Conference Commitments Good News for Rural and Regional Residents

Conference Commitments Good News for Rural and Regional Residents

Commitments made at the recent NSW Nationals conference held on the Far North Coast are good news for rural and regional residents. The policy commitments include increasing and expanding the Rainwater Tank Rebate Scheme, abolishing the Countrylink booking fee for pensioners and delivering greater equity to country school children.

Specifically, the NSW Nationals will double the Sydney Water rainwater tank rebate and extend the rainwater tank rebate scheme to country residents. As we are well aware, water is our most important natural resource and it is vital we encourage the ongoing collection of stormwater by increasing and expanding rainwater tank rebates.

Pensioners will also be assisted under the NSW Nationals commitment to scrap the State Labor Government's unpopular Countrylink booking fee. The booking fee introduced by the Labor Government in March, unfairly slugs pensioners 15 per cent of the equivalent full adult fare or a minimum of $10 (whichever is greater) and is charged for each voucher used for the journey undertaken. The NSW National/Liberal Coalition will abolish this unfair financial burden if elected to Government in March 2007.

Additionally, the NSW Nationals will also provide greater equity for children attending small country schools by lowering the cut-off point for single teacher schools from enrolments of 25 children to 20. The Small School Staffing Program will provide extra teaching resources to small schools, benefiting country kids by increasing learning opportunities and by decreasing student to teacher ratios.

These three announcements will be of great benefit to residents of the Lismore electorate and rural and regional residents statewide, which in turn will provide flow-on effects to local businesses. It is pleasing to see country areas being given such strong support by the NSW National/Liberal Coalition.