Throughout the week I have been meeting with various people and organisations from around the Northern Tablelands. It was great to be out and connecting with people from the community.

I met with new Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Susannah Pearce to check-in on the Ron Harborne Oval precinct and deliver funding for a new defibrillator.

I also caught up with Katie Smith and Linda Smith from SHAE Academy to deliver funding for their defibrillator device.

Small business

Small Business Month has wrapped up and it was great to get around to local businesses all over the region and put them on display. I finished up celebrating small businesses by catching up with Felicity Nivison from Highland Living in Uralla, and Jess Mathewson from Cutting Edge Country in Inverell.

I also had the chance to tour the Inverell Aquatic Centre which is in its final stages of redevelopment. It was great to see the $25 million development taking shape.

It was also fantastic to visit David Donnelly at 2CBD radio in Glen Innes. I had the opportunity to tour the facility and get an update on the progress of their Stronger Communities Fund building project.

I had the pleasure of giving the year nine and 10 students from St Philomena’s Catholic School a tour of Parliament House during their excursion to Sydney.

The Inverell CWA also celebrated 100 years with the planting of a rose and unveiling a plaque. It was great to go along and help this wonderful organisation celebrate such an important milestone.

Small Business Month wrapped up with a visit to Jess Mathewson at Cutting Edge Country in Inverell.

Uralla Thunderbolts Festival

It was a fantastic spring day last Saturday for the Uralla Thunderbolts Festival.

It is a great day out which brings the community together. Events all day kept the many Festival-goers entertained. The theme this year was Loud Shirts and Hula Skirts so there was plenty of colour about!

New England Sings

I had the opportunity to attend the New England Conservatorium of Music’s New England Sings. The event is the biggest in our region and brings together around 1000 students from across the New England. It was an amazing show. I congratulate all the teachers, students and the organisers for their talent, commitment, and dedication to put together such a wonderful musical showcase.

Walcha’s water supply secured

Walcha’s water supply is now secured with the completion of the $11 million drought-security project. The town now has quadruple their water reserves with a 300 megalitre dam, a new pump station and power lines which will help with long-term water security. The funding came through $2 million from the Federal Government and $9 million from the previous State Government.

QantasLink to continue servicing Moree

QantasLink’s licence to run flights between Moree and Sydney has been extended to 2030 by the NSW Government. This is great news for Moree as the airport services the entire region.

Anzac Community Grants Program

The Anzac Community Grants Program is a fund which helps promote appreciation and understanding of the service and sacrifice of military personnel.

The grants are offered to support a wide range of projects including local community history and education, memorabilia preservation and display, public commemorative events and providing services to members of the NSW Veteran Community.

The grants up to $3000 are available. Applications close on 11 November.

Visit www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/commemoration/anzac-community-grants-program/

Moree Hospital Redevelopment on public exhibition

The planning and design of the Moree Hospital Redevelopment is nearing completion, and the project has been put on public display.

The public can view the project’s Review of Environmental Factors (REF) report and provide input and feedback into the plan.

Visit www.hinfra.health.nsw.gov.au/projects/community/moree-hospital-redevelopment-public-exhibition to view the project and provide your submission.

Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program

Local sporting clubs and facility owners can now apply for grants of up to $3000 to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

The funding is available to applicants in within the bottom five Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) as ranked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics or those who can demonstrate financial hardship. Applications close 27 November.

Visit www.sport.nsw.gov.au/grants/local-sport-defibrillator-grant-program.

Commentary by Brendan Moylan, Member for Northern Tablelands