Friday, 9 February 2024
Subjects: Boorowa water pipeline, Cootamundra sale yards, importance of agriculture in the Cootamundra electorate, 6th annual Cootamundra Summit, Parliamentary sitting calendar, CGRC de-merge, level crossing upgrades, Australia Day.
E&OE…
Rich Spence: For the first time this year Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke; good morning Steph.
Steph Cooke: Good morning, Rich. It's good to be back with you. Admittedly, I'm coming to you from Parliament House, and I'd much rather be sitting in the studio with you as I normally do, but it's lovely to catch up with you nonetheless.
Rich Spence: And it's the first sitting week for you for the year. There's a lot happening here in the electorate, and the big issue of recent weeks is the Boorowa water quality. What have you got on that?
Steph Cooke: Well, I'm pleased to announce that the New South Wales Government has finally responded to our ongoing advocacy in relation to the water situation. As people across the Hilltops are will know, Boorowa water has been an issue for a long time. And when the Boorowa community and the surrounding villages joined the Cootamundra electorate after the March election last year, I gave an undertaking to that community that I would do everything I possibly could to resolve what has been a long-running issue for that community. And most recently, we've seen a boiled water alert activated.
We’ve had some heavy storms, which sent a whole lot of organic matter and other debris down the Boorowa River – clogged up the aging water treatment plant there in Boorowa – and as a result, the water quality there deteriorated beyond what was safe for the community to drink without boiling. So it's just been this long-running saga. We've been lobbying now for almost 12 months, and finally the New South Wales Government has stepped up and provided the Hilltops Council with much needed funding of over half a million dollars.
And that'll be more or less matched by the Hilltops Council, and that will go towards that final piece of the feasibility study that we need to quantify the cost of a pipeline; that (the cost) is the most important part from my perspective, but also to have a look at the detailed design and planning components of such a project. So it is that final piece that we need in terms of the feasibility, planning, and costing phase. And then of course now, my advocacy turns towards ensuring that we get this pipeline fully funded by the State Government; that's what we need. We don't know how much it will cost yet; that's what this piece of work now has to identify. And once we know that number, I will be expecting the New South Wales State Government to come to the table and solve what has been a very, very big issue for that community, and one that has remained unresolved for many, many years.
Rich Spence: So it's great that things are moving ahead with a feasibility study and funding provided, but what are the guarantees going forward that will result in a new pipeline and what sort of timeline will we be looking at?
Steph Cooke: Well, we're hoping that the feasibility study will provide an indication of the timeline that it would take to build the pipeline, should it be fully funded, and that funding source found. In terms of guarantees to the community, what I can guarantee the community is that I won't stop with my advocacy around this project; it's too important. We have a community of over 2,000 people already in Boorowa, we've got the opening up of subdivisions in that area to cater for people that want to move to our region; it has the potential to grow even further.
So there's a number of moving parts to this, but at the end of the day, securing safe, clean drinking water for the town of Boorowa is incredibly important to me. It was also ranked as the number one infrastructure project by the Mayoral Summit that I held last Friday in the Cootamundra electorate; the sixth one of those that we've had. And every single mayor and general manager around the table agreed that the situation in Boorowa with respect to water is unacceptable and it's untenable. Not just for that community, but for our entire region. So what I can guarantee the community of Boorowa, and the Hilltops more broadly, is that I will not stop; I will not leave any stone unturned in our determination to see that pipeline fully funded and fully delivered for the people of Boorowa.
Rich Spence: It's incredible that we're in such an unacceptable situation in 21st Century Australia, and so close to Canberra, no less. You mentioned the Mayoral Summit; we'll get onto that in just a moment, but a big issue in Cootamundra: the sale yards. There's a stock agent that's decided to no longer use the sale yards, and it's going to disadvantage a lot of farmers in the area.
Steph Cooke: Rich, this decision came as a surprise to me, to be honest. The sale yards in Cootamundra, they are an important feature for agriculture locally, and people in the Cootamundra electorate, and certainly the town of Cootamundra, will remember that in 2019, I opened, alongside the council, significant upgrades to the sale yards: more than half a million dollars of New South Wales Government funding to include a truck wash at that location. And then there's also been significant upgrades to the electrical side of those sale yards, including lighting.
