Alison Penfold
Lyne · National Party · Australia
“I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I acknowledge the member for Moore and his time he spent in the wonderful community of Dungog. It is a terrific place and I know that the teachers and educators in that town do a wonderful job. Well done.”
“They can often live with their families while they study. For a young person growing up in Dungog, Taree, Wingham, Gloucester, Harrington, Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah, Forster, Tuncurry or the Manning Valley or the many other small towns and hamlets in my electorate—”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Isn't it true that the Albanese Labor government's 70c-a-day tax cut has already been eaten up by inflation, unlike the coalition's tax-back guarantee, which is protected from inflation and would provide a typical Australian worker a far bigger, $400 tax cut this year?”
“My question is to the Treasurer. Yesterday the Treasurer was asked about his plan to force thousands of widows and divorcees to pay more tax by removing their access to grandfathering for capital gains tax and negative gearing.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. A new report shows the Prime Minister saved around $200,000 on the sale of three investment properties under existing capital gains tax rules. In last month's budget, the Prime Minister broke his promise and changed those rules.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. A new report shows the Prime Minister saved around $200,000 on the sale of three investment properties under existing capital gains tax rules. In last month's budget, the Prime Minister broke his promise and changed those rules.”
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“The dairy truck every second day has to go via Gloucester Road from Dollys Flat to collect milk on the other side of the Manning River, impacting on transport timeframes by over 30 minutes. Postage delivery has been reduced to two days per week for those on Tinonee Road to collect mail not delivered from the postage office in Wingham. The travel time is 40 minutes each way. School bus drop-off and pick-up times have also been impacted. Tinonee Public School to Wingham typical times provided are, via Bight Bridge, 12 minutes; via Gloucester Road, 24 minutes; and, via Taree, 24 to 30 minutes. The impacts of the damage are very significant.”
“I have seen both the two bridges that have been completely destroyed, the Bight and Tyrone bridges. It is unbelievable to see structures—particularly the Bight bridge, which was a significant bridge structure—left in pieces, with pieces washed down the river taking out the amenities block at Wingham Brush. Basically it has divided the town. From the same report, some of the impacts that have been noted are students needing to change schools as a result of the bridge being destroyed. This impacts on the social connectedness of students. It also impacts on enrolment numbers both positively and negatively for impacted schools, where subjects may be offered and teachers not required.”
“They have recently completed an impact assessment on the event, and I read this very detailed document about the damage to the transport network in the MidCoast Council area, which is certainly the largest LGA in the Lyne electorate: the Pacific Highway, the region's major logistics route, was flooded and closed for five days; 2985 new road defects have been identified, with a further 376 existing issues worsened; 450-plus bridges are affected and undergoing engineering assessments; two bridges require full replacement at an estimated cost of $60 million, and seven additional bridges require major repairs; there have been 23 landslips, each estimated to cost $3 million to $5 million to repair; $258 million is required for immediate transport infrastructure repairs, and $265 million estimated for resilience and betterment works to prevent future disaster related damage.”
“I rise tonight to speak on probably the most important issue for Lyne residents, certainly the one that is raised with me every day, and that is the state of roads right across the Lyne electorate. When I'm at mobile offices it is always an issue that comes up, and that was before we faced those terrible, catastrophic floods in May this year. The roads across the Lyne electorate were already in a pretty bad condition, but the floodwaters have made those roads significantly worse. It is a real challenge for all of my constituents to deal with the roads in the condition that they are in. MidCoast Council certainly copped the most impact from the floods.”
“Renewables might deliver on the emissions reduction goal, but they do not deliver a strong, reliable and affordable energy system.”
“While batteries and intermittent power certainly have their place, they cannot provide the power that we need on all the time for our hospitals, industries and cities to function and avoid chaos. Australia and the Australian people will be at our strongest with an energy system underpinned by base-load power, produced by energy dense inputs. Energy dense inputs not only provide the cheapest form of electricity but also are gentler on our natural landscapes and rural communities. My argument is for Australia both to be part of global emissions reduction and to have a strong, reliable and affordable energy system—one that supports heavy industry, high-tech industry and data centres, as well as our cities, sovereign manufacturing and defence capabilities.”
