A NEW online survey is seeking views on how Australians living in regional, rural or remote areas access news as part of a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s regional newspapers.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts Chair Dr Anne Webster MP said, "Over the past 10 years news outlets in rural, regional and remote communities have closed their doors which has resulted in a substantial reduction of articles covering local issues.

"It is important that we listen to our communities about what's important to them. This survey provides an opportunity for these communities to express their views on whether the loss of their regional voice has directly affected them.

"I encourage anyone who lives in Australia’s regional, rural or remote areas to participate in the online survey."

The survey is open until February 11, 2022 and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

The committee is continuing to accept new submissions until January 28, 2022.

Information about the committee may be found on the committee’s webpage.

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A NEW agreement will see $300 million in private funds invested in energy assets under a sector-leading Green Finance Framework.

Funding from the deal – the first to be made under the Framework – is intended to be used for electricity infrastructure assets, helping to ready them for increasing levels of renewable generation feeding into the grid.

General manager for corporate finance, Luis Castillo-Melendez said his team had worked with global investment bank Mizuho Securities to make the private placement of the eight-year medium-term note (MTN).

“We established our Green Finance Framework with the purpose of giving confidence to investors that they could back projects aimed at making a difference in lowering carbon emissions, so we’re very pleased to see the first investment made,” Mr Castillo said.

“It will also help us to respond to our customers’ preferences for renewable energy, and with upgrades to the network, how they use energy.”

Mizuho head of debt capital markets for Australia, Simon Ward said, “We are honoured to have executed this exemplary transaction – the first Green Bond by an Australian utility in global markets."

The Green Finance Framework applies to companies within the State Grid Singapore Power Australia Assets (SGSP Australia Assets) Group which include Jemena and engineering, project management, operations and maintenance company, Zinfra.

It aligns with Jemena announcing, earlier this year, its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and will see the business use funds raised from green instruments such as bonds, loans, and promissory notes to finance and/or refinance projects that aim to deliver a positive impact on the environment.

The Framework, believed to be the first of its kind to be delivered by a traditional energy company operating in Australia, was developed in collaboration with global investment banks HSBC and ING. Net proceeds of green instruments issued can be used to fund or refinance projects in four major categories: renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and climate change adaptation.

About Jemena

Jemena is an $11.5 billion company that owns and manages some of Australia's most significant gas and electricity assets. These include:

• the Jemena Gas Network servicing 1.4 million customers around NSW;
• the Eastern Gas Pipeline which delivers gas from Victoria's Gippsland basin to the ACT, Sydney and regional NSW;
• the Queensland Gas Pipeline which supplies Gladstone and Rockhampton;
• the Darling Downs Pipeline System which transports gas to the Wallumbilla gas trading hub, the 630MW Darling Downs Power Station, and to the feeder pipeline to the APLNG LNG liquefaction plant at Gladstone;
• Jemena's Victorian electricity network which delivers electricity to over 360,000 homes and businesses in northern and western Melbourne
• the Northern Gas Pipeline from Tennant Creek in Northern Territory to Mount Isa in Queensland.

Jemena also part-owns the ActewAGL electricity and gas distribution networks in the ACT and United Energy, which supplies electricity to more than 600,000 customers across south-eastern Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. www.jemena.com.au

More information about Jemena’s Sustainability Program is available in its 2020 Sustainability Report: Adapting to Change, available on the Jemena website: https://jemena.com.au/about/investors/annual-reports.

The Framework is available at: https://jemena.com.au/about/investors/investor-information. 

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THE House of Representatives Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety began its public hearings on December 21-22, 2021.

Committee Chair Lucy Wicks MP said the hearings presented an opportunity for the committee to hear from a wide range of interested parties on matters relating to social media and online safety, with the focus in the initial hearings being on groups who can share their experiences of online harms.

"Online safety is a significant issue for a range of groups and individuals across the Australian community, and the committee will hear evidence from a variety of witnesses," Ms Wicks said.

Witnesses across the two days included advocates for children’s safety, including the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and the Carly Ryan Foundation. The committee will also hear from representatives of minority groups, faith organisations and the Let Her Speak campaign. Programs for hearings can be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearings are anticipated to continue in January 2022, with further dates to be advised soon. The closing date for submissions is January 12, 2022. The Committee’s findings from hearings and submissions will be contained in its report, to be tabled in the Parliament by February 15, 2022.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of the listing of Hizballah and The Base as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (the Criminal Code).

Hizballah is a Lebanese organisation with political, social and military components. The Australian Government had listed Hizballah’s External Security Organisation (ESO), an entity within Hizballah responsible for various terrorist activities, as a terrorist organisation since 2003 but has recently decided to list the whole organisation of Hizballah as a terrorist organisation, following a unanimous bipartisan recommendation of the PJCIS in June.

Founded in the United States, The Base is a nationalist and racist violent extremist movement founded in 2018. Its members believe in an accelerationist ideology of preparing for a ‘race war’ and inevitable social collapse which can be expedited through terrorist attacks. This group has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada.

Under section 102.1A of the Criminal Code, the committee may review listings of terrorist organisations and report its findings to each house of the Parliament within the 15 sitting day disallowance period. 

Members of the public are welcome to make submissions to this review. Submissions should be provided no later than 5pm Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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WESTPAC will provide emergency support for customers impacted by the floods in Maryborough and surrounding regions in Queensland.

Westpac chief customer engagement officer, Ross Miller said, “Westpac and StGeorge have customer teams standing by to help those in need of financial assistance resulting from the floods that have impacted the region in recent days.

“We know that the floods have caused damage to homes and businesses following significant rainfall over the weekend. We want our customers to know there are a range of tailored support options available to help them get back on their feet, including home and business loan deferrals and emergency credit card relief.

