Community Newsletter

16 July 2024

The Winter Parliamentary sitting wrapped up with the new Governor General, her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, being sworn in; some lively debate around the long-awaited Nature Positive Laws; and the small business instant asset write-offs and energy incentives legislation finally making their way through the Senate.

The Vaping and Live Sheep Exports bills were passed – issues that many of you have written in to seek my support for. And there was a number of opportunities to speak in support of climate action and the increasing climate risks we are facing by delaying action. You can read more about these and more in the parliament updates below.

While our summer Olympic teams are being selected to head to Europe in preparation for the Paris Olympics, I hosted some of our Winter Olympians and up-and-coming stars in Parliament, including Warringah’s talented Paralympic Snowboarder Ben Tudehope. They met with Sports Minister, the Honourable Anika Wells, and showcased their impressive achievements at a meeting of the Parliamentary Friends of Olympics and Paralympics Movements.

I hosted an important briefing on behalf of the Neuroendocrine Cancer Association (NECA) to advocate for the approximately 500 Australians, including a family from Manly Vale who are living with Von Hippel Lindau (VHL). VHL is a rare genetic disorder, often affecting multiple generations of families and is marked by recurrent tumors. NECA are campaigning for a $12,000 a month drug which has shown promise in stunting tumor growth to be listed on the PBS. Access to the drug would take a huge burden off the healthcare system and would be life changing for many living with the disease. 

I attended a roundtable with the National Alliance of Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services, hosted by Zoe Daniel MP, addressing the urgent need for funding for frontline services.  I also attended a mental health roundtable, hosted by Allegra Spender MP, to hear from a range of experts about 170,000 Australians with severe and complex mental health issues who are currently struggling to get the care they need.  

And towards the end of the session I caught up with the Mayors of both North Sydney and Northern Beaches council who were visiting Canberra for the Australian Local Government Association national conference. I’m pleased to have spent time with both as our communities are served best when all levels of government work together.

Nature Positive Bills

The government passed the second stage of its environmental reform in the House during the last sitting fortnight, which I spoke to several times. It established Environmental Protection Australia and Environmental Information Australia.

Despite a number of amendments offered by myself and other crossbenchers to strengthen the bills setting up these two agencies to make them more effective (and with one of my amendments, to make sure it is actually a tough environmental cop on the beat), the government did not accept any of them. The bills now go before the Senate where they are likely to be amended and strengthened with similar amendments.

Reducing our Climate Risk

Climate risk is increasing and will worsen dramatically if global warming goes over 1.5 degrees. I hosted a briefing with superfunds, banks and insurance representatives who are all concerned with the increasing risks and costs associated with average global temperatures increasing. They stressed the importance of policy certainty and clear sector pathways for long-term investment confidence.

The government’s support for fossil fuels, especially gas projects, continues with new projects being approved by the Minister for the Environment, so I spoke on a motion calling this out and repeating the need for proper measurement of methane emissions that arise from these gas and coal mines.

I spoke again during the sitting block  about the impact of methane emissions trapping 80 x more heat in the atmosphere per molecule than CO2 in the first 20 years. We urgently need proper monitoring and measurement of methane to ensure we reduce all emissions in the years ahead.

Finally, I asked the Prime Minister in Question Time when the government will properly mitigate climate risk with a strong 2035 target. The government missed its deadline to respond to the Climate Change Authority's advice, and at the time of writing, still hadn’t.

Vaping

The government ultimately amended its recent legislation to tackle vaping, in a deal done with the Greens in the Senate to pass the legislation. People over 18 will now be able to purchase vapes (of certain strength) without prescription and without any data being collected, giving rise to concerns that individuals will shop around from one pharmacy to another to obtain additional vapes. The responsibility being put on pharmacists to sell a product that is ultimately harmful to people’s health is concerning especially without clear guidelines to address nicotine addiction. Nonetheless, there are still positive measures in this bill, such as banning ‘flavoured’ vapes, and introducing plain packaging for the therapeutic vapes that will be available.

Infrastructure in Warringah

I called on the government to live up to its promised transparency and accessibility with infrastructure grants programs. Two years in, nothing has been delivered by the government on this front and this is causing significant consternation to organisations in Warringah needing key infrastructure funding and certainty, including the Manly Warringah Gymnastics Club and Manly Lifesaving Surf Club.

Other parliamentary business

I spoke on the government bill that would ban the live export of sheep from Australia by 2028. Animal welfare and live exports are an issue which many in the electorate feel strongly about.

The government had an omnibus Treasury bill that created incentives for Build to Rent Housing (although the Senate has now taken that out of the bill), regulated Buy Now Pay Later as a form of credit and legislated a $20,000 instant asset write off for small businesses for the new financial year.

There was a new bill that created two new bodies within Creative Australia: First Nations Arts and Writing Australia.

The government introduced a bill banning deepfake non-consensual sexual material. I called on the government to go further and ban all non-consensual deepfakes, including those used against politicians and that my Voter Protections bill bans.

Finally, in the lead up to NAIDOC Week I was pleased to mark this important commemoration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples culture, and took note of some of the fantastic events and workshops taking place around the electorate to celebrate it.

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.

Seahorse Hotels Open at Balmoral

It was a pleasure to attend the release of a number of baby White’s Seahorses into their new ‘hotels’ amongst the seagrasses around Balmoral Baths. In a great conservation success story, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science has been working with Project Restore and Sydney Seahorse Project to restore seagrasses around Sydney Harbour, breed seahorses and release them into purpose built habitats to help increase the seahorse populations. There is also a citizen science aspect to it for any keen divers who can capture images of the seahorses they see and submit photography here.

Royal Far West’s turning of the Sod

After many years of planning, local children’s charity Royal Far West hosted an auspicious event to mark the start of the development of the RFW Neighbourhood. This development will open up some of their landholding for public and residential use, while allowing the organisation to sustainably fund and grow their child healthcare services to support children in need.

Bowel Cancer in Younger People

While many people will consider Bowel Cancer an older person’s disease, it is the deadliest cancer for Australian’s aged 25-44. I have met with the Never Too Young representatives from Bowel Cancer Australia a number of times, including with Adam from North Balgowlah, a husband and father to three young boys who was diagnosed with early-onset bowel cancer at age 30.

Last year the National Health and Medical Research Council approved lowering the age for bowel cancer screening to 45 which is good news – but it is important to know the signs and symptoms – and if you are at all concerned to seek medical advice and ask to be tested.

B – Blood in your poo

O – Obvious change in your bowel habit

W – Weight loss you can’t explain

E – Extreme tiredness for no reason

L – Lump or swelling in your abdomen.

Freshwater Community Garden

Congratulations to the Freshwater Community Garden who recently received a $5,000 grant though the Stronger Communities Program to upgrade its compost storage bays with more sustainable timber. 

The Community Garden is one of only a handful of community gardens on the northern beaches and has been in operation for ten years. Currently, 50 locals living in nearby apartments regularly place their vegetable scraps in the 11 subsidiary bins prior to their transfer by the community gardeners into larger bays for curing. After 6 months, the scraps combined with leaves, other additives such as dolomite, horse manure and water, convert into rich, productive, soil.

Each year this process produces 30 tonnes of productive, weed-free soil which is then used by the gardeners to produce vegetables, herbs and fruit.  Such a great example of community led environmental sustainability.

Local Sporting and Local Para Champions Program Applications Open

Applications for Round 2, 2024-25 of the Local Sporting and Local Para Champions Program 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.

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.