Union pushes for four-day work week
The peak union body will use next week's Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra to argue that reducing working hours is key to lifting living standards.
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ABC News
17 minutes ago
- ABC News
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly reveals proposed treaty-backed powers to create new education facility
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly will be given the power to establish its own educational institute under the forthcoming statewide treaty agreement, the ABC can reveal. The revelation is one of the first practical outcomes to be detailed following nine months of negotiations between the elected Victorian Aboriginal body and the Victorian government. A bill to legislate Victoria's nation-leading treaty agreement — which is now in the final stages of drafting — is expected to be introduced into parliament in the coming weeks. While there has been a number of public updates on the progress of Victoria's treaty negotiations, the full details of the agreement, including what it will cost, remain confidential. For the first time, the First Peoples' Assembly has outlined it intends to build an Aboriginal-run, education institute that will provide targeted skills and leadership training to First Peoples. It will be called 'The First Peoples' Institute'. The Statewide Treaty Bill will facilitate the legal changes required before the signing of the treaty agreement, which is expected to happen later this year. While the bill still requires cabinet and parliamentary approval, under treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly expects to be empowered to create Aboriginal-led initiatives like its proposed 'First Peoples' Institute'. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg told the ABC that through treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly will build new institutions to support community needs and self-determination. Mr Berg said the educational institute, which the ABC understands will be built slowly over decades, will help address higher education gaps in the Aboriginal community and boost the existing Aboriginal workforce to "meets the needs of this new treaty era". The ABC understands it will not be set up as a school or university, but a specialised training provider to work alongside established Aboriginal training organisations and academic institutions. The First Peoples' Assembly is a democratically elected body of Victorian Aboriginal traditional owners, which is responsible for negotiating the first state-wide treaty. The upcoming treaty agreement is expected to secure an ongoing role and expanded powers for the Assembly — something already publicly backed by Premier Jacinta Allan. There are still questions about how it will work. Previous treaty negotiation updates suggest the ongoing Assembly will have accountability, advisory and decision-making roles to be set out in Victorian legislation and through the treaty agreement. It will not have veto power over government decisions. But the Assembly's announcement of its proposed new education institute shows it is expecting to receive new treaty-backed powers to create and fund its own projects. It is unclear how much the proposed education institute will cost, though the ABC understands it will be funded directly by the First Peoples' Assembly, which will in turn be funded through the treaty agreement. The state Liberals no longer support treaty or any ongoing role for the First Peoples' Assembly, which opposition leader Brad Battin has previously labelled a "Victorian Voice to Parliament". The federal Voice to Parliament, defeated at the 2023 referendum, was proposed as an advisory body enshrined in the federal constitution. While the Victorian Peoples' Assembly will have an advisory role, other responsibilities discussed at negotiations include: Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the proposal for the First Peoples' Institute followed requests from community members throughout treaty consultations. "Our peoples have faced racism, discrimination and institutional exclusion, which have kept us from accessing the same educational opportunities as non-Aboriginal people," he said. Victoria's truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, found First Nations students continue to experience racism within the university system. It found Aboriginal people were under-represented in the tertiary education system and over-represented among enrolled students who did not complete tertiary education. Uncle Alan Brown is a Gunditjmara man who sits on the Elders Voice advisory committee to the Assembly. He said the new institute would be a "safe place" for Aboriginal people and build on the successes of previous Aboriginal-run education programs. Uncle Alan helped establish Koori Kollij, a training program run by Victoria's Aboriginal Health service in the 1980s. "There are opportunities for Aboriginal people in other areas of the educational system, but this is important because it becomes our own," he said. He said it was commonplace for other groups like religious institutions or industry associations to set up training programs to meet specific needs. Just as the Koori Kollij helped equip a growing workforce of Aboriginal health workers, he said the new institute would equip First People with relevant skills for the treaty era. "The strength of our own First Peoples Institute is that the courses will be designed about what we need to build our future ... that will be driven by Victorian Aboriginal people," Uncle Alan said. Indigenous education academic and Deakin University associate professor Aleryk Fricker said the institute would help address entrenched educational inequality. He said he did not think it would create unnecessary duplication with existing Aboriginal institutes in mainstream universities and was a stepping stone towards the long-held aspiration for an Indigenous-owned higher education institute. "This proposal is a long way away from any kind of Indigenous tertiary institution, however it will potentially set a really important precedent for us to have some serious conversations around this reform," Professor Fricker said. As for whether non-Indigenous people working in the Aboriginal sector might also be invited to study at the proposed institute, Uncle Alan said that detail had not been worked out yet. "You would think nothing's off the table ... why wouldn't we one day be thinking about what can we do for the rest of Victoria?"
