Empty Airbnbs fuel Sydney's rental crisis
As Sydney's rental crisis continues, with sky-high prices and limited vacancies, thousands of properties that could house locals are sitting idle most of the year.
Short term rentals, like Stayz and Airbnb are having a huge impact on Sydney's tenants while property investors charge premium nightly rates, earning far more than traditional rentals.
An inquiry by Unions NSW into the rental market's severe supply shortage revealed there were were over 200,000 un-hosted Airbnb dwellings in Australia, while renters, including many essential workers, were struggling with rental stress or risked homelessness.
MORE: Investor tricks lock out hopeful homebuyers
Last year, 67,900 people sought help from homelessness services with thousands turned away due to a lack of funding, according to Homelessness NSW.
Unions NSW and Homelessness NSW are calling for urgent change, asking the state government to match Victoria's recently implemented 7.5 per cent levy on short-term rental stays.
MORE: Singles face impossible property reality
New builds vanish amid loan slump
Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said the pressure on the rental market exacerbated by short-term rentals has driven an alarming rise in homelessness.
'We are seeing a severe shortage of affordable rental properties, pricing more and more people out of the private market and into homelessness,' she said.
Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey said this was a 'commonsense approach.'
'(It) would make a positive difference. The Government promised to tackle housing affordability. We now need to see action,' he said.
The inquiry found essential workers faced additional challenges securing long-term housing because of the impacts of the short-term rental market.
'This is forcing the workers our communities rely on into excessive commutes, financial stress or even homelessness,' Mr Morey said.
The number of short-term rentals outnumbered vacant long-term rentals in some areas across Sydney, with a large portion near hospitals.
Search results on Airbnb showed over 1000 listings within proximity to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital located in Camperdown, while there were only 71 properties in the suburb listed for long-term rental on realestate.com.au.
On top of a 7.5 per cent levy, Unions NSW have suggested a 60-day statewide cap on un-hosted short-term rental stays.
Revenue from the proposed levy could go towards funding essential worker accomodation or homelessness services.
'A levy on short-term accommodation would encourage long-term rental availability and would raise much-needed funds that should be directed to overwhelmed and under-resourced homelessness services,' Ms Rowe said.
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SBS Australia
8 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Australia and UK to sign new 50-year treaty amid US uncertainty
The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK defence secretary Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Marles and Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is — but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Dr Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Marles and Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Bristow said.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Hunter Street Mall makeover: parking limits slashed, markets scrapped
MARKET stall holders will get the boot and parking will be limited to one hour in part of the Hunter Street Mall as Newcastle council works to bolster local businesses. The state of the mall came under the microscope at a council meeting this week after residents raised concerns with graffiti, lighting, road signage and disability access earlier this year. Independent councillor Peter Gittins said a number of those issues had been addressed, but graffiti was still a big problem. "The point that I would like to stress, and stress strongly, is the graffiti plague that is absolutely and totally evident in this city," he said. "Not only in the area between Newcomen and Thorne streets, but along Hunter Street in particular." Business Improvement Associations have funding available for beautification, and the City of Newcastle has undertaken public domain works as part of its East End Village project, aimed at reinstating Hunter Street as a traditional high street. The original motion to the council suggested working with businesses to remove graffiti or install public art; reviewing parking arrangements in the mall to support an additional 30-minute unpaid parking period, and asking council staff to scope a time-bound CCTV trial to address antisocial behaviour. What was approved largely acknowledged the work already under way. The council has been reviewing CBD parking since July 2024. A City of Newcastle spokesman confirmed that two-hour paid parking between Brown and Wolfe streets will drop to a one-hour limit. "This will ensure parking spaces turn over more regularly to support local businesses during planned construction works on the East End Village project," he said. In 2009, the council signed a contract with Sydney-based Chourlartons Australia, trading as Organic Food Markets, to operate markets in the mall. Initially designed to complement brick-and-mortar traders, the contract has continued on a month-to-month basis since 2017 and has recently dwindled to just two regular stallholders. Now, the council said they are operating in "direct competition" with nearby businesses. "The Newcastle Business Improvement Association wrote to City of Newcastle in 2023, indicating they do not support the continuation of the markets, as they have had a negative impact on the trade of the existing established businesses," a council spokesman said. With the next stages of the East End Village works looming, the space used by stallholders will no longer be available. The council spokesman said the market operator and stallholders were told about the changes in 2023, and the council is now preparing to issue a formal notice. The council has committed $6.5 million to renewal works in the precinct in its 2025-26 budget, including new footpaths, tree planting, road resurfacing and stormwater and water infrastructure replacements. Stage 5 of the East End Public Domain Plan has been funded for detailed design. Labor councillor Declan Clausen said he is optimistic about the changes coming to the mall. "At the moment, there is a billion dollars worth of private capital currently being invested into the mall, and it is creating