It’s been wonderful to be back in the electorate this week after a busy sitting fortnight. I spent some time in Armidale, Inverell, Uralla, Glen Innes, Guyra, and Moree, and used the opportunity to catch up with many locals.

Earlier in the week, I attended AgQuip which is Australia’s largest primary industry field day event. AgQuip has played a vital role in Australian agriculture for many years. It was terrific to drop in to chat ag and cook a steak or two!

On Wednesday evening, the Moree Chamber of Commerce put on a great evening for their ‘Business After 5’ event.

I was thrilled to be a guest speaker and talked about state politics with the many members and guests.

I finished the week as a special guest at the UNE Faculty of Medicine and Heath graduation ceremony. It was a beautiful day and fantastic to watch all the graduates receive their awards. Congratulations!

Brendan Moylan dropped into AgQuip this week to chat agriculture and cook a steak or two.

Urging the Minister to increase cross-border powers between NSW & QLD in wake of crime spike

This week, I wrote to the Minister for Police Yasmin Catley following -a spike in crime close to the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

I’ve requested urgent confirmation about cross-border powers between NSW and QLD, after being contact by many worried locals who have recounted stories of violent break and enters and car theft.

There has been a great deal of media coverage the past week and many people have contacted me seeking a practical response from NSW Police.

Mungindi and Boggabilla in NSW as well as Goondiwindi in QLD seem to be the hot spot for criminal activity now, usually committed by youngsters after hours.

Given the spotlight on youth crime and antisocial behaviour it appears the situation has deteriorated once again.

Troubled kids think they can drive a car over the border from Boggabilla and they are out of the hands of NSW cops.

I am urging the Minister to intervene and keep the situation under control.

I have written to Minister Catley seeking advice about increasing cross-border powers between NSW and QLD so that Police on the Border can arrest and detain offenders who cross the border.

I have no doubt the Minister is aware of the issues impacting the town of Goondiwindi in QLD with crimes being committed by youth living in the cross-border town of Boggabilla.

I am deeply concerned about this situation and the lack of power border police have in this situation on the other side of the river.

I hope the Minister will respond to me soon and if we need special cross border police powers then I hope the hardworking cops on the border get those powers asap.

Brendan Moylan was a guest speak at the Moree Chamber of Commerce ‘Business After 5’ event.

No green shoots in childcare drought. Federal Government urged to step up

I have called on the Federal Government to do more to urgently address the childcare drought across the Northern Tablelands and regional NSW.

I hit out at the Federal Government this week, saying the lack of childcare places is dire and leaving many parents who want to work full time with few options.

The situation is deeply concerning and in some communities in the Northern Tablelands there is an 18 month to two-year waiting list.

Last year, there was not a single childcare spot in Bingara or Warialda.

Cost of living pressures means that there are many mums and dads who want to get back into the workforce, but the lack of childcare places means this is increasingly difficult.

The first step to addressing the childcare drought would be to review industry awards, which is managed by the Federal Government.

Awards in terms of preschool teachers and childcare educators are federal matters and the Federal Government needs to step up and realise there’s a significant problem in the bush.

It has become apparent to me that a lot of our problems in the bush come back to chronic staffing shortages – from healthcare to childcare – and reviewing awards is a good place to start.

The term ‘childcare desert’ was used by a 2022 Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute report to describe a populated area where there are more than three children per childcare place or less than 0.333 places per child aged under four.

The childcare desert is particularly bad in regional, rural, and remote areas and I’m urging the Federal Government to step up urgently and address this problem.

Extra cash to keep the ‘night lights’ on for troubled youth in Moree

I have welcomed an announcement by the Premier last week of a $1 million investment to deliver more after-hours activities for youth in Moree.

The extra funding boost would keep young kids off the street and out of trouble and is in response to the growing wave of juvenile crime in the region.

Moree’s PCYC has received an extra $314,000 to expand their U-Nites program to additional two days a week, on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Miyay Birray’s StreetBeat program will be expanded with a further $282,000 so that it can operate until 12am on Monday to Wednesday and 2am on Thursday to Sunday.

SHAE Academy has been awarded $152,000 to deliver specialised youth programs on Friday and Saturday night each week, with support staff available until 2am.

The extra support, along with other policy measures, will help reduce the spate of violent and anti-social behaviour in Moree, particularly committed by young people at night.

We have already made some headway and hopefully can continue to turn the awful youth crime trend around.

Earlier in the year, legislation passed parliament to toughen bail laws for young offenders, making it harder for repeat offenders to continue to be bailed by the local court.

I thank the State Government for their commitment to Moree and the extra announced cash.

A program to support small grants is also opened for small businesses, individuals, and organisations to provide after-hours and weekend activities for young people in the Moree Plains Shire.

Applicants can apply for grant funding between $500 to $10,000.

For more information and to apply visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/moree-after-hours-activities-grants

Commentary by Brendan Moylan, State Member for Northern Tablelands