Source:
We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution due to crime, protests and the risk of landmines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unexploded landmines remain a danger. Stay on main roads and avoid isolated mountain areas. Travel in daylight.
Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority
As we work to build the universal early childhood education and care system that works for families and gives children the best start in life, children’s wellbeing and quality early education and care is the top priority.
The Albanese Labor Government is taking action to crack down on unscrupulous early childhood education and care providers and strengthen integrity across the care economy.
Overwhelmingly, children in early childhood education and care are well looked after and the vast majority of providers prioritising child safety and wellbeing.
However, we know that there are a very small number of providers doing the wrong thing – and when it comes to children’s best interests one dodgy operator is too many.
While state and territory governments are responsible for ensuring early childhood providers are meeting minimum standards and operating within the Education and Care National Law, the Commonwealth is able to leverage its significant investment in the sector to improve quality and penalise the small number of providers doing the wrong thing.
The Albanese Government will strengthen Commonwealth regulatory and enforcement powers to deal with providers that put profit over quality and child safety at risk by exploring measures to:
The Albanese Government will consult closely with the sector and with states and territories to ensure these changes don’t negatively impact families and quality providers, only targeting the small number of providers doing the wrong thing.
Unfortunately, when a dodgy operator is detected and removed from one part of the national care economy they sometimes pop up as an operator in another care sector.
To stamp this out the Albanese Labor Government will also investigate stronger cross-sector banning order arrangements to stop people who have breached safety and quality standards in one part of the care economy from operating in other care sectors.
The Commonwealth will work closely with state and territory governments to put these strengthened arrangements in place.
The Albanese Labor Government is undertaking significant reform across the early childhood education and care sector to build a system where children have universal access to high quality early learning.
These reforms are being informed by a number or reports and reviews, along with input from families, the sector and experts.
To learn more about these reforms visit education.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/building-universal-early-education-and-care-system
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly:
“There’s no room for any dodgy operators in our early childhood education and care sector or in any part of the care sector.
“We’re taking swift and divisive action to ensure child safety and improve quality and in the early childhood education sector. I expect state and territory governments to fulfill their regulatory obligations and ensure early childhood education services in their jurisdictions are meeting our world leading quality standards.
“We know that the overwhelming majority of services and people in the sector do the right thing, but if you’re failing to deliver quality and safe early childhood education you shouldn’t have access to government funding and you shouldn’t be working in the sector.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth:
“If you’ve done the wrong thing in one part of the care sector, we are going to stop you taking advantage of people in any other area.
“We don’t want to see dodgy providers in the care economy simply pop up in another.
“Cross-sector banning orders will help enable coordination and flexibility in preventing banned entities from operating in other parts of the care economy and I look forward to working with states and territories to make them a reality.”
Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency
STEVE MARTIN: It’s a bit of a rare thing these days where we spend this half hour of the program talking to politicians back to back, but we’re going to do that today. Catherine King is the federal member for Ballarat and also the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, and is with us this morning to talk about last night’s Federal Budget.
Catherine King, good morning. Welcome.
CATHERINE KING: Good morning. I’m not sure your listeners will thank you for too many politicians back to back there, but there you go.
STEVE MARTIN: It was my gentle reminder that we don’t do this often, but we have to do this today. It is circumstance.
CATHERINE KING: It is post-Budget day, yes.
STEVE MARTIN: Post-Budget day and leading into an election at some point. I won’t ask you again when that’s going to be. What I do want to know, Catherine King, is from this Budget, it doesn’t sound like there was anything new for your electorate or Western Victoria more generally, other than the overall things, such as the tax cuts that have taken a few by surprise. So is there any extra in there for Western Victoria that isn’t already on the table?
CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So what Budgets do is account for both decisions that we’ve already announced before the Budget and then any new initiatives. And obviously, last night the single biggest new initiative was the tax cuts. So every single Ballarat, Western Victorian taxpayer will receive an additional tax cut. And whilst they’re – and they are solely focused on how can we continue to help with cost of living pressure, trying to keep costs down, but also make sure people keep more of what they earn and that’s what they’re focused on building on the tax cuts of previous Budgets. Of course, what the Budget accounts for then is the significant investments that we’re making in Sunshine Station, for example. And I think that sort of – it’s gone – it hasn’t been spoken enough about, but in essence, what Sunshine Station does is detangle the regional rail and the other rail lines that are coming in there, builds almost the Southern Cross of the west, and then allows for airport rail to happen. It will see significant improvements for regional rail services that come through Sunshine and then head on to Southern Cross Station, which will still continue to happen. But it means we get our own –basically our own dedicated line through and our own dedicated platform. So that’s a good thing.
It accounts for the money, obviously for the Western Highway, the $1.1 billion. And of course, there is already a billion dollars that is already being invested from the border down to the Ballarat. And that money and those programs – projects continue. But what we’ve also noticed and known is that we’ve had this huge housing growth down around Caroline Springs, Melton and the highway is just not keeping up with demand. And if you’re driving, you know, during peak hour or trying to get home, that is a really congested part. And so we’re trying to resolve that. And then obviously the issue we’ve had in Ballarat around Brewery Tap Roads is starting to get the detailed design work really finalised for that project, and it’s kick started.
STEVE MARTIN: So most of that is city spend, but regional benefit for our purposes. There has been criticism that the federal government hasn’t committed enough to regional roads, for example, that most of the money has been going into metropolitan areas. And this Budget doesn’t address that in any way that hasn’t already been addressed as you’ve just outlined. So what do you say in response to that?
CATHERINE KING: Well, I’m really proud of our record on regional roads. As I just said, there’s already a billion dollars that is committed to the Western Highway. For example, in – you know, in our rural and regional areas, I was out on the weekend announcing $54 million for 32 regional and rural level road crossing treatments, $13 million for local government road projects across the entire state. One of the things that really shocked me when I first came to government was that the previous government had cut money for maintenance of our national highways, the vast majority of which are in our regions. We have fixed that. We’ve re-indexed – so, re-indexed the maintenance money, but also then backdated it. So all that missing gap, that hole of money that was there has been paid back to states. So that’s now allowing states to really improve their road maintenance on our regional highways as they go through the regions.
And of course I have doubled Roads to Recovery money. So instead of using a colour coded spreadsheet to say one council gets $40 million or $100 million to seal their roads, which is what the previous government did – there are councils that got substantial money just on their own – every single council in the country now gets- will now get double the amount of road money. And they are those local roads that, you know, farmers are getting their produce to market on, people are driving every day to get to work or to get to their families. And I am really proud of that commitment. And the vast majority of our councils are in our regions.
STEVE MARTIN: Some of the reaction to the Budget has been around the energy rebate, and questions as to why it hasn’t been means tested. Now, I know some politicians have raised this, but also listeners. I’ve been watching the SMS system this morning. That’s being raised about means testing for the energy rebate. While people welcome it, many people think it should be more targeted. So is it a misstep not to means-test it?
CATHERINE KING: We looked at this last time when we obviously provided the $350 million. The way in which we are delivering it is through the energy companies themselves. And so dropping that off your bills. The difficulty we had if you administer something based on income is that, you know, energy companies obviously don’t know their individual customers’ incomes. So that’s – and nor should they. So the most efficient way for us to deliver it is the way that we’ve done it. It actually costs quite a bit of money to do it the different way, and that’s really why it’s just more efficient to do it. We understand there may be people who say, I don’t deserve an energy relief. You know, I think that is a matter for people to think about. But really that’s the – it was the most efficient way to deliver it. That’s basically the reason we’ve done it that way. And it was the same with the 350 million. We had to deliver it that way because it’s basically cheaper for government to deliver it that way. It would have cost us money to do it any other way.
STEVE MARTIN: Catherine King, I know you have appointments you have to get to shortly, so I won’t go for too long. But just in relation to the HECS debt, one thing I would like to ask you, and this is in relation to regional universities, particularly Federation University, you’ve offered more HECS debt relief for people with a debt. Is there also an ability or a change to the way people will accumulate HECS debt? Because that seems to be a resistant force for young people to go to university, not wanting to acquire that debt in the first place. And as I say, I ask this in light of Fed University and the fortunes of other regional universities.
CATHERINE KING: Well, a couple of things. We’ve already passed legislation that looked at the way in which the sort of interest rate was applied to HECS debt, and that’s had a significant impact already, and this obviously new commitment around cutting the student debt by 20 per cent. In terms of the incentives, and I think one of the really big things you’ve got to remember, Federation University, we are very lucky is a dual sector university, and as a dual sector university, a large proportion of the students who are going there are TAFE students. So fee free TAFE has been an absolute game changer. I meet people right the way across our communities who are mature aged students who’ve gone back and are retraining in the building sector, childcare workers, aged care workers who are getting now qualifications that they couldn’t afford to. And I think if you ask Federation Uni, they will tell you that TAFE is going gangbusters.
Obviously through the universities accord, there is significant work being done around university funding and governance structures and we’ll continue that work if we’re privileged enough to form government at the next election.
STEVE MARTIN: Just finally on that wage cut, the tax breaks that were getting. ACOSS put out a press release saying: astounded, more dollars for everyone except those with the least. And there’s an SMS that says nothing in this Budget regarding homelessness. Has your side of politics ignored those who are facing the most challenges with the cost of living crisis?
CATHERINE KING: Not at all. And I think that what we’ve done, one, you know, if you remember, we’re the only government who actually – we increased the base rate, both of JobSeeker. We have had two increases to Commonwealth rent assistance, and we have the single largest investment in building new social and affordable homes through the Housing Australia Future Fund. There is a $33 billion program to actually get and help social community housing providers to actually build more homes. That has been the really big thing that we’ve got. We just do not have enough homes being built, particularly in that social sector, what we used to call public housing; getting that done, and we’ve delivered that. We’ve delivered increases to funding to the states for homelessness services as well through our partnership agreements. So there is always more to do, always more that you can do. And Budgets are about trying to do what we can to provide relief right the way across the community.
But the other thing I’d say, the really significant investment we’re making in making medicines cheaper is a really – again, about helping the most vulnerable in our community, people who are really highly dependent on our Medicare system through our urgent care clinics, making sure we’re improving bulk billing. They are really important services for vulnerable people.
STEVE MARTIN: Catherine King, thanks for your time.
CATHERINE KING: Really good to be with you, Steve.
STEVE MARTIN: Catherine King, member for Ballarat and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, just in the wake of the Budget that was handed down last night.
Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency
The Albanese Government is stepping up the fight against child sexual exploitation and other serious online harms by strengthening collaboration between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the eSafety Commissioner.
A strengthening of the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will improve information sharing between the AFP and eSafety, enabling the agencies to work together to more effectively respond to tackling sexual extortion and the promotion of terrorist and violent extremist material.
It will also enable eSafety to bring child sexual abuse material (CSAM) information to the attention of international law enforcement agencies such as INTERPOL and nominated CSAM bodies like INHOPE – the International Association of Internet Hotline Providers – which provides the public with a way to anonymously report illegal content online.
The updated MoU will:
This complements eSafety’s new MoU with South Australia Police and other similar agreements with NSW and Queensland Police which update protocols to jointly investigate matters ranging from cyberbullying to image-based abuse, adult cyber abuse, youth crime online and other forms of illegal and harmful content.
The updates to the MOU will also allow the eSafety Commissioner and the AFP to better respond to online crisis events, such as the terrorist attack in Christchurch and stabbings in Wakeley.
To report seriously harmful content or find information, resources and advice about how to stay safe online, visit: eSafety.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP:
“Child sexual abuse is abhorrent. The Albanese Government is doing everything we can to combat it.
