Councillor James Owen and Councillor Rhiannon Brinsmead have called on the NSW Government to continue funding the Back-to-School NSW Vouchers Program in its current form.
Cr Owen moved a Notice of Motion (NoM) at the 13 July council meeting, asking that the NSW Government continue to fund the programs to support Tweed Shire families.
Tweed Councillor Rhiannon Brinsmead. Photo Aslan Shand
‘The NSW Government has not yet committed to continuing the Back-to-School NSW Vouchers Program beyond the end of 2023,’ Councillor Brinsmead said.
‘The program provides 3 x $50 vouchers, totalling $150 for each eligible student and has really helped Tweed Shire families since it was launched.
‘The vouchers are essentially money in the pockets of families to put towards the cost of school uniforms, shoes, bags, technology, textbooks, and other eligible expense.’
Cr Owen said that hundreds of Tweed Shire families had benefitted from the program, representing significant savings for them each year.
‘It seems like everything is getting more expensive at the moment and families are really struggling to pay the bills,’ he said.
‘Governments are there to support people when times are tough, and people are telling me that times are very tough at the moment – and it isn’t getting any easier! That’s why we need the government to come to the table and continue to fund these vouchers so families can continue to put food on the table.’
The NoM, which passed with unanimous support, resolved for council to write to the following individuals, expressing Council’s support for, and requesting their assistance to secure the continuation of state funding for the Back-to-School NSW vouchers in the upcoming NSW Budget:
- Local State Members of Parliament – The Member for Lismore and The Member for Tweed
- The NSW Premier
- The NSW Minister for Education
- The NSW Treasurer
- Local State Members of Parliament – The Member for Lismore and The Member for Tweed
