Community Newsletter

September Newsletter

Posted by 330sc on September 25, 2019

25 September 2019

Back to Business in Canberra      

After a short Winter Recess, it was back to business in Parliament. During the break there was plenty happening throughout the electorate, from sports finals to environmental projects and a few Fun Runs to keep us active. In Parliament, I spoke on Aged Care, Traffic Congestion and Suicide Prevention and I proudly seconded a motion calling for a Climate Change Emergency. All the details can be found below so please take a look to see what my team and I have been up to over the last few weeks. A special shout out to the Mighty Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Manly Warringah Sapphires Under 23 Netball team for their terrific seasons. We couldn’t quite go all the way but you did us all proud!!



 

1. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS

  • Daily Log

 

2. OUT AND ABOUT IN WARRINGAH

 

3. AROUND TOWN

  • Women in Election Forum
  • Sea Eagles Presentation Night
  • Splash of Colour Fundraiser for “Big Bear Cottage”

 

4. UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

 

 

1. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS

Monday 9 September

I asked a question to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and the recent bushfires in Qld and NSW.

 

I spoke on the frustrating congestion experienced by many people in the Warringah area, and the desperate need for better transport infrastructure.

 

I was pleased to receive my membership in the Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving and to hear the details of a number of rescues being recognised at the quarterly update.

 

Tuesday 10 September

To mark Suicide Prevention Day I attended a breakfast hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia where they provided us with the latest studies and research. Later in the day, I delivered a speech to Parliament, commending the Morrison Government for their “towards zero” ambition for suicide rates in Australia and for their recent appointment of a suicide prevention special adviser within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. All of us need to play our part to help support resilience in our communities and work towards a goal of zero. View the video here.

 

I spoke to attendees at the Union of Jewish Students leadership conference, sharing with them about the campaign and about my priorities and intentions to work collaboratively with both sides of Parliament.

 


 

Later that day, I joined with The Australia Institute, to launch the Climate of the Nation Report which tracks Australian attitudes to Climate Change. Amongst the key findings was the fact that 81% of Australians are concerned that climate change will result in more droughts and flooding – this figure is up from 78% in 2018. 

 

I then attended the launch of the campaign “Our Future Fund”, where various organisations including a number of school groups are calling for the Government’s Future Fund to divest its investments in fossil fuels and to introduce greater transparency in where the investments are.

 

In the evening I attended an event in support of the Kids Cancer Project and then met with representatives of the Pharmaceutical Guild of Australia.

 

Wednesday 11 September:

On Wednesday morning I spoke on the importance of appropriate Aged Care, and the need to address not only access to placements for our elderly but the quality of care our elderly receive when in our aged-care system.

 

I then joined with my cross bench colleague Adam Bandt, to announce we are lodging a Motion in the Parliament calling for the Federal Government to declare a Climate Emergency for the Nation. To view the motion click here. 

 

Fittingly, in the afternoon, my crossbench colleagues and I spoke on the issue of Climate Change and Energy Policy as a Matter of Public Importance. View the video here.

 

In the evening, I met with members of the Clean Energy Council and then with representatives of the Customer Owned Banking Corporation.

 

Thursday 12 September:

On Thursday, I met with representatives of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education who are launching a campaign to stop alcohol advertising during sports telecasts and also calling for greater restrictions in the digital realm. 

 

In the afternoon, I was delighted to welcome to Parliament students from Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Forestville visiting on a school excursion

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2. OUT AND ABOUT IN WARRINGAH

School Visits

To celebrate Science Week, I joined with the senior students at St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School in Freshwater to take a look at their STEM projects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It was great to see their curiosity and thirst for knowledge and I was impressed at the range of projects they had developed. 

 

 

 

I was also honoured to join the staff and students at Seaforth Public School to present them with their new set of Australian Flags. Their flag pole was damaged during building work and needed to be replaced – it was great to meet with the kids who proudly received the new flags.

