Queensland environmental defender stripped of funding despite Liberal election promise
Andrew Messenger
Queensland’s Environmental Defenders’ Office is set to lose $500,000 state government funding, in breach of an election promise. The cut will take effect in July.
Shadow minister Sam O’Connor publicly promised to maintain the funding last year.
In an open letter to premier David Crisafulli, 36 of the state’s leading conservationists and environmental described themselves as “shocked” by the decision.
They compared it to a similar decision made under Premier Campbell Newman to cut $97,000 in funding in 2012 – also its entire state allocation.
“You also made a promise personally to QCC Director Dave Copeman on 29 August 2023 that funding for environmental organisations would not be cut,” the letter reads:
These commitments were warmly welcomed at the time, and recognised as a break from the former Newman government’s approach to cutting funding to community services including the EDO.
The current environment minister, Andrew Powell, was also minister under Newman.
The EDO provides advice and legal support for landholders and community groups who want to challenge development applications or environmental approval, including projects like mines.
Key events
Prime minister Anthony Albanse says he chatted elections and the state of the world with president of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, who greeted Albanese informally upon arrival at his hotel last night.
Albanese is speaking live from Jakarta:
The relationship between Australia and Indonesia is so important. Important for our defence and security, important for our economic future, and important for the region.
I must say, I was very honoured last night that President Prabowo came to the hotel here and we sat down with our Foreign Ministers as well for just an informal chat prior to the one-on-one leaders’ meeting that we’ll hold this morning. It said something about the depth of the relationship and the extent of the friendship and warm relationship between our two nations, but also my warm relationship with the President that he came here, sat in the hotel room.
We had a really good chat about elections, about the state of the world.
An update from Goldstein ballot counting
Another batch of votes counted for Goldstein has brought Tim Wilson’s lead down again to 302. There are just 951 envelopes left.
The independent Zoe Daniel, who is still holding on, needs the final envelopes to go two-to-one in her favour – but it looks like the last batch came close.
Former Liberal MP arrested, accused of breaching bail
A former Liberal MP accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in police custody after being accused of breaching his bail conditions.
Rory Amon, 35, has pleaded not guilty to five charges of sexual intercourse with a person aged 10 to 14.
But Amon was arrested on Wednesday night after police alleged he breached his bail conditions. He will front the Downing Centre local court later on Thursday.
The former NSW MP was arrested at the Day Street police station, in Sydney’s CBD, about 10pm on Wednesday. Police declined to detail the nature of his alleged bail breach.
Amon had been on bail awaiting a trial set down for February 2026. He is accused of presenting as a 17-year-old after matching with a boy on a website in mid-2017.
Prosecutors allege the boy, then 13, said he was 15 and later agreed to meet in person.
Prosecutors further allege Amon insisted on meeting in a private place and led the 13-year-old to a bathroom in a car park where the sexual assaults occurred on two separate occasions.
At the time, Amon was a local councillor and later rose to win the safe Liberal seat of Pittwater.
Shortly after his arrest last year, Amon said in a statement that he denied all the charges. He resigned from state parliament and from the Liberal party.
– Australian Associated Press
Henry Belot
Bishop congratulates Ley on assuming party leadership
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop, who unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal leadership in 2018, has congratulated Sussan Ley on becoming leader of the Liberal party.
Bishop was the first woman to contest the leadership of the party in its 75-year history and was Australia’s first female foreign minister. She unsuccessfully ran against Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton for the leadership.
My warmest congratulations to Sussan Ley on her election as leader of the Liberal party. It is an honour that brings great responsibility and Sussan will bring her boundless energy and determination to meet the challenges ahead. I wish her every success.
More on independent Zoe Daniel holding on to hope in Goldstein.
Another batch of votes counted have brought Tim Wilson’s lead down to 368. There are just 1211 envelopes left to count – meaning they will have to go two-to-one in Daniel’s favour for her to win.
Sussan Ley and David Littleproud meet for coalition negotiations
Tom McIlroy
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley is hosting her Nationals counterpart David Littleproud in Albury today, as the two parties begin talks on a new coalition agreement.
The Liberals and Nationals have a formal agreement in each term of parliament – a secret document which governs how the two parties will cooperate as a combined entity in opposition or government.
After being elected Liberal leader, Ley is back in her electorate to be close to her mother, Angela Braybrooks, who is receiving end-of-life care.
Ley and Littleproud are expected to talk about the composition of the opposition frontbench, including demands from the Nationals for more positions after their relative size within the Coalition increased at the 3 May election. There is expected to be about 55 Liberals and 19 Nationals in the new joint party room.
Policy is also expected to be discussed, with the opposition yet to grapple with the cause of Peter Dutton’s historic loss.
Some of the policies rejected by voters include Dutton’s plan to build and operate nuclear power plants in Australia.
Some within the opposition are pushing to walk away from net zero carbon emissions targets. Nationals including Queensland senator Matt Canavan are leading the push.
Tom McIlroy
The teal independent Zoe Daniel is hanging on to hope she might win back the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, despite Liberal Tim Wilson claiming victory.
Daniel posted on social media last night that she had “clawed back” from an approximate 1,500 vote deficit on Friday to 401 votes on Wednesday night:
I have every finger crossed that a batch of international postal votes lands in the next two days among a few other things that need to go our way.
No matter what, as always I am so buoyed by the love, support and ferocious determination that has been sent my way over the last week and a half.
To my volunteers who have been hanging over every, single, vote, no matter what happens, you will forever be my people.
Wilson and the Liberal party are confident he has won the seat. He voted in the Liberal leadership ballot earlier this week and is in the running for a position on the opposition frontbench under Sussan Ley.
Lendlease confirms report of property deal with King Charles’ property company
ASX-listed construction and real estate company Lendlease have confirmed negotiations with King Charles’ property company are in late stages to enter a 50/50 joint venture for six development projects in the United Kingdom.
“Lendlease acknowledges a UK media report of negotiations in respect to its development portfolio in the UK,” said in a statement responding to media speculation on the deal.
Negotiations are in the late stages with the Crown estate to enter a 50/50 joint venture for six development projects within Lendlease’s UK development portfolio to release longer-dated capital at or slightly above book value, halve its future funding obligations, accelerate master planning with government clients and generate future fee income.
Lendlease expects the joint venture will create an industry-leading alliance with deep sector and local experience to accelerate planning and project delivery.
Queensland environmental defender stripped of funding despite Liberal election promise
Andrew Messenger
Queensland’s Environmental Defenders’ Office is set to lose $500,000 state government funding, in breach of an election promise. The cut will take effect in July.
Shadow minister Sam O’Connor publicly promised to maintain the funding last year.
In an open letter to premier David Crisafulli, 36 of the state’s leading conservationists and environmental described themselves as “shocked” by the decision.
They compared it to a similar decision made under Premier Campbell Newman to cut $97,000 in funding in 2012 – also its entire state allocation.
“You also made a promise personally to QCC Director Dave Copeman on 29 August 2023 that funding for environmental organisations would not be cut,” the letter reads:
These commitments were warmly welcomed at the time, and recognised as a break from the former Newman government’s approach to cutting funding to community services including the EDO.
The current environment minister, Andrew Powell, was also minister under Newman.
The EDO provides advice and legal support for landholders and community groups who want to challenge development applications or environmental approval, including projects like mines.
NSW police looking for man who assaulted two others in Clyde
Police are appealing for information after a man was stabbed and another assaulted at Clyde this morning.
Officers were called to James Ruse Drive about 3:40am, where a 54-year-old man had been stabbed in the neck and cheek and a 36-year-old man had been assaulted allegedly by a 28-year-old they were transporting from Villawood to Sydney airport, NSW Police said.
Police have been told the men were transporting a 28-year-old Tongan national from Villawood to Sydney airport when the incident occurred.
The two men are being treated at Westmead hospital for their injuries, which are not considered to be serious.
Officers and specialist police including the dog unit are searching the area.
Police ask anyone with information to contact crime stoppers, and have described the man they believe can assist with inquiries as “of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, with a tanned complexion, a large build, about 180cm tall with black hair, dark eyes and is unshaven” and “wearing a black coat, black track pants and black and white sneakers”.
Prime minister Albanese meets President Subianto on arrival to Indonesia
Prime minister Anthony Albanese was greeted by the president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, upon his arrival in Jakarta last night. Albanese posted to Instagram:
I’ve come to Indonesia for my first overseas visit since the election because our region comes first.
Australia and Indonesia are the nearest of neighbours and the closest of friends.
Working with President @prabowo over the coming years, we will build stronger connections between our two countries.
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It is the prime minister’s first international visit since being elected for a second term. He is joined by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.
Richard Di Natale’s advice for the next Greens leader
The Greens were on a high – until they weren’t. This election left the minor party almost entirely wiped out in the House of Representatives and without its leader Adam Bandt.
Before a vote on who will take the party forward, the former Greens leader Richard Di Natale speaks to Nour Haydar on what lessons can be learned from the election result and where to now for the minor party.
Listen here (or wherever you get your podcasts):
Catie McLeod
Andrew Hastie reveals ‘desire to lead’ Liberals one day after Sussan Ley takes top job
The shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, has declared his “desire to lead” the Liberal party in the future after ruling himself out of the race for opposition leader following the Coalition’s crushing election defeat.
The 42-year-old West Australian MP spoke of his leadership ambitions in an interview on the Curtin’s Cast podcast produced by the John Curtin Research Centre, which was published online a day after Sussan Ley was appointed the Liberals’ first ever female leader.
Hastie confirmed last week he would not be a candidate for the Liberal party leadership despite having been urged by colleagues to stand. On Tuesday, Ley was elected by 29 votes to 25 over the former shadow treasurer Angus Taylor.
Speaking on the podcast with the thinktank’s executive director, Nick Dyrenfurth, and RedBridge Group pollster Kos Samaras, Hastie said he decided not to run for the leadership because of his young children and his long commute from Perth.
“I’d be foolish to say I don’t have a desire to lead, I do have a desire to lead,” he said. “But the timing was all out for personal reasons.”
Read the full story:
Strawberry shields forever: bioplastic cuts fruit waste
Strawberries come packaged with a hidden environmental toll in Australia: a lot of clear plastic that does not get recycled. But researchers from the University of Queensland have developed a different way to keep the fruit safe while ensuring biodegradable punnets can return to the farms from which they came.
The co-director of the Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing, Dr Luigi Vandi, partnered with PhD candidate Vincent Mathel to produce the bioplastic material in an effort that has taken three years.
Their environmentally friendly packaging uses biodegradable plastic produced by bacteria and blends it with pine sawdust to give it added durability.
Among the world’s largest plastic consumers, Australians used 3.9 tonnes of plastic in a year and recovered 14.5%, the most recent government statistics show.
When University of Queensland researchers considered developing biodegradable plastic to address the issue, strawberries were a natural focus due to the amount of plastic used to transport them.
“There’s about 125g of strawberries in a punnet and the punnet itself is maybe 12g to 14g, which is quite a lot,” Dr Luigi Vandi told AAP.
– Australian Associated Press
Queensland rocket launch delayed until Friday
The first Australian-made rocket was set to be test launched into orbit from north Queensland today, but has been delayed due to a system issue.
Queensland-based Gilmour Space Technologies got the green light from the Australian Space Agency to launch the Eris TestFlight1 from 7:30am this morning. This would be the first orbital launch from Australia in more than 50 years and the first Australian made rocket to attempt orbit, the company said.
But they have had to halt plans:
No launch today. Our team identified an issue in the ground support system during overnight checks; and we are now in an extended hold while we work through it.
The next target for launch is Friday morning.
