We're losing one of the very few and far areas in bendigo where people are able to sit down and relax, enjoy a meal whilst their children are entertained by the play ground and live music that takes place every thursday. The monthly night markets will be stopped and people won't be able to share their passions and interests with others, so many small businesses effected by the lack of throught behind this action.

We, the undersigned, demand that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly rule out the construction of a nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla. Secret government documents – only released after a freedom of information fight – confirm Port Kembla is the government's preferred east coast base site. Both federal and state government representatives have refused to rule it out. Delaying a formal decision is an attempt to evade accountability while locking in the plan. Government documents show that an accident at a submarine base in Port Kembla's outer harbour would require immediate evacuation within at least 600 metres and further evacuations up to 1.4 kilometres downwind – covering almost every residential street in the suburb, including local schools and health facilities. Our community has never been consulted about this risk. We also oppose any move to designate the base "Critical State Significant Infrastructure" – a classification that would strip Illawarra residents of their legal right to challenge the decision in court. The billions proposed for this base should instead be invested in what our community actually needs: health, housing, clean energy, education, and environmental repair. We stand with WAWAN, the South Coast Labour Council, ICAN Australia, and the forty organisations of the Port Kembla Declaration. Rule it out. Not here, not anywhere.

If we don't do something now we will have an environmental disaster on our hands and an ongoing much greater need for funds for disaster recovery from Australian Federal and State coffers.

The world needs to promote goodness not badness.

Because Australia is not just debating nuclear weapons in the abstract – it is moving deeper into the practical systems, facilities, and policies that could help enable them. The No Nuclear Weapons in Australia Declaration, backed by more than 150 Australian and Pacific organisations, including GetUp, warns that Australia is on a “current trajectory towards increasing involvement in the command, control, targeting, hosting and possible launch of nuclear weapons from Australia.” It specifically identifies the planned AUKUS hosting of US nuclear-capable B-52 aircraft in the Northern Territory and the planned hosting of US attack submarines which may again become nuclear-capable in coming years. Australia currently has “no legal ban” on foreign nuclear weapons being brought into Australia – or on being launched from Australia.   Current government policy raises further concerns. Australia’s 2024 National Defence Strategy says Australia’s “best protection against the increasing risk of nuclear escalation is US extended nuclear deterrence.” In February 2023, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s joint and collaborative facilities “support the effectiveness of the extended deterrence commitments the United States provides” and called that a “fundamental contribution” Australia makes to the alliance.  In other words, Australia is not standing outside the US nuclear posture – it is helping sustain it.   The risk is becoming more concrete under AUKUS and wider military integration. The Australian Submarine Agency states that from as early as 2027, one UK and up to four US nuclear-powered submarines will have a rotational presence at HMAS Stirling navy base in WA. Separately, the US Air Force says the B-52H Stratofortress “can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance,” and ABC reported US plans to deploy up to six B-52 bombers to RAAF Tindal.   The secrecy surrounding these plans and postures is deeply worrying. The US has a “neither confirm nor deny” policy on whether visiting submarines, ships, or planes carry nuclear weapons. In late 2025, Senate estimates heard there was “no impediment” to visits by dual-capable platforms and that Australia would continue to respect that US policy. That means Australians may never know whether nuclear weapons are being brought here.     Labor first committed to signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2018, reaffirmed that commitment in 2021 and 2023, but Australia still has not signed. Recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran, condemned by UN experts as unlawful and in violation of the UN Charter, show how quickly conflict can escalate and how easily closely aligned states can be exposed to the consequences without democratic say.  When it comes to nuclear weapons, we have a right to know – and we have a right to say No.

Across Australia, children are learning in classrooms that are getting hotter every year. At the same time, schools and childcare centres are facing rising electricity bills that put pressure on already stretched budgets. Solar panels and batteries offer a practical solution. Installing solar on schools and early learning centres would cut energy costs, freeing up funds for learning materials and student support. Batteries would allow schools to store energy and keep buildings powered during heatwaves, blackouts or other disruptions – helping protect students and staff when the grid is under pressure. Schools exist in almost every suburb, town and regional community. Solar installations on these buildings would create a nationwide network of local clean energy – strengthening communities and reducing pollution. There’s also a powerful learning opportunity. When solar panels and batteries are installed at schools, students can see renewable energy in action every day. It turns climate and energy education into something practical and real. Australia has the sunshine, the technology and the expertise to make this happen. With national leadership and coordinated investment, solar and batteries could be installed on thousands of schools and childcare centres across the country – delivering lower costs, cleaner energy and safer learning environments for millions of children. It’s time to Solar Our Learning. Every school and childcare centre deserves safe, resilient energy – and every community can benefit from local clean power. Solar and batteries on schools mean lower costs for education, safer classrooms during heatwaves, and a practical climate solution that helps the next generation learn and thrive. Add your name and call on the Australian Government to invest in solar and battery systems for every school and childcare centre across Australia!

Illegal land clearing is a common and widespread problem driven by different factors including attempts to remove biodiversity constraints to property values and development plans; ideological objections to laws and policies that constrain a land holder's ability to clear native vegetation; attempts to reinstate or create desirable outlooks from properties (these can dramatically increase property prices); seeking to profit from making land more suitable to grazing or cropping; concern about bushfire risks; illegal timber harvesting; desire to tame bushland to create a landscape that the owner considers more appropriate; and all too often, ignorance of how the law applies to particular vegetation and properties. A better reporting and response process can reduce the incidence and extent of illegal harm to biodiversity values, whether done in ignorance or not.

South Australians deserve the truth about our rivers, coasts, and communities. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a growing crisis — but decisions are being made behind closed doors, with science suppressed and data withheld. The HAB Transparency Pledge is a simple tool: It asks every candidate in the upcoming state election to commit to full, timely, and publicly accessible transparency. That means releasing the evidence, the advice, and the decisions — without political interference. This isn’t partisan. It’s public accountability. If they want our votes, they can sign the pledge. Let’s make transparency the minimum standard. Ask your candidate to sign. Share the pledge. Hold them to it.

Born in Yarloop Hospital, in the 1950s, first generation Australian from parents, fleeing war torn Europe.  The hospital  burned down in the 2016 bush fires that swept across the Darling scarpe and my family members only narrowly managed to save their farm house in the Wagerup hills.  I lived on a farm next door as toddler, waking up to the screeches of abundant red tailed black cockatoos, in the tall tree tops of a pristine forest. Today the only farm left in those beloved hills is surrounded by bare scorched earth and kilometres of rubber belts carrying the soul earth of our jarrah to the crushing plants.  Black cockatoos are so displaced, with loss of natural food sources and nesting trees in their native forest that they are now forced to invade suburbia, stripping what ever tree berries and nuts they can find, just to try and get some sustenance, to survive another day.  I see them in my Liquid amber tree scrounging for its meagre berries, and it breaks my heart. How cruel can our political leaders and Environmental Ministers be ?  Mistreating a domestic pet is punishable by law. But they turn a blind eye to Corporate greed, extinction of species  and mass destruction of biodiversity. As a teenager, I lived in Waroona when Dwellingup went up in flames. I spent many weekends and school holidays in those Northern Jarrah Forests and my uncles farms.  When I had kids, we went camping on the Murray river up in Dwellingup. Now they plan to extend the destruction. Strip mining through a European War  memorial. We may need jobs , revenue and aluminium - although easily substituted. But we need fresh air, fresh water and biodiversity even more -to survive.

too many people are being put at risk on the Stuart Highway every day. This highway is a major route through Australia, connecting remote towns and many Indigenous communities, but long distances, fatigue, high speeds and limited services make it dangerous. Families rely on this road for school, work, health care and visiting loved ones, so it should be as safe as possible. By raising money and awareness, we hope to support improvements that will reduce crashes, protect communities, and ensure everyone can travel safely and confidently.

because if you dont in the next 10 year more than half of the worlds animals will go extinct we have to take action or the loss will be devastating

Every year, millions of Australian school uniforms end up in landfill. Kids grow fast. Knees wear through. Zips are used as fidget toys. Uniforms that still contain valuable cotton and polyester are thrown away because there’s no easy way to recycle them. This is a solvable problem. Textile recycling is growing in Australia.  Responsible retailers now offer recycling. Why don’t uniform shops? The school is a convenient drop off point. Uniform shops have existing supply chains. That puts them in the great position to close the loop. Across Australia, families want to do the right thing — but without take-back schemes or recycling options, uniforms are destined for the bin. Meanwhile, textile waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the country. It;s time school uniform manufacturers to step up and take responsibility for the full life cycle of their products. Being responsible for the waste will also encourage them to design with durability and recyclability in mind. If we can recycle cans, bottles, phones, and tyres — we can recycle school uniforms. Our kids deserve a future that isn’t buried under yesterday’s uniforms.