Far West power outage inquiryIn the first week back in Parliament, I gave evidence at the inquiry into the power outages in Broken Hill and other Far West communities. Conducted by the Committee on Environment and Planning, chaired by Clayton Barr the Member for Cessnock, the inquiry is looking into the preparation and mitigation strategies of electricity providers, and the response by government agencies. In my opening statement I talked about how in the initial phase of the emergency there were problems with people planning but not making decisions, also that communications - vital in a crisis when you need reliable, up-to-date information - were hampered by the lack of connectivity brought on by back-up systems failing. I also talked about how my team were able to provide response teams with contacts to reach out to the community, also how the community pulled together during the emergency, and I discussed some of what is currently in place but what more is needed for backing up power in the far west.I look forward to seeing the committee’s report. They are no longer taking submissions but you can read some of the evidence given and some of the submissions lodged here https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3084To hear some of my evidence you can go to my website www.roybutler.com.au/video_clips Volunteer of the Year AwardsOften we don’t think of how much volunteers contribute to society. Whether it be in emergency services, in schools, hospitals, charities, running big community events or taking part in a multitude of other unpaid roles, they are always there making the world a better place. They come from all walks of life and fulfil a vast range of roles, a lot of which most people don’t hear about. But they don’t do it for the glory and they often don’t get the recognition they deserve, so I am urging people to think of a volunteer they know or have heard about and nominate them for the Volunteer of the Year Award. Nominations close on May 23, 2025 at 5pm.Go to https://www.volunteering.com.au/awards/about-the-awards/Census Data is inaccurate.During the sitting weeks in March, I delivered a Private Member’s Statement on a not-too-sexy topic - census data. The last census was in 2021 and it was a bit of a dog’s breakfast. In Barwon there were people who never received their forms, some were delivered to the wrong places, there were people who due to poor connectivity were unable to fill out the form online. The last census was also conducted just before the economic upturn from the recovery of country areas after the drought, and the effects of people making a tree change because of Covid. The problem is that planning decisions are being made by government agencies based on the erroneous census data. Which is having some I have spoken about this before, but it is worth revisiting because nothing has changed. Government agencies still rely on outdated data to plan how to budget for and resource regional areas.In my speech I talked about some of the data that we could be looking at to tell us about how the population has changed since the census, including mobile phone connections, accommodation numbers, rental markets, even people filling up on petrol on the way to a particular destination. We need to get better at collecting this sort of data, none of which needs to identify individuals but will give us a sense of how many people are in a given place at a given time. Particularly during big events like the St Pat’s Day Races at Broken Hill, when thousands more people are in the city but there are no provisions made for putting extra shifts on for ambulance workers, for example.Big cities can usually absorb a few thousand extra people at a time, but it will often overwork the existing resources of a rural or remote town.We need to better, more accurate and up-to-date information so that we can properly plan, we can’t just wait for the next census.Notice of Motion on vehicle tax changeIt seems a bit of no-brainer to say that there are many aspects of life that differ for people living in the country, but it is always worth reminding Parliament of some of the specifics. For one thing, living in the bush means having to buy vehicles capable of driving on unsealed country roads and of negotiating the landscape on properties where there are no established byways.People in the country need mostly heavier 4WD drive vehicles, which also means they end up paying higher taxes and fuel costs.To help raise some awareness of this during the March sitting period, I moved a notice of motion in the NSW Legislative Assembly asking that the House:Acknowledges that many people in the bush need to drive heavier, 4WD vehicles just to get around.Agrees that people in regional NSW pay more fuel excise through driving bigger vehicles and driving longer distances.Notes that incomes in regional NSW are lower than in Sydney or most of the east coast.Asks that weight-based vehicle tax be capped for specific regional postcodes to reflect a standard sedan vehicle weight tax.But it won’t end with a Notice of Motion, I am also having a bill