“Other countries have understood that building an industrial capable energy grid with intermittent power cannot do the job of providing permanent, reliable and affordable power. Look at Finland. It's achieving its net zero policy with nuclear power. France, the US, Japan, South Korea, the UK, Canada and Sweden are all using nuclear power as part of their net zero strategies. Other nations are expanding their use of nuclear energy, with another 20 countries moving to triple nuclear capacity by 2050—all in recognition of nuclear's low-carbon benefits in reducing greenhouse gases. Every economy is powered by electricity, and industrial ones with abundant natural resources and a highly skilled workforce on an island continent like Australia need base-load power from energy dense sources, like nuclear, coal and gas.”
“Government and indeed this parliament have an incredible responsibility to make sure we get our energy policy and all the other changes to other parts of industry in the economy calibrated to serve the best interests of Australia. This government's energy policy also deserves scrutiny because this government wants you to believe that its renewables-only policy is the only way to reduce emissions, regardless of the cost and the negative impact on our living standards. The fact is that the race to reduce emissions varies around the world, and some other countries are pursuing real solutions to the dilemma of reducing emissions while maintaining and increasing living standards.”
“There was a lot of information for households on ways to reduce energy bills with a strong focus on electrification. A lot of people talk to me about the need for Australia to participate in emissions reduction, but they also speak to me about the dilemma of how to achieve this—that is, this dilemma of pursuing emissions reduction and securing the means to continue to increase our living standards. Rather than address this dilemma, this government is trying to hoodwink the public into thinking that its net zero policy addresses climate change, creates jobs and supports a strong and resilient energy grid and economy. It simply doesn't.”
“Our industries would be alive, kicking goals and internationally competitive, rather than downsizing and looking to go offshore. The member for Swan mentioned the national interest in her motion. Well, I think this rush to renewables as base-load power has not been in the national interest, as targets are not being met, costs keep climbing and businesses keep closing. When more people realise that their big power bills are due to the big cost of building a big new wind-and-solar-driven intermittent grid, their view will change. Yes, batteries have their place in households as a way for Australians to participate in reducing emissions and building their own energy independence. In this ambition, I acknowledge the initiative of the Bonny Hills Progress Association for their recent energy saving expo, which I attended.”
“This government's latest step in its energy policy, the $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative to strengthen Australia's battery manufacturing capability, will succumb to the crunch of reality. Dressed up as part of the net zero mandate, it's also a big subsidy to industry, paid for by taxpayers. I wonder what the black-hat economists who made some comments about the $22 billion Future Made in Australia agenda—that it was picking winners and creating subsidy dependence—will think about this latest Albanese government initiative. For my part, there's a problem in the government's stated intent to re-industrialise the economy with a focus on clean technologies. If we didn't have this headlong rush to renewables as base-load power and the subsequent higher electricity prices, we would not need to re-industrialise.”
“Due to his rare disability, he requires a wide range of highly customised equipment, including a powered wheelchair, a tilt-in-space commode, an electric hospital bed with a pressure care mattress, a powered lift recliner, and standing hoist for all transfers. He rarely leaves his home, and when he does, it is only with full support. Home based OT services are essential for Mr. M* because assessments and interventions must be carried out using his own equipment in his own home environment. This allows for accurate evaluation of his daily functioning and ensures that each piece of equipment is working correctly and remains appropriate for his changing and often declining needs. These are people speaking out about the negative impact that the government's changes will make, and I ask them most sincerely to reverse them. (Time expired)”
“Indeed, the allied health professionals said to me on numerous occasions that even the rules of the NDIS said that best clinical practice is in-home support, but these changes make it impossible for these allied health professionals to continue to provide the services that they so rightly want to provide. I want to read out another circumstance in the time I have left to speak. This is from an occupational therapist: Mr M* is a 42-year-old man living in Wauchope— where I live— with his ageing mother. He has a rare genetic condition and severe intellectual disability … and is completely dependent on 24/7 care. I have been his OT for 7 years and travel a 60 minute round trip to provide vital in home services to him.”
“Indeed, I grew up in Hannam Vale, and I was there only yesterday at a wonderful minimarket in the lovely, warm sun in the valley. There is a lovely young girl in Hannam Vale, and the therapy that she is receiving is life changing. The allied health professional I met with said: To continue to visit this little girl who is still learning to walk will no longer be viable for our practice— under the Albanese government's changes— There are no therapists closer that are able to support her. She will now have to spend 2 hours in the car for every therapy session. She will miss half a day of school, which she loves— and I have to say the Hannam Vale Public School is a wonderful school. The therapist says: This will make her grumpy and tired and therapy outcomes in the clinic will not be as effective as they could be at home.”
“I've met allied health professionals from across the electorate, and it was fantastic to meet them because I actually learnt something about the profession that I wasn't aware of—that, with an occupational therapist, a dietician or a speech pathologist, it is not one size fits all. There are some that specialise in supporting children; others, in older patients who are suffering dementia; and others, in people with complex disabilities. In a seat like mine, we struggle to maintain health professionals across the board. We have a very small number of very hardworking professional allied health staff, and they actually have to travel quite a long distance to be able to meet many of their patients. It's not like they can just call up someone in Taree and have them come out to Hannam Vale.”
“This is the first occasion I'm going to have a go at giving a speech without a written one. We'll have a go. I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Herbert. From listening to the comments from those on the other side, I'm incredibly disappointed by the language used—indeed, offensive language—suggesting that somehow those that are raising concerns about these changes, particularly around the changes to the travel costs, are the dodgy operators. I can assure you, from those that have come to see me, that these are outstanding allied health professionals. Many of them are women, and many of them said to me, 'This is an attack on a largely female workforce.' That is offensive. I represent the electorate of Lyne, which is16,000 square kilometres, from the north, Rollands Plains, down to the south, basically Maitland and Karuah.”
“National Forestry Day is the day to acknowledge that reality—that the native forest industry is an invaluable contributor to Australia's economy, environment and social fabric.”
“There's an obligation to our constituents and to the nation to explain the impact of these decisions on timber supply, jobs, businesses, the cost of living and housing supply, and we should not forget that part of the revenue generated from utilising native forests goes back into their ongoing management—the timber production. Further, what better nature-based solution is there for the global ambition on climate than native forestry? As trees grow, they absorb and lock away carbon and all that cellulose, and then, after harvesting and processing, that carbon is stored away in the array of timber products in our economy. The sequestration cycle is then repeated with regeneration. It's a virtuous cycle, not a vicious one. The reality is very different to what is being conjured up by the activist and the far Left.”
“But the publicly owned government forests are shrinking, thanks, in large part, to the New South Wales ALP, which, in seeking cheap votes, changed the tenure of state forests to national parks. Consequently, between the Hunter and the Tweed rivers there is more than two million hectares of national park and less than 400,000 hectares of state forest. That's a five-to-one ratio, and it will grow to a six-to-one ratio with the so-called Great Koala National Park to come. ABARES, in its most recent report on Australian wood production in June, said that about 0.05 per cent—or 65,000 hectares—of Australia's native forests are harvested in any one year.”
“It has worked hard to address community concerns and to earn the social licence I spoke of a moment ago. The alternative is not plantations, as is often peddled, as many species like tallowwood, turpentine and ironbark cannot be grown in this environment. Nor should imports be seen as a replacement product. Imported timber often comes without the same environmental and harvesting standards that we impose on our own industry. Through forestry, we can ensure active and real management of our forests. We can create biodiversity and habitat outcomes, foster carbon sequestration and produce a sustainable, renewable resource for our country and, indeed, the world.”
