It’s time for NSW councils to make history and join with the growing movement in local government that are committed to #ChangeTheDate of Australia Day.

Yarra Council unanimously voted this week on an extensive motion to no longer refer to January 26 as Australia Day, stop holding citizenship ceremonies on this date and officially support the #ChangeTheDate campaign.          

Yarra is not alone with Fremantle and Hobart councils passing similar motions, and the Australian Local Government Association passing a resolution at its National General Assembly in June to:

Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on the successful move by the Greens to establish a Senate Inquiry into the future of the recycling industry following the exposé on Four Corners.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I have been pursuing these issues in the recycling industry for years but the recent Four Corners episode has really brought the crisis out into the open.

Crimes statistics indicate a significant increase in robbery and threatening behaviour in Kununurra since the cashless welfare card trial was introduced in the community, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.   

“In figures provided by the WA police we have seen a marked increase in non-aggravated robbery offences, theft, and threatening behaviour in the period that the card was introduced.

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has welcomed City of Yarra getting behind changing the date for Australia Day, with citizenship ceremonies moved to another day and the council not referring to January 26 as Australia Day.

“Our First Australians have been saying for a long time that January 26 is a day of pain because it is historically the day of invasion.
“The Federal Government has forced local councils to take matters into their own hands because they are terrified of moving the day so that all are included in celebrating wonderful Australia.

The Greens have today given notice of their intention to introduce a bill to repeal the Regional Forest Agreements Act, ahead of the imminent expiry of the 20-year Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs), starting with the Tasmanian RFA which is due to expire this year.

The Greens want to scrap these logging laws, which allow for the destruction of our native forests and which are preventing us from moving our wood products industries to sustainably managed plantation sources.

The Senate today passed a Greens motion to delay setting a commencement date for the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme.

“The Total Environment Centre has raised several concerns about this scheme and we’ve been working closely with them to ensure standards are met,” said Senator Lee Rhiannon.

“The Liberal-National government has been attempting to trash biodiversity laws in NSW for years.

 “The Environmental Defender's Office NSW has argued that the new NSW scheme does not meet federal standards.

Senior members of the Catholic Church signalling they would oppose priests being forced to reveal cases of child sexual abuse admitted during confession shows an astounding disregard for child safety and for the rights of survivors of abuse.

“How disgusting to prioritise a ‘fundamental part of freedom of religion’ over ensuring the safety of children”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert today.

The Australian Greens congratulate Repower Port Augusta for its relentless campaigning to transition from coal-fired power to solar thermal.

"This is a win for South Australia and a community that has fought extremely hard to step out of the shadow of dirty coal and into a sunny, renewable energy future," Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.