Wellington

Teachers in the Dubbo electorate will benefit from an additional five hours of professional development credit, recognising their extraordinary efforts to rapidly innovate so students could continue to learn last year despite the disruptions and challenges presented by Covid-19.  Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said all teachers maintaining accreditation will receive a one-off credit of five hours toward the 100 hours of professional development they are required to complete every five years.  “Last year our teachers went above and beyond to support their students. This required them to learn rapidly on the job so that they could continue […]

Large corporations and companies looking to relocate to the Dubbo electorate to take advantage of a better quality of life will be able to benefit from expert NSW Government advice about setting up shop in regional NSW. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has thrown his support behind a NSW Government concierge service to help companies develop business plans and provide practical advice about establishing jobs, offices and headquarters in regional towns and cities. “This is fantastic news for the people in our region, because we know that when big businesses look to relocate to our region, there will

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has welcomed the NSW Government’s $43.5 million investment to support the State’s agricultural research through the world-class Food and Fibre Program. Mr Saunders said the funding will be a big boost to primary industries and in turn help our region’s primary producers grow their businesses. “Our agriculture industry is vital to the overall success of the NSW economy and advanced research and development underpins that,” he said. “This $43.5 million investment will ensure we continue to lead the way in research to boost primary industry productivity and protect our stock, crops and human

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has backed a NSW Government plan to make Vocational Education and Training courses available to Year 11 and 12 students in public schools from next year. Real estate, robotics and social media are just some of the 20 new courses to be made available, and in addition to existing face-to-face VET courses students will have the opportunity to study online courses that will give them in-demand skills for the workplaces. These courses will form part of their HSC and contribute to their ATAR. “These courses will help students build skills across emerging industries,

The NSW Government is giving the regional visitor economy a $3.5 million boost through programs to support the development of new attractions and infrastructure, to refresh existing products, and to secure or create new event opportunities. The programs will help businesses and regional communities recover from the impact of drought, floods, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic by creating jobs, enhancing the appeal of regional NSW, and improving the visitor experience. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said this is a significant opportunity for new and established business owners in the region to be visitor-ready and create new business event

Thirty of the state’s most influential women have been named as finalists in the NSW Women of the Year Awards, shining a spotlight on some of the state’s most inspirational and influential women after a year like no other. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said that the awards were a fantastic way of acknowledging the hard work and dedication of #buyfromthebush founder Grace Brennan, regional podcasters Lucy Samuels and Lucy Taylor, and LeaderLife founder Joh Leader, who are each nominated for various gongs. “We have some very inspirational women in regional NSW, and in the Dubbo electorate in

The NSW Government has created more than 11,000 Out of School Hours Care places since July 2019 as part of its Before and After School Care election commitment. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the $120 million commitment supports services through fee waivers, infrastructure funding and the new hub delivery. “We want to ensure affordable and convenient before and after school care is available to every family who needs it,” Mr Saunders said. “This is a real commitment to providing more before and after school care places to support working families. This is particularly important as communities and households recover

A series of new safety advertisements will run across regional cinemas and social media from this week, outlining the danger of irresponsible behaviour at level crossings. Among the ads is one outlining, from a train driver’s perspective, what it is like to have to hit the emergency brakes. “….you can’t swerve, you can’t do anything, the train will just stop when it stops,” the driver says Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the campaign was launched this week by the NSW Government in an effort to create a safer and stronger regional NSW. “The message for our communities

An expansion of fee-free Summer Skills training courses is now available for NSW school leavers in 2021 with more online short courses on offer, as part of the NSW Government’s Skilling for Recovery initiative. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the Summer Skills program, launched in November 2020, has expanded to include seven TAFE NSW online short courses targeting last year’s school leavers. “In designing Summer Skills as part of Skilling for Recovery, the NSW Government has ensured the training on offer is aligned to local industry needs,” Mr Saunders said. “In addition to this, the expanded program

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders is urging local indigenous groups to apply for funding that promotes awareness of Aboriginal languages in the community. The Aboriginal Languages Community Investments Program offers $800,000 across three categories: Reawaken (supports projects that encourage the development of new or emerging language activities) – up to $20,000 Grow (supports existing projects to expand and develop the capacity of groups or organisations) – up to $50,000 ·       Nurture (provides support to build the strategic capacity of more established groups or organisations) – up to $90,000 “The Dubbo electorate has a rich Indigenous history and it