Local Government News

Don Page
State Matters

Crown Lands Tax

I am disturbed by the latest Carr Government revenue raising venture ie. charging volunteer organisations a tax on the use of Crown Land.

The State Government is satisfying its insatiable appetite for revenue raising by slugging voluntary organisations located on Crown land with a licence fee. As an example, the Carr Government introduced this year a new licence fee for the Brunswick Valley Volunteer Rescue Service on a 49 square metre (7m x 7m) watchtower at the entrance to the Brunswick River.

The Volunteer Rescue Service has received a final notice and been threatened with legal action if they don't pay the $187 fee. The Brunswick Valley Volunteer Rescue Service provides an excellent service for the community and saves the Carr Government thousands of dollars every year.

These people are volunteers performing a valuable community service at no cost to government, yet the State Government wants to charge them $187, rising to $350 in the next year or two, for the privilege.

The Carr Government should be acknowledging the great job volunteer rescue organisations do in our community and be waiving the fee in recognition of this.

I have asked Premier Carr in Parliament whether he would exempt volunteer organisations from the charges and he made a commitment to look into the issue. I trust the Premier's investigations will lead to a favourable review of this unfair charge.

Crawford House opening

I was pleased to recently attend the opening of Crawford House in Alstonville. The house is an excellent base for the members of the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society and a useful resource for residents of the Plateau. Congratulations to those who assisted in restoring Crawford House, especially members of the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society, Ballina Shire Council and everyone else who helped. Crawford House is truly a wonderful community asset.

At the opening, I also had the pleasure of launching Forgotten Railways of the Northern Rivers by Ian Kirkland. The book delves into the history of two Northern Rivers rail lines, the Booyong-Ballina line and the Casino-Tenterfield line. I recommend the book to anyone interested in local history.

Education comments sought

The NSW Government's Futures Project is seeking comment from individuals and community groups in regard to a number of education issues such as;

• The need for school and student reports
• Rewarding excellence in teaching, removing under-performers
• Introducing a staffing formula
• Supporting principals and giving them more autonomy
• Introducing better support for special education

Those interested in reading more about the Education Blueprint, or those wishing to make a comment can access further information from www.det.nsw.gov.au or by contacting my office.

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

Lismore Show

The rain was timely last week and I am sure the community welcome it even though it delayed some of the Show ring events.

Friday and Saturday provided great weather to visit the various pavilions, ring events and be mesmerised by the Summerland Credit Union's Arena Spectacular.

This performance by numerous school children, primary producers, dancers, livestock and entertainers was a wonderful celebration of 100 years of shows on the same site, truly reflecting the times of years gone by and exhibiting the community spirit shared by our region. Congratulations to the Show committee, their team of volunteers and exhibitors on a superb show.

Goonellabah Crime

I met with the new Area Commander, Superintendent Bruce Lyons, at Goonellabah to examine some of the issues involved in recent crime incidents in the area. Discussing various issues contributing to this problem, it was obvious that Goonellabah needs a lot of attention, which is now being addressed.

Blood Bank Services

Following my recent meeting in Sydney with the Australian Red Cross, public relations manager, and local Red Cross representatives, it has been indicated to me that a visit to address issues that I raised will happen in the near future to discuss the overall service provided by Australian Red Cross in this area.

It's Showtime! Book Launch

Congratulations to Helen Trustum on this wonderful historical record of various local shows. I had the honour of being part of the official launch and it was my pleasure to auction the first copy, which was purchased by George and Fuhrmann Casino and Bangalow, for $2600 with proceeds going to the Northern Region Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service. Helen wrote this book by hand over five years and it is truly a valuable compilation of the history of shows in this area.

Sports Facilities Program

This program provides funds to develop and enhance the network of major sporting and recreational facilities that meet the needs of the general community and may incorporate uses for talented and elite athletes. Applications are now open until November 30 and can be obtained from my office or 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 an 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.

Commonwealth Youth Parliament

It is proposed to hold a Youth Parliament in Brisbane next year from April 19-23. The NSW Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has been invited to nominate up to two delegates for consideration to attend. Nominees should be between 18-25 years and be able to demonstrate: an interest in Commonwealth and parliamentary affairs; potential leadership qualities and a commitment to the local community. Nomination forms are available from my office and should be returned with supporting documentation by Wednesday November 10.

Churchill Trust

The Churchill Trust is now calling for applications for the 2005 application round. Each year the Churchill Trust awards about 100 Fellowships at an average cost of about $20,000 each. The Fellowship includes airfares, fees and a living allowance.

Successful applicants spend about eight weeks overseas investigating topics that will benefit Australia and add to Australia's knowledge base. The applications are open to Australians 18 years and over for fellowships to be awarded in June 2005 for travel from September 1, 2005. There are no prescribed qualifications. The merit of the proposal is the primary test and a desire to share the results of the fellowship study with the community. Closing date for applications with references is Monday, February 28, 2005.

Full details of the fellowships and application forms can be obtained from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust by contacting their National Office on Freecall 1800 777 231 or at the website www.churchilltrust.com.au

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