THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy is powering ahead with its inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid.

Written submissions to the inquiry, addressing one or more of the terms of reference, are due at the end of next week on Friday, 28 April 2017.

The Committee is eager to hear from interested stakeholders, so submitters are reminded to lodge their submissions by the due date via the inquiry website. To assist stakeholders in formulating their submissions, the Committee has prepared a brief discussion paper expanding on the terms of reference.

In addition to written submissions, the Committee is also accepting answers to an online questionnaire, which asks households and businesses to share information about how they currently interact with the electricity grid, and about their expectations of the grid into the future.

The Chair of the Committee, Mr Andrew Broad MP, said the Committee is keen to learn about the challenges the community identifies with the current electricity grid.

“We also need to identify what opportunities exist to modernise this important and essential service’s infrastructure,” Mr Broad said.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mr Pat Conroy MP, said written submissions and questionnaire answers are vital in guiding the Committee.

“This is a bipartisan inquiry, and we’ll focus on the issues that are important to the community and to stakeholders,” Mr Conroy said.

Further information about the inquiry—including the terms of reference, the discussion paper, and the online questionnaire—is available on the inquiry webpage. Information about how to make a submission to an inquiry can be obtained from the Parliament of Australia webpage.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics today presented its second Report on the banking sector.

On 24 November 2016 the committee tabled its first Report which contained 10 Recommendations designed to improve the banking system for Australian consumers. The second Report affirms these 10 Recommendations, and calls on Government to implement each of them.

The March 2017 public hearings provided the committee with an opportunity to scrutinise the banks over their response to the committee’s November Recommendations and the Carnell Report Recommendation into the use of non-monetary default clauses in small business loans.

Committee Chair David Coleman MP said that the second round of hearings had provided a useful forum in which to scrutinise the banks on the November recommendations.

“Each of these Recommendations should be implemented,” Mr Coleman said.

“The committee is open to some modest variations to the first report Recommendations but affirms the substance of each of them.

“In particular, it is important that the committee’s Recommendations on executive accountability, creating a new focus on competition, and opening up of consumer data are acted upon.”

Mr Coleman said that ANZ had been notably more constructive than the other banks during the hearings.

“Other than ANZ, the banks all argued against the committee’s recommendations to put in place a new executive accountability regime and increase the focus on competition in the banking sector,” Mr Coleman said. 

“The reasoning of the banks on these matters was not in any way persuasive and their views should be rejected by the Government.”

As part of the hearings, the committee scrutinised the banks over their use of non-monetary default clauses in small business loans. This matter was examined by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Ms Kate Carnell, as part of her inquiry into small business loans.

The committee commends Ms Carnell on her important work on this issue and has recommended that non-monetary default clauses be abolished for loans to small business.

The report can be accessed from the Committee’s website.

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THE BACKLOT Films is thrilled to announce the exclusive ‘one week only’ theatrical release of the much-anticipated documentary I Am Heath Ledger in Australia.  A select number of cinemas have been secured in each state for the release on Thursday May 11.

I Am Heath Ledger is a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Heath Ledger: actor, artist and icon. The documentary provides an intimate look at Heath through the lens of his own camera as he films and often performs in his own personal journey.

Extravagant in gesture and in action, Heath’s artistic nature and expression set him apart from the Hollywood mainstream, and ultimately vaulted him to stardom and endeared him to the world.

Complementing the footage from his own personal recordings, the documentary also features excerpts of his greatest performances, combined with interviews with friends and family (including Ben Mendelsohn, Naomi Watts, Ang Lee, Ben Harper, and his sister Kate).  

I Am Heath Ledger is co-directed by Derik Murray (with Adrian Buitenhuis), the man behind the “I Am” slate of documentaries on Bruce Lee, Steve McQueen, Evel Knievel, Chris Farley and JFK Jr. His film work is rounded out by the Academy Award® shortlisted feature documentary Facing Ali, and the feature documentary Johnny Cash - American Rebel.

Set for a World Premiere this weekend at the Tribecca Film Festival in New York on the evening of April 23, the documentary will then screen in LA for the Australians In Film Society, ahead of the Australian Premiere on Tuesday 9th May at Luna Cinemas in Perth, which will be attended by Heath’s family.

The official trailer for the documentary released online last week and has had more than 5 million worldwide views.  Interest has been huge in Australia with media and fans clamouring for more information on a potential release in Heath’s home country.

Information on locations that have been selected to screen I Am Heath Ledger can be found at the official Australian website - www.iamheathledger.com.au.  Locations will continue to be added and more information will be released in the lead up to May 11 via the website and Facebook.

I Am Heath Ledger is produced by Network Entertainment with theatrical distribution in Australia via The Backlot Films. International media sales are via Fremantle Media. All cinema / exhibitor enquiries should be directed to The Backlot Films - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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SATELLITE imagery depicting pictures of what was purported to be a coal spill from the Abbot Point port into wetlands have been shown as a clear misrepresentation of the satellite imagery supplied by NASA.

Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said NASA’s own website provided further evidence that the information supplied to the ABC by the Mackay Conservation Group was incorrect.

“It’s disgraceful that satellite imagery was misrepresented as coal particles in the water by the Mackay Conservation Group when in fact NASA’s website clearly says water absorbs light so it is usually black in the images.”

“Similar photos taken in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie show black water in the imagery which included swimming pools and waterways nowhere near coal terminals.”

In a statement Adani confirmed they were not only acting within its Temporary Emissions Licence (TEL) from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) but have not exceeded its normal licence limits.

“It’s time these extreme tactics of environmental activists were exposed and all media outlets should be alert to the constant misrepresentation of the truth by groups opposed to economic development in Queensland,” said Mr Macfarlane.

www.qrc.org.au

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