A re-elected Coalition Government will provide up to $200,000 to support a long-awaited feasibility study into an additional bridge across the Burrum River.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester announced the funding today.

Mr Pitt said he had long advocated for a study to be undertaken to thoroughly investigate the cost of the bridge which has the potential to reduce the travelling time between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

“The Burrum River bridge has long been a contentious issue for the Hinkler electorate,” Mr Pitt said.

“While there are many views within the community on the proposal, my view has always been that there should be a proper and thorough cost-benefit analysis of the project.

“The project has the potential to provide a new coastal link from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg and attract more visitors to the communities of Toogoom, Burrum Heads, Buxton and Woodgate.

“I’m pleased that the Coalition can support Fraser Coast Regional Council to co-ordinate the feasibility study and if re-elected, I look forward to working with council to progress the study.”

Mr Chester said the feasibility study would take into account the overall cost of a new bridge, connecting roads and infrastructure, the benefits to the community, environmental impacts and land acquisition.

“Only the Coalition is committed to developing and investing in regional Australia and I look forward to seeing the results of the feasibility study upon completion,” Mr Chester.

A re-elected Coalition Government will invest $1.4 million to support the extension of Kay McDuff Drive to the Bundaberg Ring Road.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt announced the funding with Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester in Bundaberg today.

Mr Pitt said the project would provide ease of access for 25m B-Doubles from the industrial area of Bundaberg to the freight network.

He said the current route utilises local roads and allows for 23m B-Doubles only.

“This project has been on the radar of the local community for some time and it is something I have advocated for in Canberra,” Mr Pitt said.

“Data collected indicates that more than 6,200 vehicles, including more than 320 heavy vehicles, use the current route every day.

“This extension will provide opportunities to direct traffic away from one of the largest high schools of the district – Shalom College which has around 1,500 students – onto the Bundaberg Ring Road.

“As such, this project is expected to deliver vehicle savings of $15.3 million over 25 years.”

“These upgrades are very welcome and if re-elected I will also be seeking further Commonwealth funds to improve our local road network.

“I’ll also be making sure that we never see a resurgence of Labor’s failed road safety tribunal which was simply setup to increase union membership and union power.”

“Funding that was set aside for the tribunal is now being re-directed to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and I will be engaging with local operators on what practical safety practical safety initiatives they would like rolled out.”

Mr Chester said construction on the project would commence later this year and would be completed in early 2017.

“The project will be carried out as part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme and will be jointly funded by the Bundaberg Regional Council,” Mr Chester said.

“The Coalition is committed to working with the heavy vehicle industry and getting on with the job of providing safer and more productive freight network.

“A competitive freight industry supports jobs and growth in our primary industries and there are flow-on safety benefits from these upgrades for all road users.”

The Coalition extended funding for the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme as part of the 2016/17 Budget, ensuring that $40 million is spent delivering projects on an annual basis from 2019/20.

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said that a re-elected Coalition Government will strengthen existing workplace laws to ensure better protections for workers and to stamp out exploitation by unscrupulous employers.

Mr Pitt said that the Coalition’s focus on jobs and growth will be complemented by increased safeguards for vulnerable workers who have been let down in recent times as a result of blatant non-compliance with workplace laws by employers across a number of industries and in many cases, multinational corporations who ignore their obligations under Australian laws.

The Coalition Government announced that, if re-elected, stronger protections for vulnerable workers will be delivered by:

• increasing the penalties that apply to employers who underpay workers and who fail to keep proper employment records. A new higher penalty category of ‘serious contraventions’ will be introduced, and will apply to any employer that has intentionally ripped off workers, regardless of the employer’s size

• introducing new offence provisions that capture franchisors and parent companies who fail to deal with exploitation by their franchisees

• delivering a $20 million funding increase for the capabilities and workforce of the Fair Work Ombudsman

• strengthening the powers of the Fair Work Ombudsman so that it can more effectively deal with employers who intentionally exploit workers by compelling them to produce information and answer questions

• establishing a Migrant Workers Taskforce in the Fair Work Ombudsman that will target employers who exploit migrant workers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

“The Coalition will provide stronger and more effective laws to help prevent a recurrence of the shocking stories of exploitation that we have witnessed in recent times,” he said.

Mr Pitt said this commitment by the Coalition Government would build on the work done by Taskforce Cadena which was established in June 2015.

“Taskforce Cadena’s aim is to ensure that seasonal workers are protected from unscrupulous labour hire operators,” he said.

