Here is a look at what is making news around the country today.

Today’s national news includes South Australia fast tracks the building of new homes on greenfield sites, the Australian Defence Force getting its first batch of Black Hawk helicopters, ACT having Australia’s first all-electric emergency services vehicle, and Kia dropping the most affordable Carnival engine option for Australia.

Nation

SA expedites new homes on greenfield sites

New home proposals in South Australia will now be able to skip the planning approval process if they meet certain criteria, a policy the state government says will attempt to tackle the housing crisis by offering a more streamlined process. Under the “A Better Housing Future” plan, new homes built in greenfield areas can bypass the planning consent stage and proceed directly to the building consent stage. A building certifier can be engaged to assess the requirements during the building consent stage, ArchitectureAU has reported.

ttps://architectureau.com/articles/south-australia-fast-tracks-new-homes-on-greenfield-sites/

Defence

Military receives the first batch of new UH-60M helicopters

The Australian Defence Force has received the first new 3 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. “The first 3 of a planned fleet of 40 UH-60M Black Hawks arrived recently in Sydney on board two U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemasters,” the Australian Defence Department said. THawks will undergo a short period of testing before they are ready to commence flying operations later this year. The Black Hawk is unmatched for durability, survivability, multi-role versatility, affordability and interoperability, and has proven to be a dependable battlefield and special forces aviation asset, Defense Blog has reported.

https://defence-blog.com/australian-military-receives-initial-batch-of-new-uh-60m-helicopters/

Environment

ACT to have Australia’s first all-electric emergency services vehicle

The ACT Government unveiled Australia’s first zero emissions truck—a fully electric breathing apparatus truck, made by Volvo Group Australia, the Canberra Weekly reported. The vehicle is expected to be operational within the ACT early next year. Another six vehicles, also made by Volvo, will join the ACT Emergency Services fleet over the coming years. “The electric breathing apparatus truck joining our service is a nimble vehicle designed for urban environments,” ACT Fire and Rescue Chief Officer Matthew Mavity said. “Replacing one diesel fire truck with one electric one will save our agency $12,250 in fuel per year,” Mr Mavity said. “It will also help us reduce emissions [by] up to 17 carbon dioxide tons per year.”

https://canberraweekly.com.au/act-to-have-australias-first-all-electric-emergency-services-vehicle/

Motoring

Kia drops most affordable Carnival engine option for Australia

Kia Australia will temporarily close orders for all V6 petrol variants of its popular Carnival MPV, due to tight supply and a growing bank of backorders, Car Expert has reported. Kia Australia said the company is now focusing to fulfil all existing orders for V6 petrol variants of its top-selling people mover. Kia Australia has been dealing with supply delays on the Carnival V6 petrol for a while now. In February 2023, Kia Australia introduced the Carnival Special Edition to combat semiconductor shortages that crippled the flagship Platinum, which accounts for a healthy share of sales. At the time, the SE model was offered a choice of either the 3.5-litre V6 petrol or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/kia-drops-cheaper-petrol-v6-carnival-for-now