NATIONAL civil preparedness and resilience will be the focus of a new inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence.

Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "There is no more important task than the defence of the nation. We live in a time of geostrategic contest that grows more complex by the day.

"The task of defending the nation and deterring assaults on our sovereignty falls not only to armed service men and women but to every Australian, and engages every sector of the economy and our civil society. The task of readying for the security of Australia impels us to assess the civil preparedness and resilience of our nation.

"Recent conflicts overseas have exposed how quickly Australia’s reliance on the interconnected global economy, and its trade networks, can make us vulnerable to supply chain shocks," Senator O’Neill said.

"The inquiry will consider whole-of-nation support for national defence, continuity of government, and the availability of essential goods and services (including fuel) during times of crisis or conflict. In doing so, the committee will examine opportunities to work with state, territory and local governments in response to crises and conflict, as well as the private sector and Australian communities."

Deputy Chair, Senator Dave Sharma, said, "Australia's deteriorating strategic environment and heightened geopolitical risk requires a greater degree of resilience, preparedness and self-reliance, so Australia can withstand global shocks. This inquiry will contribute to that effort."

Through this inquiry, the committee is aiming to identify the strengths and gaps in Australia’s national civil preparedness and resilience, as it currently stands.

The inquiry will also explore international best practice on national civil preparedness and opportunities to adapt these practices to the Australian context.

The committee has invited submissions that respond to the inquiry’s terms of reference by Friday, November 6. More information, including the terms of reference and details on how to make a submission, can be found on the Committee’s website.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs will hold public hearings in Hobart (Wednesday, August 5) and Melbourne (Thursday August 6 and Friday August 7) for its inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Committee Chair, Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman Senator Jana Stewart, said, “The upcoming hearings will allow the committee to hear from further national stakeholders as well as a range of Tasmanian and Victorian organisations and individuals.

"We look forward to hearing from national sporting organisations and leading media voices about the challenges of addressing racism in public life and the practical measures that can help prevent harmful behaviour and improve accountability. We are keen to explore what further action is needed to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are treated with respect both on and off the field, and across Australia's media landscape.

"The Committee also welcomes the opportunity to hear directly from the Tasmanian Government, including the Tasmanian Department of Health, the Tasmanian Department of Justice and the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People. We will be interested to hear about the policies, programs and practical measures being implemented across government to prevent and respond to racism and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

The inquiry is examining the prevalence, impacts and drivers of racism, hate and violence, with a strong focus on online racism, reporting mechanisms, and how governments and institutions can better respond. Evidence gathered during the hearings will inform the Committee’s final report to Parliament.

In Hobart, witnesses scheduled to appear include the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA), the Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Communities Alliance (TRACA), the First Peoples (Tasmania) Aboriginal Corporation (FPTAC) and several Tasmanian Government departments as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals with lived experience of racism. In Melbourne, witnesses include national sporting federations, media organisations (SBS, NITV and the ABC) and several media personalities including John Paul Janke, Narelda Jacobs, Brooke Blurton and Brooke Boney.

Information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and the public hearing program, is available on the committee’s website.

If you would like to attend the hearing as an observer, please contact the secretariat via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (02) 6277 4559.

Please note the committee and secretariat are unable to provide counselling, advice, or support for individuals. Help is available:

For First Nations people:

• 13YARN: 13 92 76
• Brother to Brother: 1800 435 799
• Yarning SafeNStrong: 1800 959 563

For all people:

• Lifeline: Call 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
• MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978
• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
• Headspace: 1800 650 890
• Suicide Call Back Service:1300 659 467
• 1800 Respect: 1800 737 732

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THE Productivity Commission, Creative Australia and other arts organisations will give evidence at a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss boosting arts and cultural philanthropy.

Chair of the House Standing Committee on Communications, the Arts and Sport, Susan Templeman MP, said the inquiry had uncovered significant opportunities to strengthen private investment in the arts:

"The evidence we've received points to several recurring issues, from tax settings and access to philanthropic networks to support for regional artists and the effectiveness of existing government programs.

"There is strong interest in finding new ways to encourage giving to the arts. This hearing will help us examine those ideas in greater detail and hear how government agencies believe Australia can build a stronger culture of arts philanthropy."

More information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 4 August 2026
Time: 10am to around 2pm (Canberra time)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Watch on YouTube @AUSParliamentLive or ParlView.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will be conducting a public hearing in Hobart as part of its ongoing inquiry into the 2025 Federal Election.

Chair of the Committee, Jerome Laxale, said, "Over the course of this inquiry, the committee has heard from communities about their experiences at the 2025 Federal Election. At these upcoming hearings, we want to continue hearing evidence relating to conduct at the 2025 election, and we are also looking to gain further insight into the views of Tasmanians on the composition and size of the Australian Parliament.

"We are also interested to hear further evidence about political communications and the frameworks that underpin authorisations, as well as the threat of interference in the electoral process," Mr Laxale said.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, August 5. Members of the public have been invited to contribute to the committee’s inquiry by making short verbal statements of up to five minutes.

To register interest in making a statement, people can contact the Committee Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Respondents should include their name, contact details, the capacity in which they participated in the 2025 election (for example, as a voter or volunteer), and what they would like to discuss.

Further information on the 2025 election inquiry can be found at the inquiry webpage. Committee details can be found at the Committee’s webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 5 August 2026
Location: Parliament House, Hobart TAS 7000

Programs for these upcoming hearings will be advertised on the committee’s public hearings webpage as they are finalised.

