Coulton's Catch Up - June 14, 2023

Community halls

Recently I was reminded of just how important community halls are, especially for farming communities. If the nearest neighbours are a long distance away a gathering place is of special significance, as this is where decisions are made and celebrations are held. These spaces are where communities come together.

I was pleased to visit one such hall last Saturday on the eastern side of my electorate where I attended a ‘Long Lunch’ to celebrate 100 years of the Piallaway Winter Feast.

It was wonderful to catch up with locals and those with a connection to the Piallaway district in this well- loved community hall, and I know there are many such spaces right around my electorate. My thanks to those who keep events and spaces like this going, as I know just how vital they are as a focus point for the people in these communities.

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Assistance for tertiary students and apprentices

With many young people in the electorate starting to think about their post-secondary school plans, I thought it was timely to highlight the financial assistance avail- able to people who wish to explore tertiary study through university or an apprenticeship.

The costs associated with attending tertiary educa- tion in another town or city is often the biggest barrier for students from regional, rural and remote Australia.

The former coalition government recognised this and implemented a number of improvements to eligibil- ity criteria to ensure more students from regional Australia could access tertiary education without having to face the financial barrier.

A range of assistance is available to students includ- ing Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices, Austudy, ABSTUDY, the Student Start-up Loan, the Tertiary Assistance Payment and the Relocation Scholarship. Eligibility criteria for each of these payments varies, so it is important to contact Services Australia before starting a claim.

For more information about financial assistance for tertiary students visit the Services Australia website or other helpful information on tertiary student support can also be found at the study assist website.