Cluster of ram raids involving robbery & arson in Northern Rivers region sees NSW Police establishing Strike Force Albany to investigate the incidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udQ2FnU1pfE 

ECHO, 15 November 2024:

Financial Crime Squad detectives have released CCTV as they appeal for information following the ram raid and arson of two tobacconists at Tweed and Ballina.....

There was also a fire at the Ocean Shores [Byron Shire] tobacconist at about 12.45am on Tuesday, 6 August though police have not claimed any link between the Ballina and Tweed ram raids and fire and the one at Ocean Shores.

Full article at https://www.echo.net.au/2024/11/appeal-over-arson-and-ram-raid-of-tobacconists-at-tweed-and-ballina/

9 News, 15 November 2024:

Police have set their sights on the booming illegal tobacco trade after recent attacks on tobacconists prompted fears violent turf wars are spilling into NSW.....

9 News, 7 November 2024:

There have been more than 1000 offences recorded in Goondiwindi [Qld] in the past year alone.

Its location on the edge of NSW makes it a tough one for police to track down perpetrators.

Taskforce Guardian – which has seen NSW and Queensland police join forces – stepped in to tackle the spike in robberies and break-ins in a three-day cross-border crackdown.

"I will say to these offenders, if you target these locations we will identify you and we will use our intelligence skills and we will use our counterparts in Queensland to arrest you," NSW Police's Andrew Holland told 9News.

9News was invited to see inside the task force, which involved Queensland and NSW police officers teaming up to hunt down the alleged criminals.....

NSW Police News, 15 November 2024:

Detectives release CCTV appeal following ram raids and arsons of Northern NSW tobacconists

Financial Crime Squad detectives have released CCTV as they appeal for information following the ram raid and arson of two tobacconists in Northern NSW.

About 4.30am on Sunday 22 September 2024, police were called to a tobacconist on Minjungbal Drive, Tweed Heads South, following reports of a crash.

Officers attached to Tweed/Byron Police District arrived to find a Toyota Corolla sedan, believed to have been stolen from Queensland, driven into a tobacconist, before two unknown males entered the business destroying several displays and stealing large amounts of cigarettes.

A crime scene was established, and police commenced an investigation into the incident.

A month later, about 2.40am on Tuesday 22 October, police were called to the same tobacconist, following reports a car had driven into a neighbouring business.

Police arrived to find a MG SUV had driven into the store – as bollards had been placed in front of the tobacconist – before two unknown men poured fuel inside the business and fled without setting it alight.

A crime scene was established, and police commenced an investigation into the incident.

About 3.30am the next day (Wednesday 23 October 2024), emergency services were called to River Street in Ballina, following reports of a building fire.

On arrival, officers attached to Richmond Police District located a silver Mercedes sedan inside the shopfront of a tobacconist, well alight.

Police were told the sedan drove into the business before the vehicle caught fire, with the occupants of the vehicle leaving the scene prior to police arrival.

Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the building was extensively damaged.

Surrounding units were evacuated and two other vehicles were damaged by the blaze.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the incident has commenced.

Following initial investigations linking all three incidents, detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Financial Crime Squad’s Arson Unit commenced Strike Force Albany to investigate the incidents.

As part of investigations, strike force detectives have released CCTV of the two ram raids at the Tweed Heads South tobacconist.

Detectives are also hoping to speak to the driver and passengers of a dark coloured sedan seen leaving the scene of the second ram raid.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents are urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

According to NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) over the last financial year ending June 2024 the incidence rate per 100,000 population of robbery using a weapon other than a firearm in the Tweed and Ballina local government areas was 10.2 and 4.3 respectively. Compared to a state incidence rate of 9.3.

While the incidence rate of arson generally was 43.9 in Tweed, 44.8 in Ballina and 43.8 in Byron shires. Compared to a state incidence rate of 56.1.

