Local MP's Calling for the Hunter to be Left Out of Nuclear Power Plans

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Local MP'S are calling for the Hunter to be left out of nuclear energy plans, following the recent appointment of Keith Pitt as the Resources and Water Minister.

Both Shortland MP, Pat Conroy and Newcastle MP, Sharon Claydon have expressed concern following the Ministers appointment, over the Hunter's role in the Federal Governments potential nuclear power plans.

"He (Keith Pitt) is on the record for being a very strong advocate for establishing a nuclear power industry in Australia," Pat Conroy said.

Mr Pitt recently encouraged a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear power. 

The Local MP'S are calling on Scott Morrison to reveal any nuclear power plans the Federal Government has and to let locals know whether the Hunter and Central Coast will be part of a nuclear future. 

Over the past 50 years, there have been 95 proposals for nuclear power stations in Australia and 42 different sites identified as possible locations for waste dumps.

"Every government study on where nuclear power plants would be placed has identified Lake Macquarie and the Hunter as ideal locations for those power stations," Pat Conroy said. 

Potential nuclear power station sites have included Glenbawn Dam, Bayswater and Liddell power stations, Cessnock, Port Stephens, Newcastle, Eraring, Vales Point and Lake Munmorah power stations.

Sites for waste dumps have included Denman, Singleton and Broke.

"It very likely that we would see a power station in our community if a nuclear power program is to go ahead, that's why I'm asking people to contact their local MP's, to contact the media, to contact the Government and say there's no way," Pat Conroy said.

Nuclear power is known to emit relatively low levels of of pollution, however the costs are known to be high.

Newcastle MP, Sharon Claydon, says Mr Pitt's promotion was a 'deeply concerning appointment' and that any pursuit of nuclear power would be 'madness'.

"On any measure - be it cost, timing, energy needs, waste, environmental & health risks, and non-proliferation - nuclear power is found to be wanting," Sharon Claydon says.

"Even if we manage to sort out all of the profound issues with nuclear power, we're still left with the unavoidable reality that it's more expensive than renewables."

Pat Conroy says it would almost double the cost of electricity in Australia and says a large majority of his local constituents have been strongly opposed to the idea of a nuclear power station in the Hunter.

"Overwhelming opposition to it, firstly from an 'I don't want this anywhere near where I live' concern, and secondly it would take ten years to build a power station, and the urgent need to combat climate change means that's way too long."

                                                   Image Credit: The University of Minnesota

Newcastle Music Hub To Receive $350,000 Under Labor

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Creative Arts Space in Hamilton will receive a $350,000 funding injection if Labor forms government on May 18.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon was joined today by NSW Senator Kristina Keneally to announce the funding as part of Labor's $28-million Soundtrack Australia policy.

The funding will be used to create a rehearsal area, live performance space and recording studio, as well as soundproofing and electrical works, upgraded lighting and a stage extension.

Atwea College Executive Director Rowan Cox said the organisation is about filling gaps within the creative scene.

"The Newcastle Music Hub will give young Novocastrians access to professional equipment and give them skills and experience to pursue their musical ambitions.

"The jam spaces and recording studios will be available for young members of the community to book time in. In the recording studio, they will be offered supervision and support by Atwea trainers.

"Atwea also plans to restart Open Mic Nights and Battle of the Bands to create more opportunities for live performances for local artists," Ms Cox said.

The youth creative scene in Newcastle has seen a downturn since the closure of The Loft youth venue in 2014.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said when The Loft closed, it created a gap in the local music scene.

"Live music has long been the lifeblood of Newcastle, but it's getting harder and harder for young people to find the space to hone their skills.

"Atwea will also provide professional musicians who will be on hand to give mentoring, training and support to the next generation of artists and to connect them to Newcastle's music community," Ms Claydon said.

L-R: Sharon Claydon, Grant Walmsley, Rowan Cox and Kristina Keneally.

Hunter MP Slams Government Over Unpaid Super

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Morrison government are being urged to crack down on Superannuation theft after a report revealed that Newcastle-Hunter workers are losing out on almost $150 million in super payments each year.

The report by Industry Super Australia has found unpaid super is getting worse, not better, with 2.98 million Australians being shortchanged $5.9 billion in super entitlements in 2015-16.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said too often she gets calls from concerned residents at their wit's end.

