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Boost for young sporting achievers

ALICIA Smith has a lifetime dream, and it’s about to be fulfilled even though she is just 12 years old.The Muay Thai martial artist has made it onto the Australian team to compete at the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateurs in Bangkok in August.I was happy to assist Alicia to pursue that dream by announcing that she is one of eight young sporting champions to be given an Australian Government Local Sporting Champions grant.

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School’s salute to service

THE Townsville Grammar Junior School at Annandale will soon be sporting an impressive new ANZAC memorial thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s Saluting Their Service grants programme.I met with school principal Noel Nethery this week to hear about their plans to honour our servicemen and women.Mr Nethery said the grant of more than $2,200 would be used for a large sandstone centrepiece topped with a plaque and badges of the Australian Army, Air Force and Navy.

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A safer Bruce Highway around Townsville

COMPLETION of the $137.5 million upgrade to Townsville's stretch of the Bruce Highway is one step closer, with an overpass of the North Coast Rail Line at Cluden officially opened today.I joined Federal Member for Herbert Ewen Jones and State Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper at Cluden to celebrate this major infrastructure milestone, which was opened to traffic last week.Being four lanes, this will improve driver safety and traffic flow by eliminating the existing level crossing at Cluden.In another major milestone for the project, the new southbound Stuart Creek Bridge has also been opened to traffic and work is almost complete on the Hunter Street intersection upgrade.

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Insurance win in the north

WE'VE had a major win in the long battle for a fair deal on insurance premiums, and for the first time in a long time, we are going to see some premiums in North Queensland coming down.Major insurer Suncorp have announced today that they are introducing their own measures to reduce insurance premiums.This is a direct result of the battle that Member for Leichardt Warren Entsch and I have been waging against unaffordable insurance in the North over the past four years.

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Support for families with nanny programme

FAMILIES who struggle to access affordable child care services will now be able get support to hire a nanny under a new pilot programme to be trialled by the Liberal National Government.This will be particularly beneficial for families in rural and regional areas, those who have children with special needs, and shift workers such as nurses, police officers, ambulance officers and firefighters.The $246 million two year Interim Home Based Carer Subsidy Programme will provide subsidised care for about 10,000 children, especially in middle to low income families.

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Overhaul of vocational training

THE Liberal National Government has had the overalls on and spanners out to deliver better vocational training programs with more input from industry.A new approach to the development of vocational education and training products will allow industry to take the lead, because it is employers who know best when it comes to the skills and competencies needed in their current and future employees.

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Support for arts partnership

The Liberal National Government will fund a partnership between Crossroad Arts, BlueCare and the Endeavour Foundation to steer two major dance and photography projects.This is an innovative partnership called cheek2cheek and it’s being overseen by Mackay’s award-winning Crossroad Arts director Steve Mayer-Miller.It will allow for collaboration between major stakeholders in the disability and aged care sectors in both Mackay and Gladstone to steer two major multi art dance projects over two years.

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Ethanol needs full commitment

The State Government should support jobs and industry in Queensland by fully embracing biofuels with a phased-in mandate for ethanol fuel.There is no point in beating around the bush on this issue because a half-hearted approach will achieve nothing.A proper ethanol mandate for the Mackay region would ensure the ongoing viability of Sarina’s ethanol plant and it may also pave the way for future investment in ethanol production by Mackay Sugar.

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Extreme greens are robbers & job destroyers

ANOTHER massive boost for the region, GVK Hancock’s Alpha Coal Project, is under threat in Brisbane because of the actions of the extreme green anti-coal protesters.The inconvenient truth for them is that the global demand for thermal coal will continue for decades to come.And if we don’t mine it some other country will.They are not going to kill the demand for coal; they’re just going to rob Australia of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars.

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$33 million for Yellow Gin Creek Bridge upgrade

WHILE visiting the Burdekin to open the $50 million Sandy Corner to Collinsons Lagoon upgrade, the Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss announced the approval of $33 million in Liberal National Government funding to construct the Yellow Gin Creek bridge and approaches south of Ayr.This is another huge infrastructure boost for the Burdekin.It will increase safety and connectivity on this 1.6km stretch for freight vehicles, tourists and local motorists by improving safety and flood immunity at the creek crossing.

