Local Government News

Larry Anthony
National News

Healthy kids make healthy communities

This week's announcement of the Australian Government's $116 million Building a Healthy, Active Australia package targeting the growing occurrence of childhood obesity is great news for Northern Rivers communities.

As a parent of three young kids and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I firmly believe that the core reasons for childhood obesity can be attributed to a lack of exercise and poor diet. For this reason I am happy that initiatives outlined in package aim to address these two very important issues.

As part of the new conditions of the package, each state and territory and non-government education authority will be required to include in their curriculum at least two hours of physical activity each school week for primary and junior secondary school children.

The government will also spend $90 million over four years to establish an after-school physical activity programme known as Active After-school Communities. This programme will provide Australian families with a convenient and practical opportunity to support the healthy development of their primary school aged children (five to 12 years).

All Northern Rivers non-government organisations such as Parents and Citizens'/Friends' Associations, school auxiliaries, canteen groups and other groups linked with school communities will also be invited to apply for a grant of up to $1,500 to fund activities that promote healthy eating.

Federal Education Minister in Northern Rivers

This week I had the great pleasure of having Federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, visit my electorate on the Northern Rivers.

The Minister met with staff from the Wollongbar TAFE College to discuss important issues in funding and education delivery at a vocational and traineeship level. This meeting was very important in effectively gauging the issues at the 'chalk face' for a rural TAFE college.

Later in the morning the Minister opened over $2.7 million worth of major capital upgrades at Xavier Catholic College in Lennox Head.

The extensive upgrades include a new 10 classroom teaching block, library, senior learning area, science laboratory conversion, new hard court area and administration and staff facilities extension.

The Minister enjoyed a lunch with principals from all schools across the Northern Rivers before later in the day attending a public forum on education I had organised. The forum was chaired by Southern Cross University Dean of Education, Professor Martin Hayden, and was fronted by an expert education panel, including Brendan Nelson, the NSW Teachers Federation, the P & C Association, Catholic Schools and Independent Schools.

Issues canvassed at the forum included State/Federal funding arrangements, indigenous education, catering for students with special needs, provision of basic amenities in public schools, literacy and numeracy curriculum.

Allan Rawson will be sorely missed

The passing of well-known local ABC broadcaster and Northern Rivers local Allan Rawson was extremely sad news this week.

Allan was a true gentleman in every sense of the word and a person whom I admired greatly. His insightful news commentaries and entertaining presentations on ABC radio were greatly enjoyed by listeners' right across the Northern Rivers.

My deepest thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time of sadness and loss.

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

Baby bonus, tax cuts kick in

New mums will receive a cash windfall of $3,000 for babies born from today and families could also be eligible for $23 a week extra per child in family tax benefits, depending on family income.

Families have already received a $600 bonus for each eligible child in the past few weeks, but the main part of the Coalition Government's $19.2 billion family payments overhaul will kick in today.

Workers earning more than $52,000 a year will receive up to $21 extra in their pay packets this week, after Labor agreed to support plans unveiled in the May Budget.

Changes to superannuation will give low and middle-income earners greater incentives to save for their retirement. The Government will lift its superannuation co-contribution scheme to 150 per cent of the employee's contribution, up to a maximum of $1,500.

The changes mean if eligible employees pay $1,000 into their superannuation scheme, the Government will match it with a $1,500 payment.

The legislation also increases the minimum income threshold to receive the maximum co-contribution to $28,000. Employees with salaries of between $40,000 and $58,000 will also become eligible to receive Government co-contribution payments for the first time.

Workers will also find it easier to move superannuation savings between accounts and consolidate multiple accounts into one nest egg, saving on fees and charges.

In other changes to take effect today, companies will face fines of up to $1 million if they fail to keep markets fully informed, and shareholders will get a protest vote on executive salaries under an overhaul of corporate law. The corporate watchdog will be able to issue on-the-spot fines of up to $100,000.

Salary packages for a company's top five executives will become public information, and shareholders will be allowed a non-binding vote on executive remuneration.

Higher wages under Coalition

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed that over the past eight years, real wages have increased by 14.1 per cent. That's 14.1 per cent over and above the cost of living.

This is in stark contrast to Labor's 13 years in office, when real wages only grew by 2.5 per cent.

The ABS figures also reveal real household disposable income across the nation has grown by more than 28 per cent since 1996.

This has not come about by accident. The Coalition Government has taken responsible steps to keep interest rates low, keep the budget balanced, paid back $70 billion of Labor's legacy of $96 billion in debt, created around 1.3 million new jobs and kept inflation under control.

The only risk to continued growth in real wages and household income is Latham Labor and its unfunded, irresponsible and reckless spending promises.

Stronger schools

The Government last week introduced legislation to make Commonwealth funding for schools conditional on State and Territory governments and non-government providers implementing key requirements.

As a condition of funding, education providers will have to implement a common school starting age by 2010, helping the 80,000 children a year who move across State borders and at present may have to miss or repeat a year at school; at least two hours a week of physical activity for primary and junior secondary school students to help combat childhood obesity; greater national consistency in curriculum and testing standards in English, mathematics, science and civics; better reporting to parents, including plain language reports on their own child's progress, reporting literacy and numeracy results against national benchmarks, and meaningful information on school quality including teacher qualifications and overall student outcomes; a National Safe Schools Framework to help ensure schools are, as far as possible, free from bullying and abuse; and greater autonomy for school principals.

The Government will also provide $19.4 million over four years to support better approaches to boys' education.

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