"The Australian Tax Office has officially confirmed the money is owed, workers can't chase this money as the debt isn't technically owed to them.

"I do not think that we should sugar coat this in any way, shape or form. This is not a matter of, as some have argued, some kind of oversight. I think we have to call this out for what it is, unpaid super is theft pure and simple. It is against the law," Ms Claydon said.

The report offers four key points to fix the problem which includes mandating payment of super with payment of salary, better monitoring and stronger enforcement from the ATO, utilising currently underutilised penalties and, extending the safety net for unpaid entitlements.

Ms Claydon said the Morrison Government's failure to get tough on unpaid superannuation was yet another betrayal of Australian workers.

“Under Labor, employers who underpay superannuation to their staff because of a false or misleading statement will be fined an amount equal to 100 per cent of the unpaid super. Employers who fail to tell the ATO about unpaid superannuation when asked will face fines equal to 300 per cent of the unpaid super.

“Labor will also enshrine a right to superannuation within the National Employment Standards, giving workers the power to pursue their unpaid superannuation through the Fair Work Commission or Federal Court," Ms Claydon said.

Labor meets for roundtable on housing affordability in Newcastle

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

A roundtable on housing affordability is convening today in Newcastle, with Labor representatives from all levels of government in attendance.

Among those present were Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness Senator the Honorary Doug Cameron, Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon, State Member for Charlestown Jodie Harrison and Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.

Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon. [Image: ABC]

According to Sharon Claydon, today's meeting is a chance for all stakeholders to get involved in the housing issues plaguing Newcastle to work towards long-term solutions for the future.

"All of these people have got tremendous experience and ideas around addressing the housing affordability crisis in Newcastle and the roundtable today provides a platform for those ideas to be discussed," she said.

She says a unified front between each tier of government is needed to properly address the region's situation and so far, not much has been done.

"There's just been a gross lack of national leadership on this front," she said. "There are some things that the Federal government can do to provide assistance in terms of both housing supply and affordability but there are equally important things that state and local governments
can do and the idea of today's roundtable is to bring those three levels of government together so that we can look at some genuine solutions to what is a looming crisis for our community."

With prices going up and annual wages going down, Sharon Claydon says the housing situation in Newcastle is dire.

"We have house prices sky rocketing at 8 percent per annum at the same time when we have wages stagnating. Waiting times for social housing in Newcastle have blown out up to ten years for a two bedroom unit. The roundtable today provides a platform to really thrash out the best solution for affordable and appropriate housing."

Dumb and short-sighted: Plibersek

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Labor is forming a united front against the Federal Government's proposed changes to university enabling programs which would see programs such as NewStep and Open Foundation which are free, cost students up to $3,200 in fees.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Education Tanya Plibersek hosted a roundtable at the University of Newcastle yesterday with Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon and Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Daryl Evans to discuss the changes and the affect they'll have on students wanting to undertake study.

The University of Newcastle is one of the largest and oldest providers of these enabling programs, and Tanya Plibersek says in an area where youth unemployment is high and university participation rates are already low, the changes would make higher education impossible for some students.

All smiles here, but not for the government's proposed changes
Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon & Deputy Labor Leader
Tanya Plibersek.

"They (students) wouldn't have even considered it even if was a much smaller fee, some of them just wouldn't have had the money, others are saying they wouldn't have had the confidence to spend that money on themselves because they had such a tough time at high school, because their marks weren't good,"

"They wouldn't have had the confidence to say its worth putting thousands of dollars into an educational opportunity like this because they would've thought they were going to bomb out," said Tanya Plibersek.

Also known as 'university preparation courses', Sharon Claydon says they focus on higher education pathways for Indigenous and mature-age students as well as recent school leavers between 18 and 20 years old.

"The fact that Newcastle has more than 1,000 Indigenous students enrolled and trains more than half of the nation's Indigenous doctors is no coincidence - this is directly attributable to decades of hard work and Newcastle University's steadfast commitment to delivering equity in education through high quality enabling programs."

Tanya Plibersek says the enabling programs give students the option to study who otherwise wouldn't even consider taking the step into higher education. She believes it's dumb and short-sighted to propose fees now.

"It's absolutely typical for the liberal government to be handing out tax cuts to millionaires and tax cuts to big business and a new fee for uni students who've had a tough time, who are trying to turn their lives around and they're slugging them with all of these fees."

