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ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
What previously hidden briefs tell us about the challenges facing the Albanese government
Briefs prepared for incoming ministers tell a story about government functions dealing with rising costs, international instability and increasing demand for services. The documents were prepared for new and returning ministers. Previously held inside the walls of government departments, they have been obtained by the ABC using the Freedom of Information (FOI) process. While people around Australia were starting to focus on the big questions of Election 2025 — Will my voting place have democracy sausages? Do I have enough snacks for the party? — public servants were busy at work. Many were preparing a "red book" to give to the minister of a Labor government or a "blue book" if the Coalition took power. (So far, no department has said in responses that it built a "teal book" in case of a hung parliament, despite that being the heavily tipped outcome ahead of the election). The documents give a sense of the challenges facing the department or sector, and how any election promises will be enacted. The report from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority unwittingly summarises many of the briefs when it assesses the issues facing it: The documents are heavily redacted (blacked out) to avoid "deliberative" material that goes to speculation. The reason for this is based on court decisions, and the words of the Australian Financial Security Authority are echoed in many of the responses from departments. "Incoming government briefs (IGBs) play an important role in the Australian system of responsible parliamentary government … to enable and facilitate a smooth transition from one government to another," it reads. The brief is prepared for a readership of one: the new minister. "If it is known that the brief will be disclosed publicly under the FOI Act, there is a risk that it will be tailored to a different audience or with different interests in mind. "This could compromise the quality and value of the brief and make it less relevant to its specific circumstance." To avoid "political controversy or [be] required publicly to defend the advice provided" could lead to a brief only including "bland material that will not raise concern" and "be replaced by oral briefings to the new Minister." Essentially, most departments redact the most contentious issues but still leave behind breadcrumbs that allow us to divine what is going on. This graph from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is surrounded by three completely blank pages. But the blue and yellow lines tell the story. The Fair Work Commission details another consistent theme that arises from the documents: we're doing more with less. "The Commission's operating revenue from government for 2025-26 is $111 million, which is $48,000 or 0.04 per cent [more] compared to the 2024-25 budget," it notes. It lists approximately 30 new functions and jurisdictions it has taken on between 2022 and 2025, as well as "consistent increases in lodgements in pre-existing jurisdictions". The 2023-24 financial year was one of the FWC's busiest on record, it notes, both by the volume of applications and their complexity. To clarify, that is the industrial umpire saying it will struggle to do what's expected of it without an additional injection of cash. One of the new roles government has asked it to take on is watching over the construction and general division of the CFMEU. A form on the FWC website can take in information about the controversial body, currently controlled by administrators, and as of March 30, 2025, it has received 932 responses. The general manager engaged with the administrators regarding 26 reports relating to allegations of misconduct by CFMEU employees, delegates and organisers. But government is much more than just regulating and watching over: The National Capital Authority is busy putting a spa on Lake Burley Griffin! Floating Sauna Lake Burley Griffin will commence operation of a floating sauna in the Yarralumla Beach area in late June or July. It will complement the seaplane services that now operate from the lake. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has some big jobs to do. But a startlingly falling budget to deal with them. "Departmental funding for the environment and water portfolio decreases from $884 million in 2024-25 to $528 million in 2028-29," the brief reads, noting that it does not include the budget for Parks Australia (which looks after parks including Uluru and Kakadu). "Administered funding decreases from $670 million in 2024-25 to $477 million in 2028-29, primarily driven by terminating programs." There is no detail on what surrounds almost $7 billion in funding, with the FOI officer ruling it to be "deliberative". Corporate regulator ASIC has had a big few years, massively ramping up enforcement after being shamed as a "light touch" regulator in the banking royal commission six years ago. And has some ideas for the new government. But we can not tell you what they are. Three pages each of "opportunities for reform" and "opportunities for investment" are completely redacted. One thing we do know — super funds are not out of the woods yet, with more scrutiny to come. After a warning letter about "the level of service that Australians quite reasonably expect from a large financial institution", there is more. There is also a "pulse check" with regulator APRA to "promote an uplift in industry practice". Sections on insider trading and ongoing litigation against Star Casino and its former directors and officers are heavily redacted. It probably says something about the narrowly focused election that many bodies, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), did not prepare different "books" depending on which party took office. It is not that they thought Labor was a lock to continue in government, just that the different parties were not putting up policy suggestions so substantial they would require separate analysis of a different path taken. "Please note that no other incoming government briefs, or alternate versions (eg, 'red book', 'blue book' etc.), were prepared by NHMRC in 2025," the letter explaining the decision said. A lot is redacted. For example, the NHMRC puts forward "three proposals for your consideration and discussion, as outlined below". Here is what they look like. But the agency is looking at "clinical practice guidelines for the care of trans and gender diverse people under 18 with gender dysphoria" as well as "clinical guidelines for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID and related conditions". As if it needed to be said, "the issue is highly topical and has generated significant political debate, both nationally and internationally. Active stakeholder groups and individuals within organisations hold polarised views and frequently contact the NHMRC and the Minster's office". Broader issues in research stem from an Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) finding in regard to NHMRC's control of external fraud risks. "Some individuals seek to conflate the ANAO's findings … with their concerns about the management of research misconduct or research quality. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry put in the work in case the Coalition won government, but the FOI request to see that document was denied. Exports are heavily affected by the turmoil injected into global markets since US President Donald Trump's decisions to put tariffs (taxes) on goods and services from other countries, and the danger of an expanding conflict in the Middle East. "You will be overseeing the sector during a period of significant global volatility and uncertainty driven by factors that are beyond the capacity of our industries to manage alone," it said. "Past success does not guarantee future results. "The era of trade liberalisation and the rules-based order is under unprecedented threat, making it increasingly difficult to anticipate and respond to disruptions. "Non-tariff barriers have been increasing over the past decade, and tariffs are also back on the table." Beyond commodity prices and the trading environment, the other "unknowable" in agriculture is the weather. The brief details how climate change is "driving an increase in climate variability and natural disasters". While the whole of government is working to manage drought conditions, "building industry resilience is the best way to mitigate impacts and minimise costs" to industry and taxpayers, the department advises. We do not yet know the financial impact of reducing the number of international students. Back in August 2024, Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy told a Senate inquiry that the number of student visas being granted had already dropped by 23 per cent — or almost 60,000 students — over the past year. He said the impact of 60,000 fewer international students arriving in Australia, according to recent data from Home Affairs, would represent a $4.3 billion hit to the economy and possibly tens of thousands of job losses. The precise costs and risks of reducing international student enrolments are redacted. This summation seems fair: "This commitment received significant coverage from media and stakeholders throughout 2024, citing challenges to providers' ability to undertake research and teaching and learning activities if revenue from international students is lost." The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has a sprawling mandate, managing a living system across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. It is going to cost more. "A range of new external drivers that impact the work of the MDBA will result in increased budgetary pressures as departmental appropriations reduce over the forward estimates," the brief writes. When it comes to Water Resource Plans (WRPs), four of NSW's 20 have been withdrawn because "the Authority considers that NSW's engagement with the Gomeroi peoples could be improved". The plans are legal instruments about how the water will be managed. "There is ongoing tension between some First Nations groups and the MDBA about how adequately the New South Wales WRPs identify First Nations peoples' objectives and outcomes for water resources based on their values and uses. Like an aging gen X parent trying to blast their offspring into independence, competition watchdog the ACCC has issued a plea to the minister — you need to get the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) out of here. In 2005, the AER had three staff. Now it has 450 and is the largest division of the ACCC. The competition watchdog has a lot going on. The new Food and Grocery Code came into effect in April, mandatory for retailers and wholesalers with more than $5 billion in annual revenue from wholesaling. Not that it is going to be easy to apply. The maximum (potential) penalty is now an astonishing 10 per cent of the previous year's turnover. There is also tension in the gas market, around credit card surcharges, and a massive shake-up of our merger laws. There is good news, too: the ACCC won $624 million in fines and penalties awarded by courts in 2023-24, more than 400 per cent up on the previous year. The Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) regulates the personal insolvency industry and the personal property security system. On the side, it also manages $450 million worth of confiscated criminal assets. But chill. New credit products and emerging technologies are introducing risks into the personal insolvency system. But low unemployment, better policies to deal with hardship and changing behaviour post-COVID — people talking to their institutions when in trouble — are making things better. Productivity is one of the nation's biggest economic challenges, and the government's economic think tank, the Productivity Commission (PC), is not mucking about. In just eight pages — compared to just one arm of the three-part Education Department's brief being 223 pages long — the PC lays it out. It recently received more than 500 ideas through a pitch process and consultations with industry groups, advocacy groups, peak bodies, consumer groups, unions, academia and government agencies. The aim is to come up with "practical and implementable productivity-enhancing reforms". The final report is due to government on December 12, 2025. Even with that happening, the PC has eight commissioned inquiries and studies, looking at everything from "opportunities in the circular economy" to "building a skilled and adaptable workforce". Apart from two commissioners in Brisbane, the rest are Melbourne-based. The Freedom of Information (FOI) process is a way you can find out about things happening inside state and federal government departments and agencies. The ABC has submitted applications to far more agencies than have been reported in this article, with some due to release documents in the coming weeks. Most FOI applications are for the details of individuals' dealings with these agencies. You can find out how to apply by searching for "FOI" on government websites. Costs may be imposed. Of the more than 60 applications the ABC made to federal departments and agencies after the election, only AusTrade sought payment from the media for processing the information.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Fisherman cops $2000 fine after sinister discovery in Aussie river
An Australian angler has copped a $2000 fine after authorities discovered he was allegedly using live carp as fishing bait, a serious breach of the law, and also deploying illegal setlines — unattended fishing gear anchored and left in the water with multiple hooks attached. This week, the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) officers were out patrolling Broken Creek in kayaks, a part of the Murray-Darling Basin, when they came across "several setlines baited with live carp". A man was allegedly found to have had live carp on his rods near Nathalia, along with approximately "17 live carp in his possession". VFA said "given the risk of the man's fishing activity spreading carp to other Victorian waters", officers proceeded to inspect his property, where they located "a large seine net, and several setlines like those observed in Broken Creek". As a result, the fisher received fines of more than $2000 for possessing live noxious aquatic species, using carp as live bait, and possessing commercial fishing equipment without authorisation. "Carp are a noxious aquatic species in Victoria, and one mature carp can lay up to a million eggs each year," a VFA spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia this week. "While we're supportive of recreational fishers who want to target carp to help reduce their numbers, they can't be returned to the water alive or used live as bait. We encourage fishers to dispose of carp responsibly and ring 13FISH if they see or suspect people doing the wrong thing.' According to the VFA, carp populations are at an all-time high in the Murray-Darling Basin, with astonishing estimates suggesting they comprise up to 90 per cent of fish biomass. Dr Tiana Pirtle, conservation officer with the Invasive Species Council, previously explained why carp are such nuisances across Australia. "They are taking over some waterways in Australia," she told Yahoo. "They are the most abundant, large freshwater fish in southeast Australia and are the most common fish now found in the Murray-Darling Basin. They are prolific breeders; a female carp can produce over one million eggs per kilo she weighs and can spawn several times a year." Alarming haul pulled from major Aussie river MP says it's 'time to release the virus' as invasive species takes over Trailer full of fish exposes disturbing reality in Aussie waterways Carp are also extremely hardy and very adaptable. "They can tolerate a wide range of conditions, allowing them to survive and thrive in a wide variety of riverways," Pirtle said. "They can cause significant changes to the river and lake environments that make those environments less suitable for native species and more suitable for them. For example, they can make the water murkier, which native fish, invertebrates and plants are less able to tolerate. This can lead to fewer native species and more carp in rivers and lakes. "They also compete with some native fish for food and spawning sites." As for setlines, they're illegal due to a combination of environmental, regulatory, and animal welfare concerns. The lines, which are left unattended with baited hooks, can cause prolonged suffering to fish and other wildlife that may be caught and left struggling or dying for extended periods. From a conservation perspective, setlines make it difficult to control how many fish are caught, increasing the risk of overfishing and breaching catch limits. They also pose a threat to non-target and protected species, including turtles, platypus and birds, which may become entangled or injured. Because setlines are not actively monitored, they undermine sustainable fishing efforts and enforcement of the rules, including those relating to size limits and humane dispatch. For these reasons, their use has been banned in Victorian inland waters, with significant penalties in place for anyone caught using them. VFA said setlines catch and kill iconic Murray cod of all sizes, above and below the slot limit, including large breeding fish that contribute significantly to future generations. They also entangle native wildlife that inhabit our rivers, such as platypus, rakali and water birds. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussie 'ghost fish' species once thought to be extinct is making a 'quiet comeback'
An Aussie species once thought to be extinct is making a 'quiet comeback' in a farm dam in rural Victoria. Over the past 50 years, climate change and river regulation has decimated the population of flat-headed galaxias — a native animal that once thrived in the southern Murray Darling Basin but has since earned the nickname 'ghost fish' partially due to its declining numbers. The critically endangered 'floodplain specialist fish' used to be prevalent in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, thriving in wetlands and billabongs, but has now 'basically become extinct' in the latter, North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) project manager, Dr Peter Rose, told Yahoo News Australia this week. 'It's only been found in one spot in NSW since 2012 and it's only been found at a handful of sites in Victoria in the last 20 years,' he said. 'They were last seen in Victoria in 2016 in a creek that had since completely dried out, hence our concern.' Hoping to bring the species back from the brink, the CMA and the Arthur Rylah Institute began surveying dozens of sites in 2022, using eDNA testing — a process that allows scientists to identify genetic material in water — to identify any remaining populations. 'When we started working on them, we weren't even sure whether they were still around anywhere, and we urgently needed to get out and assess whether the species still occurred in Victoria and where the remnant populations might be,' Dr Rose recalled. Luckily, researchers were able to collect ghost fish from four areas in the state's northeast, which were then translocated to the farm dam to breed. Given ghost fish struggle to reproduce in captivity, Dr Rose said he wasn't sure the surrogate site would be successful, yet much to everyone's delight, when experts returned months later they were able to catch 50 juveniles, which were then moved to other secure bodies of water. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goulburn Broken CMA (@goulburnbrokencma) 🎣 Banning of 'morally outrageous' fishing trap a major win for elusive animal 🐠 Young Aussies flock to river to return fish 'missing for more than a century' 🔥 Growing $157 billion problem Australia can't afford to fix As of June this year, a total of four surrogate sites are housing ghost fish populations. 'We just need to secure them, and then once we've got the numbers, we can start trying to put them back into into wild sites where they've become locally extinct,' Dr Rose told Yahoo. And while they 'haven't boomed as much' as other species bred using the same method, including the southern purple-spotted gudgeon fish, positive results are emerging. 'We captured one that was 161mm — that's larger than previously recorded. And I guess it shows just how healthy these fish are and that they're thriving in these surrogate habitats,' the project manager said. 'This species, along with another five fish species — we call them the magnificent six — are declining right across the southern Murray Darling Basin. These fish are really important food sources for larger fish and water birds, and they play a really important role in the ecosystem as well. 'So to have these species on the brink of extinction is a real worry, and we really need to rehabilitate the wetlands and bring these fish back in.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
