Jamie Chaffey's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Parkes Electorate: Australia Day | Constituency Statements | House debates
I was born and raised in Australia, and, alongside millions of other Australians, I'm proud to call Australia home. Australians have many beginnings. Some journeys began with a dream of finding a...
I was born and raised in Australia, and, alongside millions of other Australians, I'm proud to call Australia home. Australians have many beginnings. Some journeys began with a dream of finding a better life for their families in Australia, and, many years later, that dream was rewarded with Australian citizenship. The mighty electorate of Parkes covers more than 400,000 square kilometres and, across this vast space, there are hundreds of celebrations on January 26. Australia Day should be a reminder to us all of how precious our freedom and our values are in this country. I was honoured to attend the Australia Day events in both Dubbo and Coonamble this year, where people came together to show not only their love for our country but their appreciation for the people who make it a great place to live. In Dubbo, I joined the community in celebrating our heritage and welcoming new citizens in beautiful Victoria Park on the eve of Australia Day. I attended Coonamble's Australia Day awards nominee dinner that night and the Australia Day breakfast awards the following day. I congratulate all of the recipients of the local government Australia Day awards across the Parkes electorate, including the wonderful Pauline McAllister, Dubbo's Senior Citizen of the Year, and Michael Brockman, Gunnedah Shire's Citizen of the Year—just two of the outstanding examples of our champions for regional Australia. We are also honoured to announce that Forbes man, Nedd Brockmann, has been awarded the Young Australian of the Year. This tradie from Forbes is an extremely inspirational young person. In 2022, Nedd ran 3,952 kilometres, from Perth to Bondi Beach, breaking records and raising more than $2.6 million to find solutions for homelessness. He started Nedd's Uncomfortable Challenge, which has now raised more than $8 million to help the homeless. Congratulations to Nedd on his incredible work and his title as the Young Australian of the Year 2026. I also congratulate members of the Parkes electorate who have been named in the 2026 Australia Day Honours List. Medal of the Order of Australia recipients are Laurience Ashcroft, for service to the community of Parkes; John Elliott, for service to the community of Wilcannia; Alister Ferguson, for service to the Indigenous community of Bourke; Colleen Fuller of Gunnedah, for service to the community through a range of organisations; Raymond Hughston, for service to the community of Wanaaring; Richard Blackman, for service to the community of Coonabarabran; and, posthumously, to Janice Kettle, for service to the community of West Wyalong. David Welch of Gunnedah has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for distinguished service as a member of the Australian fire service and Anne Dennis of Walgett has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to the Indigenous community of New South Wales. We are fortunate to have such amazing achievers in the electorate of Parkes. I congratulate each and every one of them for their great contribution to their communities and our nation.
Parkes Elvis Festival | Statements by Members | House debates
I'm just a simple country boy at heart, so it was with great pride that I attended the Parkes Elvis Festival in January. Yes, I wore an Elvis jumpsuit, and, yes, I stood alongside a multitude of...
I'm just a simple country boy at heart, so it was with great pride that I attended the Parkes Elvis Festival in January. Yes, I wore an Elvis jumpsuit, and, yes, I stood alongside a multitude of other 'Elvi', Priscillas and a couple of hound dogs, and they got all shook up. It's part of the Parkes electorate way of life. It's one of the most successful festivals in our nation, and I was simply taking care of business. But let's move along to a little less conversation and a little bit more action. The Parkes Elvis Festival is a huge hit with Elvis fans around the world. It's estimated that more than 26,000 people can't help falling in love with the celebrations and make their way to Parkes via a jet plane, a freight train or the good old Elvis Express. The Parkes Elvis Festival was the dream of Bob and Anne Steel, and they followed that dream to international success. The show's tribute competition, the parade, the photo exhibition, the busking, the gospel service are all part of the carnival time in Parkes, and this year's theme of 'Love me tender' had the thousands of fans there celebrating the wonder of Elvis. Congratulations to the Steels, Parkes Shire Council, the tribute artists, the performers, those who put on their blue suede shoes and the many volunteers that made this happen. Thank you. Thank you, very much.
Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that Sunday 14 December 2025 will be remembered in Australian history as the day of the worst terrorist attack on our shores. Fifteen innocent people...