Attorney-General Criticised over Newcastle Legal System

BY TYLER FARDELL

The Shadow Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus joined Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon in Newcastle today to lead a round-table discussion with senior members of Newcastle's legal community.

It's in response to new data which shows Newcastle Federal Circuit Court Judges faced a case load of 770 matters this year, compared to the national average of 376.

Attorney-General George Brandis has been blamed for the situation, which has resulted in cases sometimes taking One and a half years before they reach a trial in a Newcastle court.

Mr Brandis is being accused of negligence and failing in his position after failing to appoint a new judge to Newcastle after Judge Matthew Myers left in February this year, leaving the two remaining judges with a mountain of backlogged cases to work through.

Cracks began to show back in 2015 when Judge Giles Coakes retired, and it took the Attorney-General four months to find a replacement.

This time however, it has already been five months and there's been no word of a new replacement.

"It is inexcusable, it's utterly reckless on his behalf", Ms Claydon said. "It's his failure not to do his job which is having dreadful social consequences for the people of Newcastle".

George Brandis
Source; The Australian

Growing concerns for Hunter TAFE

BY JARROD MELMETH

Following the recent collapse of Careers Australia, after the company was placed into voluntary administration last month, the TAFE Community Alliance is calling on the Federal Government to redirect public funds to restore the Hunter TAFE system as a trusted vocational education training provider.

Careers Australia first made waves in the Hunter when its Steel River, Newcastle campus suddenly closed its doors in July 2016, leaving 300 students in need of a new VET provider.

Last month the company was placed into voluntary administration six weeks after it was stripped of federal funding due to poor completion rates and aggressive recruitment regime. 

Spokesperson for the TAFE Community Alliance Linda Simon said public education needs to remain a priority.

"What we have seen for a number of years now is that governments have decided to make funding competitive in the VET area and consequently we have had a lot of private companies that have set up delivering VET who is about profit rather than delivering a quality education for students.

"Consequently, a lot of those companies have acted unethically. They have gone out aggressively marketing the students, who may or may not want to undertake these courses or understand what it is all about, and some have ended up in a lot of debt.

"A number of these companies have been caught out and they have collapsed leaving students stranded," Ms Simon said.

The renewed calls for redirecting funds back into TAFE coincide with concerns over a federal government decision to outsource the Australian Migrant English Program contract to American-owned private provider Max Solutions.

Hunter TAFE currently serves 200 students studying the AMEP course, with many of those students being migrants and refugees who have fled war-torn countries.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said a private provider will not be able to provide the services a public TAFE can.

"Things such as quality teachers who are trained linguists, but also trained in trauma informed teaching practices, because we should not forget that a number of these people have come from war-torn countries, have undergone all sorts of devastating trauma in their lives, which is almost unimaginable for most Australians and need that informed practice of teaching.

"Teachers who can identify, manage and support people who have been through extreme levels of trauma," Ms Claydon said.

Ms Claydon also said during a Senate estimates hearing last week, Max Solutions had been found "non-compliant" following an audit.

"I have raised directly with Max Solutions some of the concerns people have raised.

"We want adequate responses to the questions being asked.

"Max Solutions is a large American-owned company with outlets all around the world.

"It is a profit making business with very clear contrasts to Hunter TAFE and there are questions for me also around whether a profit making business will have to prioritise profits for its shareholders above and beyond the delivery of excellent and quality courses for its students.

"I have concerns around whether the provider will be able to continue the small outreach programs into rural parts of the rural parts of the Hunter Valley that were undertaken by Hunter TAFE.

"I am concerned that not all of the capacity that TAFE had into that region will be met and those much smaller class sizes will be found to not be profitable enough by the provider to continue.

"Where does that leave those students?

"There are a lot of unanswered questions because the government has handled the transition process appallingly.

"If there are any questions around the compliance issues, they must be addressed and it is definitely in the providers' interest to have that addressed on the public record," Ms Claydon said.

Calls to end the freeze

BY TYLER FARDELL

Tomorrow's budget announcement could come as a big relief for many Hunter MP's, if the government announces it will end the three-year freeze on financial assistance grants.

The freeze was introduced in the 2014-15 federal budget, and since then it has reportedly cost Newcastle council close to $3 million dollars.

Many Hunter Labor MP's have listed this as a top priority in the budget, including Sharon Claydon.

"That freeze has cost Newcastle council $2.8 million dollars in the past three years. That means council have less money to invest in projects, and there have been lengthy delays."

"There's less money to invest in local swimming pools, libraries, roadways and all these coastal assets that require maintenance".

Aside from the freeze, there are a range of projects which many Hunter MP's hope will be addressed during the budget.

Issue's like the Glendale Transport Interchange, the M1 Pacific Highway extension at Raymond Terrace and education cuts are reported to be on the 'budget wishlist' of many Hunter MP's.

Ms Claydon says she is also passionate about the high-speed rail project between Newcastle and Sydney, and hopes to see it included in the budget.

"It's an issue I've talked a lot about with people in the community. We know that high-speed rail for Newcastle is a game changer".

"Being able to get to Sydney in 39 minutes will open up a lot of opportunities".

Sharon Claydon

Newcastle MP calling for replacement family Court Judge

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

Federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon is stepping up pressure on the Turnbull Government to immediately appoint a replacement for a departed Newcastle family Court Judge.

She is calling on Attorney General George Brandis to appoint a replacement after Judge Matthew Myers left the city in February.

The already long wait for families to have matters heard and resolved in court has become even longer.

Cases can often involve domestic violence and Sharon Claydon says the delay in appointing a judge is increasing the trauma families are already experiencing.

"These are cases that often need quick and prompt settlements. When you've got violence involved in family law matters they're not cases that can be mediated out and nor should they be. You don't want to put a victim of family violence out with a perpetrator against their will."

She's also worried Judge Myers will be replaced with a "fly in, fly out" panel of judges that always change and aren't consistent.

"They need some certainty about where they're going to be living, and how the rest of their lives are taking shape. that's not an unreasonable expectation. All is put in jeopardy when the attorney general sits on his hands and doesn't appoint a replacement," said Sharon Claydon. 

Dispute over funding for Legal centre

BY TYLER FARDELL

The federal government has come under fire from the opposition over funding cuts to The Hunter community legal centre which come into effect July 1st this year.

Hunter Labor MP's Joel Fitzgibbon, Meryl Swanson and Sharon Claydon have criticised the funding cuts, saying the centre, which offers free legal help to those in need, "could be forced to turn away hundreds of local residents".

In addition the centre's base in Newcastle, the centre has a variety on face-to-face clinics throughout the Hunter, including ones in Cessnock, Port Stephens, Raymond Terrace and Muswellbrook.

In the last year alone, the centre provided more than 4300 people with legal assistance, however more than 13 hundred were turned away due to lack of resources.

"It's fair to say the government's proposed funding cuts will be detrimental to the centre's operation and will equate to more people in desperate need of help being turned away" said Mr Fitzgibbon.

However, the federal government has hit back at the opposition, stating funding for the centre had risen by more than 30 percent over the past six years.

Greens call out Labor over ARENA deal with Coalition

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Greens have called out labour for "striking a dirty deal with the coalition" which could see $500 million cut from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

Labor have struck a deal worth $800 million over the next five years with the coalition which Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon says has secured over 40 Newcastle-based positions at the National Solar Energy Centre in Mayfield West.

"This is great news for Newcastle, that we will be able to maintain world class serious research into renewable energy."

"I can assure, having met with some of the CSIRO people yesterday, they are very pleased to have some bipartisan support at long last around these critical issues of targets, financing, and the ARENA programs."

Greens Senator, Lee Rhiannon says the cuts highlight the Coalitions false commitment to innovation, and Labor's false commitment to clean energy.

"Labor have tried to put a good spin on what is a bad outcome for the renewable energy future," she says.

"Not only is this a brutal blow to clean energy investment, research and development across the country, it is a huge setback for regional communities...who benefit from projects like these.

There should have been no cuts to ARENA at a time where the urgency of climate change is becoming clearer every day."

ARENA was established in 2012 and it has delivered $1 billion dollars to 250 renewable energy projects, including a total of $268.4 million for large-scale solar projects.

The Greens will introduce an amendment to protect the entire $1.3 billion of ARENA funding.

Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon. Photo
courtesy of Facebook.

Federal Member for
Newcastle Sharon Claydon.
Photo courtesy of Facebook.