Are you a member of an incorporated association? If so, are you or your group aware that there is new legislation governing community groups - the Associations Incorporation Bill 2009 which was introduced on 7 April this year. The new laws improve accountability and financial stability governing community services and groups. Incorporated groups can include community groups such as sporting and interest clubs, service clubs and non-government organisations. Click on the link to view the Explanatory Notes and to view the legislation click on Associations Incorporation Bill 2009 Live in a Retirement Village? Perhaps you have a relative or friend who lives in a village? The Public Consultation Draft Retirement Villages Regulation 2009 and the Regulatory Impact Statement will be of interest. Click on Retirement Villages. You can also comment on the Regulation. Comments close 4 November 2009. If you need to be appointed as a JP, either within your local community or in your employment, click here to download an application form. Posted 06 October 2009 The "Surface Coal Mining Prohibition (Lake Macquarie) Bill 2009" is a serious attempt to remove any possibility of a mining operation in Lake Macquarie that would appear as, or have elements, reminiscent of open-cut mining. While the Government has attempted to remove this option by way of SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007 and a subsequent amendment in 2009, the now withdrawn Olstan Auger Mine proposal by Centennial Coal created doubt as to variations on mining methodology that may be still permissible under the SEPP, but unacceptable to the public and not intended by the SEPP. Centennial Coal's withdrawal of the proposal while welcome, meant, that advice being sought from Legal Counsel by the Department of Planning on this question was discontinued. This Bill will I believe resolve the matter unequivocally. Greg Piper Posted 23 September 2009 A Southlake Integrated Health Care Facility The campaign for a major new health care facility including sub acute beds and a raft of other medical services has taken a big step forward with a report by the Southlake Integrated Health Care Committee. (SIHCC) Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper and Committee President John Quinlan jointly announced the completion of a comprehensive study into the health care needs of the Morisset area. "A new hospital was a key part of my election policy," Mr Piper said. "Since the public meeting I convened in 2007 John and our committee have worked hard and consulted widely to produce this viable proposal for an integrated health care facility." "This report presents a compelling case for a fully integrated public/private health facility - a one stop shop for a broad range of health care needs," Mr Quinlan said. In addition to sub acute beds, services would include day surgery, X-ray and CT scans, physiotherapy, children's and youth services, mental health and dental services. The recent report of the National Health and Hospitals Commission strongly supports the model proposed by SIHCC, which will bring together primary and allied health care services in one location and will: provide rehabilitation services not readily available in acute care hospitals provide appropriate transition care for older people to prevent unnecessary admission to nursing homes ease the demand for acute care hospital beds for people who are too ill to be cared for at home but who still need medical supervision. The committee's investigation of census data shows that the median age in the catchment is five years above the national average and the median income is 20% below average. Also, residential growth is above average and the population could reach 50,000 over the next twenty years. "At the outset, the community voiced the difficulty of accessing hospital and specialist services in the Southlake area where residential growth and the ageing of the population are above the national average," Mr Quinlan added. "The committee's aim is now to bring this matter before the decision-makers and together with John Quinlan I will be presenting this compelling report to the Premier and the Minister for Health," Mr Piper said. The services that should be provided by the Southlake Integrated Health Care Facility are listed on the following below. Services Proposed for an Integrated Health Care Facility at Morisset Primary Health Care and Services GP clinics and out of hours service Non-complex imaging and diagnostics, scans (X-ray, CT, ultrasound, bone density) and scopes (endoscopy, biopsy) Specialist and out-patient clinics Basic treatments and nurse-care (wound dressing, inoculations etc) Minor procedures (minor fractures, cuts) Children's services Youth services Specialised services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Mental health services Physiotherapy Speech therapy Dental services Ambulatory day care/ respite care to support carers looking after seriously ill or infirm people at home Community care services for those with ongoing health issues but for whom hospitalisation is not appropriate. This particularly relates to frail aged people and includes assessment programs, dementia monitoring, wound dressing and podiatry services Specific chronic disease programs, both educational and treatment, for conditions such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis, respiratory diseases/smoking cessation, drug and alcohol treatments, mental health programs, sexual health Pre natal and post natal services, recognizing that