a better environment than what was there previously," he said. "But it is disruptive, that's fair to say, and it has had an impact on some of the existing traders in the mall, as well as a result of the vacancies that have been necessary as demolition and construction work have continued." Cr Clausen said the process has been a "little clunky" but praised the businesses that have kept trading. "What I fear as a council is that when we talk negatively ... or point out some of these issues, the consequence of that is that it could turn away people and customers that would otherwise wish to visit that precinct," he said. Future changes to Hunter Street will include upgrades on Laing Street, Market Street and the potential for a Melbourne lane-way style development by closing Keightley Street to traffic. MARKET stall holders will get the boot and parking will be limited to one hour in part of the Hunter Street Mall as Newcastle council works to bolster local businesses. The state of the mall came under the microscope at a council meeting this week after residents raised concerns with graffiti, lighting, road signage and disability access earlier this year. Independent councillor Peter Gittins said a number of those issues had been addressed, but graffiti was still a big problem. "The point that I would like to stress, and stress strongly, is the graffiti plague that is absolutely and totally evident in this city," he said. "Not only in the area between Newcomen and Thorne streets, but along Hunter Street in particular." Business Improvement Associations have funding available for beautification, and the City of Newcastle has undertaken public domain works as part of its East End Village project, aimed at reinstating Hunter Street as a traditional high street. The original motion to the council suggested working with businesses to remove graffiti or install public art; reviewing parking arrangements in the mall to support an additional 30-minute unpaid parking period, and asking council staff to scope a time-bound CCTV trial to address antisocial behaviour. What was approved largely acknowledged the work already under way. The council has been reviewing CBD parking since July 2024. A City of Newcastle spokesman confirmed that two-hour paid parking between Brown and Wolfe streets will drop to a one-hour limit. "This will ensure parking spaces turn over more regularly to support local businesses during planned construction works on the East End Village project," he said. In 2009, the council signed a contract with Sydney-based Chourlartons Australia, trading as Organic Food Markets, to operate markets in the mall. Initially designed to complement brick-and-mortar traders, the contract has continued on a month-to-month basis since 2017 and has recently dwindled to just two regular stallholders. Now, the council said they are operating in "direct competition" with nearby businesses. "The Newcastle Business Improvement Association wrote to City of Newcastle in 2023, indicating they do not support the continuation of the markets, as they have had a negative impact on the trade of the existing established businesses," a council spokesman said. With the next stages of the East End Village works looming, the space used by stallholders will no longer be available. The council spokesman said the market operator and stallholders were told about the changes in 2023, and the council is now preparing to issue a formal notice. The council has committed $6.5 million to renewal works in the precinct in its 2025-26 budget, including new footpaths, tree planting, road resurfacing and stormwater and water infrastructure replacements. Stage 5 of the East End Public Domain Plan has been funded for detailed design. Labor councillor Declan Clausen said he is optimistic about the changes coming to the mall. "At the moment, there is a billion dollars worth of private capital currently being invested into the mall, and it is creating a better environment than what was there previously," he said. "But it is disruptive, that's fair to say, and it has had an impact on some of the existing traders in the mall, as well as a result of the vacancies that have been necessary as demolition and construction work have continued." Cr Clausen said the process has been a "little clunky" but praised the businesses that have kept trading. "What I fear as a council is that when we talk negatively ... or point out some of these issues, the consequence of that is that it could turn away people and customers that would otherwise wish to visit that precinct," he said. Future changes to Hunter Street will include upgrades on Laing Street, Market Street and the potential for a Melbourne lane-way style development by closing Keightley Street to traffic. MARKET stall holders will get the boot and parking will be limited to one hour in part of the Hunter Street Mall as Newcastle council works to bolster local businesses. The state of the mall came under the microscope at a council meeting this week after residents raised concerns with graffiti, lighting, road signage and disability access earlier this year. Independent councillor Peter Gittins said a number of those issues had been addressed, but graffiti was still a big problem. "The point that I would like to stress, and stress strongly, is the graffiti plague that is absolutely and totally evident in this city," he said. "Not only in the area between Newcomen and Thorne streets, but along Hunter Street in particular." Business Improvement Associations have funding available for beautification, and the City of Newcastle has undertaken public domain works as part of its East End Village project, aimed at reinstating Hunter Street as a traditional high street. The original motion to the council suggested working with businesses to remove graffiti or install public art; reviewing parking arrangements in the mall to support an additional 30-minute unpaid parking period, and asking council staff to scope a time-bound CCTV trial to address antisocial behaviour. What was approved largely acknowledged the work already under way. The council has been reviewing CBD parking since July 2024. A City of Newcastle spokesman confirmed that two-hour paid parking between Brown and Wolfe streets will drop to a one-hour limit. "This will ensure parking spaces turn over more regularly to support local businesses during planned construction works on the East End Village project," he said. In 2009, the council signed a contract with Sydney-based Chourlartons Australia, trading as Organic Food Markets, to operate markets in the