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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: MSF urges for protection of civilians and medical staff amid Israeli bombardment in Lebanon

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Beirut, Lebanon, 11 October 2024 – As Israeli attacks intensify in Lebanon, healthcare facilities in areas most affected by airstrikes are being forced to close. This is leading to devastating consequences for civilians and their access to healthcare.

    Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams are working tirelessly to ensure the continuation of care in our existing facilities, while also scaling up our activities to address the needs emerging from the ongoing conflict. However, due to the intense Israeli airstrikes, we were forced to suspend some activities in highly affected areas. We continue to adapt our activities to provide people with much needed healthcare.

    MSF urges all warring parties to spare civilians, medical facilities, and medical personnel in Lebanon to ensure that vital healthcare services can adequately address people’s urgent medical needs.

    “Given the intensity of the violence, road damage, and the lack of guaranteed safety, we are currently unable to reach all affected areas in Lebanon despite the increasing medical and humanitarian needs,” says François Zamparini, emergency coordinator for MSF in Lebanon.

    Last week, MSF was forced to completely close its clinic in the Palestinian camp of Burj el Barajneh in the southern suburbs of Beirut. We also had to temporarily stop our activities in Baalbek-Hermel, northeast Lebanon. These are both areas heavily affected by the strikes.

    “We partially reopened our clinic in Hermel this week to ensure that patients receive their medications, providing them with a two-to-three-month stock of essential drugs, depending on the severity of their condition and medical risks,” adds Zamparini.

    Patients in these areas are already vulnerable, struggling to access the healthcare they desperately need. The closure of medical facilities has left them, specifically people living with chronic diseases, without the essential services they need.

    MSF medical teams also remain unable to operate properly in southern Lebanon due to a lack of safety guarantees for our medical personnel.

    “One of the hospitals we planned to support and had donated medications and trauma kits to, in Nabatiyeh, only a few kilometres away from the active frontlines, was hit on 5 October,” explains Zamparini.

    An MSF mobile medical team, which had been actively supporting general healthcare centres in Nabatiyeh and other areas closer to the Lebanese border since November 2023, has been forced to stop its activities. The team, which was once able to reach areas near the border, can no longer do so and is currently limited to operating only as far as Saida, which is about 50 kilometres north of the southern border, where needs are highest.

    In the last two weeks, Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of at least fifty paramedics. This brings the total number of healthcare workers killed since October last year to over a hundred, as reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health[1]. The heavy Israeli bombardments have also severely disrupted access to medical care across Lebanon. As of 1 October 2024, six hospitals and 40 general healthcare centres have closed their doors as the intensity of the fighting made it impossible to work without safety guarantees, according to OCHA. [2]

    The armed conflict is worsening an ongoing humanitarian crisis, aggravating existing needs. Lebanon’s healthcare system was already overburdened by the country’s economic crisis, which has caused the emigration of many medical staff and strained the capacity and resources of medical facilities. Local health centres, already at capacity, are now facing increasing pressure as they try to meet the growing medical needs of displaced people.

    The scale of displacement in Lebanon significantly surpasses the country’s ability to provide adequate shelter, with over a million people displaced according to UNHCR[3]. The majority of shelters people are seeking safety in are in dire conditions. To respond, MSF deployed 12 mobile medical teams across various regions of the country, including Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Saida, Tripoli, Bekaa, and Akkar. These teams are providing psychological first aid, general medical consultations, and mental health support, in addition to donating mattresses, hygiene kits, hot meals, and clean water. Nevertheless, people’s needs are far greater than what we are able to cover.

    “We must ensure the continuation of care for those in need,” emphasises Zamparini. “We urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, medical facilities and medical personnel must not be targeted. Their safety must be guaranteed.”

    MSF response to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon: In response to the ongoing escalation of conflict and intense Israeli bombing in Lebanon, MSF has deployed 12 mobile medical teams across various regions of the country, including Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Saida, Tripoli, Bekaa, and Akkar. These teams are providing psychological first aid, general medical consultations, medication, and mental health support. MSF is also distributing essential items such as blankets, mattresses, and hygiene kits, as well as supplying water by trucks to schools and shelters where displaced people have gathered. Additionally, we are offering hot meals and drinking water to hundreds of displaced families. MSF has also donated fuel and trauma kits to several hospitals, prepositioned 10 tons of medical supplies and trained over 100 healthcare workers in trauma care and mass casualty management across the country.

    MSF first began to work in Lebanon in 1976, and its teams have worked in the country without interruption since 2008.  In 2023, MSF teams worked in six locations across Lebanon, providing 13,609 free medical consultations for vulnerable communities, including Lebanese citizens, refugees, and migrant workers. MSF’s services include mental healthcare, sexual and reproductive healthcare, paediatric care, vaccinations, and treatment for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. In the past years and as a result of the country’s ongoing economic collapse, people’s humanitarian needs have drastically increased, and we have adapted our projects accordingly. Moreover, we have responded to various types of medical emergencies, and in 2023 we increased our support to respond to the needs resulting from the armed clashes.

    ________________________________

    [1] Health workers in Lebanon describe deadly Israeli attacks on colleagues and fear more | AP News

    [2] https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-lebanon-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-israel-syria-haiti-ukraine-eastern

    [3] UNHCR’s Grandi appeals for urgent humanitarian support and an end to the bloodshed in Lebanon | UNHCR

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A force for prevention

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Made up of more than 700 volunteers from brigades across the state, CFA’s Planned Burn Taskforce (PBTF) is a critical initiative to reduce the severity of bushfire, and protect lives, properties and the environment.

    Taskforce members have a variety of skills sets. Some have extensive burning experience and years of membership under their belts; others are newer CFA members who have recently completed their General Firefighter training. 

    At its core, the taskforce’s efforts aim to reduce fuel loads. However, the proactive, coordinated approach to the burns not only helps safeguard communities, but also preserves natural habitats and biodiversity, promoting rejuvenation and resilience.

    Members interested in joining the PBTF must complete General Firefighter, Entrapment Drill and Tree Hazard Awareness and have their captain’s approval. For more information visit Members Online. 

    We spoke to three members of the taskforce to find out their motivations for joining and why they believe the taskforce is important.

    Michelle Tie, Rowville Brigade

    Rowville brigade firefighter Michelle Tie said being a member of the PBTF gave her the opportunity to be active across wider sections of the community.

    A CFA member for five years and in the Planned Burn Taskforce for three, Michelle saw joining the group as an opportunity to get hands-on experience with fire after completing her General Firefighter training.

    “I hadn’t done any planned burning prior to joining the taskforce. It’s a fantastic way to learn and build experience, and I have learned so much ‘on the job’.”

    Michelle said she was initially nervous attending her first burn with the taskforce because she was the only member from her brigade, but she found the group to be incredibly supportive.

    “By stepping outside of my comfort zone, I have learned so much about fire behaviour especially across different environments which are often very different to the usual callouts we get at Rowville,” Michelle said.

    “I came away from that first burn a much more confident firefighter.

    “I love working with different brigades and members from across the state – the camaraderie makes me incredibly proud to be a part of CFA.” 

    Michelle believes that the success of the PBTF lies in its ability to support brigades to achieve local and state goals. 

    “It’s so vital that brigades have access to the support, skills and experience of the wider CFA community to manage their fire risk,” she said.

    “At the end of the day, this makes Victoria safer for everyone.”

    Tully Machtynger, Kalorama and Mt Dandenong Brigade

    “Joining the taskforce is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience and training on the tools especially for members of smaller brigades who may not get close to, and experience, fire prior to a campaign season,” Tully Machtynger said.  

    “It also provides the opportunity to network with the broader CFA community, talk to people from other brigades and learn how they operate and train.”

    A firefighter and Junior leader, Tully has been a member of Kalorama and Mt Dandenong brigade for two years and a member of the PBTF for one. 

    “Being fairly new to CFA and the area, joining the taskforce was recommended by one of my assessors when I was going through General Firefighter as a great way to see and get used to fire in a controlled way,” Tully said.

    “I’ve been to six or seven burns across the state, predominantly in West Region. I hadn’t done any planned burning prior to joining the taskforce, only responding with my brigade to a couple of escaped burn-offs conducted by local residents.”

    The taskforce is activated when districts are unable to fulfil needs locally. While it’s a role that requires flexibility and the time commitment varies, Tully said she has learned so much working alongside experienced taskforce members. 

    “It’s psychologically beneficial to know what you can face in practice, and the taskforce has definitely value-added to my volunteer experience,” Tully said. “My sense of my own capability has completely changed. By my third burn I felt more confident turning out and in my ability to support my own brigade on the fireground.”

    Elvis Crook, Bulla Brigade 

    With 21 years of membership under his belt, a change in career gave Bulla Captain Elvis Crook more flexibility in his availability so he put himself forward for the PBTF.

    “I’ve participated in a number of planned burns over the years. I thought the taskforce would be a good opportunity to network with members from across the state as well as keep my fireground skills sharp,” he said.

    “There is no better means of observing fire behaviour in a controlled environment which ultimately benefits your skills throughout an active fire season. 

    “An added benefit of having such a broad group of members together from across the state is being able to informally share information and ideas.”

    Elvis said that without the taskforce many critical burns wouldn’t go ahead as regularly. 

    “I remember a burn earlier in the year where I was on a local truck with the brigade captain. The rest of the crew was from the PBTF. 

    “He was very thankful that we were there to crew the truck as the burn we were doing would help protect his land and that of other community members.” 

    Elvis says that if you are thinking of joining the taskforce – do it!

    “The thing I enjoy the most is the camaraderie. The taskforce is like a family; I have made connections with other members who I now call friends. 

    “Attending a burn is also training in itself. I’d highly recommend any newer members who have not had a lot of fireground experience or might be with a brigade with low call numbers to join to build on their experience.

    “I’ve been in the CFA a long time and haven’t immediately felt so at home like I do with this crew.”

    Submitted by News and Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do recent class actions against ‘flex commission’ car loans mean consumer voices are getting stronger?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne

    Gatot Adri/Shutterstock

    It’s been more than five years since the banking royal commission, but its findings continue to have an impact on the financial services sector.

    Law firm Maurice Blackburn recently announced it had settled with ANZ in a class action over allegedly unlawful “flex commissions” built into car loans made by Esanda between 2011 and 2016.

    ANZ agreed to settle the proceedings for $85 million on a “no admission of liability” basis. However, two further flex commission class actions – against Westpac & St George and Macquarie Leasing – remain on foot and will be heard this month.

    Class actions are a growing trend in the ways consumers seek to access justice. Many cases are simply too small to be pursued individually.

    On top of this, a recent High Court ruling could see organisations come under greater scrutiny over the systems they put in place. Could all of this mean consumers are getting a stronger voice?

    What are flex commissions?

    Many car dealers offer to provide financing for prospective car buyers as an alternative to getting a loan directly from a bank. But dealers typically don’t have their own huge reserves of funds to lend out.

    This financing usually comes from a finance company or bank lender through what is sometimes called a “white label” product.

    Many car dealers offer financing arrangements directly to customers.
    Tikhomirov Sergey/Shutterstock

    Dealers will usually be paid a commission on the loans they arrange by the lender. Prior to 2018, some lenders offered these car dealers arranging loans what is called a “flex commission”.

    Flex commissions allowed car dealers to set the interest rate on car loans above an agreed base rate.

    Higher interest rates meant a greater commission for the car dealer, but were not always in the interests of the borrower.

    Banned and heavily criticised

    Flex commissions were formally banned by Australia’s corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in November 2018.

    ASIC had been concerned that borrowers were paying excessively high interest rates on dealer-arranged car loans, and that the commissions were not fair or transparent.

    The watchdog’s own research found about 15% of customers were being charged an interest rate that was 7% or more above the base rate.

    Their main concern was that many car dealers weren’t increasing rates in line with actual credit risk, but rather opportunistically to target inexperienced or vulnerable consumers.

    Shortly after the ban, the final report of the banking royal commission didn’t mince words. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne noted a lack of transparency and a misplaced trust:

    Many borrowers knew nothing of these arrangements. Lenders did not publicise them; dealers did not reveal them. […] To the borrower, the dealer might have appeared to be acting for the borrower by submitting a loan proposal on behalf of the borrower. The borrower was given no indication that in fact the dealer was looking after its own interests.

    Why were class actions needed?

    Neither ASIC’s ban nor the criticisms of the banking royal commission guaranteed any redress for borrowers subject to loans with flex commissions.

    ASIC suggested flex commissions may have contravened the National Consumer Credit Protection Act by being unfair, or the ASIC Act by being misleading. But it is difficult and expensive for individuals to pursue such claims themselves in court.

    ASIC itself can seek compensation on behalf of borrowers, or require redress to be paid as part of other enforcement action. The watchdog has already gone down this road in some of the especially egregious instances of misconduct identified by the royal commission, such as fees for no service.

    Where individual action is too hard or regulator action lacking, consumers’ best option for redress may lie in a class action – taken on a no-win, no-fee basis. The likelihood of a good result may be increased in instances where the class action “piggybacks” on an adverse report from the regulator.

    Corporations may face increasing scrutiny

    It’s reasonable to ask why upstream lenders are being targeted in “flex commission” class actions when it is the car dealers who allegedly wronged borrowers.

    The ongoing class actions do not allege the lenders themselves misled borrowers or treated them unfairly. However, in this context that may not matter.

    In each of the class actions, Maurice Blackburn has argued the car dealers were acting as the representatives of the lenders, which they say makes the lenders responsible for the car dealers’ alleged misconduct.

    A recent High Court ruling may mean corporations have to take greater responsibility for the systems they oversee.
    Shutterstock

    Moreover, in these and similar cases, a recent High Court ruling that centred on “systemic unconscionable conduct” could make it harder for such upstream entities to argue their distance from alleged wrongdoing in systems they put in place.

    Better access to justice

    There has been a rise in consumer protection class actions in recent years, supported by changes in rules of procedure in several jurisdictions.

    Justice Bernard Murphy of the Federal Court of Australia has argued these changes promote the important value of access to justice:

    The important thing to remember is that class actions are critical in ensuring that people can obtain redress for mass civil wrongs. Laws which are not, in fact, readily capable of enforcement by ordinary Australians are little more than an illusion.

    This trend is important. Dishonest or unfair conduct has long been prohibited in the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, but this hasn’t been used much to date.