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 3, as part of its inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling.

The inquiry was referred on January 19 this year by the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Murray Watt.

TODAY's Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed Australia’s inflation rate eased to 3.8%, the lowest in four months -- but housing cost pressure remains a major issue according to Master Builders Australia.

Master Builders Australia chief cconomist, Shane Garrett said the result comes after Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock signalled that further interest rate increases could be required if inflation was not brought under control.

“While it’s encouraging that the headline rate of inflation is softening, today’s figures continue to show that housing cost pressures remain a problem,” Mr Garrett said.

“The cost of buying a new home is rising at its fastest in three years with a 5.8% increase over the past year. This is the result of a range of unfavourable settings on the supply side of the housing market. Rental inflation also remains stubborn with a 3.6% increase over the year to June 2026,” he said.

The peak body is also warning that inflation cannot be addressed without also tackling the productivity challenges that continue to drive up costs across the economy.

Master Builders Australia will appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Productivity this afternoon. They plan to present evidence that productivity-reducing and cost-increasing provisions in CFMEU-backed enterprise agreements make construction projects significantly more expensive to deliver and drive inflationary pressures.

Master Builders Australia national director of policy and legal, Melissa Byrne will tell the committee that unlawful behaviour, poor procurement frameworks and excessive industrial interference undermine productivity, increase costs and fail to deliver safer worksites.

"We will be telling the Senate that the administration of the CFMEU was an important first step, but it cannot be the last," Ms Byrne said.

"Long-term reform is needed to ensure history does not repeat itself when the administration period ends.

"Our six-point plan includes stronger witness protections, the removal of productivity-sapping enterprise agreement provisions, tougher action against anti-competitive conduct, stronger fit-and-proper-person requirements for officials, and the establishment of a dedicated industry regulator.

"These reforms would improve productivity, reduce unnecessary costs and help ease inflationary pressures. The Federal Government must now focus on improving productivity, strengthening accountability and restoring confidence in one of Australia's most important industries,” Ms Byrne said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations, Skills and Training will hold a public hearing in Canberra on Thursday, July 30, as part of its inquiry into the operation and adequacy of the National Employment Standards (NES).

The inquiry was referred to the Committee on November 27 last year by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth MP.

As it moves towards the end of its hearing program, the committee will explore several specialised issues that have emerged during the inquiry, including evidence requirements for personal leave, long service leave arrangements, and information about working conditions which employers must provide to their employees.

The committee will hear from legal experts, academics, medical practitioners, and stakeholder representatives.

Committee Chair, Dr Carina Garland MP, said the hearing would provide an opportunity to test evidence received throughout the inquiry and seek expert views on practical options for reform.

‘The inquiry has highlighted a number of complex issues that affect workers and employers in different ways, such as discrepancies in long service leave entitlements, the requirement for medical certificates when taking leave and employee rights to information about their employment," Dr Garland said. "This hearing will help the committee examine these issues in greater detail and identify practical solutions to ensure minimum employee entitlements remain clear, accessible and fit for purpose."

The committee will hear evidence from:

• Professor Emerita Sara Charlesworth;
• Law Council of Australia;
• Western Australian Government;
• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners;
• Employment Rights Legal Service;
• SA Portable Long Service Leave;
• Professor Emeritus David Peetz;
• Minerals Council of Australia;
• Australian Dairy Products Federation.

Further information is available on the committee's website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 30 July 2026
Time: 9am to 3.30pm
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) said new independent Australian research has provided further evidence that relatively simple planning reforms can deliver meaningful increases in housing supply.

"New Australian research has reinforced concerns that minimum lot size requirements, many of which were introduced to address planning challenges from a very different era, continue to hold back housing supply today," HIA executive director for planning and development, Sam Heckel said.

The research paper, What Local Land Use Reform Does, and Doesn't Do, by the e61 Institute and the Centre for International Economics examined planning reforms in Adelaide's City of Campbelltown and found that reducing minimum lot size requirements increased housing approvals by 67 percent, with the additional supply largely delivered through townhouses and row housing.

"At a time when governments are struggling to meet ambitious housing targets, many planning schemes continue to impose minimum lot size requirements that limit housing supply and housing choice." Mr Heckel said.

"The impact is not just fewer homes. Restrictive lot size controls often prevent the delivery of smaller and more affordable housing options that can provide an entry point into established suburbs for first home buyers, downsizers and key workers."

The findings support HIA's recent Increasing Gentle Density: Unlocking Subdivision report, which identified minimum lot size controls as a major barrier to increasing housing supply and a conservative reduction of minimum lot sizes could reduce the cost of a new home by more than $200,000 through lower land costs alone.

"Large parts of Australian cities remain subject to lot size requirements that no longer reflect modern housing needs," Mr Heckel said.

"Importantly, this new independent research also demonstrates that when planning barriers are removed, industry responds. The issue is often not a lack of industry capacity, but the planning controls that limit what can be built.

“Australia is already projected to fall well short of the National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million homes.

"If governments are serious about improving affordability and increasing supply, they must be prepared to reform outdated planning controls that prevent land from being used more efficiently.

"There is no shortage of reports, reviews and policy proposals recommending greater housing diversity and more efficient use of residential land.

"What is often missing is the urgency required to translate those recommendations into tangible housing outcomes for Australians struggling to find a home," Mr Heckel said.

www.hia.com.au

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