COUNT DOWN TO THE KYOGLE READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL

This year’s Kyogle Readers and Writers Festival kicks off this Friday 17 May and runs across Saturday 18 May. Centred around the KMI Hall and the Roxy Gallery in downtown Kyogle, the Festival features an array of talented writers including Melissa Lucashenko, Mirandi Riwoe, Jessie Cole, Michael Burge, Tim Baker, Ellen van Neerven, Corey Tutt and many, many more.

Special guest, Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis, will be in conversation with Angela Catterns, talking about his latest book as well as his love for gardening.

A smorgasbord of panels will discuss a range of topics including Indigenous writing, gardening and gardening literature, writing as an outsider, towards a more ethical and sustainable society and the use of alternative therapies.

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Lovers of poetry are well catered for with a workshop on performance poetry as well as the Page and Stage Poetry event taking place at the Kyogle Golf Club later on Saturday.

The festival promises to offer something for all lovers of books, poetry and writing in all its varied forms.

Festival passes are still available for purchase online and tickets for single events will be available on Saturday at the Festival Box Office in Stratheden Street.

For more information, head over to the website here.

For more Kyogle news, click here.

Kyogle Memorial Institute is the cultural hub of Kyogle community

The latest improvements to the Kyogle Memorial Institute (KMI) have cemented the hall’s standing as the cultural hub of the Kyogle community, Kyogle Mayor Kylie Webster said.

The work completed earlier this month includes new cinema-style seating in the gallery overlooking the stage, movable stackable chairs for the hall, a mechanical winch system for new lighting bars over the stage and audience; acoustic improvements (centre-fill speaker arrangement; ceiling hung acoustic panels, curtains that hang on the walls); new stage curtains and scrim; and shelving.

Cr Webster said Council had also repaired a large area of the roof, built a new steel support structure over the stage to hold the new curtains and lights, and repaired a section of the gallery which had been damaged by a water leak.

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This latest project follows previous work to upgrade the Banquet Room and kitchen and create the Roxy Gallery space.

“Council has been progressively upgrading the KMI to ensure this wonderful building is safe, comfortable, and able to meet the needs of the community for years to come,” Cr Webster said.

The recently completed work, part funded by a Federal Government Creative Capital Grant, has received a tick of approval from the Village Hall Players.

“We are thrilled,” a spokesperson for the theatre group said.

“As well as the big-ticket items, there were small thoughtful things like reading lights for the Stage Manager and off-prompt positions.

“Thank you, Kyogle Council, for making our hall so much better for cast, crew and audiences alike.”

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JUSTINE DELIVERS FOR NORTH COAST STUDENTS

Local Labor MP Justine Elliot announced that the Albanese Labor Government will deliver two new major initiatives, which will support current and former higher education students on the North Coast.

“Both these major changes will make a big difference to locals on the North Coast, those with HECS debts, and those undertaking mandatory work placements for teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work qualifications.

“Labor is making our higher education system work better for students and work better for our economy.

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“As your strong voice in the Albanese Government, I’m proud to be delivering this important support for locals,” Justine said.

1.CUTTING STUDENT DEBT 

“The first major change is cutting the student debt of more than three million Australians, including nearly 20,000 here on the North Coast.

“This will wipe around $3 billion in student debt nationally, easing the pressure on workers and students across the country.

“The Government will cap the HELP indexation rate to whatever is lower out of Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index with effect from 1 June 2023, and backdate the relief to 1 June last year.

“This will benefit every person with a HELP debt, fixing the issue of last year’s spike in the CPI indexation rate of 7.1 per cent and preventing growth in debt from outpacing wages in the future.

“This will make the system fairer and benefit all Australians with a HELP debt.

“I know many locals with HECS debts are impacted by the indexation increases. Labor listens, and Labor acts.

“By backdating this reform to last year, we’re making sure that those with student loans affected by last year’s jump in indexation get this important cost-of-living relief.

“This continues our work to ease cost of living pressures and reduce and remove financial barriers to education and training,” Justine said.

For individual information see the HELP Indexation Credit Estimator: education.gov.au/HELPestimator.

COST-OF-LIVING SUPPORT FOR TEACHING, NURSING AND SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

“The second initiative is establishing a Commonwealth Prac Payment to support students undertaking mandatory work placements for teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work qualifications.

“The payment will provide around 68,000 higher education students and over 5,000 VET students each year with $319.50 per week during their clinical and professional placement periods.

“This payment will provide cost-of-living relief for many students. It will be means-tested and available from 1 July 2025 and will be in addition to any income support a student may also receive.

“The Albanese Labor Government is addressing the care and teaching workforce skills shortages, while assisting more students to commence and complete their studies.

“Some students say prac means giving up their part-time job, and that they don’t have the money to pay the bills.

“This will help encourage more students to study teaching, nursing, and social work, all of which are critical to our local workforce and community.

“This will give people who have signed up to do some of the most important jobs in this country a bit of extra help to get the qualifications they need,” Justine said.

For more Education news, click here.