INTRODUCTION
Dr Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
Thank you to everyone who took the time to have their say in my community survey that was open from June to September.
A total of 850 responses were received. This valuable feedback helps inform my work with the government to ensure we get the services and facilities our community needs.
Our region continues to experience growth, and it is vital this is matched with appropriate infrastructure.
Transport for NSW recently consulted on their Northern Access Strategy, which examines the future transport needs of the northern growth area. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the study, this important piece of work will inform our regional integrated strategic transport plan.
I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2025 and as always, I welcome your ideas, suggestions and concerns. From my family to yours, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
HOLIDAY HOURS:
Dr Joe McGirr’s office will close at 5pm Friday, 20 December 2024 and reopen at 9am Monday, 6 January 2025.
CHRISTMAS APPEALS
Dr Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
As the cost-of-living crisis continues, many locals are facing difficult challenges.
Luckily, the Wagga Wagga electorate has a host of volunteer-run charities who are not only helping to put food on tables but also to improve social connections for those doing it tough.
Carevan Wagga is one of those groups making a real difference, thanks to the dedication of its 83-plus volunteers and the support of businesses and the wider community.
Carevan is a bustling hub of kitchen-based care where volunteers prepare 200 healthy meals per day, three days a week, and ensure they go to where they are most needed.
And according to president David Brennan, demand for help has rarely been so high.
“Food, electricity, medical costs and rents have all gone up in the past 12 months. If people can eat, they can pay the pharmacy bill or get other services,” he said.
The volunteers create home-style meals at their warehouse, some of which are snap-frozen and distributed for free to those experiencing food insecurity.
Other meals are cooked for the Dining with Dignity program where anyone is welcome to enjoy two-course meals at different locations, two nights per week.
No questions are asked, and no judgements made. The team simply wants to help.
The diners get healthy food, and a chance to share the company of others – an important opportunity for those who are feeling isolated.
None of it would happen without the volunteers.
“They’re brilliant,” Mr Brennan said. “They have strong social consciences and big hearts. They just keep giving and while some can give more than others, they all make a difference, and all are appreciated.”
There is similar community spirit at the Tumut Community Pantry where volunteers create hampers of non-perishable essential food items for just seven dollars, and provide free fruit, vegetables, bread and eggs.
Secretary Sue Fisher said the volunteers enjoy making a difference.
“There’s a real community collaboration that makes it all work and we don’t want anyone to feel that they shouldn’t ask for help,” she said. “People just want to be part of things and help out.”
And the team at the Lockhart Red Cross Shop is also lending a hand through the sale of pre-loved clothes, shoes, homewares and books at low prices, with all proceeds helping people facing tough times.
Again, it’s a vital service provided by big-hearted volunteers who are happy to give their time and energy to make life better for others.
So, as Christmas approaches and we prepare to celebrate, let’s spare a thought for those in need and send our best wishes to all volunteers.
Congratulations, thank you and merry Christmas to all!
Dr
PARLIAMENT RECAP
Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
It has been a busy year in the NSW Parliament in 2024.
Our community had a great win in July when the government confirmed out-of-pocket costs would be eliminated for patients undergoing radiotherapy and medical oncology in Wagga.
This breakthrough followed years of determined advocacy and I thank the thousands of people who added their voices to this important development.
As communities continue to count the cost of the HumeLink project, I am fighting hard for Transgrid to pay appropriate community benefits to those directly affected. In a Private Members’ Statement to Parliament in August, I called for those benefits to equal one per cent of the total project cost – a much fairer measure of compensation and far greater than the $15.5m currently proposed.
Improving the health of communities is one of the most important things an MP can do, so I was delighted to hand down the report of the Select Committee on Remote, Regional and Rural Health in August. As chair of the committee, I acknowledge that some progress has been made but I am concerned that much remains to be done. Improving health services across the regions will continue to be a priority for me and I thank everyone who has shared their knowledge, ideas and experiences.
Wagga Wagga is a can-do community that takes innovative approaches to ideas and challenges, as demonstrated when local leaders joined a Housing Roundtable with the Minister for Planning, the Hon. Paul Scully in July. Some great ideas to tackle the housing crisis were discussed and I look forward to seeing progress in this critically important field.
Congratulations to Wagga teenager Lachlan Mitchell who is fighting for a healthier environment, through a petition to reduce plastic pollution in NSW. I was pleased to support Lachlan’s petition and thank him for his determination to build a greener future for us all.
My thanks to the Education Minister and Deputy Premier, the Hon. Prue Car, for her support of the interim childcare centre under development in Lockhart. In response to a question from me in the September parliamentary sitting, the minister confirmed her department’s support for the project. This work is a great testament to the community, which drove the development of a new centre after the town’s only provider closed in May.
The scourge of domestic violence in NSW has made it clear that men must change their ways if we are to reduce the horrifying toll of violence against women and children. Recognising this, I was proud to work with Relationships Australia and the community to have Men’s Behaviour Change programs returned to Wagga after a five-year absence.
