Fri 26 Sept, 7.30 – 9.30 am, planting at Sandy Camp Road, Wynnum West (near Iona College)

Sat 27 Sept, 5 pm, Microbat Workshop at Cubberla-Witton Centre, Chapel Hill

Sat 4 Oct, 9 am – 12, Saturday Open Day at Sustainability Centre – Sustainable Living at rental property in New Farm

Sun 5 Oct, 11 am – 2.30, Richmond Birdwing Community Day at Oriel Park, Ascot

WED 8 OCT, 10 am, AGM & GENERAL MEETING FOLLOWED BY BBQ LUNCH – AT SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE (not the church) – RSVP please

Sun 12 Oct, 9 am – 2, Green Heart Fair at Carindale – helpers for stall please

Thurs 16 Oct, from 9 am, Arbor Day with Tingalpa State School – helpers please

Sat 19 Oct, 8.30 – 10.30 am, Habitat Creation at Minnippi with Port of Brisbane volunteers

Wed 22 Oct, 11.15 am, Healthy Waterways Report Card Launch at Kangaroo Point

Thurs 30 Oct, 12 – 4.30 pm, Chinese Environmental Leaders visit B4C

All enquires or for further information please either;

Phone B4C office: 3398 8003
Heather: 0410 840 343 
Email: b4c@bulimbacreek.org.au

Sustainability Centre – corner of Wright St and 1358 Old Cleveland Rd, Carindale.

When: Thursday, 2^nd October 2014 – 7am to 10am.

Where: Wynnum Golf Club, 64 Stradbroke Ave, Wynnum 4178.

RSVP: Register for free at www.citysmart.com.au/events/hemmant-lytton-industry-breakfast.

Local businesses in and around Hemmant and Lytton are invited to a free industry breakfast workshop at the Wynnum Golf Club on 2^nd October. Participants will learn how to reduce their energy and water usage, as well as lower their waste output, to improve their business’s efficiency and lower their utility costs.

Speakers on the day will include CitySmart CEO, Megan Houghton, and Chairman of Business South Bank, Barton Green, as well as local businesses that have made financial savings through energy and waste efficiencies, and representatives from Energex, the University of Queensland, Linde, CSR Bradford and the Rain Harvesting Group.

Participants go into the running to win one of two Level 1 Energy Audits.

Do you like animals? Or do you have pet that you love to pieces?  Why not join Pet City Mount Gravatt on Saturday 4 October 2014 for World Animal Day?  They will be cooking up a storm with pancakes in the morning from 8am and a BBQ for lunch.  What more could you want?  Join between 8am and 4pm for a delicious meal.

The Rotary Club of Wishart will be holding an Art Show on Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October at the Community Hall, Mt Gravatt Showgrounds, Logan Road, Mt Gravatt. This year's show follows on from the success of last year where nearly 30 paintings were sold. Once again, the People's Choice Award category will be held.

Proceeds from the artshow will help us to support the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) who provide medical treatment for children from developing countries and the Fred Hollows Foundation.

People in Bonner who are suffering from pancreatic cancer will be able to access the breakthrough drug Abraxane on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from November 1.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said pancreatic cancer was a highly aggressive disease with very few treatment options.

“The Australian Government has committed over $92 million over four years to subsidise Abraxane, which will improve the lives of around 1,500 Australians and their families,” Mr Vasta said.

Without the PBS listing of this medicine, patients would face an average cost of $16,000 for a course of treatment, at an average cost of $1,300 per script. Once listed on the PBS, that script will cost a concessional patient only $6.00.

The Commonwealth spends more than $9 billion annually to fund existing items on the PBS, which is up a staggering 80 per cent in the past decade.

The listing of nanoparticle albumin bound paclitaxel (Abraxane®) was recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in March, and the details were agreed with the pharmaceutical company in July. It has now received approval from Cabinet.

“Following agreement of pricing and listing arrangements with the pharmaceutical company, the Government has taken less than two months to consider the listing, making it one of the fastest listing approvals for a high cost medicine in recent years,” Mr Vasta said.

All PBS listings are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicine.

Government schools in Bonner will benefit from the Australian Government’s $70 million Independent Public Schools (IPS) initiative, designed to strengthen the capacity of school communities to make better decisions for students.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said Australian Government funding will flow to local schools as a result of an agreement between the Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, and the Queensland Minister for Education, Training and Employment, the Hon John-Paul Langbroek MP.

“This is great news for our local community,” Mr Vasta said.

“No one is better placed to make decisions about how a school should be run than the principal, teachers and parents at that school.”

“This funding will expand Queensland’s Independent Public Schools initiative, and provide professional development to support local school leaders in making better decisions.”

Under this initiative, Queensland will receive $12.88 million from the Australian Government between 2014 and 2017 to enable an additional 130 government schools to become Independent Public Schools.

“This is over and above the state’s current program, and will directly benefit school principals, leadership teams and school communities in Bonner,” Mr Vasta said.

“The funding means the good work already happening in local schools can be expanded to provide more parents in our community with more choice.”

