Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Protests in support of Palestine and Gaza are expected across the country on Sunday as part of a national day of action to protest Israel’s attacks on the beleaguered enclave. The protests will include a march across the Victoria Bridge in Brisbane after a court order found a proposal to cross Story Bridge was unsafe.
The Albanese government has pledged to “cut red tape” and fast-track environmental approvals for new homes to speed up construction by freezing building regulations until 2029. The government says it will help speed up the process of building 26,000 new homes under environmental laws.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
Key events
‘Dam has burst’: Palestine support swells before march
Australians in more than 40 cities are set to march for Palestine, in what organisers say would be one of the largest mobilisations in Australian history.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians are expected to march in a nationwide groundswell of support for the Palestinian cause, days after famine was declared in Gaza for the first time.
Marchers, backed by more than 250 community organisations, unions and prominent public figures will turn up at rallies in more than 40 cities on Sunday to demand sanctions and an end to Australia’s arms trade with Israel.
Palestine Action Group’s Sydney spokesman Josh Lees said organisers are anticipating up to half a million people to turn out, up from the estimated 300,000 that attended the Sydney Harbor Bridge march in early August, which they say was a reflection of the huge outpouring of support for Palestinians.
That bridge march has generated so much momentum around the country.
The dam has burst in terms of support for Palestine and opposition to this genocide.
The action comes days after the United Nations confirmed famine in parts of the Gaza Strip for the first time, as Israel prepares for a military takeover of the entire city.
Speakers slated to address crowds include high-profile activist Grace Tame and journalist Antoinette Lattouf.
Israel has rejected its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, a claim that has also been brought against it before the International Court of Justice, and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the famine declaration an “outright lie”.
– AAP
Albanese government cuts red tape in bid to boost home building
The Albanese government has promised to cut red tape and fast-track environmental approvals for new homes in an effort to address Australia’s housing crisis.
On Saturday, the government announced plans to pause further residential changes to the National Construction Code and to streamline the assessment of more than 26,000 homes under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The announcement follows the economic reform roundtable this week, at which housing was a focus. According to the government, there was broad consensus that “commonsense changes could reduce the regulatory burden for builders and boost housing supply”.
“For too many builders in Australia, it takes longer to get approval for a home than it does to build one,” the government said in a statement.
The government said it would work with states and territories to pause further changes to the National Construction Code. It would then consult on ways to streamline the code, including the use of artificial intelligence to help tradies, small business and households in using the three-volume, 2000-page code.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s Petra Stock:
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speers this morning.
Federal minister for housing Clare O’Neil spoke to Sky News this morning to spruik the government’s proposal to fast track housing approvals and Shadow Treasurer Ted O’Brien.
We will bring you the latest as it develops.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Protests in support of Palestine and Gaza are expected across the country on Sunday as part of a national day of action to protest Israel’s attacks on the beleaguered enclave. The protests will include a march across the Victoria Bridge in Brisbane after a court order found a proposal to cross Story Bridge was unsafe.
The Albanese government has pledged to “cut red tape” and fast-track environmental approvals for new homes to speed up construction by freezing building regulations until 2029. The government says it will help speed up the process of building 26,000 new homes under environmental laws.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started …
