October 16, 2015
by Deb Frecklington
While some parts of our region have received rain over winter, many primary producers have once again missed out and are facing another long, hot, dry summer.
The South Burnett, Western Downs and Toowoomba Regional Council areas remain drought-declared, along with 80 per cent of the rest of Queensland.
If your property is drought declared – or if you know of someone who could benefit from financial assistance – I would encourage you to consider the Drought Concessional and Drought Recovery Loan Schemes now available through QRAA.
The loans are part of a $333 million drought assistance package from the Federal Government to help drought-stricken families across Queensland.
The newly announced scheme will run until June 30, 2016, so it’s important for farmers to consider these loan options as quickly as possible and submit an application if you feel they are suitable for your circumstances.
- More information is online at www.agriculture.gov.au/assistance
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YMCA Youth Parliament
During the September-October school holidays, while most young people were enjoying a break from study and school, 93 young people came together for the annual YMCA Youth Parliament in Brisbane.
It was a privilege to be involved again this year and hear the delegates in action, debating Bills and issues important to young people.
Our “Member for Nanango” was Daniel Lawson from Kingaroy State High School and he did a terrific job representing the Electorate.
On the final day of the “sitting week”, I was invited to act as Parliament Deputy Speaker during the Youth Agriculture Committee debate.
I was so impressed by what I heard while the Youth members discussed a Bill to ensure protections were in place for the live export industry as well as supporting priority ports.
The Bill brought to light important topics such as changing the Veterinary Surgeons Act Bill to allow laypersons to be accredited for the pregnancy testing of cattle for export and sale. It also examined the expansion and maintenance of the live export industry through ‘Vital Live Export Ports’, such as Port Alma near Rockhampton. Plus the Bill offered a new blueprint for the expansion and upgrade of existing port and port-related infrastructure to support live trade. This was all in the context of developing sustainable business practices and ecotourism industries, while safeguarding Queensland’s marine ecosystems.
These are topics which even current governments find too hard to examine and I applaud the Youth Members for taking on and highlighting these controversial issues.
Members of the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament program learned about government, politics and the political process. The program is apolitical and all delegates are involved in writing a Bill and designing and implementing community action plans.
I hope Daniel enjoyed the experience and I’d encourage other young people, aged between 15 and 25, to consider becoming involved in 2016.
- More information about the YMCA Youth Parliament can be found at http://www.ymcaqyp.org/
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International Day of Rural Women – October 15
This week we celebrated the International Day of Rural Women.
Our region is well-known for strong rural women and that’s why I’ve put a call out to nominate nominate influential women in agriculture for the 2016 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award.
Women already hold many leading and influential positions in Queensland’s primary industries but there are many more with real commitment that I encourage to step out and be recognised for the important contributions they have made to the state’s agriculture sector.
The RIRDC award aims to identify and support emerging women leaders with commitment and leadership potential to make a contribution to primary industries and rural communities.
I encourage any woman who aspires to make a difference to nominate for the Rural Women’s Award, and get cracking soon because applications close on October 30.
Each State and Territory winner receives a $10,000 bursary to implement their Award vision. Each winner also has the opportunity to participate in the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors Course.
- For information on how to apply, phone (02) 6271-4132 or email rwa@rirdc.gov.au
[Photos: Nanango Electorate Office]
