• Shutdown neo-Nazi clubhouse at 9/158 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham, Melbourne
    The Lads Society are at Unit 9/158 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham near the Waves leisure centre and their commercial warehouse is leased on their behalf by Mr Thomas Sewell through Nixon Industries. The Lad’s Society is a clubhouse, training facility, recruitment centre and safe space for neo-nazis and others on the far-right. The Lad’s Society poses itself as ‘...an organisation consisting of young, Australian men, committed to restoring the elements of our nation, starting at the individual, and community levels’, and offers a gym, a place to drink and meet people. Concerningly, because of the way they’ve structured themselves as a kind of ‘men’s club’ with a nationalist bent, insecure and otherwise unaligned young men in the neighbourhood could be at particular risk of being radicalised toward Nazi politics in this space. As well, these men operating out of Cheltenham is an immediate danger to the multicultural neighbourhood, due to their violent histories and politics, and the fact they gather on Fridays from 5PM, drink, lift weights and fight each other until late in the evening. To say these men are nazis is not an exaggeration. One of the founders of The Lad’s Society is Blair Cottrell, who has been documented suggesting pictures of Hitler should be hung in every classroom, and Mein Kampf should be handed out to every student every year (evidence of his ideas are readily available by google search). He has also been convicted and served time for stalking and burning down an ex-partner’s house. He is the founder of United Patriots Front, a group he was the chairman of that involved other found members of The Lad’s Society, including Thomas Sewell, pictured below with Blair Cottrell celebrating Hitler’s birthday and flashing the ‘white power’ hand gesture. There are also active associations within The Lad’s Society with an explicitly Nazi group called ‘Antipodean Resistance’, who Stuart Von Moger (pictured above) is affiliated with. This group is known to recruit as a resurgence of Germany’s ‘Hitler Youth’. They’ve attacked international students, jews and the LGBTQIA+ community on university campuses and abroad with extremely racist propaganda and can be seen unfurling banners with swastikas on them from overpasses.
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    Created by South East Community Action Picture
  • Increase Newstart benefits for Chronic Illness
    It's a false economy to not decently support chronically ill people, since the sickness benefit is so low it actually perpetuates a cycle of poverty, stress and excessive loss of basic human needs, exacerbating a persons ability to heal and recover, which then compounds their illness and leads, to a permanent disability long term.
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    Created by Lu Moss
  • Return Community & Residents Rights - Stop Supercar Racing Blights
    V8 car racing outside residential homes is unsafe and unacceptable. The Supercar "Noise Management Plan" recommends residents living on the racetrack "Keep doors and windows closed; seal cracks, doors and window frames using commercial or make shift products. Basic protection measures may include: adhesive sealing strips for door frames and windows , temporary vent seals, under door strip seals/draught stoppers, fill cracks using commercial foam fillers or silicon; remain in back rooms; use hearing protection; leave property during some or all of the race period". Many residents living on the racetrack have no air-conditioning, and cannot afford to go away for the race period. They are faced with living in the above conditions for 3 x 10 hour days. Please note there are at least 3 ladies in the area that are pregnant, one of whom is expecting her baby to born the event weekend. The Heritage Conservation Areas of Newcastle and Newcastle East is wholly unsuitable for V8 Super Car street racing. The race preparations have seriously degraded residential amenity, homes are being damaged and convict hewn sandstone blocks are being sawn up for the benefit of the layout of the Supercars race track. Businesses are suffering some have closed and one successful business has already lost $70000 in takings. To add insult to injury hospitality is being outsourced to Brisbane or Sydney Supercars suppliers. The race will impact negatively on historic houses, buildings, public parks and the inhabitants on, and within, the racetrack. It will impede access to three aged care complexes located within the proposed racing area. There are over 4000 people residing in this predominantly residential area. NCC are unable to guarantee that sound levels are safe for all