It's 2024 and after 236 years of relentless urban expansion across New South Wales there are only 13 breeding pairs of Beach Stone Curlew left in the state

ECHO, 5 November 2024:

A pair of critically endangered beach stone-curlews are nesting in the dunes on Clarkes Beach, they are one of only 13 breeding pairs in NSW.

Beachgoers are asked to stay off the sand dunes and leave nesting birds alone as their nests are just a small area of scraped sand.

‘It’s so important these birds are not disturbed because they only lay one egg and the chick is cared for by both parents for seven to 12 months,’ said Chloe Dowsett, Coast and Biodiversity Coordinator.

‘We are hoping people will do the right thing and play their part in helping these special birds expand their family.’

On other beaches spotted pardalotes and rainbow bee-eaters have been sighted nesting in the dunes with the Byron Bird Buddies rescuing a group of baby bee-eaters as the area surrounding their nest was being damaged by people trampling and climbing on the exposed dune.

‘All of these precious birds are easily disturbed by walkers, joggers and especially dogs so we are asking people to be aware and take extra care when they are on the beach,’ Ms Dowsett said.

Another Electric Vehicle Charging Station for the NSW Northern Rivers

 

Earlier this year in May 2024 the NSW Minns Labor Government announced that 671 new EV public kerbside electric vehicle charging ports at 391 sites are to be installed across NSW, in what is expected to be the largest rollout in the country.

These new chargers are to be installed over the next 12-months and be open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, looking at the NSW Transport Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Map it looks a though there are only around 31 stations across the entire 20,758 sq kms of the Northern Rivers region - from the Clarence Valley up to the NSW-Qld border and, many of these tend to be relatively clustered.

So it was good to read that another electric vehicle charging station had been added to the mix in north-east New South Wales.

ECHO, 1 November 2024:

A new electric vehicle (EV) charger has been installed at 44 Cherry Street, Ballina in the heart of the Ballina’s CBD, close to Northern Rivers Regional Art Gallery, shops, cafes, and other tourist destinations.

For anyone driving an EV the installation of new chargers, particularly in regional areas is a definite bonus as the number of EVs on the roads increases. The Australian Automobile Association’s EV Index shows that battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) sales represented 9.6 per cent of new light vehicles sold in the second quarter of 2024.

‘Ballina Shire Council is thrilled to celebrate the installation of new electric vehicle charging stations on Cherry Street in Ballina. This fantastic collaboration with Essential Energy and EVX reflects our dedication to working hand-in-hand with the community and industry to seek innovative and sustainable solutions for our region,’ said Ballina Shire Council Mayor, Sharon Cadwallader.....

CLIMATE CHANGE STATE OF PLAY 2024: we have entered a grim millennia of climate consequences

 

According to the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO biennial report, State of the Climate 2024.......

Australia, on average, has warmed by 1.51°C ± 0.23°C since national air temperature records over the land mass of the continent began in 1910. While sea surface temperatures have increased by an average of 1.08°C since 1900.

Australia is not so slowly and very noticeably cooking.

There has been an increase in extreme heat events associated with the warming over land and in the oceans.

Australia’s warmest year on record was 2019, and 8 of the 9 warmest years on record have occurred since 2013.

This is what Australia's collective experience looks like expressed as a graph

State of the Climate 2024, 22 October 2024, p.2

Every decade since 1950 has been warmer than preceding decades. The warming in Australia is consistent with global trends, with the degree of warming similar to the overall average across the world’s land areas.

There has been an increase in extreme fire weather, and a longer fire season, across large parts of Australia since the 1950s. This has resulted in catastrophic bushfires in 1967, 1974-75, 1983, 2006-07, 2009 and 2019-20. Wildfires burning across millions of hectares, changing landscapes and communities, driving many native plant and animal species closer to extinction.

The track record with regard to rainfall has shown that:

Sustained heavy rainfall and associated flooding in much of Australia, particularly the east, is most common during La Niña, as illustrated by the multiple floods that occurred in eastern Australia in 2022. The 11 wettest years on record in eastern Australia were all influenced by La Niña, and many of eastern Australia’s most significant flood years, such as 1974, 2010−2011 and 2021–2022, have occurred during strong La Niña events, although significant flooding can sometimes occur in non-La Niña years.

