Current Issues list

Agricultural & Environmental

• Advocate the NSW and ACT Governments for urgent action for bush fire mitigation and management of government-controlled land.
• Request the NSW and Australian Government to legislate for a transparent, publicly available water ownership register, and mandate the registration of Members’ interest and foreign investment in water.

Education

• Advocate the NSW and ACT Governments to provide adequate funding for licensed swimming teachers to be employed to provide swimming and water safety skills lessons.”
• Urge the Department of Education NSW to explore options for funding accommodation support or offering rent subsidies to teachers and educators working in Early Childhood Centres situated in regional, rural and remote locations.
• Urge Transport for NSW and the relevant Minister to continue and extend the Preschool Drive Subsidy Pilot Program for remote families.

Health & Social Security

• Advocate for:
  • an amendment to the NSW Bail Act to change the presumption of bail provisions to a default against bail for domestic and family violence offences and to advocate for further jurisdictional harmony in relation to presumption of bail laws nationally;
  • all levels of government to prioritise sustainable funding models for domestic and family violence frontline victim support services to ensure stability and continuity in funding to meet the ongoing and increasing demand for assistance by victims of domestic violence;
  • all levels of government to prioritise sustainable funding models for services that target perpetrator risk factors—such as mental health, alcohol, and gambling addiction—known to contribute to domestic and family violence, enabling these services to meet the growing and persistent demand for assistance;
  • the National Cabinet to expedite the establishment of a real-time system to record, track, and share domestic and family violence perpetrators across systems and jurisdictions.
• Advocate State and Commonwealth Governments to ensure that Nursing Degrees incorporate a minimum of 2 years paid practical training undertaken in a hospital setting
• Urge the NSW Government to:
  • review ‘000’ call centre procedures for asking callers for the exact location of rural incidents being reported.
  • provide ‘000’ call centre with up-to-date accurate maps of rural roads that are suitable for ‘000’ vehicles so that the quickest route to a rural incident can be accurately determined; and, 
  • equip officers attending to ‘000’ call outs with remote area GPS devices.
• Advocate for a continuous glucose monitoring device to be made available on the PBS (or otherwise subsidised by the government) for those people with Type 2 Diabetes who are now insulin dependent.
• Approach the NSW Minister of Health, Australian Sports Commission, AIS- (Australian Institute of Sport), NSW Department of Education and Football Australia urging them to:
  • Ban all heading of the football by children under the age of 16 years when training or playing Football/Soccer
  • Promote education of concussion and sub concussion in Sport- increased targeted education for children 16 years and older.
  • Aim to reduce the potential subsequence injury - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
• Approach the Department of Health, Local Government Association and City/Shire Councils to promote the need, and advocate for the addition or retrofit of adult disabled changing facilities in public toilets.
• Advocate the Australian Government to adopt the recommendations made by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry into the Barriers to consistent, timely and best practice assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and support services for children, adolescents and adults with ADHD and/or autism.
• Advocate the State Government to fund the provision of Pre-Hospital Emergency Training and Sandpiper Bags to appropriately trained clinicians to improve pre-hospital trauma care in rural and remote communities.
• Advocate the Commonwealth Government for a reduction in the minimum eligible age to take part in the free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to at least 45.
• Advocate for full body skin cancer checks to be available at a subsidised price (ideally free) so that everyone at risk can afford a regular check. 
• Advocate that Motor Neurone Disease is listed as notifiable/communicable disease.
• Urge the State and Federal Government to work together to address the current haphazard supply of housing for nurses and midwives and allied health professionals in rural, regional, and remote communities ensuring that they are provided access to safe, secure, and affordable housing options near their workplaces.
• Advocate that the Australian Payment System continues to include cash as an authorised payment option.
• Support Wounds Australia's 11 Point Plan to Fight Chronic Wounds. 
• Investigate ways of supporting providers of affordable accommodation in our State/Territory, for the growing number of homeless single, older women in our communities especially those in our regional, rural and remotes areas.
  

Transport & Telecommunications

• Advocate for the mandatory regulation of sporting broadcasts to prohibit any form of marketing, advertising, sponsorship promotion of alcohol.
• Urge the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads to provide extra funding to Local Councils for school bus route roads to be maintained, repaired and upgraded.
• Request the New South Wales Ministers for Regional Transport and Roads and Transport to lower the number of students required to start a non-commercial bus run as a matter of urgency.

Miscellaneous

• Advocate the NSW Government for the re-instatement of a permanent Police presence in regional, rural and remote towns where there already exists Police Station residence.
• Advocate for the urgent and immediate action of the NSW government to establish 24-hour policing in all larger, regional shires.