Ready, set…grow!
The government’s announcement in May of $70.8m for infrastructure funding will set the stage for huge growth in Wagga by supporting the development of 14,500 new homes.
It’s a welcome investment in our future and I will continue to work to ensure we get the services and infrastructure needed to deliver this exciting future.
In August, I was honoured to tell parliament the story of Tumut’s Sharon and Greg Musson as two of the faces of our timber industry. Hard-working and community-minded, Sharon and Greg represent everything that’s great about the industry and just two reasons why I’ll maintain the fight to retain a sustainable forestry industry in NSW.
PROJECT UPDATES
Dr Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
Congratulations to The Rock for embracing the idea of a volunteer Community Emergency Response Team to provide ambulance services to the town. Following a public meeting to assess interest, NSW Ambulance is moving ahead to the next stages. I’m excited to support this terrific idea and am looking forward to seeing it take shape.
Confirmation that the Tumut-Wagga bus service has been locked in for three years is great news for communities along the route. Travellers clearly value this important link as a way of easily accessing health services, shops, transport links and other facilities.
The transformation of Tolland continues as the renewal project moves towards delivering 500 new homes. Although relocating will be a challenge for some tenants, the delivery of brand-new homes will help to revitalise the area by replacing old housing well past its use-by date.
The new artworks on the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail and the Laurel Hill Sculpture Forest are a marvellous marriage of culture and nature, building upon a terrific tourist attraction with huge potential. If you haven’t yet checked out these trails, I urge you to do so. They’re amazing!
I was delighted to represent Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib at the opening of the new fire station at The Rock in June. The $1.6m station will provide stateof-the-art protection to the community, and with new facilities for women firefighters, it will help to grow and diversify the town’s amazing team of volunteer firefighters.
Pictured: The new fire station at The Rock.
COMMUNITY DIARY
Recently I’ve had the pleasure of visiting some wonderful schools across the electorate, including Batlow Technology School, Uranquinty Public School, The Riverina Anglican College and Lake Albert Primary School. It was great to discuss parliament with these motivated and engaged students.
In July, Parliament of NSW held a Public Speaking Competition and Youth Forum in Wagga Wagga to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Legislative Council. Congratulations to Karin Rezkalla from The Riverina Anglican College who won the Public Speaking Competition and went on to be an exceptional representative for the region at the State Finals at NSW Parliament House in August.
Thank you to all the students who took part in my Christmas Card Competition. It was very difficult to choose our winners, which is why I have also featured the artwork of Caelyn Harrington, from Batlow Technology School, on the newsletter cover. Well done, Caelyn.
I would also like to congratulate community members who have worked hard to bring new facilities to our region. It was an honour to assist in opening the Blue Harper Pavilion at the Lockhart Recreation Ground in August and the Rock Community Centre in September.
Pictured below: Uranquinty Public School students and Principal, Cathy Crick.
Pictured above: Batlow Technology School students.
COMMUNITY SURVEY
Dr Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
To view the full survey results visit joemcgirr.com.au/2024surveyresults
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback through my community survey.
The survey was
Open for 12 weeks from 28 June to 20 September
Available both online and in hard copies
Completed by 850 people >> >> >>
When asked to select the four issues that concern you the most, the top five issues in order of concern were:
84% of respondents stated living costs put greater pressure on their household budget this year.
In the survey, an open-ended question asked, ‘If you could fix one local problem in the electorate, what would it be?’.
The most common theme in responses was roads, in terms of how they are planned, maintained and repaired.
The second most common theme was healthcare.
These results are a strong reminder that government must work hard to ensure our community has easy access to affordable essential services and that our local infrastructure must keep up with our growing population.
MACADAMIA, WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY COOKIES
1 Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line three oven trays with baking paper.
2 Melt butter; cool:
3 Coarsely chop nuts; dry fry nuts, stirring, in a large frying pan, until browned lightly; remove from heat (or roast nuts in the oven).
4 Chop chocolate coarsely.
5 Sift sugars and flours into a large bowl; add - nuts. Lightly beat egg, egg yolk and butter with a fork in a small bowl until combined; stir into flour mixture until mixture forms a soft dough. Stir in chocolate and cranberries.
6 Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place balls, about 6cm apart, on trays and flatten. Bake for around 12 minutes; cool on trays.
AUTHORISED BY JOE MCGIRR MP, INDEPENDENT, 64 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650. PRINTED BY CHAMBERS WHYTE DESIGN AND PRINT, 5 Rabaul Place, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 using parliamentary entitlements November 2024. This newsletter is
COLOURING IN COMPETITION
Dr Joe McGirr MP
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR WAGGA WAGGA
Please drop in your entry to my office at 64 Baylis Street Wagga Wagga or email to waggawagga@parliament.nsw.gov.au by Monday 16 December.