Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta today said the Bonner electorate had received a significant boost in the 2015-16 Budget with the Coalition Government’s new Stronger Communities Programme.

“Stronger Communities will provide $45 million over two years to fund small capital projects in local communities,” Mr Vasta said.

“Our community will receive funding of $150,000 per year over two years, to support projects that deliver social benefits.

“I will be consulting closely with eligible organisations in Bonner to identify high‑priority projects.”

“Between $1,000 and $20,000 will be made available to reputable, not-for-profit organisations for local projects.”

“Grants will fund projects that will yield significant social benefits and can be delivered within the two-year lifespan of the programme.”

“I look forward to seeing new local projects for a stronger community, and to the people of Bonner benefitting from this programme.”

“The 2015-16 Budget is the next step in the Government’s responsible, long-term economic plan to build a strong, safe and prosperous future for all Australians.”

Guidelines for the Programme will be available on the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development website at www.infrastructure.gov.au.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta today said the Government is improving aged care in Australia to reduce regulation and allow home care funding to follow the individual to provide greater choice over their future.

Mr Vasta said the Government is investing $73.7 million over four years to improve the way home care services are delivered to older Australians.

“Australians in Bonner deserve to be able to choose their own service provider and be in charge of their own care,” Mr Vasta said.

“We are living longer and healthier lives, and it is important that as Australians age, they retain control over choices that impact their lives.”

The Government’s  investment will allow the $7.5 billion provided over four years for home care packages to be used by older Australians to pay for the services they need to remain in their own home for longer.”

In 2013-14, more than 80,000 Australians received a Home Care Package, and almost 776,000 received Home and Community Care Services.

This new funding will open up competition in the home care sector, leading to enhanced quality, innovation and service delivery.

From 1 February 2017, older Australians receiving Home Care Packages each year will have control over their funds and will be able to direct them to the providers of their choice.

Currently, funding for Home Care Packages goes straight to the service provider and the individual has to find a service with an available package.

The changes place individuals at the centre of their care and in control of their funds, similar to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta has welcomed measures in the 2015-16 Budget that will deliver support for the full roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), improve employment services for people with disability and increase assistance for Australia’s 2.7 million carers.

The 2015 Budget initiatives are part of the Government’s commitment to full delivery of the NDIS and acknowledgement of the important work carers perform in communities across Australia.

Supporting the full rollout of the NDIS

Mr Vasta said, “The 2015 Budget commits $695 million for the NDIS for the next financial year, in line with the Government’s commitment to continue the trial sites and to prepare for the full rollout of the Scheme from July 2016.”

“The NDIS is already supporting more than 10,000 Australians. At full roll-out more than 460,000 people with disability will benefit from the NDIS.”

Importantly, the 2015 Budget will provide $143 million for a new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) system to support full delivery of the NDIS. The current ICT system does not provide the full range of capabilities required for full roll-out nor was it intended to service the Scheme long term.

The new system will support over 460,000 participants and service providers, deliver enhanced data to federal, state and territory governments and streamline the process for people with disability.

More support for Australians with disability

The 2015 Budget continues the Government’s strong record of supporting employment opportunities for people with disability,” Mr Vasta said.

“The Budget delivers $25 million over four years to start to shape Disability Employment toward a new model in 2018.”

“This includes $9 million over three years to create the JobAccess Gateway for people with disability and employers.”

JobAccess Gateway will be a new online service centre for people with disability and employers, complemented by a range of in-work supports to help people with disability to develop appropriate skills and lead them to finding and keeping a job.

The Gateway will streamline services and programmes and create a virtual disability employment marketplace through a new digital and client relationship service centre.

Supporting Australia’s carers

Mr Vasta has welcomed important measures to support Australia’s carers.

“Carers will benefit from easier access to critical information and services—$33.7 million will be invested in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services (IPCSS), which will streamline and coordinate services for carers and deliver a national carer gateway,” Mr Vasta said.

Carers are currently searching for support and services through a number of often confusing pathways across the disability, community mental health and aged care sectors.

This carer-specific entry point will comprise a national telephone contact centre and a website to help carers find support and services, regardless of the need or the age of the person they care for.

“We know that not all carers access formal support, so this carer gateway will give them information to all forms of support,” Mr Vasta said.

 Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today said the new $5.5 billion Growing Jobs and Small Business package will help small businesses in Bonner invest more, grow more, and employ more.

