If you need to lodge a tax return and have earned less than $60,000 in the last financial year, you may be eligible for Hume City Council's free Tax Help service. Tax Help is run by the Australian Taxation Office, in partnership with Council's Hume Volunteer Gateway.

This service, assisted by accredited volunteers, have helped lodge over 3800 tax returns in the last 10 years. The volunteers help assist people in the community to complete their tax return and other basic tax enquiries. The service will run until 31 October 2018.

Booking appointments are essential on 9356 6928 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. More information can be found on this link.

Nominations are now open for the Hume Business Awards 2018. If you want to celebrate and acknowledge a business that has made a significant contribution the Hume City Council economy, and the wider community, why not nominate them for a Hume Business Awards 2018.

Business owners, employees of the business, business associates, clients or customers can nominate. Nominations close August 10.

Registrations are now open for the 2018 Music: Count Us In Celebration Day. If you want your school to participate in musical creativity with other young people across the nation, why not register for this year's Celebration Day.

I want to say a big congratulations to Jessica Camilleri on receiving the Young Achievers award for the important volunteer work she does in the Calwell community.

I hosted a Settlement Roundtable with Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, and Nick Tebbey, CEO of Settlement Council of Australia. We were also joined by service providers, and community members from the Calwell electorate.

Ms VAMVAKINOU (Calwell) (16:50): I rise today to speak on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, known to the Palestinians as the day of catastrophe, which refers to the uprooting and expulsion of some 750,000 Palestinian refugees from their normal place of residence in Palestine during the period from 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948. They lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.

Were you at this year’s Arthur Calwell Memorial Lecture?

It was a memorable night with guest speakers Luke Hilakari and Mary Elizabeth. 

The Parliamentary Friends of Palestine will be hosting a screening of the feature documentary 'From Under the Rubble' at Parliament House, Canberra on May 22. The event will be sponsored by the General Delegation of Palestine to Australian, New Zealand and the Pacific.