Pensioners and seniors score up to an extra $25 via electricity rebate
Source: Queensland. Premier and Minister for the Arts and the Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women. Media Release
"A 15% increase to the state electricity subsidy will take effect from July 1, meaning an extra $25 for up to 700,000 eligible Queensland seniors and pensioners. Premier Anna Bligh and Minister for Community Services Karen Struthers said the State Government would spend an extra $15.5 million in 2009-10 to fund the increased subsidy."

Innovative program strengthens Child Safety workforce
Source: Queensland. Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Sport. Media Release
"In less than 12 months, more than 300 temporary child safety officers have converted their status to permanent as part of an innovative new program being undertaken by the Bligh Government. Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves said Child Safety Services was committed to strengthening its frontline workforce. “All child protection agencies strive to retain suitably skilled staff as the work can be challenging and confronting,” Mr Reeves said. “However, Child Safety Services is implementing a range of strategies to enhance attraction and recruitment to these roles, and to improve retention in these vital positions.” Mr Reeves said these included initiatives to enhance employee safety, health and wellbeing as well as career progression and development."

QUEENSLAND PARTNERS IN EARLY EDUCATION RESEARCH PROJECT
Source: Queensland. Minister for Education and Training. Media Release
" $2.2 million research grant will help put Queensland at the forefront of vital research into Early Childhood Education, Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson announced.
Mr Wilson said the Bligh Government was part of an international research team that secured an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant to evaluate the effectiveness of early education programs in Queensland and Victoria. “The research project will examine quality in early childhood education and care programs and the impact of programs on children’s development.”
The Bligh Government is implementing a range of early childhood education and care (ECEC) reforms to give children a flying start in life including an extra 240 kindergarten services over the next six years."

Urban renewal for inner Brisbane
Source: Queensland. Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. Media Release
"The vision for two key Brisbane locations have been released which will see the areas transformed from underutilised urban infill sites into world class precincts. The Queensland Government has approved the Northshore Hamilton and Bowen Hills Urban Development Area Development Schemes which will inform how these two areas will develop over the next 20 to 30 years. Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said the development schemes provide a long term vision for the UDAs as well as a blueprint for how these visions can be achieved."

AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR ESTABLISHED
Source: Australia. Minister for Resources and Energy. Media Release
"The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, has welcomed today’s establishment of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
The formation of a national institution to operate Australia's energy markets will create efficiencies and benefit all Australian energy consumers. AEMO will operate the existing electricity and gas energy markets in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory."

AUSTRALIA JOINS INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY
Source: Australia. Minister for Resources and Energy. Media Release
"Australia today became a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), further strengthening Australia’s global leadership role in renewable and low emission energy. "

Hearing Screening for all Australian Babies
Source: Australia. Prime Minister. Media Release
"The Australian Government will seek a commitment from States and Territories to deliver newborn Hearing Screening for all Australian babies from 1 January 2011. "

$55M BOOST TO TROPICAL MARINE SCIENCE
Source: Australia. Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Media Release
"A $55 million boost to Tropical Marine Research will greatly increase understanding of Australia’s complex marine ecosystems and support jobs, particularly in regional areas, according to Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research."

National Rollout of KEYS2DRIVE
Source: Australia. Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Media Release
"The national rollout of keys2drive - an innovative driver education program which will provide up to 200,000 free driving lessons to learner drivers and their parents - has begun."

Assessment changes for skilled migrants from July 1
Source: Australia. Minister forImmigration and Citizenship. Media Release
"Trades people applying to live and work in Australia permanently from July 1 will require increased English language skills under changes introduced by the Rudd Government.
The change will mean that people applying for General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas overseas will have to pass a test showing they have competent English. In the past, the pass mark was vocational English which is a lower standard."

More than $2.7 Million Support for Older People from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds
Source: Australia. Minister for Ageing. Media Release
"Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot announced more than $2.7 million for organisations to help aged care service providers deliver culturally appropriate care."

1 July Brings Increased Aged Care Funding, Better Access to Services and More Information for Australian Families
Source: Australia. Minister for Ageing. Media Release
"Australian Government changes introduced from today will benefit older Australians and the aged care industry by providing more information, better access to services and increased funding for more aged care places."

Health Care Boost for Indigenous Australians
Source: Australia. Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery. Media Release
"Health care for Indigenous Australians receives a significant boost today with the introduction of programs aimed at improving services.Across the Health and Ageing portfolio, almost $1 billion is being allocated to health programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2009-10."

Health Care Initiatives Boost for Rural & Remote Australians
Source: Australia. Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery. Media Release
"A total of 10,447 new aged care places will be allocated across Australia. People living in rural and remote areas of Australia will receive a significant boost to their health services with the introduction from today of a number of Rudd Government initiatives."

More GP and midwife training support means more choice for Australian mothers
Source: Australia. Minister for Health and Ageing. Media Release
"Midwives and GPs, particularly those in rural and remote Australia, will get more support under a Rudd Government initiative to provide safe, quality maternity care to Australian women."

New Guidelines for Government Grants
Source: Australia. Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Media Release
"The Rudd Government today released new guidelines that promote the consistent, transparent and accountable administration of Commonwealth grants.
Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner said the Commonwealth Grant Guidelines were part of the Rudd Government’s reforms to Commonwealth grant programs."

Infrastructure and housing approvals reform to drive economic recovery
Source: Australia. Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Prime Minister. Joint Media Release
"Faster approvals of major infrastructure projects and housing developments will help boost construction activity and create jobs under a microeconomic reform package agreed by the Council of Australian Governments today."

Government cuts emissions and energy reporting red tape for business
Source: Australia. Minister for Climate Change and Water. Media Release
"Companies required to report data on their greenhouse gas emissions and energy use will have their reporting red tape reduced, Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong announced today."

National Strategy on Energy Efficiency
Source: Australia. Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Media Release
"Today the Council of Australian Governments signed up to an ambitious roadmap to accelerate action on energy efficiency and assist Australia's transition to a low carbon economy.
The National Strategy on Energy Efficiency will help Australian households and businesses cut their energy and fuel bills while reducing their carbon footprint."

Historic modernisation program for Australian Secondary Schools
Source: Australia. Minister for Education. Prime Minister. Joint Media Release
"The Australian Government today announced funding of $810 million to bring Australian secondary schools into the 21st century.
A total of 537 science laboratories and language learning centres will be built or refurbished under the first stage of the Science and Language Centres for the 21st Century Secondary Schools (SLC) element of the Building the Education Revolution (BER)."

$403 million investment for the Australian environment and sustainable agriculture
Source: Australia. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. BurkeMinister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Joint media release
"The Rudd Government today accelerated work across Australia on environmental and sustainable farming projects, with $403 million committed under Caring for our Country.
It will be the single biggest investment over the next four years under the landmark $2 billion program."

New regional body seeks Victorian community champions
Source: Victoria. The Premier
"A joint initiative between the Australian and Victorian Governments is set to offer Regional Victorians who are passionate about their community the opportunity to help shape the future of their local area. Victorian Minister for Regional and Rural Development Jacinta Allan said the network of Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committees would bring about a new era of Commonwealth-State and local government cooperation in regional development."

New Waste rules a boon for business and environment
Source: Victoria. Minister for Environment and Climate Change
Hazardous waste will be more easily transformed into safe product that can be sold or reused rather than sent to landfill under regulations announced by the Brumby Labor Government today. The new regulations make Victoria a national leader in defining the uses of hazardous waste by allowing waste that would previously have gone into landfill to instead be transformed by new technologies into safe material that in many cases will be able to be sold for new purposes.

Southern seawater desalination plant contract signed
Source: WA. Minister for Water and Mental Health
"Water Minister Graham Jacobs confirmed work on the new seawater desalination plant will begin within three weeks, following the signing of contracts today with the Spanish-led consortia that will build the $955million project outside Binningup and operate it for 25 years. "

New Department Structure to Commence ...
Source: Tasmania. Minister for Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts
July 1st marked the first day of operation of the new Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts.
"The State Government’s decision to merge these two departments was to achieve administrative savings in the challenging financial times with which we are confronted. "