“This package will help employers in Bonner to create jobs and assist Australia’s unemployed, particularly unemployed youth, to build the skills to get into work,” Mr Vasta said.

“This is the biggest small business initiative in our nation’s history.”

Mr Vasta said at the heart of the Growing Jobs and Small Business package are tax cuts for over 2 million Australian small businesses to help drive investment and employment across our economy.

The 2015 Budget delivers $3.25 billion in tax cuts for small business and $1.75 billion in accelerated depreciation measures, in addition to the benefits Australian small businesses are gaining from the abolition of the carbon tax:

• From 1 July 2015, the Government will cut the company tax rate for up to 780,000 incorporated businesses with annual turnover up to $2 million by 1.5 percentage points to 28.5 per cent;

• From 1 July 2015, the Government will also provide a 5 per cent tax discount for over one and a half million sole traders, trusts and partnership structures which are unincorporated businesses with annual turnover up to $2 million, capped at $1,000, through their end of year tax return; and

• From 7:30pm tonight until 30 June 2017, small businesses with turnover below $2 million can claim an immediate tax deduction for every asset they acquire that is valued up to $20,000 for tax purposes—a substantial increase from the previous $1,000 threshold.

Mr Vasta said small businesses in Bonner will have the lowest company tax rate for public and private companies since 1967.

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package also includes measures to reduce the red tape and regulatory impediments that hinder small business growth:

• Changes to the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) system will expand the FBT exemption for work related portable electronic devices;

• Reforms to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rollover will enable small businesses to change the legal structure of their business without incurring a CGT liability; and

• The Government will consult on potential changes to the Corporations Act to reduce compliance costs and make it easier for small proprietary companies to raise new capital.

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package will encourage business start-ups and entrepreneurship:

• Start-ups will be able to immediately deduct professional expenses incurred when they begin a business, such as legal expenses on establishing a company, trust or partnership, rather than writing them off over five years. This will provide immediate cash flow benefits for small businesses;

• Streamlined business registration processes will make it quicker and simpler to set up a new business. A single online registration site will be developed for business registration including company registration;

• The Government will remove obstacles to crowd-sourced equity funding to help promote small business access to finance by increasing the availability of innovative sources of funding; and

• From 1 July, expanded tax concessions for Employee Share Schemes will make it easier for small start-up companies to attract and retain the skills and talent they need to grow.

These measures will help encourage investment, innovation and the start-up of new businesses, which will help Australia’s economic future.

Mr Vasta said the Growing Jobs and Small Business package will also help employers to take on inexperienced and mature workers.

In the first eighteen months of the Government, around a quarter of a million new jobs were created–but there is more work to do.

“New measures will focus on making job seekers more employable, reducing the costs of taking on new staff, and bringing job seekers and job providers together,” Mr Vasta said.

The Government is investing $6.8 billion to establish jobactive to improve the quality of services delivered to job seekers and employers. The new jobactive system will be focused on results and reward performance not process.

There will be a $1.2 billion pool for wage subsidies to support employers to provide job opportunities and assist job seekers into work.

The Government will also deliver a $331 million Youth Employment Strategy, an $18 million National Work Experience programme, and changes to Restart to make it easier for small businesses to receive Government support when they employ older workers.

“The Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package will create the right conditions for Australian small businesses to thrive and grow,” Mr Vasta said.

Further details on the Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package can be found at www.budget.gov.au.

Bonner is getting a boost from the Commonwealth Government’s record $50 billion investment in road and transport infrastructure.

The Budget is the next step in the Government’s responsible, long-term economic plan to build a strong, safe and prosperous future for all Australians.

Through our nationwide infrastructure programme, the Government is creating thousands of jobs, reducing travel times and boosting economic growth nationwide.

This means that overall the Commonwealth’s investment in Queensland’s infrastructure will be $13.4 billion including $1.6 billion in 2015-16.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta MP said that the funding would support much needed infrastructure projects throughout the electorate.

“These projects will create job opportunities, boost our local economy and make our roads safer for motorists and other road users,” Mr Vasta said.

Mr Vasta said that the following projects in the Bonner electorate would receive a portion of the Government’s 2015-16 Budget funding including:

Black Spot Programme

• Gaza Road Messines Ridge Road, Holland Park West – $1,025,000

• Messines Ridge Road South East Arterial Road Ramp, Holland Park West – $678,000

Roads to Recovery

• Brisbane City Council – up to $16.17 million

The Government also recommitted its support for $70 million funding for the Gateway Motorway South (Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway) project.

“This is more good news for Bonner,” Mr Vasta said.

The Government is building the world-class infrastructure that our community needs. These projects will deliver a modern transport network locally and unlock the economic capacity of Bonner.”

The infrastructure package contained in the Budget is about driving economic productivity, growth and jobs for a stronger future for Australia.

Further information can be found at http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/projects/.

The 2015 Budget is a ‘have a go’ Budget that will help local families and small businesses, Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said today.

“The big winners in this Budget are families and small businesses,” Mr Vasta said.

“This Budget will deliver jobs, growth and opportunity in a way that is responsible, measured and fair.”

“It is the next step in the Coalition Government’s long-term economic plan to build a stronger, safer and more prosperous future for all Australians.”

“We all know there are economic challenges – yet because of the economic management of the Abbott Government, Australia’s economic and Budget position has improved.”

“Our economic plan is working. Economic growth is up; jobs are up – nearly 250,000 new jobs since the election and retail sales are at record levels – as are new dwelling approvals.”

“Deficits over the forward estimates are reducing each and every year from $35.1 billion in 2015-16 to $6.9 billion in 2018-19. Importantly, our timetable back to a Budget surplus is unchanged from last year.”

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta today said the 2015 Budget delivers a $4.4 billion Jobs for Families package to give parents more choice and opportunity to work.

“The 2015 Budget delivers on the Government’s commitment to support families by making child care simpler, more affordable, more flexible, and more accessible,” Mr Vasta said.

“We know families are faced with costs when parents want to return to the workforce. This package gives families greater choice.”

“Having two parents in paid employment has become a necessity for most families because of changes that have taken place in our society and economy over many years. All mothers work hard, and many are also in paid employment.”

“The Government will invest an additional $3.5 billion over five years reforming child care assistance to establish a new and simpler Child Care Subsidy from 1 July 2017.”

“The Child Care Subsidy will provide assistance to meet the cost of child care for parents who are working, looking for work, training, studying or undertaking any other recognised activity such as volunteering.”

“Families using child care in 2017 on family incomes of between $65,000 and $170,000 will be around $30 a week better off. Those on higher incomes will, on average, will continue to receive the same level of support.”

Bonner families will benefit from the Abbott Government’s new Child Care Safety Net, which will provide more support for disadvantaged or vulnerable children to access early childhood learning and child care, Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta said today.

“As a part of the Abbott Government’s Jobs for Families Child Care package, the Government is investing an additional $327.7 million from 2015-16 to provide targeted support to disadvantaged or vulnerable children, whether they be children with disabilities, children at risk of abuse, children from families on incomes under $65,000 or families facing financial risk,” Mr Vasta said.

“The additional investment means the Government will spend $869 million to support those children and families who need it most.”

“Importantly, getting children into early childhood learning improves a family’s ability to break a cycle of poverty and intergenerational welfare dependence. This is one of the most effective early intervention strategies available.”

“Existing programmes that support disadvantaged and vulnerable families are complex, inefficient, poorly targeted and open to abuse and will be replaced by an Inclusion Support Programme, Community Child Care Fund and Additional Child Care Subsidy.”

“The new $409 million Inclusion Support Programme, beginning in July 2016, will provide more funding for services to get the necessary skilled staff and equipment to support children with additional needs.”

“Assistance under the Additional Child Care Subsidy, worth $156 million, will minimise barriers to early development and workforce participation. It will offer a top up subsidy for child care to assist children at risk of serious abuse or neglect, irrespective of family income or activity tests, short term financial support for families in temporary financial hardship, and a higher capped subsidy for families transitioning from income support to work and undertaking study or training.”

“The $304 million Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) will support services to reduce current barriers to accessing child care, such as support for disadvantaged communities and low income families in high child care cost areas.”

“$20 million of the CCCF will be targeted to the integration of child care, maternal and child health, and family support services in a number of disadvantaged Indigenous communities, as recommended in the Forrest Review.”

“More than $200 million in additional funding will now also be delivered in the mainstream Child Care Subsidy to expand support to families.”

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Abbott Government’s commitment to ensuring all Australian families like those in Bonner, regardless of circumstance, can access high quality and affordable child care,” Mr Vasta said.