New legislation to give communities a greater say in where mobile phone towers are installed has been given notice of by Greens Leader Bob Brown in the Senate today. 

"We've had some very frustrated people contact my office  recently because mobile phone towers are going up in places they don't think are appropriate, but they have nowhere to voice these concerns," Senator Brown said.

"The current law allows telecommunication companies to install 'low-impact' mobile phone facilities without having to go through local or state government planning processes.

Senator Bob Brown
Leader of the Australian Greens

I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move that:

The revelation by prominent media figure Ita Buttrose that, as editor-in-chief of the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph, owner Rupert Murdoch asked her to have a citizen followed is deeply troubling.

“This highly respected Australian would not release this information lightly. It adds greatly to speculation that the culture of Mr Murdoch’s empire percolates down, not up” said Senator Brown today.

“It is to Ms Buttrose’s enormous credit that she refused to have the person followed or, in her own words, to ‘go beyond what I thought I should do’.”

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown and Greens Senator for Victoria Richard Di Natale held a press conference to urge the Coalition to support plain packaging legislation for cigarrettes. Other topics included the proposed media inquiry, the upcoming tax review, coal seam gas mining and the carbon price package.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown held a press conference to discuss the Abbott opposition's economic recklessness, the proposed media inquiry, and other issues of the day.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown held a press conference to discuss the volume of public support for an Inquiry into media regulation and ownership in Australia.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown today held a press conference to discuss moves for a full Senate or Independent Inquiry into media ownership and regulation in Australia.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown today announced moves for a full Senate or Independent Inquiry into media ownership and regulation in Australia.

“While there have not been any allegations of unlawful or unethical behaviour by any of Australia's newspapers similar to that which resulted in the closure of News of the World, the potential for such behaviour and the breadth of the allegations in the UK indicates it is timely for a closer look at Australia's media regulation,” said Senator Brown.

An Inquiry would consider:

Senator Bob Brown

I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move that:

That the Minister for Communications investigate the direct or indirect ramifications to Australia of the criminal matters affecting the United Kingdom operations of News International, and report back to the Senate.