Media Releases

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, is urging young people to take part in a Victorian Government online campaign aimed at protecting them and their peers from the pitfalls of social media.
“Tech-savvy young people know the benefits of social networking sites but often don’t think about the images and posts that can stay online and affect their lives in the future,” Mr Walsh said.
“The web is a great tool but if you’ve ever posted something inappropriate there’s a fair chance it may follow you wherever you go.”
The It’s There For Life! Campaign gives young people an opportunity to design the best way to get the message across that whatever is posted online can have a long term impact.
“Young people still have an opportunity to submit their entries to the It’s There For Life! competition with the closing date not until June 1,” Mr Walsh said.
“The competition gives young people the chance to come up with a design, image or video that reminds young people to think twice before sharing private photos or personal details online.”
“Young people need to remember that what they post can result in lost job opportunities and potentially impact on future relationships.
“Today, more people take to the web to Google prospective employees than ever before and we need to be mindful of images or posts that we’ve made online.”
The campaign to encourage young people to take care online includes
• a state-wide creative competition
• new cyber safety information sheets and
• targeted messages on the pitfalls of posting personal information online or sending it to others
“We’re not saying don’t post. What we are saying is think twice before you hit send,” Mr Walsh said.
For more information go to www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/cybersmarts

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, has welcomed the Victorian Government’s significant investment in funding for the backlog of school maintenance that has been identified in a comprehensive maintenance audit carried out last year.
In announcing the funding that will provide nine schools in the Swan Hill electorate with a total of $2,033,246 to address their maintenance issues Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said the funding has been provided as a result of a decade of Labor neglect.
“A complete picture of the state of our school buildings did not exist until this Victorian Coalition Government's building audit was carried out,” Mr Walsh said.
“Despite the billions spent on programs like Building the Education Revolution (BER), the audit revealed a massive $420 million maintenance backlog.
“Schools that have been identified as having facilities in a poor or worn condition will now be able to address those deficiencies resulting in all our government schools having higher standard infrastructure ensuring a quality educational environment for our teachers and students,” Mr Walsh said.
The nine schools that have received funding from this allocation are -
Donald High School - $165,720
Inglewood Primary School - $60,229
Kerang Technical High School - $730,482
Minyip Primary School - $3,338
Swan Hill Primary School - $120,000
Tyrell College - $218,255
Warracknabeal Primary School - $291,953
Warracknabeal Secondary College - $234,547
Warracknabeal Special Developmental School - $208,722
Education Minister, Martin Dixon, said the Government was committed to better building management in all 1,539 Government schools.
“The independent maintenance audit has given us a clear and consistent picture of school maintenance requirements so that funding is allocated to schools most in need of repair or rebuilding,” Mr Dixon said.
Mr Dixon said the Victorian Coalition Government was committed to fixing Victoria’s school capital and maintenance program to make sure every school gets the most out of every dollar.
Schools will be able to access their maintenance audit reports from Monday 22 April.
“The Government is developing a long-term project pipeline and a more transparent funding process so schools have more certainty when planning their infrastructure investments,” Mr Dixon said.

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, has welcomed the teacher’s pay and conditions agreement announced this week.
“This agreement is consistent with the Government’s wages policy, and will drive performance improvements. Mr Walsh said.
“The offer provides for a 3% salary increase in 2013, 2.75% in 2014 and 2.75% in 2015 with a $1000 sign-on bonus for all school staff,” he said.
“A more rigorous assessment of performance will mean automatic progression through the salary levels will no longer take place.
“This rigorous assessment of performance will result in students being the big winners from improved teacher quality,” Mr Walsh said.
“The automatic progression system, which saw just 39 of the State’s 42,000 teachers unsuccessful in moving up the pay scale in 2011, has not provided any incentive for our teachers to improve and has not managed poor performance very well in the past.
“Under this new agreement, Principals will also be able to make appointments purely on merit.
“I am also very pleased with the agreement encompassing education support staff who are a vital part of our education system,” Mr Walsh said.
“This is a great result for our schools, our teachers and our students,” he said. 

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, has welcomed the Coalition Government’s commitment to the School Crossing Supervisor Scheme.
In announcing funding today, Mr Walsh emphasized the importance of the program in ensuring the safety of children as they travel to and from school.
“Our priority is keeping Victorians safe and the importance of the School Crossing Supervisor Scheme and the safety of our youngest road users is extremely high on the Government’s agenda,” Mr Walsh said.
“By increasing funding for the program from $9.7 million to $10.5 million we can all have confidence that this highly successful program will continue to provide the best possible protection for our children on the roads near our schools.
“This funding boost will enable the existing 2,797 supervisor subsidies across the state to continue and will also allow for additional supervisors in identified areas of need,” he said.
Responsibility for the placement of supervisors is in the hands of the local Councils as they are best situated to make the decisions as to where these positions are most needed.
“All Councils in the Swan Hill electorate currently receiving supervisor subsidies have received funding boosts,” Mr Walsh said.
“This means that Loddon Shire’s two school crossing supervisors have been secured as have Swan Hill Council’s seven supervisors, Buloke Shire’s three supervisors, Gannawarra’s four supervisors and the Northern Grampians Shire’s six supervisors.
“The extra funding to these Councils will pay for additional costs associated with operating the program.
“It is very significant that since 2002 no child has died at a flagged school crossing indicating the importance of the School Crossing Supervisor Scheme,” Mr Walsh said.
In a road safety first for Australia VicRoads has developed two e-books and games for children, to promote the themes of walking to school safely and the importance of booster seats.
The e-books and apps bring to life two storybooks – “That’s the Sound the Street Makes” and “Click Clack”, written by renowned Australian author Danny Katz and beautifully illustrated by Mitch Vane.
The electronic app versions of the stories are filled with sounds, animations, and hidden surprises, allowing children to read along with the in-built narration and watch each page come to life with interactive scenes and characters.
In promoting the road safety message for our children, Mr Walsh also emphasized the need for drivers to be aware of school zone speed limits.
“Children can be unpredictable and difficult to see,” Mr Walsh said.
“Drivers must take extra care around schools so that these most vulnerable of road users are protected.
“A small reduction in speed can dramatically increase the chance of a child surviving if hit by a car.”

Several schools in the Swan Hill electorate will share in more than $41 million to help students who are falling behind to improve their literacy and numeracy.
Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said that schools including the Son Centre Christian School Swan Hill, Our Lady Help of Christians School Murtoa and the two St Joseph’s Schools in Kerang and Charlton are some from throughout the electorate who will benefit from the funding injection.
“These schools are among 309 from across Victoria which are receiving funding under the National Partnership Funding scheme and which builds on the investment of over $740 million over four years the Victorian Coalition Government has directed towards literacy and numeracy support,” Mr Walsh said.
Education Minister Martin Dixon said the partnership would provide significant benefits to the region’s students.
“This is a boost for those students who need extra support in literacy and numeracy,” Mr Dixon said.
“Schools will be able to run additional programs to help students who are falling behind in literacy and numeracy.
“While Victoria always performs well in literacy and numeracy compared with other states, the Victorian Government is aiming higher – we want to be among the global top tier of education systems. This is another step towards that goal.”
Mr Walsh said the schools will receive their funding from the start of Term 2.
“Victoria’s self-managing schools are best placed to decide how to use the funding to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes at their school and the Victorian Government will support them to select appropriate programs,” Mr Walsh said.
“Programs range from coaching to support leadership and quality literacy and numeracy teaching, professional learning programs to build knowledge, and teacher-led research to identify the specific needs of their students and way to address these effectively.
“A quarter of the schools to receiving funding will develop and trial innovative literacy and numeracy curricula with support from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. This work will subsequently be made available to all schools.
“The National Partnership funding complements the Victorian Coalition Government’s range of initiatives already in place to support student performance, including $24.3 million to recruit 100 new maths and science specialists, 100 scholarships to encourage university science graduates into teaching, and $2.5 million School Specialisation Grants program, which enabled 25 schools to specialise in a field of their choice,” Mr Walsh said.

Young readers in the Swan Hill electorate can this month join a challenge being taken on by thousands of young people across Victoria during this year’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge.
Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said the Victorian Government is providing funding to our local Councils and Libraries so that they can buy the hundreds of books needed to help readers meet the Challenge.
In total, more than $415,000 in funding and tens of thousands of books will flow from the Premiers’ Reading Challenge to councils and library corporations.
Buloke Shire Council will receive $5772, Swan Hill Rural City Council $7621, Gannawarra Council $6304 and the Wimmera Regional Library Corporation $30,356 to assist them in the Challenge.
“Developing a regular habit of reading on a daily basis is just as important today as it ever was,” Mr Walsh said.
“It can be a great source of enjoyment and will open up a whole new world to the reader.”
The Premiers’ Reading Challenge encourages students to read a minimum number of books before 12 September including many from a recommended reading list.
This year, for the first time, pre-school children are involved and are challenged to read 40 books, Prep to Grade 2 students are challenged to read 30 books and readers in grades 3 to 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
Books can also be read in languages other than English.
Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell, said the Premiers’ Reading Challenge encourages young people to enjoy reading and to make it a daily habit.
“Get along to the local library during the coming school holidays and get a head start on this year’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge,” Mrs Powell said.
“Students who accept and meet the challenge will get a signed certificate of achievement from the Premier of Victoria and hopefully have some fun while they’re reading.”
For more information and to register for the 2013 Premiers’ Reading Challenge visit www.education.vic.gov.au/prc.

For three days in July this year, young Victorians will find themselves sitting in the seat of power, raising issues and making recommendations that may subsequently influence legislation, as part of this year’s Victorian YMCA Youth Parliament.
The Youth Parliament will give 120 young people aged 16 to 25 the opportunity to be in the driving seat and have their say.
“Youth Parliament is one of the key mechanisms for young Victorians to directly inform the Government on matters that affect them,” Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said.
“In the past many bills that have been put forward by young Parliamentarians have gone on to influence changes to the law, including the mandatory wearing of bike helmets, nightclub safety reforms and the zero blood alcohol limit for those accompanying learner drivers.”
Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith said the Victorian Government had increased funding to support the popular program and to encourage even greater participation among rural and regional young people.
“As part of our youth statement Engage, Involve, Create, the Coalition Government has committed to providing opportunities for young people to get involved in their community and the decision-making.
“It's important that we hear about issues that are important to all young people from across Victoria. Youth Parliament is an excellent program to promote these discussions,” he said.
As part of the program, participants take part in a nine-day residential training camp which culminates in them formally debating bills in Victorian Parliamentary Chambers and handing them to the Minister for Youth Affairs for the Government’s consideration.
The 2013 Youth Parliament will sit between 9am – 4pm from 1 - 4 July with applications closing on 29 March.
These can be downloaded from www.victoria.ymca.org.au or www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au

Laura Carmichael from St Mary MacKillop College in Swan Hill is one of 10 Victorian secondary school students to secure a place on this year’s Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize overseas study tour.
Member for Swan Hill Peter Walsh today extended his congratulations Laura, who will be spending her Term 1 school holidays visiting Gallipoli, the Western Front in Europe and, for the first time, Barendrecht in the Netherlands.
“In the lead-up to Centenary of Anzac, the Victorian government is proud to be associated with a competition that inspires younger generations of Victorians to learn more about the service history of Australians, especially our Anzac legends,” Mr Walsh said.
“By exploring battlefields and delving into the stories of Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice, these young Victorians will discover the Anzac spirit for themselves.”
“The students will receive expert guidance from Bruce Scates, Professor of History and Australian Studies at Monash University, as they visit significant Anzac sites and delve into Australia’s overseas military history.
“What better way to encourage young Victorians to learn about the impact of war,” Mr Walsh said.
Students entering the 2012-2013 competition were asked: To what extent is the Anzac spirit relevant to life in Australia today? and What can it teach us about the Australia we want for the future?
Laura submitted a moving essay detailing many acts of bravery during historic conflicts and the efforts taken by local communities to commemorate these courageous Anzacs.
Laura and the other prize winners will also get the chance to share their overseas Anzac tour discoveries with friends and family on the Spirit of Anzac tour blog http://spiritofanzactour2013.blogspot.com.au/
Mr Walsh said that through the Prize the Victorian Government was committed to providing even more opportunities for students to learn from Australia’s proud military history.
“That’s why we’re delighted to announce that entries are now open for this year’s competition for the overseas study tour. So if you’re a Year 9 or 10 Victorian student keen to get on board a trip of a lifetime, it’s time to get cracking,” Mr Walsh said.

Parents are being encouraged to look at ways to reinvigorate their child’s journey to school as an effective response to preventable diseases like diabetes and obesity.
Peter Walsh, Member for Swan Hill, said it was important to find ways for children to get the recommended minimum 60 minutes of physical activity each day and riding, walking, scooting or skating to and from school was a great way to do it.
“Each school day we see our roads busy with cars doing the school run,” Mr Walsh said.
“However, many of the kids in these cars are being driven relatively short distances to school, trips that can easily ridden or walked, and are missing out on a great chance for some exercise.
“Australia has seen a steep decline in childhood physical activity rates in recent years with only 20% of children walking or riding to school today compared with more than 80% just thirty or so years ago.
“By building a physical activity habit into a child’s journey to school it will eventually contribute to them getting the amount of physical exercise they need each day without really thinking about it – it just becomes normal.
“Children who develop a healthy, active lifestyle when they are young are much more likely to maintain those habits in adulthood, something that is critical with obesity levels among adult Australians now reaching alarming levels,” Mr Walsh said.
To encourage increased levels of physical activity, Mr Walsh said many schools were participating in this year’s annual National Ride2School Day on Friday, March 22, - one of Australia’s largest celebrations of active travel.
“National Ride2School Day is great opportunity for children, parents and teachers to get a taste of just how easy and how much fun riding or walking to school can be,” Mr Walsh said.
Parents looking for advice, strategies, tips and further information on active travel can visit the Ride2School website at www.ride2school.com.au

Donald will soon be home to a $2.6 million early learning centre, Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Wendy Lovell and Acting Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Walsh announced today.
The Donald Family Services Centre is due to open in February 2015, and will provide access to high-quality kindergarten, long daycare, playgroup, parenting support, maternal and child health, and early childhood intervention services.
The project has been made possible thanks to a $1.5 million investment by the Victorian Coalition Government, comprising a $1.04 million Children’s Capital Grant and $500,000 from the Regional Growth Fund.
Buloke Shire Council contributed $800,000.
“Bringing these services together under one roof is a great outcome for local families,” Ms Lovell said.
“Not only is it more convenient for families, it also means a child’s progress can be better monitored, ensuring any issues are identified and addressed early on.
“Donald has an exceptional record for kindergarten attendance, with figures showing 100 per cent of eligible children attended kindergarten in 2012, and 100 per cent are enrolled for 2013,” Ms Lovell said.
Mr Walsh said the project was a great example of the Coalition Government working in partnership with communities to deliver services to regional families.
“Regional Victoria has strong growth prospects with the population expected to almost double by 2056, with up to 700,000 additional residents, so improving access to services is vital,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Coalition Government is proud to invest in infrastructure, services and facilities like the Donald Family Services Centre that contribute to a great quality of life, health and prosperity for regional Victorians.
Ms Lovell and Mr Walsh also congratulated the Donald Kindergarten Committee of Management and the Donald community for their generous contributions towards this project.
“It’s fantastic to see local families rolling up their sleeves and raising funds to ensure this project gets off to a flying start,” Ms Lovell said.
Mr Walsh said the efforts of the community should not be underestimated.
“The broader community raised $50,000 for this project while the Donald Kindergarten raised $30,000, a wonderful effort in a town of this size,” Mr Walsh said.
Construction is due to start later this year.