One of Bunyip’s gems is Tony Arrigo who has been awarded the “Order of Australia” this year for exceptional service to the Bunyip Community.

Tony arrived in Australia from Italy in 1962 and has always remembered how friendly and welcoming the locals were.

Since retiring from work at the Berwick Potteries in 2007, Tony has dedicated himself to working for the betterment of the Bunyip community. He’s served on most of the committees in the town including foundation Director of the Bunyip Community Bank, 13 years as a member of the Bunyip fire brigade and 20 years as a volunteer and Board member of HillView Aged Care where he was presented with a life membership last year.

Tony’s other passion was to establish a soccer club once he retired. In 2008 he set up the Bunyip Soccer Club which started off as a rough patch of dirt. Today things are very different with club about to officially open its new $3 million dollar state of the art pavilion.

Tony served the Strikers for seven years as President and said he was very fortunate to have the assistance of his wife Carmelina, Roman Kulkewycz as Secretary and Alan Cole as Treasurer in the club’s formative years. Within two years the Strikers were playing competition in the prestigious Football Federation of Victoria Competition. The club honoured Tony with a Life Membership in 2018.

In 2016, Tony was awarded the Bunyip and District Australia Day Citizen of the Year and continues to remain well-known for his leadership. He’s always ready to help.

Tony said he was humbled and very surprised to receive the OAM. Tony always wanted to give something back to the community in acknowledgement of the kindness shown to him in 1962 – and has done so in spades.

I seek leave to table the full statement.

I am keen to acknowledge this parliament's appreciation for the way that our public service, who are often maligned, but in this case have been praised. They've been praised for good reason. Their job became harder within 24 hours. Their delivery services were tested to the limit. They had to pivot and change and develop and seek new ways and think outside the box, 'How can we deliver this service under these circumstances?' And they did it—each manager of each department all the way down. Everybody had a responsibility. They understood their responsibility in this great south land, and they went out and they delivered on behalf of the Australian people to the point where the shadow minister Bill Shorten brought this motion before the parliament to give us a chance to say thank you—thank you not only to those in very senior positions whose faces we may have seen daily on our televisions but everybody else who gave up their time, efforts and gave valued experience—I want to repeat that, 'gave valued experience'—doing the jobs that needed to be done on behalf of Australians. So, this was the point where 'we're all in this together' came together, because without the support of that public service, Services Australia among every other portfolio and department, we wouldn't have been able to achieve the outcome we have in this nation. I applaud the Prime Minister and his team and the premiers and their team for what they have achieved, and they achieved it on our behalf.

I was blessed. Even though I lived in a COVID-lockdown zone, there were practically no cases in our area and we survived. In fact, the whole of my electorate of Monash was practically free of COVID for the whole time. But everybody took their responsibilities seriously. Everybody took steps. I don't know how embarrassed any of you have been when you've jumped out of the car without your mask and ended up standing in a shop where you think, 'Why is everybody looking at me?'—because we are able to get the message out through Services Australia. There were recalcitrant people; there always are. But basically—in Victoria especially—every family, every household everywhere, right across the state, country or city really stood up. You didn't mind if you were stuck in a line of cars 700 metres long and couldn't get through the roadblock and you couldn't get to your appointment, or if you couldn't get here and you couldn't do that, but we did pivot. We did things really innovatively. We did use the phone more often than we normally would. We probably saved the government a lot of money not having meeting after meeting after meeting. I'm grateful for this opportunity to thank Services Australia and all the public servants.

The RBA recently cut interest rates to point one per cent and said that they wouldn’t be increased for at least 3 years in order to get employment up and inflation down.

According to Alan Kohler on the ABC, if you had one thousand dollars in your bank account, they would pay you 50 cents in interest for the year. Enough for one banana.

This directly impacts on our self-funded retirees.

As Alan Kohler also says, ten years ago someone that had saved half a million dollars towards their retirement through hard work could expect to make the equivalent of the aged pension, about $25,000 a year from a safe bank term deposit. The days of earning a living from savings without taking a risk are gone.

Our self-funded retirees are one group that has been left to fend for themselves, while others have been supported through the COVID-19 crisis.

