I would like to offer Dubbo local Jillian Kilby my congratulations on her fantastic win at the AgriFutures Australia 2018 NSW-ACT Rural Women’s Award. I look forward to seeing Ms Kilby continue to shine a light on regional business and prosper as a leader in our community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
I was also pleased to make two major funding announcements last week. Narromine Council have received nearly $180,000 for CCTV cameras in the town centre, a great boost to security for the town and Minister for Racing Paul Toole and I presented $240,000 for the construction of an Adventure Playground in Gulgong. This will be a great asset for Gulgong and the surrounding community.
The spirit of ANZAC
In your letter boxes this week you should be receiving an Anzac brochure to celebrate the spirit of the Anzac. Sacrifice, mateship, courage and endurance- they’re all qualities our soldiers forged on the battlefields a century ago and are still relevant today as Australia’s military personnel uphold the time honoured ANZAC tradition.
Last week I was privileged to join 14 of my fellow trekkers at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Sydney. It was a hugely moving event and put the size of the challenge and the contribution of our diggers who fought and died for our country into perspective.
Wreaths were laid to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and a moment of silence was observed. I have always held our diggers in high regard but my respect for those who served our country has only increased. I’m looking forward to learning more about their incredible contribution and following in the footsteps of our courageous soldiers at Kokoda over the coming weeks.
Mental health care
Frontline staff caring for people in the community who live with severe mental illness will receive specialised training to improve the care experience for consumers and their families. The NSW Government will invest $800,000 over the next two years in a new scholarship program for staff who work for non-government organisations (NGOs)
Expanding the availability of community based supports is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to a 10 year reform of mental health care, and a skilled workforce is essential to delivering this. Our NGO network play a crucial part in helping people who live with mental illness experience a better quality of life by offering specialised assistance.
The Mental Health NGO Workforce Scholarship program will fund up to 300 scholarships to enable NGO staff to study either a Certificate IV in Mental Health or a Diploma in Mental Health.
NGOs in regional, rural and remote parts of NSW will be targeted to ensure staff everywhere across the State have access to mental health training. Further information on the scholarship application process will be available to participating NGOs in the coming months.
Bringing local heritage to life
A new round of grants under the NSW Government’s Heritage Near Me program will see $2.8 million directed towards projects to protect unique local heritage around the state, and heritage managers or owners in the region are encouraged to apply, Member for Dubbo, TroyGrant announced today.
Applications are closing soon for this year’s Heritage Activation grants, which are designed for owners or managers of local, publicly accessible heritage items from buildings to parks and monuments to special natural and cultural places. Applicants can apply for support for their projects for amounts from $10,000 to $100,000. Applications close on April 20 for projects that begin after July 1. Visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritage-near-me-incentives