Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Strong communities require dependable and generous people. Geoff Hall, a longstanding member of the Labor Party in Wagga Wagga, who passed away on 14 January 2026, is being remembered widely as exactly that: a dependable, wise and generous man who was dedicated to his regional community. Geoff was the heart and soul of Labor in the Riverina. He could be relied upon to always be there, organising election booth packs, managing rosters, engaging respectfully and advocating for his local community. Born into a Labor home, he lived a Labor life, and he has now gone to his grave as a Labor man to his bootstraps and beyond. I extend my condolences to Regina, Louise, Frances, Bevan and your families on the passing of Geoff, a man of true conviction and a strong Labor voice for regional New South Wales, who will be greatly missed.

I recently had the opportunity to revisit the extraordinary national heritage listed Baiame's Ngunnhu, also known as the Brewarrina Fish Traps. These fish traps, which are over 40,000 years old, harness timeless, innovative technology. Their skilful architecture allows for the efficient herding and catching of fish and reveals a deep understanding of the region, with the fish traps proving resilient to high and low river flows. They're also a shining example of sustainability, with the rock weir and pen system encouraging people to take only what is needed.

However, not too long ago—in the context of millennia—there was a sustained period where the fish traps were at risk of being destroyed. Paddle steamers entered the region, and, to accommodate those steamers, settlers blew up natural weirs and rock formations. This sowed division within the community and, in the course of that action, damaged the river. These ingenious fish traps that had sustained so many for millennia could well have been lost because the wisdom and voices of the people who lived on, loved and intimately knew this part of the world were being ignored. We in the Labor government hear these stories. We reflect on them and we learn from them. The Labor government understands that the needs of the regions are understood best by those who live in the regions, and that's why we work with our regional partners to deliver for regional Australia.

In Brewarrina, for example, the council, in partnership with the PCYC, developed an idea for a multipurpose youth and sports complex. Following a competitive merit based grant process, they secured over $10 million in funding from the Australian Labor government through the Growing Regions Program round 1. Then, instead of plonking in some sports centre design that might meet the needs of a metropolitan precinct, they worked with their architect to ensure that, much like with the fish traps, the flow of regional life was incorporated into this design. In doing so, as Brewarrina Shire Council general manager David Kirby stated to me, it will be more than just a sports centre; it will be a place where young people can find opportunities, inspiration and connections, where families and people of all ages can gather and where community can flourish.

It is this sentiment that the Labor government understands. Regional New South Wales does not need colour-coded spreadsheets that fund ill-fitting buildings as favours for politicians or political parties obsessed with infighting and their own sense of importance over prioritising their constituents and communities. Regional New South Wales needs political parties that understand, represent and respond to their needs ethically and with decorum.

Next week, members of the New South Wales Labor Party from across regional and remote New South Wales will descend on the town of Orange for the New South Wales Labor Country Conference. They'll ensure that strong regional voices are at the forefront of the development of Labor policy. Unlike those opposite, our Labor branches and members are part of a united party that seeks to serve all Australians, from Broken Hill to Bateau Bay, from Moama to Mt Druitt, from Wagga Wagga to Woy Woy and from Cooma to Campbelltown. These delegates, nominated by their grassroots local branches and unions, are everyday Australians who, like the much-loved and recently deceased Labor member Geoff Hall, care deeply about their local communities. They'll speak up for their regions to ensure that they have what they need to continue to foster opportunity, inspiration and connection. I will be there, and I'll certainly be listening to the voices of citizens from the regions and members of the great Labor Party who speak to our party and the Labor Albanese government on behalf of the people they care for and live with in regional Australia.