ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. We're here today to talk about empowerment and choice. And I'm joined by Tess Fuller from Teach Us Consent, from Sarah Davies from the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, by Lucy Thomas from PROJECT ROCKIT, Jim Hungerford from the Butterfly Foundation, Jason Trethowan from Headspace, Vikki Ryall from Headspace, Wayne Holdsworth, who was Mac's father, from SmackTalk, Emma Mason, who is very familiar to many of you, Tilly's mum, who's been one of the spearheads of the Let Them Be Kids campaign.

The Albanese Government is taking the next step following its world leading social media age ban to ensure Australians have more choice online, with draft legislation for the Digital Duty of Care released today for targeted consultation.

These new laws will put the onus on digital service providers to provide a safe online environment, setting minimum standards for the features and tools they use.

This will include an Australian first, “My Feed, My Way,” initiative which will give Australians control over their social media algorithms.

Last year, Australia took world-leading action by banning children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts.

It was one of the biggest social and cultural changes our country has ever faced, and it
was led by Australian parents protecting children.

When we proposed and introduced the ban, there were sceptics, there still are.

We didn’t lead the world for the sake of it.

We took action because the community said enough was enough and we would no longer let Australian kids be treated as commodities instead of children.

SURANGEL WHIPPS JR, PRESIDENT OF PALAU: Good morning. We've got a beautiful sunny day. And I think first of all, we always thank God for the blessings that we have, and more importantly, the family that we have. We are one Pacific family. And this PIF starts out with building economies, life, action and unity. That's our theme. And what a fitting place to be this morning, because this project is a demonstration of how we're building economies, how we're improving lives through partnership.

Australia and Palau are working together to super-charge the Pacific’s renewable energy transition, massively reducing reliance on diesel fuel.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr today visited Palau’s first large-scale solar power plant at Ngatpang on Babeldaob.

The solar power plant has been financed by a $31.4 million package through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

PRIME MINISTER: Can I begin by addressing the tragic situation that we're dealing with as a result of the disaster in Nepal. Amidst all of this tragedy, we are seeing some positive news. Today, another five Australians have been confirmed safe, but that still means that the number of Australians unaccounted for is 38, down from 43 yesterday, but that's 38 families, 38 people who we hold grave fears for. We hope, of course, for positive news further, and we're doing everything we can to work with authorities.

Australia and Pacific nations have committed to strengthening regional security to respond to increasing transnational and organised crime.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Pacific leaders on Wednesday unanimously endorsed Waqa Moana, a Pacific-led maritime security initiative to counter illicit drug trafficking.

Waqa Moana will focus on getting actionable intelligence into the hands of Pacific police forces and operational responders.

To support the implementation of Waqa Moana, Prime Minister Albanese announced a $600m package of support.

The Australian Government, in agreement with Qantas, will extend the Palau Paradise Express direct air service between Brisbane and Koror through to 30 November 2027, in response to strong passenger growth.

Qantas will also increase flights to twice weekly during Palau’s peak season, starting this December.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement following a meeting with his Palauan counterpart, President Surangel Whipps Jr., while in Koror, Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Firstly, on the tragic disaster in Nepal, this is an unimaginable tragedy. The number of Australians unaccounted for remains at 43. My thoughts are with every Australian family going through such an incredibly difficult time. My government will do everything we can to support them and look for loved ones. A RAAF C-17A carrying humanitarian supplies has left Australia on its way to Kathmandu.

The Australian Government is investing in the next generation of Pacific sporting talent on their journey to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Australia will provide $15.6 million over 4 years to support athletes and officials from 14 Pacific countries to access high-performance training and qualification opportunities to compete at major international sporting events.