South Australian pensioners left out in the cold

South Australian councils in peril over pensioner concessions.

21 April, 2015

NSW may beat Victoria to legalise medical cannabis

Push to harness cross-bench support from Parliamentary committee

26 August, 2014

Lundy slams proposed amputation of APS from Canberra

“Ill thought out cheap shot”

10 July, 2014

Former Tas premier sounds open data warning before Canberra’s crucial government analytics conference

The public sector is being urged to look at innovative savings and benefits instead of restrictive paywalls for access to public data.

17 March, 2014

South Australia goes full tilt for massive new $1.5bn wind farm

The South Australian government has blown off critics of wind power after it approved the second largest turbine generation facility in Australia in a bid to boost Adelaide’s power supply and spin the city out of a manufacturing downturn.

13 February, 2014

Tasmanian councils harden push for container deposit scheme

By Paul Hemsley Councils in Tasmania are backing the idea of a state-based Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) after a new independent report found the move could generate long term savings for local governments in kerbside waste collection and disposal. The fresh look at the potential value of a CDS on the Apple Isle comes after […]

19 December, 2013

Abetz returns fire over 14,500 APS retrenchments

By Julian Bajkowski The war of words over the scale and pace of downsizing in the Australian Public Service has sharply intensified after Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment, Senator Eric Abetz hit out at the former Labor government over plans to axe Department of Human Services call […]

11 December, 2013

Engineers Australia backs Tasmanian procurement changes

By Paul Hemsley The nation’s leading engineering representative body, Engineers Australia, has backed the Tasmanian government’s move to overhaul the state’s tendering and procurement processes and development assessment and planning mechanisms. The peak body approved of the government’s recommendations that have resulted from the Tasmanian Jobs Forum in August 2013, where Premier Lara Giddings announced […]

12 November, 2013

Government fleets failing on budget and carbon savings

By Mike Carmody* In April 2013, the South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill and Victorian Premier Denis Napthine demanded state and federal passenger car fleets include more Australian-made vehicles. Their call came after Holden announced it is slashing its workforce. Anyone concerned about the state of Australia’s car industry will welcome the Premiers’ call to action. […]

30 July, 2013

Tasmanian councils accused of “rip offs”

By Paul Hemsley An already combative relationship between Tasmanian councils and industry group Tasmanians for Reform has deteriorated further amid a fresh row over whether new increases in council rates are justified without moves to reduce the high number of local governments in the island state. Business-led Tasmanians for Reform has attacked the move by […]

20 June, 2013

Hobart switched on for NBN

By Paul Hemsley Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy has slotted another piece of the National Broadband Network (NBN) puzzle into place, rolling out the new fibre optic infrastructure in Hobart, Tasmania. Hobart’s connection to the NBN closely follows the Tasmanian government inking a deal with internet service provider iiNet […]

11 February, 2013

Tasmanian police seal NBN deal

By Paul Hemsley The Tasmanian Government has selected iiNet as its preferred internet service provider for the state’s Department of Police and Emergency Management to plug into the National Broadband Network (NBN).   The deal will link the core network between police stations and the state government. The rollout of the NBN across Tasmania has […]

29 January, 2013

Tasmania smartens electricity grid

By Paul Hemsley Tasmanian Minister for Climate Change Cassy O’Connor has talked up the state’s investment in ‘Smart Grid’ system for electricity infrastructure as a way for suppliers to deliver cheaper power to consumers and better control the electricity network during times of peak load.. The government plans to embed the Smart Grid technology, which […]

15 November, 2012

Tasmania’s credit rating trimmed

By Paul Hemsley Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings has defended her state’s economic performance after Moody’s Investors Service booted the island’s credit rating down a notch on the back of rising debt concerns. Moody’s now puts Tasmania’s credit worthiness at Aa1, a minor fall from its previous score of Aaa, a move resisted by rival Standard […]

5 October, 2012