WHAT THE FEDERAL BUDGET MEANS FOR YOU:
• TAX RELIEF of up to $530 for middle to low income earners.
• MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING will increase to $4.3 billion.
• $550 million STRONGER RURAL
HEALTH STRATEGY will strengthen local health services and deliver about 3000 additional doctors, more than 3000 additional nurses and hundreds of additional allied health professionals in rural and regional communities.
• $121.6 million to boost Australia’s BIOSECURITY, protecting our producers’ clean, green status.
• $84 million for the ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE.
• $53.9 million to improve REGIONAL STUDENTS’ ACCESS TO YOUTH ALLOWANCE.
• $51.3 million for more AGRICULTURAL COUNSELLORS to help producers enter new export markets.
• Helping AGE PENSIONERS TO KEEP MORE OF WHAT THEY EARN from parttime work and extending this to those on the pension who are self-employed.
• $40 million in capital grants funding for AGED CARE FACILITIES IN REGIONAL, RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
• Extending the multiple $20,000 instant ASSET WRITE-OFF for small business. COMBATTING ICE AND ADDICTION I held Community Ice Forums to connect the community with government departments to establish what was, and wasn’t, working in our different communities.
As a result of these forums across Maranoa, we’ve secured some great results but we still need more support for rural communities and I will continue to work with the Primary Health Network – the Federal Government’s healthcare funding facilitator – to ensure services continue to improve. What I’ve achieved for you so far: A further $293,000 for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services (DATS) for:
Chinchilla: A new, full-time support worker;
Kingaroy: A new visiting rehabilitation service; and Dalby: Extension of services.
An extra $70,000 in DATS funding will be provided to Drug ARM to deliver extra services in Warwick and Goondiwindi.
And to fund and develop Local Drug Actions Teams to support communities in the:
• Balonne region; • Blackall-Tambo region; • Granite Belt region; • Maranoa region; and • Paroo Shire. I’ve also secured Federal Government funding for a new clinical worker in the South Burnett, Roma and St George; and additional services in Barcaldine and Longreach. PROTECTING OUR BORDERS I’m proud of not only the Coalition Federal Government’s record of more than 1400 days since the last people smuggling boat reached Australia, but also that it’s been more than four years since the last known death at sea caused by people smugglers. This success has enabled the government to remove all children from detention and close 17 detention facilities.
In contrast, Labor’s open border policies were a disaster with more than 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals on more than 800 people smuggling boats, more than 8000 children in detention and tragically more than 1200 people lost their lives at sea. BETTER CHILD CARE SUPPORT IN THE BUSH Balancing work or study and raising a family can be tough, especially with the increasing cost of childcare straining the household budget.
This system needed a total overhaul and, on July 2, the Federal Government’s new childcare system will come into place, with 3820 local families in Maranoa standing to benefit from our reforms. Childcare is important to help families balance work and caring responsibilities and the Coalition is making childcare more accessible and affordable – providing the greatest level of assistance for those who need it most.