NSW deputy premier Paul Toole and ministers reveal Our Vision for Regional Communities at Dubbo

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole headlined a six-strong group of Nationals MPs who launched Our Vision for Regional Communities at the Western Plains Cultural Centre.

Our Vision for Regional Communities has been created to ensure "regional NSW remains the best place to live, work, play and raise a family" and puts a focus on healthcare, education, communities and places and regional homes.

Alongside Mr Toole, the event was headlined by Minister for Women, Minister for Regional Health and Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor, Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke, and Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western New South Wales Dugald Saunders.

Investment in housing, growing and upskilling the health workforce, ensuring access to quality learning at and improving transport and digital connectivity were key parts of Monday's announcement.

"We all know regional NSW is a great place to live work and raise a family," Mr Toole said.

"Over the past decade we've invested billions of dollars into infrastructure and that has actually seen roads and bridges but we've also built the bricks and the mortar and concrete that's been put out there for those structures, but today's launch is about making sure we're investing in people.

"This about putting people first in regional communities now today's announcement has four pillars to it, it's around providing healthcare education, communities, places, and regional housing. This is an exciting time for regional NSW it's ensuring that there opportunities for people in this state in our communities."

The issues discussed on Tuesday have been an area of huge concern for the majority of people living in the regions.

In Dubbo alone, schools have battled teacher shortages and been forced to merge classes at times or run with minimal supervision while it's previously been stated the lack of housing has caused an "economic, employment and social" impact on the community.

The regional health crisis led to the formation of the Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel while the topics of infrastructure, roads and water management have also been hot topics recently following devastating flooding in the Central West.

That led to the three daily newspapers across western NSW - including the Central Western Daily - launching an open letter to government officials in Canberra asking for more to be done to better prepare regional NSW for the demands of climate extremes.

"Our vision recognises that regional communities are diverse and need local solutions that work for them - and that's what we'll deliver," Mr Toole said.

The Deputy Premier added in the last five years more than 180,000 people had packed up and moved into regional NSW.

"But we want to build upon that and put people first as we move forward."

New initiatives included Mr Farraway unveiling a tap and go cashless payment trial for public transport buses coming to Dubbo and Bathurst in early 2023. Geoff Ferris from Dubbo Buslines was on scene to demonstrate the initiative on a trial bus onsite at the WPCC.

Excited about initiatives in her portfolio, regional health minister Bronnie Taylor announced $5 million in scholarships to recruit healthcare professionals to regional NSW as wells as upskill people already working in rural areas.

"We want you to work, live, and thrive... in rural and regional NSW," Ms Taylor said.

Gunnedah local and education minister Sarah Mitchell said their plans would attract great teachers to regional communities, invested in teacher housing and universal pre-kindergarten services in the bush.

She lauded the vision's welcome experience package which would recruit professionals in eight regional locations to support them and their families making the move from urban areas.

Moreover, 18 NSW communities currently experiencing flooding were at the front of emergency services minister Steph Cooke's speech about billions injected into flood recovery.

"[The vision] sends a strong message of hope and of certainty to our regional communities that no matter what we are facing, your future is strong led by the NSW Nationals and the deputy premier in government."

The launch event also hosted a panel including medical oncologist at Dubbo Hospital Dr Florian Honeyball, chief executive of Regional Enterprise Development Institute (REDI.E) and Gamillaroi man Peter Gibbs, executive director of rural and remote education police Ben Ballard from the Department of Education, and Jillian Kilby, founder of social impact enterprise The Exchange.

Panellist spoke of their rewarding experiences in Dubbo and other regional areas while also expressing showing support for the Nationals' four-pronged vision.

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