Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton (centre) caught up with the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of NSW President Tanya Mitchell and Vice President and Tertiary Convener Robin Beckwith at the ICPA NSW’s 52nd Annual State Conference in Dubbo.
Call for over-recovered water to be returned
Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has recently indicated that she has no intention of returning over-recovered water from the Murray-Darling Basin back into production which is very concerning for Basin communities in my electorate.
It’s going to be challenging enough for the Government to meet the Basin Plan’s unrealistic water recovery targets through voluntary water buybacks, so I fear that any water that has already been over-recovered in the northern Basin will be used to help achieve that 450GL, much to the detriment of communities throughout the Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie-Castlereagh and Barwon-Darling catchments.
Last week, I joined with the mayors of Warren and Narromine, as well as Macquarie River Food and Fibre to call on the Federal Government to return over-recovered water to the Macquarie Valley. A total of 38.2 gigalitres has been over-recovered in the Macquarie-Castlereagh catchment which equates to approximately $90 million of lost production per year at the farm gate. These communities have already done more than their fair share of the heavy lifting, so it’s time that water is returned.
Funding for Dubbo poet to publish book
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Dubbo author Paulette (Poli) Sansey, to hear all about her book of poetry and art, ‘Into the Moonlit Village – The Battle of Crete’, which is a collaboration with artist Michael Winters.
The book is about the Battle of Crete which occurred during World War II in 1941, resulting in a four-year occupation of the Greek island by Nazi German soldiers. Australian soldiers played a critical role during the battle and occupation and this book is a way of honouring them, as well as the local resistance effort, of which Poli’s own family were a part of. In fact, her grandfather was tragically executed and the family home was dynamited in 1944 as part of a reprisal campaign mounted by the Nazis.
Poli grew up hearing stories of the war and occupation from her mother who was a child at the time, so it has been a long-held ambition of hers to work on a book of this kind.
I’m pleased that Poli’s book will now be able to be published thanks to a $7,624 grant provided under the Saluting Their Service (STS) Commemorative Grants Program.
Applications for the next batch of STS grants are currently open until 20 June 2024. For more information, visit dva.gov.au/about/overview/consultations-and-grants/grants-and-bursaries/saluting-their-service-sts-commemorative-grants-program
Catching up with constituents
It was wonderful to catch up with lots of constituents last week at various functions, including a Nationals branch get-together in Dubbo with Senator Perin Davies and State Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders and the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of NSW 52nd Annual State Conference in Dubbo.
I visited the newly-refurbished Lumus Imaging in Dubbo and also had the pleasure of catching up with some of my former constituents at the 15th anniversary of the Wellington Men’s Shed. I opened the Wellington Men’s Shed 15 years ago and helped secure their new shed from a donation from the Australian Army (back when Wellington was still in the Parkes electorate), so it was wonderful to return and catch up with the men, having played such a big role in their establishment.
Connecting communities
Applications are now open for the 2024 Telstra Connected Communities Grant Program, with grants of up to $10,000 available for not-for-profits that provide access to information, technology, education and facilities for building social capital and digital capability.
The aim is to help build resilient, sustainable and liveable communities. The Telstra Connected Community Grant Program is being run in partnership with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. Applications close on Wednesday 27 March. If you know of a community group that could benefit from this grant, visit: https://www.telstra.com.au/exchange/telstra-connected-communities-grants