July2011_PINE RIVERS NEWS FROM CAROLYN
State Member for Pine Rivers
DAYBORO DAY
I would like to once again thank the Dayboro Day committee for once again organising a wonderful day. I had the great pleasure this year of presenting Dr Paul Inglis with the Dayboro Resident of the Year Award. Congratulations to Dr Inglis.
Congratulations also to our local policemen, Ken and Troy for receiving Special Community Awards and to Bowlak Bobcat and Tipper Hire who received a Business Recognition Award.
QUEENSLAND BUDGET
This year’s State Budget is delivering innovative new services for Queenslanders closer to home.
Carolyn Male MP announced an investment of $100,000 to deliver a dedicated diabetes liaison nurse for Pine Rivers’ locals.
The experienced diabetes nurse, based at the Strathpine Community Centre, will work with local GPs and surrounding hospitals to make sure diabetes patients get the care they need seamlessly.
Funding to the Pine Rivers electorate in the 2011-12 Budget includes:
Communities:
$7.24 million for disability services and support for carers
$816,900 for housing and homelessness support and counselling.
Education:
$6,000 for maintenance work at Dayboro State School
$18,000 for maintenance work at Pine Rivers State High School
$137,000 to provide approved kindergarten programs for children in the year prior to Prep.
Environment:
$970,000 towards enhancements to the reservoir and trunk mains in the Pine Rivers region.
Electricity network infrastructure:
$5.24 million for network supply upgrades.
Health:
$67,000 across Greater Brisbane for Trustee for Moovit Discretionary Trust to provide health promotion under the Queensland Strategy for Chronic Disease initiative
$154,000 in Commonwealth funding across Greater Brisbane for Engaging Minds to provide court and police diversion programs to support Illicit Drug Diversion Initiatives.
YEAR 7S TO JOIN HIGH SCHOOL
Year 7 will become part of high school from 2015 as part of the Bligh Government’s ongoing improvements to Queensland’s education system.
This move is a direct result of the government’s decision to introduce full-time Prep in 2007, which added an extra year of schooling to Queensland’s education system.
This means when children reach Year 7, they will be in their eighth year of schooling, which is the right time to start high school.
We also raised the school starting age, which means that from 2015, more than half the students in Year 7 will turn 13 years of age.
As children enter their teens, they are becoming more independent and are looking for new learning challenges.
High school provides the best environment for their social, emotional and academic development.
The State Government will be making significant funding contributions to the state and non-state sectors to build new classrooms, buy extra resources, support teachers and develop transition programs.
As part of the package of support programs, the State Government would:
– provide additional funding to support Year 7 students’ travel to local secondary schools
– offer up to 500 scholarships for state primary school teachers to prepare them for teaching in Junior Secondary
– provide extra professional development programs for Junior Secondary teachers
– provide support for teachers to introduce the new Australian Curriculum from 2013
– conduct a comprehensive review of the educational needs of geographically isolated families and the services offered to them
– a cross-sectoral taskforce will be established to assess the financial implications of the move on boarding schools
increase the Year 7 rate of the Living Away from Home Allowance to the secondary student rate
NEW ROUND OF SPORTS FUNDING UP FOR GRABS
A new round of funding for sport and recreation groups is now open. A total of $20 million would be made available to local sport and recreation clubs to help build new or upgraded facilities to encourage Queenslanders to live more active lives.
Funding will provide for: new spaces and places that support and recreation participation, new or upgraded player and official’s amenities, shade structures, new multi-purpose facilities, additional work to flood affected facilities.
Applications under the sport and recreation infrastructure program can be submitted until 25 July.
For more information about sport and recreation funding, call 1300 656 191 or visit www.sportrec.qld.gov.au.
JulEYE a good time to get your eyes checked
I would like to encourage people to get their eyes tested during JulEYE.
Seventy-five percent of vision loss is preventable or treatable if detected early enough, but still one Australian loses part or all of their vision every 65 minutes.
Vision loss can affect people at any time in their lives, and it will often happen gradually so that by the time it becomes noticeable, the damage is done.
The good news is that if you are an Australian resident and have a current standard Medicare card, bulk billing can be arranged, so an eye test shouldn’t cost a thing.
