Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and Related Drugs Strategy
Source: Victoria. Mental Health and Drugs Division. Strategy
"The Victorian Government is concerned about the illegal use of amphetamines, including crystal methamphetamine or ‘ice’. In February 2007 the then Premier announced a package of initiatives by the Victorian Government to prevent and respond to the use of amphetamines, including crystal methamphetamine or ‘ice’ One component of this package was the development of the Victorian amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) and related drugs strategy 2009-2012.
The strategy outlines the Victorian Government’s comprehensive response to the use of ATS and related drugs and provides the framework for a comprehensive coordinated state-wide response to ATS use in Victoria, complementing existing frameworks and strategies, including the current national ATS strategy."

Victoria - The Green Jobs State: Seizing the Opportunities
Source: Victoria. Environment Victoria. Report
"The potential to generate 25,000 new jobs across five Victorian industries, and deliver substantial greenhouse gas emission cuts, has been outlined in a new report by a peak environmental lobby group. Environment Victoria’s report identifies through a series of case studies the potential to create the new jobs in the industries of: solar water heating; rail; energy and water efficiency in residential buildings; recycling and wind.
According to the report, increasing the percentage of the state’s households that use solar hot water heating from the present level of 3% to 30% by 2020 would treble the size of the current industry and create about 1500 new jobs in the industry. This would also result in savings of 1.8 million tonnes of emissions annually, the report says."

National Strategy on Energy Efficiency 2009- 2020 Memorandum of Understanding
Source: COAG. Strategy document
"The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has endorsed the design of the expanded Renewable Energy Target and agreed to the introduction of new 6 star standards for houses and strengthened energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings at its recent meeting.
Work will immediately commence on five key measures to drive growth in the number of highly energy efficient homes and commercial buildings across Australia."

Joint Funding to Enrich Queensland Regional Arts
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for the Arts. Media Release
"Premier Anna Bligh and Australia Council for the Arts Chairman James Strong AO announced a new partnership between the Queensland Government and the Australian government that will provide joint funding of $1.5 million over three years for two initiatives: Regional Stages and Regional Writing. "

COAG secures a Compact with Young Australians
Source: Australia. Prime Minister. Media release
"Under the terms of the Compact, every Australian under the age of 25 will have a guaranteed education or training place.
This education and training guarantee will ensure anyone under the age of 25, including those who lose their job, will be able to take part in further education or training."

CARBON POLLUTION REDUCTION SCHEME: SUPPORT IN MANAGING THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL RECESSION
Source: Australia. Prime Minister. Media Release
"The Rudd Government will delay the start of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme by one year to help Australian companies manage the impacts of the global recession."

FIRST GRANTS TO HELP INDUSTRY TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE
Source: Australia. Innovation Minister. Media release
"Reducing reliance on town water through effective water recycling and harnessing the benefits of solar power are two popular initiatives amongst the 23 successful projects to be awarded over $3 million in Re-tooling for Climate Change grants. The $75 million Re-tooling for Climate Change program helps small and medium enterprises reduce their environmental footprint by improving the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes."
For information on the Re-tooling for Climate Change program visit AusIndustry's website at http://www.ausindustry.gov.au

A new target for reducing Australia’s carbon pollution
Source: Australia. Minister for Climate Change and Water. Media Release
"The Rudd Government has today committed to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution by 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 if the world agrees to an ambitious global deal to stabilise levels of CO2 equivalent at 450 parts per million or lower by mid century."

Helping all Australians do their bit on climate change
Source: Australia. Minister for Climate Change and Water. Media Release
"The Rudd Government will establish the Australian Carbon Trust to help all Australians to do their bit to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution and to drive energy efficiency in commercial buildings and businesses.
The Government will also take into account the contribution of individual households that purchase accredited GreenPower in setting Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme caps. "

Australian homes to benefit from Green Loans rollout
Source: Australia. Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
"Green Loans is a new Australian Government initiative to help Australians tackle climate change.
The Green Loans Program will assist Australian families to install solar, water saving, and energy efficient products.

Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools
Source: Australia. Minister for Education. Media Release
"The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today invited primary and secondary schools to apply for grants under the $6.24 million Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools program.
Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools is part of the Rudd Government’s $62.4 million National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP).
For more information about the NALSSP, visit www.deewr.gov.au/schooling/NALSSP "

Country age pensioners get $500 fuel card
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Regional Development
"Age pensioners living in regional Western Australia will be eligible for $500 a year to help with their travel costs following the launch of the Country Age Pension Fuel Card Scheme. Under the State Governments Royalties for Regions program $500 per eligible applicant will be provided each financial year for the next four years towards the cost of fuel and taxi fares."

First water education tool goes live in WA
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Water
"The interactive multimedia portal built by the Department of Water brings together resources from a range of water stakeholders in a single portal accessible through the department’s new website. The tool has different pathways to help teachers and students find the resources they need quickly and easily. The catalogue includes downloads, posters, activities and video with water-related information for society and environment, science and geography subjects. Initially the majority of resources will be suitable for high school students, but the age spread of resources will continue to grow throughout the year."

