AS PART of its inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water will travel to Brisbane to hear from representatives of the Queensland Government, the heavy vehicle industry, EV manufacturers and experts in battery technologies.

The committee will hold a half day of public hearings before conducting a site visit to Queensland Energy Storage Technology (QUEST) Hub, a facility enabling the research, development and commercialisation of battery materials, cells and systems.

On Friday September 6, the committee will conduct a second site visit to Lava Blue Ltd’s Centre for Predictive Research into Specialty Materials (PRiSM), where researchers are developing processes for manufacturing battery-grade materials.

Chair of the committee, Mr Tony Zappia MP, said, "The committee is eager to hear from the Queensland Government about its Electric Super Highway that is connecting commuters and tourists with fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles along the coastline and into regional and rural Queensland. In addition, the committee is looking forward to meeting with witnesses to further explore the impact the transition to EVs may have for Australian consumers and our transport and heavy vehicle sector.

"The site visits will give the committee an important opportunity to learn more about Australia’s growing domestic battery industry, battery certification and the circular economy."

The program for the public hearings can be found here.

The committee will be holding further public hearings in Canberra and Adelaide in September and October 2024. Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 5 September 2024
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Committee Room 1 (CR1), Queensland Parliament, Brisbane.
Witnesses: Queensland Government, ACE EV Group, Janus Electric, Volvo Group Australia, Strata Solve, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, Queensland University of Technology Energy Storage Research Group and the Queensland Energy Storage Technology Hub.

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THIS WEEK, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP will be in Victoria, as part of the Parliament in Schools program.

Students will learn about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks.

On Monday September 2, the Speaker will visit:

• Coburg Primary School, Coburg with the Member for Wills, Mr Peter Khalil MP;
• Olympic Village Primary, Heidelberg West, with the Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Social Security, Assistant Minister for Ageing, Member for Jagajaga, Kate Thwaites MP;
• Camelot Rise Primary School, Glen Waverley, with the Member for Chisholm, Dr Carina Garland MP.

On Tuesday, September 3, with the Member for Dunkley, Ms Jodie Belyea MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Banyan Fields Primary School, Carrum Downs;
• Woodlands Primary School, Langwarrin;
• Kingsley Park Primary School, Frankston.

From Wednesday September 4 to Friday September 6, with the Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Kurnai College, Churchill;
• Churchill Primary School, Churchill;
• Woodside Primary School, Woodside;
• Guthridge Primary School, Sale;
• Lindenow Primary School, Lindenow;
• Snowy River Campus – School for Student Leadership, Marlo;
• Orbost Community College, Orbost.

“Since we launched this program, we have visited over 100 schools across Australia – from King Island to Far North Queensland to Nullagine," Speaker Milton Dick said.

“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia.

“These students are our future leaders, and it is important that we equip them with the information and tools they need, to go on to be active and engaged citizens.”

About the Parliament in Schools program

Launched in September 2022, the Parliament in Schools program is a bi-partisan initiative to make civics education accessible to students regardless of their location. In collaboration with local federal members, the Speaker is visiting schools across Australia to bring parliament to them.

The program is an extension to well-established Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) onsite, digital and outreach education programs available to schools across Australia.

It also complements the existing PEO online and print resources that are curriculum-aligned, for Australian teachers and students.

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ON MONDAY September 2, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

The subcommittee will hold a public hearing at the Sydney Masonic Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, and hear evidence from a range of regional and international development groups, including the Australian Red Cross, UNICEF Australia, Transparency International Australia, Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Oxfam Australia, as well as research and academic groups.

Subcommittee Chair, Josh Burns MP, said, "There are many organisations operating in the Pacific at different scales and with different areas of focus, with the overall goal of supporting the communities, economies, environment and cultures in the Pacific to thrive.

“We are also pleased to hear from a range of civil society organisations based in the Pacific, including the Tuvalu National Youth Council and the Kiribati Climate Action Network, about the work they are undertaking, their priorities and where they are looking for support.”

Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Monday 2 September 2024
9:30am – 4pm (AEST)
Sydney Masonic Centre, Sydney, NSW

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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ALCOHOL and other drug use is a major cause of preventable illness and death in Australia. Seeking to strengthen the national response to this pressing health concern, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will undertake an inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia.

In announcing the inquiry, Committee Chair Mike Freelander MP said, "We know that alcohol and other drugs cause significant harm to individuals, families and indeed communities. As well as having severe health consequences, substance use also erodes economic and social wellbeing, deepening marginalisation and disadvantage.

"The inquiry will examine our existing alcohol and drugs policies, our treatment services and our community programs, while also looking at the workforce that is required to meet the high demand for services in this area."

Deputy Chair, Julian Leeser MP, said, "There are many good organisations providing support for people in our community who are struggling with addiction. This inquiry will be a good opportunity to hear directly from frontline service providers about the challenges they are dealing with and how we best support them in their work."

The committee is encouraging health professionals, health service providers, peak bodies, Commonwealth, State and Territory government departments, researchers, and members of the public to engage with the inquiry. The committee is keen to understand the current challenges in the domain of alcohol and drug treatment, and is looking forward to examining best practice models in this area from Australia and overseas.

The committee would be grateful to receive written submissions in support of the inquiry by Monday, September 30, but may also agree to accept submissions after this date. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account. Contact the Committee Secretariat if you require assistance in – or additional time for – making a submission.

Further information about the committee’s inquiry, including the full terms of reference and specific details on how to lodge a submission are available at the Committee’s website.

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