Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

Thursday, 30 October 2025 Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke says while she appreciates the Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty taking the time to visit Gundagai, she remains deeply concerned that southern New South Wales farmers will continue to go without the urgent support they need. The meeting with the Minister was attended by Ms Cooke, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor Abb McAlister, Councillor and farmer Mr David Graham, and focused on the worsening dr

Monday, 20 October 2025 Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, is demanding that the NSW Labor Government take immediate action to support drought-affected farmers in southern New South Wales. The latest figures from the Department of Primary Industries show that the Cootamundra electorate is 99 per cent drought-affected, following 12 months of deteriorating conditions. As a result, farmers across the state’s south are battling record-high freight costs, water and fodder sh

Friday, 25 July 2025 Subjects: Passing of former Temora Councillor Dennis Sleigh, Demerger of Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Councillor,...

Monday, 14 July 2025 Recent data from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has confirmed that dry conditions continue to affect...

Friday, 30 May 2025 Subjects: Pink Zones and Coppicing in West Wyalong, Mapping Issues and Ground Truth Concerns, William Bradford...

Thursday, 8 May 2025 Subjects: Federal election, Drought conditions, needs for subsidies, ANZAC Day, Mothers Day Dave Eisenhauer:...

Tuesday, 29 April 2025 Farmers are being reminded that support is available after drought was declared in the Eastern Riverina. The...

​​Tuesday, 26 May 2020​ The NSW Government will provide new drought emergency funding of $94,500 to support water supply projects in communities in the Central Tablelands. This latest round of funding brings the total provided by the Government to Central Tablelands Water (CTW) to $1.19 million and will benefit communities across the Bathurst and Cootamundra regions. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said CTW manages water supply for almost 10,000 people across a number of

Monday, 11 May 2020​ Local farmers and communities in the Cootamundra electorate will continue to receive vital drought assistance with the NSW Government providing a $310 million boost to the Emergency Drought Relief Package. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said that this crucial funding will ease the financial burden on regional communities caused by the drought. Ms Cooke said many communities in the Cootamundra electorate have done it tough, having fought destructive b

​​Friday, 1 November 2019​ Farmers across the Cootamundra electorate will have even more support during the State’s worst drought on record, with a further $5.2 million in funding announced today. Across the Cootamundra electorate, 15 community preschools have already received over $160,000 in drought support from Round One and more than $170,000 in Round Two of the funding. “This is the first time the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government are expanding the Drought Relief f

​​Wednesday, 16 October 2019​ Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP has welcomed today’s announcement that the NSW Nationals in Government will introduce historic legislation to facilitate declared emergency drought works and fast track the construction of new dams across drought-stricken regional NSW, including Wyangala. Ms Cooke said this legislation would truncate processes to fast track water projects in order to secure short-term water supply. In addition, three new d

​​Tuesday, 11 June 2019​ Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke welcomed Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall to Coolamon today to help announce a $355 million drought support package boost. The support is part of the upcoming State Budget and demonstrates the NSW Government’s ongoing support for regional communities, businesses and workers, which now stands at $1.8 billion, Ms Cooke said. “Th

​​Wednesday, 30 January 2019​ ​​ ​​​Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today announced a grant of almost $300,000 to help Bland Shire keep a key road in good shape during efforts to maintain drought relief. ​Rankins Springs Road at Naradhan will receive $298,013 worth of maintenance from Bland Shire Council thanks to a NSW Government grant under the Drought Relief Heavy Vehicle Access Program. ​“The drought is increasing its grip as the weeks pass us by and trucks are carryin

​Wednesday, 3 October 2018​ Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has reminded farmers that NSW Government drought assistance is available despite recent falls of rain. Speaking on a grey wet day, Ms Cooke welcomed the conditions but reminded farmers not to self-assess and to contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority for help. “It’s wonderful to be under grey skies and see the water on the roads, paddocks and pavements of the Cootamundra electorate, but I’m not about to celebra

Thursday, September 6 2018 Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today welcomed the announcement farmers in the Cootamundra electorate will receive free registration over the next two years for their heavy vehicles as part of a package of measures designed to put more money into farmers’ pockets. Ms Cooke said the NSW Government will provide partial refunds on previous heavy vehicles registration charges going back over three years, saving primary producers an average of $2094.

​​Monday, 3 September 2018​ Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has announced that farming communities facing pressure in the wake of severe drought conditions will have access to 20 new ‘farm gate’ counsellors and frontline mental health workers as part of a $6.3 million commitment from the NSW Government, with one counsellor to be based in Temora. Ms Cooke announced today that more people in drought-affected areas of the Murrumbidgee region will now have access to addition

Monday, July 30 2018 ​​​ ​​Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today welcomed the announcement of a further $500 million of support for farmers through the NSW Government’s Emergency Drought Relief Package. ​This latest boost means the NSW Government has committed more than $1 billion to support farmers through the developing drought. ​“As this drought has slowly increased its grip on the Cootamundra electorate, so too has the NSW Government’s commitment to farmers,” Ms Cooke

20 March, 2018 Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today announced new technology that will provide faster and more detailed seasonal conditions information and enable our farmers to make better-informed farm and stock management decisions. Ms Cooke said the new Enhanced Drought Indicator System (EDIS) draws on the latest remote sensing, satellite and climate data to provide a more detailed assessment of seasonal conditions. “We want our farmers to be as informed as possible w