It’s another Monday, and the news cycle kept on spinning over the weekend like an immortal, power-hungry washing machine. But at least that means humanity hasn’t gone extinct yet, right? Moreover, some of today’s headlines don’t telegraph any gnarly apocalypses coming our way. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening in Australia:
Centrelink Payments Increase Tomorrow
As per Labor’s promises earlier this month, Centrelink payments are going to bump up a notch. Moreover, according to Seven News, this change is happening from September 20.
If you’re on JobSeeker without a partner or kids, you’ll receive an extra $25.70 per fortnight. If you have a partner, that increase will instead be $23.40.
If you’re on the Parenting Payment scheme as a singleton, you’ll score an extra $35.20 each fortnight. If you’re a partnered-up parent, you’re in the same boat as some JobSeekers. You’ll also be getting an additional $23.40.
It’s worth noting that a number of experts believe that this update is not enough. One of those being: The Acting Chief Executive for the Australian Council of Social Service, Edwina MacDonald. Back in early September, she said, “Currently, JobSeeker is at $46.00 a day, youth allowance is at $38.00 a day and what we need in order to bring it up to the poverty line, is to bring it up to at least $70.00 a day.”
Our Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, stated that the amount that Australia’s JobSeeker recipients receive will be reviewed in May 2023.
Should Sydney’s Victoria Road Become Smaller?
In Sydney, there’s a bit of road infrastructure drama happening. Which, as we all know, is the juiciest tea one can sip.
So, what’s happening? Well, The Sydney Morning Herald has asserted that Victoria Road might become a lot less busy next year. So much so that several lanes of this road could potentially be replaced with some cafés, small businesses, and outdoor areas. This change could become a reality thanks to 2023’s WestConnex. It’s believed that WestConnex will dramatically reduce the amount of drivers using Victoria Road.
However, a notable amount of folks are concerned that Victoria Road will never get a glow-up. The Greens MP for Balmain, Jamie Parker, has asserted that it’s now do or die for the NSW Government when it comes to making a decision.
Moreover, Inner West councillor, Pauline Lockie has stated, “They were supposed to give us two public transport lanes on Parramatta Road years ago and that still hasn’t happened.”
She also noted, “I don’t have high hopes for them transforming Victoria Road. You have a small window of opportunity to take back some of that road space before it fills with traffic again.”
A spokesman for the NRMA, Peter Khoury, has also weighed into this conversation. He said, “Before any changes are made to Victoria Road, the commonsense approach would be to take a longer-term view on the impact it has on surface traffic and access to the CBD.”
Related: Transport for NSW, Stop Stealing My Money
Related: Live in NSW? You Can Save $9,000 on Your Energy Bills Using the Energy Savings Scheme
How One Farmer Is Fighting Climate Change
In some true blue good news, a NSW sheep farmer named Vinnie Heffernan has planted over 80,000 trees and shrubs. He’s done this huge undertaking to restore the land to a pre-colonial state, build biodiversity, and battle climate change.
“If I have better biodiversity then I have an ecosystem that is more resilient,” Heffernan explained to the ABC. “It is going to handle whatever climate change throws at it.”
“It is going to handle fires, floods, and droughts much better than an ecosystem that is liable to collapse.”
Furthermore, Danielle Binder, an ecologist, is super impressed with Heffernan’s work. She said, “It is going to take a long time to benefit all our fauna, but there are studies to suggest that it already has some benefits for birds and reptiles.”
“The bigger the better,” Binder additionally stated. “The more trees you plant, the more benefit there is going to be for the animals around.”
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.