Moratorium to Ensure Smooth Smart Meter Roll-out
Source: Victoria. Minister for Energy & Resources. Media Release
"The Brumby Labor Government will ensure Victorians are fully aware of new electricity network time-of-use pricing structures associated with smart meters after announcing a moratorium on the scheme. Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor announced the moratorium, which will be effective immediately, after this afternoon's meeting of the Customer Consultation Working Group. “The roll-out of smart meters across Victoria is progressing well, but we are committed to ensuring the transition to a new pricing structure is managed carefully and sensibly,” Mr Batchelor said. “Time-of-use pricing is where customers are charged different rates at different times of the day. This pricing structure will help Victorians control their energy costs but we need to make sure the changes are fully understood across the community before they are introduced.

$1 Million Boost to Help Communities Live Sustainably
Source: Victoria. Minister for Environment & Climate Change. Media Release
"The Brumby Labor Government is providing $1 million to establish “EcoLiving” Centres across Victoria that will help the community learn how to live sustainably. Visiting Ballarat, Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings announced four new projects that will provide information, training programs, demonstrations and displays on sustainable living.
“The Brumby Labor Government is working in partnership with the community to help address climate change,” Mr Jennings said. “The EcoLiving Centres will be located in Ballarat, Wangaratta, Mildura and Melbourne’s South East and will see the development of EcoLiving Centres and hubs. “The centres will provide practical information and advice on how we can make our homes and workplaces greener so we can collectively take action on climate change.
There will be demonstrations on sustainable technologies including solar panels and solar hot water as well as training and information on subjects such as how to complete sustainable renovations.”

Young Far North Queenslanders to benefit from new community mental health initiative
Source: Queensland. Minister for Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs. Media Release
"Young Far North Queenslanders are set to benefit from a $6.4 million community mental health initiative, Disability Services Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Ms Palaszczuk said the Time Out Housing Initiative would deliver home and community-based services to Far North Queenslanders aged 18-25 experiencing early symptoms of mental health problems.
“Cairns will be one of the first Queensland locations to benefit from this new early intervention program, with a program run by Aftercare soon to be up and running,” she said.
The initiative will support young people in their own homes, ensuring they can access clinical support, counselling and specialist public mental health services where appropriate."

Alcohol Interlockers will stop drink drivers in their tracks
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for Transport. Media Release
"New laws will see repeat drink drivers and those with excessive blood alcohol levels pay for the installation of alcohol interlockers in their vehicles to keep them off the road. Premier Anna Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the alcohol interlockers – which require drivers to pass a breath test before they can operate their vehicle – were part of the State Government’s determined bid to crack down on alcohol-related road fatalities."

Bligh Government to review Domestic and Family Violence Legislation
Source: Queensland. Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women. Media Release
"Community Services Minister Karen Struthers and Police Minister Neil Roberts released a consultation paper as part of a five-year strategy to help reduce domestic and family violence in Queensland. The launch took place at Queensland Police Headquarters in Brisbane during the service’s Domestic Violence Liaison Officer conference. Minister Struthers said feedback on the consultation paper was part of a Bligh Government commitment to review current domestic violence legislation. “A lot has changed with the way domestic violence is viewed but more action is still needed,” Ms Struthers said. Domestic violence used to be viewed as a private matter but it is now it is finally coming out from behind closed doors."

GOVT TO NARROW DISCRIMINATION BY SINGLE SEX CLUBS
Source: Victoria. Attorney General. Media Release
"Single sex clubs will no longer be able to discriminate against a broad range of groups under upcoming law changes by the Brumby Labor Government.
Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls said while single sex clubs would be allowed to continue to discriminate on the basis of gender, they would no longer be able to reject members on the basis of any other attribute, such as race, sexuality, or political or religious beliefs.
“There are various community views on this issue and I believe we have struck the right balance to limit the ability of single sex clubs to discriminate at whim against a whole range of people,” Mr Hulls said. “Under our proposed changes, single sex clubs no longer will be able to ban members on the basis of attributes such as being gay, Muslim, Jewish, black, elderly or disabled.
They will be able to continue to operate as single sex clubs but will have to make their membership rules publicly available, which will ensure greater transparency and reassure minority groups that they will not be victims of discrimination."