News.com.au
28 minutes ago
- News.com.au
New house blocks up for grab in NQ
A new land release has hit the Townsville property market as the local real estate sector continues to experience strong price growth and high rental yields. Urbex launched the 28 lot 'Parsonia' release at the Somers & Hervey Estate in Rasmussen, with blocks for sale from $185,000. Urbex Realty general manager, Craig Covacich said the decision to bring the new stage to market was directly driven by buyer demand, with more than 100 parcels of land sold in just 16 months across five releases. 'We've seen sustained momentum across Townsville's property market, with stock levels shrinking faster than they can be replenished,' he said. 'The pace of sales at Rasmussen has accelerated as demand continues to outpace supply.' Property data showed Townsville's median house price climbed more than 23 per cent in the past year to $562,000, while residential land values surged 24.2 per cent to reach a median of $192,500. 'Townsville has become one of the most closely watched regional markets in the country due to its strong combination of affordability, rapid price growth, low vacancy rates and high rental yields,' Mr Covacich said. 'Despite these figures, relative affordability remains a key drawcard, especially for buyers priced out of major cities.' RELATED: Historic Queenslander inspires TV crime series Restored Babinda Quarters listed for $2.2m 'F***ing awesome': Mayor's dream home listed with backyard fishing Urbex is planning to develop 850 homes at its Somers and Hervey Estate over the next 15 years. Picture: Supplied Mr Covacich said investor interest remained high, with the latest PropTrack data showing rental yields in Rasmussen between 4.6 and 5.4 per cent. Townsville's vacancy rate tightened to just 0.96 per cent, while rents have increased by more than 10 per cent in the past year. Data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland showed more than 30 per cent of Townsville's population were renters. Mr Covacich said government incentives were further fuelling demand. 'The Queensland Government's $30,000 First Home Owner Grant for new builds up to $750,000 adds a compelling reason for buyers to act now,' he said. 'The combination of market momentum, government support, and shrinking stock levels means available land is being snapped up faster than ever. 'We expect 'Parsonia' to follow the same pattern as earlier stages.' Mr Covacich said major infrastructure investments in defence, mining, renewable energy, health and education sectors were increasing long-term confidence in Townsville, while post-pandemic migration continued to bring families and downsizers seeking lifestyle changes to the region. According to building approval data, development activity in Townsville was beginning to recover after a slower 2023, with approvals in the 2024 – 2025 financial year already outpacing the previous year. 'Land in Townsville is still affordable, and Townsville isn't just a smart financial investment, it offers a highly desirable lifestyle backed by major infrastructure investment and long-term population growth,' Mr Covacich said. Originally published as Developer announces new land release for Townsville
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Anti-corruption advocate calls for greater scrutiny over political lobbyists
The good news, for those currently striding the halls of power, is that there is life after politics. The bad news, for the rest of us, is that a favoured career path for ex-pollies involves peddling influence for powerful clients with their former colleagues, often behind closed doors. Lobbying has become big business. At last count, around 727 lobbyists were registered in the national capital, more than three times the number of elected officials sitting in parliament. Even more concerning, the rules governing federal lobbyists are among the slackest in the country. A new study by Transparency International Australia has found that the Commonwealth ranks almost last when it comes to transparency, integrity and enforcement of lobbyists, outranking only the Northern Territory. The findings were released in conjunction with an Australian Anti-Corruption Summit where lobbying reform was a central theme. Queensland comes out on top, followed by South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia. Tasmania and the ACT. "Despite a stated cooling-off period, former federal ministers can start lobbying straight out of office with impunity, while only Queensland has a ban of two years to stop the revolving door," the report found. According to the report, at least eight federal ministers, senior ministerial advisers and at least one state premier have taken up roles promoting gambling. But the infiltration is even more pronounced in the resources industry. Unlike most states, the Commonwealth has no independent regulator to enforce rules around lobbying and, instead of dedicated legislation, there is merely an administrative code of conduct. It may be the richest all-cash takeover offer in Australian history but money alone is not enough. When the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, in partnership with a national wealth fund and US private equity firm Carlyle, lobbed a $36 billion bid for gas giant Santos, the Australian company's board was quick to accept the offer to shareholders. But the consortium has to step through a maze of regulatory hoops before the bid gets across the line, including an assessment by the Foreign Investment Review Board and then the tick of approval from Treasurer Jim Chalmers. After years of gas shortages and soaring energy prices, a backlash from business and community groups is gathering pace, an environment that has seen a furious demand for lobbyists. Among those pushing for the deal to proceed unhindered is former federal minister Stephen Conroy, who operates under the banner of TG Public Affairs. He is working alongside Michael Choueifate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's former chief of staff. It would be naive to think those opposing the transaction wouldn't be equally as armed in the lobbying department. While there is nothing untoward in their engagements, Transparency International Australia argues that we should be concerned about the lack of public scrutiny over the activities of former politicians and staffers and the industry more generally. It is pushing for a range of reforms, including a legislated code of conduct and a waiting period of at least three years before former politicians, senior staffers and former public servants can take up positions related to their previous roles. It also argues that the current list of registered lobbyists ignores the vast army of individuals working inside corporations and is demanding amendments requiring lobbyists to declare who they have met with and who has unescorted access to Parliament House. It also wants an independent body to enforce standards and codes of conduct for both parliamentarians and lobbyists along with sanctions and fines for those who fail to meet the standards.