mall. Initially designed to complement brick-and-mortar traders, the contract has continued on a month-to-month basis since 2017 and has recently dwindled to just two regular stallholders. Now, the council said they are operating in "direct competition" with nearby businesses. "The Newcastle Business Improvement Association wrote to City of Newcastle in 2023, indicating they do not support the continuation of the markets, as they have had a negative impact on the trade of the existing established businesses," a council spokesman said. With the next stages of the East End Village works looming, the space used by stallholders will no longer be available. The council spokesman said the market operator and stallholders were told about the changes in 2023, and the council is now preparing to issue a formal notice. The council has committed $6.5 million to renewal works in the precinct in its 2025-26 budget, including new footpaths, tree planting, road resurfacing and stormwater and water infrastructure replacements. Stage 5 of the East End Public Domain Plan has been funded for detailed design. Labor councillor Declan Clausen said he is optimistic about the changes coming to the mall. "At the moment, there is a billion dollars worth of private capital currently being invested into the mall, and it is creating a better environment than what was there previously," he said. "But it is disruptive, that's fair to say, and it has had an impact on some of the existing traders in the mall, as well as a result of the vacancies that have been necessary as demolition and construction work have continued." Cr Clausen said the process has been a "little clunky" but praised the businesses that have kept trading. "What I fear as a council is that when we talk negatively ... or point out some of these issues, the consequence of that is that it could turn away people and customers that would otherwise wish to visit that precinct," he said. Future changes to Hunter Street will include upgrades on Laing Street, Market Street and the potential for a Melbourne lane-way style development by closing Keightley Street to traffic. MARKET stall holders will get the boot and parking will be limited to one hour in part of the Hunter Street Mall as Newcastle council works to bolster local businesses. The state of the mall came under the microscope at a council meeting this week after residents raised concerns with graffiti, lighting, road signage and disability access earlier this year. Independent councillor Peter Gittins said a number of those issues had been addressed, but graffiti was still a big problem. "The point that I would like to stress, and stress strongly, is the graffiti plague that is absolutely and totally evident in this city," he said. "Not only in the area between Newcomen and Thorne streets, but along Hunter Street in particular." Business Improvement Associations have funding available for beautification, and the City of Newcastle has undertaken public domain works as part of its East End Village project, aimed at reinstating Hunter Street as a traditional high street. The original motion to the council suggested working with businesses to remove graffiti or install public art; reviewing parking arrangements in the mall to support an additional 30-minute unpaid parking period, and asking council staff to scope a time-bound CCTV trial to address antisocial behaviour. What was approved largely acknowledged the work already under way. The council has been reviewing CBD parking since July 2024. A City of Newcastle spokesman confirmed that two-hour paid parking between Brown and Wolfe streets will drop to a one-hour limit. "This will ensure parking spaces turn over more regularly to support local businesses during planned construction works on the East End Village project," he said. In 2009, the council signed a contract with Sydney-based Chourlartons Australia, trading as Organic Food Markets, to operate markets in the mall. Initially designed to complement brick-and-mortar traders, the contract has continued on a month-to-month basis since 2017 and has recently dwindled to just two regular stallholders. Now, the council said they are operating in "direct competition" with nearby businesses. "The Newcastle Business Improvement Association wrote to City of Newcastle in 2023, indicating they do not support the continuation of the markets, as they have had a negative impact on the trade of the existing established businesses," a council spokesman said. With the next stages of the East End Village works looming, the space used by stallholders will no longer be available. The council spokesman said the market operator and stallholders were told about the changes in 2023, and the council is now preparing to issue a formal notice. The council has committed $6.5 million to renewal works in the precinct in its 2025-26 budget, including new footpaths, tree planting, road resurfacing and stormwater and water infrastructure replacements. Stage 5 of the East End Public Domain Plan has been funded for detailed design. Labor councillor Declan Clausen said he is optimistic about the changes coming to the mall. "At the moment, there is a billion dollars worth of private capital currently being invested into the mall, and it is creating a better environment than what was there previously," he said. "But it is disruptive, that's fair to say, and it has had an impact on some of the existing traders in the mall, as well as a result of the vacancies that have been necessary as demolition and construction work have continued." Cr Clausen said the process has been a "little clunky" but praised the businesses that have kept trading. "What I fear as a council is that when we talk negatively ... or point out some of these issues, the consequence of that is that it could turn away people and customers that would otherwise wish to visit that precinct," he said. Future changes to Hunter Street will include upgrades on Laing Street, Market Street and the potential for a Melbourne lane-way style development by closing Keightley Street to traffic.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
UK to back 50-year AUKUS treaty as US shadow looms
The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. The US had promised to sell Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement, but President Donald Trump's administration has launched a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. Dr Bristow said Australia should be welcoming carrier strike groups from European countries. He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA