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that Sunday 14 December 2025 will be remembered in Australian history as the day of the worst terrorist attack on our shores. Fifteen innocent people attending the Jewish celebrations at Bondi died, and may they rest in peace. This heinous act was the actions of two Islamic extremist terrorists with murderous intent as their sole motivation—and, yes, these terrorists used firearms, but they also prepared pipe bombs, and the truth is we may never know the full intent of their plan. Could they have planned to use the vehicle to drive into crowds of people? After weeks of pressure from all sectors of the Australian community, the Prime Minister has finally agreed to hold a royal commission into antisemitism. All of Australia will be waiting for the findings and the recommendations that will guide this place on actions required to stamp out antisemitism and prevent any future senseless loss of lives. The faulty nature of this rushed legislation has been highlighted by the fact that at the eleventh hour the omnibus bill was radically altered. In yet another dirty deal between the Albanese government and the Greens, democracy was stitched up before the bill even hit the floor of this parliament. Today, I rise to speak against the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026, which has been carved out from another bill that we barely had time to comprehend. We are now left to debate a major matter for Australians without adequate time to debate democratically and offer amendments to support those regional Australians the Albanese government has forgotten. Since that terrible day at Bondi, when attention returned to gun laws, I've been swamped with letters, emails and phone calls from regional Australians that this government has let down. Anger is growing to fever pitch in most of the towns and villages in the Parkes electorate and across regional Australia. In the months since the last federal election, the Albanese government has passed a number of pieces of legislation—many times in backdoor deals with the Greens—that have all had negative impacts on regional Australia. I'm talking about the Environmental Protection Reform Bill 2025, changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and changes to water regulation. And the Labor government now has regional Australia in its sights with these national gun laws. The calls and letters about these gun laws have been coming from Broken Hill, Cobar, Parkes, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Curlewis, Gunnedah, West Wyalong, Lake Cargelligo and many more communities throughout the Parkes electorate. My people are worried; regional Australians are anxious. Guns are not a novelty in regional Australia. They're a necessity for pest animal control, livestock protection and land management. Primary producers already follow tough regulations to retain their firearms. For many farmers, guns are simply an essential part of business. They are essential for providing the rest of the country and the rest of the world with quality food and fibre. Why are all the regional Australians paying the price for the very few who have done the wrong thing? Since terrorists pulled the trigger at Bondi, the reverberations have been felt right across regional Australia. New gun laws were rushed through the New South Wales parliament on Christmas Eve. Gun owners across New South Wales will face further restrictions on the number of firearms that they can own. There are changes in categories of firearms available for farmers and also for recreational shooters. This bill has very little detail on the proposed gun buyback scheme. There is no detail in here to tell us how it will work, when it will happen and how much it will cost. Gun laws are a state-by-state and territory-by-territory concern. How can this be implemented at all when there are so many different laws, so many different approaches and so many different perspectives? Will the states and territories even agree to fund this buyback scheme? If this Labor-Greens buyback scheme does proceed, gun owners must be compensated at full and fair market value for the property that they surrender—not just the firearms but also any firearm parts, accessories, ammunition, components and reloading equipment. Compensation must also be made available for hardship and the loss of any business, including any buyouts of a business deemed unviable as a result of the introduction of this crazy legislation. It would be entirely irresponsible for us to support something that has very few parameters and contested costings and won't achieve the result of preventing terrorism on our shores. The people of the Parkes electorate and regional Australia are tired of their lives and their livelihoods being bartered away by Labor with the Greens. It's time to remember who we are trying to protect—and that is all Australians.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
I wish to begin by acknowledging the family and friends of the victims and survivors that join us in the gallery today. It is unthinkable in this, our country, that families enjoying a peaceful...
I wish to begin by acknowledging the family and friends of the victims and survivors that join us in the gallery today. It is unthinkable in this, our country, that families enjoying a peaceful and happy celebration should suddenly find themselves protecting their children from bullets and hiding in a place that was never, ever designed for hiding. This attack—this horrific, unbelievable attack—struck at the heart of what it is to be an Australian at one of our most recognisable iconic Australian locations. Fifteen people who got up on the morning of 14 December and dressed and packed for a celebration at the beach did not come home. May they rest in peace. The hundreds, if not thousands, of people who loved those 15 victims awoke the following morning to a life that is forever altered. My heart and the heart of the Parkes electorate community goes to those families. I am sorry that two people with hate at their core have taken the people that you love. My thoughts and the thoughts of the Parkes electorate community go to those people injured, who ran with their children and who will forever bear the scars of fear. This is not Australia as we know it. This is not Australia as we grew up, where Aussies come in all shapes and sizes and help each other live a free and caring life. This was not an Australian act. The best of Australia was on display in the moments following the horrific attack, with our dedicated, selfless first responders and lifeguards acting to save lives. Our ambulance officers, doctors, nurses, police and emergency services are the true heroes. In this parliament we must come together to show those who have had their lives torn apart that this cannot happen again. We must show Australians who felt the horror at this happening in our home that this is not right. We must act so that our good people, whatever their beliefs, are valued and that they are safe. A Holocaust survivor, a retired detective, a happy couple, a girl called Matilda—they all deserve better. I hope that in this place, where we represent all Australians, whether they're from Condobolin or Canberra, Darwin or Devonport. We can lead by example. I hope we can find a way to ensure people can celebrate in safety at a beach, in the desert, in a rainforest or at home in their own suburb without fear. We must find workable safeguards that do not punish the many millions of Australians who do the right thing whilst also removing the dark stain of hatred that led to this attack. As we remember those who died and those who will forever relive the horror, we will fight to find the best way forward to preserve our beautiful Australian way of life.
Energy | Questions without Notice | House debates
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Will the minister, who works part time, apologise to Australian families and businesses for the government's broken promise to cut...
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Will the minister, who works part time, apologise to Australian families and businesses for the government's broken promise to cut electricity bills by $275 by the end of 2025—a promise that was made almost 100 times?
Lightning Ridge Bowling Club | Statements by Members | House debates
Often at the heart of a community you will find a much-loved place where locals gather. The Lightning Ridge Bowling Club is one of those places. On 14 November I was honoured to attend the...
