was to bring the colour and beauty of African fabrics and prints to a western fashion with Lolendo Collections.

Rebecca handmakes all Lolendo items, using the proceeds from sales to help fund their charity programs.

“We have a sewing program in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to help upskill the girls,” she said.

“Some are as young as 12, so we help them finish school before moving them onto the sewing program.

“We’ve had girls say, that you won’t just learn how to sew in the program, you’ll learn how to believe in yourself again.

“With their sewing skills they’re able to set-up their own businesses or find work and start providing for themselves and their children.”

Rebecca explained that Lolendo also means pride in the local Lingala language.

“These girls have nothing, they’re deeply traumatised, shy and lacking self-worth and confidence. With the program we’re helping these girls build confidence and pride and hope for a future for themselves and their children.”

As for what’s next for Lolendo and the charity, Rebecca said their Lolendo goals are to move online, build their Etsy sales and reach beyond Canberra.

“With the charity, we hope to use the revenue from Lolendo to help fund a new program for upskilling women in hospitality. We also want to increase salaries of our staff working in the charity in Africa,” she said.

Rebecca and Patrick were part of The Mill House Ventures 2023 GRIST Program. The Mill House Ventures is a social enterprise advisory helping social enterprises across Canberra and the region bring their ideas to life.

3 practical tips from Rebecca and Patrick on how to start a social enterprise

  1. Be brave – go with your heart. Whatever vision you have to help your society, local or beyond Canberra, you can help make our society better.
  2. Find advisers – like The Mill House who have expertise you need to set yourself up properly, including lawyers and accountants etc.
  3. Be informed – make sure research how to run a business, do product research including testing the viability of your product.

The Social Enterprise Grants Program is now open and closes on 19 January. To apply for a grant, visit the ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program – Business and Innovation website.

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Ten free or low-cost ways to get active in Canberra

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Canberra has plenty of shared paths for cycling, running and walking.

Want to move more without spending more?

Here are 10 ideas for increasing your activity levels while spending little to no extra money.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better city for running. Canberra boasts beautiful scenery and plenty of footpaths weaving through the city.

No matter which side of the lake you live on, there’s a beautiful route near you.

The bridge-to-bridge run around Lake Burley Griffin is a popular choice. Lake Ginninderra and Lake Tuggeranong are also great options.

Read the Canberran’s guide to running.

Hiking/bushwalking

All the above routes are excellent for walking, as are mountains including Mount Ainslie, Mount Taylor and Mount Majura.

To really make the most of the outdoors, why not visit one of the ACT’s 90 parks? They range from urban parks to the great Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Outdoor fitness stations

There is free fitness equipment available across Canberra.

You’ll find most of them in public parks. Locations include:

  • John Knight Memorial Park
  • Theodore Neighbourhood Oval
  • Eddison District Park
  • Lake Ginninderra District Park
  • Haig Park
  • Lennox Gardens
  • Crace Community Recreation Park
  • Franklin Community Recreation Park
  • Moncrieff Community Recreation Park.

Our bike-friendly city offers an excellent network of shared paths and on-road bike lanes.

Incorporating bike riding into your daily commute is an environmentally friendly, affordable and easy way to increase your fitness.

Over 90 per cent of Transport Canberra buses have bike racks. There are also four bike racks in each light rail vehicle, so you can easily combine cycling with other transport methods.

You may have spotted the elevated metal baskets in parks across Canberra. These are part of a disc golf course and are available for public use.

Disc golf is like a cross between frisbee and golf using a flying discs.

There are courses in Belconnen’s John Knight Memorial Park, Eddison Park in Woden and Weston Park in Yarralumla.

Skateboarding

Whether you’re skating through the streets or doing tricks at a skatepark, skateboarding is a fun hobby that will keep you active.

There are seven major skate parks across Canberra suitable for all levels:

There are an additional 12 parks that offer skate features, so you’ll never be short of locations to practice.

