Federal Member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski has today welcomed the announcement by the Turnbull Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), to provide $28.6 million in funding for a new trial with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to deliver 200 MW of capacity to help secure the electricity grid during times of peak demand.

The tragic death of an Avalon mother by her son, rumoured to be under the influence of ice, has resulted in increased awareness of the prevalence of ice on the Northern Beaches. We combat this in every possible way, particularly through spreading the message about the severe risks of using ice, and how to get help to encourage users to seek help.

Some agencies that offer counselling and rehabilitation include: 

Sydney Drug Education and Counselling Centre offers free counselling for young people with problematic drugs, alcohol or mental health issues.  https://www.sdecc.org.au/ 

Odyssey House offers a diverse range of services to clients with drug or alcohol dependencies.  https://www.odysseyhouse.com.au/ 

ACON enables people of all ages to reach out for counselling and assistance who may be affected by wide range of issues. http://www.acon.org.au/ 

For more information or advice please consult your healthcare professional. 

Energy costs have risen by more than 50 per cent over the past year. For any business, this is a massive cost. But, in a tightly competitive market, where made in Australia is competing against cheap, overseas imports, this is disastrous. 

Innovation and technological development is rapidly lowering the cost curve for new renewable plants. While mature technologies have plateaued, the cost of wind and solar photovoltaic generation has more than halved. The missing link that enables renewables to provide truly reliable, dispatchable power is storage technology which smooths variability.

Join me in encouraging everyone on the Northern Beaches to take steps to protect their own online safety as part of Stay Smart Online Week.

Stay Smart Online Week runs from 9-13 October and is a national awareness raising initiative to encourage Australians to be more proactive about their cyber security.

A near 12 month campaign by Local Member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, to upgrade the dangerously worn Narrabeen Athletics track is nearing an end, with the NSW Office of Sport committing funding to repair and upgrade the track by early 2018.

With over 24,000 small businesses in our electorate of Mackellar, it is vital that the benefits and opportunities for Defence contracts be made available.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all businesses in Mackellar to get involved, to see what opportunities are open to them in defence and to tender for contracts, so they too can manufacture goods or provide services integral to Australia's defence and security.

Today I stood up for our record on energy policy, because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that you can't trust Labor with energy. 

Every time we give energy policy to the Labor Party—whether it's in New South Wales or whether it's in Queensland, where the Palaszczuk government is using its wholly owned corporations to hold up its awful budgetary position—three things happen: prices go up, reliability goes down and uncertainty runs wild. That is what we have come to expect from the Labor Party.

Watch my full speech here: 

This year we celebrated the 25th pub2pub, a great annual community event that raises much needed money for local charities.

What once involved a few, now involves nearly 4,000 runners and raises close to $400,000, because at the heart of our community is the idea that 'of those to whom much is given, much is expected'

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUQwVMsvLSg 

This year we celebrated the 25th pub2pub, a great annual community event that raises much needed money for local charities. 

What once involved a few, now involves nearly 4,000 runners and raises close to $400,000, because at the heart of our community is the idea that 'of those to whom much is given, much is expected' 

Thank you to those who attended my first community forum in the North of Mackellar on 20 July.  It enjoyed receiving your feedback and answering your questions.  Although we might not have agreed on every topic, having these discussions is important.  Decisions made in Canberra affect you, so I am always looking for feedback. 

If you couldn't make it, below I have synthesised the three main issues which were raised at the forum.  To see when my next forum is, please visit my future events page. You can also watch my inaugural speech to Parliament to find out what my vision for our community is.