Government’s need to be innovative when considering ways to support this group of Australians.

My message to self-funded retirees is, if you find yourself with changed circumstances today, I encourage you to speak to your accountant or financial advisor, visit Centrelink and see what support is available to your new-found situation.

As always, if my office can be of assistance, then please make contact.

That is just as I see it.

Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent is encouraging applications from local farming groups, research organisations and other eligible industry bodies for grants to support projects that enhance traceability in the agricultural produce supply chain.

“$3 million in funding is allocated to Round Two of the Traceability Grants Program was an opportunity to boost the competitiveness of our farming exporters.

“Australia’s reputation as a source of premium produce has helped our agricultural exporters secure a strong foothold in markets throughout the world and with greater export market competition and increasing demand from consumers about the origins and safety of produce, effective and modern traceability systems are critical for continued access into these export markets.

The grants program provides opportunities for successful applicants to carry out projects that enhance product traceability and the competitiveness of our produce.

“Our region of Gippsland is home to many premium agricultural producers, businesses and organisations eligible to apply for this grant. Traceability is the secret sauce behind brand Australia when it comes to the agricultural supply chain and increasing export opportunities.

“A variety of innovative projects were funded under the first round including an app to enable real time tracking of animals from farm to destination; a portable x-ray scanner for determining seafood provenance, and a study to test the authenticity of cider made with Australian juice through a chemical finger printing.

Round Two of the Traceability Grants Program opens on 25 November 2020 and closes on 21 January 2021.

For more details or to apply visit the Community Grants Hub here.

 

Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent has welcomed the Australian Government’s continuing commitment to expanding local mobile coverage, with Round 5A of the $380 million Mobile Black Spot Program now open for applications.

“This new round of the Mobile Black Spot Program will have a specific focus on improving mobile coverage along major transport corridors and in disaster-prone regions.

“I am encouraging local communities and councils in the Monash electorate to identify their priorities for improved coverage, and to work with the mobile network operators and infrastructure providers in support of applications for funding for those areas.

“This continued investment in mobile base stations is in addition to previous local investment in new towers at Kongwak, Dumbalk, Berrys Creek, Sandy Point and Aberfeldy,” Mr Broadbent said.

Round 5A will support new ways of delivering mobile services to locations that have traditionally been less economic for mobile network operators with the Commonwealth Government continuing to work with industry and state and local governments to improve connectivity across Australia, particularly in disaster-prone areas.

“Improving coverage in natural disaster-prone areas is critical for keeping people connected during times of emergency, whether it’s to loved ones, or emergency services.

“Round 5A will bring further improvements in mobile coverage – building on the progress made since this program began in 2013,” Mr Broadbent said.

Applications for Round 5A opened on 18 November 2020 and will close on 10 February 2020.  For more information about the Mobile Black Spot Program and the Round 5A process, visit: communications.gov.au/MBSP

2020 has been a very difficult time for us all.

One group, our youth, have had to endure the loss of key events that has become part of the journey from school to adulthood. The things we all enjoyed in our youth have been lost to them.

Our young people have missed out on celebrating events like their 16th, 18th and 21st birthday parties. The opportunity to start their first job has been ripped away from them with the majority of retail and local businesses forced to close due to restrictions.

The independence and freedom that comes with gaining their probationary licence, gone. Even the opportunity to learn to drive was taken from them by COVID.

Imagine being 17 and not seeing your friends, not having a valedictory, not going to deb balls, school camps or the normal graduation celebrations most year 12’s look forward to at the end of the school year.

2020 has taken a toll on our youth’s social, emotional and mental well-being. There are brighter days ahead for them though, and for all of us.

Be reassured that the feeling of despair will be replaced with joy as life evolves and 2020 is left behind as a lesson in the hardness that life can be.

The government is working hard to build an environment of job creation where young people can prosper and experience the independence we all yearned for in our youth.

Through our strategies, we are striving to pay half the wage for all apprentices and trainees because we know how long it took for young people to gain the same job opportunities back after the 1990 economic downturn and we don’t want to see that happen again.