For more information on eye health head to http://www.healthier.qld.gov.au/conditions-treatments/conditions .
Congratulations also to our local policemen, Ken and Troy for receiving Special Community Awards and to Bowlak Bobcat and Tipper Hire who received a Business Recognition Award.
QUEENSLAND BUDGET
This year’s State Budget is delivering innovative new services for Queenslanders closer to home.
Carolyn Male MP announced an investment of $100,000 to deliver a dedicated diabetes liaison nurse for Pine Rivers’ locals.
The experienced diabetes nurse, based at the Strathpine Community Centre, will work with local GPs and surrounding hospitals to make sure diabetes patients get the care they need seamlessly.
Funding to the Pine Rivers electorate in the 2011-12 Budget includes:
Communities:
$7.24 million for disability services and support for carers
$816,900 for housing and homelessness support and counselling.
Education:
$6,000 for maintenance work at Dayboro State School
$18,000 for maintenance work at Pine Rivers State High School
$137,000 to provide approved kindergarten programs for children in the year prior to Prep.
Environment:
$970,000 towards enhancements to the reservoir and trunk mains in the Pine Rivers region.
Electricity network infrastructure:
$5.24 million for network supply upgrades.
Health:
$67,000 across Greater Brisbane for Trustee for Moovit Discretionary Trust to provide health promotion under the Queensland Strategy for Chronic Disease initiative
$154,000 in Commonwealth funding across Greater Brisbane for Engaging Minds to provide court and police diversion programs to support Illicit Drug Diversion Initiatives.
YEAR 7S TO JOIN HIGH SCHOOL
Year 7 will become part of high school from 2015 as part of the Bligh Government’s ongoing improvements to Queensland’s education system.
This move is a direct result of the government’s decision to introduce full-time Prep in 2007, which added an extra year of schooling to Queensland’s education system.
This means when children reach Year 7, they will be in their eighth year of schooling, which is the right time to start high school.
We also raised the school starting age, which means that from 2015, more than half the students in Year 7 will turn 13 years of age.
As children enter their teens, they are becoming more independent and are looking for new learning challenges.
High school provides the best environment for their social, emotional and academic development.
The State Government will be making significant funding contributions to the state and non-state sectors to build new classrooms, buy extra resources, support teachers and develop transition programs.
As part of the package of support programs, the State Government would:
– provide additional funding to support Year 7 students’ travel to local secondary schools
– offer up to 500 scholarships for state primary school teachers to prepare them for teaching in Junior Secondary
– provide extra professional development programs for Junior Secondary teachers
– provide support for teachers to introduce the new Australian Curriculum from 2013
– conduct a comprehensive review of the educational needs of geographically isolated families and the services offered to them
– a cross-sectoral taskforce will be established to assess the financial implications of the move on boarding schools
increase the Year 7 rate of the Living Away from Home Allowance to the secondary student rate
NEW ROUND OF SPORTS FUNDING UP FOR GRABS
A new round of funding for sport and recreation groups is now open. A total of $20 million would be made available to local sport and recreation clubs to help build new or upgraded facilities to encourage Queenslanders to live more active lives.
Funding will provide for: new spaces and places that support and recreation participation, new or upgraded player and official’s amenities, shade structures, new multi-purpose facilities, additional work to flood affected facilities.
Applications under the sport and recreation infrastructure program can be submitted until 25 July.
For more information about sport and recreation funding, call 1300 656 191 or visit www.sportrec.qld.gov.au.
JulEYE a good time to get your eyes checked
I would like to encourage people to get their eyes tested during JulEYE.
Seventy-five percent of vision loss is preventable or treatable if detected early enough, but still one Australian loses part or all of their vision every 65 minutes.
Vision loss can affect people at any time in their lives, and it will often happen gradually so that by the time it becomes noticeable, the damage is done.
The good news is that if you are an Australian resident and have a current standard Medicare card, bulk billing can be arranged, so an eye test shouldn’t cost a thing.
For more information on eye health head to http://www.healthier.qld.gov.au/conditions-treatments/conditions .
Carolyn.
