It’s the last sitting week of parliament, and wow, have I been busy!
Leading up to the year’s end, I’ve stepped up the fight for fee-free TAFE, aged care reform, and continued to lobby for cost-of-living relief measures, while fighting inflation.
Big news this week, was the launch of my petition calling for expanded services at the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which has received a tremendous response from the community. You can sign the petition HERE
I was proud to open the new Mogo Local Aboriginal Lands Council community building which will be a wonderful gathering place for local residents, and was so thrilled to attend the truly amazing annual concert for the St Celia Youth Music Scholarships at Batemans Bay.
My weekend between sitting weeks was jam-packed, with a visit to the Community Connect Day at Vincentia, a fantastic performance of ‘9 to 5 The Musical’ by the Albatross Musical Theatre Company, and I must say I was inspired by the Nowra Show Young Woman competition which was won by Iszi Crawford.
A couple of bike rides around Jervis Bay to get the heart rate up, door-knocking at Sanctuary Point and a forest run, as part of the Fit For Office challenge, topped off a very productive weekend!
A reminder that my Christmas Food Drive is supporting the wonderful volunteers at the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub and Pivot Point Outreach in Batemans Bay. If you’d like to help spread some Christmas cheer, please drop off non-perishable festive goodies to my Nowra or Batemans Bay office by 17 December.
Looking forward to getting back out into the community and enjoying our beautiful beaches and bush this weekend.
Read more in my latest media releases below and keep an eye out for my last Parliamentary News for the 2024 coming to your inbox direct from Canberra soon!
Fee-free TAFE must stay, Liberals out of touch with Gilmore students
With this year’s final sitting of Federal Parliament underway in Canberra, Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips is calling on the opposition to support Labor’s Fee-Free TAFE Bill.
She said, by not supporting the Bill, the Liberal party was out of touch with young people and ignoring the education needs of people living in regional areas like the South Coast.
“As a proud former TAFE teacher and a mum of two apprentice chippies, I take every opportunity to champion TAFE, and to celebrate the successes of our wonderful TAFE students,” Mrs Phillips said.
“Last week I was thrilled to meet two inspiring young locals as we welcomed home the Australian Skillaroos from the WorldSkills International Competition in France.
“The competition shines a light on TAFE students like Michael Bowen, an apprentice at QinetiQ Air Affairs at Nowra who competed in the Industrial Mechanics event.
Acting PM Richard Marles visits children, seniors, TAFE students and defence personnel during Gilmore tour
The Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles had an opportunity to understand the scale of operations and to see for himself the skill and dedication of local defence members during a visit to Nowra last week.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said, as the Home to HMAS Albatross, the Fleet Air Arm and HMAS Creswell, defence and the defence industry was an important industry and employer in the Gilmore electorate.
“With more than 7,500 serving Defence members, veterans and their families living here, defence is highly important to people on the South Coast,” Mrs Phillips said.
“A Navy and defence town through and through, I was keen for the minister, to meet and talk firsthand with the people and defence members that support our defence capability and community.”
Petition calls for expanded Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at Batemans Bay
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips has launched a petition calling for extended operating hours and an increased level of care at the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
Mrs Phillips is encouraging Eurobodalla residents to sign the petition on her website which calls on the state and federal governments to upgrade the clinic that has provided walk-in care seven days a week since December 2023.
“The Batemans Bay community has embraced the fully bulk-billed service at the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, but there is a definite need for an expansion of the service,” Mrs Phillips said.
“Around 7,500 patients have received treatment for urgent, not life-threatening care at the clinic since it opened almost one year ago, which has taken some pressure off local GPs and our local hospital.
Three Shoalhaven men bound for Invictus Games in Canada
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips has wished three Shoalhaven-based competitors well as they prepare to take part in the Invictus Games to be held in Vancouver, Canada, in February.
Doug Griffiths, Colin McCallum and Justin Brown are among 33 former and current serving Defence Force members that will make up Team Australia.
Invictus Australia and The Australian Defence Force have partnered to support the team members as they compete in Canada from February 8-16 at the seventh Invictus Games.
Mrs Phillips said she was thrilled the local trio was representing their nation in such an important event.
First year of Medicare data shows increase to bulk billing in Gilmore
People living in Gilmore have saved more than $8 million on cheaper scripts over the past 12 months and there have been an additional 61,000 bulk billed GP visits in the electorate during that time.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said on November 1, 2023, the Albanese Government made the largest investment in bulk billing in Medicare history, targeted to families with children under 16, pensioners and concession card holders.
“Our investments in bulk billing mean more Gilmore residents are getting bulk billed visits at the GP than they were last year,” she said.
“It’s great that families with children under 16, pensioners and concession cardholders have seen the greatest increase in bulk billing.”
Jervis Bay Flyover works to pause for holiday traffic
Jervis Bay Flyover roadworks will be on hold for two weeks during the busy summer holiday period.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said it was important to minimise traffic interruptions during the school holidays, when thousands of tourists flocked to Jervis Bay.
The project site, at the Princes Highway and Jervis Bay Road intersection at Falls Creek, will shut down from Saturday 21 December 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025.
Outside of these dates including, major earthworks and importing material for embankment construction, bridge foundation and retaining wall work will continue and the entrance to Willowgreen Road will be opened.
Mrs Phillips said it was exciting to see work progressing at the site.
“By this time next year, visitors to our area won’t recognise this intersection,”
she said.
Fiona Phillips launches Christmas food drive for two local charities
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips has launched her Christmas food drive to assist struggling families in the region.
Mrs Phillips has this year thrown her support behind two services, the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub in Nowra and Pivot Point Outreach in Batemans Bay.
“I know many families and individuals are doing it tough, and I know there are many people in our community who want to help take the pressure off this Christmas,” Mrs Phillips said.
“By dropping off festive goodies to my Nowra or Batemans Bay office, the people of Gilmore can help spread some love and bring Christmas cheer to those that need it most.
“We live in such a wonderful, supportive community and people are always keen to give.
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