Improving mobile network resilience
I’m pleased that a number of communities in the Parkes electorate will benefit from improved mobile network resilience, under Round 2 of the Mobile Network Hardening Program.
Telstra has been awarded funding to upgrade eight remote sites in the Parkes electorate, including Brewarrina SCAX, Euabalong SCAX 1, Gwabegar Exchange, Lake Cargelligo Exchange, Lake Cargelligo Exchange, Lightning Ridge (NTL), Lightning Ridge Exchange BG 1 and Lightning Ridge Exchange BG 1. These upgrades will uplift power reserves to provide an additional 12 hours of service during outages.
Optus has also been funded to upgrade the permanent generators at Binnaway and Narrabri West sites. These upgrades will provide five to seven days of backup power.
It’s so important that our rural communities have access to mobile services, particularly in the event of a natural disaster, so these upgrades will help people in these areas stay connected during unplanned outages.
For more information on the Mobile Network Hardening Program, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/phone/mobile-network-hardening-program
Welcome changes to PALM scheme work hours
I welcome the Labor Government’s backflip on ill-advised changes to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme, after The Nationals strongly advocated against the now-defunct minimum hours of work requirement.
Despite warnings from the Coalition and industry bodies, last year Labor ploughed ahead with unworkable changes to the PALM Scheme, jeopardising our agricultural industry and our foreign relations. The changes forced employers to guarantee 30 hours per week which is unrealistic in an industry that is dictated by weather and seasonality.
These flaws were raised in Senate Estimates, in Questions in Writing to the Minister for the Pacific and through strong media advocacy which has, thankfully, turned the tide. The Government has now backflipped but only after seeing a decline of 10.2 per cent in short-term workers and 10.4 per cent for all PALM workers in agriculture.
From July 1 growers will now be able to offer 120 hours of work averaged over four weeks to workers employed under the PALM in the Parkes electorate, which is a sensible decision.
I will continue to fight against red tape that makes things harder for farmers in the Parkes electorate.
Voicing frustrations
I took the opportunity last week in Parliament to voice my frustration over comments made by Senator Deb O’Neill while she was in the Parkes electorate promoting funding from the Growing Regions Program, which I had very much welcomed. Senator O’Neill said that the rorts and slush funds of the previous Government had come to an end.
I’d like to know which projects from my electorate were rorts. Was it the $265 million for Newell Highway upgrades or the $39.4 million for the Clontarf Foundation? What about the $25 million for the Western Cancer Centre in Dubbo or $10 million for the Bourke abattoir that is now employing 150 people? Or the $15 million for the Wilcannia Weir or $9.5 million for the Australian Opal Centre at Lightning Ridge or $7.65 million for the School of Rural Health in Dubbo? I could go on and on.
The previous Coalition Government invested millions of dollars into our regional communities through worthwhile programs that this Labor Government has now cut.
Meanwhile, the NSW Labor Government is pushing on with its changes to the approved design of the Wilcannia Weir, so I also spoke in Parliament last week about this issue which is causing the community great angst.
The Wilcannia community was promised a new weir to improve the reliability of the town’s water supply and they deserve for it to be built to the original proposal that they agreed on.
