Media Releases

The Nationals member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty is inviting residents of the Lowan electorate to celebrate Volunteers Week between 9th and 15th May.

“The theme of for the week will be “Volunteering – Every One Counts” – and it is an opportunity to raise the profile of volunteering and highlight that volunteering is important to our local communities and the contribution of all volunteers must be recognised,” Mr Delahunty said.

“This year’s theme also sends a strong message to existing volunteers that they are valued and that every single volunteer makes an important contribution to the community.”

Mr Delahunty said more than 6 million Australians volunteer each year.

“Volunteers are the backbone of any community, especially country communities and they provide much needed assistance to not only organisations but also to individuals,” Mr. Delahunty said.

Volunteering is not only giving to the community but there are many rewards gained from volunteer work such as meeting people, learning new skills and developing self-esteem.

“The theme for National Volunteers Week is “Volunteering – Every One Counts” and with all the pressures of life it is now, more than ever, that we need our volunteers to keep our sporting, arts and community organisations viable.

“People who volunteer not only gain personal satisfaction in helping others but also develop social networks, gain work experience and maintain existing skills.”

“The importance of volunteers cannot be underestimated.  I take this opportunity to congratulate our volunteers for their wonderful contributions to our communities, and  I also encourage others to take up the challenge to become a volunteer.”

“I believe in the philosophy “in giving we receive” so on behalf of all the people in the Lowan electorate I say a big thank you to all volunteers,” Mr. Delahunty said.

 

Member for Lowan, Minister Hugh Delahunty will join western Victoria councils and businesses in promoting the region to Melburnians at this weekend’s Regional Victoria Living Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

Minister Delahunty said all western Victorian councils and a host of businesses would showcase what the region had to offer at the 27-29 April Expo, which is expected to attract up to 10,000 people.

“For anyone considering a move, Western Victoria has everything you need,” Minister Delahunty said.

“The region, which boasts 25 per cent of Victoria’s wetlands, offers a relaxed, country lifestyle and is renowned for its national parks, spectacular wilderness, historic wineries and country hospitality.

“It also offers an attractive range of lifestyle choices from urban inner city living to peaceful rural blocks or affordable homes in smaller communities.

“Cultural events, impressive art galleries and an abundance of year-round sporting activities contribute to a relaxed, country lifestyle.

“As far as job opportunities go, western Victoria is Australia’s best performing grain-growing area, producing 70 per cent of Victoria’s grain, and is home to a vibrant manufacturing sector.

“Other employment areas include education and training, manufacturing, health and professional services, retail, hospitality, tourism and transport.

 “I congratulate all the western Victoria organisations participating in the 2012 Regional Victoria Living Expo and I’m sure they will do our fantastic region proud.”

Minister Delahunty said the free Expo would bring together all Victoria’s rural and regional councils as well as exhibitors under one roof at MCEC, making it easy to explore everything regional Victoria had to offer.

“The Expo will give Melbourne residents and businesses all the information they need when considering relocating to regional and rural Victoria, including promotion of education, housing and career opportunities,” Minister Delahunty said.

“It will provide all 48 regional and rural councils with an opportunity to promote the benefits and opportunities available in their areas so they can attract residents, skilled workers, business and investment.

“It will also showcase career, education and business opportunities and housing and lifestyle benefits.

“Expo visitors will discover that Victoria’s regional and rural areas provide huge advantages in livability, jobs, education and business viability that are at least the equal of those on offer in Melbourne.”

For more information visit rdv.vic.gov.au/expo

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty in Parliament today spoke about the importance of Anzac Day next week.

“I encourage members of the community to buy a badge and attend local Anzac Day commemorations to pay homage to our dedicated service men and women and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country, Australia,” Mr Delahunty said.

Many Anzac Day services will be held throughout the Lowan electorate and details are published in local media outlets.

Mr Delahunty also spoke about attending a number of activities in the Lowan electorate.