Global concentrations of all major long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase. Global annual mean carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations reached 419.2 parts per million (ppm) in 2023 and the CO₂ equivalent (CO₂-e) of all greenhouse gases reached 524 ppm. These are the highest levels on Earth in at least 2 million years.

While global fossil fuel CO₂ emissions, the principal driver of the growth in CO₂ 

concentrations, are continuing to increase.

In Australia the latest Quarterly Update of Australia’s NationalGreenhouse Gas Inventory: March 2024 shows emissions were 440.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂-e) in the year to March 2024. On a quarterly basis, this means that national emission levels for the March quarter 2024 increased 0.6% (0.6 Mt CO₂-e) in trend terms.

National emissions are preliminarily estimated to be 441 Mt CO₂-e in the year to June 2024.

Actual and trend greenhouse gas emissions have not meaningfully decreased in the last four years according to data collated by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

These inescapable global & national facts mean that Australia's future now holds these scenarios:

Future

In the coming decades, Australia will experience ongoing changes to its weather and climate. The changes are projected to include:

• Continued increase in air temperatures, with more heat extremes and fewer cold extremes.

• Continued decrease, on average, in cool season rainfall across many regions of southern and eastern Australia, which will likely lead to more time in drought.

• More intense short-duration heavy rainfall events even in regions where the average rainfall decreases or stays the same.

• Continued increase in the number of dangerous fire weather days and a longer fire season for much of southern and eastern Australia.

• Further sea level rise and continued warming and acidification of the oceans around Australia.

• Increased and longer-lasting marine heatwaves that will affect marine environments such as kelp forests and increase the likelihood of more frequent and severe bleaching events in coral reefs around Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef.

• Fewer tropical cyclones, but with higher intensity on average, and greater impacts when they occur

through higher rain rates and higher sea level.

• Reduced average snow depth in alpine regions, but with variations from year to year.

Here in coastal north-east New South Wales the response to our changing climate by successive federal and state governments is: (i) to crowd more urban development onto land that is projected to be amongst the first dry land to experience tidal and/or permanent sea water inundation due to rising sea levels; and (ii) to coat building materials in heat reflecting paint while ignoring the fact that building design is now inadequate due to the fact that the north-east can now expect tropical hurricanes to form offshore on a 1 in 10 year basis.

In 2024 road fatalities in NSW rural & regional areas continue to outnumber those in metropolitan areas - at least 24 of these deaths occurred in the Northern river region

In 2024 from 1 January through to 23 October Transport NSW preliminary road fatality data recorded 245 fatal vehicle crashes across the state which caused 273 deaths - 20 of which occurred in the first 23 days of October.

The number of drivers killed outnumbered the combined total of passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists & cyclists (139 to 134). While males far out number females among the dead (217 to 56). The largest road fatality by age cohort was the those 70 years of age and older.

Fatalities in country areas continue to outnumber those in metropolitan areas - 181 deaths on rural and regional roads compared to 92 deaths on metropolitan roads.

Up to the end of September this year the Australian Road Deaths Database revealed that NSW road fatalities included 24 deaths on Northern Rivers roads:

Clarence Valley - 8 people

Ballina Shire - 5 people

Tweed Shire - 4 people

Richmond Valley - 3 people

Lismore City - 3 people

Byron Shire - 1 person

Kyogle Shire - 0 persons.

Seven weeks out from the beginning of the Australian Summer meteorologists were predicting "unusually high temperatures from December through to February

 

This is an ABC News article extract on 11 October 2024:

Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) weather modelling, which tips well-above-average temperatures across the country.

The forecast for a scorching summer is largely due to ongoing high ocean temperatures surrounding Australia, a persistent feature that has plagued most of the globe since early last year.

The warm seas will not only raise air temperatures but also boost atmospheric moisture levels, swinging the odds to favour frequent storm outbreaks and above-average rain.

