Local Government News

Larry Anthony
National News

Families to get cash bonus

Northern Rivers families receiving Family Tax Benefit (A) and carers can expect to receive a significant cash boost in their bank accounts starting this week.

The payments form part of the assistance outlined for families and carers in the recent Federal Budget.

The one-off family payment will see all eligible local families receive a $600 payment for each dependent child.

For example, an eligible family with two children will receive a $1200 bonus before July 1, 2004, while an eligible family with four children will receive $2400.

Those Northern Rivers residents receiving the Carer Payment will get the one-off carers' bonus of $1000 and people receiving Carer Allowance will be paid $600 for each eligible person in their care.

For example, a carer who cares for one eligible person and receives both Carer Payment and Carer Allowance will get a $1,600 one-off bonus.

These payments are well deserved by families and carers and I am happy that through strong economic growth and good economic management the Australian Government has been able to deliver the extra financial support.

Free vaccine for young and old

Newborn babies and seniors will receive free vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease under the Australian Government's new $178 million commitment to the Pneumococcal Vaccination Program.

The rare pneumococcal vaccine, Prevenar, will be made available free of charge for all babies born after January 1, 2005, and also for all children born since January 1, 2003.

In addition, from January 1 next year the Government will provide free pneumococcal vaccine to all seniors over the age of 65.

This is a huge boost to Australia's already comprehensive immunisation program and cements our position as world leaders in disease prevention.

In 1996, the Labor Government spent just $13 million on all Australian vaccination programs and oversaw an immunisation rate of below 55 percent. In stark contrast, just last year the Coalition Government spent $143 million on vaccines and has achieved an immunisation rate of over 90 percent.

Tender named for light rail feasibility study

I am very happy that Price Waterhouse Cooper has been selected as the successful tender to undertake the feasibility study evaluating the economic viability of a light commuter train on the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line.

Price Waterhouse Cooper are a professional organisation that have the expertise and experience to undertake a comprehensive independent study, which will cut through NSW Labor's political fabrication of rubbery passenger numbers and line maintenance costs.

First and foremost we want to see NSW Labor reinstate the Countrylink XPT service but with Labor's disastrous track record in providing regional services we also need to be certain we have alternative options.

The communities on the Northern Rivers need to keep this track alive and this Price Waterhouse Cooper feasibility study sets in motion a process that can give the Northern Rivers some hope of a future for the line.

Auslink - helping road and rail

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister, John Anderson had plenty of goods news when he visited our part of the world last week to detail the benefits of the Australian Government's Auslink package.

The pledge to kick in funding to force the NSW Labor Government to build the long awaited Ballina bypass is certainly very welcome.

The Auslink package also gives hope to local rail with the Commonwealth Government now saving the NSW State Government $200 million per year in the costs of keeping the main national freight lines operational.

This $200 million windfall can now go towards maintaining passenger branch lines such as the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line.

The NSW Government has no more excuses. The money for maintaining their responsibility of passenger branch lines is there and they should spend it on saving our railway.

Larry Anthony MP
Federal Member for Richmond
Minister for Children & Youth Affairs
PO Box 6996 Tweed Heads South 2486 ph: 07 5524 2466 fax: 07 5524 9366
www.larry.com.au Toll Free: 1800 812 125 larry.anthony.mp@aph.gov.au

Ian Causley
Canberra Connection

Congratulations to Lantern Parade

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Lismore Lantern Parade and I wish all involved in this renowned event, particularly Jyllie Jackson, a happy and successful staging on Saturday.

The parade has grown over the years and is now recognised as a landmark cultural event for the city.

Businesses benefit from fuel cuts

Primary industries, road builders and even horse breeders will benefit from a $1.5 billion cut in fuel excise announced by the Coalition Government this week.

As part of the Government's environment package, excise will be gradually removed from fuels for off-road use from July 1, 2006. The full cuts will be phased in by 2012.

This means that apart from farmers and miners, a host of other industries will gain tax relief from fuel excise. This includes firms in road construction for councils, horse breeding or racing, the tending of livestock at an abattoir or for export and in the mineral product production industry.

Excise on some other fuels used by households for heating or power generation, such as kerosene, will also be abolished.

Labor will take discount petrol

Discount petrol shopper dockets, which save motorists up to four cents a litre, are now under threat from a new Labor policy to change the Trade Practices Act under which bigger petrol companies would be fined for selling cheaper petrol if a competitor closed its doors because of a "price war".

The wash up would be less competition, less choice for motorists, higher petrol prices - and no more shopper docket specials.

It's another example of the Labor Party not being prepared to do the hard work when it comes to policy. It comes just after Labor's national president Carmen Lawrence launched a petrol policy that would encourage Australian prices at the pump to climb to European levels - presently up to $2.50 a litre.

Boosting teacher quality and leadership

Education Minister Brendan Nelson recently launched the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership (NIQTSL) to work with teachers on professional standards development, professional learning for school leaders and classroom teachers, research and communication and promotion of the teacher profession.

The Coalition Government has outlaid $10 million to fund the Institute, at the Australian National University.

NSW big winner under GST

The States are awash with GST money - they get every cent of it - and the 2004-05 Budget shows clearly how NSW, where the Carr Labor Government is forever crying poor, has been the real winner from the GST tax deal. This financial year, NSW is forecast to receive $9,648.3 million in GST revenue funding alone.

Economy powers ahead

The Australian economy continues to grow strongly, with growth for the year remaining a solid 3.2 per cent.

A good sign for future growth was the 5.9 per cent increase in farm production in the March quarter, 41.6 per cent over the year. Household consumption continued to grow strongly and unemployment remains at a 23-year low. Inflation and interest rates have been kept under control and labour productivity is high.

The only risk to the present strong environment is the election of a Latham Labor Government, which has no costed policies and a frontbench that can't seem to agree on what its policies are, or how to pay for them.

For further information please contact my electorate office on 1300 301 735, or send me an email: ian.causley.mp@aph.gov.au.