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Liberal candidate for Bega, Russell Fitzpatrick, welcomes the announcement that a re-elected NSW Liberal Government will invest $15.3 million to roll out six new state-of-the-art mobile dialysis buses across rural and regional NSW, which will see dialysis services boosted in Bega. 

“This will ensure patients can get the care they need as close as possible to home.” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“Living with chronic kidney disease can be difficult and incredibly demanding on patients and their families.

“We know that the majority of patients who receive dialysis need treatment three to five times a week. For patients and their carers in regional areas this can mean hours on the road every week, and time away from their loved ones and communities.

“This will not only make life easier for patients and their families, but also reduce out-of-pocket costs.”

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said establishing mobile dialysis services will mean for weeks at a time people will be able to receive treatment in their local community.

“These buses will be fitted out with dialysis machines and comfortable chairs for patients to receive the care they need, and will be staffed with specialist nurses,” Mrs Taylor said.

“Patients will be able to receive the same level of care from highly trained renal nurses in the buses as they would in a dialysis unit in our hospitals, making a huge difference to so many across the Bega electorate.”

As part of this commitment, four state-of-the-art mobile dialysis units will be built, and will operate right across regional NSW including parts of Western NSW, across the Riverina and Murray, Southern NSW, the Upper Hunter and the Northern Tablelands.

A re-elected NSW Liberal Government will also provide additional funding to Kidney Health Australia to expand coverage across the North Coast and the South Coast.

The Liberal Government last year significantly increased the financial support available to patients from regional communities travelling for medical treatment as part of a major investment in the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme.

The $149.5 million expansion of the scheme means eligible patients are now receiving almost double the subsidy towards accommodation costs and private vehicle use where they travel more than 100 kilometres for care.

In the first six months of the expanded scheme, 2347 patients in Bega received more than $1.1 million in financial support.

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has invested $3.2 million in a shared walking and cycling path that will connect the Goulburn city centre to its south and east as part of the Get NSW Active program.

Minister for Active Transport Rob Stokes said the project was part of the Government’s $1.2 billion investment in walking and cycling and was an example of the state’s recently-released Active Transport Strategy in action.

“People in regional NSW have just as much right to decent walking and cycling infrastructure as people in Sydney and the Get NSW Active program ensures that regions get their fair share,” Mr Stokes said.

“Regional cities like Goulburn have become really car-dependent. This investment will give locals and tourists more freedom to get to and from the city cheaply, safely and easily.”

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman welcomed the investment in Goulburn’s community infrastructure that will make the city a better place to live, work and play.

“This proposal was put forward by the Goulburn Mulwaree Youth Council, a group of community minded young people between the ages of 12-24 and then supported by Goulburn Mulwaree Council,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“It is incredibly encouraging and affirming to see the next generation not only thinking about the importance of active transport in their community, but making it happen.”

The 1.9km path will connect the existing shared pathways that currently end at Lansdowne Street and Sloane Street. Construction is set to begin in early 2024. More successful Get NSW Active recipients will be announced in the coming months.

More than $310 million has already been allocated to almost 700 projects over the past six years. For more information about Get NSW Active, visit: Get NSW Active | Transport for NSW.

When Federal Labor Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a 56 per cent increase in energy prices over two years in his October budget, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government acted to protect NSW residents by capping coal prices.

As a result, contract prices have fallen by up to 50 per cent since the Commonwealth budget announcement, leading to today’s reduced draft Default Market Offer that caps price rises for 2023-24 at 22 per cent.

A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver $250 in household energy bill relief. Chris Minns has said he will cut this assistance for around 1.5 million households.

I would also note today’s announcement that Victorian household bills are expected to increase by up to 31 per cent which is higher than NSW and every other eastern mainland state in the National Energy Market.

Given Chris Minns has signalled his intention to copy Victorian Labor’s approach to energy policy here in NSW, this should be a cause of concern for every single electricity consumer in our state who cannot afford the price of a Labor government.

Federal Labor delivered a budget announcement of huge energy bills, and to date zero dollars in cost of living relief. State Labor and Chris Minns have promised to slash our $250 bill relief while also admitting their energy plan will deliver no bill relief for seven years. It’s clear that Labor is all rhetoric and no action.

Every child in NSW will gain a financial head-start under a life-changing Liberal and Nationals plan to futureproof the finances of generations to come, giving them the best start to life.

This is the most significant financial security investment in NSW history.

Under a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government, every child in NSW aged 10 and under in 2023 – and continuing each year with every newborn child – will be eligible for a Kids Future Fund account, which will receive a $400 starting payment from the Government. 

Parents will be able to contribute to the fund each year, with payments matched by the Government up to $400 per year, with interest also earned over time.

Once the child turns 18 they will be able to withdraw from their fund – which could be worth between $28,000 and $49,000 per child – for either education and housing so they can begin to secure their own financial future.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said this landmark initiative is the first of its kind in Australia and will help provide financial security to an entire generation.

“This investment will change the lives of millions of children in NSW forever, Mr Perrottet. 

“It will give generations to come the financial foundation for their entire life.

“By making small investments over time, we will be able to grow the wealth of our children so they can secure their financial future through education and housing.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government recognised parents and carers worked hard to do their best by their kids and set them up for the future.

“This is a way for families and Government to work together to invest in the next generation – from their first steps to their first home and first career,” Mr Toole said.

“As a Government, we’re not just tackling cost of living pressures now, we’re creating better opportunities for tomorrow.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said the Kids Future Fund was an investment in the dreams and aspirations of the children of the State.

“We know that long term financial security starts by saving early and letting compound interest work its magic,” Mr Kean said.

“It shouldn’t matter who your parents are or where you live – every child across NSW should have the financial security to pursue their own ambitions, contribute to their community and build a better life for themselves and their loved ones.

“Just as superannuation gave a generation the means to end their careers with dignity, the Kids Future Fund will give the next generation the financial platform to embark on their careers with confidence.”

The Kids Future Fund:

·       Each fund will receive an initial $400 contribution provided by the Government when it is created.
·       Each year, the child’s parents will be able to contribute up to $1,000 per year to the fund. The Government will match these contributions up to $400 per year until the child turns 18.  
·       If parents make a contribution of $400 each year, alongside the Government’s co-contribution, the fund is expected to be around $28,500 by the time the child turns 18. 
·       If parents contribute the maximum amount of $1,000 per year, the fund is expected to be around $49,000.
·       For families receiving Commonwealth Family Tax Benefit A, the Government will automatically contribute $200 a year to the child’s account without requiring a matched contribution from parents. 
·       If the parents also contribute $200 each year, the Government will match this with an additional $200.
·       Contributions can be made to the fund after the child turns 18, however the Government will not provide any further matched contributions. 
·       When the child turns 18 they will be able to draw down on the fund for only two purposes:

• Housing – e.g. a contribution towards purchasing a residential property
• Education – e.g. textbooks and other learning materials, laptops, private tuition fees, micro-credentials, tools required for getting a qualification

·       The fund will be open for children aged up to 10 years old (in the 2023 calendar year). From 2024, new accounts will only be created for newborns.
·       There are around 974,000 babies and children aged up to 10 years old in NSW in 2023.
·       There are around 100,000 babies born in NSW each year.