Old Munmorah Power Station Identified as the Ideal Location for Waratah Super Battery

I was pleased to hear that the old Munmorah Power Station site has been identified by EnergyCo as the ideal location for the 700MW Waratah Super Battery. The suitability of the site was outlined in EnergyCo’s scoping report that was lodged with the Department of Planning earlier this week. EnergyCo expects to finalise a competitive tender process to determine suitable battery operators and sites by the end of the year. I have been a strong advocate for installing the battery there because much of the infrastructure is already in place, and it would contribute to the Hunter – Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, which has received over $100 billion in investor interest. The project will also deliver up to 150 construction jobs during its development and 10 to 15 ongoing jobs, as well as an opportunity to turn the old power station into a renewable energy manufacturing hub on the Central Coast. This will mean good paying, highly skilled jobs into the future. 

McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses Cake Stall Fundraiser

Fantastic turnout at the cake stall my office hosted at Swansea Coles with local Karen Maddison, to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation breast care nurses. Over $900 was raised for this important cause. 

Karen is a breast cancer survivor and is once again taking part in The Big Trek from McDonald Jones Stadium to Sydney Cricket Ground to raise further funds for these nurses. If you were unable to attend the cake stall, you may wish to make a donation to Karen's fundraising page. 

Swansea Meals on Wheels Visit

It was great to visit Swansea Meals on Wheels to have a look at their new flooring they had installed. The organisation paid for the flooring through the Community Building Partnership 2021 program. The Community Building Partnership was designed to assist not-for-profit community organisations and local councils to undertake infrastructure projects that deliver positive social, environmental, and recreational outcomes, while also promoting community participation, inclusion and cohesion. I was pleased to support Swansea Meals on Wheels in securing funding for their project. The 2022 Program has now closed, however, you can sign up for alerts for future programs here. I encourage all not-for-profits and local councils to seek funding from this program. 

Optus Data Breach

The Optus data breach has been distressing for the millions of Australians who have had their identity documents jeopardised. In August, Optus was awarded a lucrative three-year multimillion dollar contract to manage the inbound service business for Service NSW. Due to this, NSW Labor has called on the Government to ensure that taxpayer data subject to a contract between Optus and Service NSW is protected. In my role as Shadow Minister for Customer Service and Digital, I have also contacted the Minister expressing local's concerns over the replacement of their identity documents. Through no fault of their own, impacted Optus customers are being asked to cough up the $29 and then be reimbursed. It is my view that the Government and Optus need to sort this out so that no one ends up out of pocket. 

Faulty Ferries

The Second Generation Emerald Class Ferries have once again been pulled from service due to steering issues. Continuous defects with the ferries has had a major impact on commuters, however, the NSW Liberal Government is too obsessed with purchasing overseas built transport to appropriately address the issue by building our ferries here. Their obsession with purchasing overseas built transport has been reinforced by their plans to buy seven more River Class Ferries from Indonesia to replace the Sydney Ferry Fleet’s existing Rivercats. This is despite the Indonesian built ferries being plagues with asbestos, faulty cabling, and stalling engines. 

Sydney Toll Increase

New South Wales motorists travelling on Northconnex, the Westlink M7, Cross City Tunnel, Hills M2, Lane Cove Tunnel, M5 South West and the Eastern Distributor have experienced yet another toll increase that came into effect on October 1. Over the past year, tolls on 5 of these roads have jumped by 6 per cent. This is having a major impact on local commuters who travel to Sydney for work. Not only has the price of petrol skyrocketed, but now they also have to deal with another toll hike. A NSW Labor Government will address this issue by keeping the Sydney Harbour Tunnel toll concession in public hands and return revenue from both the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the Sydney Harbour Bridge to drivers in the form of additional toll relief.

Stuart Chalmers Celebration

The family of Caves Beach SLSC legend Stuart Chalmers invite the local community to a celebration of his life. 

The details of the event are as follows:

When: Sunday 23 October, 11am start 

Where: Caves Beach SLSC (Upstairs) 

Stuart was a lovely man who brightened the lives of all who knew him. It would be great to see you all there on the day. 

LMCC Aquatic Facility Strategy Plan Public Exhibition

Lake Macquarie City Council are inviting locals to have their say on their draft Aquatics Facility Strategy. If approved, the strategy would deliver a new heated indoor learn to swim pool, waterplay area and car park upgrade at Swansea Swim Centre, as well as a grandstand replacement and platform lift to improve access for people with disability. The draft strategy is on public exhibition until Monday 24 October and can be viewed at the Council's website. I encourage you to have your say.

Heritage of East Lake Macquarie Website

Heritage of East Lake Macquarie (HELM) are a fantastic community group that works to promote the region's rich and unique history and heritage through heritage walks, newsletters, videos, and talks about people, events and objects. They have also recently launched their brand new website, which I encourage you all to check out. 

Get Active San Remo

Get Active is an exciting new initiative to encourage people in San Remo to ‘Get Active’ and discover the range of sports, active recreation, and physical activity options available in our community. Residents are encouraged to bring along a friend to one of many FREE or reduced cost activities and have some fun. Activities include swimming, fitness classes, basketball, football, BMX, walking, gymnastics and more. Fore more information visit the Central Coast Council website. 

Savings for Pensioners 

The rise in the cost of living has been hitting many people hard, especially pensioners. Here are 10 ways for NSW pensioners to save:

1. Council rate rebates: Pensioners are entitled to up to $250 a year off their council rates. For more information visit the Lake Macquarie City Council and Central Coast Council websites. 
2. Electricity rebate: The Low Income Household Rebate will shave up to $285 a year off your electricity bill for households with a retail provider.
3. Gas rebate: This rebate will give you a discount of up to $110 a year.
4. Water rates: Eligible pensioners can access a quarterly rebate, shaving hundreds of dollars a year off a typical household bill.
5. Regional seniors travel card: The regional seniors travel card provides eligible seniors living in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW with a $250 prepaid card to help ease the cost of travel. 
6. Revenue NSW Unclaimed Money: Find “lost” money waiting to be claimed from inactive bank accounts, shares and investments, insurance policies, unpaid wages, unclaimed super and deceased estates.
7. Travel vouchers: Pensioners are entitled to four Pensioner Travel Vouchers each calendar year. They can be used for two return or four single trips, giving access to free or discounted travel in economy class on NSW TrainLink Regional services within regional NSW.
8. Free car rego: Pensioners in NSW don’t pay registration fees or motor vehicle tax on one of their cars. They also receive free driver’s licences, free driving tests and concessions on the cost of Mobility Parking Scheme permits.
9. Free glasses: You can get yourself one pair of single vision glasses or one pair of bifocal glasses in a two-year period under the NSW Spectacles Program.
10. Seniors Card: The NSW Seniors Card is packed with discounts for thousands of retailers and services across the state from groceries to tradespeople and insurance.

I encourage all seniors to apply for these savings if they haven't already.