Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton (right) and Nationals’ candidate for Parkes Jamie Chaffey in Broken Hill with Chairman of the NSW Nationals, the Hon. Rick Colless.
Broken Hill trip
It was great to get out to Broken Hill last week to catch up with a number of community organisations, meet with grant recipients and introduce Nationals’ candidate for Parkes Jamie Chaffey to various locals.
The visit was Jamie’s first time in Broken Hill, so I was pleased to be able to show him around to help him get to know the community. I even introduced him to the infamous Broken Hill cheeseslaw sandwich which is a must-try when in Broken Hill.
We met with Broken Hill City Council Mayor Tom Kennedy and Deputy Mayor Jim Hickey, had a tour of Thrive Medical with Heather Pearce, met with Michael Williams from RDA Far West and the Silverlea Early Childhood Service to discuss staff shortages. We attended the Pastoralists Association meeting and caught up with multiple groups that had received recent Volunteer Grants including West Darling Fishing Club, West Broken Hill Football Club and the West Darling Machinery Preservation Society.
Jamie and I also visited Broken Hill High School to present new flags and hear about the new Vietnam War Honour Board that the school will install thanks to funding provided under the Saluting Their Service program. As always, it was a pleasure to stop into each of the local radio stations to have a chat to Patrick from ABC Broken Hill, Mike from 2BH and Adrian from 2DRY. At 2DRY I also heard more about the upgrades they’ll be able to undertake to the Broken Hill studio and Menindee repeater thanks to a $42,893 grant from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. It was certainly a busy few days!
Aged care reforms
The Labor Government has finally introduced its Aged Care Bill into the Parliament after the Coalition agreed to work with the Government on sensible policies, because we need a system that is strong and sustainable to support future generations.
With more than half of aged care homes across the country operating at a loss, an ageing population and a desire for people to age at home, the way aged care is delivered and supported needs to change. That is why the Coalition has been in good faith negotiations with the Government to ensure any reforms provide dignity and clarity for older Australians.
We have fought hard to make sure that Australians who have worked hard all their lives to save for their retirement are dealt a fairer deal. We achieved the inclusion of grandfathering arrangements so that no Australian already on their aged care journey will pay a cent more than they currently do; lifetime caps on contributions to give certainty to the maximum amount any Australian will ever have to pay; a much lower taper rate to slow the rate that contributions increase; and we got assurances that the Federal Government will remain the majority funder of aged care – not the consumer.
The Coalition has always recognised that rural and regional aged care homes face unique challenges and need more support from the Government. That is why we fought for additional funding of $300 million to support aged care providers in the bush, who are struggling to remain open under the Labor Government. This is in addition to the increase in care funding that will be directed to these communities over coming months.
I look forward to seeing the Government have an open conversation with older Australians, their families and the sector about the proposed reforms, particularly through the open and transparent Senate Inquiry process.
New program to support volunteer groups
Volunteer organisations in the Parkes electorate are invited to express their interest in the ‘Small Grants for Volunteer Involving Organisations’ program, which is being administered by The Centre for Volunteering on behalf of the Department of Social Services.
Eligible organisations will be able to apply for funding between $10,000 and $20,000 to support one-off, time limited projects that build volunteer management capability, and help the organisation to support the social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Expressions of interest close at 4pm AEST on Friday 4 October. For more information, visit www.volunteering.com.au/strong-and-resilient-communities-activity/
