The Mini Budget admits $100 million will be cut out of the state road capital budget over two years – putting important road projects including Bowral and Picton by-passes and numerous local roads such as Wombeyan Caves Road at risk or further on the never never. The housing industry, including home building and construction workers, will bear the brunt of new Carr Government taxes on owners of investment properties, which could effectively kill current demand for new home construction. This is a retrospective tax, which catches thousands of hard working mum and dad investors who have bought a property and are providing rental accommodation. Please let me know how you feel about the Mini Budget and I'll make sure the Carr Government is made aware of your views.
Rail Meeting
The rail meeting organised by the Southern Highland Action Group will be on 20 April at 8pm at the Mittagong RSL Club. The hastily called meeting at Picton recently was called with little notice to local travellers by the Department of Transport. Of course, the Minister didn't turn up but sent representatives to deal with local frustration. It was revealed that the 5.08am through service from Goulburn would be replaced by a 5.03am departure and the 5.32pm through service from Central would be replaced with a 5.29pm departure with a forced change at Campbelltown in each case. The route from Campbelltown to Sydney will now go via the Airport line involving more unnecessary stops. People fear their connection at Campbelltown will be unreliable based on past experience, despite what rail bosses tried to say about 'guaranteed' connection. Also, the Bundanoon services are not guaranteed beyond the date when the signal box closes. The public meeting expressed great concern and anger at these ‘plans', which we fear to be already determined. However, we have demanded to see whatever report from the meeting is given to Minister Costa by rail bosses, and to have a SHAG delegate attend that Ministerial debriefing. Please come along to the Mittagong meeting to have your say and join in our campaign to save our rail services. If you would like a lift to the meeting or could offer someone else a lift, could you please contact my office on 4861 3623 to give your details.
SHIPPS
I met recently with representatives from the Southern Highlands Industry Placement for Students (SHIPPS), an organisation that offers structured workplace learning to local Year 11 and 12 students studying Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects for the HSC. It's a great opportunity for local students to get practical, hands on experience in local businesses as well as an opportunity for businesses to demonstrate what they do and what the workplace has to offer. I'm pleased to be a patron of SHIPPS and to be participating in this extremely worthwhile project. Over the next week I'll be writing to local businesses encouraging them to participate and I look forward to taking a student on in my office in Parliament House. A number of local businesses have already indicated their participation and it's great to see the community get so involved with supporting local students.
Brigadoon
Another fantastic day – well done to organisers and contributors for this wonderful Southern Highlands draw card. I was honoured to sponsor the "Kilted Dash" but suspect I might have to do a bit more training before having a ‘dash' myself!.
NPWS
If you're interested in joining a National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Committee you should contact Merilyn Mayhew, Stakeholder Liaison Officer on 9995 5265 or log onto the NPWS web-site. There are 20 advisory committees which advise regional managers on the care, control and management of national parks. Applications need to be in by 30 April 2004.
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