Some fantastic volunteers were recognised today at the Kingborough Council Awards. I was particularly pleased to see Else Phillips receive Citizen of the Year for her work with various local organisations and 13-year-old Kingborough Helping Hands volunteer Bella Oakley awarded Young Citizen of the Year.
Continue readingCategory Archives: In The Community
Whitewater Walking Track Petition
Getting more active is good for you, and our community as a whole.
The Department of Health recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week for adults between 18 and 64 a week.
There is a petition before the Kingborough Council to continue the existing Whitewater Creek walking track through the Spring Farm and Whitewater Park Estates and across to Huntingfield.
It would complete the ‘missing link’ and allow safe pedestrian and bike access from Kingston Shopping Precinct/Kingston Park, along the existing Whitewater Creek track, all the way down to Snug.
While the project is yet to be discussed by Council I believe it could provide a significant benefit to the Kingborough community.
I encourage everyone to take a look at the petition and consider signing it.
Dementia Friendly Tasmania Community Survey
Dementia Friendly Tasmania Inc. is conducting a community survey to learn about people’s attitudes to, and experiences of, dementia. The survey results will help them to come up with ideas of how they can help our community be more inclusive of people with dementia.11,500 people in Tasmania are living with dementia and this number is expected to increase to 16,000 by 2058. Please support this important project by picking up a survey at my office in Kingston and placing the completed survey in the box provided. Dementia Friendly Tasmania is accepting survey returns until 20 December.
International Volunteers Day
I volunteered so much for my local charity, Kingborough Helping Hands, that they asked me to join the committee as well as be their Patron!
Volunteering is not only a great way to help our community – it also helps us develop friendships, keep active and gain a personal sense of achievement.
Despite the daily demands of my job as a senator, I’m still able to find time to volunteer. If you’re not a volunteer too, what’s stopping you?
Visit Volunteering Tasmania’s website to find out what volunteering opportunities are available in your area: https://www.volunteeringtas.org.au/for…/find-a-role-2/…
Happy International Volunteers’ Day!
Delivery Drivers – Workers Union
Five food delivery riders have been killed on Australian roads recently in the course of their work. Because they are regarded as ‘independent contractors’ they are working in unsafe conditions for low pay, and when they die at work their families have no access to workers’ compensation.
Delivery riders should be engaged as employees’ with full rights to award rates of pay, safe working conditions and compensation if they get killed or seriously injured in the course of their employment.
This is an absolute outrage and the Morrison Government needs to fix it
Transport Workers Union – TWU
Transport Workers Union, Victorian/Tasmanian Branch – TWUVicTas
National Carers Week 2020
11-17 October is National Carers’ Week.It is indicative of the enormous contribution that Australia’s 2.65 million unpaid carers make to our economy and society that it would cost $77.9 billion to replace their work with paid care.Carers Australia is encouraging carers to tell other Australians why you care. Visit http://www.carersweek.com.au/ to share your story.
Walk4BrainCancer Virtual
Congratulations to Walk4BrainCancer Virtual on raising $1.65 million across Australia for Cure Brain Cancer.These are vital funds to support the Foundation’s advocacy, awareness-raising and research funding to help combat a cancer which has a five-year survival rate of just 22% and kills more Australian children than any other disease.Thank you to everyone who supported my walk including my fellow team members and our sponsors.
If anyone else wants to sponsor me please visit https://my.walk4braincancer.com.au/walk4bra…/catryna-bilyk
Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
Today – 15 October 2020 – marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Every year Australian families suffer over 2,000 stillbirths and over 100,000 miscarriages.
I am proud to have participated in the Senate inquiry into Stillbirth Research and Education along with my Labor colleagues Kristina Keneally and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy – Northern Territory, both of whom have continued to be strong advocates for parents of stillborn babies.
As a parent of a stillborn baby my participation in the inquiry was a painful reminder of my own tragedy yet a necessary contribution to public policy.The inquiry made important recommendations for reducing the rate of stillbirth in Australia and improving support for parents. Many of the inquiry’s recommendations remain unimplemented and this national crisis requires more attention and action from the Government.
If you know someone who is grieving the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death please encourage them to contact one of the following organisations: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Australia – https://www.pregnancylossaustralia.org.au/Stillbirth Foundation Australia – https://stillbirthfoundation.org.au/Sands Australia – https://www.sands.org.au/The Compassionate Friends Victoria Inc. (also covering Tasmania) – https://www.compassionatefriendsvictoria.org.au/
Anti Poverty Week
This week (11-17 October 2020) is Anti-Poverty Week.It is a great reminder of Labor’s commitment to repair 100,000 social housing properties.
Fixing problems like mould, leaking pipes, exposed wires and damaged floors, walls and ceilings will:- improve the health of tenants;- make houses more energy efficient, saving tenants money and helping the environment; and- create work for tradies across Australia.
Work could start almost immediately, employing plumbers, carpenters and electricians. This is what Labor would do if we were in government. This is what the Morrison Government should do right now.
Kingston Croquet Club Visit
Yesterday I visited the Kingston Croquet Club for the launch of their 2021 Croquet Calendar, the production of which has been assisted by my office.
Included in the photos below are committee members Patricia O’Neill, who came up with the idea of the calendar and Robbie Lee, who did the camera work.
A very welcoming, warm and friendly club! When you have to work on a weekend this is the most enjoyable kind of work you can do.
