Jamie Chaffey (Parkes, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two weeks ago, energy minister Chris Bowen scoffed at the coalition's efforts to bring the fuel crisis to his attention. There was no problem, he said. Fuel supplies were as high as they've ever been in Australia, he said. At the very time he handed us these platitudes, farmers across the electorate of Parkes were living a very different truth. Due to the war overseas and the false security of those opposite, they were being told they could have no access to fuel. We all know that a farm with no fuel is not a farm; it's a business at a standstill—no ability to produce food, no ability to produce fibre.

Almost three weeks ago I started hearing from desperate farmers and desperate independent fuel wholesale distributors in my electorate. Last Friday we heard there were 80 petrol stations across New South Wales without diesel, and today, in question time, we heard the minister update the House and say that the number of stations without diesel or petrol had sharply risen. Also, the price of fuel is commonly in excess of $3 a litre. On the weekend we heard that six fuel tankers due to deliver to Australia had been cancelled or deferred. Again I quote Mr Bowen: 'There is no problem.' This is just a bump in the road due to 'panic buying'. The bump in the road soon won't matter, because people won't have the fuel to access that bump.

There is very clearly a supply chain issue here, and, even after this Labor government acknowledged there was a problem, it has not done enough to fix it. Australia's a big country. We need fuel not only to travel it but to get our goods to market, to access emergency care, to work on machinery and to keep our country running. Independent fuel distributors are critical for the supply to communities across the Parkes electorate, whether that is supplying our towns, our villages and our cities or is bulk fuel supply directly to the farm gate, transport companies or industry. The Albanese government have chosen to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the calls from these businesses over the past three weeks as they plead for assistance to keep the fuel flowing and their businesses solvent.

This morning I spoke to one of these distributors, and he told me he now must take drastic measures to keep his business from folding. He has to park up tankers and lay off staff because the normal fuel supply chains won't or can't allow supply. Who's telling the truth? Is it my distributors who are on their knees begging for help, or is it the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen?

I was recently honoured to be named as the shadow assistant minister for regional development, local government and territories, and I'd like to speak tonight specifically about local government. I'm thrilled that the coalition has elevated local government into shadow cabinet. That is where it should be. More than 200,000 men and women serve throughout 537 councils across Australia, with direct oversight over the big three—rates, roads and rubbish—and so much more. Those people work across more than 400 different occupational areas, including community theatres, sporting groups, dog pounds, art galleries, sewerage plants, water treatment plants, footpaths, cemeteries, noise complaints, noxious weeds, airports, public pools, libraries, parks, planning, food safety, community awards and sometimes aged care, child care, health care and youth services. They all come under the label of local government.

I know the huge scope of local government well as a former mayor of the Gunnedah Shire Council, board member of Local Government NSW and past chair of Country Mayors Association of New South Wales. For the eight years that I served as mayor, the council's battles were my own battles. It is a vital tier of government and one that provides so many of the essentials of everyday life. My role in local government also made me more than familiar with the critical challenges councils are facing in doing more with less. Councils' ability to build their budget has not changed. Some regional populations are slowly growing, but unfortunately many are going backwards. This means a smaller rate base.

If you add in the result of years of cost shifting to local government from state and federal governments, councils are now forced to do more in an economic climate where they have less money and are facing the killer blows of inflation and the high cost of living for their ratepayers and the threat or reality of natural disasters such as droughts, floods and fires. Now add in the death by a thousand cuts inflicted by this Labor government—no new funding under the Stronger Communities Program, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, Growing Regions Program and regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

Local government in Australia is populated by strong, innovative elected members and also skilled staff. This is a lucky thing. Local government representatives can clearly articulate just what is needed, and they have. I quote from the Australian Local Government Association 2026-27 Federal budget submission:

While councils are prepared to lead with tailored, place-based solutions that meet the unique needs of every community, they are being asked to do more with less. The ability to deliver on these priorities depends on financial sustainability and adequate funding. Many councils are already active in these areas but are constrained by insufficient and unpredictable funding.

They list as their priorities financial sustainability, housing infrastructure, community infrastructure, safer roads, emergency management and climate adaptation.

Recently, I asked the 20 councils in the Parkes electorate for a list of their top priorities for the upcoming federal budget. Their eight top challenges were escalating costs and financial sustainability—there's a definite theme here—road maintenance, freight inefficiencies and road safety; natural disaster preparedness, recovery and resilience; community infrastructure; airport infrastructure; regional telecommunications infrastructure; the inland rail; and water infrastructure.

There are many similarities there with the struggles councils are facing across the country. They must provide clean water, road maintenance and community infrastructure. But where are the funds? If the state and federal governments financially strangle local government, then all of the costs fall back onto their ratepayers, either through a special rate variation or other direct charges. Councils throughout Australia need financial support, and they need it now. It's time to listen to what they are saying.

While I am on the subject of local government, I'd like to pay tribute to a man who has been described as one of the New South Wales legends of local government. Emeritus Mayor Ray Donald OAM passed away earlier this month. Our paths in local government did not cross, but I have heard from many people of the great work that Ray did over his career. He served as a councillor of Bogan Shire Council in the electorate of Parkes for 30 years, 25 of those as mayor, up until his retirement in 2021. Ray was the last president of the Shires Association of New South Wales before it amalgamated with the Local Government Association of New South Wales in 2013. He was one of the Local Government Association of New South Wales inaugural presidents and later one of its patrons.

The great local paper the Nyngan Weekly published a tribute to Ray Donald, and I would like to include a few comments from that story. This is from the current Bogan Shire mayor, Glen Neill:

Ray Donald OAM, a man whose dedication, leadership and quiet strength helped shape our town for generations and that the Nyngan community will be forever grateful for his outstanding contribution to the Bogan shire and surrounds. Every asset you see in Nyngan whether it be the parks and gardens, the roads and the infrastructure throughout the last 30 years Ray was an instrumental part of everything Nyngan is today.

This is from the immediate past president of Local Government NSW and Forbes shire current mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM:

Ray's commitment to his community was unwavering. He dedicated decades to ensuring rural and remote voices were heard at every level of government. His passing is deeply felt but his impact will continue for generations.

And this is from the Country Mayors Association of NSW chair, Rick Firman OAM:

Through Local Government and community organisations, Emeritus Mayor Ray Donald OAM gave so much to his community and rural, remote and regional NSW in general. His contributions, his life deserves to be celebrated and will be remembered. Mr Donald's family have described local government as his calling and I believe that sums it up, and for many of our country Mayors.

Ray Donald received the OAM, the Order of Australia Medal, for his service to local government— (Time expired)