John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the community response to the fact that I have put on the line that we need a new dam in Calare. Mike from Parkes said:

The Needles Gap Dam near Canowindra. Just what the area needs! It will take a lot of push to make it happen but that's what sorts the average politician and the great!!! What we need is men with vision and courage.

Grant from Perthville said: 'Dams like this should have been made years ago.' I could not agree more. Robert from Orange said:

Thanks for pushing the Needles Dam proposal. Of course if our electorate is to grow we are going to need new infrastructure, new dams, new industries and new jobs.

The feedback has been coming in from all over, including from Raymond in Port Macquarie, which is a long way from Calare. He said:

I must commend you, you are a man of vision. You remind me of myself—

he is a modest type—

My passion is Water Harvesting and what it can do for Australia.

And this is just a small snippet of the feedback.

I have been humbled and further motivated by the positive response from the community, from people who would get no personal benefit from it but know that we do need it. Our region needs it now and for the future. But this not only requires vision from locals; it requires vision from people here in Canberra.