“This issue is not confined to the horticulture sector or the Bundaberg region. That’s why I’m pleased Taskforce Cadena is operating nationwide, across a range of industries.”

Mr Pitt said the Coalition’s commitment will protect vulnerable workers and help ensure better workplaces in Australia.

A local sporting organisation is hoping an upgrade to its facilities will mean it can attract state and national titles to the region, and more members.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said the Bundaberg Sailing Club had been awarded $8541.50 to improve its kitchen under the Federal Government’s Stronger Communities program.

“The kitchen facilities needed to be upgraded to meet current health and safety standards so the club can host larger functions, including state and national regattas,” Mr Pitt said.

“If the club is successful in hosting state and national titles here in Bundaberg, these competitors will need accommodation, entertainment, and will bring a boost to the local economy.”

The club, which was established in 1908, had to replace the boat ramp and pontoon facilities after they were washed away in 2013 floods.

Bundaberg Sailing Club Commodore John Learmonth said the club had applied to host the 2017 Nacra class event at Easter next year.

“We haven’t heard if we’ve been successful yet, but if we are we could attract boats from Ballina to Port Douglas,” Mr Learmonth said.

“And unless we have these facilities, we couldn’t offer to host these types of events.”

The kitchen upgrade includes a hot plate, oven, refrigerator, freezer and stainless steel kitchen benches.

The work was done by local builder Terry Riley and club members who are qualified tradesmen also pitched in to help.

The club held its annual regatta in March and had a record 40 boats entered, which Mr Learmonth said was the best number of entries it’d had in years.

“We hope we can attract more participants and grow the club. We are investigating becoming a ‘Discover Sailing’ venue under the auspices of Yachting Queensland.

“There is also a ‘Learn to Sail’ and junior sailing programs, both of which we hope can grow the clubs’ membership and engage youth in sailing through involvement with schools,” he said.

Through the Stronger Communities Program, eligible community groups can apply for grants of between $5000 and $20,000 for small capital projects. All applications need to commit at least matching funding or in-kind contributions.

Each Federal Electorate is allocated $150,000 a year over two years. Applications for Round Two have now closed. For more information go to www.infrastructure.gov.au/SCP 

Road safety in Hervey Bay has received a boost with a new round of funding announced under the Black Spot Program.

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt today announced funding of $536,500 to install a roundabout at the intersection of Torquay Terrace and Bideford St, Torquay.

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the projects were recommended by a panel of independent road safety experts and would be delivered during the course of 2016-17.

“The annual economic cost of road crashes is estimated at $27 billion per year. Governments of all levels have made significant progress over several decades in reducing fatalities, yet there is still work to be done,” Mr Chester said.

“This investment is helping to make our local roads safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.”

Mr Pitt said the community of Hinkler will benefit from a safer local road network through the improvement of Black Spot locations recommended by the Consultative Panel.

“Residents will recognise the history and notoriety of this location, including through their own near misses and seeing emergency services at the site first-hand,” Mr Pitt said.

“The Black Spot Program allows anyone to make a submission for a safety upgrade to a road or intersection in their local area.

“According to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, there were 1,242 road deaths in Australia in the 12 months to February 2016. This is far too many and we must continue the campaign to make our roads safer.

“We are committed to reducing crashes on our roads.  Accidents take a huge toll on families, our communities and the economy and I am delighted to see these upgrades approved.”

In the same funding round, $890,000 was announced for three black spots in Bundaberg.

The Australian Government has committed $500 million to the Black Spot Programme from 2014‑15 to 2018-19, including an additional $200 million over two years from 2015-16 to improve road safety and infrastructure across the country.

For more information on the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program, or to nominate a black spot, visit http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/blackspots/.

More than 1650 jobs are expected to be created across Bundaberg and the Fraser Coast when the NDIS is rolled out.

The Bundaberg and Maryborough service regions are expected to require the largest proportional workforce increase, as the current estimated workforce is less than 40 per cent of the estimated NDIS workforce.

These figures are part of a new analysis of the NDIS in Queensland, the Market Position Statement, released by the National Disability Insurance Agency.

Minister for Social Services Christian Porter said the report confirms that the NDIS will not only transform the lives of tens of thousands of Queenslanders but also support jobs.

“We expect that the disability services market in Queensland will grow from around $1.8 billion at present to approximately $4.3 billion in 2020,” Mr Porter said.

“The NDIS will inject $2.5 billion into the Queensland economy and double the disability services workforce. While it represents a big win for people living with disabilities, it will also benefit the entire state.”

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said the number of people receiving disability support in the Bundaberg region is forecast to grow from 1500 to 3300 (120%) and in the Maryborough region from 2200 to 5100 – 132%.

“This growth will, in turn, generate jobs, fuel innovation and increase investment,” he said.

More than 600 jobs are expected to be created in the Bundaberg region and 1050 in the Maryborough region.

“This report shows that the NDIS will make a significant difference to the local economy,” Mr Pitt said.

The Market Position Statement aims to share information about the NDIS with the marketplace, helping providers to make business decisions about how they can best meet the needs of people living with disability.

The NDIS will become available in Bundaberg from 1 October 2017. Bundaberg covers the local government area of Bundaberg.

The NDIS will become available in Fraser Coast, North Burnett, South Burnett and Cherbourg from 1 July 2018. This covers the local government areas of Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett and South Burnett.

The full report can be found at:

http://www.ndis.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Market%20Position%20Statement/FINAL%20QLD%20MPS.pdf

NOTE: Under the NDIS, Queensland has been split up into 13 ‘service regions’ using existing  Queensland disability sub/regional areas. The Maryborough service region covers all of Fraser Coast, as well as North Burnett, South Burnett and Cherbourg.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has welcomed additional funding to help fight the ice epidemic.

An extra $298.2 million over four years from 1 July 2016 for the National Ice Strategy will strengthen responses across education, prevention, treatment, support and community engagement.

Mr Pitt said the Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast Public Health Network (PHN) will receive $2,275,910 per year over three years ($6,827,730) for drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. The money will start rolling out from July 1.

“This funding is for primary services such as early intervention and after care, but can also be used for residential rehabilitation,” he said.

In addition to this funding, $19.2 million (nationwide) is being provided for Community Drug Action Teams.

“These teams are run and lead by the community, so they are right at the heart of identifying what the issues surrounding alcohol and drug abuse are in a community,” Mr Pitt said.

“Ice is a big problem in many regional towns – including Bundaberg and Hervey Bay – and anything we can do to get the community involved and thinking about what needs to be done is a great initiative,” he said.

Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) have been successfully run in New South Wales since 1999. CDATs are groups of volunteers who work together to minimise and prevent the harmful use of alcohol and other drugs in their neighbourhoods.

CDATs have led thousands of activities to engage at-risk youth, educate parents and the wider community through community activities and campaigns to curb alcohol-fuelled violence and drug use.

CDATs unite parents, schools, TAFE and universities, government and health workers, law enforcement, businesses, community organisations and local residents who want to create safer and healthier communities.

CDTAs are guided by drug and alcohol harm prevention research with the Australian Drug Foundation supporting these teams with the latest research on effective community development and health promotion activities.

For more information on CDATs you can check out: http://www.adf.org.au/cdat-community-drug-action-teams

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: NATIONAL ICE STRATEGY
The extra $298.2 million (over four years from 1 July 2016) for the National Ice Strategy will strengthen responses across education, prevention, treatment, support and community engagement and includes:

·       $241.5 million in additional funding for Primary Health Networks to commission further alcohol and other drug treatment services to meet local need—with a focus on culturally appropriate mainstream services and including Indigenous-specific services;·

·        $24.9 million to support communities to deliver locally-based and tailored ice prevention and education activities; (Note: This includes funding for the Community Drug Action Teams and the Good Sports Programme.)

·        $13 million to introduce new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for Addiction Medicine Specialists from 1 November 2016;

·        $10.7 million to support clinical research into new treatment options, training of professionals and evaluating the effectiveness of clinical care for those using methamphetamines, which includes a new Centre for Clinical Excellence research body; and

·        $8.1 million to more broadly improve our data sources on emerging trends in ice and other illicit drug use patterns, treatment options and early identification of newly emerging drug threats.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has welcomed improved access to aged care in Childers after an increase in the government viability supplement paid to smaller, rural providers throughout regional Australia.

Announced in this week’s 2016/17 Budget, the Commonwealth will increase the subsidy by 30 per cent, lifting funding across the nation by an extra $102.3 million through to 2019-20.

The viability supplement is a monthly payment to improve the capacity of smaller and rural aged-care providers to offer quality care, acknowledging that there are higher costs of delivering services in certain parts of the country.

Mr Pitt says locally this will mean higher rates of funding and improved services at Forest View Aged Persons Home in Childers.

“Funding of $55,746 for Forest View is part of a boost to 250 mainstream services and 100 multipurpose sites nationally, currently providing residential or in-home care in country areas.

