Media Releases

Four secondary schools across the Rodney Electorate will benefit from State Government funding to encourage teenagers to become more involved in their local community.

Member for Rodney, Paul Weller has announced funding for the Echuca College, Cohuna Secondary College, Kyabram P-12 College and Nathalia Secondary College to take part in the Coalition Government’s successful Advance volunteering program.  

Advance is a $4.5 million flexible school-based program offered annually in Victorian Government secondary schools to provide, encourage and support 14 -18 year olds to volunteer in their community.

Across the state 420 schools and 16,000 young people will participate in the Advance program in 2012, which coincides with National Volunteers Week from May 14th-20th. 

“Advance is a fantastic program that encourages young people to get involved in their local community and strengthens local partnerships between schools and the community,” Mr Weller said.

“Supporting young people to volunteer has a positive and lasting effect, not only on the individual, but the whole community as students learn valuable transferable skills in the process. 

“The Advance program provides young people with practical opportunities for mentoring and gaining new skills and training whilst learning more about their local community,” he said.

Mr Weller thanked the many volunteers from within the community who give up their time to support initiatives such as Advance and who volunteer to protect and enhance Victorian communities. 

For more information on the Advance program and how it could benefit your school community go to www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/advance.

Rushworth P-12 College recently celebrated National Youth Week with a day of activities aimed at engaging young people.

The College received a State Government grant of $2000 to hold a Youth Mental Health Forum in partnership with Goulburn Valley Health (GV Health). 

In announcing the funding Member for Rodney, Paul Weller said Rushworth students from year’s seven to 12 had the opportunity to take part in the Youth Forum, which was aimed at creating and promoting youth awareness of depression and anxiety and strengthening social connectedness.

The theme of the Youth Forum was Look, Listen, Talk and Seek Help and this was explored by students on the day through artistic expression and the written word. 

Mr Weller said it was important for initiatives like National Youth Week and the Youth Forum to provide creative ways to raise awareness of important youth health issues, like depression and anxiety.

“Around 160,000 young people aged between 16 and 24 live with depression each year and it’s important to create opportunities for awareness and targeted action,” he said. 

A major highlight of the Youth Forum was a visit by former AFL player and founder of Whitelion, a youth support service that runs programs to meet the needs of young people, Glen Manton.

Keynote speakers from Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Bendigo and a representative from Headspace, an organisation supporting 12-25 year olds with mental and other health issues, were also accessible to the students. 

While Dr Rachel Adams from GV Health showed support through her Adolescent Health in Schools program.

Students were provided with information about issues like anxiety and its triggers and about the importance of wellness and who they might turn to when they are seeking help. 

Local community members were also on hand during the Youth Forum to encourage students to participate in activities such as yoga, meditation and line-dancing.

GV Health Community Health Coordinator, Michele Hanson said one of the main focus points for the day was to provide students at the school with various avenues to express how they felt and where they can seek help. 

Adolescent Health Nurse at Rushworth P-12 College, Leanne James said the day was successful in providing a safe and non-confrontational environment for to talk about and share their experiences of mental health issues.

Funding for the Youth Forum was made available through a joint partnership between the Victorian Coalition Government, the Federal Government and youthbeyondblue.

 

April 13 to 22 is National Youth Week and local Youth Ministerial Advisory Committee member, Melissa Buchanan has encouraged young people across the Rodney Electorate to become involved in their communities and help put youth issues on the agenda.

The Victorian State Government recently announced $164,000 in funding for 82 organisations planning a wide range of activities as part of National Youth Week.

Local Member for Rodney, Paul Weller announced the National Youth Week grants this week as a joint partnership between the Victorian Coalition Government, the Federal Government and youthbeyondblue.

‘Imagine. Create. Inspire.’ is this year’s National Youth Week theme and Mr Weller said beyondblue’s contribution to the program will be targeted towards events raising awareness amongst young people about depression and anxiety.

“Around 160,000 young people aged between 16 and 24 live with depression each year and it’s important to raise awareness of this important health issue,” Mr Weller said.

The Victorian Government’s Youth Advisory Committee Involve has also identified youth mental health as a topic to be examined more closely, along with youth disengagement and issues relating to changes to family structures and how this impacts on youth.

“We will most likely be examining ways to improve youth community engagement and engagement in further education or employment,” Miss Buchanan said.

Miss Buchanan, who was named as a member of the Youth Ministerial Advisory Committee Involve in January this year, has encouraged young people to become aware of the opportunities available to them.

As part of her involvement with the Involve Committee, Miss Buchanan has the opportunity to discuss important issues with members of parliament, including her local member for Rodney and the Minister for Youth Affairs, Ryan Smith.

The first issue to be discussed and presented by the Involve Committee is social media and a proposal for a campaign based around ‘protection of one’s privacy online’ and ‘increasing awareness of the permanency of online information’.

“The experience so far has allowed me the opportunity to consult with young people in the community from various schools and organisations about their views and thoughts on social media and online networking in particular,” Miss Buchanan said.

Local Member for Rodney, Paul Weller recently hosted Miss Buchanan at Parliament House in Melbourne where she was able to spend a day-in-the-life of a member of parliament.

Miss Buchanan described her day at parliament with Mr Weller as fantastic.

“It was a brilliant opportunity for me to get an intimate look into how the parliament operates, to sit in on question time and to take a ‘behind closed doors’ look around the parliamentary offices,” Miss Buchanan said.

“I had the opportunity to meet many members of parliament and witness how Paul works actively for our region and how he dedicates himself to putting forward the community’s voice,” she said.

According to Melissa, a large part of her role on the Involve Committee is the opportunity to be heard and have issues affecting young people high on the agenda in parliament.

 

Three Rodney Electorate secondary students have been named rural youth ambassadors following their involvement in a State Government project aimed at giving rural students a greater voice.

Member for Rodney, Paul Weller said the Rural Youth Ambassadors, Rebecca McKenzie from Cohuna Secondary College and Blaise Mortimer and Anna Tinkler from St Mary of the Angels in Nathalia were strong junior leaders of our communities.

Mr Weller said the trio had participated in a range of workshops as part of the project and had explored strategies for keeping rural students engaged in learning.

“Our youth ambassadors also produced a report, Engaging and Retaining Rural Young People in Learning, which contained a number of valuable recommendations to encourage students to stay at school,” Mr Weller said.

Mr Weller said accurate date shows fewer rural students complete Year 12 compared with their city counterparts and that the government is committed to ensuring rural students have comparable opportunities for learning.

“Only 37 per cent of regional students completing year 12 enrol in university the following year, while the rate for metropolitan students is 54 per cent,” he said.

The report produced by the youth ambassadors recommends a range of strategies including:

• Promoting and maintaining a culture of high expectations to support rural communities.
• Regular professional development for rural teachers to update their skills in using the latest technology.
• Implementing mentoring initiatives, such as Big Brother Big Sister.
• Rural schools developing a network of ex-students who are willing to provide support and guidance to current students.

Mr Weller said the Rural Youth Ambassadors initiative complements many other Government education programs including the Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund - which he advocated for earlier this year - which enables government, Catholic and independent schools to design and deliver programs to improve retention rates and pathway options for senior students.

“The Government has also established a $20 million Regional Partnership Facilitation Fund to help students gain easier access to higher education opportunities in regional Victoria,” Mr Weller said.

Member for Rodney Paul Weller MP today announced that the Shire of Campaspe will receive $105,000 for the “Count us in” Project from the Victorian Coalition Government’s $12.3 million Engage! grants program.  

 

Mr Weller said that this funding would assist the Shires “Count us in” Project to deliver and assess mentoring of young people and adults with an aim to create sustainable youth civic and social participation within all communities of the Shire of Campaspe.

 

“Our young people are our future, so an investment in them is important for our regions’ growth,” Mr Weller said.

 

More than 100 youth service providers across the state will receive between $30,000 and $50,000 in annual funding for three years to deliver a range of activities that engage young people aged between 12 and 25. These activities could range from social enterprise programs to volunteering or mentoring.

 

Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith said $12.3 million over three years would enable organisations across the state to provide more opportunities for young Victorians to participate in their communities.

 

“The Victorian Coalition Government is committed to supporting organisations that improve the social, civic and economic outcomes for young Victorians.

 

“That’s why the Coalition Government has invested in programs through Engage! that offer opportunities for young people to volunteer, participate in mentoring, receive study and career advice, gain practical skills and training and increased connections with their community,” Mr Smith said.

 

For more information on the Engage! program, go to www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/engage

A young Merrigum dairy farmer has been named among 10 finalists to be offered a Dairy Industry Scholarship for 2012.

Michael Snell has received a $2500 scholarship to pursue education and training opportunities to enhance his skills and leadership capability for the benefit of the industry.

Member for Rodney Paul Weller said the scholarship program was developed in collaboration between Gardiner Foundation, National Centre for Dairy Education Australia (NCDEA), Dairy Australia and the United Dairy Farmers Victoria (UDV).

Mr Weller said applications were received from 23 candidates with a variety of farming backgrounds and the winners were announced at the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Breakfast on Friday 25 November.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Michael on securing this exciting scholarship and wish him all the best in his future studies and training,” he said.

“Michael works on his family’s dairy farm at Merrigum and wishes to further his knowledge in the dairy industry.

“He aspires to go on to complete a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture, both to make improvements on the family farm, as well as run his own dairy business one day.”

Mr Weller said short-listed candidates went through an interview process with a selection panel comprised of representatives from UDV, Gardiner Foundation and the NCDEA.

“Candidates were required to talk about their background and current role in the dairy industry, and outline the learning and development plan they wished to undertake,” he said.

“They were also asked to indicate how they would contribute their knowledge back to the industry.”

Member for Rodney Paul Weller has encouraged young people from the region’s dairying communities to apply for a Gardiner Tertiary Scholarship.

The scholarships are being offered to two scholars from Victorian dairy communities who are seeking to enter first year university or TAFE courses in 2012.

Mr Weller said the Gardiner Tertiary Scholarships supported rural students who had strong potential to make an impact for the dairy industry and its communities.

He said successful applicants would receive $5000 per year of study in their approved course.

“Rural students often face much greater barriers to participation in higher education than their metropolitan counterparts,” Mr Weller said.

“These scholarships make a huge difference in terms of assisting students with the costs of moving to a new city, living independently and purchasing the required materials, equipment and books.”

Applications for the Gardiner Tertiary Scholarships close on Friday 2 December 2011.

For details of eligibility criteria, guidelines and application form please visit www.gardinerfoundation.com.au or phone the Gardiner Foundation on 9606 1900.

Member for Rodney Paul Weller is encouraging organisations that conduct eisteddfods throughout the region to apply for a share of $400,000 in Victorian Coalition Government grants to support and strengthen community arts activity across the state.

The grants program, part of the Coalition Government’s commitment to the arts in the
2011-12 Victorian Budget, will be administered by Ballarat’s Royal South Street Society – the longest-running and largest eisteddfod organisation in the country.

“Local eisteddfods benefit performers, audiences and local communities,” Mr Weller said.

“They are often the first taste of performing that many of our young and budding artists receive and are extremely important in uncovering new talent and expanding the opportunities artists have access to.

“They are also of great value to local businesses as they usually draw on entrants from a wide area thus bringing visitors into the region,” he said.

“Eisteddfods are usually run by passionate volunteers and access to supportive funding as being offered by the State Government can be extremely valuable in maintaining the high calibre events that we witness each year.”

In announcing the funding recently, Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu said eisteddfods play an important role in communities across Victoria.

“The Coalition Government is committed to building access to the arts, no matter where you live, your tastes or background,” Mr Baillieu said.

“By supporting eisteddfods, we are providing performance opportunities for Victorians from amateurs to experienced performers, we are strengthening the arts offering in local arts facilities and showcasing and celebrating the diversity of performance art on offer across the state.”

Eisteddfod organisations can apply to Royal South Street Society for grants that will help them to meet the costs of staging their activities.

For further details visit www.royalsouthstreet.com.au

Education Minister Martin Dixon and Member for Rodney Paul Weller today announced four schools in the region are among the first in the state to sign up to the Victorian Coalition Government funded $10.5 million eSmart cyberbullying program.

eSmart is a cybersafety program created by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and will be available to every government school across the state and 300 Catholic and independent schools over the next four years.

So far, 290 Victorian government schools and 108 Catholic and independent schools have registered to be part of the program.

Echuca West Primary School, Kyabram P-12, Lancaster Primary School and Redesdale Mia Mia Primary School are among the first schools to sign up.

“I’d like to congratulate each of these schools, which have joined 400 schools across Victoria in becoming the first to register for eSmart,” Mr Weller said.

“Their registration shows just how serious these schools are about stamping out bullying and creating safe places where students can learn and support each other.”

The Victorian Government will provide schools in the Rodney electorate with $2000 each to help them implement eSmart.

Mr Dixon said he was confident eSmart would provide students with practical tips about behaving safely and appropriately online.

“Students today spend a lot of time in the cyber world, so it’s important they are provided with the tools they need to stay safe in that space,” he said.

eSmart teaches students about protecting themselves from risks including cyberbullying and sexting, and also about the importance of protecting their own privacy.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation worked with the RMIT School of Education and other education experts over three years to develop the school resource.

eSmart will play a key role in delivering on the Victorian Government’s commitment to stamp out bullying, combat violence in schools and provide students and parents with the support they need.

The Victorian Government has also provided $4 million over four years to review and update bullying policies and programs for Victorian government schools.

Member for Rodney Paul Weller has encouraged young people aged 12-25 to apply for funding to help celebrate next year’s National Youth Week.

Mr Weller said National Youth Week 2012 would be held from 13-22 April and the theme was ‘Imagine. Create. Inspire.’

“National Youth Week aims to recognise the contribution young people make to their community and to be proud of their achievements,” he said.

“We have so many amazing young men and women achieving great things right across the Rodney electorate and I encourage them to get involved.”

In 2011 more than 30,000 young Victorians took part in a range National Youth Week events.

Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith said the $155,000 grants program had been made available through a partnership between the Victorian Coalition Government, Australian Government and Youthbeyondblue.

Mr Smith said grants of up to $2000 were available in two categories:

• grants for young people working with an organisation to deliver a local community-based event; and
• grants for young people working with an organisation to deliver an event that raises awareness of depression and anxiety.

“Young people make significant contributions to their communities each day and we support their efforts to create opportunities for other young people to enjoy National Youth Week,” Mr Smith said.

beyondblue Acting CEO Clare Shann said this would be the sixth year beyondblue had supported National Youth Week.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to reach so many young people across Australia,” Ms Shann said.

“We are supporting Youth Week events to remind young people that help is available and it’s okay to talk about mental health problems.”

Applications for National Youth Week 2012 grants close on Friday 9 December 2011. For further information on the grants program, visit www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/nyw.