When Labor minister Lynda Voltz visited Griffith and Yenda for a whirlwind tour of the region she was taken to dilapidated buildings, abandoned paddocks, and algae-infested lakes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Her tour guide was Member for Murray Helen Dalton, who said she wanted Ms Voltz to see for herself just how neglected large parts of her electorate were.
One of the tour destinations was the old Yenda Police station, which has been gathering dust since the floods of 2012 made the place uninhabitable.
Ms Voltz, who is the shadow police minister, said she's put pressure on her Liberal counterpart David Elliott to get the building back in use as a police residence.
"The government is neglecting towns they shouldn't. It's a growing town, it's got a growing industry - there's going to be more houses there," Ms Voltz said.
"It's a town you should keep your facilities in to continue the growth of the region - that's the question we'll be taking back to estimates: why are you letting these facilities fall apart?"
Yenda Progress Association president Kay Pellizzer said the town had been plagued by break-ins over the past eight years, but that criminals might think twice with a policeman living right in the middle of Yenda.
"Having a police officer living in the residence and a police car in the port would make such a big difference," Mrs Pellizzer said.
"It's a nice old building, and it's a shame to see them go to wreck and ruin."
READ MORE
Another tour attraction on Mrs Dalton's itinerary was Lake Wyangan, which is currently on red-alert for its dangerous levels of toxic blue-green algae.
Mrs Dalton used to row in Lake Wyangan back when the lake was full, but she said that those days were long gone.
She said that Lake Wyangan had been neglected for too long, adding that Griffith City Council needed to step up.
"Council needs to take the bit in the teeth and implement some programs to fix Lake Wyangan," Mrs Dalton said.
"It's a great asset for the town, however at the moment it's an eye sore and needs to be dealt with."
***
While you're with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to your inbox every Monday at 6am from The Area News? To make sure you're up to date with all the Griffith and MIA news you can sign up here.