And so it's disappointing; there's no question of that. My door is certainly open to the council and to the Cootamundra-associated agents, should they want to reach out and have a discussion as to what's occurred there. They certainly didn't reach out to me in advance of making this decision, but nonetheless, my door is open, and we can never forget how important agriculture is to the Cootamundra electorate and to our communities.
Recently, my team and I pulled together some numbers with respect to employment in the sectors across the Cootamundra electorate, and more than one-in-five jobs are directly related to agriculture; that's an incredible number. More than 7,000 people in the Cootamundra electorate are employed directly in the agriculture industry, and that doesn't include the extra 1,000 to 1,500 jobs that are found in our abattoirs, our five abattoirs in the Cootamundra electorate.
So we are heavily reliant on agriculture for jobs and to sustain the very fabric of our communities, and sale yards have always played a very important part in that. And no doubt, over the last couple of decades, we have seen sale yards close for different reasons in different communities, and with the closure of Cootamundra, it really just leaves Cowra and the sale yards there.
So it is a sad day Rich I must say, and I really feel for communities and for farmers who have historically been reliant on those sale yards.
Rich Spence: So with this decision, alternative options for producers, they're several kilometres away, as you mentioned. That adds time and cost for local producers, particularly the smaller operators. So does that mean there will be no activity at Cootamundra sale yards whatsoever now, with this decision?
Steph Cooke: Well, I'm seeking some further information from Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, but I think that's a fair assumption, at least in my mind, at this stage, that there will be no further activity at that site, especially in relation to the sale yard operations. But I will be seeking some further information with respect to the truck wash and whether it will still continue to operate there for heavy vehicle users and farmers that need that facility and have been relying on that facility for the years that it's been opened.
And yes, it will add cost for local farmers that do have to see their livestock taken several hundred kilometres more than what they currently are, in relation to using Cootamundra.
Rich Spence: And it seems advances in technology was a big part of that decision, with the electronic ID requirements for sheep and goats taking effect down the track. Now, the Mayoral Summit you mentioned a little earlier; what came of that? You talked about the de-merger of the Cootamundra-Gundagai Council; you talked about the reduced sitting days in Parliament. What did you get out of that?
Steph Cooke: The Cootamundra Summit is an annual event that I've held ever since I came in as the Member for Cootamundra, and it's an opportunity for the mayors and the general managers from right across the electorate to come together and ensure that I know what the priorities are, from their perspective, in terms of what I bring back to the Parliament.
So we are all able to discuss the important issues to them and to their communities, and there's some common issues: things like the state of our roads, particularly following the natural disasters that we've experienced in recent years, and the need for further funding in that space.
Regional policing continues to feature as an important issue for communities everywhere. And, of course, the issue of water security that we've already touched on today is a really important issue.
So we do have a reduced sitting calendar this year. Unfortunately, the Government has reduced the schedule to 48 days, and that in and of itself has big implications for regional MPs, not so much for the city MPs, because they live and work close to Parliament House, close to where the ministers have their offices. And so for them, securing meetings is reasonably easy.
For regional MPs like myself, we very much rely on those sitting weeks, not just to sit in Parliament itself and Question Time and holding the Government to account through that process, but it's also an important opportunity for me to sit down with Ministers and their offices and talk about the issues that are important to us. And that's very important because we've been able to secure a lot of wins just by sitting down and having good, robust discussions with Ministers. And I'm very pleased for that.
We are now faced with a situation in 2024 where that time has been drastically reduced. Nonetheless, I will use whatever time I can; it is a shortened calendar, but I'll use my time to the best of my ability to advocate on behalf of the people of the Cootamundra electorate, including those issues that have been brought forward by the mayors and the general managers through the Cootamundra Summit.
Rich Spence: Yeah, it's very important to remain accountable and to get that scrutiny, but the de-merger of the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, it's not that far out from the local government elections later this year. And it doesn't bode well, at the moment, with the voters in that area and also with people that want to stand for election.
Steph Cooke: It is an ongoing concern for me, and the advocacy continues around the de-merge of the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. This week we have seen the State Government introduce a de-amalgamation bill. The Minister in his second read speech recognised the unique circumstances facing Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, and that is primarily, that a former Minister in Minister Tuckerman, in 2022 announced that this council would be de-merged. It is the only council in New South Wales to have had that announcement.
So the Minister recognises that it cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, particularly when it comes to Cootamundra and Gundagai and their communities. So there will be, it would seem, separate provisions for Cootamundra and Gundagai to proceed as they continue on their de-amalgamation journey. And so from my perspective, it's about going through this Government bill with a fine tooth comb to ensure that I understand the implications for Cootamundra and Gundagai.
And I've had the opportunity to be briefed by the Local Government Minister in relation to this bill; there's still a lot more work that's got to be done. And to your point, we do have local government elections in September. So the clock is ticking and we need to pull together the business case, the information that the Local Government Boundaries Commission is now going to have to have a look at for the third time. And we are hoping through that process, to satisfy the Minister, that this is a de-amalgamation that should and needs to proceed, and in time for local government elections in September.
Rich Spence: Well, hopefully there's more clarity in plenty of time, as you mentioned, for that. You mentioned a little earlier about road conditions and safety across the region, which brings me to level crossing safety and upgrades that have been announced.
Steph Cooke: I'm pleased, or relieved more than anything else, to know now that the New South Wales Government will be upgrading this level crossing on the Goldfields Way at Old Junee. I think people know by now that I inspected that site just a couple of weeks ago, and I did so because there was an announcement that level crossing would be upgraded, and that those upgrades would be done by the end of 2023.
And so we get well into 2024 now and it seemed that nothing was happening at that site. And so I went out and I had a look, and sure enough, nothing has happened at that site. And it's not good enough. We have got level crossings right across the electorate that are in such desperate need of upgrade; that is one of many. And if we can't even get one sorted, what hope have we got for the others across our electorate?
But I'm pleased now that the Minister has listened to my concerns. She's stepped up and this level crossing at Old Junee is now listed as one of the top priority projects in New South Wales, and it will share in some federal funding to see those safety measures, which really should have been done by now, but there will now be a renewed focus to ensure that they are delivered. And I'm pleased for it because we need to get that one done and get on with several others.
And just before I finish on that point, I just want to let your listeners know out in the Caragabal area, that they too have been included as part of this top priority list; there's a particular crossing at Caragabal on the Midwestern Highway. I'm going to head out there in the next few days to visit the community of Caragabal and have a look at that site. And it too has now been flagged for a significant upgrade, which is very much welcomed. And I'll be keeping an eye on both of those sites to ensure that the Government follows through on those upgrades, and also I'll be highlighting a few other crossings that we believe now need to be escalated.
Rich Spence: Hopefully there's no more time wasted on those issues. Now, just a couple of minutes to go, I want to talk about Australia Day; big celebrations right across the region.
Steph Cooke: Wasn't Australia Day absolutely fantastic, particularly in our small communities? I ended up going to Ariah Park, to Matong, Weethalle, Barellan and Ardlethan; all small communities, just a few hundred people in each of those communities. And there were flags everywhere, it was a huge celebration. Not just of Australia Day and what it means to each and every one of us, but it was a celebration of all of the volunteers that make these events happen, and an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate everything that's great about their own small community. I'm very, very proud of the way that we celebrated Australia Day right across the electorate, and I really just want to thank all of the volunteers that made those events happen, and to the communities for getting out in force and celebrating our national day.
Rich Spence: Yeah, terrific support. A lot of Australian flags on display more than any other, I believe, pretty much across the country. I saw it in the regional towns as well, so it's terrific to see.
Steph Cooke: And that was sort of my observation as well coming out of Australia Day that more than ever there were just Australian flags everywhere and magnificent to see.
Rich Spence: Probably about 60 seconds to go. If you want to touch on Koorawatha playground?
Steph Cooke: I just want to give the community of Koorawatha a huge shout-out. We opened in less than 12 months, effectively, a brand new playground for their community, almost half a million dollars. It's a beautiful playground. One that's going to serve that little township and village very well for generations to come. It's got a flying fox, swings, an obstacle course, a whole wide range of different activities for the kids. And being just off the Olympic Highway, it's going to attract visitors stopping over in that village. Well done to the community for taking that funding that we were able to secure for them, and building that playground and delivering it for the kids of the village.
Rich Spence: All right, thanks a lot. Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke.