State Connection November 2010 A monthly bulletin from Nationals Member for Lismore Thomas George MP

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Lee McCarthy
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State Cnnectin Nvember 2010 A mnthly bulletin frm Natinals Member fr Lismre Thmas Gerge MP Histric mment in parliament As the Temprary Speaker and Natinal Party Whip, I had the hnur f pening the NSW

1 State Cnnectin Nvember 2010 A mnthly bulletin frm Natinals Member fr Lismre Thmas Gerge MP Histric mment in parliament As the Temprary Speaker and Natinal Party Whip, I had the hnur f pening the NSW Parliament last mnth after the Deputy Speaker failed t arrive t carry ut her duties. Had I refused r been unavailable, the sitting f NSW Parliament at 10am n 29 Octber, 2010 wuld nt have been able t cmmence until a Temprary Speaker was elected, which wuld have required a qurum f Gvernment Members. It was an histric ccasin as it has been revealed this was the first time that an Oppsitin Member has had t cnduct the pening f Parliament. I had n hesitatin in perfrming the Opening as the Parliament represents the peple f NSW and they culd nt be held t ransm because f the attitudes f the Keneally Labr Gvernment. Mre plice needed In ne f my speeches in Parliament last mnth I raised my cncerns ver need fr additinal plice fficers t the Richmnd and Tweed-Byrn Lcal Area Cmmands (LAC). It was recently annunced the Lismre electrate, which takes in a big part f the Richmnd LAC and part f the Tweed-Byrn LAC, will nly receive nine new fficers ut f the 1000 graduating plice fficers. The allcatin f plice fficers t ur tw Cmmands is insufficient fr the needs f ur fast grwing regin and is a slap in the face fr ur cmmunity. Mre than tw millin visitrs visit the Nrthern Rivers regin each year. We have a rati f ne plice fficer t 700 residents when the rati fr the rest f the State is ne plice fficer t 500 residents. That is a disgrace. In additin, lng-term sick and stress leave, which is greater here than in ther parts f the State, is causing nging pressure t bth thse n leave and thse left t cver the wrklad. The Keneally Labr Gvernment is treating peple n the Nrth Cast with cntempt. The Cmmissiner f Plice and the plice executive must urgently address these issues. I will cntinue t make representatins t ensure that this prblem is addressed.

2 Palliative Care Wrkers thanked In anther f my Parliament speeches last mnth I highlighted the imprtance and my appreciatin fr palliative care wrkers and the service they prvide arund the state. Palliative care affirms life and treats dying as a nrmal prcess; it neither hastens nr pstpnes death; it prvides relief frm pain and ther distressing symptms; it integrates the physical, psychlgical, scial, emtinal and spiritual aspects f care with crdinated assessment and management f each persn's need; it ffers a supprt t help the family cpe during the persn's illness and in their bereavement; and it als ffers a supprt system that enables peple t stay in their wn hme fr thse last crucial days, hurs and minutes. Sadly, funding cutbacks made by the State Labr Gvernment in 2009 has meant the lss f a palliative care scial wrker psitin based ut f St Vincent's Hspital, Lismre. The lss f this part-time psitin, which had serviced 100 patients a mnth, has left many peple in this regin stripped f the benefits palliative care ffers. Peple in ur regin d nt always have access t transprt and therefre rely n scial wrkers t visit them. Despite this lack f funding, everyne invlved with palliative care thrughut the Nrth Cast Area Health Service, and in particular the team f dedicated staff perating ut f Lismre's St Vincent's Hspital crdinated by Janne Cper and headed by Dr Janne Dran, the Palliative Care Physician and Directr f Palliative Care fr the Nrth Cast Area Health Service, is t be thanked fr the wnderful wrk they d. They truly ffer an invaluable service t s many. Slar rebate scheme under fire I have been inundated with queries relating t the current Labr Gvernment's slar bnus scheme and the recent changes intrduced. At midnight, Wednesday 27 Octber 2010, Labr's Slar Bnus Scheme was clsed in its initial frm. The far t generus ffer f 60 cents per kw was replaced with a new tariff rate f 20 cents/kw. The reasn fr the change was just as the Calitin had expected, a massive versubscriptin leading t a hrrific financial blw ut. The flawed scheme was suppsed t cst $202 millin ver seven years but it will nw cst at least $1.5 billin eight times the advice given t Parliament last year. The nus f this cstly blw ut will be n families wh will pay an extra $100 per year n their electricity bills every year frm 1 July 2011 until at least The slar industry will als suffer terribly with panel installatin cmpanies already stating they will be frced t axe jbs. The Calitin is nw cmpiling a suitable energy plicy t be released prir t the State electin.

