On Tuesday 25 March, a dedicated journalism team hit the halls of Parliament House to deliver timely, inclusive and relevant coverage of the 2025 Federal Budget to community radio listeners around the country.
Representing community-focused newsrooms from across the sector, the team included:
– Noah Secomb, Federal Politics Reporter, CBAA and National Radio News (NRN)
– Emma Myers, Disability Rights Reporter, CBAA and Powerd Media
– Micah Kickett, First Nations Affairs Reporter, CBAA, NIRS and Koori Mail
– Sophia McCaughan, Narromine Star
– Dechlan Brennan, National Indigenous Times
– Alexi Boyd, Host, Small Biz Matters
For Noah, this year marked a return to the press gallery – and another milestone in delivering independent coverage to regional, remote and culturally diverse audiences.
“It’s been another wild ride in Parliament House covering this year’s federal Budget with folks from across the country,” Noah said. “We’ve managed to cover disability, First Nations affairs and regional funding more comprehensively than ever before. It’s been a bit hectic running around grabbing interviews and frantically reading some of the driest content in Australia, but being busy is when this job is at its best, and we’re able to do some of our best work.”
Micah Kickett, covering the Budget for the first time, shared his pride in ensuring Indigenous perspectives were represented:
“It’s definitely an experience that I will remember, and being on the ground to be able cover it in real time and be the voice for Indigenous mob is an experience that is humbling.”
Emma Myers, who focused on disability and access issues, reflected on the intensity and impact of the experience:
“It’s a very surreal experience. Challenging, but worth it.”
Our thanks and admiration go to the entire team for their professionalism, energy and deep commitment to accessible journalism that puts community first — not just on the night, but throughout the Budget lead-up and aftermath.
,%20Alexi%20Boyd,%20Micah%20Kickett,%20Dechlan%20Brennan%20(National%20Indigenous%20Times),%20and%20Emma%20Myers-L.jpeg "Pictured left to right: Noah Secomb (CBAA, NRN), Sophia McCaughan (Narromine Star), Alexi Boyd (Host, Small Biz Matters), Micah Kickett (CBAA, NIRS and Koori Mail), Dechlan Brennan (National Indigenous Times), and Emma Myers (CBAA, Powerd Media).")