Free Trade Agreement Negotiations: Japan and China
Source: Australia. Minister for Trade. Media Release
"The Australian Government Budget has provided $17.0 million over two years for the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs) with Australia’s two largest trading partners, Japan and China."

$741 Million Additional Funding for Climate Change Measures
Source: Australia. Minister for Environment and Water Resources. Media Release
"The 2007–08 Budget includes a range of Australian Government measures to address climate change, at a cost of $741 million over five years. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, said the funding would help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, while assisting Australia to prepare for climate change."

$1 Billion Clean Coal Fund Welcomed
Source: Australia. Minister for Environment and Water Resources. Media Release
"The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, welcomed the expansion of the COAL21 Fund to support research, development and demonstration of clean coal technologies. The Australian Coal Association announced it would increase its $300 million five-year COAL21 Fund to an estimated $1 billion over the next decade. The COAL21 Fund aims to raise the funds through a voluntary production levy on coal producers."

Australian Government Solar Rebate Start-Up
Source: Australia. Minister for Environment and Water Resources. Media Release
"Householders, schools and community organisations planning to take advantage of the Australian Government’s new $150 million solar power rebate can apply immediately for the increased rebate."

Building an Indigenous workforce in government service delivery
Source: Australia. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Media Release
"The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, announced $97.2 million, over four years, to create at least 825 jobs in government service delivery for Indigenous Australians participating in Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)."

Education for life – realising our potential
Source: Australia. Minister for Education, Science and Training. Media Release
"The Australian Government will boost investment in the Education, Science and Training portfolio with an unprecedented $5 billion in a perpetual Higher Education Endowment Fund and additional spending of $4 billion over four years, including the $3.5 billion ‘Realising Our Potential’ package. This historic investment includes a major reform package which will fundamentally reshape the university landscape and drive quality improvements in Australian schooling."

Improved Access to Government Intellectual Property
Source: Australia. Attorney General. Media Release
"Business should have more opportunities to commercialise intellectual property (IP) developed under government contracts after the adoption of a new Government IP policy, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said."

Don’t smoke with kids in the car
Source: South Australia. Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Media Release
"An advertising campaign has started alerting drivers to a new law banning smoking in cars where children under the age of 16 are passengers, which will take effect throughout the state from Thursday, May 31. South Australia will be the first state in Australia and one of only a few places in the world where smoking is banned in cars when children under 16 are present."

SA Innovation marketed to the world
Source: South Australia. Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Media Release
"The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Rory McEwen, launched a tool developed by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) that will assist horticulturists around the world deal with critical salinity management."

Joint statement - $112million reforms package announced for indigenous communities in WA
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Australia. Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Media Release
"The State and Federal Governments have announced funding of more than $112million for a range of initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of indigenous people in Western Australia."

Second seawater desalination plant to be State’s next major water source
Source: Western Australia. Premier. Media Release
"Premier Alan Carpenter has announced that a second seawater desalination plant powered by renewable energy will be Western Australia’s next major water source."

Traditional sports make a comeback in childhood obesity fight
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Education and Training. Media Release
"Traditional sports such as cricket, athletics, soccer, tag football and volleyball will make a comeback at schools throughout Western Australia as part of the Carpenter Government’s plan to combat childhood obesity."

WA leads the push to disclose harmful tobacco additives
Source: Western Australia. Attorney General. Media Release
"Western Australia has backed calls by health ministers across the country for tobacco companies to fully disclose the additives found in cigarettes."

New directions in VET: Trades Training Centres in Secondary Schools
Source: Australian Labor Party. Policy Statement
"A skilled workforce is essential for our long-term prosperous future, so we need to make vocational qualifications more attractive to all Australians, beginning with young people in schools..."

Government aims to end scandal of wasted food
Source: South Australia. Attorney General. Media Release
"Attorney-General Michael Atkinson announced that the Government is to change the law to make it easier donate food to charity to end what he called the scandal of wasted food. Mr Atkinson says he is disappointed by the amount of perfectly decent food that is thrown away by our supermarkets and shops every day."

Policy Review to Promote High Quality Retail Centres
Source: Victoria. Minister for Planning. Media Release
"The Bracks Government announced a planning review for the retail sector, which will result in clearer guidelines for locating and designing future retail developments. The Retail Policy Review is about clearly identifying what criteria retailers should be working to when planning, designing and locating their future investments across Victoria."

Teachers and Students to Reach their E-Potential
Source: Victoria. Acting Premier. Media Release
"A program to make digital technology a more effective learning tool was launched by Acting Premier John Thwaites. Mr Thwaites was at Glendal Primary School in Glen Waverley with Education Minister John Lenders to launch the $8.4 million e-Potential learning initiative, which teaches students to use online technology as part of the study of core curriculum subjects."

Holding Launches Australian-First Technology Market Reports
Source: Victoria. Minister for Information and Communication Technology. Media Release
"Minster for Information and Communication Technology, Tim Holding, launched the inaugural Victorian Government Technology Market Reports 2007 – the first of its kind in Australia. The Report, developed by Dandolo Partners in collaboration with the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), is now on sale to industry, giving them unprecedented detail on upcoming Victorian Government ICT contracts."

Thwaites Announces Biggest Single Building Program Under $510m Public Housing Boost
Source: Victoria. Minister for Housing. Media Release
"Acting Premier John Thwaites said Norlane would now be home to the biggest single project announced to date under the Bracks Government’s record $510 million boost to social and public housing."

State Budget 2007- 08: Decisions For Our future: More than $100million to fight climate change
Source: Western Australia. Treasurer. Media Release
"The Carpenter Government will invest more than $100million over the next five years on a comprehensive climate change package as part of this year’s State Budget. Treasurer Eric Ripper announced that the Office of Energy and the newly created Office of Climate Change would jointly manage the package."

$183.5million for agri-food industry in State Budget
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Agriculture and Food. Media Release
"The State Government has committed $183.5million to support the growth of Western Australia’s agri-food sector and minimise risks to the State’s natural resources. Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance said the Department of Agriculture and Food’s budget for 2007-08 included $41million for biosecurity initiatives and $54million for natural resource management."

$1million for food industry development
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Agriculture and Food. Media Release
"Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance said the State Government would spend $1million on food industry development as part of this year’s State Budget. The Department of Agriculture and Food will use the funds to work with food producers and processors to deliver products that meet specific consumer needs."

Federal Budget 2007-08:Government commits to $2 billion for sustainable future
Source: Australia. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Environment and Water Resources. Media Release
"The Australian Government announced it will spend almost $2 billion over five years from 2008-09 to continue the success of the largest environmental programme ever.
The Government will commit $395 million annually to extend the Government’s flagship, Natural Heritage Trust to 2013, providing for the continuation of thousands of natural resource protection, restoration and sustainable use activities across the nation."

Federal Budget 2007-08:$200 Million More to Help Communities Save Water
Source: Australia. Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation and Minister for Environment. Media Release
"The six year extension of the Australian Government’s Community Water Grants programme was announced by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, and the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz. Community Water Grants is an extremely successful programme – it has provided vital funding that’s been the catalyst for groups to undertake important water saving projects,” Mr Turnbull said. "

Federal Budget 2007-08:$50.0 million for environmental stewardship
Source: Australia. Department of Agriculture. Media Release
"Farmers and other landholders across the country will be paid to help preserve and restore high-end environmental assets under a new long-term stewardship programme."