Aug2012_NEWS from SEATH HOLSWICH MP
Following on from June’s Tourism Public Forum, I have now published a Draft Action Plan detailing the discussions from that Forum and other input that has been received from people who couldn’t attend the Forum.
The Draft Action Plan is available for downloading at www.seathholswich.com (link on front page).
If you haven’t had a say and would like to make a contribution, please email your thoughts and suggestions to me at pine.rivers@parliament.qld.gov.au
I am now seeking expressions of interest for a Working Group to discuss these ideas further. The process for lodging an expression of interest for involvement in this Working Group is contained within the Draft Plan.
Thank you to everyone who has had input into this process so far. I look forward to continuing to work with businesses and groups in the Dayboro region as we work to strengthen our local tourism industry.
100% Local Christmas Challenge
If you’re a local business owner and you’d like to be involved in the 100% Local Christmas Challenge – a “buy local” campaign that encourages local residents to buy 100% of their Christmas needs from local businesses – go to the 100% Local Christmas Challenge page at www.seathholswich.com and register your details.
Signing up to the challenge is free for all local businesses, or there’s a low cost option to have your business included in advertising material for the Challenge.
The 100% Christmas Challenge is an initiative of Trevor Ruthenberg MP (Member for Kallangur) and myself, designed to support our local businesses and ultimately bring more jobs into our region.
Website Launched
During July I launched my website: www.seathholswich.com
Through the website you can connect with my office via the “Online Office” tab. The Online Office allows you to raise an issue with me, book a marquee for your community event, request a letter of support or a congratulatory letter.
The Online Office also has information about “Business Assistance”, “Ways to Beat Rising Costs of Living” and information about a variety of grants available to community groups and individuals.
Through the Online Office, my monthly Mobile Offices and my Electorate Office in Strathpine, I am wanting to ensure that you always have a way to make contact with me about any issue.
I also post regular updates on the website about local issues, all my media releases, speeches from parliament etc.
Please take a few moments to have a look around the site.
Newman Government 6 Month Action Plan
The Newman Government has released its 6 Month Action Plan, covering July to December 2012.
It lists our objectives for this six month period. At the conclusion of the six months, we will publish another report identifying how we performed against this plan.
The full plan can be viewed at:
http://www.thepremier.qld.gov.au/plans-and-progress/6-months.aspx
Government Expenditure Cuts
I am very conscious that a number of the expenditure cuts recently announced by the Newman Government have been concerning for quite a number of local residents.
The unfortunate reality of Queensland’s current financial situation is that our state is currently running at a deficit of $2.8 billion per year. We simply can’t sustain spending that much more than we earn year after year, and some tough financial decisions are necessary to get the books back in order.
We are maintaining a focus on ensuring frontline services are properly funded and delivered, which means a number of programs and initiatives that don’t fall into that category have been discontinued or scaled back. There are also some well-publicised changes taking place in the public service, including some positions and agencies being abolished.
If you think any of these cuts will impact you, and you’re not sure what that impact will be or want to raise your concerns about any particular aspect of these expenditure cuts, please feel free to contact me to discuss the issues. I am certainly happy to pass feedback on to Ministers and to assist where I can in individual situations.
Everyone’s Environment Grants Now Available
Community groups have been invited to put in a bid to share in $12 million available through the Newman Government’s new “Everyone’s Environment” grants program. Applications for the grants opened on 1st July, and I encourage local community groups to apply.
The grants of between $2,000 and $100,000 are to support local community projects which help stop environmental degradation.
Grants are available for a range of projects including:
Tree-planting and land restoration;
Community and waterway clean-ups;
Run-off reduction and water quality improvement;
Enhancement of the natural beauty of local communities; and
Monitoring pollutants in streams.
For more information, visit www.ehp.qld.gov.au