If you like the idea of skating but aren’t quite ready to invest in a skateboard, you can drop into a free Learn to Skateboard session.

These are hosted by the Canberra Skateboarding Association with the help of local volunteer skateboarders.

Helmets and boards are provided, and all ages and experience levels are welcome.

Your local library might not be the first place you consider for trying out yoga, but perhaps it should be.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of yoga books available to borrow from Libraries ACT.

With this large collection, you can find a type of yoga to meet your needs, including:

  • Yoga for arthritis
  • Yoga for people over 40
  • Yoga for pregnancy
  • Yoga for beginners
  • Yoga for children
  • Yoga for the inflexible male.

There are also e-books, audio books and DVDs available to borrow.

Northside Community Service also run free community yoga classes at the Salthouse Community Centre in Braddon.

The classes run for five weeks at a time.

Find out more and register your interest.

Many of Canberra’s tennis clubs are private and require a fee. However, some of Canberra’s parks do have tennis courts and tennis practice walls.

You can find tennis facilities at:

  • Crace Community Recreation Park
  • Franklin Community Recreation Park
  • Kambah District Park
  • Moncrieff Community Recreation Park.

Game On is a program run by the Physical Activity Foundation and supported by the ACT Government.

The initiative is run in suburbs across the ACT to get as many Canberrans participating as possible.

It is free and family-friendly, and includes activities like walking, ball skills, bike skills, navigation and athletics.

Dog walking

If you’re someone who needs a friend to keep you accountable to your exercise goals, there is no one better for the job than a dog.

Your furry friend needs to stay as active just as much as you do, and upping your walks  together is sure to get their tail wagging.

Find ideas for where to take your dog for exercise and socialisation.

If you don’t have your own dog, and aren’t ready to commit to adopting one, you could volunteer at Domestic Animal Services.

You need to have previous experience with dogs, and you’ll need to undertake some training.

It’s a great way to help some hounds and increase your activity levels.

Bonus entry: find a sport

Archery, pickleball, boxing, jujitsu… there are so many sporting groups in the ACT.

Canberra’s sporting community is large, inclusive and always looking for new members.

Many sporting organisations host ‘come and try’ days or similar programs where you can get a taste of the sport before committing to a season.

It also includes a list of specific sports/organisations for people with a disability.

Read more like this:

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Five free ways to stay entertained at home

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

There are digital entertainment options for all ages and tastes.

Like many Canberrans, you may have entered 2024 with a goal of learning something new or developing a skill.

Or perhaps you’re looking for a way to save some dollars.

Maybe you’ve got the kids at home and you’re running out of ways to keep them busy.

Or, you’ve watched just about everything and are looking for something fresh.

Enter our hero: your Libraries ACT card.

You already know that your membership allows you to borrow physical books (not to mention, films, music and magazines). However, you may not be aware that it also includes a range of digital resources you can access for free from your home.

Here’s how to make the most of your library membership.

Get crafty

Creativebug is an online platform with thousands of award-winning art and craft video classes.

Learn to draw, create an accordion book, knit a pair of socks… the choices are endless. There are classes for kids and adults across topics like food and home, jewellery, art and design and paper.

Take a one-off class on a rainy day or start a 30-day creative challenge.

On-demand video classes mean you can take it at your own pace and create something special that matches your interest.

Go exploring

Check out a mangrove forest in Brazil or venture to an ancient cypress forest in central Florida – all without leaving your front door.

Your library membership gives you online access to National Geographic magazine (plus National Geographic History, National Geographic Traveler and National Geographic Kids).

There are more than 1,600 issues to explore. Each has breathtaking photography and high-quality journalism that’s sure to fill you with a sense of wonder.

The Nat Geo kids section also has videos, pictures and e-books.

Learn a language

Libraries ACT members have free access to Mango, a language learning platform with over 70 languages available.

There’s also LOTE4kids, where children can read books in languages other than English.

It’s not just international languages, either. Those learning English can access programs that can help with pronunciation, reading skills, writing and grammar.