Our simmering oceans could also lead to the most active cyclone season in years, with the BOM expecting around 11 named storms in the Australian region, including an increased risk of severe (category three or above) systems.

Of the past six years, the three that were not La Niña periods took the top three spots as Australia's hottest summers on record, all with mean temperatures more than 1.6 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.

This trend suggests this summer will also produce well-above-average temperatures — a prediction supported by seasonal modelling.

The BOM's initial summer forecast, released this week, shows a greater than 80 per cent chance of minimum temperatures in the top 20 per cent of years — which the BOM label "unusually high temperatures"....

So how do conditions look now in Spring 2024?

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM):

Weekly sea surface temperatures

PACIFC OCEAN SEA SURFACE HEAT MAP

Weekly temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific

For the week ending 13 October 2024, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were:

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average in the far western and parts of the far eastern equatorial Pacific

• 0.8–2 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific

• warmer than average across much of the north Pacific, with much of the region surrounding and to the east of Japan more than 3–4 °C warmer than average

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than average around the north-west of Australia's coastline and parts of the Tasman and Coral seas

• 0.4–1.2 °C warmer than average across most of the Maritime Continent.

The Niño indices for the week ending 13 October 2024 are:

Niño3, −0.1 °C; Niño3.4, −0.5 °C; and Niño4, +0.04 °C. The Niño3.4 index reflects historically neutral ENSO conditions.

5-day sub-surface temperatures

For the 5 days ending 13 October 2024, the analysis shows:

• sub-surface temperatures around 1 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific (between 125 m and 200 m depth) and in the eastern equatorial Pacific (between 50 m and 100 m depth).

• sub-surface temperature anomalies more than 3 °C warmer than average in the shallow eastern equatorial sub-surface (above 50 m depth).

Long-range forecast overview

Issued: 10 October 2024

The long-range forecast for November to January shows:

• Above average rainfall is likely across much of southern and eastern Australia.

• Warmer than average days and nights are likely to very likely across most of Australia.

• Unusually high minimum temperatures are very likely for much of northern and eastern Australia.

Our forecasts have greater accuracy closer to the forecast period. Refer to our weekly updates to follow the evolution of rainfall and temperature patterns as the November to January season approaches.

New South Wales forecast air temperature over land

Max temperature - The chance of above median max temperature for 20 Oct – 2 Nov

Australia's fire ant invasion problem has moved from concerns about chronic eradication program underfunding to non-compliance of property owners fuelled by Facebook discussion

 

For the last forty-three years that invasive species, the Fire Ant, has been increasing in number and territory until now it infests around 830,000 ha in South East Queensland, close to the Qld-NSW border, and in recent years has been found as far south in New South Wales as Murwillumbah in November 2023 and Wardell, near Ballina, in January 2024.

The Fire Ant infestation program began to move beyond a target of total eradication to one of suppression and containment after the Queensland Newman Coalition Government in 2012 cut 45 jobs from its fire ant eradication program and reduced state funding by 50 per cent to about $1.1 million for the next year.

In an August 2023 media release the Invasive Species Council revealed the existence of government documents that detailed at least a $49 million shortfall in fire ant funding for 2023/24, risking the spread of the super pest across Australia.

"The explosive documents reveal that, due to insufficient funding, eradication and surveillance on the ground in Queensland this year has been cut in half from what is needed.

They also reveal that there will be no systematic action to stop the westward or northern spread of fire ants, with action confined to stopping the spread into NSW."

Mainstream and social media are now reporting espisodes involving non-compliant property owners and "government eradicators".

Non-compliance increases the risk infestations will spread even further across Queenland and deeper into New South Wales.

Quotes from Facebook account "Stop the toxic fire ant poisoning":

• "Pseudoscience, false and misleading information, and complete lies and gaslighting are used to justify their dangerous approach to eradicate fire ants, which many experts publicly state is now impossible."

