Call to parties: State and Federal elections

Climate and environment

1. Do you understand and accept the scientific consensus on climate change? If so what are your policies to ensure climate mitigation pathways compatible with limiting global temperature rises to no more than 1.5C, including in relation to investment in renewables and industrial carbon emissions regulation?

2. Will you legislate a regulatory framework for product stewardship, holding retailers and manufacturers accountable for managing their waste, and also provide national coordination and support for all waste reduction and management including through new large scale recycling infrastructure?

3. Will you instigate a national funding scheme dedicated to halt the loss of biodiversity and threatened species in urban areas through funding ‘nature in cities’ programs?

Transport

4. Do you accept that the Victorian share of Commonwealth infrastructure funding has been far too low for too long, and will you fast-track majority share funding for vital infrastructure projects Airport Rail, Metro Rail 2 and Fishermans Bend Light Rail? What is your proposed expenditure by year for each of these three projects?

5. Will you review and replace regulations and directives to CASA and Airservices Australia to ensure that non-emergency flight amenity impacts over built up areas can be effectively monitored, managed and – where they have significant amenity and safety impacts such as occurs in the vicinity of the Yarra River in the inner city – minimised?

Social security and community services

6. Will you greatly increase the funding available under a new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, and urgently create a National Homelessness Strategy and allocate sufficient funding to its implementation?

7. Will you reverse the assessment changes to the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program and provide adequate income and case management support for people seeking asylum while they seek sustainable employment?

8. Will you reinstate the ongoing operational funding for adventure playground community hubs that support healthy communities with a focus on disadvantaged children, which was stripped in the 2014 budget? (Federal funding was removed from the Venny, City of Melbourne, $129,000 p.a. indexed; Cubbies in Fitzroy, City of Yarra, $200,000; and Prahran playground, City of Stonnington, $125,000.)

9. Will you commit to a comprehensive review of welfare policies and a reform of Centrelink practices, in particular Proof of Identity practices, to ensure homelessness is not exacerbated and that the most vulnerable people in our cities can access social security?

Education

10. Will you review the National Strategy for International Education and how will you reduce unscrupulous recruitment practices by educational institutions?

11. Will you reduce international student working visa restrictions to enable greater employability?

12. Will you provide a policy position and support for the role of international students and their contribution beyond the period they study in a city? A discussion paper covering managing population growth and the potential productivity uplift and connection to the future success of a city and retention of its international student population is recommended.

Employment

13. What are your plans to ensure a fair share of Commonwealth agency jobs and headquarter locations in Melbourne?

Aboriginal Melbourne

14. Will you redouble the Commonwealths efforts to close the gap and ensure equality of outcomes for Aboriginal people across major indicators of health, education, training, housing, employment and living standards in the next decade?

Arts

15. Will you fully restore indexed Australia Council funding (last year’s restoration having fallen short by at least $14m) and commit to avoid Ministerial interference in arts funding programs?

Planning

16. As Melbourne is the fastest growing city in the country, will you work with the City of Melbourne, and the Victorian Government where appropriate, to pursue a City Deal for Melbourne?

17. Given the national significance of the financial implications of cladding rectification for building owners, will you establish a rectification relief fund, providing access to grants and low or interest free loans to expedite unsafe cladding removal?

18. Will you commit to a level of support funding to assist in projects that sustain adequate levels of care for World Heritage sites?

19. Will you review the national economic, social and financial implications of further development of the metropolitan fringes in comparison to urban consolidation?