Hang in there and stay safe, together we will get through this as a community.

That is just as I see it.

Regional communities will be among the key beneficiaries of a new $5.3 million Morrison Government funding round to protect and preserve Australia’s national and world heritage sites, promote tourism and deliver much needed economic stimulus for COVID impacted communities.

Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent welcomed the program funding saying heritage site owners, managers and support organisations are invited to apply for grants of between $25,000 and $400,000 to conserve national and world heritage listed places.

“Funding can be used for a range of activities to protect and strengthen the natural, historic and cultural values of a site, or to enhance visitor experiences that encourage people to share our national heritage treasures.

“The latest round of the Australian Heritage Funding Grants Program opened on 9 November 2020 and will place a particular focus on conserving privately-owned national heritage places, many of which have faced significant visitor downturn and temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The story of our national heritage listed places is one we encourage all Australians to get out and share, from ancient Indigenous sites to Mount Baw Baw in our region.

The new round of grants complements the $33.5 million package recently announced to support heritage infrastructure projects as part of the Australian Government’s $1 billion COVID Relief and Recovery Fund.

Applications for the 2020-21 grants round will close on 7 January 2021. To find out more and apply, visit: https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/australian-heritage-grants

The NDIS is a great initiative and I wholeheartedly support the scheme.

However, when governments of the day introduce a new government program such as the NDIS, the private sector looks to see what parts of the program can be captured and create a profit centre in the private market.

What parts can be privatised for profit. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a big bucket of government money, your money to be exact. 83.4 billion dollars, a very large outlay.

Experts in the field of disability currently decide on the criteria for acceptance into the scheme.

Experts with great experience.

But a review of the NDIS earlier this year recommended market intervention on behalf of participants and a tender to deliver independent assessments of participants will go out shortly with a view to starting the new arrangement early next year.

One advocacy organisation is extremely concerned that independent assessors who do not have the experience, or possibly the qualifications, to assess people with a disability will result in worse outcomes.

This should not be a tick and flick exercise.

So why would you hand over the final say to an unelected, unaccountable, for profit organisation? Whose sole purpose is to return a profit to shareholders and please the masters they serve – the government.

By saying look how much we have saved you by knocking back all of these people who were about to be approved, rather than working in the best interests of those with disabilities.

Qualifications of the privatised assessment team is not stated.

There have been two trials and according to the AAT one was an absolute disaster for the client involved. Have we not learned from the aged care debacle?

People with disabilities and their families deserve special care and consideration. They need all the support that is promised by the NDIS.

I know, I’ve worked with them.

This is just as I see it.

Hello. I know there are many of you doing it tough today.

I know the lock down has been hard. It’s not easy being isolated, longing to see family and friends and to get out and about more.

Now that restrictions are starting to lift, we can relax, just a little bit and look forward to better days.

I’m sure there are lots of you that are patiently waiting to reconnect with family and loved ones from the 8th of November onward.

I know that I’m looking forward to seeing my family and to having more freedom.

Let’s use this time to reflect on how well we’ve done pulling together in the face of what’s been a remarkably difficult episode in our history.

Victorians know good advice when they hear it. Our second wave was deadly serious.

As Dr Norman Swan said on Radio National recently, we could easily have ended up like Israel, which has a similar population to Victoria.

Authorities there acted too slowly and were too relaxed about restrictions. Recently, that country reached a terrible toll of 305,000 cases and 2,260 deaths.

We’re fortunate we had experts prepared to make the hard decisions and a brave community response.

Dr Swan said their response on our behalf was amongst the best in the world. We could have had thousands of deaths.

Now as we emerge from the deathly shadows of the virus, we should pay special attention to the experts from our own state.

We should ignore people throwing stones from other jurisdictions.

The eased restrictions are liberating and exciting, but they'll only last if we strictly stick to the new guidelines.

That’s the sobering reality through Europe, the UK and the United States.

We’ve stuck the course. Let’s keep at it. I’m very proud of you all.

That’s just as I see it.

Russell Broadbent MP
Sign up here to receive the latest news from my inbox.
crossmenuarrow-up-circle