Western Riverina

MEDIA RELEASE
LOUISE BURGE SUPPORTING THE WESTERN RIVERINA
Independent candidate for Farrer, Louise Burge, said this weekend’s election gave the people of the western Riverina an opportunity for change.

Mrs Burge said the issues affecting towns such as Hay, Ivanhoe and Booligal needed to be better listened to and better represented in Canberra.

“It is totally unfair to the people of Riverina who need and want a decent telecommuniciations system that the promised funds from the sale of Telstra have been dissolved into a general infrastructure fund,” she said.

“And the completely ridiculous scenario where Hay is placed on the same level of need as Griffith and Hobart to try and attract doctors simply has to change.

“People want a back to basics emphasis on funding in health, education and infrastructure.”

Mrs Burge said the Water Act 2007 and Murray Darling Basin Plan is a significant failings of governments where politics has overshadows good science.

The Basin Plan must comply with the Act and will put the environment first and people and food production last.

“We cannot continue to have that long term future of our rural and regional areas compromised because there is no-one in Canberra standing up and fighting for the importance of our regional areas, and the issues which affect them,” she said.

Mrs Burge said the western Riverina area deserved a fairer share of infrastructure funding to improve its massive network of roads to ensure its development into the future into new and existing industries, such as inland tourism.

Federal and State government policies to acquire more National Parks are a massive concern taking productive properties out of commission.

“There needs to be more innovation in our environmental policies and the attitude towards preserving the environment, and locking up properties and taking away major employment opportunities such as what has happened in the timber industry, and the flow on affects to places such as Balranald, isn’t it.

“But we need someone up there in Canberra fighting for this region, to give Farrer a future, who has a strong independent voice during policy debates,” Mrs Burge said,