Ms Dalton stated that Dr Hopp was informed that the NSW Government were going to cut funding for his community health nurse. This information is incorrect. At no time was funding going to be withdrawn for the community health nurse.

Management at Griffith Base Hospital was, in fact, exploring options to expand the services to provide increased access by establishing a Public Allergy Clinic.

The proposed new clinic would be supported by the publicly funded community nurse position in a local public hospital setting, rather than at a private clinic.

We prioritise access to public health services for all patients in our region.

I am a natural born Australian, aged 80.

I moved from Victoria's South Gippsland diary country to the newest town in Australia, Coleambally, in 1963, to grow rice.

My father always said "a farmer should always grow something that the population cannot do without".

When 93 per cent of the world's population eats rice, it is glaringly obvious what this country needs to grow.

I have grown rice for 55 years, with the exception of 2018 and 2019, when the exorbitant cost of irrigation water prevented a viable income from rice growing.

The Coleambally Irrigation Area practises some of the most economical and efficient farming processes in the whole country.

With the deregulation of the irrigation industry, there are those who purchase and sell water to make profit, rather than to feed the country. This is a wrought!

With the ever increasing demand for water, and the ongoing drought, I find it very difficult to understand the general reluctance to build more dams.

Communities are running out of water that have never run out before, yet this could help in times of drought, as well as save homes and livelihoods in times of flood.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to build the Inland Rail, but railways have a history of running at a loss.

Why not apply this money to building dams and look after all of our people?

Australia is very generous with its foreign aid policy, but is inept at protecting its farmers and their livelihoods.

What is happening to our dairy farmers is despicable!

Is it not realised that baby formula is made from dairy milk? Is it not realised that substitute milks from crops such as almonds and soybeans have a much higher water consumption? And a much lower calcium content than dairy milk?

Shepparton, the Riverina and Mildura are well known food bowls of Australia and these areas are being crippled by deregulated water practices.

To put this dilemma in layman's terms:

This is what our government expects of our irrigation farmers. Things need to change. Immediately.

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