General Newsletter

In this Issue

• Welcome from the Chair
• Are You a Proactive Community Member?
• Connecting Armidale Employers and Job Seekers
• Community Feedback Requested for Moree’s Future
• New Protein Opportunities for Australian Producers
• Increased Access to nbn Fixed Wireless Services
• Applications Now Open for Federal Election Jobs
• Featured Grants and Funding Opportunities

 

Welcome from the Chair

Dear Northern Inlanders,

I am pleased to advise that we currently have a vacancy on our Committee for a proactive community member in the Northern Inland region. Being part of our Committee is a rewarding experience. Over the years, our Committee and Staff have achieved a wide range of projects and supported many community initiatives to benefit our region’s future. I am looking forward to including another member on our team who likes to be hands-on and contribute their insights to grow our region. If you are enthusiastic about the future growth of our region, we would like to hear from you. Further details on how to apply are below.

We must keep an open mind and look to the future for potential opportunities for new industries in our region. The growth in demand for protein products worldwide presents a unique opportunity. Our region is innovative and has the natural resources to extend upon exiting industries and establish new ones in areas such as protein products created from lesser cuts of red meat and the harvesting and manufacture of alternative plant-based products. By taking steps now to innovate new products and produce them locally, we can secure a share of a potential $13 Billion industry.

Key to that growth will be the availability of fast, reliable internet for our businesses, particularly those who fall outside the footprint of fibre networks. The further investment and technological advances for the nbn fixed wireless network is a positive step toward this. These upgrades will allow thousands of more homes and businesses to access the fixed wireless network instead of satellite and increase satellite users' access.

Regards,

Russell Stewart
Chair

Are You a Proactive Community Member?

We currently have a vacancy on our Committee and are seeking applications from anyone interested in being a productive part of our team. RDA Committee members are an active contributor to the outcomes of a diverse group of individuals working in a complex environment to deliver high value outcomes for the state or community and region. Members are an active supporter of creating jobs and regional growth.

They are expected to leverage existing networks and develop new networks across industry sectors. RDA Committee members are required to support the Chair to attract opportunities and investment to their region. They must be knowledgeable about the economic, social, cultural and environmental opportunities and challenges facing their region; be well connected and a strong advocate for the region; and draw their regional communities together to build and drive economic growth.

RDA Committee members work as an effective member of the RDA Committee toward a common goal or strategy, and drive projects that target specific areas of economic development for the region. They actively support committee governance and management processes.

Women, people from Indigenous and diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. An information pack and application form are available on through our website and applications can be lodged to rdani@rdani.org.au by 5pm on the 30th of June.

Connecting Armidale Employers and Job Seekers

The Department of Education, Skills and Employment is holding a Jobs Fair on Monday 9 May from 10am to 2.30pm at the Armidale City Bowling Club. The Jobs Fair is a free event for employers and job seekers.

The Job Fair provides a unique opportunity for local employers to showcase and promote their current and expected job vacancies to local jobseekers. Local employers are invited to be stallholders for free at the event. However, registration before the event is essential. Organisations that actively assist job seekers along their pathway to employment can also be free store holders.

There are a range of benefits in being a stallholder at the Jobs Fair, including:

• Access to a large pool of skilled, trained and experienced job seekers who are ready to work
• Prospect of filling immediate vacancies and identifying future employees
• Exposure for your business to the broader community

Employers that are unable to attend on the day may provide details on their vacancies for the jobs board at the event.

Businesses and organisations that wish to be store holders must submit an expression of interest to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment by Tuesday 3rd of May. Further information about the jobs Fair, including frequently asked questions, is available on the Department’s website.

The jobs fair is also free for job seekers to attend and provides an opportunity to meet local employers, learn about local opportunities and gain new skills and ideas. Individuals also need to register to attend as a job seeker through the Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s website.

Community Feedback Requested for Moree’s Future

The draft of Moree Plains Shire Council’s Community Strategic Plan, Our Moree Plains – Our Vision to 2032 is currently available for public comment. This document is reviewed after each Local Government Election and identifies the priorities and goals for the Shire for the next ten years.

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Mark Johnson encourages all Moree Plains community members to review and comment on the draft version of the plan. “The more feedback gathered, the stronger the Community Strategic Plan will be and the bigger the impact it will have.” he said.

The draft version of the plan has been developed based on the consultation conducted by the Council. Details of this consultation process is available in the Engagement Outcomes Report on their website.

Also currently available for public comment, is the draft of the:

• Moree Plains Community Action Plan - guides how the community can participate in planning and development decisions.
• Moree Plains Community Engagement Strategy  - guides how Council will engage with the community in planning and delivery of their programs, strategic planning and activities.

