A memorial cairn at Neerim South will be restored to honour those that have served and died as a result of war following the announcement of a Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grant by the Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent.

Member for Monash praised the work of the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Motorcycle Club, Gippsland Chapter, for ensuring the history of the soldiers from the area who died in conflict are never forgotten.

“For over 100 years Gippsland’s families have paid the ultimate price, with the loss of their loved ones, to ensure that our freedoms are protected.

“With ANZAC Day approaching it is heartening to know that the memorial cairn at Neerim South will be restored and suitably maintained by the Gippsland Chapter of the Veterans Motorcycle Club”, Mr Broadbent said.

Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Motorcycle Club, Gippsland Chapter Secretary, Ronald Kohlman, said the Memorial was there to remind the public of those lost to war, not just the Vietnam War but all conflicts where Australian Defence personnel served.

“The cairn memorial is used every year and serves as an important reminder,” Mr Kohlman said.

Mr Broadbent reminded community groups and organisations that the Saluting Their Service Commemoration Program is ongoing.

“With commemorations approaching for the end of the Second World War, this is also an opportunity for organisations to apply for the next grant funding round to mark this important commemorative anniversary”, Mr Broadbent said.

You can submit your application now for the next funding round, which closes on 31 March 2020. To apply or find out more visit the Saluting Their Service Commemoration Program page on the Community Grants Hub website.

The old telecoms network in some areas are set to be decommissioned and replaced by high-speed broadband with a May 11th cut-off date.

The areas in question include Cape Paterson, Wonthaggi; Drouin, Drouin East and Inverloch.

Making the switch to the NBN went live in these areas 18 months ago.

As the old telecoms network is decommissioned, many users on the NBN fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network can expect to experience a boost to their broadband speeds due to the removal of interference issues between old and new network technologies (depending on the internet plan purchased from their retail provider).]

While the majority of residents in these areas have already made the switch to the NBN, any residents who have not yet switched need to act if they want to keep an operational home phone and internet.

Switching to the NBN is not automatic. Anyone still using a service on the old telecoms network will have received at least five letters reminding them to switch to the NBN (the final notice via registered mail)– with the old network set to be decommissioned on May 11th, now’s the time to switch to the NBN.

NBN plans are available from retailers at a range of price points – from basic home phone plans priced the same as the old telecoms network, up to high-speed broadband plans with unlimited data.

Nationwide there are now more than 6.3 million homes and businesses able to connect to the NBN, and more than 3.5 million premises have connected.

 

The Turnbull Government will drastically reduce the cost of a life-saving new medicine, which uses a patient’s own immune system to track down and destroy cancer cells.

From 1 May, classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients will no longer pay over $200,000 per course of treatment, now only paying a maximum of $39.50 per script, with concessional patients–including pensioners–paying just $6.40.

Keytruda® is an immunotherapy medicine, part of the next wave of medical breakthroughs, working with a patient’s own immune system to recognise cancer cells and destroy them.

More than 120 Australians with classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma will now access Keytruda each year at a drastically reduced cost.

This listing provides a new option for patients that cannot undergo, or have no response from, the normal chemotherapy treatment.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Turnbull Government is committed to making these new life-changing immunotherapy medicines available for Australian patients, and has listed Opdivo®, a $1 billion drug to treat both locally advanced and metastatic stages of non-small cell lung cancer and a type of renal cell cancer.

The government has also made Yervoy® available for the treatment of unresectable Stage II or Stage IV malignant melanoma.

Also on May 1, other medicines will be made available to treat a range of conditions, including non-small cell lung cancer, epilepsy and ulcerative colitis.

Giotrif® will be made available for over 220 people each year to treat advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. This medicine would otherwise cost patients over $33,550 per year.

Briviact®, an anti convulsant agent, will provide a new treatment option for patients with epilepsy. This will mean around 1,800 patients each year will each save over $1,000.

Amino Acid Formula supplemented with Prebiotics, Probiotics and Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (Neocate® Syneo) is a medicinal food that provides a new treatment option for infants (up to 24 months) with life altering food intolerances.  It is expected over 2000 infants could benefit from this listing.

And Colazide® an intestinal anti-inflammatory agent will now be available with a larger maximum quantity on prescription meaning that patients will need to fill fewer prescriptions. Over 2000 patients could benefit from this listing.

The independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended each of these listings.

The Committee is by law and in practice, independent of Government in its deliberations. By law the Federal Government cannot list a new medicine without a positive recommendation from PBAC.

Since coming into Government, the Coalition has helped improve the health of Australians, including those in the McMillan electorate, by subsidising more than $8.2 billion worth of new medicines.

The Turnbull government’s commitment to the PBS is rock solid. Together with Medicare, it is a foundation of our world-class health care system.”

PBS listings are published on the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, which is available through the PBS website at: www.pbs.gov.au.

Russell Broadbent MP said today young people at risk of homelessness in McMillan Electorate would receive greater support through increased Government funding.

Mr Broadbent said the Turnbull Government had provided up to $1,025,458.56 to Reconnect services in McMillan.

“Reconnect provides support and assistance to young people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless,” Mr Broadbent said.

“Reconnect services will help stabilise the lives of vulnerable young people in McMillan by keeping them connected with their families, communities, and education or employment opportunities.

“The Reconnect program in McMillan is operated by Quantum Support Services and I encourage anyone who knows someone in a vulnerable housing situation to use this service.

“The Turnbull Government’s long-term funding of Reconnect is enabling services to intervene before crisis occurs.”

The Turnbull Government has provided up to $117 million over five years to 102 Reconnect services across Australia, on top of an additional $375 million to frontline homelessness services over the three years from 1 July 2018.

For more information on Reconnect services, visit the DSS website.

Russell had the great pleasure of launching Neil Everitt's history of hydro-electricity generation on the Franklin River north of Toora.

Neil's book, "The Power of Water" traces the history of this amazing accomplishment all those years ago.

The launch was extremely well attended, not only by locals, but by interested people from inter-state.

Russell had the great pleasure of launching Neil Everitt's hsitory of hydro-electricity generation on the Franklin River north of Toora (South Gippsland).

Neil's book traces the history of this amazing accomplishment all those years ago, involving the excavation of a tunnel,  the building of a wier in order to divert the water to the turbines and disitribution to the neighbourhood.

A very well attended launch was held at the Foster museum which had prepared an exhibition to compliment the book.

Russell Broadbent MP
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