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Adeshola Ore
Victoria government to lengthen family violence orders and change stalking laws
Victoria will reform stalking laws to create better clarity about the offence, under proposed laws to be introduced by the state government on Thursday.
The Allan government will also introduce legislation to create a two-year minimum term for all family violence intervention orders to reduce the number of times victim-survivors need to go to court.
The stalking reform involves creating better clarity over what constitutes a stalking offence under state legislation. It was a key recommendation from a 2022 report commissioned after the murder of Melbourne woman Celeste Manno in 2020.
Last year Luay Sako pleaded guilty to murdering his former colleague after stalking her.
As part of a suite of reforms to strengthen family violence orders, courts will extend the length of these to align with a perpetrator’s prison sentence if they are behind bars. An additional 12 months will be added after the perpetrator is released from prison to help reduce the heightened family violence risk at this time.
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Updated at 15.25 EST
Good morning, and happy Thursday – Nick Visser here to pick up the blog. Let’s see what the day has in store.
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100 community groups call on parliament to reject nature law reforms
Lisa Cox
More than 100 community groups have called on the federal parliament to reject the Albanese government’s legislation to reform Australia’s nature laws.
In a letter, which was expected to be handed to the environment minister Murray Watt last night, 130 organisations said the proposed changes to national laws would take environmental protection and community rights and interests backwards:
We are dismayed that the Albanese government has put forward national environment law reform that experts tell us will take us backwards – backwards on protecting environments, backwards on integrity, and backwards on community rights and interests.
The signatories include more than 60 regional conservation councils and environment groups and 19 national organisations such as 350.org Australia, Friends of the Earth Australia and Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action.
The groups are concerned about several aspects of the bills, including a new streamlined assessment process that reduces community consultation and fast-tracks approvals, a proposal to hand approval powers under national laws to state and territory governments, and a new “pay to destroy” environmental offsets scheme.
Georgina Woods, head of research and investigations at the Lock the Gate Alliance, said the reforms took “a hatchet to already inadequate environmental protections and the public’s right to participate in decisions that affect us all”:
Kirsty Howey from the Environment Centre NT said the government had promised laws that would protect nature but instead “they’re fast-tracking destruction” and the legislation locked out regional communities on the frontlines of the biodiversity and climate crises:
This is a message from the heart and soul of the environment movement. Grassroots groups across the country say no to Labor’s nature law betrayal.
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Updated at 15.10 EST
Liberals to unveil their energy policy
Krishani Dhanji
Following a “constructive” meeting of the Liberal party yesterday (Dan Tehan’s words) that went for nearly five hours, the party will today reveal its energy policy with the likelihood that it will be dumping the net zero by 2050 target.
The shadow energy minister, who has been charged with creating the policy, spent last night writing up a submission which he’ll present to the shadow ministry at 9am this morning.
Shadow minister for energy, Dan Tehan. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
At a press conference last night, Tehan gave little away, and said we’d all know the policy – which he and leader Sussan Ley will announce – by midday today.
That policy will reflect two foundational principles and eight guiding principles that were handed out following yesterday’s marathon meeting.
The two foundational principles are to create a stable energy grid with affordable power, and reduce emissions in a responsible way that ensures Australia “does its fair share” – in that order.
The eight guiding principles include: putting affordable energy first, technology neutrality, a commitment to Paris (but with no legislated mandates or interim targets), social licence requirements for electricity infrastructure and scrapping carbon taxes, tariffs and mandates such as the national vehicle emissions standards.
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Updated at 15.08 EST
Aurora lights up night sky
Stargazers were given a rare treat last night when the southern lights were visible across wide parts of the Australian night sky.
Aurora australis over Werribee South Beach. Photograph: Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
A severe solar storm had paved the way for the spectacular display of aurora australis, particularly in Victoria and as far north as the Blue Mountains where they were seen over the Three Sisters near Katoomba.
The lights were also seen in New Zealand.
A spectacular display over Brighton Beach in Dunedin, New Zealand. Photograph: Sanka Vidanagama/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 14.48 EST
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer, setting the scene for the day, and then it will be Nick Visser to guide you though the day.
We’re expecting to hear Sussan Ley announce whether or not the Liberal party is going to keep its net zero commitment or follow the Nationals in ditching the policy. After yesterday’s marathon five-hour party room meeting, the shadow cabinet will hear the verdict from Dan Tehan at 9am and then we expect to hear from the leader in public by midday. More coming up.
Stargazers were given a rare treat last night when the southern lights were visible across wide parts of the Australian night sky. We have some pictures coming up.
More than 100 community groups have written an open letter to all federal MPs and senators urging them to reject the Albanese government’s legislation to reform Australia’s nature laws. The letter, signed by groups such as Lock the Gate Alliance and Friends of the Earth, says the reforms “take us backwards”. More details shortly.
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