A beautiful day at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club for the CanAssist Race Day. Well done to everyone who organised the day, and thank you to all who came along to support a great local cause.
Congratulations to the organisers, volunteers and the Lockhart community who have kept the Spirit of the Land Festival going for two decades.
This Small Business Month, I partnered with the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber for a practical workshop exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can help local businesses save time, simplify administration and make everyday tasks a little easier.
A lot has changed in firefighting at Lockhart over the decades, but one thing has remained the same – the diligence and dedication of generations of firefighters who have kept the community safe. I joined emergency services leaders and local firefighters to celebrate the brigade’s centenary. The contribution of the brigade is enormous, and the longevity of its members is testament to the pride they feel in serving their community.
It was wonderful to see almost 200 people come together to celebrate a century of the much-loved Bidgeemia community hall.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Thatcher of Tumut for 2nd place in the C grade competition.
On National Police Remembrance Day, I joined Inspector (acting Superintendent) Owen Hill, Inspector Lee Grey, Inspector Falkiner, Mr Tony Abbott and Mr Michael McCormack, in remembering the officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and the families, friends and colleagues who carry that loss.
It was a pleasure to attend the Wagga Rail Heritage Association’s open day and launch their oral history video about changes in local rail operations over the last 50 years.
It was a pleasure to join members of the Talbingo Rural Fire Brigade, Acting Deputy Commissioner Viki Campbell and Superintendent Jon Gregory for the official opening of their new station.
Congratulations to Milla, who was named champion in the 13 years and over category at this year’s Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod. Pictured here with Milla and her mum Jennifer.
Congratulations to the outstanding businesses who were recognised in the recent Riverina Murray Business Awards.
Pictured here with Kerin and Teresa English, Convenor of the Wagga Wagga Embroiderers’ Guild.
Thank you to everyone who attended my Seniors Forum in Wagga. It was great to hear from ID Support about how to best avoid scams and from Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network on the importance of health literacy.
It was inspiring to join South Wagga Rotary's Rocky Hill regeneration volunteers to inspect the amazing environmental works taking place on the hill, thanks to the commitment and hard work of volunteers digging in for a healthier local environment.
One of the great highlights on my calendar is a treasured invitation to celebrate the Onam festival with the Wagga Wagga Malayali community.
Congratulations to Pathways Murrumbidgee on taking over tenancy of the Ngurra Hub at Ashmont.
I was honoured to join Kapooka Commandant Colonel Gerard Kearns CSC, former Member for Riverina Kay Hull and Wagga City Councillor Lindsay Tanner to pay tribute to our Vietnam veterans at memorial ceremonies in Wagga and at the Murraguldrie Veterans’ Retreat on Vietnam Veterans’ Day.
It was excellent to join the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber to celebrate 40 years of the annual Golden Crow Awards to recognise the growth, entrepreneurship and success in our local business community.
It was excellent to see the NSW Country Championships come to the Jim Elphick Tennis Centre in Wagga Wagga.
Pictured here with Aunty Cheryl Penrith, Luke Penrith, Jurrah Penrith and Mark Roberson (President of Wagga Swans) at the Wagga Swans Indigenous Round.
It was a pleasure to attend the official opening of new amenities at Harris Park.
I was proud to have helped deliver these amazing improvements, which include new male and female changerooms, an upgraded canteen, a modern meeting space and new bathrooms.
It was a great privilege to bring together supporters of my Rural Health Action Plan alongside parliamentarians from across politics, with powerful agreement in the room that rural and regional NSW deserves better healthcare and that real reform must be delivered.
It was great to sit down with NSW young farmers at parliament this week to talk through the Rural Health Action Plan, because if we want young people to build a career on the land, they need quality health services close to home.
What a pleasure to meet the leaders of the future when students from Kooringal High, Mount Austin High, Tumut High and Wagga Wagga High visited parliament for the annual Secondary Student Leadership Program.
Today I welcomed Housing Minister Rose Jackson to Wagga to discuss the housing challenges facing our city, including the plan to move rough sleepers into proper accommodation and the construction of 12 new three-bedroom homes.
Dr Joe spent the weekend in Batlow for CiderFest, congratulating Richard Breward, the committee, volunteers and stallholders behind the highlight of the local calendar. He also dropped in to The Apple Thief Cider House to celebrate Dave and Mel Purcell's first birthday at the venue just north of town.
Dr Joe joined the Parliamentary Friends of Parkinson's event as co-chair, trying out exercise stations that showed how everyday movements become a real challenge for the 70,000+ people in NSW living with Parkinson's. Step Up For Parkinson's runs through May, register at https://www.stepupforparkinsons.org.au/DA5DF2.movements, such as signing your name, can be a big challenge for Parkinson’s patients and I can attest that the exercises were anything but easy!
With more than 70,000 people in NSW facing Parkinson’s every day, you can do your bit to raise vital funds for support, services and care by joining “Step Up For Parkinson’s” this May. Register here - https://www.stepupforparkinsons.org.au/DA5DF2
Dr Joe joined Kapooka educators and others at a Sydney rally calling for pay equity for community preschool staff, who do the same work as school-system teachers with the same qualifications but earn far less. He's pushing the government to deliver the pay rise the Fair Work Commission already directed.
Today was a great day for women’s sport in Wagga and surrounds, with the official opening of new and upgraded female-friendly amenities at Gissing Oval.
It was a great honour today to present a Local Senior of the Year Award to Ngiyampaa elder Aunty Donna Kirby, in recognition of decades of care for to her community.
