Dear Editor,

I would suggest that the contractors who have been doing repairs on our local roads need to join a quilting group because that is what we have at the moment - a patchwork quilt. 

Maybe the ladies and gents in this group can teach them the art of joining the patches together successfully so the stitching doesn’t come undone - especially after rain. 

They also need to learn how to strengthen the quilt so that the deterioration doesn’t happen immediately after finishing. I am not saying the quilt is wrong, just the application. I’m sure the ladies and gents in the quilting group would love to assist you.

Julie Meddows

Yass

NAIDOC Week

Dear Editor,

NAIDOC Week takes place this month from July 5 to July 12. It is a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also provides an opportunity to shed light on one of most significant issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – homelessness.

Aboriginal people are significantly overrepresented in our Inner West Youth Homelessness service, making up 17.8 per cent of our young people. Australia wide, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 23 per cent of those accessing specialist homelessness services, but only make up 2.5 per cent of the population.

Youth Off The Streets recognises the need to facilitate discussions about this issue, that is why we developed our #laceitup campaign, which aims to raise funds and awareness for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal homeless young people in Australia.

The campaign draws on the idea that not everyone has the privilege to untie their shoes of a night; some young people have to keep them on in order to flee from danger at a moment’s notice. By getting the community to get involved in campaigns like these during NAIDOC week, we are not only helping to raise the public’s consciousness about youth homelessness, but we are also raising awareness to the over-representation of Aboriginal young people in this issue.

NAIDOC Week is a perfect opportunity for all Australians to get involved in Aboriginal issues because unfortunately, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in many of our services. Our goal is to bring these numbers down, but we need communities to get behind this if we are to make it a reality.

This NAIDOC Week, I encourage everyone to get involved and participate in the celebrations and activities that are taking place across Australia. Whether it’s hosting your own BBQ or lunch, organising a smoking ceremony, or just learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, it is important to get involved and show your support.

For more information about NAIDOC Week and to find an event near you, please visit: http://www.naidoc.org.au/events-calendar and to get involved and find out more about our #laceitup campaign, visit www.laceitup.com.au.

Father Chris Riley

CEO and Founder at Youth Off The Streets.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

Dear Editor,

In South Eastern NSW people living with disability can now access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) giving them and their families real choice and control over their lives.

The NDIS will give people with disability the power to live life their way, choosing the supports they want and the providers they want.  The NDIS will mean more people with disability getting support, more funding and more jobs for locals.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) estimates the NDIS in Southern NSW, including Bega Valley, Yass Valley and Cooma-Monaro, will create more than 800 new jobs and boost funding to more than $200 million a year by 2019.

The NSW Government has invested heavily in sector and workforce development and vocational education to help with the NDIS rollout. This includes $10 million for an additional 2,000 government-subsidised training places in course areas such as Disability, Community Services, Auslan and Aged Care as well as $48 million over four years to assist 200,000 disadvantaged young people who receive Commonwealth welfare with fee-free training up to Certificate IV.  All students with disability are eligible for free vocational education and training courses on the NSW Skills List. For more information on training, go to www.smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au .

The NSW Government has allocated a further $5 million under the Transition Assistance Program to help disability service providers in regional and remote NSW get NDIS-ready and has also announced an additional $3 million in funding to extend the NSW Consumer Development Fund, My Choice Matters.

If you want more information on the NDIS in NSW, please go towww.ndis.nsw.gov.au

Hon Katrina Hodgkinson MP

Parliamentary Secretary for Southern NSW

Member for Cootamundra