Mudgee Public School's multi-use sporting courts and the development of a Ninja course for Dubbo were the successful projects, and both are perfect examples of what My Community Project is about. There were more than 30 projects presented by people across the entire Dubbo electorate that reached the final stage, and then it was up to the residents of our region to vote.

Students living in social housing or who are in out-of-home care are being encouraged to apply for a new round of scholarships worth $1000 each, to help them achieve their education and training goals. 800 scholarships are on offer across the state, which is important because education is one of the keys to breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage. This scheme offers a significant hand up to successful applicants in our area. Scholarships are available to students in Year 10, 11 or 12 at a NSW high school or TAFE equivalent. They're also open to people completing a school based apprenticeship or traineeship, or a VET subject at school in 2020.

Young people who received the scholarship last year and are moving on to tertiary education, a traineeship or apprenticeship, can also apply. For more information: facs.nsw.gov.au/scholarships.

The NSW Government is helping Aboriginal small businesses secure a greater share of Government contracts for goods and services by committing $500,000 to the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce. Earlier this week minister for Aboriginal Affairs Don Harwin, and minister for Finance and Small Business, Damien Tudehope, announced the funding, which will benefit small and medium sized businesses across the state.