Country Labor dialogue
C o n n e c t i n g C o u n t ry C o m m u n i t i e s – A u g u s t 2 0 0 9
Congratulations Val!
Val Melville receives OAM
Val Melville, Life Member and
Kempsey Branch Member, has
received the Order of Australia
Medal (OAM) for services to the
Kempsey community.
Val has been a Labor stalwart
and community activist in the
Macleay Valley her entire life. Her
story is a remarkable one, and
her commitment to the labour
movement is an inspiration to
many around the State.
Growing up in Bellimbopinni, the
eldest of six children, Val was
introduced to politics at a very
early age by her father, a Macleay
Shire Councillor.
After leaving Kempsey High
School, Val began her nursing
training at Kempsey Hospital
in 1942. She soon became a
campaigner for improved health
services and conditions for nurses
and staff and for better services for
Aboriginal patients.
Together with her husband Bob,
Val became a Labor fixture on
the North Coast. Bob stood for
election to the Kempsey Municipal
Council in 1954, and was
re-elected for the next 20 years.
After Bob was elected to the
Legislative Council in 1973, Val
Val Melville, Life Member and Kempsy
Branch member, recently received
an Order of Australia Medal. She is
congratulated by Kayee Griffin MLC
and Duty MLC for Oxley.
To honour Val’s OAM, the Kempsey
Branch held a morning tea, which her
family, Kayee Griffin MLC and Country
Organiser Courtney Roche attended.
stood for the seat of Cowper in
1980, achieving a 7.4% swing.
Val received Life Membership of
the NSW ALP in 1996, the McKell
Award in 2001, and the Bluey
Rodwell Award in 2004.
Congratulations Val on your
well-deserved OAM.
Message from the
General Secretary
On behalf
of the ALP, I
congratulate
Val Melville as
a recipient of
the Order of
Australia Medal.
Val’s story is an inspirational one.
She has shown her passion for
the Labor cause through her
commitment spanning more
than half a century.
It was only due to ill health
that Val stepped down from
the Kempsey Branch Executive
in 2005 – for the first time
since 1954.
Val’s commitment to social
justice and progressive values
has been seen in all facets of her
life. Her OAM is well-deserved,
and shows her commitment
to her local community and
Country Labor.
Congratulations Val.
Matt Thistlethwaite
General Secretary
NSW Government grants further
reprieve for heavy vehicles
Minister for Roads, Michael
Daley has announced a further
reprieve for NSW heavy vehicle
drivers, delaying a national
increase of the heavy vehicle
registration charges until
1 January 2010.
“The last thing we want is to place
an unnecessary burden on our
freight operators at a time when
many operators are already doing
it tough,” Minister Daley said.
The charges will be deferred Minister for Roads, Michael Daley, has
continued his consultation with the Road
pending consultation with the Freight Advisory Council in implementing
the National Heavy Vehicle Reforms.
Road Freight Advisory Council.

Amnesty gets guns off the streets Working to

Minister for Police, Tony Kelly has announced that 4,323 guns have
been taken off the streets as a result of the NSW Government’s Gun
increase
Amnesty. The amnesty allowed unwanted or unregistered firearms to be
surrendered. In addition to this, the Firearms Registry received 21,615
Indigenous
registration applications and the Amnesty Information Line has fielded
5,796 inquiries.
awareness
Steve Whan, Minister for
Emergency Services, has
announced a new training

Helping small communities program to help foster greater

market themselves on the web
NSW Minister for Regional
Development, Phil Costa has
announced grants of up to $5,000
to 18 small communities to
market themselves on the web.
These grants have been awarded
as part of the $85 million Building
the Country package announced
by Premier Nathan Rees at Country
Conference in November last year.
The small grants will allow these
towns to develop a web site
that showcases their attractions,
tourist and business investment
opportunities.
The successful communities for
this Round are Barraba, Wilcannia,
Batlow, Ebor, Millthorpe, Carcoar,
Greenethorpe, Bonalbo, West
Wyalong, Deniliquin, Coolah,
Lake Cargelligo, Culburra Beach,
Bulahdelah, Gloucester, Mungindi,
Henty and the Freshwater Anglers
Council to promote small towns
and villages across the State who
are highly dependant on tourism
created by freshwater angling.
understanding between
Indigenous communities and
the NSW State Emergency
Service.
“The training program will
combine an appreciation of an
ancient culture with modern
learning techniques, using
electronic technology to reach
as many of our 10,000 SES
volunteers and staff members as
practicable,” Steve Whan said.
The program will also aim
to increase the number of
Indigenous Australians who
become SES volunteers.
 Dubbo / Central West consultation NBN Campaign
Update
First rollout of NBN
announced
The Prime Minister has
announced the first rollout of
wholesale only, open access
broadband network services in
Tasmania.

This significant announcement

marks the beginning of
ies and Forestry has continued
Tony Burke, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisher the delivery of the National
comm unities , recen tly visiting a Landcare site and
his consultation with country
Central West. Broadband Network (NBN).
meeting with local producers in Dubbo and the
The NBN Is the single largest
infrastructure project in Australia’s
Union right of entry laws to be guaranteed history, and will support 25,000
local jobs over the eight years
Finance Minister Joe Tripodi has announced that the NSW of the project.
Government will amend legislation to ensure that union officers and
employees can enter workplaces to investigate suspected breaches
of workplace safety laws. The change comes in response to a ruling by the
Federal Court that two CFMEU organisers wrongfully entered the Desalination
Plant at Kurnell in September 2007. Sustainable
water use
$5 million GP Super Clinic for Grafton
in Murray-
Minister for Health and Ageing,
Darling Basin
Nicola Roxon has joined with Minister for Climate Change
Member for Page, Janelle Saffin to and Water, Senator Penny
announce that Ochre Health Group Wong has announced that up
and the Australian Government have to 30 June this year, that the
signed an agreement to run the Rudd Labor Government had
$5 million Grafton GP Super Clinic. secured the purchase of more
Health Minister Nicola Roxon and Janelle
than 408 billion litres of water
The GP Super Clinic will provide with Registered Nurse Kim Connors at
worth $660million.
bulk billed services for Concession the Grafton Base Emergency Dept.
Card Holders, children under 16, This water buyback is part of
and patients with chronic conditions Grafton, offering an integrated the Government’s Restoring the
and complex care needs. A range of and multidisciplinary model of Balance in the Murray Darling
health services will be delivered for health care. Basic program, which is designed
to put the Basin back on a
sustainable footing.
Boost for ageing services in NSW
The Murray-Darling Basin
In a joint announcement, Federal Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot
Authority is currently preparing
and NSW Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, Paul Lynch,
a Basin Plan to be implemented
announced that an extra $13.3 million will be available for Home and
from 2011. This Plan will include
Community Care (HACC) services in NSW. This extra funding will help
a new, sustainable, scientifically-
frail older people and younger people with a disability and their carers to
based limit on water use in the
remain independent and in their homes, by providing them with support
Basin.
and assistance.
 Country Labor Campaign
Stop the abolition
of a country seat
In 2006 the AEC abolished the
country seat of Gwydir. Now,
the Liberals want to abolish
another country seat.
As the Nationals struggle to
maintain Party status in the Federal
Parliament, the Liberals say they
can represent country communities.
Their submission shows they have
no understanding of the people
they want to represent.
The Liberals have shown they are
even willing to turn on their own
like Alby Schultz in Hume, so they
can improve their prospects in city
seats, like Macarthur.
The Tumut Gundagai Jugiong Branch recen
tly held a successful resuscitation
meeting in Gundagai. The Branch looks
forward to working for the re-election of
Mike Kelly in the upcoming Federal Elect
Do you have a story for Country Labor Dialogue? Email your story and photos to courtney@nswalp.com
Don’t let the Coalition play politics
with rural and regional communities.
Country Labor needs your support
to stop the Liberals plan to reduce
country representation in the
Federal Parliament. They are clearly
out of touch with people from rural
and regional Communities.
Sign the petition online now at
www.nswalp.com/oppose-the-
abolition-of-a-country-seat
Don’t forget to get your friends
to sign it too.
ion.
Dates for
your diary
Annual Eddie Graham Dinner
7pm, Friday 11 September
2009, Garden Court
Restaurant, Botanical
Gardens, Wagga Wagga
Bookings: Glenn
Elliott-Rudder
0406 427 334
meganglenn@
optusnet.com
Emily Johnson
0427 219 882
eandp4@bigpond.com.au
Eddie Graham, was the State
Member for Wagga Wagga
from 1941 until his death in
1957. He was part of William
McKell’s team of “rural recruits”
that brought NSW Labor to
government on 10 May 1941.
Annual Ben Chifley Memorial
‘Light on the Hill’ Dinner
7pm, Saturday 19 September
2009, Bathurst Panthers
The Annual Ben Chifley
Memorial ‘Light on the Hill’
Dinner will be held on Saturday
19 September 2009.
Bookings:
Gerard Martin’s
Office on
(02) 6331 1555.
Ben Chifley
(1885-1951) was
the Prime Minister of Australia
from 1945-1949.
It was Ben Chifley in a speech
to the 1949 NSW Conference
who spoke of the “Light on the
Hill” as the enduring aim of the
labour movement.