On the 16th May 2015, help Mantle House along with it's partner Wesley Mission Brisbane, build safe, affordable homes that will provide opportunities for residents to live the lives they wish to live with support as and when they need it. See flyer for more information…

 Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today congratulated the organisations that have won contracts to deliver employment services to job seekers and employers in Bonner through the Government’s new jobactive employment services model, which will be introduced from 1 July 2015.

Mr Vasta said Help Enterprises, MAX Employment, Sarina Russo Job Access, the Salvation Army Employment Plus, and Tursa Employment and Training had been selected through a competitive tender process to deliver employment services in Bonner.

Employment Providers will deliver the majority of services in the new jobactive system, and help job seekers with activities such as developing a resume, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews, training, Work for the Dole, and case management services.

In addition, a Work for the Dole Coordinator will be responsible for contacting community based organisations and identifying opportunities for Work for the Dole activities. They will work with employment providers to help place people into Work for the Dole activities.

Services to help eligible job seekers start new small businesses will also be available under the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS). This includes small business training, business advice, and mentoring for up to 52 weeks.

Mr Vasta said the current Job Services Australia system introduced by Labor was no longer meeting the needs of job seekers and employers.

“Under Labor, employment services were allowed to focus on process rather than results, to churn job seekers through training for training’s sake, and employment services had become bogged down in red tape,” Mr Vasta said.

“The Coalition’s new jobactive system will provide clearer incentives to ensure employment service providers are focused on better preparing job seekers to meet the needs of local employers, and helping people to find and keep a job.”

“The new model includes wage subsidies for young job seekers, Indigenous job seekers and the long term unemployed, as well as the Restart subsidy for older workers, and Relocation Assistance to help people move to take up a job.”

“There is also the Job Commitment Bonus to encourage young job seekers to stay in work and off welfare.”

Mr Vasta said Work for the Dole will be rolled out nationally to help job seekers learn new skills and remain active and engaged while looking for work. There will be new Work for the Dole Coordinators working with local community organisations to identify Work for the Dole activities and places.

The Government has also made changes to assist employment providers to deliver services on the ground.

This includes less red tape, the introduction of five year contracts instead of three, a mid-contract price adjustment, larger employment regions to promote economies of scale, and an additional loading to support service delivery in regional Australia.

“There has been strong interest in the Government’s tender, and organisations were assessed in terms of their capacity to meet the needs of local job seekers, their past performance and their organisational and management arrangements,” Mr Vasta said.

The tender was conducted by the Department of Employment in accordance with the Government’s procurement rules and signed off by an external probity adviser.

In coming months, local job seekers will receive advice on which organisation will assist them with looking for work after 1 July 2015. In the meantime, job seekers can continue to work with their existing Jobs Services Australia provider.

“I congratulate the organisations that have won contracts to deliver jobactive services in our region, and I look forward to working with them to ensure local job seekers and employers are receiving the services they need,” Mr Vasta said.

Further information on jobactive is available at the Employment Services website or via the Department of Employment’s purchasing hotline (espurchasing@employment.gov.au), or 1300 733 514.

Consumers in Bonner are a step closer to lower prices, and local businesses are a step closer to growing their business and meeting the needs of their customers, following the release of the Competition Review final report.

The Commonwealth Government commissioned the independent report as part of the first comprehensive assessment of Australia’s competition policies, laws and institutions in more than 20 years. The report includes 59 recommendations for how Australia’s competition policy can be improved.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said the review is aimed at reducing the cost of living for families and giving small and medium businesses the tools they need to succeed.  

“Healthy competition can lead to lower prices at the check-out for families, and can remove road blocks to innovation for local businesses, helping them become more competitive,” Mr Vasta said. 

“It is the surest way to raise productivity and grow our economy, ultimately resulting in higher living standards, better paying jobs, and improvements to our quality of life.” 

“The release of this independent final report is a significant step towards the Government’s election commitment of an effective competition framework to benefit consumers and businesses.”

Some of the recommendations in the report include freeing up remaining restrictions on retail trading hours, re-evaluating restrictive planning and zoning policies, relaxing parallel import restrictions, potentially making cars more affordable, and altering road pricing and related taxes in order to fund better road infrastructure. 

The report by Professor Ian Harper and his panel is now out for eight weeks public consultation, and citizens in Bonner are encouraged to submit their views. 

“It is important we get this framework right to maximise the benefits to households, and minimise unnecessary restrictions on businesses innovating and adapting to new technologies and global competitive pressures,” Mr Vasta said.

The Minister for Small Business, Bruce Billson, said he will take on board the views expressed in submissions and work with the Prime Minister as well as state and territory colleagues in responding to them.

“All of the reforms proposed warrant careful consideration before making any change,” Minister Billson said.

“I look forward to the views of citizens on which recommendations they think would most benefit them. Each state and territory has unique circumstances, so we will need to respond to the recommendations relevant to each jurisdiction.”

A full Government response will be developed by the end of this year.

The full report, together with details of the consultation process, can be found on the Treasury website at www.competitionpolicyreview.gov.au.

Don’t let the children become bored at the end of the school holidays! A free garden workshop is being conducted to allow children to “get their hands dirty” and learn how to pot up flowering seedlings and vegetable seeds. The children will take home their potted creations!!

WHEN: 10AM Thursday 16^th April 2015

WHERE: Rochedale Community Garden, 160 Rochedale Road. ROCHEDALE 4123

AGE GROUP: 7 to 12 inclusive

BOOKINGS: Bookings are limited so get in early by contacting Rochedale Community garden by email: rochedalecommunitygarden@gmail.com Or Graham on 0413 698 030

The children will need to bring gardening gloves, hats (important) and a garden apron (not important). Children will need to bring their own refreshments.

