Labor clutching at straws over its Blayney gold mine decision

Nationals Leader David Littleproud said Labor’s reasons for cancelling the Blayney gold mine are becoming “increasingly odd.” It’s been revealed Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek blocked the $1 billion project after an Indigenous artist used her own paintings to argue the mine should be scrapped. The artist’s submissions opposing the project, made to the NSW Government,…

Read more

New health staff accommodation opens in West Wyalong

Nationals Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, has welcomed the completion of purpose-built accommodation which will host new staff across three units at West Wyalong hospital. The units, part of the Key Worker Accommodation Program, will house health staff while they settle into the West Wyalong community, with fully furnished units providing a crucial home base…

Read more

Iron Arena on the way for Taree

Nationals’ MPs, the Hon Dr David Gillespie and Tanya Thompson, have taken part in a sod-turning ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of Taree’s long-planned Iron Arena project. In 2020 Dr Gillespie, the Federal Member for Lyne, and the late Stephen Bromhead, the former State Member for Myall Lakes, announced funding under the Bushfire…

Read more

Sam Farraway – statement on NSW Parliament

With the local government elections now complete, the focus shifts to the upcoming federal election. I have decided to step down from NSW Parliament to give my full attention to representing the people of Calare as your Nationals candidate. I will deliver my valedictory speech in the November sitting before formally resigning from the Parliament.…

Read more

New home for SES in Tamworth

Tamworth and the North-west’s State Emergency Service (SES) team members and volunteers have a new state-of-the-art command centre. Nationals Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson welcomed the official opening of the new centre, which brings the very best of modern coordination and communications capability to Tamworth. “This $6 million dollar facility will be a game changer…

Read more

State-of-the-art police training academy opens in Dubbo

Photograph: Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree, Nationals Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, NSW Nationals Leader and Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders, and Nationals candidate for Parkes Jamie Chaffey The Dubbo Regional Education Police Training Academy (RETC) has been officially opened in Dubbo. Sitting alongside the NSW Rural Fire Service training academy and Aviation Centre of Excellence,…

Read more

Preserving Grafton’s historic Anglican cathedral

Picture: The Reverend Canon Camellia Flanagan, Nationals MP Richie Williamson, and The Very Reverend Naomi Cooke, Dean of Grafton The final stage of repair and restoration works to preserve Grafton’s historic Christ Church Cathedral is underway. Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson said the State Heritage-listed building is a vital part of the region’s history and…

Read more

Drive with care this long weekend

Motorists are being urged to slow down and take care when travelling this October long weekend. Double demerits will be in force as police Operation Labour Day starts at 12:01 tomorrow morning, Friday October 4, and ends at 11:59pm on Monday, October  7. Police will be targeting drink and drug driving, fatigue, mobile phone use,…

Read more

Recognising our Local Sporting Champions

Federal Nationals Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, is making sure 32 young Northern Rivers Sporting Champions are given every opportunity to follow their dreams. At a Local Sporting Champions Award event in Lismore, they were presented with a certificate in recognition of their achievements and confirmed their grants from the Local Sporting Champions program. “Those…

Read more

Weethalle centenary celebrations

Nationals Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, has joined in the celebrations at the Weethalle Showground, marking a hundred years since the small town was established. Ms Cooke opened the event, crowning parade winners with ribbons, and enjoying food generously prepared by the Local Lions Club. She said the event was testament to the strong community…

Read more

Regional crime inquiry starts

The first hearings for the Parliamentary inquiry into community safety in regional and rural communities will take place this week, hearing from locals in Bourke tomorrow and Broken Hill on Wednesday. In March the Minns Labor Government finally announced the long overdue inquiry into the escalating crime crisis, following sustained pressure by The Nationals. Nationals…

Read more

“This is a call for justice, a cry for respect”

Nationals Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, has spoken up in Parliament in support of nurses and midwives, who rallied yesterday demanding a long-overdue 15 per cent pay rise. Mr Kemp emphasised the crisis facing regional hospitals, where staff shortages have led to ward closures in Dorrigo, Bellingen, and Macksville. “Nurses are asking for a necessary…

Read more