Community Newsletter

6 August 2024

I hope you’ve been enjoying watching the Olympic Games in Paris. It has been wonderful to witness Australia’s sportsmanship and athletic talents on display.

Warringah is proudly represented by the following athletes and I wish them all the best as they compete in their various sports. I encourage you to get behind our fantastic team who have worked so hard to get there and give it their all.

• Bronte Halligan – Water Polo – Manly
• Sariah Paki – Rugby Sevens – Dee Why
• Shaun Connor – Sailing (Skiff 49er) – Fairlight
• Rowena Meredith – Rowing (Quad Scull W4) – Mosman
• Clare Wheeler – Football – Dee Why
• Sienna Hearn – Water Polo – North Manly
• Sienna Green – Water Polo – Mosman
• Tilly Kearns – Water Polo – Mosman

Electoral Boundary Redistribution Update

The Australian Electoral Commission proposed significant changes to the Division of Warringah which would see some northern localities move into Mackellar as well as Warringah extending further west into the Division of North Sydney, which may be abolished. I've submitted a request to retain existing localities and reconsider abolishing North Sydney.

Submissions closed on 26 July and I thank those who made submissions. The AEC will finalise its decision in October, and I will keep you updated on the outcome.

My team and I are gearing up for the next parliamentary sitting block in August.

Climate risk remains a key focus. As temperatures rise, so too will costs associated with increasing risks. I have seen this recently termed ‘heatflation’. For example, with the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, there are concerns insurance for households and businesses will simply become unattainable. 

At a briefing I hosted in Canberra during the last sitting block with superfunds, banks and insurance representatives, they all stressed the need for policy certainty and long-term investor confidence. I will have more to say on this issue in the next few weeks as I continue to work with stakeholders on this very important issue affecting not only our climate, but the immediate costs of living as well.

The government has signalled electoral reform, including the promotion of truth in political advertising and greater transparency around donations, will soon be on the legislative agenda. These reforms are well overdue. My Voter Protections in Political Advertising Bill outlines effective ways to address not just the increasing risk of mis- and disinformation as the influence of AI grows, but also puts guardrails around the use of deepfakes. I will be also keeping a close eye on donation reform to ensure it improves the integrity of electoral processes, rather than embedding major political party advantage. 

We also expect to see the Future Made in Australia program get up and running. This is a key piece of the government’s response to the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States and the huge investment in clean energy industries there. The government’s initial focus will be on production incentives, tax relief for renewable hydrogen, green metals, low carbon liquid fuels, critical minerals processing and clean energy. I look forward to engaging further with the government on this bill and ensuring it remains aligned with our target of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Infrastructure in Warringah

After calling on the government to live up to its promised transparency and accessibility with infrastructure grants programs, I am pleased to share that the Government has committed $350 million towards the Thriving Suburbs Program to deliver investment in locally-driven urban, suburban and peri-urban community infrastructure projects across Australia; and $150 million for the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program. Both programs are now open for applications with further details in the grants section below.

To view my parliamentary speeches visit my Parliament Updates.
I seek to represent the views of Warringah and welcome feedback. My approach to legislation is on my website as is my Voting Record.

National Institute of Dramatic Art

It was great to meet with Liz Hughes, the CEO of NIDA, to hear about the need for continued support and investment. Many Warringah residents are avid supporters of the arts, including NIDA, and it was heartening to see the government give an additional $115.2 million for the ARTS8 group, of which NIDA is a member, in the recent budget

Youth Ambassador meeting

I hosted the final Youth Ambassador meeting for the 2024 school leavers who are about to sit their HSC trial exams. We were joined by Liam Carroll, editor of Tawny Frogmouth Magazine, who shared his interesting career journey from physiotherapy to finance and now local news publisher, and the importance of giving things a go.

Over the year we’ve had some great discussions about future aspirations, concerns around climate, housing affordability and mental health. I’ve been impressed by the insights and thoughtfulness of the students. Our future is in great hands.

Butterfly Foundation

It was a pleasure to meet Lucy, an inspiring young lady who first came to meet me in my office in Manly. After recovering from an eating disorder, she decided to make her own petition to call on the government to provide more public hospital beds for the treatment of those with eating disorders.

She has since joined me in Parliament to give a first-hand account of what it's like living with an eating disorder at a special briefing about eating disorders and social media hosted by the Butterfly Foundation and Zoe Daniel.

Lucy is also passionate about what needs to change and believes there is an opportunity for education to start much younger, but in age appropriate ways, as research shows most eating disorders start at or before 12 years old and most education about the topic doesn’t begin until children are in year 10, when students are 16.

If you would like to support Lucy’s petition, you can sign it here.

Manly Life Saving Club Concept plans

Northern Beaches Council has unveiled the refined concept for the iconic Manly Life Saving Club to provide a new purpose-built facility to support the needs of the 3.5 million people who visit Manly Beach each year. The concept plans have been informed by extensive investigation of the site and constraints, user analysis, three rounds of community consultation, a community working group and stakeholder liaison. Council will now finalise the design and prepare all the documents to submit for Development Application (DA) later this year.

The community will be able to provide further feedback during the DA exhibition period. The DA will be reviewed and determined by the independent Sydney North Local Planning Panel. Once approved, the DA will improve opportunities to secure additional grant funding to complete the project. To view the concept designs visit the project page.

Northern Beaches high schools community consultation

The NSW Department of Education is consulting with schools and community on the Northern Beaches to better understand preferences relating to educational offerings for years 7-12 in the area. They want to hear from families, students, staff and the community about high school enrolment decision-making and collect feedback on a range of proposals for future arrangements.

Consultation activities
The consultation period will run for 6 weeks from August 5 and includes short surveys and workshops.

The consultation process will include school staff and student representatives from each high school, parents and carers including those from feeder primary schools, the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the wider community and special interest groups.

Surveys
All community members will have an opportunity to have their say through a short survey – click here to access the survey.

If you have any questions or would like further details on the local consultation activities, please email [email protected].

Wild at Art Competition

Congratulations to the children who took part in the Australian Conservation Foundation Wild at Art Competition promoting awareness and advocacy for Australia’s threatened animal species.

Their creativity and care for our native animals is impressive and included some wonderful artworks from children in Warringah including Olivia's (6) koalas, Louise’s (10) numbat, Sarita’s (12) roaring quoll, Sebastian’s (6) yellow tailed black cockatoo, Leonardo’s (9) Tasmanian devil, Joss’s (8) platypus, Rex's (7) flamingos, and Wills' (9) antechinus.

On 24 July 2024, the Australian Government announced the outcomes of the second round of the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises program.

The program provides direct support to small and medium sized businesses to improve their energy efficiency, ease pressure on power bills and reduce emissions. The grants can be used for a broad range of measures including installing heat pumps, power factor correction units, space and water heating improvements and energy monitoring systems.

I am pleased to advise that the following small and medium businesses in Warringah successfully applied for a grant in round 2:  Operator Xr, Dad & Dave's Brewing, Curry Group, Balgowlah Golf Club, M & W Zaki, Luke Sykes, 4 Pines Brewing Company, and Barefoot Bean.

Thriving Suburbs Program

The Thriving Suburbs Program is open until 26 August for funding between $500,000 and $15 million awarded to incorporated not-for-profit organisations to deliver priority community infrastructure projects.

Urban Precincts & Partnerships

The Urban Precincts & Partnerships Program seeks to support transformative investment in urban precincts based on the principles of unifying urban places, growing economies and serving communities.

Stream One: Precinct development and planning
Project funding of between $500,000 to $5 million will be available for master planning, consultation, design, business cases and partnership establishment.

Stream Two: Precinct delivery
Project funding of $5 million to $50 million will be available to help deliver a specified project or projects as part of a precinct. This could include enabling public infrastructure (roads, pathways, underground infrastructure), open spaces between elements, or a particular building/s that is the catalyst for, or complements, other investment within a precinct.

Local Sporting and Local Para Champions Program Applications Open

Applications for Round 2, 2024-25 of the Local Sporting Champions and Local Para Champions are now open until 31 October 2024. This program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors participating in state, national or international championships. Successful applicants receive up to $950 towards the cost of attending their event.

NDIS Community Webinar – Tuesday 17th September

Due to the great feedback following our NDIS Community forum last year, we will be hosting another session with Minister Shorten. The online webinar will cover the changes people can expect from the new NDIS legislation and how parents can best navigate the NDIS Early Childhood Pathway. There will be a chance to submit questions ahead of the Webinar.

Register here.

Manly Markets - Sunday 18th August, 9am - 4.30pm

I hope to see you at the Manly Markets, where you can chat with me or my volunteer team about issues that matter to you, the happenings in Parliament or legislation that impacts you. 

Grab a copy of our Seniors Guide, a valuable resource designed to help you understand your options and make informed decisions about your entitlements.

Council Elections

Council elections are coming up on Saturday, 14 September. The local Councils are at the forefront of key issues such as climate change, sustainability, inclusion, domestic violence and support for those in need. A progressive Council allows me as the Federal Member to closely collaborate on those issues and achieve the best outcomes for our area. Strong Independent teams are running in all three Councils.  I encourage you to get involved and find out more by visiting their websites or attending campaign launches. 

Mosman Council – Serving Mosman

Northern Beaches Council
There are two Independent groups:
– Good for Manly: Launch – 7th August
– Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNBI): Campaign Launch – 17 August

North Sydney Council – The Real Independents

If you or someone you know is 18 or over and not enrolled to vote, you can easily complete the process online at the AEC.

My friendly electorate office team and I are here to help you, so please contact my office on 99776411 or email me at [email protected] should you need assistance.

Please share this newsletter with your friends and family to keep them updated, or encourage them to sign up here on my website.