I’d like to wish all school students and staff starting the school year in Murray the best of luck for 2016.

In NSW, 367 new permanent teachers and 42 principals started in new roles at public schools as school kicks off for 2016.

This year six new full-time teachers and two new principals are starting in roles in Murray.

In addition, successful recipients of teaching cadetships, internships and scholarships start this year at government schools in NSW.

Working at a NSW public school continues to be a popular choice for beginning teachers with more than 200 applications for 50 teach.

Rural scholarships, 105 applications for 25 cadetships and 123 applications for 25 internships.

These incentives are made possible by the NSW liberals and nationals government’s great teaching inspired learning and rural and remote education blueprint reforms, providing valuable assistance to attract and retain quality teachers.

The quality and calibre of candidates selected under the 2016 program was outstanding and includes students from schools and universities across NSW.

To teachers beginning their career or their first principalship at a public school in Murray, I wish you the very best in your career and know you will love working and living here.

Adrian Piccoli

Member for Murray

Minister for Education 

REGIONAL communities will be asked to contribute to a revamped regional development policy to be crafted by the federal government this year.

 Grassroots input is central to our plans and over the coming months, Assistant Minister Michael McCormack will travel across the nation to talk to a diverse range of local community leaders, regional businesses, academic institutions and regional Australians.

These discussions will put regional communities, including Indigenous communities, firmly in the driver’s seat by focusing on growing opportunities through nurturing innovation and investing in infrastructure.

More often than not, the opportunities and solutions identified at the local level to meet local needs are the best. These meetings will be a direct channel for the Government to hear first-hand ideas that will harness the potential of regional Australia to build a more prosperous future – from the grassroots up.

When we look at the big opportunities for Australia today and the decades ahead, regional Australia is at the epicentre of real growth potential.

Be it producing the highest quality agricultural products in the world, capitalising on our rich natural resources or opening up more innovative small businesses, regional Australia needs to be at the forefront of our nation’s prosperity.

We are already building first-class road and rail projects to underpin regional Australia’s growth through our record $50 billion investment in infrastructure and opening up northern Australia to fresh opportunities.

The Australian government is all about powering the regions and the economy.

I know that the spirit of regional Australia and the innovation we are capable of will contribute to vibrant and positive futures for our local communities. Mr McCormack will begin his series of meetings in the coming weeks with the first visits planned for Tasmania and Western Australia.

Warren Truss 

Deputy Prime Minister