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More families will have access to preschool thanks to a new round of funding creating additional places in preschools for children on waitlists. The NSW Government is continuing its commitment to increase access to preschool for communities across the state with another round of Start Strong Capital Works Grants for community preschools. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said he understands that preschool is incredibly important to a child’s development and their performance later in their schooling. “Not only are we helping cater to growing demand for more places in preschools with these grants, we’re also supporting jobs in […]

Businesses are encouraged to sign up for a free-of-charge webinar to learn about NSW Government support for workers and their employers, with a focus on insurance, workers compensation and workplace relations. Funded by the NSW Government, the NSW Small Business COVID-19 Information Webinar – Business Support and Wellbeing is targeted at business owners and will launch on Thursday, 25 June. The event will be facilitated by Small Business Commission speakers and will include representatives from the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), NSW Office of Industrial Relations and icare. The webinar will cover topics such as:  Understanding health and wellbeing; the

It is great to see reforms announced today that will allow for a fairer and more transparent process when people leave retirement villages. I received a lot of correspondence from residents across the electorate in relation to this issue, and I spoke with Minister Anderson on a number of occasions to convey what I was being told by residents who live in our local villages. The reforms remove a lot of the financial and mental burden from residents. They will receive what they are entitled to in a quicker and more streamlined process, and that is exactly the way it

The Western Cancer Centre is one step closer to becoming a reality, after the first concrete was poured at the site of the $35 million facility at Dubbo Hospital. The first pour focused on the ‘bunker’ for radiation therapy services, which is a first for the Dubbo region. The bunker walls will be up to 2.3 metres thick and will be home to the linear accelerator machine that is used to administer radiation treatment to patients. This milestone follows demolition of the old Dialysis Unit and Operating Theatres which commenced in February this year; both of which have moved into

The Central-West of NSW is set for a jobs and investment bonanza, following massive interest in the State’s first Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and a further $31.6 million of funding from the NSW Government. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the NSW Government had received 113 registrations of interest, totalling 27 gigawatts and valued at $38 billion, looking to connect to the 3 gigawatt REZ in the Central West and Orana regions of NSW. “With our local communities doing it tough from drought and now the COVID-19 pandemic, this phenomenal response shows the massive opportunity REZs can create with jobs, investment

The Dubbo electorate has welcomed three new police officers to the beat, all members of the most recent class to attest from the NSW Police Academy in Goulburn. On Monday, Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders met with probationary constables Sarah Maini, Brendan Newman and Sharn Stewart as they enjoyed their first day on the job. Mr Saunders said the new officers will bring a range of life experience and skills to their new roles. “We have recently seen some high-profile examples of the work done by police attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District, but that work is going

The NSW Government’s Social Housing Maintenance Stimulus Program is delivering multiple social and economic benefits for the region. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said local trades, tenants and businesses are gaining direct support due to the NSW Land and Housing Corporation’s prudent roll-out of the $47 million Program, announced in the NSW Government’s $2.3 billion COVID-19 stimulus package. “This timely investment has seen more than $115,000 committed towards spending on important maintenance works and upgrades on social housing properties in our local area,” he said. “These benefits include painting, fencing and a vacant upgrade to improve the standard

The Dubbo electorate has a broad range of businesses, and there is little doubt that our part of the world has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NSW Government has worked hard to assist business owners, and the Small Business Recovery Grant is another example of that. For some time now I have stated that the time has come for us to look at ways, within the health orders, to get business back on its feet and return our communities to some level of normality. Helping businesses reopen is a big part of that, and I encourage small

Today’s announcement by the Premier and Deputy Premier is great news for New South Wales, but in particular our regions. On the whole we have sacrificed a lot and done a tremendous job to flatten the curve when it comes to the transmission of COVID-19, and I am pleased that restrictions are starting to be eased so we can get back to somewhere near normal. In regional NSW, and in the Dubbo electorate, we have not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 for many weeks, and today’s announcement means our communities can start to do a lot more of the

Tourism businesses from Trangie to Gulgong will receive a major boost with the easing of travel restrictions, Member for the Dubbo Electorate Dugald Saunders said. To coincide with the June 1 restriction changes, the NSW Government’s tourism and events agency Destination NSW has kicked off a major tourism marketing campaign targeting NSW, Victorian and ACT residents with world-class experiences to be enjoyed right here in our region. Mr Saunders said the return of intrastate travel is positive news for the area. “Visitors from all over the globe have enjoyed our world-class attractions including Mudgee’s wineries, the Gulgong Gold Experience, the