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Digital Access for Vulnerable Regional Students

April 29, 2020/0 Comments/in Parliament /by Suzanna Sheed

Constituency question -My constituency question is to the Minister for Education. Can you advise what action is being taken to ensure internet access for some of the Shepparton district’s most vulnerable students?

Communications with the school principals of Gowrie Street Primary School, Mooroopna Primary School, Mooroopna Park Primary School, St Georges Road Primary School and Wilmot Road Primary School indicate significant challenges and concerns about how some of our most vulnerable students are going without access to reliable and affordable internet.

These five schools are part of the Greater Shepparton neighbourhood schools project, which represent highly disadvantaged communities across the Greater Shepparton region. It is concerning that approximately 169 families across these primary schools are without reliable internet.

Despite the schools’ best efforts to purchase internet dongles and routers and provide support and advice to families on other sources of internet, such as hotspotting or public wi-fi, the lack of dongles and routers, the unreliable nature of hotspotting and data costs for these families have created a real barrier to continuing their education.

I share the concerns raised by the principals of these primary schools that students are losing the opportunity for regular contact and connectivity with their teachers and peers. It substantially disadvantages the ability of these students to access the same learning being completed by their peers and students at other schools.

 

Minster response:

The rollout of 57,400 computers and nearly 15,800 internet access devices over the three first weeks of Term 2 required a huge effort from schools with support from the Department of Education and Training’s Information Technology Division.

This includes 506 computer devices to eight schools and 987 internet devices delivered to 21 schools across the Greater Shepparton LGA.

Preceding this rollout, the Department undertook a survey of Victorian government schools to determine what support is needed for schools in the provision of computer devices and internet access devices for students learning at home.

Over 90 per cent of schools have responded to the survey. The information supplied from the survey responses has informed the Department’s sourcing and allocation actions. Vulnerable and disadvantaged students are prioritised in allocation with secondary students having the highest priority.

Throughout the remote and flexible learning period all schools have provided paper-based materials and work packages for any students who do not have access to a computer or the internet.

Parents or carers of students, or the students themselves, who need support with gaining access to these resources are advised to contact their school/school Principal.

The Hon James Merlino MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Education
Minister for the Coordination of Education and Training: COVID-19

Click here to view this record on Hansard 

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.png 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-29 15:36:202020-07-01 15:44:57Digital Access for Vulnerable Regional Students

Coronavirus Crisis

April 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Blog, Latest News /by Suzanna Sheed

The Coronavirus Crisis has been hard on all of us but I am proud of how well our community is responding to the challenge, especially in our smaller townships.

Through natural disasters, through fires, floods and droughts, our region has always displayed considerable resilience.

With our schools closed to all but the children of essential service workers and those who cannot study at home and many facing extended isolation it is important we draw on that resilience and continue to look out for one another.

I am particularly concerned about those enduring the lock-down alone. If you know of someone in isolation without household or family support, I encourage you to pick up the phone and call them. Any and every act of simple kindness can make a huge difference at a time like this.

My office is available to help during the lock-down. We have fielded many requests for assistance and information and while we cannot always help, we often know who can.

If you are running a small business, we can point you to multiple state and federal government programs. If you are out of work or having difficulty with your employment, we can also let you know what measures have been put in place to help through the crisis. If you are having difficulty sourcing the basics like food and hygiene products, we can direct you to state government support.

Check in with your family and friends and take care of yourself. This is an unprecedented event and there is no “normal” way to handle it. If you are feeling overwhelmed, as many of us rightfully have been, reach out to others. It is OK to be uncertain or worried or fearful during a time like this. It is OK to ask for help.

Our country and our region have displayed incredible efforts and co-operation in reducing the spread of the virus and our collective efforts are succeeding – the proof is the low rate of infection.

I encourage you to visit www.treasury.gov.au to see the full available supports by the Australian Government and www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for the Victorian State Government supports.

Stay safe. Stay home.

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Health.jpg 675 900 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-23 17:26:052020-04-26 12:09:46Coronavirus Crisis

Digital Inclusion at Greater Shepparton Secondary College

April 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Blog, Latest News /by Suzanna Sheed

In September last year, experts and locals gathered at St Paul’s African House for the launch of the latest Australian Digital Inclusion Index. At the launch an interesting idea was discussed on student digital inclusion and equality.
Read more

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Webswite-News-EDUCATION.jpg 675 900 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-23 17:24:052020-04-23 17:42:38Digital Inclusion at Greater Shepparton Secondary College

COVID-19 Omnibus (EmergencyMeasures) Bill 2020

April 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Parliament /by Suzanna Sheed

Thank you for the opportunity to make a small contribution in support of the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020. When I was at law school at Melbourne University in the 1970s, one of my lecturers was Gareth Evans, and there was not a class that went by where civil liberties were not talked about. In every subject indeed it was very much the topic of the day. Over the years we have had civil liberties organisations and we have all constantly been made aware of how important that aspect of our democracy is. We have seen very significant change in our community since I went to law school. Indeed since Benjamin Franklin said that those who are willing to sacrifice their liberty for safety deserve neither, we have also seen very significant change. We could not have foreseen the population growth that the world has seen, the urbanisation that the world has seen and the need for regulation of how people live. All these things have dramatically changed our world, as has the growth in technology and the adaptation to that.

In just the few short years I have been in this place I have seen significant legislation passed which curbs people’s liberties, which has the effect of organising our society in a way that in many cases we have been prepared to go along with because it leads to that orderly notion of how we live. We have seen legislation that massively allows for the sharing of information between government departments. We have seen mandatory sentencing introduced in certain cases. These are just examples of things that once we would not have even contemplated could happen. We are now seeing put before us the prospect of an app on our phones that will track where we are and those around us in certain circumstances.

This bill certainly has some extraordinary measures in it, and it is extraordinary in a number of ways, one being the regulation powers that it enables—amazing. We would never tolerate this in usual times. There is the power that the Attorney-General will have in a range of areas that we would never normally tolerate. For those of us here supporting this bill, it is the sunset clause that is the very major feature of it. We all understand that this needs to happen for a limited period of time as we deal with this crisis and this pandemic that we currently find ourselves in. But winding things back can sometimes be very, very difficult, and that is a concern that I have. It might seem that some of the things we are doing now are a really good idea and it would be good to keep them going forward, things like trial by judge alone—how that will speed up the system, ‘Wouldn’t that be a good idea? Let’s hang onto it’. So it is important that we remember some of the fundamental rights that we are sacrificing right now at this time to do what needs to be done, to allow government to do what it needs to do, but let us not forget what we are giving up during this time.

I would like to thank the government for the briefing that they gave the crossbenchers in relation to the detail of this bill and the willingness to answer so many questions that of course many of us had. I have also heard so much out in my electorate praising both the federal and the state governments for the way they have stepped in and stepped up in the handling of this. In an electorate where there is a great diversity of views about politics there has been a very cohesive voice about that. That is something that I think gives us all some hope that we can get through this, that government can lead us through it. But we do have to be vigilant as we go forward, and there are many issues that are emerging.

The member for Melbourne has spoken about some of those in relation to tenancies, but we in regional areas are seeing the closure of our newspapers. Media is becoming very scarce. Sources of obtaining news are something that is really difficult. We have seen the Sunraysia Daily close and the Yarram Standard News and other smaller newspapers in communities, which are absolutely the lifeblood of information and part of that backbone of democracy, just gone. So I was very pleased after writing to the Premier to see that this government is going to advertise regularly in a number of our local newspapers just to try and get us over this hump. They were faced with a lot of difficulties anyway because of digitalisation, but nevertheless their need to be in our communities at the moment is really important, and they do need that assistance to be able to stay afloat and give us what we need.

Foodshare in our community is a major part of the distribution of food to the needy, and it relies on Foodbank in Melbourne to get the food it needs to distribute, and indeed the funding. Foodshare every year has a grand dinner that we all go to. It raises $100 000 and that pays for the whole operation of the very small Foodshare operation we have that services Shepparton, Benalla and over to Wodonga. That dinner cannot take place; they will be bereft of that sort of income. These are just some of the things around pivotal not-for-profit organisations that we still really need in our communities and that need to continue to operate that we will have to address.

We need to address the issue of homelessness as an urgent issue in relation to certain people. We have got a number of people living in circumstances that are not acceptable, and let me tell you there is a lot of empty accommodation in this society, in Victoria and in Shepparton. In Nathalia we have an old nursing home in good condition, fully furnished and fully equipped, and it has been empty for four years. There is the opportunity—and I will be talking to the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence about this issue—to actually start making some spaces available that are out there.

We have seen that the government has the absolute ability to act quickly, diligently and in a very nimble way to solve problems, and we really will need to see that happen. Again, I am pleased to say that when these issues are raised by crossbenchers, we are being heard and we are getting a good hearing on what opportunities might be there in our communities to relieve some of the current stress.

There are families who need to exercise contact with children—separated families. These are issues: where they do it, how they do it. People are coming to our electorate office; I have to say that our electorate office has never been so busy. There are so many questions that people have. There is confusion because the COVID-19 hotline, I am sure, has never been so busy either and no doubt is being constantly up-staffed.

People are unfortunately at times getting different messages from different people and are looking to us to provide answers. It will be incumbent on the government to be able to provide some answers and guidance to people even in what might seem like simple things because people’s businesses, their future employment and all sorts of things rely on it. I am pleased to say that in Shepparton, our local government and our catchment management authorities have taken up the opportunity of Working for Victoria—the $500 million fund—to look to get people in our community into short-term employment while we go through this very unnerving time. So many young people, casuals, have lost their jobs, so to be able to pick them up in various sorts of work scenarios going forward for the community’s good is something that we will certainly need to see happen.

Let me say that grief is something we need to recognise is very out there in our community. Attending a funeral online recently for a distant relative brought that very much home to me. So often when we are faced with grief we reach out, we hold people, we hug people and we share our human contact with them, and one of the most difficult things about this virus, this circumstance, is that inability to be able to share, to touch, to comfort. We just have to find ways around that and to particularly be aware of those people who are alone at this time and to make sure that they are contacted, that we do everything we can to ease the burden of their loneliness.

There are so many things we could talk about, so many changes that have occurred in so many people’s lives and will continue to, and we just have to be alert to them. I trust this bill will assist.

Incorporated speeches as follow in accordance with resolution of house today:

Click here to view this record on Hansard

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.png 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-23 11:04:442020-06-03 15:37:41COVID-19 Omnibus (EmergencyMeasures) Bill 2020

State Taxation Acts Amendment (Relief Measures) Bill 2020

April 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Parliament /by Suzanna Sheed

I rise to speak on the Appropriation (Interim) Bill 2020, the Appropriation (Parliament) (Interim) Bill 2020 and the State Taxation Acts Amendment (Relief Measures) Bill 2020 before us today. At the outset I would say that I am supporting these bills.

The coronavirus has engendered a health and economic crisis which will have such a detrimental effect on our state, even down to my electoral district of Shepparton. I fear not only for the health of so many in my community but also for our ability to survive as a region because of the economic downturn that we have been told we will certainly face and the impact of which is already becoming apparent in our community. We have always stood strong in difficult times. With Anzac Day approaching it reminds us of how people have suffered in the past and been honoured for the work that they have done as time has gone on, and we will be doing that again on Saturday in such a different way.

The government must fulfil its role in ensuring that our economy continues in a functional manner that we can rely on going forward, and while that is a statewide and nationwide issue, I do come back to the electorate of Shepparton district to just highlight some of the government funding projects that are required and can be continued with. In that sense I talk first of all about the Shepparton Education Plan, which is now well underway—a transition of four schools into one school, Greater Shepparton Secondary College. The Shepparton high school has just about been completely demolished with a view to building the new secondary college. That is a project that the community needs, has worked hard to achieve and will need to continue, and of course substantial funding from government sources will be required to achieve that.

Infrastructure in our community has been most welcome in recent years. We have seen the Shepparton Art Museum, stage 1 of Goulburn Valley Health and huge investment in rail works, which are about to commence between Shepparton and Seymour. All these projects need to be continued. But another nation-building project that is awaiting a business case and could very well be on the agenda for the sorts of government projects that will need to be rolled out as we go forward is the Shepparton bypass. That is part of the duplication of the Goulburn Valley Highway to effectively join the Newell Highway, joining the port of Melbourne to Brisbane, and is a very important part of the freight infrastructure of our whole country.

Goulburn Valley Health has enjoyed the building of the first stage of its hospital. The acceleration of that project to bring it to almost total completion by the end of next month has been amazing. A project that may have taken another six to 12 months to complete will be completed in a much shorter time, bearing in mind that the new emergency department is currently being set up as an intensive care unit. But the new wards in the new five-storey building will be ready for patients if they are needed for treatment of this COVID-19 virus. These are very important projects that serve our community, and there are further stages of them which the government needs to address and should address, especially in an environment where it will be these government spends, these government projects, that serve our communities and that will stand them in good stead for the future. They do need to be addressed.

I draw attention to the fact that there is a dispute out there in the world of agriculture as to whether we have food security in Australia. Whether we do or do not, there are a few fundamental facts. One of those facts is that we have the smallest rice crop ever in Australia this year; it is currently being harvested. That is because of drought and because of water shortages across the Murray-Darling Basin. The need to import certain wheat flours to make bread, to make pasta is out there. It is on the agenda. There is no doubt, as I see it, that there is food to feed people.

But there are some food products that are missing that can be so easily produced in the food bowl of this nation, and that is the Murray-Darling Basin, the southern basin. We do not actually eat cotton. Water in the northern basin has been used for product for a very long time. That largely constitutes cotton. It is time for that water to be made available to farmers in southern New South Wales and northern Victoria to grow the grain products that we need. The Minister for Water here in Victoria has called upon the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to make water available for that to happen. The Victorian Environmental Water Holder has made a small amount of water available, but the availability of water is pivotal to the production of food as we go forward, and it needs to be addressed. At a time when there are so many things happening, when so many issues can simply get lost, water availability is something that in Australia will always be an issue, and that relates to food production.

It is not only about food for Australia, though. It is not just about feeding ourselves here in Australia. The whole of the Pacific relies on food product from us, on raw materials, on grains and other products. We are hearing from the United Nations that there may well be a famine as COVID-19 rolls on, so it is our responsibility as a food-producing nation to produce the food that is needed to export to the world as well, and we have always done that. We have exported a very large quantity of most of the food that we have produced. I cannot stress strongly enough, coming from a highly agricultural and horticultural area, the need to ensure that those areas of industry are supported and go forward. I am aware that others do wish to speak, and I will finish on that note in support of the bills.

Click here to view this record on Hansard

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.png 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-23 11:02:162020-06-03 15:38:38State Taxation Acts Amendment (Relief Measures) Bill 2020

Sheed urges local action on Coronavirus funding

April 14, 2020/0 Comments/in Media Releases /by Suzanna Sheed

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed is urging local not-for-profits, local governments and businesses to take up opportunities under the Working for Victoria Fund.

The fund is currently being rolled out by the Victorian State Government and is a good opportunity for organisations to expand their workforces by devising innovative projects that will employ local people in local jobs, according to Ms Sheed, ensuring retention of the existing workforce and providing wider community benefits through the work undertaken.

Funding has already been allocated to organisations such as FoodBank in Melbourne to employ additional staff to meet the growing needs within the community assembling and delivering food parcels. It has also supported one local government organisation to employ a large group of people to clean the city and over 450 people to assist with the quarantine effort across the state.

“Organisations in the Shepparton District should ensure that they take up these opportunities for funding being offered by the government. There are many areas in our towns that could benefit from this extra support and fast-tracking of projects,” Ms Sheed said.

“We know that local government has had a tree planting program with timeframes extending over a number of years. People could perhaps be employed to complete this project in months. Similarly, the Avenue of Honour on the Goulburn Valley Highway south of Shepparton is in poor condition and in need of refurbishment. Restoration would require hands-on labour which again could be carried out through a local authority.

“Firewood will be required for vulnerable families in the forthcoming winter months and the collection for people in need through an employment program would benefit those families and individuals in need. This is a time to be creative in relation to the sorts of projects that could be put to government.

“I am pleased that local governments in my electorate along with the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority are making applications for funding to take advantage of this opportunity to partner with government to keep our local people in jobs.

“I encourage our local community organisations to urgently respond to the request for funding for projects from the Working for Victoria Fund.”

ENDS

Media contact

Myles Peterson 0467 035 840│myles.peterson@suzannasheed.com.au

Click here for PDF version

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.png 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-14 16:25:532020-05-05 16:27:34Sheed urges local action on Coronavirus funding

Sheed calls for share of new Mental Health Funding

April 14, 2020/0 Comments/in Media Releases /by Suzanna Sheed

Independent Member for the Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley to include her electorate in a recently announced funding boost.

On Sunday, the Minister and Premier Daniel Andrews announced an additional $59.4 million to assist Victorians struggling with mental health issues due to the Coronavirus Crisis. The package includes $17.8 million for an additional 170 mental health beds and $7 million to expand “telehealth” mental health services.

While thanking the government for the extra-funding, Ms Sheed raised concerns over how it would be allocated.

“It is clear from the figures that there is an unprecedented number of people seeking mental health support as they work through the lock-down period,” Ms Sheed said.

In a letter sent to the Minister on Tuesday, Ms Sheed called for part of the funding to be directed to her electorate with recent consultations and inquiries finding the need in the Shepparton District was overwhelming.

“You will be aware from the round tables in Shepparton and the evidence before the Royal Commission into mental health services that my region has a great need for improvement in services with a significant lack of mental health beds being readily available within the region,” Ms Sheed wrote.

“I would be grateful if you could provide me with information in relation to this package of additional funding, what services within the Shepparton region you anticipate will benefit by it and how I may be engaged in working with agencies to ensure that their needs are taken into consideration by this funding boost.”

ENDS

Media contact

Myles Peterson 0467 035 840│myles.peterson@suzannasheed.com.au

Click here for PDF version

https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/default-post-image.png 240 330 Suzanna Sheed https://suzannasheed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Sheed-Logo-V2.png Suzanna Sheed2020-04-14 16:23:542020-07-01 13:39:57Sheed calls for share of new Mental Health Funding

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