HEALTH IN WESTERN NSW

People in rural and regional NSW experience poorer health outcomes than the NSW average. There is a gross inequity in services between city and country in NSW, which must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The Greens package would fund:

• public dental health: as part of a $173 million state-wide package the Greens would allocate resources to address the dental health problems of Western NSW; increase university places for new dentists; and provide scholarships to encourage dentists to take up postings in Western NSW.
• mental health programs: as part of a $50m state-wide program resources would be allocated for rural mental health including targeted money for programs to combat rural suicide.
• a pilot mobile health unit for Western NSW: a specially equipped medical bus that will provide treatment so patients do not need to travel to a major town.

HOUSING IN WESTERN NSW

The Greens believe that housing is a basic human right. Every person is entitled to have access to affordable, appropriate, safe and secure housing.

The Greens package would:

• develop social housing as part of a state-wide $300 million program that will address housing-related poverty, inappropriate housing, and homelessness.
• introduce a private members bill to create tenancy rights for boarders and lodgers to prevent arbitrary eviction.
• campaign for emergency, youth and refuge accommodation in rural NSW.
• support limited equity housing co-operatives, multiple occupancy and other low cost housing options that would assist people in rural areas become homeowners.

EDUCATION IN WESTERN NSW

Investing in TAFE will help bring down youth unemployment and create a strong economy in rural and regional areas.

The Greens package supports -

• additional funding for rural and regional TAFE colleges, including courses focused on building new industries in renewable energy and low water agriculture.
• funding to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in TAFE. This includes 100 new ATSI staff members and funding for scholarships and programs
• scholarships and financial assistance to attract teachers to difficult to staff public schools.
• additional resources for rural and remote public schools to compensate for costs associated with isolation.

TRANSPORT IN WESTERN NSW

The provision of a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system in rural and regional NSW is a priority. Lack of transport compounds the isolation experienced by rural people and will be greatly exacerbated by rising oil prices and peak oil.

The Greens will:

• maintain and extend long distance passenger and freight rail systems.
• reopen closed rail branch lines and regularly maintain all lines.
• work with local commuters to upgrade CountryLink services so timetables meet the needs of local communities.
• extend pensioner concessions and abolish the CountryLink booking fee.

WESTERN NSW ECONOMIES 

Unregulated market economies tend to undervalue the environment and produce unemployment, under-employment and great disparity in the distribution of wealth. Government intervention is necessary to fulfil the goals of ecological sustainability and full employment in Western NSW.

The Greens will:

• support the funding of programs for local job creation initiatives in rural areas. We support the diversification of employment opportunities by subsidising cultural, technological and service industries in rural areas.
• Invest in local sustainable energy systems to boost local employment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN NSW

The Greens will work with Aboriginal communities to reduce endemic poverty, incarceration rates and to raise secondary schooling completion rates. We will work to expand funding for programs that successfully reduce domestic violence and youth suicide and build economic strength and employment opportunities.

The Greens are committed to:

• an official apology for the stolen generation and constitutional recognition of the original occupation of Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples.
• compensation for stolen wages and property.
• providing resources for employment and enterprise development in ATSI communities.
• increased resources for community-controlled and mainstream health services and training more ATSI health workers.
• funding successful ATSI community initiatives that address family violence.
• strengthening the Land Rights legislation and supporting reconciliation initiatives.

 
AGRICULTURE, WATER USE AND RURAL LAND USE IN WESTERN NSW

People and the health of the rivers must be put ahead of the profits of agribusiness. The viability of smaller, low water intensity farms should not be sacrificed to prop up large irrigators. Crops such as cotton and rice are too water intensive and should be phased out.

The Greens support:

• incentives for farmers to move to ecologically and economically sustainable farming methods; programs to restore degraded ecosystems and habitat; and the establishment of community banks to provide low-interest loans to small farmers.
• reducing the dependence of agriculture on synthetic chemical fertilisers and pesticides and providing accurate information to farmers and consumers on their use.
• a moratorium on GE food crops and legislation that ensures that those liable for genetic contamination are prosecuted and those affected compensated.
• irrigation water pricing that takes into account the full economic, social and environmental costs of providing that water.
• the greater use of water efficiency, re-use and recycling of water extracted from rivers and aquifers and changes to irrigation licences to ensure adequate environmental flows.
• an increase in resources for Landcare groups to tackle issues such as weed and feral animal control, riparian management, and revegetation of eroded lands. 
• water resources being returned to public ownership.
  

For information:  Lee Rhiannon 0427861568 Jeremy Buckingham 0439460 691