Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

Annabelle Gray, Steph Cooke MP, and Lani Summerfield at St Anne's Catholic College, Temora. History has been rewritten at St Anne’s Catholic College with two young swimmers breaking a series of long-standing records once held by the Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke.   During this year’s annual school swimming carnival, Annabelle Gray smashed the 13-year-old 50-metre butterfly record previously set by Ms Cooke in 1990, with a blistering time of 33.76 seconds.   It’s the fif

The Minns Labor Government has abandoned the people of Wilcannia and the broader Far West, shelving the long-awaited Wilcannia Weir replacement project.   Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke said the decision is a betrayal of a community that has fought for more than three decades to secure a safe, reliable and drought-proof water supply.   “Late on a Friday afternoon, when newsrooms in the Far West were logging off for the week, the Minister for Water quietly announced the

The Minns Labor Government must put NSW first and prevent any further Commonwealth water buybacks in the Northern Basin, following the Federal Government’s announcement that it is seeking to purchase additional entitlements.   The updated Restoring Rivers Trading Strategy  confirms the Commonwealth will open a voluntary Expression of Interest process targeting entitlement holders in the northern Murray-Darling Basin.   However, recovery targets in the Northern Basin NSW Zone

The NSW Minns Labor Government must immediately release the valley-by-valley modelling and departmental advice underpinning their decision to lift the Menindee Lakes trigger from 195GL to 250GL of active storage.   Through a co-signed omnibus amendment to multiple water sharing plans, the Minister for Water and the Minister for Environment have altered the rules governing access to overland flows in the Gwydir, Macquarie, Cudgegong and Border Rivers systems.   Under the new 2

Steph Cooke MP with Hilltops Council Staff at Boorowa's Water Treatment Plant. Boorowa residents have been placed on Level 3 Water Restrictions, with limited rainfall and ongoing hot conditions significantly reducing inflows to the Boorowa Weir.   Under Hilltops Council’s Drought Management Plan, Level 3 Water Restrictions are triggered when water levels fall below 600mm under the weir crest.   Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, has joined Hilltops Council in encouraging re

Kurrajong Laundry in Narrandera has officially reopened at a brand-new location, marking a powerful comeback for the organisation after a devastating fire destroyed its previous facility.   The laundry provides supported employment for people with disabilities while delivering essential services to a wide range of local businesses across the region.   In May 2024, staff and the broader community were left devastated when the Myrtle Street facility was declared “completely des

Labor Premier Chris Minns has refused to rule out signing the Commonwealth’s proposed National Water Agreement, despite mounting concern from regional communities and water users across NSW.   The federal government wants states and territories to sign the new agreement, which would rewrite Australia’s overarching water policy framework.   However, the details of the proposed agreement have not been publicly released, leaving farmers, irrigators and regional communities in th

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water (DCCEEW) has rejected an urgent request for bottled drinking water from Coonamble, more than a week after the town was placed on a boil water notice.   Coonamble is one of a growing number of rural and regional communities calling for state and federal investment to upgrade their aging, overstretched water infrastructure.   Already under strict water restrictions, the town was issued a boil water notice on