Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The number of international visitors is also set to increase with Fiji Airways due to start a direct service from Canberra this month.
Canberra continues to be a destination of choice with the latest national and international visitor survey data showing 5.57 million visitors to Canberra over the year to March 2023.
Canberra experienced the highest growth in domestic overnight visitation, overnight stays and expenditure of all Australian states and territories during the 12-month period.
Not only did visitors come in droves, they also spent up big with Canberra recording its highest ever visitor expenditure of $3.33 billion in a 12-month period, surpassing the record annual high reached for year ending December 2022 by $300 million.
This demonstrates the ACT Government is on track to reach its target of $4 billion in expenditure by 2030 under T2030: ACT Tourism Strategy 2023-2030.
Of the 5.57 million visitors, 5.4 million were domestic and 130,000 were international visitors. The number of international visitors is also set to increase with Fiji Airways due to start a direct service from Canberra this month, which will open up the north American market.
The data shows that compared with December 2019 – before the pandemic began – the domestic leisure and visiting friends and relatives market has fully recovered. While the number of visitors coming for business is lower, they are spending more money.
The government will continue to invest in initiatives that attract visitors and improve the ACT’s destination appeal. This includes continuing investment in the Aviation Stimulus Fund to attract more direct domestic and international flights to and from Canberra, extending the successful Tourism Product Development Fund for another year and supporting year-round destination marketing activities.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
New steel, handrailed pedestrian bridges provide safer, more accessible use for recreational activities.
All three replacement bridges in the Umbagong District Park are now open for the community to enjoy.
The timber bridges were constructed in 1986 and closed to the public in April 2021 after a safety audit revealed the bridges needed replacement.
The new steel, handrailed bridges have a rusted finish in contrast to the white timber bridges they once were. This rusted finish complements the natural setting and colours of the Umbagong native grasslands.
Two of the smaller pedestrian bridges were opened in July. The third larger bridge has now been completed. The larger bridge includes a new accessible lookout area and seating which provides enough space for wheelchairs or mobility scooters to turn around safely.
Bollards have also been installed at either end of the three bridges to deter vehicles from driving through the park to protect the area from potential damage.
While engaging with the community the ACT Government heard how valued the park and bridges are. With the project now complete, the new bridges will allow Canberrans to stop and appreciate the nature of the park including birds, grasslands, and lizards.
Additional improvements have also been carried out in the park including formalising the carpark off Florey Drive and recycling healthy timber from the original three bridges to create seating.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Canberra City Farm, a previous Community Garden Grants recipient is a beloved community space for many Canberrans.
Community Gardens are places where Canberrans can grow food, make friends and connect with nature, while also creating great habitats for local animals.
Community Gardens Grants program
The grants program aims to support community garden projects throughout the ACT. Previous projects include traditional and indigenous food gardens, micro-forests, and urban gardens.
Funding can be used to build or enhance community gardens by:
buying tools and materials.
hiring equipment.
or cover the costs of contractors.
Since its development the program has helped both new and existing community gardens operated by a diverse range for community groups including not-for-profit groups, school communities, owner’s corporations and religious groups.
Canberra City Farm
Canberra City Farm located on Diary Road in Fyshwick has received funding across two rounds of the Community Garden Grants. The farm has grown into a beloved community space for many Canberrans.
Grant funding allowed the garden to expand its plots to welcome more members and share gardening knowledge across generations.
“The grant funding received in 2019 allowed us to plant an additional 25 allotments with the main expense being installing irrigation and hiring equipment,” President of the Canberra City Farm John Peters said.
“Many of our older allotments are farmed by retirees, and our newer allotments, which came from our grant funding, are farmed by young families who live in apartments. They travel to the farm by bike or bring their kids, have picnics, and enjoy their time outside.
“The retirees have the practical knowledge of how to grow plants and produce in Canberra, and through working together this knowledge is passed onto the younger groups.
