Telecommunications in rural and regional communities

November 22, 2021

I want to thank the member for Mayo for putting this motion forward. It's a comprehensive look at the various telecommunications issues that rural and regional communities face. My community faces all those issues and needs the same kinds of solutions that are being put forward. I do think, though, that it's a bit rich for the member for Berowra and the member for Barker to stand here and talk about a private member's bill that the member for...

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Childcare

November 22, 2021

Childcare workers and childcare directors—or, as we like to think of them, early learning educators—have been asked to do a lot during this pandemic. They were asked to stay on the front line when we knew very little about COVID. Nearly everyone else had to stay at home, but they had to be able to care for the children of essential workers, showing just how essential they themselves are. They were initially denied vaccinations, and then they h...

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Small biz survives despite the NBN

November 22, 2021

There are small businesses in the Upper Blue Mountains who successfully operate in spite of the NBN. These are people with fibre to the node like Aaron from Bethany Manor B&B in Leura.

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Road Safety Program

November 22, 2021

I rise to speak on road safety, and I do so as someone who represents an electorate whose roads are deadly. The Bells Line of Road and the Great Western Highway present challenges for residents and visitors alike, partly because of the heavy truck and vehicle usage they have as they take people to and from the Central West. In the space of a few days our region recently saw the loss of three lives on our roads, and our hearts have gone out to...

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Family Violence

November 22, 2021

I had a chance to say thank you to some of the organisations that have helped people at possibly their lowest point in the last 18 months. The statistics are well known: an increase in domestic violence with service providers around the country seeing a surge in demand and nearly half saying their clients report an increase in controlling behaviours. That's certainly the case in Macquarie

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Another storm, another pile of useless NBN boxes

November 19, 2021

Another storm season and another pile of useless NBN boxes for people on fibre to the kerb in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury. Since a storm last Thursday, I've had nearly 100 people contact me because their NBN box has blown, by far the majority from Winmalee, Yellow Rock and Hawkesbury Heights.

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