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The NSW Government today promised to support – not tax – farmers to reduce emissions and grow their businesses, ruling out imposing a methane tax on agriculture. Deputy Premier Paul Toole said a proposal by the New Zealand Government to tax farmers for agriculture emissions from 2025 would only drive up farmers’ costs without giving them the necessary support to genuinely reduce emissions. “We have a clear policy to partner with farmers to improve their productivity while reducing emissions – New Zealand Labour’s policy is the complete opposite, and has raised fears it will shrink their livestock industry and drive […]

Additional warning signs will be introduced around all mobile speed cameras across NSW, to enhance driver awareness of enforcement. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said ensuring local roads are as safe as possible for pedestrians and motorists is an absolute priority for the NSW government. “Speed cameras play an important role in keeping commuters safe by reducing fatalities across our road network, including at high-risk areas,” Mr Saunders said. “But we have heard loud and clear from the community on this issue, so from January 1 next year, all mobile speed cameras will have portable signage placed both

Further funding is available for festivals and events that help bring people together through the NSW Government’s Stronger Together Festival and Event Grants Program. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said local groups and community organisations can apply for a share of $500,000 through the program to continue hosting celebrations into 2023. “Our communities are home to so many vibrant cultures, with people from right across the globe excited to call our region home,” Mr Saunders said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to get out and about and experience the diverse cultures that make our region such an amazing

Today marks day one for 553 Higher School Certificate (HSC) students across the Dubbo electorate, with the start of the 2022 HSC written exams. The HSC written exams are a mammoth operation that will take place over the next 18 days, with a total of 75,000 students across NSW involved in more than 25,000 exam sessions. The exams start with English Paper 1, and end with Design and Technology on 4 November 2022. Students are set to receive their results and ATAR on 15 December 2022. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the Class of 2022 has worked

The children of the Dubbo electorate are being invited to let their creativity flow by helping to design local Member and Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders’ annual holiday greeting cards. Primary school students across the region are being asked to submit drawings with the theme My Country Christmas. The winning entry will take pride of place on Minister Saunders’ Christmas card which will be delivered to thousands of households across the region. The card will also be delivered to hundreds of people and organisations across NSW. “This year I want young people to show me what Christmas

More farmers across NSW will soon be swinging their gates open to visitors, thanks to a new policy that makes it easier to set up agritourism opportunities. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole today released the Government’s final agritourism policy aimed at helping diversified farm businesses thrive. “We’re making it cheaper and easier for our farmers to diversify their income by starting, running and growing agritourism experiences, such as farm stays, cafes, cellar doors, retreats, roadside stalls, fruit picking and small wedding venues,” Mr Toole said. “Farmers who want to innovate and share a taste of their

The NSW Government has launched two new groundbreaking projects to encourage landholders and farmers to invest in sustainable timber production as part of their land management practices. The Forest Stewardship Program and Farm Forestry Certification Pilot are the first of their kind in Australia and mark a new era in sustainably managed forestry on private land in NSW. The two programs will increase the amount of environmentally sustainable wood available on the market to help deal with the current timber supply crisis. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the Farm Forestry Certification program will mean landholders can have their forest

Residents are being urged to familiarise themselves with the NSW State Emergency Service’s (SES) new warning system as the official Storm Season begins. Member of the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the SES is adopting the national three-tiered system to provide communities with greater clarity. “Early warnings save lives and this new system will support everyone right across our region in making safe decisions when emergencies strike,” Mr Saunders said. “Each type of warning will be accompanied by a clear action statement, like stay informed, prepare to evacuate and move to higher ground, so that people know exactly what steps

This October long weekend marks the beginning of the great annual trade-off, when we all lose an hour of sleep in the morning but gain an hour of sunshine in the evening. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders is reminding people in the (electorate) that daylight saving officially begins on Sunday 2 October, when clocks are pushed forward an hour from 2am to 3am. “While most electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart watches automatically update for daylight saving, manual clocks or watches still need to be wound forward an hour,” Mr Saunders said. Attorney General Mark Speakman