THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold the first public hearing today for its inquiry into the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The agreement closes gaps in the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and enables Australia to take an active role in maintaining the health of marine environments.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The maintenance of ocean health supports Australia’s marine industries and reflects the Government’s international environmental leadership and nature positive agenda. The good health of marine ecosystems, biodiversity and resources provides cultural, social and economic value to Australia.

"As a member of the High Ambition Coalition, Australia has long been an advocate for the Agreement. By ratifying and becoming party to the Agreement, Australia will be able to influence decision making on global environmental action. Ratification will also benefit Australian industries such as tourism, fishing and aquaculture, and will provide Australian scientists with access to undiscovered materials and information," Ms Chesters said.

"This agreement is a priority for many nations within the Indo-Pacific. Early ratification will ensure that Australia remains an influential leader in the agreement’s implementation, contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific and supports our foreign policy objectives," she said.

The committee will hold the first public hearing at 2pm today, where they will hear evidence from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as from panels of academic, industry and NGO stakeholders.

Professor Donald Rothwell will appear at a second hearing on September 9. The committee will hear evidence relating to his submission to the inquiry.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 5 September 2024
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Monday 9 September 2024
Time: 12.10pm to 12.40pm (approximately)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

More information about the committee and its inquiry can be found on the Committee’s website.

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

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THIS WEEK, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP will be in Victoria, as part of the Parliament in Schools program.

Students will learn about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks.

On Monday September 2, the Speaker will visit:

• Coburg Primary School, Coburg with the Member for Wills, Mr Peter Khalil MP;
• Olympic Village Primary, Heidelberg West, with the Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Social Security, Assistant Minister for Ageing, Member for Jagajaga, Kate Thwaites MP;
• Camelot Rise Primary School, Glen Waverley, with the Member for Chisholm, Dr Carina Garland MP.

On Tuesday, September 3, with the Member for Dunkley, Ms Jodie Belyea MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Banyan Fields Primary School, Carrum Downs;
• Woodlands Primary School, Langwarrin;
• Kingsley Park Primary School, Frankston.

From Wednesday September 4 to Friday September 6, with the Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Kurnai College, Churchill;
• Churchill Primary School, Churchill;
• Woodside Primary School, Woodside;
• Guthridge Primary School, Sale;
• Lindenow Primary School, Lindenow;
• Snowy River Campus – School for Student Leadership, Marlo;
• Orbost Community College, Orbost.

“Since we launched this program, we have visited over 100 schools across Australia – from King Island to Far North Queensland to Nullagine," Speaker Milton Dick said.

“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia.

“These students are our future leaders, and it is important that we equip them with the information and tools they need, to go on to be active and engaged citizens.”

About the Parliament in Schools program

Launched in September 2022, the Parliament in Schools program is a bi-partisan initiative to make civics education accessible to students regardless of their location. In collaboration with local federal members, the Speaker is visiting schools across Australia to bring parliament to them.

The program is an extension to well-established Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) onsite, digital and outreach education programs available to schools across Australia.

It also complements the existing PEO online and print resources that are curriculum-aligned, for Australian teachers and students.

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AS PART of its inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water will travel to Brisbane to hear from representatives of the Queensland Government, the heavy vehicle industry, EV manufacturers and experts in battery technologies.

The committee will hold a half day of public hearings before conducting a site visit to Queensland Energy Storage Technology (QUEST) Hub, a facility enabling the research, development and commercialisation of battery materials, cells and systems.

On Friday September 6, the committee will conduct a second site visit to Lava Blue Ltd’s Centre for Predictive Research into Specialty Materials (PRiSM), where researchers are developing processes for manufacturing battery-grade materials.

Chair of the committee, Mr Tony Zappia MP, said, "The committee is eager to hear from the Queensland Government about its Electric Super Highway that is connecting commuters and tourists with fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles along the coastline and into regional and rural Queensland. In addition, the committee is looking forward to meeting with witnesses to further explore the impact the transition to EVs may have for Australian consumers and our transport and heavy vehicle sector.

"The site visits will give the committee an important opportunity to learn more about Australia’s growing domestic battery industry, battery certification and the circular economy."

The program for the public hearings can be found here.

The committee will be holding further public hearings in Canberra and Adelaide in September and October 2024. Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 5 September 2024
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Committee Room 1 (CR1), Queensland Parliament, Brisbane.
Witnesses: Queensland Government, ACE EV Group, Janus Electric, Volvo Group Australia, Strata Solve, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, Queensland University of Technology Energy Storage Research Group and the Queensland Energy Storage Technology Hub.

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ON MONDAY September 2, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

The subcommittee will hold a public hearing at the Sydney Masonic Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, and hear evidence from a range of regional and international development groups, including the Australian Red Cross, UNICEF Australia, Transparency International Australia, Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Oxfam Australia, as well as research and academic groups.

Subcommittee Chair, Josh Burns MP, said, "There are many organisations operating in the Pacific at different scales and with different areas of focus, with the overall goal of supporting the communities, economies, environment and cultures in the Pacific to thrive.

“We are also pleased to hear from a range of civil society organisations based in the Pacific, including the Tuvalu National Youth Council and the Kiribati Climate Action Network, about the work they are undertaking, their priorities and where they are looking for support.”

Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Monday 2 September 2024
9:30am – 4pm (AEST)
Sydney Masonic Centre, Sydney, NSW

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

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