Local Government News

Don Page
State Matters

National Young Leaders Forum

The Young Leaders Foundation is calling on Principals and community leaders to nominate top student leaders for the 2004 National Young Leaders Day to be held in Sydney on Wednesday, November 10.

Each year thousands of secondary students attend the National Young Leaders Days. These annual leadership training days target top young leaders such as school captains, prefects, SRC representatives, sporting captains and other young community leaders.

The National Young leaders Days give emerging young leaders the opportunity to hear from an older generation of national and international leaders.

I will be sending information on this year's forum to local schools and encouraging Principals to nominate student leaders to attend the forum in November.

Regional Sports Facility Program

I encourage Northern Rivers sporting groups to apply for sporting facility grants under the 2004-2005 Regional Sports Facilities Program.

The Regional Sports Facility Program provides an opportunity for local sporting organisations, community groups and local councils to access grants for publicly used recreational facilities. Groups can apply for grants of between $40,000 and $200,000 to construct new facilities, upgrade existing facilities, or provide support facilities. The grants are intended for major works and high level sporting facilities.

The program helps to enhance the network of sporting and recreational facilities in the local community, as well as providing sporting opportunities for a broad section of the community. The grants are provided on a dollar for dollar basis.

I urge eligible Northern Rivers organisations to apply prior to the November 30 closing date. Guidance notes and application forms for the 2004-05 Regional Sports Facilities Program are available from my office.

Childhood Obesity Crisis

Whilst it is pleasing to once again call for applications for the Regional Sports Facility Program, I remain concerned about the growing obesity problem amongst children and the need for more sporting facilities in the local community.

In Parliament recently, I called for a doubling of funding for the State Government Capital Assistance Program which also provides grants for local sporting organisations to construct sporting facilities.

The reduction in physical activity and an increasing dependence on fast food in children's daily diets has resulted in an epidemic of childhood obesity and alarmingly, the number of overweight children in Australia has doubled over the 15-year period from 1985 to 1997, whilst the number of obese children increased fourfold over the same period. The problem has become so significant that between 19 per cent and 23 per cent, or almost one in five children and adolescents, are now either overweight or obese.

Surely with this increased prevalence of obesity in children and associated health problems there is a greater need for increased funding to encourage more physical activity among children. I believe the Carr Government should increase funding for Capital Assistance Grants by at least the consumer price index and ideally double funding to $8 million a year. That is still only a small investment state-wide in local sports infrastructure.

In past years local sporting organisations have benefited from funding for amenity blocks at ovals, new lighting, upgrades of tennis courts, rugby ovals, sporting fields and numerous other projects. However, the Carr Government's funding for the Capital Assistance Program has declined in the past five years despite population growth, increasing demand for sporting facilities and the growth in childhood obesity.

I have called on the Carr Government in Parliament to do something tangible towards improving the health of the population by increasing the yearly allocation to the Capital Assistance Program to at least $8 million.

Whilst increasing funding for the Capital Assistance Program is not the only solution, it is one of a number of measures that would help to fight childhood obesity.

Mental Health Hotline

Mental health services on the Northern Rivers will now include an after hours access line. The NRAHS is introducing a telephone triage assessment service that assists with information and advice, support, direction, follow up and problem identification.

The service will operate from 5pm until 9am weekdays, with 24-hour operation on weekends and public holidays and will be staffed by mental health professionals with comprehensive local information resource databases at their immediate disposal.

This service will assist in providing support and advice on an after hours basis, which is important because many mental health crises occur after hours.

It would be beneficial to the community, if a similar after hours were to be set up for the Department of Community Services.

I can be contacted by writing to PO Box 1018, Ballina 2478 or by telephoning my Electorate Office on 6686 7522 or faxing 6686 7470. For those on-line my e-mail address is Don.Page@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Thomas George
Canberra Connection

Regional Sports Facilities Program

This program provides funds to develop and enhance the network of major sporting and recreational facilities that meets the needs of the general community and may incorporate uses for talented and elite athletes. Applications are now open until 30 November and can be obtained from my office for the Department of Sport & Recreation website www.dsr.nsw.gov.au.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the Department's Manager of Grants on 9006 3776 to discuss their project prior to making application to ensure it is eligible for consideration.

Industrial Relations online

The Office of Industrial Relations has produced a brochure on its online services to assist in answering questions relating to pay rates, award conditions and entitlements. The services on the website (www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au) include:

Check Your Pay - helps users calculate wage and other entitlements, including annual leave and long service leave.

Pay Rate Updates - gives the latest information on changes to NSW pay rates, award conditions and leave entitlements by email. Select the wards you want, change your choices or unsubscribe at any time.

NSW Awards Online - provides access to industrial awards and pay rates covering nearly 1.5 million workers in NSW.

Electorate Functions

SCU Graduations - I was pleased to once again attend the Graduation Ceremonies at the University last weekend to honour the Arts, Health & Applied Sciences and Business students, which include 16 PhD graduates, the largest number in the Uni's history.

Eltham School 120th Celebrations - this was a wonderful day of celebrating 120 years education at Eltham, with both past and present students in attendance.

Bexhill Open Air Cathedral - Following some extensive maintenance work, including new turf and a sandstone foothpath, a rededication and consecration service was held at the Open Air Cathedral recently. This work has further added to the picturesque setting that this local attraction has become.

Train update

Last week Price WaterhouseCoopers released its independent report on the feasibility for passenger and/or communter services on the Casino-Murwillumbah railway line as requested by Tweed Shire Council. The report indicated a commuter train is affordable and realistic. This type of service has always been the principal focus of the Northern Rivers Councils and community groups.

ALTAS & PSO Funding

Last week outside Parliament House large numbers of people gathered to let the Carr Government know of its heartless decision to reform the programs and slash funding. I supported those who made the effort to travel down from Lismore, in particular, Theo McPherson, Zion Stewart, Julie Rose, Natasha Ulyatt, Toby Gulliver and Mathew Wiggins, who were supported by three volunteers from Realising Every Dream [RED] Inc. who came with them, that is, Carl Paola from Ocean Shores and Luke Wiggins and Perry Libeau from Lismore. They asked me to present a big heart, a metre high, to the Premier, which I have assured them I will when Parliament resumes in three weeks.

NLIS

The Nationals' have welcomed the Federal Coalition's significant boost in funding of $20 million for the implementation of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). $15 million of the NLIS funding will go to the beef industry, and the rest will be shared between other sectors.

Farmers, stock and station agents and sale-yard operators in NSW have experienced a raft of problems in getting NLIS off the ground. It is unreasonable to expect producers to carry the full cost of devices in the implementation stage. The Federal Government's funding injection will help cattle producers shoulder the cost of a system that studies have shown to have a 25% public benefit.

NLIS will improve the cattle industry's disease and quality control, and in the current environment of ongoing animal disease scares, it's vital we have a strong trace back system in place.

I welcome and invite your feedback in relation to any of the above matters, please do not hesitate to contact my office regarding any matters on (ph) 6621 3624, (f) 6622 1403, by writing to PO Box 52 Lismore, e-mail; thomas.george@parliament.nsw.gov.au or www.thomasgeorge.com.au