Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan today called out Labor’s Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government for ignoring the immediate needs of the Dorrigo and Bellingen communities during her visit to the region.

Minister King was in Coffs Harbour to announce the final stages of the Coffs Harbour Bypass, alongside NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison. While the visit included media engagements, no community consultation time was arranged, and no meetings had been requested with Mayors, State MPs or Federal MPs within the surrounding areas.

“Last week in Question Time, Minister King made the claim that ‘it is now Labor, with 24 regional seats, that really is the party of the bush, and we are focused on delivery’. But today, the Minister actively ignored regional communities in need,” Mr Conaghan stated.

“She fronted the cameras in Coffs Harbour in order to take credit for the Bypass, a project she had nothing to do with, but couldn’t travel 40 mins down the road to Bellingen and Dorrigo to chat to the community about the 6-month closure of Waterfall Way.

“Last week, I once again invited the Minister to visit Bellingen Shire Council and see the issue and the critical needs of Dorrigo Plateau communities for herself. She would have known weeks ago that she would be in our area today, and yet I received no response. Mayor Steve Allan has also advocated directly for her to visit Waterfall Way in recent years and months and has never received a reply.

“I understand that the Bypass is exciting news and a large investment made by taxpayers over successive budgets from 2018 to today, but it’s a bit rich to claim credit for a success story while ignoring the urgent needs of a neighbouring town. How is that being ‘the party of the bush’ and being ‘focussed on delivery’?

“The people of Bellingen and Dorrigo should not be treated as second class citizens because they didn’t vote Labor.

“Minister King, OUR community of everyday regional Aussies deserve more. You claim to represent regional Australia, now it’s time to live up to the self-congratulating hype and actually talk to the people who you claim to care about.”