The Hunter River Times

For some of the candidates the election will not really hit full speed until today but for some, the campaigns have already begun.  There have been many conversations going on between candidates and the constituents and plenty of ‘pressers’ where media have been invited to come along to hear announcements.

Here is what has happened over the past fortnight (that we know of).

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

• Gerber’ calls on Nationals to commit to funding all eight roads in Dungog in dire need of repair.
• Coalition announces a $3m addition to Scone’s community learning centre in response to the sale of Scone TAFE ($4m sale). The remaining $1m to go to Muswellbrook. Greens respond saying building a $3m shed to replace a $4m sale of a TAFE campus is a bizarre use of public money.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

• Greens Sue Abbott tables clean air bill.
• Labor says 11,778 children in Hunter reported to be at serious risk of harm yet less than 1 in 3 ever see a case worker.
• Greens MP Cate Faehrmann and Sue Abbott meet with locals about concerns of impacts of the proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline and say they want a ban on all coal and gas mining and exploration.

MONDAY, APRIL 26

• Shadow Minister for Skills and TAFE Jihad Dib and Labor candidate Jeff Drayton raise concerns about the future of TAFE in NSW.
• Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole and Nationals candidate Dave Layzell announced $5.6m to fix Paterson River Road, Summer Hill Road, Salisbury Road and Flat Tops Road in the Dungog area.
• Labor announces it will maintain all existing TAFE facilities in the Upper Hunter and not use Connected Learning Centres as an excuse to sell them.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27

• Shadow Minister for Rural Roads Mick Veitch and Shadow Minister for Local Government Greg Warren meet with Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook and Singleton mayors to discuss reclassification of rural roads and call on Coalition to release the report they say is now sitting on the Roads Ministers desk awaiting release.
• Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Nationals candidate Dave Layzell promote the dine and discount vouchers.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28

• Greens Sue Abbott meets with community in Rylston, Bylong and Wollar to tell residents she will not support expansion of coal mining around the area.  Ms Abbott also condemns the approval of the Mangoola Coal Mine expansion.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

• Greens Sue Abbott meets with residents of Stanhope to discuss concerns of the proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline and her opposition to the project.
• Labor candidate Jeff Drayton announces his five-point plan to create safer and more secure mining jobs.
• Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Sue Gilroy calls for an increase in security to Muswellbrook and Scone hospitals.
• Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dom Perrottet, Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson and Nationals candidate Dave Layzell announce infrastructure upgrade to Muswellbrook Greyhound Club and approved TAB status.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30

• One Nation leader Mark Latham and One Nation candidate Dale McNamara announce their plan to build a new coal fuelled power station in the Upper Hunter.

SUNDAY, MAY 2

• Labor leader Jodi McKay, shadow Agriculture Minister Jenny Aitchison and Labor candidate Jeff Drayton announce commitment to appoint an independent Agriculture Commissioner.

MONDAY, MAY 3

• Labor leader Jodi McKay, Shadow Health Minister Heath Ryan and Labor candidate announce commitment to spend $32m to complete stage 2 of Muswellbrook Hospital upgrade.
• Greens Sue Abbott talks to Muswellbrook residents about the new wing of Muswellbrook hospital, yet to open and now stalled at the commissioning stage.

TUESDAY, MAY 4

• Greens Sue Abbott visits Wybong Hall to talk to residents about the approval of Mangoola Coal Mine and their concerns of the impacts the mine will have on those living nearby.
• Stuart Bonds announces his support of Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Sue Gilroy.  Bonds ran at the last Federal election under the One Nation Party and gave that election a shake-up but was unceremoniously dumped from One Nation after being outspoken on a bill endorsing continued casualisation of the mining industry.
• Greens Sue Abbott calls for better protection of the Hunter River from mining impacts.
• Labor announces it will fund a new fire station for Kayuga Rural Fire Brigade.
• Labor’s Shadow Minister for Rural Health Kate Washington and Shadow Minister for Hunter Clayton Barr are ejected from State Parliament question time after the debate became fiery over rural health in the Upper Hunter, claiming the Government had neglected the sector.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5

• Independents Tracy Norman and Kirsty O’Connell join forces in a preference swap.
• Sustainable Australia Party has entered the Upper Hunter by-election, nominating local civil engineer Calum Blair.
• Meet the candidates in Merriwa.

THURSDAY, MAY 6

• Meet the candidates in Muswellbrook.