• "The toxic fire ant eradication program by the Australian Government is killing dogs, cats, cows, horses, bees, birds and many other animals and insects.
  This is how to stop them entering your property..."

It is noted that the two insecticides currently listed as used in the Qld fire ant eradication program are hydramethylnon & pyriproxyfen.  Both products approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and commonly found in cockroach baits or flea collars. While in NSW APVMA-approved pyriproxyfen, s-methoprene and fipronil are used, with the latter approved only for direct injection into fire ant nests.

The Daily Telegraph, "Bombshell report reveals fire ants could kill six people a year, cost homes $110m+", 13 October 2024, excerpts:

A notorious pest could cause up to six deaths, lead to 116,000 medical visits and cost households $118m a year if allowed to spread uncontrolled across one Aussie state, a bombshell report has found.

The chilling warning comes as biosecurity authorities scramble to contain the spread of the red imported fire ant, which has rapidly spread across Queensland and even extended down into NSW.

But recent eradication attempts in Queensland are facing a difficult step as landholders – concerned about the ant bait being “toxic” and fearing its impacts on the ecosystem and their livestock – face off with government eradicators.

Some are now refusing entry to treatment officers attempting to spread the bait, which is also found in fly sprays and pet flea tablets.

The ongoing tension has led to police stepping in amid mounting stand-offs with the mandatory treatment program...

Police called in to assist with landowner stand-offs

Treating officers working under the NFAEP are allowed under law to enter Queensland properties for eradication without the consent of owners.

The program still maintains preference to work with landowners to undertake eradication at a time that suits their convenience – informing owners of the planned eradication through letterbox drops, emails, phone calls and texts.

But stand-offs have emerged between some owners and eradication officers who are refused entry.

One Facebook group calling on people to stop the “toxic” program urges landowners to refuse entry, erect signs warning of trespassing and provide a “reasonable excuse” under the Biosecurity Act 2014 to stop entry.

In some posts, landowners are seen confronting eradication staff.

People face hefty fines for obstructing designated officers under Queensland law.

In a statement, Queensland Police confirmed it had been requested to assist some NFAEP staff by “facilitating access to properties where occupants are not compliant with the treatment process”.

“Special duties officers will be allocated to this task, ensuring no impact on the delivery of frontline services,” a police spokeswoman said.

“This collaboration aims to support biosecurity efforts while maintaining essential policing operations.”

STATE OF PLAY NSW 2024: On 3 September 2024 the NSW Minns Government released data showing that the state lost 45,252 ha of native vegetation to agriculture, native timber logging & infrastructure in 2022 and a total of 428,594 ha since 2018

 

NSW SLATS Insights Dashboard
Click on image to enlarge

Nature Conservation Council NSW

Urgent interim action needed as NSW clears 570 football fields of habitat each day

MEDIA RELEASE

13 September 2024

The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, has called on the NSW Government to act on its commitment to stop the runaway land clearing that is continuing to decimate NSW bush.

NSW remains in the midst of an extinction crisis which will continue to gather pace until the root cause – widespread and unregulated destruction of our habitat encouraged by the former government – is addressed.

The latest vegetation clearing data shows that clearing continues to devastate large swathes of habitat every year. In NSW, an equivalent of 300 times the Sydney CBD is cleared annually, or 570 football fields per day.

The annual Statewide Land and Tree Study (SLATS) data released today shows, yet again, a shocking amount of habitat was cleared across the state, taking the average to 84,000 hectares of native vegetation (defined as trees, shrubs or woody vines, or understory and groundcover plants that have been relatively undisturbed since 1990[1]) being cleared every year for the past five years.

Habitat clearing is, alongside climate change, the most significant threat to species in NSW[2], the worst ranked state in the country for protecting and restoring trees.

Statements attributable to NCC Chief Executive Officer, Jacqui Mumford:

“These new figures still show the urgent need for reform. Every day of inaction means more species are at an ever-growing risk of going extinct.”

“Our nature laws in NSW are broken and unable to protect habitat.”

