THE BottomLine
Issue 11 March 2012
Sid Sidebottom MP
In this issue... Agritas - Federal Funding Sid’s Office & Relocation
School’s Back-Save Receipts Tas Forest Contractors Sid’s New Role Important Dates in 2012 NBN Discovery Truck
Federal Member for Braddon Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Howth Berry Exchange Projects to Final Grant Stage Men’s Shed Funding New Housing Caring for Our Country
Congratulatory Messages Sid’s Byte Jobs boost for North West Burnie Waterfront Launch
Agritas and Infrastructure Funding Sid is delighted with the recent announcement of Federal funding for further major innovation projects at Smithton. $4.25 million has been made available under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement for the development of the Agritas Trade College in Smithton and $1.5m for a major infrastructure upgrade of the Harcus River Road. The new projects are the latest in a number of major government-funded initiatives that will benefit the region. These projects will help drive diversification through the development of new skills, technology and infrastructure. Smithton has been identified as one of the first communities in the nation to benefit from the National Broadband Network and will be one of 40 Digital Hubs throughout Australia. Regional skills training will be greatly enhanced by the establishment of trade training centres at the Circular Head Christian School (aquaculture, agriculture and horticulture) and Smithton High School (construction and automotive). Circular Head is rapidly becoming a major skills and industry hub. New and exciting opportunities continue to open up, particularly in the expanding dairying industry. The region is now very well placed to benefit from its superb natural advantages which include diverse agriculture and fisheries. Together with the skills development and infrastructure investment from Government, this has the potential to lead to significant additional employment opportunities and greater prosperity for the region.
Sid’s Office
Sid has a professional, experienced and enthusiastic team at his Burnie office ready and willing to help you with any issue. Drop in or call the electorate office on 1300 135 547 or 6431 1333.
Burnie Electorate Office Garry
Senior Electorate Officer
Karla
Office Manager/Electorate Officer
Heidi
Design/IT/Electorate Officer
The portfolio officers are based in Canberra and Burnie. You can contact them at the Burnie office or direct at the Canberra office on 02 6277 4911.
Portfolio Office Shane Adviser Tim
Media
Kay
Executive Assistant/Diary
Luned Constituent Manager
Sid’s electorate crew
Phil
Electorate Officer
Kim
Electorate Officer
Tresa
Volunteer
We are temporarily relocating...
Sid’s portfolio crew
From 16 March 2012 we will be moving temporarily to the Harris Building, Level 2, 51 Cattley Street, Burnie. It is anticipated that we will return to the Wilmot Street office in June, following a refurbishment. Note: the office contact numbers will remain the same and there is lift access to level 2 in the Harris Building.
THE BottomLine Important Payment School’s Back... So Save Your Receipts Increases in 2012 Parents with children at school are reminded to keep their receipts for education expenses, as thousands of local families are eligible for assistance from the Education Tax Refund (ETR). Sid urges all parents to check their eligibility under the ETR. Schooling expenses accumulate quickly and no doubt a refund will come in really handy when you claim it at tax time. But to make the most of it, parents should be organised and keep their receipts in a safe place. On top of the regular items such as computers, home internet connections, textbooks and stationery, this year parents will also be able to claim for purchases of school-approved uniforms, (including hats), footwear and sports uniforms. Parents who don’t have to put in a tax return can lodge their Education Tax Refund claim over the phone. The Education Tax Refund provides parents eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A with much needed help for education expenses. Refunds of up to $409 per primary school student and $818 per secondary school student will be available at tax time in 2012. Visit www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au for further information.
DATE
DETAILS OF PAYMENT INCREASES
01/01
Youth Allowance payment and eligibility
20/03
Pensions, Seniors Supplement & Working Age Allowances
01/05
Clean Energy Advance payment start for pensioners, Seniors Health Care Card holders & benefit recipients
01/07
Tax-free threshold increases. Everyone under $80k gets a tax cut
01/07
Instant asset write-off of $6,500 for small business commences
01/07
Family Payments
20/09
Pensions, Seniors Supplement and Working Age Allowances
NBN Discovery Truck
$44 million for Tas forest contractors The downturn in the forestry sector has had a major impact on our community. Since 2008, the number of workers directly employed in forestry has fallen from 6460 to 3260. At the same time the number of businesses in the sector has fallen from 510 to around 370, woodchip exports halved between 2002 and 2010 and now no woodchip export facilities are currently operating. These factors combined with Gunns exit from native forests have resulted in tremendous pressure on harvest and haulage contractors who operate predominately in native forests. A significant part of the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement signed last year was an assistance package to help harvest and haulage contractors exit native forestry. On February 17, this commitment was honoured with 61 contractors being made offers of assistance.
Sid’s New Role On 14 December 2011, Sid was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In this capacity he will serve under Minister Joe Ludwig. His new role is significant in many ways for our immediate region, Tasmania and the nation. Sid’s major portfolio responsibilities will be in the areas of forestry, dairy, skills and education in agriculture as well as other administrative duties related to the broader portfolio. The increased responsibility means he is busier than ever, but Sid remains dedicated to the people of Braddon and will continue to work tirelessly for his constituents.
NBN Discovery Truck and Sid in Zeehan
Recently residents in Queenstown, Strahan, Zeehan and Ulverstone had an opportunity to experience first hand the benefits that high-speed broadband via the National Broadband Network (NBN) will have in their homes, schools and businesses, with the arrival of the NBN Co Discovery Truck. Sid was delighted that the truck visited towns on the West Coast and, although it had to cut short the tour, NBN Co has confirmed that the Tasmanian leg will resume later in the year. The new dates for Penguin, Burnie, Wynyard, Stanley and Smithton will be posted on the NBN Co website, www.nbn.gov.au as soon as they are confirmed. The NBN is delivering uniform national wholesale pricing which is generating greater industry competition. The result is more equitable outcomes for families in regional, rural and remote Australia. This is an exciting time to be involved in the new technology. It offers enormous opportunities for businesses, health, education, and families alike and the North West of Tasmania is at the forefront of the rollout.
THE BottomLine Howth Berry Exchange Sid and Labor Senator Anne Urquhart had the opportunity to visit Berry Exchange’s operations at Howth. It was great to see such a large investment in what has previously been a boutique industry. Operations Manager, Rory Dow showed Sid and Anne blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Berry Exchange is currently employing about 50 pickers including some workers from Papua New Guinea on the Pacific Seasonal Worker program. When all the plantings come on line, Berry Exchange will need more than 300 pickers.
Senator Anne Urquhart, Sid and Rory Dow
Pacific Migrant Workers from PNG with Sid
Grant Projects Proceed Caring For Our Country to Final Stage On 12 January Sid welcomed the announcement that two projects from Braddon had been selected to proceed to the full application stage for the $200 million Round Two of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF). The projects selected to proceed are: • Burnie City Council Stormwater Infrastructure Development • Central Coast Council Penguin Regional Athletics Centre Upgrade
Men’s Shed Funding Funding grants of up to $10,000 have been approved for 31 Men’s Sheds around Australia. One of the successful recipients was the Queenstown Men’s Shed. The next funding round for assistance to Men’s Sheds will open at the end of March. Sid strongly encourages those who have not been successful previously to submit an application for the upcoming round. Information on the funding is available through www.mensshed.org.
New Housing Sid has welcomed the announcement that 111 new homes have been built in Braddon under the Federal Government’s $5.6 billion Social Housing Initiative. This is the single largest investment in social housing ever undertaken by an Australian Government. Sid is particularly pleased that communities throughout the electorate will benefit from this important initiative. In Braddon this means homes for vulnerable members of our community in towns from Wynyard to Latrobe, Strahan and Queenstown. Not only do these homes offer affordable, stable and secure accommodation, but they are also designed to assist residents to remain connected and supported within our community.
Local groups in our region are urged to take advantage of Federal grants worth between $5,000 and $20,000, now available under the Government’s Caring for our Country initiative. The Government’s Community Action Grants are designed to assist communities to undertake local projects that protect and improve local environments with real community benefits. Previous funding rounds have enabled a diversity of projects in the region including activities to fight weed proliferation and control dune erosion. Visit the Caring for our Country website at www.nrm.gov.au or telephone 1800 552 008.
Messages Our office staff can help you apply for a congratulatory message for yourself or someone else who is about to celebrate a significant birthday or wedding anniversary. Details of eligibility are listed below. Sid will send a congratulatory card as well. 50th Wedding Anniversary Message from the Prime Minister and Governor General 50th plus Wedding Anniversary
Message from the Prime Minister, Governor General and The Queen (for the 60th and every fifth year thereafter)
90th Birthday
Message from the Prime Minister
90th plus Birthday
Message from the Prime Minister, Governor General (100th birthday) and The Queen (100th birthday and every fifth year thereafter)
We will need a copy of the birth or marriage certificate. If you have misplaced your certificate you will need to provide a statutory declaration. Give us a call about how to make the declaration. You need to apply six weeks prior to the birthday or anniversary if you want the message to arrive on time.
THEBottomLine BottomLine
Sid’s byte
A new year in Parliament has begun and it is a good time to reflect on what Labor has achieved since the last election, with 250 pieces of legislation passing the House of Representatives and 200 also completing the Senate process. These include major reforms like paid parental leave, putting a price on carbon and a mining tax to more evenly distribute the benefits of the mining boom to other sectors of the economy impacted by the high dollar. This has all occurred in minority government and I am extremely proud of our legislative record. Now that the leadership question has been decisively resolved, I look forward to continuing our work on further important reforms. Consistent with our values and promises, we have set in motion a plan for a National Disability Insurance Scheme ensuring Australians with disability will have access to the services they need no matter where they live or how they acquired the disability. Most recently we released the Gonski Report, the first full review of school funding in almost 40 years. This important work will have a major impact on the direction of our future educational reforms. Education is a personal passion of mine. I can’t think of an issue that is more important than the provision of quality education to our children, enabling them to achieve to their highest potential and ensuring that our nation remains competitive on the international stage. For more information on the Gonski Report go to the Your School Our Future website at www.schoolfunding.gov.au. In the meantime if you have any issues you think we can help you with, please contact my office.
Jobs Boost for North West An upgrade to the Petuna processing plant in East Devonport has created 14 new jobs in the short term and up to 48 jobs in the longer term through the expansion of the company’s fisheries operation. The upgrade was assisted by a grant of $880 000 from the North West and Northern Tasmanian Innovation and Investment Fund (NWTIIF). This joint initiative of the Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments has helped create new, sustainable jobs in a resilient region which has faced significant challenges in the past. The food and beverage sector is the largest manufacturing sector in Australia and has significant potential for growth. Petuna is an innovative company that has invested significantly in research and development and is successfully delivering new value added products to Australian and international customers. At the official opening of Petuna’s new fish processing plant in East Devonport in January, Sid congratulated Petuna and praised the region for its active response to the closure of factories. He also met with renowned chef Tetsuya Wakuda and Petuna infrastructure manager Kevin Chilman. Petuna has almost doubled its production capacity and can now process 15,000 blue fin tuna in an eight hour shift. Petuna has been operating for more than 60 years and employs over 160 people. It is a significant contributor to our local economy and is at the Renowned chef Tetsuya Wakuda with Sid and forefront of the seafood industry. Petuna infrastructure manager Kevin Chilman
Burnie Water Front Launch
Jeremy Norton, President of Burnie Surf Life Saving Club with Sid, Mayor Steve Kons and Hon Simon Crean MP
With the assistance of Federal Government funding, Burnie’s waterfront has been transformed. The setting is now a great venue for the whole community to enjoy. On 24 February Sid joined Hon Simon Crean MP and Burnie Mayor Steve Kons to officially open the project. The formalities were followed by a range of free activities attracting many family groups eager to take part in the celebrations on a beautiful Burnie summer evening.
Authorised by
SID SIDEBOTTOM MP Federal Member for Braddon
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2/32 Wilmot St (PO Box 908) BURNIE TAS 7320
( ;
1300 135 547 or 6431 1333 sid.sidebottom.MP@aph.gov.au
www.sidsidebottom.com Printed by Print Domain- 36 Smith St, SMITHTON TAS 7330