Country Labor Dialogue - June 2010

8/7/2019 Country Labor Dialogue - June 2010

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COUNTRY LABOR DIALOGUE

C O N N E C T I N G C O U N T R Y C O M M UN I T I E S – J U N E 2 0 1 0

Premier announces: No newcoal mine in the Upper Hunter

Premier Kristina Keneally and

Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly,

announced the Bickham Coal

Project – a proposal for an open cut

mine to extract coal for the next 25

years – will not proceed.

The project was stopped due to

risks of water contamination and

drainage particularly on the Pages

River and the incompatibility of land

use – threatening the viability of the

region’s internationally renowned

thoroughbred breeding industry.

“This decision gives the State’s

thoroughbred industry the increased

certainty it needs to continue to

harness the dynamic global market

– of which it is a leader,” Premier

Kristina Keneally said.

Minister Kelly said that the Planning

Assessment Commission’s (PAC)

review of water studies provided

additional technical rigour and

expertise to the Department of

Planning’s assessment of the project.

“The PAC received submissions

from stakeholders, and conducted

public hearings and meeting with

experts, Government agencies,local government and industry

groups,” Tony Kelly said.

Frank Terenzini

promoted to

Cabinet

Premier Kristina Keneally

has promoted Member for

Maitland and Country Labor

Member, Frank Terenzini,

to the Cabinet following the

resignation of the Minister

for Transport and Roads,

David Campbell.

Frank Terenzini will become

Minister for Housing, Minister

for Small Business and Minister

Assisting the Premier on

Veterans Affairs. He joins other

Country Labor members, Tony

Kelly, Ian Macdonald, Steve

Whan and Phil Costa in the

Ministry.

Country Labour congratulates

Frank on his promotion.

Premier Kris tina Keneally a t Arrowfeld Horse S tud.

Coun tr y Labour Member

Frank Terenzini has been

promo ted to Cabine t.

NSW’s multi-billion dollar thoroughbred industry – the world’s second

largest – will be protected following a State Government decision to

prohibit coal mining at the Bickham site in the NSW Upper Hunter.



Ruralwomento be

honouredThe contribution of women

volunteers in rural NSW will

be formally recognised in an

annual honour roll.

Nominations for the honour roll,

known as Hidden Treasures, are

now open.

“This initiative will provide a

lasting legacy to our tirelesswomen volunteers, who are

the backbone of many rural

and regional communities,”

Primary Industries Minister

Steve Whan said.

About 50 volunteers will be

added to the list, which will

be published on the Rural

Women’s Network website.

“Women are doing a great

job across many regional

towns and cities, they play an

important voluntary role by

providing support to community

organisations, local businesses

and of course families,” Minister

for Women Jodi McKay said.

The honour roll will be presented

at the annual NSW Women’s

Gathering, which will be held in

Wentworth, southern NSW, from

29-31 October 2010.

Hidden Treasures is a joint

project of the Rural Women’s

Network, NSW Centre for

Volunteering and NSW Ofce

for Women’s Policy.

Nominations can be made via

the Rural Women’s Networkwebsite www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/

rwn or by calling the Centre for

Volunteering on (02) 9261 3600.

Funding boostfor Parkes sportingand racing groups

Sport and Recreation Minister

Kevin Greene visited Parkes

recently to meet with local

sports and racing groups.

Kevin Greene ofcially opened

a $50,000 NSW Governmentfunded upgrade to the Parkes

Harness Racing Club. This

investment has seen great

improvements to the track and

stables at the Racing Club.

The Minister also announced

$1000 in funding for further works

at the Racing Club track.

“Parkes Trots is still a greatattraction for the local community,

and they’ll be holding four

Saturday twilight race meetings

in the upcoming months,”

Kevin Greene said.

Kevin Greene also met with

Parkes Cricket Association

members to provide them with$1000 in funding for new synthetic

wickets for local junior cricketers.

The Minister also unveiled a

plaque to commemorate local

cricket legend Cec Pepper.

The plaque and wooden seat

in Keast Park are a permanent

reminder of Cec Pepper’s

achievements. Pepper made

the fastest ever century recordedin Parkes cricket in 1935.

Minis ter Greene unveiling a plaque as a reminder

o Cec Pepper’s achievemen ts in Parkes



The NSW Government will

protect the internationally

signicant River Red Gum forests and woodlands.

