MATTERS OF STATE | Second Bullet train misses the mark, drought's impact continues

In the worst drought our state has experienced, with 98.7% in drought, this impacts everyone.

When farmers cannot afford to plant a crop, pay their contractors, pay their rates or maintain their tractors, where will this leave our local economy?

We already know the answer to that, with many small business owners feeling the pinch, which in turn affects regional employment.

We also know that cumbersome, time-consuming low interest loans are not the answer. When we have a crisis, we need swift action to make sure money is circulating in small towns.

As my Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party colleague Roy Butler recently stated in Parliament: "When a person crashes a car, we do not send a team of planners to tell them how we will fix the road; we send emergency help".

We have informed the Government, who seem to have a one-track focus on building more city infrastructure to pander to their electorates, exactly what we need.

The Government needs to urgently and immediately take the following five actions Roy Butler moved in parliament to support our regional community: Inject cash into the most drought-affected communities through cash or local voucher rebates; provide grants to allow outstanding creditors to be paid; transition legacy loans into zero or low-interest loans; establish a resowing and restocking grant to allow farmers to show their commercial and government financiers that they have the capacity to generate income when the rain returns; and provide financial support to retain employees.

Not surprisingly, it was the Liberal-National Government who held this very necessary amendment back by each voting 'no' for these vital drought support measures.

This drought is a natural disaster, and must be treated as such.

My Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party colleagues and I will not be quiet until our regional areas are allocated the financial support they need to get through this crisis, and therefore keep not only our regional economy safe, but our farming families alive.

If the Nats are for the bush, I'd hate to see how they'd act if they were against it.

I'm curious as to what evidence Minister Paul Toole MP relied upon to support the decision he announced earlier this year to double Bathurst's Bullet passenger rail service, particularly considering it was only recently that media reported the existing Bullet service patronage has actually decreased.

I've asked the Minister for further information on this decision that prioritised Bathurst over other regional areas who have been calling for this service, such as Orange.

Specifically, I'd like to know if a business case and cost-benefit analysis was completed for the Bathurst Bullet 2 train service before he announced it and, if so, I'd like to see all records pertaining to it.

The Minister needs to at least survey the community of the Orange electorate about timetable schedules to establish patronage and a service reflective of our community needs, which I've previously called for.

If he did, he'd certainly discover information supportive of a daily bullet service from Orange which would also service the good people of Bathurst.