NSW Labor is showing its commitment to regional NSW by vowing to pour all the returns from the Snowy Mountains Hydro sale back in regions, Labor’s Barwon spokesperson Daniel Mookhey said.
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Mr Mookhey conducted a tour of parts of the Barwon electorate last week, including Coonamble, Coonabarabran and Gilgandra.
He said the purpose of his visit was to compile a wishlist from the towns if funding were to become available.
Mr Mookhey has been the party’s Barwon spokesperson for two years and this week was his third visit to the south east . Later this year he will also visit Nyngan and Narromine.
In his dealings with voters across the electorate, Mr Mookhey said the biggest concern was the disparity between the money being spent in Sydney compared to the regions.
He said Barwon residents were frustrated by the amounts of money being spent on ambitious projects when they couldn’t get basic resources.
“We are seeing Sydney speed ahead and a lot of regional NSW being left behind when it comes to things like jobs, when it comes to youth employment, when it comes to skills and when it comes to economic development. That’s the big thing for every community I visit,” he said.
“The purpose of my tour is to explain Labor’s new policy of returning every dollar from the sale of the NSW government’s share of the Snowy Hydro to regional NSW. This was a policy we announced a month ago in the aftermath of the state budget.
“That shareholding is estimated to be worth between $4 and $5 billion and is being sold to the Commonwealth. That is a big sign of Labor’s commitment to ending a two-track state.”
Mr Mookhey said Labor had committed to spending all of that money in regional NSW, and said communities had the chance to choose what to do with the funding.
He said residents in the electorate should be able choose where
“We’re not going to dictate to a community what they should get. We’re interested in hearing from them what their priorities are. Those priorities would be very different across all the corners of Barwon,” he said.
Asked about Labor’s record of spending in regional NSW during its 16 years in power prior to 2012, Mr Mookhey said the focus should be on the current government.
“Labor has been out of office for six years, this government has been in power for six. By the time they get to the next election they will be asking for 12,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s fair for the government to escape scrutiny of their record by simply wanting to harken back to the politics of the early 1990s.
“I’m asking the people who are in power today, what are you doing for regional NSW?”
“Labor wants to make sure people are able to have good, middle-class lives across every corner of NSW.”