birthing will normally occur at a major hospital. In some circumstances new mothers may utilise transition beds for short periods Multi-disciplinary outreach teams ("hospital in the home" and palliative care) Pharmacy Voluntary support and carers facilities Community health care library Social services eg financial counselling Sub acute hospital care Urgent Care Centre (as opposed to full accident and emergency) Day procedures / day surgery unit Treatment programs delivering chemotherapy, kidney dialysis Full diagnostics including radiological services Step-down, rehabilitation and GP beds for those recovering from a major acute event such as heart attack, stroke or major surgery such as joint replacement; either as an external patient or as a transition inpatient; using the services of physiotherapists and other consultants in a facility that includes a range of exercise equipment, treatment benches and hydrotherapy Palliative care Mental health unit (step-up and step down) Mortuary Posted 23 September 2009 Greg Piper Announces Bill to Ban Surface Mining Greg Piper, Member for Lake Macquarie, today announced his Surface Coal Mining Prohibition (Lake Macquarie) Bill 2009. The Private Members Bill will apply a simplified definition of underground coal mining to the Lake Macquarie local government area and it will prohibit all other forms of coal mining. According to Mr Piper, this will achieve what the Government set out to do when it introduced the State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007. "The Bill simply defines mining by its location - either underground or on the surface," Mr Piper said. "This makes arguments about particular processes irrelevant and it removes technical or semantic arguments about large access pits." According to Mr Piper, the Bill is in response to the uncertainty of whether a recent contentious application for an auger mine near Blackalls Park was permissible or prohibited. The Bill will provide a clear definition and it will give much stronger protection than the existing State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP). "The SEPP allowed debate on whether the recent proposal for surface auger mining was permissible. There were many requests for clarification that went unanswered," Mr Piper said. "An Act of Parliament will provide the certainty that the SEPP didn't." "Environmental damage and possible public health impacts from surface mining are huge concerns for people in this area," Mr Piper added. "The Government intended the 2007 SEPP to protect against this, but a new Act will provide greater certainty." Posted 11 September 2009 Greg Piper Warns of Privatised Power Prices Greg Piper, Member for Lake Macquarie, says that on top of July's 14% increase for domestic electricity, Energy Australia proposes a 24% increase for 2011, followed by 10%, 12% and 10% from 2012 to 2014. "These proposed increases appear not to follow any anticipated increases in the cost of producing the state's electricity, but they would certainly make electricity retailers an attractive purchase," Mr Piper said. "It has been reported today that Energy Australia will be sold to the highest bidder," Mr Piper said. "These huge increases will be a gift to the new owners and the proceeds of the sale would be a one-off bonus for a cash-strapped Government." "Bolstering the profitability of retailers like this cannot be in best long term interest of customers," Mr Piper added. " A cynic might suggest the proceeds of the sale will effectively fund the Government's 'war-chest' for the next election." "People are concerned about privatisation increasing electricity prices and this looks like what's happening," Mr Piper said. "I think that the Government is treating people with contempt by privatising retailers without even referring it to Parliament." Posted 11 September 2009 Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange Should be Top Priority Greg Piper, Member for Lake Macquarie, last night told Parliament that constructing the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange should be a priority. In his speech, Mr Piper said that the new transport interchange would provide direct rail and road access to an existing major retail centre, a regional athletics facility and a major employment zone. According to Mr Piper, a new railway station at Glendale would immediately attract some 1,500 users each day and this could grow to 6,000 by 2031. "Stockland has advised Lake Macquarie City Council that the interchange would allow it to further develop its Glendale site, creating more than 2,780 jobs and doubling retail floor space," Mr Piper said. "The interchange would be great for commuters and it would be great for local jobs." "Glendale is at the geographic and demographic centre of the Lower Hunter," Mr Piper said. "Under government policy it will have 8,000 new jobs and 5,000 new dwellings by 2031." "The Cardiff industrial area employs some 16,000 people," Mr Piper said. "A new road from Pennant Street to Glendale Drive would help business by improving access to the F3, the Pacific Highway and the Port of Newcastle." "So much attention has been paid to the Newcastle rail line, when the greatest benefit to public transport can be provided at Lake Macquarie," he said. "Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have interlocking transport needs and there's an increasing need for improved public transport for both areas." The text of Mr Piper's speech can be found here.
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