16 News

The Morrison Government will establish a new headspace in Katoomba to provide innovative mental health support for young Australians in the Blue Mountains.
One in four people aged 16 to 24 experiences some form of mental illness every year and three-quarters of all mental illness manifests in people under the age of 25.
Intervention at the earliest possible stage is important to reduce the duration and impact.
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said Katoomba was identified by headspace National and the local Primary Health Network (PHN), Nepean Blue Mountains as an area of particular need.
“The new $1.5 million headspace centre will provide vital services and deliver innovative support for young Australians in Macquarie,” Minister Hunt said.
“I want our young people to know they are not alone on their journey, and that headspace is there to deliver quality frontline services and coordinate the right interventions for people who are at risk,” Minister Hunt said.
Liberal Candidate for Macquarie, Sarah Richards said the headspace program aims to improve access for young people aged 12 to 25 years who have, or are at risk of, mental illness.
“I am thrilled that headspace will be offering early intervention services in Katoomba across four key areas—mental health, related physical health, social and vocational support, and alcohol and other drug use,” Ms Richards said.
“Services provide tailored and holistic mental health support, working closely with young people at a crucial time in their lives to help get them back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health in the future.”
NSW Senator the Hon Marise Payne said the investment in Katoomba is part of the Morrison Government’s $501.3 million Youth and Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan – the largest investment of its kind in the country’s history.
“The Morrison Government is absolutely committed to ensuring young Australians can get information, advice, counselling or treatment, when and where they need it,” Senator Payne said.
“These guaranteed new frontline services in Katoomba will help deliver that support.”
The new service in Katoomba is one of 30 new sites announced as part of the expansion of the headspace network from 115 to 145 sites nationally. It is expected that it will open by the middle of next year.
The investment will build on vital mental health services for young people in NSW facing mental health challenges.
The Liberal National Government is absolutely committed to ensuring young people have access to mental health services in their local areas. Since October 2018, the Government has provided over $200 million more funding to the headspace network. This is in addition to the more than $120 million per year provided for the 115 services nationally.
The Government is prioritising better mental health for all Australians with $736 million additional funding announced in the Budget and a record $4.8 billion expected to be spent on mental health this financial year alone.
The Government’s strong economic management ensures the continued record investment of funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and hospitals.

Two more Morrison Government, congestion busting projects have been announced in Perth’s east under the $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
The two projects will enable significant upgrades at:

• the intersection on Great Eastern Highway and Old Northam Road in Sawyers Valley;
• the intersection on Great Eastern Highway and Old Northam Road in Wooroloo;

The Morrison Government has budgeted $3 million for the project.
The Urban Congestion Fund eliminates local hotspots and alleviates traffic headaches across the country.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the projects would help streamline traffic flow along the busy Great Eastern Highway.
“We want people to be doing what’s important to them, rather than sitting in traffic,” Mr Tudge said.
“The Liberal Nationals Government has boosted investment in congestion-busting works.
“These projects also strengthen our Government’s firm commitment to ensuring Western Australia gets its fair share of infrastructure funding, now and into the future.”
Member for Hasluck Ken Wyatt AM said: “These commitments are set to make life easier and safer for Hasluck families and businesses on one of the State’s most important transport routes.
“People will be able to get home sooner, to spend more quality time with their loved ones.
“The Morrison Government has listened to what our local communities are calling for – and this investment is part of our comprehensive plan to deliver for all Australians.”
The projects build on an additional $1.6 billion of our Liberal Nationals Government’s investment into critical road and rail infrastructure across Perth and regional Western Australia in the recent budget.
“This includes $20 million to construct the Lloyd Street extension and bridge in Midland, which will make a massive difference to traffic flow in one of our most important shopping, commercial and health precincts,” said Mr Wyatt.
About $13.6 billion has been invested by the Liberal-National Government in West Australian road and rail infrastructure since coming into Government, including $4.8 billion over the past two Budgets.
Funding for key WA infrastructure projects in the recent Budget also includes:
Level Crossing Removals

• Oats Street/Welshpool Road/Mint Street Level Crossing Removal (Federal Government investment: $207.5 million)

Roads

• Albany Ring Road (Federal Government investment: $140 million)
• Fremantle Traffic Bridge (Swan River Crossing) (Federal Government investment: $115 million)
• Tonkin Highway projects (Stage 3 extension; Great Eastern Highway to Collier Road; Kelvin Road, Hale Road and Welshpool Road East intersection upgrades) (Federal Government investment: $348.5 million of additional funding bringing our overall commitment to those three projects to $929 million)
• Bunbury Outer Ring Road—Stages 2 and 3 (Federal Government investment: $122 million of additional funding taking our overall commitment to $682 million)