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BILL TO TACKLE SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION
Source: Victoria. Attorney General. Media Release
"Efforts to stamp out entrenched and systemic discrimination against minority groups will be boosted through upcoming reforms to equal opportunity laws, Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls said.
Mr Hulls said a new Equal Opportunity Bill, to be introduced into Parliament, would give the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission the ability to investigate persistent and systemic discrimination without first requiring a complaint to be made. “This reform puts the emphasis on prevention and early intervention to eliminate systemic discrimination, and ensures that when the Commission becomes aware of a serious possible contravention of the Equal Opportunity Act, it will have the ability to investigate without a complaint being made,” Mr Hulls said. This will mean the Commission can act on pervasive and systemic discrimination on a range of issues, such as widespread sexual harassment in a particular industry or older workers being denied opportunities for promotion or training."

NEW CODE OF CONDUCT ESTABLISHED FOR COMMUNITY SPORT
Source: Victoria. Minister for Sport and Recreation. Media Release
"Grassroots sporting associations will be required to take a zero tolerance approach to bad behaviour and crackdown on violence and ugly parent syndrome, by signing up to a new Victorian Code of Conduct for Community Sport or risk losing millions of dollars in funding. Sports Minister James Merlino said Victoria’s 16,000 community sporting clubs would need to comply with the accord, which sets strong standards for players, spectators and officials.“Victorians love their sport and our grassroots sporting clubs and associations play an integral role in ensuring communities are strong, happy, healthy and active,” Mr Merlino said.“The Victorian Government is a proud supporter of grassroots sport and in the past decade we have provided more than $210 million to the local clubs that are vital to our communities. But there is a small minority who overstep the mark and do the wrong thing. The Victorian Code of Conduct for Community Sport sends a loud and clear message – that bad behaviour, violence and intimidation has no place in community sport in our state."

New programs to provide jobs, infrastructure and a healthier Queensland
Source: Queensland. Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Sport. Media Release
"The Bligh Government announced a new package of sport and recreation funding programs to deliver more than $138 million to create jobs, help build infrastructure and deliver initiatives to encourage Queenslanders to take part in sport and recreation activities. Sports Minister Phil Reeves said the sports funding programs would generate more than 500 jobs over the next three years. “Four new programs will fund sporting clubs and recreation organisations, councils and schools to help them increase participation, recruit volunteers, and encourage disadvantaged communities to participate in sport,” Mr Reeves said."

New standards for outdoor adventure activities
Source: Queensland. Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Sport. Media Release
"Sport Minister Phil Reeves joined a group of abseiling professionals and canoe enthusiasts at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs to mark the release of the Queensland Adventure Activity Standards (AAS). The Standards are a comprehensive set of voluntary guidelines to help the outdoor recreation industry maintain safe operating procedures. Sport Minister Phil Reeves said the Standards covered a range of activities. “All aspects of adventure activity planning, leader skills and responsibilities, equipment and environmental practices for each activity have been considered and developed into the Standards,” Mr Reeves said. “The Standards will assist activity providers to establish their own Standard Operating Procedures. While these are voluntary, they set minimum benchmarks which should encourage a high level of industry acceptance and compliance.”

$1.8 MILLION TO HELP PEOPLE LOG ON AND GET CONNECTED
Source: Victoria. Minister for Community Development. Media Release
"Disadvantaged Victorians will get better access the internet thanks to a new $1.8 million Brumby Labor Government program. Speaking at the Community Engagement in Policy Development Conference, Community Development Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said a new Digital Inclusion Fund would help people log on and get connected.“The Brumby Labor Government is standing up for disadvantaged Victorians by helping them access the world wide web, getting more people on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.“We are providing this new Fund because digital inclusion is not just about having access to the computer and the internet. It will also help people make the most of their access to the internet to develop their skills and knowledge.”

Learning through sport
Source: NT. Minister for Sport
"The Northern Territory Government will develop four new sporting academies for girls. The Education Minister Chris Burns said the sporting centres would be set up with $2m in Federal funding under the Sporting Chance program, $2m from the Northern Territory Government and $2m in private sponsorship.
“These academies will use sport as a vehicle to engage Indigenous girls in secondary education, with the aim of improving educational outcomes,” Dr Burns said.
“Education is at the heart of our Territory 2030 plan. Increasing school participation among our Indigenous students is an important target within that plan.""

NEW PROGRAM FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS
Source: NSW. Minister for Juvenile Justice. Media Release.
"The NSW Government – funded program focuses on the needs of young offenders and gives them skills to address their offending." “The young people involved learn a range of life skills, including literacy and numeracy courses, health workshops and personal development.
“The program also aims to address the young person’s drug and alcohol problems, and provides vocational support in the form of practice interviews, resumes, work experience and links to employment and further education."