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$50 million upgrade provides smooth ride

It has been my pleasure today to join with Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss to officially open the $50 million Sandy Corner to Collinsons Lagoon upgrade north of the Burdekin.This project has delivered significant improvements to safety, flood immunity and freight efficiency on the Bruce Highway, benefitting more than 7,000 vehicles each day.We've also provided jobs for 65 workers during its construction.

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Neato effort on jobs

Assistant Minister for Employment Luke Hartsuyker met up with the Neato Employment Services team during his visit to Mackay and he was impressed with their commitment to helping people get jobs.The Whitsundays-based business is growing in leaps and bounds under the Liberal National Government's new jobactive employment services model which comes into effect from July 1.Neato's tender to provide employment services was successful and they are now in the process of opening 17 new offices.

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Careers Restart in Mackay

Assistant Minister for Employment Luke Hartsuyker and I paid a visit to Resthaven on Quarry to meet with facility manager Maryanne Edwards and Restart program employee Beryl Cameron.I arranged for Mr Hartsuyker to visit the region to highlight how the Government’s employment initiatives could deliver better services to both job seekers and employers.Under the Restart program, eligible employers receive up to $10,000 to hire mature-age job seekers who have been unemployed and on income support for six months or more.

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Our First World War effort

I had the pleasure of visiting the 100 Years of ANZAC Display today, which was partly funded by an Anzac Centenary Local Grant to the Mackay RSL Sub Branch.The display is a credit to all involved and I would encourage the residents of Mackay to take the time to view this impressive display of World War I memorabilia.It provides a wonderful insight into the region’s involvement in the Great War.

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Deregulation the ‘wrong prescription’

THIS morning I met with pharmacists in Mackay who voiced concerns about deregulation recommendations outlined in the recent Harper Review.I agree that handing over health care to the major supermarkets would be a disaster for the local community. It's too important to be handing over to Coles and Woolies.The Pharmacy Guild is currently negotiating a new pharmacy agreement with the Federal Government, including the rates and rules for payment under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.I can’t see Coles CEO, John Durkan, dropping off some little old lady's prescriptions like many local pharmacists do for their bed-ridden patients.

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Super news on yacht industry

WE are clearing the way for a super new job-creating industry in the Whitsundays.I am confident we can clear the two major hurdles preventing the Whitsundays from becoming a major international destination for super yachts, which will boost local employment opportunities.The super yacht industry is extremely lucrative, with each yacht injecting about $50,000 per week into the local economy where it is berthed.To date, the two major hurdles have been issues about tax and environmental regulations and there is good news on both fronts.

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Coloured coin marks Gallipoli Centenary

Australia’s newest coloured circulating coin has now been released as part of the Royal Australian Mint’s Official Anzac Centenary Coin Program.The special coin, designed and produced by the Royal Australian Mint, features poppies, symbolic of remembrance, amongst crosses used to honour the fallen and mark the graves of unknown heroes. Inspired by the poppy, the distinctive and powerful red coloured print reads ‘Lest We Forget’.

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Jobs a step closer but wait for green bleating

It's good to hear that the State Labor Government has today issued their referral for environmental assessment of the Abbot Point coal port expansion to the Federal Government.However we can now expect another avalanche of extreme green group opposition.The reality is we will now go through yet another public consultation period before the Abbott Government can begin the final assessment of the project.During this time every extreme Green group under the sun will come out of the woodwork to bag Abbot Point because this is the last throw of the dice for them in stopping the expansion from proceeding.

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Thanks for protecting our reef

IF you love the reef and wish to continue to live nearby, enjoying the services and facilities that flow from being adjacent to one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, you will be reassured to know there is much cause for optimism thanks to the joint Federal and State Government Reef 2050 Plan.If you love the reef you will also be keen to know the facts regarding this Plan, rather than being swayed by the alarmist rhetoric of the extreme green fringe.The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is the most reported on, most analysed and best researched World Heritage Area in the world, by a long shot.

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Your views on diabetes

WE are seeking your input on diabetes to help guide the Government's development of a National Diabetes Strategy.How has the condition affected you and your family?Has it affected your ability to work?What do you think are the best ways to prevent, treat and cure diabetes?Please give us your input via the website at https://consultations.health.gov.au before Friday, May 17.

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