Submissions can be emailed to council@mpsc.nsw.gov.au or by post to General Manager, PO BOX 420, Moree NSW 2400. Feedback for all three documents closes at 5pm on Tuesday 10th of May.

New Protein Opportunities for Australian Producers

With current population growth rates, it is estimated that there will be an extra two billion people on the planet to feed by 2050. With this increase in demand coupled with changing tastes and dietary preferences, the world will need to produce more protein and do so in a more sustainable way and from more sources.

To address this issue, the CSIRO has developed a roadmap on how Australia can serve up a wider range of high-quality protein products, help capture a $13 Billion market opportunity and create up to 10,000 jobs. Developed in consultation with key stakeholders in government, industry and the research sector, Protein: A roadmap for unlocking technology-led growth opportunities for Australia illustrates how Australia can become a global leader in protein production.

Ten growth opportunities that combine animal, plant and non-traditional proteins are highlighted in the report:

• integrity systems in the red meat sector to help verify the origin of production, support compliance, prevent risks and support research
• expanding Australian red meat exports into new geographic markets
• plant-based protein ingredients
• crop-breeding and pre-breeding
• turning lesser cuts of red meat into value-added protein powders and nutraceuticals
• insect protein sources for food and feed
• creating a new sustainable Australian white-flesh fish industry
• new plant-based products
• precision fermentation
• cultivated meats

CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Larry Marshall, said Australia’s strong history and global reputation in agriculture and food present a big opportunity for future growth. “As protein demand grows and new consumer trends emerge, solutions from science can help create new markets and complement our existing, globally competitive traditional markets. This will help shift Australia’s reputation from being the world’s food bowl of commodities to becoming a global delicatessen of unique higher value exports,”

“CSIRO’s Future Protein Mission recognises the scale of this challenge and brings together a wide network of partners with the latest innovative technology to seize this opportunity for a resilient and sustainable food system. We can supercharge growth in our traditional protein industries by harnessing technologies like digital traceability and integrity systems that enhance the premium status of Australian red meat, and grow new complementary protein markets through techniques like precision fermentation to generate a suite of new Australian products.”

Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre FIAL’s Managing Director, Dr Mirjana Prica, said the global demand for protein represents a significant export opportunity for all of Australia’s protein players. “Consumer demand is increasing for all protein sources. Australia has a real opportunity to have a thriving local food manufacturing sector, while becoming a leading exporter in value added traditional, plant, and novel protein products,”

“Building domestic capacity and infrastructure to not only tap, but to build scale, for the plethora of protein opportunities is critical if we are to switch from importing ingredients to producing our own domestically.” Dr Prica said.

The full report Access the full report: www.csiro.au/protein-roadmap

Increased Access to nbn Fixed Wireless Services

In response to the 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review recommendations, the Australian Government and NBN Co are contributing a combined $750 Million to deliver faster internet speeds for regional Australia, benefiting thousands of homes and businesses.

The funding will be used to 5G-enable nbn’s network of over 2,200 fixed wireless infrastructure sites and 22,000 cells in semi-rural areas. The 5G technology will vastly extend the range, speed and capacity of the fixed wireless network while also reducing latency to improve the end-user experience.

This investment aims to deliver four significant benefits to homes and businesses in regional and remote areas:

• Extended Fixed Wireless: Increased coverage and extended maximum range for some fixed wireless towers will provide up to 50% more coverage., In turn, approximately 120,000 satellite-only customers will be able to access fixed wireless services.
• Faster Fixed Wireless wholesale speeds: Following consultation and launch, nbn proposes homes and businesses in the expanded fixed wireless area will be able to order retail services to offer potential maximum wholesale download speeds of up to 100Mbps. They anticipate that up to 85% of the expanded fixed wireless area will be able to order services with download speeds of up to 250Mbps, which is up to three times faster than the highest speeds currently available.
• Improve fixed wireless typical wholesale busy hour speeds: Improvements to the fixed wireless network are expected to help achieve ‘typical wholesale busy period speeds’ of at least 50Mbps for downloads.
• Enhanced data limits and network performance on Sky Muster: nbn also propose that there will also be improvements for customers remaining on Satellite nbn. Sky Muster Plus plans will offer unmetered data for an extended off-peak time frame (12am – 4pm), with an expected start date around mid-2022. In addition, for customers on regular Sky Muster plans, nbn hopes to increase the monthly data allowance from 55GB to 90GB, once the fixed wireless upgrades are complete in around two and a half years.

