State Matters – A Weekly Bulletin from Dave Layzell MP

Member for Upper Hunter – 15 June 2026

‘HIP POCKET’ PRIORITY – THE REGIONAL Seniors Travel Card will be back if the NSW Nationals and Liberals are successful at the  March 2027 State election.

The initiative provides eligible seniors in regional NSW with a $250 prepaid card for fuel, taxis, and pre-booked train or coach tickets.

Established in 2020 by the former Coalition Government, the travel card saw more than 1.3 million regional seniors access more affordable  transport before the program was axed by the Minns Labor Government in 2023.

In the Upper Hunter Electorate 109,000 cards were issued to local seniors over the course of the program with $8.97 million injected into the regional economy.

A re-elected Coalition has also committed to ensure that regional NSW gets its fair share of infrastructure funding with a Regional  Infrastructure Guarantee of 25 per cent.

The Regional Infrastructure Guarantee will mean towns in regional NSW get their fair share when it comes to hospitals and schools, water  infrastructure, roads rail and bridges.

EWON RETURNS – The Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) will have its Renewable Energy Infrastructure Team in the Upper  Hunter Electorate next week.

First stop is Branxton Community Centre, on Tuesday 23 June, 3.30-6pm, followed by Broke Community Hall Wednesday 24 June, 8 – 10.30am, then Jerry’s Plains School of Arts Hall, Wednesday 24 June 3.30- 6pm and Muswellbrook’s Donald Horne Building, Thursday 25 June, 8-10.30am.

Harrison Oval, Jefferson Park is EWON’s location for the Aberdeen Highland Games during Saturday, 4 July, 8am to 4.30pm.

Communities are asked to come and chat or ask questions about renewable energy infrastructure and how EWON can help with its expanded  service.

EWON also wants to hear first-hand from community members about the impacts of renewable energy infrastructure.

SERVICE ALSO HERE! – Service NSW is in the Upper Hunter this week with Murrurundi the location on Tuesday, 16 June, 9am-3pm. 

Upper Hunter Shire Council, Scone hosts the Service mobile centre Wednesday, 17 June, and Thursday, 18 June, 9am to 3pm both days.

For the diary, Paterson has Service NSW at John Tucker Park on Tuesday, 30 June, 8.30-11.30am then the mobile service centre relocates to  Grey Street, Clarence Town, 12.30-3.30pm.

Mobile Service Centres offer similar services to the physical Service NSW sites including Driver licence, photo card applications and  renewals, applications for birth, death and marriage certificates and the Savings Finder rebates and vouchers program.

Check the Service NSW website for more details: www.service.nsw.gov.au/mobile-service-centres

POWERLINE INSPECTION – Transgrid will conduct helicopter patrols of major electricity transmission lines in the Upper Hunter during  this week and next week.

The aerial inspections will enable Trangrid’s linespersons to visually inspect the condition of the towers and lines from Thursday, 18 June, to  Wednesday,24 June, weather permitting.

Community members in the Singleton, Muswellbrook, Denman, Sandy Hollow, Merriwa, Kerrabee and Bylong areas may see helicopters  operating in or near their location.

Transgrid routinely undertakes helicopter inspections to identify safety risks to the network and action any necessary maintenance to keep  the network safe and reliable.

An interactive map detailing the patrols is available at: www.transgrid.com.au/community/network-inspections-and-maintenance-near-you/

FLOOD INFO – A free community information session is being held for people who live or work in Lorn or Central Maitland and want to be  more flood prepared.

Maitland City Council, local emergency services and partner agencies will participate in the session at Maitland Town Hall on Sunday, 21  June, from 10am.

Learn about local flooding impacts and the levee system, how to protect your home, family and pets, what to expect during an evacuation and what happens during recovery.

This is the community’s chance to hear directly from local agencies, ask questions and build confidence in being emergency ready.

Spots are limited, so register at: http://mait.city/FloodEvacuationPreparedness or check further information:  www.facebook.com/maitlandcitycouncil

NEW GATEWAY – The Upper Hunter Electorate has a new gateway with an upgraded crossing of the Hunter River, Maitland now open to  traffic.

