By ROY BUTLER, BARWON MP

Fresh from a week in parliament

I am ready for a busy two weeks that will mostly be spent out on the road.

This week I will be at the Western Division Councils Conference in Cobar, followed by a trip to Louth for their first race meeting since 2019 – COVID halted it for two years and floods stopped the fun last year.

From there I will head out to points further west before returning to parliament for another sitting week at the end of August.

Tottenham

I paid a quick visit to Tottenham on the way to Condobolin to chat with the mayor and the general manager of Lachlan Shire about a range of issues including housing, roads, water, sewerage, staffing at medical facilities and various projects in the shire.

While I was in town, they insisted that I should have a look at the new water tower mural, which I did.

It’s an impressive bit of artwork by Australian artists Scott Nagy and Krimsone, another good reason for tourists to slow down and look at this great part of the world. I’ll be back to Tottenham soon for a longer visit.

Condobolin

In Condobolin I had the chance to see some of the projects the mayor and the general manager were talking about. I had a sneak preview of the new visitor centre near the famous Utes in the Park. It is an impressive building that will be a huge asset to Condo and be a boon for tourists. I also drove out to Gum Bend Lake, which is a great place for fishing, water skiing and camping and recent improvements have made it even better with a walking track, playgrounds, barbecue area and amenities.

Then I discovered the lookout and took in the entire town from above. It’s a great place, Condobolin, already one of the lesser-known tourist gems in Central Western NSW and it has the potential to be an even better tourist destination.

Lake Cargelligo

I had an opportunity recently to visit Down The Track, an organisation in Lake Cargelligo doing great work with local youth.

When I dropped by, I was made to feel very welcome, Maddie made us some scones, while Katy and Andrew talked to us about the range of programs Down the Track runs, providing young people with useful skills and practical experience – including their Trackin’ Good food van, which does some catering at local events.

Down The Track have big plans to expand their programs, working on things like communication, advocacy skills and offering mentoring, but they need help funding the professional development for staff.

There are also plans for an aquaponics system, which combines fish farming and hydroponics, producing fish and fresh vegetables. I look forward to seeing some of their plans come to fruition and I will be doing all I can to see that Down the Track continues to thrive and grow.

Councils

In Barwon there are 13 local council areas and so a significant amount of my time on the road travelling around the electorate is spent meeting up with each council as often as I can, to talk about what’s happening on their patch and to let them know what I have been working on.

This week I will be in Cobar for the Western Division Councils conference. Last week I hosted the mayor, general manager and a councillor from Coonamble council in Parliament, and the week before last I had a meeting with Peter Abbott and Peter Vlatko from Cobar council.

There are many common issues among the councils in the electorate, but each council also has its own unique issues.

One of the big issues for Cobar council is the town water supply which desperately needs its pump stations project and pipeline implemented. As with all my meetings with councils I will be taking up their issues with the relevant ministers and doing whatever I can to bring them to a positive resolution.

Nyngan

The Working Group on Nyngan MPS had its first meeting recently. The panel was made up of a range of community stakeholders including local farmers, a mining representative, members of the Bogan Shire Council, the Aboriginal Land Council, medical staff and from the Local Health District.

The working group discussed the number of beds available in Nyngan, patient transfers, the challenges with recruiting new staff, retaining existing staff, accommodating staff and some possible ways forward.

Hopefully the group will help generate some useful solutions to Nyngan’s issues that I can take to the Health Minister. It was great to work with the council on facilitating the first meeting.

Barwon’s pools

In the heat of a summer in Western NSW the local pool is not a luxury, but an essential asset for a community’s wellbeing and safety – as both a place to cool down and a place where they can learn to swim safely.

But many pools around Barwon are coming to the end of their useful life, including Walgett Memorial Pool.

Last week in Parliament I asked a question of the Minister for Western NSW about the government’s response to the closure of Walgett Memorial Swimming Pool and whether they would consider a program of inspecting pools so that they can plan to avoid closures and work toward their replacement.

The answer, which came from the minister’s representative in the Legislative Assembly, Yasmin Catley MP, was that the government will work with councils, including Walgett Shire Council, on planning for future needs to avoid such unexpected closures.

Landcare

Landcare does some amazing work across the state, particularly across Barwon, including Landcare Broken Hill’s work at Imperial Lake and Western Landcare NSW recently receiving funding for their Western Warriors program to engage primary school students.

While in Parliament recently I went to “Trees in the House” an event organised by the Parliamentary Friends of Landcare at which they showcased some of their projects.

One of their current initiatives is Partnering in Private Land Conservation, working with private landowners on conservation efforts.

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