Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Again, I seek leave to conclude my remarks, Deputy Speaker.

Leave granted.

I thank the members opposite. I wanted to mention the importance of the Drought Communities Program, which provides grants to eligible local governments to support local community infrastructure and other drought relief projects for communities impacted by drought. As we know, each council will receive up to $1 million for eligible projects, with the government recently extending the number of councils eligible from 60 to 81. The important thing about the Drought Communities Program is it recognises that the impact of drought isn't just at the farm gate; it's in country communities throughout Australia, and many of them are smaller country communities too. In the electorate of Calare, for example, the Blayney, Oberon, Mid-Western and Dubbo regional councils and Cabonne Council are all eligible for the funding, and a number of projects have already been identified.

One great project which Dubbo Regional Council has identified, through Mayor Ben Shields, is $560,000 for a water supply for Stuart Town. The allocation of a water source for Stuart Town would allow a bore and storage tank to be installed to provide water for the 250 residents of the village. In the Blayney shire, projects identified include $80,000 for a refurbishment of water bores for stock in the Blayney community; $400,000 to enhance the Blayney Showground; and $46,000 for an upgrade of the kitchen at the Mandurama hall. I believe that improvements are planned for Carcoar as well. The list is considerable. All of these projects will make a real difference to the lives of people in those communities who've been hit hard—because, when drought hits, it might not be just the farmer who's affected; it might be the tyre fitter or the folks who run the grocery store. The knock-on effect is absolutely huge.

I mentioned the Regional Investment Corporation. The member for Hunter made some rather unkind comments about the corporation. On Saturday night I was in Wellington, which is part of the great food basket of New South Wales and Australia, and I was speaking to Norm Smith. Norman and Pip run a merino farm just outside Wellington, on Twelve Mile Road. Farmers are already talking about the RIC. Norman was relaying the story of one farmer with very, very positive things to say about the investment funds available through the Regional Investment Corporation. Norm also mentioned a couple who were in the process of acquiring farming country in the Peak Hill area; they were going to use funds provided by the RIC to basically transform that farm, including droughtproofing it. Again, the story was a very positive one about their experience with the Regional Investment Corporation. They're just two stories about a corporation which is just starting out, and, if this is the experience of the first few customers of the Regional Investment Corporation, I think it bodes very well for the future.

I really think the member for Hunter should take a less antagonistic and more positive approach and work with us on projects like the Regional Investment Corporation, because they will actually make a real difference to the lives of people in country Australia. It's not political. If the member for Hunter looks at the last election results in and around Orange, we were lucky enough to be successful in every single booth in Orange. If you look at Cabonne, which is the farming area—

An opposition member interjecting—

no, federal and state—again, we won every booth when I was the state member, and I was lucky enough to do that as the federal member as well. If you look at the Gulgong and Mudgee areas, the story was the same at the last federal election and when I was lucky enough to run as the state candidate. When I was the state candidate for Forbes and Parkes, we won every booth in those areas, including booths that had never traditionally been coalition-voting booths.

The RIC is not political, and it is making a real difference to the lives of people in country Australia already. If the member for Hunter wants to kick around here in R&M Williams boots, he has to walk the walk, not just talk the talk and sell out country Australia— (Time expired)

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