Funding is vital
NSW Farmers and the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) have secured additional funding for food and fibre education across Australia for the next three years.
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Both PIEFA and NSW Farmers secured the additional funding following representations to the Federal Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce.
NSW Farmers is a strong advocate for improvement in the availability and quality of education opportunities for rural and regional communities while PIEFA’s focus is on ensuring that the next generation of Australians are educated about how it is their food and fibre is produced.
This includes the design and roll-out of teacher friendly programs and resources to boost the uptake of food and fibre teaching in Australia’s schools.
In May, NSW Farmers was informed that the Department of Agriculture’s funding and support for PIEFA was under threat.
The threat of a withdrawal of government funding risked undermining the significant achievements of PIEFA over the past six years promoting food and fibre education and the long term engagement of primary industries with primary and secondary education.
The minister’s decision underlines the importance he places on getting the next generation of students into agricultural careers,” he said.
This funding will help grow the next generation of agricultural champions that are vital to maintaining agriculture’s social licence into the future.
Derek Schoen
NSW Farmers
President
Put an end to discrimination
Discrimination in all its shapes and forms, intentional and unintentional, is unacceptable.
Discrimination is the cause for many people of their stress, anxiety and depression. Tragically, it is too often fatal when people self-harm and die by suicide.
We, the board members of beyondblue, who are professional and lay people, young and experienced, men and women, straight and gay, black and white, and who are bi-partisan in serving beyondblue, are working to reduce discrimination in our society.
We know the hurt, hardship and loss that such discrimination can cause. We direct a lot of our resources towards ending that hurt and loss.
Discrimination is often based on colour, race, religion, size, looks, sexuality and any one of any other factors. On sexuality, homosexuality used to be a crime; it is no longer. Yet marriage between same sex couples is still not permitted in Australia.
For heterosexual Australians, entering into marriage is a choice they can make freely based on the love and commitment the individuals have for each other.
However, individuals who share the same love and commitment, but are of the same gender, are not allowed to commit to each other through marriage. This is discrimination in the most obvious form.
For those who love, but are not allowed to marry, their sense of loss, hurt, stigma and discrimination is profound.
Sex marriage is not a political issue but one of equity; every Australian should have the same rights under law, including the same rights to make the choice to marry or not.
beyondblue requests all our politicians, regardless of their politics or personal feelings, to understand the ramifications of a law that through positive discrimination causes so much unnecessary hurt. A law that is in direct conflict with other existing laws.
Jeff Kennett
Chairman
beyondblue