Milton Morris Bridge, Melville has its northern side in Upper Hunter with the southern side connected to Maitland.

The upgrade replaces the former one-lane timber Melville Ford Bridge to link Rutherford-Aberglasslyn to Melville, Lambs Valley, Rosebrook, Maitland Vale and Bolwarra Heights.

An $8.2 million project, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments and Maitland City Council, has delivered a modern two-lane concrete crossing with no weight limit.

The new bridge includes dedicated pedestrian access and parking with timber from the old bridge repurposed into riverside seating for the  community to enjoy.

AP GRANTS – Australia Post’s Community Grants program is now open with grants up to $10,000 available.

The program supports community initiatives across Australia that strengthen social connection and promote positive mental wellbeing.

Australia Post is this year again offering an additional $250,000 in grant funding to support projects that enhance mental wellbeing and  build resilience in disaster-impacted communities.

Applicants can apply for grants up to $10,000, with organisations unsuccessful in obtaining the full grant then able to be considered for a  smaller grant of up to $4,000.

Applications from locally-led and locally-delivered projects must be submitted by 6 July, with more details at: https://auspost.com.au/about-us/supporting-communities/grants/community-grants-program

NEW SERVICES – Upper Hunter electorate communities will benefit from NSW TrainLink’s roll out of new regional coach services from  the beginning of July.

A new route (Route 351 & 352) will operate Monday to Friday between Tamworth and Muswellbrook , providing a new day-return link  to and from Newcastle via the rail interchange at Muswellbrook.

The Broadmeadow-Taree (Route 135 and 136) increases in frequency from Monday to Friday to daily.

The new services have been informed by extensive community feedback including from regular customers and operators, as well as input  from the NSW Bus Taskforce. 

Discover more at: https://transportnsw.info/regional-travel

MONITORING EXPANDS – The existing air quality monitoring stations across the Upper Hunter will now become part of Australia’s first  dedicated regional greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring network.

The pilot network will enable independent monitoring and assessment of GHG emissions across the region, including emissions from  industry such as mines.

The project is being delivered by the Science and Insights Division in the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and  Water (DCCEEW) in partnership with the NSW EPA.

It will be guided by an external Scientific Advisory Committee to ensure scientific rigour and independence.

Using advanced air-monitoring equipment, scientists will analyse the ‘molecular fingerprints’ of greenhouse gases and compare the results  with known emissions from industrial sources located between Merriwa, Singleton and Bulga.

Following completion of the pilot project, the network could expand across NSW.

For more information, visit environment.nsw.gov.au

MORE REST AREAS – Green reflectors have been placed at 10 new locations along the New England Highway and Golden Highway to help tackle driver fatigue and improve road safety.

The new sites will make it easier for truck drivers to locate suitable stopping locations, particularly at night or when visibility is poor.

New England Highway rest areas have been added at Ardglen, Murulla, Wingen, Muswellbrook and Liddell.

The latest Golden Highway sites are located east of Denman, east of Warkworth and east of Mount Thorley.

The roadside green reflector markers are installed on guideposts at the approach to informal heavy vehicle rest areas, providing drivers with  a visual cue that a safe place to pull over is nearby.

For more information on the Heavy Vehicle Rest Stopping Improvements program, go to: www.transport.nsw.gov.au/hvrsimprovements

TIPS TO KEEP WORKING – Appreciating that time is money, the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is helping consumers  to avoid telephone and internet problems costing you money.

While you can’t always prevent telecommunication disruptions, there are steps you can take to reduce how much it will cost you.

So, if you rely on your ‘phone or the ‘net to work, study or attend important appointments, it helps to think ahead.

Do you have a backup connection you can use? Is there a backup place with a working connection you could relocate to?

Most importantly, do you know what your service agreement says about what should happen if your service stops working?

If your service stops working, there may be ways to stay connected by relocating to somewhere with a working connection, like a public  library or cafề with Wi-Fi, another option is to borrow or buy a separate phone or internet service for short term use.

Alternative service options could include using your mobile phone as a hotspot for internet or buying a prepaid mobile SIM card.

Act quickly when the problem starts, tell your telco as soon as you can, explain what the problem is and how it could impact you including  potential costs.

Keep a record of when the problem started, what you told your telco, what your telco told you, the costs or losses you incurred and when the  problem was resolved.

Contact the TIO if you need more help: www.tio.com.au

ORDER IN THE HOUSE! – Senior high school students of the Upper Hunter are encouraged to participate in the 2026 My First Speech  Competition.

A national initiative of the House of Representatives, young Australians are challenged to imagine themselves as newly elected Members of  the Australian Parliament.

One winner from each senior secondary year group (Years 10, 11 and 12) will receive an expenses-paid trip to Canberra to deliver their speech live and undertake a program of meetings and tours at Parliament House on Capital Hill.

Entries close on Monday 20 July, with students and teachers invited to find further information and submit entries at:  https://mfs.houseofrepresentatives.gov.au/ 

TAFE TERM 2 OPTIONS – Making the first steps toward a policing career or swapping the tools to run the business are several of the  course options available during Semester 2 at TAFE NSW. 

Applications are now open for fulltime delivery of IPROWD at Kurri Kurri TAFE, 17 August to 27 November, to gain the skills needed for a  career in the NSW Police Force or the Australian Federal Police.

For more on the course, which includes an excursion to the NSW Police Academy, Goulburn, and Australian Federal Police College,  Canberra, check: www.tafensw.edu.au/programs/iprowd

If you want to go from tradie to business owner then master the skills you need to run your own successful trade business with a Microcredential Scholarship from the TAFE NSW Construction Centre of Excellence.

The course relevant to any trade, is designed for tradies who want to move from the tools to running their own trade business and is suitable  for those just starting out or in the early stages of running their business.

Fully online, the course combines self-paced resources with educator-led weekly sessions to guide your learning.

Using bite-sized content including interactive activities, real-life interviews, videos and podcasts, you’ll get practical guidance to start your  business from those in-the-know.

To learn how to define the kind of business you want, get your structure and compliance sorted, set up simple systems and digital tools,  manage your money and cash flow, lead your business, look after yourself and keep your business growing, go to: https://study.iat.nsw.edu.au/courses/tradie-to-business-owner 

AUSSIE ARK JOEYS – The first pouch checks for this year at the Tasmanian Devil Recovery program located at Aussie Ark in the  Barrington Tops have revealed a wonderful update.

Each year when Australia’s largest mainland breeding facility for Tasmanian Devils free from the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease checks  Devil mum’s for joeys, is always a moment filled with excitement.

It takes months of pairing, breeding and monitoring that leads to the very moment where Aussie Ark finds out whether it has more joeys to  welcome.

The Tomalla sanctuary has recently welcomed 14 healthy Devil joeys, so far, into the program representing hope for the endangered species  future.

But while 14 new joeys is truly worth celebrating, the reality is that conservation isn’t a quick fix with Aussie Ark in it for the long haul to  ensure the species does not disappear from Australia’s landscape.

WEED WATCH – Following recent rain, the NSW Government wants rural communities to be on the lookout for new Parthenium weed  growth.

With bare ground and warm soil temperatures, conditions are ideal for germination, and Parthenium can flower within three weeks, making  early detection critical.

Biosecurity officers are on high alert, with high-risk areas including the Hunter, North and Mid Coast, Central West and North-West NSW. 

If you spot a suspected plant take a photo, record the location, do not touch or disturb it because Parthenium can cause serious health issues  for people and livestock.

Report sightings to your local council biosecurity officer: https://hunterregionalweeds.net.au/index.php/weed-officer-contact or call the  NSW Biosecurity Helpline: 1800 680 244.

Learn what to look for, at: https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weed/PartheniumWeed

Contact:
Email address: upperhunter@parliament.nsw.gov.au; 
New Address: 94 John Street Singleton 2330
Postal Address: PO Box 60 Singleton NSW 2330
Ph: 6543 1065
www.davelayzell.com.au/news/categories/state-matters

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