21 February 2024, 12:50 AM
G’day Folks, Parliament is back for the year; the first sitting week was in early February. That first week back was even busier than expected, there was a lot going on, plenty of meetings, visiting councillors and representatives from community groups and other organisations. There was also a lot happening in the chamber. I spent a fair bit of the time catching up with government ministers and the Premier to talk to them about a range of issues relevant to Barwon.After the sitting week was over, I took a trip to Victoria for an important discussion about a very exciting investment opportunity for Barwon. More on that shortly.This week I will be travelling to Wagga for Investment, Industry and Regional Development Committee hearings before heading back around the electorate. See you all soon. Royal Far West funding boostRoyal Far West is an organisation that does some great work to help overcome some of the disadvantages experienced by families in rural and remote areas, connecting them with assessment, health and disability services as well as arranging accommodation for those who need to travel to access such services.During the first sitting week of parliament for 2024 I went and met with some of the dedicated people from Royal Far West to discuss some of the things that could be done to improve health outcomes for people living in country areas. They need additional support to meet a growing demand for services. Several other MPs, including Michael Regan, Independent Member for Wakehurst, helped organise the meeting.Health Minister Ryan Park also attended the function and last week announced a funding boost for the organisation of $369,000. This is an important step; it will help Royal Far West move closer to their funding goals. I will continue to advocate for more funding so that they can continue their work. Butler and Barwon military traditionOn February 6 I spent a very proud morning seeing my son Gabe heading off to 1 Recruit Training Battalion (RTB) Kapooka. Bound for Infantry. Gabe is the latest generation of my family to enlist. I was in his shoes at 17 years of age back on February 28th, 1995. I went on to serve in 6RAR in Support Company in Reconnaissance, but thankfully I never went to war.My father, Royal Maurice Butler, joined the army in the 1950s and served in Korea, seeing action at the battle of Kapyong. He ended up TPI - totally and permanently incapacitated. He rarely spoke about his experiences and continued to battle his inner demons.His father Francis William Butler lied about his age to serve in World War I. He was briefly sent to the front before being sent home for being underaged. In World War II he was back, this time lowering his age slightly to join up. He was put into 2/2 HQ Guard Battalion, along with a lot of other older men - which is why the guard battalions were nicknamed the “olds and bolds”, or less charitably the “ruthless and toothless.” He signed up in October 1942 but was discharged in December 1943.I must admit that I had mixed feelings about saying goodbye to Gabe, but I know that after 3 months he will come back. He will be different, but with a head full of new knowledge and he’ll be very fit.But I also know that, given the unstable international situation at the moment, there is an outside chance that he will be sent overseas to serve in some conflict or as part of a peacekeeping force. I also know that is what military service is about. It is not only a family tradition but a strong tradition in towns across Barwon, people who signed up for service, writing a blank cheque for their country, knowing full well they could pay with their life.Many people in Barwon answered the call, in conflicts from at least the Boer War to the present day. The evidence is there right across Barwon, in the form of the many prominent memorials to people who served. These memorials are often the focal point of the town and are important gathering places. It shows the respect we have for people who have donned a uniform in the service of their country, and I would urge every young person to consider time in the forces as a career option or as a life changing experience. Power to the people… of BarwonRecently we heard the exciting news that Tibooburra, Ivanhoe, Packsaddle and Milparinka will soon have a more reliable power supply, as Essential Energy begins significant reviews of the electricity network and offers network-connected generators and alternative battery solutions for more reliable power supply.My team and Essential Energy have been working together to deliver a more resilient network, and I am pleased to announce the work is now underway.Phase one involves the installation of network-connected generators, which will operate during a network outage, rapidly restoring supply to customers in the township areas of Ivanhoe and Tibooburra.Later phases, due to be in place in June 2025, will include more long-term sustainable solutions for customers, such as the installation of batteries and opportunities for customers to increase the return on their investment in solar, which will work together with the generation, forming a microgrid network.Alternative battery solutions are currently being planned for Packsaddle and Milparinka. A big thank you to Essential Energy for making this happen. Bogan Gate to Tottenham Rail Tottenham is a charming town in Barwon, a growing part of Australia’s wheatbelt. Every year after their grain is harvested, they are dependent on trucks to haul their produce. That adds considerably to freight costs for the farmers, and to councils for the upkeep of the roads that need to handle the full laden weight of the grain trucks. But the locals have a solution - an upgrade to the railway line Between Bogan Gate and Tottenham, which would be a boon to farmers in the area, giving them a cheaper alternative to transport grain and relieve some of the pressure on the road network.So, in the first sitting week, I facilitated a meeting between members of NSW Farmers, Tottenham Branch, and Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison to allow them to put their case for the upgrade. Tottenham locals George and Margaret (representing lots of local farmers) have been at this since 1986, and their success to date has come from being organised and well researched. This meeting was no different.There were some encouraging signs, and I will keep following up to see what we can do to make this happen. Sink or swim in ParliamentIn the first sitting week I delivered a notice of motion to highlight the disproportionate number of drownings that occur in remote or very remote places. While the most popular swimming spots along our coast are patrolled, our inland waterways are mostly not.I have been speaking about this to the Royal Life Saving Society Australia, an important organisation integral to educating communities about water safety and training people to assist in an emergency. The more people we have trained to swim and to act if there is an emergency, the more lives will be saved.The society has therefore organised to have some water rescue training delivered in Parliament this year, which will allow Members of Parliament to lead by example in getting skilled up in water safety and rescue.Yes - there is a pool in Parliament, although I have not used it since coming to office, so this will be a great first swim. I will keep you posted. New year REZ solutionsIt is widely known that the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and the process of making it happen, has been fraught from the outset. It is impossible to stop the REZ, it has bipartisan political support, so our focus in Barwon has been on making sure that the implementation of the zone is fair, that the communities affected are consulted and that it brings some benefit to those communities.While I was in Parliament this month, I met with the Hon. Penny Sharpe, Minister for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Heritage, to discuss the valid concerns locals have raised about how this project is being rolled out.Earlier this year I raised concerns about the disappointing, often disrespectful, consultation process for the REZ and expressed the need for local communities to have a more comprehensive say in how the $128 million Community and Employment Benefit Fund would be distributed. I discussed these issues with the Minister and am pleased to say that we agree.The Minister believes that the process, at a local level, has been flawed and is keen to work with me and my team to get better outcomes and real engagement for communities directly impacted by the REZ.While I was in Wagga last week, I also discussed the issue with fellow independent crossbencher Dr Joe McGirr. There is no doubt renewables will be a part of our energy future, but the process used to engage and consult with communities needs to be genuine, fair and transparent.Joe and I are concerned about how communities are being treated and will be looking to move legislation that requires the proponents of large-scale renewables to be accountable for how they deal with the public.We should not lose highly productive farmland to these projects, and if communities don’t see the benefit, they should be able to reject the proposal. Straight out of Parliament in the first weeks of February, I travelled to Regional Victoria talking to a business about relocating into Barwon - I can’t get into detail just yet, but I'm very excited about the prospect of that happening.I arrived in Melbourne on the Sunday after the sitting week ended and had several meetings last week. One was with Luca the Managing Director of Beretta Australia and the Operations Manager Clemente. Luca is also the chairman of SIFA - Shooting Industry Foundation of AustraliaLovely people who spent a couple of hours talking about their business and some of the matters we have been working on in NSW to assist the shooting industry, and law-abiding firearms owners.It was nice to finally meet in person. Small-scale Titles review submissionsThe independent review of the statutory framework for small-scale titles is looking to sort out some of the ways that the Mining Act 1992 can be improved for small-scale opal miners. It is important that those who will be affected be heard. I have been in discussions with Mining and Energy Minister Courtney Houssos about the review and she has accepted a recommendation for an extension of the deadline for submissions to March 31.This extension was requested to allow all stakeholders and representative groups more time to gather information and make better submissions.This will ensure the findings and recommendations of the independent review better inform the NSW Government of ways to improve the Act and make it better for everyone, including landholders, the mining industry and all those associated with the opal mining industry in NSW. To make a submission go to:https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/independent-review-of-small-scale-titles Housing The housing shortage across the state is holding back growth in Barwon.It is one of those choke points that gets in the way of economic prosperity and increasing population. We need the homes to house people who want to make a tree change or people wanting to take up jobs as teachers, doctors, nurses, agricultural workers or even miners in regional areas. Over the next few years there are mining, transport and energy projects that will bring thousands of jobs to Barwon, but without the housing to accommodate them things could be difficult for those workers and the projects on which they are working.That is why it is good to see the government taking steps in Bogan and Brewarrina Shire to work on the housing supply problem with an injection of over $200,000 in funding.It won’t immediately solve the housing problem, but it is an important first step. See more from Roy here: Roy Butler