Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP joined members and veterans of the Manly-Lota RSL Sub-Branch for the annual Vietnam Veterans Day Service to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

Mr Vasta said today was about reflecting on the service and sacrifice of those who served during one of the longest military engagement of the 20^th Century, the Vietnam War.

“Across two decades between 1962 and 1975, almost 60,000 Australians served during the Vietnam War, sometimes fighting in extreme conditions, often with poor visibility,” Mr Vasta said.

“Each year on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, Australia remembers all those who served in the Vietnam War, including the more than 500 Australians who lost their lives.”Mr Vasta said the service was a private occasion with invited guests only to keep in line with COVID-19 restrictions.

“However, while the wider community could not be part of it, I know they were with us in spirit,” Mr Vasta said.

“Even with our younger generation with the bugle player Lewis Campbell joining us from Moreton Bay Boy’s College to deliver The Last Post.”

Mr Vasta said the Battle of Long Tan on the 18^th of August 1966, was one of the fiercest battles fought by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War, and saw 18 Australians killed and 25 wounded.

“Today we also acknowledge and honour the Vietnam veterans who have lost their lives in the years since they returned and those who still carry the physical and emotional scars of their service and the families that have supported them.”

The Australian War Memorial will hold a Last Post Ceremony at 4:55pm AEST today, 18 August 2020, to commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day and the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

To find out more about Vietnam Veterans’ Day, the Vietnam War and the Battle of Long Tan, please visit the Anzac Portal website.

New ceiling fans to provide relief from the summer heat have been installed at Tingalpa State School’s assembly hall thanks to a $20,000 grant through the Morrison Government’s Local Schools Community Fund.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP recently visited the school to see the new fans and said the addition greatly improved the facility for students, teachers and the wider Tingalpa community.

“In the middle of summer, it can be very uncomfortable in the hall for students, staff, families and visitors,” Mr Vasta said.

“Having a cooling system in place was necessary due to the hall’s location to the noisy Wynnum Road and the need to keep doors closed for the noise and wind control.

“Thanks to this $20,000 grant, these new fans will not only benefit the school community but the wider community as well.”

Mr Vasta said with a shortage of indoor sporting venues in the area, the ceiling fan upgrade would encourage additional community use.

“Having a cooling system in place now allows the school to feature this facility as a good option for external events and sporting games for community groups, which will have tremendous benefits for the school.”

Mr Vasta said the Tingalpa P&C was instrumental in making this grant happen and it wouldn’t have been possible without their fundraising efforts and attention to detail in applying for the grant.

The Morrison Government is supporting community groups to lower their power bills and play their part in helping to reduce Australia’s emissions.

Across Australia, not-for-profit community groups have been awarded grants of up to $12,500 for energy-saving projects under the Government’s Energy Efficient Communities Program.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said he was pleased to announce the Wynnum Manly Employment and Training Association, and the St Mark’s Lutheran Pre-School and Child Care Association were successful recipients in his electorate of Bonner.

“Energy Bills are often one of the biggest overheads for volunteer organisations, and we want to help ease some of the financial pressures facing our hard-working community groups,” Mr Vasta said.

“St Marks Lutheran Pre-School received a $11,364 grant and Wynnum Manly Employment and Training Association received $6000 to support their energy saving projects, which can include installing a solar system, upgrading to more energy efficient equipment, or having an energy audit done on their premises.”

Mr Vasta said the more these groups could save on running costs, the more they could spend supporting their communities.

The Energy Efficient Communities Program was announced as part of the Government’s Climate Solutions Package in the 2019 Budget.

The program will deliver grants to help businesses and community organisations to improve energy efficiency practices and technologies, and better manage energy consumption to reduce their power bills.

In addition to grants for community organisations, the program will provide $10 million for dairy farming businesses, $9 million for small businesses and $15 million for high energy-using businesses.

For more information on the Energy Efficient Communities Program visit energy.gov.au

Local homelessness support groups have received a generous donation thanks to the Bonner Winter Essentials Appeal to help them continue their great work helping vulnerable locals.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP was joined by the Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services Luke Howarth on Friday to deliver the donated goods as part of National Homelessness Week.

Over the past six weeks Mr Vasta has been collecting blankets, non-perishables and hygiene products to support local organisations that do so much for the community.

“The Morrison government provides more than $1.5 billion per year to states and territories through the National Housing and Homelessness agreement, I am always committed to going the extra mile to help local families, which is why I started the Bonner Winter Essentials Drive.