A guided tour of the community garden will be available to children, parents/guardians at the completion of the workshop. 

On Sunday 24th May 2015 help raise money to support life changing programs for children living with arthritis. Join in for a 5km walk or run along the Wynnum Foreshore. For all the event information visit: https://arthritis.sslsvc.com/support-us/zoes-angels-funrun/

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today urged local residents and businesses to donate much-needed goods and supplies to farmers in South Western Queensland affected by drought, as part of a drive led by the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association.

“You can help out farmers and their families who are doing it tough by donating boxed non-perishable foods, toiletries, laundry products, cleaning items, and other goods for children including toys, games and books,” Mr Vasta said.

“My office in Wynnum is currently accepting donations, which will then be personally delivered by truck to farmers and their families out west.”

Mr Vasta said the next planned run in June, the third run since the drought relief project began, was dependent on the number of donations received.

He commended the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association along with other local groups for their joint effort in promoting the project and gathering donations.

Organiser David Brewer said the project was a worthwhile cause and that every single donation made a difference.

“The group has already done two runs that were very well received,” Mr Brewer said.

He stressed the donations were preferred already boxed to save on repacking time and to allow the goods to get to those in need sooner.

“We are also asking for more volunteers to assist in collecting donations from private residences,” Mr Brewer said.

“If we receive enough donations for the run to go ahead, we will also be seeking volunteers with vehicles that can transport up to 40 boxes to pick up donations from the drop-off points to deliver to our main storage depot in Sunnybank.”

Mr Vasta said the first two drought relief runs were very well received by farmers and their families, and he hoped enough donations would be made to make a third run out west possible.

He encouraged people to spare a thought for drought-affected farmers, and to read the poem that inspired the drought relief project, ‘Every Day We Bleed’ by Gary Fogarty (copies of which can be picked up at the office of Ross Vasta MP).

Donations can be left at the office of Ross Vasta MP, located at 69 Clara Street, Wynnum 4178.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact David Brewer on 07 3273 3721 or 0422 913 741.

I rise today to speak on one of the most important issues in my electorate of Bonner. This issue is a lack of fast and reliable internet broadband. I am here to update the House on broadband access in Bonner, and the progress of the NBN rollout in my electorate. I will also speak on the technology that will help bring high-speed, reliable broadband to my constituents sooner, at less cost.

I have spoken many times in this chamber on this pressing matter. It pains me to stand here today with many fresh stories from residents and businesses who are struggling to access the world-class broadband that is essential for so many things these days.

Just the other day I heard the story of a father of two who lives in Mansfield. He tells me since he moved there ten years ago, his internet service has gone from bad to worse. Incredibly slow download speeds and regular dropouts are the daily norm, he says. It’s caused untold frustration for the whole household. His wife needs it for work on her PhD and for the days she works from home. His two children need it for their high school work. Not to mention daily activities that need a stable internet connection, like paying bills online or accessing government services.

And that’s the thing with internet broadband. It’s not a luxury that can wait—it’s a must-have in today’s increasingly tech-driven world. The Coalition understands this. On the other hand, Labor overpromised and under-delivered, as though people could afford to just hold out for years on end.

Many suburbs including those in my electorate lagged behind as a result. Carindale, Wishart, Mansfield, Wynnum West, Manly West, Wakerley and Rochedale to name just a few.

I have contacted telecommunications representatives in my area more times than I would like, on behalf of my constituents who can’t even access basic ADSL services. The NBN was supposed to be the cure-all for this from the start. Instead Labor let down the people of Bonner spectacularly.
 
Madam/Deputy Speaker, the Coalition couldn’t let the NBN go on the way it was under Labor. It would’ve cost $73 billion, $29 billion more than claimed. It would’ve increased prices for consumers by up to 80 per cent. And we would have had to wait until 2024 for it to be finished. Almost a decade, when we’re already behind much of the world.
 
Now under the Coalition’s plan, the NBN will be completed faster using a multi-technology mix. I’m pleased to report that a large number of residents and businesses in Bonner will benefit from this revised rollout strategy. It matches the right technology to the right location, making use of existing networks where possible to deliver superfast broadband. Under this model, areas with poor broadband will receive upgrades several years sooner.
 
This is great news for my Bonner constituents. Especially considering around 77 per cent of premises in my electorate are already passed by the existing HFC network, which NBN Co will be utilising to deliver superfast broadband. This means a quicker and more efficient rollout of the NBN in Bonner.
 
Further to that, NBN Co has announced it will be among the first in the world to deploy next-generation HFC technology in 2017. Users will be able to access download speeds of 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds of 100 megabits per second, where offered by their retail service provider. This will be a huge step up.

Clearly, the Coalition has put the NBN back on the right track. Under our plan, all Australians will be receiving first-rate, high-speed, reliable broadband in less time at less cost to taxpayers. In particular, the Coalition has prioritised those who were underserved by the previous government. We recognise that residents and businesses cannot afford to wait for the NBN.

I would like to also thank my colleague Malcolm Turnbull for the excellent job he has done turning the NBN around. He took a project that was way off-track and off-budget and reshaped it to ensure more areas in need receive fast, affordable broadband. The NBN will now be completed in a much timelier and more cost-effective manner. My Bonner constituents will reap the benefits of the Minister’s good work.

I look forward to seeing those in my electorate get the world-class broadband they deserve. I will continue to work with NBN and telecoms representatives to ensure this is achieved in a fast and efficient manner.