Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

Steph Cooke MP at the Boorowa Water Treatment Plant. In this National Water Week, Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke is urging NSW residents to consider their community’s water future and join the conversation about the infrastructure needed to secure it. National Water Week was established to remind communities to use water wisely and never take access to safe, secure, and reliable water for granted. This year’s National Water Week comes at a critical time, with communiti

Steph Cooke MP with long-time Narrandera Resident Polly Rombola. The Deed of Agreement concerning Narrandera’s future Water Treatment Plant has been executed following sustained pressure from the Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke. The deed was critical in enabling Narrandera Shire Council to progress detailed design and business case work for the project, which aims to deliver clean water to the town. Until this week, the NSW Government had not handed the deed to the co

Steph Cooke MP at the Narrandera Shire Council Chambers. The NSW Labor Government has failed to sign the required Deed of Agreement to progress Narrandera’s Water Treatment Plant business case, nearly six months after Commonwealth funding was awarded. Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, said the ongoing delay is preventing Narrandera Shire Council from progressing critical work to deliver clean drinking water to the community. In December last year, the Commonwealth Gove

Narrandera residents with Narrandera Council representatives, and Nationals leaders. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke is calling on the NSW Government to deploy a temporary water treatment plant to Narrandera, with neither the State nor Federal Government committing to fund a permanent infrastructure solution. The call follows a Roundtable hosted by Ms Cooke in Narrandera on Sunday, attended by Nationals Leader Matt Canavan, Federal Shadow Water Minister Michael McCormack,

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

Friday, 5 December 2025 Design for a permanent Water Treatment Plant in Narrandera will commence, with the Commonwealth Government stepping up to support the delivery of clean drinking water to the community in place of their state counterparts. $908,000 has been awarded from the National Water Grid Fund, which will pay for the plans needed to support the construction phase of this essential infrastructure project. This is the second time Narrandera Council has been force

Wednesday, 26 November 2025 A united campaign to secure safe, clean drinking water for Narrandera is gaining momentum with local leaders calling on the NSW Labor Government to approve immediate relief measures and commit to long-term investment in the town’s water infrastructure. Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, along with Narrandera Shire Council led by Mayor Neville Kschenka, are calling on the NSW Labor Government to implement emergency safeguards that guarantee the