POLITICS
Supporting families with free home broadband
The Albanese Government ’ s number one priority is delivering cost-of-living help for hardworking Australian families .
We have delivered a tax cuts , energy bill relief , cheaper medicines , childcare and feefree TAFE .
We are also making sure families with school children who don ’ t have home broadband are not left behind .
Our School Student Broadband Initiative ( SSBI ) is connecting up to 30,000 eligible households with free home broadband via the National Broadband Network ( NBN ).
Learning does not end at the school gate . Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and I saw this first-hand when we visited students at St John XXIII in Stanhope Gardens earlier this month .
At St John XXIII , and in classrooms across Australia , students are using technology and the internet to support their learning .
Broadband facilitates educational outcomes and future opportunities .
While many Australian families have home broadband , some do not . We know that affordability and cost-of-living pressures are barriers for some . That ’ s why the Albanese Labor Government is investing $ 8.8 million to ensure no child is left behind .
We extended this important cost-of-living measure through to 31 December 2025 , meaning more Australian families can benefit from free home broadband for longer .
This is making a real difference , saving families who sign up today around $ 1,000 - that ’ s real cost-of-living relief .
More than 16,000 families – including 3,500 in NSW - are now connected , with more than a third of them living in rural and regional areas .
We are hearing from parents , schools , charities and community organisations around Australia about the positive impact this initiative is having .
One mum , on the disability pension after an accident four years ago , described the growing financial cost of having to use mobile data for broadband access , and how relieved she was that her child – the only one without internet at home – is finally online .
There are thousands more stories just like this one . I encourage families to reach out and find out if they are eligible to take part .
Registrations close later this year – so don ’ t delay !
To be eligible families must :
• Have a child living at home and enrolled in an Australian school ;
• e referred by a nominating organisation or self-nominate through the National Referral Centre ;
• Have no active broadband service over the NBN network ;
• Live in a premise where they can access a standard NBN service
For more information visit www . infrastructure . gov . au / SSBI or contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 ( Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm ).
What to know about the Local Government elections
Voting is compulsory for eligible residents at the Local Government elections .
This year ’ s council elections have been rescheduled to Saturday 14 September , 8am to 6pm , under NSW legislation .
The NSW Electoral Commission is working with NSW Health to implement COVID-safe measures for polling venues . Check your local council website to see where and how you can vote . Here ’ s the basics on what you need to know about these elections :
Voting is every four years Local government elections are usually held in NSW on the second Saturday in September every four years . At local government elections voters in each local government area elect councillors to their local council . This year all 125 councils in NSW are taking part in the elections .
A local government area can be either :
• undivided , where the councillors are elected by all voters in that area , or
• divided , where the council is divided into wards , from which an equal number of councillors are elected for each ward .
Councillors are elected for a four-year term , and the number of councillors elected varies from council to council . Am I eligible to vote ? You can vote in the local government elections if you are an Australian citizen , or a British citizen who was enrolled to vote in Australia on 25 January 1984 , and are aged 18 years or older , and have lived at your current address for at least one month .
You only need to enroll once with the Australian Electoral Commission to vote for all three levels of government . If you are not sure whether you are enrolled to vote , you can check your enrolment details online at roll . elections . nsw . gov . au or call 1300 135 736 .
Casting a vote before election day :
Early voting , pre-poll and postal voting is available .
Online and operator assisted voting ( iVote ) is available for people with a disability , require assistance , live more than 20 kilometres from their nearest polling place , are silent electors or will not be in their local government area on voting day . Where to vote : Go online to check the latest information on the electorate at : elections . nsw . gov . au . 18 ISSUE 42 // SEPTEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT