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Swansea E-News

Welcome to my fortnightly newsletter.

Locally the latest round of dredging is underway in Swansea Channel which will see a further 13,000 cubic metres of sand removed from the Channel. Gwandalan is also set to get a new skate park.

In state news, the NSW Government has secured an agreement with Origin Energy to keep Eraring Power Station open until 2027. The Government has also unveiled plans for the future of Broadmeadow and delivered a record pay increase for TAFE teachers.    

The Community Notice Board contains information on the Community War Memorial Fund, 2024 Volunteer of the Year Awards and Strategic Weeds Grant Program.

Stay up to date by following my social media channels.

Swansea Channel Dredging Underway

Stage two of the dredging of Swansea Channel is now underway. Dredging is expected to be completed in July, provided there are no delays. The sand will be placed on Elizabeth Island.

13,000 cubic metes of sand will be removed from the Drop Over, Swan Bay entrance and Dog Leg over the coming weeks.

These works follow a successful first round of dredging which saw 16,690 cubic metres of sand removed from the three areas to create a 30-metre-wide channel, extending from the Dog Leg southeast of Elizabeth Island, up to the Drop Over north west of the Swan Bay Entrance.

This campaign clearly demonstrates a shift in the approach to dredging under the NSW Labor Government with proactive dredging taking place before the Channel becomes unnavigable.

Revitalising Newcastle

Recently I joined Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes in Broadmeadow, Newcastle to announce an important step in the city’s future.

The draft Broadmeadow Place Strategy plans to deliver affordable housing, jobs, and infrastructure to support the housing strategy, as well as access to quality public open spaces and improved leisure facilities right in the heart of Newcastle.

It will enable up to 15,000 jobs and 20,000 homes for 40,000 people

Eraring Power Station

The NSW Government has secured an agreement with Origin Energy to extend the life of the Eraring Power Station until 2027.

This gives certainty that the lights will stay on and jobs will remain. It is an important step in managing energy reliability.

As part of the agreement, Origin must maintain the current workforce and lock in a coal supply. Under the agreement, employees will also have access to additional re-skilling and reemployment programs when Eraring closes.

Pay Rise for TAFE Teachers

TAFE NSW teachers are set to receive the largest pay increase in two decades following the successful endorsement of the new TAFE NSW Teachers’ Enterprise Agreement.

The new Teachers Enterprise Agreement means starting salaries will increase from $88,842 to $92,396, and salaries for those at the top of the scale increase from $105,362 to $109,576. This will apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 February 2024.

This is the Government delivering on a key election commitment investing in rebuilding TAFE NSW after more than a decade of neglect from the former Coalition Government. This agreement will be pivotal to addressing the critical shortage of skilled workers in NSW by recognising the contribution of TAFE teachers through increased salary.                                    

Gwandalan Skate Park

A new skate park is coming to Tunkuwallin Oval at Gwandalan.

Central Coast Council is seeking community feedback to shape the design of the skate park before construction commences in 2025.

Have your say on the skate park here.

Cost of Living

Cost of living is an issue impacting every household and the NSW Government offers several rebates for families, seniors and small businesses.

This includes:

• Council rate rebates

• Electricity rebate

• Gas rebate

• Water rebate

• Child care rebate

• Travel vouchers

• Creative and active kids vouchers

• Free car rego

• Free glasses

• NSW Seniors Card

This is a just sample of savings available at the Cost of Living hub.

Community Notice Board

Community War Memorials Fund

The Community War Memorial Fund is currently open and supports projects to conserve, repair and protect war memorials.

Funding can be used to engage heritage or other specialists to produce reports on the condition of existing war memorials. Along with physical works to existing war memorials.

Applications close on 24 July 2024. To make an application and read the grant guidelines, please click here.

Strategic Weeds Grant Program

The Strategic Weeds Grant program is an ongoing grants program with funding rounds rolling throughout the year.

These grants are targeted at weed management, and assist in community-based projects or landscape-level projects to mitigate the impacts of priority weeds and establish best practice weed management in the Local Land Services Hunter region.

Grants start from $500 and the program is open to community groups, schools, not-for-profit organisations, Landcare groups, Local Aboriginal Land Councils and industry groups.

More details are available on the website.

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards

Nominations are now open for the NSW Volunteer of the Year are now open.

Award categories include:

1. Young Volunteer: 24 years and under

2. Adult Volunteer: 25 to 64 years

3. Senior Volunteer: 65 years and over

4. Volunteer Team: Team to be made up of more than one individual

5. Club Volunteer: Individual or team working in a registered ClubsNSW club or on the board of a registered ClubsNSW club whilst carrying out volunteer activities.

6. Employee Volunteer: Individual or team volunteering as part of their organisation’s formal employee / corporate volunteering program.

7. Volunteer Leader: Nominees can be a designated Volunteer Manager, Coordinator, a team of Volunteer Managers or a registered not-for-profit organisation with excellent volunteer leadership. The volunteer leader can be a paid position.

• Nominations within this category can be submitted for either teams or individuals,

• Your nominee must operate within the guidelines of the Statement of Principles for Recognition of Volunteers and the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement and the organisation must hold current Volunteer Workers Personal Accident Insurance and Public Liability Insurance.

8. Not-for-Profit Voluntary Governance: An unpaid board of directors or individual board member, who exemplifies excellence in governance.

Nominations close Friday 14 June 2024. Click here to nominate someone.

Get in Touch

Click here to contact Yasmin Catley MP

Click here to visit Yasmin’s website

Shop 1

204 Pacific Highway

Swansea NSW 2281

PO Box 306

Swansea NSW 2281

Phone: (02) 4972 1133

Fax: (02) 4972 1494