The BBNJ Agreement is also referred to as the High Seas Treaty. It addresses gaps in marine biodiversity conservation in areas beyond national jurisdiction through a variety of mechanisms, including area-based management tools and environmental impact assessments. By enhancing coordination between its signatories and the sharing of benefits relating to marine genetic resources, the agreement reinforces a global effort to improve ocean health.
Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "This agreement will enhance domestic environmental action, improve scientific endeavours, strengthen international rules-based order and support Australia’s foreign policy objectives.
"Australia has been a long-time advocate for this agreement and has played an influential role in its negotiation. Being an early ratifier will ensure that Australia can continue to influence decisions relating to the agreement’s implementation and will subsequently enhance global environmental action.
"The good health of the ocean and its biodiversity provides Australia with cultural, social and economic benefits and is complementary to the government’s nature-positive agendas," Ms Chesters said.
The report can be found on the Committee website, along with further information on the inquiries.
THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration today released the Migration, Pathway to Nation Building report, signifying the end of an almost two-year long inquiry on Australia’s migration system by the committee.
Committee Chair, Maria Vamvakinou MP, said, "The committee has conducted a comprehensive inquiry that has looked at virtually every aspect of the migration system with a view to complement the government’s ongoing reform agenda to improve migration outcomes.
"Of central concern, the committee believes that migration policy must once again become a key lever for Australia’s nation building efforts, as it has been in the past," Ms Vamvakinou said.
The report makes 73 recommendations.
"Of priority," Ms Vamvakinou said, "the committee has recommended that a Department of Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs be re-established as a stand-alone department solely focused on delivering a migration system of world-class standard and ensuring that Australia remains a preferred destination for the world’s most talented migrants.
"The committee has also recommended that an independent national research institute for migration policy studies be established to provide migration policy a basis in impartial and scholarly evidence going forward. Such research capacity within government has been sorely missed in recent years and will provide migration policy a solid foundation as we move into the decades to come.
"To ensure that new arrivals are fully integrated into Australian society and are empowered to maximise their and their families’ contributions to the nation, the committee has recommended that settlement services be provided to all classes of migrant, irrespective of visa category, on the basis of need.
"As a matter of the utmost importance, the committee gave detailed consideration to the issues surrounding regional migration. Ensuring that our regional, rural and remote areas share in the benefits that migration affords is vital for the ongoing prosperity of those areas," Ms Vamvakinou said.
"While the committee has made 16 recommendations on improving the migration outcomes for Australia’s regions, it also concluded that a further dedicated inquiry on a specific regional migration priority topic was needed."
The report provides recommendations on a wide array of matters, including improving the visa application system; attracting and retaining skilled migration; better accounting for the skills and experience of secondary applicants; more effective recognition of migrants’ qualifications; improving outcomes for refugees and their families; and regional migration.
The read the full Migration, Pathway to Nation Building report, visit the committee’s website.
Reflecting on the focus on tourism for the inquiry’s final report, the Chair of the Trade Subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill said, "Tourism is one of Australia’s largest exports and is a key way for Australians to share our unique and wonderful cultures, environments and stories. But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the sector to its limits.
"While we’re starting to see encouraging signs that the sector is recovering, it is clear the recovery has been patchy and that issues remain. This report makes a number of recommendations to strengthen the visitor economy and make it more resilient to future shocks.
The Senator said, "Throughout the inquiry we kept coming back to two key areas with enormous opportunity, if key barriers can be reduced: First Nations tourism and regional and tourism."
The report makes 28 recommendations aimed at strengthening the resilience of the tourism sector, particularly for regional Australia and for First Nations tourism businesses. It also makes various recommendations that would make the visitor economy more inclusive, more accessible, and more sustainable.
Some of the key recommendations include:
The establishment of a national First Nations tourism body to represent the interests of First Nations businesses and communities in tourism.
The establishment of a First Nations advisory panel to advise Tourism Australia on the appropriate representation of First Nations in marketing strategies and campaigns.
The development of a Regional Dispersal Strategy to drive greater domestic and international visitation into more of Australia’s regions.
That the Australian Government prioritises policies that will achieve more accessible and affordable regional air access.
Improved role clarity, communication and coordination between local, state and Australian Government tourism organisations.
For the Minister for Trade and Tourism to issue a new Statement of Expectations for Tourism Australia to provide greater clarity about its role.
During the inquiry, the committee heard from a range of stakeholders including international and regional tourism operators and providers, including First Nations tourism operators, local councils, government agencies, education and tourism peak bodies, international students and student associations, and education providers.
"Over the last two years we held 31 public hearings across Australia, primarily in regional towns. We wanted to hear from the people themselves and see firsthand their tourism offerings and challenges," Senator O’Neill said. "The impact of COVID-19 in the tourism sector and in Australia’s regions was unprecedented, and we heard stories of great adversity.
"But we also heard about innovation and collaboration, a shared ambition to continue to grow the sector, and the opportunities it provides for individuals, communities and Australia."
THE National Health Services Union has strongly endorsed an open letter from Aged Care Minister Anika Wells to residential aged care providers, which calls out the sector's lack of accountability.
National Secretary Lloyd Williams praised Minister Wells’ initiative: "This open letter is a crucial step towards addressing the longstanding issues in our aged care system. It's precisely why we've been advocating for a legislated 'workers voice' in the Aged Care Act – a provision that was regrettably removed at the insistence of the Liberal Party."
The Minister’s letter notes that from today, average care funding will be around 58 percent higher than it was in September 2022. A significant part of this increase has been to fund providers to increase their care minutes to an average of 215 minutes per resident per day.
Mr Williams highlighted key concerns raised by the Minister:
1. The disproportionately low compliance rates in metropolitan areas, despite greater workforce constraints in regional, rural, and remote locations.
2. The significantly lower compliance rates among for-profit aged care providers compared to their not-for-profit counterparts.
“Never forget, it was workers who blew the whistle on the appalling operating conditions in aged care that led to residents being fed jelly and frankfurts and having sanitary pads rationed,” Mr Williams said.
“Providers need accountability. We cannot allow profit motives to compromise the quality of care for our elderly citizens."
The Health Services Union is committed to working alongside the government and responsible providers to improve conditions in the aged care sector.
"We stand ready to support any initiatives that enhance transparency, accountability, and most importantly, the quality of care for our seniors," Mr Williams said.
THE Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society will hold further public hearings next week as part of its inquiry into the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society.
Building on previous hearings where the committee heard from social media platforms and media organisations, the committee will hear from a broad range of stakeholders with experience of the harm caused by social media. This includes representatives from women’s safety groups, parents, mental health practitioners, and government departments amongst others.
The committee will also take evidence from technical experts on the use of age verification measures to protect Australian children from social media harms, as well as the use of algorithms and recommender systems employed by the platforms.
Committee Chair Sharon Claydon MP said, "The government is focused on how Australians can be protected from the worst impacts of social media, and this inquiry is looking at what needs to change to ensure the online space is safe and secure for everyone."
In the coming weeks the committee will table its second interim report looking primarily at the role of social media companies in the online news media environment.
The inquiry’s final report is due to be tabled on or before November 18, 2024.
Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions and hearing transcripts, is available on the committee's webpage.
Public hearing details in Canberra Date: Monday, 30 September 2024 Time: 9am – 5.30pm (AEST) Location: Committee Room 2S1, Parliament House
Date: Tuesday, 01 October 2024 Time: 9am – 5.30pm (AEST) Location: Committee Room 2S3, Parliament House
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