Community News
How you can help support the Voice
The referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice is less than three weeks away.
Many people have stepped up to volunteer and countless conversations are being held on doorsteps.
For this referendum to be successful, we need to continue to have conversations with people across our community. I’ve been out campaigning with the Yes campaign across the Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains and I encourage everyone to take part in the activities across the coming weeks.
Sign up to volunteer here:
If you want more information about the Voice, I encourage you to take a look at some of these useful resources:
Alternatively, if you have any questions or concerns about the referendum please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office.
Referendum pre-poll
The pre-poll locations have been released by the Australian Electoral Commission. Referendums, like federal, state, and council elections, are compulsory for Australian citizens. If you can’t vote in person on October 14 you can vote at pre-poll locations across the electorate.
- TAFE NSW Blue Mountains Wentworth Falls 14 Mitchell St, Wentworth Falls
- Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub 106-108 Macquarie Rd Springwood
- Richmond School of Arts 26 West Market St, Richmond
- Deerubbin Centre 300 George St, Windsor
- Panther Penrith Woodriff Room 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith
- Melrose Hall 169 Great Western Highway Emu Plains
All Macquarie pre-polling centres are open from Tuesday 3 October from 8:30am-5:30pm on weekdays, 9am-4pm on Saturday the 7th and from 8:30am-6pm on Friday the 13th of October.
For pre-poll locations and open hours visit the AEC website.
Varroa mite
The decision taken by the National Management Group that eradication of varroa mite is no longer technically feasible will be distressing for many beekeepers.
There is a wide range of views among the beekeepers I have spoken with in recent months, but all recognise that none of the options are perfect. The common element is a deep distress, whether it’s for the loss of hives or the effect of the mite on their bees.
NSW will operate under an interim management strategy, which has been published in a new Emergency Order, while a National Plan for Transition to Management is being developed.
Our role at the Federal level will be actioning the 14 recommendations from the Joint Interagency Taskforce on Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness and ensure we have the strongest biosecurity arrangements possible. We will continue to work closely with the NSW Government to manage this pest and reduce the impact on local producers.
Further information is available at the Department of Primary Industries
Getting ready for bush fires
Winter is well and truly over, and a hot, dry summer is quickly approaching. The hot and windy conditions and the declaration of an El Nino weather event from the BOM last week are a timely reminder to start preparing your property and household so you are ready in the event of a bush fire.
It’s a fact that if you are prepared for a bush fire you have a better chance of surviving it. The NSW RFS has four simple steps that we can all follow to be ready for a bush fire
- DISCUSS with your household what to do if a fire threatens your home.
- PREPARE your home and get it ready for bush fire season
- KNOW the bush fire alert levels
- KEEP all the information, numbers and alerts on your smartphone.
The RFS is also encouraging everyone to spend some time in their yards and around their homes to help reduce our bush fire risks.
- Trim overhanging trees and shrubs.
- Mow grass and remove the cuttings. Have a cleared area around your home.
- Remove material that can burn around your home, such as door mats, wood piles and mulch.
- Clear and remove all the debris and leaves from the gutters surrounding your home.
- Prepare a sturdy hose or hoses that will reach all around your home.
More information on how to prepare is available on the NSW RSF website.
Flightpaths
Following the release of the proposed flight paths in June, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
If you haven’t seen the flight paths or used the noise tool I encourage you to take a look at them here.
In order to effectively respond to the EIS I’ve set up a survey to get direct feedback from the community. Thank you to everyone who has completed it so far – your information has been valuable and I raised some of your concerns in Parliament.
You can complete the survey here.
National Showcase at Parliament House
The giftshop at Parliament house recently received an upgrade.As part of the upgrade, a new program "The National Showcase" has been launched.
The program invites Australian suppliers to apply online to have their products featured in a month-long showcase of individual states and territories in the Parliament Shop.
The First NSW feature will be in March 2024 and it would be wonderful to have some local Macquarie producers featured in the shop.
To apply, complete the online application here.
Drowning prevention
As the weather heats up, Royal Life Saving Australia is reminding us of the importance of staying safe in the water. Rivers and creeks account for 37% of drowning deaths and sadly the Hawkesbury River is one of the top five deadliest rivers in Australia.
If you’re boating, fishing or kayaking, make sure you wear a lifejacket that meets the current Australian Standard and fits properly.
Wherever you are swimming follow the Royal Life Saving tips to enjoy the water safely this summer:
- Always supervise children around water
- Avoid alcohol around water
- Wear a lifejacket when boating and fishing
- Know the conditions
- Avoid going alone
More information on staying safe can be found at the Royal Life Saving website.
PFAS
The Federal government has announced an independent review of land uses around key Defence bases impacted by per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.
The Review will focus on communities around RAAF Base Williamtown (NSW), the Army Aviation Centre Oakey (QLD), and RAAF Base Tindal (NT). These are areas representative of the challenges faced by other Defence communities impacted by PFAS contamination.
