The quarterly e-newsletter from Martin Foley MP,
State Member for Albert Park and
Minister for Mental Health, Equality and Creative Industries.
Thank you for subscribing to my e-newsletter, which will deliver updates of my work in Parliament and the Albert Park community straight to your inbox every quarter.
Thanks to everyone who has contacted my office recently expressing concern for all the wildlife affected by the recent bushfires.
As an animal lover and long time vegetarian, the numerous photos and reports of affected animals is something that I have found deeply distressing too.
A $17.5 million rescue package has been implemented to give our animals and their habitats the best chance of survival. This funding will further support the ongoing work of wildlife experts in rehabilitating habitat, immediate salvage operations and predator and pest control.
We also have expert teams administering aerial food drops in affected areas, with macropod pellets provided by Zoos Victoria.
The immediate and long term recovery of plants and animals is something that will require a huge amount of effort, expertise and resources - but it's up to us to make sure our treasured Victorian wildlife is safe and protected.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
I've heard from many constituents that Victorians want a recycling system they can rely on. That's why we are in the process of overhauling our state's household recycling system. Through this $129 million investment, we're finding new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
The Container Deposit Scheme announced in February will be up and running by 2023. It will reduce litter, create new jobs and see more plastic, aluminium and glass containers recycled into new products. It will be reliable, convenient and easy to use.
Additionally, a four-bin waste and recycling system will be rolled out in partnership with local councils. By 2030, every Victorian household will have a separate bin for glass recycling, comingled recycling, food and garden and general waste. There will also be special arrangements for people in apartments, to ensure everyone gets access to the new four-bin system.
This is all part of our plan to make Victoria an even more superb and sustainable place to live.
2020 Pride March
25 years on from the first Pride March down Fitzroy St in St Kilda, we marched this year with the same message: that all LGBTQI Victorians deserve to feel proud, to be celebrated, and to have somewhere they feel safe and supported.
That’s why we have announced an additional $10 million in funding for the Victorian Pride Centre - a valuable space for generations of LGBTQI Victorians to come.
The annual Midsumma Festival Pride March is one of my favourite events of the year in the Albert Park electorate. I am proud to stand with the LGBTQI community and proud to represent a government that is really delivering for all Victorians.
A Day in the Life
Follow me on social media to keep up with my work in Albert Park and the Victorian Parliament. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @MartinFoleyMP.
Happy Feet for St Kilda's Penguins
St Kilda's Little Penguin colony are some of our most popular constituents, with the colony of over 1,400 birds receiving thousands of visitors every week.
That's why we are ensuring their protection with a funding boost to help rangers and volunteers manage their celebrity status.
$200,000 has been allocated to help care for the penguin population and plan for the increasing number of spectators that come to see the beloved locals at dusk every night. Parks Victoria, in partnership with local volunteer groups, will use the funds to improve penguin wellbeing by enhancing crowd control measures and strengthening the existing night patrol and education programs.
The Little Penguin colony at St Kilda is a Melbourne institution and this funding will help to manage their growing popularity – keeping these delightful birds safe while allowing as many people to enjoy them as possible.
I am a frequent visitor of our local school fetes. Whether it's a cake stall or a dunk tank it's always great to get out and support the community. Look online on your local school's website or social media pages to see when your local school fete is - who knows, you might get to dunk a local pollie!
Free Dental Vans for Victorian Schools
Victorian school students will have brighter smiles and hard-working families will avoid hefty dental bills, thanks to free dental care being rolled out at all Victorian public primary and secondary schools.
The Victorian Budget 2019/20 provides $321.9 million for the Andrews Labor Government’s free dental care, as promised, with the first school dental vans to hit the road later this year.
The full fleet of Smile Squad vans will hit the road by 2022, providing free check-ups and dental treatment for about 650,000 school kids every year. Around 500 dentists, oral health therapists and dental assistants will be employed to staff the vans.
We’re making sure school students have a bright and healthy smile and we’re helping hard-working families save on costly dental bills, as we promised we would.
Support the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
My electorate office is a donation point for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. We've had a great number of donations so far, and would love to see more members of the community to get involved.
Click here to see how you can help us make a difference.
Authorised by M Foley, 46 Rouse St, Port Melbourne.
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