“We recognise we are a community asset and welcome schools and other garden groups to the farm. We give these groups a tour of the farm, which is both educational and social.”
President of the Canberra City Farm John Peters at the garden in Fyshwick.
Apply for the 2023-24 grants program
This year there is $100,000 of grant funding available, split across two categories. Not-for-profit community organisations, schools, churches, and owners’ corporations are eligible to apply .
Category one: $40,000 available Up to $10,000 per project that will fund minor improvements or expansion of existing gardens or establishing small low-impact gardens.
Category two: $60,000 available Up to $20,000 per project to establish new large-scale food production community gardens, or for significant garden infrastructure.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Left to right: Dr Ilona DiBella, Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Kieran Dixon, Team Manager of the Adolescent Day Program.
Located on the Canberra Hospital Campus, the new 14 bed adolescent unit includes eight medical beds and six beds for mental health patients. This is the first time the ACT public health system has had dedicated mental health beds available for young people.
Canberra Health Services’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) will operate the six dedicated mental health beds – providing care for young people who require treatment for acute mental illness.
The eight medical beds will be used for young people who have been admitted to hospital, with two being designed to be easily adapted to meet demand in the unit.
A safe place for young people
Clinical Director of CAMHS Ilona DiBella said the specialised team was experienced in working with young people and their families.
“The CAMHS Adolescent Mental health Unit is a safe place for young people as staff are conscious of and attentive to adolescent’s vulnerabilities,” she said.
“Having a dedicated inpatient space for young people from 12 up their 18th birthday experiencing mental health problems means that young people who require treatment for moderate to severe mental illness can now access this in a purposefully designed setting that considers their developmental, psychological and physical needs.”
Features of the new Adolescent Unit
The new Adolescent Unit includes:
14 patient beds – eight medical beds and six dedicated mental health beds
a negative pressure room to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases
a bariatric rated room with lifter for the treatment of obese patients
a treatment room
a sensory room within the mental health section of the unit
interview spaces, and
a dedicated place for recreation and therapeutic activities, a family lounge and courtyard.
New adolescent day program
The Adolescent Day Program has also moved into its permanent home at the Centenary Hospital. The new purpose-built facility provides a welcoming space that has been specifically designed for the program.
The program provides a range of mental health programs to support individual and group therapy, parenting sessions, activity-based programs and psycho-education to assist with the continued recovery of young people.
Kieran Dixon, Adolescent Day Program Team Manager said an important element of the program was young people being able to connect with “… others who have similar stories or have been through similar things and being able to have that shared experience and learn how to recover together.”
Healing artwork by local artists
Artwork has been created and curated for both the new adolescent unit and the Adolescent Day Program.
In the adolescent unit, artwork by Canberra based artists Paul Summerfield, byrd and Julie Bradley, as well as Indigenous artist Natalie Bateman helps create a place of healing and inspiration for the young people receiving care.
In the Adolescent Day Program, Canberra based visual artist Jodie Cunningham’s artwork helps to create an uplifting and engaging space.
For more information on the Centenary Hospital Expansion Project, visit the Built for CBR website.
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Police are investigating after a body was located on the beach at Carpenter Rocks today.
Police are investigating after a body was located on the beach at Carpenter Rocks (35 km from Mount Gambier) today.
About 1.45pm on Sunday 16 March, police were called to Carpenter Rocks in the State’s south east after reports a person was located deceased on the beach.
It is early in the investigation however police do not believe the death to be suspicious.
Police will be preparing a report for the coroner.
Police are investigating the death of a man at North Adelaide this morning.
About 7.45am on Sunday 16 March, police and paramedics responded to reports of a man collapsed on a walking path within Brougham Gardens between Brougham Place and King William Road.
A 54-year-old man from Marden was found unresponsive when police arrived.
Paramedics commenced CPR at the scene before he was rushed to hospital but sadly, the man died.
Eastern District Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death with assistance of Major Crime officers and Forensic Response.
