Victoria First Peoples’ Assembly Victoria’s newly elected First Peoples’ Assembly has taken its seat in the Parliament of Victoria for the first time, with new members who will negotiate the historic statewide Treaty – giving Victoria’s First Peoples true self-determination in matters that affect their communities. After First Nations Victorians voted in record numbers in the second Treaty Elections, Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Gabrielle Williams today attended the new Assembly’s first meeting on Wurundjeri Country, congratulating members and newly-elected co-Chairs, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg. Ngarra Murray is a Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Dhudhuroa and Wiradjuri woman with extensive experience in human rights and community development, having led Oxfam Australia’s First Peoples’ programs for a decade. Rueben Berg is a proud Gunditjmara man with experience in government through his role as the Commissioner for the Victorian ...
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“I look forward to being the first Australian leader to visit China since the onset of the global pandemic – continuing our long-held relationship with China on trade and culture, and further strengthening our deep ties.” The Andrews Labor Government is cementing Victoria’s strong and enduring relationship with China, with Premier Daniel Andrews set to be the first Australian leader to visit the country since the onset of the pandemic. As part of a four-day trip this week, the Premier will meet with senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Beijing Government to discuss our long-held trade and cultural ties, and the return of Chinese students to Victoria – continuing their studies at our world-class higher education institutions. In addition to Beijing, the Premier will travel to Jiangsu and Sichuan, meeting with key senior officials from Victoria’s sister states – deepening our strong relationships with these provinces, and exploring ways to further strengthen partnerships. ...
Dan Andrews with Family Election Speech With 53% counted in the lower house for the Victorian election, the ABC is calling 51 of the 88 seats for Labor, a clear majority. The Coalition has 23, the Greens five and nine seats remain in doubt. Despite the easy seat win for Labor, their statewide primary vote is currently down 6.0% from the 2018 election to 36.9%, with the Coalition down 0.2% to 35.0%. The Greens up 1.0% to 11.6% and all Others up 5.2% to 16.5%. The ABC’s estimate is that Labor is currently winning the statewide two party vote by 54.2-45.8 over the Coalition, a 3.4% swing to the Coalition. If this result holds, it would be in very good agreement with the final pre-election Newspoll that gave Labor a 54.5-45.5 lead. Despite the overall swing to the Coalition, the ABC is currently showing Labor gaining four seats from the Coalition (Bayswater, Glen Waverley, Hastings and Polwarth) against three losses to the Coalition (Morwell, Nepean and Pakenham). The Gree...
Aboriginal Art Image by jason M from Pixabay The names of 12 new schools set to open their doors next year have been revealed after being put to a community vote, with many names taken from local Aboriginal language for flora and fauna. Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins today announced the names of the new schools the Andrews Labor Government will open in some of the state’s biggest growth areas from Day 1, Term 1, 2023. The preferred names were chosen following a community consultation process that saw almost 5000 submissions made – with the final school names (and their interim names) chosen as: Barrawang Primary School – from the Woi-wurrung word of the Wurundjeri people meaning ‘magpie’ (interim Wollert West Primary School) Kurrun Primary School – from the Bunurong word meaning ‘wattle’ (interim Officer Rix Road Primary School) Nearnung Primary School – from the Bunurong word meaning ‘black cockatoo’ (interim Tarneit Missen House Primary School) Wayi S...
Premier Danial Andrews As part of Victoria’s continued response to the coronavirus pandemic and as we continue to manage the challenges winter presents, I have extended the pandemic declaration to apply to the State of Victoria from 11.59pm Tuesday 12 July for three months. The pandemic declaration gives the Minister for Health the authority to make pandemic orders she considers reasonably necessary to protect public health after considering the Chief Health Officer’s advice and other relevant factors, including social and economic factors. Recently, a number of modest and sensible changes to pandemic orders were made to allow Victorians to live safely with COVID-19 while reducing transmission and hospitalisations. This extended declaration will enable those key settings to remain in place over winter, protecting Victorians and our health system. The declaration was made under section 165AE of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 after consultation with, and consideratio...
The Andrews Labor Government will deliver Australia’s first offshore wind farms with a strong plan to drive regional investment, slash emissions and create jobs. The nation-leading policy, set out in the Victorian Offshore Wind Policy Directions Paper , includes procuring projects that will generate at least 2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind online by 2032 – enough to power 1.5 million homes – creating thousands of jobs in the process. The first power from offshore wind is expected as soon as 2028 following a competitive process – and targets of 4 GW have been set for 2035 and 9 GW for 2040. Winds off Victoria’s coastline are among the best in the world and the resource can support a thriving new industry − one that will create thousands of jobs, drive economic development and help Victoria halve emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Studies show the state has the potential to support an enormous 13 GW of capacity from coastal regions by 2050 – five times t...
Image by Afik Eleck from Pixabay Telling The Stories Of Multicultural Victorians Victorians from multicultural communities are invited to enter a new photography competition and tell their story. The first of its kind, Capturing Culture: A Focus on Multicultural Victoria is open to anyone in Victoria with a multicultural background. In addition to the $9,000 in prizes on offer, entrants have the opportunity to contribute to the visual record of a unique time in our history. Shortlisted entries will culminate in an exhibition of 24 artworks in June 2022. Winning entries will be announced at the exhibition. Submissions will be scored by a panel of judges across six categories: people’s choice, days of significance and cultural celebrations, portraiture, daily life and family, community resilience and the Minister’s choice. Applications are open until Sunday 17 April. For more information or to submit your entry, visit multiculturalcommissio...
The Andrews Labor Government is standing with young queer, transgender and gender diverse Victorians and their families, with a fast-tracked funding boost to give them better access to vital health and support services. The recent unnecessary, hurtful public debate around legal protections for young LGBTIQ+ Australians has had a significant impact on their wellbeing and that of their families and loved ones. Young same-sex attracted people are already five times more likely to attempt suicide – and young transgender Australians are 15 times more likely. That’s why the Labor Government is stepping in to provide support where the Commonwealth has failed and subjected these communities to weeks of harmful and divisive rhetoric. Responding to any additional demand and making sure young LGBTIQ+ people know that in Victoria equality is not negotiable, the Government will deliver a $200,000 package for local organisations that provide crucial support to the LGBTIQ+ community. The investment w...
Chairman Dan: As part of Victoria’s continued response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Premier Danial Andrews has extended the pandemic declaration to apply to the state of Victoria from 11.59pm Wednesday 12 January for three months. The declaration was made under section 165AE of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 after consultation with and consideration of advice from the Minister for Health and Acting Chief Health Officer. In making the declaration the Premier was satisfied on reasonable grounds there was a serious risk to public health throughout Victoria due to the coronavirus disease, including the rapid spread of the Omicron variant leading to significant case numbers not previously experienced in Victoria. This risk requires continued public health and other protective measures. In particular, the Acting Chief Health Officer noted Omicron had become the dominant strain, estimated to account for more than 75 per cent of newly diagnosed cases. While 93 per c...
Stress out Women Image by Tumisu from Pixabay The Andrews Labor Government has released a blueprint to build and support Victoria’s mental health workforce, with extra funding to immediately deliver more than 350 jobs to make sure the once-in-a-generation mental health reforms are matched with a workforce to deliver the specialist care Victorians need, close to home. The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy 2021-2024 will guide the Labor Government’s work to grow the mental health system’s most important asset: a workforce that delivers world-class care, with clinicians who feel rewarded and supported in their vital work. The Strategy was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and includes initiatives to deliver four key priorities: increasing workforce supply; improving workforce skills, knowledge and capabilities; supporting the safety, wellbeing and retention of the workfo...
The Andrews Labor Government is empowering Victorian communities across the state to prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change with the development of six new community-led action plans. The Regional Adaptation Strategies provide practical ways for communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change through on-ground action. Communities across six regions − Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume, Loddon Mallee and Port Phillip – have developed and will lead the implementation of the five-year strategies. The strategies include preparing for and recovering from emergencies, caring for the natural environment, improving health and wellbeing, strengthening the economy and workforce, improving the resilience of our built environment, and embracing renewable energy. As part of the implementation of the strategies, $1.5 million will be invested in 54 on-the-ground community-led projects that will commence this financial year to help local communities prepare and adapt to th...
As part of the Victorian Government’s new pandemic management framework, Premier Daniel Andrews has made a formal pandemic declaration applying to the State of Victoria from 11:59pm, Wednesday 15 December 2021 until 11:59pm, Wednesday 12 January 2022. The declaration is made under section 165AB (1) of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and replaces the current State of Emergency declaration, which expires at 11:59pm on 15 December and will not be extended. The pandemic declaration was made after consultation with and consideration of advice from the Chief Health Officer (CHO) and Minister for Health. In making the declaration, the Premier was satisfied on reasonable grounds there was a serious risk to public health throughout Victoria arising from the coronavirus pandemic disease. In advising the Premier to make a pandemic declaration, the CHO noted the widespread community transmission of coronavirus in Victoria and the presence of active cases in the community – a si...
After a successful start for Australia’s first drive-through vaccination clinic in Melton, Victoria will now be home to an additional three drive-through sites – helping us reach our goal of one million doses in the next five weeks. Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the new drive through clinics will open at the Former Ford Factory in Broadmeadows, at Sandown Racecourse in Springvale and at the Eagle Stadium in Werribee. The Melton clinic at the iconic Bunnings warehouse has seen a successful start, with 1200 doses delivered over the first seven days. The new site at the Ford Factory in Broadmeadows will be soft launched this Sunday by invitation only, and will open to the public for booked appointments from Monday 23 August. The Sandown Racecourse clinic will be adjacent to the existing Sandown Racecourse indoor vaccination hub and will run an invitation-only soft launch on Friday. It will open to the public for booked appointments from Saturday 21 August. Combined, t...
Coffee Beans Image by Couleur from Pixabay Used coffee grounds equivalent to six million lattes will be composted into Victorian gardens as the Andrews Labor Government boosts funding for new and innovative projects to divert food waste from landfills. Creative approaches such as bike repair sheds, neighbourhood compost hubs and mobile dishwashing stations to reduce single-use plastics will inspire Victorians to see the many ways to reuse waste and find another life for items previously destined for landfill. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today announced grant recipients under the Recycling Victoria Councils and Communities Funds with more than $4 million in grants to be shared between 50 projects. Not-for-profit organisation Reground has been awarded $170,000 to expand its program collecting used coffee grounds from the hospitality sector for use on local gardens. Reground will extend its service to more than 100 new...
Dan Andrews The Andrews Labor Government is investing $49.2 million to build 162 new supported independent living homes, ensuring Victorians living with mental illness have the security and stability of a home. Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Housing Richard Wynne today announced $21.1 million to build 62 supported independent living homes across regional Victoria, as part of the nation-leading Big Housing Build. The 62 new homes are being built in four priority regional areas – Seymour, Ballarat West, Drouin and North Bendigo. It adds to the 100 supported independent living homes already announced, with 84 under construction in Pakenham, Mooroopna, Epping and Laverton - including 16 homes that have been completed in Highton. In total, the investment in independent living homes will create around 450 jobs during construction, including almost 100 direct jobs. The homes will provide safe, stable accommodation for people who require support to live independently. Each home will i...
LGBTIQUEER Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay The Andrews Labor Government is helping LGBTIQ+ Victorians and their families get the support and care they need with a new state-wide counselling service called Qspace. Minister for Mental Health James Merlino and Minister for Equality Martin Foley today announced Drummond Street Services and its community partners across Victoria will receive $2.5 million government funding to run the new service. Qspace will provide specialist family counselling, assistance, online resources and information for LGBTIQ+ Victorians and their families to help foster support and understanding. The aim of the program is to keep families together and make sure LGBTIQ+ Victorians feel safe and valued. The service will leverage from Queerspace − Drummond Street Services’ existing Melbourne-based LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service which provides counselling, peer support and professional development. Qspace will also be ava...
The Andrews Labor Government is increasing funding for a study into the effects of coronavirus, and backing ground-breaking research into new and emerging strains, long-term coronavirus symptoms and potential links between the disease and unborn children. The work will build on the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI’s) research into the effects of the virus on every major human organ, which has already deepened our understanding of coronavirus’ impacts on the heart. The dedicated group of scientists will investigate cellular mechanisms leading to lingering “long COVID” issues such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties and ongoing breathing problems. The funding will also allow researchers to get greater insight into the effects of coronavirus on the placenta and potential transfer of the virus to the fetus. Additionally, scientists will analyse variants from the UK, India and Brazil to understand the impact of more infectious strains. This is the first time research of this kin...