“A federally funded Social licence to operate research report undertaken in 2023 by the North East NSW Forestry Hub indicated that there is overall support for the native forest industry on the New South Wales North Coast. Support for its retention was at 69 per cent, with just 17 per cent wanting its closure. Those figures are no surprise to those who take a good, deep look at the industry. I truly wonder how many of its opponents in this building have gone out into the bush, visited the harvesting sites, talked with the foresters and harvesters, talked to the timber mill operators and workers, and sincerely engaged with how this industry operates. This is an industry that has been—and continues to be—responsive to concerns about its practices.”
“Timber is a primary product and a primary industry. As such, we need it, and we need to look after it. The people in this industry are experienced professionals who understand the science behind productive, regenerative, healthy and sustainable resource ecosystems. They are not mercilessly, indiscriminately chopping down trees. They operate carefully and consciously. These are the ultimate eco-aware operators, working in the most sustainable industry, which is also among the most highly regulated and scrutinised in the world. Governments of all political persuasions need to rethink their traditional negative stance on the industry and instead recognise the infinite value and legitimacy of forestry. Their policies need to start to reflect the reality of forestry, and not the ideology of those opposed to it.”
“Friday 22 August was a very important day for one of the key primary industries in the Lyne electorate: National Forestry Day—recognising our forestry and timber industry. Despite successive attacks on it—primarily from the state government and, to a lesser extent, the federal government—it is still a key industry, directly employing more than 5,500 people and providing revenue of $9.2 billion a year from north-east New South Wales forests, plus a further $1 billion in value-add. This is an industry behind our timber supplies, for housing and infrastructure, construction, transport and manufacturing. Timber is the key input in cladding, panelling, flooring, decking, building, fencing, furniture, pallets, paper and cardboard, agriculture, bridging, power poles and mining—and the list goes on.”
“It is a matter that I will continue to raise with the Special Minister of State. The coalition supports this bill. It is a sensible proposal that has been carefully scrutinised and will deliver upon the intent. But, again, while this place will do its best for the public service, it in turn must always service the public to the best of its ability.”
“They deal with people who can often be at their lowest, frustrated by bureaucracy and needing their help—my help—to unscramble it and to get justice and fairness. They want a fair go and a fair hearing. I am astounded by the generosity of spirit and the respect shown by my constituents to my staff, even by those in very difficult situations, but we must be prepared for the eventuality of it all being too much for someone. I care about my staff safety and their wellbeing and that they can work free from harassment and threat and have the resources they need to get to safety and get the response they need from the police or other emergency personnel. I am frustrated that satellite offices of MPs do not get the same level of security resourcing as Commonwealth funded offices.”
“Within my own workplaces—my offices in Taree and Wauchope, my mobile offices and the much larger field office that is the electorate of Lyne in its entirety whose length and breadth my team and I travel to meet constituents, attend events and stand up for its interests—we need and will appreciate these additional safety measures. I am very conscious of my obligations to my staff—to Jordan, John, Dave, Ellie, Cherryl and Rob. These people come to work with earnestness to help me serve the people of the Lyne electorate. Their work is so incredibly important and so very personal. They deal with people on a daily basis in person and over the phone on, at times, gut wrenchingly difficult issues.”
“I sense there is going to be some forthright debate in this place when the government brings on its new-look Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act amendments, with new environmental laws shaping the way the nation protects, repairs and manages Australia's natural environment and how people can use our natural resources for the national interest. I acknowledge that I am digressing a little from the intent of the bill, but please recognise my point and its relevancy. We need governments and bureaucracies to be at their best and remembering that their job is for the public and for the national interest.”
“Beyond the floods, there are the concerns amongst industry and the public that left-wing ideologues and activists inside and outside the bureaucracy have a disproportionate influence on determining national policy and coming up with radical ideas and imposts on issues, like the push to end the harvesting of native timber by changing the tenure of New South Wales state forest land to national park to create the so-called 'Great Koala National Park'. There is the banning of the live sheep export trade rather than more simply, equitably, fairly and responsibly properly managing just three licensed live sheep exporters to ensure best practice animal welfare outcomes and meet the food security needs of our international partners, and there are restrictions on how farmers can use their land.”
