The adverse effects of alcohol are very significant, especially to Aboriginal communities. Woolies intend to open a very big liquor store within walking distance of a number of dry communities. This is appalling to put corporate profit ahead of public health, especially of vulnerable communities.

In October 2020 Annaliesse Ugle, an 11 year old child, took her own life when she found out her sexual abuser of 6 years, had been released on bail. Anna's Mum Sam did not want Anna to be forgotten, to become another statistic. So we have formed #annasvoice. Anna will be the driving force for change. It is a fact across the whole Australian community that children continue to be sexually molested and commit suicide or suffer in silence. At present they have no effective tools in which they can use, allowing them to determine what is inappropriate, if a person is a sexual predatorial or what grooming is. Deadly Guardians provides them with the tools, the means to reach out without fear and will detect if a child is at risk of self harm. It will also empower school age children to be protectors of their younger siblings. We need government to step up and fund Poche Centre for Indigenous Health so they can undertake the pilot and prove the program will:- Allow a child the means in which to reach out without fear of retribution or shame Give the child the tools in which to identify a sexual predator without demonising men or women. Provide the child with the understanding of what grooming looks like. Provide a framework that will allow strong Elders and leaders the ability to create change through the children in this challenging community issue. That it is easily adaptable to suit mainstream primary schools. That it will enable Kids Helpline the ability to determine if a child is at risk of self harm every morning. By providing a child with an online mentor, a famous athlete or singer who, as an avatar, they will be able to continually support the child emotionally, in academic achievement and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Provide a means by which a child can address emotional challenges as a child rather than as a traumatised teenager. Poche Centre for Indigenous Health is keen to work with me to complete the program development and then undertake the pilot. It has been 10 years since this program was originally developed. Until we all stand up and demand that something be done to protect our children then many will continue to either take their own lives or suffer in silence. Please sign the petition and also go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/416994042637214/ This is Deadly Guardians current landing page. https://www.deadlyguardians1.com/

A Clean Recovery will make energy cleaner and cheaper, and create more jobs than dangerous fossil fuels like methane gas. Australia can be a clean energy superpower, proudly exporting energy from our wind, waves and sun. We can power our businesses and homes with solar, make our houses more affordable and energy efficient, and restore and protect the natural landscapes we love. To make it a reality, we need widespread support from key politicians and community members across the country. Sign the petition for clean, affordable energy and climate-friendly jobs for all Australians, and the world.

A Clean Recovery will make energy cleaner and cheaper, and create more jobs than dangerous fossil fuels like methane gas. Australia can be a clean energy superpower, proudly exporting energy from our wind, waves and sun. We can power our businesses and homes with solar, make our houses more affordable and energy efficient, and restore the natural landscapes we love. To make it a reality, we need widespread support from key politicians and community members across the country. Sign the petition for clean, affordable energy and climate-friendly jobs for people across the country.

A Clean Recovery will make energy cleaner and cheaper, and create more jobs than dangerous fossil fuel emissions like CO2 and methane gas. Australia can be a clean energy superpower, proudly exporting energy from our wind, waves and sun. We can power our businesses and homes with solar, make our houses more affordable and energy efficient, and restore the natural landscapes we love. To make it a reality, we need widespread support from key politicians and community members across the country. Sign the petition for clean, affordable energy and climate-friendly jobs for people across the country.

The plan will make energy cleaner and cheaper, and create more jobs than dangerous fossil fuels. To make it a reality, we need widespread support from key politicians and community members across the country. Will you join the call for clean, affordable energy and climate-friendly jobs. Click the link to read more about what a Clean Recovery could look like in Banks: http://www.getup.org.au/bankscleanrecovery

