Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton and Dubbo Regional Council Chief Executive Officer Murray Wood and Mayor Mathew Dickerson are thrilled that Dubbo Regional Council has been awarded $7 million in funding for the Wiradjuri Cultural Tourism Centre and Keeping Place.

$30.5 million investment into our region

I am absolutely thrilled that five projects in the Parkes electorate have received a total of $30.5 million in funding under Round 1 of the Australian Government’s Growing Regions Program.

The successful recipients include:

• Brewarrina Shire Council – $10,069,524 for the Brewarrina PCYC Youth Hub and Indoor Sports Centre
• Moree Plains Shire Council – $9,641,761 for the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre Redevelopment
• Dubbo Regional Council – $7,190,505 for the Wiradjuri Cultural Tourism Centre and Keeping Place
• Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation – $2,181,534 for a Community Cultural Hub Project
• Narrabri Shire Council – $1,483,112 for Narrabri Shire Tourism and Cultural Precinct – Stages 2 and 3

This is a whopping investment into these communities and although the announcement of successful applicants for the Growing Regions Program was delayed by more than two months, I’m very thankful to Infrastructure Minister Catherine King for recognising the importance of these worthwhile projects.

For more information on the Growing Regions Program, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/regional-australia/regional-and-community-programs/growing-regions-program

Another disappointing Budget

The 2024-25 Federal Budget was handed down last week and sadly, the Parkes electorate was once again largely ignored by the Labor Government.

There’s nothing for Inland Rail and agriculture and mining have been forgotten.

The biggest allocation of funding for agriculture is ironically the phasing out of live sheep exports which is a major blow to the entire sheep industry. Our agricultural communities are also under threat from the massive explosion of renewables that’s going to be required to generate green hydrogen, while Labor is remaining secretive about water buybacks.

The $300 energy rebate is a drop in the bucket compared to what bills have risen to for households in my electorate.

We need to have a Budget that provides incentives for individuals to do well, rather than rely on band-aid handouts from the Government to cover rising costs that are a direct result of that same Government’s bad policies. This Budget does nothing to restore what Labor has cost Australians, and we are all poorer for it.

Win for farmers

Our farmers did at least get a win last week when the crossbench blocked Labor’s disastrous and ill-thought-out biosecurity protection levy in the Senate.

This comes after The Nationals spent the past year campaigning with farmers and industry against the tax which would have seen Australian farmers pay for the biosecurity risks of international importers.

Our farmers already pay more than their fair share of taxes, and this is just another cost that would have inevitably been passed onto consumers at the checkout.

The Nationals will always fight for common sense and for fairness in the regions and I’m proud to have been part of the campaign to stop this senseless tax.

Car tax rammed through the House

Last week the Labor Government reached a new low, ramming its New Vehicle Efficiency Standard bill through the House without debate, completely flying in the face of transparency, accountability and democracy.

The Prime Minister promised us greater transparency, and yet when it comes to debating legislation as important as this, Labor shamefully gagged the debate, refusing to allow any scrutiny over this tax that will have a significant impact on our farmers, our tradies and our families.

This tax is an attack on the people of the bush, people who rely on SUVs, 4WDs and utes to go about their daily lives and shutting down the debate on this legislation is just shameful.