Visit to Moree and Boggabilla
Last week I was joined by Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in Boggabilla and Moree to discuss youth crime and various social issues.
We heard about the work the local police, youth organisations and Moree Plains Shire Council are doing to address crime. But we need to hold all local service providers to account, to ensure they’re working to get the best outcomes for at-risk young people.
Providing employment for locals will also help reduce anti-social issues, and an extra 4,000 jobs are expected to be created in Moree over the next 40 years as a result of the Special Activation Precinct. But this is reliant on the completion of the Inland Rail, which is so important for agricultural communities like Moree. Moree Plains Shire Council is also concerned about potential job losses as a result of Labor’s water buybacks scheme.
Grants to strengthen six communities
I’d like to congratulate the six organisations in the Parkes electorate that have received funding under the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal’s (FRRR) Strengthening Rural Communities program.
The following have been awarded grants under the Commonwealth-funded Rebuilding Regional Communities stream:
- RiverSmart Australia – $10,000 to build a concrete coach-disembarking point and accessible pathway in Warren.
- Coonamble Golf Club – $9,928 grant to construct a playground.
- Moree Plains Shire Council – $3,000 grant to facilitate Fanny Lumsden’s Country Halls Tour in Garah.
The following have been awarded grants under the Small and Vital stream which is funded by the community and private sector:
- Warren Chamber Music Festival – $10,000 to record songs from storytelling sessions with elderly community members in Collie.
- Colly Gamilaraay Indigenous Corporation – $9,500 to hold a one-day multi-arts and sporting festival to celebrate traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture from across the Collarenebri region.
- Arthur Butler Aviation Museum – $5,000 to create a management plan for the Tooraweenah aerodrome to develop future facilities.
Sadly, this is the final round of the Rebuilding Regional Communities stream to be funded by the Commonwealth, as there has been no commitment from the Labor Government to allocate further funding. I’m hopeful that the Government will commit to supporting future grant rounds in the upcoming Federal Budget.
For more information on the latest round of the Strengthening Rural Communities program, visit: frrr.org.au/blog/2024/04/30/src-20-recipients
Remote airstrip funding delayed
Councils and private owners of remote airstrips in my electorate have been left waiting to hear whether they have been successful for critical funding to upgrade their remote airstrips.
Applications for the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program closed in December last year, however it’s now May and Transport Minister Catherine King is still yet to announce the successful grants.
This funding is so important for our remote communities who rely on safe, operational aerodromes for the delivery of goods and services, particularly where road access is unavailable, unreliable or disrupted for extended periods due to seasonal weather conditions.
Councils are now faced with uncertainty as they try to complete budgets, and further delays by the Labor Government could impact their ability to have upgrades completed by the April 2026 deadline. This is just another example of Labor’s disdain for those of us living in the bush. The people of the Parkes electorate deserve better.