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After two years of Covid-19 lockdowns, online learning, and disruptions to organised outdoor activities, Scouts NSW says it is time to resurrect outdoor adventures for the mental and physical benefits of young people. 

“The non-competitive, but structured, active, self-directed style of experiences and adventures engaged in by Scouts offer a fantastic addition or alternative to traditional weekend sport,” said Neville Tomkins OAM JP, Chief Commissioner Scouts NSW. “Scouts can improve a young person’s team-building and technical skills, and outdoor fitness levels, with a range of interactive adventure experiences unlike any other.”

Such outdoor experiences have been sorely missed over the past year, with Covid-19 lockdowns and their restrictions on family and student routines impacting all young people. With this in mind, Scouts NSW is confident Scouts would have responded resiliently to the challenges they faced on the back of The Scouting Effect Report. 

The Scouting Effect’s Resilience Survey, completed just prior to Covid-19, provides compelling evidence that young people aged 8-18 participating in Scouts stand out significantly when compared to their non–Scouting peers.  Scouts demonstrated higher levels of life satisfaction and fared better across all three components of resilience (Connected, Protected, Respected) and their corresponding nine reporting domains. These domains include Positive Relationships, Healthy Mind and Body, Understanding Self, Positive Identify, and Positive Contribution.

Resilient Youth Australia defines ‘resilience’ as the ability to draw upon the strengths within yourself and around you to flexibly respond to life while remaining true to yourself and creating positive relationships with others.

“Through the Resilience Survey we now have concrete proof that participating in Scouting gives young Australians the unique tools to thrive and take on all that life has to offer including the inevitable challenges,” Neville said. “These findings show why Scouts is a fantastic organisation to join, and one where all young people can excel and achieve their best.” 

With a focus on outdoor adventures that includes activities like abseiling, white water rafting and camping, Scouts empowers young people to make decisions, take the lead and learn by doing. “We give them a safe space where they can work with others to plan and embark on their own adventures, indoors and out,” Neville added. “By building resilience in young people, we are empowering them to be able to learn from their mistakes and to understand that failing is okay – it’s an integral part of the learning journey. It’s about knowing their strengths and calling on them when needed.”

Natasha Ball, a member of 1^st Ermington Venturer Scouts, located in south west Sydney, joined Scouts as a Joey Scout seven years ago feels that Scouting definitely assisted her in bouncing back from disruptions to her schedule. “I had a heavy plate of commitments, and when lockdown struck, the constant stability of even online Venturers grounded me,” said Natasha. “As well, Scouting kept me moving due to skills I attribute to my participation in Scouts.”

Joshua Tang, a Venturer Scout and member of 1^st Castle Hill Scout group missed out on some activities in 2021 due to Covid-19 and the HSC, but the strong social connections from Scouts helped him through. “I felt that being part of the Scouting movement adequately prepared me for school and extracurricular activities, as it made me have to adapt my schedule and be fluid with how I planned things.”

“Apart from offering the ultimate fun, Scouts also offers fantastic value for money,” said Neville Tomkins OAM JP, Chief Commissioner Scouts NSW. “Scout Groups either own or have access to a large range of camping and adventure equipment such as tents, ropes, canoes and cooking gear. Fees, which include personal accident insurance, can be off-set by the NSW Government’s Active Kids rebate*, which contribute to making Scouts NSW a fantastic, active, and cost-effective activity.”

Scouts NSW programs have resumed in full since the removal of most Covid-19 restrictions. Those new to Scouts can express their interest online, or if they have already visited a local Scout group and met the leaders and other scouts, can complete the online form. For more information or to sign-up, volunteer, or join visit: https://joinscouts.com.au/

The Scouting Effect. Key Findings:

• Self-Esteem: 81.8 per cent of Scouts report to be more likely to feel good about themselves than non-Scouts (70 per cent)
• Positivity: 78.8 per cent of Scouts report to be more likely to hold more hope for a positive future than non- Scouts (69.4 per cent)
• Anxiety: 73.7 per cent of Scouts report to be less likely to be anxious than non-Scouts (67%)
• Community Engagement: 58.8 per cent of Scouts feel like they make a positive contribution to their community than non-Scouts (43.4%)

The Greens welcome the federal election finally being called for Saturday 21 May 2022. 

The Greens’ federal election candidates for lutruwita/Tasmania have remained united and ready for the official federal election campaign call since their candidacy was first announced in September 2021.

The Greens federal election candidates for lutruwita/Tasmania are: 

• Peter Whish-Wilson, lead senate candidate
• Vanessa Bleyer, senate candidate
• Tabatha Badger, senate candidate
• Cecily Rosol, candidate for Bass
• Dr Darren Briggs, candidate for Braddon
• Janet Shelley, candidate for Clark
• Jade Darko, candidate for Franklin
• Liz Johnstone, candidate for Lyons

Greens lead senate candidate for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson said:
“This is the most important federal election of our time. The nation desperately needs a change after nine years of wasted opportunities and inaction. The planet can’t afford another three years of a corrupt Liberal Government promoting climate denial and fossil fuel development while we all slip further towards an irreversible disaster.  

“For almost a decade I’ve been a voice in the federal parliament for Tasmanians who care about the environment, particularly our precious marine environment. But I’ve got unfinished business in the Senate: from reforming a corrupted political system that gives big tax dodging corporations too much power, building a truly circular economy to eliminate waste and plastic pollution that is choking our oceans, to stopping seismic testing and oil and gas drilling off our coastlines, and protecting forests like takayna/Tarkine from being pillaged and privatised by this government.”

Greens Senate candidate for lutruwita/Tasmania, Vanessa Bleyer said: 
“We’re in a climate emergency, yet both the Liberals and Labor continue to accept millions in political donations from the fossil fuel industry, and are pushing for 114 new coal, oil, and gas projects to be built around Australia. 

“I’m campaigning to make sure the Greens have the strongest possible voice in Parliament, so we can push the next government to tackle climate change with the urgency and ambition scientists tell us is required.” 

Greens Senate candidate for lutruwita/Tasmania, Tabatha Badger said: 
“Young people have watched in horror as Scott Morrison has further jeopardised their future by fuelling the climate crisis. They see how he has ignored deepening inequality, and doesn’t care about crucial issues like housing affordability.

“Like so many other young Tasmanians, I know this is the eleventh hour to secure a livable future planet. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the Greens are in balance of power so we can push the next government to go further and faster on climate action and other important social issues.”

BASS – Cecily Rosol said:
“The electorate of Bass may well decide who forms government after this election. I want to make sure everyone knows that no matter how she might try to spin it, a vote for Bridget Archer is a vote for Scott Morrison. 

“Remember, in Australia’s political system you can’t waste your vote. If you live in Bass and you want real action on housing affordability, healthcare, and climate change, then vote 1 Green, and put Labor ahead of the Liberals.” 

BRADDON – Dr Darren Briggs said: 
“As a doctor I see first-hand how the terrible state of our health system is putting more people’s lives at risk than ever, and I’m putting my hand up for Parliament to help change that. I’m also passionate about tackling the other big issues our community is facing which also affect our health, like housing unaffordability, inequality, and the very real impact of climate change.

“I’ve already spent a lot of time sharing the Greens’ vision with the people of Braddon, and the response has been great. I think people understand how Greens’ plans like putting dental and mental health into Medicare, increasing the aged pension to $88/day so it’s above the poverty line, and making childcare free could make a real difference to people’s lives. These things are possible, we just need to start making billionaires and big corporations finally start paying their fair share.”

CLARK – Janet Shelley said:
“House prices are through the roof, and rents in Hobart are $10,000 a year higher than they were just a decade ago. But in the face of thousands of Tasmanians struggling to find a home, neither the Liberals or Labor are putting forward a solution this election.

“Only the Greens have a comprehensive and fully costed plan to finally solve the housing crisis. By building thousands of new homes, putting limits on rent increases, and banning ‘no cause’ evictions, we’ll make sure everyone has a secure and affordable place to call home.”