“It needed presence in the form of boots, not suits; generous, easy-to-access support; and the presence of mind to break the cycle of red tape that haunts the traumatised seeking help after disaster. My greatest frustration is that this call has largely gone unheeded. The anger that has been felt amongst the community has come from the silence, the slowness and the mountain of bureaucracy. Too many people and businesses have been denied support. They've not had enough or the right paperwork. There has not been enough for the primary producer or small-business operator, or they're living in an area bureaucrats say isn't affected enough. Then there are the farmers desperate to stabilise river and creek banks but wading through multiple state government agencies for approval, with no start or end point.”
“There are concerns that New South Wales Treasury is going slow on the proposal for category D funding for small business and that, if this is so, this places budgetary particulars above ethical responsibilities. In this vein of the public service actually serving and servicing the public, when the Prime Minister, Premier and other ministers came to Taree in the aftermath of the May floods, I said to them that our area needed two things from government: information and presence. It needed information in the form of government and the public service listening to what the community was saying about its needs so good and quick decisions could be made.”
“There is a level of frustration in the community about the slowness of processing applications, the revolving door of referring constituents to senior staff or other agencies, the delays in decision-making, the requests for more documents and more detailed information, and the adherence to following a process rather than delivering an outcome. Electorate offices get to hear about such things on a pretty much daily basis. I'm not sure if this reflects inadequate government resourcing, a cultural norm in the public service or something else. For instance, following the floods in May 2025, on the Mid North Coast, which is now 3½ months ago, there are some 738 farmers still waiting for their disaster relief and recovery payments to be made.”
“This bill may not prevent this type of abusive behaviour, but it will at least give people recourse for action and protection beyond what currently exists—where the person is, of course, identifiable. So much of this abuse these days comes from keyboard warriors hiding behind their screens. I wish to take this opportunity to make some more general comments about community attitudes to the work of the public service. These comments in no way condone poor behaviour or acts of violence or abuse. They are feelings that are expressed to me by a frustrated public, who often are left bewildered by their interactions with bureaucracy.”
“Earlier in my career, as an adviser to the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, I myself received a death threat. At the time, I was the minister's fisheries adviser, and we were going through some difficult effort reduction changes in a particular Commonwealth fishery. The threat received by phone call one day was very direct. Even if the person making it may have been doing so in jest, it was nonetheless, for me, a frightening experience and one that has lived with me to this day. The feeling of vulnerability, of not feeling safe to go about your duty and your responsibility, is not a feeling that I want any person, any public servant, to feel.”
“The task of balancing the protection of employees at the workplace with ensuring that those entitled to benefits and services can access them is a potentially challenging one. While the bill touches on this matter, much will rest on how administrators and courts negotiate this in practice. This bill is personal for me. I understand what it is like to be threatened in your workplace. As the CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, I was stalked, sent threatening and explicit material and abused by phone, email and online. The CEO prior to me had received death threats. Members of the public may not have agreed or even liked our industry, but neither I nor my colleague deserved to be treated disrespectfully and harassed in our own workplace.”
“Orders automatically cease when the grounds for them no longer exist, and breaching an order is an offence, punishable by up to two years in prison or 120 penalty units or both. These penalties are consistent with those that apply to similar schemes in the states and territories, reinforcing the seriousness of compliance. The bill provides for applications to be made not only by the worker but also by authorised persons within agencies. This ensures that workers who have been targeted are not forced to shoulder the burden of attending court themselves. The government has indicated that the burden on state and territory courts is expected to be minimal, as the scheme mirrors existing frameworks with which courts are familiar.”
“The Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill will help public servants do their job and perform their duties to serve the public to the best of their ability. The orders will allow courts to impose conditions to protect workers. Courts will be able to direct a person to not attend a particular Commonwealth workplace, to not approach an affected worker and to comply with other protective conditions. The orders can apply to an entire workplace, such as a Services Australia centre or an electorate office, or they can be tailored to protect an individual worker, including outside working hours or on their way home. To make an order, a court must be satisfied that there have been threats or violence and that there is a risk of further issues.”
“Services Australia staff say that frontline workers are regularly subjected to incidents of customer aggression. The Australian Electoral Commission says the security environment for electoral workers had deteriorated in recent times. The Community and Public Sector Union says that Commonwealth workers across several agencies have reported unacceptable instances of aggression from the public in the course of their work. Safe Work Australia reports a 56 per cent increase in the number of serious workers compensation claims for assault and exposure to workplace violence in the five years to 2022. And the Australian Federal Police reports threats to Australian federal parliamentarians had increased by 42 per cent in 2023-24, and it anticipates that the number for this financial year will increase again.”
“The catastrophic flood struck only a couple of weeks after polling day. It had a big impact on staff. They were unable to complete the ballot count locally, to the extent that ballots were shipped to Sydney for the count to be completed. This was a stressful period for all concerned, but it was executed with the utmost professionalism, for which our democracy is so grateful. According to the explanatory memorandum, the bill responds to significant workplace health and safety risks to Commonwealth workers and workplaces, noting that between July 2023 and June 2024 there were 1,694 serious incidents across Services Australia face-to-face service channels, and there are reports that this unsavoury, unfair and un-Australian trend is unfortunately on the rise.”
“According to the government, as of October 2023, there were more than 170,000 Commonwealth public servants, and 100,000 of those were operational staff working in places like Services Australia, the Australian tax office, passport offices, airports and the Australian Electoral Commission. I am very grateful for the hard work and diligence of the Services Australia staff in my own electorate of Lyne. I want to acknowledge their hard work and continued service to the community during and after the May flood in difficult circumstances. I am pleased that this bill provides them with greater protections and recognition of the important work they do. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the local Australian Electoral Commission officials under the leadership of the Lyne district returning officer.”
“The bill implements recommendation 17 of the Services Australia Security Risk Management Review, which considered the adequacy of security measures at Services Australia service centres and related matters, though the issue is much broader. Staff in embassies, contractors on defence bases, private security guards, Australian Federal Police officers and electorate office staff all face risks in the course of their duties. We must, in this place, acknowledge the sense of duty of the members of the Public Service, the employees of all those Commonwealth departments and agencies and their contractors. I've worked with many over my career and, while we did not always agree, I know they were, and are, most earnest in their endeavours and attempts to work in the national interest.”
“I wish to support the intent and measures within the Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2025. Everyone is entitled to work in a workplace that is as safe as possible, and Commonwealth public servants can be in situations where their safety can be compromised. This bill provides additional legal protections for Commonwealth workers and workplaces, including a residence, and will deter acts of threatening or harmful behaviours, or violence by members of the public, by establishing a Commonwealth workplace protection orders scheme. The Commonwealth workplace protection orders are modelled on state and territory apprehended and personal violence orders.”
“In addition, the government's energy policies are threatening the long-term viability of Tomago, the main source of local aluminium and the mainstay of Jamestrong's casting line. In addition, the push for green aluminium—that is, material made using renewable energy—has the perverse effect of pushing aluminium supply offshore, despite local aluminium being just 120 kilometres away and without the frequent flyer air miles. We need to restore balance to the production of baseload power for industry, with nuclear power and by making better use of existing coal and gas technology.”
“However, this all happens when policy settings are consistent, supportive and realistic, not inconsistent, restrictive and idealistic, which is the case with the Albanese government's headlong rush into intermittent renewables as baseload power and its ideological use of net zero for its socialist agenda. Regional manufacturers, like their city cousins and all Australian households, are under pressure. In just five years, Jamestrong's energy bills have increased by 65 per cent, insurance by 76 per cent, and rates and taxes by 75 per cent. These ever-increasing cost imposts are unsustainable and place the business at a competitive disadvantage to its offshore competitors. They undermine Australia's sovereign manufacturing goals for 'made in Australia'.”