    Given the current flex commission actions closely follow the findings of ASIC, we should watch the regulator closely for hints of any future actions in other areas. Many could spark discussions that ultimately lead to stronger protection for consumers.

    But when they are successful, we also need to keep an eye on the actual payout to borrowers and hope it takes place without undue delay.

    Jeannie Marie Paterson has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council, DFAT and the Menzies Foundation.

    – ref. Do recent class actions against ‘flex commission’ car loans mean consumer voices are getting stronger? – https://theconversation.com/do-recent-class-actions-against-flex-commission-car-loans-mean-consumer-voices-are-getting-stronger-240795

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Vogue: the 90s was a boom time for Australian fashion and faces. What happened?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Sarago, First Nations Cultural Innovation Lead – Beauty and Technology, Charles Sturt University

    The In Vogue: The 90s series transports audiences back to the glamour and grandeur of a transformative decade for fashion. Set against the backdrop of New York, London and Paris, the series explores the rise of supermodels, designer powerhouses and fashion’s global influence. But the fashion scene in Australia – a country that was also enjoying a meteoric rise in international success at the time – does not crack a mention.

    The 1990s marked a golden era for fashion. Supermodels like Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington became style icons. Designers like Tom Ford, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and John Galliano pushed the boundaries of fashion creating moments that defined the times and influenced everything from pop culture to politics.

    Even though Australia may not have had the runway clout of Paris or New York, the nation was making significant strides in fashion during the same period. Australian designers’ and models’ distinct styles were impressive – giving fashion heavyweights a run for their money.

    So, what went wrong?

    The 90s turned the fashion industry upside down.

    Australian designers, international success

    In the 1990s, Australian designer houses such as Alannah Hill, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa and Sass & Bide signified Australia’s “coming of age” in fashion, with each designer bringing a unique flair and Australian sensibility to the international market.

    Alannah Hill created a whimsical aesthetic with an edgy twist. Her designs, worn by celebrities Nicole Kidman, Helena Christensen and Courtney Love, earned her a cult following. Business skyrocketed from her Chapel Street boutique in Melbourne to the department stores Selfridges and Browns in London and Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel in Fifth Avenue, New York City.

    In 1996, Collette Dinnigan gained worldwide acclaim as the first Australian designer to showcase her collection at Paris Fashion Week. Dinnigan’s delicate lace dresses and couture craftsmanship found a spotlight at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum’s Fashion in Motion exhibition. Striking while the iron was hot, Dinnigan secured a lingerie collaboration with Marks & Spencer.

    Collette Dinnigan’s designs were celebrated in a 2015 retrospective exhibition.
    4Susie/Shutterstock

    Akira Isogawa, known for his blend of Japanese and Western aesthetics shared his first collection in 1994. He has presented subsequent collections in Paris bi-annually, a legacy sustained since 1998. Innovative from the jump, he turned early constraints to strengths. When the budget for his first big show didn’t stretch to shoes, he sent models down the runway in little red socks. The fashion statement helped him eventually secure more than 50 retail partners.

    Sass & Bide, founded in 1999 by friends Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, brought a youthful, urban energy from London’s Portobello Road Markets back to Australian shores. Their signature brand quickly gained popularity and was acquired by Myer in a A$42.3 million two-part deal. Australia was no longer a disconnected island but a wild card in the global fashion ecosystem.

    Australian faces and Elaine George’s Vogue cover

    Australian designers weren’t the only superstars gaining fashion fame.

    By the time the supermodel phenomenon etched itself into the fashion zeitgeist, Australian model and businesswoman Elle Macpherson (known then as The Body) was already well known. Australian models Sarah Murdoch, Kristy Hinze, Kate Fisher and Alyssa Sutherland would follow.

    Sarah Murdoch (nee O’Hare, pictured with Anneliese Seubert and Emma Balfour in 1996) graced Australian catwalks in the 90s.
    Patrick Riviere/Getty

    Magazine cover models throughout the 90s showed sun-kissed “girl next door” charm. The exception was Emma Balfour, often touted as Australia’s androgynous counterpart to Kate Moss’s grunge-bohemian look.

    But 1993 produced a turning point in Australia’s beauty paradigm. It was the year Elaine George, Australia’s first Aboriginal fashion model, arrived on the cover of Vogue Australia magazine, making fashion history. Elaine’s presence highlighted the Australian fashion industry’s prioritisation of Eurocentric beauty ideals.

    First Nations beauty and fashion talent urgently needed celebrating. But Vogue’s Australian readers had to wait until October 2000 until Torres Strait Islander singer-songwriter and actress Christine Anu was featured on the cover. The gap showed the stain of underrepresentation and inequity within Australian fashion’s reputation had remained.

    The 2000s, when fashion got much faster

    While the 1990s were a period of optimism and growth for Australian fashion, the momentum failed to continue into the 2000s. Several factors contributed to this decline.

    One of the most significant changes was the rise of fast fashion in the early 2000s. Brands like Zara, H&M and Forever 21 began dominating the global market with affordable, quickly produced garments.

    This shift left many independent designers, including those from Australia, struggling to compete. The slow, meticulous craftsmanship that had defined Australian designers in the 90s could not keep up with the fast-fashion cycle.

    Another challenge was the lack of sustained support for the Australian fashion industry. Unlike New York, London or Paris, which had well-established fashion infrastructures, Australia’s fashion scene was still relatively young. There was no long-term strategy to nurture emerging talent or to promote Australian fashion on a global scale. Many designers either relocated abroad or found it difficult to maintain the same level of success they had achieved in the 90s.

    A new Renaissance?

    The story of Australian fashion in the 1990s is one of promise, yet ultimately missed opportunity. Today, Australia has a chance to enter a new renaissance fuelled by digital innovation and its unique cultures.

    The rise of digital fashion enables Australian designers to break free from the constraints of traditional fashion markets. With virtual clothing (simulated for real wear or digital realms), AI-powered design tools and metaverse runways, Australian creatives can harness technology to showcase their work globally.

    The championing of Indigenous models, designers and multicultural identity is essential. This inclusivity could position Australia as sustainable and ethical fashion innovator and present a compelling alternative to the fast-fashion giants.

    Sasha Sarago does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. In Vogue: the 90s was a boom time for Australian fashion and faces. What happened? – https://theconversation.com/in-vogue-the-90s-was-a-boom-time-for-australian-fashion-and-faces-what-happened-240784

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: WTO Fish Fund Steering Committee meeting focuses on preparing for full operations

    Source: WTO

    Headline: WTO Fish Fund Steering Committee meeting focuses on preparing for full operations

    The meeting brought together key stakeholders working for the operationalization of the Fish Fund in support of developing and least-developed country (LDC) members’ implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
    “Last time we gathered in July for the Second Steering Committee meeting, I remarked how impressive it was that this Steering Committee had so quickly achieved tangible results and was about to deliberate on the framework documents that will enable the Fish Fund to begin its operations,” Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said at the meeting. “Since then, I have been following the Committee’s work very closely, and I can see from today’s full agenda that your remarkable efforts are continuing to deliver results.”
    DDG Ellard reported that the Fund has received close to USD 12 million from donors and has signed contribution agreements for more than USD 3.5 million. The members that have contributed to the Fund thus far are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and most recently the United Arab Emirates. The United Kingdom has pledged GBP 1 million.
    “These resources will have a real impact, and members are waiting to put them to good use,” DDG Ellard said.
    The Secretariat updated the Steering Committee that the consulting firm Dalberg was selected through a procurement process to develop the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework for the Fish Fund. The Manager of the Fish Fund reported on progress in planning for future calls for project proposals to be supported by the Fund and other updates on strategy, budget, staffing, and communications.
    The meeting also featured a presentation from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on its Self-Assessment Tool for implementing the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. Belize shared its experiences using this tool.  The Seychelles Fishing Authority unveiled a project to upgrade its fisheries management system.
    Because the new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will involve adjustments and enhancements to WTO members’ legislative and administrative frameworks, their transparency and notification obligations, and their fisheries management policies and practices, Article 7 of the Agreement provides for the creation of a voluntary funding mechanism to provide targeted technical assistance and capacity building to help developing and least developed country members with implementation. For the Agreement to enter into force, two-thirds of members have to deposit their “instruments of acceptance” with the WTO. Eighty-four WTO members have formally accepted the Agreement; twenty-seven more are needed for the Agreement to come into effect. Resources from the WTO Fish Fund will be available to members once they have deposited their instrument of acceptance.
    The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here. More information on the Fund is available here.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Young people representing Australia at international youth forum in Samoa

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Young Australians will have their voices heard on the international stage, with a delegation traveling to Samoa for the Commonwealth Youth Forum 2024.

    Minister for Youth Dr Anne Aly has announced that this month Charlotte and Jet, current members of the Albanese Government’s Youth Steering Committee, will represent Australia at the Forum. 

    “Charlotte and Jet will represent the experiences of young people in Australia at the Forum, with a particular lens on First Nations, disability, regional and LGBTIQ+ youth perspectives,” Dr Aly said.

    “They will also represent Australia at the Forum General Assembly which provides advice to the Commonwealth Youth Council.”

    Charlotte, 18, is an undergraduate student at the Australian National University in the ACT, studying a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours), majoring in astronomy and astrophysics. She hopes to also get her Masters in Primary Education to help future generations flourish. 

    Charlotte joined the Youth Steering Committee as a way of paying her successes forward, to help inspire and empower other young people, and is passionate about being a voice for other First Nations people and disabled young people.

    Jet, 18, is from the North-West Coast of Tasmania, and is passionate about social justice, the arts, and supporting diversity. He hopes to bring about change for young people, particularly those in rural and regional areas through representation, and encouraging young people to use their own voices. 

    As a proud member of the queer community, he hopes to contribute to diversity in youth engagement spaces by helping to build safe and collaborative environments.

    “Charlotte and Jet will provide important contributions as the Forum considers global problems and presents recommendations to the leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,” said Dr Aly.

    The Commonwealth Youth Forum 2024 will be held in Apia, Samoa between 21-22 October. The Forum coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 taking place in Apia from 21-26 October.

    The Forum provides an opportunity for the young people of the Commonwealth to build cross-cultural connections and networks, deliberate on youth-led initiatives addressing emerging issues impacting young people, consider perspectives to influence decision makers, and ensure young people have a voice and agency in its future.

    The 2024 Forum theme is ‘Navigating Our Course: Building Resilience for a Common Future’ which reflects the ambitions of our new generation of leaders advocating for an inclusive Commonwealth. 

    At CHOGM 2024 leaders will deliberate on global economic, environmental and security challenges, and discuss how Commonwealth countries can work together to build resilience, boost trade, innovation, growth and empower the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people for a more peaceful and sustainable future.

    This year’s Forum marks the culmination of the Commonwealth Year of Youth.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Hill Doubles Down on Cloak of Secrecy and Unanswered Questions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Blue Hill’s Inability to Address Questions About How It Would Pay for or Complete an Acquisition Further Adds to Uncertainty, Risk and Doubt About Its Preliminary Indication of Interest

    Territorial Reiterates Board’s Unanimous Recommendation that Shareholders Vote FOR Hope Bancorp Merger

    Visit http://www.TerritorialandHopeCombination.com for More Information

    HONOLULU, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Territorial Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: TBNK) (“Territorial”) issued the following statement regarding the presentation released today by Blue Hill Advisors (“Blue Hill”):

    For the fourth time, Blue Hill has failed to address questions that are fundamental in any bank M&A transaction – How will you pay for it? How will you obtain regulatory approval? How will you close it? What are the assurances that you can do all of the above?

    Blue Hill’s inability to address these questions further compounds the concerns associated with Blue Hill’s illusory, non-binding and highly conditional preliminary indication of interest.

    • Blue Hill’s claims about “capital support” and AUM are not committed financing. If Blue Hill is so capable of backing its preliminary indication of interest, why won’t it show proof of financing or even a financing commitment? Why won’t Blue Hill show us the cash? Without financing, Blue Hill’s preliminary indication of interest is simply not real.
    • Blue Hill has provided no information to validate or support its claims that it could obtain the multiple regulatory approvals needed to buy control of a bank. In fact, Blue Hill’s lack of information all but ensures that regulatory applications would be rejected as soon as they were submitted:
      • The identity of many of Blue Hill’s supposed investors remains a hidden secret as does the management team it would put in place to run the Company. Why is Blue Hill refusing to disclose the names of its investors and proposed management team? What is Blue Hill hiding? No regulator – state or federal – would allow an anonymous entity – much less “discrete” secret investors – to gain control of a bank that is responsible for overseeing $1.57 billion1 in deposits.
      • Blue Hill hasn’t provided any information about how it or its investors would address safety and soundness issues regarding interest rate risk, liquidity, capital and earnings, which are paramount to regulators.
      • No information has been provided about Blue Hill’s claimed M&A record, including which companies were involved in those transactions and whether or not they were successful – or went bankrupt.
      • Blue Hill repeatedly names Allan Landon in its materials. However, Mr. Landon is not a stated investor. What is Mr. Landon’s role in Blue Hill’s transaction?
    • Blue Hill has provided no information to give assurance that it understands the regulatory review process. In fact, its own statements make clear that Blue Hill has a fundamentally failed understanding of what it will take to obtain regulatory approval.
      • Purchasing a bank is a complex process. The takeover of an entire bank, as Blue Hill is seeking, is likely a controlled acquisition. The coordinated efforts of six individuals, even if “discrete” would likely be viewed as a group that is “acting in concert.”
      • Blue Hill has not previously applied for — nor secured — regulatory approvals for any transaction of this size based on information it has provided to Territorial.
      • Blue Hill far underplays the significant obstacles it faces in achieving regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.
    • Blue Hill’s belief that it can complete the 70% tender offer it proposed is close to fantasy.
      • Territorial has an approximately 50% retail shareholder base and a highly fragmented institutional investor base.
      • Given these facts, why should anyone believe what Blue Hill is claiming? Once again, where is the documentation to support Blue Hill’s assertions?

    Additional considerations that are important for Territorial shareholders to know:

    • Territorial shareholders will not immediately receive any payment for their shares while any transaction with Blue Hill is sitting in regulatory limbo. Income taxes and the impact of the regulatory delays on time-value-of-money mean that the net value of Blue Hill’s preliminary indication of interest, if completed, would be substantially less than what it has proposed.
    • Blue Hill has provided no assurances that it wouldn’t reduce its proposed value if the Hope Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOPE) merger agreement was terminated or following its unspecified “due diligence.” Indeed, Blue Hill has explicitly stated that its indication of interest is “non-binding.”
    • If Blue Hill is so confident in its ability to gain regulatory approval, complete a tender offer and close a transaction, Blue Hill could provide assurances to the Territorial Board and shareholders through a legally binding “hell or highwater” commitment. Yet, once again, Blue Hill is all talk, and no substance.
    • Blue Hill is simply not credible. It was only formed in 2023, has offices in a residential home (which is for rent) and is withholding material information.
    • As a standalone, monoline, one- to four-family loan focused bank, Territorial faces substantial business and regulatory risks – even in a declining interest rate environment. The Company has been operating at a loss over multiple quarters; loan growth is flat; and revenues are declining. These and other factors led to the Board’s decision to reduce the Territorial dividend as well as enter into an agreement with Hope Bancorp. While these challenges would be addressed by the Hope Bancorp merger, Blue Hill offers nothing to deal with these challenges if the Hope Bancorp agreement is terminated. Indeed, with Blue Hill and its undisclosed “discrete” investors, Board and management team, Territorial’s challenges could worsen.

    The Territorial Board continues to unanimously recommend that Territorial shareholders vote FOR the merger with Hope Bancorp and all related proposals.

    The combination with Hope Bancorp provides compelling value for Territorial shareholders. The merger is structured as a 100% tax free, stock-for-stock transaction under which Territorial shareholders will receive 0.8048 shares of Hope Bancorp common stock for each share of Territorial common stock they own. This per share consideration represents an approximately 25% premium2 to Territorial’s closing stock price just prior to the merger announcement. In addition, the transaction has strong implied transaction multiples across all relevant metrics, including earnings per share and adjusted tangible book value per share.

    With Hope Bancorp, Territorial will become a larger, more diversified, more resilient business with increased resources to invest and grow, resulting in increased value for Territorial’s shareholders. Territorial shareholders will also realize a 1000% increase in their dividend. For Territorial stakeholders, the merger also provides meaningful benefits. As stated publicly:

    • Upon close of the transaction, Territorial will continue to operate under the Territorial name.
    • Local branches and operations will be led by local teams, which means Territorial’s customers can benefit from additional choices and rely on the same people they know and respect.
    • Employees will continue to receive competitive compensation and benefits and will have additional career opportunities. 
    • Territorial’s legacy of community support and investment will continue.

    Territorial and Hope Bancorp have initiated the process for all regulatory approvals, and the companies continue on the path to close the transaction by the end of 2024.

    Your Vote is Important

    Territorial Shareholders are Urged to Vote FOR the Hope Bancorp Merger TODAY.

    Voting is quick and easy.
    Vote well in advance of the Special Meeting on November 6, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. HST.

    Call toll-free:
    (888) 742-1305
    Banks and brokers should call:
    (516) 933-3100
    Email: info@laurelhill.com
    Electronically: http://www.proxyvote.com


    About Us

    Territorial Bancorp Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, is the stock holding company for Territorial Savings Bank. Territorial Savings Bank is a state-chartered savings bank which was originally chartered in 1921 by the Territory of Hawaiʻi. Territorial Savings Bank conducts business from its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and has 28 branch offices in the state of Hawaiʻi. For additional information, please visit https://www.tsbhawaii.bank.

    Additional Information about the Hope Merger and Where to Find It

    In connection with the proposed Hope Merger, Hope has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4, containing the Proxy Prospectus, which has been mailed or otherwise delivered to Territorial’s stockholders on or about August 29, 2024, as supplemented September 12, 2024. Hope and Territorial may file additional relevant materials with the SEC. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR FURNISHED OR WILL BE FILED OR FURNISHED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. You may obtain any of the documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by Hope or Territorial at no cost from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Some statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations regarding the low-cost core deposit base, diversification of the loan portfolio, expansion of market share, capital to support growth, strengthened opportunities, enhanced value, geographic expansion, and statements about the proposed transaction being immediately accretive. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or similar expressions. With respect to any such forward-looking statements, Territorial Bancorp claims the protection provided for in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. Hope Bancorp’s actual results, performance or achievements may differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, the approval of Territorial Bancorp stockholders, and other customary closing conditions. There is no assurance that such conditions will be met or that the proposed merger will be consummated within the expected time frame, or at all. If the transaction is consummated, factors that may cause actual outcomes to differ from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements include, among things: difficulties and delays in integrating Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp and achieving anticipated synergies, cost savings and other benefits from the transaction; higher than anticipated transaction costs; deposit attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following the merger, including difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees and customers, may be greater than expected; and required governmental approvals of the merger may not be obtained on its proposed terms and schedule, or without regulatory constraints that may limit growth. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: possible further deterioration in economic conditions in Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s areas of operation or elsewhere; interest rate risk associated with volatile interest rates and related asset-liability matching risk; liquidity risks; risk of significant non-earning assets, and net credit losses that could occur, particularly in times of weak economic conditions or times of rising interest rates; the failure of or changes to assumptions and estimates underlying Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s allowances for credit losses; potential increases in deposit insurance assessments and regulatory risks associated with current and future regulations; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Hope Bancorp or Territorial Bancorp; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the common stock of either or both parties to the proposed transaction; and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities. For additional information concerning these and other risk factors, see Hope Bancorp’s and Territorial Bancorp’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law.

    Investor / Media Contacts:
    Walter Ida
    SVP, Director of Investor Relations
    808-946-1400
    walter.ida@territorialsavings.net

    1 As of Jun 30, 2024
    2 Based on Territorial and Hope Bancorp’s closing prices as of Apr 26, 2024 (day before merger announcement)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: The new fashion: clothes that help combat rising temperatures

    Source: University of South Australia

    10 October 2024

    A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.

    As heatwaves become more prominent, cooling textiles that can be incorporated into clothes, hats, shoes and even building surfaces provide a glimpse into a future where greenhouse gas-emitting air conditioners may no longer be needed in our cities.

    Engineers from Zhengzhou University and the University of South Australia say the wearable fabric is designed to reflect sunlight and allow heat to escape, while blocking the sun’s rays and lowering the temperature. They have described the textiles in the latest issue of Science Bulletin.

    The fabric promises to bring relief to millions of city dwellers experiencing warmer and more uncomfortable temperatures caused by global climate change and fewer green spaces.

    UniSA visiting researcher Yangzhe Hou says the fabric leverages the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process where materials emit heat into the atmosphere, and ultimately into space.

    “Unlike conventional fabrics that retain heat, these textiles are made of three layers that are engineered to optimise cooling,” Hou says.

    The upper layer, made of polymethyl pentene fibres, allows heat to radiate effectively. The middle layer, composed of silver nanowires, enhances the fabric’s reflectivity, preventing additional heat from reaching the body. The bottom layer, made of wool, directs heat away from the skin, ensuring that wearers remain cool, even in the hottest urban environments.

    “In our experiment, when placed vertically, the fabric was found to be 2.3°C cooler than traditional textiles, and up to 6.2°C cooler than the surrounding environment when used as a horizontal surface covering.

    “The fabric’s ability to passively reduce temperatures offers a sustainable alternative to conventional air conditioning, providing energy savings and reducing the strain on power grids during heatwaves.”

    Zhengzhou University researchers Jingna Zhang and Professor Xianhu Liu say the technology not only addresses the immediate problem of urban heat islands, but also contributes to broader efforts to mitigate climate change and move towards more sustainable urban living.

    It is hoped the technology could be adapted for even broader applications, including construction material, outdoor furniture and urban planning.

    While the fabric holds significant promise, researchers say the current production process is costly, and the long-term durability of the textiles needs further investigation and government support before it can be commercialised.

    “Whether consumers are willing to pay more for wearable fabrics depend on the cooling effect, durability, comfort and their environmental awareness,” the researchers say.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Researcher contacts:

    UniSA: PhD candidate Yangzhe Hou E: houyy013@mymail.unisa.edu.au
    Zhengzhou University: Jingna Zhang E: 15138757891@163.com; Professor Xianhu Liu E: xianhu.liu@zzu.edu.cn

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. House Passes Case Measure To Further Strengthen Partnerships Between The United States And Pacific Island Nations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (Hawai’i-First District) today announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 7159, his proposed Pacific Partnership Act, to further increase U.S. engagement in the critical Pacific region.

    Case, a Co-Chair and Founding Member of the first-ever Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus, introduced the measure together with 25 other bipartisan colleagues. 

    “Our country’s Indo-Pacific Strategy states in no uncertain terms that no region is of more consequence to the world and to everyday Americans than the Indo-Pacific,” said Case in remarks during full House debate on the measure. “The United States and our allies and partners around the world who are aligned with an international rules-based order share the common vision  of a free and open Indo-Pacific whose governance, priorities, goals and prosperity are determined by the countries of the Indo-Pacific  without manipulation and dominance by malicious actors.

    “This is especially true of the Pacific Islands themselves, in the heart of the Pacific, which today face the challenges of increased natural disasters and human and drug trafficking, economic sustainability, threats to democracy and more. It is crucial that the United States continue to extend our hand of full partnership in assisting the countries of the Pacific to meet these challenges, as we have for generations.”

    The Pacific Partnership Act requires an annually-updated Strategy for Pacific Partnership that sets specific goals for United States engagement with the Pacific Islands, assesses the threats and pressures to the region and a plan to address such threats, and analyzes the needs and goals of the Pacific Islands in the context of the national interests of the United States. The bill also requires the strategy to be developed in consultation with the governments of Pacific Islands countries, ensuring that the United States follows through on its commitment to support Pacific-led priorities. The bill further extends diplomatic courtesies to the Pacific Islands Forum, the primary multilateral organization of the Pacific Islands nations, and requires increased collaboration in U.S. efforts in the Pacific with ally and partner nations including Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

    “I am honored to co-lead this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Case that builds off of the actions of successive administrations to strengthen United States engagement in the Pacific Islands,” said Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY 6th District).  “It is essential that the United States demonstrates that we are not merely interested in the region, but we are invested in an evolving, enduring relationship with our Pacific Islands partners. 

    “This important, forward-looking legislation ensures that all arms of the United States government are in coordination to support a rules-based order and address threats to sovereign nations across the region.”

    “As a Pacific nation, the United States has a responsibility to engage and strengthen the partnerships that have ensured the region’s security and prosperity for decades,” said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY 5th District), the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which approved Case’s bill unanimously. “This legislation will ensure future administrations build on President Biden’s leadership to maintain our focus on the Pacific Islands.”

    “I want to thank Congressman Case for this much-needed bipartisan bill, said Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa).  “The United States is a Pacific nation, and our region is critically important to U.S. interests. While Congress has extended the Compacts of Free Association for another 20 years for three Pacific Island countries, there are 11 other nations who need our attention. The United States has enduring cultural, historic, economic, and people-to-people connections with the Pacific Islands. The Pacific Partnership Act will go far in providing better focus for U.S. engagement with Pacific Island nations.”

    “The United States is a Pacific nation, and it is critical that we partner with our friends in the Pacific to tackle shared challenges including climate resilience, healthcare, and economic development,” said Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA 6th District). “This bill designates the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as an international organization with diplomatic privileges and encourages the establishment of a PIF mission in America. The bill also solidifies our commitment to the region by codifying the Pacific Partnership Strategy. By strengthening our diplomatic presence in the region, we ensure that the United States remains a reliable partner in promoting a free, resilient, and prosperous Pacific.”

    “The Pacific Partnership Act bolsters our longstanding relationship with the Pacific Islands, a crucial region in our defense against the Chinese Communist Party,” said Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR 3rd District).

    “This bill strengthens our partnerships and supports American defense. This is particularly meaningful to my constituents in Northwest Arkansas, given the high concentration of Marshallese in our region. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill and am pleased it passed the House.”

     “We must counter ongoing aggression from the PRC by building effective relationships with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA 36th District). “The Pacific Partnership Act would support diplomatic, strategic and economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen our defenses against CCP aggression. I am pleased to have been a cosponsor on this important bill and am hopeful that it will be signed into law.”

    “Throughout my career, I have witnessed firsthand the critical importance of American leadership in the Indo-Pacific,” said Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL 2nd District).  “Continuing the crucial partnership to strengthen diplomatic, economic, and security ties with the Pacific Islands is essential to counteract the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.

    “The Pacific Partnership Act benefits both America and the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. must continue to show strength and promote regional stability and cooperation.”

    “The U.S. shares a long history with the Pacific Islands, and we must continue to prioritize our diplomatic, economic, and security relationships in the region,” said Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA 47th District).  “Pacific Islanders abroad and in the U.S. are counting on us to counter Chinese aggression, right our historic wrongs, and strengthen our cooperation with these important partners. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee’s Indo-Pacific Taskforce and a cosponsor of the Pacific Partnerships Act, I’m glad we are moving forward on developing a forward-looking framework to help shape U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific for the years to come.”

    “The Pacific Partnerships Act stands to shift America’s perspective of global affairs, by acknowledging our country’s deep cultural ties to the Pacific and refocusing on the region as core to national security,” said Congressman James Moylan (R-Guam).

    “The bill’s requirement for consecutive national strategies on Pacific will provide continuity and focus to our nation’s engagement with Pacific partners. I thank Rep. Case for his work on this bill, and his specific focus on elevating small pacific island communities such as Guam.”

    “The U.S.’s longstanding partnerships with the Pacific Islands are critical to national security. The Pacific Partnership Act, which I was proud to cosponsor, ensures we have a strategy for engaging with nations in the Indo-Pacific region and sets us up to support our allies while also preserving U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security interests,” said Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ 1st District). “Today, I was pleased to see this legislation pass the House of Representatives, marking an important step forward in enhancing our national security.”

    “Supporting our friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific is essential to guaranteeing American security in the region and across the world,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL 8th District). “This legislation will bolster security, stability, and growth across the Pacific Islands while expanding collaboration on efforts to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s continuing aggression.”

    “A strong Indo-Pacific is critical for our national security and economy,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-WA 10th District). “The Pacific Islands are key partners, and the Pacific Partnership Act further solidifies our relationship and diplomacy with them.”

    Case continued: “As ourselves a Pacific nation for over two centuries, we have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with the Pacific Islands which only continues to increase in historic, economic, cultural and strategy significance.

