In the last couple of weeks my good friends and Parliamentary colleagues Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud, and the Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs Barnaby Joyce visited communities in the Noosa hinterland.
David and I met with representatives from the local groups in Cooroy and Pomona that received funding from the Australian Government to support their delivery of services and activities in the community.
David and I also were present at the very first graduation ceremony of PTSD Dogs Australia at the Cooroy RSL. We heard how this local organisation is transforming the lives of both dogs and people and I acknowledge Angie Weeks and her dedicated team for the work they do in rescuing dogs who rescue veterans and first responders.
PTSD Dogs Australia, Pomona Meals on Wheels, and the Cooroy-Pomona Lions Club, all received funding from the Volunteer Grants program. The Lions Club also received funding from the Saluting Their Service program to install a memorial seat and plaque at the Pomona Rotunda War Memorial. The Noosa Museum was awarded funding from the Stronger Communities Program, which will be used to protect their valuable data and pave the way for making their collection available to the wider public.
I regularly send out information about current and upcoming grant opportunities. Small grants can make a big difference, and I encourage community and service groups to contact my office and ensure they are included on my distribution list.
Barnaby Joyce also visited Wide Bay recently, and together we met with members of the Tewantin-Noosa, Cooroy Pomona, and Mary Valley RSL Sub Branches as part of our policy development process.
We had productive and wide ranging discussions with veterans on topics including mental health, drug and alcohol services, education, and advocacy, as well as DVA benefits and processing times. We came away with number of policy recommendations raised by Sub Branch members that merit further evaluation.
It is clear that we need to be doing more to support our veterans, ensuring the services they need are available to them. If Australia is to provide the programs and support that veterans who have served our nation need, we must examine policies that boost recruitment, incentivise military service, and improve transitional arrangements to help people move from military to civilian life.
It is easy for us to say thank you for your service to our veterans, but far harder to put in place the resources they need in civilian life. It shouldn’t be, and we need to fix this. It just needs the will to do it, and Barnaby and I have given our commitment to not give up the fight.
