Every single tree assessed as highly significant in December 2021 by government-appointed arborists has been destroyed to make way for a giant car park at Merlynston, just 10km north of the city. These are now the only significant indigenous trees that remain standing within cooee of Merlynston Station on the Upfield Line after the Victorian Government appointed its Level Crossing Removal Project to double the size of the car park. The government is using the special powers of the LXRP to steamroll the local community and council's wishes to keep these trees. The community consultation report for the Merlynston Car Park project, obtained by residents through Freedom of Information, showed that retaining existing trees was their top priority and cited in 53 per cent of submissions to the LXRP. This unwanted car park expansion has been jointly funded by the former Scott Morrison government. In December, arborists prepared a report for the Victorian Government describing these two stunning, large trees east of Merlynston Station as highly significant and said the car park project should take all available measures to protect their roots. This was the plan, until recently. On May 31st, four months after the car park project began, the Victorian Government suddenly letterboxed residents of Bain Avenue and told them the street's two River Red Gums would be coming down within weeks . Enough is enough! Enough sham consultation with community! Enough destruction of Moreland’s significant canopy and habitat trees! Enough new car parks! Listen to us! Change your plan and spare these valuable trees!

Bonogin and Mudgeeraba residents that do not drive find it difficult to socialise without relying on others to provide transport options. An extension of the existing bus service to the area will provide a means for residents to commute to Robina and other areas using the established bus/ train network. Socialising with peers improves mental health, reducing stress and anxiety and provides options for families without transport a greater quality of life, which are now further exacerbated by cost of living pressures. A bus service to Bonogin/ Mudgeeraba will also provide improved access to sporting, shopping and recreation amenities; and assist in providing access for teenagers to gain part time/ casual employment opportunities without sole reliance on others to meet transport needs. In February 2022 we received 456 signatures on our first petition. Our petition was submitted to the Minister for Main Roads and Transport on the 4.3.22. Mark Bailey did not consider this issue worthy of his time and delegated this to the General Manager of Transport Integration. A response was received on the 22.3.22, that failed to understand the basis of our request. It was suggested in the response that Bonogin is inadequate to support a stand alone service. The response failed to take into account the bus service requested was for an 'extension' to the existing bus services and is also to include for the residents of Mudgeeraba. A stand alone service was not requested nor implied in our first petition. Bonogin and Mudgeeraba are growing suburbs with an ever changing demography of young people and the elderly sharing who often are living in granny flats due to cost of living pressures. An unsatisfactory response by the Minister has lead me to reinitiate another petition in the hope that we gather a greater level of support from the community for this initiative and have our petition taken seriously.

Petition to the Australian Fair Work Commission & Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke to immediately consider a rise in the minimum wage that is higher than the current inflation rate as of May 2022. Australian Real Progressives supports the Australian Council of Trade Unions' case for an increase in the minimum wage by 5.5% or better, given the current rate of inflation is 5.1% as an immediate need. (RBA May Chart Pack 05-2022). While Australian Real Progressives understands that the current inflation is driven in part, by worldwide supply chain disruptions, we recognise that disrupted worldwide supply chains have prompted increases in the cost of shipping that are passed on to consumers. Weather conditions across Australia have also impacted food supply - with prices 4.3 per cent higher than a year ago (ABS CPI March Quarter Data 04-22). Prices of fruit & vegetables have increased to be 6¾ per cent higher over the year-to-date (ABS 04-2022). Australian Real Progressives would like to see an increase in the Federal Minimum wage of 5.5% for each successive year until FMW reaches $25.19 (casual rate $31.49) restoring wage growth in line with productivity growth since at least the late 90s. Australian Real Progressives believes that an increase in the minimum wage will drive demand for goods that will deliver economic security for Australians, and especially those who have and are supporting the health of our economy during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. It will also restore the quality of life that has been eroded and provide independence, security and dignity for all of our people. If you too, believe the minimum wage must be increased as soon as possible, please sign to support our petition.

Tasmania’s only ice rink has sold, closing from 22 May 2022 to be repurposed. As Australia’s southern-most state, Tasmania is ideally situated to nurture vibrant, successful and sustainable ice sports. Tasmania’s (only) ice rink currently hosts hundreds of ice hockey, figure skating and recreational skaters every week – all of whom will soon be left without a home to train, compete and play together. Ice Sports Tasmania is working tirelessly to secure a future for our ice sports but we need your help! Research outlining the benefits of participation in sport and maintaining community connection is well evidenced. A new facility means our sports can continue….and can grow to their potential. This includes opportunity to: *grow and develop ice hockey and figure skating *establish new sports such as speed skating, curling and broomball *establish school-based junior programs and vulnerable youth programs, and *establish a raft of ice sports programs for people with a disability. *But we need a new full-sized ice sports centre. Ice Sports Tasmania is already aware of an interstate investor interested in partially funding, building and operating a new, accessible and modern ice sports centre here in Hobart. An investor who shares our vision for growing and developing local ice sports while working towards establishing a future Hobart-based team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. Tasmanian ice sports are now at a crossroads. We either say goodbye to our old ice rink and our beloved ice sports or our political leaders work with the Tasmanian ice sports community and the private sector to secure the future of our sports, bring much-needed investment into Tasmania and ultimately create further opportunities for our local kids. We call on the Tasmanian Government to work with Ice Sports Tasmania, the private sector and our community to establish a new full-sized Tasmanian ice sports centre. This includes exploring a potential partnership between government and the private investor. Please sign and share this petition. With gratitude for your support, Ice Sports Tasmania

The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons - adopted by 122 nations in 2017 and entered into force in 2021 offers a powerful alternative to a world in which threats of mass destruction are allowed to prevail. Weapons that have been outlawed by international treaties are increasingly seen as illegitimate, losing their political status. Three out of four people want the Australian Government to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, but it hasn’t happened yet. Local councils directly represent communities and ordinary people. As with the Climate crisis, Councils have a powerful role to play in driving important change.

Burning rainforests for land clearing, massive destruction of wildlife in Australian bushfires, rising sea levels causing beach erosion, unprecedented floods this year - the last few years has seen an exponential rise in the effects of global warming world over. To tackle this massive problem of climate change that we have created in the past 100 years, its time for each of us to take action. The easiest way is to generate our own electricity from renewable sources like the Sun, instead of depending on fossil fuels. Since 2018, the Victorian Government through Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) provides upfront funding for installation of solar powered systems. Many schools around Victoria have taken advantage of this "Greener Government School Buildings" program and have reduced their footprint on the environment, and saving on their electricity cost as well. We need to act now. There is NO PLANET B!

Entry into Med School is a year-long process, starting with the GAMSAT. The COVID Pandemic has been ever-present since March 2020, yet in two years, ACER has not made adequate accomodations to address this issue. Countless Australians also had to deal with additional ongoing crises in the weeks surrounding GAMSAT as Australia experienced record breaking flooding on the East coast. Remote Proctoring has been offered in an incredibly limited capacity, with numerous candidates being informed that their only option is to defer their GAMSAT sitting. As such, countless candidates are being forced to delay their applications for Medical schools for a year. ACER, this is an inadequate response to the COVID Pandemic and also highlights the flaws in your extenuating circumstances policy. Your inability to provide adequate numbers of remote proctors or provide a back-up testing slot for candidates is a failure to the medical industry.

The legal requirements relating to the rehabilitation of mined land in Queensland are essentially based on "last century" thinking. They are long overdue for an overhaul to reflect modern approaches to environmental protection and rehabilitation. Mining companies can get away with far too much in Queensland compared to some other states like Western Australia. In Queensland mining companies do not have to concern themselves with propagating and replanting local species of native flora for instance, and rare and threatened species are often simply left to fend for themselves. Mining companies can in fact rub out trees and plants in the name of mining and/or rehabilitation here, or eradicate rare and threatened species directly or indirectly while claiming total ignorance of any such losses. They really have little or no legal responsibility of care towards native species. Old mine sites simply have the overburden pushed back on top and exotic pasture species are sown on the disturbed ground. Those exotic species are aggressive and vigorous and form tall, dense stands, quickly overhelming any native species that may be remaining. They infiltrate and dominate surrounding areas of vegetation. They are also very fire promoting, and the more extreme fires that they create push even more native species to the brink. The current legal requirements on rehabilitation are weak and watery. In the majority of cases, if mines can show cattle grazing on their former mining sites, that is about all they are required to do by law. Mining companies can get away with far too much when it comes to impacting negatively on the environment. This needs to change. Mining companies must be made responsible and accountable for the existing native biodiversity and prove that they have left that biodiversity in an equivalent or superior state after they have ceased mining operations.

If you take a walk around Lake Forbes, as many locals do, one thing you'll notice is that almost every other person you see has one or more dogs. It is clear that there is something significant missing in our town, an off leash dog park. There are currently no fenced in off-lease areas for dog to socialize with other dogs within the Forbes Shire. It’s very important for dogs to interact with different people and animals, as well as take part in varied experiences in a safe environment so they can work out the right way to behave. If dogs are not correctly socialized, they can develop phobias and behavioral problems that can be very hard to fix. As someone who travels with my dog, as many people do, I know that I am much more likely to stop in a town where there is a dog park so that the dog can get some exercise on long journeys. A well planned and maintained dog park could be another reason for people to stop in Forbes and enjoy all that we have to offer. This will be another way of bringing our local community together and could be a great asset for our town. If you think Forbes deserves a dog park please sign our petition and help spread the word! Thank you

Gas is a dangerous, polluting fossil fuel. It releases greenhouse gasses that contribute to the horrific bushfires and raging floods we’ve seen devastate communities across the country in recent years. And it isn’t just a disaster for our climate. It’s also bad for our health. Public health experts are concerned about the health risks of cooking with gas in our homes, which can have a similar impact on childhood asthma as living with cigarette smoke. But the good news is that some local councils around the country are bowing to community pressure and taking matters into their own hands - promising to end new gas connections, and help people with the cost of switching to electricity and renewables. And with enough pressure from the community, our local council could join this movement today!