A Federal ICAC will either dispel or confirm reports of widespread dishonesty in the distribution of Federal Government Funds, for example, and not limited to: $150 million for the “regional” swimming pools, including $10 million for the region of the North Sydney pool $272 million Regional Growth Fund most of which was dished out in a hurry just before the last Federal election. $841.6 million for the Building Better Regions Fund. $200 million in government advertising in the lead up to the election – an unprecedented level of self-promotion with your money $2 billion for the ironically-named Climate Solutions Fund. $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund incorporating the $500 million Commuter Car Park Fund that mainly benefited coalition marginal seats $300 million Drought Communities Program – where the government ignores its own criteria and hands out money without regard for eligibility $220 million Regional Jobs and Investment Package – ministers rejecting 28 per cent of the recommended applications and approving 17 per cent without recommendation $22.65 million for the Stronger Communities Program, and $22.65 million for the Communities Environment Program. (Thanks to Michael Pascoe, The New Daily) The people of Australia deserve to know that the elected representatives in our employ are acting in a legal and moral manner in regard to ALL matters before them. And ensure that OUR money is spent to provide the electorate with the best outcomes. COVID 19 has bought a change of circumstances. Lessened parliamentary sittings have seen the usual checks and balances severely restricted. A Federal ICAC would go some way to remedy this, and demonstrate that our Federal Parliament is, and has been acting in the best interests of the electorate.

We are greatly concerned for the health of our community and the environment. The HiQuality facility sits within 400 mtrs of a fast growing community. This facility sits as close as 29 mtrs from Emu Creek, home of the growling grass frog and native fish species. We have been advised to expect 865 trucks per day carrying untested levels PFAS toxic waste that will only be tested once on site. These trucks will be driving through communities that are incapable of coping with such a large influx of heavy traffic, travelling across heritage listed Bulla bridge. We believe the EPA report did not consider the impact to the community receiving this highly toxic soil. Hi Quality has a history of EPA breaches resulting in fines, we want to protect our green community and waterways, ensure the health and safety of our community. Also please take the time to sign our government petition https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council/petitions/electronic-petitions/view-e-petitions/details/12/206?fbclid=IwAR0cYvrMU4BKKAKFhQVoCPoEV9XM_Jlh44e8nl9CdB3CQuilL8idK4sPtQE

Bufexamac is the active ingredient in about 15 medicated creams that you can buy from any pharmacy in Australia. It can cause allergic reactions so severe that people have been hospitalised. Bufexamac has been banned from sale in Europe since 2010 because of it can cause such dangerous allergic reactions. It's never been sold in the US nor Canada for the same reason and yet it's still sold in Australian pharmacies. You don't even need a script for it. You can read more about Bufexamac here: https://dermnetnz.org/topics/contact-allergy-to-bufexamac/. And you can find out more about our campaign at www.banbufexamac.com.au. It's time for the Therapeutic Goods Administration to finally ban Bufexamac.

Our COVID Wish List for Kids: Simple and practical solutions are needed. 1. Mandate Masks. As we learn to live with COVID governments could try to firstly mandate masks across the whole population e.g. when outside and when you can’t socially distance, like other countries in our region, and see the impact that has before cancelling anything to do with kids and school. Other countries are doing that and it’s working. Kids in other countries are living life in a fairly usual way, going to events, hosting sports, visiting family etc. Simple. #wearamask 2. Border closures. For ALL the families who have children attending schools (day and boarding school) who have to cross a border (eg. live in NSW go to school in VIC) each day, weekly or at the end of term (boarders) for their school holidays Government must find workable solves so they can see their families and not be locked up for the duration. This also includes Australians who live overseas for work (expatriates) and whose children are educated in Australia. These families seek an urgent solution. They cannot manage (afford) quarantine, nor up to a month of quarantine every time they wish to see their kids. Many are coming back from countries where the virus/community transmission is more under control than Australia. Like other nations there could be a safe list of nations for whom either Stay at Home quarantine notices are issued for 7 days (see the Singapore example for Australians), or where COVID tests are given and cleared for countries with very limited/zero cases. Also, putting an unaccompanied minor into a hotel to quarantine is unreasonable. The wellbeing of the child is not being considered and families should NOT be separated. If they must should quarantine at home. Parents need to see their children and children need to be able to attend their schools. Green lane travel bubbles for such families, across domestic and international borders, as are currently happening in other nations in our region and in Europe must be considered and implemented as matter of urgency with holidays just weeks away. #loveourfuture 3. Class of 2020. PLEASE support all our Year 12's (the “COVID Class of 2020”). This year is to their "rite of passage". Governments have made unreasonable decisions - no graduation with parents, no formals, cancelled sports, cancelled assemblies, the list goes on and on and this is on top of students struggling from isolation, pressures of whether exams will go ahead etc., disappointments and increase in the numbers of suicides, depression and anxiety. So many are devastated by these decisions. Governments have taken steps to ensure adults can attend restaurants, pubs, sporting matches etc and the same opportunities should be afforded to our kids. It’s up to governments to find solutions that allow Australian kids to have rights too. #COVIDclassof2020 4. General School Events for all kids: If governments won’t be satisfied with #wearamask for school events then for example before any event at the school each parent could have a COVID test 2 days prior the event. If negative they can attend wearing a mask and social distance. If positive they watch it from their lounge room. For parents and kids wishing to attend such events please introduce a solution e.g. every parent has to have a COVID test prior to the event. School Formals - the same applies as above. Each student is tested and if negative attends wearing a mask! These children should be able to have a school formal. These are just some ideas to get the debate started. Right now, like most other nations globally, we need to learn to live with COVID and give our kids the best future possible –they are the future of Australia. We cannot leave them behind… #covidgeneration #loveourfuture

We’re calling on Orica to immediately move their stockpile of ammonium nitrate out of Kooragang Island port and into a safer location far away from people’s homes and families. There’s no reason why a stockpile like this is located in the heart of Newcastle, when the only people it serves is the fossil fuel and mining industry. My name is Keith Craig, a proud Newcastle resident, chemical engineer and Stockton Community Action Group member. In 2003 I visited Toulouse in France, two years after 300 tonnes of devastating ammonium nitrate exploded killing 30 people and injuring 14,000. The people were still traumatised and suffering, just like they will be in Beirut for many years to come. There have been over 30 major explosions of ammonium nitrate worldwide following the start of production in the earlier 1900s. I don’t want this same devastation to happen in Newcastle. Many Newcastle residents already know Orica for all the wrong reasons. In 2011, Orica leaked ammonia and the carcinogenic hexavalent chromium into the air above North Stockton, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. It was days before Orica told residents about the potential leak — during which time residents and families had inhaled the toxic substances as they went around their daily lives and sent their kids to school as usual. North Stockton residents have had to live with elevated pollution levels and air thick with dangerous PM2.5 particles for years. Also in 2011, Orica had three chemical spills and was responsible for a release of arsenic into the Hunter River. Orica’s plant in Sydney suburb of Botany also released mercury vapours which exceeded the licensed levels. In 2012, A NSW Upper House Select Committee investigation found that Orica had breached its operating license over the previous decade not just once or twice, but a shocking 130 times. Following the Beirut blast, Orica has hit the media circuit to downplay the risks of a similar explosion in Newcastle, but residents aren’t buying it. There’s NO SAFE way to store ammonium nitrate this close to population centres of any kind. In addition to residents, Newcastle community groups, the Stockton Community Action Group, Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield, Throsby Villages Alliance, Better Planning Network NSW and Hunter Community Forum all have major concerns around the large stockpiles of ammonium nitrate. Groups like these have been fighting to remove the stockpile for years. This recent Beirut explosion again shows just how dangerous these stockpiles can be. It would be catastrophic for the community if an accidental explosion were to occur. Will you sign the petition and help us avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion?

Plastic cotton bud stems are the number one item of plastic, sewage-related debris on our beaches and rivers - yet retailers could help prevent this by switching the stick from plastic to paper. In the marine environment, plastics can be eaten by marine life, often with fatal consequences. Plastic is found in the stomachs of Loggerhead Turtles, Seabirds and many species of Australian-caught fish. And pieces that don't get eaten break down into microplastics, forming part of a dangerous plastic smog in our seas. Retailers are listening - major retailer Kmart sells Paper Stem Cotton Tips in their stores. Now we need to make sure the other retailers do the same. Even paper stem cotton buds shouldn’t be flushed down the loo. But if they are, they're less likely to pass through sewage filters and will quickly biodegrade if they escape. So please sign and share our petition to ask the remaining retailers to Switch the Stick from plastic to paper. Your voice will be heard! Thanks, Sophia and the Switch the Stick Australia team