TARGET 1000: BOOST TO VOLUNTEERING IN COMMUNITY SPORT
Source: Victoria. Minister for Sport & Recreation. Media Release
"A new campaign to recruit an extra 1000 coaches and officials into grassroots sport has begun, with Sports Minister James Merlino kick-starting the Target 1000 recruitment drive. Mr Merlino said the Target 1000 aimed to deliver more than 60,000 hours of free coaching and officiating this year through sporting clubs across Victoria.“Victorians love their sport and our local sports clubs and associations play an integral role in encouraging strong, happy, healthy and active communities,” Mr Merlino said.“But without volunteers, many grassroots clubs would not survive – it’s as simple as that. Volunteers are the backbone of our clubs, but many sporting clubs are experiencing a shortage in volunteers who are qualified and accredited to coach or officiate. Our new campaign, Target 1000, hopes to break down those administrative barriers that prevent people from taking up the volunteering roles that keep our clubs on their feet.”

Public Comment Sought On New Heritage Legislation
Source: Northern Territory. Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage
“The Government is now reviewing the Heritage Act in order to provide the best possible framework for heritage management in the Territory into the future. The new legislation proposes to further protect our unique and cultural heritage in several ways including the introduction of ‘serial listing’ for certain classes of places, improved appeal rights, increased penalties for destroying or damaging listed heritage places and better processes for carrying out work to heritage places.”

A stronger, fairer Australia – statement on social inclusion
Source: Australia. Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.Minister for Social Inclusion. Deputy Prime Minister. Joint Media Release.
"The Minister for Social Inclusion, Julia Gillard, today launched the Australian Government’s national statement on social inclusion, A Stronger, Fairer Australia. The statement, released at the inaugural Social Inclusion Conference in Melbourne, sets out the Government’s vision and strategy for social inclusion now and into the future. Social Inclusion means ensuring no Australian is left behind by giving all the opportunities, resources, capabilities and responsibilities to learn, work, connect with others and have a say in community life. "

Tenant Initiated Grants now open
Source: ACT. Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services
"The Minister has announced that Housing ACT is offering grants of up to $5,000 to social and community housing tenants under the 2010 Tenant Initiated Grants round.
Last year 28 grants were provided to individual tenants and to tenant groups. Grant funds were used to run a number of interesting projects, including art classes, community gardens and social outings for senior residents. The tenants running these projects demonstrate what can be achieved when people in our community take the initiative to start something up, and the good will that's generated."

ACT4NATURE – YOU CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Source: Victoria. Minister for Environment & Climate Change. Media Release
"Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings urged Victorians to sign up for the Act4Nature campaign which encourages people to protect our precious animals, plants and ecosystems. Mr Jennings said many of our native species are under threat from climate change, growing population and increasing consumption. “The Brumby Labor Government strongly urges Victorians to sign up to the 12-month Act4Nature campaign because we understand how important a healthy and thriving environment is to our community,” Mr Jennings said."

$100,000 for “On The Same Wave” multicultural surf safety campaign
Source: Queensland.Minister for Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs. Media Release
"The Bligh Government has committed $100,000 to a new multicultural surf safety campaign launched on the Gold Coast. Multicultural Affairs Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk and Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor launched the On The Same Wave campaign with Surf Life Saving Queensland chief executive John Brennan. “This surf safety campaign will target Queenslanders from culturally diverse and non-English speaking backgrounds across the State,” Ms Palaszczuk.
“It will give them access to beach education classes from trained surf lifesavers, and ensure that school children get important surf safety information in their first language. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are overrepresented in national and state drowning figures, and considered an at risk group by surf authorities."

CRUSHING AND SELLING HOON CARS WITH FUNDS TO GO TO VICTIMS OF CRIME
Source: Victoria. Minister for Transport Accident Commission. Media Release
"The Brumby Labor Government will this year move to further strengthen the State’s anti-hoon laws, which will result in either selling or crushing hoon cars, or selling the cars and donating additional funds to victims of crime. The Minister for the Transport Accident Commission, Tim Holding, said the Brumby Labor Government’s already tough anti-hoon laws were producing results, but the Premier and the Government believed the time was right to take the regime even further.“Victoria has one of the toughest anti-hoon laws in Australia, which have already forced almost 10,000 dangerous drivers to hand over their car keys across Victoria, with very few repeat offenders,” Mr Holding said. But as the Premier said this week after recent road tragedies, our Government is considering and will move to implement new laws for repeat hoon offenders."