TRANSCRIPT: Doorstop with Nationals' Candidate for Cowper Pat Conaghan, 16 April 2019

EO&E

Subjects: Port Macquarie upgrade of Town Green West

PAT CONAGHAN:
OK, well I’d like to welcome you all here this morning at Town Green – Port Macquarie for a very special announcement and I’d like to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, with us here today.
So we’re all aware that there has been an upgrade of Town Green East, I’m very happy to announce that there is an election promise that the Liberal National Coalition Government has undertaken to provide $1.5 million for Town Green West development, that would involve the raising of the rock wall revetment, the levelling of the area and most importantly for the kids who come down here on weekends and the tourists for a bigger, better playground facility with water facilities as well.

So it’s a wonderful thing and only something that can be done through the Nationals’ Government. And again I’d like to thank Mr McCormack for being here and to the Liberal National Coalition Government for providing this.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Look, this is exciting, it’s an exciting day and I know Pat Conaghan has told me about how important this is. Not just for locals but also, perhaps just as importantly for visitors because when visitors come to Port Macquarie, when they have a great experience down here at the Town Green, down here at the foreshore they go away and tell others, gee, go to Port Macquarie for a holiday it’s the place to be. We want to make sure that the beautification of this area is enhanced, we want to make sure that there’s more liveability, that there’s better things to see and do, that there’s more attractions.

That’s what Pat Conaghan is all about. He’s lobbied hard for this, he’s campaigned for it. I know how much the Port Macquarie Hastings Council, I know how much they hold this in regard and really importantly the fig tree behind us, the iconic fig tree is going to stay, it’s going to have a playground around it, there’s going to be a water feature, the rock wall is going to be heightened, we’re going to get a raising of the town green. This is such an important this for Port Macquarie, only made possible because of the advocacy of Pat Conaghan. Well done mate, that’s what the Nationals in Government do.

PAT CONAGHAN:
Thank you very much

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Congratulations

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Any questions?

JOURNALIST:
How much will it cost?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
One and a half million dollars, so one and a half million dollars is going to this development, this is an exciting project this is an exciting proposal, I say again, it’s made possible because Pat Conaghan got in and fought for it. He wants a better community. He wants a more liveable community. He wants a better destination for holiday makers to come to Port Macquarie to make this the spot that they travel to, to make it their destination and this is going to be a fantastic enhancement of the local foreshore.
 
JOURNALIST:
Where is the money coming from?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
It’s coming from the Community Development Grant so, Pat Conaghan gets elected - this is going to happen. The Nationals in Government continue - this is going to happen.