THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 6 | Number 4 | JANUARY 2016
04
WELCOME
to a regular
column with Department
of Human Services
General Manager, Hank
Jongen. Here you can find
out important information
about the Australian
Department of Human Services
Government Department
General Manager
of Human Services, which
includes Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support.
TALKING HUMAN SERVICES
ERVICESS
HANK JONGEN
Making it happen in Western Sydney:
Parramatta Light Rail
network unveiled
On claiming Youth Allowance
Congratulations to all students who
recently graduated from high school. If
you are planning to continue your studies
next year and claim Youth Allowance,
make sure you provide all your supporting
documentation when you lodge your claim.
That way you’ll be paid from the earliest
possible date.
Supporting documents help the
department to confirm your identity,
determine your eligibility for payment and
calculate the amount of Youth Allowance
you receive. They’re essential to finalise a
claim.
The quickest and easiest way to provide
your supporting documents is by uploading
them through online services or the Express
Plus Centrelink app.
Once you receive your payment, you
can use online services or the app to let the
department know about any changes to
your circumstances that may affect your
payment, including study details, income,
address or relationship status.
Students can keep up-to-date with
payments and services by subscribing
to ‘News for Students and Trainees’ at
humanservices.gov.au/students, by ‘liking’
the Student Update Facebook page,
following @StudentUpdateAU on Twitter
and visiting the ‘Information for students
and trainees’ playlist on the Human Services
YouTube channel.
If you are planning to travel overseas,
be sure to tell the Department of Human
Services before you leave Australia.
The ease and affordability of overseas
travel could result in people unwittingly
placing themselves in financial difficulty if
they aren’t fully aware of the rules.
Students and Australian Apprentices
who receive Youth Allowance, Austudy
or ABSTUDY are no longer eligible for
payments while overseas, unless they are
undertaking an approved activity.
Disability Support Pensioners who go
overseas can still receive their payments
for four weeks in any 12 month period for
temporary travel, but payments for longer
than four weeks can only be made in limited
circumstances.
Centrelink online services through
myGov is the easiest way to tell the
department about overseas travel plans.
To find out more about how your
payment may be affected by overseas
travel, visit humanservices.gov.au/
paymentsoverseas.
To find out more about our resources
and support services for culturally and
linguistically diverse customers or to
speak to the department in Tagalog, visit
humanservices.gov.au/multicultural or call
131 202.
Western Sydney’s light
rail network will connect
Parramatta’s CBD to
the key hubs of Sydney
Olympic Park, Westmead
Hospital, Western Sydney
University and Strathfield.
NSW Premier Mike Baird,
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance
and Minister for Planning Rob
Stokes last month unveiled the
preferred route for the Parramatta Light Rail project, which
will kick-start revitalisation and
jobs growth along a 22-kilometre corridor.
“We’re delivering a modern, efficient and reliable light
rail network for Western Sydney,” Mr Baird said.
“The light rail network will
help Parramatta reach its potential as Sydney’s second CBD
and be a major boost to existing public transport services in
Western Sydney.”
The NSW Government in-
vestigated four short-listed corridors for light rail in Western
Sydney and the preferred network includes a combination of
two of these options.
The spine of the preferred route runs from Westmead to Strathfield via Parramatta CBD, and incorporating
Camellia and Sydney Olympic Park.
A light rail line will also
branch to Carlingford, replacing
the existing heavy rail shuttle.
Mr Constance said: “Light
rail will be a fantastic new public transport option for Western
Sydney - we’ve started building in Sydney’s CBD, Newcastle light rail is on track and now
progress for Western Sydney is
about to crack on.”
Mr Stokes said: “This will
be a game changer for Sydney’s
second CBD – the preferred
route provides the most opportunity for new jobs and urban renewal.”
Work will now begin on a
final business case and assessment of the preferred network.
This work will include planning, design and consultation
with key stakeholders along the
network to develop the staging of the project, the exact light
rail route and stops, and the final
project cost.
The light rail corridor will
activate a priority growth area
and there is an opportunity for
the government to share in the
value uplift that will occur along
the corridor.
A Special Infrastructure
Contribution will be implemented, with the levy expected to be
set at around $200 per square
metre of gross floor area of new
residential developments subject to consultation.
The funding from the SIC
is to be reserved for Parramatta
Light Rail and associated infrastructure like new schools and
road upgrades.