Media Releases

The entire community of Greater Bendigo has taken an important step towards building new respect between men and women and ending the cycle of violence, the State Government’s Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said today.

Mr Drum officially opened a public forum, Achieving Respect and Gender Equality in Greater Bendigo, aimed at finding ways to end gender-based violence.

“Just as violence in our homes has devastating impacts on our entire community, so it is up to us all to develop a community-wide response.

‘One of the most pervasive and devastating forms of violence is the use of violence by men against women. It is a violation of the most fundamental rights of women and children – but it can be tackled only with commitment and direction.”

The forum brings together state and local governments, community groups, individuals and health and well-being agencies.

In 2010-11, police responded to 753 family violence reports in Bendigo, compared to 420 call outs in 2006-07.

“Statewide, there were 40,892 violence incidents reports – up 14.6 per cent in a year,” Mr Drum said.

“That’s why addressing violence against women and children is an important priority for the Coalition Government. We have invested more than $75 million this financial year to both prevent and respond to this issue.

“State Minister for Women’s Affairs, Mary Wooldridge has launched a new push to find better ways to address gender violence over the next three years. That project has already begun.

“And now we are also seeing local government inspiring us with its efforts to end the violence.

“The Coalition Government has invested just over $1.5 million helping local government build respectful, fair and non-violent communities.

“The Bendigo forum is part of that response,” Mr Drum said.

He said the forum, at Bendigo’s Capital Theatre, demonstrated the whole-of-community response to develop ways to deal with the problem.

“I congratulate the City of Greater Bendigo for its leadership in making this a community responsibility and a high priority,” Mr Drum said.

California Gully’s Men’s Shed will soon not only be a creative place for blokes – but also a safer place thanks to a Coalition State Government grant.
Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum announced today the Bendigo Men’s Shed would get an extra $2000 to help develop its occupational health and safety practices.
The money will be used to help train 10 supervisors in OH&S as well as to develop a Men’s Shed OH&S manual which could be shared with Men’s Sheds in other parts of the state.
Mr Drum said the California Gully Men’s Shed was expecting a significant rise in participation and wanted to have activities such as training sessions on occupational health and safety, first aid, governance, and to host networking events with sheds in other communities.
The grant was part of the State Government’s Capacity Building Fund.
“The OH&S project will have a broad outcome for the Men’s Shed movement,” Mr Drum said.
Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said the Victorian Men’s Shed Association (VMSA) was playing an increasing role in ensuring new and growing Men’s Sheds can become sustainable.
“Volunteers contribute countless hours to supporting their members, and the Coalition Government is pleased to support their efforts,” Ms Wooldridge said.
VMSA president Paul Sladdin said Men’s Sheds were increasingly being recognised as valuable to older men’s wellbeing, particularly to their social enjoyment, ongoing learning capacity, and ability to contribute to their community.
More than $88,000 from the Capacity Building Fund is being distributed across Victoria in partnership with the VMSA to support activities that build the skills and knowledge of supervisors and volunteers.
The funding will be used to support:
• 40 training sessions ranging from governance to finances to first aid;
• up to 20 community partnership building events, such as men’s health awareness; and
• up to 50 shed groups participate in activities funded through the program.
There are about 160 Men’s Sheds in Victoria. The Coalition Government has committed a further $4 million in the 2011-12 Budget to continue to strengthen Men’s Sheds for the next four years.

Dear Editor,
I write in response to the letter by Labor MP for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards to correct some of her claims about Coalition Government funding for VCAL.
This year more than 18,700 Victorian students are expected to undertake VCAL with 429 providers across Victoria. This Certificate provides an alternative Year 12 to the Victorian Certificate of Education. It provides pathways for students into employment, further education and training through an applied learning approach.
VCAL was first introduced in 2003, and at that time funding was provided to support co-ordination to establish the program. After eight years, VCAL is a well-established senior secondary certificate.
There has been no reduction to the funding for the delivery of VCAL. VCAL, along with other programs offered in Victorian government schools, continues to be funded through the Student Resource Package (SRP). The SRP is based on the number of students enrolled and schools have flexibility within that budget provision to deliver the programs and support that are designed to improve educational outcomes. In fact, this year SRP funding supported an 8.5 per cent increase in the number of students undertaking the VCAL from 2010.
This change brings VCAL into line with the vocational education and training in schools (known as VET in Schools) and VCE programs which do not receive additional funding for co-ordination and have their co-ordination role funded within the SRP.
Schools and other education providers have access to a number of support services for VCAL students. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the Victorian Applied Learning Association, the Local Learning and Employment Networks and the Workplace Learning Co-ordinators program can and do provide support to VCAL providers. They assist in the development of curriculum resources and co-ordinating structured workplace learning placements to satisfy the requirements of the VCAL.
This State Government is, in fact, increasing program funding for VCAL programs by 9.5 per cent this year (from $100.6 million to $111.2 million).
Overall, the Victorian Government provided a significant boost for education in the 2011-12 State Budget, allocating more than $1 billion in new funding to early childhood development, school education and higher education and training services. This funding included:
· $156 million over four years to meet increased demand in the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD);
· $32 million over four years for Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS). This funding was scheduled to lapse this year, however the Coalition Government has committed to continued funding to reflect the importance of this option for students; and
· $1 million over three years to pilot and support new research-based educational approaches to re-engage young people who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from schooling.
I hope this clears up some of Ms Edwards’ confusion.
Damian Drum MLC
Northern Victoria Region