NSW authorities investigate mass fish kill event at Lake Cargelligo
The New South Wales fisheries department is investigating a mass fish kill at an inland lake in the west of the state. Aquatic ecologist Adam Kerezsy started seeing small numbers of dead fish at Lake Cargelligo and nearby Lake Curlew a fortnight ago. It has since escalated, with thousands of the small silver fish now covering the banks of the lake near the township, about 200 kilometres west of Parkes. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said in a statement it was "aware of a fish kill event in Lake Cargelligo which has affected a large number of bony herring". It said it was taking the matter "extremely seriously" and had launched an investigation into the cause. It said DPIRD Fisheries would be working with WaterNSW and other agencies to conduct site investigations and sampling. The event appears to have only affected a single species, the bony bream or bony herring, which is one of the most common natives in the Murray-Darling Basin system. It is consumed by other species including Murray cod, golden perch and water birds. Dr Kerezsy, who lives at Lake Cargelligo, said it was unusual for the area, with the last mass bony bream die-off around 2010. While he was uncertain on the cause, he suspected it could be linked to a recent cold snap or low water levels. "Maybe when you get a combination of a cold spell and not much water … that might be enough to knock them," he said. "It might demonstrate something we didn't know about how these animals die off in the winter." In June, WaterNSW, which manages Lake Cargelligo, announced it was starting more works to improve flood-damaged and old embankments. Since then, the water authority has dropped the lake's water levels from approximately 57 to 53 per cent capacity, its lowest point since March 2024. It is set to remain at or below that level for about six months while the infrastructure is repaired. In a statement, a WaterNSW spokesperson said it was "aware of the fish deaths at Lake Cargelligo and will support DPIRD Fisheries in any investigation undertaken as required".
ABC News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Feature Video: Barkaa ft. Leroy Johnson - Ngamaka
In 'Ngamaka', the stunning natural beauty of Far Western NSW landscapes and waterways belies a much deeper message in this week's powerful Feature Video from Barkaa and Leroy Johnson. Written to raise awareness about the plight of the Murray-Darling Basin (from its rapid depletion due to the worsening effects of climate change, farming irrigation and corporate mining) the Blak Matriarch of Aussie Hip Hop Barkaa and fellow Malyapana/Barkindji artist and elder, Uncle Leroy Johnson, have banded together to highlight the cultural, social and spiritual significance of the Darling River (the Baaka) to the Barkindji people. 'Ngamaka is the Barkindji word for mother / mum', Barkaa explains. 'The river is our heartbeat as Barkindji people, the translation is river people. Our river is our mother; our water is our mother and heartbeat. Whenever the river is depleted, we feel down as people.' Directed by Gurindji/Malngin, Pertame Arrernte, and Worimi artist Kieran Mpetyane Satour, 'Ngamaka' was filmed on Barkindji Country, with visuals inspired by Barkaa's desire to return home to show the beauty and importance of The Darling/Baaka. 'It was so deadly to be able to work with Barkaa and Leroy Johnson on 'Ngamaka' but was even more special to be able to shoot this on Barkindji country with the mob' says Kieran. 'We were lucky while shooting that the river was up but this is a very rare occurrence these days due to the siphoning off of water for commercial purposes. Mother earth is sacred. Our lakes and rivers are the bloodlines of our people and need to be protected at all costs. Ngamaka is a testament to mother, an ode to country and a calling back to the old ways of our people that is about care not commerce.' 'Shooting the music video on Country was so beautiful and special' agrees Barkaa. 'It was one of the most monumental moments in my career. It has been a long time coming to bring it back home and bring it on Country. I think the music video will speak for itself.' 'It's such a privilege to help convey the message in this song' adds Leroy. 'The Barkandji language I used to highlight our rivers' plight is an old way, and combining it with Barkaa to fuse the old and new to say the same thing is amazing. Different generations coming together to tell our stories. I love it.'