    “Our Pacific Partnership Act advances the breadth and depth of our engagement with the Pacific Islands on issues of particular importance to the Pacific Islands, as recently reconfirmed in the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Tonga. In doing so, we advance the mutual national and international interests of like-minded nations throughout the Indo-Pacific who are committed to an international rules-based democratic order.”

    ·        Copy of H.R. 7159 is here.

    ·        Summary of the bill is here.

    ·        Text of Case’s House Remarks are here.

    ·        Video Case’s Remarks Pacific Partnership Act Floor Speech

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Reappointment of Australian statistician

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Government has reappointed Dr David Gruen AO as the full‑time Australian Statistician to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for a further five years, beginning on 11 December 2024.

    Dr Gruen has served as the Australian Statistician since 2019, providing outstanding leadership of the ABS through a unique period in history.

    Dr Gruen is one of Australia’s best and most experienced economists and has a distinguished record of public service. He previously served as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and in the Department of the Treasury.

    The professional manner in which Dr Gruen has led the ABS meant that during the COVID‑19 pandemic the ABS provided rapid statistics to guide policy responses during a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty, and again after the pandemic to assess how it changed Australia’s economy and society.

    He is a distinguished, innovative and respected leader who has led the agency to streamline data collection and harness existing data sources, improving the quality, reliability and timeliness of statistics, which is helping to better inform important public policy issues.

    The ABS has curated major longitudinal data assets, including the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) and Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE) datasets, which are being used extensively by researchers in government and academia, including research that has informed the work of the Competition Taskforce.

    Alongside his role as Australian Statistician, Dr Gruen was appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner as the inaugural Head of Data Profession.

    The Data Professional Stream ensures the entire APS workforce has the data capabilities to harness the growth in the availability and value of data across the public service.

    The ABS is Australia’s national statistical agency and provides trusted, independent, timely and relevant data, statistics and insights to inform Government policy.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Parliament moves one step closer to wiping $3 billion of student debt from 3 million Australians

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Today the Albanese Government has passed legislation through the House of Representatives to cut the student debt of more than three million Australians.

    The legislation will wipe around $3 billion in student debt from workers and students across the country.

    The Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 which caps the HELP indexation rate at the lower of either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Wage Price Index (WPI) with effect from 1 June 2023 will now move to the Senate.

    The Government will backdate this relief to all HELP, VET Student Loan, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan and other student support loan accounts that were indexed on 1 June last year.

    This will benefit all Australians with a student debt, fixing last year’s spike in the indexation of 7.1 per cent and preventing indexation from outpacing wages in the future.

    An individual with an average HELP debt of $26,500 will see up to $1,200 wiped from their outstanding HELP loans.

    After the legislation passes the Parliament, the ATO will automatically apply a credit for the difference between the current indexation rate and the new indexation rate to outstanding student loans.

    If someone has completely repaid their HELP debt after 2023 or 2024 indexation was applied, the credit would be via a refund to their bank account (assuming there are no outstanding tax debts).

    Estimated indexation credit for HELP debtors

    HELP DEBT at 30 June 2023    TOTAL ESTIMATED CREDIT FOR 2023 AND 2024*
    $15,000     $670
    $25,000 $1,120
    $30,000 $1,345
    $35,000 $1,570
    $40,000 $1,795
    $45,000 $2,020
    $50,000 $2,245
    $60,000 $2,690
    $100,000 $4,485
    $130,000 $5,835

    *Actual credit amount will vary depending on individual circumstances including repayments made during the year. All HELP debts that were indexed in 2023 and 2024 will receive an indexation credit.

    Australians with a HELP debt can find out how much this is estimated to benefit them using the HELP Indexation Credit Estimator here.

    The Bill also introduces the Commonwealth Prac Payment from 1 July 2025 for around 68,000 higher education teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students to help support them financially while they do the practical part of their degree.

    It also expands FEE-FREE University Ready Courses which act as a bridge between school and university to help more Australians get a crack at university and succeed when they get there.

    This is part of the first stage of reforms the Albanese Government will implement in response to the Universities Accord.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

    “We are one step closer to wiping out around $3 billion in student debt from more than three million Australians.

    “The Bill has passed the House and now it is off to the Senate.

    “The Universities Accord recommended indexing HELP loans to whatever is lower out of CPI and WPI.

    “We are doing this, and going further. We are backdating this reform to last year. This will wipe out what happened last year and make sure it never happens again.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 217-2024: Self-Assessed Clearance (SAC) cost recovery charge: Fact sheet publication and trial updates

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    10 October 2024

    Who does this notice affect?

    All customs brokers, importers, self-reporting importers, freight forwarders of goods AUD $1,000 or less in value.

    What has changed?

    Fact sheets

    The department has prepared the following documents to support industry:

    1. SAC cost recovery charge: Charging fact sheet
    2. …

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Speech – Australian Technology Network 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Rankings are in the media today. And I have said this before, but I will say it again.

    When I think about the best universities in Australia, I don’t look at rankings.

    I look at what they do.

    And when I do that I see universities like you.

    Universities that are the real deal when it comes to fairness and opening the doors of opportunity.

    When it comes to helping more people from poor families and the regions to get a crack.

    Things that are important to me.

    On average only about 15 per cent of university students are from poor families.

    Across your six universities combined, it’s much higher than that.

    At universities like Newcastle, it’s as high as 24 per cent. At the University of South Australia, 25 per cent.

    That sort of university doesn’t just change the lives of the students they teach.

    It ricochets through generations.

    They transform communities.

    And I am going to give Newcastle a plug again, because there is no better example of that than their Open Foundation program.

    It’s been running now for 50 years.

    A free program that helps people who aren’t ready for uni to be ready.

    About 70,000 people in the last 50 years.

    One in five people who get a degree from Newcastle Uni today start with one of these free courses.

    People like Jennifer Baker.

    Jennifer was a mum at 19. She worked in hospitality for 10 years. One day, just by chance, she saw an ad in the paper for one of these free courses.

    Now she’s got a science degree, an honours degree, a PhD and a Fulbright scholarship.

    She’s a computational medicinal chemist.

    That’s what these courses do. That’s what I call a great university.

    And that’s what I am trying to replicate across the country with the legislation in the Parliament right now, that massively expands these Fee-Free Uni Ready Courses.

    This is supported by a funding injection in the Budget of an extra $350 million.

    I know you are doing a lot of the heavy lifting already.

    Reforms like this, and the ones to come, are because I want you to do even more.

    Of course, it’s not just equity that binds you together or makes you great.

    You can see it in your name.

    The ATN was formed 25 years ago from the five largest Institutes of Technology. And you are still focused on that mission.

    Still doing the heavy lifting when it comes to producing engineers in this country.

    But what makes you great in my eyes isn’t just what you are doing here at home.

    It’s what you are taking to the world.

    I am talking about the campuses you have set up around the world – from India to Vietnam, Singapore to Malaysia to Indonesia.

    You get that international education isn’t a one way street.

    That it shouldn’t just be about students coming here to study, but it can also be about taking what we do to them.

    Almost every one of you are doing this.

    And that tells me this a group of universities that doesn’t just expect things to happen, you go out and make it happen.

    There’s a bit happening at the moment.

    The international education legislation is being debated in the Senate this week.

    The first of the Accord Bills is being debated in the House.

    That’s the one that uncaps funding for those free university ready courses. It also wipes about $3 billion of student debt for three million Australians and introduces the Commonwealth prac payment.

    The second of the Accord Bills – the Bill that establishes a National Student Ombudsman, has just passed the House.

    I will also introduce legislation to establish a National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence.

    And before the end of the year I will also set out the details of the next stage of the Accord.

    What the Australian Tertiary Education Commission will look like. And the details of managed growth and needs based funding.

    And that’s just higher ed.

    There is also legislation in the House to implement the 15 percent pay rise we announced for early educators a few weeks ago.

    And tomorrow I will introduce legislation to increase funding to our public schools.

    To remove the ceiling that stops the Australian government providing more than 20 percent of the funding needed for public schools, and make it a floor.

    To help finish the job that David Gonski started more than a decade ago.

    And to tie that funding to the sort of reforms that are needed to help more young people from poor families and from the regions to finish school and knock on your door.

    None of these reforms are easy.

    All of them are hard.

    And all of them are necessary.

    If we are going to really build a better and a fairer education system, these are the sorts of things we have to do.

    And you are an important part of that.

    You know like I do how important all of this is.

    That education is the most powerful cause for good in this country.

    That it’s the greatest tool we have to build a country where your chances in life don’t depend on who your parents are, where you live or the colour of your skin.

    A country that the Prime Minister describes as a place where no one is held back and no one is left behind.

    We can be that country.

    And our education system can make it real.

    But that means serious reform.

    The sort we are doing now.

    And more.

    And it will be better because of your input.

    Thank you for the work you do and for the constructive role you have played for the last 25 years.

    I look forward to continuing to work with you as we build a better and a fairer education system for all Australians.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Opinion piece: Modernising Merger Approvals to bring them into the 21st century

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Boosting competition has been one of the cornerstones of the Albanese government’s economic plan ever since we came to office.

    This week we’re taking another big step towards making our economy more competitive, by introducing the single biggest reform to Australia’s mergers law in 50 years to parliament.

    Our new merger rules will improve how these types of deals are approved across the board.

    They will make the system faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and more transparent.

    They will also create certainty for businesses that have been forced to navigate an unclear and antiquated merger system for decades.

    Under our current merger approvals regime, businesses that are looking to merge don’t know if they need to notify the competition regulator, when they need to notify the competition regulator and how to best go about it.

    This will all change under the new regime.

    We will set clearly defined monetary thresholds that will determine whether a merger needs ACCC approval before proceeding.

    There will be 3 key thresholds.

    Firstly, any merger will be looked at if the Australian turnover of the combined businesses is above $200 million, and either the business or assets being acquired has Australian turnover above $50 million or global transaction value above $250 million.

    Secondly, the ACCC will look at any merger involving a very large business with Australian turnover more than $500 million buying a smaller business or assets with Australian turnover above $10 million.

    Finally, to target serial acquisitions, all mergers by businesses with combined Australian turnover of more than $200 million where the cumulative Australian turnover from acquisitions in the same or substitutable goods or services over a 3-year period is at least $50 million will be captured, or $10 million if a very large business is involved.

    Land acquisitions involving residential property development and certain commercial property acquisitions won’t be included to avoid clogging up the system with simple land acquisitions unless they are captured under other notification requirements.

    In addition, the legislation provides flexibility to allow the Treasurer to adjust and calibrate the thresholds to respond to evidence-based concerns from the ACCC about high-risk mergers, like in the supermarket sector.

    These thresholds are all about striking the right balance between creating a rigorous and robust regime that can capture all risky mergers without calling in every merger. The thresholds will be reviewed 12 months after coming into effect, to ensure they are working as intended.

    The new system will allow the ACCC to review all the mergers that they have been typically concerned about, not just some.

    It will take a more targeted approach that allows the ACCC to focus its efforts on the mergers that really matter.

    We want to see the majority of mergers approved quickly, so the ACCC can focus on the minority that give rise to competition concerns. The ACCC has committed to this, with an expectation around 80 per cent of mergers will be approved in 15 to 20 business days.

    That’s because we understand that most mergers have genuine economic benefits and are an important feature of any healthy, open financial system.

    Last year, over 1,400 mergers were recorded, at a value of around $300 billion.

    They can attract capital, re‑tool businesses and improve the uptake of new technologies.

    They can allow businesses to achieve greater economies of scale and scope, to access new resources, technology and expertise.

    This can flow through to consumers via greater product choice and quality as well as lower prices.

    But some mergers can cause serious economic harm.

    This can happen when businesses are not interested in improving profitability by lifting productivity.

    When they’re solely focused on squeezing out competitors to capture a larger percentage of the market.

    This can strangle innovation, reduce productivity in our economy and punish consumers with reduced choice.

    We’ve developed this legislation and these thresholds through detailed consultation.

    We’re especially grateful for the input from the Expert Advisory Panel, comprising Kerry Schott, David Gonski, John Asker, Sharon Henrick, John Fingleton, Danielle Wood and Rod Sims.

    We’re also genuinely thankful for all the discussions and consultation we have held with businesses, the competition regulator, and the broader community, about the legislation.

    As an example, we heard concerns about aspects of our draft legislation from the business community, including that parts of the review process were still too time‑consuming, and businesses wouldn’t be able to access the evidence the ACCC relied on when making its decision.

    We’ve addressed these issues in the updated Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 we will introduce into Parliament on Thursday.

    The Bill clarifies and provides certainty on timelines for ACCC assessment and limits the ability of the ACCC to stop the clock at various stages of the assessment process.

    The Bill also now allows discretion for the Australian Competition Tribunal to permit parties to provide new information if relevant to the ACCC determination and they didn’t have a reasonable opportunity to make submissions during the ACCC’s review.

    These new targeted and balanced merger rules are part of the Albanese Labor Government’s substantial and broad competition reform agenda, which is all about creating a more dynamic, more productive and resilient economy.

    They build on actions we’ve already taken, like revitalising National Competition Policy with states and territories, abolishing 500 nuisance tariffs, our reforms to boost competition in the supermarket sector, and productivity enhancing reforms to planning and zoning around the country.

    This agenda will help expand choices, lift living standards and grow our economy.

    It will help ensure that our people, businesses and industries are beneficiaries of the opportunities before us in the defining decade ahead.

    This article was first published as Government has listened to concerns on merger law reform in The Australian Financial Review.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – TODAY Show

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    ALEX CULLEN: The New South Wales and South Australian Government will today hold a Social Media Summit focusing on the danger it poses to younger users.

    Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Education Minister Jason Clare and 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe. Good morning lads, thank you so much for being with us.

    Minister, let’s start with you. This as new data revealed almost every Aussie primary school student is on social media. They love it, it’s extremely concerning.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: It really is, and anyone who’s a mum and dad with children in primary school or high school knows the damage that this social media cesspit can do to our kids. I see it as a parent as well. We’ve seen already the difference that we can make when you ban a mobile phone in schools. We banned mobile phones in schools starting this year right across the country, and it’s having a massive impact, you know, kids are more focused in the classroom, they’re having more fun in the playground.  

    Alex, teachers are telling me that the playgrounds are noisier at lunchtime this year than they were last year because kids don’t have their heads down looking at phones like zombies in the playground, they’re playing with their friends, they’re running around.

