Royal Far West welcomes the Motion put forward yesterday in Federal Parliament by the Hon Mark Coulton MP, member for Parkes which urges the Government to provide continued funding for our Schools and Early Years Services, a vital developmental and mental health service, supporting families in rural, regional and remote Australia. The Motion received bipartisan support and also acknowledges our 100 years of service.
The Motion:
MR COULTON: To move—That this House:
- (1) acknowledges that: (a) Royal Far West (RFW) is a national charity dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Australia’s country children across more than 200 schools and 364 communities; and
- (b) RFW is celebrating its centenary of service to Australia in 2024;
- (2) notes that: (a) in 2019, RFW received funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care to provide services online to schools and preschools under the National Paediatric Telecare Service (NPTS), and that funding finishes in June next year;
- (b) workforce shortages in regional areas, and a resulting lack of access to services, has seen high demand for NPTS;
- (c) the NPTS overcomes the tyranny of distance and reduces expenses for families in the midst of a cost of living crisis; and
- (d) operating across four states, the NPTS has provided support to 20,000 children, parents and educators; and
- (3) urges the Government to provide ongoing funding to RFW to allow this vital allied health and mental health service to continue to support families in rural, regional and remote Australia.
The motion was supported by MP Macarthur Dr Mike Freelander (ALP); MP Bean, David Smith (ALP); MP Gippsland, Hon Darren Chester (NAT); MP Riverina, Hon Michael McCormack (NAT) and MP Roberston, Dr Gordon Reid (ALP).
See Hansard HERE