From Rebecca's Desk
Djilba Edition
Welcome to the Djilba (August/September) edition of the Albany Update!
Djilba is the Noongar season represented by the colour pink, symbolising the growth of wildflowers. It is a transitional time of year, with cold, clear and sunny skies, as well as warmer, rainy and windy days.
I am so looking forward to the Springtime sun, but not to swooping magpies, so please keep a look out when you are out walking and enjoying our beautiful Albany coastline and hinterland.
Spencer Park: I'm Listening!
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent community engagement events in Bayonet Head and Middleton Beach. It's always fabulous to gain insight into the issues that matter to you as residents.
Our next event will be held at Spencer Park on 29 October 2022 from 2.00pm to 3.00pm at Mokare Park. Join me for a coffee and a chat about the issues that matter to you. I'm here to listen! Grab a free coffee and an ice-cream for the kids, who will be entertained by Jamie the Clown, while we chat. See you there!
If you can't make it along, please provide your feedback in a short survey accessible via this QR code:
Free Period Products for Public High Schools
We're providing free period products for every public secondary school across WA! I'm so excited to be part of the Government delivering this fabulous initiative. I know how much having access to free period products will help young women address period poverty and stigma.
Having your period should not be a barrier to a good education. Period products are a fundamental health necessity, but the cost and the stigma associated with them means many students do not have access to the items they need while at school.
Evidence shows that improving access to tampons and pads keeps students engaged in education, improves public health outcomes, and helps them reach their full potential.
A procurement process will soon get underway for the provision of free period products for students in Years Seven to 12 in public secondary schools across the State.
Go Local Raffle: Supporting Local Business
My new small business-focused initiative - the Go Local Raffle - promotes local small enterprises in our community.
As a previous small business owner, I am delighted to be supporting local small enterprises by purchasing one $50.00 voucher per month to be won.
An Albany resident will be picked at random from my Facebook page to receive the voucher to be redeemed that month.
My inaugural Go Local business with the amazing Espresso One, was won by Paul Favas (left). Congratulations, Paul!
Mount Lockyer Primary Official Opening
I was very pleased to accompany the Premier Mark McGowan recently to officially open the redeveloped Mount Lockyer Primary School.
It's a huge educational transformation and one that I know will set local school children on a positive and successful pathway.
More information about Mount Lockyer Primary's redevelopment can be found here:
https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/.../Redeveloped...
Proposed Youth Foyer for Albany
I recently attended a National Youth Foyer conference with a range of Albany-based experts who work with young people locally with the aim of learning more about the Foyer concept of youth housing. With plans to establish a Youth Foyer in Albany underway, I was keen to learn more.
In Albany, Advance Housing and the Albany Youth Support Association have plans to purpose-build a youth accommodation facility in a bid to tackle homelessness. The Foyer model brings together accommodation and support services for at-risk youth under one roof. It's a model that is proven to be successful internationally, with 15 Youth Foyers now established across Australia. I have seen first-hand the barriers young people at-risk face and am excited about the prospect of a Youth Foyer developing in Albany.
Belt Up Soccer Balls
It was great to present some of the Albany Junior Soccer Association clubs with Belt Up branded footballs recently.
Thank you to Football West - Great Southern and the Insurance Commission of Western Australia for reinforcing the important road safety message of wearing a seat belt.
Food Insecurity Research
Alongside two of my parliamentary colleagues, Ayor Makur Chuot and Neil Thomson, I recently conducted research across Albany and the Great Southern region, visiting and meeting with children and young people to discuss the food insecurity issues they face.
A key recurring theme that stood out was the value of volunteers to the efforts of community groups providing services to young people facing poverty.
There are more regional visits in the pipeline but, in the meantime, children and young people can make a submission to the enquiry here: Parliament of WA Web
Equal Opportunity Act Reform
It was an honour to be the Acting Speaker recently when WA Attorney-General John Quigley tabled a report in Parliament regarding Equal Opportunity law reform.
As Premier Mark McGowan said, "Every Western Australian deserves to live their life free from unlawful discrimination. No matter who you are, where you come from, how you identify or who you love. WA’s Equal Opportunity Act was nation-leading when it was introduced by the then Labor Government in 1984. It outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, pregnancy, family responsibility or family status, race, religion, impairment, and age across much of public life – including in the workplace.
It was one of the most significant social reforms in our State’s history – something everyone was proud of. However, while there have been updates and amendments over the years, these laws were passed nearly 40 years ago.
Australian values and community expectations have progressed a fair bit since the 80’s.
Other jurisdictions have passed legislation since then, and now it’s fair to say WA’s anti-discrimination laws are frankly outdated. We can do better.
So in 2019, Attorney-General John Quigley asked the Law Reform Commission to review the Act and make recommendations on how to improve it. The review generated a great deal of public interest and over 900 written submissions. The Commission’s report has been tabled in Parliament, making 163 recommendations and we broadly accept most of them. Importantly, however, we accept the recommendation to draft a new modern Equal Opportunity Act for Western Australia. The new Act will bring WA into line with other states and territories, so we have modern, fair and effective anti-discrimination laws that make it easier for the community – whether individuals, employers or service providers – to understand both their own rights and obligations to others.
There’s more work to go drafting the legislation and coming to some final policy positions, but there are a few important changes I can commit to:
- Protecting family and domestic violence victims from discrimination.
- Introducing anti-vilifications laws.
- Strengthening protections for LGBTIQ+ staff and students in religious schools.
- Removing the outdated “disadvantage test” for sexual harassment complaints, which is in line with the recent FIFO sexual harassment report.
- Providing anti-discrimination protections to trans, gender-diverse and non-binary Western Australians without requiring them to undergo a surgical or medical procedure.
- Extending the prohibition against sexual and racial harassment to members of Parliament and Parliament staff, judicial officers and court staff, local government councillors and staff, and unpaid or volunteer workers.
Most Western Australians would agree these are reasonable, common sense reforms. We’ll have more to say in the months ahead as drafting gets underway. Our great State shouldn’t just be strong and successful – we should always be fair."
Book and Toy Drive
Every child in every community deserves a fair go. National Child Protection Week runs from 4-10 September 2022, to remind us how everyone in the community can play a role in keeping children safe and supported.
Thank you to everyone who has delivered books and toys to my office for children in foster care. It is greatly appreciated.
Donations can still be dropped into my office at 348 Middleton Loop, Albany, by close of business Friday September 2, 2022. If you have any queries, please contact my office directly on 9841 8799.
The RRRs of Albany: Women's Sundowner Event
Don't miss this fabulous Great Southern event brought to you by the Albany Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Great Southern Development Commission in collaboration with RRR -The Rural, Regional, Remote Women's Network of Western Australia.
Hear from three women (including myself) who are shaping the landscape of Albany and listen to their career stories about how they navigated pathways to success.
- 5:30pm, Thursday 8 September 2022
- The White Star Hotel, Albany
- $35 per person, including a glass of bubbles or mocktail and canapes
- Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-rrr-s-of-albany-sundowner
RAT Kits Available
If you, your family or your Albany-based community or sporting group require RAT kits, please contact my office on 9841 8799. We have a consignment to distribute to the community on behalf of the WA Government.
Covid-19 Vaccination
To book your family's Covid-19 vaccinations, if you have not already done so, please visit: Albany COVID-19 vaccination community clinic (rollup.wa.gov.au)
Rebecca Stephens MLA | Member for Albany