THE first female Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, praised this electorate’s constituents and the wealth of industries and natural resources in her inaugural speech in the NSW Parliament’s Legislative Assembly.
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The Nationals MP received widespread applause from a full house as the galleries were packed to the rafters with Oxley voters, family and supporters.
Mrs Pavey said “it was a privilege to stand before so many MPs and an honour to have so many supporters, friends and acquaintances attend the sitting - many of whom travelled down to Sydney from the Mid North Coast.
“It was a vital opportunity to talk about Oxley, its people, their dreams and aspirations, and some of the challenges we face.
“I wanted to spell-out clearly and put on-the-record what the core issues in Oxley are, what my objectives are and how I will approach them.
“Clearly, regional development is core-business - to build on the strengths of our primary industries and attract more secondary processors and manufacturers that will drive employment, economic growth and community well-being.
“We need to look forward and seize the opportunities that exist outside the gates of Sydney ... having a job is the most basic human right. That will be my number one priority - to support job creation.
“However, we also need to continue to support our thriving and valuable tourism sector, and to keep improving transport infrastructure and services.
“I’ve put upgrades to the Oxley Highway and the Waterfall Way, and improving intra-regional passenger railway services, firmly on the agenda as the Government’s next priority for major works.”
Mrs Pavey’s speech also focussed on the region’s social and community imperatives.
“Paradise is not perfect, and as a community, we have many challenges to face in Oxley,” she said.
“I believe one of the biggest decisions that one can make in life is to have children, but it’s a sad fact that there are 695 children in foster and kinship placements on the Mid North Coast - just one is one too many.
“This scenario clearly has a profound impact on law and order issues; even so, there are programs now in place that are working to address the failure of social policy that can be too focussed on good intentions rather than good outcomes. I will give these programs every possible support.”