“I attended the recent launch of the challenge by BreastScreen Victoria to women in the Southern Grampians area to take care of their health.  This free program is specifically designed to target women 50 to 69 years as this is the age group most at risk of developing breast cancer,” he said.

“I am also encouraging women from across the Southern Grampians Shire and south west Victoria to take the opportunity to be screened,” Mr Delahunty said.

“In my role as Minister for Sport and Recreation I attended the iconic Stawell Easter Gift and my congratulations go to Matthew Wiltshire from Ballarat who won this year’s Australia Post Stawell Gift.  Matthew was running off eight meters and won by a 10th of a second to record the time of 12.22 seconds.  I also congratulate Melissa Breen on winning the women’s gift with a time of 13.95 seconds,” Mr Delahunty said.

“I congratulate to the members of the Stawell Athletic Club in again providing a wonderful athletics carnival which provided an economic boost to Stawell and western Victoria.”

“Last Friday I was honoured to represent the Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services at the opening of the new Balmoral Police Station,” Mr Delahunty said.

A large crowd was present to celebrate the opening of the new police station including representatives from the Southern Grampians Shire, the Balmoral community and Victoria Police.

“Law and order is a top priority in the Lowan electorate and I congratulate Victoria Police and particularly Leading Senior Constable Peter Mailes in their dedication to the safety of the Balmoral and district community,” he said.

The Nationals Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty said small business information, support
and mentoring will be coming to the streets of Hamilton, when the Victorian Government’s
Mobile Business Centre returns to town soon.
“The Mobile Business Centre will be located outside Darriwill Farm, 169 Gray Street Hamilton
on Tuesday 1 May from 10.00am to 4.00pm,” Mr Delahunty said.
Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty said the Mobile Business Centre will give small businesses
in Hamilton access to valuable information about programs and services, including the latest
schedule of business skills workshops.
Minister for Innovation, Services, and Small Business Louise Asher said the Mobile Business
Centre will again be delivering free business mentoring and face-to-face assistance to
Victorian small businesses.
“The Mobile Business Centre is designed to help people start, plan and grow their business.
Small business operators can access business tools and tips and the on-board mentoring
service provides a fresh pair of eyes to look at a business objectively.
“Last year the Mobile Business Centre visited over 70 locations across Victoria and provided
more than 750 mentoring sessions to small businesses”, Ms Asher said.
“Small business operators are often too busy to seek information or guidance. By having the
Mobile Business Centre in Hamilton, they won’t have to travel far to access business mentors,”
Mr Delahunty said.
Other Mobile Business Centre locations and information on how to book a mentoring session
can be found at business.vic.gov.au/mbc or by calling Small Business Victoria on 13 22 15.

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh
Delahunty announced today the Nhill war memorial would receive funding from
the latest round of the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants program.
“Our War Memorials play a very important role in ensuring we remember the
stories of our local service men and women, and these grants provide practical
support for communities to maintain their memorials in the best possible
condition,” Mr Delahunty said.
The Hindmarsh Shire Council has received $1,800 for the Nhill WWII RAAF
Monument to correct the wording on the monument.
Mr Delahunty said the Victorian Government was committed to passing Victoria’s
war history to subsequent generations.
“Western Victorians are rightly proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans
and these grants will help keep their memories and stories alive through
memorials around our state,” Mr Delahunty said.
“War memorials, honour boards and avenues of honour play an important part in
our local communities and investing in the restoration of these memorials we
can keep their memorials in the best condition, ensuring local servicemen and
women and their stories of courage and mateship are never forgotten,” Mr
Delahunty said.
“We will continue to work with local governments, key ex-servicemen
organisations and community groups to ensure the sacrifice of our veterans is
never forgotten, especially in the lead up to the Centenary of ANZAC
commemorations,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Nationals Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty announced today small businesses
in the Horsham area will be able to access relevant, reliable and affordable information
on greening their businesses or on financial management thanks to forthcoming
seminars.
“The Green Your Business, Grow Your Business seminar would be held at Horsham
Business Centre at 6pm on Tuesday 1 May and the Understanding Financial
Statements seminar would be held at Wimmera Business Centre at 6pm on Thursday
3 May,” Mr Delahunty said.
“This is a great opportunity for Horsham businesses to obtain professional business
advice to assist them,” Mr Delahunty said.
Last year more than 3,000 businesses throughout the state participated in Small
Business Victoria’s workshops and seminars. Through the program, businesses and
prospective business owners are provided with the facts and advice needed to make
informed decisions and create a platform for ongoing success.
Popular topics in the program include starting up, financial management, employing
people and marketing.
All workshops and seminars are delivered by private sector business specialists who
are well-qualified and experienced in small business.
Innovation, Services and Small Business Minister Louise Asher said the Coalition
Government recognised the vital role Victoria’s 495,000 small businesses played in the
economy of the state.
“We are committed to encouraging small business and individual initiative, and to
creating an environment that rewards those who work hard, save, invest and create
employment,” Ms Asher said.
For more information about other workshops and seminars that are available please go
to: www.business.vic.gov.au/workshops

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty announced today Dunkeld and Digby war memorials would receive funding from the latest round of the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants program.

“Our War Memorials play a very important role in ensuring we remember the stories of our local service men and women, and these grants provide practical support for communities to maintain their memorials in the best possible condition,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Dunkeld RSL sub-branch received $7,720 for the Dunkeld Soldiers’ Memorial Restoration project which is for cleaning and sealing the Carrara marble statue and freestone on the Dunkeld Soldier’s Memorial.

The Lions Club of Merino-Digby Inc. has received $966 to construct wheelchair access to the war memorial.

Mr Delahunty said the Victorian Government was committed to passing Victoria’s war history to subsequent generations.
“Western Victorians are rightly proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans and these grants will help keep their memories and stories alive through memorials around our state,” Mr Delahunty said.

“War memorials, honour boards and avenues of honour play an important part in our local communities and investing in the restoration of these memorials we
can keep their memorials in the best condition, ensuring local servicemen and women and their stories of courage and mateship are never forgotten,” Mr Delahunty said.

“We will continue to work with local governments, key ex-servicemen organisations and community groups to ensure the sacrifice of our veterans is never forgotten, especially in the lead up to the Centenary of ANZAC commemorations,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Nationals Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty has commended the Horsham College which will join a number of schools across the state in hosting a community forum focused on providing parents with tips for dealing with alcohol and teenagers.
“These forums, to be held in April and May, would provide parents with important information about
Victoria’s new alcohol laws and advice about what to do if their teenager asks to drink at a party,” Mr Delahunty said.
In making the announcement Minister Dixon said parents are sometimes faced with situations where their 16 or 17-year-old asks to drink at a party, and when the parent says ‘no,’ the child says, ‘but everyone else is allowed to, why can’t I?’"
“These forums are a great way to provide parents with helpful advice about how to handle these tricky situations and how to talk to their kids about the very real dangers of alcohol consumption at a young age.”
The Minister said the forums, organised by the Victorian Government in partnership with the Australian Drug Foundation, VicHealth and the Barwon Adolescent Taskforce, built on the good work already being done by the Victorian Coalition Government to reduce alcohol-related harm to young people.
“The Coalition Government introduced laws in November making it illegal to serve alcohol in a private home to anyone under 18, unless their parents have given permission,” Mr Delahunty said.
Adults who break the new law face fines of more than $7,000, which is the same amount a licensee would be fined for selling alcohol to a minor.
Mr Delahunty said details of the law changes were also included in a series of alcohol fact sheets for parents, created by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in partnership with the Australian Drug Foundation.
The eight fact sheets provide a quick and easy guide for parents about the risks of teenage drinking and what they can do to send the right messages to their child that underage drinking can create risks and problems that may affect a young person for the rest of their life.
For updated alcohol fact sheets for parents, visit:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/programs/drugeducation/tchengagepar.htm#H2N10378

The Nationals Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty has announced that community groups from the
Lowan electorate will receive $135,166 as part of the Victorian Coalition Government’s $20 million
Communities for Nature grants program.
Local projects to be funded in the Lowan electorate include the Laharum Landcare Group who will
receive $131,837 and the Natimuk Pre School Centre will receive $3,329.
The Laharum Landcare Group project was for community involvement in conservation, revegetation,
control of weeds and pest animals, biodiversity and habitat preservation.
The Natimuk Pre School Centre project “Red-Tailed Black Cockies for Kids” is to provide preschool
students with the opportunity to participate in endangered species conservation, to increase community
awareness of vegetation requirements for (Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo) RTBC habitat and food sources,
to increase the community's awareness of the role of DSE in addressing the RTBC status, and to create
a RTBC niche in a rural township through tree planting.
“These are two very worthwhile projects and this funding will help the local landcare groups in their
important work in enhancing the local environment,” Mr Delahunty said.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith highlighted the important role Victorian
communities’ play in protecting our environment and delivering on-the-ground environmental works.
“Communities for Nature delivers on the Coalition Government’s election commitment to provide
practical assistance to local communities so that they can improve, protect and conserve our
environment,” Mr Smith said.
A total of 117 projects will be supported in this funding round. This includes funding of up to $10,000 for
58 small projects and funding between $10,000 and $150,000 for 59 large projects across the state.
“I congratulate community groups and land managers across Victoria for participating in this funding
round and for their ongoing hard work in protecting our environment and delivering on-the-ground
environmental works.
“We received more than 300 applications for this first round of grants and the high quality of those
applications is yet another demonstration of the significant environmental works that are being carried
out by community groups across Victoria,” Mr Smith said.
“I congratulate the Laharum Landcare Group and the Natimuk Pre School Centre on their projects and I
am looking forward to seeing practical environmental outcomes from their work in preserving the
environment,” Mr Delahunty said.
For more information about the program, please visit www.dse.vic.gov.au/communitiesfornature

The Nationals member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty is congratulating young people from the Lowan Electorate who are getting ready for National Youth Week 2012.

Across the state thousands of young people are logging onto www.youthweek.com and choosing to be part of the state’s biggest celebration of young people. There are a wide range of events on offer – from music festivals and skating demonstrations, to short films, youth awards and break dancing.
       
“There are a number of activities being held not only across the State but importantly in the Lowan electorate.  For example in Ararat there will be a T-Shirt design workshop and exhibition, the Dimboola memorial Secondary College has a fitness workshop planned and the Grampians Community Health Centre – Nexus has music events at various locations,” Mr Delahunty said.

There are a wide range of events on offer across the State, under the theme ‘Imagine. Create. Inspire.’, including music festivals and skating demonstrations to short films, youth awards and break dancing.

Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith said National Youth Week is a celebration of young people across the state.  Thousands of young people are involved with National Youth Week and I thank those who have coordinated events and volunteered their time to this annual celebration.

“Young Victorian’s creativity and passion for celebrating National Youth Week will no doubt result in a fantastic week of events showcasing their talents and the positive contribution of young people in Victoria,” Mr Smith said.

Youth Week will kicked off at the Prahran Junior Jam with hip hop dancing, live music and basketball competitions on Saturday 14 April 2012. It will end on a high with 6 young speakers, 6 big ideas and 6 minutes to share at the ‘Victoria’s Young Thinkers’ forum hosted by Express Media on Sunday 22 April 2012.

“National Youth Week is an opportunity for the community to not only recognise but to also thank our young people for the work they do in the community, from organising events to participation in sport, social and community activities.  I encourage young people in the Lowan electorate to take the opportunity to participate in National Youth Week,” Mr Delahunty said.

For a full list of National Youth Week events go to www.youthweek.com or www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/nyw.  All events are alcohol, drug and smoke-free – with most events free of charge.