Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

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

Steph Cooke MP addresses local media at 2026 Cootamundra Mayoral Summit. Millions of dollars in road and transport upgrades are urgently needed from the NSW Government to improve driver safety across the Cootamundra electorate. Safer bridges and rail crossings emerged as key priorities at the 2026 Cootamundra Mayoral Summit, with local leaders highlighting long-standing hazards that continue to endanger motorists. Having gained a reputation as the Riverina’s most dangerou

Steph Cooke MP with Hilltops Mayor Brian Ingram. Water security for Boorowa and Narrandera remains uncertain, as New South Wales grapples with a multi-billion-dollar backlog of critical infrastructure projects. A recent report from the Auditor-General found that at least $1 billion is required to support water infrastructure across regional and rural NSW, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing communities. In response, Local Government NSW warned that a continued

Steph Cooke opening the 8th Annual Cootamundra Mayoral Summit. The fight to secure Cootamundra a brand-new hospital is on, following a powerful campaign to save the town’s pathology lab that laid bare the urgent need for a modern, fit-for-purpose health facility. In 2024, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s draft health services plan for Cootamundra Hospital prompted widespread community outrage, with residents and health professionals warning that a proposed reduct

The NSW Labor Government has spectacularly contradicted its own Premier, voting in support of a motion calling for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into water management just hours after Chris Minns told the Legislative Assembly he did not back the proposal. A Public Interest Debate was held in the NSW Parliament on a motion calling for a federal Royal Commission into water management, including the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. During Question Time earl

Steph Cooke MP with students from St Marys and Monteagle Public. Students and parents shared nervousness and excitement outside the region’s school gates as teachers welcomed new and returning faces to the start of term one of the 2026 school year. This week, a brand-new cohort of kindergarten students have taken their first steps on their educational journey, while HSC students have strapped themselves in for the final year of their secondary studies. Member for Cootamun