3 Funding fr Festivals and Cultural Events Festivals and majr cultural events in the Lismre Electrate may be able t benefit financially under the Cmmunity Develpment Grants Prgram (Spnsrship). Applicatins are nw pen fr nt-fr-prfit incrprated rganisatins t receive up t $5,000 fr special events such as annual festivals and majr cultural events that are scheduled n earlier than 1 April Examples f prjects supprted by funding include: - The hsting f seminars and cnferences Multicultural and inter-cmmunity frums Lcal festivals and events Teaching craft skills t target grups frm a culturally diverse backgrund. Prjects can include capital purchases. Applicatins clse n 17 December Fr applicatin frms call int my Electral ffice at 55 Carringtn Street, Lismre, r g t Sign up t supprt Aussie trps The Hn Charlie Lynn MLC has put frward a petitin regarding Australian trps n active duty in Afghanistan which is available t sign in my ffice. Mr Lynn, a returned Vietnam Veteran, is rallying residents f NSW t express their full supprt fr ur Australian trps n active duty in Afghanistan and is calling n the Australian Gvernment t:- 1. Withdraw the histric charges f manslaughter against ur three cmmands in regard t a night cmbat missin in Oruzgan Prvince n 12 February Reinstitute the traditinal system f Curts Martial; 3. Re-assign the Directr f Military Prsecutins within the Australian Defence Frce Chain f Cmmand. 4. Establish an Office f Military Defender t prvide legal representatin t any trps charged by the Directr f Military Prsecutins. 5. Include a prtective clause fr Australian trps n active service in Afghanistan. If yu wuld like t supprt ur Australian trps in the ways listed abve, feel free t call int my electral ffice lcated at 55 Carringtn Street, Lismre, and sign this petitin r phne t have ne sent ut t yu t sign. Shws Over The agricultural shw seasn n the Nrthern Rivers is sadly ver fr anther year but what a shw stpping seasn it was. Celebrating its 125 anniversary in 2010, The Nrth Cast Natinal Exhibitin, held at Lismre Shwgrunds frm Octber, enjyed a timely break in the weather and attracted recrd crwds. Cngratulatins t shw rganisers including President Jhn Gibsn, Secretary Janelle Hancck and all cmmittee members fr their nging hard wrk and cmmitment int making the 2010 event ne f the best yet. It was an hnur t pen the 110 th Murwillumbah Agricultural Shw held n Nvember 5 & 6. I als had pleasure f presenting Barry and Jenny Glasby with life memberships. The shw prved ppular and was a testament t the effrts put in by President Jenny Glasby, Secretary Liz Chauvier and the cmmittee. Well dne t all. Deb and I lk frward t the Nrthern Rivers shw circuit resuming in 2011.

4 Thmas heads up charity walk My jggers made a re-appearance frm the wardrbe n Sunday 7 Nvember fr the 2010 Thmas Gerge Charity Walk, which benefits the 900-2LM Children's Christmas Appeal. It was the 6 th year f this event and I was pleased t see many peple accepted my challenge t either walk r spnsr me fr this very wrthy cause. Despite entrant numbers being dwn slightly n previus years, we were still able t raise $6,500. This mney will be split between varius children's charity rganisatins including Wilsn Park Special Schl, Biala Special Schl, Byrn Early Interventin Prgram, Summerland Early Interventin Prgram, Jumunna Early Interventin Prgram and Nrth Cast Children's Hme. Hpefully yu'll jin me n the pavement next year and we can raise even mre mney fr these wrthy grups. Kygle visit During a recent visit t Kygle I had the hnur f presenting a number f awards t several f the high achievers wh were listed in last mnth's State Cnnectin issue. In making presentatins t Barkers Vale Public Schl, Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula Schl and Rainbw Ridge Schl fr Steiner Educatin n behalf f NSW Envirnmental Trust, I was able t see first-hand the wnderful envirnmental prjects each had undertaken. In additin, I was als frtunate enugh t present Jennie Richter with her Carers Award. Cngratulatins again t all f these wrthy recipients. My Kygle visit als saw me pen the new premises fr accunting business WHK n behalf f develpers Allan Marsh & C and the tenants, WHK. Lcated at 1 Wyangarie Street, the site is well knwn in the lcal cmmunity where the Leveretts Crdial Factry nce std. I was interested t see the display inside the WHK building cntaining relics f the cnstructin site f the histric crdial cmpany - a fitting tribute t the heritage f the site. Music Festival In Gd Cmpany The Lismre Turf Club was transfrmed int a vibrant cultural precinct n Saturday 13 Nvember with the hsting f the In Gd Cmpany pen air music festival. Cngratulatins t Hrace Bevan and his team n rganising this fantastic inaugural cmmunity and family-fun charity event. It shwcased gd fd, markets, stalls and talented musicians and artists including frmer Lismre girl and Australian idl finalist, Ngaiire Jseph, Diana Anaid, Byrn Bay cuntry rck n rllers The-Remains' and 20-piece drumming trupe The Samba-Blisstas. I enjyed the time I was there, and Hrace, yu have nt lst it! All prceeds frm the day went t tw lcal charities: the Mental Health Supprt Grup and the Lismre Sup Kitchen.

5 Freedm frm Bullying Exp As a cntinuatin n frm the Stamping Out Bullying brchure I issued in February 2009, the anti-bullying frum held in cnjunctin with The Nrthern Star als last year, and nging media reprts, the Nrthern Rivers Anti-Bullying Alliance (NRABA) was frmed in Last Friday, 12 Nvember, NRABA held a Freedm frm Bullying Exp at the Lismre Wrkers Club. The Exp included guest speakers, a panel wh respnded t cmmunity cncerns, playback theatre and musical interludes. The TAFE YuthNet Freedm Frm Bullying Website Prject was als shwcased. The NRABA aims t raise awareness and reduce bullying in schls, the wrkplace, in the hme and in the cmmunity; t prvide advcacy and supprt t bth targets and bullies thrugh referrals t apprpriate cunselling services. Fr mre infrmatin n NRABA call Linda Bradbury n Cngratulatins t this mnth's high achievers frm ur electrate including: - Tweed Palliative Supprt Inc fr winning the Cmmunity f the Year Award fr cmmunities f mre than 15,000 peple. Bnalb Hspital Auxiliary fr achieving 40 years f service t the Bnalb Hspital. Penny Evans, f Lismre, n her selectin as a finalist in the 2010 NSW Parliament Abriginal Art Exhibitin. Reginal Air Express (REX) n being named the Centre fr Asia Pacific Aviatin's Airline f the Year Lismre Base Hspital Auxiliary n receiving recgnitin fr their fundraising effrts, in which they raised in excess f $72,500. Jack Cper, Jel Wilsn and Darcy Evans, all f Crndale, and Luke Eggler, f Numulgi n winning gld in the PP6 relay at the recent State PSSA Athletic Champinships in Sydney. St Jhn's Cllege Wdlawn students Rachel Farringtn, Gergia Wds, Andrew Herrmann, Emma O'Meallly, Gary Cllctt, Emily Farringtn and Jack Dilln wh led by principal and facilitatr Mr Glenn Rff tk ut first place in the Scial Sciences at the natinal champinships f the Turnament f the Minds in Darwin. The schl's Language Literature team including Marian Jseph, Jessica Spence, Phebe Parker, Danny Chattertn, Callum Rirdan, Paris Mrdecai and Jack Oates, were als awarded hnurs in Darwin. Kygle n receiving five Awards at the 2011 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Tidy Twns Sustainable Cmmunities Celebratin Weekend held in Lckhart, Nvember 5-7 including: - The Kygle Cmmunity taking ut first place in the Bush Spirit Award fr Kygle Tidy Twn's Spnsrship Prgram and placing third in the Overall Tidy Twns Award. Kygle High Schl n receiving a Highly Cmmended fr the Waste Management and Litter Reductin Award fr its 'Red, yellw, green, let's keep Kygle High Schl clean' prject and a secnd highly cmmended fr the Schls Envirnment Award, which it als received last year. And; Kygle cuncil's Waste Water Wetland Hydrpnic Prject fr receiving a Water Cnservatin Award.

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