THE Department of the House of Representatives is pleased to announce that entries are now open for the 2026 Yarning Competition.

Yarning is an Australia-wide storytelling competition that invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students from across Australia to share their perspectives and stories with the Australian Parliament.

It provides a platform, through art, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to connect with, and learn about, the work of the Australian Parliament. 

Students may choose a creative medium such as visual art, text, photography, video or audio to address one of the four themes – Country and Connection; Identity and Culture; Family and Community; Reconciliation.

Three winners from each of the year groups (Years 7/8; Years 9/10; Years 11/12) will receive an expenses-paid trip to Parliament House in Canberra, including flights and accommodation, and a prize pack valued at $250. Their artwork will also be exhibited at Parliament House.

All competition entries will be displayed on the Yarning website.

For further information and entry submission, visit the website: Yarning Competition – Sharing Stories, Celebrating Culture. Entries close May 11, 2026.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP said, "The Yarning Competition is a wonderful new program where we recognise the emerging talent of our First Nations artists and young people from across Australia.

“Yarning was designed to give young First Nations people a platform to share not just their artwork, but their ideas and perspectives,” he said.

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THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (the Committee) will be holding a series of public hearings on Friday, February 6,for three of its current inquiries.

They are: Department of Defence—9 Molonglo Drive project, Brindabella Park, Australian Capital Territory; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade—Refurbishment of Australian High Commission Staff Residential Compound, Konedobu, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts—Proposed Fit-out of New Leased Premises at One City Hill, Canberra City

The Department of Defence’s works seek to fit out a new office at 9 Molonglo Drive, replacing its current office accommodation at Brindabella Park. The total estimated cost is $103.9 million.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s works seek to refurbish 39 apartments at its Konedobu Residential Compound in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The total estimated cost is $37.3 million.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, Sports and the Arts’ works seek to fit-out its new office at One City Hill as the second stage of its Canberra City precinct project. The total estimated cost is $46.4 million.

Committee Chair, Tony Zappia MP, said, "Routine office fit outs provide the committee an opportunity to monitor current construction market trends through the scrutiny of Ggovernment property priorities."

The committee will hear from relevant officers from the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts at the hearings. Interested members of the public are encouraged to listen in to the public hearing via the APH website or attend the hearing in person at the location listed below.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Time: 9:30am–10:15am – Department of Defence (AEDT)

Time: 11:25am–12:10pm – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (AEDT)

Time: 2pm–2:45pm – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts (AEDT)

Location: Committee room 1R5, Australian Parliament House

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 has commenced an inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling, and is seeking written submissions to guide the inquiry’s findings.

Ensuring that renewable technologies, such as solar panels, are responsibly managed at the end of their life is essential to protecting Australia's environment. This inquiry will take a close look at how Australia currently handles ageing and decommissioned solar panels, examining the scale of today’s waste challenge and what’s expected in the years ahead. It will assess existing disposal practices, comparing the economic and environmental impacts of reuse, versus recycling, and landfill.

The inquiry will explore the environmental, economic, and energy‑security opportunities that could come from recovering valuable materials from end‑of‑life panels. It will also consider how developed Australia’s reuse and recycling capabilities are, and what more may be needed to support a sustainable and circular solar industry.

Committee Chair, Anne Urquhart said, "As the amount of solar generation installed across the nation continues to grow, it is critical to examine the end-of-life plan for solar infrastructure. This inquiry will examine the current and future impacts of solar waste, and the state of Australia’s solar panel reuse and recycling capabilities.

"To progress Australia’s transition to a circular economy, the barriers to reusing and recycling solar panels at scale need to be identified through close collaboration with industry, academia, and subject matter experts."

The committee has invited written submissions addressing the terms of reference by March 27, 2026. Further 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 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts will explain its key financial role at the opening public hearing for the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding.

In 2023-24 the Department was responsible for administering more than $5 billion or 94% of the Commonwealth’s total commitment to local governments. The committee wants to better understand how the Department’s manages its important role in the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia.

Of this funding for local governments, more than $3 billion in 2023-24 was provided under the untied Financial Assistance Grants. Another $500 million was for Roads to Recovery (RTR) and also $730 million for Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) programs.

Chair of the committee, Fiona Phillips, said, "The committee will be considering whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments and identify how funding arrangements affect local government’s ability to deliver services and invest in local infrastructure."

Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

Evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport inquiry into Local Government Sustainability of the 47^th Parliament will also be considered as part of this new inquiry.

The committee will schedule further public hearings in 2026.

Public hearing

Date: Thursday, 5 February 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website.

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