Roads of Strategic Importance Initiative

• Western Australian section of the Newman to Katherine Corridor (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
• Western Australian section of the Alice Springs to Halls Creek Corridor (Federal Government investment: $75 million)
• Karratha to Tom Price Corridor (Federal Government investment: $248 million)
• Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
• Western Australian section of the Port Augusta to Perth (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
• Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation—Stage 1 (Federal Government investment: $22 million)

Urban congestion fund

• Thomas Road and Nicholson Road in Oakford (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
• Transforming Freeways—widening and introduction of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) (Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways) (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
• Lloyd Street Extension (Federal Government investment: $20 million)
• Abernethy Road Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $13.25 million)
• Lakelands Station (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
• Shorehaven Boulevard / Marmion Avenue Intersection Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $2.5 million)
• More Parking Bays at Mandurah Station (Federal Government investment: $16 million)

Major Project Business Case Fund

• Future Road and Rail Connections for Perth (Federal Government investment: $25 million)—to investigate future road and rail links to support the growth of the transport network in Perth
• Westport project (Federal Government investment: $10 million)—development of business cases and corridor preservation to support the Westport: Port and Environs Strategy, which is currently being developed by the WA Government.

Australian energy, seafood and marine environment industries are set to benefit from a $70 million grant from the Morrison Government.
The funding is to set up a new Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre to bring together national and international expertise in aquaculture, marine renewable energy and marine engineering as part of a collaborative effort between industry, researchers and the community.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said that the Blue Economy CRC, which will be headquartered at the University of Tasmania in Launceston, would develop innovative and sustainable offshore industries to increase Australian seafood and offshore renewable energy production.
“The Liberal National Government has undertaken to double the current value of our aquaculture industry to $2 billion a year by 2027 through the National Aquaculture Strategy.
“The activities and outcomes of the CRC will directly address a number of key priority areas identified in the strategy – our aim is to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.
“The CRC Program is a proven model of industry and research cooperation that produces impressive commercial results.
The Blue Economy CRC will focus on five key areas identified by industry: Offshore Engineering and Technology, Seafood and Marine Products, Offshore Renewable Energy Systems, the Environment and Ecosystems and Sustainable Offshore Developments.
It will provide for 50 Postdoctoral fellowships and 50 PhDs across the five research areas to train cross-discipline specialist scientist and engineers unique to the aquaculture, offshore renewable energy and engineering sectors.
Liberal Senator for Tasmania Richard Colbeck said the Blue Economy CRC would leverage one of Tasmania’s key competitive advantages.
“As an island state with strong research capacity, we are globally competitive when it comes to marine-based industries and this new initiative supports jobs across Tasmania.
“The CRC will create 100 high-level research, science and engineering jobs in the state and is already set to attract an additional $258 million of investment in Tasmania’s economy from world-class companies and institutions.”
The CRC, which has national and international partners, has generated more than $258 million in cash and in-kind contributions from participants to add to the $70 million grant, which will be paid over 10 years.
Around $747.9 million in funding has been committed CRCs since the Liberal National Government came into office in 2013 and this latest funding further builds on our commitment to strengthening Australian industry, strengthening our economic growth and helping to create 1.25 million jobs in the next five years.
Marine-based industries, widely referred to as the ‘Blue Economy’, service a sector that provides over 390,000 jobs.
The Coalition Government continues to make significant investments in science, research and innovation – smart, strategic investments that will deliver stable support for our researchers and entrepreneurs across the coming decade.
The CRC Program is competitive and merit-based. For more information visit www.business.gov.au/crc

Bill Shorten is delivering another cruel hoax to patients to justify another Mediscare campaign in an attempt to make himself Prime Minister.
Bill Shorten’s attempt to scare people about pathology ignores the facts:
 

• 99 per cent of people seeking a pathology test from their GP are covered by Medicare and bulk billed
• Pathology funding has increased by more than $572 million since the Coalition was first elected.
• It will grow to over $3.4 billion in 2021-22
• The Government invested $2.95 billion in Medicare benefits for approximately 145 million pathology services last year alone, an 8.5 per cent increase.
• These funding boosts mean patients will pay less for pathology services.

 
Pathology bulk billing rates for out of hospital services have increased from 97.7 per cent under the Coalition to 99.3 per cent last financial year and continue to grow, up to 99.4 per cent in the first half of this year.
This is perhaps his silliest scare campaign yet.
He’s pretending an increase to over 99% is a crisis when in fact it is an extraordinary outcome.
Not only is it a ridiculous campaign given an increasing bulk billing rate at over 99 per cent, it doesn’t offer patients any extra money. But it will give large corporates more money.
And in another admission of failure, Labor has now conceded it’s much promised funding for a new state health agreement won’t occur until at least 2025 – not until after the next agreement.
The Morrison Government is delivering an additional $31 billion, with six of the states and territories already signed on to our new agreement.
Overall health funding is growing, with $24 billion over the forward estimates to treat cancer plus $1 billion for cancer research, with a proton beam therapy centre being established at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Centre to deliver the most advanced treatment.
But people should remember Bill Shorten’s track record.
As Assistant Treasurer he failed to manage the budget, and as a result, he stopped making medicines available on the PBS.
If you can’t manage the economy, you can’t manage health.
The Morrison Government is delivering a strong economy to fund the essential health services, including more than $10.6 billion in new medicine listings.

Chris Bowen and the Labor Party were caught out last week relying on dodgy assumptions as the basis for their Housing Tax that will send house values down and the cost of rent up.
Today it has been revealed that these assumptions were deleted from the official Labor policy document on the ALP website overnight.
Labor’s Housing Tax would reduce the value of your home, push up rents and harm the economy.
Not only has Chris Bowen has been exposed for using inaccurate figures to justify his Housing Tax, he has now been caught out trying to cover his tracks.
He didn’t even have the decency to front up to the Australian people and explain the error at the heart of one of Labor’s key policies – instead choosing to delete it under the cover of darkness.
The error that Labor has deleted from the document relates to a significant underestimation of the extent of investment in newly-built housing and therefore an overstatement of the revenue that might be raised by its plan to end negative gearing on established housing.
An archived version of Labor’s original policy reveals the dodgy assumptions that were deleted:
“The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that 93 per cent of new investment loans go to people purchasing existing housing stock. This means that the vast bulk of investment does not increase supply or boost jobs. All it does is increase demand and the price of the existing homes, allowing investors to use tax subsidies to outbid owner occupiers and first home buyers from existing properties.”
This was rebuffed by the ABS which said: “If you wanted to have those numbers you wouldn’t be able to get them from our statistics -because we don’t collect them.”
Despite around 1.3 million Australian investors who use negative gearing being hit by Labor’s policy, Bill Shorten has dodged questions on why the bulk of the policy has been deleted from Labor’s website:
QUESTION: Can I ask on those 90 excluded pages about our capital gains and negative gearing changes, you say there’s new assumptions so they need updating, how did the assumptions change the costings on those two programs, and assuming they’re not affected, would you release the 90 pages so we can have a look?
BILL SHORTEN: Listen, I think the original question comes from a story I read in the Financial Review, and it was followed up by a question here. We said and I went and checked when I saw the story, how come this page is down? They said they’re updating it. I can’t add any more at this point.
It is simply unacceptable to the 58,000 teachers, 42,000 nurses and 19,000 police and emergency service personnel who negatively gear that Bill Shorten has no answers for them on his so called signature policy. Every Australian that owns a home or rents a home deserves an answer.

Once again, Labor is trying to rebadge the Coalition’s policy as their own – this time, the Government’s Defence Policy for Industry Participation.
The Coalition Government’s Local Industry Capability Plan (LICP) is already delivering more jobs to regional Australia.
In August 2017, following consultation with local businesses, the Coalition Government launched the LICP pilot for defence infrastructure and facilities projects. The LICP provided greater opportunities for local tradies and suppliers to secure work as part of our massive defence infrastructure investment.
This program has been so successful that it has now been incorporated into the broader Defence Policy for Industry Participation, launched by the Minister for Defence Industry, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, in Perth in March 2019.
For the first time ever, it is this Government who has put in place policies that are making it easier for local tradies and suppliers to get involved in Defence projects – both capability acquisition and infrastructure and facilities projects.
In Queensland and the Northern Territory alone we have seen companies tender for defence infrastructure work using over 80 per cent of their workforce from the nearby local region. Creating opportunities for local businesses and providing certainty for local jobs.
Over the last twelve months, as a result of the Coalition’s $200 billion investment in Defence capability, upwards of 990 subcontractors have been engaged on defence infrastructure and facilities projects, of which 714 have been local contractors, representing an achievement rate of 72 per cent of work and $1.7 billion going directly to local communities across Australia. A further 4,280 subcontractor packages have been identified that will see upwards of an additional $5.2 billion worth of work going to the local market place under this initiative alone.
Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to deliver defence capability and infrastructure. The Morrison Government is investing in Australia’s defence industry, creating a smarter and more skilled workforce and a stronger economy, while building our defence capability. This is in stark contrast to Labor who slashed the Defence budget to the lowest level since 1938 when they were last in government.
The Defence Policy for Industry Participation can be found here: http://www.defence.gov.au/