    But when the school bell rings at the end of the day, the phones are turned back on and they’re back in that cesspit of social media that has all of that mental health impact on our kids, as well as I’ve got reports that tell me it has a massive impact on their studies as well, if you spend a lot of time on social media after school, then it affects how you go at school.

    And so that’s why the work that Michelle Rowland is doing, the Minister for Communications, in setting a national minimum age for access to social media’s so important, and the work that New South Wales and South Australia are doing today is an important part of that.

    CULLEN: Yeah, too right. Minimum age limit, Chris, at 18, what do you think?  

    CHRIS O’KEEFE: That’s probably a bit high, but, well, 14, 16, whatever it is, just go and do it, they don’t need to do a summit, a victory lap, keep talking about it, getting everyone around tables and, you know, the Labor Governments all around Australia effectively saying, “How good are we, we’re cracking down on social media?” That’s what this is about.

    There would be no parents, no teachers, very few people in society who believes what we’re doing with social media now is the right way forward. There needs to be a minimum age limit. Just get on and do it.

    CULLEN: Yeah, too right. My kids especially, I don’t want them on social media until they’re a lot older, let me tell you.

    But the Australian Education Union has been accused of putting kids last after imposing an immediate ban on the roll out of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.

    Minister, let’s bring you in. The AEU says your reforms will short change public schools and increase teachers’ workload. What do you say to that?

    CLARE: Today I’m going to introduce legislation into the Parliament, Alex, to increase funding for public schools, but I want to tie that funding to real and practical reforms to help our children.

    The crux of this is that at the moment the percentage of young people finishing high school’s going backwards, and it’s particularly happening in our public schools. Seven or eight years ago, 83 per cent of students finished high school, now it’s dropped to 73 per cent, and if we’re going to fix that, we’ve got to go all the way back to the start when kids are really young when they’re starting primary school, identify children who are starting behind or falling behind and make sure that we intervene with practical reforms like catch up tutoring. So you get children out of a classroom of 25 or 30, put them in a classroom with three or four, and we know that if you do that right, then children can catch up, they can learn as much in six months as they’d normally learn in 12 months.

    I’ve got $16 billion I want to invest to increase funding for our public schools, but I want to invest it in these practical reforms so we can help children right across the country to catch up when they’re little, and keep up, have more people go on and finish high school and go on to TAFE or go to uni.

    CULLEN: Okay, Chris, just as we [indistinct].

    O’KEEFE: Can we just be honest here for a second, and people might not want to hear this, but at what point are teachers going to hang a big mirror in their staff rooms and think, are we the problem here?

    Because there’s got to be some accountability. You’ve never had children dumber. You’ve got one in three kids who are failing NAPLAN when it comes to numeracy and literacy. That’s not good enough in a country like Australia. The classrooms have never had more money in them. The Governments have never spent more on education, yet our kids have never been dumber.

    So you can draw a straight line and say to yourselves, okay, who is responsible for this? It’s not the Government. Is it the parents? Well, the teachers like to say so, but maybe it’s the teachers.

    So at what point is the union movement and the teachers’ cohort more broadly going to sit with themselves and look, and say, well, are we going to take some accountability here?

    Is it have we got something to answer for? Whenever you raise that, “Oh, no, no, no, but teachers are hard working”. I’m not saying they’re not hard working; I’m just saying they might not be doing a very good job.

    CULLEN: Jason?  

    CLARE: I’m not going to attack our teachers, they do the most important job in the world.

    O’KEEFE: No, of course you’re not, but it’s true. Nobody wants to confront this problem, Minister.

    CLARE: No, and Chris, don’t talk down our kids either, they’re not dumb. But the challenge that we’ve got here, and NAPLAN data shows it, is that one in 10 children are below the minimum standard we set for literacy and numeracy, but kids from poor families and kids from the bush, and Indigenous kids, it’s one in three.

    Now here’s a statistic that will scare you: only 20 per cent of those kids that are behind when they’re little, when they’re eight, have caught up by the time they’re 15. That’s why I say you need practical reforms here that we know work.

    O’KEEFE: And the teachers are holding you over a barrel and trying to stop these reforms from happening, and I think it’s shameful.

    CLARE: Well, and I’m determined to act, and I’ve got $16 billion to invest in these reforms to help to make sure that more children catch up and keep up    

    O’KEEFE: But then why   but why as a government and a Minister are you not going to call out the teaching profession, and more broadly the unions, and say, “Hey guys, not good enough”.

    CLARE: I disagree fundamentally with what the union is arguing, but I back our teachers every single day, because they do such an important job. Many teachers out there, if you ask them, will back these reforms. They grab me every single day and say, “Keep going mate”.

    CULLEN: It’s tough, I know, it’s tough for teachers.

    O’KEEFE: [Indistinct] though don’t they?

    CULLEN: Thank you, you two, always interesting. Jason, Chris, thanks so much, boys

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC welcomes introduction of merger reform bill, prepares for implementation

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC today welcomed the introduction of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 into the Australian Parliament, which if passed through the Parliament will provide the ACCC with fit for purpose tools targeted at identifying and preventing anti-competitive mergers.

    “This marks a significant milestone in the process of reforming Australia’s merger laws,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

    If passed by the Parliament, the new legislation will represent a major change for the ACCC, business and the Australian community. In anticipation of the new legislation coming into effect, the ACCC has today issued a statement of goals to outline its approach to implementing the new regime and to reduce uncertainty during the transition.

    “The ACCC is committed to the successful implementation of these reforms, if passed by parliament, to ensure that transactions that may adversely affect competition are subject to adequate scrutiny based on the risks raised, and to provide a more efficient and transparent process for businesses and for the wider community,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    This contrasts to the current situation where only a small proportion of the estimated 1,000 – 1,500 mergers that occur each year are notified to the ACCC and around 93 per cent of those that are voluntarily notified are assessed on a confidential basis.

    “Part of making these reforms a success will be ensuring businesses have clarity on their obligations, the timeframes they can expect, and other key aspects of the process,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “Our statement of goals is the first step in signalling how we will implement these reforms and outlines what merger parties and stakeholders, including customers and suppliers to merger parties, should expect.”

    The new system will provide for greater transparency of the mergers the ACCC is reviewing and the reasons on which decisions are based. This will enable the wider community, including consumers and small businesses, to comment on mergers relevant to them.

    It will also result in a more efficient and faster process and more certain timelines for businesses seeking clearance, with new obligations on the ACCC to complete decisions within legislated timeframes.

    The ACCC expects about 80 per cent of mergers will be cleared within 15 to 20 business days.

    Under the new regime, the ACCC will enhance its economic and data analysis to further drive and inform its decision making.

    “The ACCC will take a risk-based approach, with resources prioritised to acquisitions more likely to harm the community,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Subject to the passage of the legislation, the new regime will come into effect from 1 January 2026 but will also allow for merger parties to start using the new merger regime on a voluntary basis from 1 July 2025.

    The ACCC will consult on and publish guidelines on the transition period to ensure stakeholders are well informed about the options available to them during this period and have open channels available for merger parties to seek guidance.

    The ACCC has also previously announced it will renew and expand its Performance Consultative Committee to advise on the ACCC’s merger review functions as well as the broad range of the ACCC’s responsibilities.

    The committee will consist of a range of stakeholders including consumer, business, and legal representatives.

    Background:

    Reforms to Australia’s existing merger laws were announced by the Treasurer in April 2024. The Treasurer’s announcement was welcomed by the ACCC.

    The ACCC first released proposed merger reforms at the Law Council in 2021. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb commenced her term in 2022 and has continued to advocate for merger reform including at the National Press Club in April 2023.

    The ACCC’s submissions to the Treasury Competition Review, which includes detailed analysis and argues the case for reform can be found here: https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/accc-submissions-to-external-consultations#toc-mergers-

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Historic reforms for a more competitive economy enter Parliament

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Today the Government will introduce landmark reforms to Parliament to overhaul Australia’s merger rules, another big step towards further boosting competition and productivity in our economy.

    This legislative package is the biggest reform to Australia’s merger settings in almost 50 years.

    It will create a regime that more efficiently and effectively targets mergers that are anti‑competitive, while allowing mergers that are pro‑competitive to proceed faster.

    The Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 delivers the merger reforms we announced in April, and will make our merger approval system faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and more transparent.

    This Bill will bring Australia’s merger system into the 21st century and make it easier for the majority of mergers to be approved quickly, so the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) can focus on the minority that give rise to competition concerns.

    We understand that most mergers have genuine economic benefits and are an important feature of any healthy, open financial system but some mergers can cause serious economic harm.

    Under the new regime, there will be a mandatory notification system for mergers above certain thresholds and the ACCC will be the decision maker on approvals.

    There will be three key thresholds:

    1. Any merger will be looked at if the Australian turnover of the combined businesses is above $200 million, and either the business or assets being acquired has Australian turnover above $50 million or global transaction value above $250 million.
    2. The ACCC will look at any merger involving a very large business with Australian turnover more than $500 million buying a smaller business or assets with Australian turnover above $10 million.
    3. To target serial acquisitions, all mergers by businesses with combined Australian turnover of more than $200 million where the cumulative Australian turnover from acquisitions in the same or substitutable goods or services over a 3 year period is at least $50 million will be captured, or $10 million if a very large business is involved.

    These thresholds will allow the ACCC to focus its efforts on the mergers that really matter. The thresholds will be reviewed 12 months after coming into effect, to ensure they are working as intended.

    Land acquisitions involving residential property development and certain commercial property acquisitions won’t be included to avoid clogging up the system with simple land purchases unless they are captured by additional targeted notification requirements.

    In addition, the legislation provides flexibility to allow the Treasurer to adjust and calibrate the thresholds to respond to evidence‑based concerns from the ACCC about high‑risk mergers, like in the supermarket sector.

    This power, combined with the thresholds, will allow the ACCC to review all the mergers that they have been typically concerned about.

    Using this provision, the Government intends to make sure the ACCC is notified of every merger in the supermarket sector.

    Reviewing every supermarket merger is part of the decisive action our Government is taking to help Australians get fairer prices at the checkout. We want to make sure supermarket mergers don’t come at the cost of Australians, families and pensioners getting a fair price on their grocery bills.

    The Government intends to use this designation power to get the competition regulator to review purchases of an interest above 20 per cent in an unlisted or private company, if one of the companies involved in the deal has turnover more than $200 million.

    The Government will also consider targeted notification requirements for sectors such as fuel, liquor and oncology radiology.

    We consulted widely on these thresholds and the legislation, including with consumers, businesses, the agriculture sector, legal practitioners, investors, academics and industry associations.

    Subject to the passage of legislation, the new system will come into effect from 1 January 2026, with businesses able to make voluntary notifications under the new regime from 1 July 2025.

    This legislation will improve competition in our economy, which means higher quality choices for consumers and fairer prices.

    It builds on our substantial competition agenda including revitalising National Competition Policy with the states and territories, abolishing 500 nuisance tariffs, our reforms to the supermarket sector, and productivity enhancing reforms to planning and zoning around the country.

    The Albanese Government is focused on tackling cost of living pressures now and building a more dynamic, more productive, and more resilient economy. Making our economy more competitive is critical to these goals.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Government introduces legislation to increase funding for public schools

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    The Albanese Government has today introduced legislation to increase funding to public schools across Australia.

    This legislation is all about enabling governments to fully fund our public schools and tie that funding to reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.

    Over the last eight years the percentage of students finishing high school has declined, from 83 per cent to 73 per cent in public schools.

    We need to turn around and that’s what this legislation is about.

    At the moment, non-government schools are funded at the level David Gonski set, or they are on track to get there, or they are above it and coming back down to it.

    But most public schools aren’t.

    The Commonwealth Government provides 80 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) funding for non-government schools and the State and Territory Governments provide the other 20 per cent.

    For public schools it’s the reverse. The Commonwealth provides 20 per cent of the SRS funding, and the States and Territories are supposed to provide another 75 per cent. That means there is at least a five per cent gap.

    The Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 amends the Australian Education Act 2013 (the Act) and enables the Commonwealth to lift its share of funding to public schools above 20 per cent.

    The legislation removes the funding ceiling that stops the Commonwealth providing more than 20 per cent of funding to public schools and turns that into a funding floor.

    This means the 20 per cent will become the minimum, not the maximum, the Commonwealth contributes to public schools.

    This legislation will enable the Government to fully fund public schools in Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, and any other jurisdictions that sign on to the Albanese Government’s public school funding offer in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA).

    The BFSA is a 10-year agreement that ties new funding to practical reforms to help lift student outcomes, sets targets and improves school funding transparency.

    Greater funding certainty will be provided to jurisdictions and public schools by:

    •    setting a minimum ‘funding floor’ for Commonwealth funding contributions to public schools at 20 per cent from 2025, and 40 per cent for the Northern Territory from 2029
    •    locking in Commonwealth funding for public schools so it cannot go backwards
    •    increase transparency and accountability of how school funding is being spent 
    •    requiring the Minister to report each year to Parliament on the progress of national school education reform.

    The Albanese Government has put $16 billion of additional investment for public schools on the table.

    If delivered, this would represent the biggest extra investment in public education by the Australian Government in this country’s history.

    This legislation will enable additional funding to flow to the states and territories who have signed up to the BFSA.

    The Albanese Government will continue to work with the remaining states and territories to fully fund government schools across Australia.

    If a state or territory does not sign on to the Government’s public school funding offer, the current funding arrangements will continue for another 12 months.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

    “At the moment, the maximum the Commonwealth Government can provide to public schools is 20 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard.

    “This Bill turns that maximum into a minimum. It turns that ceiling into a floor.

    “It enables the Commonwealth government to ratchet up funding for public schools.