residents and that there will be no delay in response times to emergency and medical service. Preparations have resulted in reduced public safety and access to major tourist sites including Newcastle Foreshore Park, Horseshoe Beach, The Convict Lumber Yard, The Cowrie Hole, The Soldiers Baths, Nobbys Breakwall, Bathers Way, Newcastle Baths, Fort Scratchley, the Canoe Pool, and Nobbys and Newcastle Beaches. This will also be the case during the event. This race affects every user of the iconic East End in the lead up to and at the beginning of the peak holiday season. Our beautiful peninsula will be scaffolded and barricaded for three months each year and visitors will be discouraged from coming. The vast majority of people would detest having a 3 day car racing event on their street, or in their suburb. Please consider what residents and the wider community have been living through in preparation for, and during, 3 x 10 hour days of this car racing event. Residents are being asked to provide their private details, to a consortium, in order to be "accredited" to enter their own homes. Many residents will also be forced to walk through a concrete and wire structure, less than 1 metre from V8's racing, for over 200 metres just to get to a pedestrian bridge to get out of their home and away from this event. For residents with disabilities or mobility difficulties there is only one entry and exit, with only one lift to help over a thousand people. Supercars refuse to reveal the Sound Report and to add more insult to injury Destination NSW have given no conditions for which Supercars should comply to. We are trapped by this appallling legislation and we will be soon be trapped by an enclosure, and racing cars, circling our homes and suburb. ANALYSIS OF THE MOTOR RACING (SYDNEY AND NEWCASTLE) ACT 2008 (NSW) This is an Act that: 1. suspends the operation of other Acts protecting safety and the environment before, during and after the proposed event; 2. permits the event to be conducted on public land eventhough it would not be otherwise permitted under those other Acts; 3. permits the event to be operated by a private entity without charge and with the aim of making a profit for the private entity; 4. requires oversight of the event by a government agency, but with no right for any other person to legally challenge the competency or quality of that oversight; 5. severely restricts the actions of any other person in and around the public land where the event is being conducted; 6. prevents any other person suffering financial loss as a result of the event from claiming compensation from the private entity or the government agencies permitting the event; and 7. removes oversight of reinstatement of the public space after the event from the local Council and hands it to Destinations NSW, a government department that only has accountability for tourism. If you're interested in knowing more about the comparison of this track location in relation to other s'cars tracks in Australia head to this website https://rightracewrongplace.org/2017/07/07/compare-the-newcastle-circuit/ This video shows some of the destruction caused in preparation for this intrusive and dangerous event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPc_JXgiQB8&feature=youtu.be
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    Created by Newcastle Residents Picture
  • Reinstate Acknowledgment of Country and of Traditional Owners at City of Boroondara
    The Kulin Nation peoples have been the traditional owners of the lands on which the City of Boroondara is now established for tens of thousands of years and they still have a continuing strong cultural and spiritual connection to their country. Until early 2017, recognition of this traditional ownership had been normal at all Council meetings and events. In 2017, the City of Boroondara announced that recognition of traditional Aboriginal ownership would no longer be mandatory as it was regarded by some councillors as a 'token' reference rather than a ‘sincere’ – and therefore ‘meaningful’ - one. Following the Council’s decision, it will henceforth only occur at the discretion of individual Councillors. As the City of Boroondara has not renewed its Reconciliation Action Plan since 2013, we fear that this decision will result in fewer instances of the Acknowledgement of Country occurring; indeed, making it optional may lead to its total elimination. The City of Boroondara has in the past shown considerable innovation in their efforts towards Indigenous recognition and reconciliation; as the movements towards Constitutional Recognition and Treaty grow nationally, this action by the City of Boroondara can only been seen as a step backwards for the council and its previous leadership in reconciliation work.