“On any given night in my electorate of Bonner there’s more than 360 locals experiencing homelessness and as our community continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to extend an extra helping hand to as many locals as possible,” Mr Vasta said.

Mr Vasta said delivering the donated goods with Assistant Minister Howarth provided a great opportunity to hear from local frontline organisations and gives them the chance to speak directly to the Assistant Minister about their experiences during the pandemic.

Assistant Minister Howarth said National Homelessness Week was an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on the hardships faced by members of the community.

“Homelessness can affect anyone and any time and has a profound impact on those who experience it,” Assistant Minister Howarth said.

“It’s important to remember that Homelessness isn’t just rough sleepers on the street, it can often be hidden, and the majority of Australia’s homelessness is made up of people living in boarding houses, couch surfing or living in overcrowded homes.

“While state and territory governments have primary responsibility for housing and homelessness, the Morrison Government provides $6 billion each year to assist people to pay their rent and improve housing and homelessness outcomes in Australia.

“The Government is also investing up to $118 million over five years through the Reconnect program to support people aged 12 to 18 years (or 12 to 21 years for newly-arrived youth) who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and their families.

“The Reconnect program helps more than 1,500 young Queenslanders each year to stay at school, improve relationships with their family and remain connected with their community and often prevents young people from entering into homelessness,” Assistant Minister Howarth said.

Assistant Minister Howarth said during National Homelessness Week it’s important for people to understand that each one of us can make a difference by getting involved and supporting local community organisations, just as Mr Vasta had done through the Bonner Winter Essentials Drive.

“Donating blankets, food or clothing or volunteering your time can make a difference to someone who is doing it tough.”

More than 893 jobs, including 12 apprenticeships will be on offer at the Brisbane South East and Logan Virtual Jobs fair tomorrow (Friday, August 7).

Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said the Brisbane South East and Logan virtual jobs fair was an opportunity for those looking for work to see what employment opportunities were available in their area.

“As we continue to face the challenges of COVID-19, it’s important to support Australians to find employment and access training opportunities,” Minister Cash said.

“Funded by the Australian Government, jobs fairs connect local employers with local job seekers.

“The Brisbane South East and Logan virtual jobs fair will bring together job seekers and more than 27 local businesses, promoting local job opportunities available in the south-east Queensland area.

The Australian Government has held jobs fairs around Australia, with more than 31,500 people attending events over the past two years.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Virtual Jobs Fair was an excellent opportunity for local people to get online for this free event and chat with employers and employment service providers about potential career pathways.

“This jobs fair is a must for anyone who wants to connect with businesses currently recruiting, and I encourage people in our community to take advantage of all the information that will be available,” Mr Vasta said

“Job seekers can also listen in to expert workshops to hear about strategies to improve their job search, find useful resources to help improve résumés and prepare for interviews.”

The Brisbane South East and Logan Jobs Fair is a free online event from 9.30am to 1.30pm on Friday, 7 August 2020.  Registrations are required and can be made at employment.gov.au/SEBrisbaneLoganVJF

Bulimba Creek Catchment (B4C) has received a $5000 Stronger Communities grant to refurbish and improve their Discovery Hub building.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said B4C was a fantastic organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring our natural environment and wildlife.

“Thanks to the Morrison Government’s Stronger Communities Program we have delivered $5000 to assist in the refurbishment of the Discovery Hub which is regularly used by volunteers and the community,” Mr Vasta said.

“Overall, I have delivered more than $110,000 for local environmental projects to B4C and Ocean Crusaders through a number of Community Environment and Stronger Communities grants to help these organisations keep our waterways beautiful.”

Mr Vasta said through the efforts of B4C and Morrison Government’s grants, the health of Bulimba Creek, Brisbane River and Moreton Bay was in good hands.

“I am so passionate about protecting the wildlife and pristine Moreton Bay so many Queenslanders enjoy,” Mr Vasta said.

“From watersports, boating, fishing and local tourism, we need to look after our natural environment and I am pleased to support the local groups committed to doing just that.”

Mr Vasta said the Stronger Communities Program supported projects that deliver social benefits as part of the government’s continuing commitment to strengthen communities across Australia.

“This investment in local projects under the Stronger Communities Program is about invigorating these organisations and ensuring their continued success,” Mr Vasta said.

Families and teachers in Bonner can now access free online resources to help their children learn to read.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Morrison Government had launched a free phonics check for teachers and a simple reading awareness check for families.

“Literacy and numeracy are the fundamentals of a successful education, and our Government is giving families free tools to ensure their children’s reading is on track,” Mr Vasta said.

“We have provided $10.8 million to develop resources for families and educators to assess the language skills of students to help them better understand a child’s reading level.

“By checking on the language skills of our youngest students we can ensure that no one is left behind and every student has the building blocks to develop strong reading, writing and speaking skills.”

Mr Vasta said he encouraged all local schools in Bonner to take advantage of the free phonics check to help teachers determine a child’s reading progress and what additional support they may need.

“Literacy and numeracy are the absolute fundamentals of a world-leading education, and studies have shown phonics is the most effective way of teaching children to read,” Mr Vasta said.

“Our Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a voluntary phonics health check for Year 1 students.

“Our Government has also released a new reading awareness check and literacy resources for parents to help their children learn to read.”

The phonics check and reading awareness check are available with more resources to support literacy development on stage one of the new online Literacy Hub at www.literacyhub.edu.au

Mount Gravatt Youth and Recreation Club has installed two new storage sheds thanks to a $13,000 Morrison Government Stronger Communities grant.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the Stronger Communities program was about supporting local infrastructure projects that will bring communities together, strengthen social connections and build community participation.

“At the Mount Gravatt Youth and Recreation Club we have been able to improve their facility with two new storage sheds to store sporting equipment and improve space at the club,” Mr Vasta said.

“Local clubs like this are the heart and soul of the Bonner community and I am pleased we were able to support them through this great grant program.”

Mr Vasta said the Stronger Communities Program supported projects that deliver social benefits as part of the government’s continuing commitment to strengthen communities across Australia.

“This investment in local projects under the Stronger Communities Program is about invigorating these organisations and ensuring their continued success,” Mr Vasta said.

The Stronger Communities Program funds small capital projects in each of the 151 federal electorates.

Each electorate nationwide has received $150,000 to allocate towards successful projects, with a maximum of 20 projects to be funded per electorate.

A special commemorative medallion marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on August 15 is now available to every living Second World War veteran to say ‘thank you for your service’.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said his electorate had a rich Second World War history and he was proud to support veterans from this remarkable generation.

“While more than one million Australian men and women fought during the Second World War campaigns, incredibly around 12,000 veterans who served are still with us today,” Mr Vasta said.

“These brave Australians served our nation in the far corners of the world, fighting in theatres of war from Europe to North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, to Asia and the Pacific, with the conflict also reaching Australian shores,” Mr Vasta said.

“Australia can never fully repay the debt we owe these amazing men and women but, to mark their service, the Federal Government is producing this Commemorative Medallion and Certificate of Commemoration for the remaining living Second World War veterans.

“I encourage all veterans, or their family members on their behalf, to apply to receive a medallion and certificate as a special thank you from a grateful nation for all they have done.”

Second World War veterans, or their families on their behalf, can apply online at dva.gov.au/medallion or, for those without internet access, by phone on 02 61918217 during business hours.

The Commemorative Medallions and Certificates will be distributed during August.

Bayside BMX will be able to upgrade their clubhouse and storage facility thanks to a $20,000 Morrison Government Stronger Communities grant.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said the grant would help the club build a permanent club house facility for club operations and equipment storage.

“Bayside BMX is a great local club in the Bonner community providing coaching, running BMX competitions and loaning equipment,” Mr Vasta said.

“Thanks to a $20,000 Stronger Communities grant they will be able to upgrade from their existing shipping container to a new clubhouse and storage facility to improve the safety and operations for members, volunteers and the community.”

Mr Vasta said the project would increase security of their assets and allow the club to increase its capability to loan equipment to the public, run more coaching and provide a better canteen and rider registration services.

“The Stronger Communities Program is aimed at funding projects that deliver social benefits as part of the government’s continuing commitment to strengthen communities across Australia,” Mr Vasta said.

“Our local communities are the heart of this great country and this investment in local projects under the Stronger Communities Program is about invigorating these organisations and ensuring their continued success.”

The Stronger Communities Program funds small capital projects in each of the 151 federal electorates.

Each electorate nationwide has received $150,000 to allocate towards successful projects, with a maximum of 20 projects to be funded per electorate.