By MARK COULTON, PARKES MP

A very Happy New Year to everyone in the Parkes electorate!

I enjoyed spending time with family and my cattle over the break and was glad to see some much-needed rainfall.

My hope is that 2024 brings a new optimism to us all, and Australia Day is a good way to start the year in that it reminds us of all the benefits of living in our great country.

Australia Day, and indeed our sense of nationhood, is what we make it in many ways, and I know that we are stronger knowing our history and acknowledging our strengths.

I look forward to visiting communities to attend Australia Day events, welcoming new citizens and celebrating the diverse, multicultural nation we live in.

Saluting Their Service grants

Our military play a crucial role in protecting the peace of our nation.

The Saluting Their Service grants program is designed to commemorate the contributions of Australia’s military personnel both past and present, and is now calling for applications for projects or activities which:

• Promote appreciation and understanding of the experiences of service and the roles that those who serve have played;

• Preserve, add to the sum of knowledge on, or provide access to information about Australia’s wartime heritage.

Batch 3 closes soon on February 6 2024, and I’m encouraging interested constituents to consider an application.

Submissions on water reform

The Australian Productivity Commission is calling for submissions to their inquiry: National Water Reform 2024.

The commission is seeking submissions from people and organisations that have an interest in national water reform policy to identify issues and provide suggestions for ways forward.

All submissions are requested by February 2, 2024.

Alternatively you can submit a brief comment through the commission’s web page.

To order photos from this page click here