Stronger Together Conference - Fit Kidz Foundation
by Lorna Gordon
Fit Kidz Foundation in Dural is known for its early intervention programs for neurodiverse children , and this month they are taking their commitment to help a step further by holding it ’ s very first community conference for local parents and carers of people with neurodiverse needs .
The conference will be on 20 August at Castle Hill RSL and is a great way for parents and carers to meet other families and make friends and connections . They have some great guest speakers lined up , local woman Sandy Golder , co-founder of Kindship will talk about how cultivating support networks can allow families to thrive .
TV personality Jo Abi will be there , she is an advocate for autism and youth mental health as well as having two neurodiverse children herself .
Randa and Richard Habelrih will share how Richard has exceeded his initial autism diagnosis and why they started Autism MATES .
There will be two panels in the afternoon with a mix of parents and carers of neurodiverse people and some neurodiverse adults to give hints and tips on subjects like the NDIS and answering questions you might have .
This event is able to go ahead with the help of grants from the CommBank Staff
Foundation and the Hills Council , however they are still looking for corporate sponsors to support it and help make it accessible to everyone .
$ 315.2m to bushfire proof state to complete Inquiry advice
Picture : RFS NSW .
The State Government has committed $ 315.2 million over the next four years to complete the recommendations of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry .
$ 191 million has been allocated to the Rural Fire Service ( RFS ) to help keep NSW communities safe through vital hazard reduction works , maintenance of strategic fire trails and the procurement of new fleet .
Castle Hill MP Ray Williams said MP said the government is “ acting on all 76 recommendations of the Inquiry , and by beefing up our emergency services ” the district will be better prepared for future challenges .
“ The NSW Government has previously committed $ 516.4 million to addressing recommendations from the Bushfire Inquiry , and this investment takes our spend to over $ 830 million in bush fire-proofing our State ,” Mr Williams said .
“ We never want to experience another Black Summer fire season but it ’ s important that our emergency services are as well-resourced and ready as possible .”
The funding includes :
• $ 105.6 million to deliver new trucks and retrofit old trucks
• $ 75.4 million to significantly boost the number of mitigation crews
• $ 10 million to enhance strategic fire trails .
12 ISSUE 85 // JULY 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT