Clean Energy Capacity Study Discussion paper

The Australian Government has commissioned Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to undertake a capacity study on the workforce needs for Australia’s transition to a clean energy economy. The capacity study will build on existing research and deepen our understanding of the clean energy sector.

Making a submission

JSA welcomes feedback on the discussion paper from all interested parties. You can submit responses to the questions in this paper and/or provide supplementary information and views by emailing the Clean Energy Capacity Study team at CleanEnergyWorkforce@jobsandskills.gov.au.

Submissions will remain open until 5.00pm AEST Tuesday 2 May 2023.

Nearly $900,000 in federal funding for rural, regional and remote COVID recovery projects

The Australian Government has partnered with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) to provide $897,755 through 53 grants to support COVID-19 recovery in communities in rural, regional and remote parts of Australia.

This funding is part of FRRR’s largest ever small grants round, which will see 176 community groups share over $2.3 million in grants in total.

The COVID-19 recovery grants will support community projects ranging from $10,000 to up to $50,000, and are distributed through the Australian Government-funded Strengthening Rural Communities – Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC) stream.

The funding will help communities deliver projects including:

• Providing practical assistance, wellness activities and a community garden to enhance the COVID-19 recovery of 117 Aboriginal families in New South Wales.

• Delivering a creative dance festival to increase tourism in a town recovering from bushfires in Victoria.

• Constructing a new hanger at an aeronautical museum to run a job training program for students to restore vintage aeroplanes in Queensland.

• Encouraging greater community participation by seniors by providing upgrades to cooling and heating at a local arts facility in South Australia.

• Enabling connection to back up power generators for a medical centre in a severe storm-prone area of Western Australia.

• Expanding training and purchasing more life-saving equipment for a surf club in Tasmania.

The Australian Government has committed $5 million from 2022 to 2024 to FRRR for the RRC stream.

A full list of grant recipients and more information about the RRC program is available at https://frrr.org.au/rural-groups-awarded-a-record-breaking-2-3-million/.

Griffith Easter Party Welcomes a Huge Program of Events in 2023

Griffith Easter Party is just around the corner, with many of your favourite events scheduled to return this year, ensuring a great weekend for the whole family.

The fun kicks off on Thursday 6 April, with canapes, cocktails and live entertainment at Cocoa & Bean, while Griffith Exies will also be offering a great night out - book your place at the bistro for a delicious meal and enjoy the live entertainment.

Good Friday will host the Bacchus on the Lake fun run, and will see the return of Pioneer Park Action Day, one of Griffith’s best family days out, where the park comes to life!

Be sure to add this one to your list as it is full of fun kid’s activities, market stalls, vintage machinery, demonstrations, entertainment, food and beverages.

Finish your day with a Good Friday feast at the Exies Annual Seafood Buffet where you can indulge in a selection of fresh seafood.

Get your shopping fix at the Banna Avenue Sidewalk Sale on Easter Saturday morning where the main street will be bursting with sales - grab a coffee from one of the many local cafes and pick up a bargain while supporting local retailers.

One of Griffith’s most popular events, the Griffith Vintage Festival, will be back on Saturday afternoon featuring live music and an array of local wine and food. Always a hit amongst the locals, the event offers something for everyone to enjoy.

Returning to the program this year on Easter Saturday is Blood, Sweat & Beers, which is set to be bigger and better! Run by local business Grainmother Brewing Supplies, the family friendly event will feature children’s entertainment, the best street eats and live music from local bands, as well as showcasing a variety of craft beers. Held in the Burley Griffin Community Gardens, the event was a huge success in 2022 and is bound to be even more popular this year – be sure to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Easter Sunday is all about family, wine and food. Kicking off at Piccolo Family Farm, you can explore the producer and artisan market stalls, coffee, food and music. While there make sure you catch a glimpse of their Visitor Experience Centre and cellar door.

You will be spoilt for choice over the whole weekend in finding a winery event or tasting experience at one of the many amazing cellar doors. On Sunday in particular, you will need to book ahead for De Bortoli Wines annual Celebrazione festivities, Berton Wines’ Easter Sunday Sessions or a relaxing afternoon in the sun at Yarran Wines Live in the Vines until Sunset!

Griffith Mayor, Councillor Doug Curran said Easter really is a wonderful time in Griffith.

“It is great to see so many events returning this year, and to be welcoming some exciting new activities for the entire family to enjoy this Easter,” said Councillor Curran.

“Easter is such a fantastic time in Griffith and I encourage you to make sure you support the local operators and make this an unforgettable Easter for all.

“With so much going on in Griffith, I would like to encourage everyone to book ahead and plan the weekend in advance - check out the program for more information,” he added.

Transitioning Well | Workplace Mental Health Coaching

The NSW Government has partnered with Transitioning Well to deliver a coaching service to help NSW businesses create a mentally healthy workplace. Through confidential one-on-one sessions, your coach will help address issues or identify risks to mental health within your business and give you practical tools and strategies to manage them. They can also help fine-tune any existing initiatives you have in place. 

Topics you could discuss include but aren’t limited to: 

• coping with stress or overwhelm 

• resolving workplace conflict 

• managing staff who have poor mental health 

• improving workplace culture

• creating a workplace mental health policy

• responding to incidents.

Benefits include:

• Address any workplace issues such as stress, burnout, change, customer aggression or having difficult conversations.

• Take action to create a mentally healthy workplace critical to business profitability and productivity.

• Assist business owners and leaders with resources, tools, and referrals to address mental health in the workplace.

• Provide access to support services for the business or workers.

• Resources, tools, and referrals suitable to business needs.

Who is Transitioning Well?

The coaches at Transitioning Well are highly trained experts in workplace mental health, with a core focus on working with organisations to help their people live well and work well. 

Transitioning Well’s workplace psychologists have been delivering the coaching service for over a year, helping businesses achieve great outcomes. 

What is a workplace psychologist?

A workplace psychologist is a psychologist who works in a workplace setting to support leaders and organisations to improve their processes and practices to promote healthier organisations. Workplace psychologists have experience in working with organisations and can understand the unique factors that shape well-being in this setting. 

The service is for business leaders in: 

NSW business with 1 to 200 employees, or; 

A not-for-profit organisation of any size. 

This includes if the business has employees in NSW but their Head Office is in another state or overseas. 

Once-in-a-generation opportunity to get Australian rail back on track

An historic agreement has been signed between Australian governments and rail industry stakeholders to bring our nation’s rail network into the 21st century.

The Australian and Victorian Governments, as well as the Australasian Railway Association on behalf of senior rail industry leaders, have signed the ground-breaking Memorandum of Cooperation to make rail more competitive and interoperable across Australia.

This agreement will see rail play a bigger role in the national economy while delivering more freight and passenger services for Australians.

Since federation, rail has run as a series of independent rail networks, often receiving upgrades and new technologies at different times from different suppliers. This has led to a range of critical issues impacting national rail productivity and innovation, such as:

• the use of different rail gauges, signalling systems, rolling stock and safe working arrangements, which are an economic handbrake requiring costly work-arounds

• differences in how we run trains, manage rail crew and invest in new rolling stock

• experienced rail workers being isolated to geographic areas based on these differing technologies, compounding rail skills shortages.

Improving national rail interoperability is also one of the National Cabinet's five priorities for collective action. Infrastructure and Transport Ministers agreed to a number of productivity and safety measures in December, including:

• setting a small number of critical national rail standards

• aligning the different train control and signalling technologies used along the eastern seaboard

• reducing the burden that different rail approaches have on drivers, crew and maintenance workers

The Memorandum of Cooperation commits rail operators, builders, manufacturers and transport ministers to work together to make rail more interoperable, particularly for any future major rail investments.

This builds on the Albanese Government’s commitment to delivering the National Rail Manufacturing Plan, to support a nationally coordinated approach that will grow the rail manufacturing sector and create skilled manufacturing jobs.

The government will shortly appoint a National Rail Advocate and Rail Industry Innovation Council to support the plan and drive genuine change in Australian rail manufacturing, including bolstering supply chains and building domestic capabilities.

Food Agility | Framework for Sustainability Reporting

Food Agility has teamed up with Charles Sturt University and Sustainable Food Lab on a new project to understand and manage natural capital and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.

The Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems created by the project team will be road-tested on the Global Digital Farm in Wagga Wagga, which will become an open and accessible benchmark for effective sustainability reporting in agrifood.

The project team includes members from the Food Agility CRC, Charles Sturt University, the Cool Soil Initiative, and Sustainable Food Lab.

HumeLink Project March 2023 Update

What is HumeLink?

HumeLink is a once in a generation investment in Australia’s energy capability, increasing the amount of renewable energy that can be delivered to consumers, and helping Australia to move towards a net zero future.

It will be one of the nation’s largest energy infrastructure projects, with about 360 km of 500 kV overhead transmission lines connecting Wagga Wagga, Bannaby and Maragle and new or upgraded infrastructure at four substations.

HumeLink is critical to bringing more affordable, reliable and renewable energy to the grid and is a priority project for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and the Commonwealth and NSW Governments.

The March 2023 HumeLink Community Newsletter is now available. This issue includes:

• Landscape character and visual amenity

• What’s been happening in the community

Powerful new Alliance champions regional Australia

More than 30 CEOs from the most influential peak bodies in the country have today (21 March 2023) joined forces in Canberra, for the historic launch of the National Alliance for Regionalisation.

Established by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), CEO Liz Ritchie says this new Alliance is the first of its kind in this country, spanning business, health, education, infrastructure and environment. It aims to better position the regions to reach their potential.

“It’s no secret regional kids are still behind their metro-counterparts at school. Employers are struggling to get staff – yet migration levels are significantly lower in regions. Towns are crying out for doctors, but kids in the country are less likely to finish high school,” Liz Ritchie said.

“Despite these challenges, regional Australia remains the engine room of our national economy – but it’s not firing on all cylinders.

“In September, the RAI launched the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 – a 10-year framework to rebalance the nation. The Alliance will advance the targets within the Ambition and advocate for the policy priorities needed to create a fairer, more prosperous, more balanced regional Australia.

“Today’s launch marks a significant milestone for the 9 million people living in our regions. This powerful cohort of leading peak bodies and for-purpose organisation will work to help bring the RAI’s Regionalisation Ambition 2032 to life,” Liz Ritchie said.

“By viewing these critical issues through the collective lens of the Alliance, we will progress solutions that have hampered growth in regional Australia for decades.

"The Alliance will provide knowledge sharing and national leadership to ensure the 20 targets and aspirations set out in the Ambition remain relevant and central to decision-making for regional Australia over the next decade.

“It will adopt a system-thinking approach in viewing regional development within this country, working together to see more than 11 million people living prosperously in regional Australia by 2032.

“While each organisation has its individual policy priorities, it will work collectively to progress issues of commonality – such as regional housing, worker shortages, regional education, and migration,” Liz Ritchie said.

Targets within the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 include:

• Increasing regional Australia’s contribution to national output, boosting Australia’s GDP by an additional $13.8 billion by 2032;

• Reducing the recruitment difficulty rate in regional Australia to below 40%;

• Halving the population classified as living in a regional childcare desert (to below 2

million);

• Increasing rental vacancy rates in regional areas to above 3%; and ensure building

approvals keep pace with population growth; and

• Increasing the percentage of students in regional Australia who achieve at or above

the minimum standard NAPLAN testing, equal to metropolitan students, across each

year level.

“After more than 11 years of research, we know you can’t solve the jobs crisis without addressing housing, the skills deficit without improving education standards and healthcare in regions can’t be improved without focussing on digital connectivity. All these issues are interlinked, complex and equally important.

Mike Mrdack AO was today announced as the Chair of the National Alliance for Regionalisation, the former Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts, and Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

“I am delighted Mr Mrdack has accepted the position of Chair and will lead the Alliance. His experience in regional development in the country is second to none, and we welcome him to the position,” Liz Ritchie said.

Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain will deliver an opening address to the Alliance members.

“We thank Minister McBain and the Albanese Government for their continued support for regional Australia. The Alliance will seek to continue this engagement with the Government to further the actions and priorities that will contribute to the Ambition's targets,” Ms Ritchie said.

“Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world, yet we know that urbanisation and mega-cities are not the right trajectory for our nation – our modelling tells us that a more balanced nation is better for the productivity and liveability of not just regional communities, but the nation as a whole,” Liz Ritchie said.

“Not only is regionalisation a sound strategy for strengthening Australia’s economy, it’s a broader strategy for shaping a stronger future for our country’s wellbeing and living standards, our resilience to economic shocks and natural disasters, and our capacity to manage a changing demographic.

“We have set our ambition to Rebalance the Nation, and to accomplish this requires all of Australia – government, industry and community – to work collaboratively. Today, we have taken a significant step forward in achieving that.

“Planning for a stronger Australia means planning for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient regional Australia and I wish to thank all organisations involved today for taking a seat at this historic table,” Liz Ritchie concluded.

The founding members of the National Alliance for Regionalisation include:

• Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

• Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute

• Australian Industry Group

• Australian Local Government Association

• Australian Medical Association

• Australian Regional Tourism

• Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth

• Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

• Business Council of Australia

• Council of Small Business Organisations Australia

• Country Education Partnership

• Engineers Australia

• Insurance Council of Australia

• Master Builders Australia

• Migration Institute of Australia

• Minerals Council of Australia

• National Catholic Education Commission

• National Farmers' Federation

• National Rural Health Alliance

• National Rural Women's Coalition

• Planning Institute of Australia

• Real Estate Institute of Australia

• Regional Arts Australia

• Regional Australia Institute

• Regional Avia􀆟on Association of Australia

• Regional Capitals Australia

• Regional Universities Network

• Royal Far West

• Royal Flying Doctor Service

• Rural Councils Victoria

• Rural Doctors Association of Australia

• Welcoming Australia

For further information about the National Alliance for Regionlisation, go to www.rebalancethenation.com.au .

The Regionalisation Ambition 2032 was launched at the RAI Summit in Canberra in September 2022.

Planning the Future of the Energy Workforce

If your business is in or supporting the energy sector in Australia, you can now take part in the first Australian Energy Employment Report survey.

Australia currently lacks data to understand energy sector jobs, the people in those jobs and their skills, and forecast how these jobs are changing.

The Australian Government are addressing this gap through the delivery of the Australian Energy Employment Report (AEER), a national survey of businesses and organisations in the Australian energy sector.

The survey closes 30 April 2023.

Voting open for National Awards for Local Government

Entries for the 2023 National Awards have now closed, and it’s time to vote!

All votes can be made via the online platform: bit.ly/voteNALG20233.

The National Awards are an opportunity to bring recognition to your council's innovative and exciting initiatives, and this year’s awards will be presented in Canberra in June 2023.

 The winner of each category will be the eligible initiative which receives the most votes during the voting period. Honourable mentions may also be recognised in some or all categories.

 Voting closes: Friday 14 April 2023.

Regional Australia Institute launches new podcast : You Moved Where?!

Net migration from capitals to the regions remains 45 per cent higher than pre-pandemic level*. Capital city Australians continue to be lured to the bush, charmed by the opportunity for more space; more time and more value.

You Moved Where?! is a new podcast, released last week, exploring the seriously diverse stories of eight Australians who have swapped the big smoke for regional Australia. The host is Bec Bignell, acclaimed tv, film and stage producer and herself, once again, a country girl.

“In 2020 I was offered an amazing opportunity on an exciting feature film in my beloved great southern (WA) backyard. I was pregnant with my first child and with border closures and a new kind of ‘COVID mindset’ my husband James, a city boy from Bronte Beach, embraced the change.

“While I didn’t set out for a full circle moment, I quickly found myself sinking back into the things I love about country life - the community, the simplicity, the space, the solitude!” Bec said.

In Episode 1 Home Brew, Bec’s talks to Tamworth-returner Luke Prout. Luke left the country music capital at 18 to explore the brighter lights of Sydney. With a passion for music, surfing and the pub scene – Luke quickly found his niche in the big smoke.

“There was no question of moving home ever. I was going to make it work.”

This found him on the hunt for a hotel to call his very own in Sydney … and then a call came from his Mum, "The Tamworth Hotel is up for sale."

“The minute she said The Tamworth Hotel was up for sale, it was just like I knew…we were going to buy it and that was going to happen. I was going to move home,” Luke said.

*Regional Australia and CBA’s Regional Movers Index: December 2022 Quarterly Update

You Moved Where?! is powered by the Regional Australia Institute’s Move To More digital hub. Move To More connects regionally-curious Australians with their dream regional town or city and the jobs and homes on offer in those locations.

Australian Government seeks tenders for Regional Tech Hub

The Australian Government is inviting tenders to support ongoing operation and expansion of the highly successful Regional Tech Hub.

The Regional Tech Hub currently supports regional, rural and remote consumers of telecommunications services with independent, factual information and troubleshooting advice. The Hub provides expert advice about how to connect and stay connected to communications services.

The successful tender will support the important work of the Hub for a period of three years from 1 July 2023.

The Hub has supported regional Australians since December 2020 and provides information via a website, online helpdesk, phone support line, discussion forum and social media.

The Albanese Government has made significant commitments to improve regional communications through its $656 million Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia.  The Plan commits $6 million to expanding and extending the important work of the Regional Tech Hub.

The continued and expanded operation of a Regional Tech Hub supports the recommendation of the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) 2021 Report for a substantially enhanced and resourced Regional Tech Hub, and fulfils a Government election commitment.

More information on the Regional Tech Hub tender process will be available from midday Friday 17 March 2023 at https://www.tenders.gov.au/

For more information on the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia,  

visit infrastructure.gov.au/bcp

Get on board the High Speed Rail Authority

The Australian Government is establishing a High Speed Rail Authority and has begun the search for Board members who will guide the development of the high-speed rail network.

There will be a merit-based process to select the Board members, including the Chair, to ensure the Board is comprised of people who have the appropriate skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience to best bring high speed rail to reality. 

Experts from the rail and infrastructure sectors, as well as planning and financing are encouraged to apply.

The HSRA will be an independent body tasked with advising on, planning, developing and overseeing the construction and operation of a transformational network along Australia’s eastern seaboard.

A high-speed rail network will allow passengers to travel between major cities and regional cities at speeds exceeding 250 kilometres per hour.

The merit-based process will identify suitable candidates for appointment by the Minister. Applicants will be assessed by an Australian Government selection panel against specific criteria.

More detail on the Chair position can be found at: https://performancemanager10.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=42536&company=DoIT

More detail on the Member position can be found at:

https://performancemanager10.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=42535&company=DoIT

Applications should be emailed to hsra@infrastructure.gov.au by 11:59pm on Wednesday 15 March 2023.

Albanese Government launches unmetered data trial for regional NBN satellite customers

Up to 10,000 regional Australians on NBN Sky Muster Plus will receive unmetered monthly data allowances and faster speeds as part of a new trial to boost internet quality in the bush.
 
The trial will test the capacity and reliability of satellite technology to deliver faster download speeds of up to 100 Mbps for regional customers.
 
Faster satellite services without data allowances will help expand opportunity for households and small businesses in regional and remote Australia.
 
The trial is set to begin in March and run until May 2023. If successful, the product will be made available to all customers across the satellite footprint. This work supports the Albanese Government’s election commitment to examine ways to boost monthly satellite speeds and allowances for regional and remote communities.
 
The trial has been enabled by a $480 million grant from the Albanese Government to upgrade the NBN fixed wireless services. The upgrade will allow 120,000 premises to move from the satellite footprint to fixed wireless, freeing up capacity on the Sky Muster satellite service.
 
Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP said "This trial is exciting news for Australians living in regional and remote communities served by NBN Sky Muster Plus.
 
“This is the first time Sky Muster Plus customers will be able to access unmetered monthly data allowances, and if the trial is successful, could significantly boost broadband speeds in the bush.
 
“The Albanese Government is committed to narrowing the digital divide between our major cities and regional communities. Faster, more reliable speeds are critical to unlocking the digital economy, supporting remote work and education, and improving access to tele-health across the country.
 
 “From upgrades to Sky Muster Plus, fixed wireless and the fixed-line network, our Government is determined to give Australians access to the 21st century communications infrastructure they need and deserve”.

Bringing local government back to the table

As part of the Albanese Labor Government will be re-establishing the Australian Council of Local Government (ACLG).

The annual forum will put leaders of local government and the Commonwealth in one room, allowing Ministers to directly hear about the issues impacting the local government sector.

The 2023 ACLG will be held on Friday 16 June 2023 in Canberra, following the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) 2023 National General Assembly of Local Government from 13-15 June.

The ACLG was first established as an annual formal meeting by then Minister for Local Government, Anthony Albanese in 2008, where over 1,000 participants meet in Canberra for a day of productive conversations and workshops.

Local Government is fundamental to the lives of each and every Australian, and the Government is committed to working closely with councils across a range of areas.

This includes providing $2.9 billion in 2022-23 to Australia’s 546 councils through its Financial Assistance Grant program, $500 million in Roads to Recovery funding, and increasing the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program by $250 million to $750 million.

ALGA is also invited to attend meetings of the National Cabinet and the Council on Federal Financial Relations annually.

Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Minister Kristy McBain said “Bringing back the ACLG recognises the important role local governments play in delivering services to our communities, and the benefits of partnering together at all levels of government.

“This was neglected over the last decade and had a significant impact on local communities, which is why I’m so pleased that we’re delivering on our important election commitment to re-establish the ACLG.

“As a former mayor and regional councillor, I know how hard the local government sector are working for their communities. That’s why I’ll continue to stand up for them through this enhanced collaborative forum, which will bring the expertise of local government and Ministers together in one room.”

Smart Move Australia

The Smart Move Australia website provides potential migrants information about living and working in Australia and how to apply for an Australian skilled visa.

The website forms part of the 12-month international advertising campaign to attract overseas skilled workers in occupations with skills shortages, and to promote Australia as a destination of choice for skilled migrants.

NSW Ports 2023 Community Grants

NSW Ports will officially launch their 2023 Community Grants Program soon.

Program Focus Areas will include:

• Community Participation

• The provision of Community Infrastructure

• Environment & Sustainability

Selling to Government – Providing guidance to businesses on supplying to the Australian Government

The Australia Government Department of Finance’s Selling to Government website provides businesses with important information how to sell to the Australian Government, including:

·         Where to find opportunities

·         how to respond to an approach to market

·         what to expect if you are awarded a contract.

The Future Made in Australia Office, within the Department of Finance, is always looking for ways to improve the website and welcomes your feedback to inform future updates.

Your feedback can be submitted at any time via the Have Your Say form.

Minderoo Foundation's Fire and Flood Resilience initiative

Are you focused on land conservation, community resilience and/ or community engagement? Can you support a national volunteer network to help communities build fire and/or flood resilience? If you, like Minderoo, are focused on how to reduce the devastation caused by fire and flood across our great land Minderoo want to hear from you.

Australian Resilience Corps (The Corps) are looking for 4-6 partners to lead musters to help prepare communities with disaster resilience. A muster is an organised on-ground group activity, involving local community and corporate volunteers to build proactive, confident, and resilient communities through focused projects.

National Mentoring Program

Applications for round 2 of the National Mentoring Program are now open. This program is funded through the Australian Governments Future Drought Fund.

The National Mentoring Program is your chance to meet someone from anywhere in Australia to share your experience and ideas.

Mentoring connects someone with knowledge and experience in a certain area with someone with less experience. The purpose of the National Mentoring Program is to bring rural Australians with different experiences together to build leadership capacity and resilience in rural Australia. Sharing experiences, challenges, and ideas in a trusted, non-judgmental mentoring relationship is a fantastic way to accelerate personal and professional development.

Application period

Round 2: 1 February to 3 April 2023