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    Created by Jacques Boulet
  • #changethedate to March 3rd Australia Day
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and all Australians can't currently celebrate Australia Day on January 26. It's a date for white settlement and 'Invasion' from 1788. It has been a day of mourning formally since 1938. We must change the date! #changethedate to March 3rd
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    Created by Phil Watson
  • Stop the Debit Card trials . Stop the Privatisation of Social Security Payments to Indue
    The Cashless Welfare Debit Card takes away a person's right to choose where they shop, how they pay their bills and does affect where they live. Indue control how payments are made instead of you, your banking and bill paying abilities are affected when you are forced to change to either Centrepay or Indue to make your regular payments. You have to ask permission and provide proof of your bills to Indue Some payments are not accepted on the Indue Card or Centrepay ( Some Car Loans, parents have been forced to hand cars back after defaulting due to Indue unable to allow funds for payments) and you are expected to manage those accounts on your 20% allowance to be paid into your nominated bank. Rents are a problem, especially 3rd party rents, periodic leases, and private rentals, as we have seen many people being left behind in rent, late fees, new charges to change to other methods of paying and some made homeless due to Indue not allowing enough cash to pay their rent. Breach notices and debts, snowballing as other bills fall behind trying to catch up. 80% is restricted to the Indue Visa debit/credit card. Leaving people having to "beg" for approvals to normal things they used to be able to do. Online shopping is restricted, no Ebay. Gumtree, Paypal, Woolworths Online or access to enough cash to be able to purchase secondhand items from Facebook sites, friends, markets etc.Family debt is also a problem to be able to repay loans from families. Most people on some sort of payment for example, a student rely on being able to buy secondhand text books, pay cash room rentals etc, bus trips, with the indue Welfare Debit card there is not enough accessible cash allowed to do such things. Most people on newstart, share accommodations, rent rooms, share houses and utilities and pay cash for those expenses, they also rely on cash for transport on regional buses, secondhand clothing etc. Many people on the card are also working , parents working or partnered with working partners too, we have seen many workers put on this card because they don't have 38 hrs a week full time We have seen across all sites, but most recently the Hinkler site is seeing people struggling as we saw with the first 3 sites, mental health decline, anxiety, stress, depression, sense of worthlessness as people are stigmatised when using the card, public comments when people are seen using the card like " oh that's one of those cards for druggies and alcoholics etc, oh that's that druggy card" etc. When the majority of people forced onto this card have no such problems. How does someone pay their mortgage on Indue??? Mixed info , we know of a farming family who had to change mortgages only to find setting up their mortgage with a new bank they still couldn't pay their mortgage, have now had to work a work around to keep their home,trusted to pay their employees, yet put on the card because they receive part family payments! Some people access cheaper items on Ebay or other online services, like home shopping, many DSP are not able to get out all the time to buy things on a card, at an approved place, We all know there are people in our communities , working and non working that have issues with drugs, alcohol, gambling. This card targets not only those on social security with such addictions, but blankets the majority that do not have any issues, addiction nor financially other than struggling on below poverty line payments and does not address the problems over all in society with the same issues for working people, who can continue to drink, drug and gamble their income away, thus affecting their families too. We would like to see the card scaled back to people on a voluntary basis, with proper supports put in place to help people, Costings should the gov't expand to taking over the Basics Card recipients across the NT and other regions will add up to $233 Million up to 2021 if the Morrison Gov't continue to roll this now program out/ That kind of money could provide good services for those that need it in the community, Housing, Rehabs Councelling *Emergency housing rental crisis funds have been cut as of 1st of Jan 2019 in the Hinkler region, leaving people struggling when Indue does not pay their rents with no where to go for help from losing their rentals! Australians are all supposed to be covered under law equally, The Cashless Debit card see aussies forced onto the card stripped of rights and protections under the social security acts that have been suspended to allow Indue to take over their payments, Privacy, Dignity, Autonomy, Self Determination and Human rights breaches leave card recipients as lesser citizens no longer protected under the law, and stigmatised to be made out to be somewhat lesser for receiving social security payments, combined with the punitive Robodebts, Work For the Dole, Path Traineeships, Parents Next and Job Agencies now more interested in punishments and compliance than helping people get jobs, or receive supports with dignity, The lie if it works just like a normal debit card needs to be called out, along with the media and certain ministers pushing that the card is aimed at Drug, Alcohol and Gambling and Intergenerational Welfare, when none of it is true, It's about control of people and profits for Indue, nothing more,
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    Created by Kathryn Wilkes
  • NO SHORT-TERM LETS NEXT TO OUR HOMES - WE WANT NEIGHBOURS NOT STRANGERS
    NSW LAND & ENVIRONMENT COURT JUDGEMENTS: "Mixed-Use is FUNDAMENTALLY INCOMPATIBLE." BUILDING STANDARDS, NSW FIRE & RESCUE plus DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION CRITERIA AND LEGISLATION ARE BEING IGNORED. ONE SET OF RULES FOR NSW TENANTS AND OWNER/OCCUPIERS, NO RULES FOR THOSE USING HOMES FOR HOLIDAYS. There is an AFFORDABLE HOUSING and HOMELESSNESS CRISIS STATE-WIDE. THE RIGHTS OF ACCREDITED ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS ARE BEING IGNORED. SHORT-TERM LETTING STRIPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE VALUE OF OUR HOUSING. HOMES NOT HOTELS...COMMUNITIY BEFORE PROFITS...NEIGHBOURS NOT STRANGERS www.neighboursnotstrangers.com
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    Created by Neighbours Not Strangers Picture
  • Save Eaten Fish (Ali) - bring him to Australia for urgent treatment
    Ali (aka Eaten Fish) is a 24 year old Iranian artist who is interred in Australia's detention centre on Manus Island. Ali suffers from severe OCD, Complex PTSD and debilitating panic attacks - sometimes he scrubs himself til he bleeds. Ali was sexually assaulted earlier in 2016 and continues to be sexually harassed and violently sexually propositioned. As a result of ongoing harassment and the sexual assault Ali's condition has severely deteriorated. The treatment that Ali has received has not helped and is not in line with currently accepted treatment in Australia. Ali is at grave risk of further harm and must be brought to a safe place in Australia where he can receive the specialised treatment he requires.
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    Created by Janet Galbraith
  • Make a Custodians Celebration Public Holiday
    The current Australia Day public holiday celebrates a nation from the point of white settlement. It does not take into account the sovereign nations that lived here since the time immemorial. Australia is one of very countries that has a national public holiday to honour and pay respect the First Nations Peoples and cultures. It's time this changed. We can't change the past but we can change the future. Let's join together to create change so that we can all celebrate the ongoing custodianship role in caring for this country. We have a number of state and national public holidays to celebrate and/or commemorate religious traditions, British ties to the Monarchy, servicemen, pastoralist and sporting events. Arguably, Australia Day is meant to unite all Australians it is well recognised that this is not a day that is celebrated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Let's demonstrate our appreciation and privilege of having the longest living culture in the world.
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    Created by Goodedulla Woppaburra Picture
  • Support & Fund
    How can a group of people, including high profile people have a say in what cultural background you are when they don't know you? We have been fighting to be apart of a Native Title process and was told that we have no connection because of our other cultural background. Our families have connections with the land and sea for decades, since the mid 1800's. My cousin had to travel to Melbourne to get a DNA testing to prove to the authorities and groups of people that they were wrong about us. We have the proof now that we belong to the country we live on in Bowen, therefore the Native Title Tribunal and land councils processes are failing in many ways . Don't allow anyone tell you, who you are, when you know, who you are.
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    Created by Cecelia Upkett
  • Petition - Human rights for clients of Qld's Public Trustee and Public Guardian
    The Committee to Expose the Public Trustee is a group of family, carers and friends of people who are clients (some prefer the word victims) of the Public Trustee. We were all struggling in our personal circumstances against the Public Trustee who as substituted decision maker has consistently and systematically ignored the needs and will of our loved ones. The Public Trustee has committed them to poverty and isolation and charged very high fees to do it, including charging their clients (victims) for legal fees used by the Public Trustee to oppose the needs and will of their clients. We have all been round and round the roundabout of complaints, requests for reviews and appeals but are powerless in their system and our loved ones have even less power.  In Queensland, people with a disability, or people who someone has alleged has a disability, can be subject to orders from The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to remove their legal capacity to make all personal decisions. The tribunal has no rules of evidence or standards for the burden of proof and accepts the opinion of Public Guardian and Public Trustee officers as fact in their determinations, even when those opinions are disputed by other parties. The Qld Guardianship and Administration Act gives no clear indication of who should have their human rights removed, why they should be removed and to what extent they should be removed – but the tribunal routinely removes the rights of disabled people.
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    Created by John Tracey
  • NEVER AGAIN IN AUSTRALIA: FOR ME, YOU AND OUR CHILDREN - STOP THE ADLER LEVER ACTION SHOTGUN
    We, the people of Australia entrust the lawmakers to do all within their power to ensure that public safety is prioritised above ALL other considerations. This can only be achieved by tight regulation of gun ownership. Responsible firearm usage is to be ensured for ALL the people of Australia. The Adler shotgun has a 7 shot tube magazine. A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a firearm. This means it can shoot 7 or more cartridges in just 7 or more seconds – similar to a pump action shotgun. It is the kind of weapon that was highly restricted after the Port Arthur massacre; yet by anomaly, it can be purchased easily as it is a Category A weapon. It must be a Category C (and thus tightly restricted). We, the people of Australia, remember the victims of massacres at places Hoddle St, Monash University, Port Arthur and Martin Place. NEVER AGAIN. We urge people to stop the Adler shotgun and to support legislation in each state to achieve this. Right now, the NSW parliament has a Bill from Greens MP David Shoebridge called the Firearms Amendment (Lever Action Shotguns—Community Safety) Bill. We want you to support it, and to support any bill like it in other states of Australia. We urge everyone to support legislation to Carol Loughton BM Mother of Sarah Kate (deceased) murdered at Port Arthur 1996
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    Created by Carol Loughton BM