The landmark decision will preserve in perpetuity

100,000 hectares of ancient trees – many of which

are more than 300 years old – and their ecosystems

including 50 species of threatened fauna and signicant

breeding habitat for 18 migratory birds.

It will create two wetlands of international signicance

– Millewa and Werai, and two Living Murray icon sites –

Millewa Forest and the River Murray Channel.

The announcement, made by Premier Kristina Keneallyand the Minister for Environment, Frank Sartor, marks

the largest protection of land for conservation in NSW

since 2005 when the State Government protected

350,000 hectares in the Brigalow bio-region.

“Many of these River Red Gum trees are estimated to

be over 300 years old, which means they were here

before Captain Cook arrived and if protected they can

live beyond 1,000 years,” Premier Keneally said.

Premier Keneally said an increased management and

industry assistance package totalling $97 million wasalso secured as part of the historic agreement.

Minister for Roads, David Borger, ofcially

opened a new, 10.5 kilometres, 4-lane section of

the Pacic Highway.

The Johns River Bypass, worth $190 million, is open

in time for the July school holidays when many NSW

families travel north.

The whole project has supported around 750 jobs in

construction and related elds, with around 60% of

these people coming from the local area.

“This will improve safety and reduce travel times on

the Pacic Highway,” David Borger said.

This is a real demonstration of how the NSW andFederal Governments are working together to make

the Pacic Highway safer.

Further sections of upgraded highway between

Johns River and Herons Creek are being

progressively opened to double lane divided road as

they are completed.

The whole upgrade will be completed in July 2010,

with the exact timeframe dependent on the weather.

Upgrading the Pacic Highway –Johns River Bypass open

Riverina Red Gum Forests protected

Minis ter Borger a t the opening o the Johns River B ypass



Dungog BusinessInvestment Fundcreates local jobsDungog Shire businesses are encouraged

to take advantage from the second round

of the Dungog Business Investment Fund.

“The $500,000 Dungog Business

Investment Fund is designed to help

the town’s business community take

advantage of opportunities resulting fromthe development of the Tillegra dam,”

Minister for the Hunter, Jodi McKay said.

The NSW Government was able to support ve

Dungog companies with more than $150,000

through the rst round of the program.

This helped create 21 new jobs, retain

10 existing jobs and attract an estimated

$1.98 million investment in the area.

Expressions of Interest close on 7 July 2010.

To nd out more about the NSW

Government’s regional programs, visit

www.business.nsw.gov.au/region

NSW is set to become the Asia Pacic’s leadinglocation for pilot training with the opening of the

Rex Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA)

in Wagga Wagga.

The new $25 million academy, which has been secured for

the region thanks to NSW Government funding, will create 70

new jobs for Wagga Wagga and train up to 200 pilots a year.

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operator

and this new centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities to

train future pilots.

On behalf of the Minister, Parliamentary Secretary for State

and Regional Development Noreen Hay was in the Wagga

Wagga region for the opening.

The increased training capacity provided by the AAPA will

help address the shortage of qualied pilots and also has the

very real potential of becoming the leading training facility in

the Asia Pacic.”

Wagga Wagga setto lead Asia Pacicin pilot training

Parliamen tar y Secre tar y Noreen Ha y a t the opening

o the Rex Aus tralian Airline Pilo t Academ y.

Premier backs Tamworthdefence contract bid

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has thrown her support behind

the bid to retain the Royal Australian Air Force ight training

school in Tamworth – at Australia’s largest regional airport.

The Premier has written to Defence Minister Senator John

Faulkner to formally convey the NSW Government’s backing

for the British Aerospace Systems Australia (BAE) bid, to keep

Australian Defence Force (ADF) ight training operations at

Tamworth regional airport for the next three decades.

The ADF is currently conducting a tendering process for the

extension of the ight training contract until 2017.

From 2017 onwards a 25-year ight training contract PROJECT

AIR 5428, worth in excess of $1.5 billion will be available.

BAE’s Tamworth ight training centre currently employs 75 people

and injects $20 million a year into the local economy.

The NSW Government is strongly committed to the future growth

of the defence industry and defence sites around the State, in

particular around regional communities such as Tamworth.

Documents

Country Labor Dialogue - June 2010