PRE-POLL voting for the May 3 federal election is now open at Moree PCYC.

National Party candidate for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, and his wife Judy, were in Moree on Monday campaigning at the Boston Street polling booths.

Mr Chaffey has clocked more than 35,000 kilometres across the vast Parkes electorate in recent months. He was in Dubbo on Sunday, and Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah yesterday.

This week, Mr Chaffey will visit pre-polling booths at Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes and West Wyalong.

“On election day, we’ll start at Barmedman, the most south-eastern community of the electorate, then travel to as many booths as possible before returning to Gunnedah,” Mr Chaffey said.

The former Gunnedah Shire Council mayor and former chair of the NSW Country Mayors’ Association, says the National Party is the only party that understands regional Australia.

“The policies we’re taking forward to this election are good for regional Australia, and good for the Parkes electorate,” Mr Chaffey said.

He said one of the signature pieces is the $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund.

(from left) Catherine Moylan, Judy Chaffey, Nationals’ candidate for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, and Joy Holmes at Moree PCYC pre-polling booths.

The ground-breaking fund will deliver a guaranteed annual funding stream in perpetuity for regional, rural and remote Australia.

“This will be legislated,” Mr Chaffey said.

“It doesn’t matter whether governments change next term or the term after, that will be there and, in perpetuity, one billion dollars will be spent in regional Australia by legislation.

“If we come to power, that’s a guarantee,” he said.

“There are also so many other policies you simply wouldn’t get under a Labor Government, like our housing policy.

“There is $5 billion committed but, importantly, 30 per cent of that is sanctioned just for regional Australia. It can’t be spent in the city,” he said.

Mr Chaffey said a coalition government will get stalled projects across regional and rural Australia back on track.

“We saw a change of government in 2022, and in the Parkes electorate we lost $40 million worth of projects straight away,” Mr Chaffey said.

“The Inland Rail Project stopped and right across Australia there were 50 projects cancelled under Labor, and a high percentage of those were in regional Australia.”

Mr Chaffey said the Labor Party was out of touch with rural and regional Australia.

“The Labor Party simply doesn’t get the bush,” he said.

“The National Party and coalition Liberal governments do – we understand.”

An elected Coalition Government is also committed to establishing a new Raising the Regions Program to deliver flexible and innovative approaches to early childhood education and care in child-care deserts, including $2.8 million for the Parkes electorate.

The Nationals have pledged to reduce fuel tax by 50 per cent, lower inflation and interest rates, provide reliable baseload power, deliver 500,000 new homes and reduce migration to sustainable levels.

There is also a $1 billion funding commitment to enable local councils across the Parkes Electorate to set their own priorities and deliver more community infrastructure.

Moree Plains Shire Council will benefit by nearly $4 million if the coalition gets the numbers on May 3.

“When Labor cut the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, they increased the financial strain that our Councils are already under, depriving them of the vital support they needed to improve infrastructure and keep their roads up to scratch,” Mr Chaffey said.

“Our revitalised program will continue the essential work of supporting local councils, creating jobs, and strengthening the resilience of our communities.

“I’m excited that more than 23 per cent of this funding for regional, rural and remote New South Wales, has been allocated to the Parkes electorate,” he said.

Mr Chaffey has years of experience in local government and was last year endorsed by the National Party to replace retiring member for Parkes, Mark Coulton.

Mr Chaffey was elected to Gunnedah Shire Council in September, 2016, after previously serving as President of the Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Chaffey was elected Gunnedah Shire mayor and served a full five-year term until 2021, when he was re-elected as a councillor and mayor.

He was endorsed as chair of the Namoi Unlimited Joint Organisation of Councils in 2018 and re-elected as chair in 2020.

Mr Chaffey was also elected to the Executive of the Country Mayors Association of NSW and is a board member of the AUKUS forum of the Nuclear Advisory Board.

“I am proud to call this region home and I am deeply committed to continuing Mark Coulton’s legacy of delivering for the people of the Parkes electorate,” Mr Chaffey said.

Moree pre-poll voting

Where: Moree PCYC

Address: 360 Boston Street, Moree NSW 2400

Days and times

Tuesday, April 29: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Wednesday, April 30: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Thursday, May 1: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Friday, May 2: 8.30am  to 6pm

Saturday, May 3: 8am to 6pm

There are 10 candidates for the Parkes electorate: Mark Carter (One Nation); Stephen Pope (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers); Trish Frail (Greens); Petrus Van Der Steen (Trumpet of Patriots); Bob Wilson (Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia); Nathan Fell (Labor Party); Jamie Chaffey (National Party); Maurice Davey (Family First); Stuart Howe (Independent) and Sally Edwards (Libertarian Party).