There’s also Learn to IELTS to help people who are planning to take the International English Language Testing System.

Enjoy story time

If you’ve ever been to Giggle & Wiggle or Story Time at your local library, you’ll know just how popular these programs are with kids.

Luckily, both are available to watch on demand. Giggle and Wiggle is for children 0-2 years of age and their parents. It includes singing, dancing and sharing rhymes while boosting language development.

Story Time helps children learn pre-reading, listening and language skills.

Story Box Library is another free digital resource.

It’s a place for pre-school through to upper primary-aged children to watch stories read aloud by storytellers.

Watch a movie or show

Your membership includes access to Kanopy, a streaming service with over 45,000 films and TV series.

There’s something for every kind of viewer, including indie films, animation, world cinema, documentaries, classic films, new releases and series from BBC.

Kanopy Kids is the children’s version, with unlimited plays of enriching, educational and entertaining movies and shows.

Beamafilm is another streaming platform for movie lovers.

Libraries ACT members get eight movies or episodes per calendar month. This includes international cinema and Australasian stories.

Other digital resources include music streaming, newspapers and news, book recommendations, family history databases, games and activities, encyclopedias and much, much more.

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New EV fast chargers for Canberra’s north

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The new chargers in Casey are suitable for all types of EVs.

Four new electric vehicle (EV) charging bays are now at Casey Market Town.

Two DC fast chargers from Evie Networks power the charging bays.

They are the first DC chargers in Canberra’s north, with more to come later this year.

There have been 46 public EV charging bays installed in Canberra with support from the ACT Government since late 2022.

The ACT now has government-funded DC fast chargers at three locations. These include the Royal Australian Mint, Hotel Realm and Casey Market Town.

“Evie is excited to open the new EV charging site in Casey, doubling the number of Evie chargers in the Gungahlin region,” Chris Mills, Chief Executive Officer of Evie Networks said.

“Earmarked as Evie’s 200th site now live on their national charging network, Evie continues to invest in and improve network reliability, whilst also ensuring the sites are powered by 100% renewable energy.”

Combined with privately funded sites, there are 160 charging bays in the ACT, powered by 135 chargers.

The ACT Government has a goal of installing at least 180 public chargers by 2025.

The new chargers in Casey are suitable for all types of EVs. Both CCS2 and CHAdeMO plugs are available for public use. Their convenient location in Casey Market Town means drivers can charge their EV while shopping.

The ACT has had the highest uptake of EV ownership in Australia.

In 2023 alone, 17 per cent of all new vehicle registrations in the ACT were zero emissions vehicles. This number is expected to keep growing in 2024.

The ACT Government is supporting Canberrans with the transition to zero emissions vehicles through stamp duty exemptions, free registration, and interest free loans.

These incentives are part of the government’s aim to electrify the city’s transport system, transitioning away from fossil fuels towards its goal of net zero emissions by 2045.

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Community ideas to have big impact in Canberra suburbs

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Page shops is set to become more welcoming as a gathering place through the addition of new landscaping and a shade sail.

The winning ideas in the My Little Big Idea pilot have been announced.

Selected by each local community, these are a new community bike track in Richardson and a community-driven project to enhance local events in Page.

The ideas were selected following a participatory democracy process.

Residents in Page and Richardson were invited to submit their ideas, assess them and allow the community to vote for their preferred submission.

In Page, $40,000 will be provided to the Gathering Place and Community Market project.

Local businesses, the Belconnen Men’s Shed and community members will install and maintain new landscaping and a shade sail at the local shops precinct.

The project will make the space more welcoming as a gathering place and enhance community events, including a regular community market, already held at the shops precinct.

“Page can be proud of our already active and connected community, generously supported by local businesses,” Gordon Cooper of the Belconnen Men’s Shed said.

“The enhancements to the local shop precinct will mean the space will be more welcoming and accessible and we can hold more community events, for longer, with less concerns about the weather.”

