From my Desk

The world is a strange place at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was wonderful to be able to share some good news during the week. Over the past seven days I have started making announcements in relation to successful applications made through the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) and Community Building Partnerships (CBP) program. This included $28,455 from the SCCF for Dubbo Triathlon Club to help with the cost of constructing safe steps with handrails to the Macquarie River, which will allow for shorter distance triathlon events for beginners and children. Mudgee Historical Society […]

A week is a long time and under the current circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic the situation is even changing on a daily basis. For the latest information go to https://preview.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 and https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert. You can also follow me on Facebook (search for Dugald Saunders MP) for regular updates. The Federal government, along with the individual states and territories are meeting as part of a National Cabinet on a regular basis in order to try and minimise the impact of coronavirus and keep people safe. I encourage everyone with a smart phone to download the Federal Government’s new app that has

Last week was a big one in the Dubbo electorate, and it was great to be able to make some significant announcements that will help communities in our region. The towns of Narromine, Trangie and Tomingley each received funding through the Stronger Country Communities program, and it was wonderful to be able to hit the road and make announcements in Narromine and Trangie. This funding, totaling more than $700,000 will help the Cale Oval and Dundas Park precincts in Narromine, while playgrounds in Tomingley and Trangie will also be upgraded. On Friday I also ventured to Geurie where we opened

It was great to see some widespread rain across the region last week, and there is little doubt that the vibe around our electorate is changing. While we need to be mindful that the drought isn’t over, and there are still some places that aren’t receiving as much as they need, we need to celebrate these falls and what they mean for our communities. As I write this column, Burrendong Dam is sitting at 6.4 per cent of capacity which is up considerably from 1.5 per cent a month ago. This means the planned transfer of water from Windamere Dam

What an amazing week it has been for the Dubbo electorate, particularly in the area of sport. After taking in the sights and sounds of the annual Gulgong Show, I ventured to Mudgee where I joined Deputy Premier John Barilaro in Mudgee to watch the annual Charity Shield contest between South Sydney and St George-Illawarra. A massive crowd flocked into the Glen Willow Stadium for the match, and while I may be a devoted Manly supporter I have to admit I was impressed by the Rabbitohs, who scored a 26-12 victory. Just recently I announced $10 million in funding from

It was wonderful to see rain fall across large parts of our region over the weekend, but while the falls have been welcomed it is vital that the message still gets out that we are still firmly locked in drought. Much more wet stuff needs to fall from the sky in order for things to fully turn around, and while a lot of us are rejoicing we do need to spare a thought for those who may not have received overly substantial falls. That is why I used the first sitting week of the 2020 NSW parliamentary calendar to personally

It was great to get an opportunity to have a look at the progress of the new Mudgee Hospital during the week. The $70 million project is well and truly on track to be completed by the middle of the year, and it will be a real game changer for the people of Mudgee and the surrounding region. One of the most important aspects of the new hospital is the fact that it will feature services such as maternity, oncology, renal and dental, meaning that people will not need to leave town and access these elsewhere. Health Infrastructure and Hutchinson

Almost a year ago to the day, in the lead-up to the 2019 state election, I stood alongside the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and pledged up to $30 million for the development of an additional 350 car parking spaces at the facility. It was one of the main announcements of my campaign to be elected to NSW Parliament and one that was made after I went about gathering signatures from community members on a petition to show the government that there was a need for more parking. Last week, the Opposition spokesperson for Health put out a release outlining concerns

With 2020 now upon us, it is time to look forward to what this year will bring the Dubbo electorate. Unfortunately 2019 ended with severe bushfires across the state, and 2020 has commenced in the same fashion. I was saddened over the holiday period to hear of the death of three NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers, as well as many other residents who were caught in the path of the blazes. Late in 2019 I got the chance to attend a number of events aimed at recognising the achievements of a number of RFS volunteers. Some had been with the

Last week was big for Western NSW, with the Community Cabinet visit from Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and their ministers well and truly ramming home the plight of people in our part of the world. And while the focus was justifiably on drought and water, we had the chance to make some other wonderful announcements of benefit to the Dubbo electorate. The first was $10 million in funding to secure the future of the Dubbo sports hub project, most notably the indoor stadium that will be the centrepiece of stage one of the facility. It has been