Mr VASTA (Bonner) (13:49): Today I would like to bring attention to a very special organisation in Bonner. The EACH social activity club has made a huge difference to the lives of a number of people in Wynnum and surrounding areas. Just recently I had the pleasure of having afternoon tea with members of the group. It was great to catch up with everyone and hear members' stories about how EACH has changed their lives for the better. EACH is a fully federally funded program that has provided vital social and community health services across Australia for over 40 years.

The EACH activity club opened in Wynnum just one year ago, and already it has grown to around 150 members. These members can choose from 16 activities a week, including aqua therapy, gentle gym, gardening and book club, and can take part in day trips as well. EACH not only provides valuable social support to older Australians in our community but also expands their networking opportunities. Two people at EACH Wynnum were able to set up their own businesses through partnerships built by the club.

EACH Wynnum has partnered with local services including the local PCYC and Meals on Wheels to enhance the services on offer to its members. I want to thank coordinator Tracey Slater and everyone at the club for their lovely hospitality to me and for the wonderful service that they provide to vulnerable people in my electorate. I am pleased to report more people are taking part in EACH's club activities every day. I look forward to— (Time expired)

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today announced that the next application rounds for the Australian Government’s Green Army and 20 Million Trees programmes were now open.

“The Government wants local people to join the Green Army to work on local projects in our community, and we want local groups to come forward with ideas for projects,” Mr Vasta said.

“We invite potential project hosts such as community organisations, Landcare groups, natural resource management organisations, environment groups, Indigenous organisations, local councils and others to put forward local project ideas as part of Round 4 of the Green Army,” Mr Vasta said.

Round 4 Green Army applications are open until 2pm Canberra time (AEST) on Wednesday, 16 September 2015.

“Information sessions about how to get involved in the Green Army are currently running across Australia for local community groups and young people interested in signing up,” Mr Vasta said.

Mr Vasta encouraged those interested to attend one of two information sessions to be held in Brisbane on Thursday, 20 August 2015 at the Mercure Hotel:

• Project Host Information Session – 9am to 11am;

• Participant Information Session – 11am to 1pm.

Mr Vasta also invited community groups, organisations and individuals to start their own tree planting projects by applying for grants under Round 2 of the 20 Million Trees Programme, which aims to see 20 million trees planted across Australia by 2020.

“Funding of up to $5 million is now available under the second round of the programme with grants of between $20,000 and $100,000 available for projects which will re-establish native vegetation, provide habitat to support threatened species and to improve the local environment,” Mr Vasta said.

“This is a great opportunity for the many local people in our community who are committed to conservation and green spaces.”

Applications for Round 2 of the 20 Million Trees Programme are open until 2pm Canberra time (AEST) on Wednesday, 16 September 2015.

“I look forward to seeing these trees—and the millions to follow under this programme—grow into thriving green corridors and urban forests,” Mr Vasta said.

More information about Round 4 of the Green Army Programme, including eligibility, project guidelines, application form and the full schedule of community information sessions is available at www.australia.gov.au/greenarmy.

More information about Round 2 of the 20 Million Trees Programme is available at www.nrm.gov.au/20-million-trees.

Mr VASTA (Bonner) (19:55): Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your recent elevation to that office. It is with great pleasure tonight that I inform the House and the community and sporting groups in my electorate of Bonner of the fantastic opportunities available to them through the Stronger Communities Program. The coalition are committed to local communities. We understand the importance of creating opportunities to support local community and sporting groups, and that is precisely what we are doing through this suite of grants. In the last few weeks, I have had the privilege of being present at the openings of the Mount Gravatt Men's Shed's incredible new extension, the Gumdale and District Progress Association's new car park and the St Paul's Uniting Sporting Club's new clubhouse.

These wonderful upgrades will serve the local community for many years to come and are evidence of this government's commitment to sporting and local community groups. The Stronger Communities Program gives our local community the opportunity to apply for small capital works grants to upgrade areas across Bonner, such as town halls, sporting infrastructure like turf, change rooms, canteens and so on. The applications have now opened, and the Bonner community steering committee has been established to help assess worthy applications, so I am encouraging organisations in Bonner to get on board now. I have already received wonderful feedback from local group executive members who have wholeheartedly thrown their support behind this initiative and are eager to apply. Eligibility requirements have been designed to be simple and wide ranging, meaning there is scope for a huge variety of groups and clubs to apply. To be eligible, groups need to be listed as not for profit and have an ABN.

There is no doubt about the wide-ranging benefits of engaging positively with local groups. In Bonner, sporting clubs and community organisations are the beating heart of the community. They offer a space to fill the void of social isolation, they provide a platform to allow our volunteers to showcase their skills and, most importantly, they are eyes and ears on the ground, plugged into the needs and aspirations of my constituency in an intimate and ongoing way. I rely on my community groups as a source of information and to fill the cracks that people can slip through at times. This is why it is so important to adequately support them. I am proud to be a part of a government that asks those who know best how to spend their tax dollars, rather than having a paternalistic approach that tells them what they ought to spend their tax dollars on. I am also proud to support the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, who recognises the importance of our local groups and has worked hard to make sure they are looked after. The assistant minister understands the value of our local community.

I am really excited to see the support of government being extended to the hardworking volunteers of Bonner. For those Bonner groups and clubs interested in applying, please contact my office for more information on how to apply and details of upcoming information sessions that I will be hosting. Debate interrupted.

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your recent elevation to that office.

It is with great pleasure tonight that I inform the House and the community and sporting groups in my electorate of Bonner of the fantastic opportunities available to them through the Stronger Communities Program.

The coalition is committed to local communities. We understand the importance of creating opportunities to support local community and sporting groups, and that is precisely what we are doing through this suite of grants.

In the last few weeks, I have had the privilege of being present at the openings of the Mount Gravatt Men's Shed's incredible new extension, the Gumdale and District Progress Association's new car park and the St Paul's Uniting Sporting Club's new clubhouse. These wonderful upgrades will serve the local community for many years to come and are evidence of this government's commitment to sporting and local community groups.

The Stronger Communities Program gives our local community the opportunity to apply for small capital works grants to upgrade areas across Bonner, such as town halls, sporting infrastructure like turf, change rooms, canteens and so on. The applications have now opened, and the Bonner community steering committee has been established to help assess worthy applications, so I am encouraging organisations in Bonner to get on board now.

I have already received wonderful feedback from local group executive members who have wholeheartedly thrown their support behind this initiative and are eager to apply. Eligibility requirements have been designed to be simple and wide ranging, meaning there is scope for a huge variety of groups and clubs to apply. To be eligible, groups need to be listed as not for profit and have an ABN. There is no doubt about the wide-ranging benefits of engaging positively with local groups.

In Bonner, sporting clubs and community organisations are the beating heart of the community. They offer a space to fill the void of social isolation, they provide a platform to allow our volunteers to showcase their skills and, most importantly, they are eyes and ears on the ground, plugged into the needs and aspirations of my constituency in an intimate and ongoing way. I rely on my community groups as a source of information and to fill the cracks that people can slip through at times.

This is why it is so important to adequately support them. I am proud to be a part of a government that asks those who know best how to spend their tax dollars, rather than having a paternalistic approach that tells them what they ought to spend their tax dollars on. I am also proud to support the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, who recognises the importance of our local groups and has worked hard to make sure they are looked after. The assistant minister understands the value of our local community.

 I am really excited to see the support of government being extended to the hardworking volunteers of Bonner. For those Bonner groups and clubs interested in applying, please contact my office for more information on how to apply and details of upcoming information sessions that I will be hosting.

Consumers in Bonner and across Australia will soon benefit from clearer, simpler information about where products come from.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta said new country of origin food labels will begin to appear on supermarket shelves later this year.

“It is important to ensure consumers have the information they need to make informed choices about the products they buy,” Mr Vasta said. 

In February, the Government established a review of Australia’s Country of Origin Labelling laws.

The Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane and Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce unveiled the changes on Tuesday.

Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane said the new food labelling system will show consumers where products are made, grown or packaged.

“Foods processed locally will have a new label which includes the familiar green and gold kangaroo and triangle icon, with a bar chart showing what proportion of the ingredients are from Australia,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“This will include, for example, ‘Made in Australia from 100% Australian ingredients’, ‘Packed in Australia, Made in Canada’ and ‘Made in Australia from Australian carrots and French peas’”.

Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce said companies will be encouraged to provide additional information on their labels such as naming the origin of a number of key ingredients.

“The green and gold triangle design was the overwhelming preference of more than 17,800 respondents to the Government’s food labelling community survey,” Mr Joyce said.

“The new labels will be easy for shoppers to identify. Consumers will no longer have to search for the country of origin information hidden in small print.”

Consumers in Bonner and across Australia will be able to make a quick comparison of products on the shelves. Digital options are also being developed so consumers who want more detailed information can get it.

These reforms will also clarify the definition of ‘made in’ Australia. Importing ingredients and simply slicing them will no longer qualify for a ‘made in’ claim.  

Under the new scheme, if a product is imported into Australia and then re-packed, the label will identify where the item came from.

The Commonwealth Government will continue to work with the States and Territories, whose agreement is required to roll out the new labels. 

Mr Vasta said an initial voluntary take-up of the country of origin food labels will mean shoppers across Australia including in Bonner should see changes on the shelves later this year. 

“The mandatory rollout will commence in 2016, providing manufacturers with time to implement the new scheme,” Mr Vasta said.

“I encourage all those interested in further information on country of origin labelling to visit www.industry.gov.au/cool.”

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta joined the local community on the weekend for the opening of the Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed Extension, a jointly funded project between the Australian Government and the Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed.

“The project will provide a venue for the residents of Mt Gravatt and neighbouring regions to come together to socialise as well as improve their skills in activities such as woodworking, woodturning, carpentry and welding,” Mr Vasta said.

“Men’s Sheds facilitate community engagement, offer a place for people to learn new skills and provide an important social support network for its members.”

Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed President Murray Rogash said he was delighted with the assistance the group had received at a Federal, state and local government level.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have received the support enabling us to get to this stage,” Mr Rogash said.

“The Men’s Shed now provides 19 different activities for 260 members from 43 different postcodes.”

Project works included:

• Construction of a 85m2 extension to the existing Men’s Shed for use as a recreational space;
• Construction of new 110m2concrete slab and veranda;
• Installation of new veranda roofing;.
• Internal and external painting of the extension;
• 2m2expansion to the existing kitchen; and
• Fit-out of the kitchen.

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs said the opening of the extension was yet another example that Ross Vasta and the Australian Government were delivering better community infrastructure in Bonner.

The Australian Government provided $100,000 for the project through its $350 million Community Development Grants Programme, while the Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed contributed $40,000.