Planting trees to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee
Eligible groups and organisations in the Parkes electorate are being invited to put forward their project ideas for an Australian Government grant to plant trees in honour of the legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and her 70 years of service to Australia and the Commonwealth.
The Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program is one of a range of national and community events planned by the Australian Government to celebrate The Queen’s Jubilee year.
This program is a wonderful opportunity for community groups in the Parkes electorate to play a part in the Jubilee celebrations, while also benefitting the local environment.
Grants from $2,500 to $20,000 will be available to a broad range of organisations. A total of $100,000 is available for up to 10 projects in the Parkes electorate.
Projects that are suitable must include formal commemorative events in 2022 to mark the Jubilee, plantings of regionally appropriate tree species, and the installation of commemorative signage or plaques.
Organisations shortlisted by the committee will then be invited to complete a formal online application, which must be submitted by 25 March 2022.
Eligible organisations in the Parkes electorate can download an EOI form for submission to my office by 5pm Friday 25 March 2022.
Guidelines and additional information are available at: https://business.gov.au/ptqj
Local community projects backed by National Bushfire Recovery Fund
The Australian Government has provided funding to local community projects in the Parkes electorate under the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program, with projects in Narrabri and Gwydir receiving $1.9 million in support.
The overall program funding was boosted by $110 million to $390 million to further support communities around Australia to recover from the 2019-20 bushfires.
As part of the now $2.2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund, the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program is backing projects which the affected communities have said will best support their ongoing recovery.
The grants will fund a broad range of recovery and resilience projects, from social and community well-being to projects that support local jobs, small businesses and infrastructure.
Local projects funded included:
- Narrabri Shire Council – Narrabri Tourism Precinct New Accessible Amenities Building – $300,000
- Gwydir Shire Council – The Living Classroom – Emergency Accommodation and Tourism Opportunities – $850,000
- Gwydir Shire Council – Warialda Emergency Accommodation and Respite Centre – $750,000
Details of the funded projects are available on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency website at: https://recovery.gov.au/programs/black-summer-grants
Better aged care services for seniors in Parkes
The $35.3 million multi-purpose services (MPS) program will see 110 aged care sites benefit from minor capital grant projects averaging $321,000 each.
Across the Parkes electorate MPS facilities will receive collectively $2,141,260 as part of the allocations. The funding represented an essential opportunity for 10 MPS facilities in the Parkes electorate to improve quality care levels.
This funding is an opportunity for providers to maintain and reinforce the health, safety and wellbeing of residents – and it offers peace-of-mind for families eager to ensure their loved one receives quality care.
The work would include simple improvements such as gardens and pathways to major building renovations.
The MPS grants build on the single largest investment in residential aged care infrastructure in Australia’s history, which in July 2021 saw $150 million in capital grants allocated to residential care services, predominantly in regional and remote Australia.
Outcomes of the MPS grants, including details of the successful providers, can be found here.
Parkes electorate recipients and grants:
| Recipient | MPS facility | Grant Amount |
| Hunter New England Health District | Boggabri Multi-Purpose Service | $95,676 |
| Hunter New England Health District | Warialda Multi-Purpose Service | $107,184 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Baradine Multi-Purpose Service | $86,400 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Brewarrina Multi-Purpose Service | $116,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Coonamble Multi-Purpose Service | $72,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service | $196,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Gulargambone Multi-Purpose Service | $52,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Nyngan Multi-Purpose Service | $600,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Trangie Multi-Purpose Service | $216,000 |
| Western NSW Local Health District | Warren Multi-Purpose Service | $600,000 |
New website to help navigate childcare services
Australian families can compare childcare services and fees following the Government’s new website launch: StartingBlocks.gov.au.
Families can visit StartingBlocks.gov.au to find local childcare services, view vacancies, compare costs, and check official quality ratings, including safety.
Thousands of families will be able to see the significant savings they’ll make when the higher Child Care Subsidy we introduced comes into effect on 7 March. I encourage all families to visit the website, and I know it will have a special appeal to the 250,000 families across Australia with more than one child aged under six who will get a higher subsidy soon.
On average, families will be better off $2,260 per year, with families with three children in care saving up to $370 a week on out-of-pocket costs.
StartingBlocks.gov.au replaces the existing Child Care Finder website and reduces the burden on approved providers of early education and care services, who no longer need to provide their fee and vacancy data separately to Child Care Finder.
