THE festival director of Byron Bay’s BluesFest will today appear before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts as it continues its public hearings for its inquiry into the Australian live music industry.

The hearing will host a roundtable with ongoing festivals ranging from small community events to large self-sustaining multi-day festivals. The committee will also speak with Century, a long-established venue and event management business serving clients in Sydney metro and Newcastle areas.

Paul Mason, a live music industry consultant who has a range of experience in the Australian music sector — both in artist project management, business planning and production, will also front the committee.

The committee will receive an update from Victorian not-for-profit youth music advocacy organisation, The Push, which supports young Victorians to participate in contemporary Australian music. The Push will appear alongside the Australia Institute to discuss the release of its most recent research report into young Australian music audiences.

The hearing will conclude with a youth music and all-ages-event roundtable.

Committee Chair, Brian Mitchell MP, said, "The committee looks forward to delving into the issues that have impacted iconic Australian festivals such as BluesFest."

Details of the public hearings are below, with the full programs and terms of reference available on the inquiry webpage. More information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Time: 9:40am – 3pm AEDT
Location: Australian Parliament House, Committee Room 2R1

This hearing will be broadcast live @AUSParliamentLive.

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A NEW Federal Parliamentary Committee has been established to inquire into and report on the consideration of nuclear power generation in Australia.

The House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy is seeking submissions by Friday, November 15.

Committee Chair, Dan Repacholi MP, the Federal Member for Hunter, said, "With the ongoing debate over whether nuclear energy has a role in Australia’s future energy mix, as well as the mounting cost of living pressures being felt by Australians, this inquiry comes at a critical time.

“Australians have a multitude of questions concerning the Opposition’s proposed nuclear energy idea," he said. “This Committee will be looking to answer some of these questions as it gives proper consideration to Australia’s future energy needs.”

Mr Repacholi explained the committee intended to hear from communities across Australia that would be impacted by the Opposition’s nuclear energy plan. The committee will also call on a broad range of experts to explore the financial, environmental, technical, and legal implications of developing nuclear energy in Australia, among other issues.

Further information, including the inquiry terms of reference are available on the committee’s website.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold its first public hearing for its inquiry into the Agreement among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (AUKUS agreement).

The AUKUS agreement establishes a legally binding framework to facilitate the communication and exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The agreement will also permit the transfer of nuclear material and equipment from the UK and the US to Australia for conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The committee will examine if AUKUS will provide Australia with a strategic advantage in terms of surveillance and protecting our shores and if the AUKUS agreement will facilitate the acquisition of submarines that are stealthier, speedier and sturdier than our existing fleet.

"The committee will explore if the agreement emphasises Australia’s commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and reinforces the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency."

The first public hearing will be held in Canberra, with the Committee scheduled to hear evidence from the Australian Nuclear Association, Professor Donald Rothwell, The Australia Institute and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The committee will travel to Adelaide on October 18 to hold a public hearing and visit the Osbourne Naval Shipyard for a tour and briefing from Australian Naval Infrastructure. The committee will then travel to Perth on October 22 for tours of HMAS Stirling and HMAS Henderson and a public hearing.

The hearings can be accessed online and the programs are available on the Committee website, along with further information about the inquiry. 

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday 16 October 2024
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

2.pm–2.45pm: Australian Nuclear Association
2.45pm–3.30pm: Professor Donald Rothwell
3.30pm–4.15pm: The Australia Institute
4.15pm–5pm: Australian Conservation Foundation

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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 Adelaide to hear from representatives from SA Power Networks, government departments, academics and Mitsubishi Motors about Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.

The committee will hold a half day of public hearings before attending a site visit to the Motor Trades Association (MTA). MTA Training and Employment is a leader in automotive and electrical vehicle training, training over 1,000 apprentices, as well as skilled technicians and workers in automotive, mining and emergency services sectors.

Committee Chair, Tony Zappia MP, said, "The committee looks forward to hearing from representatives from SA Power Networks about the current and future demands on the South Australian electricity grid with the increasing uptake of electric vehicles.

"SA Power Networks will discuss how it is managing the latest technology of vehicle-to-grid EV charging, which allows EVs to feed electricity back into the grid when demand is high.

"Mitsubishi Motors Australia will discuss its current market demand for hybrids and EVs and the committee will examine potential challenges for supplying electric vehicles to Australia’s right-hand driving market now and into the future.

"The site visit to the Motor Trade Association will give the committee an important overview about the training and employment sector for electric vehicles. This is a new sector within Australia with a growing demand for people to be skilled up and trained to understand and service electric vehicles throughout Australia."

The program for the public hearings can be found here.

Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 17 October 2024
Time: 9am – 12pm
Location: Adina Apartment Hotel, Adelaide Treasury, 2 Flinders Street Adelaide.

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