“The government has asked the Natural Resources Commission to come up with new options to stop runaway habitat clearing and protect critical species. We are heartened by this process but concerned about the slow timeframe – interim action to protect critical habitat must be taken given the numbers we are seeing today.”[3]

“Protecting critically endangered ecosystems is urgent and needs to happen yesterday.”

“The existing Native Vegetation Code is an inappropriate regulatory tool for managing impacts on biodiversity in rural areas. It permits a completely unsustainable amount of clearing without any robust environmental assessment or approval requirements. The new data shows that we don’t know the circumstances under which nearly half of the non-woody vegetation clearing happened in 2022. It may be illegal clearing – we just don’t know.”[4]

“Clearly the scope of ‘allowable’ vegetation clearing activities is too broad and open to misuse.”

“We need urgent interim action to immediately protect critically endangered ecosystems. These precious places and the critters than rely on them cannot wait while the scale of reform we require is nowhere to be seen.”

Statement ends

References

[1] As defined in the NSW Vegetation Clearing Report 2021 https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-vegetation/landcover-science/2021-nsw-vegetation-clearing-report

[2] https://www.soe.epa.nsw.gov.au/all-themes/land/native-vegetation#vegcover

[3] See the Government’s NSW Plan for Nature in response to the review of the BC Act and native vegetation provisions of the local land services act here.

[4] In 2022, 46.6% of the total of non woody vegetation clearing is unallocated, and 11.8% of woody clearing is unallocated. Unallocated clearing is vegetation clearing for which the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has not been able to identify a formal authorisation or is unable to presume authorised or allowable using visual cues in the imagery. See here

Further information can be found at

2022 NSW vegetation clearing data

This spreadsheet reports on figures of detected woody and non woody (grasses, small shrubs and groundcover) vegetation clearing that has occurred from 2018 to 2022, statewide and on Category 2 regulated land.

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications-search/nsw-vegetation-clearing-data-2022

Australian National Cabinet reaffirms its commitment to National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 & identifies a $4.7 billion funding package

 

Between April 2023 and March 2024 in New South Wales there were 36,513 domestic violence assault incidents recorded and the state rate for domestic-violence related assaults reported to police was 447.1 per 100,000 persons and the NSW regional rate was 596.7 per 100,000 persons.

Across New South Wales during the same time period there were 15,728 incidents where adult women were recorded as victims of intimate partner domestic violence along with 5,926 incidents where adult women were the victims of family violence.

From April 2004 to March 2024 there were 15 domestic violence-related female murder victims in NSW - 11 were murdered by an intimate partner and 4 were murdered by a family member.

Between April 2023 and March 2024 domestic violence-related assault rates per 100,000 population in the Northern Rivers local government areas were:

Richmond Valley - 772.1

Clarence Valley - 709.8

Lismore City - 496.9

Tweed - 324.6

Byron - 312.2

Ballina - 303.1

Kyogle - 37.9.

Three of the seven local government areas exceeded the state rate for domestic violence-related assaults reported to police, two exceeded the NSW regional rate & three also exceeded the Northern Rivers estimated overall rate of 422.3 incidents per 100,000.

Note: All statistics were found in NSW BOCSAR, Trends in Domestic & Family violence – quarterly March report 2024 & Domestic Violence Assault Regional Comparison Tool

Neither New South Wales nor the Northern Rivers region are unique in the level of domestic violence-related assaults and murders within their communities, violence against women and girls is endemic within Australia.

So it was heartening to see the Australian National Cabinet's detailed announcement at the end of last week which included a $4.7 billion funding package.

Meeting of National Cabinet

Media statement

Friday 6 September 2024

National Cabinet met in Canberra today to agree practical next steps to accelerate action to end gender-based violence in a generation and deliver on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

First Ministers agreed that ending the national crisis of gender-based violence, including violence against children and young people, will remain an ongoing priority for National Cabinet. First Ministers acknowledged that a coordinated approach across all states and territories is required to address this national crisis.

