G’day folks,
There are still a couple of weeks until Parliament sits again, but there is always a lot going on. So far this month I have been out on the road to Lake Cargelligo, Condobolin, Tottenham, Narrabri, and Wee Waa. This week I am flying to Albury to head out for IIRD Committee site visits at Griffith, Deniliquin, and Tocumwal and the week after I will be hosting another minister in Barwon – another chance to show a member of the cabinet around the electorate to better inform their decisions in Macquarie St.
New Barwon Preschools
I was pleased to hear that the Government’s plan for three new preschools in Barwon at Broken Hill, Bourke and Menindee has moved a step closer with a contract being awarded to Shape Australia Pty Ltd.
The schools, which will be built at Menindee Public School, Morgan St Public School in Broken Hill and Bourke Public School, are part of the Government’s commitment to building 100 preschools across the state. They are expected to open their doors in 2027.
I particularly want to thank the Deputy Premier and Education Minister, Prue Car, for listening to the specific concerns of the Bourke Community that a new preschool would infringe on the work of the existing preschool run by Bourke and District Children’s Services (BDCS).
Bourke’s existing preschool, BDCS has done a lot to bring about more social cohesion in the town and the community wants that work to continue. I am confident that the government’s plan to make the new facility operate solely as a transition centre to help local kids go from preschool to primary, allowing BDCS to continue their work, is a solution that works for everybody and has the support of the community.
Fish die-off at Lake Cargelligo
I was recently out at Lake Cargelligo where there was a widely reported fish die-off. Thousands of small bony bream – also known as bony herring – were washing up dead on the shore and being picked off by birds. I spoke to locals who said that it was a fairly common thing to see fish die in numbers when the temperature drops.
Despite it not being unusual NSW Fisheries investigated to be sure that there were no other reasons for the die-off, returning a finding that the drop in water temperature caused what is known as “Winter die-off”.
In the meantime, the birds are doing a good job of cleaning up.
Down the Track
While I was in Lake Cargelligo, I also went to visit the good people of Down the Track, run by Larn Masterson. This organisation does some amazing work with youth in the area, providing mentorship, education, skills training and a host of other services that are helping improve the lives of young people.
Larn showed me around Down the Track’s latest acquisition, Lake Cargelligo’s Royal Mail Hotel, which was left unoccupied and was becoming dilapidated after it had part of its roof torn off in a storm some time back. The roof has now been repaired, and the hotel is being refurbished to turn it into a facility that will allow local youth to develop vocational training in a real hospitality environment and provide accommodation for young people transitioning to the rental market.
They are getting some help from Bernie Shakeshaft, who is well known for his work in the youth diversionary space; his welding shop will be helping to fit out the hotel’s kitchens.
Larn and her team have done a great job getting the project this far and I look forward to seeing it all come together, and I hope to see the project get more support from the NSW Government.
Nominations open for Minister’s Awards for Women in Local Government
For over a century, women have played crucial roles in local government. The first woman elected as a councillor was Lillian Fowler, who was voted onto Newtown Council in 1928 and later went on to become the first woman elected Mayor of any council in Australia. A federal electorate is now named in her honour, and to acknowledge the role of women in local government and every year outstanding women in municipal government are also recognised at the Minister’s Awards for Women in Local Government.
If you know someone who is doing exceptional work at a local council, you can nominate them for an award. To find out more about categories of nominations, eligibility and to nominate go to https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/our-minister/ministers-awards-for-women-in-local-government/
NAIDOC Week
There were a number of events around the electorate for NAIDOC week. Given that my electorate is 44.5 % of the state, I was never going to be able to get to all of them, so while I was in Lake Cargelligo and Condobolin two of my staff represented me at Walgett.
By all accounts it was a good, strong community turnout. Walgett locals Jenny and Garry Trindall, along with an amazing support team, managed to put together a successful event. There were several Government Agencies who attended to pay their respects and Shane Hamilton, the Deputy Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs, was also there.
Later I made it to Wee Waa for their celebrations. This year’s theme was “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”, shining the spotlight on how our young, emerging leaders can play a role in the future.
A crucial part of that future is local decision-making (LDM). It seems obvious that when the decisions affecting indigenous communities are made in high-rise buildings in Sydney, they often fail to adequately meet community needs, concerns, or sentiments. Engaging our young people in community, putting into play the knowledge of elders that has been passed down to them and getting young people to step up to make decisions that reflect the wishes, needs, values, and concerns of their community is likely to guarantee a far better future.
Wee Waa Hospital Independent Review
Recently the Independent Review of the Wee Waa Health Service handed down its findings and recommendations. The review was requested by me and was approved by the Health Minister, Ryan Park, back in February. It has taken submissions from the public and deliberated over the last few months before releasing its findings this month.
I can’t stress enough how vitally important this review is as a positive step towards restoring health services in Wee Waa as they should be. The report makes it clear that there have been serious problems with the administration of the Hunter New England Local Health District, which administers the health service.
The review was conducted by four independent experts who came from outside the Hunter New England Local Health District. Their recommendations are therefore unbiased and have one specific aim, which is to get Wee Waa Health Service open and operating 24 hours, seven days a week with increased services.
From there the next, and equally important, step is the plan for the implementation of the report’s recommendations. This plan will be developed in consultation with people from the community who use the Wee Waa Health Service. Even after a draft of the plan is finalised, the Minister Ryan Park MP has given a commitment that he won’t sign off until I am satisfied that it completely reflects the community’s thoughts and addresses their needs.
This next stage will be completed in August.
I want to thank the community for their patience, and for their passionate advocacy, while this work was undertaken. I look forward to seeing a positive relationship between the community and HNELHD, and the restoration of health services to Wee Waa.
Meanwhile there is also the Committee on Community Services inquiry into my bill to split the HNELHD, hearings for which will be held at Narrabri Council Chambers on 12 August and Tamworth Jockey Club and Function Centre in Taminda on 13 August.
Inquiry into the impacts of water legislation
As I have said I am heading to Albury this week and travelling on to Griffith, Deniliquin and Tocumwal for site visits for the Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development, of which I am the chair. The committee is looking at the impacts of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 on NSW regional communities.
While the focus is partly on the federal “Saving our Rivers” legislation, the inquiry is quite broad and will also look at various pieces of state and federal legislation and the impacts they are having. I will be sharing some of the information on social media while I am there, but I will also keep you updated here.
To find out more about the inquiry go to:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3089
Got something on your mind? Go on then, engage. Submit your opinion piece, letter to the editor, or Quick Word now.