State Matters - 12 May 2025

NSW PARLIAMENT RESUMES

LAW AND ORDER was high on the agenda as the autumn sittings of the NSW Parliament resumed last week.

The NSW Nationals push to review the legal presumption that children aged 10-to-14 do not sufficiently understand the difference between right and wrong to be held criminally responsibly has achieved its objective.

The state government has launched a review of Doli incapax to report back to the Attorney General in the second half of this year.

Sustained pressure by the NSW Nationals and Liberals has also prompted a long-awaited Parliamentary inquiry into the illegal tobacco trade which has been linked to organised crime syndicates.

I also raised the impending upgrade of Singleton Police Station in Parliament to reaffirm my commitment that police stations need to make communities feel safe, not just to fight crime.

Be assured that I will continue to prosecute the case for police customer service to be delivered at our local stations.

WILD DOG & FOX CONTROL

Owners of working dogs and domestic companion animals are advised that wild dog and fox control programs have commences across the Upper Hunter Electorate.

Hunter Local Land Services and Forestry Corporation are conducting aerial and ground baiting programs from Merriwa to Nundle, Nowendoc to Dungog encompassing private tenure, State Forests, Crown Land and Travelling Stock Reserves until 30 June.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service will conduct aerial baiting from Monday 19 May until 1 June in Goulburn River, Wollemi and Yengo National Parks, Manobalai Nature Reserve, and the Wollemi Flora Reserve and State Conservation Area.

Baits have also been laid in the Singleton Military Area with neighbours recommended to restrain pets and working dogs until the end of June.

Hunter Valley Operations, Ravensworth Open Cut and Mount Thorley-Warkworth are conducting baiting activities at the mine sites and surrounding offsets including land at North Rothbury, Belford, Putty, Muscle Creek, Sandy Hollow, Turill and Cassilis.

Residents requiring further information should contact Hunter Local Land Services on 1300 795 299, the NPWS Bulga office 6574 5555, HVO Complaints and Blasting Hotline, Yancoal Community Information Line or the respective mining company.

CHECK BEFORE TRAVEL

Upper Hunter Electorate rail commuters planning to travel this weekend are advised to check travel alerts before heading to the station.

Australian Rail Track Corporation will conduct essential maintenance and improvement works on both the Hunter Valley and North Coast rail lines.  

During the work, the track will be closed between Newcastle and Turrawan as well as Muswellbrook to Ulan from 3am Saturday 17 May until 3am Tuesday 20 May.

Trackwork is scheduled on the North Coast line from Telarah to Acacia Ridge in Queensland, 6am Saturday 17 May to 6pm Monday 19 May.  

Coaches replace NSW TrainLink services including North West Explorer and the Brisbane and Casino XPTs.

Buses replace trains between Scone, Dungog and Newcastle Interchange during the track maintenance.

Travellers are encouraged to visit: https://transportnsw.info or call 13 22 32 for assistance to plan their journey.  

Signage and traffic control will be in place at any locations where motorists may experience short delays due to crossing works or adjacent corridor works.  

Information on road closures and alternative routes can be found at livetraffic.com: www.livetraffic.com

HAPPY HORSE FESTIVAL!

Scone is currently enjoying the limelight as the latest edition of Horse Festival unfolds across the town and in the surrounding communities.

‘Home is where the Horse Is’ provides the theme for the event, which is credited with putting 45 years of heart into Scone.

The school horse sport day at White Park last Friday launched the equine activity with a bumper schedule of events through until the fireworks finale at Lake Glenbawn on Sunday.

I hope locals and our visitors have a fantastic festival enjoying the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Awards and the Scone Cup racing carnival over Friday and Saturday.

To join the festivities check in at: https://sconehorsefestival.com.au/program/

PROJECT SHELVED

The Lostock Dam to Glennies Creek Dam Pipeline and the Paterson River connection projects have officially been shelved.

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has advised me that the state government made the decision to defer building the pipeline along with Hunter Water’s Paterson River pump station and water treatment plant.

This project has been deemed not necessary for the immediate water security of the Hunter region with a cost of $1.5 billion.

Having a Final Business Case means a lot of the critical groundwork is already done which provides a stronger position, if the project is revisited in the future.

The Department will continue to work with Hunter Water, WaterNSW and local councils to find sustainable cost-effective solutions that boost drought resilience.

The department’s Water Group has thanked the community and key stakeholders for their active participation during consultation including input from reference groups and community information sessions throughout the various stages of the project’s development.

ROAD SAFETY WEEK

National Road Safety Week during May 11-18 aims to raise awareness about the impacts and importance of road safety in NSW and reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.

Last year, 340 people lost their lives on the state’s roads with speed remaining the biggest killer claiming 134 lives in crashes where speed was a factor.

We all have a role to play in reducing the road toll by slowing down to drive to the conditions, ensuring you get home from work safely and importantly, take extra care on regional roads.

Road safety is a shared responsibility and only together can we achieve the goal of zero deaths and fatalities on NSW roads by 2050.

Show your commitment by taking the road safety pledge to remove all distractions and never use my mobile phone while driving, as well as not putting other people at risk by speeding, driving while tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Find the pledge at: https://roadsafetyweek.com.au/home/#home/pledge

REZ INFO SESSIONS

Ausgrid will hold drop-in sessions and webinars over the next two weeks on the upgrades required to the existing electricity network between Muswellbrook and Kurri Kurri.

Ausgrid has been selected by the Energy Corporation of NSW as the preferred network operator to deliver network infrastructure works required to support the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (HCC REZ).

As part of the planning and design process for the HCC REZ, Ausgrid has prepared a Review of Environmental Factors, which is on public exhibition until Monday 9 June.

Drop-in sessions commence Thursday 15 May at Singleton Library then continue on Wednesday 21 May at Muswellbrook Library and Thursday 22 May at Branxton Community Hall, with all sessions 4-6pm.

A further session is on Sunday 25 May at the Valley Markets in Townhead Park Singleton, 9am-2pm.

The webinars are on Monday 19 May, 6.30-7.15pm and Tuesday 20 May, 12.30pm-1.15pm, with registration information at: https://ausgrid.engagementhub.com.au/hccrez

In other renewable developments, Transgrid and EnergyCo have signed a deed to connect the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ) to the NSW grid delivering new infrastructure including a new transmission line between Bayswater and Liddell and upgrade works at two existing substations.

And, the Liverpool Range Wind Farm between Cassilis and Coolah is among ten renewable energy projects given the green light to connect to the CWO REZ after the state government awarded groundbreaking ‘access rights’.

CHEERS, TO HOTELS!

Accommodation hotels are employing more people and contributing more to the NSW economy than ever before according to new research by Deloitte Access Economics.

The latest research found accommodation providers ranging from small regional motels and serviced apartments to large local and international hotels were performing well above their economic weight.

The research, commissioned by Australian Hotels Association NSW, found that member hotels source the majority of their intermediate inputs from local suppliers ensuring the bulk of the flow-on economic activity is retained within the state.

The majority of its workforce are aged between 25-44, and 61 per cent of staff are women.

NOMINATE EMERGENCY VOLUNTEERS

The inaugural NSW Emergency Volunteer of the Year award is giving us the opportunity to shine a light on the Upper Hunter Electorate’s dedicated and brave emergency volunteers.

The award will be delivered as part of the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards run by the Centre for Volunteering.

Nominations can be submitted for anyone who volunteers in association with an emergency services organisation, a community-based organisation, a non-government organisation, or unaffiliated with any organisation.

Individuals or volunteer teams can be nominated for the award across emergency prevention, preparation, response or recovery efforts.

Submit nominations before Friday, 23 May at: 

https://www.volunteering.com.au/awards/about-the-awards/

JOIN THE PROGRAM

If you own land in the Goulburn or Merriwa River regions, Hunter Local Land Services would like to hear from you.

The LLS is working with its partners and landholders to help protect the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater through the Regent Honeyeater – Saving a Species program.

It’s a five-year initiative bringing together agencies and community partners to secure the future of this unique bird.

Landholders in the Baerami, Widden/Bylong Valleys, Doyles Creek or Martindale areas are required for the program with the LLS offering support for on-site property assessments,

habitat identification, land management advice, plus conservation and sustainable agriculture guidance.

To connect with the practical knowledge to help manage your land and protect native biodiversity, contact Eva Twarkowski: eva.twarkowski@lls.nsw.gov.au or call 0437 056 978.