STATE MEMBER FOR BAULKHAM HILLS – HON DAVID ELLIOTT MP

RECOGNISE YOUR VOLUNTEERS

Local residents can acknowledge the efforts of community members who give their time to help others, by nominating them for the Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Program.

The contributions of local volunteers to the Baulkham Hills community cannot be overstated.

Day in and day out, local residents from school students to grandparents are tirelessly working to strengthen the fabric of our community by lending a hand to those who need it.

I encourage residents to recognise a local who gives their time to help others by nominating them for the Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Program.

Categories for the program include student volunteers, people who have made a significant volunteering effort, retired volunteers, people with more than 25 years of volunteering experience and people who have been volunteers for more than 40 years.

People who volunteer are happier, healthier and more connected to their communities.

Over 2.1 million people volunteer in NSW, contributing 240 million hours of their time, and adding an estimated $5 billion of value each year.

The Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Program celebrates the importance of volunteering and has recognised the hard work of more than 14,000 volunteers across NSW.

To nominate a volunteer for the Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Program or for more information about volunteering in NSW please visit www.volunteering.nsw.gov.au.

FAIRER DEAL FOR SOLAR CUSTOMERS IN BAULKHAM HILLS

Solar households and businesses in Baulkham Hills can receive higher prices for the power they feed-in to the grid, following release of a new draft tariff by IPART.

In Baulkham Hills, 3623 households and businesses are generating power from solar systems.

More consumers are realising the benefit of installing solar to help keep bills down.

Consumers can avoid costly energy by consuming as much from solar as possible, and the feed-in tariff rewards the excess power that goes back into the grid.

The benchmark feed-in tariff will more than double, and help customers negotiate a better deal from energy retailers.

IPART’s draft determination of a fair value for solar more than doubles the previous tariff of 5.5 – 7.2 cents per kilowatt hour, proposing an increase to 11.6 – 14.6 c/kWh.

The tariff is not subsidised by other energy users so it won’t increase power prices. It will help deliver lower energy bills for NSW’s 350,000 solar households.

Feed-in tariffs are a payment for excess generation fed into the grid. The benchmark range is lower than the amount charged for electricity by retailers as it excludes distribution costs as well as retail services, metering and billing.

The Government wants to expanding access to solar power to help with bills, particularly for vulnerable households through our Home Energy Action Program.

The CSIRO says 35 per cent of generation by 2050 could come from rooftop solar. Solar and batteries in homes and businesses are critical to future supply.

When shopping around customers should consider all aspects of a retailer’s offer, including charges, feed-in tariffs, discounts, late payment fees or early exit fees.

The final tariff determination will be issued in June following consultation.

THREE NEW POLICE OFFICERS FOR THE HILLS LAC

The Hills Local Area Command has welcomed three new probationary constables following the recent Police Academy attestation parade of Class of 330.

Congratulations to Chad Voysey, Thomas Hartmann and Matthew Dolbel on graduating from the Goulburn Police Academy and I thank them for their commitment to combating crime, and protecting the community.

I know the qualifications our officers have completed at the Police Academy, together with the on-thejob training they will undertake at The Hills Local Area Command, will ensure they are more than adequately prepared to step into this important role.

Policing can be an extremely challenging profession. Our officers encounter the best and the worst of humanity, so I’m very pleased that our community will benefit from the enthusiasm of our new officers starting their career on the beat.

Class 330 includes 178 recruits who have attested as Probationary Constables. These new recruits will commence on-the-job training on Monday and will continue distance education before graduating with an Associate Diploma in Policing Practice.

The men and women who took attestations join more than 3,759 officers who have become sworn NSW Police officers since 2011.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is committed to boosting the authorised strength of the NSW Police Force to 16,795 over this term of Government.