“In regional Australia, increased support for aged care services is vital, as it means we can care for our elderly in familiar surroundings, and where family, friends or local support services are often close at hand,” Mr Pitt said.  

Ensuring our elderly rural citizens are ‘better off in the bush’ comes after Coalition-driven changes to the geographical remoteness classification system, which was replaced this year by the so-called Modified Monash Model.

The ‘Monash’ system is based on current Census figures, rather than a system reliant on 1990’s data, and is also being used to provide increased incentives to attract GP’s to rural and remote Australia, along with other vital workforce shortage programs.

The 2016/17 Budget increase, commencing 01 Jan 2017, is on the back of a 2014 Budget measure which increased the viability supplement by 20 per cent, following a recommendation by the Aged Care Financing Authority.

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt says last night’s Budget is an economic plan for a stronger, growing economy with more jobs.

“This Budget delivers a foundation for regional communities to grow and create more jobs through key initiatives, such as tax cuts for small to medium businesses, renewed infrastructure investment in roads and the Youth Jobs PaTH program,” Mr Pitt said.

There is an estimated 8,541 small businesses in the Hinkler electorate and many will benefit from the reduced tax rate of 27.5 percent which takes effect from 1 July 2016.

“Small business will also benefit from simplified depreciation rules, including the ability to claim an immediate deduction for each and every asset purchased costing less than $20,000 until 30 June 2017.”

The Coalition Government will invest $751.7 million over four years from 2016-17 to establish a Youth Jobs PaTH program for young job seekers aged under 25 years to improve youth employment outcomes.

“Employers I’ve spoken to say young people need the basics before they start work. The Coalition is committed to making sure those who are able to work have the necessary work-life skills required to enter the workforce,” Mr Pitt said.

Also announced last night was $37.9 million committed in the Budget to improve access to mental health treatment for veterans.

“Anyone in Hinkler who has served in the ADF permanent forces will be eligible for treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and alcohol and substance abuse.

Eligible veterans will receive a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) White Health Card.

“The earlier a veteran can get help the better the likely outcome — if an eligible person living in Hinkler requires treatment, it is funded,” Mr Pitt said.

The Roads to Recovery program will receive $400 million in 2019-20 and the Black Spot Program will receive $60 million per year from 2019-20, building on the existing $500 million.

Also beginning on July 1 is the roll out of an additional $298.2 million over four years to support the National Ice Action Strategy, which came after the Australian Crime Commission identified ice dealers were targeting rural and regional Australia.

FACTBOX:

Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare – Trial – Hire)

• PREPARE – Industry endorsed pre-employment training from 1 April 2017 – training for up to six weeks to develop basic employability skills.

• TRIAL – Internship placements of up to 12 weeks from 1 April 2017, with job seekers receiving $200 per fortnight and businesses will receive $1000 up front.

• HIRE – Youth bonus wage subsidies – from 1 January 2017, employers will receive a wage subsidy of up to $10,000 for job seekers under 25 years with barriers to employment and will continue to receive up to $6500 for the most job-ready job seekers.

Education funding

• Additional $118.2 million over two years from 2016-17 in additional support for school students with a disability.

• The Government will provide an additional $1.2 billion over four years from 2017-18 for the 2018-2020 school years.

More details on the Budget are available at www.budget.gov.au

Labor’s housing tax proposal and massive tax increase on investment is bad for Australian families and bad for economic growth and jobs, says Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt.

There are 5,741 residents in Hinkler using negative gearing.

“Labor wants to penalise hardworking investors who are using negative gearing to build a future for their families,” Mr Pitt said.

“It’s about time Bill Shorten explained to each of these 5,741 individuals in Hinkler why they think building some modest wealth for their families is so terrible. This is just a tax increase to fund Labor’s spending addiction.

“In Hinkler, those who are negatively gearing have an average net rental loss of $6,537.

“If they weren’t able to negatively gear, those on the middle income tax bracket of 32.5c would face an annual tax increase of $2,125.”

Most of these middle income earners are investing in established housing, which Labor wants to ban. 

“The proposed ban would mean middle income investors will have to compete with larger numbers of wealthy investors for a much smaller pool of new housing stock, crowding them out of the opportunity they have right now,” Mr Pitt said.

Labor’s proposal will take up to one third of buyers out of the housing market, which will reduce the value of homes. 

“Driving down the value of the most important asset for most Australians is not a strategy for economic growth and enhanced prosperity for the Australian community,” he said.