09-03-2022
Mayor Pam Kensit was among a wide cross-section of the community to attend the “Meet the New Cabinet” night at NSW Parliament House on Thursday 10 February 2022.
Business men and women and community representatives had the opportunity to meet and speak with the new cabinet and raise any ideas or concerns they may have.
Mayor Pam Kensit described it as a great opportunity to improve awareness of the obstacles faced in regional areas.
“I was fortunate to get an invitation to the function, which was also attended by our local member Wendy Tuckerman who has been elevated to the cabinet as Minister of Local Government,” she said.
“I believe it was enormously advantageous for us as a rural shire to make connections and to provide feedback from a rural Shire.”
Mayor Kensit said that Wendy Tuckerman spoke passionately in support of rural and regional councils and reminded the new ministers that rural Councils are the powerhouse of NSW. Ms Tuckerman also thanked Ms Kensit for supporting and attending the function.
Each of the new cabinet members spoke at the function, including the Premier who then answered questions from the assembled group.
Ms Kensit said she spoke with all of the new cabinet members and was able to make representations for the Shire to many of them.
“With James Griffin, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, I was able to able to speak about the wind turbine companies in relation to their community contributions,” she said.
“We discussed carbon credits and how we might approach these companies in relation to these credits. He was surprised to hear we host 461 turbines and a solar farm.”
“When I spoke with Mark Coure, the new Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Seniors, I advised him that seniors in rural areas have some specific issues and challenges and he gave me some good ideas about grant funding to enhance the lives of seniors.
Ms Kensit also spoke with Natasha MacLaren-Jones, the Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Services in relation to the fact that there is no safe room in the Upper Lachlan Shire for victims of domestic violence who are currently referred to the Crookwell District Hospital.
“Another minister I spoke to was Alister Henskens, Minister for Skills and Training and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology,” Ms Kensit said.
“He understood when I approached him about the lack of facilities to upgrade skills in rural and regional Australia. He offered some innovative ideas, particularly in relation to TAFE, and seemed very interested in the experience of people in rural areas.
Ms Kensit said that, while she enjoyed the opportunity to meet the new cabinet, she believed it provided a unique opportunity to draw attention to the everyday lives of those who live outside of metropolitan areas.