A postmortem is expected to be carried out tomorrow.
Anyone who was in the vicinity of O’Connell Street or Brougham Gardens between 6am and 8am this morning is asked to contact police.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestoppersssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.
Allens secured top rankings in the 2024 syndicated loans and project finance league tables, reflecting a strong year of activity driven by complex cross-border financings, infrastructure investment, and evolving lender dynamics.
The firm maintained its market-leading position in syndicated loans, with standout rankings across multiple league tables:
Bloomberg
First in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower lead counsel by deal count
First in APAC (ex Japan) – lender lead legal adviser by value
Second in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower legal adviser by value
Debtwire
First in APAC (ex Japan) – lead bank legal counsel
First in Australia – lead bank legal counsel
Second in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower legal counsel
Second in Australia – borrower legal counsel
Infralogic
First in APAC – project finance legal adviser by value and deal count
First in Australia and New Zealand – project finance legal adviser by value and deal count
LSEG (formally Refinitiv)
Second in APAC (inc Japan) – borrower legal adviser by value and deal count
Second in Australia – borrower legal adviser by value and deal count
‘These results reflect the trust our clients place in us to advise on their most strategic and high-value financings. We are fortunate to work with market-leading lenders, sponsors, and borrowers across the region, supporting them on complex transactions that drive investment and growth,’ said Partner and Head of Banking & Finance Tim Stewart.
‘The market remains highly active, particularly in project finance and structured lending, and we expect this momentum to continue into 2025 as borrowers and lenders adapt to evolving regulatory and economic conditions.’
In a special leave application filed with the High Court of Australia, a judgment debtor is seeking to avoid being wound up in insolvency on the basis that an order to extend the statutory six-month period was ineffective as it was granted to ‘a date to be fixed’; an indefinite time.
Background
In 2015, the liquidators of Gunns Limited (Liquidators) commenced a proceeding against Badenoch Integrated Logging Pty Ltd (Badenoch) seeking to recover unfair preference payments (Primary Proceeding). The Liquidators were successful in the Primary Proceeding. Badenoch appealed to the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia and was successful, in part, in reducing their judgment debt (Appeal Proceeding).
In November 2020, after judgment in the Primary Proceeding but during the conduct of the Appeal Proceeding, the Liquidators commenced a separate proceeding in the Federal Court seeking orders that Badenoch be wound up in insolvency (Winding Up Proceeding).
Given that the Winding Up Proceeding was to be determined within six months (see s459R(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act)) and that the Appeal Proceeding was still ongoing, the parties agreed consent orders in the following terms:
Pursuant to section 459R(2) of the [Act], the period within which the [Liquidators’] application in [the Winding Up Proceeding] be determined (as required by section 459R(1) of the Act) be extended to a date to be fixed, such date to be not prior to six months after the determination of [the Appeal Proceeding]… (Extension Order).
Following the determination of the Appeal Proceeding and the subsequent landmark High Court decision to abolish the peak indebtedness rule, the Liquidators demanded payment of the judgment debt from Badenoch. Badenoch did not pay the amount. Instead, Badenoch filed an interlocutory application seeking a declaration that the Winding Up Proceeding had been dismissed automatically pursuant to s459R(3) of the Act or, alternatively, an order that the proceeding be dismissed as an abuse of process or for want of prosecution.
The decisions
Federal Court decision
In the first instance, the Federal Court found in Badenoch’s favour. The primary judge concluded that an effective exercise of the power under s459R(2) of the Act required that ‘the period’ as extended be one that is ‘definite, measured by a period of time’. The primary judge concluded that the period may be fixed by stipulating a date, or it may be determined by reference to a number of days or months, but it could not be fixed by reference to the occurrence of an event. On this basis, the primary judge found that the Extension Order was not effective in extending the statutory period for determination of the application to wind up in insolvency as required by s459R(2) of the Act and, as a consequence, the application was taken to have been dismissed by operation of s459R(3) upon expiry of the six-month period.
