Merry Christmas!
It has been a big year for our Region and State, and I look forward to working for you and our community in 2025. Wishing you and your family a safe and happy festive season.
Time for a break!
The Whitsunday Electorate Office will be closed from Saturday, December 21, reopening on Monday, January 6, 2025.
For urgent matters please leave a message on 4845 3100 or email whitsunday@parliament.qld.gov.au and we will respond as soon as possible.
Please ensure that if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation that you call 000 immediately.
Need some support these holidays?
We know that the holidays aren’t always a merry time for everyone. There are some support services ready to lend a hand:
Mackay Salvos 4957 3576
St Vincent De Paul Mackay 4957 6253
Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre 4946 7850
Whitsunday Foodbank Proserpine 0439 730 790
Whitsunday Foodbank Mackay 0448 138 835
For some financial and emergency assistance:
Salvos Financial Support 3001 6288
Lifeline 13 11 14
DVConnect Womensline 1800 811 811
DVConnect Mensline 1800 600 636
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Uniting Care Community Mackay 1300 096 203
Women's Legal Service 1800 957 957
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
Veterans Support Service 1800 011 046
Making Queensland Safer - Now Law
The Making Queensland Safer Laws are now in place.
As your local Member, I was proud to stand alongside my LNP colleagues in Parliament to vote for these laws.
The Making Queensland Safer Laws will help restore safety where you live. They will see tough, common-sense measures returned to the Youth Justice Act.
The Making Queensland Safer Laws will ensure:
The rights of victims now take priority over the rights of young criminals.
Young offenders can now receive adult sentences for serious crimes.
Detention for young offenders is no longer a last resort.
Young people will be kept on track with new early intervention and rehabilitation programs.
These new laws make it clear to youth offenders that there will be consequences for criminal behaviour.
Judges will now have greater authority to impose sentences that meet community expectations and keep violent offenders off our streets. Additionally, they give our hardworking police officers the tools they need to keep our communities safe.
These new laws deliver on our promise to take action to restore safety where you live. They will make Queensland a safer place for all of us.
But that's not all. Once you're out of jail, we want to help you stay out.
Our Staying on Track program represents a $175 million investment providing 12-month post release support, where an NGO will work directly with young people before they even leave youth detention, to help bridge the transition back into the community. This offers the all important support network that we know is critical to preventing offenders from relapsing back into a life of crime.
We are also proud to present our Regional Reset Programs, a $50 million investment in nine early intervention residential programs to provide 24/7 intensive support for at risk young people who require a higher level of care than community-based programs are able to provide.
Circuit Breaker Sentencing will provide $80 million towards three to six month rehabilitation programs as an alternative to detention – because while detention shouldn’t be a last resort, we recognise that it is not always the most appropriate option either.
And finally, our Gold Standard Early Intervention program will invest in community-led initiatives focusing on reducing crime, boosting education, training, and/or employment. Because busy kids don’t have time to be on the streets.
To find out how these new laws will help restore safety, visit qld.gov.au/MakingQLD-Safer
2025 Queensland Greats Awards
Show your Queensland pride and nominate an outstanding Queenslander or Queensland institution today for the 2025 Queensland Greats Awards.
The Queensland Greats Awards recognises and honours extraordinary individuals and institutions who have made a meaningful contribution to, or whose achievements have significantly impacted, the history and development of Queensland.
These awards have recognised Queenslanders at the top of the national and international stage in the fields of sport, arts, science, philanthropy, and business for more than 20 years.
A total of 154 Queensland Greats have been recognised across 24 years. Who will be our next Queensland Greats? Nominations close 5pm, Monday 17 February 2025.
The awards are open to individuals (including posthumous) and institutions.
For more information visit www.qld.gov.au/qldgreats.
Please contact my office to nominate an exceptional Queenslander!
Inquiry Into Volunteering In QLD
About the inquiry
The current state of volunteering in Queensland and the value it contributes, including benefits to volunteers, organisations, communities and the State;
The views of volunteers, prospective volunteers and the volunteering sector on the current barriers to volunteering, including excessive legislative and regulatory burdens and other restrictions adversely limiting active volunteers;
The current experiences, motivations and challenges for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations and their recommendations for addressing challenges and improving the volunteering experience;
The unique challenges experienced by people from diverse backgrounds, genders, age groups, abilities and locations, and opportunities to improve volunteering participation, accessibility and experience for these groups;
The extent, effectiveness and efficiency of current government support at all levels for the volunteering sector in Queensland and sustainable opportunities for improvement;
Opportunities for the Queensland Government to leverage all portfolios to support growth in volunteering across Queensland, including through hosting the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
Opportunities to increase emergency response volunteering in Queensland, including how to optimise the engagement, support and integration of volunteers assisting with natural disasters and community recovery;
First Nations peoples volunteering, including in remote and discrete communities, and the role of First Nations volunteering in Closing the Gap; and
Any other relevant matters, including academic and other diverse sources, and any relevant reports and reviews at the national level and across other states and territories.
Call for submissions
The committee invites submissions addressing any aspect of the inquiry from all interested parties.
Guidelines for making a submission to a parliamentary committee are available here. Please ensure your submission meets these requirements.
The closing date for written submissions is 5pm, Friday 28 February 2025.
How to make a submission
Click here to make a submission.
Through this link, you can write your submission or upload a file containing your written submission.