National Cabinet is committed to maintaining a central focus on missing and murdered First Nations women and children and agreed that all government commitments on gender-based violence must explicitly consider the needs and experiences of First Nations people, and be delivered in genuine partnership with First Nations communities.

Today, National Cabinet agreed a comprehensive $4.7 billion package that harnesses important opportunities to work together to prevent violence and support legal services. It brings together efforts and funding to:

— Deliver much needed support for frontline specialist and legal services responding to gender based violence.

— Innovative approaches to better identify and respond to high-risk perpetrators to stop violence escalating.

— Address the role that systems and harmful industries play in exacerbating violence.

These actions are guided by the valuable contributions of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches. The recommendations of the review have guided immediate actions and First Ministers have agreed to use the review’s recommendations to inform strengthened efforts across all governments to deliver the National Plan. Governments will progressively respond to the review with the collective response overseen by Women and Women’s Safety Minister’s Meeting over time.

Today, National Cabinet signed the Heads of Agreement for a new National Access to Justice Partnership, including a critical $800 million increase in funding to the legal assistance sector over five years, with a focus on uplifting legal services responding to gender-based violence.

Under this agreement, the Commonwealth will invest $3.9 billion over five years from 1 July 2025 and for the first time will provide ongoing funding beyond the five year agreement so that the sector has long-term funding certainty.

National Cabinet agreed to negotiate a renewed, five year National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses, to commence on 1 July 2025 and deliver over $700 million in new matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories.

The new agreement will support greater flexibility for states and territories to direct funding to meet local need, and will be accompanied by stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms. It will include a focus on nationally coordinated approaches to support prevention activities through frontline services, including funding for:

— Specialist services for women.

— Services to support children exposed to family, domestic and sexual violence to heal and recover.

— Working with men, including men’s behaviour change programs for perpetrators of gendered violence.

Delivering on commitments made at the May National Cabinet on gender based violence, First Ministers today agreed to deliver innovative new approaches to better identify high risk perpetrators, share information about them across systems and state boundaries, and intervene early to stop violence escalating.

First Ministers agreed to:

— Develop new national best practice family and domestic violence risk assessment principles and a model best practice risk assessment framework.

— Support enhancements to the National Criminal Intelligence System, which enables information sharing across jurisdictions, to provide a ‘warning flag’ that will assist police responding to high-risk perpetrators.

— Extend and increase nationally-consistent, two-way information sharing between the family law courts and state and territory courts, child protection, policing and firearms agencies.

— Strengthen system responses to high-risk perpetrators to prevent homicides, by trialling new focussed deterrence models and Domestic Violence Threat Assessment Centres. These centres will be able to use intelligence, monitor individuals and intervene with those at high risk of carrying out homicide.

The new risk assessment principles and trials of focussed deterrence models will be developed in close consultation with First Nations people and communities and will give specific consideration to application and implementation of approaches for First Nations people and communities.

Acknowledging the role that systems and industries can play in exacerbating violence, State and Territory First Ministers agreed to review alcohol laws and its impact on family and domestic violence victims to identify and share best practice and reforms and to report back to National Cabinet on progress.

This builds on commitments by the Commonwealth at the May National Cabinet to deliver a range of measures to tackle factors that exacerbate violence against women, including violent online pornography. The Commonwealth will announce a comprehensive response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Gambling in due course.

To help break the cycle of violence, the Commonwealth will start comprehensive work with sector experts to identify gaps in supports for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed FDSV, to inform the design and implementation of new and revised initiatives and interventions. This work will include a specific focus on First Nations children and young people through culturally safe consultation and expertise.

While this comprehensive work is underway, the Commonwealth will provide an over $80 million boost to enhance and expand child-centric trauma-informed supports for children and young people.

The Commonwealth will also provide funding to establish national standards for men’s behaviour change.

The Commonwealth will immediately commence an audit of key Commonwealth government systems to identify areas where they are being weaponised by perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

This media statement has been agreed by First Ministers and serves as a record of meeting outcomes.