Thousands of offers are now available to Veteran Card holders in Bonner from businesses across Australia, as part of the Australian Defence Veterans’ Covenant.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Veteran Card provided the opportunity for businesses and organisations, big or small across the country to show their support and recognition of veterans.
“So far around 500 businesses are on board, making more than 10,000 offers available for Veteran Card holders, both over the counter and online,” Mr Vasta said.
“The businesses range from small family businesses through to large chains that operate nationally.“If you’re a business in Bonner, get on board and support the Australian Defence Veterans’ Covenant.”
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester MP said the new Veteran Card was available to all veterans as a practical demonstration of respect and recognition for their service.
“Our Government is committed to putting veterans and their families first and we provide more than $11 billion every year in support for veterans and their families,” Mr Chester said.
“Bringing corporate Australia on board will be a tangible benefit to the veteran community, with the card providing access to services and benefits for eligible veterans.
“The service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families to our nation is profound, and supporting our veterans through this program is a positive and tangible way to recognise that.”
Businesses honouring the Veteran Card include retailers, travel and tourism operators, accommodation and car hire, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, as well as service and trade industries such as gyms to automotive mechanics.
A water safety program to train teachers and students to swim to survive has been awarded a $30,000 grant.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Mackenzie-based Craig Tobin Aquatics Pty Ltd was awarded the grant for its Collaborative Water Safety – Swim to Survive Program.
“This grant was awarded through the Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF) and trains teachers and students in Seoul, Busan and within Korea how to swim to survive,” Mr Vasta said.
“This program is run through Lifesaving Korea and was one of 33 recipients of the AKF’s grants program to promote projects in Australia and Korea.”
Mr Vasta said the grant would help the organisation expand on its program which was first launched in 2016 into Korea’s education system.
“This grant will help Craig Tobin Aquatics teach 200 teachers and more than 2000 primary school students in Korea how to swim,” Mr Vasta said.
The Australian Government is committed to promoting people-to-people and institutional linkages between Australia and Korea.
The AKF supports the development of sustainable partnerships between Australian and Korean institutions, professional bodies, non‑governmental organisations and private sector organisations in arts and culture, business, trade, education, and science and technology.
The AKF is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For more information about the AKF, successful grant recipients and the grants program, visit www.dfat.gov.au/AKF.
Redeemer Lutheran College has received a $128,000 grant through the Morrison Government’s $41.9 million Safer Communities Fund to install CCTV cameras.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the new CCTV cameras would help ensure a safer community for the Rochedale school.
“The Safer Community Fund is a fantastic initiative to help enhance our local communities and to help deter criminal activity including theft and vandalism,” Mr Vasta said.
“Thanks to a strong economy, we are able to provide grants like this to build a better Bonner and safer communities.”
Redeemer Lutheran College Principal Tanya Crooks said their facilities were used every day and were appreciative to have the means to keep everyone safe.
“We just want people to know that they are safe and we have adequate resources to provide that,” Ms Crooks said.
“Redeemer Lutheran College is grateful the Morrison Government cares and prioritises the safety of everyday people that use our facilities through awarding us this grant.”
Mr Vasta said Redeemer Lutheran College was just one of many schools, organisations and community groups in the Bonner electorate to benefit from previous rounds of the Safer Community Fund.
The grant includes funding for schools, places of religious worship and community assembly to provide safety enhancements such as CCTV cameras, fencing and bollards.
The Ross Vasta Christmas Appeal officially launched today and has partnered with national online charity GIVIT to support the drought and bushfire affected community of Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Christmas Appeal for Stanthorpe encouraged locals in Bonner to donate and purchase much needed items and services for Stanthorpe and surrounding residents.
“In a further effort to support the local community, we will ensure where possible, items for the Stanthorpe residents through this appeal will be purchased locally to support Darling Downs businesses,” Mr Vasta said.
“Now more than ever, the township needs to see money we raise, spent locally to keep small business and jobs ticking over.
Mr Vasta said he was driven to supporting Stanthorpe with a Christmas appeal after witnessing the hardship of families and farmers affected by the drought and recent bushfires.
“Suffering through a drought is hard enough, but to lose homes, sheds and stock through bushfires is just devastating,” Mr Vasta said.
GIVIT CEO Sarah Tennant said the organisation had been working with frontline services and charities to support the recovery process of bushfire-affected communities since early September.
“Christmas is always a hard time for people who are struggling financially, especially those Queenslanders affected by the ongoing drought as well as recent bushfires,” Ms Tennant said.
“We’re proud to be partnering with the Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP to continue to help those in the Granite Belt, who have already received thousands of donated items through GIVIT including white goods and essential clothing for young families.”
Mr Vasta said the Christmas appeal would run for six weeks, finishing on December 13.
“This is a fantastic way for residents and businesses in my electorate of Bonner to support farmers, families and local businesses in one of Queensland’s drought affected communities.
“I’m so pleased to be able to create this avenue for people in Bonner to do something positive and selfless, by supporting regional families who are struggling through the festive season.”
Big-hearted residents in the Bonner electorate can donate funds to purchase particular items or services, such as:
$2 will provide a newspaper from the Stanthorpe Newsagency for a farmer affected by the drought
$5 will provide a coffee from Brinx Deli & Café for a volunteer firefighter
$10 will provide Christmas decorations from Price Busters Variety Stanthorpe for a vulnerable family
$20 will provide a cosmetics voucher from Pure Heaven for a single woman affected by recent bushfires
$30 will provide a Christmas lunch at the RSL for an elderly man living alone
$40 will provide a premium pack of meat from Stanthorpe Quality Meats for a couple’s Christmas lunch
$50 will provide a lady’s gift voucher for Pink Poppies Living Creatively to decorate a property damaged by bushfires
$80 will provide a clothes voucher from Eclectic Palate for a woman displaced by bushfires
$200 will provide a groceries voucher for a drought-affected family’s Christmas feast from the Spano’s Supa IGA
$300 will provide an electric guitar from Top Beat Entertainment & Electronics for drought-affected family to surprise a teenager
$500 will provide a voucher from Howard & Sons Mitre 10 for a man who’s shed was destroyed by bushfires
To donate to the Ross Vasta Christmas Appeal for Stanthorpe visit GIVIT.org.au/donate-funds, select Christmas 2019 in the “Donate to” options, and put ‘VASTA’ in the comments box.
100 per cent of funds received will be used to purchase items for Stanthorpe residents in need this Christmas.
Education and awareness packages designed to reduce rates of stillbirth, will soon be available for health professionals and pregnant women across Australia.
The Safer Baby Bundle, developed principally by the Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Stillbirth at the University of Queensland, will be provided to hospitals in selected areas.
The national rollout of the bundle is assisted by $3 million from the Morrison Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), to support research to help transition maternity care into routine clinical practice.
This builds on a $1.3 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant to the CRE earlier this year, which funded trials in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
The Safer Baby Bundle provides evidence based recommendations in five key risk areas:
Detection and management of impaired fetal growth.
Awareness and management of decreased fetal movement.
Advising women on safe sleeping positions.
Supporting women to stop smoking.
Better timing of birth for women with risk factors.
We are also providing $3 million for stillbirth education and awareness programs, and we are developing a National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan, working with key stakeholders and individuals.
Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta MP says that stillbirth is an issue that affects everyone and is a priority for the Australian Government.
“Reducing the rate of stillbirth in Australia, including providing the best possible support services for families living with the tragedy of a stillbirth, is a Morrison Government health and well-being priority,” Mr Vasta said.
“We understand the importance of this issue, not only for the women affected, but for their partners, families and the broader community. “
Kindy’s in Bonner have the opportunity to learn another language thanks to the Morrison Government’s play-based Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program that teaches young Australians a foreign language.
The $27.5 million ELLA program has already helped educate 110,000 children about foreign languages, across more than 3,500 preschools.
ELLA is a digital, play-based program that introduces young Australians to languages other than English. It can help teach 13 languages: Arabic, Mandarin, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said learning a second language would give students an educational advantage and broaden their horizons.
“ELLA supports children to explore other languages and cultures, inspiring them to continue learning in years to come,” Mr Vasta said.
“Our Government is helping prepare students in Bonner for the future economy where having a second language will be an enormous benefit.
“Kindy educators don’t need any language training experience to run the ELLA program because extensive support material, offline games, learning resources, and a responsive helpdesk are all provided.
“I encourage kindergarten operators in Bonner to apply to run the ELLA program to introduce our children to the joy and challenge of learning a second language.”
The Coalition Government has already provided $11.8 million to expand ELLA into 300 schools for grades Foundation to Year 2. Visit www.ella.edu.au for more information, including eligibility criteria, device requirements and how to apply.
Researchers and entrepreneurs can receive up to $ 1 million from the Morrison Government for breakthrough medical devices that improve patient care.
The third round of funding from the Government’s $45 million BioMedTech (BMT) Horizons initiative, funded by our landmark Medical Research Future Fund, opened on 15 October.
This round will direct funding to projects in three focus areas:
Digitally enabled medical devices in mobile health, health information technology, wearable devices, telehealth and telemedicine, and digitally enabled personalised medicine.
Implantable digitally enabled medical devices addressing unmet needs in any therapeutic area.·
General medical devices in the areas of regenerative medicine, women’s health, cardiovascular, orthopaedics, neuroscience, general surgery and oncology.
The funding will be available through a competitive process. The three focus areas will support development of biomedical and medical technologies in the priority areas, to the proof of concept stage and towards to commercial development.
Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta MP says that this funding will improve upon the nation’s world renowned health care Australians receive and boost the economy.
“New medical treatments and technology supported by BMT Horizons funding will result in better health outcomes and quality of life for Australians and people around the world,” Mr Vasta said.
“In some cases, they will be life changing or even lifesaving,
“They will also fuel growth in Australia’s biomedical and medical technology sector. As projects mature and reach commercialisation, they will create jobs and generate domestic and export income.”
Successful applicants for the second round of BMT Horizons funding are currently being finalised.
Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP represented Foreign Minister Marise Payne at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly reception on Disability Rights and Inclusion.
Mr Vasta attended the reception to celebrate the launch of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) at the Global Disability Summit one-year progress report.
“I was very honoured to represent the Foreign Minister at this important event which was co-sponsored by the Australian Government and hosted by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Disability Alliance (ISA),” Mr Vasta said.
“As well as launching the UNDIS, it was a great opportunity for UNICEF, IDA and partners of the UN community to renew their commitment towards disability rights and inclusive development.”
Mr Vasta said the UNDIS provided the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all the pillars of the work of the UN.
“Australia is a strong advocate for disability inclusive development and disability rights,” Mr Vasta said.
“Speaking at the event, I shared how in Australia, all levels of government are working together to improve the lives of Australians with disability, their families and carers in line with the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020.”
Mr Vasta said he also shared a story from a local constituent in Bonner who had benefited from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
“When Tricia contacted me crying with gratitude because her 15-year-old with Aspergers and NF1 had been approved for the NDIS, it really hit home the impact our Government is having on people with disability and their families,” Mr Vasta said.
“It was an important message to share at the UN reception on Disability Rights and Inclusion because it puts a face and emotion to the cause we are championing.
“Australia has been a steadfast supporter of the UNDIS since its inception and it was an honour to represent Australia at this UNGA event.”
Bonner veterans and their families will benefit from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA) Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) grants program.
Federal Member, Ross Vasta MP said this funding will help Bonner ex‑service and community organisations to continue to put veterans and their families first.
“It is through the dedication and hard work of ex-service and community organisations that veterans and their families receive services, support and opportunities allowing them to continue active roles in their local communities,” Mr Vasta said.
“I congratulate the Manly-Lota RSL for receiving a $24,207.75 grant through DVA’s Building Excellence in Support and Training grants program.
The Manly-Lota RSL have provided continued to support to our veterans and their families through their programs.”
MR Vasta said that ex‑service and community organisations, veteran groups and private organisations play a crucial role in supporting the health and welfare of the veteran community.
“Thank you to these organisations for provide support to our veterans and their families when it is most needed.
“The Government will continue to support veterans and their families by providing more than $4 million to 139 projects across the country.”
For more information on BEST grants visit the grants page on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website (www.dva.gov.au/grants).
Multicultural groups and not-for-profit organisations in Bonner are encouraged to apply for the Fostering Integration Grant Program, with applications now open.
The Morrison Government is providing $2.3 million for community organisations to support the integration of migrants into Australian social, economic and civil life.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrants Services and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman MP said this round of grants would fund activities that celebrate and recognise Australia’s multicultural communities, increase cultural awareness and help build more socially cohesive communities.
“The program has been refined to optimise opportunities for smaller, grassroots organisations,” Mr Coleman said.
“There is also a focus on key cultural events, which raise awareness of Australia’s multicultural diversity and promote a sense of belonging by bringing people together.
“Activities funded may include cultural events or festivals, programs that help migrants undertake valuable work experience in order to succeed in the workforce, or opportunities to practice English in their local community.”
Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the grants would enhance the important work they do at the local level, recognising that safe communities are built on strong communities.
“Local community organisations have an important role to play in in helping migrants, particularly young people, women and those in regional areas access the workforce and participate more in the community,” Mr Vasta said.
“The Fostering Integration Grants program is about supporting organisations that work at the grassroots level in their community and have a strong understanding of the challenges facing migrants.”
Not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to $60,000 for activities lasting up to 12 months.
Applications for the Fostering Integration Grants close November 5, 2019.
For more information and to apply for the Fostering Integration Grant Program, visit the Community Grants Hub website at www.communitygrants.gov.au
