25 April 2023

Media release: Defence Strategic Review's Calls for East Coast Nuclear Powered Submarine Facility Puts Illawarra at Risk

Today’s Defence Strategic Review confirms highly contentious plans to put a nuclear submarine base on Australia’s east coast without formally identifying the site. This is a decision that the Albanese government has agreed to “in-principle” leaving the Illawarra at serious risk of being targeted for the nuclear facility.

24 March 2023

In response to questioning by the Greens Defence Spokesperson David Shoebridge, the Labor government today refused to disclose how much weapons-grade uranium would be carried on the Virginia class submarines Australia will buy under the AUKUS submarine deal.

Greens councillor and candidate for Wollongong Cath Blakey today attended the Animal Welfare League NSW - Illawarra Mobile Vet Clinic in Warrawong.

“The vet clinic is offering free health checks, vaccinations and microchipping for pets of low income earners, and Council staff are on hand to support pet owners with animal registration,” said Ms Blakey.

23 March 2023

The Greens’ lead Upper House candidate Cate Faehrmann MP is visiting the Illawarra today to give a final pitch to voters in the region.

“In all likelihood, the days of any single party having an absolute mandate are over,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“This places the Greens in an excellent position to push the next government further and faster on issues that will make a real difference in people’s lives.

Greens candidate for Keira Kit Docker is calling on the next NSW government to pursue brave and ambitious policy reform in the banking sector to give households greater choice and ease the cost of living pressure on their weekly budgets.

15 March 2023

Cath Blakey, Greens Councillor and state candidate for Wollongong joined the Mothers and Midwives of the Illawarra community picnic to launch the Greens commitment to announce paid placements for nurses, midwives and paramedics in training.

Greens councillor and candidate for Wollongong Cath Blakey has reiterated that Nurse to Patient ratios is a key demand of her party in any minority government after March 25. This comes as the Nurses and Midwives Association lodge evidence in the supreme court showing that the NSW government’s current staffing model is resulting in understaffing and poor patient care.

Today’s $368+ billion submarine announcement should send a shiver through the Illawarra, with Port Kembla earmarked as the preferred base for the new nuclear-powered submarines.

Greens Housing spokesperson Jenny Leong MP has called on Shadow Planning Minister and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully MP,  to make a clear commitment to higher affordable housing targets, given Wollongong Council’s ALP councillors joined with Liberal councillors at Monday night to vote down the Greens proposal for strong affordable housing targets instead settling on very weak targets.

The Illawarra and Sutherland Greens are calling for the removal of shark nets at Garie Beach in Royal National Park and the revocation of shark meshing program on Illawarra beaches.

With schools back this week, Greens candidate for Keira Kit Docker is calling for fully funded public education that is free and accessible for all.

NSW Greens MPs and local Greens candidates have condemned plans by the greyhound racing industry to ‘transform’ the Dapto greyhound track in the Illawarra into an ‘international gambling hub’.

Greens NSW have named Wollongong City Councillor Cath Blakey as the candidate for the NSW seat of Wollongong in the coming NSW election.

Greens candidate for the seat of Keira Kit Docker is calling for mandated nurse to patient ratios in public hospitals to ensure patient safety, improve working conditions for nurses and midwives and tackle the growing NSW healthcare crisis.

Launching his campaign for Keira in the March NSW election local resident Kit Docker called for action to alleviate homelessness, make housing more affordable and deliver real and practical transport options for all Keira citizens.

With rapidly rising rents and mortgage repayments, housing is becoming unaffordable for many people. Greens candidate for Keira Kit Docker has spoken with several Illawarra housing and homelessness service providers in the last fortnight and believes that the NSW government can do much more to alleviate this problem.

Launching his campaign for the 2023 NSW election, Greens Candidate for Heathcote Cooper Riach called for urgent action on climate change, calling for creative small-scale solutions such as community battery projects and drastically improving local active and public transport.

Wollongong Greens Councillor Mithra Cox has a motion at Wollongong Council’s May 23 meeting, asking Councillors to consider switching off gas connections to all new homes and instead encouraging households to electrify everything on the path to net zero emissions.

Over the first two years of the pandemic, one in five young NSW people (aged 18-29) were diagnosed with a new mental health issue, and one in four young Australians (aged 16-24) thought about suicide.

Greens candidate for Cunningham Dylan Green says more needs to be done to address mental health, particularly among young people.

Five independent groups have backed the Greens policies for real action on climate change that would help keep global warming to about 1.5 degrees in accord with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Greens candidate for Cunningham Dylan Green welcomed the independent assessments.

Climate Analytics, Vote One Climate, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, The Illawarra Climate Coalition and Beyond Coal Coast all endorsed the Greens policy to bring direct action for climate change.

Greens candidate for Cunningham Dylan Green called for fairer tax for workers as official estimates predict the stage 3 tax cuts will cost the nation $202.6 billion over the next eight years.

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. A recent study found that nearly half of Australia’s transgender population has attempted suicide, revealing the depth of the problem facing gender and sexuality diverse communities.

Greens candidate for Cunningham Dylan Green wants all LGBTQIA+ people to be free from discrimination.