“It has recently invested more than $8 million in an advanced production line to restore in-house capacity to manufacture aluminium slugs and then convert them into canned products. This allows the company to secure a domestic supply chain, reduces reliance on imports and allows recycled aluminium to be incorporated into the process. This initiative has used the expertise of the University of New South Wales's Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, a collaboration utilising world-class R&D to improve sustainability of operations, repeatedly recycle metal and provide additional ongoing employment. It's a win-win-win situation.”
“There are many manufacturing business success stories in regional Australia. Blessed with stable, reliable and committed workforces, land for expansion and a resilient can-do community attitude, many of our small-to-medium-sized manufacturers thrive in our regional towns and cities, especially when government policy settings are supportive, rather than restrictive. One such is the Jamestrong precision packaging facility in Taree, in the heart of the Lyne electorate, which I've visited on two occasions. For over 30 years, Jamestrong has been producing and supplying food and aerosol cans in Australia. The plant at Taree employs 81 people, Taree's second-largest private sector employer, and produces over 100 million cans per year.”
“This is hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to repair—even more for homes to be raised, even more for flood mitigation and even more for a Taree CBD revitalisation package. There are shops in Pulteney Street that will never host a business again, but the space they occupy could give life to the CBD. We could create green space, a place for night markets and other community events, while also dealing with the stormwater and flood issue. There is opportunity in this recovery, but we need governments— (Time expired)”
“This country desperately needs insurance reform. I understand that insurance companies have had to deal with record events, record claim numbers and building inflation, yet, while many are reaping strong profits, almost all local businesses and many households have had their insurance—where they could afford it—refused. We need policies that reduce premiums and reform of insurance assessment processes. If this event is a result of climate change, then where is the investment in adaptation in flood mitigation? This is needed to bring down premiums. It is unacceptable that too many small businesses are still waiting for help. We need essential infrastructure funding, too, for bridges and to repair many other roads and community assets. In the MidCoast Council area alone, 2,985 new road defects have been identified and 450 bridges affected.”
“Small businesses deserve equal recognition and resources. The support my communities need doesn't end there. Another significant issue is that many of the households and businesses lacked adequate flood insurance. This is not because of complacency on the part of business and homeowners but rather because they were either outright refused flood insurance or because of skyrocketing insurance premiums that were so exorbitant following the 2021 floods. They were simply unaffordable. Where does this leave businesses, and the many premises they are located in? No-one wants to buy them. Business owners are stuck in a hopeless situation where they must either decide to rebuild, with the threat of another flood event destroying everything again forever looming over them, or cut their losses and close their doors permanently.”
“Shed Luxe has been forced to keep its doors open whilst undergoing shop repairs, in order to maintain some form of income. I've been there; I've seen it. Officeworks, a significant employer, remains closed with no reopening date in sight. Taree Motorcycles, another business I visited just after the floodwaters receded, lost over $300,000 worth of stock. Towers Smash Repairs estimates that it will cost approximately $200,000 to repair the business. Workwise Clothing has lost over $300,000 worth of stock, as well as their home. Some small businesses, like fodder and seeding businesses that are ancillary to agriculture, have even been blocked from the $25,000 small business assistance grant that is available. This is nothing but bureaucracy gone mad. This isn't about special treatment; it's about fair support.”
“I cannot overstate the devastating effect this event has had on the town—a town that, before these floods, had already well and truly been dealt its fair share of hardship. The effect of this event and the lack of government assistance will haunt Taree and other communities for a long time. Right now, things have never been tougher. Following the Black Summer bushfires and the preceding ruinous floods of March 2021, the MidCoast's gross regional product declined by nearly two per cent and regional productivity dropped 2.6 per cent. Since these events, growth has lagged behind regional New South Wales, New South Wales overall and the nation. This disaster has only compounded these poor economic markers. Too many have had to liquidate stock and close their doors. These closures impact jobs, services and entire communities.”