drafted to reflect this motion. Bush Babies MatterThis week I met with Jen Laurie, a mental health professional who runs HerHerd, a practice supporting rural women on the various stages of their motherhood journey. Jen’s practice is based in Armidale and Uralla, but she reaches out much further through Telehealth.Jen has recently launched a petition titled “Bush babies matter” asking for a restoration of maternity services in the bush. This is a cause that is of particular concern in Barwon, where there are few places that a woman can confidently give birth. It is something I have spoken on before in Parliament and I hope to see the petition gain enough signatures to bring it back before the Legislative Assembly. I will be helping Jen in any way I can, and I urge you to sign the petition: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/ePetition-details.aspx?q=9GuFd35ngbLKbL4bLXz0bwFirearms Notice of MotionFirearms are a fact of life in NSW, especially in regional areas where they are an essential tool for dealing with feral pests and for other purposes. But despite rarely being a problem in terms of gun related crime, law abiding firearms owners (or LAFOs) are often associated with criminal use of firearms. People’s perceptions are often influenced by a Hollywood view of firearms, what they see in films or in TV series, which can affect policy directed at LAFOs. My Notice of Motion asked Parliament for a fairer and more respectful deal for LAFOs.Wally Mitchell Community Recognition StatementLast week in Parliament I paid tribute to Wally Mitchell, the former Mayor of Bourke, who is a bit of a legend in the region. Wally was the longest serving councillor on Bourke Council for 38 years before his retirement in 2012, twelve of which he spent as Mayor.His life has long been dedicated to his community. He was a founding member of the Isolated Children’s Parents Association. Wally was a board member of the Rural Counselling service for 19. He is the last surviving inaugural committee member of Louth Turf Club and is still active in the club.Has been an active member, and still is, of Louth Chamber of Commerce for many years.Still carrying out voluntary community work in Louth Village.In recognition of everything he has done for Bourke, he was named Bourke’s Citizen of the Year in 2018 and in 2019 awarded an Order of Australia.There is probably not a person in the Bourke district whose life has not been affected positively in some way by Wally. I congratulate Wally on his lifetime of achievement. Thanks for your unselfish and tireless service to your community.Students and Youth Programs at NSW Parliament Festival of DemocracyThere was a recent news story saying that many Australians didn’t know the basics of how our political system operates. Civics is an important thing to learn, if only so you know which bit of government does what, and where your votes go at local, state or federal level. That is why I encourage people to visit NSW Parliament to learn about this level of government.These school holidays at Parliament of NSW is opening its doors for a jam-packed day of discovery, learning and hands-on activities that will bring civics and history to life for children aged five to 12 years old.The Festival of Democracy is a free, one-day-only event that is fun and educational for kids!They have guided tours, art and crafts, the opportunity to learn about voting, screenings and more.The event is on Tuesday April 15 9:30am to 3:00pm at NSW Parliament House, 6 Macquarie St, Sydney. Get your free ticket: https://education.parliament.nsw.gov.au/free-event-festival-of-democracy-2025/ School Parliament trip subsidyParliament has also long had a program of school visits, but for some children the distance they have to travel to parliament can be a bit prohibitive. Recently Parliament announced that schools more than 120 km from Sydney may be eligible for a subsidy. The subsidy is only $300 per school, I would prefer it if it were on a sliding scale offering more money to schools that are further away (because $300 wouldn’t even pay for a tank of petrol for a bus from Broken Hill, for instance, something I will discuss with the government) but I urge any eligible schools to apply.For details see https://education.parliament.nsw.gov.au/tour-parliament/nsw-school-tour-travel-subsidy Young Aboriginal Leaders ProgramParliament is also looking for young Indigenous people, who are emerging leaders in their communities, to take part in the Young Aboriginal Leaders Program at NSW Parliament. Young Aboriginal Leaders Program at NSW Parliament applications openThis will be a three-day fully-funded residential program, and will run from June 17 to 20. It is open to young leaders aged 18 to 25 to provide them with an experience focused on leadership, networking, and community impact, as well as providing participants with the opportunity to learn about parliamentary processes.Applications for the program, which is part of the Legislative Council's bicentenary celebrations, are open until 4 April 2025. For more information, email [email protected]