“We know these situations provide a great deal of stress and uncertainty for households and businesses. We want our customers to know we are only a phone call away if they need our help,” Mr Miller said.

Emergency support available:  

• Affected customers with Westpac home loans may apply to defer repayments for up to three months.
• Affected credit card customers may apply to defer repayments to their card for up to 90 days.
• Affected customers wishing to purchase replacement goods may apply for a personal loan at a discounted interest rate with no establishment fee.
• Westpac will waive interest rate adjustments for affected customers wishing to withdraw term deposits.
• Affected customers experiencing hardship may also be offered a halt on all interest accrual on unsecured credit products for a period of up to three months.
• Affected customers with Westpac business loans may apply to defer repayments for up to three months.
• Affected businesses with existing loans can request loan restructuring without incurring the usual bank establishment fees.
• Affected business customers with merchant facilities are eligible to receive assistance, including monthly terminal access fee waivers for up to three months.

 To access financial assistance:

• Westpac consumer customers can apply online or call Westpac Assist on 1800 067 497. Business customers who need support can contact their Relationship Manager or call Westpac Assist on 1800 067 497.

• St George consumer customers can apply online or call St George Assist on 1800 629 795. Business customers who need support can contact their Relationship Manager or call St George Assist on 1800 629 795.

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SAFETY CONCERNS, poor access to food and limited accommodation for fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) miners are the sad reality behind the Carmichael mine’s rush to produce the first coal for export according to the Mining and Energy Union.

Workers on the ground have reported the first exported coal had come at the expense of food for famished shift workers, proper sleeping facilities for those flying off rotation and serious safety issues involving equipment damage and injured workers.

Members at Carmichael are concerned the operator is trying to avoid bargaining even though 70 percent of the workforce have voted to demand discussions and tabled it with the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

“It’s been a long time since someone told me access to food on a project was a problem, but that’s what I’m hearing from the Carmichael mine,” Mining and Energy Union Queensland District vice-president Shane Brunker said.

“When the mine operator and its principal contractor, MacKeller, is underreporting injuries and equipment damage alarm bells start ringing for me.

“The first thing for a mine operator to get right is the health and safety of their workforce, not headline grabbing production targets,” he said.

“The workers are 100 percent behind the Carmichael project but we are not seeing the same commitment to our members which frankly we would have expected.

“Issues include no consultation with workers on changes to rosters or health and safety matters, refused information on how their salaries are developed and no consultation on the working of Christmas or Boxing days as required in the Black Coal Industry Award.

“If you match the individual contracts against the Black Coal Award you will see serious deficiencies and members want that fixed up as a priority.

“What we’re seeing is all Bollywood-style show business and no fair dinkum commitment to the workers," Mr Brunker said.

“Our union has always said we support the Carmichael project but our priority would be to organise the workforce and make sure they are getting fair deal that meets the standards in the Queensland coal industry.

“Now the mine is up and running, Bravus and its principal contractor need to meet with their workforce and nut out an ongoing arrangement which will ensure they export form Queensland for many years to come,” Mr Brunker said.

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BANKING services are essential to small businesses in rural and regional areas and more should be done to support those impacted by branch closures, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson said..

In a submission to the Regional Banking Taskforce, the Ombudsman said bank branch closures are disruptive to small and family businesses and that can have a ripple effect on the wider community.

“Small businesses rely on banking services to operate in the modern economy and it is essential those in rural and regional areas have access to the full range of banking facilities,” Mr Billson said.

“Branch closures increase small business administrative costs, the level of risk for business owners, and have a community wide economic impact caused by business patronage moving away, along with reduced community amenity, particularly if it is the last remaining bank in town.   

“For some small businesses, the loss of a local bank branch, may even cause them to look for services outside the regulated financial system. That is a bad outcome and there is more that can be done to support small businesses when a bank branch closes.

“My office would welcome the opportunity to work with the Australian Banking Association (ABA) to amend the code of practice to ensure customers affected by a branch closure can move to any other bank with no cost penalties.

“We have also asked the taskforce to consider expanding programs such as the Regional Tech Hub to help rural and regional small businesses to secure safe banking services," Mr Billson said.

“Particularly in areas where there is no local bank branch, NBN connectivity is critical. My office has long argued that access to banking and vital communications services are essential and a greater focus is needed to set and adhere to deliverable service standards. Where these standards are not met, impacting a small or family business, some consequences and remediation steps should apply.

“Australian small and family businesses have faced many difficult challenges over the past two years – the pandemic has exacerbated the impact of bushfires, floods and drought. These businesses need support as they work to get back on their feet, including access to essential banking services.”

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AUSTRALIA's regional news services will be the focus of a new Parliamentary inquiry. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts will hear evidence on newspaper services in rural, regional and remote areas.

Committee Chair, Anne Webster MP, said, "Local news is a vital component to an interconnected community, and a thriving democracy, particularly in smaller markets, having a choice in where to access your news coverage is not always possible."

A recent survey found that Australians living in regional communities were far more likely to go to their local news or newspaper website for information than other accessible online sources like search engines, social media sites or local council websites.

Dr Webster said, "At a time when many regional and remote newspaper services are shutting down or moving online, it is vital that we understand the needs of regional communities, and how heavily they rely on their local newspapers to stay connected."

As part of the inquiry the committee will examine the impact of decisions by large publishers to suspend publication of print editions; entry into these or other markets by new operators, particularly small businesses; impact of the News Media Bargaining Code for regional and remote newspapers; and the economic recovery in regional and remote markets from the impacts of COVID, and whether this has led to advertising revenue improving.

The terms of reference are available from the inquiry webpage. Submissions can also be made through the webpage, or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until January 28, 2022.

Information is on the committee’s webpage.

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