From Rebecca's Desk 

Makuru Edition

Welcome to the Makuru (June/July) edition of the Albany Update!

Makuru is the winter period in the Noongar seasonal calendar across southern WA. The coldest and wettest time of the year, Makuru is the season of fertility and occurs around June and July.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Makuru was, traditionally, a good time of the year to move back inland from the coast as "the winds turned to the west and south bringing the cold weather, rains and occasionally snow on the peaks of the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges."

"Makuru is also a time for a lot of animals to be pairing up in preparation for breeding in the coming season. If you look carefully, you might now see pairs of 'Wardongs' (ravens) flying together. You also notice these pairs not making the usual 'ark ark arrrrrk' that these birds are well known for when flying solo."

"Flowers ... starting to emerge include the blues and purples of the Blueberry Lilly (Dianella revoluta) and the Purple Flags (Patersonia occidentalis). As the season comes to a close, you should also start to notice the white flowers of the weeping peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) as the blues start to make way for the white and cream flowers of Djilba."

Bayonet Head: I'm Listening!

Join me on Friday 15 July from 2-3pm at Lange Park, Bayonet Head for a coffee and a chat about the issues that matter to you. I'm coming 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, please let me know your thoughts and feedback in a short survey accessible via this QR code:

Go Local Raffle: Supporting Local Business

I am really excited to announce my new small business-focused initiative - the Go Local Raffle, promoting 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 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 is the amazing Espresso One, so keep an eye on my Facebook page for your chance to win a $50 voucher!

Education Update

I was very pleased to host Minister Sue Ellery in Albany recently. In one day, we visited:

• Albany TAFE to learn more about the new suite of automation equipment on offer;
• Albany Primary School for an update on the Your Move programme and watched students enjoy using their pump (bike) track; 
• the construction site of the new Performing Arts Centre at Albany Senior High School; and 
• the op-shop and upcycled furniture enterprises at Worklink. 

Minister Ellery's visit demonstrated how Albany is offering the very best educational opportunities to our local young people.

Great Southern Volunteer Conference

I was delighted to sponsor seven wonderful local volunteers to attend the Great Southern Volunteer Conference on 25 June at The City of Albany. Six attended in-person, while one attended virtually from Wellstead. Thank you to the organisers.

Southern Art and Craft Art Trail Mural Project

As part of the 2022 Southern Art and Craft Art Trail, leaders and members of the Albany Karen community gathered in June at the Electorate Office I share with Minister Alannah MacTiernan to meet with local artist, Renee Tan, and arts coordinator, Nat Rad. Together, they set the parameters for the development of a mural project, which will culminate in a large artwork being applied to an external wall of the Middleton Loop office.

The mural will be completed by late September this year and launched during the Southern Art and Craft Trail. This strong, proud community of people is making its mark on Albany and I am delighted to work alongside them as they share their culture and tell the stories of their journey from Burma to Albany.

Wellstead CRC Visit

Last week, with my team, I hit the road to visit Wellstead to present a Lotterywest certificate for $3000 to the team at Wellstead Community Resource Centre Inc. The grant will go towards developing the community garden, which is full of stunning native plants, providing much-needed shade in the summer months.

South Stirling Primary School Story Time

It was such a pleasure to visit South Stirling Primary School to read a story to the children in their newly-refurbished library, following the school's receipt of $10,000 towards the project from the McGowan Labor government. Thank you for inviting me, South Stirlings Primary School!

Vale, Paul Lionetti

It was with a heavy heart that I spoke in the Parliament of Western Australia recently in honour of my friend and mentor, Paolo Lionetti. 

To watch my tribute in Parliament on the occasion of Paul's passing, please visit here: Rebecca Stephens Member for Albany 90 second statement for Paul Lionetti - YouTube

To view the Hansard record, visit here: A41 S1 20220616 p2970a-2970a.pdf (parliament.wa.gov.au)

Railways Playground Upgrades

Recently, I caught up with Railways' Football and Sporting Club President, Andrew Want, and club players to celebrate the completion of the club's new children's playground. Complementing the new digital scoreboard, courtesy of Mark McGowan's Labor government investment of $94k, the playground is an amazing space for children to utilise and enjoy.