 

To celebrate ‘Early Learning Matters’ week, I spent the morning with staff, students and parents at St John’s Child Care Centre in Neutral Bay. Across Australia 1.2 million children are enrolled in formal early learning and this local centre was a wonderful example of all the work being done by childcare workers across the Warringah electorate.  A heartfelt thank you to you all.

 

Finally a big “Happy Birthday” to Allambie Heights Public School who recently celebrated their 60th Anniversary. It was wonderful to join with staff, students and parents at their special assembly and I wish the entire school community many happy returns!

 

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Environmental Projects

I was delighted to head to the sand dunes of Curl Curl Beach to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Landcare Australia. I was honoured to be joined by Sophie Taylor-Price, the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who started Landcare back in 1989. As I told those gathered on the morning, the benefits of the Landcare program are long term and far reaching – not just for the environment but for our general health and wellbeing. 

 

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Supporting the Arts

The famous  - or infamous – ‘Wharf Review’ premiered in our own back yard at Glen Street Theatre and I was delighted to attend and to meet some of the cast and crew. A healthy democracy has a healthy arts scene – and a healthy sense of humour. Both were on display with this performance. I encourage you all to take a look at next year’s season at Glen Street and attend a show to support the local Arts Scene.

 

I’ve also attended one or two events as part of the Manly Arts Festival – including an Author Talk by my mother Sue Steggall at Manly Art Gallery. The Manly Arts Festival runs until 29 September and I encourage you to look at the programme and attend some of the terrific events on offer.

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Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health Summit

I thank the local State Member for Manly for hosting a Mental Health Summit on Tuesday 27 August. The day was a great opportunity for local support services to come together and exchange ideas about how the sector can be improved and services enhanced. My staff came away with a wealth of information and ideas. I take this opportunity to thank all of those dedicated professionals providing their skills and expertise in this important service to the community.

 

Manly Fun Run

It was a great day out for Fathers’ Day on Sunday 1 September with the 2019 Manly Fun Run. It was terrific to see so many locals out and about, keeping fit and raising a record amount of money for local charities – Stand Tall, Northern Beaches Women’s’ Shelter, Royal Far West, Bushlink, Fragile X, Lifeline, Pioneer Clubhouse, Clontarf Foundation and the PCYC Northern Beaches. A very special thanks to the Manly Rotary Club for all their hard work in organising the event and great to see Team Zali out in force. 

 

 

Parenting Teens Forum

On Saturday 7 September I opened the “Parenting Teens’ seminar at Manly Golf Club. More than 100 local parents came together to hear from experts on a range of topics including cyber safety, mental health and resilience.

 

 

Run Forest Run Community Fun Run and School Fair

Community spirit was on display in Forestville on Sunday 8 September for the annual ‘Run Forest Run Community Fun Run and School Fair’. It was terrific to see so many families out and about taking part in the various walks and runs, having fun at the fair and supporting the school community.

 

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Meetings

I’ve had a range of meetings with various organisations including Wosup (War On Single Use Plastic), Doctors for the Environment Australia and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. I also met with a group of local school kids from Balgowlah Heights Public School and Mackellar Girls Campus who came prepared with some well researched questions on climate.

 

My team and I have also been meeting with local residents, assisting them with a range of issues from immigration and NDIS to Centrelink problems and ideas for new projects and concepts. If you have an issue you’d like to discuss with my team, please drop into the office on Sydney Road in Manly or call the team on 9977 4611.

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Community Events

RSL Community Grants

It was terrific to attend the Balgowlah RSL Club “Community Grants Night” when grant funding was presented to a range of local community groups. It was an honour to meet with Members of the Club’s Board and to hear about the great work the club is doing in the Balgowlah, Seaforth and Clontarf areas.

 

Similarly the Dee Why RSL Club hosted their community night when $2,000,000 in cash and in-kind support from the club was acknowledged.