There will be an opportunity for other communities, including Richmond, affected by Defence’s historic use of PFAS to make submissions to the Review.
I’ll provide further details on the review when available. In the meantime, you can find information on the Richmond community session held on 22 August at the Defence website.
National Autism Strategy
A National Autism Strategy will, for the first time, provide a coordinated national approach to supporting Autistic people and their families. We want to hear from you about what actions can be taken to improve the lives of Autistic people in Australia. Share your ideas and suggestions on the strategy by making an online submission or answering the guided questions online, or attend a community or online event.
For more information, including how to make a submission head to the Department of Social Services website.
Banking financial assistance
I know many households are working hard to balance their budgets and are feeling financial pressure with interest rate rises and increased cost of living pressures. While the Government is doing our part to relieve this financial pressure, many financial institutions have well established hardship teams that can assist you during a time of increased financial difficulty.
The Australian Banking Association has launched an updated Financial Assistance Hub on their website. The hub provides an easy to use, step-by-step guide to help you out of financial difficulty. If you are struggling with repayments for your home loan, personal loan, business loan or credit card I’d encourage you to look at the resources available.
The earlier you seek help the better. You can access the hub here.
Blue Mountains Safe Space for Suicide Prevention
The Blue Mountains Safe Space for Suicide Prevention are currently seeking expressions of interest for volunteers at their Community-led Safe Space.
The Safe Space is a non-clinical drop in style space that welcomes people experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts or crisis, and their support network. Training will be provided by Roses in the Ocean and they are currently seeking a variety of volunteer to assist with admin, management, promotion and funding, as well as people with lived experience to join their peer support workforce.
If you have lived experience of suicidal thoughts or crisis or if you supported a loved one who has consider putting your hand up to help.
Complete the form to volunteer here.
Have Your Say
Insurance inquiry
In August I was appointed to the House Standing Committee on Economics for the national inquiry into insurer’s response to the 2022 floods. Hawkesbury residents are being encouraged to complete the survey and put in a more detailed submission.
Take the survey here.
The Committee would love to hear from you about affordability of insurance cover, time frames and obstacles to resolving claims, communication with claimants, effectiveness of internal dispute resolution processes, and how insurances companies prepare for future major floods.
For more information, including how to make a more detailed submission head to the inquiry website.
Family law reforms
On 18th September the Albanese Government released draft legislation for reforms to the Family Law Act. These draft reforms were in response to inquiries in 2019 and 2021 that highlighted ongoing challenges the family law system faces.
Information on the proposed amendments and how to make submissions can be found on the Attorney General's Department website.
Hotel Etico
Hotel Etico in Mount Victoria is one of 12 organisations across Australia that has been appointed by the Department of Social Services to roll out the Tourism Navigator Pilot. The aim is to support small and medium sized employers within the tourism industry to build confidence through training, education, and connection to encourage recruiting, retaining and promoting employees with disabilities within their workforce.
The feedback they receive will help guide the training and resources we create and deliver to the wider Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury communities. It will also help us better understand the challenges that employers and people with disabilities face in the workplace. Our goal is to help create a more inclusive workplace for everyone.
Complete their survey here.
Nominate a Black Spot
Earlier this month I announced that five roads across Macquarie would receive almost $1.2 million in funding for safety upgrades as part of the Government’s Black Spot Program.
Blue Mountains: Wilson Way, Blaxland
Hat Hill Road, Blackheath
Hawkesbury: Drummond Street, South Windsor
Rifle Range Road, Bligh Park
Terrace Rd, North Richmond
The Government is providing $110 million each year to this program designed to target roads where crashes are occurring or at risk of occurring. Nominations are open to the public, so if you know a dangerous road in your area I encourage you to head to the Black Spot Website and nominate a black spot.
ARIA music teacher of the year
Peter Earl from the Blue Mountains is a phenomenal local music teacher and he's one of four finalists in the running for this year’s Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award. Inspiring music teachers like Peter really transform kids’ lives. Learning music boosts self-esteem, wellbeing and learning outcomes and it's dedicated teachers like Peter that we have to thank.
Head to the ARIA website to give Peter your vote before November 8.
Grant News
Active Kids Grants
Does a local team in your electorate need new uniforms or equipment to kick off the season? The Australian Sports Foundation 2023 Active Kids Grants are now open.
This grant is available for volunteer-run community clubs and organisations with members aged 20 or younger. These will be awarded in the form of sports equipment or uniforms (both on-field and training).
Applications close: Friday 29th of September.
More information: Active Kids Grants - Australian Sports Foundation
Heritage Grants
Traditional Owners, conservation groups and organistions protecting the Blue Mountains national heritage are encouraged to apply for a new round of federal government grant funding.
$5.3 million in grant funding is available for projects that protect Australia’s unique national heritage sites including the Greater Blue Mountains. Grants range from $25,000 to $400,000.
Applications close: Thursday 12th of October.
More information: business.gov.au, GrantConnect or phone 132 846
|