“I thank the Australian Federal Police and the eSafety Commissioner for their work together to tackle child exploitation material online.
“Their continued commitment to identifying and responding to child sexual abuse material online is a significant contribution to global efforts to protect children from abuse and exploitation.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“The exploitation of children is a sickening crime against the most vulnerable in our society, and is totally unacceptable in any form.
“We welcome this renewed commitment between the eSafety Commissioner and the Australian Federal Police.
“We know there is still more work to do and we will continue to do everything we can to help prevent and reduce the harmful impacts of online exploitation.”
Quotes attributable to AFP Commissioner, Reece Kershaw APM:
“This MoU allows for greater collaboration to tackle the risks of all online harms to young people.
“This close working relationship is especially important while we assess emerging threats and identify opportunities to educate the public on how to keep their children safe online.”
Quotes attributable to eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant:
“Our agreement with the AFP further strengthens eSafety’s existing network of relationships with law enforcement agencies across Australia and internationally, allowing us to jointly target perpetrators and identify victims in more serious criminal matters.
“The vital work of police complements eSafety’s civil powers to remove harmful content and compel more transparency and hold technology companies to account, helping keep Australians safer – both online, and in the real world.”
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Man charged with high range drink driving in St Helens
Thursday, 27 March 2025 – 11:25 am.
A 35-year-old St Helens man has been charged with high-range drink driving and other driving offences after being intercepted by police in St Helens last night.
Inspector Luke Manhood said the driver was intercepted by police on Medea Street, St Helens about 6.00pm and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.346 – almost seven times the legal limit.
“He was arrested and charged with drink driving and driving while disqualified, and will appear in court at a later date.”
“Drink driving is a serious and unacceptable risk to all road users, and being almost seven times the legal limit is both highly dangerous and reckless,” he said.
Drink and drug driving are significant contributing factors to serious and fatal crashes, and police will not tolerate this behaviour.
Police will continue to target those who place themselves and others at risk on our roads. Remember, we can be anywhere, at anytime.
Source:
We continue to advise do not travel to South Sudan, including Juba, due to the dangerous security situation and the threat of violence and armed conflict. The security situation is volatile and could deteriorate rapidly with little or no notice. If you’re in South Sudan despite our advice, leave when it’s safe to do so using commercial means while they’re still available. If the security situation deteriorates further, routes into and out of South Sudan may be blocked. Juba airport may close or be inaccessible. Flights may be cancelled at short notice.
If there’s civil unrest or conflict, shelter indoors and stay off the streets. Our ability to provide consular services in South Sudan is extremely limited.
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Four local emerging artists have been awarded $2000 each in the 2025 Create Lab small grants program to explore a creative idea with the support of an artist mentor.
A diverse range of projects across a variety of artforms including theatre, design, music and animation are included in the Create Lab program.
Creative City Officer Mandy Field said the focus of the funding was to encourage participating artists to experiment with ideas, develop their skills and capacity to work creatively.
“It has been wonderful to support these innovative ideas from emerging artists who are exploring their unique ways of making and working creatively,” Ms Field said.
“Artists have met with their mentors over a six-week period to gain insight into creative possibilities, explore new and different ways of working and methodologies.
“Participating artists have had time to develop ideas, receive feedback and advice, get their project documented and present their works in progress, all important stages in the creative process.”
Funded projects include:
The community is invited to attend a showcase of works in progress which will take place at 5pm on Friday March 28 at the Engine Room, 58 View Street.
For more information about the Create Lab Showcase, please email:
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Up and coming contemporary musicians and bands who are living, working, or studying in Greater Bendigo are invited to apply for a Live on View subsidy to perform at the Engine Room on View Street.
The City will provide the venue, staffing, ticketing, and marketing support for the live performances at the iconic location in the heart of the city centre.
The performers will receive the revenue from ticket sales.
Live on View will support evening performances with two 45 min (approx.) sessions on the night. These may be allocated to a single act (musician/group) performing two sessions or may be allocated to two acts (one session each).
Live on View covers:
Manager Bendigo Venues & Events Julie Amos said this was a new subsidy for contemporary musicians and bands.
“For emerging talent, this is an opportunity to get gig ready and take centre stage,” Ms Amos said.
“It is a fantastic way to raise your profile and reach a wider audience and finesse your live performance. Priority will be given to emerging artists or those presenting new work.
“BV&E will look after everything that is needed to host a professional gig, and the bands will receive revenue from the ticket sales for their gig.
“Tickets are $10 each so residents and visitors can experience live performances from a range of local artists playing different genres in contemporary music.
“The iconic Engine Room is an ideal location for a great vibe and intimate atmosphere, so I encourage emerging musicians to apply.”
Live on View applications are now open. To find out more, or to apply, visit:
Source: Historic Cooma Gaol listed on the NSW State Heritage Register
A new Regional University Study Hub opened to students this week at Katanning, bringing university closer in regional Western Australia.
Nearly half of young people in Australia have a university qualification but not in regional and remote Australia. In Katanning, only 12.9% per cent of young people have a degree.
Regional University Study Hubs are one of the ways to change this. The evidence shows that where they are, university participation goes up.
This new Study Hub in the centre of Katanning, will provide student support and facilities for students who are studying a university or TAFE course without having to leave their community.
The new Katanning University Study Hub is part of the Albanese Government’s $66.9 million investment to double the number of University Study Hubs across the country.
The hub will be operated by Regional Development Australia Great Southern who operate the existing Great Southern Universities Centre in Albany which has supported over 400 students since opening.
So far, the Katanning Study Hub has 12 registered students. Katanning is one of Western Australia’s most multicultural regional areas.
There are now 56 Regional University Study Hubs located across the country.45 of these Hubs are open with the other 11 Hubs expected to open during 2025.
This builds on the recent announcement for 15 Suburban University Study Hubs, located in the outer suburbs for the first time.
This is one of the ways the Albanese Labor Government is helping more people get a crack at going to TAFE or university, including:
For more information: Regional University Study Hubs – Department of Education, Australian Government
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare MP:
“Today, almost one in two young people in their 20s and their 30s have a university degree. But not everywhere. Not in the outer suburbs and not in regional Australia.
“In the years ahead more jobs will require more skills.
“The Government has set a target that by 2050, 80 per cent of workers will have a TAFE or university qualification.
“To hit that target we have to break down that invisible barrier that stops a lot of people from the bush getting a crack at going to university.
“The evidence is that where University Study Hubs are, university participation goes up that’s why we are doubling the number of Regional University Study Hubs.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Education, Regional Development, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Anthony Chisholm:
“Each time we’ve opened a new study hub, just like this one in Katanning, we’ve removed educational barriers that can stop people from attaining a tertiary qualification.
“Around 44 per cent of students who are registered at the existing Hubs across the country are the first in their family to attend university, which is fantastic to see.”
“The hubs in Broome, Albany and Geraldton have changed the lives of hundreds of students. Now Katanning locals will get the same opportunity.”
Quotes attributable to Senator for Western Australia, Senator Glenn Sterle:
“So far, 12 students have registered to use the new Katanning Study Hub.
“Study Hubs provide student support and campus-style facilities for students who are studying a university or TAFE course without having to leave their community.”
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Man charged with attempted murder following Claremont, Dowsing Point, West Moonah incidents
Thursday, 27 March 2025 – 9:51 am.
A man has been charged with multiple offences including attempted murder, arson, and evade police following incidents at Claremont, Dowsing Point and West Moonah yesterday.
He has been charged with attempted murder, arson, unlawfully setting fire to a property, common assault, do an act which resulted in the death of an animal, stealing, attempted motor vehicle stealing, motor vehicle stealing, evade police (aggravated circumstances), dangerous driving, and unlawfully injuring property.
The 55-year-old West Moonah man was detained to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court at 10am today.