In Richardson, $40,000 will be provided to construct and maintain a new dirt ‘pump’ track.

The project will be led and maintained by Richardson Primary School, with opportunities for the Richardson community to be involved in all stages of design and construction.

It will be built on public land and once open, will be available to the wider community to enjoy.

Planning support will be provided for the community-built track through the ACT Government’s Bumps and Berms program.

“We look forward to working with our students and community members to plan and design a bike track in the space behind our school. We also look forward to the new track connecting families in our community and offering an enjoyable fitness option for young people,” Principal of Richardson Primary School Anna Wilson said.

Both projects align with the pilot’s key goal of ‘making communities more connected and resilient’ and will be accessible to a range of community members and stakeholders.

The winning ideas will be funded and implemented in 2024.

This initiative to encourage neighbourhood democracy is a commitment under the 10th Parliamentary and Governing Agreement.

To learn more about this initiative and the winning ideas visit www.yoursayconversations.act.gov.au

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Take a culinary journey with our Best of CBR finalists!

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

If there is one thing we know for certain, it’s that Canberrans love their food.

Throughout the year, we asked Canberrans on the We Are CBR Instagram page to tell us the much-loved cafes and restaurants they go to when craving their favourite foods.  

From juicy burgers to smooth hot chocolate, flaky pastries and crunchy hot chips – these are the top-voted restaurants and cafes (in no particular order), as chosen by you.

Looking for fluffy bao buns?

Craving a juicy burger?

Looking for a succulent Chinese meal?

Hungry for some fish and chips?

A creamy hot chocolate is good for the soul!

Nothing is better than a bowl of hot chips (tomato sauce optional).

Date night doesn’t get much better than a meal at your favourite Italian restaurant:

Cool down this summer and grab an ice cream.

Bring out your inner chef at Korean BBQ.

Warm up with a big bowl of laksa.

Get your taco fix sorted at these Mexican restaurants.

Share a seafood paella at:

Slurp up some ramen at:

Grab a sandwich from:

Discover the art of sushi at its finest.

You can never go wrong with steak.

Sweet pastries make everything better, and these bakeries have the best of the best.

Go for the rice paper rolls, stay for the pho at Canberrans favourite Vietnamese.

Stay up to date with news and events in the ACT, sign up to our email newsletter: Subscribe to OurCBR

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New laws to protect ACT trees

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Architect Paul Tilse believes retaining mature trees can benefit a building project.

New tree protection laws came into effect on 1 January 2024, protecting more trees on both public and private land.

The bush capital identity that Canberra enjoys today is the result of a century of care and investment. But the landscape is facing new challenges – trees are aging, the climate is warming, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, and the population is growing.

Without the right rules in place, a more densely populated Canberra could end up with fewer trees, making our city less resilient to the impacts of climate change.

From 1 January 2024, the Urban Forest Act 2023 replaces the Tree Protection Act 2005 to improve tree protection on both public and private land.

The new laws:

  • classify all trees on public land as protected trees
  • reduce size requirements for protected trees on private land to 8 metres in height or canopy width
  • protect some dead native trees.

Every tree in Canberra, whether on public or private land, is part of the urban forest. To protect our urban forest, Canberrans will need to continue to apply for permission to work on or around any protected tree.

While it’s important all Canberrans understand the new measures, some professions will be essential to the  success of the new laws.

An architect’s perspective

Architect Paul Tilse believes retaining mature trees can benefit a building project.

ACT tree protection legislation has remained unchanged for most of his two-decade architectural career. The new laws will influence how he designs and gets approval for his projects. They will also see more built environment professionals designing to retain mature trees and employing the types of tree-sensitive measures that Paul uses with wide-ranging benefits.

“In terms of aesthetics, a house always looks more anchored into the landscape if there are mature trees around it, rather than just a blank site,” Paul said.

“Trees provide so many benefits to the occupants of the house. When there are existing trees on a block, we look at the trees’ locations, size and appearance to determine how we want to use them in our design.

