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Parkes

Coulton’s Catch-Up

Oct 21, 2024

Resources Minister Madeleine King was in Dubbo last week to announce $5 million in funding for Australian Strategic Minerals’ Toongi rare earth mine.

The funding has been provided under the International Partnerships in Critical Minerals Program to fund up to 50 per cent of a study to find more efficient ways of refining rare earths at its mine and processing plant. This is on top of a $6.5m grant provided to ASM last year by the Federal Government through the Critical Minerals Development Program to support mining, separation and refining for critical minerals at the Dubbo project.

It was great to host Minister King for a tour of the Toongi mine and a briefing with Alkane Resources after I’d been encouraging her to visit for some time. The Toongi mine will not only bring hundreds of jobs to Dubbo but is globally significant due to the role it will play in the critical minerals supply chain.

Kevin Hogan in Dubbo and Gilgandra

It was wonderful to have Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan join me and Nationals candidate for Parkes Jamie Chaffey in Dubbo and Gilgandra last week to visit some of our fantastic tourist attractions and meet with local exporters from the agriculture and mining sectors.

We visited Taronga Western Plains Zoo, the Western Plains Cultural Centre and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Experience, giving Kevin and Jamie a taste of some of the great offerings for tourists in Dubbo.

We also did a tour of the Toongi rare earth mine and Ahrens Silos in Gilgandra, visited Maverick Biosciences in Dubbo and met with other local exporters as well as Dubbo Regional and Gilgandra Shire councils, showcasing the diverse range of industries we have in this electorate.

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton fed the giraffes at Taronga Western Plains Zoo last week. Photo credit: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Local Sporting Champions

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting certificates to some of the young athletes who received financial assistance to fulfill their sporting dreams.

A total of 24 young sportspeople from across the electorate received grants of up to $750 to assist with the costs associated with participating in state, national and international sporting championships, under the Local Sporting Champions program.

Congratulations to Will Cale (Narromine), Veniece Coorey (Broken Hill), Tully Pickering (Dubbo), Siarne Davis (Coonabarabran), Sarah McInerney (Gunnedah), Samantha Fiechtner (Walgett), Ruby Clayton (Narrabri), Rowdy Laidlaw (Warialda), Riley Bond (Dubbo), Oli Chandler (Gilgandra), Molly Ramien (Gunnedah), Lily Henley (Ungarie), Joshua Brown (Narromine), Jonty Fowler (Narrabri), Jett Hope (Dubbo), Jack Deveson (Dubbo), Hugh McMullen (Gongolgon), Hannah Ryan (Dubbo), Evie Henley (Ungarie), Ethan Ward (Dubbo), Darcy Pollard (Dubbo), Anna-Rose Ward (Condobolin), Amelia Fiechtner (Walgett) and Alexis Whitton (Gunnedah) who each represented their school, state or country in their respective sporting endeavours.

These grants made it possible for many of these athletes to be able to compete at a representative level, as it can be costly when travelling large distances for these sporting events. For more information about the Local Sporting Champions program, visit: www.sportaus.gov.au/grants_and_funding/local_sporting_champions

Agriculture leadership program

Applications are currently open for the National Farmers’ Federation National Agriculture Leadership Program for young and emerging leaders in the ag sector.

The program provides targeted activities and unique experiences in leadership, advocacy, and policy development, and includes an advocacy retreat, policy project and mentoring.

I encourage anyone aged under 35 with a passion for agriculture and an interest in leadership to apply for this great opportunity. Applications close on 14 November 2024. For more information, visit: https://nff.org.au/nalp/

Commentary by Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton

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