The Full Court decision
On appeal, the Full Court overturned the primary judge’s decision and found that the Extension Order was effective in extending the period in which the application to wind up Badenoch in insolvency was to be determined. When considering the section of the Act, the Full Court noted that the only prerequisites for the exercise of the court’s discretion are that:
the court is satisfied that special circumstances justify the extension; and
the extension order is made within the six-month period, or within the period as last extended.
Noting this, the court’s discretion should not be fettered by requiring that an extension under s459R be made to a specified time or measure of time after an event. In this regard, the Full Court found that the Extension Order was effective because the language of s459R of the Act does not suggest that ‘the period’ means a period ‘of time’ or which must be fixed to a specified date or by reference to time. While the Full Court agreed with the primary judge that ‘the period’ in s459R(2) of the Act must be definite, it noted that ‘the period’ as extended will be definite if it is:
fixed to a specific date;
measured by reference to time (ie a number of weeks); or
an interval that is able to be identified when the extension order is made, such as by reference to an identifiable event.
Given the Extension Order referred to a date to be fixed by the court after the occurrence of an event that was certain and identifiable at that time (ie the Appeal Proceeding), the Full Court held that the Extension Order was effective.
Stay tuned
In January 2025, Badenoch filed an application for special leave which is yet to be heard by the High Court.
In any event, should the High Court determine that this issue should be considered, we don’t expect judgment to be delivered until the second half of this year.
Should you wish to discuss further, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts
A significant shift for the state’s wind energy sector7 min read
From 3 February 2025, wind farm developments in Queensland will transition from a code assessable to an impact assessable application process, introducing a more rigorous assessment process. This shift reflects the Queensland Government’s growing concerns over environmental impacts and community opposition and marks a significant change for the state’s wind energy sector.
The revised State Code 23: Wind farm development (v.3.2) (Updated Wind Farm Code) introduces updated requirements, including stronger community engagement obligations, agricultural land protections and new infrastructure and decommissioning provisions. These updates aim to provide a more structured approach to managing the potential environmental, community and infrastructure impacts throughout the lifecycle of wind farm projects.
In this Insight, we explore the additional assessment requirements, including expanded public consultation and a broader technical review, and outline the key considerations for developers, investors and government bodies amid increased scrutiny, public engagement obligations and regulatory hurdles.
Key takeaways
Wind farm developments in Queensland will now undergo impact assessment, leading to heightened technical scrutiny, public consultation and appeal rights for submitters.
The transition from State Code 23: Wind farm development (v.3.1) to the Updated Wind Farm Code marks a notable policy shift, increasing regulatory scrutiny on wind farm development.
The new requirements introduce enhanced environmental protections, agricultural safeguards and community engagement obligations.
Infrastructure obligations have been expanded, including:
road and transport measures to mitigate impacts on local road networks during both construction and operation, ensuring safe and efficient transportation of wind farm components and materials throughout the project lifecycle.
financial security for decommissioning, requiring developers to provide bonds or financial guarantees to ensure the timely rehabilitation of sites and removal of infrastructure at the end of the wind farm’s operational life.
stronger community engagement requirements, including the submission of a Workforce Accommodation and Infrastructure Report to assess impacts on housing, services and local infrastructure, with a focus on consulting with local governments regarding workforce accommodation strategies and their impact on the community.
The Queensland Government has also signalled future regulatory changes that may apply similar impact assessment requirements to large-scale solar farms and other renewable energy projects, suggesting a broader policy shift.
Changes to the assessment process
The Planning (Wind Farms) Amendment Regulation 2025 (Qld) (Amendment Regulation) effective from 3 February 2025, raises the assessment threshold for wind farms from code assessable to impact assessable,.
The shift follows the Ministerial Direction issued by the Honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, and Minister for Industrial Relations on 16 January 2025, which suspended assessments for the Wongalee, Theodore and Bungaban Wind Farms. The Queensland Government says this change is intended to bring wind farm developments into line with the approval processes required for major development projects, reinforcing its commitment to robust environmental and community impact assessments.
The increase to impact assessment represents the highest level of scrutiny under Queensland’s planning framework. Wind farm projects will now:
require more comprehensive technical assessments
have expanded public consultation requirements
be subject to appeal rights for submitters, which now apply to wind farm projects subject to impact assessment (and were not available under code assessment).
Wind Farm Code: key amendments
The Amendment Regulation introduces the Updated Wind Farm Code, which imposes updated assessment criteria for wind farm development applications.
Table 1: Key amendments in the Updated Wind Farm Code
Key change
Wind Farm Code
Commentary
Purpose statement
Revised purpose statement explicitly highlights the potential for adverse impacts, and emphasises the need to demonstrate that development does not result in unacceptable adverse impacts. Specifically includes:
minimum assessment parameters to mitigate impacts.
emphasis on community and local government engagement.
focus on all stages: design, siting, construction, operation and decommissioning.
The Updated Wind Farm Code emphasises greater community consultation, local government engagement and the need to demonstrate effective mitigation of adverse impacts through specific assessment parameters. It introduces a more detailed focus on the siting of developments near sensitive areas and integrates a lifecycle approach, covering all stages of development, including decommissioning.
Agricultural land protection
PO5: requires that wind farm development must ensure there is no significant loss of high-quality agricultural land values. This includes a focus on avoiding or minimising impacts on high-quality agricultural land, aligning with State Planning Policy definitions.
The Updated Wind Farm Code introduces the requirement for an Agricultural Land Assessment Report to be submitted as part of the application. This report must demonstrate that the development does not result in a significant loss of high-quality agricultural land values, identifying the land’s suitability for agricultural production and ensuring alignment with the State Planning Policy definitions. It includes an assessment of soils, land suitability and agricultural potential.
Workforce accommodation
PO16: on-site workforce accommodation associated with the construction of the wind farm must not result in adverse impacts on surrounding communities and townships, such as overburdening services and community facilities.
PO17: off-site workforce accommodation associated with the construction of the wind farm must not result in adverse impacts on surrounding communities and townships, such as overburdening services, housing supply and community facilities.
The Updated Wind Farm Code requires applicants to submit a Workforce Accommodation and Infrastructure Report that details both on-site and off-site accommodation options. It includes an assessment of potential impacts on housing supply, community services and local infrastructure. Developers must assess and address the impacts of workforce accommodation on local communities and services, including commuting distances, housing demand and pressure on community facilities. The Updated Wind Farm Code places greater emphasis on consultation with local governments regarding workforce accommodation strategies and their impacts.
Infrastructure
PO23: explicitly states that impacts of the development on infrastructure and services, including social infrastructure, communications networks and essential infrastructure, must be identified. Furthermore, measures to manage, mitigate and remediate any impacts must be undertaken:
prior to commencement of any development.
prior to additional demand being placed on infrastructure and services.
PO23 requires wind farm developers to assess and mitigate the impact of their development on both essential infrastructure (such as water, waste, electricity and communications networks) and social infrastructure (such as healthcare and emergency services). The Workforce Accommodation and Infrastructure Report is a critical document in this assessment, detailing:
the infrastructure and services that may be affected by the development, both during construction and operation.
mitigation measures to address any identified impacts, which must be implemented prior to the start of development or before additional demand is placed on local services.
consultation with local governments and relevant infrastructure providers to ensure the project is compatible with the existing infrastructure capacity and community needs.
Community impact
PO26: developers must identify, assess and mitigate impacts on local communities, ensuring that any adverse impacts are avoided. The mitigation strategies are explicitly required to address community concerns. This requirement reflects a proactive approach to handling community impacts.
PO26 requires wind farm developers to identify, assess and mitigate impacts on surrounding communities and individuals. The key practical changes introduced by this Performance Outcome are:
Developers must engage with local communities and stakeholders prior to lodging applications. This ensures transparency and allows concerns to be addressed early in the planning process.
A comprehensive Community Engagement Report is required, detailing the community profile, stakeholder feedback and how concerns have been or will be addressed. This is a more structured approach compared to previous guidelines, ensuring that community input directly informs project design.
The report should also outline measures for managing and resolving complaints, with a Complaint Investigation and Response Plan that includes a toll-free hotline, incident tracking and clear processes for resolving issues raised by the public.
Decommissioning
PO30: introduces a requirement for developers to provide financial security mechanisms (eg bonds or financial guarantees) to ensure timely compliance with decommissioning obligations.
The Updated Wind Farm Code requires the preparation of detailed decommissioning plans after the completion of construction and the commencement of operations, as well as at the end of the project’s operational life. These plans must outline how decommissioning activities will ensure no adverse impacts on individuals, communities or the natural environment. Typically, this involves measures to ‘make good’ the land and remove infrastructure. A key addition in PO30 is the requirement for applicants to provide evidence of financial security (such as bonds or financial guarantees) to ensure timely compliance with decommissioning obligations. This aims to mitigate risks and ensure the decommissioning process is completed efficiently, with minimal impacts on landowners and government.
The effects of the new assessment regime
Existing development applications: wind farm development applications lodged before 3 February 2025 will continue to be assessed under the framework that applied at the time of lodgement.
New development applications: all new wind farm applications lodged from 3 February 2025 onwards will be subject to impact assessment and must comply with the Updated Wind Farm Code. This means greater technical scrutiny, public consultation and increased regulatory obligations.
‘Other change’ applications: if a change to an existing development approval is classified as an ‘other change’ under the Planning Act 2016 (Qld) (Planning Act), it may trigger a new assessment under the Updated Wind Farm Code.
Suspended projects: the Ministerial Direction issued on 16 January 2025 has temporarily paused assessments for the Wongalee, Theodore and Bungaban Wind Farms until 16 May 2025. The assessment pathway for these projects will be confirmed once the suspension period concludes.
Potential for Ministerial call-in: the Planning Act provides discretionary call-in powers, allowing the Minister to assess or reassess development applications where a state interest is identified. If a project is called in:
the Minister may determine which assessment benchmarks apply, including the possibility of applying the Updated Wind Farm Code.
appeal rights available under standard development assessment processes do not apply, with judicial review being the only available legal avenue.
Next steps
Developers, investors and government bodies will need to navigate increased scrutiny, public engagement obligations and regulatory hurdles.
Key considerations moving forward:
Regulatory preparedness: developers should carefully review the Updated Wind Farm Code to ensure their projects meet the new planning and environmental benchmarks.
Engagement strategies: with heightened public consultation requirements and new appeal rights for submitters, early and proactive engagement with stakeholders is essential to mitigate risk.
Financial planning: the new financial security obligations for decommissioning and site rehabilitation will require developers to assess funding provisions at the outset.
Monitoring Ministerial intervention: the existing Ministerial Direction and call-in powers add further complexity. Developers should closely monitor regulatory developments and be prepared for increased scrutiny of wind farm projects.
Future regulatory changes and community benefit framework: The Queensland Government has signalled its intent to expand impact assessment requirements to other renewable projects, including large-scale solar farms, while introducing a community benefit framework. Renewable energy developers should prepare for additional scrutiny on future projects, which may require demonstrating local economic benefits, job creation, or infrastructure investment as part of the approval process, similar to other major development projects in regional communities.
The evolving regulatory landscape for wind energy and other renewable projects in Queensland requires strategic planning, legal awareness and other proactive stakeholder engagement. For further advice or detailed information regarding the new planning framework and its implications, please reach out to any of the listed contacts.