In a bid to help ensure NSW recovers from the effects of COVID-19, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party handed the government their list of priorities.
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With the Shooters Party (SFF) holding key votes in the state's upper house, the list was given to Premier Gladys Berejiklian and other government leaders this week.
"The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Compact with NSW outlines the broad changes the SFF seek from the government in return for conditional support from the party," party leader Robert Borsak said.
The party's three lower house MPs, Helen Dalton, Phil Donato and Roy Butler have all contributed key issues.
For Murray, the wishlist includes re-classifying Griffith to help attract teachers to Murrumbidgee Regional High School, returning voluntary environmental water contributions to irrigators, renovating the police residence in Yenda and providing funding for Macquarie University's Motor Neurone Disease study.
"Two week ago, I met with the NSW Treasurer (Dominic Perrottet). He told me the NSW Government was keen to spend money in the bush," Mrs Dalton said.
"I told him we were sick of having our services downgraded. We are lacking the most basic services, like orthopaedics and mental health in Griffith hospital.
"He said he didn't know about any of that, and asked for a list of what we need.
"Our party have given him a big list of all that's needed. Now he knows.
"Once he's started delivering for us - real commitments in the budget, not just promises - we'll be more co-operative with him."
The Shooters' priorities don't just include neglected projects in regional areas, there are requirements for parliamentary accountability, infrastructure projects and declaring 79 NSW National Parks open for recreational hunting.
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Party leader Robert Borsak said the government would find it tough to help guide the state's economic recovery without securing the Shooters two votes in the upper house.
"It's not just about Sydney; it's about all of NSW," Mr Borsak said.
"To do this, the Government must share our clear bias for the bush. The government must change specific priorities and policies and embrace further parliamentary accountability.
"The compact with NSW presented to the NSW government by the SFF seeks to redress poor policy, economic and health outcomes across regional NSW.
"It also seeks to address the legitimate concerns of law-abiding firearm owners, fishers and farmers across the state."
Mr Borsak said the state government had the opportunity to work with the Shooters Party in "good faith".
"The SFF compact is a community-building program that seeks to right the wrongs of nearly 30 years of bad policy and ignorance of regional NSW policy requirements.
"It's about a fair go for all of NSW, not just inner-city Sydney."
THE TO-DO LIST FOR MURRAY
- Re-classify Griffith as a high-demand rural location by the Department of Education, to improve incentives to attract teachers to town (Griffith is currently a 2-point school, and we would like this increased to 4 points);
- Force the NSW Government to return voluntary water contributions, conveyance losses and/or salt dilution flows to Murray and Murrumbidgee irrigators;
- Renovate the police accommodation building in Yenda so that a policeman can live there;
- Establish an Orthopaedics service and in-patient mental health service at Griffith Base Hospital;
- Permit red gum thinning in former State Forest areas to stimulate forestry jobs in the Murray electorate;
- Complete upgrades of Leeton and Deniliquin hospitals, including re-establishment of paediatric services in Deniliquin;
- Build an ambulance station at Tocumwal;
- Build a new hospital at Wentworth;
- Re-activate the Narrandera to Tocumwal rail line;
- NSW Government to support a federal royal commission into water;
- NSW Government to commit $2 million in funding for Macquarie University's study into high rates of Motor Neurone Disease in regional areas;
- Abolish regional health districts and bring back local hospital board system - with each board represented by two directors;
- Passage without Government amendments through both Houses of Parliament of the Water Management Amendment (Water Rights Transparency) Bill 2020, to establish a state-wide water register; and
- NSW Government to fully meter and monitor water use throughout the state (including floodplain harvesting) and incorporate this in Water Sharing Plans and Basin Plan targets.