Australian Embassy

Italy

Embassy address: Via Antonio Bosio, 5, Rome - Telephone: 06 852 721 - Fax: 06 8527 2300

Australian Embassy, Italy

Australian Embassy Rome Newsletter

Download - Issue 2, July 2010 [PDF 1.2MB]

Australia to fund L'Aquila reconstruction project

Press Release – Office of the Prime Minister 6 May 2010

The Australian Government is pleased to announce that the money raised by the Australian Abruzzo Earthquake Appeal Fund will be used to fund an earthquake-proof, multi-purpose theatre in the heart of L'Aquila - Il Nuovo Teatro Stabile d'Abruzzo.

The historic town of L'Aquila was devastated by an earthquake that struck the region of Abruzzo in April 2009, prompting the Italian-Australian community to establish the Fund to raise money to assist with its reconstruction.

The Government agreed to match the community contributions to the Fund up to a level of $1.5 million. Taken together, the community's fundraising efforts and the Government's contribution have raised more than $3.7 million for L'Aquila.

The decision to fund Il Nuovo Teatro Stabile d'Abruzzo follows a recommendation by the Fund's National Committee, which consulted closely with the Italian-Australian community and the township of L'Aquila.

The theatre will play an important role in helping to restore the cultural life of L'Aquila and will stand as a lasting symbol of the Australian community's support for the people of L'Aquila.

The Prime Minister announced the theatre project as he joined with the Italian-Australian community in Melbourne for the official 50th anniversary celebrations of the Italian-language newspaper Il Globo.

Since 1959 Il Globo has informed the Italian community in Australia of significant national and global events. It has played an important community role, supporting fundraising initiatives to help recovery efforts in the wake of disasters like the Victorian bushfires and the earthquake in L'Aquila.

The Australian Government acknowledges the hard work and commitment of the various committees that worked under the Australian Abruzzo Earthquake Appeal Fund.

Article on Alice Springs

The Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera has published an article on Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament

The Report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, “Eliminating Nuclear Threats: A Practical Agenda for Global Policymakers”, was presented on 15 December 2009 in Tokyo to the then Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan, their excellencies Kevin Rudd and Yukio Hatoyama, by the Commission Co-Chairs, former foreign ministers Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi.

The Commission was launched as a joint initiative of the Australian and Japanese Governments in July 2008, based on the agreement of then Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Yasuo Fukuda.

Australia is committed to a world free of nuclear weapons, and welcomes this report, which is the work of an independent commission of global experts and which seeks to provide an important framework for practical discussions on how to advance the cause of non-proliferation disarmament.

The full text of the report is available online from the ICNND website.

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) European Training Centre (ETC)

The Australian Institute of Sport's European Training Centre (ETC) is expected to be completed by September 2010 and to be fully operational by late 2010. It will be located at Gavirate, in Varese Province, northern Italy.

Announcement of Recipients for the Australian Travel Award for L’Aquila researchers

The Association for Research between Italy and Australasia (ARIA) in Canberra on behalf of other Italian researchers based in Australia has engaged with the Australian academic community to support the University of L’Aquila after the devastating earthquake of 2009.

For this purpose, the Australian Travel Award for L’Aquila researchers was established with the financial support of the Group of Eight, the Australian Academy of Science, and the “What if they never existed?” fund. The Travel Award is administered by ARIA-Canberra on behalf of the Italian research community in Australia and the recipients have just been announced. The award will enable early career researchers to travel to Australia and conduct research at Australian universities.

Register your presence in Italy

Register your presence in Italy with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

All Australians who reside overseas or who are travelling for tourism or business, either for short or long stays, are encouraged to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The registration information provided by you will help us to find you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family emergency. It may also be used to pass other information to you such as, new Travel Advisories, notice of elections and information on other matters relevant to travellers and expatriates.