Regions to benefit from regional planning approach
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Planning
"The Liberal-National Government will establish four new regional planning committees in the State’s North to deal with major regional issues and projects. These committees will allow regions to build capacity to respond to global, national and state influences and thereby help secure the prosperity of regional communities. Importantly, regional planning committees will provide a platform for a collaborative approach to planning. They will bring local governments and people into the heart of planning for their regions, provide a voice and real influence in the development. develop.”

New Protocol for Judicial Appointments
Source: Tasmania. Attorney-General
"Attorney General Lara Giddings released a new protocol for judicial appointments in Tasmania. She said improving the process for judicial appointments was a key part of the Premier’s 10 point plan to restore public confidence in democracy and the State’s political processes."

Bligh changes rules to fast-track non-State schools approvals
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for the Arts and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. Media Release
"Cabinet has amended State planning regulations allowing Queensland’s more than 460 non-State schools to fast-track the delivery of projects worth over $700 million, funded under the Federal Government’s $14.7 billion schools stimulus package. “The change now means that non-State schools will not have to go through the usual local government approval processes for new buildings on their schools sites,” said the Premier."

New ‘green era’ for govt building
Source: Queensland. Minister for Public Works and Information and Communication Technology. Media Release
"The State Government has begun a new ‘green’ era in the way it builds and fits out public buildings, Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten said today. Mr Schwarten said the Green Building Council of Australia’s 5-star Green Star excellence rating was now the standard for new government offices. Having buildings constructed or refurbished to these high-rating green specifications is now Public Works Department policy,” Mr Schwarten said."

Aggressive strategy announced to support tourism
Source: Queensland. Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading. Media Release
"“In Queensland we understand just how important tourism is to our regional economies and that is why the Premier recently pledged additional funding for Tourism Queensland of $36 million over three years to ensure tourism is supported. “Tourism Queensland already has an aggressive, results-driven strategy in place to guide the Queensland tourism industry through the challenges of the next 12 months. “This includes rolling out a series major retail campaigns to drive immediate sales to the tourism industry during this difficult time. “Tourism Queensland will increase its activity in both the interstate and intrastate markets to capitalise on the short-term opportunity created by the global economic crisis and the reduced value of the Australian dollar. “Tourism Queensland will also increase its activity in the two key international markets most likely to drive growth for Queensland tourism in the short term: New Zealand and China. “Marketing will be stepped up around major Queensland events to drive visitation to Queensland destinations. This activity will support and provide opportunities to both large and small tourism operators throughout Queensland.”

Jobs and housing bonanza
Source: Queensland. Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women. Media Release
"Work is underway on the biggest ever investment in social housing infrastructure since the Chifley era – the first phase of which will see the construction of 585 new social housing dwellings across Queensland by the middle of next year. This funding means that 141 new social housing dwellings will be built across Queensland by June 30, 2010. In addition, 444 new social housing dwellings will be delivered across the state by July next year at a cost of $138.6 million under the Stage One of the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan."

Queensland signs up to Compact to guarantee youth employment
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for the Arts. Media Release
"The Bligh Government will take immediate action to ensure the economic future for young Queenslanders with a new entitlement for 20-24 year olds in training and education during the global financial crisis. Premier Anna Bligh said COAG had agreed to immediately implement a new Youth Compact to increase participation of Queenslanders aged between 15-24 in education, training and jobs. The Compact will guarantee that 15-24 year old Queenslanders will have an entitlement to Government subsidised education or training places, subject to admission requirements and course availability."

Premier Releases Road Map to Lift Qld Education Standards
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for the Arts. Media Release
"Premier Anna Bligh today released international expert Professor Geoff Masters’ recommendations for lifting education standards in Queensland’s primary schools. Professor Geoff Masters formally handed his final report A Shared Challenge: Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science Learning in Queensland Primary Schools to Ms Bligh and Education Training Minister Geoff Wilson. The Premier commissioned Prof Masters to review Queensland’s curriculum and educational standards for the State’s primary school students following poor results in the 2008 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). The full report is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/mastersreview/ ."

National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children
Source: Australia. Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Media Release
"The Australian Government is providing $61.6 million over four years to help protect Australia's vulnerable children from child abuse and neglect under the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020.The Council of Australian Governments today (30/4/09) endorsed the National Framework, an ambitious, long-term national approach to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Australian children"

Coordinated National Action to Drive Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Uptake
Source: Australia. Prime Minister. Media Release
"The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) today took a major step forward towards Australia’s low pollution future.
COAG today endorsed the design of the expanded Renewable Energy Target and agreed to the introduction of new 6 star standards for houses and strengthened energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings.
Details of the draft National Strategy on Energy Efficiency and the RET are now available on the COAG website (http://www.coag.gov.au/). "

COAG AGREES TO ESTABLISH NATIONAL EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM
Source: Australia. Attorney-General. Media Release
"The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) today agreed to develop a national telephone emergency warning system.
The Commonwealth will invest up to $15 million to assist the States and Territories to establish the national system.
It will be operated on an ongoing basis by State and Territory authorities and will be developed following an open tender process."

Time for action: The National Council's plan for Australia to reduce violence against women and their children, 2009-2021
Source: National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
"For women in Australia, sexual assault and domestic and family violence are the most pervasive human rights violations. They harm and limit the lives of a third of Australian women, and require an immediate and focused response."