Often at the heart of a community you will find a much-loved place where locals gather. The Lightning Ridge Bowling Club is one of those places. On 14 November I was honoured to attend the opening of stage 2 of this great club's renovations and to unveil the plaque alongside the founding president, life member and patron, 94-year-old Mr Tony Dowton. The $6.5 million renovations build on a long tradition of providing a place where locals and visitors can come together to enjoy a drink and a meal, play bowls and attend events, and $1.5 million of that came through a Commonwealth investment. The club has expanded its value as a family space by creating an extensive indoor-outdoor children's play space. It has turned a former TAB space into a family room and has made the club more accessible for people with all abilities. The upgrades look fantastic. The club is also looking ahead to more renovations, including a commercial kitchen and function rooms. These are great plans for a town whose population is growing. Clubs such as the Lightning Ridge Bowling Club are critical in any community, let alone those in remote areas, where social connections are so important. I congratulate the club president, Ian Anderson; the club's CEO, Scott Bailey; the board of directors and all those who have come before them to create this successful facility.
Parkes Electorate: Vocational Student of the Year Award | Statements by Members | House debates
There are many ways that you can make your way in this world, but you wouldn't get very far without those who build our communities brick by brick. That's why I've chosen to support a vocational...
There are many ways that you can make your way in this world, but you wouldn't get very far without those who build our communities brick by brick. That's why I've chosen to support a vocational student of the year in the close-to 50 secondary schools in my electorate of Parkes, which covers 51 per cent of New South Wales. I had my own start in life as an apprentice boilermaker, and I know just how important it is to have confident and competent tradespeople in our communities. Plumbers, builders, mechanics, electricians, hairdressers, chefs—where would we be without these people who provide safe places to live and work, safe vehicles to drive high quality, high-quality and nutritious foods, and a huge range of other things that we often take for granted? I want to support the young people who will go on to support us in so many different ways. We are close to the end of the school year, and there've been a number of students across my electorate who have already been awarded and presented with the Member for Parkes Vocational Student of the Year Award. I was honoured to present one recently to Zachary Finlay, a Dubbo College student who is already making his way in the automotive industry. I'm excited to be able to present this award to many other talented students who are entering a trade in the new year. To Zachary and the students across the Parkes electorate who will receive the member of Parkes Vocational Student of the Year Award, I wish you all the best and congratulate your schools and the communities who support you on your journey.
Parkes Electorate: Energy | Constituency Statements | House debates
I'm proud to stand here today as a member of the party that is putting Australians first. In my electorate of Parkes, covering half of New South Wales, I often hear firsthand the stories of...
I'm proud to stand here today as a member of the party that is putting Australians first. In my electorate of Parkes, covering half of New South Wales, I often hear firsthand the stories of exactly what the rapidly escalating cost of living means to families. My heart is with the people of this vast electorate, who often struggle against the odds just to remain on the land. In recent years, some of these communities and their families have had the added pressure, conflict and financial impact that can come with living in a renewable energy zone. They are caught up in arbitrary boundaries that are earmarked to carry the burden of the race towards the unattainable target of net zero. Net zero might be a great-sounding concept to some but, for those facing the prospect of giant transmission towers or wind turbines or solar panels parading across the land that has been in their family for generations, this infrastructure will impact livelihoods, is dividing families and neighbours and it has an impact on the environment. I am not against wind, solar and battery projects and I am all for reducing emissions but net zero is not the way to do it. It clusters industrial-sized developments in small communities that are ill-prepared and sometimes ill-suited for the proposals. It is causing headaches, friction and stress. To add to these concerns— A division having been called in the House of Representatives— It causes headaches, friction and stress. To add to these concerns, the Australian Energy Market Operator sent out a release in June 2024 that showed plans to expand New South Wales's five renewable energy zones to 12. This includes among the most prime agricultural land in north-west New South Wales, covering Moree, Narrabri, potentially Gunnedah—some of the best agricultural land the country has to offer—and Broken Hill. As I said, there may be some solar, wind or battery projects that are ideal for these regions. But making these communities a renewable energy zone means they face the potential inundation of industrial-size projects. It's a huge black cloud on the horizon for the Parkes electorate. The Nationals are putting Australia first. With cheaper electricity, secure jobs and lower emissions, our way forward is cheaper, better and fairer. The Albanese Labor government's net zero plan is an impossible task that puts the burden squarely and unfairly on regional Australians.
Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I rise to speak on the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and the six associated bills. After having years to approach the matter of a much-needed overhaul of the EPBC Act, we're here in...
I rise to speak on the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and the six associated bills. After having years to approach the matter of a much-needed overhaul of the EPBC Act, we're here in this place, forced to deal with this extremely complex piece of reform in a pre-Christmas flurry. Perhaps the Albanese government is hoping that we don't have enough time to dissect the 1,500 pages and take a close look at the fine print. This is a piece of work that Labor promised would be finished by the end of 2023. This shows a lack of respect from Labor, who first tabled these seven bills separately to make up what is the revised EPBC Act. And then yesterday, when the debate started, the first order of business for Labor was to gag debate and use their numbers to bundle all the bills together so we could have a faster debate. This is for no other reason than to rush this reform through by the end of this sitting week. This reform is far too important to all Australians to rush. Even the Environmental Defenders Office, in a media release less than a week ago, issued their first impressions, while their lawyers pored over the details in the hundreds of pages. These are very important bills—they will have an important impact, eventually, on all Australians—and they require thorough examination. This should not be done at the end of years of delay in such a big hurry. One thing that just about all stakeholders, from the environmentalists to the developers, do agree on is that they do not like what they've seen in this piece of reform. Part of the concern is the amount of control that falls into the states' and territories' hands. Through the net gain clause, along with the federal government, now the state and territory ministers can write their own increased cheques on the cost of biodiversity impacts. This will have devastating effects. How is it better, how is it cheaper, and how is it fairer? How can anyone embarking on a development have any certainty about what they can or can't do when the rules change from case to case and from state to state? Let's get to the crux of another matter. How on earth are we able to measure and implement the increasing escalation of biodiversity offsets that will now be calculated by some mysterious formula called net gain? How can we debate the issue when we have no clarity on what 'net gain' means? Net gain is a concept that will take more agricultural land out of food production and will cause biodiversity offset costs to skyrocket even further. We also have no clear definition on what makes up the 'unacceptable impact'. If we don't know that, how can developers? How are they able to go and work out what it is for them? The concept of 'national interest' is another pitfall waiting to swallow future development that will never see the light of day due to these reforms. The Albanese government claim they want to speed up approvals and get productivity moving. We're going in the wrong direction. Nobody denies that people are doing it tough right across regional Australia, particularly in my area of the seat of Parkes. Our country is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis. We are in the grip of a housing crisis as well. The Albanese Labor government has committed to addressing the housing shortage by building new houses. The National Housing Accord target is 1.2 million new homes over five years. And yet here we are, with the Labor government trying to dress up the unworkable act by not only failing to impress those who have environmental concerns but also shackling developers even more. This is another move that is not cheaper, not better and not fairer. Already across the Parkes electorate I'm hearing horror stories of the unwieldy monster that is called the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. Let me tell you a story of the Wilcannia Weir, the much delayed and very necessary piece of infrastructure needed to ensure the water supply of a remote town with a majority-Indigenous population. The new weir was originally costed and funded at $30 million back in 2022. Now, just three years on, the cost for that same weir has blown out to over $100 million. I'm advised that $17 million of that price is going to biodiversity offsets. That's more than half of the original cost for that project. Again, it's not cheaper, not better and certainly not fairer, and there is still no weir. Here are some more eyewatering examples of the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme at work. These are projects that have not gone ahead or have been seriously downscaled, with the offset costs being a major contributing factor. The first is a new residential subdivision of 600 homes planned for Moree Plains Shire to capitalise on the Inland Rail project. This carried a Biodiversity Offsets Scheme price tag of $120 million. That is more than the $90 million value of the entire project. Another project in Moree, a 300-student agricultural college with an offset price tag of $3 million to $5.5 million, was stopped. The project was lost. A 40-home residential subdivision plan for Armidale had a $3 million offset. The project was reduced down to 10 homes. In the Parkes Shire, 40 new homes attracted $2 million in biodiversity offsets, and that project didn't go ahead. In Tamworth—this is an extremely sad story in a housing crisis—a 46-lot residential estate was lost because of a $16.2 million offset cost. A 96-lot residential subdivision was lost to a $19 million offset cost. A 24-lot subdivision was lost to a $3 million offset cost. A 50-lot subdivision north of Tamworth was lost to a $6 million offset cost. A 28-lot subdivision was lost to a $2.8 million offset cost. That's a total of 244 new homes lost to offset costs in the Tamworth area alone, and it will get worse under this revised act because of the net gain clause. Where is the transparency behind this enormous offset price tag and what is the cost to our housing, jobs, infrastructure and so much more? Where is the evidence of all of this wonderful environmental offset that has been paid for by the other millions and billions of dollars that have come from the offset schemes right across our great country? We have a government that is committed to approvals and committed to productivity, but who is taking oversight of a scheme where the offset costs are sometimes higher than the value of the actual project? Something here doesn't add up. In addition, the Inland Rail, a critical driver for investment, growth and job creation, is facing an offset cost of $1.375 billion. Something's wrong. In Narromine shire, a requirement to build a small part of a new road under the Newell Highway, disturbing a minimal 36 hectares, carried a $20 million offset cost that somehow was revised down to $10 million. There is a $500 million biodiversity offset on a project to raise the wall of Wyangala Dam, to droughtproof and flood-proof the whole of the Central West. That project is still under assessment. And the Transgrid project is looking at a $1.2 billion cost for biodiversity offsets for the HumeLink transmission line between Wagga and South Australia—a massive amount that will increase power costs even more. This change to the act will not improve it; it will make it worse. This is not a matter of not caring about the environment. As I've said, there are voices from each side of the debate chiming in over these reforms. This is a case where reforms are long overdue. This is a complex case where reforms are being crammed through before Christmas. They have far-reaching implications for housing, productivity, the cost of living and livability in regional Australia. More time, more consideration and more transparency are needed in this place. Better, cheaper, fairer? Labor's proposed reforms to the EPBC Act will have long-lasting negative impacts if the Albanese government continues to ram them through this House. These reforms are not better than what we've got now, and they're certainly not fairer.
Parkes Electorate: Awards and Honours | Statements by Members | House debates
I rise to congratulate someone who really is worthy of recognition. Last week, Carol Mudford of Dubbo was named as the winner of the AgriFutures Australia Rural Women's Award. This is such a...
I rise to congratulate someone who really is worthy of recognition. Last week, Carol Mudford of Dubbo was named as the winner of the AgriFutures Australia Rural Women's Award. This is such a worthy award that recognises the incredible things that regional women are achieving, and no-one is more deserving than Carol. Carol, like so many regional women, has many diverse skills. Carol is both a registered nurse and an accomplished shearer. Carol was so moved by the suicide of three shearers that she wanted to do something to help people in the shearing industry. Carol started sHedway, an organisation that tackles suicide prevention and mental health support in shearing sheds right across the country. Congratulations to Carol, to the runner-up Isabella Thrupp and also to the state finalists and the nominees. It is this time of year when organisations are recognising their outstanding businesses at business awards. On Saturday, Regional Development Australia announced the winners of the Far West New South Wales Excellence in Business Awards, and congratulations go to the overall winner, Broken Hill Distillery, a business that offers distillery tours and produces award-winning gin. Congratulations also go to all of the other winners and nominees. The Gunnedah and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also been recognised at a state level, winning the outstanding local chamber at the recent New South Wales Business Awards. As a former president of this chamber of commerce, I have— (Time expired)
Telecommunications | Private Members' Business | House debates
The lack of reliable telecommunications in regional Australia has created a very, very dangerous situation. The loss of the 3G network last year has plunged Albanese's forgotten Australians into...
The lack of reliable telecommunications in regional Australia has created a very, very dangerous situation. The loss of the 3G network last year has plunged Albanese's forgotten Australians into further isolation, with many people left with no coverage at all. Anyone in this chamber, in Parliament House today or our loved ones could be driving along a regional road—let's say the Newell Highway, a critical route that connects Victoria with Queensland, transversing my own electorate, the federal seat of Parkes. Imagine something happened to you or your loved one while you were on that route and you were stranded beside the highway. In most areas outside the township along that critical highway, there is absolutely no reception. You or your loved one would have no way to call for help. You or your loved one would be at the mercy of other drivers passing by to help you. It is quite simply unacceptable. This would not happen to those who live in metropolitan areas like Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Or, if it did, it would be fixed in an Albanese flash. This is only one of the dangerous consequences of this situation. As I connect with residents right across the 407,000 square kilometres of my electorate, they are constantly telling me of their frustrations trying to conduct a business, stay in touch with family and friends and feel secure in the fact that, if they need to, they can contact someone for urgent help. I heard only today from a business in Gilgandra that, when a purchase is made, staff need to stand outside in the street for the EFTPOS machine to work. Can you believe it? Communication devices do not work under steel roofs. Not only are phones and EFTPOS machines not working or working at limited levels, there are other consequences such as impacts on alarm systems and software that pinpoints your location in an emergency. Our critical regional organisations, such as the Country Women's Association and the National Farmers' Federation, continue to voice their frustrations with the problems caused by poor connectivity. The CWA has noted it impacts on basic activities like internet banking, accessing weather updates, distance education and business needs. Today, a representative of the CWA has said the organisation sent Telstra details of about a hundred cases of connectivity failure across New South Wales in March. They are yet to receive an answer and they continue to hear of problems from their membership. The National Farmers' Federation have said connectivity is essential to the productivity, the sustainability and the liveability of Australians farming in regional communities. Results came out today of a survey carried out by the Land newspaper. The Land said they received 318 responses from people who say they are simply fed up. They're fed up with the poor standards of telecommunications, and it's going backwards. Respondents quoted that the major issues were safety, use of farm technology, health, connections with family and friends, the extra cost of boosters and even pest management. There were responses from people with health conditions who were afraid they would not be able to reach help in an emergency. People are carrying multiple SIM cards in their pocket. Phone calls are dropping out up to 15 times in 10 minutes. In the world that regional people live in today, you cannot conduct a business, you cannot grow your farm, you cannot complete your education, you cannot make bookings, you cannot do your banking and you cannot even have your say on legislation without connectivity. The catastrophe of no communications that many regional Australians are facing could be prevented if the Albanese government simply cared enough to do something about it. These are regional people who pay the same or, sometimes, significantly more than Australians who live in the city for the privilege of telecommunications. It's not only dangerous; it's utterly disgraceful. It's time to switch the lights back on in regional Australia and to treat regional Australians with respect. The situation is not cheaper for regional Australia, it's not better and it's definitely not fair.
Regional Australia: Roads | Private Members' Business | House debates
Last week I rose to speak about the atrocious state of regional roads in this parliament, and I'll continue to rise to speak about this until the matter is attended to by this Albanese...