“In summer, trees provide great shading… Mature trees dramatically reduce the need for air conditioning,” he said.

“I think generally people like more trees. It’s really just a matter of how you work with them to create a successful project.”

An arborist’s perspective

Arborist Ryan Winefield also recognises the benefits of the new laws.

He hopes Canberrans will see trees as assets worth preserving, rather than as obstacles.

“The new rules say that you can’t remove a tree over a certain size without approval. Basically, by reducing the size of the trees that are now protected, more trees will be protected,” Ryan said.

“Whether it be developers, whether it be builders, whether it be the homeowners, the new rules will make people stop and think. Can they remove that tree if they want to, or can they just prune it? If they really must remove a tree, how can new trees enhance their project?

“I think generally Canberrans are going to appreciate the impacts of the new tree protection rules. The rules are going to allow us to stay the Bush Capital,” he said.

To find out more about the new tree protection laws, visit act.gov.au/treeprotection

Arborist Ryan Winefield recognises the benefits of the new tree protection laws.

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New laws in the ACT for 2024

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Boosting the city’s night-time economy is one of the main purposes of the new laws.

New tree protection laws, a ban on heavyweight and boutique plastic bags and changes to the hospitality sector to improve night-time economy took effect from 1 January 2024.

Plastic bags

The ACT Government has introduced a ban on all single-use shopping bags that are made fully or partially of plastic. This includes soft plastic bags greater than 35 microns in thickness, and bags made from plastic-laminated paper or cardboard.

The Government will monitor exemptions which will apply for certain plastic bags:

  1. bags without handles
  1. unsealed bags used to package perishable food such as fruit or cooked poultry
  1. shopping bags made of nylon, polyester or woven polypropylene
  1. non-woven polypropylene bags with a minimum weight of 90g/m² with sewn seams.

The ban follows the phase out of other single-use plastic items which have been introduced in three stages since July 2021. These include:

  1. single-use plastic plates and bowls
  1. expanded polystyrene loose fill packaging and expanded polystyrene trays
  1. plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care and cleaning products
  1. single-use plastic straws (with exemptions for those who need them)
  1. cotton buds with plastic sticks
  1. all oxo-degradable plastics – these are often used in products like dog waste bags and rubbish bags and can be labelled as degradable
  1. single-use plastic cutlery
  1. single-use plastic stirrers
  1. expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers
  1. single-use plastic shopping bags at or below 35 micrometres in thickness.

Tree protection

New tree protection laws under the Urban Forest Act 2023 also took effect from 1 January 2024 to provide a stronger legal framework to protect, grow and manage Canberra’s trees.

The new laws not only retain Canberra’s leafy character, but make it more resilient to a changing climate by reducing the urban heat island effect.

The new laws protect more trees by:

  1. classifying all public trees as protected
  1. reducing the size requirements for protected trees on private land from 12 metres to 8 metres in height or canopy width
  1. classifying dead native trees with a circumference of 1.88m or more as protected to provide essential habitat elements for local fauna
  1. encouraging existing trees to be retained, including introducing new requirements to ensure trees that have to be approved to be removed are replaced or, where new planting is not possible, a financial contribution to support tree planting elsewhere
  1. introducing a tree bond system to ensure trees are not damaged during construction work as our city continues to grow
  1. expanding the ACT Tree Register which celebrates and protects our most significant trees.
  1. improving compliance provisions, for example, the introduction of penalties for people caught damaging a tree or breaching a tree protection plan or direction.

If a protected tree is eligible and approved for removal, the applicant will be required to enter into a canopy contribution agreement with the ACT Government.

This disincentivises developers to remove trees in the first place. If trees have to be removed, it ensures that the canopy cover is replaced, either onsite or through a financial contribution to grow the canopy across Canberra.

