Care Finder help for vulnerable elderly people

By Mark Coulton, Member for Parkes

Those needing intensive support with access to My Aged Care may be pleased to know that the Federal Government’s Care Finder Program is now available through various services in the Parkes electorate.

The Care Finder Program is a free service which exists specifically for vulnerable older people who need intensive support to access aged care and other local services and who have no one else who can support them.

Volunteer grants

I was pleased to announce that 28 organisations in the Parkes electorate will benefit from funding to support local volunteers under the Australian government’s 2022-23 Volunteer Grants program. A total of $66,225 in funding has been allocated across 28 volunteer groups in the Parkes electorate.

The Volunteer Grants program provides organisations with grants of between $1000 and $5000 to purchase small equipment items, contribute towards the cost of training courses and background checks, and to help reimburse volunteers for the cost of their fuel or transport.

It was fitting that this news came during National Volunteer Week (May 15 to 21, 2023) and I thank all volunteers across the Parkes electorate for their selflessness and service to our communities.

Committee work

Part of my role as a federal Member of Parliament involves work on a number of bi-partisan parliamentary committees. These committees work across parliamentary lines to achieve positive outcomes and inform policy, such as an extensive report recently conducted into the effects of Long COVID as part of the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport.

Last week I was also involved in an inquiry into co-sharing infrastructure for telecommunications as part of the Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts. This required me to attend public hearings in Adelaide, Alice Springs and Perth for community input into this national inquiry.

Shows are back

It’s been fantastic to see local shows back in full swing after some very trying years experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. I attended the 150th Dubbo Show on the weekend, and the 118th Warialda Show the weekend before that.

I’ve had the privilege of being involved in some way with the Warialda Show all my life, and I know the importance these events have in bringing rural communities together.

Congratulations to the extremely hard-working volunteer committees and all the exhibitors and spectators for making shows across the Parkes electorate such a success.