    “This important legislation allows the Albanese Government to deliver more funding to public schools and tie that funding to practical reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Screen Australia announces $8.1 million of production funding for 15 projects

    Source: Australia Government Statements 4

    10 10 2024 – Media release

    L-R: Love Adjacent director Louise Alston, Watching You creators Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk, and Arisa Trew from online development project, Level Up (photo credit: Mathias Scherrer).
    Screen Australia has announced over $8.1 million in production funding for 15 projects spanning feature film, television and online content. This significant investment reflects Screen Australia’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovative storytelling and content that engages audiences across genres and platforms.
    Among the funded projects are Zac Power, a new animated family feature from Flying Bark Productions and Cheeky Little Media, based on the popular book series of the same name; Leviticus, the latest feature from Causeway Films, the production company behind the global breakout success Talk to Me; romantic comedy Love Adjacent; Stan’s psychological thriller series Watching You; and online series Hoops, from the creative team behind the popular TikTok documentary Transathletica.
    Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan said, “These latest projects reflect the depth of creative storytelling that defines the Australian screen industry. We support projects that entertain and resonate with audiences. Our aim is to champion authentic local voices and ensure our sector remains at the forefront of global storytelling.”
    “For the 2023/24 financial year, Screen Australia invested over $85 million across all 57 funding programs, including over $5.5 million through the First Nations Department, and issued 205 final certificates through the Producer Offset with a total value of $413 million. Demand on Screen Australia support remained high, with the agency supporting just under a third of all applications received. We’ll continue to seek ways to provide impactful support within our limited capacity, prioritising audience connection, industry value and cultural relevance.”
    Over the past year, Australian projects demanded global attention with 61 Australian projects selected for international film festivals and events. Amongst those titles, online series Videoland took out Best Comedy series at the prestigious Festival Series Mania, critically acclaimed debut feature Shayda won the Sundance Audience Award, and Furiosa and Australia/Ireland Co-production The Surfer starring Nicholas Cage led the Australian contingent hosting World Premieres at Cannes Film Festival. Funding stories that reflect and connect remains a focus and in 2023/24, the agency supported a breadth of titles that highlight local screen talent including drama series Top End Bub, feature film JIMPA and a new slate of children’s content including DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW, an animated adaptation of the popular children’s book series by comedian and author Andy Lee.
    “Our focus is firmly on the future. We’re building a sustainable screen economy that both adapts and inspires. I’m thrilled by the international recognition of our stories and excited for the pipeline of projects set to release before the end of the year including films Memoir of a Snail and The Moogai, along with series’ Thou Shalt Not Steal, Four Years Later and Plum – I can’t wait for Australians to experience them,” continued Brennan.
    The projects funded for production include:

    Chasing Millions: A crime drama set in Belfast 2004, where Northern Ireland has been at peace for six years, but old enmities and mistrust remain. Chasing Millions tells the story of the biggest bank heist in Irish, British (and Australian) history making reluctant partners of ambitious Australian police officer, Diana, with gruff, veteran Northern Irish detective, Crawford, as they investigate and seek to solve the crime while navigating their way through the minefield of a fragile peace. An official Irish-Australian co-production with Irish director Stephen Burke (Maze) at the helm, based on a script by Stephen Burke and Katherine Thomson (Schapelle, House of Hancock). Producers are Jane Doolan (Maze, Wolf) of Mammoth Films, Ireland and Michael Wrenn (Audrey) of Invisible Republic, Australia. It has received major production investment from Screen Ireland, with local distribution by Bonsai Films and international sales by Level K.
    Displaced: A six-part comedy sci-fi series for YouTube that follows a dysfunctional physicist who is accidentally sent back in time and in the process, tries to fix her future by mentoring her younger self. Displaced is a comedy about depression, queerness, making trouble, healing an inner child, and being seen. It is from writer/director Molly Daniels (The InBESTigators, Wispy), writer/producer Jem Splitter (Galacticare) and producer Rachael Morrow. Displaced is produced and developed in association with VicScreen and financed with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
    Hoops: From the team behind Transathletica on TikTok, Hoops documents the journey of Transgender Basketballer Lexi Rodgers and her fight to be ruled eligible to play with a NBL1 South team. After a major setback in 2023, Lexi spends the year jumping through hoops – determined against all odds to play in the 2024 season. Hoops is from writer/director Hannah McElhinney, writer Rudy Jean Rigg and executive producer Jamie Searle of Transathletica, with Eliza Bone (Letter for the King) producing.
    Leviticus: The latest horror feature film from the production company behind box office hit Talk to Me, Leviticus is the story of two teenage boys living in a conservative Christian community in regional Victoria, Naim and Ryan. When their attraction to each other is identified by the local pastor, the pair are subjected to a conversion ritual which unknowingly releases an entity that terrorises the town. Leviticus is from writer/director Adrian Chiarella (Totally Completely Fine), and producers Hannah Ngo (Latecomers) and Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton of Causeway Films. It is financed in association with Salmira Productions, and developed and produced in association with VicScreen, who is also supporting post, digital and visual effects (PDV). PDV is also supported by Kojo Studio, with local distribution by Maslow Entertainment and international sales by Studio 301 Films.
    Love Adjacent: When food critic Maggie writes a review that causes top chef Ryan’s restaurant to go under, he is forced to retreat back home and start again from scratch. Coincidentally in the same town for her sister’s wedding, Maggie is determined to continue taking down what Ryan is serving up, that is until catastrophe strikes and Maggie desperately needs Ryan’s help to make her sister’s wedding happen. Love Adjacent is a romantic comedy feature film directed by Louise Alston (Back of the Net) and written by Sarah Mayberry (Neighbours) and Christopher Gist (The Broken Shore), with Kate Whitbread (The Caterpillar Wish) and Spencer McLaren (This Little Love of Mine) producing. It is produced in association with VicScreen, with Umbrella Entertainment distributing locally and Film Seekers managing international sales.
    Posthumous: In this drama, horror feature film, Zoe returns to her family home and estranged father to find some semblance of comfort after her life falls apart, but the discovery of a mysterious videotape threatens to undo everything she knew about her deceased mother’s final days and her own birth. Amidst their shared grief, Zoe and her father face a powerful supernatural force as long-buried events are exposed, and must be reckoned with. Posthumous is from writer/director/producer Josh Tanner (Wandering Soul) and writer/producer Jade van der Lei (6 Festivals), with Joel Anderson (Lake Mungo) executive producing. It is funded in association with Screen Queensland. Financed with support from the Gold Coast Screen Incentive, with local distribution by Kismet Movies.
    Saccharine: In this psychological horror feature from Carver Films (Run Rabbit Run), a lovelorn medical student becomes terrorised by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight-loss craze: eating human ashes. Saccharine is from writer/director/producer Natalie Erika James and producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw, the team behind Relic. It is produced in association with VicScreen, with local distribution by Maslow Entertainment and international sales by XYZ Films.
    Watching You: A six-part gripping psychological thriller for Stan based on J.P Pomare’s novel The Last Guests. Watching You is created for television by Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk and produced by Jason Stephens and Bree-Anne Sykes. Helen Bowden, Cailah Scobie and Alicia Brown are executive producing. It has received major production investment from Stan and is financed with support from Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Financed in association with and distributed by ITV Studios.
    Zac Power: Based on the popular book series of the same name, Zac Power is an animated family feature from Flying Bark Productions (200% Wolf, 100% Wolf) and Cheeky Little Media (Kangaroo Beach, Ginger and the Vegesaurs). Zac Power’s position as the top teenage spy is compromised after a brilliant new agent arrives. When his recklessness allows an ostentatious supervillain to steal a high-tech weapon, Zac is forced to confront his own flaws and team up with his rival. The film is directed by Alexs Stadermann and David Webster and written by Fin Edquist, John Armstrong, Lawrence Leung and Erica Harrison. It is financed in association with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

    Also announced today are 27 television dramas, 23 feature films and six online projects that will share in over $1.7 million of development funding. Of these, 24 projects have been supported through the Generate Fund, 26 through the Premium Fund and six through the Online Development Fund.
    The projects include online action adventure series Amy the Pirate; family music drama feature Piano Mums, following a promising teenage pianist and exploring the power of music and love of family; Skip Ahead project Life of Kea that has been developed into a television drama series; and a second season of the TikTok docuseries Sextistics, which continues to explore the statistics to create a snapshot of gender, sexuality and identity within Australia.
    For the list of projects funded across scripted feature films, scripted television, online and development in the 2023/24 financial year, visit:

    For full details on feature films funded for production so far in the 2024/25 financial year, click here.
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    Media enquiries
    Maddie Walsh | Publicist
    + 61 2 8113 5915  | [email protected]
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    + 61 428 767 836  | [email protected]
    All other general/non-media enquiries
    Sydney + 61 2 8113 5800  |  Melbourne + 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Meaningful connections take centre stage on World Mental Health Day

    Source: Mental Health Australia

    On World Mental Health Day, Mental Health Australia is urging policymakers to recognise that meaningful connections are critical to mental health.

    10 October is not just a date on the calendar. It’s an opportunity to spotlight mental health, challenge stigma, and push for real change. This year, Mental Health Australia’s World Mental Health Day campaign focusses on why meaningful connections are so important for good mental health.

    “At the heart of our campaign are the powerful voices of people in Australia with lived and living experience of mental ill-health,” said Mental Health Australia CEO, Carolyn Nikoloski.

    “Twelve advocates from across the country have shared their personal stories, demonstrating how meaningful connections transformed their mental health journeys and helped them find a path to recovery.”

    From Outback Queensland to Australia’s capital, these stories remind us that mental health affects everyone, regardless of income or postcode.

    “World Mental Health Day reminds us to connect—to loved ones, our communities, colleagues, and to Country. It’s a call to reach out for support and, just as importantly, to reconnect with ourselves for better mental health,” Ms Nikoloski urged.

    This message was reflected to policymakers yesterday at Mental Health Australia’s Mental Health Sector Expo, which was co-hosted with the Parliamentary Friends of Youth Mental Health and the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health.

    The event united over 120 mental health professionals from 45 member organisations at Parliament House, with the Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care addressing the audience about the vital importance of this year’s theme – the power of meaningful connections – by highlighting the valuable contribution of the mental health sector.

    Mr Butler said, “I want to thank all of you for the work that you do. These are really tough times. We’ve gone through an incredibly traumatic period with the pandemic that really impacted people’s mental health…you have the best ideas of how we can do better to support people in mental distress, whether that’s relatively temporary mental distress or whether it’s lifelong relatively severe mental illness.”

    As one of the final parliamentary sitting weeks of 2024 unfolds, Australia’s leading mental health organisations showcased their critical work and achievements, calling attention to the mental health services available in local communities across the country.

    “This event was an important opportunity for mental health professionals, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health and their family, carers and supporters to connect and unite in a bipartisan effort to continue building a mental health system that supports every person in Australia,” Ms Nikoloski said.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Doorstop, Canberra

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    JOURNALIST: As for school funding legislation going to Parliament. How are you expecting that debate to play out?

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Today I’ll introduce legislation to increase funding for our public schools. Education is the most powerful force for good in this country and the truth is our public schools do most of the heavy lifting. But most public schools across the country at the moment aren’t funded at that David Gonski level, apart from the ACT, no other state or territories funded at that David Gonski level called the Schooling Resource Standard. 
    I’ve done deals with Western Australia and with Tasmania and the Northern Territory to get public schools in those jurisdictions to that level and I’m hoping to do deals with other jurisdictions as well. But at the moment, the Australian Education Act prohibits the Commonwealth Government from providing more than 20 per cent of that funding to the States and the Territories for our public schools. So, the legislation turns that maximum into a minimum or turns that ceiling into a floor so that funding can flow to children who really need it.

    JOURNALIST: The cash is now tied to teaching reforms. The union’s not happy. Where are you at with negotiations with the union to try to get them over the line, on you know, removing that boycott that they’ve put in?

    CLARE: I think most people who look at this, whether it’s the States or the unions, know how important these reforms are. In fact, many of the reforms have come at the recommendation of States, of Territories and of the union. In particular, things like catch-up tutoring, really practical, basic, important reforms that make sure that if a child falls behind when they’re little, they have the support that they need to catch up and then to keep up. I’ve got $16 billion on the table here. If delivered, it’ll be the biggest extra investment in public schools by the Commonwealth Government ever. Ever. And that’s on the table. But it’s not a blank cheque. It’s got to be tied to these practical reforms to make a difference for our children.

    JOURNALIST: When it comes to universities, the Senate inquiry handed down its recommendations last night. It’s saying that you can pass legislation with a few amendments. What did you make and what was your reaction to those proposed amendments, particularly removing the ministerial power for certain course caps?

    CLARE: We’ll look at that. I’ve said in the Parliament, and I’ve said in a recent conference that I’m very open to looking at any recommendations that are made by the committee to improve the Bill. We’ll go through that report now and have a look at that. In particular, the one you mentioned about whether you set caps for courses. I’ve described that in the past as a reserve power, but we’ll look carefully at the recommendations of that report. There’s certainly advice to me that that’s important in the VET sector, where it’s important to make sure that we’re not encouraging certain private providers in the VET sector to entice people into courses that don’t give them a real qualification. There is an equally powerful case set that may not be necessary at a university or TAFE level. So, we’ll look at that and give it due consideration.

    JOURNALIST: Is that something that you would look at amending, is the splitting that out to maybe quarantine that into a job?

    CLARE: It’s one of the things we’ll look at. But the report talked about a number of changes that could be made to the Bill, so we’ll go through that now. The Bill was introduced in May. It’s been the subject of a lot of consideration by that committee. The committee’s now recommended that the Bill be passed. I now hope that the Senate will get on with it and consider the Bill.

    JOURNALIST: Obviously, you know, it is a huge industry for Australia. It’s also a huge, you know, can be a strain, international students can be a strain on housing, especially at the current time. How important is it that you get these caps or this legislation through so that they can be capped for the new year, I guess, the new university year?

    CLARE: It’s really important to protect the integrity of our international education system, but it’s also important to protect public support for international education. I make no apology, the Government makes no apology for our commitment to return migration to pre-pandemic levels. And this is part of that. International education is really important. It makes us money as a country, it makes us friends as a country, because when people study here and they go home, they take their love for Australia back home with them. But it is also important that we return migration to pre pandemic levels, and this is one part of doing that.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Anthrax vaccine protects sheep and cattle

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    10 Oct 2024

    Livestock producers who manage properties where anthrax has occurred or nearby properties have been reminded to vaccinate their cattle and sheep against anthrax, even though there are no current anthrax cases.

    NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Local Land Services (LLS) advise annual anthrax vaccination on these high-risk properties.

    NSW DPIRD senior veterinary officer, Amanda Walker, said vaccination is a preventative measure against anthrax, the spores of which can lie dormant in the soil for decades.

    “Vaccination effectively prevents anthrax from occurring and helps break the cycle of spore production, reducing cases of this unpredictable and serious disease that can kill stock of any age or class with no warning,” Dr Walker said.

    “If vaccination is continued over time spores in the environment will die, reducing the risk of anthrax occurring in the future.”

    “Producers should contact their LLS district vet to obtain specific advice for their properties.”