 

Afternoon Tea with local RSL Clubs

Both these clubs were among 5 local RSL Clubs that I later welcomed to my electorate office for afternoon tea. It was great to host representatives from the Boards, Sub-Branches and Auxiliaries of the five clubs in the Warringah electorate. I look forward to working with them all as their Federal Member of Parliament.

Volunteer Awards, Citizenship Ceremonies and Merchant Navy Day

My staff also represented me at a number of events including the 2019 Volunteer Awards, a number of Citizenship Ceremonies, a Cadet Parade at Pittwater House School and at the beautiful Merchant Navy Day Commemoration Service held at the Mosman Cenotaph.

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3. AROUND TOWN

Women for Election Forum

It was an inspiring morning on 23 August when I joined with over 100 women at the ‘Inspire Conference’ organised by Women for Election Australia. The conference brought together women contemplating a career in politics to exchange ideas and to network. It was a reminder that we need more women in decision making roles.

 

Sea Eagles Presentation Night

There was terrific energy in the room for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles NRL Team Awards Night on Sunday 8 September. Coach Des Hasler and the team, joined with fans, sponsors and club officials to reflect on the season and to acknowledge some personal achievements. I particularly commend the club for their community work this year, with a focus on addressing youth mental health and depression. The night was a great celebration of our wonderful rugby league team and was an opportunity to wish them all the best for the Finals. Unfortunately they couldn’t go all the way but we are so proud of them for the terrific season they had. Bring on 2020!

 

Splash of Colour Fundraiser for “Big Bear Cottage”

It’s well known that Bear Cottage in Manly provides a wonderful service to our broader community. As the only hospice for children in New South Wales, it provides excellence in paediatric palliative care, but also a loving, caring environment that nurtures the whole family as they struggle with the reality of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition. Many comment on the surprising joy and positivity of this amazing place – which is a credit to the staff and volunteers that work so hard to create that environment. But for many families, already coping with the emotions of this difficult situation, they then face the harsh reality that when their child turns 19, they are no longer eligible for this much valued care. Thus the need for “Big Bear Cottage”.

 

Plans are underway for Australia’s first hospice for young adults to be built on part of the site of the old Manly Hospital. The project will be partly funded by the State Government and partly funded by community donations. On Saturday 14 September, I was humbled to be part of the inaugural Splash of Colour Fundraiser to raise money for this vital project. Like the facilities at Bear Cottage – the fundraiser was full of life and love and positive energy. I especially thank Kylie Jones and Ryan and Karen Fowler for speaking so bravely and so passionately about their experiences at Bear Cottage; highlighting the amazing work being done there and the need to extend its services to young adults and their families.  I look forward to working with the community to deliver this much needed facility.

 

Ryan and Karen have created a foundation “Rio’s Legacy”, in memory of their son who was cared for at Big Bear Cottage. They are organising a bike ride in October from Adelaide to Sydney to raise money to fund more hospices. The ride will finish in Manly on Saturday 19 October, and it would be great to give them a big Warringah Welcome. More details about donating to the cause or about the bike ride, can be found here.

 

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4. UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Until 29 September - Manly Arts Festival – a range of events taking place across the Manly area. For more details visit here
  • 5-7 October – 42nd Annual Manly Jazz Festival. The Manly CBD will once again come live to the sound of Jazz this October long weekend. There’s a range of concerts, workshops and music events taking place so take a look at the event programme here
  • Saturday 12 October – Drop-in information session at the Drill Hall Precinct (Cross Street, Mosman). Drop in any time between 10am and 2pm. A draft Management Plan for the Precinct and an application for floodlighting are currently open for comment – visit here for more details. Both documents will be available for viewing at the Drop In Session and there will be an opportunity to speak with Harbour Trust Planners.
  • Saturday 19 October – Rio’s Legacy Ride in support of Bear Cottage and similar hospices arrives in Manly. For mode details visit here

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