“Access to fast and reliable broadband plays a vital role in the lives of people across Australia and is critical for the nation’s economy – and 5G will be core to enhancing and accelerating our nbn® Fixed Wireless capability.” Said Gavin Williams, nbn Chief Development Officer for Regional and Remote. “This investment will also support the regional Australian economy with an additional $6.1 billion in regional Gross Domestic Product over 2022 to 2026 financial years. Broadband demand in regional and remote Australia has been growing rapidly and as Australia’s digital backbone, this ongoing and growing demand requires continued investment in the nbn® network.”

“For households across regional Australia faster speeds will make it easier to work remotely, access digital services as well as connect with loved ones and access entertainment. For businesses, faster speeds will enhance and expand participation in the global digital economy and benefit from innovative technology such as the Internet of Things and smart farming.”

Further details about the planned upgrades is available on the nbn website.

Applications Now Open for Federal Election Jobs

As the Federal Election draws near, the Australian Electoral Commission is seeking applications to fill around 100,000 temporary jobs around the country.

No previous election experience is required, and all necessary training will be provided. Being employed as part of the federal election is an opportunity to earn extra money, contribute to our community, work as part of a team and meet new people.

While most jobs are working in polling places on election day, there are also jobs before and after election day such as early voting centres, outpost centres, mobile polling, vote counting, materials management and administrative tasks. Rates of pay range from $25.54 to $48.29 per hour, depending on your job.

Registrations of interest are now open online through the Australian Electoral Commission, and further information is available on their website.

Featured Grants and Funding Opportunities

Below are some featured grants and funding opportunities from the multitude of open grants listed in the Grants and Funding Opportunities area of our website. Our website is updated weekly with new listings and updates and all are applicable to our region, so it is a great resource if you are looking for funding for a specific project.

You can also sign up to our Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities and the Community Grants and Award Programs newsletters through the simple form located on the left-hand side of our website: www.rdani.org.au, to receive monthly summaries of currently open grants.

 

Before and After School Care Fund - Establishment Grant
Current Round Closes: 27th of May 2022
Value: Up to $40,000
Run By: NSW Government Department of Education

The Establishment Grant Program is designed to encourage and support the establishment of new before and after school care services to increase the number of approved BASC places for NSW Government primary school children.

The total funding pool available through the Establishment Grant Program is $4,000,000 (including GST). Applicants may seek up to $40,000 (including GST) to support establishment and operating expenses.

 

Deaf Children Australia - Youth Grants
Closes: 14th of June 2022
Value: Up to $2,500
Run By: Deaf Children Australia

This grant supports youth aged between 15 and 23 years old who are deaf or hard of hearing to achieve a personal goal or project.

The stories of grant recipients will inspire other deaf or hard of hearing youth to achieve their full potential.

The successful applicants’ projects should illustrate opportunities for personal development and benefits for the Deaf, hard of hearing, or wider Australian community.

Projects can be based on:

• Personal development
• Deaf community and Culture
• Leadership Challenges
• Education
• Representing local, state or national teams
• Life Experience

 

Clean Technology Commercialisation Grants
Closes: 3rd of June 2022 - 5:00 pm
Value: $250,000 to $5 Million
Run By: NSW Government Energy Saver

The NSW Government has established the Clean Technology Commercialisation Grants to accelerate the commercialisation and scaling up of proven clean technology innovations for trade in Australian and international markets. Funded by the Climate Change Fund, these competitive grants will help unlock the next wave of low emissions technologies needed for NSW to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The technology innovations supported through the Clean Technology Innovation focus area will be guided by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer’s Decarbonisation Innovation Study.3. The decarbonisation priority areas outlined in this study, and are the prioritised for these grants are:

• electrification and energy systems – accelerating renewable energy solutions and supporting the uptake of electrification in other sectors
• land and primary industries – coordinating and aligning efforts in the next wave of sustainable primary industry practices as the sector contributes a significant proportions of NSW emissions
• power fuels including hydrogen – growing an environmentally sustainable NSW power fuels industry and unlocking decarbonisation opportunities for many hard to abate sectors beyond 2030.

 

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards - 2022
Closes: 20th of May 2022
Run By: The Centre for Volunteering

These awards have grown to become one of the largest celebrations of volunteering across the country. The Awards celebrate the efforts of our state’s volunteers across multiple award categories.

Finalists will be invited to the Gala State Ceremony in Sydney to announce the final winners and overall NSW Volunteer of the Year.

Awards are presented in the following categories:

• Young Volunteer of the Year
• Adult Volunteer of the Year
• Senior Volunteer of the Year
• Volunteer Team of the Year
• Club Volunteer of the Year
• Employee Volunteer of the Year
• Volunteer Leader of the Year
• Not-for-Profit Voluntary Governance Award