Wellington

An initiative to better support families that are navigating the first 2000 days of their child’s life was announced at Dubbo West Preschool today by the NSW Government. Brighter Beginnings aims to ensure children in NSW have the best start in life. Crucial to achieving this goal is simplifying and improving the way families access information and services, through a number of parenting life navigator tools and a whole of government web page. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders joined Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell at the event, which outlined the government’s one-stop shop of […]

Education support for drought-impacted communities is continuing with the NSW Government announcing the extension of the Drought Entitlement Maintenance Program to 2023 for local public schools. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the NSW government is committed to supporting our communities who have battled through drought and bushfires by locking in staffing numbers at public schools. “This program will assist in keeping our teachers in our local schools, I believe it’s crucial to have this support for the community as we continue to recover from not only drought but also the pandemic,” Mr Saunders said. “With drought, bushfires,

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has welcomed Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s announcement of a $100 million Regional Jobs Creation Fund. Announced on Sunday, the fund will provide co-funding of between $100,000 and $10 million to help businesses expand production lines and provides incentives for interstate or overseas operations to relocate to regional NSW. “Regional NSW is the backbone of our state, and this fund will help reinvigorate country towns, create jobs and deliver immediate stimulus for the bush,” Mr Saunders said. “We’ve already seen what can be achieved with AMSL Aero using Narromine as a hub for the

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has welcomed news that the NSW Government will partner with Telstra to deliver a high speed internet upgrade to schools in the region. This $328 million internet upgrade will be delivered to 2000 public schools across NSW, three years ahead of the original aim of 2025. Mr Saunders said the upgrade will resolve problems delivering faster, more reliable internet access along with enhancing existing digital teaching and learning opportunities. “Our schools deserve the best tools for teaching and learning. It’s a s simple as that,” Mr Saunders said. “Upgrading our school internet goes

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has backed a move from the NSW Government that will target illegal companion animal breeders through a dedicated ‘Puppy Factory Taskforce’. Mr Saunders said that puppy factories are in clear breach of the State’s robust animal protection laws, and the taskforce within RSPCA NSW would allow them to weed out bad operators. “I strongly condemn any acts of cruelty perpetrated against animals, and this Government won’t be shy in going after breeders who put profits first and animals second,” he said. Mr Saunders said that the new taskforce, announced by Agriculture Minister Adam

Domestic violence complainants will have extra protections when giving evidence in court, while jurors will be educated on the complexities of abuse, under proposed court reforms to be introduced in NSW Parliament today. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the reforms will allow complainants in domestic violence criminal proceedings to give evidence in closed courts or remotely via audio-visual link. The changes build on existing arrangements for vulnerable witnesses, including child complainants and witnesses, sexual offence victims and those who are cognitively impaired. “Sitting in the witness box under the glare of a defendant would be understandably very

Victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and those who have been impacted by COVID-19 in Western NSWwill benefit from a funding boost to the state’s community legal assistance sector. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the NSW Government’s allocation of $5.43 million in Commonwealth funding to the State’s community legal centres will support people across Western NSW. “The global health and economic crises have had a profound impact on the Dubbo region, with people across our community facing job losses, tenancy issues and financial insecurity,” Mr Saunders said. “This funding injection will support our hard-working community legal centres,

Local Aboriginal communities are set to benefit from a share of the NSW Government’s donation of more than 700 digital thermometers to Aboriginal organisations across NSW to help them monitor and slow the spread of COVID-19. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said Transport for NSW donated the thermometers to support the work being carried out by a number of organisations who have a lead role in Aboriginal community health and other essential services. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, different parts of the NSW Government have been working together to manage the risk of the virus and assist people in

We are now less than a month away from the 2020 NSW Budget being handed down by the Treasurer. Every budget is important, but this year has taken on extra significance due to COVID-19, and the fact that everything we are doing as a government is being put on the credit card. The hard work done by this government to return the state to a surplus after 16 years of Labor incompetence has been wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic and our nation-leading response to it. But that doesn’t mean essential projects should be left behind. One of those essential