The agreement sets out:

  1. how many replacement trees are to be planted on the block to replace those removed, and
  1. if some or all of the trees cannot be planted, what financial contribution is required to grow and enhance our urban forest.

Information sessions with industry were held last year to help educate stakeholders on the changes and the ACT Government will continue to engage with key stakeholders this year.

Night-time economy

In addition, changes have been introduced to further enhance the ACT’s nighttime economy and foster a more vibrant hospitality sector.

From 1 January 2024, the ACT Government is:

  1. automatically allowing smaller licensed restaurants and cafes to trade until 2am
  1. reducing liquor licensing fees for smaller restaurants, cafes, bars and general licences
  1. removing the requirement for general licensed businesses to have separate areas for the sale of liquor for on-premises and off-premises consumption.

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Light rail green track prototype complete

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Canberrans can view the prototype at the National Arboretum and see how future light rail tracks will look.

A prototype for a new type of light rail track made from grass and other low-lying plants is now complete.

Part of the Light Rail Stage 2A City to Commonwealth Park project, the prototype is available for Canberrans to view at the National Arboretum.

The green track prototype will inform the final green track design, construction and maintenance approach to be used on Light Rail Stage 2A.

The ACT Government’s vision for Stage 2A includes three sections of green track, along with improved landscaping and road design.

This will help create high-quality, sustainable streets in Canberra’s city centre.

On a green track, the light rail line sits within a bed of specially selected grass or plants instead of concrete.

This helps counter the urban heat island effect and reduces glare, absorbs more rainwater and contributes to noise reduction.

The prototype will grow and test the green track plantings at the Arboretum, to simulate the environment where the future light rail track slab will be in the city.

The light rail track prototype is being used to test various features, and over the course of the year, as it establishes and matures, will provide insights into the best landscaping treatment for the project.

The trees slated for installation during Stage 2A construction are currently being grown on, and will be larger than those in the prototype currently, being closer to 8 metres tall at the time of their planting on Commonwealth Avenue.

Along Northbourne Avenue, the final green track will be planted with a low-lying species.

It will contribute to the overall landscape design of Northbourne Place.

Another green track will be located on London Circuit in front of the Melbourne Building.

The planting will be mirrored in the median in front of the Sydney Building, maintaining symmetry around the two heritage buildings.

A green track section will also feature on the Commonwealth Avenue median to maintain consistency along the highly significant avenue.

The prototype process ensures the selected grass, groundcover and tree species will flourish year-round in Canberra’s climate.

Different turf mixes and irrigation systems will be tested through rigorous stress in different temperatures and soil types.

The 20-metre by 30-metre prototype includes sections of steel rail and the infrastructure required to support light rail track, such as concrete substructures and a vehicle location system.

The prototype also includes supporting infrastructure that will be applied to the final project including retaining walls and other finishes.

Canberrans can view the prototype at the National Arboretum to see how future light rail tracks will look along the City to Commonwealth Park alignment when it opens in 2028.

If you’re heading to the Arboretum to see the prototype, the best place to park is in the main car park near the Village Centre and walk through past the Gallery of Gardens.

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Humanitarian assistance to Myanmar

Source: Australia’s climate in 2024: 2nd warmest and 8th wettest year on record

Australia will provide an initial $2 million to Myanmar through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for immediate humanitarian relief following Friday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating event, which only adds to an already-dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar.

It has caused extensive damage to infrastructure and loss of life in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, as well as in surrounding regions, with hospitals overwhelmed. Neighbouring countries, including Thailand, have also been impacted.

Australia’s support will assist ICRC to carry out immediate lifesaving support including to address emergency medical needs.

Australia also welcomes the release of US$5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support urgent needs such as shelter, food and water. Australia is a longstanding donor to the CERF.

The ongoing crisis in Myanmar is a major threat to stability in our region. Australia continues to provide support in response to the worsening humanitarian situation.

Australia does not provide any direct funding to the military regime and takes proactive steps to ensure our assistance does not legitimise the military regime in Myanmar.