The funding will also assist with the development and delivery of three professional development programmes, and an online system to help schools better manage their budgets.

Mr Vasta said the IPS initiative is part of the Government’s Students First approach, which focuses on four key areas – teacher quality, school autonomy, parental engagement, and strengthening the curriculum – that will allow local schools to better meet the needs of students.

 For further information, visit www.studentsfirst.gov.au.

The Government is now inviting young people aged 17 to 24 years old to sign up to key Green Army projects in Bonner, Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said today.

“These are some of the first Green Army initiatives to roll out in the country, and are aimed at restoring and rehabilitating our local natural habitat,” Mr Vasta said.

“I encourage young people in Bonner who want to gain valuable skills, training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation fields to become a part of this monumental environmental undertaking.”

Mr Vasta said Campbell Page, one of five appointed Green Army Service Providers that have been contracted to deliver Green Army projects across the country, has commenced recruitment for rehabilitation projects at:

·         Mansfield – area between Cresthaven Park and Caterson Park, on the southern side of Bulimba Creek;

·         Wynnum North;

·         Minnippi Parklands.

“Green Army participants will be able to undertake accredited training such as work readiness, conservation and land management, heritage conservation, project and human resource management and heritage trade skills,” Mr Vasta said.

“Participants will receive a Green Army allowance for the duration of their project. Participants will also be supported to obtain Certificate I or II qualifications or nationally endorsed skills set to help them prepare for the workforce or improve their career opportunities.”

Participation is open to a diverse range of young people, including school leavers, gap year students, graduates and job seekers. Participants must be aged between 17 and 24 years and an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Young Australians interested in joining the Green Army can apply through the appointed Service Providers for each state and territory. Contact details for Service Providers are available from www.environment.gov.au/green-army.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today said it was an honour to present at SpecialCare Central’s 2014 Recognition Awards on Friday, 12 September.

 “These awards recognise the hard work and achievements of worthy members of our community who have a disability, as well as businesses that employ people with a disability,” Mr Vasta said.

 “SpecialCare Central is to be commended for their excellent Disability Awareness and Opportunity Expo this year, which was their sixth annual event.”

 “Every year, the Expo brings together members of our community to offer support and recognition to those living with a disability.”

 The team at SpecialCare Central said they felt the Recognition Awards were the highlight of the Expo.

 “We are blessed to have the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful people that make up our community,” Yvonne Campbell, organiser of the Expo, said.

 Ross Vasta said he was touched by the story of Ronald Sheehey, who has autism and who currently works as a kitchen hand for Greenmeadow Court, one of the Nominee Certificate recipients for Best Employer.

“Ronald once lacked confidence, and was quite shy and withdrawn – now through his work at Greenmeadow Court, he has gained the confidence to catch public transport to and from work, and has recently passed his Provisional Driver Licence exam,” Mr Vasta said.

 “It was wonderful to see employers like Greenmeadow Court, who have given so much support to their disabled employees, receiving the recognition they deserve.”

 “I look forward to hearing more from the award winners in future, as well as seeing more of the great work SpecialCare Central does for our disabled community.”

 To see more photos of the Expo and to read more about the event, visit www.specialcarecentral.com.au.

Date: Sunday 26 October 2014
Time: From 10am to 2pm
Place: Cnr Bridgnorth St & Old Cleveland Road Carindale

Stalls include trash and treasure, pre-loved books and clothing, handicrafts, cakes and sweets, plants, devonshire teas, Asian foods, sausage sizzle and cold drinks.

Lots of free local entertainment and community displays plus activities for children – baby farm animals, pony rides, jumping castle, face painting, puppet show. 

Phone 3398 8069 for more information.

More than 3.7 million pensioners in Australia, including over 14,000 pensioners in Bonner, will receive an increase to their payments from September 20, Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said today.

“Single age pensioners will receive an increase of up to $11.50 a fortnight, while age pensioner couples will receive up to $17.40 extra a fortnight, the second rise this year,” Mr Vasta said.

“This means total pension payments for people on the maximum rate will be $854.30 a fortnight for singles, and $1,288.00 a fortnight for couples.”

“This is good news for the 14,189 age pensioners in Bonner.”

In addition, around one million allowance recipients will also benefit on September 20 from increases to income support payments such as Newstart and Parenting Payment.

Parenting Payment Single recipients will receive an extra $7.20 a fortnight to $732.30.

Newstart Allowance, Parenting Payment Partnered, Widow Allowance, Partner Allowance and Sickness Allowance will increase by $5.20 a fortnight for singles and $4.70 each for couples (including Energy Supplement).

Mr Vasta said the increases will help pensioners keep up with rises in cost of living expenses.

“Pensions will continue to increase in March and September every year under an Abbott Government,” Mr Vasta said.

“The Abbott Government is pleased to deliver increases to those on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and veterans’ income support.”

“This is on top of our election commitment delivered earlier this week to annually index the income thresholds for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card to CPI,” Mr Vasta said.

Full details of all rates and thresholds to be indexed on 20 September can be found at www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/benefits-payments/indexation-rates-september-2014.