Grants to drought-proof our communities

It’s wonderful to see that community groups in the Parkes electorate will share in more than $300,000 in funding from the latest round of Small Network Grants, awarded by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).

These grants have been funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and aim to support projects that will strengthen community preparedness and resilience to manage the impacts of future droughts.

Three organisations in the Parkes electorate have received funding under Stream 1, including:

·        Country Women’s Association of NSW Trangie Branch - $19,343 for an upgrade to the Trangie CWA Rooms

·        Foundation Broken Hill Limited - $20,000 for the delivery of a series of volunteer skills development workshops

·        Narromine Business Collective - $19,500 for the delivery of a luncheon for local women with an interest in business.

An additional five Far West groups have received funding under Stream 2, including:

·        Baaka Cultural Centre Wilcannia Aboriginal Corporation - $50,000 for the delivery and fit-out of an artist-in-residence studio

·        Broken Hill Community FM Association Incorporated - $42,893 for broadcasting infrastructure upgrades and dust-proof cabinetry at 2Dry FM’s community radio stations in Broken Hill and Menindee

·        Contact Incorporated - $49,969 for the delivery of eight community connection events in Ivanhoe, Louth, Pooncarie and Tibooburra

·        Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of NSW Incorporated - $49,000 for the delivery of eight facilitated workshops focussed on increasing social wellbeing and drought preparedness in Lightning Ridge, Pooncarie and Tibooburra

·        Milparinka Sporting Club Incorporated - $50,000 for a new amenities facility at the Milparinka Sporting Ground.

Unfair roads funding allocations

Unfortunately, councils in the Parkes electorate are being short-changed when it comes to an increase in funding allocations under the Australian Government's Roads to Recovery program.

City councils are receiving an increase of 76 per cent in the next five-year funding period, in comparison to the 46.7 per cent rise in funding that our rural and regional councils will receive.

While any increase is welcome news, it's extremely disappointing that it is not being distributed fairly, especially when many of our rural councils have much larger networks of roads to maintain compared to their more prosperous city counterparts.

This again highlights the Labor Government’s disregard for the regions, further exacerbating the disadvantage our councils face when it comes to keeping on top of road maintenance and upgrades.

Water buybacks begin

The first round of the Labor Government’s voluntary water buybacks opened last week with a tender seeking to buy up to 70 gigalitres of water entitlements in the Southern Basin.

Communities throughout the Basin are now bracing themselves for the fallout – they’re concerned about the impact on local businesses, jobs and their long-term sustainability.

But it won’t just be Basin communities that will be impacted by water buybacks – it will only be a matter of time before households across the country feel the pinch of this ill-considered policy. The flow-on effect from purchasing water from irrigators will no doubt drive up the cost of production and producers will inevitably have to pass these costs onto consumers at the checkout.

Inquiry into diabetes

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport handed down the report from its Inquiry into Diabetes.

As a member of the Committee, I am proud of this report which provides guidance and insight for preventing, managing and treating diabetes and obesity in Australia.

The recommendations include expanding subsidised access to insulin pumps for people living with type 1 diabetes, as well as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices for people living with type 2 and type 3c diabetes requiring regular insulin, and people with gestational diabetes.

Increased government funding for type 1 research and trials and expanding access to bariatric surgery within the public system for eligible patients are also included in the recommendations, in addition to a focus on prevention with recommendations for the Australian Dietary Guidelines to be reviewed, a national public health campaign, national screening programs, reforms in food labelling targeting sugar, and the regulation of the marketing and advertising of unhealthy food to children.