STATE LABOR SHOWS COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR FLOODED REGIONS

Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has slammed New South Wales Labor Shadow Minister for Water, Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson for her “uncaring and insensitive” comments whilst regional communities are under water.

“Comments from Ms Jackson are an insult not only to those directly affected by flooding in the regions, it is a slight on those wonderful emergency services people and volunteers tirelessly working to keep communities safe, often putting themselves in harm’s way,” Mr McCormack said.

“At a time when regional communities are reeling from flooding the likes of which have not been seen in more than 50 years, Ms Jackson told The Sydney Morning Herald raising Wyangala Dam by 10 metres to 95 metres, which will increase its capacity by 650,000 megalitres, would not prevent flooding in the State’s Central West and that money instead needed to be directed towards road and rail infrastructure around communities vulnerable to flooding to improve evacuation routes.

“It is comparable to being a CEO of an airline company and saying ‘we’re not going to worry too much about our planes or safety but we will have the best parachutes money can buy!’” Mr McCormack fumed.

“This is what the New South Wales people face if Labor gets the keys to Macquarie Street – a potential Minister for Water who thinks developing water infrastructure is not important enough even when regional people are wading through waist-high flooded homes to salvage what they can of their possessions.

“Is Ms Jackson looking to create more work for herself in her other portfolio responsibilities of Housing and Homelessness? Her comments certainly show a complete lack of empathy for regional families who have lost their homes and worldly possessions.

“This typical city-centric thinking is not surprising from someone who resides in North Strathfield.

“If you truly believe these long-suffering communities should literally build and take the high road, you are clearly not living in the real world.

“Come over the Great Dividing Range and look the people of these communities in the eye and tell them you are content with their homes, farms and businesses flooding, with their memories, crops and incomes destroyed as long as they can catch a lift to higher ground.

“After Labor’s flagrant and sadistic disregard for water infrastructure, anyone in the Central West contemplating voting for Labor next March is either a masochist or an idiot.”

Shane Manning