Latest news with #DepartmentofPremierandCabinet
West Australian
15-07-2025
- Climate
- West Australian
Natural and a disaster but no fed help for algal bloom
A massive algal bloom having a devastating impact on South Australia's marine life is a natural disaster but doesn't meet federal criteria for assistance, the state's environment minister says. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture operations since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close said that "certainly, it's a disaster that has occurred naturally". "At the moment, the federal government is telling us that it doesn't conform to the checklist of what's in the National Natural Disaster Arrangements," she told reporters on Tuesday. "We haven't previously had an algal bloom that's been a natural disaster in Australia, now we have, so we need to adapt to that." Dr Close said the Department of Premier and Cabinet was working closely with the federal government on ways that might be addressed. She said the government was moving into recovery mode, aiming to accelerate environmental efforts and provide further support to industry, in a plan to be developed over the next few weeks. The state's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger will begin underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent from Wednesday to understand the effect on the ecosystem. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said there were no suggestions the algal bloom could have been prevented. "The underwater marine heatwaves, the upwellings that have occurred, the lack of rain over a period of time, as well as some of the other conditions, have come together to mean that this bloom has continued for much longer than any of us would have wanted," she said. The government's algal bloom taskforce met on Tuesday and it has also established a reference group to help industries and stakeholders to respond and recover. The group includes representatives from Seafood Industry South Australia, RecFish SA, the Conservation Council, Tourism Industry Council and First Nations groups. The government has offered three months of licence fee relief to commercial fishermen, and Ms Scriven said more relief may be required. Some fishermen have reported catching nothing since April and they are struggling without any income. Further support for industry would depend on discussions with the federal government, Ms Scriven said.
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Perth Now
Natural and a disaster but no fed help for algal bloom
A massive algal bloom having a devastating impact on South Australia's marine life is a natural disaster but doesn't meet federal criteria for assistance, the state's environment minister says. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture operations since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close said that "certainly, it's a disaster that has occurred naturally". "At the moment, the federal government is telling us that it doesn't conform to the checklist of what's in the National Natural Disaster Arrangements," she told reporters on Tuesday. "We haven't previously had an algal bloom that's been a natural disaster in Australia, now we have, so we need to adapt to that." Dr Close said the Department of Premier and Cabinet was working closely with the federal government on ways that might be addressed. She said the government was moving into recovery mode, aiming to accelerate environmental efforts and provide further support to industry, in a plan to be developed over the next few weeks. The state's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger will begin underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent from Wednesday to understand the effect on the ecosystem. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said there were no suggestions the algal bloom could have been prevented. "The underwater marine heatwaves, the upwellings that have occurred, the lack of rain over a period of time, as well as some of the other conditions, have come together to mean that this bloom has continued for much longer than any of us would have wanted," she said. The government's algal bloom taskforce met on Tuesday and it has also established a reference group to help industries and stakeholders to respond and recover. The group includes representatives from Seafood Industry South Australia, RecFish SA, the Conservation Council, Tourism Industry Council and First Nations groups. The government has offered three months of licence fee relief to commercial fishermen, and Ms Scriven said more relief may be required. Some fishermen have reported catching nothing since April and they are struggling without any income. Further support for industry would depend on discussions with the federal government, Ms Scriven said.
The Guardian
20-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Victoria to axe thousands of public service jobs as treasurer warns of ‘difficult decisions'
Thousands of public service jobs in Victoria are to be slashed after a review ordered by the state's new treasurer, who has warned 'difficult decisions' need to be made to bring the budget under control. Jaclyn Symes and the premier, Jacinta Allan, on Thursday announced an independent review into the Victorian public service (VPS), to be headed by Helen Silver, a banking executive and former head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet under John Brumby and Ted Baillieu. Silver will provide recommendations to 'reduce the VPS back towards its pre-pandemic share of employment', according to the terms of reference. It will also identify programs that may be streamlined or cut in their entirety. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The treasurer said this would equate to 5% to 6% of the workforce, or between 2,000 to 3,000 jobs. 'There'll be hard decisions for government to make but I'm determined that this work can't be for nothing,' Symes said. She said Silver will provide an interim report in April, to be reflected in her first budget in May. A final report will be delivered to government by the end of June, which Symes committed to making public. She said she 'wanted' to be in a position to accept all its recommendations. 'It's needed to address the budget recurrent problem that we have,' Symes said. 'This is what the purpose of the review is all about.' The terms of reference also ask Silver to 'identify overlaps, inefficiencies, functions and programs within the VPS that can be streamlined or eliminated', provide recommendations to 'improve processes' and examine 'the appropriate levels of executives'. The state's integrity agencies and the department that manages parliament won't be included in there review – but ministerial offices will be. Allan stressed frontline roles – such as child protection workers, nurses, police officers and teachers – would not be part of the review. 'This review is about helping to make sure that the public services delivered here in Victoria continue to be focused on those frontline services, on those priorities of working people and Victorian families – investing in good schools, in hospitals, in safer communities,' she said. In the 2023/24 budget, the former treasurer Tim Pallas made plans to reduce the public service by 3,000 to 4,000 workers – which was then described as a return to 'pre-pandemic levels' – to save $1.2bn. He also committed to scaling back the use of labour hire and consultancy firms. Instead, public-sector employees in the state grew between July 2023 and June 2024 from 54,760 to 54,839. The 2024/25 wage bill totalled $36.53bn – almost double the $18.8bn when Labor first came to office in 2014. In 2024/25 budget, Allan's first, other 'savings and efficiencies', totalling $1.79bn, included ending the sick pay guarantee, and cutting public-sector office space and government advertising. Symes, who took on the role in late December after Pallas' resignation, conceded these 'previous attempts haven't worked'. 'I'm the new treasurer of the state,' she said. 'I'm determined that this process will deliver results.' The Community and Public Sector Union secretary, Karen Batt, accused the government of 'mimicking' Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). 'VPS has already delivered over $5bn in savings from the last three budgets' crazy, ill thought-through proposals, [which] end up costing the government more as our population booms and demand for services grows,' Batt said. 'We'll fight it.'