Last week I rose to speak about the atrocious state of regional roads in this parliament, and I'll continue to rise to speak about this until the matter is attended to by this Albanese government. The latest move by the Albanese Labor government to cut road speed limits throughout regional Australia where there is no signpost to 70 kilometres an hour is a clear indication that they do not intend to provide the funding for councils to fix the gravel or the sealed roads in regional communities. Instead they're asking regional people to simply just drive slower. This is yet another very clear message to people who choose to live in rural, regional and remote communities that they simply don't matter to the Albanese government. When you travel across many parts of regional Australia, such as the Parkes electorate, you often travel hundreds of kilometres to get to the next dot on the map. A trip to the supermarket in a remote area could be a trip longer than some urban Australians could contemplate taking in a full year. This means that many people who live in those areas, people who visit those areas and people who save lives and do business in those areas will not only be travelling on substandard roads but have to factor in significant extra time. This is extra time for emergency response, extra time and cost for freight and extra time to get goods to market. The Pastoralists' Association of the West Darling have said: The long distance transportation of livestock should not be adversely impacted by inappropriately low speed limits. They noted that more time on trucks means worse animal welfare outcomes and a danger that trucks delayed by speed limits may not be able to make delivery curfews. The Pastoralists' Association of the West Darling feel so strongly about this issue that they have said there is a real risk this move will be used as the Albanese government's 'stalking horse' to cut road funding and maintenance repairs for regional communities. Regional Australians should not accept that the condition of their roads is going backwards and they most certainly should not accept that this is all that can be done going forward. All 20 of the local government areas in my electorate have suffered some sort of natural disaster in the last four years and, as I've said before in this place, their applications under disaster-relief funding have been treated with contempt. Almost $150 million in funding has been knocked back for the roads in the Parkes electorate. I've asked the mayors and general managers of these councils—and I know just what impact that is having. These councils are the ones who bear the brunt of the concerns of people when they cannot use the roads and are facing being told: 'It's all good. Just drive more slowly.' Dubbo Regional Council has been knocked back $20.6 million and is expected to fix the road damage. Lachlan shire has been told it won't get $29 million. Bourke Shire Council was denied $14.9 million. Narrabri Shire Council is looking at a $21.5 million shortfall and the Gunnedah shire is missing out on $4.7 million in funding which is needed. In their submission on the matter, the Bourke Shire Council said that the council continues to be frustrated by decision-makers that are 'ignoring the lived experience of longstanding shire residents' and looking for a one-size-fits-all solution. The council called for evidence based data to support its proposal. The Country Mayors Association of NSW have announced that rural, regional and remote councils in New South Wales are 'unilaterally opposed' to the proposal to reduce speed limits. They have said the move would increase travel times and, along with this, the sense of isolation. It would also add road freight expenses and would overburden policing resources. In short, the Country Mayors Association have said that it represents an alarming disconnect between the Australian government and the real-world experience of users of regional, remote and rural roads. It's not good enough to tell councils whose communities have suffered natural disasters, such as watching rivers of water over the roads in their communities, that this is just what they have to put up with and live with. Expecting councils to build infrastructure with less will lead to poorer outcomes. Cheaper is not better, and it's certainly not fairer.
Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program | Private Members' Business | House debates
Most Australians have travelled on regional roads. These roads are not only the network that links cities and takes our goods to the rest of Australia and to the ports for export; they are the...
Most Australians have travelled on regional roads. These roads are not only the network that links cities and takes our goods to the rest of Australia and to the ports for export; they are the tracks that link regional communities together. They link families to health services, supermarkets, sport and friends. They are the routes travelled by emergency services to save lives. They are critical in the production of food, fibre and minerals. They are critical and they are crumbling. As the devoted member for Mallee just said in trying to bring this situation to the Labor government's attention, local roads make up 77 per cent of Australia's road network, and 678,000 kilometres are managed by local government. We hear all the time that there is a growing disconnect between funds needed and safe roads. The statistics show that people have good reason to be concerned. Regional road funding under the Albanese government is going backwards despite increasing costs and challenges. Councils, such as the 20 councils within my electorate, the electorate of Parkes, simply do not have the funds to keep this unwieldy burden afloat. They alone cannot wear the costs of keeping Australia connected. I look at the data from NRMA, and it shows that the road infrastructure backlog for the 20 councils in the Parkes electorate between 2017 and 2020 in the last four years of the coalition government averaged $86.2 million. Road funding grants over the seven years averaged $102.4 million. The end result is that road funding under the Nationals and Liberals was there, ready to meet the needs to ensure safer roads in our communities. For the past three years of Labor governments, the backlog figure has blown out to an average of $236.7 million a year. This means now councils only receive 43 per cent of the funds they need to address that backlog in the Parkes electorate. This is an increase of more than 250 per cent in the Parkes electorate alone in the years of the Albanese Labor government. To dig a little deeper into what's happening on the ground, let's take a look at disaster relief funding arrangements. All of the councils in the Parkes electorate have suffered from some sort of natural disaster in the past three to four years, with the exception of Broken Hill. This means councils have been at the mercy of government to provide funding for massive recovery works. There is no luxury in this; this is purely and simply getting the road network back into working order after a flooding event or another natural disaster. I asked the question of my councils and found that, between June 2021 and June 2024, Labor governments knocked back in the order of $150 million to fix road damage through the disaster in the Parkes electorate alone. That means only 64 per cent of the claims from councils were approved. The Lachlan shire alone—including the town of Condoblin in New South Wales—was severely impacted by flooding events. Only $25.9 million was approved out of an application of $54.9 million needed to fix the roads. That's a $25.9 million shortfall in one shire alone. Narrabri Shire Council had only $8.5 million approved out of $30 million needed to fix their roads. I ask Labor: where can Narrabri community find $21.5 million to fix the roads? Council are not receiving the money they need to return roads back to pre-flooding events, let alone flood-proofing them so that they are built back better, ready to stand strong for the next event. Gilgandra shire was left with a $9 million shortfall, Bourke with a $14.9 million shortfall and Dubbo with a $20.6 million shortfall. These are councils that must face the questions about road closures, delayed roadworks and potholes every single day. They've been left to deal with the frustrations of people who can't use these roads each and every day. A thin strip of bitumen cannot last forever and the investment to maintain and improve our roads is just not happening. Councils are forced to consider building or rebuilding roads for a price instead of a standard. But don't worry, the Albanese government found a solution. They're now asking rural regional people to drive more slowly—70 kilometres an hour, we've just heard. All of our problems can be solved by driving around potholes and natural disaster damage. We can just move more and more slowly as road funding dries up and roads fall into disrepair until eventually there will be no roads at all.
Wilcannia Weir | Statements by Members | House debates
I stood last week on the banks of the Darling River with a group of people who have been waiting a very, very long time for what is apparently a privilege: safe and reliable water. The people of...
I stood last week on the banks of the Darling River with a group of people who have been waiting a very, very long time for what is apparently a privilege: safe and reliable water. The people of the Central Darling Shire have been calling for a new weir at Wilcannia for more than 30 years. The community has patiently worked with successive state and federal governments through rounds of consultation and design, through delays and ultimately around a sudden and unacceptable change of direction. A design was agreed to by all back in 2022, with a great deal of community input. Then, with no consultation, the design was scrapped and a new one that was unacceptable to the people of Wilcannia was put on the table. Originally, $30 million in joint funding from the state and federal governments was put forward. We're now looking at a project that's in excess of $100 million. There are many, many questions that need to be answered about the spending to date, the lack of consultation and the changes that have been made. But the most important thing of all is that we get this weir underway and completed as soon as possible. A Barkandji man, Michael 'Cassidy' Kennedy, told me on the banks of the Darling this weekend past that the Barkandji people are river people. They need the water not only for sustenance and the basic needs of life but also to continue the critical connection that goes back thousands of years. Central Darling residents don't need more talk. What they need is action, and what they need is safe and secure water.
Aged Care | Statements by Members | House debates
It was great news to hear that close to $56.5 million in funding has been allocated to three aged-care providers in the Parkes electorate through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program....
It was great news to hear that close to $56.5 million in funding has been allocated to three aged-care providers in the Parkes electorate through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program. Notably, Southern Cross Care received $50.66 million for a new 94-bed residential care home in Broken Hill, a facility that is desperately needed; the Lilliane Brady Village Hostel in Cobar was allocated just over $1.5 million; and the Cooinda aged-care facility in Coonabarabran has been allocated $4.3 million. We're all aware that Australia's population is ageing. The Australian Human Rights Commission notes that an ageing population is one of the major forces shaping Australia's future. In addition, the Australian Electoral Commission notes that rural and regional electorates, such as the Parkes electorate, have higher proportions of people over the age of 50. Our ageing population deserves security of housing and they deserve security of care. Having said that, I know the competition is fierce for the limited funding that is only going to get more competitive. So much time, resources and effort go into applying for funds needed to provide these essential projects with no guarantee of success. Well done to the aged-care providers in Broken Hill, Cobar and Coonabarabran as well as to all of those who applied and weren't successful. Providing enough funding to keep up with aged-care needs for those who have given so much to our communities must remain a high priority for government.
National Disability Insurance Scheme | Constituency Statements | House debates
While those on the other side of the chamber were busy planning a trip to Sweden and the UK, one of my constituents, a 16-year-old I'll call Maddie, who is from Dubbo and has a diagnosis of...
While those on the other side of the chamber were busy planning a trip to Sweden and the UK, one of my constituents, a 16-year-old I'll call Maddie, who is from Dubbo and has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, will not get the support she needs to transition to her new school. Maddie is one of the real-life regional Australians whose life will be impacted because of the recent changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Changes to section 33 of the NDIS act that came into effect earlier this year mean that funding for each person now needs to be staggered across the year. But clearly, life doesn't work that way. Sometimes all of the expenses and the requirements come at once. While Maddie has enough sessions approved to assist her, she can't access half of her sessions until after she starts at her new school. That means no timely training for her support staff. This is an example of those changes being made behind a desk a long, long way away from rural, regional and remote parts of New South Wales and the homes of the people who desperately need these services. A trip to Narromine, Lightning Ridge or Dunedoo by a caring and qualified allied health worker seems a very small price to pay when funds are available for business-class trips to the cosmopolitan capital of Stockholm. These are children and adults who have no option but to rely on the NDIS. They don't have the services available locally. They would have to spend many sometimes-painful hours and considerable expenses to travel to visit a service. Some need a specially modified vehicle that's not available and, once there, they don't get the same tailored advice and assistance they would receive at home. Drastic cuts to the travel allowance have meant that dedicated service providers who have visited clients in rural, regional and remote areas for many years—who have helped children communicate at school, helped people access community services and generally made many more lives liveable—will have to stop. Some of them have told me they can't sleep at night, worried about the choice between a viable business and clients that need them. Already, some have made the difficult but necessary decision to cease services in some areas. In the city, where services are a short distance away, some of these changes might not mean much. But, to a parent in a remote western New South Wales area whose child already faces so many challenges, they are heartbreaking. These changes to the NDIS have been made without consultation with service providers and without consultation with the people who absolutely rely on their help. The NDIS is a vehicle—the only vehicle—that provides absolutely essential services to people in need. Those people deserve care, they deserve practical, affordable assistance and they deserve to be listened to before the decisions that weigh so heavily on their lives are made.
Mundi Mundi Bash | Statements by Members | House debates
Great things happen in the country, and, from 21 to 23 August, more than 15,000 people were witnesses of great things happening in Broken Hill with the Mundi Mundi Bash. On the goat farm of...
Great things happen in the country, and, from 21 to 23 August, more than 15,000 people were witnesses of great things happening in Broken Hill with the Mundi Mundi Bash. On the goat farm of grazier John Blore, 35 kilometres west of Broken Hill, organisers of the fifth annual Mundi Mundi Bash brought together an enviable line-up of musical acts and broke two world records. The event has raised more than a million dollars for charity over the five years that it's been held. The event featured Birds of Tokyo, Missy Higgins and Hoodoo Gurus, among many others—and even the great Leo Sayer himself. At the bash, set against the red dirt of the Mundi Mundi Plains near the Barrier Ranges, 9,161 people dressed in blue and broke the world record for the largest human image of a country. They raised more than $145,000 for Beyond Blue, all while singing 'I Am Australian'. Also at the bash, 6,779 people broke the world record for the most people dancing the nutbush. As well as paying tribute to the late, great Tina Turner, the world record raised more than $100,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This amazing event was supported by many sponsors, and, in true country style, 618 volunteers put in more than 13,700 hours. I commend the organisers of the Mundi Mundi Bash. It gives more than 15,000 people a few days to remember, and Broken Hill City Council have estimated in the past that the event has generated more than $12 million of spending.
Frontline Services Ball 2025, Legacy Week | Statements by Members | House debates
On Saturday night, the Parkes community gathered for this year's Frontline Services Ball. My wife and I were pleased to attend the ball to support Birds in the Bush and Ronald McDonald House...
On Saturday night, the Parkes community gathered for this year's Frontline Services Ball. My wife and I were pleased to attend the ball to support Birds in the Bush and Ronald McDonald House Central West, who were the chosen charities for this year's fundraising. The ball first started in 2022 on the back of recognising the frontline workers who supported their community through the COVID pandemic, raising over $64,000 for the Parkes community. The second ball in 2023 topped that fundraising with over $105,000 raised. These funds went towards purchasing defibrillators for police vehicles, a new boxing room for the PCYC and a car trailer for Parkes and Forbes SES, and over $78,000 went to Ronald McDonald House Central West. This equates to over 500 free nights for families with sick kids seeking treatment, so they don't need to worry about the stress of finding and paying for accommodation. I was proud to be part of this event that does such great work in that community. This week is Legacy Week. It started yesterday and runs until Saturday. Legacy Week Appeal is a time for all Australians to show their support for widows and children of those who served our country. Legacy is an amazing charity that has been supporting our veterans and their families since the 1940s. Purchasing a Legacy badge may be a small thing, but the funds raised make a huge impact on the lives of our veterans and families. Legacy Week is a time to give back to those families for those who've given so much. Thank you to all veterans and their families and to the volunteers who serve their communities and their nation.
Parkes Electorate: Floods | Adjournment | House debates
The large electorate of Parkes stretches over 400,000 square kilometres in a slice of New South Wales that showcases just about everything that Mother Nature can come up with. As one region...
The large electorate of Parkes stretches over 400,000 square kilometres in a slice of New South Wales that showcases just about everything that Mother Nature can come up with. As one region battles drought, another faces flooding. This month, there have been natural disaster declarations in both the Narrabri and Gunnedah shires in the Parkes electorate following two major flooding events. These declarations would be good news for those shires if they weren't already completely disheartened by the fact that they are still chasing funding to fix road damage from the previous three years worth of flooding events. There is a major disconnect between available federal funding and the New South Wales government's priorities. Councils not only in Narrabri and Gunnedah but throughout New South Wales are fighting a battle to access money to fix their road networks, and I'm sure that's the same right throughout regional Australia. Knocked back for a large percentage of the funding that they need, councils face huge delays and do not receive the funding for years. I believe there is far more than $100 million in disaster funding outstanding or denied for roads among New South Wales regional councils. In addition, councils are repeatedly told that they cannot flood-proof these roads. They must replace them to the same sub-standard that they were before the event. This means that these roads are destroyed every single time there is a flooding event, over and over again. How is it responsible financial management? People need these roads every single day, not just once every three years. The money is there for the road funding. The blockage must be cleared, and more action must be taken between the federal government and the New South Wales government to get the funding out to councils sooner. I'd like to share some correspondence from a few of the councils within the Parkes electorate in relation to disaster relief claims. The Parkes Shire Council said: 'Over the past five years, the Parkes shire has faced six declared natural disasters, including severe storms and flooding. Most recently, in November 2022, the recovery from these events required substantial efforts and resources. The council incurred significant costs in restoring critical transport networks, clearing debris and addressing community needs. 'Following a thorough review, council has identified approximately $1.4 million in unclaimed storm damage expenditure. Based on the guidelines from Transport for NSW, approximately $1 million was considered to be potentially eligible with sufficient evidence, while $177, 251 was deemed ineligible. The costs in question are real and essential expenditure incurred to restore vital infrastructure and transport access. Council has now been advised that a further $910,153 submitted for assessment has been reviewed, and only $173,749 has been approved for reimbursement. It is a deeply disappointing outcome that further restrains council's financial position.' We move on to the Gunnedah Shire Council, who said: 'The community of Gunnedah suffered nine flooding events between November 2021 and October 2022, which included seven major flooding events. Three of these events were captured under DRFA. Frustratingly for council and incredulously for the community, we are still waiting for approval to undertake almost half of those works; $10.1 million has been approved out of a claim for $14.8 million. So $4.7 million has been denied. 'In addition to the significant delays in getting approvals to undertake repair works and in receiving payment for works completed, council continues to face challenges in receiving consistent and reliable consideration for claims submitted and proposed treatments. Transport for NSW officers, and multiple changes in the reviewing officers, have provided differing guidelines and guidance on claims throughout the years. This has necessitated years of repeated claims and having to resubmit substantiation for the proposed treatments and associated costs. This does not just come at a cost and take time but is also a financial burden for reworks. It has inflationary impacts and, of course, impacts primary producers and community amenity.'