G’day folks,

Parliament kicks off again this week for the first of two consecutive sitting weeks. This is after a long gap between sitting weeks in July, much of which I spent on the road around the electorate, between trips to Sydney and Brisbane for meetings and committee work. With some fairly important bills likely to come up for debate, it should make for a busy but interesting two weeks. But a lot has been happening since parliament last sat.

Computer Outage

Two weeks ago the world was affected by a computer outage bigger than anything we have seen before. It caused chaos with airlines, businesses, media outlets and banks, it also limited some of the things my staff could do. 

I was in Broken Hill with the Minister for Local Government the day after the outage began and there were signs of the disruption it had caused but also signs of some of the work-arounds that people were already using. I noticed a big reel to reel recording machine that they were thinking of using for pre-recording interviews. In the end the simpler solution was an iPhone with a microphone attached that the reporter, Grace Atta, used, sending it on to a studio in Adelaide where Andrew Schmidt had to travel to just to keep the station on air.

If you or your organisation are still being affected by the outage you can contact the Federal Government’s Australian Signals Directorate 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371)

If you are still having software problems go to www.crowdstrike.com/falcon-content-update-remediation-and-guidance-hub/

Heavy Vehicle Rest Area on the Newell

Last month I was fortunate enough to spend a week on the road with Jenny Aitchison MP, Minister for Regional Roads and Transport, while she travelled across Barwon announcing the start of or the completion of several road and transport projects.

The week before last we heard news that work has started on yet another project - the construction of a new heavy vehicle rest area north of Narrabri. This project is part of the joint Federal and State government-funded $261 million upgrade of the Newell Highway, specifically aimed at improving it for heavy vehicle traffic.

With a number of mining, energy and transport projects planned in and around Barwon it is becoming increasingly necessary to improve heavy vehicle capacity along highway across the electorate.

This rest area will have space for 18 heavy vehicles, for short or long-term parking, ten short-term parking spaces for light vehicles or caravans, toilets, a picnic shelter with solar-powered lighting, rubbish bins, and landscaping.

Once it is completed, this rest area will give drivers more stopping options along the highway, improving safety and reducing some of the maintenance costs on the road.

Baaka Cultural Centre

If you have been travelling along the Barrier Highway over the last year you may have noticed something remarkable rising up on the roadside at Wilcannia - the Baaka Cultural Centre. I recently stopped by to see how things are going and I was lucky enough to be given a tour by the Operations Manager Gail Russell.

What they have done so far looks fantastic. The impressive walls that can be seen from the highway are made of rammed earth and the soil used has been locally sourced, which makes it blend in well with the surrounding natural environment. The building is also being constructed in the shape of an emu’s footprint, the emu holding special significance for the local people.

The new centre preserves parts of the old Knox & Down general store, which stood on the site for decades before it was destroyed in a fire back in 2002.

When it is completed the Baaka Cultural Centre will house Barkindji artefacts, artworks and help to preserve other cultural heritage, including language. It will also be a striking landmark that can’t easily be ignored by motorists driving past. It will help to slow people down and make them want to explore not just the cultural centre but all that Wilcannia has to offer, bringing more tourism, money and jobs to the town.

To find out more about the centre go to https://www.baaka.org.au/

Out and About

I’m often told by people who know me that they have seen my car in one part of my electorate when I was actually hundreds of kilometres away on the other side of Barwon or in Sydney. This is because my staff have marked up cars that they drive to parts of Barwon. 

Barwon is such a huge electorate, 44.5% of NSW, covering over 356,000 square kilometres. My team are often out and about in one of the cars, which is a great help, given there are often so many places for me to be, so far apart. Sometimes, I fly to a town in Barwon and then jump into one of the local cars, so you never know who it will be.

The cars end up doing a fair bit of mileage. One of the cars, an old BA Ford wagon, is nudging 400,000 kilometres and going strong.

Wherever I am, my team is often out in the electorate talking to people and attending meetings on my behalf. If you see them, say g’day.

Rex hits turbulence

One of the big stories for people in country NSW last week was news that regional airline Rex has entered voluntary administration. We have been assured that regional and rural Saab 340 flights will be unaffected through short-term federal support, longer-term incentives through subsidised seats and ensuring carriers operate in a way that doesn't jeopardise the industry.

Pel-Air Air Ambulance Services and Australian Airline Pilot Academy remain outside of administration and under the control of their respective directors.

Flights between major airports have been cancelled, with the Rex Group’s domestic fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft all grounded. Affected customers are being contacted directly by Rex.

Virgin Australia has made an offer for Rex customers with an existing ticket on a flight cancelled due to the Administration process the opportunity to transfer their ticket free of charge to the 13 overlapping Virgin Australia services, see the link for rebooking services.

https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/forms/rex-rebooking-request/.

I will be talking to the minister for Regional Transport about Rex, to see if there is anything that can be done to ensure that it continues to provide this vital service to the people of Barwon and the rest of NSW.

Virtual Fencing site visit

Last week I flew to Brisbane to visit Gallagher Animal Management’s eShepherd Innovation Centre for a demonstration of their virtual fencing technology. The visit was for the inquiry into virtual fencing being conducted by the Investment Industry and Regional Development committee, of which I am chair.

Along with fellow committee member, Justin Clancy the member for Albury, we got to see first-hand how the technology works, both of us feeling the mild electric shock that is delivered by electronically controlled collars to train the livestock.

It was interesting to see it all in action.

This kind of fencing could potentially bring a range of economic, animal welfare and safety benefits to livestock production in NSW.

The committee will table a report of its findings in October 2024.

Boat Show

Last week I took a delegation of MPs to the opening of the 55th Sydney International Boat Show; as the chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Aquatic Recreation.

The Transport Minister Jo Haylen did the official opening with parliamentary colleagues Minister David Harris, Matt Cross, Kellie Sloane, Clayton Barr, and Mark Banasiak also in attendance.

I caught up with Neil Patchett from the Boating Industry Association, I also had an interesting chat to Annie and Laura who are competing in the Youth America’s Cup in October in Barcelona, in an AC40, which do up to 80 knots, and talked to Michaela who won the BIA Award for Apprentice of the year and is the third generation in her family to become a marine mechanic.

Boating is a very popular pastime in Barwon; it also allows tourists to enjoy our waterways and lakes.

A major focus of the Parliamentary Friends of Aquatic Recreation is safety in, on, and around water, which was also a strong theme at the boat show. The show is over for this year but will be on again around this time next year.

‘https://sydneyboatshow.com.au/

Landcare

Landcare does some great work across the electorate caring for the land and waterways that sustain us. This week I had a chat with Turlough Guerin, CEO of Landcare NSW, about the things the organisation is doing and how I can help them continue to thrive and grow and keep up the good work.

This week (August 5-11) also happens to be Landcare week, which is a good time to learn more about this important organisation and maybe take part in some of its work, with a range of activities and events being held across the state, like the Clean Up Pro Hart Way day on August 10 out at Broken Hill.

To find out more about Landcare, the work they do, your local branch and how you can get involved go to https://landcarensw.org.au/