New Focus on Early Childhood and Education for all Victorian Children
Source: Victoria. Office of the Premier. Media Release
"Victorian children will now get an even better start to life with the creation of a new super department to integrate children’s and education services across the State. Premier John Brumby announced the Government would bring the Office for Children into the Department of Education – creating the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development."

Helping Principals Respond to Sexual Assaults
Source: Victoria. Minister for Education Services. Media Release
"Principals in Victorian government schools will be the first in Australia to be provided with a comprehensive manual to strengthen their response to allegations by students of sexual assault. The Minister for Education Services, Jacinta Allan, joined the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Christine Nixon, to launch Responding to Allegations of Student Sexual Assault – Procedures for Victorian Government Schools."

Brumby Vows to Strengthen Accountability in Victoria
Source: Victoria. Office of the Premier. Media Release
"Premier John Brumby unveiled a range of reforms to make Parliament, MPs and the Executive more accountable and accessible to the Victorian people. Mr Brumby said the Government had identified six areas, with more to come, to build on the commitment to accountable and accessible Government."

$9 million injection for frontline mental health services
Source: South Australia. Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Media Release
"Front line mental health services in South Australia are receiving a $9 million boost over the next three years to recruit 30 new mental health professionals to work alongside GPs across the state. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister, Gail Gago said the ‘Shared Care with GPs’ program aimed to improve access to health services for a greater number of people suffering from mental health illness."

Students leap into physical activity challenge
Source: South Australia. Premier. Media Release
"Students are jumping at the chance to be physically active for at least one hour every day and earn rewards for their efforts through the new $1.8m Premier’s Be Active Challenge. One in every four South Australian schools has joined the challenge in its inaugural year, with more than 13,000 Reception to Year 9 students now taking part."

New water initiative to help reduce household costs and meet the climate change challenge
Source: Western Australia. Premier. Media Release
"Premier Alan Carpenter has launched a new initiative designed to help Western Australian householders reduce their water use and save money. From this week, Water Corporation accounts will include extra information to better equip householders to use water more efficiently and meet the climate change challenge."

Premier unveils new graffiti strategy
Source: West Australia. Premier. Media Release
"Premier Alan Carpenter announced a major crackdown on graffiti. Launching the State Graffiti Vandalism Reduction Strategy 2007, Mr Carpenter said the new strategy included a range of measures to tackle graffiti."

Local and State Governments team up to tackle climate change
Source: West Australia. Minister for the Environment. Media Release
"The State Government has joined with local governments in signing a Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership Agreement. This is a groundbreaking initiative that will ensure closer communication and collaboration, and joint action on a diverse range of climate change and sustainability matters that are of mutual interest and concern to both spheres of government."

Stormwater management guide released
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Water Resources. Media Release
"Coinciding with recent heavy rainfall Water Resources Minister John Kobelke today released a stormwater management manual. Mr Kobelke said that the manual was one of a number of initiatives aimed at improving the way the State’s water resources are managed."

Dedicated Aboriginal beds offer better treatment
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Health. Media Release
"A new $140,000 facility to help Aboriginal people dependent on alcohol or drugs has opened in Perth to encourage more people to seek professional help. We hope this new unit will encourage more Aboriginal people to enter treatment by offering a culturally secure service with dedicated Aboriginal staff, delivered in partnership with Aboriginal agencies.”

$800M Boost to Offshore Petroleum Exploration
Source: Australia. Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Media Release
"Australian Resources Minister, Ian Macfarlane, today announced a boost to petroleum exploration in Australian waters, with 11 new offshore permits awarded to exploration companies. A total of 21 bids were received for the 11 areas and these exploration programs are worth more than $800 million."

Tourism Ministers to Discuss Climate Change
Source: Australia. Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Media Release
"Australia’s tourism ministers will meet in Canberra on Friday to discuss a strategy for addressing the impacts of climate change on Australia's tourism industry. The tourism industry is at the cutting edge of practical initiatives on climate change, from research on the Great Barrier Reef to eco-tourism resorts with the smallest possible eco-footprint. But more can be done to make Australia a world leader in environmentally responsible tourism," Fran Bailey said."

Australia and Indonesia agree to examine options for a bilateral free trade agreement
Source: Australia. Minister for Trade. Media Release
"Australian Government Minister for Trade, Warren Truss, has welcomed the announcement that a joint feasibility study will be undertaken into the merits of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and Indonesia."

Higher Standards, Better Skills
Source: Australia. Minister for Vocational and Further Education. Media Release
"Training organisations which reach the required level of excellence will be rewarded with less government scrutiny under new guidelines announced by the Federal Government and State governments. Co-operation between the Howard Government and State Education Ministers has resulted in new quality standards for the Vocational Education and Training sector. "

New Clever Network project will enhance educational experience for more than 7000 Queensland students
Source: Australia. Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Media Release
"The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and Arts, Senator the Hon Helen Coonan announced that schools in Queensland will benefit from funding of $4.9 million to provide enhanced access to the Learning Place, Education Queensland’s e‑learning environment for schools. The funding will be used to establish the Learning Place Access Enhancement project, which will enhance current broadband telecommunications infrastructure and improve the educational experience for more than 7000 students across regional and remote Queensland."

Clever Networks funding for health care in remote North Queensland
Source: Australia. Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Media Release
"The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and Arts, Senator the Hon Helen Coonan announced funding of $5 million to provide high-capacity broadband services to support health care and emergency services to communities in remote North Queensland."

Designing Holistic Health Care for Indigenous Prisoners
Source: ACT. Chief Minister. Media Release
"A report outlining a possible best-practice model for holistic health service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners was released by the Winnunga Nimmityjah health centre. It is vital that we find ways of improving health outcomes for all of those in our corrections system, and we know that Indigenous prisoners have particular needs and particular responses to incarceration,” Mr Stanhope said."

Review of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Services
Source: Tasmania. Department of Health and Human Services. Media Release
"A Discussion Paper marking the first part of the State Government’s review of alcohol, tobacco and other drug services (ATOD) in Tasmania was released for comment. “The Discussion Paper provides information on the findings from those processes and outlines a service framework for Tasmania, along with proposals for the future direction for the ATOD sector in Tasmania”, Mr Alderdice said. "

Kevin Rudd's $500 million housing plan
Source: Australian Labor Party. Policy Statement
"The housing affordability crisis has hit younger families hardest. That's why Labor has proposed a new $500 million Housing Affordability Fund to assist 50,000 homebuyers save up to $20,000 each on their new home."

Leading Scientist to Advise on Directions in Energy
Source: Victoria. Minister for Energy and Resources. Media Release
"Minister for Energy and Resources Peter Batchelor announced the appointment of leading energy researcher Professor Frank Larkins to the newly created position of Chief Scientist (Energy) with the Department of Primary Industries. The Victorian Government is committed to establishing Victoria as a global leader in the development of sustainable energy technologies and policies, and to do this we need the best advice and expertise, Mr Batchelor said."

Mental and Physical Health Support for Farm Families
Source: Victoria. Minister for Agriculture. Media Release
"The Brumby Government will deliver $2.9 million over two years for a program to help farm families across Victoria address the physical and mental health impacts of prolonged drought, Minister for Agriculture, Joe Helper, announced. Mr Helper said the Sustainable Farm Families program would focus on improving the physical and mental health of farmers and their families. "

A New Approach to Family Violence in Victoria
Source: Victoria. Minister for Womens Affairs. Media Release
"At the Working together to respond to children and young people affected by family violence forum, the Minister for Children, Lisa Neville, said the Government was taking a lead role in developing new ways to reduce the incidence of and improve the outcomes for those affected by family violence. "

Major boost to Science & Research Fund
Source: South Australia. Minister for Science and Information Economy. Media Release
"The State Government has announced a new direction and significant boost in funding to the Premier’s Science and Research Fund. Science Minister, Paul Caica, says the changes are designed to increase the State’s international competitiveness and retain and attract leading scientists to SA."

New scheme for young Geraldton offenders
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Corrective Services. Media Release
"Juvenile offending in the Mid-West and Gascoyne region will be tackled by a new multi-agency strategy, developed by the Department of Corrective Services in conjunction with the local community. The new services will target young people who are at risk of offending, as well as the high-end, repeat offenders, by working with them and their families.”

Revolutionary plant gives drinking water to Yalgoo
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Water Resources. Media Release
"Water Resources Minister John Kobelke pointed to Yalgoo’s revolutionary new water treatment plant as a water supply solution for other towns that rely on brackish water for their only drinking source. Mr Kobelke said that Yalgoo’s new $2million facility, known as a High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HERO) plant, was an adaptation of technology patented in the United States to supply ultra-pure water to the electronics industry."