ANZAC day is one of the best ways we can honour the memory of our military’s men and women, from all wars and conflicts, whose efforts and sacrifices have secured the future and safety of this great country.

Last week the NSW Government announced $270,000 in funding to support free specialist perinatal psychological counselling via video call for parents in regional and remote NSW who are affected by perinatal depression and anxiety.

It can be difficult to access mental health support services when living in remote and regional areas and the NSW Government is committed to changing that.

Families in remote areas don’t always have the same access to mental health services as those in the cities, and that is why the Start Talking Program is so important- to assist parents living in regional areas who may be in need of psychological support.

Parents in the Dubbo electorate will now have access to specialist perinatal and infant mental health services, via video call.

Perinatal Depression and Anxiety (PNDA) is a condition commonly experienced by women during pregnancy and the year following the birth of the baby.

New fathers are also vulnerable to PNDA.

I am so proud that mental health services are being improved in this region and the NSW Government is backing this initiative.

Parents who are living in regional NSW and experiencing symptoms of PNDA will no longer have to experience the inconvenience, time and expense of traveling long distances to access the support they need.

The NSW Government funding will help facilitate up to seven one-hour video call sessions per client with a trained psychologist, as part of the client’s GP- referred Mental Health Plan.

For more information please visit www.gidgetfoundation.org.au or telephone 1300 851 758.

I am encouraging sustainability leaders in the region to nominate for the 19^th Green Globe Awards, celebrating leadership, commitment and innovation in sustainability across NSW.

These leading environmental awards honour people and projects towards sustainability across all sectors in NSW.

The Green Globe Awards showcase a range of business, local organisations and individuals who are setting the standard for environmental action in our community.

You can nominate yourself or others working on sustainability in any sector from fashion to food, built environment to biodiversity.

The awards encourage a diverse range of entries for ten categories and will be judged by a panel of independent experts and presented at a gala awards night on October 4, 2018.

Nominations are now open until 5pm on June 8. To enter your project, organisation or nominate as an individual, go to www.environment.nsw.gov.au/greenglobes.

Member for Dubbo, Troy Grant, announced local councils in the region are set to upskill and grow following the statewide rollout of a new $4.6 million vocational education and skills program.

The program, called the Local Government Skills Strategy (LGSS), was a fantastic opportunity to create stronger career pathways within local government in the region.

This program is all about giving councils every opportunity to gain the skills they need to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible.

For more information on the program visit www.training.nsw.gov.au. 

Until next week

Troy