House debates

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Adjournment

Gilmore Electorate: Economy

9:15 pm

Photo of Ann SudmalisAnn Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Being part of a government that puts the economic future of our country as the number one priority is the motive that inspires me to advance my community in as many avenues as possible. For two years, it has been a stated vision to build a strong and prosperous economy and to have a safe and secure Australia. Whilst a lot has been done to make Australia safe, with even more emphasis recently, it is not the time to forget other pressing issues on our own doorstep.

Gilmore has for some time had unemployment challenges. We have over 4,000 people on Newstart. We have a higher than average set of statistics for both overall unemployment and youth unemployment. The number of advertised job vacancies is never close to the number of people looking for work. The problem is not just a lack of skills or a lack of commitment or enthusiasm from our job seekers; much of our regional unemployment comes down to just one thing: a lack of jobs.

Many people in Gilmore rely on small and medium businesses for their continued employment. The introduction of the carbon tax by the Labor government was a kick in the economic guts for small business. For our young people, the only chance of part-time employment they have is at the corner store, the local mechanic, the bakery or the fish-and-chip shop. But it is exactly these kinds of businesses that cannot employ part-timers when they have the federal government on their back with taxes and regulatory burdens. This is why I am proud to be part of a coalition government which has repealed the carbon tax, lowered the company tax rate for almost every Australian company, cut red tape to make it easier to operate a business and appointed the first ever Minister for Small Business.

I am also proud that we have implemented a number of new initiatives aimed squarely at improving our regional economies and upskilling our job seekers and young people. Programs like the Green Army, the Gilmore Work for the Dole trial and community grants to organisations like the Shellharbour Aboriginal Community Youth Association are all initiatives that will be of significant help in our region. It is part of the pathway to get a better slice of the economic pie.

Speaking of slices, Slice of Life Australia, or SOLA, is an incredible not-for-profit organisation making a major difference in the lives of those who are disadvantaged or have disabilities. Founded by Karen Anstiss, SOLA runs a number of local initiatives aimed squarely at making our region a better place for everyone, including a general store and cafe in North Nowra that employs 14 people with an intellectual disability, as well as providing work experience for young people with physical disabilities from across the region. SOLA has expanded into running a sustainable living garden project at Terara, about 10 minutes from Nowra, and Karen has recently established an MOU with Waminda, an organisation that mentors and assists Indigenous women and girls. They are all working together for our community. Karen describes her eventual vision for the garden as being able to offer 'training in horticulture and animal husbandry', and, after only a short few years, Karen is already much of the way there. Through this government's revamped Work for the Dole program, Karen is able to complete much of the project with our local job seekers, but she is also able to offer each and every one of these job seekers extensive work experience in construction, horticulture and agriculture—all excellent start-up skill sets in a rural area like Gilmore.

Another success story is that of Killalea State Park, where one of the government's very first Green Army projects is about to get underway, giving local young people the chance of a full-blown environmental apprenticeship. Nathan Cattell, manager of Killalea, has coordinated a supervisor and 10 of our local young people to construct a pathway, and other environmental project work, that will link the gorgeous Killalea State Park with the rest of the Shellharbour and Kiama communities. I just cannot wait for this project to get underway.

In addition to this Green Army project, last week I announced a grant of $28,435 to the Shellharbour Aboriginal Community Youth Association to help them engage local Aboriginal youth by developing and implementing a business plan for the nursery in Killalea State Park, developing the potential for wholesale supply and possibly a 'bush tucker' venture. This is just another project that will help our region grow, mature and diversify. While these projects are by no means the solution to all of the South Coast and Illawarra's economic problems, they certainly are a big help.

I often think that many of our issues in Gilmore are a lot about mindset. If our people feel good about themselves, where they live and work, the positive outlook of 'I can do' will promote a sense of confidence and self-belief, and of our region will change—and I am certain that economic change for the better would definitely follow on from this.