Member for Barwon, Roy Butler, will lead a parliamentary Inquiry into service delivery in regional NSW. 

During Question time on Wednesday May 24, Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns announced the NSW Government would support the establishment of a Government Inquiry into Service Delivery in Regional New South Wales.  

The announcement came during a colourful exchange between Butler and the Premier in the lower House. 



"I appreciate the attention of your Ministers already to the issues of service delivery in Barwon across the health, education, police, and youth portfolios," Butler said 

"Premier, have you had an opportunity to form a view on the adequacy of these services and the need to carry out a deep review and plan to bring Barwon's and regional NSW services up to an adequate standard?" 

In answering, NSW Premier Chris Minns said: "Mr. Speaker, we regard what the Member for Barwon says seriously; we believe that there is scope in this Parliament for this House to look for a review into service delivery for rural and regional communities." 

"I suspect that the House could move to establish a service delivery committee, and I can think of no finer Member than the Member for Barwon to Chair that committee. Government Members would support such an application." 

Image: Roy Butler MP. 

 But the announcement came after to a five minute speech by the Premier about what he said were failings by the previous government – where amidst jeers and interjections from the Opposition, he made several pointed remarks about the new National Party leader Dugald Saunders. 

The former government had neglected rural roads, and a great amount of work would be needed to get service delivery up to scratch in the regions, Premier Minns told the parliament on Wednesday. 

"We have a long way to come back. The National Party have largely abandoned regional NSW for the last 12 years," Minns said. 

He said that the independent parliamentary budget office revealed no new money allocated for regional and rural roads in the last two budgets. 

The Premier said the former federal government had also failed to fulfill its commitment to transfer 15,000km of regional roads into the hands of the state government, completing the transfer of just five kilometers. 

The Inquiry will examine how government services are delivered across the NSW regions. A date has yet to be announced for the Inquiry's commencement.