This week’s announcement that Expressions of Interest had been called for the construction of the Bendigo Region’s $630 million new hospital would lead to a big boost for regional employment.
Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said he was delighted with the news from Health Minister David Davis that the project would create 735 construction jobs with a large flow-on to the rest of the community.
Mr Davis had said at least 500 of those jobs would be maintained for at least three years during the construction phase.
In Parliament, Mr Drum asked Mr Davis for estimates of how many of the jobs would be filled by local workers and local firms.
“The Bendigo hospital project is regional Victoria’s biggest hospital project, and in local terms it is larger than the Bendigo Bank project by a factor of 10.”
Later, outside Parliament, Mr Drum said it was fair to assume that around 75 per cent of the workforce would come from this region.
He said hundreds of regional families and dozens of local businesses stood to benefit from the Coalition Government’s commitment to a higher investment in the project.
The $630 million committed by the Coalition Government was $102 million more than the previous Labor State Government had been prepared to spend.
“Among the benefits will be facilities such as an integrated regional cancer centre, education, training and a new psychiatric inpatient capacity.
“I have also been assured by the Minister that our hospital will be world standard and on time.”
More information on the Expressions of Interest can be found at www.tenders.vic.gov.au.

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, has moved to ease concerns about funding for Victorian Certificate of Applied Leaving (VCAL).

In State Parliament this afternoon, Mr Drum asked the Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Peter Hall, to outline what changes were being made in the vocational-based VCAL system.

In reply, Mr Hall said there had been a lot of media discussion about the impact of a $12 million cut in funding of coordinators in the VCAL stream.

But he said the bigger picture was that the Coalition Government was firmly committed to maintaining and expanding VCAL.

“In fact, there has been a 9.5 per cent increase in program funding for VCAL.”

Mr Hall said the funding for coordinators had been put in place when VCAL started in 2003 to help get the new system up and running. It was now “well embedded” with about 18,000 Victorian students doing VCAL, with more expected in future years.

It had started out as a “special payment”, but had remained for eight years.

He said the Coalition Government had committed to not only maintain funding for VCAL, but to fund its expected growth.

To do that, he said, some trimming of other aspects had to take place, and the funding for coordinators was deemed to be an area where savings could be made without lessening students’ access to VCAL.

“It is my expectation that this change will mean no disadvantage for VCAL students.”

Mr Drum said the success of VCAL was plain to see in Bendigo.

“Bendigo Senior Secondary College has more than 250 VCAL students this year – up from about 100 when it started in 2003 – and it has clearly set many young people on a successful path. I’m proud of the fact that we are committed to continued growth,” he said.

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region Damian Drum will today officially announce $100,000 funding towards a training program to help people with a disability develop employment skills.

The program, ‘6 Steps to Employment Model’ will be run by education provider, Continuing Education Bendigo (CEB), in partnership with Radius Disability Services.

Mr Drum, a long-term campaigner for people living with disabilities, will make the announcement on behalf of Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall.

Mr Drum said the funding would go to develop a trade assistants training program to assist young students with a disability move from supported to open employment.

“The State Government is committed to removing barriers to education access and attainment for all Victorians, particularly hard to reach learners, including people with a disability, Mr Drum said.

"This project provides us with another great example of how Victoria's registered training organisations, like CEB, are building partnerships with community organisations such as Radius Disability Services, to help engage and support people with a disability.

Established in 1953, Radius Disability Services provides day programs and supported employment services to people with a disability. Today, it operates six distinct business units and has grown to become central Victoria's longest-established provider of services and opportunities to people with a disability.

“I commend CEB and Radius Disability Services in coming together to work on this exciting new program,” Mr Drum said.

“By drawing on their shared experiences in education and community services, this partnership will help people with a disability gain the skills they need for a brighter future.”

The ‘6 Steps to Employment Model’ program will help students move from supported to open employment through the Certificate 1 in Manufacturing Pathways and Certificate 1 in Work Education.

This project is one of six grant recipients funded through Skills Victoria’s $600,000 Access and Equity program. The grants support innovative projects that help improve access to training opportunities for all Victorians.

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/victorian-government-reforms.html

Coalition State Government support for Bendigo’s Discovery Science and Technology Centre has helped put a new twist on a very ancient story.
The Government has agreed to inject $50,000 a year for four years to help keep the Discovery experience fresh and alive. The funding was confirmed in the State Budget.
The centre is putting the finishing touches to an innovative way to look at our night sky – through Aboriginal eyes.
Nationals MP for Northern Victorian Region, Damian Drum, said that the state support had helped Discovery staff create a computer program which showed the Aboriginal equivalents of the ancient Greek and Roman constellations.
“It is fascinating that both the European and Aboriginal star gazers came up with much the same way to try to make sense of the night sky.
“Where European astronomers saw constellations such as the Scorpion and Orion, the Aboriginals of pre-European Victoria saw things such as the snake and the emu.
“I understand the work which is going on in Discovery will be the first time that the Aboriginal view of the night sky will be seen in a working planetarium,” Mr Drum said.
Discovery planetarium co-ordinator, Craig Kendal, said Discovery was excited by the project.
“We’re still working out some of the technical details, but it’s coming together well.”
Craig said a lot of the Aboriginal star information had been lost, but luckily, one early European settler had preserved many oral traditions in a book in the mid-1800s.
“It is likely that the Koori people had better night vision and that the night sky was darker then, because some of their constellations don’t make sense until you pull out a telescope and see that there are stars there, but fainter than we can now see in the modern skies with our naked eye.”
He said that there were “spooky” similarities between some of the ancient European and Aboriginal features.
“It makes you wonder just how far back some of these traditions really go.”
Both societies also had similar uses for watching how the constellations moved across the sky, such as indicating when it was the right time to look for certain foods , to illustrate fables and histories, and for navigation.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan visited Eaglehawk today to send a clear message to the community that the Eaglehawk Primary School would stay open under the Victorian Coalition Government.
While visiting the school, Mr Ryan and Member for Northern Victoria Damian Drum released the recommendations of the Scaffidihugh-Jones community consultation report into the future of the school, commissioned by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“The consultation report includes input from the school, the school community and residents of Eaglehawk about the best way to ensure a sustainable future for the school,” Mr Ryan said.
“I am delighted to announce today that the $2 million allocated for Eaglehawk Primary School in the May Budget will support the community’s recommendations on infrastructure upgrades.
“The funding will include new toilets, upgraded information communication technology, improved heating and cooling and improved disabled access in the first instance, with additional improvements to be determined once initial work has been completed.”
Mr Ryan said the report included a number of other recommendations, including the need for:

greater certainty around the future of the school for staff and the community;

greater community involvement, particularly if the school becomes a community hub;

meeting the students’ perceived higher emotional and educational needs;

a plan to build enrolments; and

the development of a broader curriculum and access to extra-curricular activities.
Education Minister Martin Dixon said the Victorian Coalition Government had honoured its election commitment to invest in Eaglehawk Primary School and to work with the community to secure its future.
“The previous Labor Government’s plan to close the school caused a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty for teachers, students and local families,” Mr Dixon said.
“The Coalition Government is listening to Victorians – we listened to the people

A treasure trove of historical records from Bendigo’s rich and colorful ‘Goldfields’ period will be among the documents stored in the new state-of-the-art Bendigo Regional Archive Centre (BRAC).

The $1.85 million facility was officially opened today by Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Development Damian Drum, representing the Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan.

Mr Drum said the BRAC would provide a world-class, environmentally-controlled storage space for the region’s permanent public records.

“A wide range of documentation will be safely and securely stored in the BRAC, creating a significant asset for the City of Greater Bendigo, the Central Goldfields and regional Victoria as a whole,” Mr Drum said.

“The existing collection includes historical documents, catalogues, letters, immigration and settlement records, extremely rare and valuable information about local indigenous communities as well as the story of Chinese and European settlement in the region.

“In addition to the purpose-built storage facility in Nolan Street, the BRAC operates a Public Reading Room at the Bendigo Library where people can access and research information.”

Mr Drum said the BRAC had more than four kilometers of document shelving that would also be available for use as a regionally based storage alternative for many local councils, businesses and agencies.

“Public documents and records have been traditionally sent to Melbourne for secure storage, making access and retrieval of records more difficult and expensive,” Mr Drum said.

“This facility will provide a cost-effective, secure document storage solution in the region.”

Mr Drum said the BRAC project was an example of a positive partnership between community, local and state governments.

“The Victorian Government contributed $1.3 million towards the BRAC with contributions also made by the Greater Bendigo City Council and the Public Record Office Victoria,” Mr Drum said.