Imagine living, working, and otherwise contributing to a community where you have no power. Imagine feeling like your voice is never heard in your own home. Imagine being denied the right to vote… in 2022. That is the reality of being a permanent resident in so-called Australia, in this so-called democracy. Estimates suggest that there are 2 million Permanent Residents in Australia*. That's a hefty percentage of our population! For many, getting to this point has been a battle hard-fought. Tears, sacrifices and a significant financial impact are all worth it for many of us, for that sense of security (a sense denied to many of us who were still on temporary visas through the pandemic). Many of us have jobs, and pay taxes. Taxes we don’t get any say in how they are spent. We work in health, education, government, for non-profits - just like Australians. Some of us work those jobs no Australians will do, perhaps on the farms. Some of us volunteer, or get involved with our local community in other ways. We may be students, bettering ourselves for the sake of this country. Others still raise Australian children, our future generation. Some do it all, while some are just figuring it out right now. But even those who do “nothing” contribute to our economy, and more importantly, our society. No matter the level of these contributions, we should all count. Politics literally touch every tiny bit of our lives, every day. The rights we have at work, the protections we have as women, children, or people living with a disability, as well as our ability to access the healthcare and welfare systems. The list goes on. So, why don’t we just become citizens? It is not that easy. Not only is it a time-consuming process, you have to meet a lot of extra requirements. Plus - you guessed it - you have to pay more money (the costs just doubled last year). The wait lists are also pretty ridiculous… and the applications are not processed in order, despite claims to the contrary. Finally, many countries don’t even allow you to have dual citizenship! We are not asking for special treatment. I cannot possibly speak for everybody, but most of us are so grateful to be here. On a personal level, I believe the right to vote is so important. Women died for the right. In all patriarchal and/or white supremacist and/or classist societies, denying a marginalised group the right to vote has always been commonplace. Disgracefully, First Nations people were only given such a right (on stolen land) in 1962. This seems unthinkable now. While I cannot begin to imagine such oppression, surely this is shocking as well? The etymology of the word "democracy" roughly means "the will of the people". ALL people. Did you know? Other countries allow all residents to vote, providing they have shown at least some commitment. The commitment we have shown, I promise you, goes above and beyond. I have been here for almost 6 years, dedicating myself to this country and its people. I am far from the only one. I will pursue this campaign even after I proudly accept my citizenship, hopefully later this year. I love my Australian partner, my Australian friends, all of my opportunities. Chances are, you know someone like me - maybe you were someone like me - please let us be heard! Personally, I think we should allow anyone living here long-term the right (including prisoners), but let’s start with PR. This is our home, our FOREVER home, and we care about it - so we want the chance to make it better. *It is strangely difficult to find the exact numbers of Permanent Residents living in Australia. For the year ending 30 June 2020, there were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia. 29.8% of Australia's population were born overseas. According to the most recent data from 2016, only 82% of respondents were citizens on Census night. In my city, Sydney, that figure dropped to 64%. Allowing for many temporary visa holders and even tourists, this still leaves a large amount of Permanent Residents unaccounted for. (Please note, 2021 data has not yet been published)

Busking at Currimundi Lake is currently financially nonviable due to the specific location being away from the majority of the community gatherings, and times of the approved busking zone being too limiting finishing before the majority of the community gathers (5pm). Busking does not happen in the current approved zone because buskers do not get enough of an audience. The lead petitioners are musicians, performers and Currimundi local residents who want to showcase art where the community want to gather to see it. We want the Council to amend the current location and times for approved street performances at Currimundi Lake. We want the approved zone moved to the lawn adjacent to the public gazebo; where people mostly gather and where the Currimundi Twilight Markets also have their entertainers. We want the times to be amended to include the hours between 12pm and 30 minutes after sunset (seasonal). This change will directly affect and assist the income of dozens of local musicians who have enjoyed entertaining at this location until the recent Council changes. It will encourage the cohesion and connection of local community where the community chooses to gather and socialise. This alternative busking zone will help with exposure to a larger audience for existing local performers, and nurture and encourage young local performers to also showcase their art to their friends, family and the public that gather there.