The Calwell electorate will be one of ten chosen localities across Australia to benefit from a $304 million package aimed at tackling unemployment.
The initiative proposed by the Department of Education will focus on drawing on the local community expertise to help families and individuals access services they need to participate in education and employment programs.
Various factors such as unemployment, long term income support were considered when making the funding allocation for the ten localities.
This funding will include: $38.2 million over four years to support local workforce participation through the Community Innovation Through Collaboration initiative; $25 million for a Local Solutions Fund for community organisations to deliver programs to help access educational and employment options and $13.2 million to provide Service Coordinators and Community Based Facilitators.
The Programs will begin rolling out in 2012 and details will be made available over the coming months.
Federal member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou said the Budget deals with some of the major issues in the electorate that relate to young people, their education and employment.
“I’m particularly looking forward to working with the local community on these initiatives.”
This Budget includes new measures to provide help with cost of living pressures particularly for Australians on low incomes and families with children at school. Eligible local families in Calwell could receive and extra $4,200 per child aged between 16 and 19 years old under these significant changes to Family Tax Benefit The Education Tax Refund will also be extended to school uniforms to help with education costs, increasing the Government’s investment by $460 million. Payment advances of up to $1,000 will be provided to meet unexpected family expenses, and give parents the choice to receive child care support fortnightly.
Calwell will benefit from $1,680,000 million for the Australian Disability Enterprises to support the work of the Victorian Vocational Rehabilitation Association. A further $48,000 will see in Broadband for Seniors Kiosks established to allow the older Calwell residents to stay in touch with family.
About 106 people in Calwell were born in Hungary. People who have spent part of their adult lives in both Australia and Hungary may be eligible to receive pensions from both countries, under the new Social Security Agreement.
The Budget’s wider benefits for the electorate:
Mental health funding to the tune of $2.2 billion;The Nation Building program will see the Somerton Intermodal terminal project receive 20,000,000; The Western Ring Road upgrade will receive this year’s funding allocation of $209,300,000 as part of a 900,000,000 package.$110 million will be spent to re-rail the train line between Albury to Melbourne to Geelong; Hume Council will receive $894,331 as part of a $4,471,656 funding allocation for the roads to recovery program.
Calwell will also reap the benefits of nationwide funding such as: $150million for Black Spots; $70million for a Heavy Vehicle Safety Program and $150million for Infrastructure Employment Projects such the $30,000,000 Australian Paralympic Committee Sporting and Community facility.
Education will receive $425 million over four years to reward top performing teachers and $200 million to support school students with a disability, and extend the National School Chaplaincy program. An extra $53 million will improve access to public dental services, particularly for those on low incomes, and build a bigger dental workforce in preparation for significant reform in 2012-13.