FRANKLIN – Jade Darko said:
“Australia’s 122 billionaires increased their wealth by a massive 34% during the pandemic. Meanwhile one in three regular people can’t afford the dentist, and the average Tasmanian is in real financial hardship due to skyrocketing rents and house prices. It’s simply shameful.

“The people of Franklin deserve a representative with a positive vision for tackling inequality and making Australia a fairer place. Unlike the major parties, that’s exactly what the Greens will deliver, and I can’t wait to share our plan with the Franklin community.”

LYONS – Liz Johnstone said:
“I know many Tasmanians are sick and tired of politics – and fair enough too. Every election we seem to hear the same promises about the same issues, but nothing seems to change. That’s because the Liberal and Labor parties have completely sold out to big corporations, accepting over $200 million in corporate donations since 2012.”

“The Greens can’t be bought, and won’t sell out. We have real integrity. By putting us in the balance of power, we’ll hold the next government accountable, and make sure there’s real action on critical issues like access to healthcare, the housing crisis, and climate change.”

Australian kids struggling with hearing loss will have greater access to expert care under a Labor plan to extend a key support service across the nation.

An Albanese Labor Government will provide $1.5 million to fund the development of the digital HearHub platform, run by Shepherd Centres.

Shepherd Centres provide support services including development of speech and communication skills, life skills and emotional resilience – areas where hearing impaired children and teens need intensive clinical support.

HearHub is a national digital service that will deliver hearing tests, educational resources and practical support for families online. This will benefit children with hearing loss and related communication difficulties such as autism spectrum disorder.

HearHub will extend the reach of on-the-ground Shepherd Centres, and will be of particular benefit to children and families in rural and regional areas.

In addition, an Albanese Labor Government will provide funding to establish new on-the-ground Shepherd Centre facilities in areas that have previously gone without. 

Two new Shepherd Centres will be established in Launceston and Hobart, the first in the state, with $2.5 million in funding. $2.5 million in funding will also go to a new Shepherd Centre in Oran Park in Sydney’s south west, to provide services for hearing impaired children and their families in the fast-growing Macarthur region.

Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party said: 

“Kids with hearing loss deserve the best possible start in life and the best possible care and support – no matter where they live.

“A Labor Government will ensure our kids are looked after, whether through digital or on-the-ground support services. No child will be left behind.”

Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing said:

“Shepherd Centres provide a vital service to kids and their families. For too long, some kids have missed out just because they live in the wrong area. 

“The Morrison Government has ignored these gaps for too long. Labor will listen to families, and we will make sure support is received where it is needed the most.”

Today Anthony Albanese was unable to name either the Reserve Bank of Australia’s official cash rate, nor what the unemployment rate is.

The interest rate matters.

Keeping interest rates as low as possible matters.

It affects how much mortgages cost. It affects family budgets.

The unemployment rate matters.

Keeping it as low as possible matters.

It’s about how many Australians are in a job. It’s about how many Australians are earning a wage to support themselves and their family.

If you don’t know what the interest rate is, you can’t be trusted to put the right policies in place to keep them low.

If you don’t know what the unemployment rate is, you can’t be trusted to keep Australians in jobs.

More than 2.8 million households have a mortgage on their family home. That’s 2.8 million households who would suffer higher repayments under a Labor Government.

Labor has no economic plan.

Labor is addicted to spending, which means taxes will always be higher.

Under Labor, interest rates will always be higher than they need to be, because they can’t manage money.

Anthony Albanese’s weak leadership would weaken our country’s future.

The official cash rate is 0.1% and has been since November 2020.

The national unemployment rate is 4.0%.

A $40 million commitment by the Morrison Government will deliver local road upgrades across the Shoalhaven.

The package will prioritise road upgrades that improve safety and address the maintenance backlog created by recent weather events and the increased traffic movements of a growing region.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said residents and visitors to the Shoalhaven would benefit from these upgrades.

“Backing the Shoalhaven has always been a key priority for my government and with Andrew Constance on my team, we can keep getting things done for this important region,” the Prime Minister said.

“Andrew’s work as Transport Minister ensured the South Coast got the local upgrades they needed at a state level, and his advocacy has ensured this $40 million investment will be delivered if our government is re-elected.

“Investments like this help build a strong economy which means a stronger future.

“Australia’s economic recovery is leading the world, and investments like this, right here in the Shoalhaven, will keep creating local jobs and keep driving our record low unemployment rate down.”

Liberal candidate for Gilmore Andrew Constance said he had worked with local residents and the Shoalhaven City Council to identify priority upgrades that will improve safety and address maintenance challenges.

“Local communities across our region know that I’ll always go into bat for them – that’s my track record as a State Member and what I want to keep delivering for Gilmore,” Mr Constance said.

“We are a growing region and that means we need growing investment.

“That’s why I am seeking election as the Federal Member for Gilmore, because I want to keep working tirelessly to secure the investment our region needs.”

Local roads to be upgraded include:

• Forest Road, east from the Princes Highway
• Callala Bay Road, Callala Bay
• Culburra Road between Wollumboola and Culburra Beach
• Coonamia Road / Currarong Road / Forest Road / Callala Bay Road intersection
• Greenwell Pt Road, including Worrigee Road intersection
• The Wool Road at Basin View and St Georges Basin

Funding will be provided to Shoalhaven City Council to support their works program, including road rehabilitation, re-surfacing, widening and intersection upgrades to improve safety for locals and visitors to the region.

This commitment builds on the Coalition’s record investment to support local road improvements, including more than $23 million committed to the Shoalhaven City Council under the Roads to Recovery program and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

The Coalition has also committed more than $1 billion as part of our record $120 billion ten-year infrastructure investment program to support major projects along the Princes Highway in Nowra and across the region, including $155 million for the Nowra bridge; $752 million for the Milton-Ulladulla Bypass; $400 million for upgrades to the Princes Highway between Jervis Bay Road and Sussex Inlet Road; and $100 million for the Jervis Bay Road and Princes Highway intersection.

It is undeniable that quality teaching is the biggest in-school factor for influencing student outcomes. For students to have the opportunity to thrive in their education, we know our teachers must have the right education, knowledge and experience to unlock student potential. But, what happens when there are not enough teachers to support our more than 4 million students to succeed?

At a time when research is showing that teachers are feeling two years of COVID-related stress, the demands of remote teaching and more recently, teacher shortages due to COVID, combined with the obvious strain put on the profession by reported teacher shortages, we are at a tipping point that will likely impact this generation of learners.

As data is still being collected and analysed for 2022, whatever teacher shortages we might have are compounded by reports of shortages in leadership roles too: a significant number of middle leadership roles and principal roles are going unfilled.

Perhaps the recent survey of educators across Australia shows us something about why, with 80% feeling their work-life-balance was either ‘less or non-existent’ and job satisfaction had dropped from 91% in 2017, to 63% in 2021.

As AITSL CEO, Mark Grant states, “This data shows that the wellbeing of our educators and leaders is just as important as it is for children and young people, and is vital to a well-functioning education system, especially so in a period of workforce pressures.”

Through the work of the Australian Teacher Workforce Data initiative (ATWD) we know that the 2018 data shows that 1 in 4 members of the teacher workforce indicated they were likely to leave the profession before they retire (25%); however, around 1 in 10 intended to leave (13%) in under ten years. This was the same for classroom teachers as for those in leadership roles. We also know that around 16% of teachers were approaching retirement age. All this at a time when the Australian Bureau of Statistics has flagged a 21% increase in the number of students starting school in 2030 when compared with 2021.

“Nationally, schools are suffering from teacher shortages, due not just to COVID, but a longer term issue with the pipeline of teachers entering the profession, exacerbated by the numbers leaving.

“Realistically, the solution to teacher-demand is not a quick fix. Increasing the pipeline of participants in initial teacher education, will help ease the burden of demand in the future but takes about 4 years, with some of the newer alternate pathways to teaching having more concentrated timeframes than tradition avenues. Some jurisdictions have begun to actively recruit teachers from overseas to ease their demand issues,” Mr Grant said.

“However, the issue of teacher shortages is not unique to Australia, and although we will have some success in recruiting teachers from outside Australia, the countries they’re coming from are dealing with their own shortages.”

A report released by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in October 2016 estimated that 69 million teachers would be needed worldwide in the following 14 years in order to provide every child with a primary and secondary education. And this was before the impacts of COVID hit our global community. UNESCO reiterated their report in 2020: nothing had changed – still 69 million teachers needed.

“The recently released ATWD Report has given states and territories much needed data about the shape and nature of the teaching workforce, especially on the supply side. The next data release in mid-2022 and then again later in the year, will go even further to provide up to date information about teachers’ intentions. This is especially so as state and territory education employers get more precise in providing their future demand data.

“The examination of the data provided by the ATWD, coupled with state and territory demand data, is critical for developing solutions to ensure we have enough teachers with the right qualifications, helping students thrive and succeed in their learning journey, wherever they are in Australia,” Mr Grant said.

As the Secretariat to the ATWD initiative, AITSL would be well placed with its work with states and territories to drive the needed labour market modelling suggested in the recent Quality Initial Teacher Education Review to help get high quality teachers into all classrooms across Australia

Australia has faced a series of defining challenges over the past three years.

Fires, floods, a pandemic, a global recession, a mouse plague, a war in Europe, economic coercion from China.

They’ve all been hard on our families, on our businesses, on our jobs, on our farmers, on our children.

But set against those difficulties Australia, and Australians, have shown what we can overcome together.

Unemployment was predicted to reach 15 per cent, but it is now just four per cent – the equal lowest level in 48 years.

Our economic recovery measures saved around 700,000 jobs.

Australia is one of a small number of countries to maintain a AAA credit rating – a global standard for economic management.

We have achieved the biggest Budget turnaround in 70 years with our plan delivering an extra $100 billion to the country’s bottom line.

Our economic growth is one of the best in the developed world – faster and stronger than the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

On almost any measure – fatality rates, vaccine rates, economic growth, jobs growth, or debt levels – Australia’s recovery is leading the world.

But I know our country continues to face very real challenges and many families are doing it tough.

There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead.

To build a stronger future our Government has laid out a clear plan.

Delivering more jobs and working towards unemployment below four per cent. Our plan will deliver more jobs and the lowest unemployment in nearly 50 years.

Delivering tax relief for workers and small businesses. We’re halving the tax you pay at the petrol pump for six months. And our tax plan will put more money in the pockets of 10 million Australians in the coming weeks and months, on top of our longer-term tax relief for everyone earning up to $200,000 a year.

Investing in roads, rail, water infrastructure and renewable energy technology. We have a more than $120 billion pipeline of infrastructure we’re building like Western Sydney Airport, to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Inland Rail, upgrading the Bruce Highway and building Hells Gates Dam in Queensland, METRONET in Perth, the North-South Corridor in SA, the Bridgewater Bridge in Tasmania and the Middle Arm marine infrastructure in the NT.

Making record investments in health and other essential services. Our plan means we have record bulk billing rates, made Telehealth permanent, and includes listing more than 2,800 drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to make medicines more affordable for more Australians.

Investing in stronger defence, security and borders. Locking in to new partnerships like AUKUS to build the best submarines in world, develop long range hypersonic missiles and triple the size of our cyber offensive and defensive forces. Restarting the QUAD with the US, India and Japan to bring more security, stability and peace to our region.

This election provides a clear choice, with real consequences for Australia.

Our Government is not perfect. But we have been upfront. You know what we stand for, you can see our record of delivery, and you can see our plan for the future.

Our economy has a lot of moving parts and a lot of risks. But also, many opportunities.

Anthony Albanese and Labor have no economic plan. They would weaken our economy and put our recovery at risk.

Mr Albanese has never held a financial portfolio. He’s never held a national security portfolio. He’s never delivered a Budget.

Labor has a record of higher taxes. Albanese has argued for higher taxes on retirees, housing and families and inheritances.

Labor makes promises, but they can’t say how they’ll pay for them. This means two things – higher deficits and higher taxes.

Labor cannot manage money, that’s why they come after yours.

Now is not the time to risk it.

Only the Liberal and Nationals have a plan for a strong economy and a stronger future.