Mid North Coast delegation raise regional issues in Sydney

PORT Macquarie-Hastings Council leaders participated in a series of high-level meetings and regional advocacy forums in Sydney last week.

Mayor Adam Roberts and General Manager Robert Fish joined council leaders from across the region as part of a Mid North Coast Joint Organisation (MNCJO) delegation to NSW Parliament.

Discussions were held with senior NSW Government figures including Premier Chris Minns, Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison, Minister for Recovery and the North Coast Janelle Saffin, Minister for Agriculture and Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty, and representatives from the offices of Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully and Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe.

Premier Minns also addressed the Country Mayors Association quarterly meeting which was held in NSW Parliament.

Mayor Roberts said the Premier’s attendance was a valuable opportunity for regional and rural councils to present a united voice on the key challenges facing regional NSW.

“It was a productive and positive week of advocacy for the Port Macquarie-Hastings and the broader Mid North Coast region,” Mayor Roberts said.

“I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the NSW Premier and Ministers about the challenges our communities are facing, but importantly, also the opportunities that exist when regional councils and the NSW Government work together.

“Key issues discussed throughout the meetings included enabling infrastructure to support regional growth and housing, state road upgrades, disaster recovery funding, housing pressures, waste services, environmental sustainability and long-term resilience planning.”

Mayor Roberts said the delegation reinforced the importance of regional collaboration and ensuring the Mid North Coast remains strongly represented in statewide decision making.

“The MNCJO continues to play an important role in bringing councils together to advocate on shared priorities and deliver better outcomes for our communities,” he said.

During the visit, Mayor Roberts also attended the Rural and Regional Summit hosted by Local Government NSW.

The summit brought together local government leaders from across regional NSW to discuss the future of rural and regional communities, with topics including infrastructure investment, workforce challenges, housing, health, economic development and disaster resilience.