The club is about to embark on a major redevelopment, which includes significant upgrades to the clubrooms. The team at Railways has worked tirelessly to secure funding to see this project come to life. I look forward to watching the club's transformation. 

School Civics Presentation

Great Southern Grammar invited me to speak with students of the school recently as part of the Humanities curriculum in which they learn about Australian Government. I shared with the students my personal story and pathway to becoming the first elected woman Member for Albany. 

The students were very interested in understanding the diverse role of an elected Member of Parliament and asked a range of questions. 

Thank you to the fabulous people in the Parliament of Western Australia Education Team for the resources.

I am always happy to visit schools and community groups in Albany, so please reach out to my office via rebecca.stephens@mp.wa.gov.au to request a visit from me.

Putting Patients First: Health Update

I am proud to be a member of the McGowan Labor Government that is putting patients first, delivering upgrades at our regional hospitals, ensuring regional patients have access to quality healthcare, closer to home.

In making sure our public hospitals have new and modern facilities and equipment,

the McGowan Government is investing in a $251.7 million major reform programme to improve access to emergency care and address the systemic causes of ambulance ramping. This is a key priority for the government.

We are delivering significant investment in health and mental health infrastructure and better, more innovative services with improved access for all. This includes an eight-chair general dental clinic in Albany with an investment of $13 million.

A face-to-face visiting neurology clinic has been established at Albany Health Campus by the Western Australian Country Health Service in conjunction with Fiona Stanley Hospital. Additionally, the McGowan Government has invested more than $13.1 million for Albany's radiation oncology service project, now under construction and due for completion in 2022.

Bringing services closer to home for the community of Albany is all about putting patients first.

Telehealth Services

During the global pandemic, my nephew, William, commenced telehealth appointments with a Speech Therapist. He loves his one-on-one time with the therapist and is so much more engaged and comfortable having these appointments at home, in his own environment. William is making remarkable progress, now looks forward to his sessions, and is more willing to do his homework and assigned exercises between his weekly appointments. William's story is but one example of the success of Teleheath as it was ramped up as Covid-19 impacted our community.

A $55.2 million state-wide programme for telehealth services now provides patient care for people who do not need emergency department support, reducing emergency department presentations. These include:

• $39.6 million for COVID-19 Home Monitoring Programme telehealth services; and
• $10.5 million to provide video and telecommunication mental health support to children and families in the transition phase between services.

RFDS Updates

The Royal Flying Doctor Service has played an important role in the health of Western Australians for more than 90 years. The McGowan Government is committed to supporting the RFDS in the important work it does. We have contributed significant funding to the RFDS, including:

• $7.9 million for the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop aircraft
• $6.5 million for the new LifeFlight PC-24 jet, one of the first purpose-built aeromedical jets in the world
• Extensions to the Jandakot Airport runway to cater for new RFDS aircraft
• $10.9 million in the 2021.22 State Budget to refurbish and replace aircraft engines

The RFDS is so important to the Albany community. Confidence in the fleet and RFDS services allows us to rest easy in the knowledge that the RFDS is meeting our community's needs.

Bob Rees Event

My good friend, Bob Rees, has an album launch concert coming soon, and I'm hopeful that the Albany community can get behind it and support it. 

Inspired by Bob's journey, the concert is supported by an incredible line-up of musicians, including Donna from the The Waifs

Make sure you get your tickets soon as they are selling fast! 

Visit: https://paperbark.sales.ticketsearch.com/.../salese.../75882

Follow Bob's musical journey via his Facebook page: Bob Rees The Journey

School Bike Vouchers

Congratulations to Cooper and his family, winners of the Mount Lockyer P&C bike voucher raffle!

Each year, I donate a $450 Impulse Cycles bike voucher to Albany primary schools for use in fundraising.

Mount Lockyer Primary School P&C did an amazing job, raising over $1000 for their school. Well done!

School P&C Vouchers

Local primary school P&Cs were offered a $100 voucher each to go towards fundraising activities in recognition of the limitations that the global pandemic placed on fundraising opportunities. 

Some schools utilised the vouchers to support International Fruit Day in their school community in exchange for a gold coin donation, while others offered a sausage sizzle fundraiser. 

Well done to all schools involved!

RAT Kits

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