Urgent action on long-term infrastructure solutions for major roads connecting western areas of the state with the coast has been overwhelmingly endorsed by members of the Country Women's Association (CWA) of NSW at their annual State Conference.
This year's conference has been held in Forster and wrapped up today after four days of debate and discussion on a record number of policy motions from branches across the state. When the conference closed today, more than 50 motions had been endorsed by delegates and will now be carried forward as advocacy priorities for the next 12 months.
Among the final motions discussed today were six urgency motions related to advocacy on;
• Opposition to compulsory land acquisition by the NSW Government for all linear infrastructure - Walgett Branch
• A review of the transport costs for older Australians in rural and remote areas of Australia to ensure affordable, reliable and equitable transport support - Cooma and Bredbo Branches
• The strengthening of Australia's fuel security by increasing domestic fuel storage capacity, maintaining and supporting Australia's remaining refining capability, and establishing a strategic fuel reserve sufficient to protect essential industries including agriculture, freight, emergency services and food supply chains. - Agricultural and Environmental Committee
• The development of a national fuel security and allocation framework that ensures the prioritised distribution of fuel to essential industries, including agriculture and food production, during periods of supply disruption. - Agricultural and Environmental Committee
• The prioritising of sustainable, long-term infrastructure solutions for critical arterial roads traversing the Great Dividing Range, to minimise repeated closures and ensure reliable access to essential services for rural and regional communities. - Dorrigo Branch and State Executive
• At least $15 million of ongoing annual core funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure vital medical and health services can continue to be available to rural and remote NSW communities. - State Executive
All the urgency motions were enthusiastically supported by delegates.
Tanya Jolly, president of the CWA of NSW, said the urgency motions that came before the conference each year always reflected issues of immediate and high concern to members and their communities.
"This year vulnerabilities around fuel security and delivery of critical fuel resources where they're needed most have obviously been top of mind. The announcement by the Federal Government this week that the budget will include a $10 billion funding package aimed at increasing Australia's fuel stockpiles is certainly welcome and a step in the right direction when it comes to questions of fuel security," she said.
"But it's imperative now that we maintain this momentum, and the CWA of NSW will be doing all it can to keep our regulators firmly focused on this issue."
Tanya said it was also gratifying to see the urgency motion on maintaining critical roads over the Great Dividing Range pass unanimously, and the motion related to opposition to compulsory land acquisition for the likes of roads and pipelines.
"Really critical road links between the coast and western NSW, like the Waterfall Way, Oxley Highway and Great Western Highway, have been closed or seriously impacted recently, and in the case of the Great Western Highway across the Blue Mountains, that closure appears to be long-term," she said.
"It not only impacts NSW residents' ability to travel across their state and get where they need to go, it has severe economic impacts on the communities in those areas. When these major roads are closed, too, the bypasses that are put in place often have to be on secondary roads that aren't designed to withstand high volumes of traffic, causing major damage and compromising the safety of motorists.
"Members were also keen to show their support for opposition to compulsory land acquisition by the NSW Government, which came out of the current debate over a Narrabri gas pipeline. Our members argue that the threat of land being taken from affected landholders to facilitate the pipeline challenges fundamental democratic expectations about property rights, consent and fairness."
Other motions that have been endorsed in the past two days include association advocacy on:
• Timely access to emergency prefabricated shelters sited close to essential services and food-assistance programs to alleviate homelessness in Australia especially in rural and regional communities - Deer Vale Branch, Northern Tablelands
• The installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) into all NSW police vehicles located in rural and remote areas of NSW - Walgett Branch
• Improvements in funding the identification, planning, and mitigation of severe-weather risks, and work with communities and the Commonwealth Government to secure equitable access to disaster-risk-reduction funding, including the Disaster Ready Fund - Bermagui & District Branch
• The mandating of formal training and local certification for all overseas heavy-vehicle licence holders before they are permitted to drive these vehicles on Australian roads - Agricultural & Environmental Committee
• A review of the dependent classification for Youth Allowance for young adults under 22, so that parental income testing is removed, and independent status is granted based on living circumstances and financial self-sufficiency - Lismore Evening Branch
• Further investigation into speed-limiting technology - it's practical use, effectiveness, and impacts - aimed at reducing high-speed crashes, fatalities, and serious injuries. - Tamworth Evening Branch
• An urgent review and reform of administrative processes and timeframes for entry into residential aged care, particularly for people living with all forms of dementia. - Terrigal Evening Branch
