Funds fear hits rural jobs trainer

FOR Geoff and Vicki Toomby, the state election is all about training and helping to provide a future for youths who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

They fear that if the State Government maintains its current position on funding, underprivileged teenagers will be left to fend for themselves on the streets and in remote bush communities where they have no support networks.

Mr and Mrs Toomby, from the Ultimate Rural Training Centre at Alice River in the southern reaches of the Hinchinbrook electorate, have been helping people find work in the bush for almost 30 years.

Now they fear that State Government funding cutbacks could see their pathways to jobs program come tumbling down.

The LNP’s Hinchinbrook MP Andrew Cripps has been lobbying the Government for a better deal.

He said funding for the training program had been cut from $ 4656 to $ 3576 per person.

Mr Cripps said training delivery costs were going up while finding levels were being drastically reduced.

Mr Cripps said students had to make an initial contribution that would have to increase if the Government’s funding cutbacks were not reversed.

Mr Cripps said Mr and Ms Toomby regularly took in students from youth justice programs, the Department of Corrective Services and the Department of Communities.

The Townsville Bulletin was advised in September that a reprieve could be in sight.

A spokesman said then that Training and Skills Minister Yvette D’Ath was reviewing funding to rural operations.

Mr Toomby said yesterday that some options had been offered by the Government but they were not suited to their business model.

“They’ve made offers, but nothing that will work for us,” he said. “They have taken money away from agricultural training and put it into hospitality.”

Ms Toomby said it was all “fine and good” to increase funding for hospitality industry training, but added it should not be at the expense of training for careers in rural industries.

“The Government should remember that to have a hospitality industry you have to have industries that grow the food,” Ms Toomby said.

Mr Toomby said water was an issue in the southern end of the Hinchinbrook electorate.

He said underground water rights were held by the Yabulu nickel processing plant.

“It’s locked up by a nickel plant that doesn’t even operate,” he said.

Mr and Mrs Toomby said they would probably vote for Mr Cripps at the November 25 election.