    In the past, most anthrax cases have occurred in areas bordered by Bourke and Moree in the north, to Albury and Deniliquin in the south.

    LLS veterinarian, Scott Ison, said the disease is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, and affected stock often show few or no signs of ill health before they die.

    “Farmers can apply to use the vaccine through their LLS district veterinarian and once authorised, they can place an order for the vaccine with their local rural supplier or private veterinarian,” Dr Ison said.

    “Farmers should suspect anthrax if animals die suddenly, as in many cases there may be no other signs. The disease may begin in a flock or herd with the deaths of single animals over a few days before increasing to dramatic losses in a very short time.”

    Anthrax is listed as prohibited matter under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and is a notifiable disease in NSW.

    Anyone who suspects anthrax must report it immediately by calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline, 1800 675 888.

    More information about preventing anthrax is available on the NSW DPIRD website or from LLS, 1300 795 299.

    Media contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Second reading speech, Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    I move that this Bill be now read a second time.

    Today I am proud to introduce the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024.

    I’m also introducing it on behalf of my colleague Andrew Leigh as the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, and I’d like to acknowledge him and thank him for his contribution.

    This Bill is another big step towards reforming Australia’s merger rules and further boosting competition and productivity in our economy.

    It outlines the biggest reforms to Australia’s merger settings in almost 50 years.

    It will create a regime that more efficiently and effectively targets mergers that are anti‑competitive, while allowing mergers that are pro‑competitive to proceed faster.

    Speaker,

    We understand most mergers have genuine economic benefits and are an important feature of any healthy, open financial system.

    They can attract capital, re‑tool businesses and improve the uptake of new technologies.

    They can allow businesses to achieve greater economies of scale and scope, to access new resources, technology and expertise.

    This can flow through to consumers via greater product choice and quality as well as lower prices.

    But some mergers can cause serious economic harm.

    This can happen when businesses are not interested in improving profitability by lifting productivity.

    When they’re solely focused on squeezing out competitors to capture a larger percentage of the market.

    This can strangle innovation, reduce productivity in our economy and punish consumers with reduced choice.

    Treasury’s Competition Taskforce has spent a lot of its time hearing about and thinking about these issues.

    Andrew and I set up this Taskforce and its work has made plain that Australia’s approach to mergers is no longer fit for purpose.

    Speaker,

    The need for reform is clear.

    Australia is one of only 3 OECD countries that doesn’t require compulsory notification of mergers.

    Last year, over 1,400 mergers were recorded, at a value of around $300 billion.

    Meanwhile, the ACCC looked at an average of 330 mergers a year over the past decade.

    But we don’t know whether these are the right 330, or the mergers with the greatest potential to cause harm.

    When the ACCC does assess mergers, the current approach is not transparent for businesses or the community.

    Clearance can be too slow and cause expensive delays for some businesses as they wait.

    This legislation will bring our merger system into the 21st century.

    Speaker,

    This Bill enshrines our historic reforms into law.

    The legislation will improve our regime in 5 ways, by making the system faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and more transparent.

    Approvals will be faster under the new system, with mergers ticked within 30 working days where the ACCC is satisfied they pose no threat to competition.

    The regime will be stronger thanks to a mandatory notification system and empowering the ACCC as the decision maker on all mergers.

    The system will be simpler, because we are reducing 3 streams to a streamlined path to approval that removes duplication and standardises notification requirements for mergers.

    It will be more targeted, because mergers that create, strengthen or entrench substantial market power will be identified and stopped while those consistent with our national economic interest will be fast tracked.

    Finally, the merger regime will be more transparent, by ensuring the ACCC has better visibility of merger activity.

    We are creating a public register of all mergers and acquisitions notified to the ACCC to promote this transparency and accountability.

    Reviews of ACCC decisions will be the responsibility of the Competition Tribunal made up of a Federal Court judge, an economist and a business leader.

    Under the strengthened system, not every merger will be captured.

    Only mergers above monetary thresholds will need to be notified to the ACCC and be approved before proceeding.

    The government intends to set these monetary thresholds in regulations following the passage of this Bill.

    There will be 3 key thresholds.

    Firstly, any merger will be looked at if the Australian turnover of the combined businesses is above $200 million, and either the business or assets being acquired has Australian turnover above $50 million or global transaction value above $250 million.

    Secondly, the ACCC will look at any merger involving a very large business with Australian turnover more than $500 million buying a smaller business or assets with Australian turnover above $10 million.

    Finally, to target serial acquisitions, all mergers by businesses with combined Australian turnover of more than $200 million where the cumulative Australian turnover from acquisitions in the same or similar goods or services over a 3‑year period is at least $50 million will be captured, or $10 million if a very large business is involved.

    Land acquisitions involving residential property development and certain commercial property acquisitions won’t be included to avoid clogging up the system with simple land purchases unless they are captured by additional targeted notification requirements.

    These thresholds have been developed in close consultation with industry and the community.

    The thresholds strike the right balance between creating a rigorous and robust regime without calling in every merger.

    These thresholds will allow the ACCC to focus its efforts on the mergers that really matter.

    We want to see the majority of mergers approved quickly, so the ACCC can focus on the minority that give rise to competition concerns.

    The thresholds will be reviewed 12 months after coming into effect, to ensure they are working as intended.

    In addition, the legislation provides flexibility to allow the Treasurer to adjust and calibrate the thresholds to respond to evidence‑based concerns from the ACCC about high‑risk mergers, like in the supermarket sector.

    This power, combined with the thresholds, will allow the ACCC to review all the mergers that they have been typically concerned about.

    Using this provision, the government intends to make sure the ACCC is notified of every merger in the supermarket sector.

    Our intention to mandate this approach is based on evidence provided by the competition regulator.

    Reviewing every supermarket merger is all part of the decisive action our government is taking to help Australians get fairer prices at the checkout.

    We want to make sure supermarket mergers don’t come at the cost of Australians, families and pensioners getting a fair price on their grocery bills.

    Our merger reforms will help ensure our supermarkets are as competitive as they can be so Australians get the best prices possible.

    On the advice of the ACCC Chair, the government also intends to use this power to get the competition regulator to review purchases of an interest above 20 per cent in an unlisted or private company, if one of the companies involved in the deal has turnover more than $200 million.

    This is all about lifting the level of scrutiny and transparency for private markets transactions, which have boomed in Australia in the past decade.

    It will give the ACCC the ability to analyse changes of control in private companies to ensure negative competition effects are avoided and to scrutinise these deals in more detail.

    The government will also consider designation requirements for sectors such as fuel, liquor and oncology‑radiology.

    These merger laws will take effect from 1 January 2026 and apply voluntarily from 1 July 2025.

    Speaker,

    This Bill has been developed through detailed consultation and we’d like to take a moment here to thank everyone for their contributions.

    We’re especially grateful for the input from the Expert Advisory Panel, comprising Kerry Schott, David Gonski, John Asker, Sharon Henrick, John Fingleton, Danielle Wood and Rod Sims.

    I’m also thankful for all the discussions and consultation we have held with businesses, the competition regulator, and the broader community.

    That input and those views helped shaped this legislation.

    This Bill builds on the Albanese Labor government’s substantial and broad competition reform agenda, which is all about creating a more dynamic, more productive and resilient economy.

    This includes revitalising National Competition Policy with all state and territory governments.

    Abolishing around 500 nuisance tariffs to cut compliance costs, reduce red tape, make it easier to do business, and boost productivity.

    Helping Australians get a fair price at the checkout with a new mandatory Food and Grocery Code, an ACCC inquiry and more funding for its investigations, reforming planning and zoning regulations and funding for CHOICE for price transparency reports.

    Promoting competition in our financial system, including in payments, financial market infrastructure and through the introduction of a financial services regulatory grid.

    Helping bank customers find and follow better deals on their mortgages and higher interest rates on their savings accounts.

    This agenda will help expand choices, lift living standards and grow our economy.

    It will help ensure that our people, businesses and industries are beneficiaries of the opportunities before us in the defining decade ahead.

    The legislation I introduce today forms a key part of these competition reforms.

    And we are proud to introduce it to the House.

    Full details of the measure are contained in the Explanatory Memorandum.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspect arrested after break-in at Gulfview Heights

    Source: South Australia Police

    One suspect has been arrested following investigations into an incident at Gulfview Heights overnight.

    About 3.45am on Wednesday 9 October, police were called to a home on Nelson Road after reports that a group of armed males forced entry into the property and stabbed two occupants.

    The group left the scene in a vehicle which was last seen turning on Yulinda Terrace.

    A 53-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were both taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A third person was also taken to hospital with minor injuries after being assaulted.

    Following investigations by Operation Meld and Northern District CIB detectives, a 16-year-old boy from Pennington was arrested this afternoon.

    He was charged with aggravated serious criminal trespass and cause serious harm.  He was refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Youth Court tomorrow.

    Investigations are continuing.  Police do not believe this to be a random incident.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at http://www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    CO2400040844

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Kim Wlliams to deliver intersection of leadership and truth and Menzies Oration in Ballarat

    Source: Federation University

    Renowned media executive and chair of the ABC, Kim Williams AM, will be in Ballarat on Wednesday 30 October to deliver a though-provoking speech on the importance of clarity, transparency, trust and accountability in leadership in an era of misinformation, propaganda and sensationalism. 

    A former Chief Executive of News Corp Australia, FOXTEL, Fox Studios Australia, the Australian Film Commission, Southern Star Entertainment and Music Viva Australia, Williams is the guest orator at this year’s Menzies Oration – an annual event delivered by The Menzies Foundation – which will be hosted by Federation University Australia for the third consecutive year. 

    The livestreamed event titled Intersection of Leadership and Truth Williams will delve into the vital connection between leadership and truth, shedding light on how these elements shape the fabric of Australian leadership and public perception. He will share his extensive insights and experiences, highlighting the essential qualities that underpin effective and ethical leadership in the 21st Century. 

    Liz Gillies from the Menzies Foundation will host the event, Federation University Australia Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley serving as the Master of Ceremonies.  

    The Menzies Oration is free to the public and will take place at the Emerging Technologies Hub at Federation’s SMB Campus on Wednesday October 30 from 6:00pm.  

    The session can also be viewed online, and tickets are available on the Eventbrite by searching for ‘Menzies Oration’ or via the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/menzies-oration-intersection-of-leadership-and-truth-kim-williams-am-tickets-1014287670727 

    Quotes attributable to Federation University Australia Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley 

    “It is exciting to be hosting the Menzies Oration at Federation University again this year, where we will be setting the stage for Kim Williams to share his expertise in the media landscape, detailing his extensive insights and experiences that mould quality leadership in an era where it is challenging to cut through misinformation.” 

    “We are privileged to have Kim’s important voice at the event this year, who has been a longstanding figure in the media, with diverse knowledge of what it takes to be a good leader.” 

    Quotes attributable to Menzies Foundation CEO Liz Gillies 

    “As we navigate an era where truth is increasingly clouded by misinformation, the importance of trust and accountability in leadership has never been more critical.” 

    “The 2024 Menzies Oration will offer a powerful exploration of the nexus between leadership and truth, and we are honoured to have Kim Williams AM share his perspectives on how our response to this challenge will shape our society now and into an uncertain future.” 

    Quotes attributable to Chair of the ABC, AM Kim Williams  

    “It is a real honour to deliver the 2024 Menzies Oration. Named after one of the titans of Australian political leadership and history, the oration gives one time to reflect on issues that matter in the contemporary settings of Australian public life and discourse.” 

    “Sir Robert Menzies was a dauntingly fine orator matched by few others. He set a standard that demands real effort on the part of all who deliver the annual Menzies oration to meet.” 

    “In my own instance I intend to tackle the subject of the inextricable link between leadership and truth as the foundation stone of a good society and the base from which effective public policy and resilient institutions, core pillars to our democracy, follow.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Opinion piece: Albanese good for growth in the west

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The most recent growth statistics showed that the Australian economy faces some strong headwinds. In an environment where global growth is subdued, the national economy grew just 0.2 per cent in the June 2024 quarter. Yet Western Australia’s growth was considerably faster. With a quarterly growth rate of 0.9 per cent, Western Australia tied with South Australia as the fastest‑growing state in the nation.

    There are other positive signs. Investment in WA continues to grow, reflecting business confidence in WA’s future. In the past financial year, the value of new capital expenditure in Western Australia rose 18.5 per cent in the mining industry and 16.9 per cent in non‑mining industries. This new investment accounts for nearly a quarter of Australia’s new private investment, showing that WA continues to punch above its weight.

    As pro‑growth progressives, we recognise that government has a role to play in boosting the growth rate and continuing to build on WA’s economic success. Higher productivity also increases the speed limit of the economy, allowing Australians to live longer, and live better.

    What are the best policies to encourage growth? As the nation’s most export‑oriented state, international settings are of particular significance for Western Australia. Since coming to office, the Albanese government has sought to stabilise Australia’s relationships with our major trading partners.

    Under the former Coalition government, China effectively closed the door to many of our exports. Since May 2022, as a result of the Albanese government’s calm and consistent approach – in concert with a great deal of hard work and advocacy by industry – most of the Australian products previously subject to impediments have been able to re‑enter China’s market. That includes coal, cotton, timber logs, barley, and wine. Trade impediments imposed by China on around $20 billion of Australian exports remain on less than $1 billion.

    We have also worked to build stronger partnerships with countries throughout our region. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell have worked to diversify our trading relationships, by leading a diplomatic and business push into countries throughout the South East Asia and the Pacific.

    A key element is the development of a new South East Asia Economic Strategy, based on a report that the government commissioned from Nicholas Moore, the former CEO of the Macquarie Group, titled ‘Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040’. This strategy aims to boost trade and investment by enhancing economic engagement and leveraging Australia’s strengths: a well‑capitalised corporate sector, sophisticated capital markets, and a substantial national savings pool.

    In the mining sector, the government’s production tax incentive scheme seeks to nurture the critical minerals and green hydrogen industries. These tax credits aim to secure Australia’s critical mineral supply chain and assist with the energy transition in economically productive ways. Yet, remarkably Peter Dutton has opposed production tax incentives. His position puts him at odds with both major parties in Western Australian – Liberal and Labor. As Resources Minister Madeleine King puts it, Dutton’s stance is ‘anti‑resources and anti‑WA’.

    Another important part of Labor’s pro‑growth productivity agenda is competition reform. The last big wave of national competition policy took place in the 1990s, when consumers were given more choice about their electricity provider and a host of unnecessary regulations were scrapped. During the 2000s and 2010s, Australia experienced a rise in market concentration and markups, and a drop in economic dynamism. Too many industries have become dominated by too few companies. Disappointing productivity performance in the 2010s is likely linked to the lack of competition in many Australian markets and Australian consumers have suffered.

    Last year, our government established a competition taskforce in the Australian Treasury, mandated to identify reforms that would create a more competitive economy that drives down costs. This year, the Albanese government has introduced the biggest shakeup of our merger laws in half a century, aiming to ensure that the merger control system is simpler, quicker, and more efficient. Our reforms will ensure quicker approvals for low‑risk mergers but that the competition watchdog sees all high‑risk mergers through mandatory reporting thresholds.

    Another priority of the competition taskforce is the reform of non‑compete clauses. One in 5 Australian workers have a clause in their employment contract that limits their ability to move to a competing company. Non‑compete clauses slow wage growth and impede new business formation. In the United States, the government has estimated that scrapping non‑compete clauses would boost wages by US$500 for the typical worker, and lead to the creation of 8,000 more businesses annually. In Australia, we are actively considering the best way to address the adverse effects of non‑compete clauses.

    These are just some examples of how the Albanese government, with the states and territories, is revitalising the National Competition Policy to deliver more jobs, more startups, and more prosperity. Western Australia is on board with National Competition Policy and stands to share the benefits.

    Being pro‑growth is not about being anti‑fairness. Indeed, the best way to deliver for the most vulnerable is through a growing economy, where everyone can share in the gains. By choosing openness, encouraging dynamism, and strengthening competition, we can get a better deal and expand opportunities for consumers, workers, and households in Western Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No savings? No plans? No Great Australian Dream. How housing is reshaping young people’s lives

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Stone, Professor of Housing & Social Policy, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology

    Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

    Australia’s housing crisis is dramatically reshaping the lives and hopes of young people, highlighted in a new report launched today in Canberra as part of World Homeless Day.

    The research, developed by Swinburne University of Technology and funded by YWCA Australia, provided a platform for young women and gender diverse people from around Australia to share their housing experiences and aspirations.

    Our research found many young people are frustrated about the affordability, quality and security of housing in Australia.

    These housing barriers are changing the traditional life course that many of these young people expected to follow, undermining their sense of what it means to be an “adult”.

    Louise, 26, told us, as part of our research:

    I don’t feel like an adult sometimes because of my living circumstances … I thought I’d be like ‘Sex and the City’, having my own apartment and going out for drinks with my friends. But none of us have time to do that.

    The report highlights how such housing barriers and frustrations are severely impacting young people’s relationships, health and wellbeing, education, employment, and ability to plan for the future.

    Housing dreams are ratcheted down

    Home ownership is still “the great Australian dream” for many. However, numerous young people feel buying a home is out of reach or impossible.

    Erin, a young woman in her late 20s, states:

    It feels like you have to buy a house to be in the game, but to get there it just feels completely out of our grasp. And that’s quite scary.

    For many, buying or even renting is seen as unattainable without a partner. This has gendered implications where young women need to depend financially on a partner, potentially leading to disadvantage in the future.

    Amy, 30, articulates:

    It’s very hard to get a rental as a single female […] the uncertainty of not getting another place keeps me here.

    Participants with hopes of having children express anxiety when their housing circumstances are unpredictable and/or unaffordable.

    Jamie, a non-binary person in their mid-20s, says:

    The biggest negative impact of being stuck on the lowest end of the rental market is that it severely limits my ability to plan to start a family. My partner and I both want a child but are terrified of the idea of not being able to afford rent with a new baby and limited family support.

    Health and wellbeing are undermined

    Young people describe feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, trapped and crushed by their housing situations. For some, this stems from the daily challenge of simply making ends meet.

    Celia, a woman in her late 20s, describes:

    The constant cycle of living in a place for a year, getting a massive rent increase, having to find a new place and move again is exhausting, financially unsustainable and demoralising. It feels pretty hopeless because I’m stuck in this cycle and I’ll never save for a house deposit because I’m losing it all on exorbitant rent.

    For other participants, the health and wellbeing impact stems from their less-than-ideal dynamics at home, with many living with family as adults to save on rent.

    As Zoe, a woman in her late 20s, describes:

    It’s like you don’t pay with money to live with family […] but you pay with your mental health.

    Relationships and safety are affected

    Compromised safety is a concern among young women and gender diverse people we spoke with – whether it be escaping family and domestic violence, living in housing that is physically safe (such as with working locks on doors and windows), or sharing with others comfortably.

    Our research found gender has a material impact on housing experiences, and shaped young women’s and gender diverse people’s perceptions of safety.

    Julia, a woman in her early 20s, highlighted safety concerns:

    My family home was filled with a lot of domestic violence. And so when I left and now I have my own place, I feel very, very safe there in comparison. And also no one in my family knows where I live. So that makes me feel very safe.

    Some of the challenges of living with family were summarised by Ryde, a non-binary person in their early 20s:

    Even now I’m like learning how to like be my own person while still being under my parents’ roof […] like still living at home is a bit emotionally kind of weird.

    So what needs to change?

    Participants involved in the research provide a number of solutions for addressing their housing barriers, including:

    Beth told us:

    I feel like our education totally failed us. I always think there needs to be some kind of unit in Year 11 or 12, like a compulsory unit where it’s like just life skills. So taxes, superannuation, getting your first job, buying your first house, getting into the rental market. If we have the skills or knowledge from that education, we might be able to make more informed choices.

    Finally, young people urgently need a seat at the table when it comes to decisions about housing. They know what is needed and what politicians need to hear.

    In the words of Taylor, a 24-year-old woman:

    I think one thing that the politicians struggle to understand is that we’re not asking for, you know, four bedroom, three bathrooms at $400.00 a week. We’re asking for houses with working locks. No mould. And you know, we’re asking for very basic secure housing at affordable prices, it’s not a matter of us being picky. It’s a matter of health and safety.

    (All participants’ names have been changed).

    Wendy Stone receives funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Kids Under Cover and YWCA Australia, the funder of the research this article reports on. She has previously received funding from the Victorian Government.

    Catherine Hartung received funding from YWCA Australia to undertake this research.

    Sal Clark received funding from YWCA Australia to undertake this research

    Zoe Goodall has received funding from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), the Victorian government, the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, Kids Under Cover, and YWCA Australia. YWCA Australia funded the research this article reports on.

    – ref. No savings? No plans? No Great Australian Dream. How housing is reshaping young people’s lives – https://theconversation.com/no-savings-no-plans-no-great-australian-dream-how-housing-is-reshaping-young-peoples-lives-240435

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Yes, nature is complex. But saving our precious environment means finding ways to measure it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Wintle, Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne

    Shutterstock

    Nature loss directly threatens half the global economy. The rapid destruction of biodiversity should alarm the many Australian businesses dependent on nature, such as those in agriculture, tourism, construction and food manufacturing. Yet nature considerations are often ignored in business decision-making.

    At the Global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney this week, scientists, politicians, conservationists and business leaders have gathered to discuss ways to help nature in Australia – not just by protecting it from damage, but improving it. Getting more businesses interested in – and taking positive action on – nature conservation is key to the talks.

    Reducing the environmental impact of a business first requires measuring that impact. It might seem an impossibly difficult task. After all, nature is a diverse and intricate web of connections. How can we capture that in a number?

    After all, nature is complex – but measuring how a business intersects with it need not be.

    Uncovering impacts on nature

    The fishing industry depends directly on stocks of wild fish. And a housing developer has a direct impact on nature if they clear natural vegetation to build a new suburb.

    Businesses interactions with nature can be indirect, too – for example, a margarine producer who uses canola oil from a grower who depends on bees for pollination. Builders might indirectly harm rainforests in Indonesia by buying timber grown there. A superannuation company investing in that developer is also having an indirect negative impact.

    From next year, Australian companies will be required to measure and report their climate impacts. While businesses are not yet required to disclose their impacts on nature more broadly, many are moving in that direction – both in Australia and globally.

    For example in 2022, more than 400 of the world’s largest corporations called for mandatory disclosure of nature impacts. They included Nestlé, Rio Tinto, L’Oréal, Sony and Volvo. And many early-adopter businesses have begun voluntary disclosures.

    Guidelines are available to help businesses understand and measure their impacts, however progress is slow. This is partly due to a perception from business that the task is too complex.

    Nature assessment is challenging. Unlike identifying a company’s contributions to climate change – by measuring tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – there is no agreed single measure of impacts on nature.

    What’s more, different people ascribe different values to aspects of nature. Rightly or wrongly, for instance, most people would probably value a koala over a mosquito.

    What do you value more – a koala or a mosquito?
    Shutterstock

    Drawing on the expertise of ecologists

    Despite the difficulties, gauging the extent to which a business affects the environment can be done. Essentially, it involves three steps:

    1. understanding how a business broadly intersects with nature

    2. evaluating how specific business activities intersect with and put pressure on nature

    3. measuring and reporting the degree to which specific activities are impacting on the condition of nature. In other words, is the state of animals, plants and ecosystems improving or worsening?

    Online tools such as ENCORE can get businesses started on the first step – understanding a business’ broad impacts and dependency on nature.

    Many businesses are moving to the second stage – evaluating the specific business activities that put pressure on the environment, and determining the extent to which businesses depend on particular services ecosystems provide.

    The pressure a business places on nature can be measured via specific metrics, such as the amount of water consumed, air pollutants emitted, waste generated or area of land changed. Again, a suite of online tools and metrics can help with this.

    The next step is more complicated, yet essential. It requires businesses directly measuring their impacts on specific animals, plants and ecosystems. For this, we can turn to the expertise of ecologists.

    Individuals of a species can be hard to count, and extinction risk can be hard to measure. So ecologists often describe and monitor a species’ habitat – the environments in which a species can survive and reproduce – as a proxy for the fate of the species itself.

    Ecosystems – such as a rainforest, wetland or desert – can be described as being in good or poor condition. The rating depends on whether all the ecosystem’s plants, animals and other components are present, or whether unwanted components, such as weeds or invasive species, are found there.

    A graphic showing how ecologists measure the state of nature.
    TNFD

    In addition, maps, showing ecosystem condition and extent are available for much of Australia.

    Habitat mapping is also available for most threatened animals and plants, and thousands of other species. And mapping exists for World Heritage areas, important wetlands, national parks, Indigenous Protected Areas and other environment types.

    These resources are not difficult or expensive to access, and people and organisations with the skills to interpret and use such data are becoming more common.

    Some businesses are attempting these measurements. For example, plantation forestry company Forico last year prepared a natural capital report on a range of nature metrics, including the extent of species habitats, and assessment of vegetation condition.

    But many businesses are not yet grappling with this deeper nature analysis.

    This map, from ecosystem research organisation TERN, is one of many freely available to businesses seeking nature data.
    TERN

    Looking ahead

    We have the information and metrics to help businesses measure their impact on nature.

    Collaboration is urgently needed between business and nature experts, so the data available can be tailored to the needs of businesses, and presented in a form they can use.

    Governments can support this – for example by establishing accessible and practical online data platforms, and funding training for more nature experts who understand business.

    A new federal government agency, Environment Information Australia, will also hopefully become an important hub for data and information.

    By measuring what might seem immeasurable, businesses can become part of the solution to the nature crisis. There is cause for optimism – but no time to waste.

    Brendan Wintle has received funding from The Australian Research Council, the Victorian government, the NSW government, the Queensland government, the Commonwealth National Environmental Science Program, the Ian Potter Foundation, the Hermon Slade Foundation and the Australian Conservation Foundation. Wintle is a Board Director of Zoos Victoria and a lead councillor of the Biodiversity Council.

    Sarah Bekessy receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Ian Potter Foundation and the European Commission. She is a Lead Councillor with The Biodiversity Council, a board member of Bush Heritage Australia, a member of the WWF Eminent Scientists Group and an advisor to ELM Responsible Investment, the Living Building Challenge and Wood for Good.

    Simon O’Connor is affiliated with the Australian government as a member of the Minister for Environment and Water’s Nature Finance Council, and previously oversaw the national consultation group for the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures

    William Geary receives funding from the Victorian government and is associated with the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

    – ref. Yes, nature is complex. But saving our precious environment means finding ways to measure it – https://theconversation.com/yes-nature-is-complex-but-saving-our-precious-environment-means-finding-ways-to-measure-it-240583

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Australian Senate president to visit China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines will lead a delegation to visit China from Oct. 11 to 16, at the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New study reveals Australian honeybees’ favourite legume flowers

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    10 Oct 2024

    The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) has released a new report revealing the pasture legume flowers that are the most attractive to Australian honeybees.

    NSW DPIRD senior research scientist and Clover4Bees project leader, Dr Richard Hayes said primary producers have always had the option to use forage legumes that support honey production, thereby enhancing resources for honeybees and fostering collaboration with apiarists. However, little was known of the relative value of the range of pasture legume species for honey bees – until now.

    The two-year pilot project, funded by AgriFutures Australia, evaluated 23 different pasture legume species across four NSW DPIRD research stations, focusing on their flower attributes, bee preferences, and nectar characteristics.

    “Out of 23 pasture legume species, six leading contenders were selected based on their flower attributes, bee preferences, and nectar characteristics,” Dr Hayes said.

    “Species like subterranean clover and biserrula were found to have low nectar yields and sugar concentrations, resulting in few bee visits.

    “Meanwhile, our top performers were woolly pod vetch and arrowleaf clover, which showed high potential due to their attractiveness to bees.”

    Balansa clover, gland clover, Persian clover, and crimson clover were also identified as highly enticing for honeybees, making them excellent candidates for supporting honey production and pollination.

    Dr Hayes said the Clover4Bees project highlights the need for further research and collaboration with other agricultural sectors to enhance the use of these legumes.

    “The results have come at a crucial time as environmental challenges and limited access to public lands have prompted the honeybee industry to explore alternative floral resources,” he said.

    “By creating a more pollinator-friendly landscape, all Australian agricultural industries can collectively ensure the sustainability of honey production and support the health of bee populations in the face of challenges like the varroa mite.”

    To view the report, please visit the AgriFutures website.

    For more information on NSW DPIRD Honeybee research, please visit our website.

    Images are available for download here

    Media contact:
    For more information, please contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –