Berowra Community Update 4 July 2022

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Dear Resident of the Berowra Electorate,

On 21 June 2022, I was officially declared the Member of Parliament for Berowra at the Australian Electoral Commission’s declaration of the poll. I am honoured to represent the community I live in and love in the Federal Parliament.

Our river communities are showing their resilience as we face the threat of floods on the Hawkesbury. If you live in a flood prone area, please follow the advice of emergency services to keep yourself, your loved ones, and our emergency service workers safe. Please follow my Facebook and the social media sites of your local SES for updates and call 132500 if you require emergency assistance from the SES.

This newsletter contains:

Congratulations to our local honourees in the Queen's Birthday Honours List
Upgrading New Line Road
The Coalition's Work Bonus Scheme for pensioners
New Portfolio responsibilities
ABS Census 2021 data
Community events

Please feel welcome to share this newsletter with others who may be interested. Anyone who wants to be added to the newsletter distribution list should email julian.leeser.mp@aph.gov.au.

Yours sincerely,
Julian Leeser

Queen’s Birthday Honours

Congratulations to the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours recipients. The achievements of 992 Australians were recognised, spanning community service, science and research, and the arts.

Seven of these outstanding Australians are from our community. Congratulations to the following local residents who were acknowledged in on the Queen's Birthday Honours List:

Ms Lucie Gabb, for service to the communities of Pennant Hills and Beecroft.
Dr Sameer Bhole, for significant service to dentistry, to education and research, and to professional associations.
Mr Gregory Preston, for significant service to the property valuation industry.
Mr Hector Soans, for service to the Anglo-Indian community of Australia.
Mr Brian Walters, for service to veterans through a range of roles.
Mr James Whitworth, for service to the aviation industry.
Mr Malcolm Adams, for outstanding public service in reforming and leading significant Major Acquisitions and Sustainment programs in Navy Ship Building.

Upgrading New Line Road

I have been campaigning for improvements to New Line Road since I was first elected. In 2019 I secured $10 million of Federal funding to fully plan upgrades to New Line Road which is a State Government responsibility.

I am delighted with the announcement of my State colleague, Matt Kean, in the recent State Budget of $70 million to widen New Line Road from single lanes to a dual carriageway between Purchase Road and Hastings Road. This record funding is crucial to improving travel times, reducing traffic congestion, and making our community safer.

Pyes Creek Bridge will also be widened to improve traffic flow, making a significant difference for those who live or travel to work or school along New Line Road.

Traffic along this section of the New Line Road has been a problem for many years. During the floods earlier this year I heard from many members of our community frustrated by traffic. I know this was a particular problem while the Gorge was closed.

This announcement is a game changer for or community and is a great example of the federal and state government working together. Further details can be found here: https://bit.ly/3nwhe9u

The Coalition’s Work Bonus Scheme for Pensioners

Older Australians should be able to keep more of what they earn.

The Coalition is proposing a doubling of the Age and Veteran Service Pension Work Bonus Scheme from ($300 to $600) to reward older Australians who want to work more by doubling the amount of income pensioners can earn without reducing their pension payments.

This will encourage older Australians who want to work more to take an extra shift while also helping small and regional businesses deal with current labour market shortages and inflationary pressures.

Read more about our policy announcement here: https://bit.ly/3nwJhWo

New Portfolio Responsibilities

It has been a busy couple of weeks for me, as the newly appointed Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs.

Earlier this month, I travelled to Perth where I was pleased to meet Rebecca Lee, President of the Law Society of WA. As Shadow Attorney-General I particularly look forward to working with the legal profession across the country.

As Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians I was honoured to attend Reconciliation Australia’s Indigenous Governance Awards, which celebrated the remarkable achievements in Indigenous governance across Australia.

Census Findings

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released some key findings from the 2021 Census, the data of which is so vital for Governments and policymakers. This data informs how funding is shared between States and Territories, how our electoral boundaries are mapped, plus the planning of transport, schools, roads, housing and health care services. Here are some key findings:

The 2021 Census counted nearly 25.5 million people (25,422,788) in Australia, an increase since the 2016 Census of more than two million people (2,020,896) or 8.6 per cent.
It found that almost half of all Australians have at least one parent born overseas (48.2 per cent) and the population continues to be drawn from around the globe, with 27.6 per cent reporting a birthplace overseas.
The largest increase in country-of-birth (other than Australia) was India. India moved past China and New Zealand to become the third-largest country-of-birth behind Australia and England.

I have always known we had an amazing multicultural community, and the census data certainly backs that up. The success of our multicultural society is one of the hallmarks of Australia today, and it is one of the hallmarks of my community in Berowra.
More information can be found here: https://bit.ly/3I9zRtd

Out and About

I visited the 1^st Mt Colah/Mt Kuring-Gai Scout Hall which had improved their ventilation and repainted their Scout Hall with funds from the federal government. The Scouts and Girl Guides teach young people important values, such as community service, initiative, self-reliance and teamwork. I was pleased to support their good works.

The Glenorie Rural Fire Brigade turned 75 this year, and I had the pleasure of speaking at their anniversary celebrations. I also had the privilege of presenting awards to the brigade members, whose service to the RFS totals more than 340 years!

The Brigade started after World War II in response to a need to protect the local bushland from possible firebombing as well as the threat posed by significant fires and floods in the community. Over more than 75 years the Brigade has always been there to protect our community and to support others around NSW, Australia and on occasion deployment to Canada.

Last week I visited St John's Asquith and had the opportunity to address the congregation. Thank you to Rev Brian Heath, Rev Tim Thambyrajah and Fiona McClelland for generously extending the invitation.

It was an honour to meet Rev Neville Naden who is Bush Church Aid Society's first Indigenous Ministry Officer, who works to support those who minister to our Indigenous Australians, many of whom live in rural and remote communities.

Kavanagh Balloons is the only hot air balloon manufacturer in Australia, and it's right here in our community. I had the opportunity to help test one of their hot air balloons in Mt Kuring-Gai.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Rotary Club of Beecroft’s 50th Changeover Dinner. I thank outgoing President Russel Zimmerman and congratulate incoming President Madeleine Sherwood. Beecroft Rotary has contributed so much to our local community.

Congratulations to Berowra Netball Club on their 60th anniversary. Their Anniversary Dinner was a wonderful night of great stories, laughter, and sportsmanship. I look forward to seeing the Club grow in their next 60 years.

It was wonderful to attend the Pennant Hills High School Winter Carnival. My son James and I had a great time on the teacups.

I had the privilege of opening the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women's Shelter mini fete at Berowra Christian School. Special thanks to Ann Leslie for organising the event and her son Charley, who rode 8km to raise money for the shelter.