Meryl Swanson: Canberra Matters | Grateful to live in a community that looks after each other

I want to congratulate our region for working together during this natural disaster.

I'm very grateful to live in a community that looks after each other, especially when times are tough.

I want to say a special thank you to the State Emergency Service personnel, volunteers, and government departmental staff who have worked tirelessly to keep us safe.

I'm pleased that the Federal Government could act so quickly to provide support to those that lost their homes and property due to flood waters.

I was delighted to host the Minister for Emergency Management, The Hon Murray Watt, while being briefed by the local command about the damage across our region and the resources required.

The Minister understands the substantive cost impact these storms have on local infrastructure, particularly in regional areas.

Cessnock Council already has one of the most significant road maintenance backlogs in the State. These extreme weather events will continue to cause damage to local roads, and the constant challenge of repair becomes more and more difficult. Despite these challenges, I am very grateful that the council responded so promptly to repair potholes and road degradation.

This work comes at a high cost, and to the ratepayer already stretched by the cost of living, this continues to be a great source of concern.

I will continue to work with my State colleague, Clayton Barr MP, in calling on the State Government to provide immediate support and funding to assist us in our recovery. I want to work with all levels of government to ensure that we provide solutions that minimise the risk of further damage to our infrastructure and reduce the rework.

This week I have officially been sworn in the Federal Parliament for a third successive term. I am inspired by the energy and the passion of my fellow Federal Members of Parliament.

This is the first time that I have had the privilege of sitting on the government benches, and I am determined not to waste a minute.

It is a privilege to participate in creating legislation that will improve our daily lives.

I'm delighted that we can now start to implement our policy agenda and make the critical reforms necessary to overcome the challenges our community faces.

Among those priorities on my list is to ensure that we address the cost of living, fix the GP shortages across the Hunter and further ensure that the cuts to bulk billing incentives under the former Coalition Government are reversed.

I want to ensure we progress with important local projects for the Cessnock and Kurri community, such as the Booth Park upgrades, Richmond Vale Rail Trail and the Old Maitland Road upgrade.