Photo caption: Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall was excited to be back for the start of the 58th NSW Parliament today.
Tuesday, 9 May 2023
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall was formally sworn in today for his fourth term as a State MP and will use the first siting of the new Parliament this week to take up a number of local issues.
“I can’t wait for Parliament start back properly tomorrow,” Mr Marshall said.
“It’s the first siting since the election and I’ll be using it as an opportunity to press the new government and key Ministers on the critical issues confronting our region at the moment.
“I’ve already been knocking on new Ministers’ doors to lock in meetings and to receive delegations from the Northern Tablelands to ensure everyone knows about the issues in our region and the need for the government to listen and act.”
Mr Marshall recently met with Health Minister Ryan Park about the rollout of the GP Single Employer Model, nurse incentive payments and the Moree and Glen Innes Hospital redevelopment projects.
“It was a very positive meeting, but I will continue to hold the Minister to deliver on the undertakings he gave me and our region,” Mr Marshall said.
“Health services are critical to the future prosperity and growth of our region and I’ll continue to do everything I can to help improve them.”
Mr Marshall said he’d also be working hard to address a number of concerns expressed at last week’s Northern Tablelands’ Mayors Roundtable meeting, including the huge increase in the Emergency Services Levy, Rural Fire Service ‘Red Fleet’ ownership debate, crime and housing pressures.
“Our region is experiencing severe growth pains for the first time in decades and our existing private and social housing stock is stretched to capacity,” Mr Marshall said.
“Our local councils are a big part of the solution to the housing shortfall and they’re all willing to do their part, but require some assistance from the State Government to release more land quickly and to help with the upfront public infrastructure costs associated with new residential land developments.
“The re-instatement of payments to the emergency services levy and the incredibly steeping increase is verging on criminal and will strip our local communities of millions of dollars of ratepayers funds, which won’t be available to spend on roads and other local services.
“The government must either continue to pay the levy on behalf of councils, as was done the last three financial years, or exclude the levy payments from the rate-peg cap, so councils have the funding they need to properly service their local communities.”
Mr Marshall said he had listened to people across the region about their concerns – whether it be hospital emergency waiting times, access to specialist care, GP practices taking on new patients or overworked nurses.
“These are all issues I am determined to bring to this new parliament, among many others,” he said.
“I’ll also be taking the issues on behalf of our local teachers and seek an immediate intervention and review of Armidale Secondary College, following a recent spate of serious incidents involving students at the school.”
Mr Marshall said that continuing to fix roads and bridges across the Northern Tablelands was also a primary focus.
“Continuing to fix potholes on regional and rural roads, rebuilding and resealing critical freight routes and replacing old, outdated, and dilapidated timber bridges is also high on my priority list,” Mr Marshall said.
“I would also like to address the recent crime spike in Moree – I have been working with local council and police on these matters and these issues will be equally important on my agenda.
“It’s going to be busy time in Parliament and I’m looking forward to cracking on with the work of speaking up and speaking out on behalf of our region to ensure we get our fair share.”